In Conversation with Hassan Esufally
He has run marathons on all seven continents, scaled Mount Kilimanjaro, completed an Ironman, visited over 95 countries, and studied at the University of Cambridge all while staying in strangers’ homes and dancing salsa in Latin America. Hassan Esufally is Sri Lanka’s quietly extraordinary adventurer-entrepreneur, a man who has built his life around the conviction that the world is far more generous, beautiful, and surprising than most of us dare to believe. Now, with his newly launched venture Abracadabra Adventures, Hassan is channeling a lifetime of immersive travel into a premium, small-group travel company that takes people far off the beaten path and deep into the heart of the places they visit. We sat down with him to talk about adventure, sacrifice, human connection, and what it truly means to travel well.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m Hassan and I’m an athlete, adventurer and entrepreneur. I was born in Sri Lanka, did my high school here before moving to Australia for my undergraduate. I’ve also lived and worked in the Philippines prior to doing my master’s at Cambridge. In-between all this I somehow managed to visit 95+ countries, run a marathon across all seven continents becoming the first Sri Lankan to do so do an ironman and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro! I worked remotely, staying with local people using Couchsurfing, which I think is the best way to travel and see the world on my personal solo trips. This has partly been my inspiration for sharing my vision for immersive, authentic and experiential travel and how my company facilitates that. Most recently I’ve started Abracadabra Adventures an adventure travel company focused on immersive, authentic and experiential travel, taking travelers to off-the-beaten-path destinations. It’s premium, small-group, adventure travel.
What first inspired you to start exploring nature and adventure tourism?
I love travel and love adventure! I’ve loved it since I was a small boy. I still remember my first flight at 5 years old I still remember the Singapore Airlines plane on the runway. I was so excited seeing a plane for the first time. I even remember the movie that was playing on it — Toy Story!
When I was younger, I always wanted to do the adventure thing on trips, like the water park or thrill ride park, whereas my sisters just wanted to go shopping much to my annoyance! I loved being outdoors, climbing trees, playing run and catchers, playing tennis, riding bikes, swimming. That love never left me.
Among all the places you have visited, which experience changed your life the most?
This is honestly such a difficult question because I have travelled various countries in various ways! Antarctica was a life-changing journey because it was the last marathon in my goal to become the first Sri Lankan to run a marathon on all seven continents. It’s so rare and untouched the plane lands on an ice runway, you sleep in these little dugout tents in the snow, and you’re meeting some really incredible people. Peru, Turkey, Georgia, Morocco, Italy, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand each gave me something different culture, language, nature, food, music and human warmth. And Sri Lanka, well, because it’s home.
What does travel personally teach you about life?
To go outside your comfort zone. You realize that the world is actually a beautiful place with amazing people waiting to greet you. Having spent time in local homes all over the world, I’ve come to understand that human beings all want to be happy, healthy, and provide a good life for themselves and their families. Travel and adventure open your mind, your spirit and your heart to so many new things. It makes you happier, more creative, I’ve written down some of my best ideas on the road. It teaches you how to get along with so many different kinds of people. Travel teaches you to be empathetic, kind, understanding and helpful.
Many people admire your adventurous lifestyle. What sacrifices did you have to make?
Yes, it perhaps looks glamourous on the outside. I mean I do love it and it’s easier when you do something you love, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. People don’t see the early mornings, late nights, the anxiety, or the uncertainty. In today’s social media world, most people only see the highlight reels, not the unglamorous, monotonous work behind the scenes. Crossing the finish line of an Ironman? People don’t see the gruelling 10-hour bike rides, the early mornings in the cold, or the long training sessions where every muscle aches. Running a marathon? They don’t see the months of pounding the pavement in all weather, the strict diet and recovery routines. Building a business? People don’t see the late nights hunched over plans, the endless emails, the mistakes and lessons learned. Personal relationships too when you are constantly moving around or have a vision larger than yourself, sometimes it’s difficult to maintain these. Sometimes you have to let people go. And this can cause some loneliness from time to time. Which is why I say again it’s so important to surround yourself with family, mentors, and friends who understand you and accept you.
What personal achievement are you most proud of?
One of the achievements I’m most proud of, personally, was becoming the first Sri Lankan in history to run a marathon across all seven continents. Not because of medals, recognition, or finances, but because of what the journey represented: resilience, belief, sacrifice, and the people who stood by me through it all. One moment that captures this best was on Mount Kilimanjaro. The night before the summit push, I was in terrible shape exhausted, developing slight altitude sickness, vomiting, and running a fever. I remember calling my dad and saying, “I’m not in the best shape right now.” He simply listened and then said, “No matter what happens, you’re a success in my eyes, and if there’s anyone who can do this, it’s you.” Twelve hours later, standing on the roof of Africa, I made that call: “Hey Dad, I did it. I summited.” He had tears in his eyes and said, “I’m so proud of you. I always believed in you.” That moment meant more to me than the summit itself.
What have you learned about human connection through your travels?
That human beings all want to be happy, healthy and provide a good life for themselves and their families. In 2022, I was on a bus from Tangier to Fez and ended up sitting next to a local guy. At some point, he noticed I was looking for a place to stay in Fez and asked, “Why don’t you stay with me and my family?” I hesitated. But when you’ve travelled enough, you learn to read people. So I trusted my instinct. That decision led to one of the most heartwarming experiences of my life. His family treated me like their own son. Every morning and evening, his mum cooked for me including the best couscous I’ve ever tasted. I will be forever grateful to Abdullah and his family for this kind of hospitality. This is why I travel. Not just places. But people. Homes. Human connection. This is the kind of experience I want to create with Abracadabra Adventures, as close to this feeling as possible.
What does “authentic experiential travel” mean to you?
To me, authentic experiential travel means going deeper than just seeing a place. It is about real interaction with local communities, spending meaningful time with people, and experiencing daily life with them rather than just observing from the outside. That can mean staying with indigenous communities, cooking together, sharing meals, dancing, or simply living in someone’s home and understanding their routines and way of life. It is about connection, not consumption. I have always been drawn to this kind of travel. I’ve taken the best parts of Couchsurfing the human connection, spontaneity, and cultural immersion and built that thinking into Abracadabra Adventures so that travel becomes less about sightseeing and more about real, meaningful experiences with people and places.
What made you believe there was a gap in the tourism industry for what you offer?
I saw that many companies offered a lot of “cookie cutter” tours. Typical European highlights or a tried and truncated route in most countries. With my company you get to visit some really off-the-beaten-path locations and have some unique experiences. For instance, if you were to book with Abracadabra Adventures for a trip in Uzbekistan, you would not just get the typical route of Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara but also visit the Aral Sea and see the Ships Graveyard. It would really be an adventure! All our trips carry three core elements: a cultural element, an adventure element a hike, a waterfall swim, something that keeps the fun alive and a local community element, which could be cooking Tamil cuisine with a community member in their home in Jaffna, or weaving classes with Andean women in Peru. It’s premium, small-group, adventure travel, capped at ten people. Beyond that, I want Abracadabra Adventures to be a force for good. As the company grows, part of our profits will be directed towards organizations supporting mental health and wellbeing, helping people access the kind of support that can change lives. Ultimately, I want the company to create positive impact on three levels: for the traveller, for the local communities we work with, and for people who may need support through mental health and wellbeing initiatives.
What message would you give to young people who want to follow their passion?
It’s always better to try and fail than not try and never know. Go outside your comfort zone. Believe in your dreams and don’t let anyone take away those dreams from you. Whether it be becoming a CEO, the best musician you can be, a great artist, or a world traveller and entrepreneur if you are willing to work hard, go after what you want and be persistent, anything is possible. Purpose isn’t something you just find one day. It’s built through action, experience, and trying things that feel right for you. Life isn’t about getting it perfect. It’s about experimenting, trying different paths, ideas, and versions of yourself, and slowly learning what works and what doesn’t. The only two people you really have to make proud are your 8-year-old self and, if you’re lucky, your 80-year-old self. So be grateful and kind. Fill your life with people who bring you joy.
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Hassan Esufally’s story is a reminder that the most extraordinary lives are rarely the most straightforward ones. They are built on persistence, curiosity, and the willingness to knock on a stranger’s door. Abracadabra Adventures is his invitation for the rest of us to do the same.
