Born in Saudi Arabia, raised in Jordan, and the son of a South Korean father and Vietnamese mother, comedian Wonho Chung has been exposed to a wealth of cultural diversity. Entering the comedy scene in 2007, Chung’s mix of Arab and Far Eastern observational humour – performed in fluent Arabic – struck a chord with region’s audiences, and he soon found himself hosting comedy tours, performing in front of regional luminaries and interviewing the A-list on Dubai International Film Festival’s red carpet. His newest project, a travel documentary series, sounds like it was an inevitable evolution for his career, admitting “as I am caught between two very contrasting worlds, it naturally makes me more inclined and curious to explore both sides and ultimately find a balance between the two”.

How did “Wonho Around the World” come about?

I had a meeting with a friend of mine called Ihab Al Khosousy, who I have worked with on many travel projects before for the South Korean government, as I am the Honorary Ambassador for Korean Tourism in the Middle East. After meeting up again early 2014, I had an idea to do another project for Korea, but at that point he had already opened his own production company and suggested that we take it one step further and do a full blown travel show. I jumped on the opportunity as it combines three things that I love: TV, travel and entertainment.

What are you hoping to achieve with the show?

I hope the show will educate, entertain and inspire people to explore different parts of the world and understand that there are so many similarities within our differences as a human race. I try my very best to bring the genuine emotion of what I felt at every country, city or stop along the way, hoping to show people what it really felt like to be there.

How have you mixed your style of comedy with the travel documentary medium?

My personality in the show has remained the same; I am being me all the time whether I am up at 4am to film a segment, or jumping off a waterfall in Dalat, Vietnam. I think this project is an extension of what I can do as a comedian and TV presenter and the sky is the limit.

What’s the most exceptional thing you’ve experienced while travelling?

Bungee jumping from the world’s [second-] highest platform in Macau at 233 metres – having never done bungee jumping before – was quite an experience. But then again, every experience is a memorable one when you travel – from the food you have, the locals you meet who greet you with open arms, and the natural beauty you get to see, which I find very difficult to put into words how absolutely breathtaking Mother Nature is.

Where is your favourite getaway for luxury?

I found Jumeirah Dhevanafushi resort in the Maldives an experience that is hard to top. It’s a perfectly curated experience with ultimate seclusion in the Indian Ocean, and surrounded by what I would call heaven on Earth. Every sunrise and sunset and everything in-between is truly a magical moment to savour.

Jumeirah Dhevanafushi resort in the Maldives is one of Chung's favourite destinations

What is essential to you when travelling?

Something that inspires me: seeing how people live, what they eat, certain aspects of their culture that make them distinctly “them” is something that is amazes me. It teaches you a lot and changes you a lot as a person; you become more understanding and tolerant of the world and the people around you.

What do you like to indulge in or treat yourself to when travelling?

When travelling I try to experience things on both sides of the spectrum: eating street food and then having a wonderful dine-fining or molecular-gastronomy experience on the same trip. I do love shopping for things that are different to what I find back home, I love having nice spa experiences (I discovered Ayurvedic massages and that’s all I do now), and of course I try to experience a Michelin-starred restaurant wherever I end up going – most notably trying the 29-course dinner at Noma in Denmark back in 2014.

What has your most awe-inspiring travel experience been?

Traveling to Vietnam (my mother’s country) for the first time, and meeting my aunt (the first member of my mom’s family that I have ever met) for the first time was extremely emotional. Also seeing first-hand the effects the war had on the Vietnamese people and how, despite all this, they still remain proud, life-loving and happy is something that I find absolutely incredible. Not to mention that when I met my aunt, I cried like a baby for a good 20 minutes – moments like these are what life is all about.

Is there a destination that you’ve been to that was an unexpected surprise?

I went to a friend’s wedding in Los Roques, Venezuela, which is an archipelago of islands in the Caribbean Sea. The place has been untouched for hundreds of thousands of years, and getting there is a nightmare, but it is absolutely stunning; I’ve never experienced anything more beautiful and real. Everything we ate or drank we fished from the sea or had been grown on the island; nothing was imported. That’s definitely one of my favourite travels experiences ever.

Where are you off to next?

I am in the Maldives as I write these answers, then we head to Georgia, then Tajikistan, and then back to Dubai. After a short break, I’ll begin filming season two of my travel show, in Europe, in December.

Where is on your travel bucket list?

North Korea – it’s one of the most isolated places in the world and it would be so interesting to see how people live there on a day-to-day basis. I also want to see the northern lights – it’s a trip I intend to do soon, when it’s the season to see the Aurora Borealis, and I’m contemplating between seeing it in Sweden, Iceland, Norway or Nova Scotia.

Exploring South America as a whole is another one, as I love the culture and the people from that part of the world. Having said all that, I do have a plan to visit all of the countries in the world before I’m too old to travel, so the world is my bucket list.

Watch “Wonho Around The World” Tuesdays at 19:15 GMT on Al Araby TV.