PROMOTING products, destinations and accommodations that he believes in, David Hoffmann, the man behind the David’s Been Here brand, is expressing his love for Guyana, stating that he looks forward to exploring more of Guyana in his next visit.
His first video in Guyana was released in 2022, when he partnered with Visit Guyana to explore the South American country. His travels included visits to the bustling Bourda Market and Backyard Café, sampling street food along Sheriff Street in Georgetown, and sharing a home-cooked meal prepared by President Dr Irfaan Ali, who invited him to join Eid celebrations that year.
In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Chronicle, the travel host and entrepreneur spoke firsthand about his experiences and time spent in Guyana on two separate visits. Reflecting on his background, David shared that he was born and raised in Miami, Florida, to a Hungarian father and an Italian mother. Offering further insight into his personal life, the 40-year-old travel vlogger also noted that he is a father of two children.
He has been building his YouTube platform, David’s Been Here, since 2007, marking nearly two decades of continuous travel across different countries focused on exploration, learning, and personal growth. David recalled that as a teen, he would visit The Bahamas many times with his best friend, and the remarkable opportunity to go to Europe for the first time at age 15. Spending five weeks in Spain with his sister and brother-in-law was the key that opened the door in his mind to travel
“That started everything for me. It opened up my mind, and then it’s always been like travel, travel, travel, learn, learn, learn. There’s an adrenaline aspect to it, and especially when you’re travelling once a month indefinitely for over 20 years, it’s more like if I don’t have a trip set up, I’m antsy,” David shared.
His first solo trip was to Poland in 2006. Since launching the digital media company (David’s Been Here), he has hosted over 2,000 travel episodes that highlight unique destinations globally. He was also named one of the Top Ten Best Travel Videographers by USA Today and Top Ten Travel Video Sites by OOAworld. In 2020, David also won the 2020 Travel Video Alliance Award for Best Culinary Video and the Top Travel Blog award from CrowdsourcedExplorer.
While many will know that he has a YouTube channel, David’s website: David’s Been Here – Leave Your Mark On The World is almost like a postcard that highlights each place he has visited, with travel guides and important details that travellers should know about each destination. This includes our very own Guyana.
Speaking more about this, David said he was always interested in visiting The Three Guianas- Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. He first heard about Guyana around a decade ago and was finally able to come here in 2022. Asked about his first impression, David recalled that the green in our capital city is what has always stuck with him, along with a local must-have, pepperpot.
“In terms of like destination, I mean, I think for me the place that, I guess, is always with me is Kaieteur Falls. I went to Kaieteur Falls and it was mind-blowing to get that close to that waterfall. Just something amazing. I love waterfalls, I’ve been dying to do all the major ones in the world.”
Probably one of the videos that stuck out to Guyanese more is the one of his time spent with our visionary leader, President Ali. Commenting on this, David described it as a surreal experience.
“When you think of presidents, you put them up there, like almost untalkable. Like, you can’t even talk to them, right? And then, I met him, and he’s just like super humble, a real person. If he didn’t tell me he was a president, I would never know,” he stated, adding that the discussions were focused on food, country and national pride.
“One of those experiences that changes your life, you know, definitely feel it forever,” David said.
In his final remarks, David said he loves Guyana and is looking forward to exploring more of our 83,000 square miles in his next visit; whether it’s to the Rupununi or down the Essequibo River, he’s ready for new adventures and experiences in destination Guyana.