Through his globe-trotting for TODAY's Where in the World is Matt Lauer series, the fearless show host has eaten crickets in Laos, danced the tango in Buenos Aires and was thrown overboard by Sir Richard Branson.
Here, he responds to questions from TODAY fans about his many adventures after his ninth trip around the world.
Q: What was your favorite place you’ve been? Least favorite?
A: Way up there on the favorites list has got to be Easter Island. Maybe tied with Machu Picchu, which I thought was just magical and mystical.
There have been some places over the years that — I liked the place — but we've had things happen to us that weren't particularly great. In Cambodia, which I loved, and Laos, which I loved, we got attacked by enormous bugs. They were like aircraft. They were huge, they were the size of your fist. That wasn't the most fun.
Q: Matt, we heard you ate crickets and worms! Ew! Is that really true?
A: Crickets, yes. Worms, yes. We were on safari at mambo camp in Africa, and I ate worms with a lovely lady. They were not great.
Crickets in Laos: It wasn't the worst thing I’ve ever eaten. The fried taste overwhelmed the cricket taste, which is really good thing when you're eating fried crickets.
Q: Did anything ever happen to you that was totally unexpected?
A: I was standing in Buenos Aires on the street and this woman came up and asked me directions. The next thing you knew, we were dancing the tango. All right, that wasn't completely unexpected.
I was at Necker Island with Sir Richard Branson. He grabbed my ankles and flipped me overboard. Completely unexpected. I will get revenge!
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Q: You’re always pointing, saying “I’m going this way, I’m going that way.” Do you have a compass? How do you know?
A: We get on the ground and we ask the local people which direction is which, then we do our calculations as to what the next location is.
Q: On trips past, you've traveled a total of 240,000 miles. You've circled the globe nine times! What keeps you coming back for more?
A: The sense of adventure. This idea that you're getting to know the globe in a way that few people get to know it is what keeps me coming back.
Q: What was the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
A: I flew in a helicopter at about 18,000 feet at Mount Everest with the doors off of the helicopter. That was scary.
I paraglided at the Matterhorn on skis. The approach in our plane into Bhutan, where we literally had to make hairpin turns in a 737 through the Himalayan mountains.
Q: We know where to find you here in New York City. But how do crowds find you on your trip?
A: Sometimes it's baffling! But it’s always a really nice reminder of home.