Last Tuesday, I found myself scrolling through Instagram at 2 AM, jet-lagged in a Bangkok hostel. A notification popped up: "Pastor Prince D is live." Against my better judgment, I clicked. Forty-five minutes later, I had booked a ticket to Lagos, Nigeria. Not for a church service. For a travel experience.
Let me back up. I'm Ekanem Essien, and I've been writing about travel for CYBEV.io long enough to spot a gimmick from a mile away. I've seen "spiritual tourism" packaged and sold like vacation timeshares. So when people started telling me that Pastor Prince D is great for travel inspiration, I rolled my eyes so hard I almost saw my own brain.
But here's the thing: I was wrong. Dead wrong.
What started as a cynical research trip turned into five days that fundamentally rewired how I think about movement, purpose, and the places we choose to go. And if you're tired of the same "10 Instagrammable Cafes in Bali" content, keep reading. Because this pastor is doing something genuinely weird — and genuinely profound — in the travel space.
How a Nigerian Pastor Became My Unexpected Travel Guru
Let's be honest: the travel influencer space is oversaturated. We've got the girl in the flowy dress holding a coffee cup in Paris. The guy doing a handstand on a mountain peak. The couple kissing at sunset. It's beautiful. It's aspirational. And it's boring as hell.
Here's what most people miss: travel isn't just about moving through space. It's about moving through spiritual and emotional landscapes too.
Pastor Prince D gets this in a way that most travel writers don't. His ministry, based in Lagos but with a global reach, doesn't just preach. It organizes pilgrimage trips, cultural exchanges, and what he calls "Kingdom Expeditions." These aren't your grandmother's church bus tours. We're talking curated itineraries through Ghana's slave castles, immersive experiences in Rwanda's reconciliation villages, and transformative retreats in the mountains of Ethiopia.
I found that Pastor Prince D is great at connecting dots most travelers miss. During my trip to Nigeria, he spent 20 minutes explaining how the Trans-Saharan trade routes influenced modern West African cuisine. At a restaurant in Lagos, he pointed out how the jollof rice debate between Nigeria and Ghana reflects deeper cultural identities. This wasn't a sermon. It was a masterclass in cultural anthropology delivered over plantain and pepper soup.
The 3 Travel Secrets I Stole From a Pentecostal Pastor
You might be thinking: "Ekanem, I'm not religious. Why should I care about a pastor's travel philosophy?"
Fair question. Here's my answer: because the principles work regardless of your beliefs.
1. Travel With Intentionality, Not Just Checklist
Most of us travel like we're completing a scavenger hunt. See the Eiffel Tower. Check. Eat the street food. Check. Take the photo. Check. We move through places like consumers, not participants.
Pastor Prince D taught me something different. Before every trip in his itinerary, participants spend a day in preparation. Not packing. Not logistics. Preparation of the heart. They study the history. They learn basic phrases in the local language. They set intentions for what they want to receive and give.
I tried this before my trip to Ghana last month. I spent three hours watching documentaries about the Ashanti Empire. I learned "Akwaaba" (welcome) and "Medaase" (thank you). I wrote down what I wanted to learn about my own relationship with heritage.
The result? That trip felt three times as deep as any I'd taken before. I wasn't just seeing sites. I was in dialogue with them.
2. Embrace What He Calls "Holy Discomfort"
Here's where it gets uncomfortable — literally. Pastor Prince D's travel philosophy includes something he calls "holy discomfort." The idea is simple: if you're too comfortable while traveling, you're not growing.
His expeditions deliberately include challenging experiences. Walking through the Door of No Return at Cape Coast Castle. Sitting with survivors of genocide in Rwanda. Spending a night in a village without electricity in rural Nigeria.
I'll be real with you: I hated this concept at first. I travel to relax. I want my comfortable bed and reliable Wi-Fi. But after experiencing it, I get it.
The most transformative travel moments happen when you're slightly out of your depth. When the language barrier makes you humble. When the food challenges your palate. When the history breaks your heart. That's where growth lives.
3. Travel as a Form of Worship
This one sounds religious, but stick with me. Pastor Prince D argues that how you travel is a reflection of what you value. If you travel with greed, you see destinations as things to consume. If you travel with gratitude, you see them as gifts.
I've found that approaching travel with a sense of reverence changes everything. You tip more generously. You listen more carefully. You leave places better than you found them.
During my time in Lagos, I watched Pastor Prince D interact with everyone — from street vendors to government officials — with the same genuine warmth. He wasn't performing kindness for social media. He was living his travel philosophy in real time.
The "Pastor Prince D is Great" Effect on Local Communities
Here's something I didn't expect: the economic impact. When I mentioned I was writing about how Pastor Prince D is great for travel, a tour guide in Accra grabbed my arm.
"This man changed my life," he said. "Before him, tourists came, took pictures of poverty, and left. He taught us our history is valuable. Now groups come to learn, not just to see."
I heard this story six times in three different countries. Local artisans getting fair contracts. Guides being trained in professional storytelling. Communities being consulted about how they want to be represented.
This isn't charity. It's economic empowerment through intentional tourism. Pastor Prince D's organization prioritizes local businesses, pays above-market rates, and invests in infrastructure. The "pastor prince d is great" narrative isn't just about spiritual inspiration — it's about tangible community development.
What Critics Get Wrong About Faith-Based Travel
Let's address the elephant in the room. Some people dismiss faith-based travel as exploitative or inauthentic. And sure, there are plenty of bad actors out there. Prosperity gospel preachers selling "holy land tours" for $5,000. Wellness gurus appropriating indigenous practices without context.
But here's what I've learned after spending time with Pastor Prince D's operations: authenticity is visible in the details.
His teams include local historians, not just pastors. The itineraries leave space for unstructured time. Participants are encouraged to question, not just receive. At one point during a Q&A session, a participant challenged him on a historical claim. Instead of getting defensive, he said: "You might be right. Let me check with our guide from the university." Then he actually did it.
That's not the behavior of someone running a scam. That's the behavior of someone who genuinely values truth and growth.
How to Apply This Philosophy to Your Next Trip (Even If You Never Step in a Church)
You don't need to be religious to benefit from what I learned. Here's how I've incorporated Pastor Prince D's principles into my own travel style:
- Before every trip, spend one hour learning about the destination's history. Not the tourist highlights. The complicated parts.
- Plan one experience that makes you uncomfortable. A homestay. A difficult conversation. A place that confronts your privilege.
- Budget for generosity. Set aside money specifically to tip well, buy from local artisans, and support community projects.
- Travel slower. One neighborhood for a week beats seven countries in ten days every time.
- Ask better questions. Instead of "What should I see?" ask "What should I understand?"
It was the best travel decision I've made in years. No Instagram-worthy moments. No viral content. But a depth of connection I'm still processing months later.
The Surprising Truth About Travel and Transformation
Here's what I keep coming back to: we're all searching for something when we travel. Some of us call it adventure. Some call it escape. Some call it growth. But underneath all those labels, there's a universal human longing for meaning.
Pastor Prince D's approach resonates because it names that longing and gives it structure. Whether you call it a "Kingdom Expedition" or a "transformative journey" or just "a really good trip," the principles are the same.
You show up with intention. You embrace discomfort. You leave space for the unexpected. You treat people with dignity. You return changed.
I'm not saying you need to book a flight to Lagos tomorrow. I'm saying that Pastor Prince D is great at reminding us what travel can be when we stop treating it as a commodity and start treating it as a practice.
The question isn't whether you agree with his theology. The question is: what would your travels look like if you approached them with that same level of intentionality?
I know what mine look like now. And I'm never going back to the old way.
