Above: Urdhva Dhanurasana or Chakrasana on the salt flats of Uyuni in Bolivia.
About me
Born and raised in Kuching in Sarawak, Malaysia which is on north-western part of Borneo island. Living in Auckland, New Zealand.
Chemical Engineer and Accountant by training. Formerly self-employed, working in a mix of finance, analysis and project roles for large companies.
Working life diminished in later years in favour of more travel. And now, I’d probably consider myself retired.
Frequently asked questions
- How can you travel so much?
“Want less, work less, live more”. That’s one of my mottos. It gives me more time and money. Fortunately I get access to discounted or free airline staff tickets, which I complement with nearly-free commercial tickets when budget airlines have big promotions. I also travel simply, staying in hostels and using public transport.
“Want less, work less, live more.”
- Why are some of your travel itineraries so weird, complex or random?
It’s because I utilise a mixture of free airline staff tickets, nearly-free commercial tickets on budget airlines, frequent flyer reward tickets and the odd expensive ticket.
With all those, I construct an itinerary to go somewhere new and exciting, or to a place that I already know and love. Sometimes I go simply because it is ridiculously cheap even though I don’t know much about the place, making it the perfect time to find out more!
Along with that, I work-in with the seasons and any special events or festivals. I also prefer to fly westward continuously with each hop, as it means I wake up bright and early at each stop, taking advantage of the change of timezone.
- Why do you go to such unusual or difficult places?
I have a strong yearning to see so much of the world beyond the well-trodden path. Coming from humble beginnings, I’m used to roughing it. And I’ve seen enough of the world to have a broad sense of what is “normal” and don’t get too shocked by the conditions I experience.
- Do you really enjoy some of the more difficult places?
It’s hard for me to remember many places I didn’t enjoy at all. There’s almost always something to like, be it the sights, food, diving, chatty locals, weather or even just getting surprised at how different life can be.
In the extremely rare places which I didn’t enjoy at all, I may just retreat to my room (hopefully air-conditioned) to write my travel journal. Or I may just thank my lucky stars I’m only passing through and not living there. There’s always something to be grateful for.
Did I tell you about my other motto? It’s “Sacrifice, discipline and forbearance”. The hard work, rough experiences and tenacity all contribute to a memorable trip.
“Sacrifice, discipline and forbearance.”