Reflections about tourism – The big paradox

There are two sides to everything. Good and bad, black and white, light and shadow and a whole lot of different shades of those. Traveling is no exception here. Especially during my year-long journey across Southeast Asia I developed what you could call a differentiated approach to tourism and travel. On the one hand it enables people to have amazing experiences, to broaden their horizon and ideally to learn about other cultures and ways of living. On the other hand, the massive influx of travelers can have a huge impact on traditionally societies.  Sometimes even to the extent of total extinction of their culture and customs. But what’s right and what’s wrong, does the one inevitably come with the other and how should we as travelers deal with this?

Retrospect and Outlook. The end of the year post

Another year is ending and I don’t know if it is just me but I can’t believe how fast 2014 passed. I have been back home in Germany for a little over a year now and it feels like time just flew by. It’s that time of the year to reflect on the past 365 days, the good times and the bad, all the things that have happened and to dare an outlook into the upcoming new year.
I can say it’s been a mixed year but taken the fact that I really didn’t expect too much in the first place, it actually turned out ok. It was a time of transition, re-adapting and settling back in, things that not only took a lot of time but also commitment and perseverance. And it was a time of new opportunities with the blog taking off, getting writing opportunities and officially being endowed with the Filipino nickname of Pipoy. Exciting and eventful times. Here is a little run down of what happened after my return from Southeast Asia and an outlook of what will be up in 2015.

My top 3 motorbike tours in Southeast Asia

As you know by now, since my yearlong trip across Southeast Asia I am a huge fan and advocate of traveling and exploring by motorbike. I probably rode a bike at least once in every country I visited and every single time it made for an unique and unforgettable experience. It is about the feeling of total freedom, of really immersing yourself in the scenery around you, about the sun warming your face, a cool breeze blowing through your hair and all the kind people you meet along the way. The freedom of traveling by motorbike is just unmatched. You can do whatever you want whenever you want and you are not confined to anyone’s schedule but your own. You can just take that interesting side road you just passed, you can have a snack at that unique road stop which you’d otherwise whip right past or stop to say hello to that group of smiling children who have been happily waving at you.

Typhoon Ruby – The Filipino Spirit is Waterproof

A few words as typhoon Ruby makes landfall in the Philippines

Usually ESCapology.eu is my platform to write about adventures in far away or not so far away places, encounters and experiences, general thoughts about traveling and to showcase my photography. It is supposed to be a happy place to give you, my readers, good vibes and inspiration.
But once again current events remind us that life is not all about that and can take strange twists. Just after a year since devastating super typhoon Haiyan / Yolanda has hit the Philippines, claiming thousands of victims and leaving even more homeless and vulnerable, another typhoon has made landfall in the country of the 7.107 islands. It is sad to see that the people who have just began to rebuild their homes and lives have now to face another setback.

11 insights traveling has taught me

I started traveling at a fairly young age. What began with annual family vacations at the French coast, continued with a year spent in an American High School, backpacking Australia, countless shorter trips and finally culminated in my recent year-long journey across Southeast Asia. I said this before; I am not one of those lucky persons who can say that they don’t regret anything they did in their lives.  I would probably change a few things if I had the chance to but what I never regretted and what always turned out to be amazing experiences were my travels abroad. They made me richer, opened my eyes and mind, made me grow as a person and allowed me to create memories which I will never forget. Traveling has changed me and my personality in countless ways and has probably taught me more than 5 years of university. Here are some of the things I have learnt along the way.

Tofino – Canada’s rugged West Coast

Exploring Vancouver was great. I can totally understand why the city is among the world’s most livable cities. But as usual, I got itchy feet after a a few days and it was time to move. Time to head for adventure, time to head into the wild – time to explore Canada’s rugged and wild West Coast.
It was early in the morning, still pitch black outside and thick flakes of snow were unceasingly hitting the car’s windshield as we waited to board the ferry to Vancouver Island. It was an unpleasing start of our trip and we hoped that once on the island, things would change for the better.

5 things to do in Vancouver

Earlier this year I have been invited to spend ten days in the beautiful city of Vancouver, Canada. I had just returned from my year long trip across Southeast Asia but since wanderlust had already started tormenting me again, I didn’t hesitate to book a flight and head for yet another adventure. Whereas I have been to Canada before, I have never visited Vancouver, the place which has recently been voted the third most livable city in the world. I heard a lot of good stories about the city – stories about an utterly relaxed lifestyle, mild climate, a beautiful setting by the Pacific and the great outdoors right at its doorsteps. It was time to discover and see for myself.

Ditch the excuses and go traveling!

I receive a lot of messages from people who would love to go traveling but who have doubts and fears which keep them from doing so. But in reality most of these doubts are actually excuses in disguise. Some of these might sound familiar to you, “I don’t have the time”, “I don’t have the money” or “I have no one to go with”. While these arguments sound legitimate at first sight, they absolutely should not keep you from doing what you want to do. If you think about it, all of these can be easily overcome if you really want it. Here is how:

More tips to improve your travel photography

A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article on how to improve your travel photography. Tips like becoming familiar with your equipment, getting close instead of excessively using the zoom and a little trick for the street photographers out there. Since it was well received, I decided to add a few more points to this list which will hopefully help to improve your skills and to bring better pictures back home.

7 tips for backpacking Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia has been a dream destination for backpackers for a long time. With its typical route often coined the banana pancake trail, Southeast Asia offers something for every type of traveler and all of that at a relatively low price. This, its easy accessibility paired with the ever luring images of exotic cultures and pristine beaches as well as its long history as a backpacker destination, have made it the starting point for many backpacking careers. Some would even argue that Southeast Asia is the region which by far infected the most people with severe cases of incurable wanderlust.  It has been on bucket lists for decades and still keeps becoming more and more popular. But before you start your own journey across this magical region, let me share some insights which might help making your trip even more worthwhile.