Travel Tales – Flip from FlipNomad.com

In this weeks edition of Travel Tales I interview Flip who blogs over at FlipNomad.com. He left home in the Philippines in order to pursue his dream of travelling the world and to experience as many different cultures as possible. Have a read of his interview below to get to know him better. Me in Kibber Himachal Pradesh Tell us where you’re from, and a little about your blog? “Hi, I’m Flip. I’m from Manila, Philippines. My blog is about my trips around Asia and also about budget travelling where I share some tips and tricks on how to travel affordably.” You’ve been travelling for quite some time now, where did you start your journey, and where are you currently? “I’ve been on the road now for more than three years. I just came home for a short while to renew my passport and then flew out again to continue my journey. I started in El Nido in Palawan, Philippines wherein I spent a month and then I flew to Beijing afterwards which was the beginning of my trip around Asia. I’m currently in Cambodia.” You’ve stayed in some cool spots along your travels – which one stands out the most for you? “Wow, this is quite a difficult question to answer as there are many places that I fell in love with. One of those is El Nido which I find extremely beautiful. It has white sand beaches, clear water, laid back lifestyle and so many unspoilt beaches and islands. The next one is any place in Thailand because of the amazing food!!! And of course I also like India specially Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.” El Nido What’s your country count at the moment? “As of now I’ve been to 12 countries.” Is there any country you’ve not yet visited that’s a must see destination for you? “I have a very long bucket list which I don’t know if I’m gonna see them all. But given a chance, I’d like to go to Bhutan, Patagonia, Dolpo in Nepal and Antartica.” What first made you want to travel? “I don’t know which specific thing got me into travelling. But when I was in grade school, I used to read tons of books about various places and then I got glued watching National Geographic and Discovery Channel. I was so amazed to learn about different cultures, wildlife and landscapes. When I reached the age of 25, I travelled overseas with my friends and from there, I discovered the fun and crazy world of the backpacking community and got me hooked in this kind of lifestyle. I left my job after that and travelled on my own for six months and I think that was the beginning of my pursuit towards this nomadic life.” If you had to choose your favourite destination so far, what would it be and why? “If I have to choose only one, then I’d go for India. The diversity of culture, wildlife and landscape is surreal. Up north, you’ll see the majestic Himalayan mountains and down south is tropical. India’s culture would probably be the most colourful and the most mystical and one of the most interesting.” Name two personal items that you can’t live without while travelling? “Mosquito repellent and a hoodie.” Beijing What’s your most epic travel story to date? “There’s a lot! But probably the most epic would be living this kind of lifestyle for more than three years now. I still can’t believe that I’m now living a life that used to be just a dream of mine. For specific trips, then that would be the five months that I spent in India.” Is there one post on your blog that you prefer over all the rest? If so, then why? “Yes, I wrote a post about the Good Samaritan that I met in Kibber in Himachal Pradesh, India. I will never forget the kindness that he had shown me.” Was there a specific moment when you realised that travel was a lifestyle you wanted to pursue? “I’m not sure, but after I came back from a solo backpacking trip that lasted me for six months, I can’t think of anything else but to do it all over again. It made me feel so alive!” What motivates you to keep travelling, and do you have days where you think a more settled life back home is more attractive? “I love to travel and I enjoy it so much. I like being in new places and learning new things. Yes, there are days when I think about the comforts of living in one place especially when I feel very tired. But just after a minute of thinking about it, my thoughts would then jump to some places that I’d like to visit on my next trip. But as of now, I have decided to stay in one place (for the meantime) to spend more time working on my websites. I want to earn and save more money because I want this kind of lifestyle that I’m enjoying now to become sustainable and to last for a long time. I wrote about this decision recently and you can read it here.” During your travels, what’s the best travel tip you’ve received? “The best travel tip that I have ever received came from a very old backpacker from New Zealand. Me and the other backpackers in the hostel I was staying in Vientiane had a long chat with him. He told us to “Be There. Be Present.” At first I didn’t understand what he meant. But as years go by I finally understood what he meant. He was telling us to basically enjoy ‘the moment’, and forget the past and future worries not only when we travel but also in our day to day lives.” Connecting with locals can be one of the most rewarding things about travel. Do you agree? “Yes, I agree. And not only with locals but also with every one you meet on the road including our fellow travellers. Some of people that I have met in my travels made a huge difference in my life.” Me in Tabo Is there any one country that you’ve been to that you didn’t like, and would make you not want to return? “Luckily, I have never had an awful experience yet that will make me hate a particular country.” In order to sustain a life of travel, you need to have some sort of income stream. How have you funded your travels? “I fund my travels through the income that I get from advertisements in my blog and niche sites. It’s really not that much but it’s enough to keep me travelling in affordable countries in Asia.” What are your travel plans for the future? “Well for now I will just be staying put in Southeast Asia although I still haven’t decided where. I’m planning to stay put for six months to a year (or maybe more) to just work on my websites. Afterwards, maybe I’ll go back to India and Nepal. I still don’t know though. Plans do change. 🙂 “ Favourite travel quote? “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson Biography: I’m Flip and I’m a long term traveller from the Philippines. I started as a backpacker and later on discovered the wonderful and crazy world of travel blogging. You can follow me through the websites below: Website URL: http://flipnomad.com Facebook page: http://facebook.com/flipnomad Twitter name: http://twitter.com/flipnomad