This post is a rather unusual one as I usually just write about my experiences and adventures while traveling here in South East Asia. Apparently my trip has sparked some interest and this time others have been writing about me and my journey. That is awesome and I am happy to share with you guys that ESCapology has just been covered in the newspaper of my hometown. Having grown up with “Die Glocke”, it makes me proud to see my picture in the paper that has been subscribed by my family as far as I can remember. I would have never expected anything like this to happen.
At the same time, the article was also published on www. auslandsjob.de, an independent German portal on work & travel and traveling in general.
It is great to get that kind of exposure and since my feature on WordPress’ “Freshly Pressed”, this is probably the best publicity I have received so far. I think this is a good chance to thank all the people that have supported me until now. I couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks to my subscribers and avid readers here, your support and feedback keeps me going. Thanks to Simone, who has edited the articles mentioned above. And of course thanks to my family and friends for supporting me and what I do. You are the best.
If you can read German, here are the resources for both articles:
Escapology in local German Newspaper “Die Glocke”
Escapology on www. auslandsjob.de
You deserve it, Awesome Phil! We somehow experience what you experienced through reading your blog. It excites me every time Gmail prompts that I have an email coming from your site telling me that you posted a new blog. I admit, I smile while reading and chuckles when it comes to some funny lines. LOL. Good job!
Thanks Ken, I appreciate you following my blog for such a long time now and keeping me motivated. Sometime it is hard to find the time to update asyou can tell. But then people like you keep me going. Thanks so much bro. Maybe we will meet again some day! Keep it up!
keep up the adventures phillip . badger says the surf was great at cogan . pretty big line up in the water , 4 aussies in total . we will be on biri from the 18th dec till 12th jan . so drop in if nearby .
regards peter
Hi Peter, good to hear from you mate. Funny that Badger said the lineup was full with 4 surfers out. Thats a dream for most surfers I know. I just came back from a morning session in Danang Vietnam. China Beach, remember that scene in Apocalypse Now? Was mediocre though. Damn, i would really like to come back to Biri but my funds start running low. Probably cant afford it. One day I will come back though….
congrats !! more adventures to come for you 🙂
Thanks so much and thanks for following my blog for so long. People like you keep me going!
Hei from Norway! I def enjoy reading your blog than diving in my marketing communication book right now… Congrats Phil, you fully deserves all the creds. I have one question regarding Indo: Are there any beaches in indo that’s worth the visit besides Bara? The last mentioned looks too picture perfect to not visiting at all. I’m wandering around far east again in january and Bali (for the surf) is on my schedule. It’s nothing worse than being in a place overrunned by tourists so I’m googling like a champ after hiddens gems. I just recently bumped into your blog today and it’s inspiring to read all the places you’ve been to that I barely read about from other travel blogs. In conclusion: I have more farsickness now and I can’t barely wait to pack my things, couchsurf and soak in all the places I’m going to. Keep on writing, (about the unbeaten tracks!), and safe travels!
Hi Monica, thanks for your message and your kind words. I appreciate you stopping by my blog. Traveling off the beaten track is just the best and I find myself more and more drawn to these remote and rather unexplored places. I get sick when stuck in these typical backpacker places full of mediocre people that I cant relate to. Sounds harsh and arrogant but that’s how I feel after having been on the road for a while. I think my next trip will have to take way off…not sure where that will e yet though. So if you come across any good ideas, please let me know.
Concerning your question, Indo has a few nice places which I myself haven’t explored. Bara is a recommendation but I wouldn’t go to Sulawesi just because of that. I mean it was basically the icing of the cake after having traversed Sulawesi from North to South. I can definitely recommend that trip since it is a nice mix of beaches, diving and culture. And most importantly, it is not yet so touristy. I heard that the ultimate destination in Indo must be Papua but it is supposedly super expensive. I hope I can make there one day. So when are you heading off and whats your plan? Always interested in hearing about other peoples journeys…. Greetings from Saigon, Philipp
That’s the spirit. Your travel spirit. I’m a fan! Lonely Planet does a spectacularly poor job by leaving out interesting places so this blog is pure refreshing. Many thanks for the Indonesia tips Philipp, I’ll look up on it. South Am and Oceania are the two continents that I haven’t yet explored but I’ll save it till next year. I’m not done with Asia yet. Plan and plan. I go where the wind blows, but let’s just briefly say Asia for 5 weeks. Hong kong from 25. dec and just take it from there but things can rapidly change.
Are you in Asia only before heading back to Germany? I have plenty of ideas and I’ll bring most of them to life once I’m done with my bachelor next year. Time to start a travel blog, yes. I was going to ask if spectacular Myanmar is on your bucket list and in a sudden you posted that you’ve already been there. You’re quick! Room prices must be skyrocketing so I’ve left it behind but I don’t know if I have the patience to wait. Wait and it will end up like filthy Thailand. The last mentioned does has some prime places but the tourists traps are grossing me out. Tourist phobia. Is it even a word? I’ve never skipped so many famous attractions in a city. My amigos, the locals, showed be fun places outside the city instead… Hey, well worth it. I enjoy vibrant nightlife and big attractions but I’m only a 110% happy camper if most of the trip consists of discovering new, authentic places.
How’s hustling and bustling Saigon treating you? I always stay at my dad’s fam when I’m in Sgn. I prefer to get away from the traffic jam in Sgn though. My 6th time was this summer. VN isn’t for everyone and it’s not exactly the land of smiles, but the culture, food (drool. Any proper word to describe the food?), history and scenery is marvelous. I’ve been to south and north. Sapa, Dalat and everything between. I hope you find undeveloped paradise spots! I’m sure you’ll have heaps of fun. Traveling abroad is the best decision in life anyways;)
HI Monica, you so right. It is hard to not orientate with the Lonely Planet but I find every time you do it, it is so rewarding. Just gotta be a little courageous I guess. Nevertheless the book is good and helpful in some parts, can’t deny it. So whereabouts are you from? Sounds like you have an interesting background.
I personally have and will only stay in SEA before heading back home. I know some people see more in such a long time but I took my sweet time which I think you also just have to do if traveling long term. And yeah, I have been to Myanmar and I can just warmly recommend that country to you. If you have the chance, just go as soon possible. Things are rapidly changing and I think that that it wont be the same in a couple of years. I was there in low season which was the best decision. I heard it already gets busy during high season there. At least in the main spots. Room prices were still ok ranging between 7 Dollars and 23 Dollars maximum. That was in Yangon only. Transportation and food are cheap so it kind of evens out. Prices for hotels might rise during high season though. I spent 3,5 weeks there and it was the best time. The country is just magical. I think I took the most pictures per country there and also the best. Damn it was good.
Saigon is treating me well. Thinking about what to do today. I don’t have many plans. maybe you can give me some tips. I want to venture out in the afternoon for maybe some street photography and later on some more during the night. Tomorrow I wanna see the Cu Chi Tunnels and then it will be off to the Delta Region. Vietnam was good overall. I was really skeptical at first but I guess there, as with every country that is touristically developed, you just need to know where to go. Dalat was great. Rented a bike and went out and about. Great day. But my highlight was the far North of Vietnam. We intentionally skipped Sapa, which was I think right. It already got way too crowded now as far as I was told. We did an epic motorbike tour starting from Ha Giang, to Dong Van and Meo Vac and then back to Ha Giang in a loop. Even after ten months traveling this has absolutely blown my mind. No tourist, one of the most spectacular sceneries I have seen in my life, tribes people everywhere, crazy markets and friendly locals. The best in Vietnam I would say.
Alright, this has been long. Thanks for your message. Make sure to get back at me concerning Saigon ;).
Philipp
I’m so glad that you enjoyed Myamar. I’ll make sure to go by 2014. I guess it’s only as expensive as you make it. I went to Sapa 6 years ago and I have no idea how things are now but to me, Sapa was stunning. The grass IS green on both sides. Just relieved that I’ve done the highlights since the tourism is bigger than ever today. Ha long bay must be a nightmare now.
Slowing down means giving up some cities on your itinerary, but you’ll have time to explore the beauty and multiplicity of the country. Soak in everything, slow and steady. I can’t do the same since I’m a student so I’ll have my own amazing race after x-mas instead.
Which country is the next big thing after Vn? I’m gambling Mongolia. You’ve done some great escapes, and you’ve probably seen the historical sightseeing in Sgn, snapped pics of french buildings, sipped the best ice coffee, entered museums and wandered around the city but is couchsurfing an option for asking locals for tips? They can show you new sides of the city or into the suburbs. I’m sure they’re happy to show you around. Stop by and say guten tag to couchsurfing.org/people/anywhere-everywhere if you do find cs handy – at all. I don’t know about you since it sounds like you’re the globe trotter who easily finds things out by your own while crossing rough roads for the unbeaten path but maybe you’ll find adventurers to Delta or your Viet Cong clique to cu chi through CS? Delta’s landscape is a nice change from Sgn. Rent a motorbike to see the back country roads at your own pace or just easy cycling. If you’re not tired of beaches then a beach get away wouldn’t hurt. There’s many undeveloped beaches so hit them while it lasts. Or escape to the nam cat tien forest? Hike a lot while you can to any untouched territories.
There’s not a wide selection of activities in Sgn, that’s why I get out to marvel the beauty of the countryside and the coastal scenery. Well, back at it again with researching for my philly trip. 7000 something islands – I like to think that chances are high that I’ll get a beach by my own… I don’t know what Boracay is and this can’t go wrong.
All the best
Monica
Hi Monica, I have just experienced the ugly face of Ho Chi Minh City. My bag including all of camera gear got stolen. I am really devasted, frustrated and depressed right now. The worst is, that I lost a bunch of recent pictures which I haven’t saved yet. Among those were some of the best photographs I have ever taken. That really hurts I have to say. And another thing I have lost is my carefree and easy approach to traveling in general. I feel violated and much more vulnerable now. I hate these thugs for taking that easiness away from me. It really sucks.
Anyhow, my trip is to end soon so I have no big destination coming up. I will cros Cambodia quickly to go see Angkor which I have missed during my previous stay. Then to BKK and from there probably back home. I would like to see Mongolia, China, India, Nepal and other places. But my money is running out. I really have no intention to go back home but I have to to. The start will be difficult because I will have no job and no own place. Hope it i not gonna be too hard.
Philippines, lots to see and do. Make sure to plan thoroughly and dont move to quickly. I would be interested on the route you decided. Philippines has been a true highlight of my trip. What do you do nowadays? Also working?
I will be off to the Delta Region tomorrow. Check out the markets and the backcountry. Will see how it is. I hope I can even enjoy it without capturing these moments with my camera. Cheers, Philipp
I’m sorry to hear about the theft. Almost worse is the feeling it gives you about people. I hope that people’s kindness on the rest of your trip will help redeem your feelings somewhat. Is your travel insurance helping in this situation? Bag snatching is an extreme sport, from the ground and while you’re on your motor bike. I’m very aware of my belongings when I’m in Sgn simply bc I know that thieves are common over there and you cannot take it for granted. The contents will be gone in a split sec if you’re not on guard. Frankly, it can happen to anyone at the wrong place in the wrong time. If this makes you feel better: My hard drive crashed lasty year and my photos’ long gone, but what can you do. Instead of reminding you the loss I hope you’ll get some good karma coming your way soon. Shrug it off. Better safe than sorry next time.
I work and study but I want to work abroad next autumn since I want to leave Europe. I’ll work online so this way I can live anywhere and maybe have a part time job besides. Don’t let yourself get sucked in and stuck for too long in Germany, Philipp. Maybe there’s possibilities to work abroad? Let me know what you’ll get down to, plus all the exciting travel plans to come:-) I give you credit for not playing safe when you left your job and took chances. Life’s got to be lived.
Capones, biri rock forrmations, bucas grande island and sohoton caves, lake sebu (zipline!) and siquijor but I will not have time to all of them. Lastly, El Nido. It’s not top secret anymore but the heck with it, I feel the need to lay my eyes on something crystal blue. Enjoy the rest of your trip and the sun while I’m on hibernation
Hi Monica, guess you are right and sure could have been that bit more extra cautious. But as we say at home, you are always smarter afterwards. I will sure adjust my behavior concerning a few things after this incident. Priority now will be saving up for a new camera with a couple of nice lenses so I can pick up practicing again. And one day I will go back to this place to make my peace with it and retake some of the pictures I have lost. One day….
Anyhow, what are you doing in terms of online work? Sounds pretty interesting and I am also on the lookout for something that will allow me to live my life more freely and self autonomously. maybe you can give me some tips. If you prefer, you can also get in touch via private message on facebook or directly to my email account. Oh and where exactly are you based right now?
Thanks for the advice not to get stuck for too long in Germany. I can’t actually picture myself staying there for too long not even mentioning forever. But at the same time I am missing a true alternative for the moment. So I guess I gotta come back for now, settle, make some doe and do some serious thinking. Do you have any idea where abroad you might wanna work next year? Sounds definitely like a good plan. I can safely say that I regret a lot of things I have done in my life, but going abroad for whatever reason it was, was always right and I never regretted it. It made me the person I am now.
OK, lots of text. Thanks for your thoughts and support. Appreciate that a lot. Cheers from cool Phnom Penh! Phil