Interview With World Traveller Bino of I Wander
•Please give my readers a background about yourself. What made
you want to start blogging?
I started my blog in 2009 initially to record my trips from the previous years.
Essentially, I wanted an outlet where I could write about my travel experiences,
in case I forget them later
•In all of your travels, in your opinion what country has the
best food? and the worst food?
Best food has to be in Thailand - the food is generally very good even if you
eat in street markets, and you get a lot of variety as well. Worst food - I
would have to say East Timor. Food's generally expensive there with quality
on the low side.
•When you first started traveling, did your family support your
decision?
Yes, I don't see why they might not. They enjoy traveling as well. But of course
they weren't as supportive when I told them I wanted to go to places like Iran.
•If you had to choose one favourite destination, which one would
each of you chose?
For me, it's Vancouver in Canada. People might expect some really exotic destination
and I have been to places which some people may consider exotic, but no - Vancouver
really does it for me. It's a great place to be for people who love the outdoors,
and even people who didn't like the outdoors before have a high chance of getting
converted once they live in Vancouver for a while.
•What has been the least exciting destination you've traveled
to?
It would have to be the oil-rich sultanate called Brunei. I was there for 7
hours and already thought that was enough. The streets were practically deserted
and there were only two or three sights worth seeing.
•Did you always have a love of travel or did you develop your
passion for traveling as you got older?
I always loved it. When I was young, I used to look at the world maps checking
out places that sounded exotic to me. As I got older, I got more and more curious.
So I started traveling to nearby countries and gradually went to farther destinations.
•What impact has blogging had on your life?
I suppose it gave me some discipline. It made me value my travel experiences
more due to the need of writing them down for people to see. Because of blogging,
I've had to exert more effort in remember names of places, how things looked
like, people I met, etc.
•What has been the most surprising destination you've been to?
Meaning, you had a specific mindset about a certain destination but it was totally
a different experience than you had imagined.
I would say Iran. I think when people hear of this country's name they would
probably think of danger, war and terrorism. But the reality couldn't be farther
from the truth. I saw a really welcoming, peace-loving and greatly hospitable
people who like western culture -- I've never felt more welcomed in any country
than in Iran. Its cities are modern and there's lots to see and do.
•If you had to decide which destination has been the most influential
in your life, which destination would you chose?
I guess it would be this tiny country called Singapore. I first visited this
country about 5 years ago, and ended up living here. I've been here for over
3 years now and I guess it really changed the course of my life - I would be
in a totally different path now if I hadn't moved here. The United States is
another which I would say really changed me. I was only there for 5 months as
an exchange student, but it was really from there that my love for travel -
especially independent travel - was triggered.
•What advice would you give to a newbie traveler?
Don't be afraid to try new things. Don't be afraid to get lost. Don't join tour
groups unless there's no other way to go in the country.
•In 10 years, do you see yourself still traveling or slowing down?
Still traveling. There are still many countries that I'd like to go to.
Thanks Bino for the interview. Please visit his blog @ I Wander