A quick delve into the world of Kevin Hensgens: Why did you start travelling? What made you fall in love with it? Was there anyone in particular who inspired you?
I‘d never done a trip longer than 11 days before – I mainly I did all inclusive holidays to relax. That was until, some of my friends convinced me to try a big backpacker trip to discover the world and meet new people!
Why did you choose to visit Southeast Asia?
I’d heard a lot of good things about Thailand, but I didn‘t know much about the other Southeast Asian countries including Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Therefore, I was very curious to discover these regions. Plus, as it was one of the longest trip available, I chose the 31-day Southeast Asia tour.
What attracted you to group tour travel?
It was my friends who suggested for me to try it. I love meeting new people and I thought that it would be a nice opportunity to open my mind.
What was your favourite thing that you learned about Southeast Asia on your trip?
I loved learning about the historical backgrounds of the different countries, as well as discovering the contrast between the bustling cities and the countryside.
Plus, that I need to improve my English when speaking with British people haha! 😂
What was the best food you ate on your trip?
In general, I loved many Thai and Vietnamese dishes, for example fried noodles or spring rolls with meat. Also, hot pot was a delicious experience in Saigon City. Furthermore, I liked the local cafeterias in shopping centres which offered various food stands.
What surprised you the most about how people live in Southeast Asia?
I was surprised that the cities and villages in Southeast Asia are often cleaner than in Europe.
Were you able to pick up some of the local language?
I remembered to say ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’. However, as most of the people in the group were British, it improved my English a little bit (as I am from Belgium).
Any top tips for travellers going to Southeast Asia?
An absolute must-do – plan enough time to discover all of Southeast Asia! From time to time, don’t forget to relax a bit to reload your energy, because the rhythm of trips like this can be intense sometimes due to the high density of interesting activities during the 31 days.
Where’s next on your travel bucket list?
I booked a 6 week Australia East coast trip, followed by 2 weeks in New Zealand.
A final note from Kevin…
I am very happy that I did this long trip, I will never forget it. It was full of nice experiences and many people in the group became friends. I must be honest as well that a big trip like this also become intense and, in some moments, I was pushed to my limits. I booked most of optional activities available because I didn’t want to miss out on anything. However, everything was really nice, I don’t regret anything!
Despite becoming addicted to doing and discovering everything, for my next big trip, I think I will try to relax a little bit more so that I can enjoy it even more. 😊
To find out more about Kevin’s travels, follow him on Instagram.
