Dan and Eshwar were the recipients of the travel scholarship last year and have sent in a report that maybe ‘useful in inspiring more people to apply for the scholarship and go travelling!’ On the evidence here we think that is a strong possibility. Looks like the lads had a brilliant adventure. Over to them:
At the end of the 24/25 academic year we sat together on Speech Day listening to OE Tom Marchant – CEO and founder of luxury travel company Black Tomato. He spoke to us about stepping out of our comfort zones and the eye-opening experiences travel can get you. He was absolutely right.
“Don’t be a tourist. Eat where the locals eat, walk their streets, and show some curiosity. Be willing to get lost.” This was the philosophy for our trip. Our adventures began in Singapore staying in a 2 square metre capsule hotel room and being scared of deportation due to the lingering chewing gum in our bag. We chased the ‘real Singapore’ by trusting local friends and eating at places Anthony Bourdain might have called home — the kind of spots where the only tourists were the ones washing dishes.
Onto the Philippines. Landed. Stepped out of the airport. No internet. No Filipino peso. A 2% charged phone, Google Maps and a dream. They wouldn’t let us back into the airport to connect to the free Wi-Fi for some reason. After figuring out we could go up and down in the lift on repeat which was close enough to the airport to connect to Wi-Fi we had our taxi plus sims and we were off.
Chief Mao Hostel was calling us – there we met some of the most incredible and interesting people from Maxime – a Cornish boy working for the Japanese government to KC, a Filipino girl travelling 24/7 and working from 8pm to 2am every day at a remote IT job?
The natural beauty of Moalboal blew us away, from swimming with whale sharks to mountaineering and standing under waterfalls we did it all here and it was worth every peso.
From Bohol to Siargao, the Philippines continued to reward chaos with generosity.
Continuing the theme of planning the following day the night before our new friend mentioned that her uncle was a tour guide of Bohol. That and a friends and family discount was more than enough to get us straight on the ferry. Bohol was completed in one day: ATVs through the countryside, the Chocolate Hills, miniscule monkeys called tarsiers, and a romantic river cruise buffet where it was assumed we were a couple.
All had been going too well amidst the rainy season – yet to use our raincoats. Bag checked in, hostel booked and we hear “your flight has been cancelled due to a typhoon.” So naturally we did the only sensible thing and booked tickets to Siargao purely because three separate people at the hostel said, “You have to go.” Blessing in disguise?
Siargao is what happens when surf culture, scooters and coconuts collide. We became Moto GP riders instantly – until Dan crashed… thankfully only walking away with bruised egos and a slightly dented bike. Along with a dangerous volume of coconuts consumed an island tour was mandatory, visiting uninhabited untouched surrounding paradises.
In what may be the greatest coincidence of the trip, We were walking down the street when we heard our names being shouted. Turns out it was Hannah and Malin, friends we’d met weeks earlier in Moalboal, randomly reappearing in Siargao. Top one coincidence of all time. This could only mean a reunion at Siargao Beach Club later that night.
Thinking we were still Christopher Columbus, swimming in a mud-based basin seemed very appealing. Burning my feet on the walk back to the moped was not a part of the plan but after the basin swallowed my flipflops I had few options.
After a heartfelt goodbye Eshwar departed and I was now alone. The following days consisted of 5am wake-ups to go surfing at sunrise with Danes, traversing the island with a 21-year-old Austrian I met at breakfast and having dinner with a travel Tik-toker. A meagre attempt at free diving peaked at a depth of 5 metres and a breath-hold of 38 seconds but was a good experience, nonetheless. Life with no plan and pure bliss.
The Philippines finished strong: the best seafood ceviche of my life, sunsets that didn’t look real, and the overwhelming feeling that three weeks still wasn’t enough. Then, just like that, it was over. Bags packed, goodbyes said, and a one-way journey onwards to Japan.
Marchant was right. Stepping outside your comfort zone changes you for the best. Sometimes it starts with a scholarship, a backpack, and google translate, and ends with stories and friends that will stay with you for the rest of your life. An experience that we will never forget.
Dan and Eshwar
