Today on the Nomad File I am joined by Jakob Brown of Your Own Trail. I came across Jake’s Twitter profile about 6 months ago as he and his partner Lisa were embarking on a long term trip to Australia. Of course I jumped at the chance to offer some tips on the places to see and now I have the privilege of tapping into some of Jake’s travel memories. Good to have to you with us Jake, let’s get into it.
When did you discover that you were a travel fiend and what was the influencing factor?
We had both dreamed of travelling for a while but were tied down with jobs and a flat we were renting. I’d had the opportunity to work for myself at the start of 2014 and we’d been discussing the possibility of going for it at the start of 2015. After one particularly bad day at the office for Lisa in May 2014 I finally said “what are we waiting for?” and that weekend we organised our WHV’s for Oz and started making our plans! We left from Edinburgh in August 2014 and haven’t looked back since.
Do you have a particular song/video/poem/quote that particularly inspires you to travel?
I love Bright Eyes and they have a few songs that inspire me to travel, ‘We are nowhere and it’s now’ and ‘Landlocked Blues’ are both favourites. The film ‘The Beach’ has made me want visit Thailand since I first saw it when I was a teenager.
Can you let us in on a secret? What is one discovery you have made through your travels that was truly ‘the road less travelled’?
Our favourite ‘road less travelled’ discovery was the seaside town of Kep in Cambodia. We visited here on a bit of a whim, after a few days in Phnom Penh we wanted somewhere quiet to relax. We looked at Sihanoukville but were put off by the sex pat rumours. Kep is just a little further down the coast and sounded perfect!
Oh wow, Kep is actually on my list for Cambodia for exactly that reason! What did you do there and why should I keep it on my list?
It’s a quiet seaside town so it’s great for relaxing, enjoying the scenery and mingling with the friendly locals. We borrowed some bikes from the small resort we were staying at and cycled along the coastal path which we loved. There’s a thriving Crab Market, a National Park and a butterfly farm to explore. Kep also has a unique collection of abandoned French Colonial villas from the Khmer Rouge regime. It’s amazing to see these once beautiful homes abandoned and empty, some are now being rebuilt so there’s a real contrast walking through the old neighbourhoods. Our host at Bacoma resort also had a small outdoor cinema where we watched some Cambodian films in the evenings.
What took you there and how did you find out about it?
We travelled to Kep using the Vorbis VIP bus service from Phnom Penh, the bus was fine but the driving was a little dodgy! We actually crashed on the way there when a car pulled out into the side of the bus and had to wait 2 hours to get going again.. Still it would be unfair not recommend them because of an accident.
We found out about Kep just through research into the coastal areas of Cambodia, having dismissed Sihanoukville, Kep seemed perfect for what were looking for and we loved it!
Tell me about the food. Was it different to anything you’d experienced before?
Our favourite food in Kep was actually the restaurant of Bacoma Resort where we were staying. The owners wife is an excellent cook and served generous portions of delicious Cambodian food as well as a few European dishes. My favourite was ‘Amok’ a traditional Cambodian curry served on banana leaves. Crab is also a speciality in Kep so you have try it if you visit!
What was the culture like? Did you have much interaction with the locals?
Everyone we met in Kep was so friendly. We had quite a few locals come up to us to have pictures taken with us which we hadn’t experienced elsewhere. I think we were quite a novel because Kep is still relatively untouched by tourists.
Beyond the things to visit, do you have any tips on how one might best experience this place?
You need to go there wanting to relax and soak up the chilled out vibe. It’s such a small town that we couldn’t really recommend it to adrenaline junkies. It’s a place to chill out, go for bike rides along the sea, eat delicious food and take photos of the sunset with a cold beer in the evenings.
Changing lanes a little now, think of your favourite big city. Can you share with us one hidden secret or discovery in this city that people would likely skip past unless they knew about it?
Our favourite big city from our travels so far is Singapore, we spent 48 hours here before heading to Australia and we loved it. While there we discovered a great free way to spend an evening called ‘Under The Banyan Tree’. It’s a free outdoor cinema located right outside the national museum. We were there for Halloween so they were showing a horror double-bill but they have frequent shows with different themes. Bring a picnic blanket and some snacks and you’ll have a great night!
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