From Latvia to the Philippines
by Dainius Kinderis

I was selected to participate with ASA programme in 2004 in the Philippines. As independent traveller I always trying get see and do as much as possible and do it the way I like it.

I went to the Philippines, my project host country by land and waters, not by plane. Actually I flew to Hongkong and then hitchhiked to the Philippines in 2,5 months.

I decided to hitchhike and not to go straight to the Philippines in order to adopt with different culture – religions, people, traditions, mentality and to come to the Philippines already with a point of view about South East Asia. And that was great; when I arrived to the Philippines I was ready to start my project the same day, I already knew a lot – how to deal with people and etc.

I didn’t feel as dropped on the rock.

I started in July 1st in Hongkong and arrived to the Philippines in September 4th. I hitchhiked through 9 countries including Hongkong, Macao, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines. It was like a 2nd, like a double project for me!

In 2,5 months I covered the distance of 9000 km, 6500 hitchhiked and the rest – ferries and buses.

I took the ferry from Malaysia, Sandakan to Mindanao in the Philippines. That´ s no doubt more difficult than just to fly, but when you look at the bright side of that – all what happened and all what I experienced – is asset for me, and I hope for the people I met.Though I hitchhiked most of the time I took some payable forms of transportation occasionally.

The sum of my travel to the Philippines from Hongkong : only 130 Euro. I’m not counting the rest of expenses – only transportation. Of course – visas is the biggest pain when travelling like that, I spend nearly 170 Euro only for visas.

Buses are in good condition and cheap. Ferries are cheap, but please take care when you are going on board; they can be unsafe – overcrowded or too old. You´ ll be the judge.

If I would have a possibility to do it again or change and just fly straight to the host country I would definitely choose the first.

Respectively, Dainius
Contact on hospitalityclub homepage, username: kinderis

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