Issue #4

This issue features sheer drops with questionable ropes, lost luggage and when to just say bye. Also a look into one of the most beautiful wildlife experiences to add to your bucket list, as well as one of the most stupid accommodation decisions I’ve ever made and the cuddly friends I ended up sharing it with… enjoy!

Princess Lagoon on Railay is completely free to visit, which I suppose should have been the first warning sign.

It starts off fairly innocent, climbing up a bunch of rocks, higher and higher, using nothing but a rope that someone, at some point decided “yeah, sure that’ll do”. When you do pass the first bit you can make a left turn and you’ll wind up coming out to the stunning viewpoint overlooking all of Railay in it’s beauty and if your sensible, thats where you’ll stop.

So I carried on. I went back to take the right hand turning down towards the Lagoon, climbing backwards down steep sections with nothing but ropes again and heading deeper into the jungle of the island. I even crossed paths with a snake which just seemed unnecessary, like the journey hadn’t warned me enough already. Then you get to the real problem, a tiered system of vertical rock faces that turn out to be the only way down to the lagoon and this is the point where I saw most people turn back, and rightly so. Free climbing backwards down here may not be the smartest move as one mistake and it’s the last one you’ll probably ever make.

Luckily enough I finally made it to the bottom and after being tested one more time by the sharp rocks on your feet guarding the entry in, I waded into the water and enjoyed the secluded lagoon surrounded by the towering limestone cliffs, only to then realise I needed to do all that again to get back and before it got dark.

Definitely not recommending it 😉

But if you value adventure slightly more than your life, it might be for you.

Quick Details:

I filmed this back when I was a fresh stupid traveller, now I’m an experienced stupid traveller. Check out the video if you want to see what it was actually like👇

Trackers in Your Bag

Air Tags (or any tracker linked to your phone) are an absolute game changer.

I once landed in Manila (Philippines) whilst my bags were still chilling back in Manchester Airport. Luckily they were sent to me and I received them 2 days later, and I was able to keep in contact with the airline for a time to pick them up, as I knew exactly where they were in the world at every moment.

It’s also a massive bonus on overnight buses. A lot of the time the drivers will load your bags on and may take them off at certain stops to unload people’s further back. By having the trackers you can make sure they are put back on the bus every time and are not left on the road side.

If your bag ever gets stolen at least you’ll know exactly where it is.

That said, if it starts heading into the Favelas & Barrios of South America… maybe just consider it a charitable donation and crack on with your life.

You may not always get it back but at least you can keep a long distance, no contact friendship.

_{^{Gorilla Trekking, Uganda}}

This one has been number 3 on my bucket list for quite sometime and now i’ve completed number 2 (The Amazon Jungle) I guess its been bumped up.

Gorilla trekking in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is one of the most regulated wildlife experiences on the planet. Permits are limited, groups are small, and encounters are tightly controlled to protect the gorillas.

Trekking through the dense jungle to see wild mountain gorillas in their natural habitat feels like the ultimate wildlife adventure to me, a once in a lifetime experience that feels meaningful.

I’ve been thinking about Africa a lot lately. It’s a continent I haven’t been to yet, but I already have so many bigger and better adventures planned I want to experience there, so hopefully this ones closer to becoming a reality in the near future.

Would you add it to your list?

Octopuses don’t take sh*t.

Here’s another random wildlife one for you. Some of you probably already know octopuses have three hearts and blue blood, but did you know they sometimes punch fish out of pure spite.

Yep, scientists have observed them striking fish whilst they’re hunting, not to kill them, but just cause they got annoyed.

Relatable?

The Sauna Hut in Koh Lanta.

Got a travel f*ck up or “why did I think that was a good idea?” moment? Reply to this email and the best ones might get featured in a future issue (anonymously if you'd prefer).

I’d love to hear from you.

👉 What’s the weirdest, funniest or most ridiculous thing that’s ever happened to you whilst travelling? Or maybe you have your own trick, tip or favourite piece of gear to share?

Hit reply and share, I might even feature your story or advice in a future issue.

Until next time,

Chase the Adventure.

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