TRAVELLER: Chris Wong, Hong Kong
Globerovers Magazine is in conversation with Chris Wong, a solo traveller based in Hong Kong, where he is also a radio personality. He has travelled to some incredible places, such as the mountains of northern Pakistan. He is always planning his next trip, and right now has in his sights: Iran, Mongolia, Congo Republic, and Tibet.
CHRIS WONG
Globerovers Magazine is in conversation with Chris Wong:
Globerovers (GR): How many countries have you been to?
Chris Wong (CW): I started travelling at the age of 21, so far been to 21 countries and 516 cities.
GR: What are your top 5 most preferred countries for leisure travel?
CW: I don’t really do leisure travel, instead of resting my feet and visit “must see” attractions, I like to venture into lesser known places, dig into their culture. When I do, I’d say Thailand and Japan are great solely for their cuisine.
GR: Which is your most preferred country for travel and why?
CW: Hard to pick one, but I’ll say Pakistan, because people are super hospitable, their culture is exotic, and landscape is amazing!
GR: Where do you wish you were right now?
CW: Holland. I’m addicted to cycling in their flat and well organized bike lanes that cover everywhere and I felt really safe.
GR: Among those countries you have not yet visited, which ones are at the top of your “must do” list?
CW: Iran, Mongolia, Congo Republic, Tibet (to me it’s a country).
GR: If you could spend the rest of your life somewhere other than your current home country, which country would that be?
CW: Anywhere people are open-minded, got a life and not obsessed with consumerism.
GR: Please tell us about the most incredible and memorable experience you have ever had while travelling?
CW: Dancing on a rice paddy with farmers and got seriously drunk by midday; received a few blessing-lashes from the chief under the moon; bit by a condor which was the focus of the ceremony; hit by a bull in a free-range bull fight; and countless parties invited by villagers. I got all these experiences by trusting a strange young man in Cusco, Peru, with a language barrier. Together we went to the most exotic and memorable festival in my life that lasted for a few days, deep inside the mountains with no other tourists around.
GR: Based on your travel experiences, if you were to recommend the one most amazing destination for intrepid travellers, which place would that be, and why?
CW: Second class train travel in India, if you can endure the chaotic, sardine-can packed and filthy carriages. You will be rewarded with a glimpse of the real India. Meet some of the friendliest locals and the freedom of travelling around without pre-bookings.
This interview appears in the July 2016 issue of Globerovers Magazine.
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