A big hello to the AdventureHoney community! I’m Sam, AdventureHoney’s new intern. I’m a 21 year old University student with a severe case of the highly contagious, virtually incurable travel bug (I’ve heard they are looking for a cure but let’s hope they don’t find one anytime soon). This deadly travel bug first bit when, at the age of 19, I loaded up my backpack boarding a plane to tour Thailand. The the next three months were spent exploring every nook and cranny of South East Asia. After that, the unavoidable spiral into travel addiction began. I’ve since embarked on backpacking adventures all over the backpacker paradise of South East Asia, exploring the jungles of Borneo, diving the depths of Indonesia, weaving through the chaos of Saigon and everything in between.

Reaching the summit of Mt Kinabalu – Malaysia’s highest mountain.

After returning from my last adventure in August, which saw me miss the first 3 weeks of my final semester of Uni, I was instructed by a grumpy and obviously disappointed marketing professor to get out FANTASYLAND and start building a life in the dreaded REAL WORLD. So I begrudgingly set out to find myself an internship. I shuddered at the thought of trying to pass off my obviously cheap suit, made by a quirky Vietnamese tailor, to a an interview room filled with more expensive suits, explaining how much I wanted to do their photocopying, fetch their coffee and do all their other dirty work. Then I stumbled across a job posting for AdventureHoney. I shot the founder, Chris an email and here I am!

So what does the concept of adventure travel mean to me? Freedom. Experiences you can’t put a price on. Going places you hadn’t even heard of until you had that blurry conversation with a dodgy barman late at night who gives you the hot local tips. Doing things that would induce a heart palpitation from your poor worried mother. That feeling you get when your heart rate is at an all time high because your not sure if you’re going to come out of this experience in one piece. The list goes on! One thing I do know is that there is no travel like adventure travel and, as AdventureHoney’s newest edition, it is my pleasure to be connecting people with experiences that will stick with them for a lifetime.

Volunteering in a Cambodian orphanage.

Another aspect of adventure travel, and something at the heart of AdventureHoney’s operations, is the opportunity to help those less fortunate than us. On my first visit to South East Asia’s “Kingdom of Wonder”, Cambodia, I had the opportunity to spend some time volunteering at a village orphanage just outside of Siem Reap. The time I spent there (I have since returned and continue to be involved with the orphanages work) changed me completely. I realise that as the lucky few who have the opportunity to travel, it is our responsibility to give back and make a difference to the impoverished communities that touch us. Where is the justice in taking so much from these people if we don’t give anything back? This is exactly what AdventureHoney is looking to do. Through its Changemaker Program, AdventureHoney makes it possible for us travellers to help end extreme poverty by enabling local entrepreneurs.

But that’s enough about me for one day. A big thanks to AdventureHoney for bringing me on board and I’m looking forward to connecting all of you awesome adventure travellers with awesome adventure tours and experiences. We have some really exciting things coming up so be sure to stay tuned!

Cheers, Sam!