Our Origin Story
Chickenfeet Travels is the brainchild of two passionate travellers who not only seek a memorable adventure but also strive to leave a positive impact wherever they go. They credit so much of their travel experiences to who and what they are today and want the same for everyone.
What is life if not to…
See different places
Meet all types of people
Learn and/or experience something new
See landscapes that make your heart grow
Share stories
Have your world perspective shift
Grow into a better version of yourself
In a series of fortunate events and of course less than six degrees of separation, Jin and Simon met on a dive trip to the Philippines. Catching up over the years after, exchanging travel stories, and eventually realising shared passion, Chickenfeet Travels was introduced into the world.
Meet Simon
Simon hails from a little village in England and has been living in Singapore since 2011 and works as a lawyer, but he’d usually much rather be outdoors. He is a triathlete at heart and if he was not so ambitious and hardworking, he would rather be chasing the snow season around the world to ski the the freshest pow, summit the highest mountains, and if possible cycling his way in between his dream destinations. While working his 9-5, he was still keen to explore South East Asia in his time off, but found it difficult to locate helpful information on the places, common and uncommon, he wanted to visit and to plan great trips that maximised his time and budget. Chickenfeet Travels is the solution! We can say that Simon is the actual athlete in this unlikely duo; his expertise and passions lie where mountain goats live.
Meet Jin
Singapore-born and multi-country raised, found herself back in Asia in 2006 and slowly grew a healthy obsession with the landscapes and cultures of this region. She is a very low maintenance traveller with a marine bio/geology degree, a passion to make a difference and loves an excel sheet for organising anything. Jin also has a knack for exploring places off the beaten track and finding amazing characters to work with. It's just what you need to run a friendly travel company! She seems to always be in the right place at the right time to magnetise the right person towards her. As a self-proclaimed, anti-social person, she really has a way of connecting with people, even if they do not speak English.
Meet Chickenfeet Travels
Chickenfeet Travels is the product of everything Jin and Simon wanted from a travel company.
Simon wanted a hassle free way to explore the unexpected and overlooked in South East Asia; he didn’t have time to spend days researching but wanted to know his trips were tried, tested and reliable; he also wanted to see as much as possible during his limited leave days.
Jin wanted to support all of the great people she had met travelling, people who are now part of [Chickenfeet’s network of local guides, drivers, and operators]. She also wanted people, you, to see [all the great landscapes she has seen]. Jin also wanted people to take care of the Earth and counter the negative environmental impacts of over-tourism. One of our past customers said it best, she is fully invested in the customer and the guides experience on each and every trip that she plans.
Jin and Simon have grown the business and the Chickenfeet Travels team from there, always with its key focus and philosophy in mind: to create hassle-free, sustainable, off-the-beaten-track adventures, maximize your time and budget, and support the environment and communities visited.
Chickenfeet Travels Mission and Vision
Chickenfeet Travels is going back to basics. Back to nature. Back to what really matters.
In this age of growing goodwill, it comes down to small companies and people to use their businesses and voices to make a difference. Chickenfeet Travels is revolutionizing the way the world explores because visitors to a country have as much power in determining the future of a destination as the locals do. And when locals and foreigners work together, magic happens.
Our Mission is to:
Design the best adventures in South East Asia
Make a positive impact on each destination
Empower our local guides and partners
Drive environmental and social change
Revolutionize travel in South East Asia
Everything is hard when it’s done alone, so look to Chickenfeet Travels to start.
Chickenfeet Travels wants to make the inconvenient convenient. Going somewhere different should not be daunting. Exploring known places in an unknown way because there’s always something new to see. Transitioning to a more environmentally and socially responsible lifestyle should not be hard or overwhelming.
For us, it is as easy as one, two, three: inform, empower, inspire.
Inform
We have lived this eco-friendly, green, socially equal, hippy-dippy lifestyle for over a decade. We have gone through all the growing pains and frustrations, culminating in our blog. Our blog is full of information that will change your perspective on the power of individual choices and make it easy to be a better human for our planet. From there, we hope that you will also inform, empower, and inspire the next person.
We inform you on different and better ways to travel and live daily because “Every dollar you spend is a vote for a better future”—whatever that quote is. When you’re informed, you will also be empowered and inspired.
When you are travelling, there is always a better option to what you eat, what you wear, where you sleep, and where you shop. In Southeast Asia, endless social enterprises are using their businesses for good. Small restaurants, cafes, and hotels use their facilities for hospitality training, practicing English, and supporting and employing the less fortunate. People and small businesses are empowering those with the soon-to-be lost arts and crafts techniques and turning the average into art. We’re not saying to only choose establishments that work for a certain purpose. But as a start, be conscious in your choices.Empower
We work directly with our guides to protect each little corner of the planet we operate in. We chose to work with our guides because of a shared ethos and a lot of time spent together and communicating with one another. We share knowledge and provide them with simple solutions to transition to a zero-waste local operation (within their means). Lastly, we listen and learn from them as much as possible; after all, most of our guides live in nature and have very sustainable lifestyles.
On the otherside, we want to give the travellers the knowledge and resources to make a positive impact everywhere they go. We empower solo travellers to travel more by getting groups together for cheaper rates. We empower the ordinary person to push their limits and see the extraordinary. We want people to realise that one person can make a difference.Bring your own reusable takeaway boxes and cutlery (tupperware box and own cutlery)
Economies of Scale - Travelling together in a group helps with lowering costs by being able to consolidate programs and logistics
One person may not see the difference, but together, everyone can make a huge difference. It all starts with one person.
Inspire
Chickenfeet Travels leads by example. We talk the talk, and we walk the walk, and there is no better way than this to drive environmental and social change. With knowledge and experience, each and every one of us is unstoppable.
When you open yourself up to different experiences and go forward with an open heart and mind, there is so much to be gained. There’s something that shifts on a molecular level. It only takes one story, one seed of information, and one person to impact your life. The more you read the more you learn. The more stories you hear, the more you understand how connected everyone and everything is. The more experiences you allow yourself, the faster you evolve.
See the world, meet new people, and experience a day in someone else’s life. When you travel, you learn about where you are and a little bit more about yourself. When you travel with an open heart and mind, you will be inspired. Inspired to change just a little to make a difference, inspired to see more, explore more, and inspired to share your travel stories. Because when you are inspired, a light is lit and you won’t be able to stop sharing and caring.
We believe that travelling and experiencing the places that Chickenfeet Travels work in, you will be inspired. And it is not just the places that you go, but it is the people that you meet. When you travel with us, we will be greeted as friends on arrival and you will be telling these stories for years to come.
