Last week, I went into the studio to record an interview with Klook’s two co-founders Ethan Lin and Eric Gnock Fah, who are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their startup.
We talked about the last 10 years and what the next 10 will bring, and in the process, the two friends and business partners shared some pretty interesting stories which they’d never told before – no spoiler alert here, just watch out for the podcast and video interview in August.
Anyway, I asked Eric to show me their very first website and he pointed out the section at the bottom which said “Klook Connoiseurs” – basically insiders who share their tips and recommendations. It goes to prove that everything old is new again – these days “Klook Connoiseurs” are called “Klook Kreators”.
Listen to this article here:
The same is true of what is now being called “theme travel” – it used to be called special interest travel, people who travelled for specific interests. In this “Next Generation”, let’s call this tribe, “Themers”.
Runners who travel for marathons, music fans who go from festival to festival, event-driven folks who go for experiences such as Burning Man or AfrikaBurn – the latter I learnt of when I was in Cape Town and from stories told me by those who’ve been, pretty crazy stuff. Not sure I’d want to end up nude in the African bush, although I’m told that’s the natural state of things there.
My niece is headed to Belgium this month to immerse herself in “Tomorrowland” which has announced that all tickets have been sold out and waiting lists closed. It’s described as a “large-scale annual electronic dance music festival” – round about 70,000 people each year. It’s held in the small town of wait-for-this Boom – I wonder if local Boomers will complain about overtourism.
Anyway, last I spoke to my niece, she was looking for a water bladder – I am glad she’s thinking of water. It could be much worse.
Then there are those who like anything to do with space and, as I wrote in this article this week, they can attend the “Space Camps” at COMO Maalfushi in Maldives this August. I have to confess, I am intrigued by the linkage between space, technology and sustainability and I love what astronaut wrangler Christina Korp said, “Astronauts, they all work so hard to go to space only to discover Earth and then they want to protect it.”
I thought it’s rather fitting these camps are being held in these fragile islands in the Indian Ocean because they are likely to be the first to disappear should the sea levels rise, as is being threatened.
Further, in my inbox this week, I received an email from a PR agency, promoting “70,000 tonnes of metal”. At first, I thought it was spam, someone trying to sell me a junk yard or something in the African bush but turns out it’s “the world’s biggest heavy metal cruise”. From January 30-February 5, 2025, it will feature 60 bands and only 3,000 tickets are available.
I have to confess, I never heard of any of these bands but imagine what it will be like onboard this cruise ship. Personally, I think I am more of the Slow-Train-to-Georgia type.
Anyway, my personal favourite theme is “local”. I consider myself a “Localite”, and I like to go as local as possible in strange places.
The way to be invisible in places like St Ives is to be as local as possible.
In my recent holiday in Cornwall, I stayed in an Airbnb in St Ives, considered one of the most picturesque towns on the Cornish coast. Anyway, the home is in a street so narrow few cars can pass, and you have to park your car nearby, and lug your bags to the doorstep. It helps sets the tone for the holiday.
It’s smack dap in the middle of town, and it’s really easy to blend in. Go for morning walks, get your coffee, see if any interesting local activities are happening, like art fairs and local markets, take it slow and easy, no need to rush around as though you only have a few days.
Mousehole, described as “the loveliest village in England” by Dylan Thomas.
You’ll notice locals rarely hurry in small towns such as these, so you also find yourself slowing down. In Mousehole, described by Dylan Thomas as “the loveliest village in England”, I slowed down so much I almost dreamt of buying a mousehole for myself there.
Oh, wait, that’s another theme that’s trending – people who travel to buy real estate. This tribe, let’s call them “Dream Homers”, are those looking for their dream mouseholes to escape the rat race (I know, bad) of their lives.
They are growing by the legions, I am told, given how messed up everything is now, politically, in the world. And for sure, they are alive and active in Penang, where I am writing this, my other “mousehole”.
I guess Cornwall will have to be in another life.
Fancy this mousehole for yourself?
