ABOUT ME
Are you happy? 😉
You want to know more about me and my page? You are lucky because you are right on the spot. Happy reading.
My name is Marco Polo, well, at least I feel like since I left Switzerland back in 2015 🙂
My goal is to inspire you to travel and travel even more, as travelling doesn’t always mean spending ten thousands of dollars.
Keep it SIMPLE, TRAVEL far & stay HAPPY
On Happy Face Traveller you will find information about:
- Destinations
- Country itineraries
- City, beach & island guides
- Where to stay, what to do, food recommendations
- Budget travel tips, packing list, travel resources and much more
- Additionally, you can find tips about creating a website and starting a blog
Follow my adventures, get travel advice and travel inspirations as well on:
Subscribe now to stay up to date with my newsletter about new blog posts, travel inspirations, advices, travel resources or itineraries for your next adventure. Don’t miss out the chance to be happy 😉
FUN FACTS – since I have started my journey in 2015
- 30 visited countries (45 in total)
- 5 continents
- 77 flights
- 1 missed flight (I think that’s not too bad)
- 4 mobile phone lost/stolen/broken (another reason to have a travel insurance)
- 15 new shoes (specially flip-flops 🙂 )
- 1 lost luggage at the airport (luckily I got it back a few days later)
- 4 x food poison (3 x in Southeast Asia)
- 1 x sick for 6 days
- countless miles and hours (well, I guess months) on the street. Specially in buses or kind of busses 😀
- 48 Islands which I hoped on
- 13 Towers visited (incl. some of the world’s tallest)
- Gigabyte of pictures and videos
- countless beaches
- countless amazing memories for a lifetime
- and countless wonderful, crazy, amazing, special, weird, funny and happy people I have met (and for sure will meet in the future)
Who is the Happy Face Traveller
My name is Marco Neukom and before this nonstop long-term journey I travelled already many years, but only for vacation up to 5 weeks. I had a lot of vacation and trips every year in Europe, USA, Canada, Caribbean, Mexico and Dubai. The longest was once 7 weeks abroad, in an English language school in Miami Beach back in 2005.
But when I went the first time for vacation to Thailand in 2014, the travel bug hit me hard and I knew I need to change something in my life. I want to explore our beautiful planet much longer.
Since I left my home in Switzerland with my loved backpack in 2015 I am nonstop exploring the world, always with only a one-way ticket in my pocket. That way I stay flexible and spontaneous, because you never know what will happen on the road as plans can change 🙂
Even at the very beginning I have just booked a one-way ticket to Dubai and Tokyo, no return date, no fixed route, nothing booked except the first flight and the first few nights in each city. It was one of the best (and as well weirdest) feelings I’ve ever had in my life when I left Zurich airport! I can’t describe it with words. I guess a little fear of what’s going to happen but basically just a feeling of pure freedom and the flexibility to do whatever and whenever I want.
My additional travel inspiration
After being only 3 weeks on the road I met an amazing guy from Latvia, he was travelling already 10 months at that time. He inspired me a lot with all his stories and I felt I want to do the same. 8 months later I met him again in Vietnam, he was still travelling as well. Meanwhile I had my own stories and he had even more amazing things to tell and then I knew, I want to do the same, I want to travel even more, I want to explore our world as long as possible. Now, more than 3 years later I am still living my dream from being on the road.
During my travels I want to get in touch with locals, learn about other cultures,
find untouched beaches, islands, hidden treasures,
explore big cities,
waterfalls, temples, ruins and to see the world from a different perspective. I am especially in love with islands and beaches. What’s better than being barefoot or wearing flip-flops the whole day. I hoped on more than 48 islands so far and been to countless beaches.
After more than 2.5 years constantly on the road and having everyday tons of new impressions, I thought it’s time to start writing down my past and future adventures, experiences and travel advice and share them with you.
As I have an 16 years IT background it was pretty clear for me that I will start building a blog and website (because that’s what I like to do besides travelling) and begin a life as Digital Nomad. I love to live out of my backpack and keep the things easy and simple. That way I can live a life of travelling, living abroad but still being location independent.
Why “my” name?
People told me over and over that I am always happy and all the time smiling, so it was a pretty easy decision to choose Happy Face Traveller as name 🙂
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.” (Mark Twain)
Am I not too old for travelling?
Hell no!
After 16 years of doing my stable and safe 8 to 6 IT office job in Switzerland it was time for a change in my life. With 31 I quit my job and apartment and set my sails to explore our globe and having great adventures.
I didn’t want to stick to the common, stereotypical life as everybody tells you to life. I wanted to get out of my little world and be happy all the time 😜
Many people told me that I am too old for travelling, too old for sleeping in Hostels and and and… but I AM NOT and you are neither, never!
Age is just a number. It’s all in your mind. I have met amazing 55+ years old people who stayed in dorm rooms and could tell many interesting and fascinating stories because of their big life experience.
Go out and explore our amazing world
It doesn’t matter how long you want or can travel, important is that you DO IT. Life is too short to be unhappy and regret things all the time. Leave your comfort zone and see the life and world outside of your known little bubble.
“The only things you regret are the things you don’t do.” (Michael Curtis)
Therefore, I want to INSPIRE YOU to travel the world. It’s time to share all my experiences and places I have been and will go with you. Keep it simple, travel far and stay happy. I hope I can help you with my knowledge and inspire you.
Most of the time I use “real” pictures and colors, without any presets or fancy filters because I want to show you how it really looks. It doesn’t help anybody if you see a white sand beach on a picture but in reality it’s completely different.
Now, are YOU ready to jump into your adventure?
Check out my pages like Destinations, Travel Resources and posts or get in touch with me for any kind of advice or questions.
Hakuna matata and stay happy 😜
Marco Neukom – Happy Face Traveller
