Meet Jin

I have never really fit into one identity: not a digital nomad, not a backpacker, not an influencer, and definitely not a traditional travel agent. I started travelling before smartphones, before travel hashtags, before it was easy to Google your way through a country. What I’ve always been is curious—and that curiosity has taken me far.

For nearly two decades, I’ve travelled not just to see the world, but to understand how it works and where I fit in. I’ve ridden motorbikes through remote areas, shared meals with locals weavers and hill tribes, dived with coral scientists and coastal fishermen turned dives guides and spent more time on buses, boats, and in nature than in any office. I’ve seen what happens when tourism does harm—and what it takes to make it better.

Chicken Feet Travels grew out of this lived knowledge. I never set out to build a travel company but over time, friends started asking for help planning their trips. I had years of travel journals full of trusted guides and firsthand expereinces in wild and wonderful places and a deep respect for the people doing good work on the ground. It felt only natural to share what I’d learned—and to do it in a way that respected and inspired both the traveller and the place they’re visiting.

So if you’re wondering who the wizard behind the curtain is—it’s me, Jin. I believe that how we travel matters. And that the best journeys don’t just take you far but they bring you closer to what’s real.

What I value

J is for Jaded

One of my closest friends once nicknamed me “Jaded Jin.” He was wide-eyed in Asia for the first time; I had already seen a lot. But I am not jaded—I just don’t need fireworks to be impressed. I’ve learned to find joy in the small, beautiful moments. Travel with Chicken Feet isn’t about the spectacle—it’s about the substance.

U is for Underwater

My background is in marine biologya nd geology. I studied fish and rocks because I wanted to save sharks. I’ve been diving regularly since 2007, with over 1500 dives. The ocean is still my favourite plac. . We only work with dive operators who protect it.

N is for Non-conformist

I have never lived a “normal” life. By the age of nine, I’d lived in three countries. I’ve always felt a bit like an outsider and I think that’s why I care so much about people who are often overlooked. I gravitate toward strange places and underdog stories—and I bring that lens into how and where we travel.

X is for Xenagogy 

A fancy word for “guidebook,” and honestly a good word for me. I’ve been travelling for nearly two decades—reluctantly interrupted by university and my first job at the start-up. My closest friends now use me as their go-to for ethical, offbeat, and meaningful trips. I want to pass that knowledge on in a way that actually gives back.

I is for Impact

Jane Goodall said it best: “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” I believe every trip changes us—and it should also support the people and palces that make it possible. That’s the foundation of everything we do.

U is for Uncomfortable

Travel has taught me that the most valuable lessons come when things go a bit sideways. I’ve taken the cheapest transport, stayed in bed-bug hostels, and pushed through difficult moments—not the suffer but to understand. That discnofmort shaped how I design trips now: efficient, meaningful, and never wasteful.

L is for Listen

I listen to elders. I listen to guides. I listen to travellers I meet on the road and to my gut instinct. Listening is how I learn. It’s also how I find the people we work with—the ones who do the real work on the ground.

U is for Unexpected

Magic often lives in what’s unplanned. I’ve been lucky enough to witness moments that felt cinematic—many thanks to the guides who now lead out trips. I travel to be surprised. You’ll never leave a Chicken Feet experience with a feeling of “I wish I had known that”.

Why this matters

Because travel isn’t just about where you go—it’s about how you show up.

At Chicken Feet Travels, everything begins with intention. I design trips with care because I know how much trust it takes to hand over your time, your money, and your curiosity. You’re not just booking a holiday—you’re stepping into someone else’s home, culture, and ecosystem.

This matters becasue the way we travel shapes the world we return to. When we move with awareness, listen deeply, and choose local parted who protect what they love, we become part of something much bigger than ourselves.

And if you’re here, reading this, maybe you believe that too.

A Pause That Changed Everything

In 2020, I spent 631 days in Singapore—the longest I’ve ever stayed in one place since I left California in 2006. What started as a global shutdown became an unexpected blessing. For the first time in over a decade, I wasn’t on the move. I was sitting still. And in that stillness, I had space to reflect.

I organised thousands of travel photos, reconnected with why Chicken Feet Travels mattered, and saw clearly how powerful tourism can be when it’s done with care. I began to understand my own role—not just as a traveller but as someone who can help shift mindsets. Travel isn’t neutral. And when done right, it can be a part of the solution towards a sustainable future for everyone.

I realised most people don’t see how deeply their choices matter. I want to change that—to move people from extractive habits to reciprocal relationships with the places they visit.

Every Friday afternoon for a year, Simon and I revisited our values, refined our destinations, and recommitted to using travel as a tool for conservation and connection.