This is why we travel
Why we travel this way—and why it matters.
SKIP TO: MEET THE FOUNDERS | THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE PLACES
Every journey begins with a choice. And every choice—where to go, who to support, how to move through a place—creates a ripple. Most people don’t realise how much power they hold as travellers. Yet the truth is, how we travel shapes not only our own memories, but also the futures of the communities and ecosystems we pass through.
At Chicken Feet Travels, we’ve spent years observing these ripples. We’ve watched how local families build homestays that grow into self-sustaining businesses. We’ve seen communities protect their reefs, jungles, and traditions when travellers show up with curiosity and respect. We’ve also seen the damage done when travel is extractive: coral broken by careless fins, once-sacred places reduced to Instagram backdrops, and local voices drowned out by global algorithms.
That’s why we do things differently.
We work only with local guides who live and lead in their communities—people who understand the rhythms of nature, the pulse of the land, the flow of traffic, and the stories shared only by campfire. They are the ones who can read the surface of the ocean like a map, predict traffic based on innate knowledge tourist migration patterns, and tell when a sunrise is going to be extra special. More importantly, they know what their communities need and how best to welcome guests without being overwhelmed.
Because travel should never come at the cost of those who call a place home.
We’ve seen the dangers of overtourism. But we’ve also seen what’s possible when travel is designed with care. A single trip—crafted thoughtfully and guided with love—can shift perspectives, redistribute resources, and light a spark that travels further than we ever will.
This is not about sacrifice. It’s about presence. It’s about making deliberate, values-led decisions so you can travel light and return fuller than you left. When you travel this way, you don’t just tick off destinations—you gather stories, build friendships, and remember what it means to be part of something bigger than yourself.
This is the art of travel.
This is the holistic approach to travel.
This is Chicken Feet Travels.
Meet The Founders
Chicken Feet Travels wasn’t born out of a business plan. It started with a night out—like all good things—and a casual conversation about travel, adventure, and freedom.
Simon and I first met on a dive trip to the Philippines in 2012, searching for whale sharks and mantas.
At the time, I was already helping friends and their visiting families plan their trips—not for money, just because I wanted to share where I had just been and who I travelled with. I had spent years collecting local contacts, building relationships with guides, and curating meaningful experiences for busy people who were overwhelmed with options and skeptical of online noise. I never thought of it as a business. I just wanted people to feel that right kind of travel—the kind that stays with you long after you return home.
A year later, Simon and I reconnected in Singapore and realised how aligned we are, despite how different we move through the world. He is all about human-powered challenges—summiting peaks and long distance road cycling—while I am focused on the ocean, offbeat travel, and exploring cultures and local folklore through slow movement.
Simon, meanwhile was deeeeep in the corporate grind. As much as he loved his job, he did not have the bandwidth to research and plan something that was not commercialised. “I have this many days to travel—where can I go?” That’s when we started dreaming.
We came up with the concept. Next came the name. (The short and sweet version).
Over lunch one day, he ordered some chicken pho and I ordered the vegetarian option. He pauses for a moment, poking around at the bottom of his bowl—some bones or organs. “What is it?” I asked, “At least it’s not chicken feet”. Then he got a little bit serious and said “what if it was?”
And somehow, it stuck: Chicken Feet Travels.
In Singapore, chicken feet is also a Singlish slang phrase meaning “easy.” That was the original idea—to make travel planning feel effortless, even when the destination was wild, remote, or unfamiliar. But it also reflected something deeper: the best travel experiences aren’t always the polished ones. Sometimes they’re strange and overlooked. Like chicken feet, we are also a little bit gross to some—but for those who can appreciate it, we are a delicacy.
Very shortly after this, I hit a wall, I felt stuck. So I left—and what followed became a 495 day journey through South America, Asia and the Pacific. I travelled on foot, sailboats, motorbike, train and buses. I didn’t just visit places—I studied them. I didn’t just pass through. I asked questions—a lot of questions. I experienced how tourism transformed places for better—and sometimes for worse. That journey changed everything we do now.
Today, Simon adds his flair of human-powered adventures, helps me zoom out and stay grounded in the reality of running a business. And I lead the rest—planning every itinerary, refining every route, checking in with our guides, and making sure the small details reflect a bigger purpose.
This isn’t a business built on scale.
It's built on trust, stories, shared values and chance meetings.
This is the art of travel.
This is holistic travel.
This is Chicken Feet Travels.
The people behind the places
Every Chicken Feet Travels trip begins with one thing: trust.
We don’t pick our guides based on Google reviews or polished websites—some of worst websites have the best brains and hearts behind them. We choose them because we’ve travelled with them, shared meals with them, met their families, and gotten wonderfully lost with them. These are our friends.
It always starts with a place. Sometimes it’s a whisper of a remote village or tales of a person with a unique story. Other times, it’s found by zooming in on Google Maps, tracing rivers and coastlines, looking for a hint of something exciting. From there, we keep pulling at the thread—not to chase what’s already popular, but to meet the people who know the land best.
Sometimes there is already an operation doing really good things. In that case, we go quietly as travellers. We listen and observe. If something resonates, we start building a relationship. Other times, it takes a lot of time and return visits seeking out the people who feel right. We never rush it.
Because there is a difference between a driver and a guide. Drivers get you from A to B. But a guide makes you care about where you are. They’re storytellers. They know the names of trees and the stories behind every little thing you might pass along the way. They turn travel days into tour days. The guides we work with are often pioneers in their region—local leaders who aren’t just moving you from place to place safely, they are shaping the future of travel in their communities by giving people reasons to start a cafe or homestay in offbeat yet stunning places.
They care deeply about where they come from. And they care about you experiencing it in the right way. They fight for their home, for their land, and for their guests. They advocate for better tourism practices. They bring their lived experience, hospitality, curiosity, and humour. Some of them can cook a feast with whatever they find in the forest. Others will keep you up until 2am with tales of adventure and local folklore. These are the people we return to.
When you travel with Chicken Feet, you’re not joining a tour. You’re stepping into a relationship—into stories, into places held with love, and a shared responsibility to grow it with tourism in a way that protects nature and uplifts everyone involved.
Without them, we are just another “sustainable” travel company adding to the noise and the problem of over-tourism.
They make Chicken Feet, Chicken Feet.