Interview
Tom Waes about new season Travel Waes and bucket list destinations
Interview
Tom Waes
Tom Waes talks about the new season of Reizen Waes in an interview with Travel Reasons . But also about his bucket list destinations and the many beautiful encounters he cherishes from all those years of travel.
Travel Waes
Tom Waes is currently at home, like most people in Belgium . However, sitting still is not for him and he made a new season “Reizen Waes stays at home”. In this series, he talks, via Skype, with guides he met during his travels about the impact of Covid-19. It is about how they experience this crisis and what measures apply in their country. In short, a fascinating look at the current situation and how other countries deal with it or get around it.
I have met so many nice people. There are so many stories that stay with me. I still regularly go to certain countries to see the guides from during the program. That is always a pleasant reunion. They have become friends.
Bucket list by Tom Waes
When we ask if he still has a bucket list after all these years of traveling, the answer is clearly “yes”. Waes is far from tired of traveling and is open to different destinations. Just like us, he believes that you can be surprised anywhere.
If he has to choose from those many destinations, there is one destination that stands out. Namely Alaska. It is unreal beautiful and you can really be alone. Waes spent days alone in the wilderness and traveled around with the kayak. He experienced those days as an Into The Wild adventure. An experience to never forget. And one that was just added to our bucket list!
There are still many destinations on his bucket list. And that is very good news for all Waes travel enthusiasts. He especially wants to see Torres del Paine in Patagonia. Furthermore, Antarctica and Machu Picchu are still on his wish list to visit when we can finally travel back. He thinks the only regret about Machu Picchu and other UNESCO World Heritage Sites is the mass tourism. He wants to try to avoid that. He would like to walk the road to Machu Picchu.
Not too much of a challenge for Waes, but there are also destinations that are less appealing to him. For example, he would normally go to Saudi Arabia in mid-March, but he was not immediately ready for that. It is a terrible country in terms of human rights. Especially for journalists, women and the gay community. He is also extra vigilant in those kinds of countries. The reason for going to countries that appeal less to him is to correct any prejudices. He emphasizes that every country has something to offer and prejudices can (partially) disappear after an experience.
travel tips
You would think that Tom Waes has seen enough of the world after all these years of Travel Waes, but nothing could be further from the truth. Every time he likes to go back on an adventure. Still, I admit that after a whole season of Reizen Waes it remains difficult to pay attention to the last destination. Whatever destination that is. It is a feeling that we certainly recognize. Traveling is tiring, especially if it’s your job. It may therefore be logical that at a certain point your hard drive is full. His good advice? Return home for a while, catch your breath and then go back to it with full enthusiasm . Because traveling continues to give you a zest for life.
One of the things he learned from traveling is that you make the best memories by interacting with locals . We have already experienced that. A tip? For example, you can ask if you can take part in the life of someone you have met for a day. That can be a taxi driver or a guide. You have a no , you can get a yes . In this way you get to places where you as a tourist would never go otherwise. In this way, Waes had an incredibly fun day in the slums of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. As a tourist you should not walk around in these kinds of neighborhoods, but with a local it can be a very nice and instructive experience.
What's next?
Due to the corona crisis, all Waes projects are currently on hold . This year, for Reizen Waes, he is looking for interesting places, unique stories and special customs in Flanders. In the meantime, he has already received more than 2000 tips from the viewer. He himself is still surprised by his own country. His favorite place? The port of Antwerp where you can also take amazing nature walks.
Unfortunately, there is no green light to film yet, but Waes hopes to be able to start at the beginning of June. So it will be a while before we will see these images. But we are trained in that now more than ever.