Sunni Dawson

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Travellers I love…

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This blog is dedicated to the types of travellers I adore. They inspire warm fuzzy puffs of love to grow inside me. 

The tall European first timers


I met two mid 30s guys from North East Europe a couple of months ago. They were on their first trip to Thailand and to Asia generally. They had already been in Thailand for about 2 weeks when I met them. They were brimming with stories and excitement. 

‘One of the best moments in my trip so far was doing a 3 day walking trek in Northern Thailand. I took my sleeping bag outside the tent one night and slept under the stars. It was really beautiful and peaceful.

Another big highlight of the trek was talking with our local guide. Our guide on the 3 day trek earned only about 10 Euro per day for taking us on the hike. This was so shocking to us. 10 Euro. And with this he needs to feed himself, his immediate family and contribute to his extended family and community. He also has to take a 2 1/2 hour bus trip to get to where the trek starts each time he does the trek. Sometimes he stays overnight in the shop to sleep.’ 

Getting more excited, ‘I mean in the back of the shop to sleep! Without a mattress! And away from his family! And paid such little wages!’

Normally heavy chairs are strapped to elephants 

 ‘On the last day of the trek there was an elephant ride, which we were unsure about, but because it was all part of the 3 day trek, we went along with it. So we climbed up the ladder and sat on the chairs tied to the elephant. This made me uncomfortable to start with. We started up a path and the elephants had to parade one after the other, what is worse, is that the elephant trainers (is that what you call them?) were poking the elephants so harshly and yelling. It really was horrible to watch.


So I made an excuse and said I was feeling scared, and that I wanted to get off. Which is not true at all. I just could not be apart of how the elephants were being treated.’

The faces of these men were full of remorse in telling me this story. I felt so moved listening to them. In front of me were two fairly typical (and I mean this in a loving way) white European straight guys who eat meat, and yet were moved to do something to not be apart of the slavery and cruel practices of elephant tourism.

As I spent more time with these guys over the following days, they continued to pry me and locals with questions in order to truly experience the world in which they were visiting. They were curious about Buddhism, education, income levels and learning a bit of the Thai language.

I marvelled at their openness, curiosity and joy at learning this new world. The excitement of seeing and experiencing a country so different to their own. Not to get drunk continuously and forget their lives back home, but to experience life and travel from the delight of discovery. 


The middle aged semi-retired couple


A middle aged couple I met recently stayed in Hanoi for 10 days.

Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi

The first afternoon they were there, they went to Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake which attracts locals and tourists alike. Locals fixing bikes sleeping, gathering and talking in quiet tones, despite the whirr of the motorcycles, cars, food trucks all racing their way past the outskirts of the lake. They decided to sit on one of the park benches to observe life around the lake.


Some children approached them.

‘Excuse me, do you mind if we ask you a few questions for our school work?’

‘No worries.’

The school children asked them a series of questions, where they were from, how long they were in Vietnam and their impressions of Vietnam. After they finished the questions, they would tell the couple about their families and life in Hanoi. 

Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi

The children asked if the couple would be back the next day. Word got around. The couple sat every afternoon in the same spot, patiently answering the same questions for 10 days with the young English scholars.



In their hotel, the couple asked the staff where the locals eat. They were told about the food stalls on the sides of roads. They dined at these stalls that only serve one dish, perched in amongst short locals, standing out like lighthouse sirens on a dark night. The couple glowed as they showed me photos of themselves with the hotel staff and told me stories about these locals’ lives. They continue to have contact with these new friends, through facebook.

Special herbal Vietnamese tea!



These are two very fine examples of rockin’ travellers. Travellers who seek to understand, not to judge. Travellers that open themselves up to experiences. Travellers that try local food. Travellers aware of the impact of their actions. Travellers that talk to locals and share cultures and commonalities. Travellers that don’t leave experiences behind, but take them with them. Travellers that give back.

Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi

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