4 Years of Travel | 20 Different Chapters | Yentl Doggen

Inspired by adventure and travel movies, various travel bloggers and my travels around Europe, I made a drastic decision halfway through 2018. I needed a break from building a music career and would commence a 7-month journey around the world. In the months leading up to my start date, I met up with the people nearest to my heart and left on the first of January 2019. Little did I know that the decision would completely change my life. I’m four years into my 7-month journey, and I still don’t know when I’ll return home. I’ve learned so much throughout the years, and those four years can be divided into 20 chapters. Let’s start with the first chapter:

1: Thailand

I frequently refer to Thailand as the early childhood chapter of these travels. It was in this chapter that everything was new. I made my first backpacking friends and slept alone in hostels for the first time. After numerous months of preparing, it was there, in Bangkok, that this adventure finally started. Everything I had feared in the months leading up to my start date was replaced by the excitement of how amazing the upcoming months could become. 

On my second night in Chiang Mai, I ran into a girl celebrating; 3 years on the road. I was impressed, and it seemed so out of reach. Never would I have expected to one day become that person myself. Yet, here we are, four years later and still on the road. 

2: Cambodia

Although Cambodia also counts as an early childhood chapter, things started to feel different. I was getting used to meeting travellers and sleeping in hostels. In Thailand, I was always on a mission to make new friends. In Cambodia, making friends felt normal. When I arrived at a place, it was only a matter of time to be surrounded by other travellers. Nothing felt out of reach, and I could not believe how much my life felt like something I had dreamed about in the previous years. 

Because of the immense support on my former social accounts, I decided in Cambodia to keep making my daily Blogs and Vlogs. I had not planned to make these on a daily base, but the moment I skipped a day, I suddenly was overwhelmed by people asking for the daily update. 

3: Vietnam 

Vietnam was different. It was the first time that instead of becoming friends with travellers, I became friends with locals. I taught a Western music class within two days of arriving in Vietnam. Moreover, I had locals showing me around the city. However, it was also in Vietnam that I felt tired for the first time. I didn’t have a rest day since the beginning of my trip. Instead of following my itinerary, I took a leisurely trip to the countryside.

It was in Vietnam that I regretted making a pre-made itinerary for the first time. I only explored a bit of Vietnam and could have easily stayed much longer. Unfortunately, I had pre-booked all flights leading up to my Australian adventure.

4: Malaysia

In Malaysia, I realised how much I had progressed since arriving in Thailand. Moving locations, making friends and exploring places felt like a natural habit. Besides, I slowly became comfortable with not making friends. Travelling alone was just as fun, and I went exploring by myself for most of the time. Malaysia was an accessible destination, and as I had to skip many locations, I promised myself not to make any pre-bookings for the upcoming months. 

Although I was getting comfortable in my travels, I was still very confident about returning home in August 2019. The itinerary included Singapore, three months in Australia, six weeks in New Zealand and the USA, Iceland and the UK. 

5: Singapore

Singapore is a relatively small chapter. Over four years, it is even hard to call my five days in Singapore an actual chapter. However, Singapore marked the end of my trip through South-East Asia. It was the last of my first five countries and the country just before the start of my journey in Australia. I reunited with other travellers and enjoyed my time in Singapore with the ongoing music festival. 

As for something I had pre-planned on my last night, it was the Chinese New Year. My entire South-East Asia trip ended with a massive firework over the Singapore Marina. The end of my early childhood as a traveller and the start of a much bigger adventure to follow. 

6: Western Australia

As for a country I had longed to visit for years, I arrived in Perth to start my Australian adventure. Travelling in Australia was more straightforward and took the Asian language barrier away. When I ran out of my pre-made itinerary, I hired a van and drove the entire west coast for over three weeks. It was this trip that changed the course of my travels. I could go anywhere I wanted to, and the focus on doing just the West and East coast of Australia changed dramatically. 

As for making many friends on my South-East Asia trip, I decided to take on this adventure alone. In total, I drove 6000km and even had a day where I did 950km by myself. Nothing could break these travels from this point, and I still needed to start on the East Coast! 

7: East Coast of Australia

The East Coast of Australia was the first place I started to tick the main items off my bucket list. I went diving for the first time, hitchhiked and started to do longer hikes. On top of that, I visited the Whitsundays, Fraser Island, Byron Bay, Canberra, The Blue Mountains and Sydney Harbour. During these two months, I travelled from hostel to hostel and surpassed the 100 days mark of my journey. It was backpacking to the fullest and where I started to feel like a world traveller succeeding in his trip. 

Along the East Coast of Australia, I encountered many backpackers working in different places. Australia was way too big to see in three months anyway, and the plan of returning home in August faded. Eventually, I decided to return to Australia on a visa that would allow me to stay a year and do some work along the way. 

8: Indonesia 

Although I hadn’t planned on travelling to Indonesia, I needed a place to let my Australian visa progress. As I had no idea where to go, Indonesia became a thing after finding an Indonesian banknote on the floor of the hostel in Coffs Harbour. I made my way around Java and had a great time. Afterwards, I got to Bali but preferred the traveller’s vibe over the holiday vibe. Bali was nice, but I was looking for something else then. I flew to the under-visited island of Sumatra instead.

Without the previous months, I would not have enjoyed Indonesia as much as I did. Even an accident on a scooter couldn’t stop me here. The experience of travelling through Asia and the confidence I built in Australia made my travels in Indonesia as fluent and easy as they were. 

9: Malaysia 

The fact that flying to Melbourne was cheaper from Kuala Lumper than Medan was the main reason I returned to Malaysia. However, it was also the first time in my travels that time didn’t matter. Making the final decision not to return home in August 2019 gave me the option and freedom to go wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I arrived in Malaysia months ago and rushed to Singapore to catch my flight towards Perth. This time, I could visit the places I had skipped and leave the country whenever I wanted. It sounds natural now, but it was an enormous step forward back then. 

As I left Belgium on the first of January, I chose to fly back to Australia on the first of July. Precisely six months into my travels. Also, since I calculated my budget towards a 7-month journey, my funding suddenly became dangerously low. I had to make wise choices in Melbourne. 

10: Living in Melbourne

As Melbourne was the most significant turning point in my travels, it is the most challenging chapter to describe. While waiting for my flight towards Melbourne, I made my first local friend. 3,5 years later, we are still in close contact. 

Arriving in Melbourne without knowing that Australian winters could be cold or where I would sleep while on a low budget was tough. I searched for a good hostel, walked in and asked if I could work for accommodation. A week later, I stopped paying rent and was moved into the staff room. Everything in between was living abroad for the first time, getting to know Melbourne and its suburbs, and constantly being surrounded by travellers. The life I lived in Melbourne was unique and extraordinary. The last four years have been incredible, but Melbourne is still unmatched. 

I worked six weeks as a barista to support myself and my future travels. However, by the time I left Melbourne, I had less money than when I got there. And that’s precisely the point; it didn’t matter. By the time I left Melbourne, I had made friends for life and collected unforgettable experiences. Moreover, when I arrived in Melbourne, I planned to live for one year in Australia. I left Melbourne to do the required work to stay an extra year. It was the first time in my travels that leaving a chapter behind literally broke my heart. 

11: King Island 

I would have never made the four-year mark if it weren’t for the King Island chapter. Arriving with about 35 Euros left, it came at the right moment. Besides, it was the best place to hide from Covid-19. Initially, I had planned to stay for four months; three months to do the required visa work and an extra month because I had to start saving from almost nothing. In the end, I spent 14 months on the island, significantly extending my travels. 

Although I was sometimes frustrated about not being able to travel at the time, my time on King Island was incredible. Not only did I do the required three months for a second-year visa, but I also did the mandatory six months for a third-year visa. Moreover, working for 14 months gave me financial stability. I sometimes refer to King Island as where I got stuck, but that’s only partially true. Stuck has a bad connotation, and it was everything except for that. I was living my life on King Island. Living with friends, teaching and playing music, starting Yentl As anything, exploring the island, hanging out with locals and helping out in the local music studio is only a tiny section of activities.

12: Tasmania 

Although living on King Island was remarkable, being able to travel around Tasmania was a relief. I’ve lost hope multiple times during those extra ten months on King Island. Ultimately, it was worth pushing through. Flying into Hobart, I went camping on Bruny Island, Freycinet National Park, Maria Island, Cradle Mountain National Park and Port Arthur. Moreover, I went for my first solo multi-day hike in the South-West National Park of Tasmania, The South Coast Track. 

Living for over a year in Australia gave me the confidence to travel differently. I was used to the wildlife and the way of living. Instead of going from hostel to hostel, I hitchhiked around Tasmania and camped at various places. Pretty much the way I travelled in Europe, but this time on the other side of the world by myself. Besides, walking the South Coast Track pushed my limits ahead.

13: Victoria and South Australia

The main difference with Chapter 10 is that I had some savings this time. I could leave Melbourne and travel around Victoria, visiting multiple places. I saw the Round The Twist lighthouse, Phillip Island, and Grampians National Park. About 1,5 years after leaving Melbourne, returning to Victoria felt like going home. 

Afterwards, I made my way towards South Australia. Being the second last state I had to visit in Australia, I could almost tick off the bucket list item; see all states in Australia. South Australia was a great stop, and besides making multiple day trips around Adelaide, it was the place that laid the foundations for my new website. It was in Adelaide while staying in Avalon’s college that I translated all Blogs and Vlogs into English.

14: Northern Territory 

The Northern Territory was a holiday within my extended holiday. It was a present to myself after working 14 months straight on King Island. It was also the first trip where the experiences were much more important than what I would spend on them. 

I walked the Larapinta Trail with my friend Jesse and hired a car to visit Uluru and Kings Canyon in Australia’s Red Centre. For these four weeks around Alice Springs, the budget was unlimited. To date, it is still my favourite side trip within these travels, not just because our budget was more extensive, but because it is such a fantastic place in an already amazing country. Unfortunately, I have yet to finish the Travel Videos for this trip. That could be something for 2023.

15: K’gari – Fraser Island 

Chapter 15 would have been entirely different as this is where my New Zealand trip would have started. Unfortunately, my visa didn’t process in time, and I had to cancel that trip last minute. Even worse, I already had jobs lined up in New Zealand. I got stuck in Melbourne (as I had flown to King Island for Yentl As Anything Goodbye’s gig) and still needed to make plans. At that point, I had no idea what to do and where to go.

I was reading through a list of places I wanted to revisit after my East Coast trip in Australia and put my bets on K’gari Fraser Island. I called and asked if I could come and volunteer as a tour guide. It was a skill I wanted to learn anyway, and I didn’t have to worry too much about saving up. The following day I was on my way to the Sunshine Coast. Living on Fraser Island was fantastic, and I’m happy I could call this place home for a while.

16: King Island – part 2

On K’gari Fraser Island, I continued my work from Adelaide and focussed on re-branding this website. After seven weeks in Paradise, I flew back to King Island. Although I was having a great time, something was missing. As soon as I returned to the island, I knew what was missing. I needed the right friends around me, Yentl As Anything and the other music projects, and it is where my girlfriend was living. I went back for six months, and I stayed six months. On the island, I found the perfect balance between making money, working on my website, and having a social and musical life.

17: Road Trip Victoria

Our road trip through Victoria was an adventure by itself. After two weeks on Flinders Island, Avalon and I flew back to Melbourne to buy a car. Unfortunately, we ran into the wrong cars and people. We were supposed to leave Melbourne before the Formula one week but ended up without a place to sleep or a car. As I’m convinced that my travels have provided for themselves in the past, it was a sign of not buying a car. Instead, we borrowed a car and drove around Victoria. The major stops on our itinerary were; Ocean’s Grove, Mornington Peninsula, Walhalla, the Australian Alps and Bright. Besides, we climbed Victoria’s highest mountain.

18: East Coast of Australia – part 2

The first time I travelled around the East Coast of Australia, I did it by bus. We wanted to do it by car this time but had to change plans a little as we didn’t buy a car. We found out later that train travel between Melbourne and Cairns was also an option, so we bought a train pass. As I wasn’t travelling alone, had more budget, and was more experienced in travelling and Australia’s east Coast, we could go further and better. Besides, with the train pass, we didn’t have to worry about anything except catching our trains on time. We did all the highlights along the way, but also plenty of things I skipped the first time.

Both the East Coast of Australia chapters are outstanding. Chapter 7 was fantastic, as I was only getting started as a traveller. However, in chapter 18, we went beyond to see all the great places on our way. Moreover, between Canberra and K’gari Fraser Island, my brother Kobe joined us for three weeks!

19: Northern Territory – part 2

From Cairns, we flew to Darwin to continue our travels. In Darwin, we met up with my mom and her partner Gert for a road trip across Australia’s top end. Although time flew by way too fast, it was a fantastic trip! The views and National Parks in the top end are stunning and are nowhere found in the rest of Australia. Darwin, Kakadu National Park, Katherine and Litchfield National Park were on the itinerary. For the first time since February 2019, I hired a van again. As this trip in the Northern Territory marked the end of the last three chapters, there was no better place to end.

20: Moreton Island

Moreton Island was one of those places I skipped on my first trip to the East Coast of Australia, making it an essential stop the second time. After snorkelling the Tangalooma Shipwrecks in May, I applied to become a Divemaster intern on the island. Since the start of August 2022, I’ve been taking guests diving and snorkelling on these shipwrecks, being a tour guide on boat cruises and being a part of the Tangalooma Dolphin Care Program, one of the best in the world. Who knows what is next for me on my world travels? I’ll dive deeper into the last chapters in upcoming posts!

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