For McCool Travel’s 148th travel interview, I am thrilled to present Matt Gibson. I met Matt in Nepal (of all places) earlier this year and previously knew about his superb work with Xpat Matt. Matt has many other projects, as you will learn. Read on!
Matt Gibson‘s bio: “Matt Gibson is the Outbound President of the Professional Travel Bloggers Association, a nonprofit organization that works to help travel industry and brands meet and work together. He’s also an adventure travel writer and photographer, award winning blogger, and CEO of UpThink, an agency that helps travel companies develop their blogging and social media marketing strategies and work with travel bloggers. Matt regularly gives seminars and moderates panels about blogging, social media, and inbound marketing for organizations such as ITB Berlin, ITB Asia, Arabian Travel Mart, HSMAI, and others.”
Matt Gibson
HOMETOWN …
Cranbrook, British Columbia
ALWAYS IN MY LUGGAGE …
TRX system and, of course, my laptop.
3 FAVORITE HOME-AWAY-FROM-HOME PLACES …
- Tainan, Taiwan
- Mae Rumphung Beach, Thailand
- Kootenay Lake, British Columbia
A FAVORITE TRAVEL MEMORY …
Driving up the side of Mount Kinabalu on a motorcycle at night with no lights.
3 FAVORITE TRAVEL BRANDS …
3 MONEY-SAVING TRAVEL TACTICS I USE …
- I never pay full price for gear. I only shop at discount online gear shops.
- I always shop around for flights. First I’ll use a metasearch like Skyscanner to get general route ideas. Then I’ll look at lower-cost local carriers that don’t show up in search. If I’m having trouble finding a good deal, I’ll often pass the job along to FlightFox.
- I’ll always take public rail transit when it’s convenient. This not only saves money but also helps to avoid the terrible traffic that plagues so many cities around the world.
3 WAYS THAT I HAVE FUN WHILE TRAVELING …
- Getting lost
- Wandering aimlessly
- Trying weird local foods that I’ve never heard of
8 WORD (OR LESS) TRAVEL MANTRA …
“Adventure occurs when control is uncertain.”
FAVORITE NON-TRAVEL WEBSITE …
The Oatmeal
FAVORITE CHEAP EAT …
Dan bing in Taiwan. Best $1 breakfast burrito you’ll every try.
RECENT DISCOVERY …
Hiking in Kyrgyzstan. It’s surprisingly epic—the best I’ve ever done.
Thank you so much, Matt, for sharing your travel inspiration and tips.
Follow Matt Gibson on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and XpatMatt.com.
McCool Travel presents tips from travel experts in our 5 Minutes travel interview series—featuring travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons. Check out McCool Travel’s previous travel interviews. Previous 5 Minutes travel interview: Roy Stevenson.
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