Annette and Daniel full-time travellers, popularly known as ‘Chase for Adventure‘ from the USA got stranded in Thailand due to the coronavirus pandemic. Their friend who runs an animal rescue centre contacted them if they would be willing to take care of 10 dogs during the pandemic in Koh Chang. Annette and Daniel happily agreed. So now they live in a gorgeous house in the Thai jungle. A river in the backyard, amazing internet connectivity and 10 dogs in the Thai jungle keep the travel couple happy during this lockdown.
Annette and Daniel Quit Their Jobs To Become Full-Time Travellers
Annette and Daniel are full-time travellers from Gainesville, Florida. In 2017, Annette battled severe depression. She realised she wasn’t happy with her life. And she was burning the midnight oil for someone else’s dreams and inturn wasting her own life. Daniel was also battling his own difficulties. He was forced to resign from his job even after working for more than 60 hours a week. Working hard more than 10 hours a day and yet not be recognized forced him to rethink why he was working so hard in the first place.
And during these trying times, the couple enjoyed watching videos of travel bloggers who lived their dream life. And that’s when Annette and Daniel had their eureka moment. Annette was reported saying, “That’s when it hit us, we could just sell everything and start travelling the world on a budget.” So Annette and Daniel escaped their 9 to 5 job and started travelling the world full time. Now they teach the world how to make money from anywhere while showcasing their nomadic journey across the world through their website, Youtube and Instagram accounts, Chase For Travel.
Also Read: 6 New Travel & Hospitality Trends To Look Out For
Some Memorable Travel Experiences
The travel enthusiast couple travelled to many countries across the globe. When it comes to Annette, she states to Travel & Leisure, that Kolkata is her favourite place in India. Annette and Daniel met many sweet, wonderful people there during their time. For them, Kolkata felt like home. She was reported saying “Since it was also the first Indian city we visited, it opened our hearts and minds to the Indian culture.” Annette and Daniel ate incredible dishes there like paani puri, kathi rolls and chole bhature. And ofcourse, they loved the chai, which they could savour every 10 metres away.
Another city they absolutely loved in India, was Rajasthan’s Jaipur. The couple received a message from one of their Instagram followers in India, inviting them to his sister’s wedding. At first, they were sceptical, since the Insat follower had no profile picture. But once they spoke to him they got a good feeling, so they agreed. What followed was a memorable 2-day event which included Daniel playing camel polo, them staying at the Jai Mahal Palace and watching guru Randhawa perform at the sangeet.
Travel bloggers have lots of memorable travel experiences, who why must Daniel and Annette be any different? The adventurous couple once got stuck in a mudslide in a remote mountain village in Vietnam. Annette quotes to a reputed travel platform, “Out of all of our adventures, the Ha Giang Loop gave us the most near-death experiences.” Daniel and Annette got stuck in a mudslide in a mountain village situated at the China-Vietnam border. It was an insane experience as they evacuated from there in the middle of heavy rains and floods to escape safely. Nevertheless, it was really a memorable moment for them.
The Couple Got Stranded in Thailand And Fostered 10 Dogs
In early March, Annette and Daniel’s trip to the USA got cancelled. This left them stranded in the Philippines. During this time, their friend Natasha who runs an animal rescue centre contacted them. She asked them if they were willing to take care of 10 dogs during the pandemic in Thailand’s Koh Chang. They immediately agreed. Now, Annette and Daniel live in a charming house in the Thai jungle. They gave a river in the backyard where their pups play. The couple have great internet connectivity which facilitates them to get their work done. The love for dogs made a Bangalore man sell off his house to feed stray dogs amid the pandemic.
Annette and Daniel consider themselves to be very fortunate. There hasn’t been even one case of coronavirus in their province. Inspite of alot of businesses staying shut, the island feels free for the couple. Annette reportedly quotes “The beach is beautiful and completely empty, and there are waterfalls all over Koh Chang to explore.” She further adds, ” Social distancing is in place, but since the island is empty, it’s not hard to do.”
The stranded couple spends their time in Thailand, playing with their pups and walking them through the creek in their backyard. They love playing and spending time with their pups. For the remaining hours of the day the travellers spend time working. Daniel spends most of his day editing YouTube videos and scheduling them. Annette uses her time to start a line of travel face masks. Speaking about her dream of creating face masks, as reported, Annette states “I’ve always dreamt of having a boutique specifically tailored to travel lovers, and the pandemic has given me the downtime to create it.
Managing Finances Without Travel
Here’s the golden question, how would travel bloggers like Annette and Daniel earn a livelihood amid coronavirus? Annette has become an online ESL ( English as a Second language) teacher. This allows her to make money during these trying times. It also gives Daniel time to focus on creating their Youtube content. She also sells travel face masks which she makes herself on her website. And this business has also turned very successful.
Travelling Amid Coronavirus
When it comes to travelling amid coronavirus Annette reportedly states “Travellers are going to have to ensure they don’t forget their travel masks before making it to the airport and getting over-charged for one.” She also advises travellers to arrive at the airport earlier. She believes queues at airports will take much longer due to social distancing. And airports might even open early check-ins to ensure sufficient time for all the new procedures. On similar lines, Vistara COO belives that air travel is still the safest way to travel amid coronavirus.
Right now, the travel couple are perched in a Thai jungle with their 10 cute dogs to give them company. But post-COVID-19 they plan to put Europe on their bucket list or even go back to India. Their original plan was to shift to Goa for a bit and then explore the rest of the country. If you liked this couple’s story, then here’s an interesting story of a Bangalore based backpacking couple.