Our Journey
Travel, and especially international travel, is no longer the luxury it used to be. Top must-see-attractions are often part of an itinerary. However, people are more and more looking for niche activities, meaningful experiences, and keeping their travel footprint in check.
Some people travel to get away from it all, or just to spend time alone. For many, doing the things they love, engaging people on a personal level, and discovering new places is what a great trip is all about.
For us, regardless of the reason for being on the road, travel is about keeping an open mind, an open heart, and not letting expectations get ahead of you. Also, caring about the places you visit leads to natural curiosity and engaged experience.
Our inspiration behind Tripadago.com was to create a home for the traveler where also these things are brought into realization through three simple and basic tenants:
1. Perspective is everything. With an informed perspective, travelers can make better choices for themselves, and enter deeper into the experience of each location.
2. Try something different. Vacation for many means getting away from the routine, and that should also mean your travel routine! Often the most memorable moments come in ways and in places we least suspect.
3. Care about where you are. By ‘going local’ and connecting with people in a meaningful way, you’ll be surprised by what comes your way. Experience tends to find those who are ready to be discovered.
Our Mission
Tailoring in-depth travel guides and informative articles to empower the choices you make for a richer and more fulfilling journey.
Searching out unique places and experiences that bring one closer to a sense of discovery and adventure.
Realizing that caring about where you go brings you closer to home in terms of responsible and sustainable tourism.
Our Guidelines
All our guides, reviews, and articles strive to achieve the highest quality and best possible standards by simply being:
1. Authentic: Our guides and content are produced by local people and sojourners on the ground. This way we pinpoint experiences that outsiders are certain to enjoy as well.
2. Honest: We don’t hype locations, but try to be honest, factual, and objective as possible in our descriptions. This way you can make the best choices for yourself.
3. Informed: The best choices are informed choices. We give valuable insights and in-depth knowledge on locations so you will be inspired with the best itinerary choices.
4. Accurate: We do the fact-checking so all information in our articles is as accurate and relevant as possible, and not stories that come down the grapevine.
5. Up-to-Date: Ever since the extended pandemic, the status of many tourist sites is under severe fluctuation. Nonetheless, we do our best to keep you in the know regarding all changes to locations.
Meet the Tripadago Crew and Travel Writing Team
Roger Shitaki
Roger is an avid traveler and writer and has worked for a number of commercial blogging ventures. He’s our editor in chief and heads up our writing and content creation team. He’s spent the last decade traveling between Japan and Vietnam, but now Saigon is his base.
Roger is a graduate of Cape Town University’s esteemed English department. His particular interests are sacred sites, trekking, Japanese pilgrimage trails, and listening to classical music.
His first experience abroad was living, working, and studying in London, with trips around the English countryside and Germany. Later, his passion for travel was enthused by backpacking in India and Australia. After settling in Japan, his periodic trips and explorations abroad were mostly around SE Asia and the US west coast.
Hoang Anh Nguyen
Anh is one of our up-and-coming writers and content creators. He’s native to Ho Chi Minh City and graduated from the Open University of Ho Chi Minh City with English as his major. His two years of military service honed his love for sports, fitness, and adventure travel.
Although an expert local guide to many of Saigon’s nooks and crannies, Anh’s travels have taken him to Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Dalat, Hoi An, Danang, down to Phu Quoc Island, and up to Ninh Binh. His family originates from Hanoi so he’s well acquainted with the different regions and customs of Vietnam.
Anh is a dedicated foodie and enjoys searching out local cuisines and places that give a fresh perspective. He’s into classic rock, reading, and fitness training. As a foodie adventure traveler, his sights are set on the mountains, valleys, and cuisine of Japan.
Meow Oi
Meow Oi found himself abandoned in his kitten years. He was subsequently adopted as the youngest office intern and has since grown splendidly into his various roles.
Meow Oi is the general office supervisor, balcony safety inspector, and an accomplished occupational therapist. He enjoys taking time out in his basket, cat therapy massages, and his travel coop is always on the ready.
He’s into night sojourns and enjoys bat souvenirs. He commutes piggyback to the office and sometimes rides shotgun on a motorbike around Saigon. He’s not so concerned with mundane travel but often takes trips into interdimensional cat space. He’ll write about it one day.
