Daez of adventure, days of illumination
When it comes to traveling, TV host and adventurer Mikael Daez believes in the dictum ‘Just go for it… no regrets!’ People are a bit wary of getting out of their comfort zones, but Daez would like to tell them, ‘This is the youngest you’ll ever be. If you want to go on an adventure, you will find a way of making it work.’
It was the middle of the night in Costa Rica… pitch black,” so begins actor Mikael Daez’s account of his recent trip to South America for Contiki Holidays. Contiki is a travel company that infuses the elements of sightseeing, socializing and adventure as integral to its tour packages. Daez continues his story thusly: “It was the most surreal moment of the tour. We were on the beach in Tortuguero, and we waited for sea turtles to go ashore and lay their eggs. We had one chance — this happens, at most, twice a week — and we caught (the event) on video. It’s crazy and magnificent and it was our intimate moment with Nature.”
Mikael is the host of GMA Network’s Midnight Snack, an actor (among his onscreen credits are Temptation Island and Amaya), a business school grad of Ateneo, and a foodie. But at heart he’s an adventurer, and he’s one of 12 individuals invited by Contiki to go on a storytelling journey to Costa Rica as part of the travel company’s Contiki Cares partnership with the Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) organization.
For around 10 days, the group of Contiki Storytellers — composed of bloggers, filmmakers, photographers and social media experts, including Mikael and his brother Nicky — met up with French explorer Céline Cousteau on a VIP conservation trip based on Contiki’s own “Costa Rica Unplugged” itinerary. For two nights in Tortuguero, the Storytellers teamed up with the STC and Céline — a documentary filmmaker, environmental activist and granddaughter of the legendary Jacques Cousteau — to track endangered leatherback turtles and protect their nests from poachers in the area. And when not doing their share in protecting the majestic endangered turtles, the Storytellers experienced the bio-diversity that Costa Rica has to offer: zip-lining through the rainforest, rafting through the rapids, taking a dip in the hot springs, and touring the canals in hopes of spotting some of the beautiful wildlife found only in the area. Upon returning, the Storytellers were tasked with documenting their South American experiences via photography, video and the written word.
Mikael shares, “It’s the best travel experience I’ve ever had. Costa Rica is on the other side of the world, thus, it’s not a place that Filipinos often plan on going to. But there is so much to see — from La Fortuna Waterfall to the beaches, the canyoneering and zip-ling over the forests. In postcards, waterfalls look flat and dead, but up-close… it’s amazing, so powerful. What added to the entire experience is the group of Storytellers.”
He says the adventurers came from across the globe. A video blogger from the UK. A graphic designer from Chicago. A songwriter from New Zealand. A photojournalist from Cape Town. A travel blogger from Toronto. All of them banding together to do their own share in using storytelling to save the planet.
“When I talk to other Storytellers, they offer different perspectives on what we just saw or experienced,” Daez relates. “I realized that I never saw things their way. Just think, 10 other people with 10 different perspectives, outlooks and personalities — you come out of that encounter a brand new person. You now have a wider sense of the world. Everything looks fresher. That is why the Storytellers group resonates so loudly within me.”
More things have been illuminated for Daez.
“Traveling is something I am very passionate about,” he explains. “As much as I am 100 percent Filipino, I am 100-percent citizen of the world.”
One guy Mikael thanks for the once-in-a-lifetime adventure is Kevin Khor, head of sales and marketing for Contiki in Asia.
Khor explains, “We are extremely excited in having Mikael Daez onboard, representing Asia and, of course, the Philippines. Through Mikael’s epic story of conservation, adventure and traveling with absolutely no regrets — a mantra we live and breathe at Contiki — his storytelling will definitely have the powerful ability to inspire and share his incredible conservation efforts with his many young travelers and followers!”
Aileen C. Clemente, chairman of Rajah Travel Corporation and Contiki’s general sales agent in the Philippines, agrees. “We are pleased to have Mikael and Nicky Daez onboard as Contiki Storytellers from the Philippines. Their journey will serve as an inspiration to the Filipino youth and engage them to experience life through travel. Contiki provides young travelers with an opportunity to explore different destinations in the company of other youth from different countries. It is, ultimately, a learning experience to be cherished and revisited long after the trip is over.”
What Mikael loves about Contiki is the sense of culture developed by the travel company in its tours.
“It’s not just about the place. Culture is very important since the people around you enhance the travel experience. My attitude in life kind of embodies what Contiki is already saying — if you’re really passionate about something, there is a way of doing it and getting more out of it. But you’ll never find out if you don’t go for it. So no regrets and just go for it.”
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Contiki Holidays is a leader in youth travel experiences, a brand that is all about discovery, epic moments and making every second count. Contiki’s journeys — for 18- to 35-year-old travelers — unlock the local way of life in each and every destination. It boasts over 300 trips in more than 50 countries. The brand mantra is #NOREGRETS.
For updates, call Contiki Holidays Asia at +65-63378166, email asia.res@contiki.com, or visit www.contiki.com. For information, call Rajah Travel Corporation at 894-0886, telefax 817-7903, or visit www.rajahtravel.com. Rajah Travel is at 3/F Gercon Plaza, 7901 Makati Ave., Makati City.
