Why did I start Locoband?

It began with a summer in Myanmar. I was there as a volunteer teaching human rights for a month. Two personal stories gave me the inspiration to dream about creating better travel experiences.

1. Travelling with my students

I travelled with 2 batches of students. The first one is from my human rights class. Everyday after class they would bring me to different places in Yangon, including the more touristy pagodas to their universities and hangout spots. I thoroughly enjoyed it because I got to learn about them and their country outside class as friends.

The second batch was equally fun but they were not my students. They were students of another volunteer group in another town. Although we were basically strangers, we clicked right away! We had very different backgrounds - their families farmed and I was a city girl. Yet, we shared very similar perspectives and problems. The most memorable part of the one-day journey was not all the buddhist caves they showed me, but the short conversation I had with one of them. He said his sisters gave up school to work in Thailand so that he could go to university. It is stuck in my head.

2. Travelling in a private tour

Later in that trip, I went to Bagan (a heritage city) and booked a private tour. The middle-aged guide was very professional and he knew every part of the city like the back of his hand. But we did not connect at all. I was his customer but not his friend.

The first experience was waaaaaay better. To me, travelling is not just rushing through tourist spots and uploading photos to Instagram. It is more about embracing a different culture and meeting interesting people. I am a very shy person and I have been pushing myself to leave my comfort zone through this. I wanted to make this opportunity available to more people. Locoband was thus born.

#MelodyWong