Travel is intrinsic to the wanderer, and simply leaving one’s comfort zone can open numerous doors that lead to mindboggling adventures
Today, travel may not affordable, but with an innate ability to adapt, many travelers now bank on getting the most bang for their buck by backpacking, or going on budget travel while seeing the wonders this planet has to offer.
And for a young lad who hails from Labasa, and lived his life in Suva, travelling abroad has opened opportunities he never thought possible.
Priyesh Gounder left Fiji to travel in 2020. The onset of COVID-19 was quick to quash his pre-meditated plans of discovering Europe at its finest, but even a global pandemic couldn’t keep him down for long.
Fast forward to 2023, and the Fijian lad has embarked on a new journey alongside his wife, chasing his dream of travelling and documenting his adventures on social media through various handles.
“I grew up in Suva with a nuclear family of four members,” the 29-year-old says.
“My dad is the general warehouse manager of Flour Mills of Fiji (FMF) and my mum has retired. I finished my management and marketing degree from Fiji National University (FNU).
“I was always a charismatic guy and a very good storyteller. When I arrived in Europe, I thought my life was a fairytale. Hence, I started documenting my life like it was a movie.
“I tried to capture everything that went around me as I wanted to bring all the memories back home, but destiny had other plans.”
He arrived in France at the beginning of 2020, before making his way to Hungary. However, when COVID struck, all his plans were thrown for a loop.
Yet, Priyesh discovered in every cloud he encountered, there was a silver lining.
Since he couldn’t return home due to the pandemic, he started to look for opportunities around him. He volunteered at a summer camp and later, worked at a kindergarten.
It was during this time that his life changed. He met his wife Orsolya Gounder- Kertesz, at a summer camp, a meeting which he describes as ‘nothing short of a romantic story’.
“We would walk barefoot in the rain, lay down on a football pitch and stare at the shooting stars and sing to Maroon 5 songs.
“We decided to take advantage of the COVID travel deals and visited Rome and Santorini on a small budget. Since then, we’ve been to 19 countries together. Interestingly, Mr Gounder has visited Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Belgium, Luxemburg, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Germany, Malta, Hungary, Sweden, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.
He was also the first Fijian to complete the Santiago de Compostela, a well-known pilgrimage whereby people have to walk about 280 kilometres for 11 to 12 days on foot.
He says this journey was a memorable one.
He completed the pilgrimage nursing a broken shoulder, however, the support of his wife kept him going.
“Recently, we did a three-month budget backpacking trip through Southeast Asia, where we did the infamous Ha Giang Loop, a four-day motorcycle route through Northern Vietnam.
“Many people told me that because this would be my first time riding a motorcycle and the roads were very dangerous, I should not do it. I did it anyway.
“And it was a life changing experience. We even made a YouTube video which surpassed 15,000 views.”
It hasn’t always been an easy ride for Mr Gounder, and the numerous challenges he has encountered along the way is proof of that.
“Arriving in a country where English is not widely spoken, I had to learn a new language, tackle racism and big cultural differences.
“Coming from an island nation, I was not even used to navigating in enormous cities. From the sense of fashion to the use of modern-day technology, I was beyond shocked and had to learn everything by myself.”
Mr Gounder has emerged through the difficulties by becoming a content creator and showcasing the world through his eyes.
And after creating content online for one and a half years, Mr Gounder and his wife were chosen by budget travel site kiwi.com to create content on various platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. For this, they are being sponsored to travel to South America.
“Now, I want to create my own brand with my wife. I want to work with Fijian brands to promote local products to be advertised in the European markets, such as our traditional kalavata outfits.
“As for my next adventure, I am going to South America to conquer the Salkantay Trek, a well renowned hike to Machu Picchu, learn a new language (Portuguese in Brazil) and visit as many countries as I can in South America.
“I will document my journey as a budget traveller and show the world through my eyes to the people back home.”
His bucket list contains the Tour de Mont Blanc in France, visiting the salt flats in Bolivia, learning to Salsa in Colombia, and learning a new language.
“We want to experience culture shocks which helps us to have an open mind. We want to visit India and Sri Lanka and ride a rickshaw from north to south India.
“Currently, we are preparing our itinerary for our South America journey. My wife and I are constantly trying to perfect our craft in videography and video editing.
“I enjoy the freedom that I get being a content creator and having my own online business. I cherish the fact that I get to travel the world and be proud at the same time, knowing that I hail from a tiny island nation.
“I love representing my country and being an ambassador. I am looking forward to returning home to make more YouTube videos of this beautiful country and get the locals’ support.
“I would like to see more local support for my channel, as this will give me a boost in making more travel content and keep inspiring the new generation of Fijians.”
While jetsetting across the globe may seem interesting, there are occasional bouts of homesickness that envelope him. When it does, he is reminded of his father, who taught him about being independent.
“As my quote in life is ‘rule your own world’”, I believe that you should be aware of all the opportunities that life throws at you.
“In life, we shouldn’t take no as an answer if we are to decide our own destiny. I was working eight-hour shifts at McDonalds, and attending evening classes at my university, but I knew that there was more to life than this. I decided to create my own luck.”
His adventures are documented on YouTube on his channel Pg from Fiji and Instagram under @PgfromFiji, @gounderpriyesh and @orshiii.
