Interview - Emmanuel Higel - Trésors du monde
Summer is coming... No idea for your next trip? Don't worry! Today we will introduce you to Emmanuel Higel, fonder of Trésors du monde, who accepted to answer our questions.
El Nido, Philippines
Can you introduce yourself?
Emmanuel: I am Emmanuel, 29, and I travel around the world for 2 years, starting in 2010. Due to that I opted for a ‘semi-sedentary’ way of living. I’d stay a few months in a country to discover the culture and then move on to explore other places. I am currently living in Colombia.
Can you introduce Trésors du monde?
Emmanuel: I’ve have been working on Tresorsdumonde.fr since two years now. The aim is to list all the ‘treasures’ of our world. Harsh task, there are so many! I pin each treasure’s place on a world map. Green is used for natural parks and wild places, Red for architectural sites and Orange for a mix between both. Currently, 690 treasures are listed on the map. In the end, Tresorsdumonde.fr would map 3.000 treasures: it’s my objective for the next 2 or 3 years.
Banos, Ecuador
Why did you choose to create a travel website?
Emmanuel: I work in the digital (as a website auditor) and I am fond of travelling. It’s now been 5 years since I left France. So creating Trésors du monde was obvious!
What is your best experience?
Emmanuel: It is an tough question! My biking trip to Greece and the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 are totally opposed. But these 2 moments were unbelievable. I could quote them. I also loved the atmosphere and the so kind way the Russians welcomed me in the Transsiberian, or the charming vibe of San Francisco.
And the worst?
Emmanuel: Touching wood because it hasn’t really happened yet! Although someone stole 200€ from me once and another time it was a bag, but it is just bits and pieces, so it is not too important!
Las Lajas, Colombia
Can you give some advices to future travelers?
Emmanuel: Don’t be afraid to travel alone. It is the best way to open yourself to others. And the short encounters we make along the way build the beauty of travelling. When you travel as a couple, people are often afraid to disturb you. When you travel with our friends, you just stick together.. Travelling alone is cool, really!
My second advice is about the bag. The more I travel the more I reduce the amount of stuff I take with me. It is really important to travel with as few things as possible. No need to take too many underwear or socks. 2 or 3 are enough if you are not too lazy to wash it every evening.
Last advice: check out Trésors du monde when your are planning your trip in order to have a good view of all the treasures you can find on your way!
What is the ideal bag?
Emmanuel: For me, it is the bag with the less possible things in it. So some underwear, couple of T-shirts, one jean and one jumper. And if something is missing, buy it at the closest local market.
Why did you choose to create both Trésors du monde and your own blog?
Emmanuel: Actually, I first created my blog www.emmanuelhigel.com in 2012. Trésors du monde was created in 2014. I started to get bored of talking about my daily life on my website. And now I focus more on Trésors du monde.
Torres del Paine, Chile
Check out Trésors du monde's website: http://www.tresorsdumonde.fr/