5 Minutes With Anwar Yafai

For McCool Travel’s 93rd travel profile, I am thrilled to introduce you to Anwar Yafai. I first met Anwar, along with Amy Truong (and others), at a travel meet up that was so loud, no one could hear what anyone else was saying. My fault for arranging the meeting at World of Beer during the World Cup. Anyway, we all have someone in our lives who totally astonishes us—am I right? Not exactly envy (a little), just complete awe. Talking travel with Anwar, is entertaining, inspiring, and humbling. Anwar’s photos are magnificent and he is seemingly always on the road, whether for a months-long job assignment overseas or simply a long weekend across the country.
Anwar’s bio:
“I’m an engineer, a tech nerd, a photographer, a traveler, and just a life adventurer. I am a big lover of travel and all things in the world. It seems that if I go more than a few months without a trip I start to get a little anxious for my next adventure. It seems much of my life I’m either getting ready for an upcoming trip or planning some new adventure in the future. My friends and family have started to instead of ask how I am, ask where I am at.”

Anwar Yafai is one of the most inspiring travelers I know. Anwar's photos at Beyond the Front Door are magnificent.
Anwar Yafai

Anwar Yafai

Hometown…
Bartonsville, Pennsylvania
Always in my luggage…
camera and clothes
3 favorite home-away-from-home places…

  1. Tokyo
  2. Oman
  3. Melbourne, Australia

A favorite travel memory is…
Being the first tourist to enter Petra, Jordan one morning, 2 hours before any other visitors arrived. I thought no one would be there, so I put on my head lamp and set up my tripod but the guard said “No.” I showed him my 2 day pass and he relented. It was an amazing scene and I was so happy to have talked with the local Bedouin people with no one else around.

Anwar Yafai is one of the most inspiring travelers I know. Anwar's photos at Beyond the Front Door are magnificent.
Petra Jordan by Anwar Yafai
Anwar Yafai is one of the most inspiring travelers I know. Anwar's photos at Beyond the Front Door are magnificent.
Anwar Yafai Petra Jordan locals

3 favorite travel brands…

  1. REI
  2. Nikon
  3. New Balance

3 money-saving travel tactics I use are…

  1. points and miles
  2. find free things to do in cities, like festivals
  3. cheap housing through Couchsurfing and Airbnb

I can travel so much because I try to be savvy with my expenses.
3 ways I have fun while traveling are…

  1. walking and discovering things
  2. talking to locals (they know what to do)
  3. eating. I love eating!
Anwar Yafai is one of the most inspiring travelers I know. Anwar's photos at Beyond the Front Door are magnificent.
Anwar Yafai silver hat

8 word (or less) travel mantra…
“I’d rather have the most stories than the most things.”
Favorite non-travel website …
Does gmail count? [ed. Yes!]
Most memorable souvenir …
didgeridoo (from north of Cairns) and samurai sword (from Japan)
Favorite cheap eat …
kabobs
I would like to meet …
Ibn Battuta

Anwar Yafai is one of the most inspiring travelers I know. Anwar's photos at Beyond the Front Door are magnificent.
Anwar Yafai on bridge

Thank you very much, Anwar, for taking the time to share your travel inspiration and tips.
Follow Anwar Yafai on FacebookTwitter, Instagram, and Beyond My Door.


Check out McCool Travel’s previous profilesMcCool Travel presents tips from travel experts in our 5 Minutes interview series—featuring travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons. Previous 5 Minutes post: Jean Newman Glock.


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