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Katrina "Kach" Medina Umandap, the 36-year-old travel vlogger who achieved every traveler's dream by visiting all 195 countries on her Philippine passport, is back in the Philippines with a new mission: to explore all 82 provinces and inspire young Filipinos to embrace the "work from anywhere" lifestyle.
Kach's journey began at 20 when she left the Philippines to work abroad. Her wanderlust ignited in 2013, leading her on backpacking trips that eventually evolved into a quest to conquer all seven continents. From her first stop in Kuwait to her final destination in Sudan, Kach defied the limitations of a Philippine passport, ranked 75th globally, to achieve her goal.
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| Photo courtesy of Kach Umandap |
"They just opened the country, I got my clearance and then last week, I went to Sudan," she shared in a recent interview.
Now, Kach is trading international flights for domestic adventures. "I hope to travel every province in the Philippines and hoping to educate the younger ones to start young," she explained.
Kach's advice for aspiring travelers? "You need to start slower...go to countries that are visa-free. Learn digital skills so you can work online and you can work anywhere you want."
Her journey wasn't without challenges. Visa restrictions and bureaucratic hurdles tested her determination, but Kach persevered with meticulous planning and unwavering grit. Her success story is a testament to the power of strategic thinking and embracing challenges as stepping stones.
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Photo courtesy of Kach Umandap. A Surreal Journey: Floating Across the Sahara on the Iron Ore Train Forget comfortable carriages and scenic views, Mauritania offers a train journey unlike any other. Imagine traversing the Sahara Desert on the world's longest and heaviest train – a 2km behemoth comprised of 200 carriages, carrying iron ore. This isn't your typical train ride; it's a raw, visceral experience. Forget assigned seats, conductors, or even a fixed schedule. There are no tickets, no restrooms, no charging stations, and definitely no creature comforts. For 12 hours, you become one with the train, feeling the rhythm of the tracks and the vastness of the desert. It's a journey that strips away the familiar, leaving you with a sense of awe and surreal detachment, almost as if you're floating across the landscape. |
Kach's story began humbly. Raised in San Pablo City, Laguna by her mother and grandparents, she dreamt of becoming a diplomat to access a diplomatic passport and travel the world. After graduating with an Economics degree from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, she worked corporate jobs in Kuwait and Iraq. However, the call of adventure led her to quit in 2013 and embark on a backpacking trip across Southeast Asia. This marked a turning point in her life.
Along with her then-husband, Kach started the travel blog "Two Monkeys Travel," documenting their nomadic lifestyle and sharing valuable travel tips. To sustain her adventures, she juggled multiple roles as a travel blogger, digital nomad, English teacher, yoga instructor, and even a massage therapist.
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| Photo courtesy of Kach Umandap |
Kach's strategic approach to visa applications, prioritizing visa-free countries and leveraging obtained visas to access other regions, proved instrumental in her success. By 2016, she had already visited 68 countries.
Kach's story is an inspiration to aspiring travelers and digital nomads, proving that with determination, strategic planning, and a thirst for adventure, even seemingly insurmountable challenges can be overcome. Her return to the Philippines marks a new chapter in her journey, one focused on inspiring the next generation of Filipino travelers to explore their own backyard and embrace the freedom of remote work.
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