I started backpacking in Southeast Asia 30 years ago. It was better before smartphones and social media.

• 03/08/2025, 7:39 PM
• businessinsider.com

Lester V. Ledesma

I began traveling across Southeast Asia in the late '90s. After college, with just a backpack, a camera, and a sense of adventure, I set out to explore the Philippines — my country of birth.