TRAVELING can be just a leisure activity to anybody, but for Noli Nichole, a proud Kapampangan, it’s not---it’s his passion for traveling that gave him a ride towards his adventurous journeys that readied him to build a business called “Kapampangan Backpackers,” which is also dubbed “KB”.
Before even Kapampangan Backpackers came into the picture, Noli Nichole---also a self-proclaimed gamer and a talented photographer---strolled in his life by first taking off his graduation cap at Holy Angel University (HAU) wherein he backpacked a Computer Science degree in Information Technology.
At a very young age of 17, Noli Nichole worked for different business industries such as fast food chains, call-center companies, and marketing for a small milk tea shop. He then became a government employee for three years after graduating at HAU and an employer for more than seven years.
On the month of February in 2017 in which Kapampangan Backpackers was officially born, Noli Nichole made it clear in his mind that his company will just simply travel in the cheapest way possible and do backpacking weekly in mountains, unwinding on beaches, and exploring different parts of the Philippines and other countries.
“Kapampangan Backpackers is more of a community than a business----we are prioritizing the relationship we built with our partners and clients. We started in 2016 doing oculars in the best destinations we can find and all we wanted was to find an affordable place to fit in but still with its quality, the idea is always to add value over money. What makes Kapampangan Backpackers different from other travel agencies is that we cater to joiner tours that takes people to different places and meet fellow Kapampangans who are into traveling too. In our company, you will find a stranger whom you have something in common and that thought can make you feel excited sometimes even more than the destination itself,” Noli Nichole said.
The father of Kapampangan Backpackers added: “We do the math, all the work, compare it to what we can offer and see which ones come more affordable. Make every single peso count, value over price. I am not a rich person, but I wanted to travel and go to a lot of different places, and take many people with me who would help me make the travel more memorable and affordable, that's why even though the travel is above quality, just because we are many, we get to pay cheap.”
Due to his respectable management, Kapampangan Backpackers was chosen as a recipient of the Philippine Top Choice Awards for Excellence 2017 and Philippine Top Choice Awards for Excellence and Outstanding Achiever 2018 as the Top Choice Affordable Travel Package Provider (Pampanga Awards).
Noli Nichole revealed that he is motivated by fear itself and he has two fears in life: God and regrets.
“I understand that 'it kills to regret'. It means you also have to understand the need of mental awareness----traveling is already a need for mental awareness, the fact that we encourage everyone to get out of their seats, workstations, and comfort zones----take a leave from those borders and explore more. I am motivated to go out and let people see more than what their minds can imagine and spend my time experiencing things I haven't experienced, trying new stuff and make mistakes, because life is too short. You may never know that you needed something unless it is lost. You will never like a cake until you taste it,” he said.
“This is a cliché, but we have to understand time is limited. It will not get back to you, you can regain anything but not time. Stop hesitating and #JustGo. Stop planning and #JustGo. Stop the fear and #JustGo. Stop asking questions and #JustGo. That's our current campaign: #JustGo. We'll not let you be in danger we want you to save time and money so we prepared everything for you, stop thinking and #JustGo,” Noli Nichole concluded.