“The Philippines are perfect for western early retirees”

In 2014 Claudio Sieber left his homeland. What was planned as a break of several months became an unlimited trip around the world - and the former key account manager became a successful photojournalist. Now Sieber's first book is appearing, we spoke to him in advance about his adventures.

WORLD: When you left in 2014, you wanted to escape the routine, comfort and smugness of your homeland. Do you see Switzerland through different eyes today?

Claudio Sieber: No, the social corset that people in Switzerland are stuck in is still tight. Everything is just a touch too perfect for my taste. This day-to-day perfectionism leads to incomparable efficiency and more prosperity, but not necessarily to more well-being. I also don't think contentment or happiness goes hand in hand with career or progress.

WORLD: The Swiss are not only perfectionists, they are also considered security-conscious, are you an exception?

Sieber: No, but I also know that even when push comes to shove, there are always kind people who offer protection, love and confidence. A Nepalese once told me that smiling is an instrument for survival. I have adopted this strategy as my own.

WORLD: Have you ever lost your smile completely?

Sieber: Yes, on a boat tour with an Australian friend. We wanted to drive from northern Myanmar to the Andaman Sea, and there were already some tricky situations.

WORLD: For example?

Sieber: We only sailed on the rivers during the day, at night we camped on the bank. And although we looked for places away from the villages, we were often spotted by the locals. Although they were mostly friendly, some were aggressive because they thought we had come for the gold they were digging in the rivers. The local authorities were also on our heels, because in Myanmar it is forbidden for foreigners to navigate the river system without a permit.

WORLD: How did you even get a boat?

Sieber: That was easier than you think. We simply approached locals and asked if they wanted to sell their boat. The first refused and unfortunately ratted us out to the immigration authorities, but the second had fewer qualms and took the wad of money. Without any contract, we owned a five-meter-long wooden barge within hours.

WORLD: Sounds like an adventure.

Sieber: Yes, and I was happy to have my buddy with me in Myanmar. It is much more stressful and exhausting to be on the road all alone, away from civilization. I learned that later in Indonesia when I did a robinsonade as an experiment on myself. I wanted to prove to myself that I could survive ten days on an uninhabited island with little equipment and no food.

WORLD: But surely you had a boat with you in case of an emergency on your lonely island?

Sieber: No, I didn't have my own boat in Indonesia. The Robinsonade was an experiment and it was run through Docastaway.com, which is sort of an adventure agency. Alvaro, an old friend of mine, founded the company. And I agreed with him that everything should be as authentic as possible, that is, I should be dumped without my cell phone, satellite phone, etc., and only be picked up again after ten days.

WORLD: Really now?

Sieber: Yes, at first I thought it was a great idea, only when Alvaro emailed me the disclaimer did I get uneasy. Because he wrote that he had never been to the island himself and also didn't know whether coconuts grew there. I still have his email, so I can quote from it: "Please be aware of unpredictable surf and ocean currents, potentially poisonous plants, and so on and so forth."

WORLD: And how did you arm yourself, what did you pack?

Sieber: Not much, because in the firm belief in my survival knowledge I tightened the rules of the game and dispensed with supposed frills. All I took with me was a tent, machete, fishing hook, lighter, three plastic bags, swimming trunks, sarong, rubber shoes and my Nikon D750. That was sporty.

WORLD: Because you forgot the fishing line for your hook?

Sieber: No, a piece of line was later even found in the rubbish washed up on the island, together with a bucket, plastic bottles and a toothbrush. Despite this, no fish took a bite for ten days, which was probably due to the hook. I chose size 11. The smallest hook, size 1, would have been better. Only mini fish swarmed around my bait. I didn't catch a single one.

Luckily I found coconuts and was able to collect a few crabs as well, but hunger soon gnawed at my guts. After ten days I was a few pounds lighter. But I now know that the most beautiful palm tree paradise becomes hell without human company.

WORLD: So why are exotic archipelagos so romanticized here?

Sieber: Maybe out of civilization weariness and the urge to look beyond one's own horizon.

WORLD: But don't all people have the urge to discover something new?

Sieber: I want to answer your question with a little story: Together with a guide, I once visited a remote mountain village in Myanmar that no western foreigner had set foot in for 70 years. I thought the villagers would ask me questions in the gut. But none, they just wanted to know where I come from and whether people eat rice and drink schnapps in my home country.

Only later did I understand that the indigenous people know too little about the world outside their village to be able to ask specific questions. They don't even know their own capital, for them there is no geographical or cultural difference between Los Angeles and St. Gallen, where I come from.

WORLD: Speaking of which, have you ever regretted leaving St. Gallen?

Sieber: Not for a moment. I don't want to go back either, because in the meantime I've found my personal paradise. It's a small Filipino island called Siargao. However, I do not claim to have discovered this dreamlike island, others were faster, surfers, dropouts and later also the American magazine "CN Traveler", which named Siargao the most beautiful island in Asia.

WORLD: Does this publicity pay off for the island?

Sieber: You're touching on a sore point in my life: Experience has shown that an island that has been declared a paradise is about to end as a place of longing within a decade, precisely because it is no longer untouched. And in fact, the south of Siargao has developed extremely over the last five to eight years, the infrastructure is better, there are more restaurants, accommodation, but also more tourists.

WORLD: And what about the garbage, does Siargao already have a plastic problem?

Sieber: Of course, with the blessings of the West, basura, garbage, accumulates. By the way, the Filipinos didn't even have their own word for garbage before the Spanish colonization, because they didn't have a garbage problem at the time. And as long as even environmentally conscious magazines like "National Geographic" allow themselves to send their missionary "Planet or Plastic" issues sealed in plastic bags to their millions of customers, nobody has to preach sustainability to the locals.

WORLD: Where do you see yourself in 30, 40 years?

Sieber: I have no idea, I don't even know what I'll be doing in 2023, and it's precisely this uncertainty that I like. But I can certainly imagine spending the rest of my life in the Philippines.

WORLD: Would you recommend the island kingdom to friends as a retirement home?

Sieber: Definitely! The Philippines are perfect for western early retirees because they can purchase so-called senior citizen visas there. The correct name is Special Resident Retiree's Visa, the papers are relatively easy to get and comfortable: Anyone over 50, has $20,000 deposited in a Philippine bank and has a minimum monthly pension of $800 - basically everyone in mine old home – gets the senior citizen visa. It entitles you to a kind of permanent residence without immigration.

The cultural barriers in the Philippines are also not as high as elsewhere in Asia, as the majority of the locals are Christian and English-speaking. For me the archipelago is the most beautiful place to live, on Siargao I found my bliss.

The book by Claudio Sieber “Stranded in Paradise. How I traveled through Asia for six years and found my home on a tropical island” has just been published by Conbook, it has 288 pages and costs 19.95 euros.