Vantastic Advanture are Melli, Finn and 🐶Linus. The three are content creators, full-time vanlifers and ambassadors for WAVE HAWAII

How are you doing at the moment? Is everyone on board happy?

Hi, thanks for asking. We couldn't be doing better. We have the travel bug and love being on the go all the time.

Who are you?

We are Melli, Finn & Aussie Linus. We sold our apartment, gave up our traditional jobs and have been traveling the world in our self-constructed camper Carlo since February 2023

The Aussie “Linus” is always in the middle of things.

Until when are you on the road?

We have no end set for ourselves. As long as we are all well and enjoying this lifestyle, we would like to continue traveling full time

How did you decide to live in a van?

We bought a T5 Bulli in 2019. With Bulli Fiete we have traveled to various countries such as Portugal, Spain, Belgium and many others. We noticed that this type of travel brings with it so much freedom. The classic vacation wasn't enough for us, so we decided to work on this goal: travel full-time and work remotely

What has the route looked like so far and where are you going next?

So far we have been traveling in the Balkans. We went via Switzerland to Northern Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro and now we are exploring Albania. We would like to go through this year >Greece and then dedicate ourselves to Turkey and the Caucasus in the spring of 2024. We generally travel very slowly because we would like to travel extensively to every country.

How do you finance yourselves?

We operate as freelancers. We mainly work as content creators. We create photo and video material for various companies, which they can then use for websites, advertising campaigns or, for example, print media. We also manage companies' social media channels. We have social media ourselves as an additional source of income. We do weekly vlogs on YouTube, which we can already earn money from. We take our followers with us every day on Instagram and also earn something there through advertising measures or affiliate marketing. This is also the case for WAVE HAWAII. If you are still looking for a small discount, you can just ask us nicely ;-)

Which places would you like to return to?

"As much as we loved Portugal, unfortunately traveling with the motorhome there is not as easy as it used to be. Judging purely by the landscape, the beaches, the sea, it is definitely Portugal."

Are there no-go areas that you would never go to again?

Difficult to say. We always try to see the best in every place. There are advantages and disadvantages in every place. We don't have a special place or country now. We would no longer go to typical German tourist areas like Croatia or Spain in the summer or during the holidays because it is simply too crowded there . We love the months of the off season and look forward to deserted, quiet places

What treats do you remember fondly?

In Spain there were absolutely delicious bread crackers at Lidl, but don't ask us what they are called. We took five bags with us to Germany. Here in the Balkans we love Ciabatta bread. Most of the time you can get it with your meal in restaurants. Often fried with special garlic oil and we also love the Börek here in the Balkans. This is a puff pastry pocket with cheese or meat filling.

What would you like to miss on the dinner table?

Even if our trip soon goes to Greece. Neither of us likes to see, smell or taste olives.

What are your top 3 advantages and disadvantages of vanlife?

Advantages:

• Freedom
• closeness to nature
• Minimalism (focus on the important things)

Disadvantages:

• Faster and easier to attack
• Less space
• You are not welcome everywhere

Finn with the Curitiba poncho made of cotton velour.

What are your 3 must-haves in the van?

Definitely a dry separation toilet. Especially since we live in the van, there are places where using the restroom is not so easy. A drinking water filter, so we can drink any water without worry. And of course our ponchos. Especially at campsites, we get approached often. Just go to the shower with the poncho, shampoo & shower gel inside - done. Otherwise, we always wear our ponchos when SUP paddling or when we have a beach day and want to snuggle up a bit.

Melli with the AirLite Poncho Aguedea.

The Magical Boardwalk Shoot: How Did That Come About? Take us into the moment✨

This shoot was made for us and WAVE HAWAII. It was in Montenegro at Biogradska Gora. We got up at 5 a.m. Because in the morning the fog was thick and the sun was slowly coming through. In such moments we are closer to nature than ever. The ponchos fit like a glove. Because just like us, WAVE HAWAII cares about environmental protection and a sustainable lifestyle.

Melli with the AirLite Poncho Cumbuco.

How did you discover WAVE HAWAII?

We have known WAVE HAWAII for several years. Even four years ago, we worked together with them and know Jutta and Carsten very well personally. Because Jutta trained at our fitness studio back then. We quickly found out that it not only fits perfectly on a personal level, but also all the products themselves. We love this lifestyle and look forward to many more years with WAVE HAWAII!

More from Melli, Finn and Linus🐶

If you want to know more, follow us on Instagram , YouTube and be sure to check out our website . There you can be up close and personal with all our discoveries and adventures !

We have also published a concept book, an online guide for the perfect van conversion . There you will find lots of tips and tricks for your DIY camper. It couldn't be more helpful, as it contains material lists, decision-making aids, circuit diagrams and much more.