I was hungry for adventure and was very happy when my father took me for fishing to Lake Balaton or we got together with my cousins and we could do something that was forbidden by our parents :-) Although I was born and raised in Budapest, with roots in the countryside and with my passion for fishing I spent a lot of time outdoors. I loved to be exhausted by the end of the day after any kind of activities done under the sky.

After 8 years sitting in the office and following different company visions, in 2018 I realized that my life should mean more than being one of the shared service „factory” workers and left the corporate world behind. I started to build up my own company from an idea that came to my mind during a vacation in Kárpátalja in 2017.

Outdoor Adventures Hungary was born during the fall of 2018. It’s a small family owned company and our aim is to show the beautiful natural side of Hungary to the people who came to our country from any part of the world. Unfortunately Hungary is not well known for its natural beauties, but we are working on changing this mindset, and to drive people’s attention to the hidden beauties of this exceptional place. We believe that Hungary is more than its capital Budapest and what you get from the guidebooks or from the average tour operators. 

The past year was hard for us as well as was for all our colleagues in the travel industry, but we try to keep positive and focus on the reopening of the world. In the background we are working on new adventures and bringing new activities into our portfolio.

1. Where did you grow up?

I lived in Budapest till the age of fourteen and then moved to Pécel with my family, but I spent a lot of time in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg megye in Tornyospálca. My parents were born in that tiny village so we spent the vast majority of our holidays at my grandparents’ house there. I think my love and passion for nature comes from the experiences I had in the countryside.

2. If you could be an expat anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

I think I would love to live in Canada. It’s a huge country and although I’ve only been to Quebec with my wife before, it was such a great experience that I would love to go back. The people we met, the landscapes we saw and the lifestyle there is a mixture that I can imagine to get on well with.

3. What would you miss most if you moved away from Hungary?

My friends & family, my beloved mountain range, the Börzsöny, the romantic mess we have here, both in people’s minds and how things go here. On one hand this mess makes me nervous sometimes but on the other hand it makes life really unique and funny. 

4. Friends are in Budapest for a weekend - what must they absolutely see and do?

Our One Day Wonder hiking tour for sure :-), but If anyone asks me about things to do in Budapest I always tell them to just jump in the Jewish quarter and get lost. Walk on the streets turn from one street to another and try to breathe in the life of the city. Sit down for a coffee, get into a ruin bar for a drink, or listen to a live concert in one of the open air venues in the city (oh, those beautiful times before COVID).

5. What is your favourite food?

I love spicy food, and love street food so a tasty pad thai or a kebap can come anytime.

6. What is your favourite sport / form of exercise?

Trail running, hiking & paddling.

7. What is your favourite place in Hungary?

I like a lot of places in Hungary, it would be hard to highlight only one of them. I would say if I’m away from the concrete jungle and there is sky above my head and trail or water under me, I’m happy. Okay I try: I love Börzsöny and Vértes mountains and the Ipoly river.  

8. What career other than yours would you love to pursue?

Forest listener :-)

9. What’s a job you would definitely never want?

Stonemason. Diplomat.

10. Where did you spend your last vacation?

Ireland, Donegal county. It was a great week at our great friend, at a great place. We enjoyed the whole stay a lot.

11. Where do you hope to spend your next one?

It’s a hard question, a long time we haven’t been able to travel because of the pandemic and would like to go everywhere now. It either would be a place with mountains (Nepal) or a place with palm trees and sunshine, going back to Goa would be nice.

12. What was your favourite band, film, or hobby as a teen?

Band: Green Day, Film: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Hobby: Roller skating, fishing.

13. Apart of temptation what can't you resist?

Chocolate, a beer in the sunshine with the people I love.

14. Red wine or white?

White, summer sunset, Lake Balaton, Olaszrizling and a hint of sparkling water.

15. Book or movie?

Movie.

16. Morning person or night person?

Weekdays morning, weekends night :-). I love to go running into the morning forest, it fills me up for the whole day. During the weekends it’s time to go out and enjoy my friends’ company.

17. Which social issue do you feel most strongly about?

I hate when people destroy mother nature for their commercial purposes. Luckily nowadays this issue is getting more and more visibility in the media, but especially in Hungary and especially in the countryside a lot of people don’t really care of and don’t really know about the value that our old forests represent. Trees for them mean only the income and they don’t think in the long term. Cut them, sell them and make money for living. There are organizations who make huge efforts to fight against this phenomena so I do my best to support them.

18. Buda or Pest side?

Buda and the Buda hills.

19. Which achievement in your life are you most pleased about?

I’m very happy that I managed to leave the corporate world and started doing something that I love and feel passionate about. The idea of Outdoor Adventures Hungary was born during our holiday in Kárpátalja in 2017. I worked a lot to make it alive for 2018 and had the full first season in 2019 with more than 120 guests and 100% five star reviews. It seems that tourists and expats like what we are doing so can’t wait for things to get back to normal and meet lovely people from all around the world again in the beautiful Hungarian nature.

20. What would you say is your personal motto?

„Let’s get together and feel alright” – Bob Marley