Why I Embraced a Hybrid YouTube Channel and Found My No Niche Niche (Even with Moderate Subscribers)

Ahmed Dawn’s Hybrid YouTube Channel

Running a hybrid YouTube channel like Ahmed Dawn's offers unique rewards and challenges. Today, I want to share some unfiltered insights about my journey that you won't find anywhere else.

Pros:

• Diverse Audience: A hybrid channel allows me to connect with a global community with diverse interests. By exploring topics like travel, tutorials, and lifestyle, I can reach viewers who might not normally find each other.

• Creative Freedom: This is my biggest reward. A hybrid channel allows me to experiment and express myself across different creative domains. It keeps things fresh and engaging for both me and my viewers.

• Adaptability: I can evolve with the times and adapt to changing trends. If one content type isn't performing well, I can pivot to another without starting from scratch.

• Cross-Promotion: Different content can synergize, each promoting the other. For example, travel vlogs might lead viewers to my lifestyle and life hacks videos.

Cons:

• Audience Fragmentation: While diversity is a strength, it can also diversify your audience. Some viewers might only enjoy specific content, potentially leading to less engagement with other topics. However, I'm comfortable with this, as my goal isn't solely focused on subscriber count.

• Time Commitment: Managing a hybrid channel requires dedication and effort. Researching, filming, editing, and promoting various content types can be time-consuming.

• Brand Identity: Maintaining a cohesive brand identity is crucial. My content aligns with my overall message and values, ensuring that "Ahmed Dawn" is more than just a channel, it's a distinctive identity.

• Algorithm Navigation: YouTube's algorithm might find it challenging to categorize hybrid channels. Content with consistent themes often performs better in search and recommendations. Again, this is something I'm comfortable with. While some videos might have higher viewership than others, I don't chase views or subscriber milestones.

Final Thoughts:

I'm not interested in promoting products, running a Patreon, or doing sponsored content. My passion lies in creating high-quality content across diverse topics that I genuinely enjoy. While I may not reach millions or drastically change their lives, I believe I can positively impact thousands. That's what truly motivates me to keep creating.

How to Plan for Your Thailand Trip (Initial Stage)

How to Plan for Your Initial Stage Thailand Trip

Are you dreaming of visiting Thailand, the land of smiles, but feel overwhelmed by all the choices and details? Don’t worry, I’ve been there too. That’s why I want to share with you how I planned my Thailand itinerary and what I learned along the way.

How to Plan for Your Thailand Itinerary

A couple of days ago, I started booking my Thailand trip. But to come to this point, I had to go through a lot of research on deciding my itinerary and various other things.

In this article, I will focus on the initial stage of planning and research, which includes deciding how long to stay, where to go, and what to see in Thailand.

The Very First Thing You Need to Decide

How many days or nights you want to spend in Thailand is the very first thing you need to decide upon. And then, where you want to stay. This will depend on your budget, your availability, and your preferences. Thailand is a large and diverse country, so you can easily spend a month or more exploring different regions and attractions.

However, if you are like most travelers, you probably have a limited time and want to make the most of it. So I first had to figure out how many total days I am staying in Thailand. My total number came to 18 nights. I think is a good amount of time to see the highlights and enjoy some relaxation. Of course, you can adjust this number according to your own needs and interests.

Where to Go & How Many Days You Want to Allocate for Your Stay in Thailand

The second challenging part was to decide where to go and how many days to allocate for each place. This sounds easy, but it took me a lot of research and planning to decide on solid numbers.

Thailand has three main regions: the north, the central, and the south. Each region has its own charm and attractions, so it’s hard to choose. The north is known for its mountains, temples, and culture. The central is where you can find Bangkok, the capital city, and some historical sites. The south is where you can enjoy the beaches, islands, and marine life.

I read many articles, watched YouTube videos on Thailand and used AI sites as Google Bard, PI AI, and Bing Copilot to help me decided on this. In the end, I decided to visit Bangkok, Krabi, and Phuket. Based on the days I would require for sightseeing and relaxing, I came up with allocating the first 2 nights in Bangkok, 4 nights in Krabi, 6 nights in Phuket, and the last 6 nights in Bangkok again.

I think these destinations offer a good mix of culture, nature, and relaxation. I also considered the weather, the transportation, and the costs when making my decisions.

What to See in Thailand

To decide on what to see, where to visit, and what kind of tours to book in Bangkok, Krabi, and Phuket, I took help from online articles, YouTube travel videos, and AI sites to finalize my plans.

I will write more articles and publish more videos for the next steps in the future. Stay tuned and happy travels!

Niagara Falls Marriott on the Falls Review – My Worst Marriott Experience

Marriott on the Falls Niagara Falls Canada Review

After staying at numerous Marriott hotels across the globe, I can say that I had my worst customer service experience at Niagara Falls Marriott on the Falls.

As I always do, I asked for an upgrade at the Bonvoy check in counter. The Asian-Indian woman had no idea what a courtesy upgrade was and demanded money. I told her that I have had upgrades from many other Marriotts and this had never happened before. I told her about my last Marriott experience in Manila. She reluctantly moved me to a king bed from 2 queen beds.

It’s not that I didn’t like not getting an upgrade. Many other Marriott hotels had declined me before, but with a smiling face and saying they were unable to accommodate me. But this rep didn’t even know how to handle it.

After a couple of hours, I went to the Bonvoy counter again for slippers, as there were none provided in the room. This time there was Chinese lady who asked me to wait, so she can give me the slippers to take back to my room.

My partner was shocked because it is humiliating to hand over amenities to the customer. I asked her, “Isn't someone supposed to take it to the room?” She said, “No, I will give it to you now.”

Instead of arguing, I returned to the room with a pair of dangling slippers. It was like a demonstration of how bad a Marriott can be.

I am a Bonvoy member but they never mentioned any thanks or appreciation for it, like they do at all other Marriotts. I wanted to call Marriott to complain, but my lady stopped me and asked me to let it go and still have a good vacation after some unprofessional associates ruined the name of Marriott within our first 2 hours of checking in.

Next morning, I wanted to print a copy of my itinerary, but the printer in the business centre had no ink. I notified someone and she said to come back after 30 minutes. I came back after 2 hours and still they hadn’t changed the ink.

I asked someone else again and she said to email her my itinerary and she would print it from a printer in her office. I was not comfortable emailing it and let it go.

I couldn’t help thinking about other Marriott hotels I had been to and their unparalleled service and attention to detail! My next Marriott stay is expected to be in Bangkok, Thailand and can’t wait to check in at a different Marriott again!

The Ultimate Philippines Itinerary | How to Create the Best Philippines Itinerary

My 20+ Days Philippines Itinerary

My nearly month-long Philippines trip is right around the corner. Today, I will give you some insights on my Philippines tour and I will also give you some tips on how to create the perfect Philippines itinerary.

Here is an overview of how every day unfolds:

Day 1 – EVA Air Flight YYZ – TPE

Day 2 - EVA Air Flight TPE – MNL

Manila to Lucena | 2 Nights in Lucena

Day 4 – Check out and bus to Manila

Cebu Pacific flight to Boracay from Manila

Check in at Calypso Dive Resort hotel in Boracay

Day 5 – Check out and check in at Airbnb Absolute Beachfront Studio with Kitchen & Balcony - 2 nights

Day 6 – Boracay Island and Beach-Hopping Boat Tour

Day 7 – Check out and check in at Diamond Water Edge Resort

Day 8 – Check out and check in at Airbnb Beachfront Loft - 3 nights

Day 9 - Boracay Sunset Cruise Experience

Day 11 - Check out and check in at Boracay Ocean Club hotel

Day 12 - Check out and check in at Airbnb Double room w/ balcony, Ocean view, Bulabog Beach - 2 nights

Day 14 - Check out | Cebu Pacific Flight to Manila

Check in at The Bayleaf Intramuros, Manila

Day 15 - Check out and check in at Airbnb Penthouse view on 60th - 3 nights

Day 18 - Check out and check in Manila Marriott Hotel

Day 19 - Check out and check in at Airbnb Spectular Sunset Views 59th Flr Gramercy Poblacion - 2 nights

Day 21 - Check out and check in at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria - 3 nights

Day 24 - Check out | EVA Air flight MNL – TPE – YYZ

Although my Philippines trip itinerary looks simple, it is actually quite complex. If you miss one day or double book the same day twice, it will ruin the whole trip.

My tips are to put the whole trip day by day on a piece of paper or physical planner and then start booking. Once you finish booking, forward all your confirmation emails to an online trip planning service like TripIt or Kayak.

TripIt or Kayak will show you your full trip day by day and if you made any mistakes, you will be able to find out right away.

I have a video showing more details which can be viewed here:

Philippines Itinerary | How to Create The Best Philippines Travel Itinerary

50 Cent Shave by A Village Barber in Bangladesh

The Village Barber Gave Me the Ultimate Shaving Experience for 50 Cents

I always wanted to try a different type of shaving experience and the opportunity came when I was shooting my 24 Hours Living in A Bangladesh Village video.

My journey took me to a rural Bangladeshi village in Gaibandha, a district in Northern Bangladesh, in the Rangpur Division. The village barber shop was in the local market and there were only 2 barber shops I saw.

The barber shop was a run-down place with all the charm of a typical Asian village barber shop. My contact told me that they don’t use a shaving brush for hygiene purposes, so he would use his hand to generate lather.

I was surprised at how much later he produced with his fingers and shaving cream rubbing on my face. He used a professional straight edge barber razor and broke a double edge razor blade into pieces to fit in it.

He took his time to shave me and he even trimmed some of my hair before starting to give me a clean look. There were curious people who came to see a foreigner getting a shave and video recording everything. I was expecting only 2 passes for my shave, but he did 3 passes.

My contact told me that if I was a local, he wouldn’t have put this much time and care into it. And I felt that too. This was a type of experience I had never had before.

My bill was only 50 cents (after converting to US currency). I asked my contact to double it and pay him $1. He was very happy and appreciative.   

To watch this experience in a video, please visit here: My Ultimate Village Barber Shaving Experience