Abstract
Ontology and epistemology influence how a researcher sees the world, and thus approaches their research and interpret findings. This paper reflects on the journey of an indigenous tourism researcher, recording his encounter with his culture and explaining how it shaped his research journey. The researcher also shares his PhD fieldwork experiences and how reflexivity offered an opportunity to negotiate his position. The discussion highlights how a researcher's encounter with their environment heightens subjectivity in qualitative research and influences the nature of the research, their research position and the design adopted. The paper concludes that early-career researchers should be encouraged to tell readers about their background as it enables one to evaluate the quality of findings, contextualize the research and comprehend it critically, which increases reflexivity needed for professional development.