Visit Emily on Instagram.
About you
My name is Emily, I’m 25, and live in the beautiful Blue Mountains in Australia. I spend way too much time daydreaming about travelling and hope to one day explore all the places I daydream about! I love exploring new places, going for bushwalks, and reading, and I’m passionate about fashion, animals and sustainability.
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
It fulfils me. I feel like I’m always yearning for something and when I’m travelling I feel like I’ve found it. I love that feeling of seeing something amazing for the first time
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
I look for a mix of iconic sights and things that are off the beaten track. I want to tick of all my bucket list items and also discover and fall in love with things I never would have come across otherwise.
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Do your research! The more you know going into something the less likely you are to have an unhappy surprise!
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
My phone and tripod!
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Seville. I think about it almost every day.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
Again research is a big part of this. Try to know where you’re going and how to get there so you don’t have to stop and ask or not look like you know what you’re doing
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
To wander around! Explore a bit outside of the main attractions!
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Biblioteca – library in Spanish. I just like how it sounds
When and where are you next travelling?
I’m planning my first solo overseas trip to Hungary and Austria!
Visit Jenn on LinkedIn, Instagram, and her Website.
About you
I was born and raised in Saskatchewan, Canada and spent my summers camping at the lake and my winters building snow forts as a kid. When I got older and started travelling more, I knew I needed to find a job that would give me heaps of time off to travel, and I ended up settling on “geologist,” knowing that I could work FIFO in the mining industry and have half of the year off to do the things I really wanted to do (which basically just travelled, meet new people, eat a LOT of new foods, experience different cultures, and see what the moon looked like on the other side of the world). I ended up landing a fantastic job on 2 weeks in / 2 weeks out roster and found myself with enough time to travel somewhere new whenever I wanted to. As I started travelling more, I began to take photos to share with friends and family back home. The more photos I took, the more I wanted to hone this new skill, but it wasn’t until I moved to Australia and was left waiting for nearly 2 years for my residence (and work) visa to be approved, that I finally found the time to dedicate towards learning, practising and improving my art. Since then, I’ve added registered drone pilots to my list as well and now shoot both aerial and non-aerial images and videos for clients. With travel largely restricted for us here in Australia over the past couple of years, my recent work has focused mainly on South Australia, but I’m looking forward to getting more use out of my passport again and exploring some new international destinations.
Why do you travel and photograph your journeys?
I’ve always had itchy feet, and could never stand to stay in one place for too long; travel has been a natural extension of this. I’m happiest when I’m out exploring and love to learn something new, plus experiencing the cultures, traditions, and foods of a region is always best done on location! 🙂 I’m a creator at heart, and photography is an opportunity to play with light, perspective, and colour to build a picture that I can share with others. I want my photography to give people a glimpse of the experience and magic of being there, I want them to feel connected to these locations even if they aren’t able to be there right now, and ultimately I want to inspire them to go out, explore, discover, and get lost in the moment; whether they’re venturing to the farthest corners of the globe, or walking through their home city.
What is your favourite thing or item to photograph?
The night sky. Space fascinates me, and I love how impossibly small I feel when stargazing. It’s incredible to think about how much we’ve learned about the universe, and how much more we know nothing about at all.
What’s your go-to travel hack?
my biggest tip is to do a little research in advance and make sure you understand local customs and culture, but also just understand how locals go about their daily lives, what are the things that they always do/don’t do – you’ll end up being a more considerate visitor when you’re there, but hopefully, you also won’t stick out like a sore thumb. Scammers and thieves are always on the lookout for people who look unfamiliar or unconfident with their surroundings because those are the people who are less likely to be paying attention to pickpockets, or who can be taken advantage of because they don’t immediately recognize when something’s not right.
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
My Kobo eReader. I love reading books, but only seem to find time for it when I’m on a plane or sitting on a beach, so my eReader is always with me when I travel. I would miss my phone and camera a lot but have definitely traveled without either in past. But a book? I’ve always got one in my bag.
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Too many! I’ve loved nearly every place I’ve visited, but Egypt and Greece would be amazing to go back to. I last visited these countries waaaay back before smartphones were even a thing – I’m sure they’ve changed immensely but there’s still so much I haven’t seen in both of these countries that I would love to back.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
Similar to my answer about keeping gear safe – make sure you research where you need to go in advance so that you don’t stand out as more of a target. Then you can pay attention to your surroundings instead of needing to focus on a map. Ask locals who work at your accommodation if they have any recommendations for where is safe / not safe to visit when you’re travelling solo. And just like you would at home, stick to well-lit and heavily-trafficked areas when it’s dark. I’m also a big believer in trusting your intuition – I’m very lucky that I’ve had a few bad experiences while travelling, but the ones I have had always happened when I ignored my gut feelings about a situation.
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
Ask a local! Seriously! People generally love to talk about their lives and are usually very happy to share what they love best about their home cities and countries. It’s easy enough to find info online before you go, but definitely ask the locals you meet when you’re at a destination to tell you what their favourite foods are, what they love doing on the weekends, or the best way to travel from point A to point B. You might just discover a hidden gem you hadn’t heard of yet!
What’s your favourite word in another language?
not a word, but a phrase in Swahili – poa kichizi kama ndizi ndani ya friji – which means “cool as a banana in the refrigerator.” It’s fun to say, and the visual always makes me smile too. If you climb Kilimanjaro you will definitely be taught this phrase as a response to “how are you doing?”
When and where are you next travelling?
I don’t have any flights booked at the moment, but planning on doing some more travel around South Australia in the near future. Next year I’ve got tentative plans to head to South Africa, but I’m sure there will be one or two more trips in between then and now!
Visit Sally on Instagram and her Website
About you
My name is Sally and I am a travel blogger and content creator from Australia. I manage Sally Sees, a sustainable budget travel blog and Instagram page, inspiring people to travel in a way that doesn’t cost the earth – both in the amount we spend exploring it, and the impact our travels have on it.
Travelling is my greatest passion in life, and exploring new places and cultures sets my soul on fire. These days, I am blessed to travel pretty much full-time, and my preferred method of travel is slow, overland travel spending long periods of time in one country. My favourite travel experiences usually revolve around wildlife (whales are my favourite animal!), and I love experiencing different natural landscapes.
I always travel with my partner of 12 years, Brayden. And when we’re in Australia, our fur baby Stanley, a 5 year old Golden Retriever. We have just returned from 6 months travelling in Mexico, and our next trip will be 6 months backpacking through Central America. We have been learning Spanish and hope to continue to improve our language skills throughout our future travels.
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
I truly believe my purpose is to explore our world. I can’t imagine a life spent not getting outside of my comfort zone and experiencing what our wonderful planet has to offer. There is no better feeling than seeing something for the first time, and travelling is the best way to chase this feeling.
Travel makes me the best version of myself. Each day is a new possibility, spent doing things that fulfil me and feed my soul. Whether that’s hiking in a beautiful place, scuba diving in tropical oceans, exploring historic cities or simply being present in a new destination. There is no better lifestyle than that of travelling, and I have strived to make it my full-time reality.
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
I love slow travel. I seek countries or a regions that have a range of diverse landscapes and cultures that I can experience over the space of a few months. Travelling overland without the need to fly is a big part of this experience, to keep my impact low.
Nature and adventures are always at the heart of my destination choices, and I love to venture to places that are a little bit different, and not as popular. Destinations that have migratory wildlife experiences, good hiking opportunities, beaches or tropical islands are always my favourite. I love places where I can stay in the heart of nature, and spend most of my time outside. And being a budget traveller, my travels are usually in more affordable parts of the world, like Asia or Latin America.
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Always seek out local accommodation, tours and transport and book direct. Rather than using online booking systems managed by large corporations, seek out local tourism businesses directly. This ensures they get more of your valuable tourist dollars (and they don’t end up with a multi-national corporation!), and you usually get a better price too!
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
My e-reader! I am an avid reader, and fly through books when I travel. I always have my e-reader in my bag, even if I’m just popping out for dinner. When you travel (especially budget travel!), there is always waiting time. Waiting for public transport to turn up, or for tours to leave, waiting for your food in restaurants. Sitting on planes/buses/trains/boats for hours on end. Instead of getting frustrated by that time, I whip out my book and the time passes by in a flash!
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Baja California Sur in Mexico instantly stole my heart, and despite just returning from Mexico I am already dreaming of going back there in a campervan. All of South East Asia is such a special place for me, and after the pandemic I am so keen to get back there. Borneo in particular is my favourite place in the region, and after living there for 6 months, I am eager to return!
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
Research where you’re going, what you’re doing and how you’re going to do it. Turning up somewhere with no background knowledge, no bookings or no prior understanding of the area is the quickest way to get into trouble. Being prepared and knowing of any possible risks is a great way to mitigate any possible problems.
Also avoiding big nights of drinking and nightlife, where bad things tend to happen, is another tip (drinking a lot of alcohol when travelling also adds a huge expense!).
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
Book local places, eat in local restaurants, organise your tour through a local operator. Some things need to be booked in advance, but if you can hold off on booking everything online, you will discover so many more local options when you arrive. Making a conscious decision to choose local is the best way to experience a destination like a local! It is also the best thing you can do to be a more sustainable traveller, ensuring your tourist dollars actually stay within the local community and provide a positive economic benefit.
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Perrito – meaning puppy in Spanish. I love dogs, and in the Spanish language adding ‘-ito’ or ‘-ita’ to most words indicates smallness, or affection. And puppies are both small, and a recipient of all my affection!
When and where are you next travelling?
We are currently in Australia until December. We are back in our hometown of Melbourne, and have a few trips planned around Victoria. As well as a visit to Noosa, our future home!
But our next big trip is 6 months backpacking around Central America, leaving in December. We plan to travel from Belize, through Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica to Panama.
Visit Krystal on Instagram, and her Website
About you
I’m Krystal – a lover of food and adventure.
Why do you travel and eat?
I’ve always believed that travel is about expanding our horizons and chasing opportunities for authentic experiences. And for me, a big part of this is having great food wherever I go. Food is a wonderful way to bring people together and also connect us to different cultures. It’s one of the best ways to truly understand the traditions and daily lives of people. There’s something so intimate about breaking bread with someone and guiding my travels through the food I want to experience has really opened my eyes to some amazing things.
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Whenever you go to a spot worth photographing, just stop and put away the phone. Enjoying a place for just five minutes without distraction and with your own eyes is something so special. You get to slow down, be more mindful of the sounds, smells, and sensations you’re feeling in that moment. Then you can take all the photos you want that will help capture how you truly felt at that time whenever you look back at it.
How do you find unique food when you’re travelling?
Ask around for recommendations. I love exploring social media before I head to a location, connecting with local foodies, and getting their tips. Or just striking up conversations with people I meet while on the road. You’re always bound to find some great food – or at least, a great story!
What is the strangest thing you’ve eaten while travelling?
I was once in a restaurant in Spain with my sister where the menu was completely in Spanish and the waiters couldn’t speak a word of English. We decided to go adventurous for one of us and pick blindly off the menu. For the other, we decided to go safe and choose the ‘lasagna’ we had also seen on the menu. The first, adventurous meal came out and it was delicious! But this safe ‘lasagne’ ended up being just some mysterious meat with some cheese melted on top of it. Not the lasagne we’re used to and definitely not a meat I have tried before! We’re still trying to figure out what it was we could’ve eaten.
How do you stay healthy when trying new foods when travelling?
I love walking when I travelling – it’s a great way to work off the food but also to see the city. You discover so many great hidden nooks while you’re walking and get a real feel of the city that way. And water! Drinking tons of water can never be overlooked whether you’re travelling or not.
What’s the best way to experience a destination and eat like a local?
Ask for recommendations. Locals know best and will take you to the places that they usually frequent, not just the ones that appear on top of the Google Search. When you’re open to whatever may come – good or bad – it will always be a unique experience.
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Meraki – it means ‘to do everything with heart and soul’ in Greek
How Has travel changed in your lifetime and how will it change over the next 25 years?
A small thing called a global pandemic meant travel was suddenly restricted and we had to really reflect on what travel meant to us. When the freedom to just take a trip away for the sake of it was not there, we examined what it was that we were searching for while abroad.
I still believe that there is so much power in travel to nourish our souls and teach us invaluable lessons about ourselves and the world around us. But I see the future of travel as more intentional – not just personally with how we understand its value, but also in the ways in which we travel. That means more slow travel, conscious travel; travel that will allow us to minimise our impact on the places we visit in economic, social, and environmental ways. I would love us all to be more mindful of how we help the cities we visit and not just drain their resources. And I hope to see people seek out extraordinary experiences that aren’t just the usual bucket list items.
When and where are you next travelling?
I’d love to head back to South America where I was headed before the pandemic hit. I had just arrived and was ready to start my adventure. Safe to say, I’ve got some unfinished business over there and I can’t wait to go back.
Visit Lindsay on Instagram.
About you
Originally from NYC, Lindsay moved to Australia a year and a half ago in search of new adventures Down Under! In her free time, she enjoys travelling, photography, yoga/pilates, and salsa dancing.
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
I love exploring new places (especially secret beaches and hiking trails), food, and cultures – and absolutely love all the people I get to meet along the way!
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
Anything outdoors!
What’s your go-to travel hack?
My favourite plan is to have no set plan at all – usually just wander by foot in a new place and go wherever I’m drawn to. It always leads to the most unexpected experiences and adventures.
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
My camera and a good read!
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Dying to get back home and see my family after so long! But also had exciting trips planned to New Zealand, The Philippines, and Malaysia that were unfortunately cancelled this year – will have to make it once travel restrictions lift (hopefully soon!).
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
This can be tricky when travelling solo – but it’s always important to let others know where you are or where you are planning to go so they can track your whereabouts if anything were to go wrong.
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
Starting with the local food of course! I always try to meet locals when in a new place as well to get a feel for what living there is like, or even just good local recs!
What’s your favourite word in another language?
This is such a hard question, I have so many! “Ikigai” is a Japanese concept that means “a reason for being” and is meant to represent finding happiness, purpose, and meaning in everyday life. And also “Il Dolce Far Niente” which is essentially the Italian art of doing nothing.
When and where are you next travelling?
Somewhere in Australia while international travel bans are still in place – probably a trip up the coast to Queensland!