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Visit Chloe Harrison on her Instagram.
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
The Scottish Highlands for their gorgeous mountains
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Je ne sais quoi – French saying for a vibe that cannot be described with words easily
When and where are you next travelling?
Photographers: Kanchan is a traveler and a full-time working woman.
Visit Priyanka Yadav on her Instagram and Twitter.
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Vietnam
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Thank you
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Sylwia on Instagram and her Website.
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Peru has been one of my favorite travel destinations so far. I got to experience small mountain towns, big cities, the rainforest, and treks through the mountains. Peru is a diverse country with lots of unique experiences
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
One of the first foreign phrases I learned growing up was the Latin carpe diem, which means “seize the day.” For me, travel is the best way to seize the day.
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Aoi Kuwabara on Instagram.
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Ethiopia
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Thank you (in each countries language)
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Marie on Instagram.
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Japan. The food is amazing and the culture is so unique and beautiful. It’s metropolitan but also has some of the prettiest hikes and ski resorts.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
mitarashi dango – I don’t have a favourite word but this is the name of my favourite sweet and savoury Japanese dessert
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Mikayla Hiebert on Instagram.
About you
Why do you travel and photograph your journeys?
What is your favourite thing or item to photograph?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
I would love to go back to New York City so I can skip the touristy things and focus on capturing real time photos of buildings or people. The architecture in that city is incredible.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Bueno dias – good morning in Spanish. Currently planning a trip to Mexico so I am learning the language. Good Morning is beautiful in any language, because any morning you get to wake up, is a good one.
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Cindy Christella on her LinkedIn, and Instagram.
About you
Why do you travel and photograph your journeys?
What is your favourite thing or item to photograph?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Japan and Indonesia.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Thank you.
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Claire on Instagram.
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
I actually try to not repeat destinations. The world is so big with so many places, I try to always go somewhere new. However, I would love to go back to Thailand one day as I feel there was so much more to explore that we didn’t have time for.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Sausage in French (saucisson), it’s just really fun to say.
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Agnes on Instagram.
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Norway!
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
I don’t think I have one…
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Azzah Jailani on Instagram.
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Interlaken, Switzerland. I went there last summer, and it was excruciatingly gorgeous. I would love to go back during winter to have a different experience.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
There’s this one word that I learnt in my French class which is “copain”. It is basically a term for “boyfriend”. What makes it interesting is how the word was originally formed. In French, “pain” means bread and I guess we all know the French are always on another level when it comes to their bread and pastries. It is a huge part of their culture and means a lot to them. While the word “co-” indicates sharing something with someone. So, the word “copain” could be briefly translated to “someone that I share my bread with”. I personally think that it’s super cute.
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Emily on Instagram.
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
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?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
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?
Visit Chrystine on Instagram.
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Bali Indonesia
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Bora ( Portuguese from Brasil) means “ let’s go “
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Ana on Instagram.
About you
Why do you travel and photograph your journeys?
What is your favourite thing or item to photograph?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
I fell in love with Lofoten Islands in Norway. Definitely it’s a place I would love to go back to one day
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
I don’t think I have favorite words but somehow I always end up learning silly ones. Once in Ukraine I learned how to say – I have diarrhea – “U mene srachka” which I actually had 😂
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Aliyah on Instagram.
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Türkiye, Italy, and Spain.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Boulangerie
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Jenn on LinkedIn, Instagram, and her Website.
About you
Why do you travel and photograph your journeys?
What is your favourite thing or item to photograph?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
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?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
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?
Visit Michelle on Instagram and her Website
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Ecuador! I just visited for the first time this past May, and there is so much to see! I can’t wait to return and explore more of the country. In the United States, I always love visiting California and look forward to every trip there.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Ketti on Instagram and her Website
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Cambodia. I love small countries – I think they’re easier to love because their cultures and politics aren’t as well-known (or at least, not as famous) as the really big, powerful ones. Plus, the places I visited in Cambodia, and the super cheap way I was traveling there made me feel like I was practically living with the locals.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
This is a hard question! I’m a huge language nerd, and I speak several languages well enough to get around. (Italian and Spanish fluently, then different levels of French, Portuguese and Mandarin.) One word I love is “beleza,” which literally means “beauty” in Portuguese, but in Brazilian slang it’s used to sort of say, “okay, all good.” I learned it from some of my Capoeira instructors (a Brazilian martial art that I’ve been playing for years) and I just think it’s both so much fun to say, and so lovely to use such a positive word to simply say you agree.
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Elena on Instagram and her Website
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Cappadocia in Turkey!
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Günaydın & çok (good Morning, &very – Turkish), Buongiorno (good Morning – Italian)
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Christina on Instagram and her Website
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Sri Lanka. Such a beautiful country amazing nature and food!
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
necesito (Just for the way it sounds)
When and where are you next travelling?
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.
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.
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.
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
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.
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
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!
Visit Emma on Instagram
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
I recently had the opportunity to travel to Barcelona and it exceeded all of my expectations! I would love to go back and experience the culture and natural wonders of that city again as soon as possible.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
During my first international travel venture, I learned the Swahili phrase “tupo pamoja”. This lovely phrase translates to, “we are one”, in English and has been beautifully emphasized in all of the travels I’ve experienced since. We are together, we are one, we are all team human. ♡
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Niki Kay on Instagram
About you
Hello! My friends call me Niki. Im 27 years old. I was born in Mumbai, India. At age 12 I moved to the United States where I finished up high school and later my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University at Buffalo and John’s Hopkins University respectively.
I have a full-time corporate career in the Medical Device industry, which is how I mainly support myself and my travels.
I believe that everyday above ground is a blessing and that we all have an innate ability to maximize our lives beyond a 9-5, only if we get rid of our fears, listen to our souls and honor what we hear.
For me that’s Travel. I feel the most alive when I’m running around airports, driving across state lines, meeting new people and getting inspired by their stories.
I don’t stop there. I love sharing my experiences with all of you for the pure joy I get from teaching you what I know and maybe encouraging you to also follow your heart. Follow me my journeys on Instagram @niki.kay
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
I would love to go back to Mexico but this time explore it’s west coast.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Bella which means beautiful in Spanish.
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Christine Ericson on Instagram and her Website
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Bali! (Even though I’m here right now)
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Pura vida
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Carolyn (Kari) Gillespie on Instagram, Twitter and her Website
About you
Born and raised in Scotland, four years ago I moved South and now live in the Surrey Hills. After reading English at Oxford, a short career in publishing was followed by a longer career as an English teacher. On the wall above the smartboard in my classroom, the words ‘language is power’ made no secret of my agenda. Foremost in my teaching came a message that our experience of the world is formed and shaped by the words we choose; a close second came the creation of an environment that was comfortable enough for children to pause, to think, and to take the risk, to stretch a bit further and to reach, and reach. Underneath the board a second mantra was pinned: ‘Noli Timere’ it read, in 750pt Ariel Black. Finally taking my own advice, when I moved south, I gave up teaching in order to focus upon my writing. I recently completed and MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Surrey, for which I was awarded a Distinction.
My first book, Pilgrim, is a memoir of my journey to Santiago de Compostela, a pilgrimage of some 900kms. Long-distance walking is recalibrating for me: I find renewal and inspiration in the landscape and the people I encounter along the way. Two years ago, I walked the Pilgrim’s Way from Winchester to Canterbury and although plans to walk the Via Francigena are currently on hold, I hope to begin the walk as soon as I am able. I have written a collection of poems for children called Wonder Child – about a child’s encounters with awe -and recently finished my first novel, Visitation.
My work has appeared in Oddity magazine, Coin Operated Press’s Poetry zine and Scotland Outdoors. My poem, The Shadow Butterfly, was Highly Commended in the Wells Festival of Literature, 2021 and I have been shortlisted in both the Soutar and Fish poetry competitions. I was a panellist at the Guildford new Writers Festival 2020 where I read an extract from Pilgrim. I spoke on BBC Radio Surrey about the benefits of reading during lockdown and, I run creative writing workshops in schools.
Why do you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
I’m heading back on the Camino in September. This time I’m following the costal route from Porto to Santiago de Compostela, and am carrying on to Finisterre.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Cocorico!
How has travel changed in your lifetime and how will it change over the next 25 years?
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Ewa on Instagram and LinkedIn
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Iceland without any doubts. Can be also Azores Islands.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Spanish GRINGO, english HEAVEN or SHALLOW, german LECKERBISSEN and polish LEKKI, WODA
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Lara on Instagram
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
South Africa
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Empuss – Kimassai for cat
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Juli Hirata on Instagram
About you
Juli Hirata is a biologist, world citizen and bike traveller. To be in the wilderness is her great pleasure and from this passion she started the project Extremes of Americas, a solo bike ride that started at Prudhoe Bay (Alaska), the north most point of Americas, and is heading the south most point of Americas in the Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. She is visiting the most important national parks and protected areas of the American continent and so far pedalled almost 24.000 kilometres on her bike. Juli is a bike traveller since 2002 and travelled to Brazil, UK, Marroco, Spain and Turkey.
In Americas, she rode her bike and wild camped in 16 countries (USA, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Suriname, Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, Curacao, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru). From the Caribbean coast to the almost 5.000 meters high Peruvian Andes, she is on her way to the south.
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Yes! So many! I loved Mexico, Nicaragua and Costa Rica!
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
I like “Mayu” that in Quechua means “River”
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Adais Alejandra on Instagram
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Turkey and Egypt
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Cheers!
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Laura Di Stefano on Instagram, Twitter, and her Website
About you
Why do you travel and photograph your journeys?
What is your favourite thing or item to photograph?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Probably Egypt. I spent almost one month there but still have the feeling it’s not enough! Moreover, Cairo is one of my favourite cities in the world.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
I’m Italian and I love when people say “Buon Viaggio” maybe in English this can be translated as “have a safe trip “ but the meaning is not quite the same. Buon Viaggio is more a good wish for your trip and gives you the promise of an exciting new adventure. Have a safe trip is also a kind of good wish but to my ears it sound like “stay safe something can go wrong”. I prefer the Italian version.
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Breanna Claye on Instagram and LinkedIn
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
The advancement of technology has made traveling a lot easier, especially when visiting countries where you aren’t fluent or familiar with the language. My go to travel hack when I need to translate text is using my iPhone. Apple with their recent updates has built in a few different ways to easily translate text into whatever language you want to read it in. If you are searching for something on the internet and it is in an unfamiliar language, you can highlight the text and there will be an option to translate it into the language you prefer. It also works when you point your iPhone camera at text too. You focus your camera on the text, and a square button with lines inside will appear on the right side of the screen. Once you hit the button and highlight the text it will give you the option to translate! It makes it a lot easier than having to use a 3rd party app for translating.
Another travel hack that I use with my iPhone is utilizing the ESIM function. I am from the United States so it might differ from country to country but my cellular carrier (T-Mobile) allows me to set up an electronic sim with my iPhone leaving the physical sim slot free. When I travel to other countries and want to use a sim from their country to get better cellular service, I am able to use the free sim slot. What is awesome about this is that you are able to toggle back and forth between the two sims and decide which one uses data, which one receives/send text and calls. It has made my life so much easier and I do not have to worry about manually switching sims.
**ESIM feature I believe is available for iPhone X and newer.
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
I am eager to get back to Europe! Europe was the first continent I visited and that is where my passion for travel really begun. I love how easy and inexpensive it is to get from country to country in Europe. I have been to may countries in Europe, but I would say I am eager to go back to Spain, Italy and Germany.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
Being a female traveler comes with a lot of risk unfortunately, especially when traveling solo. To stay and feel safe when traveling I allow close friends and family access to my location so they can easily see where I am at any moment. I also give my parents the address to the hotel/AirBnB/Apartment I am staying at. I recently purchased an alarm door stopper that I put under my door every night just for extra security and comfort.
It is also very important to be mindful of your surroundings. I am extra observant when I am traveling and try not to walk around at night either.
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
I am currently trying to learn Spanish. I go to a lot of Spanish speaking countries to be around the language to improve my skills. I’d say I have a favorite phrase. It is when you toast before drinking. ” Arriba abajo al centro Pa dentro “
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Andrea on Instagram
About you
Why do you travel and photograph your journeys?
What is your favourite thing or item to photograph?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Japan
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Chandelier
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Kallie on Instagram
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
I’ve only been to Greece and Egypt so far, and I’m still in Greece 😂 I’m sure I’ll visit both again one day though!
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
La, which is ‘no’ in Arabic lol
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Katrina on Instagram
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Take me back to Rothenburg in Germany!
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
진짜? jinjja? It means “really??” In Korean. I love it and hear it in conversation all the time. Lol
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Kayla on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and Website
About you
My name is Kayla and I have been an International Travel Agent for over 7 years as well as a Travel Writer/Blogger for over 3 years. Today, I run my own travel business called Travel Agent Without Borders where I specialize in creating unique, custom travel itineraries with a focus in sustainable travel. My travel blog includes destination guides, hidden gems, tips for packing & so much more!
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
So many! I definatly want to head back to Greece and Italy.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
My favourite word in another language is amour, its cliche but love conquers all!
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Beth on Instagram and LinkedIn
About you
Hello, travel bugs! My name is Beth and I’m a midwestern bibulous foodie trotting the globe one adventure at a time. I’ve been traveling since I was a teen but the majority of my biggest adventures didn’t begin until my 30s as my husband and I dedicated ourselves to a life mantra of “fewer things, more experience”. 17 countries, 36 US states, and counting! Travel is my true passion and I love sharing my stories with others who want to see the world. For me travel allows us to connect with others and the earth by learning about other cultures, tasting new foods, and getting lost in the moment.
We are able to travel often due to the flexibility of our careers. I am in real estate so I do not have set hours or PTO and I’m on an amazing team that is able to step in for me when I’m gone. My husband has a corporate gig where he works remotely, he’s been there long enough that he has built up 30 days so PTO a year (that’s a lot for the US ha!). You add in weekends and that allows us to trot the globe often.
When we travel we love a mix of activities. We hike, we eat, we walk around cities, we see all the touristy sites, we go off the beaten path, we do excursions, anything that connects us closer to the country or city we are visiting. Some of our top favorite memories have been bathing with elephants in Thailand, hiking up to Humanty Lake in Peru, wandering the streets of Amsterdam, doing tuk tuk karaoke in Cambodia, kayaking near Seward in Alaska, zip lining in Costa Rica, exploring wine country in Guadalupe Valley Mexico, taking a seaplane to Dry Tortugas in Florida, jumping off a high cliff at 7 Sacred Pools on Maui, drinking German beer at Oktoberfest in Munich, the list goes on!I also happen to be a bonus mom to two young girls and we have had a blast teaching them our values when it comes to travel. We don’t take them on every trip but they do get to adventure along from time to time. I hope they appreciate the different perspectives we try to instill in them and I can’t wait to see where they are inspired to go.
Travel often, friends!! The world would love to see you 🙂
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Thailand will always hold a special place in my heart. South east Asia is the most amazing corner of the world. The people, the culture, the food, the natural beauty, everything is just amazing.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
I’ve honestly never thought about this. But I do learn hello, thank you, how much, where is, toilet, and beer in the language of each country we visit. Think best ways to stay safe but also know your priorities 😉
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Lydia on Instagram and her Website
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Canada
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Hello
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Andreea on Instagram and her Website
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
I’m eager to go back to Asia, particularly Thailand or Maldives.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Fika. I really like the concept behind the word.
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Alison on Instagram
About you
Why do you travel and Hike?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Hydrate
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Barcelona
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Excursionismo
How has travel changed in your lifetime and how will it change over the next 25 years?
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Krystsina on Instagram and her Website
About you
Why do you travel and photograph your journeys?
What is your favourite thing or item to photograph?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Ramsau, Iceland, East Switzerland (Säntis) north Teneriffe, Armenia
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Attraversiamo 😅 let’s cross the road In Italian
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Halle on Instagram and her Website
About you
Why do you travel and photograph your journeys?
What is your favourite thing or item to photograph?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Hawaii or Mexico! And I actually do have a trip to Hawaii planned, so I can earn my yoga teacher certification this winter! I’m itching to go back to Mexico though! I only saw the Baja peninsula last time and would love to explore the rest of the country.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Sabai Sabai… it basically means Hakuna Matata in Thai!
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Brytta on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and her Website
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Portugal. My family lives here. I miss them dearly!
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
La vida es bella
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Ramitha on Instagram
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Italy
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Amour
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Turku Ekin on Instagram
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
I have been to 25 countries so It is hard to choose..New Zealand to do the Milford Sound track! (honeymoon idea 🙂Australia, Melbourne to see my amazing friends againIran to visit more rural areas to experience the culture moreSerbia to see my friends again
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
”Nakupenda” means ”I love you” in Swahili which is the official language of Tanzania
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Nicole on Instagram
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Thailand 100%
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
KAWAII ! Which means CUTE! in Japanese!
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Alyssa on Instagram
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
I don’t have any specific places, I’d rather see something new right now
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Haha I don’t think I have one, but I do have a tattoo that says ‘overcome.’ Meaning that you can overcome anything, as long as you set your mind to it!
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Joanna on Instagram and Website
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Japan
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Mabuhay
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Christine on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and her Website
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Lately I’ve actually been enjoying spending time at home, in Colorado. I recently moved and it’s been so great to love where I live.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Most of my work travel is to Turkey, so I’ll say tesekkürler (thank you) – because it’s the word I use the most.
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Nina on Instagram, Twitter and Website
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Paris, France
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Boulangerie – Bakery in French
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Ina-Cristine on Instagram and LinkedIn
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
I also love to sometimes substitute my camera and tripod for a drone and explore a place for a different perspective. Of course you have to check the drone regulations for the area you are exploring before you go.
Also, I always bring a mini dual voltage hair dryer with me, just in case the place I stay at doesn’t have one. That’s my girly addiction 😅
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
I would love to explore more Greek Islands, more of Kenya and I would also love to go back to Japan.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Oh good one! Mmm… I love most words when said in French. It’s such a romantic sounding language. They even sound sophisticated when they are upset.
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Sydney on Instagram
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Central Oregon, just the coolest damn place.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Voyager (“to travel” en Francais 😉)
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Megan on Instagram
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
France! I feel so at home there. I miss it
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Pamplemousse (French for grapefruit) it’s so cute & quirky
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Sandy on Instagram
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Philippines
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Bisou- kiss
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Lía on Instagram, LinkedIn and her Website
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
I need to go back to Peru, Mexico and Malta!!
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Aburi ! It means flame grilled in Japanese … and it’s how I like my sushi ALWAYS
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Marjut on Instagram and her Website
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Brazil! I’ve been there twice but there’s still so much left to see. It’s such a massive country full of incredible natural marvels which for some reason are very little known outside of Brazil.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
‘Pura Vida’. It’s a phrase used in Costa Rica and it means ‘Pure Life’. It is used as a greeting, a goodbye, and an expression of happiness.
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Krystal on Instagram, and her Website
About you
I’m Krystal – a lover of food and adventure.
Why do you travel and eat?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
How do you find unique food when you’re travelling?
What is the strangest thing you’ve eaten while travelling?
How do you stay healthy when trying new foods when travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination and eat like a local?
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?
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Kylie on Instagram, and her Website
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Thailand for sure!
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
khaimook (boba pearls)
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Ashley on Instagram, and her Website
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
New Zealand and Italy!
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
It’s pretty basic but we’ve learned to say Please and Thank you in many different languages. It goes a very long way to be polite.
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Chloe on Twitter, Instagram, and her Website
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Africa! By all means it is such a beautiful continent and there are so many places to explore. Specifically going back to Senegal as it is a breathtaking place.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Bonjour, which means hello or good morning in French.
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Alexandra on Instagram
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Madagascar
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
Visit Beste on Instagram
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
When I travel to a new country, I try to learn basic things like Good Morning, Good Evening. But I love how Spanish people say “Hola, Buenas!” 🙂
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Jeannie on Instagram
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
ayuyu – means coconut crab in Chamorro!
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit on Instagram and Website
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit on Instagram and LinkedIn
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit on Instagram
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
I have a taser that I keep near me/on me at all times. I also have a dog that I know will protect me. I don’t always give out all my info on what I use to protect myself because I put my life out there so openly, I never what anyone to have the upper hand on me because they know what I have to use for protection.
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Website.
About you
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
The reason I travel is that I love to see and experience new places, different cultures, majestic landscapes and eat delicious foods. I started traveling back in 2011 and I was hooked by all it has to offer. It has taught me to be more open-minded, culturally sensitive, flexible, and grateful for life itself. Traveling gives me an indescribable feeling I strive to have for the rest of my life.
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
What’s your go-to travel hack?
When people ask me how I travel so much, I tell them I save like crazy because I’m not rich! In order to travel, I prioritize my money specifically for my travels. In order to save, I buy groceries instead of eating out, I look for sales and shop at thrift stores (I’m all about reusing), I try to have $0 days as much as possible and lastly I place a certain amount of every paycheck in my savings for only traveling. Once I have enough money saved for a flight, I buy it in advance and continue saving for my accommodations, transportation, activities, and so on. Saving is key to make traveling a reality.
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
1. Please check for travel advisories before traveling. If you live in the United States, you can do so by visiting travel.state.gov and search travel advisories on the country you’re visiting. My sister and I backpacked to Oaxaca, Mexico and we ended up being in the middle of some political riots. They blocked off the roads and closed the city. We were stuck for a couple of days and had to completely change our travel plans. So, make sure you do your research. By the way, don’t let my experience stop you from visiting beautiful Mexico. We can’t wait to go back and explore more of Oaxaca.
2. Make copies of your important documents. I always carry a copy of my flights, passport, hotel reservations, etc., in case I lose my phone.
3. Be culturally mindful of the place you’re visiting in case you need to dress modestly because you definitely don’t want to draw attention. The way I look at it is immersing myself in their culture and seeing how they dress to know what to pack.
4. Keep your valuables on you while you transit. I almost got pickpocketed on a bus in Rome. The bus was so packed I felt a hand trying to open the zipper from my purse. I literally slapped the guy’s hand out of the way lol. Make sure you always keep an eye out.
5. Get travel insurance. I’ve also had an accident where I had to be rushed to the hospital. After that, I buy travel insurance for every trip. You can check out World Nomads.
6. Keep your family and friends updated. I usually send my dad all my travel information, like my flight receipts and lodging. I like to stay connected, so I send my location to my family.
7. Lastly, one of the hardest things for me to do, don’t trust people too quickly. There are so many good people in the world, but sadly there are those few who can do much harm. Trust your gut feeling and try to get to know a person in a safe and public place before going off on your own.
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Baksheesh, which means “tipping.” We heard it so much in Egypt, we learned it quickly. So, if you ever travel there, make sure you have some cash handy.
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
About you
Why do you travel and Hike?
I truly believe traveling, getting outside, and being with nature is healing for the soul. It’s a way to connect with yourself and your surroundings in an experience like no other. See different cultures, experience different things, deepen your understanding for yourself the world we live in.
Honestly, my travel hack is to go with the flow. I typically go with a very loose “itinerary”. I go with some general activities in mind to do, some local spots I want to try, and then take it day by day.
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Hola
How has travel changed in your lifetime and how will it change over the next 25 years?
I was very fortune to grow up traveling a lot with my family. Unfortunately in my younger, high school years I could never really appreciate it. I just wanted to be with my friends. Now that I’m older my views on traveling are so different. I value it like currency or oxygen! Over the next 25 years I see longer, more extended travels. Spending more time in foreign locations diving deeper into different cultures and experiences.
When and where are you next travelling?
Visit Lindsay on Instagram.
About you
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?
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?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
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?
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?
Visit on Instagram.
About you
A few years ago I quit my office job in Germany and travelled through New Zealand and Australia for 1,5 years. During this time I learned a lot about myself and I absolutely loved my life overseas. I decided to never give up on my dreams and always fight for what I believe in. When I got back home I was looking for a job to work with animals (my goal and dream for a long time). I was lucky and since then I work for a beautiful animal sanctuary in Salzburg. The mountains, the animals and the lakes in this area make me very happy.
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
I don’t want to live according to the norm. I love to find new places, experience new cultures, and meet new people all over the world. I like myself best when I’m out exploring and it makes me really happy to see our planet. I want to live my life to the fullest. Every day.
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
I’m into everything. I like adventures that pushes my adrenaline but also like the peace and quiet. I guess it has to be a good mix of both. My biggest adventure is travelling by myself. Everything else falls into place anyway. And I am very spontaneous.
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Don’t be scared to get out of your comfort zone. It might be scary at first but I promise once you open your heart and trust yourself you will accomplish the greatest things. Go for it and never give up!
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
Always listen to yourself. If you don’t have a good feeling about something – don’t do it. I have done a few wild things like hitchhiking through New Zealand for example. People would always call me crazy because I was only 22 years old and all by myself. But as long as you are feeling good with what you are doing and are always careful and thoughtful about everything you will be fine. Trust your gut!
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
Couchsurfing (App): It’s a great way to meet locals. People all over the world offer their ‘couch’ to travellers to experience different cultures and bring the travel vibes into their home. This for me is the best way to experiene a destination like a local and most of them would always show you around. Also a great way to make friends everywhere in the world.
What’s your favourite word in another language?
No worries
When and where are you next travelling?
As soon as possible I will book a flight and travel back to Australia!
Visit on Instagram.
About you
I’m a Colombian girl who loves to travel the world, I speak English, Spanish and Portuguese. I love design and photography
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
It fills my soul, it helps to know me better. I enjoy the time that I spend with nature because my favorite places to travel are nature.
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
Waterfalls and hiking
What’s your go-to travel hack?
Just live your life to the fullest
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
What destination are you eager to go back to?
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
Sharing my location with my friends and family
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
Go with local people to know unknown places
What’s your favourite word in another language?
Butterfly in Portuguese is borboleta.
When and where are you next travelling?
Miami in March 2021
Visit Jes from Tourist to Traveller at her website touristtotravellers.com and on Instagram.
About you
Hi, my name is Jes and I am from India. I am a working professional with a traveller’s heart. I began documenting my travels in 2018 and I mostly write about adventure activities, hotel reviews and share my travel itineraries.
Why do you travel and look for adventures?
Travel makes me happy and alive. Trying out local cuisine, meeting new people, learning about the historical places gives me happiness. Travel is my Ikigai.
What kind of adventures do you look for when you travel?
I love all sorts of adventure sports. Skydive, Bunjee Jump, parasailing, trekking, snorkeling, I have tried them all. While shortlisting a country for travel, I figure out if the country has any Adventure activities and accordingly I plan my travels.
What’s your go-to travel hack?
My absolute go to travel hack is keeping my money in an envelope in my handbag. This has saved me during my Turkey trip. While traveling in a tram in Istanbul, my wallet got flicked. Luckily the money was kept in an envelope in my handbag.
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
I cannot travel without a power adaptor.
What destination are you eager to go back to?
I would love to go back to Turkey hands down.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
Travel in a group. Avoid walking on the streets alone at night. In my last trip to South Africa, we hired a local guide and the guide was with us throughout the duration of our stay. Having a guide helped us as goons were weary of approaching and intimidating us.
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
Spend more time in one city / country instead of just running around and covering multiple cities/ countries. Do what the locals do, sit back , relax and have a cup of coffee watching the people pass by.
What’s your favourite word in another language?
I love Korean and am very influenced by K-pop so my favorite word in Korean is Hansamida.
When and where are you next travelling?
Oh, there are so many places on my list! I would absolutely love to travel to the Middle East countries like Iran, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan next
Go far, travel local
Indonesia will not be issuing entry to foreigner as of 20 March. It’s believed the restrictions are in place for one month, and include entry to Bali by Australians.
Following an uptick in confirmed COVID-19 cases in Indonesia, the risk of transmission is increasing across the Indonesian archipelago, including in Bali.
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs announced on 18 March that there is a limited availability of testing and infection control facilities in Indonesia. Critical care for Australians who become seriously ill, including in Bali, is significantly below the standards available in Australia. Medical evacuation to Australia may be not be possible and, if it is, very expensive.
From 20 March, Indonesia will suspend its visa exemption policy for short-stay visit, visa-on-arrival and diplomatic/service visa-free facilities for all countries, for a period of 1 month.
– Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Canberra. Source
The announcement made on Smartraveller adds that if a traveller returning to Australian is suspected or confirmed to have COVID19, they will likely be placed in quarantine and be unable to leave Indonesia until cleared or recovered.
Measures to reduce the spread
Indonesian authorities have implemented a raft of measures aimed at reducing the spread of COVID19 including travel restrictions, cancellation of events, closure of tourist attractions and schools, and asking people to avoid large public gatherings.
Australian diplomatic missions in Jakarta, Bali, Makassar and Surabaya have restricted entry to all but essential visitors and for urgent business only. For passport or consular services call or e-mail in advance for an appointment.
Returning home
If you’re in Indonesia, and wish to return to Australia, it’s recommended you do so as soon as possible by commercial means.
For urgent consular assistance contact:
- +61 2 6261 3305 from overseas
- 1300 555 135 from within Australia
- +61 421 269 080 from SMS
For non-urgent inquiries, email smartraveller@dfat.gov.au
Transparency and accuracy: Today’s announcement by DFAT does not include a statement on when Indonesia’s COVID19 entry visa policy will be revoked. Information regarding the 1 month period was sourced from the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Canberra.
See the announcement by Smartraveller
See the update by Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Canberra
In an Australian first, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has issued an update to its travel advice, saying: Do Not Travel to anywhere overseas, at this time.
Today Smartraveller announced the unthinkable: Do Not Travel to any overseas destination. This has massive implications for travel insurance as we are directed by government statements that include ‘Do Not Travel’.
We now advise all Australians: do not travel overseas at this time. This is our highest advice level (level 4 of 4). If you are already overseas and wish to return to Australia, we recommend you do so as soon as possible by commercial means. Regardless of your destination, age or health, our advice is do not travel at this time.
– Australian DFAT, Smartraveller
As more countries close their borders or introduce travel restrictions, overseas travel is becoming more complex and difficult. You may not be able to return to Australia when you had planned to. Consider whether you have access to health care and support systems if you get sick while overseas. If you decide to return to Australia, do so as soon as possible. Commercial options may become less available.
If you are overseas and cannot, or do not want to, return to Australia, follow the advice of local authorities. Take care to minimise your risk of exposure to coronavirus including by self-isolating. If you choose to stay, note our ability to provide consular assistance in some places may be limited due to restrictions on movement and other services.
If you decide to return to Australia, you will now be required to self-isolate for 14 days. This applies to all travellers, including Australian citizens. For details see the Australian Border Force website.
Contact your airline, travel agent or insurance company to discuss your travel plans and options for cancelling or postponing current bookings, or to arrange commercial flights back to Australia.
All cruise ships which have sailed from a foreign port have been banned from entering Australian ports for 30 days.
For more information see Smartraveller’s COVID-19 updates.
For urgent consular assistance contact:
+61 2 6261 3305 from overseas
1300 555 135 from within Australia
+61 421 269 080 from SMS
For non-urgent inquiries, email smartraveller@dfat.gov.au
Thank you for letting us use your image, Anna Shvets from Pexels
Join our Book Club – What Wandering Women Read
On behalf of everyone here at The Global Women’s Project, we are delighted to have been selected as Travel with Jane’s inaugural Scrap the Gap campaign partner for 2020.
As a grassroots, entirely volunteer-run not for profit organisation founded by women, led by women, and which exists to advance the lives and livelihoods of women everywhere, we feel like we couldn’t have found a better partner to help us tackle women’s economic insecurity (wherever in the world it occurs).
At The Global Women’s Project we’re determined to create a world where every girl and woman has the right to influence, determine and improve her own life. Our burning passion is women’s education, entrepreneurship and empowerment and we currently run projects in both Nepal and Cambodia.
Since 2013, we have been working in partnership with the Women’s Foundation of Nepal to jointly develop and deliver our vocational training, economic empowerment and women’s rights programs through our Rural Women’s Resource Hubs in the remote regions of Sunsari, Jhapa and Bhaktapur. Our community consultations in Nepal found that many local women have:
- limited formal education and literacy skills
- lack decision making power in their households
- are subjected to frequent violence and discrimination in the home and in their communities
- undertake the majority of household labour and chores,
work extremely long hours in family farms and businesses for little or often no pay - are generally unaware of their personal and legal rights.
They also commonly lack the knowledge, skills and resources they need to successfully engage in paid employment or other income generating activities.
Our hubs are designed to provide women with a safe place to come together to seek assistance, develop new skills and improve their autonomy, self-sufficiency and overall wellbeing. Members of our Hubs have access to life-changing opportunities and resources such as counselling and facilitated support groups, mediation and legal support services, rights awareness training and campaigns, vocational skills and small business training, and microfinance loans. Membership is free and also includes access to localised savings circles and an extensive support network of other women.
Our Hubs are currently working directly with over 1500 women, with several thousand additional people in the communities surrounding our Hubs also benefiting indirectly, including children, partners, family and friends.
We are able to provide these services at an incredibly low program cost of just $43 per woman per year. This is basically the cost of one main meal and a glass of wine at an Australian restaurant, or the cost of 2 cups of coffee each day during one work week. Pretty extraordinary hey?
Our Hubs program is designed to eliminate traditional barriers to women’s economic advancement and to engage local men in discussions and actions relating to the attainment of increased gender equality within the home and local community. It is also designed to provide women with greater earning potential and access to resources that increase local economic growth and consequently alleviate poverty.
The presence of our Hubs in these regions has been shown improve the social structure of the community through greater education on gender equality and positive changes in women’s lives and social connections. Furthermore, consistent studies have shown that when women are earning their own income, they invest up to 90% of it back into their children and families. For men it is around 30-40%. The effects of this reaches across generations to improve education, health and socio-economic outcomes for entire communities.
If you believe (like we do) in making the world a more equal and enabled place, please show your support by purchasing a Travel with Jane policy during the months of March and April, and 10% of the policy cost will be directed towards our work in Nepal. There is simply no better way to travel.
Whether it’s quitting a job to sail the seven seas, pursuing a search for self across the continents, or overcoming tragedy through travel, the heartfelt travel memoirs of real-life women never cease to inspire us. Here’s 7 reads the Jane gals can’t wait to get stuck into.
Female travel is not a new phenomenon – women have been adventuring solo since the 1800s. Yet, as more women share their stories through travel blogs, social media groups and published memoirs, their intrepid travel tales are reaching a wider audience. By breaking down all kinds of social conventions, they inspire others to do the same. So if you’re thinking of setting off on an epic voyage of your own, or simply in the mood for a bit of armchair travel, let these 7 female travel picks from Good Reads light the way.
The Good Girl’s Guide to Getting Lost – Rachel Friedman (2011)
“Rachel Friedman has always been the consummate good girl who does well in school and plays it safe, so the college grad surprises no one more than herself when, on a whim (and in an effort to escape impending life decisions), she buys a ticket to Ireland, a place she has never visited. There she forms an unlikely bond with a free-spirited Australian girl, a born adventurer who spurs Rachel on to a yearlong odyssey that takes her to three continents, fills her life with newfound friends, and gives birth to a previously unrealized passion for adventure. As her journey takes her to Australia and South America, Rachel discovers and embraces her love of travel and unlocks more truths about herself than she ever realized she was seeking. Along the way, the erstwhile good girl finally learns to do something she’s never done before: simply live for the moment.” – Rachel Friedman
How Not to Travel the World: Adventures of a Disaster-Prone Backpacker – Lauren Juliff (2015)
“I had no life experience, zero common sense and had never eaten rice. I suffered from debilitating anxiety, was battling an eating disorder and had just had my heart broken. I hoped by leaving to travel the world I would be able to heal myself. Instead, Lauren’s travels were full of bad luck and near-death experiences. Over the space of a year, she was scammed and assaulted, lost teeth and swallowed a cockroach. She fell into leech-infested rice paddies, was caught up in a tsunami, her motorbike’s brakes failed and she experienced a very unhappy ending during a massage in Thailand. It was just when Lauren was about to give up on travel that she stumbled across a handsome New Zealander with a love of challenges…”-Lauren Juliff
Uncanny Valley – Anna Wiener (2020)
“In her mid-twenties, at the height of tech industry idealism, Anna Wiener—stuck, broke, and looking for meaning in her work, like any good millennial–left a job in book publishing for the promise of the new digital economy. She moved from New York to San Francisco, where she landed at a big-data startup in the heart of the Silicon Valley bubble: a world of surreal extravagance, dubious success, and fresh-faced entrepreneurs hell-bent on domination, glory, and, of course, progress.
Anna arrived amidst a massive cultural shift, as the tech industry rapidly transformed into a locus of wealth and power rivaling Wall Street. But amid the company ski vacations and in-office speakeasies, boyish camaraderie and ride-or-die corporate fealty, a new Silicon Valley began to emerge: one in far over its head, one that enriched itself at the expense of the idyllic future it claimed to be building…”- Anna Wiener
Love with a Chance of Drowning – Torre DeRoche (2011)
“A city girl with a morbid fear of deep water, Torre DeRoche is not someone you would ordinarily find adrift in the middle of the stormy Pacific aboard a leaky sailboat – total crew of two – struggling to keep an old boat, a new relationship and her floundering sanity afloat. Set against a backdrop of the world’s most beautiful and remote destinations, Love with a Chance of Drowning is a sometimes hilarious, often moving and always breathtakingly brave memoir that proves there are some risks worth taking.” – Torre DeRoche
This is How I Save My Life: A True Story of Finding Everything When You are Willing to Try Anything – Amy B. Scher (2018)
“When Amy B. Scher was struck with undiagnosed late-stage, chronic Lyme disease, the best physicians in America labeled her condition incurable and potentially terminal. Deteriorating rapidly, she went on a search to save her own life–from the top experts in Los Angeles and the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Minneapolis to a state-of-the-art hospital in Chicago. After exhausting all of her options in the US, she discovered a possible cure–but it was highly experimental, only available in India, and had as much of a probability of killing her as it did of curing her. Knowing the risks, Amy packed her bags anyway and flew across the world hoping to find the ultimate cure.”
Laughing Without an Accent: Adventures of an Iranian American, at Home and Abroad – by Firoozeh Dumas (2008)
“In the bestselling memoir Funny in Farsi, Firoozeh Dumas recounted her adventures growing up Iranian American in Southern California. Now she again mines her rich Persian heritage in Laughing Without an Accent, sharing stories both tender and humorous on being a citizen of the world, on her well-meaning family, and on amusing cultural conundrums, all told with insights into the universality of the human condition. (Hint: It may have to do with brushing and flossing daily.) Dumas also documents her first year as a new mother, the familial chaos that ensues after she removes the television set from the house, the experience of taking fifty-one family members on a birthday cruise to Alaska, and a road trip to Iowa with an American once held hostage in Iran.” – Firoozeh Dumas
Confessions of a Paris Party Girl: A Humorous Travel Memoir – Vicki Lesage (2014)
Wine, romance, and French bureaucracy – the ups and downs of an American’s life in Paris. This laugh-out-loud memoir is almost too funny to be true! Drinking too much bubbly. Meeting sappy Frenchmen who have girlfriends or are creeps or both. Encountering problème after problème with French bureaucracy. When newly-single party girl Vicki moved to Paris, she was hoping to taste wine, stuff her face with croissants, and maybe fall in love.
Want more? Join my bookclub on Facebook: What Wandering Women Read
Image by Renato Abati from Pexels
Here’s how Travel with Jane’s standard policies and tailored Pregnancy Pack work for pregnant travellers.
Am I covered while pregnant?
If you’re heading off on a babymoon, or for any other reason while pregnant, you’re definitely covered for most items listed in your travel insurance policy. So for claims like lost luggage, trip cancellation, legal liability and some medical, you’re covered.
Where it gets a little technical is if you’re needing to claim for certain hospital or medical emergency expenses that are related to your pregnancy, including childbirth.
Pregnancy is viewed as a pre-existing medical condition and your due date play an important role in whether you can get cover or not.
On all of Travel with Jane’s policies, except our Domestic, you are covered for any pregnancy-related claim, up to 26 weeks in the case of a single baby, and 19 weeks in the case of a multiple pregnancy. Cover is provided to you, but not provided for childbirth or the health of a newborn child.
If I give birth overseas, will I be covered?
Having a baby overseas in a medical emergency is no doubt the last thing you’d want. Unfortunately, childbirth is not covered on our standard policies. So for any of these, you won’t be able to claim on medical costs.
Read our full guide on airline rules and flying while pregnant, here.
And with the pregnancy pack, is birth covered?
For extended cover while pregnant overseas, we offer an additional product called our Pregnancy Add-on. First, you’ll get an extension on the week’s you’re allowed to claim at – so this means you have more time to be able to claim for trip cancellations, and pregnancy related medical bills.
- Single pregnancy up to and including 32 weeks gestation
- Multiple pregnancy up to and including 23 weeks gestation
If you’re up to 32 weeks pregnant with a single child, or up to 23 weeks with twins when an incident occurs, and you have written certification from a medical practitioner that you are fit to travel up to ten days prior to your departure, your emergency medical costs are covered under our Pregnancy Pack. The maximum payout under this benefit is is $1 million.
Just to be clear, even with our Pregnancy Add-on, emergency childbirth coverage includes the costs related to your birth and post-birth medical care. It won’t cover your newborn’s medical costs. The costs that come with looking after a newborn after an emergency birth can vary greatly. If we covered this risk, it pushes up premiums across the boar
What does the pregnancy pack cover, and not cover?
Conditions you’re covered for
If you purchase the Pregnancy Add-on, many medical expenses that stem from pregnancy-related complications, otherwise excluded by our standard policy benefits, are covered. This includes:
- toxaemia
- gestational diabetes
- gestational hypertension
- pre-eclampsia
- ectopic pregnancy
- molar pregnancy or hydatidiform mole
- post-partum haemorrhage retained placenta membrane
- placental abruption
- hyperemesis gravidarum
- placenta praevia
- stillbirth
- miscarriage
- emergency caesarean section
- a termination needed for medical reasons
- premature birth more than 8 weeks (or 16 weeks if you know you are having more than one baby) before the expected delivery date.
What you are not covered for
Your pregnancy-related medical costs will not be covered by Travel with Jane’s Pregnancy Add-on in these situations:
- if you have experienced any pregnancy complications prior to purchasing your policy.
- multiple pregnancies arising from services or treatment associated with an assisted reproductive program, including but not limited to in vitro fertilisation.
- a single pregnancy after 32 weeks
- a pregnancy with twins after 23 weeks
- neonatal care
Why are newborn’s not covered?
Even with our Pregnancy Add-on, emergency childbirth coverage includes the costs related to your birth and post-birth medical care. It won’t cover your newborn’s neonatal medical costs. The costs that come with looking after a newborn after an emergency birth can vary greatly. If we covered this risk, it would push medical cover premiums across the board. For your safety, and the safety on your baby, the overriding message is to avoid all chances of giving birth overseas.
Am I covered for fertility treatment?
Unfortunately not. Fertility treatment at any time, including any resulting pregnancy, is not covered by our emergency medical benefits, nor under our Pregnancy Add-on. For claims related to lost luggage, trip cancellations, and legal liability – not related to your treatment, you are eligible to claim
Am I covered for trip cancellations?
Yes – provided you are under 26 weeks or 19 weeks with twins, or 32 weeks and 23 weeks with twins under our Pregnancy Add-on. , you are eligible to claim for the costs of not being able to go on your trip. You’re also able to claim of you need to cancel a portion of your trip, your, or activity. So for example, if you discover you’re pregnant while on our trip, and are not able partake in pre-booked strenuous activities, you are eligible to claim for lost deposits or full payments.
What should I do if I’m pregnant and have a medical emergency overseas?
For medical emergencies overseas like broken limbs, a severe and sudden toothache or becoming seriously ill with pneumonia for instance – you’re covered whether on one of our regular policies, or under the Pregnancy Add-on.
When it comes to pregnancy-related medical emergencies, your ambulance or hospital bills are only covered by our Pregnancy Add-on.
In both cases, you’re first action should be to contact our trained customer care team. We’re available 24/7 by phone, and during business hours on live chat and email.
If I need to claim while on a holiday in Australia, what am I covered for?
The key thing about travel insurance and domestic travel, is that although we offer a domestic policy for trip cancellations, legal liability and so on, we can’t cover medical claims. That’s because in Australia, emergency medical care is covered by Medicare, and when possible, private health insurance.
As the Pregnancy Add-on is geared to assist with medical claims, it cannot be added to a Domestic policy.
Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels
Sure you know your nasi goreng from you mie goreng, but have you ever delved deeper into Bali’s unique cuisine? Here are 5 quintessential dishes to try in Bali.
Sure, Bali might only be one of the hundreds of islands that make up Indonesia, but in reality, Bali’s culture, religion, and traditions are unique. And with that, comes a unique culinary approach you’re unlikely to find outside of the island.
Perhaps the reason why Australian tourists aren’t as exposed to Bali’s traditional dishes is that they’re a little harder to come by. This is largely down to the fact that Balinese dishes are complex and can require up to 24 hours to prepare. So if you’re keen to go authentic, do a little research.
Babi Guling
No doubt you’ve seen plenty of signs for babi guleng on your scooter rides.
That’s because babi guling, a suckling pig on a spit, is Bali’s most beloved dish.
According to a very specific recipe, the suckling pig is filled with lots of herbs and spice include coriander, chilli, garlic, ginger, shallots, turmeric, lemongrass, black pepper, shrimp paste and lime leaves. All this is served with white boiled rice.
If you’re in Ubud, make a beeline for Ibu Oka Warung, located opposite the former Royal Palace. This Ubud institution draws both locals and foodies from around the world, keen to try babi guling. The restaurant opens at around 10.30am and tables fill up quickly.
Want to know more? TripSavvy has the full scoop.
Since being ‘discovered’ by both Rick Stein and Anthony Bourdain, this local food stall has moved to larger premises with river valley views so as to cater to tourists. It’s famous for one dish: excellent Balinese-style roast babi guling (suckling pig). The set meal comes with pork, rice and soup.
– Lonely Planet
Sate Lilit – skewers of seafood on a stick of lemongrass
Sate Lilit
Familiar with the tangy peanut flavour of skewers laced in satay sauce? Bali has its own version called sate lilit. To make this popular street food skewer, all meat varieties are used including fish, however, the meat of choice is typically pork. Once again aromatic spices are part of the magic, like chili, turmeric, ginger, candlenut and coriander. To add even more flavour, the skewers themselves are sticks of lemongrass. Barbequed on a grill, sate lilit is served with peanut sauce or chili sauce.
Where should you head to devour sate lilit? Taste Atlas has done the groundwork for you with a comprehensive round up of warungs known for their sate lilit.
Bebek Betutu
Bali’s most famous dish is arguably bebek tutu – or smoked duck. Once the duck is seasoned with turmeric, ginger, galangal, lumbangana, nuts, coconut oil, onion, garlic and shrimp paste, its wrapped in banana leaves and smoked for around 24 hours. For authentic bebek betutu, look out for Bebek Bengil in Ubud.
This famous place is hugely popular for one reason: its crispy Balinese duck, which is marinated for 36 hours in spices, steamed and then fried. Those who don’t enjoy fried food can enjoy a duck salad, duck spring rolls or duck satay. You’ll eat in a huge open-air dining pavilion.
– Lonely Planet
Jaje Laklak
Laklak is a traditional Balinese cake made from rice flour, coconut flakes, and sugar.Flapjack -like in texture, laklak is round and flat in shape and either white or light green. To make green Laklak cake, Pandan leaves are added to the dough.
Vegan friendly Laklak is usually served with grated coconut sprinkled on the surface of the snack, which is soft which is then doused with syrupy brown sugar sauce. You’ll find laklak just about everywhere in Bali, from traditional warungs to street carts.
Bubur injun
Bubur injun is a Balinese sweet dessert made from black glutinous rice porridge with coconut milk and palm sugar or cane sugar. The black rice is boiled until soft, and then sugar and coconut milk is added.
Solo female travel is on the up and showing no signs of slowing down. But where are the best – and safest destinations for women to go it alone?
Why do women love solo travel? There are many answers. Sometimes it’s about the practicalities of not having someone to travel with, or wanting an interference-free itinerary. At other times, it’s about breaking out of our comfort zone and creating space for growth. With an endless amount of benefits to go it alone, the only real question is, where to? We looked to 3 experienced female travel bloggers for the answer.
Discover the safest places for solo female travel according to our favourite travel bloggers The Blonde Abroad, Be My Travel Muse and Haley on Holiday.
Nomadic Matt with Kristin Addis
When our favourite guy traveller blogger needs a female perspective, he looks to Kristin Addis from Be My Travel Muse. In her post, 10 Awesome Destinations for Solo Female Travellers, Kristin curates a list that empowers women to discover more about themselves.
Traveling solo as woman is a unique opportunity to find out exactly who you are in completely new surroundings and without anyone around from your past to influence you.
– Kristin Addis, Be My Travel Muse
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Solo in Moab, Utah, USA
“I easily met people just by hanging around the free campsites, the coffee shops, and while watching the sunset over Dead Horse point during my solo American Southwest road trip.”
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Solo in Yubeng, China
“Yubeng is a remote village in the Chinese Himalayas that can only be reached by foot or mule.”
“In the big cities, scams often target young female tourists, but in the Himalayas, you’re more of an esteemed guest.”
See our travel advice on China travel in 2020.
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Solo in Maui, Hawaii, USA
“There are female-focused activities — like the Maui Surfer Girls camp, designed specifically for solo female travellers who are looking for a supportive group of women to take up a new sport with. It’s an experience that is both empowering and fun!”
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Solo in El Chaltén, Argentina
“With its constant catcalls, South America can sometimes feel stressful for solo female travellers, but this trekking town is different. It’s full of nature-loving artists and hippies who are welcoming, as well as hikes that are full enough of people that even if you show up solo, you can easily meet others on the trail.”
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Solo in Iceland
“Iceland is the safest country in the world. Seriously, people leave their cars running, with the keys inside, when they go grocery shopping.”
“Plus, the capital draws so many solo travellers on layovers from the US that it won’t be hard to meet someone cool at your hostel to split a car rental with for a day trip like the Golden Circle or even a longer journey like the Ring Road.”
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Solo in Ylläs, Finland
“The locals are so darn amiable that you’re sure to make a few friends, especially if you head to the female-owned-and-run Aurora Estate, where the owners can help you plan some awesome excursions snowmobiling and snowshoeing.”
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Solo in Big Sur, California, USA
“Camping in Big Sur is the perfect opportunity to meet others because campers are friendly. Chances are good you can make a pal at the very next camping spot, especially if you offer them a locally-brewed beer.”
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Solo in Nusa Island, Bali, Indonesia
“Most couples traveling in this area opt for Bali, so chances of you sitting awkwardly next to a loving couple on a stunning beach is much lesser on the Nusa Islands.”
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Solo in Sossusvlei, Namibia
“Namibia is adventurous and social without feeling dangerous. All of the backpackers and camping accommodations have pools and other common areas, which makes it easy to meet others if you’re solo.”
“You can also join a tour or safari and meet plenty of other solo travelers. It’s what I did, and I loved it!”
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Solo in Berlin, Germany
“Berlin draws many solo travelers, and it’s easy to meet others. It’s also a socially progressive city with a low violent crime rate that’s simple to navigate and easy to love.”
Find more of Kristin’s musings at Be My Travel Muse, Instagram and Facebook.
Haley on Holiday
To qualify as a good destination for independent female travel, Australian blogger Haley on Holiday lists four criteria. She has to feel safe and comfortable, Secondly, destinations need to offer good attractions that she can enjoy alone, and it needs to be easy to navigate via public transport. Finally, the language barrier can’t be too much of a struggle.
In her post, My 15 Favourite Solo Travel Destinations Around The World, Haley rounds up 15 of the best destinations she’s personally experienced as a female travelling alone. Here are 1o of our faves.
It’s widely known on this blog that I am an introvert. But solo travel has made me step out of my comfort zone on hundreds of occasions. For this I will be forever thankful, because stepping out from inside my bubble has allowed me to experience much more than I could have inside that zone of comfort.
– Haley Simpson, Haley on Holiday
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Solo in Dublin, Ireland
“I wouldn’t say Dublin is my favourite place in the world, but it’s a great city to visit alone. Although I only took one bus during my visit, there were different transport options available. I also felt very comfortable walking around the entire city early in the morning and at night.”
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Solo in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
“To be honest, travelling around Europe solo did make me nervous because of the language barrier.”
“Amsterdam was the best city I visited in Europe in terms of the minimal language barrier.”
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Solo in Las Vegas, USA
“Yes, Las Vegas would be a lot of fun with your favourite people, but I am here to tell you that you can still enjoy yourself in Vegas alone.”
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Solo in London, UK
“London is a fantastic place to visit solo, especially if it’s your first time travelling alone. The city’s public transport is fantastic – expensive, but extremely efficient. There’s also possibly too much to do in London. I have now spent about 10 days in the city and I still have SO many things left on my bucket list.”
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SoLo in Vancouver, Canada
“Firstly, public transport is fantastic. Secondly, there’s lots of things to do. Thirdly, there are plenty of accessible day trip options, like getting the bus to wonderful Whistler.”
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SoLo in Singapore
“Singapore is a great Asian destination for solo travel. The transport is excellent and the city is very safe. I felt totally comfortable visiting sights at night and walking back to my hostel from the train station.”
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SoLo in Tokyo, Japan
“Another place I was anxious about visiting solo was Tokyo.”
“But I loved it and I hope to return soon, now that I’m based in Australia again. I felt comfortable walking to my hostel at night and the Japanese people I interacted with were all very friendly. The public transport is also fairly easy to use, as there are thankfully signs in English everywhere, directing you where to go.”
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SoLo in Melbourne, Australia
“Finally, I have to give a shoutout to Melbourne, my current home. Because in Australia, Melbourne is hands down the best place to visit alone. There are plenty of transport options and too many things to do (like, my list is still long and I’ve lived here for nearly two years). Go to brunch, visit St Kilda, spend a day wandering around the city’s many laneways and go on a day trip. I promise you’ll love it.”
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SoLo in Paris, France
“Paris is synonymous with romantic escapes, but I’m here to tell you it’s a fantastic city for solo travel too. Although some French people won’t converse in English, I think you can get by just pointing at the delicious pastry you want.”
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SoLo in Edinburgh, scotland
“I loved its gorgeous brick buildings, free attractions and pub offerings. I also only walked around Edinburgh, because both the New and Old Towns were easily accessible from my hostel.”
“If you have time, I also recommend doing a day trip through the Scottish Highlands.”
Find more of Haley’s solo travel tips at Haley on Holiday, Instagram and Facebook.
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The Blonde Abroad
Splitting her home base between California and Cape Town, prolific traveller blogger Kiki has been just about everywhere, and is a huge advocate for independent female travel. In her post 10 Safest Destinations for Solo Female Travelers, Kiki rounds up the 10 destinations she loves for safety, ease of getting to, and the potential for meeting other like-minded travellers.
I’m a firm believer in the power of women traveling alone and on girlfriend getaways. Traveling alone or with other women can be empowering and so much fun! There’s nothing more fun than connecting with other female travelers and sharing experiences around the world.
– Kiki Rich, The Blonde Abroad
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sSoLo in Iceland
“Join a tour and snorkel or dive the Silfra Fissure and hike a glacier. And don’t miss a bath at the beautiful Blue Lagoon!”
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Solo in Switzerland
“Geneva was one of my favorite spots on my recent summer in Europe—with access to the lakeshore, the jet d’eau, Parc de la Grange, and more, it’s the perfect spot to be immersed in the Swiss culture.”
The Blonde Abroad, Lake Geneva Switzerland -
Solo in New Zealand
“Adventure awaits in the glaciers, beaches, and fjords of New Zealand.”
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Solo in Australia
“I explored The Outback and Uluru, rode the Ghan Train and hiked through Kata Tjuta and the Valley of the Winds.”
The Blonde Abroad, The Ghan South Australia -
Solo in Canada
“Canadians have a reputation for being the friendliest people in the world and, while traveling alone here, you’ll see why!”
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Solo in French Polynesia
“With diverse marine life, some of the world’s best diving, incredible natural beauty, and a heavy vanilla scent that follows you wherever you go, the islands of French Polynesia is a place that you’ve never seen the likes of before.”
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Solo in Ireland
“Cozy up in a local pub, catch a football game or head out to the countryside for an incredible Irish experience.”
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Solo in Namibia
“Namibia is the ultimate road trip destination and a fantastic destination year-round. Home to deserts and stunning coastlines, it’s one of my favorite Africa trips to date.”
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Solo in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
“Rent a bike and run into (not literally of course) some friendly and laid back Dutch locals.”
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Solo on a cruise
“While it’s not a specific destination, a cruise in any part of the world is a great travel experience for female travellers. Enjoy the convenience of an itinerary and secure accommodation.”
Check out Jane’s Cruise Add-on for specialised cruise travel insurance.
Discover more of Kiki’s travel tips at The Blonde Abroad, Instagram and Facebook.
Image by Artem Beliaikin from Pexels
Our community of female travellers has really taken to Airbnb, mostly because we love to ‘live like a local’. But should something go wrong, is Airbnb covered by travel insurance?
While Airbnb has been around a good 16 years now, country-specific rules and regulations are still playing catch-up. This has created many a grey area, and in some cases, legal complications. So if you’re a regular Airbnb-er, you’ve probably wondered how travel insurance views the whole setup, and whether your claims would be covered?
Accommodation claims
Wondering if travel insurance will pay an Airbnb claim? Fortunately, the answer is yes. Travel insurance covers you in an Airbnb property in the same way it covers a traditional hotel. So you’re covered for medical emergencies, trip cancellations, personal belongings and legal liability – provided you took good care of your belongings and acted responsibly.
Travel cancellations
As Airbnb is considered pre-booked accommodation, Travel with Jane covers the value of the unused dates if you suddenly need to cancel a trip, like becoming too ill to travel or being made redundant.
And if you need to make an emergency trip back home that cuts your Airbnb stay short? Policies with cancellation cover can take care of recovering your costs too. With Jane, that would be our Basic, Comprehensive and Domestic plans, and not our Saver plan. See here for more on trip cancellation cover.
TIP Remember to always buy travel insurance before you book your accommodation and flights, so that you’re covered for changes you need to make before your trip start.
Lost or stolen personal belongings
When it comes to Airbnb claims for lost, stolen or damaged luggage, you’re covered if you’ve booked out the whole house.
If you’ve only booked a private room, then the house is considered to be a ‘public place’ that you’re sharing with other people. Therefore, your luggage and belongings will now need to be inside your locked room for cover to apply. See here for more on personal belongings cover.
Medical emergencies
Booked into the Airbnb of your dreams? Say you seriously hurt yourself walking into a glass sliding door, or falling down a staircase? Your Airbnb-related medical bills will be covered by travel insurance too.
Claim from Airbnb first
In all cases, you’ll first need to claim from Airbnb, which offers insurance to cover the host’s property for public liability as well as specific damages within the property by the guest. We step in when accommodation providers including Airbnb, hotels and hostels, are unable to pay, or pay only a portion of your claim.
Ever seen the term legal liability on your travel insurance policy and wondered what it means? The short answer – you shouldn’t travel without it.
Sure, accidents happen on holiday. And when they happen to you personally, you only have yourself to think about in terms of recovering – be it physically or financially. But what happens when an accident that you caused impacts another person? Or their property?
What if you find yourself responsible, accidently of course – for putting someone in hospital, or worse? And what if the country you’re in love a good lawsuit, like the litigious USA or countries that target tourists with legal action to make a quick buck?
Or that if you make an innocent mistake that lands you in hot water simply because you didn’t know the rules and regulations of your holiday destination?
This, is where legal liability travel insurance cover steps in.
Legal liability benefit
Travel with Jane’s legal liability benefit covers you when you’re legally liable for causing damage to property, or injuring a person. This built-in cover is there to protect you from the financial burden of a claim made against you, by a third party. Not your travel companion, kids or relatives, but a third party completely separate from you.
Injuring a person and being held legally liable
Legal liability cover kicks in if you’re found to be responsible for injuring a person who is not a member of your family or travelling party. This means, you accidently hurt a complete stranger, and now the injured person has made a legal claim against you to pay for their hospital bills and other costs.
For instance, you inadvertently create a tripping hazard by leaving a heavy suitcase near the entrance of a hotel. A guest walks in and takes a bone-breaking tumble over your bag.
Travel with Jane will pay you if you injure someone or cause someone to die, during your trip. If you become legally liable to pay compensatory damages, or are required to pay reasonable legal costs and expenses for settling and defending a claim made against you, our legal liability is the benefit you’ll need.
Damaging property and being held legally liable
If during your trip you accidentally damage someone’s property, you’re going to want legal liability cover to pay for the costs of lawyers, and settlement.
Imagine accidentally setting your hotel room on fire because you left the iron on overnight? Or knocking over a priceless artifact in a museum with the swing of your handbag? The legal costs could run into the hundreds of thousands.
In cases where you accidentally damage a third party’s property, Travel with Jane will cover compensatory damages, legal costs and expenses for settling and defending a claim made against you.
Travel with Jane offers legal liability benefits across all levels of cover
The risk or become financially responsible for an accident – or even facing jail time during your travels overseas or here in Australia, is such a worry that most travel insurances include cover automatically.
If you need to make a claim to cover the costs of legal fees, a maximum payout of $3,500,000 is available on Saver, Basic, and Comprehensive cover.
For legal liability cases that happen in Australia during domestic travel, a payout of up to $1,000,000 in available on Travel with Jane’s Domestic cover.
When you won’t be covered for legal liability costs
Travel with Jane offers legal liability cover for incidents that are purely accidental, and affect other parties. So to be clear, here are examples of when we won’t be able to cover you.
The injured party needs to be completely independent from you
Legal liability claims won’t work if the claim is for you, your travelling companion or a relative or employee of either of you.
damaged property is not yours
Legal liability claims won’t work if the claim relates to property belonging to you, or in your care or control. Similarly, the damaged property cannot belong to your travelling companion, a relative of yours, or an employee. This o
No Cars or guns
Legal liability claims won’t work if the claim against you relates to the use of any a car, or any other vehicle, aircraft, or firearms. So if you crash your rental car into someone’s front garden and do serious damage – you can’t claim for the payment of legal liability fees.
if a business is at fault
Legal liability claims won’t work if the claim against you arises from the conduct of a business. This includes you providing professional advice or a service. So if you’re travelling to exhibit at a tradeshow, and signage from your stand collapses and injures a client, who then goes on to claim damages against you – you won’t be covered by your travel insurance legal liability benefit.
Reckless behaviour
If you caused an accident due to reckless behaviour and willful disregard for the consequences , all responsibility lies with you and a legal liability claim won’t be possible. Similarly, we won’t cover claims related to assault, intentional harm or battery committed by you, or at your direction.
Spreading Disease
No one wants to hold the title of ‘super spreader’, and doubly so, as travel insurance won’t cover a legal claim made by a person you infected. In the topical case of you unknowingly spreading the coronavirus and then being sued for related hospital or quarantine costs – legal liability cover will unfortunately not count.
Very specific and strict conditions apply. Not all rules and exclusions have been listed here. Please see the Combined Product Disclosure Statement and Financial Services Guide for full details.
How to lodge a legal liability claim
The amount that we can pay out in the event of a third party legal liability claim, due to an accident, depends on the supporting evidence you can share with us. If you need to submit a claim, these are the sorts of documents will need to see, if applicable:
- Medical report
- Police reports
- The deceased’s death certificate
- Court judgements
- Lawyers invoices
Remember, we’re here to support you, so if you find yourself in a situation where a claim is likely, get in touch with us as soon as possible, so that we may guide you on your next steps and about the information we’ll need for your claim.
Image by Engin Akyurt from Pexels
Seventy-five years ago, in February 1945, during the Second World War, Allied forces bombed the magnificent baroque city of Dresden, Germany, destroying most of it and killing thousands of civilians.
In central Dresden, however, a bank vault holding two precious medieval manuscripts survived the resulting inferno unscathed. The manuscripts were the works of the prolific 12th-century composer, writer and visionary, St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), who had established a convent on the Rhine River, near Wiesbaden and 500 kilometres west of Dresden.
Hildegard, whose writings documented her religious visions, including a theology of the feminine and an ecological consciousness, and who practised medicinal herbology, was venerated locally as a saint for centuries. The Catholic Church only recently recognized her as one, and also designated her a Doctor of the Church.
After the Dresden bombings, the Soviet Army seized and inspected the surviving vault. The first bank official to enter the vault afterwards found it pillaged, with only one manuscript remaining. The bank could never confirm if the vault was emptied in an official capacity or if it was plundered.
The missing manuscript has not been seen in the West since. The other made its way back to its original home of Wiesbaden, on the other side of Germany, through the extraordinary efforts of two women.
This is the story of how those women conspired to return the manuscript home.
The librarian
In 1942, Gustav Struck, the director of the state library in Wiesbaden, became worried about local air raids. Following many European institutions, he decided that his library’s manuscripts needed to be sent elsewhere for safe keeping.
Two of the library’s most valuable possessions were manuscripts of Hildegard’s works. One was a beautifully illuminated copy of Scivias, a collection of 26 religious visions. The other manuscript, known as the Riesencodex, is the most complete compilation of her works, including the visionary writings, letters and the largest known collection of her music.
Why Struck chose to store the manuscripts in a bank vault in Dresden is still a mystery, but their journey there by train and streetcar mid-war is thoroughly documented.
The manuscripts sat in the bank vault for three years until the attack on Dresden.
After the war
Immediately after the war, the Americans sacked Struck in their denazification efforts. Librarian Franz Götting took over his job.
Götting inquired about the manuscripts as soon as mail service to Dresden resumed, and learned that the Scivias manuscript was missing, either seized or plundered, but that the bank still had the Riesencodex.
Götting asked repeatedly for the Riesencodex to be returned from Dresden to Wiesbaden. The difficulty was that Dresden was in the newly formed Soviet zone, while Wiesbaden was in the American zone. (The Allies had divided Germany into four occupation zones, and similarly divided Germany’s capital city, Berlin, into four sectors.) The Soviets had issued a decree stating that all property found in German territory occupied by the Red Army now belonged to them.
The plan
A scholar and medievalist in Berlin, however, came up with a scheme to retrieve the manuscript. Margarethe Kühn, a devout Catholic who expressed a great love for Hildegard, held a position as a researcher and editor with the Monumenta Germaniae Historica project. After the war she found herself living in the American sector of Berlin and working in the Soviet sector.
Kühn had stayed at the Hildegard Abbey for several days in March 1947 and had even explored joining the Abbey as a nun herself. She must have heard while she was there that the Riesencodex was being held in Dresden without any promise of return. She devised a plan to help.
Kühn asked Götting for permission to borrow the manuscript for study purposes. Götting asked the Soviet-run Ministry for Education, University and Science in Dresden on Kühn’s behalf. Much to the librarian’s surprise, ministry officials agreed to send the manuscript for Kühn to examine at the German Academy, a national research institute established in 1946 in Berlin by the Soviet administration.
Kühn was convinced that the bureaucrats in Dresden would not recognize the Riesencodex. She decided that when returning the manuscript, with help from the Wiesbaden librarian, Götting, she would send a substitute manuscript to Dresden, and the original to Wiesbaden.
The crossing
Kühn enacted the plan with the help of an American woman, Caroline Walsh.
How exactly Kühn and Walsh met is not known, but Caroline’s husband Robert Walsh was in the American air force and was stationed in Berlin as the director of intelligence for the European command from 1947-48.
In an interview in 1984, Robert explained that when he and Caroline were in Berlin she had “worked a great deal with the Germans and with the religious outfits over there, too.” Since the Walshes were also Catholic, it is likely that they and Kühn met through Catholic circles in the city.
Caroline’s position as the wife of a high-ranking military officer may have made it easier for her to travel across military occupation zones and sectors.
In any case, we know that Caroline travelled by train and car and delivered the manuscript in person to the Hildegard Abbey in Eibingen on March 11, 1948. The nuns notified Götting at the Wiesbaden library and returned the manuscript.
The swap
It took some time for Kühn to deliver it to the Ministry for Education, University and Science in Dresden, and two further months before anyone there opened the package in January 1950. By that time, Hildegard’s manuscript was safely in Wiesbaden. But officials spotted the deception and Kühn was in trouble.
An official in Dresden wrote to the German Academy in Berlin demanding to know why they had been sent a printed book rather than the Riesencodex manuscript.
Kühn’s boss, Fritz Rörig, who received the letter was furious with her. Rörig and Götting smoothed things over with Dresden by offering another manuscript in exchange. But Rörig told Kühn that the East German police were inquiring about her, the implication being that he had reported her.
One still missing
Although she remained deeply worried for some time afterwards, Kühn never lost her job at the Monumenta nor was she arrested, despite Rörig’s threats. For the rest of her life she maintained a rare cross-border existence, living on Soviet wages in the American sector while continuing at the same job until her death in 1986, at the age of 92.
As one of many scholars who regularly consults the Riesencodex, now available online, I am enormously grateful to Caroline Walsh, and particularly to Kühn who risked her livelihood for the sake of a book.
I am not alone, however, in hoping that during my lifetime someone, somewhere will find the pilfered Scivias manuscript and return it as well.
Jennifer Bain, Professor of Musicology and Music Theory, Dalhousie University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
The coronavirus has affected every aspect of global travel. For Aussie travellers, there’s a range of ways that the outbreak could affect your upcoming travel plans. But will your travel insurance cover you?
As the Australian Government’s travel advice for China has been upgraded to ‘Do not travel‘, you may want to cancel an upcoming trip to China, or cancel a portion of your trip including flights, tours and accommodation. You may even need to cancel or rebook air travel or other arrangements due to being quarantined or instructed to self-isolate. Or worse still, you might need to claim medical costs due to being treated for coronavirus (COVID-19) Here’s how the coronavirus impacts Travel with Jane claims.
You’re probably wondering if a travel insurance claim would cover these, and similar scenarios related to the outbreak? The short answer is that a travel insurance claim related to a natural disaster or major global event depends completely on the date on which your policy was bought.
Remember, travel insurance is there to cover unforeseen events, emergencies, mishaps and accidents, so your eligibility to claim depends on whether you knew about the virus or not.
Insurers need to draw a line in the sand, and 20 January has been determined as the date by when Australian’s should have been sufficiently aware of the epidemic.
Do you cover coronavirus cancellations?
Yes, if…
You’re covered if you purchased prior to 19 Jan 2020. If your travel insurance was purchased prior to 19 January, then yes, your travel insurance policy will cover cancellation claims related to Coronavirus, up to your plan’s limits*. This could include assisting you with flight cancellation costs, tour cancellation costs, and accommodation cancellations costs. We only cover cancellations if the destinations you are travelling to have been assigned a ‘Do Not Travel’ advisory warning by the Australian Government at Smartraveller.gov.au. We do not cover cancellation for change or mind or fear.
*Cancellation cover is only available on Basic, Comprehensive and Domestic policies.
No, because…
You’re not covered if you purchased after 20 Jan 2020. If you purchased travel insurance after 20 January 2020 you will not be covered for any cancellation claims related to coronavirus. This is due to the fact that as of 20 January, the virus outbreak was widely publicised, and health and travel authorities had advised that travellers take all necessary precautions. Customers purchasing travel insurance post 20 January do so in the knowledge that travel may be impacted by Coronavirus.
Can I cancel my trip if I or one of the travellers on the policy becomes ill with the coronavirus before we leave Australia?
Yes…
You’re covered. Regardless of when you purchased your travel insurance policy, cancellation cover is available if you need to cancel due to the unforeseeable death or illness due to coronavirus of your relative, business associate or travelling companion who is resident in Australia and who is in Australia at the time the event occurs. Limits apply*.
Alternatively we may cover the cost of rescheduling your trip prior to departure provided the cost of rescheduling does not exceed the cost of cancellation. This benefit can only be claimed once per policy per insured person.
*Cancellation cover is only available on Basic, Comprehensive and Domestic policies.
What happens if I contract coronavirus while I’m overseas? Am I covered?
Yes, if…
You’re covered. If your travel insurance was purchased prior to 19 January and you have followed all advice from the government or any other official body and you become sick for any reason while you are away, including due to coronavirus, your medical treatment or hospitalisation is covered under our overseas medical and hospital benefit. This benefit is available on all plans.
No, because…
You’re not covered. If your travel insurance was purchased after 20 January and you become sick due to the coronavirus your medical treatment is not covered, nor are the costs for any changes to your travel plans due to becoming ill with this virus. This is due to the fact that as of 20 January, the virus outbreak was widely publicised, and health and travel authorities had advised that travellers take all necessary precautions. Customers purchasing travel insurance post 20 January do so in the knowledge that travel may be impacted by coronavirus.
What happens if I need to be repatriated home due to the Coronavirus?
Yes, if…
You’re covered. If your travel insurance was purchased prior to 19 January, and you have followed all advice from the government or any other official body and you need emergency transport back home to Australia, due to becoming ill with coronavirus, we can arrange and cover your journey home.
This cover is available under our emergency medical transport & repatriation benefit, offered on Basic and Comprehensive plans only.
No, because…
You’re not covered. If your travel insurance was purchased after 20 January, and you need emergency transport back home to Australia, due to becoming ill with coronavirus, we cannot cover your journey home. This is due to the fact that as of 20 January, the virus outbreak was widely publicised, and health and travel authorities had advised that travellers take all necessary precautions. Customers purchasing travel insurance post 20 January do so in the knowledge that travel may be impacted by coronavirus.
What will happen if I get quarantined in a country for 14 days or I need to self-isolate and I have to miss flight and tours? Can I claim?
Yes, if…
You’re covered. If your travel insurance was purchased prior to 19 January, and you need to cancel flights or bookings due to being quarantined, cancellation cover is available on Basic, Comprehensive and Domestic policies.
No, because…
You’re not covered. If your travel insurance was purchased after 20 January, and you need to cancel flights or bookings due to being quarantined, cancellation cover is not available. This is due to the fact that as of 20 January, the virus outbreak was widely publicised, and health and travel authorities had advised that travellers take all necessary precautions. Customers purchasing travel insurance post 20 January do so in the knowledge that travel may be impacted by coronavirus.
I am transiting through Hong Kong. What happens if the country I am travelling to won’t allow inbound flights from Hong Kong? Can I claim?
If you are travelling via Hong Kong to another country there may be specific bans and procedures in place. The following countries have banned all flights from Hong Kong:
- Italy suspended all flights from China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan until 28 April 2020.
- The Philippines widened a travel ban previously imposed on visitors from Hubei province to include all of China, Hong Kong and Macau.
The Hong Kong Government has also stated that commercial services such as cross-border transport (including flights, trains, ferries and buses) within mainland China may be unavailable or limited.
For all other countries please check with your travel provider and follow the advice of local authorities.
If you are booking a trip today and including flights via China, HK or Macau you should not expect cover. Airlines might be selling fares transiting through HK today but there’s a real chance this will change in the coming weeks and airlines won’t be able to transit through these destinations and it wouldn’t be unexpected. If you’re booking a trip today for travel in the next 2 months you should be transiting through an alternate part of the world, i.e. UAE.
Yes, if…
You’re covered. If your travel arrangements and your travel insurance was purchased prior to 19 January and a portion of your journey is impacted by travel bans related to coronavirus, cancellation cover is available on Basic and Comprehensive policies.
No, because…
You’re not covered. If your travel insurance was purchased after 20 January, and a portion of your journey is impacted by travel bans related to coronavirus, cancellation cover not available. This is due to the fact that as of 20 January, the virus outbreak was widely publicised, and health and travel authorities had advised that travellers take all necessary precautions. Customers purchasing travel insurance post 20 January do so in the knowledge that travel may be impacted by coronavirus.
What are some of the measures in place in some Airports to combat the spread of Coronavirus and how may these affect my travel?
- You may undergo temperature screening at all border control points
- Passengers with fevers may not be allowed to board their flight
- You may have to undergo further medical examination if you are suspected to be infected. You may be taken to an appropriate healthcare facility and kept in isolation.
- Some airports have a health questionnaire that travellers need to fill prior to check-in and arrival
If you still have questions about the coronavirus please contact our customer support team.
Image Pexels
Travel insurance exists to cover the cost of the unforeseen, such as an unexpected illness, accident and medical emergency or the theft of your devices and belongings.
Travel insurance is also there if you have to cancel your trip before departing, or need to return early due to an emergency. But before you buy, here are 10 things you need to know.
1. Buy ASAP to cover cancellations
Forked out a ton on tours, hotels and flights? Buy travel insurance as soon as you’ve booked to cover trip cancellation and cancellations due to illness, redundancy or other unforeseen reasons. Know that cancellation cover is typically offered only on Comprehensive policies.
2. Buy the right policy for you, your destination and activities
Make sure a travel insurance policy is right for your needs by checking the table of benefits. Certain destinations offer excellent medical care, while others do not. In many cases, anything less than Comprehensive cover won’t take care of cancellations and medical evacuations. Similarly you made need to by optional extra cover for certain risky activities like scuba diving and water sports and winter sports at the snow.
3. Not all pre-existing medical conditions are covered
Check that your medical conditions are covered. Many pre-existing medical conditions are automatically covered by travel insurance. If yours is not on the list and you need to claim medical cover because of it, your claim may be rejected.
4. Comprehensive cover may be compulsory
Certain countries require proof of travel insurance in order to apply for entry visas or visas for longer stays. In most cases comprehensive cover is required to cover medical and hospital costs as we all medical transport and evacuations. This applies to countries in the Schengen Zone including Greece, Italy and Spain.
Apart from country restrictions, many tour operators and accommodation providers need to know that you’re adequately covered for medical emergencies. These include Contiki Tours and Stray Asia tours.
5. Read terms and conditions of credit card cover
Think your credit card insurance will be enough? Do your homework and read the fine print. The cover provided by credit cards is often limited and restricted to products or services bought using the card.
6. Cruise holidays need specialised cover
Going on a cruise? For cruise trips longer than 2 days you will need travel insurance in order to claim for cancellation and medical costs. Travel with Jane offers a Cruise Add-on with specialised cover for cruise, yacht and ferry trips in Australia and abroad.
7. Snowboarding and skiing needs extra cover
Heading to snow? You’ll most certainly need special winter sports cover to look after injuries or medical emergencies due to snowboarding and skiing. Due to the high probability of serious injuries, and the exorbitant cost of airlifting injured travellers off remote mountain tops, travel insurance providers require you to add specific snow cover to your policy. See our Snow Add-on.
8. Limits apply for pregnant travellers
Travelling while pregnant? There’s a limit to the days you’re allowed to fly up to, as well as be covered by travel insurance. In the event of an emergency birth overseas, your medical bill may be covered, but the costs of your newborn are definitely not covered. Learn more about how travel insurance works while pregnant, and check out Jane’s Pregnancy Add-on
9. Travel must start and end in Australia
You’re only covered if your policy is bought while you’re in Australia, not once you’ve left or arrived at your overseas destination. If you land, only to discover you need travel insurance as an entry visa condition, or a stipulation by your tour operator, you will be able to buy Australian travel insurance online, but any claim you make won’t be supported.
10. Natural disasters and disease outbreaks
Once a natural disaster, pandemic, or major global event with impacts on travel has been adequately announced in the media like the coronavirus, and by travel or health authorities, and you buy travel insurance, you’ll probably not be covered for a related claim.
That’s because travel insurance is there to take care of unforeseen events. Once an event is common knowledge, and a travel advisory to ‘do not travel’ has been issued by the Australian government, travellers buying flights, accomodation and insurance do so in full knowledge that their trip may be impacted.
Photo by Daria Obymaha from Pexels
Has your mobile phone gone missing? Whether it was lost or stolen, travel insurance can help recoup some of the costs. But we’ll need to know your IMEI number first.
When it comes to claiming for a lost, stolen or damaged mobile phone, tablet or sim-enabled device, the success of your claim depends on you being able to supply the IMEI number for your phone.
You will also need to have blocked the IMEI number with your Australian telecommunication provider in order to be eligible to claim. And, you’ll need to provide your lost or stolen phone’s IMEI code with your claim.
FYI, blocking your IMEI is different to blocking your SIM.
What is an IMEI number?
Every mobile phone or mobile broadband device has a unique 15 digit code, called an IMEI number (International Mobile Equipment Identity).
Where can I find my IMEI number?
You can find your IMEI in the following ways:
- by entering *#06# on your phone’s call screen.
- Searching within your phone’s settings
- Look to see if it’s printed either on the back of your device, or underneath your device’s battery
How can I contact my mobile phone provider?
Your provider should be contactable during business hours. Click on the links to reach the contact details of a few of Australia’s main mobile phone companies.
Mobile phone claim tips
Once your IMEI has been blocked by your mobile phone provider, you’ll need to tick a few more boxes before you can claim from travel insurance.
- Report the theft or permanent misplacement to police, a transport carrier or travel operator, within 24 hours. Keep a copy of the police report, you’ll need to submit this with your claim.
- Find receipts, phone contracts or invoices that prove your ownership of the lost phone. As with all insurance claims on belongings, you need to be able to prove that you owned the mobile phone in the first place.
Ready to claim a lost phone?
If your phone or device is stolen or damaged on your trip Travel with Jane will pay to repair or replace up to a total of $2,000 on Basic cover, $10,000 on Comprehensive and Domestic cover levels. This benefit is not available on Saver cover.
The maximum amount Travel with Jane will pay for any item (single item limit) is:
- $3,000 for personal computers, video recorders or cameras;
- $1,000 for mobile phones (including PDA’s and any items with phone capabilities)
- $750 for all other Luggage and Personal Effects.
Remember you can claim online with Travel with Jane.
Want more cover for your mobile?
Is standard cover not enough for you? Add Travel with Jane’s Device add-on to your police. You will have extra cover for up to five devices. That’s up to $5,000 for one device ,and up to a total of $10,000 for up to five devices.
Pregnant and want to travel? If your doc gives you the a-ok, here how your travel insurance covers you, in case of a medical emergency or bump-related travel cancellation.
Planning a babymoon? Or a third trimester trip? Will your travel insurance cover you? Use our guide to answer all your pregnancy-related travel insurance concerns. We’ll look at:
- When it’s safe to travel pregnant
- Airline rules for pregnancy
- Standard travel insurance cover
- Optional extra cover for pregnancy
- What you’re not covered for
- Health risks while travelling pregnant
How many weeks?
Bringing a little explorer into the world? We’re excited for you! And if you’re sneaking in a little exploring of your own before D day, we’re even happier for you! That’s because we believe in the magic travel, and expecting mothers should be no exception.
If you’re thinking of taking a holiday overseas while pregnant, you’re not alone. According to research by finder.com.au, one in five mums take a holiday in their third trimester. The study found that younger mothers are more likely to make the trip, with almost a quarter of mums under 30 enjoying a getaway while pregnant, compared to 16% of those aged over 40. Unsurprisingly, most mums are looking to stay closer to home that late in their pregnancy, and are about three times as likely to travel domestically rather than overseas. But that doesn’t stop 5% of expecting mums from jetting off overseas, even while heavily pregnant.
The World Health Organization (WHO) however, advises against air travel for pregnant women after the 36th week of pregnancy or four weeks before the expected date of childbirth. Since labour can begin at any time during the last few weeks, it is recommended to avoid traveling during this period. Instead, WHO recommends that the safest time for expecting mums to travel is in the second trimester.
Airlines and pregnancy
It’s also important for you to know any airline restrictions placed on pregnant travellers before you book your trip. Airline restrictions around flying while pregnant vary. Another factor is length of the flight itself.
Both Qantas and Virgin Australia for example, allow women without pregnancy complications to travel on flights more than four hours in length up to the end of the 36th week for single pregnancies, and the end of the 32nd week for twins or more.
For flights less than four hours, you can usually travel up to the end of the 40th week in a single pregnancy and the 36th week for a multiple pregnancy.
But both airlines require women travelling after 28 weeks of pregnancy to carry a note from their doctor or midwife confirming their due date and pregnancy details. For Virgin Australia travellers, this letter needs to be dated no more than 10 days before travel.
And if you have complications, you have to travel with a medical clearance form signed by your doctor.
Check out the pregnancy policies of popular airlines departing Australia:
Air Asia, Emirates, Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Qantas, Singapore Airlines.
What to expect from Australian travel insurers
Typically, travel insurance offers cover for emergency medical treatment while travelling, and this extends to medical emergencies pregnant women might experience. So if you’re pregnant, and you fall sick, or break a leg, and these events are in no way related to your pregnancy, you’ll be able to claim the hospital trip.
It’s really important to know that cover is provided to you, but not provided for childbirth or the health of a newborn child. When a medical emergency is pregnancy related – let’s say you need help with debilitating nausea – your ability to claim is going to largely depend on 3 questions – your due date, our doctor’s approval, and whether or not your emergency relates to fertility treatment, triplets and known complications.
Travel with Jane looks after expecting mums with two levels of cover. First we’ll look at the benefits offered under our standard cover, and then we’ll explore an optional extra for pregnancy – our Pregnancy Add-on.
What we cover as standard
Travel with Jane offers emergency medical cover for expecting mums up to 26 weeks in the case of a single baby, and 19 weeks in the case twins. That’s 2 weeks more than a lot of the competition.
What you are not covered for
Pregnancy-related costs will not be covered in any of the following circumstances if you have not purchased a Pregnancy Add-on. (More on that next)
- if you have experienced any pregnancy complications prior to purchasing your policy
- multiple pregnancies arising from services or treatment associated with an assisted reproductive program, including but not limited to in vitro fertilisation;
- a single pregnancy after 26 weeks
- a pregnancy with twins after 19 weeks
- for childbirth at any time
- neonatal care
What we cover in our optional extra Pregnancy Add-on
Get extra cover for more weeks with our Pregnancy Add-on. We’re really proud of this! An optional extra made specifically for pregnant women.
- Single pregnancy up to and including 32 weeks gestation
- Multiple pregnancy up to and including 23 weeks gestation
If you’re up to 32 weeks pregnant with a single child, or up to 23 weeks with twins when an incident occurs, and you have written certification from a medical practitioner that you are fit to travel up to ten days prior to your departure, your emergency medical costs are covered under our Pregnancy Add-on. The maximum payout under this benefit is is $1 million.
Just to be clear, even with our Pregnancy Add-on, emergency childbirth coverage includes the costs related to your birth and post-birth medical care. It won’t cover your newborn’s medical costs. The costs that come with looking after a newborn after an emergency birth can vary greatly. If we covered this risk, it pushes up premiums across the board.
Conditions you’re covered for
If you purchase the Pregnancy Add-on, any medical expenses related to specific pregnancy-related complications otherwise excluded by this policy (see: What we don’t cover at all p. 59 of the PDS) are covered subject to policy limits and exclusion. This includes:
-
- toxaemia (toxins in the blood);
- gestational diabetes (diabetes arising as a result of pregnancy)
- gestational hypertension (high blood pressure arising as a result
of pregnancy) - pre-eclampsia (where you develop high blood pressure, carry abnormal fluid and have protein in your urine during the second half of pregnancy)
- ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy that develops outside of the uterus)
- molar pregnancy or hydatidiform mole (a pregnancy in which a tumour develops from the placental tissue
- post-partum haemorrhage (excessive bleeding following childbirth);
- retained placenta membrane (part or all of the placenta is left behind in the uterus after delivery)
- placental abruption (part or all of the placenta separates from the wall
of the uterus) - hyperemesis gravidarum (excessive vomiting as a result of pregnancy);
- placenta praevia (when the placenta is in the lower part of the uterus and covers part or all of the cervix)
- stillbirth
- miscarriage
- emergency caesarean section
- a termination needed for medical reasons
- premature birth more than 8 weeks (or 16 weeks if you know you are having more than one baby) before the expected delivery date.
What you are not covered for
Your pregnancy-related medical costs will not be covered by Travel with Jane’s Pregnancy Add-on in this situations:
- if you have experienced any pregnancy complications prior to purchasing your policy
- multiple pregnancies arising from services or treatment associated with an assisted reproductive program, including but not limited to in vitro fertilisation;
- a single pregnancy after 32 weeks
- a pregnancy with twins after 23 weeks
- neonatal care
Main health risks of flying
Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is the main health concern for pregnant women on planes.
This is when a blood clot forms in a deep vein of the leg, which can cause complications such as pain, inflammation and swelling. The greater danger with these clots is that they can dislodge and travel through the circulatory system, blocking blood supply to the lungs.
The risk of DVT is higher when pregnant and being immobile for long periods is also a risk factor, so it’s worth keeping in mind for any sort of travel, including long car trips.
To reduce your risk keep well hydrated, make sure you’re well mobilised during the flight and wear compression stockings.
Childbirth overseas
If you are travelling in your third trimester OR you unexpectedly go into labour overseas there are a few things to consider. Citizenship rules change from country to country, so it’s a good idea to understand the local laws before travelling.
If you are an Australian citizen and you give birth overseas, you’ll need to apply for your child’s Australian citizenship and passport before you can return home. For application forms and more information visit the Department of Immigration and Border Protection website.
Vaccinations for pregnant women
As a pregnant woman, you are at risk of serious complications if you contract malaria or viral hepatitis E. Certain standard vaccinations can also be harmful to your baby when you’re pregnant.
We recommend you get in touch with your doc before you travel to ensure you have the right vaccinations for your trip. Nothing is more important than protecting the health of you and your baby.
Check here to see the list of vaccines recommended by the Australian Department of Health
Babymoons
Whether it’s a week in the tropics or a local trip reached by car, planning a babymoon is one of the latest trends in pregnancy. But what is a babymoon exactly? It’s a chance for expecting parents to get away, unwind and emotionally prepare for the exciting changes that lie ahead.
Choose the Best Seat
If you’re travelling by airplane, try to get a spot on the aisle so you can get up and stretch your legs. The same goes for a car ride -factor in time to stop along the way so you can get out and take a short stroll and toilet break. Take care of your feet and legs, where swelling can really take hold.
Take It Slow
A babymoon probably isn’t the time for mountain biking or other strenuous physical activity. Be smart by pacing yourself and building in lots of downtime to nap and read.
Suitable accommodation
You’ll want to make sure that wherever you pick, you have access to:
- A large comfy bed with extra pillows
- Healthy menu options
- Quality, hygienic food service setup
- Day spa with staff trained in ante-natal massage and therapies
- A nearby hospital or doctors
A local OB/GYN
Try not to worry in advance, but be prepared for any kind of pregnancy complication by obtaining the name and number of a local OB/GYN. You’ll have peace of mind just knowing you can call someone if you have a concern.
Pregnancy travel checklist
It’s good to be well prepared for an upcoming journey. It’s even more important when you’re pregnant, with more to consider for you and your unborn baby. Check these steps before you jet off.
- Check the airline restrictions for flying while pregnant
- Register with Smartraveller – let the Australian Government know where you’re going, so they can contact you in an emergency.
- Visit your GP or OB/GYN– discuss your travel plans and get the relevant vaccinations. You will most likely need a medical certificate confirming you’re fit to travel.
- Research your destination – consider the foods, cultures and climates of the places your visiting. Know what to avoid, particularly while pregnant.
- Pack correctly – pack clothes that take your changing shape into account and keep you comfortable.
Want to become a better person? Travel more.
What about Galway, girl? Travel guide Lonely Planet has picked this colourful coastal city among its top 10 spots to visit in 2020. What were the other cities hot on the list? Here are the 10 best, according to Lonely Planet.
1. Salzburg, Austria
Drumroll, please: the Salzburg Festival is turning 100, and this heart-stealer of an Alpine city is singing about it at the top of its voice. One of the world’s greatest classical music shindigs, the festival is always a riotous feast of opera, classical music and drama – and never more so than in 2020. Salzburg will be pulling out all the stops for the centenary, with special exhibitions and events taking place all over the historic centre – concerts, plays, readings, Mozart matinees, you name it. Top billing, as always, will go to Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s Jedermann, based on a medieval morality play and performed in all its glory in Domplatz. So dust off your dirndl or lederhosen, book your tickets months ahead, and get ready to rock into the summer like Amadeus (perhaps minus the wig).
2. Washington DC, USA
All eyes will be on Washington, DC, this year, as the city celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment – the law that granted women the right to vote. Iconic museums like the National Portrait Gallery, the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of Women in the Arts will have special exhibitions related to this major milestone in human rights. Tie this in to the excitement for this year’s presidential election and DC will be one of America’s most dynamic cities in 2020. Politics aside, Washington’s renaissance is in full bloom, with a revitalised waterfront, celebrated new museums and an exploding food scene. Green roofs, hundreds of newly planted trees and an innovative floating wetlands system have the city looking greener than ever.
3. Cairo, Egypt
Egypt waved Tutankhamun’s treasures off on a globetrotting tour in 2018, declaring it the last time the pharaoh’s burial-booty would leave its shores. Want to gawk at ancient Egypt’s wealth in the future? You’ll need to visit Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). The year 2020 is set to be the date – inshallah (God willing) – this state-of-the-art museum in Giza throws open its doors. Head here to marvel at a mind-boggling collection in what will be the world’s largest museum entirely committed to one civilisation. For Red Sea and Luxor holidaymakers, a Pyramids and GEM add-on will also become a doddle with Giza’s newly inaugurated Sphinx Airport set to operate domestic flights.
4. Galway, Ireland
Brilliantly bohemian Galway is arguably Ireland’s most engaging city. Here brightly painted pubs heave with live music and cafes offer front-row seats to watch buskers perform. And this year all that creative exuberance is being supercharged by events marking the Galway region’s role as a 2020 European Capital of Culture – the city’s calendar is as packed with activity as the bars are with locals on a Saturday night. Expect street spectacle, live and digital art as well as world-class music, theatre and dance. Sleep might have to wait – in Galway even the buskers play late into the night. Vivid and vibrant, brimful of imagination, Galway in 2020 is home to a year-long, city-wide, arty party. And you’re invited too.
5. Bonn, Germany
Once capital of West Germany, Bonn slipped off the radar when Berlin re-seized the reins in 1990. But it’s back in the spotlight with a cymbal roll in 2020, as the city gears up to mark Beethoven’s 250th birthday. What’s the score? Well, you can expect a year-round line-up of concerts drawing world-famous orchestras, soloists and conductors (among them Sir Simon Rattle and Daniel Barenboim). Theater Bonn is staging Fidelio, the composer’s only opera. Beyond this, there are installations and competitions tuning into Beethoven’s musical genius, picnic performances, and ‘home concerts’ where local musicians fling open their doors to the public.
6. La Paz, Bolivia
Perhaps it’s the Jetsonian capsules gliding over La Paz along the world’s largest cable-car system that are the most obvious signs of its new-found ambition. There were just three lines in 2014, but there will be 11 in 2020. Down below, the once-drab city is racing towards a more radiant and inspired future. Everyone from a flamboyant self-taught architect to the budding chefs leaving new culinary schools is thriving here – not because of some borrowed ideas and global trends, but rather due to a renewed sense of pride in Bolivia’s indigenous roots. It’s not hard to see why an increasing number of tourists are now sticking around in La Paz before they venture further afield.
7. Kochi, India
This nicely chilled city in southern India has seen the light. Grafted onto the tropical Malabar Coast in Kerala, Kochi has become a shining example in renewable energy in recent years, launching the world’s first fully solar-powered airport, which snagged it a UN Champions of the Earth award. But that’s just tip-of-the-iceberg stuff. With boho cafes, intimate homestays hidden away in lazy, colonial-era backstreets, and a raft of forward-thinking galleries, this city keeps a tight grip on its heritage while wholeheartedly embracing its newfound cool. In 2020, street art comes to the fore at Kochi-Muziris Biennale, putting India firmly on the contemporary arts festival map.
8. Vancouver, Canada
This natural playground – squeezed majestically between the blue waters of the Pacific and the forest-clad mountaintops of the North Shore – was the birthplace of Greenpeace, so it seems fitting that Vancouver has been trying to lead the world in urban sustainability. And for you, the environmental benefits of its longstanding Greenest City 2020 Action Plan will only enrich your stay. Take to its vastly expanded cycling and walking network, including an unforgettable 28km section along beaches and shorefront, and comfortably hop between the city’s many sights on an upgraded public transport system. Or simply catch some shade under one of the 102,000 new trees that have been planted since 2010.
9. Dubai, UAE
The future is now in Dubai as the superlative-craving emirate launches several boundary-pushing marquee projects in 2020. Top billing, of course, goes to the six-month-long World Expo 2020, where 190 nations go all out in showcasing the latest visions in sustainability and mobility (think: flying cars) in architecturally show-stopping pavilions. Also expected to open is the Museum of the Future, a cabinet of next-gen wonders in an eye-shaped building festooned with calligraphy. Meanwhile, two miles off-shore, a Europe-themed fantasy resort on an artificial archipelago called The World is gearing up to welcome its first guests to such only-in-Dubai phenomena as underwater bedrooms and year-round snow.
10. Denver, USA
Denver’s elevated position as one of the USA’s most charming boomtowns has reached new heights as the Mile High City enters its latest phase of growth, creative energy and damn good food. Construction cranes dot the mountain-studded horizon and empty lots turn into hip new hotels seemingly overnight, while new food halls such as Milk Market satisfy appetites with an eclectic mix of farm-to-table and international fare. The mind-bending Santa Fe art experience Meow Wolf has installed a psychedelic ride called ‘Kaleidoscape’ at Elitch Gardens Theme and Water Park as a precursor to a permanent $50-million Meow Wolf installation to come in 2021. Meanwhile, the fascinating Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art has moved into a magnetic Olson Kundig–designed building within the city’s Golden Triangle Creative District.
What did we do before smartphones? Our devices have become an essential tool for modern life, even when we’re on holiday. In fact, technology is revolutionising tourism. We navigate with Google Maps, we use TripAdvisor to find good restaurants, we share our travel experiences on Instagram, and we instantly message people back home. Imagine if all of these things were taken away from you.
What did we do before smartphones? Our devices have become an essential tool for modern life, even when we’re on holiday. In fact, technology is revolutionising tourism. We navigate with Google Maps, we use TripAdvisor to find good restaurants, we share our travel experiences on Instagram, and we instantly message people back home. Imagine if all of these things were taken away from you.
That’s what we did to 24 people who volunteered for our interview-based study on what it’s like to give up your smartphone and travel digital-free. With a growing concern about the negative impact digital technology can have on people’s wellbeing, especially on holiday, we wanted to find out if a digital detox would help. But we found that disconnecting on holiday comes with emotional challenges of its own.
We asked our volunteers to keep a diary of their emotions and feelings before they disconnected, during their trip, and after re-connecting when they returned home. We also conducted interviews after their digital-free journeys.
Individuals who choose to disconnect on holiday tend to be looking for some therapeutic rehabilitation. But we found the digital-free journey was not always easy. Travellers experienced different levels of emotions due to technology disconnection. Feelings of anxiety started to build with the anticipation of disconnecting, with worries about what would happen. One participant said: “To be honest, two days before the trip I was a little bit nervous about it.”
The negative emotions escalated in the first few days of the disconnected holiday with a mixture of frustration, worry, isolation, and anxiety. The feelings were especially overwhelming for some tech-savvy travellers who were used to technology in their daily lives. They struggled to settle into a new environment without their usual support of technology. One participant mentioned their anxiety around safety: “There is a chance that I might be in danger or have an accident, and my family cannot reach me.”
Travellers at this stage were forced to travel in an old-fashion manner, navigating using a printed map, talking to strangers, and reading printed bus timetables. Two of our participants even gave up at this stage as they found the emotional experience unbearable.
The strength of emotions was not the same for everyone. In the research, we discovered several influencing factors. It was easier to disconnect in rural destinations, if participants had travel companions, if they had fewer work commitments back home, if they had strong motivations for disconnecting, or if their reliance on technology in daily life was low.
Our participants overcame the initial emotions and then started to enjoy the digital-free experience. They found themselves more immersed in the destination, created more valuable moments with their travel companions, and had many more memorable and authentic encounters with locals.
They felt free, happy, excited, and relieved. One participant said: “I feel quite good that I made it this far without technology. I feel quite liberated.” Without the disruptions of digital technologies, they were fully engaged with their holiday experience, demonstrating that a digital-free holiday can contribute to wellbeing.
Reconnecting to normal life
All detoxes must come to an end, and our travellers had to face reconnecting to technology at the end of their holidays. Many started to feel anxious or guilty, but others, although they enjoyed the disconnected experience, felt excited to reconnect.
Interestingly, first time digital-free travellers felt disappointed as they anticipated the things they missed out on while disconnected, but then realised they had not missed much. Many reevaluated their relationships with technology. One of our participants stated:
“It was rather disappointing turning my phone back on. Seeing Facebook likes and messages I had, I felt how superficial they were. Not important stuff. I started to think why am I so addicted to counting my likes and reading comments that don’t really have a huge impact on my life? Technology, especially Facebook, has become my life”.
Understanding the emotions of tourists can also provide insights for tour operators and destination management organisations when developing either off-the-grid packages or tech-savvy tour products. Understanding what triggers consumers’ negative and positive emotions can help companies improve products and marketing strategies.
Digital-free travel provides an opportunity for many travellers to re-examine their relationships with technology. Many participants reflected on their addictions and “fear of missing out”, and considered bringing this digital-free idea into their daily life, or do it more during their holidays.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Lecturer in Information Systems, University of East Anglia. Lecturer in Information Systems, Auckland University of Technology. Lecturer in Tourism and Hospitality, University of Greenwich.
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“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry,
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