Diana Talks About Perks of Being A Solo Traveller
Perks of being a solo traveller and tips for beginners who would like to take up the challenge!
Diana, a 31-year-old Romanian, solo traveller and blogger, has been travelling for approximately 9 years. At the age of 23, she decided to pick up her bags and explore the world through her own eyes.
Where have you been as a solo traveller?
Both a surfer and a hiker, she discovered her passion in exploring Sri Lanka beaches and South American mountains. She solo hiked the Vinicunca from Peru and the Torres del Paine from Chile. At the start of January, she started her 18-day expedition to hike one of the highest mountains in the Himalayas. However, her newfound interest in exploring the glaciers drove her to hike Dickson Glacier in early December last year, whilst for New Year, she went hiking Glaciar Perito Moreno. As a solo traveller, she enjoys meeting new people around the world. In every travel experience she had, there would be something unique and memorable to her.
Although she prefers to schedule her own travels, there are perks in focusing on what she wants to do. “You get used to a certain level of freedom,” and “some people won’t enjoy hiking a 140 km trail in Patagonia from Chile,” she laughed.
Why do you travel during holidays?
The afternoon before Christmas Eve, I had the pleasure to talk to her about her Christmas plans in Ushuaia. This beautiful Argentina location and penguins’ natural habitat was the last destination she was at before heading to one of her new year resolutions. She described her perfect Christmas night in, “I’m going to be right here in Ushuaia, going to buy myself some Argentinian treats, watch Netflix and chill the entire day.” In fact, for the past 9 years, she has been staying Christmas abroad and it has become a Christmas tradition for her.
“No one else wants to fly (on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day),” she shrugged. So unlike everyone else, she takes off every Christmas in search of cheap plane tickets, affordable holidays, and hotels where she can enjoy a nice evening with a margarita.
How do you establish a balance between travels and expenses?
“Look for stuff that is cheap,” and “find good flights well in advance.”
“The place (you pick to travel) is really important.”
She found it difficult and expensive to backpack in London, but in Asia it is different. Speaking from her first travel experience to Cambodia, Diana believes Asia is a good starting point for solo travellers because it is packed with cheap food and affordable hostels. “Apart from that, you get to culturally exchange and share fun memories with people.”
“They love tourists,” she exclaimed, which is different from living in London, “you don’t see tourists and oh my god- tell me your life story” on city streets!
Diana also reminds beginner solo travellers to be mindful of their place. She suggests that other than having the courage to solo travel, they should also be sensible and self-aware of their surroundings.
Remember to “stay safe,” she said.
Check out Diana’s travels @dpushi, her photography @dpushiphotography, and her website.
Courageous & Creative: Travel Writer Megan
Moving to Cape Town at the beginning of the pandemic, travel writer Megan believes this was one of the best things she has done but also the scariest. This courageous spirit of hers started when she embarked on a voyage to explore twelve countries five years ago. She still remembers vividly the anticipation, fear, and excitement she felt as she watched the lights of Honolulu disappear into the sea, knowing it’d be days till they crossed the Pacific to Japan. Being courageous is what she strives to be!
Tell us about yourself and what did you study?
I’m 26, but I’ll be 27 in March. I got a bachelor’s degree in creative writing. Currently, I’m finishing my masters in creative writing at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
Why did you start travelling?
That’s a great question… I started travelling when I was 19. It was my first solo trip to India. I think that really opened my eyes to how big the world is, how there’s so much to see. Before that, I never really left my country. I’ve only been to Mexico for a day with my family.
The trip to India transformed me to go outside of my home continent at such a young age. So when I came back from that trip, I knew I had fallen in love with travelling and would like to travel more. I was ready to do whatever it takes to travel further.
When I was 21, I did a study abroad program called Semester at Sea. You basically go to school on a ship and you start travelling around the world. They have the professors on the ship. As you travel from country to country, you study with the professors. Everything you learn on the ship matches with where you’re going. If you’re going to South Africa, you would be learning South African poetry. I studied travel writing, global media and poetry while I was doing the program.
We went to 13 different countries in that period of four months. I have gone to 12 new countries from this program, so it really expanded my worldview. When I got back from the program, I really wanted to start writing about travel and about different destinations that I want to visit.
Did you encounter any unexpected scenarios during your travels?
Many times! (giggles)
Recently my partner, who’s South African, and I went on a road trip around the country. We went 5,300 km around South Africa but I had a small compact car that wasn’t meant to travel that hectic roundtrip. Some of the roads I went on in remote areas weren’t well maintained, so it took us twice as long to get to different destinations like waterfalls. We had to drive in pitch-black through puddles, and drive through sheep, goats, and cows on the road. We were trying to avoid them and trying to make it to our destinations.
At one of the places called Coffee Bay in the Eastern Cape, we got there at 1 am. It took us a lot of time to get there. Basically, the roads are like on the cliffs, going through the mountains. they’re just hugging the edges of the cliffs.
I feel like a lot of times in travelling things happen that you’d don’t expect. They end up being the most memorable and most rewarding part of travel.
Speaking about your road trip in South Africa, which memory stood out the most?
We hiked up to Tugela Waterfalls. In November they were declared the highest waterfall in the world. We hiked to the top of it on New Year’s Eve, and it took us 7 hours. It was a really hectic hike with rain and slippery conditions.
The path reminded me of being in the mountains of Peru, or something like that. We made it even though it was a difficult journey and got to wake up on New Year’s Day in a really beautiful place in South Africa. On New Year’s Eve, it was cloudy and stormy but then the next day the sun was shining. I was kinda hoping that would be what 2022 would be like, just lots of sunshine unlike the cloudiness of 2021.
Do you have any roadtripping hacks?
A lot of gas stations in South Africa take an hour to get to, so you have to make sure you don’t go below half a tank of gas because you could get stranded. Also, make sure to check the oil and water and everything else.
The best moments I had in road-tripping would be looking at a detailed itinerary guide from a magazine. I was not afraid of not planning the same way and threw the advice out of the window. I planned our own path and it was really memorable. Being spontaneous can create memorable encounters. We drove past stuff and we were like “that looks cool”, “let’s go there”.
Be prepared and don’t stick to your itinerary every time. Be open to last-minute plan changes.
Since you fell in love with Cape Town from your travel expedition and decided to move there, what was it like to move to somewhere foreign? Did you have difficulties moving there alone?
Definitely a big yes! I first moved here in January 2020 and I came completely alone. Although I knew where I was staying, I didn’t have any instructions to get there, so I ended up standing on the sidewalk with all of my bags after travelling for over 24 hours. I think in the first couple of months, I had a lot of “what did you just do” moments and “this is a bad idea” thoughts.
How did you overcome those difficulties?
I fell in love with the place which helped me overcome those difficulties. The homesickness and the feelings of not belonging here started to fade as my love for the country grew.
One thing I’m passionate about letting people know when I talk about my story is you shouldn’t let fear stop you from doing something you want to do. This is because this feeling of being scared is always accompanied by my greatest memories.
The scariest things I’ve done are always the best things I’ve done. People shouldn’t be afraid to feel that fear, it would get you somewhere and get you on the path of where you should be.
There are scary moments on big or small trips. Like on our road trip, I was really afraid at one point because it was hailing and raining, I was afraid of falling off the edge or something like that. I wanted to turn around so many times and I wanted to give up. But if you are persistent and you believe in yourself, it would be so rewarding to make it through difficulties in your trip.
Where in Cape Town is a must-see place for travellers?
An unpopular spot called Kalk Bay. Once you have done the Cape Town bucket list items, this is a must-see place. I hadn’t heard of it before I moved here but it is just a quiet little beach town. You can order fish and chips and take a swim in the ocean while you’re waiting. It is a beautiful and peaceful place and a part of Cape Town that people who are visiting don’t often see.
Have you decided to venture somewhere else, anytime soon? Do you have a travel bucket list?
It is hard to have a travel bucket list now. Things are so uncertain with travelling right now but I try to be hopeful. I’m starting to plan a South African trip, maybe travel from the Cape to Cairo, then to Zimbabwe and other places. I am trying to plan this with my partner and work remotely. There’s just so much to see on this continent, and we’ll come back to Cape Town if we miss it.
Do you think these new travels will prompt new inspirations for your writing? What really inspires you to write during your travels?
I hope these new travels will inspire my writing. Currently, I am finishing a book for my master’s program, it is a travel memoir. I think what started my travel writing was my first trip to India and the Semester at Sea program. It was from these experiences that I want people to experience what I was experiencing. As I started to write, I wanted to share the beauty and knowledge of the world. But also share my feelings during these travels with people who also like to travel.
Do you have any publications you are currently writing for?
I am a freelance writer who writes about social responsibility in travels and culture, interviews, and travel poetry. I also write for non-profit organisations like one.org. However, I hope to write about other places and their organisations as I travel. My life to travel matches with my desire to see people do good things for the world.
What would you advise others who would like to become travel writers? How did you get into travel writing?
A lot of people have been asking this! What I always say to people and what people have been telling me is just to try it. This is frustrating advice because you hear it and you would be like “how”? I figured it out by finding places that I really want to work for, whether it’d be an online website or a magazine. Just google their contacts and send them pitches.
If you never ask, you’re never going to know. If you have a dream and you never act on it, it’s never going to happen. Just try until you make it.
As a courageous female traveller, how would you encourage other women to overcome their fears of travelling solo?
I’m 5 feet tall, so if I am small and I can travel alone to almost 30 countries, you can do it too! I think a lot of it is being aware of your surroundings…And also your mindset and how you tell yourself you are strong, bold and brave. Telling yourself “you’ll be okay” when you walk into an unfamiliar city is the best advice you can give to yourself. Be as prepared as you can be but don’t let your fear keep you out of amazing experiences.
Follow travel writer Megan & her road trips and adventures at @meganthetravelingwriter!
Travel Content Creator Kellie Paxian's Life of Adventures
Kellie Paxian, a 32-year-old Canadian, has been travelling full-time for 2 and a half years. In 2017, she left her office job and decided to do a 6-month trip around the world. Currently, she is in Cape Town, South Africa, working as a travel content creator and a travel writer.
Let the universe take the wheel and release your control!
What is it like to be a coach and travel at the same time?
Being the founder of Adventurelust, I host travel content courses there and teach my travel content creator clients how to do what I do! For example, travel writing, travel blogging, taking travel photography, growing your Instagram, getting brand collaborations and more. I work remotely, so I work on the road whenever I get hired as a coach and share what I do.
Where else have you been except Cape Town?
I’ve been to 48 countries now and been to every continent except for Antarctica (chuckles).
I’ve been to Europe, South-East Asia, South Africa, North and South America…And next month I’m going to Botswana, which I’m really excited about.
How often do you travel and what drives you to travel to these certain places?
I travel full-time, and Cape Town is kind of my home now. But I go back and forth between Cape Town and my home country, so last year I was here for 6 months. Then I went home, saw my family and enjoyed the Canadian summer and winter for 3 months.
Sitting at home in Vancouver got me thinking about travelling. A lot of my friends were settled down, but I was single, and I didn’t want to wait around to see if I met somebody who would make me happy. I’d rather take my happiness into my own hands.
Of course, I also wanted to see the world as it is; that’s why I started, but the big part of it is knowing how to make myself happy, and that is through travel. I feel very fortunate to be able to travel and live in a place that resonates with my soul. Cape Town is my spirit city, and I am really happy here. It’s definitely where I’m meant to be.
I visit places that fill up my soul and make me happy.
Perhaps you could introduce a real gem location in Cape Town that you would recommend to visitors?
Oh gosh, there are so many, and I don’t want to say all of them because I don’t want people to steal my spots (giggles). Obviously, Lion’s Head is my favourite. I hike it as often as possible, usually once to thrice a week for sunrise. That’s the best gem, even though it’s not a hidden one.
There are amazing sunset spots here. My favourite is Saunders Rocks because it has a little tidal pool that you can sit next to. You can also watch the waves crashing with Lion’s Head right behind you.
Tell us about a recent trip to another country?
In Fall, I was in Ecuador for a month and a half, where I hosted an 8-day tour on a cruise. We did island hopping and witnessed Galapagos’ well-known biodiversity. We saw amazing animals and species, and the underwater world there was just – unbelievable.
Snorkelling with dolphins and diving with hammerhead sharks were one of a kind opportunities to witness the amazing sea life.
Do you have any expectations of what a perfect trip may look like? How would you define your perfect trip?
I do think you can have a perfect trip, but I would say the key is to have no expectations because you’d want to be flexible and go with the flow. You can set your intentions for what you want out of the trip – basically going in with a positive mindset.
I believe in the law of attraction: if you put positive vibes out, the universe will reward you with positive vibes. Whenever I go on the trip, I’d be like, “this is going to be the best trip EVER” and it usually is! What you put into a trip is what you’ll get out of it.
What has been your most rewarding travel moment?
There’s so many – obviously, the people place such a big part of your travel experience. On every trip as a solo traveller, my friend circle gets bigger because I make deep connections with people. If you travel with a friend, you’re more inclined to always talk to them, but if you’re alone, you’ll talk to different people. Meeting people around the world and getting close to them, caring about them and them caring about you is really unique and rewarding.
What else did you learn from your trips that could be advice for others?
The biggest lesson I have learnt was when I did my first 6-month real travel experience, where I learnt the power of the universe – learning to let things be. You don’t want to go into a certain place with a certain mindset. And that when you face challenges when you travel, remember to trust the process and that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes that reason is to make you stronger or an adaptable traveller. There have been crazy things happening to me, and I believe the universe rewards me for going after my dreams.
Since you are a coach, what common mistakes do new travellers make in your opinion?
I can speak for myself like, for example, I missed a flight. One of my biggest tips is getting ready and remembering to double-check everything. When you’re travelling, there are a lot of early mornings, so be prepared and pack the night before. You wouldn’t want to leave anything at your previous destination.
Do you make a living out of your travel guides? Is it sustainable work that manages your travel expenses?
I have various streams of income – part of it comes from travel writing and editing. I get paid for writing travel articles for media publications, and I’m an editor for the World Footprints. On the other side of this, with my business Adventurelust, I coach clients and plan trips for them, host tour groups and make commissions off of that. For example, later this month, I’m hosting a safari.
Do you have any more advice to those who would like to become full-time travellers?
Definitely have a budget and save up. It is crucial because things can go quickly wrong such as missing a flight and getting another.
It is also a good idea to work remotely so you can travel, experience the world and still get paid.
It’s also imperative to have an open mind – be open to whatever experiences flow in your way and be open to whoever you meet. Don’t be stuck in your way. Follow the flow, and that’s where you’ll have the best experiences.
Follow travel content creator Kellie Paxian and her adventures at kelliepaxian.com or @kelliepaxian!