After a month of travelling, do you have any travel related questions for me?
Have you always dreamt of travelling, but somehow never get to it? Are you intimidated by the idea? Would you love to know more details of my everyday journeys: safety, getting from A to B, solo travelling as a woman, practical packing tips, attitude, cultural differences, hygiene, planning and food? Or did you travel to many countries yourself and would you love to compare your own experiences to mine? If you have a question, please leave it in the comments. If enough people have specific and fun questions, I might do a post on it.
The short overview:
In total, I will be travelling 3 months through Cambodia, Laos, China and Nepal. Roughly, I have 3 weeks for each country. My chosen travel style is solo backpacking, China being the exception. After a long time of doubting I decided to join an organised tour in China (small group, other backpackers between 18-35). Reasons: 1. outside the big cities people don’t speak English, nor are there any English signs, making it very challenging to navigate and travel on your own, 2. for my visa application I needed to show a letter of invitation and confirmed bookings of hostels/hotels I would be staying, making it very hard to just ‘go with the flow’ while being there and 3. I only have 3 weeks and in a country so huge it would be beneficial to see as many of the highlights as possible in a short amount of time (instead of losing days, trying to figure out where the train leaves and how to buy a ticket etc.). In Nepal I will go back to normal backpacking again, and for the last two weeks of my journey, Joran will join me for my final adventures (Yay! So excited about this!).
So, what would you love to know about me and my travel adventures?
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1 Comment
patrice roarty
April 9, 2015 at 04:01
marielle,
so wonderful to receive your updates from your asian adventures — please stay well and happy!! it’s so fun following you around and THANK YOU for offering to answer our questions. you are THE BEST!!
when i read your post a little bit ago that you were thinking to travel and discussing this w/ your mum my heart burst open. when i read cambodia i danced for joy!!
marielle, i was fortunate enough to celebrate my 50th in cambodia in 2012 doing massage for hiv/aids children in an oprhanage — http://www.budstoblossoms.org/ — i fell MADLY IN LOVE w/ the cambodian people. such a deep heart connection i had w/ them and in that country. i can’t explain it but it’s deep and powerful. i knew i wanted to return. reading that you were headed in that direction i was so happy to experience the country again through your eyes. thank you so much for sharing some of your experiences and the photos. oh, siem reap — A SLICE OF HEAVEN.
marielle, when i read that you were thinking to travel and decided to go for it (your mother is wonderful!!) i felt INSPIRED. i too would like to return. i’ve been all over the world and where i struggle, which keeps me stuck and not traveling is something i think maybe you can assist with. the issue for me is ACCOMMODATION. i have found that when i travel, which is always alone, i do not wish to do the hostel scene and i also am not comfortable just showing up and expecting to locate clean, western style accommodation . at my age i need clean and modern conveniences. which ensure good sleep, which is imperative at this stage of life. = > i’ve stayed in places where i was very uncomfortable and could not sleep. then i found hotels that were comfy yet too pricey, even for asia.
how do you manage where you’ll be sleeping, knowing you’ll be in several countries for several weeks at a time? how much research do you do before you depart? or before you arrive in the next country? what research tools do you use?
also, prior to departure, do you research where you’d like to go in each country and map out your travel route? or do you leave things up in the air? how loosely do you travel?
VERY IMPORTANT: where do you keep your passport, money, credit cards, id, tickets, etc , etc? i’ve always kept everything on my person 24/7 which is challenging if you have the opportunity to swim.
thank you, again, dear one for allowing us to live through you and get some tips and pointers so that we too can expand our world and mind.
buon viaggio!!
patrice
u.s.a., florida