How often do you see coffins hanging from the cliffs? This is definitely one of the things that I’ll remember from my trip to Sagada, a town in the northern Philippines. People of this town would place coffins up on cliffs as they believe that higher the body to the skies, the better for the departed soul. The community worships natural spirits and this is a unique tradition that I came across while traveling in the Philippines.
That is not something that you forget. This is what traveling does to you. So, how can one not travel, when there are so many memories to be collected from the world?
Becoming A Solo Globetrotter
I have been traveling for quite some time now, long before I became a travel blogger. I always love being outdoors and I would squeeze out any leave or holidays to travel. But a destination that changed the course of my life was traveling to Bhutan in 2015. I realized that I wanted to do much more and started thinking in that direction.
Maybe it was the gorgeous landscapes of the Himalayan mountains or simply the sheer charm of this country, I can’t say, but this trip was more of an inward journey to me. I pondered about many things, about life and stuff as I explored places in Bhutan.
Travel Becomes My Inspiration To Travel Even More
I am passionate about both the things – travel and blogging. And this keeps me going. I work on my blog for hours, many days up to 14 hours a day when I am not on the road. But I wouldn’t mind doing it at all because I enjoy my work.
The Place At Which I Would Love To Spend All My Time
Though it’s hard to narrow down to a single place, I love spending time in the mountains more, and the Himalayan regions in India are what I love the most.
Outside of India, I enjoyed traveling in the Philippines for its beaches & islands, Vietnam for its food and Laos for its lush green forests.
Money Matters! (And How I Make It)
As I said I love writing and my work revolves around that mostly. I work on editorial projects that involve editing, managing end-to-end content on websites and social media marketing. As a travel writer, I do take up travel writing assignments. I also earn through my travel blog through brand collaborations, working with travel companies, sponsors, and influencer campaigns. I do all of these remotely so that it gives me the flexibility to travel.
A Money Saving Tip So That You Can Travel More!
Speaking of general travel tips, I think transportation and accommodation are the two things where you can save a lot of money if you do some research and better planning.
For example, a lot of money can be saved if you book the flights in advance. If you are sure that you are going on a vacation and the dates have been finalised, don’t delay booking your flights. You get the best deals between 2 to 3 months before your trip dates. Subscribing to newsletters of airlines also helps you in leveraging their deals better.
As for the money, set aside a travel fund if you love traveling. Don’t get disheartened or carried away if you see someone traveling all the time or by those endless bucket list articles. You can too if you prioritize things and work around your life the way you want it to be.
My Personal Advice To people who are planning to take up travel blogging
Traveling and blogging are entirely two different things. If you just want to travel, then find ways to make it happen. I know many friends of mine who are extensive travelers having different jobs. Similarly, there are people like me who enjoy both and have taken them up as a full-time job.
Most people that ask me questions fall into the first category. For them, my two cents of advice would be to prioritise travel and save enough to make it happen. If you don’t love blogging, there are other ways to share your journeys – thanks to all the social media platforms!
If you feel like blogging, then experiment before taking the plunge. Test the waters. One way could be to start writing a few posts about the places where you have already traveled and see if you enjoy blogging. If you do, then see how you want to take the next step. If not, you have nothing to lose!
And lastly, if you want to start a travel blog just because you think you want freebies, press trips or want to escape your desk jobs, then the truth is that you’ll feel exhausted and lost after a while. Because like every job, you need to love what you do and believe me, blogging is a LOT of work, which doesn’t even pay in the beginning.
A Practical tip for female solo travelers
Many women tell me that fear is one of the things that prevents from stepping out alone. I think that you don’t have to have the courage or something special to travel alone. Most of what we think is just in the head, including fear. No matter how much you try, some perceptions and misconceptions can’t be changed until one travels solo.
So one way to overcome the fear of traveling alone would be to start small, maybe on a weekend, to a place close to where you live. You can keep your family informed, plan every detail if you want, take safety measures, and go on at least one or two trips.
Be with her during her journeys on Solo Globetrotter, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
