Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

Last week we were happy to receive a Tweet from Lindsay from Round the World Sabbatical saying that she nominated us for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award. Thank you very much, Lindsay! 

As one of the nominees of the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award, we’re supposed to answer 10 questions Lindsay gave us, nominate 10 female travel bloggers and ask them 10 new questions.

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award makes it easier to get to know fellow female travel bloggers better and it’s also a great opportunity for readers to learn more about us.

The ‘rules’ of Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award are quite simple.  Thank the blogger that nominated you.  Answer her 10 questions.  Nominate 10 female travel bloggers.  Ask them 10 new questions. Let them know they have been nominated.

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

So, here are the answers to Lindsay’s questions. 🙂

1. If you had to settle down (gasp!) somewhere that you’ve already been, where would it be and why?

If we should consider settling down in one of the countries where we have travelled, it would be Costa Rica or New Zealand because of the beautiful nature, lovely people and safety.

2. What is the minimum amount of money you’d need per month to travel at your own personal comfort level?

The amount of money we need for travelling per month depends a lot on the country where we are.

In average, the minimum amount of money we need for travelling per month per person is around 600 USD including local transport, food and accommodation. With 750 USD, we are more comfortable. This cost doesn’t include flights and is really the minimum for travelling in countries in South-East Asia, Nepal, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Guatemala. It’s been a while since we travelled in Mexico, Central and South America (2011). The cost of travelling in Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia and Brazil is higher, so we needed about 750 USD per person per month then.

We’re heading to India soon, which should be inexpensive. Then we’re going to east Africa where the cost of travelling will be higher; the visas are expensive, so is accommodation and entrances to national parks are steep.

3. How do you stay safe when traveling?

It depends on the country where we travel and from one place to another within a country.

In general, we always respect the local culture, which means that we dress modestly where it’s necessary not to attract much attention. In countries such as Nepal or Malaysia, we would never wear shorts and tops without at least short sleeves. 

In some areas in Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia we noticed quite soon that it was better to stay in after the dark. Streets in those countries in some places were totally deserted after 7 p.m. The one thing we didn’t like about travelling in Latin America was that we had to keep an eye on our stuff 24 hours a day.

We always believe in our common sense and intuition. We never had serious troubles at all, either travelling together or separately.

We’re glad that Lindsay asked this question and we have a chance to say what we think about  women’s safety on the road.

Honestly, we think that this topic is overestimated. When a woman goes travelling to a foreign country, it doesn’t mean that she will be in danger there.  You can be in danger in your home country,  London, Tokyo or a village in Nepal if you are not conscious enough and not aware of your surroundings. 

It is always good:

• to know where you are heading to and be confident (or at least try to look confident)
• to be dressed properly
• not to go to areas you don’t know much about, especially in the night
• not to take a taxi after the dark, in some countries even in the day (use local transport instead)
• not to take night buses in some countries (Mexico, Latin America)
• not to drink alcohol
• to withdraw money from an ATM during the day, inside a bank where possible
• to keep an eye on your belongings and carry your small backpack on your chest, not on your back, if you feel it’s necessary

4. Tell me about some of your travel friendships.  How do you meet new friends on the road, and what types of adventures have you gotten into with new travel friends?

During our journeys all around the world, we have met a lot of travellers and shared stories and experiences with them. As we travel for a long time in each country, we spend more time with local people than with other travellers.  We have made new friends through Couchsurfing. They showed us places that we wouldn’t have been able to find or go to on our own. 

The most interesting traveller that we have met so far is Yanny, a sculptor, who we met in Laos. He is over 80 years old and he has been backpacking around Asia for some years and still keeps travelling.

5. How do you plan for your travels?  How much of your travel time is planned out, and how much room do you leave for spontaneity?  What are your favorite travel planning resources?

70 % is planned and 30 % is left for spontaneity.

Our travel resources are travel blogs, other travellers’ advice and reviews on Tripadvisor. We don’t read popular travel guides that point all travellers in the same direction. We always appreciate tips from the locals too.

6. If you could go back in time and give your new-traveler self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Stay conscious and enjoy every moment as it was your last one.

7. When you’re on the road, what do you miss most from home?  How do you deal with this?

As nomads, we don’t miss much. Otherwise we wouldn’t be nomads. We’re home where we are at the moment. We love our lifestyle. 

8. What is the most unusual must-have item on your packing list?

We love coffee, so we always carry a strainer.

9. Why did you decide to become a travel blogger?  Has it lived up to your hopes?

After years of travels we realised that we wanted to write about our journeys and share our experience. And as we often read other travellers’ blogs and use them as  a source of information, we want to give all this back.

10. What have you noticed about the community of women travelers?  What are some strengths?  What do you wish was different?

We started our blog three months ago so we are still in the process of getting to know the community. We have already noticed there are well travelled women who share their intriguing stories on their blogs.

Thank you again, Lindsay, for nominating us!

Our Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award nominations go to:

Amanda at  A Dangerous Business, Silvia at Heart My Backpack,  Megan at Mapping Megan, Bea at Beatravelling, Inta at Curious Cat Expat,  Kathleen at Kat Pegi Mana, Jen at Travelbllgr, Kaya at One chick travels, Kait at Travelin Kait,  The Wandering Feline

Our questions for you:

1) Who has been the most interesting traveller you have met on your journeys?

2) If you could take just one book for your travels,  which one would you pick up?

3) What three items would you take with you if you went to a jungle for a month?

4) In which country have you met the most friendliest people?

5) Is there any place in the world that you are coming back to once a while?

6) What has been the most delicious food that you have eaten so far and where?

7) How many languages do you speak? Do you enjoy learning new languages while travelling?

8) What has been the most interesting animal that you have seen and where?

9) What beach have you liked the most?

10) Have you ever hitchhiked during your travels, where and what has been your experience?

When you’ve written your post, please include a link in the comments below.  Happy travels!