WEBVTT - Positively Gam: Travel Tips & Tricks w/ Glo Atanmo 0:00:09.760 --> 0:00:14.120 What's up, everybody. I'm Gammy and this is Positively Gam. 0:00:14.160 --> 0:00:17.120 As many of you know, I love to travel, especially 0:00:17.160 --> 0:00:19.840 just hanging out and chilling at the beach. There's a 0:00:19.960 --> 0:00:22.560 lot about traveling I don't know, though, and wanted to 0:00:22.600 --> 0:00:25.239 have a travel expert on the show to learn where 0:00:25.280 --> 0:00:29.040 the best destinations are, how to get cheap travel rates, 0:00:29.400 --> 0:00:32.239 and to find out where I should be visiting. So 0:00:32.320 --> 0:00:35.760 let's get into the episode. I'm so excited to introduce 0:00:35.880 --> 0:00:41.080 Glow a Tonmo. She's a travel entrepreneur and creative educator, 0:00:41.159 --> 0:00:46.479 venturing to over nine countries across six continents and telling 0:00:46.560 --> 0:00:50.440 the stories of destinations around the world. She's the host 0:00:50.479 --> 0:00:53.360 of the Glow Show podcast and the founder of the 0:00:53.400 --> 0:00:57.160 Social Educators Academy, where she helps people leverage their social 0:00:57.200 --> 0:01:00.440 platforms to make a difference and make a living doing 0:01:00.520 --> 0:01:03.720 what they love. She also has written an e book, 0:01:04.160 --> 0:01:07.880 From Excuses to Excursions, How I Started Traveling the World, 0:01:08.240 --> 0:01:10.560 in which she talks about everything that has led up 0:01:10.560 --> 0:01:14.040 to where she is today. Welcome to Positively Gam. Glow 0:01:14.319 --> 0:01:16.760 so glad to have you on. Thank you gam for 0:01:16.880 --> 0:01:19.920 having me. Cheers from Bali. I'm so excited to be 0:01:20.040 --> 0:01:23.319 on and talking to you today. Yes, we're excited to 0:01:23.400 --> 0:01:26.640 have you. I actually grew up traveling with my parents, 0:01:26.640 --> 0:01:29.160 and my parents who were traveling, and that they felt 0:01:29.160 --> 0:01:34.760 like travel and you're traveling experiences and your education is 0:01:34.800 --> 0:01:38.080 something that no one can ever take from you. So 0:01:38.319 --> 0:01:42.840 I learned to love traveling. What sparked your interest in travel? 0:01:43.680 --> 0:01:46.400 I love that, And yet what an honor that your 0:01:46.400 --> 0:01:48.480 parents were able to expose you to the beauty of 0:01:48.480 --> 0:01:51.680 travel at such a young age. For me, I always 0:01:51.760 --> 0:01:54.320 grew up thinking, oh, what my parents told me, this 0:01:54.400 --> 0:01:56.960 is the way the world works, and even culturally, oh, 0:01:57.120 --> 0:02:01.800 the American way is the way, and you tril and 0:02:01.800 --> 0:02:05.080 then you and you find out that's not quite the truth, 0:02:05.240 --> 0:02:07.720 and then it's no longer about right versus wrong. It's 0:02:07.760 --> 0:02:11.760 just different. Like so many things that we think about 0:02:11.760 --> 0:02:13.560 the world, the ways that we live in this world, 0:02:13.880 --> 0:02:16.000 it's not a matter of right or wrong. It's just different. 0:02:16.240 --> 0:02:21.040 And that difference humbled me. Is just different. Yeah, yeah, 0:02:21.080 --> 0:02:24.200 I agree with you. One. It gives you an opportunity 0:02:24.280 --> 0:02:30.919 to really see and experience and understand different cultures, and 0:02:31.040 --> 0:02:34.920 it teaches you to just be tolerant like Americans I 0:02:34.919 --> 0:02:39.000 think are really elitist in that attitude where you know 0:02:39.600 --> 0:02:43.079 everything that we do is the best. And there are 0:02:43.120 --> 0:02:47.280 people that are quite happy where they are in their 0:02:47.320 --> 0:02:50.880 own country, with their own cultures, and of course we 0:02:51.000 --> 0:02:54.840 have some freedoms and um perfectly happy being here, but 0:02:54.919 --> 0:02:59.680 it is wonderful to experience other cultures. My first out 0:02:59.760 --> 0:03:03.919 of the country experience was in Jamaica. What was your 0:03:03.960 --> 0:03:07.880 first out of the country travel experience, Oh, Mines, wasn't 0:03:07.880 --> 0:03:12.840 as exotic. It was the UK so London, okay, I 0:03:12.880 --> 0:03:15.639 was twenty two. It was actually the study abroad, and 0:03:15.760 --> 0:03:18.760 funny enough, I was not a drinker, Like I never 0:03:19.000 --> 0:03:21.960 drink alcohol, and then when I learned I'd be studying abroad, 0:03:22.080 --> 0:03:24.440 I was like, oh British. I heard they're big drinkers, 0:03:24.440 --> 0:03:26.959 and I have to represent America, so let me start drinking. 0:03:29.440 --> 0:03:32.639 I can keep up with the pub culture. So literally 0:03:32.639 --> 0:03:34.880 that is that was like why I started drinking alcohol, 0:03:35.000 --> 0:03:37.600 just to be able to represent America well around the world. 0:03:38.840 --> 0:03:45.720 Oh that's hilarious, hilarious, sad, Oh my goodness, that's funny. 0:03:45.920 --> 0:03:48.800 What kind of things do you think older people should 0:03:48.840 --> 0:03:53.040 look for when picking a travel destination. Yeah, so I 0:03:53.080 --> 0:03:55.800 think one of the biggest things that people fear in general, 0:03:55.840 --> 0:03:58.400 no matter what their age, is the language barrier. So 0:03:58.560 --> 0:04:02.440 I would recommend like a place where it's either English 0:04:02.520 --> 0:04:04.800 is the first language or English is the second or 0:04:04.840 --> 0:04:07.400 third language, and so most people can speak it, or 0:04:07.440 --> 0:04:10.720 at least signs are in English. So I love Ireland 0:04:10.840 --> 0:04:13.960 and Scotland for those reasons. But if you're looking for 0:04:14.000 --> 0:04:17.719 something a little bit more exotic, Namibia is one of those. 0:04:17.760 --> 0:04:20.000 Oh my goodness, if more people knew about it, because 0:04:20.040 --> 0:04:23.240 I think in the African continent, South Africa is like 0:04:23.440 --> 0:04:28.159 people's first stop, but Namibia it is so otherworldly, it 0:04:28.279 --> 0:04:31.200 is so beautiful, and I think and it's so safe. 0:04:31.600 --> 0:04:35.200 So I think people who are over forty, over fifty, 0:04:35.200 --> 0:04:41.480 over sixty would really enjoy Safari's relaxation glamping in the desert. Wow. 0:04:41.560 --> 0:04:44.719 Now I'm writing this down because that is not some place. 0:04:44.839 --> 0:04:48.240 I've been to South Africa a couple of times, and 0:04:48.360 --> 0:04:53.080 I've never thought about going to Namibia. Wow. And you 0:04:53.120 --> 0:04:56.200 could drive there from South Africa as well. I drove, yeah, 0:04:56.279 --> 0:05:01.040 which is also an experience. Okay, okay, Now you are 0:05:01.120 --> 0:05:04.479 currently in Bali. Yeah, and I've read that you've been 0:05:04.520 --> 0:05:08.480 there over thirty times. What sparked your interests about Bali. 0:05:08.720 --> 0:05:11.440 Now I've been to Bali too, so it is a 0:05:11.480 --> 0:05:14.560 beautiful country and I definitely want to go back. But 0:05:14.600 --> 0:05:17.320 what what is it that with Bally, you and Bali? 0:05:17.400 --> 0:05:21.120 What's going on? It is this love affair that I 0:05:21.160 --> 0:05:24.720 can't get enough of. Gam Um No. I think there 0:05:24.720 --> 0:05:26.920 are certain places that you go to and it's just 0:05:27.200 --> 0:05:30.039 they receive you with such warmth and every time I 0:05:30.080 --> 0:05:32.800 come here, like I teared up walking through the airport 0:05:32.839 --> 0:05:36.800 when I landed, especially after quarantine Indonesia closed their borders 0:05:36.839 --> 0:05:38.760 and so I couldn't come here for over two years. 0:05:39.200 --> 0:05:42.120 And I'm so connected to this island that it was 0:05:42.160 --> 0:05:44.720 so emotional just walking through the airport because I was like, 0:05:44.760 --> 0:05:47.520 oh my goodness, these are my people, and I'm so 0:05:47.600 --> 0:05:50.040 connected to this place that I started learning the language 0:05:50.360 --> 0:05:54.480 because I come here and I take photos, I take memories, 0:05:54.520 --> 0:05:57.159 I take souvenirs. So I'm like, let me learn the language. 0:05:57.200 --> 0:05:59.560 That I'm meeting them halfway and they don't have to 0:05:59.560 --> 0:06:03.320 translate to meet me halfway. It's like I'm showing reverence 0:06:03.320 --> 0:06:08.279 and aspects to the culture by JUSTI is welcome to Bali. 0:06:08.400 --> 0:06:10.880 So I've been studying for seven months, um and it's 0:06:10.920 --> 0:06:16.400 incredible now when I was there, I remember it is 0:06:16.440 --> 0:06:21.000 being a very spiritual place. Is that has been that 0:06:21.160 --> 0:06:25.440 your experience? Absolutely? I think Japan is my favorite country 0:06:25.440 --> 0:06:28.320 in the world, but very close second is Indonesia and 0:06:28.400 --> 0:06:31.719 Bali specifically because of that spiritual essence that you get. 0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:34.799 And I always feel like the closer you are in nature, 0:06:35.400 --> 0:06:39.400 the more present God is, and the quieter your soul 0:06:39.520 --> 0:06:41.760 and your mind, the louder God could speak to you. 0:06:42.200 --> 0:06:44.520 So I love being around nature. Like I wish I 0:06:44.520 --> 0:06:46.560 could turn my camera around and just show you my 0:06:46.880 --> 0:06:50.120 villa is surrounded in this lush greenery with in front 0:06:50.120 --> 0:06:52.360 of my pool, so it's just and you can really 0:06:52.360 --> 0:06:55.799 live like royalty here for a fraction of the price. Actually, 0:06:55.839 --> 0:06:58.599 my girlfriends and I are trying to plan a trip 0:06:58.839 --> 0:07:03.039 to Bali next. One of my girlfriends just retired and 0:07:03.080 --> 0:07:06.800 we're very interested in going back to Bali just by 0:07:06.880 --> 0:07:11.040 ourselves because our husbands typically don't like to travel those 0:07:11.120 --> 0:07:13.960 long distances, which is fine, We're just going to leave 0:07:14.000 --> 0:07:16.280 them home for this trip. But what are some of 0:07:16.320 --> 0:07:18.840 the best hotels for us to stay at? Or you 0:07:18.880 --> 0:07:22.280 said you're staying at a villa. Yeah, so tell us 0:07:22.320 --> 0:07:27.040 where we should be staying and what we should be doing. Yes, 0:07:27.280 --> 0:07:29.800 one of my favorite features. So this is not a 0:07:29.840 --> 0:07:32.800 plug for Airbnb, but I have to plug them because 0:07:33.480 --> 0:07:35.840 Airbnb has this new feature where if you go on 0:07:35.880 --> 0:07:39.640 their homepage, it says let your curiosity do the booking. 0:07:40.000 --> 0:07:42.360 So that's what you're gonna click. It's like the second option. 0:07:42.400 --> 0:07:45.320 Instead of typing the destination, just click on let your 0:07:45.360 --> 0:07:48.440 curiosity to do the booking. Because when that happens, you 0:07:48.480 --> 0:07:52.080 can now search for all of the incredible variety of 0:07:52.200 --> 0:07:54.360 things that you have places that you can stay. So 0:07:54.400 --> 0:07:56.600 if you want to stay in a castle, in a dome, 0:07:56.800 --> 0:08:00.480 in a private villa, on a private island, on a houseboat, like, 0:08:00.560 --> 0:08:03.720 it'll bring up the most unique type of accommodations that 0:08:03.840 --> 0:08:06.720 this island has to offer. So I recommend doing that 0:08:06.960 --> 0:08:09.400 just to see the options that are out there, because 0:08:09.560 --> 0:08:11.960 sometimes you don't know what you want until you see it. 0:08:12.000 --> 0:08:13.440 You're like, oh, I want to stay in the dome 0:08:13.800 --> 0:08:17.960 on top of a treehouse. You know, you can really 0:08:18.000 --> 0:08:21.040 just go on Airbnb and just search private villa and 0:08:21.080 --> 0:08:24.800 you will just hundreds, if not thousands of options, And 0:08:24.840 --> 0:08:27.000 I can you know personally send you my list off 0:08:27.040 --> 0:08:29.040 the top of my head. I'm staying right now at 0:08:29.040 --> 0:08:32.120 a place called Desa Hay, and it's in a small 0:08:32.200 --> 0:08:36.480 village area called Mengwi, and that's near the Chonggu area, 0:08:36.600 --> 0:08:39.120 which is a little bit west of the island or 0:08:39.280 --> 0:08:42.520 midwest of the island. But I I stayed at well 0:08:42.559 --> 0:08:45.480 over a hundred villas on this island alone, because I 0:08:45.520 --> 0:08:49.280 love experiencing a different vantage point. Every three nights I'm 0:08:49.280 --> 0:08:51.679 in a different villa because I just want to experience 0:08:51.720 --> 0:08:56.760 as many beautiful sceneries, as many gorgeous Balinese architecture. Look 0:08:56.800 --> 0:08:59.959 at this custom door panel that leads to my restaurant. 0:09:00.200 --> 0:09:08.559 Everything that's beautiful. Yeah, but it sounds exhausting, like okay, 0:09:09.000 --> 0:09:12.080 only because I have to say. Let me just say, 0:09:12.120 --> 0:09:16.439 when my parents traveled, they typically when they would traveled 0:09:16.440 --> 0:09:19.680 out of the country, it was my mother. My poor father. 0:09:19.800 --> 0:09:22.760 She dragged him around. All he wanted to do was 0:09:22.880 --> 0:09:25.560 just he always wanted to go to Hawaii. He never 0:09:25.600 --> 0:09:29.240 made it there. She took him to Russia, they went 0:09:29.360 --> 0:09:33.080 to where else did they go? India? When they went 0:09:33.200 --> 0:09:39.439 on trips, she went for knowledge and to experience the culture. 0:09:40.360 --> 0:09:43.880 I just typically just want to go to relax, So 0:09:43.960 --> 0:09:46.640 I'm typically looking for a beach. Now. My husband, on 0:09:46.679 --> 0:09:49.320 the other hand, he's the one that wants to go 0:09:49.440 --> 0:09:53.439 and he wants to go to ruins and experience historial 0:09:53.679 --> 0:09:56.960 He's bored to death just being on the beach. What 0:09:57.120 --> 0:09:59.880 I can't see myself doing. I'm not gonna do that. 0:10:00.000 --> 0:10:03.040 I'm not gonna go somewhere and then pack up after 0:10:03.080 --> 0:10:05.760 three nights and go stay someplace else, and stay there 0:10:05.800 --> 0:10:08.120 for three nights and all my stuff up and go 0:10:08.280 --> 0:10:13.000 someplace else. I'm exhausted just listening to you. I appreciate 0:10:13.040 --> 0:10:15.920 your and the other thing, the other thing I want 0:10:15.920 --> 0:10:21.240 to ask you too, is do you always travel alone? Oh? Yeah, 0:10:21.280 --> 0:10:24.640 so out of like the countries, I would say seventy 0:10:24.640 --> 0:10:27.839 five or solo. And here's the thing about traveling solo, 0:10:27.920 --> 0:10:30.640 because as you mentioned, everyone has a different intention or 0:10:30.720 --> 0:10:33.880 reasons why they want to escape or just change up 0:10:33.920 --> 0:10:36.199 their day to day routine. And so I think the 0:10:36.600 --> 0:10:39.800 intention guides might travel. And so if I'm very conscious 0:10:39.800 --> 0:10:42.720 about I'm going to Bali this time for a creative 0:10:42.720 --> 0:10:45.240 sabbatical because I need a new inspiration to bring back 0:10:45.280 --> 0:10:48.120 to my business, Like I want that to be the 0:10:48.160 --> 0:10:49.880 only thing driving me forward. I don't want to have 0:10:49.920 --> 0:10:52.800 to worry about baby sitting or catering to the needs 0:10:52.880 --> 0:10:55.720 of the group around me. So it's very liberating to 0:10:55.760 --> 0:10:59.480 travel solo. But I also think that, yeah, when you 0:10:59.520 --> 0:11:01.880 are trying with a group, and let's say you're coming 0:11:01.920 --> 0:11:05.000 to Bali next year, have a group intention. If you 0:11:05.120 --> 0:11:07.760 all have the same intention, it'll be easier to make 0:11:07.760 --> 0:11:11.080 decisions on where you stay and what you do, and 0:11:11.120 --> 0:11:14.120 even have pockets of solo time. Have a day if 0:11:14.160 --> 0:11:17.480 someone wants to go definitely a museum, Yeah, let them 0:11:17.559 --> 0:11:19.679 do their thing. Someone wants a beach day, let them. 0:11:20.720 --> 0:11:24.400 So I think it's all about we definitely believe in that, 0:11:24.480 --> 0:11:28.000 Like everybody doesn't always have to do everything together the 0:11:28.080 --> 0:11:31.800 whole vacation, you know, that's not a requirement. Like people 0:11:32.320 --> 0:11:34.800 want to break off and and do their own thing 0:11:35.040 --> 0:11:38.520 and and have some time to themselves. So yeah, I 0:11:38.520 --> 0:11:41.880 can definitely see that. Another thing I realized about traveling 0:11:41.960 --> 0:11:46.280 solo is that I'm so much more approachable because let's 0:11:46.280 --> 0:11:48.000 say I'm in a restaurant, and let's say it's a 0:11:48.120 --> 0:11:51.079 very local restaurant. If I'm here with my friends, I'm 0:11:51.120 --> 0:11:53.640 focusing on my friends. I'm with my family. I'm focusing 0:11:53.640 --> 0:11:56.960 on family, I'm present with them, and so maybe I'm 0:11:56.960 --> 0:11:59.680 not as open to having a conversation with someone who 0:11:59.760 --> 0:12:02.559 were there. But if I'm there solo, all of a sudden, 0:12:02.600 --> 0:12:05.920 I've become this fascination. I'm like, whoa. Everyone wants to 0:12:05.960 --> 0:12:08.400 talk to me, everyone wants to approach me, everyone wants 0:12:08.400 --> 0:12:10.880 to know, Wow, this black American with braids is in 0:12:10.880 --> 0:12:13.240 my country? Who are you a celebrity? What did we 0:12:13.280 --> 0:12:16.040 do to deserve you to sit at a restaurant. It's 0:12:16.080 --> 0:12:18.920 just they roll out the red carpet because they feel 0:12:18.960 --> 0:12:21.280 like you must be someone special to be here solo, 0:12:21.720 --> 0:12:24.680 and just because I'm also a very colorful dresser, so 0:12:24.840 --> 0:12:28.000 they just assume, Oh, Serena Williams is someone I've been 0:12:28.000 --> 0:12:31.319 mistaken for in many countries. Yeah, which is funny. I 0:12:31.360 --> 0:12:33.360 think they just see a black person and they're like, oh, 0:12:33.640 --> 0:12:41.080 she's and she's black. Yeah. So it's just very interesting. 0:12:42.760 --> 0:12:45.640 What particular sits do we need to see when we 0:12:46.040 --> 0:12:50.480 traveled to Bali. Yeah, so again going back to the intention, 0:12:50.600 --> 0:12:53.000 if you want a little bit of adventure, I always 0:12:53.120 --> 0:12:57.319 love recommending the Monkey Forest because you will never get 0:12:57.360 --> 0:13:00.640 the same experience because monkeys are so unpredict doble. You 0:13:00.640 --> 0:13:02.560 will see them hump in front of you. You'll see 0:13:02.600 --> 0:13:06.440 them steal someone's phone, they'll throw food. Okay, I'm already 0:13:06.480 --> 0:13:11.160 cringing at the thought, but go ahead. I'm not a 0:13:11.200 --> 0:13:15.040 fan of monkeys. Just okay, we're gonna go ahead. The 0:13:15.080 --> 0:13:18.520 monkey forest. We're gonna We're gonna ste no moving. Next, Okay, 0:13:18.559 --> 0:13:24.840 there's a place. My thing is I always travel to 0:13:24.880 --> 0:13:27.640 experience something that I can't at home, and so my 0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:31.720 goal is always to do the most adventurous and exotic things. 0:13:32.000 --> 0:13:33.880 You won't find that at home. But I would say 0:13:34.080 --> 0:13:37.240 near that area it's called near there is this place 0:13:37.280 --> 0:13:40.520 called tag al along rice Patties, and that is the 0:13:40.600 --> 0:13:45.800 quintessential Balinese rice patty view and just trekking among those 0:13:45.880 --> 0:13:48.560 rice patties. It's it's a very easy trek, like maybe 0:13:48.600 --> 0:13:51.000 takes ten minutes just to get to the view spot. 0:13:51.080 --> 0:13:53.920 But it's beautiful, and I think that's great to get 0:13:53.960 --> 0:13:57.320 the quintessential. I've been to Bali photo and then of 0:13:57.320 --> 0:14:00.560 course there's dozens of waterfalls throughout the lands, so I 0:14:00.559 --> 0:14:03.880 think you definitely have to go to a waterfall and 0:14:04.240 --> 0:14:07.520 just experience the serenity in that environment. I went there 0:14:07.720 --> 0:14:11.640 when I went with my daughter for Mother's Day one year, 0:14:11.800 --> 0:14:15.400 and I think we we did the rice patties and 0:14:15.800 --> 0:14:21.480 waterfall and we did white water rafting as well. That 0:14:21.560 --> 0:14:25.240 sounds fun. I've never done that here. How about the 0:14:25.280 --> 0:14:31.360 Bally Swing. Are you familiar with the Bally Swing? Uh? No, okay, 0:14:31.440 --> 0:14:34.480 So basically in the middle of the jungle anywhere in 0:14:34.600 --> 0:14:38.000 ubud there's probably seven or eight now, but you can 0:14:38.160 --> 0:14:40.640 go on this swing. And the swing is a attached 0:14:40.640 --> 0:14:44.000 to too really tall coconut trees. So again it sounds 0:14:44.080 --> 0:14:47.120 very sketch, but it's the travel way. You just have 0:14:47.160 --> 0:14:50.240 to trust that this is gonna hold me up. But 0:14:50.360 --> 0:14:52.800 you swing into this gorgeous view. It's in the middle 0:14:52.840 --> 0:14:55.800 of the jungle and I can send photos to Irene 0:14:55.840 --> 0:14:58.360 and just to send to you, but it's really just 0:14:58.440 --> 0:15:00.280 one of those I can't get this view at home 0:15:00.360 --> 0:15:03.200 and oh my goodness, this world is so beautiful, like 0:15:03.280 --> 0:15:06.120 you have those moments when you're on it. Wow. That 0:15:06.240 --> 0:15:10.800 sounds exciting. Yeah. And the last recommendation, yeah, um is 0:15:11.080 --> 0:15:15.880 Pura Temple. It's a little towards the north, but it's 0:15:15.920 --> 0:15:19.040 like this holy temple and it's surrounded by a lake. 0:15:19.320 --> 0:15:23.920 It's beautiful. It's just it's a place to appreciate Balinese architecture. 0:15:24.080 --> 0:15:27.720 Indonesia itself is a majority Muslim country, but the island 0:15:27.720 --> 0:15:31.040 of Bali is majority Hindu, and so you see a 0:15:31.120 --> 0:15:34.280 lot of Hindu temples, Hindu statues, And even though I'm 0:15:34.280 --> 0:15:37.720 a Christian, I can always appreciate another religion. I can 0:15:37.760 --> 0:15:41.640 appreciate other customer cultures. So it's a really serene place 0:15:41.680 --> 0:15:52.840 as well to just appreciate Balinese traditions. Now, tell us 0:15:52.880 --> 0:15:55.440 some of the dudes, and don't we need to think 0:15:55.480 --> 0:15:58.640 about We've all seen the movie Take It? What do 0:15:58.680 --> 0:16:02.800 we need? What do we need to be careful about 0:16:02.960 --> 0:16:08.040 when we're traveling to these two foreign countries. My biggest 0:16:08.080 --> 0:16:12.120 thing especially at airports, because I think airports that's the 0:16:12.160 --> 0:16:15.040 place where you can easily be identified as a target, 0:16:15.120 --> 0:16:19.840 as like someone who's clueless. So depending on the country, taxis. 0:16:20.040 --> 0:16:23.280 Taxi drivers can be the most aggressive type of people 0:16:23.360 --> 0:16:26.480 in every country because it's that's a dog eat dog world. 0:16:26.520 --> 0:16:30.200 It's scrappy. They're literally fighting their income against hundreds of 0:16:30.200 --> 0:16:33.920 other taxi drivers, so they will push and not push physically, 0:16:33.960 --> 0:16:37.240 but the badger and like aggressively want to sell you 0:16:37.240 --> 0:16:38.640 know I can tell you I can take you, and 0:16:38.680 --> 0:16:41.320 so you cannot the minute you land and you're like 0:16:41.680 --> 0:16:44.200 going towards the exit. You need to look like the 0:16:44.200 --> 0:16:46.720 most confident person and you need to walk with a purpose. 0:16:47.080 --> 0:16:49.800 Do not walk looking around, huh where is my driver? 0:16:49.880 --> 0:16:53.120 Where is the taxi? Where get your luggage? Walk out 0:16:53.160 --> 0:16:55.120 with the purpose like I've been here before, i am 0:16:55.160 --> 0:16:57.600 not a tourist. Listen, I'm here to meet friends. Oh 0:16:57.640 --> 0:17:01.120 there you are. Point at someone random with a purpose, 0:17:01.240 --> 0:17:03.600 because the minute you look confused, you are a target 0:17:03.720 --> 0:17:06.760 to be taken advantage of. And as unfortunate as that is, 0:17:06.840 --> 0:17:10.440 people especially after the pandemic, are so desperate for cash, 0:17:10.880 --> 0:17:13.320 so they're just looking for anyone that looks like they 0:17:13.320 --> 0:17:17.600 could be easily manipulated. So how would we get a taxi? 0:17:17.720 --> 0:17:20.600 Then it advanced, is that something that we need to 0:17:21.119 --> 0:17:26.400 arrange with the villa that where we're staying. Absolutely, So 0:17:26.440 --> 0:17:28.879 anytime you book that first, if you're staying at the 0:17:28.920 --> 0:17:32.400 same villa the whole time, like always ask and request 0:17:32.480 --> 0:17:36.320 for transportation services and request them to be specific about 0:17:36.320 --> 0:17:39.119 where you meet they'll usually say, Okay, once you exit, 0:17:39.160 --> 0:17:41.320 you're going to make a left and we'll be standing 0:17:41.320 --> 0:17:44.720 there with a sign with your name on it. Yes. 0:17:45.080 --> 0:17:48.000 And I always think as well, if you can take 0:17:48.040 --> 0:17:51.040 the extra effort to learn five to ten words in 0:17:51.080 --> 0:17:54.840 the local language, just in case, like someone is trying 0:17:54.840 --> 0:17:56.800 to badger you. But if you can just like, like, 0:17:56.880 --> 0:18:00.480 one word in Indonesian is suda, and so that means 0:18:00.480 --> 0:18:03.120 I already have. So if I'm walking and I could 0:18:03.160 --> 0:18:06.119 just be walking on to the market somewhere, and of course, 0:18:06.200 --> 0:18:09.240 like motorbikes and taxi drivers are slowing down and see 0:18:09.320 --> 0:18:11.479 me walking, they think that I need a ride, and 0:18:11.520 --> 0:18:14.920 so I'm like oh, And as soon as I say that, 0:18:14.960 --> 0:18:17.760 they're like, oh, she not only doesn't mean us, but 0:18:17.800 --> 0:18:20.120 she said it in my language, and so they're quick 0:18:20.119 --> 0:18:22.600 to leave me alone. But if I go no, they're like, 0:18:22.640 --> 0:18:24.920 oh are you sure? No, miss, just tell me where 0:18:24.960 --> 0:18:26.880 you live and I can help you. I'm like, suda, 0:18:27.240 --> 0:18:31.600 Suda will shut them up and leave leave me. So 0:18:31.760 --> 0:18:35.840 just five five words five or ten words of the basics, please, yes, no, 0:18:36.080 --> 0:18:47.199 thank you, whine. What are some of the good apps 0:18:47.240 --> 0:18:52.640 that you could um download if you don't speak the language. Oh, 0:18:53.119 --> 0:18:56.879 I guess well, google Translate it is such a and 0:18:56.880 --> 0:19:00.919 that's for any country. Yeah. I think Google Translate is 0:19:01.000 --> 0:19:04.760 if you can download, like you can have an offline dictionary, 0:19:04.880 --> 0:19:09.359 so of the download the full dictionary offline of the 0:19:09.480 --> 0:19:11.680 language that you need. That way, even if you don't 0:19:11.680 --> 0:19:14.800 have wifire Internet, you can always pull up any type 0:19:14.840 --> 0:19:18.639 of translation that you need. Are there certain countries that 0:19:18.800 --> 0:19:24.639 you um would suggest that that are safer like you 0:19:24.840 --> 0:19:31.000 already mentioned Namibia, Yeah, and obviously badly because you've been 0:19:31.000 --> 0:19:35.480 there thirty sometimes. Are there other countries that you would 0:19:35.560 --> 0:19:40.480 recommend for particularly for single women, not even necessarily older 0:19:40.520 --> 0:19:43.280 women like myself, but just for single women who want 0:19:43.359 --> 0:19:47.040 to travel by themselves. Absolutely. I have three that immediately 0:19:47.040 --> 0:19:50.240 come to mind. But first as Japan. There's a reason 0:19:50.359 --> 0:19:53.280 it's my favorite country in the world. Japan. I think 0:19:53.720 --> 0:19:55.879 not only do they live ten to twenty years in 0:19:55.880 --> 0:19:59.600 the future, but there's something about them culturally where they 0:19:59.640 --> 0:20:04.400 are so communally respectful and my favorite thing I think 0:20:04.400 --> 0:20:06.880 the first my first sign of like how they are 0:20:06.920 --> 0:20:09.520 as people is I'm in the airport and there's two 0:20:09.600 --> 0:20:12.920 lines for going through to check in, and one line 0:20:12.960 --> 0:20:15.080 is says if you're in a rush and you have 0:20:15.200 --> 0:20:17.720 less than fifteen minutes, here's the speedy line. You can 0:20:17.720 --> 0:20:19.640 come to this line. And then there's the other line 0:20:19.680 --> 0:20:22.480 that says here's the standard line. There was a hundred 0:20:22.480 --> 0:20:25.480 people in the standard line, nobody in the urgent line. 0:20:25.720 --> 0:20:28.199 And it goes to show that they are so honorable. 0:20:28.440 --> 0:20:31.560 No one's cheating the system. You take the bus and 0:20:31.600 --> 0:20:34.040 there's a sign that says, please keep your phone on 0:20:34.119 --> 0:20:36.879 silent to respect the zen of your neighbors around you. 0:20:37.400 --> 0:20:43.520 I'm like, listen, if you don't come on, I don't 0:20:43.560 --> 0:20:46.560 know nothing about that. Are okay? So and one time 0:20:46.600 --> 0:20:48.520 I was looking for I think a bus station or 0:20:48.520 --> 0:20:50.720 a train station, and I asked someone if they could 0:20:50.760 --> 0:20:53.080 help me. Not only did they like point me to 0:20:53.119 --> 0:20:55.400 where it was, they walked me there. I was like, 0:20:56.119 --> 0:20:59.520 I don't deserve you. So Japan is not only incredibly safe, 0:20:59.560 --> 0:21:03.000 but people are so kind. They don't accept tips like 0:21:03.040 --> 0:21:05.480 I try. I tipped someone at a restaurant and they 0:21:05.560 --> 0:21:08.280 chased after me with the money. It's their honor to serve. 0:21:08.800 --> 0:21:12.000 They don't do it for the extra tips. So Japan 0:21:12.200 --> 0:21:17.000 first and foremost. My second recommendation is Norway Scandinavian country 0:21:17.080 --> 0:21:20.439 is also are very futuristic. Norway is the north of 0:21:20.920 --> 0:21:23.560 European area, so you want to make sure you're going 0:21:23.600 --> 0:21:25.880 there in the summer because it can get cold if 0:21:25.920 --> 0:21:30.119 you're there in the winter. But it's incredible. Solo traveled 0:21:30.160 --> 0:21:32.560 there for two weeks and I rented a car and 0:21:32.600 --> 0:21:35.159 I just drove around the entire country and if I 0:21:35.200 --> 0:21:37.439 got lost, I would just pull up, pull over and 0:21:37.480 --> 0:21:39.520 someone would help me. They're like, oh, just follow me 0:21:39.600 --> 0:21:43.440 ten minutes this way. And there's this inherent like your gut, 0:21:44.040 --> 0:21:46.080 your intuition is the best thing that you can have 0:21:46.119 --> 0:21:49.200 when you're traveling, and you can feel when I don't 0:21:49.240 --> 0:21:53.160 trust this, but I never there, and there's just this 0:21:53.880 --> 0:21:55.679 I don't know if it's the way they're raised or 0:21:55.800 --> 0:21:59.600 just them culturally as people, but some countries just you 0:21:59.720 --> 0:22:03.479 just have this innate trust because of who they are 0:22:03.560 --> 0:22:06.520 and how they act. So normally be number two, and 0:22:06.560 --> 0:22:11.520 then Scotland would be number three. I absolutely love Scottish people. 0:22:11.720 --> 0:22:13.960 I love Scotland, and that's a country I've been to 0:22:14.080 --> 0:22:17.960 over ten times. Just incredible, banter, incredible. They also are 0:22:18.119 --> 0:22:20.840 kind of big drinkers, so that they're just fun people. 0:22:20.880 --> 0:22:23.280 I I no longer drink, but it's just always great 0:22:23.280 --> 0:22:25.760 to be around people that just know how to let 0:22:25.760 --> 0:22:29.919 loose and banter and communicate with you. Now, as a 0:22:29.960 --> 0:22:36.840 woman of color, did you have any challenges traveling in 0:22:36.960 --> 0:22:40.080 some of these countries. Let's just be real, Let's let's 0:22:40.080 --> 0:22:42.399 go there, Let's go there. So I was about I 0:22:42.440 --> 0:22:45.280 was nine years nomadic. I've been like nine years. I 0:22:45.320 --> 0:22:47.760 lived out of a suitcase and traveled full time. So 0:22:47.920 --> 0:22:49.960 in those nine years, in the beginning, I was going 0:22:50.040 --> 0:22:53.240 to a lot of like familiar countries like Spain and France, 0:22:53.280 --> 0:22:55.840 and I was like, oh, it's cool. And then the 0:22:55.880 --> 0:22:58.840 further east I went, like Eastern Europe. That's when I 0:22:58.880 --> 0:23:01.920 started to have more just seen experiences. I will say 0:23:02.480 --> 0:23:07.360 the most negative experiences I've ever had probably happened in Prague, 0:23:07.680 --> 0:23:12.760