We love learning about other adventurist’s journeys and experiences. People are driven to travel for different reasons; some want to see the world, some want to experience different cultures, and some crave the adventure of the unknown. Every traveler has a unique motivation that makes their travel bug tick. We recently caught up with Brooke Saward of
World of Wanderlust to learn about what drives her to keep on her quest of discovery, and how she has documented her steps along the way.
1. What inspires you to travel?
I think I’m addicted to that feeling of discovery. Whether it’s a new country, city, culture or language, I just love to discover the world and experience it first hand. I’m endlessly inspired by that feeling of discovery – like there’s a whole world out there to discover and despite how frequent I travel or how many countries I have explored, it always feels as if I’m still only scratching the surface.
2. How did you get started with your blog?
It actually started really organically and almost as a mistake. I began a travel blog to keep all my information (travel tips, recommendations and dishonorable mentions) in one place to refer all of my family and friends to. The more I traveled, the more questions I would get from family, friends, family friends, extended relatives, etc. etc. for my free travel advice. Finally I decided I would purchase a little piece of the internet to refer them all to. After a while I noticed people were commenting from random corners of the globe. How could this be? The internet is a crazy place! One thing led to another and I knew I was onto a great idea – to travel, write about it, and hopefully one day be paid to do so. The rest is history!
3. When did you decide you wanted to make it your career?
When I first started out blogging it was out of pure necessity to prevent repeating myself to my friends and family seeking my travel advice. But when I found that I was building a global readership – albeit small at first – I started to get the inkling that perhaps something was missing on the internet. And alas, World of Wanderlust was created. I wanted to create an internet destination where likeminded travelers could come to source inspiration for their next trip.
4. What are your travel challenges?
Living out of a suitcase, losing the concept of home after being on the road for an entire year, keeping a healthy diet, learning new languages (though I do try!), and of course so much time solo can at times be challenging.
5.) What is your best travel memory?
I think the best experience I have had to date was going on safari in South Africa. As an animal lover, this had always been something high on my list of travel experiences, so when I was finally there it was just so surreal. I’m sure I annoyed the entire group in our Land Rover as I belted out the soundtrack to The Lion King.
6.) What is your favorite travel scent memory?
As someone who possesses a sweet tooth that would rival the sweetness of Tinkerbell, I can’t go past anything sugary. Walking through the Christmas markets in Germany is therefore heaven on earth for me!
7.) Where is your favorite destination you’ve been to so far, and why?
This is such a hard and unanswerable question! I can’t pinpoint just one, so I’ll have to say a few highlights recently have been: The Scottish Highlands, Ireland, Bosnia & Herzegovina, the South of the USA, St Barthelemy, Chile, and the North Shore of Hawaii.
8.) Where would you want to return to?
I would absolutely love to return to Hawaii to explore the other islands – particularly Maui and Kauai. There’s something so magical and spiritual about Hawaii that I really gravitate towards, yet each time I have visited (now 3 times) it has only been for a few nights on work trips. I’d love to go back, rent a car, load it up with my friends, and explore the islands and greater lengths.
9.) What are your tips to people who want to travel but can’t find the time/funds?
You can always make time and you can always prioritize saving for travel over other luxuries, even if it is as simple as spending $50 less at the supermarket each week. I completely understand that not everyone is in the position to travel, but I do believe we are the masters of our own fate! I would rather travel in my younger years than build up an attractive savings account for my retirement, so in some aspects I’m just living my life in reverse!
10.) Best hotel you’ve ever lounged at?
Singita Sweni – smack bang in the middle of the Kruger National Park in South Africa.
11.) Best meal you’ve ever had while traveling?
A delicious three-course lunch at Le Cinq, the 2-michelin starred restaurant inside the Four Seasons George V Hotel in Paris.
12.) Weirdest travel encounter you've ever had?
Walking through the Witches’ market in Bolivia. Oh, if I could un-see some of the things I saw that day!
If you are familiar with us at Nomaterra then you know that we are absolutely enthralled with traveling and exploring the unknown. Being immersed into an unfamiliar culture transmits an indescribable experience, one that allows you to step outside your comfort zone and truly discover yourself.
In addition, we also enjoy reading and discovering adventurists who share the same passion and thirst for wanderlust. Which is why we were thrilled when Dani Heinrich of
GlobetrotterGirls.com agreed to an interview.
Dani Heinrich has traveled to over 50 countries - from Asia to the Middle East to India - just to name a few! Her fabulous blog showcases a variety of topics such as information on specific destinations, food recommendations, travel tips and more.
Read on below as Dani shares her globetrotting adventures!
1. What's your favorite, most exotic location you've traveled to?
The most exotic location were the Corn Islands in the Caribbean. They consist of two islands, Big Corn and Little Corn Island, and they belong to Nicaragua. They are little known and truly feel like Robinson Crusoe islands, especially Little Corn. You can only reach them via a small propeller plane from Managua or take a 9-hour boat ride from Nicaragua's east coast.
2. Best hotel pool you've lounged at?
[caption id="attachment_2784" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Temple Tree Hotel in Langkawi, Malaysia[/caption]
I loved the pool at the
Temple Tree Hotel on the island of Langkawi, Malaysia. Everything about the boutique hotel was super stylish, including the long-stretched, super narrow pool. It was such an usual pool, and together with the tropical surroundings, it made for a gorgeous experience. The luxury resort has won several design prizes and is one of my favorite boutique hotels in the world, by the way.
3. Best meal you've had?
A tasting menu at the
Oddfellow Boutique Hotel in Chester, England. It came complete with a wine pairing, absolutely perfect. One of the most memorable evenings of my life.
4. Most important thing you've learned on your travels?
Travel has shown me that experiences are worth so much more than material things. An incredible experience means so much more to me than anything I could ever buy for myself, like a painting, piece of furniture or jewelry. An experience like a special meal in an exotic place, a cooking class in the Middle East or a street art tour in a hip neighborhood of Buenos Aires, the welcoming family in Mexico, or a cycle tour through northern Thailand - things like these mean so much more to me. It's all about the memories!
5. Favorite novel to read on a plane?
It's not really a novel but my guilty pleasure in the airport news stand: Vanity Fair. I look forward to flying just because of that :)
6. Biggest fear you overcame while traveling?
The fear of the unknown. I used to worry about everything before, and now I am the most laid back person on the planet. Okay, maybe not on the planet, but the most laid back person I know :) I used to over plan everything, and now I barely plan anything. Instead I go with the flow. And all works out in the end; there's nothing to worry about.
About Dani Heinrich:
[caption id="attachment_2785" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Dani of GlobetrotterGirls.com[/caption]
Dani Heinrich is the vagabonding writer and photographer behind
GlobetrotterGirls.com. Dani, originally from Germany, left her home country in 2006 and has been nomadic since April 2010. She originally started Globetrottergirls.com with her partner, and when they separated in early 2014, she decided to keep traveling solo and continuing to sharing her travel stories and tips on Globetrottergirls. With the motto ‘One Globe. No Regrets’, Dani has traveled through over 50 countries on four continents and has no plans to stop any time soon.
On Globetrottergirls.com, she shares the good, a little bad and sprinklings of the ugly of travel with the readers. If people can plan a better trip or be inspired to visit someplace new by reading Globetrottergirls.com, she feels she has done her job. You can also follow her adventures on
Instagram,
Facebook and
Twitter.
[caption id="attachment_2575" align="aligncenter" width="275"]
Tips from a Flight Attendant[/caption]
Flight Attendant Keri has spent the past six years of her life traveling for a living, and boy has she picked up some great tips for staying beautiful in flight! Read on for our interview with her!
Nomaterra: What airline do you work for?
KL: I work for United Airlines, what used to be the old Continental.
N: How long have you been working for them?
KL: I've been with them for six years!
N: Where do you fly often?
KL: I've been doing only international flights for the past 4years. I just transferred this month back to domestic flying. So normally I am all over Europe but I would work a lot of trips to Scotland, Ireland, and England.
N: What have been your favorite places to visit?
KL: I love Edinburgh! It's such an amazing city. Dublin is always a fun time. Athens was amazing and the food was to die for. Hong Kong is also really cool. And of course Paris never gets old!
N: How long do you normally get to stay in a given place?
KL: It depends on where we fly, internationally the layovers are usually 24 hours. But domestically it can be anywhere from 8 hours to 30 hours. It's always changing
N: What are your top three favorite US cities and why?
KL: That's so hard! I'm going to have to narrow it down to four:
San Francisco
Los Angeles: I just love the west coast. The vibe, the beach, the weather. It's a nice break
Austin: I'm a Texas girl and Austin is where it's at!
NYC: This one is just obvious. Everyone loves New York and I've been living here since I started this job. It's everything you could ever want on a tiny island.
N: What beauty secrets do you have for keeping skin and hair looking great in spite of constantly traveling?
KL: It's definitely a challenge because the air is so dry up there. So staying hydrated is a must! Drink lots of water, always have lotion, Chapstick, and eye drops. And baby powder for the hair.
N: Are you allowed to wear fragrance when you fly, and if so what do you wear?
KL: We are allowed to as long as it isn't over bearing. It can be a disaster if there's too many different smells going on. My favorite perfume is Estes Lauder Pleasures. But in the summer I'll wear more floral perfume like Gucci Flora.
N: What are your travel product essentials?
KL: Well I've become an expert packer. I always have my bag packed for any weather because things change so often that you could end up somewhere you weren't expecting. So I always have a bathing suit, gym clothes, long and short sleeve clothing, light sweater, extra under garments, make up, make up remover wipes, lotions, perfume, my watch, and a pen.
Glamour.com Interview with Nomaterra Founder Aggie Burnett
Be sure to check out this fantastic interview with behind the brand details about Nomaterra from our founder, Aggie Burnett!
2. How did you get started with your blog?
It actually started really organically and almost as a mistake. I began a travel blog to keep all my information (travel tips, recommendations and dishonorable mentions) in one place to refer all of my family and friends to. The more I traveled, the more questions I would get from family, friends, family friends, extended relatives, etc. etc. for my free travel advice. Finally I decided I would purchase a little piece of the internet to refer them all to. After a while I noticed people were commenting from random corners of the globe. How could this be? The internet is a crazy place! One thing led to another and I knew I was onto a great idea – to travel, write about it, and hopefully one day be paid to do so. The rest is history!
3. When did you decide you wanted to make it your career?
When I first started out blogging it was out of pure necessity to prevent repeating myself to my friends and family seeking my travel advice. But when I found that I was building a global readership – albeit small at first – I started to get the inkling that perhaps something was missing on the internet. And alas, World of Wanderlust was created. I wanted to create an internet destination where likeminded travelers could come to source inspiration for their next trip.
4. What are your travel challenges?
Living out of a suitcase, losing the concept of home after being on the road for an entire year, keeping a healthy diet, learning new languages (though I do try!), and of course so much time solo can at times be challenging.
5.) What is your best travel memory?
I think the best experience I have had to date was going on safari in South Africa. As an animal lover, this had always been something high on my list of travel experiences, so when I was finally there it was just so surreal. I’m sure I annoyed the entire group in our Land Rover as I belted out the soundtrack to The Lion King.
6.) What is your favorite travel scent memory?
As someone who possesses a sweet tooth that would rival the sweetness of Tinkerbell, I can’t go past anything sugary. Walking through the Christmas markets in Germany is therefore heaven on earth for me!
7.) Where is your favorite destination you’ve been to so far, and why?
This is such a hard and unanswerable question! I can’t pinpoint just one, so I’ll have to say a few highlights recently have been: The Scottish Highlands, Ireland, Bosnia & Herzegovina, the South of the USA, St Barthelemy, Chile, and the North Shore of Hawaii.
8.) Where would you want to return to?
I would absolutely love to return to Hawaii to explore the other islands – particularly Maui and Kauai. There’s something so magical and spiritual about Hawaii that I really gravitate towards, yet each time I have visited (now 3 times) it has only been for a few nights on work trips. I’d love to go back, rent a car, load it up with my friends, and explore the islands and greater lengths.
9.) What are your tips to people who want to travel but can’t find the time/funds?
You can always make time and you can always prioritize saving for travel over other luxuries, even if it is as simple as spending $50 less at the supermarket each week. I completely understand that not everyone is in the position to travel, but I do believe we are the masters of our own fate! I would rather travel in my younger years than build up an attractive savings account for my retirement, so in some aspects I’m just living my life in reverse!
10.) Best hotel you’ve ever lounged at?
Singita Sweni – smack bang in the middle of the Kruger National Park in South Africa.
11.) Best meal you’ve ever had while traveling?
A delicious three-course lunch at Le Cinq, the 2-michelin starred restaurant inside the Four Seasons George V Hotel in Paris.
12.) Weirdest travel encounter you've ever had?
Walking through the Witches’ market in Bolivia. Oh, if I could un-see some of the things I saw that day!
