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Alexx Hayward is a 27-year-old Kiwi who caught the journey bug when she was 19. She’s journeying around the globe, visiting a distinct vacation spot every week for a yr, utilizing Skyscanner’s Everywhere Seek for inspiration.
We caught up with Alexx throughout one in every of her uncommon quiet moments to ask her about the place she finds journey inspiration, her favorite locations, and her high journey ideas.
Hey Alexx! Thanks for taking outing from travelling to speak with us. What made you determine to begin travelling?
Hey guys! Thanks for having me. Nicely, I used to be dwelling in London in 2017, and had time to see a great deal of Europe and past. When my UK visa expired in June final yr I used to be sizing up what to do – I wasn’t prepared to maneuver house but, and I didn’t need to begin a complete new life abroad both, so long-term journey was the plain reply! I had the concept of utilizing this journey to point out different travellers tips on how to make your cash go additional whilst you’re travelling, and tips on how to get the most effective bang to your buck whenever you select the place to go, the place to remain, issues to do and locations to eat.
52 locations in 52 weeks is sort of a problem. What gave you the concept?
I needed to dispel the hearsay that you simply want a great deal of cash and months of go away to have an honest journey, so I made a decision to give attention to one nation every week to point out how one can get the final word expertise in that vacation spot.
It’s unrealistic for the overwhelming majority of individuals to have a year-long around the world journey, and even to get a month for backpacking by means of Europe, so my mission is to share my itineraries, must-dos, must-sees and must-eats throughout my week-long keep in locations all around the globe.
We will consider so many locations we’d love to go to; it have to be actually exhausting selecting the place to go! How do you select your subsequent vacation spot?
I go away it as much as destiny… within the type of Skyscanner’s Everywhere search! I’m actually horrible at making selections, so having a very empty calendar and a decent-ish lump of financial savings is legitimately terrifying to me. If I deliberate this journey myself it could have taken me a yr and possibly thirty spreadsheets simply to prioritise my wanderlist, not to mention e-book the precise journey. To keep away from day by day breakdowns, and to maintain prices low, I made a decision to plan your complete route utilizing Skyscanner’s All over the place flight search, which reveals you the most affordable place to go out of your vacation spot on a selected date (or month!).
As a lot as I like the concept of taking it week by week, for visa causes I needed to e-book my flights upfront, so again in April I sat down and deliberate the primary six months of the journey. My journey began after every week of crusing by means of Croatia, so I put ‘Dubrovnik’ because the origin, ‘All over the place’ because the vacation spot, and the most affordable flight was to Paris. Then I repeated it 26 instances!
As soon as I’ve been to a rustic on the journey then it’s off the checklist, but when I would like to increase my time in a spot to slot in with a selected tour, occasion or simply to have the ability to see a bit extra, I’ve tweaked my ‘one week’ rule a few instances.
We guess you’ve been to a great deal of wonderful international locations. What number of have you ever visited and what’s your favorite up to now?
I’ve principally been in Europe with a little bit of the Center East. The most important stand out locations for me have been Switzerland, Eire and Jordan, however there have been fairly just a few stops that basically exceeded my expectations! Seems Sofia is without doubt one of the finest foodie cities on the planet, Zaragoza in Spain is an absolute hidden gem and my week in Israel and the West Financial institution was exhausting, heartbreaking and eye-opening suddenly.
The place are you most excited to go – and the place’s subsequent for you?
After a solo New Yr’s in Bali, I’ve bought a household marriage ceremony in NZ in January so I’ve bought two weeks of ‘vacation’ at house to mark the half-way level, earlier than the second half of the journey takes me to Australia, all by means of Asia, over to North America, a few of Central America after which swings me again over to Europe. Phew!
Exploring Europe for the previous few months has been wonderful however I’m so excited to see extra of Asia the place it’s so completely different to again house, after which be again within the States, 9 years after dwelling there. A few of the locations I’m wanting ahead to essentially the most are the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Japan, Cuba and New York – I’m even treating myself to a solo-moon within the Maldives!
All that travelling sounds thrilling, however exhausting! How do you keep away from burning out and what recommendation would you give to different long-term travellers?
In a brief reply: sure, however there are issues you are able to do to stop it.
The primary factor to recollect is that travelling for weeks or months shouldn’t be the identical as a protracted weekend getaway, the place you social gathering exhausting, don’t sleep, discover all day each day and splurge on meals, drink, buying and actions.
It’s actually essential to try to maintain considerably of a routine throughout a long-term journey, particularly with consuming, sleeping, and train. I principally keep at hostels or flats with full kitchens so I can prepare dinner my very own meals, I’ve earplugs and a watch masks to verify I can at all times get an honest night time’s sleep and I stroll A LOT (plus lugging round heavy suitcases is my weekly cardio).
I’d additionally actually suggest slowing down and never overestimating your skill to maneuver round, which is ironic coming from me, I do know! Whereas a rustic each week does sound insane, most weeks I really spend the total seven days in a single metropolis, loads of time to spend a few days exploring, perhaps do a day journey or two, and nonetheless have some downtime.
As a substitute of making an attempt to tick off each single bucket checklist expertise in a short while, give attention to one space the place you possibly can have a base and do day journeys, or give your self a bit of additional time to have the ability to street journey round at your individual tempo.
One of many issues we love most about long-term travelling is the individuals you meet and share experiences with. Any ideas for making buddies on the street?
Hostels are perfect for solo travellers, and so they’re one of the best ways to satisfy new individuals for positive. I do know hostels can conjure up a picture in your thoughts of dingy backpackers, creaky bunk beds and messy shared loos, however I can truthfully say that a few of the hostels I keep in are a lot nicer than low cost accommodations!
I’m an actual hostel snob, so I do as a lot analysis as doable to verify I’m staying someplace snug, clear, and secure with good services. I principally e-book female-only dorms and ideally Four-bed, by no means any greater than 6 in a room except there’s no different choice. If I’m feeling burnt out and wish my very own area or if I’m travelling wherever tremendous low cost, generally I’ll go for a non-public room at a hostel to get the most effective of each worlds, and nonetheless use the social areas to seek out potential journey buddies.
If hostels aren’t your factor, then one of the best ways to satisfy different individuals is to leap on a tour. Most main cities provide free strolling excursions the place you possibly can chat with different guests, or think about a climbing day journey or a meals tour to hang around with like-minded travellers. For longer journeys there are a great deal of tour corporations for various journey kinds. Strive Contiki for those who’re below 35, have a look at G Adventures for small group excursions or lively excursions, take a look at Journey Discuss for affordable adventures by means of the Center East and North Africa, or strive One Life for South East Asia.
Are you able to share with us a few of your finest or most memorable moments up to now?
The primary week of my journey coincidentally took me to Paris for Bastille Day, France’s nationwide celebration, the place they’ve essentially the most unimaginable fireworks show on the Eiffel Tower. Watching and listening to the present was like an out-of-body expertise – if my first week was that epic, what’s the remainder of the yr going to be like?!
Another highlights have been paragliding in Interlaken in Switzerland, taking part in with kittens in entrance of the well-known Treasury in Petra, going to a Halloween Celebration at Dracula’s Fortress in Romania and watching balloons float over Cappadocia in Turkey three mornings in a row.
However highlights don’t exist with out some critical lows too. There have been loads of mishaps with public transport, excessive temperatures which I used to be unprepared for (I’m you, Belgium heatwave) and exceeded budgets, however the worst one was dropping my pockets and ALL of my playing cards in Switzerland.
It was a horrible 12 hours of questioning how on earth I might pay for meals, lodging and transport in some of the costly international locations on the planet, earlier than a form bus driver returned it to my hostel the subsequent morning. Disaster averted!
High tip: NEVER have all of your playing cards in a single place, at all times maintain a spare bank card someplace secure in case of emergency.
How did you determine what to pack to your year-long journey, and what baggage did you are taking?
A very powerful issues in my bag are my tripod – aka my finest journey buddy (who wants an Instagram boyfriend?) – my silicone earplugs that block out actually all sound, and my tremendous cozy pair of pyjamas that make me really feel at house regardless of the place I’m.
I opted for a suitcase for this journey over a backpack, as a result of I’m travelling with about 30kg of stuff (together with 12kgs of laptop computer/digital camera gear) aaaand I’m weak, so I didn’t need to decide to carrying a number of seasons value of garments, tech gear, drone batteries and every thing else on my again.
You finest consider I researched each single suitcase choice earlier than happening the journey, and I settled on the Samsonite Cosmolite ultra-lightweight exhausting instances. My 75cm suitcase is just 2.6kg and the matching 55cm cabin bag is 1.7kg. They’re each the lightest exhausting instances I may discover and so they’ve been completely wonderful up to now.
We love that your instagram account shares ideas for travelling extra sustainably. What ideas do you will have for travellers who need to minimize down on their environmental footprint?
Sustainable and accountable journey is extra essential than ever, after we’re coping with issues like local weather change, overtourism, and making certain we’re respecting native cultures and faith.
Whereas my journey includes lots of flying, I try to offset the place I can, minimise my unfavourable influence after which maximise my optimistic influence.
This implies, firstly, offsetting all my flights. The carbon output for my first six months value of flights was solely barely larger than a single return flight from London to New Zealand, which might have been the opposite choice if I hadn’t carried out this journey! I exploit co2nsensus.com to offset each flight I take and Skyscanner has an excellent tool which reveals you the extra eco-friendly flight choices too so you may make an knowledgeable alternative whenever you’re reserving your journey.
Then I try to minimise plastic use as a lot as doable by utilizing my filter water bottle, eco-friendly toiletries like shampoo and conditioner bars from Ethique and at all times carrying a tote bag to keep away from needing plastic luggage.
The influence of overtourism is one thing I’m actually obsessed with too, and the most effective issues about my journey is that the most affordable flight typically goes to much less touristy locations, like Zaragoza as a substitute of Barcelona, Hamburg as a substitute of Berlin and Milan as a substitute of Rome. If I’m going someplace that struggles with tourism numbers, I’ll make an effort to go to a close-by metropolis as a substitute, like spending my Amsterdam week in Rotterdam as a substitute.
And eventually, it’s so, so essential to recollect to deal with native communities the identical means you’d deal with individuals again at house. Respect cultural norms, costume appropriately, at all times study please and thanks within the native language so that you may be well mannered, keep away from taking pictures of kids with out asking dad and mom or lecturers first, don’t litter, and simply usually be an excellent and respectful human.
For solo feminine travellers interested by taking their very own journey, what are your high ideas?
I’ve so many!
By way of what to do on the street to remain secure, an important factor is to do is to only use your widespread sense.
- Don’t stroll alone at night time in darkish areas.
- All the time have a cellphone with a neighborhood SIM card, and carry a conveyable battery pack (I exploit a Cygnett one).
- Be sure to know the native emergency quantity.
- Should you’re consuming then at all times watch your drink and keep away from consuming an excessive amount of for those who aren’t with individuals you possibly can belief.
- Preserve essential or costly belongings locked in your resort or hostel, or in a safe backpack or in your physique for those who want it throughout the day.
And, after all, by no means journey with out journey insurance coverage.
If you wish to take cool photos while you’re travelling solo, my high suggestion is to get a tripod. You may get low cost and light-weight ones from Amazon, plus there are cellphone attachments for those who don’t have a flowery digital camera. I exploit a Manfrotto Compact Action tripod which is about as mild as they get for correct cameras with out splurging on a carbon fibre one.
And eventually, it’s completely regular to be scared. Travelling is a giant deal, and whenever you’re going by your self with no safety blanket, it’s even greater. Don’t let that concern cease you from doing it as a result of I assure it is going to be the most effective stuff you’ll ever do in your life.
Thanks Alexx! You may comply with Alexx on her journey weblog, Finding Alexx and on Instagram through @findingalexx.
Why not journey like Alexx and discover low cost flights with Skyscanner’s Everywhere Search? You may even discover the right hotel and car hire choices on Skyscanner.
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