So She Travels

I take a look back at the wonderful female travellers I've had on the podcast this season. After 10 episodes I've had some interesting conversations and so I just wanted to highlight some of the main points we've made about female travel. From media representation, to female safety abroad and the financial side of being able to travel, here's a look at what is stopping women from just going for it when it comes to travel. 

I’m joined by Becki Enright. She’s lived in Cambodia, Greece and now Austria. She’s travelled to some destinations a few of us would never even dream of. Places like North Korea, Iran, Palestine and currently, Tibet. Her whole ethos is to travel to change perceptions, and wants to show us that the media story isn't the only one out there. She's one of the few bloggers with a deeper understanding of the destinations she visits. Find out more at https://vickyflipfloptravels.com/dangerous-destinations/.

Kirsty Leanne joins me to chat all things plus size travel. She's the pioneer of the #PlusSizeTravelToo movement online, and wants to inspire women of all shapes and sizes to travel as much as they want. Kirsty gives us her top tips for body confidence, advice for buying swimwear, and for getting as much information as possible beforehand to make sure your holiday goes smoothly. Also, we chat about the results of her recent investigation into plus size representation in travel media.  Find out more: https://vickyflipfloptravels.com/plus-size-travel-tips/  

Monica gives us her top tips for travelling with children, and why it doesn't have to mean the end of your adventures. She takes us way back to her travels in a campervan round Australia with her partner Sam. She's got some great tips for working abroad, saving for travel and where to go in Oz too. But now it's Wales that's her passion, with her two sons, a baby on the way, and her fiance. She divulges the reality behind the Instagram photos, and gives her tried and tested advice for travelling with young children.  Find out more: https://vickyflipfloptravels.com/travelling-with-children/

Karen reveals her top tips for couples travel, and why she'd recommend it to anyone. 'Female travel' usually refers to solo female travel, but couples are doing it too! She's spent the last ten years travelling with her husband Paul, and having a great time together. Travelling as a couple definitely works for them. She's one of the UK's top responsible travel bloggers, so listen in for her tips on how to make sure your travels are as world-friendly as possible, and what you can do to offset the harmful side of travel.  Find out more from Karen at https://vickyflipfloptravels.com/tips-for-travelling-in-a-couple/.

Alice is *the* travel blogger for kickass females to follow. She's been on some incredible adventures around the world – from driving the Mongol Rally, to teaching English in Asia, to motorbiking across Vietnam. She knows Ju Jitsu, has used it to defend herself from an attacker in India and urges all of us ladies to learn a few moves. Today we talk about her adventures, her plans for future travels and how travel can really build your confidence, in all walks of life. Find out more from Alice at https://vickyflipfloptravels.com/solo-female-travel-safety/. 

Kathi is the keenest hiker I know, and her favourite place to do it is her adopted homeland of Scotland. We talk about the best places to hike, what to see and why we need more media representations of women on the trails. She hiked 155 miles of the Hebridean Way so she's a great person to give us a few tips on how to get started. We also chat about how to make a new place feel like home, and her interest in feminist films. Find out more from Kathi at https://vickyflipfloptravels.com/solo-hiking-tips/. 

Top UK travel blogger Emily and I discuss the heartbreak of her mum's death, at only 44, and how that's affected her outlook on life. We also talk about her travels in Latin America, and how travelling has helped her recovery from a former shy girl. She reveals some of her coping mechanisms and how she found the confidence to go travelling alone after the end of her relationship. We also talk about her favourite spots in Latin America, any precautions us female travellers need to think about before, and how it was actually video games that inspired her to go travelling in the first place.  

Ellie and I talk about her four months in India. How she managed with the food as a vegan and the problems of travelling zero waste. She left a cushty job in London to follow her travel dreams – how? We also talk about the idea of 'manifesting' what you want in life and how that's worked for her. She also reveals her new project IndiabyBackpack – a practical travel guide for anyone travelling to India.

Top UK Africa blogger Helen Davies (HeleninWonderlust) joins So She Travels to chat about what it's like to set up a tour company in Africa, why she loves the continent so much and how everything in her life led her to this point. She gives us her Africa beginner tips, and reveals her favourite places and memories from 10 years spent over there, on and off. Also, we discuss the touchy subject of volunteering and how you can make sure the project you sign up for is actually as good for the community as it says it is.       

I chat with top travel blogger Jayne Gorman (GirlTweetsWorld) about living in Australia as a Brit, working in the travel industry, having a destination wedding and what it's like moving back to England after three years abroad. She gives her top tips for travelling in Australia, and a few hot tips on where to go in Oz too. We talk about her pregnancy and expectations for motherhood, as well as where she's going to take him for his first holiday.      

Listen to the So She Travels podcast and you’ll hear from the most vibrant and interesting female travellers of today. Including me, Vicky, a travel blogger at vickyflipfloptravels.com. I’m always looking for advice and inspiration to help me see the world. So She Travels steps away from romanticising solo female travel and gives the cold, hard reality of what it’s really like to travel as a woman. With advice for wannabe travellers on a budget, achievable travel ideas that get us out as much as possible, and inspirational travel advice from women who work full time, who have children, who have responsibilities at home and who’ve overcome personal difficulties to get out there and travel. We won’t be glorifying adventures, or travelling under someone else’s steam, but we are normal-ish women who’ve worked out how travel can feature more prominently in our lives. Expect tips on living as an ex pat, getting a job in travel, working as a tour guide, using travel to cope with grief, safety tips for women, toilets abroad, and travelling with babies. Also, how to travel solo when you’re in a relationship, dating abroad and visiting traditionally ‘dangerous’ countries. Each week we’ll choose a destination, a few topics, and roll with it. For this first series I’ll be talking to my favourite female travel bloggers, not about blogging, but their travels. And who knows what could happen for series 2, if there is one. So She Travels starts for real on Tuesday. So make sure you subscribe on your favourite Podcast listener.