I created the “Travellers’ Tales” section to give other travellers an opportunity to talk about their travels. Today I would like to introduce you to James, a travel blogger and world nomad. He blogs at Worldwide Shopping Guide .
I would love to hear about your travels too. Go to “Travellers’ Tales” , fill in the quick questionnaire and email it to me with your blog links.
I’m James, a travel blogger and world nomad. I’ve been slow-travelling my way around the world for several years now, and have spent time living in Germany, Portugal, Spain, and France, as well as a couple of months in South Africa.
I don’t know if this is the earliest travel memory, but most family holidays were spent camping in Ireland (where we lived). This usually involved being stuck in a tent all day playing board games while it rained outside until we eventually gave up and went home. I did get to swim with dolphins of the West Coast of Ireland once, though, and that was very cool!
I’m just back from Porto, a place that I’ve been to before but wanted to visit again.
Porto in Winter
The Port tasting ranks highly. I’ve definitely gained a new appreciation for it!
I had a fantastic time on the Garden Route, but one of my favourite trips has to be the first solo trip I ever took - which was to Paris. My flight was delayed, it rained the entire weekend and, because I didn’t know about ATM charges, I went into my overdraft and it was much costlier than I could afford. If I was to take the trip now, it wouldn’t rank very highly but, because it was my first solo trip, it was incredibly exciting. If you’ve never taken a solo trip before, I highly recommend that you do. It’s a unique experience that you don’t get when travelling as part of a couple or part of a group.
I loved South Africa, which I spent a couple of months in this year. I spent a bit of time in Joburg and on safari, a couple of months living in Cape Town, and then finished it off with the Garden Route. It is, without doubt, one of the friendliest and most beautiful countries in the world.
Hiking in South Africa
Drive the Garden Route. I did a lot of the others “things you must do in South Africa” like going on safari, but I think that the Garden Route was my favourite. Every day there was something new to do, like whale watching, shark diving, or visiting an ostrich farm – I was never bored.
Oh, and go to De Villiers near Paarl as well. They make some fantastic chocolate!
I’ll get in trouble if I don’t say my girlfriend, Jemma, but honestly she is my favourite person to travel with. I’ve travelled with friends before, and it’s hard, and the more people you travel with, the harder it is. She’s the only person I’ve been able to travel with, which is why I guess we’re still together!
I think a pair of noise-cancelling headphones is an essential purchase. From experience, it’s worth spending extra and going for a model like the Bose QC35. I thought I could get a decent pair for around half the price, but I was wrong and in the long run it cost me more. If you travel a lot, these guys will quickly pay for themselves.
You don’t have to go to the other side of the world to find something that’s culturally different. I’ve spent a lot of time living in Europe, and that can be as foreign as parts of South East Asia. In fact, a lot of South East Asia is more developed and advanced than some parts of Europe that I’ve been to, and lived in. To many people in Europe, though, exotic has to involve a long-haul flight to the other side of the world. I imagine that type of thinking is the same the world over.
I’ve not spent any time in South America yet, and this part of the world has been on my bucket list for a very long time. In particular, I’ve always wanted to visit Buenos Aires.
I blog at Worldwide Shopping Guide, a travel blog that focuses on shopping. It’s a fairly new blog, but I’m really enjoying writing it.
Thank you, James , for sharing your fascinating travels with us!
I would love to hear about your travels too. Go to “Travellers’ Tales”, fill in the quick questionnaire and email it to me with your blog links.
Who will I feature next? I’ve got an exciting line-up ahead. Make sure you subscribe to the free newsletter so you don’t miss out on some exciting travel tales.
Sara Essop is a travel blogger and writer based in South Africa. She writes about family travel and experiences around the world. Although she has been to 50 countries thus far, she especially loves showcasing her beautiful country and is a certified South Africa Specialist.
