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 Josie, a travel blogger based in Australia . She blogs at Josie Wanders .
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 am Josie, an Australian Gen X travel addict. I discovered travel in my late 30s, but haven’t been able to stop since. I used to work as an accountant, but once my kids finished school, I stopped working to enable me to travel more with my husband.
I blog at Josie Wanders , a blog to encourage other Gen Xers who have not travelled very much to get out there and explore the world.
I didn’t grow up in a family who valued travel. In fact, I really only remember one holiday from my childhood. When I was about 8 years old we went to Kangaroo Island, just off the coast of South Australia, where I grew up and live now. We only spent two nights and one day on the island, before my dad decided we had seen everything there was to see, so off we went on the short flight then eight hours drive home again!
My last trip was to the Gold Coast in Australia, but that was with one of my daughters for a sporting event. The last real trip I took was only a couple of weeks earlier and that was to Hobart in Tasmania.
Oh, so many great things, it’s hard to pick just one. My visit to MONA, a controversial art museum stands out a lot, mostly because there are some really strange and interesting items on display that will be hard to forget.
In 2017/18 my husband and I travelled for 13 months. I don’t think I will ever be able to top that. We visited 40 countries throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia. We ticked so many huge things off our bucket list, from seeing all the big European sites, visiting Petra and Angkor Wat, seeing the Northern Lights, and my favourite, watching sunrise on my birthday from the summit of Mt Kinabalu on Borneo.
I really struggle to answer this because so many destinations are good for different reasons. But since I have to make a decision, I will go with Jordan.
For such a small country, Jordan packs a big punch when it comes to big time attractions. You absolutely must swim in the Dead Sea, perhaps the most surreal experience of my life. Of course you cannot visit Jordan without going to Petra, and camping in the desert of Wadi Rum in a bedouin camp is also a must. To top it all off, go snorkelling to see one of the best coral reefs in the world in the Red Sea at Aqaba.
I always travel with my husband. We managed thirteen months together on the road, so I think we can handle anything!
I am sure everyone probably says this, but I just have to go with my phone. It’s the one piece of equipment that would cause me the most distress if I didn’t have it. It’s my navigation and my translator, I use it for currency conversion and to take photos. It keeps me in touch with my family and lets me work on my blog on the go. It’s my entertainment as an e-book reader or for Netflix, and just think of all those apps that make life more convenient!
Just go! Many people make excuses as to why they can’t travel, but mostly that’s because they are scared to get out of their comfort zone. It doesn’t have to be expensive either. Do it, I say, it’s such a buzz!
We knocked so many places off our bucket list last year that I don’t have any actual “places” I am really yearning to go to. I would like to walk the Camino de Santiago some time soon, and an African safari will not be too far away.
We had a day from hell where everything that could possibly go wrong did. From a delayed flight to a car breaking down, instead of arriving at Agra, India at lunchtime to spend the afternoon visiting the Taj Mahal, we didn’t get there until after dark. The following day was Friday and the Taj Mahal was shut. We saw it from across the river, but that was our only glimpse before we had to move on later that day to Jaipur.
Thank you, Josie , for sharing your fascinating adventures 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.
Disclosure: 17
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.
