Two Filipina sisters - Prime and Nina Sarmiento travel the world, work remotely and fulfill their dreams. On top of that they share their stories and tips for female solo travellers on their blog - The Gypsy Gals, where you might find travel city guides, lot of useful tips and inspiring stories.
Despite their busy schedule they found time to answer few of my questions, shared their tips on safer travelling and explained why they don't need bucket list.
I decided on interviewing fellow travellers on a regular basis, so stay tuned ;-)
Despite their busy schedule they found time to answer few of my questions, shared their tips on safer travelling and explained why they don't need bucket list.
I decided on interviewing fellow travellers on a regular basis, so stay tuned ;-)
GTT: Many girls/women are afraid to travel alone. Have you personally experienced any dangerous situation on your travels? If so, how did you solve it and what have you learned?
Nina: Travel security is a problem. Many people will always say "It's not safe to go there." But if you think about it, nowhere is completely safe, so what's the point?
I always take precautions - like I only walk on lighted places, and only in streets with some people around. I always carry my backpack in front me and carry all my essentials strapped to my body (by using a belt bag or a neck pouch which I keep inside my shirt). I always let my families and friends know where I'm going and ask them that I will appreciate it if they will check on me to from time to time.
There is also safety in numbers, so I really don't mind joining group tours allowing me to meet and talk with fellow travelers.
GTT: Both of you are constantly on the road. Are you on sabbatical or do you work? And what does the term "mediapreneur" mean?
Prime: I'm a journalist so I travel both for work and for leisure. If I travel a lot, it's because more than half of those travels are working trips - covering conferences, etc. I did go on a brief three-month sabbatical in order to travel about five years ago.
Well, a mediapreneur is a term that I learned from David Siteman Garland of Rise To The Top fame to refer to aspiring/existing entrepreneurs who are in the online media industry. My sister and I are aspiring mediapreneurs as we'e building our blog into a business. We want it to become a one-stop online site for female travelers.
Nina: I work as a programmer in Ireland. My paycheck can sustain my expenses and I use a portion of that money to reward myself with travel experience.
GTT: What do you usually look for when travelling? Museums, galleries, food, beach, nature, sport etc.?
Prime: I'm a city gal who's a bit woo-woo and artsy fartsy. I love visiting museums, galleries and temples, going to a yoga studio, meditating with teachers, watching plays, hanging out in cafes and searching for the best food in the city, I also shop a bit - going to night markets, bargain my head off, buying bead and crystal jewelry, t-shirts and coffee/tea.
Sometimes I go on nature hikes, but i really miss the comforts of a city.
Nina: I usually divide my itinerary into two: city (architecture, galleries and museums) and landscapes (which can include beach resorts). In some places I reserve some night to watch some performances.
GTT: Do you both always agree on schedule? As sisters, don't you sometimes go on each other's nerves? :-)
Nina: We don't always agree on schedules and we do bicker at times. The best compromise for us is to have separate itineraries from time to time. So sometimes I say that am going to do this, and you can do this and I'll meet you at this place at a designated time.
Nina: Travel security is a problem. Many people will always say "It's not safe to go there." But if you think about it, nowhere is completely safe, so what's the point?
I always take precautions - like I only walk on lighted places, and only in streets with some people around. I always carry my backpack in front me and carry all my essentials strapped to my body (by using a belt bag or a neck pouch which I keep inside my shirt). I always let my families and friends know where I'm going and ask them that I will appreciate it if they will check on me to from time to time.
There is also safety in numbers, so I really don't mind joining group tours allowing me to meet and talk with fellow travelers.
GTT: Both of you are constantly on the road. Are you on sabbatical or do you work? And what does the term "mediapreneur" mean?
Prime: I'm a journalist so I travel both for work and for leisure. If I travel a lot, it's because more than half of those travels are working trips - covering conferences, etc. I did go on a brief three-month sabbatical in order to travel about five years ago.
Well, a mediapreneur is a term that I learned from David Siteman Garland of Rise To The Top fame to refer to aspiring/existing entrepreneurs who are in the online media industry. My sister and I are aspiring mediapreneurs as we'e building our blog into a business. We want it to become a one-stop online site for female travelers.
Nina: I work as a programmer in Ireland. My paycheck can sustain my expenses and I use a portion of that money to reward myself with travel experience.
GTT: What do you usually look for when travelling? Museums, galleries, food, beach, nature, sport etc.?
Prime: I'm a city gal who's a bit woo-woo and artsy fartsy. I love visiting museums, galleries and temples, going to a yoga studio, meditating with teachers, watching plays, hanging out in cafes and searching for the best food in the city, I also shop a bit - going to night markets, bargain my head off, buying bead and crystal jewelry, t-shirts and coffee/tea.
Sometimes I go on nature hikes, but i really miss the comforts of a city.
Nina: I usually divide my itinerary into two: city (architecture, galleries and museums) and landscapes (which can include beach resorts). In some places I reserve some night to watch some performances.
GTT: Do you both always agree on schedule? As sisters, don't you sometimes go on each other's nerves? :-)
Nina: We don't always agree on schedules and we do bicker at times. The best compromise for us is to have separate itineraries from time to time. So sometimes I say that am going to do this, and you can do this and I'll meet you at this place at a designated time.
GTT: You have lots of useful content including guides on your blog. Do you use any help or do you do everything by yourself?
Prime: We write everything ourselves, take all photos. I edit all the stuff, sometimes I use creative commons photos. But to add more depth to our content especially our city guides, we conduct research. We search online, consult books and interview tour guides or other travel experts.
I also have a part time assistant who helps me with social media marketing. I network a lot - online and in person - to learn more about building an online business and to boost traffic for our site.
GTT: Do you have any bucket list? How do you decide what country/city will you visit next?
Prime: I don't believe in having a bucket list. I'm goal oriented, so I always have some goals for the year - and that includes the country/ies that I plan to visit that year. I don't have a specific criteria on where I want to go - remember that I do a lot of working trips so sometimes I don't have a choice on that matter. However, I go to a place that "pulls" me. It has to have a certain vibe.
Nina: My minimum rule is that I have to go to one place I haven't been to once a year.
Sad to say, logistic sometimes had to be considered. I would like to go now to South America, but I cannot afford it as of the moment.
GTT: You are obviously very spiritual. How does travelling become spiritual journey for you?
Prime: It's a way for me to know myself, to practice meditation in motion, to find a teacher that I can resonate with. I have found one so far, but I'm still searching for more.
GTT: Will you ever stop traveling? What happens when you have a family one day? Will you write for traveling families with kids then? :-)
Prime: OMG, no. Traveling is my life. My future husband and children have to love traveling too and in fact I'm looking forward to a time that I'll be doing some family travel as a mom and wife.
Nina: Unless something drastic happens like war, I don't see myself stopping from traveling. If I have kids, then we'll pack our bags and set to another country.
GTT: If you could recommend just one of your must-read articles for readers of Girl's Trip Tips, which one would you pick?
Prime: The Gift of Solo Travel - http://solofemaletravel.net/woman-travel-alone-fearless/ This post will best explain what traveling alone as a woman is all about.
Thank you for your time!
Prime: We write everything ourselves, take all photos. I edit all the stuff, sometimes I use creative commons photos. But to add more depth to our content especially our city guides, we conduct research. We search online, consult books and interview tour guides or other travel experts.
I also have a part time assistant who helps me with social media marketing. I network a lot - online and in person - to learn more about building an online business and to boost traffic for our site.
GTT: Do you have any bucket list? How do you decide what country/city will you visit next?
Prime: I don't believe in having a bucket list. I'm goal oriented, so I always have some goals for the year - and that includes the country/ies that I plan to visit that year. I don't have a specific criteria on where I want to go - remember that I do a lot of working trips so sometimes I don't have a choice on that matter. However, I go to a place that "pulls" me. It has to have a certain vibe.
Nina: My minimum rule is that I have to go to one place I haven't been to once a year.
Sad to say, logistic sometimes had to be considered. I would like to go now to South America, but I cannot afford it as of the moment.
GTT: You are obviously very spiritual. How does travelling become spiritual journey for you?
Prime: It's a way for me to know myself, to practice meditation in motion, to find a teacher that I can resonate with. I have found one so far, but I'm still searching for more.
GTT: Will you ever stop traveling? What happens when you have a family one day? Will you write for traveling families with kids then? :-)
Prime: OMG, no. Traveling is my life. My future husband and children have to love traveling too and in fact I'm looking forward to a time that I'll be doing some family travel as a mom and wife.
Nina: Unless something drastic happens like war, I don't see myself stopping from traveling. If I have kids, then we'll pack our bags and set to another country.
GTT: If you could recommend just one of your must-read articles for readers of Girl's Trip Tips, which one would you pick?
Prime: The Gift of Solo Travel - http://solofemaletravel.net/woman-travel-alone-fearless/ This post will best explain what traveling alone as a woman is all about.
Thank you for your time!
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