Ultimate Travel Tips From 6 Influential Travel Bloggers – Part 2

Last week we featured part 1 in the “Ultimate Travel Tips From 6 Influential Travel Bloggers” that featured travel bloggers, Sydney of Coconut Curl, Jani Gee of Health Geenie, Sylvia Chuku of Chi Chi Caramel and Dee Eke of Dee Diary. This week we have the utmost pleasure to feature Ashlea of Nomadik Nation and Celeste from Celmatique. They have chimed in on the best ways to budget travel, how to be safe while traveling and even giving their opinions on a myth that’s been floating around on why they think black people don’t travel much. Be sure to read this before booking your next getaway! Don’t forget to comment below telling us how you budget travel, your most memorable experiences, safety tips, and any other travel advice you’d like to give!

What’s the best way to travel on a budget?

Celeste from Celmatique

Live like the locals!

Ashlea from Nomadik Nation

One of the myths that arise most often is that travel is expensive. It’s completely BS. Travel is as expensive as you make it. Even more fictional is the belief that traveling on a budget is somehow less of an experience than if you had a black card. Hostels are great budget travel options. It’s funny, so many people base their ideas of hostels on a scary movie that came out years ago. It’s the equivalent of not going on a cruise because you’ve seen Titanic. The best thing about hostels is that they provide you the opportunity to meet other people who are as interested in having as much fun in a new place as you are- something you might not be able to do at a Ritz-Carlton. In fact, many hostels rival hotels in amenities and creature comforts. If I’m traveling alone, I prefer to stay in hostels for the social atmosphere. Camping is also one of my favorite activities abroad. It allows you a certain kind of freedom. To be still and present in nature is an awesome way to experience a place. Another way you can find places that fit your budget is by using Kayak explore page. You type in what you want to pay, when you want to go, and it shows you the options within your budget on a map. And lastly, you can save a lot of bank by visiting developing countries. Don’t get me wrong- Europe is nice, but there are so many more dope places to explore in Asia, Africa, and South America. Sure the ticket might be a tad pricier, but strong currency like the dollar can transform your trip from budget to ballin’.

What’s your most memorable experience while traveling?

Celeste from Celmatique

There are way too many! But I think the most important one is: I grew as a person. Traveling has changed me as a human being, seeing life in different perspectives. To me that is most valuable and probably the reason why so many people love to travel so much. It just expands your horizon.

Ashlea from Nomadik Nation

Wow! I have had so many great moments traveling around the world and have made so many lifelong friends- even on short trips. I suppose my most recent one was hiking Acatenango Volcano near Antigua, Guatemala. It’s 13,000 feet and you go from extremely hot temperatures when you start and then camp overnight in freezing temperatures near the summit. It was tough. I cried. I learned that hiking is more mental than physical. When doing something that physically challenging, you have to learn how to encourage yourself, how to inspire yourself to keep going, how to set your own pace. Your body will do what you command; it’s your thoughts you must learn to control. Once I realized I had made it above the clouds, I felt like Rocky Balboa, victory music and all. It made me realize I could do anything.

What are some of your most adhered to safety tips?

Celeste from Celmatique

Be prepared. That’s all I can say, haha.

Ashlea from Nomadik Nation

Haha, I’m probably not the person to ask about safety, because in my travels I have found that the vast majority of people are kind and I’m super trusting. For whatever reason, it has always worked out. The best safety advice I can give is to stop watching the news and learn to follow your gut. Travel teaches us to become better at listening to ourselves. You already know what situations feel right, and you know which ones feel wrong. Rarely do people find themselves in danger without a few red flags being raised first. If you are from the States, you know we live in one of the most violent places on earth. You already know what to do to be safe because you do it almost unconsciously every day. Just carry that sense of precaution with you, and you’ll be just fine.

There’s has been a notion that black people don’t travel abroad much. Have you seen this to be true? If so, what advice can you give that will encourage more people of color to explore the globe?

Celeste from Celmatique

Hmm, no I haven’t really. That would be such a shame! I don’t think the reasons for traveling should differ whether you’re ‘black or white’. All I know is that traveling does good for the soul. It makes you feel free. And freedom is something not everyone gets to experience in their life, the way it could. So if you have the chance to explore, do it! You won’t ever regret it.

Ashlea from Nomadik Nation

For 2016, I hope we can lay this myth to rest once and for all. There are so many black travelers nowadays that if you assume that black people don’t travel because you don’t know any, well, you should check your friendship circles. As black people, we must not make our own experiences anecdotal. If you do need some black travel inspiration, there are so many black travel communities on Facebook and Instagram now that are great sources of inspiration and resources! They have hundreds of thousands of active members and lively, timely engagement. Check out Nomadness Travel Tribe, Black And Abroad, Travel Noire and Up in the Air life- to name a few. Black Travel bloggers Rachel Travels and Oneika Raymond have been doing it for years and their websites have more than enough advice and tips to get you started. There are thousands of black travelers who would love to help you see the world, in addition to my own travel company, Nomadik Nation. Your only job is to seek them out and ask questions. So what are you waiting for?

What’s your ultimate traveling advice that you would like to give to future travelers?

Celeste from Celmatique

No matter what country you go to, make sure you explore it on different ways. Low budget, very local, maybe even fancy every once in a while (if you’re financial situation allows you to). And change destination as much as you can! I remember when I went to Indonesia for two weeks. Such a short stay, but because I moved to a different place every three days, it felt like I was there for a month! In that way your travel will feel as complete as possible.

Ashlea from Nomadik Nation

Buy the ticket. It’s one click away. Figure out the details later. Once you’ve committed to getting on the plane, everything else will fall into place. So many people procrastinate travel, but it’s seriously one of the single best ways to invest in your personal and professional growth. The lifelong rewards outweigh the price of the plane ticket by leaps and bounds. And you’ll have stories for generations to come.

Check Out Part 1 In The Ultimate Travel Tips From 6 Influential Travel Bloggers

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