Written by women on the road

We had the pleasure to interview Catherine, a Canadian woman living in Paris, France. She traveled in around 100 different countries.

She shared her thoughts about solo traveling and safety.

Can you tell me a bit about yourself? What is your current status?

Hi! My name is Catherine, I am originally from Canada but I am now living in Paris, France.

I recently retired. Now I can travel all I want!

When did you start travelling alone?

When I was 18 years old.

Why did you decide to travel alone?

From the time I could read National Geographic I wanted to see all the places I read about. At 18, I got on my first international flight to visit a couple of countries in Europe. I loved it so much that I determined just to keep on and see the world, taking short-term jobs in some places in order to get enough to travel to the next few countries. I returned to Canada 2.5 years later having gone all around Europe, across Asia down to Australia and New Zealand and back up through the Orient from Indonesia to Japan.

Which countries did you visit?

I have been to close to 100 countries so I will just say the only continent I do not know well is Africa.

Which is/are your favorite and why?

Every country has something special. But I loved Peru for the absolute breadth of scenery, Amazonian jungles to deserts, Andean peaks to beautiful beaches, and Costa Rica for its spectacular and easily accessible diversity of flora and fauna.

Can you tell us about your very first travel alone?

My first trip was when I set off from Canada to Germany by myself to meet up with some friends and see Europe. But my pronunciation of German cities was so bad that when I bought my first train ticket I ended up hundreds of miles away from where my friends were waiting for me!

Which country or travel experience really surprised you?

I went to Tibet in the first year after China allowed in foreign tourists. Tibet had never really experienced modern tourism and just my presence in small towns could bring flocks of people to stare at me. That was really traveling back in time in many ways but the countryside was incredible. I can not say I developed much of a taste though for the ubiquitous yak butter tea, often served in cups that had never seen dishwater!

A meeting, a person that you will never forget?

On my first world trip, I was hitchhiking in New Zealand & all the drivers were so friendly that they would all take me on side trips to show me the local scenery and so I ended up not actually knowing the names of all the places I had visited. Somewhere during the day, I left behind my handbag with all my money and ID. I did not notice that it missing from my knapsack until later that night when I landed in Wellington. What was I to do? I stopped a girl on the street to ask her to help me find a police station. She ended up taking me home to her family. I stayed with them for a week until I finally got my handbag back. They were fabulous and so much fun!

What does travelling alone bring you?

I have collected a lot of friends all around the world and a plethora of unforgettable experiences. But most of all it has shown me that no matter anyone's background, education, race or religion, people are similar the world over. Our shared humanity counts much more than any differences and kindness and love can be found everywhere.

Did traveling change something in your life ? or in the perception of yourself?

Traveling taught me many things. It certainly increased my self-confidence and my ability to tackle challenges.

What would you say to people who say that traveling alone as a woman is dangerous?

I have been very lucky but that is not the case for all the female travelers I have known. You need to be vigilant and not tolerate bad behavior from men and always trust your intuition about a situation. You need to be willing to defend yourself and sometimes this attitude is all that is needed, bullies prefer weak victims. Use NomadHer and find a fellow traveler when going through unsafe or lonely areas.

What is your worst experience? How did you handle it? Did it have an impact on you, your behavior, or your life?

I did have a few very scary incidents. Luckily I always escaped and lived to tell the stories! These incidents just reinforced the fact that I needed to always watch out and stand up for myself.

What were the difficulties you had to overcome while travelling?

Always something - having money or phones stolen, illness (so many bad tummy bugs ! ), bed bugs! mosquitoes! running low on funds, language difficulties, getting lost, getting ripped off, etc. But the good times always put everything into perspective.

Best souvenir while travelling?

Really too many to name. Overall, there are kind, generous, and lovely people all around the world.

Is there a difference between how you used to travel and how you travel now?

When I started traveling there were no credit and cash cards, no mobile phones and GPS mapping, no cheap travel guidebooks, no internet, no Google, no language apps, and no light suitcases with wheels. China was a closed nation at that time...the list goes on. So you can imagine how different it is from today!

How do you think travelling can empower women?

Travel teaches us more than books and universities and podcasts ever will. Because you experience the world firsthand.

What advice and tips would you give women who hesitate to travel alone?

If you are hesitating from fear then use NomadHer to find travel companions. If you are hesitating because you think you can not do it - you can!

A message you want to give to the women who will read you?

If you are reading this, then you have found NomadHer and have instant access to a sisterhood of fellow travellers, a community of like-minded individuals. Take full advantage of this and go get your tickets to a whole world of adventure!

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<FRENCH>

Peux-tu nous parler un peu de toi, quand as-tu commencé à voyager seule ? Pourquoi ? Quelle est ta situation actuelle ?

Dès que j'ai pu lire le National Geographic, j'ai voulu voir tous les endroits dont ce magazine parlait. À 18 ans, j'ai pris mon premier vol international pour visiter quelques pays d'Europe. J'ai tellement aimé ça que j'ai décidé de continuer et de découvrir le monde, en prenant des emplois à court terme dans certains endroits afin d'avoir assez d'argent pour voyager dans les pays suivants. Je suis revenue au Canada deux ans et demi plus tard, après avoir fait le tour de l'Europe, traversé l'Asie jusqu'en Australie et en Nouvelle-Zélande et remonté l'Orient de l'Indonésie au Japon.

J'ai récemment pris ma retraite. Maintenant, je peux voyager autant que je veux !

Quels sont les pays que tu as visité ? Lequel ou lesquels sont tes préférés et pourquoi ?

J'ai visité près de 100 pays, alors je dirai simplement que le seul continent que je ne connais pas bien est l'Afrique.

Chaque pays a quelque chose de spécial. Mais j'ai adoré le Pérou pour la diversité absolue de ses paysages, des jungles amazoniennes aux déserts, des sommets andins aux belles plages, et le Costa Rica pour la richesse spectaculaire et facilement accessible de sa flore et de sa faune.

Peux-tu nous parler de ton tout premier voyage en solo ?

Mon premier voyage, c'était quand j'ai quitté le Canada pour l'Allemagne, toute seule, pour retrouver des amis et voir l'Europe. Mais ma prononciation des villes allemandes était si mauvaise que lorsque j'ai acheté mon premier billet de train, je me suis retrouvée à des centaines de kilomètres de l'endroit où mes amis m'attendaient !

Est ce qu’un pays ou une expérience t’as surpris lors de tes voyages ?

Je suis allé au Tibet la première année où la Chine a autorisé les touristes étrangers. Le Tibet n'avait jamais vraiment connu le tourisme moderne et ma simple présence dans les petites villes pouvait attirer des foules de gens qui me fixaient. C'était vraiment un voyage dans le temps à bien des égards, mais les zones plus rurales était incroyables. Je n’ai cependant pas développé un grand goût pour le fameux thé au beurre de yak, souvent servi dans des tasses qui n'avaient pas souvent  dû voir le liquide vaisselle !

Une rencontre, une personne que tu n'oublieras jamais ?

Lors de mon premier tour du monde, j'ai fait de l'auto-stop en Nouvelle-Zélande & tous les chauffeurs étaient si gentils qu'ils m'emmenaient tous faire des excursions pour me montrer le paysage local et j'ai fini par ne même plus connaître le nom de tous les endroits que je visitais. Au cours d’une journée, j'ai oublié mon sac à main avec mon argent et mes papiers d'identité. Je n'ai remarqué que plus tard dans la nuit son absence dans mon sac à dos, lorsque j'ai atterri à Wellington. Que devais-je faire ? J'ai arrêté une fille dans la rue pour lui demander de m'aider à trouver un poste de police. Elle a fini par m'emmener chez elle, dans sa famille. Je suis restée chez eux pendant une semaine jusqu'à ce que je récupère enfin mon sac à main. Ils étaient fabuleux et tellement amusants !

Que t’apporte le fait de voyager seule ?

J'ai recueilli beaucoup d'amis dans le monde entier et une pléthore d'expériences inoubliables. Mais surtout, cela m'a montré que, quels que soient le milieu, l'éducation, l’origine ou la religion, les gens se ressemblent partout dans le monde. Notre humanité commune compte bien plus que toutes les différences et la gentillesse et l'amour peuvent être trouvés partout.

Les voyages ont-ils changé quelque chose dans ta vie ? Dans la perception que tu as de de toi-même ?

Voyager m'a appris beaucoup de choses. Les voyages ont certainement renforcé ma confiance en moi et ma capacité à relever des défis.

Que dirais-tu aux personnes qui disent que voyager seule en tant que femme est dangereux ?

J'ai eu beaucoup de chance, mais ce n'est pas le cas de toutes les voyageuses que j'ai connues. Vous devez être vigilante et ne pas tolérer le mauvais comportement des hommes, et faites toujours confiance à votre intuition concernant une situation. Vous devez être prête à vous défendre et parfois cette attitude est tout ce qui est nécessaire, les brutes préfèrent les victimes faibles. Utilisez NomadHer et trouvez une partenaire de voyage lorsque vous traversez des zones dangereuses ou isolées.

Quelle est ta pire expérience ? Comment l'as-tu gérée ? A-t-elle eu un impact sur toi, sur ta vie ?

J'ai eu quelques incidents très effrayants. Heureusement, je m'en suis toujours sortie et je peux maintenant raconter ces histoires ! Ces incidents n'ont fait que renforcer le fait que je devais toujours faire attention et me défendre.

Quelles ont été les difficultés que tu as dû surmonter pendant tes voyages ?

Il y a toujours quelque chose - se faire voler de l'argent ou un téléphone, tomber malade (tant d'infections intestinales ! ), des punaises de lit, des moustiques ! Être à court d'argent, avoir des difficultés linguistiques, se perdre, se faire arnaquer, etc. Mais les bons moments relativisent toujours tout.

Ton meilleur souvenir de voyage ?

Il y en a vraiment trop pour les nommer. Dans l'ensemble, il existe des personnes gentilles, généreuses et adorables dans le monde entier.

Y a-t-il une différence entre ta façon de voyager d'autrefois et ta façon de voyager aujourd'hui ?

Lorsque j'ai commencé à voyager, il n'y avait pas de cartes de crédit ou d'argent liquide, pas de téléphones portables et de GPS, pas de guides de voyage bon marché, pas d'internet, pas de Google, pas d'applications linguistiques, pas de valises légères à roulettes. La Chine était une nation fermée... et la liste est longue. Vous pouvez donc imaginer à quel point la situation était différente de celle d'aujourd'hui !

Selon toi , comment les voyages peuvent-ils donner du pouvoir, de la confiance aux femmes ?

Les voyages nous apprennent plus que les livres, les universités et les podcasts ne le feront jamais. Parce que vous découvrez le monde de près.

Quels conseils et astuces donnerais-tu aux femmes qui hésitent à voyager seules ?

Si vous hésitez par peur, utilisez NomadHer pour trouver des partenaires de voyage. Si vous hésitez parce que vous pensez que vous ne pouvez pas le faire - vous pouvez !

Un message que tu veux transmettre aux femmes qui te liront ?

Si vous lisez ceci, c'est que vous avez trouvé NomadHer et que vous avez un accès direct à une communauté de voyageuses, une communauté d'individus partageant les mêmes idées. Profitez-en pleinement et allez chercher vos billets pour un monde d'aventures !

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Hi NomadHers!

Your fellow NomadHer SooMin, reporting from sunny Madeira 🏝️ At the beginning of June, I worked as a digital nomad on the island with the NomadHer team. Thought I would check-in and talk about what it is like to live the digital nomad life!

First of all, what is a digital nomad?

It’s a word that is used for people that have careers or jobs that are in large part or fully remote. This means you might be employed, for example, in Germany by a German startup but you’re residing, paying taxes, and officially based in another country - like Vietnam for example. Or maybe you don’t even live in a different country. Maybe you live in Germany, but you constantly change your location and work from there. One week in Peru, the other in Brazil… It’s been a new way of working that’s always existed, but that has become more pronounced with the Covid-19 pandemic.

For those wondering, I am currently working as a Freelance Business Consultant for South Korean SMEs wanting to do business in Europe. My work is project-based so some months I’m crazy busy, other months, super free. In parallel, I’m finishing a second Master’s degree right now, also fully remote. I’ve also previously launched my own ed-tech project in 2020 and was a COO. My cofounder lives in another country from me so we both worked together remotely on that project too.

I haven’t been properly in an office, classroom setting or meeting room in almost 3 years now. So yes, I am indeed a digital nomad!

Before I chat with you about my experience, do you love the idea of being a digital nomad? Does it sound like a dream way of working? Or an absolute nightmare? Comment below before you start reading about my experience to compare, and see if your vision of things may change after reading 😉

In my experience, when I tell people I am a digital nomad, the usual response I get are the two following:

“you’re so lucky, being able to work at the beach in a bikini… You must love being a digital nomad! Work must not even feel like work for you.”

Or,

“it doesn’t feel like you’re working in a very serious way. Surely you can’t get anything done working from home like that all the time. Don’t you get depressed from it?”

I would say there is some level of truth in those statements, but also a large amount of misconception. So, let’s talk about what it’s really like to be a digital nomad. The good and the ugly!

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💦 You work just as much being a digital nomad as not being one.

If you’re committed to working and your monthly income depends on it, you’re going to work hard, no matter the job format. If you’re a digital nomad and you get lazy at work or just don’t show up by partying at the beach, your workplace will definitely let you go. Even digital nomads that are founders themselves work twice as much sometimes even though they have employees working for them and they’re working with the dream scenery in front of them. From the perspective of someone that works in an office, remote work may seem like a joke or a holiday - but it really is neither. Deadlines remain deadlines and working towards a salary, to be able to pay your employees, to support your family… Those are very real concerns. And whether those concerns are within the office setting or outside, they remain the same. You may be working at the beach, yes. You may have an amazing landscape in front of you. The reality is though, you’ve got things to do.

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📍 You don’t actually always end up discovering the dream location you’re working at.

About that dream scenery in front of you while working - this may become the only scenery you end up seeing. What’s surprising sometimes about remote work is that even though you’re working or living in your dream country, because you’re so busy you just may not have time to visit anything or do anything. This depends of course on how much work you’ve got to do and what your work may expect of you - but it’s definitely a thing. Even worse, if you go to a country where your wifi connection isn’t at 100%, you may have to go on the hunt for a coworking space or simply stay in your hotel room. Which really is not very much different from working in an office setting.

😭 Being a digital nomad can be lonely.

Depending on the line of work you do, you may have to work alone. Without a team next to you, things can get lonely pretty fast. Even for people that have digital teams that they constantly do online meetings with, the lack of human contact can get tiresome real fast. That Zoom/Skype/Meets fatigue is real. Loneliness can also affect your productivity too. As you’re a digital nomad, you have to force yourself to be productive, plan your own work days and be your own boss. Don’t feel like working because you see the bed next to you at home? Or the beach? Tough luck, you’ve got to work on that productivity. This could mean taking a quick jog to get your brain working again or changing the spot you’ve been working at. But it still means you’ve got to motivate yourself to do it. All by your lonesome self.

… But there are great things too!

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🗺️ Location flexibility still means the world is your oyster.

I mentioned sometimes you don’t end up travelling as much as you’d think. It’s true, but if you’re also a healthy nomad that makes sure to keep your health and work/life balance on track, you’ll be energized enough to enjoy your weekends or days off. That’s when the world will really feel like your oyster. Maybe you spent Monday to Friday working in a coworking space in Costa Rica - but on the weekend you’re going to be able to hit the beach, meet locals, go surfing, and eat some great food. It’s all about balance. This is definitely a privilege you can’t quite indulge in if you’re a classic 9 to 5 Monday to Friday office worker, because you’d need to take official holiday days off to leave the place you live in.

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👭 Make friends and meet coworkers beyond your permanent personal and professional location.

Working in a traditional office you’ll mainly meet people within your office, partners of the place you work at or people in direct relation with the place you work at. As a digital nomad, the people you meet professionally are super diverse. Not only are your online coworkers may be located all over the world, from all sorts of places, and based in all kinds of timezones; your network will expand in directions you may not even expect! You may meet fellow digital nomads at a coworking space in another country. Or people working in completely different fields from you that also are digital nomads in the country you’re visiting.

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⏰ Time becomes your friend.

Being a digital nomad is great for people that are good at planning and being organized about their work. Maybe you’re not much of a morning person? As a digital nomad, that’s fine as long as you’d be able to make your meetings. Maybe one day you’ll need to get up at 3 am because you have a meeting with colleagues on the other side of the world. Bummer. But maybe in the next 5 days, you’ll be able to sleep in until 11 am and start your work day late, and instead work later into the evening. Maybe one day you work a half-day and the next, slightly more than a traditional full day. Time truly becomes your friend with remote work, if you’re dedicated to keeping on track with everything.

One last note.

Pro-tip for those considering a digital nomad life: the constant battle will be maintaining a healthy balance between personal and professional life. Precisely because you are a digital nomad, the two sometimes blur into each other. Burnouts are no joke, and your mental and physical health both truly come first. So if you’re considering this format of work, you’ve got to draw clear boundaries for yourself. Exercise regularly, learn to pull yourself away from work, and always dedicate some solid days off from work. There will always be another day to work on things, another moment to finish up what you’re working on.

This way of working is for some, not for others. Like everything in life ✨ Good luck!

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Aloha NomadHers!

I’m Aude, an intern from the NomadHer team. From the 23rd of April 2022, the NomadHer team hosted a NomadHer Busan Surf Camp, in South Korea. Let me tell you our stories about how we have initiated this surf camp, and how the NomadHer team has prepared the meet-up together.

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How did the NomadHer team decide to organize a camp?

Meeting female globetrotters from all around the world was really the motivation to host this NomadHer surf camp in Busan in South Korea. During our different past meetups, we have remarked that women are connecting with each other, no matter their ages or nationalities. However, it can be hard to have deep conversations in a short time and create true friendships with each other when the meetup lasts only for 2 or 3 hours.

Trying a bigger and longer meetup was the ideal to see if NomadHers could build stronger moments and relationships. So after a lot of brainstorming sessions, the NomadHer team, the app for the female globetrotters community thought “Why not go on a trip with NomadHers?”

That’s how the idea of creating the NomadHer Busan surf camp was born.

Why did we choose the city of Busan?

As you may know, South Korea is one of the safest countries for solo female travelers, and NomadHer team members Hyojeong, Soyeon, and Aude were in Seoul 🇰🇷 So we wanted to try to hold a NomadHer Surf camp in South Korea.

Even though the team was in Seoul, Busan appeared clearly as the best place to solo travel as a woman, and therefore, to hold ****the surf camp. ✨

First of all, Busan is the city where Hyojeong, the founder of NomadHer, grew up. So it represents a fairly strong symbolism for NomadHer.🌸

Busan is also highly recommended for solo female travelers who are visiting for the first time in South Korea. As soon as you arrive, you feel welcomed by the local people and the warm atmosphere. Busan is known for the beautiful landscapes, between the sea and the mountains, but also for all the water sports, such as surfing, you can do. Busan City then appeared to be the perfect destination for us.

💡 Do you want to know more about Busan?

You can read the NomadHer guidebook “Is Busan safe for solo female travelers?”.

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How did we create the NomadHer surf camp?

NomadHer camp was designed with 4 purposes :

• To create deep connections between NomadHers.
• Make NomadHers feel relaxed with female travel companions.
• Inspire NomadHers through the activities and the different encounters.
• Test New NomadHer Business Plan.

The objective of the surf camp in Busan was to find the kind of activities that could enable NomadHers to enjoy their time in Busan as well as reach those goals.

After asking NomadHers what they wanted to do and doing some research, we thought about surf and yoga as the main activities to organize the best trip for solo female travelers.

🏄‍♀️ Surfing is perfect to create a good dynamic in the group, NomadHers can encourage each other, and laugh together.

🧘‍♀️Yoga, on the opposite, enable NomadHers to reconnect with themselves, talk to their body, and find peace in their mind.

But these activities had to be meaningful, and impactful with inspiring women who could share their stories.

Two days in Busan with NomadHers!

Saturday, April 23rd - Surfing Day!

NomadHer surf camp started on Saturday afternoon with a surfing class on Songjeong Beach in Busan 🏖️

💡 About Songeong Beach (송정 해수욕장), Busan : Songjeong Beach is well known for having large waves. We recommend you to visit in the late afternoon to enjoy the thrills of waves. It is an attractive experience to enjoy surfing on the golden ocean where the sun sets. Recently, other maritime sports also became available including paddle boating. Get ready to dive into the charms of the sea of Songjeong while enjoying maritime sports.

During our surfing class, all NomadHers felt the NomadHer community spirit. They outdid themselves, tried something new, and had the support of others.

💁‍♀️ Nala Lee, our teacher, is a national player on the Korean surfing team. For her, “There is no same wave in the sea. that means every day is a different day to me. I feel alive when I surf. I’ve learned achievement and failure through surfing and it makes me grow. Life is like surfing. I hope every woman has a try this.”

And she really helped us challenge ourselves. Of course, it was hard to stand on the board, so we also accepted failure, but without giving up! And all of us ended up surfing the Busan waves 🌊by

Nala started by explaining her relationship with surfing and how it enabled her to grow and evolve. We all felt her passion and motivation for the surf, and it really inspired us to overcome our fears and the difficulties we can face in life 👊

After receiving the boost of motivation, it was time to learn the basic movements to surf the waves!

And after the theory comes to the practice! By repeating, first, the movements on the sand, we really understood the posture to adopt and gain confidence. Then, all NomadHers dived into the sea of Busan and tried to stand on the surfboards 🌊 Nala was in the water with us and another teacher joined to accompany the group. They helped us to catch the waves and gave us advice after each tries to improve our postures and movements.

At first, we felt down a lot from our boards, we had difficulty finding balance. But we all laughed together and encourage each other 🥰

After several tries, all NomadHers succeeded in standing on the surfboards! 🏄‍♀️

After a few hours of enjoying the sea, two groups were organized to have dinner. 😋

The first group went to a delicious vegan restaurant called Bistro & Cafe Home🌿and the other one went to enjoy a traditional Korean barbecue called SamgyeopSal at Goban Sikdang🍗 During the dinner, we took time to get to know each other, we spoke about our travels, and shared tips. The Korean NomadHers explained must-try dishes in South Korea as well as good places to go to the French NomadHers. French and Korean cultures were mixed all together, and it was so nice to open our minds together! 🇫🇷 🇰🇷

💡 About Bistro & Cafe Home : Address: 5 Jungdong 2-ro 26beon-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan Open :

Wed-Fri : 6:00pm-12:00am

Sat : 6:00pm-1:00am.

Closed Mon-Wed.

💡 About Goban Sikdang : Address: 540-14 U-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan Open:

Mon-Thu : 3:00pm-11:00pm

Fri-Sun : 11:30am-11:00pm

At the end of the day, we had a Korean-style sleepover. Did you know that it is very common for Koreans to sleep on the floor? 😴 Back in the day, they created heated floors, also called “Ondol”, which means warm floor. So most Korean houses heat floors, not air, to warm their rooms. And also, in Korean culture, they have very close family ties, so it is natural to share rooms together ❤️

The accommodation we had was illustrating the Korean heritage and enabled non-Korean participants to discover a new aspect of the Korean culture.

💡 What is the Ondol? Ondol (온돌;溫突), also known as goodle (구들) or banggoodle (방구들), is an underfloor heating system that has kept traditional houses in Korea warm for thousands of years. In its traditional form, the ondol utilizes direct heat transfer from wood smoke to the underside of a thick masonry floor. In modern times, the term ondol refers to any type of under-floor heating in Korean housing.

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Sunday, April 24th - Yoga and discovery of Busan!

Our yoga class started at 6 am on Sunday morning on the beautiful Haeundae beach, right in front of the sea, with a stunning sunrise view!

💡 About Haeundae beach (해운대해수욕장), Busan Haeundae Beach is the most famous beach in Busan and in South Korea. You can enjoy the perfect summer vacation there, on the white sand, with a beautiful coastline. Many festivals and cultural events are also held on Haeundae Beach in June and August. At Folk Square of this beach, you can learn traditional games like neoldduigi (seesaw jumping), Korean wrestling, tug-of-war, tuho (arrow throwing) and Yutnori. So if you are coming to Busan, you definitely need to add it to your itinerary!

🙆‍♀️ Jinseo Ye, our teacher,  is a yoga expert and has held many yoga programs in forests and near rivers. She has a lot of interest in finding inner peace, sustainability, the environment, and vegan life. And she loves traveling alone as a woman.

By doing yoga in the early morning on the beautiful Haeundae beach with Jinseo, we really awoke our bodies slowly and experienced the feeling of peace and freedom.

🌅 Jinseo could explain to us the benefits she is receiving from yoga and we learned all the values and strengths related to yoga. She showed us some movements and helped us to execute them correctly. 🧘‍♀️

By doing slow movements, we focused on our bodies and spirits, and felt relaxed but strong and powerful at the same time 😌 And to be honest, there were a lot of funny moments because some postures were more difficult to hold, so we could laugh together and try again to hold!

Once our yoga session is done, a good homemade breakfast was waiting for us at our accommodation. After eating fruits, yogurt, vegetables, and cereals, some of us fell asleep directly on the warm floor 😄 while others were chatting about travel and life in general. It was really a peaceful moment and we appreciated it together.

But let’s enjoy the rest of the day to go outside and discover Busan 😎 Hyojeong took us for a small tour to enjoy the landscapes. We went to Haeundae Dongbaekseom Island which has a beautiful coastline! Originally, it was a real island 🏝️ but years of sedimentation have connected the island to the mainland. With a fresh breeze from the sea and forest, you can feel nature all the time! So we walked together, seeing different monuments, and were amazed by the view of the Busan shoreline.

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What are NomadHers thoughts about the NomadHer surf camp?

👉 “I loved how we ended up doing many things in the two days we were there. It’s always good to feel like you’re busy and moving about when you’re on a retreat - at least for me!”

“I loved the interactions with the different girls! Meal times were best to get to know each other as well as our walk-in 동백섬 (Dongbaekseom**)**”. **

💁‍♀️ From Soo Min, 29 years old, having lived in France, Hong Kong, and South Korea but now living in Sweden!

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👉 “I liked the teaching, first the theory then the practice on the beach and then in the water about surfing in Busan, South Korea. I found the explanation from the teacher very clear.”

“I think it could have been nicer to stay longer maybe 3 days to really enjoy Busan with other solo female travelers”.

💁‍♀️ From Nathalie, 23 years old, who came from France to spend 3 months in South Korea!

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👉 “I loved the dinner, hanging out together and visiting the Dongbaek Island!”

“All were great. All the NomadHer staff worked hard and a huge shout out to the NomadHer team!”.

💁‍♀️ From Yoo Jin, is around 50 years old, and she knows all the good places to go in South Korea.

Overall, we really connected and had deep conversations with each other. NomadHers could meet other NomadHers they would have never met in their daily life 👭 It was a real cultural exchange as we could learn more about Korean and French culture. So it was really enriching for each of us to meet inspiring women from different parts of the world 🌏

But it was so much fun, the weekend went by a breakneck speed. We all would have loved to stay longer because we really enjoyed those 2 days together!

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What is coming next?

Based on the feedback of the NomadHers, we understood that this kind of camp was really appreciated, but too short.

So we are now organizing longer women’s retreat camps but in Europe and South Korea! 🌍

During June 12-18, we successfully held a 6-day camp on Madeira Island, Portugal, and more are coming. It will be a unique chance to meet all-female globetrotters with inspiring stories from all different parts of the world and create international friendships 👭

Are you ready to join us in our next camp?

Join us on the NomadHer app and check the meetup section! You will find all the details and the registration link to join our NomadHer Madeira camp!

We are waiting for you! 🔥

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From tons of feedback that we received in Q2 NPS (Net Promoter Score) survey, we found out the following top 5 dilemmas our users had while using the app:

1. need more content and tips;

1. able to find information based on the location;

1. need more meetups and users

1. able to search posts;

1. different categories or sections for posts.

With our product team, we tried to look into the user journey for the post section. First, it wasn’t easy to find the information as users want. Then secondly, all the posts mixed together and need to scroll down to check the specific ones. These issues created confusion in the process of using NomadHer app. For building more user engagement and better user journey, our team developed these two features in May.

We’re excited to announce the launch of 2 big important features: Post search function [6.2.0] and Post categorization [6.3.0]! 🎉

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Find specific information easily and less confusion

It would be great to have some way to search among the posts (for example, to find nomadhers who have posted to being travelling to someplace).

-- C. Castella (NomadHer user)

A lot of NomadHers had the same difficulties. Now, in the Lounge section of the app, you will find “search” feature with 🔍 emoji on the top right corner. Then this will lead you to another search page. Here you can search the keywords as you want, for example: beer, road trip, Utah, France…etc. In this way, you will easily find the related posts.

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Hi NomadHers!

Your fellow NomadHer SooMin reporting from Madeira. It’s my last week of the Digital Nomadher Challenge in Madeira which makes me a bit sad, it’s been extremely healing to be here. I’m going to miss being able to go to the beach whenever I want, working at the beach… I’m definitely more of a lizard than a polar bear when it comes to weather, so it’s been amazing being here.

10 days sure fly by real quick. I’ll be sure to be back another time in the future though!

Today I thought I would write to you NomadHers about living as a woman, travelling as a woman and seeing the world as a woman. We are after all, a community of women so I thought it would be a subject most of you would be able to empathise with.

I’ve always felt comfortable in the body I was born in, I’ve never questioned being assigned female at birth, but with time, through the different experiences, the ups and the downs, I’ve realised being a woman isn’t really a problem for me, but rather, a problem sometimes for others. You don’t ask to be treated a certain way, perceived in a particular lens, but it just keeps happening. It’s definitely draining, and some days are harder than others. But I really hope that with this post I could send a virtual letter to all of you lovely NomadHers, telling you there will always be a better day, and that there are so many other women out there that will understand your story and give you the pat on the back you deserve.

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I read a book recently called ‘Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982’ (82년생 김지영). Written by a fellow South Korean, it’s a famous feminist novel about the story of Jiyoung. It shows what it is like to be a South Korean woman today, with a kid and married. It also tells the tale of what it’s like simply to be assigned female at birth in modern South Korea. I had this book on my reading list for a long time, many of my friends had recommended the book to me but I had put it off as I had other things to read. Flying to Madeira, I read the book, feeling ready to delve into some heartfelt literature - and it was indeed heartfelt and heartbreaking.

My heart broke every time Jiyoung would have to check the public toilets for secret cameras filming women (몰래카메라), when she would overhear that her mother had sacrificed her possibility to go to university by supporting the family, earning money to send her brothers to university. When she was called names for being a ‘hindrance’ as a woman wanting to be in restaurants and cafés with her child. When she spoke of ‘having to’ give up her career to be a housewife, cleaning and taking care of her child. Every time her hard work as a housewife wouldn’t be deemed labour.

It reminded me how much more we need to do to achieve equal rights. After reading the book, I sat in the airplane thinking to myself what this means for me as a woman too. I’ve definitely experienced some similar things in South Korea, being a woman there is hard. But really, being a woman anywhere is. Intersectionality. I’m an immigrant woman in Europe, and will always be seen as one no matter how long I’ve lived there. I’m queer, so people will always have their own opinions about who I love and how I love them. I don’t want kids and I am heavily tattooed. These choices I’ve made about my body has labelled me as ‘that type of woman’.

Do I really care though? No. This is my life. I am South Korean, so I do understand the pitfalls of a heavily communitarian society. But I’m also an immigrant in Europe, so I do understand and have experienced the pitfalls of an overly individualistic one. What I’ve come to terms with is that you sort of have to find a balance between the two. It’s really hard to get to the point of “I am who I am, and this is how my existence is defined”, but I’ve found once you get there the mountains and hills you have to climb are worth it.

And finding women like you online, that tell me bravely that you’ve travelled in Tanzania alone, have done a backpacking trip in LATAM by yourself… All these stories tell me that ultimately, although society and others may try to pull us back, we have to stand strong and believe in what we need to make our own space in the world we live in. Maybe for some of us the cage that we’re trapped in is even ourselves, our own fears, our own traumas. It’s important to recognise this and try to take the next steps into recapturing what is our very own lives, our purpose.

Let’s keep sending each other the love and support that is sometime hard to find in the depths of oneself, take a small step, one step at a time to make the world a better place, a safer place to live in.

I believe in all of you NomadHers. Who knows, maybe the next step in your life to find your purpose is a solo trip. Or a girls’ trip! Pick a country you’ve always dreamt of, and just throw yourself into the experience. You never know what you may find out about yourself.

Pro tip: I’ve found seeing a therapist that is of a similar cultural background and a woman has helped a lot with understanding myself, loving myself and feeling confident. Do it if you find it may be worthwhile for you!

So much love and hugs,

Your fellow NomadHer sister, SooMin

#digitalnomadherchallenge

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The world has been in slow motion since the Covid-19 pandemic exploded. As WHO declared a public health emergency on January 30, an increasing number of countries began to realize the extent of the problem. This realization came hand in hand with great panic, fear, grief, and stress. Summer arrived, and yet we did not welcome relaxation and lightness the way we used to when the holiday’s spirit knocked at our door. One of the things we looked forward to when we felt the first summer breeze, was a chance to travel. However, now, when we see the news, it becomes pretty clear that if there is one thing that we can erase from our calendar this year, it is travelling. And here comes the sadness and disappointment again. So it seems like during this unusual context, one of the things we look for is hope. What do you say we get some of it right now?

When this pandemic eases away (because it will, eventfully), you will finally be able to go out into the world again and you will be ready for the new adventures that waited for you for so long. After those exhausting and chaotic few months, what do you wish for? Probably some place when you can relax, enjoy some serenity, some peace.  

So, may I present to you Denmark at its  “Hygge” concept, an ideal place to enjoy your solo travel in all peacefulness.
Hygge is pronounced as hoo-gah and it can be explained as a way to look for a comfortable and happy moment to cherish in your daily routine.

After visiting Denmark, a lot of people returned home with a new sense of peacefulness. The cities of this country truly hold some magical power to make you feel welcome and comfortable. This might be due to the fact that they skillfully combine the following ingredients:

• First and foremost, you just can not ignore those colorful houses on the Copenhagen streets. Insert some image, please!  

So beautiful! Would you look at this rainbow?  The happy vibes are just reaching out to you through the screen. Imagine taking a walk and being embraced by all those lovely colors, sure it would help to ease off some stress.  

• As you take that little walk, you will probably see a lot of people on bikes, smoothly going on with their day. This is due to the fact that a lot of Danish cities are extremely bicycle-friendly. Needless to say, you will find it easy to take a ride on the bike anytime! Elaborate biking infrastructure, flat land and easy cycle renting are all here to make your journey as pleasant as possible. Thus, the relaxing atmosphere is also due to the fact that there is less noise pollution than in any other European capital city. So bye-bye traffic jams and hello serene bike riding!  

• As you ride your adorable bike through danish lands, why don’t you take a break and fully enjoy the view?  There are two well known activities that could really help you relax: photography and hiking. Denmark is known for taking great care of its numerous natural areas. Therefore, the beautiful danish windswept landscapes are the perfect spots to practice your photographic skills and let your mind freely wander towards an artistic activity or take a little walk and breathe in the pure air. Here are a few breathtaking places where you could enjoy some serenity: Møns Klint, Rold Forest, Wadden Sea, Råbjerg Mile…

• Breathe in the beautiful sight of two seas meeting in Skagen, at the Grenen Beach. The current of the Kattegat flows into the Baltic Sea while the Skagerrak flows into the North Sea. The sight of this phenomenon is so mesmerizing that you forget, for a split second, all your troubles.  

• The clean environment of this country also contributes to the whole peaceful atmosphere. For example, in Copenhagen, thanks to the Green Kayak project, you can do some free kayaking while helping collect waste in the waters. I have a friend who did it and it was one of her favorite experiences ever. Some words that could describe this activity: useful, stress-free, exceptional.  

• The amazing thing is that you can go to Denmark any time of the year and there still will be a comfortable atmosphere and lots of things to do. For example, wouldn’t it be a dream to sip some hot chocolate in a cozy café while looking at the snow falling behind the window? Or, perhaps, you would find it even more relaxing to stroll through the numerous art galleries and museums. May I suggest  the Nationalmuseet (Copenhagen) where you travel through history while discovering tales of Vikings and medieval times. Also, take a look at the famous ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum (Aarhus), one of the largest museums in northern Europe.  

Note: once the countries open their boarders and welcome tourists, it will be important to look at the newly established rules (masks, social distancing…) and respect them.  ‍

We had the pleasure to interview Dina, who lives in Cajamarca, Peru. She travels to challenge herself and to get out of her comfort zone!

She shared her thoughts about safety in Peru for a solo female traveler.

If you want to learn more about women-friendly destinations, join the NomadHer community and connect with over 10,000 women travelers all around the world ! You can join by downloading the app on the Google Play Store or on the Apple store !

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🌸 About Dina

Can you tell me a bit about yourself, when did you start travelling alone? Why? What is your current situation?

Hello to all the traveling girls of NomadHer, I'm Dina, I'm 23, and I live in Cajamarca, a quiet city in the north of Peru. The first time I left my country alone was to Santiago de Chile, for a volunteer I did in a scientific event. There I discovered how much it helps me to grow and get to know myself traveling alone, and I did not stop doing it, with every opportunity I had.

Which countries did you visit? Which is/are your favorite and why?

Well, although I have visited airports in several countries, I consider that I have visited Athens (Greece), Santiago de Chile, Bhaktapur and Kathmandu (Nepal), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Zug (Switzerland). I couldn't compare them, because each site is different and beautiful in its own way. However, I have to say that those places extremely different from my country, such as Nepal or Southeast Asia, call my attention more.

I was very surprised by Pashupatinah, a sacred precinct located in the Kathmandu valley, where Hindus cremate their relatives in the open air, perform ceremonies, and throw the ashes into the Bagmati river that crosses the precinct. A place difficult to describe with words.

What does traveling alone bring to you? Has it changed anything in your life?

Above all, travelling alone teaches me to measure my fears, learn to take risks, get out of my comfort zone, but always know where to stop, since I am all I have, so I have to take care of myself in a particular way.

What is your worst experience? How did you handle it? Did it have an impact on you, your behavior or your life?

I think my worst experiences are always at airports. Once in Switzerland, I misread the boarding time of my flight to Madrid and my friend had to pay a speeding ticket for running to get to the flight on time. In bad weather, good face, I arrived at the jousting and I had to take my hold bag as hand luggage and throw away many souvenirs.

What were the difficulties you had to overcome while travelling?

The difficulties for someone shy like me, is that first approach with people with another culture, with other values, with other traditions.

Best souvenir while travelling?

They will always be the photos I take with me. And I collect coins, so also coins.

You can meet other female travelers in Peru by joining the NomadHer community on the app ! You can download it on the Google Play Store or on the Apple store !

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🌸 Being a solo female traveler in Peru

Peru is an extremely diverse country, with incredible landscapes, many flavors, and friendly people everywhere !

Do you feel safe in Peru ? Is it easy to travel alone in Peru?

This will depend considerably on the place. My city, in particular, is not dangerous. In fact, in 2018 it reported the lowest rate of victimization, considering itself the safest city in the country. However, that is not the reality of all regions, Lima, being the capital, is the most populated region of Peru and also the most dangerous. Obviously, not all its districts are like that. Districts like San Miguel, Madgalena del Mar, Jesus Maria, Lince are relatively safe. However, the surroundings or the districts near the center can be dangerous. Personally, I don't feel safe in those districts.

Would you recommend Peru for a solo female traveler ?

In a very personal way, I think that if your plan is to travel as a backpacker, I would recommend doing it in a group and never alone. Unfortunately, the roads of Peru are not safe for a girl alone. However, traveling between cities, whether by plane or by bus, is safe. But like everywhere, there are places to avoid in each city. If you need more info, you can send me a DM and I can help you based on what I know.

How do you think travelling in Peru can empower women?

I think that women should get out of their comfort zones, obviously we have to understand that the world is a little more insecure for women, and it will continue to be for a while. So taking extra care measures is ideal.

What advice and tips would you give women who hesitate to travel alone in Peru ?

I would tell them to send me a DM, so I can tell them which sites to avoid and which sites to enjoy freely. My city is a great option ;)

A message you want to give to the women who will read you ?

Those memories that you carry inside after each trip, nobody will take them away from you. The future is illusory. The important thing is today. Do not delay that trip any longer, try everything that they invite you, disconnect the phone and be more present. Taste, smell, dance and repeat it.

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Can you tell me a bit about yourself, what is your current situation ?

My name is Magreth, I’m from Tanzania, I’m the owner of Juntos adventures and Safari here in Tanzania. “Juntos” means together, I came up with this idea to have my own tour company to encourage women to travel all around the world.

And I also have school to support families that don’t have money, orphanages, so they get education for free for kids which are 2-6 year old. You are all welcome to support us and donate some books, clothes, food. Kids are our next generation, so let’s put smiles on their faces 😊 And God will bless you !

You can meet other female travelers around the world by joining the NomadHer community on the app ! You can download it on the Google Play Store or on the Apple store !

Did you visit other countries?

Unfortunately, I have never been out of Tanzania, but I hope one day I will, and my dream destinations are Paris in France and Rome in Italy !

What does travelling alone bring you ?

Travel alone brings :

• Energy booster

• Connection with new people

• Learn new things and room for exposure

• Stress-free shutter and Rejuvenation

• Room for meditation

Where do you recommend to travel to visit in Tanzania?

I love to go hiking, I wish one day I will climb the Kilimanjaro mountain, the highest mountain in Africa, visit all our national parks especially Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro crater, Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park and the beautiful island of Zanzibar. We call it paradise, I can’t get enough of it 🥰

What would you say to people who say that travelling alone as a woman is dangerous ?

First I want to tell people that Women are not weak, they are strong, and they can protect themselves from anything bad. Second, traveling alone as a woman is not dangerous since my country has a good security to protect people and also people in Tanzania, local people are so kind, so people should stop discourage women to travel alone especially when it’s comes to Tanzania. Our country is so peaceful with good people.

If you want to learn more about women-friendly destinations, join the NomadHer community and connect with over 10,000 women travelers all around the world ! You can join by downloading the app on the Google Play Store or on the Apple store !

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How could we change this idea that women shouldn’t travel alone, and should go with someone ?

I can change the idea that women shouldn’t travel alone by showing the experiences I had as a female traveler and showing that nothing happened, I only enjoyed the discovery of the nature ! And I think the idea can be changed if women dare to travel alone and experience that it is not dangerous, I also think that women who are travelling should focus on their experience and not give attention to things that they don’t know about. That’s why tour guides exist, they will be there to ensure that you are safe !

What is your worst experience ? How did you handle it ? Did it have an impact on you, your behavior or your life ?

The worst experience is when I plan a trip and I arrange everything so that my clients can have a great enjoyment but at the end, they postpone the trip so I have to communicate with the park and hotel people to cancel all the bookings and payments I did.

It has an impact especially in my business since I get a loss, and it changes my life because I have to live out of the budget, I have to recover from the loss I get.

What were the difficulties you had to overcome while travelling ?

Things to overcome while traveling are being sick, not understanding the language, running out of cash or getting lost by not knowing the place well

Best souvenir while travelling ?

The best souvenir I had while travelling was the way I was able to meet my customer’s satisfaction by getting them to the right place they wanted to visit.

How do you think travelling can empower women ?

Traveling can empower women because they can generate their income through traveling, and they can connect with strategic people from different countries in the world

Did you meet other NomadHers ?

No I didn’t get a chance to meet any member of NomadHer, but I wish, and I hope one day I will meet amazing women in different countries !

A message you want to give to the women who will read you ?

A message to someone who will read this is that they should believe in themselves, that they can do better ! Also in any journey to success there are a lot of difficulties, but they will keep you strong because there is no success without passing through ups and downs Difficulty should not be your downfall, instead you’re growing up.

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Estonia is considered as “The Finland of Eastern countries”. But it’s too reductive to resume how much this country has to offer to those who want to discover it. Estonia is not only a Nordic or an Eastern country, but also between everything, and this is unique! Estonia is independent for 30 years only, and inhabitants are deeply involved in the construction of their own culture❤️

I remember a guy I met on the ferry between Helsinki and Tallinn who asked me : “what are you gonna do during one whole week in Estonia, is there enough things to do and see?”

And after my travel, I can answer this question: one week was obviously not enough!

In Tallinn, enjoy the slow life between history and ultra-modernity, but always surrounded by nature! If you visit Tartu, take the time to visit museums and drink a local beer in a pub! Then, If you decide to visit Narva, don’t miss the medieval castle and a walk around the soviet suburbs, it is real time-travel!

✳️Transport

During my travel, I take a boat, plane, tramway, bus, and trains, and the country is very well-connected.

I advise renting a car only if you want to visit the countryside and natural parks (as I don’t have my driver’s license, I didn’t rent a car and that is my regret because the countryside looks interesting and surprising!). If you want to visit only cities, this is a waste of money to rent a car! It is easier to use a train or a bus between cities, these transports are very reliable and comfy in Estonia. To visit cities, you can do everything on your feet or bicycle, even in Tallinn!

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✳️Food

Food is probably my favorite part of every travel! Estonian food is very similar to Russian food, and I ate a lot of Russian dishes (such as a Seljanka soup, or Pelmeni…delicious!)

In Tallinn, enjoy your morning visiting Telliskivi creative city and Jaama Turg (market), and then, try food from all over the world in one of these food trucks with a cosmopolitan atmosphere!

• Maiasmokk Tallinn: The oldest coffee in town! Don’t miss the cozy atmosphere and tasty latte!
• Swissotel Tallinn: A French man, established in Estonia for 10 years, advised me to go to the Swissotel bar/restaurant. And the place was amazing! On the 30th floor (one of the highest buildings in Tallinn), surrounded by large windows, you can admire at the bar side a beautiful sunset over the Baltic Sea and the modern Tallinn whereas after, for your dinner, at the other side of the room, you have an incredible view over the old Tallinn! This place is a bit expensive and fancy, so if you want to save your money and enjoy the same view, another building not so far has the same view: Sokos Hotel Viru. The last floor is a KGB museum that everyone can access.
• Olde Hansa Tallinn: One of the most epic restaurants of my life! A local advised me to try this restaurant. It is very famous in the city and at first sight, it can appear like a tourist trap. But no! Everything in this big restaurant is about the medieval era. Atmosphere, dark lights, decorations, costumes, music, and even food! But it doesn’t look cheap or fake, it is very realistic, and you immediately feel the vibe! The waiter was kind and cheerful and all the musicians talented! The food was tasty and the price was not too expensive. I recommend 100% this address, you will not regret it!
• Werner Cafe Tartu: if you like pastries, cake, and tea it is the place to be! You can choose between a lot of different delicious and generous cakes with a cup of tea or coffee!

Also, Tallinn is full of bars and pubs which are safe for women! (And finally, less for tourist men because of scams)

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✳️Safety

I walked a lot in the evening in Tartu or Tallinn and I felt safe (honestly, more than in French big cities). The criminal rate in Estonia is one of the lower in Europe and walking in the street as a lonely woman is not a problem (even if you can hear some unpleasant comments from men, unfortunately, it’s everywhere like this.)

On another hand, you must be careful in some places:

• Railway stations, as everywhere in the world, it’s a hub where people come and leave, and you must be careful with your personal stuff. Normal attention is required and everything is gonna be okay!

• Former industrial cities as Narva. I had no problem when I visited this city and the crime rate is also low, but this city is at the border with Russia, and they are some drug traffics. (as every border town, there are traffics, and we must be careful!)

To put it in a nutshell, Estonia was an amazing discovery for my first travel alone and now, I just need to come back to this country to visit more!

From Judith Grg, France❤️

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