Written by women on the road

There’s no doubt that a road trip to California leads to some amazing destinations, they are so rich, so varied, and can also be personalized and tailored to suit the individual.

Here are my top 7 highlights that I pick in my 3 weeks road trip with my friend that I would recommend to anyone that asks.

Start your road trip from San Francisco with an Alcatraz Island tour

First up is San Francisco, this was where we started our road trip and had 3 days exploring the city before we picked up the car and hit the road.

We prebooked the Alcatraz tour online before we left, which I highly recommend, so off we went and hopped on the 11 am ferry to the island and spent a few hours exploring and taking the tour. Alcatraz was both haunting and incredible at the same time.

The stories of the inmates and the escapes that were attempted were told so well in and around the island through the headsets that you were able to pause if needed to spend more time in areas of the prison. I didn’t know that the families of prison guards would live on the island with them.

Try the best chowder near Pier 39

After we left the island, we wandered around the area and stumbled across Pier 39 where I had the best chowder served in a bread roll. The restaurant was on the edge of the pier, and we were lucky enough to be sat in a window seat where we could see Alcatraz.

The staff was so friendly and accommodating and we didn’t feel rushed at all despite the restaurant looking very busy. The chowder was creamy, fresh with large chunks of fish freshly brought that morning, the roll was warm and soft with the perfect crust. I would go back to San Francisco just for this!

Yosemite National Park

We then hit the road and headed to Yosemite National Park. As we arrived at Tenaya Lodge, in Yosemite late we decided to wait until morning before heading to the park. The bit no one prepares you for is driving through the forest areas that have been destroyed by wildfire, this was truly heart-breaking to see, we had been lucky to make it to Yosemite as a few months earlier it had closed due to wildfires, this made the visit even more meaningful.

We finally made it to Tunnel View and pulled over to admire El Capitan, Half Dome, Glacier Point, and Bridalveil Fall in all their glory, the bright blue sky and the sea of green trees framing them beautifully. We spent the whole day in the park, hiking trails, animal spotting, and also paddling in the streams. It was incredible and an experience I would encourage anyone to do.

Sequoia National Park

From Yosemite National Park, we then hit the road and arrived at Sequoia National Park to visit General Sherman. Sequoia is so different from Yosemite, everything is bigger. I felt small in Yosemite but I felt tiny walking amongst the huge redwood trees including the largest tree in the world – General Sherman. The sheer size of these beautiful giants was breathtaking and having a picnic amongst them is a memory that will stay with me forever.

The Grove in LA: High-end shopping in Los Angeles

It is very different from my other highlights and it’s the Grove in LA, this was such a change of pace compared to the first week of our road trip and it was a welcome one too. We spent a very lazy day eating and drinking our way around the incredible restaurants, listening to the live music on the promenade, and spending hours chatting and reading by the fountain. This outdoor shopping center had it all and it was right next to the Farmer's Market which was a lovely way to spend a couple of hours wandering around the stalls.

Pismo Beach

From LA we headed to Pismo Beach, which is a classic beach town on California's Central Coast. It's known for its wineries and many beautiful beaches. Again, for us,  this was a very chilled part of the holiday where we spent the day reading, sunbathing, and swimming in the sea.

Days like this are needed to recharge the batteries ready for the next few days. My favorite thing about Pismo beach was the uninterrupted sunsets and sunrises. For our meal that night we sat outside on the decking whilst the sunset and blue and orange sunset over the sea is still my phone background to this day.

Whale watching in Monterey Bay

My last highlight of the trip was whale watching in Monterey Bay. This was actually our last day before heading to the airport and we spent the day wandering around Monterey, otter spotting and walking through Old Fisherman’s Wharf and docks before heading to Discovery Whale watch to board our boat. This was the most incredible few hours of my life because we saw a humpback whale feeding.

We had spent some time at sea with not much luck until we turned around to head back to the dock and there was the vast black and white tail of a humpback. We sat on the boat bobbing up and down for ages just watching the whale surface and diving deep under the surface. This experience was everything I wanted and more.

It was so hard to narrow down my top 7 recommendations for a Californian road trip as there were so many highlights but if I was to redo it – these would be top of my list.

🙍‍♀️Sarah from Oxford, UK recently try to take on the world as a solo traveler! She had been away with her friends before but now she enjoys venturing out and exploring the world! She loves to bake too!(Instagram:@sarahtrubes)

From tons of feedback that we received from users’ interviews and surveys, we found out the following top 5 dilemmas our users had while signing up for meetups on the app:

1. Make the more simple payment process
2. Check all the information about each meetup at once
3. Able to see who will participate in meetups
4. Contact directly to meetup host
5. Mark the meet-up location with a map

With our product team, we tried to look into the user journey for the meetup and payment section. First, it wasn’t easy to check all the information at once on a page as users wanted.

Then secondly, the payment system was complicated. It made users go through several steps to finish their payment using another external page. These issues created confusion in the process of using the NomadHer app. For building more user engagement and a better user journey, our team developed these features in Dec.

We’re excited to announce the launch of a big important feature: A New Payment Function and A Meetup Page Renewal [6.4.5]! 🎉

A simple payment process to make it easier to sign up for meetups

It would be good to pay within the app instead of asking to go to other links and check detailed information and payment.

-- C. Rebecca(NomadHer user)

A lot of NomadHers had the same difficulties. Now, in the Meetups section of the app, If you click the meetup program that you want to participate in, you will see all the information arranged organized way by the tab bar above.

And then if you click the Register for Meetup button on the bottom, the only process left to finish your participation is to put in your payment information and that’s it! In this way, you can finish quickly and look around at other meetups that you are interested in.

So how about wandering around on the Meetup page to check and participate in upcoming events?

Let’s click your favorite meetup first!

1. You can look through all the information at once that you want to see on one page. Click the tab bar (Host/About/Schedule/Packages/FAQ/Comments) to find the specific information that you want.
2. Click the Register for Meetup button if you want to join the meetup
3. Choose the package and put your payment information to check out, and it is done!

After you’ve done payment, you will get the confirmation mail and your profile will be shown on the “NomadHers Going” part on the upper part of the meetup.

Get on the NomadHer app now and join our upcoming meetups to meet female travelers over the word!

In the end, the NomadHer team really appreciates all the valuable suggestions and feedback from our users. (There are some example suggestions shown below.) We would like constantly hear from you more. (Please click here to give us feedback.)

I'd like the post more photos and videos to share my travel story together.

-- K. Sophie

Maybe it would be great to be able to have travel postings grouped by location.

-- C. Young‍

About NomadHer article contributor program

Every female traveler already has their own story to share. We believe that women can grow through traveling. Our goal is to inspire female travelers to start their solo trips as getting out of their comfort zone and feel a strong bond as part of a connected global women's community.

How does NomadHer do this now? By sharing our own travel stories. Every female traveler is a pioneer in their life. We know that you are ready to give inspiration to others. That’s how NomadHers are connected over the world.

Empower women through writing your story. That is why over 20,000 female travelers from 178 countries have shared their stories now through NomadHer. At first, people hesitated to try a first solo trip with concern but when they started, travel became a part of their life. From sharing your concern, and fear, and the way to overcome them to sharing the travel tips that you discover to enjoy the trip, you can find your subject that starts to write.

We believe that every female traveler has their own story to share and it is you!

What you can expect from this program now

✅ Your article will be featured on the all official channels of NomadHer from the guidebook section of the app to the website, newsletter, and Instagram with your name. Your article will be reached ✨20000 App users, 25000 Newsletter subscribers, and 6000 Instagram followers. Sharing a travel story with NomadHer will become your first step to broadening your own area and helping your self-branding. Now, speak out your story to people.

✅ For 2 months, we will provide ✨3 online networking sessions talking with fellow writers and the NomadHer team. You can feel more closely connected and learn from each other. It is not mandatory to participate, but networking sessions will motivate you to keep writing.

✅ NomadHer team will be with you throughout the entire process as a writing mate✨. When you write, you can get feedback right one time. NomadHer team will give a guide from deciding subject to finishing your article. You are not alone when you write. NomadHer team will be always on your side.

✅ Depending on the content, your article can be translated from English into Korean too and published on one of the popular Korean platforms✨. We will help your story spread over the world.

✅(✨Only for participants who complete this program)After finishing this program, we will do a paper interview with participants who complete this 2-month program with 2 articles. We will feature you on our website.

What NomadHer team expect from you

1️⃣This program will be held for 2 months from Jan to February of 2023. You will write 1 article in English every month. So after this program, you can have 2 articles. We hope that you enjoy the journey until the end of this program.

2️⃣Promote your articles on your own social media. We will bring readers for you through all our platforms. We are proud of what you do for NomadHer and we hope that you will feel the same way as spreading your article to your followers.

3️⃣As a NomadHer app user who is verifed, we expect your honest and true story which is that only you can talk not copy from others.

4️⃣Your articles that are written for NomadHer will not be published on other websites. It will be the best way for both sides to consider SEO.

Article guide for you

🟡 5 Words that describe our voice:

Inspiring, confident, authentic, openness, and empathy

🟡 Our audience

All our audience has lots of curiosity about the world and is ready to be connected with female travelers. That is the energy that makes the vibe of the NomadHer community.

Their range in age is between in their 20-40  and over 50. More than half are based in France and next is South Korea and USA. But basically, NomadHers are based all around the world.

Some of our readers are experienced travelers who enjoy traveling with a global mind and understanding cultural differences, and others are just starting to solo trip abroad so looking for a guide for a beginner.

🟡Our article

This is what female travelers in the community are currently looking for.

: Informative article talking about  a specific topic(not general) with your inspiration

There are tons of information on the internet. So, we recommend you narrow down your subject for your article. In addition with it, what makes your article becomes really unique is your own perspective and insight.  For example, If you live in Germany, you can write about your favorite top 7 local foods or 5 good streets to walk and why you like them. You are already an expert more than any other people about your city. Not only giving useful information but also sharing your insight to make your article richer and make readers empathize with it.

• How to get a cheap Broadway musical ticket in New York at $30?
• 3 Lessons I Learned From 3 Cities in France as a Solo Female Traveler
• Is Seoul expensive to travel to for solo female travelers?

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 & 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲

✅Apply period: Mon, December 5th ~ Sat, December 31st(Paris local time)

✅Get in touch with applicants: Mon, January  2th

✅The first online networking session altogether: Sat, January 7th(Meeting time will be informed later, not mandatory to join)

✅Program: January 7th ~ February.28(Total 2 EN articles, 2 months)

✅ Click here right now to apply and participate! (2 min)❤️

When you join this 2-month program, you will submit below :

• Total 2 articles in English(More than 2 pages per article)
• Travel photos (at least 5 photos per article)
• Your social media address to tag on your article
• Your introduction to put on your article
• Send these to aloha@nomadher.com & soyeon@nomadher.com

We believe that every female traveler has their own story to share and it is your turn to do it now! We can't wait to read your story!❤️ If you have more questions, please send mail to aloha@nomadher.com anytime!

Q&A

• I’m interested in this program but I don’t know how to write a good article
• A good article is always talking for the audience and this is a big difference from writing a diary. These days, what people want to read is dealing with the specific subject with the writer’s inspiration/view. You can start with the city where you live. For example, 7 ways that locals enjoy their weekend. If you like to visit cafes, you can write about 10 local cafes that have a unique concept.😊 Believe everything you have done by now can be your content!
• There are 3 online networking meetings during this 2 months program from Jan to February. Is it mandatory to attend?
• It is not mandatory to attend these online networking sessions. The reason that we provide this is that it will help you keep writing and getting energy from each other. Writing can be lonely work sometimes, but your fellow writing mate and NomadHer team will be your cheerleader. 🥰
• I have more questions about this program. Who do I contact in this case?
• You can contact aloha@nomadher.com & soyeon@nomadher.com! Any question is welcome. We will reply asap. 😉

The best part of being a digital nomad is the ability to work everywhere with your laptop. This gives me a superpower that allows me to work and travel at the same time to live like locals while traveling.

For the past year and a half, I have had the opportunity to travel around, while doing my full-time job. To many of my friends who spend a lot of time in their offices, my life feels like a dream. Who wouldn’t want to travel around while keeping their job?

Although being a digital nomad is a great way to live, I have found that traveling itself is a full-time job! There’s so much to see, do and experience in whichever city or country you are! In the last year, I have traveled around many states and cities in India, each one with its own list of must-dos and do-not-miss.

But honestly, exploring a new place while working full-time does get a little tiring if you are not prepared in advance(there are pros and cons). So life as a digital nomad requires more time and task management skills to you.

That’s why I’m sharing everything you need to know about how to make a balance between working remotely and traveling like a pro in this guide.

Become a planner based on prioritizing your tasks

A lot of times, people ask me how I manage to work and visit so many places, and truly enjoy the beauty without the two clashings. My answer? Making a schedule really helps! In fact, whenever I used to make a schedule, I could never stick to it! (it is not easy). But I knew that if I wanted to make the most of my experiences, I would have to stick to the schedule I make.

So, to keep working and travel in a day, I know that my work is my bread and butter and enables me to travel to such beautiful destinations, so I always make sure that I'm able to meet my work deadlines. Some days are generally lesser work, so I use that time to explore a bit more, and making a schedule does help me a lot. I map out the routes to popular destinations nearby to wherever I'm working so that I can make use of my break time to go there.

Find your routine to help to work and travel in a productive way

Staying in a new city is not easy. It always needs time to adjust. So, Finding your own routine in a new environment will help you organize your day more efficiently.

For me, I make sure that when I am logging in to work, I'm always settled at a good cafe, so I can focus. As a result, I usually have an early start to my day, take a short hike or a long walk to the cafe, and do my work in the early morning time.

Around noon, I log out for my lunch break, grab a quick bite to eat, and check out one or two of the tourist spots nearby. Then I choose another cafe to work at for the second half, until I log out in the evening, and enquire about any events happening in the night to end my day. It does sound tiring, but it is even more fulfilling, and helps me to accomplish my tasks at work without compromising my fun!

Live like a local for at least a month in a place

I love exploring, not just the place, but also the culture of every state, city, or country I visit, and so I always make sure to spend as much time as I can - until my soul is satisfied, is what I usually say. On my recent trip to Himachal Pradesh, I spent more than 4 months traveling around, and about 2 months in Dharamshala itself, because the city has so much to offer! This way, while working, I can make sure to explore a little of the city and surrounding villages every day, while being able to work.

Map out your daily route in advance

Time and again, I have managed to stay on track by mapping out my route for the day, especially if I want to hang around in different villages or attend different events. Knowing where you want to go and how much time it will take will help to plan out the workday quite efficiently and reduce time loss.

Have a full logoff to make the most of the weekends

I always save the long excursions and trekking trips for the weekend so I can fully immerse myself in those experiences, without thinking about my work. If not camping, I map out my route where I can explore the most sights for the day, as well as attend some events happening. I even travel to other cities or across states over the weekend so I can explore more places without it colliding with my work. A Van trip could be another option.

Just reading about it sounds hectic, right? Well, it absolutely is! But it is truly my most treasured experience and not an opportunity that everyone gets, which is why I spend as much of my time traveling as I can. There are also a ton of challenges that I face as a Digital Nomad, but that’s a story for another time!

🙍‍♀️Born in Indonesia, raised in India, Anjali Notandas is a creative writer and editor, and traveler at heart, and has been traveling since the age of 10. She loves exploring different cultures and eating her way through every country. Her dream countries are Turkey, Italy, and Norway, and she hopes to meet NomadHers everywhere she goes! She has accomplished her dream of being able to work from anywhere and is on her way to exploring the best of the world! (Instagram:@anjali_notandas)

Last Sep, the 2nd NomadHer illustration challenge opened for the official poster of the globetrotter festivals 2022 which was held in the 3 global cities of Seoul, Paris, and San Francisco under the theme of She Can Travel Anywhere

Many NomadHers from all different parts of the world have participated. The competitive rate for getting the first prize was around 156 to 1. We appreciate all of you who have participated in the NomadHer illustration challenge! Here are the stories of the 3 winners and we hope you enjoy them.

She can travel anywhere, Chenwei Xu, USA

🔸Why did you participate?

Hello! I’m Chenwei. I was originally from Shanghai, now I am based in Los Angeles. My passion is motion graphics and illustration. I am always seeking to apply powerful storytelling to my work.

🔸What did you want to express through your work?

I want to create my illustration with women traveling to different places worldwide, and all the landmarks are reachable and inspiring in Nomadher's beautiful color palette. As a travel lover, I want to adopt a cultural-exchange mentality when creating this illustration. I hope this illustration can inspire people to share travel stories and culture.

🔸What is the meaning of solo travel for you based on your experience?

Solo travel takes me out of my comfort zones. It challenges me to experience new things, to embrace adventures on my own. My first solo trip experience was in New York in 2018. There were many things I needed to be prepared and think about on my own during a solo trip: safety, budget, language, schedule, etc. What I also enjoyed about that experience was the freedom. I don't need to follow others' preferences and plans. I can decide what to visit, eat, or see. It was an empowering and life-changing experience. I do become more confident and independent.

🔸What do you think about the NomadHer community?

NomadHer is a very inspiring and supportive community. It empowers every solo traveler to step out and experience new things, to participate, engage and learn.

You can see more of her artwork here. IG: @chenweixudesign)

When the wind rises, I am free, Amina Rakhimzhanova, Kazakhstan

🔸Why did you participate?

Hi, I am Amina from Kazakhstan. I participated in this competition because I thought it was an amazing chance to allow my voice to reach the like-minded people around me that share similar experiences of being a woman traveler.

🔸What did you want to express through your work?

As women in today’s society, we might feel discouraged to travel alone for understandable reasons. Traveling might seem like a scary and lonely journey for some of us, and thus hinder us from trying something new. In my artwork, I tried to address this issue by expressing the empowering message of “we, as women, are free to travel, and express ourselves however we want”. That’s why I titled my work “When the wind rises, I am free”. Even though there might be “wind” or obstacles that try to sweep us from our true potential, at the end of the day, we are free, and we can be whoever we want to be.

🔸What is the meaning of solo travel for you based on your experience?

I think solo traveling is about exploring the hidden parts of yourself and realizing your true potential as an individual. As a current international student who lives far away from home, I have discovered that solo traveling can be a meditative experience in exploring who you really are, but more importantly, it’s about discovering what you can be.

🔸 What do you think about the NomadHer community?

I met the NomadHer community for the first time at the NomadHer Seoul Festival 2022, and it was a truly unforgetful experience. I felt safe, heard, and celebrated for who I was. I think NomadHer is an extremely friendly, inspiring, and supportive community. I am delighted to be a part of it!

You can see more of her artwork here. IG: @chiiartt)

Travel connects the mind, Aleksandra Wesołowska, Poland

🔸 Why did you participate?

When I read the guidelines for the competition on NomadHer’s page, the image appeared in my head immediately. If I see the opportunity to challenge myself I try to grab it, because creating illustrations is my biggest passion. My creations combine themes of wanderlust, feminine beauty, yoga, and dreamy travel destinations. So I felt that it was a perfect challenge for me.

🔸What did you want to express through your work?

I want to show that every woman can travel anywhere. The world is beautiful, we should all have this opportunity to explore and feel safe.

🔸What is the meaning of solo travel for you based on your experience?

For me, personally, it’s the feeling of being independent and open to new experiences. Each trip enriches me with new knowledge about myself. I’ve learned that sometimes fear and limitations I put on myself are only in my head. I try to follow my instinct, I listen to my intuition. Sometimes you just need to get used to certain situations. When I lived in London for a while, at first I found it very uncomfortable to travel by subway by myself. After a few trips, I felt at ease.

🔸What do you think about the NomadHer community?

It’s absolutely amazing! I am very inspired by reading about other people’s travel experiences and seeing the places they have visited. I am glad that I can be a part of such a diverse community, which is connected by a common passion for travel.

You can see more of her artwork here. IG: @aleksandrabirch / Aleksandra’s website)

This summer when the pandemic is finally over, and the borders are open, my friends and I decided to plan a trip to Europe. I have done my first solo trip last year to Barcelona and arranged small group trips during my Erasmus time in 2018 so I had a slight experience with organizing a trip. And this was going to be my first ever time arranging everything from visa to flight tickets to Airbnb to train tickets for a 10 days trip.

My route was Lyon-Besançon-Paris-Geneva-Milan-Florence-Rome. (So many cities I know right?!) First of all, let me tell you, it is definitely a stressful job if it is your first time to do all of these arrangements and if you are the only experienced person in your group but do not worry nothing is impossible!

5 Steps to follow to make a plan for a trip

1. The first thing to do is define dates of travel and take your visa appointment!
2. Then the hardest part comes, which is arranging flight tickets and accommodations. This one gets a bit complex when you have a route of multiple cities which we actually had. But for the visa do not think about it so much. Find some refundable and reasonable accommodations and just buy or reserve refundable flight tickets then the rest of the trip is definitely way easier.  When things get more certain, And then you can dive into choosing Booking.com or Airbnb which are the two most helpful websites we used for our accommodations. Make sure to book places with reviews and think about the locations of each of them, making it closer to the city center or closer to the train station. Think about which is more beneficial for you. For big cities like Paris, it is hard to find affordable places in the center so you can think about places close to metro stations.
3. Preparing Visa documents, if you don’t require a visa for the EU you can just skip this :D Visa documents actually seem super hard and give us lots of stress but in fact, you can prepare all those documents within 1-2 days. It is not as hard as you think it might be. Do not stress yourself. Just start preparing for them and make sure to check every requirement to not get caught off guard in the appointment.
4. Once your visa is out and confirmed, you can now start buying intercities transportation like train tickets, bus tickets whatever you are planning to use. I would highly recommend using the Trainline app for Europe and choose train as transportation because it is comfortable and The app also tells you about delays which sometimes saves you especially if you accidentally went to the other train station which happened to us and we just trusted the delayed information and took a cab to another train station to catch our train and guess what it was a big success and the biggest fear we have lived during our trip. When it comes to buses I must say bus journeys are not super comfy in Europe if I compare it with Türkiye where I am from. because the main transportation is the bus here so our busses are actually quite comfortable and they even give you snacks here so I was surprised about busses in Europe.
5. Now it's time to prepare the remaining stuff. I highly recommend you download offline maps on Google maps and also in me or other offline map apps you have been using. Also downloading the language in the Google translate app helps a lot when it comes to translating stuff. You can live without the internet if you have these with you but don’t worry it is quite easy to find the internet everywhere nowadays.

Another tip I can give is if you do not want to buy a sim card maybe you can try Esim if your phone is capable of it, it is a really nice alternative. Download the Airalo app and buy the Esim hat that fits your destination and activate it with a wifi connection maybe when you are in the airport. That is super helpful. And here are more advice to help your trip.

Don't rush to buy museum tickets in advance

About the museum tickets, I feel like do not rush to buy them online, trips are full of surprises sometimes you just do not feel like doing it so you can just buy them when you enter the country. For example, for the Louvre museum, we split into two, and one group didn’t want to visit, meanwhile, the others just wanted to visit it and bought the ticket from the museum which was cheaper than the online one.

Be flexible with changing schedule

Be flexible! You can never know what expects of you. so do not force yourself to see everything, do everything. Don’t be harsh on your body and remind yourself that nothing is more important than your health. I am saying this because I actually caught a cold during our trip and that really changed my plans about visiting some museums and places. I just didn’t push myself much and took it lightly when I was feeling exhausted. I just rested. So make sure to not let these spoil you because anything can happen during a trip, you would never know! I just took some time to heal for a few days and rested enough then felt better and our trip was still great!

Split into groups can be a good way to spend a good time with all

About traveling with a group, keep in mind that if you are in a crowded group, there is no way that every time you will share the same opinion. When it is the case that you have different opinions in the group, just be open to splitting up and let everyone enjoy the things they prefer to do. You can not always make everyone happy. So if you are traveling with a group sometimes everybody needs to compromise. Just make sure your friends are open and tolerant so you can travel in harmony. I was quite lucky with this because even though we were 6 people, we split up when needed and didn’t have any problems, everyone had a great time on their own.

Sometimes the group needs a certain someone to direct them, in these times let one person be in charge so it does not get so complex. And while choosing a location to go or eat please remind yourself that not everything you see on Instagram is real. Make sure to check google reviews of that place also so you don’t waste your time.

Keep the balance between doing research and enjoying the wonders of trips

Sometimes make sure to do your research earlier for big cities like Paris and beware of the situations you need to know about. And sometimes just go with the flow and enjoy discovering an unknown land without a single clue. Be open to everything these trips will bring you. And my favorite part of traveling is meeting new people, and locals and discovering new places.

Additionally, sometimes planning a travel destination including so many cities is not the best thing because for me the limit was 7 days, after 7 days I was tired of changing cities every day and moving to another Airbnb. Now I am thinking maybe it is better to choose a city as your base location and make day trips from that city or change maybe 1-2 cities in one trip. Otherwise, the journey is making you exhausted so better to keep that in your mind.

Organizing your own trip is definitely a hard job to do especially if you are organizing it for a group as well but it makes you learn lots of essential traveling information and lets you grow as a person.

So, a brief explanation of my travel

And lastly, let me briefly mention my trip. I took the flight to Lyon and took a train from Lyon to Besançon and the train had delayed so I arrived very late luckily I had a friend over there she hosted me and we had an amazing weekend together, very chill no stress at all. She showed me around and that was super nice.

Then I took the train to Paris and at that time I started feeling sick and cold so I made it to the hotel and rested. Then my friends came from Türkiye and we spent 4 days in Paris which was amazing, we all loved it there so much. On the final day in the early morning, we took a train to Geneva and on the same day, we had a bus from Geneva to Milan in the evening so that day was super tiring! Then we stayed one day in Milan and went to Florence the other day, and in Florence the house we were staying in was awesome so we stayed there 2 nights and went to Rome and stayed there 2 nights then took the flight and came back to Türkiye.

The weather change also hits differently. Paris was cold, Geneva was super humid. Italy was super hot that we could only go out in the early mornings or after sunset. My personal opinion is it is easier to travel during the autumn season even in winter or cold weather than on hot summer days.

If you came here to read my story, I hope you had a great time and the information was useful for you! I can’t wait to travel to whole different locations and meet some NomadHers!

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🙍‍♀️Ayse Koker from Turkey is a digital artist who loves to travel. Meeting new people and learning about cultures are her passions. Her dream countries are South Korea, Portugal, and Japan. (Instagram: @maleuglena)

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She Can Travel Anywhere

This past October, the NomadHer Seoul Female Globetrotter Festival was held in Seoul, South Korea at the Google for Startups Campus in Seoul! With the theme ‘She Can Travel Anywhere’, female travelers, digital nomads, and entrepreneurs from all around the world gathered together to connect, talk, and enjoy activities— the Festival was a great success! Many of the Festival participants gave us feedback saying “It was a new event style that is not often seen in Korea” and that the Festival “was such a friendly global event, I would like to come again next time too”!

For those who did come, we will take a look back on the memories of the day, and for those who could not join this time, we will be sure to vividly share the details so can get a feeling of the amazing atmosphere of the Female Globetrotter Festival!

What is the NomadHer community and why do we hold the Female Globetrotter Festival?

Many people we met on the day of the Festival asked “what kind of community is NomadHer?” Thank you for all your questions and interest in NomadHer! NomadHer is a global startup created after interviewing 1,000 female travelers in Paris, France. We found that many women want to experience solo travel, but hesitate because of safety concerns and don’t know where to start.

NomadHer believes that with the support of a community of passionate women, this challenge of security can be solved! What if you could meet and travel with women you can trust, no matter where you travel in the world? What if you had a wealth of resources, guides, and inspiration to help you learn tips for traveling solo as a woman? This is the focus of the NomadHer: to create a community of women that help and guide each other in their love for traveling so that She Can Travel Anywhere!

So, NomadHer considers it important to connect female travelers both online and offline! Today, 20,000 women from 178 countries have been finding travel companions within the app, traveling together through meetups/camps, and sharing their own travel tips. In that respect, the Festival can be said to be an offline version of the NomadHer App community.

Many parts of daily life have become virtual due to COVID-19, but we believe in-person connection is still so meaningful and important. With a start in Paris, France in 2019, NomadHer has held the Female Globetrotter Festival for female travelers around the world every summer/fall for the past four years!

What was special about the 2022 Seoul Female Globetrotter Festival?

This year, the NomadHer Festival was held in three global cities, Seoul, Paris, and San Francisco to celebrate the theme: She Can Travel Anywhere. Of course, it was carried out in a slightly different style in each country. Here we will share the highlights of the Seoul Female Globetrotter Festival!

💌 2 PM: Seoul Festival begins! Welcome, everyone!

The Seoul Festival was held at the Google Startup Campus located in Samseong Station. The event started at 2:00 PM, but many people came an hour earlier, so by the time the festival began, the venue was bustling and full of people. In particular, at the Seoul Festival, a welcome gift bag consisting of eco-friendly cosmetics and vegan products from 9 brands was given as a gift to everyone who pre-registered online. The NomadHer team selected and prepared this gift with sponsor companies whose missions align with the theme of the Festival providing products with an empowering and sustainable focus!

The event participants got a chance to tour the startup booths and take part in the surprise events held at each brand’s booth to receive prizes. Soon, people began to naturally gather in groups and start to chat, sharing stories, excitement, and contact to stay in touch. At all NomadHer events, including the Festivals, we provide a comfortable atmosphere to help everyone engage and leave with new friends! With the three keywords of this festival: travel, digital nomad, and start-up business, we were able to meet women full of energy.

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💌 2:30 PM: Talk show with 3 speakers - digital nomad, traveler, and entrepreneurs in one place!

Soon, the eyes of all the NomadHer participants were shining and full of excitement! Meeting women who are bravely making their way in life is a wonderful reminder of the joys of travel and inspires us to chase our own dreams. During this year’s Seoul Festival talk shows, participants heard the stories of three successful women travelers, entrepreneurs, and digital nomads. Keep reading to hear what stories they shared!

Starting a new life as a yoga instructor through a trip to India,  Sunhee Maeng

“If you love to travel and end up visiting 35 countries alone, you begin to see that your trips become a kind of destiny. My trip to India to learn yoga changed my life. Now, I find peace in my mind and body while doing yoga, but the best thing is that I became much stronger internally so that I can independently decide the direction of my life”

CEO of educational start-up Youth Mango and Founder of Women's Base Camp, Honey Kim

“The desire to share what I love with more people has been the starting point for everything I do in business. I like outdoor activities, so I thought that I would spread my enjoyment of this to more women leading me to start a side project. That is why I opened the Women's Base Camp to encourage women to get out of their comfort zone. Before just letting go of the desire to share with those around you, think that maybe sharing what you love could become a seed for you to start something?”

Learn everything about A to Z about self-branding from a global digital marketer who has 3,000 consulting know-how, Kim-J

“Of course, nothing is easy at first. When I first sent out proposals to 100 companies to begin my business as a freelance digital nomad marketer, I was happy to even get 2 replies. Are you disappointed with the lack of responses in a similar situation? Keep your hopes up! Instead of getting discouraged, I thought that if this time I sent 100 proposals and received 2 calls, next time if I sent 200 messages, I might get 4 replies!

Finally, there was a company that I really wanted to do a project with so I made a proposal and called the manager saying “I wanted to do business with you” and showed what I had to offer. If you try until you make it, you will achieve the success you seek in the end. This is the key tip I always keep in mind that helped me create my way and succeed in this field.”

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💌 4 PM: Time to connect through networking!

After the panel talk show, NomadHer scheduled time for participants to connect with the three speakers, ask questions freely, and discuss the topics of the talk shows with each other. As soon as the panel talk shows were over, many people approached the speakers to ask questions that they were curious about and it also gave the speakers an opportunity to hear people's concerns and grow their businesses!

With the energy created by women who want to grow further and generously share what they know, the festival became interactive and full of conversation and inspiration. We received a lot of feedback from participants who wished there had been more networking time, so next year we will plan to create a variety of programs with more speakers and more conversations!

💌5 PM: Aloha! Let’s do a hula dance!

When you join the NomadHer community app for the first time, the first word you will see in a welcome message is “Aloha!” which is a Hawaiian greeting that also holds meanings of love and peace. When you join the NomadHer community, make sure to check out the warm message in your inbox that starts with Aloha!

A hula dance class was held with hula dancer Hayati. Hayati recalls that after beginning to learn the hula, she began to have more appreciation for the little things in everyday life. Wrapping the colorful sarong on their waists and putting flowers on their heads, NomadHers enjoyed a moment to connect with themselves through Hawaiian rhythms.

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The official program of the festival ended with the hula class, but NomadHer prepared a dinner event for women who wanted the night to last a bit longer! Although everyone had just met at the Festival, the dinner event was full of endless conversation and laughter.

In the NomadHer community, you discover that all female travelers are strongly bounded beyond barriers of language, age, or nationality. While the 2022 Seoul Female Globetrotter Festival Festival is over, the inspiration, fun, and connection don’t end here. Various meetups and travel camps are held every week in the NomadHer community and can be found on the NomadHer App! With NomadHer, you can travel anywhere!

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Each year for the past four years, a room or rooftop (or zoom call) has filled up with women from all over the world, with the buzz of conversation and with a shared sense of community in the experience of travelling solo as a woman. This is exactly what the NomadHer Female Globetrotter Festival is all about: bringing women together each year from all over the world to celebrate the joys of solo travel. And the 2022 Paris Female Globetrotter Festival was no exception!

On Saturday, October 29th the Paris NomadHer team gathered at Jo&Joe Paris Nation to set up tables, organize gift bags, prepare slideshows and get ready for an afternoon of inspiration, travel stories and fun! We were joined by five passionate NomadHer volunteers to help run the Festival and soon afterwards by all of the women that attended the Festival to get to know each other, share their experiences and talk travel!

NomadHer, the #1 App for female globetrotters has a mission to empower women through solo travel— and that is exactly what the Paris Female Globetrotter Festival was about!

She Can Travel Anywhere!

The theme of this year’s Festival was: She Can Travel Anywhere, a phrase that represents NomadHer’s mission to make solo travel accessible and possible for every woman across the globe. Unfortunately, still to this day, as many as 80% of women hope to take a solo travel trip, but hesitate because of security concerns and discouragement from family, among other reasons.

But NomadHer is on a mission to change that. Imagine a world where women can find someone to meet and connect with no matter where they are during their solo travels? Where women come together to learn about themselves and the diverse cultures of the world through travel camps? Where no matter where they travel solo, they are never left completely on their own— rather they are part of something bigger? That is the NomadHer community, and each year the Female Globetrotter Festival serves as a reminder of our mission of our community to change female travel for the better!

Whether or not you were able to make it to the Festival this year, we hope you enjoy reading a bit about how it went, who was there, and to relive the night through the photos! And more is to come, so keep an eye on your email inbox, instagram feed and the NomadHer App to see even more news from the Festival.

Panel Discussions:

Digital Nomad Lifestyle

• Anastasia De Santis creator of De Vraies Vies Podcast & podcast coach
• Karina Reyes experienced Digital Nomad since 2016

Eco-Friendly Travel

• Abigaïl (@voyageuse_au_naturel) Mental Health advocate & solo traveller
• Sia Yu creator of WOTOWOW & experienced backpacker
• Emilie Marchal creator of ahorita & avid backpacker
• Ane Dávila founder of Mujeres de la Luna

Women Empowerment

• Heidi Evans founder & CEO of Women of Paris
• Melia (Jun) Xiao founder & CEO of NUWA
• Maya Manarivo legal analyst & avid traveller

Booths & Partners

Booths:

• ahorita | Handmade journals inspired by travel
• graceeuh | Illustrations promoting female empowerment & inclusion
• WOTOWOW | Handcrafted traditional Chinese BATIK art peices
• Mujeres de la Luna | sustainable travel initiative empowering rural Guatemalan women

Partners:

• Deardot. | Sustainable Vegan Cosmetics
• Appie Cidre | New generation beer and cider brewery
• Melixir | Vegan Skincare for sensitive skin

Activities:

• Sponsor Gift Bag Raffle | Interactive Map | DJ After Party at Jo&Joe Paris Nation

Volunteers:

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Now, looking back on the Festival, it is safe to say that the 2022 Paris Female Globetrotter Festival was a success! Not only did we all gather in community of like-minded women, but we left with friends, new connections and inspiration to continue traveling and empowering ourself and the women around us by seeing the world! Nothing can stop a woman from traveling solo because: She Can Travel Anywhere!

Stay tuned for more information about the San Francisco Female Globetrotter Festival coming up and next year’s Female Globetrotter Festivals! See you soon in Paris, Seoul, San Francisco and all over the world 🌏.

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My interest in travel began when I joined a youth organization during high school. This organization brought me to meet up with friends outside of school who enjoyed traveling or touring to meet, discuss, and (as a bonus) enjoy natural destinations with peers in other cities.

I love Indonesia, my country with many historical and natural destinations that you should definitely visit. My experiences in exploring different destinations in Central Java with my friends made me want to venture further places. "Travel like a local" is something I always keep in mind before deciding to visit a new place. It's not just about seeing the skyscrapers, but places steeped in history and other things that are sometimes too old are worth visiting. Here are a few notes I often make when I visit a place.

1. Visit museums or historic buildings

"A great nation is a nation that knows history" - Ir. Soekarno.

This is a quote from the first president of Indonesia. The first destination I should put on my list of must-visit is a museum or an old building that has a history. There I learn a little more about the history of the place I'm visiting.

Visiting museums or historical buildings isn't boring if you know the history or background of the collections or ancient objects in that place. Even today, there are various museums, some of which display not only historical or ancient things but also some art collections. By the way, visiting a museum can be your short escape on a weekend vacation that lasts only two days.

2. Try local or street food

When we travel, we should try something different from what we consume every day. Traditional or local food is a must when I traveled alone. Even if not all the dishes meet our taste, we can at least try one of the local dishes there. Traditional food has usually been around for a long time or even decades, so they have several generations of vendors.

Besides tasting local dishes that we don't often eat in our daily lives, I usually use this activity as a trick to get information about hidden gems or other information about places we can visit that the food vendors sometimes know because they stay in the area longer and know their surroundings very well. It's free information that sometimes isn't shared by online search engines.

3. See natural landscapes

As an archipelago state, Indonesia has many natural destinations to offer, both in the lowlands, such as beaches and in the highlands, such as hills and mountains. Enjoying nature is very pleasant and calms our minds. I always visit a nature destination in the middle of my trip.

For example, If I'm traveling for three days, I'll visit a place or destination near the city center on the first day and then explore nature on the second day before continuing my final exploration. If you decide to visit a nature destination in Indonesia, you'll usually meet locals who've lived in the area for a long time. Indonesians aren't only friendly, but also happy to offer something, especially if they know we're not locals. Don't hesitate to give them a smile as well.

4.  Local/public transportation

In the big cities in Indonesia, there are some public transportations that we can use to move around the city and explore places. If you want to travel through several provinces on Java Island, you should take the train. Not only because the train is cheap, but you can also see the places and landscapes you pass by better than if you take a plane.

Exploring the city? You can use public transportation, busses, traditional vehicles, or maybe the short-distance trains that are available. So far, I've always relied on the train when I wanted to go somewhere. Otherwise, you can use a transportation app that can give you a ride whenever you want. In some cities like Semarang, Solo, Yogyakarta, and Jakarta, there is a sightseeing bus that you can use to explore the city. Good luck!

5. Try to speak the local language

There are many local languages in Indonesia, even on the island of Java. The Javanese language I use also has many different accents, so sometimes the locals themselves can feel the difference even though they're still in the same province.

Try to remember a few words like greetings or thanks in the local language or at least in Indonesian if you aren't an Indonesian citizen. These little things often help people to respect each other. Or we can even make new friends on the trip. You will get new information from new friends, right?

These are my notes that I hope are useful for you, and have fun exploring Indonesia!

Enjoy your time and  I'll be happy to know if you have plans to travel to Indonesia. Especially in the regions closest to where I live in Semarang (Central Java), like East Java, West Java, or maybe Yogyakarta. Happy to hear your opinion about Indonesia when we meet. Don't forget to always travel safely, NomadHers!

👩 Ulfa Isnaini is an intern at one of the private universities in Semarang and also a private tutor for students in her spare time. She loves traveling and having new experiences along her trip. She likes having a talk and making new friends also who have the same interests as her. Her Instagram: @ulfaisnain_