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Female travel writers Dalia Terret, self defence expertClick here >> to read our article about Dalia's self defence class. I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and lived there most of my life. I moved to Cape Town and lived there for two years before leaving for London in 1995. I travelled alone and intended to stay for a short holiday... I'm still here! I started judo when I was six and now run a fitness academy called KB Fitness with my partner: we teach kickboxing, self defence, kung fu and yoga (I teach self defence and kickboxing ). I love teaching and seeing my students improve. I enjoy going to the theatre and I try to see a good film at least once a month. I like talking to my friends, meeting new people and travelling. I dislike superficial people. My weaknesses are chocolate and Haagen-Dazs...  Countries visitedI've visited parts of America (Orlando, Miami, New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and LA). I've been to Narita and Tokyo (Japan), Shanghai and Hong Kong, Egypt, Israel, Caribbean islands, Dubai, Iceland, Russia and the Virgin Islands. Whew! I used to work for an airline... Unusual travel experiences Each country has been a wonderful experience: I've learnt about so many cultures. One of my less enjoyable experiences was being stranded in Egypt after my flight home was overbooked. It was late at night, barely anyone was in the airport and nobody spoke English! I managed to communicate the importance of getting on the next flight: must've been good sign language... or the obvious desperation in my expression! Dalia's top safety tips  1. Never wear valuable items of jewellery in public.2. Wear a money belt tucked inside your trousers so it can't be seen. Put money in there. Keep a few coins in a pocket so that if someone attacks you, you can give that to them and they'll believe you have no more on you. 3. Be careful when meeting strangers: someone may seem to be friendly but have other motives. 4. Never accept drinks from strangers. Watch your drinks being poured and check the glass first. Better safe than sorry. 5. Ask your hotel or hostel for reliable cab firms; never accept a minicab off the street. Anywhere!  Lucy MillsI'm a fresher at Leeds University and study Internation Development and English. My interests include playing Uni hockey, writing poetry, eating exotic spicy foods, going to the theatre, being adventurous and I love hiphop and house music! I took a gap year last year and spent six months coaching football and other sports in Ghana, West Africa. Since then I set up a charity collecting hundreds of football strips and equipment from friends, pub teams, schools and professional teams such as Leeds United. I am going out to Ghana again for a few weeks to donate the kits to the young boys teams I worked with last year... Countries visited Balerics, Belgium, Canary Islands, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Holland, Italy, Luxemburg and Madiera. Top tips 1. Go travelling with your mind like a blank canvas- forget about the English way of life and be prepared to accept and enjoy different traditions and ways of doing things. 2. Keep a travel diary and get friends and family to save the exciting emails you send whilst on your travels. 3. Keep receipts and admission tickets to make a scrap book on your return. 4. Keep wet wipes and toilet roll handy at all times! 5. Travel lightly... leave plenty of room for gifts and memorable items. Girly thing which I found hardest to do without... I'm not the most high maintenance of girls and can do without hairdryers, but I'd say it's frustrating at times when you're always on the go and are never properly clean. I sailed on a felucca down the Nile for three nights and four days. We slept and ate and relaxed on this little sailing boat the whole time, I felt so grubby, I could only wash in the Nile and go to the toilet on island stops along the way! So constantly being dirty is not too nice, as is the very restricted wardrobe!
 Emma Harper Currently under performing as an under-paid intern in New York and loving every minute. I live in the so- called armpit of America (New Jersey) with around 200 other interns and work for one of the world’s largest banks in midtown Manhattan. I have been hooked on travel since I moved to Malaysia for a year during my degree and spend considerable amounts of time and money on my hobby! Countries visited America, Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, France, Gibraltar, Italy, Malaysia, Morocco, Peru, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam, Unusual travel experiences Entering a kebab eating contest in Kuala Lumpur: I was the only Western participant and even at five foot two was considerably taller and wider than the rest of the competitors. I still didn’t win but I did get my picture in the papers and lots of free kebabs! Top tips 1. Appreciate it: Sometime when you’ve been traveling a while you stop noticing or even caring about all the great things around you. In Thailand travelers call it temple fatigue, you’ve seen one Wat, you’ve seen them all. If that happens, just stop in one place for a week or so. It gives you chance to chill out and after a few days you’ll be keen to get back on the road. 2. Do everything you can afford to and even some things you cant: Don’t get so hung up on money that you miss out. Go budget on accommodation, food and transport so you can afford to splash out on skydiving, taking tours or just a good night out. Also, treat yourself to a proper meal now and again, living on crackers and marmite is just depressing. 3. Email home, however old you are! Your parents will appreciate it and it makes a great record of your trip when you get back. 4. Plastic bags, you can never have enough! Girly travel tip... Get a travel friendly haircut before you go. I started off in Malaysia with (what I thought was) a short, trendy style. I ended up in Thailand with a mullet. It’s not a good look. Keep it simple and always carry a headscarf! A cautionary tale: Most people who go to Australia bring back a boomerang. I brought back something else that keeps on coming back. A dislocated knee-cap! My boat cruise round the Whitsunday’s left me hobbling after an unfortunate incident with some stairs but I didn’t let that deter me from making it on to Cairns. It was only on my return to Brisbane, after one too many alcoholic beverages and the intro to Dancing Queen, that I found myself atop of a table shaking my stuff for all it was worth. I’ll do anything in the name of a free beer. The next morning my knee was the size of a watermelon but we had a flight to catch so I was patched up and sent on my way. Painkillers, alcohol and flying do not mix and trying to get to the bathroom with a dislocated kneecap - almost impossible! On my return to Malaysia I was hospitalized and underwent knee surgery. The moral of this sorry tale: Never travel uninsured and NEVER dance to ABBA!
 Tamara Sheward I’m the peripatetic, and often dyspeptic, author of Bad Karma: Confessions of a Reckless Traveller in Southeast Asia and all-round travelling hack. Likes: Traipsing around places I shouldn’t be in, collecting daggy postcards and shovelling unrecognisable foreign foodstuffs into my maw. Dislikes: Tiny party hats. Click here >> to buy Tamara's book. Countries visited Australia, USA (29 states), UK, Germany, Holland, Spain, Denmark, Czech Republic, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Africa, South Korea, Russia (including Chechnya and neighbouring breakaway states), Mongolia and a handful of enviable, exotic places that don’t count because I was a foetus at the time. Thanks, Mum. Unusual travel experiences 1. Streaking the Australia v Romania World Cup Rugby match while living in Belfast. What better way to show your patriotism than by painting a flag on your bum and cartwheeling naked across a footy field in front of a televised audience of billions? Oy, oy, oy... 2. Catching a cab in Russia...to Chechnya. A totally illegal and foolhardy excursion, highlights included kidnapping threats, an armed stripsearch and a gun to the face. But you don’t need to face a ridiculous and pointless death to discover the truly bizarre in a country where vodka breakfasts, beer laced with sour cream and naked floggings (in the name of health and relaxation) are the norm. 3. Getting hammered with hospitable nomads in Mongolia. The vodka, like every other potable in this isolated, variety-challenged country, tastes like cheese. Which, like every foodstuff in this isolated, variety-challenged country, is made from fermented yak’s milk. Needless to say, Mongolia should be listed with Weight Watchers as a dieter’s destination. 4. Hitch-hiking across central Vietnam, only to wind up embroiled in an illicit liquor bootlegging ring. Whoops... Top tips 1. Bollocks to the Boy Scouts: be unprepared. I don’t mean that you should skip your malaria shots or use your condoms as water balloons. Just try to tame any control freak tendencies and don’t plan your trip down to the very last rickshaw ride. The element of surprise can make for some hilarious travel memories. 2. Be brave. Just because you produce oestrogen doesn’t mean you can’t do things that would otherwise elicit the response 'That takes a lot of balls!' 3. I implore you: write. A lot. It doesn’t matter if you’re scrawling emails, letters, postcards, journals or graffiti, so long as you keep a record of your experiences whilst wandering. Believe me, no matter how memorable your conversation with Munny the Cambodian elephant drover seemed at the time, you won’t remember anything bar 'Jeez, that was enlightening' in five years time. And text messages don’t count. 4. PACK LIGHTLY. Um, sorry for screaming, I was having an internal dialogue. I always wind up bringing too much crap - that glittery top I never wear at home (it’ll look better on me in a different country), 12 bras, Hello Kitty handbags - and I still wind up wearing the same crusty outfit for five months in a row. 5. Go out. Whether it’s a discotheque in Laos, B-grade cabaret in Moscow or a Texan honkytonk, local nightlife allows you to see the natives at their wanton weirdest. And vice versa. Girly travel tip... By the Short ‘n’ Girlies... I’m not the girliest of girlies, but I do like my Brazilians... whatever country I’m in. Sadly, finding the appropriate salon or materials to deforest my Amazonian undergrowth is not always possible and, vainly, humiliatingly, I have resorted to desperate and painful measures in the aim of clearer pastures. Trust me, there are better ways to spend a night on the Russian / Finnish border than engaging in naked contortionism while plucking at stubborn hairs with blunt and rusted tweezers.
 Gabi CrossHi, I'm Gabi, I'm 25 and have spent the last 3 years (pre gapyear.com) travelling! I went to Oz straight after uni, followed the typical backpacker trail (East Coast) and met my boyfriend Chris on a white water rafting trip on the Tully River. He was my Guide (very corny, I know). In order to stay together we worked two summer rafting seasons in Switzerland and a season in Honduras. Currently I'm applying for a residency visa for Australia. I can't wait to move to the land of Chris, beer, mozzies, sun, relaxation, swimming pools, and beautiful scenery. Countries visited
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 Carolyn MartinMy first major travel experience was to Zimbabwe on my Elective (gap year during the 4th year of a medical/dental degree). I had a great time and I really caught the 'African bug', so much so that I was back there after my degree spending time in the Southern African countries. Instead of heading back to life in the NHS I then decided to head to Australia, where I bought a Volvo with a friend and had a brilliant time driving round the country. I am currently a Maxillo-Facial Surgeon in Ipswich and I occasionally travel with my husband Tom Griffiths, Founder of gapyear.com (a.k.a 'the Gap year Guru', a.k.a 'the-washing-up-&-put-the-bins-out guru'). If you're thinking about going travelling in your life, go do it! Countries visited
 Jess ElvidgeCurrently I'm defined by being an animal biology student at Birmingham University. I love my university life but seem to spend a lot of my time either getting away from it or planning the next time I can. My life ambitions are mainly travel based... I want to see as much of the world as humanly possible, including Japan, where my main ambition comes in - to work for Nintendo of Japan. But before that happens I’ll be spending lots of time listening to Oasis, eating Chinese food and avoiding football fans in pubs. My motto is simply 'smile'.
 Cat BarrowHello! My name is Cati (that’s what I’ve been christened since I’ve been teaching little Guatemalan kids, so actually, Cat). I always wanted to take a gap year, and now I have. Hoorah! I worked very hard for 6 months to save up (playing with kids in Wales, inventing cocktails, tour guiding in Germany, and working for the Scotsman in Edinburgh). So I travelled quite a bit before I actually did the whole round the world thing, but I still wanted to see more: much, much more. And it’s been great! My ambitions were to go to Peru and see a toucan, both of which I have failed miserably at, but I have managed to lose 3 watches and get my nose pierced *hi mum* (she doesn't know yet). Countries visited Australia, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Japan (ok, just a stopover but... the 9 longest hours of my life), Malta, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Scotland, Spain, Tanzania, USA, Wales, Zanzibar. Unusual experiences See my diary: it’s full of 'em...! Adventure Sports Our Cat’s done so many adventure sports (mostly whilst on her gap). Here’s what she’s tried... Cockroach racing, many a drinking game, bungy jumping, hang gliding, black water rafting, zorbing, relay sleeping, volcano climbing, ice glacier climbing, zipwiring 300m up, killer mosquito swatting, tubing, scuba diving Top five tips 1. Do not underestimate the importance of chocolate. 2. Ditto toilet paper. 3. Always wear a sports bra when travelling by chicken bus (even the guys). 4. Just because they're official, doesn't mean they're not corrupt. In fact, it probably increases the likelihood. 5. One credit card is not enough. Click here >> for Cat's Traveller's Tale
 Emma GittensEmma is supposed to be travelling around Asia but got fed up of carting around a backpack that weighed more than she does so now lives in Hoi An, Vietnam. She doesn't have a motto but was recently advised "Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things" and wishes she'd been told this before getting involved with more than one of the latter. She loves ca phe sua da (Vietnamese drip coffee served with ice and turn-your-teeth-inside-out-sweet condensed milk) and hates the people you wind up sharing a dorm with who declare you're not a proper traveller unless you've eaten sweet and sour dogs' legs and circumnavigated the moon on the back of a donkey with no eyes. Countries visited
 Rachel RicksHi, I’m Rachel, aged 22, just graduated from a degree in journalism and am now adjusting to real life. I’m trying to put off entering the world of nine-to-five for as long as possible and so am now saving up to go RTW, my must-dos being: Australia, New Zealand, Sumatra, India, China, Malaysia, Peru...oh well, everywhere really. Before uni, I took a gap year, inspired by this very site. I worked in various awful jobs, ranging from hotel receptionist to envelope-stuffer - well worth it though - I raised enough cash for a two-month backpacking trip round Thailand. Countries visited
 Vicki Holman Vicki has recently flown out to Japan with the JET scheme, where she is paid to help encourage students who wish to learn English. She's battled through the initial transition stange and has now well and truly found her feet. Vicki's been keeping us all up-to-date with life in a Japanese school with articles that portray both the good and bad sides of such a job. Read on to find out more about her... Countries visited Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, Tunisia and USA Unusual experiences 1. I think men abroad are always good for a giggle, but you wouldn't want one of your own. In America they thought that if you spoke to them you wanted to sleep with them, in Tunisia, some-one offered my boyfriend a camel for me! I also like the way that German men are super organised. Our German friends who we travelled with in America, always had their maps out at every opportunity, and knew where we were to the exact square foot. I just like to wander, personally. 2. In Japan every day is unusual, in a 'Lost in Translation' sort of way. Its so odd sometimes to have things organised for you, around you, without understanding a word. There are thousands of little quirks and contradictions everywhere too. 3. Last weekend myself and some ALT friend were invited to a middle aged couples house for a party. There were numerous other Japanese couples, and a few younger people, like my Japanese teacher. Like every dinner party in Japan, it began very formally, with polite chit chat, and kneeling up, backs straight. By the end of the evening, one of the guests was so drunk he fell onto the table, knocking plates and wine glasses all over the immaculate tatami, then fell into an unrousable coma. He was about 65. The other guests thought nothing of it, just kept laughing and chatting. It is amazing the transformation that occurs in Japanese people; by day impecably behaved slaves to formality, by night, crazy mad drunks. They won't have spoken of it the next day though, nobody talks about Fight Club, if you catch my meaning. Top five tips 1. Talk to other travellers. They are a great source of knowledge. 2. Try to organise as much as possible beforehand, to make for a stress free trip (especially if you don't speak the language). 3. Keep in touch with the folks back home, enough to feel happy and safe, but not so much that you forget what you are travelling for. 4. Try and get involved in your surroundings, and meet new people, otherwise what is it all for 5. Have fun! A tip for the ladies... Do what I don't do, and be sensible with alcohol consumption. It pays to have your wits about you when you are abroad.
 Cat Holley I've just finished my gap year and amazing spout of travelling whilst working in random jobs. I'm at LSE university in London now doing International Relations and have itchy feet already. So, I'm planning on blowing some of my student loan/savings on a trip to Kenya next summer. Future plans beyond that are a bit hazy, but I definitely don't want to end up with a job I hate. It'd be great to do something useful after I finish my degree... Countries visited Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Seychelles, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, USA and Yugoslavia Unusual experiences 1. I was nearly arrested in Palermo. 2. I stayed with the nuns in Venice. 3. I went camping in the rain, quite an experience trying to cook without burning the tent down! Top five tips 1. Don't over plan stuff. You find out about the best things in a country when you get there. 2. It's great to meet people abroad so make effort....with non dodgy looking other travellers and locals and anyone elSe you come across. 3. Keep a diary and collect small things as you go along. Getting home from travelling can be hard but if you have all your memories to look at you can cheer yourself up. It'll be great to have later on as well. 4. Don't try and fit too much into a short space of time, you'll end up stressed and not having seen anything properly. 5. Try and learn some of the language, the response you'll get'll be worth it. A tip for the ladies... I hate people going on about how to be careful and stuff just be sensible about things. if you're travelling on your own then let someone know where you are, even if it's by e-mail every now and then. It'll stop your family worrying too. What girly thing have you found hardest to do without whilst travelling? The lack of good chocolate in most places!
 Emma LongmanHi, I’m Emma, and I’ve just spent the last two years of my life having a fantastic time living the life of backpacking, doing all the spontaneous, mad things that we backpackers love most - mountain climbing, scuba diving, bungee jumping, festivals, drinking games! I’m now back in the UK, and going to uni in September to study event management and hospitality, so I can travel anywhere doing this, but by the time I finish, I’m sure I’ll have itchy feet to head off somewhere! Friends would probably tell you I worry far too much, but am bubbly and creative. Countries visited Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, China, France, Germany, Holland, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam. Unusual experience 1. Getting hassled by ugly naked German guy for not stripping in a strip sauna in Holland (and then getting kicked out for not stripping!) 2. Getting chased by big red kangaroo on Kangaroo Island, only to find all he wanted was the apple core in my hand. 3. Meeting two guys from my hometown at a hostel in Sydney. 4. Diving a bit too close to comfort to some evil looking moray eels, off Ko Tao Island, Thailand. 5. Bottle feeding a wallaby while rocking it in my arms. (very heavy!) Top tips 1. Always carry a money belt with you. I don’t need to go on! 2. Change the currency back to £s before leaving the country you’re in. I didn’t do this before leaving Vietnam and now have £300 of dong that I know not what to do with! (Any ideas, gap year people?) 3. Try to learn at least a few words of the country’s language. This way, people will give you a little more respect and will warm to you a bit more. 4. Find out how much locals pay for things. Shop and market staff often charge foreigners more and it still seems cheap to us. Showing you live in the locality by presenting your resident permit will make locals appreciate the fact you are not just another tourist!
 Jenny Morrison Hi, I’m Jenny, I’m 19 and studying law at Glasgow University. I have never actually taken a gap year but have spent my summers travelling and this June I’m heading off to Nepal. When I leave University I want to travel but not sure where because there’s so much I want to see and do but the more unusual the better! Apart from travelling I love Pink Floyd and hate both umbrellas and cameras (which explains the lack of photos) Countries visited Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, USA, Unusual experience 1. Watching the Rolling Stones in concert from the top of Prague Hill. 2. Spending 36 hours on a bus travelling from Glasgow to Tigne in France. 3. Sleeping in a patch of mud at Sziget festival because I didn’t have a tent Top tips 1. Don’t plan too much; travel is about the adventure and experience even if it is more stressful. 2. Try to talk to local people 3. Don’t cram a load of sightseeing into a trip, relax and you’ll appreciate it all far more.   See yourself here Want to write for our female travel zone? You do? Yay! Click here >> to email our female travel editor, Jess Fitch, with your ideas. |
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