Traveling Through Cultures With Ilaha Jeddi
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Traveling Responsibly with Lerato Bambo
Words By Samiha Ahmed
May 20, 2019
The travel bug bit when I was a kid...I travel to learn, understand different perspectives, people and cultures.
The Short of It
Solo travel blogger Lerato Bambo of My Life from a Bag has already covered a lot of the world at 25. The primary audience of her blog is other solo female travelers who visit the blog for travel inspiration, tips, and tricks. Originally from Pretoria, South Africa, she got her first taste of the travel life through family road trips around her country. Since graduating from university in South Africa, she has been around the world extensively and shows no signs of slowing down.
Currently, she is based in New York City, where, as is custom for all young people in this city, she works in “marketing by day” while pursuing other passions by “travel writing at night.” In addition to New York City, the young blogger has also lived in many other places since she first caught the travel bug, including Istanbul, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Dublin.
Why This Blog?
My Life from a Bag grew out of Facebook back in 2012, when Lerato’s friends and family encouraged her to create a blog out of her photos and stories of living abroad in Turkey. She shared with Burdie that her blog is really for other travelers like herself: young women, solo, South African, adding that “most of [her] content is about visiting visa free destinations for South Africans.”
My first solo trip was in Turkey where I ended up living for a year, after which I was hooked and I started sharing my experiences abroad on my Facebook page where someone suggested that I blog, and the rest is history.
Though My Life from a Bag has a specific audience in mind, the information that Lerato shares can be useful to any traveler, especially if they are in need of practical, timely, and straight-forward advice. She’s kind of like the mysterious friend who’s always off somewhere far away, yet somehow still by your side when you need her most.
On the Road With Lerato
What I appreciate most about Lerato’s blog is its straight-forward ability to be helpful. She writes about things she’s mastered throughout her years of travel, whether it’s the hottest attractions, the best restaurants or—something a lot of people tend to forget—visa requirements.
I asked Lerato what advice she would give to another traveler and her answer was unique to what other travelers her age might say: “Don’t go if you can’t pay for everything upfront. Save up as much as you can for your trip before you go.”
Don’t go if you can’t pay for everything upfront.
Returning from a trip and knowing that it’s fully paid for rather than having to catch up financially is so much better than getting into debt to travel. Save up as much as you can for your trip before you go
In the age of impulse and instant gratification, few travel bloggers will encourage you to not take a trip. But Lerato and My Life from a Bad are different in that way—they’re not here to help you make just any travel decisions, they’re here to help you make responsible travel decisions.
So if you’ve been looking for a travel blog that helps live your best life both on the road and when you’re back home, this is it.
According to Lerato, Travel is...
All about the past, the present and the future.
Up Next
Lerato is always on the move and she’s got a busy year planned. Portugal, Georgia, Turkey (again!), and Malaysia are just some of the places she will be visiting in the coming months.
To keep up with Lerato as she jets around the world, be sure to follow her on My Life from a Bag. You can also keep up with Lerato’s latest tips and updates through Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter.
This post is part of Burdie Talks, an interview series showcasing travel bloggers from around the world. The series aims to highlight bloggers who we believe add a fresh perspective to the travel experience. If you would like to be featured on Burdie Talks, please send an email to hey@burdie.co with your pitch.
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