Planet Hoppers | May 2020

May 2020

California’s 2019 Travel Consultant of the Year - LUXlife Magazine

Bay Area’s 2019 Best International Bespoke Holiday Agency - LUXlife Magazine

It's been wonderful to hear how many of us are taking advantage of this time to rest, connect with family and friends, enjoy indoor hobbies, and work on self-development and self-care.

With my new-found extra time, I've been co-authoring travel articles as an expert for wikiHow. Here are my pro tips on making your luggage easier to spot: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Luggage-Easier-to-Spot

Featured Trip Of The Month

PEGGY'S SOLO TRAVEL THROUGH SUMATRA

Peggy is an Art and Digital Media educator in California and a thrill-seeking, ocean-worshipping, people-loving travel photographer who has been lucky enough to travel solo for the last 20 years, exploring close to 60 countries. Recently, she went on a rustic journey through Indonesia, which had to be cut short due to the successive national lockdowns that developed in Asia prior to beginning in the U.S. We are focusing on her trip through northern Sumatra, a lesser developed island that is part of western Indonesia. It's the 6th largest island in the world.

Read the full story about her "Solo Trip Through Sumatra" HERE.

Watch "Peggy Walks Among the Orangutans" HERE.

Why Sumatra? As a photographer, I prefer traveling to places that are more rugged and wild, where the locals are more curious about you than you are about them. My hope is to capture the natural world that allow people to appreciate it, learn to cherish it, and want to protect it. I posted my criteria for suggestions on places to visit in my “Over 40 - Solo Female Travelers Network” a supportive group of 15,000 women. When I read a post saying, “I was very surprised by Sumatra even though I didn’t know exactly what to expect. It’s still difficult to describe because it is both beautiful and run down, it is relaxing and tiring, it has economic growth and poverty, and you can meet people who are good at trying to scam you on prices but also meet extremely friendly and curious people” I knew Sumatra was the place for me.

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Is it safe for a woman to travel there alone? Although it’s safer and more common than ever before for women to travel solo, women in Indonesia don’t have the kind of autonomy we have in the West so female travelers need to take extra precautions, especially in Banda Aceh in the north where Sharia Law is strictly enforced. I was conscious of not going out alone at night and was mindful with how I dressed. I wore a headscarf and covered up my arms in the 100 degree heat, and always packed an extra t-shirt and long shorts in my daypack in case I wanted to take a dip in the ocean. I was also conscious with how I spoke with the locals, especially when asked, “You’re alone? No husband? Children?” I often lie and tell them that my husband will be meeting me later. The truth of how I find triumph in thriving in a strange place alone and that I don’t want to get married and bring my own children into this cruel world would horrify them!

How do you pack? As lightly as possible, which is key for solo travel. Nothing destroys the body or spirit faster than having to drag your belongings through the heat on uneven roads through crowded streets. Plus I want to have the flexibility of being able to hop onto the back of a motorbike taxi or hitching a ride. It's taken years to perfect but I've gotten it down to only two carry-ons.

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How do you plan? I don't. I only book one-way air, hotel, and car. I’ve always been better off with planning my itinerary after arriving to my destination. As a solo traveler, it’s much easier to meet people and get recommendations. This is mainly why I prefer booking a one-way ticket whenever possible. More often than not, I usually end up in places far from the point of origin, requiring me to rebook my return. I also like to splurge on a nice hotel for the first night and arrange for a private car to make my first day as comfortable as possible since the first 24 hours of traveling are always the hardest. It’s always a delight to see your name on a sign upon arrival no matter how badly they’ve botched the spelling of your name. This time my name was Pigy. Before exiting the airport, I exchanged a small amount of cash so that I can buy a local SIM card and that's about it. The research begins in the car with my driver.

Read the full story about her adventures through Sumatra from walking amongst orangutans to floating in the largest crater lake in the world HERE.