Before I went on my RTW travels, I could be often found stalking other travel blogs but what really interested me was the travel blogger behind the witticisms of their writing. Who are they? Are they real? Are they fit? So hence, for a long time coming, I wanted to do some travel blogging interviews and crack them open for their rawness inspiration of travel inside. Think Michael Parkinson.
This interview is with one of the most exciting affordable luxury travel blogs out there offering advice of where to shop for that best deal! I talk to one half of this power couple, the gorgeous Sam who claims she sleep-talks, slams her hands and feet in car doors and what’s more she loves dressing up cats. So how did she become a travel blogger as a result? Since she sent me a cheeky email, we had been talking back and fro and I knew I wanted to interview her. Let’s see what makes her tick. Let’s see what inspires her. You’ll come with me on my mission to find out who is Sam. Without much further ado, I give you, Sam of the Travelling King!!
1. Name – Sam from Travelling King
2. Twitter: https://twitter.com/TravellingKing1
3. Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/Travellingkingcom
4. Blog URL: http://www.travellingking.com/
5. Where are you originally from and where are you now?
I was born in Zimbabwe and then moved to Adelaide, Australia with my mum in 2000. At the moment I’m home with Pete in Adelaide (Ed Note: Maybe Pete should be interviewed as well so we can get the full story…)
6. Describe yourself in 3 words.
Funny, silly, spaztic.
7. Tell us about your blog. What makes your blog unique from all the other bloggers out there?
That’s impossible! We are all so similar and alike but different. There are hundreds of travel blogs out there but I guess the difference is that everyone tells their story a little differently, in their own voice. For us we are “Everyday Luxury” travellers, we love Luxury but also enjoy tourist activities and other silly things. (http://www.travellingking.com/about/)
8. Why did you start writing a blog? And did you find it easy to set up?
I started writing it as an online scrapbook and then people started finding me on google and started asking me questions and I put more research into a travel blog. Initially it was terrible to set up, I had NO idea what I was doing and I have since set up another blog/website and had NO idea what I was doing LOL!! It has gotten easier and there are some great paid and free tools out there. (Ed Note: There are a lot of great tools out there!)
9. If you had to travel with 3 other travel bloggers who would they be?
I have no idea!!! Most of the travellers I admire are backpackers and I can’t backpack, I just can’t LOL… But if I had to I would say Adventurous Kate, Norbert from GloboTrek and Sab from Just One Way Ticket.
10. What’s the best advice you can give for new bloggers?
Just be yourself, travel and write about your experience and enjoy the experience, don’t get too caught up in “numbers”, these will grow over time, don’t get discouraged.
11. Other than a job, what’s the easiest way to make money for travels?
Sell your body? (LOL I kid!!) (Ed Note: I suspect you did…) Affiliate marketing is a great resource.
12. Where have you been in the world? And which was the best, worst, funniest, most random and scariest?
We haven’t travelled as much as others, We have travelled around Australia a little bit, have been to Thailand (Bangkok, Phuket and Koh Samui – http://www.travellingking.com/category/thailand/) and I have been to London. Each destination brought its own adventure and funny stories. Too many to recall – the most recurring would be, me wrapped around a pole or a person when snowboarding (I’m not very good!) but its’ fun!
(http://www.travellingking.com/incident-emu/) An even scarier story is: We were in the Flinders Ranges and had a little “incident” with an Emu… We were driving along, minding our own business, saw 2 emu’s next to the road and slowed down (because if you didn’t already know, Australian wildlife are suicidal!) and the emu’s ran the other way, Pete speed up and we continued our conversation, next minute we see a flash from at the corner of our eye and Pete slammed on the braked, there was a loud bang on his door. Pete slowed right down and pulled over to the side of the road, we looked back and saw one emu standing on the road and the other flopping around, we watched thinking it should get up soon as it didn’t hit us (yes I said hit us..) very hard. We go out of the car to see the damage and Pete stood frozen at his door, he told me not to come any closer and to get back in the car, I was a little scared thinking WTF, is there a snake or something deadly… nope… it turned out that the emu’s head/neck got caught on the side mirror and kind of “popped” off… pretty nasty huh!
13. Naughtiest experience on your travels?
Too naughty to share 😉 (Ed Note: Spoilsport!)
14. Luggage or Backpack?
Luggage all the way!
15. Top 3 items that you would save from your backpack if it was about to be sunk in shark infested waters?
Well firstly I would never dare go into shark infested waters (even if I was paid!) but as a hypothetical I would save my laptop, hard drive and my husband !! HHAA!!! I kid.. and my Phone. I love my technology – also to be clear in this analogy all of these items are waterproofed and can’t be destroyed by water.
16. Skydiving or Bungee Jumping?
Yuk! Neither, both give me heart palpitations. Pete on the other hand would love to do both. (Ed Note: We’ll do it together!)
17. Best travel idol (aside from me, of course) that you would want to sit next to on the plane?
It changes from week to week. At the moment it would be Geraldine from Everywhereist, she is HILARIOUS! I’m looking forward to meeting her at a blogger conference at the end of the month.
18. What’s your party trick to show to other backpackers in hostels?
It would be how much tequila I can drink but lets face it, I’m not 18 anymore… now it’s how early I go to sleep.
19. Hostel, Guesthouse, Hotel or Couchsurf?
5 Star hotel all the way!
20. Day Trip, Backpack or live? UK, Australia or Vietnam?
(don’t understand the question) but okay… Day trip to Vietnam, Travel (not backpack) around the UK and Live in Australia.
21. Lonely Planet or Rough Guide?
We tend to make our own way around but usually follow the “path mostly travelled”. We enjoy the generic silly tourist traps.
22. Will you go out with me, a sexy, tall, dark and handsome god?
Will you pay me? (Ed Note: Wow, you made me speechless…)
23. Did you find love on your travels?
I fell in love with Travel, does that count? (Ed Note: What about Pete?!)
24. Would you go on I’m a Celebrity and eat pig’s testicles?
Not if you paid me J Also I don’t qualify as a celebrity… just yet 😉
25. And possibly, the most important question…Neighbours or Home and Away?!
Oh god!!! They are as bad as each other!! But if I had to pick I would say Neighbours! Only if there was a gun to my head..
26. Which 3 songs have you played the most on your iPod on your travels?
Avicii Wake me up & Avicii Hey Brother and of course some backstreet boys because im a 90’s girl!
27. You travelled on your own, how did that go for you and did you find it easy to make new friends on the road?
I recently went to London which was the scariest trip for me as it was my first solo trip and I got lost A LOT, did have a lot of fun but it was a little scary. I met a few people on day trips and tours I did but I didn’t go out much at night because I was very tired, probably jetlagged and because I was only there for 5 day (from Australia!) I didn’t get a chance to adjust properly.
28. What are your next travel plans?
I’m heading off to the Problogger conference on the Gold Coast at the end of this month and then Pete and I are off to China, Singapore and the Philippines for 3 weeks in October!
29. What’s the best advice you can give to first time travellers?
BUY TRAVEL INSURANCE!! I have heard some horror stories because people just want to save a few bucks!! Also try new things, I’m the worst at this but each time I travel I try to put myself into different situations that make me uncomfortable and also try the local foods, even if it’s once.
30. Finally, tell us a funny travel story..
At the time it wasn’t very funny, we were at the Palazzo Versace (a very fancy pants hotel on the Gold coast QLD), we were wondering around trying to look “snooty” and like we fitted in, while walking around I happened to walk straight into a hard marble corner and had to “gracefully” limp to our room to find I had blood running down my leg and a nice big gash, I can laugh about it now because I have a fairly big scar on my leg to remind me of the wonderful time we had there.
Thanks Sam for doing this interview! If you would like to know more about her journeys, click here.
If you would like to have an interview, please drop an email to rexyedventures@gmail.com and we’ll get you featured on here!
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Aww, thanks for the shout-out, guys! 🙂 Fun interview.
Great to see Sam featured here. Always a good interview but where has Pete disappeared to?