Mum’s the Word: What this gypsygal learned while traveling with her parents
Text by Prime Sarmiento Photos by Prime and Nina Sarmiento Every year my lil sis and I used part of our savings to give our parents the gift of travel. We usually go somewhere around the Philippines and/or southeast Asia, "educating" them about the joys of experiencing new places. So last month, when...
Sawasdee ka from Chiang Mai: A Warm Welcome to SMILE readers
by Prime Sarmiento Sawasdee ka to the readers of SMILE – the inflight magazine of Cebu Pacific Air – where my story as a solo female traveler was published in its January issue. If you wish to know more on how you can craft your own journeys in 2012, get yourself a FREE...
Get your free guide for solo female travelers!!
by Prime Sarmiento Here's something I learned while traveling on my own – a lot of women want to go on their personal adventures but just don't know where to start. You want to travel on your own. But you have a lot of questions, concerns, fears, angsts. You have read tons of...
Q & A: Travel host Anita Kapoor talks about being culturally sensitive
Interview by Prime Sarmiento While it might be PC (politically correct) to respect cultural diversity, some of us can't help but experience culture shock when traveling to other countries (or even other provinces or regions). Both newbie and experienced solo female travelers are prone to commit a faux pas which will not only...
The Gypsygal Caravan: The “Honor My (Travel) Writing” Edition
curated by Prime Sarmiento One of the interesting e-mails that landed in my inbox was a weekly soulcare mesagge from Rachelle Mee-Chapman, spiritual director of Flock, an online community for women looking for "a spirituality that fits." In that e-mail, Rachelle asked us Flock members how we want to honor our work....
The psyche of a solo female traveler: I am an INFJ
by Prime Samiento Are some women predisposed to travel on their own? This is one question that I posed to myself after I answered some questions in the Myers- Briggs personality test (thanks Penelope Trunk for the tip). It was a slowww news day and I figured, this was the only...
The Gypsygals Caravan: The “Despedida for Avie” Edition
text and photo by Prime Sarmiento I love farewells. That may sound weird but believe me, I have learned, through the years, that letting go is perhaps the best way that can happen to me, or to anyone I love. So I decided to dedicate this week's link post to my friend Avie, who...
Notes from Saigon: How to find the best cities for women travelers
text and photos by Prime Sarmiento I wrote this post in one of those fab lifestyle concept cafes that can be found in Ho Chi Minh city. This is my first visit in Vietnam. Based from what I've seen so far – chic boutiques and galleries, metered taxis, yoga studios, spas and even...
The Gypsygals Caravan: My First (Link) Love Edition
curated by Prime Sarmiento photo by: Garry Knight A lot of you have been asking me how I find the guts to travel on my own. Is it safe? Don’t you get lonely? How much would it cost. I’ve been answering some questions via this blog. I may not have all the answers but I...
Q & A: Brooke Ferguson talks about pursuing your dream of solo travel
interview by Prime Sarmiento This is a slightly different Q & A post for The Gypsygals. I interviewed Brooke Ferguson, location-independent entrepreneur who's now based in Thailand. I e-mailed Brooke earlier asking her why some women are reluctant on traveling alone. Brooke, who has a different experience as a a woman traveling on...
On Abundance: Here’s Why I Can Afford To Travel Solo
posted by: Prime Sarmiento photo by: Rowdy Kittens Whenever people ask me where I get the money to indulge on my passion, I only say that I know my priorities. Traveling is important to me – if only because I need the time and space to write. While I'm not into luxury...
Q and A: Stephanie Lee on traveling solo in Europe
interview by Prime Sarmiento Solo female traveler Stephanie Lee is the author of Art of Solo Travel: A Girl's Guide. This book is perhaps the ultimate guide for women who prefer and enjoy to travel on their own. <img src=”http://wms.assoc-amazon.com/20070822/US/img/noscript.gif?tag=gypsytales-20″ alt=”” /><br /> In 2008, after six years of full-time work, Stephanie...
Safe and Solo in Europe: Travel Safety Tips
posted by: Nina Sarmiento It is safe for women to travel alone through Europe. Key European cities such as Paris, London, Berlin,Vienna and Geneva are among the cities in the world that provide the best quality of living to its residents, according to the Mercer 2010 Quality of Living Survey. Cities included in this list...
Solo Female Travel 101
Book Review: The Art of Solo Travel: A Girl's Guide by Stephanie Lee posted by: Prime Sarmiento I wish that this book existed five years ago when I, like Stephanie, quit a promising career to go an extended travel around Asia for some soul searching and adventure. The book would have saved me the time...