11 Questions for Liselotte: "Meeting new people, learn more about other cultures and trying new dishes!"

In the TripLegend interview we had the pleasure to welcome Liselotte: Travel Influencer from the Netherlands and the creator behind her Instagram account @jornalofwonders. In December, she is having the adventure of a lifetime with TripLegend in Kyrgyzstan. Today she tells us how it came about and what inspires her most when she travels. Get to know Liselotte before her Kyrgyzstan trip in the interview.

You are currently running a successful Instagram page, with a huge following of 20.6k, documenting your travels, but what was it that made you start posting about your travelling online?

Ever since I was little I was fascinated by photography. At the beginning of each vacation, my parents bought me a disposable camera so that I could document our vacation. In addition, I wrote down our experiences in a ‘travel diary’.

When I got older I bought a digital camera (and later an SLR) which, of course, I also brought with me on every vacation. Plus I kept keeping track of our experiences. Just not in a diary anymore, but on my mobile or laptop. 

You can imagine that at one point I had a huge archive of images and stories. When I realized that it was actually a shame that it was all on my computer and was not seen by anyone, I decided (inspired by accounts I followed on Instagram) to share my photos and my travel stories on my own account to inspire others to see the world and document it. 

What place could you visit over and over again and never get tired of?

It might be a boring answer, but if I'm really honest I can't get enough of London. I've been to London a total of 10 times already and I'm still discovering new things. For some reason, London always feels like ‘coming home’ to me. It has everything I look for in a city: amazing architecture, fascinating museums, incredible street art, cozy markets, funny people, a diverse food culture, beautiful parks, fun events all year round and of course loads of shopping options.

So yes, London is definitely a city I could visit over and over again. However, if I had to name a country I could keep coming back to, it would be Japan. Why? Because of: incredible food, beautiful temples, shrines, zen gardens, friendly people, traditional crafts and arts, stunning nature, Mount Fuji, Sakura, fascinating history, amazing public transport, matcha, wildlife, etc, etc.

As an experienced traveller, what are your top three travel tips to ensure a smooth experience abroad?

If you are traveling alone and have booked a flight with checked baggage, always put some extra clothing in your hand luggage. This way you always have something to hand in case your checked baggage gets lost. Or divide your clothes over several suitcases/backpacks if you are traveling with 2 (or more) people.

Make sure you can access your money overseas! Though your debit card will probably work almost everywhere, it's important to have a good back-up plan. Try to take at least € 100, a debit card, and a credit card with you on your trip. And always leave one card in your hotel room in case your wallet gets stolen.

Know critical diet information in the local language. For those traveling with a serious allergy, taking care ahead of time is really important. In those cases, I suggest picking up a translation card. You can find a lot of them online!

What’s the biggest challenge you have experienced whilst travelling and how did you overcome it?

I wouldn’t really call it my ‘biggest challenge’, but I must admit asking for help/directions/tips in Japan was a bit difficult at times. In big cities (like Tokyo and Osaka) you’ll often find that there are multiple shops and restaurants located in one building, which means they all have the same address. The only way to find out which floor a particular restaurant or shop is on is by looking at the signboards. However, these signboards are all in Japanese and Japanese people speak very little to no English (there are of course exceptions). This meant that it often took us a long time to find the restaurant we were looking for.

Where is somewhere that you are yet to visit, but is at the top of your bucket list and why?

Uganda is very high on my bucket list. I would love to do a gorilla and/or chimpanzee trekking there to visit these amazing creatures in their natural habitats.

What is the most important thing you have learnt as a result of your travels?

Planning a trip is exciting and it’s worth doing a bit of research beforehand. Arriving in a new country totally naïve or oblivious to the culture, religion, language, and customs is just not okay.

What place have you travelled to that surprised you the most and why was it surprising?

I think Poland had surprised me the most. For some reason the Polish have a bad image in the Netherlands and that translates into a bad image of Poland. Despite the fact that I did not let this deter me from visiting this country, I subconsciously had low expectations of Poland due to the negative stories. All those stories turned out to be anything but true. Poland is a really beautiful country with stunning nature, cities full of history and super friendly people. I've been there several times now and keep coming back.

What is your favourite thing about travelling?

Meeting new people, learn more about other cultures and trying new dishes!

What advice would you give to aspiring travel influencers, who don’t quite know how to get started?

Just start! In the end, you learn the most by trial and error. However, it is important that you always stay with yourself and your interests. Don't imitate too much of what others are doing, because that has already been done. By doing what hasn't been done yet, you remain unique and your followers have a reason to keep following you.

In December you will be joining us on a trip to Kyrgyzstan. What about this trip are you most looking forward to?

It's my first ever group tour, so I'm really curious how I'll experience it. I am really looking forward to meeting people who love to travel as much as I do. In addition, I can't wait to get absorbed in the culture through the visits to locals that are planned. I'm looking forward to their stories!

Thank you very much for the interview Liselotte! We are really looking forward to experiencing an exciting adventure with you soon. And for all of you who want to come along: Book your place on the Kyrgyzstan round trip in December and come along on the adventure in the Central Asian insider tip!