With a lot of heart, our team has put together the most exciting and authentic trips over the last two years. Always under the motto of sustainability, they went in search of places, countries and cultures that fascinate. Thereby adventures came around like Jordan, Greenland, Namibia or Iceland. These are destinations that give most people an instant wanderlust and make them want to set off straight away. This is also the case for Anna (Äna), who wants to initiate a new path together with us, for a more transparent insight into the possible experiences of this world.
New are the ways of adventure travel with @AnnaxStangl
One of our most important missions is to present a destination from its most honest and authentic side. A lot of work, effort and heart and soul goes into such a compilation of 'must-visits' and local, as well as adventurous experiences. Now, last year, we had the pleasure of sending the first 50 TripLegend explorers on their way into our experiences, which is a huge pleasure for us and one we are only too happy to share with you.
There's no question about it - in this day and age, the best way to do this is via social media. For a long time, we have been asking ourselves how we can best present our destinations online. Because, it is of absolute importance to us not to distort them in authenticity, as is usually the case on social media. It quickly became clear to us that we had to break new ground by looking for partners who could help us to expand our mission even further.
For a long time we have been searching for a personality that radiates adventure, courage, authenticity and genuineness. Someone we can take with us on our travels and who shares our trips with the world. It's about documenting what happens on our adventures and what the highlights are. You get the chance to see not only the information we provide, but also that of our partners.
One of these partners is now Äna. We became aware of her through her social media account. We quickly noticed that she is an active and open person, combined with a great photography talent. We contacted her and it didn't take long until she told us that it would be a dream for her to come to Iceland with us. For us a 1A choice in destination.
We will gladly take you to the unique volcanic island with its spouting geysers, steaming springs and magical ice caves. An adventure filled with a whale-watching tour, hikes through breathtaking landscapes, raging waterfalls, a hot geothermal pool overlooking the raging sea, and even the Icelanders and their myths about elves and trolls awaits her. For us she will take her camera, shoot photos and film highlights. She has been given the task to give an authentic rendition of the trip.
10 Questions for Anna (Äna)
We are really looking forward to June 11, 2022, when she will finally get on the plane and start her discovery tour. But before we do that, it's time for you to get to know Äna better. Therefore we sat down and conducted a short interview with her.
Hey Anna (Äna), we are super excited to welcome you as our first official 'Ambassador'. I'm sure our TripLegends want to know more about you too. Please tell us a little bit about yourself and who you are.
Hi folks, my name is Äna. I was born and raised in the Bavarian Forest. I always felt a close connection to nature and adventures. When I'm not snowboarding on the mountain, you can find me cable wakeboarding or surfing somewhere by the sea. Always with me, my faithful companion, my camera. Last year in the summer of 2021, I completed my training as a media designer image / sound at the Macromedia Academy in Munich. It was clear to me that a permanent position and going to the same office at the same time every day was not for me. I wanted to develop creatively and find my own style. I started my own business right after that and since then I focus on lifestyle, travel and sports photography and videography.
We became aware of you through your appealing Instagram channel, can you tell us a bit about how you came to build quite a large reach for yourself?
In the past years/since the pandemic started, I invested all my time in my passion to make it my profession. I started to share more and more my work and adventures on social media with my followers. Since then, my reach has been growing, which of course makes me very happy. For almost a year now, photography has become my full-time job.
We're already taking you to Iceland this June. What are you looking forward to the most?
The thing I enjoy most is meeting new people. I love traveling in groups. In the beginning, everyone is a stranger to each other, but towards the end of the trip, lifelong friendships often develop. After all, you share a common passion. The travel! I am also looking forward to explore the island and especially Reykjavik.
Can you briefly tell us how you're preparing for the trip?
I am a very spontaneous person, I let everything come to me and get carried away by the adventure. So I don't do much preparation. But what I always do, I inform myself about "do's and dont's", which are to be observed in the country. So that I don't put my foot in my mouth or get into trouble. I want to respect the culture of the country as much as possible and I am grateful that I can get to know it.
What are your hopes for the trip? Do you have certain expectations of us?
I trust you completely to have found the best itinerary. I don't want to miss anything and in the end I want to have seen everything important of the island. Important for me is always a lot of action, that I do not get bored. I am not very good at doing nothing.
What does sustainability mean to you when traveling and how do you plan to further address this issue when traveling to Iceland?
Iceland became a trend destination in recent years and since then is very flooded with tourists. Nature also suffers from this. Unfortunately, not all people consider the environment, leave your trash or enter unauthorized land off the trails. TripLegend is very careful to respect the rules and thus protect our nature. Under sustainable travel I also imagine to support local and smaller businesses as well as hotels and restaurants. Away from the big tourism strongholds.
Have you thought about what you would like to capture with your camera? If so, what would that be?
My parents made a similar round trip through Iceland a few years ago. Since then, they constantly talk about how beautiful the waterfalls and nature is there. In June after my trip, I can finally join in the conversation and hope to make my family a little envious with my pictures. I will take my drone with me and hope to get some great shots from the air.
What other TripLegend trip would also appeal to you and why?
Best once everything, please! The trips that Triplegend offers are very extraordinary. Almost all of the trips are to countries I hadn't even really thought of before. For example Kyrgyzstan. Such countries are very appealing to me because they are not very touristy and have a lot of untouched nature. That's why I find it even more important to explore the country with a local guide.
Why do you want to work with us?
As a tour operator you always need new content and I am always looking for new adventures. So I think we complement each other well.
What has been your favorite travel destination so far and would you recommend it to TripLegend as well?
Canada is like a second home to me and I can only recommend it to everyone. I have already been there 6 times. In 2018, I had the opportunity to visit a high school in West Vancouver for half a year. The people are open and super friendly. From there I explored the country. My personal highlight was Tofino on Vancouver Island and a trip through the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Bonus question: do you have anything else on your mind that you'd like to share with our hardworking readers?
I would be happy if you accompany me on my Iceland trip, whether on site or via social media. And maybe we will see each other in the next adventure.
XOXO Äna
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