What do you do for a living? How do you save money to travel?

I have three sources of income:

1. Cryptocurrency and investing

2. Photography, travel writing, and content creation:
   Freelance photography work, photo licensing to magazines and websites, freelance travel writing, and social media content creation are my main hustle.

3. Hospitality work:
   I have worked in restaurants, cafés, and a private casino. This was my main source of income before 2020. The good old way of work and travel that anyone with a good passport can do! Some people pay off student debts while working in hospitality and farm jobs around the world.

I volunteer a lot in exchange for food and accommodation while traveling. I have volunteered as a yoga teacher, housekeeper, school builder, etc.

I use worldpackers.com, and workaway.info! (These are affiliate links with discount codes for you!)

How much money do I need to travel?

No one can answer that for you but yourself! It depends on the level of comfort and safety you are after. During the first two years of my travels, from Australia to South East Asia to the Middle East to Europe, I spent around 10,000 Euros. That sounds insane. I couchsurfed almost everywhere, hitchhiked, volunteered in exchange for food and accommodation, ate junk, didn’t buy souvenirs, don’t smoke or drink. (I stopped drinking at 20.)

Also, I traveled mostly to affordable countries. E.g. I spent 120$ for one month of travel in Iran. I slept in $2 hostel beds in Thailand.

How do you stay safe and find information when traveling to places like Afghanistan and Pakistan?

I look for blogs and Facebook groups where I could find the latest information. Before Couchsurfing died/ when it was still free to use, it was an amazing source of information. I now recommend bewelcome.org, trustroots.org.

Instagram is also an amazing source. Using location-based tags, you can find travelers/ locals who are almost always super happy to help.

Always be careful not to disclose too much information, especially of your travel plans!

Isn’t it scary to travel alone?

Sometimes I really hate traveling with others haha. I feel as if I haven’t truly experienced a place unless I have been alone. At the beginning, it was terrifying of course. I actually thought I’d die by traveling alone in Australia! At 18, it was a suicide attempt to go to Australia. Needless to say, the world is not as dangerous as society wants us to believe!

Have you ever been attacked while camping alone?

Nope! I have been disturbed on two separate occasions. Both happened in Pakistan, both were the same situation - a man comes over to my tent in the middle of the night, asks if he could come in. I responded angrily. They f***ed off.

Ladies, never camp alone in places people could see you! I also always placed my pepper spray in a convenient location. Lastly, during my bike tour, I always attached an alarm between my bike and tent. If someone removes my bike, the alarm rings. You could use the same alarm in your tent zippers.

What are your favourite countries to visit?

Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, India, Myanmar, the Philippines!

What did you study?

Nothing! I left Hong Kong at 18 and have been traveling since. I learned photography myself.

What’s the most valuable lesson you learned from traveling?

The world is nothing like what we imagined! The world is full of kind and generous people. You can absolutely be the badass you want to be.

Worst traveling experience?

Racism in Europe, Japan, and Australia! (I’m a Cantonese from Hong Kong.)

What camera equipment do you have?

Prior to 2018, I only had a tiny pocket camera - Canon G7X. That’s why you rarely saw photos of my travels in Iran, Iraq, South East Asia, and Europe.

Now I use a Sony A7rii, with a Sony FE 50mm f1.8, Sony FE 35mm f1.4, and Samyang 24mm f1.4. I have circular polarizers for both lenses.

I had a GoPro session 5 in 2018-2019.

I also have a tripod, a Rhode mic, and 8 camera batteries.