Welcome to my Blog!
Looking for destinations to visit with big kids?
Or maybe you just want to escape somewhere on a solo trip?
Well, you can breathe easily. I know travelling can be an overwhelming process:
- researching a destination- safety, transportation, language, etc
- planning your itinerary – should I do 2 days or 3 days?
- booking flights – trying to find the best deals
- getting travel insurance – do I even need it? What amount of coverage?
These are all time-consuming but it’s necessary to enhance your experience. I hope the information and advice you’ll find on this blog will help you travel with ease and set you on the path to creating happy memories for yourself.
I’ve channelled my love for travel, reading and writing, a passion for seeking new experiences, and a love for different cultures to create this travel blog.
I’m excited to share with you the knowledge I’ve learnt from my own experiences, of travelling around Europe using detailed and exciting travel guides, and food guides as well as some travel tips that will get you inspired to achieve your travel dreams.
Collective Travel Guides is a resource for moms with older children who want to go on epic adventures and create lasting memories. Here, you’ll find tips and guides for travelling solo and travelling as a family.
What you will get from the blog?
- Travel guides that are drawn from my own experiences, a single mom writing for solo female travellers and moms travelling with older children.
- Ideas on places to visit in Europe from popular destinations to lesser-known places.
- Reviews and recommendations on places to stay based on my experiences and trusted sources.
- Recommendations on where to find the best food during your trips.
- Practical tips to help you in all stages of travel from planning to arriving back home.
- Ways to travel sustainably to reduce your impact on the environment.
Who is behind this blog?
My first introduction to travelling goes back to when I was growing up in Zimbabwe. I was quite lucky that my parents often took my siblings and me on shopping trips to places like Johannesburg (South Africa) and Gaborone (Botswana). The trips were quite an adventure as they involved long hours on sleeper trains which were often crammed and noisy but an affordable option.
I remember with excitement the train journeys, my first time in Joburg, the unbeatable energy, the glass and concrete skyscrapers and the shameless wealth. Travelling to fascinating and very stimulating places like I did when I was young sparked my wanderlust.
From an early age, I loved reading and my choice was always anything to do with travel or stories that took place in foreign countries. I would fantasise about visiting them, seeing different cultures, different people and all the alien-like animals around the world.
I moved to Ireland two decades ago where I have been living with my son, Tyrone. Since I moved to Ireland, I’ve done quite a lot of travel, taking advantage of my flexible job, cheap flights from budget airlines in Europe like Ryanair and mainland Europe’s extensive rail network.
I’ve visited Italy, France, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Poland, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and more. I’ve also travelled to the United States of America and have been back to South Africa a few times.
It’s been fascinating and has been fulfilling to realise the dreams of my inner child.
Solo Travel
I usually travel with Tyrone but as he’s getting older, I’m travelling solo more and more, I’ve adjusted and now I celebrate my solo trips. Interestingly, I have discovered that I learn the most about myself when I travel on my own.
My first solo trip, the one that had the largest impact on me, was my trip to Amsterdam two years ago. Travelling solo challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and to have experiences which I’d never imagined. Like a lot of people, I appear comfortable around people. However, I also can be introverted.
During my solo trip to Amsterdam, I found myself joining a group of Americans, some of them crazy, for an interesting guided tour of the Red Light District by two retired sex workers which finished off with some Dutch Vodka in one of Amsterdam’s popular drag bars.
Being able to make connections and have enjoyable experiences with other people from different backgrounds was quite a learning experience for me. I can say my solo trip to Amsterdam and other experiences I’ve had since have positively changed my personality and the perceptions I had of myself and the world in general. I now dare to travel solo and discover the world and everything in it.
I’ve created this space to inspire women like yourself not to waste any time or wait on anyone but to step out of your comfort zone, travel alone, discover the world and achieve self-actualisation.
Travelling with older children
Part of my mission is to help moms travel with their children and create beautiful memories. I’ve been travelling with Tyrone since he was a little boy. As well as broadening our understanding of the world, travel has helped us to stay connected as a single-parent family. I hope I can inspire you to travel with your children to enjoy all these benefits of travel.
It’s quite exciting that Tyrone now attends a university in The Netherlands. I visit him regularly and most of our time together is spent doing what we both enjoy, which is seeking new experiences, learning about different cultures, having fun and creating beautiful memories.
Some of our epic travel adventures together include trips to places like London, Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, hiking in the French, Italian, Swiss, Slovenian Alps and more.
I am thrilled to share some exciting itineraries with you and travel tips which are drawn from our own experiences and are perfect for moms travelling with older children.
Sustainable travel
The covid-19 pandemic has meant that most of us are hunkering down, placing our travel plans on hold but also waiting eagerly to get back out again as soon as possible and as safely as possible.
To me, not being able to travel has meant having more time on my hands. I now find myself putting more thought into my travel plans for the future, looking at how I can travel more sustainably. So when the time comes to visit all the incredible places on my bucket list, my actions will benefit the local communities I visit and be less impactful on the environment.
I am excited to share with you this knowledge to help us become responsible travellers.
A little bit more about myself
- Favourite Destination – European Cities
- Favourite Beverage – Hot Coffee
- Favourite Podcasts – Addicted to Crime Podcasts
- Favourite Music – Afro Beats
- Favourite Cuisine – I’m a huge fan of Middle Eastern Cuisine
- Favourite Pastime – Love the outdoors- Running and Hiking
- Favourite Books – Food, Travel, Current Affairs