We’re into June and I think its finally safe to put my winter coat away now. A six month winter is not what the Dr ordered, but when you’ve left good old wet and windy Blighty for the slightly warmer climates of South East Asia, a winter coat is probably not something you’d be too concerned with. In fact only having recently passed through the specific region of SE Asia that this blogging couple now call home I would in fact consider you mad if you owned such an item of clothing! Anyway, if you’re interested in swapping Europe for Asia, a spot of volunteering, or just interested in a couple of cool travel bloggers, ease you Monday morning blues with a read of the below. Its good stuff!
HI, AND WHO MIGHT YOU BE?
1. Name? My name is Tammy, one half from Tammy & Chris on the move.
2. Age? 31
3. Travel Blog? www.tammyandchrisonthemove.com
4. Twitter Handle? @tammyonthemove
5. Home Town? A tiny town in Germany called Neuenrade
6. Current Location? Phnom Penh, Cambodia
7. Your current location, business or pleasure? Business. I work for an NGO in Phnom Penh at the moment.
8. Can you tell us a little bit about what you’re up to at the moment? Best bits, worst bits etc.
My husband and I left England behind in October 2011 to volunteer and travel the world. We ended up getting a paid job in Cambodia after our voluntary placement, so have been there for 1.5 years now. The best bit about living in Cambodia is that so many interesting countries lie on our doorstep. We have just finished the Everest Base Camp trek in Nepal for example, something that wouldn’t have been so easy to organize from England. The worst bit is that we are a long way away from family and we only get to see them about once a year.
LETS TALK TRAVEL
9. First travel experience?
A train journey from Germany to Rome, Italy as an 18-year-old with my best friend. It was my first independent trip and I loved the feeling of only carrying my backpack with me and exploring a new country without an adult by my side.
10. Future travel plans?
We are keen to explore more of Asia until the end of the year, i.e. Burma, Laos and Japan.
11. If you could go anywhere tomorrow where would it be and why?
Peru. I have never been, but have been to many other South American countries. It is my favourite continent and Peru just has so much to offer: Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, the Amazon and so much more. It is definitely very high up on my bucket list.
12. If you could avoid going anywhere tomorrow where would it be and why?
El Arenal – Mallorca. There are too many package tourists who are only interested in getting drunk and sunburnt, and not so much in exploring the island and local culture. Not really my type of holiday.
13. What 5 items would you not go travelling without?
-Trekking boots
-Tiger balm (best remedy for treating mosquito bites),
-my little spice container key ring (contains salt, pepper, paprika and chilli – I don’t like bland food),
-DSLR camera, and
-My iPhone (for web access, skype and also to take photos for Instagram)
14. Best bit of advice you’ve received?
Don’t plan a holiday too much. Sometimes being spontaneous offers the best adventures. Quite tricky for an organized German like myself, but I am getting much better at it now. J
15. Worst advice?
That volunteering during your travels doesn’t make a difference. This is untrue. You definitely have to make your research as some organizations are dodgy, but even if you just volunteer in an animal sanctuary for two weeks it will help out local staff immensely.
16. Best bit of advice you can give readers of this interview?
Guide books are not the answer for everything. Yes they are good to get an idea of what kind of things are around to see, but a lot of them just don’t interest me for example, so I rather read travel blogs to get my inspiration.
RANDOM
17. Favourite ice cream flavour? Chocolate
18. Apple or Andriod? Apple
19. Blogger or WordPress? Used to be on blogger, but I have just migrated over to WordPress.
20. Hostel or hotel? I am too old for hostels now, so hotel.
21. Guilty pleasure? I watch Glee. There, I have said it.
22. Your chosen super-power? Beaming.
23. Airplane seat – aisle, centre or window? Aisle
24. What song/album are you listening to right now? Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox
SHAMELESS PLUG
25. Thank you for answering my questions, as a gesture of thanks I allow you one whole paragraph to shameless plug of your website …
We are a couple hailing from Germany and England, meaning between us we are efficient and polite, but unable to talk about football or 20th century history. In October 2011, we left our bowler hats in London behind to see the world. Follow our misadventures on www.tammyandchrisonthemove.com .
31? She looks 18!
Thanks again for interviewing us Neil! It was good fun! :-)
TammyOnTheMove recently posted..Behind the Berlin Wall – Life in Communist Germany
@Hogga – I know right!? #nofair
That’s funny that Tammy recommends not planning too much when I’ve just published a blog post saying just the opposite! I would never set any plans in stone though. I just like to have a good idea of what my options are. Love Tammy’s blog!
Arianwen recently posted..Scared Britless: High-adrenaline New Zealand
Love the bit about volunteering abroad. I’m often a little bit conflicted about it, especially since so many dodgy operations have popped up, but its such a great experience if you do your due diligence and research.
Megan recently posted..Flashback Friday: A Love Affair with Stray Animals Abroad
@Ari – I must admit I like to plan ahead too, but so long as you’re flexible I cant seem any harm in having a few ideas before you set off.
@Megan – I loved my volunteering experiences! With a bit of research before hand (as you mention) it can be a valuable experience … and great fun too obviously. Worth looking into at the very least I would say :) Thanks for your comment.