Travel Tag #2

My first tag since going self hosted! The ever amazing Jenny over at Sit Back and Just Live did this lovely travel tag which is a huge deal as she hardly does awards even though she is nominated for heaps I’m sure! ? She tagged little old me (specifically!) to take part, so as always I gladly accept!

I’ve done a Travel Tag before actually, it used to be one of my most popular posts. But since moving, all my views and likes have been reset, so ah well 😀

The Travel Tag that Jenny tagged me for has different questions this time around. So let’s get into it!

Where in the world are you from?

I am from good old New Zealand! I was born here and lived most of my life here. Specifically, Wellington, the capital city!

However, I do like to mention that I am half Filipina (on my mum’s side) and lived there for a few years when I was younger.

Have you been overseas? When/Where?

I have been overseas to a couple of places.

I have to been to Sydney, Australia twice in my life. First, when I was 4 on the way to Philippines. We were there for like half a day. Second, for over a week in 2016, with Rory.

As previously stated, I lived in the Philippines from late 1996 to early 1999. We were based in Manila, but if memory serves, we also took a holiday at some point to Palawan.

Then of course, there was the Peru trip. I’ve been reposting some old posts about my trip to Peru lately.

On the way to Peru, we had like a 10 hour layover at LAX. We were too scared to leave the airport though. Too big. So I don’t think I can really say I’ve visited the US. I did have a pumpkin spice latte though, but iced, cause I love iced things. It was nice!

On the way back from Peru, we stopped for a few days in Tahiti. We stayed in Papeete.

The most recent overseas place I visited was Fiji for our honeymoon back at the end of March. We stayed in Nadi and Taveuni.

Do you prefer summer or winter? Why?

I always seem to prefer the opposite of what I’m in. I just can’t be happy either way. For this reason, I prefer Spring and Autumn as they’re the less extreme of both. But if I really had to choose…I will say Summer. Cause it coincides with Christmas, my birthday, and the Pohutukawa (flowers) are everywhere.

Summer or Winter Fashion?

I tend to lean towards winter. I love cardigans, boots, scarves, gloves..just layers. Pile on all the layers.

Where is somewhere you would love to travel to?

So many places. But Japan and Iceland are always in the back of my mind.

Source

Source

Name your essential make up items for the beach.

Nothing? It’s too much effort and it’ll probably come off via sweat or water anyway.

Are you currently saving up for a trip?

Sort of. We want to go to Japan, and originally we were going to go next March, but we’ve spent a lot recently (Sydney, Wedding, Honeymoon in Fiji, and possibly a house), so we need to save up in general again. But! For now, we’re thinking about heading to Japan the following year.

Do you like/dislike travelling?

I definitely like travelling.

Name a place in the world you would love to shop

I’m gonna go with any store in the Wizarding World Of Harry Potter, or any theme park in general. I love souvenirs and novelty things.

Source

What is your favourite accent in the world to hear?

A lot of the European ones. They all sound cool.

How many countries have you visited?

Australia, Philippines, Peru, Tahiti, Fiji make five. I’ve visited a lot of places around New Zealand though, so I’m counting that too. I’m bumping it to six.

Why do you travel?

To see and experience something new.

Favourite city or country?

That I’ve ever visited? I tend to change my mind a lot. I’m always happy at home though, it’s a nice feeling to return, even if I get the travel itch a lot. I would love to see more of the country I live in. We’re heading to Waiheke Island in October for my sister’s wedding which is gonna be fun! I’ve been to Auckland a few times, but never to that spot. It’s meant to be beautiful!

Source

Most memorable experience?

Experiencing a proper thunderstorm when we were in Fiji. It was our third or fourth night there and it had been raining for a lot of the day. Then at night, lightning lit up the whole sky and the thunder shook our entire bure. It was so exhilarating.

Best item purchased?

Pedro. My trusty alpaca all the way from Arequipa, Peru. He’s still with me now.

Advice for those who want to travel but think they can’t?

Start small. Day trips or weekend getaways. Travel within your country. Research what hidden treasures are around and plan a trip for that. Look up sites that offer special deals. That’s how we wound up doing the Tongariro hike. We found a deal through a local site called Treat Me that offers deals on travel and lots more.

Doing the Tongariro Hike was a weekend trip for us

Preferred method of travel: Planes, Trains or Automobiles?

I don’t like long rides in general. But I prefer planes as it’s faster. However, I’ve always wanted to go on a long scenic train ride. I feel like that would be fun.

Top Three Travel Items

I’m gonna stick with the obvious. Passport, Phone, and Camera. Cause I can’t think of much else besides those.

Hostel or Hotel?

In Peru we did a lot of hostels, it was fun meeting new people that way. But now, I tend to prefer places like self serviced apartments. So not quite a hotel, but more than a hostel. Does that make sense?

Are you a repeat visitor or do you explore new places?

Both. But for overseas, I would say exploring new places. Travel can cost a bit, so I’d like to keep seeing new places.

Can you recite your passport number from memory?

Yes. Same with my cell number, my home number from childhood, my credit card number, my bank account number, my tax number. I don’t know why they’re all in there, but it’s come in handy.

Do you read up on your destinations for culture, history or safety, or do you just wing it?

Always. It’s part of the process of planning a trip for me! I love reading up on the places we’re going to visit!

Where would you recommend a friend to visit and why?

It would depend on the friend and what kind of vacation they want. If they’re based in NZ, then I always recommend Australia. It’s nearby, and there’s lots of amazing cities. I really liked Sydney, but I would love to visit Brisbane, Melbourne, Sunshine Coast, and lots of others.

You’re leaving tomorrow and money is no option, where are you going?

Iceland!! I want to see the Northern Lights, Ice Caves, the Blue Lagoon! It’s just so damn expensive since it’s literally on the other side of the world.

Source

Favourite Landmark you’ve visited?

Machu Picchu!

Beach or Explore Adventure?

Both! What’s fun is a place where you can do both. We got that on our Sydney visit. We had beach time, and we got to explore nature and the city.

I’m going to leave this tag open to anyone who wants to do it. I feel like I say that a lot lately, but I want everyone to feel free to do this tag!

Happy travels!

Angela.