Travel + Fashion Takeover: Manila is an inspirational workshop for women who seek to travel the world while maintaining their distinct style.
Viajera Filipino, in partnership with We Are Sole Sisters and Our Awesome Planet presents Travel + Fashion Takeover: Manila a workshop on Travel Planning, Fashion and Inspiration, with guest speakers Alexandra Jimenez of TravelFashionGirl.com and Aleah Taboclaon of Solitary Wanderer. The event was held at A_Space Manila near Greenbelt 5, Makati.
We had a fun time learning travel tips and sharing our stories with everyone. Here are the highlights of the workshop…
The main speaker Alexandra Jimenez, owner and editor of TravelFashionGirl.com, has been traveling around the world since 2008. She’s been to 40 countries on six continents.
Living out of a single carry-on suitcase, Alexandra with her nomadic lifestyle and business background gives a unique perspective that has gain Travel Fashion Girl’s Popularity.
Here are some important tips Alexandra showed us on “How to Pack Stylishly Light“:
- The secret to carry-on travel is a capsule wardrobe. That consists of 8-15 carefully chosen items that are interchangeable and maximize outfit options.
- Don’t forget to check the weather at your destination.
- Choose versatile clothes that can be worn on all or most of your planned activities- make a list!
- Research the local culture, customs, & religion. Wear respectable clothes in conservative areas- cover shoulder and knees.
- Make a budget for new clothing and travel gear. Don’t have one? Plan on using these tips to shop your own closet.
- Pack 1 week’s worth of clothing for trips of any length – 1 week to 1 year. Plan on doing laundry once a week while your travel. Buying quick dry fabric is ideal.
After the presentation, Alexandra was joined by Aleah Taboclaon and Tessa Viajera for the Q & A session.
Aleah Taboclaon is the owner and editor of Solitary Wanderer. She’s a solo travelling expert and has been on the road since age 11. She is also known for the viral post Date a Girl Who Travels.
One of the more serious questions asked was the issue of women travelling alone, the danger they posed to themselves, and the judgement from friends and family members.
Here are some tips from the speakers and women in the workshop themselves proving that travelling alone isn’t scary:
- Be confident! It’s all about the attitude.
- Prove to your family and friends that you can travel safely. At the end of the day, you will have the experience they never had.
- Don’t act like a lost tourist.
- Be aware of your surroundings, follow your gut feeling and choose the people you talk to.
- Take risks, but not unnecessary risks.
- Do research first hand, if you find that area dangerous don’t go out alone and don’t go out at night.
- Research on the type of scams and crimes of that country.
- You are never travelling alone, the staffs of the hotel, restaurants and fellow traveler staying in the hostel are more than happy to help you.
Cheers to a successful event and thank you for all the participants for coming!
Check out Lonely Planet’s “Top tips for safe travel.“
Overall, we had a great time learning tips and insights on travel planning, but what we enjoyed the most was sharing our stories and helping each other out as independent women.
After the workshop, I must admit I was really inspired to travel even more!
Live an Awesome Life,
Abi of Our Awesome Planet Team
Disclosure: Our Awesome Planet is a co-presenter of this event. We wrote this article with our biases, opinions, and insights. Read Our Awesome Planet Complete Disclosure Policy here.
P.S. Watch out for more travel related events and seminars from OAP! Let me know what kind of topics would you be interested in.
What a great post! I notoriously overpack, so it will be nice to try again having read this. I’ve also been eager to travel on my own, though definitely scared. These tips make me feel much better, and it’s nice to know so many other women want to travel solo, too!!
littlegirlinabiggerworld.blogspot.com
This is a great post, not only because I was there (haha) but because I was an over packer and afraid too of traveling alone. All the things that Tessa, Aleah and Alex have thought us, has helped us to be more confident to travel and explore the world without fear. Because, when you look back, you’ll see that what you learned from traveling is worth all your sacrifices.
“When you travel alone, take risk but don’t take dangerous risk”.
Great post, Abi. I’ll be sharing this tomorrow in my page.
Its important to do some research on the type of scams and crimes in any destination especially if you are traveling as a solo woman. You can also make friends at your hotel or hostel to get rid of the loneliness. I think as a solo traveler you will need to be talkative and open to the people at these destination so that you don’t start feeling lonely.