34 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLERF
or many people, chucking in the nine-to-five and heading off an endless adventure is their
dream. For Australian photographer Aubrey Daquinag, it’s become a reality. For the past few
years, she has travelled around the world, turning cafes, co-working spaces and hotel lobbies
into temporary office space where she creates her blog, The Love Assembly. On it, Aubrey documents
her experiences and encourages other young women to live creative and courageous lives.
“Besides doing whatever the hell you want, when you want, the most beneficial thing about solo travel
is the fact that the more you explore the world on your own, the more opportunities you get to explore
yourself,” she says of her decision to travel to destinations as diverse as Brazil and the Philippines on
her own. “To see the act of travel as a form of personal growth and self-development, and to use it as a
means to be a better version of yourself, is the greatest thing, I think.”
Aubrey’s first solo adventure was a three-month trip to Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Chile. She’d
never been to any of those countries and didn’t know anyone living there. Nor did she speak Spanish
or Portuguese. But the challenge was transformative: “I saw, experienced and captured so much
newness, found sweetness in my solitude, made some of the best friendships, built the confidence
to stand strong at challenging times, and learned so many things about other cultures and myself.”
Here, she offers five tips for anyone wanting to set out alone.Author, photographer
and blogger Aubrey
DAquinAg loves
to travel on her own.
Here she offers her five
best tips for going solo.1
Replace FeaR
with cuRiosity.
There is no point travelling
solo if you’re going to
ignore the culture, not taste the
local cuisine and be fearful of
interacting with both locals and
other travellers. Yes, it’s daunting
to get out of your comfort zone,
but it’s important to have an
open mind and experience
what the world has to offer.2
plan but
leave time
to wandeR.
I’m all for arrangements,
but I recommend being flexible
with your itinerary. If you
over-plan and find yourself
rushing from A to B, you’ll
miss the magic of travel and
the in-between moments that
often end up being the most
memorable ones. I generally
have one or two things that
are a must-do each day, and
allow enough time in between
to wander.3
download GooGle
maps oFFline.
This allows you
to track your location
even if you aren’t connected
to the internet. You don’t
have to follow it, but it will
give you peace of mind
while you wander. Make sure
you pin the location of your
accommodation as soon as you
arrive, so that once you’re done
with the day’s activities you can
easily find your way back there.4
Get youR beaRinGs
beFoRe daRk.
Always know which
neighbourhoods are
safe to stroll around before
you head out to explore at
night. Stick to well-lit streets,
be aware of the different areas
within a city and pay close
attention to safety precautions.5
tRust youR
intuition.
It’s some kind
of superpower. If
something doesn’t feel right,
it probably isn’t.
© AuBreYDAquInAgWander Love by Aubrey
Daquinag is published by
Hardie Grant Travel, $35.
It is available in stores
nationally and online.Ask An expert
tHe JOy OF One
aubrey daquinag relaxing
between blogs on coron
island in the philippines.