Featuring: Dutch Traveler and Blogger Kimberley Griffioen
Kimberley is a Dutch traveler who has visited over 20 countries and plans on visiting a lot more. She often travels solo and shares her experiences thru her Instagram and blog.
Alex: Can you briefly introduce yourself?
My name is Kimberley Griffioen and I’m a 27 year old traveler from the Netherlands. Since I can remember I’ve always loved travelling but after the first time when I travelled by airplane the travel bug really bit me. I decided to study Tourism and did an 6 month internship abroad. I currently work fulltime and spend most of my income on travels. Recently I started sharing my travel experiences on my blog www.justgoglobal.nl and Instagram www.instagram.com/justgoglobal.
Why do you travel? What are your inspirations?
I love exploring new places, learning about other cultures and food. Solo travelling gives the ultimate feeling of independence and freedom. You can’t learn from a book what you learn during travelling! My travel motto is very simple: just go! I see so many people around me that would love to travel but for some reason don’t go and eventually never make the trip.
How do you organize your travel plans? Any travel hacks you can share?
Because on most of my travels I have limited time I try to do as much research as possible so that I can make the most of my trip! For my plane tickets I often use Skyscanner and for choosing accommodations I’m a big fan of TripAdvisor. For more information about destinations I read a lot of blogs and guides.
As a travel hack I would recommend saving frequent flyer miles. Even if you’re not a frequent flyer it’s possible to save lot’s of frequent flyer miles by using a credit card and booking hotel rooms. Oh and another travel hack: use vacuum bags if you want to save space in your luggage!
What is your dream job or what do you do when you’re not traveling?
I work fulltime as a receptionist. The advantage of a full-time job is that I can save money every month for my travels J. I get 25 vacation days per year: a challenge to make best use of these days!
Aside from the basics, name three items that you always bring when you travel.
- My camera (essential to capture memories)
- A first aid kit (you never know what happens)
- A universal travel adapter
What’s the best experience you will never forget travelling?
I have so many experiences that I won’t forget! For example seeing the great Pyramids of Gizeh, my first solo trip to Bali where I had my first surfing lessons, a road trip through the west coast of the USA, flying on a water plane above Dubai, washing rescued elephants in Thailand and so on…
What’s the best single dish/ food you can remember during your travel?
Well I guess I had the best food in Asia. They really know how to cook! #tasteexplosion
Which city do you consider yourself an expert on? Can you share any hidden gems in that city?
I try to visit as many different places and countries as possible, therefore I visit most cities only once and wouldn’t call myself an expert at any city at all.
What is your favorite travel song/album to listen on a trip?
I listen to all kinds of music, mostly during flights.
What is the funniest foreign swear word you know?
Hahaha, I try to keep swearing to a minimum as in most cultures swearing is not appreciated ;). I do think it’s important to learn foreign words like “hello” and “thank you”, unlike cursing that will be appreciated :)
