I must confess this: sometimes I thought about being a travel blogger. After all, here I often write about my travels: they are perhaps the first source of inspiration for this blog. and everybody knows, travel bloggers are much more popular than us, the design bloggers.
The fact is just that no, I’m not a travel blogger. And I tell why you today
1. I do not taste and try every food I see
1. No, non assaggio tutto
2. I do not like hostels (unless they are really design oriented)
A good travel blogger will tell you about his trip without focusing on where he slept. He will tell you that you can travel in Far East with just ten euros per night, maybe sleeping in that ‘nice and clean’ hostel… Well, us the design bloggers when traveling, unfortunately, have slightly a different perception of what’s ‘nice’. In my opinion, accommodation are a substantial part of my journey, not just a base for moving somewhere. Aesthetic counts, and here is the main difference: I look for cozy and well designed places where to stay and they are part of my travel, part of the story I will tell once back.
Sorry to tell you this, but wherever you will go, a non-standard, cozy, beautiful accomodation is more expensive. More in some places, less in others, but for sure not ten euros a night. Warning: I do not speak about luxury or five stars hotels , but just about accomodations with a special interior and design twist, an original concept, or a very traditional mood instead.
I use to cover the costs, when it is possible, by talking then on the blog about: the Pink Dog enriches with new and original contents, in the meantime on the other side someone is happy to host me and see its accomodation featured on the blog, I did this in Malaysia and Singapore as well.
2. No, non amo gli ostelli (a meno che non siano di design, e ce ne sono)
Un travel blogger che si rispetti vi racconta il suo viaggio (salvo rari casi) omettendo dove dorme. O comunque non ci si sofferma quasi mai. Vi dirà che per viaggiare in Oriente bastano dieci euro a notte per pernottare, magari consigliandovi un ostello ‘carino e pulito‘…
Io ammortizzo la spesa, quando possibile, proprio parlandone poi nel blog: il cagnetto si arricchisce di contenuti originali, mentre dall’altra parte sono contenti di ospitarmi. L’ho fatto anche in Malesia e Singapore per alcune strutture: alla fine tutto il mondo è paese e se ci si piace a vicenda tutto poi diventa semplice :)
Majestic Malacca, Malaysia
3. No, I do not rustle up
As a result of point two, for me planning my travel is essential: for every accomodations I read the reviews, I browse the galleries, and it is actually really hard for me to sleep where we find a place. A good travel blogger instead can just leave, backpacking and go.
I do a similar planning for the city areas: I leave home with a map already filled with notes, with the best shops, the hip areas, the most interesting neighborhoods and maybe far away from the usual tourist routes. I use to read several blogs before leaving: travel blogs for practical information, then travel guides of design blogs, such as Remodelista, Design Sponge, and magazines as Dezeen and Archdaily. Finally, I look for local blogs. For example, I found this and this interesting blogs from Singaporean bloggers.
Same attention for all the stuff I buy when I travel: I prefer something local to usual souvenirs. I was so happy when I found an hardware store in Penang selling Malaysian signals for public places (and can’t describe you our hotelier’s face when she saw us entering with a Malay ‘ban spitting’ placard. Normal people use to buy a Petronas poster ;))
3. No, non amo l’ improvvisazione
Proprio per il punto due, per me pianificare un viaggio è essenziale: di ogni posto mi leggo le recensioni, sfoglio le gallery, si insomma è difficile che il mio viaggio diventi un ‘dormiamo dove troviamo‘. Un travel blogger che si rispetti invece può anche partire all’avventura, zaino in spalla e via.
Lo stesso vale per le zone da visitare: in genere parto già con una mappa bella ricca di note, con i negozietti migliori, i locali piu’ curati, i quartieri più interessanti e magari fuori dalle classiche tratte turistiche. Consulto molti blog prima di partire: sia blog di viaggio, utilissimi per le informazioni pratiche, ma anche le sezioni guide di viaggio di blog di design come ad esempio Remodelista e Design Sponge, e magazine come Dezeen e Archdaily nei quali poter fare una ricerca per zona geografica di interni e architetture più interessanti. Cerco poi blog locali, ad esempio per Singapore ho scovato questo e questo blog e mi sono stati molto utili. Mi piace trovare i posti locali originali e meno affollati dai turisti, e per trovarli consultare internet prima di partire è essenziale.
4. I prefer architecture to nature
Maybe this point is also due to my professional background.
But let’s admit I’m not such a sportswoman, I’m scared of certain animals, and I generally avoid wild places. The good travel blogger will tell you that you must visit Taman Negara Park in Malaysia, actually this was really not in my plans. In Singapore, I preferred Tiong Bahru to the botanical gardens, in Penang I went hunting for street art, in Kuala Lumpur I would have gone up and down Petronas for several times…yes this is really touristic but they are so beautiful! What about that mega overhang of Marina Bay Sands?
4. Alla natura preferisco l’architettura
Qui non so dove la deformazione professionale lasci spazio alla mia vera indole.
Ma diciamoci la verità: non sono una gran sportiva, ho fifa di certi animali, i posti troppo selvaggi li evito proprio. Il travel blogger che si rispetti vi dirà che senza visitare il Taman Negara non si puo’ tornare dalla Malesia, io ad andare nella giungla non ci ho pensato manco per sbaglio. A Singapore, ho preferito Tiong Bahru ai giardini botanici, a Penang sono andata a caccia di street art, a Kuala Lumpur sarei salita venti volte sulle Petronas, potendolo fare: saranno turistiche ma sono troppo belle, e che cavolo. Vogliamo poi parlare del mega sbalzo del Marina Bay Sands?
Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur
Street Art, Penang
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Sri Mariamman Temple, Kuala Lumpur
5. When back home, no desire to leave again. At least, not right away
5. Quando torno, non ho voglia di ripartire. Almeno, non subito
Note. About travel and vacation
I could write another post about the difference between travel and vacation. Ask 100 people, 90 will tell you they love travel.
I agree with travel bloggers: to travel does not mean spending time in nice resorts, do some hiking, even if you’re on the other side of the world. That is called HOLIDAY (and it’s cool, really).
To travel in my opinion means to discover a completely new place, on its streets, to talk with people, to see beautiful and less beautiful areas. Means also to have drawbacks, not to be always physically at the top. To travel means that your curiosity and enthusiasm overcome fatigue.
I do it my way. And you? How do you travel?
Nota. Di viaggio e di vacanza
Io lo faccio a modo mio. E voi? Com’è il vostro viaggiare?