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    • Asia
      • Indonesia
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      • Taiwan
      • Philippines
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        • Dubai
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Self-growth, Solo Travel

The Life-Changing Power of Solo Travel: 20+ Lessons I’ve Learned From Solo Travelling and How It Transformed My Life

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  • Solo travel benefits solo travel lessons
    Self-growth,  Solo Travel

    The Life-Changing Power of Solo Travel: 20+ Lessons I’ve Learned From Solo Travelling and How It Transformed My Life

    If you are hesitating about trying solo travel or wanting to understand why solo travel can be a life-changing experience, or you find yourself at a stage in life where you are uncertain about what’s next and want to seek…

  • Taipei massage recommendation Relax 33
    Taiwan,  Wellness

    Aesthetic & best Taipei Massage Recommendation: Relax 33 Massage SPA and Lounge Review (near Metro Zhongshan Station)

    As someone who is pretty picky about massages and has high standards for massage technique, service, and overall atmosphere, finding a great massage place in Taipei that I can fully trust and enjoy is a challenge for me. After trying…

  • Grampians Boroka Lookout rainbow
    Australia

    7 Must Visit Grampians Attractions with Ratings for Views, Trail Uniqueness & Difficulty

    Planning a trip to Grampians National Park in Australia? This guide covers 7 must-visit Grampians attractions, including Pinnacle Lookout, Reed Lookout, The Balconies (Jaws of Death), Mackenzie Falls, and Boroka Lookout. For each attraction, you will find ratings for the…

  • Pinnacle Lookout Grampians
    Australia

    Grampians Pinnacle Lookout walk guide: how difficult is it? trail photos & ratings from 5 people with different fitness levels

    Hiking to Pinnacle Lookout is one of the Grampians’ most popular trails, yet it’s also known for being challenging. So how difficult is the Pinnacle walk trail? In this guide, you will see real photos of the route, hiking duration,…

  • Mackenzie Falls photos
    Australia

    Mackenzie Falls walk in Grampians guide: trail difficulty, return trip distance and time, photos along the way.

    According to Visit Grampians, Mackenzie Falls is one of Victoria’s largest waterfalls and a popular attraction in Grampians National Park. This guide covers whether it’s worth visiting, trail difficulty, hiking distance and duration, plus photos along the way. Difficulty rating…

  • Grampians The Balconies (The Jaws of Death) photo
    Australia

    The Balconies and Reed Lookout Grampians Guide: difficulty, views, distance and duration of walk

    Planning a trip to the Grampians National Park? This guide covers The Balconies and Reed Lookout, including trail difficulty, hiking distance and duration, and the stunning views at both lookouts. Use it to plan your visit and decide if these…

  • Grampians Boroka Lookout rainbow photo
    Australia

    Boroka Lookout Grampians Guide: No Hiking Required, Actual Views & Is It Worth Visiting?

    Planning to visit Boroka Lookout in the Grampians? This guide covers actual views, photos, difficulty rating, whether it’s worth visiting, and tours that include Boroka Lookout. Difficulty rating for Boroka Lookout, Grampians Boroka Lookout is the easiest lookout to access…

  • 3-Day Great Ocean Road and Grampians Itinerary and Honest Private Tour Review (From Melbourne)
    Australia

    3-Day Great Ocean Road and Grampians Itinerary + Honest Private Tour Review (From Melbourne)

    Traveling to Melbourne, Australia, and want to explore stunning coastal views, mountains, rainforest and wildlife without self-driving? This guide shows you how to enjoy 16 attractions on a relaxed 3-day Great Ocean Road and Grampians itinerary, plus my detailed, honest…

  • Sapa rice terrace trekking photo
    Vietnam

    Vietnam Sapa travel tips: tourist traps to avoid, how to get to Sapa from hanoi & itinerary suggestion

    Planning a trip to Northern Vietnam? If you love nature, mountain views, stunning rice terraces, and want to understand more of Vietnam’s ethnic culture, Sapa is a great destination. The best part? Traveling from Hanoi to Sapa is easier than…

  • Nguyen Van Binh Book Street in Ho Chi Minh City
    Vietnam

    11 aesthetic and cultural things to do in Ho Chi Minh City

    In this article, I will share some of the highlights I think are worth checking out, whether you are interested in Vietnamese history and culture, artistic vibes, or photogenic places, you will find Ho Chi Minh City attractions that suit…

  • Hanoi attraction
    Vietnam

    Hanoi travel guide for first-time visitors: must-try food, attractions, itinerary & currency tips

    Planning a trip to Hanoi and wondering how many days is enough, what are things to do in Hanoi, and what to know before you go? This Hanoi travel guide will share aesthetic, historical, cultural places to go in Hanoi,…

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About Author

solo travel girl

Hello! I’m Samantha, a Taiwanese shorty who unexpectedly took the first solo trip after finishing my summer job in the USA in 2012, and it greatly transformed my life and mindset. Since then, I have explored 21 countries, attained a Master’s degree in the UK, lived in Palau, Shanghai, and Dubai.

I believe that everything starts with an idea and one step. Therefore, I created this blog to share my journey and tips in exploring the world and self-growth. My hope is to connect with like-minded souls & aspiring solo travelers and provide a little help, inspirations for your next adventures.

As I’m crazy about ocean views, rooftop/outdoor bars/cafes, aesthetic vibes, and hidden gems recommended by locals. You’ll easily find information on all of these in my blog.

Let’s explore, grow and heal together! xx

Contact & Work With Me: [email protected]

Instagram

It’s always a pleasure to work with professional It’s always a pleasure to work with professionals who are emotionally stable, strategic, patient, trustworthy, reliable, and respectful of everyone. 

Last month, a group of experts absolutely nailed it, and Alex Honnold made history again with his free solo of Taipei 101. 

Witnessing them make magic happen every day was both inspiring and wild 🪢 🎥 🎬 🧗‍♀️ 🧗 

Happy to have played a tiny tiny part in it and crossed paths with all the legends. And had many lovely Taiwanese did it all together☺️ 💪 

每次跟情緒穩定、很聰明有策略、值得信賴和尊重每個人&文化的專業人士工作就很愉快!😮‍💨
宇宙多送點這類人來吧!🪐 

上個月直播大成功,然後Alex Honnold又創了新的歷史紀錄,徒手攀爬台北101,還登到塔尖,真的是太神了✨

每天看著這群高空作業組的超強人們搞繩索和爬來爬去🪢🪢🪢,看到以為我已經習慣了,居然最後一天早上還是緊張到吐了😅

不過成功登頂後終於都鬆口氣了,大家都安全、拍攝又成功真是太好了!

還遇到好幾個好讚的台灣夥伴,每天一起跟著他們在101高處跑上跑下,很累但也開心啦!🫶
“Just wait 10 minutes, it will change, be positi “Just wait 10 minutes, it will change, be positive.”- that rainbow theory by our guide for Grampians. 

When we arrived at Boroka Lookout, a sudden storm hit and blocked what’s supposed to be one of the best views in the Grampians. 

We were so disappointed and thought, “hmm ok, that’s it then, let’s go”

But our guide Andrew said,“Let’s wait in the car for a bit. It shall pass soon.”

So we waited for just 10 minutes, and VOILA!🤩

The rain stopped, the sky opened up.
And slowly, double rainbows 🌈 appeared. 

It became one of our favourite moments from the Grampians & Great Ocean Road trip.
And it reminded me of a few life situations too.

🌈Words for us all- if we are going through a rough time or not getting the ideal result from things you’ve worked hard on? Don’t quit just yet. 

Be patient, stay positive, and keep working toward what you want 🤞 
Keep analysing, keep testing, keep adjusting,
just don’t quit.
The sky will clear again ⛅️ 
And sometimes… you will even get rewarded with a rainbow or two 🌈

📍 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺

#grampians #grampiansnationalpark #borokalookout #visitaustralia #sonyalpha #sonyphotography
As someone who’s used to the freedom and ease of As someone who’s used to the freedom and ease of solo traveling or travel with friends that shared the same interest & mindsets &values, 
planning a trip for the whole family to a country I’ve never been is already a big challenge.

Add on everyone’s different fitness levels, mindsets, opinions, and preferences for food and activities… plus the fact that they speak limited English, so all things are on my shoulder😸

And when the goal is to make them enjoy traveling abroad and see a different world more — that’s a whole different level.
But I guess we made it, and with the help from Andrew in the end. 

After a week of being the translator, planner, and guide for my family across Australia, I finally had Andrew from @southeast_touring step in for 3 days and took over.

He tour us through the Grampians National Park and Great Ocean Road, and absolutely nailed it.

His Chinese-speaking skills, professional tour guide experience, patience, humour, easygoing personality and great energy made all the difference.

Huge shoutout to Andrew — we couldn’t have wrapped up this Australia trip so happily without you!

For anyone traveling to Melbourne with family or friends and need a great local-born guide for the Grampians or Great Ocean Road (or places nearby Melbourne), I highly recommend you go with Andrew!

總是習慣一個人旅行或是和同嗜好、想法相近的朋友一起規劃旅行的我,這次規劃一個全家自由行,還是去我完全沒去過的國家,真的是很挑戰。

尤其是我們全家每個人的體力、想法、意見、喜歡吃的、喜歡看的景、做的事都不同.....
再加上他們又不怎麼講英文,所以資訊查詢和問題解決就只能我處理。

又很希望他們能透過喜歡這次旅行,多看一點異國文化、不一樣的世界,看會不會變得跟我一樣愛旅行,所以自己加了更多壓力在身上,於是任務就更加艱難。

不過最終結果應該是還不錯吧!也多虧Andrew最後幾天在格蘭坪國家公園和大洋路的幫忙啊!
前面幾個城市就我一個人當家人的翻譯、旅遊規劃人和假領隊當了8天,最後3天找了墨爾本當地 @southeast_touring 的Andrew帶我們去墨爾本附近的大自然走走。於是重擔就跑到他身上去了嘿嘿~

而且他成功以他的中文能力、豐富導遊經驗、耐心、幽默、超好相處的個性以及正能量招架得妥妥的!

真是超感謝Andrew的存在,澳洲之旅最後以滿滿的驚喜和笑聲收場!幾天下來我爸還跟他在車上唱中文歌&講起幾句英文來了勒,超好笑!

如果你跟家人或一群朋友去墨爾本玩,也想要去大洋路、格蘭坪,我真的是超推他的啦!

📍 Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia 🇦🇺 
澳洲維多利亞州 大洋路

#visitmelbourne #visitgreatoceanroad #greatoceanroadtrip #greatoceanroadaustralia #sonyalpha #sonya7iv
If you think the best years of your life have alre If you think the best years of your life have already passed, maybe this can cheer you up and give you hope a bit. It worked for me😆

While I was getting lost in the decision of what’s the best things to do next, and thinking if the best years of my life had already happened. Facebook popped up something I wrote in 2011, complaining how annoying 2011 was and how great the life was BEFORE 2011, and thought the best years of my life were all gone already, life was about to be normal and boring for the rest of my life.

I didn’t know that everything actually changed in 2012 because of that solo travel experience in the 🇺🇸, which gave me hope and the spectacular 10 globetrotting years that are rich in unforgettable experiences, gaining friendships that make me want to keep growing, and finally tasted the fun of studying and obtained a master degree in a major I truly love. Of course there were also lots of changes, new starts, struggles, down times, as well as lost & found moments. 

Still, I love the past 10 years so much and it made me think recently that it might be it, the best ones are gone already, UNTIL I saw that Facebook post popped up. And now I have hope again. And I hope you are too 🧡 

💫 There’s a quote saying something like “what happened now is the result of your behaviour in the past, if you are not satisfied with your situation at the moment, you can start to make a difference now”. Which means, we can all create better life if we want to and start to create and change NOW. 

I’m still learning to live and focus for the now(it’s hard lol), and to decide that one direction I am going further(it’s even harder), but first I’m trying to cut things that will not help taking me to the better self and ideal life(easier). 

Lastly, I want to thank all the amazing, inspiring, wild and supportive people I’ve encountered during this 10 year journey, thank you for being there with and for me, thank you for the meaningful talks, the help, the quality times and growing together🥰❤️

Looking forward to seeing what life can bring to us all the next 10 years, I hope it will be a blast one too AND with peace of mind. 

🧧🥳Happy New Year!
If you are also overwhelmed by so many heartbreaki If you are also overwhelmed by so many heartbreaking news & images of what's going on in the world now, here are some calming vibes for you(I tried), from my favourite, peaceful island this year 🌊 

I’ve lost my mood on writing normal lively travel contents, this week is especially tough🥲

If you also feel our normal daily life has become a little weird now, you are not alone. 

If you feel sad, I'm with you.

If you need a soothing music playlist, or good news, or talk, let me know.

If you didn’t care, I hope you do now.

Yes, we all have our concerns, life to live, and problems to solve.

Yet, many people struggle with even being alive now.

And no, it is not far away from us. 

We all live on the same earth 🌏, we are all linked together.

💙💚

📍 Koh Rong Island, Cambodia 🇰🇭 
🗓 October, 2023
“Habibi come to Dubai” ever since I heard this “Habibi come to Dubai” ever since I heard this in Dubai, it stuck in my head forever 🤣

If you are planning to visit Dubai, don’t miss this Dubai desert safari activity🏜  it’s one of the most iconic and interesting things to do in Dubai! 

My favourite is for sure Sandboarding part! 
With the tour I choose I even got to do it multiple times (until I got tired climbing up from sand dunes 😅). 

Check my blog post to see how to choose a perfect tour for your holiday & which is my recommended tour for Dubai red dunes desert safari tour! 

▶️My Blog: https://ashortyexplores.com/the-best-dubai-red-dunes-desert-safari-tour/ 

🏜Download the tour booking app GetYourGuide https://gyg.me/samanthavoila 

‼️And receive 10% discount by using my code: samanthavoila10

#dubai #dubaidesertsafari #desert #UAE #travelindubai 

Have you been to Dubai?
A gentle reminder: The storm is temporary. Keep go A gentle reminder:
The storm is temporary.
Keep going, 
don’t give up
Your rainbow 🌈 
will 
appear

溫馨提醒你:
暴風雨終會過去
繼續前行
不要放棄
屬於你的彩虹 🌈
自會
出現

📸 📍 Boroka Lookout, Grampians National Park, Australia 🇦🇺 
澳洲格蘭坪國家公園 Boroka觀景台

#grampians #grampiansnationalpark #visitgrampians #visitmelbourne #australiatravel
今年新北三重元宵燈會真的很值得一看耶!
已經好幾年沒想看燈會了,
因為前幾年的燈都很普通,沒什麼特別。
不過今年的這群馬 🐎和其他的燈都很吸引人欸!
整體設計滿有誠意的,細節也做得算精緻,
很多作品都很漂亮!
還沒去看的人,真的可以找時間去看一眼耶!
只到 🗓️ 2026/3/8!快結束了喔!!

Some of the lanterns at the 2026 Lantern Festival in Sanchong, New Taipei City.

They did a pretty great job this year, definitely worth a visit.

I haven’t been to a lantern festival in Taipei or New Taipei City in years because those ones in recent years just didn’t really appeal to me.

But this year is different! ✨The horse 🐎themed lanterns they designed for 2026 caught my eyes. 

Many of them are detailed and beautifully done.

If you haven’t been yet, I’d say gogogo, check it out before it finish on 🗓️ 8 March 2026.

📸 📍 新北大都會公園 New Taipei Metropolitan Park
(三重捷運站 MRT Sanchong Station)
The magic of Greece 🪄 🇬🇷 Just like Otto, The magic of Greece 🪄 🇬🇷 
Just like Otto, the man in my favorite destination advertisement, I too carried the weight of burnout and a weary mind when I arrived in Greece in 2022.

And much like he did, I felt a deep connection to the country despite only spending 10 days in Greece.

The views, the food, the streets, the sea,
The personality, the cats, the energy.
The kind locals’ wise, philosophical and calm mindset.
Even the fellow travelers I encountered carried a unique vibe I truly connected with. 
These are some of the reasons I fell in love with Greece.

It’s been 3 years since I last visited,
everything about Greece kept replaying in my mind.
I know I need to go back to Greece, a place I feel like home and where my healing quietly began.

But unlike last time—just 10 days, visited only Crete and Athens,
next time, I want to stay longer, travel deeper—
because I know there’s still so much more of Greece waiting for me to explore 💫

You? What do you feel about Greece?

📸 📍 Athens & Crete Island, Greece 🇬🇷 

🔔Greece | You Will Want To Stay Forever video credit: Visit Greece 
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgJGX3ldxOg

#greece #visitgreece #greecetravel #greecetravelgr #greecelover #cretegreece #sealover #travelblogger #visitgreece
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