Charlotte of Lulu Escapes shares what motivates her to create travel content, her favorite spots in Paris and how traveling has always been a part of her life.
1. Why do you travel?
I love travelling because I’m a curious person my nature and love discovering new places. I feel that there are so many places to visit and not enough time to see it all. As soon as I start looking at the world map and picking a destination, I end up going crazy when I realise I still have so much to see. I also love learning things from different cultures and traditions, trying new foods, interacting with locals to find out about their day-to-day lives, and listening to local music. We live in a very materialistic world and I think travelling is a great way to open our eyes and realise how lucky we really are in life, especially when we sometimes complain about the silliest things… There is so much more in life and I find that travelling is what gives me the most satisfaction.
2. What do you think of when you think of a woman traveler?
It’s hard to generalise as all women are different but for me a woman traveller is someone courageous, curious, open-minded and passionate about discovering the world. She is also someone who respects nature and the local culture and values of the country she visits and will try to integrate as much as she can so as not to stand out as a tourist.
3. Why do you prefer the word Escapes over travels?
I chose Escapes over travels because for me travelling is a way of escaping somewhere new and discovering something different from my day-to-day life. Plus I wanted to use a different word to be a bit more unique.
4. You’ve been living in Paris, tell us some of your favorite places in Paris?
Oh there are so many!! Paris is such a beautiful city and it’s so easy to fall in love with every little street. I love strolling around the Parc Monceau, cycling along the Seine river, shopping in the Batignolles area, going to museums (Musée Picasso & Musée de l’Orangerie are my favs), buying food from the local markets on the weekend and enjoying a glass of wine at a bistro. Some of my favourite restaurants are Les Paresseux, Jaja, Brasserie Lipp, Wynwood and Daroco.
5. When did you start traveling?
I’ve always been travelling with my parents in Europe since I was little – spending the summers in Spain, skiing in the Alps, etc. I grew up in London and Ibiza before moving to Madrid to study for my degree. I then moved back to London for a few years and now I’m in Paris so you can see how I love to get around and get to know different countries. I’ve always taken every opportunity to travel so it’s really always been inside me.
6. What was your favorite travel experience?
This is always a hard question to answer as for me every trip has been an amazing experience. But to name a few, I loved exploring the beautiful islands of the Philippines, cross country skiing in Lapland, visiting the Mayan temples of Mexico, wandering along the canals of Venice, driving along the PCH in California, wandering around the Moroccan souks…
7. Which place(s) do you want to go next, why?
I recently made a big decision to go travelling solo for 6 months around Australia and Asia (mainly SE Asia). I’ve only been to the Philippines in Asia so I’m super excited to discover more in this part of the world. There are so many places I’ve dreamed of visiting for a long time, such as the Great Barrier Reef, the Taj Mahal and the temples of Thailand, so finally my dreams are going to come true.
8. Who do you prefer traveling with?
I usually travel with my boyfriend or with my girlfriends as I like to share these moments with my closest ones. I’ve never travelled solo before but going to try this on my big escape in the New Year so I shall see how this experience goes… It’s exciting and nerve racking at the same time!
9. Why do you enjoy photographing/writing about travel?
I love to capture the places I visit to keep that special memory with me forever. Through my photography, I like to share the way I see each place with my own eyes and hopefully make people want to visit that same destination. There are so many beautiful cities, beaches and landscapes in our world and I love capturing all of them. I’ve always enjoyed writing and it’s a pleasure for me to share all of my travel experiences and give inspiration to everybody.
10. Any tips for new bloggers starting out?
I’d say the best tip is to just start if you really want to get into blogging. There are plenty of resources available nowadays online and you learn so much as you go along. Even I’m still learning new things and finding my place in the blogging world since I started over a year ago. It’s a lot of work and there are lots of things to get your head around so don’t be disheartened at the beginning and enjoy the ride. I also think networking is really important to grow and it’s a great way to connect with people who share the same passions as you.
11. What is your favorite souvenir?
I don’t have one particular souvenir that I prefer over others as I always end up buying something different depending on the local products or specialities. For example, in the Philippines I bought back a beaded bracelet and from Fez I bought back a handmade bag with Moroccan motifs. I quite often collect postcards too even though I take hundreds of pictures each time I go away.
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