Indecent proposals, encounters with ancient giants, and underground parties where women shed their requisite conservative garb — and inhibitions — are par for the course for the intrepid Juvena Huang (@thewanderingwasp). Several years back, the content creator completed a swashbuckling 44,000-km expedition across 25 countries on her Vespa.
As a solo female traveller, she says she’s privy to vignettes of life few male counterparts can access. In countries such as Pakistan that practises gender segregation for instance, she’s peered into the domestic lives and aspirations of typically cloistered females.
Now pootling through South-east Asia on a much-anticipated sequel Huang gives her hot take on how to travel consciously and independently.
Design your travels based on your core values for a meaningful experience.
I value freedom and flexibility, which is why I chose my mode of transportation. For example, I spontaneously headed south to Cherrapunjee at a crossroad in north-east India. In the secluded valleys of Meghalaya, one of the world’s rainiest places, I discovered a surreal living root bridge that dates back 150 years. It was a really unique experience. I ended up spending over a week exploring the place.
Support community-led tourism that directly benefits locals.
I usually lodge at homestays. At the village of Nongriat, the gateway to Cherranpunjee, my host would refer guests to his neighbours when his place was full. It was nice to witness this kampong spirit where it’s not just about business monopoly but growing the community together through tourism. If you want to plan such informal accommodation ahead of time, I’d suggest visiting forums. I use the iOverlander app to find suitable campgrounds and homestays.
Give yourself time to observe the social and cultural norms.
Iran has a custom called Taarof, which is a back-and-forth of polite gestures when receiving gifts, food, and money. It’s like our self-effacing Chinese culture. Once, a shoemaker who’d repaired my bag refused my attempt to make payment, saying, “It is worth nothing”. While this may imply that the service is complimentary, etiquette dictates that you should repeat your offer at least thrice before moving on to avoid potential awkwardness.
Focus on the things you can control. It’s impossible to control everything.
Several weeks into travelling around India, the crazy traffic — with people rushing headlong towards you — got to me. Case in point: early videos of my trip had cussing and expletives.
I later realised that I had to go with the flow and adapt to local motorists’ way of handling situations. When people tried to run me off the road, I let them pass. You cannot apply your own set of expectations to other countries.
