TRAVEL INTERVIEW WITH NELLIE HUANG OF WILD JUNKET

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TRAVEL INTERVIEW- NELLIE HUANG- WILD JUNKET

Outgoing Nellie Huang of Wild Junket is on top of her game. Hailing from Singapore, Nellie is rapidly making a name for herself in travel and blogging circles. Working on assignment as a travel journalist, she’s perpetually dashing around the globe writing about far-flung destinations.

Meanwhile her popular travel blog is near the top of several ‘Top Travel Blogs’ lists and enjoys over 80,000 visits/ month. As if that wasn’t enough of the good life, she recently got married to her dashing Spaniard sweetheart. What more could a girl want? Today Nellie gives us insights into Singaporean’s take on backpack travel, how she became a travel addict and journalist, and her personal travel highlights. Without further ado, heeeerrre’s Nellie:

Q1: Nellie, you’re the only Singaporean nomadic traveler I know. Are there many others? Or are you the one unique Singaporean world nomad? Among Singaporeans, would your lifestyle be considered desirable and enviable, as it is often seen among westerners, or do they think you’re nuts?!

I’m flattered to be the only Singaporean nomadic traveler you know! While there are not many Singaporean world nomads out there (at least not many that I know of), there are plenty of Singaporeans who love to travel and journey to far-flung offbeat places. I recently met the most traveled Singaporean and he was an interesting character who’s been to so many places I’ve never heard of! He still calls Singapore home but he travels often and to many exotic regions. Among my Singaporean friends, my lifestyle is often considered both desirable and slightly crazy. Just like anywhere else, there are social expectations and most people think I’m lucky to be traveling constantly while some think I’m ditching my responsibilities at home. I’m just glad that my family’s happy with what I’m doing with my life.

Singapore- Fullerton Hotel with Financial District skyscrapers

View of Singapore’s financial district skyscrapers

Q2: Since we’re on the topic of Singapore, I’ve spent loads of time in Singapore in recent years and in my opinion Singapore is the best city in the world! I love it there! However, several of my close Sing friends don’t have such a rosy sentiment ( the most outspoken being Chris Ho) Consequently, we’re continually in ping-pong matches about the merits and pitfalls of Sing. What are your views? And how was life growing up in Singapore?

Great to hear that you think we’re the best city in the world! It’s very true that not many of us Singaporeans share the same sentiment. The new generation of Singaporeans, being more educated, is more world-wise and is aware of how little freedom of speech we have and how strict the laws we have enforced in the country (think chewing gum ban and caning). Part of the reason I left Singapore was because of these pitfalls. At the same time, having been nomadic for the last 6 years, I’ve come to appreciate the merits of my country more than before and I’ve grown to be proud of being Singaporean. Singapore’s an intoxicating mixture of ethnicity that’s hard to find elsewhere, Singaporean food is some of the best in the world and we’ve got a standard of living that we should be thankful for.

Q3: You 1st ventured out of Singapore to Miami to attend school. How did you end up in Miami of all places? What did you study?

Funny how Miami turned me into a travel addict! In my third year of varsity, I went on a study abroad program to Miami – why did I pick Miami? I’m a girl from the tropics who can’t live without the sun, sand and the sea. I picked the United States also because I wanted to experience a completely different culture and education system. I studied Mechanical Engineering and did a semester at the University of Miami.

Nellie Huang at Macchu Picchu- Peru

Q4: As a fresh young woman coming from super safe, clean and orderly Singapore, Miami must have been quite a shocker! What were your impressions?

It definitely was! As a young student living abroad, I did experience my fair share of culture shock. I didn’t find Miami dangerous or intimidating. In fact, I was more overwhelmed by the openness and friendliness of the people. As you probably know, Singaporeans are much more conservative than the Americans. It took me awhile to get used to strangers talking to me in the lift or the hallway but once I adjusted to that, I really appreciated it. Another sharp contrast between Singapore and Miami was the way students learned and behaved in class. Asia is the absolute opposite to the U.S. when it comes to school system and freedom of engaging creativity to studies. I was stunned by how interactive the classes were in the U.S.; in Singapore, students barely spoke in class not to mention ask questions or debate with teachers. When I returned home for my final year of studies, I honestly hated attending school in Singapore.

Nellie’s article in International Lifestyle

Q5: Nellie, you’re one of the few nomadic travelers I know who are actually professional travel journalists, making a living from travel writing. I greatly admire you for that! How did you get started? How do you get assignments? What’s it like traveling ‘on assignment’ vs. traveling ‘unhired’ ?

I started writing when I was still stuck in an office job in Singapore. After living in Europe and traveling for a few years, my partner and I went back to Singapore to try out living there. But I was miserable at work, so I started a travel blog and spent all the extra time I had researching on travel writing. Thanks to the encouragement of fellow aspiring travel writers, I started pitching to local travel publications. Within 2 years, I’ve had numerous articles published in magazines and newspapers from Singapore, the U.S. and the UK.

I’m actually typing this on an airplane, on my way to Manchester for a conference. Travel writing has changed my life completely. Now I get to travel constantly, sometimes on other people’s expenses while at times on my own. Traveling on assignment often gives me experiences that I would never have encountered otherwise. For example, on a recent press trip to Wales, I tried coasteering, an adventure sport that I’d never heard about previously. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait to get back there to experience it again. On the other hand, traveling for leisure gives me the freedom to do whatever I want, without an itinerary and without the constant pressure of sourcing for travel ideas.

Nellie’s article in Food & Travel Magazine.

Q6: What advice would you give long-term travel bloggers who want to make a living writing?

Be determined and spend all your time researching. Making a living from travel writing is possible – you just need to be resourceful, observant and curious about everything around you. Pitching editors takes a lot of determination; don’t let rejections get you down.

Q7: You were recently married in Singapore to your long-term partner, Spaniard Alberto. Congratulations! Does Alberto usually accompany you on your travels and adventures or do you go solo? What about for paid assignments?

Thanks! We recently got married and we’re settled back in Spain for now. He doesn’t accompany me on press trips but we do try to make time to travel as much as we can. We spent a month in India last summer and this year, we’re going to be traveling in Madagascar and Iceland together. Our goal is to get him location independent as well. He’s a computer engineer and graphics designer, working his way to become a freelancer in the near future.

Nelllie in The Straights Times article

Q8: You love adventuring Nellie! Me too! I especially love cycling, scuba diving and hiking in jungles. What kinds of adventures do you like best?

I love adventures but I’m barely as fit as you! My kind of adventures vary largely – I enjoy a day of snorkeling or scuba-diving followed by partying on the beach or jungle-trekking in the tropics and a barbeque under the stars.

Zanzibar

Q9: What are your 3 favorite places in the world and why?

Tough question there! I’d have to say the Galapagos Islands, Tanzania and Southern Spain. I’m a huge wildlife buff; nothing excites me more than being up close and personal with animals in the wild. The Galapagos Islands were nothing like anywhere I’d been – wild sea lions and larger-than-life lizards roam freely on the islands. I remember sitting by the port at Santa Cruz every day, hanging out with my favorite sea lion that barely blinks when I arrive.

Tanzania in East Africa has a very special place in my heart. I spent several months there with my partner, volunteering in a village near Mount Kilimanjaro. We learned a lot, forged many strong friendships and experienced a lot during that time. I definitely want to go back, hope to do so this year!

Southern Spain is another place where my heart belongs. My husband is from Granada, Spain and we’ve spent a lot of time here, with friends and family. This part of Spain is stunning – its landscapes made up of undulating mountains, sprawling olive groves and charming towns.

Nellie Huang adventuring in Spain

Q10: What are your upcoming travel plans?

I’m going on a few press trips to various parts of Spain and Jordan this spring. In summer, I’ll be off to Mauritius and Madagascar with my husband. For the other half of the year, I have plans to go to the Arctic, Iceland, South Africa and Antarctica.

Nellie Huang

Freelance Travel Writer

WildJunket

Have Food, Will Travel

nellie.huang@gmail.com

* All photos from Wild Junket, except Singapore pic.
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Sounds fabulous Nellie! Thanks for sharing your travel and journalistic history with us as well as some of your travel adventures. Good luck with your continued writing career. cheers, Lash