Hello and welcome!
I can honestly say it brings me a huge amount of joy to share with others my travel recommendations and knowledge, so creating travel guides was an obvious choice for me. Thus, Trip-Pin Travel Guides was born. For a long time my favourite tool has been saving countless pins on Google Maps (I am sure anyone who has travelled with me can vouch for this). So when I discovered there was a way to create shareable maps through Google MyMaps, it was a no-brainer to incorporate this into my site. Through my Travel Guides and Trip-Pin Maps, I hope to inspire and assist others in exploring new destinations and creating their own unforgettable experiences.
Asia/ South Pacific
I did my first backpacking trip with my sister in 2016 to South East Asia – a region that is arguably the best for first-time travellers. I fell in love with seeing new cultures and meeting people from different walks of life. During this trip we visited most countries in the region, but one country that stood out to me was Myanmar. There was something quite special about visiting a country that felt quite far off the tourist track. Although there were some areas, like Bagan, that had more tourists for the most part, it was really only locals in the places we were.
Europe
In 2018 I decided to do my final semester of university overseas. My exchange semester was in what is now my favourite city in Europe… Budapest, Hungary! There was not a single weekend of my exchange that wasn’t spent visiting new countries and going on countless adventures. With Hungary being so central and so cheap there really wasn’t much holding me back from exploring Europe as much as I did during this period of my life.
After I was all finished up with my degree I was having too much fun to go home so it was time to figure out a way to keep the party going. That’s when I started looking into volunteering. After a few emails and phone calls I landed a job volunteering in a Hostel in Brussels! The lure of free accommodation and meals in exchange for a few hours of work sounded too good to be true. I loved my time in Brussels and made some amazing memories and friends that I have been able to visit or travel with in the following years.
From there, I went on to do a number of volunteer experiences in places like Portugal, Albania, Canary Islands, and Italy, working a few hours a day in exchange for accommodation, enabling me to live freely in fun and exciting places. Jumping from job to job can be really addictive and, honestly, the easiest way to travel long term.
Central America
About halfway through 2019 a few friends and I managed to align our lives to backpack through Central America together. From swimming in cenotes, eating incredible food, and climbing volcanoes, there’s no wonder that I loved my time there and have so many great things to say about every place I went. Every country that we went to was full of colour, adventure, and good times but Guatemala was easily the country that took top spot for my favourite. Without a doubt Central America is a region that I would love to return to again one day.
Middle East/ Northern Africa
One part of the world that had always been super high on my travel bucket list was the Middle East. When I finally travelled here in 2022 it exceeded all of my expectations and was one of the most incredible places I’ve ever been. From swimming the Wadis in Oman to walking around the Baalbek ruins in Lebanon, this part of the world is seriously one that will live on in my memories for a long time to come.
With all these years of intense yet beautiful travelling, I figured that it was a shame to not share everything that I’ve learnt and seen along the way in the hope that it will help someone with their own adventures. I want people who come to my website to be inspired and have the tools to travel to new destinations and be confident that long term travel is doable and affordable.
With love, Annelise x
Countries I’ve Visited:
