Travel Interview with Five Family Adventurers

Questions for the Interview.

1.Introduce yourself and your blog to our readers. What’s your style of travel?

My name is Alison Netzer, I have been traveling since an early age. Traveling with my family, solo, and now with my husband and three kids. I currently live and work Baltimore, I spend most of my free hours daydreaming of our next trip. I began blogging early 2018.

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I was inspired to write because in my community, I had continuously heard parents around me say “our kids are too young to travel” or “Our kids will not adapt well to new locations and times.” It made me crazy hearing this. So I started my Five Family Adventurers blog to encourage parents that any time is a good time to travel with your kids.

We only get so much time with them before they leave for their own lives. Kids adapt, learn and grow from traveling. I chose the name, Five Family Adventurers because we are a family of five and love adventures together. We love to discover new locations, zip-line high up, hike, rock climb, white water raft, and experience new flavours of food. Our travels tend to be more of exploration and adventure than lazing on the beach. Although, we do enjoy a good relaxation from time to time. Readers hopefully will be inspired to travel to new destinations with their children from reading my blog content. All of my writing is dedicated to traveling with children and giving them the gift of travel.

2)Which place are you from? What are the top 3 must visit places in your city?

Currently we live in Baltimore, Maryland on the East Coast of the USA. We have been in this city for 10 years and have learned to love it. It is an up and coming city and we see that every day with new businesses, development and tourism. If you are to visit Baltimore, Maryland, you must visit the B&O museum and the Baltimore Museum of Industry. These are two museums that are unique to Baltimore’s industrial and Maritime past. The B&O museum has a massive train roundhouse and home to many original trains. It is the birthplace of American Railroading. The Baltimore Museum of Industry takes visitors through an historic past of this industrial, maritime city and how it shaped Baltimore today. If you are so lucky to be traveling during baseball season, then for sure buy tickets to an Orioles Game. The ballpark is one of the best in the countries and tickets are very affordable. It is a very relaxing, fun game to watch. Do not miss Baltimore’s Inner Harbour where you will find an impressive aquarium, a science museum, and plenty of different styles of warships to visit.

3)Do you like travelling Solo or with a Travel Partner. Why do you choose so?

We travel as a family. In the past I loved solo travel, but now cannot imagine traveling without my family. When my husband and I get the off chance of a weekend away just the two of us, we tend to talk about the kids and how much they would enjoy their time if they were with us. If we eat out while traveling alone, we look at a menu and discuss what our kids would be eating. It is better for us to travel as a party of five.

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4) Your top 3 blogs on your website.

My top blogs are those that are bit more unique than listing places to visit in a city. Of course I do write about cities and what to do in them as some readers want just that. However, the more popular posts are a bit off the beaten path.

1.http://www.fivefamilyadventurers.com/the-ultimate-must-do-cave-adventure/

2.http://www.fivefamilyadventurers.com/getting-personal-elephants/

3.http://www.fivefamilyadventurers.com/with-the-hill-tribes-of-thailand-2/

5) What is the message that you have for all aspiring Travel Blogger.

A lot of time and effort goes into writing post and editing them. There is so much to write about, so have fun and let this be a gift to yourself. Tell your story and don’t worry about what others are doing. I’m in it for my self- gratification. Perhaps I will be the only one that reads a post, at least I know I did it and worked hard doing it.

6) The best piece of advice that you can give an amateur travel blogger aspiring to earn a passive income through blogging.

Be patient. Give yourself time to create great content. The rewards will pay off, but you have to give it time.

7)Do you have any funny/strange travel story?

We were visiting Spain one summer and decided we wanted a couple of days on the beach. A very well-known travel author suggested in his book that we should visit Nerja, Spain on the Costa del Sol. Upon arriving, we quickly realized it was full of ex-pats and drunk tourists and not a place we wanted to be. It was a not so great recommendation. We took the car, drove to a nearby town to make a plan over lunch. We ended up at a resort that caters to Germany visitors. It was an all-inclusive, located away from any town, but on the beach. Most who visit the resort, arrive by plane from Germany, hop on a bus, hang around for a couple of days and then leave to go back home. If anyone knows us, this is not the way we travel. We are not the all-inclusive type. However, this time we figured why not, what could be so bad for a couple of days of relaxation. We booked, were the only Americans among an hotel full of Germans, in Spain. It turned out to be a delightful stay and great downtime for the kids before we went back to touring the country.

8) If you could go back in time. Which ancient ruin from around the world would you choose to visit and explore. Why?

I would visit Tikal, Guatemala. I am fascinated by these ruins and with the Mayan culture. They were so in touch with the earth, stars, planets and built a magnificent city with impressive Temples. I am not so keen on the practices of human sacrifice, but to get to know their religion and structures would be amazing. Besides it is in the jungle and I love the beauty of the jungle.

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9)How does “Travel” make you feel? Can you share with us 3 top insights that you gained from your travels.

Every time I travel, I want to move and live in the country of traveling. I never want to go home. I definitely gained an understanding of how to problem solve. I travelled well before smart phones. I didn’t have easy access to information at the touch of my fingers. So when I had an issue, I needed to depend on myself to find a solution. I also learned to explore other foods. So much can be learned through the flavours of the country you are visiting. How people have learned to use their resources and survive through cuisine. Traveling gives me a sense of freedom. I can be whom I want without judgement. I can flow through a new city and not care if I get lost. I don’t feel restricted when I travel.

10)Name your top 5 bucket list travel destination and why do choose it?

1) Bali. I am going nuts reading so many blog posts on Bali. It looks amazing with so much to do. Plus I love to snorkel and this would be a great place. 2) The Peruvian Jungle. I have been to Peru, but only the highlands. Now I want to return, not only because I love the country, but to see a different side of Peru. 3) Madeira- We are talking good food and excellent wine. What other reason do I need to visit. 4) Romania- I have always been fascinated with this country. Perhaps it’s because I loved watching all of the Dracula and Vampire movies growing up. I want to explore the Carpathian Mountains and see the well-preserved medieval towns. I don’t have a good sense of the culture. Therefore, I must go to learn about it. 5) Mongolia-The vastness of this country is a bit overwhelming. I want to rent a car and just drive and get lost.

11)Do you have any tips on travelling with a pet?

We travel with our dog and the kids love having her. Be weary as some hotels will charge a pet fee. Also make sure you have pet insurance. When we went rock climbing in Boone, North Carolina, we brought the dog. She was great, just chilled out for most of the time until the very end. She decided to go to the top of the rock (there was a small trail around the side of the rock to get to the top), saw us below and tried to come down via a sheer rock face. She tumbled down and crashed with a thud. I was convinced that was the end of her. Luckily, she came out with some internal bruising and nothing more. Thankfully, we had pet insurance, or our bill would’ve been the same cost as our vacation in North Carolina.

12) Where do you prefer to stay- Hotel, Hostel or AirBnB etc? Why?

There is something to be said about returning to a hotel after a long day out and finding it to be clean and ready for you to unwind. We typically stay in hotels for this reason alone. However, now that our kids are getting older and want more privacy, we are not willing to pay for two rooms. Our shift is moving towards AirBnB. Although we will not receive the luxury or having someone tidy up the room, we will have more space and kids get their privacy. Also it saves on food costs as we can cook in at most AirBnBs.

13)As travellers we all love collecting Souvenirs .What do you love collecting?

We try to buy hand-made souvenirs that resemble the culture or the country we are visiting. It also supports local communities and helps sustain their lifestyle. We have a tendency to buy local spices as well to try to recreate some of the dishes we had in the country we were visiting. Zatar from Israel, Achiote from Belize, saffron and pimenton from Spain and many others.

14)When do you find time to blog on your travels? How long do you usually take to finish a blog.

Typically I try to blog at night after everyone has relaxed for the evening. However, sometimes I’m just too tired. I tend to squeeze in time at work (shhh) and right before the kids come home from school. Typically it takes a couple of days to finish a post. The writing doesn’t take that long, it’s all of the other stuff. Pictures, editing, re-writing what you don’t like. It’s a process for sure.

15)Do you send postcards to your friends when you travel? If not postcards what souvenirs do you prefer to gift your friends?

We don’t send postcards especially now when you can just snap a photo and send it through so many different outlets via your phone with a little caption. I used to send them a long time ago. Kind of sad when you think of it as it was so fun to receive a postcard from somewhere when I was young. If we do buy something for friends, it is a local flavour like honey, olive oil, and chocolates.

16)What’s your favourite cuisine? Do you like trying out local food when you travel to places. If yes, what’s your favourite dish that you loved the most?

I love so many cuisines that I can’t really say I have a favourite. We always try local cuisines. We one time visited a local market on the side of a road in Cambodia, picked up some cooked chickens and a bag or fried silk worms. We picnicked at our next destination, a silk worm farm, and popped fried silk worms like popcorn as we toured the factory. It occurred to us we were eating the same creatures we were visiting. I fell in love with Belizean stew. A dish consisting of chicken cooked in achiote, coconut milk or oil, onions and left to simmer for 4-6 hours then served over rice and beans. The tastes were divine.

17) When do you prefer to travel to a new place – peak season or off season? Why?

Off season for sure. Although with the kid’s schedules, we typically cannot do this without our kids missing too much school. Off season reduces the chances of mass amounts of crowds and therefore you get to see a lot more. Also those in the service industry have had some time to recover from all of the crowds.

18)How do you manage your travel expense? Do you have any particular suggestions for budget travellers?

Each pay period we put aside some money into a travel fund. This way we know we won’t spend it until we are ready to travel. We definitely save by not going out for breakfast, eating a small bite in our hotel room or AirBnb. Take local transportation where possible, metros, city buses. We also try to find out when museums have free visiting hours. Most do and will list it on their websites.

19)If you had to draw a pie chart of your travel expenses. What would your top 5 priorities be?

Accommodations, food, historic sites/museums, clothing for hiking. It’s all priorities to me when traveling. The only thing I don’t prioritize is buying loads of souvenirs.

20) What are the apps or resources that’s been an absolute life saver during travels or planning your trip?

Waze has saved us from getting lost on numerous occasions. Skyscanner is another to track costs of flights. Finally make sure you have a good weather app so you can pack appropriately.

Here are few photographs that we captured during our travels

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Now some quick questions

Name your dream destination for each word mentioned below:

1. Historical Place-Easter Island

2. Culture Travel-Bolivia

3. Couple Travel-Maldives

4. Solo Travel-just about anywhere

5. Adventure( Water sports, for all adrenaline junkies)-Whistler Canada

6. Nature and wildlife( Trekking, Camping etc)-Costa Rica

7. Favourite city-Philadelphia, PA

Travel Interview conducted by COUPLE TRAVEL TALES (Achu & Unni)!

Those who wish  to participate in our travel interview series ,please feel free to contact us via email at coupletraveltale@gmail.com . 

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