Time for another Blog of the Week – and this week the accolade goes to Sam of Totally Sam’s World! Life is quite exciting for Sam at the moment. She’s about to embark on a RTW trip with her boyfriend, an epic jaunt that will take her to Asia and Australia – very, very jealous indeed!

Luckily, I managed to grab Sam before she heads off in order to quiz her on her travel plans and experiences…



Hi Sam! You’re about to head off on a RTW trip! How are you feeling?
I am so so so excited!!! A couple of weeks ago I got really nervous and was thinking ‘what the hell am I doing?’ but that feeling soon passed! I can’t wait to get out there and lose my backpacking virginity! Not looking forward to the bugs I may meet along the way though!

Where will you be heading to and how long will it take you?To be honest I have no idea on how long it will take. But I am hoping to visit a lot of South East Asia, including Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Then on to Aus where I have a year working visa. I’d also like to explore New Zealand and Fiji. But not a clue when or how long for. We are pretty flexible as we have only booked a one way flight to Bangkok. Just depends of funds really!

Making friends in Thailand!

Is there one particular place you can’t wait to visit?
The Whitsunday Islands in Australia. They look lush.

You’ll be heading off with your boyfriend – how do you feel about spending such a long time with him? Do you reckon you’ll be able to last the trip without killing each other?!
Haha, brilliant question. People have said it will be make or break! Tom and I have been together for over 3 years and lived together for half of that, so I figured it should be fine. We know that it will be tough at times but we are comfortable with each other’s limits and work really well together. I’m sure we will both have the time of our lives! Que sera, sera!

So just how long has it taken you to save up for this amazing dream trip?
It has taken me just under a year. I have been so good not spending money on silly things I don’t need, which is amazing as I’m a massive shopaholic! I am so proud of myself, Haha. I think that if you really want something, all you need to do is put your mind to it, work hard and you will have it in no time.

All muddy in Turkey!

You describe yourself as a ‘Material girl’. If you could only take one luxury item away on your travels, what would it be?
Probably my Tiffany jewellery. I wear it all the time and leaving it behind is going to be rubbish. But then again I’d like to take some nice stilettos, but I would sink on the beach. Or my Gucci bag to go with my maxi. Ahhh one thing is so hard! This, my friends, is why I’m not going to be taking anything, all or nothing!

You’ve been to some great places so far. Where’s the one place you would recommend we take a visit to?
Thank you, I love a holiday! Tough one though… I’m going to go with Barcelona. Barca has it all. Culture, History, Beaches, Nightlife, Great Food, Sport, Shopping and Sunshine! It’s a fabulous city and I absolutely love it. I miss living there, that was one awesome summer!

Sam in front of the Barcelona fountains!

Why did you decide to start up a travel blog?
I tend to bore friend and family with all my travel talk, so I thought I would share my stories with people who share the same interests and passion for Travel as I do. I also think it is a great way of keeping a diary of experiences and giving everyone an insight in to what it is like to travel. It can be light hearted and fun, yet informative and professional. Such a massive blogging geek right now!

What have you found is the best thing about blogging?
Reminiscing about personal travel experiences. It’s great to read them back and remember how you were feeling at the exact time. I also enjoy helping people discover their love for travel and recommend places that they would love- I guess that comes from working as a travel consultant for years!

Is it possible to name the best travel experience you’ve ever had?!
There is no way I can choose just one. The Helicopter over the Grand Canyon for my 21st was amazing, Camping in the Thai rainforest was an awesome experience and going to see the Opera in Venice was magical, hadn’t a clue what they were saying but it didn’t even matter!  

Helicopter-ing it over the Grand Canyon!

Are there any other travel blogs you reckon we should check out?
Backpacker Banter (www.backpackerbanter.com ), eTramping (www.etramping.com ), Kyle Goes Global (www.kylegoesglobal.com ) and That Time In (www.thattimein.com )… Check them out, these guys rock.

Thanks for having me. x

Quick Questions:
Favourite airline? Virgin Atlantic
Favourite continent? Hmmm. Can I say Asia even though I have only been to Thailand?! It’s just fabulous.
Hostels or hotels? Hotels. I have never stayed in a hostel in my life. But that will change very soon!



Thanks to Sam for taking time out to answer my questions! In exchange, she gets to keep and display this lovely photo of a cup of tea with ‘Blog of the Week’ around it. Hurrah! 😀

Catch Sam on Twitter at: @TravelSamsWorld and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/totallysamsworld