Becky van Dijk
Becky van Dijk

Want to know how to travel in style, just like the pros? We check in with frequent fliers to find out how often they fly, their favorite destinations and what they never leave home without.

Name: Becky van Dijk

Occupation: Travel Writer and Founder of We Are Travel Girls

Hometown: London, England

Residence: Bali

College: Leeds Metropolitan

College major: Business & Economics

Website: BeckyvanDijk.com & WeAreTravelGirls.com

Twitter: @BeckyvanDijk & @WeRTravelGirls

Facebook: Becky van Dijk Travel & We Are Travel Girls

Instagram: beckyvandijk & wearetravelgirls

Pinterest: We Are Travel Girls

Google+: Rebecca van Dijk

YouTube: We Are Travel Girls

Short bio: Becky is the Founder and Editor of popular female travel site We Are Travel Girls. We Are Travel Girls carefully curates and publishes only the best female travel articles from around the globe and is quickly becoming a go to destination for travel inspiration and a place where you can connect with female travellers around the world. Becky is from London, England and had a successful career in finance before resigning to follow her dreams of building a travel company. She currently lives in Bali and when she is not working can be found travelling through Indonesia and Asia!

How often do you fly? Too often! At least once a month.

How many countries have you been to? 50 at the last count.

How many continents have you been to? 6

Earliest travel memory: My godmother taking me to go midnight skinny dipping in other people’s villa swimming pools in Majorca—thinking about it now I realize this is illegal, but at the time I was so young I was more irrationally worried there would be a shark in the swimming pool!

Favorite American city: Los Angeles.

Favorite international city: London.

Least favorite country: Uruguay.

Friendliest people in the world: Vancouver, Canada.

Country with the meanest immigration officers: The US.

Favorite World Heritage Site: The Taj Mahal, without a doubt.

Favorite airline: British Airways.

Favorite aircraft type: A380.

Aisle or window: Aisle.

Favorite international airport: London Heathrow.

Favorite hotel: The Blue Mansion, Penang, Malaysia (Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion).

Favorite cruise line: Princess Cruises. Its actually the only cruise I have been on to Alaska.

Favorite travel credit card: Charles Schwab—they refund all the fees on their debit card.

Favorite island: The Perhentian Islands, Malaysia.

Favorite beach: Kelingking Beach, Nusa Penida—you can only see it from the top.

Favorite National Park: Galapagos.

Favorite fancy restaurant: Le George at the Four Seasons in Paris.

Favorite hole-in-the-wall: The Oak, Notting Hill, London.

Favorite bar: La Laguna, Bali.

Favorite fruit: Dragon fruit.

Favorite food: Popcorn.

Least favorite food: It’s a battle between mushrooms, tomatoes, eggs, celery.

Drink of choice (in the air and on the ground): Gin & tonic.

Favorite travel movie(s): Secret Life Of Walter Mitty.

Favorite travel show(s): The Long Way Round.

Favorite travel book(s): I like to read books that give some history of the country I am visiting. The first book of this kind I read was “The Killing Fields.” My mother was given this book by a gentleman on a train in London when I was very young. I remember the exchange, and when I left to travel South East Asia she gave me that old copy she had held onto to read before I went to Cambodia. A harrowing story, so hard to say it’s a “favourite” travel book, but its certainly one that means something to me and everyone should read.

Right now I am reading: The Girls,” Emma Kline.

Top 3 favorite travel newsletters/magazines/blogs: Wanderlust magazine, Conde Nast Traveler, Escapism travel magazine.

Favorite travel website(s)—besides JohnnyJet.com, of course! Nomadic Matt.

5 things you bring on a plane: Earplugs, sleeping tablets, fruit gums, 1 litre of water, moisturiser, and face wipes.

What do you always seem to forget? To call my mother.

What do you like least about travel? Flying, I hate it even though my dad is a pilot and my mother was an air hostess!

Favorite travel app(s): Bungee app.

Most embarrassing travel moment: During rough seas sailing in the BVIs, hanging off the back of the boat being sick whilst wearing a giraffe onesie probably wasn’t my finest moment.

I’m embarrassed I haven’t been to: Germany, I am from England and it’s not far away.

Worst travel moment: Arriving at the southern Laos border to cross to Cambodia (no-one does that btw) to find the only way was by fast boat. These boats had pretty much a 90% crash rate, fit four people and you have to wear motorcycle helmets. Plus you stop at least 10 times to pay various people bribes. Upon arriving, intact, to Cambodia we discovered there is no transport from there to any major city…

What’s your dream destination? The Maldives and Antartica.

Favorite travel charity: Village Health Works, a non-profit delivering life-changing health care, education and development programs in Kigutu, Burundi (East Africa). Burundi is one of the poorest and hungriest countries in the world, with extremely limited access to healthcare, education, and nutritious food. 1 in 23 women face a lifetime risk of dying in childbirth, 1 in 54 children will die before their 1st birthday, 81% live below the poverty level, and 75% are malnourished.

Best travel tip: Be adventurous and trust that it will work out in the end, even when everything is going wrong!

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