Well Wandered
Travel Tips & Wanderlust with Emily + Andrew from Along Dusty Roads
Smögen, Sweden
Early on in our adventures, a friend recommended a bunch of travel blogs to us and one, in particular, became our bible, with every recommendation being spot on. That blog was Along Dusty Roads. Emily and Andrew wrote in such a real no-bullsh*t way, that totally appealed to us. I remember at one point reading one of Emily’s posts about being a female traveller on a budget at a time where my hair was 70% split ends and the wire from my bra was poking through into my armpit; it was so comforting to know that I wasn’t alone in my travel feral-ness. They’ve created a career out of their travel adventures and in a world where we are bombarded by fake, unrealistic travel images, their down-to-earth approach is much needed.
We know all about your travel style, but for people who don’t know you, how would you describe your style of travelling?
For us, that feeling that only travel gives you can happen almost anywhere.
Of course, it helps if it's on a six-month-long trip through a drop-dead gorgeous faraway land (preferably with the sun on our backs), but it doesn't have to be. It can be achieved on an afternoon walk in the hills at home, or a long-weekend in some god-awful tourist trap with your parents.
What's most important is how you travel - and adapting your mindset so that every type of adventure becomes a 'worthwhile adventure’. So that every adventure teaches you something, or enhances your perspectives and experiences. We talk about this in our travel philosophy here, but it basically boils down to always being curious, slowing down rather than rushing to tick a list, and never forgetting how lucky you are to be travelling somewhere for pleasure in the first place.
Of course, as each destination or adventure has its downsides, its disappointments and its dickheads; it’s inevitable that we all lose sight of that at certain times. But the main point is that the best travel experiences often arise from how you discover somewhere new, rather than coming from the place itself.
In terms of our style, we always travel with a bit of a budget mindset (not just because one half of us is Aberdonian) and aim to linger longer in each destination than just spending a night or two, as that challenges us more and seems to lead to more interesting, serendipitous moments.
They say that you shouldn’t travel or work with a loved one, something neither of us has taken heed of. How often do you want to kill each other? Haha! Seriously though, what do you think is the key to making it all work?
Haha. We totally get what you mean here. Travelling and working and doing nearly everything together has made us a strong and savvy little team, but it definitely has its downsides and frustrations.
Thankfully, we’re both just really lucky that we share such a similar approach and attitude to work and travel, that our photography and writing styles are eerily similar but different enough to complement one another, and that each makes the other better or more confident about what they can do.
It doesn’t always feel like that though - trust us!
However, as we both share such clear and well-aligned goals about what we want Along Dusty Roads to stand for and become, it makes the hard work required to get there infinitely easier.
What do you wish you had known when you first started out on Along Dusty Roads?
That Instagram was a thing and was going to continue to be a thing. We ignored it for the first couple of years and still regret that we didn’t grow our account at the time when gaining followers was relatively easy and you didn’t have to get your arse or abs out.
You’re no stranger to a long overnight journey - what are your tips for sleeping on planes/buses?
The first piece of advice is to accept that the next day will almost certainly be a write-off. For various reasons (both budget and time related), we frequently opt for long-distance overnight bus journeys but it always means a pretty dreadful night’s sleep and the strong possibility that you will achieve nothing meaningful in the morning or afternoon after arriving.
Our second tip is for anyone planning on an overnight bus journey in Latin America, or more specifically Mexico or Colombia. The bus drivers in these countries either have a faulty internal thermostat or just enjoy freezing their passengers; the AC is always set super low. So, no matter how warm it is before you get on the bus, be sure to bring extra layers and a pair of socks for the journey.
What are the three travel essentials that you couldn’t leave home without?
We’re going to assume that a smartphone is taken for granted, because it’s so pivotal to much of what we do to research, plan and explore as modern-day travellers!
Reusable water bottle - If travelling somewhere where the tap water is safe to drink, then we use a metal bottle which keeps the water cold for 24 hours. For other destinations, we use a travel filter water bottle which allows us to fill up from (nearly) any water source and have clean, safe drinking water almost instantly. It’s saved us a lot of money and hugely cut down our single-use plastic consumption. We wish more travellers used them.
Our Camera - Photography is such a big aspect of how we see and experience a new place, and it would be really difficult to ever travel without one. Even if we don’t create a blog post with the images, exploring a destination through our lens is how we get to know it better.
Bluetooth Headphone - This may seem like a bit of an odd one, but if you spend as much time on public transport as we do, these are essential. They also help us to create a little bit of necessary separation from each other since we’re always travelling and working together.
I feel like every-time I get onto a bus or plane I always hope to sit next to someone interesting to pass the time. Who is the most interesting person you’ve met on a plane or bus trip?
It sounds really harsh, but one of the things we love about being on a plane is the opportunity to disappear into a little anti-social bubble away from internet connections and news updates! It causes a little sense of dread if the person next door speaks to one of us in the first ten minutes of a long plane journey.
As slow travellers, we have the luxury of immersing ourselves in the local culture and community. For people who don’t have that luxury what tips would you recommend for deepening their cultural experience?
Great question.
A fun, open and accessible way for anyone to deepen their cultural experience on a shorter trip is to do a proper cooking class and/or make a point of spending some time in local market places.
What are your top three money-saving tips while on the road?
Cook for yourself at least a few times a week (especially for breakfast)
Try to do experiences or day-trips independently if realistic, safe, and possible.
Set a budget and keep track of it if travelling long term on limited funds - it keeps you honest and stops your from blowing it all in the first few weeks or months
What have you done on the road that made you break out of your comfort zone?
Being unexpectedly beaten with tree branches by a near-naked elderly Latvian man, whilst being near-naked too, in a sauna in the middle of the countryside.
This was actually a traditional massage. We had to wear bobble hats, Andrew may have exposed himself accidentally to his masseuse, whilst Emily still has traumatic flashbacks.
There was no comfort involved in that experience.
My Emily finds it annoying that despite my horrible sense of direction I still always think I’m going the right way. Emily? What is your least favourite travel habit of Andrew’s?
That he makes me super organised - even when I don’t think it’s entirely necessary. For example, even if we have a bus/plane/train to catch at 3pm the next day, he’ll still try to make me start packing at 7 pm the previous evening.
I’m much more a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants sort of traveller, so we occasionally rub up the wrong way of this sort of organisational issue!
What is your favourite meal to cook while travelling?
We make a really excellent and cheap version of tom yum soup whilst we’re on the road. Healthy, filling, delicious, and often a nice change from the more bland food. Good for a hangover too.
We would however be lying if we said that we didn’t get giddy whenever we find good soya protein chunks, tagliatelle, and can stretch the budget towards some olive oil and a bottle of wine to make ourselves a decadent bolognese (or technically a tagliatelle al ragu) in a hostel. Being vegetarian on the road does have its drawbacks, and this is a treat which makes us feel warm and happy wherever we are in the world!
What are your top travel tips?
If you think everyone else is having a better travel experience, it’s because you’re doing it wrong.
Be a responsible curious traveller, not a dickhead.
Where to next?
After a four-month trip back in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru earlier this year, we kept our travel plans focussed on Europe for the rest of the year. We had trips to Sweden, Switzerland, a glorious month in Sicily, and a few city breaks thrown in too.
We had dreams of going to Cuba before Christmas, but those plans had to change, so right now we’re trying to pick somewhere new together. Right now we’re thinking a few weeks in a region in India.