Before the National Women’s month ends, TripZilla would like to feature women who are game-changers in the Travel and Tourism scene. These ladies are just some of the many who continue to encourage their fellow women to go out and discover what the world has to offer, and at the same time, challenge the status quo. Gone are the days when women are left at home while their male counterparts explore the world. Be inspired by the stories of these women who proved that girls run the world.
Also read: Why Female Solo Travellers Are Not Your Average Women
Shayla Hembrador Sanchez is a name you can attach to a wide array of accomplishments. She is a retired flight attendant, a professional photographer, a philanthropist, a travel writer, a tourism advocate, and most importantly, a loving wife to her husband, Jimbo.
The couple met when they were both flight attendants of a popular local airline. Shayla then transferred to an international airline, which is one of the best in the world. As a cabin crew, she felt privileged to be given the opportunity to travel to the different parts of the globe, landing in more airports than she can count, waking up in cities whose names she sometimes couldn’t even pronounce, and have had the wonderful opportunity of meeting all kinds of people from all walks of life. During her career, she was able to visit 34 countries in 5 continents. Despite all these perks, Shayla decided to retire at the age of 27 and invested her savings in real estate.
After retiring, Shayla found a new niche, which is photography. She shared that whenever words are not enough to tell her story, she uses her photographs to speak on her behalf. Later on, she co-founded the Boudoir Dolls Philippines, a group of women photographers who aimed to empower other women, by capturing the human form in its most beautiful and revealing moments. Some of their celebrity clients include Ehra Madrigal, Coleen Garcia, and Pauline Luna.
The couple then moved to Butuan, Jimbo’s hometown, to try a more laidback lifestyle away from the hustles and bustles of Manila and Dubai. A city girl all her life, she felt bored during the first few months of her stay in Caraga. But when she started travelling to the different tourist spots, Shayla immediately fell in love with the region. As someone who has seen what the world has to offer, she would vouch that Caraga region’s potential as a tourist destination is at par with the rest of the globe.
Seeing the huge potential, Shayla continued to explore the region for untapped natural resources that can make the tourism in Caraga as vibrant as it could be. She partnered with different stakeholders, especially the Local Government Units and offered her services for free. With her husband’s marketing prowess and her photography skills, they have been upscaling the tourism in the region for more than three years now. They have been promoting responsible tourism, assisting VIPs, helping local communities, and other initiatives.
The couple established the Caraga Creatives, the first creative consultancy firm in the region, which is still focused on promoting tourism. They were able to bring the National Geographic Channel, History Channel, assisted the Miss Earth candidates, repainted the Philippine Roadtrip bus, established a social enterprise called “Bahandi” which sells slippers made of water lilies, among others.
Travel Q&A with Shayla Sanchez
1. Why is travelling important to you as a woman?
As a woman, I was also often more emotional about my decisions and just by being exposed to so many of these worldly truths during my travels, I began to worry less about my own problems and began to find joy even in the most mundane, everyday things.
2. What are your travel essentials (Things you always bring when travelling)?
Two things: My camera gear – it’s an extension of who I am. It is my way of expressing myself without using words. J and my black eyeliner — I prefer being bare faced when travelling, it gives me less to worry about, the black liner just makes me look better in photos, haha 😉
3. What is your most interesting travel to date? Why?
Visiting Jordan. We met so many kind individuals throughout the trip; their hospitality reminded me of the Filipinos. I remember how our tour guide, an old man in his 60’s would always bring us a crate of fresh oranges every morning before our day began, he would always say “it’s from my wife” (and it wasn’t even part of the tour package!)
4. What do you do to make every travel experience exciting?
I don’t make plans, haha. I let the friends or people I am with usually handle those things as I usually get stressed when anyone thinks of asking me to prepare the travel itineraries in places I’ve never been to. But I will always make sure I try out the local cuisine, that’s what gets me most excited about during any trip.
5. What is the difference of your travels before when you were still single and now that you have a husband?
Travelling now with my husband allows me to share an experience with another and be able to encourage one another to try new things. It also taught me how to be more patient, how to take things in stride and how to always consider your partner in everything that you do.
Also read: CEO of Travelogy: Women Can Actually Have It All
You’ve probably read some of her articles in her online journal, or you’ve probably liked her Facebook page, Kara Santos has become one of the most influential travel bloggers in the country. Her blog Travel Up has emerged as one of the Top Blogs in the Philippines, as featured in different travel magazines and travel blogs in the country.
So what makes her blog different from other women travellers? Besides her extreme adventures and appetising food trips, Kara travels the Philippines on a motorcycle. For her, hitting the open road on two wheels, regardless of the destination, is an adventure in itself.
Kara grew up playing video games, starting with the Family Computer in the 80s and the different PlayStation game consoles over the years. She particularly loves role-playing games (RPGs) because “there’s a sense of purpose and achievement when you beat a particularly hard boss or unlock a new dungeon or area to explore”.
Her gaming perspective has greatly influenced her travel style, she prefers travelling alone or in small groups, for her to be able to take time and explore, trying new things, getting to know the story of the people, and not rushing through an area to be able to see the ending. In fact, the name of her blog, Travel Up, is derived from the video game concept of levelling up and gaining experience points. Kara added, “Hopefully when I look back on my life, I can say I played a great game”.
As a solo traveller, Kara felt that motorcycle was the best option for her. Not only because motorcycles are everywhere in the Philippines, but it also takes her to her destinations faster and easier. It avoids traffic in the cities, and it does not bound her to the scheduled trips in the provinces.
Travelling by motorcycle will also make you see the world in a different perspective. The scenic view leading to your destination takes your experience on a whole new level. According to Kara, her most scenic ride to date is her tour of Batanes, describing the scenery as “magical where everything is postcard-perfect”. In addition, the challenges that you encounter especially with rough terrains will also make your travels exciting. The most challenging terrain so far was the road leading to Lake Holo in South Cotabato.
As a woman in a male-dominated industry, Kara sometimes feels underestimated. Some locals would suggest for her to hire a driver because they think that she couldn’t handle dangerous terrains alone. She also feels that women should not be limited to being accessories or back riders, as depicted in some motoring magazines she writes for. This motivates her to provide another perspective and prove even more that women can ride too.
Travel Q&A with Kara Santos
1. Why is travelling important to you as a woman?
I think travelling has made me more creative. It forces me to think outside the box, be more flexible and open to new experiences. It’s something I can do alone or with companions. You learn a lot about other cultures and yourself when you travel.
2. What are your travel essentials?
One of the most useful items that I always use in all trips is a buff / multifunctional headwear. This nifty piece of cloth can be used as a bandana, motorcycle dust mask, blindfold for sleeping on buses and planes, a wristband for trekking (and wiping off sweat), headband and tube top for swimming.
3. What is it about travelling that makes you want to do it over and over?
No two trips are ever the same. Even if you go to the same destination, there’s always something new to see and discover. Travelling broadens your perspective about life and opens you up to new experiences.
4. What is your most interesting travel to date? Why?
I’ve gone on a lot of memorable trips, but one of the most recent ones was last year, when I was selected as a finalist in True Wanderer, a competition for motorcycle riders sponsored by Wrangler Philippines and the Department of Tourism (DOT).
Ten finalists were randomly assigned to one of 3 key destinations and I got Cebu. We were completely on our own with just a general checklist of tasks we had to complete within five days (ex. learn to prepare a local delicacy or swim in the clearest body of water we could find, etc.). What made it fun was that I got to ride around to explore the province. Though I’ve been to Cebu before, it was a different experience driving up to Osmena Peak, chasing waterfalls in South Cebu, and hunting down for unique food finds, while bringing all your stuff with you on a motorcycle.
5. What advice can you give to women who want to try motorcycle as a means to travel?
Start slow. For those who know how to drive, the next time you’re in a small province, try renting a scooter to go around instead of taking a package tour. It’s very liberating.
Also read: Why Melbourne Should be your Next Girls Getaway
I know several career-oriented couples who tend to delay having a baby because they feel that it might compromise their climb to the corporate ladder. Same was true for Pam Baroro. She was a budding Software Engineer and there was nothing that’s going to stop her from rising to the top, until she gave birth to baby Asha.
When baby Asha came into this world four years ago, Pam’s priorities changed. Like any mother, they would want to see their daughters growing up and be part of the entire process. And for Pam, it was important for baby Asha to see what the world has to offer. With the assurance of support from her partner, Niño, she decided to end her three-year career in the corporate world and went freelancing.
Growing up, Pam didn’t have a lot of opportunities to travel even if she wanted to, because of her strict parents. She wasn’t even allowed to do overnight projects until she was already a Senior in High School. Feeling repressed, Pam promised herself that she would be the opposite to her daughter. At the tender age of three months, Asha already had her first travel to attend a reunion. At six months, Asha had her first travel for leisure. Shortly after her first birthday, Asha started outdoor adventures with her parents.
It wasn’t easy for Pam since most of the time, people, including her relatives, tend to question her decision to bring a toddler to strenuous activities under the heat of the sun. For her, travelling is better than letting your kid play out on the streets unattended. Travelling is always a bonding experience for their family and she especially likes it when Asha recalls their previous travels.
It was never hard for Pam to bring their little kid along with them because Niño takes care of them incessantly. Since they exchanged roles like a lot of millennial couples, Niño was tasked to budget the money that Pam earns.
For Pam, travelling is important because it empowers you to achieve things you never thought possible. It is also a great reminder that you are nothing but a tiny speck in this world and yet, despite that, what you do can create a ripple effect to the world.
Travel Q&A with Pam
1. What is it about travelling that makes you want to do it over and over?
It is being able to explore new places. Travelling also makes me feel less pressured about adult life, perhaps because of the constant change of environment? It’s a good (and bad) thing to not know anyone and to be able to truly live without worrying what other people think.
2. What do you do to make every travel experience exciting?
I ditch itineraries and only make general plans (e.g. start and end dates/destinations). On our first trip as a family, I ditched booking accommodations just because I love the flexibility of it; we can go in and out of a place anytime we want to since nothing is holding us back.
3. What is the difference between travelling with family and travelling solo?
I guess the biggest difference is that your expenses double (or triple). But that’s probably just because we live off only on one income. Otherwise, I don’t think there’s much. You can choose to go on budget or frivolous trips either way; you can choose to travel fast or slow, too, and it will be just as enjoyable or exhausting.
4. What is your most interesting travel to date? Why?
We went on a 3-week backpacking trip with the family around Eastern Mindanao. It was a rather bitin experience but we learned a lot from it. We learned that not all people approve of your choices and that, many times, it isn’t your family or relatives who are happiest about it. (hugot) We also learned many things about ourselves: that we are so much capable of doing things beyond what we think we can. We were surprised to have been able to survive that long on the road yet continue to work and also pay for our bills at home.
5. What advice can you give mothers who plan to travel with their kids?
It isn’t for the faint-hearted, true, but if you let your fears hold you back, then you will never really know if you are capable of it or not. Go and plan that trip. You’d be surprised how flexible and adaptable kids can be. 😉
Also read: Ditch the Guys, Travelling is All About Girls
Women empowerment is not a new concept in the modern world, but the mere fact that we are celebrating Women’s Day or Women’s Month might mean that there is still so much to do to materialise women’s rights and privileges. Especially for travel, men should not have undue advantage over the opposite sex. Everyone should be given the opportunity to see and experience the world.
Thank you to the women featured in this article, and the hundreds of female travel bloggers who continue to prove that whatever a man can do, women can, too!
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