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15 Family Movies to Inspire Wanderlust at Home

Alyssa Ramos

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Maybe you had to cancel your family vacation since the lockdown started. Perhaps you have kids or siblings who are also dying to get back outside adventuring. Well, while we are all cooped up inside, why not have a family movie night to explore the world via Hollywood? From the French Polynesian Islands to the plains of Africa, these travel-related movies will have you daydreaming about your first trip after lockdown. So here are 15 family movies about travel!

Moana

Travel Inspiration: French Polynesia.

No other movie will leave you craving an adventure at sea like Moana. This story of bravery, adventure, and island life will impress both kids and adults alike. And above all, the music sets this one apart from the rest.

Coco

Travel Inspiration: Mexico for Dia De Los Muerto.

Coco tells the story of a young boy’s dream to become a musician. (Despite that his family hates music!) Set in Mexico on the Day of the Dead, this enchanting story highlights the relationship between grandmother and grandson. All the while featuring Mexico’s beautiful traditions at this one-of-a-kind festival.

While Santa Cecilia is an imaginary town, it is inspired by a variety of real life locations in Mexico you can actually visit.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HddkucqSzSM

Travel Inspiration: Greenland, Iceland, Yemen, Afghanistan.

With so many epic landscape shots, this film will leave you wanting to go EVERYWHERE. If you’ve ever found yourself daydreaming about travel as a monotonous day slipped by, you might be able to relate to Walter.

Cars

Travel Inspiration: Road Trip down Route 66.

No road trip is as iconic as cruisin’ down Route 66. But did you know Cars is based on the real life town of Seligman, Arizona? When lockdown is over, you just might have to get on America’s mother road and drive the famous road stretching Chicago to Santa Monica.

Rio

Travel Inspiration: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

This story of two blue macaws is too cute to pass up! Not only will you have the songs stuck in your head but you’ll find yourself planning a trip to Brazil’s epic Carnival festival. Kids and adults alike will love this musical tale.

Holiday In The Wild

Travel Inspiration: Zambia, Africa.

This Netflix original has all the makings of a cheesy Hallmark Christmas movie… but we can’t deny how much it will leave you wanting to travel Africa! Whether it’s to embark on a safari or volunteer at a wildlife sanctuary, this movie is certain to inspire your travel daydreams! Best served at the holidays with lots of Christmas cheer. (But we’d be lying if we said it’s not totally enjoyable year round!)

Mammia Mia

Travel Inspiration: Greece.

This classic ABBA musical will have you singing and dancing as you pack your bags for Greece! Filmed mostly on the island of Skopelos, you’ll be itching to toss your swimsuit on and dive in the crystal blue waters. And the toe-tapping music is sure to put a smile on your face!

Lion King

Travel Inspiration: African Safari.

From the awe-inspiring opening number of the film to it’s finale, the Lion King is sure to fuel your wanderlust for an upcoming trip to Africa. Hakuna matata!

Roman Holiday

Travel inspiration: Rome, Italy

If you haven’t already seen this black and white classic starring Audrey Hepburn, add it to your list. She’s as charming as can be. And the dashing Gregory Peck will have you swooning for your own Roman romance. Follow the pair around Italy as the day unfolds. It definitely ranks as one of our favorite family movies about travel!

Letters To Juliet

Travel Inspiration: Verona, Italy.

If you’re a hopeless romantic, you will love this film. And you’ll certainly find yourself daydreaming about beautiful Verona. Did you know can actually volunteer to read and respond to all the love letters written to Juliet like in the movie? How dreamy.

National Lampoon’s Vacation

Travel Inspiration: American Road Trip: Grand Canyon, Monument Valley & more.

Fun, wacky and charming. If you’re looking for a family movie about travel, look not further. This classic captures the feelings many of us have felt while on a vacation with the family. So pile in the car…. and let’s go!

Born in China

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGJh7Zhq6SE

Travel Inspiration: China.

Any of the Disney Nature films will leave you with feelings of awe long after the movie is over. Get up close and personal with a cute panda bear family, a bunch of snow leopards and golden monkeys.

Slumdog Millionaire

Travel Inspiration: India.

This moving film will inspire your future travels to India. But just so you know, it only makes the cut for family movie night if the youngsters aren’t involved. (Due to a few mature scenes!) But overall, it’s a beautiful and haunting tale that will warm your heart.

March of the Penguins

Travel Inspiration: Antarctica.

Narrated by Morgan Freeman and with tons of cute penguins, what’s not to love?! Watch as the penguins waddle their way around the 7th continent. Full of highs and lows, this movie is sure to leave you on the edge of your seat. In other words, prepare to get very emotionally invested in some penguin drama. Bundle up, let’s head to Antarctica!

Brave

Travel Inspiration: Scotland.

Shots of the sweeping Scottish landscape with swells of Scottish music make this movie a real travel favorite! And as a result, you may start making plans to visit Scotland with the family. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

And save these family movies about travel on Pinterest!

These 15 family movies will be sure to inspire your wanderlust while you stay at home! From awe-inspiring animations like Moana, to feel-good classics like Mama Mia! See if you can guess where each movie takes place without reading the captions! What wanderlust family movies would you add to this list?
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Alyssa Ramos is one of the first original travel blogger/influencers who helped normalize solo female travel. She’s been to 146 countries so far, plus Antarctica 4x, and all of her tips are on this blog!

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@mylifesatravelmovie
Alyssa Ramos MyLifesATravelMovie

@mylifesatravelmovie

Living like My Life’s a Travel Movie ✈️ 146 countries (solo) & counting, all my tips on MyLifesAMovie.com! GroupTrips: @mylifesatraveltribe
  • As I approach my 150th country and 12 years of continuous travel, I’ve decided it’s time to start reflecting back on all of these extraordinary places and experiences, and what better way than to finally answer the top question I get, “What’s been your favorite country?” My answer is usually, “The next one!” But now it’s time to go more in depth! Every week I’ll be posting what my favorites have (and have not) been, but in a variety of topics! Please read the caption of each for the country and why it shattered my expectations! My passion has and always will be photography and writing, so please let me know if you enjoy posts like this one, and also any “best or worst” topics you’d like me to cover! Thank you, as always, I appreciate each and every one of you who has followed my journey around the world! ————— For anyone new here: Hi! I’m Alyssa Ramos, one of this generations’ most traveled and most experienced solo travel women in the world! I’ve been to 146 countries so far, and Antarctica 4x over 12 years, with a passion for shattering negative stereotypes about women, animals, cultures, and countries. My goal is to inspire you to travel off the typical path. Follow me @mylifesatravelmovie for expert tips and inspiration! BURUNDI — This has been one of my favorite “hidden gems” in Africa, and it completely shattered my expectations (even though I got off the plane in the wrong country trying to get there)! I was shown around by locals, who took me to an incredible waterfall, a drum ceremony, and then they invited me to a wedding!! It’s been one of the most real, unique experiences I’ve had, and I’d love to talk more about it! CHINA — My current fascination is exploring as much of China as I can! After a bad experience in my early travels, I finally returned with a lot more travel experience, and absolutely fell in love. China is truly ahead of the curve, and as they say “living in the future”, but I also loved that I could still experience a lot of their traditional past! SAUDI ARABIA — before I got stuck in the woarzone earlier this year, I traveled solo to Saudi expecting difficulties and judgement. Instead, I was treated with respect, and I
  • Am I afraid of Orcas? More like obsessed with them. I WISH they’d pop up when I’ve done the Polar Plunge, but so far they’ve only ever approached our small boat in Mexico, where we were permitted to follow regulations and swim with them! I’ve done the Polar Plunge in Antarctica 3x and once in the Arctic, Orcas are always possibly present, but I know that humans are NOT part of their diet. We probably have too many toxins, chemicals, and damaged livers for them. 😁 I’ll be repeating both activities soon, so if you’d like more info on solo travel to Antarctica, the Arctic, or swimming with Orcas in Mexico, (OR joining one of my community’s expeditions there) drop me a comment and I’ll answer, Or check out the links on my profile for all of my global travel tips from over 143 countries and 12 years of traveling!
  • I’ve climbed Kilimanjaro and Everest Basecamp with no fear of heights issues at all, then I got to China and suddenly developed jelly legs and vertigo 😳😂 Out of the 145 countries I’ve been to so far, China by far wins for most extreme adrenaline activities, especially at extreme heights! Everyone does them so casually there too, even in dresses like me, so maybe I’ve found my adventure people!! I’m already planning to go back to China. I love it that much. Have you been? Wanna join us? ————- For anyone new here: hi! I’m Alyssa Ramos of @mylifesatravelmovie - one of the most traveled and most experienced solo travel women in the world! I’ve been to 146 countries so far over 12 years, and love rare destinations, and my goal is to inspire you to travel off the typical path. Follow me for expert tips and inspiration!
  • I bought a new phone in China bc you get a decent tax refund, but soon after, it started talking to me in Chinese, and then people started calling it and sending text messages! I honestly felt like I was in a movie, where you find a phone and then suddenly you’re forced to carry out some crazy mission or something! Turns out, for some reason, the girl who sold me the phone put her own SIM card in it to activate it (no idea why), and it was all her friends calling her. 😂 Anyway, FYI you’re NOT supposed to open any tax refund products from their boxes before you leave the country! And you have to get the papers signed/approved BEFORE and after customs! Makes a few hundred dolla difference! ———— New here? Hi! I’m Alyssa Ramos @mylifesatravelmovie, one of the world’s most experienced solo female travelers who has been to 146 countries plus Antarctica 4x. Follow here for bucketlist and peculiar travel destinations and encounters!
  • True story: I did not speak any Italian (besides ciao, grazie, and vino) and my husband didn’t speak any English when we first met!! We used translation apps and some Spanish (he understands because Sardinian sounds similar) but when I first moved here, to a small traditional town where not many people speak English, it was very, very evident that I needed to learn Italian. Knowing Spanish didn’t help me. The conjugations are completely different and so are most words (dislike when ppl assume I learned bc of that). And full immersion didn’t force me to learn either, bc my ADHD would just tune out. Apps also easily bored me. So I looked up online tutors and found Preply, which has thousands of real humans to teach you face to face online, and they can customize your lessons to your learning style and needs. I’ve been doing Italian lessons twice a week for almost 3 years now, and the online tutors are the main reason why I can speak conversational Italian now! So if you dream of meeting your partner randomly in another country, or planning to move abroad, and you want to learn the language (or just want to learn one for fun), check out my blog post and please use my link on there for a discount and affil for me! Mylifesamovie.com ! My current tutor Lara is amazing, she does my Italian lessons also in English and Spanish so I don’t forget my native tongue! Also doubles as an unofficial therapist 😂😂 Last, let this bring some hope and inspo to my fellow solo female travelers! If you haven’t found your partner yet, he may be waiting for you in another country!! If you’d like to see what my life is like, married and living on a vineyard in Sardinia, tap the account at the top that I shared this post with! ———- This post is about: Moving to Italy, learning Italian, living in Italy, married in Italy, life in Sardinia
  • A pod of 15 Orcas surrounded our small boat in La Ventana, Mexico… my reaction was squealing like a child and I even cried a few tears (don’t tell anyone). Then, after careful behavioral assessment by our marine biologist guide, we were given permission to swim with them for about 2 minutes! I cried even more after that, it was one of the most magical moments of my life! This was an ethical Sea Safari trip with an experienced, animals-first, women-run company. Orca tours do not exist since you cannot predict when they will show up. There are also many rules and regulations to keep this safe and ethical, so please check out my other posts about it, and for info on how to book this trip, search “orcas” on my blog - mylifesamovie.com! Is this anyone else’s dream? ——————- For anyone new: Hi! I’m Alyssa! I am one of the first OG solo female travel blogger/influencers who started traveling 14 years ago and hasn’t stopped! I’ve been to 146 countries solo so far, Antarctica 4x, climbed Kilimanjaro and Everest Basecamp, and my hobby is swimming with apex predators. I’m from the U.S. but moved abroad many years ago, now I live part time on a vineyard in Sardinia, and Tulum! Please follow me here for expert travel tips and wild stories from the most unique places on earth!
  • Everyone raves about the viral Storm Spa in Chongqing China being so cool but meanwhile I was on the verge of a panic attack in there feeling like I fell overboard during the Drake Passage 😳 I am still unsure why an extreme storm was chosen for a spa…but I can at least say the beginning where it’s sunny, and the end where there’s randomly northern lights, was nice! The ROOMS of the hotel where this spa is at are incredible though! They’re the also-viral ones where there’s a huge clear pool in the rooms! But fun fact.. it’s not a full sized hotel…they only own a few floors of a skyscraper, which is genius bc they can spend less on maxxing out the rooms and still get booked out! Oh and the Storm Spa session (30 mins) is included with the room! And the sister hotel includes a photoshoot 🤩 Should I post room tours of them? All of the information for these viral Chongqing hotels and also Chongqing cyberpunk city in general are on my blog, including the CORRECT links to each hotel (online it’s very confusing bc they all have the same name!) Also I need to know who would love this and who would hate it, am I the only one?? 😂
  • 10/10 the best self defense lesson and stress relief retreat ever in Fukushima, Japan 🥷🏼😂 You can take samurai lessons with a real life samurai (and famous youtuber) and then practice on the cardboard “enemy”, and later go steam it out at the onsen! Full info and itinerary on my blog, including how to book it! There’s not many tour options here in Fukushima so the best option is to get there by car 😬
  • I hate that IG has changed so much that each of these photos can’t have their own individual post. Or should they? I think they should, but IG literally says to do Carousels and Reels…then I end up not posting so many unique moments, that I once used to post individually almost every day! I miss those days and I’m so grateful I started all of this when a single photo post was all you did…a thousand words in one photo. How do I even explain what each of these photos held? I can write it on my blog but 🤖 will just summarize me in the search results. I can spend hours making a reel, only for the system to analyze it’s not interesting enough ugh because not enough people watched past 6 seconds (yes that is the current algorithm) So I guess I’ll just keep my memories in my mind and share the tips and pretty photos! And keep trying to add in those BTS moments, like the last one, which is what we were actually doing most of the time 😂 Definitely a major highlight of this #fukushima trip was the Samurai class and the onsen town, I’d go back there for both! All of I was very stress relieving! Anyone missing the one photo post days? Or wishing they could take a Samurai class right now? 😬 #japan #samuraiclass #japantips #mylifesatravelmovie
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As I approach my 150th country and 12 years of continuous travel, I’ve decided it’s time to start reflecting back on all of these extraordinary places and experiences, and what better way than to finally answer the top question I get, “What’s been your favorite country?” My answer is usually, “The next one!” But now it’s time to go more in depth! Every week I’ll be posting what my favorites have (and have not) been, but in a variety of topics! Please read the caption of each for the country and why it shattered my expectations! My passion has and always will be photography and writing, so please let me know if you enjoy posts like this one, and also any “best or worst” topics you’d like me to cover! Thank you, as always, I appreciate each and every one of you who has followed my journey around the world! ————— For anyone new here: Hi! I’m Alyssa Ramos, one of this generations’ most traveled and most experienced solo travel women in the world! I’ve been to 146 countries so far, and Antarctica 4x over 12 years, with a passion for shattering negative stereotypes about women, animals, cultures, and countries. My goal is to inspire you to travel off the typical path. Follow me @mylifesatravelmovie for expert tips and inspiration! BURUNDI — This has been one of my favorite “hidden gems” in Africa, and it completely shattered my expectations (even though I got off the plane in the wrong country trying to get there)! I was shown around by locals, who took me to an incredible waterfall, a drum ceremony, and then they invited me to a wedding!! It’s been one of the most real, unique experiences I’ve had, and I’d love to talk more about it! CHINA — My current fascination is exploring as much of China as I can! After a bad experience in my early travels, I finally returned with a lot more travel experience, and absolutely fell in love. China is truly ahead of the curve, and as they say “living in the future”, but I also loved that I could still experience a lot of their traditional past! SAUDI ARABIA — before I got stuck in the woarzone earlier this year, I traveled solo to Saudi expecting difficulties and judgement. Instead, I was treated with respect, and I
As I approach my 150th country and 12 years of continuous travel, I’ve decided it’s time to start reflecting back on all of these extraordinary places and experiences, and what better way than to finally answer the top question I get, “What’s been your favorite country?” My answer is usually, “The next one!” But now it’s time to go more in depth! Every week I’ll be posting what my favorites have (and have not) been, but in a variety of topics! Please read the caption of each for the country and why it shattered my expectations! My passion has and always will be photography and writing, so please let me know if you enjoy posts like this one, and also any “best or worst” topics you’d like me to cover! Thank you, as always, I appreciate each and every one of you who has followed my journey around the world! ————— For anyone new here: Hi! I’m Alyssa Ramos, one of this generations’ most traveled and most experienced solo travel women in the world! I’ve been to 146 countries so far, and Antarctica 4x over 12 years, with a passion for shattering negative stereotypes about women, animals, cultures, and countries. My goal is to inspire you to travel off the typical path. Follow me @mylifesatravelmovie for expert tips and inspiration! BURUNDI — This has been one of my favorite “hidden gems” in Africa, and it completely shattered my expectations (even though I got off the plane in the wrong country trying to get there)! I was shown around by locals, who took me to an incredible waterfall, a drum ceremony, and then they invited me to a wedding!! It’s been one of the most real, unique experiences I’ve had, and I’d love to talk more about it! CHINA — My current fascination is exploring as much of China as I can! After a bad experience in my early travels, I finally returned with a lot more travel experience, and absolutely fell in love. China is truly ahead of the curve, and as they say “living in the future”, but I also loved that I could still experience a lot of their traditional past! SAUDI ARABIA — before I got stuck in the woarzone earlier this year, I traveled solo to Saudi expecting difficulties and judgement. Instead, I was treated with respect, and I
As I approach my 150th country and 12 years of continuous travel, I’ve decided it’s time to start reflecting back on all of these extraordinary places and experiences, and what better way than to finally answer the top question I get, “What’s been your favorite country?” My answer is usually, “The next one!” But now it’s time to go more in depth! Every week I’ll be posting what my favorites have (and have not) been, but in a variety of topics! Please read the caption of each for the country and why it shattered my expectations! My passion has and always will be photography and writing, so please let me know if you enjoy posts like this one, and also any “best or worst” topics you’d like me to cover! Thank you, as always, I appreciate each and every one of you who has followed my journey around the world! ————— For anyone new here: Hi! I’m Alyssa Ramos, one of this generations’ most traveled and most experienced solo travel women in the world! I’ve been to 146 countries so far, and Antarctica 4x over 12 years, with a passion for shattering negative stereotypes about women, animals, cultures, and countries. My goal is to inspire you to travel off the typical path. Follow me @mylifesatravelmovie for expert tips and inspiration! BURUNDI — This has been one of my favorite “hidden gems” in Africa, and it completely shattered my expectations (even though I got off the plane in the wrong country trying to get there)! I was shown around by locals, who took me to an incredible waterfall, a drum ceremony, and then they invited me to a wedding!! It’s been one of the most real, unique experiences I’ve had, and I’d love to talk more about it! CHINA — My current fascination is exploring as much of China as I can! After a bad experience in my early travels, I finally returned with a lot more travel experience, and absolutely fell in love. China is truly ahead of the curve, and as they say “living in the future”, but I also loved that I could still experience a lot of their traditional past! SAUDI ARABIA — before I got stuck in the woarzone earlier this year, I traveled solo to Saudi expecting difficulties and judgement. Instead, I was treated with respect, and I
As I approach my 150th country and 12 years of continuous travel, I’ve decided it’s time to start reflecting back on all of these extraordinary places and experiences, and what better way than to finally answer the top question I get, “What’s been your favorite country?” My answer is usually, “The next one!” But now it’s time to go more in depth! Every week I’ll be posting what my favorites have (and have not) been, but in a variety of topics! Please read the caption of each for the country and why it shattered my expectations! My passion has and always will be photography and writing, so please let me know if you enjoy posts like this one, and also any “best or worst” topics you’d like me to cover! Thank you, as always, I appreciate each and every one of you who has followed my journey around the world! ————— For anyone new here: Hi! I’m Alyssa Ramos, one of this generations’ most traveled and most experienced solo travel women in the world! I’ve been to 146 countries so far, and Antarctica 4x over 12 years, with a passion for shattering negative stereotypes about women, animals, cultures, and countries. My goal is to inspire you to travel off the typical path. Follow me @mylifesatravelmovie for expert tips and inspiration! BURUNDI — This has been one of my favorite “hidden gems” in Africa, and it completely shattered my expectations (even though I got off the plane in the wrong country trying to get there)! I was shown around by locals, who took me to an incredible waterfall, a drum ceremony, and then they invited me to a wedding!! It’s been one of the most real, unique experiences I’ve had, and I’d love to talk more about it! CHINA — My current fascination is exploring as much of China as I can! After a bad experience in my early travels, I finally returned with a lot more travel experience, and absolutely fell in love. China is truly ahead of the curve, and as they say “living in the future”, but I also loved that I could still experience a lot of their traditional past! SAUDI ARABIA — before I got stuck in the woarzone earlier this year, I traveled solo to Saudi expecting difficulties and judgement. Instead, I was treated with respect, and I
As I approach my 150th country and 12 years of continuous travel, I’ve decided it’s time to start reflecting back on all of these extraordinary places and experiences, and what better way than to finally answer the top question I get, “What’s been your favorite country?” My answer is usually, “The next one!” But now it’s time to go more in depth! Every week I’ll be posting what my favorites have (and have not) been, but in a variety of topics! Please read the caption of each for the country and why it shattered my expectations! My passion has and always will be photography and writing, so please let me know if you enjoy posts like this one, and also any “best or worst” topics you’d like me to cover! Thank you, as always, I appreciate each and every one of you who has followed my journey around the world! ————— For anyone new here: Hi! I’m Alyssa Ramos, one of this generations’ most traveled and most experienced solo travel women in the world! I’ve been to 146 countries so far, and Antarctica 4x over 12 years, with a passion for shattering negative stereotypes about women, animals, cultures, and countries. My goal is to inspire you to travel off the typical path. Follow me @mylifesatravelmovie for expert tips and inspiration! BURUNDI — This has been one of my favorite “hidden gems” in Africa, and it completely shattered my expectations (even though I got off the plane in the wrong country trying to get there)! I was shown around by locals, who took me to an incredible waterfall, a drum ceremony, and then they invited me to a wedding!! It’s been one of the most real, unique experiences I’ve had, and I’d love to talk more about it! CHINA — My current fascination is exploring as much of China as I can! After a bad experience in my early travels, I finally returned with a lot more travel experience, and absolutely fell in love. China is truly ahead of the curve, and as they say “living in the future”, but I also loved that I could still experience a lot of their traditional past! SAUDI ARABIA — before I got stuck in the woarzone earlier this year, I traveled solo to Saudi expecting difficulties and judgement. Instead, I was treated with respect, and I
As I approach my 150th country and 12 years of continuous travel, I’ve decided it’s time to start reflecting back on all of these extraordinary places and experiences, and what better way than to finally answer the top question I get, “What’s been your favorite country?” My answer is usually, “The next one!” But now it’s time to go more in depth! Every week I’ll be posting what my favorites have (and have not) been, but in a variety of topics! Please read the caption of each for the country and why it shattered my expectations! My passion has and always will be photography and writing, so please let me know if you enjoy posts like this one, and also any “best or worst” topics you’d like me to cover! Thank you, as always, I appreciate each and every one of you who has followed my journey around the world! ————— For anyone new here: Hi! I’m Alyssa Ramos, one of this generations’ most traveled and most experienced solo travel women in the world! I’ve been to 146 countries so far, and Antarctica 4x over 12 years, with a passion for shattering negative stereotypes about women, animals, cultures, and countries. My goal is to inspire you to travel off the typical path. Follow me @mylifesatravelmovie for expert tips and inspiration! BURUNDI — This has been one of my favorite “hidden gems” in Africa, and it completely shattered my expectations (even though I got off the plane in the wrong country trying to get there)! I was shown around by locals, who took me to an incredible waterfall, a drum ceremony, and then they invited me to a wedding!! It’s been one of the most real, unique experiences I’ve had, and I’d love to talk more about it! CHINA — My current fascination is exploring as much of China as I can! After a bad experience in my early travels, I finally returned with a lot more travel experience, and absolutely fell in love. China is truly ahead of the curve, and as they say “living in the future”, but I also loved that I could still experience a lot of their traditional past! SAUDI ARABIA — before I got stuck in the woarzone earlier this year, I traveled solo to Saudi expecting difficulties and judgement. Instead, I was treated with respect, and I
As I approach my 150th country and 12 years of continuous travel, I’ve decided it’s time to start reflecting back on all of these extraordinary places and experiences, and what better way than to finally answer the top question I get, “What’s been your favorite country?” My answer is usually, “The next one!” But now it’s time to go more in depth! Every week I’ll be posting what my favorites have (and have not) been, but in a variety of topics! Please read the caption of each for the country and why it shattered my expectations! My passion has and always will be photography and writing, so please let me know if you enjoy posts like this one, and also any “best or worst” topics you’d like me to cover! Thank you, as always, I appreciate each and every one of you who has followed my journey around the world! ————— For anyone new here: Hi! I’m Alyssa Ramos, one of this generations’ most traveled and most experienced solo travel women in the world! I’ve been to 146 countries so far, and Antarctica 4x over 12 years, with a passion for shattering negative stereotypes about women, animals, cultures, and countries. My goal is to inspire you to travel off the typical path. Follow me @mylifesatravelmovie for expert tips and inspiration! BURUNDI — This has been one of my favorite “hidden gems” in Africa, and it completely shattered my expectations (even though I got off the plane in the wrong country trying to get there)! I was shown around by locals, who took me to an incredible waterfall, a drum ceremony, and then they invited me to a wedding!! It’s been one of the most real, unique experiences I’ve had, and I’d love to talk more about it! CHINA — My current fascination is exploring as much of China as I can! After a bad experience in my early travels, I finally returned with a lot more travel experience, and absolutely fell in love. China is truly ahead of the curve, and as they say “living in the future”, but I also loved that I could still experience a lot of their traditional past! SAUDI ARABIA — before I got stuck in the woarzone earlier this year, I traveled solo to Saudi expecting difficulties and judgement. Instead, I was treated with respect, and I
As I approach my 150th country and 12 years of continuous travel, I’ve decided it’s time to start reflecting back on all of these extraordinary places and experiences, and what better way than to finally answer the top question I get, “What’s been your favorite country?” My answer is usually, “The next one!” But now it’s time to go more in depth! Every week I’ll be posting what my favorites have (and have not) been, but in a variety of topics! Please read the caption of each for the country and why it shattered my expectations! My passion has and always will be photography and writing, so please let me know if you enjoy posts like this one, and also any “best or worst” topics you’d like me to cover! Thank you, as always, I appreciate each and every one of you who has followed my journey around the world! ————— For anyone new here: Hi! I’m Alyssa Ramos, one of this generations’ most traveled and most experienced solo travel women in the world! I’ve been to 146 countries so far, and Antarctica 4x over 12 years, with a passion for shattering negative stereotypes about women, animals, cultures, and countries. My goal is to inspire you to travel off the typical path. Follow me @mylifesatravelmovie for expert tips and inspiration! BURUNDI — This has been one of my favorite “hidden gems” in Africa, and it completely shattered my expectations (even though I got off the plane in the wrong country trying to get there)! I was shown around by locals, who took me to an incredible waterfall, a drum ceremony, and then they invited me to a wedding!! It’s been one of the most real, unique experiences I’ve had, and I’d love to talk more about it! CHINA — My current fascination is exploring as much of China as I can! After a bad experience in my early travels, I finally returned with a lot more travel experience, and absolutely fell in love. China is truly ahead of the curve, and as they say “living in the future”, but I also loved that I could still experience a lot of their traditional past! SAUDI ARABIA — before I got stuck in the woarzone earlier this year, I traveled solo to Saudi expecting difficulties and judgement. Instead, I was treated with respect, and I
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As I approach my 150th country and 12 years of continuous travel, I’ve decided it’s time to start reflecting back on all of these extraordinary places and experiences, and what better way than to finally answer the top question I get, “What’s been your favorite country?” My answer is usually, “The next one!” But now it’s time to go more in depth! Every week I’ll be posting what my favorites have (and have not) been, but in a variety of topics! Please read the caption of each for the country and why it shattered my expectations! My passion has and always will be photography and writing, so please let me know if you enjoy posts like this one, and also any “best or worst” topics you’d like me to cover! Thank you, as always, I appreciate each and every one of you who has followed my journey around the world! ————— For anyone new here: Hi! I’m Alyssa Ramos, one of this generations’ most traveled and most experienced solo travel women in the world! I’ve been to 146 countries so far, and Antarctica 4x over 12 years, with a passion for shattering negative stereotypes about women, animals, cultures, and countries. My goal is to inspire you to travel off the typical path. Follow me @mylifesatravelmovie for expert tips and inspiration! BURUNDI — This has been one of my favorite “hidden gems” in Africa, and it completely shattered my expectations (even though I got off the plane in the wrong country trying to get there)! I was shown around by locals, who took me to an incredible waterfall, a drum ceremony, and then they invited me to a wedding!! It’s been one of the most real, unique experiences I’ve had, and I’d love to talk more about it! CHINA — My current fascination is exploring as much of China as I can! After a bad experience in my early travels, I finally returned with a lot more travel experience, and absolutely fell in love. China is truly ahead of the curve, and as they say “living in the future”, but I also loved that I could still experience a lot of their traditional past! SAUDI ARABIA — before I got stuck in the woarzone earlier this year, I traveled solo to Saudi expecting difficulties and judgement. Instead, I was treated with respect, and I
3 days ago
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Am I afraid of Orcas? More like obsessed with them. I WISH they’d pop up when I’ve done the Polar Plunge, but so far they’ve only ever approached our small boat in Mexico, where we were permitted to follow regulations and swim with them! I’ve done the Polar Plunge in Antarctica 3x and once in the Arctic, Orcas are always possibly present, but I know that humans are NOT part of their diet. We probably have too many toxins, chemicals, and damaged livers for them. 😁 I’ll be repeating both activities soon, so if you’d like more info on solo travel to Antarctica, the Arctic, or swimming with Orcas in Mexico, (OR joining one of my community’s expeditions there) drop me a comment and I’ll answer, Or check out the links on my profile for all of my global travel tips from over 143 countries and 12 years of traveling!
3 days ago
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2/9
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I’ve climbed Kilimanjaro and Everest Basecamp with no fear of heights issues at all, then I got to China and suddenly developed jelly legs and vertigo 😳😂 Out of the 145 countries I’ve been to so far, China by far wins for most extreme adrenaline activities, especially at extreme heights! Everyone does them so casually there too, even in dresses like me, so maybe I’ve found my adventure people!! I’m already planning to go back to China. I love it that much. Have you been? Wanna join us? ————- For anyone new here: hi! I’m Alyssa Ramos of @mylifesatravelmovie - one of the most traveled and most experienced solo travel women in the world! I’ve been to 146 countries so far over 12 years, and love rare destinations, and my goal is to inspire you to travel off the typical path. Follow me for expert tips and inspiration!
4 days ago
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3/9
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I bought a new phone in China bc you get a decent tax refund, but soon after, it started talking to me in Chinese, and then people started calling it and sending text messages! I honestly felt like I was in a movie, where you find a phone and then suddenly you’re forced to carry out some crazy mission or something! Turns out, for some reason, the girl who sold me the phone put her own SIM card in it to activate it (no idea why), and it was all her friends calling her. 😂 Anyway, FYI you’re NOT supposed to open any tax refund products from their boxes before you leave the country! And you have to get the papers signed/approved BEFORE and after customs! Makes a few hundred dolla difference! ———— New here? Hi! I’m Alyssa Ramos @mylifesatravelmovie, one of the world’s most experienced solo female travelers who has been to 146 countries plus Antarctica 4x. Follow here for bucketlist and peculiar travel destinations and encounters!
5 days ago
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4/9
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True story: I did not speak any Italian (besides ciao, grazie, and vino) and my husband didn’t speak any English when we first met!! We used translation apps and some Spanish (he understands because Sardinian sounds similar) but when I first moved here, to a small traditional town where not many people speak English, it was very, very evident that I needed to learn Italian. Knowing Spanish didn’t help me. The conjugations are completely different and so are most words (dislike when ppl assume I learned bc of that). And full immersion didn’t force me to learn either, bc my ADHD would just tune out. Apps also easily bored me. So I looked up online tutors and found Preply, which has thousands of real humans to teach you face to face online, and they can customize your lessons to your learning style and needs. I’ve been doing Italian lessons twice a week for almost 3 years now, and the online tutors are the main reason why I can speak conversational Italian now! So if you dream of meeting your partner randomly in another country, or planning to move abroad, and you want to learn the language (or just want to learn one for fun), check out my blog post and please use my link on there for a discount and affil for me! Mylifesamovie.com ! My current tutor Lara is amazing, she does my Italian lessons also in English and Spanish so I don’t forget my native tongue! Also doubles as an unofficial therapist 😂😂 Last, let this bring some hope and inspo to my fellow solo female travelers! If you haven’t found your partner yet, he may be waiting for you in another country!! If you’d like to see what my life is like, married and living on a vineyard in Sardinia, tap the account at the top that I shared this post with! ———- This post is about: Moving to Italy, learning Italian, living in Italy, married in Italy, life in Sardinia
1 week ago
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5/9
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A pod of 15 Orcas surrounded our small boat in La Ventana, Mexico… my reaction was squealing like a child and I even cried a few tears (don’t tell anyone). Then, after careful behavioral assessment by our marine biologist guide, we were given permission to swim with them for about 2 minutes! I cried even more after that, it was one of the most magical moments of my life! This was an ethical Sea Safari trip with an experienced, animals-first, women-run company. Orca tours do not exist since you cannot predict when they will show up. There are also many rules and regulations to keep this safe and ethical, so please check out my other posts about it, and for info on how to book this trip, search “orcas” on my blog - mylifesamovie.com! Is this anyone else’s dream? ——————- For anyone new: Hi! I’m Alyssa! I am one of the first OG solo female travel blogger/influencers who started traveling 14 years ago and hasn’t stopped! I’ve been to 146 countries solo so far, Antarctica 4x, climbed Kilimanjaro and Everest Basecamp, and my hobby is swimming with apex predators. I’m from the U.S. but moved abroad many years ago, now I live part time on a vineyard in Sardinia, and Tulum! Please follow me here for expert travel tips and wild stories from the most unique places on earth!
2 weeks ago
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6/9
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Everyone raves about the viral Storm Spa in Chongqing China being so cool but meanwhile I was on the verge of a panic attack in there feeling like I fell overboard during the Drake Passage 😳 I am still unsure why an extreme storm was chosen for a spa…but I can at least say the beginning where it’s sunny, and the end where there’s randomly northern lights, was nice! The ROOMS of the hotel where this spa is at are incredible though! They’re the also-viral ones where there’s a huge clear pool in the rooms! But fun fact.. it’s not a full sized hotel…they only own a few floors of a skyscraper, which is genius bc they can spend less on maxxing out the rooms and still get booked out! Oh and the Storm Spa session (30 mins) is included with the room! And the sister hotel includes a photoshoot 🤩 Should I post room tours of them? All of the information for these viral Chongqing hotels and also Chongqing cyberpunk city in general are on my blog, including the CORRECT links to each hotel (online it’s very confusing bc they all have the same name!) Also I need to know who would love this and who would hate it, am I the only one?? 😂
2 weeks ago
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7/9
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10/10 the best self defense lesson and stress relief retreat ever in Fukushima, Japan 🥷🏼😂 You can take samurai lessons with a real life samurai (and famous youtuber) and then practice on the cardboard “enemy”, and later go steam it out at the onsen! Full info and itinerary on my blog, including how to book it! There’s not many tour options here in Fukushima so the best option is to get there by car 😬
3 weeks ago
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8/9
I hate that IG has changed so much that each of these photos can’t have their own individual post. Or should they? I think they should, but IG literally says to do Carousels and Reels…then I end up not posting so many unique moments, that I once used to post individually almost every day! I miss those days and I’m so grateful I started all of this when a single photo post was all you did…a thousand words in one photo. How do I even explain what each of these photos held? I can write it on my blog but 🤖 will just summarize me in the search results. I can spend hours making a reel, only for the system to analyze it’s not interesting enough ugh because not enough people watched past 6 seconds (yes that is the current algorithm) So I guess I’ll just keep my memories in my mind and share the tips and pretty photos! And keep trying to add in those BTS moments, like the last one, which is what we were actually doing most of the time 😂 Definitely a major highlight of this #fukushima trip was the Samurai class and the onsen town, I’d go back there for both! All of I was very stress relieving! Anyone missing the one photo post days? Or wishing they could take a Samurai class right now? 😬 #japan #samuraiclass #japantips #mylifesatravelmovie
I hate that IG has changed so much that each of these photos can’t have their own individual post. Or should they? I think they should, but IG literally says to do Carousels and Reels…then I end up not posting so many unique moments, that I once used to post individually almost every day! I miss those days and I’m so grateful I started all of this when a single photo post was all you did…a thousand words in one photo. How do I even explain what each of these photos held? I can write it on my blog but 🤖 will just summarize me in the search results. I can spend hours making a reel, only for the system to analyze it’s not interesting enough ugh because not enough people watched past 6 seconds (yes that is the current algorithm) So I guess I’ll just keep my memories in my mind and share the tips and pretty photos! And keep trying to add in those BTS moments, like the last one, which is what we were actually doing most of the time 😂 Definitely a major highlight of this #fukushima trip was the Samurai class and the onsen town, I’d go back there for both! All of I was very stress relieving! Anyone missing the one photo post days? Or wishing they could take a Samurai class right now? 😬 #japan #samuraiclass #japantips #mylifesatravelmovie
I hate that IG has changed so much that each of these photos can’t have their own individual post. Or should they? I think they should, but IG literally says to do Carousels and Reels…then I end up not posting so many unique moments, that I once used to post individually almost every day! I miss those days and I’m so grateful I started all of this when a single photo post was all you did…a thousand words in one photo. How do I even explain what each of these photos held? I can write it on my blog but 🤖 will just summarize me in the search results. I can spend hours making a reel, only for the system to analyze it’s not interesting enough ugh because not enough people watched past 6 seconds (yes that is the current algorithm) So I guess I’ll just keep my memories in my mind and share the tips and pretty photos! And keep trying to add in those BTS moments, like the last one, which is what we were actually doing most of the time 😂 Definitely a major highlight of this #fukushima trip was the Samurai class and the onsen town, I’d go back there for both! All of I was very stress relieving! Anyone missing the one photo post days? Or wishing they could take a Samurai class right now? 😬 #japan #samuraiclass #japantips #mylifesatravelmovie
I hate that IG has changed so much that each of these photos can’t have their own individual post. Or should they? I think they should, but IG literally says to do Carousels and Reels…then I end up not posting so many unique moments, that I once used to post individually almost every day! I miss those days and I’m so grateful I started all of this when a single photo post was all you did…a thousand words in one photo. How do I even explain what each of these photos held? I can write it on my blog but 🤖 will just summarize me in the search results. I can spend hours making a reel, only for the system to analyze it’s not interesting enough ugh because not enough people watched past 6 seconds (yes that is the current algorithm) So I guess I’ll just keep my memories in my mind and share the tips and pretty photos! And keep trying to add in those BTS moments, like the last one, which is what we were actually doing most of the time 😂 Definitely a major highlight of this #fukushima trip was the Samurai class and the onsen town, I’d go back there for both! All of I was very stress relieving! Anyone missing the one photo post days? Or wishing they could take a Samurai class right now? 😬 #japan #samuraiclass #japantips #mylifesatravelmovie
I hate that IG has changed so much that each of these photos can’t have their own individual post. Or should they? I think they should, but IG literally says to do Carousels and Reels…then I end up not posting so many unique moments, that I once used to post individually almost every day! I miss those days and I’m so grateful I started all of this when a single photo post was all you did…a thousand words in one photo. How do I even explain what each of these photos held? I can write it on my blog but 🤖 will just summarize me in the search results. I can spend hours making a reel, only for the system to analyze it’s not interesting enough ugh because not enough people watched past 6 seconds (yes that is the current algorithm) So I guess I’ll just keep my memories in my mind and share the tips and pretty photos! And keep trying to add in those BTS moments, like the last one, which is what we were actually doing most of the time 😂 Definitely a major highlight of this #fukushima trip was the Samurai class and the onsen town, I’d go back there for both! All of I was very stress relieving! Anyone missing the one photo post days? Or wishing they could take a Samurai class right now? 😬 #japan #samuraiclass #japantips #mylifesatravelmovie
I hate that IG has changed so much that each of these photos can’t have their own individual post. Or should they? I think they should, but IG literally says to do Carousels and Reels…then I end up not posting so many unique moments, that I once used to post individually almost every day! I miss those days and I’m so grateful I started all of this when a single photo post was all you did…a thousand words in one photo. How do I even explain what each of these photos held? I can write it on my blog but 🤖 will just summarize me in the search results. I can spend hours making a reel, only for the system to analyze it’s not interesting enough ugh because not enough people watched past 6 seconds (yes that is the current algorithm) So I guess I’ll just keep my memories in my mind and share the tips and pretty photos! And keep trying to add in those BTS moments, like the last one, which is what we were actually doing most of the time 😂 Definitely a major highlight of this #fukushima trip was the Samurai class and the onsen town, I’d go back there for both! All of I was very stress relieving! Anyone missing the one photo post days? Or wishing they could take a Samurai class right now? 😬 #japan #samuraiclass #japantips #mylifesatravelmovie
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I hate that IG has changed so much that each of these photos can’t have their own individual post. Or should they? I think they should, but IG literally says to do Carousels and Reels…then I end up not posting so many unique moments, that I once used to post individually almost every day! I miss those days and I’m so grateful I started all of this when a single photo post was all you did…a thousand words in one photo. How do I even explain what each of these photos held? I can write it on my blog but 🤖 will just summarize me in the search results. I can spend hours making a reel, only for the system to analyze it’s not interesting enough ugh because not enough people watched past 6 seconds (yes that is the current algorithm) So I guess I’ll just keep my memories in my mind and share the tips and pretty photos! And keep trying to add in those BTS moments, like the last one, which is what we were actually doing most of the time 😂 Definitely a major highlight of this #fukushima trip was the Samurai class and the onsen town, I’d go back there for both! All of I was very stress relieving! Anyone missing the one photo post days? Or wishing they could take a Samurai class right now? 😬 #japan #samuraiclass #japantips #mylifesatravelmovie
4 weeks ago
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