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Airlines Offering Discounts and Waived Fees For Future Travel RIGHT NOW

Alyssa Ramos

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Airlines Offering Discounts and Waived Fees For Future Travel RIGHT NOW

While we might not be able to travel at the moment, our plans for future trips are being made a lot easier (and cheaper!) by airlines offering discounts and waived fees for future travel RIGHT NOW.

That’s right. It means you can book future trips with ease knowing that if you need to change the flight, there will be no change fee to do so.

Not quite ready to think about travel or commit to a flight yet? Deals last for the next month or two, so Pin this post to your Pinterest so you can find it later!

If you change to a more expensive ticket, you’ll have to pay the difference but overall, these airlines have rolled out some incredibly flexible new policies in light of what’s been going on.

In an effort to help travelers feel comfortable booking tickets again, airlines want to reassure customers if plans fall through or things change, there is no penalty.

Things are changing rapidly with the travel industry each day so double check and verify before you buy! That being said, we are in no way predicting WHEN normal travel will resume, nor are we saying you should try to travel right this second, we are just relaying what the airlines are already saying!

Here’s a list of airlines to get you started on your hunt for great travel deals post lockdown. Let me know what discounts and deals you find in the comments!

Airlines Offering Discounts and Waived Fees Right Now:

Aeromexico

Aeromexico offers great deals on trips to Mexico & Latin America. But what we secretly love about this company? Onboard food and drinks are always free!

Tickets purchased between now May 31, 2020 can get a waiver to reschedule any time before April 30th, 2021. More info here.

Air Canada

Ranked the best airline in North America in a survey by Skytrax, it might be time to take a trip with this airline favorite. Need some inspiration on what trip to book post corona? A Canadian road trip from Vancouver to Banff provides the perfect opportunity to fly with Air Canada and still practice social distancing once you arrive in your destination.

Any new bookings can be changed without a fee. For non-refundable fares, you will keep the remaining value of your ticket for future travel within 24 months of your cancelled flight.
More info here.

Air France

Air France is a total worldwide network with more than 500 destinations available. They also have one of the most flexible policies for no change fees. Book any time, travel anytime with no change fees regardless of the cabin/fare you have selected (Light, Standard or Flex.)
More info here.

Alaska Airlines

While this company may require you to wear a mask on your flight going forward, at least they are taking the safety precautions seriously. They are even blocking middle seats in flight rows to help give space between guests.

No change fees when you purchase through May 31, 2020 when you travel through April 30, 2021.
More info here.

American Airlines

Another airline that will require face masks for guests going forward! However they offer plenty of direct flights to great destinations and will be looking to offer deals to entice travelers once the lockdown is done.

No change fees when you purchase through May 31, 2020, travel anytime! More info here.

British Airways

With it’s updated policy to give you more flexibility, you can book future trips with ease.

No change fees when you purchase through May 31, 2020 and travel through December 31, 2020
For rebookings, just travel within 12 months of your original date of departure.
More info here.

Delta Air Lines

Encouraging guests to “book with confidence”, Delta has always prioritized the customer experience and will now let you book flights before May 31 for ANY travel dates with no change fees.

Rebooking? Just travel within one year of your original purchase date. More info here.

Icelandair

Icelandair offers cheap flights to Iceland & Europe from New York, Boston, Seattle, Denver & DC. This was the company that also started the infamous free layovers as a way to see Iceland on a short stop over for no additional cost.

Book between now & May 31, 2020 & free rebooking through December 31, 2020.
More info here. 

JetBlue

JetBlue’s new motto: “While there’s much uncertainty right now, you can be certain that we have your back.”

“We have suspended change and cancellation fees for all JetBlue fares. If you need to cancel your travel plans, we’ll credit the amount in the form of a travel credit that’s valid for two years.”
More info here

KLM

Like many others, this Dutch airline has updated it’s policy so you can book with confidence for future travel.

Free rebookings available until June 30, 2020.
More info here. 

Lufthansa

In addition to no change fees, Lufthansa is offering a discount of 50 Euro for rebookings with a new travel date within 2020. (As long as the ticket is over 50 Euro!)

“All fares and ticket prices can be rebooked for existing as well as new bookings on short, medium and long-haul routes until end of August. This also applies for cancelled flights.”

Qatar Airways

People love this airline, just go to Youtube and check out any number of people reviewing their epic and luxurious first class. But this award winning airline is currently offering no change fees for any tickets bought between now and the end of June. Best of all- you can travel any date!


More info here. 

Airlines Offering Discounts and Waived Fees

Southwest Airlines

We love Southwest for a lot of reasons. Not only are they one of the only airlines to still give not one but TWO free checked bags and free snacks on the flight, this company never charges a fee to change or cancel a flight. Even prior to the pandemic, their policy was awesome. As long as you make the change 10 minutes prior to departure there. So convenient! Thanks Southwest! More info here.

SWISS

Great new! All SWISS tickets are now rebookable in ALL fare classes. (Even Light Fares with carry-on baggage only!)

“SWISS is seeking to offer its customers as much flexibility as possible in their future travel plans, given the exceptional circumstances of the current coronavirus situation.”

If you can’t commit to a new a travel date at rebooking, your ticket will simply remain open until you decide. You have until April 2021 to use a newly rebooked ticket.

You can also receive an additional discount of CHF/EUR/USD 50 on a one-time rebooking!
More info here

United Airlines

The third largest airline in the world has also made an update to their policy:  For tickets issued until May 31st, customers can change the ticket for free and travel up to 12 months later!
More info here.

Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic has jumped on board to encourage travelers to come back with their new flexible no change fees policy.

Check out what they are offering:

“When you’re ready to rebook, we’re here for you. We understand that the ever-changing travel restrictions may make you unsure about what date to change your ticket to, so we’ve got this covered. You may even decide to change your destination, and that’s ok too. If you’re unsure of your new travel dates, we’ll keep your ticket open until you’re ready to rebook.You’ll just need to make sure you rebook and travel by the 31st May 2022. There’s no charge to do this but your new flights will be subject to availability and any fare difference. ”

That’s right. You can change the destination, rebook if necessary and even leave your ticket open if changes occur. Thanks Virgin Atlantic! That’s some awesome customer service. More info here.

WestJet

WestJet insists travelers can book new flight with confidence. If COVID-19 affects your plans, you can change your ticket according to their new policy:

  • All new flight bookings made until May 31, 2020 will be allowed a one-time change fee waiver.
  • And the one-time fee waiver is available for any itinerary change or cancellation made more than 24 hours from departure. More info here.

Hopefully this helps you book future travel with confidence! As always, if you found this post useful, please share it on social and leave a comment below!


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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!

@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
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
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
View on Instagram |
1/9
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
View on Instagram |
2/9
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
View on Instagram |
3/9
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
View on Instagram |
4/9
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
View on Instagram |
5/9
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
View on Instagram |
6/9
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
View on Instagram |
7/9
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
View on Instagram |
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
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
View on Instagram |
9/9

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