Hello 2019! It’s been a while featuring a new solo female traveler, but am gladly to say that I met so many cool travel ladies on the way at my new home in Sydney, Australia. One of them is my roommate whom I always talk to about random stupid stuff. Funny how we gradually become closer along the time (mostly while we were sleeping together. Aha!). But this girl is one the bravest person I know that never really shows off to the world. She has been travelling, moving here and there, gain many new experiences and yet she has been so humble about her travel time. But when I read her interview below – damn, this girl rocks so hard! Well, finally I persuaded her to take a chance be on a spotlight for Superwoman this January. So happy to introduce you to Yuni S Sastro from Bandung (yay my hometown!).
Check out her story and hopefully she can tempts you to try solo travelling as well. (pssst.. I adore her tanned skin)
Name: Yuni S Sastro
Instagram: @yunsgoesnuts
Nationality: Indonesia
Residence: Sydney, Australia
Occupation: it keeps changing 😀
Yuns in Venice, Italy
What inspired you to travel solo for the first time?
When I was kid my father used to tell me story about how my great grand parents sail from Holland to Indonesia. My dad himself did sailing too from Maluku to Java island. This story grew my curiosity to explore new places.
Tell us about the first time you travelled alone. Where did you go and what did you do?
Moving abroad has alway been my ultimate goal to experience travel and life. I believe this is something that you have to try at least once in life.
The Netherlands was my first new country I lived abroad and my third solo travel I could say. I grew up in Indonesia, with some Dutch influences I get from my father. To be honest I feel more Dutch till my teenager age (but now I feel more kind of a mix). Moving to the Netherlands, I felt comfortable and familiar. Everything that was weird in Indonesia (being non religious, being open about your sexual orientation, same sex marriage, recreational soft drug, prostitution, euthanasia, etc) was considered normal there.
I really appreciate the freedom, safety and everything that is so efficiently arranged. I could cycle around freely, I could speak up my mind to my friends, we could be comfortable for being open, honest and straightforward with each other, people mind their own business, and it is so awesome to be surrounded by people who are celebratory and happy.
But I did missed the food, kind people, the weather, the hospitality and my family – from Indonesia.
Yuns and cooking for homeless team at The Stoelen Project, Amsterdam
So what are the love/hate things you experienced travelling alone?
I like solo traveling because there is more room for spontaneity and flexibility. 🙂 Hmm, I can’t find anything to hate, but there is something that annoys me, it’s when I start thinking that I wish I can share the experience with someone or people I love.
Who’s your travel inspiration?
My father, my grandparents and people I met on my travel. It is amazing how traveling and life experiences humbled people, once I met a guy who traveled so many of places. I thought he was a google human haha, he was incredibly knowledgeable. He could answers and talk about almost anything, from the past to real time situation in many countries, science, music, politics, humour, well basically anything. But one thing that was so remarkable about him is that I’ve never meet anyone who is incredibly intelligence but yet so compassionate, so grounded and super humble as him.
Yuns made new friends at Durbar Square, Kathmandu
What are your favourite websites and travel apps do you often use?
Google translate! 🙂
What is your favorite country so far? Any recommendation for female solo traveler?
My favourite country is depends on the season, I like to explore Italy in the summer, and I’ll go for Switzerland for winter.
I will recommend Thailand. It was actually my first country to travel solo. Thailand is not too far from Indonesia, it was affordable and the people are friendly. There is so much to explore in Thailand: from shopping and city night life, to relaxation and massages, beautiful beaches, the jungles, awesome food, unique cultures and temples. The country itself is considered safe, transportation is pretty easy, and I didn’t find it difficult to communicate with the locals (even though we didn’t speak perfect English). I also had good experience doing business with them. 🙂
Yuns and friend at Great Barrier Reef, Queensland
What are some important things you bring when travelling solo? (Beside money and passport?)
I bring spoon and toothbrush in my bag all the time.
Everyone has their quirky thing when they travel. I love doing temple hunting and visiting museums. So what’s yours?
Visiting villages is fun! I love to try to connect with and learn something from the locals. That is how you find a new way of seeing.
Yuns with lil girl from Soso Island, Fiji
Share your tips for any first time solo traveller?
Maybe choose a country that is considered safe for female solo traveller as your first country to visit alone.
What’s your favorite travel quote that’s best describe you?
“We are all visitors to this time, to this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love…and then we return home.” – Australian Aboriginal Proverb
Yuns in Fiji
Meet Yuns!
She was born and grew up Indonesia, had lived the Netherlands and Switzerland, and currently is living in Australia. She likes the idea of simplicity and minimalism. Things that make her happy: kindness, simple joy, discovering new places, night walks, learning something new, meeting passionate change-makers, collaborations, laughing at silly videos, being balanced and centered, my family and friends.
She has always been passionate about human rights. She loves human, animal, plants, all living soul on earth. This year, she plans to volunteer travel to Africa and or Alaska. She starts changing her wardrobe with more biodegradable clothes and working on a project to raise awareness of responsible fashion. If you are passionate too about this issue, let’s be friends up and collaborate!
© 2017 Writing & Images copyright of Marina Utami.
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