A Kingston undergraduate has set up her own travel agent – running trips for students and giving advice to young travellers on how to cope with travelling, studying and working.
Journalism and human rights student Tina Dahmen, 28, has organised trips to places such as Oxford, Stonehenge, Bath, Cambridge and Windsor with her online travel agency Take a Trip with Tina.
Having lived and studied in many different countries herself, she also gives advice.
She said: “On your travels you will grow so much quicker and you will learn many lessons on the way. You are facing so many different situations while on the road, which you will never face at home.
“Travelling broadens people’s mind sets and opens up their heart to this world- and that’s what we need!”
Her most recent adventure include living and working on the beautiful island next to Bali, studying and living in Istanbul, doing journalism and charity work in Kenya and Tanzania as well as English teaching in Cambodia and working on a crocodile farm in Australia.
“A pretty awesome adventure I had was when I rode my bike throughout entire Vietnam. One night, I got lost in the forest, it started raining and my light died. I had to continue riding my bike, using the flash from my IPhone as a light to find my way back to the city.”
She tends to travel on her own and record her experiences in order to get other women to overcome their solo travelling fears.
“It can be dangerous at times and I have been in some dangerous situations, but most of the times you will be okay. I would advise any women to learn some self-defence moves though before they head off anywhere!”
Tina says her inspiration to start traveling came from when she was working in Sydney as a travel agent, where she decided to create her own online agency, which would allow her to work on the road. Being location independent is the most important thing in the process, and allows her to put up her laptop anywhere, whether be it at a beach in Bali, in a café in Istanbul, or even at home at her parents place.
Her biggest experiences have included climbing Kilimanjaro in Africa, being charged by a bull while working on a cattle station in Australia, working on a crocodile farm, running away from human traffickers at the boarder of Cambodia/Thailand, and obtaining a diving certificate while living on a beautiful Island in Indonesia, which she claims is ‘almost impossible’ to find on a regular map.
She has also taught English in Cambodia, and has helped a school with charity connections (Hands across the World) in order to send over more volunteers.
Along the way Tina has set up an online travel magazine (World Study Travels), which gives journalism students the opportunity to boost their portfolio and get some work experience.
The next trips which Tina is organising include a visit to the Christmas market in Bath as well as a weekend trip to the world’s famous Christmas markets in Germany, which are available to KU and non KU students.
The Windsor Castle and Oxford University trip takes place on the December 5. Details for these events, as well as Tina’s travel page, can be found at: www.takeatripwithtina.com
Balsam Maki
James Woodham
Dharmi Dave