 Hello, hello, my name is Habiba from the Trekking Pals and I am joined today by Karina from Karina Worldwide. She's an amazing traveler and she's got some amazing stories and adventures to share with you. The last few weeks I started featuring Tanzania after my trip to Tanzania in particular. And so I started bringing people who have traveled in East Africa in general, Tanzania in particular to share their stories and help you if you are planning trips to Tanzania. So welcome Karina. Thank you, thank you so much. Yeah, so I'm excited to join in on this live. I went to Tanzania in August and spent about 14 days there. So I got to experience a lot of the different cities or the different areas in Tanzania. So I'm excited to share. And you can let me know when you want me to start or how you want me to start at all. I want you to start with telling us about you as a person, all the great things that you do and then we can take it from there. All right, so hey guys, my name is Karina. I've known as Karina Worldwide on Instagram. I am a traveling teacher and the owner of a virtual learning academy for ESL learners. I've lived of course in the States, I'm an American citizen, but I've also lived in Thailand, China and I am now living in Mexico. I am back here in the States because on Saturday I am going to Ghana for two weeks. And so if you hear a dog barking or you hear some things in the background, just know I am not in my own place. So please bear with me. But I've been living in Mexico, January will make it a year. I've lived in China for two years in Thailand for about six, seven months. But I am also the international marketing director for a Chinese clothing company based in Shanghai. I am the author of a traveling children's book series called Kailin the Kid Traveler. It is available on Amazon. Try to see what else I do. And then in my spare time, I also create content on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. So that's me and Nutshell. You did a great job Karina. I was trying to put everything all together. It's a short story that you shared now, but it's a lot of things. Oh. So tell me, how did the travel bug hit you? How did you become the great traveler that you are now? The crazy thing is I am a late gloomer to the travel world. Like so many people in this space, they're like, I was traveling since I was five. I started traveling out of college. I didn't really start traveling until 2014. And I started traveling domestically. So I graduated from college in 2013. And everyone who has been to college knows how that happens. You jump into the real world and you start working. And when it comes to annual leave, I got a little bit. So I tried to use it sparingly. So I was traveling domestically. And then in 2018, I found something online. It's so crazy how it happened. But I found something online about working remotely from Thailand. And I created an eight-page proposal to my job that was still in the States. And I'm like, listen, I need to work from Thailand. And they're like, have you ever been to Asia? And I'm like, I haven't been outside of this country aside from Jamaica. And that's because my family is from Jamaica, my paternal family. And the CEO of my company was just like, OK, so let's be honest. If we don't approve you, what will happen? And I was just like, well, I'm going to go. I just might not come back. And so they approved me working from Thailand. And three months after I returned from Thailand, I moved to China. And from there, it's just kind of been sorting it out. So since then, I've been to like five different continents. And the cool thing, and sometimes the gift occurs because when you're not traveling abroad, you don't really. It's so freeing that once you get there, it's like you don't want to stop. Like there are a few things I'm willing to give up for travel, like because I just love it so much. And it's I don't want to say it's an addiction, but it's a passion. I love exploring new worlds. I love exploring new cultures. And so once I started traveling, it's just been an uphill. I don't even want to say battle. It's been an uphill. Like, I don't know, give me a word uphill, whatever from there. Great adventure from there. Yeah. And and also I kind of I started following your stories. And, you know, I don't spend for me personally, I spend time on social media to, you know, study what content is out there, how to grow my socials and so on. And but I do follow your stories. And I saw that you shared something about making an impact. Like we teach him, for example, the girl that you shared about that you were teaching and you started many years ago. And now because of you, she was speaking great English for kid her age. Right. I think that's one of the things I love about teaching. I don't think I would ever want to teach in the States, but I think it's because when you're teaching people who have the English is not their native language, just seeing the progress they're making, it's so rewarding as a teacher. And then also whenever people are like, I don't know what to do straight out of college. I always suggest travel and teach abroad at least for one year because there are so many benefits to that. They're going to pay your rent. They're going to pay for your flights. And then you're also making an impact in the lives of, you know, the students who are living abroad. And that's just probably one of the most rewarding things for me. But in terms of that student that I posted on my Instagram this morning, when I moved to China, she was my second year student. And her dad was just basically like, we're just putting her in the school for a few months. But we know that she's never learned English. You're going to be her first teacher. And after six months, we're just going to take her out and put her in public school. And at that time, I was just like, I mean, OK. And just seeing the progress she's made, like usually when I'm teaching, I do have to speak at a slower pace. With her, I can just have a conversation like I'm having with you. And she just grasps it now. But I've been teaching her for about two years. So that's one of the joys. It was amazing to just listen to her speaking. And she's so confident. And you're kind of helping her build that confidence. That's my baby. Like I told her father one day he was yelling at her on the Zoom chat. And I said, listen, you don't yell at my baby. You can do that after. But when she's, no, don't do that. And so now she tells her dad, I'm going to tell Miss Henry on you. You're yelling. I'm going to tell Miss Henry. And I'm like, that's right, baby. You're my child. That's awesome. Welcome, everyone. I see we have a bunch of people who are joining us today. I am joined by Karina from Karina Worldwide. And she's sharing all of her travel stories. And we're going to be talking specifically about traveling in East Africa and Tanzania. So Karina, you said you went to Tanzania not too long ago. And that was your first time in the country, your first time in East Africa? Yes, it was. I did Tanzania and Kenya. So I did a few weeks in, well, like a week in Kenya. And then I did two weeks in Tanzania. Yeah. OK. So I would like to know about what was your experience going to East Africa? Was it your first time in East Africa? And what are some of the tips that you can share with people who are watching us to have a great adventure when they go to Tanzania or East Africa for the first time? It was. And so the first thing I want to always advise people when they're talking about traveling, not just to East Africa or to a different country or continent, it's to do your research. Thankfully, I did do my research this time around. My first time in Africa was in Egypt. I just was just like, I'm going to wing it. And I had a miserable time because I didn't do any research. I didn't think about the cultural differences. But this time, I made sure I did research. So in Tanzania, they are very conservative. It's very religious over there. So if you've ever followed me, I like to have my boobs out from time to time. I like to wait. I'm over here because if you want me to get real, let's get real. Yeah, I like to have fun and have my body out. However, when you're going to a different country, especially when it's not your country, you want to be respectful. So I did research and made sure that I wore appropriate clothing. Another thing that I would advise people to do is use your resources. We're always on social media, but we don't use social media as a resource. So Instagram, use your hashtags. That's basically how I was finding things to do. Hashtag Zanzibar, hashtag Tanzania. I always say I have husbands in every country. Hashtag Zanzibar husband. You will find what you are looking for using those hashtags. I also use Facebook groups. Anywhere you're going, there's always a Facebook group that you can use as a resource. So I always suggest doing that. Look into the location that you want to stay in. So when we left from Kenya, and then we went to Tanzania, so we landed in Zanzibar and I stayed in Kole House, which is right in Stone Town. I also used an Airbnb, which is really good too for people who are just like, I don't want to stay in a hotel. Utilize Airbnb because it's cheaper and you have more flexibility. You can choose, it's based on your budget also. So you can choose if you want to do like a shared situation, if you want to have the entire place. I'm very messy, so I always get my own place. But some people do the shared situation and that works. But also, before I went, I also looked at like Zanzibar photographers. And some people might be like, okay, well, I'm not a content creator. It is still a good way for you to reach out and network with people who are living there because I found when you're traveling, there are locals who really want to get to know people who are not from their country. That is the easiest way to build a connection is using social media and let them know, just be honest. You know, I'm gonna be in your country for about a week or three days. I wanted to know if you can give me some advice on places to travel, on things to do. And if you feel comfortable even asking like, would you be okay with being a tour guide? Now, do not think that you're just gonna get a free trip. I always offer like a tip, like I can pay you for your time because they work just like we work. And so I always say things like, you know, what is your, what would you want me to pay for you to do a tour? And they're always open for that. So yeah, that's how I usually started off with doing my research. I think it's, you said a very important point of being considerate to other people, whether they are small content creators in the area that you are going to or big content creators, just to be respectful, they are spending time to whether show you around or help take photos. So that's a very good point. I love the photos that you have in Prison Island. I think Prison Island place was just amazing. I spent, we spent time there just hanging out with the turtles and just learning history. That was great. And it's crazy because when I was, before I went to Prison Island, we went to Bacara. I think it's Bacara or Baraka Aquarium. I wanna say Bacara Aquarium. And that's where you can swim with the turtles. So a turtle actually bit me and I was scored. I had PTSD from that point forward. I was like, when he told me that in Prison Island, you're gonna get to play with the turtles. I was just like, no, I don't wanna do that anymore. Like the turtle legit latched the self onto me and would not let go. But when I went to Prison Island, like I really enjoyed myself. I got to spend time with turtles. These turtles, like these tortoises, they're on land. So they're not as fast as they would be in water. So you can run if you need to. But I enjoyed that. And then I also enjoyed learning the history about Prison Island. I think it's also a thing that we should do when we're traveling abroad is trying to learn something that we can take back that we can use to educate other people. It's the 21st century. We're going into 2022, but it's sad that there are so many people who are still closed-minded. People still think Africa is a country and not a continent. People still think that what we see at six o'clock in the morning with paid programming on TV is real. It is in certain parts, but that is not all of Africa. So I think when we're traveling to places like Tanzania or anywhere that is not our native country, that we're looking for ways to educate other people. So Prison Island was awesome because I was able to go back and show the pictures and just really have conversations about what I witnessed while I was there. Yeah, Prison Island was really amazing. And we did learn that particular spot. I think if some of you guys are traveling to Tanzania, definitely take the trip to Prison Island's really worth it. Not just for the two turtles, but like he said, the history, we learned so many things. Usually you would just hear the name Prison Island then you think it was a prison and some horrible things happened then, but it was actually they didn't have an operating prison in the island. It's not like Alcatraz here in the US where it was Turtle Island and things weren't horrible, but it was still a very important point for the trading in the Indian Ocean. So that was amazing. What are some of the places that you went to in Tanzania that you highly recommend? Okay, so my favorite thing that I did was my Zanzibar husband because I have many husbands when I travel. And you guys can actually look him up. His name is at Henry V as in violin team. Henry V team, he just started a tour company in Zanzibar, but when we started meeting, he's a model. So we took some pictures, we were having a good time. And then I was just like, you know what? I would like to do a cooking class. Everywhere I travel, I try to do at least one to two like really like cultural local type of activities or excursions where I'm really just hanging out with the locals and getting to know them better. And so I was just like, I really wanna do this cooking class, but I would like to do it with like right in the locals. Don't forget your brother-in-law, my husband. Yeah, so my Instagram best friend, she's actually married to my husband's friend. And she's never met him, but anywho. So I'm building connections as I travel. I'm coming back and bringing connections. So I actually went to a village and the locals, they walked me through the entire process from start to finish. I learned how to cook four different types of foods. And then we just fellowshiped. We enjoyed each other's company. It was like really, really cool because a lot of the people that were in that village, they're not used to seeing foreigners like come to that part. So a lot of times when we go on these tours, we're told like, this is where the locals are. Like you're getting the real deal, like, I don't wanna say real deal, holy fill. You're getting like the real deal activities and really it's still like a touristy thing. And so being able to just be in the village and we all ate as a community. And what I did was he told me like, this is how much food we need and I got more. And so I was telling my friend who actually, she went to Tanzania three weeks after I went. Yes, for things like that, you might need to pay for the food, but why not spend just a little bit more? I spent maybe $20 and I was able to feed, was five different households that we were able to feed for $20. So it's a good way to give back because they're teaching you something that you can bring and bring with you and educate other people. It's great that you're able to leave them with something as well. I think it's so weird when we're doing these kind of activities, like they're cooking for us and we're just eating in front of them like, yeah, your food is good. No, let's eat together. So yeah, that was probably my favorite thing. Hi, Abby, Abby Ola's my friend. He's like a little brother. We've met in Kenya. So he's on hi, hi, Abby Ola. Hello, hello everyone. And I think we probably have a lot of people coming from your page, Karina, to watch us. Welcome, welcome. Yeah, that's amazing. I agree because when you take chores, like cooking chores, for example, they are great. They provide good experience, good service, but they are, I don't want to say staged, but they try to do to go above and beyond to make sure that you as a tourist is getting a great experience, communication is great. And sometimes I don't want that. I just want to connect with the local. I want to see them being spontaneous, going about doing their life, just like they normally do without me being around and just connect with them. I think tours like that are great, especially if people are just getting their feet wet. Like if you're a solo traveler and you're a little nervous about going out to the outskirts or off the beaten path, then these tours are great for you. I've done that. I really want to just be with the locals. That's like my preference. So I think those type of tours are great and convenient for people who are just learning how to travel and they do want to get a glimpse of the local life. However, yeah, I'm probably the type of person that I was telling my friend this. It's weird because when people talk about safety on trips, I'm like, maybe I'm not as safe as I thought I was because I will hit someone up on Instagram like, hey, I'm coming to your country in about three days. And I would like to go here, here, here, can you take me? And I know you don't know me, but so. They're probably more scared from you. Cause I'm just over here like, hello, this is me. So yeah. But that's good. I think I was going to ask you the same question. I received a lot of questions about solo travel, although when I went to Tanzania, it was me and my fiancee together, but I do travel solo from time to time, but I know that you have a lot more experience. So one question I received the other day, can you travel to Tanzania by yourself, especially for solo female travelers? You mentioned earlier, you should be a little bit more conservative in the way you dress. It's a very conservative country. What are some of the other things we should pay attention to? So yes, Tanzania is, in my opinion, very safe. And I hate to go back to this, but when I think of the American perspective, when it comes to other countries, we are so quick to say, we've normalized our dangerous borders, right? So we're so quick to say, that place is unsafe. And even when you go to these other countries and you're asking, they might say, yeah, my country is unsafe. And it's something like pickpocketing or, you know, things like that. And I'm like, well, I don't carry purses. I keep everything in my broth. So they would need to fill me up to steal my stuff anyway, but they're there. But I always say, if you really want to visit a country, do your research because a lot of times we're told that places are unsafe and they're really not. But I can't stress that enough. Research, research, research. But like I said earlier, Tanzania, definitely look at the cultural differences. A lot of times when people are traveling, they're like, you know, I don't drink. And Tanzania, it wasn't as easy to get alcoholic beverages. However, it's available. But be mindful, if you are a solo traveler, be mindful that you are traveling alone. Also, I would recommend staying in touristy areas. Even if you decide to go out and about, I would stay in the touristy areas just because it's gonna be, it's gonna be a little bit safer in terms of security. They're gonna be way more police there. They don't always be well lit. People will always be around. So if you're going to go to Zanzibar, Tanzania, I would say, I keep saying Zanzibar, I would say recommend a place like Stone Town because it's very touristy. People will always be outside. Another thing is when I was younger, my mother would always say this thing, whenever the street lights are on, that's when you should be home. And so I keep that going in my head. If it's starting to get dark, I need to be home. Before it's dark, I need to be home actually. And it's just a way for you to make sure, to ensure your safety. Another thing when it comes to using your GPS or your map quest is to be mindful. What I like to do is before I leave, like my hotel, I'll kind of map out what I need and I'll try to decrease the time if I'm actually looking at my phone. Now, when you're walking around, people already know you're a tourist. People are always like, I'm trying to blend in. You cannot blend in sweetheart. They saw you a mile away. They knew that you were a tourist. However, there is a difference between being a tourist and being a tourist that looks lost and confused. Second thing, female, this is specifically for female solo travelers. If you can find a way to keep your money on you, that's not like in a purse or on the back, please do that. And like I said, this for my ladies, you cannot see, but I love around triple D's. And so that is usually my wallet is inside of my bra. But if you can keep it on your person, that will help you as well. I've seen tourists who, they look like they were by themselves and they're just swinging their purses. And I'm just like, no, because you're going to be the first person. God forbid you are robbed. You're going to be the first person to screen. This place is not safe, but you don't take into account that you were responsible for your own belongings and you didn't care. And so that's why you were an easy target. Another thing is passports. Please stay in, please keep them in the hotel. And what I always say is, find a hotel or a place that has a safe. And so when I'm leaving, there are things that I lack up in my safe. It's always my passport. So it's like my MacBook, things that there are clothes. I don't care. If someone were to take my clothes, okay. But there are certain things that I would probably have a really big history fit if I lost them. Passport is number one. And a lot of times people say, keep your passport on you. No, what you're going to do is you're going to take a picture of your passport on your phone and you're going to keep that in a special album. So I have travel documents on my phone that I say to the iCloud. And that includes the picture of my passport. There are some times when you're traveling and just like any other country, there are shy city police officers. I've been in situations where a police officer has asked to see my ID. I always carry two forms of ID, never my passport. And they were just like, well, if you don't give us 300 USD, we're going to keep your ID. Well, I don't care. That one's expired anyway. Keep it. And so that was that. So just be mindful of that. Physical copies work as well, but I don't want to carry a big piece of paper and fold it. I just keep it on my phone. Also, battery packs. We live in a day and age where we are so dependent on our phones. And that's not a bad thing, but your phone is not a resource if it is dead. So carry battery packs. And I like smaller battery packs simply because it's more mobile. It's easier to transport. So battery packs work. I'm trying to think of some more things that I use. I'll probably think of some more as we're going, but that's... These are some great tips, Karina, especially with the passports, because a lot of times like, oh, the passport is safer if it's with me, but that's not the case. I just wanted to add, even I received this question too from someone who's climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. And when you go on these climbs, it's usually seven days, eight days. And even for me, I was like, I cannot leave my passport there for eight days. But like you said, all of this hotel, they do, even if you don't have a room with them and let's say you're gonna come back to that hotel later, they have saves that you can keep your belongings there, even money, valuables. I was gonna say jewelry, but why are you taking valuable jewelry on trips like that? Your passports mainly keep them on a safe. These are some great tips. I see comments from Latisha Bianca, she's saying, I always feel safe when I travel abroad and like you always say, use common sense. And that's where the whole thing is. Common sense. Right. I always say that common sense will take you where book sense will not. We have so many people who are book smart, but they don't use common sense. When you're traveling, you have to depend on your common sense. If it doesn't look safe, it's probably not safe. Use the power of discernment, that will take you far. Another comment from Latisha also, I make copies of my passport and I take the copy of my passport when I am out and about. That's a great idea. There is actually something here in the US that we have called passport card, not just the passport book. So the passport card looks just like your ID, you can pay for it and submit an application. And I think it's usually useful. Like you said, if you wanna keep the passport in the hotel and have the passport card, and if someone is like, oh, this is not your passport, like no, sir, this is a passport card. So that could be a thing to think about in the future. And then King Vulture asks for language translation apps. Very good question. I always use Google translate. The reason why I like Google translate is because there's been times where my phone wasn't working and I was still able to translate things. Another thing that I do in advance is there are useful terms that we all use. Hello, goodbye, call the cops. Things that sometimes you might think you won't use them, but you might. And what I do is I find them in advance before I go on my trip and I save them in the notes section of my phone, but then I also write them down because you never know when you're gonna use them. Another thing is it bridges the gap when you try to speak to locals in their language. I cannot tell you how many times I've struggled and they're just so excited that I'm even trying. We cannot assume that everyone speaks English. And when we travel, it is very rude to get upset with someone because they don't speak English. Hi, Nini. There are so many times when people are just like, and it breaks my heart every time when I go to these countries and they're like, sorry, my English is not good. And I'm like, you don't need to apologize. I need to apologize because I didn't do a good enough job of learning the language. So yeah, Google translate is what I use, but then I also research sentences or statements that I'll need in advance. And I save them in the notes section of my phone. And then I also write them down on no cards. Just simple things. Hello, goodbye. Yeah, call the cops, it sounds extreme, but you never know. Just things that you might need. And then I also do research for the embassy because at the end of the day, that might be your last lifeline. You never know what can happen. So I always want to know like, where's the embassy at? And also what is the phone number for the local police? Because we get so hung up on 911, 911. There are some countries where it's 119. There are some countries where there's no 911. Well, nine or one because one is one. That's true. It's not the same. So doing that research in advance is going to help you. And it gives you that piece of mind when you're traveling. No, you might not use it, but just knowing that if you need to, it's available that'll help you a lot as well. That's awesome. Hello, everybody. We're having a lot of people joining us today. We, I'm joined by Karina from, Karina who's chairing her experience traveling in East Africa and Tanzania in general. These are some very valuable tips. I'm gonna just read some of the comments. Nothing endears me to local people more than being a solo woman trying my best to speak the local language. They always appreciate it. For you too. That is totally true. There are obviously other mobile applications that you can use before traveling to the country to just like you said, learn the simple words. Hello, asante sana, thank you. Asante sana, yes. Yeah, just the simple words people, like it's amazing when you look at, when you are with locals, you see their faces light up when you say your word in Swahili. Oh my God, you speak Swahili. Right. Wait until I run out of the cabra. And then they, what's funny is I give them a simple, like a glimpse, like a hello. And then they start speaking and I'm like, oh no. Now I'm panicking. Let me pull out the Google translate. Lowdown, slowdown. Right. That's awesome. I was gonna ask you, so I know that in Tanzania, the spoken language Swahili, in Kenya they speak Swahili as well. Are there any differences between the language? Yes, but in Kenya, English is actually their first language. That's like, it's not their native language, but mostly everyone speaks English in Kenya. And what's funny is, I always look at the language. That's the one thing I always look at, like, are they gonna speak English? And it's not because I'm expecting them to speak English, but it's because I need to know what I need to use my translator way more than I usually do, or if I'll just be able to communicate with them using my native tongue. But usually they speak English, yes. Okay, so if there's anyone who's a little bit intimate from going to Tanzania or to Kenya, they should just go for it. Usually if you're going with guides on safaris, you should be able to communicate easily, right? Right. And even in Tanzania, there wasn't anyone that I spoke with who didn't speak English. That's not to say that we should assume that they're all speaking English, but everyone I spoke to, they spoke English and we were able to communicate. Awesome. So we talked about Prison Island in Tanzania. We talked about the cooking classes. What was one of your other favorite experiences? Actually just walking around, like taking the dough tour. So what's funny is when I was first here, seeing it on Instagram, people were just like, I'm taking this dough tour. And I'm like, okay. So I went and once again, I said the way people travel and the way I travel now that I'm a little more seasoned, it might not be traditional. So I do look for different tours, but I never booked them in advance because I know once I get there, I can get them for much cheaper. So what will happen is a lot of times you'll look for tours on like Trip Advisor or V8er or different, these different tour websites and they might be 200 bucks, right? Well, one of the tour, one of the dough tours that I looked at in a dough is basically like, it's like a wooden raft almost. I don't want to say boat. It's like a raft boat. It's very nice. It's like a sailboat. Like a sailboat. There we go. And it's very nice. And it was 200 bucks for this dough tour and it included just launch. Well, when I got to Tanzania, I went to one of the shores and I just started asking people like, do you do dough tours? Do you do dough tours? And I got the dough tour for 25 bucks and he took us to a local restaurant where we had like the school meal for five bucks. So I was able to tip him. I tip him like 20 extra bucks because that's 40 bucks plus my meal. That was $45 as opposed to 200 bucks. And the water is so pretty. It is so gorgeous. Yeah, so definitely spend time if you want to do that, do the dough tour. But then also like walking tours. They offer walking tours. I just, at this point in my life, I can't see myself paying someone to walk me around. But you can definitely do that. Or like I said, you can use the hashtags or find someone who is living there, which is super easy. One of the good things about social media is it connects us to people all around the world. So using those hashtags, find someone and ladies. Find someone. I was gonna say something else. We're not there yet. Find, yeah, you can definitely find someone who is willing to like give you a tour. And once again, do suggest paying them. It's not, they might decline it, but I just think it's a good way to keep that line of communication and build those networks. You really don't wanna be the cheap, selfish tourists who thought they were gonna get everything for free. Hey, Slim Bithins. So, yes. That's awesome. Especially right now, I mean, during this pandemic, people are really hurting in Africa. Right. I mean, all around the world, obviously, but when we were there, we talked to a few tour operators on the mountain, because we did the climb and so many of them, they didn't work for a year or two years. And you can imagine how the situation can be. So it's good to be responsible and give people their tip and money where it's needed. And there are so many countries that rely heavily on tourism. And so for the past year and a half, well, especially last year, so many places shut down. So if you think about, you know, I always say, there's a difference between being a frugal traveler and being an inconsiderate and selfish traveler. So yes, I will look for tours online and then go and find a cheaper price, but then I still tip them because at the end of the day, they're still providing a service. So please do not go to these countries and expect to get things for free because even when you pause, let's talk about, can we talk about the content creators or anyone who's just taking photos in another country real quick? So this grinds my gears. And I'm hoping that we put an end to this. When we're traveling, let's be mindful of these local mom and pop shops, right? You, I cannot tell you how many times I've traveled somewhere. And of course, I love taking photos. Who doesn't like to take photos? We can say, oh no, I do it for the experience, but of course we wanna post it on social media. That's cool. However, when you're using these places as photo ops, please provide a tip, please purchase something. It is very disrespectful for us to go into these local markets, go to these local mom and pop shops, take photos in front of their establishments and then just walk away. I had this lady, and actually this was in Tanzania and Zanzibar where she told, well her son told me, you know, I went and offered him the money after I took the picture. And he was like, for what? And I'm like, no, let me buy something or let me just give you some money. And the lady specifically told her son, most foreigners when they come, they take their photos, they come in the shop, take their photos and go. Let's put an end to that. Because I think if you're using people for photo ops and you're not providing anything, let's not be that type of traveler. I judge those type of travelers. And I usually don't travel shame or judge, but I will judge you. Yeah, but I think some people, they may just not even think about it. Like I said, I was like, wow, I just took a picture because I'm traveling and I never thought about it. So it's good that we're talking about this right now. And like to say, especially when you go to markets, like local markets and these people, I mean, the economy is not the best and you're taking your time to take whatever photos and maybe photos of the people too. You have to talk to them, ask for their permissions and then just grab a magnet, something that's not going to cost you that much money. Right, because you can always find a souvenir for someone. Like that is another thing too, asking for permission before we post locals. I think my whole thing, especially for the past few years has been traveling with intention but then also being more of a mindful traveler. There was a time where it was just about, and I'm gonna be very transparent. There was a time when it was just about crossing countries off of my bucket list. I'm here, I don't care, I just wanna take photos and I'm gone. And as I began like living abroad, I started realizing like people rely heavily on tourism and there are times where as tourists, we take advantage of that. And people are people, it doesn't matter what language they speak, it doesn't matter what they look like, people are people and I try to treat people the way I would wanna be treated if someone came to my country. And so when we're taking photos, how would you feel if you went to work and maybe you had a bad hair day or maybe you had a good day or day, it doesn't matter. But you were minding your business and next thing you know, people will have your photos all over social media. And so most times I will either edit them out of my photos but if they're my photos, I've definitely asked them like, can you be in the picture, is it okay for me to post it on social media? But then I also try to provide something. And I think as being, when you're being a traveler, it's not about being a traveler, it's about being a person and treating these people the way we would wanna be treated if someone came to our country. That's a great call. I'm so glad you're bringing this up Karina because you see a lot of tourists, they would behave a certain way in where they come from. Right. So to a foreign country, it's a different person and things don't have to change. You are in a different country, different culture but stay true to yourself and be respectful to people around you. We've seen a lot of great comments. We've got a comment from complete creator, she's saying exactly don't use locals as props and not comfortable with them. Right. Keep these people, these are all great comments. I just wanna add something really quick on the same topic because I know we have a few people watching us from trekking pals who are looking into climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. Oh, I can't help with that. I can't help with that. Oh, you have that covered. Okay, continue, I'm sorry. Because it's the same issue. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro can be a very costly activity. It's not cheap. And you see a lot of people, they pay for these expensive tour operators and when it comes to tipping the porters and the guides and assistant guides and chefs on the mountain, they are either cheap or they say, well, I already paid the company a couple of thousand dollars. No, that is very wrong. With porters on the mountain, you guys have to know that you wouldn't make it to the top of the mountain if it wasn't for those porters. So please pay attention to that and tip people what they deserve. Right, we always assume when we're traveling with a tour company that they've paid everyone. And I mean, these people are being paid but maybe they're being paid maybe five, 10 bucks. Meanwhile, these tour companies, and I mean, get your hustle on, meanwhile, these tour companies have profited a couple hundred bucks and they paid five dollars. So what I usually do is and some people go and get their currency exchange, I go to the ATM just because it's more convenient for me, but I always make sure I have enough money that I can just tip and I make sure I get the smaller bills. And we might say, okay, a five dollar tip, that's bad, but in a lot of these countries, it goes a long way. So tipping five to 10 US, what's the equivalent to five USD? Now, don't go over there and say I'm gonna do their equivalent of five, that's not gonna help them, but it's just five bucks for us. And so just being mindful that a tip goes a long way and you never know when you're gonna need these people. These, a lot of these places we travel to, they're so small, and if you're there for about two weeks, you're gonna see the same people. And so being kind and genuinely nice, that can really help you in the long run. You never know. That's awesome. Thank you, Karina. Hello, everyone. Thank you for those who just joined us. We are talking, Karina is sharing with us her great stories and experience as a traveler all around the world, but we're talking particularly about East Africa and Tanzania. So we talked about Tanzania, Karina, you mentioned earlier that your next invention in Africa is going to be Ghana. Are you going for the first time to Ghana? Are you excited? What are some of the things? I am super excited. So this is actually my first hosted trip. So there's actually a tour company, Travelmo, worry less. They asked me to go on this trip as a host and I was like, people actually wanna travel with me. That's so cool. So that's been like a humbling experience in itself because I'm like, y'all are really like, I think it's the husbands. I think a lot of people wanna travel with me because they wanna find their travel husbands, which is fine. But yeah, I'll be going to Ghana for 11 days. So I'm super excited about that, but can I just say one more thing about Tanzania? So fashionistas, right? I, and you can actually go on my Instagram page and see it. I had a dress maid in Tanzania. If you are into fashion and you want something super unique, that is such a cool thing. And it was so easy for me to find a seamstress and a tailor and they basically did my birthday dress in less than a week. And it cost me $40 and I think I paid 60, but it was $40 and it was a full dress. And then I had my Zanzibar husband slash models. So there was two of them. They also had their traditional wear as well for the men in the same cloth. So if you're into fashion and you want something super unique and you do have like the time, like a week, a week and a half, two weeks, definitely get like a unique piecemate. And that is definitely like a conversation piece, a conversation starter, super unique. So yes. So which dress are we talking about? Cause I saw the one in Prison Island, that's green and it's got a blue and yellow. I love that one. Is that one talking about? It is the one. There's one where it's me sitting down. It's like a purple and gold dress. And then there are the two models. Oh, those are the husbands. Those are the husbands. I had to divorce one because my Instagram bestie who's here, she married him. So how did you find the same stress? I cannot say this enough, y'all. You definitely use your hashtags. So all I did was I went, I did hashtag Zanzibar designer. Hashtag Zanzibar creative designer. Hashtag Zanzibar fashion. Just keep playing with words and you will definitely find someone. And it's even with photography. When people are going, yeah, when you're a solo traveler, I have a tripod, right? A Bluetooth controlled tripod. If it's tiresome having to set it up, you can find a photographer by doing the same thing. Hashtag wherever you're going, photographer. And the good thing is, you're probably doing photos for social media. If they are into social media, they're gonna be using hashtags. Those are the type of photographers you would want anyway. So just use your hashtags and just play around with words. But that's how I found the same stress. And she did a great job. And I tagged her in the photos. So you guys definitely hit a rep if you're going to Zanzibar. Wow, these, I love the colors. Very African, high fashion light. It's really beautiful. Thank you. And I mean, very talented and so quick. I was like, and I was so nervous because the only thing I did was I sent a picture and I sent my sizes. And I had never done that before. So I was just like, what happens if it doesn't fit? I got there the first day I went for my fitting. It basically fit, but we just had to take it in on the size, because you know, I like to let everyone, I'm looking for a husband. So basically, yeah, so basically I got it. I did the fitting and everything was done in a week and a half. That's awesome. I want to hear more about the husbands and I want to hear the story from the beginning. Okay, so when I first started traveling, I think my first husband was in China. And so when you're a person of color, right? And you're traveling to places where they don't experience or encounter a lot of people of color, this is a good opportunity to educate them. This is also a good opportunity to kind of help them get rid of their stereotypes that they have with people of color, story time. Yes, look T. So that was kind of like my first experience because he was just like, you know, I've never seen a black girl in person. You're so gorgeous. And then from there, I was just like, okay, they, when you're traveling, right? And just so you guys know, when I say husbands, they're not really my husbands legally. It's just like, while I'm there, before anyone's just like, she has 7,000 husbands. Stop her. Now, it's just something I say. It's like an ongoing joke. But what I've learned is when it comes to really learning about a country and a culture when I'm traveling, it seems like the men, especially the local men, they are way more interested in really like going above and beyond to help me explore their country. Like they want to impress you. They're going to take you like to the best spots. And what I do is, even though they might want to like kind of whining, I mean, I'm like, no, I'll pay because you have helped me with a lot. You, you're, you know, showing me. And there goes Henry V team. Y'all, that's one of my, that's my Zanzibar husband. But I think he kind of divorced me. So I'm not sure. I don't know if I should be shouting you out, but I'm going to shout you out anyway, cause he was so helpful. But he is also, Henry V team is also the gentleman who showed me around all of Zanzibar. And then also he has the tour company now that took me to the village to do the cooking lessons. So hit him up if you're going to Zanzibar. He'll definitely help you out. But yeah, I just learned that a lot of times men are very helpful in wanting to help you. Now, what do I do? Power of discernment and common sense. Do not go to these countries. I do use Tinder. And I don't really use it now as like a dating app. I kind of use it as feelers when I'm traveling, right? Because it can be a little more difficult when you're on Instagram to kind of just say, Hey, I want to go out. I want to spend time, but on Tinder, you can see what their intentions are. I'll let them know like I'm only here for a week, but I want to hang out. I want to, you know, see what the party scene is like. I want to see what this is like. And they'll definitely help, right? In Guatemala, I have a husband too, who was very helpful. He should get like an honorable mention. He was so sweet, but, and I have my Mexican, my taxi made my Mexican husband, but anyway, back to the moral of the story. But one of the things I always tell people, you can use dating apps, online dating apps, but use common sense number one. Number two, you should never go to anyone's house. We're not going to anyone's house. That's not what we're going to do. Number three, you don't need to meet me anywhere. Now, if I'm a little confused about the area, I will usually give them a hotel that's close to my hotel. And then I'll say, just meet me here. And that's how, you know, we'll meet up. Another thing that I suggest is looking at their social media handles. Everyone puts their life on social media, unfortunately, but also fortunately. So do not meet someone and the only like evidence that you have of them existing is their three outdated photos on Tinder. I always say, well, can I see your social media? Can I see your Facebook? And I do my research before we meet up. I'm going through your social media, your Instagram. I want to see if your mom's on there. Because if anything happens, I might need to message her and say, come get your crazy son. I don't know. So I just do all of my research and then I'm like, yeah, we can meet up. But if anyone's acting shiesty, if anyone's acting forceful, because if we're going to be transparent and honest, there are situations where guys might see that as an opportunity. They think, oh, she's a woman. So she's meek and I can take advantage of her. I will cut you. And excuse me, I almost did a little thread on life. But no, my whole thing is do your research and just make sure that you're safe. So when they start acting like forceful or too aggressive, then it's just like, we don't need to meet up. And never feel like you owe anyone anything. Because at the end of the day, even if this person, one of your future international husbands, like international base has said, I want to show you around. You don't owe him anything. You took the time out. I paid for the meal. We had great conversation, but I don't owe you anything. And just always stand on your ground. And that has worked for me. But I'm also five, 10, like 200 pounds. So I think they already know like she, I should not, you know, get too aggressive with that one. That's awesome. So what's the deal, Karina? Is it one husband per country, multiple husbands per country? What are we getting? One, what is one? We don't do things by the one here. No. Because it's, when I think of really enjoying myself, I try to take in as much as I can, right? And I always say, maybe my husband is probably somewhere abroad. He's probably enjoying himself somewhere, one of these African countries, right? So why would I limit myself? I'm here for 10 days. My husband, I cannot say, I will just have one husband here. What if this is not the one? And I've just wasted my entire trip thinking that you were the one, no. So just like I would date in the States until you're married or in a serious relationship, then you are single, enjoy your life. If three or four different guys in this country want to wine and dine me, and we're gonna get to have fun, let's have fun. And if the good thing too is if they annoy you, oh, I'm leaving tomorrow, by the way. So I will never see you again. And you don't owe them anything once again. Your friends are loving the husband story. Yeah, listen, because they've heard it before and it's so, it's so crazy because I'm like, I love my friends and my followers on social media. They're not even my followers, they're my friends because they live for my toxic lifestyle, my toxic traveling lifestyle. Hey, Emon, Emon is my friend that I actually met in Guatemala from a tour company. He's like a little brother to me too. So I don't just meet husbands. I meet little brothers, little sisters, big sisters, not just husbands, but the husbands are the one step. Yeah, no. This is, I mean, I know we're kind of having fun with the husband story, but this is an important topic when you are traveling as a solo, especially a solo female traveler, new country, new cultures, and you want to date and you want to meet people or just go and have meals with people and get to know them. This is important. I did see Karina that you have on your YouTube channel. Karina also has a YouTube channel Karina worldwide. She's got a video about this specific topic dating in Mexico, everything you need to know about dating in Mexico. So these are valuable tips if you are becoming a solo female traveler, take the time to check that one out. Right, and don't limit yourself to your native countries, to the men, or I don't know what your preference is, to the people in your native country. The world is so big and so diverse. There was a time where I would always say, if he's not black or rich or tall or funny, then he's not the guy for me. And then I moved to China and I realized there's not a lot of black people there or rich people or tall people. So then I started, you realize that a lot of the things that is on your checklist, it's superficial. And these people have great personalities and I was overlooking them because you were in my skin tone. So now listen, the moment I opened up my dating palettes. Okay. On point. Correct. Karina, I really enjoyed this conversation. How are we doing on time? I know that you have a lot going on. I can stay on for about three more minutes. Three more minutes and I have to go. Well, awesome. So if you guys have any questions for Karina, you can leave them in the comments here. We can talk, tackle them. So about your adventure or your trip that you are hosting in Ghana. So if anyone, let's say someone watching us today, they are interested in joining on that trip. Is that possible and how can they do that? So it is next week. So it would not be impossible. However, but yet I am going to start doing group travels in 2022. So the first trip will be to Kenya in July. So it's going to be July the 14th of the 22nd. And I'm going to get the information out to everyone in January. So just check on my website, the beginning of next year if you're interested in joining. I'm also going to be doing Tanzania. In September. And then I'll also be doing Mexico for Day of the Dead in November. And when it comes to group trips, one of the reasons why, number one, I was just like, I see a lot of people do want to travel with me and they travel like me and they, it's changing the dynamic of travel. For so long we were told like, you need luxury travel or you, and that's all fine. But I'm not a luxury traveler. I like to get in the mud. I like to have fun. I like to really like dig into like that cultural experience. So I'm noticing that there's an increase of people who are interested in traveling like me. So that gives me joy. But then also I'm only doing trips to places where I actually spend enough time to know the land and know the people there. Because I would hate to, you know, tell people, let's go on a trip and we spend our time on a resort. We don't do resorts over here, honey. That's not the type of trip for you. So in July we're doing Kenya. So we're doing nine days. So three days safari, it's like a camping experience which I did and I loved it. Three days safari, three days city in Nairobi. And then also we're doing three days at the beach. And then Tanzania, we're gonna do different cities and different areas in Tanzania. And then Mexico, we're doing day of the dead which is like their really big festival in Mexico City and Playa. So where I live, Playa del Carmen. So I'm super excited about that. And yeah, you guys stay tuned. If you're interested in joining, definitely hit me up on Instagram and I will add you to the list. And what's your website? Is it also karinaworldwide.com? Yes, everything is Karina Worldwide. YouTube is Karina Worldwide. Instagram, Karina Worldwide. TikTok, Karina Worldwide. I'm just one more. Oh no, and the website karinaworldwide.com, yes. Perfect, because I know that a lot of people, like you said, especially for people who are just new to traveling and they didn't build up the courage yet to go alone. And if they love the type of travel that you do, which is authentic traveling, traveling slow, seeing more of the place, engaging in tours with the locals, cooking. These are great adventures. So I'm sure that there will be a lot of people out there who might be interested in joining. Right, I hope so. And I'm all about culture immersion. And it's limited to what you can do, but if you can get a glimpse and it changed your life for the better as a traveler, then I'm all for it. Awesome, well, thank you so much, Karina. I laughed from the husband story. The tips that you shared are so useful and I'm really happy to have met you in person via this live stream. And thank you to everyone who joined us today, whether from trekking pals or from Karina Worldwide. Do you have any last thoughts, Karina? No, thank you so much, guys. And definitely, definitely follow me if you guys are interested in, you know, learning more about how I travel and my travel husband and my toxic travel lifestyle. It's not really toxic, I just say that. But then also, if I can leave one tip, my last tip for traveling is once again, just be mindful of how we are as travelers and just respect everyone. Everyone is a person. No matter where you're going, we're all people. We should be treated as such. And that's it. Awesome, well, thank you so much, Karina. It was lovely to talk to you. Have a great day. And hopefully, you can connect in the future. And I will be following your adventure in Ghana for sure. Oh, thank you. Bye. Bye, guys. Take care.