How I travel the world for free

A trader by day, a writer by night - Fin24 user Hasmita Nair tells how she can live her life's passions, with all expenses paid.

I’ve always been passionate about travel, saving every last cent I had to go on one international trip a year.

I’d do my research thoroughly, looking through hundreds of hotel websites and reading countless Trip Advisor reviews before finding “the one”.

Often, friends and family would ask me for travel recommendations, and instead of repeating myself, I decided to create an online portal which they could access.

I figured a blog was the easiest way to do this, so two years ago I decided to start a travel blog - a virtual scrapbook of showcasing my passion.

I found time to update it in my free time, which I didn’t have much of, working full-time as a trader in the treasury department of one of the world’s largest mining companies. My actuarial science background left little room for creativity, and although I always did enjoy reading, I’d never actually written until then.
 
When not travelling, I was exploring Jozi - all its hotspots and restaurants, and so I decided to call my blog Jozilicious.

I shared my foodie finds, blogged about my holidays, and let people know if there was anything they simply had to do in Jozi. I advertised my blog posts on my personal Facebook and Twitter accounts, and started out with about 20 views a day. I’m now on 2 000.

The blog grew slowly but steadily. Whenever anyone would google the newest restaurant on the Jozi scene, my blog would come up in the top 10 results. I started writing (without compensation) for Getaway magazine’s blog, and included a link to my own blog at the end, which also helped to drive traffic.

I hadn’t yet realised any “perks” from my blog, but six months after starting it, I decided to try my luck and reached out to a few hotels to see if they would host me in return for a series of blog posts on my site.

I emailed a luxury 5 star hotel in Mozambique, almost laughing it off as I hit “send”, thinking that there was no way  a hotel like that would be interested in hosting a relatively unknown blogger.

I got an email the next week from the hotel’s local PR agency, saying that they’d love to host myself and a partner, and could I send our passport details so they could book flights. I was over the moon.
 
Up to this point, all my photos were taken on my phone or Sony Cybershot camera. I realised that readers place huge emphasis on visual content, so I bought a Nikon D5100 SLR camera. My husband, who works in investment banking, and I enrolled in a photography school, him becoming the better photographer.

I started getting invited to launches of hotels, spas and restaurants as media, which allowed me to network with other media.

At the beginning of this year, I was offered my own Jozilicious bimonthly page in the Life supplement of the Sunday Independent newspaper, covering the same content as the blog.

Gauteng Tourism also asked me if I’d write for their blog. And just like that, I became a freelance journalist in my spare time, while my husband’s photography became print quality. I’d spend the afternoon trading dollars and watching the market on my Bloomberg screen at work, then come home, turn on the right hand side of my brain and write.

I’m now at a stage where I’m offered more press trips, which are all expenses holidays for myself and a partner, than I have time to take. Last year, we spent December in a hilltop villa in Seychelles, with our own private swimming pool and dedicated butler.



Earlier this year, I had planned to go to Paris, Madrid and Barcelona in my personal capacity. I decided I would write a “Best of Paris” story, and got hosted accommodation at the best hotel in Paris - a 5 star hotel on Champs Elysees. We ate at Michelin starred restaurants, enjoyed spa treatments - all for “research” purposes, not paying a cent.

I also got approached by a luxury cruise line, who wanted to know if I’d like to extend my European trip and go on a Mediterranean cruise through the Italian Riviera, ending in Monaco. I took three days of unpaid leave and my husband and I had the time of our lives, eating and drinking to our heart’s content.

We enjoyed three weeks in Europe, living like the rich and famous.

If this blog has taught me anything, it’s that opportunities don’t just fall into your lap. You have to make some effort. Once you network, contact people influential to your passion, and do a little bit of work yourself, you’ll be rewarded abundantly.

Also, when you’re passionate about something, putting in the hours to make it a success feels less like work and more like a hobby.

I often get asked if I would ever quit my job and write full-time. While I probably could make a living off blog advertising campaigns and freelance writing, I wouldn’t give up on my love for analytics and numbers. The busier I am, the happier I am, so for now the double life is working out well for me.

The opportunities for bloggers are endless, especially in South Africa, where marketing and PR companies are only just starting to realise the value of online media.

You can start a blog about anything from motherhood to fitness. Just identify what you’re passionate about, then visit www.blogger.com or www.wordpress.com to set up your blog, which is really easy, even for the technology challenged.

Build a readership among family and friends, and soon enough word will spread. Go to as many events relevant to your blog as possible, and don’t be shy to go up to people you follow on Twitter and introduce yourself. The more people who know what you do, the greater your chances of success.

More than anything, just be yourself. It’s very easy to tell when a blogger is not authentic, and reader credibility is the cornerstone of any blog.

Follow Hasmita on Twitter @hasmita.

- Fin24

* This is a Fin24 user submission. Add your voice to our Women's Wealth Issue and help empower others this Women's Month.

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