About

The Blonde Abroad is the go-to website for solo and female travel around the world-- for all women, by women.

Meet The

Blonde

Abroad

Hi, I’m Kiki, a California native, who left my career in corporate wealth management six years ago to embark on a summer of soul searching that would change the course of my life forever.

My Favorite Beach

Like many people, I was taught to go to college, get a job, get married, have kids and live happily ever after. Not once did I consider that chasing the societal idea of “success” would lead me to an unfulfilling and unhappy life. Back in 2011, I took a hiatus from my career and spent 3 months traveling through Australia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Bali and New Zealand and experienced the empowerment of solo travel for the first time.

Since embarking on that first world tour, I've spent the past 6 years sharing my personal journey and travel tips on this website with women around the world. I have traveled to over 70 countries and now split my home base between California and Cape Town, South Africa. READ MY FULL STORY

Favorite Destinations For:

Nature
South Africa, Iceland, Namibia, Vietnam, Australia, Hawaii, Belize
Wildlife
Galapagos, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Indonesia
Beaches
Seychelles, British Virgin Islands, California, Greece, Costa Rica, French Polynesia, Maldives, Indonesia
Sailing / Cruising
Croatia, Italy, Greece, British Virgin Islands, Seychelles, Sardinia, Corsica, European River Cruise
Photography
Iceland, Bolivia, Morocco, Indonesia, Jordan, South Africa
Scuba Diving
Indonesia, Mexico, Maldives, Belize, Panama
Luxury
French Polynesia, Seychelles, Kenya, Maldives, Cruises
Skiing / Snowboarding
Whistler, Mont Tremblant, Austria, Park City

The Most Remote Place I've Been

My Biggest Adrenaline rush

MY happy Place

“

I hope to inspire you to live a life you love

Silk pillowcase, compression socks, bikini, camera, passport

Favorite Destinations For:

Food
Bali, Croatia, Thailand, South Africa, Mexico, Japan
Culture
Thailand, Brazil, China, Vietnam, Spain, Turkey
History
Jordan, Cambodia, Peru, China, Italy, Czech Republic
Adventure
Bolivia, New Zealand, Hawaii, USA, Canada
Shopping
Tokyo, Bali, Morocco, Rome, Istanbul
Road Trips
California, UK, Bolivia, Iceland, Namibia
A Girls' Trip
Tokyo, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Palm Springs, The Yacht Week
Nightlife
Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Berlin, New York, Tokyo, London, Amsterdam

That one Time I ate rotten...

Most incredible hotel I've ever stayed in

Where I’ve Been

71

Countries Traveled

500

Flights Boarded

989,690

Miles Flown

View All Destinations

Instagram

Little Lion Man 🦁🇿🇦 •••••••

Little Lion Man 🦁🇿🇦 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Adventures around Cape Town with @goodbaileyboy are the best! The mountain behind us is called Lion’s Head and is one of the most iconic landmarks (and hiking spots) in the city. I personally think sunrise is the best time to hike it! For sunset, some of favorite spots are: • Signal Hill • Table Mountain • Chapman’s Peak • Maiden’s Cove • The Sea Point Promenade • From the sea looking back at the city (either by kayak or catamaran!) •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #capetown #signalhill #southafrica #weeklyfluff #cockapoo

#Sponsored Many of you have heard about the water

#Sponsored Many of you have heard about the water crisis in Cape Town that hit international news in 2018. Living here, I saw firsthand the crisis we were in as we neared “Day Zero” — we cut our water use drastically. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• It's truly amazing when people, communities, and companies come together to support one another in times of crisis. During this time, I learned about @WaterlessHaircare —it was born in Cape Town, during the water crisis, with the idea of providing high-quality hair care products that didn't require a drop of water! They've created my favorite dry shampoo that smells amazing, a dry conditioner that leaves my hair silky-smooth (say what?!), hair mists and styling products —all-around haircare that doesn't require you to use a drop of water. To help reduce my water use, I take short showers and I only wash my hair every 3-4 days (and use dry shampoo in between)! A company that is focusing on conservation like this is a company I can get behind. I want to encourage everyone to reduce their water consumption, no matter where you live and try to spend less time in the shower! Products like these help the environment and actually work (even on my fine, perpetually oily hair). Check out my LINK IN BIO and my Stories to learn more about this company and my fave products that are available in the US. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #gowaterless

Three years of you 💙 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Just after I had moved to Cape Town, I met Meyer and began the biggest adventure of my life. A lot of you have asked (famous last words on IG...I know lol!!!) how we met—short and sweet—it was in a coffee shop. Then I asked him on our first date. BOOM! He’s 6’6” and I’m 5’9.” He played professional rugby in Treviso, Italy for 5 years and had just retired and returned to Cape Town when we met. He speaks Italian, Afrikaans and English. We both LOVE food, but are pretty much complete opposites with everything else lol. He’s my biggest supporter and cares so deeply for the people in his life. I’m a very lucky girl! Thank you for loving me, @meyerofcapetown ❤️ Jy is my gunsteling mens •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• PS feel free to ask questions about us in the comments! x

Into the Mist ☁️🌿 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• One of the best parts of staying at @sanctuaryretreats Gorilla Forest Camp was getting the opportunity to spend time in the local community. I know a lot of us try to travel deeper (to avoid the paved ‘tourist’ route so to speak) when we are in a new destination. One of the complexities with this when traveling the African continent is that a lot of people want this version of “Africa” that feels authentic, but might not actually be. While it’s exciting to get to learn more about the people and places we visit, it’s also important to recognize when our own self-interest might make others feel like a spectacle. It might sound cool to ‘grab a beer with the locals’ or to tour a local village, but does it really support the people that need our tourism dollars most? In Bwindi, most people come to trek to see the gorillas. The regulations and permit fees are high to ensure that these endangered species are protected and that there are funds going back into conservation. However, there are so many complexities with conservation and human-animal conflict. One being the displacement of the hunter-gatherer Batwa Pygmy people that lived in the forest for generations. They now live in the community, but for many years, suffered greatly. We were fortunate to get to visit some of the few remaining Batwa, as well as many other incredible organizations, where we could put our money directly into the hands of the people that need it most. Organizations like the Women’s Bicycle Project and @ride4awoman are bringing sustainable changes and empowering women through education, job creation and micro-financing. The local hospital that started as a clinic in 2003 now provides care to over 100,000 people. I won’t pretend to know everything about Bwindi, but our experience was wonderfully full of hope for both the wildlife and community that’s been positively impacted by eco-tourism—something that’s not easy to do. I hope you keep this in mind during your travels and support local initiatives whenever possible! •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #sanctuaryretreats #uganda #bwindi #bwindiimpenetrableforest

Sanctuary 🌿🍃 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Staying at @sanctuaryretreats Gorilla Forest Camp was a dream come true. Located inside the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda, we’d wake up each morning to the rain and an eternal green horizon. We’d have our favorite coffees brought to our tent with our wake up call and would enjoy a slow morning on the porch listening to birds and watching monkeys swing through the canopies. Each night at the main lodge, after a delicious dinner, we’d cozy around the bon fire sipping Amarula and hot chocolate. We came for the the gorilla trekking and got so much more—it was the perfect refuge in one of the most beautiful places on Earth! •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #uganda #bwindi #bwindiimpenetrableforest #sanctuaryretreats #gorillaforestcamp

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