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

{SOUND ON 🔈} Before I left Cape Town in March,

{SOUND ON 🔈} Before I left Cape Town in March, I shot my daily routine complete with my @Waterlesshaircare haircare routine. #Sponsored 💁🏼‍♀️ •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• While living in Cape Town, we experienced the largest drought-induced municipal water failure in modern history. • The community had to come together to massively reduce their water use — that included everything from washing our hands, to washing our hair and even flushing the toilet. • There was a conscious shift of mindset and huge conservation efforts throughout the country and, together, we overcame the crisis. • I vowed to bring that same water conservation mindset home with me. Since moving back to California, I take short showers (I only wash my hair every 4-5 days) and use Waterl<ss Dry Shampoo and Dry Conditioner in between. We save water from our showers to water plants. • And still flush our toilets less often ;) • Check out my blog for my posts on how to become a more water-conscious traveler, make your home more eco-friendly, and don't miss my NEW VIDEO — LINK IN BIO! •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #GoWaterless

Hi friends! 👋 •••••••••••

Hi friends! 👋 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Travel has been on my mind a lot lately, naturally. I've really struggled with staying put for such a long time — it's been almost a decade since I've stayed in one place this long! I feel like I’ve been stuck in limbo. I love feeling the comforts of my own home, but I also constantly feel the urge to get out of my comfort zone and to experience new things. I still haven’t left San Diego since we landed in California back in March. But, I'm planning some camping trips and little adventures within the US for later this summer. How are you guys feeling about travel right now? Have you thought about when, and where, your next trip might be? When do you think you’ll feel ok to travel internationally again? •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• I'd love to know what your thoughts are! xx

Celebrating Bailey's first birthday with @instinct

Celebrating Bailey's first birthday with @instinctpetfood 🐾🎂 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• I can't believe Bailey is all grow'd up 😢! Does anyone else treat their dog like a puppy for their entire lifetime? • Even though he'll always be our little fluff baby, part of becoming a "grown-up" dog means reassessing their food so it’s the right fit for an adult dog — enter raw dog food. It's full of real ingredients (that you can actually pronounce!), never cooked, minimally processed, and nutrient-dense. • With our on-the-go lifestyle, it's important to us that we're always able to give Bailey the best food, and with Instinct Raw Freeze-Dried Meals, he can have the benefits of raw food in a dry form that won't spoil. It's the best of both worlds! • Whether you want to use Freeze-Dried Raw Meals to incorporate into your pup's diet by sprinkling on top of their current food, or do a full raw swap, it's a healthy and delicious upgrade! • As part of the launch of Instinct Raw Freeze-Dried Meals, Instinct donated 500,000 meals to @feedingamerica for their #instinctmealsformeals campaign! •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #instinctraw #ad

@goodbaileyboy turns one tomorrow! 🐶🎂 ••

@goodbaileyboy turns one tomorrow! 🐶🎂 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• I’ve spent the entire day going through thousands of photos and videos of this little guy and have cried my eyes out. We brought Bailey home as a tiny puppy and it’s been one of the biggest highlights of my life to watch him grow. He’s scootered through Cape Town, camped all over Western South Africa, flown 10,242 miles to California, and surfed in the Pacific Ocean. That’s one BIG first year of life and we promise to continue to spoil him with love and adventure! We truly don’t deserve dogs. Their unconditional, unrelenting love is extraordinary. We love you Bagel-dee-BOOP! •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #capetown #southafrica

Travel. An obvious privilege. 🌏 •••••

Travel. An obvious privilege. 🌏 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• But how it ties into ‘white privilege’ is something that has become top of mind. • One of the most common questions I get is “aren’t you scared to travel alone?” • But what if that question was tied to the color of my skin? • A recent post by my friend @GloGraphics highlighted a reality for many Black travelers – the assumption that, based on the color of their skin, they must be something more sinister than simply a tourist. Not just a curious explorer, but a threat. • That is a reality. • My inability to know what that’s like is a privilege. • One of my biggest realizations over the past couple of weeks is that my privilege not only benefits me in the blogging and travel industry, but it has given me a leg up in almost EVERYTHING in my life. • I have been a loud, vocal advocate for women in travel. But how can I claim my blog to be a resource “For all women, by women” without a single article written from the Black female perspective? • I have focused my inclusivity around “all women” but have written about the world solely through the white female lens. • Now, I am looking inward at the subconscious internal biases I’ve had, the implications of my actions (or inactions), and what I can do to fix them. • One immediate action is to actively seek and share the perspective of the Black female travel community throughout my blog. That means editing a LOT of existing content to include the voices of BIPOC. • And because I know that it’s not my place to speak as an authority for Black female travelers, you can expect to see regular links to existing blogs and other resources. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• I'd love to continue the conversation in the comments. Please share something you've learned these past couple weeks and how you are taking action! 🖤

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