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

There is so much more to say and do than an IG pos

There is so much more to say and do than an IG post. But this is where I start. • I am with you. And I am lending my voice. I’ve spent the past week listening and digesting. Researching and learning. I wanted to wait to share until I could express myself properly, with integrity and a willingness to help through action. It is a privilege to turn off right now and stay quiet. This is about standing up for what is right. And taking a stand against what is and has been so blatantly wrong and broken for hundreds of years. I am looking inward and doing a lot of uncomfortable self-realization. Prejudice is in the subconscious, even when we think we are ‘not racist.’ It’s time for us to be ‘anti-racist.’ We need to have difficult conversations with our peers about bias and bigotry. The systemic and overt racism toward Black Americans is something I will never experience first hand. And that’s exactly why we cannot look away and pretend it does not exist. We cannot submerge ourselves in the horrors of the injustice, become numb, and then walk away. We need to refuse to accept any form of racism to have the potential to become even a small part of the solution. How to Take Action: - Sign the petition @colorofchange (text FLOYD to 55156) - Donate to causes like @colorofchange and @naacp - VOTE!!! for leaders with dignity that do not tolerate prejudice or racism - Educate yourself on the history of white supremacy and racism (I will share resources in my IG stories) - Don’t turn away when things get uncomfortable George Floyd’s death was a brutal symbol of the oppression of Black Americans and BIPOC that our justice system fails every day. But he and the other innocent men, women and children who we have failed are not symbols—they were people. My privilege is that I can only imagine. It doesn’t come close to living in a system that fails me and my community every day. “Do not condemn a people’s response to pain you’ve never had to feel. Do not condemn a fight that you are not a part of.” - @ElaineWelteroth Listen and be part of the change. • Image credit (in order of slides): 2. @celestecclark 3. @morganharpernichols 4. @cleowade 5. @brandychieco

We bought a home! 🏡 •••••••••

We bought a home! 🏡 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• This time has brought so much uncertainty and I’ve never felt the importance of “home” more. I’ve been living out of a suitcase for the better part of a decade. While we still have our apartment in Cape Town, the reality of us returning to live there full-time just isn’t in the cards anytime soon. When we flew to the US from South Africa in March, we didn’t have plans of staying. But, with @meyer.swanna and I being different nationalities, the complexities of our future (especially since getting engaged) started weighing on us. We made the BIG decision to plant our roots in San Diego and have spent the last 2 weeks slowly adjusting to a very new chapter in our lives. When we saw this adorable 1920’s Tudor house for sale, it was love at first sight. We literally didn’t view a single other house. (I guess when you know you know!) Buying a nearly 100 year old home is not for the faint of heart—we have a lot of projects in store (including the obvious lack of landscaping). But, we have never felt more at home and are SO in love with how much character and coziness this house has. It’s a totally new direction I didn’t see coming in my life, but I’m so so happy and I can’t wait to share more as “The Blonde Domestic” over the coming months. I‘m wearing my lemon outfit that I wore almost exactly one year ago in Italy. It was too perfect for the current “when life gives you lemons” situation we’re all in. I hope you’re all making lemonade right now... or better yet, limoncello 🥰 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #sandiego #homesweethome #newhome #tudor #firsthome

Anyone using this time to give their hair a break

Anyone using this time to give their hair a break from hot tools? 🙅🏼‍♀️🔥 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #Sponsored Last week, I shared some of my tips for growing longer, healthier hair and my haircare routine — reducing the frequency of washing your hair and using less heat will do wonders for your hair’s health. My hair is very straight and doesn’t hold a curl, so I have to get creative with ways to style it. I’m sharing my favorite go-to hairstyles for traveling, when I don’t have access to heating tools, or when I just want to save my hair from the heat — these styles hold better when your hair is a little “dirty” anyways, so I use a touch of @WaterlessHaircare’s dry shampoo and dry conditioner to soak up the oils and hydrate my locks on those no-wash days. From braids to buns, I've rounded up some of my favorite no-heat styles on the blog! >>LINK IN BIO<< •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #GoWaterless

One of my favorite adventures of 2019 🐪 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Canyoning the Siq Trail at Wadi Mujib in Jordan was SO much fun! On our @tbaescapes “Ancient Wonders” tour in Jordan last year, we floated, climbed and slid our way up and down waterfalls through this slot canyon. It definitely isn’t an experience for the faint of heart and you can count on a few bruises and scrapes after a long day of exploring! But, looking back on days like these, it make me miss my all-female tours more than ever... conquering fears together, sharing in the laughter and thrill of new experiences and, of course, discovering far-flung destinations with new friends. SWIPE for some @GoPro evidence that I’m an official “woo girl” and for some BTS of the fun! 😂 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #tbaescapes #jordan #gopro

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