Thursday

Sharon Bijo of Geneva SWITZERLAND

21. Featured Traveller 

Sharon Bijo
Journalist : Editor-in-Chief : Traveller 



(Geneva, SWITZERLAND)
                               
Travel where your heart leads you. We grow from our journeys no matter what they are; all of them have secret destinations that we're not aware of.  that's what makes them exciting!”


No matter how busy Sharon is in travelling and blogging, she still finds time responding to our request for an interview so that this blog can share her journey.  At the time of writing, Sharon is in Israel.  It is not her first.

She'd been visiting the country a lot of times and she blogged about her trip on all her destinations for the information of the travelling public.

Sharon tends to travel with her entire closet stuffed in suitcases. Not anymore! She realizes that it is not worth the back pain.  Her advice to fellow travellers is to pack only the essentials; enough clothes to look great on photos.  Travel light, that is!

She revealed her travelling secrets for you, our readers, and for those who may be interested.  You may continue connecting with her through the information we provided at the end of her travel story.

Flag of Switzerland 

 * * * * *
The Interview:
What is your favourite country/city/town of destination?
Torino, ITALY
It’s hard for me to choose one favorite country after having visited so many. I’ve been traveling since I was five months old when I boarded a plane for the first time to Rome, Italy.  Since then, I can’t get enough of trotting around the globe. Every country has a story, sometimes happy, sometimes sad. I think what makes a country your favourite are the memories you create in it. If I am to choose one country from the long list I’ve visited, I’ll say Thailand, for its rich culture, warm people and great scenery. I’ve been there several times and have visited Phuket, Bangkok, Koh Samui and Chiang Mai.

Can you share with us the countries you have travelled before?
The list is so long! I was born and raised in Asia, in Taipei Taiwan. I’ve traveled throughout the Asian continent, particularly in: China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos and Vietnam.
Since I live in Switzerland, I have the opportunity to travel throughout Europe. It’s great living there because you can travel from anywhere in 3 hours or less. I’ve been to the UK, France, throughout Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Turkey over 8 times, Austria and Luxembourg.
Geneva SWITZERLAND
I’ve also been several times to the United States and spent a couple of months recently in New York City. It has been a great experience!  Most people have a love-hate relationship with the city – either they can’t get enough of it or either they can’t wait to leave. I love NYC and go back whenever I get a chance. 

I’ve been countless times to Panama as well. It’s such a beautiful country with one of the nicest population’s I’ve ever encountered. Food is also great there! 

Israel is a home away from home.  I make frequent trips to the holy land, the Promised Land. Majority of the Israelis are warm and friendly.  Security is tight though.  So be ready to open your bag for inspection when asked.


What are the countries in your WishList to be visited in the future?
Even if I’ve travelled extensively across North America, Europe and Asia, I’ve never been to Africa nor South America. If I have to come up with a travel bucket list, I’d add Brazil, Croatia, South Africa, Tanzania, Australia, India and New Zealand to the list.
I also love a relaxing vacation on the beach, disconnected from the world. I think the perfect destinations for such travel would be Maldives and Bora Bora, which are the locations that I hope to visit in the near future.

What transport you prefer to use to go around your destination?
Believe it or not, I’m terrified of airplanes. I hate the feeling of being stuck in a flying tin can for hours, crammed into seats with a million passengers. But even so, I love the feeling of arriving to my destination and looking at the gorgeous landscape from the airplane window. I mostly travel by airplane because I tend to travel to faraway destinations, however, when I’m in Europe, I travel a lot by car as well. Everything is so close – Milan, Italy is only a 4-hour drive away!  

Recently, I also drove to Turin, Italy for the day. It was a beautiful 3h30 drive where I got the opportunity to travel through three countries in less than one hour (Switzerland, France and Italy).
When I arrive to my destination, I take either taxis or local transportation, depending on their quality and safety. 

Can you give some tips that you want to share with our fellow travellers?
Try to speak to as many locals as you can while travelling. Begin talking with people even when you’re boarding the airplane. Travel guidebooks and online sources will often send you to tourist traps. The only way to get the real, authentic experiences is through the locals. Who can know better the secret gems of a city than a native?

Would you share with us other information about yourself?
I was born and raised in Taipei Taiwan. Growing up in Asia was amazing. People from all countries surrounded me given that I attended the American school in Taipei until I moved to Switzerland at the age of 8. I didn’t go back in 14 years until this summer, where I had the opportunity to go back to my roots. 

I speak 4 languages fluently: English, French, Spanish and Hebrew and can manage well in German. I’m currently learning Brazilian Portuguese as well and plan on learning Mandarin in the future.  Knowing so many languages enriches my travels, given that I can talk to pretty much anyone. I think knowing so many languages helps to grow as a person ~ you can create strong bonds with people from around the world and constantly learn from the people you meet. There is no longer a language barrier. 
All of my travels are full of adventures. 

Recently, in Taiwan, we were driving from one city to another and our car broke down in the middle of a dump. It was hilarious at first, then terrifying, but we finally reached our destination 6 hours later full of great memories. I never knew one could learn so much about a country from a trashcan.
I am a freelance journalist and the founder of The Worldwider while still completing my double-bachelor at university. I’m double-majoring in Business Management and Media Communications and minoring in Journalism. Having such a polyvalent degree has opened several doors for me and has helped me break through the journalism world. I founded my online magazine The Worldwider in March 2012 to develop my journalism work as well as to give a voice to those who wouldn’t have one otherwise.

 Furthermore, my ultimate goal through my magazine is to create an online traveller community and help spread the word about the secret jewels hidden around the globe.

The Worldwider is created as an online source for travel inspiration, worldwide culture and global experiences. We also feature inspiring photography from around the world, tips to become a better traveller, as well as recipes from different cultures. We have contributors from the four corners of the globe and are looking to expand even more!


* * * * *

Are you a traveller who would like to share your travel story with our blog and our readers?  Then, I'd love to hear from you! 
Please email me at fromatravellersdesk@gmail.com

Related Blogs:
Featured Traveller #1 Norman from Phoenix Arizona USA
Featured Traveller #2 Macit from Istanbul TURKEY
Featured Traveller #3 Aida from Manila PHILIPPINES
Featured Traveller #5 Marie from Sydney AUSTRALIA
Featured Traveller #6 ChrisKo from Vienna AUSTRIA 
Featured Traveller #7 Jeff from Winnipeg Manitoba CANADA  
Featured Traveller #8 Noreen from Cologne GERMANY 
Featured Traveller #9 Armie from Manila PHILIPPINES 
Featured Traveller #10 Nelieta from Cordoba ARGENTINA
Featured Traveller #11 Bojo from Quezon City PHILIPPINES
Featured Traveller #12 Esmat from Kabul AGHANISTAN
Featured Traveller #14 Jeroen from Hoogeveen The NETHERLANDS
Featured Traveller #15 Angel from Iloilo City PHILIPPINES
Featured Traveller #16 Zara from Kuala Lumpur MALAYSIA
Featured Traveller #17 Kwan from Bangkok THAILAND
Featured Traveller #18 Jorn Eriksson from Oslo NORWAY
Featured Traveller #19 Cecille from Glasgow SCOTLAND
Featured Traveller #20 Marysia from Warsaw POLAND
Featured Traveller #22 Wesam from Baghdad IRAQ   
Featured Traveller #23 MoeAmine from Algiers ALGERIA
Featured Traveller #24 Ruxandra Ioana from Brussels BELGIUM
Featured Traveller #25 Darwin from Rizal PHILIPPINES
Featured Travellers #26 HiOporto from Oporto PORTUGAL
Featured Traveller #27 Drew from Seoul SOUTH KOREA
Featured Traveller #28 Steven from Lowestoft ENGLAND
Featured Traveller #29 Anje from Knysna SOUTH AFRICA
Featured Traveller #30 MichaelJ from California USA
Featured Traveller #31 Phebe from Singapore City SINGAPORE
Featured Traveller #32 Brad from Georgia USA
Featured Traveller #33 Antonis from Athens GREECE
Featured Traveller #34 Julio from California USA
Featured Traveller #35 Himanshu from New Delhi INDIA
Featured Traveller #36 Jessica from Oregon USA
Featured Traveller #38 Omar from Casablanca MOROCCO
Featured Traveller #39 Keith from Singapore SINGAPORE
Featured Traveller #40 Kellen from Shanghai CHINA
Featured Traveller #41 Hanne from Cochabamba BOLIVIA

Watch for these blogs! 
They all have been travelling for many years and I can guarantee that all of them have travel tips that all of us can learn and benefit from.  I have to thank all other fellow travellers who have responded to my invite.  I will definitely publish your stories as soon as I have completed the details.

14 comments:

  1. You are really lucky Sharon; you have visited almost every country, except a few of them. I read your another blogs too, fantastic description of your every trip is luring enough to travel the mentioned destinations. Thanks for sharing your valuable experience.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I totally agree with your views. Sharon's travels are inspiring!
      Thank you for dropping some lines Pamela.

      Delete
    2. Thanks Pamela for your comment!

      Delete
  2. very nice post and interesting to read...
    I love visit this blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Obat for your visit. I appreciate your time reading and leaving good words on my blog.

      Delete
  3. try to visit Bhutan my friend. I Promise you wont be disappointed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Sonam for your invitation. I am sure Bhutan has its own unique qualities as a tourist destination. I admire you for being so proud of your place. Will be checking on that.

      Delete
  4. Travelling is fun. Almost everyone likes it. But not everyone has the opportunity. I am one of them. Thanks for sharing all this informations

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your views.
      Our featured travellers' experiences is always inspiring.
      The virtual tour of their journey are useful information for fellow travellers and learning opportunity for some.

      Delete
  5. SO nicely you have put on the information. Sharon Bijo of geneva has extensive knowledge about traveling and blogging. she is a wonderful wrtier.. . best regards for her.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for dropping some lines. It is nice to know that readers like you appreciate our piece of information. I am sure Sharon will be happy when she reads your comments.

      Delete
    2. Thank you so much for your kind words! I really appreciate it. I'm glad I could be of some help :) Please follow our website http://theworldwider.net for more articles!

      Delete
  6. amazing...
    i like travelling lot :)
    http://almostwin.blogspot.in

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for reading and leaving comments.
      Happy travels.

      Delete

If you liked what you read, we encourage you to leave a comment. We welcome all comments that are useful to all members and followers and will benefit the readers. Remember, you are a traveller and this is your blog.

Anonymous commenters and/or comments with commercial links will not be published.

For sensitive issues, I would appreciate your sending an email.