The DiverseTraveller.com team: meet Claire Fisher

May 14 2009 , Written by thediversetraveller Published on #"clare fisher" diverseTraveller diversetraveler "woman traveller" "woman traveler" interview facebook thailand Oxford "solo travel" "travel experience" travel traveler traveller woman, #DiverseTraveller.com - Women Who Travel, Write, Snap & Share

I manage Diverse Traveller with a small group of volunteers, such as today's interviewee Clare Fisher who joined Diverse Traveller in 2007. Since then Clare has been the administrator of the Diverse Traveller facebook group.

Diverse Traveller: Hi Claire, please tell us a little about yourself.

Clare: I currently work for Oxfam in Oxford. I live about a five minute walk away from there. I love to travel and am always trying to conjure up ideas of ways to work, travel the world and be paid for it.

Diverse Traveller: When did you go on holiday last? Where, how long for and who did you go with?

Clare: I went on holiday in January 2009 to Thailand. I find it was the best way to beat the January blues. It was my third time to Thailand. I have completely fallen in love with the country. This time I went for two and a half weeks. I travelled on my own for the first time.

Diverse Traveller: How did you feel about travelling alone?

Clare: My friends and I had gone to the same place last year and loved it so much we agreed to go back. However, lack of money and time got in the way, and I ended up being the only one who could afford to go back.

I just came home one night and pressed ‘buy’ on a flight. I have caught a plane many a times alone and travelled for the odd day to meet friends alone, but never for a whole holiday. I was nervous but also extremely excited about the whole experience.

Diverse Traveller: How much planning did you do, give us some examples (e.g. websites consulted, guidebooks taken, etc.)

Clare: I always think it’s good to have a back-up plan just in case things don't pan out as you think they will. I looked online for Thai language courses and yoga classes around the island and after various searches found some places. I then sent them emails and arranged the classes, without committing a deposit.

I love researching a trip, it’s all part of the excitement. I made notes in my Lonely Planet's island and beaches guide book. Thumbed down a few pages for reference for when I got to Thailand. However, that said, I did take this guide book out at the last minute to lighten my luggage, leaving me with just a piece of paper with a list of accommodation.

I always note down emergency numbers, contacts and embassy details before going on my travels.

Diverse Traveller: Give us some highlights of your travels to Thailand

Clare: I always write lists of things I want to do on holiday. One of them, for this trip, was trying Thai sweets and the second was learning Thai.

On my last night I realised I still hadn’t eaten any Thai sweets, so I dashed off to the Thai market. Once there I warily ate a bowl of what looked like and tasted like very sweet rice pudding only with sweet corn in it. It was surprisingly very very good. I also tried a purple, sweet potato concoction, something like a baked potato with sugar on top, which wasn’t as appealing.

Secondly learning Thai was incredibly interesting. Not only because I found it simple to learn (which owed more to my patient Thai teacher Noot, than my ability). This meant I could communicate a little with Thais. This lead to many a free tuk-tuk ride and everything at normal – Thai - prices. It goes to show a little language does go a long way.

Diverse Traveller: Give us some not so great things about your travels to Thailand.

Click here to read the rest of this interview.