Today on the Nomad Files we are joined Megan Jerrard of Mapping Megan. Megan was actually one of the first blogs I ever followed when I first joined Twitter and is constant source of inspiration. Megan is seen by many travel bloggers as an industry leader so it is an honour to have the chance to interview her. It also helps that I love hearing the stories from fellow Aussies, so please welcome Megan.
Hi Megan, so when did you discover that you were a travel fiend and what was the influencing factor?
I discovered I was a travel fiend in 2007 when I took off on a 12 month Gap Year to the UK inbetween high school and university. I worked as a boarding school assistant and had 17 weeks break to discover and explore the whole of Europe.
The influencing factors for me were adventure, excitement and the escape of monotony. I realized seeing the world in living colour far surpassed settling for watching it on a television screen. This trip made me realize that I wanted to actually feel, taste and experience the world instead of settling for the version I was reading in books.
Do you have a particular song/video/poem/quote that particularly inspires you to travel?
Absolutely – “I lived” by “One Republic”
The lyrics really speak to me about the reason I’m travelling, and about life in general.
“Hope when the moment comes, you’ll say; I, I did it all. I, I did it all. I owned every second that this would could give, I saw so many places, the things that I did. With every broken bone, I swear I lived.”
Can you let us in on a secret? What is one discovery you have made through your travels that was truly ‘the road less travelled’?
Easter Island was easily one of our favourite destinations, and we were surprised that it truly did qualify as a “roads less travelled” . Even though it’s one of the most remote island destinations on earth, a small part of us had still expected it to be overrun with tourism and ruined by too many crowds, though to our immense pleasure we found the island to be just as isolated and remote as we had hoped, and the experience truly lived up to its hype as a magical and mysterious destination off the beaten path.
What did you do there and why should I visit?
We witnessed firsthand the famous monumental statues (called moai), created by the early Rapa Nui people. These statues are spotted all around the island, though the most famous sites on the island include Ahu Tongariki, Rano Raraku, Anakena Beach and Orongo crater.
The island is fairly small in size, and you can reach all points of the island fairly quickly via car. We rented quad bikes and enjoyed blitzing around the Seculded Island to reach each of these famous sites.
You should visit because I don’t expect it will stay untouched by tourism for very long – with the accessibility of travel become more and more, people are soon going to realize how special the destination is and I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes constantly overrun with tourists and crowds in the near future.
What took you there and how did you find out about it?
Easter Island has always been on my bucket list of destinations I wanted to experience in my lifetime; we were already in South America and playing around with different flight paths to get to Europe – we realized it was only a few extra hundred dollars to tack on a week stopover in Easter Island, so we thought why not!
Perfect reasoning in my book! Tell me about the food. Was it different to anything you’d experienced before?
We were really impressed by the food on Easter Island – it’s expensive for South America, though the prices are similar to what you would expect from eating out in the US. There is a lovely selection of restaurants on the main strip in town, and these restaurants offer all different types of international cuisine. We had thought it would have been difficult to get a good meal being in such a remote location, but this wasn’t the case at all.
The best thing about the food here was that we found the island and their restaurants to be very gluten free friendly – Mike has an intolerance to gluten which can often prove to be difficult when travelling, though the restaurants on Easter Island were fantastic and really catered to him.
What was the culture like? Did you have much interaction with the locals?
We interacted with locals when we would head into town, and everyone was very friendly, welcoming, and very kind. The town was just like what you would expect from any Oceanside beach town – there were surfers, the atmosphere was very relaxed and chilled out – we really enjoyed the laid back environment.
Beyond the things to visit, do you have any tips on how one might best experience this place?
Spend a full week and don’t organize tours until you get there. Exploring by yourself and at your own pace is very easy to do, and I highly recommend this as an option than booking onto group tours.
Rent a car or a bike and take your time to enjoy everything the island has to offer!
Changing lanes a little now, think of your favourite big city. Can you share with us one hidden secret or discovery in this city that people would likely skip past unless they knew about it?
When visiting Sydney, climbing the Sydney harbour bridge is one of the best experiences the city has to offer, and means you’ll be greeted with unbeatable views over the city.
Though the bridge climb is relatively expensive – for those traveling on a budget, crossing the bridge on foot is free and offers just as spectacular views and photo opportunities.
Can you recommend any of your favourite travel blogs to other readers? (up to 3)
Absolutely – I’m in love with Kellie Netherwood’s photography at Destination Unknown, as with Anna Kate’s photography at The Legendary Adventures of Anna. And I love the eco stories and articles on responsible travel which are always popping up on Green Global Travel.
I do have a huge list of my favourite blogs though on my Blog Roll if you’re looking for some extra reading material!
Last question, where do you live on the internet and social media for people to come visit?
We’re on all of the fun Social Medias! Come and find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram also. And obviously, head on over to our website at http://www.mappingmegan.com/ for the latest and best in adventure travel from all around the world!
Megan Jerrard Bio
Megan is an Australian Journalist, and the founder and Senior Editor of Mapping Megan – an award-winning adventure travel blog bringing you the latest in adventure travel from all over the globe.
With the main aim of inspiring others to embark on their own worldwide adventure, Megan and husband Mike believe travel has the potential to inspire change in people, and in turn inspire change in the world. They embraced travel as a lifestyle in 2007, and are dedicated to documenting their journey and observations through entertaining, candid articles and brilliant photography.
Adrenalin junkies and incredibly active travellers, from mountain biking the most dangerous road in the world (Bolivia), to skydiving over the Swiss Alps and summiting Mt Kilimanjaro, there is no mountain too high, and no fete too extreme! They haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on their list.
If you would like to be a part of the Nomad Files, send me an email to nomad@antitravelguides.com, and we’ll get started.
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Thanks for featuring us in your nomad files! Hope you have the opportunity to visit Easter Island soon!!
You’re more than welcome Megan. Thanks so much for sharing!