GTG: How a 21-Year-Old Opened a Hostel In Hanoi

21 year old Rezma, Londoner-turned-Hanoi expat and business owner.

Rezma Rahman was moving up in the network television world in London before she decided to put everything on hold to open a business. In Vietnam. With absolutely no experience. Now she’s running one of Hanoi’s most well-loved and successful hostels, See You at Lily’s, all before the age of 22. The young entrepreneur has a lot of good stuff to say about the challenges of running your own business, what makes a good home away from home, and following your dreams.

GGG: Welcome to Go! Girl Guides! First off, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how and why you started traveling? And how in the world did you decide you wanted to start a hostel?

I am 21 years old, from East London, and I guess I have always traveled? I traveled with my parents in the summers growing up, so it just became part of our lifestyle. When I was old enough, I decided to travel alone. Staying in so many hostels over the years I wanted a place to share with other travelers!

I had so many jobs back in London. I worked in TV, I worked in bars, I worked in cafés and restaurants. I adored my jobs in TV. I worked as a casting assistant, third assistant director, and a floor runner…Read on at Go! Girl Guides…

#TBT 1: Patagonia’s Fragile Forests

In December 2011, nearly 40,000 acres of the Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, Chile, were destroyed

Visiting a Mosque during Ramadan: Borneo’s Kota Kinabalu City Mosque

If you’re adventure-travel oriented, Borneo might be your one stop in Malaysia, and Malaysia the only Muslim country on your Southeast Asia itinerary. Luckily, Borneo’s capital Kota Kinabalu offers plenty for outdoor lovers and cultural enthusiasts alike, including tribal long houses, Chinese clan Kongsis, buddhist temples, and an opportunity for your essential mosque visit, too. 

Practicing Self-Care on the Road

Travel is one of those wonderful situations where we relinquish all notions of control and roll with the punches. Travel produces feelings of freedom and spontaneity, and creates serendipitous moments that would never take place inside the controlled environments we design for ourselves at home. But it also opens the door for complete chaos.

Self-care keeps us sharp and adaptable in the face of these unpredictable and often stressful situations. When we forget to take time for ourself and take precautions to keep physically and mentally well, we deplete our confidence and self-esteem, leaving us less able to face new challenge and problems.

It is bad enough that many of us neglect our self-care at home, but not practicing it on the road can be truly detrimental. Self-care helps us stay in tune with ourselves and allows us to take better care of others. You can’t pour from an empty vessel and you probably can’t pick up very much survival Chinese with one either. Here are some basic self-care hints to keep you safe and sound on the move: Read on at Go! Girl Guides…

5 Tips for Safer, More Comfortable Bus Travel in Any Country

For budget travelers and true thrill-seekers everywhere, bus travel is essential. Though bus travel comes with risks and has gotten a bad rap in some areas, riding the bus shouldn’t be something you worry about. These easy precautions will make your journey more enjoyable in any country.

Pay more, not less.

When it comes to bus journeys, you DO get what you pay for.. If you’re in a bus terminal and have the option of a “local” or “VIP” experience, go with the latter. Sometimes this is the difference between the driver having a GPS or not. Other times, it’s having a bus with doors, windows, or even seats. Always confirm with the ticketing agent there will be climate control. Bus riders in the Middle East and Asia have reported cases of …Read on at Go! Girl Guides