About Bettina
My life has always been around travel… Already as a child in Germany I was writing the stations of the Trans Siberian railway on the wallpaper. Much to the delight of my parents. As soon as I started to learn English at school I had pen friends in Japan, Peru, Yugoslavia, Finland… The World Atlas was my favorite book…
I worked as a tour conductor and guide: in travel agencies: and as airline staff before I travelled to Australia.
Getting to know Australia fulfilled my travel bug while bringing up my children and working with my husband. But whenever there was a gap for me to take up my gypsy life I travelled Australia with my family and German visitors.
Since 10 years I am seriously involved in international travel again. I wanted to discover the long lost life. So I am now organising travel to unusual places– a little off the beaten track!
In the last 10 years we have been to Pakistan, to Namibia and South Africa, to Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius, trekking along the far western Chinese Wall, plus conducting my own trips to Ethiopia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Scandinavia, Iran, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine, and to Mali.
Only few mature travellers are interested in these remote places: my friends usually ask me – ‘Why do youwant to go THERE? and ‘Why don’t you go somewhere NICE?
There are several reasons why I choose these countries.
Firstly I am interested how all those of the world live, including those who are not as comfortable as we are.
Secondly, there are many ethnic communities with their own cultures, traditions and languages which are about to be lost forever. The spreading reach of dominant cultures and Western money, computers and entertainment plus the speed of our lives and planes, and our need to create wealth mesmerise those ignorant of the rat race. And we do not treasure their culture and country until we come to a more mature age…
And thirdly, travelling to these often poor, under governed countries, with at times ‘uncomfortable’ and long travel is an absolute eye opener for us Westeners…
To me, all my trips have therapeutic values… How lucky we are in Australia!
But that is not a totally patronising position, because tourism is a major contributor to the welfare of the people on the ground. They drive buses, grow vegetables, run river cruises that we pay for in American dollars. And that is why you are welcome and safe in these countries.
Happy Travels,
Bettina