Thetraveljunkie.org – Travel is life. And if you miss travel, you miss life. Want to know how to travel in style, just like the pros? We check in with favorite destinations and what they never leave home without. So, check this out! Travelling with João Cajuda:
Name?
João Cajuda
Hometown?
Olhão, south of Portugal
Residence?
Lisbon, Portugal
Travel Blog/website?
www.joaocajuda.com
Short Bio?
A travel blogger and videographer from Portugal.
How did you first get into travel blogging?
Back in time, I used to do amateur travel videos with friends during my vacations. I started then doing videos for small boutique hotels and I decided to create a blog to share my adventures.
What do you love most about being a travel blogger?
What I love about my job is to have the opportunity to do and see things it would be possible in other way, I’m constantly meeting new people, new cultures, new landscapes… is not a monotonous job… and of course, the best part is doing this and get paid for it.
What’s the secret to creating a successful travel blog?
I really don’t know, I do my things, I really love what I do, sometimes I’m editing a video and I forgot to eat or drink, lol. Just be unique and different from what you see online… and work hard!
How do you get your blog noticed amongst the millions of other blogs out there?
As I said, I really work hard everyday to produce nice content to inspire people to travel more. Sometimes is hard, theres so many nice blogs, videographers, you have to constantly find new ways to impress your audience. If you really like what you are doing and you are honest about it, I think people will notice that and also like your stuff.
What advice would you give to fledgling travel bloggers?
Try to be unique, respect your audience and interact with them. Answer your fans, be humble, don´t be lazy and work hard, even if nobody believes in you, even if you don´t have many people following your work, someday that might change 🙂
How do you make money out of travel blogging?
I do money on my blog promoting brands, hotels, destinations and products. I only promote travel related things, and also the ones I do believe. I also have an adventure travel agency and most of my income comes from there.
How do you fit in blogging while on the road?
It’s not easy, usually I only publish articles and edit photos and videos when I’m at home, in Lisbon. When I’m traveling I’m constantly taking photo and filming, no time to write or editing.
What’s your most epic travel story?
This is a very hard question, I have many stories from my travels. Let me tell you a short one. Once I was in India with a group of friends, during the night one of my friends open his head during the night when going to toilet, after we took care of him we went to the train station to go to Jaipur, we spent 14 hours on an overnight train with millions of cockroaches all over our beds, my girlfriends spent the whole time screaming, it was hilarious… after arriving in jaipur in the late afternoon we went to an hotel where we finally could get some food and sleep… well think again, we woke up during the night with the water level in our bed, it was monsoon seasons and the whole city was getting overflowing, we only had time to get our bag and leave the city, 5 persons with bags in a small tuk-tuk. It was such a crazy/fun/terrifying 24 hours… when traveling you never know whats next.
What is your favourite destination so far?
Besides Portugal, I love Italy, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines.
What’s been your biggest travel disaster?
Hum I never had any disaster, but I have friends that already felt from waterfalls, crashes with motorcycles… My drone felt in to the Bromo Volcano, I also felt the pain eheh.
What are your top gadgets that you always take travelling?
Camera to film, Iphone to keep in touch with social networks, a drone, computer.
What’s your favourite phrase in a foreign language?
I like the “call to prayer” I’m not muslim, but I really like the feeling when I hear in some mosques, it’s exotic, it’s mystic, I even know how to sing.
Would you ever do any other job?
Whatever I need to do to get a bed and food, I have two arms, two legs and a lot of energy.
What’s next on your bucket list?
I want to visit Raja Ampat, a remote area in west Papua, Indonesia.
Favorite travel blog/website(s) – besides thetraveljunkie.org, of course!:
I like nomadic matt, he seems very honest and I like the stuff he writes.
What has travel taught you?
That we are all different, we cant judge nobody, we have to respect our differences, believes and ways to do things. That I’m very lucky… I think i’m much more humble, human and sensible to others problems.
Best travel tip?
Don’t plan nothing besides your first night. Be open to meet new people and do different things, try different dishes and activities, talk with locals, wake up soon and explore on your own.
xxx
Happy Sustainable Travels!
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