NileGuide 5 with JoAnna Haugen

This week’s NileGuide 5 interview features Joanna Haugen, freelance travel writer and Associate Editor of the Matador Network. Follow along with Joanna on her blog, Kaleidoscopic Wandering, and on twitter at @joanna_haugen.

1. What’s the most underrated destination you’ve been to?

A few years ago I visited my husband while he was teaching English on Jeju Island, South Korea. Though it is a popular vacation destination for many people living in Asia and Australia, there are very few Westerners who visit the island. I think a lot of people think they have “done” South Korea if they’ve been to Seoul, but Jeju is more like Hawaii–relaxing with a big dose of culture–and so few people even know it exists.

Watching the sunset on Jeju

2. How do you kill time when you’re stuck on a bus or plane?

I read. I am always reading way too many books and I am months behind in my magazine subscriptions. I look forward to long rides where I can’t plug in just so I can read without interruption.

3. What’s the strangest place you’ve visited on your travels?

Speaking of Jeju Island … One of the most memorable things we did one night while we were there was go to Loveland, the only sex-based theme park in Korea. It showcases the work more than 140 pieces of art by 20 artists, all with a sexual overtone. Some of the art is humorous, some of it is thought-provoking, but all of it makes for a wildly entertaining evening.

4. What’s the first thing you do when you arrive at a new destination?

Give myself a moment to take it all in. I love to smell the air and hear the sounds around me. I love the fact that new places are new to all five of my senses.

5. If you could give one tip or piece of advice to travelers, what would it be?

Don’t overplan. Regardless of how much you try to anticipate everything that could happen while you’re traveling, something unexpected is bound to happen. If you are flexible in your travel plans, it is much easier to take these unexpected occurrences in stride. I’ve also found that these unplanned moments are often the very best ones during my travels anyway.

[Photos: JoAnna Haugen]