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Naija Xplorers is a travel series on BellaNaija that features African travel content creators and enthusiasts. They share their experiences about the best places to travel, how to enjoy a solo trip, and tips on budget-friendly adventures, both locally and around the globe. From the foodie who knows where to get the best food in Lebanon, to the explorer who has travelled to all 36 states in Nigeria, they will provide a unique perspective on the world, sharing travel hacks, hidden gems, and their personal experiences.
In the previous episode, we had a chat with travel and lifestyle influencer, Nikeh who travelled to all 36 states in Nigeria, and she did all that at the age of 26. In case you missed it, click here.
This time, it’s all about Tayo Aina. Tayo is a Nigerian YouTuber, photographer, and travel content creator. If you know Tayo, his content revolves around lifestyle, travel, and culture. In this episode of Naija Xplorers, he tells us how he does it, his favourite travel destinations, tips for travel content creators, and how being a Nigerian has influenced his travel experiences.
Let’s go…
Tell us three fun facts about yourself.
Uhmm, I actually hate flying, which is interesting. I hate being inside airplanes because I just don’t like the whole process of flying, but I always have to fly to wherever I am going. A sporty activity I love is swimming. I love design and architecture. I don’t know if that’s a fun fact, but off the top of my head, yeah.How many countries have you visited so far?
I have visited 26 countries. Most of the countries I have visited are in Africa and Europe.
Where did you go on your first trip? Share the cost and how you made it happen.
My first trip was to Russia during the World Cup. I think it cost me about N400,000 back then. The ticket was N400k, and then I had like an extra N200k I took with me. So the total was 600,000, and I stayed there for a month. I was able to reduce costs by staying with my friends. So we split the cost. It was during the World Cup, so there was no need for a visa. I saw it as a great opportunity to go out of Nigeria, and then I was also going with people, so it made it less daunting. I didn’t have to apply for a visa because, back then, once you bought a football ticket, you were given access to travel, so that’s how I made it happen. I saved up money because I was an Uber Driver then so I saved up money and used it to travel.
Being Nigerian, how has your nationality influenced your travel experiences?
Omo! It’s very difficult to travel as a Nigerian because our green passport is one of the weakest passports in the world. Even travelling within Africa is so difficult, not to mention outside Africa. Inside Africa, you are profiled; outside Africa, they are just like this person, coming from a third-world country. This person, when he enters here, he’s not going to want to leave anymore, so you have to go through extra security checks. When you apply for a visa, it’s such a long process; you have to give them your grandmother’s birth certificate, so many documents you need to provide to show that you are eligible, bank statements, all of that. It has been difficult because it’s difficult to plan. Those are the bad parts.
But I think the good part is that coming from Nigeria, based on how Nigeria is, your ginger is just more. You are just more gingered to move and do stuff, so when you travel to a place, that spirit of being a Nigerian gives you that energy, especially for someone who grew up in Lagos. It gives you the energy to go out there and just chase. Make sure you hit your goals, so there is motivation because you know where you are coming from. Whenever you visit any new country, you want to find a way to dominate by just finding opportunities and taking advantage of them as they come.
Five destinations that have truly left a mark on your soul.
Namibia comes to mind; I love Namibia so much. Namibia is different and unique. Interestingly, my video on Namibia is my most watched video, and that just shows you that Namibia is amazing. South Africa is another one. I love Capetown. Capetown specifically. Morroco was dope.
Outside Africa, Portugal. Portugal is my favourite country in Europe. It is where I am currently during this interview.
Lastly, New York! How will I forget New York? New York is crazy. It’s like another version of Lagos, but an advanced version. It’s like when you are there, you just have to keep it moving, and it just gives you like this extra ginger.
Budgeting is a big concern for many people. How were you able to fund subsequent travel experiences before you started making money as a travel content creator?
I think, I was first doing Uber, and Uber money couldn’t make me travel. I was making like N100k or N80k per month because I was driving for somebody. They used to give me like 20k every week, then I switched to making videos for people and renting equipment. I would make videos for people, and they would give me like 100k, 150k, or 200k. That was where I got the money to start travelling, and that’s where the transition to YouTube happened. So I first started making videos for people, shooting documentaries and all, they paid me money and that was how I made money to start travelling.
When deciding on travel destinations, what criteria do you typically follow when selecting your next adventure?
For me, I look at places that I have an interest in or places I have heard about before, places I have always wanted to go, places that I saw something interesting about on the news, and maybe places somebody tells me about. Sometimes from social media. If I just go online and I see some videos and I think, Oh, this place is a cool place to go, let me go and check it out, so I go. Also, when I started, I liked places that have a large percentage of people who look like me; that’s why I started with Africa, but now I do across the world.
What’s the most interesting cultural tradition you’ve encountered on your travels?
One of them is even in Nigeria: the Hyenna men. The men who live in Nigeria. I did a documentary on them that was very interesting. Another one is the Voodoo culture of the Benin Republic, which is also interesting.
What’s your ultimate comfort food after returning from an adventure?
Omo, Amala, and Ewedu. I used to like pounded yam, but now it’s Amala and Ewedu.
Beach or mountains?
Hmmm, definitely the beach. Mountains—it’s a lot of work to climb to the top.
Window seat or aisle seat?
Window seat, for sure!
All-inclusive resort or Airbnb?
Hmmm, it depends. An all-inclusive resort is nice, but most times when I travel, I do Airbnb based on work if I am just going to chill.
Pack light or overpack?
Definitely pack light.
Plan everything or wing it?
Up until this year, I used to just wing everything. I am a fan of winging it. I can just take my bag and travel to a new country I have never been to, but these days I want to start planning. I would say wing it enough to the point when you know that you need to start planning. I will say wing it, actually, because that’s how I got to this point.
If you could settle in any country in the world, what country would that be and why?
About 2 years ago, I wanted to go and live in Capetown after I went there for the first time, but they didn’t want to give me a visa, so I just freed them. In Africa, it would be Capetown, but outside Africa at the moment, it is going to be Portugal because of the weather and because it is very centrally located. It’s so easy to go anywhere from there, whether you want to go to Europe, Africa, America, or London. The cost of living is not as crazy as outside Africa at the moment.
What advice would you give someone who aspires to pursue a career as a travel content creator?
I would say to start with your location. Start with where you live. Start with where you are. A lot of people think about travelling like it is expensive, but I started with Lagos first, where I was living. I didn’t spend any money on travelling. I started doing Nigeria, then Africa, and now I am travelling the world. For me, it is always best to start with what is available to you at the point in time and you can expand gradually. So whatever country you live in, start with your area, your vicinity, then expand outward.
What’s the ultimate starter kit for a travel content creator?
Just 3 things. Your phone, an idea, and the internet. That is all you need, and that’s how I started. I hope this helps somebody out there.
Thank you so much, Tayo.
Thank you very much for having me on this.
