Hey there
I’m Layla and I run Alial Travel Gal.
My passion for travel means I’ve been travelling long term for over 7 years now and have lived & worked in several countries.
I’ve adapted away from the conventional life and now I have been able to make travel my lifestyle.
I created this travel blog out of my pure love for travelling and to show YOU, how to travel short-term, long-term, or…forever or make travel your lifestyle.
I have travelled around many countries however, I have a special focus on New Zealand and Australia as that’s where I’ve spent most of my time living & working.
I create helpful posts for anyone who is planning a short or long trip or anyone who is already backpacking or travelling and wants to sustain their travel life (i.e. never go back home!).
I also share hilarious travel stories & honest personal experiences. I love to show people the real side of travel – good and bad.
I can offer valuable advice & inspiration on topics such as; travelling on a budget, moving countries with no money, finding long-term accommodation, house/pet-sitting, help exchange, volunteering, visa types and living and working in Australia & New Zealand.
I love writing and I’ve been a writer since I was very young. As I got older and travelled more, I realised travel was my passion and sharing it with the world in a blog, was the perfect combination of two of my passions.
If you’re here because you’re thinking about travelling,
don’t procrastinate anymore – JUST DO IT!
You’re in the right place. You’ll gain lots of inspiration & information for travelling if it’s your first time, or even if you’re an experienced traveller – right here.
Originally I’m from the UK and I lived a pretty conventional life there. I worked full-time in an unfulfilling office job, I lived with a boyfriend who didn’t want to travel, I had a group of awesome friends – but I was restless.
I quit my job, gave up my flat and bought a flight to Australia – alone. And it was one of the bravest things I’ve ever done.
My first backpacking trip was to Australia, back in 2007 and one day whilst I was on a 4X4 mini-bus, somewhere in the coastal outback of Western Australia – I realised although I missed people back home, I didn’t want to go back to my conventional life.
As soon as I returned and caught up with my family and friends, I felt that wanderlust pull once again. So I started planning to leave again and 9 months later left for Australia on a student visa.
And it’s been that way ever since – this is my life now.
The UK will always be my homeland and I’ll always visit but I don’t think I could ever live in just one place now.
I have backpacked the west and east coast of Australia, lived and worked in Perth and Sydney and been a student in Australia – spending a total of 3 years there.
In New Zealand during the last 3 ½ years, I’ve travelled both islands extensively on foot and by camper-van, I’ve lived and worked in both Wellington and Auckland, volunteered through HelpX & Workaway and now my partner and I are embracing the Digital Nomad life in Tauranga, Bay of Plenty.
There are many things I love experiencing when I’m travelling. So I’m always searching the world for the most stunning beaches, the most amazing wildlife encounters, awesome cafes with the best coffee or Matcha green tea and anything related to Travel or Sci-Fi, Yoga or Dance.
There are MANY other countries on my “Wishlist” – at the top of it are the Madagascar, Galapagos Islands and Costa Rica.
Come with me on this journey we call life, as I travel around our beautiful and amazing Planet Earth and show you how to do it too.
Chuck your email in here and I’ll send you valuable travel tips and entertaining travel stories. ↓
