Do you have wanderlust that you just can’t seem to cure? Are you endlessly excited to travel, even for small work trips? If you love traveling, you have to check out these amazing communities that specialize in black travel. These groups focus on creating spaces for people of color to share their travel experiences. From Antarctica to the Arctic and everywhere in between, these communities are excellent resources for those looking for all things travel — suggestions, financial help, first-hand experiences, ideas for future trips and so much more.
“Adventuristas who happen to travel” — not to be confused with travelistas who might go on adventures — Black Adventuristas is not for the faint of heart. These brave women are going on adventures all over the world. Its creator, Veronica E. Garnett, hopes to inspire and connect black women as they pursue and conquer adventures big and small. Black Adventuristas is all about encouraging women to live their lives to the fullest, whatever that might mean to them. These adventuristas share photos as they ride camels in Egypt, skydive in Dubai and pet koala bears in Australia. From Zambia to Thailand, from Maui to Morocco and even all the way to Antarctica, Black Adventuristas follows women as they adventure to the ends of the Earth and back, literally! Check out their Tumblr, Facebook and Instagram to get in on this great community.
2. Collin Devon Events
Collin Devon events is the perfect group for black millennial intellectuals who want to turn up as they explore the world. Collin organizes events that span from happy hours and club events to international trips. His trip to Antigua last spring — officially titled “Turn Up Tour Antigua” — was a huge hit…and he’s getting ready to do it again. If you’ve ever wanted to visit the Caribbean without being stuck at a resort, completely surrounded by families with babies or couples on their honeymoon (I was just in Antigua and that was literally everyone), #TurnupTourAnu might be right for you. Collin is actually lucky enough to call Antigua home. As a dual citizen, he’s been taking friends in small groups to visit since 2012, showing them some of the best-kept secrets on the island and working with his family who lives there to give his friends the best possible vacation. Collin is good people so you’re guaranteed to be in good company. Plus the trip is all-inclusive and very reasonably priced, which means you’ll have none of the stress associated with planning a vacation. This tropical trip is certain to be filled with laughter, adventure and fun! Check out his feature in Time or the Collin Devon Events Instagram and website for more info about his Antiguan adventures.
3. TravelNoire
TravelNoire is a top resource to find your inner explorer and find experiences that let you live like a local. Its founder, Zim Ugochukwu, has found herself on the 2016 edition of “Forbes 30 under 30” list for her passion and dedication to create resources for the unconventional traveler. The website boasts stunning images and first-hand experiences from hand-picked black curators across the globe. For food, fashion, nightlife and other cultural gems, you can search TravelNoire for those one-of-a-kind experiences that will leave memories for a lifetime. The black travel brand recently launched TravelNoire Experiences, a group travel package that brings together 12-14 like-minded individuals to a pocket of the world to build connections and foster friendships. Every experience comes with a licensed photographer to capture each magical moment, an itinerary of activities, travel meals and accommodations to make for a truly unconventional experience. Check out the brand’s Instagram to learn more.
4. One Young Traveler
If solo travel is more your speed then this might be the resource for you. Founder and Managing Director of One Young Traveler, Aylin Young, is not new to the travel game. Her life story includes speaking three languages and living in Europe for eight years. She has devoted her website “to bring together the young generation of conscious travelers through cultural engagement.” One of the ways she and her team make that happen is by providing strong visuals and a travel blog that highlights the essence of virtual travel. Their hope is that in doing so, you might feel connected to the area and take a chance on visiting it yourself. In doing their part to serve others, they also offer their Passport Campaign, which gives scholarships to budding travelers to fund the cost of a passport so that their travel journeys can soon begin.
5. Nomadness Travel Tribe
Founder Evita Robinson began her invitation-only platform, running after the success of her popular travel series Nomadness TV, executive produced by her and Awkward Black Girl, Issa Rae. From ‘The Tribe’ you can find stories, advice, conversations and photos all dedicated to promoting black travel internationally. Since 2012, group trips have found tribe members adding stamps to their passports by throwing colorful paint with locals at Holi in India or running with bulls in Spain. In an effort to further the push for black millennials to seek traveling experiences, the #NMDN ALTERnative Travel Conference brings together travel experts beyond borders to connect, network and discuss “international art, music, food, entrepreneurship and much more.” If you have at least one passport stamp you have a chance of being a part of ‘The Tribe,’ so what are you waiting for? Just do it!
6. Cool Young History
Full-time traveling couple Amirah and Jarrell Cook are advocates for creating and living the life you want. After finding successful careers and tying the knot, the pair made a life-changing decision to honeymoon indefinitely by leaving their fulfilling jobs and set out to “achieve greater success independently” from all corners of the globe. (#RelationshipGoals) Since 2013 they have traveled and lived on four different continents and have no plans of stopping anytime soon. On their website you can find very helpful tips for how to spend less and make money abroad, as well as tips for how the couple has afforded to travel for two years and how you can, too! If you’re looking to make a permanent stamp on your passport, then look to these two for advice on how to find economic success no matter where you are.
Whether you’ll be traveling next week or are saving for your dream trip, these communities are the place to go for all your travel needs. These groups have certainly inspired us to start planning our next trip.
Ready for your next trip? Tell us where you want to travel in the comments below!
