The globetrotter who broke barriers

Rehnumah often comes across questions about when she plans to 'settle down' or how she affords to travel so much. "I have no problem answering these queries as most of the time, they come with good intentions, but I am sure male travellers do not have to face such questions," she added.

Rehnumah Insan, a travel blogger and lawyer, has visited 40 countries till date. Currently, she is working as a manager in the UK Civil Service, dealing with legal and policy implications for post Covid-19 business transitions.

As her parents are keen travellers, she grew up going through their albums, looking at the beautiful places they visited, and listening to stories about different cultures.

Rehnumah started travelling after getting into university, whereby she discovered her passion for photography and writing. She started blogging with her trip to Italy around five years ago, and has never looked back since then.

Her photo album, "Around the world with my hijab", created quite a stir among travel enthusiasts across the world, and is still trending on various social media platforms. "It dawned upon me that girls find it daunting to step out of their comfort zones in hijabs," she shared. Through this album, she has beautifully portrayed how girls can travel around the world, while maintaining their religion and culture.

 While Rehnumah has been fortunate enough to have a supportive family, she often comes across questions about when she plans to 'settle down' or how she affords to travel so much. "I have no problem answering these queries as most of the time, they come with good intentions, but I am sure male travellers do not have to face such questions," she added.

Travelling has given her the opportunity to meet new people and eliminate misconceptions that people have about South Asian women. "I recently visited South Italy where I met a woman who recognised me from Instagram. She kept asking me about my life, and I was more than happy to share my background as a British-Bangladeshi. I am very rooted to my culture," she recalled.

Rehnumah also uses social media (@the_travelette) to bust myths related to travelling alone. "In a world where women are capable of achieving so much, it is disappointing to see that people think we need to rely on someone else's bank account to travel," she said.

When travelling alone, Rehnumah carries a small tripod or simply asks others to take her photos. "If you are married, people assume that you must always be travelling with your husband. Couples lead different lives and have different jobs. We simply cannot take each other on every trip," she added.

Moving forward, she wishes to explore more underrated places and luxury hotels around the world.

The author is a freelance journalist who likes reading, scribbling, and blogging.

Email: mislammonamee@gmail.com.