5 minutes with…Curaçao travel blogger Es Elsewhere

By Hannah Barnard on 24th August, 2018

We caught up with Curaçao based content creator and travel blogger Esmeralda Tan-A-Kiam, AKA Es Elsewhere, about moving to Curaçao, hiking Machu Picchu and taking beautiful Instagram pictures.

Curaçao travel blogger Es Elsewherev

Baoase Luxury Resort, Curaçao

Where does your passion for photography and blogging come from?

My passion for traveling started 2 years ago. My boyfriend and I moved from Amsterdam to Curaçao and that’s when our travels started to change. Instead of looking for the nearest beach to chill and rewind before going back to our busy jobs, we are way more adventurous now. Because we live on a Caribbean island and spend most of our weekends on the beach, we look for culture, nature and adventure during our travels. This is also when my passion for photography (I’m still an amateur photographer though) and blogging started to grow. Since then, we’ve traveled to Peru, Cuba, Guatemala, Bonaire, Aruba, Panama and Colombia.

Curaçao travel blogger Es Elsewhere

Es Elsewhere making a new friend on Curaçao

When you’re not taking amazing Insta pics what are you up to?

Besides enjoying the island life with my boyfriend and dogs, I work as a freelancer. I made the switch this year from a ‘regular job’ as a Recruitment Marketing Specialist to a freelance Content Creator & Social Media Manager. I provide content (images & blogs) for the social media channels of businesses and run their online campaigns.

Curaçao travel blogger Es Elsewhere

Cartagena, Colombia

What has been your favourite destination you’ve traveled to and why?

Would be a tie between Peru and Colombia. I liked both countries for their diversity and great food! They both have big and small cities, deserts, jungles, beaches… Colombia is also very cheap, so you can easily travel here for a longer period. Peru’s food is incredible culinary, healthy and fresh.

Curaçao travel blogger Es Elsewhere

Palomino, La Guajira

You now call Curaçao home – why did you decide to settle there?

We decided to move to Curaçao because of my boyfriend’s work. When the opportunity arose, we knew we had to take the ‘once in a lifetime’ chance and leave Amsterdam behind.

Curaçao travel blogger Es Elsewhere

Casa del Pavo Real Hostel, Colombia

What are your top three things to do on Curaçao?

Visit beaches on the west side of the island, stroll around Pietermaai where a lot of colorful colonial buildings are located (great for insta ;-)) and swim with turtles at Playa Grandi.

Interview with Curacao travel blogger Es Elsewhere

Havana, Cuba

What are your suitcase essentials?

Hiking shoes, camera, sunscreen and Levi’s 501 shorts.

Curaçao travel blogger Es Elsewhere

Trinidad, Cuba

What are the top 3 destinations you would like to visit this year?

Amsterdam (to visit family & friends), Ecuador (especially the Galapagos Islands) and Miami.

Curaçao travel blogger Es Elsewhere

Antigua Guatemala

Where should everyone visit?

I think this answer is so personal for everyone, it really depends on your preference. But my recommendation would be to visit (at least) one of the seven world wonders. These locations are on this list for a reason and are so impressive in real life. The Machu Picchu really fascinated me!

Curaçao travel blogger Es Elsewhere

Curaçao

What are your top tips for taking stunning vacation photos?

I’m trying to learn along the way. I think it’s important to take shots with a good camera. I try to take all my shots with my DSLR camera, but when that’s not an option I use my iPhone X. The quality of smartphone cameras is luckily getting better and better. And most important: have fun! Try to get inspired by other accounts, but also do your own thing. It will show if a shot is too staged or if you’re not having fun with it. I also wake up early to avoid big crowds!

Curaçao travel blogger Es Elsewhere

Volcano Pacaya, Antigua, Guatemala

What’s your favorite Instagram picture?

My favorite Instagram shot is not one that received a lot of likes, but every time I look at it, I remember the feeling of being exhausted and excited at the same time. It was taken after we hiked up the Pacaya Volcano in Guatemala.

Curaçao travel blogger Es Elsewhere

Cas Abao, Curaçao

For more travel and vacation inspiration check out Esmeralda’s Es Elsewhere blog and Instagram channel.

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Read more: 6 reasons to visit Aruba