5 questions to Tiga

juin 23, 2022

I discovered Tiga through Echappées Belles. For those who don’t know, I’m a big fan of this show! I had already heard of her obviously through Ride Zone but I admit I didn’t watch this show. I rediscovered her through her Instagram account. She’s really what you could call a beautiful person: very caring and accessible. I was therefore more than happy that she agreed to play the 5 questions game. I let you discover her answers.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us what travel means to you?

My name is Tiga. I am Franco-Centrican. Born in Benin, I grew up on the African continent (Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania). I am a journalist specialized in travel and discovery.

Travelling, especially when you are alone, means losing yourself in order to find yourself. I quickly realised that we were no longer challenged when we stayed at home, surrounded by people we love and who de facto love us too (our friends, our family). It is by leaving this comfort that we can continue to grow personally, that we are confronted with our personality, our altruism, our capacity to adapt to others. Basically, it’s by travelling that we know if we are a good person or a less good person (laughs). 

In my opinion, travel is a mirror, a school and a great therapy.

What was the trip that made the biggest impression on you? Why or why not?

Probably Cuba. I went alone. I was 20 years old. The country was still under an American embargo. I was cut off from the rest of the world. I stayed there for 8 months. I found work. I made friends. I improved my Spanish.

What marked me were the Cubans. They were not entitled to all the freedoms that we have in France. It was, for example, very difficult for them to obtain a passport to travel or to get together with a foreigner (under penalty of fine or even prison).

So these people expressed themselves differently. All Cubans are accomplished artists. Painters, dancers, musicians, singers… they manage to put colours in their lives, in their everyday life.

My Cuban friends taught me resilience.

How do you see post-Covid tourism?

To be very honest, I don’t know. I’m not planning anything. I’ve just found that I’m much less interested in leading the nomadic life I used to lead.

I want to stay longer. To really appreciate the change of scenery and the tourist facilities that will welcome me.

What is your next holiday destination?

I have been living in Tahiti for 1 year. Polynesia has 118 islands. I hope to have the chance to visit some of them.

Do you have a book to recommend that we could put in our suitcase this summer?

Oh yes! The Elephant’s Curtsy by Laura Trumpet. A gem! I love her style, her humour, her sweetness. The story takes place between France and Tanzania. The protagonists offered me a lot of emotions.

Watch episodes of Echappées Belles with Tiga on the show’s YouTube channel

Anne Chéné
CEO
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