Culturally immersive, offbeat solo travel through cultures, ceremonies, and deep connections.

Focused on remote regions. Told through stories. Seen through portraits, not filters.

UnlikeReal isn’t really about where you go. It’s about how you see and feel.

 

Welcome to UnlikeReal 

A space for those who seek something deeper in travel. Not escape. Not spectacle. Not yet another stamp in the passport. But the kind of connection that only comes when you leave the usual path behind.

I’m Mia, a solo traveler, photographer, a lifelong seeker of the unfamiliar and observer of what moves people – and what moves me. I started traveling solo in my early 20s, with a camera and a hunger for places that feel completely different from everything I knew. Decades later, I still gravitate toward places that feel raw, real, and untouched by turism or global performance.

I gravitate toward regions where tradition still shapes daily life. Places where ceremonies happen not for show but because they matter. Where languages, textures, and beliefs push me into discomfort, then reward me with insight.

Over the years, I’ve explored spiritual enclaves in Southeast Asia, remote villages in Africa, mountain towns in Turkey, and the vibrant streets of Cuba. I move by bus, shared van, or boat – rarely renting cars, never rushing. I eat in homes, small local restaurants and street food. Where possible, I stay in local hotels. I carry my camera, but I try to see and get to know before I shoot.

My journey didn’t begin with quitting everything to travel. In fact, it ran parallel to a demanding career in global economics. A PhD in economics. Years working with international institutions on complex, high-stakes decisions. But travel has always been the quiet counterbalance – the space where I live slowly, and remember what matters beyond headlines: humanity.

UnlikeReal was born from that contrast: between structure and freedom, analytics and instinct, policy and portraiture. Between the life I built – and the life I could feel when walking through a remote village, camera in hand, unnoticed and wide awake.

 

Why “UnlikeReal”?

Because the moments that matter most in travel often don’t feel real at all.
They exist outside the ordinary. Outside the curated. They remind us what life can feel like, when we stop trying to frame it.

If you’re looking for slow, immersive, offbeat travel – stay awhile. UnlikeReal is a space for seeing the world quietly, deeply, and differently.

 

What You’ll Find Here

UnlikeReal is a travel lens – personal, honest, and grounded in curiosity. It is about how to see – and what travel becomes when you strip away the noise.

Here, I share:

• Culturally immersive travel stories from from Africa, South East Asia and beyond
• Honest reflections as a woman traveling solo
• Practical insights on how to move with respect, humility, and openness
• Practical insights on moving safely, and traveling slow
• Portrait photography with the people and places that moved me
• Deep dives into local ceremonies, traditions, and the unexpected
• Reflections on what travel teaches when no one’s watching
• Thoughts on belonging, perspective, and the tension between two very different lives

This blog is for anyone who values depth over speed, presence over performance, and real stories over perfect instagram shots.

 

Who This Is For

UnlikeReal is for:

• Travelers who still crave adventure and depth
• Travelers who prefer back roads to curated routes
• People who want to feel something – not just see it
• Photographers who value connection over content
• Anyone navigating life between chapters, wondering: What now?