10 Quick Stories of Inspiring Wonderers—Doris Lim is a feature series on the Go Wonder blog that inspires fellow women travel bloggers with quick insights into my travel activities.
In this segment, I share personal anecdotes and travel tips to give readers and fans a glimpse into my life as Smart Dory.
The series consists of 10 questions designed to deepen the understanding of my lifestyle and offer valuable travel advice.
Doris Lim has an Islander Mentality.
I live in the historic city of George Town, Penang Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, Penang is the street food capital of Malaysia and Penang Assam Laksa and Penang Char Koay Teow’s home.
For a 24-hour city buzz trip, visit the Clan Jetties’ water villages and race past a restored colonial fort, museums, temples, guilds, and opulent buildings juxtaposed with vibrant murals in the historical enclaves.
You can walk, cycle, or jump on a hop-on, hop-off, topless bus!
With three seaside promenades of Esplanade, Gurney Drive, and Karpal Singh Drive, nightfall is a calm haven for street food and café hopping.
With the variety of food available around the clock, the locals still greet you with a “Have You Eaten?
Doris Lim, editor. 10 Quick is a new series on the GoWonder blog in which we ask inspiring women ten quick questions to get to know them and get a sneak peek into how they are living their lives on the road.
Doris Lim is the founder of an incredible tasty niche travel blog Smart Dory.
I started by taking baby steps toward a digital nomad lifestyle, becoming a professional blogger, and creating a social media platform to blog about travel adventures and food.
I aim to be a professional travel blogger.
I started writing events and ours and creating websites with travel photography detailing my travel experiences.
#1 Something Travel Blogger Doris Lim can’t leave home without?
Apart from my handphone (my lifeline and connectivity), trust me, I travel with my protein bars, nuts (it sounds wrong, I know), and a water bottle—perfect for small snacks and hydration in the humid tropics!
#2 City where you live and why you suggest going there
I live in the historic city of George Town, Penang.
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, Penang is the street food capital of Malaysia (the best country to visit in Asia!) and the home of Penang Assam Laksa and Char Koay Teow.
My best travel tips for a 24-hour city buzz trip are to visit the Clan Jetties‘ water villages, race past a restored colonial fort, and visit museums, temples, guilds, and opulent buildings juxtaposed with vibrant murals in the historical enclaves.
You can walk, cycle, or jump on a hop-on, hop-off, topless bus!
With three seaside promenades of Esplanade, Gurney Drive, and Karpal Singh Drive, nightfall is a calm haven for street food and café hopping.
Budget travels—prepare for the variety of food available around the clock.
You’ll be greeted like a local with a “Have You Eaten?”
#3 You are obsessed with it…
I’m obsessed with meeting new people and learning new things, whether it’s building a terrarium, performing in a Dikir Barat dance, or auditioning for a movie.
I love a good story; connecting with different people is a sensory overload of new ideas for Smart Dory.
Do you get that nomadic urge like me to travel the world?
I am part Hakka, and we have been called guests, gypsies, nomads, barbarians, and outsiders.
Secretly, maybe we were the original travel bloggers for adventure travel.
#4 Name a female hero you admire.
My paternal great-grandmother was a hip ronggeng dancing pantun (poem) queen in the 1930s, known affectionately as “Pai Kar Mah” or Limping Grandma in the Penang Hokkien dialect.
How could she not be inspired by such a strong female lineage with so many followers in her heydays?
If only Grandma had an Instagram account back in the day!
Halfway Through…
#5 Night in or a night out?
It all depends on where I am and how I spend my day.
I enjoy both, but I usually keep a Cinderella curfew to continue writing at night.
#6 What motivates you, Travel Blogger Doris Lim?
Long-term positivity attracts positivity.
Being in the company of like-minded individuals and groups motivates me to strive to build a strong network that will empower women who run successful blogs.
Luxury travel inspires me more than affiliate marketing.
#7 Components of a good day?
I’ll prefix that with a good workout and a sensible “happy” meal.
A movie date, talking shop, or writing blog posts until 3 am.
Sometimes, I’m just chilling and not doing much, but thinking works equally well when I’m not taking more courses.
I live a fish life; fish is a light sleeper.
#8 Your favorite quote?
Buzz Lightyear motivates me with “To infinity… and beyond!”
I love to tag my posts with #follow that fish and imagine going on a zip line!
By exploring, you’ll discover a deep appreciation for the earth and everything in it.
#9 What is your favorite app at the moment?
It’s a toss between Instagram and WhatsApp, which I always use, but IG wins hands down.
Other social media accounts like Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and a YouTube channel help to launch my website.
#10 Describe the wallpaper that is on your phone.
I keep my wallpaper clean, and the standard blue works for the app’s icons to pop up.
You can follow Doris on Facebook and check out Smart Dory!
Doris Lim Travel Blogger Photo: Norlman Lo
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Work Smarter. Travel Further. Live Better.
GoWonder’s tagline empowers women by providing a network and community for meaningful connection, inspiration, and support for all Women Solo Travellers.
My favorite pastimes are attending travel conferences, posting on my blog, and improving my expertise in becoming a successful travel blogger.
Posted September 1, 2017, on GoWonders
Hi Doris,
just discovered your blog and so inspired to write to you.
I’m going to be 80 soon but have lived half my life overseas, but you know, one gets nostalgic at old age.
I was born and raised in Johore Bahru, but we share many experiences, the Kachang puteh man, the Susu man, the orange fizzy drinks in wooden crates, the cheap char kuay teow etc and later Elvis Presley and movies.
We “discovered “ Penang and love going there for holidays. However without a car and local knowledge, it is hard to know where to go for good local food, and good durians
Thank you for sharing your reflections on the old days.
Annie
Dear Annie,
How are you? It’s lovely to hear from you. Thank you so much for your kind words about my blog. I’m thrilled to know it resonated with you.
It’s wonderful to hear about your memories from Johore Bahru and how they connect with the experiences I’ve shared. The Kachang puteh man and the Susu man bring back such nostalgic images for me as well! I’m glad you and your family have discovered Penang and are enjoying the local flavors and atmosphere.
If you ever need recommendations for great local food or durian spots in Penang, feel free to reach out. I’d be happy to help make your next visit even more memorable.
Thank you again for your thoughtful message, and I wish you all the best as you celebrate this milestone birthday!
Warm regards,
Doris