My name is Chuma G. Khumalo but I generally go with just Chuma. There are two other women named Chuma in my family, so when I was in my late teens I decided to always use the initial from my middle name as a way to set myself apart from the others.

I am 34 years old and I live in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa. I work in corporate as an in-house user experience designer but travel and exploration is really where my heart is at.

First country I ever visited

Zimbabwe. My first trip to Zim (I've been there twice) was in 2012 for a friend's wedding in Bulawayo. We stayed with her family for 2 days after which we added a few days for some sightseeing. We spent a night at Nesbitt Castle then Hwange National Park and finally, the majestic Victoria Falls. Of course we had to see the falls from both sides of the river to experience their true beauty. So that makes Zambia the second country I visited.

Number of countries I've been to

Six. In order of visits: Zimbabwe, Zambia, India, Mauritius, eSwatini (Swaziland) and Botswana.

Who I travel with

Every trip is different. I mostly travel for music festivals where I'll go with a friend or two. I recently went to the Vic Falls Carnival by way of an overland truck that we hopped on in Joburg, stopping over in Palapye, Botswana and entered Zimbabwe through the Kazungula border gate 2 days later.

I've also been on a group trip with 10+ strangers that I met at the airport on the day of the trip. The next challenge though, is to travel solo and see how that pans out.

Top three things I've learnt while travelling

I don't need a mirror to put my contacts in. Opening a beer with another bottle is actually not as difficult as it seems. The world isn't as scary as it's made out to be and most people are friendly and will help a stranger in need.

Bonus: my name is a conversation starter when meeting most Africans because the word exists in so many African languages. I know of 5 so far - they all mean different things except for one - and I'm always looking forward to finding more.

Where to next?

I've recently been drawn to South East Asia. I really want to go to Vietnam and Camobodia. I'm also trying to convince friends to come with me to Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.