{"id":32985,"date":"2024-04-29T09:13:34","date_gmt":"2024-04-29T07:13:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/?p=32985"},"modified":"2024-04-29T09:13:34","modified_gmt":"2024-04-29T07:13:34","slug":"a-taste-for-adventure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/04\/29\/a-taste-for-adventure\/","title":{"rendered":"A taste for adventure"},"content":{"rendered":"

Laura Lander spent 15 years travelling the world while working on superyachts. Now, she\u2019s settled back in Umhlanga and shares her skills and experiences with others who have the urge to explore. <\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"Although Laura has been around the world, she is pleased to be back on South African shores. Originally from Westville and now based in Umhlanga with her Australian husband, she enjoys the lifestyle that the area offers. The couple met while working on a superyacht, and are happy to have settled on the North Coast. \u201cEven though there are problems here, we love it! When you travel a lot, you realise that there are problems everywhere,\u201d she says. \u201cYou can make a choice to stay and be part of the solution. South Africa is where my heart is; it\u2019s home.\u201d<\/p>\n

After school, Laura wasn\u2019t sure what she wanted to do but when she was offered the opportunity to work on a five-star private game reserve after university, her eyes were opened to the world of hospitality. \u201cI just love doing a job that makes people happy,\u201d she says. After some years at luxury game lodges, Laura took a job as a junior stewardess on a superyacht. Her work took her all over the world \u2013 off the beaten track in Papua New Guinea, to the sparkling archipelago of Vanuatu and some beautiful areas of India. Some of her personal highlights include swimming with bioluminescence in Palau, and discovering the tropical islands of Seychelles. Although she saw some amazing places over the course of 15 years, it was the people she met that really impacted her. \u201cIt was an incredible experience. The best thing for me was the opportunity to live and work with people from different cultures,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

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\nBetween the travels and the rewarding moments, however, life at sea wasn\u2019t always easy. \u201cIn this industry, you have to be service-minded and comfortable following a lot of rules,\u201d says Laura. \u201cIt\u2019s really hard work and the hours are long.\u201d<\/p>\n