Tattoos are a very personal representation of our memories, experiences, feelings and emotions. For us they represent those things that leave a permanent mark upon you. Here we have gathered together a unique collection of travel tattoos from us and other travellers. Here you won’t find any meaning less hipster, trendy tattoos. But deep and meaningful ones that carry with them a tale of faraway lands and adventure.
The Roaming Renegades (Us!)
Travel is such a huge part of our lives that we have several travel related tattoos…most of them on me (Nic!) I was once even a tattoo apprentice a few years back and after finishing my degree in Fine Art wanted to pursue tattooing as a career…well that was before I was bitten by the wanderlust bug! I have 13 tattoos in total and all of them mean a great deal to me, I am someone who is very passionate and wears my heart on my sleeve (literally!). Tattoos for me are a way of marking memories, places people or times that were important to you, shaped you or left a mark on you.
The first below represents our love for New York, a place that will always hold our hearts and the location we chose to get married! I picked out some of my favourite places such as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Chrysler building as well as the 7 train to represent the NY Mets!
Buddy the travelling Monkey!
I had wanted a travel tattoo for a while. It was just a matter of figuring out what to get. A map? A globe? A plane? I wanted it to be different though; something of my own creation. I’m not sure at what point I thought of doing something resembling an EKG line. After a few initial ideas, I finally came up with a drawing that I loved.
I wanted to represent my hometown of Miami and I have a thing for palm trees, so the first part of it was easy. Then, the word “wanderlust” because it is a desire that I have felt all of my life. And finally, a plane to represent going out and seeing the world.
Buddy blogs at:
Eride from Queidue!
No, it’s not a Templar Cross, it’s a Maltese Cross! I have lived 2 years and a half in Malta, the small European island in the middle of the Mediterranean sea. I love tattoos so I got this one since the cross is the symbol of Malta and its archipelago in order to remember forever this amazing life experience. Fortunately it did not hurt at all!
Thomas from Amid The Ruins
have the gao yord sak yant tattoo. A monk in Thailand skewered me with a piece of bamboo dipped in an ink made from bamboo ash and snake venom, inscribing 20 magic spells inside an image of Mt.Meru, topped with nine Buddhas, at the top of my back. I went to Wat Bang Phra, a temple about an hour and a half northwest of Bangkok. My tattoo is a representation of Mt Meru, the central world-mountain of Hindu and Buddhist mythology, and which Angkor Wat is also patterned after.
Thomas blogs at:
www.AmidtheRuins.com
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I recently got my second travel tattoo while in Thailand. It was an incredible experience because it is a sacred Sak Yant bamboo tattoo chosen and given to me by a Buddhist monk. My design is the Gao Yord and it has nine spires each with a different blessing for protection and good luck in life and travel. How to Get a Sak Yant Bamboo Tattoo in Thailand
My tattoo means so much to me. To the eye, it’s just a tree with a face in it. But to me, it’s a huge life milestone. I’ve been obsessed with trees since I was a child. I climbed them any chance I got and still do today. Not to mention, they are gorgeous. This tree means so much but I often don’t flaunt its meaning. One thing I’ll point out is it represents a popular tree found in Southeast Asia. I’ll say it represents travel, the start of all my adventures, and the explorations to come. Nobody sees it but me, and that’s OK. I like it that way. 🙂
Nina blogs at:
Where in the World is Nina?
be a little tacky, but I have developed such an obsession with durian fruit
while in Thailand that I decided to go ahead and get one tattooed on my leg.
The meaning goes beyond the simple fact that I am passionate about the stinky
fruit: I would say it’s a bit of a metaphor for the quest for new and exotic
things I am on when exploring new countries. And the crown and “hail to the king”
writing is a bit of a cheeky double sense wink to what is called the
“king of fruits” and the country where I got the tattoo, Thailand and its
beloved king. Amélie is a hungry fun-loving vegan Canadian graphic designer
and travel writer who’s ditched the 9 to 5 lifestyle in favor of something that lets her roam the world at her own will and follow her ever itchy feet.
She is currently cycling between Istanbul and Berlin.
tat is compliments of a tequila fueled evening in Cozumel, Mexico. A seemingly
great way to commemorate a successful group dive trip to the once pristine
reefs of the Caribbean Sea. In those days tattoo parlors in 3rd world countries
posed more possible health risks and best not to visited when smashed. I was
reminded of this sobering realization by my hospital’s medical director, after
returning from my adventures. Coincidentally I found out that she too had a
seahorse tattoo on her ankle.
Vanessa blogs at:
www.theislanddrum.com
It’s been 13 years since I’ve inked myself. The first time was in a backstreet parlour in England: hastily done, hardly award-winning and although lovely in design, it’s not something I’m deeply in love with. Fast forward to last month and me and tattoos just got serious. In the middle of the Thai countryside, amongst the swaying trees and tranquility of nature, I had the honour of experiencing a monk bless me with a magical, herbal, sak yant tattoo. Tattooed into the body to protect the body and mind, this particular unique lotus design has the power to bring out my inner beauty, creativity and other peoples’ love. It’s my perfect travel tattoo and although bamboo tattooing is on a whole new level of decorating yourself, it’s a deeply spiritual and meaningful experience to go through. I urge you to take the plunge too.
Alice blogs at:
www.TeaCakeTravels.com
People are so clever. Wonderful collection and inspiration. Personally, I am a bigger fan of small and simple. I think the Maltese Cross is my favourite of this collection.
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