THE ORANGE MERMAID
Solo Female Travel Blog | The Orange Mermaid | Michelle Dano Philippines
A travel blog for women who explore alone and dream bigger
Welcome to The Orange Mermaid, a home for solo female travelers, ocean lovers, and creatives who want to live freely and write their own stories.
Solo Travel Stories
Tips, mishaps, and discoveries from my journeys across Southeast Asia and beyond.
Freediving Journals
I dive into stories the sea doesn’t speak and I write them for those who dare to listen.
Hybrid Nomad Life
Honest talk about work and travel as a remote content writer from the Philippines.
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Featured Stories from the Road 🚉
The world isn’t just out there. It’s inside you, waiting to be discovered. On this blog, I write for all of us who crave the freedom to travel alone, navigate unfamiliar cultures with confidence, and find more of ourselves in the process.
About The Orange Mermaid 🐚
Hi, I’m Michelle. The solo female traveler behind The Orange Mermaid. This blog is a collection of solo travel stories, freediving journals, and honest reflections from my life as a hybrid nomad and remote content writer from the Philippines.
I believe travel should feel personal. Not every moment has to be spontaneous, and not every day needs to be mapped out. The best trips, in my experience, are a little of both. That’s why you’ll find a mix of practical guides and reflections here, sometimes a straightforward itinerary, other times a quiet moment underwater that changed me. I share honest insights, off-the-beaten-path spots, and suggestions that might just be worth adding to your own version of the perfect adventure. If you’re someone who likes to see and feel a place, someone who follows curiosity over checklists, this space is for you.
My Travel Footprint 🌍
It’s a small splash of color on a big, wide map. But to me, each shaded place holds many stories. Most of my footprints trace the warm corners of Southeast Asia. It may not cover much of the globe (yet), but every country is a reminder that I chose wonder, movement, and a life lived with wide eyes and an open heart.
Freediving & Ocean Adventures 🪸
The ocean is calling, and freediving is your answer. Discover how to start your underwater journey safely and confidently as a solo female traveler.
🔍 Beginner freediving tips for women
🔍 Best freediving destinations for solo travelers
🔍 Ocean safety for solo female divers
🔍 Philippines freediving spots
🔍 Freediving gear essentials
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Read Ocean Stories & Freediving Logs 🫧
Ask Me Anything!
Curious about holding your breath longer underwater? Wondering how to negotiate client calls across time zones? Not sure if that country is worth visiting solo? This is your space to ask!
Recent questions I’ve answered:
- How do you manage internet connectivity while island hopping?
- What breathing techniques helped you most when starting freediving?
- Is it safe for women to travel alone in Chiang Mai?
- How do you explain to clients that you’re working from a beach?
- Best Solo Travel Destinations in Southeast Asia for Filipina Women
Submit your questions through the form below or drop them in the comments of any post. I read every message, and your question might inspire my next blog post!
Hi! My name is Michelle and here's what I do...
Travel.
There's nothing better than spending my time exploring unfamiliar places with the people close to me. I realized that the world is ours to explore, and there's more to life than just the four corners of our comfort zone. I wish to see more of what's out there and share it with you.
Dive.
If there's anything I love more than traveling, it's doing it the underwater way. Since I started diving, I've never felt closer than ever to nature and the ocean. I love the thought that despite our noisy life on land, there’s a silent world out there waiting to be marveled at, explored, loved, and protected. Aside from its breathtaking beauty (literally and figuratively, lol), it always comforts my mind, and being that, I wish you could experience it too.
Words That Might Guide You, Too ✨
The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.
Travel isn't always pretty. It isn't always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that's okay. The journey changes you; it should change you.
When you dive, you begin to feel like an angel. It's a liberation of your weight.
Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.
In the waves of change we find our direction.
Let's Connect!
Whether you’re a fellow freediver, solo traveler, hybrid nomad, or just curious about any of these worlds, I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a message or follow along on my social channels for regular updates from wherever in the world I currently am.