Myriam Borg is a New South Wales entrepreneur who successfully runs Create Australia, a pioneer in the lost and unclaimed money recovery industry. As CEO and founder, Myriam is dedicated to helping people realize their dreams to start their own businesses. She is also the author of The Refund Consulting Program, a cutting-edge business-in-a-box training curriculum that has benefited users for more than 15 years.
In her personal life, in addition to being the mother of three boys, she enjoys traveling, sailing, and fitness. She’s especially proud that her hard work and business success have afforded her family the ability to travel overseas and experience foreign cultures and beautiful locales.
Tell us about a favorite trip you’ve taken.
Travel has been a growing passion for me and my favorite spots are definitely warm locales with a beach and lots of local adventure, I love really getting into the local scene & getting into the none touristy spots, eating where the locals eat and shopping where the locals shop and I like chilly laid back places. There’s nothing better than curling up on the beach towel with a great book in hand. I recently traveled to Koh Samui with my family and we stayed in gorgeous resorts with absolutely fabulous beaches. One of the highlights was Koh Ma a little island in offshore from Koh Samui famous for its snorkeling, sailing, we kayaked around coral reefs & went into under water caves, my 8 year old was in awe, we stayed in Samui for 5 weeks and I intend on going to live there for at least six months next year, currently preparing visa’s etc.
What attracted you to the Koh Samui?
Surprisingly my taste in travel changes as I get older – I’d heard so much about Koh Samui in Thailand that I really was dying to see it. It did not disappoint. Being from Australia, I’m no stranger to wonderful coastlines, and I’ve been lucky enough to travel all around South East Asia and other places, but Samui is a different world. There were a variety of activities that could appeal to every type of traveler, so everyone in my family could find something they wanted to do, whether it was wakeboarding, snorkeling, sailing, eating delicious seafood, shopping, or lounging in the sun.
When did you travel there and who did you go with?
This trip was actually very recent and we just got back last November, that’s why it’s so top of mind. I went with my family. I have three boys, and now that they are older, it’s been exciting to get to take them on more adventurous vacations than was possible when they were younger. I’m very fortunate that my business allows me to work remotely and still be able to keep in touch with my clients and employees. Technology is absolutely fabulous, isn’t it?!!
Please share your memories from the trip.
I don’t know if you have enough space for me to share all the highlights, haha, but I’ll try my best. I stayed on Chewang beach as well as Silver beach in Lamai. One of my favorite daily activities was really peaceful, just getting up early every morning and doing pilates outside our hotel room and watching the sun rise on Chewang beach. It is really easy to stay motivated when you have such beautiful surroundings and it was a great way to start the day right.
As a family, one of my lasting memories will always be a boat ride we took when we were visiting a number of outer islands. We ran into a baby whale which was obviously amazing, and the water was this unbelievable color of aquamarine. We stopped for lunch at a secluded beach and grilled some seafood we’d caught ourselves from the boat.
Then there was being able to watch my boys take surfing lessons. It was especially rewarding to see my youngest struggle at first and then when he finally started to stand up on the board to see the level of satisfaction he gained from having accomplished something through hard work and determination.
One of the boys completed his PADI scuba license, so that was a busy few days for him, and he really enjoyed it- the water is very warm in Thailand so not wet suits for diving which is a huge plus.
Another highlight was watching the full moon rise one night over Ocean every night. I’ve never seen the moon look so big. I can’t believe how beautiful it was and the photos definitely don’t do it justice. That’s how you know you’ve had a great vacation when the pictures can’t tell the whole story.
And sometimes the things that stay with you are the simple memories, like being able to work on a laptop while drinking a coconut shake.
As a mother, I truly cherish the opportunities we’ve had to travel together as a family and grow closer and make memories that will last a lifetime.
What other places have you visited?
I’ve been lucky to experience a lot of travel to many amazing places. In addition to the places close to home in Australia and New Zealand, I’ve been to a lot of spots in South East Asia Korea, India (Will never forget the Taj Mahal), Kingdom of Tonga, Tahiti, and all over Europe (Italy is a favorite), America, the Caribbean 23 countries so far, am a travel addict! .
What advice would you give to a first-time traveler?
Don’t wait until you’ve saved enough money for your “Dream Vacation.” Some of the best vacation spots are very economical and there are some great deals online. And you definitely don’t have to be rich to travel to some of the world’s most amazing locations. Figure out what your budget is and then start scouring the internet for deals and ways to save money. I’ve done a lot of work vacations where I stay in one place for a period of time and work while I’m there. You get to experience another culture and really learn about a place while still making money.
Of course, if your job doesn’t allow you to work remotely, you can take shorter trips. Even just a weekend away to the countryside can be totally rejuvenating. Another way to make trips more affordable is to visit cities and countries where you have friends there already. You might have a free place to stay plus a tour guide who can take you to all the lesser known but more ‘authentic’ places while avoiding expenses like car rentals and tour groups.
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