Meet the TikTok Traveling Grannies: proving that meaningful travel has no age limit 😌🌈
When people hear the words “travel influencer”, they usually imagine drones, perfect filters and twenty-somethings chasing sunsets. Then you meet Sandy Hazelip and Ellie Hamby, two best friends from Texas in their eighties, known online as the TikTok traveling grannies. Their message is simple and powerful at the same time: travel has no age limit.
You do not have to be young to start moving, learning and helping. The TikTok traveling grannies show that curiosity, kindness and a small backpack can still change your life at 80.
Who are the TikTok traveling grannies
Ellie Hamby lives in Abilene, Texas and works as an international documentary photographer. She has travelled to more than one hundred countries on all seven continents, usually with her camera close to her heart. Her photographs have appeared in magazines, brochures and exhibitions across the United States and Africa. Through her small business “Photos by Ellie” she turns pictures into postcards and prints that help support her projects.
Ellie also serves as a director of a large medical outreach in Zambia that offers basic health care to people in very remote communities. Each year the team travels to rural areas for about two weeks to provide treatment to thousands of patients who rarely see a doctor. Ellie keeps a simple home in Namwianga, Zambia, and returns several times a year to help coordinate the work of the mission, the local hospital and several orphanages. Her experience fits very well with the idea of international volunteering and community based projects.
Dr. Sandy Hazelip, often called “Dr. Sandy” by her patients, has spent her life caring for older adults in Texas. She is a geriatric physician and has worked for many years with residents in long term care and hospice. She once served as president of the Texas Geriatric Society and continues to work as a medical director and hospice doctor. She is also a writer, speaker and Bible teacher, and has travelled to countries such as China, Germany, Croatia, Romania, Russia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Zambia to talk about women’s health and spiritual life.
Sandy is a mother, grandmother and great grandmother. One of her greatest joys has been taking her grandchildren on short term mission trips for nearly two decades. Many of these journeys led to the same regions in Zambia and other countries where Ellie serves. Their friendship grew inside this world of service, faith and adventure. Their story fits beautifully with the vision of healthy ageing promoted by the World Health Organization.
A promise: around the world at 80
Years ago, Sandy and Ellie made a playful promise: “If we reach eighty years old, we will travel around the world together.” For most people this idea stays a joke. For these two women it slowly became a real plan.
In 2023 they finally turned the dream into reality. The project was called #AroundtheWorldat80. The idea was simple, inspired by the classic novel, to travel around the world in 80 days. They did not look for luxury sponsors or big TV crews. They booked flights on regular airlines, carried small backpacks and organised everything by themselves, with the help of friends and local contacts.
During those 80 days they visited 18 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. They crossed deserts and mountain ranges, walked through ancient cities and small villages, rode trains and buses, and spent a lot of time just talking with people they met on the way.
Their route sounded fast, 18 countries in 80 days, but the spirit of the journey was slow. They chose experiences instead of checklists, conversations instead of quick photos, and rest days instead of constant rush. Their approach is very close to the idea of sustainable and responsible tourism promoted by UN Tourism.
From grandmothers to global influencers
At the beginning, Sandy and Ellie created a simple blog and a few social media accounts to keep friends and family updated. They shared short videos, small reflections about fear, faith and joy, and a lot of laughter. Then their content reached far beyond their circle.
On TikTok and Instagram, the TikTok traveling grannies suddenly started to appear on “For You” pages around the globe. Their videos collected millions of views. Young followers commented, “I want to be like you when I am 80.” Older followers wrote that they finally felt seen and inspired to dust off old dreams.
Major media outlets noticed the story. The New York Times and BBC Travel highlighted how these creators over 70 are changing the way social media talks about age, travel and purpose. There is no forced positivity, no extreme sports. Instead, you see two women who walk at their own rhythm, admit when they are tired and still keep a sense of humor.
Travel with purpose, even in your eighties
The life story of the TikTok traveling grannies is closely linked to humanitarian work. Before their viral fame, much of their travel took place around medical missions, women’s health conferences and community projects in places like Zambia, China and Eastern Europe. Their adventures were not only about seeing the world, but about serving people.
On their world tour they kept the same spirit. They visited local markets and small family guesthouses. They listened to stories from taxi drivers, guides, nurses and street vendors. They tried to support small businesses instead of big chains. In every country they carried the same attitude they had in mission trips: arrive with respect, stay curious, leave a little kindness behind.
Meaningful travel is not only about distance or speed, it is about connection. You can live this way on a short volunteer project, a month in a rural village or a simple weekend in a nearby town. For more ideas, you can explore resources from organisations like United Nations Volunteers or adapt their spirit to your local community.
What their story means for us
You do not need to copy their 80 day marathon or visit 18 countries. The deepest message of the TikTok traveling grannies is that it is never completely “too late” to do something kind, brave or a little crazy. Age will add limits of course, but it also adds patience, perspective and empathy.
For people who dream about volunteer travel or humanitarian projects, their example is very clear. You can prepare slowly, choose projects that respect your energy, and still offer important skills. Medical experience, teaching, listening, storytelling and simply being present can all be powerful gifts in community based projects around the world.
For younger readers, Sandy and Ellie send another gentle reminder. Do not wait for the “perfect moment” to live according to your values. Start now with small actions, local volunteering or a low budget trip with a purpose. Then carry that spirit with you as you age.
Finding your own way to be a traveling granny (or grandkid)
Maybe one day you will also walk along a mountain trail with a backpack at 80, or maybe you will be the grandchild who invites an older relative to join a journey or a volunteer camp. In both cases the same idea stands: meaningful travel grows when generations share time, stories and simple daily life.
The TikTok traveling grannies did something spectacular, a trip around the world at 80, but their daily choices were very ordinary. They packed light, stayed flexible, treated strangers like friends and kept their hearts open to service. This is something that any of us can practice, in any country and at any age.
If their story touched you, visit the official Around the World at 80 blog and then consider exploring projects that combine travel and solidarity, from community tourism in rural Europe to health, education or environmental initiatives in Africa, Asia or Latin America. You might not become a viral influencer, but you may discover a new part of yourself, and this is one of the most beautiful rewards that slow and humanitarian travel can offer.