It was once rare to see a black person travelling through parts of Asia or Eastern Europe.

Those who did were often viewed as curiosities themselves, stared at as much as the sights they had travelled to see.

However recent studies show that black globetrotters between the ages of 25 and 40 are on the rise.

They’re venturing to far flung locations, tweeting about their experiences, sharing pictures and inspiring others to venture off the beaten track.

As a result, travel is becoming more real to young, black professionals who are benefiting from cheap deals to remote locations.

Facebook page Nomadness Travel Tribe has nearly 9,000 followers, the majority of whom are black; an Instagram page for Travel Noire has more than 62,000 followers.

Young black Bermudians are just as adventurous.

Kyle James, 28, has visited close to 20 countries over the years.

His interest in travel was sparked at 17, when he spent a year in Taipei, Taiwan.

As a black man tons of stares came his way, but over time he got used to it and, overall, greatly enjoyed his time abroad.

“At first it was very uncomfortable. If I was eating at a restaurant I would look up and have 30 people staring in my mouth,” he said.

“When I would walk in a store, everyone would freeze. And riding on the subway or bus would attract attention until I had gotten off and still then would I see eyes glued to me until the bus disappeared in the distance.”

Asked why he felt remote travel for blacks was on the upswing he said: “Well I think it has a lot to do with technology. Our generation [the millennials] were one of the first to be connected with the rest of the world due to the internet.

“Our parents only knew about limited parts of the world. Whereas the generation after us will only know an era where they can go out, discover and make connections with people from across the world.

“So for us it’s like, ‘Wow, this is amazing’. And we realise that there’s so much more out there for us to see and do and experience. We are generally the generation with dynamic lives where we have the ability to explore.”

He went to Taipai knowing there’d be no one else who looked like him at his high school.

“Before attending for the first day I was told that these students probably had only seen a black person before on television,” he explained.

“So there was no surprise from the first day I entered the school gates until the very last day of my time there that I was stared at.

“They would call me ‘Michael Jordan’ and always wanted to challenge me to basketball games. Basketball really isn’t my sport and when they used to beat me they were sure to let everyone know, which made me get more and more challenges.”

His presence ignited the students’ curiosity. They would occasionally rub his arms and ask ‘if the black could rub off’.

“I had students feeling my hair and demanding pictures with me. It was as if I was from a different planet,” he said.

Christine Taylor, 30, said travel was especially important when you come from a 21-square-mile island.

“Bermudians can often get wrapped up in their own bubbles,” she said. “So having a sense of global perspective can only be a positive thing.”

Her more exotic journeys include trips to Langkawi, Malaysia, Slubice, Poland, Voronezh, Russia and Olopongi, Tanzania.

There have been a few times when she was the only minority in a location.

“I usually get a mix of reactions in those instances,” she said.

“Sometimes people stare at you like you’re a juggling, three-legged dog and sometimes they get really excited because they think you’re related to [US President Barack] Obama.”

Jamila Godwin’s travels have taken her to places like Egypt, South Africa, Brazil, Malaysia, Singapore and China.

She said being the only minority within some of her travel tour groups could often be a good thing.

“It forces you to open up to different people and you get to learn about different places,” Ms Godwin said of her experiences when travelling solo.

“You build everlasting friendships. Some people that I have met through my travels, I will be seeing again when I head to their home in Australia this year.”

The 31-year-old remembers two places in particular where she stood out for being black.

“I got a few comments from the locals when I travelled to Egypt and went to a small town,” she said.

“And in China, everyday I got stares, people asking to take their photo with me — or they would take a photo without asking.”

She said she was glad to hear more people like her were travelling to experience exotic locales.

“It’s important because so many people have had misconceptions due to media reports about certain locations, Bermuda for one,” she said.

“Thanks to social media, as well as more travel magazines and websites being introduced in the 21st century, travellers are becoming more comfortable with travelling and sharing their experiences with the world via social media.”

Monique Lister agrees that travel provides people with an education they can’t get in a classroom.

“Travel is important because it exposes you to a diversity of countries and cultures, creating new connections and also teaching you more about yourself,” she said.

Ms Lister said it doesn’t bother her to be the only black person on her travels.

“I’ve never felt uncomfortable because of my race,” she said. “In general, the locals have been incredibly nice and helpful when I travel, even in places like France that have a reputation for being unfriendly.

“I have occasionally noticed people trying to stealthily take pictures of me with their cameraphones when I’ve travelled to Asia.”

She considered it “great” that more people were choosing to travel. She said social media groups were great for encouraging people to see new places and for providing them with travel advice and ideas.

Mischa Fubler, 28, said the bulk of his experiences living in Thailand and travelling throughout Asia have been “extremely positive”.

He believes travel is an essential part of developing as a person.

“It opens your mind to the fact that your hometown/city/country is really very small,” Mr Fubler said.

“It also exposes you to often very different cultures and ‘normal’ ways of doing things.

“Being placed far outside your comfort zone with things like travel, sanitation, food and accommodation are also good for personal growth.

“By far the most important aspect for me is the exposure to real poverty. There are people who make less in a week than we can spend on lunch. It really puts things into perspective.”