Meet Nicole Young | writer, entrepreneur, & reggaetonera

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicole Young and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I have been going down to Baja California, Mexico for years now and people have always been telling me to start a business where I offer tips on where to visit in cities just across the border. During the pandemic I decided to do it. I was literally hungover, eating tacos with my friends, and said, “I’m going to start a travel page and I’m going to call it Baja Betches.” My friends were very supportive and loved the idea. I wanted to not only share my advice on where to stay, what to do, and how to get around but I saw how COVID-19 impacted tourism and small business in these border towns so I wanted to help those businesses stay in business by highlighting them on social media.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Baja Betches was created to help promote local businesses and events in Tijuana, Rosarito, Ensenada, and Valle de Guadalupe. We are boosting tourism in those cities by telling people where to stay, eat, and party for an Insta-worthy vacation. We are excited about how quickly we have grown in the past few months and how we have been able to highlight several new businesses in those communities. I think what sets us apart from other similar businesses is that we keep it real. We are like your friends who love to drink and have a good time, so we don’t hold anything back. We are here to help you show all your soon-to-be jealous followers what they are missing out on when you travel across the border. We are most proud of how we are able to support the community members by helping them grow. We started with the idea of just posting photos on social media but we have recently started collaborating with small businesses and have even done multiple giveaways. It was easy for us since we frequent Baja almost every weekend. We love talking to the locals and learning more about their stories. We have learned that many of the businesses down there are not social media savy so we are glad we are able to help them grow their social media presence. We want the world to know that Baja Betches is all about having a good time, creating memories, and experiencing the hidden gems within these special cities (for the ‘gram, of course).

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Day 1: Tijuana We would start by getting some street tacos. We would then hit up Plaza Del Zapato, this is a plaza that is full of small bars with great music. The best part is, you and drink while you’re on your way to the next bar. We would end the night at Hong Kong, the most famous strip club in all of Tijuana. It’s literally a tourist trap, don’t expect to leave Hong Kong until the wee hours of the night. Day 2: Rosarito We would start the day eating shrimp tacos at either Tacos Baja Jr. (which has the best consome in town) or Mariscos Los Cabos. We will then make our way to the main boulevard and start day drinking. We can make a quick stop at Boom Boom Rosarito to take some IG photos on the bar swings but our ultimately goal is to go to Papas and Beer. Once we are inside Papas and Beer, there’s no telling what will happen but either way, we are going to have a lot of fun. If we make it out of Papas and Beer in time, we can rent some ATVs or horses to ride along the shoreline while the sun sets. If we are still alive at night, we will just repeat our day plans. Day 3: Puerto Nuevo We will most likely wake up late on day three. Once we are ready to take on the day, we will start at Puerto Nuevo, famous for their lobster. Any restaurant you eat at will be good. Some say they are better than others but trust us, they are all the same. Don’t even bother to look at the menu, just get the special which is lobster, rice, beans, tortilla soup, tortillas, and either a margarita or beer. Enjoy the weather, views, and music. That whole place is a vibe. Afterwards, end your day at Los Portales, which is about 15 minutes south of Puerto Nuevo. It’s an outside bar that is literally right on the water. On weekends they have a Dj and the drinks are so pretty, they will get you triple-digit likes on Instagram, guaranteed. One more thing, as you drive from Rosarito to Puerto Nuevo, keep an eye out for Big Jesus on the left side of the road, it’s impossible to miss him. Day 4: Valle de Guadalupe You’re going to have to book a transportation service to take you to the Valle de Guadalupe. It’s located about 45 minutes south of Rosarito and it’s a freaking good time. You want to make sure you plan ahead for this day, map out which wineries you’d like to visit, we recommend visiting between 4-5. Our top wineries are Castillo Ferrer (best wine), Sintonia (good for Instagram), or Don Tomas (great food). There are many great wineries to visit so anywhere you choose will be good.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The locals of Tijuana, Rosarito, and Ensenada deserve a huge shoutout. These community members are the reason I started this business and they continue to show Baja Betches love and support each time we visit them.

Instagram: bajabetches