Vicky
Marketing LeadMy passion for travel was kick-started at the age of two with my first of many random family holidays, my parent’s choice of travel invariably far from the beaten track. This involved a campervan, a map, a guidebook and a huge amount of fun. In fact I didn’t step onto a plane until I was 18. By then I had set my sights further afield and I spent time exploring Israel and Egypt, quickly followed by Australia and South East Asia.
Settling back into the UK, work took me on a similar path. This time within the ski industry, I was lucky enough to experience the unique cultures, food, and welcoming hospitalities through the winter seasons in Italy, France, Austria, Norway, Sweden, Lapland, Canada, Japan, and the USA. I was even ski touring with customers somewhere north of the Artic Circle when the pandemic hit, a rapid change of plans taking us on a 17-hour train journey back to Stockholm before we could find a flight home.
In between the winters was the perfect time to pack in some warmer adventures and my favourite destinations are still Peru and Sri Lanka. Although watch this space, there are plenty more on my bucket list…
I travel for...
Wellbeing
There is nothing more freeing than meeting the locals, taking in a magnificent view through both their eyes and mine, and learning an entirely new perspective. Life just seems so much more full of possibilities when you can put your baggage down for a while.
Adventure
I love the challenge of trying something new, even if, or sometimes especially if, it means stepping outside my comfort zone. Whether that’s taking on a summit hike in the snowy wilderness of Abisko National Park and picking an untouched powdery line back down, diving in the company of leopard sharks in Thailand, discovering lost Inca cities on horseback (without a saddle) or swimming with piranhas in Peru, the rush of achievement stays long after the experience is over.
The Food
Japan is my favourite, hands down. Discovering a bar that simply stated ‘beer and fried stuff’ in Tokyo was a high point! I even tried the deep-fried bees, although I’m not sure I recommend… While you’re there you should really try kaiseki – a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner, which is as beautiful as it is delicious. I absolutely love the food in Japan, although the fare in Lapland is a very close second, the Arctic char is to die for…