When I look back on all the places I’ve been to, Monument Valley always ends up being in my top 5 most memorable. When I first saw photos of this magical place, many years ago, I knew I had to visit. I’m a sucker for grand, natural landscapes, especially those in the raw desert.
From the bustling city of Amman to the deep history of Petra. From the Mars-like desert of Wadi Rum to the lowest point on Earth at the Dead Sea. Jordan has so much to offer. There’s no glitz and glam here - just thousands of years of natural gems that speak for themselves. I was introduced to Jordan at quite a late stage and I before I knew it, I was booking flights and accommodation. I am normally a huge travel planner, sometimes years in advance, in this case I didn’t have time to build expectations. And I’m glad I didn’t.
Iceland is a country that should be experienced at least once in a lifetime. It’s not every day you’re surrounded by raw, natural beauty and dramatic, un-touched landscapes, that Iceland has. There’s so much to see and do that you’ll need multiple trips to cover the whole country.
Iceland, Iceland, Iceland. Where do I even begin? It was an absolute thrill to experience many of the wonders that this incredible country has to offer, and an even bigger dream of mine to capture the endless beauty and dramatic landscapes, that I had thought about for so long. It’s a place where every photo taken, is worthy. In my opinion it’s pretty difficult to take a bad picture here. From the geysers to the glaciers, and from Seljalandsfoss to Skógafoss. Every corner of this magical country is picture perfect.
After what feels like a lifetime of wanting to travel to Iceland… I finally did it! And it was everything I could have imagined, AND MORE. Seriously though, there is no other place like it on the planet. Truly one of a kind. Waterfalls, glaciers, hot springs, black sand beaches, volcanoes and of course cute Icelandic ponies. They don’t call it ‘the land of fire and ice’ for nothing.
On the whole, Croatia is undoubtedly the most beautiful country I’ve ever been to. The turquoise calm waters, lush greenery, dramatic landscapes, coastal roads, quaint villages and the historic city of Dubrovnik, are all you could possibly want from a European summer holiday. If I had the choice, I would move to the country in a heartbeat! I have nothing but fond memories of my 2018 trip.
Glencoe is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places on the planet. With towering mountains, calm lochs, clean air, cascading waterfalls and scenic routes that take your breath away at every angle. Glencoe is just a 30-minute drive away from Ben Nevis and the town of Fort William, in the Scottish Highlands.
After partying in Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava for New Years Eve 2014. Instead of flying back to London, we decided that we would drive back through Europe, stopping off in various cities on the way.
The plan was to start off with breakfast in Bratislava, lunch in Vienna and dinner in Prague. Then spend a couple of days exploring Berlin and Bruges, and finally taking the Eurotunnel from Calais and drive up to London.
I’m not going to lie, I didn’t know Jordan existed until a couple of years ago. But now it’s one of the most incredible places I’ve ever visited! I spent 4 nights in Jordan with my partner at the end of November 2019, staying in a different place each night - The Dead Sea, Wadi Rum, Petra and Amman. Our trip consisted of staying in a bubble tent in the middle of the desert, walking 25,000 steps around Petra, floating at the lowest point on earth covered in mud and staying in a 4000-year-old cave.
This was a totally spontaneous trip that turned into one of my all-time favourites. My sister and I were enjoying an all-inclusive holiday in Croatia when we decided we wanted more than just the beach, pool and cocktails. We had already discussed a day trip to the Krka National Park and knew we needed a car to get there. So, we arranged a hire car from the hotel, for two days and thought why not travel to another country? As you do. This is when Europe has its perks.
The West Coast of the USA is one of the most popular road-tripping routes in the world. In this post, I will take you through a detailed description of the places I travelled to back in 2015. In just two weeks I drove over 2000 miles and visited Phoenix, Monument Valley, The Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Mammoth Lakes, Yosemite National Park, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and everything in between.
The best way to see the Grand Canyon is to hire a car, pack your walking boots and get ready for some of the best sunrises and sunsets you will ever see. That’s exactly what I did in the summer of 2015. Two days of incredible scenery, moments of calm and memories that I will cherish forever.
I’m 31 & a British expat, currently living the dream in Dubai. I have a huge passion for travel, photography & have over 45 countries ticked off my bucket list. I used the 2020 lockdown to produce runawaysoph.com, which is now home to 50+ posts of my favourite experiences. Stay tuned to see where I travel to next…
