With the return of travel being something that is being spoken about again, Team TLA are dreaming about what destination they’ll be visiting first and what bucket-list adventure they hope to tick off their list in 2021...
“My trip after all of this will be a bucket-list one! I’m a water baby and need to be by (and in) the sea as much as possible. So, why do I live in London you ask? I ask myself the same question every day…
At the top of my list right now, is the Philippines, of course, with a convenient stop-over halfway in Dubai to see my family. The free-diving opportunities, natural wonders and the beautiful culture of the country is what is getting me through this travel dry spell.
I would spend more time on the lesser known islands, exploring, getting to know the locals (and I’m not just talking about the humans!) and just seeing where the ocean takes me. I love learning new languages and all about new cultures, so I spend more time (trying to) speak to the locals than other visitors in order to find the road less travelled and the hidden gems that you just can’t find online.
I was pretty late to the rise in solo travel and never had a year out to explore the world but I have spent some time in Greece, Spain and Portugal over the last two years –totally on a whim and by myself – and honestly, they were probably the best experiences of my life. The freedom, the self-discovery and the lessons I learned go further than just a typical travel story. They were truly life lessons. Not forgetting my love for content creation and sharing experiences, so watch this space for a post-Philippines vlog!”
C.Khyara Ranaweera, Digital Director
“Despite having travelled to far-flung destinations across the world – a few favourites being Cape Town, Thailand, and Arizona – I have never visited Paris and yet it has been on my bucket-list for as long as I can remember. ‘But you can visit Paris for the day?!’ people often say to me in shock. I know, I know. I just never seem to get there! In April, I was due to finally tick Paris off my bucket-list and stay at none-other than theShangri-La. The minute that it is safe to do so, I’ll be rescheduling my trip to Paris so that I can eat croissants outside quaint French cafés and sip onChampagne beneath the Eiffel Tower.
In 2021, I hope to visit Australia. I visited two or three times as a child but we only ever travelled to the same destination and I didn’t have the opportunity to explore it in the way that I would now. I plan to hire a 4x4, travel along the East Coast and hopefully get lost many times along the way!”
Kristie Smith, Account Executive
“Every few days me, my husband and brother-in-law (I live with them both!)play with the idea of going to the Isle of Wight to see their family… could we get there? Are the boats running? Imagine the beaches and paddle boarding in the sea... Then our consciences get the better of us and we stay at home in our living room. As soon as we can, and if we’re still advised to work from home,I’m heading there with a laptop to set up in a different space for a week. Fresh air, independent cafés, hints of a town that hasn’t moved on since the 30’s.I love it.
Bucket-list destinations to potentially travel to in 2021: a yoga retreat that I’ve got booked in Turkey this September that I hope can still go ahead and possibly Florida to see our friends who live near the big theme parks!”
ScarlettWoodford, Senior Fashion Account Manager
“I would love to cruise down to Cornwall when this is all over and setup camp for a couple nights on the South West coast… spend the day’s cliff jumping into little hidden coves, eating great food at my favourite pub and evenings spent my favourite way – beach bonfires and sunsets!
For 2021 – the mountains will always be my happy place and so I’d like to venture back out to California and visit some of the National Parks – JoshuaTree and Yosemite in particular. I’d go rock climbing, hike along the giant boulders, walk through cacti gardens and dip into the stunning lakes…just a kick-back trip to be in nature, relax and see some of the world’s most beautiful and unique backdrops.”
Lydia Cleere, Junior Account Manager