Life is in the detail

South Tyrol in northern Italy is one of the most beautiful and interesting places I’ve ever visited, with mountainous landscapes and an intriguing mix of Austrian and Italian culture. Head to the Mendel for a cabin in the woods experience with hikes, wildlife and local produce aplenty.

Susie T - Original Traveller

Susie Thorne

Original Travel Expert

I have extensive travel experience throughout Australia, New Zealand, New York, Hong Kong, Malta, Mauritius, Canada and Italy.

My travels

Travel Things I Want To Do Before I Die

Take the Blue Train across South Africa and see the Big Five
Visit India where my grandmother grew up
Drive around the entirety of Norway and see the Northern Lights
Explore the wilds of Madagascar

Best Moments

Eloping to New York City then eating pizza and drinking champagne under the Brooklyn Bridge as our wedding lunch
Road tripping around the North and South Islands of New Zealand
Whale watching in Nova Scotia, Canada
Walking part of the Great Wall of China

Toughest Travel Moment

Getting lost in Xi'an, China in -5℃, carrying 30kgs and speaking no Mandarin at all

Weirdest Travel Moment

Being on the subway from Brooklyn to Manhattan in a wedding dress with everybody else commuting to work. No one batted an eyelid

Explore my blog posts

The Original Travel Quiz: Week 4

Family quiz, friends' quiz, work quiz... lockdown has really got us exercising those general knowledge muscles. The hardest part? Finding fresh questions each week. While you might be able to recycle a few questions here and there, if you find yourself in desperate need of new material, look…

Beer, Chocolate, Boutiques and Moules Frites: What to do on a Weekend in Brussels

Brussels - the birthplace of the European Parliament, Jean-Claude van Damme and the Marmite of Christmas side dishes, the mighty sprout. Although this petite Belgian city is often overlooked as yet another boring administrative government centre, in reality Brussels is full to the brim with…

Keep Track! Our Top Five Train Journeys That Are Better Than Plane Journeys

They say that the journey is as important as the destination, but let's face it: flying is pretty boring, not to mention environmentally suspect (although, if you haven't heard, we do off-set 100% of air and ground travel for all clients and staff), so we want to sing the praises of an…

Beyond the Beach: Our Favourite Beach Holidays with Culture

Confession time. While we might sing the praises of wild destinations and final frontiers made for intrepid adventurers, we're also partial to the occasional indulgent beach holiday where you can spend your days worshipping that holy trinity of sun, sea and sand. However, some of favourite…

How to Travel Responsibly: Our Top Tips

Responsible travel, sustainable travel, eco-travel - call the concept what you will, but these buzzwords are making waves, and with good reason. We all want to safeguard our beloved planet, but we don't want to (and shouldn't) give up travel altogether, so how can we create the conditions…

Slow Amazing - Our Favourite 'Slow Travel' Destinations for 2020

Here at Original Travel, we're big believers in the benefits of Slow Travel (which we define as travelling by modes of transport other than plane or car; such as train, horse, walking, biking, boating and more). As well as giving you the chance to appreciate and connect with your…

Our Top Tips for Travelling Together on Sabbatical

We've already talked about the potential for anxiety when leaving everyday life and - more importantly - friends and family behind during a sabbatical, but now it's time to get practical. Whether you want to counter those fears by taking family with you, or by having friends visit, or if you…

Our Top Tips for Planning a Sabbatical

No two travellers plan in the same way. Some of us favour detailed spreadsheets and minute-by-minute itineraries, while others just have a great long list of love-to-dos that need turning into an actual plan. Whether you're in the early conceptual stages, already have a rough idea or own a…