Daisy Cropper
Daisy Cropper

Want to know how to travel in style, just like the pros? We check in with frequent fliers to find out how often they fly, their favorite destinations and what they never leave home without.

Name: Daisy Cropper

Occupation: Digital Content Specialist

Hometown: Oxford, UK

Residence: London, UK

College: UCA (University of the Creative Arts)

College major: Journalism

Website: insightguides.com

Twitter: @insightguides

Facebook: Insight Guides

Instagram: insightguides

Pinterest: Insight Guides (you guessed it!)

Short bio: Currently working for Insight Guides, as their Digital Content Specialist. I oversee content for the website and publication schedules, ensuring our articles are inspiring and leave our readers wanting to take one of our worldwide trips.

How often do you fly? 3-6 times per year.

How many countries have you been to? 23

How many continents have you been to? 4

Earliest travel memory: My parents used to take us to Cornwall or Wales each year for our summer holidays. This always involved being freezing cold on the beach enjoying the UK’s “sunny” weather.

Favorite American city: I’m ashamed to say, I’ve not yet been to the USA!

Favorite international city: Hands down Yangon. It’s exotic and urban but traditional and magical too.

Least favorite country: Ohh, good question. From the places I’ve travelled to, I don’t think I can pick one—they’ve all been amazing destinations.

I have no desire to go to: Dubai: it looks a little too glitzy for my liking.

Friendliest people in the world: Estonians: I spent NYE in Tallinn a few years ago. They know how to have a good party!

Country with the meanest immigration officers: India: I once passed through security while changing flights in Mumbai and had an overly touchy search. It was an intimidating experience…

Favorite World Heritage Site: Angkor Wat. Simply incredible.

Favorite airline: Norwegian. Cheap and cheerful!

Aisle or window: Window. Always—I find it reassuring being able to see outside.

Favorite international airport: Chiangi is always a good choice. You can literally find anything you want there.

Favorite hotel: Llangoed Hall, Brecon Beacons, Wales. Staying here was a surprise for my birthday this year. It was simply incredible. The rooms, the service and the beautiful location…Not to mention the food! This is definitely a stay worth splurging on.

Favorite island: Mljet, Croatia. A calm break away from the chaos that is so often associated with Croatia’s coastline. Only a short boat ride from big city destinations Dubrovnik and Split, Mljet is peaceful with pretty beaches and swimming points, a national park, lakes and stunning hiking trails.

Favorite beach: Cahuita, Costa Rica. This stretch of pure-white sand is lapped by lush jungle, on Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean Coast. The area here is part of a national park so no building or construction has taken place in the area. If you want earthy beaches how they’re truly meant to be: this is it.

Favorite National Park: Toubkal National Park, Morocco, is home to North Africa’s tallest mountain (at 4,167m) and incredible scenery. This place is a must-see for anyone who likes outdoor adventures.

Favorite fancy restaurant: Gee’s Oxford. Located inside an old, Victorian atrium and sprinkled with fairy lights, this restaurant has fancy food and an elegant atmosphere to match.

Favorite hole-in-the-wall: Not so much a hole-in-the-wall but a cute beach shack, the Sandbox on Caye Caulker is unmissable. I think I went there every day while I stayed on the island; their banana pancakes are out-of-this-world.

Favorite bar: Anonymous Bar, Prague. Masked barmen, riddles and secret menus make this place feel a little elusive. Cracking cocktails and a riotous atmosphere make this the spot for a drink during a wild night out in the city.

Favorite fruit: Mangoes. Picking them ripe from the tree in Costa Rica. They tasted all the sweeter knowing they’d cost me a few $ back home!

Favorite food: How can I pick just one? I think it has to be Thai red curry, steaming hot and ladled with tofu and fresh vegetables, in a think creamy, coconut sauce. Delish!

Least favorite food: As a vegetarian, sometimes finding food while travelling can be tricky. I’m not keen when I get halfway through a dish and discover it was made with chicken stock or has animal products in it. In Burma I was slurping my way through a cracking noodle soup when I found something I couldn’t identify…Safe to say, I was a little put off after this.

Drink of choice (in the air and on the ground): It has to be a classic G&T (gin & tonic) or an espresso martini if I need a pick-me-up.

Favorite travel movie(s): The Way: a beautiful representation of Spain’s Camino de Santiago.

Favorite travel show(s): Something with Simon Reeve in it…

Favorite travel book(s): Wild is one of my favourites. Every time I read it, I want to grab my hiking boots and hit the road.

Right now I am reading: And the Mountains Echoed” by Khaled Hosseini. I’ve only just started the first page…

Top 3 favorite travel newsletters/magazines/blogs: The Sunday Times Travel Magazine’s glossy, lush photos always gets my wanderlust whirring, while Lonely Planet’s slick online offering has me itching for new travel plans. The final choice? Although not strictly travel, I love treehugger.com too—its environmental angles and coverage on national parks is eye-opening.

Favorite travel website(s)—besides JohnnyJet.com, of course! Can I include insightguides.com?

5 things you bring on a plane: Passport (obvs), notepad, water (always stay hydrated), headphones (preferably noise-cancelling ones), and a face-spritzer (to freshen up with on arrival).

What do you always seem to forget? My travel adaptor—I currently own four.

What do you like least about travel? Having to return home.

What do you want your loved one to buy you from an airport Duty Free store? Would it be weird if I said gin? Am I talking about gin too much?

Favorite travel app(s): Wunderlist gets me through my pre-trip planning, as I use it for all of my task lists and to keep myself organised. When my battery runs out, I’m a little bit lost!

Most embarrassing travel moment: One time, when I was having a gin and tonic…No, just kidding. A few years back I rented a scooter with a friend and we toured Tuscany on the back of it. Driving up a sandy track (we probably shouldn’t have been driving up) he lost control and we keeled over…Into an electric fence! Luckily, there weren’t too many people to be embarrassed in front of.

I’m embarrassed I haven’t been to: The USA!

Worst travel moment: Arriving on a remote, luxury French island to realise the accommodation we had booked was quoted per person, per night, rather than per room. A rather expensive (out-of-budget) stay then followed…

What’s your dream destination? Getting to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, and treating myself to a luxury break on Zanzibar afterwards.

Favorite travel charity: Stuff Your Rucksack.

Best travel tip: Make the most of every second. We are so lucky to be able to hop on a flight so easily and see the world. To grab a bike and tour on two wheels. To hike the world’s most beautiful trails on a whim. However we choose to travel, I would advise everyone to understand how privileged they are to be able to see the world and not to grumble or gripe on their way, but to see the best of every situation. You never know what incredible, unique or authentic experiences they might lead to…

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