Rachel Long
Although I have always lived in beautiful Wales, I am passionate about travel. As a child I spent family holidays in Britain, touring the west coast of Scotland and the south coast of England, walking in the Lake District, and visiting Pembrokeshire where I chose to settle after graduating. Nowadays you will probably find me walking, cycling or sea kayaking in my free time. I have worked as a teacher and then school leader. I feel fortunate, with my husband, to have brought up our two children, in Pembrokeshire, where access to such a fantastic area has been on our doorstep. Looking back, competing in the Blenheim Palace Triathlons, cycling from London to Paris and studying howler monkeys in Argentina have been enriching experiences.
I think it is fair to say I have the travel bug, and if I can help you satisfy yours, I’ll be even happier.
For me, it’s not only about seeing the next fantastic view but also about embracing new cultures and communities along the way. There is always something to take away. Travel has the knack of taking us out of our normal lives and thoughts and opening our minds to new possibilities.
I’ve travelled extensively in Europe. There’s an amazing variety of landscapes, people, and history and a million and one ways to experience them. My journeys have expanded from my first tentative forays to France to working in Spain. Whether skiing in Norway or Italy, travelling through Turkey by bus or cycling the Mountains of Northern Spain, there has always been a pleasure in sharing experiences and learning something new.
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"My experience hinges on showing you a true sense of place in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and France. I offer expert advice with knowledgeable insights to tailor a unique journey to remember. Whether you want to experience a culinary adventure along our extraordinary coastline, escape to a remote Scottish island, or learn more about a long history of legends and castles, I can arrange everything for you."
How did you get involved in travel?
"I've always loved to travel, perhaps it was coming from a small village in Wales that gave me the urge to get out and see what else was out there! Since my early journeys in Britain and Europe I've been fortunate enough to extend my adventures across the globe. There is something particularly rewarding about planning your travel experiences - this really is part of the fun of it all for me, finding the most authentic way to get under the skin of a place. I think this must be why my friends have always told me I should be doing this for a living ... and here I am!"
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"To experience something unique it's universally true that you can't plan it! You've just got to get out there often enough and positive things will happen! The experience I'd like to share with you is this. It was a short conversation, not one that I expected when simply buying a ferry ticket! We had spent the day on Skye and were bound for the small island community of Raasay, on my favourite method of transport in the Uk, a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry (this always means you are somewhere pretty cool!). It was a short crossing, just 20 minutes, but in that short period I learned so much from my impromptu guide, that I was on the newest most hybrid ferry in the Calmac fleet, the Clyde shipyard where it was built - the real community of Raasay and the role tourism plays in the fragile way of life on the edge, how he had returned home to raise his family. What's so amazing about this you may ask? And in that I agree this could have been one of hundreds of conversations over the years but this was with me, with the sun setting behind the Cuillin mountain range as we crossed the sound of Raasay, I didn't want to be anywhere else."
Rachel's favorite itineraries and travel advice
Top itineraries and travel advice
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