Rachel Molloy
Rachel Molloy
Lovely to meet you
Having been in the travel industry for 14 years, it's safe to say travel
is my biggest passion. I love turning up somewhere not knowing what to expect
and being delighted by both the differences in culture, cuisine and customs.
Part way through my career I took a year off and spent this travelling
extensively through central America, Asia and Europe. I'm now fortunate enough
to be able to pass on the knowledge I've gained over the years and work with my
clients to bring their travel dreams to fruition.
Rachel
My favourite holiday memories
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Indian Himalayas
I spent a month in Leh, Ladakh up in the Himalaya. At 3,500m altitude it's only accessible for a few months of the year over the Indian Summer. With monasteries built into the rocks, boasting the highest roads in the world and surrounded by awe-inspiring valleys and mountains there was something undeniably special about this place.
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Cuba
Travelling to Cuba was like stepping back in time. With American cars kept pristine from the 50's, records from a similar time faded from sun on display in the local stores and buildings that would grace beautiful boulevards in Madrid left to slowly decay and crumble into the streets. It was fascinating to learn about the history of Cuba at the local museums and more so to speak to the locals to understand the complexities of their political systems and what that means for it's people.
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Niue
Niue is a large upraised coral atoll - meaning that while there are very few "beaches" it boasts some of the clearest water in the world. Mornings were spent walking up and down the reef outside the Scenic Matavai Hotel - cup of tea in hand, peering into the rock pools to see what delightful sea life we'd see that day. Of course we had to remember to look up for the local pod of dolphins that would cruise up and down the coast. A nature lover and adventures paradise right on our doorstep.
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Florence
My favourite of the Italian cities. I loved walking around Florence and soaking in the atmosphere that was just oozing each corner you turned around. The views from Piazzale Michelangelo, the local food markets and enjoying an Aperol spritz from the library looking out over the Duomo. Lush!
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New York
I'm lucky enough to have been to New York a few times, and it never gets old! Of course there's all of the iconic sights to be seen - Time Square, Statue of Liberty, Central Park but NYC is so much more than that. It's like being on the set of a TV show. You get a strange sense of de ja vu, like you've been there before. From the yellow taxi-cabs, the old tenement housing with metal fire escapes and all the food carts selling hot dogs and pizza by the slice. These streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you.
Creating better holidays
Whatever your travel dreams, I will work with you to create the best holiday possible. The holidays I specialise in include:
- 18yr-30 Something Travel
- Hiking Walking
- Adventure
- Coach Touring
- Ocean Cruising
- River Cruising
- Couples Travel
- Family Travel
- Group Travel
- Luxury Travel
- Safaris
- Solo Travel
My travel passions
Food - Whether it’s wandering a food market and eating street food with the locals or splashing the cash on a Michelin starred restaurant – I just love food! Some of the trips I’ve been on have been based around a restaurant I just have to eat at or an iconic food stall I’ve seen on a documentary. A lot of food and dishes are so steeped in history that they really are an insight into the soul of a destination and their culture. I often frequent a cooking class when I’m traveling as another way to share my travel experiences with my friends and family when I get back home.
Hiking - As someone who’s passionate about nature and the outdoors, it’s only natural that this is something that I love to do when overseas. It’s a great way to get up close and personal with the local wildlife and see some incredible scenery that you wouldn’t see otherwise. Then there’s also the added satisfaction of that feeling of accomplishment and that you deserve that cold beer at the end of the day.
Luxury Travel- While I don’t mind roughing it, on the other end of the spectrum I definitely enjoy the finer things in life. We work hard and deserve treat ourselves with incredible experiences. Life's about balance right!?
Human Connection- The opportunity to see how other people live their lives day by day and
to sit and share food and drinks and talk with them - This has to be one of the
most amazing things about travel. When you have experiences like this is
illustrates both the differences but also the similarities in people and I
think that’s so special. There are places I’ve travelled to that I’ve come back
from never to be quite the same again – but in the best way possible.
Where I have travelled to
ASIA:
Bali, Indonesia | China | Hong Kong | India/Nepal/Bhutan | Japan | Korea | Malaysia/Borneo | Philippines | Singapore | Sri Lanka | Thailand | Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos
AUSTRALIA: Adelaide, South Australia | Brisbane | Gold Coast | Melbourne, Victoria
MIDDLE EAST: Turkey
NORTH AMERICA: Caribbean | Costa Rica | Cuba | El Salvador | Guatemala | Hawai`i | Honduras | Mexico | Nicaragua | Panama | USA
SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina | Brazil
SOUTH PACIFIC: Fiji | Niue | Rarotonga, Cook Islands | Vanuatu
UK/EUROPE: Germany | England | France | Italy | Greece | Netherlands | Turkey
