Rachel is an avid traveller, so we were thrilled when she picked a Travelshoot experience in Hanoi for something unique to do on her recent trip. It was a city that gave vibrancy in it's backdrops and whimsically placed Rachel in the middle of everyday local lives. We caught up with her to learn more about her travels and why she chose Hanoi...
Tell us a little about you! How do you like spending your weekends?
I spend as many weekends as I can exploring either the UK/London (I love being a tourist in London!) or hopping over to somewhere in Europe if I can get a good deal. I also love just spending time with friends, hiking and eating! I’m not sure I could live away from the city but I also love to scuba dive so the beach will always have a big pull for me!
Do you love to travel? Give us an idea of the places you have visited, and how often you getaway.
I love travelling! This year I have done Tanzania, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Paris, Maldives, Oman, Jordan, USA and Egypt. I work in travel so some of the trips have been with work but it also just makes me want to get away as much as possible! Whenever we are quiet at work I find myself tempted to book a trip!
Name one thing that you can’t travel without?
A good book!
How did you choose your getaway destination? Is this somewhere with special meaning to you? Or is it somewhere you have always wanted to visit?
I had always wanted to visit Vietnam and there was something about Hanoi that had always grabbed me. I loved the look of train street, I loved how crazy it was, I love Vietnamese food and it was definitely somewhere that I wanted to have some great photos to look back on. I had the idea it would be a very photogenic city and I definitely wasn’t wrong!
What made you choose to book this photoshoot? Was it to mark something special? Or just to capture those travel memories in style?
It was a very generous present from my Dad! I had done the rest of the trip with a friend but had a few nights in Hanoi on my own at the end and he knew I really wanted to be able to get some great photos of the city and how much I would love it. It was definitely one of the best presents I’ve ever received!
Talk us through your Travelshoot experience and how it all went down! What were your favourite parts? Did you have fun?
I was picked up by the photographer, Qui, on his moped (he had checked in advance that this was okay!). I loved travelling round the city by moped as it meant we could cover more ground and see as much of the city as possible. There is no way we could have explored as many spots if we’d been on foot! I loved that we could just pull over and stop at any random moment and Qui had a really good eye for what would make a good photo. I got used to us stopping by a random alleyway and ending up with a beautiful, edgy photo! The shoot was great fun from start to finish. My favourite moment was stopping by a small fruit stall on the side of the road where the owner was happy for us to use the stall as a location as long as Qui would take a photo of her too! It was lovely to interact with the locals on the shoot as well.
Which country or destination takes the top spot on your travel wishlist and why?
There are too many to choose from! My heart lies in the USA and the mountain west is definitely somewhere I feel compelled to return regularly. I also love any safari destination!
