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Interview with Lucy Jackson, Co-founder & Director of Lightfoot Travel

Lightfoot
Lucy Jackson, Co-founder & Director of Lightfoot Travel


Interview with Lucy Jackson, Co-founder & Director of Lightfoot Travel


Tell us a bit about what you do and how you got into the industry. 
As Co-founder & Director of Lightfoot Travel, I manage the business development and strategy of the group, across our offices in Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai. I’ve been in the travel industry for over a decade, despite starting my career at Sky Media Broadcasting in London as a Business Development executive across all marketing platforms. I’d been temping during university holidays at a commercial espionage firm, setting up our contacts around the globe by arranging all their travel logistics; one of the dossiers was about the investigation on the plight of the Concorde! From that initial job my interest in the tailor-made side of travel developed, particularly having organised all holidays for families and friends, and I started working at a top tour operator in London as a Latin America specialist having been based on the continent for a year. I moved across three other companies and out to Hong Kong before setting up Lightfoot Travel in 2010.


Share with us an interesting story from behind the scenes at Lightfoot Travel.
We have lots of behind the scenes stories, from organising guest holidays to the day to day antics in the office. Most recently we arranged special access to an Oscar screening in a remote part of Sri Lanka for one of our clients. It transpired that their child won an Oscar on the evening for the category they were nominated for, and luckily we had pre-arranged some Champagne on ice for them to celebrate. 


What's the best/ worst part of your job? 
Receiving all the amazing feedback from our clients is such a great reward for the hours spent planning complex itineraries or special occasions for our guests. The administrative side of running an office isn’t my favourite part of the job, although Lightfoot is a close team where everyone ‘mucks-in’ to do their share.


What's your personal favourite experience on offer to Lightfoot Travel customers?
Most recently, one of our New Zealand contacts set up a snow-capped mountain top golf tee overlooking Queenstown. You can play a few holes whilst up there – access via helicopter only!


What's one of the most extravagant travel requests you've received at Lightfoot?
Once an expat family approached us with a request to travel back from Asia to Europe by land, that was a great itinerary to put together. We also often arrange private jets. Our glamping package in Bhutan is particularly extravagant. Once, a client couldn’t find fresh milk at a hotel breakfast so we called a guide in specially to show them where to find it. I’d have to say though that the one most extravagant travel requests was a yearlong sabbatical, where we planned a combination of holidays from rejuvenation in an Alpine spa, paragliding over Rio de Janeiro, sailing around the Caribbean, exploring the Serengeti and climbing up Mount Kilimanjaro.


The perfect day off would be... 
Assuming I’m in Hong Kong for the day, I would hike over to the secret beach by Tai Long Wan. Once there, I’d indulge in a romantic picnic with my husband and fly off in a private helicopter from there. We also like hiking to Dragon’s Back and wandering around Shek O afterwards. I love eating some of the local food there and chilling on the beach at Chung Hom Kok (aka our secret beach). During our weekends, we often meet with friends for lunch or dinner. If it’s just us, we’ll start the day with some yoga, then head to Herbert at Cofftea in Kennedy Town for the best coffee in Hong Kong. My husband Callaghan is a keen cook so we tend to buy fresh produce from the markets and head home to Pok Fu Lam. We’ll cook whilst listening to our extensive music collection!


A day in the life of a Lightfoot Travel Director is... 
I’m not the best morning person, so I have to kick-start my day with a hot lemon and ginger tea. I’ll work through my emails and draw up a to-do list before hitting EPIC gym located in Central. I love the women’s hourly sessions there - particularly boxing or AntiGravity Yoga. I’ll then systematically go through my to do list in the mornings. I try to use my lunch hour to catch up with clients, suppliers or journalists as it’s the most relaxed way of receiving feedback, discussing the latest travel fads or planning holidays. Afternoons tend to be spent more on the phone, brainstorming marketing plans with the team, looking at business development opportunities or catching up with general paperwork.


What do you do in your spare time?
This year it’s been spent planning two(!) weddings and speaking to family about various travel arrangements either to UK or to Lombok – something that comes pretty naturally. I love spending time with my friends who are really important to me.


What's something you'd like clients to know about Lightfoot Travel? 
Our service is completely personalised to them, and our consultants have tried and tested the properties and experiences they recommend. The team are unbiased when it comes to destinations as they realise that different places suit particular types of clients, so we’d rather undersell and over deliver.


What's your favourite (s) food and wine pairing?
Having just been in Italy, I have to confess to being a bit of a Fiano fan when it comes to a crispy white wine. What the Neopolitans really understand is letting the simplicity of food stand-out, so having a Fiano with a fresh fish fillet and salsa verde is delicious. One of my favourite degustation menus was at Marque restaurant in Sydney where they educate their guests as you are taken on a culinary journey.


What's your view on the Hong Kong food/bar scene?
It’s developed over the last six years that I’ve been living in HK – the variety has always been there but I love that not only does it do the sophisticated and the local but now caters for intelligent diners looking for something a bit offbeat. In the last few years that’s been Yardbird, any of Jason Atherton’s restaurants (I’m a bit of a fan of this genre), Chom Chom in Soho or Arcane on On Lan Street.


What's in store for you in the upcoming months?
I will be getting married on a beach in Lombok from a private villa with 100 family and friends flying from around the world at the end of August, and then heading to the stunning Nihiwatu, on lesser known Indonesian island of Sumba, for our honeymoon week. For Lightfoot, we have many development plans in the pipeline including our fully implemented and new operations system ensuring smoother service, and completing our fully finished rebrand. Personally one of the projects I’ll be working on is launching our new online Travel – by Lightfoot blog, where we will be able to showcase the scope of knowledge sitting with our in-house travel experts.


Book bespoke itineraries through Lightfoot Travel, the Asia-based artisans of luxury travel with offices in Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai.     http://ift.tt/1zI8TCf


source: The Yum List: Best restaurants, hotels and spas - Malaysia, Asia, Worldwide. http://ift.tt/1I8uJk6

Abstract.
















Abstract.


Have a good weekend!


source: Stavanger Daily Photo http://ift.tt/1KEk3h4

Escape to your own private oceanfront + 13 Secret Swimming Holes

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Hiking and ice climbing adventure on the Kennicott Glacier

The Kennicott Glacier is located in St. Elias National Park, part of the Wrangell Mountains. It will be for the first time we hike and climb on ice. Excited for what is to come, we meet our guide Melissa from St. Elias Alpine Guides at nine in the morning. We register and get information about the crampons. We never heard about this before but these are metal plates with sharp knife looking triangles you bind on your shoes. They are used for ice walking and climbing. Gliding on the ice is no longer possible.

The hiking trails take us via green bushes, rocks, a waterfall and amazing mountain views up to the edge of the white ice. In the valley we see the ice root covered with dust and mud. The 3 km hike up to the ice, with medium elevation, was easy for us. Now it is time to put on the crampons.

Our first steps on the ice are a bit uncomfortable but after tens steps you are used to it. The most appropriate is to walk with your legs a bit open so that you don't step on your own feet and that you have a better balance. With each step you lift your foot high and you lock yourself in the ice. Make sure you take water, food and extra clothing with you. It was very warm the first part of the hike and on the ice it can be cold. Dress in layers and take wind and rain proof clothing.

We continued about 2 km on the ice. The first part is rather flat but soon it becomes rough with ice cracks below you, small creeks coming down, cliffs and waterfalls. This makes it very beautiful and challenging. The crampons make it possible to walk upwards or downwards on slippery ice mountains. Always were your gloves because when you fall, you could cut open your hands. The ice is sharp and hard as glass.

Some people asked us, isn't this dangerous walking on a glacier? You need to know what to do, best to take a guide. What we did is absolutely safe, we remained at the melting part of the glacier. Here the ice is hundreds of years old and not moving rapidly. The ice is thick and stable, there are no deep holes covered by snow. Stay on the root of the glacier.

The closer you go to the summit the more dangerous it becomes. Here the ice is moving. Ice blocks the size of houses are falling down and some of the crack are to deep to see the end. At the highest point, the ice has a thickness of 1,5 km. Nobody has ever climbed the upper part of the Kennicott Glacier. In total the glacier is more than 40 km long.

This is an excellent Alaska experience and to be recommended for all tourists who are able to hike 10 km. It is suitable for families with children. It was one of our most interesting hikes ever.

De Kennicott Gletsjer is gelegen in St. Elias National Park en maakt deel uit van het Wrangell gebergte. Het zal de eerste keer zijn dat we op ijs wandelen en klimmen. Naar deze uitstap uitkijkende ontmoeten we onze gids Melissa van St. Elias Alpine Guides om negen uur 's morgens. We registreren en krijgen informatie over onze crampons. Hier hadden we eerlijk gezegd nog nooit van gehoord maar het zijn metalen voetplaten met scherpe driehoekige mesjes aan de onderzijde. Je bint ze vast aan je schoenen en je bent klaar om op ijs te wandelen en klimmen. Glijden is niet langer mogelijk.

Het wandelpad door bossen, rotsachtig gebied, een waterval en prachtige bergzichten brengt ons tot aan de rand van het witte ijs. In de vallei zien we het uiteinde van de gletsjer bedekt met stof en aarde. De wandeling is ongeveer 3 km lang met licht klimmende en dalende stukken. Voor ons was dit heel eenvoudig. Nu is het echter tijd om de crampons aan te trekken.

Onze eerste stappen op het ijs zijn wat onwennig maar na enkele minuten ben je ervaren genoeg. Je kan het beste redelijk wijdbeens stappen zodat je niet op je eigen voet stapt en ook een beter evenwicht behoudt. Bij iedere stap hef je de voet hoog en kap je die in het ijs. Zorg ervoor dat je genoeg water, eten en extra kledij meeneemt. Het eerste deel van de wandeling is warm en op het ijs kan het koud worden. Kleed in laagjes en breng water en winddichte kledij.

We gingen ongeveer 2 km verder op het ijs. Het eerste stukje is redelijk plat maar snel wordt het ruwer met ijsspleten onder je, beekjes stromend water, ijskliffen en watervallen. Dit maakt het heel mooi en uitdagend. De crampons maken het mogelijk op steile stukken opwaarts en neerwaarts te wandelen of te klimmen. Draag altijd handschoenen indien je het evenwicht verliest en een hand op ijs zet voor steun. Het ijs is enorm hard en scherp.

Sommige mensen hebben ons gevraagd, is het niet gevaarlijk wandelen op een gletsjer? Je moet gewoon weten wat te doen en het juiste materiaal hebben. We raden aan een gids te nemen. Wat wij deden was veilig daar we op het smeltende lage deel van de gletsjer bleven. Het ijs is reeds honderden jaren oud en beweegt heel traag. Het is dik en stabiel. Er zijn ook geen diepe putten die bedekt zijn met sneeuw.

Hoe dichter je naar de top van de berg gaat hoe gevaarlijker het wordt. Hier beweegt het ijs en zijn er onzichtbare dieptes. Soms vallen er ijsblokken de grootte van huizen naar beneden en zijn er openingen in het ijs waarvan je het einde niet kan zien. Op het hoogste punt heeft het ijs een diepte van 1,5 km. Niemand heeft ooit het bovenste deel van de Kennicott gletsjer beklommen. De totale lengte van de gletsjer is meer dan 40 km. 

Dit is een uitstekende Alaska ervaring en aan te bevelen aan toeristen die 10 km aankunnen. Dit is uiterst geschikt voor families. Het was één van onze mooiste en meest interessante natuurwandelingen ooit.
  
Kennicott Glacier

Kennicott Glacier

Kennicott Glacier broken ice

Kennicott Glacier waterfall

Kennicott Glacier panorama

Kennicott Glacier Mount Blackburn

Kennicott Glacier ice hiking

Kennicott Glacier ice

Kennicott Glacier ice hills

Kennicott Glacier crampons

Kennicott Glacier creek

Kennicott Glacier waterfall

Kennicott Glacier waterfall blue ice

Kennicott Glacier cracks

Kennicott Glacier relax

Kennicott Glacier climbing

Previous Kennicott article: Staying at the Kennicott Glacier Lodge

Previous Mountain article: Bush flight to Kennicott with Wrangell Mountain Air

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this is belgium

this is belgium


Homeward bound

Posted: 30 Jul 2015 02:08 PM PDT



Paris Nord, waiting for the train to Brussels

MATHALLEN

















This is a place that will soon open.

An old factory turned in to a new and trendy food hall, and a place to buy locally produced food.
I am looking forward to tasty food in a new place.

I have been visiting places like this in other cities / countries.
Some yummy memories...



source: Stavanger Daily Photo http://ift.tt/1IaXY3z

Dolls vacation.



















The school holiday is not over, but the bookshops are already full of things to buy for the new school year.

I think this bookshop has made a nice display with the dolls on the beach :)
Well, today we had
+16C and just a bit of rain from time to time.


source: Stavanger Daily Photo http://ift.tt/1H3EjRs

The Best of Spain, Where to Eat in Barcelona and Andalusia

Where to Eat in Spain - The Yum List Travels

Here I've compiled our recent Spanish tips into one post. Click on the links below for specific suggestions on where and what to eat in Barcelona, Seville, Fuentes de Andalucia, Granada, Cordoba, Malaga and Marbella.

Where to Eat In Barcelona


Where to Eat In Barcelona

Where to Eat In Seville


Where to Eat In Seville

Where to Eat in Fuentes de Andalucia


Where to Eat in Fuentes de Andalucia

Where to Eat In Cordoba


Where to Eat In Cordoba


Where to Eat In Granada


Where to Eat In Granada

Where to Eat In Malaga and Marbella


Where to Eat In Malaga and Marbella

Not planning on visiting Spain in the near future? Don't worry, we have some very talented chefs right here in Kuala Lumpur cooking up some authentic dishes from both Barcelona and the south. For a Barcelona experience visit Chef David in Mercat, Bangsar, and for a little taste of the south, see what Chef Basilio, executive chef of Gastrodome, has cooking up in Pressroom and La Bodega.




source: The Yum List: Best restaurants, hotels and spas - Malaysia, Asia, Worldwide. http://ift.tt/1LRRRWy