Welcome to Expat Getaways
I’m Jess and together with my husband Andrew we’ll be sharing our latest trips and travel advice! Head over to About Us to read more.
Me and my wonderful hubby Andrew
What is it?
Expat Getaways is a travel blog full of itineraries for trips that we have taken from our base here in Hong Kong and travel hacks to make your trip easier.
Why should you care what we have to say?
I’ve been working in the tourism industry since 2008 and travelling the globe my entire adult life. I’ve worked as a tour manager organising 50 people zipping across Australia and South East Asia, designed itineraries for school groups visiting Far North Queensland, trained tour guides to work in world heritage areas and now I work as a tour guide here in Hong Kong. I even lived in a grass hut for a couple of months while getting my Divemaster qualifications in Mozambique!
Andrew is a pilot based in Hong Kong flying to all corners of the world. He also takes some awesome photos which are featured all over this site and on Instagram. With his schedule and my organising we travel every chance we get.
Hard at work in the Northern Territory, Australia
Is this blog for you?
Absolutely! I’ve written this blog with busy expats in mind. So many of my friends work so hard in the Monday to Friday grind and want to make the most of all the of long weekends on offer here in HK. But who has the time to research where to go, where to stay and what to do?
At Expat Getaways I’ve done that for you. I’m not going to promise it’s perfect, but it’s a trip that I’ve tried and tested, plus what I would do differently if I had the chance again. I’d love to hear your experiences too so please feel free to add your tips and tricks in the comments.
How is this different from the other blogs you’re already reading?
Well for one I don’t think you can ever read too many travel blogs! I’ve found that many travel blogs are geared at budget, long term or adventure travel. And that’s fantastic! I’m more about short holidays and long weekends where you can cram in unique experiences and more importantly the logistics of how you can make them happen from your base in Hong Kong (or Singapore, or Tokyo or Dubai or anywhere in the world for that matter!).
Enjoying Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong
But you’re not an expat?
That’s fine too 🙂 A lot of these getaways have been done as part of a longer trip, just piece together the bits you want. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest and sign up for our newsletter for your weekly dose of travel inspiration.
Where do we travel?
Where don’t we want to go! In the last year we have traveled to Macau, Taipei, Guilin, Bangkok, Cambodia, Bali, India, the Philippines, Rome, Malta, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Malaysia, USA, UK, Dubai and of course home to Australia. There are many places on the to-do list from Burma to Borneo, South Africa to Sri Lanka, Italy to Iran. Check out our destinations page to see where we have travelled.
How do I decide where to go and what to do?
Well that comes down to research and I’m a planner by nature. If I’m going to spend all that money gallivanting around I don’t want it wasted on a crappy experience. I trawl through blogs, guidebooks, Trip Advisor and hotel booking sites looking for the best deals and experiences. I’m definitely not a travel agent (although I know a few and can point you in the right direction!).
I hope you enjoy!
Jess, x