I adore the Yorkshire Coast – it’s one of my favorite parts of the country! On my most recent trip to Whitby, I came across an attraction on Google I’d never seen before: Mulgrave Castle. I was so intrigued as, despite nearly a decade in Yorkshire, I’d never heard of it before! I went off… Read More How to Visit Old Mulgrave Castle, North Yorkshire
Cornwall was always one of my biggest UK travel oversights. I’d been just once, for two days, in January, 11 years ago, without a car. So, when the opportunity came to spend over two weeks here last summer, I jumped at it! I managed to squeeze in a LOT during a short amount of time,… Read More 39 Unbelievable Places You Must Visit in Cornwall
New Zealand is famous for its spectacular scenery and epic hiking opportunities. From mountains to fjords to glaciers to beaches to extinct volcanoes, New Zealand really has a diverse range of landscapes. And the best way to experience them is by walking – or tramping, as the Kiwis say. While long-distance trails like the Te Araroa… Read More 20 of the BEST Day Hikes in New Zealand
10 years ago, I bought this little space on the internet, and Away With Maja was born. 10 years. A decade. A DECADE of this website. If you told me back in 2016, when I decided to buy my domain name and hosting, that I’d still be doing this 10 years later, I don’t think… Read More 10 Years of Away With Maja: Reflections on a Decade (!) of Blogging
Whitby is one of my favorite places in all of Yorkshire. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been here now! It’s somewhere I always take friends when they come visit – it’s the perfect combination of history, seaside fun, and coastal charm. Here are the best things to do in Whitby to have… Read More How to Spend the Perfect Day in Whitby
I’ve visited Dubrovnik three times: in May 2014, in April 2016, and most recently in September 2025. Between my first two trips, there was an enormous increase in tourism in the city. This had skyrocketed by my trip last year! Dubrovnik has been at the center of the debate on overtourism, responsible/sustainable travel, cruise ship… Read More Dubrovnik, Croatia: How to Avoid the Crowds (and Save Money)
After leaving Australia and New Zealand and returning back to the UK at the end of March 2025, I became a full-time housesitter. I didn’t have a place to live – instead I traveled all over the country, taking care of other people’s pets and working remotely! Over approximately eight months, I did 14 housesits… Read More The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Full-Time Housesitter With Trusted Housesitters
My first trip to Zagreb back in 2016 was a very brief one. I was thrilled to return in 2025, on my third trip to Croatia! This is a fantastic destination for a city break, and it’s much more affordable than the hotspots on the Dalmatian Coast like Dubrovnik. Here’s my guide for the best… Read More How to Spend a City Break in Zagreb, Croatia
I love exploring every corner of the UK, and there’s one destination that’s been at the top of my bucket list for years. The Isles of Scilly are a group of islands off the coast of Cornwall, and last year I finally went for the first time! While I sadly only visited for a day,… Read More Isles of Scilly Day Trip: How to Spend 1 Day in Paradise
2025 was a wild year for me. I started the year in New Zealand, finishing up my working holiday visa and my time in the Southern Hemisphere, before returning to the UK and embarking on my housesitting era. Housesits took me all over the UK, and I had a few other trips to other countries… Read More The Best Places I Visited in 2025
Travel is full of ups and downs – as perfect as it may look online, there are always lows to balance out the highs. After writing about my top travel experiences of 2025, this post is an important one: all of my WORST travel moments! As always, I’m grateful to be alive at the end… Read More My Worst Travel Moments of 2025
I love reflecting back at the end of every year. For most of the last ~9 years that I’ve been blogging, I’ve written a trio of annual recap posts. This one is all about my best travel experiences of the year! In 2024, my highlights were finishing my Lap of Australia, road tripping New Zealand,… Read More My Top Travel Experiences of 2025
Yorkshire is home to some truly amazing walks – I would know, I’ve done my fair few of them! This August, I set off for my first multi-day walk in Yorkshire, hiking the Minster Way between York and Beverley. Here’s my complete guide for doing the trail! What is the Minster Way? The Minster Way… Read More A Hiking Guide for the Minster Way in Yorkshire
I still can’t believe that I made my dream trip to Switzerland happen this summer. It was such an incredible 3.5 weeks! Hiking in the Swiss Alps was a phenomenal experience. One of my favorite days (possibly of my entire life!) was hiking from Kleine Scheidegg to Lauterbrunnen. This is a long hike, with a… Read More Spectacular Hikes in Switzerland: Kleine Scheidegg to Lauterbrunnen
I was determined to hike Stac Pollaidh when I first did the North Coast 500 back in 2020. But unfortunately, the weather had other plans. When I showed up to do the hike, there was no visibility – you couldn’t even see the hill! Thankfully, the weather was much better on my most recent trip… Read More Everything You Need to Know About Hiking Stac Pollaidh in Scotland
I’ve made it no secret that Scotland is one of my favorite places in the world. I simply love this country – and I was lucky enough to spend a few days road tripping the far northwest Scottish Highlands this summer. While I’d been to the area when I did the North Coast 500 back… Read More Handa Island, Scotland: What You Need to Know for Your Visit
Malaga in Spain is one of the most popular cities to visit in Andalucia, along with Seville, Granada, and Cordoba. It’s also a fantastic destination for a city break, especially if you’re after some winter sun – Malaga has an average of 300 sunny days per year! I spent three glorious days here soaking up… Read More How to Spend a City Break in Malaga, Spain: 3-Day Itinerary
Switzerland is one of the most expensive destinations in the world. And largely because of this, it’s a country I still hadn’t been to until recently. To my greatest surprise, I managed to make the Switzerland trip of my dreams happen in July 2025 – for almost free! This felt like a true rags-to-riches fairytale.… Read More How I Made My Dream Trip to Switzerland Happen – For (Almost) Free!
During my year living in New Zealand, I took two epic road trips. Both were for approximately six weeks: the end of March to the beginning of May 2024, and the middle of February to the end of March 2025. I wrote a complete New Zealand budget guide for my 2024 trip, sharing exactly how… Read More New Zealand Road Trip Budget: 2025 Guide
Tongariro National Park is the most-visited national park on the North Island of New Zealand. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is probably the most popular day hike in the whole country! But there’s more to see here than just the epic hikes. Tongariro has three active volcanoes: Ngauruhoe, Ruapehu, and Tongariro. Explore more of the national… Read More A Travel Guide for Tongariro National Park, New Zealand
