I spent 6 months of my year in New Zealand living in the small town of Twizel, in the Mackenzie Region of the South Island. Located between Christchurch and Queenstown, less than an hour from Tekapo, this is a really special place. It’s surrounded by mountains and long stretches of open plains, with lakes and… Read More The Best Things to Do in Twizel, New Zealand
Last year I finally visited one of my greatest England travel oversights: the Cotswolds. This beautiful area in southwest England is known for its charming chocolate-box villages, pretty honeycomb cottages, and picturesque scenery. And when I ended up housesitting in Oxford for three weeks, I knew I had to go! As I didn’t have a… Read More Exploring the Cotswolds: A Walk Through 5 Charming Villages
Springtime means flowers blooming, lambs in the fields, and the return of some of the UK’s cutest seabirds: puffins. Puffins are adorable birds, often likened to clowns because of their distinctive beak and face. They spend the winters out in warmer seas, and return to rear their only chick – called a puffling – on… Read More The Best Places to See Puffins in the UK
Northumberland has to be one of the most underrated places in England. This northern county, bordering Scotland on one side, has so much to offer. From magnificent castles to stunning beaches and coastline, plus a national park with lots of options for hiking, Northumberland has it all. I’ve been a number of times, and each… Read More 27 Incredible Places to Visit in Northumberland
The Peak District is a wonderful destination for hiking and exploring the great outdoors. It’s not far from where I live in York, and I can get out here on day trips without too much trouble. Last fall, I finally ticked off one hike I’d been wanting to do for ages: Alport Castles. This is… Read More Alport Castles: A Fantastic Hike in the Peak District
York is such a wonderful place to live – I feel lucky to have called this city home for most of the last decade. But part of why I love York so much is what’s outside of the city. There are so many amazing destinations around York in the wider Yorkshire region, and many are… Read More The Best Day Trips from York, England
The Peak District was one of my first weekend trips when I moved to the UK nearly a decade ago. This beautiful area has called me back many, many times over the years. With spectacular natural scenery, charming villages, historic sites, and great hikes, there is so much to do here. It’s hard to narrow… Read More 30 Amazing Places to Visit in the Peak District
I’m lucky enough to have called Yorkshire home for most of the last decade. As part of my goal to summit the Dales 30 – the 30 highest peaks in the Yorkshire Dales – I recently went for a glorious hike up Great Shunner Fell and Lovely Seat. Straddling the border between Wensleydale and Swaledale,… Read More Yorkshire Dales Walks: Hiking Great Shunner Fell and Lovely Seat from Wensleydale
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
