Hi there! Welcome to The Indie Tripper.  

 

I'm Karyn, a published travel writer and photographer. Midlands-born and Dublin-based, but my heart belongs to France and Italy, my two favourite countries in the world - (don't ask me to choose one. It's like being asked to choose a favourite child).  

 

I've had a travel bug for as long as I can remember: some of my earliest memories are in my granny's house: she had one of those View-Masters (remember those, children of the 70s and 80s?) into which you inserted a disc of small transparent color photographs on film - before your eyes would appear some of the world's most famous tourist attractions and travel views. I was obsessed with it and spent hours looking at some truly gaudy postcard-type images of Yosemite, Yellowstone National Park and New York City. But that was the start of it for me and that obsession has never waned.  

 

I’m the travel planner for our friends, & love passing on my personal recommendations and new discoveries. Few things make me happier than a message or photo from friends saying how much they loved a hotel / bar/ restaurant etc.. that I recommended.  I jump at the chance to put together a hand-picked personalised itinerary, and have been known to email mini novels of tips to friends if they happen to visit a city I love.

 

Here's what you need to know about me in a nutshell...
 

• Never found without my trusty notebook and camera in hand. 

• Have a terrible sense of direction. Will go astray even when using a sat nav. Easily distracted by beautiful things to take photos of 📸

• Likes an itinerary. Gets FOMO if I don't cram at least 5 things into a day's trip. Pretends to enjoy being spontaneous and seeing where the day leads us. Spoiler alert: I don’t. 

• Loves city breaks, and seeking out those off-the-radar spots that tourists rarely venture to.

• Art lover and all-round culture vulture.

• Loves live music, especially jazz. 

• Food-obsessed wine lover 

• Coffee addict

• Nature lover - never happier than when walking or cycling in the great outdoors.

• Bookworm

• Yoga keeps me sane   
   

My articles on this website are a snapshot of some of the best off-the-beaten-track places to visit in Ireland and Europe. Expect insider tips on walking trails, places of natural beauty and historical interest, cool bars, cafés and restaurants and where to find the best cup of coffee, glass of wine or live music. You'll also find tips on the galleries & museums that don't feature prominently on the main tourist trails. All photos are my own, and each spot has been carefully and personally researched

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My favourite cities in the world are (in no particular order) Paris, Rome, Turin, Bologna and Toulouse. I could easily pack up and live in any one of them. I spent three months travelling around South East Asia in my twenties which was an eye-opening experience and one I will never forget. I lived in Toronto while at university -  a city that held my heart from day one. I met the most wonderful people and was completely taken with this vibrant multicultural city. It felt like my home in a very short space of time and it broke my heart to leave it. I also had a short but very sweet three week trip to Australia in 2007, taking in the wonderful cities of Melbourne and Sydney, with a trip to the Blue Mountains thrown in for good measure. In short, travelling makes me really happy and I hope to continue in this vein until I shuffle off this mortal coil.

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Happy travelling!!

Karyn x