I had the pleasure of speaking to a Cardiff local and one of my favourite social media content creators. Cassie, also known as @thisis.cassie, creates and curates content about Cardiff and other countries she has explored. She shared her top travel tips and explained why Cardiff, Wales, and the UK are underrated travel destinations.
What inspired you to create lifestyle and travel content, and where was the first place you ever travelled to? How do you think this inspired you to keep travelling?
‘I moved back from London and wanted to show off this amazing city,’ explains Cassie. She adds that for a time, she moved to Austria and explained that content creation became a way of ‘keeping sane.’
‘We used to go to Guernsey all the time as a family when I was younger because we had family there,’ reflects Cassie. ‘I love little off-beat places and how it’s still technically the UK but also not. When I was a little bit older, we started going on cruises to the Caribbean, which really got me excited about travelling.’
What is your opinion on Wales as a travel destination and what are your top suggestions for visiting Wales for the first time?
Cassie explains that she’s ‘only started doing Wales and the UK in the last two or three years. Everything is so close! You have the sea, mountains and places like Pembrokeshire right on your doorstep. We will be doing a camper van trip soon, and I hope to go to the East in Wales or to the West Coast.’ One of Cassie’s favourite places in Wales is The Ship pub in Abersoch.
Cassie adds that the best way to travel Wales is to ‘do areas at once like North Wales or Carmarthen. I highly recommend trying Welsh cheese and wines and even finding a local butcher when planning what to eat. Basically, do the same thing you would do anywhere else in the world.’
What advice would you give young travel lovers regarding saving and budgeting so they can make their dreams a reality?
‘Focus on going further first,’ Cassie emphasises. ‘I spent one month in Vietnam, which was the equivalent of spending ten days in Italy. Of course, your flight might be expensive, but once you’re there, everything is so much cheaper.’ Cassie adds that she uses Monzo round-up and puts savings in a pot she can’t see. ‘It’s a great way to save.’
What is your most unforgettable travel experience so far and what future trips do you have planned?
‘I would have to say Bangkok. We used the Get Your Guide app and did a bike tour. We didn’t have high expectations for it at first, but we ended up going through the most beautiful back and beyond residential local villages. It was so wholesome. Kids were running up to us and giving us high fives. It was a real ‘pinch yourself’ moment,’ reflects Cassie.
Cassie adds, ‘we are going to Greece in two weeks on a family holiday and are staying in a villa for 20 people! One thing we are doing on that trip, and I would definitely recommend doing it, is travelling within a country and thinking outside the box. Internal flights can be really cheap and flying into and out of different airports can sometimes work out cheaper.’
‘We are going to Georgia, Europe, for a mini summer break. It’s a fabulous country for wine. Then, we usually do a big trip in January and are thinking either South Africa or Guatemala,’ Cassie explains.
What are your thoughts on sustainable travel and ecotourism, and do you incorporate it in your travels?
‘I do try,’ explains Cassie. ‘It’s definitely a more recent concept but I think it’s really important and I want to see more of it. We have an electric car, and as I’ve mentioned before, I highly encourage discovering more on your doorstep. I really enjoy staying at boutique hotels. Homestays are another amazing way to sustainably travel and experience local culture,’ says Cassie.
Finally, what is one thing you never travel without, and do you have any final travel tips?
‘SPF. Specifically, the LA Roche-Posay factor 50. It has a tinted cream and sun protection. It’s not always the cheapest, but you can get it for a good price at Boots when it’s on sale. Even my boyfriend now loves it.’
Cassie adds that, funnily enough, she avoids social media for travel recommendations. ‘They can be super overcrowded and overpriced,’ she explains. ‘While some social media recommendations are great, I usually prefer to avoid them.’
Speaking to Cassie really inspired me to continue travelling and has lit a fire inside me to start planning my next trip: a Welsh road trip. I have added multiple new destinations to my travel bucket list but also have a new appreciation for local travel. Her tips are going to come in handy for my future saving and planning, and I hope reading this interview will have the same effect on others.
Words by: Jessica Fotheringham
Images courtesy of Cassie. No changes have been made.