Heavenly pictures of white sandy beaches, swaying palms and clear blue waters used to be the preserve of glossy magazines, purchased at a premium and scattered across coffee tables. But thanks to social media and the camera phone, we have become our own top-end publishers, with access an array of photoshopping apps and filters until recently only available to the professionals and, via services like Instagram, able to make them available to millions at the swipe of a screen.
But in a world where every one of us is already a walking-talking issue of Conde Nast Traveller, there is another group, an elite set of travellers with both the eye, the skill and the following to make us consistently go ‘wow’.
So here are our favourites, the up-and-coming Instagrammers to watch…
TheTravelista
If Jess Gibson’s blog and Insta account seem seriously slick it’s at least in part because she used to be a Social Media Manager for a travel PR firm. Now she spends her time putting that experience to good use by globetrotting and recording her experiences through her camera lens and blog. Expect to catch her boarding Business Class and jetting off to somewhere jealousy inducing.
Insta: @TheTravelista
Blog: www.thetravelista.net
WanderlustChloe
From media to social media; Chloe quit her job as a top radio producer to focus full-time on her blog WanderlustChloe three years ago and hasn’t looked back. As she zig-zags across the globe with her Instagrammer fiancé @AnAdventurousWorld she blogs about both budget and luxury travel, plus a smattering of food, so the perfect combo.
Insta: @wanderlustchloe
Blog: www.wanderlustchloe.com
HandluggageOnly
Yaya and Lloyd started HandluggageOnly on a warm day in April at Cambridge University. Upon graduating, the couple eschewed a beckoning corporate career to travel round the globe staying in the best hotels and making up in experiences what staring at a spreadsheet all day would have provided in income. And, well, who wouldn’t? The photography is consistently stunning and their account shows what becomes possible when you put two first class minds onto the case.
Insta: @HandluggageOnly
Blog: www.handluggageonly.co.uk
Carlietasker
Carlie Tasker makes working incredibly hard look effortlessly easy. There are no snapshots, each picture is a photoshoot as precise as a fashion brand might assemble as Carlie carefully teases the camera and the reader. The palate is muted pastels, greys, pinks and blues, and it’s simply beautiful.
Insta: @CarlieTasker
Blog: www.carlietasker.com
Freshandfearless
Aftab is Fresh & Fearless! His blog exudes luxury and style as he traverses the globe staying in 5-star hotels, sampling the high life. The photography is high quality, often featuring London-based Aftab himself plus food, drink and gorgeous locations. His blog looks and feels like a quality magazine.
Insta: @Freshandfearless
Blog: www.freshandfearless.co.uk
TheTravelHack
If you’re after inspiration for weekend breaking, then Monica’s your woman. The mother of two makes it look simple as she zips from place to place recording her travels as she goes on family holidays, breaks and dishes out travel tips along the way to help your budget go further.
Insta: @TheTravelHack
Blog: www.thetravelhack.com
Twins_That_Travel
Twins that travel are the grammatically problematic but otherwise well-put-together duo Claire and Laura. Winners of the Blogosphere Travel Blog 2017, they’ve been full-time travelling for the past three years and sharing their our adventures with their Instagram fans. Covering a mixture of overseas and UK travel that appeals to all budgets they have an eye for interesting angles and takes with their shots, and if nothing else it’s difficult to get bored of the fact that there’s two of them and they’re identical.
Insta: @Twins_That_Travel
Blog: www.twinsthattravel.com
AngieSilverSpoon
Angie founded SilverSpoon London four years ago and has been living the high life ever since. Covering London food and drink as well as top-end travel Angie is often joined by husband ‘Mr Spoon’ on her forays which take her round the world. Lots of flowers, champagne and experiences to make you jealous.
Insta: @Angiesilverspoon
Blog: www.silverspoonlondon.co.uk
Em_Luxton
Originally from Weymouth, Harry Potter fan Emily Luxton has left Dorset, and Hogwarts, far behind as she focusses full-time on solo female travel around the globe. Her degree in photography certainly pays off and the pics are great, but her writing is strong too with regular round-ups and top this-and-thats on her busy website.
Insta: @Em_Luxton
Blog: www.emilyluxton.co.uk
Triflemonster and TheGrayEscape
We couldn’t resist the opportunity to slip ourselves onto the list. As Travel Editor and Deputy Editor at The Handbook Phil has certainly racked up the Airmiles (Avios simply doesn’t sound as good in that sentence), and Instagrams as he goes. The Handbook Editor Emily forms part of her newly formed family Instagram travel account, The.GrayEscape (Emily Gray, geddit?) who take turns to post depending who’s on holiday. Follow everyone else on this page first, but feel free to send some of the follows our way too! ;-)
Phil: @Triflemonster
Emily: @The.GrayEscape