Professional traveller calls Welsh location ‘one of the most beautiful I’ve ever been in my life’
Nation Cymru staff
A ‘professional traveller’ from the United States has named a Welsh location ‘one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my entire life’.
Annie Fitzsimmons is a luxury travel expert and editor, working in the travel industry for nearly 20 years.
Annie has built a dynamic, multi-faceted career in travel media and in the travel industry—one that she considers the original travel “portfolio career.” With a strong foundation across editorial, content, brand storytelling, and beyond to include hosting and guiding, she has very intentionally created a career in several parts of the business.
She is Editor at Large at Embark Beyond, a $350 million luxury travel and lifestyle agency, where she hosts a podcast and writes newsletters. Annie is also the founder of Travel AF, her own travel company which hosts trips around the world.
In one of her latest Instagram posts, she surprised her followers by letting slip her favourite holiday in her entire life which took many by surprise since, at least for those of us outside Wales, has kept a low profile on the world stage until relatively recently.
She shares: “I just want to take you to one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my entire life. My entire traveling life.”
Before revealing the location – St David’s, Pembrokeshire, the smallest city in the UK – she teases the spot in a series of Instagram videos, writing: “The completely windswept, dolphin-jumping, glorious-pubs-and-hikes magic of west Wales.
“It has some of my favorite coastal walks anywhere in Britain.
“And you might run into fields of ponies on St David’s Head (Their munching is natural conservation!)
“We saw 20 dolphins, including babies, plus puffins, seals, oystercatchers and tons of other birds.
“There is excellent coffee nearby – at least 5 great places in St David’s but we went to Minnow every morning!”
View this post on Instagram
She continues: “It’s aiming to be the dog-friendliest city in the UK. You can take them almost anywhere! (Not on Whitesands Beach in the summer)
“There are great restaurants + pubs – serving pizza, Indian, tapas bagels, Branston pickle & cheddar sandwiches at the pubs (and in my cottage rental)
“Art Galleries – ‘We have more artists and galleries than in Brighton,’ a new pub friend told me.
“I love that sometimes you need a sweater in July.
This is the Pembrokeshire coast, west Wales.”
In a follow-up post for Meet Me in the Lobby, where two professional travelers sit down in beautiful hotel lobbies to talk all things travel: where they’re going, what we’re loving and what’s on our radar.
View this post on Instagram
In the piece, Annie again sings St David’s praises, captioning the chat: “An extraordinary stretch of the Pembrokeshire Coast with brilliant walks, beautiful scenery and Whitesands Beach.
“One of those places that reminds you just how special a UK summer can be.”
St David’s has also been spotlighted by Visit Wales, where Travel writer and St Davids local Alf Alderson highlighted his favourite things to see and do in and around the tiny but might city.
First discussing the iconic Cathedral, he writes: “The 12th century St Davids Cathedral, built on the site of a much older religious buildings, is the reason for little Tyddewi’s (St Davids) outsize city status. Constructed from dusky purple sandstone, it’s one of Wales’ most iconic religious sites and sits tucked away in a sheltered vale beside the River Alun. Here you can learn about the history of Tyddewi, visit the impressive Treasury collection and enjoy home-cooked and locally-sourced food at MamGu’s Kitchen St Davids.”
After praising Oriel y Parc Gallery, he then spotlights ‘the brooding Gothic ruins of the Bishop’s Palace’ which lie on the opposite bank of the river from the cathedral, providing “a suitably dramatic backdrop for open air theatre performances in the summer.”
He adds: “Bishop Henry de Gower’s legacy consists of the simpler east range, his private domain, and the grander south range, built for banqueting in the great hall.”
Pebbles Yard Gallery and Espresso Bar also come in for a special mention, before he praises the boat trips on offer.
He shares: “Boat trips to the wild offshore islands of Ynys Dewi (Ramsey), Grassholm, Sgomer and Skokholm offer an opportunity to get close to the sea life that call this rugged landscape home.
“Catch a glimpse of puffins, gannets, porpoises, dolphins and whales and choose a 15-minute island hop or a leisurely cruise depending on how sturdy your sea legs are.”
Follow Annie on Instagram. Her first book–for National Geographic and Disney Publishing–’100 Hotels of a Lifetime,’ is out now.
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