Milly Gill

When I’m not at work or travelling I’m…

Reading or walking my whippet, Walnut, on the beach in the winter. Nothing better than fish and chips with a 99 on the beach, especially in winter when the tourists have all gone home!

If I wasn't working for Travel Nation I would be...

Travelling with my husband in South America.

Which place exceeded your expectations on your travels and why?

New Caledonia - we went on our honeymoon and spent 2 weeks exploring the island main island before visiting Isle of Pines at the end. It was so spectacular and felt so adventurous but at the same time so easy to explore. We did a microlight flight over the New Caledonia Barrier Reef and I couldn't stop grinning when we were up there, the views were out of this world. 

The other place was India. It's not that I didn't think I'd like it, but I really was blown away by how much I loved it. Incredible food, lovely people, wonderful wildlife. I could go back 10 times and still not see everything I want to. 

My favourite band and film

My favourite band is First Aid Kit but I am also a big Taylor Swift fan! My favourite film is definitely ET, especially the cycling scene. The perfect film. Although You've Got Mail is also one of my not so guilty pleasures. Why be ashamed of loving Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan!

What's your favourite wildlife experience from your travels?

I've been so lucky with wildlife so I'll have to mention a few. Spotting a tiger in Chitwan in Nepal, swimming with whale sharks in Western Australia, watching penguins in Antarctica and taking my Dad to the Galapagos Islands for his 60th were all so special. But I think the top of my list was my recent experience in northern India, when I went snow leopard tracking in the Trans Himalayas. Watching the snow leopard emerge from the mountainside and slink along the rock was just unbelievale. I cried!

What was your first great travel experience?

I went to Nepal when I was 17 to visit family friends, the first time I’d travelled beyond school trips to Europe. It was such a special experience and introduced me to a world outside the UK – I’ve been trying to discover more and more of it since.

What are your top 3 places in the world?

Almost impossible to choose only 3 but I absolutely loved Western Australia, Patagonia and New Caledonia. (Also Namibia - can't resist a fourth!) Although my heart will always be in the Shropshire Hills, where I grew up.

What is your favourite hotel, why and where is it?

Honestly it's so hard to choose but I think either Tokoriki Island Resort in Fiji or 

Which passport stamp are you proudest of?

It's got to be Antarctica! It was such a thrill to visit the wilderness of the last continent - very very special. 

Where/what would you really like to visit?

I’d love to visit Belize, Greenland and Uzbekistan. Those are just the tip of the iceberg though – my bucket list is pretty long.

Favourite beach in the world?

Little Salmon Bay on Rottnest Island in Australia where my husband proposed!

What's the best thing you've eaten on your travels?

I could pick individual dishes from almost every country but overall the best food I've had was in India. Everything just tastes delicious there. 

Where is the most depressing place you’ve found yourself?

A grotty bus station in Guangzhou, China at 4am on my 19th Birthday – we were trying to get to Hong Kong on the cheap but didn’t quite manage to make it in time for my birthday. By the time we arrived in Hong Kong it was the next day - we went to sleep and agreed to pretend it was my birthday when we woke up the following morning!

What do you miss most from home whilst you are away?

My family and proper British cheese!