About Me: Caroline Hurry
My first travel memory is flying off, aged 4, to visit my grandparents in Rhodesia. Later, piling into my dad’s low-slung station wagon to drive to our holiday cottage in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was so wild that snakes slithered in if you left the door open, and monkeys living in our garden would break in and steal our fruit the moment we went out.
As a journalist I chose to focus on travel in the early 90s. I went freelance in 2000 and started my travel blog travelwrite some 10 years later. Travel writing doesn’t make much money, but I get invited on some fantastic trips around the world. I’ve been to about 44 countries, some of my favourites being Botswana, Cyprus, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, Vietnam, Spain, Slovakia, Germany, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Brazil, Chile, Argentina and the United States.
How do I decide what to write about?
That depends where I am invited to or the kind of impression a place has on me.
Advice to would-be travel bloggers:
If you want to be one of the chosen, choose yourself. Do what you love, even if you’re not getting paid, and see where it leads you. Don’t wait for someone else to give you permission. Jump in. Take whatever steps you need to get yourself on the road. Travelwrite.co.za provides space for other writers seeking a home for their travel related pieces or just somewhere to vent without being beholden to advertisers. Social media enables each of us to blog, report, and reach out to readers.
Mishaps during your vacations:
I once lost my passport in China, which a hotel cleaner found in the dustbin! Last year, I dropped my passport on a train in Switzerland. Fortunately a kind person came running after me and handed it back. I rely heavily on my “travel angel” who works overtime!
Funny things that happened to you while traveling:
My future husband materialised next to me on a flight from Copenhagen to Johannesburg. Liberal servings of wine kept the conversational machinery oiled all night and by the time we touched down, we felt like soul mates. Within three weeks we were married – to each other – and remain so 18 years later!
Another time, I met a young woman called Angel on a plane flying out from Bulgaria and after chatting, it emerged she lived next door to my parents in Gozo, a small islands off Malta. What are the odds?
What turns you off of traveling?
Airports and flying have become rather unpeasant. I hate all the undressing and patting down required before you are allowed on the plane. Also airline seats seem to have got smaller and the less you pay for a ticket, the worse your seat. I invariably find myself in the middle seat wedged between the constant sniffer and a sweating salad dodger! I wish airlines would at least provide footrests in economy class as my feet tend to swell so much I can barely get my shoes back on!
Favourite country:
Botswana, but Chile comes a close second. It’s so narrow that from the plane you can watch the sun light up the Pacific on one side as night drapes the Andes on the other.
Please feel free to say hi to me on Facebook at or twitter at https://twitter.com/Travelwrite1
If you have questions feel free to ask by leaving a comment below
Caroline, Love your story. It’s one of a kind. I’m glad I finally ready your story of becoming a travel writer. 🙂
Thank you!!
This was SUCH fun to read and inspires me to just get out there and blog! Thank you!
Wow Caroline, This is an inspiring story. So, tell me how many trips have you done just by being a travel writer? And do you write an honest reviews of those places or you write something nice just because they invited you? Are there any repercussions if you write negative articles on places you get invited?
Hello Kerry, thanks for your comment. I’d say if you are invited as a travel writer then normally the hoteliers who invited you ARE very nice to you because they KNOW you are going to be writing about them, so you do end up having a good time. I do point out the negative stuff too though as a writer’s first loyalty is to her readers …
Love this blog post Caroline, especially the brilliant line “If you want to be one of the chosen, choose yourself.” Just those few words say it all. xxx
Thank you, Carrie … I absolutely LOVE your work too
Thank you very much, Carrie. Your comment is appreciated! x
I love this, Caroline! Learned a few new facts about you, and as always love your humor!
Thanks so much and right back at ya, Sine. Sorry for the late response!!