We love to see your updates and are always delighted to receive photographs, videos and stories from your travels.
Over the last couple of years, we’ve asked you to tag us in Twitter and Instagram posts from your Audley trips and share your experiences on our Facebook wall. As well as sharing many of your updates in our quarterly magazine Audley Traveller, our blog and on our own social media channels, we decided to create a space on our website to showcase the inspirational posts you share with us on a daily basis.
The competition
To launch this interactive section of the website, we asked you to share your little-known travel discoveries with a video or photograph on social media or via our website as part of our #MyLittleKnown campaign. The competition was open to all travellers in the UK and USA and the best entries were in the running to win a ten-day trip to Ecuador. We enlisted the help of travel bloggers Becky Moore and Heather Cowper to help us choose the overall winner.
Unsurprisingly, we were inundated with beautiful imagery and video footage from all over the world from family-run restaurants in modern cities, to local markets in remote villages.
Our expert travel panel
Becky is the UK-based owner of Global Grasshopper, an award-winning blog focused on unravelling the secrets of the world’s unique under-the-radar places. She loves US road trips, deserted beaches and Cuban mojitos.
The quality of entries was extremely high, I loved looking through all the little-known places around the world, from the vibrant festivals to the jaw-droppingly beautiful landscapes.
Heather is a leading UK travel blogger who favours authentic travel experiences with a little luxury thrown in. You'll find her hiking in the Dolomites, cruising in the Mediterranean or snorkelling with seals in Canada.
I loved reading the stories behind the photos that showed how #MyLittleKnown could be interpreted in so many ways; it might be a place that is lesser-known, but equally visiting a major landmark after the crowds had gone home, or looking at things from a different perspective.
Alex is Head of Product at Audley Travel. He has travelled extensively over a ten-year career with us and considers trekking in Colombia, riding the trains in India and bathing in Japan as some of his more memorable and unique travel experiences.
Discovering little-known experiences is what we seek to do at Audley and so it was fantastic to see how this campaign captured the imagination of so many others too. There were some wonderful entries of people, places and events that all showcased a rich passion for travel.
The winner
Jackie Reynolds-Sinclair’s photograph of Vietnamese couple Se and Loi, whom she visited at their home.
All our panellists felt drawn to how friendly and welcoming Se and Loi appeared. Jackie’s photo shows one of the most wonderful aspects of travel: meeting new people. The ability to gain an insight into a different way of life is a unique and wonderful experience to embrace.
'You can see that Se and Loi would have some interesting stories to share on life in Vietnam and the secrets of a happy marriage, this photograph captures all of this beautifully.' Alex Bentley
Panellists' favourites
Unfortunately, there could only be one winner in this competition, but our panellists wanted to recognise some of their other favourite entries.
Becky’s favourite
Norman Price’s photograph of Maras’s salt flats.
'My personal favourite was Norman’s photograph of the Maras’s salt flats. I was looking for a photo which was artistic, easy-on-the eye and taken by someone who had an obvious love for travel. This photo not only stood out but the way it was taken made me want to visit. As well as being very aesthetically pleasing, the composition and the exceptional colours of the landscape give the place an almost ethereal, other-worldly beauty.'
Heather’s favourite
Claire Waring’s photograph of Holi Festival
'There were many wonderful photos of people entered in the competition, but this one stood out for me. I love the colour of the turbans that pops out of the photos, contrasting with their white clothes, although a second look reveals that one of the gentlemen has been splashed with holy dye. I also like the way the men are all engaged in watching something, they are together but also each in their own thoughts. It's nice to see older people photographed, their faces show a lifetime of character. I feel like this photo has captured a very local part of the festival, one that's not been put on for the benefit of tourists.'
Alex's favourite
Victoria’s photograph of Ambasciaori Hotel
'A word of mouth recommendation on where to go and what to see while travelling is at the heart of what we do at Audley and so this entry jumped out at me the moment I saw it. The fading early evening light across casts lovely warm colours over the Sicilian rooftops and church spires framed by mountains in the background makes for an inviting scene. At the end of a busy day of sightseeing I can almost taste the Aperol spritzers.'
Travel #TheAudleyWay
Share updates from your Audley trips with us by writing #TheAudleyWay on your Twitter or Instagram posts, or head to the Audley Travel Facebook page and post directly to our page. We regularly re-share these updates with our followers.
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