Abbie Shaddick

Abbie Shaddick
Foreign Exchange Specialist

Phone Abbie: 01749 671660

Email Abbie: wells@milesmorgantravel.co.uk

Visit Abbie: 18 High Street, Wells, Somerset, BA5 2SG

All about Abbie

I’m thrilled to be starting my career in the travel industry, with the fantastic Wells branch of Miles Morgan Travel!

Throughout my childhood, my family went on lots of adventures across Europe which really sparked my love for travel. After studying Spanish at Sixth Form I decided to put my speaking skills to the test and ventured on my first solo backpacking trip to South America. I was lucky enough to visit Brazil during carnival season; after watching the carnival in Wells every year since I was a child, getting to see the real thing in Rio de Janeiro was so amazing! I also visited Peru, and one of the best parts of my journey was being able to hike to Machu Picchu. It took four days to complete but being able to watch the sunrise from one of the Seven Wonders of the World made the 26-mile walk worth it. My highlight, however, was staying for a week with a family who lived in the Amazon rainforest; learning their traditions and getting involved in their culture was truly eye-opening. I took part in a local wedding ceremony, learnt all about the medicinal properties of the plants, made outfits from reeds and I even ate a witchetty grub!

I recently went on another backpacking adventure, spending 4 months travelling around Southeast Asia and Australasia. I started this journey in Thailand and joined an organised group trip for the first month. Sharing experiences like watching the sunrise at Angkor Wat, taking a boat tour of Ha Long Bay, dancing with locals along the Mekong river in Laos and exploring the temples in Bangkok with new friends made those memories even more special. I was lucky enough to spend my birthday releasing baby turtles in Borneo! Borneo offered an up-close view of some incredibly diverse wildlife: I spotted an orangutan swinging through the trees with her baby holding on tightly and heard the far trumpet calls of the Pygmy elephants. Next, I explored the east coast of Australia: my days were spent swimming in the Great Barrier Reef, cruising around in a jeep on K’gari and, of course, visiting the Opera House in Sydney. Throughout my travels I’ve met many amazing people who I’ve kept in close contact with, who travelled with me for the final month of my trip. We road-tripped through New Zealand together and completed a whistle-stop tour of Japan. By the time I left, it felt like I’d eaten my entire body weight in sushi!

Although I do love travelling to places far away, I also love a city break closer to home. Some recent favourites have been a girls’ trip to Copenhagen, a few pastel-de-nata-fuelled days in Portugal and an autumnal weekend away in Edinburgh!

My all-time favourite travel moment was also in Europe, with my family in Turkey. We went on a balloon ride in Cappadocia and watched as hundreds of balloons took off around us. To gaze at that drastic landscape from a birds-eye view was truly a bucket-list moment.

Experiencing the amazing natural beauty and diverse cultures that this world has to offer is something I would encourage everyone to do, and I love carrying this enthusiasm for travel into my work. I look forward to meeting you in the Miles Morgan Travel Wells branch!