Sophie Ibbotson

London, Salisbury, United Kingdom

Freelance Travel Writer at Freelance

🇪🇺 Passionate about wild places & emerging markets. Chairman of @rsasianaffairs. @worldbank Consultant. Visiting Fellow @oxfordccw.

Articles

Why Florence, Italy makes the ideal spring break from London

1 month ago | cityam.com | Sophie Ibbotson

Saturday 03 May 2025 8:43 am | Updated: Friday 02 May 2025 4:44 pm Why Florence, Italy makes the ideal spring break from London Florence, Italy invites mass tourism – but there is a more authentic side to the city If I were searching for heaven on Earth, Florence is the first place I would look.
Aboard the real Orient Express train from Europe to the East

2 months ago | cityam.com | Sophie Ibbotson

Wednesday 09 April 2025 8:50 am | Updated: Tuesday 08 April 2025 5:42 pm Aboard the real Orient Express train from Europe to the East Aboard the ‘real’ Orient Express that goes further than Istanbul It has always irked me that trains billed as the Orient Express, like the Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express, only go as far as Istanbul. Why evoke the romance of the Orient only to end the journey at the edge of Europe? It’s a disappointment, but more gallingly for anyone passionate about...
Aboard the real Orient Express train from Europe to the East

2 months ago | msn.com | Sophie Ibbotson

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Gastronomic Gallivants: Cheltenham, England

Mar 19, 2025 | swankyretreats.com | Sophie Ibbotson

2025 IS THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF THE ENGLISH NOVELIST JANE AUSTEN. IF YOU WANT TO LIVE OUT YOUR PRIDE AND PREJUDICE FANTASIES – OR EVEN TRY TO FIND YOUR OWN MR. DARCY – THEN IT IS WELL WORTH PAYING A VISIT TO THE REGENCY SPA TOWN OF CHELTENHAM. JANE CAME TO CHELTENHAM WITH HER SISTER, CASSANDRA, IN THE SPRING OF 1816, AND IN ADDITION TO TAKING THE WATERS FOR HER HEALTH, NO DOUBT ENJOYED ALL THE LUXURIES AND SOCIAL EVENTS THAT THE TOWN HAD TO OFFER.
City break in Munich: Where to stay and what to see in Bavaria

Jan 31, 2025 | cityam.com | Sophie Ibbotson |Steve Dinneen

Friday 31 January 2025 2:38 pm City break in Munich: Where to stay and what to see in Bavaria If there’s one thing Munich is famous for it’s Oktoberfest. But if beer-swilling stag parties aren’t your thing, visit the Bavarian capital any time of the year apart from late September and you will find one of Europe’s richest, most varied city break destinations.
Why you should consider Pakistan as your next holiday destination in Asia

Dec 13, 2024 | thetravelmagazine.net | Sophie Ibbotson

Every year millions of British tourists head to South Asia, with a bucket list of historic sites, rich cultural experiences, and striking landscapes to explore. But only a fraction of these intrepid travellers visit , overlooking its treasures in favour of better-promoted sites across the border in . In doing so, they miss some of the greatest jewels of the Indian Subcontinent, plus more authentic cultural encounters which can only happen far from crowded tourist sites.
Top 10 Places to Visit in Pakistan

Dec 13, 2024 | thetravelmagazine.net | Sophie Ibbotson

Pakistan is blessed with some of Asia's most beautiful tourism destinations, from ancient ruins and dazzling monuments to the snow capped Himalayas. Few of these stunning locations are well known abroad, however, so as you explore Pakistan you will feel like a tourism pioneer. This is a country which will astonish you at every turn with its beauty, its grandeur, its diversity, its culture, and its complex history and identity.
Direct flights and crowd-free resorts – skiing in the ‘Stans’ is easier than you might think

Dec 2, 2024 | msn.com | Sophie Ibbotson

Microsoft Cares About Your PrivacyMicrosoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.
Direct flights and crowd-free resorts – skiing in the ‘Stans’ is easier than you might think

Dec 2, 2024 | msn.com | Sophie Ibbotson

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Direct flights and crowd-free resorts – skiing in the ‘Stans’ is easier than you might think

Dec 2, 2024 | telegraph.co.uk | Sophie Ibbotson

Kyrgyzstan offers plenty of good skiing The Legend of Chimgan isn’t a mythical monster but a man: the diminutive, wind-weathered Grigori Trebisovsky.