Cultured Voyages is a travel blog for thoughtful, culturally curious travellers who want more from a trip than just ticking boxes.
I used to think that seeing more meant getting more out of a place.
That if I skipped a landmark, or didn’t eat at the restaurant everyone was posting about, I’d somehow done it wrong. But over time (and many trips ) I realised what I was actually craving wasn’t volume – it was depth.
Cultured Voyages is where I share a slower, more thoughtful way to travel. It’s for culturally curious travellers who want more from a trip than Instagram moments and surface-level sightseeing.
If you’re the type who wants to see the iconic sights – but without rushing, and with time left for a good glass of wine somewhere local – then you’re in the right place.
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Who I Am – And What This Blog Is
I’m Isabelle – Irish, curious, creative, and someone who still hasn’t quite figured out how to do things by halves. I hold myself (and this site) to very high standards, which means everything you read here has been carefully researched, road-tested and ruthlessly edited – often more than once.
I like slow starts, third-wave coffee, good red wine, and cities where culture doesn’t just sit behind glass screens or velvet ropes, but instead spills into the streets and open spaces.
I’m the founder, writer, researcher and photographer behind Cultured Voyages. Every guide, itinerary and opinion is my own, and these are shaped by longer stays, local context, and a real obsession with getting things right for people who care as much as I do.
This blog is for travellers who want to connect with a place, not just visit it. For people who love food, art, history and staying somewhere that actually feels like where you are.
It’s for people who want context, clarity and beauty, but don’t have the time (or the patience) to sift through influencer nonsense, cookie-cutter lists or 14-hour sightseeing schedules that leave you needing another holiday.
If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place.
A Bit More of My Backstory
I didn’t grow up knowing I’d be a travel writer.
I studied business and law, graduating with a dual degree, and then spent a decade in corporate roles that looked good on LinkedIn but felt creatively suffocating. I’ve always been analytical, but I was a creative in hiding – it’s probably fair to say that I was a very square peg in a world of round holes.
The pandemic shifted everything.
It gave me space to think, to come home to the Irish countryside, and to ask what I really wanted. And slowly, Cultured Voyages took shape.
It started off as a creative outlet and a project to stave off the boredom of lockdown after lockdown. But eventually, the analytical part of me kicked in. I began to see the potential to turn this blog into a real business, and how it could pave a path out of the corporate world for me.
Since going full-time on the blog in August 2022, I’ve built a life where I can follow stories and seasons, and it’s been incredibly liberating.
I’m based partly in Ireland, and when I’m not, I’m more-often-than-not based for weeks or months in whatever European city calls out to me at that given time.
The places I write about aren’t just fleeting stops on a weekend away or an interrailing itinerary. I spend extended time in the places I write about so that what I share with you isn’t just cobbled together from a quick trip, but is lived-in, considered and based on real experiences.
How My Travel Style Has Changed – And Why That Helps You
In the beginning, I tried to cram in as much as possible.
Not for social media, mind you, but because I didn’t want to miss anything. I was driven by a kind of cultural FOMO. But the truth is, that approach rarely left me feeling satisfied. It left me tired, and oddly disconnected from the places I’d come to see.
Everything shifted when I started travelling for longer periods. I’ve now spent a month or more in places like Florence, Palermo, Verona, Seville, Avignon, Antibes and Toulon. I even succumbed to the stereotypical travel blogger rite of passage and spent several months in Bali!
Bali aside, I tend to gravitate towards what some might call “second cities” – the ones people only visit for a day, but I stay in for weeks. Not because there are endless things to do, but precisely because there aren’t.
In these places, I like to find the rhythm, the context and the beauty in small things that only become obvious when you have the time to look for them. Over time, that approach has also shaped how I experience bigger, busier cities like Rome or Venice.
And now, that’s the kind of experience I want to help you have.
And because I understand your constraints – as someone who once had limited annual leave too – I write with that in mind. To help you capture the feeling of slow travel, even when you only have a few days.
What You’ll Find on Cultured Voyages
Everything I write falls under five core themes that are designed to help you experience Western and Southern Europe (plus Sri Lanka!) in a way that’s layered, meaningful, and logistically stress-free.
Cultural & Historical Cities – Detailed city guides and itineraries with neighbourhood context, cultural nuance and practical detail.
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Slow Itineraries & Regional Travel – For when you want to really sink into a place, not just pass through it.
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Food & Wine Travel – Because what and where you eat shapes how you experience a place and I care about getting those details right.
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Where to Stay – Boutique hotels, independent rentals, and properties with real atmosphere. Never generic lists.
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Cultural & Historical Attractions – Insightful guides to major sites and monuments – covering not just how to visit, but why they’re culturally important, and how they shape your understanding of a place.
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All of this is focused on a small cluster of countries I return to again and again – not just to tick them off, but to understand them better.
I still explore new places every year. But I’ve predominantly become a returner, not a collector. I don’t want to visit every country in the world. I want to know a few places really, really well and share them with you in a way that feels trustworthy and useful for you.
What I Bring (That You Won’t Find Everywhere Else)
I’m not trying to visit every country in the world. And I’m not here to go viral.
I’m here to travel with care, and to help you do the same.
What makes this blog different is the way I put it together.
I spend longer than most in the places I write about. I go through all the motions – the good, the bad, and the things I’d never recommend – and then I curate what actually matters for a thoughtful, culturally curious traveller like you.
Everything here is rooted in experience and in a kind of respect.
As an Irish person, I’ve seen my own country flattened and reduced in how it’s represented abroad. I carry that awareness with me when I travel and it shapes the way I approach other cultures.
I never want to reduce a destination to a trope or treat it like a backdrop. Every place has its own story. My job is to help you hear it and not to overwrite it.
A Few Things You Should Probably Know
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I write the kind of guides I wish existed when I was planning: smart, honest, aesthetic, and culturally aware, with some great millennial food, wine and coffee recommendations thrown in.
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I’ve been told I have an eye for details most people miss – and that’s something I take pride in.
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I take great care in curating what I recommend. If it’s on the blog, it’s because I believe it’s worth your time.
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I’ll always choose a piazza with an Aperol and a good view over an overcrowded landmark – and I’m guessing you might too.
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I’m deeply connected to where I come from – to the land, history and rhythms of Ireland – and that connection runs through everything I create. I try to find the same in the other places that I visit.
What’s in the name?
CULTURED – travelling deeper and holding the culture of a destination at the centre of the travel experience.
VOYAGES – evocative of the ‘Grand Tour’ of the 17th to 19th century, which was an extended trip to classical cities in Europe in search of art, culture and enlightenment.
If You’re New, Start Here
A few posts that readers love – and that reflect what Cultured Voyages is all about:
- Italy Travel Tips for Cultured Explorers
- Things to Know Before Visiting Palermo
- The Best Things to do in Avignon
- How to Spend 10 Days on the Amalfi Coast
- Where (+ What) to eat in Venice
- 3-Day Florence Itinerary (which shows how to balance museums with moments)
- How to Visit Kilkenny’s Medieval Mile – a nod to my hometown.
Featured In
Read the interview on Travel Payouts, where I talk about the business of travel blogging.
Listen to the podcast episode, where I shared some of my top tips for driving the Ring of Kerry.
Read the interview from the early days of my blog, when I was juggling growing it alongside a full-time corporate role.
I shared my top packing tips for Ireland with Travel + Leisure – read them here.
Featured as a contributor on Entrepreneur magazine, in a piece on side hustles – read it here.
Want to Stay in the Loop?
The best way to stay connected is to follow along on social media – that’s where I share real-time snippets, inspiration, and ongoing updates while I travel and write.
- Instagram – snippets, stories, and slow travel inspiration
- Pinterest – for visual planning and design-led dreaming
- Facebook – for old-school updates and blog notifications
And if you’d like occasional access to behind-the-scenes musings and the kinds of curated tips I usually save for close friends you can sign up to join my email list here. (Sidenote: I haven’t launched a formal newsletter yet (I will be doing so in a few short weeks), but when I do, that’s where I’ll send the good stuff and you’ll be signed up and ready to go!).
Get In Touch
Whether you’re a fellow traveller with a story to share, a brand interested in collaborating, or someone who just wants to say hello – I’d love to hear from you.
I’m open to:
- Editorial inquiries
- Thoughtful brand partnerships
- Podcast or interview opportunities
- Reader notes, feedback, or just a virtual wave 👋
Visit the Contact page for more, or reach out directly at
isabelle [at] culturedvoyages.com