Camilla was brought up between Scotland and the Cotswolds, and enjoyed summers sailing the Greek Islands and Turkish coast. She then studied French and Theatre at university in Dublin, before becoming a party planner with inside access to some of the nation’s most spectacular castles and estates. As a result, Camilla's expertise is simply unparalleled when it comes to crafting enchanting stays in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France, and she has consequently been recognised as a Top Travel Specialist by Condé Nast Traveler.
How long have you worked in travel?
Strictly speaking I started working in the travel industry 13 years ago, initially specialising in travel to the UK, Ireland and France. However, before this I was a party planner so was lucky to travel the length and breadth of the British Isles – and sometimes beyond – discovering glorious castles, private homes and glamorous locations, which proved the perfect grounding when I transitioned to travel design. I caught the travel bug early, with family holidays on board gulets in Turkey, exploring the Greek islands and skiing in the French Alps. I took for granted growing up between Scotland and the Cotswolds – but as these are two of my key destinations, it’s amazing how childhood day trips and destinations on my doorstep have become so critical to my career! Learning languages was also a passion and essential in unlocking the joys of an undiscovered destination. Whilst French and Spanish are my main languages, in the past both Russian and Thai have been passable – and Italian and Greek are currently on my Duolingo app.
What do you never travel without?
My list of travel essentials is pretty long at this stage, but my hand luggage will always have a tangerine in case of mid-flight munchies; fully stocked Kindle; sleep mask; a phrasebook if I don’t know the language of my destination; sheet mask (ideally purchased from a foreign pharmacy whilst on my travels) and a fully charged power bank. Whilst I don’t travel light, I am the person who always has everything you might need to hand!
What would you wish you had with you if you were stranded on a desert island for six months and why? You can choose a luxury and something practical.
I think a six-month supply of Champagne would be a practical addition to my desert island arsenal – and a bed as my luxury. With a good night’s sleep, I can take on the world.
If you could travel with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
I’d travel with the late, great Keith Floyd. His eponymous TV cookery show was a huge hit in the 80s and 90s, with Floyd travelling around the great foodie destinations of the world, inevitably bustling his way into some of the region’s finest kitchens as well as meeting home cooks to recreate their signature dishes – always with a glass of wine in hand and a snide instruction to his cameraman. For the food and anecdotes alone, I’d have followed him across the globe.
What is your most memorable travel moment?
I took a solo trip to Thailand to work in an elephant sanctuary. The elephants had previously been used in the logging industry and then latterly for tourism in appalling conditions, so it was a real joy to know that they were being well treated and able to live happy lives surrounded by jungle. I spent my days tending to my elephant, cutting jungle foliage and bananas for her to munch on throughout the day and practicing Thai with the children who lived at the sanctuary. It was the most amazing experience and I’d love to go back one day.
What was your worst travel disaster?
Whilst in Paris with my best friend, she had her purse snatched from her handbag. Chaos ensued with a shifty looking man suddenly surrounded by police, blue lights flashing from cop cars and rapid fire questioning in French. Amazingly, the thief was being watched by the gendarmes, who had literally caught him red-handed. They were very apologetic that we would have to go to the police station to make a statement – but insisted on taking us on a scenic route through the city at breakneck speed, with the sirens flashing and traffic moving out the way, and the friendly Parisian policeman as our most unexpected tour guide. The worst possible thing to happen on a trip suddenly turned into the most memorable of tours!
What’s your secret hidden gem (such as a little bookshop, restaurant, café, little-known museum/gallery, artisan shop)?
My favourite thing to do when I travel is to seek out the hidden gems and there is nowhere better for this than Paris. Whether it’s my favourite boutique in Le Marais where I buy half my wardrobe (I can’t possibly reveal all my secrets and divulge the name of this one..!); my favourite brasserie in the Golden Triangle, Chez Andre, for authentic Burgundian cuisine, Kir Royales to die for and the friendliest of welcomes; the Marché d’Aligre for the best cheeses and amazing produce and the Promenade Plantée for a sunny stroll and a picnic – preferably with a freshly baked baguette, crottin de chevre and juicy tomatoes from the nearby Marché d’Aligre – it’s always rewarding to discover the path less trodden!
What’s the most unusual client request you’ve received and were you able to fulfil it?
Getting the band of the Household Division to play a One Direction medley during the Changing of the Guards for a young superfan was certainly a career highlight.
Have you won any awards or been recognised for a specific achievement?
Conde Nast Traveller Top Travel Specialist – 2025 – 2026
Travel + Leisure A List 2019 - 2022
If you hadn’t worked in travel, what would you have liked to have done?
In another life, I’d have had a career in fashion, combining my love for vintage clothes and sustainable fashion with a brand that focused on the stunning evening wear and cocktail attire of previous decades. Perhaps a retirement project?!
If you could retire to anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
I think I’d find it hard to pick just one place – but the South of France has always held a piece of my heart, from my first solo trip as a teenager, it’s somewhere I still return to year after year. A little villa overlooking the sparkling waters of the Mediterranean with a local market and cosy brasserie nearby would be a perfect place to live out my silver years.
Favourite book(s) and why?
I love PG Wodehouse – especially the Blandings novels as they create the perfect nostalgic vision of the eccentricities of the English aristocracy, from absent-minded aristocrats to mistaken identity and pigs in castles. ‘Travels on my Elephant’ by Mark Shand is another favourite I return to again and again – it’s a brilliant memoir with glorious descriptions of India, from bazaar to jungle and the Ganges, as seen from the back of a mischievous elephant called Tara.
