Profile picture for user charlie-maybank

Charlie Maybank

[email protected]
+44 (0)1273 947 318

Background

I'm Brighton born and bred (apparently quite a rare breed!) and still absolutely adore living in this weird and wonderful city. I started at Travel Nation in May 2017 where I started as a Senior Sales Consultant and have enjoyed every second. I have been incredibly lucky to be able to go on the occasional trip away with work – the best one so far being my amazing trip to Sri Lanka. Cooking, eating (basically anything to do with food), travelling, sport and music are my passions in life. Nothing better than walking around a street market in a foreign city, trying and smelling the local cuisines. I love to do things like the locals do so my holidays tend to be fast-paced and packed full of adventure!

Student Days

I never went to university; I got straight on a plane after college and went travelling to Australia where I ended up in Port Douglas teaching scuba diving for Quiksilver. I came back for a few years and then I was off on my travels again, this time I lived in Queenstown, New Zealand for over two years after travelling around South East Asia.

Naturally, the travel industry was for me when I came back and it still is to this day and even after 7 years puts a smile on my face. Organising tailor-made travel is incredibly rewarding and so much fun. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and get started on planning your next incredible journey.

Experience

I have been in the travel industry since 2012, working for Flight Centre in both the retail and business sectors and worked my way up from a sales consultant to a store manager. I have travelled extensively as a solo traveller, on a group tour or with friends and family.

Charlie has visited:

  • Australia Flag

    Australia

  • Cambodia Flag

    Cambodia

  • Cook Islands Flag

    Cook Islands

  • Costa Rica Flag

    Costa Rica

  • Hong Kong SAR China Flag

    Hong Kong SAR China

  • Japan Flag

    Japan

  • Laos Flag

    Laos

  • Malaysia Flag

    Malaysia

  • New Zealand Flag

    New Zealand

  • Peru Flag

    Peru

  • Singapore Flag

    Singapore

  • Sri Lanka Flag

    Sri Lanka

  • Thailand Flag

    Thailand

  • United Arab Emirates Flag

    United Arab Emirates

  • United States Flag

    United States

  • Vietnam Flag

    Vietnam

900x600-japan-osaka-tsutenkaku-tower-shinsekai

Last trip:

Japan
indonesia_lombok_senaru_ricefields_900

Next trip:

Indonesia

About Charlie

When I’m not at work or travelling, I’m…

Eating or cooking or working it off in the gym!

My favourite band is…

Kasabian/Arctic Monkeys – too close to call.

If I weren’t working for Travel Nation, I would be…

On a sandy beach somewhere with a frozen daiquiri.

On my round the world trip I spent longer than expected in…

New Zealand. I remember landing in Christchurch and driving to Queenstown – anyone that has done that drive, will know why I decided to stay there! Two and a half years later I came home.

What are your top 5 must-pack items?

Speakers, camera, mosquito spray, bikini, passport.

When staying in a hotel room for more than one night do you a) unpack your bags or b) live from your rucksack?

I plan on living out of a rucksack but within minutes, the contents are usually emptied onto the floor.

What was your first great travel experience?

I won a trip as part of a global competition with a company called G Adventures and travelled to Peru with 100 other agents from around the world. It was a whirlwind trip of 6 days but I have never had so much fun – we visited the natural wonder that is Machu Picchu by train, used my bare feet to mix clay and straw to build houses, visited an incredible project in the Sacred Valley where the locals threw us a surprise party after eating the best local cuisine (including Guinea Pig)

What are your top 3 places in the world?

Sri Lanka, Costa Rica, Peru

What is your favourite hotel, why and where is it?

Banyan Tree – Bangkok. The views from the rooftop restaurant “Vertigo” are incredible. The club suite is totally worth the extra money as they have panoramic views over Bangkok.

Which is your favourite beach, where is it and why?

Ee Island (Ee Motu) on Aitutaki in the Cook Islands is untouched beauty. The water is so shallow and the sand is like flour.

Which passport stamp are you proudest of?

One Foot Island – Cook Islands.

Do you have any ‘pet hates’ whilst travelling?

Sharing a room with someone who snores.

Where/what would you really like to visit?

Bali, Cuba and Chile are next on my list.

What is the weirdest thing you have eaten whilst abroad?

Maggots on Khao San Road, Bangkok.

What’s the best/worst thing you’ve eaten on your travels?

Best – Ceviche in Cusco, Worst – Sea Urchin in Phu Quoc, Vietnam.

Have you ever worked abroad?

I worked in Port Douglas in Australia teaching scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. I also worked in quite a few bars in Queenstown, New Zealand. I also owned a sandwich deli in Queenstown which I loved.

If you had just 24 hours in a big city which one would it be?

I adore Tokyo. It is crazy, loud, bright and eccentric. Japanese food is also my favourite.

What’s the best party you have been to whilst travelling?

Full Moon on New Year’s Eve 2010 on Koh Phangan, Thailand along with 30,000 other people.