By Amira Hashish
Liz Simpson and Sarah de Vere-Drummond, co-founders of Kip Hideaways, are champions of the UK staycation. The dynamic double act set up their business after working in the boutique travel industry for years and realising that there was a gap in the market for the kind of adventures they had in mind. From beautifully designed tree houses to hidden group getaways, they pride themselves on unearthing those hidden gems.
Joining Amira Hashish in conversation for the latest Work Flow, Liz offers an insight into what it takes to set up a thriving business, how to juggle work and family life and the future of travel in Britain…
What inspired you to set up Kip Hideaways?
My co-founder Sarah and I had noticed a real gap in the market for a website that only featured small places (two to six people) that were super stylish and great value. They were the sort of places we spent ages looking for when we were going on our own holidays, as they tend to be hidden in a sea of bigger or more inferior properties on giant sites, or were tiny places that didn’t have a web presence. We loved sharing them with our friends and families, and setting it up as a business felt like a natural progression of this.
What do you think people are seeking from UK staycations?
Ease. Whether that’s being able to jump on a train after work on Friday and get to a property in time for dinner, or being able to fill the car with paraphernalia if you’re travelling with kids, or taking your dog, travelling within the UK is much simpler than travelling abroad.
Also, style. In recent years the UK staycation market has seriously upped its game. Our rentals are as stylish as boutique hotels, which means you get all of the luxe and joy of staying in gorgeous properties, plus the independence of self catering.
How do you manage your time?
It’s a constant juggle, as we both have young kids. We work in very different ways. I tend to start at 6am and finish around 3pm, weekdays only; my husband takes our daughter to school and I do school pick up and onwards. Sarah is less rigid, working flexibly during the week, and often working in the evenings when her kids are asleep, and also at weekends. We love that we can both work exactly when we like, around our families. It’s a huge bonus of running your own business.
Do you have any advice for those keen to follow in your footsteps and set up their own business?
- You’ll probably need to chip away at it at the start. We did bits as and when we could to create and run Kip around freelancing to pay the bills. Initially we worked on Kip for free, and gradually the balance shifted and we were able to start paying ourselves. First one day a week, then two…and so on. Now we’re both full-time on Kip. You have to be determined and ‘make’ that hour or two a day in the early days or it will never get off the ground.
- You don’t need to have savings / backers to start your own business, so don’t let that put you off. We started on a real shoestring, creating a really lean business model by necessity, and actually long-term this really helped us grow quickly as we didn’t have overheads.
- Be prepared to work hard. We work longer hours than when we were employed, and of course carry all the stress of running a business. You never really switch off, and the buck always stops with you. But the benefits are enormous; flexible hours, being able to work at home, choosing who we work with, constantly meeting new inspirational people, and of course having enormous pride in what we’ve created, and being able to stay in our properties. We genuinely love being ‘at work’.
What’s the biggest lesson you have learned along the way?
To constantly adapt. The market shifts thanks to the pandemic have been insane. One minute, things have been quiet, the next absolutely manic, then quiet, then manic again. We’ve had to scale our own time and freelancers’ time up and down accordingly. We’re also constantly looking to improve Kip for our owners and users, and grow it in different ways to keep users engaged and attract new audiences. You can’t sit back on your laurels otherwise you run the risk of flatlining.
Who has been the most influential person as part of your career journey?
Jessy Harrison. We loved the PR work she did for the Artist Residence properties, so brought her on board just to help us launch. She did such an incredible job that we’ve kept her with us ever since! She is full of energy, ideas and enthusiasm, and she, and her team (big nod to Aimee), are an integral part of Kip.
Tell us about how you source the special places that are part of the collection…
We spend a lot of time researching, on the web, through magazines and newspapers, and via recommendations from people we really trust. We also get a lot of people approaching us asking to come on Kip nowadays, which, if they fit our strict criteria, is a real bonus!
Which areas have proved the most popular?
Suffolk, Sussex and the Kent Coast are huge. Our users are also loving Wales.
How has the travel landscape changed post-pandemic?
I think the pandemic has made people realise that the UK holidays can be amazing – and completely different from those you perhaps remember as a child. The UK offers incredible landscapes, really stylish properties, great value, great food, and an ease of travel. Yes, you can never guarantee the weather, but if the property you’re staying in is gorgeous, you don’t mind spending more time indoors. And on a sunny day, the UK is pure joy.
What does the future of travel in the UK look like?
We’re predicting really buoyant. Although there is currently a bulge in people going abroad as they’ve been unable to do so for a couple of years, I think this will settle, as people have realised you don’t need to jump on a plane to go somewhere special. Whereas once people might have gone abroad two or three times a year in the past, I think the future will be perhaps one holiday abroad and one in the UK, or more minibreaks in the UK. Especially as everyone now has a dog.
Visit kiphideaways.com.
Unusual City Breaks
By Anya Cooklin-Lofting
What cities spring to mind when you fancy a culturally rich, stimulating, exciting city break with friends or a loved one? Paris, of course. Rome, naturally. Innsbruck? If you say so. The timeless sophistication of the greatest and most renowned ‘weekender’ cities is undeniable and will appeal for generations to come, but what about some of the other incredible cultural hubs on our doorstep that don’t get the same kind of air time?
If you’re looking for somewhere new (to you) to explore, you’ve come to the right place. Read on for a round-up of some of the most interesting, unusual spots that the tourism industry has cruelly undersold…
Innsbruck, Austria
In Bill Bryson’s hilarious travelogue, Neither Here Nor There, he compares the quaintness and somehow pastiche predictability of Innsbruck to a Disney film he saw as a boy: “…what made a lasting indent on me was the Europeanness of the background – the cobbled streets, the toytown cards, the corner shops with a tinkling bell above the door… it all seemed so engaging and agreeably old-fashioned compared with the sleek and modern world I knew, and it left me with the unshakeable impression that Austria was somehow more European than the rest of Europe.” According to locals and online guides, the best time to visit Innsbruck is in the winter, mainly for the winter sports (there are nine ski resorts around the city) but also for the sheer levels of cosiness available. Sit down for a mug of Jägertee in Innsbruck’s architecturally diverse Old Town or rug-up and book a walking tour of the city including the heavily embellished stucco façade of the Baroque Helblinghaus for optimal Hygge (which makes for a perfect Danish segue…)
Skagen, Denmark
The northernmost town in Denmark, Skagen benefits from light, warm evenings in the summer months. This geographical advantage was enjoyed by the Skagen Painters, a group of Scandinavian artists who gathered there in the late 19th century to paint en plein air in the style of the French impressionists. Some of the most famous works (which are so heavily defined by their luminescent expression of natural light that visitors continue to enjoy today) are P.S Krøyer’s Hip Hip, Hurrah! and Anna Anchen’s Sunlight in the Blue Room. H.C. Andersen, a national cultural personality, once said of Skagen’s artistic allure, “Here in the Danish country, you will find a nature that reminds you of the desert in Africa, of the ash mounts of Pompei and of birds flying around the dunes by the sea.” Should you decide to flock to the town with your paint box, make sure you stay at the Brøndums Hotel, which was the only hotel in Skagen at the time the artistic group was working.
Kutna Hora, Czech Republic
While you can easily take an hour’s train trip to visit Kutna Hora for a day trip from Prague, the city feels like such a distillation of history, ritual and legend it would be a shame not to spend more time there. The crowning glory of this unusual city break is the Church of All Saints, also known as the Bone Church, and its underground chapel, the Sedlec Ossuary. If you want a particularly unusual trip, this should cut the mustard. Built in the 14th century, the Church of All Saints was the site of the burial ground for the victims of the 1318 plague and for those killed in the Hussite wars. In the 1500s, the cemetery was abolished and the bones of all the bodies buried there were exhumed. The colloquial signifier, the Bone Church, begins to make sense when you discover that all the intricate decorations across the church’s walls are made from bones. The arrangement of the bones, which includes a chandelier in the centre of the nave containing all of the bones in the human body, is the work of František Rint, a Czech wood carver, who finished the macabre installation in 1870. For the stronger-stomached amongst us, a tour of the Sedlec Ossuary is offered with a 3-course lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Annecy, France
Known as the Venice of the Alps amongst fans of the quintessentially French village, Annecy is a charming town in southeastern France known for its eponymous lake (immortalised in Paul Cézanne’s 19th-century Post-Impressionist work, The Lac d’Annecy) and snow-capped mountain vistas. It has all the charm of a baby Provence and certainly fewer tourists. The scale of the lake allows for watersports including sailing, paddleboarding, wakeboarding and scuba diving, and catamarans and yachts can be hired, too. For land-dwellers, the coiling canals of Annecy’s Vieille Ville prove the perfect warren in which to lose yourself entirely to the cobbled streets and putty-coloured houses. A trip to rural France seems pitifully incomplete without a lazy stroll around a farmer’s market, and both the local markets, the Old Town Market and Au Rendez Vous du Terroir are exactly what you might hope for.
The Ultimate Privacy of Oceania
By Anya Cooklin-Lofting
The very idea of getting away from it all, feeling soft white sand between your toes and the sound of wind amongst rustling palm leaves, is enough to ease anyone through a slow Wednesday at their desk. If you do find yourself planning a break, there is no better place to aim for than some of the most remote locations in Oceania for a complete disconnect from work and the more tedious elements of everyday life. It is this sense of remoteness that seems the most precious, revered and sought-after element of the typical Oceanian holiday. But the remoteness is purely a condition of geography, so what is it exactly that this remotely offers on an existentially alluring level? From where I’m standing, it’s privacy, and the 8,525,989 square kilometers of the countries that make up the region has a lot to offer in that department.
Privacy is one of life’s greatest luxuries, and booking a holiday somewhere that can offer this luxury is a balm to the incredibly public lives we lead. Be it on social media, in busy offices or with hectic social lives, life can start to feel like everyone wants a piece of you. So, if you’re burning the candle at both ends and would relish the opportunity to find a hit of delicious privacy, here is a round-up of some of the best, most private holiday spots in Oceania.
Australia
An untouched paradise of white sands and gently lapping blue waters of the Indian Ocean, the Cocos Keeling Islands, comprise 27 coral islands, of which only two are inhabited. Sadly, the islands declared a State of Emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, extending its travel restrictions until 30th September this year. However, of course, the Cocos Keeling Islands should remain on your radar, especially for winter sun. They are about as far away as you can get from mainland Australia within Australia itself and retain a rich cultural Malay-Muslim heritage. The islands are also brilliant for exploring weird and wonderful wildlife; the remoteness of the islands has preserved a uniquely biodiverse environment and they hold international significance for zoologists, especially when it comes to bird and marine life. Manta rays, dolphins, turtles and drongo cuckoos can be spotted by eagle-eyed visitors.
Fiji
Surely one of the most commonly cited dream holiday destinations, the Fiji archipelago is made up of 300 islands and 540 islets, each with their own distinct natural beauty. However, the Yasawa islands provide the ultimate opportunity to discover some of Fiji’s most unspoiled beaches, dramatic landscapes and beautiful coral gardens. The constellation of the six Yasawa islands offer visitors a glimpse of the platonic ideal of South Pacific perfection, so it’s unsurprising that their name is taken from one of the 15 words in Fijian meaning ‘heaven.’
One of the primary attractions of the Yasawa islands is the Blue Lagoon (or Sawa-i-Lau) caves. The somehow ecclesiastical rock formations channel light into the turquoise waters from above, inspiring absolute awe in all those lucky enough to visit. However, for the ultimate in remote holiday-making, the furthest-flung island in the Yasawa archipelago is Nalova Bay, which is said to have the very best of the Fijian beaches.
French Polynesia
The French Polynesian island of Nuku Hiva is one of the world’s most remote locations, giving visitors the very best shot at avoiding any crowds at all. It is the capital of the Marquesas Islands, which remains one of the most untouched archipelagos in the world. There is just one hotel on the island, Le Nuku Hiva by Pearl Resorts, giving guests the rare opportunity to bask in the unabated, volcanic natural beauty of the island, characterised by its dramatic valleys and scenic bays. And this natural beauty is not taken lightly by the local communities. The island is also home to the Tohua Koueva Archaeological Site, a stretch of land that has been restored to its native appearance before the arrival of Europeans.
Both an alluring and perhaps hindering travel factor to bear in mind is the journey time required to get to Nuku Hiva. It can take up to 30 hours to get from London to Tahiti Faa’a Airport, and another four hours to connect to fly to Nuku Hiva airport itself. This doesn’t take into account the hour-or-so drive from the airport into the main town, Taiohae. Although the effort to visit may be offputting to some, Nuku Hiva will certainly deliver on all other fronts.
New Zealand
Finally, it would be impossible to omit the enchanting islands of New Zealand from this list. As one of the world’s least populated countries, it earns its spot in the mix of places to escape to. The diverse landscape offers tropical scenes in the north and rugged, rolling terrain in the south. It has become known, especially in the UK, as a site of special interest for those looking for a quiet, jaw-droppingly beautiful break from the hubbub of metropolitan life, and it’s absolutely jam-packed with secluded spots. Central Otago on the South Island is home to some of the most exquisite mountainscapes in the world, which are doubly as beautiful when reflected in the clear waters of the many lakes. To the west is Fiordland, a national park inhabited by just a few dozen people who live off the grid. Places to stay are few and far between (unless you’re happy to carry a tent…), but day trips to this corner of the country from some of the small towns further inland like Manapouri are perfectly doable.