Laura Heenan

Laura Heenan | Travel Specialist & Foreign Exchange Cashier

Phone Laura Heenan: 01666 716 019

Visit Laura:1 Market Cross, Malmesbury SN16 9AS

All about Laura

Since I was a child, I loved to travel. I grew up in New Zealand and Australia and travelled around both countries while living there. One of my favourite trips while living in Australia was to the Great Barrier Reef. My family and I had a great time swimming with sea turtles and exotic marine life, and it was a dream come true. Because I still have family in New Zealand, I try to visit them once a year.

One year, I went backpacking across the whole country on the kiwi bus. In total, the trip lasted 1 month and was a great adventure for me at the time. I had just turned 18 and was ready for my first solo adventure without my parents! My favourite part of the trip was to Waitomo, where I did Black Water Rafting. It was a thrilling experience, especially since I did it in winter and the water was very, very cold! But it was an experience I will never forget.

Another trip, which was particularly special, was to Rotorua, as this is where my grandparents used to live. Here I got to savour New Zealand hangi, where the Māori cook food in the ground and stayed overnight in their village. We had a fun evening of getting to know the Māori way of life and practising the haka.

Since moving to the UK, I have travelled the world with my family and made frequent trips to Asia when my father was on business. My favourite destinations were always to Singapore and Hong Kong, and this led me to become fascinated with Asian culture.

After I graduated from university, I lived in Japan for one year where I studied the language and toured the country. I lived in Tokyo but travelled to Kamakura, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Kagoshima and Kanazawa. My favourite city was Kyoto. I stayed there for 3 nights, and I wish I could have stayed there for longer. In springtime, the streets of Japan are blooming in cherry blossoms and in Kyoto they are spectacular. Kyoto is very much at the heart of Japan and represents tradition. Most of the architecture is in the old style of the Edo period and at night, I enjoyed strolling down Pontocho, a narrow street running down the Kamogawa river, popping my head into tiny bars and savouring the smells of Kyoto cuisine. When I travelled around Japan, I went on food tours so I could taste all that Japan had to offer.

I am now thrilled to be working with Miles Morgan Travel, inspiring people to visit the places I love.