Who? Ruby Peng (Instagram: @wanderlustruby)
Where? Cinque Terre, a string of centuries-old seaside villages on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline.
Who? Ruby Peng (Instagram: @wanderlustruby)
Where? Cinque Terre, a string of centuries-old seaside villages on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline.
You chose Cinque Terre as your location, why is it a special place for you?
Cinque Terre is special to me because it is where my husband proposed to me back in 2015. A few years later, I also took my mom there to celebrate her birthday together. My mom and I often miss out on important days with each other because we live in different parts of the world, as she lives in China and I live in the UK. So Cinque Terre feels really special as we have only celebrated about 3 birthdays together in the past 10 years.
What 5 things do you always pack when you visit the Mediterranean seaside village and why?
Top packing hack that you swear by?
I once backpacked around Europe & Turkey for almost a year, so I’ve become something of an expert at packing light. My top tip is to pack your bags like Matryoshka dolls, (yes, Matryoshka Dolls…) and you can have up to 10 bags packed in one bag. Trust me, it really works!
When I’m travelling I find that I don’t need that many shoes, especially as I like to walk and explore a lot. My advice would be to just wear your most comfortable shoes and bring maybe one pair of heels, and you are good to go!
Hair accessories are also a nice touch as they don’t take up a lot of space and can really make a difference to a look. A good white linen shirt goes with everything (trust me I have learnt from the best), and you can get multiple outfits combinations out of them, so I always pack one of those when I’m exploring.
Favourite sight to see in Cinque Terre?
Manarola is my absolute favourite village out of the five villages. Anyone visiting the Cinque Terre area should definitely do the hike from Manarola to Vernazza or to Riomaggiore, it is stunning.
Favourite food to eat and where?
Promise me you won’t leave Cinque Terre without eating at Nessun Dorma, which means ‘Let no one sleep’ in Italian, (and is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot, one of the best-known tenor arias in opera).
It really has the most magical and spectacular view. Everything on the menu is cooked to a really high standard, especially the seafood. My favourites are anything with genovese pesto!
If you want a quick bite or something to take with you on your hike,Il Discovolo has the most amazing variety of focaccia bread, I would highly recommend.
What does the perfect date night in Cinque Terre look like?
Aperitivo and Sunset at Nessun Dorma, 100%.
Trust me you will want to put dining at Nessun Dorma on your bucket list, it is truly incredible.
Ruby Peng
Ruby is a creative director and digital content creator based in London, United Kingdom.
Ruby has worked with iconic brands such as Ryanair, Aperol Spritz, Southeastern Railway , Vitabiotics, ECCO shoes, Crabtree & Evelyn, Elizabeth Arden, Nyetimber , Russell Hobbs, ESPA , Lucozade Energy , Bombay Sapphire UK , Goldwell UK, Fentimans. Her work has been featured in various publications, including Travel, Beauty, Food and Lifestyle magazine.
You can find Ruby on her website, Instagram or email her for general/ad enquiries atrubypeng727@gmail.com.
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