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Laura during some of her time at home at a local bar CHELTENHAM, ENGLAND THIS BRIT travel addict who spends Ł30K a year taking in 35 counties in the past two years has revealed the one easily avoided mistake she made that could land anyone in prison. Travel Blogger Laura Kemp (33) from Cheltenham, England started a travel blog as a hobby back in 2014 when she first moved to Vancouver, Canada but since COVID left her feeling trapped, she has thrown herself into travelling and uses her blog now as work. She has changed her lifestyle since, turning down good job offers that don't allow her flexibility. She even quit her well-paying corporate job in London so she could work on her own terms and travel freely. Laura estimates she spends about Ł30K a year on travelling, this includes far flung places like Bora Bora and Fiji last year. However, she doesn't just go to paradise destinations. In fact one slip of the mind in Qatar left her detained and she has warned others how this mistake could have landed her, and any other careless traveller in prison.
The maximum sentence in Qatar: violating alcohol laws can lead to fines, imprisonment for different periods, and deportation for foreigners with penalties depending on the severity of the offence.
Usually it's six months in prison and a fine of Ł650. “I was once detained for having alcohol on me, I'd forgotten about a bottle of rum I had on me that I brought with me from the Seychelles,” said Laura. "I'd picked up a bottle of limited edition coconut Takamaka rum while in the Seychelles in duty free, it caught my eye as it was pink for Valentine's Day.
“Unbeknownst to me, this would lead to a significant ordeal upon arriving in Qatar, where to be honest, I'd completely forgotten about it. After clearing customs and securing my visa, security discovered the bottle during a final routine scan.
“Immediately, multiple staff took me away for questioning, a process that felt both surreal and intimidating. Although the staff were respectful, I was completely in the dark as to what was happening, and my boyfriend had to wait for me for hours while I was going through the ordeal.
“I remember feeling so nervous about what was going to happen - would I be deported? Would I get a criminal record?
“The officers explained the seriousness of alcohol-related offences in Qatar, emphasising that I could have faced much harsher consequences, including a longer period of imprisonment or even deportation, had they not considered the circumstances of my case and my lack of intent to break the law.
“In the end, they kept the rum, and I was permitted to leave, but this experience was a stark reminder of the importance of understanding and respecting local customs and regulations, especially concerning alcohol. I'll never make the same mistake again".
In the last year Laura also visited locations that many would consider dangerous such as Palestine, Kosovo, and been on the border of North Korea, because she loves learning about places that are off the beaten track. “I've been obsessed with seeing as much of the world as I can and am forever organising my next trip if I'm not already overseas,“ said Laura. “I'm single and free to do whatever I like, and for now it's amazing. “Despite being career-focused, I shifted from a 9-5 London-office based role to a fully remote role, to going self-employed, all to cater for my travel obsession. “I never had the opportunity to travel when I was younger, so I was always intrigued by stories of childhood friends who went away. “If my family ever had a holiday, it would be in a caravan park in drizzly weather in the UK - often where we were confined to being stuck in the caravan. “Taking my first overseas trip in my early teens to Mallorca just opened my eyes to new cultures, scenery, and food, and I've been obsessed since then. “I remember poring over encyclopaedias and Encarta looking at different destinations from a young age. I've always been so fascinated by different cultures, and it's stuck with me ever since. Laura moved to Vancouver first when she was 23 and began her travel blog, which gave her motivation to see and experience as much as she could. “I'd say I'm away 50/50 currently, but now I have the freedom of self-employment, I think I'll find this balance shifting to 75:25 away vs home,” she said. “So far, I've visited 58 countries/territories. I won't list them all, but they include: Israel, Palestine Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, South Korea, Japan, Fiji, North Macedonia, Serbia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Canada and USA. “I have travelled thousands and thousands of miles. “When I lived in Canada
2024-04-10
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