We’re here to be your trusted travel companion. Through our curated travel and food blog, we offer the tools, tips, and inspiration to help you plan unforgettable journeys—your way. Whether you’re crafting a bespoke itinerary, seeking insider hacks to travel smarter, or simply dreaming up your next escape, we’ll guide you every step of the way.
From the first spark of wanderlust to the stories you’ll share long after you return, Suitcase Escapes is your passport to travel with confidence, curiosity, and joy.
We’re John and Rae, an Aussie couple proudly flying the flag for the over-50s and empty-nesters club. With the kids off doing their own thing, we’ve embraced this new chapter with open arms—and open passports.
So far, we’ve explored 43 countries across 5 continents (some more than once—because when you fall in love with the people, the culture, the scenery, and yes, the food, how can you not go back?). From bustling street markets to vineyard tastings, we’ve collected decades of stories, unforgettable moments, and a few hilarious travel mishaps along the way.
As self-declared foodies and amateur connoisseurs of cocktails, beer and wine, we believe travel isn’t just about ticking off landmarks—it’s about tasting the world, one bite and sip at a time.
Now in our 50s, we’re financially secure, fit, and full of energy—and we’re making the most of it. No more school holidays to plan around. No more kids tagging along for free. Just the freedom to travel on our terms, with curiosity and joy leading the way.
We created Suitcase Escapes to inform, entertain, and inspire fellow 50+ adventurers. Whether you’re planning your first big trip in years or you’re a seasoned explorer looking for fresh ideas, we’re here to help you:
Join us on this journey of rediscovery, where every trip is a chance to reconnect—with the world, with each other, and with yourself.
Best of all? It’s free to come along for the ride.
Let’s start packing your suitcase—your next great escape awaits.
In this free (you betcha!) printable checklist, we share with you everything you need to pack in your suitcase and carry-on luggage without the worry of forgetting the travel essentials and your carry-on creature comforts. No matter how long or far you are travelling or where you are heading—our checklist has got you covered!
This form collects information we will use to send you regular postcards, newsletters and bonus editions, comprising informative travel stories, awe-inspiring photos, and tips for dreamers and doers alike. As per our Privacy policy, we will not share or sell your personal information. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Connect with like-minded independent travellers via our 50+ Suitcase Escapees Travel Community—a private Facebook group just for Gen Xer 50-somethings, as one component of the Suitcase Escapes community.
Share your favourite destinations and top travel tips, post your latest holiday adventures, share your inspiring photos and videos, ask questions, share advice, and provide reviews about places to eat, sleep and drink. We also share our exclusive printables, behind-the-scenes videos (on & off the road), sneak peeks, and member challenges!
Suitcase Escapes began in 2022 as the realisation of a lifelong dream shared by us—John and Rae Ronan. What started as a passion project has grown into a vibrant community of like-minded 50+ travellers who are embracing their freedom, chasing new adventures, and living out their holiday dreams with purpose and joy.
We’re not just planners—we’re doers. And we believe this stage of life is the perfect time to explore the world on your own terms.
Come read our full story—over five decades in the making—to discover how our love of travel began, what fuels our wanderlust, and why we’re so passionate about inspiring others to do the same. Because life’s too short to wait.
Pack your suitcase and escape with us!
Suitcase Escapes is your go-to destination for travel inspiration, practical know-how, and a hearty dose of wanderlust. Our blog is packed with captivating travel and food stories, step-by-step how-to guides, tried-and-true travel tips and hacks, and visually rich photography that brings each destination to life.
From street food in Sicily to cherry blossoms in Kyoto, we cover a globe-spanning mix of cultural insights, culinary delights, and scenic escapes—all curated with the independent 50+ traveller in mind.
Here’s a taste of what you’ll discover as you explore our blog. Enjoy the journey!
We've escaped to more destinations, covering 43 countries across five continents, than we have been able to write about on our travel and food blog.
Our ESCAPES section covers just a teaser of some destinations we have visited. There are plenty more awe-inspiring travel stories and insightful information to come.
Discover our ultimate travel guides to things to do — from eating and drinking local to spending time in the great outdoors in nature to professional guided tours to off-the-beaten-path road trips.
Our THINGS TO DO section will have you doing many fun, adventurous and cultural things taking your trip from ordinary to extraordinary.
Plan to travel more? Let us help you get started! Planning a trip is one of the most exciting and rewarding parts of any holiday. With planning, you can have your dream holiday and experience it!
Our PLAN YOUR TRIP section will guide you step-by-step through organising your tailor-made independent holiday—from dreaming to planning to booking to holidaying to sharing.
From street food to cafes and restaurants to hotels and bars, we travel the globe tasting the best local cuisine in the country we visit.
But nothing beats stumbling upon a hole-in-the-wall and gem place that screams mama's home cooking. Yum!
Check out our FOOD AND DRINK section to tantalise your taste buds.
No holiday is complete without INSTA-selfies, photos, and vlogs taken as a memento of the good times and for bragging rights!
As a keen photographer, Rae loves not only taking picture-postcard shots but also photos that tell a compelling visual story and capture those unique moments of serendipity.
Visit our PHOTOGRAPHY section for inspiration and travel photography tips.
Travel resources and tools — From our favourite essential travel gear and accessories to packing guides and printable checklists to a regular newsletter packed with helpful travel tips.
Created by us, all these travel resources are to help you with the practicalities of travelling the world.
Our RESOURCES section covers all the travel essentials to bring on your trip.
Travel Blog for Independent Over‑50 Travellers
Travelling in your fifties and beyond isn’t about ticking boxes — it’s about slowing down, savouring the moment and choosing journeys that feel as good as they look. Suitcase Escapes is a travel and food blog created for independent, over‑50 travellers who want meaningful adventures without the rush.
Gidday, we are John and Rae Ronan. We craft detailed travel guides, road‑trip itineraries, photography tips and practical gear advice to help you plan confident, memorable escapes across Europe, Asia and beyond. Whether you’re chasing coastal drives, culture‑rich cities or scenic countryside wanderings, you’ll find inspiration, clarity and real‑world experience in every story we share.
Pack your suitcase, embrace the freedom of slow travel and escape with us.
If you love travel and food and want to be a part of a community of
travel dreamers and doers, nearing or over 50 years of age, then subscribe to our newsletter NOW!
[Includes a FREE packing printable checklist]
We promise we won’t send you spam. Read our Privacy Policy.
Unsubscribe at any time.
Hey there! We’re John and Rae — Aussie adventurers, food lovers, and proud parents with grown-up kids and passports full of stories. We’re both over 50, but don’t let that fool you — we’ve got more energy (and curiosity) than ever, and we’re just getting started.
So far, we’ve explored 43 countries across 5 continents — and yes, we’ve happily returned to a few favourites because the people, culture, food, and vibes were just too good to resist.
We plan and book all our travels ourselves — no agents, no fuss — and we’ve learned how to enjoy a touch of luxury without blowing the budget. For us, travel is about smart choices, bold steps, and the thrill of discovering something new.
With over five decades of travel tales between us, we’ve sipped wine in sun-drenched vineyards, wandered through ancient cities, and shared laughs with locals over unforgettable meals. We’re healthy, financially secure, and still chasing that next “wow” moment.
Our mission? To entertain, inspire, and empower fellow explorers — especially those who believe that adventure doesn’t have an age limit. Whether it’s a hidden gem, a cultural deep-dive, or a culinary surprise, we’re here to share it all.
So if you’ve got a passion for travel, food, and living life to the fullest, you’re in the right place. Come along for the ride and dive into our story below. Let’s explore the world together.
Suitcase Escapes is our little corner of the internet — a travel and food blog crafted especially for curious, independent travellers over 50 who still crave adventure, culture, and a good glass of wine.
Our mission? To spark your wanderlust with stories, tips, and inspiration that help you uncover hidden gems, connect with locals, and dive into authentic, once-in-a-lifetime experiences — the kind that stay with you long after the bags are unpacked.
If that sounds like your kind of journey, then what are you waiting for? Pack your suitcase (and your appetite) and escape with us!
Don’t forget to follow us on social media and join our VIP Suitcase 50+ Escapees community — where you’ll get exclusive content, insider tips, and a few fun surprises along the way.
Our travel story began with romantic getaways, grew into family adventures with kids, friends, and relatives, and has now come full circle — back to just the two of us, exploring the world together.
With our children grown and off on their own journeys, we’ve entered a new chapter. Rae retired in 2020 and launched Suitcase Escapes to share our passion for travel. John’s still working full-time (for now!), but retirement is just around the corner — and with it, even more time to hit the road together.
We’re not full-time nomads, and we haven’t sold everything to travel the world — but we’ve built a lifestyle that lets us explore often, comfortably, and on our own terms.
When we’re not out discovering new places, we’re deep in research mode — reading blogs, watching vlogs, and planning our next escape. We love mixing culture, cuisine, and adventure with a splash of wellness and the occasional indulgence. Think: Thai foot massages after a long hike, 13km of white-water rafting in Bali, or sharing shisha and street food with locals down a hidden alley.
We’re fiercely independent travellers who love crafting our own itineraries, finding free self-guided gems, and occasionally joining small group tours for a social twist. John’s all about road trips and scenic drives, while Rae’s the one spotting photo ops and roadside treasures.
We believe in balance — between luxury and simplicity, adventure and relaxation, giving back and treating ourselves. From hiking national parks to supporting ethnic communities like the Hmong in Sapa, Vietnam, we travel with open hearts and curious minds.
Rae got her first passport at just nine years old — and still vividly remembers her first cruise through the dreamy South Pacific Islands with her mum and sibling in tow.
Back in the ’70s and ’80s, overseas holidays meant flipping through glossy brochures at the local travel agency. Group tours were the norm, and destinations like Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Hawaii were the go-to spots for affordable, exotic escapes.
Rae’s mum was a trailblazer — a modern, independent working woman who saved all year for a two-week adventure somewhere far-flung. Rae was lucky enough to tag along. Each year, she’d ask, “Where to this time, Mum? South Pacific, Asia, or somewhere in Oceania?”
By the time Rae hit adulthood, her sights were set on Europe. It took nearly two years of saving on a minimum wage to fund a three-month backpacking trip — solo, shoestring, and full of self-discovery. She teamed up with fellow wanderers across the European countryside, chasing freedom and connection. Back then, long-haul flights cost twice what they do today.
Meanwhile, John was carving his own path — travelling the globe for over two decades while serving in the Australian military, quietly building his own love for the world beyond home.
Fast forward a few years — Rae met John, they tied the knot… but a honeymoon wasn’t in the cards just yet. Instead, they poured their energy into raising two adventurous sons who quickly caught the travel bug too.
Like a tight-knit wolf pack, the Ronan’s hit the road (and skies) every school holiday, chasing bucket list dreams together. Even when their eldest was still toddling around in nappies, they were back exploring the Pacific Islands — proving that wanderlust doesn’t wait for convenience.
As the boys grew and started school, family holidays expanded into full-blown group adventures. Close relatives often joined in, turning trips into joyful, ten-person escapades to budget-friendly gems across Asia — from the beaches of Bali to the markets of Thailand.
The Ronan’s lived by the motto: “A family that plays together, stays together.”
Around the dinner table, they’d relive their wildest travel moments — laughing at the misadventures, near-misses, and unforgettable memories. “Remember that time when…?” became a family tradition, always followed by, “Right, where to next?”
For Rae’s 50th birthday, John pulled off the ultimate surprise — a romantic escape to the Maldives.
It was the beginning of a new chapter: travelling as a couple again, with a little more freedom and a lot more intention.
While Asia had long been a familiar favourite, Europe began calling — once a distant dream from Australia, now a thrilling reality.
Two years later, Rae returned the gesture with a six-week road trip through Italy. From the sun-drenched Amalfi Coast to the canals of Venice, and up into the majestic Dolomites, they explored it all. It was one of their most exhilarating and logistically ambitious adventures yet — and they loved every minute of it.
Since 2019, they’ve continued road-tripping through Europe, Australia, and the Pacific Islands — until COVID-19 hit pause. But now? They’re making up for lost time with even more passion and purpose.
People often ask, “What’s your favourite place in Italy?” And their answer?
It’s not about the places. It’s the people they met, the laughter they shared, and those fleeting, magical moments that made the journey unforgettable.
While road-tripping through Italy, Rae began sharing daily travel journals on Instagram and Facebook — a mix of favourite photos, candid stories, and little moments that brought the journey to life for friends and family back home.
Thanks to the time zone difference, her followers often woke up to fresh updates — and many told her it became the highlight of their morning scroll.
The response was overwhelming. Friends didn’t want the trip to end, and their encouragement planted the seed for something more.
When they returned home, Rae transformed those digital memories into beautifully curated coffee table books — because she believes that the best stories deserve to be preserved, shared, and passed down through generations.
In 2022, we officially launched our travel and food blog, Suitcase Escapes — a space to share the stories, flavours, and unforgettable moments we’ve collected (and continue to collect) around the world.
With John’s retirement on the horizon, we’re gearing up to turn our travel dreams into full-time adventures. Whether it’s the buzz of a big city or the quiet charm of slow travel, we’re passionate about capturing it all — and bringing you along for the ride.
We’ve explored dozens of destinations and have a suitcase full of stories to tell — from hidden gems to culinary discoveries and cultural deep-dives. If you’re curious, inspired, or just love a good travel tale, we’d love for you to subscribe and follow along.
Up next: our five-week road trip through the heart of Central and Eastern Europe — exploring the landscapes, flavours, and histories of Germany, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Want a sneak peek? Here’s a look at the route we’ll be taking — and the stories we can’t wait to tell.
We love connecting with fellow travel and food enthusiasts — your stories, questions, and feedback mean the world to us.
Whether you want to share your thoughts, ask a question, or just say hello, feel free to drop a comment on our posts or reach out directly.
If you’re a tourism board, travel brand, property, or service interested in collaborating, we’d love to hear from you! Please head over to our Work With Us page and let’s start the conversation.
Join our VIP Suitcase 50+ Escapees Community if you love to travel and explore new cuisines, and want to be a part of a community of travel enthusiasts who are nearing or over 50 years of age.
We promise we won’t send you spam. Read our Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe at any time.
Suitcase Escapes operated as Suitcase Escapes ABN 77 303 398 792 and found at https://www.suitcaseescapes.com (also referred to within as “Suitcase Escapes”, “we”, “us”, “our”, or “Website”) is governed by the following privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting it. The purpose of this Privacy Policy is to inform you what personally identifiable information (“Personal Data”) we may collect and how it may be used. This statement only applies to this Website.
Suitcase Escapes is owned by John and Raeleen Ronan (also referred to as the “owner(s)”).
Wherever possible, you can elect to remain anonymous or use a pseudonym in interacting with us e.g. when making an enquiry.
We may collect Personal Data from you such as, but is not limited to, your name and email address, or your website URL and name, when you voluntarily submit information to Suitcase Escapes by leaving a comment, subscribing to our newsletter, joining us on social media or when contacting us for enquiries.
The following are situations in which you may provide Personal Data to us:
Our legal basis for processing this information is your consent, and by voluntarily providing us with Personal Data, you are consenting to our use of it in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you provide Personal Data to us, you acknowledge and agree that such Personal Data may be transferred and stored from your current location to the office and servers of Suitcase Escapes and the authorised third parties referenced below.
Information submitted through the contact forms on our Website is sent to our Suitcase Escapes email account, hosted by Gmail, in accordance with Google and its EU “Privacy Shield” policy.
We keep these submissions for customer service purposes only. They are never used for marketing purposes or shared with any third parties.
At no time are you to submit sensitive personal information to this Website. Furthermore, under no circumstances will we request any information from you that may disclose your:
If you elect to submit such information to us, it will be subject to this Privacy Policy.
We may receive information about you from other sources, such as from social media websites (i.e., Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or others), blogs and other users. Suitcase Escapes utilises social media commenting systems. Therefore, if you choose to comment on a Suitcase Escape post, shared on social media, your comment may appear on the blog post as well.
We automatically collect certain information about you and the device with which you access Suitcase Escapes. For example, when you use Suitcase Escapes, your IP address, operating system type, browser type, referring website, pages you viewed, and the dates/times when you accessed our Website may be logged. We may also collect information about actions you take when using Suitcase Escapes, such as links clicked.
A cookie is a piece of text that is saved to your browser by a website to enable that website to save certain information to your machine so that it can later be retrieved. We do not use cookies to collect Personal Data about you.
We may log information using cookies, which are small data files stored on your browser by Suitcase Escapes. We may use both session cookies, which expire when you close your browser, and persistent cookies, which stay on your browser until deleted, to provide you with a more personalised experience on our Website. For more information about our use of cookies, please see the Cookies section below.
If you leave a comment on our Website you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.
Articles on Suitcase Escapes may include embedded content (e.g. YouTube videos). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.
These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.
Suitcase Escapes may use your personal information in the following ways:
Comments are welcomed and encouraged on this Website, but there are some instances where comments will be edited or deleted as follows:
Suitcase Escapes reserves the right to edit or delete any comments submitted to our Website without notice. This comment policy is subject to change at any time. If you have any questions about the commenting policy, please let us know by contacting us.
When visitors leave comments on our Website we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.
An anonymised string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service, in accordance with the Gravatar service policy. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.
We may share your information with third parties when you explicitly authorise us to share your information.
Additionally, Suitcase Escapes may use third-party service providers to service various aspects of our Website. Each third-party service provider’s use of your Personal Data is dictated by their respective privacy policies.
Our Third-Party Partners who may place cookies and tracking technology on your computer or device include:
These services track Suitcase Escapes usage and provides information such as referring websites and visitor actions on this Website. Google Analytics and MonsterInsights may capture non-personally identifying information of the sort that web browsers and servers typically make available, such as the browser type, language preference, referring site, and the date and time of each visitor request. But no other Personal Data is captured by Google Analytics or MonsterInsights, in accordance with Google Analytics’ privacy policy and MonsterInsights’ Privacy Policy.
MonsterInsights Google Analytics application uses the Google Analytics Reporting API to gather analytics about our Website.
Google Analytics Opt-Out. To provide Website visitors with the ability to prevent their data from being used by Google Analytics, Google has developed the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on for the Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js, analytics.js, dc.js).
If you want to opt-out, download and install the add-on for your web browser. The Google Analytics opt-out add-on is designed to be compatible with Chrome, Internet Explorer 11, Safari, Firefox and Opera. In order to function, the opt-out add-on must be able to load and execute properly on your browser. For Internet Explorer, 3rd-party cookies must be enabled. Learn more about the opt-out and how to properly install the browser add-on.
Suitcase Escapes uses Vision6 as its email service provider. Through Vision6, we collect contact information, distribute our newsletter, and track actions you take that assist us in measuring the performance of our Website and newsletters. Upon subscription, we also track the pages you visit on our Website through Vision6.
Our newsletters contain tracking pixels. This pixel is embedded in emails and allows us to analyze the success of our newsletters. Because of these tracking pixels, we may see if and when you open an email, which links within the email you click, and the pages you visit on our Website. This behaviour is not passed on to third parties. All data submitted at the time of subscription to our newsletter is stored on Vision6’s servers. Access Vision6’s privacy policy and anti-spam policy. At any time, you may be removed from our newsletter list by clicking on the unsubscribe link provided in each email.
Suitcase Escapes uses Akismet and its anti-spam service to make it easy for you to leave comments on our Website blog posts. Personal information that you enter for comments is securely stored on Akismet’s server, in accordance with Akismet’s privacy policy.
We may also conduct surveys, polls or market research and may seek other information from you on a periodic basis. These surveys will provide us with information that allows improvement in the types and quality of services offered to you, and the manner in which those services are offered to you.
Periodically, Suitcase Escapes may invite you to complete a voluntary survey. These surveys may be completed through Survey Monkey or Vision6. All survey responses may be submitted anonymously and only your IP address is stored. You may voluntarily enter your name and email address. All data submitted through Survey Monkey and Vision6 are stored on their servers and are subject to the Survey Monkey privacy policy and Vision6 privacy policy.
From time to time, we may use anonymous data, which does not identify you alone, or when combined with data from other parties. This type of anonymous data may be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses. Examples of this anonymous data may include analytics or information collected from cookies.
If you leave a comment on Suitcase Escapes, the name you choose may be publicly visible. Your email address will never be available publicly.
Suitcase Escapes uses cookies to store visitors’ preferences, record user-specific information on what pages users access or visit, ensure that visitors are not repeatedly sent the same banner ads, and customise Website content based on visitors’ browser type or other information that the visitor sends. Cookies may also be used by third-party services, such as Google Analytics or Affiliate Program Participation, as described herein.
Users may, at any time, prevent the setting of cookies, by our Website, by using a corresponding setting of your internet browser and may thus permanently deny the setting of cookies. Furthermore, already set cookies may be deleted at any time via an Internet browser or other software programs. This is possible in all popular Internet browsers. However, if users deactivate the setting of cookies in their Internet browser, not all functions of our Website may be entirely usable.
At this time, your Personal Data is not shared with any other third-party applications. This list may be amended from time to time at Suitcase Escapes’ sole discretion.
Except when required by law, we will not sell, distribute, or reveal your email addresses or other Personal Data without your consent; however, we may disclose or transfer Personal Data collected through Suitcase Escapes to third parties who acquire all or a portion of our business, which may be the result of a merger, consolidation, or purchase of all or a portion of our assets, or in connection with any bankruptcy or reorganisation proceeding brought by or against us.
We may use third-party advertising companies to serve content, and advertisements and/or collect certain anonymous information when you visit our Website. These companies may use non-Personal Data (e.g., click stream information, browser type, time and date, subject of advertisements clicked or scrolled over) during your visits to this Website and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services likely to be of greater interest to you. These companies typically use a cookie or third party web beacon to collect this information. To learn more about this behavioural advertising practice or to opt-out of this type of advertising, you can visit networkadvertising.org.
From time to time, Suitcase Escapes may engage in remarketing efforts, using remarketing tracking cookies and conversion pixels from third-party providers, such as Google, Facebook, or Instagram, in order to market our Website. These providers use cookies to serve ads based on someone’s past visits to our Website. This allows us to present special offers for our products and services to you via Facebook and Google. However, your Personal Data is not used by any remarketing service other than to present you with special offers from us. We use the following third-party service providers for remarketing: Facebook: Opt-out of Facebook remarketing Google: Opt-out of Google remarketing
In some instances, Suitcase Escapes may include affiliate links in posts where we recommend specific products and services we deem to be travel-related, such as gear, tours, or activities. If you purchase something through one of our affiliate links, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These links are always disclosed.
On our Website, you may subscribe to our newsletter, which may be used for advertising purposes. All newsletters sent may contain tracking pixels. The pixel is embedded in emails and enables us to analyse the success of any of our online marketing campaigns. Because of these tracking pixels, we may see if and when you open an email and which links within the email you click. This allows our Website to adapt the content of future newsletters to the interests of the user. This behaviour will not be passed on to third parties.
Suitcase Escapes does not knowingly collect any personally identifiable information from children under the age of 16. If a parent or guardian believes that our Website has personally identifiable information of a child under the age of 16 in its database, please contact us immediately and we will remove such information from our records as soon as possible.
Suitcase Escapes is strongly opposed to spam. We will only send emails to users that have explicitly requested to receive an email from Suitcase Escapes. Examples may include:
Suitcase Escapes may contain hyperlinks and other pointers to other websites operated by third parties (“Linked Websites”). We do not control Linked Websites and are therefore not responsible for the content of any Linked Website or any hyperlink contained in a Linked Website.
Occasionally, at our discretion, we may include or offer third-party products or services on this Website.
Suitcase Escapes, therefore, has no responsibility or liability for the content, activities and privacy practices of these Linked Websites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our Website to read the privacy policies of each and every website that collects personally identifiable information. This Privacy Policy applies solely to information collected by Suitcase Escapes. Nonetheless, we seek to protect the integrity of this Website and welcome any feedback about these websites.
If you send us an email with questions or comments, we may use your personally identifiable information to respond to your questions or comments, and we may save your questions or comments for future reference.
For security reasons, we do not recommend that you send non-public personal information, such as passwords, social security numbers, or bank account information, to us by email.
You may opt-out of receiving future commercial email communications from us by clicking the unsubscribe link included at the bottom of most emails we send, however, we reserve the right to send you transactional emails.
Suitcase Escapes may use social media and social networking services in order to market our Website and its products and services. These applications require the use of third-party service providers. Notably, we have a Facebook page, Facebook private group page, Twitter feed, Instagram feed, TikTok channel and YouTube channel.
The Facebook page and Facebook Private Group page are administered by Facebook, in accordance with Facebook’s Data Policy, and is accessible by Facebook users who have already consented to Facebook’s Data Policy. The Facebook Group page is administered and moderated by Suitcase Escapes. We do not export information about our followers from the Facebook platform.
The Twitter account we use is administered by Twitter, in accordance with Twitter’s Privacy Policy.
The Instagram account we use is administered by Instagram (as one of Facebook’s products), in accordance with Instagram’s and Facebook’s Privacy Policies.
The TikTok account we use is provided and controlled by TikTok Pte. Ltd, in accordance with TikTok’s Privacy Policy.
The YouTube channel is administered by YouTube, in accordance with YouTube’s privacy policy.
Suitcase Escapes may use direct messaging over social media on occasion when users contact us on Facebook by leaving messages in our Inbox or by sending us Direct Messages on Twitter. We aim to delete these messages as soon as we have responded to the enquiries.
Suitcase Escapes ensures Personal Data is retained only for as long as necessary in accordance with the above purposes and applicable laws. We may be required to retain your Personal Data for a number of years in order to satisfy legal or contractual obligations, or in order to establish, exercise or defend legal claims. When your Personal Data is no longer necessary for these purposes, the Personal Data will be deleted.
If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognise and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.
If you subscribe to our Website newsletter, your Personal Data will be retained until you unsubscribe or are removed from the third-party service provider database, at the administrative discretion of Suitcase Escapes.
For users that register on our Website (if any), we also store the Personal Data they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.
If you have left comments on this Website, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any Personal Data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes. Refer to our Comments section above.
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In certain situations, you may request that we erase or forget your personal information. To do so, please submit a request via our contact us form.
Please note that we may need to retain certain information for recordkeeping purposes or to complete transactions, or when required by law.
Visitor comments may be checked through our third-party service provider automated spam detection service.
We protect your Personal Data with the following site features:
No personal information is stored on the site or its backend at any time.
If you have any questions, concerns or ideas about how we could improve our Privacy Policy, please contact us. Where you provide suggestions, materials or feedback it is considered non-confidential and we may, at our complete discretion, use it to improve our Website, service and/or how we handle personal information without any obligation to compensate you regardless of how we use, implement, copy, modify, display, distribute and/or otherwise benefit from your suggestions, materials or feedback.
We are obligated to regularly review and update this Privacy Policy. We, therefore, reserve the right to amend this Website Privacy Policy at any time.
At a minimum, we will update this Privacy Policy once per year. We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time and from time to time without prior notice.
Please review this policy periodically, especially before you provide any Personal Data. Your continued use of our Website after any changes or revisions to this Privacy Policy shall indicate your agreement with the terms of such revised Privacy Policy.
Last updated: 02 December 2022
For the purposes of this Disclaimer:
The content available on or through this Website is distributed by Suitcase Escapes for general information purposes only. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Suitcase Escapes makes no statement, representation, or warranty about the quality, accuracy, context, completeness, availability or suitability for any purpose of, and you should not rely on, any content available on or through this Website. Despite our best efforts, Suitcase Escapes makes no warranties that the content available on or through this Website is free of infection by computer viruses or other contamination, to the maximum extent permitted by law. Suitcase Escapes disclaims, to the maximum extent permitted by law, all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages and costs you or any other person might incur for any reason including as a result of the content available on or through this Website is in any way inaccurate, out of context, incomplete, unavailable, not up to date or unsuitable for any purpose. Suitcase Escapes reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modifications to the content on the Website at any time without prior notice.
This disclaimer also covers the below social media channels owned, managed and administered by John and Raeleen Ronan, under the business operated as Suitcase Escapes ABN 77 303 398 792.
These social media channels strive to abide by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Guidelines and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Guidelines for online influencers. For questions about this Website and its related social media channels, please contact us.
The information given by Suitcase Escapes is for general guidance on matters of interest only. Even if Suitcase Escapes takes every precaution to ensure that the content of the Website is both current and accurate, errors can occur. Plus, given the changing nature of laws, rules and regulations, there may be delays, omissions or inaccuracies in the information contained on the Website.
Suitcase Escapes is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information.
The Website may contain links to external websites that are not provided or maintained by or in any way affiliated with Suitcase Escapes. While we strive to provide only quality links to useful and ethical websites, we have no control over the content and nature of these sites, nor does Suitcase Escapes guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any information on these external websites.
These links to other websites do not imply a recommendation for all the content found on these sites. Site owners and content may change without notice and may occur before we could remove a link that may have gone ‘bad’.
Please be also aware that when you leave the Website, other sites may have different privacy policies and terms that are beyond our control. Please be sure to check the Privacy Policies of these sites as well as their “Terms of Service” before engaging in any business or uploading any information.
The Website (and its social media channels) may contain views expressed by Suitcase Escapes.
The Website (and its social media channels) may also contain views and opinions which are those of you, as the user or author, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other author, agency, affiliates, organisation, employer or company, including Suitcase Escapes.
Comments that are published by you are your sole responsibility and you will take full responsibility, liability and blame for any libel or litigation that results from something written in or as a direct result of something written in a comment. Suitcase Escapes is not liable for any comment published by you and reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason whatsoever.
This Website does accept forms of paid advertising, sponsorship, or paid topic insertions. It may also accept free products, services, travel, event tickets and other forms of compensation from third parties. This Website and our social media channels abide by word-of-mouth marketing standards. We believe in transparency of opinion, association, and source. Any compensation received may influence the content, advertising space, sponsorships, topics or posts presented on this Website and made to our social media channels. Such content, topics or posts will be clearly identified as non-paid, paid or sponsored content. For example:
DISCLOSURE: This is a sponsored post brought to you by XYZ. The opinions are completely our own honest and unbiased reviews based on our personal experience.
The owner(s) of this Website and these social media channels may be compensated (cash or in-kind payment) to provide opinions on or review products, services, websites and various other topics. However, irrespective of receiving compensation or not, we always give our honest and unbiased opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those products, services, websites and various other topics. Such content, topics or posts will be clearly identified as non-paid, paid or sponsored content. For example:
DISCLOSURE: We were paying guests for this activity. All views, opinions and photos unless otherwise stated are our own and remain copyrighted to Suitcase Escapes. Learn more.
The views and opinions expressed on this Website and through these social media channels are those of the owner(s). Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.
In some instances, Suitcase Escapes may include links to affiliate websites in posts where we recommend specific products or services we deem to be travel-related, such as flights, accommodation, travel-related gear, tours, activities or experiences. If you purchase something through one of our affiliate links, we receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.
These affiliate links are always disclosed as follows:
DISCLOSURE: Some links below are affiliate links—at no extra cost to you, we earn a small commission when you book through them. Thanks for supporting our site! Learn more.
However, all reviews, recommendations and opinions are our own honest and unbiased opinions and we only endorse or link to products and services that we genuinely recommend.
This Website does contain content that may represent a conflict of interest. However such content will always be clearly identified.
Refer also to our Privacy Policy regarding this Website and its privacy and spam policy guidelines.
By using the Website, you hereby consent to our disclaimer and agree to its terms.
Should we update, amend or make any changes to this Disclaimer, those changes will be prominently posted here.
If you have any questions about this Disclaimer, please contact us.
