Karen Edwards is one of the most successful family travel bloggers in Europe. Following the story of using her maternity leave to backpack around the world with her newborn in tow, ‘Travel Mad Mum’ became an internet sensation. The story went viral and was published in more than 400 media outlets worldwide. Conde Nast Traveller, Lonely Planet, ABC News and Cosmopolitan to name a few. The intrepid Irish mum of two has attracted more than 150,000 social media followers, across Instagram and Facebook. With more than 50,000 visitors to her ever popular website travelmadmum.com every month, she is inspiring other young parents, their travel days do not have to be over. Plus her blog was awarded UK Travel Blog of the year in 2017!
Besides from being a mother and travel blogger, Karen is also an NHS nurse manager. When she fell pregnant with her first baby in 2014 she decided to use her maternity leave differently. A diehard backpacker and adventurer at heart, she couldn't bare the thoughts of sitting in a rainy London flat for an entire year. Instead she and husband Shaun, rented the house out and sold all of their belongings to travel the world with their newborn and just one backpack. Starting off in Shaun’s native New Zealand, they made their way back to the UK, through places such as Taiwan, Indonesia and Vietnam. The family found the quality time as a trio, without the disturbance of day to day chores, was second to none. Keen to share all the trials and tribulations of travelling with a baby to far flung destinations, ‘Travel Mad Mum’ was born! Since then Karen has been working with brands such as GoPro, American Express, Google, Novotel, not to mention baby brands, tourism boards and several airlines.
Karen and husband Shaun recently welcomed their second baby Quinn. Having enjoyed the first maternity leave so much and a now booming blog, it seemed logical to repeat the adventure with two in tow. Jetting off when Quinn was 9 weeks old and toddler Esme, aged 3, the family visited twenty countries across the Americas. Starting off in Canada, they made there way through places like Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia and Bolivia. The Travel Mad Mum website covers everything from family guides for off the beaten track destinations, to travel tips and tricks - travelmadmum.com
