About Wander-Lush

Emily Lush, an Australian journalist living in Georgia, standing on top of a concrete bunker against a blue sky in Albania.

SKIP AHEAD:

Hi, I’m Emily Lush – the writer and photographer behind Wander-Lush. Originally from Brisbane, Australia, I have been travelling and living abroad since August 2015.

Writing and researching for Wander-Lush is my full-time job. I do a bit of freelance writing and photography on the side – you might have seen my byline in National Geographic Traveller, Condé Nast Traveller or Wanderlust Mag.

I am the co-author of the Digital Nomad Guide to Tbilisi, the first ebook written for remote workers in Tbilisi, Georgia. I also offer a travel design service to help people like you plan their dream itinerary.

Since saying goodbye to Australia, I have been lucky enough to live in four different countries and travel to almost 50 more. I’ve slow-travelled overland across the Balkans, explored hard-to-reach corners of Vietnam and Cambodia, fallen in love with the Caucasus region, and criss-crossed my way across parts of Latin America, the Middle East and beyond.

At the start of 2020, I moved to Georgia (the country). I am currently based in the beautiful city of Kutaisi, where my husband and I are renovating a house.


My Story

I was born and raised in sunny Brisbane – which might explain how I was able to tolerate three years living in humid Southeast Asia, and also why I’ve been searching for a place with four seasons ever since!

Emily Lush in the snow in Bulgaria.
Winter is my happy place! Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria.

Growing up, I was fortunate enough to travel pretty extensively around the Pacific, Europe, the US and parts of Asia with my family. This is where my passion for travel comes from.

In my early 20s, I worked as a magazine journalist and freelance writer before a life-changing trip around Southeast Asia inspired me to embark on a new career in international development. My first introduction to expat life was during a three-month internship in Luang Prabang, Laos.

After I completed my Masters Degree in Communication for Social Change, I worked as a consultant for NGOs in Phnom Penh and Hanoi for two years, developing my blog as a creative side project.

In 2017, I visited the Caucasus region for the first time and fell head over heels for the country of Georgia.

In 2018-19, my partner and I spent 10 months travelling around the world, starting in Colombia and ending in Georgia, where we fell in love with the food, hospitality and those oh-so-beautiful mountains all over again.

In February 2020, we moved to Tbilisi. After stints living in Batumi and several other small cities, we finally chose Kutaisi as our home base.


Personal updates


About This Blog

Wander-Lush started out like many other travel blogs – as a journal of sorts where I would share personal stories, document interesting traditions, and post photos I took on my phone. For many years, it was little more than a fun hobby to keep me busy when I wasn’t working on my ‘real’ job.

During my years in magazine journalism, I always dreamed of having my own publication. I love every aspect of content creation – from brainstorming ideas to developing angles, conducting interviews and research, to photography and graphic design. I found that blogging was the perfect outlet to practice my skills.

A woman sits in a round bathtub at a homestay in rural Vietnam.
Getting my ‘blogger’ on in Da Bac, Vietnam.

I quickly discovered there is a lot more to running an online business, though, and had to teach myself everything else, including SEO and marketing. Slowly but surely, my little side project grew into a full-time job.

Throughout this evolution, I have never let go of my passion for honest storytelling. I try to write as much as I can, as often as I can, about the topics I’m most passionate about: handicrafts, traditions, cuisine, social enterprise, and the like. This is where my three content themes – ‘Colour, Culture & Creativity’ – come in.

At the same time, I want this website to be a useful resource for travellers above all else. I focus most of my energy on writing comprehensive, in-depth guides that bring a fresh perspective to frequently visited destinations and promote lesser-known corners of the globe.


My Mission

I’m driven by a sense of curiosity and a hunger for learning about different cultures. I’m a big believer in the power of responsible tourism to inspire positive change in the lives of individuals and communities.

My background in international development, Fair Trade and sustainable fashion inspires my passions for cultural exploration and supporting development through tourism.

My ultimate goal is to make this website a platform for promoting small and local businesses through sustainable and culturally immersive travel. I want to spotlight destinations where tourism can have a positive impact, and encourage people to pursue deeper, more meaningful travel experiences.


My Obsession With Georgia

I have zero desire to visit every country in the world. I want to go deep instead of broad. Although I love discovering new places, I would be quite content revisiting the same handful of countries over and over again for the rest of my days.

In fact, that is what I have been doing for the past three years. Since relocating to Georgia, I have barely left, instead choosing to travel the country from north to south, east to west.

Emily in Sachkhere, Georgia.
Me exploring Sachkhere in Georgia.

Since 2020, I have been striving to make Wander-Lush the most comprehensive and reliable resource for travel in Georgia. You can find all my 250+ travel guides for Georgia here.


Follow My Journey

I post daily updates on my Facebook Page and the occasional photo or Reel on Instagram.

For news about life in Georgia and fresh stories straight from the blog, please sign up for my monthly newsletter.


Support My Work

All of the 600 (and counting) travel guides published on Wander-Lush are 100% free for you to access.

If you would like to support the blog, here are a few ideas:

Use my links to book your trip

Wander-Lush uses affiliate links, which means I sometimes earn a commission when you book a hotel, tour, hire car or other service using the links displayed in my guides. This is an easy way to support the blog at no additional cost to you (or the business owner).

I only endorse businesses and products that I trust. Wherever possible, I seek first-hand experience in order to bring my readers an honest, wholistic perspective.

Some of my favourite businesses in Georgia include:

  • GoTrip.ge – private one-way transfers & day trips
  • Local Rent – affordable car hire in Georgia (& elsewhere)
  • Friendly.ge – my preferred tour partner in Tbilisi (use the code WANDERLUSH for 10% off)
  • Budget Georgia – my preferred tour partner in Kutaisi (mention me to get 10% off)
  • Eat This! Tours – my preferred partner for wine tours in Kakheti (use the code WANDERLUSH for 5% off)
  • The House Hotel Old Tbilisi – my preferred accommodation in Tbilisi (use the code WANDERLUSH for 10% off)

Leave me a tip

I recently launched a ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ page to collect one-off tips and monthly memberships. I put 100% of these funds towards research trips, including hiring local drivers and guides.

Visit my page and leave me a tip here.

Buy one of my ebooks

I have one published ebook (coauthored with my colleague Baia Dzagnidze), and more in the pipeline for 2024!

Buy a copy of the Digital Nomad Guide to Tbilisi on Gumroad.

Mention Wander-Lush to business owners when you travel

Building awareness of my blog (in Georgia especially) is incredibly important to the longevity of my business. If you follow one of my recommendations, I would really appreciate it if you mention my name to the business owner.

There’s a good chance we might already know each other!

Tell your family & friends

On a similar note, forwarding my links to your family members or friends – or anyone you know who is planning a visit to Georgia – is a huge help to me and much appreciated.


Collaborate With Me

Are you interested in collaborating? Visit my Work With Me page for more information and to request a copy of my Media Kit.

If you’re interested in reading samples of my published writing or you want to hire me for a freelance project, please visit my portfolio site or LinkedIn page.

Get in touch: emily[at]wander-lush.org