Samantha Coomber Email & Phone Number

Sydney, Nsw, Au

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

After a year in the wilderness, finally returned to the travel industry (my lifelong career in some form or another) and back to my niche work - travel writing. Employed by Scenic Group at the Sydney CBD office, I'm Manager, Copy and Product Content for Emerald Cruises, luxury river and ocean yacht cruising worldwide. Part of the Australian marketing department, I'm leading the brand globally for copywriting and product content, focusing on Emerald Cruises brochures, websites, advertorials, flyers and more.

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Newly-created position and full-time hybrid role as Senior Content Writer for COS (largest Australian owned and operated national office product company), part of the Marketing Department at the head office in Lidcombe, Greater Sydney. I wrote and created an extensive company document (online and print) showcasing COS achievements and mission statements, from sustainability to philanthropy; contributed online articles for the company blog, COSpedia and helped update and edit annual company brochures - liaising with marketing team members and other departments.

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

I worked remotely at home in Sydney as a full-time copywriter for Imagine Holidays (Australia), directly reporting to the Australian head office in Brisbane and UK sister company, Imagine Cruising. In this newly-created role, I was the sole company copywriter for a steadily evolving Australian Marketing Department. Working closely with other members of the marketing team to daily deadlines, I largely wrote quality website content for Imagine Holidays travel products: itineraries covering cruises and classic railway journeys, escorted land tours and hotels and exclusive event collections around the globe, plus press ads, digital brochures and other online content.

Australia, Vietnam And Indonesia

Full-time professional freelance travel and lifestyle writer for over two decades, based in Asia Pacific. After 19 successive years based in Southeast Asia and four-decades of extensive travels throughout the region, I consider myself an authority on this region, especially for Vietnam, where I've cumulatively lived for 12-years-plus and Indonesia (eight years). Among the hundreds of international magazines, newspapers and websites I've written for, top publications include The Australian, Wall Street Journal Asia, National Geographic Traveler, Australian Gourmet Traveller, South China Morning Post and Conde Nast Traveller UK and India, and in-flight airline magazines, Qantas, Thai, Singapore, Air Canada, Royal Bhutan, Jetstar Asia, Cathay Pacific and more. I’ve extensively updated / rewritten numerous travel guidebooks including Fodor’s, Frommer’s, Rough Guides, LUXE City guides and Insight Guides and am author of two first-edition, Insight city guidebooks on Vietnam. I've also contributed to several travel anthologies. I was head-hunted to help set-up, launch and jointly-run the first English-language tourist magazine, Vietnam Discovery, for the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), in Hanoi, Vietnam, as chief writer / editorial consultant and as Senior Writer / Editor (Bali Branch), for a luxury Indonesian publishing house in Bali. Niche writing genres are luxury travel, hotels and resorts, gourmet lifestyle, local culture, wellness and travel destinations, but I've covered anything from design to the environment. I mainly specialise in editorial and feature writing, but have also undertaken content writing, copywriting, editing and editorial consulting assignments. From 2018-2020, I was employed as a full-time Senior Marketing Content Writer/ Editor for an upscale tour operator at their global HQ in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; embedded in the marketing department, I created quality website content and brochures.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Full-time position as Senior Marketing Content Writer/ Editor for upscale Southeast Asia tour operator, Trails of Indochina, at their global head office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Embedded in the marketing department, I was responsible for creating authoritative travel content for the company website, including new destination sections on Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, China, Japan and Bhutan, covering country and key city overviews, multi-day travel itineraries, luxury hotel reviews and more. Additionally, I created digital mini-guidebooks for Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. Other duties extended to writing / editing website content for core destinations, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and Indonesia, including multi-country travel itineraries and luxury hotel reviews, plus general editing for social media posts, flyers, e-blasts and agent tour plans.Liaising with the Products Department, I was entirely responsible for writing / editing two Trails of Indochina's Preferred Partners Hotel & Cruise Collection brochures (digital and hard copy) in their entirety, featuring select luxury hotels and boutique cruises.

Vietnam, Indonesia, Australia And Global

Over a decade regularly contributing freelance commissioned features for acclaimed Asia Spa magazine, covering spa, wellness, environmental and health aspects across the Asian region, Australia and planet: in-depth spa and wellness coverage has featured Lombok and Bali, Indonesia, Vietnam and Sydney, Australia, and has featured interviews with wellness industry specialists, a round-up of world's top ten Eco-spa and wellness retreats, a Vietnam-focused environmental in-depth feature, a personal 7-day journal account of all-female Bali surf retreat, lavish spa journeys and Bhutan destination feature. • I was personally invited to be one of the international judges for Asia Spa magazines’ Asia Spa Awards 2007, one of Asia’s most respected annual wellness awards.

Vietnam, Indonesia

SilverKris in-flight magazine publication features: A Tale of Two Cities: Travel section, the charming contrasts and highlights of Vietnam's two main cities, capital Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south (October 2010). Having designs on Solo City (Surakarta) in Central Java: Journals section, modern interpretations and influences of the royal city's prolific batik heritage (October 2017)Copyright: 2017 Singapore Airlines Ltd and SPH Magazines Pte Ltdhttps://www.silverkris.com/tradition-batik-kept-alive-solo-central-javas-lesser-known-royal-city/view-allSilverKris online: Bali City Guide, published 2017https://www.silverkris.com/bali-city-guide-2/Silkwinds in-flight magazine for SilkAir, Singapore Airlines regional airline; quarterly mini-guide to what’s new in Bali and Hanoi, Vietnam for 'Postcards' travel section, published February to December 2017

Vietnam, Bali, Bhutan

Insight Guides: author of first edition Insight Pocket Guide, Hanoi & Northern Vietnam (2005) and co-author, first edition, Insight Guides Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City smart guide (2009) – covering the HCMC and southern Vietnam sections. Insight Pocket Guide Vietnam and Insight Vietnam, updated both 2009 editions covering the HCMC chapters.Rough Guides: The Rough Guide to Vietnam (third edition, 2000) the southern Vietnam sections; The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia (first edition, 2000) updating southern Vietnam section and The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia (second edition, 2000) updating entire Vietnam section covering 40 destinations. I have also contributed several online posts for roughguides.com and insightguides.com covering Bhutan, Bali and Vietnam.

Bali, Indonesia

Two features on two separate all-female luxury surfing and yoga retreats in Seminyak, Bali for Condé Nast Traveller UK - Bali Goddess Retreat and Ocean Soul Retreat; Bali's only spa entry for Condé Nast Traveller Spa Guide 2017 (COMO Shambhala Estate, Ubud, Bali); Condé Nast Traveller India features on Retox & Detox in Bali and pick of Bali's Best Hotels, for magazine edition August-September 2017 (additionally created into three separate online stories).

Bali, Indonesia

Four in-depth articles as freelance contributor for “Sawasdee,” Thai Airways International in-flight magazine; Seminyak: the best, luxe and hippest eating, drinking and hotel venues in Bali’s trendiest neighbourhood, published July 2012.Alternative spa and wellness therapies in Bali: published January 2016. Vietnam’s rising golf industry and new wave of quality golf clubs and courses: published August 2016. Singapore's Kampong Glam neighbourhood: published June 2017

Indonesia, Vietnam, Asia

Series of commissioned articles covering aspects of travel, chefs, wining and dining, environmental and wellness, across Indonesia, including Java and Bali, and Vietnam, for Jetstar Asia and Jetstar Pacific in-flight magazines

Vietnam

Cultural and leisure features on Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, including an authoritative walking tour through HCMC's Chinatown (Cholon), hidden cultural gems of old Saigon and post-dusk, the best nightlife options.

Vietnam, Indonesia

Contributing a series of commissioned articles covering various aspects of Vietnam and Indonesia for Cathay Pacific Airways portfolio of in-flight magazines, covering Discovery, Cargo Clan business magazine, and The Club, exclusive to Marco Polo Business Class. Plus, Dragonair (now Cathay Dragon) in-flight magazine, Silk Road feature on Hanoi's hand-made wood furniture industry.

Danang, Vietnam

Guest Lecturer in the CEO (Chief Executives Organization, Maryland, USA) group tour of Vietnam, "North to South, Vietnam College," March 17 to 25, 2006. Part of a small group of Vietnamese and international experts, carefully selected and then invited for their individual, authoritative input on Vietnam-based topics. I presented two lectures to CEO delegates at the Furama Resort Danang, Danang City: ‘Hoi An: International Influences Past and Present’ and ‘Ho Chi Minh City: The Fall and Rise of Saigon.’

Hanoi, Vietnam

Head-hunted by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), the state-run tourism department of the Vietnamese government, to help set-up, launch and jointly-run their first-ever, English-language tourist publication, Vietnam Discovery. Based in Hanoi, I was chief reporter/ writer, editorial consultant and sub-editor, working with an all-Vietnamese team and the first foreigner employed full-time by the VNAT. Most of Vietnam Discovery's content was written by me, including restaurant, hotel, bars and spa reviews, a monthly column and travel destination features and a good deal of the magazine ideas were my contributions. The inaugural edition of Vietnam Discovery was launched February 2002 after just one month's deadline and thereafter published every month.

Vietnam, Laos, Bali, Australia

Travel website with focus on authentic, inspiring travels in Asia and all things Asian (culture, food, people and more). A series of 22 articles from 1999 to circa 2003, detailing and covering my solo backpacking travels and excellent adventures across the length and breadth of Vietnam (including a six-month epic backpacking trip in 2001 from north to south of Vietnam ) accompanied by personal travel photographs. Other travel articles cover Australia, Laos and Bali. http://thingsasian.com/author/samantha-coomber

London, Uk

Employed at London branch office of New Zealand-owned tour operator, Adrift, (white-water rafting), as Marketing, Sales & PR Executive, with one other staff member. Duties covered marketing strategies, sales, public relations, media and travel agency collaborations, representing the Adrift brand at UK travel trade shows and organising slide show presentation evenings, including at the Royal Geographic Society, London. Participated in two Adrift white water rafting and camping expeditions of 9-days apiece in Africa, September 1996 as product familiarisation: Ethiopia (Lower Omo River) and Zimbabwe (Zambezi River / Victoria Falls).