Welcome to It’s Just Up Here…

Hi, I’m Jason and if you’ve ever travelled with me, you’ve definitely heard me say those four words… “It’s just up here.”

Usually, it happens after we’ve been walking for a while. The map on my phone is leading us down a side street that looks increasingly questionable, everyone’s wondering if we’ve taken a wrong turn, and I’m striding ahead with complete confidence.

“Don’t worry,” I’ll say over my shoulder. “It’s just up here.”

And most of the time…it is.

Whether it’s a hidden rooftop bar tucked away down a dodgy alleyway, a breathtaking viewpoint at the end of a coastal trail, the perfect little coffee shop, or the best local pasta you’ll eat all holiday, I love finding the places that don’t always make it into the guidebooks.

Those are the moments that can turn a good trip into a memorable one.

My Google Maps is full of saved places, colour-coded lists and carefully planned routes. I genuinely enjoy researching a destination almost as much as I do visiting it.

View of Istanbul

Why this website exists

Like a lot of people, I’m juggling a full-time job and a busy family life, which means holiday time is incredibly precious. If we are going somewhere, I want to get it right and squeeze the most out of that I can when it comes to things to see and do as well as places to eat and drink.

I also know how overwhelming planning for a trip can be. I’ve been a bit of an unofficial trip planner for my family and friends for the last few years.

  • How do you get from the airport without getting fleeced?
  • Which neighbourhood should you stay in?
  • Is that restaurant actually brilliant—or just really good at collecting five-star autobot reviews?

That’s why I started It’s Just Up Here – It’s not about ticking off famous landmarks or that place on Insta that everyone has to go to.

It’s about sharing the routes I actually walked, the cafés I’d happily revisit, the runs worth setting an early alarm for, the family-friendly finds that kept everyone happy, and the local places that made us smile.

If this blog saves you a few hours of planning—or helps you discover somewhere you’d otherwise have walked straight past—then it’s done exactly what I hoped it would.

So come along, there’s something really cool and…it’s just up here.