iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Queenie Shaikh @queenieshaikh.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

- Could Ciutadella rival San Sebastián’s food scene? Incredible local ingredients, Michelin Guide recommended restaurants, award-winning dishes and a commitment to sustainability – all at a fraction of the price and without the crowds. My latest for The Independent: tinyurl.com/yub2jyje 🇪🇸

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Inside the Spanish city where the gastro scene rivals San Sebastian

Michelin restaurants, hyper-local ingredients and street-side dining, Queenie Shaikh finds an uncrowded alternative to the Spanish foodie hotspot in this unassuming Balearic city

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Queenie Shaikh @queenieshaikh.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

– Forget a pricey kayak on Regent's Canal or another trip to Dishoom. Some of London's best food and culture can be found in this part of Westminster – for a fraction of the price. My latest for The Independent: shorturl.at/iaKKR Thank you for the commission, Annabel Grossman!

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Queenie Shaikh @queenieshaikh.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

- In honour of the Vespa’s 80th anniversary celebrations starting today (until 28 June), I visited Rome to see how the iconic vehicle has evolved over the last eight decades. Biggest thanks to Meera Dattani for the commission! Full story now out on Adventure.com: shorturl.at/Cx9np 🛵

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In 1946, the Vespa gave Italians their freedom. In 2026, it’s giving Rome its air back

Queenie Shaikh scoots through Rome on an electric Vespa to see how the capital has taken on its next great challenge: Air pollution.

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Queenie Shaikh @queenieshaikh.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

- Absolutely delighted to be nominated for a TravMedia Award again this year! This one is for my #NewYorkat400 series for The Independent, where I explored NYC through pop culture, food, history and immigration. Big thanks to Annabel Grossman for the commission, & congrats to my fellow nominees! 🥳

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Queenie Shaikh @queenieshaikh.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

- My latest for The Independent explores the Natural History Museum, the UK’s most popular attraction of 2025. It’s fun & interactive for all ages with plenty of cafés inside. As a Londoner, I highly recommend it! 🦖 Huge thanks to Annabel Grossman for the commission! Read here: shorturl.at/rnoiY

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Why the Natural History Museum is the most important attraction in the UK

It comes as no surprise to Londoner Queenie Shaikh that the museum famous for its dinosaur skeletons has taken the crown as the most popular attraction in the UK. Here’s why she thinks it’s a must-vis...

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Queenie Shaikh @queenieshaikh.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

- Ramadan transforms London after dark with late-night cafes and an economy worth £1.3bn. If the city can feel this alive for 30 nights, why not all year? Thanks for the commission, Annabel Grossman! Read my latest for The Independent here: shorturl.at/B9vjJ Ramadan Mubarak, all x 🌙

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Queenie Shaikh @queenieshaikh.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

- My third & final story in my #NewYorkat400 series for The Independent is about Little Syria – North America's first Arab community. Founded in the 1880s, it once thrived with Arabic shops before city planning erased it. Thanks for the commission, Annabel Grossman! 🔗 Full story: shorturl.at/zsx19

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NYC’s forgotten neighbourhood: How Little Syria vanished from Manhattan’s streets

Lower Manhattan’s Financial District now buzzes with global trade, but not long ago it was a neighbourhood of Arabic shop signs, bookshops, bakeries and newspapers. Queenie Shaikh journeys back to th...

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Queenie Shaikh @queenieshaikh.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

- Story #2 in my #NewYorkat400 series with The Independent is all about FOOD! 🤤 But not just any food — It’s about immigration shaping neighbourhoods via corner shops, kitchens, and restaurants. Thanks, AnnabelGrossman, for the commission! Full story: shorturl.at/RY9lR #NYC 🇺🇸

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How New York’s immigrant communities built a culinary capital

On a 24-hour whirlwind journey, Queenie Shaikh discovers how communities have shaped entire neighbourhoods through corner shops, kitchens, and restaurants that tell the history of one of the greatest ...

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Queenie Shaikh @queenieshaikh.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

- The first story in my #NewYorkat400 series with The Independent was so much fun! 🇺🇸 From Gossip Girl to Friends, NYC was the dream for millennials. Big thanks to Annabel Grossman for believing in my ideas and allowing me to live out my New Yorker fantasy. Full story here: shorturl.at/m0huR #NYC ✨️

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I visited NYC to see if it still lives up to the hype of Gossip Girl and Friends

Having spent her teenage years watching the likes of ‘Sex and the City’ and ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, Queenie Shaikh imagined a New York of rent-controlled apartments, cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery, brea...

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Queenie Shaikh @queenieshaikh.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

- My 10th (!!!) award nomination/win in just 6 months — officially in double digits! 🥹 This one is Highly Commended for Mentee of the Year at the IWTTF Awards. Grateful for the journey, my mentors, and Intrepid Travel's game-changing press trip. Congrats to all the winners and finalists! 🏆

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Queenie Shaikh @queenieshaikh.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

- THRILLED to have won European Consumer Online Feature of the Year at the Inspire Global Media Awards! My Croatia–Pakistan story now has 6 nominations (awaiting a ceremony) + 3 wins! 🥹 Chuffed my Detroit pizza story was also nominated! Congrats to all the winners! #igmas #positiveimpactstorytelling

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Queenie Shaikh @queenieshaikh.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

- Fantastic press trip hosted by Intrepid Travel for a timely @hyphenonline.com story in today’s divisive world. Captured this fiery sunrise during a hike up Mount Batur. Thanks, @kateguest.bsky.social, for the commission! 🇮🇩 Full story: shorturl.at/DIrAS #Bali #Indonesia @travmedia.bsky.social

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Queenie Shaikh @queenieshaikh.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Om Swastiastu from beautiful Bali! 🇮🇩 Grateful to have written about Muslim-Hindu unity in the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, with Bali as Indonesia's only Hindu-majority province. Big thanks to @kateguest.bsky.social for commissioning this and to @intrepidtravel for the best press trip!

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Queenie Shaikh @queenieshaikh.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

- Thrilled to be published in The i Paper! ☺️ My story explores the history of the Anglo-Indian community, often mistaken for British Asians. But, their roots date back to 1608, linking Cheltenham to its nickname, the "Calcutta of the Cotswolds." Read the full story here: shorturl.at/VR4Ka

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Queenie Shaikh @queenieshaikh.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

- Hello from beautiful Cheltenham! 🇬🇧 The little town recognised for many things, but did you know it was once infamously known as the "Calcutta of England"? Here on a press trip for The i Paper to learn about pre-Partition South Asian history in a part of the UK where few would expect to find it!

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