Travel influencer Chloe Rushworth, who runs the Instagram account @thewhitepinesproject, has come under fire from some people following her latest travel tip.
With a following of 259,000 on Instagram, Chloe regularly dishes out advice on DIY, interiors, styling, lifestyle, and globetrotting adventures.
Yet, her recent post suggesting a jaunt to the ‘unspoilt’ Italian locales of Puglia and Matera didn’t sit well with everyone.
In her video, Chloe urges her audience: “You need to go to this part of Italy before it gets popular,” before launching into her “four-day guide to Puglia and Matera”.
Chloe is heard exclaiming in the clip: “You need to book a trip to this unspoilt and beautiful part of southern Italy before it gets too popular. I was literally saying wow at every turn.”
She adds: “To save you the hassle, I’ve put together a 4-day guide to Puglia and Matera.”
The influencer elaborates: “We flew from Manchester to Brindisi. You can also fly into Bari. We hired a car from the airport and then we drove an hour and a half to Matera which you can not miss if you are going.”
Chloe gushes about Matera, stating: “Honestly Matera is the most incredible ancient city. You can not miss it. It’s the perfect alternative to other romantic breaks like Rome.”
She then recommends accommodation, saying: “I highly recommend that you stay in one of the boutique cave hotels. We stayed in the L hotel in Pietra in the hot tub and terrace suite. It was absolutely outstanding and the view from the terrace was just insane.”
“We stayed for two nights and one full day in Matera, which I think is the perfect amount of time. The thing I love most about it is we didn’t have a massive plan, we just embraced exploring the beautiful streets of Matera.”
Chloe went on to say: “I highly recommend going to one of the cave museums to understand the history of Matera, because it is just fascinating. For lunch we headed to Zipa Cafe, which is like a really cool ruin bar. The food was fantastic.”
“For dinner, we did the seven-course wine pairing menu at Reggia Corte, which I highly recommend. My phone ran out of battery, so I can’t show you any pictures of that.”
“On our second day, we headed back towards the coast of Puglia, we stopped in Alberobello, saw white trulli houses turned into restaurants and boutiques.”
Following that, Chloe noted that she and her partner drove 35 minutes to Ostuni, where they settled for the last two nights. Their next accommodation, Massiera Salinola, absolutely ‘floored them’.
It was described as a family-operated farmhouse converted into a charming boutique hotel located five minutes outside Ostuni.
By their third and final day, Chloe had visited the Adriatic coast and then spent the evening in the white city of Ostuni.
She finished by saying: “Honestly I can’t recommend this trip enough. You might want to save this post and get on the first flight to Italy.”
In the post’s caption, Chloe shared with her followers that the trip cost was £1,800 for both of them. She noted: “But we did go over Easter weekend so flights were expensive. It can be done for cheaper.”
With some followers adoring the post, one person eagerly wrote: “We go in September! Bari, monopoli, polignano, alberobello, Lecce, ostuni, locorotondo, Martina franca, and finishing in matera. Cannot wait, I must think about the trip 10 times a day at the moment!”
Another fan appreciated her openness stating: “Lovely post, thanks for sharing.”
The sentiment was echoed by a third follower who added: “So pleased you are highlighting the beautiful region of Puglia! My dad’s family is from there and we still have our family home near the city of Leece.”
A fourth chimed in nostalgically: “I’d love to go back – we went about 18 years ago. I’d love a stay in a trulli house.”
However, not everyone was equally impressed. Some criticised Chloe for potentially increasing tourism to an already crowded area. One person responded: “It’s been popular for years before you arrived.”
Another agreed saying: “Your itinerary is spot on, but Puglia is already incredibly popular. Even in off season Alberobello is packed.”
While a third voiced sarcasm hinting at the impact of her post, saying: “I guess posting about it on social media won’t make it busier??”
Some people may recognise parts of Puglia and Matera in Chloe’s video, as these were filming locations for Daniel Craig’s ‘No Time To Die. ‘.
