Backpacking

Essential Great Britain: Travel Smart Chapter

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, September 2023

"Britain and America are (in the phrase attributed to playwright George Bernard Shaw) “two countries separated by a common language”. Knowing some British idioms can be helpful..."

Essential Great Britain: Experience Chapter

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, September 2023

"Great Britain and the United Kingdom: what’s the difference? GB is the landmass comprising England, Scotland and Wales; the UK also includes Northern Ireland and some smaller isles..."

Great Britain: Sporting Britain

A guidebook article for Lonely Planet, July 2023

"During the 18th and 19th centuries, Britons codified major sports including tennis, cricket, golf, field hockey, billiards, bowls, netball, water polo, baseball, horse racing, squash and boxing..."

Great Britain: Divided Kingdom?

A guidebook article for Lonely Planet, July 2023

"Two historical referendums, one on Scottish independence (result: remain) and another on Brexit (result: leave), have revealed deep divisions between Britain's three member nations..."

Great Britain: Meet the British

A guidebook article for Lonely Planet, July 2023

"For many Britons, their identity is specific to their country, their region or even their city. For me, it’s more general than that. The conclusion I've come to is this: I am British, not English..."

England: Hadrian’s Wall and the Northeast

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, May 2023

"England's Northeast has wide-open spaces, curiously charming fishing towns and villages, and ancient abbeys and castles that are all the more romantic for their often-ruinous state..."

England: Canterbury and the Southeast

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, May 2023

"Surrey, Kent, and Sussex form the breadbasket of England, where bucolic farmland stretches as far as the eye can see, dotted only with great historic castles and beautiful stately homes..."

Essential England: Experience Chapter

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, May 2023

"Whether you are rooting for Liverpool, Man City or Newcastle, attending a game or watching at a pub, a football (soccer) match is a great way to observe locals at their most passionate..."

Scotland: Northern Highlands & Islands

A travel guidebook chapter for Lonely Planet, May 2023

"The most popular route through Scotland’s northern Highlands is the coast-hugging NC500, a 500-mile loop of spiky mountain peaks, dune-fringed beaches and brooding castle ruins..."

Scotland: Edinburgh

A travel guidebook chapter for Lonely Planet, May 2023

"It all began with fire and rock. The rugged, rangy landscape of modern-day Edinburgh was formed by three great volcanoes, which rose together here around 350 million years ago..."

DK Eyewitness Prague

A travel guidebook (extract) for DK Eyewitness, September 2022

"A long and rich history has bequeathed Prague a wealth of unique artistic treasures, from Gothic sculpture and Baroque painting to interwar design and contemporary installations..."

Scotland: Northern Highlands & Western Isles

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, June 2022

"As Scotland in miniature, the landscape on Skye ranges from the lush, undulating hills and coastal tracks of Sleat to the deep glens and saw-toothed peaks of the Cuillin Mountains..."

Scotland: Inverness and Around the Great Glen

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, June 2022

"The Great Glen is world-famous for its hill walking, with some of the best routes around Glen Nevis, Glencoe and Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain. Look out for golden eagles..."

Essential Scotland: Edinburgh & The Lothians

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, June 2022

" From floor-stomping ceilidhs to avant-garde modern dance, Edinburgh’s calendar of cultural events - including the Edinburgh Fringe, the world's largest arts festival - is truly outstanding..."

Scotland: Skye and the Outer Hebrides

A travel guidebook chapter for Lonely Planet, March 2022

"Skye's jaw-dropping landscapes and time-honoured castles are popular tourist draws, while those seeking solitude – and stunning sandy beaches – venture out to the Outer Hebrides..."

Budapest Guidebook: Side Trips From Budapest

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, August 2021

"As one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, Budapest naturally hogs the limelight. But those who venture just a bit farther afield find themselves rewarded with a host of Hungarian highlights..."

Austria: Innsbruck, Tyrol and Vorarlberg

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, July 2021

"The provinces of Tyrol and Vorarlberg make up the western tip of Austria with Innsbruck, the capital of Tyrol, as the historic and economic center. Come in winter to find unrivaled skiing..."

Austria Guidebook: Salzburg

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, July 2021

"From the Mirabellgarten to Nonnberg Convent, it is hard to go anywhere in Salzburg without hearing someone humming The Sound of Music's How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?..."

Austria Guidebook: Day Trips From Vienna

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, July 2021

"The area along the Danube and around Vienna unfolds like a treasured picture book, with its vast Roman ruins, medieval castles and Baroque monasteries perched high above the river..."

England: Hadrian’s Wall and the Northeast

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, March 2021

"Winding through the wild and windswept Northumberland countryside, Hadrian’s Wall once formed the northern frontier of the Roman Empire, and it remains an important Roman relic..."

England: Canterbury and the Southeast

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, March 2021

"Gardens are a real English specialty - and at Sissinghurst, Wisley, Chartwell and even Hever Castle, you can easily while away a long afternoon wandering through acres of exotic flora..."

Essential England: Experience Chapter

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, March 2021

"A true afternoon tea consists of cakes, pastries, finger sandwiches, and scones with jam and clotted cream displayed on a tiered stand and served with steaming pots of loose-leaf tea..."

Scotland: Northern Highlands & Western Isles

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, April 2020

"The Northern Highlands is a region where roads hug the coast, offering stunning views over the clear blue ocean, across dramatic mountain peaks, or along stunning heather moorland..."

Scotland: Inverness and Around the Great Glen

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, April 2020

"Defined by its spectacular topography, the Great Glen brings together mountains and myths, history and wild nature, then lets you wash it all down with a dram of the world’s best whisky..."

Essential Scotland: Edinburgh & The Lothians

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, April 2020

"Edinburgh is "a city so beautiful that it breaks the heart again and again," as Alexander McCall Smith once wrote. Its seven hills make a striking backdrop for the ancient pageant of history..."

20 Places to Travel in 2020: Eastern Europe

An article for Travelzoo, December 2019

"From the fantastic fairytale palaces of Central Slovakia to the moody medieval castles of Transylvania, Europe’s eastern reaches are home to some of the continent's biggest hits..."

Chimp-Spotting on the River Gambia

An article for Lonely Planet, October 2019

"Alpha males confidently chomp on their bananas, fretful mothers clasp their young as they scoop water into their mouths, and hyperactive adolescents swing between the branches.."

Essential Great Britain: Experience Chapter

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, January 2019

"Heston Blumenthal, Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay are just the tip of the culinary iceberg, as chefs nationwide now indulge their passions for high-quality, locally-sourced ingredients..."

Scotland: Northern Highlands & Western Isles

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, March 2018

"Wild and remote, Scotland's Northern Highlands and Western Isles have a timeless grandeur. Dramatic cliffs, sandy beaches and craggy peaks rising out of moorland like islands in a sea..."

Essential Scotland: Edinburgh & The Lothians

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, March 2018

"Take time to explore Edinburgh’s streets - peopled by the spirits of Mary Queen of Scots, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson - then enjoy a candlelit restaurant or a folk ceilidh..."

Silverkris Guide to Malé, The Maldives

A destination guide for Silverkris (Singapore Airlines in-flight magazine), December 2017

"With over 130,000 people squeezed into two square miles, Malé is a bustling and fast-paced capital - the antithesis of the laid-back island resorts that draw most tourists to The Maldives..."

Tracking Bison in Europe’s Last Primeval Forest

An article for The Independent, September 2017

"Belovezhskaya Pushcha in western Belarus marks the last remnants of a primeval forest that once shrouded the entire European Plain, from the Pyrenees in the west to Urals in the east..."

Northern Beauty: Scotland’s Secluded Islands

An article for Flight Time (Flybe in-flight magazine), March 2017

"Head beyond the Scottish Borders, bypass the capital, traverse the Highlands and cross the North Sea. Only then will you reach Scotland's outer limits - its remote, remarkable, islands..."

Dizzying Illusions at the Camera Obscura

An article for Honey Travel by nine.com.au, August 2016

"Lights flash on all sides of me. The floor lurches down to the right - and my stomach lurches with it. Bright rings of red and paint-blots of green cloud my vision as I cling to the handrail..."

Liechtenstein Travel Guide

A guide for World Travel Guide, April 2015

"A pocket-sized principality in the heart of Europe, Liechtenstein rarely tops anybody's bucket list of continental must-sees. Yet this tiny, landlocked nation offers more than you'd imagine..."

Stay for Free: Sleeping with Strangers

An article for National Geographic Traveller, May 2014

"I am folded in half. My knees are tucked up to my chin - my chin tucked into my chest. I can’t even feel my feet. In fact, my only sensation is the sharp jabbing below my shoulder blade..."

My Guard: Terror in Transnistria

An article for PureTravel, October 2013

"My finger is deep inside my right sock when I spot Him. Furtively glancing over the headrest in front of me, I spy the dark uniformed figure holding out an imperious palm to halt the bus..."

Morocco sans Marrakech

An article for Overland Magazine, May 2013

"Despite a recent influx of tourists, there remain many attraction-filled Moroccan destinations tucked off-the-beaten-path. During a 10-day trip, I discovered five of the best hidden gems..."

The Flight to Everest Base Camp

An article for National Geographic Traveller, May 2013

“I heard the plane before I saw it. Sitting mutely in a pallid departure lounge, the dirty put-put-put of the engine trickled its way into my subconscious. It's a peeling, patched-up biplane…”

East China to Kyrgyzstan

Proofreading and editing for Overland Magazine, March 2013

"The driver swerved violently to avoid it, but as we skidded on the snow-covered road the lump bounced off the bonnet. My blood ran cold as I realised what it was. A human being..."

Enjoy Sierra Leone… We’ll Make Sure You Do

Complete web copy for Enjoy Sierra Leone, February 2013

"From the lush rainforests and tumbling waterfalls of the country's interior, to the startling white beaches that line its unspoilt coastline, Sierra Leone is a nation of effortless natural beauty..."

Heart of Seoul: Five Grand Palaces in Two Days

An article for Serendib (Sri Lankan Airways in-flight magazine), November 2012

“It's 10 in the morning when the drumbeat starts. A heavy thud-thud-thud of anticipation. The Changing of the Guard is a rare celebration of the past in a capital obsessed with the future…”

Amman: A Modern Arab City

An article for Serendib (Sri Lankan Airways in-flight magazine), May 2012

“Amman is a capital with many memorable millennia behind it and more to come; where time-worn temples and mosques jostle for space with high skyscrapers and picket-fenced villas..."

Off Everest’s Beaten Path

An article for Shoestring Magazine, February 2012

"I feel like throwing up. My head is spinning, my stomach churning, my joints throbbing. I suck in a lungful of icy air but there isn't enough oxygen. Yet still I ignore the thought to turn back…”

Sleeping with Strangers in Busan

An article for Everywhere Magazine, January 2012

““I am very sorry” he says, with a bow, as the door swings open. “This is all that is left.” I look down at my bed for the night - five-feet long, two-feet wide and three-feet deep - and smile..."

The Search for Ischia’s Wild Seaside Spa

An article for Amateur Traveler, January 2012

"The steam spirals into the sky, pirouetting beneath the delicate winter sun, as the blistering spring water trickles, lathers, into the salty sea. A seagull swoops from the frosted cliff top..."

Killing Time in Europe’s Best Cemeteries

An article for StalkingElk Magazine, November 2011

“An inexorable fixture in every childhood - whether burying your gran, losing your virginity or dabbling in the occult - cemeteries are also great for killing time prior to your own demise..."

Top Marx: When Socialism Meets Tourism

An article for StalkingElk Magazine, July 2011

“China now has more KFC outlets than giant pandas. A mere two decades after some vexed Germans shouted at a wall, the country's about as socialist as Joseph McCarthy in a kaftan..."

Transnistria: Europe’s Last Kid on the Bloc

An article for Shoestring Magazine, October 2010

“As the 1990s rolled in, and the world watched Poland and co. march forwards to a bright new dawn, no-one seemed to notice that one corner of the Eastern Bloc had been left behind…”