Tips & Tricks

Scotland: Orkney and Shetland Islands

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, September 2024
"Scandinavian heritage gives the 170 islets that make up Orkney and Shetland a history and an atmosphere different from that of any other Scottish region. They're bleak but beautiful..."

Scotland: Inverness and Around the Great Glen

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, September 2024
"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 Europe: Hungary

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, August 2024
"Budapest, an old-world city with a throbbing urban pulse, is a must-stop on any trip to Central Europe, while Szentendre and Eger offer up majestic hilltop castles and cobblestone streets..."

Essential Europe: Czech Republic

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, August 2024
"Even in tourist-heavy Prague, the sense of history - stretching back through centuries of wars, empires, and monuments to everyday life - remains unspoiled by the trappings of modernity..."

Essential Europe: Austria

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, August 2024
"The past lives on in Austria, where children laugh at marionette shows in the parks, couples linger for hours over pastries in elegant cafés, and white stallions dance to Mozart minuets..."

Budapest Guidebook: Side Trips From Budapest

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, July 2024
"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..."

Budapest Guidebook: Belvaros (Inner Town)

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, July 2024
"The Inner Town is the beating heart of Pest, and the city’s most visited neighborhood, thanks to its blend of lovely, stroll-worthy streets and grand avenues lined with stately old buildings..."

Budapest: Gellerthegy (Gellert Hill) and Taban

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, July 2024
"Gellérthegy, the most beautiful natural formation along the Buda bank, takes its name from St. Gellért (Gerard) of Csanád, a Venetian bishop who was rolled off the hill in a cart by pagans..."

Budapest: Varkerulet (Castle District)

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, July 2024
"Attraction-packed Castle Hill is a long, narrow plateau of cobblestone streets with beautifully preserved baroque, Gothic and Renaissance houses, crowned by the glorious Royal Palace..."

Austria: Innsbruck, Tyrol and Vorarlberg

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, May 2024
"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, May 2024
"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, May 2024
"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..."

Bucket List Europe: Edinburgh

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, December 2023
"History plays out before your eyes along the Royal Mile, a succession of storied streets. It begins on Castlehill, where alleged witches were burned at the stake in the 16th century..."

Bucket List Europe: Slovakia

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, December 2023
"Bratislava’s most striking Secession-style building, the Church of St. Elizabeth is renowned for its gorgeous powder blue exterior, which extends all the way up to its 120-foot round tower..."

Bucket List Europe: Czech Republic

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, December 2023
"The Czech capital Prague is one of Europe’s best-preserved cities, with a romantic riverside location enhanced by graceful bridges and a skyline punctuated by medieval church spires..."

Bucket List Europe: Central Europe Intro

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, December 2023
"Prepare to exchange - while the euro is used in Austria, Germany and Slovakia, you’ll need francs for Switzerland, crowns for Czech Republic, forints for Hungary and złoty for Poland..."

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..."

Prague: Day Trips from Prague

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, June 2023
"As the saying goes, the world is a book, and those who don’t travel read only one page. The same applies to travellers who come to the Czech Republic but choose to visit only Prague..."

Prague: Zizkov and Karlin

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, June 2023
"These two neighborhoods, which border the New Town on its eastern edge, are known for their after-dark adventures, from no-nonsense hospody (pubs) to sweaty live music clubs..."

Prague: Vinohrady and Vrsovice

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, June 2023
"Dotted with pretty green parks, charming turn-of-the-20th-century houses, and several of the city's best cafés and restaurants, these are two of Prague’s most appealing neighborhoods..."

Prague: Smichov and Vysehrad

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, June 2023
"Separated by the Vltava River, Smichov and Vysehrad are like night and day. And that’s when they're best experienced - spend a day exploring Vysehrad then hit Smichov in the evening..."

Prague: Prague Castle and Hradcany

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, June 2023
"Despite its monolithic presence, Prague Castle is not a single structure but a collection of structures dating from the 10th to the 20th centuries, all connected by internal courtyards..."

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..."

What to See and Do in Dusseldorf, Germany

An article for Silverkris (Singapore Airlines in-flight magazine), October 2021
"Dusseldorf may not be as well known as Berlin or Munich, but this German city on the banks of the Rhine River packs a genuine punch when it comes to art, fashion, culture and sports..."

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..."

Budapest: Varkerulet (Castle District)

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, August 2021
"Attraction-packed Castle Hill is a long, narrow plateau of cobblestone streets with beautifully preserved baroque, Gothic and Renaissance houses, crowned by the glorious Royal Palace..."

Budapest Guidebook: Belvaros (Inner Town)

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, August 2021
"The Inner Town is the beating heart of Pest, and the city’s most visited neighborhood, thanks to its blend of lovely, stroll-worthy streets and grand avenues lined with stately old buildings..."

The Best Free Things to Do in Prague

An article for Lonely Planet, August 2021
"The Astronomical Clock's on-the-hour procession of mechanical figures leaves some tourists underwhelmed. So instead, come between showtimes for a close-up look at the clock itself..."

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..."

Prague Guidebook: Day Trips from Prague

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, January 2021
"As the saying goes, the world is a book, and those who don’t travel read only one page. The same applies to travellers who come to the Czech Republic but choose to visit only Prague..."

Prague Guidebook: Zizkov and Karlin

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, January 2021
"These two neighborhoods, which border the New Town on its eastern edge, are known for their after-dark adventures, from no-nonsense hospody (pubs) to sweaty live music clubs..."

Prague Guidebook: Vinohrady and Vrsovice

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, January 2021
"Dotted with pretty green parks, charming turn-of-the-20th-century houses, and several of the city's best cafés and restaurants, these are two of Prague’s most appealing neighborhoods..."

Prague Guidebook: Smichov and Vysehrad

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, January 2021
"Separated by the Vltava River, Smichov and Vysehrad are like night and day. And that’s when they're best experienced - spend a day exploring Vysehrad then hit Smichov in the evening..."

Prague Guidebook: Castle and Hradcany

A travel guidebook chapter for Fodor's Travel Guides, January 2021
"Despite its monolithic presence, Prague Castle is not a single structure but a collection of structures dating from the 10th to the 20th centuries, all connected by internal courtyards..."

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..."

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..."

A Guide to the Prague Fringe Festival

An article for Rough Guides, May 2018
"Now in its 17th year, the Prague Fringe Festival is firmly established as a major alternative arts event, showcasing award-winning theatre, cutting-edge comedy and genre-twisting cabaret..."

Alternative Prague: Escaping the Tourist Trail

An article for Rough Guides, April 2018
"Explore some of Prague’s ecclesiastical oddities, starting with the bearded woman statue in Loreto Church - this is St. Wilgefortis, who prayed for facial fuzz to help escape a betrothal..."

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..."

What’s Hot in Prague for 2018

An article for The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, February 2018
"Field has redefined the boundaries of Bohemian fare. The decor is minimalism incarnate - all beige walls and unadorned tables - but look up to see street art projected onto the ceiling...."

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..."

Five Must-Dos in Dusseldorf, Germany

An article for Silverkris (Singapore Airlines in-flight magazine), November 2016
"Architecture fans will relish grand medieval masterpieces such as Schlossturm, Renaissance delights including Neanderkirche and contemporary icons like Frank Gehry’s Neuer Zollhof..."

Prague’s Prettiest Parks (and Green Spaces)

An article for Honey Travel by nine.com.au, April 2016
"Prague foregoes one sprawling central park for an array of gorgeous gardens and secluded squares dotted around the centre, as well as vast green expanses skirting the city's edges..."

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..."

North Korea Travel Guide

A guide for World Travel Guide, January 2015
"Perhaps the world's most insular, provocative and challenging country, North Korea is not the archetype of an alluring holiday destination. Yet many tourists are visiting this socialist state..."

Night & Day: 24 Hours in Baku, Azerbaijan

An article for Destinations of the World News, June 2014
"Land at the airport and flag a taxi to Fairmont Baku. Located in one of the three Flame Towers - fire-shaped columns that rise high above the city - the hotel boasts the best views in Baku..."

Buddha-Bar Hotel Prague: Chic Czech Boutique

An article for About Luxury Travel, May 2014
"The Czech capital offers a variety of large luxury hotels with big-brand names. Yet Prague visitors who prefer more intimate luxury can choose beautiful boutique Buddha-Bar Hotel..."

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..."

Czech Republic Travel Guide

A guide for World Travel Guide, April 2014
"A historic jewel at the heart of Europe, the Czech Republic packs a big punch for such a tiny country; from majestic castles to medieval towns, elegant spa resorts to scenic parklands..."

The Purple Passport: A Guide to the High Life

An article for Private Air Magazine, January 2014
"Founded in 2010 by two intrepid New Yorkers, TPP provides bright and smart online guides – and occasional e-books – to the crème de la crème of decadent global city destinations..."

London Overview and Q&As

A guide for Forbes Travel Guide, May 2012 - May 2013
"The story of London is a tale of two cities. One narrative is an urban landscape littered with long-established landmarks, time-honored art and culture and a stubborn hint of Britishness..."

Peru-Bolivia-Chile Tour Itinerary

A 13-day tour itinerary for Viventura, January 2013
"Spanning Peru, Bolivia and Chile, the Altiplano region features some of the most spectacular scenery in South America: thermal geysers, high mountains, and the largest salt flat on earth..."

Glasgow Overview and Q&As

A guide for Forbes Travel Guide, August 2012
"Scotland's second city Glasgow is often considered Edinburgh’s little brother. That simply means it stays out later, has far hipper taste in music and still has its best years ahead of it..."

Vienna Overview and Q&As

A guide for Forbes Travel Guide, July 2012
"Vienna is a city shaped by its imperial past. You’ll find its ancient streets home to magnificent state palaces, grand baroque architecture, fine museum squares and ornate opera houses..."

Zurich Overview and Q&As

A guide for Forbes Travel Guide, July 2012
"Zurich is a city in transition. Once considered a boring financial hub populated by buttoned-down bankers, the city is now reinventing itself as a vibrant, trendy and modern metropolis..."

Frankfurt Overview and Q&As

A guide for Forbes Travel Guide, July 2012
"It may be only the fifth-largest city in Germany, but Frankfur is the country’s business capital, continental Europe’s largest financial center and one of the world’s busiest transport hubs..."

Salzburg Overview and Q&As

A guide for Forbes Travel Guide, June 2012
"The illustrious birthplace of Mozart, the inspirational drawing board for “Silent Night”, and the mountain stomping ground of Julie Andrews’ Maria, Salzburg's a city with music in its blood..."

Stockholm Overview and Q&As

A guide for Forbes Travel Guide, June 2012
"A collection of 14 serene islands, the city is blessed with a wealth of green spaces, inspiring panoramas of the Baltic Sea and probably the freshest air of any major metropolis on earth..."

Warsaw Overview and Q&As

A guide for Forbes Travel Guide, June 2012
"It might not have all the quaint historical culture of Krakow or the distinctive Baltic beauty of Gdansk, but Warsaw is the ever-changing, endlessly fascinating face of 21st century Poland..."

Prague Overview and Q&As

A guide for Forbes Travel Guide, June 2012
"Known affectionately as “The City of a Thousand Spires,” the Czech Republic capital boasts some of the grandest churches in Europe, along with the world’s largest atheist population..."

Edinburgh Overview and Q&As

A guide for Forbes Travel Guide, May 2012
"Described by the famous Scottish poet Hugh MacDiarmid as "a mad god's dream,” Edinburgh is a multifarious mishmash of a metropolis. It has a history reaching back to the Bronze Age..."

Welcome to Edinburgh

A guide for GuidePal, December 2011
"Wrapped in a blanket of high hilltops, it is home to Michelin-star restaurants and world-class theatres alongside thriving nightlife and hectic urban chaos, all set against a calm sea view..."

Florence: A Cultural Heavyweight

A guide for GuidePal, September 2011
"While visitors have been rediscovering its glorious history since the 19th century, the city has now moved on from the days of the Medici to forge a new and thoroughly modern identity..."

Prague: A Truly Bohemian City

A guide for GuidePal, August 2011
"The Czech capital has a majestic assortment of cobbled lanes, high church spires, medieval bridges and meandering rivers. They're all watched over by a magnificent, fairytale castle..."

Ischia’s Wild Winter Warmers

An article for Shoestring Magazine, February 2011
“It was one of those bitterly cold December days in southern Italy, when the chill wraps itself around your bones and draws you into winter, and I was freezing to the seat of my scooter..."

Cutting It At The Edinburgh Fringe

An article for Scriptwriter Magazine, January 2008
“On the city's pretty Royal Mile, actors, singers, dancers, jugglers, stuntpeople, wrestlers and inexplicably semi-naked hypnotists all indiscriminately thrust their pamphlets at passers-by…”