Recently, I was lucky enough to be offered an all-expenses paid trip to Poland. Whaaaaaat? That sounds amazing! I hear you cry. Ok, perhaps I misrepresented somewhat. What I meant is: I was sent there for work – to film three stories for a British food-related TV series. But all … Tell me more
As a TV Producer, I travel a lot with work. Over the course of the last 14 years or so making telly shows for the likes of the BBC and Channel 4, I’ve been lucky enough to visit all sorts of random places – many in the UK but … Tell me more
I recently spent a week exploring and photographing the gorgeous Italian region of Umbria. Click here for a look at Todi and Orvieto. Of course no trip to Umbria is complete without a visit to Assisi, the jewel in the region’s crown and a UNESCO World Heritage site. And you … Tell me more
I recently spent a week exploring and photographing the spectacular Italian region of Umbria. Part One of my journey is here. After spending a few days relaxing and exploring the area around Todi, the next stop on the tour was the fabulous old town of Orvieto. Orvieto is one of … Tell me more
The majority of visitors to Italy make a beeline for the big-hitting, headline attractions: Rome, Venice, Florence, the Amalfi Coast… But if you want to avoid the crowds while still soaking up Italy’s gorgeous scenery, fantastic weather, and incredible cultural heritage, you could do a lot worse than ignoring the … Tell me more
With its fabulous food, edgy culture and seaside location, Naples is becoming an increasingly popular city break destination. Where once tourists simply passed through en route to the Amalfi Coast, today more and more are stopping off for a few days to explore Naples’ narrow alleyways, enjoy some of the world’s finest pizza, and take … Tell me more
Naples is one of Italy’s largest, oldest, and most colourful cities, and like any Italian city, it’s full to bursting of centuries-old art. From its UNESCO-heritage-labelled Centro Storico, to the stunning hilltop monastery Certosa di San Martino, the city is generously sprinkled with palaces, churches and grand houses – and each is coated from top … Tell me more
Like most people, I never go abroad without a copy of the latest local guidebook. And more often than not, that guidebook will be the Lonely Planet. Ever since I first went travelling with the 1997 edition of ‘South America on a shoestring’ (all 1170 pages of it, weighing nearly 3/4 … Tell me more
Africa. The Serengeti. The Ngorongoro Crater. The names alone conjure up thrilling images of vast open plains, with hundreds of wildebeest peacefully grazing while a dignified herd of elephants cuts a ponderous path across the landscape. Or of nature, red in tooth and claw: a cheetah stalking noiselessly through swaying grasses; a muscular lioness sinking her claws … Tell me more
Have you noticed how, when you arrive at a ‘must-see’ place, it often doesn’t look like the photos you’d seen in the brochure or online? You turn up expecting a massive ‘Wow!’ moment, and you get more of an ‘Oh… ok… cool. What’s for lunch?’ That seems to happen quite often for … Tell me more
The India found in the guidebooks is a magical and mysterious place. Where exquisite palaces gleam and sparkle on the shores of majestic rivers. Where dark-eyed beauties walk demurely between crumbling temples, their vibrant saris wafting the fragrance of perfume and spices. Where monkeys play amongst statues of ancient gods and tigers stalk noiselessly through … Tell me more
The classic stereotype of Indian rail travel, in many Western minds, is the one from films like Slumdog Millionaire. Crowded, dirty trains, often delayed, idling for hours with no explanation. People leaning out of open doors, perched between the carriages, or even sitting on the roof. Narrow, uncomfortable sleeper berths. Putrid toilets. It’s … Tell me more
When I thought about travelling to South India in December on a group tour, there were a few challenges I could foresee. Would I get on with the group? Would the heat and humidity be unbearable? Would I manage to pack the right stuff? Would I struggle with the long … Tell me more
In September 2016 I finally got round to ticking one of the top things off my bucket list – I climbed Kilimanjaro. I’m an organiser and planner by nature, so before I went I did a LOT of research to work out what to take – and you can read all … Tell me more
Most climbers travelling to Tanzania have only one target in mind: the towering summit of the six-kilometre high Mount Kilimanjaro. Ask them if they’re planning on scaling Ol Doinyo Lengai and odds are you’ll get a blank stare. Ol Donny-who?! But if you want a serious challenge, in much less time than it … Tell me more
I’ve photographed markets from Cuba to Myanmar, and from Tanzania to Hungary, and I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of them. They are probably my favourite type of place to take photographs. Markets are so buzzing and vibrant, there’s so much going on, so much activity and colour. Seeing who’s selling and buying, … Tell me more
So your itchy feet have got the better of you and you’ve decided you want to climb Kilimanjaro? Excellent decision! But now you’ve got to actually organise and (eeek!) do the damn thing! Here’s how… (Disclaimer: it does take a few more than 10 steps to get to the top of Kilimanjaro!) … Tell me more
No one survives even a day on Kilimanjaro, let alone making it to the top, without a frankly embarrassing amount of support from an enormous team of guides and porters. It’s their job to carry your stuff, cook your meals, supply you with safe drinking water, put up your tent, take it … Tell me more
This is the eighth and final part of my day-by-day account of what it was really like to climb the Lemosho Route on Mount Kilimanjaro. If you missed it, Day Seven is here. Unsurprisingly, I slept amazingly well the night after the summit – as did everyone. There’s nothing like a midnight start … Tell me more
This is the seventh part of my day-by-day account of what it was really like to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. If you missed it, Day Six is here. If you think it’s hard having to wake up at 4 am to catch a flight to go on holiday, imagine what it’s like being … Tell me more
This is the sixth part of my day-by-day account of what it was really like to climb the Lemosho Route up Mount Kilimanjaro. If you missed it, Day Five is here. I woke well before the morning wake-up call on Day Six to a weird feeling in my face. I scrabbled through my pile … Tell me more
This is the fifth part of my day-by-day account of what it was really like to climb the Lemosho Route up Mount Kilimanjaro. If you missed it, Day Four is here. There had been a lot of speculation about the Barranco Wall in the days leading up to Day Five. Several members … Tell me more
This is the fourth part of my day-by-day account of what it was really like to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. If you missed it, Day Three is here. We were now almost halfway through the trip, and the altitude was finally starting to affect me. I had a terrible night’s sleep (difficulty … Tell me more
This is the third part of my day-by-day account of what it was really like to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. If you missed it, Day Two is here. As dawn broke on day three, and with barely a cloud in the sky, we got our first proper look at where we were going: the highest point … Tell me more
This is the second part of my day-by-day account of what it was really like to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. If you missed it, Day One is here. It’s not something that had occurred to me before starting, but the nights on the mountain are LOOOONG. The sun set at around six … Tell me more
For several years I had talked occasionally about how ‘One Day’ I would climb Kilimanjaro. It was one of those challenges that sounded like it might be a Good Thing to do (in a totally bonkers-painful, crazy-yet-hopefully-rewarding kind of way) but for a long time looked like it would be one of those … Tell me more
This is the second part of my Kilimanjaro countdown. Read the first part here. FOUR WEEKS TO GO I’m starting to get really nervous now. I keep waking up in the middle of the night in a sweaty panic but I’m not really sure why exactly. I’m doing all I can … Tell me more
A beginner’s guide to climbing a mountain… In September I will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. At 5895m above sea level it’s the highest point in the African continent, and certainly WAY higher than anything I’ve ever scaled before. I’m not an experienced hiker: I live in London, which is pretty much … Tell me more
Iceland is famous for being, well… icy. Clue’s in the title, after all! Snow-capped mountains, frozen lakes, whirling blizzards, ancient glaciers… when it comes to the white stuff, Iceland’s got it covered. Literally! But when all that H2O isn’t busy being frozen, Iceland has two other watery attractions: waterfalls and … Tell me more
It might not come as much of a surprise to learn that Iceland was one of the last places in Europe to be inhabited by humans. Early settlers would have had to navigate the treacherous North Atlantic Ocean in little wooden boats, and many would have died or given up in the … Tell me more
Viewing the Northern Lights is on many people’s bucket lists. To be honest, it wasn’t really on mine. I certainly wouldn’t have made a special trip to Iceland just to see them, that’s for sure. But since I was there for work anyway, and had the opportunity, I thought ‘Oh … Tell me more
This is the Svínafellsjökull glacier in Iceland. Have fun trying to pronounce that! In Icelandic, ‘ll’ is pronounced something like tl, with a flattened tongue and a click in the back of the throat. So I guess you’d say ‘SVEEN-a-FETLS-yok-utl. Or just start confidently with ‘Sveen’ and then tail off. They’ll probably … Tell me more
Along with Vikings and fermented shark, one of the most well-recognised icons of Iceland is its tiny horses. And no, you mustn’t call them ‘ponies’ – Icelanders are very particular about that and I was told off for it! I got confused by this as I thought a pony was just … Tell me more
In January 2016, while working on a new video project for Lonely Planet, I was sent to Norway to film at the Geilo Ice Music Festival. Geilo is a tiny ski town in the mountains in the middle of the country, about halfway between Oslo and Bergen, and every year … Tell me more
One of the things they say about Myanmar is that the people are really friendly. Actually they say that about a lot of places – and sometimes it’s true. But it tends to be only true in parts. In most places people will be people: some are friendly, some are … Tell me more
If you’ve seen photos of Myanmar, or been there, chances are you’ll recognise these guys. They’re the Intha fishermen of Inle Lake, in the centre of the country, and they’re probably the most iconic representation of the country and its people. The best time to see them is at dawn, long … Tell me more
One of the things you can’t fail to notice when you travel around Myanmar is the large numbers of Buddhist monks. They’re everywhere, going quietly about their business, and in their red robes with their shaven heads they’re impossibly picturesque and photogenic, especially against all that beautiful scenery and stunning architecture. … Tell me more
In my previous post about Myanmar’s Buddhist monks, I noted how photogenic they are. With their shaven heads, red robes, and peaceful expressions, they have this amazing ability to step into a location, no matter how dull or ugly, and transform it into an eye-catching scene. You see them everywhere. Mornings are … Tell me more
Check out the details in this image: the produce neatly arranged, the clothes the women are wearing (and the fact that they are all women), the woven shopping bags, the digital scales… You can learn so much about a country by visiting its markets, and it’s one of the main reasons why markets … Tell me more
