My first big world trip took me right down the Americas overland and over a year from Northern Canada to Tierra del Fuego (almost the complete length of the Pan-American Highway, with a few hundred side trips thrown in!). I’m renowned for writing about the destinations I became familiar with on that adventure and later trips – but I mainly write about Andean and Amazonian South America. Big mountains, dense jungle, Inca ruins. Things like that.
Please see more of my travel features under my UK travel articles, Europe travel articles, adventure travel articles and culinary travel articles…
NORTH AMERICA…
The Human Side of the Big Apple, Orkney Today Down but far from out on the cheap in New York
Central Texas Cuisine Raises the Steaks, BBC Texas’ food beyond the steak…
The Battle for Truth in Mexico’s Drug Wars, Real Travel Travelling past the hype in drug violence-plagued Northern Mexico
El Chepe – Desde Chihuahua a Los Mochis, Volaris On the great train ride from Chihuahua to Los Mochis via the world’s most spectacular canyons, the Barrancas del Cobre of Mexico (in Spanish)
THE CARIBBEAN/CENTRAL AMERICA…
Here I specialise in writing on Cuba and Puerto Rico. The below are arranged by country…
Brave New World, n by Norwegian COVER STORY: A controversial new mega-monument depicting Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the New World rises in Arecibo, Puerto Rico… beside one of its most important indigenous sites (scroll to page 34)
Where Colonial Meets Controversial, BBC San Juan street art
Puerto Rico: World-class Surf, Dramatic Landscapes and Creole Cuisine, Independent Some very good reasons to go to Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: the 51st State of Luxury, Telegraph Where to go to have a glam time in America’s Caribbean playground, Puerto Rico
The 10 Best Hotels in San Juan, Time Out The top places to stay in the rum-soaked colonial capital of Puerto Rico
Last Night in Havana: Chasing the Blackout Across Cuba, Intrepid Times Travels across Cuba during a time of unprecedented blackouts that are stirring up all kinds of potent political analogies
The Other Side of Varadero, Lonely Planet Get out of the resort and see the real Northern Cuba
Kuba: Alles Auf Anfang, GeoSaison This glossy, insightful 28-page spread on the new Cuba without all those expected clichés in Germany’s leading travel magazine is one of the most detailed of any available in a print magazine, with 4 pages written by me (in German only)
Cuba’s Best Alternative Beach Stays, Lonely Planet The beach life most visitors to Cuba miss out on…
SOUTH AMERICA…
I’m hooked on South America: the raw Andes with their sharp and special light, the rainforest with its impossibly varied wildlife, the serene colonial towns, the mayhemic markets. I cover the Andean nations of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, the Amazon Basin (Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil), a smidgeon of adventure-inspiring Argentina and most particularly of all the wildernesses therein. The below are arranged by country…
Spilling the Beans, Lonely Planet Exploring the elusive chocolate industry of Ecuador
Tuber of the Times, Morning Calm Magazine Peru’s obsession with the potato
Peru for Foodies: A Journey Through the Country’s Culinary Hotspots, Lonely Planet Peru’s gastronomic highlights, by region, and where to go to scout them out
The Taste of Lima: Peruvian Food, Culture & History, Diner’s Club International Vivid insights into the landmark cuisine of Lima, Peru
The Road to Choquequirao: Is this Peru’s Next Inca Trail?, Adventure.com Trekking the Apurimac Valley to Choquequirao, the Inca ruins in Peru’s Valle Sagrado (Sacred Valley) as spectacular as Machu Picchu, but without the crowds: for now…
(WINNER – LATA Latin American online travel feature of the year 2019)
How to Experience Inca Ruins at Machu Picchu – Without the Crowds, Lonely Planet Advice on how to crowd-dodge in and around South America’s most famous visitor attraction, Machu Picchu, Peru
Magical Travel Adventures in Peru, Orkney Today Strange encounters in and around Peru’s Valle Sagrado (Sacred Valley)
The Inca Trail: A Hiking Guide to one of the World’s Most Sought-After Destinations, GetSweatGo An absolute account of trekking the Inca Trail in Peru’s Valle Sagrado (Sacred Valley)
How an Indigenous-led Tourism Group is Helping Save the Amazon, Culture Trip Why the Manu Biosphere Reserve’s first 100% indigenous-operated tourism agency can be the Ultimate Force for Good in the Peruvian Amazon
Soul Searching: Exploring Central Chile Through the Homes of Pablo Neruda, Lonely Planet Travels to the eccentric houses lived in by Latin America’s greatest poet in Chile – and what they reveal about the man and his country
Five of the Best Road Trips in Argentina, Lonely Planet Off-piste and off-tarmac taking in Che Guevara sights, red red wine country, crazy cave art and glaciers across Argentina
Ten Things Only Argentine Locals Know, Lonely Planet The best (but simultaneously least obvious) cultural insights from a traveller’s perspective into Argentina
Chile v Argentina: Which South American Giant Should Be Your Pick?, Lonely Planet On Argentina for this fun destination-off series: collaboration with Kerry Walker (Chile)
Top Wellness Spots in Latin America, Lonely Planet The best places for healing therapies and luxurious indulgences in Mexico, Central America and South America
I have also written some 50 articles on Peru, Ecuador and Argentina for leading adventures-with-local-experts trip booking sites, Go Ask A Local and KimKim
GENERAL WORLD TRAVEL…
The Coldest Places in the World to Take a Vacation, Lonely Planet The thrilling destinations around the world in which you can truly chill on a holiday
The 9 Best Budget Honeymoon Destinations for 2024, Lonely Planet The top spots across the planet for celebrating your nuptials on the cheap
Ten Adventurous Star Wars Locations, Red Bull Adventure Just that: use the force
Luke and his Words... 