Over the years, I have developed excellent relationships with numerous publications. My work has featured in everything from niche-interest outdoor/adventure/sustainable travel magazines through to the UK nationals, several in-flight titles, and newspapers/magazines heralding from the likes of South Korea, Sweden, the USA and Mexico.
Below is a selection of my feature writing (see many more under my adventure travel articles and culinary travel articles…)
BY DESTINATION:
UK…
With the UK I write primarily about the Great Outdoors: especially Wales (where I live) and Scotland (where you’ll find me hiking most free weekends). The below are arranged by country…
The Simple Joys of Planning a 12-day Hike – the Old-School Way, Adventure.com On hiking coast-to-coast across Scotland with a compass and no trail
(FINALIST – AITO Awards Best Feature under 1500 Words of 2021-2022)
Bothy Bagging, Walk magazine Checking out (and trekking out to) the unique wilderness shelters of remotest Scotland
How Tough Can Britain’s Toughest Trail Really Be?, Adventure.com On tramping Britain’s toughest long distance hike and what it does to the mind, the Cape Wrath Trail in Scotland’s Northwest Highlands
Ten Unmissable Hikes in Scotland, Red Bull Adventure The trails you have to traipse in the Scottish Highlands before you die…
A Short Trip to Experience Life at the Edge, Orkney Today Seaweed-eating sheep and an ancient and chilling history share the remotest of Scotland’s Orkney Islands
Can a Radical Overhaul of this Scottish Port Make it the UK’s Top Cruise Hub?,Telegraph On the dramatic rejuvenation of Inverclyde, Scotland as one the UK’s key cruise ports
An Beginner’s Guide to Scottish Whisky: History, Regions, Trails – and the Best Places to Enjoy a Drop, Lonely Planet Whetting your appetite for adventures discovering Scotland‘s legendary uisge beatha – and it’s much more than just distilleries…
Off the Beaten Fairway, BBC The weirdest places to play golf in Scotland
How Much of Scotland Can I Experience in a Week?, Lonely Planet Advice on what to see and what to skip if you have a week in Scotland
Beyond Snowdon: the Best Alternative Hikes in Wales, Rough Guides Taking you out to Wales’ mountains, forests, beaches and castles on the lesser-known trails of Wales.
The Inside Guide to Cardiff, National Geographic A journey into the hidden arcades and alleys of Cardiff, Wales
The Best Things to do in Cardiff from Centuries-old Castles to Kayaking Trips, Telegraph A beyond-the-obvious look at Wales’ resurgent capital city Cardiff and what to do to best experience it
The Best Restaurants in Cardiff, from Swish Bistros to Syrian Feasts, Telegraph The last word on the extraordinary dining scene in Cardiff
This Feels Like a Kick in the Teeth… Cardiff Hospitality and Tourism Businesses Reeling, Telegraph …A focus on Cardiff and how the hospitality industry suffered during the government-imposed lockdowns
The Welsh Mining Town Transforming Itself into an Adventure Hotspot, Adventure.com Charting the incredible efforts of Blaenau Ffestiniog in North Wales to metamorphose from mining town to outdoor Mecca – and, as of 2021, the UK’s latest and unlikeliest Unesco site…
Coracle Catch, Morning Calm magazine On the taste bud-tingling trail of one of the most singular fish – and fishing methods – in Britain in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, Wales
The Sophisticated Flavours of Rural Wales, BBC Culinary revolution in the Brecon Beacons, Wales
Where the Going Gets Green, Travel Ideas Discovering the magic of a road trip in the Brecon Beacons, Wales
The Perfect Holiday in Wales, Telegraph Whisking you through the very best of Wales in a 10-day adventure from the Brecon Beacons up to Snowdonia and Anglesey
Castle Combe & The Cotswolds, Which? Profiling the beguiling Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty from its honey-coloured villages to its stately homes and woodland walks. Gloucestershire/Wiltshire, Cotswolds, England
GENERAL UK TRAVEL…
The UK Microclimate Holidays to Extend Your Summer in September, iPaper On the balmy British microclimates where you can eke out the last of the summer and maximise your chances of end-of-the-season sun
Six Underrated Towns and Cities You Should Visit This Year, From Oban to Plymouth, iPaper Revealing how the journey is not necessarily in the arriving, or in the getting there, but sometimes in getting stuck somewhere between A and B in a British transport hub – and how this isn’t always a bad thing…
Mind the Gap, the Divan & the Lawnmower, Guardian What really gets left behind on the Underground in London
The UK’s Best Spring Walks from Coastal Paths to Bluebell Woods, iPaper The loveliest places to go for a walk in Great Britain and Northern Ireland in springtime, from Cornish basking shark spotting to watching the flowers of the Outer Hebrides’ machair blossom…
Britain’s Best Comeback Towns and Cities to Visit This Year, iPaper Looking at the UK comeback destinations in 2024 that have not only turned blight into beautiful, but have harnessed their former flaws and made them USPs…
Why a Cruise is the Best Way to Explore the British Isles, Telegraph A guide to the sights to spy from the cruise ship deck in European cruise travel’s hottest new destination: the coast of Britain
EUROPE: SCANDINAVIA…
Here I write mainly on this region’s fabulous wildernesses – with the odd foray into smart, sophisticated cities like Copenhagen. The below are arranged by country…
Turf Houses: Iceland’s Original Green Buildings, BBC Discovering the legacy of building entire villages out of turf in Northwest Iceland
Solo Hiking Around Iceland’s Hornstrandir, Europe’s Last True Wilderness, Flashpack No 4G, no roads, no paths, a slight chance of polar bears: trekking around lonesome Hornstrandir, Iceland – and finding unexpected camaraderie
Green Adventures Across Finland, Sustainable Journeys A journey to discover some of the innovative ways Finland is reshaping its tourism industry to ensure your travel leaves the destination environmentally better than when you arrived, from kaying in Tampere to snow and ice architecture in Lapland
The Spirit in the Steam: Getting Into Sauna Culture in Finland, Sustainable Journeys How taking your clothes off, heating up in a sauna and cooling down again mighty fast with a chilly lake plunge is the best way to get to understand Finland
Brave New World: The Quirks of Finland’s Saunas, Rough Guides The cultural place of the sauna in Finland society
Head in the Clouds, Morning Calm Magazine Trekking through Finnish Lapland’s remote swampland on the lookout for the nation’s sacred superfood
Existence at the Extremities, Rough Guides Exploring what it takes to survive year-round in the icy wastes of the world’s most northerly inhabited place, Svalbard, Arctic Norway
8 Thrilling Experiences to Try in Norway’s Southern Fjords, Weather2Travel Adventures in the least-visited part of the spellbinding Southern Norwegian Fjords
Copenhagen Travel Guide, Sunday Times A refreshing look at Denmark’s capital city Copenhagen with a delve beyond the clichés
Denmark Travel Guide, Sunday Times An evocative trip into the Denmark beyond the obvious
Gourmet Denmark: Traveller’s Guide, Independent The culinary charms of Denmark – in Copenhagen and beyond
Denmark v Finland: Which Nordic Country is Better to Visit?, Lonely Planet On Denmark for this fun destination-off series: collaboration with Kerry Walker (Finland)
Antarctica vs the Arctic: Which Polar Wilderness is for You?, Lonely Planet On the Arctic for this fun destination-off series: collaboration with Kerry Walker (Antarctic)
EUROPE: CENTRAL/EASTERN EUROPE
My writing here focuses mostly on Vienna, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Living in Slovakia for four years gave me some great insights into this area. Being able to regularly partake of Vienna’s coffeehouses, Slovakia’s mountains, Prague’s mysterious beauty and Budapest’s thermal baths was an unforgettable experience. I have had a soft spot for the region ever since. The below are arranged by country…
Small Country, Big Hike, n by Norwegian Liechtenstein opens a new cross-country hike to celebrate its 300th birthday – and it’s not where you might anticipate (scroll to p48-57)
Trail of the Unexpected, Adventure Travel Magazine Liechtenstein’s brand-new tercentenary hiking trail cuts along the vertiginous Alps, as you might expect from such a mountainous nation – but that’s not its main appeal…
Vienna’s Faded Tourist Attraction is Enjoying a 21st-Century Renaissance, iPaper On the groundbreaking things happening in the venerable old coffeehouses of Vienna, Austria
The Viennese Cafes that Force You to Talk to Strangers, Adventure.com How the golden days of great debate are being revived in the coffeehouses of Vienna, Austria
3 Days in Vienna: The Perfect Itinerary, Tripadvisor Everything you need to know about a long weekend in Vienna, Austria – from the capital’s grandest buildings to its coolest coffeehouses and prettiest parks
Salzburg vs Vienna: Which Awesome Austrian City Has More Allure?, Lonely Planet On Vienna, Austria for this fun destination-off series: collaboration with Kerry Walker (Salzburg)
Music to Watch Sheep By, Morning Calm Magazine COVER STORY: Exploring the hills of Central Slovakia to discover the heritage behind one of Europe’s most iconic musical instruments, the fujara
Bratislava for Free, Lonely Planet An array of ways to experience dinky capital city Bratislava, Slovakia – gratis!
Slovakia: the Male Karpaty (Little Carpathians), Minor Sights Setting off on adventures through Western Slovakia’s beguiling chain of Carpathian foothills
Out on a High: Exploring Slovakia’s High Tatras, Lonely Planet As the world’s first cross-border national park, Poland’s and Slovakia’s High Tatras, turns 60, this is a long, lingering look at the most spellbinding parts of this mountain range and what awaits the adventurer
The Tatranska Magistrala: A Hiking Guide to Slovakia’s Best-Kept Secret, GetSweatGo A few foreign visitors clock Slovakia’s High Tatras but the long-distance path that traverses this special Eastern European mountain range is left to the Slovaks and the Czechs
Košice, Europe’s Unknown Capital of Culture for 2013, BBC Introducing Košice, Slovakia as European City of Culture for 2013
Brutal Buildings: the Architecture of Eastern Europe, Lonely Planet Introducing Eastern Europe’s most intriguing archetypal Communist-era architecture
Czech Republic Travel Guide, Sunday Times Beyond-the-obvious insights into experiencing the Czech Republic
The Greek Island Homes Hidden from Pirates, BBC Adventuring up into the rocky interior of Ikaria, Greece to discover how locals survived during the island’s long periods of peril
15 Mellow Hiking Holidays for Autumn 2023, iPaper The continent’s best places to hike for enjoying everything autumn throws at you, from forests blazing in fall colours to grape harvests and migratory bird Meccas
NORTH AMERICA…
The Human Side of the Big Apple, Orkney Today Down but far from out 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…
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
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 cover all South America, but particularly the Andean nations of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, and the Amazon Basin (Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil) 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
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
My latest articles on Peru, Ecuador and Argentina for leading outdoor adventure site, KimKim I have written over 50 articles for Kimkim, the planet’s fastest-growing adventure travel content site, with the majority being on the above destinations in South America. There is no longer space to list every one, but here are ten of my current favourites: 1:Best ten treks in Peru, 2: Highlights of Peru’s Central Andes, 3: Highlights of the Peruvian Amazon, 4: Best river cruises in Peru, 5: Peru’s Best Incan Ruins (That Aren’t Machu Picchu), 6: Peru’s Best Train Rides 7: Cuisine of Peru: Top Dishes & Where to Try Them, 8: Best of the Ecuadorian Amazon, 9: Best of the Ecuadorian Highlands, 10: 24 Hours in Cusco
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
BY PUBLICATION:
Adventure.com (scroll to bottom to see all pieces)
Morning Calm Magazine – April ’16 September ’16 September ’18 September ’19 December ’23
Sustainable Journeys/Green Traveller/Charitable Traveller
BY THEME:
Adventure Travel (hiking mostly)
Culinary Travel (particularly Latin American cuisine)
I also write about writing – the art of it, my novels, literature generally. That kind of thing.
Luke and his Words... 