I’ve recently joined Travel Nation after a couple of years away from the industry, which had more to do with a little-known pandemic than choice.
I started my travel career in the mid-’90s with STA Travel after my second big trip away, this time travelling through central and south America. Thinking it was a job for a few months, I soon realised that sharing my travel knowledge with customers was so rewarding that I was still with them 25 years later, spending my last 10 years managing one of their larger stores.
In my free time if I’m not out of the country I can be found in my garden, at an occasional gig or music festival, or painting portraits and travel-related scenes.
Near Cambridge.
After leaving school, I went straight into a number of roles within the graphic design industry before heading off on my first big trip at the age of 20.
25 years and counting…
Wafting around the world somewhere.
South Africa. I booked a last-minute trip there a few years ago and was blown away by how outrageously scenic the country was, both on the coast and inland. Just stunning.
Camera, Kindle, sketchbook and pens, sarong (very versatile!) and a universal plug.
I do love Asia and could easily see myself living there. Sensibly speaking though, I’d probably settle for Galicia in northern Spain. Yes, it’s Spain but not as you’d expect. It not only has gorgeous secluded beaches but it's also green and lush. Scenically, I guess you could compare it a little to Ireland, only warmer and with more trees.
After saving my pennies working two jobs I set out on my first big trip at the age of 20. Family, friends and work colleagues couldn’t understand why I wanted to go and thought I was mad. It was scary leaving everything behind but it was a decision I’d never regret! After almost two years of travelling around Asia and Australia, I eventually came back for a family wedding, but it wasn’t long before I began planning my next big trip away.
Japan, Argentina, India, Myanmar (sorry that’s four, I could add more)...
Possibly Peru. I took the long way round to get there and spent over a week in the far north of Bolivia on a very small and slow cargo boat up a tributary of the Amazon towards Brazil. In Brazil, I hitched rides on a jungle road to the Peruvian border, little more than a narrow river. Once there, I had to wade across to find a sleeping man behind a shed who subsequently stamped my passport.
Not really. Whenever I find something annoying whilst travelling I try to remind myself of where I am. I guess I could have mentioned noisy travel cases on wheels, but they annoy me here in the UK too.
I’d love to travel through Pakistan, Iran, the ‘Stans and Turkey by motorbike. Just think of all those open roads and fantastic scenery.
One of my favourite dishes is Gallo Pinto, served in Central America. In its simplest guise, it’s a dish of rice and beans but can often be found with a fried egg on top for breakfast. Magic!
Worst? Anything with coriander. Unfortunately, many amazing dishes have sadly been spoilt for me by a topping of coriander whilst away.
Yes, I spent a year travelling and working my way round Australia back in the early 1990s in all sorts of jobs (most of which involved fruit or vegetables of some kind). I also taught English for a short period in southern Spain.
Undoubtedly India! The first country I ever travelled to long-haul, and I could not believe just how chaotic and crazy it was. Once I settled into the flow of it all though, I grew to love it and, despite spending five months there, I’ve since re-visited a further four times.
Tokyo. Absolutely loads to see and do. Such a cool place to hang out.
Easy. Carnival in Salvador, Brazil.
Hmm, possibly semi-skimmed milk?