The Okavango Delta, Botswana
Despite the stillness of the water, there’s no sound of silence. Insects skim across the reeds with a soft buzz and woodpeckers tap against acacia trees. Birds chatters in all directions – yet the loudest by far are the doves. Chu charra, chu charra. “Work harder, work harder,” says Rodger, slipping a pole into the [...]
FIB Festival, Spain
Nights at the party, days by the beach. That’s the hedonistic promise made by the music festival in Benicassim. Forget the mud of Glastonbury, forget that FiberFIB sounds like a constipation product. Grab a ticket to Spain and party for four days, both beneath and in front of the stars. From where I’m standing, of [...]
Formula One, Valencia
Lewis Hamilton – Valencia Grand Prix This time last week, I was in the pit lane at the Valencia Grand Prix and it’s taken some time for my ears to stop ringing and my heartbeat to slow down. For days before the big race, the streets of Valencia hummed with the distant noise of robotic [...]
Adventure in the Dolomites, Italy
There’s nothing like the fear of immediate death to concentrate the mind. Last week I retraced the steps of the world’s first via ferrata…
Looking For Inside the Travel Lab…?
Welcome. This blog is about my work as a professional writer. If you’re looking for Inside the Travel Lab, my main travel blog, head this way. If not, read on! Many thanks…
The End of the Olive Harvest
It all started with the police check last night. Torchlight zig-zagged across the car and we huddled in the backseat. “You are English,” said the policeman. “And yet you say you want to go to Pegalajar.” “That’s right,” said MG, our driver. “My friends here – they want to pick olives.” “They want,” he lingered [...]
Hunting Whales
Pedro Martina’s sun-worn face lights up as he grabs my shoulder and points into the distance. “Three of them are under the water now,” he says as I scour the shades of blue. “One baby and two adultos… and further behind them I can see two more.” It’s certainly not the first time Pedro has [...]
Searching for Volcanoes
Speeding along the tarmac road, I wonder how long it’s been since I last took a normal breath. The road drops away from me on either side, descending into black fields of boulders, frozen bubbles that stretch into the distance. Not that I care. In the rear view mirror…this post continues at Inside the Travel [...]
Hiroshima Today
As the sleek shinkansen train slid into Hiroshima station, I admit I felt nervous. The weight of the name infused my muscles, each of my movements becoming that bit slower, that bit heavier, that bit more apprehensive.
I was still unprepared for what I saw.
After Me, The Flood
A visit to England’s oldest National Park had me reflecting on bravery, sacrifice, and the need for waterproof trousers.
