Our Stores - Specialist

Tell us about you

Up for trying anything new.

Favourite travel destination and why

Mongolia, the scenery there is breathtaking - there are few places left like it.

How many countries have you visited?

21 countries and still counting…

Most recent adventure

I climbed Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Best travel tip

Take gaffer tape with you - it's great for fixing anything that has fallen apart.

Favourite food experience

Steak in Argentina or dumplings from the Muslim Quarter in Xi’an, China.

Which country is next on your list to experience and why

Kyrgyzstan or Bhutan - anywhere that’s a bit different where I can go trekking.

Favourite travel destination and why

Borneo - for the people, the wildlife and, once in the rainforest, the sense of being somewhere primeval.

How many countries have you visited?

60 plus but have lost track.

Most recent adventure

Climbing a mountain on the Sarawak-Kalimantan border in Borneo that had never been climbed by a Westerner before.

Best travel memory

Hiking the Tongariro Crossing in New Zealand and walking around Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Australia.

Favourite travel destination and why

New Zealand: the people that I met out there were great. Both islands offer something different and Queenstown was completely awesome.

Best travel memory

My best travel memories would have to be teaching English in a junior high school in Bali during the day and going for an early morning surf before class.

Best travel tip

Read up on the countries you are visiting to learn about their culture and history as they can be fascinating.

Favourite food experience

Eating Nasi Goreng in a small local Balinese restaurant in Canggu - you wouldn't have even known it was a restaurant but it was a true hidden gem.

Which country is next on your list to experience and why

I am going to Kenya and Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Best travel memory

An evening in an elephant sanctuary in northern Laos, with no distractions but the company of fireflies and the expanse of the Milky Way above.

Favourite food experience

One of the finest restaurants in Milan - Aimo e Nadia. You have to take out a small loan to dine there, but as everything is grown in the back garden - including the ‘carne’ (meat) - it’s well worth it.

Any advice for people considering embarking on the trip of a lifetime?

Budget, but don’t be too tight with yourself, or with others. Don’t begrudge an extra few pounds for handicrafts etc - it might not be too much to you, but it could make a big difference to the artisan you’re buying from. And try everything - regret the things you have done, not the things you haven't.

Favourite travel destination and why

Favourite food experience

Which country is next on your list to experience and why

Favourite travel destination and why

How many countries have you visited?

Most recent adventure

Best travel memory

Favourite food experience

Advice for people considering embarking on the trip of a lifetime

Which country is next on your list to experience and why

Tell us about you

Vagabond, hobo, loveable rogue, I am homesick for a place I have never been

Favourite travel destination and why

Anywhere I haven’t been. What is over the next horizon is the best destination

How many countries have you visited?

At least 40.

Most recent adventure

Just came back from Tanzania and Kenya, summited Kilimanjaro and camped in the Serengeti

Best travel memory

Too many! Either standing on top of Kala Patthar staring at Everest, or at 40m diving with whalesharks and a tornado of barracudas 

Best travel tips

Don’t try and do too much on your trip. If you don’t stop and just be, then you will never fully appreciate where you are. Get lost in every city you visit, you can never have too many maps, always eat and drink the local stuff and know about where you are going even if you don’t know why you want to go there

Favourite food experience

Char Siew buns, Xiao Long Bao, Popiah, and Murtabak, all for breakfast … the best way to start any day! Champagne brunch in Singapore is another good way.

Any advice for people considering embarking on the trip of a lifetime

Use an expert! If you haven’t been somewhere talk to people who have. Your trip will be so much better for it. Nobody wants to come home to find out they missed something amazing on their trip.

Which country is next on your list to experience and why

I am off to Zimbabwe soon and hopefully Namibia. The Skeleton Coast looks hauntingly beautiful and any place the locals call “The land God made in anger” has to be seen.

Tell us about you

The only thing I ever really wanted to do was travel so a few years ago, I threw caution to the wind quit my job, started travelling and haven’t looked back! After 5 years on the road and some incredible adventures, I decided it was time to share my knowledge with other travellers.

Favourite travel destination and why

This is an impossible question to answer! Europe for the history, Africa for the wildlife, Central America for the culture and Asia for everything else! But if I had to choose one place it would be Belize for friendly locals, some of the best snorkelling in the world, the melting pot of culture, rum punch and dancing to Punta Rock!

How many countries have you visited?

30

Most recent adventure

South Africa and Zimbabwe on an overlanding adventure

Best travel memory

3 days of uninterrupted music at a festival in Veracruz, Mexico

Best travel tips

If it sounds like too much of a good thing it probably is; meaning don’t leave your common sense at home.  Also, if you can’t carry it don’t pack it!

Favourite food experience

Eating street food in Sicily; arancini (stuffed rice balls), pane panelle (chickpea fritters) or gelato con brioche (an ice cream sandwich served in sweet bread) are but a few local delicacies!

Any advice for people considering embarking on the trip of a lifetime

Don’t wait for someone to go with you.

Which country is next on your list to experience and why

Sri Lanka: because I miss Asia, Roma Tearne’s writing has inspired me, I want to experience train rides through the jungle and of course try the Ceylon tea fresh from the growers!

Favourite travel destination and why

New Zealand, adventure capital of the world. Got to bungee jump, go jet boating and sky dive! The views are spectacular and the country is just set up for travelling. There are so many different ways of seeing the country, it can fit any type of traveller.

How many countries have you visited?

Too many too count - around 40

Most recent adventure

I went to the Serengeti and climbed Kilimanjaro

Best travel memory

Teaching English in a high school in Canggu, Bali. Felt like I was able to make a small difference and they were so eager to learn, and just wanted to talk about football and the places that I had seen. That would easily be the most out of my comfort zone I have been and looking back, it's one of the best things I have ever done!

Best travel tips

Research the local customs and traditions, as it can make a real difference to the locals and shows you care about the country you are visiting.

Favourite food experience

Eating sheep brains in a Marrakech market

Any advice for people considering embarking on the trip of a lifetime

Do it, you wont regret it! The experiences that I have will last with me forever and the pictures always make me smile.

Which country is next on your list to experience and why

Costa Rica, surfing, jungles and volcanoes - what else could you ask for! 

Tell us about you

Favourite travel destination and why

How many countries have you visited?

Most recent adventure

Best travel memory

Best travel tips

Favourite food experience

Any advice for people considering embarking on the trip of a lifetime

Which country is next on your list to experience and why