Well, isn’t this exciting; I’ve been nominated for the 2015 National Adventure Awards in the ‘charity’ category for my collaboration with Mines Advisory Group (MAG) on my Ho Chi Minh Trail expedition. The winners of each category will be decided through … Read More
If you’re a fan of adventure motorcycling then there can be few rides in the world that beat the beauty, variety and interest of a trip down Indochina’s Ho Chi Minh Trail. Here are a few tips to help you … Read More
One of the most frequent things I’m asked about my Ho Chi Minh Trail trip is why I chose to travel alone, and what it was like. Here are a few thoughts on the matter. From the moment I decided … Read More
A few weeks ago The Adventurists interviewed me about what it was really like to write a travel book. Gazillions of people think they want to waft around the globe with a quill and some ink, but it’s not all … Read More
It’s been a whirlwind of a month hoofing it around the country for the launch of my new book, A Short Ride in the Jungle: The Ho Chi Minh Trail by Motorcycle. Here are the highlights… The launch celebrations kicked off … Read More
OK, well it’s not quite a tour in the sense of the Rolling Stones or Justin Beiber, but over the next few weeks I shall be pootling to London, Norwich and Bristol for a series of gin-soaked soirees in celebration … Read More
A friend recently told me that when Edward Gibbon presented King George III’s brother The Duke of Gloucester with a copy of his second volume of The Decline and Fall of The Roman Empire, the Duke replied; ‘Another demned thick book. … Read More
I ALWAYS GET FINISH LINE NERVES towards the end of long journeys. And my final day of the Ho Chi Mission was no different. During the last six weeks The Pink Panther and I had clunked 3000 km through three … Read More
Whereas in Vietnam and Laos stories and memories of the Ho Chi Minh Trail are abundant, in Cambodia the situation is very different. Although several fingers of the Trail crept their way through this ‘neutral’ country during the Vietnam War, … Read More
SITUATED AT AN ALTITUDE OF 1400m, DAK CHEUNG IS NO EASY PLACE TO NAVIGATE A 25 YEAR OLD MOPED TO AND FROM. HERE’S HOW MY JOURNEY DOWN WENT YESTERDAY… For some reason, ever since I first heard utterance of the … Read More
Kaleum, Sekong Province, Laos Last night’s hotel in Kaleum definitely wins the Gold Medal for the worst hotel of the ride so far. I parked the Panther outside yesterday afternoon and was handed the key to Room 1 by a … Read More
I’ve been so busy riding, navigating, sweating, trying not to fall off and finding enough food for myself that I haven’t had time to blog. Apologies. Here’s a brief taster of what life on the Trail is like… I woke … Read More
DURING THE VIETNAM WAR MILLIONS OF TONNES OF ORDNANCE WERE DROPPED ON THE VIETNAMESE COUNTRYSIDE. AN ESTIMATED 30% OF THESE BOMBS FAILED TO DETONATE AND TODAY, IN QUANG BINH AND QUANG TRI PROVINCES, 100% OF COMMUNITIES REMAIN CONTAMINATED WITH UXO. … Read More
Finally, after months of planning and procrastinating about this trip, I’ve made it to the Start Line in Hanoi. Most importantly, I’ve been united with my mighty Trail steed – the Pink Panther – and what a glorious beast she … Read More
WHY CHOOSE A PIFFLING LITTLE HONDA CUB TO TRAVEL THROUGH SOUTH EAST ASIA ON? WHY NOT SOMETHING MORE SUITABLE? WELL, THE TRUTH IS, THE HONDA CUB MIGHT JUST BE THE BEST ADVENTURE MOTORBIKE ON THE PLANET. HERE’S WHY…. Although laughably … Read More