Yak to Reality
It seems like only yesterday that I was penning my ‘I’m off again!’ newsletter at the end of January, and yet here I am, back in the bosom of Bristol, having completed what was a truly fantastic journey through the … Read More
On Travelling Alone
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
So you want to be a travel writer?
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
Literary Lift Off!
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
A Short Ride in the Jungle launch tour
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 Short Ride in the Jungle: It’s nearly here…..
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
The Pink Panther hits Saigon
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
Ba Kham and Beyond
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
Down from Dak Cheung
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
An engine rebuild in Kaleum
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
The Road to La Hap
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
Meeting The Pink Panther
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
The best motorbike in the world…
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
Why go it alone?
In a few weeks time I’ll be loading my panniers, polishing my pistons and setting off solo down the Ho Chi Minh Trail. For the best part of two months it’ll just be me and my trusty, ever-so-slightly-bright-pink Honda C90 … Read More
A short ride in the jungle…
Back in October a TV director I work with alot rang me: “Do you want to do a couple of weeks work setting up a new series for ITV?” The subject was the massive recent surge of elephant and rhino … Read More