When I’m not at work or travelling I’m…
Playing football, running, socialising down the pub or at friends houses. I'm always up for trying a new hobby.
My favourite band and football team are…
Band - Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Team - Brighton and Hove Albion.
If I weren’t working for Travel Nation, I would be…
Cycling around the world with a tent and all the necessities to live, in four panniers.
Top 3 places
Cycling the Columbia Icefield Parkway in the Rockies during a 3-month trans-Canada cycle expedition; trekking Torres Del Paine National park, Chile, with two friends in mid-winter including sections of knee-deep snow and without seeing another person for five days; trekking to Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal.
On my RTW trip, I spent longer than expected in...
Laos - such an amazing, chilled out place. Very friendly people, beautiful scenery and great water sport opportunities on the rivers. I found it to be a completely different pace of life when you arrive from hugely populated China.
What are your top 5 must-pack items?
Headtorch, penknife, guidebook, trekking shoes, sunglasses.
When staying in a hotel room for more than one night do you a) Unpack your bags or b) Live from your rucksack?
It is questionable whether you can call it unpacking. It's more a chaotic emptying of bags and creating carnage within seconds.
If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be and why?
Canada - fantastic scenery and activities, such friendly people and a relaxed atmosphere.
What was your first great travel experience?
Travelling to Bolivia at 18 on a one-month expedition with a party from school. We helped build a kitchen for a school, trekked over 5,000m in the Andes, visited the Amazon jungle. It gave me a taste of adventure and led to a whole lot more.
What is your favourite hotel, why and where is it?
Soneva Fushi, Maldives. For 5-star luxury on a beautiful island surrounded by a coral reef, you cannot beat it.
Which is your favourite beach, where is it and why?
Tayrona National park, Colombia. It offers stunning beaches complete with Seychelles-esque boulders and it's surrounded by jungle.
Which passport stamp are you proudest of?
A cancelled Chinese visa - a bureaucratic nightmare and no-one seems to know the actual requirements when visiting Tibet.
What is the weirdest thing you have eaten while abroad?
Pig's Brain soup in China - I would not recommend it.
If you had just 24 hours in a big city which one would it be?
Sydney - great place with lots to visit in the day including all the usual city highlights plus fantastic beaches and coastal walks followed by a great party atmosphere in the evening.
What’s the best party you have been to while travelling?
Halloween on Caye Caulker, Belize. The whole island - locals and tourists - all dressed up and hit the few bars there were.
What do you miss most from home while you are away?
Friends and family and home-cooked food during long trips away.
