First up in our fresh batch of Big Blogger Interviews for 2013 is Adam Groffman, hipster cool-kid currently residing in Berlin and blogging at travelsofadam.com. We caught up with him to talk travel, German lessons and gratitude…

You are a self-proclaimed ‘hipster’ – which you define as someone who’s ‘eager to learn, to see – and yes – even do’. Do you actively reject the more mainstream tourist destinations? How do you go about researching the hipster elements of a place before you visit?

I love to travel so I’d travel to just about anywhere. I wouldn’t avoid a destination just because it’s popular with other travelers, but while I’m there, I’d certainly try to visit more off-the-beaten path types of places. For example, when I was in Rome last summer, instead of doing tours of all the historical sites, I took a food tour in a non-touristic neighborhood. It was a great way to see a different side of Rome.

To find out about interesting and unique things to do in each city I visit, I tend to look online. Most cities are home to passionate people interested in sharing the coolest, trendiest events in their hometowns. Websites like TimeOut, AFAR and Unlike have pretty good city guides for the bigger cities, but you have to seek out blogs and message boards for less popular destinations.

You have spent the last year living in über-hip German capital Berlin. What is it about Berliners that makes them so cool? (We know they are, we’ve seen them!)

Oh… Berlin is fantastic for meeting interesting people and doing interesting things! I think there are a number of things that attract the type of people living here today. Certainly, the low cost of living enables more artists and creative people to live here. Berlin seems full of people “working on projects” — whatever creative things you may have always wanted to do but never found the time to. This is probably why newspapers like The Guardian are calling Berlin the new start up hub of Europe.

Europe is your favourite continent. Which bits of Europe would you like to explore further and why?

Having lived in Berlin for over a year now, I’ve seen remarkably little of Europe! I tend to revisit places so there are lots of areas I’d like to explore for the first time. I’ve visited Italy just once but I’d love to see more of southern Italy. In France, I’ve only ever been to Paris and I know the country has much more to offer. There’s still plenty to see in eastern Europe as well—from the Balkan peninsula all the way up to Scandinavia. Scandinavia is allegedly home to several hipster cities which I’ve yet to visit!

Your blog post Thank you to all the interesting people is an honest, emotive post that no doubt resonates with anyone who has travelled, particularly long-term. You seem to be truly grateful for the opportunities you have had: What are you most thankful for right now, this second?

Thanks. Right now, I’m definitely thankful for the chance to live and work in Germany. Borders can be a tricky thing to cross, but I’m so very glad to be able to hold a passport and visa that allow me to live out my dream of living abroad. Germany may not have ever been on my list, but Berlin has certainly captured my love and attention over the past year.

You are also founder of LGBT travel info site, My Gay Travel Guide. Have you ever faced any prejudice on the road due to your sexuality? Do you have one piece of advice for people in terms of LGBT travel?

Funny enough, the only time I ever had any issue with someone because I’m gay was here in very-gay-friendly Berlin. But traveling all over the world, I was certainly more inhibited in countries and cities where I wasn’t certain how safe I’d be if I were 100% honest. One thing that’s always surprising, though, is how gay-friendly some cities are. In the Middle East, it’s quite common for two men to hold hands because of cultural norms, and I even found a gay bar in Amman! Even if the bar was a bit toned down from the likes we’ve got here in Berlin, it was still something I wasn’t entirely expecting to find. I’ve since been to gay bars in cities all over the world—from Amman to Hanoi.

You have recently started German lessons in Berlin – how are you finding language learning? Does this mean you plan to stay in Berlin indefinitely?

Learning German is both fun and frustrating. It’s the first time I’ve taken a language course outside of college or high school, so there’s the challenge of being in school again. I’m up for the challenge, though. I’m definitely in Berlin for the long haul so will do whatever it takes to really embrace the culture here. I love this town! It really feels like things are happening in Berlin. I can’t remember a city having so much potential and I’m so interested in being a part of this city’s progress.

You spent a few months living in Israel and have written fairly extensively about your time there on your blog. Do you have any thoughts you could share on the current situation and how it might affect travellers in the future?

When I was living and working in Israel, I quickly realized how surprising a country it is. I lived and worked in Tel Aviv during the stalled 2011 peace negotiations, so I was pretty attuned to the political situation when I was there. I do think this latest war in November will affect tourism, which is unfortunate on a lot of levels. First of all for the Palestinian and Israeli victims of the war, but also because it distracts from what’s really going on over there. When in Tel Aviv, I worked for a pro-peace organization promoting a two-state solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict—something I fear is becoming less and less of a reality. Tourism in Israel and the West Bank can be pretty complicated, and often political.

What are your travel plans for 2013?

So far it looks like it’ll be a busy year. Besides working on my German language studies (and blogging about it over at My Berlin Story), I’m planning a trip back to Israel early in the year to visit friends and explore some parts of the country I never saw during my previous trips. Plus I could use another dip in the Dead Sea.

I’m also going to do a bit of sightseeing in Scandinavia and hit up a few European capital cities to write some more hipster travel guides. I hear Portugal is quite hipster-friendly, too…

Thanks Adam! We feel more hipster already… Don’t forget to check out Adam’s blog at travelsofadam.com

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Big Blogger Interview: Travels of Adam

Another travel-packed twelve months have passed and we, at My Destination HQ, are feeling a little nostalgic as 2013 looms… It’s been a jam-packed year, particularly for the UK, what with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the epic Olympic and Paralympic Games, the announcement of a baby royal on the way and the new Bond; quite frankly it’s no surprise we’re knackered!

The My Destination Team has been around the world and back, having collectively visited 15 countries in 2012, from Belgium to Bali, and Singapore to Spain. So before we dive into another year of globe-trotting adventures, let’s take a look back at what made 2012 so fantastic.

January: We made our New Year’s Travel-utions – but did anybody stick to them? Kirsty stuck to her word and ran the Virgin London Marathon, Will certainly did do less research into his travels, but Anna failed to kick her shopping habit, as the endless asos.com deliveries to the office proved.

February: Alex headed off to Brussels, where he reluctantly tested out a few beers (he’s a cider man himself) and tracked the comic strip trail. Meanwhile at London HQ, we were excited and aggravated by the snow in equal measure, and lost all faith in plug-in heaters.

March: Kirsty made us all incredibly jealous when she jetted off to Vienna, enjoying the opera and perhaps one or two delicious cakes as well; the ladies dressed up for International Women’s Day, and we gave some love to our mums.

April: Norm took to the slopes with Hannah in British Columbia, while Dave almost cracked under the pressure during the London-wide egg-hunt for Easter. Emily and Anna’s attempts to give up chocolate for Lent weren’t so successful…

May: A big month for the passports, May saw Kirsty throw herself down a sand dune in Bordeaux (with interesting results), Emily return from beautiful Barbados, and Alex strip off in the name of research in Reykjavik.

June: Will went to Barcelona and brought back some lovely snaps, as well as a video of his Segway experience… We got a teensy bit over-excited about the imminent Olympics with our snazzy infographic and gave some love to our dads.

July: We went London mad in the office thanks to the Olympic Games. Jamie rode a Boris Bike around the capital, Emma took a walking tour of Elephant & Castle and Norm got into the sporting spirit…at least he tried.

August: The office started heating up and miniature fans were permanently on – sunglasses often employed indoors to counteract the sun’s glare on our screens. Will opted to partake in a canoe marathon. Yes a marathon, with absolutely no training, in Dalsland, Sweden.

September: What did we do in September? Oh yes, we RELAUNCHED – hello pretty new site! Norm even launched himself into space to celebrate, and we took a look back at the site’s history.

October: After tying the knot in September, Emily spent October making us all jealous with her honeymoon snaps; she fell victim to Singapore’s sweet shop effect, and fell in love with the beauty of Bali. Meanwhile, Emma had a crack at some Swedish seafood…

November: The trusty (ahem) heaters came back out in full force as the cold snap set in. The team responded to the imminent festive period in different ways – the scrooges huddled over their desks grumbling, while the Christmas lovers blasted out carols at any opportunity, and mass-e-mailed internet cats. Emma made an attempt at escapism with her photos of Hawaii.

December: The big bosses jetted off to Bangkok for their annual conference. HQs London and Marbella had equally merry (mulled wine anyone?) Christmas parties, and we all went home for the big day to what were undoubtedly mostly travel-themed presents. Looks like we’ll have to plan some trips for 2013…

Happy New Year from My Destination!

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My Destination’s Highlights of 2012

Next up in the Big Blogger Interview series is Paul Johnson, of A Luxury Travel Blog. We caught up with him to pick his brains on all things luxury – you might be surprised at the answers!

You say that luxury is about service – making people feel special. Do you have any pet-hates when it comes to how you are treated on your holidays?

One or two but they are petty and so venting would only make me seem grumpy!

What is your ultimate idea of luxury?

Something where the whole family is happy! I work hard so do like to rest when I go away, but I also get restless if it’s just a beach or pool… I like to be doing something.  New experiences are always fun – we have just returned from Cyprus where we got to go camel riding which was fun and something I’d missed out on around 20 years ago when in the Sahara as I was feeling particularly unwell at the time, possibly from dehydration.

You are a family man with young children – how do you maintain a level of luxury when you travel with kids, and what advice would you give to parents who are hoping to do so?

I don’t think luxury travel and travelling with children are mutually exclusive.  You can still enjoy luxury on a family holiday. Making sure the children are happy and entertained is I think the secret to ensuring Mum and Dad enjoy the odd luxury too.

You might be focused on luxury nowadays but you travelled independently a lot when you were younger, inter-railing, backpacking and even camping in Greenland! What has been your least luxurious travel experience?

I suppose camping in sub-zero conditions in Greenland would rank somewhere as the least luxurious.  I’d still do it again, though – a fantastic experience. A luxury for the mind, rather than the body!

What would you say are the pros and cons of luxury travel compared to travelling on a budget?

I think the pros are probably obvious – you can be treated wonderfully. As for the cons, some would argue that you don’t get to truly experience different cultures and countries through luxury travel. I disagree. It all depends on what you do. Certainly, if you forever spend your time within the confines of a luxury hotel or resort, then your experiences will be limited, but there’s no reason to do this.

Go on, fill us in on your favourite off-the-beaten-track destination…Keep it to a whisper!

Is it too cheesy to say ‘home’?  I live on the edge of England’s Lake District National Park, an area I think many would agree is the most beautiful corner of England.  Although it’s popular with tourists, particularly in the summer months, it’s beautiful all year round. The hills here have just had their first dusting of snow and look as beautiful as ever. If anyone reading is interested, we have luxury holiday accommodation here too!

Having worked in the travel industry for over 20 years, now primarily in online tourism marketing, you have to have your finger well and truly on the travel news pulse. What travel trends do you see for 2013?

I have worked in online tourism marketing since 1993 and in tourism for a few years before that. How time has flown! There have been a lot of changes during that time – for 2013, I’m sure we’ll see more changes but I’m wary about making predictions. I think we’ll see more tourists coming to Europe from emerging countries such as China, India, Russia and Brazil. I also wonder if, maybe not in 2013 but perhaps beyond, we’ll see a backlash against technology and an increase in the appeal of places where WiFi and the like is purposefully unavailable.

Just like My Destination, your blog has recently enjoyed a revamp! We think it looks great – where are you hoping to take the site in the future? Any plans you can let us in on?

Thank you! Until recently, A Luxury Travel Blog had been a labour of love more than anything, but I was finding it was taking up more and more of my time, and I was being asked for a few too many favours than I could readily cope with, so I decided to request a modest payment for certain requests.  The vast majority of people are understanding that I ultimately need to account for the time I spend on the blog, but I also felt that if I was to charge for certain services, it also needed a re-vamp (its first for 7 years!).

There’s a great mix of free and paid opportunities available on the blog and we’ll always ensure that both continue. I anticipate we’ll get an increasing number of guest bloggers getting involved as this is something that has been taking off of late. To date, the blog now has more than 200 guest bloggers and I think with this growth, we can expect the amount of great content (and traffic) continue to increase.  If we don’t cover your part of the world in as much detail as you would like to see, do please get in touch!

Where haven’t you been that you’d love to explore, and why?

I would like to visit Iceland some time – it’s been on the radar for a while and our children are just getting to an age where I think they’ll get more from a trip to a place where there will be so many new and amazing experiences.  I’m also keen to go to Santorini one day, just because the scenery looks so beautiful – I’ve been to Corfu, Crete, Rhodes and Skiathos, but Santorini looks to hold its own unique charm.

I’m also keen to run a marathon somewhere I’ve not been. I’ve done six marathons to date and they’ve all been different (3 in England, 2 in the United States and 1 in Scotland) so am on the look-out for the next challenge… any suggestions?

Erm…The Athens Classic Marathon?

A huge thanks to Paul! Don’t forget to check out A Luxury Travel Blog and follow him on Twitter.

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Big Blogger Interview: A Luxury Travel Blog

Nellie Huang and Alberto Molero are quite the travel blogging team. With a knack for fantastic photography and well-executed editorials, it is no wonder that WildJunket has exploded in recent years, heading to the top of the travel tree. We caught up with the lovely couple to discuss their experiences.

Congratulations on the launch of your online magazine! What are you hopes for the future of WildJunket Magazine?

Thank you! We’re very grateful to have so much support from our readers and followers. We wouldn’t have been able to have done it without them. Going forward, we hope to grow our readership even further, establish relationships with more companies, and make WildJunket Magazine one of the top digital magazines in the travel industry.

Describe your idea of a WildJunket Magazine reader. What are they like?

WildJunket Magazine readers tend to be active travellers, who like to go beyond the conventional path and seek out extraordinary experiences.  They also tend to go beneath the surface and immerse themselves in a culture unlike their own.  Ranging from young backpackers to retirees who enjoy the outdoors, they all share the same passion and love for the unknown.

You have travelled to such far-flung and isolated destinations as Myanmar, North Korea and the Arctic. How have these experiences affected your views on travel?

We visit these far-flung places not just to tick off a list, but to experience the world as it is, stripped of the tourist traps and commercialization. These largely unexplored places show us a side of the world that is still untainted by mass tourism, a side that is still raw and genuine. Tourism has unfortunately led to the disintegration of many cultures, traditions and natural habitats; but visiting these far-flung places has definitely given us a more optimistic view on travel. There are still pockets of the world that are unexplored and undisturbed by human activities, and there is still hope for the world.

What was the most important thing you learned in North Korea? Would you recommend a visit?

North Korea completely surprised us. The thing that struck us most was how normal it was; people were going about with their daily lives just like the rest of the world and many of them were just as curious of us as we were of them  – despite all that we hear on the news. We saw a very humane side to North Korea and felt that they were not that different from us after all. The most important thing I learned from this trip was that not everything we hear from the media is accurate or unbiased. It’s always good to hear both sides of the story and the best way to do so is to go and see it for yourselves.  I highly recommend a visit to North Korea; it definitely changed my mind about the world.

You’ve seen so much of the world; what have been the most life-changing moments?

We’ve had many important moments, but I would say the most life-changing one came when we spent a few months volunteering in a village in Tanzania. During our time there, we bonded closely with our students and locals in the village who became life-long friends, and had the time of our lives. When we returned home, I felt that I needed to re-examine my life and find a career path that was meaningful and fulfilling, that could also lead me to experiences like the one I had and loved in Tanzania. I also felt a strong urge to write about our experience, so that was when I took my first steps into the world of travel writing. I’ve never looked back since.

As travel is your livelihood, do you ever get a holiday? Do you envy people who can travel without a laptop or deadlines?

This question definitely hit the spot. These days, we’re on the road for a few months at a time, on assignment or on press trips, so we don’t usually get much of a holiday. For instance, we were in Asia for six months at the beginning of the year and the only time we didn’t work was in North Korea (where we had no access to internet or our laptops – talk about holidaying in DPRK!). We definitely envy people who can actually travel without a laptop, but at the same time, we’re absolutely thankful to have this job and we won’t trade anything for it.

You have visited some seriously exotic locations, like the Galapagos Islands and Madagascar. What have these trips taught you about wildlife and nature?

We are huge wildlife buffs and we tend to gravitate towards places with abundant wildlife-watching opportunities. Watching wildlife teaches us so much about survival and nature, but I think the most important thing that I’ve learned is how every one of us needs to do our part to protect and conserve the environment – a small contribution goes a long way. Without nature, wildlife would cease to exist and so would we.

How has a life filled with travel affected your life as a newly-wed (congrats, by the way!)?

Alberto and I used to travel together at least three times a year when he had his full-time job as a computer engineer. But since the beginning of the year when he left his job to join me in the business, we now travel together all the time. It’s definitely brought us closer since we go through all the ups and downs hand-in-hand.

You’re certainly a busy pair, with plenty of travel plans. Where have you been recently?

We have just been on a road trip around Australia, driving from the Northern Territory to South Australia, then on to Tasmania and Queensland. In November I went sailing on an expedition cruise to Antarctica with G Adventures… I’d been dreaming about that for a long time, so I really couldn’t wait! Plenty more to come in 2013…

If you could only spend the rest of your life exploring one continent, which would you choose and why?

Wow that’s a hard question! We would probably choose Africa as it packs in so much – from wildlife to beaches and mountains – and most of all, we just love the continent.

Thanks to Nellie and Alberto! Don’t forget to check out WildJunket.com and their digital magazine to follow their adventures.

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Big Blogger Interview: WildJunket

The topic of Christmas tends to divide people into two camps, each holding equally passionate opinions. There are the scrooges, who detest any mention of the day in question, cringe at the sound of Wham’s Last Christmas, and refuse to buy even their mother a measly card. Then there are the over-excited elves, who are humming Jingle Bells even before October’s over, stockpiling mince pies, writing epic gift lists and dreaming of a… You get the picture.

But is there a balance? How about avoiding the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future and the over-zealous materialism of Christmas all in one fell swoop of a partridge’s wings?

In the spirit of the season, My Destination has come up with five ways you can do your bit for others in need around the world this Christmas:

1)      Become an Angelmule – mmMule.com is part social travel network, part delivery service. If you already have a trip planned, you can login and check out if anyone in the area has any requests, and deliver their items in return for cultural experiences and hugs of gratitude. This Christmas, why not take urgent supplies to charitable organisations – the biggest gift for you will be the beaming smiles of the recipients.

2)      Help pay for someone’s education – Vittana.org is a unique setup, which allows people to supply loans for education to students in the developing world. 100% of the loans are given to the student, and will be repaid once graduates have landed their first job. This is altruism with clear results. Why not group together with friends and family to give someone the Christmas present they’ve been hoping for?

Image by Kyle Taylor

3)      Swap pressies for a trip of a lifetime – It may be tradition for your great aunt to buy you a pair of socks every year, but why not ask her to put the money she would have spent on the woolly monstrosities towards sponsoring your charity Machu Picchu trek or hike to Everest Base Camp? Check out Charity Challenge.com for inspiration, and get planning your next adventure!

4)      Pull a present out of the bag – We all look forward to an injection of fashion in our stockings at Christmas, so why not tuck a Cambodian Children’s Fund tote bag under the tree for a lucky someone this year? Each bag is unique and handmade by young adults and mothers from the Steung Meanchey community (near Phnom Penh) in Cambodia and they come in a variety of colours and styles.

Image by padsbrother

5)      Co-Co-Co(a)! Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without copious amounts of chocolate. Treat a chocoholic to a decadent, mouth-watering, Divine luxury gift set. They’re all 100% fairtrade and oh so tasty. As a matter of fact, maybe you can just keep this one for yourself…

Main image by J Jackson Photography

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Be an Angel (mule) this Christmas…

Sea kayaking has never been high on my bucket list of adventure activities. Give me a sunset horse ride along a secluded beach, a zip line over a pine forest, heck, push me out of a plane with a parachute – just don’t expect me to get in the sea. Correction: Don’t expect me to get in the cold North Sea, in a kayak which will (according to my nightmares) definitely capsize, wearing neoprene leggings and a woolly hat.

As it turns out, I ended up doing just that on a recent trip to West Sweden. But rather than detesting every minute, I loved it. All of my preconceived notions were proven wrong; I was much warmer than expected due to the constant arm motion, the kayak was so sturdy there was no chance of falling out, and well, let’s face it, I rocked the neoprene/woolly hat combo.

Moral of the story: Try something new. Do something unexpected. You won’t regret it!

You can read more about my adventures in Sweden here:

Sinister Settings in Sweden

Norman Looks for a Home in Sweden

A Cracking Swedish Seafood Feast

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Video: Sea Kayaking in West Sweden

There are a few things that stick in my mind when I think about Hawaii: My skydive (that was quite a biggie), the impressive city/beach dynamic of Honolulu and the awesome strength of the pacific waves; but more than anything else, I remember the colour. It’s as if the entire state has turned up the saturation dial on nature’s Photoshop. Throw as many adjectives as you like at it, vibrant, intense, rich, deep, vivid – words just don’t do this place justice. So I’m bringing you the pictures!

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Capturing Colour in Hawaii

Next up in our Big Blogger Interview series is Michael Hodson, the brains behind travel blog, Go, See, Write. We’ve nabbed a chat with him to talk overland travel, mountain climbing and exciting projects for the future…

You are all about the journey, not just the destination. Could you let us in on an off-the-beaten track route, and why it was special to you?

Cape Town to Cairo, overland. It took me almost four months and was one of the roughest and most interesting journeys I have done. I managed to climb Kili on the way and pretty much had the time of my life. I was so ready to leave Africa at the end of that journey… now I can’t wait to go back.

You’re a fan of overland travel. Do you have a fear of flying? A green cause? What’s the deal – and what are the benefits to overland travel?

I actually love flying. The whole feeling I get when I walk into an airport is amazing – I feel like I can go anywhere I want at the drop of a hat. Then again, that’s why I prefer overland travel. Until you do some extensive overland travel, you really don’t have a good grasp on how immense our wonderful planet is. I think you get a lot more out of travel, if you have the time, by seeing it all from the ground level. And yes, there is a huge environmental component to it – I’d like to outlaw flights of less than 500 miles. They are one of the prime contributors to global warming. There is absolutely zero reason people should be flying from London to Amsterdam, for instance. Take a train or bus and make a small contribution to saving the planet.

You climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and have the tattoo to prove it! Would you, or are you considering any other feats as hard as this one? Maybe Everest?

Kili will be the first and last of the “Seven Summits” I will be climbing. It’s the only one you can do without technical skills, which I will never have and have no desire to learn. It was the best and most difficult thing I have done yet in my life. I think I’ll end my mountain climbing career there. As to other feats, I am a challenge travel guy. There is an 80-day event I am planning in my head…

A couple of years ago, you embarked upon The Ultimate Train Challenge – making it from Lisbon to Saigon in 30 days! Now, you’re asking others to take up the challenge for charity (and great prizes!). Tell us why you decided to take up this project and… would you do it again?

I might do it again, but not this time. The website is www.YourWorldNoRules.com and we’ve added some great sponsors giving away some amazing prizes. I hope people go check it out and email me with any questions. We’d love to have dozens of people take up the challenge in May for fun… and for a great charity. Do it!

You are in the process of writing a book about your RTW adventures. How’s it going, and how different are you finding the process compared to blogging?

Poorly. I seem to keep adding too much to my plate all the time to sit down and seriously write. Between the Ultimate Train Challenge in May (and two other challenge travel events for 2013), my work to get the Navigate Media Group started (which is a joint travel blogging effort among 9 full-time, professional travel bloggers), organizing up Blog Houses to train newer travel bloggers, working on my advertising sites, and some other things… unfortunately, the book and other writing projects have suffered. I need some more readers and followers to prod me to get back to it.

We hear you’re in Spain at the moment! How are you finding it and do you have any advice for people planning a visit?

You originally had Colombia in this question (it is hard to keep up with me sometimes) and I simply love that country. Go before it gets overrun with tourists. Right now, I’m in the seaside town of Denia, Spain and liking it a lot. There’s little to do here, but I can smell the sea from where I am working and look out over the Med at night while I drink a glass or two of wine and smoke my cigar. I needed a quiet place to work for a few weeks and it has met the bill.

You are from Arkansas – not the most widely known of states. Can you sell your home state to us? What are the top three things you would recommend to do there?

I can sell the part of the state I am from, which is up in the Ozark Mountains, namely Fayetteville. It’s beautiful there. Things to do? First and second would be to attend a University of Arkansas sporting event. First, hit a Saturday afternoon SEC football game and second, stick around for a basketball game. Arkansans take their Razorback sports seriously and you’ll get no better glimpse into their minds then by tailgating, having fun, and calling the Hogs with them. Lastly, go check out Crystal Bridges Museum. They finished it after I left, but by all accounts it is a world class museum (the Walton family of Wal-Mart fame built it). I’ll add another – do some hiking in Devil’s Den State Park.

Going from criminal lawyer to world traveller is quite a big step. Do you have any advice for our readers who might be considering giving up the day job for a stint on the road?

Just go for it. I suggest first-timers take a 2-4 week solo trip somewhere, perhaps Europe where the travel isn’t too tough. Learn how to tend blackjack or tend bar for money. See if they like themselves for company. If so, the sky is the limit. Well, perhaps not the sky, but you know what I mean.

Thanks Michael! Don’t forget to check out Goseewrite.com to follow his adventures.

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Big Blogger Interview: Michael of Go, See, Write

Mark Hodson is one well-travelled man. Having had an enviable career in travel journalism, he is now co-founder and editor of travel sites 101holidays and 101honeymoons. We caught up with the man himself to pick his brains on all things travel.

In a recent interview for A Dangerous Business, you reject the idea that calling yourself a ‘traveller’ sets you aside from ‘tourists’, saying “We are all tourists, only some are more enlightened than others”. Is there any typical tourist behaviour that gets on your nerves, and how do you go about becoming enlightened?

I think the key is humility. The unenlightened tourist views the world as a playground for his selfish amusement. The enlightened tourist understands he is just a small speck, privileged to be able to visit extraordinary places and witness how other people live.

I read an article earlier this year in the Guardian about Vang Vieng in Laos, which has apparently been turned into a non-stop party town, where every day young backpackers get wrecked on cheap drink and drugs and float down the Nam Song river on rubber tyres. At least 27 of them died last year of overdoses and drowning, and now the local people – who are animists – are reportedly scared to go near the river because they fear evil spirits.

To my mind this is quite depressing, one of the worst forms of decadence and cultural arrogance, and yet I suspect that many of these backpackers regard themselves as superior to package tourists.

Fortunately, humility tends to descend on travellers at some point, even those who aren’t looking for it.

You quit office life when you were 27 and spent three years working during the summers and travelling in Asia and Latin America in the winters. Where would you recommend for a first time traveller looking to spend a few months (or more) abroad?

When I first went travelling I bought a round-the-world ticket, then quickly realised this was a ludicrous idea. There was simply so much to see and do at each stopover, it seemed crazy to be constantly jumping on a plane to the next place. In pretty much every country I visited I wanted to spend more time.

So I would advise people to focus down on a specific part of the world. The most obvious destination is Southeast Asia because it’s so culturally rich and diverse, as well as being convenient, cheap and easy to navigate, but there are plenty of others. I’d like one day to take a long road trip around the USA.

Having made the transition from print journalism to online editor and freelance travel writer, you’re a man with your finger on the travel pulse! Any thoughts on upcoming travel trends for 2013 and beyond?

It might sound like a cop-out, but I would say “more of the same”. The trend towards increased connectedness will only increase, as more people carry smartphones, connections become faster, data roaming charges are reduced and wifi becomes more ubiquitous.

Personally I don’t regard this as a universal good. I think it’s increasingly difficult to fully immerse yourself in a travel experience when you are never far from the next email or status update. But I admit to being a bit old-school in this respect: in the 1990s I travelled for months at a time with only airmail and poste restante to communicate with my family and friends at home. That way of travelling is now lost.

We love hearing about ‘off the beaten-track’ destinations – could you tell us yours?

I don’t think you need to go very far to get off the beaten track. For example, I love the Balearic Islands, which many people regard as package tourist destinations. On Ibiza you can find wonderful little coves with clear water and very few people (I recommend Cala Mastella in the north east). Take a ferry from Ibiza Town to the island of Formentera, which has stunning beaches and more bicycles than cars.

You were the first travel journalist to file reports from the Maldives, Thailand and Sri Lanka after the Asian tsunami in 2004. You also recommend travelling to anywhere just coming out of a civil war. What are the benefits of travelling to the places many people would be keen to avoid, and does it ever worry you?

Some of my most memorable travel experiences have been in countries that have recently emerged from civil conflict or communist dictatorship. Vietnam in early 1992 and El Salvador in 1993 were particularly exciting.

I find it fascinating to see a country at a period of critical change, and after a period of strife when tourists are rarely seen, local people tend to be extremely welcoming. Obviously it can be risky. Looking back, El Salvador was probably at bit dangerous at that time, but the people were so warm and friendly that it didn’t seem so. I think that when Libya settles down that will be a tremendous place to visit.

However, it’s also possible to experience this kind of critical change in “safe” destinations. London during this summer’s Olympics took on a kind of transcendent quality. Washington DC must have been fun when Obama was elected. These events are not difficult to predict.

When you were a travel journalist working for the Sunday Times, you would ironically call yourself a member of the ‘best job in the world club’. It obviously is harder than many people think – for one thing, do you ever truly get a holiday?

That’s not really the problem, though it did get very tiresome constantly being told by friends that I was “on holiday” when I was racing around a resort, inspecting a dozen hotels a day and getting up at 4am to catch a flight home.

The problem with travel journalism is more a question of earning power. The work is so badly paid that writers are forced to sacrifice quality for quantity, churning out third-rate round-ups or – increasingly – hastily sketched blog posts. The process of coming up with ideas, getting them commissioned and organising trips is very time-consuming and that constant treadmill becomes stressful, and stifles creativity.

Is there anywhere you visit time and time again, and if so how do these destinations change?

I’ve always made a point of trying to visit new places and not becoming a “specialist” in any one part of the world. However, I do like to return to cities I know and witness them changing – the way neighbourhoods suddenly become fashionable and skylines get rearranged. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of New York or Hong Kong or Rio or Bangkok.

You’re a big fan of India. How should first-timers prepare for a trip to India, practically as well as mentally?

India is truly amazing, although it’s more helpful to think of it as a continent rather than a country. It’s so diverse, so vast and so packed with extraordinary things to see that you shouldn’t try to bite off more than a small chunk at any one time.

I would not spend more than a couple of months there if it’s your first time as it’s so exhausting, and plan at least one “holiday” during your trip. Goa is excellent for this, or you could head north into the mountains. India is a life-changing experience – a place of enlightenment, to refer to your first question – and I think the best way to prepare for it is to go with an open mind and plenty of time on your hands.

A huge thanks to Mark! Don’t forget to check out 101holidays.co.uk and 101honeymoons.co.uk for the most up-to-date, inspiring travel ideas.

Images by Mark Hodson

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Big Blogger Interview: Mark Hodson of 101 Holidays

Forget Skyfall; the real premiere of the week is tonight.

Effortlessly suave, with a charismatic English accent and a passport with enough stamps to rival Bond’s, Michael Palin is back on our screens tonight with his new series, Brazil (BBC1, 9pm).

I know ladies, I know. Move over Daniel Craig, the true travel dreamboat has arrived.

In the first episode of a four part series, Palin begins in Sao Luis, in the north eastern part of the gargantuan South American country, heading down the coast towards Recife and Salvador. The twinkly-eyed ex-Python demonstrates his profuse charm (and wicked sense of humour) as he attempts some capoeira, builds a rapport with his Bahian cooking instructor, and explores the rich history of Brazil. He will travel south, all the way to Sao Paulo and beyond.

Where will the series take us? Rio de Janeiro is guaranteed to feature, as are Amazonian tribes and the Iguazu falls. Henry Ford’s now-abandoned, modestly-named industrial town Fordlândia and the European Valley, along with its Oktoberfests and German traditions, may come as a surprise. That’s the appeal of Palin; alongside the endearing demeanour and side-splitting slapstick, comes a sequence of unexpected insights and engaging observations. He’s basically the perfect man.*

Brazil is certainly going to be on the global stage over the next few years; 2014 will see the nation host the FIFA World Cup for the second time, and the first summer Olympics ever to be held in South America is set to take Rio de Janeiro by storm.

It’s going to be one heck of a party.

Don’t forget to tune in to BBC1 tonight at 9pm to watch the dashing wise-one in all his glory.

*This article may be slightly biased due to the author’s infatuation with Mr Palin. Apologies.

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Michael Palin’s Brazil