Honestly, I still can’t believe how brilliant Maidencombe beach is. Almost completely hidden from view at the top bit of the English Riviera, this sandy little cove has everything from cooked breakfasts to clear-blue waters (with the odd sea caterpillar, granted).
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Trying to find the closest sandy beach to London at the glow-in-the-dark Bradwell-on-Sea
Apart from a few cultists and retired nuclear scientists, not many people have heard of Bradwell-on-Sea. But this tiny village, all by itself at the end of the Dengie Peninsula, has what might just be the closest sandy beach to the capital. So I had to go there, didn’t I?
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Getting from Munnar to Madurai (and basically following Rick Stein)
It’s one of the most enjoyable Indian bus journeys you can take – one minute, you’re atop the Western Ghats, surrounded by tea plantations. The next, you’re on the dusty plains of Tamil Nadu, hurtling towards Madurai – a city home to professional nail swallower Sardar Hussain.
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Kerala by public transport: How not to see Cochin, Varkala and Alleppey
Over the course of two extremely confusing days, I somehow managed to navigate – a word that is in no way, shape or form accurate – Kerala’s trains and buses, taking what was essentially the most impractical route imaginable.
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Ooty to Cochin via Coimbatore: Truly a great escape
If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of waking up in a freezing cottage in Ootacamund, then you should absolutely escape – downwards – to Kerala’s more temperate climes. Just don’t do what I did and miss the bus.
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Is Coorg the most beautiful place in India? Yes, it is – and here’s why
Coffee, bananas, lemons, mangoes, cherries, cashew nuts and rice are all cultivated in this corner of Karnataka, so you if you enjoy putting tasty things in your mouth – and gawping at endless greenery – you’ll absolutely love Coorg.
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Hampi’s self-styled Mr Bean and almost getting eaten by black bears
If you happen to find yourself in Hampi, then I implore you to think twice about booking a sunrise tour to the summit of Matunga Hill with the ancient village’s most famous man. Who, it turns out, is really bad at timekeeping.
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North Goa vs South Goa and stumbling across the best beach in India
It’s a bit like comparing Great Yarmouth with the Isles of Scilly – it really depends what you’re into. Jim Davidson routines on the pier? North Goa’s for you. Hidden little coves with no people on them? South Goa it is.
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How to explore the Konkan coast properly (while pretending to be a pirate)
No one really bothers to explore the Konkan coast, situated as it is between the tourist magnets of Mumbai and Goa. And that’s a shame, because here you can sail to real pirate castles, be marooned on tiny islands, and, er, bump into shipbuilders from Rotherham.
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How to explore Mumbai all by yourself (while having a nice time)
It’s probably the most in-your-face city in the world, but Mumbai is a lot of fun – kind of, in a way. The trick is to go there all by yourself, make friends with the right people, and to have your watch upside down at all times.
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A 10-step ascent of Eyjafjallajökull: Iceland’s unpronounceable volcano
A few years ago, no one would have dreamed of climbing Eyjafjallajökull – you know, that volcano in Iceland that famously blew its top. But with this not expected to happen again for another 600 years, I thought I’d make it my next holiday destination.
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What to see and do in Sri Lanka if you’re a cynical traveller like me
When I got made redundant in a way that wasn’t strictly legal, the company that got rid of me were forced to give me some money. I spent it all on this lovely, lovely trip to Sri Lanka, which almost went exactly to plan.
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Robert Macfarlane chats to me about his five-year walk around the world
Imagine putting your coat on, opening the front door and closing it behind you. You begin strolling along a little field path and decide to keep on walking. It proves a wise decision, because eventually you end up in Spain, the West Bank and the Himalayas.
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KattenKabinet: A terrifying journey inside Amsterdam’s cat museum
I mean, why wouldn’t Amsterdam be home to a museum that celebrates man’s ability to fashion feline-themed pinball machines, porcelain paperweights and zoomorphised mannequins? And why wouldn’t I want to go there?
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The Standard, High Line: The good bits, the bad bits, the ugly bits
It’s a place where passers-by watch you defecate to their heart’s content, where champagne-glugging models take their clothes off in front of your disbelieving eyes, and where floor-to-ceiling views of Lower Manhattan suck the breath from your windpipe.
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What happened when I travelled to India with my mum
In a moment of madness, I asked my mum if she fancied travelling around India for a bit. With me. She only went and said yes and, when the time came, there she was at the airport to meet me. Here’s what happened next.
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