Search Results for: travel writing

4,000 miles of unpredictable ocean.

500 Mars bars.

124 days of physical exertion.

3 Guinness World Records set.

1 incredible journey.

On 1 April 2009, twenty-three-year-old Sarah Outen embarked on an ambitious solo voyage across the Indian Ocean in her rowing boat, Dippers. Powered by the grief of the sudden loss of her father and the determination to live life to the full, Sarah and her tiny boat successfully negotiated wild ocean storms, unexpected encounters with whales and the continuous threat of being capsized by passing container ships. Along the way she broke two oars and lost 20 kg of bodyweight before arriving in Mauritius. 
She became the first woman and the youngest person to row solo across the Indian Ocean. Life-affirming, funny and poignant, Sarah’s salty tale of courage and endurance will inspire the taste of adventure in everyone.

Steve and I clutched hands – his right in my left – and then we simultaneously pushed down with our feet. Cogs clicked, wheels turned, and we were on our way. We left Nordkapp within minutes. Cape Town was only 18,000 kilometres away.
Deciding to break away from his comfortable lifestyle in London, Reza and his friend Steven set off from the most northerly point on mainland Europe to cycle the 11,000 miles to the other end of the planet, completely unsupported.
Their expedition becomes a race against the clock, as they attempt to complete the trip in a world record of just 100 days. Battling punishing terrain and primitive roads, harsh and debilitating climates, malaria, food poisoning and heat stroke, their thrilling journey brings them face to face with some of the world’s most stunning, memorable and volatile regions.
This is the intensely personal story of one man’s mission to create a more positive, purposeful life, and the compelling account of the epic journey he took to get there.

‘This is suicide!’ Manuel screamed frantically.
So begins an amazing true story of a journey to Antarctica in a 27-foot sailing boat. After travelling through South America to Tierra del Fuego, the only continent David had never visited beckoned to him across treacherous waters. Ships booked for scientific expeditions wouldn’t take him, and tourist cruises didn’t appeal. Then he saw a little boat in the harbour, its name hand-painted in red on the hull: Berserk.
Together with a ‘crazy Viking’ and a down-on-his-luck Argentinian, the author set sail to follow Shackleton’s voyage with little idea of the tumultuous storms, mishaps and emergencies that loomed on the journey to the world’s coldest and most inaccessible continent. He brilliantly recounts their experience of the huge waves, the bleak darkness and the delicate balance of personalities where a mutiny was always in the air.

So this is surfing in Britain, I told myself as I grumpily walked up a slope of wet rocks and wispy beach grass, trying to keep a foothold as rain and wind both tried their utmost to send me skidding back down to the freezing beach below.

Tom Anderson has always loved surfing – anywhere except the UK. But a chance encounter leads him to a series of adventures on home surf… As he visits the popular haunts and secret gems of British surfing he meets the Christians who pray for waves (and get them), loses a competition to a non-existent surfer, is nearly drowned in the River Severn and has a watery encounter with a pedigree sheep. All this rekindles his love affair with the freezing fun that is surfing the North Atlantic.

Meet Andrew: French teacher, writer and long-distance cyclist.
Now, meet Reggie, his bike.

With two European cycling adventures already under his belt, Andrew was ready for a new challenge. Exchanging his job as a teacher in Oxfordshire for an expedition on Reggie the bike, he set off on his most daring trip yet: a journey from Tarifa in Spain to Nordkapp in Norway – from Europe’s geographical south to its northernmost point.

Join the duo as they take on an epic journey across nearly 8000 km of Europe, through mountains, valleys, forests and the open road, proving that no matter where you’re headed, life on two wheels is full of surprises.

Could you ski to the South Pole? That was the challenge that British Adventurer, Felicity Aston put to women from around the Commonwealth as she set out to create the most international all-female expedition ever to the South Pole. The team would not be experienced explorers but ‘ordinary’ women who wanted inspire others to follow their dreams or make a change for the better in their lives. She received more than 800 applications and embarked on a three-month journey around the world to interview candidates. ‘What is skiing?’ was the question that greeted her in Ghana.

At the close of 2009, Felicity led a team from places as diverse as Jamaica, India, Singapore and Cyprus – some of whom had never even seen snow or spent the night in a tent before joining the expedition – on a 900 km skiing trek across the Antarctic, one of the toughest and most notoriously hazardous journeys on the planet.

Eighty-mile-an-hour winds ripped through base camp; frostbite and injuries were an everyday occurrence; deadly crevasses emerged from the cracking ice beneath their feet. But they also shared beliefs, ideas, philosophies and laughter, made lasting memories and broke no less than six World Records.

At 2,922 miles, the Congo is the eighth longest river and the deepest in the world, with a flow rate second only to the Amazon. Ex-Marine Phil Harwood embarked on an epic solo journey from the river’s true source in the highlands of Zambia through war-torn Central Africa. With no outside help whatsoever he faced swamps, waterfalls, man-eating crocodiles, hippos, aggressive snakes and spiders’ webs the size of houses. He collapsed from malaria, and was arrested, intimidated and chased. On one stretch, known as ‘The Abattoir’ for its history of cannibalism and reputation for criminal activity, the four brothers he hired as bodyguards were asked by locals, ‘Why haven’t you cut his throat yet?’ But he also received tremendous hospitality from proud and brave people long forgotten by the Western world, especially friendly riverside fishermen who helped wherever they could on Phil’s exhilarating and terrifying five-month journey.

Author’s documentary film of the journey, available on his website ww.canoeingthecongo.com, won several awards and went on tour in North America with the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival.

Over the years, authors, artists and amblers aplenty have felt the pull of the Thames, and now travel writer Tom Chesshyre is following in their footsteps.

He’s walking the length of the river from the Cotswolds to the North Sea – a winding journey of over two hundred miles. Join him for an illuminating stroll past meadows, churches and palaces, country estates and council estates, factories and dockyards. Setting forth in the summer of Brexit, and meeting a host of interesting characters along the way, Chesshyre explores the living present and remarkable past of England’s longest and most iconic river.

‘… there I was in the middle of Bogotá, coked up to my eyeballs, in a hallway holding two machetes, while some drunk Colombians argued about whether or not to blow up a bar with a live hand grenade…’

Asia has the hippie trail. South America has the gringo trail. Mark Mann and his girlfriend Melissa set off to explore the ancient monuments, mountains and rainforests of South America. But for their friend Mark, South America meant only one thing: drugs.
Sad, funny and shocking, The Gringo Trail is an On the Road for the Lonely Planet generation – a darkly comic road-trip and a revealing journey through South America’s turbulent history. Drama and discovery. Culture and cocaine.
Fact is stranger than fiction.

The lochside stretch I was rolling through formed the trickily named Achaglachgach Forest, where I panted up and down Glen Achaglachgach, past Achaglachgach House and through Achaglachgach village, which was totally deserted. Maybe they’d all choked to death trying to say ‘Achaglachgach’.
Richard Guise yearned to take on a physical challenge before he reached the age where walking across the kitchen would fall into that category. And so he donned a cagoule, packed his saddlebags and set off for an adventure on a bike named Tetley. This is the tale of his 586-mile, 16-day ride through the Highlands of Scotland, along the dramatically beautiful west coast from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to Cape Wrath in the north.
Freewheeling along isolated roads where traffic problems consist of the occasional retreating sheep and stopping for lunch on deserted beaches, he has time to ponder the Laws of Cycle Touring and take in spectacular sights, from craggy, cloud-shrouded mountain ranges to lochside forests.
Guise discovers the little-known history of this unique part of Britain. He is the classic observant outsider, picking up on the oddities and strange beauty of the place and telling it all with gentle humour – even amid severe bouts of traditional Highland weather.

She was particularly taken with the small narrow ledges that ran along either side of the boat. For a cat, four inches is an airport runway – she could dance a Moonwalk along them on her two hind legs, juggling at the same time.

Steve has a new member of crew aboard his narrowboat, Justice – but maybe not the kind he’d have wanted if he’d known the trouble she’d cause. Kit, an untidy bundle of fur with all the attitude you would expect from a ‘sarf Lunnun’ cat, joins him on a mission to discover lost parts of England. Steve gets a different perspective on the modern world as he cruises the canals through a landscape unchanged for centuries, visiting picturesque towns and waterway festivals along the way.

Bodie was on death row in a Los Angeles shelter, having been abandoned by his owner. Belinda was in a heap on the floor of her vintage apartment, having been dumped by the man of her dreams. Two lost souls ready to find a new life.
Together they embark on a 2,000-mile West Coast road trip taking in spectacular Big Sur, a pack run in the wilds of Oregon, afternoon tea at Doris Day’s dog-loving hotel in Carmel, a fragrant encounter with the creator of Kennel No.5 furfume and a bar stop in a small town near San Francisco where a dog was elected mayor, two years running…
Join Belinda and Bodie on this soul-searching adventure along one of the most iconic highways in America and you too will feel the wind in your hair and a wag in your tail.

Maggie wants a house with lots of light. I need one with character. And what we do have in common doesn’t help either – we’re both stubborn.

When Derek and his partner Maggie decide to escape to the country, they don’t opt for the simple life. Instead they set about converting an old Cotswold stables in Stow-on-the-Wold into their dream home. Over the next two years, they wage guerrilla war on the Planning Office, are cursed by everything from collapsing walls to poison gas, run out of money, and meet some very strange characters – till in its final stages of construction, the place unaccountably floods.

“A vibrant, often hilarious emotional and physical journey. And let’s be honest, who hasn’t wanted to drift away on a narrowboat?” – Ian Moore, author of Death and Croissants

All Boats Are Sinking is a memoir of love, life and chaos on a narrowboat, perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton, Helen Fielding and Phoebe Waller-Bridge

“All boats are sinking, Hannah, just at different rates.”

After a break-up, some hit the gym; some cut their hair; others have a one-night stand. In the aftermath of her break-up, Hannah bought a narrowboat.

Newly single and plunged into life on the water, Hannah had to learn quickly how to grapple with exploding toilets, disappearing hulls, and the curious glances and questions from pedestrians on the towpath. But when career burn-out, a global pandemic and an ill-advised rebound relationship threatened to sink her, Hannah felt the need to escape. In a bid to let go of the past and restore her sense of self-worth, she embarked on a narrowboat odyssey which took her from the bustling streets of London to the tranquil yet dramatic waterways of West Yorkshire.

Suffering from an apparent magnetism to drama but buoyed by her brilliant friends, Hannah tells of the challenges of off-grid life as a single 30-something on the water. All this as she tries to balance the tension between owning her singledom and giving in to a deep desire to find love.

Peppered with lists, recipes, maps, footnotes and diagrams, and spanning hundreds of miles of the British waterways, it’s an uplifting and often hilarious story of adventure and personal growth, and of a woman trying to keep her boat and life afloat. And to answer that perennial question: yes, it’s cold on the boat in winter.

We buy food we can point to. We stalk the streets until rush hour and wait for the little hatches to open in the sides of restaurants. From the steamy openings, cooks in overalls sell jiaozi (dumplings) and bowls of thick, sticky, white congee – an unholy cross between soup and porridge. Baozi, steamed white buns, are light as air. I buy them filled with water spinach and nettle – delicious dipped in sharp, black Chinese vinegar.

In 2008, Miranda and her partner set off for one last big adventure before settling down. They chose to travel through South-East Asia. All did not go to plan: Asian flu, falling off boats and the general chaos of a life abroad challenged them at every step, and yet, in the midst of it all, they fell in love with the culture and culinary delights of China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia.

“A truly inspiring journey that celebrates the healing power of adventure. A must-read.” – Levison Wood

“Wonderfully relatable on so many levels. Simon’s wanderlust, mental roller coaster and reactions to a fast-changing world had me enthralled in his journey, but very much reflecting on my own over the past few years. A brilliantly crafted book which holds a mirror up to the world we live in.” – Mark Beaumont

“Simon’s cycle ride around his own country is a fine demonstration that adventure and transformation begins on your own doorstep.” – Alastair Humphreys


The remarkable and inspirational true story of how one man battled grief and anxiety, one pedal stroke at a time, on a 3,500-mile adventure around Britain

In March 2020, as Britain entered its first lockdown, Simon Parker’s life fell apart; his travel journalism career vanished overnight and shortly afterwards he received the tragic news that a close friend had died. With a long-suppressed anxiety disorder starting to rear its head, he turned to the only therapies he knew and trusted: travel and exercise.

Setting off on his bike from the northernmost point of Shetland with only a sleeping bag and a camping stove, Simon would end up cycling 3,427 miles around Britain. En route, he would meet hundreds of resilient Britons, who were all, in their own way, riding out the storm just like he was. Even in his gloomiest moments he began to see that a chink of light was never too far away.

Riding Out is a story of optimism and hope, and a ground-level portrait of Britain as it transforms from a country in crisis to a nation on the mend. From Shetland to the Scillies, Dover to Durness, Simon learns that life’s sharpest corners are best navigated at the gentle pace of a bicycle.

This is the tale of an epic three-month adventure through unexplored jungle terrain – and it might even change your life

Fuelled by a zest for life and the desire to explore the world around her, Pip Stewart took on a world-first challenge: following Guyana’s Essequibo River from source to sea. With the help of guides from the Waî Waî indigenous community, Pip and her teammates journeyed through the rainforest, facing peril every day as they kayaked rapids, traversed waterfalls and hacked their way through the mountainous jungle of the Guiana Shield, before finally reaching the Atlantic Ocean.

Survival skills and a flesh-eating parasite weren’t the only things Pip took home from the rainforest. From contending with snakes to learning about the value of community, forgiveness and self-belief, in Life Lessons from the Amazon Pip shares many pearls of wisdom that we can all apply to our own lives. Her hard-won insights invite us to embrace the wildness within ourselves and live more every day.

Fearlessness has got nothing to do with being unafraid. It’s about doing things anyway, getting on with it, living, whether you’re afraid or not.

Fuzzy-haired, free-spirited, cello-playing Catrina is devastated when her lover, Jack, leaves her to go surfing on the other side of the world. Trapped in a dead-end job and torn by his departure, she dreams of running away. But how do you run away when you’re flat broke? Luckily, her friend Andrew comes up with a plan: they’ll get an old van, turn it into a camper and busk their way from Norway to Portugal, via Nordkapp, the land of the Midnight Sun.

When a tragic accident occurs, the journey suddenly takes on new meaning. As she navigates personal loss and the daily challenges of life on the road, Catrina begins to learn the true meaning of love and courage and, above all else, the importance of following her dreams.

This is an unforgettable story of a journey like no other – a deeply emotional and inspirational debut by a unique writer.

Has a meal ever changed your life? Part love story, part wine-splattered cookbook, Lunch in Paris is a deliciously tart, forthright and funny story of falling in love with a Frenchman and moving to the world’s most romantic city – not the Hollywood version, but the real Paris, a heady mix of blood sausage, pains aux chocolats and irregular verbs. From gutting her first fish (with a little help from Jane Austen) to discovering the French version of Death by Chocolate, Elizabeth Bard finds that learning to cook and building a new life have a lot in common. Peppered with recipes, this mouth-watering love story is the perfect treat for anyone who has ever suspected that lunch in Paris could change their life.

The very aptly named Mr Pong had the kind of breath that could stun at over ten meters… This wasn’t just bad – there was something rotten down there. Something had crawled in and died. Gunter howled with laughter as he saw the look of horror on my face. It was the best entertainment he had seen since he had watched Chef chasing yaks through the kitchens.

Few foreigners are lucky enough to set foot on Tibetan soil, but Alec Le Sueur spent five extraordinary years there, working in the unlikeliest Holiday Inn in the world. Against the breathtaking beauty of the Himalayas unfolds a highly amusing and enlightening account of his experiences.

Fly infestations at state banquets, unexpected deliveries of live snakes, a predominance of yaks and everything yak-related, the unbelievable Miss Tibet competition, insurmountable communication problems and a dead guest are just some of the entertainments to be found at the ‘Fawlty Towers’ of Lhasa.

Le Sueur, the only Westerner since the days of Heinrich Harrer to spend so long in Tibet, examines the country’s intriguing cultural background, providing a fascinating insight into a country that was only just opening up to the outside world.

Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2021

Running away from your problems doesn’t solve anything – but sometimes it’s more fun than dealing with them

Elise was spending a lot of time crying on buses. She had just graduated from university; she had a shiny new flat, her first proper job and a budding relationship – and they were all making her utterly miserable. Sitting at work one day, she hit upon the obvious solution:

Run 5,000 miles around the coast of Britain, carrying her kit on her back.

Six months later Elise set off, with absolutely no ultra-running experience, unable to read a map and having never pitched a tent alone before. Over the 301 days that followed she developed a debilitating fear of farmyard animals, cried on a lot of beaches and saw Britain at its most wild and wonderful.

Coasting is about putting one foot in front of the other, even when it feels impossible, and trying to enjoy it too. With heart and humour, Elise explores the thrill of taking risks and putting your trust in total strangers, and learns some home truths along the way.


‘A true Great British Adventure, with humour and heart.’

Sir Ranulph Fiennes


‘Elise Downing has achieved the impossible – leaving you in awe at her superhuman achievements, but also convincing you that you could probably do the same.’

Emily Chappell


‘A hugely enjoyable jaunt around Britain, that proves that you can find adventure right on your doorstep.’

Alastair Humphreys


‘Elise Downing has reminded us all of the most crucial aspects of adventure: 1) You don’t have to be an expert. 2) It’s all about the people. 3) However hard, tough, excruciating and doubt-driven a challenge might be, at heart it’s a funny, funny story.’

Dave Cornthwaite


‘Reading Coasting is like listening to a friend tell a tale down the pub that you can’t quite believe. Elise’s storytelling is hilarious, warm-hearted and wonderfully down-to-earth. It’s the kind of book that makes you want to lace up your trainers and start running towards that mad idea you once had. There’s no doubt that Elise’s gung-ho attitude is her superpower. Her kryptonite? Cows.’

Anna McNuff, author and adventurer


‘Elise’s irresistibly readable adventures are both ordinary and extraordinary at the same time. She’s an inspiration.’

Damian Hall, author and ultrarunner


‘Funny and engaging and inspiring… an absolute gem.’


Vassos Alexander, presenter, author and runner


‘A beautifully observed and blisteringly truthful account of what happens when you decide to combine adventure and endurance. Absolutely brilliant.’

Jake Tyler, author of A Walk from the Wild Edge


‘An honest and exciting tale of how a dream became an awesome reality. Definitely worth a read!’

Ben Smith, founder of The 401 Challenge


‘I was already laughing at the Dedication and this continued all the way to the very last page. Elise Downing is a comedy genius and has a heart of gold!’

Danny Bent, author, runner and founder of Project Awesome


‘Elise tells her story with such good-humoured light-heartedness that you could be forgiven for forgetting that what she is describing is a feat of real endurance. Running 5,000 miles is a truly remarkable achievement, and the fact that Elise emerged from it with a smile on her face and a total lack of ego speaks wonders to her character. This is an incredible tale told with total humility. Running around the coast of Great Britain was a mad thing to do, but not buying this book would be madder still.’

Tim Moss, author, adventurer and founder of The Next Challenge


‘Like any epic journey worth sharing, Elise encountered the same doubts, setbacks and fears that leave many dreams stuck on the drawing board. One foot after the other, Elise set out to achieve the extraordinary many miles over. Coasting shares the literal highs and lows as she finds her rite of passage to the world of ultra-running, with an endearing vulnerability and hilarious flair that brings places to life. In the same way that countless strangers felt compelled to join her around the UK, Coasting carries the reader along and inspires us all to ask ‘why not?’ in pursuit of our own home-grown adventures.’

Alex Staniforth, adventurer and author


‘A wonderfully honest tale of courage, perseverance and self-discovery.’


Dr Juliet McGrattan, author and runner


‘Elise brings so much fun and energy, as well as raw honesty, to the world of adventure books, and her incredible journey is an inspiration to young (and old!) adventurers.’

Jenny Tough, author, adventurer and editor of Tough Women Adventure Stories


‘Thoughtful, funny and beautifully written. Just goes to show that there’s a ram-spinning, swashbuckling adventure right there on your doorstep.’

Huw Jack Brassington, writer, presenter and adventurer

An exhilarating and deeply moving story of one man’s attempt to sea kayak the areas of the Shipping Forecast, perfect for fans of The Salt Path and Attention All Shipping

Foreword by Charlie Connelly, author of Attention All Shipping

The Shipping Forecast has been described as the UK’s national lullaby: a source of dependability and calm in our often chaotic world, it has charmed millions of listeners and aided generations of seafarers across the decades. No stranger to weathering a storm after living with a rare life-limiting condition and facing the death of his brother, avid kayaker Toby Carr set out to explore the areas of the Forecast.

On a journey that took him to the harshest and most tranquil stretches of our sea, Toby found the real people, places and stories behind the familiar names and imagined environments of the well-loved BBC broadcast. From the wildness and peace of the sea, looking back at the land, Toby hoped to gain the strength and balance he knew nature could provide and to discover what anchors us to each other.

Written by Toby’s sister Katie from his extensive notes and recordings after his untimely death, Moderate Becoming Good Later is both an epic adventure – sometimes choppy, constantly moving – and a personal voyage of discovery that includes old friends and new, plenty of wildlife, and the ever-present sea.

The man with the gun pushed me down onto the carpet. I tried to cower to make my body curl smaller, instinctively covering my head.
Oh God, please don’t kill me.’ My words clung to my teeth and now my whole body was so cold. All I had left were these words.
‘Please. Please don’t kill me. Jesus. God. Please.’
I wanted to live and I knew it with absolute certainty. I don’t want to die.

Emma Slade was a high-flying debt analyst for a large investment bank, when she was taken hostage in a hotel room on a business trip to Jakarta. She thought she was lucky to come out of it unscathed, but over the ensuing weeks and months, as the financial markets crashed, Emma became her own distressed asset as the trauma following the event took hold.

Realising her view on life had profoundly changed she embarked upon a journey, discovering the healing power of yoga and, in Bhutan, opening her eyes to a kinder, more peaceful way of living.

From fast-paced City life to the stillness of Bhutan’s Himalayan mountains, Set Free is the inspiring true story of Emma’s astonishing life lived to extremes and all that that entails: work, travel, spirituality, Buddhism, relationships, and the underlying question of what makes a meaningful life.

Infuse your day-to-day life with positivity and gratitude with this guided journal, filled with activities and inspiration to help you find joy in the simplest of things

You may not feel it, but inside you is a hidden optimist ready to break free and feel joy! It’s time to step out from under that dark cloud of self-doubt, rid yourself of toxic energy and draw out all the positives that life has to offer.

This journal will help you find joy and contentment through self-care and self-belief, while encouraging you to seek out and discover more of what makes you happy. Full of inspirational prompts and activities to help you reveal your inner positivity and confidence, this journal will unlock your potential.

Inside you will find:
– Top tips on how to stay positive
– Space to write your thoughts and help you find the silver lining
– Ideas and inspiration for self-care activities
– Positive quotes and affirmations for day-to-day life
Your positivity journey starts here.