I was first bitten by the travel bug (along with plenty of mozzies) when I hitched and busked my way around Europe for four months at the age of sixteen, sleeping rough in fields, beaches and train stations and eating whatever the day’s busking bought me. A few years later I took degrees in acting and journalism at Goldsmith University, London and ran my own comedy club where the likes of Mike Myers and Jo Brand cut their teeth.
Still bugged by the bug I moved to (very) rural France where I trained as a chef, opened my own Chambres d’Hotes and garnered the lifelong love for fab stays and fine food, which later bubbled to the surface in hotel reviews for The Telegraph and others.
When I sold my Chambres d’Hotes, I hit the road again. As a HUGE fan of slow travel, I drove a Deux Chevaux through the Eastern Bloc’s coal-murky landscapes; got caught in Kosovo in my motorcaravan during the war; sailed through stunning sea snake-infested waters to remote islands in the Philippines and lived in a dozen countries, including Argentina where I spent a dizzy year as an apprentice gaucho with a penchant for tango; India where I proved myself totally useless at yoga but learned the techniques of Ayurveda, and Cambodia, where I biked through Phnom Penh’s manic crowds every day to volunteer at a local school whilst working part-time as a restaurant reviewer for Asia Life magazine.
Settled for the past decade in Greece (and speaking the language), I am a Greece destination expert for The Telegraph and write for The Guardian, The i, The Times, CN Traveller, TravelSupermarket and others. I also record features for the BBC’s iconic From Our Own Correspondent and produce BA’s Meet The Locals podcast.
11 min read
Updated 4 September 2024
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