Simon Heptinstall
Midge-infested bog or luxury beach resort? After 20 years as a professional travelwriter sometimes it’s difficult to choose between them. You see, I’ve stayed in rainforest huts, dined in a shed on the Faroese tundra and tried to sleep on a steam train rattling across Ukraine. The things that seem horrible at the time - the accidents, mistakes, minor disasters - are the most memorable parts of any travelling. If it was all safe and comfy there would be little point going anywhere. So that’s the main dilemma of travelwriting. I’ve also stayed in some of the world’s swankiest hotels and resorts and felt like I was a celebrity at the time. When I get home I reckon a lot of them are over-priced and over-rated. In fact plenty of rooms costing thousands of dollars a night are a waste of money. Come to think of it, lots of so-called great attractions are downright boring. So after all these trips and adventures I’ve decided I don’t care about reputations - price and status are no guarantee that a travel experience is going to be good. I’ll just tell it as I see it. Read my stuff if you want to find out what it’s really like. Oh and you can also read me regularly in the Mail on Sunday, Sunday Times, Guardian, Independent and so on. If you’re really, really keen you can become my ’fan’, visit my website or even buy one of my books.
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