The Dimmuborgir lava fields are a place of myth and legend in Iceland. They are the realm of trolls, elves and the supernatural, a dark place where geological forces have spectacularly left their mark on both the natural world and the human imagination. These...
The Tad Fane waterfall plummets over 120 meters from the cliff side into the jungle canopy. This is the tallest waterfall in Laos, its twin streams of water hurtling over the abyss and into the trees below. The plunge pool was out of sight, the cliffs themselves...
In 1973 a United States Navy plane crash landed on a beach in Southern Iceland. The wreckage was abandoned where it fell and the debris of the aircraft on the black sand is now an eerily dramatic sight. The plane came down on a stretch of beach known in...
Standing in the way of a geyser can be a foolish move… boiling hot water hurtling through the air towards you in a huge cloud of steam. Here’s what happened when I stood in front of Iceland’s geyser. Things got wet. Just outside...
The inhabitants of Bath have long lived in awe of the hot water that flows from the natural springs the city was founded on. The invading Romans built the first baths, and ever since people have traveled from far to bathe in the waters. I went to Bath in pursuit of...
Rome is a city built on ruins. Above ground lies a proud display of history, as Ancient Roman landmarks stand tall next to old Christian churches. Hidden underground, there lies a labyrinth of dark tunnels stretching beneath the city. Hidden in the depths of the...
The town of Bundi is a blue oasis in the dust of the Rajasthani desert. Kipling wrote tales of Empire from a lakeside princely palace in this quiet Indian town, but I embarked on a savage motorcycle ride through the countryside, encountering waterfalls and...
The crumbling temples of My Son lie in the jungles surrounding the city of Hoi An in central Vietnam. This ancient Hindu complex was built by the long forgotten kingdom of Champa, but centuries of neglect and a few days of intense carpet bombing have left these...
The island of Timor has long been divided. The rugged landscape is no stranger to conflict, and in recent years both the east and the west have seen turbulent times. In the city of Kupang, on the Indonesian side of the island, I tried to persuade the ambassador...
Ljubljana might well be one of Europe’s more refined cities, but that isn’t to say that it doesn’t still grapple with its none too distant Yugoslavian past. I went to Slovenia’s dashing capital and spent the night in Hostel Celica, a hostel...
Along the Borders chronicles my multi-year journey along Britain's borders, boundaries and frontiers. Published by Penguin Random House, and available now!
