Staying in holiday rentals and settling into a place for a while offers opportunities to get close to people in ways that a hotel can’t. Often the hotel concierge is there to get a kickback from that restaurant he has an ‘arrangement’ with and doesn’t offer much more. Don’t believe us? These are some of … Read more
Having grown up in Australia during South Africa’s apartheid era, I became aware of what was going on there through the South African rugby team’s tour of Australia in 1971. My reflections on Cape Town after visiting South Africa are quite complex and conflicted, to be honest. I can remember, even as a small boy, … Read more
People often ask us how we meet people when we travel and how we make local connections. We use a wide variety of strategies, which we wrote about in this post Meeting Locals, from connecting with people online via their blogs (which is how we met the Taco Mafia in Austin) to using Twitter (as we did … Read more
As a travel writer, I love reading quality writing about travel and places. Sadly, I’m disappointed by much of what I read today. I finish most stories wanting more. Not more words – the length of an article is unimportant if the writing is engaging – and not necessarily more of the same. What I … Read more
What constitutes a portrait photo? How do you go about capturing a good portrait of a person? And do you need permission? These are some of the questions readers have asked me over the years of being a professional photographer. Taking Portraits – Tips for Travellers Who Prioritise Capturing Memories These are my best tips … Read more