Adventures with a guidebook author

Ever wonder what it's like to be a guidebook author? Want to know how to get your start in travel writing? During a brief break in between having just completed the update of Bradt Travel Guides’ Ghana and organizing my next trip to Ethiopia, I briefly sat down with Sherri from AdventureTravelGuidebooks.com to answer the tough questions about my most recent guidebook update on Ghana and what it’s like to be a travel writer. You can see the full interview, Adventures with Kim Wildman, here.

We're gonna go to Ghana

The countdown is now most definitely on for my upcoming trip to Ghana. With little over four weeks to go before I depart, I have been busying myself with my final trip preparations. While I'm certainly looking forward to hitting the road solo, yet again, it's always nice to be able to share your travelling experiences with someone. So when one of my old Cape Town cohorts, Margi Sutherland, asked if she could join me for the first few weeks of my eight week journey around Ghana, I was thrilled. Before we set off on our first travel adventure together, I thought it wise to ask a few questions. Here are Margi's answers:

Name: Margi Sutherland

Occupation: I have my own business - we are service agents for H2O Water Purifiers in Cape Town.

Why did you decide to join me on this trip?
I recently turned 40! [Same here! Kim] Apparently this explains it all? I haven't travelled a lot, priorities were different in the past, and now I want to catch up, be a little adventurous, explore new places and cultures. I have been to Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and Malawi, and always used to dream of an overland Africa trip. I'm over that now, but when Kim announced that she was looking for a travel buddy I jumped at the opportunity! Also, I dealt with West Africans on a daily basis at my previous job - we had clients from Senegal down to Angola, and the guys that came to Cape Town for product training (which was what I did) were just the sweetest, friendliest, most positive people. I wish I could remember the name of the technician from Ghana that I used to speak to so often!

What are you most looking forward to?
Besides a break from the rat race? And this freezing winter? I am looking forward to a completely new experience. To a different pace, to spontaneity and unpredictability... where I won't have to be in control, I won't have to check the time(!), and where Africa is really Africa.

What's the best piece of travel advice you’ve been given?
Well, Mum always gave us kids a tummy pouch wallet type thing, and told us to make sure our passports and money were on us at all times... no matter which country we were visiting. Oh, and wear long sleeved shirts, hats and sun block on the river (Zambezi) because the sun burns even through the clouds... which is what we all did and we didn't get sun burnt at all. Thanks Mum... I will take those same shirts with me on this trip!

What's your favourite destination and why?
I love Italy; have been there twice and WILL go back. It is possibly my favourite place only because I haven't yet been to France... I will find out in 2013 when I have my gap year. And Malta, although it is to be avoided during a heat wave.... Such incredible history, and beauty, I will be back.

Then again, I think it has to be anywhere along the R62, Montague, Barrydale, down to Outshoorn... then Hogsback... and the Garden Route (Nature's Valley, the Tzitzikamma Forest, Knysna...) we live in an amazingly beautiful country. [I'm with you on R62 Margi! Kim] Even the stark Karoo, which we travelled through by train recently, is stunning in its own way.

Where else is on your 'top places to go list'?
Next trip is a road trip through the UK with Dad, with the aim of writing his story, visiting his place of birth, his schools, meet some of his old friends, try to trace something of his father who was born in Scotland. As the only child of only children, his history stops with him unless I make the effort to journal it. I just hope that he gets slightly LESS cantankerous with age, not more so!! I'll try do most of Europe in 2013, but after that it has to be China, Japan... and Russia... Although I have recently had the urge to spend just one Christmas in the States, with snow, and carollers, and houses draped in Xmas lights... maybe one gets more sentimental with age? Of course there is still so much of SA that I haven't experienced yet - Drakensburg, and the Kruger area, must still be visited. And I want to take my boys to Namibia next year, during the World Cup, if that doesn't sound too unpatriotic!

Is there anything you try to do wherever you travel?
I buy a decoration for my Christmas tree! I also love to explore the back roads... just get into the car and head off somewhere that isn't necessarily on route to somewhere big. I always mean to take masses of photos, and to keep a travel journal... this time I will!

Finally, since we are going to be spending a large amount of time together, do you have any strange travelling quirks that I should be aware of?
Strange? I don't know how strange it is, but I do like to take a break and read a few pages of a novel every now and then... I enjoy quiet time. I also like to explore craft markets, which is not everyone's favorite pastime I've noticed! Kim, if you pick up any really strange quirks, let me know so that I can warn my next travel buddy!

Will do Margi. Though, perhaps you'd best have a talk to Dan; he'll fill you in on all my bad travel habits! By the way, I'm still looking for a travel buddy for a road trip from South Africa to Namibia in October. So if anyone wants to join me, give me a shout. Kim

African butterfly: An interview with Angelique Kidjo

I recently had the great fortune of meeting and interviewing Grammy Award-winning world music songstress Angelique Kidjo. The fiery diva, who hails from Benin in West Africa, was in Byron Bay to perform at the Bluesfest. During the interview I asked her questions about her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and the founding of The Batonga Foundation through which she supports the education of young women in Africa.

According to Ms Kidjo the greatest threat facing women today in Africa is the lack of education. "When you are a girl born in Africa you have no identity, you belong to your family – your mother and your dad have the right to decide on your life. That's why there are so many early marriages," Kidjo explains.

"We have to change Africa," she argues. "We need women leadership. We need women to be empowered in order to save the life of their children. So we need to educate the women...Because you have to have that protection of education in order to be a leader wise enough, and strong enough, and powerful enough to make the men of your country realise that we are not enemies, we are partners."

To find out more about The Batonga Foundation and how you can help out visit: www.batongafoundation.org.

Interview for Women on the Road

Over this last year I've been privileged to have interviewed some amazing and inspiring women including seven times world surfing champion Layne Beachley and Australia's favourite jungle girls Bindi and Terri Irwin. Recently though, the tables were turned and I became the subject of a similar interview for Women on the Road. Edited by Leyla Giray, Women on the Road is a fantastic website aimed at women who love to travel. Along with practical information on planning, safety and money, the website features interviews with inspirational women travellers who share their experiences and philosophies on travel. Other interviewees have included Hilary Bradt, the co-founder and chairperson of Bradt Travel Guides, Beth Whitman, publisher of Wanderlust and Lipstick (another great website for wild, wandering women), and Fawzia Rasheed, who is the author of Rough Guides' new book, Travel with babies and young children, so I'm certainly in good company. You can read my full interview here.
Picture: That's me standing on John Ford's Point in Monument Valley, Arizona.

Hanging ten with Layne Beachley

Perhaps it is the summer sunshine or the fact that I can smell the ocean from my hideaway here in the Byron Hinterland of Far North Coast NSW, but I've been feeling a little beachy lately. Then again, maybe it's because I recently snagged an interview with seven times world surfing champion, Layne Beachley.

2008 was a very busy year for Layne. She released her autobiography, was nominated for Australian of the Year, announced her retirement from surfing, and became engaged to her long-time partner INXS musician, Kirk Pengilly. During my interview with her for Ninemsn she chatted to me about her favourite beach breaks, her new book, Beneath the Waves, and what the future holds.

So where is Layne's favourite beach break, I hear you ask? Well, while she admitted that there were too many to just name one, she did say that one of her favourite spots to surf in Australia is Angourie which is near Yamba on Far North Coast NSW. If you want to know where she likes to go to relax or where her ideal romantic escape is, you can read the full interview here.

Though, if you want a laugh, at my expense of course, you can read about my feeble attempts to learn to hang ten like Layne a couple of years back in an article I wrote for Ninemsn: Let's go surfin' now, everybody's learning how.

Crikey! An audience with Bindi

As if my schedule wasn't already hectic enough with trying to organise my trip away and finishing off a number of articles before I leave (not to mention completing the paper I am co-authoring for the conference in Jamaica!), I've just managed to score an interview with Bindi Irwin which I am trying to squeeze in next week before I leave.

I have to admit I'm pretty excited about snagging an interview with the pint-sized star of Australia Zoo. Not only is she the daughter of Australia's infamous crocodile hunter, Steve (CRIKEY) Irwin, but at nine years of age she has her own TV show, clothing line, fitness video and doll and has even appeared on Letterman. That's more than I can say I've done in my 39 years! What's more, this will probably be the closest I'll ever get to doing a celebrity interview. (That is, unless you count Troy Cassar-Daley whom I interviewed for the Toowoomba Chronicle back in 1999 while I was still in university. Mind you, he has won 14 Golden Guitar's – that's six more than Keith Urban!)

Anyway, I will be interviewing Bindi early next week by telephone (Shame! I am sure my nieces and nephews would have loved a personalised photograph) and the article will be going up later in the year on Ninemsn's Travel Australia website.

If you were able to have a one on one with Bindi, what would you ask her?

Character of the Week: Diver Dan

Since I will be spending so much of this year on the road with work I've decided to institute a new regular segment for my blog called Character of the Week where I can highlight and learn more about some of the many interesting people I meet along the way. With just over two weeks now before I leave, I thought for my inaugural post I would introduce my travelling partner, Dan Hammett. A very dear friend from my time living in Cape Town, Dan will be accompanying me for the first leg of my 10 week round-world odyssey taking in part of Tanzania and Kenya. While I actively encourage solo travel – especially for women travellers – it's always nice to be able to share your travelling experiences with someone, so I am very excited that Dan will be joining me. Before we meet up, though, I thought it wise to ask him a few questions. Here are Dan's answers:

Name: Dan Hammett [Shouldn't that now be Dr. Dan? Though, going by the photograph you've provided below, perhaps Diver Dan would be a more fitting title? For anyone who doesn't know Diver Dan is the name David Wenham's character in the popular Australian television show SeaChange, who, oddly enough, Dan also resembles... Maybe it's just the red hair? Kim]

Occupation: Academic (Research Fellow in African Geography, University of Edinburgh)

Why did you decide to join me on this trip?
A number of reasons: I haven't travelled in East Africa before so it was an opportunity to see a part of the world that I have read about but never been to myself. It was also a great chance to catch up with a good friend I've not seen in a while! On a slightly different level, I'm also intrigued to see what the reality of researching and writing a travel guidebook is like [Perhaps you should read my previous post! Kim]. Guidebooks have become such an integral (and for many, essential) aspect of the travel/tourist experience but seem to be taken for granted. So I'm also looking forward to understanding more about how these books are compiled from a personal interest perspective but also on an academic level in terms of Africa and the tourist gaze.

What are you most looking forward to?
Apart from your company [Ah shucks. Thanks Dan, I'm blushing. Kim] I'd have to say hanging out in a different country and enjoying something of a road trip in the process. I'm also looking forward to doing a day or two's scuba diving from Zanzibar – in some warm water for a change!

What's the best piece of travel advice you’ve been given?
Never travel with anything you're not prepared to lose. Adapt to the pace of life at the destination and never make too many plans so that if (when) delays happen it's easy to sit back and not get stressed about it. Remember to pack a toothbrush and spare essential clothes in your carry-on. I forgot to do this twice, both times my checked-in bags were delayed. Dress appropriately not only for the weather but the culture, you'll get a lot less hassle and unwanted attention, and in some instances find local people a lot more willing to help you out as you are viewed as showing respect to their culture and customs. Perhaps the most important advice – leave only smiles and footprints, take only photographs and memories.

Twisting the question a bit, the worst bit I'm given every time I travel (and which I consistently ignore) is from the travel nurse to 'avoid street food'. In my experience, street food is usually the safest, cheapest and tastiest food you can get – particularly if you avoid meat – as you can see it cooked in front of you, see if it is fresh and hot and hasn't been sat around for hours, and how it's prepared.

What's your favourite destination and why?
My immediate answer would be Cape Town [You stole my answer! Kim] because I've spent so much time there over the years it feels like a second home. I have so many wonderful memories of the place, people, friends, and experiences I've had there: sun downers at Camps Bay, the penguins in Simon's Town, diving with sharks and on wrecks off the peninsula, watching Super 12 rugby at Newlands, seeing dolphins playing in the surf at Noordhoek beach, braaiing and chilling with a tremendous group of friends, working in Khayaleitsha and the Cape Flats, running in Cecila Forest with friends and the dogs. I could carry on.

I also love Toronto (for the people and the food) and Prague (for the architecture and the beer). But the other destination close to my heart would be Bolivia – stunning natural scenery, wonderful climbing opportunities, and incredible Spanish colonial architecture. Being there during major riots against the then-president in 2003 and getting stuck in El Alto, the sprawling impoverished area surrounding La Paz, certainly shaped my experiences of the country. I hope never to forget what it felt like to jump into the back of a dumper truck and ride through the streets of El Alto as the protests were in full swing, nor hearing a group of locals laughing at me when I ducked to the ground as a smoke bomb went off nearby.

Where else is on your 'top places to go list'?
I've got three trips in mind, whether they happen or not is another matter! First, is a trip to Antarctica to see the penguin colonies and indulge my love of wildlife photography. Second, is a slightly crazy notion to cycle across Vietnam. My third plan isn't so much to visit a specific place, but just to lob a dart into a world map and head to wherever it takes me (fingers crossed it doesn't land up in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean).

Is there anything you try to do wherever you travel?
The two things I make an effort to do whenever I'm in a new place are to find some live music and to find somewhere to eat that is off the beaten-track. There's an incredible range of talented musicians that you'll never hear on commercial radio stations and I don’t think you can beat the vibe of a local jazz bar (Ungelt in Prague or any of a number of venues in Harlem, New York (e.g. Lennox Lounge on 125th), rock or ska night (Independent Armchair in Cape Town, Sneaky Dees or the Silver Dollar in Toronto). With food, to be honest I'm a bit of a foodie and adore the variety of ingredients and styles of cooking around the world. I'm always on the lookout for places that are full of locals and empty of tourists, it's usually a sign of very good local food.

Finally, since we are going to be spending a large amount of time together, do you have any strange travelling quirks that I should be aware of?
Not that I can think of, unless you count normal quirks such as sleep walking or the urge to be spontaneous and suddenly decide to do random things.

Thanks Dan. I look forward to catching up with you in person soon!

One on one with guidebook author Philip Briggs

When it comes to guidebooks on Africa, without a doubt one of the most prolific and respected authors is Philip Briggs. Since the early 1990s he has travelled the length and breadth of the continent researching and writing some 25 guidebooks, including the first editions of Bradt's guides to Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Ghana, and penned more than 100 features and columns for a variety of publications such as Africa Geographic, Travel Africa, BBC Wildlife and Wanderlust.

I first heard about Philip when I was researching the impact of tourist imagery on the small seaside resort of Coffee Bay in South Africa for my masters dissertation in 2004. While I had previously travelled through the region updating the 5th edition of Lonely Planet's South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland in 2001, Philip had trail blazed the way in 1991 with his South Africa: The Bradt Travel Guide produced while other international guidebook companies sat back and nervously awaited the fall of apartheid. Everyone I interviewed for my study mentioned Philip and his guide and suggested that I contact him. And so I did; even quoting him in my final thesis!

Now some four years later as I'm preparing to work with Philip on the up-coming 6th edition of his Bradt travel guide to Tanzania, I thought it was about time I got to know a little more about the man behind the myth.

What made you become a guidebook author? How did you get started?
When I started travelling in Africa, in the mid 1980s, guidebooks were pretty thin on the ground – Lonely Planet and Bradt published extremely patchy guidebooks to the whole continent, and that was about it. A couple of years later, Rough Guides brought out a fantastic one-country guide to Kenya, and it opened up so many exciting new travel possibilities that I was inspired to try to do the same for another country. In 1990, I wrote to Hilary Bradt from South Africa suggesting a few possibilities – Tanzania and Uganda as I recall. To my utter astonishment Hilary got back saying that she felt the time - months after Nelson Mandela was released - was right for a guidebook to South Africa, and since I was there, would I be interested? So, pretty much a case of being in the right place at the right time... and from there, I went on to produce several other pioneering guides for Bradt, including the first dedicated guidebooks to Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Ghana and Rwanda.

What are the best and worst things about life as a guidebook author?
Best thing is the travel. Worst thing is the writing, or at least the isolation that it enforces.

What is a typical day like for you on the road?
No such thing. I'm married to a photographer and we usually travel together, so every day is a fresh juggling act of priorities. The closest thing we have to a generic blueprint is: get up at dawn for the best photographic light, dedicate the middle of the day to getting from A to B and/or research and updating, then photograph again late afternoon, and relax over a meal and a few drinks after dark.

What is your favourite place and why?
That's an impossible question. Serengeti-Mara for wildlife, Cape Town for its combination of scenery and urban buzz, Virunga Mountains for its mountain gorillas, rock-hewn churches of Tigrai (Ethiopia) for their utter weirdness, Namibia generally for its sense of space... But for me, guidebook writing/updating involves more revisiting old haunts than I’d ideally choose to do, and a lot less time seeing new places, so I'm generally most enthusiastic about places I first visited recently. Last year, my coups included Alexandria, which has to be one of the most engaging cities in Africa, and Madagascar, with its revelatory cast of oddball creatures, and this year it looks like I might finally make it to the Okavango – probably top of my Africa wish list!

How do you feel about the plethora of online travel e-zines and free travel information sites like Wikitravel and their impact on print media such as guidebooks? Do you think this signals the end of the traditional guidebook?
I don't have strong feelings. I find that online travel information for Africa has to be filtered with greater scepticism than a good guidebook. The net does have the potential advantage of being more up to date, but often it isn't, or at least it's difficult to tell. Guidebooks are more focused and portable, you have more of a sense of who wrote and researched them, and for the time being a book seems like a less clumsy option than carrying a ream of computer printouts, or booting up a laptop every time you need information or a map. So no I don't think the traditional guidebook is in any immediate danger, but publishers may have to take a more innovative approach to online updates etc.

It's the age-old question, but can you make a living as a guidebook author?
Yes, especially if you supplement the guidebook work with magazine and other writing. But it's not easy, and it will probably take several years of hard work and scraping by to reach an acceptable income level. It’s not a job I’d recommend to anybody who places earning big money high on their list of priorities.

Finally, what advice would you give to someone who wants to become a guidebook author?
I'm not sure. Its probably a tougher field to break into today than it was 15 years ago. But I think its vital to make the most of any opening that comes your way, to take on board editorial priorities (a list that’s almost always topped by 'meet the deadline', followed by 'read the spec properly', 'don’t overwrite' etc) and to take a long view of things – you need that repeat business, and that means building up good working relationships and mutual trust with editors and publishers. More mundanely, have enough money saved to see you through the first couple of years, when your income is unlikely to vastly exceed your expenses.