Our Authors
Joyce Wachau Chege
Local ExpertJoyce Wachau Chege is a young Kenyan writer with a degree in Mass Communication. She is a correspondent for MyGov and also runs her own blog, Wachau Joyce. An enthusiastic observer with a niche in human interest stories and an experience of four years, she has had a handful of pieces published, working to change lives one story at a time. She is licensed as a journalist by the Media Council of Kenya (MCK).
Jordan Ashley
ActivistWhile embracing New York City’s fast-paced yoga culture, Jordan Ashley (MA Human Rights and PhD candidate) recognized a need for a more service-based practice, a need for experiences which give perspective to the self through selflessness. Drawing on her experience travelling and teaching yoga, she created Souljourn Yoga Foundation, a US 501(c)3 non-profit that creates transformational yoga retreats and teacher training programs to raise awareness and funds for young women’s education around the world. Jordan’s work has been featured by Forbes, the LA Times, Marie Claire UK, and more.
Eleanor Hughes
TravellerEleanor is a New Zealander who wrote children's fiction, then took up freelance travel writing to justify long overlanding travels through South and Central America. A relaxing holiday is not for her; she enjoys discovering, new adventures and a few challenges along the way. When not writing or travelling overseas she's exploring her own country, cycling or hiking New Zealand’s Great Rides and Walks, playing hockey or running.
Shuvangi Khadka
ActivistShuvangi Khadka is an independent writer and researcher based in Kathmandu, Nepal. She is also one of the editors of The Pomelo, an e-magazine which explores Himalayan voices. Currently, she is working on a short documentary film. You can follow her work on Instagram.
Louise Slyth
Traveller / StorytellerLouise Slyth is a communications consultant and freelance writer. Born in Edinburgh, she has lived in Sydney and Barcelona, and now resides in Dublin with her husband. Her work has been featured in publications around the world, including HuffPost, Stylist, The Independent and The Ethel, to name but a few. When she’s not writing, she’s planning her next trip. You can connect with her on Instagram.
Anna Richards
Local Expert / StorytellerAnna is a travel and outdoor writer living in Lyon, France. Drawn by mountain peaks, fine wine and obligatory long lunch breaks, she’s been living in France full time since 2021. An avid explorer, Anna travels slowly and sustainably where possible, often undertaking long odysseys on foot, the most recent being four weeks solo hiking the Transcaucasian Trail across Armenia. When she’s not disappearing into the wild, she can often be found eating and drinking her way around Lyon in the name of “research.” Her work has been featured in the BBC, The Independent, Lonely Planet, and many other publications.
Mathia Pacenti
Traveller / StorytellerMathia Pacenti is based in Northern Norway. He lives in the Vesterålen archipelago, where eagles fly and the Northern Lights illuminate his path. Italy is his country of origin, a birthplace that instilled a big passion for history and geography — and a deep sense of community and traditions. Mathia also believes in the ideas of cultural sharing and travel sustainability. He began his career by jumping into international tourism, rapidly improving his skills in the hotel and service industry. After a long pilgrimage, he arrived in Norway; for Ethical Travel Portal he now introduces visitors to the dramatic northern landscapes he’s fallen in love with.
Tom Hayes
StorytellerAn Irish native, Tom Hayes has worked in the national newspaper media, both print and online, for over three decades. He’s a freelance editor and writer covering a variety of subjects including sport and film. Tom’s lived and worked in cities from Rome to Cologne, and prefers a leisurely self-guided holiday with a little planning and a lot of freedom to explore. In his spare time, he enjoys playing some of the world’s finest golf courses (conveniently located in Ireland), following his beloved San Francisco 49ers, and spoiling his dog, Bruno.
Lia Mageira
Traveller / StorytellerLia is a Greek travel photographer and writer who graduated from the University of West Attica, Greece. Lia’s work has been published in more than 110 national and international newspapers, magazines and websites, both in print and online. Among them are the BBC, Lifo News, Efsyn Newspaper, Ethnos Newspaper, The Greek Reporter, Go World Travel, Passion Passport, Frsthand Magazine, and GoNomad. Lia has also appeared in literary journals recently as a cover artist including Typehouse Magazine, Absynthe Magazine, Rivanna Review Magazine, Zoetic Press, Mud Season Review, Josephine Quarterly Magazine, SunLight Press, Star82 Review Magazine and others. She was nominated for the Best of the Net Awards 2020-2021.
Mwende Mutuli Musau
Storyteller / ActivistMwende Mutuli Musau is a freelance writer from Kenya. She covers travel, culture, and food for an array of international publications. Mwende is an ardent African traveler who began exploring the world in her early childhood and it has become a part of her lifestyle. Mwende also has a passion for content creation; she actively creates travel content on Tiktok, Instagram, and Youtube. During her leisure time, she's a healthy girl who eats sustainably and is a fitness fanatic. Mwende enjoys spending time in nature, reading books, and yoga.
Marissa Taylor
Local Expert / StorytellerMarissa Taylor is an environmental journalist based in Kathmandu, Nepal. Taylor has been working as a journalist since 2013, and has been a part of newsrooms of The Kathmandu Post, The Himalayan Times, and, most recently, The Record Nepal, where she was assistant editor. Although she covers a wide array of environmental topics, she focuses on writing on the intersections of climate change, poverty, inequalities, and public health. She was among the grantees in Thomson Reuters Foundation’s Climate Change Reporting programme in 2020 and in the British Council’s Women Reporters on Climate Change programme in 2021.
Maya S.
StorytellerBorn in 1998, Maya S. was raised in Bihar, India. Their essays speak about living in cities, lovelessness, and faith. Maya read history, literature, and sociology at Ashoka University to their parents’ satisfaction, works in education, enjoys all things jazz, and is learning to play the saxophone, terribly. They live in New Delhi and wish their arms were long enough to embrace the city. You can reach out to them at dotmayadash@gmail.com or on Instagram.
Erika Ebsworth-Goold
Traveller / StorytellerErika Ebsworth-Goold is a US-based two-time Emmy-award winning journalist now focused on travel, adventure, lifestyle and culture. She's been commissioned by Fodor's, Matador Network, Midwest Living, Insider, and is a frequent contributor to TravelAwaits, an online travel hub for 50+ travellers and adventurers. Erika is a proud member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association, the Society of American Travel Writers, and the Midwest Travel Journalists Association.
Angela Njehia
Local ExpertAngela Njehia is a director of Tierranjani Africa, a boutique tourism consultancy based in Nairobi. She has 15 years of experience in sustainable tourism, working in Kenya and across Africa. Her expertise is in product development, strategic planning, sustainability, and tourism marketing. She has extensive knowledge of African tourism currently having a footprint of her work in over 10 African countries. She is a Travelife coach and auditor, a recognised woman in the Leadership in Tourism category in the Top 100 Women of Tourism in Africa 2022 as well awarded the Transformational Leadership Award 2022, at the Annual Pan African Women Transformational Summit.
Ruba Velagić
Local ExpertRuba Velagić is a seasoned project manager with a decade of expertise in tourism, encompassing international development projects and the private sector. Specialising in crafting exceptional visitor experiences and driving destination marketing, she leads the design and implementation of initiatives that enhance tourism offerings. With a focus on developing new products, experiences, and itineraries, Ruba also excels in optimising existing ones. Proficient in marketing activities on national and international scales, she adeptly utilises B2B and B2C channels across offline and online platforms.
Miriam Jøms
TravellerMiriam is an entrepreneur who believes that ethical values are best shared through personal meetings and good experiences. Her passion for animal rights made her create and start, together with her partner, Norway’s first vegan beach café, Palma. She developed a love for travelling as a Peace Corps participant in India, student in South Africa, and travel guide for Ethical Travel Portal in Ukraine, Romania, and Oslo. Meeting people from other cultures and experiencing new perspectives of life have strengthened her joy for documentary photography and writing. Miriam currently lives and works in Sarpsborg, Norway.
Jeanett Andrea Søderstrøm
TravellerJeanett Andrea Søderstrøm is a freelancer, communications advisor, mother of two, and podcast host of I lys av døden (a podcast about how death affects our lives and society). She holds a master in responsible tourism and has through previous intrepid traveling and years of living abroad, been passionate about sustainable living and traveling, environmental conservation, and community-based advocacy efforts. Jeanett currently lives in Oslo, Norway.
Ingrid Thornes
TravellerIngrid worked for Ethical Travel Portal for three years as a local specialist based in Bergen, Norway, where she grew up. She studied tourism management and has spent every available opportunity traveling within Norway and other places in the world. She is passionate about hiking, sustainability, and nature, and loves giving travelers her inside information based on experiences traveling in Norway by meeting them in person or planning their trips from start to finish.
Mark Levitin
Storyteller / Traveller / Local ExpertMark Levitin is an award-winning travel photographer and writer. Mark has been nomadic since the age of 18, which was before digital technologies had arrived in most of Asia, so he started off as an analogue nomad, then upgraded to a digital version. Mark’s preferred region of the world is South and SouthEast Asia. The driving force behind all his wandering is an insatiable curiosity: for anything, any knowledge, generally speaking, but first and foremost, for the diversity of human cultures. See some of Mark’s works on Instagram.
Jason Florio and Helen Jones-Florio
TravellerJason Florio (UK/USA) and Helen Jones-Florio (UK) are photographers and filmmakers based in The Gambia. They have produced multiple projects in Africa for clients including National Geographic, The New York Times, and the United Nations. In 2009, they co-led the first recorded circumnavigation of The Gambia — a 930km expedition by foot — producing an award-winning series of portraits documenting traditional leaders (SILAFANDO). Two years later they co-led the River Gambia Expedition, the first documented source-to-sea expedition along the length of the 1130km river. Since the fall of Yahya Jammeh, Gambia’s former dictator in 2017, they have been working on a long-term project to document the victims and resisters of his regime (The Gambia - Victims & Resisters); the work has been used as a tool of advocacy, education, and peace building. Follow their work on Instagram (Jason Florio, Florio Photo, and Helen Jones-Florio), Facebook (Florio Photo and Jason Florio), Twitter, and online (Florio Photo and Photos Tell Stories)
Emily Cathcart
Local Expert / Resonate Team / StorytellerFrom her base in Ireland, Emily Cathcart was delighted to join Resonate as a Content Manager and has been revelling in the opportunity to collaborate with writers worldwide ever since. Emily enjoys encouraging authors through the creation process and also helping non-writers to tell their tales — all with Resonate’s ethical principles in mind. When she isn’t busy commissioning or editing, she can be found, camera in hand, seeking out-of-the-way discoveries for her own site that’s literally All About Dublin. And when Emily’s not working on any/all of the above, she’s writing articles and photo essays as a freelance journalist for publications from boutique magazines to national newspapers.
Oana Racheleanu
StorytellerOana Racheleanu is a passionate freelance journalist with a keen eye for bringing characters to life in her writing. Based in Bucharest, Romania, she embarks on frequent travels that inspire her storytelling. With a love for profiling individuals, Oana has crafted nearly 60 profiles of Romanian teachers dedicated to transforming traditional teaching methods inherited from the communist era. She approaches people's lives like a puzzle, respectfully collecting each piece and skillfully arranging them to create a vivid and clear picture of their stories. Always curious and excited about the amazing world we live in, Oana writes about the environment, education, and artisans. See her portfolio here, follow her work on LinkedIn, and her travels on Instagram.
Ioana Lucaciu
Local ExpertBorn and raised in the northern part of Romania, Ioana has always felt deeply connected to the roots of her culture, to her distant ancestors, and a very special way of seeing the world. It was probably this — and her close relation with nature, which she developed through scouting — that made her travel to hidden places in her country and then become an ecotourism guide. In parallel, she worked with an NGO on sustainable development projects in northwestern Romania and later on moved to more technical work (monitoring nature conservation projects), which she is still doing. Besides nature and traveling, Ioana’s other love is writing and learning new languages, so she really enjoys combining all of these, especially for interested readers!
Alex Crevar
Local ExpertAlex Crevar has covered the Balkans for more than two decades. He writes for several international travel publications. An assortment of his stories can be found at AlexCrevar.com, and/or you can follow his travels on Instagram.
Son Dang
Local Expert / StorytellerSon Dang is the motivator of the Footprint Travel team. His work ethic is unsurpassed with drive, desire, determination, and discipline. Son co-recreated Footprint Travel and Puluong Retreat, and continues to pursue his dreams in the travel industry. He believes that life and travel are one in the same and take his ideas of learning and sharing into everything he does. The notion of responsible travel has been and always will be a big part of Son’s work and life.
Ashley Parsons
TravellerAshley Parsons is a wandering journalist, travelling slowly by bicycle, horseback, or on foot. Conscious and slow travel, adventure, the outdoors, curious traditions, and grassroots movements are her favorite subjects to write about. She's written books for Lonely Planet, and her articles have been published in places like Atlas Obscura, Whetstone Mag, Fodor's Travel, Earth Island Journal, Sidetracked Magazine, and more. You can find her work online and follow her and photographer Quentin Bohem's travels at En Selle! or on instagram.
Soila Kenya
Local ExpertSoila Kenya is an award-winning data journalist, content creator and communications specialist from Kenya. She enjoys writing about women's health, science, environment, travel, career advice, tech and internet, and pop culture. She has written for Quartz Africa, Poynter Institute, The Org, The Continent, openDemocracy, The Star Kenya, Debunk Media, and Inspire Afrika. Find her work at soilakenya.com.
Jennifer Johnson
StorytellerJennifer Johnson is a freelance writer and researcher who aspires to write about her favourite things — true crime, historical events, media and entertainment, health and wellness, mental health, family relationships, career guidance, and workplace topics — but she’s been known to take on any project that piques her interest.
Nikola Radovic
Local ExpertNikola Radovic is a translator, licensed tour guide, tour operations manager, and owner of Nikena Eco Adventures, a tour operator from Podgorica, Montenegro, specialising in tailor-made trips for small groups with a special accent on local encounters, sustainability, and promotion of off-the-beaten-path regions within his home country. A huge fan of travelling and all types of sports, Nikola currently resides in Podgorica, Montenegro.
Matthew Nelson
TravellerMatthew Nelson is an American travel photographer and writer from Des Moines, Iowa. An advocate for sustainable travel, he has photographed responsible tourism initiatives in nine countries, notably in the Western Balkans, India, and Nepal, and is passionate about creating opportunities to travel with a positive impact to both the environment and local communities. His work has been published in National Geographic Traveller Magazine. You can follow his blog on transformational travel and find him on Instagram.
Richard Powell
Local Expert / TravellerRichard Powell is an expat Canadian freelance writer/photographer. His articles and stories have appeared in local and international magazines and blogs. He also writes both fiction and non-fiction books. Richard’s history/traveloguee of Stane Street in South East England was published in 2021. It combined his passions for photography, writing, research, and history. Drawing on his earlier life as an IT analyst, entrepreneur, curios shop owner, and publican, Richard is now applying his enthusiasm to writing on the island of Cyprus where he lives with his wife.
Dave Adams
Local Expert / StorytellerAfter a lifetime of travelling in the developing world, Dave finally hung up his rucksack in the Gambia. Having arrived with a plan to travel further into West Africa, he fell in love with Janjanbureh and decided to stay, establishing his social enterprise business, Fair Play Gambia River Adventures, on a shoe-string budget in 2016. Fair Play has since become renowned for offering unique ecotourism experiences for small groups of discerning travellers and for its positive impacts in the town. Dave now lives in Lamin Koto, across the river from Janjanbureh Island, with his two Gambian sons and dog, Limpy.
Cheryl Rodewig
ActivistCheryl Rodewig is an award-winning journalist with a passion for travel and exploring the wonders of the natural world. When she’s not planning her next trip from her current home base in Florida, she’s putting her MBA to use crafting stories for brands. Over the past 15 years, her words have appeared in AARP, USA Today GoEscape, The Guardian, Country magazine, Fodor’s, Thrillist, Roadtrippers and all over her website. She loves it when people reach out on Twitter and Instagram.
Charlotte Cassedanne
StorytellerCharlotte Cassedanne is a freelance travel and lifestyle writer who grew up in the South of France and now lives in London, United Kingdom. She specialises in sustainable travel, wellness, culture, and adventure. Find out more about Charlotte.
Raj Gyawali
Resonate TeamBased in Nepal, Raj Gyawali is one of the driving forces behind Resonate and Ethical Travel Portal. He has over two decades of specialist knowledge of responsible tourism in practice and ground-level experience building, developing his company socialtours as the first in Asia to be sustainability certified. Working in Ghana, China, Myanmar, Nepal, Bangladesh and India, he's kept a finger on the pulse of developments around the world of tourism. Raj consults on responsible tourism for organisations, especially on destination development. Through consultation, he helps governments and communities create more sustainable practices. He is the expert Dreamweaver for Asia and adventure-related experiences, drawing from his passion for soft adventure. Raj loves most to be in the mountains, leading a multi-day hike or on a bike trip, or researching new experiences!
Simona Popescu
Local ExpertSimona Popescu lives in a small village near the city of Vatra Dornei, Romania. She has a bachelor’s degree in advertising and master’s degree in public relations and advertising and is currently working as a copywriter and content writer for various local businesses in the Vatra Dornei area. She loves hiking and practicing her landscape photography skills, and plans on turning travel into a job in the future.
Cecilia Mwangi
StorytellerCecilia is a Kenyan IT graduate who chose to follow her dreams of becoming a freelance copywriter. For 8+ years, she has worked with agencies, independent clients, and freelancing platforms. She loves writing about travel destinations, personal finance, business, iGaming, and health and wellness topics. When she is not on her keyboard cooking up a storm with words, Cecilia loves travelling, reading, and pampering her two beautiful children and a furbaby. You can check out her blog or connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Tom Graham
StorytellerTom Graham is author of the Genius of The Poor, a TEDx public speaker, and social entrepreneur. From founding Make A Difference (MAD) Travel in the Philippines, MAD has recently harnessed technology to enable learners around the world to connect to communities through interactive video.
Jo Hendrickx
Resonate TeamJo Hendrickx started out life in tourism as a holiday representative over 20 years ago and progressed into a health and safety role before becoming Sustainable Destinations Manager at the Thomas Cook Group. Jo worked with overseas teams and project managers to bring sustainability to life through local excursions and also supported hotels in preparing for sustainability certification. In 2017 she founded Travel Without Plastic to focus on helping the travel industry to reduce unnecessary waste. They have created a range of downloadable resources for accommodation providers; they also provide personalised support for hotels and tour operators as well as project managing destination-based activities.
Abderrahemane Nejam
StorytellerAbderrahemane Nejam is a content writer, storyteller, and interviewer. He works with athletes, entrepreneurs, startups, and companies on both a national and international scale. He is passionate about societal and internet culture, self-help, and unrepresented topics.
Wame Miriam Molefhe
StorytellerWame Miriam Molefhe was born in Francistown, Botswana. She has two short story collections, Just Once (2009) for young adults and Go Tell the Sun, first published by Modjaji Books and subsequently republished by the author in 2018. She is a Fellow of the Civitella Ranieri Residency, Italy (2015). She holds an MA in Creative Writing from Rhodes University.
Sophie Baker
Storyteller / Local ExpertSophie Baker is a freelance travel, content, and equestrian writer with a decade of experience. She lives in South Africa and has been published both locally and internationally. When she’s not telling stories about the people, places, and cultures she’s encountered, she can usually be found cooking, tasting new foods and wines, or riding her horse. To find out more about her work or read more articles, visit her online or on LinkedIn.
Linda Veråsdal
Resonate TeamLinda Veråsdal is one of the driving forces behind Resonate, and is the Founder of Ethical Travel Portal. Splitting the year, she spends half her time in Norway and the other half in The Gambia. Linda is passionate about responsible tourism and using tourism as a tool for positive development. With a Master's in Responsible Tourism, she has years of experience in the field, from owning a company to developing experiences to leading trips. Putting principles into practice, Linda has shown how tailor-made responsible travel packages can have a transformative, positive impact on communities, especially in remote areas of The Gambia where she and her team have been actively promoting sustainable tourism for several years.
Jean-Claude Razel
Resonate Team / ActivistJean-Claude Razel has 30+ years of experience in the adventure business. Initially focused on mountaineering and climbing, he is now active in all aspects and his company, Alaya, is the leading outdoor adventure provider in Brazil. Jean-Claude is currently an Educator for AdventureEDU, the training branch of the ATTA. Very much concerned with sustainability, he is also an Educator for Ecological Transition at French universities in Paris, Lyon and Dijon. As a manager of the Brazilian National Rafting Team, he won six world championships. French-born Jean-Claude lives in Chamonix; in his spare time, when he’s not exploring the great outdoors, he plays the piano and sings rock ‘n’ roll with his band.
Joliene Adams
StorytellerJoliene Adams is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, USA. She covers travel, the outdoors, arts, and culture for a variety of international and local USA/Canadian Pacific Northwest publications. She’s an advocate of multilingualism and has a background in language education, global literature, and supporting heritage languages as well as languages-in-revitalization. You can find her as ‘Joliene Carolina’ on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. She takes promoting accountability in the travel industry and educational sector seriously, but also believes in deep joy and can frequently be found having a good, hard laugh at just about anything.
Pamela MacNaughtan
Local ExpertPamela has been a freelance travel and food writer for the last 10 years, writing about travel, culture, and food in Québec on her website, Urban Guide Quebec. She has written for Québec City Tourism, and updates guidebooks on Montréal, Québec City, and Canada for Michelin and DK Eyewitness. Montréal is a favourite day trip, often filled with neighbourhood explorations, culture, and a lot of food.
Elsa Dixon
TravellerElsa Dixon is an award-winning freelance writer and contributor to stock photography sites who has been leading custom tours to South Africa and other countries since 2006. The company, TravelswithElsa LLC, has an active website and blogging component and lists her articles. She has published a biography of her father, an iconic South African entertainer (PIET wat POMPIES was), and a global award-winning memoir, Hippos, Hotspots, and Homelands. Recently retired, she also runs a private piano teaching studio. Headshot photo: HM Cotton
Halima A. Abdullahi
Local Expert / StorytellerHalima is a freelance travel, food and real estate content writer, copywriter and avid researcher with many years of experience. She is a writer who is passionate about helping businesses and websites gain visibility and generate profitable leads through engaging, informative, and high-quality writing services. Aside from writing, she loves helping budding writers learn how to effectively hone their writing skills. She’s also an unapologetic foodie and a travel enthusiast who dreams of travelling around the world and trying out different delicacies from various parts of the world.
Oluwaseun Famoofo
StorytellerOluwaseun Famoofo is a passionate narrator. A lover of comedy shows and wine, you will mostly see her glued to her laptop revealing one story or another. Creating her novels and building their characters gives her the utmost satisfaction. She has written for publications like Adventures from the Bedrooms of African Women and Shado magazine. She hopes to shed light on issues in her society by any means possible.
Alexandra Wrigley
ActivistAlexandra Wrigley is a copywriter and content writer from the United Kingdom. Her primary focus is centered around tech and travel. She loves to write on her blog in her downtime.
Aniket Singh Chauhan
StorytellerAniket is a 22-year-old freelance journalist based in India. A traveller at heart, Aniket loves to write on a host of topics including international relations, defence, popular culture, and, of course, travelling. He graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Delhi and is currently pursuing his master’s in journalism from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. He loves to explore the thousands of hidden worlds within our big world and hopes to experience cultures from around the globe.
Folu Oyefeso
StorytellerFolu Oyefeso grew up in the city of Ibadan, Nigeria, as the first child of two business people/entrepreneurs. From a young age, he's had interests in a wide variety of subject matter but formally pursued academia in the sciences and business material. After graduating with a business degree from the University of Walla Walla, Washington, USA, he returned home to Nigeria where he started to tell short stories and document places of interest in his part of the country. This journey led him to develop an online directory, where stories and pictures from his travels are documented with the purpose of rekindling a sense of pride for Nigerians and Africans.
Leyla Rose
StorytellerLeyla Rose is a freelance writer and trained journalist based between the United Kingdom and Lombok, Indonesia. She has been freelancing since 2019 and specialises in writing about food, travel, and culture. Her work has been published in numerous magazines and online publications such as Fodor’s, Here Magazine, Culture Trip, and Matador Network, among others. She is also an avid and published photographer that goes hand-in-hand with her journalism. Find her work online.
Rhea Vitto Tabora
StorytellerRhea Vitto Tabora is a professional travel writer with more than 14 years of experience working in the hospitality industry in Vietnam and Indonesia. She returned to her home country, the Philippines, in 2014 to pursue her dream of writing about amazing places and creating content for hotel and tourism brands while also travelling. Her work has been published in Travel Asia Now, Arrivedo, Daily Tribune, and Mise En Place Asia magazine, as well as various hotel websites.
Vanessa Chiasson
StorytellerVanessa Chiasson is a Canadian travel, food, and culture writer with bylines in the Globe and Mail, USA Today, Buzzfeed, Travel Awaits, and more. Her award-winning blog, Turnipseed Travel, focuses on cosy, affordable travel experiences. You can follow her travel adventures on Twitter.
Precious Uzoma-Nwosu
StorytellerPrecious Uzoma-Nwosu is a culture, content and creative writer who specialises in topics relevant to women and covers other thought-provoking and intriguing stories that matter. Precious has written for reputable magazines like Culture Custodian, Adventures From, Document Women, Gay.Uk, etc. and is also a book reviewer. You can reach her on Twitter @adannaya.
Sabah Gurmat
StorytellerSabah Gurmat is an independent journalist presently based in Mumbai, India. She is interested and curious about issues of human rights, culture, and gender, and has reported primarily on the same. She can be reached on Twitter.
Steven Knipp
Local ExpertBased in Asia, Steven Knipp is an American journalist with 20 years’ experience — as a reporter, writer, foreign correspondent, columnist and magazine editor. Steven’s byline has appeared in such publications and websites as the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, Time.com, Newsweek, Smithsonian Air & Space, Vogue China, Travel & Leisure, the International Herald Tribune, HNN.com and the San Francisco Chronicle.
Dermott Kelly
Local ExpertDermott is a sound engineer, freelance writer and photographer who has lived in Victoria, BC for over a dozen years. He spends most of his free time on two wheels; either his Kona Kahuna or Kawasaki Ninja 636. Making the most of what’s in his backyard, ‘Up Island’ is a favourite trip, as he goes where the road — and off-road — take him.
Linathi Makanda
StorytellerLinathi Makanda is an experienced editorial writer and photographer with an eagerness to craft compelling narratives and make a positive impact through her writing. She has published work in several prestigious publications, including Nataal Media, Vogue Italia, The Luupe, and ColorBloc Magazine, and has experience in the fields of fashion, travel, art, and entertainment. She is an evolving and multi-faceted artist in the creative industry, known for her distinctive perspective and capacity to add a fresh voice to any topic.
Stephanie Osmanski
ActivistStephanie is a freelance writer who writes about health, the planet, and being a woman. She has almost a decade of experience writing with bylines at INSIDER, Parade, Newsweek, Reader’s Digest, and WebMD. She lives in New York with her pomsky, Koda, and writes a Substack newsletter for publicists called Pitch, Please.
Susan Onyango
Local ExpertSusan Onyango is a young African woman hailing from Kenya. A travel enthusiast and a responsible tourism ambassador passionate about tourism in East Africa, Susan has an academic background in Mass Communication with a major in Public Relations. For over a year now, she has been working in the tourism industry in Kenya. Her most recent professional engagements have been with Ecotourism Kenya, Tierranjani Africa and Kenya Utalii College.
Julie-Ann Sherlock
Local ExpertA mother of two adult sons, Julie-Ann has been travelling while working as a content writer and editor since 2015. While exploring Asia in 2017, she first fell in love with Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and made it her home. She takes advantage of easy access to other parts of Asia to continue gradually exploring the continent's wonders. The pandemic saw her return to Europe for a while, and she lived in Albania for a year, using it as a base to explore the Balkans. Back in her beloved KL since early 2023, Julie-Ann is happy to slowly and consciously continue her explorations of the region and beyond for the foreseeable future.
Ferenc Elekes
ActivistFerenc Elekes has been a devout overlanding enthusiast for many years. During that time, Ferenc has explored 75 countries on six continents, with overland travel involved in 40 countries on three continents. From his trusty 2006 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado with a roof-top tent, he’s blogged about experiences that can only be found in the remotest regions on Earth. Along the way, he’s gained in-depth knowledge of the novel challenges overlanders encounter and practical ways to meet them. On his website, he shares informed opinions about everything from the best overland gear to how to get a vehicle unstuck. Ferenc has also written for Ih8mud, the Expedition Portal, and the Overland Journal, and he is often invited as a guest to outdoors-related podcasts.
Miriam Calleja
TravellerMiriam Calleja is a prize-winning Maltese bilingual wordsmith and poet. She has three poetry collections: Pomegranate Heart, Inside, and Stranger Intimacy, and a collaboration titled Luftmeer. Her work appears in Sentinel Quarterly, Indigo Dreams Publishing, and The Gloucestershire Poetry Society, and is forthcoming in Modern Poetry in Translation. She hosts creative writing workshops and enjoys writing about health, food, and travel. Miriam believes that storytelling encourages unity, connection, and understanding. She has great faith in collaboration as a key to communication.
Kristine Hansen
StorytellerBased in the U.S. Midwest, Kristine Hansen covers sustainability, food, and design as it relates to travel, contributing to other outlets that include TravelandLeisure.com, Fodors.com and ArchitecturalDigest.com. She's also the author of Frank Lloyd Wright's Wisconsin: How America's Most Famous Architect Found Inspiration in His Home State and Wisconsin Cheese Cookbook: Creamy, Cheesy, Sweet, and Savory Recipes from the State's Best Creameries, both published by Globe Pequot Press.
Shagun Kaushik
StorytellerShagun Kaushik is a dedicated, inquisitive journalism student with a deep-rooted passion for storytelling and a commitment to ethical reporting. Her journey into the world of journalism is marked by an insatiable curiosity to explore and convey the narratives that shape our society. As a budding journalist, Shagun aspires to bring meaningful stories to light, amplify diverse voices, and provide valuable insights to her readers.
