Matt – Travel Geek UK – Five Travel Questions

Simply to learn and discover. As a child you are brought up to explore your surroundings, I believe this mentality sticks. For me, travel enables me to grow as an individual and learn things I’d simply never hear or read about back home.

I love travelling to unusual places and discovering amazing things. I’m then able to pass on the knowledge to others who may have previously never considered visiting.

I have a dream to visit most countries before I die, like most hardcore travellers.

However the next country I’m really eager to visit is Vietnam. True, it’s become a very popular destination, but I believe there are a lot of things to still be discovered.

Some truly off-the-beaten track places I want to visit include Yemen, Georgia, Papua New Guinea and Madagascar. Usually when I see a photograph of a specific place, I often think I really want to take my own photo and discover it’s true beauty.

In Yemen I’d love to visit the island of Socotra, such a unique and individual place where the trees are like nowhere else on earth.

Where is your most favourite place you have travelled to?
One of the only places I’ve ever been back to was Australia, however I believe this was simply due to the size of the country. However, they have some incredible and unusual places like Kakadu, Tasmania and Uluru to visit.

I have several favourite countries for various reasons.

Iceland – clean, beautiful and incredibly lovely locals

Tonga – like a little slice of paradise, a unique island in the South Pacific which was never colonised

Peru – one of the friendliest places I’ve ever been

Several countries including Romania really surprised me, it receives a lot of negative press in the UK so when I arrived and discovered kind, warm and friendly people willing to do anything to help me, I was really pleasantly surprised. I can’t wait to revisit.

Typically, I have several.

One of my most memorable experiences has to be being woken up at 4am in Palmyra, Syria by the noise of camels waiting outside to take you to the ruins. I felt like Lawrence of Arabia riding whilst the sunrise started appearing through the ancient and historical ruins of Palmyra.

I’ve wanted to visit Machu Picchu for many years, I finally got the opportunity in 2013. Sadly i’d been ill most of the day and was in two minds about doing the trek, however due to encouragement and a personal goal to achieve, nothing was going to stop me. After overcoming a panic attack, sickness and a fear of heights I reached the top and my favourite travel memory was born.

What is your favourite photo from your travels?
I have way too many to add here, however I think some of the ones I’m most proud of are these.

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