Welcome to Travel Begins at 40
They say that life begins at forty, so too can travel. That’s why we have launched Travel Begins at 40, a website that hopes to inspire people the right side of 40 to do something more interesting on their travels. Our collective of travel writers stretching the globe have shared their travel experiences and unique insight into the regions which they have decided to call home.
If you are tired of being surrounded by fellow tourists taking selfies of bucket list attractions, and the idea of taking a cruise ship fills you with dread, then www.travelbeginsat40.com is for you. We focus on bespoke tours, adventures off-the-beaten-track, ecotourism, homestays, city breaks, cultural tourism, wellness and the occasional luxury travel destination, while enjoying good food and wine along the way as well as interacting with local communities rather than treating them like freaks in a circus.
Our collective of travel writers will share their experiences to inspire you to travel more thoughtfully while maintaining a spirit of adventure. Travel Begins at 40 is aimed at the independent-minded, mature and understanding traveller.
inspire the 40-something generation to do something more adventurous with their travel than lying on a beach
We offer the experiences of our collective of travel writers from all parts of the globe to inspire the 40-something generation to do something more adventurous with their travel than lying on a beach – although we are not adverse to strolling along virgin white sands and diving in turquoise waters.
From adventure travel, through cultural tourism to ecotourism and community-based tourism, our team of travel writing experts have shared their best – and worst – travel experiences with you, as well as providing insight into the most exciting destinations on the planet, and the more interesting things you can do once you get there.
As travellers we all have a responsibility to respect both the environment in which we travel and the people we meet there
This isn’t just a team of experienced travel writers but people who live and work in the countries and regions they’re covering. Whereby in regular travel writing the focus often rests on promoting a particular destination, Travel Begins at 40 allows us to go beyond this and share more nuanced insider experiences that are close to our hearts.
Moreover, we believe that as travellers we all have a responsibility to respect both the environment in which we travel and the people we meet there. It’s important that our visit benefits the local community rather than overwhelms it. We all have a responsibility to respect cultural beliefs and personal privacy. This is the basis of responsible tourism. It is also the bedrock of sustainable tourism. That’s why we have launched our Trusted Partners scheme to highlight the activities of organisations within the travel industry that share our beliefs.
For us the key word in our name is “begins”, not 40, which is after all just a number. Travel, like life, is an adventure that should begin at 40.
Ultimately, we hope that this website will become a forum for mature, independent-minded travellers to swap travel advice and pass on anecdotes, as well as publishing the highest quality travel stories, destination guides and photographs.
I hope Travel Begins at 40 inspires you all to commence travelling again, whatever your age. Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, said that, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. Take your first step today.
If you wish to contact us, please email [email protected]
Our writing team
Mark Bibby Jackson
Founder
Mark first started travelling shortly after leaving university with a Inter-rail trip that was destined to end in tears at Munich station. Undeterred he has spent the best part of his adult life travelling and writing. The worst part of it was spent sitting in stuffy offices endeavouring to persuade people of the need to construct more railway lines – but that’s another tale. He has travelled most corners of the world, yet has still to circumnavigate it. And the last outstanding continent, Antarctica, lies high on his non-existent bucket list.
Marissa Carruthers
Southeast Asia Correspondent
Marissa inherited her love of travel from her parents, who would entertain her as a child with exotic tales of their adventures across the globe. Her first solo leap into foreign lands was an Inter-railing trip across Europe and North Africa during her first summer at university and, despite two muggings, several dices with death and a terrifying encounter with the monkey mafia, she was hooked.
Johan Smits
Central Asia Correspondent
Johan started travelling soon after he realised that his native Belgium was not one of the biggest countries in the world. Since then he’s traversed Europe along all four compass points, explored North, West and South Africa, erased his prejudices about North America, become addicted to East Asian cuisine, popped over to Australia to get married, regretted not having spent more time in South America, and got stuck for a very long while in Southeast Asia. Yet the more he travels, the longer grows his wish list of future destinations.
Mike East
Americas Correspondent
Mike began his career in travel writing by going overseas during his holidays and writing his own guide. He then sent this manuscript off to a range of travel guide companies and got a range of rejection letters — all except one. Getting a contract to write for Roger Lascelles Publications on the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago and The Bahamas was how his career began. With this opportunity came other pieces for British magazines and The Sunday Telegraph.
