Julian Carnall, Responsible Travel with Large Minority
Johan Smits discusses Sri Lanka, tuk tuk challenges and responsible travel with Julian Carnall, the man behind Large Minority and the Lanka Challenge. How did Large Minority come about? The…
10 of the Best Hikes in the World
Although hiking is fulfilling for many reasons, there’s no denying that it’s always better when the scenery is spectacular. These ten hikes are some of the world’s most scenic and…
Voyage to the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest
Taking an old paddlewheel steamer from Dhaka to the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest in Bangladesh, Johan Smits finds poetry, a lost city and a vast water forest. “What beauty, what shades…
Levison Wood: Return to Nepal
Explorer, best-selling travel writer and former British army officer Levison Wood returns to Nepal on behalf of the Gurkha Welfare Trust to become acquainted with friends old and new…
Dhaka, Bangladesh – the World’s Most Crowded City
Johan Smits takes a deep breath before plunging into the world’s most crowded city, Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka. I’m a fan of Sci-Fi films. And often it’s the atmospheric, non-tech parts…
Simon Albert: Charity Challenge
Travel Begins at 40 chats with Simon Albert, Director of Charity Challenge, which celebrates its 20th birthday in 2019 helping raise over £55 million for charity in the process. How…
Macao Holidays: Where Portugal Meets China
On his Macao Holidays, Mike Pickup discovers a place that fuses its Portuguese and Chinese heritage in three quite distinct ways. It’s little wonder that at times Macao seems more…
Valentine’s Day Ideas for the Over 40s
It’s never too old to fall in love, nor to show you love that special someone. So, to provide some romantic inspiration, Travel Begins at 40 has rounded up a few…
Mauritius Holidays: Arrive a Visitor, Leave a Local
On his Mauritius Holidays, James Clark is overwhelmed by the hospitality of the island nation’s people and the rum…
Cultural Taiwan: Top Five Unmissable Experiences
For a small island nation, cultural Taiwan has been punching well above its weight with the establishment of several world-class performance venues in only…
Elephant Sanctuary on World Elephant Day
To mark World Elephant Day on 12 August, Travel Begins at 40 interviews the World Animal Protection, formerly known as WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals), about what…
The LifeCo Detox Retreat in Bodrum
Intrigued by what all the fuss is about Eileen Wise embarks upon a The LifeCo detox retreat in Bodrum, Turkey, and comes back a totally rejuvenated woman. Maybe there was…
Travel Photography Tours: Getting to Know People
Nathan Horton has been running travel photography tours in Asia for more than a decade, he discuses the latest trends in the sector, arguing the case for responsible tourism and…
Almaty: the Coolest City in Central Asia
Johan Smits explores Kazakhstan’s former capital Almaty and discovers an overlooked city destination full of cafe culture and a respect for its former Soviet heritage waiting to be discovered by…
Female Explorer Elise Wortley: Woman with Altitude
Last November, Elise Wortley set out into the Indian Himalaya, following in the footsteps of legendary female explorer Alexandra David-Neél, who crossed the Himalayas…
Petra Jordan, Lawrence and Peace in Troubled Waters
Accepting an offer from the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPT) to visit Petra Jordan and Azraq Refugee Camp, Mark Bibby Jackson encounters a country with a rich history…
Trekking the Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan
Expecting nothing but the soaring mountains in the Pamir region of Tajikistan, Johan Smits gets far more than he bargained for when trekking the Wakhan Valley. “Some of these petroglyphs…
Druk Path Trek Bhutan, the Local Way
Vast landscapes and wide open skies are defining features of Bhutan and there are few better ways to see them than on the Druk Path Trek…
Sampling the Great Outdoors in Kyrgyzstan
Enjoying homemade cuisine inside a yurt, listening to old folk music and admiring the wonderful landscape of the great outdoors from the back of a horse, Johan Smits gets a…
Oman Holidays: A Leap into the Unknown
When considering a trip to the the Middle East, Oman holidays might not be top of your list, but as Mark Bibby Jackson discovers the sultanate has a rich culture…
Japan Travel: Glamping, Zip-cords and Samurai
On a mindfulness trip, Mark Bibby Jackson is surprised to discover the Japan travel scene confound all his expectations, and picks up a few tips towards enlightenment along the way…
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: Back in the USSR
Johan Smits wanders through Bishkek where he encounters Bolshevik statues, a free election campaign and crafted ales. Before I set off to visit Kyrgyzstan’s quirky capital Bishkek, a former resident…
Slowing Down in the Sanatorium
Looking for a break from Dushanbe, Johan Smits unwinds in a Tajik mountain sanatorium – Soviet style. If someone asked you to sit naked on a bottomless chair and have…
Tajikistan Travel – Dushanbe Lost in Time
Johan Smits shares his fascination for an intriguing mix of old-world charm and bold new vision in Tajikistan’s curious capital, Dushanbe. The employee shoos us away with a mixture of…
