Travel Tales: Roderick Eime, Travel Journalist and Web Publisher
Name: Roderick Eime
Age: Generation Jones
Occupation: Travel journalist and web publisher
Favourite travel destination?: Papua New Guinea, particularly their remote islands. They are wild, raw and always surprising. Great people.
Worst travel experience?: Left my passport and wallet in the taxi, forgot my USA visa waiver, nearly missed my flight, booked the wrong hotel on the wrong date, couldn’t sleep, went to the wrong ferry terminal, overslept and missed the return ferry, missed my connecting flight but still made it to my cruise on time. Yes, this was *one* trip and it all happened inside 48 hours. I now have an unshakable belief in travel angels.
Best tips for beating jetlag?: Jet Ease tablets. Go easy on alcohol and coffee. Stay calm. Try and break a long-haul with a stopover. When home, crash out with Melatonin.
What is the one thing you don’t leave home without?: My sense of humour and wonder.
Do you stay in touch with people while you’re travelling?: Facebook
Best meal you’ve ever had while travelling?: I’ve been really spoiled here, but the Grand Chef’s dinner at the brand new Four Seasons Hong Kong was pretty special. The company makes all the difference and I’ve had some magnificent meals on my own.
Best kiss?: Mmm .. don’t do much kissing when I travel so my best kisses are always at home. Maybe I’m missing something here?
Best/scariest/funniest drive?: Oooh! There’s been a couple. The bus driver in Cape Town talking on his mobile and PA simultaneously, while changing gear without wearing a seatbelt on a winding mountain road pretty much summed up the South African attitude to driving. Then there was my time in India. Holy cow, never drive at night in India. Never!
What has been the big WOW moment of your travelling life?: There are a few candidates. Alone at Angkor Wat at dawn, Macau Tower jump (230m), climbing Mt Kinabalu (4000m), 45m underwater on a bomber wreck, sitting in Douglas Mawson’s chair in his Antarctica winter quarters and driving a rally car at 100mph on the dirt in Wales.
What is your number one travel tip?: Surrender to travel. Don’t try and transform a destination to your preconceived expectations. Just go with it.
Read more of Roderick Eime’s stories here.
Roderick, i’m battling flu and feeling miserable – this has made me laugh out loud this morning. Thank you!
Wow Roderick, that has to be the worst travel experience story to date. I can’t believe you had that bad run of luck in only 48hours!
It ain’t ‘luck’ guys. There’s no such thing as ‘luck’. There’s only good planning, common sense, courteousness, opportunities and … fate! I should add that in each case above, I was rescued from the brink of catastrophe by the goodwill of a complete stranger. Never EVER underestimate the power of karma. Lose your cool or lash out and it all turns to mush.
Roderick, aside from the aforementioned truths, that is the best travel photo ever! … Fact.