Books / Bradt Travel Guides
Bristol writer features in new travel anthology
Towards the end of last summer renowned travel publisher Bradt went in search of tales of adventure from intrepid solo travellers to put together in an anthology. The idea was to “inspire and encourage people to travel alone”.
The result, Roam Alone: Inspiring Tales by Reluctant Solo Travellers, hits the shelves this month. It’s a collection of inspiring stories by new travel writers who faced up to anxieties and fears about travelling on their own. One of said brave explorers is Bristol’s Hannah Stuart-Leach.
Hannah’s contribution to the collection recounts her first solo adventure, which took her to a remote village in the Philippines. Looking back on the experience Hannah, who works at Visit Bristol, says, “At the time (in my late 20s) I’d travelled a bit with other people but never taken a big trip on my own, so I wanted to go somewhere totally new that would challenge me.
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“I was also looking to do some volunteering, and found the perfect project in this village in the Philippines. I’ve always been a huge scaredy-cat though, and I was ridiculously nervous about things like the 12-hour ferry crossing to get there and how I’d be received when I arrived – but I knew it was important for me to push myself.
“I can’t say I instantly became a brave and fearless adventurer – I still get anxious before every trip I take – but it definitely gave me the confidence to travel more on my own. Even though it’s harder, I really love the sense of freedom it gives you. My favourites since my time in the Philippines include a five-month journey around the beautiful island of Sri Lanka and a solo walk, 400 miles north, from South Wales to Scotland.”
Other writers featured in Roam Alone include Phoebe Smith, Jennifer Barclay and Hilary Bradt. The title is also April’s Book of the Month at Stanfords travel bookshop on Corn Street.
Roam Alone: Inspiring Tales by Reluctant Solo Travellers is published by Bradt Travel Guides, price £10.99. For more info, visit www.bradtguides.com/roam-alone-pb.html
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