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Simon Calder at 25: The most impressive travel media personalities

The independent ’s travel correspondent, simon calder, looks back at a quarter century of travel, article bookmarked.

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Over the past two-and-a-half decades I have met many impressive men and women who have helped to give the UK the best travel industry in the world.

Among them are 25 “travel heroes” whose expertise and energy have improved life for travellers. In the last of a five-part series, here are the most inspiring people in the media.

Each has provided a travel tip and a happiest travel memory.

Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel

Lyn hughes, cofounder and editor-in-chief of ‘wanderlust’ magazine.

Many of the best ideas in business, from the Virgin logo to the concept of the Eden Project, were sketched out on napkins. Lyn Hughes and her late husband, Paul Morrison, went one better: they created the model for a travel magazine on the back of a sick bag. Aboard a doddery old DC10 belonging to the now-defunct Venezuelan airline Viasa, they sketched out a dream publication for independent travellers. Issue one in November 1993 set the tone for the magazine: a mix of sharp writing about both adventurous and familiar destinations, supported by compelling images and mixed with news, reviews and advice for independent travellers.

Travel tips: “I have three: put the name of your hotel, its address and your room number in your phone. It’s so easy to forget hotel details in the first 24 hours, especially after a night out or tiring journey. Wherever you are in the world, the museums usually have the best and cleanest public loos. And, if you’re going whale watching in Baja, California (if not planned yet, you really must), the grey whales are incredibly friendly – but for some reason, singing Eighties pop songs to them very loudly seems to draw them to you. I found Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ particularly effective.”

Happiest travel memory: “Canoeing at dawn on a lagoon in northern Belize. As I gently paddled past the Mayan site of Lamanai, competing troops of howler monkeys were roaring in the canopies on different sides of the lagoon, the sound reverberating around the forest and water. Entering a tranquil channel, we paused in awe as the golden orb of the sun came up over the reed beds. As the eerie howls of the monkeys faded, they were replaced by an explosion of birdsong and the gentle dip of the paddles. It could have been any century; the ultimate timeless and all-encompassing travel experience.”

Kate Humble, writer and broadcaster

“No part of Afghanistan should be considered immune from violence,” read the Foreign Office travel advice a decade ago. “The potential exists throughout the country for hostile acts. Visitors travelling to Afghanistan do so at their own risk and without protection from her majesty’s government.” And so that’s where Kate Humble took her summer holiday. “While my friends were optimistically packing buckets and spades and heading for the west country, I was loading walking boots, sleeping bags and blister plasters into duffel bags and checking in for a destination I’d never heard of,” she wrote in The Independent . It was the Wakhan Corridor, a narrow finger of Afghanistan bordered by Tajikistan, China and Pakistan. Since then Kate has visited eastern Congo, presented many documentaries, and yet still finds time to run holiday hideaways in Monmouthshire and the Dordogne (neither of which are currently on the Foreign Office no-go list).

Travel tip: “I read a report by a scientist who, to avoid getting an upset stomach while travelling, used to swallow a tape worm before he went abroad. Swore he was never ill. I’ve never tried it, but I’m sort of intrigued. I eat local yoghurt if I can find it, as soon as I arrive anywhere, which I was also told worked – and it does seem to. It also has the advantage of not hanging around like a tape worm does…”

Happiest travel memory: “It is people, always, that make travel special and memorable. I was travelling alone in Cameroon in the mid-1990s, trying to get to a very remote community. Public transport in the rural areas were normal-sized cars which wouldn’t leave for their destination until they had the requisite seven passengers. I joined a nurse and her sister heading in the same direction as me and we waited for most of the day until enough other people turned up. The nurse and sister shared the front seat and I squeezed into the back with another woman and two men, one of whom was an enormously tall policeman. The roads were dirt, rutted and potholed, the car’s suspension non-existent and it was, without doubt, the most uncomfortable journey I have ever taken.

“But nor have I ever laughed so much. We frequently had to tumble out of the car (and we did because we had lost all feeling in our legs) to lift it over the worst of the potholes. The nurse passed a constant supply of bananas over her seat to us in the back, the policeman regaled us with tales of skulduggery. It was after dark when we reached a village and everyone got out and disappeared. My destination was further on and I’d need to get another car but, I was told by the driver, there would be no cars now until the morning.

“I rolled a cigarette and sat on a bank at the side of the road facing the real prospect that this is where I’d be spending the night. ‘What are you doing?’ said a voice from the darkness. ‘Er, just thinking,’ I replied as the face belonging to the voice appeared in front of me, looking at me as if I was mad. It was the nurse I’d shared the car with. ‘Well stop thinking and come with me,’ she said and stamped off. We reached a compound of small huts with mud walls and grass roofs. Her sister was stirring a huge iron pot over a fire and children were scattered about in the shadows. ‘I’m going to work. I’m on the nightshift’, said the nurse, ‘so you can have my bed. See you tomorrow.’ And she disappeared back into the darkness, waving away my attempt at thanks.”

Michael Palin, author and TV presenter

It is 50 years since Michael Palin and his crew brought us the first series of​ Monty Python’s Flying Circus . Just as nobody expected the Spanish inquisition, nobody expected a comedy star to begin a second career, 30 years ago, as travel presenter par excellence. Since he travelled around the world in 80 Days, there has barely been a patch of the planet that has not welcomed the kind and friendly man from Sheffield: he has taken us on screen from pole to pole, across the Himalayas and the Sahara, and full circle around the Pacific.

Travel tip: “Go for the side roads, not the main roads.”

Happiest travel memory: “On my first day in Tibet, we stopped by the roadside at Pang La Pass, 17,000ft above sea level. A short climb up to the top of a rise and there before me was the most stupendous view I have seen, before or since. Standing sharp against a crystal-clear sky was the whole spread of the central Himalayas, with Mount Everest at the heart of a majestic range of giant snow-covered peaks. I didn’t have much breath left by then, but what I had was taken completely by the magnificence of this extraordinary panorama.”

Simon Reeve, author and broadcaster

In 1998, almost nobody in the west appreciated the threat posed by al-Qaeda. But Simon Reeve did. He painstakingly researched the terrorist group for his book, The New Jackals . After they perpetrated the horrors of 9/11, Simon was in demand as an analyst – and his potential as a television travel presenter was soon recognised. But not your usual destinations: he made his presenting debut with the BBC series Meet the Stans in 2003, featuring Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, and has since roamed around the equator and both tropics, as well as Colombia, Russia and the Mediterranean.

Travel tip: “Be open, friendly and smiley. It makes the world of difference. And trust people – take chances. But always use your common sense.”

Happiest travel memory: “Arriving into the ancient Silk Road city of Bukhara in Uzbekistan one night, I stumbled out of our van and emerged next to the 16th century Mir-i-Arab Madrasa, an Islamic college. It was a numbingly beautiful sight. Light was streaming from tiny windows sparkling along its colossal walls like the portholes of a ship. In the darkness to the side I could see the legendary Kalon minaret, an elegant tower built in 1187 and used for centuries partly as a land-locked lighthouse to guide camel trains through the night. A haunting Islamic prayer rehearsal drifted through the night. It was one of the most intense and emotional sounds I have ever heard. The whole experience was overwhelming, and a perfect travel memory.”

Peter White MBE, broadcast journalist

Any Radio 4 listener will recognise Peter’s eloquent voice: he has presented programmes for the network since 1974, and has also reported for BBC television news. He currently shares presenting duties on You and Yours with Winifred Robinson. Peter experiences the world in a different way to most travellers, having been blind since birth, and has made some powerful documentaries – notably his series Blind Man Roams the Globe .

Travel tips: “My first packing decision has nothing to do with clothes or books; it’s ‘how many radios do I take?’ I don’t know a better way of taking an immediate snapshot of a city before even leaving my hotel room than a quick surf along the wavelengths. In one sweep you have its music, its politics, and what the citizens are moaning about at the moment on their phone-ins. You don’t even need to know the language: tone of voice is enough. The only trouble is, to get the full choice, you now need to make sure you’ve got access to shortwave, medium wave, long wave, FM and digital. So you have to make careful choices. It can be done, though, and there are some very small but good portable radios on the market. But don’t, for goodness sake, resort to online on your smartphone or tablet: otherwise you’ll end up listening to The Archers , or even You and Yours on Radio 4, in which case you might as well have stayed in Chipping Cleghorn.”

Happiest travel memory: “The trick for me has always been who you’re with, rather than where you are! So two holidays stand out for the same reason: when my children were young, we made some great friends whose children were exactly the same age as ours. And, joy of joys, they all got on brilliantly together (indeed, they are still friends). Result: we never saw them from dawn till dusk, and those two holidays, in Corfu and Normandy, were oases of peace and quiet. Hard to replicate, but worth every second if you manage it!”

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Simon Calder

This is the official site of travel journalist and broadcaster Simon Calder

Every week I record a travel podcast called You Should Have Been There with my great friend and travel companion Mick Webb.

The programmes are about the fun and fascination of travel, more than the practicalities, and about sharing the stories afterwards. Travel questions we have looked at in the past include: flying with a clear conscience; armchair travel; defining what makes the ideal travel companion; brief encounters; travelling as a three-some; socially-distanced travel, etc.

You Should Have Been There is hosted on Anchor.fm and available on Apple , Spotify , Google and others.

You might want to take a listen?

I also record a daily podcast for the Independent that features current news and views.  You can find it here .

203 episodes

Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent and former BBC producer, Mick Webb, discuss the world of travel and delight in travellers' tales.

You should have been there Mick Webb and Simon Calder

• Society & Culture
• 5.0 • 6 Ratings
• MAY 7, 2024

PODCAST 191 THE REAL ORIENT EXPRESS

We reveal some truths about the legendary Orient Express, including who was responsible for "murdering " it. Plus more travel miracles and updates for summer tourism. With Simon Calder and Mick Webb

• APR 30, 2024

PODCAST 190 HE WAS A DAY TRIPPER.........

We discuss the controversial new tax on day visitors to Venice and look ahead to the charms and challenges of this summer's travel, including the best month to make your get away.

• APR 20, 2024

PODCAST 189 DARK TOURISM

We explore the contrasting attractions of dark tourism for eclipse chasers and disaster seekers, while Simon tries not to miss his flight from New York. The website mentioned is dark-tourism. com.

• APR 3, 2024

PODCAST 188 NECESSARY EVILS

We delve into "Type 2 fun" and discuss some places that might be considered necessary evils on the way to more enjoyable destinations. Like the Central American city in the photo.

• MAR 26, 2024

PODCAST 187 Finding Happiness in Travel

Our guest is Mike Mackay Richards, author of "The Travelling Ape." Mike has visited 155 countries and has a perhaps surprisingly upbeat view of people and most, if not all, places. He advises us to get out there and enjoy the world rather then "vegetating in a little corner of it." His book is available from Amazon.

• MAR 19, 2024

PODCAST 186 UNFASHIONABLE DESTINATIONS

We muse on the weeks travel headlines about Air Traffic Control chaos and plunging planes, while Simon reports from the vast Berlin Travel Show where the whole world of travel is revealed.

• © Mick Webb and Simon Calder

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Simon Calder

Simon Calder is Britain's leading travel commentator and is known as “the man who pays his way” which means that he pays for his own travel. 

He began his career at Gatwick airport, where he cleaned out planes for Sir Freddie Laker and, later, frisked passengers.

He then started to write travel guidebooks and travel articles.  Today Simon is Travel Correspondent for The  Independent. Simon also writes for the Evening Standard, National Geographic as well many other publications.   

Simon is a regular guest on national TV and radio, often seen on BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, This Morning, CNN, ITV News, Channel 5 and Sky News. Plus BBC Radio 2, 4, 5, LBC, Times and Talk. 

He is frequently interviewed on national and local BBC radio.    

Simon has a weekly travel podcast called You Should Have Been There.  Plus, he records a Daily Podcast for the Independent.  He has many followers on Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok and You Tube.   

Hundreds of people a day get in contact with Simon through his website and through Twitter.  To answer all the questions & queries, he holds an Instagram Live every Saturday and Sunday at 17:30.  He also holds an Ask Me Anything on Twitter once a week.    

Twitter: @SimonCalder; Website: www.simoncalder.co.uk Instagram: simon_calder TikTok: @caldertravel You Tube: CalderTravel

• 04-Feb-2024 13:00– 14:00 Destinations – Simon’s Picks and Q&A

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Follows some of the most remarkable and remote destinations Simon has visited, from arctic glaciers to tropical reefs, from the forests of Borneo to the deserts of central Asia. Follows some of the most remarkable and remote destinations Simon has visited, from arctic glaciers to tropical reefs, from the forests of Borneo to the deserts of central Asia. Follows some of the most remarkable and remote destinations Simon has visited, from arctic glaciers to tropical reefs, from the forests of Borneo to the deserts of central Asia.

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Tens of millions spent ahead of new EU fingerprint travel rules

P reparations are under way at major Channel crossing points for a new automated European Union (EU) border IT system due to start this October, despite fears of queue chaos for holidaymakers.

Under the Entry Exit System (EES) non-EU nationals, including Brits, will have to register biometric information the first time they cross the border.

This has prompted concerns there might be huge delays as a result.

But tens of millions of pounds are being spent on equipment and processing areas at Dover’s ferry port, Eurostar’s London St Pancras terminus and Eurotunnel’s Folkestone site.

Dover plans to process coaches separately to cars and eventually reclaim a dock from the sea to create more space.

Eurostar will also expand into new areas of St Pancras station to fit in new kiosks.

People taking flights will provide the biometric information when they land at European airports.

However at Dover’s ferry port, Folkestone and London St Pancras, an arrangement of dual border controls means French border officers currently check and stamp passports as people leave the UK.

The new EES process will also take place on British soil at these sites.

Passports will no longer need to be stamped, but fingerprints and a photo will need to be taken. Travellers will also need to answer some questions about their journey.

As the registration process will need to be done in person at the port or station, there have been repeated warnings of bottlenecks as a result.

The UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron recently added his voice to concerns, telling a committee of MPs he was “really worried” about “long delays”.

Separate processes at Dover

Queueing at busy times is already an issue for space-constrained Dover.

The port’s chief executive Doug Bannister told the BBC its plans aimed to "minimise dwell times, queues and of course congestion out on the road network and throughout the town".

When EES kicks in, coaches - which carry dozens of passengers - will go to the Western docks, away from the main check-in areas. Coach halls will be built there, with new kiosks to register details.

Mr Bannister said passengers will then "proceed through the border in the Western docks, re-board their coach, the coach will get sealed, and it will come down here to the ferry terminal. As long as the seal's intact the coach will proceed directly around to check-in."

There will be a different process for cars and other vehicles. To start with, they will file into the usual lanes upon arrival at the port.

The port boss said they will be "met by one of our agents with a tablet" and asked for their details. A canopy will be put up over the lanes for weather protection.

The time it takes to go through border controls is likely to rise from 45 to 90 seconds to a couple of minutes or more per person when registering for EES.

By summer next year, the hope is to relocate that car processing to the Western docks too. This relies on an old dock being filled in to create more land.

The port plans to create more holding space around the port by September 2027.

Coach companies are worried about the new system.

Roselyn Coaches is based in Cornwall. By the time its vehicles reach Dover, they’ve already been on the road for hours.

Commercial manager James Church said any extra delays at Dover would not only affect customers’ experience, but would also carry more costs because drivers could hit their hours limit.

"If you’ve got a full coach with 50 to 70 people on board, that takes quite a long time anyway", he told the BBC. "We’re quite concerned".

He added that the business didn’t want EES to end up "[putting] a negative thought on continental coach crossings."

Implementing EES at London St Pancras means a big change for Eurostar passengers taking trains to Paris and beyond.

The number of border control points in the existing departures area will be doubled. Space constraints won’t leave room for the EES kiosks as well.

So, 49 of them will be installed at other points around the station, which is owned by HS1 and used by several domestic rail operators too.

A coffee shop near the main station entrance will make way for the main kiosk area. Two other zones will include an overflow room on St Pancras’ mezzanine level.

Simon Lejeune, Eurostar’s chief stations and security officer, insisted these arrangements, with extra staff on hand to assist customers, meant people would not need to turn up any earlier for a train than they currently do.

"With our set up it will still be 45 to 90 minutes check-in time", he said.

"We’ve really planned intensely for this, making sure that we’ve got the best arrangement for our customers."

Eurostar’s preparations are costing the equivalent of £8.5m.

Eurotunnel, which operates freight and vehicle shuttles though the Channel Tunnel, is spending the equivalent of £70m building processing zones, where people will queue in their cars to use automatic machines.

It will also hire 70 new passenger assistance staff on each side of the channel.

The company's boss Yann Leriche recently told the BBC getting through border controls would take five to seven minutes longer, but insisted the extra lanes and technology would avoid queues spilling out onto the roads.

The EU has been developing an app to enable EES registration to be started from home, but it's not expected to be ready for the start of the new system.

However, for a six-month transition period, the EU is expected to allow the checks to be reduced in some circumstances if bad queues build up.

A spokesperson for the UK government said it was "working closely with the EU and member states to minimise any impact at our shared borders with Europe."

They added: "We are also working closely with the Kent Resilience Forum as well as with port authorities, ferry operators and industry to develop robust contingency plans to ensure they are prepared to minimise the risk of delays."