I'm very much a traveller of the old school variety. And by that I mean I dislike having everything organised for me. I want to travel independently. I don't like having a guide hold my hand or a travel agent book my tickets. I want to experience life as the locals experience it. Eat the same food, suffer the same long bus and train journeys in economy class, and drink the same nasty alcohol.

What you need to travel is not a laptop and designer sneakers but simply a backpack, an open mind and a lot of patience.

The greatest resource an independent backpacker has is other travellers. The information they offer is invariably more accurate and up-to-date than the Lonely Planet. Think of this website as just that -another traveller trying to point you in the right direction.

As for my credentials. I have been exploring the world since I left college. I've been to large parts of Europe, Asia, Africa and, most recently, South America.

At the moment I'm based in Japan. I live here because my wife is Japanese and it is the best place to find work as an English teacher. But that is another story.