Bio
Life as the adventure — mini-retirements, trusting the unknown, and taking the leap of faith.
Over 30 years of shoestring travel — not a grand tour, but a spiritual journey of self-discovery. Walking the unknown path, remembering who I truly am, and sharing the wisdom, cultures, and lost traditions found along the way.
A spark of curiosity turned life and travel into the adventure itself — free from convention and from letting money dictate direction, guided instead by the wisdom of enough and the courage to figure things out along the way.
It’s never been about ticking countries off a list — I had a pull to go… To follow that instinct toward certain places, the ones that call you back again and again. The unexpected connections, the familiar energy that makes you drop everything to return. Some places just feel more like home than the one you leave behind — where you truly lay your hat.
👣 A visit to France back in 1992 aged 24, this was my first experience of European culture and I wondered why I had missed out on this wonderful lifestyle, up to that point. Just wanting to see more of the World, where people are enjoying life to the fullest, where mealtimes become the important time of the day.
Cultural traditions
👣 Indigenous cultures have always fascinated me — especially the ones that have held onto their principles, traditions, and ways of life. Working in harmony with the land — taking only what’s needed and leaving the rest for the next generation. A quiet wisdom… and a beautiful world when we live this way.
“Not to forget your roots, they define you. Though they shouldn’t limit you” - Michael Caine
Travel highlights
Free spirit adventures
Crossing borders, wandering colonial towns, stepping onto remote islands, learning from history, and sharing meals with families… these moments keep pulling me back out into the world. Every place teaches something new, and every journey reminds me how rich life becomes when we honour what has been passed down.
Independent Budget Travel — “Simple journeys, real experiences. More time than money, more life than things.” - Real Wealth
Volunteering on a Kibbutz in Israel, which opened my eyes by experiencing many places and I saw some of the local difficulties. Also engaged in organic farm work as a volunteer (commonly known as WWOOF’ing) in New Zealand and Spain.
In the early 30s, blessed with the chance to travel twice around the world, with six stops in each direction. Destinations included Fiji, Hawaii, Thailand, and Singapore, made possible through a round-the-world ticket shared across an airline alliance. The flexible nature of the ticket allowed plans to change as the journey unfolded. On one occasion, arriving at the airport a day early resulted in flying to Adelaide instead of Sydney — a reminder that some of the best moments come from going with the flow.
Driving through the Australian outback — twice — revealed a landscape often described as empty, yet filled with presence. Stopping in the middle of the desert, surrounded by the same horizon in every direction, there’s a quiet magic that settles in. If you stand still long enough, you can hear the ground crack under the heat. Days pass on single-strip tarmac, watching a distant road train slowly approach before pulling onto the gravel as it thunders by.
Visits to Uluru and the Devil’s Marbles — sacred places in Aboriginal Dreamtime — carry an ancient, humbling energy that lingers long after you leave. Running out of fuel twice and cleaning a carburetor in the middle of nowhere became part of the story, not a setback. These are the journeys that return easily in conversation — the kind best remembered slowly, perhaps over a shared beer.
In my mid 30’s an unforgettable journey to Cochabamba, Bolivia, shared with a lifelong Bolivian friend, Juan, who first came to England at the age of seven. Experiencing the country through his eyes — staying with family and moving at a local pace — offered a depth of comprehending no guidebook could provide. The journey continued by land in a converted Toyota Land Cruiser, travelling through Santa Cruz and on to Trinidad to visit more of his family along the way.
👣 From my Late 30’s, backpacked across Mexico & Guatemala many times, including many miles on the Chicken bus. Also travelling to Cuba many times and on one occasion backpacked with my daughter, who has also travelled with me in Mexico, Guatemala and Colombia, with many miles using local transport.
👣 In my 40’s living and worked voluntary in Colombia and helped sell coffee to small businesses there, to help support a family I was living with. That all started, with a close connection to a Colombian family in the UK, when I first visited Colombia, and staying with the large family there.
And during that time, one unforgettable journey through Central America — Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama — a landscape of wild beauty and astonishing wildlife.
Also stayed with a large family in Lima Peru, and travelling solo, I visited the incredible Machu Picchu, Cusco and around.
And after returning Colombia a few more times, I soon ended up living there. The family from the UK visited Colombia at the same time and I surprised them. Now we have good memories, they have grown very close to my heart and we often do Colombian cooking and have parties like they do In Colombia and everyone is welcome with enough food to feed with no one going hungry.
Travelling on a Shoestring
Travelling back then was incredibly affordable — the pound was supper strong in non-Westernised countries, bucket-shop travel agents sold last-minute flights for next to nothing, and sometimes picking up a free stop over on route. And much of Latin America, Southeast Asia, many of the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands were perfectly set up for backpackers. Hostels and bamboo huts were simple, clean, and social places where you shared meals, stories, and taxi rides with fellow travellers. Local buses went almost everywhere, and street food offered fresh, healthy meals for pocket change. Your money stretched further, but more importantly, life slowed down. You could live simply, like a local, and give yourself the time and space to really experience what the world had to offer.
“At times, a flight to Spain cost less than the bus to the airport.” - And staying outside the main tourist centres often made travel more affordable than remaining at home.
To afford to travel — The key is simple: spend less than you earn and make sacrifices that don’t diminish your wellbeing. I learned to make do and mend, cut back on unnecessary outgoings, walk instead of drive, and save consistently. Back then, money put in the bank even earned interest — a quiet reward for living simply, patiently, and with intention.
Independent travel is about creativity — a way of stretching your time, not just your budget. It’s less about money and more about mindset. When you travel simply, you discover how little you truly need, and how far curiosity can carry you. Over the years, I’ve learned small, resourceful ways to wander for longer, to let the world open at its own pace. I share these insights throughout my posts and notes, so you can explore the world in your own way, without breaking the bank.
Simple ways to begin your travel journey:
Start by joining trusted communities that carry the old spirit of hospitality. Couchsurfing connects you with fellow wanderers and generous hosts; Warm Showers opens doors for cyclists on global routes. Explore TrustedHousesitters and WWOOF to contribute your time and care in exchange for a place to stay. Travel becomes richer when you remember an ancient rule of the road: give more than you take. And don’t overlook what is already close to you. Call on friends and family living abroad, or those you’ve met along the way. Some of my Latin friends in the UK encouraged me to visit their families back home — a reminder that travel often begins through trust, not transactions. One conversation can turn a distant place into a welcome.
Being grateful for travel, to have met many interesting people from all over the world, where I have learnt local traditions and methods. Made great long-term friendship with locals and other travellers, whilst on the road and living like a local.
From seeing the world to shaping it
Having been fortunate to travel the world — volunteering and using my skills to help others along the way. Living like a local has been a beautiful experience that opened my eyes to the realities and richness of our world. In my 50's is was time to give back to society in a more meaningful way — to create opportunities, not handouts.
Contributing back means strengthening the roots & create the conditions
By connecting small local businesses, using local products, and keeping setup and running costs low, we support independence and resilience. This is how a different kind of economy is built — one that keeps communities alive, connected, and thriving.
👣 You may like to Read: Know Your Farmer
Grateful for the journey so far, and even more excited for the path ahead — one where travel meets purpose. It’s not just about where we go, but what we give along the way.
Exploring Lost Traditions — the threads that connect independent world travel, the local economy, and living like a local.
The goal isn’t to chase the idea of travel, but to comprehend its potential — how it shapes us, grounds us, and opens the world in ways that truly matter.
👣 Continue Reading About Lost Traditions.
👣 And if we ever meet on the road, the coffee’s on me.
Warm regards,
Martin
Lost Traditions — Independent Travel Tribe. We travel not to escape life, but to comprehend it — to reconnect with what’s real, what’s shared, and what’s enough.
Join the tribe Be part of a tribe of travellers, wanderers, and storytellers — people who value experience over possessions and connection over convenience. Who give more than they take, and welcome others along the way. Share your thoughts in the comments, trade ideas, and support this work by subscribing. There’s no cost in money — just curiosity, courage, and an open heart.