Inspiring Travel Writing from Martin Li
Martin Li is a writer and photographer based in London. He earlier studied physics at Cambridge and worked for several years in corporate finance. His main travel interests are wildernesses and remote, hideaway destinations in the developed world. A keen skier, horserider and trekker, he has a passion for exploring the adventure and culture of the world's great mountain regions, especially the Himalayas, Alps and, above all, the Andean countries of South America.
Martin won the 2005 Wilderness Award for an adventure riding a mule across some of the most remote, rugged and beautiful wilderness in the Bolivian and Peruvian Andes. His quest was to trace the rise and fall of the Inca empire from its birthplace in Lake Titicaca, to its pinnacle at Machu Picchu and beyond to its final stand in the densely forested mountains of Vilcabamba.
Martin's book describing this adventure, "Inca Trails", is now available (www.Inca-Trails.org).
Martin won the 2005 Wilderness Award for an adventure riding a mule across some of the most remote, rugged and beautiful wilderness in the Bolivian and Peruvian Andes. His quest was to trace the rise and fall of the Inca empire from its birthplace in Lake Titicaca, to its pinnacle at Machu Picchu and beyond to its final stand in the densely forested mountains of Vilcabamba.
Martin's book describing this adventure, "Inca Trails", is now available (www.Inca-Trails.org).
Articles by Martin Li
-
Daring Bolivia's Road of Death
|
Martin Li
|
Bolivia
It was an early morning in July, and Alberto Olivera was manoeuvring his minibus along the treacherous mountain road from La Paz to Coroico. Rounding the notorious San Juan section, where the rough surface was still wet from a nearby waterfall, he...
-
Catch and Cook at Glacier Bay’s Bear Track Inn
|
Martin Li
|
United States
|
Alaska
|
Glacier Bay
Being eaten by a bear wasn’t in the script. I was supposed to be the hunter gatherer on this trip! I had come to Bear Track Inn in Alaska’s Glacier Bay to 'Catch and Cook' the region’s bountiful seafood. But here I was half a mile from the lodge and...
-
Wild Rose Ranch
|
Martin Li
|
Canada
|
British Columbia
|
Rocky Mountains
Having not ridden for several years I was relieved as well as a little amused when our first horse-related duty on arriving at Wild Rose Ranch was to watch a video entitled 'Which end does the hay go in?' As we watched the video Barry, one of our...
-
Royal Trek to Bhutan’s Most Sacred Summit
|
Martin Li
|
Bhutan
|
Bhutan Region
|
Paro
I’m not accustomed to being followed by royalty, but then I’d never before visited Bhutan. While I was on a trek to Jomolhari, Bhutan’s most sacred summit, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck strode in my footsteps as he travelled to meet subjects in remote...
-
Enchanting Moonscape of Salt, Lakes and Volcanoes
|
Martin Li
|
Bolivia
|
La Paz and around
|
La Paz
As my bus slowly rattled and groaned its way out of La Paz for the long journey south, I shuddered at what I’d let myself in for. For three weeks since arriving in Bolivia I’d resisted the lure of the far south-west. Though described by many as the...
-
Cyprus – Back to Nature in Aphrodite’s Back Yard
|
Martin Li
|
Cyprus
|
other areas of Cyprus
|
Larnaca
“You’ll find the largest fruit in the middle of the tree,” advises Sofronis as he plunges headfirst into the thick citrus branches. He emerges seconds later clutching fistfuls of plump mandoras, a type of mandarin. We follow his lead and even though...
-
Preserving the Last Shangri-la - Responsible Travels through Bhutan
|
Martin Li
|
Bhutan
Recoiling in horror at the environmental scarring high tourism levels have inflicted on its Himalayan neighbour Nepal, Bhutan imposed quotas on annual visitor numbers and controls on their activities. These measures and a responsible attitude to...
-
Before You Die: Bolivia – Salar de Uyuni and South-western Lakes
|
Martin Li
|
Bolivia
|
Titicaca and the south
|
Laguna Verde
Miles and miles of dazzling white nothingness are bizarrely punctuated by two “islands”: huge mounds of rock and earth on which flourish cactuses and stranded viscachas (Andean rabbits). The fiery red Laguna Colorada and other-worldly...
-
Blazing Saddles: Horseback Adventure Across the Namib Desert
|
Martin Li
|
Namibia
|
Namib Desert Region
|
Namib Desert
“Go!” screams Waldi as our horses charge at full gallop across the Rooisand dunes at the edge of the Namib Desert. Grassy tufts, lone acacia trees and occasionally my life flash before me in a furious blur of red sand as we hurtle towards our night...
-
Cruising the Waters of Life
|
Martin Li
|
United Kingdom
|
Hebrides
|
Skye
Early evening stars twinkle amongst the towering mast lights of a cluster of yachts. The stark ruins of Dunyvaig castle silently guard our peaceful mooring in Lagavulin bay on the south-east coast of Islay. On the deck of our elegant vessel, we...