Nomad Travel Guides and Blogs

In fact, I think it would make a great stop off when backpacking between KL and Bangkok. Very picturesque with its limestone cliffs, Ipoh is a little different to other Malay cities and there was practically no Westerners to be seen, allowing me to soak up the local culture and lifestyle. I really enjoyed the special Ipoh "white coffee" which is perfect for those with a sweet tooth and yes that includes me. Delicious. Ipoh is a great jump off spot to travel within Malaysia, you can go East to the Cameron Highlands or head West and hit the beautiful beaches on offer there.

I love the jungle environment and one week into the middle of this trip, I headed into the Taman Negara National Park. Taman Negara is one the oldest rainforests in the entire world, estimated at about 130 million years old. Perhaps even more amazing is that the park is home to over 500 tigers and 300 rhinos which is very unusual for a rainforest. The visitor centre is fantastic and they cater for types of travellers and all levels of fitness. And for the more adventurous spirited, they provide directions and maps for independant walks. Or for those who want a little more assistance, local guides are available to give guided treks.

I was lucky enough, because of Nomad Travel and my relationship with the Royal Geographical Society, to spend a few days sleeping and camping out with 2 park rangers as they patrolled the park. A really rare opportunity, I made the most of it and the three of us spent a lot of time smoking, sweating and eating (not neceesarily in that order though!) We shared our food rations too, them with tinned curry and me with some good old packaged Lancanshire Hotpot. Whilst the Malaysian Rangers said they enjoyed the British dish, they went straight back to their curry as did I.


We talked about the role of the Malaysian Park ranger and their duties and the diffculties of dealing with poaches and some tourists. In particular the amount of rubbish that tourists leave behind on their walks which is disheartening to witness. The 4,000 sq km has 130-odd rangers and there are many worthwhile wildlife projects for these rangers to undertake but unfortunately they spend a large chunk of their time on picking up after lazy visitors.





Over the next few days I learnt more on how challenging their jobs are, especially when they have to do 10 day patrols around the Park and carry about 30 kilos of equipment in very basic and uncomfortable rucksacks.

To make their lives a little easier, Nomad are donating some outdoor kit including some Lowe Alpine Rucksacks, Petzl Tikka XP headtorches, Osprey Rucksacks and our own Travelproof Variant 3 sleeping bags which are just perfect for rainforest and jungle environments.




I also couldn't wait to test the newest design of our Travelproof Expedition Poncho. A wet, humid trek through a Malaysian rainforest would really validate how great this poncho is...but alas it was more of a drizzleforest than a rainforest and the wet barely touched us. So I left with the Taman Negara park rangers who will most certainly get to use it almost daily I'll let you know about their feedback!


The time in the Taman Negara National Park also confirmed what I suspected all along, the best all round travel footwear are a pair of D-Ring Desert Boots. Actually the name desert boot can be misleading and they should be renamed to something to reflect how versatile they can be. Although not waterproof, they are comfortable and highly breathable so my feet never over heat and get sweaty.

My Desert Boots were trudged through muddy trails, rivers and creeks, up and down mountainous paths without deteriorating. Days later when I came out of the rainforest, they dried without cracking and I walked into a 5 star hotel for drinks and another business meeting without them looking out of place. A truly versatile and durable piece of travel footwear and even more comfy if you slip in a Brasher Innersoles to increase the shock absorbency.

After keeping it old school for years with a compass and map, I have gone all digital and now take a Garmin GPS Oregon 400t with me when trekking. But the problem I find in using a GPS in jungle type environments is the canopy can be so dense that it is sometimes hard to pick up a satelite signal. Fortunately when a signal is available I plot waypoints so that the GPS unit is still useful. I then grab my traditional compass (always essentail for backup) and use these GPS waypoints and dead reckoning so I can still find my way. I always use my trusty Silva Voyager 8040 Compass as its always reliable.



While out with the Park Rangers, we came across some lost backpackers who had been residing in London for the past few years. This young couple had become disoriented in the dense rainforest and had been wandering around in the park trying to find the right trail. We found them on a river with the girl beginning to break down because of the stressing situation. After reassuring them that they would be ok and the direction they needed to head, they said that they recognised me from somewhere.

I soon discovered they were regular readers of my weekly travel tips in The Sunday Times and had even been into the Nomad Russell Square Clinic to get their jabs and equipment for their trip. They even used to the Nomad Travellers Checklist to prepare their kit. One of those very random travel encounters that brings the phrase "small world" into mind.

On November 29th 2, Nomad founder and CEO Paul Goodyer appeared on Simon Calder's Travel Clinic on radio station LBC 97.3fm. A legend in the media on all things travel, Simon invited Paul along to suggest Christmas Gifts for the seasoned traveller. Check out the suggested list below and if you would like to hear a podcast of the program, click here for further details >>

by Nomad Travel Co-founder and CEO, Paul Goodyer

For series three of BBC's Beyond Boundaries, 10 physically disabled teenagers crossed the Andes, one of the highest mountain ranges in the world. Over a period of four weeks and 400km, I was the Logistics Assistant for the TV production company that helped these young people fight their way from the edge of the Amazon Basin, climb to over 5000m to reach the snowline on Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world, and then descend to sea level, wading through miles of swamp before reaching the Pacific Ocean. It was one of the toughest experiences in my life compounded by the fact I shared responsibility of ensuring everyone got there in one piece.


Landing on a Hercules airplane in Ecuador

It was hard right from the moment we landed. It was too wet and muddy for the big Herc to land at our destination so we diverted to Shell Cota. Whilst most of the 40 strong cast, crew and local military took light planes direct to the starting point, I had half a tonne of equipment to get to the edge of the Amazon basin, scout a location and set up base camp. My Spanish lessons came in handy as I was able to hire banana trucks from locals to move it closer. Then as the roads ended we rented 38 mules to shift the kit up the hill to the base camp location. Unfortunately we needed a total of 47 mules so we had to double back and make sure we weren't visible on camera.


Setting up Base Camp

While I expected rain, it was unusually heavy and long. Actually it was the wettest expedition I have ever been on and caused all sorts of logistical problems. Not only did we have to find a passable route (wheelchairs proved a real challenge!) and find large clearings for Base Camps but we also had to keep everything dry. Tatonka Barrel bags proved themselves fantastic in showers but because the downpour was that heavy, they eventually leaked through the zips. This lead me to finding a waterproof holdall with a fold and clip closure. Problem solved!

For the humans, the Travelproof Tropical Ponchos were indispensible and more than held their own in the torrential rain. The filming and recording equipment were especially important on this trip (it was a TV production afterall!) and the 2 big generators charged the batteries and as a great by-product (discovered by accident) that acted as large exhaust fans. They blew hot air to dry our wet equipment.


It was wet. Very wet. Travelproof Ponchos were invaluable

I enjoyed being stretched by the challenges this TV production threw at me. I also enjoy learning and my travel health training was greatly improved on this expedition. Our Nomad Pharmacy and Travel Clinics were responsible for constructing the huge medical kit required for the 40 people but I had to learn how to split it up effectively in the field. Naturally we couldn't carry it all together because the group did not remain together at all times. The challenge was in keeping the major items within attainable reach of all parties in case of emergencies and different scenarios. We were successful and while accidents happened, we were able to treat them quickly and effectively.


On an easier and drier part of the Andes route

The type of footwear to use in the jungle always poses a problem. Jungle Boots are suited best but on this expedition I opted for good old wellies. The amount of rain and mud made it almost a neccessity and by slipping in Brasher Footbeds, they become fairly comfortable too. However it was just too much rain and mud and they kept getting stuck and once water got inside, it had nowhere to drain. In the end, I went for non-waterproof boots instead and they were much more effective.

I thought I had it hard. The mud was a challenge for all.

Camera and sound crew recording the disabled adventurers

Over the 3 weeks of filming where I was involved, the expedition winded its way through the steamy, claustrophobic environments of rainforest and cloud forest, where we all got used to the wildlife, stifling humidity and torrential rain. Unfortunately this was where my expedition ended as my real job was calling. However for the rest of the group new challenges arose and they had to come to terms with trekking and filming at altitude, where altitude sickness was a very real concern, and the temperatures can drop below zero. All this on top of a vertical ascent of nearly 2 kilometres and still shifting half a tonne of kit and equipment with them the entire way.


Fooling around with the local military who were there to support

I have been involved in many expeditions over the years and the Beyond Boundaries production has been one of my favourites. Defeating the huge challenges I encountered was very satisfying. I think perhaps though that the most rewarding part was helping the participants and watching them conquer their disabilities with such an amazing spirit. Overall, a truly inspiring experience.