Author: Kia

Kia Abdullah is an author, travel writer and born-and-bred Londoner. She has published two novels and contributed to the Guardian newspaper, Channel 4 News and the BBC. She currently writes for Rough Guides and covers honeymoon destinations for Asian Bride magazine.

Driving the hairpinned Sani Pass to Lesotho

By Kia

Sani Pass is said to be one of the most dangerous mountain passes in the world. We decided to drive it on our overnight tour to Lesotho.

Sometimes, I feel jealous of past explorers − not grandees like Cook or Magellan but everyday travellers that went somewhere and saw something not yet covered by Lonely Planet or indeed Atlas & Boots.

I imagine sultry Indian summers with endless corridors of uncharted possibility or China’s Hallelujah mountains, misty and deserted, and think how magical those times must have been.

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solo hiking tips: woman on a volcano

11 solo hiking tips for women

By Kia

We ask six expert climbers, thru-hikers and trail runners to share their solo hiking tips for women who want to walk alone.

I’ve hiked all over the world, from challenging countries like Ethiopia and Lesotho to Pacific idylls like Rarotonga and Easter Island. I’ve done multi-day treks above 4,000 metres, day hikes under a scorching sun and gentle jaunts more like walks in the park. Throughout it all, there has been one constant factor: Peter.

I’ve said in the past that it’s sexist to assume I’m not adventurous and spoken about the lack of diversity in the outdoors, but have seldom hiked alone. Peter is a staunch advocate of solo hiking, but I’ve never attempted anything longer than half a day.

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Tracking leopards and cheetahs at Okonjima Nature Reserve, Namibia

By Kia

We visit one of the world’s best places to see cheetahs and leopards: Okonjima Nature Reserve in Namibia.

I’ll be honest: in theory, I like the idea of staying at an eco lodge; in practice, however, I’m unenthused by the prospect of drop toilets, limp water pressure, poor ventilation that leaves everything a little damp, or open walls that grant entry to bugs. This might explain why I was sceptical about staying at Okonjima Nature Reserve in Namibia.

As stewards of conservation charity AfriCat, Okonjima is exactly the sort of place that might offer imperfect facilities under the banner of Doing Good. Continue reading →

Back in the saddle: horse riding in Swakopmund, Namibia

By Kia

After an injury in 2017, Kia decides that horse riding in Swakopmund is the perfect way to get back in the saddle.

Swakopmund is a strange little city. Known as Namibia’s adventure capital, it has a fittingly dramatic setting. On one side, a particularly ferocious Atlantic Ocean thrashes onto shore; on the other, the vast, sparse Namib Desert stretches in deadly threat. In between these startling scenes lies the city itself. Continue reading →

Climbing Carrauntoohil Irelands Highest Mountain featimg 3

Atlas & Boots’ top 10 posts of 2018

By Kia

From topical debates and trip reports to how-to guides and personal pieces, we publish a wide range of posts every year. Here’s our pick of 2018.

Well, this has been an eventful year. We kicked off 2018 with a month in Australia followed by a trip to New Zealand on commission for Lonely Planet as part of our Trailblazers partnership. We followed up with various projects for Lonely Planet including judging their flagship Best in Travel 2019 campaign and speaking at their Diversity in Travel Writing event in London. Continue reading →

visiting kolmanskop namibia

Visiting Kolmanskop, the ghost town in the Namib Desert

By Kia

Once a booming diamond town, Kolmanskop has long been abandoned to desert sands. We took a trip to its eerie scenes.

Our trip to Namibia was a long time coming. Almost two years ago, we published a list of the countries we most want to see. At the top of Peter’s list was Namibia, but due to family circumstances, we delayed the trip until we could commit a decent length of time. Finally, at the tail end of this year, we made it to Windhoek to start a 17-day self-drive safari. Continue reading →

Is there really a best time to book flights?

By Kia

Sponsored by Justfly

News outlets periodically claim to share the best time to book flights. Is there such a thing and, if so, when is it? We ask an expert for answers.

When it comes to the best time to book flights, Peter and I do very little strategising. We simply search online and book the first decent deal we see.

In the early days, we sacrificed time to save money, but as we’ve grown older and more financially stable, we’ve moved in the other direction. We’ll still endure an 18-hour layover if it saves us hundreds of pounds (like we did in Singapore this year), but will no longer sleep overnight in an airport to save mere tens of pounds (like we did in Chile three years ago). Continue reading →

Travels with my sister: conquering a lifetime of hearing loss

By Kia

My younger sister was born three months premature and grew up with pronounced hearing loss. After a recent change for the better, she agreed to join me for a trip…

Kia’s story

I first realised that my sister was different when I was seven and she was six. Forida was told to wear hearing aids and I remember how much they embarrassed her. The chunky beige aids were conspicuous on her child-size ears and, to other schoolchildren, marked her out as different; not one of us.

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natural wonders in the uk

20 (typically modest) natural wonders in the UK

By Kia

The best natural wonders in the UK may not equal those in the US, Canada or Australia, but the sometimes quirky, always striking sights are still worth seeing.

When the ArcelorMittal Orbit was foisted on the London skyline in 2012, it split opinion rather starkly. I, for my sins, thought it was quirky and interesting while Peter thought it a blight on the landscape.

“It’s so typically British,” he said – a notion that baffled me. It was so unbritish in its haphazard, loping design: a clear contradiction of the order and tradition that defines Britain. Continue reading →

Christmas gifts for travellers fireplace

10 Christmas gifts for travellers

By Kia

Our annual list of 10 Christmas gifts for travellers, be they bookworms, shutterbugs, adrenaline junkies or culture vultures.

Every year, we write a quick update about where we’re spending Christmas. Right now, we’re home in the UK settling into our new home in the Yorkshire Dales.

It won’t be for long though. We’re heading off to Namibia and South Africa for November and some of December, then we’ll spend a quick Christmas with family before flying to Costa Rica to welcome the new year.

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The ups and downs of our move to the country

By Kia

After three decades in London, would a move to the country prove horribly wrong? We share the ups and downs of our time in the Dales.

We’ve finally settled down. After four years on the road interspersed by stretches in a tiny French village, we’re back in Britain permanently – well, kind of. We have trips to Namibia, South Africa and possibly Costa Rica planned for Nov-Dec and more next year, but we also have a permanent home. Continue reading →

Call of the wild: disconnecting from daily life

By Kia

A strange evening with Desconnexions in Catalonia reminds us why it’s so important to get off our laptops and occasionally leave our phones at home.

I was on Wikipedia reading about a 2015 controversy involving a judge on the New Zealand version of X Factor when I realised I was doing it again: wasting time reading about a person I didn’t know involved in an event I didn’t care about on a show I didn’t watch.

I had fallen down the internet rabbit hole – again.

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Exploring Hell’s Canyon in Catalonia

By Kia

Hell’s Canyon in Catalonia reminds us once again why we fell in love with the great outdoors.

“Eat a big breakfast,” said Jordi – four words that told me I’d have a hell of a morning. I’m not one for big breakfasts, but I’ve learned that when an uber-fit mountain guide tells you to have one, you should have one.

I added lashings of pa amb tomàquet to my plate, a simple but delicious Catalan dish of bread, tomato and olive oil. I ate toast and nutella and cheese and crackers and cereal and yoghurt and washed it down with two cups of tea. Then I ate more pa amb tomàquet. There was no way I’d be running low today. Continue reading →

Iron nerve: via ferrata in the Catalan Pyrenees

By Kia

Our trip to Catalonia begins with a via ferrata in the Catalan Pyrenees, testing my nerve, strength and agility.

I lean out from the rock face and even though I’m fastened in three different places, my heart kicks a skittish beat when I look down at the ground. I’m only metres above it, but suspending myself from an iron rung and leaning into the abyss goes against my natural instincts.

Jordi, our expert guide from Outdoor Adventour, tells me to lean out further. “You have to know you’re safe down here in case you need to do this up there.” Continue reading →

24 interesting facts about New Zealand

By Kia

As our time in the country comes to a close, we share the most interesting facts about New Zealand we learnt along the way.

I left New Zealand feeling a little annoyed. You see, before visiting this part of the Antipodes, I could list exotic countries like Samoa, Cambodia, Turkey and Jordan as my favourite countries.

New Zealand in comparison feels distinctly European. Still, there’s no denying it: this country has usurped all others. It features not only extraordinary natural beauty, but also progressive politics, ever improving integration between its Maori and European populations and a forthright national attitude that’s thoroughly endearing. Continue reading →

define human nature

6 characteristics that define human nature

By Kia

It was on a hike across Isla Del Sol in Bolivia a few years ago that I first wondered how many animals walk for pleasure – not to hunt or feed, not to find shelter or warmth, but to enjoy the act of walking itself.

I asked the question on Quora to rather unsatisfying results. The question arose again on our recent Abel Tasman hike and led me to wonder what other characteristics are unique or largely restricted to humans. This in turn led me to an old issue of New Scientist magazine and a fascinating set of articles on the six things all humans do. Some are obvious, some are amusing. All trigger a flush of recognition and a sense of belonging. Continue reading →

Jumping the 134m Nevis Bungy in New Zealand

Jumping the 134m Nevis Bungy, the highest in New Zealand

By Kia

We visit the adventure capital of the world and try one of its most extreme activities: the 134m Nevis Bungy.

If you Google ‘bungy jumping’ along with the name of a news outlet, it won’t be long before you hit a ghoulish headline about a snapped cord or fatal miscalculation. It seems that journalists – and indeed their readers – are fascinated by extreme pursuits and their sometimes dire consequences. We are relatively unconcerned by prosaic traffic incidents. Instead, we want to hear about the horrors of jumping off a cliff or vertiginous bridge. Continue reading →

Battling weather at Franz Josef Glacier

By Kia

We attempt the Franz Josef Glacier Valley Walk in pouring rain and dwindling humour.

We were in low spirits. Our heli-hike to Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand had been cancelled due to bad weather which meant we couldn’t get onto the glacier itself. In fact, given the vast and murky blanket of cloud, there was the distinct possibility that we would not see the glacier at all.

We were wary. In 2015, we almost missed seeing Machu Picchu because of endless fog. A few months after that, we trekked to Torres del Paine in Chilean Patagonia to find it completely shrouded in cloud – a disappointment that haunts Peter to this day. Continue reading →

Polar bear death: has extinction tourism gone too far?

By Kia

A cruise ship guard recently shot and killed a polar bear. Did the bear get too close, or the tourists?

I don’t usually dig myself into holes that I can’t climb out of. I like strong arguments and clear answers – but there’s only one answer here and, sadly, it’s one I don’t like.

Let me start at the start: on 28th July, a cruise ship guard shot a polar bear in Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago that lies between Norway’s mainland and the North Pole. Continue reading →

rotorua geysers

Exploring the Rotorua geysers in New Zealand

By Kia

We visit the Rotorua geysers on New Zealand’s North Island in pursuit of Pohutu, the largest active geyser in the southern hemisphere.

We smelled Rotorua before we even set foot in the town: an unholy triad of pungent sulphur, blocked drains and rotten eggs. Built on a geothermal hotspot, Rotorua is a place of bestirred primordia: boiling mud pools, hot springs, spitting vents and erupting geysers. Continue reading →