About
Leighton Travels: Naxos Island, Greece.
Welcome to Leighton Travels, an online exhibition of my life exploring the world. Lovingly crafted since 2015, I have put my heart and soul into this site and really hope you enjoy your stay.
Leighton Travels: Belgrade Fortress in Serbia.
I’ve been into writing since I was a kid. As an adult, no matter where I went, I always put pen to paper, finger to keyboard. Eventually, it simply became a way of life. These days I have fully submitted to my existence as a digital nomad. All I want to do is travel, write and share.
At home in Malaga, Spain.
Here you can read about my adventures in 40+ countries. For the most part I have travelled deep with extended spells in each place. Taking my time to meet the people, indulge in the food and wander off the beaten path.
Leighton Travels: Koh Ker, Cambodia.
With a photo and notes library spanning over twenty years, Leighton Travels features an ever-growing archive of location reports from all over the world. Currently there are 600+ with a new article published weekly on Sundays.
I think I’ve lived an interesting and varied life, with lots of stories to share. From my days as an English teacher to working as a writer, voice over and interviewer of Hollywood stars, you can check out my memoirs through My Short Stories.
Leighton Travels: Train Street in Hanoi, Vietnam.
In addition to writing and travel, I’m passionate about music, cinema, football, literature, animals, coffee and world cuisine. But not necessarily in that order. As a result, my articles are often infused with these things.
Leighton Travels: Elephant Nature Park in Thailand.
Over the years, I have written for a host of publications, including the Dutch media company FCCE, the football fanzine A Kick Up The R’s and the award winning travel website Global Grasshopper. Today I focus my writing projects purely on Leighton Travels, which is curated by myself and my wife Slađa.
An afternoon of blog work at Crane Cafe in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
So if you’re looking for a different travel blog, I’d say you’ve come to the right place. In fact, week in week out I strive to provide detailed and personalised travel articles that stand out from the crowd.
Leighton Travels: At Beijing Bridge in Taishun County, China.
Unless stated all photographs are my own, with not a hint of AI. Moreover, I don’t do generic “perfect itinerary” blogs or “best things to do” lists. Nor do I visit places for 24 hours and then claim to have “the ultimate guide”. And no, I do not work with brands or accept free stays and tours in return for glowing reviews.
At Stari Bar Fortress in Montenegro.
So why not take a chance on Leighton Travels? Whatever you choose to dip into you are very welcome…
70 Comments
A great looking site I read all three of your short story collections over two weeks and really enjoyed them, particularly the Slovakia ones. Keep up the good work, I’m curious what’s coming next.
Hi Samuel, is nine years too late for a reply? ha ha. Thanks a lot for ploughing through my short stories. In the years since you left this comment I have added a further three collections. Cheers!
Great site! your short stories are really Inspiring.
Hey, thanks a lot for stopping by.
You are an exceptional well travelled guy. currently reading the stories about your Hollywood interviewing. a life lived!!!!!
Hey Brady, my apologies for this embarrassingly late reply! Thanks so much for your commend and readership. Those interviewing days feel like an age ago.
Reading your articles is like travelling on my own. Life is a journey?Your journey is wonderful.
Thanks a lot Michael for your encouragement and also for helping me build my Chinese audience, I’m already starting to see the results!
Hi Leighton,
Great to meet you today over some stone axes, and I hope you enjoyed the rest of your visit. Looking forwards to reading about it soon! And what a fantastic site: I’ve had a great time browsing through some of your adventures!
Very best wishes,
Joel.
Hi Joel, thanks again for your excellent work yesterday and for making the Colchester Castle Museum experience that little bit more dynamic. I hope to publish my Colchester 5s over the course of July. Keep up the great work!
Great. I did not see any book about Finland. 🙂
Have a good day!
I have never been to Finland :). Needless to say I would love to. One day… I’ll put it on the infinite list of places I wanna check out.
You can get nice idea if You check my newest post. 🙂
Really interesting site. My son also teaches abroad and I’ve been in education all my working life. Now I’ve retired, I ftake the advantage of his ‘postings’ and have also started travel writing. You’ll find me at http://www.manc-holidays.co.uk. Keep up the good work!
Hi Harper, thanks a lot for reading and taking the time to comment. I just had a look at your site and it looks like you’ve had some interesting travels of your own. I also loved Crete! https://leightontravels.com/crete/
Loving the new look site leighton. Xx
Thanks Nat!
Site looks Amazing. Good Job
Cheers “someone!” 🙂
Loving the new look to the site 😃
Thanks so much Virginia. In the years since you left this comment LT has been through a few more makeovers. Indeed keeping this site going needs constant attention and refreshes from time to time. I hope you are well wherever you are and enjoying life.
Love the picture with the cook smoking a cigarette as he cooks!
Ha, thanks Mary! Tongli style…
Good meeting you Leighton. Looking forward to traveling along with you.
Thanks for following guys!
Amazing job as always. Super proud. x
Thank you so much, your support means everything.
[…] I had to share. So I decided to start sharing these experiences online. Thus (the now defunct) Leighton Literature was born, a platform for me to a) write my memoirs in short story form and b) to build an […]
I hope you come to Philippines
One day we’d love to!
So nice to read your blogs. keep posting.
Thanks a lot! Appreciate the kind words.
Always glad to find a fellow traveler! Enjoyed reading some entries on your site, looking forward to more. And I like your logo.
Hi Ruth, thanks for reading and for your kind words. I see you read one of my old short stories from Slovakia. I’ve made a note to check out your site over the coming days. Stay safe and healthy!
I’ll forgive you QPR because your writing is so good (I’m an Arsenal fan). I just want to say that i’d love to follow you but I can’ take any more daily posts dropping into my Inbox. I’m up to here with stuff and I’ve got to get sorted but I will keep checking in and reading your Posts which I love. You write as traveller writers used to and as I did – I hope – when I was pitching. I put a couple of former print articles up on my blog you might care to look at them. https://travels-with-my-camera.blog/2018/07/08/dreamtime-on-the-daintree/ I think I’ll have to come back with the other as once I leave here I think the comment vanisyhes unless I click on Post Comment.
Thanks for the kind words, very humbling indeed. You can always just follow on WordPress Reader, rather than by email subscription if that helps. I’ll definitely check out your piece tomorrow morning over coffee.
Thanks for sharing your memories. My Old Amersham memories are the annual September Fair & pubs crawls in the late 80s! I was born in Amersham Hospital & lived in Amersham-on-the-hill until I was 23. Like you I’ve lost the link to a family home as my dad retired as Vicar of St Michael’s in 1995, the year I was married there. I’ve visited several times after leaving Buckinghamshire in 1997 & occasionally visit Stanley Hill Cemetery as my dad’s ashes are interred there.
Hi Emma, thanks for reading and contributing to the thread. It’s amazing how so many people feel a strong connection to the town, even those who lived here for a short time or have moved on.
Nice writings! Love to browse your stories of traveling. Some reminded me of the places and spots that I have traveled to. I like the way you put words and some expression of humor. I have also shared your site to my children as a good example of English wrting.
Hello Sarah, thanks for your lovely message. I’m glad you’ve been enjoying the site and appreciate you getting in touch. Hope you continue to enjoy my articles, which come out roughly every 48 hours. Would be interested to know which locations we’ve both travelled in…
Hi Leighton,
I am in Seoul, and just back from a short visit from Daegu. Your writings about this lovely town is impressive and offers much perspective. Please keep on posting your articles. Your efficiency of producing articles is impressive. Have you been in france and written about the travel there? Bon courage!
Hi Sarah, thanks for getting in touch. I’m glad you liked my Daegu series. Sadly, I have seen little of France, just a trip to Paris and Lille many years ago. You can find those articles by clicking on ‘France’ in My Travel Reports’ page. https://leightontravels.com/my-travel-reports/
Great Website! You’ve been to many countries!
Cheers Ariel, thanks for following!
🙂
Apologies. Thanks for liking my Sculpture Saturday (Spanish poet Becquer) but i must apologise for a rather garbled syntax and two typos. I didn’t re-read before posting, so missed repetitions and typos.
Ha, no worries Mari. I hope all is well in your world, keep on blogging!
Dear friend your site looks a great one !I am looking forward to reading all your travel-tales being a travel enthusiast myself !Take care and be safe!💖
Thanks Dihendra! Hope you enjoy exploring my blog.
I have gone through some of your blogs but was yet to comment. Great work!
Thank you for reading and taking the time to get in touch!
I’m slowly easing my way back into blogging, and travelogues like yours are what I bring snacks to listen/and read too. The post about the ghost tower in Thailand gave me huge fomo vibes. I remember looking up at it but didn’t have the courage to go inside. I get the notion all of your travel reports will make me feel a similar type of way.
I’m happy I stumbled onto your site. Please don’t ever stop writing and safe travels.
Thanks for this very kind feedback, it’s humbling. So tell me, what are your favoured blog snacks?
I’m a sucker for trail mix and fruit. Eating a semi-healthy diet keep up with going to places I like to go. Every once in a blue moon I’ll grab something sweetly artificial.
Dropping by to say hi before starting to explore some of your travel reports in due course. I see you are from Hammersmith originally and are a QPR fan. We’re in Ealing so Brentford is our closest club but QPR my ‘London’ club in a way. However although a Londoner I married a Geordie and caught the football bug from him, so Newcastle is my team, through thick and (currently) thin ⚽
Aw, thanks for this message. I’ve always had a soft spot for Newcastle actually and don’t mind Brentford, even though many of their fans seem to despise us. Hope you enjoy reading through Leighton Travels!
Read your interview on Ericotrips – it was a really good read, and I admire your dedication to your blog and to your writing.
Hi Prerna! Thanks a lot for your kind comment. Feel free to take a look around Leighton Travels, hope you enjoy what you read!
Great fun reading about the story behind your travel writings and your ‘philosophy of life.’ Only being the Canadian-born daughter of a Brit, I didn’t know what QPR is – now fully educated! Looking forward to reading your posts.
Thanks Annie, glad to have you onboard! I usually post new articles twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Will look for them, thanks.
well leighton it’s about time i put my tuppence onto this about page of yours. i have enjoyed reading your articles over the past years and to see how you have grown your site and evolved as a writer. definitely one of if not the best travel blog i’ve seen on wordpress, you go way beyond what most people do in terms of the content. such a broad range of reports and stories from around the world and i admire how you always write with heart on sleeve. keep going!
Ah Stan, your ongoing support of LT is very much appreciated. I’m hoping to put much more of our recent travels out during 2023. Cheers!
Hey, Leighton. I finally came round to checking your About page. In the past month I enjoyed reading your posts from Siem Reap, Italy and Budapest. I love the humour that invariably infuses your travel reports and short stories (yes, I’ve begun reading about your Qatar days, seems fitting during this World Cup). You are a travel writer that knows how to set the scene, permeate his writing with a certain vibe or mood that characterises a particular place, and your keen observations on the local life delight me as a reader again and again. Looking forward to more words from your pen, or the keyboard.
Amelie… what a lovely comment to discover. Thank you very much for your support and encouragement, I will certainly endeavour to improve the blog with each series of posts. Enjoy ‘The Qatar Collection’ and beyond…
Wonderful blog, Leighton. You are an excellent and clearly very dedicated writer. I read your short story collection, Slovak Files, it was a great read. When to comes to travel destination, you offer some really detailed and interesting accounts, with a lot of humour and soul.
Hey Anoush, I’m so sorry for the late reply. This comment slipped through the cracks somehow. Thanks as always for the kind words, it’s been great having you onboard this last year or so, I always appreciate your valuable contributions to the comment threads.
I am off to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos next February/March. Being in my mid 70s (but still with a long list of countries to visit!) I am going on two back-to-back tours with a company called Wendy Wu – as I felt happier to do so rather than work out my adventure myself which I would have done a few years ago! However I have a few days in Siem Reap before I start the second tour and have, therefore, been looking into extra places to visit (apart from the obvious ones) and one is the Lotus Farm on the road to Phnom Krom and the Tonie Sap lake (it has its own website and, as they run workshops using the lotus flower as well, it sounds really interesting). I was, therefore, SO pleased to read your fabulous review – and the photos are really great. My tour company cannot arrange this for me for some reason but it would seem, from what you say, that a tuk tuk will take me there so I am grateful for the help your post has given me. I can’t wait for my adventure to begin!
Hey Gilly! I’m so glad my Lotus Farms article was of use. Your trip sounds very exciting, especially Laos as that’s a country I have yet to visit. I have written dozens of articles about Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand, so please don’t hesitate to have a look, maybe there will be a bit more inspiration for you within. Wishing you an amazing trip!
Hallo Leighton James here. I followed your blog today and have been xploring your site. What an incredible library of experiences youve documented between your travel stories and location reports. There is so much to get through I fear I will need the rest of the year to make a sizeable dent. Keep up the good work and happy travels tally ho old bean.