James Merriman

I am an award-winning British & Irish travel writer and photographer based in Devon, England. A Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, I have travelled to more than 160 countries across six continents and built a long-term body of work focused on geography, culture and lived experience. My travel record has been independently verified by NomadMania, one of the world's largest travel communities. After a detailed review of passport stamps, visas and supporting evidence, NomadMania verified my travel to more than 150 UN countries. My work ranges from long-form travel writing to documentary photography, often centred on overlooked or misunderstood places. In July 2026, I won the Guardian Travel readers' tips competition with a tip inspired by Dervla Murphy's A Place Apart, reflecting my interest in the depth of reporting and the long-term value of travel stories. You can read a selection of published writing, explore my photography or learn more about my credentials. My work moves between remote island nations and post-conflict regions. I am primarily interested in how a specific geography dictates daily life. My writing relies on staying put and paying attention to the immediate surroundings. I document regional food cultures and record the everyday conversations that give a location its true character. Based in the Devon countryside, I continue to explore the world with the same enduring curiosity that shapes both my journeys and my writing. My writing and photography have been independently verified as human-origin by ProudlyHuman™. I am proud to be a One Planet Journey Deep Travel Ambassador. Through my writing and photography, I aim to show that taking the time to build local relationships provides a more memorable experience than simply ticking off landmarks and guidebook checklists.