About
Places worth the early start
Maps & Mornings is a travel blog about the places I'd send a friend to, and how to get there without a tour.
Most of my best travel days started early: the first boat of the morning, the viewpoint before the tour vans, a waterfall with nobody else in the pool. This blog is built around those days. Each guide is a route you can actually follow, with the details that usually take hours to piece together: which boat, how long the walk is, what it costs, when to arrive and what to wear.
How the guides are made
- I've been there. Every place in a guide is one I visited myself. When I mention somewhere I haven't been, I say so.
- My own photos. No stock images. If I don't have a photo of a place, there isn't one in the article.
- Prices and times are checked. Boat times, entrance fees and rules change often. I note when prices were last checked, and update guides when things change.
- Honest about the downsides. Crowds, steep stairs, strong waves, places that aren't worth the drive: if it matters for your day, it's in the guide.
- Grouped into real days. Places are grouped by area, so you spend your trip seeing things rather than sitting in traffic.
Where to start
Get in touch
Questions about a route, a correction, or a place you think I should see? Write to [email protected]. I read everything.
Thanks for reading.