Joseph "Rich" Francis is a travel writer and full-time traveler of more than 10 years. He's lived on multiple continents and in a hodgepodge of different destinations, from the beach towns of the Mexican Pacific to the idyllic isles of southern Thailand, the ski centers of the Alps to the historic cities of Central Europe. He's a niche expert in surf-travel and adventure travel, and has published work in leading travel brands like Lonely Planet, The Culture Trip, and Seeker.
Today, you can find him blogging about the latest in surf destinations over on The Surf Atlas or about the latest bars in Krakow on KrakowBuzz. You can also find his portfolio site at JosephRichardFrancis.com.
St. Barts is a land of jet setters and Francophone eateries, of haute cuisine and swish fine-dining joints set to the sounds of the lapping Caribbean Sea. It’s a place of rugged cliffs and hidden stretches of postcard-perfect sand, where yachters and A-listers and naturists alike all coalesce between the coves and the dunes. It’s …
From the shimmering beaches around Sainte-Anne in the south to the rugged crags of Diamond Rock to the soaring volcanic dome of Mount Pelee – oh so destructive Mount Pelee – in the north, Martinique is a picture of Caribbean perfection. Blessed with swathes of deep-green rainforest and ivory-white sands like Les Salines, gushing waterfalls …
From the silky sands and mega resorts of Grace Bay on lively Providenciales in the north to the whale-dotted waters of Salt Cay in the south, the charming colonial canons and harbors of Cockburn Town to the dreamy underwater reefs of the Columbus Landfall, the Turks and Caicos are a land of paradise and wonder. …
Ranging from the brochure-worthy beaches of Punta Cana in the east (and all the uber-luxurious resort hotels that go with them) to the wild and cloud-topped mountain peaks of the Central Mountains in the west (the highest in the Caribbean), the paradisaical sands of Isla Saona in the southern swells to the virgin rainforests of …
A land at once vast and wild, bustling and serene, Argentina goes from dust-choked desert plateaus through rolling Pampas grassland to the icefields of the Patagonian reaches. It’s a country that’s laced with fascinating Spanish conquistador history and elegant colonial treasures, enthralling native peoples and gorgeous backcountry aplenty. Check out this selection of the top …
A wild land cut through the centre by the backbone of the mighty Andes, Bolivia is now a firm favourite on the traveler’s route through South America. With its fascinating histories of pre-Incan and Incan empires, colonial explorations, mining and more, the country rarely fails to impress. Be sure to add this selection of 15 …
Set to the lively rhythms of salsa and merengue, spiked with three great chains of Andean peaks, scented with mountain coffees and dressed in everything from misty rainforests to rolling pampas, there’s a reason that Colombia reigns as one of South America’s real bucket-list destinations. Check out this selection of the the best places to …
Ranging from the misty jungles and roaring waterfalls of the Amazon in the east to the salt-sprayed Pacific seaboard in the west, Ecuador encompasses everything from wondrous cloud forests to brooding volcanos, Andean peaks and Incan ruins between its borders. Check out the top 15 spots that every traveler here should be sure to have …
Enticingly off-the-beaten-track, Guyana is a real hidden gem of South America. With colonial influences including all of the Netherlands, Britain and France, some pretty post-colonial town centers and a wild and untouched backcountry that goes from mist-topped tepuis to wild virgin rainforests, it’s hardly surprising there’s so much to see and do. Let’s have a …
The middle child of the Baltics is perhaps most famed for the hedonistic party joints of its gloriously Gothic and Art Deco capital, or the happening coastal strips of Jurmala just along the coast. But delve a little deeper into Latvia’s backcountry and you’ll discover Teutonic castles, tsarist palazzos and wild woodlands peppered with bucolic …