About James Merriman: Travel Writer and Photographer
Personal background and fieldwork practice of a British travel writer and photographer documenting culture and geography in over 160 countries.
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I am a British 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 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 actual 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.
I work on long-form travel features, essays and documentary photography projects. I am available for editorial commissions, talks and selected collaborations aligned with my work. Further information about commissioning new work is available on the commissions page. Details on photography usage and rights can be found on the licencing page.
You have visited over 160 countries, yet you advocate for ‘Deep Travel’. How do those two concepts fit together?
When I first started exploring, the goal was sheer volume. I wanted to cover as much of the map as possible. Over time, that impulse completely faded. Visiting a vast number of places gave me a solid geographical baseline, but I found the best stories surfaced when I slowed down. Being a Deep Travel Ambassador is about advocating for that shift. The most rewarding material always comes from staying put, ordering a coffee and having a genuine conversation with the person next to you.
Your work often takes you to post-conflict regions. What draws you to these specific areas?
I want to see what daily life looks like after the global news cycle moves on. Destinations like Afghanistan and Libya are often reduced to a single narrative of instability. Arriving on the ground usually reveals a completely different reality. You find normal routines, immense resilience and some of the most generous hospitality imaginable. I prefer writing about those human interactions over political analysis.
Do you consider yourself a writer who takes photos or a photographer who writes?
I see them as the same process. I always carry a camera alongside my notebook. Taking a photograph forces me to stand still and study the physical geometry of a place. Once I have framed the shot, I use the notebook to record the context. The image captures the light and the architecture, while the writing documents the dialogue. They rely entirely on each other.
Why choose to base yourself in Devon when you travel so extensively?
Fieldwork is intense. It involves constant observation, navigating unfamiliar logistics and carrying a lot of equipment. When an assignment finishes, I need a complete contrast. Coming back to the South West gives me the physical distance required to review my notes and actually piece a feature together. A long run in the Devon countryside is usually the easiest way to prepare for a challenging trip.
What is your best advice for people wanting to travel more meaningfully?
Leave empty space in your schedule. Over-planning kills spontaneity. If you map out every hour of a trip, you eliminate the chance for an unexpected detour or an unplanned meal with a local family. One of my favourite habits is waking up early to see how a city actually functions without the traffic or tourist numbers. Just get lost in a neighbourhood and see what happens.
James Merriman, British travel writer and photographer
