“Ash brings fun, excitement and intellect to the world of adventure journalism. His storytelling is a joy to behold.”
Ash Bhardwaj in the Bayuda Desert
THE JOURNEY SO FAR
Travelled 8500km through 11 countries along Russia's European border.
Retraced WW2 secret missions through Albania’s mountains on foot.
Walked 800km through India on Walking The Himalayas, meeting the Dalai Lama on the way.
Walked 1100km through Uganda and Sudan with Levison Wood on Walking The Nile, including the first summer crossing of the Bayuda Desert.
Trekked to Mt Everest Base Camp with wounded soldiers.
Worked on earthquake recovery procedures in the Philippines.
Trekked through the Jebel of Dhofar in the footsteps of the SAS.
Six winters as a ski instructor in Switzerland and New Zealand.
Exploring political beliefs on America’s West Coast after the election of Donald Trump.
“Ash has an incredible ability to make people feel comfortable, open up and tell their stories.”
FEATURED ON
ITV
Channel 4
BBC
Animal Planet
World Nomads
BIOGRAPHY
Ash is a an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and author, who explores the world with curiosity, excitement and a sense of adventure.
His work sits at the intersection of travel, culture, and current affairs. He has reported from over 50 countries for outlets including BBC Radio 4, The World Service, The Telegraph, Times, Guardian, Condé Nast Traveller, and Huffington Post, and he appears as a travel expert on BBC One’s Morning Live, Channel 5 and Sky News.
Ash wrote & presented the BBC Radio 4 documentaries How Ukraine Made Us Care & NATO’s Newest Member and appeared on Sky News’ The Great Debate about Ukraine. He produces and presents The First Mile and The Human Advantage podcasts, hosts The Moth storytelling events in London, and delivers workshops & keynote talks on leadership, influence, career strategy, storytelling, and motivation.
Ash’s journeys include: a 1000km walk through Uganda and Sudan whilst filming Levison Wood’s Walking the Nile for Channel 4; travelling 2500km along the India-Pakistan border to present a 4-part TV series for Discovery Channel; retracing secret British missions in Albania; kayaking through New Zealand; and travelling 8500km of Russia’s European border (including Donbas and occupied Crimea) for his Telegraph podcast series Edgelands.
Before travel writing, Ash was a ski instructor, science teacher and wannabe cowboy. He is a captain in the British Army Reserve (RIFLES), an MA graduate of King’s College London and a lecturer in journalism at City University London. He is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and has judged both the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing, and the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award.
Ash’s debut book, Why We Travel: A Journey Into Human Motivation is a smart-thinking blend of memoir, travelogue, research, interviews, and advice; it explores our motivations for travel, how to do it better, and how it can help us to live a more fulfilling life. It was recently awarded Best Travel Book of 2024 by The Independent. He regularly delivers talks and workshops around the themes of the book.
BIO (Short)
Ash Bhardwaj is an award-winning journalist, podcaster & broadcaster, and the author of Why We Travel, The Independent’s “Travel Book of the Year 2024”.
He has presented and reported from over 50 countries for outlets including the BBC, Telegraph, Times, Conde Nast Traveller, Discovery, and the Guardian, and appears as a travel expert on BBC One and Sky News.