5 Minutes With Roy Stevenson

For McCool Travel’s 147th travel interview, I am happy to present Roy Stevenson. Roy has written hundreds of travel articles over the past 10 years and coaches others to become new or better travel writers. Someone with that much experience must have some great travel tips and stories.
Roy Stevenson‘s bio: “Roy Stevenson is one of the most prolific travel writers in North America—with more than 1,000 articles published in 200 regional, national, and international magazines, specialty magazines, custom publications, newspapers, trade journals, in-flights, on-boards, and online travel magazines and blogs. He writes on travel and culture, history and historic places, food, wine and beer, hotel and spa reviews, military history and museums, military vehicles, writing, art, communications, health, fitness, running, triathlons, sports and film festival reviews.”

McCool Travel interview with Roy Stevenson.
Roy Stevenson, travel writer

Roy Stevenson

HOMETOWN …
Seattle, Washington. Currently living in Da Nang, Vietnam. We’ve been here for 6 months, and before that, we were in Chiang Rai, Thailand for 9 months. We’re digital nomads and doing several years of slow travel. Next stop: Bali.
ALWAYS IN MY LUGGAGE …
Bose sound cancelling earphones. Antibiotics for traveler’s diarrhea. Camera & memory cards. Laptop.
3 FAVORITE HOME-AWAY-FROM-HOME PLACES …

  1. Bali
  2. New Zealand
  3. Singapore

A FAVORITE TRAVEL MEMORY …
An assignment in Bali covering 12 different high end resorts for 28 nights. It was like living in a dreamworld of constant limo rides, personal guided tours, massages, spas, foo-foo treatments, gourmet dining, gorgeous resort rooms and villas, personal concierges, and generally being treated like royalty. A close second was our week-long barge cruise in a luxury barge down the Burgundy Canal, France.
3 FAVORITE TRAVEL BRANDS …
My favorite travel brands are knock offs from SE Asian markets.

McCool Travel interview with Roy Stevenson.
Roy Stevenson with palace guard

3 MONEY-SAVING TRAVEL TACTICS I USE …

  1. Air miles
  2. Low cost hotels & guest houses
  3. Complimentary accommodation, meals, tours, ground transport, entry to tourists attractions, shows, spa treatments, etc, when I’m on assignment (which is pretty much every trip these days!).

3 WAYS THAT I HAVE FUN WHILE TRAVELING …

  1. I always enjoy my travel writing assignment destinations because I select them, and then round up some assignments
  2. I enjoy getting lost at my destinations—have discovered some amazing places and people this way!
  3. Sampling the regional cuisine, wherever I happen to be.

8 WORD (OR LESS) TRAVEL MANTRA …
Home is where you hang your hat.”
If you can’t sell your travel stories, you don’t get to write them.”
FAVORITE NON-TRAVEL WEBSITE …
www.phenomenamagazine.co.uk There’s some weird stuff there!

McCool Travel interview with Roy Stevenson.
Roy Stevenson in Berlin

MOST MEMORABLE SOUVENIR …
Don’t have room in our travel bags for souvenirs. But, I love SE Asian craft furniture.
FAVORITE CHEAP EAT …
Currently going through a phase with a Vietnamese noodle & vegetable dish, with slices of roast pork or beef, all mixed together, called Bun Thit Nuong ($1.50), and a filled Vietnamese baguette called Banh My ($0.50c).
RECENT DISCOVERY …
Da Nang, Vietnam, & Hoi An, a world heritage town 20 miles down the road from Da Nang.
I AM FORTUNATE TO HAVE MET …
Actors Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michael Ironside, Bruce Willis, Nick Nolte, Bill Paxton, Judd Nelson, and US Senator John McCain. Also know several New Zealand and USA world recordholders and Olympic track & field medallists over 800, 1500 meters, 5,000 meters & 10,000 meters.
I WOULD LIKE TO MEET …
Fidel Castro, John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill

McCool Travel interview with Roy Stevenson.
Roy Stevenson getting in trouble, again

Thank you so much, Roy, for sharing your travel inspiration and tips.
Follow Roy Stevenson on FacebookRoy-Stevenson.com, and PitchTravelWrite.com.


McCool Travel presents tips from travel experts in our 5 Minutes travel interview series—featuring travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons. Check out McCool Travel’s previous travel interviews. Previous 5 Minutes travel interview: Kelly Stilwell.


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