Luke Iles
Travel Writer
About the Author
Luke is a co-founder of HandL Blogs alongside his fellow friend Harry Jeffery who he has known since they were four years old!
With a passion for all things travel, they have made it their mission to explore every country on the planet and uncover the world.
He has a love for all things travel, food, fitness and tech. He helped create HandL Blogs as a way to document his travel experiences and hobbies whilst he hops from country to country, across the world!
Sharing his knowledge, experience and funny travel stories along the way, join Luke as he provides some unique travel advice, fitness recommendations, tech studies and food reviews.
We asked him to answer some questions about the four travel topics we cover here at HandL Blogs and share a bit more information about the places he’s been and the experiences he has had whilst travelling!
Travel
I love to travel and have visited plenty of places all across Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa and even Oceania. I still am yet to visit Antarctica but that is on my bucket list someday!
I’ve been told to provide some insight into each of the four topics that we cover on HandL Blogs and answer some questions around that, so if you care to read anymore, join along as I provide a little bit more about the reasons I love to travel.
Where is your favourite place you have visited?
It is so tough to pick just ONE destination that I have visited but if I was held at gunpoint and had to pick, I think it would go to Rome in Italy. Not only am I obsessed with Italian food whether that be pasta, pizza, or wine. However, my love for ancient history and in particular the Roman Empire is unmatched and when it comes to Rome there is just so much of it! I could go on talking about it for days but I won’t bore you…
Is there a country you would like to visit that you haven’t yet?
I really want to visit Japan and travel around it. It is a country that has been on my bucket list for a long time and a place that I hope to visit very soon, so stay tuned!
What is your favourite part about travelling?
Exploring new places. Taking in the culture. Experiences a way of life that is different to my own. It is fascinating and the best experience in the world in my opinion!
Learn more about my travel experiences, including travel tips and hacks from an experienced backpacker who has been across the globe. Read our travel articles today.
Cooking
Food and travel go hand in hand. I believe that if you really want to experience a culture you have to get involved and eat like a local. Try those foods you can’t find anywhere else in the world. The local delicacies if you will.
I believe that is how you really get a taste of a country and its culture. Pardon the pun!
What is your favourite type of food?
It’s such a hard one to choose, I love Asian cuisine, American and South American but I think the one that just about takes it by an inch is Italian. I love all types of food but am addicted to pasta. If it wasn’t for pasta, I think the poll may have been swayed but who doesn’t love pasta?
What country’s cuisine did you underestimate?
I have to admit huge apologies to the Greeks. Although not an obscure cuisine choice. I severely underestimated Greek cuisine and when trying it properly when visiting Greece, I have to admit I love it. From Mousaka to Chicken Gyros, Greek food is amazing so give it a try if you neglected it like me!
What is the best deal you have eaten for a meal whilst travelling?
Personally, when travelling across Thailand, the deals for any type of meal, in particular, if it was Thai cuisine were so cheap compared to Western world prices. Visiting the food night markets you could pick up some local delicacies for cheaper than a bottle of water in the UK. One which stands out is paying around £15 GBP for 2 lobsters that we negotiated down with a street vendor. He cooked the Lobster in garlic and served it at the table, it was delinquent.
You will find plenty of cooking tips, food reviews and restaurant lists that I have written after travelling to various parts of the world which you can find in our cooking section on our website.
Fitness
I believe that keeping healthy and fit is one of the most important things in life and is something that we take for granted. Whilst travelling it is always fun to visit different gyms and take part in sports that aren’t as popular in England.
What is the best gym you have visited?
The best gym I have visited whilst travelling was a gym called Real Club Padel in Marbella, Spain. It’s an outdoor gym that has everything you could dream of in a gym.
Where is your dream workout location?
I would love to do a workout in the outdoor gym in Los Angeles, USA called Muscle Beach. However, I think I may need to go on a serious bulk to even be able to walk into this bodybuilder’s paradise.
What national sport was one that surprised you the most?
This one was more of a shock than anything. When visiting Thailand, I went to watch some Muay Thai Boxing. In the first fight of the night, two 10-year-old little boys came out whilst everyone was watching. One forgot their mouthguard so to make it a fair fight they told the child with a mouthguard in to take it out. The fight was brutal and was a great warm-up fight for the crowd. Not necessarily a surprising sport but definitely a shocking term of events that no one expected!
In every country we visit, we like to write feedback and reviews about the gyms we visit and the sports we play so that you can give it a go yourself as sometimes it can be tough to find a good gym when on holiday. Read our fitness blogs to find out more.
Tech
It is more important than ever to keep up with the advancements in technology and gadgets in this day and age. With the speed in the progression of things it can almost become overwhelming but I love it.
What is your favourite part about tech in the travel industry?
As a frequent traveller, I love the practicality and convenience that tech has had on the travel industry. I can now effortlessly plan a trip within a few minutes and can find cheap deals for accommodation, flights and transport easily.
How do you find the best deals on flights?
By staying flexible with my travel dates and making sure to sign up to fare alerts from travel companies, I can find the best deals when they come available.
How do you find the best deals on accommodation?
By relying on travel comparison websites as well as keeping an eye out for special promo deals, I can get cheaper accommodation deals. Hotel loyalty programmes are also a bonus.
We cover various tech topics that affect travel from ways you can book your holidays easier using tech to how tech is changing the travel industry. Read more about our tech blogs online today.
