Where are you based?

I'm in Thousand Oaks, a city just north of Los Angeles. I grew up in Bristol and London, and I try to get back there when I can.

What topics and places do you cover?

Key topics include family travel, luxury travel, sustainability, food and drink, and outdoor adventure. I'm particularly interested in regenerative travel, elevated family programming, and nascent tourism done right. Globally, I cover it all but focus on lesser-known spots where possible.

What outlets do you usually pitch (and write for)? 

Recently, I've been writing for Afar, AARP, BBC Travel, Chase Travel, Robb Report, and Travel + Leisure, among others.

Are you in-house or freelance (or both)?

Freelance.

What is your approach to press trips?

I take them for research purposes if the client allows. I love meeting other journalists on group trips, but find individual ones better for story sourcing.

What are your professional pet peeves?

None, really.

In your past professional life, you were ... 

I've been a writer and editor my whole professional life, but teenage jobs included serving cooked breakfasts in a British service station, conducting telephone surveys, and delivering hundreds of phone books for £50. Heady stuff. I was also a drummer in a few bands.

Where would you like to return to?

New Orleans always pulls me back. 

What's on your bucket list?

All the experiences I'd like to do with my three boys before they grow up. I still haven't been to Japan either.

Where do you travel for fun?

Offline spaces.

Your funniest (or most harrowing) travel story is ... 

The ones that spring to mind involve getting vertigo on the steps of the Great Wall of China and running out of battery power in a tiny Renault Twizy quadricycle in the Brecon Beacons. I have a few tales from my days as a music journalist in the UK, too. Happy to elaborate over TravMedia drinks sometime.

What advice would you give your younger professional self?

Be prepared to pivot and at least politely sip the AI Kool-Aid. Expect a wild ride in journalism, but one that will be full of friendship and singular experiences.

What nugget would you like to add that we haven't touched on?

I would like to say sorry for every unanswered email I've received, many of which have contained sterling story ideas from top writers and really promising intel and trip invites from publicists. I've never figured out how to deal with email overload, and it haunts me. 

How best should people contact you?

timchester.freelance@gmail.com – I do read them at least. And do connect with me on LinkedIn.