We’ve had the tough (but immensely pleasurable) challenge of reading the hundreds of entries to this year’s travel writing competition and we’re pleased to unveil our top ten (in alphabetical order);
Top 10 Competition Entries for 2013
Between a Croc and a Hard Place – The Omo Valley of Southern Ethiopia is one of the most isolated places on earth. Read in full.
Between Heaven and Hell – Cycling west out of Kathmandu in the post monsoon humidity, my clothes clung to me like a wrapper to a lollipop. I had gingerly negotiated my exit of this ancient city through the cacophony of traffic, pedestrians and livestock. Read in full.
Chaos and Karma – “This bus is awesome dad!” exclaims my 10 year-old son as we board the overnight-sleeper coach to Hampi. The other passengers have already spread themselves out so liberally it’s like scrambling through an obstacle course as we stumble to our seats at the back of the bus. Read in full.
Don’t Mess With Millie – It’s the middle of the night over the middle of the Pacific. Thousands of miles from even Hawaii, which is thousands of miles from everywhere else. We’re twelve hours from home, barely finished with the meal service, when she realizes They’re after her. Read in full.
Journey to the Unknown – The sound of the siren’s ‘All Clear’ would prompt sighs of relief but on that particular night I recall my mother’s face remained empty, her movements flurried. Read in full.
Missing A Broad In Norfolk – Even disasters can have a silver lining. For my husband, whose life-long mission is never to let an old joke die, this one presented him with a gift opportunity to revive the gag about the man who unwittingly left his wife behind at the petrol station. Read in full.
Once Bitten – “Yeah, base camp was amazing,” Edwin said, necking another shot of nasty vodka and wincing as it went down. I copied him, the neat alcohol hitting the pit of my stomach. I had run out of instant noodles and was starting to feel hunger pangs. Read in full.
The Great Escape – A wave of heat engulfs us as the cabin decompresses. Outside the airport it’s difficult to spot a taxi through the crazy assortment of people clattering their luggage. Read in full.
The Lion, the Winch, and the Weather – ‘Water is a problem, make sure you have enough.’ The warnings resounded as we prepared to cross the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Read in full.
The Turpan- Kashgar Express – The moment I stepped aboard I knew the next 26 hours were going to be odd. I stuffed my backpack in a rack near the toilets, stepped cautiously over the people on the floor, and took my seat in the middle of five elderly Mao-suited Chinese women. Read in full.
How to Vote
Online voting is now open and will finish on Friday 6th December 2013 at midnight GMT.
To vote you must send an email to competition@ with the name of your chosen entry in the subject line.
Only one vote per email address is allowed (all duplicates will be disregarded).
For full terms and conditions please read here.
The winner will be decided by independent judge Jeremy Lazell, who is a regular contributor to the Sunday Times Travel section. The winning entry will be announced on our blog and via our Twitter and Facebook channels on Friday 13th December 2013 (which will be lucky for one person!)
