In his 2018 autobiography, Step by Step, which detailed his formative years, Simon revealed he wasn’t born to a family of adventurers, and didn’t board a plane until he was an adult. He also embraces more typical tourist pursuits, such as climbing Scafell, England’s highest peak, and staying in the YHA Skiddaw Bunkhouse, one of the remotest hostels in Britain, but his favourite experience was sampling the icy pleasures of Buttermere with wild swimming advocate Sara Barnes, who also highlights the devastating impact of New Zealand Pygmyweed at Derwent Water. Simon shares what his unique experiences and encounters have taught him, and the deeper lessons he draws from joy and raw grief in his personal life, from desperate struggles with his own fertility and head health, from wise friends, fatherhood, inspiring villagers, brave fighters, his beloved dogs and a thoughtful Indian sadhu. Tourism in Durban causes much killing of marine life due to efforts to keep sharks away from swimmers In Journeys to Impossible Places, best-selling author and presenter Simon Reeve reveals the inside story of his most astonishing adventures and experiences, around the planet and close to home.

Journeys to Impossible Places: In Life and Every Adventure Journeys to Impossible Places: In Life and Every Adventure

I simply adore this man and have been a fan for many years now. Having read his previous book Step By Step, I wasn’t sure if he was able to equal it, but he does just that and more, following him into the next stage of his life and travels. Having a conversation with my son – now 10 years old – about what to include was scary. He has strong opinions. I was worried something I’d written would upset or embarrass him. Thankfully, he was up for sharing. I found talking to him cathartic, too. Simon admits he has genuine moments of disbelief that he’s managed to carve a life of adventure and exploration, going so far as to claim: ‘I still feel I don’t deserve this life’.I’d recommend also watching his relevant travel documentaries afterwards to fully place the scenarios and places he talks about. It is a nice accompaniment to visualise these landscapes for yourself. Myself, and Jonathan, a cameraman I work with a lot, have literally pinched each other at times because we cannot believe we get to do this. What a privilege it is. We’ve lived several lives and that’s an incredible thing when lots of people feel tied to a certain life. He effectively combines the genre of travel writing with investigative journalism, and brings to light little-known conflicts and events from around the world.' - Perceptive Travel I hadn’t realised there was a value in sharing in life’s stories before I wrote the first volume. People reacted so warmly and so beautifully, so I had no hesitation sharing these stories of struggling to create a little bit of life myself because that was the biggest impossible journey of my recent existence, and I couldn’t really talk about my life without that.

life is full of adventure – but being a father has been My life is full of adventure – but being a father has been

In Journeys to Impossible Places , best-selling author and presenter Simon Reeve reveals the inside story of his most astonishing adventures and experiences, around the planet and close to home. Journeys to Impossible Places inspires and encourages all of us to battle fear and negativity, and embrace life, risk, opportunities and the glory of our world. Alongside all this Simon Reeve tells stories from his journeys around the equator, tropics of Capricorn and Cancer , the Indian Ocean and along Sacred Rivers. The need to safeguard our seas, our wildlife, and indigenous communities is made very clear throughout, and the stories Reeve tells in this book somehow make the whole issue very up-close and very urgent. I’d always assumed we’d have a large litter, but in an instant I realised the prospect of that was all but gone. Of course, I’d wanted to keep up my adventures and was nervous about the responsibilities that would come with fatherhood. But having children had always been a priority. My wife and I had long had the opportunity. But for some reason we hadn’t taken it.

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Simon shares what his unique experiences and encounters have taught him, and the deeper lessons he draws from joy and raw grief in his personal life, from desperate struggles with his own fertility and head health, from wise friends, fatherhood, inspiring villagers, brave fighters, his beloved dogs, and a thoughtful Indian sadhu. Reading more about the subject saw my frustration turn to anger – fertility is on a downward spiral and we’re being poisoned by the modern world. Some experts believe the sperm counts of western men have fallen by more than 50% over recent decades and that their defectiveness is on the rise. Meanwhile, others believe the number of miscarriages is increasing and that egg quality is in steep decline. Because Anya and I had conflicting priorities, I suggested we used a 0-10 point system that I often use to help quantify mine and others’ beliefs and desires. Say we’re filming in South America and have 60 seconds to decide whether to join a drugs raid with local police: I ask everyone to make a snap judgment for how positive they feel about proceeding. Whether out on location, or sat in the living room, I use the same method. The higher you score a statement, the more you agree. We played the game. She was enthusiastic, but I needed children more than her. I recognised the physical suffering of both IVF and a potential pregnancy (and the rest of it) for her. In return, she recognised fatherhood was a necessity for me. We decided to give it a shot.