About Our Bloggers

Clayton Truscott
Clayton is a comfortable traveller, having grown up in a small city that was far away from everything. He spent lots of time in the car as a child, driving up and down the coast of South Africa on surfing trips with his family. After studying abroad in the United States and spending a year working in London, he moved to Cape Town, where he completed a Master's Degree in Creative Writing. He now works as a freelance writer for various travel, surfing and action sports publications.

Frances Bailey
Frances has always been interested in the written word. From the great classics to the cereal box, everything is worth a read - even if only for the purpose of pointing out a few typos. She found her way into a life in the online sphere after a stint in consumer magazine publishing and teaching English as a foreign language. One of her ambitions is to go to the circus when she grows up.

Dan Baker
Dan graduated University in 2010 and came aboard our blogging team shortly after. He brought with him a wealth of writing experience garnered from his time studying and so it was only a natural progression for him to begin to write with us. Outside of the blogosphere he is a keen sportsmen, traveller and socialite and it is clear throughout his work that these traits continue to influence his writing strongly.

Caitlin Murphy
Having grown up in a small city at the bottom of Africa, Caitlin couldn't wait to experience more of the world’s diversity. She spent the last few years living in the Emirates and South Korea and sought out colour and vibrancy in countries such as India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. In search of adventure, natural beauty and interesting people, she keeps her backpack and camera ready for the next road trip or travel opportunity.

Caelyn Woolward
Having lived in the same house for 18 years, Caelyn decided it was time to pack her bags and head out on an adventure. The trip took her to the tiny place of Grahamstown in South Africa where she majored in Journalism and English at Rhodes University. Fresh out of university and having lived the student life for the last four years, she is slowly adapting to working at Essential Travel under the guidance of senior writers. She finds comfort in the smaller cities of the world nestled away in Europe, Africa and South America.

Sipelele Ndungane
Although born in South Africa, Sipelele spent much of her teenage years in the UK. Armed with an interesting mix of London and South African culture, she returned to her home country to complete an Honours Degree in Media Studies. Ever the eager traveller, she once again packed her bags and joined the Essential Travel team - an opportunity that allows her to simultaneously embrace her love of travel and her penchant for writing.

If you'd like to speak to the Essential Travel writers feel free to get in touch. We'd love to hear from you!