Martyn Dawes

I write about how retirees can travel independently, have genuine adventures and get more travel out of their retirement income.

About

Retirement gives you something you never had while working: time.

I write about what to do with it. Independent adventure travel for retirees who want to go beyond the package holiday, discover places off the beaten track and make their retirement income stretch further. This is travel somewhere between backpacking and luxury: cheaper hotels rather than hostels, local transport rather than tour buses, and authentic experiences that don't require a fortune.

Because retirement doesn't mean travelling less. It means having the freedom to travel differently.

Man standing on rocks overlooking the sea

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El Salvador for Older Travellers: How We Explored It Independently, and How Safe It REALLY Felt

In 2013, our plane was diverted, and we had to land in El Salvador. We were transferred to a hotel for the night and told NOT to leave the grounds. Just two years later, it was declared the most dangerous country in the world. But, in a remarkable turnaround, by 2024, El Salvador’s President Bukele declared the country to be the safest in the Western Hemisphere. We had decided to visit during our 2026 tour of Central America. We were travelling independently, basically mak

Independent Budget Travel Through Guatemala When You Are Over 60 and Slightly Terrified.

It is easy to feel daunted when thinking about travelling independently in a foreign country. Add in a tight budget, and a completely different culture to one you are used to, and it is even easier to give up and not go at all. When telling people that we were heading to Guatemala, the immediate assumption was that it would be on some sort of organised tour. Explaining that the trip would be organised by ourselves, the immediate reaction was one of surprise, followed by a hea

When Nature Puts On a Show. Exploring the Wonders of Costa Rica’s Tortuguero National Park

The tiny Blue Jeans Frog There are few better ways to arrive at your destination than by speedboat through a network of canals in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. In fact, other than a small plane, it is the ONLY way to arrive as roads don’t reach here. It is too remote. Get a bus or take your hire car to La Pavona docks and catch a boat from there, or do as we did, organise a pick-up from your hotel in San José and let them take you door-to-door. Our boat dr

My Books

When The Camino Calls

At sixty, recently retired and searching for answers, Martyn Dawes answered the Call Of The Camino sets out on the Camino Francés, the legendary pilgrimage route from St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela.

Starting Walking the Way to Santiago. What begins as a challenge to walk 800 kilometres becomes something far more unexpected.

There are mountains and blisters, exhaustion and doubt. But there are also friendships with strangers who quickly become family, moments of laughter, unexpected acts of kindness and the strange freedom that comes from carrying everything you need on your back.

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The Overwhelmed Manager

The Overwhelmed Manager explains why capable managers experience stress, overwhelm and burnout, and more importantly, what they can do about it. Drawing on psychology, neuroscience and decades of leadership experience, this book provides practical tools to help you reduce workplace stress, improve resilience and become a calmer, more confident, and effective leader.

Whether you're a first-time manager or an experienced leader, you'll discover techniques that you can apply immediately.

The Anxiety Antidote

This is not like other books on anxiety, stress and overwhelm.

It is NOT a book about strategies, 5 step programmes, and working on your mindset.

It IS about possibilities, and a fresh new way of seeing the world that will change EVERYTHING, effortlessly.

In this book you will learn how to live again.

Get in Touch

If you would like to work with me to commission new pieces for you publication please get in touch.