Richard McColl is a British freelance journalist, expedition guide and social projects coordinator based in South America. For over five years he has been wandering the continent filing stories and leading people into the Amazon (and out again) and up and down the Inca Trail.

Holding a degree in modern languages French and Spanish from Exeter University, UK has helped him out of sticky situations all over the big continent to far corners of French Guiana. Richard also has a Masters in International Journalism from City University, London.

Before fleeing London once again to get back to South America Richard spent time with various publications including Newsweek, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph and was a feature writer for the environmental NGO, WWF.

Currently living in Bogota, Colombia he is witnessing firsthand the tourist explosion taking place in this troublesome country. Buoyed by the warmth of the people and the vast array of regions to visit he is enjoying exploring its far corners and highlighting the fact that not all of Colombia is off-limits.

When not dreaming of beaches, jungles and treks, Richard is promoting his new independent documentary on the Vallenato Music Festival in Colombia, putting together further pitches and planning some work for the BBC as well as contributing to the Bogota radio Station, Candela. He shall be shortly writing pieces about Aracataca, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s hometown, and the Colombian Caribbean islands of San Andres and Providencia.
Richard has been published in CNN Traveller, Global Travel, The Scotsman, The Independent, South American Explorers Magazine, Travelbite.co.uk, Suite101.com. The Santiago Times, Central America Weekly, Pure, WWF News, www.hosteltrail.com