Simon Foster was born in London and grew up in rural Yorkshire. Family trips first kindled his wanderlust and, after graduating in geography from University College London, he set off to seek what he had been studying. He started work as an adventure tour leader in the Middle East in 1997 and was then posted to India and China. Lengthy emails home evolved into travel writing and, since 1999. he has contributed to a variety of international guidebooks and magazines, completing his first solo work in 2008. Simon and his wife moved to Taiwan in 2003, founded a travel company, Bamboo Trails (bambootrails.com) in 2009, and now lead and operate adventure tours all over Asia. Time not on tour is divided between their home in the sunny south and exploring more of the island with their two daughters and dog.