Simon Reeve: 20 years of adventure – a thrilling journey shared with millions
- Paul Aage Hegvik
- Mar 14
- 18 min read
He has visited more than 130 countries and ventured into dangerous documentary assignments that most of us wouldn't even dare to dream about.
«You can start locally. Turn a glass upside down on a map and centre it around your home. Then draw a circle around the edge and explore that circle so you know it like the back of your hand. All travel gifts, memories, and spontaneity have a place.»
This quote belongs to Simon Reeve, an English author, journalist, adventurer, documentary filmmaker, and TV presenter. Most who appreciate travel documentaries know who he is. He has visited more than 130 countries, and his TV series have been broadcast in over 60 countries over the years.
Quite private
Simon Reeve currently lives in West Cornwall, a quiet and picturesque part of southwest England, which offers a peaceful escape from his high-energy travel schedule. He enjoys the slower pace of life there with his wife, Annabel, and their two children. Simon has expressed how much he values this time at home, appreciating the calm and nature around him when he's not out on global adventures.
Reeve is quite private when it comes to his personal life. He tends to keep details about his family and day-to-day life out of the public eye, focusing instead on his professional work. Although he shares occasional insights into his family life, particularly his love for his wife, Annabel, and their children, he generally maintains a sense of privacy and prefers to keep much of his personal life away from the media spotlight. This approach allows him to maintain a healthy balance between his career and family life, giving him the space to be with loved ones without the pressures of public attention.
As for his family, Simon has spoken fondly of his parents. His mother, a former teacher, played a key role in shaping his love for learning and exploration, while his father worked as a teacher and later as a writer. Both parents instilled in him a sense of curiosity and an understanding of the importance of storytelling, which is reflected in his career as a travel presenter and journalist. Despite his global fame, Simon remains closely connected to his family, finding support and grounding in them.
Touring England
Simon Reeve's To The Ends of the Earth tour, initially launched in 2023, has been extended into 2024 and 2025 due to overwhelming demand. The tour features Simon sharing captivating stories, stunning visuals, and insights from his extensive travels across more than 130 countries. Audiences can expect an engaging experience that combines adventure, culture, and conservation, all delivered with Simon's signature enthusiasm and expertise.
The tour has received widespread acclaim, with attendees praising Simon's natural connection with the audience and the inspiring tales he shares. One attendee remarked, "Simon made the event a great success!"
Many awards
In many ways, he can remind one of David Attenborough when he passionately reads a script.
–No one can replace David Attenborough, he said to the English tabloid Express in January this year, clearly uncomfortable with such a suggestion.
–Attenborough was a giant in a golden age of TV when there were fewer channels, and we could all gather to watch someone who really knew their craft and told us things about the world.
Reeve has been honoured with numerous awards, including from the Royal Geographical Society, the British Travel Press Award for Broadcast Travel Programme, the John Tompkins Natural History Award from the International Moving Image Society, and the Wanderlust Favourite Travel Personality Award. His books have appeared on the bestseller lists of both The Sunday Times and The New York Times. In 2023, Simon was honoured with an honorary doctorate in literature from the University of London, presented by Princess Anne.
Challenging youth
Reeve now lives in Dartmoor in southern Devon, Southwest England, with his Danish wife, Anya, a TV photographer, and their 12-year-old son, Jake.
He is currently on a nationwide lecture tour in England called «To The Ends of the Earth,» which will run until Christmas.
On the tour, he has been open about his life, something he also addresses in his autobiography Step by Step: The Life in My Journeys from 2018. He had a difficult upbringing and struggled with depression as a teenager.
From the age of 14, he needed counselling after behavioural issues. He made petrol bombs at 11, committed a lot of vandalism, and started carrying a knife when he was 12 or 13 years old. By the age of 16, he was on the brink of taking his own life.
–I was a confused young man, and the feelings I had back then still sit with me to this day. It’s not something I’ve been able to block or suppress, he says.
After being open about his difficult youth, he has explained that this has made him more capable of understanding and communicating with the people he meets on his reporting journeys. He also hopes that this provides hope to others who have started life off on the wrong foot.
–Leaving school, doing nothing but messing around, and having no idea what to do with my life is not the normal way into work. If it is. I am always asked about this, and hopefully, I will give a bit of hope to other people who also haven't had a proper start in life, he says to the travel magazine Wanderlust.
Foreseeing attacks in the U.S.
Reeve managed to turn his life around after hitting rock bottom and going on social welfare. He initially worked in charity shops before starting his career as a postman and later as a journalist for The Sunday Times. In addition to producing over 100 TV programs, he has also authored several books, including those on international terrorism and his own adventures.
His first book, The New Jackals: Ramzi Yousef, Osama bin Laden, and the Future of Terrorism (1998), became a bestseller. It was the first book about Osama bin Laden, Ramzi Yousef, and Al-Qaeda. The book predicted that there could be larger terrorist attacks against the U.S.
Three years after its release, the book became highly relevant following the terrorist attack in the U.S. on September 11.
The basis for the book was the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center in New York. He investigated individuals connected to Al-Qaeda who participated in the war in former Yugoslavia.
–Yes, it was a massive attack that is mostly forgotten now. I started investigating the same day. After The Sunday Times lost interest, I continued, thinking there was more to it. I was young, full of enthusiasm, so I spent five years researching what we now call Al-Qaeda,” he says in an interview with the travel magazine Cox and Kings.
After the 9/11 attacks, he was used as an expert by several TV channels.
–Yes. My phone started ringing before the second tower had been hit and didn’t stop for about two years, he confirms.
After the fateful attacks, the book was relaunched with an updated epilogue. This provided an in-depth warning that the West was still in a vulnerable position for potential attacks, including threats from biological weapons and nuclear arms.
Simon is an outstanding presenter who brings both warmth and depth to his storytelling, taking viewers on journeys they never expected to go. Charlotte Moore Director of Content, BBC
Reeve's unique way of combining personal experience with global exploration is both entertaining and thought-provoking. Ben Fogle British adventurer and TV presenter
Simon Reeve's travel shows are a brilliant combination of adventure, history, and heart. His storytelling has the power to change perceptions. Michael Palin British actor, writer, and travel documentarian
He has an ability to tell stories that matter, blending adventure with global issues. Simon makes you care about the world around you. Kate Humble British television presenter and natural historian
Simon Reeve does more than just travel the world—he helps us see it through a lens of empathy, curiosity, and respect. Chris Packham British naturalist and broadcaster
The first TV-series
Two years after the attacks, he hosted his first BBC series—Holidays in the Danger Zone: Meet the Stans.
–Yes, my first TV series was about the 'stan' countries in Central Asia—Kazakhstan, Kurdistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan unfortunately wouldn’t let us in. From day one, it was amazing, fascinating, a great adventure, and I knew that my career was taking a different turn from the very serious journalism I had been doing. But it was just as interesting and informative as everything I had done. Pompousness could have deterred me from embracing the more fun aspects of travel, but adventure and unknown experiences are fundamental parts. There will always be people who just want to lie by the pool and get a tan, but that won’t last or stick in the memory as much as meeting the locals and trying weird local food, he says.
Twenty series success
Since then, he has hosted around twenty TV series and over 100 programs, including Tropic of Capricorn (2008), Indian Ocean (2012), Caribbean (2013), Mediterranean (2017), Russia with Simon Reeve (2017), and Burma with Simon Reeve (2018). In each series, he takes viewers on a journey through different regions, exploring history, culture, politics, and environmental issues.
One of Reeve's most popular series is Tropic of Cancer from 2010, where he traveled along the equator through 17 countries, exploring the cultures, landscapes, and the people living there. The series received much praise for its visual beauty and in-depth exploration of the various regions.
Reeve followed the Tropic of Cancer in his documentary series Tropic of Cancer. Over the course of the series, Reeve traveled along or close to this line of latitude, exploring the regions it crosses and highlighting the diversity of landscapes, cultures, and challenges faced by the people living there.
Although Reeve didn't always stick strictly to the exact geographical line—since it often traverses remote or inaccessible areas—he remained as close as possible to the Tropic of Cancer.
His journey spanned several continents and took him through countries such as Mexico, Egypt, India, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, and China, among others.
The series captures Reeve's encounters with:
Stunning natural environments, from deserts to lush tropics.
Complex socio-political issues, including poverty, climate change, and migration.
Unique local cultures and traditions that vary across the regions near the Tropic of Cancer.
This approach allowed Reeve to provide an engaging and thought-provoking exploration of the human and environmental stories along this significant geographical line.
Needs wealthy western tourists
In January last year, his four-part BBC2 series Wilderness with Simon Reeve premiered. In this series, he visits places like the Congo Basin and Kalahari Desert in Africa, Patagonia in South America, and the Coral Triangle in the Pacific region. All the locations he visited are remote, “hidden” places that haven’t received much focus.
He explains that his encounter with a remarkable group in Africa exceeded his expectations.
–One example is Adams Cassinga in the DR Congo. He risks his life every day to lead a secret organization fighting poaching and illegal wildlife trade. People like him, local heroes of conservation, fill me with hope. These are individuals who recognize the importance of what they are protecting and are determined to preserve it, he says, emphasizing to the newspaper The Standard in England that many believe the world is going to hell, but that he wants to provide hope through this series.
He touches on the same theme in the English travel magazine Travel Weekly.
–Similarly, we do not always look at how the travel industry contributes to preserving and protecting various ecosystems around the world. These ecosystems often depend on tourism revenue, whether to finance anti-poaching patrols or to provide uniforms for park rangers. All of this is made possible by people who travel on holiday. Of course, we must strive to make travel as sustainable as possible, but we should also remember to highlight the positive aspects of travelling.
–There were piranhas in the water, crocodiles on the riverbank, more venomous snakes than you can possibly imagine, extreme right-wing death squads wandering around killing people, leftist guerrilla groups, drug cartels, and as if that wasn’t enough, the Americans carpet-bombed the Colombian army. I spent a sleepless night while tarantulas the size of dinner plates crawled around our hammocks.
Piranhas and tarantulas...
Over the years, Reeve has found himself in several dangerous situations during his travel and documentary assignments.
In certain areas he has visited, he has encountered criminal organizations, such as drug cartels, armed gangs, and illegal trafficking networks. Reeve has also come into contact with extremist groups or individuals operating in areas marked by political or religious conflict. This has taken him to countries like Afghanistan, Yemen, Honduras, Colombia, Israel, and Palestine, where he has risked being in the line of fire and exposed to unforeseen dangers.
In addition to man-made hazards, Reeve has also confronted challenges posed by nature. He has crossed dangerous natural environments like deserts, jungles, and mountain ranges, where extreme weather conditions such as intense heat, cold, and tough terrain have tested his endurance and skills. He has also often had close encounters with dangerous animals like lions, elephants, crocodiles, and sharks.
Reeve tells, among other things, to the TV channel Eden about a time when he was in a beautiful park in Colombia in a very dangerous part of the country.
–There were piranhas in the water, crocodiles on the riverbank, more venomous snakes than you can possibly imagine, extreme right-wing death squads wandering around killing people, leftist guerrilla groups, drug cartels, and as if that wasn’t enough, the Americans carpet-bombed the Colombian army. I spent a sleepless night while tarantulas the size of dinner plates crawled around our hammocks.
Life-threatening Honduras
He also recounts a stay in Honduras, a country that has had the worst murder statistics in the world for several years.
–I remember the moment I felt an intense wave of excitement as we entered a prison in Honduras controlled by the inmates. This was a prison in the most dangerous city outside a war zone, and we wanted to meet some of the gangs responsible for the terrible violence plaguing Central America. Inside the prison, the guards usually wouldn’t cross the yellow line that marked the boundary to the interior of the prison. Crossing that line was life-threatening for both the inmates and the guards. So, we went in with the best bodyguard we could find, who happened to be the bishop of San Pedro Sula. He led us through a world of complete chaos. We met inmates with tattoos revealing their grim history and leaders of some of the most feared gangs in America. The prison felt like a mix between a refugee camp and Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley, with small stalls and workshops producing everything from light bulbs and clothes to cafes and barbershops—all crammed together in one place. It was a completely surreal experience. This was one of the most intense and astonishing places I have ever been, both thrilling and a relief to leave.
Needs wealthy western tourists
–I think this is probably the most important series I have ever made because we highlight areas on the planet that are fundamentally connected to us. They govern and help shape a climate on this planet that affects us all. Unless we know about these areas, unless we care about them, we will eventually lose them. This is not just a glossy travel narrative. Hopefully, we shed a bit of light and shadow in the programs, he tells the travel magazine Wanderlust.
When asked if this will inspire tourists to visit these places, he says it’s only a good thing if people learn about a place they can go to.
–Generally speaking, these places need wealthy Western travellers to visit and inject money into the local economy to protect and preserve. I still believe in the power of responsible, careful, and sustainable travel, he says.
He believes that the earth is not completely destroyed, despite his strong environmental commitment.
–There is still a planet that deserves our attention and care. What I experienced gave me more hope than I had imagined. This may partly be because when we are on our little island, we underestimate how vast these areas are and how many treasures they still hide. We rarely talk about the positive impact of travel. We often forget to mention the significance of the travel industry and how many millions of people it employs, especially in less privileged parts of the world.
Hope for a sustainable future
He explains that his encounter with a remarkable group in Africa exceeded his expectations.
–One example is Adams Cassinga in the DR Congo. He risks his life every day to lead a secret organization fighting poaching and illegal wildlife trade. People like him, local heroes of conservation, fill me with hope. These are individuals who recognize the importance of what they are protecting and are determined to preserve it, he says, emphasizing to the newspaper The Standard in England that many believe the world is going to hell, but that he wants to provide hope through this series.
He touches on the same theme in the English travel magazine Travel Weekly.
–Similarly, we do not always look at how the travel industry contributes to preserving and protecting various ecosystems around the world. These ecosystems often depend on tourism revenue, whether to finance anti-poaching patrols or to provide uniforms for park rangers. All of this is made possible by people who travel on holiday. Of course, we must strive to make travel as sustainable as possible, but we should also remember to highlight the positive aspects of travelling.
Several dangerous situations
Over the years, Reeve has found himself in several dangerous situations during his travel and documentary assignments.
In certain areas he has visited, he has encountered criminal organizations, such as drug cartels, armed gangs, and illegal trafficking networks. Reeve has also come into contact with extremist groups or individuals operating in areas marked by political or religious conflict. This has taken him to countries like Afghanistan, Yemen, Honduras, Colombia, Israel, and Palestine, where he has risked being in the line of fire and exposed to unforeseen dangers.
In addition to man-made hazards, Reeve has also confronted challenges posed by nature. He has crossed dangerous natural environments like deserts, jungles, and mountain ranges, where extreme weather conditions such as intense heat, cold, and tough terrain have tested his endurance and skills. He has also often had close encounters with dangerous animals like lions, elephants, crocodiles, and sharks.
Reeve tells, among other things, to the TV channel Eden about a time when he was in a beautiful park in Colombia in a very dangerous part of the country.
–There were piranhas in the water, crocodiles on the riverbank, more venomous snakes than you can possibly imagine, extreme right-wing death squads wandering around killing people, leftist guerrilla groups, drug cartels, and as if that wasn’t enough, the Americans carpet-bombed the Colombian army. I spent a sleepless night while tarantulas the size of dinner plates crawled around our hammocks.
Life-threatening Honduras
He also recounts a stay in Honduras, a country that has had the worst murder statistics in the world for several years.
–I remember the moment I felt an intense wave of excitement as we entered a prison in Honduras controlled by the inmates. This was a prison in the most dangerous city outside a war zone, and we wanted to meet some of the gangs responsible for the terrible violence plaguing Central America. Inside the prison, the guards usually wouldn’t cross the yellow line that marked the boundary to the interior of the prison. Crossing that line was life-threatening for both the inmates and the guards. So, we went in with the best bodyguard we could find, who happened to be the bishop of San Pedro Sula. He led us through a world of complete chaos. We met inmates with tattoos revealing their grim history and leaders of some of the most feared gangs in America. The prison felt like a mix between a refugee camp and Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley, with small stalls and workshops producing everything from light bulbs and clothes to cafes and barbershops—all crammed together in one place. It was a completely surreal experience. This was one of the most intense and astonishing places I have ever been, both thrilling and a relief to leave.
– I was terrified
While filming the documentary series Places That Don’t Exist in 2005, he found himself in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. Here, he sat in the back of a pickup truck alongside a dozen mercenaries who were quite drunk, heavily armed, and equipped with an anti-aircraft gun.
They stopped, and we stopped. They pointed their weapons at us, and we pointed our weapons at them.
As they drove through a bombed-out part of the city, their truck reached an intersection at the exact moment as another pickup from a rival warlord faction.
–They stopped, and we stopped. They pointed their weapons at us, and we pointed our weapons at them, Reeve recalls with a trembling voice as he recounts the experience to Express.
–The man in the other vehicle had his weapon aimed directly at our truck. I stared down the barrel of a bloody, large anti-aircraft gun. They were screaming at each other. It developed into a kind of standoff with anti-aircraft guns. I was terrified. It’s almost traumatic to recount it, he says.
Snipers
Reeve also tells the tabloid The Sun about his time in Mogadishu, Somalia.
–I remember one night at a secret military base there, along with a bizarre group of spies and aid workers, a very naive journalist from Japan, and a unit of French special forces that were there to try to rescue some hostages.
–Suicide bombers came over the walls into this base. At that moment, it really felt like,‘Oh my God, we’re not getting out of here. This place is completely wrong.
The city is regarded as one of the most dangerous in the world. The British government warns that terrorist attacks are likely and that the threat of kidnapping is high.
–Suicide bombers came over the walls into this base. At that moment, it really felt like, Oh my God, we’re not getting out of here. This place is completely wrong.
During Reeve's visit in 2012, Mogadishu was a war zone in a conflict between the peacekeeping group African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) and the Islamic militant group Al Shabaab, which collaborates with Al-Qaeda.
–When we were out in the field, we were taken up to the front lines as African Union troops fought against militant fighter jets and warlords. We had to be evacuated from there because the fighter jets on the other side were using rocket-propelled grenades to try to get us. We had to run across open ground with snipers shooting over our heads to cover the fire and explosions that were going off. It felt completely wrong, he tells the newspaper.
Plenty of humorous and lighthearted moments
While Simon Reeve is known for his daring adventures in some of the world’s most dangerous and challenging environments, his travels aren't just about facing life-threatening situations. Along the way, he’s had plenty of humorous and lighthearted moments that show his ability to find humor even in the most unexpected circumstances. From cheeky animals to bungy jumping surprises, Simon’s experiences offer a fun and relatable side to his globe-trotting journeys.
While filming in Borneo, Simon had an unexpected encounter with an orangutan. During a visit to a rehabilitation center, he was approached by a curious orangutan who, in a playful manner, attempted to snatch his camera. The cheeky primate managed to grab the camera strap, leading to a tug-of-war between Simon and the orangutan. Despite the initial surprise, Simon couldn't help but laugh at the situation, appreciating the orangutan's intelligence and curiosity.
During a bout of malaria in Gabon, Simon Reeve experienced vivid hallucinations, a common side effect of the illness. In one particularly amusing episode, he imagined that The A-Team, a popular 1980s American TV show about a group of vigilante soldiers, was playing on a television. However, there was a catch—there was no TV in his room. Simon humorously recalled, – I was hallucinating about The A-Team being on the telly, and the room I was in didn’t have a telly. This lighthearted memory highlights Simon's resilience and sense of humor, even in the most challenging circumstances, showing his ability to find humor even when faced with adversity.
During a visit to New Zealand, Simon bravely took part in a bungy jump, which is known for being one of the most adrenaline-pumping experiences. However, what made it funny was Simon's reaction as he took the leap. Instead of the usual scream or thrill, Simon's face displayed pure shock, and he was so stiff that he looked like a plank as he plunged into the air. His fellow crew members teased him about looking more like a statue than an adventurer.
While filming in the Sahara Desert, Simon had a rather amusing encounter with camels. As he was trying to get the camels to cooperate for a shot, one of them decided to show affection in its own way. It leaned in and planted a big, slobbery kiss on his face! Simon, not one to shy away from the humorous side of things, laughed it off and joked that it was a camel's way of saying hello.
During a visit to New Zealand, Simon bravely took part in a bungy jump, which is known for being one of the most adrenaline-pumping experiences. However, what made it funny was Simon's reaction as he took the leap. Instead of the usual scream or thrill, Simon's face displayed pure shock, and he was so stiff that he looked like a plank as he plunged into the air. His fellow crew members teased him about looking more like a statue than an adventurer!
Often vacations in Greece
Despite having been to 130 countries, Reeve, like many others, enjoys a typical holiday in warmer climates, preferably by the Mediterranean. Greece is a favourite when the family wants to relax.
–I love Greece for many reasons: the landscape is beautiful, the beaches are fantastic, the food is delicious, and the lifestyle is relaxed and enjoyable. I believe that Greece is a much more exciting country than many think; we tend to associate it only with its ancient history and as a destination for beach vacations, he says to the Greek website Apokoronas News.
