Born in Sussex, Douglas Streatfeild-James grew up in Malta, Britain and Canada. In 1986, before going up to Oxford University, he spent six months in India and Nepal and has been travelling at every available opportunity since then. During periods of extended wandering, he has trekked in South America, canoed across France and motorcycled across Europe. Douglas is the author of China by Rail, also from Trailblazer, and has contributed to Silk Route by Rail. He wrote Lonely Planet's Goa guide and is co-author of LP's South India guide.