Since the 1970s, the very cool Hilary Bradt has travelled the world as an adventure tour leader and a writer and publisher of travel books. We talked to her about the highs and lows of thirty years of independent female travel... and asked her for a few tips while we were at it.

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Hilary Bradt Name: Hilary Bradt Occupation: Travel writer, publisher of the Bradt Travel Guides You’ve spent much of your life on the road, as a travel writer and tour leader. Is the life of a professional traveller as much fun as it sounds? Not always! I love travel writing, and have always enjoyed researching a destination, whether for a guidebook or a travel article. However, the nitty-gritty of guidebooks - endlessly visiting hotels and noting down phone numbers, prices and so on - can be tedious, especially when the hotel manager is bemused by the whole thing and anything but co-operative. Tour leading is hugely enjoyable when you have a good group, and a nightmare when you don’t. The actual success of the trip is immaterial - with a good bunch of people the disasters can turn into triumphs, whereas one grumbler can sour a whole group even if things go well. Mind you, I have led some trips where so much has gone wrong it tried the patience of even the most angelic of clients. As an expert traveller, share with us your top three travel tips... - Travel light - Keep an open mind - Respect the needs of the local people, especially when bargaining for goods or services ...And your top tip specifically for female travellers? Panty liners are wonderfully versatile! Not only do they save on knicker-washing but they make ideal dressings for cuts or wounds. What is your favourite city in the world and why? Possibly La Paz, Bolivia. The location of the airport, surrounded by the snow-capped Andes, is spectacular, and the city is a wonderful blend of traditional (you can buy a dried llama foetus to bury under the foundations of your new home for good luck) and luxurious (some of the top hotels are superb), all within a small, walkable area. Click here >> for Bolivia information Your favourite wild place, for getting close to nature? It depends whether nature is wildlife or scenery, so I’ll cheat here and do both. For wildlife it has to be Madagascar, and probably the island of Nosy Mangabe because you have wonderful primary rainforest with some of Madagascar’s most amazing reptiles as well as lemurs. For scenery, Torres del Paine in Chile. Click here >> for Madagascar information Click here >> for Chile information Your favourite place for shopping, and the best thing you’ve bought there? I normally hate shopping but I always succumb in Cusco, Peru. The alpaca sweaters are wonderful (I now have drawers full of the things) and there are some surprises such as good-quality jewellery and ceramics. And your favourite place to just relax...? Actually, my own patio. But if we’re talking overseas there’s a fly-in resort in Madagascar called Anjajavy. It has a superb beach, excellent snorkelling, and lemurs come to feed on the fruiting trees outside the very comfortable bungalows so you don’t have to stir from your veranda. What is your favourite means of transport? Many years ago I bought a Connemara pony and rode 1,000 miles through Ireland. There is no better means of transport: you are travelling slowly enough to talk to people, fast enough to cover 20 miles a day, and are high enough to see over the hedges. What has been your worst ever travel experience? In 1982 I led my first trek in Bolivia. The group consisted of 11 feminists from California who had chosen the trip because it was the only one with a woman leader. The one man was a cocaine addict who had chosen the trip for the availability of coca leaves. Our guide was a Frenchman who hated women and hated Americans. I lost four of the women who had to spend the night in a schoolhouse, and finally I had to get accommodation in a busy whorehouse. They sued for mental anguish. Who do you most like to travel with? Or do you like travelling solo? I don’t much like travelling solo - perhaps because I’ve had a variety of excellent travel companions. My ex-husband, George, and I travelled beautifully together (we just couldn’t run a company together) and these days I travel with my best friend Janice - as long as we can agree on where we both want to go. What essential items can always be found in your backpack? A pocket Scrabble set, a good novel, a notebook, dental floss and a strong needle (for emergency repairs). Do you like to plan and prepare before you travel, or do you prefer to travel more spontaneously? I like to plan the trip in great detail - and then ignore it! Finally, what is your biggest travel ambition yet to be fulfilled? I want to travel down the length of Madagascar, hugging the east coast. There are not many roads so most would have to be on foot or ox-cart or boat - or whatever. Click here >> for the Bradt Travel Guides Click here >> for more female travel advice Click here >> for advice for older gappers

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