Ever since sailing from his birthplace in Greece to the United States as a child, the life of Odysseus has always come easy for Dave Stamboulis, and he has over 4 decades of adventure travel, writing, and photography under his belt. After growing up in Berkeley, California, and traveling throughout Europe and the Americas in the 1980’s, Dave moved to Asia in the 1990’s, calling Japan home for 3 years and then riding a bicycle for 7 years and 45,000 kilometers around the world, crossing the Himalayas several times, including a year’s stint in both Nepal and India. The result of this journey was the well-received book, Odysseus’ Last Stand , which won the Silver medal for Travel Book of the Year in 2006 from the Society of American Travel Writers.
Dave lived the next 20 years in Thailand, where he worked as a freelance photographer and travel writer. His photographic images are represented worldwide by photo agencies Alamy and Getty Images, and his written and photographic contributions are found in publications throughout the world and include The BBC, Remote Lands, Lonely Planet, USA Today, Get Lost, Travel and Leisure, Asian Geographic, and World Nomads. Dave is the author and photographer of the
500 Hidden Secrets of Bangkok guidebook, and was also the updating writer for Fodor’s Guidebook to Thailand and Laos for many years, as well as contributing to the bicycle travel book Cycling’s Greatest Misadventures as well as writing one of the chapters for the new
Lonely Planet Laos guide.
Stamboulis’ articles and photography focus on travel, festivals, indigenous cultures, and features on remote outdoor adventures , as well as covering high end properties, dining, and drinking. When not at home, Dave can be found traveling around the globe, where his quest for off the beaten path stories, photographs, and adventures have taken him to spots such as Mongolia, Borneo, Ethiopia, Bolivia, Patagonia, Madagascar, and other far out locations, often reached via bicycle, kayak, or on foot.
In the past several years, Dave and his wife have taken up long distance hiking, completing the 2654-mile Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada in 2022, as well as the 800-mile Arizona Trail and 500-mile Colorado Trail in the U.S. They recently relocated to northern Spain, where they live just steps from one of the Camino Santiago routes.
