Simon Willis
(He/Him)
As seen in:
Medium,
MSN,
Yahoo Life,
Financial Times,
Nature,
The Daily Mirror,
The Guardian,
The Washington Post,
1843,
Die Welt
and
Covers:
Adventure, sustainability
Travel Journalist covering Latin America and Switzerland. I write for the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Afar, Guardian Bradt and Delta simonwillistravels.wordpress.com
Articles by Simon Willis
This New Train Is Making It Easier to Explore Remote Corners of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula-How to Visit Original
Dawn was breaking over the lagoon when I looked down and saw one of the oldest life forms on earth. It wasn’t much to look at. Lumpy, white, and sitting just below the surface of the water, it resembled an overgrown cauliflower. But its appearance notwithstanding, this was one of the most remarkable objects I had ever encountered. “It’s called a stromatolite,” my burly and ebullient guide, Edwin Ruiz, explained as he nursed his flask of morning coffee.
This Traditional Indonesian Island Is Quietly Opening Beautiful New Hotels — Vetted by Ancient Ancestors
For miles, the only buildings we saw were traditional bamboo houses, their towering thatch roofs poking up above the trees. It was early September and my wife, Charlie, and I were driving south from Tambolaka Airport on the Indonesian island of Sumba. The place was still in the grip of its long dry season. All around us, a landscape of parched, golden grassland was dotted with villages. Buffalo grazed in the fields. Along the road we passed young men riding bareback on lean, sinewy horses.
How to See Machu Picchu: Tours, Hikes, and Travel Tips
One of the New Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage site, Machu Picchu is practically synonymous with Peru. Built during the 15th century, this Inca citadel was abandoned sometime after the Spanish invasion and remained unexplored until 1911 when American scholar Hiram Bingham III and a team of Peruvian explorers stumbled upon it in the cloud forest about 50 miles northwest of Cusco. Why it was built and why it was abandoned are still mysteries.
EPA Proposes to (Finally) Approve Louisiana to Issue CCS Permits
At long last, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) is poised to grant Louisiana authority to issue Class VI permits under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act’s (“SDWA”) Underground Injection Control (“UIC”) program for long-term carbon capture and sequestration (“CCS”). EPA’s proposed approval will be subject to a 60-day comment period following its publication in the Federal Register. Louisiana would be just the third state to receive authority from EPA to issue CCS permits.
Co-founder Simon Willis and presenters Alex Gaumond and Louise Dearman on Stage Door Internet radio station for musical theatre
Co-founder Simon Willis, head of content for Wise Buddah, talks about the proposed new Internet radio station dedicated to musical theatre called Stage Door and about the crowd-funding campaign, currently running on Indiegogo, to raise the funds to launch it. The presenters on Stage Door will all be current stars of musical theatre, and two of them spoke to us about their involvement.
First came the return-to-office policies. Now comes the discipline: How companies are punishing work-from-home holdouts
Earlier this year, Kelly decided to leave New York City to care for a sick relative. She figured she could move away while continuing to work remotely as a software engineer for Bloomberg, just as she’d done for the previous two years. But Kelly’s decision introduced her to the sharp end of office life in 2023, as companies try to persuade their employees to come back to the office. Her plans to move clashed with Bloomberg’s return-to-the-office directive.
First came the return-to-office policies. Now comes the discipline: How companies are punishing work-from-home holdouts
First came the return-to-office policies. Now comes the discipline: How companies are punishing work-from-home holdouts Earlier this year, Kelly decided to leave New York City to care for a sick relative. She figured she could move away while continuing to work …
This 'Lost City' In Cambodia Is As Mesmerising As Angkor Wat
This was where the empire began, I was told — though from where I was standing it was hard to imagine the place as the centre of anything, let alone a mighty kingdom. I was with my guide, Thon Varathana, on a crumbling stone pyramid in the middle of the Cambodian jungle. The cracks between the iron-red slabs under our feet erupted with vegetation, and we were encircled by a wall of lychee trees.
This 'Lost City' in Cambodia Is As Mesmerizing As Angkor Wat, With None of the Crowds
This was where the empire began, I was told — though from where I was standing it was hard to imagine the place as the center of anything, let alone a mighty kingdom. I was with my guide, Thon Varathana, on a crumbling stone pyramid in the middle of the Cambodian jungle. The cracks between the iron-red slabs under our feet erupted with vegetation, and we were encircled by a wall of lychee trees.
This 'Lost City' in Cambodia Is As Mesmerizing As Angkor Wat, With None of the Crowds
1 day ago A vast trove of Cambodia's Angkorian crown jewellery, some dating back to the 7th Century, resurfaced in London last summer, it has been revealed. The stolen items belonged to British antiquities smuggler Douglas Latchford. Experts say they have never seen most of the jewellery before and are stunned …
This 'Lost City' in Cambodia Is As Mesmerizing As Angkor Wat, With None of the Crowds
Not far from Angkor Wat, archaeologists have uncovered a network of ancient temples — and have opened a window into Cambodia's extraordinary history. Damrei Krap, part of the ninth-century temple complex of Mahendraparvata on Phnom Kulen, a plateau in northwestern Cambodia. This was where the empire began, I was told — though from where I was standing it was hard to imagine the place as the center of anything, let alone a mighty kingdom.
These Delicious Gins Distill the Essence of Singapore Into a Glass
By Simon Willis Sep 30, 2022 ONE RECENT AFTERNOON I was sitting at a bar in downtown Singapore, eyeing a bottle suspiciously. I was there to meet Frank Shen and Simon Zhao, cofounders of Compendium, one of several new gin distilleries that have opened in the city. All of them are creating Southeast Asian twists on gin, but none takes it quite as far as Shen and Zhao.
EPA Proposes to Designate Two PFAS Chemicals as Hazardous Substances Under CERCLA: Quick Answers to Top Questions | JD Supra
September 2, 2022 Hannah Flesch, Benjamin Lippard, Kelly Rondinelli, Corinne Snow, Ronald Tenpas, George Wilkinson Jr., Simon Willis Vinson & Elkins LLP + Follow x Following x Following - Unfollow Contact To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog: The Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued a long-anticipated proposal to designate two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) as hazardous substances under the federal Superfund law known as the Comprehensive...
The Next Great Wave Of Craft Gin Has Arrived - In Singapore Original
One recent afternoon I was sitting at a bar in downtown Singapore, eyeing a bottle suspiciously. I was there to meet Frank Shen and Simon Zhao, cofounders of Compendium, one of several new gin distilleries that have opened in the city. All of them are creating Southeast Asian twists on gin, but none takes it quite as far as Shen and Zhao.
The Next Great Wave of Craft Gin Has Arrived - in Singapore Original
One recent afternoon I was sitting at a bar in downtown Singapore, eyeing a bottle suspiciously. I was there to meet Frank Shen and Simon Zhao, cofounders of Compendium, one of several new gin distilleries that have opened in the city. All of them are creating Southeast Asian twists on gin, but none takes it quite as far as Shen and Zhao.
This Writer Discovers The Secrets Of The Macquarie Islands On A Cruise
The Rugged Islands known as the Subantarctics have attracted hardy travellers for decades. Aboard a Ponant cruise, this writer discovers a more elevated way to visit this wild world, where penguins, seals and other captivating creatures rule the roost. Text by Simon Willis, photographs by Peter Tarasiuk Discovering the many secrets of Macquarie Islands on a cruise Observing wildlife often requires a keen eye: a rare bird or a big cat is typically gone as quickly as it arrives.
Single-photoelectron collection efficiency in 4D ultrafast electron microscopy
Single-photoelectron collection efficiency in 4D ultrafast electron microscopy Wyatt A. Curtis,ab Simon A. Willisab and David J. Flannigan *ab Abstract In femtosecond (fs) 4D ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM), a tradeoff is made between photoelectrons per packet and time resolution. One consequence of this can be longer-than-desirable acquisition times for low-density packets, and particularly for low repetition rates when complete photothermal dissipation is required.
Engadine Valley Houses Europe's Boldest Contemporary Art Mueseums
Switzerland’s serene Engadine Valley has become the unlikely star of the European contemporary art world. We discover the revolutionary works in a fairy-tale setting. Text by Simon Willis, photographs by Clara Tuma At first glance, the village of Susch looks sleepy and conservative. Sitting at the lower end of the Engadine Valley, Switzerland, it is little more than a cluster of Alpine dwellings, unchanged for centuries and housing just 200 people.
22 Amazing Places to Go to in 2022: The Bold List
After almost two years of uncertainty, rolling lockdowns and cancelled travel plans, we're itching to get out and see the world again. While there's still uncertainty about the year ahead, we're dreaming about where we'll go when it's safe to travel (again).
This Incredible Two-week Cruise Goes to the World's Most Isolated Islands — and You Can Book It Right Now
Observing wildlife often requires a keen eye: a rare bird or a big cat is typically gone as quickly as it arrives. Not so on Macquarie Island, a rugged, 49-square-mile strip of rock halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. As I set foot on one of its black-sand beaches one blustery January morning, I was plunged into a bustle of weirdly wobbly and outrageously coiffed life forms jostling all around me and conversing in a raucous language of honks, moans, grunts, and clacks.
Melbourne Cup 2021: A guide to exotics - trifectas, first fours and more!
It’s exciting times with the Melbourne Cup bringing out once-a-year punters. Most of us like to have a wager on the race that stops a nation and naturally we liked to find value in such a race. When it comes to hearing about big pay days from small outlays – it is generally the exotics, such as a trifecta – that are at the centre of the epic stories. This is the great thing about them – even a small bet amount can reap great reward.
The Grab effect: Anthony Tan inspires new generation of Asian entrepreneurs
His success story is changing a culture that used to prize traditional corporate jobs and dismiss startups.
EPA Proposes Collecting Data From PFAS Manufacturers | JD Supra
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known collectively as “PFAS,” are synthetic organic compounds that do not occur naturally in the environment. Some of these chemicals have been used for decades in a wide variety of consumer and industrial products. Legislative or regulatory action related to PFAS continues to be a focus of the Biden administration, Congress, and EPA Administrator Michael Regan.
Randwick Saturday: Preview and tips
Sydney racing moves back to Randwick on Saturday. The track is currently rated a heavy eight with no more showers predicted, so it looks likely to stay around that mark. The rail is out three metres the entire circuit. Below are my thoughts on the program. Race 1: 1200 metres, two-year-old handicap Verne was a touch unlucky in defeat on debut, not having clear running until too late. That was against In The Congo, who he meets again here. He then went on to score comfortably at his second start.
Rosehill Gardens Saturday: Preview and tips
Sydney racing heads back to Rosehill this Saturday. The track is currently rated a Good 4. There are showers forecast for Thursday so it may downgrade to a soft, depending how much rain hits. The rail is out six metres from the 1350 m to the winning post, and four metres the remainder. Race 1: 1400 m, 2yo Handicap The field for the first is getting weaker by the hour – there has already been one key scratching in Three Wise Men.
Rosehill Gardens Saturday: Preview and tips
We are back at Rosehill again this Saturday. The rail is out three metres the entire circuit. Mostly clear skies are forecast for the rest of the week so we should get some good improvement from the current soft 6 rating. Below is my take on the card. Race 1. TAB Highway Handicap (1200m) Luminoso looked enormous value opening at 20/1 with most bookies. Plenty of punters have been straight onto that and he is currently shorter. Forgive last start when three wide without cover at the back of the field.
Nature Strip's three keys to a successful 2021 Everest campaign
Nature Strip’s win in this year’s TJ Smith Stakes was arguably his best victory to date. He settled off Eduardo, who took up the lead after a typically quick jump from the gates. The pair ran along at relatively steady sectionals, which allowed Nature Strip to put an unassailable gap on his rivals from the 400-metre mark. Masked Crusader ran on brilliantly despite having to weave a path at the top of the straight, but the race was already over. It was an emphatic victory for Nature Strip.
Racing review: Tancred Stakes day
It was a good day of racing on Saturday at Rosehill. There has, understandably, been some criticism surrounding the track bias, which favoured horses on the inside lanes. Four of nine winners were leaders. Of the other five races, four of these were won from barrier one. Below is my assessment of the day – which includes a wrap of the winners, other notable runners, key stewards notes and a highlight of some successful Roar tipsters from the event.
The Chosen One could live up to his name in the Tancred Stakes
The weight-for-age Tancred Stakes at Rosehill Gardens shapes as an intriguing race this Saturday. It looks like an open race with potential value in betting. There are various question marks over those currently favoured in the market order. The Chosen One (NZ) presents as a good each-way play, as he chases his first Group 1 victory. He currently sits on the fifth line of betting, paying $11 with PlayUp. The five-year-old son of Tavistock was good first up in New Zealand, finishing second.
More autumn riches await Mugatoo
Mugatoo’s breathtaking win in the All-Star Mile recently is his peak performance to date and has elevated him to be considered among Australia’s best weight-for-age middle-distance horses. The six-year-old son of Henrythenavigator travelled beautifully in the run and looked to really appreciate the Moonee Valley track. He pinched ground effortlessly throughout as jockey Hugh Bowman kept him in a nice rhythm.
Singapore’s Candy-Colored Shop-Houses Are a Record of the City’s Multicultural History
When my wife and I moved to Singapore last year for her new job, I expected to be traveling into the future. On my previous visits, Singapore's famously efficient airport, Changi, had seemed like the principal node of a gleaming network of expressways, subway lines, and skyscrapers, all designed to maximize the flow of people and capital.
Discover the Golden Triangle on a Luxury Cruise Down the Mekong River
As dusk fell over the Mekong, the crew of the Gypsy prepared dinner on the riverbank. Sue Yang, our guide, heaped together a driftwood fire on the foreshore, splashed it with gasoline from a small bottle, and threw on a match. Meanwhile, Singkham Soudachan, the boat captain, emerged from the forest carrying lengths of bamboo. Squatting on his haunches, he transformed them into skewers. When the flames died down and the wood was white-hot, we were ready to cook.
Chile's Aysén Region Is a Dreamscape of Towering Mountains, Crystalline Lakes, and Sublime Glaciers
© Provided by Travel + Leisure Stefan Ruiz From left: Winding for 800 miles through the Aysén region, the Carretera Austral showcases some of Chile’s most spectacular scenery; the 8,775-foot summit of Cerro Castillo, named for its resemblance to a castle, with Lake Cerro Castillo in the foreground. There were six of them: two adults and four kids, cycling up an unpaved mountain road on three tandem bicycles.
Always Another Adventure on Apple Podcasts
39 episodes Great adventurers share their great adventures. Please Subscribe & Review. Great adventurers share their great adventures. Please Subscribe & Review. 31 DEC 2020 39. Patrick Winterton. Kayaking Shetland to Norway 39. Patrick Winterton.
The transcription factor IRF4 represses proapoptotic BMF and BIM to licence multiple myeloma survival
Fig. 1: IRF4 loss results in cell cycle inhibition and death of MM cells. Fig. 2: IRF4 maintains MM survival through the repression of BMF alone or in combination with BCL2L11. References 1. Cowan AJ, Allen C, Barac A, Basaleem H, Bensenor I, Curado MP, et al. Global burden of multiple myeloma: a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2016. JAMA Oncol. 2018;4:1221–7. Article Google Scholar 2. Shaffer AL, Emre NCT, Lamy L, Ngo VN, Wright G, Xiao W, et al.
York Council responds to being placed in Tier 2 — Harrogate Informer
The government has announced that York will be subject to additional restrictions, following an increase in covid-19 cases across the city. From 00:01hrs (midnight) on Saturday 17 October, York will be been placed at the high level (tier 2) of the government’s new three-tier restriction system, introduced in an effort to control the spread of the virus across the country. This will be reviewed in 14 days.
Don McCullin on photographing war — and collecting antiques
Don McCullin is leaning over a glass case containing three monkey skulls, a necklace made of whale bones and a set of false teeth.
Managing Innovation teams in complex environments. – Simon Willis – Medium
To some greater or lesser degree, every team will come to have a responsibility to be innovative. But the idea of a special team leading the innovation responsibility for an organisation will nearly always be useful as a catalyst to change both culture and outcomes. Judging the point when it becomes counter-productive is both critical and difficult.
Exploring off-road Colombia
Cycling in Colombia has for a long time thrilled locals and adventure-seeking travellers. Now, its rugged cousin is on the rise. The Andes Epic mountain bike race brings amateurs and some of the countries burgeoning superstars together in a testing high-altitude event. The three-day adventure heads up towering Andean peaks, down dizzying descents and through traditional villages lined with locals cheering riders to the chequered flag.
Why Colombia Is a Dream Destination for Adventure and Coffee
A journey through Colombia’s coffee landscape doesn’t just tantalize the visual senses, a mix of world-class Arabica beans, tropical fruit juices, and surprising dishes make for an extraordinary culinary adventure. We arrive just as the beans begin to shine a bright crimson. Next week, these mountains embroidered with rows of olive-green coffee plants welcome hordes of sombrero -wearing pickers.
Trevor Paglen: Kunst mit Künstlicher Intelligenz
Im Oktober wird von der Vandenberg Air Force Base in Kalifornien ein Cubesat, ein Miniatursatellit von der Größe eines Ziegelsteins, in eine Höhe von 575 Kilometern geschossen. Er wird dort oben, in der Luftleere, abgesetzt und sich dann öffnen wie eine metallische Blüte und mithilfe eines kleinen Kohlendioxid-Tanks ein in ihm enthaltenes Kunstwerk aufblasen: den „Orbital Reflector“.
Copenhagen’s Coolest New Hotels and Art Spaces Are Popping Up in Unexpected Places
For many, the phrase Danish design conjures the elegant functionality and earthy minimalism of the country’s midcentury furniture. But the postwar aesthetic of bare-wood tables and boxy sideboards has become so ubiquitous that designers at the source are now striving to reinterpret it — often by reenergizing Copenhagen’s historic interiors.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Simon
Contact Simon, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack