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Robert Michael Poole has written for a wide variety of magazines, newspaper and new media sources such as: AP, CNN, MTV, Interview, the Wall Street Journal, and global inflight travel magazines.

Robert Michael Poole has written for a wide variety of magazines, newspaper and new media sources such as: AP, CNN, MTV, Interview, the Wall Street Journal, and global inflight travel magazines. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of Culture+Travel and Head of Asia at Blouin Artinfo.



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Where RMP is going NEXT...

2019 June / #150 Turks & Caicos

Back to the Caribbean to visit some of the region's smallest islands.

Where RMP has published...

Selected Articles:

Travel mSafiri 2019 April

Fine China

by Robert Michael Poole

Welcome to China’s historic window on the world. Once the country’s main trading port, GUANGZHOU now blends a historic core with some of the world’s flashiest skyscrapers.

UNLIKE ITS SISTERS, Shanghai and Beijing, China’s third city doesn’t conjure up the image of an iconic skyline, the Great Wall of China or the Forbidden City; but it does have beautiful architecture, and excellent food that’s famous worldwide. Chinese chefs, many hailing from Guangzhou, were the first modern Chinese to travel around the world.

Travel mSafiri 2019 January

Off the Chain in the Seychelles

by Robert Michael Poole


Modern tourism, pristine beaches, rare animals and environmental protection all meet in the SEYCHELLES, some 1,500 km east of the mainland.

FLYING DUE east from Nairobi to the Seychelles islands, my imagination is filled with vibrant Technicolor images of exotic nature and landscapes, and luxurious resorts overlooking some of the world’s finest palm-fringed beaches. What surprises me, however, is that the most colourful spot of all stands in the heart of the capital, Victoria, as a monument to the diversity of history and culture that has passed through the islands of this very young and tiny country.

Reportage Daily Telegraph 2018 October

Which is the perfect Caribbean island for you?

by Robert Michael Poole

From the unspoilt Out Islands of the Bahamas, to the bustling salsa bars of Havana, the Caribbean has a destination to delight everyone.

Here we highlight the best islands appropriate for every taste, pocket and circumstance.

For the Daily Telegraph’s Caribbean guide, my images were used for the cover and inside double-page spread, depicting the junglescapes of the Bahamas at Four Seasons Ocean Club, and inside of the mountainside of Nevis in St Kitts & Nevis.

Travel BBC 2018 May

The Tiny Island with Human-sized Money

by Robert Michael Poole

The Micronesian island of Yap has a famously unusual currency: hundreds of giant discs of rocks scattered all over the island, many of them too heavy to move.

Travel Four Seasons Magazine 2018 March

A Journey through China with Four Seasons, Part One

by Robert Michael Poole

After falling in love with Africa, world traveller and photographer Robert Michael Poole set his sights on China. “I wanted to explore its diversity,” he says, “and better understand what each region had to offer.” Exploring nine destinations across the country, he discovered dynamic cities and remote hideaways made for business, entertainment and relaxation.


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  • Photography

    Inspired by French-Vietnamese Director Tran Anh Hung’s masterpiece "The Vertical Ray of the Sun," my works have appeared across international media and are available upon request or assignment.

    #33 Canada - Toronto

  • Photography

    Inspired by French-Vietnamese Director Tran Anh Hung’s masterpiece "The Vertical Ray of the Sun," my works have appeared across international media and are available upon request or assignment.

    Earthquake in Bohol, Philippines

  • Photography

    Inspired by French-Vietnamese Director Tran Anh Hung’s masterpiece "The Vertical Ray of the Sun," my works have appeared across international media and are available upon request or assignment.

    #73 Vietnam – Ha Long Bay

Photography

Inspired by French-Vietnamese Director Tran Anh Hung’s masterpiece "The Vertical Ray of the Sun," my works have appeared across international media and are available upon request or assignment.

blog

Follow a personal account of my escapades around Asia and the world via images, tales and anecdotes.

Two Days in Miyazaki

2018 November

In November 2018 I headed to the south of Japan for a tour to Miyazaki, Supported by Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The trip was a chance to experience a little known town to see what some of Japan’s little known areas have to offer.
The tour included a mixture of highly-localized and specialist activities, combined with a short trip to the lovely little island of Aoshima. It also included a home stay and a hotel stay at the luxurious Phoenix Seagaia Resort.

» READ MORE

En Route to the Land of Happiness

2015 December

Taking Druk Air from Bangkok via India and on past the Himalayas as I head to the Land of the Thunder Dragon – Bhutan!

The Greek Parliament in Athens (#96)

2015 June

“There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.” ― Socrates

The Blue Hole – St Barts (#88)

2015 February

A short hike around the north peninsula of Saint Barthelemy leads to two lovely crystal clear pools, constantly filled and refilled by the crashing waves of the Atlantic.

“As You Were” at Tokyo International Film Festival

2014 October

Went to the World Premiere of “As You Were” by Singapore’s Liao Jiekai at Tokyo International Film Festival. The film explored the failing relationship of childhood sweetheart’s as they discover that time apart during their formative years, during which they are separated, has seen them develop in to different people that can no longer connect.

Though almost a silent film, the tale had a lot to say about how shared memories construct false realities that don’t always empower the here & now with the weight or meaning that they appear they should. Thus, we must always communicate with people from the past with respect and honesty, but never be afraid to live for the present.

A flawed film narratively, but it struck a chord.

Discovering Habitat 67

2014 October

An Indian summer in Montreal means a chance to wander and explore on foot, and I couldn’t resist a stop by Moshe Safdie’s Habitat.

» READ MORE

Love in the Shadows – Toronto, Canada #33

2014 October

Safekeeping feelings at the Distillery District, Toronto…

The Gooderham Building – Toronto, Canada #33

2014 September

Lining up the skylines of 1892 and 2014 on Front Street in downtown Toronto, where the Gooderham Building stands as testament to the era of Flatiron buildings.

Propaganda Cafe – Vietnam #73

2014 September

While in search of the Saigon’s Independence Palace, I felt like a small bite in a local eatery. The bright colors pulled me in to this charmer, where a mural celebrating the communist ideal of rural life adorns the walls. It’s suitably named – Propaganda Cafe.

Shrimp, clams and crabs…

2014 September

Found fresh food at a restaurant on stilts above a lake on the way to Danang in central Vietnam (#73). The procedure was simple, point at various creatures swimming in randomly spread buckets on the floor, and eat them a few minutes later.

Down by the river in Hoi An, Vietnam (#73)

2014 September

It was the first stop on my adventure across Vietnam, the UNESCO-listed town of Hoi An. Its tiny size enhances the feeling of it being clustered with tourists, but down by the river, its possible to find calm and quiet to imagine its heyday as a trading port.

Peace in Prasat Tao, Cambodia (#72)

2014 July

After meeting a local Cambodian, took an adventure to visit their family in Kong Stueng Saen, central Cambodia. With uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces, we went for a picnic in the forest, and found Prasat Tao of the Pre-Angkorian temple complex of Sambor Prei Kuk sitting peacefully, with no-one else around.

An Island’s Island. Exploring Atauro, East Timor (#71)

2014 June

At 15,410 sq km, East Timor is itself one of the world’s smallest countries. The temptation to make one more step over water to an even smaller island is strong though, and so on my third day exploring, I got up at 5 a.m. and prepared for a morning “ferry” over a crevasse that dips 3500 meters below sea level, to Atauro.

» READ MORE

Ermera, East Timor (#71). Where your Starbucks coffee comes from…

2014 June

Timor Leste, as it is known locally, has become a major producer of coffee. Yet the people who grow it live in extreme poverty. I went to explore the mountainous regions to see for myself the life of coffee bean pickers.

» READ MORE

#70 Maldives – Olhuveli

2014 June

Spent a week on the lowest lying country in the world for a spot of diving and relaxation. Have uploaded some of the images I managed to capture in “Photography.”

798 Art Zone

Discovering My Wings

2014 April

I discovered the vibrant 798 Art Zone in Beijing in January, between 50-year-old military factory buildings. As well as galleries and cafes I stumbled across a 3-D trick art museum, ideal for those with aspirations to become heavenly creatures!

» READ MORE

Kyoto’s Kamo River

2014 March

Oh Kyoto… My favorite city. Beautiful blue sky over Kamo river right now.

Interview in The Independent

2014 March

The Independent’s Arts section interviewed me about Japan’s declining music market bringing down global sales. I let them know, things aren’t exactly as they appear…

» READ AT SOURCE

Westland National Park

Westland National Park, New Zealand

2014 March

The enormous Fox Glacier in Westland national park after a morning hike.

Shirakawago

Shirakawa Village

2014 March

The UNESCO-listed town of Shirakawa-go in the Japanese Alps.

Southwick

Southwark Architecture, London

2014 March

Discovered an upside down shop and building in Southwark, London. Impressive detail.