Internationally published travel writer Jacki Sweeting puts her love of travel down to a childhood overdose of National Geographic.

Specialising in independent and car-free travel, writing for the web and search engine optimisation, Jacki is the publisher and editor of Escapes Travel Guides.

Taking a keen interest in car-free and environmentally friendly travel, her own journeys have taken her around most of the United Kingdom, Europe and Australasia.  One of the more unusual experiences was taking "The Test" in the Australian outback town of Silverton, where Mel Gibson's original Mad Max was filmed. She is quite at home whether interviewing shark hunters over a beer in a remote pub or writing about the latest luxury boutique hotel.

Jacki turned her hand to writing and photography after studying geology and working in the legal field. Occasionally her writing betrays a geological bent, and a knowledge of the law sometimes comes in useful.

The past few years have seen Jacki cover a broad range of topics — from youth hostels and budget accommodation to luxury resorts and five-star hotels, which ultimately led to publication of "Escapes Travel Guides".  A series of themed online travel planning guides, "Escapes Travel Guides" caters to a variety of travel budgets, tastes and target markets.

During 2004/05, Jacki authored the pilot phase of a new web-based guide for YHA (England & Wales) a major provider of budget and youth accommodation.  The project, "Empty Roads", won a Laureate prize in February 2006 at the prestigious Ecologically Sound Travel in Europe conference in Vienna.

She is probably among a minority of public transport specialists who genuinely doesn't own a car. This is by choice, as Jacki believes more people should be making the effort to enjoy the view without the encumbrance of a motor car

Apart from Jacki's editorial and writing skills, she is also a competent photographer, but has often collaborated on projects with renowned photojournalist Peter Russell.

Published credits include The Guardian, Horse & Hound, Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, McKnight Ridder, Reuters, AP, Conde Nast, Redbook, and many more.