Sheila Simkin

Sheila Simkin is not a travel agent and has no affiliation with any tour operator, airline or other travel representative. Her goal is to encourage you to take the big step and travel to more exotic, remote destinations with tips, anecdotes and reassurance that, yes, you will come back alive. Sheila, a native Chicagoan, has been traveling the world since 1960. The travel bug first hit on her honeymoon in Miami. Fidel Castro had just taken over Cuba and lured by rock-bottom prices, Sheila sweet-talked her ex-husband into abandoning Miami for Cuba. That marked the beginning of her lifetime travel passion and addiction. There are very few countries that are not on her to-see list no matter how remote and/or difficult they may be with many, "What was I thinking of" moments in hindsight. The U.S. State Department recognizes 193 independent countries and she has visited over 160 in over 40 years of travel (but...who's counting). Touring, hiking, trekking, rafting, snowshoeing, skiing, volunteering on archaeological digs, family trips, occasionally sitting on a beach, compulsively shopping and enjoying yummy food. Visit her "travelswithsheila" channel on YouTube to watch over 2,000 videos filmed around the world. They cover the gamut from cruises to camping in Egypt's desert, food (fried tarantulas, anyone?), sights and instructions on how to navigate subways in Paris and Beijing. All Travels With Sheila Guides will tell you the truth, and only the whole truth, about each country and whether sights are a hit, or a miss. Follow Sheila's advice to avoid making mistakes she learned the hard way. For example, not knowing an important piece of equipment when camping or trekking is...an Air Mattress? And what kind of crazy idiot goes trekking in Siberia and gets lost? Really...lost in Siberia? Only Sheila. Happy traveling!