james wong - the knot contributing writer and travel expert

James Wong

Travel Writer & Expert
  • James Wong is a freelance travel writer and expert.
  • He's reported for publications including VOGUE, GQ, Time Out and Thrillist.
  • James has lived in London, Tokyo and New York; and has traveled to almost every corner of the world.

James is an adventurous and perhaps too indulgent Libra. When he’s not abroad, he’s probably planning a trip. He actually does most of the things that he writes about, so it’s a good thing he says "yes" to anything--whether that’s scuba diving, snowmobiling, hot-air ballooning, or swimming with sharks. He loves animals and is trying his best to be a vegan, but fails around 50 percent of the time.

Experience

Born in London, James graduated in Marketing Communications and became an entertainment publicist for television networks such as Turner Broadcasting (CNN, Turner Classic Movies, TruTV) and Disney (Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD). During a sabbatical, he backpacked through Asia and Australia, where he decided to carve out a full-time career in travel instead.

He soon landed a role reporting about Tokyo for the airline publications of Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, subsequently freelancing for international editions of VOGUE and GQ. James eventually relocated to the US, where he focused on domestic travel (and has visited all 50 states in America), writing for localized editions of Time Out and Thrillist.

James plans to work remotely over the coming years, sharing his travel knowledge encompassing budget to luxury, from a new city every few months.

Awards & Associations

James’ travel advice has not only been featured on notable publications around the world, but he has also been interviewed for Esquire and live on iHeart radio. James has worked with TIMID Magazine to uplift unheard Asian-American stories, and has spoken about sustainable tourism on Costa Rica panel at SXSW 2022.