Duncan Madden

Cologne, London

Contributor at Forbes

copywriter. travel writer. author. Found in Translation: The Unexpected Origins of Place Names out now👇

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Articles

Saunas, bibliotecas y baños en el hielo: viajamos a la capital del país más feliz del mundo

1 month ago | forbes.es | Suzanne Rowan Kelleher |Javier Ortega Figueiral |Duncan Madden

Naciones Unidas ha dado a conocer su Informe de la Felicidad Mundial 2025 (World Happiness Report) y, casi podríamos decir que para sorpresa de nadie, Finlandia lidera la clasificación por octavo año consecutivo como el país más feliz del mundo, con una puntuación media de 7,7 sobre 10.
Summer is here! The 13 best places to visit in June

1 month ago | kayak.com | Duncan Madden

The best places to visit in June are just as likely on your doorstep as the other side of the world. Europe enjoys warm summer weather so outdoor events dominate the calendar, from music festivals to food fights. The weather peaks in much of Asia and Africa too, opening up golden beaches and once-in-a-lifetime safaris. While many destinations are getting busier, there’s still solitude to be found. And because we haven’t yet reached high season, deals too.
Dramatic Change In Number Of Shark Attacks In 2024, According To ISAF

2 months ago | forbes.com | Duncan Madden

The latest International Shark Attack File (ISAF) is encouraging reading for lovers of the ocean. Covering human and shark interactions around the world over the course of 2024, its figures reveal a quiet year for shark encounters. Worldwide, ISAF investigated 88 alleged human-shark encounters in 2024, confirming only 47 unprovoked shark attacks, down 22 from the previous year and way below the 10-year average of 70 attacks. There were also 24 provoked shark bites.
New Survey Ranks The Airlines Most Searched For Lost Luggage

2 months ago | forbes.com | Duncan Madden

It’s a tale almost as old as flying itself. You check your luggage in at your departure airport expecting, entirely logically, to be reunited with it at your destination. But alas, it’s not the case—the airline has misplaced it somewhere on route and the headache of finding your lost and unclaimed baggage starts to take hold. Lost luggage is one of the most cited concerns for fliers, to the degree that nowadays many opt to travel with carry-on baggs only.
Estes São os 10 Países Mais Inteligentes do Mundo

2 months ago | forbes.com.br | Duncan Madden

Medir inteligência é uma tarefa complexa, mas isso não impede que tentativas sejam feitas. Os resultados sempre geram debates, já que diferentes perspectivas atribuem pesos distintos a diferentes critérios. Ainda assim, a World of Card Games elaborou seu próprio ranking dos países mais inteligentes do mundo. Antes de apresentar a lista, é importante entender os critérios utilizados.
These Countries Are Taking Extreme Action To Tackle Overtourism

2 months ago | forbes.com | Duncan Madden

Never has the world been more accessible than it is today—just check the 2025 Henley Passport Index to see the travel power many passports now afford their owners. Yet that modern freedom to cast our vacation net far and wide is causing serious overtourism problems for some of the more amazing destinations around the world. The blight of overtourism is a tough one to tackle, especially if you’re a place (a country, a city, a natural wonder…) that relies on the income from vacationing visitors.
New Survey Ranks The Ten Smartest Countries In The World

2 months ago | forbes.com | Duncan Madden

Being smart is a hard thing to quantify, but that certainly doesn’t stop people from trying. Any outcomes are sure to create debate and contention as different perspectives lend different weight to different criteria. Yet that hasn’t stopped World of Card Games from wading into the debate by creating their own ranking of the smartest countries in the world. Before we dive into the actual list of smartest countries, a look at the criteria they’ve used to create their rankings.
United Airlines Activates Apple AirTag To End Lost Luggage Nightmares

Jan 22, 2025 | forbes.com | Duncan Madden

There are few things more frustrating when traveling than arriving at your destination airport only to find your luggage hasn’t made the journey with you. Standing at the carousel watching other passengers collect their vacation essentials while yours remains absent is guaranteed to take the shine off the start of any trip. And it’s not exactly a rarity. In 2023, Americans reported more than 2.8 million pieces of checked luggage as lost, delayed, damaged or stolen.
Así fue como este surfista de California cogió la ola más grande jamás registrada

Jan 20, 2025 | forbes.es | Duncan Madden |Claudia Sacrest Martos |Joaquín Torreblanca |Inés Cadena Pla

A punto de terminar 2024, una tormenta extraordinaria azotaba el Océano Pacífico, lejos de la costa. Su furia, con la fuerza de huracán, se manifestaba en enormes olas que se desplazaban miles de kilómetros por el océano y apuntaban directamente a la costa oeste de Estados Unidos. Al tocar tierra en California, se transformaron en olas gigantescas que causaron estragos y destrucción.
Did This U.S. Surfer Ride The Biggest Wave Ever Surfed?

Jan 17, 2025 | forbes.com | Duncan Madden

With the end of 2024 looming large, an extraordinary storm was raging far from shore in the heart of the Pacific Ocean. Its hurricane-force fury manifested in huge swells that carried thousands of miles through the ocean aimed squarely at the U.S west coast. On landing in California, they transformed into gigantic waves that wreaked havoc and destruction.