Andrew Burke was raised in Sydney, Australia, and first set foot in Africa as an impressionable 19-year-old. The 'Dark Continent' made quite an impression and during the next decade he funded several return visits. He also spent time as a journalist in Asia, the Middle East, North America and Europe. Andrew Burke worked on newspapers, including the Australian Financial Review in Sydney, and the Financial Times and Independent on Sunday in London, before embarking on a full-time career in travel writing.