Travel Tales by Afar

The Ambassador, the President, and Me: an Unlikely Reunion in India

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 18:36:00 -0000

Author Charmaine Craig had always felt mysteriously drawn to India—pulled by childhood family legends of ancestors who arrived there centuries ago and copper plates inscribed with ancient privileges that still hang in a Kochi synagogue. But it would take a chance encounter at a dinner party—and the power of old friendship—to finally help her explore her roots.

She set out on a pilgrimage through Kerala's ancient Jewish communities with a former college boyfriend turned U.S. Ambassador to India and a mutual friend who orchestrated their reconnection. From sacred sunrises where three seas converge to an impossible meeting with the last two Jews of Kochi, Charmaine discovers that sometimes journeys into the past have the power to change your life—especially when you have good friends by your side.

Don't miss these transformative moments

The dinner party revelation that set everything in motion
Why Charmaine's childhood bedroom featured only one map—of India
The legend of her ancestor who saved a ruler's son in 10th-century India
Traveling by presidential motorcade through Kerala's lush landscapes
The 4 AM journey through cyclonic winds to witness sunrise where three seas meet
Meeting Keith and Queenie, the reclusive last Jews of Kochi who "never see visitors"
The moment in the sacred waters that changed everything
How friendship, timing, and ancestral calling converged to open a new chapter

Resources

Learn more about Charmaine Craig at charmainecraig.com
Buy Charmaine's books: Miss Burma and My Nemesis
Read Charmaine's Spin the Globe trip to Portugal or listen to theTravel Tales episode
Read the transcript of the episode

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our other podcasts,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Unpacked⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View From Afar⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where we spotlight the people and the ideas shaping the future of travel.

Travel Tales by Afar is part of Airwave Media's podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Pack Light' Is a Lie: What a 16-Year-Old Learned About Travel (and Life) in Guatemala

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 07:01:00 -0000

When 16-year-old Jayla Nicholas from New York City packed her one carry-on suitcase for Guatemala, she thought she had everything figured out. A seasoned city kid who loves the smell of airports and dreams of seeing the world, Jayla was ready for her second international trip, an adventure through Afar's Learning Afar program with Global Leadership Adventures.

But Guatemala had lessons she never expected—from the vibrant yellow and purple buildings that felt "more real" than NYC's concrete jungle, to zip-lining through mountain canyons in a sudden downpour, to discovering that "pack light" advice might be the biggest travel myth of all.

In this episode, we follow Jayla's journey from pre-trip excitement to post-adventure wisdom, as she learns about leadership, gratitude, and what it really means to be prepared for the unexpected.

Don't miss these unforgettable moments:

Why Jayla loves the smell of airports and considers flying a gift
The colorful contrast between Guatemala's vibrant buildings and NYC's concrete jungle
Working with elementary school kids who copied her every move (including snack time)
An epic zip-lining adventure that turned into a rain-soaked truck ride sing-along
The tamale that challenged her Chipotle-loving palate
How flushing toilet paper became a luxury she'd never considered
The floating egg chair moment overlooking volcanoes that perfectly captured her gratitude
Why she's officially converting from underpacker to overpacker (and her advice for fellow picky eaters)

Resources

Learn more about Learning Afar and how to support future student travelers

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our other podcasts,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Unpacked⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View From Afar⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where we spotlight the people and the ideas shaping the future of travel.

Travel Tales by Afar is part of Airwave Media's podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Replay: Why a Wildlife Biologist Traded Mice for the World's Most Dangerous Predator

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 07:01:00 -0000

When polar bear biologist Alysa McCall was growing up in Kamloops, British Columbia, watching black bears raid fruit trees outside her living room window, she never imagined she'd dedicate her life to their Arctic cousins. But sometimes the most profound career changes happen when you least expect them—like when a world-renowned scientist responds to your "what's the worst that could happen?" email with "Sure. Come over. See you in September."

McCall's journey from studying desert mice to becoming a polar bear researcher took her from the semi-arid landscapes of British Columbia to the frozen sea ice of Hudson Bay, where she learned that conservation isn't just about data—it's about connection, storytelling, and what she calls "big feelings."

Don't miss these unforgettable moments:

Growing up with black bears as backyard visitors (and banging pots to make them leave)
The "imposter syndrome" email that changed everything
Sleeping on a tundra buggy and mistaking a polar bear for a rock
Getting stranded alone on moving sea ice in -30°F weather
The mortifying moment of accidentally pointing a shotgun at your helicopter pilot (who later became her husband)
Holding her first polar bear cub and feeling the weight of conservation responsibility
Why emotion and storytelling are the key to saving Arctic habitat
The sobering reality: this polar bear population has dropped from 1,200 to just over 600 bears

The Science Behind the Story: McCall explains why polar bear conservation requires a completely different approach than other wildlife protection—you can't fence sea ice or hire patrols to guard it. Saving polar bears means addressing global climate change, making it one of the most complex conservation challenges on Earth.

Resources:

Learn more about Polar Bears International
Discover Churchill, Manitoba as a polar bear viewing destination
Read the transcript of this episode
Listen to Alysa McCall's TED talk

Travel Tales by Afar is part of Airwave Media's podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What 400 Miles of Hitchhiking the Oregon Coast Taught Me About Home

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 07:01:00 -0000

When Santi Elijah Holley, writer and author of An Amerikan Family: The Shakurs and the Nation They Created, was 25, he took the ultimate travel leap of faith: He hitchhiked 400 miles from Northern California to Portland through small-town Oregon. But for Holley—who had just moved to Portland from Michigan—it wasn't just about getting a ride. After a year of feeling like an outsider as a person of color in one of America's whitest states, this journey would test whether Oregon would accept him or leave him standing on the side of the road.

What he discovered during those three days hitchhiking along Highway 101 changed everything. From sleeping on church roofs to walking barefoot on the beach with a wealthy New Yorker, and listening to a mother's fight for youth spaces to riding with speeders heading to court, Holley found that Oregon's people had stories to tell—and that he was the perfect stranger to hear them.

Don't miss these unforgettable moments

Why Holley thought of himself as a teenage "brown-skinned Kerouac" in Michigan
Walking barefoot on an Oregon beach with a wealthy stranger in a red convertible
The mom who's single-handedly saving her town's crumbling teen center with mop buckets and determination
A white-knuckle ride with a speeding driver on his way to DUI court
The paper mill ghost town and one man's 15-year story of economic change
Sleeping on a church roof under the stars (and why Holley calls it "urban camping")
The Willie Nelson cassette tape that sparked a conversation about human connection
How three days on Highway 101 revealed Holley's future as a journalist

Resources

Visit Santi Elijah Holley's website: santielijahholley.com
Read his book An Amerikan Family: The Shakurs and the Nation They Created
Read the transcript of the episode
Read Santi's Afar story about New Orleans

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter,⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our other podcasts,⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Unpacked⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠View From Afar⁠⁠⁠⁠, where we spotlight the people and the ideas shaping the future of travel.

Travel Tales by Afar is part of Airwave Media's podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wait, Coleslaw Is What? The Surprising Tales of Classic American Foods

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 14:41:00 -0000

Dr. Jessica B. Harris⁠, renowned food historian and author of High on the Hog, which later became a hit Netflix series of the same name, reveals the shocking truth about American cuisine—it's not what you think. From her couch in Brooklyn with a Siamese cat wandering by, Dr. Harris unpacks the surprising origins of beloved American classics and introduces us to the concept of the "American braid."

Her new book, Braided Heritage: Recipes and Stories on the Origin of American Cuisine, weaves together the three cultural strands that created what we eat today: Indigenous, European, and African influences. But prepare to have your assumptions shattered—coleslaw is Dutch, cookies aren't American, and the "wok hand" of enslaved African Americans shaped Southern food in ways we're only beginning to understand.

Don't miss these eye-opening revelations:

Coleslaw comes from Dutch "kool sla" (cabbage salad)—not American at all
Cookies and waffles are Dutch gifts hiding in plain sight
The "wok hand" concept and why Southern food doesn't taste British
How barbecue represents the cultural braid of Africa and Europe
Dr. Harris's childhood travel bug that started at the UN International School
Her 50+ year relationship with a French host family
Building chosen families across three continents: France, West Africa, and Brazil
Why she's wittier in French and can flirt better too
The personal recipes closest to her heart: her mother's fried chicken and grandmother's watermelon rind pickles

Resources:

Read Dr. Jessica B. Harris's Braided Heritage: Recipes and Stories on the Origin of American Cuisine
Watch High on the Hog on Netflix and read the book
Read her memoir, My Soul Looks Back
Learn more about Chef Sean Sherman's indigenous food work
Read an excerpt on afar.com from Dr. Harris's Vintage Postcards from the African World: In the Dignity of Their Work and the Joy of Their Play
Read an interview on afar.com with Dr. Harris about New Orleans, where she also lives for part of the year
Read the transcript of the episode.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter,⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our other podcasts,⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Unpacked⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week, and ⁠⁠⁠View From Afar⁠⁠⁠, where we spotlight the people and the ideas shaping the future of travel.

Travel Tales by Afar is part of Airwave Media's podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summer Replay! The Surfer Who Feels Everything

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 07:01:00 -0000

This is a replay episode from Season 4 featuring Ryan Knighton's journey to Kaua'i.

Ryan Knighton, AFAR contributing writer, TV writer for Billions, and author of Cockeyed: A Memoir, takes us on an extraordinary adventure to surf Hawaii's legendary Hanalei Bay. Despite being blind since his early twenties, Ryan has never let that stop him from exploring the world—and surfing has become his unique form of freedom.

The episode opens with host Aislyn Greene interviewing Ryan about his surfing background and travel philosophy, then transitions into Ryan's captivating first-person story (read by actor Andrew Galteland). After 13 years of mastering the waves near his Vancouver Island home, Ryan decided to challenge himself by surfing completely unfamiliar waters in Hawaii. What unfolds is a story about trust, collaboration, and finding liberation in the most unexpected places.

In this episode, you'll discover

How a deaf friend taught a blind man to surf in a comedy of miscommunication
Why Ryan describes surfing as "dancing with a wave" and his escape from the "boredom of being safe"
The art of guidance—what makes a great travel guide versus one who just shows you around
How Ryan navigates ocean dangers by feeling water currents and listening to wave patterns

Don't miss these powerful moments

Ryan's first taste of freedom on an 11-foot surfboard that felt like "riding a sidewalk"
The ingenious toe-hook technique that got Ryan safely through dangerous rip currents
Using a clock face system to communicate wave direction when words barely carry over ocean noise
The profound realization that surfing takes him "deeper inside" while sighted surfers look outward
How Ryan's wife Tracy demonstrates ultimate trust by dropping him at the beach and returning hours later

Resources

Read more of Ryan's travel stories on afar.com
Follow Ryan Knighton on X
Listen to Andrew and producer Nikki's podcast Looters
Previous episode: Ryan's Zimbabwe safari adventure

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our other podcasts,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Unpacked⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week, and ⁠⁠View From Afar⁠⁠, where we spotlight the people and the ideas shaping the future of travel.

Travel Tales by Afar is part of Airwave Media's podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Space, Sea, and the Nudge That Saved His Life

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 07:01:00 -0000

Jim Kitchen, professor of entrepreneurship at UNC Chapel Hill, has visited all 193 countries, rocketed 66 miles into space with Blue Origin, and descended seven miles to the ocean's deepest point—but his most important journey was learning to connect rather than just collect experiences.

From childhood road trips in a wood-paneled station wagon to becoming one of only 700+ people who've seen Earth from space, in this episode of Travel Tales by Afar, Jim reveals how travel transformed him from a frantic collector into a mindful connector—and how trusting his instincts literally saved his life.

In this episode, you'll discover

How travel resolved an existential crisis—and changed everything
What it's really like to rocket into space at 2,300 miles per hour
Why listening to life's "nudges" can be a matter of survival

Don't miss these transformative moments

Growing up with "genetic wanderlust" and seeing America backwards from a station wagon
The Afghan marketplace moment that shifted his approach from collecting to connecting
Negotiating a space travel prenup and the emotional stages of preparing for launch
Slapping himself awake at 2,300 mph because he wasn't going to be "that guy"
The profound silence of space and seeing Earth without borders
Smuggling pounds of stickers to space in oversized socks (sorry, Blue Origin!)
Descending seven miles down to find life thriving in the most inhospitable conditions
The nudge that saved his life when he walked away from the doomed Titan submersible

Resources

Read the transcript of the episode
Follow Jim Kitchen on Instagram
Learn more about Blue Origin space tourism
Read about the Challenger Deep and Mariana Trench exploration

Travel Tales by Afar is part of Airwave Media's podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Woman Who Turned Dancing into a Passport to the World

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 14:30:00 -0000

Mickela Mallozzi, Emmy award-winning host of PBS's Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi, transforms strangers into dance partners across seven continents.

Whether learning sean-nós in Ireland or celebrating Matariki in New Zealand, in this episode of Travel Tales by Afar, Mickela reveals how asking permission opens doors to authentic cultural experiences—and why the best travel connections happen when you follow your passion.

In this episode, you'll discover

How cultural appreciation differs from cultural appropriation—and why permission is key
What it's like to film a travel show without rehearsals or mirrors
Why dance reveals migration patterns and cultural connections across continents

Don't miss these transformative moments [03:00] How Mickela's mission evolved from selfish adventure to platform for marginalized communities [06:00] The weekly Zoom meetings with Māori elders that made filming in New Zealand possible [11:00] Growing up in an immigrant family—from slaughtering chickens in Italy to catching the travel bug [14:00] The Europade festival that reminded her why she fell in love with this work [19:00] How Irish sean-nós connects to Appalachian clogging and eventually becomes tap dancing [23:00] Why the Caribbean is her favorite place to see cultural fusion in action [28:00] Her best travel advice: Find what you love at home, then do it everywhere you go

Read the transcript of the episode
Follow Mickela Mallozzi on Instagram.
Watch Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi seasons 7 and 8 (premiering December 2025)
Read more about Mickela's adventures in Ireland and Morocco on afar.com.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter,⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our other podcasts,⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Unpacked⁠⁠⁠⁠, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week, and ⁠View From Afar⁠, where we spotlight the people and the ideas shaping the future of travel.

Travel Tales by Afar is part of Airwave Media's podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Ride Through South Dakota’s Most Misunderstood Festival

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 07:01:00 -0000

Jaymee Sire⁠, host of Food Network Obsessed podcast, trades tasting menus for throttle grips at the legendary Sturgis Motorcyle Rally in South Dakota.

Whether riding two-up through the Black Hills or bonding over leather stamping and welding with a multigenerational crew of women riders, in this episode of Travel Tales by Afar, Jaymee reveals the side of Sturgis Buffalo Chip few outsiders get to see.

125 Bikers, 50 Miles, and One Beginner Biker

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Biker Belles, the annual women’s ride that breaks biking stereotypes.
What it’s like to attend Sturgis Buffalo Chip, one of the nation’s oldest music festivals.
Why winding through the Black Hills in South Dakota is so much better on a bike.

The Side of Sturgis Most Tourists Miss

Don’t miss these transformative moments:

[03:08] What it’s like to arrive at one of the largest motorcycle rallies in the country

[07:35] This annual ride shows the feminine side of biking culture.

[11:51] That moment when a motorcycle ride becomes a soul-filling, sightseeing tour.

[14:21] Tears, Jelly Roll, and pork parfaits: Going beyond biking at Sturgis Buffalo Chip

Resources

Read the ⁠transcript⁠ of the episode
Follow Jaymee Sire on ⁠Instagram⁠
Listen to her on the ⁠Food Network Obsessed⁠ podcast
Learn more about the ⁠Sturgis Buffalo Chip⁠ and the ⁠Biker Belles⁠ ride

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our other podcasts, ⁠⁠⁠Unpacked⁠⁠⁠, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week, and View From Afar, where we spotlight the people and the ideas shaping the future of travel.

Travel Tales by Afar is part of Airwave Media's podcast network. Please contact ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Touring America Taught a Southern Comic About Reading a Crowd

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 07:01:00 -0000

Kentucky native and comedian Katherine Blanford takes us on a hilarious journey across America, sharing how different regions react to humor and why the Pacific Northwest has become her performing paradise. From childhood road trips to Cracker Barrel to navigating regional comedy crowds, Katherine reveals the art of connecting with audiences nationwide—plus her brutally honest airport confessions.

From Cracker Barrel to Comedy Clubs In this episode, you'll discover:

How a Kentucky kid who thought Calgary was "international travel" became a touring comedian
Why the Pacific Northwest produces Katherine's favorite audiences (hint: they're cold, drunk, and unpretentious)
The secret to reading crowds from the arm-crossing Midwest to the hootin'-and-hollererin' South
What makes small towns like Great Falls, Montana, comedy gold

Comedy Across America

[06:15] Growing up in Louisville with dreams of horses and trips to Churchill Downs
[15:30] The cultural shift from 31 years in the Southeast to touring nationwide
[22:45] Decoding regional audience reactions—from Midwest nodders to Southern hollerers
[28:20] Why Pacific Northwest crowds are a comedian's dream
[35:10] The legendary Arizona crowd work story and learning to read local "creatures"

A Comedian's Guide to Regional Humor Katherine Blanford's sharp Southern wit has earned her spots at comedy clubs nationwide, with her latest special "Catholic Cowgirl" showcasing her unique perspective on growing up in Kentucky horse country. Her approach to comedy goes beyond just getting laughs—she studies each town like an anthropologist, understanding what makes different communities tick.

In this episode, you'll hear how Katherine transforms her childhood obsession with horses (she couldn't have one, so she became one) into crowd work gold, and why she had to retire her famous "neigh-off" challenge after Chicago audiences got too competitive.

Resources

Read the transcript of the episode
Catch Katherine live at upcoming shows in Sunnyvale, California, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa
See her at Red Rocks this October with Bert Kreischer

About Travel Tales by Afar Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, ⁠⁠⁠Unpacked⁠⁠⁠, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week, and our industry-focused podcast, View From Afar.

Travel Tales by Afar is part of Airwave Media's podcast network. Please contact ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the Warming Arctic, These Inuit Traditions Refuse to Disappear

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 07:01:00 -0000

When Métis writer Debbie Olsen heard the haunting sounds of Inuit throat singing for the first time, she felt an unexpected connection to her own Indigenous roots. In northern Quebec's remote Inuit region of Nunavik, she discovered how an entire community is fighting to preserve cultural traditions that were once banned—while adapting to a rapidly warming world that threatens their ancient way of life.

In this episode of Travel Tales by Afar, Debbie takes us inside Kuujjuaq's remarkable cultural revival, from throat-singing performances to traditional sewing centers, where elders pass down survival skills that have sustained Inuit life for generations. Plus, we explore how climate change is forcing this resilient community to adapt while holding fast to their identity.

Ancient Arts in Modern Times In this episode you'll learn:

How throat singing survived decades of government suppression to become a global art form
Why traditional sewing and qamutiik-making are essential to cultural preservation
What climate change means for Arctic communities living on the front lines

A Culture of Resilience, With A Little Help From Community [04:30] The "Poor Little Puppy Song" and the stories behind throat singing traditions [12:15] Inside the sewing center where women reclaim traditional clothing-making skills [18:20] How eider down harvesting connects ancient practices with modern technology [22:45] The polar bear in town that signals a changing Arctic

What Cultural Preservation Should Be All About

Award-winning travel writer and Métis journalist Debbie Olsen brings a unique Indigenous perspective to exploring cultural traditions. Based in Canada, her work focuses on connecting with Indigenous communities and understanding how ancestral knowledge survives in the modern world.

In this episode you'll hear how Kuujjuaq's community centers—from throat singing groups to carpentry workshops—represent more than skill-sharing; they're acts of cultural healing that help Inuit people reclaim what colonization tried to erase, all while preparing future generations for an uncertain climate future.

Resources

Read the transcript of this episode.
Learn more about Debbie's work at wonderwoman.ca
Follow Debbie on Instagram @wanderwoman_deb.
Explore Nunavik travel experiences through NunaWild.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, ⁠⁠Unpacked⁠⁠, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.

Travel Tales by Afar is part of Airwave Media's podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I Solo Hiked 7,500 Miles from Cape Town to Cairo—and Found Connection at Every Step

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 14:25:00 -0000

When Turks and Caicos native Mario Rigby landed in Cape Town with nothing but a backpack, a pair of worn-in sneakers, and a dream to walk the length of Africa, he thought maybe he'd made the worst mistake of his life. But actually walking across Africa? That brought peace and a deeper understanding of the power of hospitality, movement, and self discovery.

In this episode of Travel Tales by Afar, Mario shares how walking 7,500 miles permanently changed the way he travels—and lives. Plus, we dive into what sustainable tourism really looks like and the aftermath of reverse culture shock.

7,500 Miles: From Cape Town to Cairo

In this episode you’ll learn:

Why Turks and Caicos is a microcosm for the power of sustainable tourism.
What it’s like to cross the white desert in Egypt.
How local culture in Cape Town, Sudan, and El Salvador reshaped Mario’s perspective on travel.

An Epic Sojourn, With A Little Help From Locals

[02:50] This childhood TV show planted the seed for adventure, before it was famous.

[08:38] The local encounter that changed everything on day one.

[14:41] When a dog attack in Sudan led to a Tedx talk.

[22:19] What happens next? Reverse culture shock and the need for adventure.

What Traveling Should Be All About

Eco-explorer and former professional athlete, Mario Rigby has travel in his blood. Born in Turks and Caicos, raised in Germany, and now living in Canada, Mario’s expeditions focus on sustainability and human connection.

In this episode you’ll hear how a walk from Cape Town to Cairo, guided him to a lifestyle of adventurous movement, that included biking across North America and living among Algeria’s nomadic tribes.

Resources:

Read the transcript of this episode

Learn more about Mario’s work on his website.

Follow Mario on Instagram: @mariorigby

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠Behind the Mic⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, ⁠Unpacked⁠, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.

Travel Tales by Afar is part of Airwave Media's podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Queer Eye's Antoni Porowski Ate Around the World With Your Favorite Celebrities. These Are the Meals That Still Haunt Him

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:09:00 -0000

Antoni Porowski, our favorite culinary expert from Queer Eye, takes you behind-the-scenes of his new National Geographic show, No Taste Like Home (premiering February 23, 2025). In this episode, he shares the connection that sent him crying off camera with Awkwafina, the dish that defeated his adventurous palate with Henry Golding, and how his Polish roots served him well while helping celebrities explore the foods that taste like home in six different countries.

What Do Kimbap, Ndambe and Chicken Fried Steak Have in Common?

On this episode you’ll learn:

How National Geographic’s team created epic, transformative travel experiences for celebrities.
The tastes and origin stories that transformed Antoni Porowski, from kelp soup in Korea to ndambe in Senegal.
The ways that food and travel can connect people to their deepest roots.

Queer Eye's Antoni Porowski Will Eat Anything—Except This

Don’t miss these transformative, travel moments:

[03:06] “I was the pickiest eater ever growing up!”

[10:01] Kelp, crying, and Korean connections with Awkwafina.

[17:18] James Marsden sheds a light on chicken fried steak.

[19:21] Antoni Porowski tests his foodie limits with Henry Golding.

[20:04] The surprising connections that changed the way Antoni Porowski approaches food.

Why The Perfect Meal Should Remind You of Your Childhood

Every episode of Antoni Porowski’s new show, No Taste Like Home, took three to six months of research: from tracing family trees to exploring the origins of traditional foods.

In this episode of Travel Tales by Afar, discover what Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski learned about the universality of place, comfort and connection by taking celebrities on epic journeys to explore their culinary and familial roots.

Resources:

Follow Antoni Porowski on Instagram

Stream the show, No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski.

Watch this episode on Youtube.

Read the episode transcript.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Spontaneous (Travel!) Story of How Afar Came to Be

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 07:01:00 -0000

No plan. No luggage. Five weeks in India. Joe Diaz and Greg Sullivan, dreamed up Afar on a beach in Goa more than 15 years ago. In this candid episode from our sister podcast, Unpacked, they reflect on what they’ve learned by helping people travel deeper. From the spontaneous trips that honed the company’s values to how they’ve helped shape the travel industry, get an inside look into the transformative power of rallying around travel as a force for good.

But, How Many Kitchen Tables Have You Visited?

In this episode, discover:

How Afar helped pave the way for “experiential travel.”

The origin and impact of Learning Afar, which gives students access to travel.

How you can continue to shape travel as a force for good in the world.

Going Home with a Rickshaw Driver.

Don’t miss these memorable moments:

[2:03] It started without a plan—or luggage.

[14:55] The first step: transformative travel education.

[25:15] Spin the globe and other stories that have impacted them the most.

[37:49] A trip to Cairo that led to a surgeon’s debut on The Daily Show.

[45:15] A friendly debate on travel practices—from packing to plane rides.

The Transformative Power of Teachers Turned Travelers.

Greg Sullivan and Joe Diaz met in the classroom, so when they traveled to India and found a deeper way to travel, they had to share that with others. In this lighthearted conversation, they share the spontaneous travel stories that have impacted the industry and continue to sustain Afar 15 years later.

In this episode you’ll learn how Afar went from an idea to a multi-faceted media company, how they’ve pivoted over time to hone their impact on the world and how you can travel in a more conscious and connected way.

Resources

• Explore Afar’s 15-year anniversary hub of favorite stories, including:

A Skeptic Visits the Holy Waters of Lourdes.

What It’s Like to Navigate Cairo’s Chaos as a Blind Traveler.

• Read the transcript of this episode.

• Listen to the podcast episodes mentioned in this episode:

A Blind Man’s Trip Will Change the Way You Go on Safari.

A Blind Surfer Takes On Kauai’s Legendary Waves.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Want to Get to the Soul of Switzerland? Jump Into a River.

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 07:01:00 -0000

Not only can you swim in the rivers of Bern and Basel— but thousands of locals regularly take the plunge. From a morning commute to a relaxing weekend escape, discover how rivers are at the heart of everyday Swiss life. In this episode of Travel Tales by Afar, Bonnie Tsui, author of Why We Swim, follows the currents of Switzerland's alpine rivers into the depths of history, culture and identity.

How Rivers Reveal Years of Swiss Culture

In this episode you will learn:

How the Rhine was transformed into a meeting place for swimmers
What river swimming reveals about the people and culture of major Swiss cities
What our changing world could mean for the future of alpine river swimming.

Behind Every Great Swiss City, There’s A River.

Don’t miss these transformative travel moments:

[5:19] A legacy of guarding the rights of swimmers in Basel.

[8:14] Three distinct relationships with the Rhine.

[11:07] An insightful swim at Rheinbad Breite, a 125-year-old bathhouse.

[12:54] What does climate change mean for the future of Alpine river swimming?

Swimming for a Slice of Life

Afar contributor, and author of Why We Swim, Bonnie Tsui has swimming in her DNA. Her parents met in a pool in Hong Kong, she worked as a lifeguard growing up in New York, and she often swims when she travels—she's the perfect person to explore Switzerland’s river swimming culture.

In this episode you’ll learn how to enhance a trip to Switzerland by swimming its rivers, hear how locals see rivers as an important thread in the fabric of Swiss life and culture, and be inspired by the people who are working to protect the future of alpine river swimming.

Resources

• Read the transcript of the episode

• Order Bonnie’s book Why We Swim

• Read more of Bonnie’s work on her website.

• Pre-order Bonnie's latest book, On Muscle:The Stuff That Moves Us and Why it Matters.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Only 10 People Have Walked Around the World—and One Dog.

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 07:01:00 -0000

Tom Turcich and his dog, Savannah, completed their world walk in 2022. On this week’s episode of Travel Tales, we hear their story.

We first talked with Tom and Savannah back in 2021, when they were in Kyrgyzstan, six years into their journey, which began in 2015. They had been held up by the pandemic, which was only one of many ordeals they faced on their circumnavigation. A year and a few thousand miles later, they were done and back home in New Jersey. And now, two years later, Tom has released his memoir, The World Walk: 7 Years. 28,000 Miles. 6 Continents. A Grand Meditation, One Step at a Time.

In his Travel Tale, Tom reads an excerpt from the book, a moment set in the Peruvian desert about a year and a half into his journey. At that time, he’d already been held up by knife point and chased by semi-feral dogs in South America. The novelty of his walk had worn off and as he shuffled through the desert, he started to lose sight of why he was attempting this journey. And then he encountered a special restaurant with a special individual, one that revealed that he was indeed on the right path.

Tom and host Aislyn Greene also talk about what it was like to return to “real” life after seven years of walking, his relationship to walking now, and where he wants to go next.

Resources

Read the transcript of the episode.

Listen to the episode on YouTube on August 29th.

Buy Tom's book on Amazon and on Barnes & Nobles.

Follow Tom on Instagram.

Read our feature on Tom and Savannah.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Cross-Country Road Trip Helped Make the World Safer (and More Fun!) for Queer Travelers

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 07:01:00 -0000

Road trips are such funny things. They allow more room for whimsy and spontaneity. They can inspire frank conversation, sitting side by side with someone, looking out at endless stretches of highway. And they can be dull (all that endless highway) in a way that somehow opens your mind to other possibilities and maybe even other lives.

That’s what happened for Charlie Sprinkman as he drove back and forth—and back again—across the United States. He was working a job that required constant travel, and as a queer person, he was always on the lookout for spaces that were both welcoming and queer owned. On their third trek across the States, he realized that if he was looking for these kinds of businesses, other LGBTQIA2S+ travelers would be too. So he founded Everywhere Is Queer, a map that helps those travelers find welcoming, queer-owned spaces around the world.

In this week’s episode, Charlie shares their journey from a young, searching kid in Wisconsin to successful entrepreneur, and everything in between. And in the companion interview with Charlie on YouTube, he shares some of their favorite queer-owned places and businesses, where he wants to go from here, and how road-tripping helped them see that the country is really more alike than it seems.

Resources

Read the transcript of the episode.

Listen to the episode on YouTube.

Explore the map or download the app (iOS) (Android).

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I Traveled the World With President Obama. Now, I Help Give Young Women the Same Chance.

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 07:01:00 -0000

Deesha Dyer never thought she’d wind up in the White House. As a kid growing up in Philadelphia, she desperately wanted to travel but it always felt out of reach. Until she landed a coveted internship in the Obama administration, working in the office that arranged all of the president’s travel. Over the next eight years, she would travel around the world with the President and First Lady—in style!—visiting embassies, hobnobbing with celebrities, and yes, traveling alone, much of which she’s chronicled in her new memoir, Undiplomatic.

She also got a peek into the diplomatic world, where “I would never see any Black people in the U.S. embassies,” she told me. Until she worked in the White House, she had no idea that something like the U.S. Foreign Service existed. And that sparked an idea: To start a nonprofit that would help other Black girls access these opportunities. In 2014, she founded beGirl.World Global Scholars, a two-year program that culminates in a big international trip. In today’s episode, she takes us on that first journey.

She and her cofounder, Marcella, took 10 girls to London and Paris, a two-week whirlwind that was delightful and stressful, learning a lot about what to do—and what not to do. Plus, in the companion interview on YouTube, Deesha shares all the behind-the-scenes details about traveling with the Obamas, what it’s like to fly on Air Force One, and the delightful challenge of transitioning back to “normal” travel after eight years of diplomatic luxuries.

Resources

Read the transcript of the episode.

Listen to the episode on YouTube.

Order Deesha’s book, Undiplomatic.

Learn more about, and support, beGirl.World.

Follow Deesha on her website and on Instagram.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Zebras Taught Me to Drive in Namibia

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 07:01:00 -0000

Imagine this: You’re slowly driving through Etosha National Park, Namibia’s renowned conservation area. There are elephants and zebras and antelopes and lions all around you. In fact, you’ve been warned not to exit your car because of those very lions, which are pros at camouflaging themselves in the desert landscape. And then your car stalls—because you don’t really know how to drive it.

That’s the situation that this week’s storyteller, Nicolle Galteland (also known as Nikki) faced on a year-long, round-the-world trip that included a week in Namibia. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Nikki is Afar’s podcast engineer, and in this episode she steps in front of the mic to tell her tale.

At age 23, Nikki applied for, and received, a special solo travel grant that allowed a certain number of undergrad and graduate students to travel around the world for a year, provided they did it totally on their own. Her itinerary included Tajikistan and Zambia, Thailand and Singapore, and getting around mostly involved planes or trains. But in Namibia she knew she wanted to do a road trip, and at the time the only cars available had a manual transmission. Which she didn’t know how to operate. But she’d always wanted to learn, so she recruited a few helpers, mapped out a course, and lurched off into the desert sunset. Hundreds of zebras, dozens of stalls, and one flat tire later, she found her way.

And don’t miss our companion YouTube interview, where Nikki shares more about the grant, how this episode reinvigorated her love of wildlife—and gets on her soapbox about the ways that traveling solo as a woman can change your life.

Resources

Read the transcript of the episode.

Listen to the companion Q&A on YouTube.

Explore more of Nikki’s work on her website.

Listen to Looters, the sci-fi/Western role-playing podcast that Nikki coproduces with her husband, Drew.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is This Europe’s Most Underrated Food Tradition?

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 07:01:00 -0000

Some of our favorite travel moments are the ones you’d never in a million years expect. These are where the best travel stories are born. And this week, Afar’s executive editor, Billie Cohen, has a very delicious, very serendipitous story for us.

As you’ll hear in the episode, Billie was in Estonia (one of Afar’s picks for where to travel in 2024) for work. It was 9 p.m. and she was due to fly home the next day. But then her guide, Hanno, mentioned something about the country’s “open café days,” where Estonians across the south open their homes, cook food, and serve anyone who wanders in. Smart traveler that she is, Billie changed her flight home and joined Hanno in a very unique foodie road trip through the south.

In our companion video for the episode, Billie shares some of the discoveries that didn’t fit into her story—including an encounter with an Estonian wedding hazing involving Santa Claus—and her travel superpower, talking to everyone. She also shares some of the favorite foods she ate, from freshly made onion rolls to a red currant cake baked by the grandmother of one of her new friends. So really our only tip for you this week is: Don’t listen to this one hungry.

Resources

Read the transcript of the episode.

Listen to the episode on YouTube.

Read about Billie's bog hike in Estonia.

Explore the Onion Route Buffet Day

Learn more about Tartu's European Capital of Culture 2024 (events).

Find more food festivals in Estonia.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Mumbai, Everyone Thought I Was a Local. Here’s How I Became One.

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 07:01:00 -0000

When Afar editorial director Sarika Bansal was 22, she moved to Mumbai. As you’ll hear in her Travel Tale this week, she grew up in New York and visited India (where her parents were born) frequently. Yet the visits often felt cloistered. But many years later in Mumbai, she didn’t have to worry about meeting family expectations, and she was free to develop her own connection with the place. And therein lay the challenge. Because while she looked like everyone else, she didn’t have “the cultural competence to back it up.”

She persevered, however, and this “hidden outsider” status ended up deepening her experience in Mumbai and fundamentally altering the course of her career. (She shares more in our companion YouTube interview.) It’s a funny, sweet story that touches on the power of early travel to shape our lives and the importance of intentionally seeking out, and sticking with, travel that puts us outside our comfort zone.

Resources

Read the transcript of the episode.
Listen to the episode on YouTube.
Buy her book, Tread Brightly: Notes on Ethical Travel.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Unexpected Magic of a Turkish Barbershop

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 07:01:00 -0000

When it comes to relationships, often there’s the planner—and then there’s the go-with-the-flow-er. And today’s episode of Travel Tales by Afar is all about what happens when the planner hesitantly chucks the travel to-do list and lets serendipity lead the way.

Beth Santos is the planner in this particular story. She’s the founder of Wanderful, an online women’s travel community that grew out of her solo travels as a young woman, and is an incredibly prolific and passionate entrepreneur and traveler. She hosts the 85 Percent podcast (named for the fact that women still make 85 percent of the travel decisions), is working on a docu series about influential women over the decades, and recently wrote a book, Wander Woman: How to Reclaim Your Space, Find Your Voice, and Travel the World, Solo, among many other things.

She’s also married, with young children, and early on in her relationship with her husband, Marvin, it became clear that they had very different ideas about travel. Beth wanted a full itinerary that packed in all the sights. Marvin wanted a cocktail on the beach. And then on a trip to Greece, with a 24-hour layover in Istanbul, Marvin asked Beth a question that would change the trajectory of her travel life.

Her story is sweet, funny, and such a good reminder of the power of the agenda-less trip. (Fire is also involved.)

Resources

Read the transcript of the episode.

Listen to the episode on YouTube.

Buy her book, Wander Woman.

Listen to Beth’s podcast, 85 Percent.

Explore the Wanderful community.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Replay: Comedian Michelle Buteau, "I Got Stood Up in Paris!"

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 07:01:00 -0000

This week, we’re replaying one of our favorite Travel Tales episodes: Comedian and actress Michelle Buteau—and her best friend—fly to Paris to meet their supposed French boyfriends. Only things don’t exactly go to plan . . .

Michelle Buteau is a comedian and actress, known for her roles in Always Be My Maybe, The First Wives Club, Someone Great, Russian Doll, and Tales of the City. She is also the host of The Circle and has stand-up specials—including the award-winning Welcome to Buteaupia—on Netflix and Comedy Central. She is the cohost of the podcast Adulting, and the executive producer, writer, and star of Survival of the Thickest on Netflix. She lives in the Bronx with her husband and twins. She and her husband also run Van der Most Modern, a vintage furniture store in Brooklyn.

Resources

Read Michelle's book, Survival of the Thickest
Watch Survival of the Thickest and Welcome to Buteaupia on Netflix
Listen to her podcast, Adulting
Follow her on Instagram

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why This Man Biked Across the United States—Without Any Food or Money

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 07:01:00 -0000

In late 2016, Daniel Troia was struggling with grief. Grief over the loss of his parents and grief over the division he saw unfolding on his TV, night after night. It made him angry, and that made him want to do something to change things, or at least to change his perception of things.

So, in 2018, he set out on a cross-country bike ride. His plan was to ride from California to New York—with no food or money. He thought that if he was forced to rely on the kindness of strangers, he would also have an opportunity to connect with the communities he was passing through. In some ways, it went exactly as he’d planned and hoped (people were often kind, generous, and curious about his journey). In other ways, it was a completely different experience than he’d expected (as his appearance changed, so did people’s reaction to him).

He wound up stretching the trip beyond his original three-month plan: By the time he’d arrived in New York, he hadn’t found exactly what he was searching for so he decided to cycle back to California. Seven months later, he returned home—and a year later, he released a documentary about his experience, We Are All in This Together.

Read the transcript of the episode.
Listen to the episode on YouTube.
Watch We’re All in This Together on Amazon or Apple TV.
Sign up for Daniel’s newsletter for details about when he’ll be screening the film in your city.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Poet’s Pilgrimage to Italy’s Violin-Making Capital

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 07:01:00 -0000

When poet Tess Taylor’s son, Bennett, was three years old, he heard the violin for the first time. For weeks afterward, every day he asked her for a violin, so finally she took him into a local violin shop and asked for help. The shop owner put a tiny violin and bow in his hands and Bennett asked, “But how do I make it sound beautiful?”

Fast-forward nearly a decade and Bennett was still playing the violin—expanding into bluegrass and classical music, finding his footing as a musician. Tess had read about a place in Italy called Cremona, where some of the world’s most famous violins are made. This is where Antonio Stradivari was born and worked, as well as other world-renowned luthiers. So Tess decided to take Bennett—and her husband and her young daughter, who also plays the violin—to Cremona to learn more about the instrument that had taken over their lives.

In this week’s episode of Travel Tales, she shares that journey. They listened to outdoor concerts, explored music museums, and most importantly, met with one of the city’s luthiers, who still makes extraordinary stringed instruments by hand—some out of trees he himself cut down. And, as you’ll soon hear, they came home with much more than memories.

Resources

Read the transcript of the episode.
Watch the companion interview with Tess on YouTube.
Explore Tess’s work on her website.
Read Tess’s most recent book of poetry (an anthology she edited), Leaning toward Light: Poems for Gardens & the Hands That Tend Them.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big Animals, and Even Bigger Adventures, in a Part of Argentina Few Travelers Visit

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 07:01:00 -0000

When most of us think about nature in Argentina, our minds go immediately to Patagonia—which is a spectacular place worth visiting (it’s one of the most memorable places I’ve been to). But in this week’s episode, we’re exploring two regions in Argentina that most travelers miss: El Impenetrable National Park in the north and Patagonia Azul in the south.

These places are relatively unfrequented in large part because, up until a few years ago, there really wasn’t an easy way for travelers to access them. Last year, Afar deputy editor Tim Chester traveled with outfitter Journeys With Purpose to explore the nascent tourism industry in both destinations, thanks to the efforts of Rewilding Argentina and Tompkins Conservation.

As you’ll hear in the episode, Kris and the late Doug Tompkins have spent decades preserving land in Chile and Argentina. (If the names seem familiar, Kris was a CEO at Patagonia, and Doug founded the North Face.) Over the years, the couple acquired hundreds of thousands of acres in both countries and turned them into national parks before donating it all to the Chilean and Argentine governments. The teams that run the parks have reintroduced endangered species, including panthers and sea otters, and allowed the land to recover from years of abuse—essentially rewilding wide swaths of the countries. And now, the parks are open to travelers.

Tim is kind of our environmental guru here at Afar and has covered the concept of rewilding quite a bit, but this was the first chance he had to see the work up close and personal. His trip was muddy, adventurous, and just a little bit life-changing.

Resources

Read the transcript of the episode.
Watch the companion interview with Tim on YouTube.
Explore Rewilding Argentina and Tompkins Conservation.
Learn more about Journeys With Purpose.
Visit El Impenetrable National Park or Patagonia Azul.
Listen to our interview with Kris Tompkins about the work the conservation has done (and continues to do) in Argentina and Chile.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’ve Made Polar Bears My Life’s Work. Here's Why Everyone Should Travel to See Them.

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 07:01:00 -0000

Today we’re launching Travel Tales, season five. And we’re kicking off this season with a roar, although the subjects of today’s episode (polar bears) are much quieter than you’d imagine.

Nearly two years ago, host Aislyn Greene attended a TED Talk event in New York, held in partnership with the Canadian tourism board. There she met environmentalist and entrepreneur Kevin Smith, who shared his tale in an episode from last season, about how a grizzly bear changed his life, and she met biologist Alysa McCall, whose life was also altered by a bear, though this one was of the more polar sort. Yes, she’s a polar bear biologist, and in the first episode of this season, she explains how she fell in love with the world’s largest land predator up in Churchill, Manitoba.

As you’ll learn, Alysa didn’t intend to become a polar bear biologist, but once she met these magnificent creatures, she was hooked. They also happen to be one of the most well-known symbols of climate change—as the sea ice shifts and disappears, polar bears can’t hunt and live the way they used to, which also increases human-wildlife conflict. But Alysa—who now works for Polar Bears International—is positive about the future and about the bears’ welfare.

Resources

Read the transcript of the episode.
Watch the companion interview with Alysa on YouTube.
Explore Polar Bears International.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Plus-Size Traveler on a Mission to Change the World

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 08:01:00 -0000

How often do you do something that scares you? This week on Travel Tales by AFAR, Jeff Jenkins—host of the National Geographic show Never Say Never—reminds us that life begins where our comfort zone ends.

On his show, Jeff tests the limits of his physical and mental abilities. He climbs mountains, cave dives, learns to sumo wrestle, races in a Maori canoe (called a waka), and does basically anything else that is likely to terrify-slash-excite.

His adventures also serve another purpose: as representation for plus-size travelers. Jeff is the founder of Chubby Diaries, a community he built after he realized that no one in travel media looked like him. He has since used his platform to build that representation and to push for the travel industry to be more inclusive.

Don't miss these moments!

3:34: What Never Say Never is all about
4:29: The scariest moment of his first season
6:34: What it was like to learn to sumo wrestle
12:56: His first trip to Japan as a young adult
16:52: How he became a travel writer and influencer
19:29: The importance of representation for plus-size travelers
28:37: How the travel industry could better support plus-size travelers

Meet this week’s guest

Jeff Jenkins, host of the National Geographic show Never Say Never

Resources

Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Watch Never Say Never on Disney+.
Explore the Chubby Diaries.
Follow him on Instagram and YouTube.

And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.

Amazon Music link: www.tryamazonmusic.com/KjWPGN

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Canadian Grizzly Bear Changed My Life

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 08:01:00 -0000

The Great Bear Rainforest is one of the most spectacular, pristine protected places in Canada. But it wasn't always this way. Kevin Smith, a boat captain who grew up in British Columbia and now owns and operates Maple Leaf Adventures, was instrumental in helping turn the local economy from extraction (logging) to tourism. Since then, he's guided thousands of travelers through the wilds of the rainforest and helped build relationships with the Coastal First Nations who have lived there for thousands of years and now steward the land. During the pandemic, he also helmed the largest coastal cleanup ever embarked upon, which is part of his mission to only participate in regenerative tourism.

Don't miss these moments!

4:02: The beginning of the Q&A with Kevin.
4:31: What it was like growing up on a Canadian island.
6:46: Why the Great Bear Rainforest is so important.
11:00: Why regenerative tourism matters.
14:22: Kevin's Travel Tale.

Meet this week’s guest

Kevin Smith, owner of Maple Leaf Adventures

Resources

Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Explore the Great Bear Rainforest.
Listen to Kevin’s TED Talk.
Learn about Maple Leaf Adventures’ tours.

And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.

Amazon Music link: www.tryamazonmusic.com/KjWPGN

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life Lessons From a Dutch Art Movement

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 08:01:00 -0000

Can geometric shapes heal the world? That's what the artists of the De Stijl movement—which came of age in the Netherlands after World War I—believed. Piet Mondrian is one of the most famous members of this group, which forbade circles and embraced light, color, and geometry as a way to move past the chaos of the war. As AFAR contributing writer Chris Colin discovers on a trip to Utrecht, that's not quite as bizarre as it sounds. And as he bicycles through quaint streets, meditates along charming canals, and visits the De Stijl artifacts that still exist, Chris learns that, just maybe, De Stijl's philosophy is still applicable today.

Don't miss these moments!

3:31: The beginning of Chris's Q&A.
7:55: What he appreciated most about the city.
9:47: Why De Stijl's art has endured.
14:25: Chris's Travel Tale.

Meet this week’s guest

Chris Colin, AFAR contributing writer

Resources

Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Enjoy Chris’s book Off, a picture book about an analog world.
Visit Utrecht and explore De Stijl for yourself.
Listen to Chris’s other Travel Tales about renting a friend in Tokyo and grappling with the mystery of train travel on the Coast Starlight.
Follow him on Instagram.

And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.

Amazon Music link: www.tryamazonmusic.com/KjWPGN

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Blind Surfer Takes on Kauai’s Legendary Waves

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 08:01:00 -0000

For writer Ryan Knighton, surfing is one of the rare occurrences where he feels completely free. Because, in addition to being an excellent writer, a dad, and a curious individual, Ryan is blind. But that's never stopped him from exploring the world. So more than a decade ago, he learned to surf and has been riding the waves near his home in British Columbia ever since. But he’s always had a hankering to surf in a location he doesn’t know intimately. So this year, he traveled to Kaua‘i, where he found a guide—a surfer named Johnny—who pushed both of their boundaries so that Ryan could ride a new wave.

Don't miss these moments!

4:21: An interview with Ryan about how he learned to surf and what it's like to spend most of your life on other people's elbows.
24:03: Ryan's travel tale, read by actor Andrew Galteland

Meet this week’s guest

Ryan Knighton, AFAR contributing writer

Resources

Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Read Ryan's story about going on safari in Zimbabwe, his trip to Jordan, and his original Spin the Globe in Cairo.
Listen to Ryan's original Travel Tale.
Read Ryan’s book, Cockeyed: A Memoir.
Watch Billions.
Follow him on X.

A special thanks to Andrew Galteland, who read Ryan's story for him. You can follow Andrew on his podcast, Looters, a sci-fi western role-playing show. Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.

And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.

Amazon Music link: www.tryamazonmusic.com/KjWPGN

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On France’s Newest Food Trail, Life Is One Long, Gorgeous Meal

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 08:01:00 -0000

What's it like to eat your way along France's Vallée de la Gastronomie, a 400-mile food trail that begins in Dijon and ends in Marseille? That's the question we're exploring in this week's episode of Travel Tales by AFAR. Host Aislyn Greene, who spent some formative time in France as a 20-something, returns to hunt truffles, meet famous French cows, and taste wine in a cave.

Don't miss these moments!

2:25: Her introduction to French food
8:13: Truffle hunting in Burgundy with the world's cutest truffle dog
18:32: Lyon's most famous food tradition
21:32: An introduction to spelunking—and wine-tasting
25:59: The magic of Aix-en-Provence

In the episode, you'll understand how to better explore this trail, which invites travelers to get to know France's most famous gastronomic regions in new ways.

Resources

Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Explore the Vallée de la Gastronomie.
Follow me on Instagram.

And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.

Amazon Music link: www.tryamazonmusic.com/KjWPGN

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dolly Parton Went From a One-Room Cabin to a Smoky Mountains Empire

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 08:01:00 -0000

The Great Smoky Mountains have had an outsized impact on Dolly Parton—they shaped the way she grew up, influenced her music, and are the only place where she feels truly restored. Which is why she has spent her adult life giving back to the region, primarily through tourism. On this week's episode, we travel to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for the unveiling of Dolly's new hotel, HeartSong Lodge & Resort. She shares what makes the hotel special, what's coming next, and sits down with our journalist to talk about how travel has influenced her.

Don't miss these moments!

4:35: Dolly welcoming everyone to her hotel press conference
7:34: What's next for her tourism efforts
11:52: What Dolly looks for in a hotel (it might surprise you!)
14:11: How travel can be an education
17:33: Dolly sings Heartsong

Meet this week’s guest

Dolly Parton. Need we say more?
Elaine Glusac, a travel journalist who writes for the New York Times and AFAR.

Resources

Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Learn more about Dolly’s new hotel, HeartSong Lodge & Resort.
Read Dolly’s new book, Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones.
Listen to the song that inspired the name for the hotel, Heartsong.
Follow Elaine on Instagram.

And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.

This year, you can follow us on Amazon Music!

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A Food Writer Returned to Nigeria. The Experience Helped Her Reclaim Her Roots.

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 07:01:00 -0000

After 15 years of living in the United States, food writer—and author of the new cookbook My Everyday Lagos—Yewande Komolafe finally revisited her home city: Lagos, Nigeria. In this episode of Travel Tales by AFAR, we hear the story of that journey and how it helped her heal, and how it helped her reconnect with the Nigerian foods she grew up with. On that first trip back home, she discovered:

The things that make home feel like home, even when it doesn't look the same
A new connection with Nigeria's Yoruba traditions
How food could help her unite her many selves

Don't miss these moments!

2:59: An excerpt from Yewande's new cookbook, My Everyday Lagos
5:19: Her arrival in the United States as a teenager
6:53: How she fell in love with food
12:22: Her first trip back to Nigeria
18:30: How all of that came together in her new cookbook

In the episode, you'll learn more about Nigerian cuisine, Yoruba traditions, and how, for one traveler, returning home was the catalyst for deep change.

Meet this week’s guest

Yewande Komolafe, food writer and cookbook author

Resources

Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Learn more about Yoruba traditions in Nigeria.
Read Yewande's column and recipes in the New York Times.
Buy Yewande’s cookbook, My Everyday Lagos.

And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facing Mountains, Loss, and My Inner Overachiever on Slovenia’s Newest Hiking Trail

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 07:01:00 -0000

Writer and avid hiker Peggy Orenstein is exactly the kind of person you should send off into the wilderness with an iPhone and a pair of hiking boots. And for this episode, we did just that. In October 2022, Slovenia rolled out the 167-mile Juliana Trail, a route that circles Slovenia's Triglav National park and the Julian Alps and takes walkers back in time. Peggy tackled a portion of the trail and along the way, she found:

Well-preserved remnants of World War I.
A rich farm-to-table cuisine.
Cultural legacies, including a lengthy history of beekeeping.
Fantastic hiking, that leads along the Sava River and through icon spots like Lake Bled.

Don't miss these moments!

2:37: An interview with Peggy.
8:15: Her first day on the trail.
11:27: How the Juliana Trail came together.
14:33: Exploring Slovenian culture along the trail.
19:31: Visiting Lake Bohinj.
21:08: Losing her phone on the trail.
26:47: Toasting with a septuagenarian on a mountaintop.
30:58: The last day on the trail.
34:16: Peggy's ode to American pop music

In the episode, you'll understand what it's like to hike the Juliana Trail, the trail's highlights, and how Peggy faced down her inner overachiever.

Resources

Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Learn more about the Juliana Trail and plan your own hike.
Read Peggy’s other AFAR stories: hiking the Kumano Kodo trail in Japan, horseback riding in Wyoming, and exploring Yunnan, China.
Buy Peggy’s latest book, Unraveling: What I Learned About Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World’s Ugliest Sweater.

And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Traveling With the Ghosts of Mumbai

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 07:01:00 -0000

How does a place change when the person who defined it for you is now gone? That's the question we're exploring in this week's episode of Travel Tales by AFAR. Author Shruti Swamy grew up in the United States, but her parents grew up in Mumbai, India, so she has a unique relationship with the city, in some ways intimate and in some ways totally distant.

Her aunt, Ila Mami, was the person who helped her find Mumbai’s pulse, who helped her fall in love with the city’s colors and tastes and smells. When Ila Mami passed away, Shruti wasn’t sure what Mumbai would hold for her. So she traveled to Mumbai to find out—with her four-year-old daughter in tow. Along the way, she discovered:

What it's like to visit a place after the loss of a loved one.
Her favorite memories of exploring Mumbai with her aunt
How creating new memories with her daughter redefined the city for her in new ways.

Don't miss these moments!

3:31: How writing nonfiction is different than writing fiction
6:01: Her expectations for the trip
7:16: Her daughter's memories of the trip
8:35: The hardest part of the trip
10:01: The beginning of Shruti's travel tale

In the episode, you'll understand how one traveler coped with grief and created new memories in Mumbai. You'll also get an insider's look at the vibrant, busy, full-of-life city on the west coast of India.

Resources

Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Read the story Shruti wrote for the magazine
Buy Shruti’s novel, The Archer, and short story collection, A House Is a Body.
Follow Shruti on Twitter.

And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

50 Years After Picasso’s Death, I Retraced His Life in Europe

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 07:01:00 -0000

50 years after Picasso’s death, AFAR associate editor Mae Hamilton traveled to Spain and France to retrace his life in Europe. She started in Málaga, Spain, where Picasso was born, and ended in Mougins, where Picasso spent his final days. As an art lover, she believes that art is one of the best ways to get to know a place. In this week's episode of Travel Tales by AFAR, Mae shares her story as well as:

The ways that art can help us understand a place more deeply.
Mae’s favorite places on her Picasso art tour.
How the places that Picasso lived are reflected in his art.
The places that impacted Picasso the most throughout his life.

Don't miss these moments!

1:56 An interview with Mae about her trip
11:27 The beginning of Mae’s travel tale, in Málaga, Spain, where she explored bull-fighting culture and its impact on Picasso
20:04 Mae’s visit to Barcelona, where Picasso began to rebel
24:18 Her visit to Paris, where Picasso rose to international fame
28:02 The last spot she visited in Nice, France, where Picasso spent his final days in Antibes and Mougins

From Mae, you'll learn how art can shape our perception of place, the ways that the cities Picasso lived in affected his art, the more complicated parts of Picasso’s legacy, and much more.

Resources

Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Read Mae’s story about following in Picasso’s footsteps and book your own tour.
Read Mae’s essay about growing up in Texas.
Follow Mae on afar.com.
Follow Mae on Instagram.

And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.

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Comedian Baratunde Thurston Travels From Oregon to Maine to Tell a Better Story of America

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 07:01:00 -0000

Comedian and writer Baratunde Thurston wants to tell a better story of us. The narrative around the United States is often one of fracture and discord. So in his PBS show, America Outdoors, he travels around the United States to better understand Americans' deep connections with nature—and how that tells a more positive story of the country. In this week's episode of Travel Tales by AFAR, we sit down with Baratunde to talk about season two, including:

Where he traveled, including the swamps of Georgia, the rivers of New Mexico, and the snowy hills of Maine.
What he learned about the United States and our current (and past) relationship with nature.
The ways that Indigenous views of the land are more frequently being adopted in a positive way.
How you can better understand the United States, through nature.

Don't miss these moments!

7:04: The way this season changed Baratunde
8:46: Where Baratunde's relationship with nature began
13:18: The most surprising moments of the season
24:43: The scariest moments in the season (including a petrifying tree climb)
35:31: His very own travel tale

From Baratunde, you'll learn about how to embrace the cold like a Mainiac, why the Suwannee River is so important to people in Georgia and Florida, the ways that individuals are finding creative ways to combat climate change, and so much more.

Resources

Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Watch America Outdoors on PBS.
Listen to Baratunde’s podcast, How to Citizen.
Read his comedic memoir, How to Be Black.
Inspired to get outdoors? Find some inspiration on our website.

And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.

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And We're Back! Introducing Travel Tales, Season 4

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 20:11:00 -0000

Tales Tales is back! Starting Thursday, October 5th, each week, we’ll share a story of someone who took a trip—and came home transformed. We’re going to be hearing about a whirlwind Picasso art pilgrimage, what it’s like to eat your way through France, how a blind surfer navigates new waves, and so much more.

And this season, host Aislyn Greene is sitting down with each guest to talk about their trip, about what travel means to them, and the ways it can transform us. Listen in for people like Baratunde Thurston, Jeff Jenkins, and even the queen of country, Dolly Parton.

Everyone has a travel tale, what’s yours?

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For Two Australian Sisters, a Trip to Cairns Brings Living Dinosaurs, Wild Forests—and a Chance to Reconnect

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 20:01:00 -0000

Want to meet mentholated ants, see the forest that inspired Avatar, and search for living dinosaurs? Head for Cairns, Australia, home to the world's largest tropical rainforest. Australian playwright Michelle Law is our guide this week: Last summer, she and her sister took a road trip through the region to explore Indigenous culture, zoom through the rainforest, and bond over the mysteries of parenthood.

Read more about Michelle Law: http://www.michelle-law.com/

Explore Australia: https://www.afar.com/travel-guides/australia/guide

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Learning to Sing in Vienna, the City of Music

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 08:01:00 -0000

In this episode, we’re traveling to Vienna with AFAR contributing writer Emma John.

Emma has music in her blood. She grew up in London playing classical violin, and about a decade ago, she traveled to the American South to learn to play bluegrass, a journey she chronicled in a story for AFAR, and in her book Wayfaring Stranger. But in all those years, she avoided singing, for reasons you’ll soon hear about. And then one day, she decided to do something about it. So she booked a trip to Vienna, a city renowned for its singing talent—and the place where her musical odyssey begins.

Listen to Emma's books

Wayfaring Stranger: https://geni.us/GWtmOcb

Self Contained: https://geni.us/JUcD

Follow Emma online

Instagram: @emmajohnauthor

Twitter: @em_john

Her website: https://emmajohn.com/

The story that inspired it all: https://www.afar.com/magazine/viennas-moment-learning-to-love-opera-in-the-city-of-music

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1,500 miles, Three Cities, One Mini Cooper: A Septuagenarian Explorer Hits the Road

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 16:20:00 -0000

J.R. Harris is the greatest traveler you’ve never heard of. On a road trip through Canada and Maine, he meditates on a lifetime of adventure—and the enduring power of a great road trip.

You can follow J.R. on Instagram, @jrinthewilderness, or via his website: https://www.jrinthewilderness.com/

This story was inspired by a feature by AFAR deputy editor Katherine LaGrave—read the full story here: https://www.afar.com/magazine/solo-traveler-jr-harris-on-a-life-of-adventure

And don't miss J.R.'s book: Way Out There: Adventures of a Wilderness Trekker

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/2660/9781680511208

Amazon: https://geni.us/DKPBL

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A Roguish Irish Road Trip in Search of One's Roots

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 15:30:00 -0000

Brendan Francis Newnam, host of the Not Lost podcast, is a Croatian-Irish reporter who’s traveled the world. But in all his wanders, he’d never really given his Irish side a chance—until now.

Subscribe to Brendan's podcast, Not Lost: https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/not-lost

And follow him on social media: @BFNewnam: https://twitter.com/BFNewnam

And a special thanks to the Tourism Ireland team: https://www.tourismireland.com/

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A Love Letter to the West Coast by Rail

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 17:27:00 -0000

On Amtrak’s Coast Starlight, writer Chris Colin and his 13-year-old daughter, Cora, meet a Mike Tyson impersonator, marvel at the golden West Coast, and embrace the trancelike nature of the train.

Read more about Chris's harebrained shenanigans! http://www.chriscolin.com/

And don't miss the José Andrés podcast that Chris produced, Longer Tables: http://www.joseandres.com/podcast/

Thanks to Oklahoma, who shared his song, Mandy Sue. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1CKhoc4vjc

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In Colombia, Searching for Culture—and Connection

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 07:00:00 -0000

As a kid, comedian Esteban Gast tagged along when his parents visited family in Colombia. But he’d never established his own relationship with the culture—until now. Join Esteban as he confesses his deepest darkest family secrets (well, kinda), has his first-ever "real" talk with his cousin Camilo, explores Cartagena's ubiquitous plaques, and yes, parties without his parents!

The episode that inspired host Aislyn Greene's Canada trip: https://pdst.fm/e/chrt.fm/track/B6A62C/traffic.megaphone.fm/AFAR9710174884.mp3

Learn more about Esteban! https://www.estebangast.com/

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On the Road Again: Introducing Season 3

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 15:32:00 -0000

Here at AFAR, we have been traveling. We imagine you've been out and about as well—or maybe you've just finally booked that big dream trip. Well, this season Travel Tales hits the road too. Five storytellers took trips in recent months, capturing the sights and sounds along the way. Every other Thursday, beginning September 1st, you'll hear one of those stories—and the challenges, joys, lessons, and more that accompanies it.

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A Look Back: Embracing the Unknown in Rio de Janeiro

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 07:00:00 -0000

In our last summer replay, we revisit an anxious traveler: On a last-minute trip to Rio de Janeiro, author Carmen Maria Machado luxuriates in beach feasts, practices small talk—and confronts her travel anxiety.

Resources:

Carmen's website: https://carmenmariamachado.com/

Her book, In the Dream House: A Memoir: https://bookshop.org/a/2660/9781644450383

And The Low, Low Woods: https://bookshop.org/a/2660/9781779504524

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A Look Back: Kayaking Blind Through the Grand Canyon

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 07:00:00 -0000

In our next summer replay, we hear from adventurer Erik Weihenmayer. Erik lost his vision at age 13, but he never lost his thirst for adventure. In the decades since, he has rock-climbed in California and ice-climbed in Antarctica. In 2008, he decided he wanted to kayak through the Grand Canyon. It was, as you can, imagine quite a ride.

Read more about Erik on his website, listen to his podcast, or follow him on Twitter. You can watch his documentary, The Weight of Water, on Amazon.

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Summer Replay! Meet the Globetrotting Women of Pan Am

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 22:55:00 -0000

In our next summer replay, we revisit what we can learn about life and friendship from the women of Pan Am. These women, who flew for Pan Am in the 1960s and 1970s, were spirited, adventurous, trailblazers who lived life mostly on their own terms. Julia Cooke, author of Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am, spent four years researching their lives and shares what she learned along the way.

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Summer Replay! Comedian Michelle Buteau Got Stood Up in Paris

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 17:50:00 -0000

Welcome to our summer replays, where we air some of our (and your) favorite episodes of the past seasons as we build up to season three, launching on August 25th. Today, we're sharing comedian Michelle Buteau's hilarious account of getting stood up in Paris at age 19. If you want to hear more from Michelle, check out her podcast, Adulting, where she answer life's essential questions like "How many pair of underwear do I pack for a weekend?" or "When should your boyfriend give up on his rap career"? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adulting-with-michelle-buteau-and-jordan-carlos/id1463400941

Thanks for listening! Explore more travel tales at afar.com.

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Unpacked by AFAR: "Let's Scale Back That Revenge Travel, Shall We?"

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 23:05:00 -0000

Hey Travel Tales listeners, we're working hard on Season 3. In the meantime, we've got a special treat for you: A preview of our first episode of Unpacked by AFAR. In it, writer and podcast host Paige McClanahan digs into the concept of revenge travel and how we can be kinder to the places we visit. You can listen to the full episode on our Unpacked feed.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore more of Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.

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Rough Waters: Kayaking Blind Through the Grand Canyon

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Erik Weihenmayer lost his vision at age 13, but he never lost his thirst for adventure. In the decades since, he has rock-climbed in California and ice-climbed in Antarctica. In 2008, he decided he wanted to kayak through the Grand Canyon. It was, as you can, imagine quite a ride.

Read more about Erik on his website, listen to his podcast, or follow him on Twitter. You can watch his documentary, The Weight of Water, on Amazon.

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The Highways That Carry Us Home

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 17:31:00 -0000

It’s time to head for America’s heartland. Our guide will be Kelli Jo Ford, a Virginia-based writer, teacher, and author of Crooked Hallelujah, a much-praised novel that follows four generations of Cherokee women. In this episode Kelli Jo takes us on the road: For years, she’s made regular pilgrimages to Oklahoma to visit her family. As a kid living in Texas, those trips were especially poignant: Her grandma Longshore would meet Kelli Jo halfway, to take her back to Oklahoma for a summer of noisy feasts and preserved wild onions and creek crossings. All the things that to, Kelli Jo, felt like home. And their meeting place of choice was a Love’s Travel Stop, a special institution in this part of the world. Love’s is famous for their 24-hour services, which can include gas, travel tchotkes, fast food, on-site tire repair, and much more. But for Kelli Jo, this family-owned chain, which, naturally, features a large red heart in its logo, is more than just a place to get gas, or use the bathroom, or stock up on road snacks. For her, they are forever linked to home.

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In Ghana, a Chef Finds Open Arms—and Open Kitchens

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 16:18:00 -0000

As a kid growing up in London, chef Zoe Adjonyoh learned to cook by watching her father make the foods he ate as a kid growing up in Ghana. As an adult, she opened a restaurant devoted to dishes like spicy, peanut butter–laced groundnut stew. A decade into her career, Zoe realized she wanted to know more about Ghanian cuisine—and her own family. Here’s what happened when she landed in Accra with an open heart and an empty belly.

Read, and cook from Zoe's book!

And listen to this week's Tiny Travel Tale from Roger Hill of Long Island, New York.

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A British Violinist Embraces the Music of the American South

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 14:00:00 -0000

In the early 2000s, AFAR contributing writer Emma John—a classically trained British violinist—fell for the Americana-inspired music of bands like the Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons. She desperately wanted to recreate that bluegrassy sound, but her attempts at home didn’t go so well. So she bought a ticket to North Carolina with the vague idea of figuring things out. Fate brought her Fred, a banjo player who opened the door to the world of bluegrass—and his home—to her. Here’s what happened when Emma walked through.

Read Emma's book about bluegrass, Wayfaring Stranger: A Musical Journey in the American South

Or her memoir, Self-Contained: Scenes from a Single Life

And subscribe to her podcasts, The Spin, a Guardian podcast about cricket, and The Breakdown, her bluegrass effort.

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The Māori Village Where New Zealand Tourism Began

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 16:36:00 -0000

Rēnata West was born and raised in a Māori village on New Zealand’s North Island, and his family has been telling stories for more than 200 years as the pioneers of tourism in New Zealand. In this episode, Rēnata shares how his community learned to embrace tourism that both protects his people and preserves their rich culture—a model he now seeks to spread to other Indigenous communities.

Learn more about Rēnata's organization, Pacific Storytelling, and sign up for his newsletter, here.

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Why Johnson City, Tennessee, Is My Nepal

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 15:00:00 -0000

When Carolina Quiroga-Stultz turned 30, she wanted to meditate in Nepal and “figure out her life,” she said. Instead, she wound up moving from Colombia to Johnson City, Tennessee, to learn how to be a professional storyteller specializing in the myths of Latin America. Here’s how the move challenged her, confused her—and, ultimately, changed the course of her life.

Read more about Carolina here—and be sure to subscribe to her bilingual podcast, Tres Cuentos.

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Searching for Inspiration in the Norwegian Arctic

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 11:00:00 -0000

Seven years ago, author Maggie Shipstead traveled to the Arctic to begin her next book. She was there as part of an Arctic Residency that connects artists with the icy landscape. But when she arrived in the Svalbard archipelago, she had only the seed of an idea. As she sailed around the archipelago—along with 27 other artists—Maggie discovered that inspiration can come in mysterious ways.

Enjoyed Maggie's episode? Be sure to read Great Circle, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in September 2021.

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Tuscany Is a Book-Lover’s Paradise

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 11:00:00 -0000

As a college student on her first trip to the Tuscan town of Lucca, writer Lisa Abend discovered a shop that specializes in customized ex libris, also known as bookplates. She desperately wanted one, but knew she needed more life experience before she could commit to such a personal thing. Three decades later, she returned to Lucca in search of that print shop—and her very own ex libris.

Read the full story.

Subscribe to Lisa's newsletter.

And read her book!

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Lessons About Travel—and Friendship—from the Women of Pan Am

Thu, 29 Jul 2021 15:08:00 -0000

The women who flew for Pan Am in the 1960s and 1970s were spirited, adventurous, trailblazers who lived life mostly on their own terms. In this week’s episode, we’ll meet a few of those women. Julia Cooke, author of Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am, spent four years researching their lives. Along the way, she learned a few lessons about travel—and friendship.

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Comedian Michelle Buteau: I Got Stood Up in Paris!

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 14:48:00 -0000

Comedian Michelle Buteau traveled with her best friend, Cynthia, to Paris to drink wine and meet French boys, because that’s what you do when you’re in your 20s and searching for love (or lust). Only things didn’t exactly go to plan . . .

Michelle Buteau is an actress and comedian (you may have seen her Netflix comedy special Welcome to Buteaupia). She’s also the host of the new Discovery Plus show, Weekend Getaway with Michelle Buteau, a three-episode series about quick trips in America, as well as the author of Survival of the Thickest (Gallery Books, 2020).

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Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka (Kinda) Finds Her Dad in Bali

Thu, 15 Jul 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka never really knew her dad. As a kid, she and her grandmother had moved from Japan to L.A. and, over the years, her relationship with her dad dissolved. Years later, she flew to Bali—where her father had retired—in an attempt to reunite. She thought they’d drink on the beach and stroll through tropical forests. Her dad, however, had a very different reunion in mind.

Hear more from Atsuko on her website.

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Finding Home in London's Carnival

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Author Louis Chude-Sokei was born in what is now Nigeria, spent part of his childhood in Jamaica, and came of age in Los Angeles. This mix of places and cultures shaped his life—but also left him feeling unmoored. One day, as an adult traveling home to the United States from Nigeria, he passed through London just in time for the city’s famous Notting Hill Carnival. And there, in that swirl of music and people, he finally found a sense of belonging.

Read Louis's memoir "Floating in a Most Peculiar Way."

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Chasing a Lost Recipe in the Philippines

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Chef Sheldon Simeon grew up eating his grandmother’s revered pork adobo—well, a version of it. See, the dish had evolved since his grandparents emigrated from the Philippines to Hawai‘i in the 1930s. He wanted to recreate the dish as it once was, but Alzheimer’s had robbed his grandmother of her memory. And so he headed to the Philippines in search of his roots—and the original recipe.

Be sure to check out Simeon's restaurant, Tin Roof, the next time you visit Mau'i!

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Inside a Daring Giraffe Rescue in Kenya

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 13:00:00 -0000

A decade ago, a group of endangered Rothschild’s giraffes was relocated to a remote lakeside peninsula in Kenya. But in recent years, due to rising water levels, the peninsula became an island, trapping the giraffes. In 2020, a team of conservationists set up a daring rescue—one that wildlife photographer Ami Vitale traveled to document. This is her tale.

Explore Ami's work (and her new nonprofit) at amivitale.com.

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The Healing Power of Maine's Forests

Thu, 10 Jun 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Soon after author and reporter Abdi Iftin arrived in the United States—the country he had dreamed of living in for so long—he was diagnosed with PTSD. Growing up in Somalia during the civil war had left its mark. His American doctors recommended medication, but Iftin was determined to find another way. What did he discover? The healing power of Maine’s forests.

Learn more about Abdi—and buy his memoir, Call Me American!—at callmeamerican.com.

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Season 2 Trailer: The World Awaits

Thu, 27 May 2021 23:39:00 -0000

Here at AFAR, we're beginning to dip our toes back into the travel waters. Maybe you, too, have booked your first flight? Or maybe you’re planning a summer road trip. Or perhaps you’re just now beginning to explore your home city or town. Wherever you’re at, we have heaps of travel inspiration for you in season two of Travel Tales by AFAR, launching June 10th.

Get ready for stories, every Thursday, from some of our favorite contributors. Comedians, philosophers, novelists—they’ll each share a trip that changed their life.

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Embracing the Unknown in Rio de Janeiro

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 12:00:00 -0000

On a last-minute trip to Rio de Janeiro, author Carmen Maria Machado luxuriates in beach feasts, practices small talk—and confronts her travel anxiety.

Resources:

Carmen's website

Buy now: "In the Dream House: A Memoir."

Buy now: "The Low, Low Woods."

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In India, Learning to Speak the Language of the Forest

Thu, 07 Jan 2021 12:00:00 -0000

How does a nature-phobe learn to love the forest? Writer Shahnaz Habib returns to the jungle beyond her hometown in Kerala, India, to find out.

Resources

Read Shahnaz's work on AFAR.
Follow Shahnaz on X.
Preorder Shahnaz's new book, Airplane Mode.

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Ghana’s Outstretched Hand

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 12:00:00 -0000

Recalling her first trip to Africa, journalist Heather Greenwood Davis reflects on missed opportunities—and a legacy she’s finally ready to explore.

Resources

Follow Heather's family travels on her website.
Watch archival footage of the trip.
Follow Heather on Instagram and X.

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The First Female Flamenco Guitarists, Turning Suffering Into Passion

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 12:00:00 -0000

Growing up, Lavinia Spalding believed she was destined to become a tocaora, or a female flamenco guitar player. It didn’t exactly happen, for reasons you’ll soon hear. One day, decades after giving up on her dream, something shifted. On a whim, she emailed three of the biggest tocaoras in Spain to ask for lessons. To her surprise, they said yes.

Resources

Listen to this playlist, which features one of the tocaoras Lavinia met.
Listen to Pilar Alonso, Antonia Jiménez, and Marta Robles.
Read the original story Lavinia wrote for AFAR.
Follow Lavinia on her website.

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What a Canadian Train Trip Can Teach Us About Kindness

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 12:00:00 -0000

Colleen Kinder is a bona-fide Canadian. Well, kinda. See, she married a Canadian last year. And through him, she’s gotten to know Canada in all its friendly glory. But there was one place she hadn’t yet explored: the ViaRail train system. So we sent her on a 800-mile train trip through the Maritimes. On the way, she discovered what it really means to be Canadian. (It’s so much more than saying “sorry.”)

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A Walk on Japan's Quiet Side

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 11:00:00 -0000

No crowds. No cosplay. On the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route—as author Peggy Orenstein discovers—it's just temples, trees, and a warm bath at the end of the day.

Resources

Listen to Peggy's story about hiking the Juliana Trail in Slovenia.
Read Peggy’s other AFAR stories: horseback riding in Wyoming and exploring Yunnan, China.
Buy Peggy’s latest book, Unraveling: What I Learned About Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World’s Ugliest Sweater.

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In Pursuit of Portugal

Thu, 03 Sep 2020 11:00:00 -0000

As she follows the trail of the country's most beloved author, novelist Charmaine Craig meditates on loss and hope.

Resources

Read Charmaine's original story for AFAR.
Follow Charmaine on her website.
Buy Charmaine's books, Miss Burma and My Nemesis.

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How to See the Morocco Most Tourists Don't

Thu, 27 Aug 2020 11:00:00 -0000

On a three-week, 500-mile bike trip through the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert, photographer Peter Bohler and his fiancée, Celia, learn when to say "yes" to adventure.

Resources

Check out Peter's photos—including a few from Morocco!—on his website or on Instagram.
And read Celia's version of events on AFAR.

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Is Amsterdam Really as Tolerant as It Seems?

Thu, 20 Aug 2020 11:00:00 -0000

AFAR chose a destination at random and sent political commentator Sally Kohn on 24 hours’ notice to a city renowned for its “coffee shops” but where tolerance has its limits.

Resources

Follow Sally on Instagram @sallykohn or X @sallykohn.
Buy her book, The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing Our Humanity.

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A Malaysian Chef Reclaims Her Past with Laksa

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 11:00:00 -0000

A pet orangutan, a 106-year-old grandma, and a wedding where 10,000 guests were fed. When writer and host of NPR’s The Splendid Table, Francis Lam, heard stories from his friend Azalalina Eusope about her life in Penang, Malaysia, he couldn’t help but marvel at them.

But when the San Francisco-based chef (who has served Barack Obama and the Malaysian prime minister) invites Francis to come home with her after a decade away, he discovers the complex family dynamics that underpin her stories—and the ways that food can bind even the most complicated families.

Five Generations of Street Vendors

In this episode, explore:

What it’s like to visit street vendors in Penang, Malaysia
How a fine-dining chef recreates traditional Malaysian dishes
Some of the food traditions of the Mamak people in Malaysia

Remaking the Past with Laksa

Don’t miss these transformative moments:

[04:09] Star anise and curry: Rediscovering Malaysia’s comforts.

[08:42] The sights, smells and salts of Penang’s street food scene.

[10:04] “I felt so gross for having my notebook with me.” A bittersweet homecoming.

Time Travel Through Tripe Salad

As a teen, Azalina Eusope vowed she wouldn’t follow in the footsteps of the four generations of Mamak street vendors that came before her.

In this episode, the San-Francisco based, Malaysian chef returns home with writer and host of NPR’s The Splendid Table, Francis Lam. Together, they discover how cooking Malaysian dishes does more than preserve her culture—it grants her the power to reclaim it.

Resources:

Read Francis’ original story on afar.com

Follow Francis Lam on Instagram

Dine at Azalina’s in San Francisco

Check out NPR’s The Splendid Table

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Why a Train Trip Across the U.S. Is the Fastest Way to Slow Down

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 11:00:00 -0000

Can a train be a travel destination? Welcome to “Amtrakistan.”

On a quest to cure his chronophobia and calm his anxious mind, Eric Weiner, the bestselling author of The Geography of Bliss, books a roomette on an Amtrak train that travels from Washington D.C. to Portland,Oregon.

Crossing the Country in a Caboose

On this episode you’ll learn:

What it’s like to take a four day trip on an Amtrak train.
The benefits of train travel for the anxious mind.
What it’s like to stay in a roomette with the best views.

Are Train Trips Worth It?

Don’t miss these transformative travel moments:

[01:28] Can a train trip cure my chronophobia?

[06:06] Time: the abundant resource of Amtrakistan.

[09:03] “You’ve got to dance with the train,” she said.

[13:41] Lessons about time, brought to you by Amtrak.

“My Mind Slowed to the Speed of Life”

The New York Times best-selling author, Eric Weiner, never left the train during his four day journey— but he discovered a new world. After traversing 2,806 miles, 12 states and four time zones, the compulsive watch checker finally learns to slow down.

In this episode of Travel Tales by Afar, step into the world of slow-train-travel and discover how one traveler found peace and connection aboard.

Resources:

Read Eric’s original story.

Buy Eric’s book, The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Place on Earth.

Watch the docuseries, Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss.

Check out Eric’s other work.

Explore more Afar train stores, like these tips for train travel and this Travel Tale about kindness and Canadian trains.

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The Incredibly True Story of Renting a Friend in Tokyo

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 02:00:00 -0000

A day in the life of a rent-a-friend can run the gamut of pretend engagements, crying at funerals and a 30-second selfie with a teenager. In this episode of Travel Tales by Afar, contributing writer Chris Colin travels to Tokyo to rent a friend.

At first, he expected nothing but kitsch. But as he navigates his newly forged—and reasonably priced—friendships with Miyabi,Yumi and Yusuke, what he learns changes the way he views Japan and his friendships back at home.

A Day In the Life of A Rent-A-Friend

In this episode you’ll discover:

The values and issues of Japanese society that created Client Partners, a rent-a-friend company.
The various reasons why Japanese locals are renting friends.
How you can rent a friend in Japan during your next solo trip.

Kodoku: The Lonely Gap

Don’t miss these memorable moments:

[06:11] Real life fake engagements and other rent-a-friend scenarios.

[10:47] Hikikomori and a nation’s spiritual health: A conversation with Client Partners’ CEO.

[16:22] Clarity, okonomiyaki and a genuine connection with a professional friend.

A Cultural Phenomenon or A Cure for Loneliness?

When writer Chris Colin first rented a friend in Tokyo, he was expecting something kitsch and wacky, like a cuddle or owl cafe. Instead, he found genuine connection and clarity about the elusiveness of friendship in his own life.

What are the issues in society that create a commercial market for friendship and what does this reveal about the connections we are able to create?

Resources:

Read Chris' original story and check out his other work.

Explore Afar's travel guide to Tokyo.

Learn more about Client Partners, the rent-a-friend company that Chris visited.

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Why Did I Bring a Teenager to Venice?

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 16:44:00 -0000

Hoping to recreate the same magical trip she took as a teen, author Emma John takes her friend’s 13-year-old daughter to Venice. But instead of awe, she’s filled with anxiety as she flies through a packed itinerary and struggles to impress her teenage companion. Will a reluctant teenager give into the wonders of the Floating City?

A Gondolier Wake Up Call

In this episode, discover:

Ideas for a week-long trip to Venice, beyond hitting tourist hot spots.
How to (and how not to) dress for a visit to St. Mark’s Basilica.
What one traveler did to help a teenager fall in love with Venice.

“What Are We Going to Do Next?”

Don’t miss these transformative travel moments:

[02:13] A midnight chase in the streets of Venice.

[05:38] Glass blowing at Murano, making Venetian masks and an otherwise packed itinerary.

[07:35] The unexpected views that led to a breakthrough.

Single in St. Mark’s Square

When Emma John was a teen, her mom’s single friend took her on a life-changing trip to Venice. An Afar contributing writer, and a traveler who is up for anything, Emma has written about country bluegrass, cricket and her most recent book is a memoir about singleness: Self-Contained: Scenes From a Single Life.

In this episode of Travel Tales by Afar, she rediscovers the magic of Venice and learns a thing or two about travel itineraries and connections.

Resources

• Read Emma’s original story.

• Explore her other work.

• Check out Afar’s Venice travel guide.

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Comedian Negin Farsad Makes Kansas City Laugh—And A Little Uncomfortable

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 16:43:00 -0000

We sent Fake the Nation host and comedian, Negin Farsad, on a last-minute trip to America’s Heartland, aka Kansas City, Missouri. The author of How To Make White People Laugh, is six months pregnant and doing stand up in a comedy club that hasn’t had a woman on stage in five weeks.

From waddling on the “wrong side of town” to sharing her experiences as an Iranian-American Muslim in an interracial relationship—she moves past the pleasantries of ribs and fountains and glimpses the heart of Kansas City.

They Stared At Me While I Waddled.

In this episode, discover:

How a New Yorker walks her way through Kansas City sights.
A comedy set that parallels a tourist’s experience of the city.
The ways race and segregation in Kansas mirror the rest of the country .

“Dirty, Hungry Comedy Eyes.”

Don’t miss these transformative travel moments:

[3:45] A traveler’s comedy set: Six months’ pregnant and sightseeing.

[8:00] The “wrong side of town” and leaning into the uncomfortable.

[11:22] Kansas City, united by “sincere booty shaking.”

Resources

• Read Negin's original story.

• Read this Afar story by Negin about a magic mushroom retreat

• Explore Negin's other work.

• Follow Negin on X.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.

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A Blind Man’s Trip Will Change the Way You Think About Safaris

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 16:41:00 -0000

How can you have the best experience on a safari? Seeing might not be as crucial as you think. Travel with AFAR contributing writer, Ryan Knighton, who lost his sight years ago, as he tastes, feels, smells and hears his way through the Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve in Zimbabwe.

A Sensory Connection with Zimbabwe’s Natural Ecosystem

In this episode, discover:

What it’s like to go on safari in Zimbabwe

How to plan your best safari trip—beyond sightseeing

How a luxury safari can deepen your travel experience.

You Can Do Better Than A Lion Photo On Your Next Safari

Don’t miss these transformative travel moments:

[3:22] A tight grip and a close call with an elephant

[5:30] A leafy tasting near Singita’s Pashamusa Lodge

[9:55] Ryan follows his nose and meets a kindred rhino

[11:38] The unforgettable sounds of survival

Resources

• Explore the 20 Best African Safari Camps

• Read the full story that Ryan wrote for Afar magazine.

• Follow Ryan on X.

• Check out Ryan's other work.

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Introducing: Travel Tales by AFAR

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 16:19:00 -0000

Welcome to the strange, wonderful, and sometimes life-changing world of travel. Each week, we'll hear from someone who took a trip—and came home transformed. Take a ride through a slice of the United States we call Amtrakistan. Find out how a blind man on safari learns to track a rhino. And discover what happens when a pregnant, Muslim, stand-up comic from New York takes a spontaneous trip to America's Heartland.

Though COVID-19 has stalled many travel plans, we hope our stories can offer inspiration for your future adventures—and a bit of hope. Find more information at afar.com/traveltales.

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