This week on The Travel Date, host Angelica-Hazel Toutounji is joined by Penny Wilson, founder of Pip & Co Travel — a women-focused small group travel company specialising in culturally immersive journeys across Asia.

Penny shares how travel has been woven through her life from a young age, including living in the UK, spending formative years in Vietnam, and developing a deep love for Asia, languages, and cultural exchange. These experiences ultimately led her to create Pip & Co Travel — a business designed to help women explore the world in meaningful, responsible, and well-supported ways.

Penny talks about hosting her first group trips through Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, the excitement of launching a Borneo adventure focused on wildlife conservation, and why Asia continues to be her “happy place". She also shares insights into sustainable accommodation choices, locally owned hotels, and why travelling consciously can create a lasting positive impact for both travellers and local communities.

From unforgettable food moments on the streets of Vietnam to elegant high teas in London, camping on the Queensland coastline, and dreaming of future adventures in Central Asia and North Africa, this episode is filled with curiosity, warmth, and a genuine love of travel.

🌍 Destinations Mentioned in This Episode

Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Hoi An, Danang, Hanoi, Ha Long Bay & Six Senses Hotel Con Dao

Cambodia

Laos

Borneo (including turtle conservation experiences)

Sri Lanka

Indonesia (upcoming tours)

China: Shanghai

Netherlands

Egypt

United Kingdom: England, Wales, Scotland, London (high tea experiences)

Thailand: Bangkok

Australia:

• Darwin to Broome road trip
• Queensland (1770, beachfront camping)
• Uluru, Kakadu, Daintree
• Geelong & the Surf Coast

New Zealand

Central Asia (bucket list): Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan

North Africa (bucket list): Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria

👤 Guest Bio – Penny Wilson

Penny Wilson is the founder of Pip & Co Travel, a women-led small group travel company offering culturally immersive journeys throughout Asia. With a background in languages, long-term travel, and living abroad, Penny designs trips that prioritise connection, comfort, sustainability, and meaningful local experiences.

Her tours focus on responsible travel, locally owned accommodation, environmental awareness, and creating safe, enriching spaces for women to explore the world together.

🌐 Website: pipandcotravel.com

📸 Instagram: @pipandcotravel

🎧 Episode Credits

Host:

Angelica-Hazel Toutounji

📸 Instagram: @angelica_hazel_nutrition · @the_travel_date_

🌐 Website: angelicahazel.com.au

📧 Email: info@angelicahazel.com.au

Guest:

Penny Wilson — Founder, Pip & Co Travel

This week on The Travel Date, host Angelica-Hazel Toutounji sits down with Rouba Shahin , a Lebanese food specialist, content creator, wife, mother, and food blogger.

In this warm and heartfelt conversation, Rouba talks about growing up in Lebanon and shares powerful memories from her childhood in Tripoli. She reflects on how Lebanese hospitality — the warmth, the sweetness, the endless offering of food and care — remains one of the country’s greatest treasures.

Her recent return to Lebanon allowed her to reconnect with her roots, revisit cherished streets, and see the country’s beauty despite its struggles.

Beyond Lebanon, Rouba tells stories from the road: a chaotic but unforgettable road trip from Darwin to Broome, a hilarious night in a tiny Scottish cabin, the incomparable kindness of the Irish, and slow-paced adventures in New Zealand, cooking with her husband in apartments and discovering local produce together.

Rouba’s passion for culture, tradition, and honest food weaves through every story she tells. From her ultimate comfort dish — fatteh with the all-important “tush sound” — to her dream of visiting Japan and her heartfelt longing to one day travel to Palestine, this conversation is rich with emotion, curiosity, and beautifully human moments.

This episode is a love letter to food, family, culture, and the ways travel reconnects us with who we are & the world around us.

🌍 Destinations Mentioned in This Episode

• Lebanon: Tripoli, Baalbek, Beirut & guest houses in the mountains
• Australia: Sydney, Darwin to Broome, Adelaide
• New Zealand: Queenstown
• Scotland
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• Palestine

👤 Guest Bio – Rouba Shahin

Rouba Shahin is a Lebanese food specialist, recipe developer, content creator, and storyteller who celebrates culture through the joy of cooking. Born in Sydney and raised in Tripoli, Rouba’s work is deeply inspired by Lebanese tradition, hospitality, and family connection.

She is the creator behind Rouba’s Food Journey, where she shares approachable, flavourful, Middle Eastern-inspired recipes designed to bring people together around the table.

Her warmth, authenticity, and love for community make her a beloved voice in the food and culture space.

🌐 Website: roubashahin.com.au

🎧 Episode Credits

Host:

Angelica-Hazel Toutounji

📸 Instagram: @angelica_hazel_nutrition · @the_travel_date_

🌐 Website: angelicahazel.com.au

📧 Email: info@angelicahazel.com.au

Sasha Zahra – Creative Producer, Patch Theatre

This week on The Travel Date, host Angelica-Hazel Toutounji is joined by the Sasha Zahra, Creative Producer at Patch Theatre — a brilliant arts leader whose career spans youth theatre, festivals, First Nations collaborations, regional and remote arts projects, and international creative development. Sasha brings decades of experience in storytelling, community engagement, cultural exchange, and arts leadership to this heartfelt conversation.

Sasha’s journey began in drama at university, leading her into directing, youth theatre, and eventually major creative producer roles at organisations such as DreamBIG Festival, Windmill Theatre, the Adelaide Fringe, the Royal Croquet Club, Stirling Fringe, Kurruru Youth Performing Arts, and TANDANYA. Her work has taken her from Whyalla to the Torres Strait, from Vanuatu to New York City, and everywhere in between. Today, she helps bring Patch Theatre’s award-winning children’s works to audiences across Australia and the world.

This episode is a beautiful tapestry of career reflections, cultural connections, unexpected travel stories, love, loss, and the moments that shape us.

🌏 Destinations Featured in This Episode

Travel with Sasha across Australia and around the world:

AUSTRALIA

South Australia

• Adelaide Hills drives
• Adelaide Central Market (laksa + Friday nights)
• Chinatown Café & Asian Gourmet
• Stirling, Bridgewater (CFS op shop), Adelaide Hills walking trails
• Patch Theatre (local and international touring)
• Favourite local spot: Peeky’s Coffee
• Cooking + market days as a grounding ritual

Northern Territory

• Uluru – a spiritually powerful and unforgettable destination

Victoria

• Early road trips to regional Victoria
• Melbourne (arts markets, festivals)

New South Wales / ACT / Queensland

• Childhood family road trips
• Hervey Bay memories

INTERNATIONAL

• Vanuatu – transformative creative residency; One Small Bag Theatre; Tanna Island; Mount Yasur volcano; wedding destination and second home
• Indonesia – first overseas trip at 18
• Torres Strait Islands – remote community arts work
• New York City – arts festivals, creative inspiration
• New Zealand – Queenstown skiing adventures
• Penang, Malaysia – Seven Terraces boutique hotel
• Athens, Greece – boutique stays with Acropolis views
• New Caledonia – mixed cultural impressions
• Upcoming: Saudi Arabia to present Patch Theatre’s production ZOOOM

👤 Guest Bio (Original Wording Preserved)

Sasha Zahra is a Creative Producer at Patch Theatre and a versatile arts leader with more than 20 years’ experience across festivals, theatre, youth arts, First Nations collaborations, international residencies, and community cultural development. Her work has shaped artistic programs across South Australia, regional Australia, the Torres Strait, and the Pacific.

She is also a passionate traveller, storyteller, and advocate for creative connection.

Learn more about Patch: patchtheatre.org

Follow their work and touring schedule online.

🎙 Episode Credits

Host:

Angelica-Hazel Toutounji

📸 Instagram: @angelica_hazel_nutrition · @the_travel_date_

🌐 Website: angelicahazel.com.au

📧 Email: info@angelicahazel.com.au

Guest:

Sasha Zahra – Creative Producer, Patch Theatre

Produced by:

Podcast City – Business & Lifestyle Network