Today I’m joined once again by one of the UK’s most trusted and best-loved travel experts - Simon Calder. You’ll know him as the Independent’s travel correspondent, a familiar face on TV and radio, and the go-to voice when travel chaos strikes - whether it's air traffic control meltdowns or passport expiry panics. But beyond the headlines, Simon is also a true adventurer, with an insatiable curiosity for the world and a lifelong love of the open road, rails and skies.

It’s been a five years since Simon last joined me on the podcast, and in that time, so much has changed - not just in the world of travel, but in the way we think about where we go, how we get there, and why we travel in the first place. So today’s episode is something of a global catch-up. From discovering the ancient cities of Algeria and the wild islands of the Antarctic, to cycling the Danube and family holidays on the beaches of Poland, Simon shares his latest discoveries, surprising favourites, and some underrated gems that might just change your next holiday plans.

We’ll talk about the rise of slow travel and destinations that deserve the spotlight. Plus, he’ll be offering his signature no-nonsense travel tips, and sharing the far-flung destinations still lingering on his bucket list.

Destination Recap:

• Borneo
• Antarctica
• South Georgia
• Algeria
• Constantine, Algeria
• The Azores
• Lebanon
• Socotra, Yemen
• Cape Verde
• Tbilisi, Georgia
• Ghana
• Sierra Leone
• Sopot, Poland
• Gdansk, Poland
• Cycling the Danube River, Regensburg, Germany to Vienna, Austria
• Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland
• Co. Donegal, Ireland
• Nepal
• Madagascar
• Ukraine
• Le Marche, Italy

Simon discusses his top tips for summer holidays after new research from Tesco Travel Money found 2 in 5 travellers are being caught short of cash abroad. You can find out more about Tesco Travel Money by visiting https://www.tescotravelmoney.com/

With thanks to Airbnb for their support of today's episode.

Thanks so much for listening today. If you want to be the first to find out who is joining me on next week’s episode come and follow me on Instagram I’m @hollyrubenstein, and you’ll also find me on TikTok - I’d love to hear from you. And if you can't wait until then, remember there’s the first 14 seasons to catch up on, that's over 155 episodes to keep you busy.

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My guest today is Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Explorer, New York Times bestselling author, Emmy-winning Netflix host, and a record-breaking endurance cyclist. In fact, he holds three Guinness World Records for distance cycling, having pedalled across the globe to over 70 countries. Travel is not just a passion of his - it’s the lens through which he’s viewed, explored, and helped reimagine how we live our lives.

It was during these epic adventures that Dan’s curiosity about longevity began to take shape. And that curiosity eventually led to one of the most fascinating and impactful projects of our time: The Blue Zones. Working alongside National Geographic and a team of medical researchers and demographers, Dan set out to discover the secrets of the world’s longest-lived people. What he found were five extraordinary regions, in Japan, Costa Rica, Italy, Greece and a religious community in California - now famously known as the Blue Zones - where people weren’t just living longer, they were thriving into their 90s and 100s.

What’s so remarkable is that these individuals weren’t pursuing health - they were simply living in environments that naturally supported well-being. Think: plant-based diets, daily movement, strong social ties, and a deep sense of purpose.

His findings became international bestsellers and his Netflix documentary Live to 100 introduced Blue Zones to a worldwide audience. and He’s back this summer with a new cookbook, Blue Zones Kitchen: One Pot Meals, to help us all cook like the world’s healthiest people.

His travel diaries today take us from the jungles of the Congo, and the plains of the Sahara, to the lakes of Guatemala, and the islands of Japan. There was so much to cover, and I was so fascinated by all of Dan’s insights, that we actually lost track of time, and so we’re going to have to do a part 2 one day to find out his worst travel experience and hear a little bit more about his Mexican hidden gem. But nevertheless, I can’t wait to dive into his story with you, let’s buckle up and get started.

Destination Recap:

• Boundary Water Canoe Area between US and Canada
• Alaska, USA
• Cycling from Alaska to Argentina
• Cycling from Minneapolis, Minnesota to St Paul, Minnesota, around the world
• Cycling Tunisia to South Africa
• Sahara Desert, Africa
• Siberia, Russia
• The Congo, Africa
• Okinawa, Japan
• Oaxaca, Mexico
• Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
• Chetumal, Mexico
• Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Dan's new book Blue Zones Kitchen One Pot Meals is out on September 2nd in the US, and September 8th in the UK.

With thanks to Airbnb for their support of today's episode.

Thanks so much for listening today. If you want to be the first to find out who is joining me on next week’s episode come and follow me on Instagram I’m @hollyrubenstein, and you’ll also find me on TikTok - I’d love to hear from you. And if you can't wait until then, remember there’s the first 14 seasons to catch up on, that's over 155 episodes to keep you busy.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to a brand-new season of The Travel Diaries podcast. Today’s guest is the brilliant Sam Heughan. Sam is best known as the star of Outlander, the historical drama that’s become nothing short of a global phenomenon. Based on Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling novels, the series blends romance, adventure and time-travel against the backdrop of Scotland’s most breathtaking landscapes.

Now having just wrapped the filming for its final season, Outlander has not only shaped Sam’s life and career - it’s also driven record-breaking tourism to Scotland as fans follow in the footsteps of its characters. Even if you’ve never watched the show, its cultural impact is impossible to ignore. Outlander has become one of the most-watched dramas worldwide - bringing Scottish history, folklore and scenery to millions - and transforming Sam into one of the most recognisable faces on television.

You’ll hear today that in a way, travel has shaped every part of his story: from his childhood in rural Dumfries and Galloway to filming across Scotland and trekking as far as Mt Everest. Whether it’s sipping coffee in Cape Town, diving with sharks in New Zealand, or discovering secret beaches in Sydney and Hawaii, Sam’s passport is as well-stamped as they come. He's an author, entrepreneur and adventurer. He hosted a hit travel series Men in Kilts, wrote a travel memoir, Waypoints, and he's the driving force behind his award-winning spirits brands The Sassenach Whisky and Sassenach Gin. His brand-new book The Cocktail Diaries, a collection of recipes and stories inspired by his favourite drinks and places, is out this September.

I caught up with Sam halfway across the world to talk about the places that matter most to him.

Destination Recap:

• Sydney, Australia
• Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
• Edinburgh, Scotland
• Isle of Eigg, Scotland
• Hemel Hempstead, England
• San Francisco, USA tour
• Scotland, Outlander shooting locations
• The Green Welly, Glencoe, Scotland
• The King House Hotel, Glencoe, Scotland
• Mt Everest, Nepal
• Hawaii, USA
• Cape Town, South Africa
• Deluxe Coffeeworks, Cape Town, South Africa
• Willoughby & Co, Cape Town, South Africa
• Babylonstoren, Western Cape, South Africa
• Tamarama Beach, Sydney, Australia
• New Zealand
• Santa Cruz, California
• Bali, Indonesia
• Indian Himalayas

Sam’s new book, “The Cocktail Diaries” is out in September and is available to preorder now.

You can discover The Sassenach, Unique Spirits, here.

With thanks to Airbnb for their support of today's episode.

Thanks so much for listening today. If you want to be the first to find out who is joining me on next week’s episode come and follow me on Instagram I’m @hollyrubenstein, and you’ll also find me on TikTok - I’d love to hear from you. And if you can't wait until then, remember there’s the first 14 seasons to catch up on, that's over 155 episodes to keep you busy.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.