This week on The Travel Diaries, we’re heading to Toronto for a special episode exploring Canada’s largest city through the eyes of two fascinating guests.

I have such fond memories of visiting Toronto, from its wonderfully diverse neighbourhoods and fantastic food to that extraordinary skyline overlooking Lake Ontario. It’s a city that can sometimes be overlooked by British travellers, but one that deserves a trip in its own right.

First, I’m joined by Toronto-based journalist Caroline Aksich, contributing editor at Toronto Life and author of Frommer’s EasyGuide to Toronto, Niagara and the Wine Country. Caroline shares her insider’s guide to the city, from restaurants worth planning a trip around to favourite neighbourhoods, hotels and hidden gems.

Then, legendary travel writer Paul Theroux joins me to offer a different perspective. His latest book, True North, takes him on a journey across Canada, a country he has been visiting for more than 70 years. We discuss his memories of Toronto, how it has evolved since his first visit in the 1980s, and the people and communities that shape its cultural identity.

Along the way, we discover what makes Toronto “the world in a city”, explore its connection to nature, and talk about the Toronto Islands, where beaches, leafy cycling paths and skyline views await just a short ferry ride from downtown.

Whether you’re planning your first visit or dreaming of a return, this is an invitation to get to know Toronto a little better.

Destination recap

• Trinity Bellwoods, Toronto
• Queen West, Toronto
• Ossington Avenue, Toronto
• CN Tower, Toronto
• 360 Restaurant, Toronto
• Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, Toronto
• Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto
• Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
• University of Toronto, Toronto
• Yorkville, Toronto
• Four Seasons Hotel, Toronto
• Park Hyatt, Toronto
• The Hazelton Hotel, Toronto
• The St. Regis, Toronto
• Le Germain Hotel, Toronto
• King West, Toronto
• Ace Hotel, Toronto
• 1 Hotel, Toronto
• Edulis, Toronto
• Yan Dining Room at Hong Shing, Toronto
• Little Jamaica, Toronto
• Little Italy, Toronto
• Koreatown, Toronto
• Chinatown, Toronto
• St. Lawrence Market, Toronto
• Carousel Bakery, Toronto
• Toronto Islands, Toronto
• Centre Island, Toronto
• The Drake Hotel, Toronto
• Sky Yard at The Drake Hotel, Toronto
• Rhum Corner, Toronto
• Bar Vendetta, Toronto
• General Public, Toronto
• Patois, Toronto
• Lao Lao Bar, Toronto
• Niagara Falls, Ontario
• Muskoka, Ontario
• Fairmont Royal York, Toronto
• Khazana, Toronto

And for even more inspiration, neighbourhood guides, events and practical advice, do head to DestinationToronto.com.

Thanks so much for listening and I’ll see you next week.

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OMG we've reached 200 episodes! And to celebrate we have some big news to share.

Plus my husband Alex - who is as passionate about travel and hotels as I am - joins me for a big old chat, and debrief on my guests, their travels, our travels, my hotel of the week - The Danai in Greece - and more.

As always, if you enjoyed today's episode, please do follow the podcast and leave us a five-star rating or review. It really does make such a difference.

And don't forget, I'll be back on Tuesday with another episode of The Travel Diaries.

Until then, happy travels!

With thanks to...

SANI - Discover what’s new at Sani Resort for 2027, including stunning new family suites and exclusive early booking offers, with savings of up to 15%. Explore the offers here.

UNA - Discover your next Italian short break with UNA Italian Hospitality at unaitalianhospitality.com

If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok. I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you.

I’ll be back on Tuesday.

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Today’s guest is someone who has quite literally reached the very top of the world. And if his name isn’t immediately familiar to you, I can almost guarantee you’ll know some of his extraordinary work.

Jimmy Chin is one of the world’s most accomplished adventurers. He’s a professional mountaineer, climber, skier, National Geographic photographer and Oscar-winning filmmaker. He’s spent more than two decades exploring some of the most remote and dangerous corners of our planet, achieving feats that most of us could barely begin to imagine.

He’s completed pioneering climbs across the Himalayas and the Karakoram, and his photographs have graced the cover of National Geographic. But it’s perhaps his filmmaking that has brought his extraordinary world to a wider audience. Alongside his wife, Jimmy directed Free Solo, the breathtaking documentary following climber Alex Honnold as he attempts to scale Yosemite’s enormous El Capitan without ropes. The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2019. Together, they’ve also made the acclaimed documentaries Meru and The Rescue, about the incredible rescue of a boys’ football team from a flooded cave in Thailand.

I met Jimmy in London while he was promoting his latest film, Everest: The Other Side, which is in cinemas now. It tells the deeply moving story of ski mountaineers Jim Morrison and Hilaree Nelson, and their seemingly impossible dream of skiing down the treacherous north face of Mount Everest. It's a film about love, loss, resilience and the lengths to which humans will go in pursuit of a dream.

This interview was recorded during a busy film press junket, so we weren't in our usual studio environment, and the sound quality isn't quite up to our normal standard. But I really didn't want you to miss the opportunity to hear from someone quite so extraordinary.

So, from Yosemite to the Himalayas, let's get started on the travel diaries of Jimmy Chin.

Destination Recap:

• Minnesota, USA
• Yosemite National Park, California, USA
• El Capitan, Yosemite, California, USA
• Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan
• The Himalayas, Asia
• Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, USA
• Teton Range, Wyoming, USA
• Canadian Rocky Mountains, Canada
• Mount Everest, Nepal/Tibet
• Lhotse, Nepal/Tibet
• Mount Everest North Face, Tibet
• Everest Base Camp, Nepal

Everest: The Other Side, is out now.

With thanks to...

SANI - Discover what’s new at Sani Resort for 2027, including stunning new family suites and exclusive early booking offers, with savings of up to 15%. Explore the offers here.

UNA - Discover your next Italian short break with UNA Italian Hospitality at unaitalianhospitality.com

If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok. I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you.

If you've enjoyed today's episode, please do subscribe to The Travel Diaries and leave us a rating or review. It really does make such a difference in helping other people discover the podcast.

And if you'd like to find out who's joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok. I'm @hollyrubenstein on both, and I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you then.

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