This is the first of a monthly, six-episode series celebrating the fact that exactly 40 years ago this year, my family and I spent six months in a striped motorhome travelling around Europe. I was nine years old and yes, this trip had an enormous impact on my life - I'm sure you wouldn't be listening to this podcast today if Van Life 1985 hadn't taken place! Throughout the series, I'll include chats recorded with my Dad this year, extracts from my late Mum's travel diary from 1985, and of course my own memories and thoughts.

In this episode, our journey starts in Hong Kong, where you might be surprised at what my Dad remembers most; we then fly into London, where it's all systems go to equip us for the months of travelling ahead, including the important purchase of a motorhome (or a campervan as we called it). We take a hovercraft across the Channel to France, see Paris, and have a very special experience in coastal Biarritz.

A big thanks to Context Travel for sponsoring this series, and an even bigger thanks to my Dad for agreeing to be part of it.

Links:

• Context Travel - https://contexttravel.com - use the code THOUGHTFULTRAVEL to get 15% off any online booking. Context Travel operate walking tours in cities around the world, and have interesting and qualified subject-matter experts leading your walk
• Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers
• Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin
• Sign up for the Thoughtful Travellers newsletter at Substack - https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com
• Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/348

Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travelling on foot is the ultimate slow travel and you can have some amazing experiences when incorporating a walk, hike or run into your travel plans.

In this episode I start by chatting with Chelsea Gruber, a big fan of solo travel who's had quite a few active adventures on her trips and when we spoke was in training to run the Paris marathon.

I then chat with Patrick Nash who spent time some decades back travelling through many parts of Africa, and his story centres on a long walk through the Congo, or what was then Zaire.

Finally, Amy Willis shares some of her active travels, starting off with her experience on the Rim to Rim to Rim at the Grand Canyon, and then going on to tell me about a recent experience running in northern Kenya.

Links:

• Chelsea Gruber - https://www.chelseasolotravels.com/
• Chelsea's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chelseasolotravels/
• Patrick Nash - https://www.patricknash.co.uk/
• Patrick’s book Shots Across the Water: Tales of a Journey Through Africa - https://amzn.to/4cMl0UQ
• Amy Willis from Ker & Downey https://kerdowney.com/
• Amy's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/amynwillis/
• Ep 253 Walking the World https://notaballerina.com/253
• Ep 175 Walking and Hiking Travels https://notaballerina.com/175
• Ep 308 My trip report from hiking the Basho Trail with Walk Japan in 2023 https://notaballerina.com/308
• Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers
• Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin
• Sign up for the Thoughtful Travellers newsletter at Substack - https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com
• Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/347

Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of us want to make more sustainable and ethical choices when we travel, but it's not always easy to do! Avoiding plastic straws and disposable shopping bags is one thing, but how can we choose our accommodation in a way that does more good, or think about our carbon footprint and change our travel habits?

In this episode, I start by chatting with two travel writers who have come to the realisation that the constant jet-setting often required by that job is something they don't want to partake in, and have found other ways to work. Nina Karnikowski and Megan Frye both have great suggestions and information that can help all of us travel a bit "better", too.

One of the specific ways we can travel more ethically is related to animal and wildlife attractions - a very common activity for travellers - so to round out this episode, Suzanne Milthorpe from World Animal Protection Australia has some useful tips about how we can make better decisions about the sanctuaries or rescue places we visit.

Links:

• Nina Karnikowski - https://ninakarnikowski.com/
• Nina’s book, The Mindful Traveller - https://amzn.to/3EzeAf8
• Megan Frye - https://www.meganfrye.com/
• Suzanne Milthorpe - Head of Campaigns, World Animal Protection Australia - https://www.worldanimalprotection.org.au/
• Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers
• Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin
• Sign up for the Thoughtful Travellers newsletter at Substack - https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com
• Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/346

Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.