The Travel Diaries

Today I’m joined by the much loved comedian, musician and actor, Bill Bailey. Known for his hugely inventive stand up, he’s of course such a familiar face on our TV screens, spending several years as team captain on the long running music and comedy BBC panel show, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, making regular appearances on QI and Have I Got News For You, and most recently being crowned the champion of Strictly Come Dancing with partner Oti Mabuse, last year. Bill kicks off his travel diaries having just returned from an incredible trip to Iceland, so he tells us all about; he shares his love of Indonesia where he spontaneously eloped with his wife, and travels back to each year; as a gigging comedian he has discovered every corner of the UK, so he reveals some British hidden gems that could be on your doorstep, and he shares his tips for Strictly this year. He joins me from his West London family home, which he shares with a menagerie of pets, including five rescue dogs, a cat, a parrot, a snake, ducks and hens, which you will occasionally hear laying an egg in the background. This is a really fun one!Destination Recap:Reykjavik, IcelandAkureyi, Iceland Bubble Hotel, Iceland Weston-super-mare, England Bath, England Saunder’s Foot, South WalesMarseilles, FranceArgentinaIndonesiaSumatra, IndonesiaWest Papua, IndonesiaThe Ridgeway National Trail, England BarbadosBaqueira Beret, Spain Sitges, SpainBarcelona, Spain PatagoniaNamibiaKamchatka Peninsula, RussiaBill Bailey’s En Route To Normal tour kicks off in Plymouth on Sun 12 December and runs through to mid January. All the tickets and dates can be found at www.BillBailey.co.ukIf you’re enjoying the podcast, then it would be wonderful if you could leave a rating or a review on your podcast app - it really makes a big difference because it helps other people to discover the podcast. And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. If you can’t wait until then, there’s always the first five seasons to catch up on, with guests from Sir Michael Palin and Jo Malone to Heston Blumenthal and Nadiya Hussain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Giovanna Fletcher is one of the UK’s most successful women’s fiction authors. She's the host of Happy Mum, Happy Baby, the chart-topping podcast which sees her interview celeb guests about the highs and lows of parenting. She and her husband Tom Fletcher, from the band McFly have a huge YouTube presence where they perform together; and she’s I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’s reigning champion, the Queen of the Castle. To say Giovanna is multi-talented, is quite the understatement.Giovanna has been travelling since a very young age as her dad is Italian, so she tells us about her annual trips to visit her family in Italy, she and Tom are a kind of obsessed with Disney and she brings to life the magic and joy of holidays at the Disney parks, and much of her new book is inspired by travel, by the country of Peru. We also chat about her love of trekking; her advice about travelling with three young kids; and what is was like to interview Kate Middleton and the whirlwind of press that came after. Giovanna’s Destination Recap:Valva, Campania, ItalyParis, FranceDisneyland Paris, FrancePeruWalt Disney World, Florida, USAJade Mountain, St LuciaWatergate Bay Hotel, Cornwall, EnglandThree Mile Beach, Cornwall, EnglandTenerife, SpainMt Kilimanjaro, TanzaniaMadagascarAppalachian Trail, USAHolly’s Destination Recap:Belmond British Pullman trainGiovanna’s new novel, Walking on Sunshine, is out now in hardback, priced £14.99If you’re enjoying the podcast, then it would be wonderful if you could leave a rating or a review on your podcast app - it really makes a big difference because it helps other people to discover the podcast. And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. If you can’t wait until then, there’s always the first five seasons to catch up on, with guests from Sir Michael Palin and Jo Malone, to Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Raymond Blanc . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve Backshall is a BAFTA-winning presenter, writer, explorer, naturalist and all round daredevil. His big break as a broadcaster arrived when National Geographic offered him the post of Adventurer in Residence and he’s been taking on some of the toughest challenges on earth ever since, gracing our TV screens with shows like Deadly 60, Expedition, and The Lost Land series. On this episode you’ll hear that Steve’s great passion is discovery. Discovery of new places and new animal species - whether that’s uncovering never before seen ancient human art work in a Borneo cave, tracking snow leopards in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, coming extremely close to death while kayaking in Bhutan or diving with sharks in his new show, Shark with Steve Backshall. Holly’s Destination Recap:No. 15 Great Pulteney, Bath, EnglandThree Mile Beach, Cornwall, England Steve’s Destination Recap:ZimbabweColombiaWest Papua BhutanWales - Gower, Pembroke, Snowdonia, Breacon Beacons Scilly Isles, Cornwall, EnglandCoastal Pembroke, WalesCoastal Penzance, Cornwall, EnglandBimini, The Bahamas Kyrgyzstan BorneoBrazilSurinameShark With Steve Backshall continues on Sunday at 8pm on Sky Nature, Sky Showcase and is streaming on NOW TV. Thank you to today’s sponsors:Freddie’s Flowers - Get your first two boxes half price, at just £12.50 each with the code TRAVEL50The Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa To hear future episodes as soon as they’re released, don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow”. Follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. And there’s always the first 5 seasons to catch up on, with guests from Michael Palin and Rick Stein, to Jo Malone to Hugh Bonneville. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jessica Nabongo is the first black woman in history to have visited all 195 countries in the world. On top of that, she travelled to 89 of these countries solo. All by the age of 35. She’s an influencer, photographer and businesswoman, and shares with us what she learnt throughout this epic journey. From Tuvalu and Eritrea to Turkmenistan and Djibouti, Jessica’s travel diaries literally take us all over the world.Destination Recap:Punta Mita, Mexico UgandaQueen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda,Lamu, KenyaJapanMt Fuji, JapanHiroshima, Japan Bali, IndonesiaNamibia Islamabad, PakistanLahore, PakistanIran especially IsfahanColombiaCubaMerowe, SudanSenegalEritreaMasawa, EritreaTuvalu Lake Assal, Djibouti The Door to Hell, Turkmenistan South SudanMoldovaBelarusTashkent, Samarkand & Termez, UzbekistanVenice, ItalyGreenlandSantiago de Cuba, CubaFor more of Jessica’s adventures you can pre-order her first book on Amazon. It will be published by National Geographic and is out in May 2022. In the meantime, you can follow her on Instagram @jessicanabongo. Jessica's new project, The Nabongo List: is a new luxury, travel membership that gives you the best in local, luxury and unique experiences all around the world, curated by JessicaA big thank you to today’s sponsors for their support of the podcast.DK Eyewitness - What better way to find that next adventure than with a DK Eyewitness book? Get new editions of their award-winning DK Eyewitness and Top 10 travel guides, or for the intrepid explorer, there’s Outdoor Europe. Click the link, or visit your local bookshop.COMO Hotels and Resorts - COMO's collection of 14 luxury boutique hotels and resorts are in some of the world's most desirable destinations. A new hotel has been announced for 2022, COMO Le Montrachet in Burgundy, France. Find out more about COMO's beautiful hotels and resorts by visiting Comohotels.comAdnams - The home of premium gins. Get 10% off your first purchase with Adnams using code TRAVEL10.Freddie’s Flowers - Get your first two boxes half price, at just £12.50 each with the code TRAVEL50 at freddiesflowers.comBritish Airways x Visit Florida - Book your trip with confidence at BA.com/FloridaAnd to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. If you can’t wait until then, there’s always the first five seasons to catch up on, with guests from Michael Palin and Heston Blumenthal, to Sir Ranulph Fiennes to Hugh Bonneville. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is a broadcasting legend. Whether it’s the Olympic Games, Paralympics, horse racing, Crufts, Wimbledon or so much more, Clare Balding has risen to national treasure status. She’s also a best-selling author, radio presenter and podcaster, in case you didn’t think she was busy enough!Covering so many major TV events has taken Clare around the world, and then some. Her travel diaries take us from Mauritius to Costa Rica, Italy to Iona. She tells us how she once won her weight in champagne as a horse jockey; as a dog lover like me she shares her favourite dog friendly spots in the UK; we hear her take on the future of Emma Raducanu, and about the time the Queen turned up at her house for breakfast. All that coming up on The Travel Diaries.Destination Recap:Chamonix, FranceAspen, Colorado, USAMauritius Four Seasons Hotel, Mauritius Sydney, AustraliaMelbourne, AustraliaRio de Janeiro, BrazilAustraliaNew Zealand Costa RicaHotel Punta Islita, Costa RicaCubaLewa, KenyaGalana, Kenya Tofauti charityLucknam Park, Bath, EnglandWhatley Manor, Wiltshire, England Holbeck Ghyll, Lake District, EnglandRosa Alpina, The Dolomites, ItalyPuglia, ItalyUmbria, Italy Iona, ScotlandNorthumberland, EnglandWigton, Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway Elephant Corridor, Sri Lanka Banyan Tree Mayakoba, MexicoBaltic Sea CruiseFjord CruisePanama Canal CruiseThe Amazon CruiseSouth Pacific CruiseAlaska, USAA big thanks to Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London for hosting us for our interview. Book your winter or Christmas staycation and enjoy Magical Mandarin Moments of delight from £740 per night.To book your dream villa holiday visit The Thinking Traveller. The Thinking Traveller's collection of luxury villas across Italy, The Greek Islands, Corsica and Mallorca are some of the best properties out there for a villa holiday and come in all sizes, whether you're travelling as a couple or for a big family reunion.Freddie’s Flowers - Get your first two boxes half price, at just £12.50 each with the code TRAVEL50 at freddiesflowers.comBritish Airways x Visit Florida - Book your trip with confidence at BA.com/FloridaTo find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re back for Season 6 (how did that happen?!) and what an honour to be joined on our first episode by the Oscar-nominated actor and writer, Stanley Tucci. You’ve seen him in The Devil Wears Prada, The Hunger Games, Julie and Julia, Supernova, Fortitude, and The Lovely Bones. He’s directed four movies, and recently won an Emmy for his new food and travel TV series, Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy. As a foodie he’s written two delectable cookbooks, and his new memoir, Taste, is just as delicious. This episode is a love letter to Italy, and of course to food. So let’s get started. Season 6, Stanley Tucci. Here we go!Destination RecapHolly:- Vaison La Romaine, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France- Airelles Chateau de la Messardiere, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France Stanley Tucci:Vermont, USARome, ItalyFlorence, ItalyNew Paltz, Upstate NY, USA, Shonagun Mountains The CotswoldsWatergate Bay Hotel, Cornwall, EnglandMawgan Porth, Cornwall, EnglandCirencester, The Cotswolds, EnglandThe Lake District, England Zermatt, SwitzerlandLake Como, ItalyRome, ItalyEmilio Romagna, Italy Ischia, ItalyIcelandScandinaviaStanley Tucci’s memoir ‘Taste’ is out now.A huge thank you to today’s sponsors, Citalia, Freddie’s Flowers and British Airways x Visit Florida.Citalia - Discover the real Italy with Citalia, the UK’s leading Italian holiday specialistsFreddie’s Flowers - Get your first two boxes half price, at just £12.50 each with the code TRAVEL50 at freddiesflowers.comBritish Airways x Visit Florida - Book your trip with confidence at BA.com/FloridaIf you’re enjoying the podcast, then it would be wonderful if you could leave a rating or a review on your podcast app - it really makes a big difference because it helps other people to discover the podcast. And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. If you can’t wait until then, there’s always the first five seasons to catch up on, with guests from Michael Palin and Heston Blumenthal, to Sir Ranulph Fiennes to Hugh Bonneville. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wildlife cameraman Gavin Thurston and conservationist Saba Douglas-Hamilton share their experiences in Kenya, from Nairobi to Samburu National Park. They discuss encounters with wildlife, unique accommodations like Giraffe Manor, and the beauty of Kenya's landscapes. Guests also explore Lamu Island and Qiyu Island, highlighting the rich Swahili culture and poetic traditions. The podcast inspires travel to Kenya by showcasing its diverse wildlife, conservation efforts, and captivating natural wonders.

We're going Completely Caribbean here on The Travel Diaries this week. On today's bonus destination special, we’ll be heading on a sun-soaked tour of the Caribbean islands, in partnership with the British Airways American Express Credit Card.Unsurprisingly, it’s one of the most popular destinations to be picked each week on the pod, and in today’s episode lots of my lovely guests from the last five seasons will be recounting their favourite Caribbean travel memories - the islands they love - of course the islands are so diverse, each with their own distinct history, culture and landscape - as well as the best hotels, places to visit and hidden gems, taking us on a tour from the north to the south of the Caribbean.And later we’ll be joined by Caribbean destination expert Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon aka Jet Set Sarah. Sarah is a Caribbean travel expert, award-winning travel journalist, and self-described “Carivangelist”, having visited and written about nearly all of the Caribbean islands. She'll take us through the destinations chosen by my guests, as well as sharing her own Caribbean travel diaries.Destination Recap:David Loftus: The BahamasJamie Laing and Jo Malone: Turks & CaicosFred Sirieix: JamaicaJacqui Gifford: AnguillaAinsley Harriott: DominicaRichard Branson and Ella Eyre: Necker Island, BVIsJet Set Sarah's Destination RecapTurks & Caicos: Parrot Cay, Providenciales, Andros, Long IslandBahamas: Harbour IslandDominicaAnguillaJamaica: Kingston, Trench House, Devon House, Negril, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Port Antonio, KFC Montego Bay!BequiaPetit St VincentGrand CaymanBelizeBonaireMustiqueThank you so much to  the British Airways American Express Credit Card for supporting today's episode. Search BA Amex for more details and check out the world. Representative 24.5% APR Variable, Applicants must be 18 years old or older, Subject to approval - Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. All information including Representative APR is correct as at 14th September 2021.If you’re enjoying the podcast, then it would be wonderful if you could leave a rating or a review on your podcast app - it really makes a big difference because it helps other people to discover the podcast. And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe.To find out who’s joining me on future episodes, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. If you can’t wait until then, there’s always the first five seasons to catch up on, with guests from Michael Palin and Heston Blumenthal, to Sir Ranulph Fiennes to Hugh Bonneville. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s Season 5 Finale, I’m joined by one of the UK’s leading broadcasters and most recognisable voices, Jeremy Vine. Jeremy began his journalism career as a BBC reporter for the Today show before becoming the BBC’s political correspondent at Westminster, and the BBC’s Africa correspondent based out of Johannesburg. He worked alongside Jeremy Paxman as a presenter on Newsnight and back in 2015 he donned his dancing shoes becoming a hugely popular contestant on Strictly Come Dancing - although his first dance with partner Karen Clifton was scored a ‘2’ by judge Craig Revel-Horwood. These days, Jeremy’s based back in the UK, and along with his eponymous daily topical programme on Ch5, his daily BBC radio 2 programme is the most listened to news show on UK radio. He’s also an accomplished author and tells us about his latest novel, which is set in Spain. Given his day job involves chatting to anyone and everyone, it’s no surprise that Jeremy had no shortage of conversation today and we have a great time dashing around the world today with his travel diaries, from the Channel Islands to an island off Canada, Siberia to Oman. This is a fun one, I really hope you enjoy it. So, Let’s get started. Destination Recap: - Jersey, England - Alderney, England - The Blonde Hedgehog, Alderney, England - Johannesburg, South Africa - Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA - Siberia, Russia - Oman - Appledore, Devon, England - Glasgow, Scotland - Dali Museum, Figueres, Spain - Cadaques, Spain - Sitges, Spain - Fogo Island Inn, Newfoundland, Canada Jeremy’s novel The Diver and The Lover is out now in paperback - a great read for a summer holiday. A huge thank you to today’s sponsors, DK Eyewitness and The Thinking Traveller. September sees the launch of DK Eyewitness’s new series Like A Local, travel guides to the world’s biggest cities featuring the best local hangout spots, hidden haunts and independent businesses. Listeners to The Travel Diaries can now get 10% off the books over at wordery.com. Simply enter the code 'LIKEALOCAL' at the checkout to receive your discount. To book your dream villa holiday visit The Thinking Traveller. The Thinking Traveller's collection of luxury villas across Italy, The Greek Islands, Corsica and Mallorca are some of the best properties out there for a villa holiday and come in all sizes, whether you're travelling as a couple or for a big family reunion. And with that, it’s a wrap for Season 5. Thank you so much to all my lovely guests for transporting us all around the world. And most importantly, thank you, my incredible listeners, for tuning in each week, for taking the podcast over one and a half million downloads, across 160 countries - what a dream come true. If you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review or five star rating is the best way to show your support, on your podcast app of choice. All the destinations mentioned by my guests are always included in the episode show notes, on my website thetraveldiariespodcast.com and also on my Instagram page @hollyrubenstein where I publish and save weekly guest guides, which plot out all the locations that have been discussed. And it’s not long until I’m back - we’ve got a couple of wonderful destination specials coming up, the first in a couple of weeks celebrating all things Caribbean, so keep an eye out for that. I’m off to Cornwall, again, and then to Provence in France. You can follow my travels on social media and as ever I’d love to hear from you. Season 6 will return in the autumn. Have a wonderful rest of your summer, and I’ll be back soon.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to this Inspiring Ireland Destination Special where, alongside legendary Irish DJ and broadcaster Annie Mac, we celebrate all things island of Ireland. Annie’s been in the news a bit recently, because after 17 years as one of BBC Radio 1’s most loved DJs, she has left the station, and the video of her playing her final song went viral online, I think simply because she is such a legend in the industry, and a big part of the lives of so many music lovers, so this farewell was a huge deal. We talk about how she became a DJ and presenter, and her illustrious career and what that involved - and then her travel diaries chapters are all focussed on destinations across Ireland - the place where she grew up, travels back to as much as she can, and knows so well. And then later, I’m joined by travel writer and Ireland expert, Aoife O’Riordain who shares some really brilliant tips, in particular some amazing foodie recommendations and a hotel that I’d never heard, on an Irish island that I’d also never heard of, of that has gone straight to the top of my hotel wish list. Oh and Aoife’s husband was actually the producer of Normal People (you know the show we all watched last summer) so she gives us a little insight into the making of that too!DESTINATION RECAPAnnie Mac’s Destinations:Dublin, Rep. of IrelandRasharkin, Co. Antrim, Northern IrelandBelfast, Northern Ireland Roundstone, Co. Galway, Rep. of Ireland Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland The Burren, Co. Clare, Rep. of IrelandThe Gaeltacht, Co. Galway, Rep. of Ireland Dog’s Bay, Co. Galway, Rep. of IrelandDingle, Co. Kerry, Rep. of IrelandDingle Benners Hotel, Co. Kerry, Rep. of IrelandThe Blasket Islands, Co. Kerry, Rep. of IrelandLoch Na Fooey, Co. Galway, Rep. of Ireland County Donegal, Rep. of IrelandInishmore, Rep. of IrelandAoife O’Riordan’s DestinationsWest Cork, Co. Kerry and Coastal Donegal parts of Wild Atlantic Way driveDublinDublin and Wicklow MountainsGlendalough, Co. WicklowSandycove, DublinForty foot, DublinBray, County WicklowThe DART commuter trainCo. KerryRing of Kerry driving routeDede at the Custom’s House, West Cork, Co. CorkMisunderstood Heron, Leenaun, Co. Galway Paddy Bawn Brosnans Bar, Dingle, Co. KerryBally Bia, Co. CorkGreat Western Greenway, Co. Mayo The Royal Canal GreenwayThe Aran Islands: Inishmore, Inishmaan and Inisheer, Co. GalwayInis Meáin, Restaurant & Suites, Co. GalwayThanks so much for listening today. If you’ve enjoyed the episode, leaving a review or five star rating is the best way to show your support, on your podcast app of choice. And to find out who is on next week’s episode, the Season 5 finale, come and find me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubensten and as ever, I’d love to hear from you. To find out more about visiting the island of Ireland, head to ireland.com and check out the travel pages of your favourite newspapers and travel magazines which are always great resources for the latest travel news, new openings and must see spots. Have a great week and I’ll be back on Tuesday.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.