The Travel Diaries

Today I’m joined by the UK’s leading hotel critic, Fiona Duncan. Fiona has been writing about and reviewing hotels for 35 years. She began her career writing travel guides before launching her own book series with her husband The Charming Small Hotels Guides back in the 1980s.In the late 90s she was asked to write about hotels for the Telegraph, which she continues to this day, with a weekly hotel column in the Sunday Telegraph. They call her the Hotel Guru, Country & Town House Magazine call her the Hotel Wizard, for which she is also travel editor and the editor of their great British hotels guide.I spoke to Fiona last week in London, and it was so lovely to reconnect with her - Fiona has been a real mentor to me as a travel writer, which has been life changing to be honest, and I’ve learnt so much from her, so this episode means a lot to me. It also means a lot to finally have a female guest on this season, I wanted to have a completely gender balanced season this time, and just the way things have panned out annoyingly with people’s availability and covid, that just hasn’t been possible. But next week also we have fantastic female guest joining us which I’m really looking forward to as well. This is an episode for hotel lovers, Fiona has visited well over 600 of them just for her column alone, and if you’re looking for recommendations here in the UK and in Europe, she has some great tips to share, and ones that won’t break the bank too.DESTINATION RECAP:Orient Express to Venice Le Sirenuse, Positano, Italy Seaview, Isle of Wight, EnglandMallorca, SpainAntigua and the CaribbeanFormentera, SpainGecko Beach, Formentera, SpainHambleton Hall, Rutland, EnglandGravetye Manor, West Sussex, EnglandLangar Hall, Nottinghamshire, England The Lamb at Shipton-Under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire, EnglandGlebe House, Devon, EnglandThe Goring Hotel, London, England Howtown Hotel, Ullswater, England Santa Catarina, Amalfi Coast, ItalyLocanda Cipriani, Venice, Italy Limewood, New Forest, England Lake Nagin, Kashmir, IndiaGulmarg, IndiaVilla Mahal, Kalkan, Turkey The Fish Shack, Kalkan, TurkeyKathmandu, NepalTiger Tops, NepalMexicoRavenna, Italy GeorgiaTransylvaniaKoufonisia, GreeceAmorgos, Greece Thank you so much for listening today. 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 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 four 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.

One of the world's most prominent wildlife filmmakers and presenters, Gordon Buchanan has been filming wild and wonderful creatures in remote areas of the planet for over 30 years, capturing film across every continent apart from Antarctica. His numerous captivating and award-winning wildlife documentaries, from The Cheetah Family and Me and Snow cats and me, to Animals with Cameras and Into the Wild, are ubiquitous on our TV screens, here in the UK. I spoke to Gordon last week, the sound is a little bit echoey - we joked he could say he was talking to us from a cave somewhere in the wilderness but he was actually in his home in Glasgow!And this episode is one of my very favourites - I’m often asked who is the nicest person I’ve interviewed for the podcast and to be honest all my guests have been truly lovely but Gordon is just so delightful, I’m his new biggest fan. His travel diaries take us from his childhood, growing up on the remote Scottish island of Mull, to his first job in Sierra Leone; close encounters with wolves in the arctic and discovering a new species of giant rat in Papua New Guinea. That and so much more, coming up.Destination Recap:Isle of Mull, ScotlandIsle of Lunga, Treshnish Isles, Scotland Ellesmere Ireland, Canadian Arctic Sierra LeoneSanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai, IndiaGreat Bear Rainforest, BC, CanadaRiver Kelvin, Glasgow, ScotlandLoch Lomond, Scotland Mt Bosavi, Papua New GuineaRussiaYala National Park, Sri LankaAntarcticaGordon will be on tour in January and February 2022. Buy tickets for “Gordon Buchanan - 30 years in the wild - The Anniversary Tour” here.A big thank you to Visit Estonia for their support of today’s episode. This ad is in co-operation with Visit Estonia and funded by the European Union European Regional Development Fund. To find out more about head to Visit Estonia.Another big thank you to the British Airways American Express Card for their support of today’s episode. Thank you so much for listening today. 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 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 four 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, I’m thrilled to be joined by one of the most influential photographers of all time, David Loftus. I first got to know David’s work through reading Conde Nast Traveller magazine, for which he has shot numerous breathtaking travel editorials, taking him all around the globe. But he’s perhaps best known for bringing food to life for millions of people, photographing for the books of Gennaro Contaldo, Nathan Outlaw, previous podcast guest Rachel Khoo and his long time collaborator, and close friend, Jamie Oliver. His work with Jamie alone has resulted in international book sales in excess of 30 million copies, and not only has he now photographed over 100 books, David is also a published author himself, with books like Around the World in 80 Dishes and more recently his memoir, Diary of a Lone Twin, an account of love and grief following the untimely death of his identical twin, something which frames a lot of our conversation today.I spoke to David in his beautiful London home last week on the hottest day of the year, in a room full of memories from his extensive travels. And as well as bringing to life some of the incredible destinations in which he’s worked and travelled - looking through the destination recap there’s a strong theme of islands, David says he loves to be surrounded by water - we also benefit from David’s expertise with some brilliant tips for taking the best photos on our phones while we travel. So from Paros to The Bahamas, the Lofoten Islands to the Orkneys, let’s get started. Destination Recap:Lake Grundlsee, Austria Lake Toplitzee, AustriaThe Orkney Islands, UKOld Man of Hoy, Orkney, UKLofoten Islands, NorwayParos, Greece Windermere, The Bahamas Kefalonia, GreeceIthaca, Greece Fivizanno, Tuscany, ItalyNorth West AustraliaNew Orleans, USAJapanDavid’s memoir, Diary of a Lone Twin, is out now. Thank you so much for listening today. 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 next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram or Twitter, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. If you can’t wait until then, there’s always the first four seasons to catch up on, with guests from Michael Palin and Heston Blumenthal, to Sir Ranulph Fiennes to Hugh Bonneville.A big thank you to Citalia for their support of today’s episode. Discover the real Italy with Citalia, the UK’s leading Italian holiday specialists.And thank you to the British Airways American Express Card for their support too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, I feel very privileged to be joined by a legend of the broadcasting world. John Simpson has been reporting for the BBC for 51 years, and its World Affairs Editor since 1982, covering in person more major world events than many of us could recount, from the Iranian Revolution and Tianamen Square massacre in Beijing, to the Kosovo War, and the US led invasion of Afghanistan, interviewing the majority of the world’s leaders along the way.Having broadcast from the front line in over 30 war zones, today’s episode features so many tales of courage, and if you read up on John’s career, really we are only scratching the surface.We’ll hear about what it was like being smuggled into Afghanistan dressed as a woman, the time he was physically assaulted by a British Prime Minister and his very close shave with the IRA. It’s clear that John also adores travelling and I love that he’s picked really unusual destinations that weren’t necessarily on my radar before, and he’s totally sold me on them.So from Paris to Iran, Uzbekistan to Argentina, let’s get started. Destination Recap:Suffolk, EnglandCasablanca, Morocco Belfast, N. IrelandAngolaParis, France Rue de Rivoli, Paris, France Baghdad, IraqAfghanistanTehran, IranIsfahan, Iran Persepolis, Iran Bukhara, Uzbekistan Khiva, Uzbekistan QatarBuenos Aires, ArgentinaAnd I spoke about:Bruton, Somerset, EnglandNumber One Bruton, Somerset, England Osip, Bruton, Somerset, EnglandHauser & Wirth, Somerset, EnglandAt the Chapel, Somerset, England John’s novel Our Friends in Beijing is a great read. It’s published by John Murray and is out on Thursday July 22.Thank you so much for listening today. 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 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 four seasons to catch up on, with guests from Michael Palin and Heston Blumenthal, to Sir Ranulph Fiennes to Hugh Bonneville.A big thank you to the British Airways American Express Card for their support of today’s episode.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, I’m joined by one of the food world’s most recognisable faces, John Torode. John grew up in Melbourne, Australia, embarking on his culinary career when he was 16 years old, having learnt to cook from his grandmother, who raised him after his mother passed away. After apprenticeships at some of Melbourne’s best restaurants he moved to the UK, quickly making a name for himself as one of the finest chefs out there, opening restaurants like Smiths of Smithfield and The Luxe. It wasn’t long before he also caught the attention of the TV world, and since 2005 he became a household name as the co-host of Masterchef which is soon to enter its 18th season, as well as hosting Celebrity Masterchef too. He’s written numerous best-selling cook books and made lots of TV shows about culinary road trips in destinations with vibrant food cultures like Malaysia, Argentina and Korea.From the streets of Thailand to the markets of Mumbai, the islands of Malaysia and the wilderness of Australia, I predict you might be adding some places to your travel wish list after this.Destination RecapAustraliaSingapore to Bangkok via Penang Orient ExpressGrand Canyon, Nevada, USASan Francisco, California, USABangkok, ThailandThe Thai House, ThailandThe Peninsula Hotel, Bangkok, ThailandThe Kimberley, AustraliaThe Bungle Bungles, The Kimberley, Australia The Great Wall of China, China Buenos Aires, Argentina Bombay (Mumbai), IndiaThe Taj Hotel, Mumbai, IndiaPanang and Langkawi, MalaysiaTasmania, Australia Marrakech, MoroccoChinaMongoliaTransiberia ExpressMallorca, SpainNorwegian Arctic circleAlaska, USAAnd I chatted about Watergate Bay Hotel and Watergate Bay in Cornwall.Celebrity Masterchef is back this summer on BBC1 for its 16th series. John continues to present Masterchef on BBC1 and John & Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen on ITV1Thank you so much for listening today. 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 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 four seasons to catch up on, with guests from Michael Palin and Heston Blumenthal, to Sir Ranulph Fiennes to Hugh Bonneville.A big thank you to the British Airways American Express Card and Western Australia for their support of today’s episode.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Season 5! Today’s guest was on the original Travel Diaries dream guest wish list. He’s a broadcasting legend and has presented some of my favourite travel series. It is, of course, Sir Trevor McDonald. Sir Trevor was born and raised in the West Indies, on the island of Trinidad and so the Caribbean is of course a big feature in his Travel Diaries today. He began his ascent to journalistic stardom over there, working as a radio reporter and news presenter, before moving to London in the late 1960s to work for the BBC. He went on to join ITN and became a household name as the first sole presenter of the News at Ten and the first black news anchor in the UK. Now at 81 years old, he tells us about interviewing some of modern history’s most revered and reviled figures, from the pressure of being the first person to interview Nelson Mandela after he was released from prison, to travelling to Baghdad to grill Saddam Hussein in his palatial home. It’s no surprise that Trevor became the most accoladed news broadcaster in British history.We’re heading today on a journey across North America, Australia, The Middle East, Europe and Africa. Destination Recap:TrinidadGrenadaSydney, AustraliaBelfast, Northern Ireland, UKSouth AfricaShutters on the Beach, Santa Monica, California, USABaghdad, IraqMadeiraBarbadosAntiguaSt LuciaLas Vegas to Grand Canyon plane ride, USANapa Valley, California, USACarmel Valley, California, USAAnd I chatted about my stay at The Cary Arms in Babbacombe, Devon.Thank you so much for listening today. If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode please subscribe on your podcast app, it’s very easy to do that, although on Apple they’ve changed it so that you “follow” now rather than subscribe by pressing the plus sign in the top right of the app. I would also be so grateful if you could leave a rating or a review - it really helps other people to discover the podcast, which in turn allows me to keep making more.Don’t forget all the destinations mentioned each week across all five seasons are included in the episode show notes. Follow me on Instagram @hollyrubenstein to find out who is joining me next Tuesday. I’d love to hear from you. And if you can’t wait until then, there’s all of Season 4 to listen to. Thank you to the wonderful Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi for their support of today’s episode. Follow them on Instagram here.And a big thank you to The Kensington Hotel for hosting today’s episode recording.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s July 1 which means it’s Canada Day and we are going to be celebrating Canada with this bonus destination special episode. Canada has been mentioned so many times as a favourite destination on the podcast by everyone from Ben Fogle and Dan Snow to Nadiya Hussain and Ella Eyre, and today, in celebration of Canada Day, I thought it would be a great opportunity to shine a light on a region of Canada that has historically been somewhat overlooked by tourists but is now gaining a real hype with in the know travellers, and that is the region of Atlantic Canada.Today I’m joined by writer and adventurer Hugh Francis Anderson, who has written extensively about Atlantic Canada, and he’s here to share his travel diaries from the region.Destination RecapThe Alexander Murray Hiking Trail, Newfoundland & LabradorCabot Trail, Cape Breton Island, Nova ScotiaBar Kismet, HalifaxKouchibouguac National Park, New BrunswickThe Inn at Bay Fortune, Prince Edward IslandGros Morne National ParkThank you so much for listening today. If you’re enjoying the podcast, then it would 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 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 four seasons to catch up on, from Michael Palin to Heston Blumenthal, to Sir Ranulph Fiennes to Hugh Bonneville.For more information and inspiration to plan your holiday to Canada or Atlantic Canada visit here and here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to this Awesome Australia Destination Special. Together with much loved guests including Rick Stein, John Torode and Dynamo, we’ll be heading on an Australian adventure across the country, revealing favourite spots, hidden gems and top tips. It’s wanderlust, guaranteed! It’s June 2021 right now, and unfortunately that means that for most of us travel is currently extremely restricted. So now’s the time to plan your next big bucket list trip - and for me, Australia is top of the list. From the wilderness of The Kimberley, to the red rock of Uluru, Kangaroo Island, Sydney, Melbourne and more, I hope this episode inspires you to visit when we are all able to travel easily again. Destination Recap:The Kimberley, WAThe King George Falls, The Kimberley, WAAdelaide, SACoober Pedy, SAAlice Springs, NTTorres Strait Islands, QLDSydney, NSWWolgan Valley, The Blue Mountains, NSWMelbourne Lane Ways, VICFederation Square, Melbourne, VICQueensland Coast, QLDWestern Australian wildlife trifecta, WANingaloo Reef, WAKangaroo Island, SAUluru, NTThank you to John Torode, Rick Stein, Rachel Khoo, Peter Grunert, Tony Wheeler, Dynamo and Phoebe Smith for being a part of today’s episode. For more information about planning your own trip to Australia head to australia.comIf you’re enjoying the podcast, then it would wonderful if you could leave a rating or a review - it really makes a big difference because it helps other people to discover the podcast. To hear future episodes as soon as they are released just search for The Travel Diaries on your podcast app of choice, and hit subscribe. 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 four seasons to catch up on, from Michael Palin to Rick Stein, and Sir Ranulph Fiennes to Dev Patel. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll be back in a couple of weeks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, I'm joined by one of the most famous and successful chefs in the world and in history - Heston Blumenthal. It was an unforgettable travel experience that inspired Heston to become a chef. He’s entirely self taught, and was working other odd jobs all the way until his late twenties, when he bought a small pub in Bray in Berkshire. He called it The Fat Duck, and it went on to be award three Michelin stars and to be named The World’s Best Restaurant. A food pioneer, he’s been dubbed the Willy Wonka of cuisine, fascinated by the science behind the cooking. He’s become the king of experimental cuisine which has led to world famous dishes like snail porridge, parsnip cereal, and bacon and eggs ice cream. Oh, and did you know it was Heston who invented one of my favourite things to eat - the triple cooked chip.This is definitely an unusual episode. Yes we cover travel, it’s a fundamental part of Heston’s food, and it was so fun to hear about some of the weird and wonderful things he’s eaten on his travels - not all of them happy memories, I should add! But honestly, I really felt like I was speaking to a true genius in this chat, it’s hard to find another way to describe it, and so we also cover off the meaning of life and philosophy, quantum physics and scientific theory. He is determined to push himself and others to think beyond the confines of our small minds, when it comes to both food and life. I really hope you enjoy it.Destination Recap:Praa Sands, Cornwall, EnglandRegent’s Snack Bar, Edgware Road, London, EnglandBaumanière, Hôtel Restaurant, Les Baux-de-Provence, FranceLes Alpilles, FranceMonastery Epiphany, Les Baux-de-Provence, FranceTurkeySiberia, RussiaIcelandGalapagos Islands, Ecuador KoreaThe AmazonPeruIndonesiaPolynesiaTune in to Heston’s own podcast, Heston’s Journey to the Centre of Food which is available on all podcast apps and is great fun, it’s a must for foodies.Well, that’s a wrap for Season 4, thank you all for joining me along the way, wherever you are in the world. Thank you for spreading the word about the podcast, sharing your favourite episode on your social media, telling your friends, leaving lovely reviews and sending me the most amazing messages, it has been amazing, especially to feel so connected and part of our little travel diaries community, that you’ve all created, during a time where we often otherwise feel quite disconnected. If you’ve enjoyed listening to the podcast, remember to press subscribe on your podcast app, it’s free, and you’ll then get notified when Season 5 begins in the summer.In the meantime, do stay in touch, I’m @hollyrubenstein on Instagram and Twitter.Remember there’s all four seasons to keep you going until then, from Rick Stein and Sir Ranulph Fiennes, to Jo Malone and Raymond Blanc. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode, I’m joined by the multi-Grammy winning singer, Gregory Porter. Gregory’s was originally set to become an American football player, and it wasn’t until he turned 40 that his rich jazz baritone caught the attention of industry bigwigs and subsequently, jazz heads around the world. His major label debut Liquid Spirit went on to become the most streamed jazz album of all time. He's played Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage, sung for the Queen and prior to Covid was travelling over 200 days a year, playing to his adoring fans around the world. So with all that travel and all those miles covered, it’s no surprise that today’s episode is a long haul, feature length episode. Gregory joins me from his home in California, and this is a really touching, personal, evocative episode. Gregory says it’s like therapy - he remembers his travels so vividly, and each destination is full of emotion as he describes it to us. We’ll go on a journey from the West to the East coast of the United States, across Russia on the Transiberian Express and to a secret French island that I’d never heard of, which is now firmly added to my travel wish list. Oh and he serenades us not once but twice on this episode, so prepared to be soothed by that velvety voice!Destination Recap:Bakersfield, California, USAYosemite National Park, California, USASanta Monica, California, USASan Diego, California, USABrooklyn, New York, USAHarlem, New York, USASiberia, Russia Tokyo, JapanKanazawa, JapanPorquerolles, FranceUkraineIstanbul, TurkeyTel Aviv, IsraelJakarta, Indonesia South Africa Sierra LeoneGhanaGregory Porter’s album All Rise is out now.Thank you so much for listening today. If you’re enjoying the podcast, then it would wonderful if you could leave a rating or a review - it really makes a big difference because it helps other people to discover the podcast. To hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe 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 three seasons to catch up on, from Michael Palin to Rick Stein, and Sir Ranulph Fiennes to Dev Patel.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.