The Travel Diaries

Buongiorno and welcome to this bonus Destination Special of The Travel Diaries, in partnership with the British Airways American Express® Credit Card*. Today, we’ll be heading on a tour of Incredible Italy. Italy is one of the most popular destinations on the podcast, and with the help of some of my favourite guests from the past three seasons, I’ve created a special itinerary that covers some of the country’s ultimate highlights - my guests’s favourite cities, best hotels, hidden gems and much more, from Puglia and Positano in the south, to Venice and Trieste in the north. *Terms and conditions apply. Representative 22.2% APR Variable. Destination Recap:Merrion Charles:Lunigiana, TuscanyVal D’Orcia, Tuscany Ponza, Pontine Islands SicilySimon Calder: Syracuse, SicilyTravel Leisure’s Jacqui Gifford: Borgo Egnazia, Puglia Poppy Delevingne: Positano, Amalfi Coast - Le Sirenuse; Da Adolfo; Conca del SognoRome - Residenza Napoleone IIIMr & Mrs Smith’s James Lohan: Florence, Tuscany - Il Latini; JK PlaceYotam Ottolenghi: Florence, TuscanyRick Stein: Bologna, Emilia-RomagnaLonely Planet Founder, Tony Wheeler: Ravenna, Emilia-RomagnaSir Michael Palin: Venice, VenetoLonely Planet Magazine’s Peter Grunert: Cannareggio, Venice, VenetoRick Stein: Trieste, Friuli Venezia GiuliaHolly Rubenstein: Capri, Bay of NaplesCitalia tour operator Ascona, Lake MaggioreThank you so much for listening. If you haven’t yet left a rating or a review, why not do so now? Your support is so greatly appreciated and most importantly, helps others to discover the podcast. Don’t forget to hit subscribe so that every week a new episode will appear in your library.To hear all about our podcast news, future guests and destination specials come and find me on Instagram. I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. Visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything else podcast-related.Grazie mille! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, I’m joined by one of travel’s most familiar faces. Known for his TV series tracing the Equator, the Tropics of Cancer & Capricorn, following the world’s sacred rivers and pilgrimages, travelling the length of the Americas, and deep diving into destinations like Burma, Russia and Colombia, visiting over 130 countries along the way. It is of course the adventurer, author and broadcaster, Simon Reeve. Now, if you’ve watched Simon’s shows, you’ll know they’re not your typical travel programmes. He’s known for digging beneath the surface of a place, and telling the stories - both good and bad - that need to be told. What you may not know is that Simon is really very experienced when it comes to digging a little deeper as he began his career as an investigative journalist, and went on to become a NY Times best-selling author, all before he even appeared on our TV screens. Simon has undertaken numerous extraordinary journeys, but none of them are quite as extraordinary as the journey his own life has taken. I think you’ll be both amazed and inspired by it. Destination Recap: Studland Bay, Dorset, England Istanbul, Turkey Hagia Sophia Grand Turkey, Istanbul, TurkeyGabonMadagascarBangladesh Somaliland West Country, England JapanNew ZealandSenegalMali The ArcticThe AntarcticParaguay Thank you so much for listening. If you haven’t yet left a rating or a review, why not do so now? Your support is so greatly appreciated and most importantly, helps others to discover the podcast. Don’t forget to hit subscribe so that every week a new episode will appear in your library.I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything else podcast-related.For a boutique Cotswolds escape, head over the Barnsley House and their Instagram account to find out more.If you’re looking for a spectacular private hire home in Cornwall, check out Barford Beach House nr Bude.And for a splash out escape in the New Forest, there’s nowhere better than Chewton Glen.This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode, I’m joined by world renowned chef, restaurateur and best-selling cookbook author, Yotam Ottolenghi.Yotam had always been expected to follow his parents into the world of academia, and it wasn’t until he turned 30 that he decided to follow his true passion for food, enrolling in the prestigious Cordon Bleu culinary school in London.From there, he became a pastry chef in some of London’s top restaurants before meeting Sami Tammimi, a Palestinian chef who became his business partner. They created a small deli in Notting Hill called Ottolenghi. The rest, you could say, was history. Yotam’s signature mix of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours, showcasing mainly vegetables, soon became a sensation, sparking what can only be described as a culinary movement - plates were now about sharing and the rising popularity of ingredients like pomegranate seeds, sumac and tahini in British supermarkets was dubbed “the Ottolenghi effect”. Now, he’s the owner of six delis and restaurants, a Guardian columnist, TV presenter and he’s back with his 8th cookbook, Flavour. As you’ll hear in this episode, Yotam won’t visit a destination unless it has great food, and his food is continuously inspired by his extensive global travels. And so, his travel diaries are also food memory diaries, and they’re sure to make your mouth water. From Israel and Bali to Greece and Mexico, here are the travel diaries of Yotam Ottolenghi. Destination Recap:Jerusalem, Israel PalestineSinai Desert, formerly in Israel and now, Egypt Florence, Italy Amsterdam, HollandUbud, BaliRoyal Pita Maha, Bali MalaysiaVietnamFolegandros, GreeceGreek Islands Guangzhou, ChinaMexicoThank you so much for listening. If you haven’t yet left a rating or a review, why not do so now? Your support is so greatly appreciated and most importantly, helps others to discover the podcast. Don’t forget to hit subscribe so that every week a new episode will appear in your library.To find out who’s on next week’s show, come and find me on Instagram. I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything else podcast-related.Yotam’s new recipe book, Flavour, is out now. Head over to TheThinkingTraveller.com/traveldiaries to book your dream villa holiday.This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode, I’m joined by sustainable luxury travel writer, and the Sustainability Editor of Condé Nast Traveller magazine, Juliet Kinsman. Juliet has been an authority in the travel world for over two decades, as a renowned hotel expert. She’s the former Editor-in-Chief of the boutique hotel guide, Mr & Mrs Smith, and went on to found Bouteco, a platform that helps design lovers find the best eco-conscious design-led hotels. And now she’s releasing a book, The Green Edit: Easy Tips for the Eco-Friendly Traveller. All of which couldn’t feel more relevant in our current global climate crisis. I really hope you enjoy Juliet’s insight into the future of travel, as well as the wonderful array of unusual destinations that she picks for her travel diaries. Destination Recap:AlgeriaAtlas Mountains, Morocco New York City, USABali, IndonesiaGreen School, BaliSumba, Indonesia Nihi Sumba hotel, Indonesia Fogo Island, Newfoundland, Canada Uxua Casa, Brazil Potato Head, Bali, Indonesia Budapest, Hungary Brody House, Hungary Treviso, Italy Transylvania, Romania NorwayScotland inc. Alladale Wilderness Reserve JapanPeruvian AndesThank you so much for listening. If you haven’t yet left a rating or a review, why not do so now? Your support is so greatly appreciated and most importantly, helps others to discover the podcast. Don’t forget to hit subscribe so that every week a new episode will appear in your library.To find out who’s on next week’s show, come and find me on Instagram. I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything else podcast-related.The Green Edit by Juliet Kinsman is out on September 10.This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jacqui Gifford, Editor-in-Chief of Travel & Leisure, shares her extensive travel experiences from around the globe. She highlights stunning destinations like Anguilla, Bermuda, and Italy, weaving in personal anecdotes that spark wanderlust. The conversation touches on the pandemic's impact on travel and the importance of ethical considerations in travel journalism, especially in places like Saudi Arabia. Jacqui also reminisces about her wedding in Ireland, offering beautiful travel inspirations and tips, while delving into hidden gems in Japan and the breathtaking allure of Rwanda.

Today, I’m joined by legendary ethologist and conservationist Dame Dr Jane Goodall, known best for her groundbreaking research of wild chimpanzees.When Jane moved from England to Gombe in Tanzania, at the age of just 26, virtually nothing was known about chimpanzees in the wild. Her findings, in particular observing them using tools to get food, changed our understanding of animal behaviour and the natural world, and propelled Jane to international fame. What makes this even more astounding is that at the time, she had no formal scientific qualifications. Still running today, the study is the world’s longest running continuous wildlife research project.Jane has since been named a United Nations Messenger of Peace and was invested as a dame of the British Empire. Now at the age of 86 she remains a dedicated activist, travelling 300 days of every year (before covid), becoming equally well known as a conservationist and a champion of human rights.Destination Recap:Bournemouth SerengetiGombe GermanyCape Town TanzaniaNebraskaMalaysia Tendaguru, Tanzania Lubbock ,TexasAuschwitz Haiti Death Thank you so much for listening. If you haven’t yet left a rating or a review, why not do so now? Your support is so greatly appreciated and most importantly, helps others to discover the podcast. Don’t forget to hit subscribe so that you receive a new episode each week.To find out who’s on next week’s show, come and find me on Instagram. I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything else podcast-related.If you want to get involved or find out more about Jane’s work, visit www.janegoodall.org.uk and www.rootsnshoots.org.ukThe documentary, Jane, is currently available on Netflix and is a fantastic watch.Book your stay at the spectacular Gleneagles hotel at https://gleneagles.com/This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, I’m joined by the sportsman, adventurer and double Olympic gold medallist, James Cracknell. We first got to know James as part of the coxless four rowing team, alongside Steve Redgrave, that won gold at the Sydney Olympics. Several world titles later, James went on to take part in countless feats of endurance, from becoming the highest ever placed Brit to run the Marathon des Sables, the hottest hardest race in the world, to rowing the Atlantic in a two man boat, and racing to the South Pole with his friend Ben Fogle, who you might have heard on the podcast earlier this season. Then, in 2010, James’s life was turned upside down. While cycling in a race across America, he was struck by a lorry and experienced a serious brain injury that left him in a coma. As we discuss, his journey to recovery has been anything but straightforward, but his story is one of sheer determination and resilience, ultimately leading him to return to university - Cambridge, no less - where he became the oldest ever winner of the famous Oxbridge boat race. Travel has been hugely important to James. Of course he’s spent a lot of time on some of the world’s most beautiful lakes and rivers - and I love being by the water, so I really enjoyed hearing about those. And his Slovenian hidden gem is a spot that I’ve now added to my travel wish list, and I’m sure you might do too. Destination Recap:Biarritz, FranceLac d’Aiguebelette, FranceGaltür, AustriaRio De Janeiro, BrazilAnnecy, France South Pole, AntarcticaRowing the Atlantic OceanLake Bled, SloveniaLake Maggiore, Italy / SwitzerlandGrand Canyon National Park, USAThe AmazonTepui Table Top Mountains, Venezuela Thank you so much for listening. If you haven’t yet left a rating or a review, why not do so now? Your support is so greatly appreciated and most importantly, helps others to discover the podcast. Don’t forget to hit subscribe so that every week a new episode will appear in your library.To find out who’s on next week’s show, come and find me on Instagram. I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything else podcast-related.To find out more about Lanserhof at the Arts Club and Lanserhof Sylt, visit https://www.lanserhof.com/enThis episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, I’m joined by Lyn Hughes, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of one of the UK's best-loved travel magazines, Wanderlust. In the early nineties Lyn and her late husband were bored on a flight to South America, so they schemed out their dream travel magazine on the back of a sick-bag. The idea stuck and, returning to the UK a few months later, they launched Wanderlust magazine from their spare bedroom, with Lyn as editor and her husband, Paul, as publisher. The magazine gradually grew through word of mouth, and now, years later, it’s one of the UK’s leading travel magazines. Of course, through her work with the magazine, Lyn has travelled all around the world, and has her finger on the pulse of what’s hot and what’s not when it comes to travel. I particularly love her hidden gem in this episode and along with her travel diaries we cover wildlife travel, future travel trends, and of course a little bit of travel during Covid - it’s hard to escape it at the moment. As usual, though, the plan is to transport you far away from all those worries, so from New Zealand and Borneo, to Macedonia and Morocco here are the travel diaries of Lynn Hughes. Destination Recap:Southport, Merseyside, EnglandExmoor, Devon, EnglandBodmin Moor, Cornwall, EnglandThailand, Malaysia and Singapore tripTaman Negara National Park, MalaysiaAfrican safaris including ZambiaCaiman Lodge, The Pantanal, BrazilKaikoura, New ZealandMarrakech, MoroccoNumber 43, Cumbria, EnglandLake Ohrid, North MacedoniaSt Naum Monastery, North MacedoniaJapanSumatra, IndonesiaSabah, BorneoWanderlust Magazine is available in all good newsagents as well as online at wanderlust.co.uk Thank you so much for listening. If you haven’t yet left a rating or a review, why not do so now? Your support is so greatly appreciated and most importantly, helps others to discover the podcast. Don’t forget to hit subscribe so that every week a new episode will appear in your library.To find out who’s on next week’s show, come and find me on Instagram. I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything else podcast-related.To find out more about Lanserhof at the Arts Club and Lanserhof Sylt, visit https://www.lanserhof.com/enThis episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, I’m joined by the food writer and TV presenter, Giles Coren. Giles has been a restaurant critic and columnist for The Times for 17 years and alongside chef Monica Galetti, he is the presenter of Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby, which sees him travel the globe, visiting some of the world’s most incredible hotels, rolling up his sleeves to work alongside their staff. As well as some fabulous hotels, stay tuned for some fab foodie recommendations too.I loved chatting to Giles - his take on travel amused me from start to finish. I hope you enjoy it too!Destination Recap:MGM MacauKenyan safariAndalucía, SpainLa Petite Maison, London, EnglandChewton Glen, Hampshire, England Le Gavroche, London, EnglandThe River Cafe, London, England Min Jiang, London, EnglandGymkhana, London, EnglandPalmers, London, EnglandScott’s, London, EnglandJ Sheekey, London, EnglandInter-railing around EuropeTourettes-sur-loup, France Corsica, France Giraffe Manor, Kenya Marina Bay Sands, SingaporeGrand Resort Bad Ragaz, SwitzerlandSchloss Elmau, GermanyThe Brando, French Polynesia The Bell Inn, Langford, EnglandKerala, India CubaAmazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby is out now on BBC 2, and is also available on BBC iPlayer. Thank you so much for listening. If you haven’t yet left a rating or a review, why not do so now? Your support is so greatly appreciated and most importantly, helps others to discover the podcast. Don’t forget to hit subscribe so that every week a new episode will appear in your library.To find out who’s on next week’s show, come and find me on Instagram. I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything else podcast-related.This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode, I’m joined by the explorer and survivalist Ed Stafford. In 2010, Ed became the first person to walk the entire length of the Amazon River, a feat that took 860 days and put him on the map as one of our most prominent and exciting adventurers. From there here’s gone on to present and self film more massive challenges, like living in complete isolation on a desert island for 60 days without food, clothes or equipment, or being left for dead in various extreme environments around the world from Madagascar to Mongolia. These became incredible TV series that I’ve watched religiously and couldn’t recommend more. Ed is someone I’ve wanted to interview for the very beginning but like so many of my dream guests he’s normally always travelling so I was lucky to finally get this time to speak with him and I hope you enjoy what I think is a really raw and honest account of the spiritual and emotional development that comes with travel - as well as hearing about some inspiring destinations along the way.Destination Recap:Henfaes, Aberdaron, WalesLeicestershire, EnglandAldeburgh, Suffolk, EnglandWalking the length of the Amazon riverOlorua, FijiArgentine PatagoniaNorthern ThailandIbiza, SpainAntarctica Ed’s new podcast, Dangerous Minds, is out nowThank you so much for listening. If you haven’t yet left a rating or a review, why not do so now? Your support is so greatly appreciated and most importantly, helps others to discover the podcast. And don't forget to hit subscribe so that every week a new episode will appear in your library.To find out who’s on next week’s show, come and find me on Instagram. I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything else podcast-related.Huge thanks to The Lygon Arms hotel for their support for today’s episode - you can follow them hereThis episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.