The Travel Diaries

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.

Sir Michael Palin - where do you start! He’s a legendary comedian, part of pop culture history as one of Monty Python. He’s a BAFTA-winning actor, a best-selling author, and one of our most loved travel documentarians and travel writers. His journeys across the world, beginning with Around the World in 80 Days, followed by Pole to Pole, Full Circle, Sahara, Himalaya, Brazil and more, were a key part of how many of us discovered the world growing up, through his eyes, and through his warmth and curiosity with whoever he encountered along the way. From Saharan Africa and the Amazon, to western Scotland and North Korea, it was such an honour to hear the travel diaries of Sir Michael Palin. I hope you enjoy them.Destination recap:Sheffield, EnglandNorfolk, EnglandSolden, Austria Venice, ItalyBarbadosMoroccoMauritaniaChinguetti, MaliPersian gulf to Indian Ocean dhow boat tripWest coast of Scotland including GlencoeAberfeldy, ScotlandNew York, USAIstanbul, TurkeyKolkata, India Pongo de Mainique, PeruNorth KoreaAlgiersVietnamGulag camps, Kolyma, RussiaMongolia and the 'StansAltai MountainsWalking in the Dolomites, ItalyMichael Palin’s North Korea Journal is out now, and available from all good bookshops. 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. Hit subscribe and 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.

Jeremy Jauncey is the founder and CEO of the world’s largest online travel community, Beautiful Destinations, which has a combined social following of over 25 million people.The jaw-dropping photos on Beautiful Destinations’s Instagram feed have provided me with endless travel inspiration and undoubtedly influenced some of my travel choices. And what was once a passion project has become a global business, with Beautiful Destinations offices based out of the US, UK and Asia. While it might look like Jeremy spends most of his time being photographed in some of the most epic locations around the world - meditating on North Island in the Seychelles, hugging giant pandas in China, posing on a horse rearing in front of a pyramid in Egypt - most of the time he is actually consulting with major travel brands and tourist boards, helping them to tell inspiring stories through social first content.This conversation gives a deep insight into the business of travel and travel marketing, of the power of imagery, and the power of human connection. From New Zealand and Japan to the Philippines and Norwegian Fjordland, these are the travel diaries of Jeremy Jauncey. Destination recap:Perth, Scotland New Zealand ColombiaPanamaRwandaSingaporeNew York City, USATokyo, JapanPalawan, Borocay and El Nido, PhilippinesSiargao, PhilippinesScandinavia, in particular Norway including Fjordland and Lofoten Islands You can follow Jeremy on Instagram @jeremyjauncey and of course @beautifuldestinations, too.Thank you also to CV Villas - you can browse and book their stunning villas around the world, hereIf you’ve enjoyed this episode today then don’t forget to subscribe and leaving a review or a rating really helps others to discover the podcast. And to find out who’s on next week’s show come and find me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you.Thanks so much for listening and I’ll see you again next week.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonjour! As quarantine-free travel is soon to be announced between France and England, here is a bonus episode celebrating Fabulous France to whet your appetite and inspire your future travel plans. As well as hearing from some of my favourite guests from the past two seasons, today’s show is introduced by Nicola Williams, France expert for The Telegraph and Lonely Planet. She shares her experience of living in France during lockdown and her top tips and hidden gems to visit across the country now that we can travel freely again. Destination Recap:Nadiya Hussain - ParisRachel Khoo - ParisConde Nast Traveller’s Melinda Stevens - Le Bristol Paris hotel, La Reserve Paris hotelRoyal Champagne Hotel & SpaRick Stein - Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne; Jura; Collioure and PerpignanElla Eyre - La ClusazJo Malone - Grasse; Mougins; La Colombe d’Or Hotel, St Paul de Vence, France Raymond Blanc - ProvenceNicola Williams on…Ile de RéLe Martiniere Ice Cream shop, Ile de RéHaute-Savoie, Auvergne-Rhône-AlpesNernier, Haute-Savoie Château de la Treyne, Lots, DordogneLes Prés d'Eugénie, Eugénie-les-Bains, Les LandesThank you so much for listening today. If you haven’t yet left a 5 star rating or a review, why not do so now! Your support is so greatly appreciated and most importantly, helps others to discover the podcast. Come and find me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. And to delve into the back catalogue, visit thetraveldiariespodcast.com Don’t forget you can listen on Spotify, Apple podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher and pretty much all other podcast apps. Hit subscribe so that each new episode lands magically into your feed. See you next week! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the start of Season 3, and who better to join me to celebrate than Ben Fogle? Ben is not only an award-winning broadcaster, fronting many of our most loved TV shows - he is also one of the UK’s most prolific adventurers. He has rowed across the Atlantic Ocean, swam from Alcatraz to San Francisco, run the Marathon Des Sables (a 6 day ultra marathon across the Sahara Desert), raced across the Antarctica to the South Pole and most recently climbed Mount Everest. He’s written nine best-selling books - many about travel - and has the enviable title of the United Nations Patron of the Wilderness. And speaking of the Wilderness, he has travelled to every corner of the globe while filming his long-running hit TV series, New Lives in the Wild, a notion that feels particularly relevant right now during lockdown. Get ready to be transported to Guatemala, the top of Mt Everest, Ethiopia, the Canadian Wilderness and…Ayia Napa, Here, are the travel diaries of Ben Fogle. Destination Recap:Taransay, Outer Hebrides, ScotlandLake Chemong, Ontario, CanadaBritish Columbia, CanadaAlgonquin Park, Ontario, CanadaLatin America Quito, EcuadorAntigua, GuatemalaBolivia Pitcairn Island, South PacificPleistocene Park, SiberiaThe Atlantic OceanMt Everest, Nepal Cornwall, EnglandEthiopiaLalibela, EthiopiaAyia Napa, Mallorca, SpainHaitiThe Great Wall of China, ChinaThe North PoleThe South PoleThe Wilderness Collection for Barbour by Ben and Marina Fogle is available from www.benfogle.comThank you so much for listening today. 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 you can listen on Spotify, Apple podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher and pretty much all other podcast apps. Hit subscribe and 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 podcast-related.Today’s episode was recorded during the UK’s Covid-19 lockdown. It was produced by Holly Rubenstein. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Surprise! I’m back with bonus episode number two, as we could all do with a bit of armchair travel right now. This week we’re uncovering the best ‘Hidden Gems’ from the past 23 episodes, from guests including Nadiya Hussain, Dan Snow and Levison Wood. Stay tuned for those secret spots that you want to keep to yourself because they’re that wonderful, but you also want to shout from the roof top because…they’re that wonderful! I hope they transport you to somewhere far, far away and provide some inspiration for your future travel plans.Destination Recap:Dan Snow: Stockholm and Stockholm Archipelago, SwedenMr & Mrs Smith’s James Lohan: Ett Hem, Stockholm, SwedenRachel Khoo: Little Brothers Bakery - Stockholm, SwedenLuleå, Swedish LaplandArctic Bath, SwedenThe Independent’s Simon Calder: Wuppertaler Schwebebahn (Wuppertal Suspension Railway), Germany; Tiraspol, Moldova; The Azores; Syracuse, SicilyLevison Wood: LebanonArthaus Beirut, LebanonLucy Williams: Anopura, Jaipur, India Lonely Planet’s Peter Grunert: BhutanNadiya Hussain: Koh Sukorn, Thailand Thank you so much for listening today. If you haven’t yet left a 5 star 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 you can listen on Spotify, Apple podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher and pretty much all other podcast apps. To find out who’s on next week’s show come and find me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein I’d love to hear from you.And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything podcast-related.This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we celebrate the Best of British, where a selection of guests from Season 1 & 2 will transport you to some of their favourite places in the British isles - all from the safety of your own home. From the Isles of Scilly to the Island of Rum; Shropshire, Yorkshire, Kent, London and much more, here’s a taster of some of the very best of what Britain has to offer. Destination recap: Rick Stein: Isles of Scilly; Padstow, Cornwall, EnglandPoppy Delevingne: Daymer Bay, Cornwall, EnglandPorthminster Beach CafePorthmeor Beach CafeMelinda Stevens: The Long Mind, Shropshire, EnglandSir Ranulph Fiennes: Isle of Rum, ScotlandDynamo: Chiltern Firehouse and Bar Bruno’s, LondonKettner’s Town House, LondonBlanchette, London Peter Grunert: Bradford, Yorkshire, EnglandTom Kerridge: North Kent Coast, England - Whitstable; The Goods Shed, Canterbury; The Fordwich Arms, Canterbury; The Compasses Inn, Crundale; The Sportsman, SeasalterJames Lohan: Blakes Hotel, London; The Witchery, Edinburgh, Scotland; Drunken Duck Inn, Lake District, England; Le Manoir aux quat’saisons, Oxfordshire, England; Lime Wood, Hampshire, EnglandSophy Roberts: Yeotown, Devon, EnglandThank you so much for listening today. If you haven’t yet left a 5 star 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 you can listen on Spotify, Apple podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher and pretty much all other podcast apps. To find out who’s on next week’s show come and find me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein I’d love to hear from you.And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything podcast-related.This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.