The Travel Diaries

Today, I’m joined by a legend of the travel world. Back in 1972, Tony Wheeler and his wife Maureen, decided to drive from London through Asia, and all the way to Australia on what was known as the Hippie Trail. Along the way, they realised there was a real shortage of information about the countries they were visiting, and so they decided to write a guidebook together. That was the now seminal Southeast Asia on a Shoestring, and from there, Lonely Planet was born. Lonely Planet went on to become the world’s largest travel guidebook publishers, selling hundreds of millions of books. I’m sure all of us have a well leafed Lonely Planet guide on our shelves, that has been a trusty companion on our travels. Tony and Maureen now live in Melbourne, Australia, so I was very lucky to grab some time with Tony when he was over in London at the beginning of the month.We spoke before the Coronavirus became a global pandemic - although you’ll hear that it had impacted his travels on the way to get here.It’s a very frightening time for all of us across the globe, a time when travel suddenly feels so out of reach. I hope this episode acts as a bit of escapism, some light relief, that will transport you to the weird and wonderful corners of the world that make up Tony’s travel diaries. From Bulgaria and Turkmenistan, to Armenia and…The Maldives. I hope you enjoy it.Destination recap: Plovdiv, BulgariaHippie Trail driving from London to AustraliaAshkabad, Turkmenistan Karachi, PakistanKarakoram Highway, Pakistan Nassau, BahamasSan Francisco, California, USASumba, IndonesiaArmeniaIstanbul, TurkeyThe Pudding Shop, Istanbul, Turkey Göreme, TurkeyBamiyan Buddahs, AfghanistanTorres Strait, AustraliaErub Island, Australia Melbourne, Australia Ravenna, ItalyThe MaldivesSocotra, Yemen YemenJamaicaThank 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.

Supermodel and actress Poppy Delevingne is making her podcast debut today on The Travel Diaries. Poppy - and her sister, Cara Delevingne - are two of fashion’s most recognisable names. Poppy has been the face of Louis Vuitton, Burberry, the muse for designer Matthew Williamson, and the brand ambassador of Chanel. But as you’ll hear in this episode, it was acting that was Poppy’s first love, and having starred in blockbusters like Kingsman and King Arthur, Poppy is now a series regular on Sky Atlantic’s hit series, Riviera. I spoke to Poppy in her beautiful west London home in a rare moment when she was back in the UK - travelling is not only an integral part of her career - you’ll soon hear that Poppy clearly has the travel bug, too. From Argentina to Antarctica, Japan to Positano, this is a glimpse into the glamorous life of Poppy Delevingne.Destination Recap:Buenos Aires, ArgentinaAmilla Fushi, MaldivesCornwall, EnglandWandsworth Common, London, EnglandThe Colbert, London, EnglandThe Wolseley, London, EnglandThe Delaunay, London, EnglandChiltern Firehouse, London, EnglandThe Windsor Castle, Camden Hill Road, London, EnglandLos Angeles, California, USAPositano, Italy Le Sirenuse, Positano, Italy Da Adolfo, Positano, Italy Conca del Sogno, Positano, Italy Camping in the Amazon, Brazil IndiaSouth AfricaPeninsula Hotel, Tokyo, JapanKyoto, JapanAmanemu, Shima, JapanAmangiri, Utah, USAZion National Park, USABarcelona, SpainLa Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles, California Paris, France Residenza Napoleone III, Rome, Italy Macchu Picchu, PeruAntarticaYou can catch up on Riviera Season 1 & 2 on Sky Atlantic now. Season 3 will be released this summer. Follow Poppy on Instagram here. 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, I’m joined by one of the world’s leading travel authors and journalists, Sophy Roberts. Formerly the editor-at-large of Conde Nast Traveller, and Departures Magazine, as well as a columnist at the Financial Times, Sophy’s focus now is primarily on remote parts of the world, reporting on fragile cultures, wildlife conservation and threats to eco-systems.I hope this episode grabs you and transports you to the wild and wonderful ends of our planet. It’s a long haul, feature length episode and a love letter to travel, which will take you to some truly far flung locations from deepest Siberia and wild Papua New Guinea, to the deserts of Chad and the lakes of Kashmir. I really hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.Destination Recap:UzbekistanAryll, Dumfries and Galloway, ScotlandLeger, FranceIrelandEcclefechan, Scottish Borders RussiaDelhi Old Town, IndiaKashmir, IndiaDrive from Kashmir to Ladakh Siberia, RussiaMongoliaNepalNew York City, USANew York Public LibrarySylvia’s, New YorkNihiwatu - Now called Nihi Sumba, IndonesiaHotel Trasierra, Andalucia, SpainChadPapua New GuineaYeotown, SomersetThe Canary IslandsSt Tropez in AugustMozambiqueKolyma, Siberia, RussiaRwandaArctic polesSocotra Island, YemenMississippi River, USA‘The Lost Pianos of Siberia’ by Sophy Roberts, is out now. You can follow Sophy’s travel on Instagram here. 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.

Jo Malone's superhuman sense of smell took her from life on a council estate, leaving school with no qualifications, and catapulted her into becoming one of the world’s most successful businesswomen, creating two globals brands- first Jo Malone London, and now Jo Loves.Her name may conjure the smell of lime, basil and mandarin or the citrusy scent of pomelo - but what you might not know is how these scents are in many ways inspired by the travels that Jo has been on, and in this is episode she evokes so vividly the many destinations that have shaped her life. Destination recap: Elizabeth Street, Belgravia, LondonPhilip Treacy, LondonPeggy Porschen cupcakes, LondonWild by Tart restaurant, LondonRhodes, GreeceEmbonas wine festival, Rhodes, GreeceCOMO Parrot Cay, Turks & CaicosGrasse, FranceMougins, FranceLa Colombe d’Or Hotel, St Paul de Vence, France Thula Thula Game Reserve, South Africa New York City, New York, USAThe Boat House, Central Park, New York, USAWheatleigh Hotel, Lenox, Massachusetts, USAThe Surrey Hotel, New York, USAThe Lowell Hotel, New York, USAThe Peninsula Hotel, Paris, FranceThe PuLi Hotel, Shanghai, ChinaOne & Only Royal Mirage, Dubai, UAELa Bastide Saint Antoine, Grasse, FranceHacienda de San Rafael, Seville, Spain Fairmont Chateau Whistler, CanadaIndiaYou can visit the Jo Loves store on Elizabeth Street in Belgravia, or shop online.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, I’m joined by the travel writer and broadcaster, Simon Calder. He’s TV’s travel guru, and the travel editor at the Independent newspaper, where he’s known as “the man who pays his way” because he doesn’t accept any freebies from the travel trade - and in this episode, he gives some great tips for travelling on a budget. Simon’s got a great story because his first job was at Gatwick airport, cleaning planes and working on security, and the notion of simply travelling abroad while working there felt like a distant dream. Now of course, he spends his life travelling the world - and this episode includes such a variety of fascinating and unusual locations that this had to be a ‘long haul’ feature length episode.Make sure you stay tuned for his all time favourites and hidden gems - there are some really interesting ones in there - I’m already dreaming up some travels from those. Here’s a recap of the destinations mentioned:Swanage, Dorset, England Lake District, EnglandGuernsey, Channel Islands, EnglandGranada, SpainSkye, ScotlandIsle of Wight FestivalAconcagua, ArgentinaSantiago, ChileEast BerlinTirana, AlbaniaCubaNew York, USAMumbai, IndiaEsquinas Rainforest Lodge, Costa RicaPan American Highway - Nuevo Laredo, Mexico to PanamaMexico City, MexicoPuebla, MexicoWahaca, MexicoWuppertaler Schwebebahn, (Wuppertal Suspension Railway), Germany Tiraspol, MoldovaThe AzoresSyracuse, SicilyArctic Canada and Greenland cruiseCaribbean cruisingAlaska to Canada cruiseCuillin, Skye, ScotlandNepalMt Vinson, AntarcticaYou can follow Simon’s travels on his Twitter page, @Simoncalder - and tune in to his podcast which is on Soundcloud, it’s called Escape podcast. 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 I’m joined by the historian and broadcaster, Dan Snow. You’re probably already a fan of his podcast, Dan Snow’s History Hit. Following in the footsteps of his journalist parents, Dan is now a mainstay on our TV screens, often presenting programmes linked to his love of history - and history and travel of course come hand in hand. I enjoyed this chat with Dan so much that it had to be a “long haul” feature length episode. As well as bringing to life so many far flung destinations (check out that list below!) Dan’s insights into the meaning of travel, and the impact of travel, I found to be fascinating. I hope you do too! Destination Recap:North WalesZanzibar, TanzaniaTimbuktu, MaliMount Assiniboine, Western CanadaMaui, Hawaii, USAAmsterdam, Holland Oberoi Hotel, Jaipur, IndiaIcelandVasa Museum, Stockholm, SwedenStockholm Archipelago, SwedenNorthumberland, EnglandLancashire, EnglandChinaDemocratic Republic of the CongoSyriaNew England, USASt Helena, South Atlantic OceanSao Tome & PrincipeMicronesiaYou can listen to Dan’s brilliant podcast, Dan Snow’s History Hit here. And check out his online history channel, HistoryHit.TV too.Thank you so much for listening. If you haven’t yet left a 5 star rating, 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 to find out more about the podcast, visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com This is episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I’m joined by one of the most prolific magicians of all time - Dynamo.250 million viewers around the world tuned in to watch his award-winning TV shows, as he levitated in front of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro; and seemingly walked on water down London’s River Thames. 750,000 attended his last stadium tour, with famous fans from Jay Z and Snoop Dogg, to Gwyneth Paltrow and Ed Sheeran.And then, at the very peak of his success, he had to step away.As you’ll hear on this episode, Dynamo became so ill from the affects of Crohn’s disease that he spent months in hospital, thinking he would never be able to perform magic again. Now, 5 years later, having come close to death, Dynamo’s resilience and determination mean he’s back. He’s been working on a new show which will take viewers on a magical journey across the globe. From Bradford to Japan, and Syria to Australia, these are the travel diaries of Dynamo. Destination recap:Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USABradford, Yorkshire, England IndiaTokyo, JapanChūbu, JapanSyriaWolgan Valley, Blue Mountains, AustraliaLondon, EnglandHampstead Heath, London, EnglandChiltern Firehouse, London, England Bar Bruno, Soho, London, EnglandHarlem, New York, USAGorilla Trekking, RwandaDynamo new show Beyond Belief is on Sky One now.Thank you so much for listening. If you haven’t yet left a 5 star rating, 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 to find out more about the podcast, visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I’m joined by the much loved chef, restauranteur and TV presenter, Tom Kerridge. Tom’s worked in food since he was 18 years old, but he rose to fame when his pub in Buckinghamshire, The Hand and Flowers, went on to become the only pub in Britain with two Michelin stars. I, like many, got to know and love him on the BBC’s Great British Menu show, where he was the first chef to cook at the banquet two years in a row and he’s since gone on to release several best selling cook books and many popular TV shows. More recently, he’s made headlines with his dramatic 12 stone weight loss. As well as chatting a bit about that, Tom takes us on a journey across the UK, Europe, Asia and the US with his travel diaries, and lots of foodie recommendations along the way. This is what I call a “long haul” episode - you’re getting a bit more this week because Tom is so lovely and we just couldn’t stop chatting. I hope you’ll really enjoy it.Destination recap:Isle of Wight, EnglandOstend, BelgiumAgistri, GreeceCrete, GreecePaphos, CyprusSingaporeHong KongNew York, USANorth Kent coast, EnglandWhitstable, EnglandThe Good Shed, Canterbury, EnglandThe Fordwich Arms, Canterbury, EnglandThe Compasses Inn, CrundaleThe Sportsman, SeasalterLaplandIndiaJapanTom’s new book, Lose Weight and Get Fit, is out now, and you can watch the accompanying BBC 2 series on Wednesday nights at 8.30pm.Thank you so much for listening. If you haven’t yet left a 5 star rating, 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 to find out more about the podcast, visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BAFTA winner and Oscar nominee, Dev Patel, is one of Britain’s finest young actors.He first graced our screens in the seminal teen drama, Skins, before going on to make his movie debut in Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, which picked up eight Oscars, including Best Picture. He’s gone on to star in many more critically acclaimed films, including The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and Lion, for which he won a BAFTA, and received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.Now, he’s taken the lead role in Armando Ianucci’s adaptation of The Personal History of David Copperfield, which is already a critic’s favourite.Like in Season One, this episode I’ve called a "short haul" episode, because I didn’t have quite as much interview time as I normally do. The way that it tends to work with movie stars is you meet up in a hotel - in this case it was the Soho Hotel in London, which is a real celeb haunt - and you’re given quite a tight time slot before the next interviewer comes in. If you’ve seen Notting Hill, it’s like when Hugh Grant interviews Julia Roberts for Horse & Hound!Despite literally just getting off a flight from LA, Dev was as warm and down to earth as he seems on screen, and having shot movies and travelled all around the world in some fascinating locations, I really hope you’ll enjoy hearing his travel diaries.Destination recap:Gujarat, India Mumbai, IndiaChor Bazaar, Mumbai, India Alibag, IndiaTokyo, JapanSouth KoreaNorfolk, EnglandKoreatown, Los Angeles, USAQuarters, Los Angeles, USAToe Bang, Los Angeles, USAJohannesburg, South AfricaSoweto, South AfricaNew Zealand Dev’s new movie, The Personal History of David Copperfield is out now.Thank you so much for listening. If you haven’t yet left a 5 star rating, 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 to find out more about the podcast, visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I’m joined by international treasure and culinary royalty, Rick Stein. He’s graced our screens, and lined our bookshelves for over 25 years, cooking up cuisine from all over the world. Fish is his great love, served in his restaurant empire from Padstow, Cornwall to Sydney, Australia.Along with his travel diaries, we talk about the very surprising career path he originally pursued that had nothing to do with food; how the loss of his father led him on a real voyage of self discovery; and he reveals which destinations he’s tipping for this year’s culinary hit list. All that and more, coming up. Destination recap: Isles of Scilly, EnglandPadstow, Cornwall, EnglandCombrée, France Cantabria, Spain Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne, France Jura, France Collioure, France,Perpignan, France Alice Springs, AustraliaIceland Rajasthan, IndiaLucknow, IndiaSydney, Australia Tbilisi, Georgia Bologna, Italy Trieste, ItalyBuenos Aires, Argentina Rick Stein’s Secret France is out now and his accompanying TV series is on BBC iPlayer.Thank you so much for listening. If you haven’t yet left a 5 star rating, 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 to find out more about the podcast, visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.