The Travel Diaries

Today, I’m joined by Alex Polizzi, who you might know best as TV”s 'Hotel Inspector’. Alex has used her decades of experience working in hospitality to advise struggling hoteliers on how to turn their businesses around on the hit Channel 5 show. And on today’s episode we take a deep dive into what makes a great hotel, a great holiday and our ultimate pet peeves. Alex’s passion for travel and hospitality is something that runs in her blood. She’s part of one of travel’s most iconic family dynasties, the Forte family, Her grandfather was the legendary hotelier Lord Charles Forte, an Italian immigrant who opened a milk bar on London’s Regent Street in the 1930s and turned it into an empire of over 800 international hotels. Her uncle Rocco, established his own chain of luxury hotels, the Rocco Forte hotels. Her mother, is the hotel designer Olga Polizzi and founder of the Polizzi Collection (three hotels across the south of England), the third of which, The Star in Alfriston, she opened jointly with Alex in June 2021 to rave reviews. I spoke to Alex in one of her family’s most iconic hotels, Brown’s in London. Her travel diaries today take us from Cambodia to the Caribbean, from Portugal to Puglia, all across Italy and much more. Destination Recap:Browns’ Hotel, London, England, UKDona Filipa Hotel, Algarve, Portugal CambodiaHong KongHotel Endsleigh, Devon, England, UKVenice, ItalyBelmond Cipriani, Venice, ItalyProvidenciales, Turks + CaicosTorcello, Venice, ItalyMurano, Venice, ItalyThe Coral House, Providenciales, Turks + CaicosVilla Igiea, Palermo, Sicily, Italy Pompeii, Naples, ItalyIschia, Italy Masseria Torre Maizza, Puglia, Italy Lecce, Puglia, ItalyOtranto, Puglia, Italy The Priory Hotel & Restaurant, Caerleon, WalesIndiaJapanWith thanks to today's sponsors:Citalia - Discover the real Italy with Citalia, the UK’s leading Italian holiday specialists. Let the Italy Experts craft the perfect holiday for you and experience Italy like a Citalian.Masseria Torre Maizza, a Rocco Forte Hotel - Be inspired by Alex's travel diaries, and discover an oasis of luxury in the heart of the Apulian countryside, Masseria Torre Maizza.If you’d like to hear more from the podcast don’t forget to hit subscribe or if you use apple podcasts to hit follow so that a new episode lands in your podcast app each week, and if you’re really enjoying it I’d be so grateful if you could leave a rating or review. If you want to be the first to find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. And if you can't want until then remember there’s the first eight seasons to catch up on, that's over 100 episodes to keep you busy there. And don’t forget that all the destinations mentioned by my guests are always included in the episode show notes and they’re also on my website, TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to episode 100 of The Travel Diaries podcast. I’m journalist Holly Rubenstein, and today I’m your cohost, as I’m joined today by my other half, my partner in life and travels Alex, who is going to be interviewing me about my travel diaries. That’s right, after nine seasons, and 99 episodes, and quite a few requests I thought it about time that I shared with you some of the many destinations that have shaped my life. I hope you get to know a little bit more about me.So from Miami to Montecito, Scotland to Switzerland, and many more, here are my travel diaries. Destination Recap:Miami, Florida, USAAventura Mall, Miami, Florida, USAVersailles, Little Havana, Miami, USAWynwood Walls, Miami, Florida, USALittle Havana, Miami, Florida USAIslamorada, Florida Keys, USACasa Morada, Florida Keys, USAKauai, Hawaii, USAMt Kilauea, Hawaii, USAFour Seasons Maui, Hawaii, USACalifornia - Palm Springs, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, MontecitoWaldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, Maldives57 Nord, Scotland, UKSedona, Arizona, USAZion National Park, Utah, USANiagara, New York, USABig Sur, CaliforniaDenver, Colorado, USAThe Ramble Hotel, Denver, Colorado, USAFinger Lakes, New York, USAAscona, Lake Maggiore, SwitzerlandBeltane Ranch, Sonoma, California, USAArundel, West Sussex, EnglandPatagonia, Argentina / ChileForestis, Italian Dolomites Rosa Alpina, Italian Dolomites Borgo Egnazia, Puglia, Italy Amanzoe, Port Heli, GreecePatina, MaldivesRitz Carlton MaldivesSix Senses Zighy Bay, OmanAirelles Chateau de la Messardiere, St Tropez, FranceSri LankaWith thanks to today’s sponsor, CV Villas. Book your 2023 summer holiday, now. Thanks so much for listening today. If you'd like to hear more from the podcast don’t forget to hit subscribe, or if you use Apple Podcasts to press follow so that a new episode lands in your podcast app each week. If you want to be the first find out who is joining me on next week’s episode come and follow me on Instagram I’m @hollyrubenstein, and you’ll also find me on Twitter and TikTok as of a few weeks ago, also @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. And if you can't want until then remember there’s the first eight seasons to catch up on, that's over 100 episodes to keep you busy there. Don't forget that all the destinations mentioned by my guests are included in the episode show notes here on your podcast app, and listed on my website, thetraveldiariespodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are joined by the self described blind guy who wants to show you the world, Amar Latif. Due to an incurable eye condition, Amar lost 95% of his sight by the age of 18. Through sheer determination, he has managed to turn a tale of loss, into one of truly inspirational achievement. Amar became known to millions through the groundbreaking BBC series Beyond Boundaries, which followed a group of disabled adventurers trekking 220 miles through Central America. The experience showed Amar that being blind didn't have to mean never seeing the world, but when he sought to take his adventures further afield he found himself facing rejection after rejection. Conventional travel companies refused to take him as an independent blind traveller, and so Amar set out to establish a company that would. Determined to travel the world, and to empower thousands of other blind travellers to do the same, Amar founded Traveleyes. Now a world-unique, award-winning tour operator, offering over 70 destinations a year, and providing an innovative way for blind and sighted travellers to explore the world together.Amar has since worked on numerous tv programmes including River Walks, which recently won a Royal Television Society Award for ‘Best Single Documentary’, Celebrity Masterchef and Travelling Blind, which saw Amar partnered up with comedian Sara Pascoe as they travelled through Turkey together, demonstrating the dynamics of travelling as a sighted and visually impaired duo.I loved chatting to Amar, his enthusiasm and passion for travel is completely contagious, and he’s one of my best travelled guests, having visited over 100 countries. He takes us from Morocco to Mecca, and from Cuba to Cape Town and much more.Destination Recap:Blackpool, EnglandMecca, Saudi ArabiaMedina, Saudi ArabiaCanadaLake Titicaca, PeruNicaraguaHavana, CubaCienfuegos, CubaTrinidad City, CubaSanta Clara, Cuba Varadero, CubaAlgamitas, Andalucia, SpainAtlas Mountains, MoroccoCape Town, South AfricaJapanThe Gambia Cornwall, England, UKMasai Mara, KenyaThanks so much for listening today. If you'd like to hear more from the podcast don’t forget to hit subscribe, or if you use Apple Podcasts to press follow so that a new episode lands in your podcast app each week. If you want to be the first find out who is joining me on next week’s episode come and follow me on Instagram I’m @hollyrubenstein, and you’ll also find me on Twitter and TikTok as of a few weeks ago, also @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. And if you can't want until then remember there’s the first eight episodes to catch up on, that's over ninety episodes to keep you busy there. Don't forget that all the destinations mentioned by my guests are included in the episode show notes here on your podcast app, and listed on my website, thetraveldiariespodcast.comThanks so much for listening and I’ll be back next week.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we're joined by a titan of the travel industry. Divia Thani is the global editorial director of Conde Nast Traveler magazine, overseeing seven editions of the title across the globe, including here in the UK. If you're not familiar with Conde Nast Traveler, It's the ultimate guide to the world's most exciting destinations, hotels, resorts, restaurants, and experiences. Divia is at the helm of it all and has been shaping the brand's voice and vision for several years now, having served as Editor in Chief of Condé Nast Traveller India for a decade.Born and raised in Mumbai with family based across the globe, Divia’s travel diaries today take us far and wide, across Europe, Africa, North America and Asia. From ultra luxury hotels, to affordable homestays, belly dancing in Egypt to a shamanic experience in Mexico, her inspiring recommendations are sure to spark your wanderlust. Stay tuned for a quick fire round at the end, where Divia answers some of the questions you sent me on Instagram and offers some brilliant travel advice. Destination Recap:Lagos, NigeriaMumbai, IndiaTaj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, IndiaOberoi Mumbai, IndiaLondon, EnglandBradford, Pennsylvania, USAJohannesburg, South AfricaOne & Only Palmilla, Cabo San Lucas, MexicoMayascrest, Himachal Pradesh, India Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab, IndiaRaffles the OWO, London, EnglandMandarin Oriental, London, EnglandPeninsula London, EnglandVietnamThailandJapanArgentinaEgypt Alexandria, EgyptThanks so much for listening today. If you'd like to hear more from the podcast don’t forget to hit subscribe, or if you use Apple Podcasts to press follow so that a new episode lands in your podcast app each week. If you want to be the first find out who is joining me on next week’s episode come and follow me on Instagram I’m @hollyrubenstein, and you’ll also find me on Twitter and TikTok as of a few weeks ago, also @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. And if you can't want until then remember there’s the first eight episodes to catch up on, that's over ninety episodes to keep you busy there. Don't forget that all the destinations mentioned by my guests are included in the episode show notes here on your podcast app, and listed on my website, thetraveldiariespodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s special guest is the singer-songwriter Katie Melua. Many of you will know Katie from her chart-topping hits like "Nine Million Bicycles" and "The Closest Thing to Crazy”. Over the last twenty years, her soulful voice has captivated audiences all around the world, selling over 11 million albums worldwide, making her one of the most successful British female artists of all time.Katie was born in Georgia, - a country found at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe - which was then part of the Soviet Union, and it’s a huge feature of her travel diaries today. If it's a place that's been on your travel radar, you’ll get some great tips for a future trip. Katie spent her early childhood living in Georgia before moving to the UK, when she was eight years old. Her passion for music led her to enrol at the famous BRIT school, alongside alumni like Adele and Amy Winehouse. She was discovered by songwriter and producer Mike Batt, and rocketed to stardom soon after.Her success has of course meant she has travelled much of the world several times over on tour, and she shares with us some of the most extraordinary destinations she has put on a show, including the deepest concert ever held, 303 meters below sea level in a Norwegian fjord.So sit back, relax, and join us on this journey as we explore the life and travels of Katie Melua.Destination Recap:Batumi, Georgia Moscow, RussiaTbilisi, Georgia Belfast, Northern Ireland East Prawle, Devon, EnglandMargate, Kent, England Deal, Kent, EnglandBroadstairs, Kent, England Mt Kazbegi, Georgia Rooms Hotel, KazbegiNorwayTresco, Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, EnglandBrazilKatie Melua’s ninth studio album, Love + Money, is out now, and she heads out on a UK + EU tour in April and May. With thanks to today's sponsor...Jumeirah Beach Hotel - Visit jumeirah.com/JBHEscapes today, and book your Exceptional Escape to Dubai. Jumeirah Beach Hotels' Exceptional Jumeirah Escapes Offer gives up to 20% savings when you stay before 30 September 2023, with unlimited Wild Wadi Waterpark access, flexible cancellation and USD 200 credit when staying in an Ocean Club Room, Suite, or Beit Al Bahar Royal Villa. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to this bonus episode of The Travel Diaries podcast, where we are going to be talking about some of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring national parks here in the UK. We’re joined by friend of the podcast, former guest on Season 3, Juliet Kinsman, who is the Sustainability Editor of Conde Nast Traveller magazine, the author of The Green Edit: Easy Tips for the Eco-Friendly Traveller and an aficionado of the national parks of the UK. Today’s episode is brought to you in partnership with BMW and National Park UK’s Recharge in Nature Project, an initiative to support nature restoration, biodiversity, wellbeing as well as access - the project is enhancing the electric vehicle charging infrastructure around our national parks to make it that bit easier to use an electric car when exploring. Often they are so vast, so remote and so rural that if you’re driving an electric car you might be anxious about when you’d next able to charge it.  From the soaring mountains and serene lakes of the Lake District National Park to the rugged moorlands and rolling hills of the Cairngorms National Park and the wild horses of the New Forest, by uncovering Juliet’s national parks travel diaries we’ll not only take a closer look at what makes these parks so special, we'll also explore how we can ensure their protection for generations to come.So grab your your binoculars, your walking boots, and your sense of adventure, and let's get started as we delve into the National Parks of the UK! Destination Recap: Lake District National Park, EnglandSnowdonia National Park, WalesNew Forest National Park, EnglandThe Pig Hotel, Hampshire, EnglandLimewood, Hampshire, EnglandChewton Glen, Hampshire, EnglandCairngorms National Park, ScotlandSaorsa 1875 Hotel, ScotlandSouth Downs National Park, West SussexPetworth, West SussexArundel, West Sussex,Swanbourne Lake, Arundel, west SussexWildhive, Callow Hall, DerbyshireLoch Lomond National Park, Scotland  To discover more about the Recharge in Nature Project, visit bmw.co.uk/NationalParks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Season 9! It’s great to be back. Get ready to tantalise your taste buds and whet your appetite, because today we are joined by the master of all things delicious, Chef James Martin.James has been cooking up a storm on TV screens for over 20 years, and has written over 20 cookbooks as well, selling millions of copies worldwide.Born and raised in Yorkshire, James remains a Yorkshire lad through and through and still spends plenty of time in his home county, which he tells us about today. You’ll hear that James has had a huge passion for food since childhood, and he was just 22 when he gained his first Michelin star working as the head chef at the Hotel du Vin in Winchester. His down-to-earth personality and infectious enthusiasm quickly caught the attention of TV producers, and it was his regular appearances on "Ready Steady Cook" that really brought him to the public's attention.From there, he landed his own cooking show, BBC's "Saturday Kitchen,” which he hosted for over ten years, while opening restaurants in Manchester and at Chewton Glen hotel in Hampshire. Now he's the host of Saturday Morning with James Martin on ITV, alongside several foodie travel shows like "James Martin's French, Mediterranean and American Adventures” - so travel has been an incredibly important feature in his career so far. James' travel diaries today take us from the west coast of Scotland to the golden Caribbean sands of St Barths, from the quintessential British seaside of Blackpool to a culinary road trip through Wales, and much more. Whether you're a seasoned chef or a culinary novice, sit back, relax, as we kick off a big new season of the travel diaries with James Martin.Destination Recap:Holly’s travels -Lilycombe Farm, Somerset, EnglandThe Nook, Hillside Hangouts, Worcestershire, EnglandJames Martin -The Lygon Arms, Worcestershire, EnglandRobin Hood’s Bay, North Yorkshire, EnglandBlackpoolMalton, North Yorkshire, EnglandHotel de Plaisance, Vitrac, FranceChewton Glen, Hampshire, England West Coast of ScotlandSt Paul-de-Vence, FranceL'Isle sur la Sorgue, France Lake Annecy, FranceSt BarthsMonacoFood Road Trip in Wales: The Hardwick, Abergavenny, The Walnut Tree, Abergavenny and Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms, MachynllethGreeceTurkeyJapanSpainIf you'd like to experience a taste of James' signature dishes, head to The Lygon Arms, and book a table at GRILL or TAVERN.With thanks to today’s sponsor -Kip Hideaways - The best of UK travel is just around the corner and with places already booking up fast now is the time to find and book a spring or summer break. Head to kiphideaways.com to find your perfect escape or give them a follow on Instagram @kiphideaways for the dreamiest U.K. travel inspiration. If you want to be the first find out who is joining me on next week’s episode, follow me on Instagram @hollyrubenstein, You’ll also find me on Twitter and TikTok. Don't forget that all the destinations mentioned by my guests are included in the episode show notes here on your podcast app, and listed on my website, thetraveldiariespodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to the Season 8 finale of The Travel Diaries. You may have first got to know today’s guest as the bad boy of the reality TV show Made in Chelsea. Now married with three children to model Vogue Williams, who he met on the TV show, The Jump, he regularly tops the podcast charts as the co-host of the hilarious hit podcast, Spencer and Vogue, as well as entertaining listeners with his former Made in Chelsea co-star Jamie Laing, on the podcast, 6 Degrees from Jamie and Spencer. It is of course, Spencer Matthews.Spencer has led a truly international life - not many people can say they grew up in a hotel on a small Caribbean island, and it was so interesting to chat to him about life there and how it shaped who he is today. He’ll be talking about his relationships with his old Made in Chelsea co-stars. And we also talk about Spencer’s recent time in Nepal. Spencer’s older brother Michael tragically died climbing Mt Everest in 1999, and Spencer has collaborated with Disney to make a documentary film called Finding Michael about the journey to try and find his body which was never brought home. I think this is the first time he’s spoken at length about the documentary and I was really touched by his honesty about such a monumental experience to go through and what it meant to him and his family. In fact, Spencer has taken on a number of huge challenges that we talk about on today’s episode in memory of his brother, taking him from the Sahara Desert to Arctic Sweden. Alongside that, he takes us from the South of France and Morocco to New York City and Paris.Destination Recap:Caunton, Newark, EnglandParis, France La Colle-Sour-Loup, France La Colombe D’Or, France St Barths, Caribbean Eden Roc Hotel, St BarthsSahara DesertMt Everest, NepalNamche Bazar, NepalNew York, NY, USAPalais Namaskar, Marrakech, Morocco The Mark, NY, USAThe Bowery, NY, USAKatz Deli, NY, USAThe Select Burger, NY, USA4 Charles Prime Rib, NY, USAArctic SwedenJapanArgentinaBrazil If you'd like to hear more from Spencer and his wife Vogue, you can tune in to his hit podcast, Spencer and Vogue, a Global original here.And don’t forget to check out his low- and no-alcohol drinks brand Clean Co, here.If you’d like to hear more from the podcast don’t forget to hit subscribe or if you use Apple Podcasts to hit follow so that a new episode lands in your podcast app each week, and if you’re really enjoying it I’d be so grateful if you could leave a rating or review. If you want to be the first to find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. If you can’t wait til then remember there’s the first seven seasons to catch up on - that’s over 85 episodes to keep you busy there. And don’t forget that all the destinations mentioned by my guests are always included in the episode show notes and they’re also on my website, TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com Thanks so much for listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode I’m joined by one of British TV’s most famous faces, Richard Hammond. Stepping into the spotlight over twenty years ago, Richard became one third of the iconic trio to front the BBC's motoring show, Top Gear, alongside James May and Jeremy Clarkson. The show went on to become the world's most watched factual TV programme - as proven by the Guiness book of records - at its peak 350 million viewers around the world were tuning in each week. The show saw the trio travel all over the world to take on epic motoring challenges, which they’ve since continued on The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime, where the three embark on car related challenges across the world. Now when I say these shows have taken Richard all over the world, I’m not exaggerating: the filmography includes Norway, Canada, Botswana, Vietnam, Chile, Argentina, Namibia, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Israel, India, Madagascar, Mongolia - and that’s only half of them. Richard recounts some of these epic adventures on today’s episode, taking us from Canada to Botswana, to Bolivia, as well as to some much loved spots on British soil.Destination RecapThe Forest of Dean, EnglandBiblins Campsite, Ross-on-Wye, EnglandCoast to Coast walk across EnglandButtermere, Lake District, EnglandNorth Magnetic Pole, Northern Canada BotswanaMozambiqueCanadian ForestCambodia + Vietnam road tripMikadikadi Salt Flats, Botswana Kubu Island, BotswanaBolivian rain forestSouth PoleRichard Hammond's Workshop Season 2 will be available to stream exclusively on discovery+ from Monday 17th OctoberWith thanks to…Sonnwies, South Tyrol’s mountain family-only wellness hotel with its own organic farm. Head to sonnwies.com to find out more. If you’d like to hear more from the podcast don’t forget to hit subscribe or if you use apple podcasts to hit follow so that a new episode lands in your podcast app each week, and if you’re really enjoying it I’d be so grateful if you could leave a rating or review. If you want to be the first to find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. If you can’t wait til then remember there’s the first seven seasons to catch up on - that’s over 85 episodes to keep you busy there. And don’t forget that all the destinations mentioned by my guests are always included in the episode show notes and they’re also on my website, TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com Thanks so much for listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to this special bonus destination special episode of The Travel Diaries podcast, brought to you in partnership with Tourism Ireland.Today, we are focussing specifically on one of my all time favourite destinations, the island of Ireland. With such a breadth of experiences and activities on offer in Ireland, it’s no wonder it’s such a popular destination to have been mentioned by my guests over the last seven seasons of the podcast and today I'm joined by one of Ireland's most loved exports, TV presenter, Angela Scanlon. She'll be drawing on her lifetime of affection for and travels in her home country, as we uncover her Irish Travel Diaries. So what will we discover? Let's get started and find out.Destination Recap:Co. Cork Newgrange, Co. MeathHill of Tara, Co. MeathNewgrange Farm, Co. MeathDublinKeem Bay, Co. MayoWild Atlantic WayGweedore, Co. DonegalGlandore, Co. CorkBellmullet, Co. MayoShraigh Beach, Belmullet, Co. MayoClaggan Island, Co. MayoClare Island, Co. MayoIf Angela’s Irish travel diaries have inspired you to book a trip to Ireland, you can discover more epic activities at ireland.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.