The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

History, current events and politics are intrinsically interesting, but when you have the chance to travel to the places where important world events have taken place - or be somewhere at the moment something historic actually occurs - then that's even more impactful. In this special episode, I trace my personal history with the city of Berlin, and how my travel experiences there have brought history to life for me (as well as influencing, well, basically my whole life!). I start off way back in the 1960s when - no, I wasn't alive - the Berlin Wall was built, and then move forward to 1990 when I had the immense luck of being in Berlin for the night of reunification, as a fourteen-year-old. Coming all the way from Australia meant that experiencing such a historic moment firsthand impacted me in many ways. I returned to Berlin several times after 1990, and most recently took my son in 2015, and it's pretty amazing to track our experiences. Links: News audio extracts from https://archive.org/details/1962-08-16_The_Wall and https://archive.org/details/newsweekonair_891112_complete Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/260  Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Focusing away from the big tourist attractions and being more open to just seeing what comes your way when you travel is one way we can be “less tourist, more traveller”, and this episode includes several stories which are wonderful examples of what happens when you do just that. First up, I chat with Kate Peterson about an experience she had in Greece. While it starts off being a tale of everything going wrong, Kate explains that she learnt a lot from his and ends up having a very special experience in a cafe. I then talk to Paula Morgan about a time when an elderly man in Penang taught her about the value of just saying yes to opportunities that present themselves unexpectedly, even if you feel a bit suspicious of them. Finally, travel writer Tim Richards discusses the idea that it’s the things that you don’t ordinarily expect will make it into published travel stories that are often the experiences which make the best stories. Links: Kate Peterson’s Art - https://www.katepeterson.art/ Kate’s travel journal Around the World and Back Again - https://amzn.to/3FTAHZH  Paula Morgan of Sydney Expert - https://sydneyexpert.com/  Tim Richards’ website I, Writer - http://iwriter.com.au/  Tim Richards’ new book Heading South - https://amzn.to/2ZFVxuS  Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/259 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Getting to meet all kinds of people is one of the best parts of travelling and this episode is full of stories of connecting with people in all kinds of different ways. First up, Kate Peterson tells an amazing story about both her parents' connections with a Greek man back in the 1970s, and her follow-up explorations when she lived in Greece decades later. I then chat with Tobi Barth, who takes people on tours to see the northern lights in the Yukon, about a special connection he's made from this work. Finally, Lindsay Williams explains a lovely connection made quite randomly in Cuba on a muddy walk that turned into something very special. Links: Kate Peterson’s Art - https://www.katepeterson.art/ Kate’s travel journal Around the World and Back Again - https://amzn.to/3FTAHZH  Tobi Barth of Epic North - https://epic-north.com/  Lindsay Williams of Lindsay Does Languages - https://www.lindsaydoeslanguages.com/  Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/258 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special collaborative episode, I chat with Jeremy Bassetti of the Travel Writing World Podcast. We talk about our most memorable and influential travel reads, what's important about travel literature and why we enjoy it. (So many reasons!) We also compare our podcast experiences, including talking about writers we've enjoyed talking to (spoiler: we only say nice things!). And of course, readers like us are very often also writers, so we chat about the future of the travel genre and our own experiences of writing books, and some of our hopes for the future of the industry. Links: Travel Writing World - https://www.travelwritingworld.com/  Info about the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club - https://www.notaballerina.com/bookclub Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers  Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell - https://amzn.to/3a0oBwD Around the World in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh - https://amzn.to/2Rvqlrw All the Way to the Tigers by Mary Morris - https://amzn.to/3cfiEzY A Beginner's Guide to Japan by Pico Iyer - https://amzn.to/3oXYz5y Mountains of the Mind by Robert Macfarlane - https://amzn.to/3BfmTFW  Video Night in Kathmandu by Pico Iyer - https://amzn.to/3A0DDPZ  Shadow City: A Woman Walks Kabul by Taran Khan - https://amzn.to/3B4oyhK  Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/257   NotABallerina.com is participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program linked to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means we may get compensated at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through a link.Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel is fun, but even more, it teaches us so much. From life skills to personal development and even changing our fundamental personality, travel has the potential to do it all. I start off this episode briefly mentioning some of the research that has backed this up, but the most important thing is hearing the stories from my three wonderful guests. First up, I chat with Jennifer Johnston who has one particularly important lesson from travel: learning how similar we all are, no matter what our culture or homelife or language. Next, I talk to Carolanna Lisonbee who spent a year teaching English in China, and this particular experience changed her significantly. Finally, I speak with artist Kate Peterson who points out something I hadn't concretely considered before now - that the contrast of learning about other cultures when you travel helps you understand your own background and culture much more deeply. Links: Jennifer Johnston - https://travelbugwithin.com.au/ Carolanna Lisonbee’s poetry book - Wisp of Fog Moment - https://amzn.to/3aKbxyh   Kate Peterson’s art - https://www.katepeterson.art/   Kate’s travel journal Around the World and Back Again - https://amzn.to/3FTAHZH   Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/256 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the fourth of my Deep Dive Into Thoughtful Travel interview episodes, I chat with Dr Vincie Ho, founder and executive director of the RISE Travel Institute. We met while I was studying for a Certificate in Sustainability and Anti-Oppression in Travel through RISE and I couldn't wait to chat with her about her travel history. Vincie and I discuss where her love of travel came from, some of her experiences in studying abroad and volunteering, and what her hopes are for RISE Travel Institute and the future of thoughtful travel. It's a great chat which I can safely say we both thoroughly enjoyed, and hope you do too. Links: RISE Travel Institute - https://www.risetravelinstitute.org  My capstone project from my recent RISE course - my topic was ethical wildlife tourism - Episode 252 - https://notaballerina.com/252  Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers  Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/255  Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ultimate long trip is not a trip at all: migrating to another country has much in common with long-term travel, but then, you never go home. Episode 254 is about migrating to Australia in particular - it interests me greatly to hear more about how and why people have moved to my home country, and what they like or dislike about it. First up, I chat with Catherine Marshall, who migrated from South Africa almost two decades ago. As she mentions, we have a significant number of South African migrants here in my hometown of Perth, so it's especially intriguing to hear more about her experiences. I then speak with Anuj, a migrant from India who now lives in Melbourne, after initially coming to Australia to complete postgraduate study. Fifteen years on, he seems very happy here! Finally, I talk to Lucky Legong, another immigrant from South Africa who arrived in Australia more recently after being offered a job at Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island. From never having considered Australia as a destination, to migrating here and working for more than four years now in the tourism industry, Lucky has enjoyed her experience of moving to Australia - and that makes me glad! Links: Thanks to our sponsor, Proudly South African in Perth - https://proudlysouthafricaninperth.com  Cost of living in Australia calculator - https://proudlysouthafricaninperth.com/product/cost-of-living-in-australia-calculator/ Aussie slang for new migrants - https://proudlysouthafricaninperth.com/settle/guide-aussie-slang-new-migrants/  Putting petrol in your car - https://proudlysouthafricaninperth.com/settle/how-to-put-petrol-in-your-car/ Catherine Marshall - Time to Wander - https://www.timetowander.com.au  Thanks to Anuj in Melbourne, a listener who’s become a friend Lucky Legong from the Baillie Lodges group - baillielodges.com.au and profile at https://baillielodges.com.au/success-stories/lucky-legong/  Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/254 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Walking is such a wonderful way to explore the world - it's a way to slow down, really look around you, often to get in touch with nature too, and it's healthy and environmentally-friendly as well. In Episode 253 I chat with travellers who've walked in many parts of the world and got so much out of it that it'll make you want to follow in their (literal!) footsteps. First up, I chat with Kath and Howie of The Museum of Us, a couple who have become quite addicted to long walks over the last few years - curiously, as the result of knee injuries. I talk with Kath and Howie about their experience of walking the Camino a few years back. Next, Justin Watson tells the story of a popular walk in Bhutan to see the Tiger's Nest Monastery or Paro Taktsang in Bhutan. It's a pretty vertical walk and it's a fun story! Finally, Tara Wells talks to me about how to get the most out of walking - she's just published a guide book on a long Sydney walk, so she should know! Links: Kath and Howie’s YouTube channel The Museum of Us - https://www.youtube.com/themuseumofus  Justin’s blog Justin’s World - http://www.justins.world Tara Wells’ website - https://www.tarawellsauthor.com/ Tara’s book, The Bondi to Manly Walk - https://amzn.to/3lNeL9u  Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/253 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should we ride elephants? (For me, the answer is definitely no.)  But did you know that at one stage, the offering of elephant rides was seen as being part of "saving" them from a tortuous life working in the forestry industry, dragging heavy logs around? And did you know there are now thousands of domesticated elephants in Thailand who still need to be supported, somehow? While I always strive to be an ethical wildlife tourist, diving deeper into this topic has proven to me it's never as black and white as we think, and that many solutions to these kind of problems are best solved through empowerment and many discussions with the local people involved - and that this is not a quick or easy solution, but a better one for sure! This is a special episode of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast - I've put it together as part of the requirements for the Certificate in Sustainability and Anti-Oppression in Travel, a fabulous course I've been studying through the RISE Travel Institute. See the show notes for references, more information and videos. Links: RISE Travel Institute - https://www.risetravelinstitute.org Catherine Marshall at Time To Wander - https://www.timetowander.com.au  World Animal Protection - https://www.worldanimalprotection.org.au  Animondial - https://animondial.com   Diana Edelman's post about riding elephants in Thailand - https://dtravelsround.com/2015/08/11/truth-about-riding-elephants-in-thailand/ Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/252 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the third of my Deep Dive Into Thoughtful Travel interview episodes, I chat with Penny Rafferty in South Australia, with a wide-ranging discussion about all manner of thoughtful travel topics. I started off asking Penny about her fascinating career trajectory, which sees her now taking the roles of both Head of Sustainability at Tourism Australia and Executive Officer of Luxury Lodges of Australia. Her roles have given her plenty of food for thought and we discuss both her professional and personal experiences of tourism and travel, how travel can change us, and how travellers can change the world. Links: Luxury Lodges of Australia -  https://luxurylodgesofaustralia.com.au  Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/251 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.