The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

Getting to know the cultural differences between different countries and nationalalities is one of the most fascinating parts of travelling, I think. In Episode 123 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast I chat with three travellers who've experienced cultural differences in countries like China, South Korea and Spain, and I learn a whole lot in the process! First up, I talk with Jacky Lamenzo who spent a year teaching in China with another American friend. They discovered all sorts of interesting things about being obviously foreign looking in a new country. Next, Lindsay and Marshall who are currently living in Barcelona with their young son talk about some of the key differences between life in Spain and life back in the United States. Finally, Sandra Muller who is an Aussie like meexplains some of what she's learnt about South Korean cultural differences over the years, as she's lived and worked there several times and is married to a Korean guy, too! Links: Flytographer - https://www.flytographer.com/ - and get $50 off a shoot by using the code AMANDA50  Jacky’s website - https://www.jackylamenzo.com Lindsay and Marshall at Tumble Travels - http://tumbletravels.com/  Lindsay and Marshall’s Tumble podcast - http://sciencepodcastforkids.com/  Sandra Muller - https://www.sandralmuller.com      Sandra’s The Smarter Writer https://thesmarterwriter.com    Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/123 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Easily one of my favourite and most rewarding things to do when I travel is find the chance to talk to locals. I don't want to just see the sights: I want to know what it's like to live there! Especially after living in three different countries to my own (and each quite different from the other), I'm utterly fascinated by local customs, thoughts and ways of life and so Episode 122 is all about talking to locals when you travel. The first guest is Eva Westerling, who recently went on a long trip to Morocco (prompted by this podcast - she heard previous guest Anna Kwiecinska speaking of trekking in Morocco, got in touch, and off they went together!). During this trip, Eva had the chance to get to know her two Moroccan guides really well and she tells us what she learnt from them. Following Eva, we stay in Morocco but chat to Talon Windwalker. He spent some time housesitting in Morocco and got to know a local very well - to the point where they could have conversations about some really tricky topics, which proved very eye-opening. Finally I chat to Joanne Karcz who discovered the Global Greeter Network when she went to Bilbao a few years back - it sounds like a fantastic way to meet locals, and Joanne is now a greeter herself back in Sydney. Links: Flytographer - https://www.flytographer.com/ - and get $50 off a shoot by using the code AMANDA50  Eva’s blog Not Scared of the Jet Lag - http://www.notscaredofthejetlag.com Talon’s website http://1dad1kid.com/ Talon on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/onedad1kid/ Joanne’s site Travel with Joanne https://www.travelwithjoanne.com/    https://globalgreeternetwork.com  Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/122 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travelling in cold places is absolutely not my speciality - so Episode 121 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is a useful one for me personally! I chat with three travellers about their experiences in cold places like Iceland, Finland and Canada; the result is a good reminder that I shouldn't ignore a destination just because the temperatures are low! First up I chat to Lucas Peters who recently took a trip to Iceland. Now, Iceland will always be one of my favourite destinations, but it definitely fits the cold bill - I visited during mid-summer and still needed all the warm clothes I could find!! Tamara Gruber then tells me about her experience visiting Quebec City for their Winter Carnival. It sounds realy, really cold - and yet really awesome, too. Finally, I talk to Erin Holmes who grew up in Western Australia like me, and therefore wasn't quite prepared for the crazy cold temperatures she and her kids experienced in northern Finland one Christmas. Fortunately, it was all worth it. Links: Flytographer - https://www.flytographer.com/ - and get $50 off a shoot by using the code AMANDA50 Lucas Peters - http://www.lucasmpeters.com/  Tamara’s podcast Vacation Mavens - http://vacationmavens.com/ Tamara’s blog We3Travel - https://we3travel.com Erin Holmes at Explore With Erin - http://explorewitherin.com/     Erin’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/explorewitherin Winter tips from group member Merry - https://www.visitcalgary.com/things-to-do/stories-from-calgary/winter-tips-for-families from Merry Swimming in Iceland tips - https://www.notaballerina.com/2014/11/promise-great-hot-dogs-iceland-interview-kari-gislason.html Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/121  Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year has been nuts! In a good way, thankfully. Episode 120 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is a fun summary of 2018 both in terms of my travel, everything I've learnt from that travel, everything I've learnt from all of you amazing listeners, and what the podcast has done this year. Listen in and you'll hear about what looking back on travel in Japan, Fiji, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam has taught me - and find out the odd combination of destinations I have ready to head to in 2019. I'm so grateful to my listeners and the members of the Thoughtful Travellers Facebook group for all the amazing conversations and friendships over the year. Just last weekend I spent a massive two and a half hours chatting with a friend I've made because she was a guest on the podcast - these opportunities are so special to me, and the people connected to the podcast are the main reason I keep doing it - so thank you all! Links: Travel Journal School - No more boring travel diaries! - https://traveljournalschool.com/p/no-more-boring-travel-diaries Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel can be utterly life-altering in so many ways and this episode's three guests have brilliant stories to illustrate exactly that!  First I speak with Natascha Mirosch, with her story about a trip to a Greek Island which resulted in a completely life-changing event ... though you'll have to listen to find out what, no spoilers here! I then chat to Talon Windwalker, who brought tears to my eyes telling the story of spending six years travelling with his adopted daughter and the bonds this developed - listen out for his "Forever Day" story. Finally, Kate Toon rounds out the life-altering travel moments with a quick but amazing story about what happened when she and her friend were travelling in Thailand ... until suddenly they werent!   Links: Travel Journal School - No more boring travel diaries! - https://traveljournalschool.com/p/no-more-boring-travel-diaries   Use the discount code EARLY20   Natascha’s website - https://www.nataschamirosch.com  Natascha’s new ExtraVirgin Podcast - https://extravirginpodcast.com  Talon's blog - http://1dad1kid.com/ Talon on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/onedad1kid/ Kate Toon’s website - https://www.katetoon.com - look up Kate’s podcasts: Hot Copy Podcast, Recipe for SEO Success Podcast and Confessions of a Misfit Entrepreneur Podcast Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Tweet me @amandakendle Hashtag #thoughtfultravelpod Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NotABallerina    Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/119 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They might be buzz words at the moment, but ecotourism and responsible travel are nonetheless super-important and that's why Episode 118 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is all about how to travel without causing any harm (and maybe even doing some good).  First up, I chat with my lovely friend Meagan of Malas With A Mission, who is one of my favourite people to talk to about the issue of responsible travel. She has a great attitude to it and is able to educate people about issues like ecotourism, sustainable travel and voluntourism without sounding at all preachy, which is really good skill!  Next I talk with Deborah Regen who runs a site collating eco-friendly tour operators, a great resource for researching a your responsible trips. Deborah has always loved nature and now wants to help ensure it's there for everyone to enjoy for a long time into the future. Finally, I discuss responsible animal tourism with Christine Knight, and particularly the issue of riding elephants. It's one of those issues which I'm glad to see so much more widely discussed in recent years, and lots of tourists and tour operators changing the way elephants are used in tourism. Links: Meagan Hurst of Malas With a Mission - http://malaswithamission.com/  Meagan’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/malaswithamission   Deborah’s site EcoTourLinq - https://www.ecotourlinq.com  Christine’s website Adventure Baby - https://christineknight.me  Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Tweet me @amandakendle Hashtag #thoughtfultravelpod Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NotABallerina    Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/118 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learning should never stop just because you're not at school and in Episode 117 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast we talk about taking classes when you travel - because of just countless benefits that come with them! First up I chat with Tiana Templeman who is a bit of a pro at finding a class whenever she travels, regardless of the topic. She thinks it's a fantastic way to get a different experience on a trip and chats about classes she's taken in Australia, Bangkok and Japan. I then talk with Cheri Shanti, who's basically the podcast's resident expert on Cuba (every time I listen to her I desperately want to go!) and in this episode she shares her experiences of taking drumming classes in Cuba. Finally I discuss the topic of taking classes with Eva Westerling, who has a fabulous example of a cooking class she took in Jordan - but a rather special one indeed. Links: Travel Journal School journal writing course in January 2019 - sign up to get info first at https://notaballerina.com/journal  Airbnb sign up (get $55 off first stay if you’re a first time user) - https://www.notaballerina.com/air  then search for experiences at https://www.airbnb.com.au/s/experiences  Tiana’s site The Travel Temple - http://www.tianatempleman.com/  Cheri’s site The Breath of Cuba - http://www.thebreathofcuba.com   Eva’s blog Not Scared of the Jet Lag - http://www.notscaredofthejetlag.com Beit Sitti where Eva went in Amman, Jordan - https://beitsitti.com  Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Tweet me @amandakendle Hashtag #thoughtfultravelpod Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NotABallerina    Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/117 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you choose your next destination? In Episode 116 I chat with four travellers about the different ways they decide where they're going to travel next and between them we discover a multitude of reasons people choose their destinations - and there are no doubt still more! First up I chat with Tamara Gruber who takes some trips alone with her school-aged daughter and is clever at tying in some of their destinations to connect up with what her daughter's been learning at school (I love this!). Meagan Hurst is next and follows a method I often use too: where can she get a bargain airfare to! I have quite often visited a pretty random place just because it was cheap to get there, and sometimes those places turn out to be unexpected gems. My Cambodian friend Cham Peou has put quite some thought into how he chooses his destations and I love his approach. Finally, I chat with Greg Seymour who has a really great philosophy about choosing destinations - and making sure he and his wife go outside their comfort zones, but not too far out (which I think is the perfect strategy!). Links: Travel Journal School journal writing course in January 2019 - sign up to get info first at https://notaballerina.com/journal  Tamara’s podcast Vacation Mavens - http://vacationmavens.com/ Tamara’s blog We3Travel - https://we3travel.com Meagan Hurst of Malas With a Mission - http://malaswithamission.com/ Meagan’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/malaswithamission  Peou Sokchamreun (Cham)’s Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/CommunityBaseTourismTraveller  Greg’s website Appalachian Trail Tales -  https://appalachiantrailtales.com/ Greg’s book “Thru-Hiking the Appalachian Trail: 100 Tips, Tricks, Traps and Facts” - https://amzn.to/2SNwJtc  Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Tweet me @amandakendle Hashtag #thoughtfultravelpod Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NotABallerina    Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/116 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m always fascinated by cultural differences and if you’re travelling in Muslim countries there can be quite a lot of customs that are different to my home country of Australia. In Episode 115 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, I’m bringing together stories of travelling in various Muslim countries from three guests who’ve all had interesting experiences. First up, I talk again with Eva Westerling, who talks about experiences she’s had in three different places - Zanzibar, Morocco and Oman. It’s interesting to hear about what she’s done to fit in while she’s travelling in Muslim countries and how she’s found this strategy to work for her. Following Eva, I chat with Kate Toon, who has an interesting angle as she’s travelled in Tunisia accompanied by her Tunisian husband. You’ll have to listen to find out some particularly surprising reactions! Finally, I’m joined by Margarita Pas who discusses her experiences in Tunisia and in the Maldives, and she has plenty of tips for how people can look and behave respectfully when travelling in Muslim countries. Links: Eva’s blog Not Scared of the Jet Lag - http://www.notscaredofthejetlag.com Kate Toon’s website - https://www.katetoon.com - Look up Kate’s podcasts: Hot Copy Podcast, Recipe for SEO Success Podcast and Confessions of a Misfit Entrepreneur Podcast Margarita’s blog, Margarita Gypsy - http://margaritagypsy.com Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Tweet me @amandakendle Hashtag #thoughtfultravelpod Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NotABallerina    Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/115 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I've had lots of special travel experiences in my life but my recent week in Cambodia with Hands On Journeys easily rates as one of the most special of all, so I'm really excited to share these chats with three of my fellow travellers in Cambodia - well, to be precise, two travellers and our one-and-only tour guide extraordinaire, Cham. First up, I chat with Meagan Hurst from California, who has previously travelled several times with Hands On Journeys but was still really impacted by our time in Cambodia. She talks about some of our her favourite experiences, especially our visit to a village near Siem Reap. Next I chat to Aimee Jackson of London, a very special guest because she heard about Hands On Journeys from this podcast and then joined a trip with us - it was very exciting to meet her! Her favourite part of the trip was our village visit near Phnom Penh and I loved hearing her memories of it. FInally, a very special guest is my favourite tour guide ever, Cham, who was our local guide in Cambodia. Being able to see Cambodia through his eyes made it even more impactful and I loved hearing about what he, as a guide who has met many, many travellers over the past decade, could learn from us as he led us through his beloved country. Links: The fantastic Hands On Journeys - https://handsonjourneys.com  Meagan Hurst of Malas With a Mission - http://malaswithamission.com/ Meagan’s Instagram https://instagram.com/malaswithamission  Phnom Penh Animal Welfare Society - https://www.ppaws.com/ Aimee Jackson on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/aimeej234/  Peou Sokchamreun (Cham)’s Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/CommunityBaseTourismTraveller  Episode about our Fiji empowerment tourism trip - https://www.notaballerina.com/2018/07/fiji-empowerment-tourism-episode-104-thoughtful-travel-podcast.html   Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Tweet me @amandakendle Hashtag #thoughtfultravelpod Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NotABallerina    Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/114 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.