The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

Exploring the lesser-known parts of Thailand was something I was lucky to do recently following the annual Australian Society of Travel Writers convention in Bangkok. With a small group of delightful travel writers I explored the towns of Phrae and Nan in the north-east of Thailand and being such an "off the beaten path" pair of destinations, I just had to share something about them with you for Episode 111 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast. First up I chat with Natascha Mirosch, one of my fellow travellers, who loved it just as much as I did and talks about the fun we had making our own dyed indigo fabric and that time she met a Thai monk who's become her Facebook and Instagram friend! I then chat with Caroline Gladstone, another lovely member of our group, and she reminisces about one of my favourite experiences - getting up early to give alms to the monks in Nan. We also talk about the food - which, you won't be surprised to hear, was delicious - and a particularly fun evening when we rode the disco bus! Links: Natascha’s website - https://www.nataschamirosch.com  Natascha’s new ExtraVirgin Podcast - https://extravirginpodcast.com  Caroline’s website - Caroline’s Cabin Fever - https://www.carolinescabinfever.com  My post about Phrae - https://www.notaballerina.com/2018/08/phrae-thailand.html My post about Nan -  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/111 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I didn't start off being all thoughtful about travel and I also know I still have so much to learn - and that'll continue to need to learn - about many of the ways we can approach our travelling in a more thoughtful way. But in this special episode of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, Episode 110, I've put together a list of ten thoughts I've been thinking about thoughtful travel in the past little while. You'll have to listen to find out what these ten thoughts are but let me preface them by saying that some of them are deep and meaningful things I've thought about a lot; some are topics I have only scratched the surface on and know I need to learn a heap more about; and some are simple things that I ponder when I travel. Thanks to the members of the wonderful Thoughtful Travellers Facebook group, I also include a chat about some of the thoughts they've been having about travelling lately, too. I love hearing from the group members and also learning a lot from them.  Links: The Peace Tourism Credo - http://peacetourism.org/credo/  Episode 33 on Volunteer Tourism in which Diana Edelman talks about her experiences with Elephant Nature Park in Thailand - https://www.notaballerina.com/2016/11/volunteer-travel-to-help-you-and-the-world-episode-33-of-the-thoughtful-travel-podcast.html Join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Tweet me @amandakendle Hashtag #thoughtfultravelpod Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/110 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you travel, you take pictures. When you travel a lot, you take lots of pictures, and you start to want them to be good pictures! That's one reason why Episode 109 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast features three travel-lovers who've become interested in photography. First up, I chat with Jim Jones who got his first DSLR camera when he took a big trip through Europe by train - and has gone from strength to strength since. Next I chat with Erin Gustafson who, with an art background, has developed a beautiful eye for photography on her travels and we chat about some of what she's learnt and some of the amazing pictures she takes, especially in her current home of Copenhagen. FInally I talk with Lucas Peters who considered himself largely only a writer until a guidebook publisher wanted him to take photos too - and that's now become something he's rather talented at! He also has some great tips for travellers taking their good cameras with them ... particularly in the desert! Links: Jim’s blog Travel Stories and Images - http://travelstoriesandimages.com  Jim’s post on Chicago Botanic Gardens Erin’s blog Oregon Girl Around the World - https://oregongirlaroundtheworld.com/  Erin’s post on spring flowers in Copenhagen - https://oregongirlaroundtheworld.com/copenhagen-2/spring-in-copenhagen-where-to-find-the-flowers/  Lucas Peters - author and principle photographer of the Moon Travel Guide for Morocco his website is at https://www.lucasmpeters.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/109 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My beautiful home country of Australia is a diverse place when it comes to nature, from the outback desert to tropical rainforest and everything in between. In Episode 108 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast I chat to three travellers who have enjoyed different parts of the country while they've been exploring nature in Australia. I talk first with Kati Craythorn. She grew up in Berln but has since become quite the Australia-addict, and lives in Queensland. We chat about her recent trip to the Northern Territory and it reminds me that I need to get back to see more of that very unique part of Australia. Secondly I chat with Italian travel-lover Michela Fantinel. She has a real passion for Australia and comes back for extended trips from Europe every year. I loved hearing about all that Australia has taught her over the last decade and a half! Finally, Leah Smileski tells me about her wonderful experiences in Tasmania, which also happens to be one of my very favourite parts of Australia, especially when it comes to nature. Links: Kati at Queensland and Beyond - https://www.queenslandandbeyond.com  Michela at Rocky Travel - https://www.rockytravel.net/  Leah at Kid Bucket List - https://kidbucketlist.com.au    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: https://notaballerina.com/108 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travelling as a teenager or with a teenager is eye-opening in many ways, and Episode 107 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is all about trips and holidays with teenagers. My son is a still a few years away from the teen years but I'm ready to learn about how to make travelling with teens as enjoyable as possibile! My first guest in this episode is Erin Gustafson who regularly travels with her three teenagers. She has a huge array of useful tips that I'm holding on to dearly for future years! I then chat with Tamara Gruber who has a young teenage daughter and I loved hearing about how they plan their mother and daughter adventures. Finally, I talk to Cheri Shanti about her first travel experiences which, of course, happened to her as a teenager. I think she was a very brave 15-year-old who figured out a way to spend six months on the other side of the world! Links: Erin’s blog Oregon Girl Around the World - https://oregongirlaroundtheworld.com/  Tamara’s podcast Vacation Mavens - http://vacationmavens.com/ Tamara’s blog We3Travel - https://we3travel.com  Cheri’s site The Breath of Cuba http://www.thebreathofcuba.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/107 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes food is the whole reason for a trip, but other times, like what we'll hear about in Episode 106 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, it's the unusual food experiences (planned or unplanned) that are what you remember. In this episode I chat first with Eva Westerling, who had some particularly unusual eating experiences while on a ten-day hike in the desert in Oman. Some parts of this chat are not for the squeamish! Next up I talk with Jacky Lamenzo about comfort food when we travel and about her experiences of eating like the locals when she was a teacher in China. Finally, I talk with Matt and Marilyn from Words With Winos about some of the more unusual foods they have tasted on their travels around the world, particularly in Asia - and if you don't like creepy-crawlies, you may not want to imitate them!  Links: My tasty sponsor Bokksu –  https://bokksu.com/ - remember to use THOUGHT5 to get $5 off any order of amazing Japanese snacks Eva’s blog Not Scared of the Jet Lag - http://www.notscaredofthejetlag.com Jacky Lamenzo - blog post about her food experiences in China - https://www.jackylamenzo.com/blog/2016/6/20/my-foodiversary   Marilyn and Matt’s site Words with Winos - http://wordswithwinos.com Episode 62 on Foodie Lessons from Travel - https://notaballerina.com/62  Episode 23 on Foreign Food - https://notaballerina.com/23 Episode 1 on Food in a Foreign Language - https://notaballerina.com/01 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/106 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lots of people enjoy visiting art galleries on their travels - I didn't start out that way but I'm definitely a convert now. In Episode 105 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast I chat with three art lovers who have some great tips and ideas about art gallery sightseeing around the world. To start with I chat with Christine Knight, a fellow Aussie who spent a few year living in New York City - arguably one of the best places in the world to explore art galleries, and she definitely made the most of it. After that I talk to Erin Gustafson, who has a background in art history and is really passionate about it. She currently lives in Copenhagen and has some great tips on her favourite galleries in Europe. Finally I talk with Anna Kwiencinska, very much an art lover and former art gallery owner, too. She has lots of interesting art experiences along with some fabulous art plans for the future, too.  Links: Thanks to The Boy Who Draws  https://www.theboywhodraws.com/— use AMANDA10 for 10% discount on any City Series prints or card packs. Christine’s website Adventure Baby  Erin at Oregon Girl Around the World - http://oregongirlaroundtheworld.com/  Louisiana Museum of Modern Art near Copenhagen - https://en.louisiana.dk  Musee de l’Orangerie - http://www.musee-orangerie.fr/en Anna Kwiecinska’s website - https://www.annakwiecinska.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/105 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As promised, I wanted to tell a bit more about some of the experiences we had on our recent Fiji trip, and I asked some of the friends I made on tour to join me for a chat - so Episode 104 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is all about Fiji and Empowerment Tourism.  I actually asked my friends Whitney and Luana to tell me about their favourite part and, like me, they both decided it was our day in the village where Hands On Journeys have set up an empowerment tourism project. Whitney chats with me about all the different things we did on our day in Nailaga village in Ba province, western Fiji, and I learnt quite a lot - she and her partner got to chat with different locals and learn more about their life and culture there. It was also great to chat with Luana, who was visiting Nailaga for the second time. She also had a different perspective as she and her husband are from Brazil, and found some similarities between the Fijian and Brazilian cultures.  Links: Hands On Journeys - https://handsonjourneys.com Use Amanda10 for 10% discount on any tour In particular, Fiji in September - https://handsonjourneys.com/tours/fiji-nadi-denarau-island-5-day-tour/ My blog post about meeting locals in Fiji - https://www.notaballerina.com/2018/07/visiting-fijian-village-how-to-meet-locals-while-travelling.html  Whitney Taylor works with Jito Connected - Inspiring Greatness site - https://jitoconnected.com/inspire/  Whitney’s travel photography on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whitneyleigh.wl/  Luana Marchi - health and wellness coach - https://luanamarchi.com.au/  Luana on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/luamarchi/  Land Rights of Pacific Women (Nailaga from page 34) V- http://books.google.com.au/books?isbn=9820200121  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/104 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a fairly hard-core extrovert, tackling the topic of “introvert travel” is something I have definitely had to leave to my guests, but Episode 103 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is all about their experiences of travelling as an introvert and I found it all fascinating! First up, I chat with Samantha Fisher who surprised me by saying she’s an introvert - she’s from the US but I met her when she attended my travel writing course here in Perth and seemed far from introverted. Our chat reveals just why that is and it was fascinating. Next I talk to Michela Fantinel, an Italian friend of mine who has done a lot of solo travel, especially around Australia. As an introvert travelling alone most of the time, Michela has some really interesting observations about how people treat her. Finally, Lindsay and Marshall from the Tumble podcast discuss their differing approaches as introverts moving to a foreign country. You definitely have to listen to find out the strategy of an “aggressive friend-making policy”! Links: Hands On Journeys - https://handsonjourneys.com - use Amanda10 for 10% discount on any tour Sam on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/highhopestravel/ Michela at Rocky Travel - https://www.rockytravel.net/ Michela’s new group tours - https://www.rockytravel.net/group-tours/ - Australia and Italy Lindsay and Marshall at Tumble Travels - http://tumbletravels.com/ Lindsay and Marshall’s Tumble podcast - science for kids - http://sciencepodcastforkids.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/103 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are certain places better - or perhaps easier, and more fun - take your children travelling? In Episode 102 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast we talk about child-friendly cultures for travellers, a topic that came up after I started hearing from my interviewees about some particular countries and cultures where kids were especially welcome. First up, I chat for the first time with Lindsay and Marshall of Tumble Travels. They moved from Austin, Texas to Barcelona, Spain with their young son and have been thrilled by how much the locals embrace kids - I particularly love the story of the soccer ball! Then I chat to Lucas Peters who has spent a lot of time in Morocco. He feels that Moroccans really bend over backwards to help with kids when you are travelling with them; we also segue into a bit of a chat on one of my favourite topics, which is just how much travelling can benefit children. Finally, I talk with Sandra Muller about her experiences with her young son in both South Korea and Japan, quite different cultures from Spain or Morocco but similarly welcoming to kids. Links: Hands On Journeys - https://handsonjourneys.com Use Amanda10 for 10% discount on any tour Lindsay and Marshall at Tumble Travels - http://tumbletravels.com/ Lindsay and Marshall’s Tumble podcast - science for kids - http://sciencepodcastforkids.com/ Lucas Peters - author and principle photographer of the Moon Travel Guide for Morocco Lucas Peters website - http://www.lucasmpeters.com/ Sandra at The Smarter Writer - www.thesmarterwriter.com Sandra Muller - www.sandralmuller.com  Tweet me @amandakendle Hashtag #thoughtfultravelpod Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NotABallerina    Show notes: http://notaballerina.com/102 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.