Visiting Ukraine is possible today, and Orest explains why you should.
Orest and me in the studio in West Vancouver
Episode 146 - Travelling With Orest Zub - visiting Ukraine, travelling with tennis + NomadMania
My latest Winging It Travel Podcast episode features Orest Zub, who visited me in West Vancouver a few months back.
It was a fascinating discussion.
Orest is from Lviv, Ukraine, which I visited in 2012.
In this conversation, we talk about his homeland, the ongoing war in Ukraine, how the tourism sector is cracking down within the country, the safety of visiting Ukraine, how Orest uses tennis on his travels, and NomadMania, which Orest is now a partner in.
I had booked the studio for ninety minutes, but it could have easily been double that. We were shocked when I looked at the clock, a classic sign of a great conversation.
I rarely get to interview in person for an interview, so this was a new one for me with my setup, and I learned some essential lessons.
However, the mics worked amazingly, and I love the sound quality of this podcast episode.
Orest has travelled to 130 countries and has changed his approach to travelling, which I will touch on later in the blog.
What I loved about this episode was that I could relate to the places Orest talked about in Ukraine, as I had visited many of them in 2012.
A group of friends and I travelled by car from London to Donetsk for Euro 2012 and visited Lviv, Kyiv, Cherkasy, Donetsk, Dnipro, and Odesa.
So naturally, we talk a lot about Ukraine, and unfortunately, it is impossible to avoid talking about the ongoing war.
What is critical here is to understand that Ukraine can still be visited. Orest explains the logistics of travelling there, why safety shouldn’t be a concern, why ethics need to be understood in relation to the Ukrainian people, and how showing your support really demonstrates your commitment to the locals.
Orest has reported on the war in Ukraine as he is based in Lviv, so he is well advised to speak on the topic.
I normally avoid politics on my podcast, but this is impossible when we discuss Ukraine today.
You can watch a video version of this podcast here if you like.
The podcast links are below, but let’s delve into some of the subjects in the episode.
Click the photo to read Orest’s bio on NomadMania site, photo credit Orest Zub.
Orest uses tennis as a way to embed himself into local cultures around the world.
Orest is and was a semi-professional tennis player when growing up in Lviv.
He explained that whenever he visits a new country, he always wants to book a session at a tennis club to move his legs, hit some balls, and hopefully meet another local person.
In the Western world, this is very much transactional.
You go to a website or app or ring the club and ask if you can rent the court for an hour or two. Then, they assess your level and provide a partner to play a game with.
You could argue that it is a very shallow process.
However, this is different in other parts of the world.
Orest explains that in certain African countries, he has travelled to, he would walk to the tennis club and be immediately welcomed and looked after.
They assess his level and then find a local talent to play against him.
So far, nothing is too different from the Western world.
But, when the opponent is confirmed, the whole neighbourhood turns up to watch their friend play this tourist who has wandered into their town asking for a match.
It becomes a spectacle.
Orest explains to me that everything goes out of the window for that hour or two. They are equal. They are friends with a mutual love for tennis. There is a good spirit amongst the spectators.
You become family for that brief moment in time. It is glorious. There is a story.
Orest explains that the same happens in Bangladesh and other places worldwide.
Here is a brief clip from Orest about his experiences.
Orest talks about how tennis is a great tool when travelling.
Can you visit Ukraine today?
Everyone knows the situation in Ukraine right now as we see it on the news every day and read about it on social media.
But how safe is it to travel there?
As Orest explains in the episode, unless you are close to the front line in the east of the country, much of it is perfectly safe to travel to.
Lviv is a gem of a city.
If you visit, this is the most likely place you will end up, as flying into Ukraine is not currently possible.
You would need to get a train from Poland that enters the country to the West, and you should add Lviv to your list.
A charming Central European city with those classic cobbled streets, a bustling local population and as far away as you could get from the war in the East.
Orest is based in Lviv, so naturally, he waxes lyrical about his home city.
Visiting the country would show your support in the best way possible.
We seem to think of this type of support from a monetary point of view, but Orest explains that it is very transactional and doesn’t make a huge difference.
As travellers and tourists, we need to see it as physical support. We are there with the people, eating their local food, seeing local attractions, drinking coffee and conversing with the locals. This means everything.
This also arguably answers the ethics question.
Should I visit? Is it right to visit a warzone? How can we visit and enjoy ourselves when people have lost family?
These are some of the questions people will ask themselves, and rightly so, but when I posed them to Orest, he emphatically answered them in the interview.
Here is a clip about why you should visit Kyiv.
Episode 146 - Travelling With Orest Zub trailer
Orest has changed the way he travels.
Orest has a YouTube channel where he releases regular content from around the world and Ukraine about human conflict. These warzones affect populations of people, why these situations exist and trying to provide the most truthful reporting possible with no bias.
Gone are the days of hedonistic travels and counting countries; it is all about humanity and trying to understand our world, and I love this!
Having visited 130 countries, Orest has plenty of experience with parties in Thailand, train rides across Europe, and sunning on a beach in Australia.
Now, it is about meaningful relationships, a better understanding and a positive influence on humanity.
Not about himself.
How many times do we put ourselves first when travelling?
Being a YouTuber like myself, I can be 100% guilty of this! Do I learn enough about the world around me? Do I leave my comfort zone enough to speak to the locals?
What is the responsibility of travel creators?
Some tough questions to ponder.
However, I commend Orest for reporting on some of the world’s most awful situations, which you can see on his YouTube channel or social media.
Thanks, Orest, for messaging me when you arrived in Vancouver for an interview; it was a pleasure to meet you in person and thanks for a positive, honest conversation.
See you around the world somewhere, sometime, my friend!
Check out my latest YouTube episode in Oman.
Other ways to support the podcast
My Patreon page for the Winging It Travel Podcast - support me today!
Supporting the podcast can be quick, easy and free. You can visit the platform you use for listening to podcasts and leave a five-star review and a nice little comment to go hand-in-hand. Check out my podcast page here.
Alternatively, you can contribute to the podcast by using my Buy Me A Coffee page where you can buy me a nice coffee for $5 whilst I conduct the interviews or click the button below.
I would imagine most people listening to the podcast and reading this article are travel enthusiasts, so another way to support the podcast would be using my affiliate links to book flights, accommodations, tours, transport, and so much more. Click here to use them today!
My Instagram promotion for my episode Episode 146 - Travelling With Orest Zub - visiting Ukraine, travelling with tennis and NomadMania
Who is Orest Zub?
Hi. I'm Orest Zub - traveller, blogger and online entrepreneur from Lviv. I've visited over 130 countries including many conflict regions and could not imagine the war will come to my own country. Currently I am on a mission to inform the global society on what is really happening in Ukraine.
However, I’m originally from Ukraine. I was born and grew up in the city of Lviv, which is an amazing town in western Ukraine. Up to now, I have visited over 120 countries. First, my parents were travellers themselves. I was born in 1987, which was still the Soviet Union, and they actually met at a local travel club. So basically my father, and mother were travelling within their student travel club, all around Siberia, the Caucasus Mountains, Altai, and so on. So probably I was started somewhere in a tent in the mountains, who knows?
This episode is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, Spreaker, and anywhere you get your podcasts!