My 155th guest episode on the Winging It Travel Podcast is with Shafik Meghji, a returning guest and award-winning journalist, travel writer, author, editor, broadcaster, and photographer.

Shafik first appeared on the podcast in 2023 to discuss Bolivia, a place both of us hold dear to our hearts.

It was such a good conversation that we agreed to do another on Patagonia, so here we are.

Shafik is based in South London but has traveled extensively in South America for the last twenty years, writing guidebooks and articles for the region, which you can read on his website.

He also lived in Buenas Aires for a year in the early days, so he understands the vibes of places in South America and is an expert.

My 154th guest episode on the Winging It Travel Podcast is with Tony R. Vega, a legally blind creator with impaired vision. I was stoked when he asked me to come on the podcast to talk about his journey.

Tony explains his level of blindness to give us an idea of what he can and can not see. This is crucial to Tony’s life and his travel adventures in Hawaii, specifically Japan.

One of the most extraordinary journeys he has undertaken is the 500km Tokaido Road between Kyoto and Tokyo, a stunning achievement.

My 152nd guest episode on the Winging It Travel Podcast features Dave Seminara, the author of Mad Travelers: A Tale of Wanderlust, Greed, and the Quest to Reach the Ends of the Earth, which I read a few years back.

Dave is a returning guest; honestly, he is welcome back at any point. I find Dave super fascinating to listen to, and one day, I hope we can collaborate on YouTube.

When planning my 2023 year-long trip, I wanted a book to pique my wanderlust, so I searched Google and found Mad Travelers. In 2022, I read the whole thing in a matter of days, and it is on my list to read again.

This book absolutely hooked me, so I had to ask Dave to come on the podcast. He duly did, providing a great episode about his book and the extreme traveler community. You can find that episode here.

My latest Winging It Travel Podcast episode features Marie DeCosee, the founder and CEO of NOMAD Travel Groups.

Marie joined me for a conversation about her new venture, NOMAD Travel Group, a home exchange platform designed for everyone.

We all know the big hitters in this industry, such as AirBnb and Couchsurfing, but I was keen to hear more about how this platform will be different from those businesses.

My latest Winging It Travel Podcast episode features Erin Hynes, also known as Pina Travels, who hosts the Curious Tourism Podcast.

Erin came on to the podcast to talk about her round-the-world trip in 2024, during which she visited countries such as Tanzania, Greece, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and more!

I was keen to get Erin back on the podcast (she is a returning guest) to hear about her trip, but I also wanted to ask some deeper questions about travel and how she views the world of travel after her trip.

Hello, and welcome to Episode 150 with Ross Borden, the founder and CEO of Matador Network. First of all, thanks for joining me on this journey to the 150th guest episode; it has been unreal!

So, what a way to finish the first 150 episodes with a special episode with Ross, who has created one of the biggest online travel brands in Matador Network? Matador is the leading online travel publisher with over 140 million monthly video views. Fast Company has named it one of 2024's Most Innovative Companies for its groundbreaking use of AI to create the most accessible and accurate AI travel assistance, Guidegeek.

In this episode, we will discuss Matador's humble beginnings at the top of a mountain in Peru, why Ross turned down a finance internship to work with a travel company in Kenya, how he befriended a travel agent in Madrid to travel Europe for free while improving the agent's sales, and one of his favourite experiences swimming with whales in Tonga.

We discuss Matador Network's current trajectory with Guidegeek, the AI travel assistant. We talk about how AI can change travel in the future and why we should embrace it. Ross is currently one of the leading people in travel using AI. 

It is an episode combining wanderlust and an ambition to share amazing travel stories with the world (Matador Network). Not only will you be inspired to travel the world, but you will also be inspired to write that first travel blog or start that first travel podcast or YouTube channel. Whether Ross is talking about his dirtbag travel lifestyle in Peru or his vision for AI in travel, there is something for everyone in this conversation! 

Thanks, Ross, for coming on! 

Enjoy. Be inspired!

Hello, and welcome to episode 149 with Rikimah Glymph. This week, we are talking about Rikimah's amazing journey of travelling solo to over 120 countries, 72 of which have been with her son, who is only 12!

She has hosted wellness retreats and logistics conferences all over the world. When not traveling she’s dreaming of her next trip! Having a career in the travel industry made it a natural transition for Rikimah to purchase a Cruise Planners franchise. Cruise Planners allows her to not only book the best travel itineraries for her wellness clients, but it also allows her to offer deals and top picks for people interested in other types of travel. 

In the episode, we discuss why Senegal is her favourite country and why she loves its national dishes the best! We also delve into the world of solo female travel, and there are some great tips here if anyone is looking for advice. Rikimah is a foodie and tells us why this is one of the most important parts of her travels. 

Rikimah is originally from California but is now based in Maryland. She tells us the reasons for her move to the East Coast of the USA. Her first international trip was six weeks in South Africa, and we chatted about that experience. This episode has so many nuggets, along with some classic wanderlust.

Rikimah's infectious laugh and outlook on life and travel made this a fun recording. If you want to get into the wellness space or need help booking a trip, Rikimah's services are below. Check them out and get travelling the world today! 

Enjoy. Be inspired!

Hello, and welcome to episode 148 with Will Hatton, more commonly known as the Broke Backpacker. This was such a super fun episode to record. There were so many laughs, quality anecdotes, and serious tips for budding travellers or entrepreneurs. 

Will has set up around 30 different businesses in his time, with some successes and failures along the way. He lays out all the lessons learned from those experiences. He talks us through how he created a tour in Pakistan on Snapchat, and in 24 hours, it sold out and how this helped him develop the Broke Backpacker brand. Towards the end of the episode, there is talk about his new business venture in Bali with Tribal Hostel. 

Will has travelled extensively over the last fifteen years and talks about his travels in India in the early days before social media. He talks about sending updates to his thirty-person strong email list about his travels. He survived on $3000 for two years in India and talked us through his techniques for this sensational statistic. We talk about Pakistan, Iran and South America for more travel wanderlust.

Thanks for tuning in, and be inspired!

This Monday, Meggan and Jenn interviewed me on the Travel Mug Podcast, and it was super fun! Check out the show notes below for more information. Happy wanderlust!

Enjoy. Be inspired!

Hello, and welcome to number 146. This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Orest Zub in Vancouver. Orest is based in Lviv, Ukraine, and has travelled to 130 UN countries to date. We sat down for just over an hour discussing his homeland of Ukraine, how the war has changed everything for everyone, how it has changed him, the tourism industry in Ukraine, people's day-to-day lives and his role in the war.

Since the war, he has changed as a traveller and how he wants to see the world. Nowadays, Orest travels to promote Ukraine and see other parts of the world suffering from war or persecution. He actively reports on situations worldwide, like his home country, on his social media, YouTube, and blogging websites. We also discuss how he uses tennis when travelling the world and meets locals to share a passion they both love and get to know them and their country. Orest is a partner within NomadMania, and he explains his role there, how this organization can help you as a traveller, and the future path for the organization.

Thank you to Orest for visiting me in Vancouver and for coming on the show!

Enjoy. Be inspired!

Hello, and welcome to number 145. This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Scott Gurian, a journalist, adventure traveller, podcaster, and reporter. Scott joined me to discuss his adventures on the Mongol Rally, visiting Chornobyl, witnessing an Ayahuasca Retreat in Peru, and more. I begin the episode by asking how Scott got interested in travel and where his early journey took him. One of the stories was about Mexico but not Cancun for Spring Break. We also talk about Scott's podcast, Far From Home, which is a travel podcast that immerses the listener in the travel experience. I have a clip from Scott's Ayahuasca Retreat embedded in the episode.

Scott is a fantastic storyteller, podcaster, and journalist, and his stories are captivating. I absolutely love his podcast work, as you really feel part of the journey. Below are some of the links to get acquainted with Scott's work. This is a fantastic episode to get those travel juices flowing! 

Enjoy. Be inspired!

Hello, and welcome to my next solo episode. This one is a little story about how Australia changed my life in 2010; going on to my year-long work permit in 2013/14 and my two visits since then. Australia was the gateway to me experiencing a completely new country outside of Europe and also presented an opportunity to earn some decent money to travel more of the world. I talk about this and more in this episode, and I always long to be back there every week.

Enjoy. Be inspired!

Hello, and welcome to number 144. This week, I am joined by Judith Keys from the My Best Friend In France Podcast, which focuses on English-speaking people migrating to France and offers a community and advice for this type of move. Judith is originally from Northern Ireland and moved to France ten years ago. She lives in Providence, in the south of France, and yes, I had to ask her, is it the quintessential French life that we all imagine she is living in? Tune in to find out the answer! We delve into how important learning French is to settling in as a permanent resident, how vital the French take workers' rights and lunch breaks, areas of France to visit and some top tips for getting started in France. Judith loves France and is fully fluent in French, so she has a great grasp of life there from an outside view.

Judith's podcast is for English speakers looking to move to France or are already there and need familiar voices to speak about their concerns, advice on how to get started and a community of like-minded people. Judith also has a subscription portion to the podcast where she co-hosts with a teacher, and they converse in French and offer games/tasks to help you improve at speaking French. Lastly, Judith has a cooking podcast, too, if you are a foodie! Let's get stuck into the episode!

Enjoy. Be inspired!

Welcome to this week's solo episode. I am accumulating the best travel stories from my previous guest, Rachel Fox. Rachel has appeared on the episode five times, and I put together the funniest travel stories for you. We hear her speaking to a horse, how she took 36 hours to cross the border from Honduras, shouting Socorro at the worst possible time in Brazil, the devasting case of money she missed out on when sailing from Panama to Colombia, and so much more! Prepare yourself for some ridiculous anecdotes and some good ole laughs. Enjoy!

Enjoy. Be inspired!

Hello, and welcome to number 143. This week, I am joined by Regan and Allie from the Wanderlusting Wives Podcast as we talk travel. They both share their favourite trip together in Iceland and how breathtaking they found the country. We dive into their favourite personal trips to Sweden, Denmark, Ireland and the USA. We cover how great a road trip is in certain countries like Ireland, Iceland and the USA and the freedom this brings you. We also get to hear about their awesome travel podcast, Wanderlusting Wives. This episode was a fun, casual chat about travel with a mutual appreciation for the love of wanderlust. 

Enjoy. Be inspired!

Hello, and welcome to number 142. This week, I am joined by Joel David Bond, who has just returned from living in Kurdistan, Iraq, for the last seven years. The FBI/CIA evacuated Joel in October 2023, and we talk about that story but also Joel's love for the country, his life there, what he learned from being in that culture, and the shocking ending to his stint. In COVID, Joel was stranded on a Greek Island that housed hundreds of asylum seekers an hour's bus ride from his resort apartment; we talked about those two worlds coming together in the most unlikely scenario and some uncomfortable truths. Also nestled into the conversation is Joel's two-year stint at British Airways, and we hear some funny tales about a career that is not so seemingly dreamy.

A lot is packed into this one, and we barely touched the sides with Joel's other travels, which are hitting the 90-country mark. Right now, Joel is back in the USA figuring out his next moves, and there are many funny stories, reflections and laughs in this episode. Check out Joel's stuff below.

Hello, and welcome to number 138! Today, I am joined by Matthew Baxter, who has written the book series 'Super Cheap,' we talk about his latest release, Tokyo Outdoors, and living in Japan. Matthew has completed work visas in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Japan but has decided Japan is the home for him. We cover various topics such as the non-tourist local areas to take a walk, what not to say when speaking to Japanese people, the best food, Japanese culture, how Japan is an introvert's paradise, the logistics of travelling in Japan, and so much more. A real deep dive with a unique angle of an expat from the UK who has been living in Japan, specifically Tokyo, for more than ten years.

Hello, and welcome to number 141. this week, I am joined by super traveller and author Karen Gershowitz. Karen has travelled to around 100 countries spanning seven decades, starting with living in London during the Swinging Sixties. So, of course, I asked her about London in the late 60s and early 70s, and then I asked about her adventures in Japan, Venezuela, the Galapagos Islands, Tibet, and Myanmar. Karen has released two books, Travel Mania and Wanderlust, filled with amazing stories from Karen's travels over the years. Karen also writes for several publications specializing in people over 50 travelling—a wonderful and inspirational story.

Hello, and welcome to number 140 and this week, Dave Herring joins me for a chat about his creative projetcs enabling him to live his best life through travel. Dave loves the West Coast of the USA and is based in the Bay Area in California. He routinely goes on the road to work as a creative either by being a director, photographer, videographer, writer or musician. Dave spells out the importancy of being a creative and how that can fuel your life for the better. He loves building a community on his YouTube channel and travelling with his family for worldwide projects. It was an inspiring chat about chasing and making your creative dreams a reality. Don't worry, we talk travel too as Dave shares with us his favourite spots in Europe and the USA.

Hello, and welcome to my latest solo episode, where I give you ten lessons learnt from my year-long trip in 2023.