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!