The Travel Diaries

From the jazz clubs and Mardi Gras parades of New Orleans to the swamps, dance halls and small towns of Acadiana, this Destination Special explores a side of Louisiana, USA that many visitors never get to see. We travel west along Interstate 10 into the heart of Cajun and Creole country, a region shaped by its French language, distinctive music, extraordinary food and deep connection to the surrounding bayous. Louisiana travel and culture writer Herman Fuselier shares the traditions behind Jazz Fest and Mardi Gras, introduces the sounds of Cajun and Zydeco music, and explains why the true heart of Cajun country lies beyond New Orleans. Cajun French musician Jourdan Thibodeaux joins me from his home on Cypress Island, overlooking the Atchafalaya Basin. We discuss language, identity, life in the swamp and the importance of experiencing South Louisiana authentically. Finally, Lori Johnson Walls of Johnson’s Boucanière in Lafayette introduces the dishes every first-time visitor should try, from crawfish étouffée and po’boys to beignets and a proper Louisiana boudin. Destination Recap Cities, towns and regions New Orleans, USA Baton Rouge, USA Acadiana, USA Atchafalaya Basin, USA Lafayette, USA Breaux Bridge, USA Opelousas, USA Eunice, USA New Iberia, USA Lake Charles, USA Sunset, USA Arnaudville, USA Washington, USA Cypress Island, USA Henderson, USA Mamou, USA Avery Island, USA Vacherie, USA Places mentioned New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans, USA French Quarter, New Orleans, USA Café du Monde, New Orleans, USA Eunice Cajun Mardi Gras, Eunice, USA La Poussière Cajun Dancehall, Breaux Bridge, USA Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, Breaux Bridge, USA El Sido’s Zydeco & Blues Club, Lafayette, USA Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, Lafayette, USA Johnson’s Boucanière, Lafayette, USA Dwyer’s Café, Lafayette, USA Poor Boy’s Riverside Inn, Lafayette, USA Olde Tyme Grocery, Lafayette, USA Borden’s Ice Cream Shoppe, Lafayette, USA Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival, Opelousas, USA DezMeaux’s Boudin, Opelousas, USA Steamboat Warehouse Restaurant, Washington, USA Hotel Klaus , Washington, USA Fred’s Lounge, Mamou, USA Cypress Cove Landing Houseboats , Henderson, USA TABASCO Factory and Avery Island, Avery Island, USA Laura Plantation, Vacherie, USA To find out more about visiting Louisiana, go to ExploreLouisiana.com . If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok . I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. I’ll be back on Sunday with another episode of Unpacked, this time with Suzannah Ramsdale, Lifestyle Director for The Standard. With thanks to... Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The Travel Diaries: Unpacked, I’m joined by Sarah Allard, Digital Director of Condé Nast Traveller, for your weekly weekend dose of wanderlust. Sarah’s job takes her to some extraordinary places, and today she’s sharing the trips, hotels and foodie finds she thinks should be on your radar. We start with the growing appeal of Northern Europe, including the Danish island of Bornholm, before heading to New York for her 40th birthday celebrations. Expect bagels, martinis and a few days in the Hudson Valley, where pretty towns, farm shops and gorgeous hotels make the perfect contrast to Manhattan. We’re also talking Greek island favourites, from the spectacular restaurant setting that won Sarah over on Sifnos to a new hotel on Paros. My Hotel of the Week is Monastero Santa Rosa on the Amalfi Coast, where I found what might just be my favourite swimming pool in the world. And if you’re looking for somewhere closer to home this autumn, Sarah answers a listener’s question about cosy British boutique stays, with two delicious recommendations in Somerset and Devon. Destination Recap Sweden Finland The Lofoten Islands, Norway Bornholm, Denmark New York City, USA The Hudson Valley, New York, USA INNESS , Accord, New York, USA The Catskills, New York, USA Wildflower Farms, Auberge Collection , Gardiner, New York, USA Rhinebeck, New York, USA Athens, Greece Sifnos, Greece Faros, Sifnos, Greece NÓS Hotel & Villas , Sifnos, Greece Paros, Greece Luura Paros Cliff , Paros, Greece Santorini, Greece Mykonos, Greece Gleneagles , Auchterarder, Scotland The Amalfi Coast, Italy Monastero Santa Rosa Hotel & Spa , Conca dei Marini, Italy Amalfi, Italy Positano, Italy Capri, Italy Bruton, Somerset, England Number One Bruton , Bruton, England At the Chapel , Bruton, England Glebe House , East Devon, England India The River Nile, Egypt One&Only Moonlight Basin , Big Sky, Montana, USA Edinburgh, Scotland Glasgow, Scotland The Scottish Highlands, Scotland Hope by WildLand , Sutherland, Scotland If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok . I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. You can also send me your travel questions for a future episode of Unpacked at thetraveldiarespodcast@gmail.com With thanks to... Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is returning to the podcast after 5 years! TV presenter, adventurer and explorer Steve Backshall is one of the most travelled people in the world, and one of the best story tellers - so he is the ultimate Travel Diaries guest. Just listening back to his first episode in preparation for today was a reminder of what an amazing episode that was - if you haven’t listened to that scroll back and listen to that first, because his life is so interesting, and then come back and listen to this one! It was so lovely to meet him in person this time, just last week. We filmed this in London, and it was really good fun putting some of your new travel diaries chapters to him - his answers were sensational. When somebody has been to this many places it's hard to know where to start, but I think that you're going to be absolutely captivated by Steve's stories, as I was. So from Suriname to the Scilly Isles, Jerusalem to Alaska, and so much more, here’s Steve. **Listeners - there's a strange video with the loading of Apple Podcasts' video today, so I'm reuploading this as an audio only file until it resolves.** Destination recap West Cornwall, England Land’s End, England South Africa Suriname Alaska, USA Juneau, USA The Azores, Portugal Dominica Colombia Papua New Guinea New Britain, Papua New Guinea New Ireland, Papua New Guinea New Caledonia Yucatán, Mexico Cancún, Mexico Tulum, Mexico Bimini, The Bahamas The Isles of Scilly, England St Martin’s, Isles of Scilly Jerusalem Tel Aviv, Israel The Negev Desert, Israel Kyrgyzstan Northeast Greenland, Greenland Steve’s Deadly Live tour begins in October. Find out more here . If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok , I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. I’ll be back on Sunday with another episode of Unpacked, this time with Conde Nast Traveller’s Digital Director, Sarah Allard. With thanks to... Kimpton Los Monteros - a five-star hotel for discovering the best of Marbella. Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I’m joined by travel writer, author and photographer, Luke Abrahams. Luke is one of the UK's most prolific travel journalists, having been to 30 countries this year alone, and he's about to release a new book, The Luxury Travel Book: 25 personal experiences that make you rethink the world and your place in it. These are stories that make you rethink the beauty of life and the mastery of human creativity, and it is packed full of his beautiful photography too. We'll be unpacking Ruthie Rogers' bucket list destination, Kyoto; reflecting on my Hotel of the Week, Casa Angelina; chatting about Luke's recent trip to Ladakh in Northern India, and answering your listener question. Destination Recap The Shinmonzen , Kyoto, Japan Park Hyatt Kyoto , Kyoto, Japan Sowaka , Kyoto, Japan Tokyo, Japan Okinawa, Japan Osaka, Japan Hotel Lo Scoglio , Nerano, Italy The Amalfi Coast, Italy Ravello, Italy Casa Angelina , Praiano, Italy Positano, Italy Capri, Italy Le Sirenuse , Positano, Italy The Path of the Gods, Amalfi Coast, Italy Scala, Italy Ladakh, India Shakti Ladakh , Ladakh, India Kargil, India The Imperial New Delhi , New Delhi, India Leh, India Paro, Bhutan Genghis Khan Retreat , Orkhon Valley, Mongolia Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Kazakhstan Tajikistan Luke's new book, The Luxury Travel Book: Extraordinary experiences money can't buy is available for pre-order here . If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok , I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. With thanks to... Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host I’ll be back on Tuesday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is one of the most influential figures in British food. Ruthie Rogers is the chef and co-founder of The River Cafe, the legendary Michelin-starred Italian restaurant in Hammersmith, which she opened with Rose Gray in 1987. Over nearly four decades, The River Cafe has completely transformed the way we eat and think about Italian food in this country, and its kitchens have helped launch the careers of some of Britain’s best-known chefs, including Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Theo Randall and April Bloomfield. But Ruthie’s influence extends far beyond the restaurant. She’s the author of numerous much-loved cookbooks and the host of the hugely successful podcast Ruthie’s Table 4, where an extraordinary guest list, from Paul McCartney and Elton John to David Beckham, Tony Blair and Nancy Pelosi, share the food memories that have shaped their lives. The podcast has now inspired her beautiful new book, Table 4 at The River Cafe: Conversations about Food and Life. And it turns out that food memories and travel memories have a great deal in common. Both can transport us instantly back to a particular person, place or moment in our lives. I joined Ruthie at The River Cafe on a gloriously sunny summers day. Her travel diaries today take us from Cuba and Mexico to Maine and Marrakech, as well as her beloved Italy and the beautiful rhythm of family life she created with her late husband, the architect Richard Rogers, with summers in Tuscany, winters exploring the world and an almost constant desire to plan the next adventure. Destination Recap: Havana, Cuba Hotel Lungarno, Florence, Italy Camino Real, Mexico City, Mexico Contramar, Mexico City, Mexico Niddo, Mexico City, Mexico Oaxaca, Mexico Puerto Escondido, Mexico Huatulco, Mexico Chichén Itzá, Yucatán, Mexico Uxmal, Yucatán, Mexico Monte Albán, Oaxaca, Mexico Palermo, Sicily, Italy Naples, Italy Lo Scoglio, Marina del Cantone, Italy Amalfi Coast, Italy Ravello, Italy Capri, Italy Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy Trattoria Gianni Franzi, Vernazza, Italy Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy Portofino, Italy Belmond Hotel Cipriani, Venice, Italy York, Maine, USA Marrakech, Morocco Taroudant, Morocco Tafraoute, Morocco Essaouira, Morocco Fez, Morocco The Shinmonzen, Kyoto, Japan You can listen to Ruthie’s Table 4, wherever you get your podcasts. Her new book, Table 4 at The River Cafe: Conversations about Food and Life is available now. I’ll be back on Sunday with another episode of The Travel Diaries: Unpacked. If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok , I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. With thanks to... Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host Citalia - Discover the real Italy with Citalia, the UK’s leading Italian holiday specialists. Let the Italy Experts craft the perfect holiday for you and experience Italy like a Citalian. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The Travel Diaries: Unpacked , I’m joined by Lauren Ho, one of the world’s most well-travelled luxury hotel experts. Lauren is Travel Director of Wallpaper* , a contributing editor at Country & Town House and the Academy Chair for Western Europe for The World’s 50 Best Hotels . Recorded just days after this year’s list was revealed in Paris, Lauren shares her reaction to the results, why Asian hotels continue to dominate the top 10 and which new entries she was particularly pleased to see recognised. We also journey to AlUla in Saudi Arabia, where ancient Nabataean tombs, dramatic desert landscapes and extraordinary new hotels are putting the destination firmly on the travel map. Lauren shares her recent stay at Six Senses Amaala on the Red Sea and takes us inside her trip to Georgia, from the hidden corners of Tbilisi to Kakheti’s vineyards and traditional amber wine. My Hotel of the Week is the newly restored Splendido, A Belmond Hotel , overlooking the impossibly beautiful harbour of Portofino. Plus, in our listener Q&A, Lauren recommends the perfect luxurious but not completely bank-breaking destination for a special family celebration. Destination Recap The Peninsula Paris , Paris, France Rosewood Hong Kong , Hong Kong, China Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok , Bangkok, Thailand Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá, Mexico Upper House Hong Kong , Hong Kong, China Mandarin Oriental Qianmen , Beijing, China Rosewood São Paulo , São Paulo, Brazil Passalacqua , Lake Como, Italy Atlantis The Royal , Dubai, UAE Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River , Bangkok, Thailand Capella Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand Amangiri , Canyon Point, Utah, USA Monument Valley, USA AlUla, Saudi Arabia Banyan Tree AlUla , AlUla, Saudi Arabia Our Habitas AlUla , AlUla, Saudi Arabia The Chedi Hegra , Hegra, Saudi Arabia Petra, Jordan The Peninsula Hong Kong , Hong Kong, China FORESTIS , Brixen, Italy Villa Treville , Positano, Italy Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel, Cannes, France Splendido, A Belmond Hotel , Portofino, Italy Six Senses Amaala , AMAALA, Saudi Arabia Rosewood Amaala , AMAALA, Saudi Arabia Tbilisi, Georgia The Telegraph Hotel, Tbilisi, Georgia Kakheti, Georgia Estelle Manor , The Cotswolds, England Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is one of Britain’s funniest, most distinctive and most beloved writers, Caitlin Moran. Caitlin began writing her first book at just 13, was published at 16, and became an award-winning Times columnist and the bestselling author of books including How to Be a Woman, More Than a Woman and What About Men? Her brilliant new book is called How to Be Hopeful, and it begins with a feeling I think many of us will recognise: that the world has become overwhelming and the only reasonable solution might be to run away and start an entirely new life somewhere else. In Caitlin’s case, that meant fantasising about a self-sufficient farmhouse in the Welsh mountains, until she discovered quite how expensive Welsh farmhouses actually are. So what happens next? From her wonderfully feral childhood summers she spent living with her seven siblings in a tiny caravan in Wales to a romantic road trip through the Scottish Highlands; the lavish trip to Antigua that taught her luxury travel wasn’t necessarily for her; and why Corfu remains the island she returns to again and again, and much much more, here are the Travel Diaries of Caitlin Moran. Destination Recap: Tregaron, Wales Strata Florida Abbey, Wales Ynyslas, Wales Ullapool, Scotland Rannoch Moor, Scotland Cornwall, England Antigua and Barbuda Tenby, Wales Kassiopi, Corfu, Greece Paxos, Greece Antipaxos, Greece Iceland Japanese Alps, Japan Tokyo, Japan Abergavenny, Wales Bannau Brycheiniog, Wales Florida, USA Austria Scandinavia Thanks so much for listening today. If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok , I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. I’ll be back on Sunday with The Travel Diaries: Unpacked and our guest, World’s 50 Best Hotels European chair, and travel journalist, Lauren Ho. If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok , I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. With thanks to... Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host Hotels with History podcast - Hotels with History is a podcast hosted by actor Richard E. Grant and travel & hospitality expert Jules Perowne, uncovering the scandals, legends and surprising stories behind the world's most legendary hotels. Search Hotels with History wherever you get your podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to our very first episode of The Travel Diaries: Unpacked, your weekend travel fix. Today I’m joined by the fabulous John O'Ceallaigh. John is a travel journalist and consultant to luxury hospitality brands, who previously served as the luxury travel editor for The Telegraph for nearly a decade. We'll be unpacking Nisha's bucket list destination, China; reflecting on my Hotel of the Week, Six Senses London; chatting about John's recent trip to Azerbaijan, and answering your listener question. Destination Recap: China Beijing, China Shanghai, China Yunnan, China Shangri-La, Yunnan, China Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, Shangri-La, China Yellow Mountain, Anhui, China Chengdu, Sichuan, China St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City Six Senses London, Bayswater, London, England The Whiteley, Bayswater, London, England Notting Hill, London, England Dubai, United Arab Emirates Baku, Azerbaijan Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan Fairmont Baku, Flame Towers, Baku, Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev Centre, Baku, Azerbaijan Uzbekistan Khiva, Uzbekistan Samarkand, Uzbekistan Registan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan All the destinations mentioned are included in the episode show notes and on thetraveldiariespodcast.com If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok , I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. With thanks to... Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host I’ll be back on Tuesday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to a brand new season of The Travel Diaries. It’s great to be back! I couldn’t think of a more joyful guest to kick off the season than Nisha Katona. A former child protection barrister turned restaurateur, food writer and TV presenter, Nisha is the founder of the hugely successful Mowgli Street Food restaurants, the author of several cookbooks, including her newest release, The Curry Bible, and was a judge on the BBC’s Great British Menu. In this episode, Nisha describes herself as a “culinary evangelist and anthropologist”, and food is the thread running through her extraordinary Travel Diaries. We journey from childhood holidays in Mallorca and the tastes that first awakened her curiosity, to Beijing, her ancestral home of Varanasi, the temples and night markets of Cambodia, and her love for the Amalfi Coast. Our conversation travelled far beyond holidays, taking in family, identity, faith, grief and the ways in which travel helps us understand both the world and ourselves. Destination Recap: Mallorca, Spain Taunus Therme, Bad Homburg, Germany Beijing, China Forbidden City, Beijing, China Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India River Ganges, Varanasi, India Siem Reap, Cambodia Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia Jeju Island, South Korea Amalfi Coast, Campania, Italy Mount Vesuvius, Campania, Italy Pompeii, Campania, Italy Herculaneum, Campania, Italy Parco dei Principi, Sorrento, Italy Positano, Campania, Italy Ravello, Campania, Italy Capri, Campania, Italy Lloret de Mar, Catalonia, Spain Blanes, Catalonia, Spain Ibiza, Spain China Jerusalem, Israel Nisha's fabulous new book, The Curry Bible, is out now. Today’s conversation was filmed earlier this summer at the beautiful London Marriott Hotel County Hall, in the most spectacular room - The Big Ben Balcony Suite - overlooking the Thames and the Houses of Parliament. I’ll be back on Sunday with our first episode of The Travel Diaries: Unpacked with travel editor John O'Ceallaigh. If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok , I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. With thanks to... Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host Citalia - Discover the real Italy with Citalia, the UK’s leading Italian holiday specialists. Let the Italy Experts craft the perfect holiday for you and experience Italy like a Citalian. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is, quite simply, one of the great travellers of our time. Sir Michael Palin first joined me on The Travel Diaries back in 2020, and that episode went on to become one of our most loved and most listened-to conversations ever. So when the opportunity came up for him to return to the podcast, this time to mark the publication of his new book, In Nigeria, I absolutely leapt at the chance. For anyone listening who might not be fully familiar with Sir Michael Palin’s extraordinary career, he first became known as one of the members of Monty Python, before going on to become one of the world’s most beloved travel broadcasters and writers. His landmark BBC travel series, from Around the World in 80 Days to Pole to Pole , Full Circle , Himalaya and so many more, completely changed the way travel was brought to our screens. I went to Michael’s house in London to film the interview and you’ll be able to watch the full conversation on YouTube and Spotify this weekend. On today’s episode, we talk about some of the extraordinary journeys he’s been on since we last spoke, from Nigeria to Iraq, Venezuela and the Philippines. We talk about the places that surprised him, the countries that defied their reputation, the journeys that have stayed with him, and the places he still dreams of visiting. And, because Michael has already shared his original seven travel chapters with us, this time I asked you to send in some brand new travel chapters for him. So listen out, because one of your questions might just be in there. Holly’s stay: Palazzo Fiuggi , Italy Destination Recap: Venezuela Philippines Nigeria, Nigeria Lagos, Nigeria Kano, Nigeria Port Harcourt, Nigeria Iraq, Iraq Babylon, Iraq Cuzco, Peru Machu Picchu, Peru Iguazu Falls, Argentina/Brazil Victoria Falls, Zambia/Zimbabwe Russia, Russia Mürren, Switzerland Kamchatka, Russia Bhutan Nepal The Dolomites, Italy Armenia, Armenia Georgia, Georgia Mount Ararat, Turkey/Armenia Michael's new book, In Nigeria, is out now. With thanks to Sani for their support of today's episode. Discover your paradise at Sani. For more information, visit sani-resort.com Thank you so much to all of you for listening this season. I really hope you’ve enjoyed travelling the world with me through all of these conversations. The good news is, it won’t be too long before I’m back. We’ve got another summer season coming your way in mid-August, so there are lots more travel stories to come very soon. You can find me on Instagram and TikTok at @hollyrubenstein, you can watch us on YouTube here . And have you checked out my brand new Travel Diaries map, which will save every single destination ever mentioned on the podcast? A very dangerous tool for anyone with a serious case of wanderlust? You can look at it here. Thank you again for listening, have a wonderful summer, and I’ll see you very soon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before we get started, a quick warning: this episode contains spoilers. So if you haven’t finished watching the latest series of Race Across the World, I’d suggest turning off now and coming back once you have! Race Across the World is one of those shows that just gets under your skin, isn’t it? You start off thinking you’re watching a travel programme, and then suddenly you’re so emotionally invested in people trying to get across a border, find a cheap hostel, or make it onto a 29-hour train with no phone and barely any money. This season, five pairs travel over 12,000 kilometres, from Palermo in Sicily all the way to Hatgal in Mongolia, without smartphones, internet access, flights or bank cards, relying instead on instinct, kindness, grit and a lot of very long bus and train journeys. And at the heart of it all were today’s guests: best friends Jo and Kush from Liverpool, who not only won the series, but completely won over viewers along the way. Their friendship was such a joy to watch and there was something so lovely about seeing two young men support each other so openly through the highs and lows. What I loved about chatting to them is that Race Across the World has this brilliant sense of mystery around it. As a viewer, I’m always wondering how the show actually works. So in this episode, we really get into all of that. We talk about the audition process, the secrecy around winning, the budget, the homestays, the toilets, the borders, the long-distance trains, and what it’s really like travelling without your phone in your pocket. And of course, we talk about the places too. From Sorrento and Naples, to Tbilisi in Georgia, the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, the vast landscapes of Kazakhstan, and the wild, icy beauty of Mongolia. Destination Recap: Palermo, Sicily, Italy Sorrento, Italy Naples, Italy Greece Türkiye Kars, Türkiye Georgia Tbilisi, Georgia Azerbaijan Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan Jalal-Abad, Kyrgyzstan Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Kazakhstan Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan Almaty, Kazakhstan Mongolia Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Hatgal, Mongolia Lake Khövsgöl, Mongolia Kathmandu, Nepal Punjab, India Central India Sri Lanka Costa Rica Brazil Rio de Janeiro, Brazil With thanks to... Richard Haworth - Discover their luxury hotel-quality bedding, towels and table linen at Richard Haworth At Home Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is one of the country’s best-loved comedians and presenters - the wonderful Tom Allen. You’ll know him from Bake Off: An Extra Slice , The Apprentice: You’re Fired , QI , Would I Lie To You? , Live at the Apollo and of course his standup comedy. He’s also a brilliant writer, and his new novel, Common Decency , is out now. Tom’s travel diaries are full of glorious detail. We talk childhood holidays, package holidays, the etiquette of sunbeds, solo travel, America, Japan, Spain, the joy of a great hotel, and why food is so often the thing that makes a place unforgettable. Destination Recap: Holly: Sani, Halkidiki, Greece Tom: Gran Canaria, Spain Javea, Spain Alicante, Spain Benidorm, Spain San Francisco, USA New York, USA Philadelphia, USA Cherry Hill, USA Japan Tokyo, Japan Kyoto, Japan Osaka, Japan Hiroshima, Japan Nara, Japan Gran Canaria, Spain Maspalomas, Spain Menorca, Spain Wakefield, England Elgin, Scotland Banchory, Scotland Highlands and Islands, Scotland Beijing, China Forbidden City, China Great Wall of China, China Tom Allen’s hilarious debut novel Common Decency is out now Today’s episode was filmed in the Westminster Suite at London Marriott County Hall With thanks to... Richard Haworth - Discover their luxury hotel-quality bedding, towels and table linen at Richard Haworth At Home Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host If you enjoyed this episode, please hit follow or subscribe on your podcast app. It really helps the podcast grow, allows me to keep bringing you these incredible guests - and it means you’re delivered a fresh dose of wanderlust each week. And if you’d like a little more Travel Diaries in your life, you can find me on Instagram and TikTok @hollyrubenstein. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you next week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s Destination Special, we’re taking you somewhere that, for so many travellers, represents the ultimate holiday feeling: Queensland, Australia. This is a state seven times the size of Britain! A place where one trip can take you from the cultural heartbeat and riverside energy of Brisbane, to the al fresco beach lifestyle of the Gold Coast, to ancient rainforest, island life, wildlife encounters, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island cultures, First Nations storytelling, and one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef. Known as Australia’s Sunshine State, Queensland is, of course, famous for its blue skies, golden beaches and that blissful sense of switching off the moment you arrive. But as I discovered through making this episode, it is so much more than that. And that, really, is what makes Queensland so compelling - it’s not just one kind of holiday. It’s a whole collection of holidays in one place. You can wake up in Brisbane, wandering along the river as the city comes to life, stop for brilliant coffee and world-class food, then be out in nature within minutes, perhaps heading to nearby Minjerribah, also known as North Stradbroke Island, for First Nations culture and extraordinary natural landscapes. You can head south towards the Gold Coast for beach walks, coastal drives, wineries, rainforest and incredible produce. Or you can travel north to the Whitsundays, where Hamilton Island, Whitehaven Beach and the Great Barrier Reef deliver that almost dreamlike version of Australia with its turquoise water, white sand, sailing, seafood, and warm tropical air. Today’s guest is someone who experienced Queensland through one of its great strengths: food. Matt Tebbutt, chef, broadcaster and host of Saturday Kitchen, recently travelled there, eating his way through the state, from riverside restaurants and beachside lunches to extraordinary seafood and island dining. What struck me most in speaking to Matt was that the food became a way into everything else: the landscape, the wildlife, the culture, the openness, the warmth, and that easy-going Aussie outdoor lifestyle. This episode is wanderlust, guaranteed. So let’s buckle up and get started. Destination Recap Brisbane Stanley Restaurant, Brisbane Howard Smith Wharves, Brisbane James Street, Brisbane Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Brisbane North Stradbroke Island / Minjerribah Lady Elliot Island The Great Barrier Reef Gold Coast Rick Shores, Gold Coast Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk Mason Winery, Mount Tamborine The Whitsundays Hamilton Island The Sundays, Hamilton Island Whitehaven Beach Catseye Pool Club, Hamilton Island Long Pavilion at qualia Bommie, Hamilton Island Passage Peak, Hamilton Island Thank you to Tourism and Events Queensland for working with me on this episode. For more information and further inspiration about travelling to Queensland, visit queensland.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please hit follow or subscribe wherever you’re listening. It really helps the podcast grow, allows me to keep bringing you these incredible guests - and it means you’re delivered a fresh dose of wanderlust each week. And if you’d like a little more Travel Diaries in your life, you can find me on Instagram and TikTok @hollyrubenstein. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you on Tuesday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is a global tv star, bestselling author, food obsessive and one of the most beloved members of one of Netflix’s biggest ever shows…Antoni Porowski. You’ll know Antoni as the much-loved food and wine expert from Netflix’s global phenomenon Queer Eye , where for ten seasons he helped people transform not just the way they cooked and ate, but the way they saw themselves. Antoni’s own story is such a fascinating journey in itself. In today’s episode, we travel through his life from childhood road trips to the North Carolina coast and the first meal that truly blew his mind, to the trip he saved up for as a young waiter in New York that made him fall completely in love with travel. We talk about the years before Queer Eye , when he was auditioning, working in restaurants, hustling, and trying to find his way in New York, and what it felt like when the show suddenly changed everything. And, of course, we dive into his new National Geographic series, Best of the World with Antoni Porowski , which takes him to Paris, Mexico City, London and New York. Destination Recap: Holly: AKI Family Resort, Italy Pennsylvania, USA New York City, USA Philadelphia, USA Montreal, Canada September Cafe, Montreal, Canada Rotisserie Italienne, Montreal, Canada McGill University, Montreal, Canada Mount Royal, Montreal, Canada Outremont, Montreal, Canada Le Merc, Montreal, Canada Bilboquet, Montreal, Canada Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, USA Dirty Dick’s Crab House, Cape Hatteras, USA The Labrador, Cape Hatteras, USA Canadian Hole, Cape Hatteras, USA Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, USA West Virginia, USA Vancouver, Canada Florence, Italy Rome, Italy Mexico City, Mexico Roma Norte, Mexico City, Mexico Rosetta, Mexico City, Mexico Canals of Mexico City, Mexico Alebrijes Festival, Mexico City, Mexico Museo de Arte Popular / Folkloric Museum, Mexico City, Mexico Borneo, Malaysia Kuching, Malaysia Iban longhouses, Sarawak, Malaysia Kuching waterfront / canal, Kuching, Malaysia Kuching food kiosks, Kuching, Malaysia Fire Island, New York, USA Long Island, New York, USA Ibiza, Spain Iceland Istanbul, Turkey Morocco Patagonia, Argentina/Chile Best of the World with Antoni Porowski premieres June 7 on National Geographic and will be available to stream June 8 on Disney+ and Hulu. With thanks to... Richard Haworth - Discover their luxury hotel-quality bedding, towels and table linen at Richard Haworth At Home Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host If you enjoyed this episode, please hit follow or subscribe wherever you’re listening. It really helps the podcast grow, allows me to keep bringing you these incredible guests - and it means you’re delivered a fresh dose of wanderlust each week. And if you’d like a little more Travel Diaries in your life, you can find me on Instagram and TikTok @hollyrubenstein. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you next week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is an adventurer, filmmaker, writer and one of the most extraordinary travel storytellers of her generation. Eva zu Beck's life reads like something from a film. She was Oxford-educated, working in travel media, married, successful, and living the kind of polished, high-achieving life so many people are told to want. But behind the scenes, she knew something wasn’t right. So she walked away from it all. The marriage, the career, the security, the neatly mapped-out future, and bought a one-way ticket to Nepal. Over the past nine years, Eva has travelled almost constantly, often to some of the wildest, most remote and most misunderstood places on earth. She has crossed the Mongolian wilderness on horseback, travelled through the mountains of Pakistan living alongside local families, spent months on the otherworldly island of Socotra in Yemen during lockdown, and driven her old Land Rover Defender, Odyssey, from Mexico through Central America and the United States, all the way to the northernmost point of Alaska. You’re going to love this one guys. Destination recap: Holly - Forestis, Dolomites, Italy Carpathian Mountains, Poland Marrakech, Morocco Nepal Mongolia Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Gobi Desert, Mongolia Pakistan Northern Pakistan, Pakistan Himalayas, Pakistan Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan Arabian Sea, Pakistan United States Montana, United States Alaska, United States Mexico Dalton Highway, United States Deadhorse, United States Romania Carpathian Mountains, Romania Transylvania, Romania Transalpina, Romania Maramureș, Romania Socotra, Yemen Central Asia Russia Central Africa Sahara Northern Canada, Canada Patagonia, Argentina and Chile Eva’s new book, The Wilder Way , is out now, and if you loved this conversation, I think you’ll absolutely love the book too. With thanks to... Richard Haworth - Discover their luxury hotel-quality bedding, towels and table linen at Richard Haworth At Home Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host If you enjoyed this episode, please hit follow or subscribe wherever you’re listening. It really helps the podcast grow, allows me to keep bringing you these incredible guests - and it means you’re delivered a fresh dose of wanderlust each week. And if you’d like a little more Travel Diaries in your life, you can find me on Instagram and TikTok @hollyrubenstein. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you next week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we’re heading to the sun-soaked Southern California coast in the USA, arriving at Newport Beach. Now, if you’re listening in the UK and thinking, hang on, where exactly is Newport Beach? - it’s just south of Los Angeles, in Orange County. For a lot of you listening, that name might immediately conjure up The O.C. , or the The Real Housewives of Orange County - it’s one of those places that really captures that classic California coastal lifestyle: long sandy beaches, a beautiful harbour dotted with boats, waterfront restaurants serving the freshest seafood, surf culture, spectacular houses, and that sense that life is lived largely outdoors. It’s glamorous, yes, but it’s also very accessible for all price points and surprisingly varied once you get to know it - and that’s what this episode is all about. I’m joined today by Gary Sherwin, a Newport Beach local for the last 25 years, travel expert and CEO of Visit Newport Beach - he knows the area inside out. He shares the places, experiences and little details that really give you a feel for the destination. Because this isn’t just somewhere to come for a quick beach stop. It’s a destination in its own right, and one that seems to offer a really lovely mix of things: that classic California coast feeling, yes, but also a lot of variety within it - from smart hotels and great food to beach days, boat days, family-friendly experiences, little pockets with their own personality, and plenty of ways to slow down and enjoy being by the water. So whether you’re plotting a wider California trip, looking for a different side of Southern California, or just in the mood for a little armchair travel to somewhere sunny and coastal, this should give you a very good feel for it. Destination Recap: Newport Harbor Gulfstream Restaurant Louie’s by the Bay A Restaurant 21 Oceanfront Restaurant Balboa Bay Resort Pendry Newport Beach VEA Newport Beach, A Marriott Resort & Spa The Resort at Pelican Hill (becoming A St. Regis Estate in 2027) Crystal Cove Balboa Island Inspiration Point, Corona del Mar Mastro’s Ocean Club Blackie’s by the Sea Fashion Island Back Bay (Upper Newport Bay) You can discover more about Newport Beach here . As always, thank you so much for listening. If you enjoyed it, do share it with someone who’s planning a California trip, and don’t forget to follow or subscribe on your podcast app so you never miss an episode. I’ll be back on Tuesday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's guest is one of the most distinctive and brilliantly funny voices in British comedy. Born in Cornwall by accident, raised in Hull with pride, Lucy Beaumont has built a career out of finding the strange, hilarious and deeply human moments in everyday life. You’ll know her from shows like Would I Lie To You? , Taskmaster , Meet the Richardsons , The Celebrity Traitors , and so much more, as well as from her acclaimed stand-up and writing. In today’s conversation, we travel from an out-of-season teenage trip to Magaluf, to sneaking off to Torquay in search of surfers, falling in love with Menorca, finding magic in New York and New Orleans, and the spiritual pull of Robin Hood’s Bay. We also talk about Hull, panel shows, pad Thai on tour, Celebrity Traitors secrets, travelling with Johnny Vegas, and her brilliant new tour, Bad at Quiz Shows, Good with Weirdos , which begins this September. Holly's Destination Recap Coworth Park, England Lucy's Destination Recap Magaluf, Mallorca, Spain Truro, Cornwall, England Torquay, Devon, England Newquay, Cornwall, England Hull, England Hornsea, Yorkshire, England Ciutadella, Menorca, Spain Deià, Mallorca, Spain Kavos, Greece Ibiza, Spain New York City, USA Brooklyn, New York, USA New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Robin Hood’s Bay, Yorkshire, England Whitby, Yorkshire, England Montenegro Croatia Maldives St Lucia Tickets are available for Lucy's new tour, Bad at Quiz Shows, Good with Weirdos , which begins this September. Thank you to the London Marriot County Hall for having us to film the episode. With thanks to... Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host If you enjoyed this episode, please hit follow or subscribe wherever you’re listening. It really helps the podcast grow, allows me to keep bringing you these incredible guests - and it means you’re delivered a fresh dose of wanderlust each week. And if you’d like a little more Travel Diaries in your life, you can find me on Instagram and TikTok @hollyrubenstein. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you next week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is one of the defining reality TV stars of the last decade. Charlotte Crosby first burst onto our screens on Geordie Shore, one of the biggest reality shows of the 2010s - a show that became a global phenomenon and completely changed the course of her life, taking her from the north of England to filming and working all over the world. Since then, she’s built a huge international following, particularly in Australia, where she’s become a familiar face on primetime TV. And as you’ll hear, travel has completely shaped who she is today. From Southshields to Sydney, Spain to Canada, I know you’re going to love this one Holly's Destination Recap: The Glass house , Lakes by Yoo, England, UK Destination Recap: Sunderland – England, UK Wolsingham – England, UK Whitley Bay – England, UK South Shields – England, UK Tunisia Sydney – Australia Bondi Beach – Australia Coogee – Australia Darling Harbour – Australia Cairns – Australia Great Barrier Reef – Australia Arctic Circle – Norway / Arctic Region Hutterite Communities (Canada) – Canada Altea – Spain Beni Jofré (Benejúzar area) – Spain Ios – Greece Bahamas – Bahamas Bestselling author and reality TV star Charlotte Crosby teams up with Loveholidays to encourage Brits to get reading on holiday With thanks to... Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host If you enjoyed this episode, please hit follow or subscribe wherever you’re listening. It really helps the podcast grow, allows me to keep bringing you these incredible guests - and it means you’re delivered a fresh dose of wanderlust each week. And if you’d like a little more Travel Diaries in your life, you can find me on Instagram and TikTok @hollyrubenstein. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you next week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is someone whose voice - and face - I think most of us know instantly. Dermot O'Leary has been such a constant in British life for years now, from hosting The X Factor, to his Friday slot on This Morning, to his weekend shows on BBC Radio 2. He’s had this really varied career - presenting everything from major live events like the Brit Awards and BAFTAs, to documentaries, and his more recent travel and food series Taste of Ireland with Dermot O’Leary on ITV, which is back for a second season. What I loved about this conversation is how much of his life has been shaped by travel. He grew up in an Irish family, going back and forth between England and Ireland, with those long childhood journeys to Wexford becoming some of his earliest memories. And that sense of place, of identity, of belonging really runs through everything he talks about in this episode. So today, we’re diving into the seven chapters of Dermot’s travel diaries, from those childhood summers in Ireland, to travelling solo across America, winter escapes to Norway to the Italian region that’s completely stolen his heart. Holly’s Destination Recap: - Priesteregg Resort, Leogang, Austria Dermot’s Destination Recap: Soneva Fushi, Maldives Wexford, Ireland Curracloe Beach, Ireland Cahore, Ireland St Davids, United Kingdom Fishguard, United Kingdom Dordogne, France Atlantic Coast France, France Norfolk, United Kingdom Bodrum, Turkey Donegal, Ireland Sligo, Ireland Causeway Coastal Route, United Kingdom Ballycastle, United Kingdom Portrush, United Kingdom Portstewart, United Kingdom Derry, United Kingdom Coleraine, United Kingdom New York City, United States Washington DC, United States New Orleans, United States Los Angeles, United States Hermosa Beach, United States Seattle, United States Puglia, Italy Salento, Italy Oslo, Norway Bygdøy, Norway Lofoten Islands, Norway Bergen, Norway Kirkenes, Norway Prague, Czech Republic Japan, Japan South Korea, South Korea New England, United States Maine, United States DERMOT O'LEARY'S TASTE OF IRELAND kicks off on Saturday 2nd May on ITV 1 and ITVX, in partnership with Tourism Ireland With thanks to… Citalia - Discover the real Italy with Citalia, the UK’s leading Italian holiday specialists. Let the Italy Experts craft the perfect holiday for you and experience Italy like a Citalian. EZRA - You can use the code EzraUK300 for £300 credit towards a scan. Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host If you enjoyed this episode, please hit follow or subscribe wherever you’re listening. It really helps the podcast grow, allows me to keep bringing you these incredible guests - and it means you’re delivered a fresh dose of wanderlust each week. And if you’d like a little more Travel Diaries in your life, you can find me on Instagram and TikTok @hollyrubenstein. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you next week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Destination Special episode, we head to Turkey or Türkiye as it’s now officially known - a country where continents, cultures and centuries collide. From the energy of Istanbul to the surreal landscapes of Cappadocia, and from the beach clubs of Antalya to the hidden coves of the Turquoise Coast, this is a journey through one of the world’s most diverse travel destinations. Along the way, you’ll hear stories and recommendations from past Travel Diaries guests including Simon Reeve, Beverley Knight, Jamie Laing and Fiona Duncan, alongside expert insight from travel writer Annabelle Thorpe, who shares where to go, what not to miss, and her favourite hidden gems. Whether you’re planning a multi-stop itinerary or dreaming of your next escape, this episode is packed with inspiration for exploring Turkey. Destination Recap: Istanbul Hagia Sophia Bosphorus Pudding Shop Kadıköy Eminönü Beyoğlu Topkapı Palace Blue Mosque Bebek Moda Çukurcuma Istiklal Street Tarabya Kıyı Cappadocia Derinkuyu Kaymaklı Red Valley Argos in Cappadocia Antalya & Surrounds Kaleiçi Lara Belek Turquoise Coast / Southwest Coast Fethiye Hillside Beach Club Göcek Dalyan Marmaris Bay Marmaris Kalkan & Kaş Area Kalkan Villa Mahal Merkez Kaş Kekova Meis Çıralı Bozburun Peninsula Selimiye Orhaniye Bozburun Datça Peninsula Datça Knidos D Maris Bay Dalaman Area Ahama hotel Eastern Turkey Gaziantep Mount Nemrut With thanks to trip.com for their support of today’s episode. If you’re anything like me and tend to plan quite layered, multi-stop trips, trip.com is a really useful tool to have in your back pocket. What I love is being able to see everything in one place, whether that’s flights, hotels, trains or experiences, and to just map it all out properly. With trip.com I can book everything - perfect for exploring a destination as vast and diverse as Turkey. If you’re enjoying The Travel Diaries, don’t forget to follow or subscribe on your podcast app so you never miss an episode. You can also follow me on Instagram @hollyrubenstein and on TikTok for more travel inspiration and behind the scenes. Thanks again for listening, and see you next week! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.