Western Australia

Valencia, Spain

Enlgand and Greece Revisited

Lancaster County Pennsylvania

Sailing In The Greek Islands

Traveling with Small Children

Singapore

Ireland

The Island of Dominica

Kerala, India

Tokyo, Japan

Siberia, Russia - (Mis)Adventure Travel

The Outer Banks of North Carolina

Faroe Islands

The Amateur Traveler talks to author Sheryl Kayne about her new book Immersion Travel USA. She talks about volunteer travel, educational travel and other immersive experiences from experiencing zero G to quilting, from climbing frozen waterfalls to counting right whales.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Richard Miller of the SparkleTack podcast (about San Francisco history) about San Francisco. Richard guides us in a driving/walking tour from west to east. We start at lands end and end up near fisherman's wharf while talking about the sites and history of many of the places in between. This is a great companion episode with the 2 part soundseeing walking tour of San Francisco.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Beth Whitman, author of Wanderlust and Lipstick for Women Traveling to India, about the joys and challenges of traveling to India, especially solo travel as a woman. Learn what iconic image Beth has in her house, how she can go to the sub-continent with only the clothes on her back and how to fall in love with India

The Amateur Traveler talks to Deanna about cruising to Alaska aboard a small boat from Cruise West In a nights ashore / days at sea program.

The Amateur Traveler goes to St Georges on the island of Bermuda. This World Heritage town is the 5th oldest European settlement in the new world and the home of the oldest English speaking church. This visit was part of a cruise to Bermuda on Royal Caribbean.

The Amateur Traveler compares two very different cruise options, a Royal Caribbean cruise with formal nights and midnight buffets and the Windjammer Barefoot Cruise. Which cruising option is right for you?

The Amateur Traveler talks to Shawn about his trip to Transylvania in Romania. We talk, of course, about Vlad III the Impaler (Dracula) but also about the green rolling hills, walled towns, castles and people of this beautiful country.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Shel Holtz (from the For Immediate Release podcast) about his trip to Slovenia. Here about the food, the wine, the lake and the cake as Shel describes his visit to the capital of Ljubjana, the caves at Postojna, Portoroz castle and Lake Bled. Slovenia is one of Europe’s best kept secrets.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Zora O'Neil who is one of the co-authors of the Rough Guide in the Yucatan guide book. Zora talks about this very beautiful, very tropical and very isolated part of Mexico. Learn about the beach communities (Riviera Maya - Cancun, Talum, Playa del Carmen; Costa Maya - Majahual, Xcalak; Isla Holbox), getting around, the food (Xni Pec, Achiote), the colonial cities (Merida) and the Mayan ruins (the Ruta Puc, Uxmal, Calakmul).

The Amateur Traveler talks to Tadzio about his trip to Zanzibar in Tanzania, off the east coast of Africa. Tadzio worked as a ranger on Chumbe then toured Stonetown, the northern beaches, the Jozani forest, and Pemba. Hear about the food, the people, the snorkeling, the swimming, the beaches and the history of this tropical island paradise.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Margot about Acadia National Park in Maine. Margot has been going to Acadia since she was a little girl to hike, bike, kayak, and connect with the beauty of this beautiful area. She talks about the sights, the seafood, the Maine people and why you should not go blueberry picking with her grandfather.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Eden (an ambassador for Macallan Whiskey) about his home country of Scotland. Eden lays out a tour for Amateur Traveler listeners that starts in Edinburgh with its castle, royal mile and pubs and continues up to Saint Andrews (the home of golf) and the castles of Perthshire. We make sure to stop on the Whiskey trail of Speyside before continuing to the rugged countryside of the highlands. We also talk about special events, famous scotsmen and hagis.

The Amateur Traveler talks to David Dougherty about his recent trip to the small country of Armenia. David talks about view of Mount Ararat (just over the border in Turkey), monasteries and churches, riding the packed minivan buses (marshrutkas), meeting locals with a shared interest, the food, the legends and some of the history (the Armenian genocide).

The Amateur Traveler talks to Jessica from Williamsburg Virgina who traveled last Summer to the Ukraine with an ethnomusicologist from Villiage Harmony to learn how to sing Ukrainian folk music. Jessica travelled both to larger cities like the capital Kiev and Ivano-Frankivsk and small country villages. She also journeyed into the Carpathian mountains on the Romanian border. Jessica relates some of the stories about the people she met, the food they ate and scary public bathrooms. Learn why you should not whistle indoors or give someone a dozen roses in the Ukraine.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Friedel from TravellingTwo.com about their continuing bike tour around the world. Friedel was on previously talking about travel to Iran and has come back to talk about the Central Asian countries of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. This region of the world offers adventure travelers deserts, tea houses, camels, wild horses, yurts, tea houses, spectacular mountains, friendly locals and fermented mares milk.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Geoff Smith about his boyhood home of Nashville that he recently moved back to. What would bring a musician back to Nashville after he has lived all of the world? Geoff talks about the things that tourists come to see: the Grand Ole Opry, Honky Tonk Row (including his own piano bar the Big Bang Bar), the Country Music Hall of Fame, The Musicians Hall of Fame, The Opryland Hotel. Then Geoff tells us what he really loves about Nashville. Nashville is a place where creative and artistic people can live among the beautiful rolling hills of Tennessee in one of the USA’s big three music cities.

The Amateur Traveler was nominated for a Lonely Planet Travel Blogging Award in the Podcast category and I could use your help. You will find a link to vote on http://AmateurTraveler.com

The Amateur Traveler talks to Doug McConnell of OpenRoad.tv about his love for the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains. Doug has been going to this rugged, stark and beautiful area of California and Nevada since he was a kid. He tells us about Hollywood's love of this area, the oldest trees on the planet, the water wars of California, the tufa fields of Mono Lake, the ghost town of Bodie and more. He also tells of his friends Galen and Barbara Rowell who called this area their home until their deaths in 2002. Galen was a renowned nature photographer and Barbara was his partner and pilot.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Jose from Caracas Venezuela about a recent trip to Bhutan. Learn about this remote country in the himalayas. Jose, a friend, a tour guide and a drive explored a small portion of the beautiful country on a 5 day trip. They hiked to Buddhist monasteries, watched the national sport (archery) and even saw the youngest king in the world. The flight in may be harrowing but the country itself is peaceful.

The Amateur Traveler talks to again to Chris Willis (Swimming with Whales off Tonga - Episode 38, Ethiopia - Episode 79, Mountain Gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda - Episode 80, Travel to Mongolia - Episode 111) about his cruise with Quark Expeditions from Ushuaia, Argentina to Antarctica via the Falklands, South Georgia and South Orkney islands. We talk about wildlife photography of penguins, sea birds, whales and bad tempered fur seals.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Harry Pariser about the Virgin Islands. Harry is the author of Explore the Virgin Islands which just printed its seventh edition. Harry takes about the United States Virgin islands (primarily St Thomas, St John and St Croix) and the British Virgin Islands (primarily Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke). The Virgin Islands offer high end luxury resorts, cruise ships but also camping on a beach. They have gourmet restaurants but also local cuisine like conch salad and john cakes. They offer snorkeling, scuba, hiking or just lying on a beach. They take U.S. dollars and speak English making this and accessible island paradise. Harry is making his second appearance on the Amateur Traveler. He was also the guest on Travel to Costa Rica - Amateur Traveler Episode 116.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Ira Bernstein about why he continues to go back to Venice and the Veneto (the Italian state where Venice is) annually. Learn about other parts of Venice besides the tourist filled Saint Mark's square. We talk about the Gheto in the Cannaregio sestieri. We talk about how to get around, where you can stay for less money and why you might want to stay outside of Venice. We talk about the glass blowers of Morano and the lace makers of Borano. Then we get outside of Venice to Padua, Verona, and Bassano del Grappa. We will stand in Galileo's lectern at the university of Padua (where they paid him his weight in gold to come teach). And we will visit the (fake) balcony of Juliet in Padua where we will rub a statue of Juliet for luck.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Erik Smith (who was a guest on Travel to America’s National Parks - Amateur Traveler Episode 121) about Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. We talk about all the different geothermal highlights of the park including Old Faithful, other geysers, thermal pools, etc. We also talk about wildlife, hiking, camping, floating down the Snake river, the grand canyon of the yellowstone, the grandeur of the Tetons (and the strange original of the name Teton).

The Amateur Traveler talks to Raul from Atlanta about his recent trip to Krakow Poland. Learn about this former capital of Poland which is a treasure trove of history. Raul will take us to the cloth hall in the old town, Kazimierz and the Wawel Castle. We will also talk about his trips to the unusual Wieliczka salt mine with its rock salt carvings. A very poignant side trip to Auschwitz and Birkenau makes us confront the unspeakable evil done in those two places. Raul also traveled to Wadowice, the boyhood home of the man who would later be Pope John Paul II, and Black Madonna, the home of the Black Madonna. In between we talk about Polish food (lard for your bread sir?), museums, transportation and history.

The Amateur Traveler talks to travel writer Jeanine Barone about Estonia. Estonia is a small forested country with picturesque islands, medieval fortifications, a thriving design community, a great restaurant scene and a young and vibrant culture. Estonia only recently regained its independence from the U.S.S.R. (1991) but is thriving and filled with innovation. This interview, like all the Amateur Traveler interviews, was recorded with Skype… which is headquartered in Estonia. We talked about hotels, restaurants, guide books, wine bars and chocolate.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Joy Dupont about taking a guided tour to visit Beijing, China. Joy talks about the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Lama temple, the Temple of Heaven and the Hutong area of Beijing which still looks like old China. We talk about shopping at silk factories, cloisonné factories, jade factories and the world's largest herbal drugstore. We also talk about an area of Beijing like a Chinese Greenwich Village called "798". Regent China Tours is the tour company that Joy uses. From street food, unidentifiable food to the Bai Family Courtyard Restaurant, China is a treat for those willing to try new foods and willing to try chopsticks. Although KFC, McDonalds and Starbucks can be found we recommend the tea houses instead. Great sites, amazingly large crowds, ancient treasures and the rush of modern life. All of these are China.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Jason and Janie about their trip to Bavaria and Southern Germany. Jason and Janie had perviously been on the Amateur Traveler on Travel to Barbados - Episode 109. The talk about visiting the Black Forest with its wineries, Geramany’s tallest waterfall and the world’s largest cuckoo clock. They also visited the walled city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Rothenburg (which may have been spared the ravages of the 30 years war by a hard drinking mayor) is the home to a wonderful Christmas market as well as a Christmas museum. The Rothenburg Nightwatchman’s tour is also something you should try. Jason and Jamie also went to Nurenburg with its wonderful market place and saw “Mad” King Ludwig’s castle Neuschwanstein. The finished the trip in the home of very large beer steins at Munich. In Munich they enjoyed the glockenspiel, the toy museum and some of the wonderful old churches.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Audrey Scott and Daniel Knoll of UncorneredMarket.com about Prague where they lived for 5 years. Audrey and Daniel are currently traveling around the world and talked to me from El Salvador. Audrey and Daniel talk about the touristy things to do in Prague like the Prague castle, the Charles bridge and Wenceslas Square. They also talk about the touristy things that they would recommend skipping like Karlova street and its souvenir stands (they even give us a shortcut through the university and the Karolinum to avoid it). They would not; however, skip drinking Czech beer in a beer garden like the Latna (but would pass on Czech wine). They tell us how to walk around the barkers in period costumes selling packaged concerts to tourists and find the real music scene in Prague from classical to Balkan. Since they have moved on you can’t crash on their couch but you can share in their expertise of how to cherish Prague.

This is a special Amateur Traveler episode that talks about the history of the show. It also includes one of the early episodes (episode 9 on Bad Hotels). It was recorded at the Park Royal resort on Cozumel

The Amateur Traveler talks to Diana Higuera who is a native of Venezuela who worked for a number of years as a tour guide on adventure tours to see Venezuela's wildlife and natural beauty. Diana takes us on a virtual tour starting in Margarita island, then heading to the Los Roques archipelago north of Venezuela, then in an indian canoe up the Orinoco river. From there we will head to the tepuis (table top mountains) in Canaima National Park in Venezuela's Amazon basin. There we will see the highest waterfall in the world at Angel Falls. We will also go behind Sapo falls. Along the way we will see birds, monkeys and anacondas. We will fish for piranas, pet crocodiles and eat street food in Venezuela.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Carole Terwilliger Meyers the author of Weekend Adventures in San Francisco and Northern California. Carole comes on the show to talk about California’s traditional wine country of Napa and Sonoma Valleys. This episode focuses primarily on the Napa Valley and the many wineries that can be found there. We explore recreated castles, wine tasting , tours as well as other none wine related sites like mud baths, petrified forests, and the CIA (The Culinary Institute). We talk about restaurants and hotels, picnics and the wine train. Whether you are a connoisseur, a foodie or just a tourist, the Napa Valley has much to offer.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Lisa Lubin of LLWorldTour about her round the world trip which extended from a year to a two and a half year odyssey and a nomadic lifestyle. Lisa talks about her trip but also talks about the various jobs she worked along the way. Why would an Emmy winning TV producer want to work in a coffee shop in Australia, teach English in Germany, become a research assistant in Germany and do PR for a company in Spain?  

The Amateur Traveler talks to Sarah from Whitehorse in the Yukon about that corner of Canada with long winters but dramatic scenery. She tells of of Winter festivals like the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous as well as Summer festivals like Dawson City Music fest, Atlin Arts and Music Fest and the Kluane Mountain Bluegrass Festival. We talk about sporting events like the 24 Hours of Light and Kluane to Chilkat (Haines to Haines) bike races because Sarah says you have to like the outdoors to come to the Yukon. Sarah also gives us some itineraries for road warriors like the Top of the World Highway to Dawson (and the Dempster Highway for the bold among you) and the Golden Circle route into Alaska. We walk the Chilkoot Trail but without the requirement to bring 1,000 pounds of supplies like in the Yukon gold rush. It is the beauty of Kluane National Park that you will remember but strangely enough it was something else that Sarah was looking at when she decided to move to the Yukon.