The Travel Diaries

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.
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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.