The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your wanderlust

Merry Christmas to you all and welcome back to our Summer Series!This week, we're talking tropics, taking you to Tahiti and Papua New Guinea. Co-host Kirstie Bedford talks about attending Tahiti's first annual yoga festival – a chance to find her Zen and connect with culture in this tropical paradise. Listen to festival founder Rani Chaves talk about what makes Tahiti such a unique destination for a yoga festival, and how yoga can be so healing, and you'll hear from leading international yoga teacher and instructor Elka Haeckel about how what you do on the mat can transform your entire mindset.In our second interview, 4km from Australia, PNG is our closest, and also our least explored neighbour. Australian musician and composer David Bridie talks about his connection with PNG, which spans four decades. A founding member of Not Drowning, Waving, David first visited PNG in 1986; he is now an initiated Tolai man, returning more than 40 times, for work and to visit friends who've become family in Rabaul, Bougainville and Manus Island, as documented in the film Abebe; see davidbridie.com Send us a textSupport the showVisit us at https://theworldawaits.au

Welcome to the first of our Summer Series!This week, we’re taking you to Africa, a bucket list destination for those who want to see the Big Five or wander the pyramids of Giza.First up, co-host Belle Jackson, a frequent visitor and former resident of Egypt in northeast Africa, takes you to the many museums, explains the best way to see the pyramids, and shares the top three things to do in Cairo.Then we chat to Ivona Siniarska, founder of Take Off Go and Africa expert, who has visited 40 times about the best places to go on safari, where to start for first-timers, and how to ensure you’re travelling in a way that’s right by the wildlife. Send us a textSupport the showVisit us at https://theworldawaits.auSend us a textSupport the showVisit us at https://theworldawaits.au

Shopping for the traveller in your life this Christmas? Tune in as our tech hound and sound producer Alaisdair Leith teams up with host Belle Jackson to bring you our best last-minute gifts. Also, get planning for your 2026 travels and get holiday maxxing - the art of maximising public holidays to get more time away, without the pay cut. Our Christmas wishlist includes three great Australian designed products from Belle and Alaisdair's Techxmas trio, with a bonus cheapie perfect for summer holidays.Zoomlite Glide top-opening suitcase Ditch the space-hogging clamshell suitcase with this Australian-designed case, a smooth-wheeling, hard shell that opens with a lid (and the traditional clam). In  in seven colours and three sizes including the Glide Lite, Australia's lightest carry-on wheeled case, at 2kg, zoomlite.com.au Bahama Flexibraid Fedora travel hat: Crushable, water resistant, UPF50+, packs flat and stylish, this fedora hides bad hair days and protects your skin on your travels, tinamcopenhagen.com.au Lake Eyre 100% Silk Scarf Take a piece of Australia on your travels with this large format silk scarf featuring the aerial photography of Australian grazier David Taylor, australiascape.com.au Timekettle Translation Earbuds Lost in translation? Translate 42 languages with these earbud, one for each speaker, and the earbud will translate both ways! timekettle.co Baseus Universal Travel Adaptor Charge your phone, watch and laptop all with the one charger, all around the world; includes USB C and USB A ports. In black or white, baseus.comVacbird Travel Bags For the overpacker in your life, these vacuum compression bags come with the tiniest, USB-powered vacuum. Great for stuffing your daybag full, without the bulk vacbird.com and a bonus cheapie that's the best little buy...Torras waterproof phone pouch Before you jump into that lazy river or dive deep in the Maldives, the Torras holds your earbuds, your keys and it floats! Also, touchproof through the watercasing, torraslife.comSend us a textSupport the showVisit us at https://theworldawaits.au

Are you sick of the day-to-day grind and dream of becoming a digital nomad in Italy?This week's pod is for you!  We are chatting to editor and travel writer Carrie Hutchinson who just spent the Australian winter working remotely in Sicily. She explains what the experience was like and provides some of her top tips so you can follow in her footsteps.We also have the lowdown from ex-flight attendant and beauty expert Danielle Louise from Fresha app on the healthiest places to sit on a plane.And, love a bit of luxury but not the top-end price? We run through some affordable five-star stays that'll have you living the high life without breaking the bank.Mr & Mrs Smith budget boutique hotels can be found here: https://www.mrandmrssmith.com/collections/budget-boutique-hotelsSend us a textSupport the showVisit us at https://theworldawaits.au

Are the Maldives worth the hype? This episode, co-host Belle Jackson talks about her most recent visit to the island nation.We're talking about the food, the different types of resorts, their sustainability and, of course, whale sharks. Belle stayed at Niyama Private Islands Maldives for the surfing; niyama.com & Avani+ Fares Maldives for the whale sharks; avanihotels.com/en/fares-maldives Also, travel comparison and booking platform Omio shares some tips for Travel Tuesday, such as knowing your prices beforehand, get your logins and sign up to newsletters! See omio.com And are Australians prepared to go broke for a break? Stay tuned... https://www.finder.com.au/news/action-to-afford-holiday-2025Kirstie's story on https://karryon.com.au/luxury/overtourism-in-africa-help-or-hinder/ Finally, let's start a tea party! Tell us - do you pack tea bags when you travel? Belle's story in the Sydney Morning Herald: https://www.theage.com.au/traveller/inspiration/i-didn-t-want-coffee-so-my-1000-a-night-resort-gave-me-cheap-tea-bags-20251107-p5n8h9.html Send us a textSupport the showVisit us at https://theworldawaits.au