Truly Expat Travel

Scared to travel alone after 50? So was I. From hiding in a hotel at 21 to driving Sicily solo, here's how I learned to love solo travel, plus my safety tips. This week it's just me, and it's personal. I share how I went from eating dinner alone in my hotel room to making solo dinners my favourite part of any trip. I also cover the fears that nearly stopped me: my age, loneliness an...

Everything You Need to Know About Cruising — The Hacks, the Freebies & Why You're Doing It Wrong If you've ever been cruise-curious but didn't know where to start, this episode is for you. Shannon and Anne from Travel Time Stories with Shannon have cruised everything from Alaska to Iceland and they're sharing the insider knowledge that most people only learn after their fou...

She lives on an island with palm trees, walks to world-class restaurants, and says the mountains are only an hour away. Shannon Bednarova moved to South Carolina's Isle of Palms — and makes a very convincing case that it's the most liveable place in America right now. In this episode: the beaches most visitors never find, the Gullah Geechee food culture that makes Charleston's dinin...

Voted the #1 small city in the world seven times by Condé Nast Traveler. Spring-like weather 365 days a year. A Waldorf Astoria moving in next door. This isn't a fantasy — it's San Miguel de Allende, and today's guest has lived there for 17 years. Greg is a real estate broker and owner of the first Berkshire Hathaway Home Services franchise in all of Mexico. He moved to San Miguel a...

Everyone knows Everest. But Nepal has over 6,000 peaks near 6,000 metres — and most of them have never been climbed. This week, third-generation mountain guide and CEO of Everest Holiday, Shreejan Simkhada (call him Joe), takes us off the tourist trail and into the Nepal that most people never see. From a 1,300-year-old monastery in Upper Mustang to a Christian village tucked into a Buddhist valle...

If you're living in or visiting Singapore and craving an easy escape, you don't have to go far. Host Paula shares her personal experiences on three Indonesian islands you can reach by ferry — perfect for a day trip, a girls' weekend, or a full family getaway. Want to know more about Singapore? Listen to Season 2 Episode 1 - Discovering Singapore: More than just a stopover! Batam is...

Paula sits down with Todd Hata — content creator, food lover, and full-time traveller for the past three to four years — to talk about something every traveller should know more about: hotel loyalty programs. Todd has been working the points system for 25 years, recently hit Hyatt Globalist status, holds Marriott Lifetime Platinum, and has racked up enough nights to know exactly how to get the mos...

If you think Ireland is just about rain and Guinness, this episode will change your mind. Paula sits down with Dani — a Dublin local and founder of Nomadeire— for an insider's guide to one of Europe's most underrated holiday destinations. From wild coastal hikes to cozy pub sessions with live music, Dani shares all the things only locals know that make Dublin and Ireland so special. In t...

Paula is joined by Neil H Solomon — entrepreneur, author, and nomad — who gave up everything in the US in 2018 to travel the world. Now based in Mexico City, his other great love is Medellin, Colombia. In this episode, he breaks down the myths, shares the real numbers on safety, and makes a compelling case for why Medellin belongs on your bucket list. About Neil Neil walked away from a corporate c...

Most people who drive between Melbourne and Sydney take the coastal route — and yes, it's beautiful. But in this episode, Paula reveals the road trip that most Australians have never done: the inland heritage route, through tiny historic towns that most tourists completely overlook. If you want to hear more about what to do in Sydney - listen to Season 2, Episode 14 - Is Sydney Harbour really...

Samoa doesn't usually make the bucket list — but maybe it should. Linda King from The Smart Travelista has visited almost every South Pacific island and says Samoa genuinely surprised her. We get into where to go, what it costs, and what to pack (mosquito repellent — trust us on this one). WHAT WE COVER - Why Samoa is worth your attention — untouched, warm, incredibly welcoming, and not overr...

Airline Status: Lounges, Upgrades & Points Strategy with Tim Lewis Most frequent travellers are so focused on collecting points that they completely overlook airline status — the thing that actually gets you into the lounge, moves you to the front of the boarding queue, and protects you from being bumped or downgraded. This week I'm joined by Tim Lewis, who has spent years mastering the a...

Paula is joined by Camille and Rosalie (friends from way back in Sydney) to talk real talk: 40-degree days in Puglia that wrecked a meticulously planned itinerary, buildings across Europe that simply aren't built for heat, the post-COVID over-tourism explosion, and why they're all rethinking when and where they travel. IN THIS EPISODE  Is Europe genuinely too hot to sightsee in June and...

Paula shares an honest, first-hand Nashville travel guide from her solo 3-day trip — Broadway honky-tonks, the Johnny Cash Museum, a Jack Daniel's Distillery tour, must-try food, and the mistakes she wishes she'd avoided. This episode contains affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS Getting Around & Where t...

Belize has the second-largest barrier reef on the planet, Mayan caves you can swim inside, jaguars in protected jungle, and one of the most surprisingly multicultural societies on earth — and most travellers have never even considered it. This week, Simo D, a Canadian expat who moved his young family to the Placencia Peninsula in 2022, gives us his unfiltered insider guide to visiting Belize. In T...

Slow travel or fast travel — which style actually fits your life right now? Paula sits down with returning guests Deborah De Reeper and Jo Hunter for an honest panel conversation about how travel changes as we get older, why the "travel while you can" message might be doing us a disservice, and where to actually go instead of the obvious hotspots. In this episode Empty nesters on travel...

Think KL is just a stopover? Think again. Paula Barnes lived in Kuala Lumpur for three years and is here to tell you why it's one of the most underrated cities in Southeast Asia — great food, incredible shopping, rich multicultural culture, and easy day trips all within reach. In This Episode Why the bus from Singapore beats flying Best areas to eat, shop and explore — Bukit Bintang, KLCC, Ba...

Have you ever dreamed of tracking mountain gorillas through a UNESCO World Heritage rainforest, tasting food wrapped in banana leaves, or watching chimpanzees leap through the treetops? In this episode, host Paula Barnes sits down with Lynett , a Uganda-based travel expert with over 10 years in the tourism industry, to uncover why Uganda — the Pearl of Africa — should be at the top of every travel...

What does it actually take to visit 50+ countries without draining your bank account? John Johnston of The Bucket List Things has been doing exactly that — chasing bucket list adventures across Africa, South America, the Baltic States, and beyond, all on a budget most people spend on a single resort vacation. In this episode, John breaks down his entire approach to affordable adventure travel: how...

In this episode of the Truly Expat Travel Podcast, Paula Barnes speaks with Canadian expat Keltie Maguire, who has been living in Munich, Germany for over eight years. Keltie shares her fascinating journey from Vancouver to Sydney and eventually settling in Munich with her husband, as well as the life-changing decisions that shaped her career, identity, and her podcast The Kids Are Childfree . We...

🎙️ Is Sydney the Most Beautiful Harbour in the World? 🇦🇺 Ultimate Sydney Travel Guide + 7-Day Itinerary In this episode, Paula shares a local’s perspective on Sydney—the city she grew up in—and breaks down exactly how to experience it like you live there, not like a tourist. If you're planning a trip to Sydney (or dreaming about one), this is your complete 5–7 day itinerary , packed with icon...

Join host Paula Barnes as she dives into innovative travel strategies that can transform your trips — from time-saving hacks to must-have apps for planning and on-the-go. In this episode, Paula chats with Michelle from Intentional Travelers about tools and tips to make your travel smoother and more intentional. Key topics: The importance of innovative travel hacks that saved time and effort Essent...

If flying feels overwhelming, exhausting, or like you're starting from scratch every single trip — this episode is for you. This week I'm joined by Phoenyx from Phoenyx Travels — a content creator and accessible travel expert who has built a reputation for honest, practical advice for disabled, chronically ill, neurodivergent and sensory-sensitive travellers. We're talking about her...

You've landed somewhere new. The bags are unpacked. And then comes the question every travelling family knows too well — so what do we actually do here? This week I'm back with Julie Talbot — British ex-expat turned global nomad — who after 12 years in the UAE took the leap into full-time family travel with her husband and children. She's worldschooling her kids, running a UK proper...

Most people planning a trip to Holland for tulip season get the timing wrong. They book Keukenhof, they show up, and they either miss the peak bloom entirely or find themselves shoulder to shoulder with thousands of other tourists wondering why it doesn't look like the photos. Sound familiar? This week I'm joined by Gerrit from Hidden Holland — a specialist in Dutch travel and someone wh...