Strange Old World

Looking for some unusual attractions in Bangkok , Thailand? Look no further. In this episode, we talk to expert travel writer and house DJ Barbara Woolsey. Barbara is a culture and travel writer who splits her time between Bangkok and Berlin. She has authored several Lonely Planet Thailand guides and covered the country for Atlas Obscura , Thrillist and more . Barbara is also as DJ (known as Babxi...

Looking for unusual attractions in Marrakech , Morocco? Look no further. In this ep, we talk to writer, podcaster and travel consultant Mandy Sinclair. When Mandy relocated to Marrakech in 2011, she launched a travel blog and podcast called Why Morocco . She also founded Tasting Marrakech , offering food and cultural tours of the city. While Mandy no longer lives in Marrakech, she often returns an...

Looking for some unusual attractions in Andalusia , Spain? Look no further. In this episode, we talk to local Andalusia travel blogger Molly Sears-Piccavey. Originally from Nottingham, England, Molly has lived in Spain since 1998 and now resides in Granada, Andalusia. She is fluent in Spanish and is passionate about local gastronomy, history and culture. Read her blog at piccavey.com or reserve on...

Looking for unusual attractions in Amsterdam , Netherlands? Look no further. In this episode, we talk to local travel YouTuber and blogger Jessica Cutrufello. Jessica runs the YouTube channel A Wanderlust for Life — as well as the blog of the same name . She relocated from the mountains of Virginia to the lowlands of the Netherlands in 2014. Having called Amsterdam home for the last decade, she is...

Looking for strange attractions in Lagos & Yorubaland ? Look no further. In this episode, we talk to local travel journalist and tour guide Pelu Awofeso. Pelu is a culture and travel writer and contributor to Lonely Planet and Medium . A winner at the CNN Multichoice African Journalist Awards in travel reporting, Pelu is also the author of several Nigeria travel books — his latest, One for the...

Looking for unusual attractions in Florence , Italy? Look no further. In this episode, we talk to local expert and travel journalist Nicky Swallow. A musician by training, Nicky Swallow first moved to Florence in 1981 to play in the opera orchestra. She tried bruschetta drizzled with newly-pressed, grass green olive oil early on, and was hooked. She has been writing about Florence for the past 20...

Looking for some unusual attractions in Lisbon , Portugal? Look no further. In this episode, we talk to local expert Ann Abel, senior writer at Forbes Travel . Ann Abel is an American travel writer who’s now called Lisbon home for nearly seven years. She’s travelled to more than one hundred countries and written for publications including Forbes, Robb Report, Departures, Condé Nast and Afar. In th...

Looking for some unusual attractions in Ljubljana , Slovenia? Look no further. In this episode, we talk to local expert Mark Baker, writer for Lonely Planet . Mark Baker is a travel writer, blogger and author with a penchant for offbeat stories and forgotten places. Originally from the United States, he now calls Prague home. In addition to writing Lonely Planet Slovenia , he’s also the author of...

Looking for some unusual attractions in Tokyo , Japan? Look no further. In this episode, we talk to local expert and freelance writer David McElhinney. David is a Northern Irish journalist and editor based in Tokyo and Belfast. Since first moving to Japan in 2018, he’s written travel articles — as well as pieces on Japanese art, culture and current affairs — for the likes of Lonely Planet, Tokyo W...

Looking for some unusual attractions in Tbilisi , Georgia? Look no further. In this episode, we talk to local expert Emily Lush, blogger at Wander-Lush . Emily Lush is an Australian writer and photographer who has lived in Georgia since 2020. Her travel blog, Wander-Lush, is the internet's most comprehensive resource for travelling in Georgia and the South Caucasus. Her work has also appeared in p...

Looking for some unusual attractions in Prague , Czech Republic? Look no further. In this episode, we talk to local expert and freelance journalist Mark Pickering. Mark moved to Prague 14 years ago to teach English and eat his body weight in fried cheese. When he's not babbling excitedly to students about literature, he writes travel and lifestyle articles for the likes of The Guardian and VICE, d...

Looking for some unusual attractions in Istanbul , Turkey? Look no further. In this episode, we talk to local expert Pat Yale, author of Following Miss Bell . After a career in the travel industry, Pat became a Turkey guidebook writer for Lonely Planet. She lived for almost 20 years in a cave house in Cappadocia, but now resides in Istanbul. Her new book Following Miss Bell: Travels Around Turkey...

Looking for some unusual attractions in Oslo , Norway? Look no further. In this episode, we talk to local expert Jason Moore, host of Zero to Travel . After a decade on the road as a nomad — before it was cool — US-born Jason moved to Norway and created the top-rated Zero To Travel Podcast (10 million downloads, 700+ Five Star Reviews). In it, he shares thoughtful interviews, unconventional perspe...

Looking for some unusual attractions in London , England? Look no further. In this episode, we’re talking to local expert Will Noble, features editor for Londonist . As well as writing and editing articles for Londonist, Will has also written for the likes of CNN Travel and The Independent. He loves exploring all corners of the capital, but especially its pubs, comedy scene and his hometown of Cro...

This is a trailer for Strange Old World, a travel podcast that celebrates the weird and wonderful in the world’s most historic cities — from Athens to Zhengzhou. Every fortnight, a local travel expert will reveal some of the peculiar sights, offbeat activities, bizarre traditions and downright-odd delicacies that make their hometown tick. The first episode is out next Tuesday 7th November 2023 — s...