Curious Tourism: Responsible Travel Podcast

Erin and Kattie share their takeaways from the last year, and take some time to appreciate the Pals that made a huge impact on them throughout 2021.  If you're a fan of the show, don't forget to subscribe, rate and review Curious Tourism: Responsible Travel Podcast! Read Erin's award-winning blog: https://pinatravels.org/ Follow us on social media @curioustourismpod Subscribe to Kattie's podcastin...

When you look on social media there’s tons of content that shows you glamorous, relaxing, and flawless travel. But as we all know, social media is a highlight reel. The reality? Travel sometimes goes a little wrong. From missed flights to bouts of food poisoning, most of us are guaranteed to face some trials and tribulations on our travels.  Erin chats with friends Zac and Lauren all about the tra...

Solo travel can make a massive impact on your sense of confidence and independence. Lots of women travel solo for this reason, and they span across all ages and backgrounds. In fact, according to a 2020 report, 47% of travelers with Overseas Adventure Travel are registered as ‘solo' - and 85% of these solo travelers are women . In this episode, we chat with Charlotte Simpson, aka Traveling Black W...

When Westerners travel to India, they occasionally experience culture shock that can feel overwhelming. In some cases, the experience of being immersed in a new place becomes too much. “India Syndrome,” a psychosis said to effect Westerners seeking spiritual enlightenment in India, has been cited as the cause behind the disappearance and deaths of travellers in India... but is "India Syndrome" rea...

Women are often told that they shouldn’t travel alone. We’re warned that it’s dangerous, and we need to be careful. But this doesn’t mean that women shouldn’t travel. And in fact, by traveling, women can challenge the status quo.  We chat with Juvena Huang, who wanders the world by scooter. As a young woman, she rode 44,000 kilometres across 25 countries, from Singapore to Europe, on her trusty Ve...

There are just two northern white rhinos left in the world. Staggering rates of illegal hunting for its horn have led to its (almost certain) extinction in the wild.  The rise of conservation tourism, or, safaris, is one way that tourists can support species that are going extinct. But how effective is conservation tourism?  James Mwenda joins the podcast to tell us about conservation and our role...

The decisions we make as travelers impact more than just us. Our travels impact the communities we visit, in different ways, from economic, to even political. And nowadays, health is a major factor, too.  Erin is joined by JoAnna Haugen, a solutions-oriented writer, editor, and public speaker who works at the intersection of sustainable travel, environmental conservation, and community-based advoc...

After 30 years of feeling stuck, Andrew Steven attempted to get in shape for a month-long backpacking trip through the Sierra Nevadas. Looking at his career for inspiration, Andrew finds an unlikely revelation by imagining his life’s narrative arc. But after a death in the family, he found himself in a story of repeating loss. Trail Weight chronicles Andrew’s journey as he narrates a year of his l...

It's been 18 months without travel. We joined Amanda Kendle from the Thoughtful Travel podcast to have an honest and vulnerable discussion about what life without travel has been like. We talk about how Canada and Australia have handled the pandemic differently, share lessons we've learned throughout the pandemic, and talk about how we're coping without travel. The Thoughtful Travel Podcast with A...

It’s been feeling like the travel industry is slowly but surely coming back to life. But we can’t help but feel a little cynical about this return to travel.  The pandemic is still raging around the world, we're facing the growing consequences of a climate crisis, and we're continuing to grapple with inequity in our communities. It seems more important than ever to make sure that when we travel, w...

We're back in your feed for a bonus episode! Erin and Kattie answer your questions about responsible travel, culture shock, revenge travel, the podcast, and more! Plus, we tell you about some of the episodes you can expect to hear in Season 4. If you're a fan of the show, don't forget to subscribe, rate and review Curious Tourism: Responsible Travel Podcast! Read Erin's award-winning blog: https:/...

What is colonialism, neocolonialism, and ethnocentrism, and how do these "isms" intersect with travel? Guest Sojourner White joins Erin to unpack these three isms, and explain how and why they are relevant to travelers.  Sojourner is an international social worker and travel blogger, and she hosts an Instagram TV series called “Let’s Unpack That.” In every video she unpacks the meaning behind a te...

Erin is joined by Jess Brooks to talk about tour groups! Tour operators sometimes get flack for their practices, but others seem to be doing a good job when it comes to responsible and sustainable practices. Erin and Jess discuss the impact that group travel has on our planet, and give tips for figuring out which tour operators deserve our dollars. GUEST: Jess Brooks is the founder of Eternal Land...

Grief is something that all of us will experience in life. Erin, host of Alpaca My Bags, has experienced grief several times in her life. Two of those times, the loss happened right before she was meant to travel. And somehow, traveling really helped her to heal. In this episode we're joined by Andrew Steven, the host of the new podcast Trail Weight . The show chronicles Andrew’s adventure of self...

Traveling often means changes in our routines, unpredictable moments, new sights, new languages, and new sounds. While all of us are likely familiar with these challenges on some level, for autistic people, they can be especially tough.  In this episode, we’re exploring how the Autism spectrum impacts travel. We're joined by Jenni, a California based photographer who was formally diagnosed with Au...

The idea of India being tough for Western travelers to prepare for is a common narrative. It's known as a place where most travelers will face culture shock. In this episode of Alpaca My Bags, we're exploring these perceptions with one of our listeners, Anuj! We discuss the stereotyped perceptions of India that are held by foreigners, and we explore the diversity of India - from it's languages to...

South East Asia is extremely popular amongst backpackers, typically because it doesn’t cost much to get there, there is plenty of tourism infrastructure, there are lots of opportunities to party, and most of all - you can travel there on a small budget. But there are tons of stories of tourists being arrested or deported for disrespectful behaviour, or even breaking laws. In this episode, Saphire...

It's been one full year since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. To mark this anniversary, we brought Emily Scott, registered nurse, science educator, and travel blogger, back on Alpaca My Bags to discuss the COVID-19 measures, vaccines, and the future of travel. For Emily, this was the year that she stopped traveling. Instead, she found herself treating the first COVID-19 patient in the USA, and...

Who do you see when you scroll popular travel hashtags on Instagram, or turn on Netflix to watch a travel show? Does your travel media include diverse voices, stories, videos, and images?  Today, we're unpacking representation in travel media with return guest Zac Schraeder. We break down why representation matters, how diverse and inclusive media can benefit marginalized communities, and what tra...

Have you ever visited a place, and fallen so in love that you think to yourself "I never ever want to leave this place"? What is it like to drop your life in your home country, and move to a place because it just feels right?  We’re chatting with Erin's BFF, Philip Mak, who left everything behind in Canada to work in luxury fashion in London, England. We discuss what happened, his experience with...

When you're a kid, vacations are carefree. You don't need to worry about booking tickets, hotels, or flights - Parents take care of all that! So what is like to be a parent in charge of coordinating a trip for a whole family? Kathryn from the travel blog KathrynAnywhere joins us to discuss traveling with her two children, and answer the burning questions us kid-less travelers have about family tra...

The way that we travel and experience the world is in part shaped by our identities. Our experiences can be impacted by our ethnic, racial, gender, and sexual identities. And today, we’re learning what it’s like to travel as a LGBTQ+ couple. Traveling as a queer couple can bring up a lot of questions, like: Is the queer community safe where we want to travel? Should we hold hands? What countries a...

Many of us have felt it. That sick feeling that seeps into your stomach. You anxiously wonder if your alarm clock will wake you up in time to catch that early morning flight. Or you feel intense anxiety about whether you’ll be safe exploring a new city on your own. How do we manage anxiety and mental health when we’re abroad? We’re digging into the relationship between travel and mental health wit...

#VanLife has been used over 8 million times on Instagram. But, outdoor media is super white. We're diving into #vanlife with Noami Grevemberg, the founder of Diversify Vanlife . She has been living nomadically for almost five years. We discuss how the lifestyle is often idealized, and the importance of diversifying the nomad community. --- Guest: Noami Grevemberg - @irietoaurora https://irietoauro...

Our experiences of travel are all unique. As we’ve explored often on this show, our travel experiences can be impacted by so many different factors. So how has a diagnosis of a chronic illness impacted one woman’s experience of travel? Our guest Brittany is the woman behind the blog “The Travelling MS,” where she shares travel content as well as insight into how MS has impacted her approach to tra...