Travel That Matters

Including a long list of restaurants in New Orleans, Nina Compton (James Beard award winning Saint Lucian chef currently living in New Orleans and 2nd place winner of Top Chef) gives listeners of this "Travel That Matters" episode countless travel tips for culinary destinations, including Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. As Saint Lucia is her home country, she dives deep into tast...

Hawaii, Burgundy, Australia, and California are just some of the places internationally known chef, TV host, entrepreneur, New York Times best-selling author and chef-owner Curtis Stone talks about on this episode of "Travel That Matters" with award-winning travel writer and editor Bruce Wallin. Curtis shares insider tips on all the amazing, unknown places in Australia he’s been to and what's spec...

Gregory Gourdet is an American chef, writer, restaurateur, and former finalist on the twelfth and seventeenth seasons of Top Chef. His first restaurant Kann was named America’s best new restaurant at the 2023 James Beard awards. Gregory shares his experience on Top Chef and how it inspired him to travel around the world. We also get a sneak peek of his work guiding global travel experiences with M...

Gail Simmons has served as a permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef since the show’s inception in 2006. She is also a food journalist, cookbook author, mother of two, and avid global traveler. In this episode, we hear some of Gail Simmon’s insights on judging Top Chef contestants and dishes, but she mainly talks about how travel has shaped her career and life. We learn about her t...

Highly decorated chef and owner of prestigious restaurants all over the world Daniel Boulud starts off this episode of Travel That Matters by telling us what and how he prepared one of the best meals host Bruce ever had the night before this interview was recorded. The two go on to discuss Daniel’s experience working in a variety of Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe as well as why Daniel thin...

In this episode, Amanda Freitag, well known for being a judge on Food Network’s “Chopped,” shares what unique item she collects during her travels around the world, her experiences as a chef, what restaurant was getting live frogs in a box in the morning and selling out before end of day, what she appreciates about Italian food that might surprise you, where she wants to travel to next, her sugges...

Travel That Matters is back! The first episode of the brand-new Master Chef series features Marcus Samuelsson, an award-winning chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, philanthropist and food activist. Marcus shares with us what he eats at ballpark stadiums, where goes to buy his spices and sauces in LA, and the differences in food and culinary scenes across the continent of Africa. Marcus also share...

From planes to plates, this special podcast season of  Travel That Matters with Bruce Wallin, award-winning travel editor, takes you on a culinary adventure around the globe. This brand-new Master Chef series features some of the best chefs and food personalities in the world and the global ventures that shaped them all. You’ll hear what it takes to create stunning hand-made pasta from the disting...

Philippe starts by sharing his favorite family destination, the little-known Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean. Part of Mauritius, Rodrigues is a rare find in today’s world, a place that has truly preserved its historic culture, beautiful land- and seascapes, and laid-back island lifestyle. Next, Philippe talks about a decision he and his wife made when their two sons were young. They created a...

New York Times travel columnist Elaine Glusac is an expert at something that has become increasingly essential for travelers: finding the best alternatives to the world’s most popular destinations. She joins Bruce to dive into the top spots for experiencing everything we love about over-touristed spots—minus the crowds. Elaine starts by giving us a behind-the-scenes look into the New York Times’ “...

We might as well call this “The Big Book of Mexico” episode, because it’s filled with a lifetime of adventures, insider spots, and authentic luxury hotels throughout the country. Our guest is Zachary Rabinor, the founder and president of Journey Mexico, a unique luxury travel company that takes clients far beyond the country’s well-known beach destinations. Not that he does...

CEO of Six Senses Hotels, Resorts & Spas and sustainability pioneer Neil Jacobs leads us on a journey to Oman, Israel, Brazil, India, and beyond, as he explores some of his company’s off-the-beaten-path properties—and how each is making sustainable tourism fun in its own unique way.  Neil, who speaks six different languages, is an ideal guide for a global journey. He speaks wi...

As the vice president and global leader of luxury and lifestyle brands for Hyatt, Crystal Vinisse Thomas has her fingers on the pulse of all things trending in the travel industry. She’s also a trendsetter herself, with an energy, style, and creativity that have helped her become one of the youngest and most dynamic leaders in luxury travel (and prompted Bruce to dub her the “Punk Rock...

Geoffrey Kent has likely done more to shape what modern luxury travel looks like than anyone else. Dating back to 1962—when he founded Abercrombie & Kent and started leading the first photographic safaris in Africa—he has been a pioneer of new destinations and new ways of traveling. Sixty years later, he’s still leading the way and discovering new places to explore.  Geo...

Space tourism is a hot topic in travel these days, but what exactly is space tourism? Jane Poynter, the co-founder and -CEO of Space Perspective, give us the low-down on the realities of space tourism today—and how the facts in this case might be even better than the fantasy. Poynter’s career in space tourism stems from her time as one of the original team members of Biosphere 2, an ex...

Onboard a 20-passenger yacht off the coast of Española Island in the Galapagos, Bruce interviews local expert, conservationist, and CEO of the luxury expedition company Ecoventura, Santiago Dunn. In this special episode, Dunn discusses the treasures and adventures that make the Galapagos islands one of the world’s most sought-after destinations—and how to make your trip exceed e...

This week, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund CEO Dr. Tara Stoinski joins Bruce to discuss the fascinating scientific and conservation work the organization does in the mountains of Rwanda, as well as the fund’s brand-new Ellen DeGeneres Campus—a facility that will not only change how we study and protect mountain gorillas but also enhance what is already one of the world’s epic travel exp...

Bruce Poon Tip is the founder of G Adventures, the world’s largest small-group travel company, which takes some 200,000 travelers annually on trips ranging from luxury yachting expeditions for boomers to hostel backpacking excursions for millennials. No matter how different each itinerary may look, they all revolve around the same core themes: cultural immersion, benefiting local communities...

 In honor of Super Bowl LVI this week, sports expert and New York Times best-selling author of Fans, Larry Olmsted, discusses the world’s ultimate sporting events and how they can provide some of the most insightful cultural experiences for travelers. In this episode, Olmsted shares his favorite (and least favorite) events, ranging from the Super Bowl, to the Kentucky Derby, the Women&r...

ROAR AFRICA founder, women’s rights activist, and conservationist Deborah Calmeyer shares how her fascinating childhood in Zimbabwe inspired an equally interesting career creating some of Africa’s greatest safaris. Calmeyer’s stories—which include tales about growing up with a lioness as a pet, designing safaris for clients like Robert Redford, and having a near-death exper...

In 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway, Tommy Moe became the first U.S. male skier to win two medals in the same Olympics—one Gold, the other Silver. But Moe is much more than just one of the greatest downhillers in history; he is also a fun-loving free-skiing enthusiast and a pioneer of heliskiing in his adopted home state of Alaska. As someone who has skied just about everywhere for fun and sport,...

Travel That Matters is taking a short break for the holiday season! We’ll be returning January 11th, 2022 with all new episodes airing every other week. Until then, enjoy episodes from Season 1 and share your favorite inspiring, life changing, or maybe just little known special places you’ve discovered on your travels with Bruce at Bruce@curtco.com  or @TravelWithBruce on Twitter....

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts President Radha Arora is one of the most influential people in travel. He’s also a true connoisseur of global cuisine, and in this episode, he speaks with Bruce about some of his favorite dining destinations and go-to spots worldwide.   Arora begins by giving us an insider’s view on a place he practically considers home: Paris. Rather than the fa...

Journeys to remote destinations like Antarctica, the Arctic, and Papua New Guinea are already ultimate adventures. Add a private superyacht to the equation, and those adventures soar to a whole new level. Such trips are the specialty of EYOS Expeditions, whose CEO, Ben Lyons, speaks to Bruce about these incredible journeys, his own personal adventures, and his passion for the extreme regions EOS e...

For some travelers, visiting a destination isn’t just about what they can experience, but about the specific goals they set out to achieve while there. Bruce calls it Accomplishment Travel—a term he coined to describe the one-of-a-kind adventures of his friend and fellow journalist Jackie Caradonio. The daughter of a hotel general manager, Jackie grew up in hotels, but it was at childh...