Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast

This Week in Travel was a podcast that was in production from 2009 to 2020. In this reunion episode of This Week in Travel (dubbed "This Decade in Travel"), the original hosts, Gary Arndt, Chris Christensen, and Jen Leo, reconnect after a long hiatus. They share life updates and reminisce about their past travels and podcasting adventures. ... https://amateurtraveler.com/this-week-in-travel-reunio...

Hear about travel to the Laikipia region of Kenya as the Amateur Traveler talks to Shaun Stanley from Stanley Safaris about one of his favorite African destinations. Why should you visit the Laikipia region? Shaun says, "Kenya as a whole is one of the most popular safari destinations in Africa. That's where the safari basically originated. That comes with its own problems in the form of too many t...

Hear about travel to Normandy, France as the Amateur Traveler talks to Kat Butler from World Wide Honeymoon and France Voyager about this historic and wonderful part of France. Why should you go to Normandy? Kay says, "Normandy, I think, just offers so much. My road trip, that I did last year, was literally to prove that there was so much more to Normandy than the D-Day beaches. You've got Mont Sa...

Hear about driving the Romantic Road in Germany as the Amateur Traveler talks to Leland and Crissy Walker about their trip through medieval villages, walled towns, thermal spas, and breweries. Why should you drive the Romantic Road? Crissy says, " I would recommend sending someone on the Romantic Road because it's like stepping back in time. It felt like a fairy tale. I would not have been surpris...

In this bonus episode of Amateur Traveler, we discuss issues associated with living abroad.  My Guest Justin Burns, a part-time resident of the Canary Islands, joins us to share his experience of living abroad. He talks about the practical aspects of relocating to a foreign country, from navigating visa options to adjusting to life in a new place. Whether you're considering a move overseas or just...

Hear about travel to the state of Georgia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Lesli Peterson from 365 Atlanta Traveler about the state where she grew up. Why should you go to the state of Georgia? Lesli says, "I love Georgia because I am an outdoor person, and Georgia's got this great city. Everybody talks about Atlanta. Atlanta is fantastic. I'll tell you why I think it's most fantastic. But, it als...

Hear about traveling to Lubbock and Amarillo, Texas, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jill Robbins about her favorite part of the state she calls home.  Why should you visit Lubbock and Amarillo? Jill says, "Amarillo and Lubbock are both smaller cities. I don't like the word off the beaten path or hidden gem, but these are just great little slices of Texas and they both really showcase the unique...

In this first bonus episode of Amateur Traveler, we discuss how and why to travel solo, even if you are not single. My Guest: Beth Santos is the founder and CEO of Wanderful, a global community and lifestyle brand that aims to empower and connect women who travel. She is also the author of Wander Woman, in which she shares insights and advice on solo travel, particularly for women. Beth focuses on...

Hear about travel to Romania and Northern Hungary as the Amateur Traveler talks to Lisa VanderVeen about her recent Intrepid trip to the area. Why should you go to Romania? Lisa says, "Romania is much more than Dracula and Vlad Tepes, though I will confess that was my initial draw to the country. It's got a great diversity of landscape and a multi layered history going way, way back. And then also...

Hear about travel to Northeast Florida as the Amateur Traveler talks to Angie Orth from Angie Away about her hometown and the area around it. Why should someone go to Northeast Florida? Angie says, "So many reasons. People come to Florida for a lot of different reasons. Mostly theme parks, maybe swamps, alligators, Miami. Those are the things when I meet people around the world that they think Flo...

Hear about a road trip at the top of the world in Northern Norway as the Amateur Traveler talks to Torunn Tronsvang from Up Norway about this scenic but remote destination. Why should you go to Northern Norway? Torunn says, "There are so many good reasons why one should go to Northern Norway, and I think just as an introduction to Norway, I think it's worth mentioning the trend now of cool cations...

Hear about travel to the Maldives in the Indian Ocean as the Amateur Traveler talks to David Brodie from Travel in 10 about his experience in this tropical paradise. Why should you go to the Maldives? "I think it's a place that a lot of people have probably seen influencer videos or postcards of the luxury resorts that are there. And it does have. probably some of the most luxurious island resorts...

Hear about travel to the region of Castile and León in Spain as the Amateur Traveler talks to Ethan Witthun about the region where he studied abroad. Day 1: Avila Morning: Walk the Murallas (Walls): Start early to walk along the medieval walls of Avila, known for being one of the most complete medieval walls in Spain. Purchase an Avila card online for easy access and an audio guide. Visit the Cath...

Hear about travel to Afghanistan as the Amateur Traveler talks to bigger and adventure tour guide Sibu Szymanowska about this adventurous destination, even for her. Why should you go to Afghanistan? Sibu says, "Because we are very influenced by what we see in the media nowadays and it is definitely one of those countries that will end up shocking you. But not Shocking you in a negative way, but sh...

Hear about travel to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jo Clark from Have Glass, Will Travel about her hometown. Why should someone go to Myrtle Beach? Jo says, "Myrtle Beach is on the Grand Strand as we call it. It's on the coast of South Carolina and we are in the midst of 60 miles of gorgeous beach. Nice and wide. No rocks. I mean you can walk for miles and miles. It...

Hear about travel the Great West Way from London to Bristol as the Amateur Traveler talks to Penny Sadler, who writes Adventures of a Carry-on, about her recent trip to Southwest England. Penny Sadler is a freelance writer covering wine, food, travel, and lifestyle topics. Her work has appeared in CNBC Travel, Culture Magazine, Matador Network, InsideHook, The Alcohol Professor, Vintner Project, T...

Hear about travel to India including the Golden Triangle as the Amateur Traveler talks to Nir ben Dov from Israel about his recent trip to the subcontinent. Why should you go to India? "I've gone to India many times over the past 20 25 years and it's a place that I've grown to love and love to hate it's a strange place. It's a place with its own character not for everyone But a very intriguing, pl...

Hear about travel to Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo as the Amateur Traveler talks to Justin Barnes about his recent trip to the Balkans. Why should someone go to the Balkans? Justin says, "It's a fascinating intersection of the East and West. It's been shaped by history over many different iterations from the Greeks to the Illyrians to the Byzantines to the Ottomans. And whenever you have a...

Hear about travel to the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna as the Amateur Traveler talks to Keith Jenkins from VelvetEscape.com who keeps returning to this unvisited gem. Why should you go to Emilia-Romagna? Keith says, "I think most people will know about the Products that come from there, the food, even the cars, maybe some of the cities, but they would just not associate that with the name Emili...

Hear about cruising the waters of Alaska and British Columbia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Susan Portnoy about her recent experience on a Hurtigruten expedition ship. Why should you do this cruise? Susan says, "I think it's not going to be for everybody. It is a long journey. It's 18 days. That is music to my heart, but may not be for everyone. But it's also more intrepid. It's not the kind of...

Hear about travel to Newport, Rhode Island as the Amateur Traveler talks to Phil Roberson about this city that was one of the 5 largest in the American colonies.  Why should you visit Newport? Phile says, "There's a lot of reasons to want to come here, but if you love the ocean, if you love the Gilded Age kind of life if you love history, especially, there's just a lot to see in Newport." Based on...

Hear about travel to the Jaén province of Andalucia Spain as the Amateur Traveler talks to Molly Sears-Piccavey who lives in Andalucia. Molly says, “Jaén is a province in western Andalucia that is not really very known or associated with tourism. If we take southern Spain the western side of Andalucia which is Granada, Cordoba, Jaén, and Almería are not as touristic perhaps as the side of Andaluci...

Hear about travel to Northern Morocco as the Amateur Traveler talks to 5 listeners of the show who joined this year's trip to explore the medinas and other features of the country. The Intrepid Travel North Morocco Adventure tour offers an immersive exploration of Northern Morocco, rich with cultural experiences, historical landmarks, and breathtaking landscapes. Below is a detailed day-by-day iti...

Hear about travel to Southern Morocco as the Amateur Traveler talks to Ady from Hit The Road Music Studio about an area he fell in love with while touring it in a mobile recording studio. Ady recommends a detailed itinerary for a week-long trip exploring Southern Morocco, starting and ending in Marrakesh. Here’s a breakdown of the suggested trip: Day 1: Marrakesh Arrive in Marrakesh and spend the...

Hear about travel to the country Palau as the Amateur Traveler talks to Randy Rohrer about his recent kayak and scuba safari to this tropical paradise.  Why should you go to Palau? Randy says, "I think people should go to Palau if you want to experience incredible diverse underwater marine life colorful corals, clear warm water. It's an unspoiled underwater paradise with beautiful sandy beaches, a...