WanderLearn: Travel to Transform Your Mind & Life

Anamaria is a Tanzanian who has lived 7 months in South Africa. Since many people think that all African countries are quite similar, I asked her to compare the two countries.  We also delve into: Fidelity The Tanzanian government Witchcraft Racism in South Africa The future of Africa We do a deep dive into witchcraft. My wife, Rejoice Tapon, chimes in occasionally on the show. Sponsored by Health...

Jennifer Peedom is a mountaineer and filmmaker who made my favorite documentary about the mountains. It's simply called Mountain. It's  free for Netflix  subscribers or you can rent it for $4 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2viG9XnS1g The Mountain documentary has four elements and Peedom hits a home run on all of them: Cinematography: Peedom sifted through thousands of hours of mounta...

Most people (including Africans) would love it if Africa no longer needed charity. If Africa was able to economically stand on its own two feet, charities could focus efforts elsewhere. The planet would be better off. Although parts of Africa are rich, most parts are still poor. The question is: how can we help lift Africans out of poverty? China and India lifted over one billion people out of pov...

Nigeria's Election is Tomorrow! On February 16, 2019, Nigeria will pick their new president. Learn more about the Nigerian election on Wikipedia . In the 28th WanderLearn podcast episode, I interview Sharon Georgewill . She's a Nigerian from Port Harcourt. She's traveled to many African countries. When I interviewed her in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, I asked her to reflect on her continent and her co...

Vagabonding is a seminal travel book. The author, Rolf Potts, made people realize that they don't need to settle for just two weeks a vacation every year. Rolf shows you how you can travel for two months per year or even travel nonstop for two years! In this podcast, Rolf and I discuss: How we both got drunk at an early age. How did he get into hiking and rock climbing? How does he stay in shape w...

iinside  is obsessed about the last kilometer at the airport.  You may use Google Maps, Maps.me , or some other mapping system to figure out how much congestion there is on your way to the airport.  However, the automobile traffic congestion may not correlate with the congestion inside the airport. Wouldn't it be nice to know what's going on inside the airport? How long are security checkpoint lin...

WanderLearn fans get a special chance to  win a tour for two to Italy, England, Vietnam or California for FREE  by going here: https://www.tourradar.com/wanderlearn   Whether you're into travel tours or not, you should listen to Travis Pittman, the CEO of  TourRadar .  I've always been skeptical and resistant to tours. I've always preferred independent travel. Travis makes a pretty convincing argu...

Sym "Symbiosis" Blanchard has had so many adventures in his 66 years, including: Hiking half of Madagascar Walking El Camino de Santiago Thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail (as a section-hiker) Hiked half of the Continental Divide Trail (and plans to do the rest) Hiked the Annapurna Circuit. Swam across a river in Madagascar Hiked to Everest Base Cape Hitchhiked all over the...

There are two types of people who should listen to this podcast: 1. You have a vacation property that you'd like to rent out in a hassle-free way. 2. You're looking to rent a luxurious, professionally-managed home all for yourself (and your friends/family) on your vacation. Vacasa  has 10,000 homes in their portfolio.  You might think their competitor is Airbnb or Booking.com .  Not exactly. A clo...

Kirsteene Phelan, Acting CEO of  Rome2Rio , has a 15-minute conversation with me to discuss her company's new partnership with Lonely Planet and what it means to the average traveler. We hit on other topics, including: How is Rome2Rio different than Google maps and other travel planners? How do they get offline data online? What's the best way to break into the travel industry? What's her long-ter...

At the end of 2017, I made my predictions for 2018. Although I got a couple of things wrong,  I was surprisingly accurate . Since the point of this exercise is to prove how wrong we can all be, I need to do the same exercise for 2019 with the hope that I get more things wrong. I encourage you to make predictions in the comments. It's a humbling experience. Here are seven predictions of what I thin...

JoAnneh Nagler gives tips, ideas, and strategies that help you be an artist and build a life you love, in the real world. This approach inspired her to write three self-help books: Naked Marriage: How to Have a Lifetime of Love, Sex, Joy and Happiness How to Be an Artist Without Losing Your Mind, Your Shirt, or Your Creative Compass The Debt-Free Spending Plan, a five-minute-a-day approach to easy...

What's it like to trek across some of the wildest parts of Africa? Tim Butcher has done two epic journeys that follow the footsteps of two 19th-century explorers:   Graham Greene (West Africa) Henry Morton Stanley (Congo) Tim Butcher is a British-born author who lives in South Africa. He's written extensively about the continent and knows it well.  In episode #15 of the WanderLearn podcast, Tim an...

This is first Ask Me Anything (AMA) episode! I answer three questions. I always answer any question that one of my Patrons ask me. You can become a patron for just $1 per month and get to bombard me with questions! I love it! Tamy asks 1. Over-tourism - What's your take on how to be a good tourist and how can we, as travelers, repair the schism between locals and tourists? 2. Conversely, where are...

Chris Christensen hosts one of the top 5 travel podcasts,  The Amateur Traveler . This is the 13th episode of the WanderLearn podcast. Chris Christensen discusses How he manages 5 podcasts! What are FAM trips? Are they worth it? What should a beginning podcaster do? How does he monetize it?  What's the best social media for 2019? Pinterest?  What's his CPM? How do become a better interviewer?   It...

Are promoters of blockchain technology snake oil salesmen? One of my listeners (named Colin) thinks so. Colin posted a blistering critique of Winding Tree on my website (see it below). Meanwhile, Gary Arndt, who appeared on the WanderLearn podcast , wrote on my Facebook page , "I'm willing to bet money that Winding Tree and blockchain technology will not disrupt the travel industry or any other in...

Officially, Couchsurfing is free, but it's really only free for inconsiderate guests.  Polite guests and anyone with common sense will give back to their host.  When I wrote " How To Be A Good Couchsurfing Guest and Host ," the response was overwhelming: It hit the Top 2 in Google when you search for "Couchsurfing guest" - it's even above Couchsurfing's own website! Dozens of Couchsurfing hosts li...

I interviewed Marc Magliari, who is Amtrak's spokesperson for 23 states, to talk about what's going on with Amtrak. To watch the full interview, watch the YouTube video  ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vsehcdJBW8 ). Highlights of Episode 10 I've edited the questions and answers for brevity and clarity. Francis Tapon: What's a common misconception about train travel in America? Marc Magliari, Me...

Many who dream of traveling the world haven't even traveled around their neighborhood.  The San Francisco Bay Area has 7 million people. Most haven't been on top of San Bruno Mountain (pictured). Still, many Bay Area residents dream of going to the Himalayas or the Swiss Alps. There are wonders all around us.  Never say that you can't afford to travel.  If you don't travel, it's just not a priorit...

Gary Arndt has been a travel blogger for a dozen years. Along the way, he's figured out what works and what doesn't.  Gary Arndt never minces words. He doesn't care if he offends someone. Internet trolls have hardened his skin.  If you're curious what it's really like to be a top travel blogger, you must listen to this show. In this episode, you'll learn: What most starting travel bloggers get wro...

When you're traveling, it's easy to forget to exercise. In fact, even when you're not traveling, it's hard to have the daily discipline.  Some people get more exercise when they're traveling than when they're at home because when they're traveling, they're walking far more.  For others, it's the opposite. When they travel, they're lost without their local gym.  What I forgot to mention in this pod...

The Internet was supposed to disrupt the middlemen. Yes, it created some peer-to-peer technology and services. However, middlemen are doing better than ever. Uber and Airbnb, with their lack of hard assets, are quintessential middlemen. In the travel world, Expedia, Priceline, Kayak, and Booking.com are also middlemen par excellence. The Internet was supposed to level the playing field and disrupt...

Although it's sad to read about your fellow alums dying, it's also motivating. It's especially motivating when a dead alum is younger than you.  This depressing fact can light a fire underneath your butt to live a purposeful and meaningful life. It's a way to compel you to stop making excuses.  Meanwhile, this doesn't necessarily mean that you should become busier.  Instead, it should compel you t...

Joe 'Stringbean' McConaughy is a young legend in the thru-hiking community. He set the fastest known time (FKT) on the Pacific Crest Trail and the Appalachian Trail.  His Appalachian Trail record was truly astounding because (at the time he finished the trail) his unsupported record was faster than any supported record!  What's the difference between a supported and unsupported thru-hike? Supporte...

I share my secrets of how I've been able to travel nonstop since 2006. The most common question I get asked is how I am able to afford to travel to 120+ countries.  That's why I'm addressing this FAQ in the third episode of the WanderLearn podcast. If I waited any longer, there would be a mutiny. Yes, both of my listeners would revolt!  The most important action you need to take is to save enough ...