The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

We might not be travelling as far and wide as usual thanks to Covid-19 and our state's border closure, but my son and I have just had a quick getaway to a town a couple of hours east of Perth, and it is worth telling you all about! I'm a big fan of travel for random reasons, and this one was pretty random. The destination was dictated purely by my 10-year-old son, and meant we ended up staying near the town of Meckering, in the wheatbelt region of Western Australia. Meckering's only a memorable name to most West Aussies because a particularly bad earthquake struck there back in 1968. On our trip, we learnt more about that, but also got to enjoy some big views and the quiet of farm life - and in this episode, I chat about our experience with my son, as well as giving you my thoughts on why this kind of trip is valuable and worthwhile, too. Check the show notes for some photos of Meckering and surrounds. Links: Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultra

My first creative love is writing, and it's exciting to me to be able to explore how my guests combine writing and travel in this episode about writing retreats around the world. First up, I chat with Suzanne Moore, a novelist who lives in Perth but took the opportunity to spend a couple of weeks completely alone in Japan to work on her book, in the scenic landscape of Hokkaido. Next, Catherine Marshall explains her month-long writing retreat at Ledig House in New York State - and I get quite envious over the idea of spending an entire month focused on writing, in a beautiful place with fascinating people! Finally, Patti Buff tells me about a writers' retreat she organised within the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, held at a particularly picturesque spot in southern Germany. Links: Suzanne Moore https://www.suzannemoorewriter.com/    Suzanne’s book The Place Between - https://amzn.to/31KM6aD  Catherine Marshall - http://catherinemarshall.com.au coming soon! More from Catherine and fri

This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the July 2020 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, talking about The Salt Path by Raynor Winn. If you'd like to join the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, all the info is at https://notaballerina.com/bookclub, and you can keep up with all the thoughts about our current books in the Thoughtful Travellers Facebook Group at https://facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 206 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is a special one: for the first time, I'm doing a crossover episode with another podcast, because I'm sure it's one my listeners will love.  I chatted with Erin, the host of Alpaca My Bags, earlier in the year when we had just gone into Covid lockdown. Erin and I discussed our travel histories, all about what our podcasts stand for, and highlight some of our favourite episodes. I get to be a bit self-indulgent and talk about moving abroad in my twenties and my theory about brainwashing my son so that he loves to travel (so far, it's working!).  Links: Alpaca My Bags Podcast - https://www.pinatravels.org/podcast  Alpaca My Bags Holiday special chat - https://audioboom.com/posts/7462567-a-holiday-special-for-travelers-and-friends Alpaca My Bags No White Saviors episode - https://audioboom.com/posts/7496097-voluntourism-and-no-white-saviors  Interesting Plane Passengers Sitting Next To You - https://notaballerina.com/178 Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travel

What turned you into a traveller? I've been pondering this question and in Episode 205 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast I chat with four travel lovers about the origins of their travel addiction. We start off delving back into childhood times to find some of the sparks that interested us in travel, and I speak first with Evan Petrelis. His particular entry point for learning about the world is quite unique! I also chat with Bob DiMenna who grew up loving learning about wildlife around the world, which led on to an interest in world cultures and travel. Next, we consider how you go from a casual traveller into something more serious. I talk to Ferenc Elekes who learnt an important lesson while on a two-week holiday in Australia, chatting with longer-term travellers. I also chat with Kate Manser about how visiting her friend in French Polynesia had a significant impact on her life, too. Links: Episode featuring my Dad talking about Papua New Guinea -  https://notaballerina.com/20  Evan Petrelis from Renaissa

Island life, island time, there are all kinds of phrases we use that evoke that special feeling of islands - be they tropical or otherwise, small islands are exotic places to visit and I've got such a long list of islands I've loved, and long to return to. Turns out I'm not alone and in Episode 204 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, I chat with three guests about some of their own favourite island experiences and what it is they love about island travel. First up is Seana Smith who, despite being born in a "small, freezing Scottish town", discovered that she could indeed travel to far-flung islands and describes experiences in Africa and Asia. Next, Ben Pearson takes us to Indonesia and has a fun story he likes to tell about a particularly famous island, home to a certain dragon ... Finally, I chat with Nan Caple who has spent many years returning to Kangaroo Island in South Australia, a special place that has captivated her family and turned into something more than just a spot they love to spend their ho

Travel can have a lasting impact at any age but if you’re a teenager and you’re away from your family on some kind of student exchange program then it’s even more likely to be life-changing, and Episode 203 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast looks at this idea in this episode about student exchange trips. First up, we hear briefly from Abby Lewtas who describes her experience as a fourteen-year-old on exchange in the United States - the same as I was when I went to Germany on an equally life-altering school trip. I then chat to Patti Buff, an American writer who by chance happened to spend a year as a teenager here in my very own home state of Western Australia. It was so fabulous to chat with her and this is just an extract of a much longer conversation! Finally, one of my listeners, Jane, spoke to me about another angle of student exchanges: being the host family. Jane taught me a lot about all the benefits of student exchange trips to those families where the students end up staying - something I’d never

It's wildflower season! The Western Australian border might be closed thanks to Covid-19, but the positive side of this is as a Perth resident I'm able to travel throughout our vast state - including some of the lesser-visited parts. In mid-August, I spent three days in Australia's Golden Outback chasing wildflowers with my friend Di, and we kept an audio diary of our time away. In this special episode, you'll hear what Di thinks about my navigational abilities, you'll learn about just some of the amazing wildflowers we got to see near Mingenew, Morawa, Canna and Coalseam Conservation Park, and you may even giggle along with our evening campfire chats. Links: Dianne Bortoletto’s website Travelletto - https://travelletto.com  Australia’s Golden Outback - https://www.australiasgoldenoutback.com/page/outback-wildflowers  Mellenbye Station - https://www.mellenbye.com.au  Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Show notes: https://notaballeri

This is the second part of my celebration of 200 episodes - today, the wonderful listeners you met in Episode 200 share some of their very favourite travel stories. And they're amazing! Lily takes us first to Indonesia, back when she was just sixteen - and she learnt a lot! Next, Jane tells us of an amazing part of Italy that had captured her imagination and then proved even better than she imagined. Ena describes a particularly special experience she and her children had in an Indian temple. We then move to South America, and Anuj explains an incredible morning in Tikal, Guatemala. Genevieve, one of my most adventurous listeners, chats with me about her epic ski trip across ten very remote communities in Canada. Richie rounds off the tales with his rather long bus trip in China, which nonetheless turned out to be thoroughly worthwhile (as most travel is!). A huge thank you to Lily, Anuj, Ena, Jane, Richie and Genevieve who all gave their time and stories so freely - it was such a pleasure to chat with eac

It's a big milestone today: this is the 200th episode of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast! And since this podcast would literally be nothing at all without all my wonderful listeners, I've decided to devote both this week and next week to you all by interviewing some brave listeners who volunteered to record chats with me - from all corners of the globe - Melbourne to Norway, British Colombia to England, and more. A huge thank you to Lily, Anuj, Ena, Jane, Richie and Genevieve who all gave their time and stories so freely - it was such a pleasure to chat with each of you. In this week's episode, my listener guests introduce themselves and also talk about some of their favourite stories and episodes from The Thoughtful Travel Podcast.  Links Support the podcast on Patreon: http://notaballerina.com/support   Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/200 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seeing animals when we travel is high on many people's must-do lists - but are we doing it responsibly? Responsible animal tourism is one of those areas I'm constantly learning more about: for example, I still remember the moment, perhaps six or seven years ago, when I first learnt about why we shouldn't ride elephants (and if you're not sure, listen on!). Animal tourism is definitely an area where as we learn more about it, we can do better, so I'm hoping this episode is as enlightening for you as it was for me to make it. First up, I chat with Julia Salnicki, a zoologist who has spent many years living in Zimbabwe and Botswana doing research on painted dogs, spotted hyaenas and elephants. We talk about lion cubs, elephants and gorillas - some good and some bad stories! Next, I talk to Ben Pearson of World Animal Protection, first asking him about a pet hate of mine - quokka selfies - and then asking him for some more guidelines on how we can be responsible travellers in relation to animals. Finally, I sp

The trips we take early in our travelling careers are very special - those first times when you are really seeing the world with truly fresh eyes. That newness is something you never get back, but I'm sure it's the reason why chatting with experienced travellers about their early trips is so interesting - years on and after many more trips, they recognise how important these travels were, and all that they learnt from them. That's the reason for putting together Episode 198 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast about the early trips of experienced travellers. The first traveller I speak to is JoAnna Haugen, who explains her first proper trip abroad on a college study program in Scandinavia. I particularly like that it's a seemingly small incident which actually has a long-lasting effect on how JoAnna thinks about travel. Next, I speak with author Jini Reddy about some life-changing in her early travels in Asia, when she was in her twenties. It's especially interesting to her about her experience of visiting Indi

Amongst travel lovers it's quite common that your engagement happens while you're travelling - I guess it's the obvious time to have a big romantic gesture! - and on-the-road proposals are the topics of all the stories on Episode 197 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast. I start off with a delightful story from Scott Antcliffe about when he proposed to his now wife - in fact, him telling me this story is what prompted me to gather some more tales of travelling engagements just so I could share this lovely one! Next, Dianne Bortoletto explains how her now husband popped the question to her - when she least expected it. Finally, I chat with Cindy Siano about her now husband's huge efforts to make sure that he got her to say yes, while on holiday in Europe. Links: Scott Antcliffe on Twitter - https://twitter.com/cliffy94 Dianne Bortoletto’s travel blog, Travelletto - https://travelletto.com Cindy Siano - Life and Times Video www.lifeandtimesvideo.com.au  Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https:

This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the June 2020 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, talking about A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush by Eric Newby. If you'd like to join the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, all the info is at https://notaballerina.com/bookclub, and you can keep up with all the thoughts about our current books in the Thoughtful Travellers Facebook Group at https://facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you do when your passport goes missing while you’re travelling? Well, as proven by Episode 196 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, what happens is you end up with a good story to tell (and like most travel problems, it turns out to be solvable). My first guest is Paula Morgan who explains the tale of missing passports during a train trip in Europe - and the unexpected glee of whose fault it was! Next, I chat with Jen Williams who encountered some problems trying to leave Mongolia, in the aftermath of having her passport stolen during her travels. Finally, I speak with Marina Villatora in Guatemala. She went to spend a month at Lake Atitlan, but the stay didn’t turn at all as she’d expected. Links: Paula Morgan - https://Sydneyexpert.com  Jen Williams - Launch Your Travels - https://www.launchyourtravels.com/  Marina Villatoro - https://thetraderchick.com/  Patreon - support the podcast - https://www.notaballerina.com/support Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.co

Regular listeners to The Thoughtful Travel Podcast know just how much I love hearing about encounters with local people when we travel, so Episode 195 is a collection of stories about all kinds of different ways my guests have met locals during their travels in Central Asia. First up, I chat with Tracey Croke, who explains a particular intriguing encounter with some local shepherds in Kyrgyzstan, and one who had a particularly compelling proposal for her ... Next, Liz Warner tells me about a woman she met when she went to Afghanistan to run in a marathon, and something surprising she found out by chatting with her. Finally, Ferenc Elekes talks about one of his many stops on his overland trips, this one in Kazakhstan where he and his girlfriend got to know a Russian family who were camping in the same remote area. Links: Patreon - Bonus content and other benefits https://www.notaballerina.com/support Tracey Croke - https://traceycroke.com Liz Warner of Run to Reach http://runtoreach.com/  Ferenc Elekes - O

This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the May 2020 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, talking about Around the World in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajeshi. If you'd like to join the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, all the info is at https://notaballerina.com/bookclub, and you can keep up with all the thoughts about our current books in the Thoughtful Travellers Facebook Group at https://facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Train-lovers unite - Episode 194 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is all about journeys on the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia. This will always be one of my favourite trips, and it's such a pleasure to chat with other travellers who've also experienced the many ups and downs of crossing Russia by train. First up, I chat with Catherine Marshall, who decided to take the Trans-Siberian from Moscow to Vladivostok with ten of her favourite relatives to celebrate a milestone birthday. The problem: her date of birth meant they ended up traversing Russia in the depths of winter! I then speak with Cindy Siano who took the Trans-Siberian train back in 1995 - although (spoiler alert) it's particularly intriguing to me to hear that not altogether that much has changed in the ensuing years. Links: The ever-changing landscape of the Trans-Siberian - https://www.notaballerina.com/2013/02/trans-siberian-train-ever-changing-landscape.html Catherine Marshall - http://catherinemarshall.com.au coming soon! More from Cat

If you think back to the first time you travelled, you might just recall that this was a pretty important and influential part of your travelling experience as a whole. When I speak with avid travellers, it's often the case that their first trip has had a big impact either on their lives, or their future travels, or both. These transformative travel firsts are the basis for Episode 193 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast - and they make for some fantastic stories! To start with, I chat with listener Scott Antcliffe, who grew up in the front passenger seat of his father's taxi, meeting passengers flying in and out of major UK airports. I'd love to know if his dad realised at the time just how impactful these meetings were going to be. Next, Bob DiMenna and I talk about his first trip outside of the United States, which was to Thailand - a very significant trip in many ways. Finally, Nate Taiaroa speaks about his own transformational travel experiences and how he's used those to try to help others have the same

Ever travelled to somewhere that other people told you was dangerous? Or decided not to go, for precisely that reason? Episode 192 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast contemplates the idea of dangerous places, whether we should travel to them and how we can make a considered decision. My first guest is Tracey Croke who has a great theory on this topic - she calls it her "pie chart of reality" and it's a very sensible way to look at the information we can gather when we're trying to decide whether or not a destination is too dangerous to travel to. Having been to places like Afghanistan, I think Tracey is a good person to listen to on this topic. Next up I chat with Michael Barticel about his approach to fear - as a signal that we need to be careful, but that usually shouldn't stop you, and he describes his example of visiting Cali in Colombia. Lastly I speak with Hungarian traveller Ferenc Elekes who has a timely story to tell about an experience he and his friends had breaking down late at night on a dirt ro