Low Season Traveller Insider Guides

Vikki, from MacLean and Bruce, returns to talk about whisky! Charles MacLean, Vikki's business partner, is a world-leading whisky expert. Prepare yourself as we tackle everything you need to know about whisky - we cover it all from Ancient Egypt to royalty and even intoxicated angels...

Today's guest is Vikki, Managing Director for MacLean and Bruce, a small luxury travel business in Scotland. Join Honor, as we explore a more authentic, culturally grounding and relaxed Scotland. Think icy Lochs, white frost on trees and big blue skies, oh and of course a blazing fire.

Far North Queensland is one of the only areas in Australia where multiple Aboriginal tribes and cultures meet. The Cairns Indigenous Arts Festival and the Laura Dance festival are two of Australia's largest displays of Indigenous culture. Both events fall during the low season and are an absolute must for visitors who want to understand, learn about and immerse themselves in Aboriginal culture. 

This week Kate is joined by Annette from My Cairns Concierge. Home of the Great Barrier Reef, Annette describes FNQ as so much more. Rainforests, island hopping and a plethora of educational resources for visitors who are wanting to travel in a responsible manner. 

In the first episode we gained insights into Philadelphia during the low season months and today we go a little deeper into the cultural heritage of Philadelphia as well as getting some of Gregg’s top tips and tricks to make the most out of your trip to this vibrant and unstoppable city. We hope you enjoy the episode and would like to wish all of our friends in the US a peaceful and happy Thanksgiving Day wherever you are.

In this episode, we catch up with Gregg Caren who's the President & CEO of The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, to learn more about what Philly offers during the low season and why anytime is a great time to visit this hip and cool birthplace of the USA!

The Portuguese Fado is like nothing else, the Portuguese even use the word 'saudade' to describe it, which has no direct translation in any other language. Melissa Puebla, from Vila Vita Parc Hotel, talks us through Fado's importance, history and where it can be enjoyed. For more information and a list of influential names go to our website: www.lowseasontraveller.com Song used: Promete, jura (Fado Sérgio) by Mariza & Artur Batalha

This week we’re in the Algarve in the South of Portugal with Melissa Puebla, who works at the luxury Vila Vita Parc Hotel & Resort. Melissa describes the smells of fresh coffee, the sound of waves, and views over national parks. Melissa gives us a complete guide from gastronomy to festivals, historic tours to hiking trails. It’s hard not to get lost in this week’s podcast.

Our Northern Norway expert, Karoline, is joining Kate again for today's episode. Salt and cheese is the theme throughout while Kate and Karoline take a deep dive into traditional Norwegian dishes. Salted fish, salted lamb, salted elk! Preserving foods has long been a tradition in Norway but with modern spins on classic dishes make Norway a culinary dream.    

Karoline Hol Blomstrand, marketing manager for Skaarugen, talks to us about Northern Norway; full of extremes! Grab a coat and learn about the extreme weather, extreme activities and extreme-ly awesome cities to visit! Take a journey dog-sledding or go island hopping, Northern Norway has it all.  

Maria Paravantes returns, this time giving us a snapshot of Greek music history. A student of music herself, we discuss Byzantine chants, Rebetiko and popular music: Laïkó. Song Used: ‘50 Hronia Rebetiko Tragoudi’ by George Dalaras.

Maria Paravantes, accomplished journalist and creator of ‘The Greek Vibe’, talks to us about Greece; the best places to visit, top experiences and insider tips. Turning our attention to the hidden side of Greece, away from the beaches towards the mountains.

Founder of the Fair Tourism Foundation Charlotte chats with Kate on the community based tourism (CBT) created in the Mae Hong Son province, specifically the Huay Pu Keng village. We discuss this magical sliver of Northern Thailand only accessed by braving the winding roads through endless mountains. This is the perfect spot for learning, immersing and engaging in rural Thai culture. Check out LowSeasonTraveller.com to access all the links we spoke about today. Enjoy!

BBC presenter and voice of TomTom Satnav, Kathy Clugston gives us a personal tour of her home city. Kathy presents a weekly show on BBC Radio Ulster and is immersed in Belfast's arts and culture. We discuss Belfast's music scene from jazz to indie: where to find it, what it's like and why it's important. We also discuss the best places to visit in Belfast and the perks of Low Season Travel, enjoy!

This week Kate talks to fellow Ozzie, David Cox, the State Manager for Hawthorn Football Club in Tasmania, to learn more about the wide-open spaces of Tasmania and why we should all consider a low season trip to Tassie when we can.

Ljubljana is an incredible hidden gem that continuously gets accolades for its green initiatives and its food and drink which is a mixture of east and west. It's the European capital of gastronomy in 2021 which says it all. Janja Romi explains how Ljubljana is a perfect hybrid of a big city and all the benefits that come with that, combined with nature and outdoor activities.

In today’s episode, Kate Burgess chats with Naya Ahmed about everyone's dream destination - The Maldives. The Maldives is known for its picturesque beaches, crystal clear waters, and 5* resorts but it offers so much more. The Maldives is rich in traditions and tourists can visit local villages and islands to explore this abundance of culture. But of course, Naya gives us great insights into the enviable snorkeling and diving, the local foods, and the best way to travel around the islands.

In this special episode for World Tourism Day Kate talks to 3 industry experts: Ged Brown from the UK, Warren Pearson from South Africa, and Chris Flynn from Australia on what they think the travel industry is going too look like in the future. Together we discuss what travellers are to expect when going on their next holiday, the importance of tourism for wildlife conservation in Africa, and tourism as a tool for protecting cultural heritage.

In this episode Kate explores Greek cuisine with Dimitris Palaiogiannis. We explore the rich history of Greek cuisine, dream about seafood to spanakopita and talk about the importance of Greek food in creating community, culture and connection.  Get ready to salivate!

Kate Burgess explores the paradise Gili Islands and Lombok in Indonesia with Fahman Toriki from Wonderful Indonesia. Right next door to Bali these islands are still developing and have not seen the mass tourism that Bali has. From white beaches to hiking volcanos Lombok and Gili Islands are a Low Season Traveller's dream.