The Travel Diaries

Latest Episodes:

Hairy Bikers Sep 13, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to Season 8 of The Travel Diaries! And who better to kick off the season than national treasures Si King and Dave Myers, a.k.a. the Hairy Bikers. My first duo on the pod, they’ve been entertaining Britain with their TV shows and books for over twenty years. Their unique blend of foodie expertise, humour and motorbike enthusiasm has earned them national treasure status. And part of their success has been their foodie travel shows, where they’ve biked incredible routes across the world, while experiencing local cuisines like their Asian Adventure, Mediterranean adventure, and US route 66 series to name just a few.

I spoke to Si and Dave a little while back now - as you might know, Dave is currently undergoing chemo for cancer, and he spoke to me the night before his next round which he'd travelled down to London for. So to say I was truly touched that they took the time to talk about to The Travel Diaries is an understatement. One thing is for sure, the two of them adore travel, and this episode takes us from Namibia to India, Argentina to Estonia and many places in between.

Destination Recap

Bamburgh Beach, Newfoundland, England
Isle of Man, England
Portugal
Namibia
Madurai, India
Southern Italy
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Patagonia, Argentina
Valdes Peninsula, Argentina
Grossglockner High Alpine Road, Austria
Atlas Mountains, Morocco
Mexico
Ghats, India
Japan
Lithuania
Riga, Latvia
Talinn, Estonia
Finnish Archipelago
Southern Turkey
Macchu Pichu, Peru
Nigeria
Pan American Highway

Check out the Bikers’ podcast, Agony Uncles, wherever you get your podcasts.

With thanks to today’s sponsors…

Citalia - Discover the real Italy with Citalia, the UK’s leading Italian holiday specialists. Let the Italy Experts craft the perfect holiday for you and experience Italy like a Citalian.

Visit Estonia - If the Bikers’ Baltic adventures have given you the wanderlust, why not Visit Estonia? Head to VisitEstonia.com to find out more.

CV Villas - Browse the newly launched 2023 Collection and book your dream villa holiday at CVVillas.com

Athletic Greens - It’s time to reclaim your health and arm your immune system with convenient, daily nutrition! Athletic Greens is going to give you a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. All you have to do is visit athleticgreens.com/TTD

If you want to be the first to find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you.

And don’t forget that all the destinations mentioned by my guests are always included in the episode show notes and they’re also on my website, TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Miriam Margolyes Jun 28, 2022

Show notes

Today, I’m joined by a legend of stage and screen. Britain’s naughtiest national treasure. It’s the award-winning actress, Miriam Margolyes.

Miriam’s movie roles have included the BAFTA award-winning Mrs Mingott in Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Age of Innocence’ and of course Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter films. She’s appeared in a host of hugely popular TV shows from Blackadder and Miss Marple to more recently the Real Exotic Marigold Hotel and Call the Midwife. And she’s also a prolific travel documentarian filming in and around Australia, the US and Scotland to name a few. As a lifelong lover of Charles Dickens, she presented the successful BBC documentary series Dickens’ America and toured the world with her acclaimed one woman show ‘Dicken’s Women’ in which she played 23 characters based on or inspired by characters in Dickens’s novels.

Speaking to me from her Australian home, Miriam was so engaging and generous with her time both before, after and during the interview - so grab a cuppa, settle in and enjoy listening to the very widely travelled and very entertaining Miriam Margolyes.

Destination Recap:

Robertson, NSW, Australia
Australia
Tuscany, Italy
Kingsgate, Kent Coast, England
St Margaret’s Bay, Kent, England
Glasgow, Scotland
Isle of Harris, Scotland
Cambridge, England
Norfolk, England
Basel, Switzerland
Zurich, Switzerland
Lindt Chocolate Shop, Zurich, Switzerland
Israel
Palestine
The Rust Belt, USA
India
Italy
Ireland
Indonesia
Kerala, India
Calcutta, India
Giglio, Italy
Fordyce, Scotland
Rimini, Italy
Africa

Miriam is heading to a British theatre near you next month, as part of her upcoming book tour, in honour of the paperback release of her fantastic memoir, This Much is True. Head online for tickets.

With thanks to…

Small Luxury Hotels of the World - Ease yourself into a holiday headspace and visit slh.com/travelcomfortzones to find out more.

DK Eyewitness - Get new editions of DK’s award-winning Eyewitness and Top 10 travel books and plan out adventures to the likes of Italy, Mexico, Spain or Costa Rica. Each guide is complete with updated listings, interest-led travel advice and the latest practical information. Find them all online or at your local bookshop.

Thank you so much for listening today. If you’re enjoying the podcast, then it would be wonderful if you could leave a rating or a review on your podcast app - it really makes a big difference because it helps other people to discover the podcast.

And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.

To find out who’s joining me coming up, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Glorious Greece - Destination Special Jun 21, 2022

Show notes

On this week’s destination special we are heading to one of the world’s most popular travel destinations. We're off to the South East of Europe, to a country of thousands of islands dotted throughout the Aegean and Ionian Seas. The cradle of Western civilization, its capital, Athens, is home to ancient landmarks dating back to the 5th-century B.C. like the Acropolis and the Parthenon. A country of magical natural landscapes, turquoise seas and secret beaches, with the longest coastline in Europe and the most welcoming locals. It is of course, Glorious Greece.

Unsurprisingly, Greece, and in particular the Greek Islands have been a hugely popular choice by my podcast guests over the last seven seasons and what I’ve especially enjoyed is really how many of them are hidden gems that I personally wasn’t hugely familiar with.

The first half of today’s episode is a tour around the islands featuring some of my favourite guests over the last few years, and then, afterwards, we’ll be joined by Greece travel expert, fellow podcaster and Greece resident, Heidi Fuller-Love who’ll be sharing her extensive expertise, tips, and recommendations for your next Greek holiday.

Destination Recap:

Tom Kerridge - Agistri
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - Aegina
Fiona Duncan - Koufonisia and Amorgos
David Loftus - Paros
Yotam Ottolenghi - Folegandros
Raven Smith - Milos
Jo Malone - Rhodes

Heidi Fuller-Love’s Destination Recap:

Crete
E4 trail, Crete
Sitia Geopark, Crete
Samaria Gorge, Crete
Kato Zakros, Crete
Akoritiri, Santorini
MarBella Elix, Parga
Nana Princess, Crete
Agistri
Aegina
Thirassia
Thirassia Paradise Suites
Alonissos
Karpathos
Epirus Mountains

For more information about Greece head to visitgreece.gr and follow @GreeceGrammable on Instagram.

With thanks to…

Small Luxury Hotels of the World - Ease yourself into a holiday headspace and visit slh.com/travelcomfortzones to find out more

Clinique UK - Discover Clinique at World Duty Free today.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, then it would be wonderful if you could leave a rating or a review on your podcast app - it really makes a big difference because it helps other people to discover the podcast.

And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.

To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lorraine Kelly Jun 14, 2022

Show notes

Today’s guest is Britain’s undisputed Queen of breakfast telly. A national treasure, who for the last 12 years has been the host of her self-titled show on ITV, Lorraine - it is, of course, Lorraine Kelly.

Lorraine became a journalist the hard way, working on local papers before working as a researcher on BBC Scotland, where bosses told her that, because of her Scottish accent, she’d never get a job in front of the camera.

Oh how she proved them wrong. Joining TV-am she went on to report on some of the toughest stories of that era, from the Dunblane massacre to the Lockerbie bombings, with her characteristic compassion and empathy, before joining GMTV and the sofas of breakfast TV.

What you might not know about Lorraine is that she is fanatical about travel. She has been practically everywhere, and is really intrepid in her travel choices. She takes us from the islands of the Outer Hebrides to the frozen landscape of Antarctica; from remote Botswana to the jungles of Uganda and much much more.

Oh, and the occasional grumble in the background is her daughter Rosie’s sausage dog who also joined us for the chat.

There’s a lot to cover today. So, let’s fasten our seatbelts and get started.

Destination Recap:

Glasgow, Scotland
Paris. France
Orkney, Scotland
The Italian Chapel, Orkney, Scotland
St Kilda, Scotland
Singapore
Marina Bay Sands hotel, Singapore
Orchard Road shops, Singapore
Sentosa Island, Singapore
Duxton Reserve, Singapore
Antarctica
Falkland Islands
Alaska, USA
Southern Africa
Botswana
Uganda
Borneo
Barra, Scotland
Harris, Scotland
Tunisia
Rajasthan, India
Mongolia
Siberia
The Arctic

Listen to Lorraine’s podcast What If? wherever you get your podcasts.

With thanks to…

Clinique UK - Discover Clinique at World Duty Free today.

The Kensington Hotel - For bookings and more information click here.

Small Luxury Hotels of the World - Ease yourself into a holiday headspace and visit slh.com/travelcomfortzones to find out more

And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.

To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listener Special Jun 07, 2022

Show notes

Today is a Travel Diaries first - a Listener Special where you, my amazing listeners, are this week’s special guests. I’ve interviewed many a star over the past seven seasons, but the real stars have been you, the listeners. Your incredible support has allowed the podcast to grow as quickly as it has, so it only felt right that I turn the tables, and the microphone, back on to you to tap into your collective wisdom and travel experiences, as you answer the seven chapters of the travel diaries.

From China to Kerala, from Costa Rica to Puglia, from the rainforests of the Amazon to the plains of Kenya, fasten your seatbelts for the first ever Travel Diaries Listener Special.

Destination Recap:

Chapter One - Earliest Childhood Travel Memories

featuring

- Beijing, China from Tone in Surrey, England

- France from Katja in Slovenia

Chapter Two - The First Place You Fell In Love With

featuring

- Villefranche-sur-Mer, France from Emma in Edinburgh, Scotland

- Austria from Joe from Somerset, England

- Kerala, India from Emma in London

Chapter Three - The Place Where You Learnt The Most About Yourself

featuring

- Karditsa, Greece from Aoife in Ireland

Chapter Four - All Time Favourite Destinations

featuring

- Puglia, Italy from Tracey in Wexford, Ireland

- Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest from Charlotte in New Zealand

- Nice, France from Jen in Belfast, Northern Ireland

- Kenya from Emma in Worcestershire

Chapter Five - Hidden Gems

featuring

- San Gerardo de Rivas in Costa Rica from Mani in Birmingham, England

- Rendezvous Bay, Antigua from Charlie in the Wirral, England

- Red Wharf Bay on the Isle of Anglesey, Wales from Shireen in Wales

Chapter Seven - The Destination At The Top Of Your Travel Bucket Lists

featuring

- Toronto, Canada from Ellie in East Sussex, England

- Japan from Aaron in South Wales

With thanks to…

Small Luxury Hotels of the World - Ease yourself into a holiday headspace and visit slh.com/travelcomfortzones to find out more.

Clinique UK - Discover Clinique at World Duty Free today.

And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.

To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Hollywood May 31, 2022

Show notes

On today’s episode I’m joined by Mr Blue Eyes himself, our favourite judge from the Great British Bake Off, and making a very rare podcast appearance, I’m thrilled to be joined by Paul Hollywood.

Paul began his career as a baker, quickly ascending to become Head Baker in some of the world’s most exclusive hotels. His talent caught the eye of TV producers who snapped him up for cooking shows and before long, he was cast as a judge on one of TV’s most successful shows of all time - the Great British Bake Off. Paul has taken part in every season of the show and when he isn’t filming he’s most likely working on other TV series that combine his two loves - food and travel, and he has travelled the world over.

He’s probably the guest this season that a lot of you have been most curious about, maybe because of his tough love and penetrating stare on the Bake Off. As you’ll here, Paul was an absolute delight, very unaffected and genuine, and clearly really passionate about travel. I really enjoyed this one and I hope you will too. So let’s get started.

Destination Recap:

Mexico
Ensenada, Mexico
Baja, Mexico
Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá, Mexico
Conwy, North Wales
Ibiza, Spain
St Lawrence Gap, Barbados
Cliveden, Hampshire, England
London, England
Cyprus
Annabelle Hotel, Cyprus
Anassa Hotel, Cyprus
Jerusalem, Israel
Rome, Italy
The Great British Bake Off Tent, England
Cafes near the Coliseum, Rome, Italy
Verbier, Switzerland
Casablanca, Morocco
Australia
New Zealand

BAKE by Paul Hollywood, published by Bloomsbury on 9 June 2022 (£26.00 RRP, Hardback)

With thanks to…

Clinique UK - Discover Clinique at World Duty Free today.

Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas - The resort is currently offering 30% off with a Best of Maldives offer, which includes a complimentary four course lunch in SEA for stays of four to seven nights and a complimentary manta ray snorkelling or dolphin cruise for stays over 8 nights, available for stays until 23 December. Head to anantara.com or check out @anantarakihavah on Instagram to find out more.

And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.

To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Burkard, Adventure Photographer May 24, 2022

Show notes

Today, I’m joined by one of the world’s most successful adventure and nature photographers, Chris Burkard. Nearly 4 million people follow Chris’s work throughout the year on Instagram as he travels to some of the world’s most remote destinations and extreme environments, often requiring Chris to take on immense challenges to capture his work. His stories inspire us to consider our relationship with nature, and the importance of the preservation of wild places everywhere.

His travel diaries take us from Greenland to the Kuril Islands, and from remote Iceland to the beaches of California, with some great photographs tips at the end, too.

Destination Recap

Pismo Beach, California, USA
Yosemite, California, USA
Iceland
Kuril Islands
Ísafjörður, Iceland
Greenland
Nicaragua
Lake Baikal, Russia
Mongolia
Faroe Islands
Svalbard

Chris' new book, Wayward, is out now.

With thanks to…

Clinique UK - Discover Clinique at World Duty Free today.

CV Villas - Book your dream villa holiday at CVVillas.com

And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.

To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Raven Smith May 17, 2022

Show notes

Today, I’m joined by Raven Smith, the best-selling author and Vogue columnist who’s been hailed as the funniest man on Instagram and dubbed London’s fashion world philosopher. His first book, Raven Smith’s Trivial Pursuits, captured readers as a witty and irreverent guide to modern life and he’s back with a new book, part memoir part commentary on masculinity, called Raven Smith’s Men.

As you’ll soon hear, Raven is also an avid traveller and has written for numerous travel titles about his experiences around the world. He takes us from the pyramids of Egypt to the nightclubs of New York, from Greek island tavernas to the hidden beaches of Barbados, with lots of laughs along the way.

So fasten your seatbelts and let’s get started.

Destination Recap:

Crete, Greece
Kos, Greece
Milos, Greece
O Hamos, Milos, Greece
Brighton, England
Barbados
Japan
Sea-U Guesthouse, Barbados
Berlin, Germany
Cairo, Egypt
Adrére Amellal, Siwa, Egypt
Old Cataract Hotel, Aswan, Egypt
L'Avant Comptoir de la Mer, Paris, France
Brasserie Zedel, London, England
Rochelle Canteen, London, England
Quo Vadis, London, England
Duck Soup, London, England
Cuba
Finca Paradisa, Cuba
Hawaii, USA

That was the fabulous Raven Smith. His new book Raven Smith’s Men is out now.

With thanks to…

Clinique UK - Discover Clinique at World Duty Free today.

Airbnb - Whether you’re looking to live anywhere, or become a Host yourself, visit Airbnb.com and find out more. Prospective Hosts can learn more about how much they can earn sharing their space through the What’s My Place Worth Tool.

And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.

To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gennaro Contaldo May 10, 2022

Show notes

Today’s guest is one of the UK’s most loved chefs, Gennaro Contaldo. A key player in bringing his native Italian cuisine to British shores over recent decades, Gennaro’s written over a dozen best-selling Italian cookbooks and is the mentor to his protege Jamie Oliver, who credits Gennaro with teaching him everything he knows about Italian cooking, and Gennaro calls him his sixth child. You’ll have seen on numerous TV shows with Jamie, on Saturday Kitchen and on Two Greedy

Italians, with the late great Antonio Carluccio.

This episode is a real love letter to Gennaro’s homeland of Italy, bringing to life with such passion destinations like the Amalfi coast, Puglia, Sicily and the Aeolian Islands. So, fasten your seatbelts, and let’s get started.

Destination Recap:

Minori, Amalfi Coast, Italy
Monte Gargano, Puglia, Italy
Monte Sant'Angelo, Italy: Saint Michael's Cave
Salina, Aeolian Islands, Sicily, Italy
Catania, Sicily, Italy
Stromboli, Aeolian Islands, Sicily, Italy
Lipari, Aeolian Islands, Sicily, Italy
Signum Hotel, Aeolian Islands, Sicily, Italy
Naples, Italy
India

Gennaro is an ambassador for Citalia and his latest recipe book Gennaro’s Limoni: Vibrant Italian recipes celebrating the lemon is out now.

With thanks to…

Clinique UK - Discover Clinique at World Duty Free today.

Citalia - Discover the real Italy with Citalia, the UK’s leading Italian holiday specialists

Villa D’Este Hotel - Experience one of Europe’s grandest hotels, on the shores of Lake Como in Italy, for its 150th season. Visit villadeste.com to find out more.

And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.

To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you.

If you can’t wait until then, there’s always the first six seasons to catch up on, with guests from Sir Michael Palin and Jo Malone, to Stanley Tucci and Raymond Blanc.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beautiful Bahamas with India Hicks - Destination Special May 03, 2022

Show notes

Today, we’re being transported to an island paradise. An archipelago of nearly 700 coral islands, 100,000 square miles of the world’s clearest turquoise ocean, secret sandbars, private coves, secluded pink sand beaches, and undisturbed wildlife. We’re heading to The Beautiful Bahamas.

There are 16 main islands in the Bahamas, and no two islands are alike with their own culture, history, cuisine, diving, fishing - there is something for every type of traveller, and I'm joined today by two fabulous guests who will be bringing these different islands to life.

First I’m joined by someone who has called The Bahamas their home for over 25 years, the designer, entrepreneur and former model, India Hicks.

India is the daughter of famed interior designer David Hicks and Lady Pamela Hicks. She is the granddaughter of Lord Mountbatten who was Prince Philip’s uncle and whose assassination by the IRA was most recently depicted on the The Crown on Netflix. India was thrown into the spotlight as a teenager when was a bridesmaid to her godfather, Prince Charles and Princess Diana at their wedding. So it may seem somewhat of an unusual decision that India has settled and raised her five children on a tiny Bahamian island. She speaks to me from her home on the picture postcard Harbour Island.

And later we’ll be joined by the acclaimed travel writer and editor Alicia Miller. Alicia has written extensively about the Bahamas and is full of tips and recommendations about so many different islands.

Destination Recap:

India Hicks

Harbour Island

The Dunmore Beach Club
The Landing Hotel
Queen Conch
Cocoa Coffee House

Windermere Island

Andros

Kamalame Cay, Andros

New Providence

Rosewood Baha Mar, New Providence

Blue Holes diving

Grand Bahama

Tiger Shark diving

Alicia Miller

Harbour Island

The Landing Hotel
The Dunmore Hotel

New Providence

Nassau
Paradise Island
Atlantis Hotel
Baha Mar
Rosewood Baha Mar
Café Boulud The Bahamas
Marcus at Baha Mar
Downtown Nassau
The Graycliff Hotel
Fish Fry
Frankie Gone Bananas
BREEF Coral Reef Sculpture Garden & Coral Nursery
The Poop Deck restaurant

The Exumas

Spanish Wells

Andros

Kamalame Cay

Grand Bahama

Coral Vida Project

Eleuthera

The Other Side
The Cove

If you would like find out more about the Bahamas, check out bahamas.com.

To hear future episodes of the podcast as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice. To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. If you can’t wait until then, there’s always the first six seasons to catch up on, with guests from Sir Michael Palin and Jo Malone, to Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Raymond Blanc .

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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