The Travel Diaries

Latest Episodes:

New Zealand Now with Rose Matafeo and Richie McCaw - Destination Special Apr 26, 2022

Show notes

Today, we’re heading to a mountainous island nation in the Pacific Ocean, with two main islands, the North and the South. A land of mammoth national parks, epic biodiversity, dynamic Māori culture and world-class adventure sports. One of the most popular destinations to be picked by my guests as top of their travel bucket list. It is of course, New Zealand.

Today’s episode is a bumper celeb guest double bill, representing both the North and the South Island, kicking off with the comedian, writer and actor Rose Matafeo, who grew up in Auckland on the North Island. Rose’s critically acclaimed show Horndog won the award for Best Show at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, setting her on a trajectory to international stardom. Her sitcom, Starstruck, which she writes and stars in was commissioned by the BBC and HBO Max. Season One became the BBC’s best performing new comedy of last year. Rose is particularly passionate about NZ’s food and cultural scenes, and she shares her must dos, her must eats, and all her insider North Island knowledge, from its magnificent coasts and beaches, to geothermal wonders, sprawling farmlands and Māori rich culture.

And then we head to the South Island, where we are joined by arguably the greatest rugby player of all time, Richie McCaw. Richie captained the New Zealand All Blacks for 15 years in the 00s and 10s to two world cup wins. He achieved an astonishing 148 caps, a record only just beaten and was named World player of the year 3 times. From wildlife to wineries, glacial valleys to star-filled skies, its no wonder the other-worldly mountainous South Island was the destination where the Lord of the Rings films were set. It’s been Richie’s home all of his life, and he shares his expert knowledge on the island he knows so well.

Destination Recap:

Rose Matafeo

Auckland, North Island
Auckland Live, North Island
Civic Theatre, Auckland, North Island
The Basement Theatre, Auckland, North Island
The Classic Comedy Club, Auckland, North Island
Piha Beach, North Island
Herne Bay, North Island
Ponsonby Food Court, Auckland, North Island
K Road, Auckland, North Island
Peach Pit, K Road, Auckland, North Island
Bestie Cafe, K Road, Auckland, North Island
Mount Maunganui, North Island
Rotoroa Island, North Island
Waitomo Caves, North Island
Taranaki
New Plymouth
Wellington
Te Papa gallery, Wellington
Tanuki’s Cave, Auckland

Richie McCaw

Kura, South Island
Wānaka , South Island
Central Otago, South Island
Southern Alps, South Island
Bay of Islands, North Island
Terminal Lake, South Island
Taranaki, New Plymouth, North Island
Poor Knights Islands, North Island
Stewart Island, South Island

If you’re ready to find out more about planning your trip to NZ, head to newzealand.com and check out your favourite travel magazines and newspaper travel sections, which have plenty of handy guides.

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 Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Raymond Blanc.

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

Spectacular Singapore with Tom Kerridge - Destination Special Apr 19, 2022

Show notes

Hello and welcome to The Travel Diaries Season 7! I’m starting this season with a Destination Special mini series - three incredible destinations, all on my travel wish list, with some great celeb guests and destination experts helping us bring them to life, and today is no exception.

We are heading on a journey to South East Asia, to a small but mighty thirty mile long tropical island, surrounded by sixty two smaller islands, with Malaysia to its north and Indonesia to its South. It is of course Spectacular Singapore.

Beyond Singapore’s picture-perfect skyline and bustling city centre, there’s so much about this country to explore and I have two fabulous guests who will help us do just that.

First, Michelin-starred chef, tv presenter and author Tom Kerridge returns to the podcast. When he joined me be back on Season 2, he picked Singapore as his all time favourite destination, and so I thought who better to come back? Food is so important in Singaporean culture that a common greeting is "Have you eaten?”

And then we’ll be joined by novelist, editor and travel journalist Annabelle Thorpe. Annabelle spent six years on the Times Travel desk, before becoming deputy travel editor for Express Newspapers, and then taking the same role at the Observer. She has a particularly spot for Singapore which she has visited and written about many times. She shares her insider tips and expert knowledge, and so many recommendations if you are planning a trip to Singapore - which I hope after listening to this episode you will be inspired to do. I know I certainly am!

Destination Recap:

Tom Kerridge

Annabelle Thorpe

Singapore Botanic Gardens
Gardens by the Bay
Sentosa Island
Jurong Lake
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
Ann Siang House
Raffles Singapore
Capella Singapore
National Museum of Singapore
Fort Canning Park
Fullerton Road

If you’re inspired to start planning your trip to Singapore, head to visitsingapore.com and check out your favourite newspapers and travel magazines which often have detailed destination guides.

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.

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.

Amazing Thailand with John Torode - Destination Special Dec 28, 2021

Show notes

On today’s destination special we’re travelling far away to the warmer climes of South East Asia. To a country renowned for its opulent monuments, ancient ruins, floating markets, palm-fringed tropical beaches, turquoise seas, lush jungle, sumptuous cuisines and a people so friendly that the country is nicknamed The Land of Smiles. Of course, today we’re heading to Amazing Thailand.

I’m thrilled to say that chef and TV presenter John Torode returns to the podcast, having been so passionate about his extensive travels in Thailand back in Season 5 to share his Thai travel diaries, from Bangkok the bustling capital in the middle of the country, to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in the mountainous north, to its famous jungle-topped tropical islands that lie off its two golden sand coastlines in the south.

And then, I am joined by the wonderful Kay Plunkett-Hogge. Kay is a cookery writer, travel journalist and broadcaster who is Thai, she was born and raised in Bangkok, bi-lingual, and she now lives in the mountains of Chiang Dao, which is in the Chiang Mai province of the country, and she spoke to me from her home there.

I have never been to Thailand - it's somewhere I've always wanted to go, and so I ask Kay, as someone who has lived in Thailand most of her life, where I should go and what I should do on my first trip there. She takes us through a fantastic two week round trip itinerary for first timers, beginning and ending in Bangkok, as well as sharing some of her favourite spots and hidden gems.

John Torode's Destination Recap:

Pak khlong talat (Flower Market Bangkok)
The Thai House, Bangkok
Peninsula Hotel, Bangkok
Chiang Mai
Chiang Rai
King’s Project, Chiang Rai
Hyatt, Chiang Mai
Southern Thai islands

Kay Plunkett-Hogge’s Destination Recap:

Chiang Dao
Bangkok
Chakrabongse Villas, Bangkok
Old Chinatown, Bangkok
Chiang Rai
Phu Chaisai, Ching Rai
Chiang Dao
Chiang Mai
Phuong Tong Restaurant, Chiang Mai
Old day train, Chiang Mai to Bangkok
Phuket
Baan Bayan, Hua Hin
Aksorn Restaurant, Bangkok
100 Mahaseth (Si Phraya), Bangkok
Madrid Bar, Bangkok
Isan
Phanom Rung Historical Park

What an incredible flavour of an incredible country, thank you so much to both John and Kay for sharing their knowledge and passion for Amazing Thailand.

If you’re inspired to find out more about Thailand, visit fanclubthailand.co.uk and check out your favourite travel magazines and newspapers who will no doubt offer some comprehensive destination guides.

And come and follow me on Instagram - I’m @hollyrubenstein.

Have a very Happy New Year and thanks so much for listening.

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

Fantastic Finland Christmas Special with Tracy-Ann Oberman - Destination Special Dec 21, 2021

Show notes

Today, we’re embarking on a journey to the far north of Europe. To a place of summer midnight sun and the magical northern lights of the winter. The Land of a Thousand Lakes. A place where saunas are as common as cafes. And, with just a few days to go until Christmas, I imagine it’s a hive of activity given that Lapland in the north of the country is the home of Santa Claus and his elves. Of course, I’m talking about Fantastic Finland.

And I’m joined by two wonderful guests today to help bring this diverse and beautiful country to life. First, we’ll hear from the actress Tracy-Ann Oberman. You’ll know Tracy-Ann from shows like EastEnders, Friday Night Dinner, It’s A Sin and Ridley Road. She has a special connection to Finland, which she'll tell us about when she shares her Finnish travel diaries, coming up.

And then, we’re joined by Finland Destination Expert, and food and travel writer, Bre Graham, who has travelled extensively around the country, and shares so many brilliant different recommendations and tips, for places to visit, stay, eat, and what to bring home in your suitcase.

Tracy-Ann Oberman’s Destination Recap:

Bre’s Recap:

Löyly Helsinki sauna, Helsinki
Goodio Chocolate Factory, Vantaa
Nolla Restaurant, Helsinki
Finnish Lapland
Lake Inari, Sápmi
Albina Ravintola & Viinibaari, Kallio, Helsinki
St George Hotel, Helsinki
Lapland Hotel, Helsinki

If you would like to read more about Finland head to visitfinland.com. If you enjoyed today’s episode don’t forget to subscribe. And come and follow me on Instagram - I’m @hollyrubenstein. Have a very Happy Christmas and thanks so much for listening.

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

Brian Chesky, Airbnb Co-Founder & CEO Dec 14, 2021

Show notes

Today’s guest is the co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, Brian Chesky, an interview that has been years in the making, and a real honour.

For billions of us, including myself, Airbnb has completely changed the way we travel. It opened up people’s homes, creating an army of Superhosts in the process, bringing tourists and locals far closer together. It’s no short of lie that Airbnb created a travel revolution.

So you could say today’s episode is both Brian’s and Airbnb’s. For a CEO of his magnitude, it’s clearly hard for him to separate the two. The story of how Airbnb came to be, is not what you’d expect. Brian went to design school, he’s an artist, and came from humble beginnings. In fact, it was cereal boxes that first got Airbnb off the ground - you’ll have to stay tuned to hear Brian explain more about that, as part of the fascinating and surprising twists and turns on the path to Airbnb’s global domination.

Brain’s answers are very philosophical and a goldmine of both travel and business wisdom. As he says himself, he was a host before he was a traveler and many of his answers reflect that mindset. Travel for him is about getting into a locals POV. You won’t get luxury hotels, you’ll get stories of people and experiences.

We also hear at the end how Airbnb are pivoting to drive the next revolution in travel.

I hope you enjoy it.

Destination Recap:

St Louis, Missouri, USA
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), USA
Los Angeles, California, USA
San Francisco, California, USA
Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Tokyo, Japan
The Walt Disney Family Museum, San Francisco, California, USA

If you want to follow in mine and Brian's footsteps and become a host on airbnb you can go to airbnb.com/host to sign up, and try out airbnb.co.uk/askasuperhost to speak to other UK hosts for advice.

Thank you to today's sponsor, DK Eyewitness. Find their guides on special offer at wordery.com - simply enter the code DKEYEWITNESS at checkout for a 10% discount.

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 five 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.

Michel Roux Jr Dec 07, 2021

Show notes

Today, I’m joined by a legend of the culinary world, the chef, restaurateur and broadcaster, Michel Roux Jr. Michel was practically born in a kitchen when his mother went into labour during service at his father’s restaurant. He’s the son of Albert Roux and the nephew of Michel Roux, brothers who revolutionised the restaurant business in the UK when they opened Le Gavroche in 1967, famously becoming the first establishment in this country to gain one, two and then three Michelin stars. When his father retired in 1993, Michel Jr took over the world-famous restaurant, quickly becoming a household name on TV shows like Masterchef The Professionals, Remarkable Places to Eat and he now has a new TV show, set in Provence, which he’ll tell us all about. Chefs tend be very well travelled, and Michel is no exception. His travel diaries take us on a delectable journey from Lyon to Hong Kong, The Seychelles to Las Vegas.

Destination Recap:

Scotland
Shipbourne, Kent, England
Fairlawne Estate, Kent, England
Paris, France
Lyons, France
Hong Kong
Aberdeen, Hong Kong
West Coast of USA
Spago Restaurant, San Francisco, USA
Chez Panisse, San Francisco, USA
The Seychelles
Bird Island, Seychelles
Marie Antoinette restaurant, Mahe, Seychelles
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Macau
Ardèche, France
Pont Sant Espirit, France
India
South America

Watch Michel Roux's French Country Cooking as a boxset exclusively on Discovery+.

Thank you to my sponsors -

The Tourism Authority of Thailand welcomes you to join them for Visit Thailand Year 2022 - Amazing New Chapters. Find the A-Z of amazing things to see and do in Thailand and the latest travel advice at www.fanclubthailand.co.uk
Naladhu Private Island, an exclusive luxury island resort in the Maldives. Visit naladhu.com to find out more and book that trip of a lifetime.

To find out who’s joining me next week, follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein. If you can’t wait until then, there’s always the first five seasons to catch up on, with guests from Sir Michael Palin to Heston Blumenthal.

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

Bill Bailey Nov 30, 2021

Show notes

Today I’m joined by the much loved comedian, musician and actor, Bill Bailey. Known for his hugely inventive stand up, he’s of course such a familiar face on our TV screens, spending several years as team captain on the long running music and comedy BBC panel show, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, making regular appearances on QI and Have I Got News For You, and most recently being crowned the champion of Strictly Come Dancing with partner Oti Mabuse, last year.

Bill kicks off his travel diaries having just returned from an incredible trip to Iceland, so he tells us all about; he shares his love of Indonesia where he spontaneously eloped with his wife, and travels back to each year; as a gigging comedian he has discovered every corner of the UK, so he reveals some British hidden gems that could be on your doorstep, and he shares his tips for Strictly this year.

He joins me from his West London family home, which he shares with a menagerie of pets, including five rescue dogs, a cat, a parrot, a snake, ducks and hens, which you will occasionally hear laying an egg in the background. This is a really fun one!

Destination Recap:

Reykjavik, Iceland
Akureyi, Iceland
Bubble Hotel, Iceland
Weston-super-mare, England
Bath, England
Saunder’s Foot, South Wales
Marseilles, France
Argentina
Indonesia
Sumatra, Indonesia
West Papua, Indonesia
The Ridgeway National Trail, England
Barbados
Baqueira Beret, Spain
Sitges, Spain
Barcelona, Spain
Patagonia
Namibia
Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia

Bill Bailey’s En Route To Normal tour kicks off in Plymouth on Sun 12 December and runs through to mid January. All the tickets and dates can be found at www.BillBailey.co.uk

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 five seasons to catch up on, with guests from Sir Michael Palin and Jo Malone to Heston Blumenthal and Nadiya Hussain.

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

Giovanna Fletcher Nov 23, 2021

Show notes

Giovanna Fletcher is one of the UK’s most successful women’s fiction authors. She's the host of Happy Mum, Happy Baby, the chart-topping podcast which sees her interview celeb guests about the highs and lows of parenting. She and her husband Tom Fletcher, from the band McFly have a huge YouTube presence where they perform together; and she’s I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’s reigning champion, the Queen of the Castle. To say Giovanna is multi-talented, is quite the understatement.

Giovanna has been travelling since a very young age as her dad is Italian, so she tells us about her annual trips to visit her family in Italy, she and Tom are a kind of obsessed with Disney and she brings to life the magic and joy of holidays at the Disney parks, and much of her new book is inspired by travel, by the country of Peru. We also chat about her love of trekking; her advice about travelling with three young kids; and what is was like to interview Kate Middleton and the whirlwind of press that came after.

Giovanna’s Destination Recap:

Valva, Campania, Italy
Paris, France
Disneyland Paris, France
Peru
Walt Disney World, Florida, USA
Jade Mountain, St Lucia
Watergate Bay Hotel, Cornwall, England
Three Mile Beach, Cornwall, England
Tenerife, Spain
Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Madagascar
Appalachian Trail, USA

Holly’s Destination Recap:

Belmond British Pullman train

Giovanna’s new novel, Walking on Sunshine, is out now in hardback, priced £14.99

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 five 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.

Steve Backshall Nov 16, 2021

Show notes

Steve Backshall is a BAFTA-winning presenter, writer, explorer, naturalist and all round daredevil. His big break as a broadcaster arrived when National Geographic offered him the post of Adventurer in Residence and he’s been taking on some of the toughest challenges on earth ever since, gracing our TV screens with shows like Deadly 60, Expedition, and The Lost Land series. On this episode you’ll hear that Steve’s great passion is discovery. Discovery of new places and new animal species - whether that’s uncovering never before seen ancient human art work in a Borneo cave, tracking snow leopards in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, coming extremely close to death while kayaking in Bhutan or diving with sharks in his new show, Shark with Steve Backshall.

Holly’s Destination Recap:

No. 15 Great Pulteney, Bath, England
Three Mile Beach, Cornwall, England

Steve’s Destination Recap:

Zimbabwe
Colombia
West Papua
Bhutan
Wales - Gower, Pembroke, Snowdonia, Breacon Beacons
Scilly Isles, Cornwall, England
Coastal Pembroke, Wales
Coastal Penzance, Cornwall, England
Bimini, The Bahamas
Kyrgyzstan
Borneo
Brazil
Suriname

Shark With Steve Backshall continues on Sunday at 8pm on Sky Nature, Sky Showcase and is streaming on NOW TV.

Thank you to today’s sponsors:

Freddie’s Flowers - Get your first two boxes half price, at just £12.50 each with the code TRAVEL50
The Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa

To hear future episodes as soon as they’re released, don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow”. Follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. And there’s always the first 5 seasons to catch up on, with guests from Michael Palin and Rick Stein, to Jo Malone to Hugh Bonneville.

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

Jessica Nabongo, first black woman to visit every country in the world Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

Jessica Nabongo is the first black woman in history to have visited all 195 countries in the world. On top of that, she travelled to 89 of these countries solo. All by the age of 35. She’s an influencer, photographer and businesswoman, and shares with us what she learnt throughout this epic journey.

From Tuvalu and Eritrea to Turkmenistan and Djibouti, Jessica’s travel diaries literally take us all over the world.

Destination Recap:

Punta Mita, Mexico
Uganda
Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda,
Lamu, Kenya
Japan
Mt Fuji, Japan
Hiroshima, Japan
Bali, Indonesia
Namibia
Islamabad, Pakistan
Lahore, Pakistan
Iran especially Isfahan
Colombia
Cuba
Merowe, Sudan
Senegal
Eritrea
Masawa, Eritrea
Tuvalu
Lake Assal, Djibouti
The Door to Hell, Turkmenistan
South Sudan
Moldova
Belarus
Tashkent, Samarkand & Termez, Uzbekistan
Venice, Italy
Greenland
Santiago de Cuba, Cuba

For more of Jessica’s adventures you can pre-order her first book on Amazon. It will be published by National Geographic and is out in May 2022. In the meantime, you can follow her on Instagram @jessicanabongo. Jessica's new project, The Nabongo List: is a new luxury, travel membership that gives you the best in local, luxury and unique experiences all around the world, curated by Jessica

A big thank you to today’s sponsors for their support of the podcast.

DK Eyewitness - What better way to find that next adventure than with a DK Eyewitness book? Get new editions of their award-winning DK Eyewitness and Top 10 travel guides, or for the intrepid explorer, there’s Outdoor Europe. Click the link, or visit your local bookshop.

COMO Hotels and Resorts - COMO's collection of 14 luxury boutique hotels and resorts are in some of the world's most desirable destinations. A new hotel has been announced for 2022, COMO Le Montrachet in Burgundy, France. Find out more about COMO's beautiful hotels and resorts by visiting Comohotels.com

Adnams - The home of premium gins. Get 10% off your first purchase with Adnams using code TRAVEL10.

Freddie’s Flowers- Get your first two boxes half price, at just £12.50 each with the code TRAVEL50 at freddiesflowers.com

British Airways x Visit Florida - Book your trip with confidence at BA.com/Florida

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 five seasons to catch up on, with guests from Michael Palin and Heston Blumenthal, to Sir Ranulph Fiennes to Hugh Bonneville.

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

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