The Travel Diaries

Latest Episodes:

Hidden Gems - Bonus Episode Apr 14, 2020

Show notes

Surprise! I’m back with bonus episode number two, as we could all do with a bit of armchair travel right now. This week we’re uncovering the best ‘Hidden Gems’ from the past 23 episodes, from guests including Nadiya Hussain, Dan Snow and Levison Wood. Stay tuned for those secret spots that you want to keep to yourself because they’re that wonderful, but you also want to shout from the roof top because…they’re that wonderful! I hope they transport you to somewhere far, far away and provide some inspiration for your future travel plans.

Destination Recap:

Dan Snow: Stockholm and Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden
Mr & Mrs Smith’s James Lohan: Ett Hem, Stockholm, Sweden
Rachel Khoo: Little Brothers Bakery - Stockholm, Sweden
Luleå, Swedish Lapland
Arctic Bath, Sweden
The Independent’s Simon Calder: Wuppertaler Schwebebahn (Wuppertal Suspension Railway), Germany; Tiraspol, Moldova; The Azores; Syracuse, Sicily
Levison Wood: Lebanon
Arthaus Beirut, Lebanon
Lucy Williams: Anopura, Jaipur, India
Lonely Planet’s Peter Grunert: Bhutan
Nadiya Hussain: Koh Sukorn, Thailand

Thank you so much for listening today. If you haven’t yet left a 5 star rating or a review, why not do so now! Your support is so greatly appreciated and most importantly, helps others to discover the podcast.

Don’t forget you can listen on Spotify, Apple podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher and pretty much all other podcast apps.

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

And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything podcast-related.

This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein

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

Best of British - Destination Special Mar 31, 2020

Show notes

Today we celebrate the Best of British, where a selection of guests from Season 1 & 2 will transport you to some of their favourite places in the British isles - all from the safety of your own home. From the Isles of Scilly to the Island of Rum; Shropshire, Yorkshire, Kent, London and much more, here’s a taster of some of the very best of what Britain has to offer.

Destination recap:

Rick Stein: Isles of Scilly; Padstow, Cornwall, England
Poppy Delevingne: Daymer Bay, Cornwall, England
Porthminster Beach Cafe
Porthmeor Beach Cafe
Melinda Stevens: The Long Mind, Shropshire, England
Sir Ranulph Fiennes: Isle of Rum, Scotland
Dynamo: Chiltern Firehouse and Bar Bruno’s, London
Kettner’s Town House, London
Blanchette, London
Peter Grunert: Bradford, Yorkshire, England
Tom Kerridge: North Kent Coast, England - Whitstable; The Goods Shed, Canterbury; The Fordwich Arms, Canterbury; The Compasses Inn, Crundale; The Sportsman, Seasalter
James Lohan: Blakes Hotel, London; The Witchery, Edinburgh, Scotland; Drunken Duck Inn, Lake District, England; Le Manoir aux quat’saisons, Oxfordshire, England; Lime Wood, Hampshire, England
Sophy Roberts: Yeotown, Devon, England

Don’t forget you can listen on Spotify, Apple podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher and pretty much all other podcast apps.

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

And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything podcast-related.

This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein

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

Lonely Planet founder, Tony Wheeler Mar 24, 2020

Show notes

Today, I’m joined by a legend of the travel world. Back in 1972, Tony Wheeler and his wife Maureen, decided to drive from London through Asia, and all the way to Australia on what was known as the Hippie Trail. Along the way, they realised there was a real shortage of information about the countries they were visiting, and so they decided to write a guidebook together. That was the now seminal Southeast Asia on a Shoestring, and from there, Lonely Planet was born.

Lonely Planet went on to become the world’s largest travel guidebook publishers, selling hundreds of millions of books. I’m sure all of us have a well leafed Lonely Planet guide on our shelves, that has been a trusty companion on our travels.

Tony and Maureen now live in Melbourne, Australia, so I was very lucky to grab some time with Tony when he was over in London at the beginning of the month.

We spoke before the Coronavirus became a global pandemic - although you’ll hear that it had impacted his travels on the way to get here.

It’s a very frightening time for all of us across the globe, a time when travel suddenly feels so out of reach. I hope this episode acts as a bit of escapism, some light relief, that will transport you to the weird and wonderful corners of the world that make up Tony’s travel diaries. From Bulgaria and Turkmenistan, to Armenia and…The Maldives. I hope you enjoy it.

Destination recap:

Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Hippie Trail driving from London to Australia
Ashkabad, Turkmenistan
Karachi, Pakistan
Karakoram Highway, Pakistan
Nassau, Bahamas
San Francisco, California, USA
Sumba, Indonesia
Armenia
Istanbul, Turkey
The Pudding Shop, Istanbul, Turkey
Göreme, Turkey
Bamiyan Buddahs, Afghanistan
Torres Strait, Australia
Erub Island, Australia
Melbourne, Australia
Ravenna, Italy
The Maldives
Socotra, Yemen
Yemen
Jamaica

Don’t forget you can listen on Spotify, Apple podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher and pretty much all other podcast apps.

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

And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything podcast-related.

This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein

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

Poppy Delevingne Mar 17, 2020

Show notes

Supermodel and actress Poppy Delevingne is making her podcast debut today on The Travel Diaries. Poppy - and her sister, Cara Delevingne - are two of fashion’s most recognisable names. Poppy has been the face of Louis Vuitton, Burberry, the muse for designer Matthew Williamson, and the brand ambassador of Chanel. But as you’ll hear in this episode, it was acting that was Poppy’s first love, and having starred in blockbusters like Kingsman and King Arthur, Poppy is now a series regular on Sky Atlantic’s hit series, Riviera.

I spoke to Poppy in her beautiful west London home in a rare moment when she was back in the UK - travelling is not only an integral part of her career - you’ll soon hear that Poppy clearly has the travel bug, too. From Argentina to Antarctica, Japan to Positano, this is a glimpse into the glamorous life of Poppy Delevingne.

Destination Recap:

Buenos Aires, Argentina
Amilla Fushi, Maldives
Cornwall, England
Wandsworth Common, London, England
The Colbert, London, England
The Wolseley, London, England
The Delaunay, London, England
Chiltern Firehouse, London, England
The Windsor Castle, Camden Hill Road, London, England
Los Angeles, California, USA
Positano, Italy
Le Sirenuse, Positano, Italy
Da Adolfo, Positano, Italy
Conca del Sogno, Positano, Italy
Camping in the Amazon, Brazil
India
South Africa
Peninsula Hotel, Tokyo, Japan
Kyoto, Japan
Amanemu, Shima, Japan
Amangiri, Utah, USA
Zion National Park, USA
Barcelona, Spain
La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain
Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles, California
Paris, France
Residenza Napoleone III, Rome, Italy
Macchu Picchu, Peru
Antartica

You can catch up on Riviera Season 1 & 2 on Sky Atlantic now. Season 3 will be released this summer. Follow Poppy on Instagram here.

Don’t forget you can listen on Spotify, Apple podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher and pretty much all other podcast apps.

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

And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything podcast-related.

This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein

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

Sophy Roberts, Travel Author Mar 10, 2020

Show notes

Today, I’m joined by one of the world’s leading travel authors and journalists, Sophy Roberts. Formerly the editor-at-large of Conde Nast Traveller, and Departures Magazine, as well as a columnist at the Financial Times, Sophy’s focus now is primarily on remote parts of the world, reporting on fragile cultures, wildlife conservation and threats to eco-systems.

I hope this episode grabs you and transports you to the wild and wonderful ends of our planet. It’s a long haul, feature length episode and a love letter to travel, which will take you to some truly far flung locations from deepest Siberia and wild Papua New Guinea, to the deserts of Chad and the lakes of Kashmir. I really hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.

Destination Recap:

Uzbekistan
Aryll, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
Leger, France
Ireland
Ecclefechan, Scottish Borders
Russia
Delhi Old Town, India
Kashmir, India
Drive from Kashmir to Ladakh
Siberia, Russia
Mongolia
Nepal
New York City, USA
New York Public Library
Sylvia’s, New York
Nihiwatu - Now called Nihi Sumba, Indonesia
Hotel Trasierra, Andalucia, Spain
Chad
Papua New Guinea
Yeotown, Somerset
The Canary Islands
St Tropez in August
Mozambique
Kolyma, Siberia, Russia
Rwanda
Arctic poles
Socotra Island, Yemen
Mississippi River, USA

‘The Lost Pianos of Siberia’ by Sophy Roberts, is out now. You can follow Sophy’s travel on Instagram here.

Don’t forget you can listen on Spotify, Apple podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher and pretty much all other podcast apps.

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

And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything podcast-related.

This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein

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

Jo Malone Mar 03, 2020

Show notes

Jo Malone's superhuman sense of smell took her from life on a council estate, leaving school with no qualifications, and catapulted her into becoming one of the world’s most successful businesswomen, creating two globals brands- first Jo Malone London, and now Jo Loves.

Her name may conjure the smell of lime, basil and mandarin or the citrusy scent of pomelo - but what you might not know is how these scents are in many ways inspired by the travels that Jo has been on, and in this is episode she evokes so vividly the many destinations that have shaped her life.

Destination recap:

Elizabeth Street, Belgravia, London
Philip Treacy, London
Peggy Porschen cupcakes, London
Wild by Tart restaurant, London
Rhodes, Greece
Embonas wine festival, Rhodes, Greece
COMO Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos
Grasse, France
Mougins, France
La Colombe d’Or Hotel, St Paul de Vence, France
Thula Thula Game Reserve, South Africa
New York City, New York, USA
The Boat House, Central Park, New York, USA
Wheatleigh Hotel, Lenox, Massachusetts, USA
The Surrey Hotel, New York, USA
The Lowell Hotel, New York, USA
The Peninsula Hotel, Paris, France
The PuLi Hotel, Shanghai, China
One & Only Royal Mirage, Dubai, UAE
La Bastide Saint Antoine, Grasse, France
Hacienda de San Rafael, Seville, Spain
Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Canada
India

You can visit the Jo Loves store on Elizabeth Street in Belgravia, or shop online.

Don’t forget you can listen on Spotify, Apple podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher and pretty much all other podcast apps.

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

And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything podcast-related.

This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein

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

Simon Calder, Travel Editor Feb 25, 2020

Show notes

Today, I’m joined by the travel writer and broadcaster, Simon Calder. He’s TV’s travel guru, and the travel editor at the Independent newspaper, where he’s known as “the man who pays his way” because he doesn’t accept any freebies from the travel trade - and in this episode, he gives some great tips for travelling on a budget.

Simon’s got a great story because his first job was at Gatwick airport, cleaning planes and working on security, and the notion of simply travelling abroad while working there felt like a distant dream. Now of course, he spends his life travelling the world - and this episode includes such a variety of fascinating and unusual locations that this had to be a ‘long haul’ feature length episode.

Make sure you stay tuned for his all time favourites and hidden gems - there are some really interesting ones in there - I’m already dreaming up some travels from those.

Here’s a recap of the destinations mentioned:

Swanage, Dorset, England
Lake District, England
Guernsey, Channel Islands, England
Granada, Spain
Skye, Scotland
Isle of Wight Festival
Aconcagua, Argentina
Santiago, Chile
East Berlin
Tirana, Albania
Cuba
New York, USA
Mumbai, India
Esquinas Rainforest Lodge, Costa Rica
Pan American Highway - Nuevo Laredo, Mexico to Panama
Mexico City, Mexico
Puebla, Mexico
Wahaca, Mexico
Wuppertaler Schwebebahn, (Wuppertal Suspension Railway), Germany
Tiraspol, Moldova
The Azores
Syracuse, Sicily
Arctic Canada and Greenland cruise
Caribbean cruising
Alaska to Canada cruise
Cuillin, Skye, Scotland
Nepal
Mt Vinson, Antarctica

You can follow Simon’s travels on his Twitter page, @Simoncalder - and tune in to his podcast which is on Soundcloud, it’s called Escape podcast.

Don’t forget you can listen on Spotify, Apple podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher and pretty much all other podcast apps.

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

And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything podcast-related.

This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein

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

Dan Snow Feb 11, 2020

Show notes

Today I’m joined by the historian and broadcaster, Dan Snow. You’re probably already a fan of his podcast, Dan Snow’s History Hit. Following in the footsteps of his journalist parents, Dan is now a mainstay on our TV screens, often presenting programmes linked to his love of history - and history and travel of course come hand in hand.

I enjoyed this chat with Dan so much that it had to be a “long haul” feature length episode. As well as bringing to life so many far flung destinations (check out that list below!) Dan’s insights into the meaning of travel, and the impact of travel, I found to be fascinating. I hope you do too!

Destination Recap:

North Wales
Zanzibar, Tanzania
Timbuktu, Mali
Mount Assiniboine, Western Canada
Maui, Hawaii, USA
Amsterdam, Holland
Oberoi Hotel, Jaipur, India
Iceland
Vasa Museum, Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden
Northumberland, England
Lancashire, England
China
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Syria
New England, USA
St Helena, South Atlantic Ocean
Sao Tome & Principe
Micronesia

You can listen to Dan’s brilliant podcast, Dan Snow’s History Hit here. And check out his online history channel, HistoryHit.TV too.

Thank you so much for listening. If you haven’t yet left a 5 star rating, why not do so now! Your support is so greatly appreciated and most importantly, helps others to discover the podcast.

Come and find me on Instagram - I’m @hollyrubenstein - and to find out more about the podcast, visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com

This is episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein

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

Dynamo Feb 04, 2020

Show notes

Today I’m joined by one of the most prolific magicians of all time - Dynamo.

250 million viewers around the world tuned in to watch his award-winning TV shows, as he levitated in front of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro; and seemingly walked on water down London’s River Thames.

750,000 attended his last stadium tour, with famous fans from Jay Z and Snoop Dogg, to Gwyneth Paltrow and Ed Sheeran.

And then, at the very peak of his success, he had to step away.

As you’ll hear on this episode, Dynamo became so ill from the affects of Crohn’s disease that he spent months in hospital, thinking he would never be able to perform magic again.

Now, 5 years later, having come close to death, Dynamo’s resilience and determination mean he’s back. He’s been working on a new show which will take viewers on a magical journey across the globe. From Bradford to Japan, and Syria to Australia, these are the travel diaries of Dynamo.

Destination recap:

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
Bradford, Yorkshire, England
India
Tokyo, Japan
Chūbu, Japan
Syria
Wolgan Valley, Blue Mountains, Australia
London, England
Hampstead Heath, London, England
Chiltern Firehouse, London, England
Bar Bruno, Soho, London, England
Harlem, New York, USA
Gorilla Trekking, Rwanda

Dynamo new show Beyond Belief is on Sky One now.

Thank you so much for listening. If you haven’t yet left a 5 star rating, why not do so now! Your support is so greatly appreciated and most importantly, helps others to discover the podcast.

Come and find me on Instagram - I’m @hollyrubenstein - and to find out more about the podcast, visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com

This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein

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

Tom Kerridge Jan 28, 2020

Show notes

Today I’m joined by the much loved chef, restauranteur and TV presenter, Tom Kerridge.

Tom’s worked in food since he was 18 years old, but he rose to fame when his pub in Buckinghamshire, The Hand and Flowers, went on to become the only pub in Britain with two Michelin stars. I, like many, got to know and love him on the BBC’s Great British Menu show, where he was the first chef to cook at the banquet two years in a row and he’s since gone on to release several best selling cook books and many popular TV shows. More recently, he’s made headlines with his dramatic 12 stone weight loss. As well as chatting a bit about that, Tom takes us on a journey across the UK, Europe, Asia and the US with his travel diaries, and lots of foodie recommendations along the way.

This is what I call a “long haul” episode - you’re getting a bit more this week because Tom is so lovely and we just couldn’t stop chatting. I hope you’ll really enjoy it.

Destination recap:

Isle of Wight, England
Ostend, Belgium
Agistri, Greece
Crete, Greece
Paphos, Cyprus
Singapore
Hong Kong
New York, USA
North Kent coast, England
Whitstable, England
The Good Shed, Canterbury, England
The Fordwich Arms, Canterbury, England
The Compasses Inn, Crundale
The Sportsman, Seasalter
Lapland
India
Japan

Tom’s new book, Lose Weight and Get Fit, is out now, and you can watch the accompanying BBC 2 series on Wednesday nights at 8.30pm.

Thank you so much for listening. If you haven’t yet left a 5 star rating, why not do so now! Your support is so greatly appreciated and most importantly, helps others to discover the podcast.

Come and find me on Instagram - I’m @hollyrubenstein - and to find out more about the podcast, visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com

This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein

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