Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast

Latest Episodes:

AT#910 - Travel to Romania (and Northern Hungary) Aug 31, 2024

Show notes

Hear about travel to Romania and Northern Hungary as the Amateur Traveler talks to Lisa VanderVeen about her recent Intrepid trip to the area.

Why should you go to Romania?

Lisa says, "Romania is much more than Dracula and Vlad Tepes, though I will confess that was my initial draw to the country. It's got a great diversity of landscape and a multi layered history going way, way back. And then also as recently as the, communist times. Lots of really interesting museums to visit."

"In terms of the topography and the geography, it's just amazing. It's got beautiful towns the Maramures region has a history of weavings and just the colors, red, orange, pink, and blue with the haystacks dotting the rolling hills and the mountains in the backdrop are really stunning."

"The Carpathian Mountains are moody and they're filled with lore and at the same time they feel a little bit like Switzerland. There's great beauty, great history, and wonderful food and wine in Romania."

Here's the itinerary of the trip to Romania and Northern Hungary as described by Lisa:

Budapest, Hungary:

Start the trip in Budapest, Lisa's favorite European city, known for its architecture, the Danube River, the Fisherman's Bastion, and thermal baths.

Eger, Hungary:

Travel by train to Eger, a small town with Baroque architecture, a notable history of resisting the Ottomans, and a rich wine tradition.
Explore the Castle of Eger and the Valley of Beautiful Women, known for its wine cellars.
Visit the Basilica of St. John the Apostle and the Camera Obscura.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-romania/

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AT#909 - Travel to Northeastern Florida - Jacksonville, Amelia Island and St Augustine Aug 24, 2024

Show notes

Hear about travel to Northeast Florida as the Amateur Traveler talks to Angie Orth from Angie Away about her hometown and the area around it.

Why should someone go to Northeast Florida?

Angie says, "So many reasons. People come to Florida for a lot of different reasons. Mostly theme parks, maybe swamps, alligators, Miami. Those are the things when I meet people around the world that they think Florida is about. Everybody thinks I either live in Miami, in some kind of penthouse, or like at Disney World, in a castle of some sort."

"There's so much to do here, but I would say the majority of it is It's outdoors, it's nature, it's history. We have a ton of interesting history that even natives don't necessarily know about. It's hidden away in the neighborhoods and buried and there's ruins and also layers of history, layers and hundreds of years and wars. To make this area what it is and it's really interesting once you start going to the national park areas and the forts and the ruins."

Angie recommends several must-see locations and activities in Northeastern Florida:

Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island (Nassau County):

Visit Fort Clinch State Park for hiking, biking, and exploring historic forts.
Enjoy the beaches, which are often quiet and uncrowded.
Enjoy one of Amelia Island's charming bed-and-breakfasts.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-northeastern-florida/

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AT#908 - Road Trip in Northern Norway Aug 17, 2024

Show notes

Hear about a road trip at the top of the world in Northern Norway as the Amateur Traveler talks to Torunn Tronsvang from Up Norway about this scenic but remote destination.

Why should you go to Northern Norway?

Torunn says, "There are so many good reasons why one should go to Northern Norway, and I think just as an introduction to Norway, I think it's worth mentioning the trend now of cool cations — skipping the hot and steamy Southern Europe and rather going up North to Norway. to Norway and Northern Norway."

"And Northern Norway, of course, if I were to summarize in one word, regardless of season, I'd say, go there for the light. Because in the summer, you have the midnight sun, which means that you have this magical, radiant light all day and all night. If you go there in winter, you have the northern lights, but you also have arctic lights, so you have color nuances of pink, orange, sometimes turquoise, of course, you have the very green-yellow northern lights on clear and starry nights"

Torunn recommends this itinerary...

https://amateurtraveler.com/road-trip-in-northern-norway/

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AT#907 - Travel to the Maldives Aug 10, 2024

Show notes

Hear about travel to the Maldives in the Indian Ocean as the Amateur Traveler talks to David Brodie from Travel in 10 about his experience in this tropical paradise.

Why should you go to the Maldives?

"I think it's a place that a lot of people have probably seen influencer videos or postcards of the luxury resorts that are there. And it does have. probably some of the most luxurious island resorts you're going to find anywhere in the world. Crystal clear waters, incredible snorkeling, incredible diving, and really at that luxury end of the spectrum, there is an enormous amount of properties on their own islands there, throughout the, about 187 islands that are populated in the island chain, about 160 of those 160 plus that have. Resorts on them."

"I say, really some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world and a whole new sort of aspect to tourism that's developing there with the opening up of the local islands and the local island tourism that's emerging there now as well."

Trip Overview

David's adventure in the Maldives was part of a larger trip that explored multiple countries. After his family returned home from Singapore, David continued on his own, making the Maldives a key highlight of his solo journey. Known for its pristine beaches, crystal-clear waters, and vibrant marine life, the Maldives did not disappoint.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-the-maldives-2/

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AT#906 - Travel to Castile and León, Spain Aug 03, 2024

Show notes

Hear about travel to the region of Castile and León in Spain as the Amateur Traveler talks to Ethan Witthun about the region where he studied abroad.

Day 1: Avila

Morning:

Walk the Murallas (Walls): Start early to walk along the medieval walls of Avila, known for being one of the most complete medieval walls in Spain. Purchase an Avila card online for easy access and an audio guide.
Visit the Cathedral of Avila: Explore this unique cathedral, which is part of the wall, and features distinct red stone in its construction.

Afternoon:

Visit the Basilica of San Vicente: Known for its unique architecture and the shrine of San Vicente.
Lunch at Restaurante Las Murallas: Enjoy a famous steak while sitting outside with views of the walls.
Visit Los Cuatro Postes: Head here during siesta time for a panoramic view of Avila and its walls.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-castile-and-leon-spain/

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AT#905 - Travel to Afghanistan Jul 27, 2024

Show notes

Hear about travel to Afghanistan as the Amateur Traveler talks to bigger and adventure tour guide Sibu Szymanowska about this adventurous destination, even for her.

Why should you go to Afghanistan?

Sibu says, "Because we are very influenced by what we see in the media nowadays and it is definitely one of those countries that will end up shocking you. But not Shocking you in a negative way, but shocking you in a very positive way, because there is so much more to the world than what we see on mainstream media, on the news, but by what our governments tell you, and Afghanistan obviously is not an easy destination to navigate, but is it possible?"... Yes.

Cities Visited

Kabul: The capital city with significant historical and cultural sites.
Bamiyan: Known for the destroyed Buddhist statues and diverse landscapes.
Herat: Famous for the Blue Mosque and historical Citadel.

Sites to See

Kabul: Bibi Maru Hill, local mosques, bird market
Bamiyan: Buddhist statue site, Band-e-Amir National Park
Herat: Blue Mosque, Citadel, tile-making workshops

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-afghanistan/

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AT#904 - Travel to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Jul 20, 2024

Show notes

Hear about travel to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jo Clark from Have Glass, Will Travel about her hometown.

Why should someone go to Myrtle Beach?

Jo says, "Myrtle Beach is on the Grand Strand as we call it. It's on the coast of South Carolina and we are in the midst of 60 miles of gorgeous beach. Nice and wide. No rocks. I mean you can walk for miles and miles. It's just the perfect place. We have great weather. We have everything. we have history, we have music, and of course the beach."

Jo sent us this itinerary:

A WEEK IN MYRTLE BEACH

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-myrtle-beach-south-carolina/

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AT#903 - The Great West Way in England Jul 13, 2024

Show notes

Hear about travel the Great West Way from London to Bristol as the Amateur Traveler talks to Penny Sadler, who writes Adventures of a Carry-on, about her recent trip to Southwest England.

Penny Sadler is a freelance writer covering wine, food, travel, and lifestyle topics. Her work has appeared in CNBC Travel, Culture Magazine, Matador Network, InsideHook, The Alcohol Professor, Vintner Project, The Cheese Professor, and elsewhere. She’s a Wine, Spirits Education Trust graduate and hosts tastings in her free time.

Why should you go?

Penny says, "The Great West Way is a historic route and basically now a tourist route that goes from London to Bristol. From London to Bristol is about two hours, and along the way, there are charming market towns, old pubs, castle ruins, rolling hills, and lots of farmland, it's very rural Stonehenge, Avebury, there's so much to see."

Penny Sadler's itinerary for the Great West Way offers a scenic and historically rich journey from east to west. Here is a breakdown of the recommended destinations, sorted from east to west:

London

Activities:
Stay at The Mayfair Townhouse.
Join a food tour with Devour Tours, visiting historic pubs and Borough Market.
Explore Southwark Cathedral, Hatton Garden, and Daunt Books for Travellers.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/the-great-west-way-in-england/

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AT#902 - Travel to India Jul 06, 2024

Show notes

Hear about travel to India including the Golden Triangle as the Amateur Traveler talks to Nir ben Dov from Israel about his recent trip to the subcontinent.

Why should you go to India?

"I've gone to India many times over the past 20 25 years and it's a place that I've grown to love and love to hate it's a strange place. It's a place with its own character not for everyone But a very intriguing, place not easy, but a great place to visit. It's very different. So I decided this time to take my wife because I know that traveling with my wife, it just has a completely different flair to it. I know my wife likes the colors, the very bright colors, and the chaos in India."

Nir's recommended itinerary for India includes:

Delhi:

Arrive in Delhi.
Spend some time at Connaught Place (CP), a central commercial area.
Chris recommends a number of Historic Places in Delhi to see

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-india-2/

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AT#901 - Travel to the Balkans - Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo Jun 29, 2024

Show notes

Hear about travel to Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo as the Amateur Traveler talks to Justin Barnes about his recent trip to the Balkans.

Why should someone go to the Balkans?

Justin says, "It's a fascinating intersection of the East and West. It's been shaped by history over many different iterations from the Greeks to the Illyrians to the Byzantines to the Ottomans. And whenever you have a place like that's been shaped by so many different cultures and with such a fascinating history, you see a lot of things you don't really see elsewhere on the globe."

"In addition, it's very inexpensive. The places that I'm going to be talking about, Albania, North Macedonia are much less expensive than even other places in the Balkans, let alone the rest of Europe. The area was much more green and lush than I was expecting. I don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting beautiful green forests everywhere."

"nd the cities that we went to, pretty much everything was walkable. Aside from the time that it takes to get from one city to the next, once you're actually where you need to be, you can walk around. The weather's good. The people are nice. I always felt safe. There's a lot to offer."

Justin recommends a detailed itinerary for a trip through Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo. Here is the itinerary based on his detailed description:

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-the-balkans/

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