Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More Responsibly

Latest Episodes:

How Travel Can Help Us Grieve Mar 02, 2023

Show notes

We turn to travel for a thousand different things: Connection, adventure, vacation, learning, family, the list goes on. One element of life and travel we don’t often discuss is grief. But today, we’re going to.

In this episode, Erin Hynes—host of the podcast Curious Tourism—shares the ways that we can use travel to navigate some of the more difficult elements of life. She shares her own story and interviews two experts with very different experiences around grief.

Follow Erin:

http://pinatravels.org/

https://www.instagram.com/pinatravels/

https://twitter.com/pinatravels

Follow Zac:

https://www.workinprogressto.ca/zac

https://www.instagram.com/zed_eh_see/

Follow Andrew:

https://www.andrewsteven.com/

https://trailweight.com/

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Travel Tales, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.

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How to Travel, and Soothe Your Anxiety, in a Climate-Changing World Feb 23, 2023

Show notes

It’s no secret that our climate is changing fast. From hurricanes to wildfires, those changes are impacting us more and more each year. How do we deal with the anxiety? And more specifically, how do we travel safely, smartly, and compassionately, in a climate-changing world? In this episode, AFAR senior news editor Michelle Baran shares her own experiences with climate anxiety, and talks with two experts about how we can find some peace—and travel with confidence.

Learn more about neuropsychologist Dr. Sanam Hafeez: http://comprehendthemind.com/

Learn more about International SOS: https://www.internationalsos.com/

This season, we want to hear from you! Have a question for us to unpack? Let us know at afar.com/feedback or email us at unpacked@afar.com

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Happy New(ish) Year! Now, Go Hug a Tree Feb 16, 2023

Show notes

Hey, listeners! Have you ever hugged a tree? If not, today's episode might inspire you to. AFAR editor Aislyn Greene talks with forest-bathing guide, Ben Page, about our tall, leafy friends: Why they're so good for us, where to forest bathe in the United States, and how to bring the forest-bathing mindset wherever you go.

Ben Page's company, Integral Forest Bathing: https://www.integralforestbathing.com/

And his book, A Pocket Guide to Forest Bathing: https://bookshop.org/a/2660/9781647224189

If you want to learn more about Mountain Trek: https://www.mountaintrek.com/

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The Best Places to Travel in 2023 Feb 09, 2023

Show notes

Where should I go this year? It's our favorite question—and (we hope) yours! For our annual where to go list, we handpicked 12 unique destinations, from the Great Lakes to Tasmania. We offer ideas for every type of traveler, whether you want to bicycle along Prince Edward Island's new Island Walk, eat seafood and listen to music in the Brazilian city of Salvador, or appreciate art and architecture in the United Arab Emirates' Sharjah.

In this episode, we're unpacking the list with AFAR editorial director Sarika Bansal, deputy editor Tim Chester, and freelancer travel writer Ashlea Halpern. The three also weigh in on travel trends for 2023, the realities of traveling with little kids, and other tips for making 2023 your best travel year yet.

Read more at https://afar.com/wtg2023. And don't forget to follow our editors:

Sarika: https://www.instagram.com/sarika008/

Ashlea: https://www.instagram.com/ashleahalpern

Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timchester

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Unpacked Is Back! (And a Little Different) Jan 27, 2023

Show notes

It's a bright, shiny new year, which means a bright, shiny new year of travel. Here at AFAR, we're bursting with ideas and enthusiasm—and we want to share it all with you. Before you dive in, just a note that Unpacked will sound a little different this year: We'll still be unpacking the trickiest topics in travel, but we'll also touch on issues and trends like forest-bathing, climate change anxiety, using travel to heal grief, and our picks for where to go in 2023.

And this season, we also want to hear from you! What travel topics do you want us to unpack? Share your thoughts at afar.com/feedback or email us at unpacked@afar.com.

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Is This Appropriate? How to (and How Not to) Engage With Cultural Tourism Aug 25, 2022

Show notes

Have you ever wanted to take a picture during your travels, but you weren’t sure if it was OK? Or have you come across a traditional performance and wondered whether you should be there at all? In this episode, we explore the sometimes uncomfortable power dynamics at play in cultural tourism—and how to navigate them with ease.

Resources

For more about Bangarra: https://www.bangarra.com.au/

To explore Wild Expeditions Africa: https://wild-expeditions.africa/

To learn more about from the World Bank on Indigenous Peoples: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/indigenouspeoples

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The Truth About Accessibility and Travel Aug 11, 2022

Show notes

When it comes to travel, accessibility is often an afterthought. But it shouldn't be. Qudsiya Naqui, host of the Down to the Struts podcast, takes on a journey into the world of accessible travel. She speaks with writer Bani Amor, wilderness specialist Erika Rivers, and Maayan Ziv, the founder of AccessNow, a mobile app that helps travelers find and share accessibility information.

Resources:

You can learn more about Qudsiya and the Down to the Struts team at downtothestruts.com.

Learn more about disability experiences through media and culture. The Disability Visibility Project created by Alice Wong is a great place to start. You can find blog posts and interviews with members of the disability community at disabilityvisibilityproject.org.

See what Erika Rivers and her team at Wilderness Inquiry are doing at https://www.wildernessinquiry.org/

Explore Maayan Ziv and AccessNow at https://accessnow.com

Follow Bani Amor on Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/baniamor/?hl=en

Special thanks to Story District in Washington D.C. for permission to share original audio from their March 2020 show, “She Comes First.” You can learn more about Story District by visiting storydistrict.org.

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What in the World Is 'Regenerative Travel'? Jul 28, 2022

Show notes

What in the world is regenerative travel? Kristy Drutman, host of the Brown Girl Green podcast, takes us deep in the world of green travel, where sustainability is about so much more than carbon offsets.

Resources

Brown Girl Green: https://www.browngirlgreen.com/

Amando Ho: https://www.regenerativetravel.com/

Paco Guerrero: https://www.gridmagazine.ph/

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Is It Really Possible to Travel Like a Local? Jul 14, 2022

Show notes

What does it mean when we say we want to "travel like a local?" It's a well-intentioned phrase, but also, well, impossible. In this episode, we'll unpack the concept of local travel. We’ll share tips on how to better connect in a new place, how to embrace our outsider status, and basically how asking ourselves these big questions can make our trips more fulfilling, and make us better guests in the world.

Resources:

Eric Weiner's essay: https://www.afar.com/magazine/five-ways-to-travel-more-responsibly

Eric's book, The Socrates Express: https://bookshop.org/a/2660/9781501129025

The digital accompaniment to the Unpacked podcast: https://www.afar.com/travel-inspiration/travel-for-good

Dr. Anu Taranath: https://www.anutaranath.com/

Dr. Anu's Book: Beyond Guilt Trips, Mindful Travel in an Unequal World: https://bookshop.org/a/2660/9781771134323

Jini Reddy: https://www.jinireddy.co.uk/

Jini's book, Wanderland: https://bookshop.org/a/2660/9781472951953

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How to Navigate the Wild World of Animal Tourism Jun 30, 2022

Show notes

There's nothing quite like a magical, transportive animal encounter—but how do we ensure those encounters are good for the animals (and good for the places we visit)? Journalist Byron Pace, host of the Into the Wilderness Podcast, takes us on a journey around the world, talking with wildlife experts ranging from a shark scientist in Australia to a California-based biologist.

This episode is sponsored by Explore Asheville, who shares our belief in the power of ethical travel. https://www.exploreasheville.com/

Resources:

Hear more from Byron's guests and from Byron himself at modernhuntsman.com/podcast.

Dan Blumstein: https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/person/daniel-blumstein/

Dan's book, Ecotourism's Promise and Peril: https://geni.us/dTFm

Melissa Cristina Márquez: https://www.melissacristinamarquez.com/

Pete Carr of the Endangered Species Protection Agency: https://speciesprotectionusa.org/

Sarah Roberts: https://www.sarahrobertsofficial.com/work-with-me

Lucas Bustamante, Tropical Herping: https://www.tropicalherping.com/about/lucas_bustamante.html

Have a travel conundrum you want us to unpack? Tweet us, DM us on Instagram, or post on our Facebook page.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AFARmedia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afarmedia/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfarMedia/

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