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In the final episode of Series 2, we head to one of the most surprising, humbling, and fascinating destinations we've ever visited: Iraqi Kurdistan. 

Growing up during the Gulf War, “Iraq” was a word that came wrapped in fear and conflict on the news, so stepping foot there as two middle-aged expats armed with just a couple of curious minds, felt surreal. And magical. And completely unexpected. 

Join us as we wander through ancient monasteries, share dinners with locals, and walk barefoot through the sacred Yazidi village of Lalish — one of the most moving travel experiences we've ever had. We also climb up to the atmospheric Citadel of Erbil, reflect on the kindness of everyone we met, and marvel at how different reality is from the headlines we grew up hearing. 

Stay with us till the end as answer our season-ending question: What do we wish for each other as life takes us on different paths? 

This is an episode about challenging assumptions, embracing curiosity, and discovering the humanity and beauty of a place too often misunderstood. 

If you enjoy the episode, please hit like, subscribe, and join us for future adventures in Series 3!  

Our guides 

Here are the two companies we used for our trip to Kurdistan - escape travels who organised everything and then our tour guide Haval who runs many trips across the country. 

Escape Travels  

https://www.escape-travels.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/escape_travels?igsh=MXNycDZzaTgzbGR0Mw== 

Haval - tour guide Kurdistan.  

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g659505-d14863085-Reviews-Iraqi_Kurdistan_Guide-Erbil_Erbil_Province.html 

https://iraqikurdistanguide.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/iraqi_kurdistan_guide?igsh=NmZpcmJpZ3kxd3k1&utm_source=qr 

 

Why this episode matters 

Kurdistan challenged every preconception we had. It reminded us why we travel: to replace headlines with human stories, to be humbled by unexpected beauty, and to meet people who open their homes, their holy sites, and their hearts. 

 

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