Imagine spending six months in a Buddhist monastery? Today's special guest Janet Brent did exactly that, in the Philippines. She speaks about her experience and how it changed her outlook on the world. By travelling we have an opportunity to experience different cultures and learn from what they have to share. Janet's story is a great example of this. 

You can connect with Janet further on Facebook. And also follow her on LinkedIn, so you're first to know about her volume of semi-erotic fiction. 

How can we reduce our carbon footprint when we travel? The city of Valencia measured the footprint of its visitors and found that 81% of the carbon emissions were created by travelling to and from the city. So to counter that we can:

1. Stay longer (and also have the opportunity to travel deeper)

2. Always look to travel with more sustainable  transport - a train instead of a plane, a bike instead of a car.

There's more, as your host Stephen Bailey tells his story, and how he has tried to reduce his carbon footprint. 

Today's special guest is the funniest travel podcaster we know. She's the flight attendant Betty Thesky and she shares her tales from 36,000 feet. Just give it a listen, you're going to love it. 

More about Betty (and we know you want more...)

The brilliant Betty in the Sky with a Suitcase podcast.

Betty's BBC World Service Documentary. 

The legendary book, Betty in the Sky with a Suitcase. 

Betty and the Jets, the book.

Betty's audio book, the Tar Collection.

How do you pick your hotels? How did you pick your hotel for your last trip? Host Stephen Bailey explains how he has been choosing his accommodation for the last 15 years. He has two tactics and neither of them involve Tripadvisor. 

Thank you for being a part of our travel podcast community. We're downloaded in over 100 countries and growing month by month. Don't forget to rate and review if you're enjoying the show. And hit subscribe so you never miss your daily travel inspiration. 

Suriname, a slice of South America on the Caribbean. Here you'll find a wild coastline, thick Amazon rainforest, a mix of cultures and a whole lot of space. Today's special guest Stephanie Mojica moved to Suriname and has so much to share about this mostly unknown destination.

Stephanie is a writing coach and the author of the book Three Things You Must Know Before Writing Your Book, as well as the founder of Get Their Attention Now. You can also connect with Stephanie directly via Facebook and Instagram. 

The most authentic capital city in Europe? Madrid is a melting pot of different Spanish influences and a great city to get lost in. Join your host Stephen Bailey in exploring the backstreets and big museums, from Galician pulpo joints to the route of Cevantes. While Barcelona takes more visitor acclaim, Madrid is rare in that it isn't a touristic capital. And in these 10 minutes you'll hopefully find a lot to discover.

Today's special guest is the BBC travel presenter, book author and podcaster Alice Morrison. She's just finished a 7 1/2 month walk around Morocco with her camels. 

Enjoy an incredible inside take on Morocco with Alice, from the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara, overland adventures to vibrant cities, and the reasons this is such a wonderful country to visit. 

Alice has an amazing spirit and her enthusiasm will surely inspire you to visit Morocco, where "life is more about being than doing." To hear, see and read more about Alice you can follow these links. 

Alice's BBC2 documentary Morocco to Timbuktu.  Alice Morrison's three books, including Adventures in Morocco. The Alice in Wanderland podcast.   Alice Morrison's website. 

What's the best city in the world for food? For your host Stephen Bailey there is no doubt - it's Lima, the capital of Peru. Join this short journey into the restaurants and culinary brilliance of this underrated city, including ceviche and Nikkei, but not the famous Peruvian grilled guinea pig. Sure, other countries may have better overall cuisine. But for Stephen, nowhere else provides such creative gastronomy at a very affordable price. 

The pandemic has been incredibly challenging for all of us. Lockdown is hard at home. But what if you were locked down in a foreign country? What if you were visiting Vietnam when the pandemic hit, and ended up spending 18 months in Vietnam!

That's the story of today's special guest Karen Yates, a passionate traveler and financial alignment coach. In today's episode she shares the highs and lows, the challenges and wonders of being stuck in Vietnam during the pandemic. 

You can connect with Karen at inspiremymoney.com and also on Facebook. 

If you've travelled to over 100 countries and spent 15 years full-time on the road, you may think it's not necessary to use a travel advisor, agent or specialist. Your podcast host Stephen Bailey thinks differently. The more he travels the more he relies on specialists. Not because he can't arrange his own travels, but because these specialists can create a better travel experience for him. With examples from Rioja to New Zealand, Stephen explores the why and why not of getting somebody else to plan your travels.