This week’s guest is my great friend Zvonimir Androić - Croatian travel expert and owner of our ground handler in Croatia - who joins us from his home in Zagreb. If you’re unfamiliar with Croatia as a travel destination and want to learn more, this is the perfect chat for you! 

Want to plan a trip to Croatia? It’s never too late to start the process, and we would love to hear from you. Contact us today at www.swaggyswan.com/contact

What a life! This week Justin chats with legendary guide and adventurer Sanjay Saxena from Nomadic Expeditions. Sanjay takes us through two truly pioneering expeditions throughout Tibet that set records, were inspired by early explorers of the area, and delivered the industry standard for real exploration! First, Sanjay talks about the first descent of the Indian Brahmaputra River and what it was like to do daring, overland journey from Kunming to Lhasa (capital of Chinese Tibet and former home of the current Dalai Lama) during at time where no one explored like this and where modern infrastructure just simply didn’t exist!

Want to plan a trip to Tibet? It’s never too late to start the process, and we would love to hear from you. Contact us today at www.swaggyswan.com/contact :) 

Made you look! Nepal is MORE than Everest! This week we’re joined by Vijay Shrestha Einhaus who is the grandson of one of Nepal’s pioneering families of hospitality and enormous champion of all of the country’s riches and wonder beyond the mountain. Discover the wildlife wonders of Royal Chitwan, imagine the adventure opportunities in the Annapurnas, and learn about the lost Tibetan Kingdom of Lo (aka Mustang) for the first time. I also love the incredible effort’s that Vijay’s family has done to help lift up an entire community devastated by the infamous earthquake of 2015. 

Want to plan a trip to Nepal? It’s never too late to start the process, and we would love to hear from you. Contact us today at www.swaggyswan.com/contact :) 

This week, we revisit my second home! Russia is a destination that is so indescribably near and dear to my heart that these words don’t do my passion for the destination justice. My guests this week are Vlad and Anastasia from our ground handler, Miceversa, who chat with me about how life has changed in Russia over the past 12-15 years, introduce both the country’s highlights and off the beaten path destinations, explore the importance of breaking cultural stereotypes, and more! We also laugh a hell of a lot! It is my hope that our chat opens up a new perspective on Russia that you didn’t have previously. Always remember to challenge what you believe to be true - I promise you’ll be surprised at the end of this episode! 

Want to plan a trip to Russia? It’s never too late to start the process, and we would love to hear from you. Contact us today at www.swaggyswan.com/contact :) 

It is with a heavy heart that I release this week’s episode. Ian Craddock was the owner of Bushmasters, our ground handler in Guyana, and a truly remarkable human being. In what was supposed to be Episode 3, I included Ian’s chat for the show’s initial launch. Tragically, on what was to be launch day, I learned of Ian’s tragic and unexpected passing two days prior. Out of respect for his family, I took the video off YouTube. Recently, Ian’s family asked me to release the conversation again as a tribute to Ian, which is exactly this. His pioneering spirit and passion are absolutely evident and he takes us through the little lost world of Guyana that was his home. We hope this conversation, which is the last public interview of Ian Craddock, does Ian’s spirit justice…

Fancy a pachyderm? We are thrilled to continue our wildlife theme this week by sitting down with my friend James Wilson, Marketing Director for Desert & Delta Safaris in Botswana, to talk about all-things elephants and why Botswana is such a perfect habitat for them! We talk about encountering these adorable giants by both boat and vehicle as well as the other prolific wildlife you can encounter across Botswana. The human-elephant wildlife cannot be responsibly ignored, so we touch on that as well. Don’t miss the Game of Thrones story either!

If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast and YouTube channel and give us a follow on Instagram @smartasspirations and @swaggyswangram. 

Want to go to Botswana? We’d love to help - please contact us!

NBC - Nothing But Cuteness! This week, we escape the world of politics, pandemics, and distance learning and enter the world of adorable animals. Justin interviews Tswalu Kalahari’s resident pangolin researcher Wendy Panainao. We learn what pangolins are, what makes them adorable, discuss why they are endangered, and how you can go visit them once this nasty pandemic is at an end. 

If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast and YouTube channel and give us a follow on Instagram @smartasspirations and @swaggyswangram. 

Want to go see pangolins? We’d love to help - please contact us!

We are thrilled to chat with the pioneer of West Africa tourism, Mr. Alberto Nicheli, this week! Alberto joins us live from his home in Lome, Togo to introduce you to the area of West Africa, the fascinating cultural experiences you can encounter throughout the region, and learn how a good Italian boy rebelled against his own culture by boating across the Mediterranean and taking his car from Tunis to Togo! Talk about a trans-Saharan symphony! 

If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast and YouTube channel and give us a follow on Instagram @smartasspirations and @swaggyswangram. 

Want to book a trip to West Africa? We’d love to help - please contact us!

“You went WHERE?” is the reaction most Jicaro Island Lodge guests receive at cocktail parties when chatting about their vacation. Jicaro lies in the heart of Central America in Lake Nicaragua just a stone’s throw away from the colonial splendor of Granada - the oldest Spanish colonial settlement in the Americas! This week’s guest, Hans Pfister of the Cayuga Collection - operator of Jicaro Island Lodge - takes us through the fascinating history of Nicaragua, its boundless opportunities for adventure (including sandboarding down a volcano!) and sustainable tourism, and what a typical journey through Nicaragua would entail. Staying true to our commitment to be different and showcase off the beaten path destination, Nicaragua is a natural gem to highlight! 

If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast and YouTube channel and give us a follow on Instagram @smartasspirations and @swaggyswangram. 

Want to book a trip to Nicaragua? We’d love to help - please contact us!

We welcome back the triumphant return of Alex Walker after last week’s internet (dis)connection! If you haven’t listened to Episode 6 from last week, definitely check that out before delving into this episode as we do pick up right where we left off. Highlights this week include chatting about experiencing the Great Migration in the southern Serengeti plains, cultural interactions, adventure fly camping, safari guide and tracker training, and the joy of not having WiFi on safari! Want to go?? Let’s schedule a time to chat! Please contact us here and check out @swaggyswangram and @smartasspirations on Instagram. We are also on Facebook now! If you enjoyed the chat on YouTube, please subscribe and tell your friends! For more details on Alex’s camps, head over to www.serian.com and check him out on Instagram at @alexwalkerserian!