This is a verbatim account of some of the funniest evenings that have happened to me while traveling, in some cases they are also big travel oddities. Like the time I found myself dancing on tables in a Scottish dance hall, or when I lost a dinner, bet with a Korean girl watching a soccer game.

Some of the most fun evenings I have spent with organized groups. Although in these situations, it seems to me that it happens mostly in the early days, when you don’t know each other enough yet.

In the following link , written by a good blogger, there are some tips for meeting people on the road.

In particular, I divide them into four types, that is, with four different companies:

Please note the audio is in Italian.

Click below to listen to the episode.

If you would like to listen to more episodes of the traveling oddities podcast, this is the page with all the ones published so far.

Obviously the most fun evenings are with company; it sounds a little strange for those who, like me, claim that they like to travel solo. But I also travel solo because I prefer doing it that way rather than traveling with the wrong company.

For example, the featured photo was taken of me in Matera. It is a town I love and where I have been lucky enough to go three times: once alone, once with a person I no longer got along with, and once with whom I got along very well. So it fell among the most enjoyable evenings the third time; but between the first alone and the second, definitely better the one on my own.

Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent

Countries visited in my travel stories

Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives

The post Funniest nights out around the world first appeared on strangethingstraveling.

Traveling in Southeast Asia is a verbatim account of the oddities that happened to me particularly in Laos and Cambodia. It was during the trip made in January 2025, which I made solo and which lasted 10 days

It is the easiest area of the non-Western world to tour; Laos and the part of Cambodia I tell about here are less visited than others. As for Laos I tell some “tasty” culinary anecdotes.

For Cambodia, however, I explain why I wanted to go a couple of days to the capital Phnom Penh. It is certainly not the most beautiful city in the world, but there is evidence of the terrible dictatorship of Pol Pot, who in the 1970s, exterminated millions of his fellow citizens. Not enough has been said about what happened around the so-called Vietnam War, which instead produced so much pain in neighboring countries as well.

Please note the audio is in Italian.

Click below to listen to the episode.

If you would like to listen to more episodes of the traveling oddities podcast, this is the page with all the ones published so far.

This article has cross-references to the various videos I made during this trip: Videos from Laos and Cambodia

Finally in the following links you can find the articles (with photos) already written:

In particular, this is the article related to Cambodia

Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent

Countries visited in my travel stories

Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives

The post Traveling in Southeast Asia: Cambodia and Laos first appeared on strangethingstraveling.

Traveling in Southeast Asia is a verbatim account of the oddities that happened to me particularly in Laos and Cambodia. It was during the trip made in January 2025, which I made solo and which lasted 10 days

It is the easiest part of the non-Western world to tour; Laos and the part of Cambodia I tell about here are less visited than others. As for Laos I tell some “tasty” culinary anecdotes.

For Cambodia, however, I explain why I wanted to go a couple of days to the capital Phnom Penh. It is certainly not the most beautiful city in the world, but there is evidence of the terrible dictatorship of Pol Pot, who in the 1970s, exterminated millions of his fellow citizens. Not enough has been said about what happened around the so-called Vietnam War, which instead produced so much pain in neighboring countries as well.

Please note the audio is in Italian.

Click below to listen to the episode.

If you would like to listen to more episodes of the traveling oddities podcast, this is the page with all the ones published so far.

This article has cross-references to the various videos I made during this trip: Videos from Laos and Cambodia

Finally in the following links you can find the articles (with photos) already written:

In particular, this is the article related to Cambodia

Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent

Countries visited in my travel stories

Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives

The post Traveling in Southeast Asia: Laos and Cambodia first appeared on strangethingstraveling.

In memorable encounters touring the Baltic countries I tell verbally what happened to me in August 2017. In particular of the three interesting women I met, of three different nationalities. One of them I saw in three of the countries I visited and then also in Italy.

The featured photo shows the Kadriorg Palace in Tallinn, Estonia, which I visited alone. On my trip that lasted 10 days, I also went to Finland (by ferry) , Latvia and Lithuania (bus). In August 2023 I returned for a weekend in Lithuania that was quite crazy.

Please note the audio is in Italian.

Click below to listen to the episode.

If you would like to listen to more episodes of the traveling oddities podcast, this is the page with all the ones published so far.

In the following article, a fellow blogger gives an exhaustive account of what the experience with couchsurfing can mean . Through this platform I was hosted and thus met two local people.

After my last experience in Vilnius I decided not to let anyone host me anymore. Every now and then, however, I still use the platform to arrange a meeting, which usually starts with a coffee, a beer or dinner and almost always turns out to be very interesting.

Finally in the following links you can find the articles (with photos) already written about this trip:

Below are the general pages.

Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent

Countries visited in my travel stories

Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives

The post Memorable encounters touring the Baltic countries first appeared on strangethingstraveling.

Funny anecdotes with housing can happen even in Europe, here I tell some of them verbally.

Often the traveling oddities that happen to me depend on the fact that I want to save something under the heading of sleeping. In some countries this is almost taken for granted, but it also happens occasionally in Italy and the old continent.

In particular here is a roundup that comes from different trips, while other anecdotes happened on trips for which I created an ad hoc podcast. Some are in hostels and dormitories, but even certain apartments can provide excitement. European hotels on the other hand are on average very anonymous, not like in South America!

Please note the audio is in Italian.

Click below to listen to the episode.

If you would like to listen to more episodes of the traveling oddities podcast, this is the page with all the ones published so far.

Highlighted is a photo of the Dubrovnik harbor as seen from my accommodation. I think it was one of the worst where I ever slept, but the view was super.

This link lists 20 negative hostel experiences, but it is actually not that tragic an experience at all, on the contrary!

Finally in the following links you can find the articles (with photos) already written about this trip:

Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent

Countries visited in my travel stories

Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives

The post Funny anecdotes with accommodation in Europe – podcast first appeared on strangethingstraveling.

Encounters on the road, and in Europe, is a verbatim account of some anecdotes concerning acquaintances made on the old continent.

Many encounters I have made through couchsurfing; this article discusses it in depth. I use it mostly to meet people from the place I visit, and I don’t couchsurf anymore.

Some of the encounters were casual, some on the road, some prepared somehow from home. I met people in hostels, in bars, and even on tours.

Other encounters are included in postcasts where I talk more in depth about a specific trip, while this is a collection taken from other trips.

Please note the audio is in Italian.

Click below to listen to the episode.

If you would like to listen to more episodes of the traveling oddities podcast, this is the page with all the ones published so far.

Highlighting the group I met on an unusual type of trip for me; a training course. We were in Sweden, meaning snow and frost. Besides other Italians and the Swedish hosts, there were also people from Spain. In general, I particularly enjoy meeting people from other countries.

This is the page of the site with the list of articles where we talk about dating, casual and otherwise, in Europe, but not only.

Finally in the following links you can find some of the articles (with photos) already written where you can find the anecdotes mentioned in this podcast.

Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent

Countries visited in my travel stories

Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives

The post Meetings on the road, and in Europe first appeared on strangethingstraveling.

Encounters with animals have become the aspect that excites me most about traveling. Here is a verbatim account of some original incidents that happened to me in meeting animals.

In particular, the trips where I saw the most animals were to Australia and Tanzania. I later discovered that they are actually among the countries where this experience is most common. In this regard, this article is very comprehensive.

But now even in Italy and near population centers there are more and more animal sightings. And beyond some of the issues that I do not discuss, this in my opinion is very good news.

Please note the audio is in Italian.

Click below to listen to the episode.

If you would like to listen to more episodes of the traveling oddities podcast, this is the page with all the ones published so far.

Below are links to the home pages of the stories from the trips where I saw the most animals, Australia and Tanzania.

Visiting Sydney where you get fake married

Photographic safari in Tanzania, that is, my first

There were also special experiences that I do not recount here, but discuss in the respective articles. For example, I cannot forget the one with donkeys in northern Cyprus and those with monkeys: tame in Gibraltar, friendly in Morocco, and aggressive in Cambodia.

Visiting North Cyprus, Christmas lunch with that Cypriot donkey.

Monkeys of Gibraltar, Pueblos blancos and the land of smurfs

Marrakech’s medina, intoxicating alleys and squares

Finally in these podcasts I talk about the Cambodian monkey, and Thai dogs:

Adventures in Thailand and Cambodia

I run away from stray dogs

Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent

Countries visited in my travel stories

Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives

The post Animal encounters on the road, podcast first appeared on strangethingstraveling.

This hosting with couchsurfing is a verbatim account of the oddities that have happened to me in meeting people through the international platform that connects travelers and hosts willing to host. I specify that I use it mostly to meet someone from the place I am visiting, without sleeping over. I have not hosted anyone for some time now, but who knows in the future. It can be a means to meet interesting people, for better or worse. In the post covid period the site has had an inexorable slump, I hope it will recover.

Please note the audio is in Italian.

Click below to listen to the episode.

If you would like to listen to more episodes of the traveling oddities podcast, this is the page with all the ones published so far.

Highlighted is the Ridracoli Dam, present within the Casentino Forest Park is an ideal destination if you are hosting someone who likes nature. But the Classe pine forest where I took the following photo is also fine.

In the following link you can find the ‘article already written about this experience:

Hosting with couchsurfing

In particular I tell anecdotes concerning:

In other articles, there are accounts of some of the times I have been hosted. In particular, the most memorable was the one in Lithuania: Visiting Vilnius each time new emotions

But I have also met people in this way in Australia, Poland, Finland, Austria, Greece, Cyprus, Serbia and even Italy.

Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent

Countries visited in my travel stories

Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives

The post Hosting with couchsurfing – the podcast with anecdotes first appeared on strangethingstraveling.

Wrong Travel Companions is a verbatim account of a series of case histories of wrong company, at least for me.

The tobacconist, the cheapskate, the quarrelsome, the souvenir hunter, the selfie-taker, and the one who walks around with dirty underwear in his hand: here is a roundup of anecdotes taken from different trips. Above all, some of these people have not been good traveling companions, but that does not mean they are not good brothers or friends; they simply have not turned out to be suitable to travel with me.

Girlfriends, on the other hand, were not good at all ! But as said on other occasions, having a travel experience, in my opinion, is a very good test to assess the real understanding of a couple.

For many people the important thing is company, regardless of the destination. For me this is not so, in fact I prefer to go away alone. In this regard, I find this blogger’s analysis of traveling alone or with company interesting and comprehensive.

Please note the audio is in Italian.

Click below to listen to the episode.

If you would like to listen to more episodes of the traveling oddities podcast, this is the page with all the ones published so far.

The featured photo depicts an artist who graced us with dancing and playing unusual instruments in Russia. Here I think he was playing with a small piece of iron. To better handle certain misguided fellow travelers, being in a group can help. This often also involves organized performances, which alone, I usually avoid.

Finally in the following links you can find the articles (with photos) already written in which I mention these episodes.

Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent

Countries visited in my travel stories

Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives

The post Wrong travel companions in Europe – podcast first appeared on strangethingstraveling.

In The Worst Journey of My Life Part 2, I obviously pick up the story I had interrupted in Part 1.

In these two podcasts I tell in my own voice about the traveling oddities that happened to me in Cuba. I reiterate that the culprits were us who went clueless and careless. In particular I was in love with someone who was elsewhere, which was very serious!

In Cuba it was also a disaster because the main episode, the theft, was then followed by others, and even at home we had mockeries. If it had only been for the theft, we probably would have remedied some good experiences as well.

Please note the audio is in Italian.

Click below to listen to the episode.

If you would like to listen to more episodes of the traveling oddities podcast, this is the page with all the ones published so far.

In this link there is an article with a ranking of the least safe countries in the world. These rankings obviously also change according to historical events. However, there is a lot of randomness, because precisely the only country where I really got into trouble was Cuba, which is never mentioned.

Finally in the following links you can find the articles already written about what happened in Cuba. In the following are the facts recounted in Part I.

What to do without money when traveling to Cuba, real adventure
Traveling to poor countries: being wallets with legs
Robbed abroad and the Cuban detective

The following are the facts recounted in this specific podcast.

How to become famous and ridiculous after a trip to Cuba

The photos are not there, the featured one is artificially created, because they also stole my camera.

Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent

Countries visited in my travel stories

Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives

The post The worst trip of my life part 2 first appeared on strangethingstraveling.