The Better Travel Podcast

This week's guest is Bala Amarasekaran of the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in the West African nation of Sierra Leone. Bala talks about the challenges facing the area's chimps and how he thinks responsible tourism is part of the solution. He also describes how tourism in Sierra Leone is evolving, and why he hopes to spread the word about everything the country has to offer. Plus, listen up for this week’s language lesson, in which our producer, Artemis, learns a phrase in Welsh! 

Resources 

Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary 

The New York Times 52 Places for a Changed World, including the entry on Sierra Leone (unlocked links) 

The Sierra Leone Tourism Board

The Bradt Guide to Sierra Leone 

Traveling can stir up a lot of questions and emotions, not least with regard to race, privilege and power. 

Our guest this week, Dr. Anu Taranath, is here to help us navigate our uncomfortable travel experiences. She explains how we can move beyond guilt when we travel, and find ways to use our difficult moments or encounters to promote justice and compassion. 

Dr. Anu is a speaker, facilitator and professor who is also the author of an acclaimed book, "Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World." The winner of a Newsweek Future of Travel award for storytelling, Dr. Anu serves as a racial equity consultant for businesses and organizations that, as she puts, are trying to do better in this broken world that we live in.

We hope this conversation gives you some good food for thought, and we would love to hear what you think!

Plus, listen up for the latest installment in our language lessons series, in which our producer, Artemis, learns a phrase in Korean. 

Thank you so much for listening!

Resources

Dr. Anu Taranath's website

Dr. Anu's book, Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World

Dr. Anu's LinkedIn and Instagram pages

This week, Paige is joined by Aziz Abu Sarah, an author, National Geographic explorer, and co-founder of Mejdi Tours, a company that aims to promote peace and understanding through its innovative tours of places like Israel and Palestine, Colombia, the Balkans, Northern Ireland — and Washington, D.C.

Aziz shares how his childhood growing up as a Palestinian in Jerusalem shaped his understanding of the world, and he offers some excellent advice for anyone looking to have more meaningful experiences when they travel.

Plus, listen up for the latest instalment of our language lessons series, in which Paige learns some phrases in Swahili.

Thank you so much for listening!

Resources

Mejdi Tours

Aziz’s book, Crossing Boundaries: A traveler’s guide to world peace

Aziz’s TED Talk

This week, we hear from experts at the Whitney Plantation and Monticello -- two tourist sites that are at the frontlines of contemporary discussions about the experiences of enslaved people and the role of slavery in the United States.

Dr. Joy Banner, Director of Communications at the Whitney Plantation in Louisiana, describes how the site has created a visitor experience that centers the lives of the enslaved people who lived on the plantation.

Justin Bates, a historical interpreter at Thomas Jefferson’s home of Monticello, shares how he and his colleagues teach guests about the contradictions of Jefferson’s life: that he was both the drafter of the Declaration of Independence and a lifelong slave owner who espoused racist views.

We hope this episode gives you some good food for thought, and we would love to hear your reactions. You can reach out by sending us a voice message or saying hello on social media.

Thank you so much for listening!

Resources

The Whitney Plantation website

“Building the first slavery museum in America,” The New York Times Magazine, Feb. 2015 (unlocked link)

Monticello website

The book that inspired this episode: How the Word is Passed: A reckoning with the history of slavery across America, by Clint Smith

Welcome back for Season 2 of The Better Travel Podcast!

What does “thoughtful travel” look like? What are some concrete things that we can do to ensure that we make the most of our travels while also remaining sensitive to the impact of our presence as visitors?

Two guests offer their expert insight: Amanda Kendle, a travel writer and host of the Thoughtful Travel Podcast, and Emily Thomas, an associate professor of philosophy at Durham University and the author of a fascinating book on the philosophy of travel.

We also have a new installment in our language lessons series! Ilihia Gionson of the Hawaii Tourism Authority joins the show to teach Paige some beautiful words in the Hawaiian language.

Thank you so much for listening!

Resources

Amanda Kendle’s blog, Not a Ballerina: https://www.notaballerina.com/

Amanda’s podcast, The Thoughtful Travel Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-thoughtful-travel-podcast/id1269489189

RISE Travel Institute: https://www.risetravelinstitute.org/

Website of Emily Thomas: https://emilythomaswrites.co.uk/

Emily’s book: https://bookshop.org/books/the-meaning-of-travel-philosophers-abroad/9780198835400

We love to travel, and we want to make sure that our travels have a positive impact on the world. The Better Travel Podcast dives into fascinating and complex topics when it comes to travel – and it’s all with the aim of helping you become a smarter, better traveler.  

Hosted by Paige McClanahan, a journalist and life-long traveler, The Better Travel Podcast will help you understand travel and tourism from the inside out.

Subscribe now to listen to Season 2, which launches on January 20.

https://www.bettertravelpodcast.com/

For the final episode of Season One, we are delighted to bring you a conversation with American travel legend Rick Steves. Rick is a guidebook author, television and radio host, and the owner of a tour company that has brought hundreds of thousands of travelers to Europe over the years. On the show, Rick speaks passionately about how travel can be a powerful force for peace and human understanding, and he shares what he’s learned about what it’s like to travel during the pandemic.

Toward the end of the episode, Paige speaks to Craig Davidson, the Chief Operating Officer of Rick’s tour company, Rick Steves’ Europe. Craig explains how the company is taking action on climate change.

Thank you so much for listening. We’ll be back in January with the launch of Season Two!

Resources

Rick’s tour company

Free access to all of Rick’s television shows, articles and radio programs

Rick’s program on the Holy Land

Paige’s Q&A with Rick Steves in The New York Times (unlocked)

Rick Steves’ Europe Climate-Smart Commitment

Rick's book, "Travel as a Political Act"

New York Times article on the Glasgow Declaration for Climate Action in Tourism (unlocked)

The full transcript of this episode is available on The Better Travel Podcast website

This week, New York Times Travel Editor Amy Virshup joins the show to talk about managing the paper’s travel coverage during the pandemic. She shares how the NYT’s signature 52 Places List is going to look different in 2022, and describes what the future might hold for the paper’s much-loved 36 Hours series.

Amy also describes how she’s developed a new relationship with her readers during the pandemic, and explains the NYT policy of not working with travel writers who accept free trips. She wraps up by telling us what she’s looking for in pitches from journalists for next year.

Are you a reader of New York Times Travel? What have you thought of the section’s coverage during the pandemic? I’d love to hear your thoughts and hope you’ll share by sending me a voice message.

Thanks so much for listening and have a great week!

NYT articles mentioned in the show

52 Places to Love in 2021

52 Places, Virtually (unlocked)

Paris on Foot: 35 Miles, 6 Days and One Blistered Toe (unlocked)

Hunting for the Real Pasta all’Amatriciana (unlocked)

What to Do This Summer: Chapel Hill, N.C. (unlocked)

36 Hours in … Wherever You Are? (unlocked)

NYT Travel’s 36 Hours series

This week on the podcast, Paige talks to Inga Hlín Pálsdóttir, the former director of Visit Iceland and the owner of Inga Hlín Consulting. Inga tells us about how tourism has grown and evolved in her home country; how Iceland tries to educate its visitors; and what she really thinks of the term “overtourism.” Inga also shares a wonderful piece of advice on how she personally strives to be a better traveler.

What do you think of the term “overtourism”? Have you been to Iceland, or are you hoping to go? I’d love to hear your thoughts and hope you’ll share by sending me a voice message.

Thanks so much for listening, and have a great week!

Resources

Inga’s personal travel pledge: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-very-own-travel-pledge-inga-hlin-palsdottir

Skift’s 2016 article, “Iceland and the Perils of 21st century tourism” : https://skift.com/iceland-tourism

Justin Bieber’s music video in Iceland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfGaX8G0f2E

The Icelandic Pledge: https://www.visiticeland.com/pledge

The Iceland Academy: https://www.visiticeland.com/iceland-academy

Inga’s consulting business: https://www.ingahlin.is

Inga on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/inga-hlin-palsdottir

My guest this week is Jason Moore, host of the Zero to Travel podcast and an American living in Norway. Jason talks about what it means to throw yourself into another culture; he describes some of the challenges that he experienced in adjusting to life in his adopted country; and he shares how living abroad can reveal some really important things about ourselves.

Listen up toward the end of our conversation, when Jason offers his three pieces of advice for how you can be a better resident of your adopted home.

Are you thinking of making a move overseas, or are you already living outside of your home country? How is that going for you? Or what’s keeping you from taking the leap? I’d love to hear your thoughts and hope you’ll share by sending me a voice message.

Thanks so much for listening and hope you have a great week!

Resources

The Zero to Travel Podcast

Jason’s Location Indie community

The Four-Hour Work Week, book by Timothy Ferriss

Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes, book by William Bridges

When Paige was a guest on Jason’s podcast

Episode partner

Intrepid Travel is a global tour operator that has been taking adventurous travelers to the world’s most amazing places for more than 30 years. The world’s largest B-Certified travel company, Intrepid is a global leader in responsible travel. Learn more at www.intrepidtravel.com.

Thanks so much to Intrepid for supporting the show this week!