The Travel Diaries

On this week’s destination special we are heading to one of the world’s most popular travel destinations. We're off to the South East of Europe, to a country of thousands of islands dotted throughout the Aegean and Ionian Seas. The cradle of Western civilization, its capital, Athens, is home to ancient landmarks dating back to the 5th-century B.C. like the Acropolis and the Parthenon. A country of magical natural landscapes, turquoise seas and secret beaches, with the longest coastline in Europe and the most welcoming locals. It is of course, Glorious Greece. 

Unsurprisingly, Greece, and in particular the Greek Islands have been a hugely popular choice by my podcast guests over the last seven seasons and what I’ve especially enjoyed is really how many of them are hidden gems that I personally wasn’t hugely familiar with.

The first half of today’s episode is a tour around the islands featuring some of my favourite guests over the last few years, and then, afterwards, we’ll be joined by Greece travel expert, fellow podcaster and Greece resident, Heidi Fuller-Love who’ll be sharing her extensive expertise, tips, and recommendations for your next Greek holiday.

Destination Recap:

• Tom Kerridge - Agistri 
• Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - Aegina
• Fiona Duncan - Koufonisia and Amorgos
• David Loftus - Paros
• Yotam Ottolenghi - Folegandros
• Raven Smith - Milos
• Jo Malone - Rhodes

Heidi Fuller-Love’s Destination Recap:

• Crete
• E4 trail, Crete
• Sitia Geopark, Crete
• Samaria Gorge, Crete
• Kato Zakros, Crete 
• Akoritiri, Santorini 
• MarBella Elix, Parga
• Nana Princess, Crete
• Agistri
• Aegina
• Thirassia 
• Thirassia Paradise Suites
• Alonissos
• Karpathos
• Epirus Mountains

For more information about Greece head to visitgreece.gr and follow @GreeceGrammable on Instagram.

With thanks to…

Small Luxury Hotels of the World - Ease yourself into a holiday headspace and visit slh.com/travelcomfortzones to find out more

Clinique UK - Discover Clinique at World Duty Free today. 

If you’re enjoying the podcast, then it would be wonderful if you could leave a rating or a review on your podcast app - it really makes a big difference because it helps other people to discover the podcast. 

And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.

To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is Britain’s undisputed Queen of breakfast telly. A national treasure, who for the last 12 years has been the host of her self-titled show on ITV, Lorraine - it is, of course, Lorraine Kelly.

Lorraine became a journalist the hard way, working on local papers before working as a researcher on BBC Scotland, where bosses told her that, because of her Scottish accent, she’d never get a job in front of the camera. 

Oh how she proved them wrong. Joining TV-am she went on to report on some of the toughest stories of that era, from the Dunblane massacre to the Lockerbie bombings, with her characteristic compassion and empathy, before joining GMTV and the sofas of breakfast TV. 

What you might not know about Lorraine is that she is fanatical about travel. She has been practically everywhere, and is really intrepid in her travel choices. She takes us from the islands of the Outer Hebrides to the frozen landscape of Antarctica; from remote Botswana to the jungles of Uganda and much much more. 

Oh, and the occasional grumble in the background is her daughter Rosie’s sausage dog who also joined us for the chat.

There’s a lot to cover today. So, let’s fasten our seatbelts and get started.

Destination Recap:

• Glasgow, Scotland
• Paris. France
• Orkney, Scotland
• The Italian Chapel, Orkney, Scotland
• St Kilda, Scotland
• Singapore
• Marina Bay Sands hotel, Singapore
• Orchard Road shops, Singapore
• Sentosa Island, Singapore 
• Duxton Reserve, Singapore
• Antarctica
• Falkland Islands
• Alaska, USA
• Southern Africa
• Botswana
• Uganda
• Borneo
• Barra, Scotland
• Harris, Scotland
• Tunisia 
• Rajasthan, India
• Mongolia
• Siberia
• The Arctic

Listen to Lorraine’s podcast What If? wherever you get your podcasts.

With thanks to…

Clinique UK - Discover Clinique at World Duty Free today. 

The Kensington Hotel - For bookings and more information click here.

Small Luxury Hotels of the World - Ease yourself into a holiday headspace and visit slh.com/travelcomfortzones to find out more

Thank you so much for listening today. If you’re enjoying the podcast, then it would be wonderful if you could leave a rating or a review on your podcast app - it really makes a big difference because it helps other people to discover the podcast. 

And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.

To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today is a Travel Diaries first - a Listener Special where you, my amazing listeners, are this week’s special guests. I’ve interviewed many a star over the past seven seasons, but the real stars have been you, the listeners. Your incredible support has allowed the podcast to grow as quickly as it has, so it only felt right that I turn the tables, and the microphone, back on to you to tap into your collective wisdom and travel experiences, as you answer the seven chapters of the travel diaries. 

From China to Kerala, from Costa Rica to Puglia, from the rainforests of the Amazon to the plains of Kenya, fasten your seatbelts for the first ever Travel Diaries Listener Special.

Destination Recap:

Chapter One - Earliest Childhood Travel Memories

featuring

- Beijing, China from Tone in Surrey, England

- France from Katja in Slovenia

Chapter Two - The First Place You Fell In Love With

featuring 

- Villefranche-sur-Mer, France from Emma in Edinburgh, Scotland

- Austria from Joe from Somerset, England 

- Kerala, India from Emma in London

Chapter Three - The Place Where You Learnt The Most About Yourself 

featuring

- Karditsa, Greece from Aoife in Ireland 

Chapter Four - All Time Favourite Destinations

featuring

- Puglia, Italy from Tracey in Wexford, Ireland 

- Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest from Charlotte in New Zealand

- Nice, France from Jen in Belfast, Northern Ireland 

- Kenya from Emma in Worcestershire 

Chapter Five - Hidden Gems

featuring

- San Gerardo de Rivas in Costa Rica from Mani in Birmingham, England 

- Rendezvous Bay, Antigua from Charlie in the Wirral, England 

- Red Wharf Bay on the Isle of Anglesey, Wales from Shireen in Wales

Chapter Seven - The Destination At The Top Of Your Travel Bucket Lists

featuring

- Toronto, Canada from Ellie in East Sussex, England 

- Japan from Aaron in South Wales

With thanks to…

Small Luxury Hotels of the World - Ease yourself into a holiday headspace and visit slh.com/travelcomfortzones to find out more.

Clinique UK - Discover Clinique at World Duty Free today. 

If you’re enjoying the podcast, then it would be wonderful if you could leave a rating or a review on your podcast app - it really makes a big difference because it helps other people to discover the podcast. 

And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.

To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode I’m joined by Mr Blue Eyes himself, our favourite judge from the Great British Bake Off, and making a very rare podcast appearance, I’m thrilled to be joined by Paul Hollywood.

Paul began his career as a baker, quickly ascending to become Head Baker in some of the world’s most exclusive hotels. His talent caught the eye of TV producers who snapped him up for cooking shows and before long, he was cast as a judge on one of TV’s most successful shows of all time - the Great British Bake Off. Paul has taken part in every season of the show and when he isn’t filming he’s most likely working on other TV series that combine his two loves - food and travel, and he has travelled the world over.

He’s probably the guest this season that a lot of you have been most curious about, maybe because of his tough love and penetrating stare on the Bake Off. As you’ll here, Paul was an absolute delight, very unaffected and genuine, and clearly really passionate about travel. I really enjoyed this one and I hope you will too. So let’s get started. 

Destination Recap:

• Mexico
• Ensenada, Mexico 
• Baja, Mexico 
• Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá, Mexico 
• Conwy, North Wales
• Ibiza, Spain
• St Lawrence Gap, Barbados
• Cliveden, Hampshire, England
• London, England
• Cyprus
• Annabelle Hotel, Cyprus
• Anassa Hotel, Cyprus
• Jerusalem, Israel
• Rome, Italy
• The Great British Bake Off Tent, England
• Cafes near the Coliseum, Rome, Italy
• Verbier, Switzerland
• Casablanca, Morocco 
• Australia
• New Zealand

BAKE by Paul Hollywood, published by Bloomsbury on 9 June 2022 (£26.00 RRP, Hardback)

With thanks to…

Clinique UK - Discover Clinique at World Duty Free today. 

Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas - The resort is currently offering 30% off with a Best of Maldives offer, which includes a complimentary four course lunch in SEA for stays of four to seven nights and a complimentary manta ray snorkelling or dolphin cruise for stays over 8 nights, available for stays until 23 December. Head to anantara.com or check out @anantarakihavah on Instagram to find out more. 

If you’re enjoying the podcast, then it would be wonderful if you could leave a rating or a review on your podcast app - it really makes a big difference because it helps other people to discover the podcast. 

And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.

To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, I’m joined by one of the world’s most successful adventure and nature photographers, Chris Burkard. Nearly 4 million people follow Chris’s work throughout the year on Instagram as he travels to some of the world’s most remote destinations and extreme environments, often requiring Chris to take on immense challenges to capture his work. His stories inspire us to consider our relationship with nature, and the importance of the preservation of wild places everywhere. 

His travel diaries take us from Greenland to the Kuril Islands, and from remote Iceland to the beaches of California, with some great photographs tips at the end, too. 

Destination Recap

• Pismo Beach, California, USA
• Yosemite, California, USA
• Iceland
• Kuril Islands
• Ísafjörður, Iceland
• Greenland
• Nicaragua
• Lake Baikal, Russia
• Mongolia
• Faroe Islands
• Svalbard

Chris' new book, Wayward, is out now.

With thanks to…

Clinique UK - Discover Clinique at World Duty Free today. 

CV Villas - Book your dream villa holiday at CVVillas.com

If you’re enjoying the podcast, then it would be wonderful if you could leave a rating or a review on your podcast app - it really makes a big difference because it helps other people to discover the podcast. 

And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.

To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, I’m joined by Raven Smith, the best-selling author and Vogue columnist who’s been hailed as the funniest man on Instagram and dubbed London’s fashion world philosopher. His first book, Raven Smith’s Trivial Pursuits, captured readers as a witty and irreverent guide to modern life and he’s back with a new book, part memoir part commentary on masculinity, called Raven Smith’s Men.

As you’ll soon hear, Raven is also an avid traveller and has written for numerous travel titles about his experiences around the world. He takes us from the pyramids of Egypt to the nightclubs of New York, from Greek island tavernas to the hidden beaches of Barbados, with lots of laughs along the way.

So fasten your seatbelts and let’s get started. 

Destination Recap:

• Crete, Greece
• Kos, Greece
• Milos, Greece
• O Hamos, Milos, Greece
• Brighton, England
• Barbados
• Japan
• Sea-U Guesthouse, Barbados 
• Berlin, Germany
• Cairo, Egypt
• Adrére Amellal, Siwa, Egypt
• Old Cataract Hotel, Aswan, Egypt
• L'Avant Comptoir de la Mer, Paris, France
• Brasserie Zedel, London, England 
• Rochelle Canteen, London, England 
• Quo Vadis, London, England 
• Duck Soup, London, England 
• Cuba
• Finca Paradisa, Cuba
• Hawaii, USA

That was the fabulous Raven Smith. His new book Raven Smith’s Men is out now. 

With thanks to…

Clinique UK - Discover Clinique at World Duty Free today. 

Airbnb - Whether you’re looking to live anywhere, or become a Host yourself, visit Airbnb.com and find out more. Prospective Hosts can learn more about how much they can earn sharing their space through the What’s My Place Worth Tool. 

If you’re enjoying the podcast, then it would be wonderful if you could leave a rating or a review on your podcast app - it really makes a big difference because it helps other people to discover the podcast. 

And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.

To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is one of the UK’s most loved chefs, Gennaro Contaldo. A key player in bringing his native Italian cuisine to British shores over recent decades, Gennaro’s written over a dozen best-selling Italian cookbooks and is the mentor to his protege Jamie Oliver, who credits Gennaro with teaching him everything he knows about Italian cooking, and Gennaro calls him his sixth child. You’ll have seen on numerous TV shows with Jamie, on Saturday Kitchen and on Two Greedy 

Italians, with the late great Antonio Carluccio. 

This episode is a real love letter to Gennaro’s homeland of Italy, bringing to life with such passion destinations like the Amalfi coast, Puglia, Sicily and the Aeolian Islands. So, fasten your seatbelts, and let’s get started.

Destination Recap:

• Minori, Amalfi Coast, Italy
• Monte Gargano, Puglia, Italy 
• Monte Sant'Angelo, Italy: Saint Michael's Cave
• Salina, Aeolian Islands, Sicily, Italy
• Catania, Sicily, Italy
• Stromboli, Aeolian Islands, Sicily, Italy
• Lipari, Aeolian Islands, Sicily, Italy 
• Signum Hotel, Aeolian Islands, Sicily, Italy 
• Naples, Italy
• India 

Gennaro is an ambassador for Citalia and his latest recipe book Gennaro’s Limoni: Vibrant Italian recipes celebrating the lemon is out now.

With thanks to…

Clinique UK - Discover Clinique at World Duty Free today. 

Citalia - Discover the real Italy with Citalia, the UK’s leading Italian holiday specialists

Villa D’Este Hotel - Experience one of Europe’s grandest hotels, on the shores of Lake Como in Italy, for its 150th season. Visit villadeste.com to find out more.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, then it would be wonderful if you could leave a rating or a review on your podcast app - it really makes a big difference because it helps other people to discover the podcast. 

And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.

To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. 

If you can’t wait until then, there’s always the first six seasons to catch up on, with guests from Sir Michael Palin and Jo Malone, to Stanley Tucci and Raymond Blanc.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we’re being transported to an island paradise. An archipelago of nearly 700 coral islands, 100,000 square miles of the world’s clearest turquoise ocean, secret sandbars, private coves, secluded pink sand beaches, and undisturbed wildlife. We’re heading to The Beautiful Bahamas. 

There are 16 main islands in the Bahamas, and no two islands are alike with their own culture, history, cuisine, diving, fishing - there is something for every type of traveller, and I'm joined today by two fabulous guests who will be bringing these different islands to life.

First I’m joined by someone who has called The Bahamas their home for over 25 years, the designer, entrepreneur and former model, India Hicks. 

India is the daughter of famed interior designer David Hicks and Lady Pamela Hicks. She is the granddaughter of Lord Mountbatten who was Prince Philip’s uncle and whose assassination by the IRA was most recently depicted on the The Crown on Netflix. India was thrown into the spotlight as a teenager when was a bridesmaid to her godfather, Prince Charles and Princess Diana at their wedding. So it may seem somewhat of an unusual decision that India has settled and raised her five children on a tiny Bahamian island. She speaks to me from her home on the picture postcard Harbour Island.

And later we’ll be joined by the acclaimed travel writer and editor Alicia Miller. Alicia has written extensively about the Bahamas and is full of tips and recommendations about so many different islands.

Destination Recap:

India Hicks

Harbour Island

• The Dunmore Beach Club
• The Landing Hotel
• Queen Conch
• Cocoa Coffee House

Windermere Island

Andros

• Kamalame Cay, Andros

New Providence

• Rosewood Baha Mar, New Providence 

Blue Holes diving

Grand Bahama

• Tiger Shark diving

Alicia Miller

Harbour Island

• The Landing Hotel 
• The Dunmore Hotel 

New Providence

• Nassau
• Paradise Island
• Atlantis Hotel
• Baha Mar
• Rosewood Baha Mar
• Café Boulud The Bahamas
• Marcus at Baha Mar
• Downtown Nassau
• The Graycliff Hotel 
• Fish Fry
• Frankie Gone Bananas 
• BREEF Coral Reef Sculpture Garden & Coral Nursery
• The Poop Deck restaurant 

The Exumas

Spanish Wells

Andros

• Kamalame Cay

Grand Bahama

• Coral Vida Project

Eleuthera

• The Other Side
• The Cove

If you would like find out more about the Bahamas, check out bahamas.com.

To hear future episodes of the podcast as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice. To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. If you can’t wait until then, there’s always the first six seasons to catch up on, with guests from Sir Michael Palin and Jo Malone, to Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Raymond Blanc .

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we’re heading to a mountainous island nation in the Pacific Ocean, with two main islands, the North and the South. A land of mammoth national parks, epic biodiversity, dynamic Māori culture and world-class adventure sports. One of the most popular destinations to be picked by my guests as top of their travel bucket list. It is of course, New Zealand.

Today’s episode is a bumper celeb guest double bill, representing both the North and the South Island, kicking off with the comedian, writer and actor Rose Matafeo, who grew up in Auckland on the North Island. Rose’s critically acclaimed show Horndog won the award for Best Show at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, setting her on a trajectory to international stardom. Her sitcom, Starstruck, which she writes and stars in was commissioned by the BBC and HBO Max. Season One became the BBC’s best performing new comedy of last year. Rose is particularly passionate about NZ’s food and cultural scenes, and she shares her must dos, her must eats, and all her insider North Island knowledge, from its magnificent coasts and beaches, to geothermal wonders, sprawling farmlands and Māori rich culture.

And then we head to the South Island, where we are joined by arguably the greatest rugby player of all time, Richie McCaw. Richie captained the New Zealand All Blacks for 15 years in the 00s and 10s to two world cup wins. He achieved an astonishing 148 caps, a record only just beaten and was named World player of the year 3 times. From wildlife to wineries, glacial valleys to star-filled skies, its no wonder the other-worldly mountainous South Island was the destination where the Lord of the Rings films were set. It’s been Richie’s home all of his life, and he shares his expert knowledge on the island he knows so well.

Destination Recap:

Rose Matafeo

• Auckland, North Island
• Auckland Live, North Island
• Civic Theatre, Auckland, North Island
• The Basement Theatre, Auckland, North Island
• The Classic Comedy Club, Auckland, North Island
• Piha Beach, North Island
• Herne Bay, North Island
• Ponsonby Food Court, Auckland, North Island 
• K Road, Auckland, North Island
• Peach Pit, K Road, Auckland, North Island 
• Bestie Cafe, K Road, Auckland, North Island 
• Mount Maunganui, North Island 
• Rotoroa Island, North Island 
• Waitomo Caves, North Island
• Taranaki
• New Plymouth
• Wellington 
• Te Papa gallery, Wellington 
• Tanuki’s Cave, Auckland

Richie McCaw

• Kura, South Island 
• Wānaka , South Island
• Central Otago, South Island 
• Southern Alps, South Island
• Bay of Islands, North Island 
• Terminal Lake, South Island 
• Taranaki, New Plymouth, North Island 
• Poor Knights Islands, North Island 
• Stewart Island, South Island 

If you’re ready to find out more about planning your trip to NZ, head to newzealand.com and check out your favourite travel magazines and newspaper travel sections, which have plenty of handy guides.

And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.

To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. 

If you can’t wait until then, there’s always the first six seasons to catch up on, with guests from Sir Michael Palin and Jo Malone, to Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Raymond Blanc.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to The Travel Diaries Season 7! I’m starting this season with a Destination Special mini series - three incredible destinations, all on my travel wish list, with some great celeb guests and destination experts helping us bring them to life, and today is no exception. 

We are heading on a journey to South East Asia, to a small but mighty thirty mile long tropical island, surrounded by sixty two smaller islands, with Malaysia to its north and Indonesia to its South. It is of course Spectacular Singapore. 

Beyond Singapore’s picture-perfect skyline and bustling city centre, there’s so much about this country to explore and I have two fabulous guests who will help us do just that. 

First, Michelin-starred chef, tv presenter and author Tom Kerridge returns to the podcast. When he joined me be back on Season 2, he picked Singapore as his all time favourite destination, and so I thought who better to come back? Food is so important in Singaporean culture that a common greeting is "Have you eaten?” 

And then we’ll be joined by novelist, editor and travel journalist Annabelle Thorpe. Annabelle spent six years on the Times Travel desk, before becoming deputy travel editor for Express Newspapers, and then taking the same role at the Observer. She has a particularly spot for Singapore which she has visited and written about many times. She shares her insider tips and expert knowledge, and so many recommendations if you are planning a trip to Singapore - which I hope after listening to this episode you will be inspired to do. I know I certainly am!

Destination Recap:

Tom Kerridge

• Marina Bay Sands Hotel
• Hawker food stalls
• Restaurant Zén

Annabelle Thorpe 

• Singapore Botanic Gardens
• Gardens by the Bay
• Sentosa Island
• Jurong Lake
• Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
• Ann Siang House
• Raffles Singapore
• Capella Singapore
• National Museum of Singapore
• Fort Canning Park
• Fullerton Road

If you’re inspired to start planning your trip to Singapore, head to visitsingapore.com and check out your favourite newspapers and travel magazines which often have detailed destination guides.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, then it would be wonderful if you could leave a rating or a review on your podcast app - it really makes a big difference because it helps other people to discover the podcast. 

And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe or “follow” on your podcast app of choice.

To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. 

If you can’t wait until then, there’s always the first six seasons to catch up on, with guests from Sir Michael Palin and Jo Malone, to Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Raymond Blanc .

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.