The Travel Diaries

By Holly Rubenstein

The Travel Diaries is a weekly interview series where journalist Holly Rubenstein chats to a special guest about their adventures around the world, and the travel experiences and destinations that

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How many episodes does The Travel Diaries have?

The podcast currently has 191 episodes available.

Best of The Travel Diaries

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: Sir Michael Palin returns
Today’s guest is, quite simply, one of the great travellers of our time. Sir Michael Palin first joined me on The Travel Diaries back in 2020, and that episode went on to become one of our most loved and most listened-to conversations ever. So when the opportunity came up for him to return to the podcast, this time to mark the publication of his new book, In Nigeria, I absolutely leapt at the chance. For anyone listening who might not be fully familiar with Sir Michael Palin’s extraordinary career, he first became known as one of the members of Monty Python, before going on to become one of the world’s most beloved travel broadcasters and writers. His landmark BBC travel series, from Around the World in 80 Days to Pole to Pole, Full Circle, Himalaya and so many more, completely changed the way travel was brought to our screens. I went to Michael’s house in London to film the interview and you’ll be able to watch the full conversation on YouTube and Spotify this weekend. On today’s episode, we talk about some of the extraordinary journeys he’s been on since we last spoke, from Nigeria to Iraq, Venezuela and the Philippines. We talk about the places that surprised him, the countries that defied their reputation, the journeys that have stayed with him, and the places he still dreams of visiting. And, because Michael has already shared his original seven travel chapters with us, this time I asked you to send in some brand new travel chapters for him. So listen out, because one of your questions might just be in there. Holly’s stay: Palazzo Fiuggi, Italy Destination Recap: VenezuelaPhilippinesNigeria, NigeriaLagos, NigeriaKano, NigeriaPort Harcourt, NigeriaIraq, IraqBabylon, IraqCuzco, PeruMachu Picchu, PeruIguazu Falls, Argentina/BrazilVictoria Falls, Zambia/ZimbabweRussia, RussiaMürren, SwitzerlandKamchatka, RussiaBhutanNepalThe Dolomites, ItalyArmenia, ArmeniaGeorgia, GeorgiaMount Ararat, Turkey/Armenia Michael's new book, In Nigeria, is out now. With thanks to Sani for their support of today's episode. Discover your paradise at Sani. For more information, visit sani-resort.com Thank you so much to all of you for listening this season. I really hope you’ve enjoyed travelling the world with me through all of these conversations. The good news is, it won’t be too long before I’m back. We’ve got another summer season coming your way in mid-August, so there are lots more travel stories to come very soon. You can find me on Instagram and TikTok at @hollyrubenstein, you can watch us on YouTube here. And have you checked out my brand new Travel Diaries map, which will save every single destination ever mentioned on the podcast? A very dangerous tool for anyone with a serious case of wanderlust? You can look at it here. Thank you again for listening, have a wonderful summer, and I’ll see you very soon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 16, 202657min
Number 2: Eva zu Beck, adventurer & filmmaker
Today’s guest is an adventurer, filmmaker, writer and one of the most extraordinary travel storytellers of her generation. Eva zu Beck's life reads like something from a film. She was Oxford-educated, working in travel media, married, successful, and living the kind of polished, high-achieving life so many people are told to want. But behind the scenes, she knew something wasn’t right. So she walked away from it all. The marriage, the career, the security, the neatly mapped-out future, and bought a one-way ticket to Nepal. Over the past nine years, Eva has travelled almost constantly, often to some of the wildest, most remote and most misunderstood places on earth. She has crossed the Mongolian wilderness on horseback, travelled through the mountains of Pakistan living alongside local families, spent months on the otherworldly island of Socotra in Yemen during lockdown, and driven her old Land Rover Defender, Odyssey, from Mexico through Central America and the United States, all the way to the northernmost point of Alaska. You’re going to love this one guys. Destination recap: Holly - Forestis, Dolomites, ItalyCarpathian Mountains, PolandMarrakech, MoroccoNepalMongoliaUlaanbaatar, MongoliaGobi Desert, MongoliaPakistanNorthern Pakistan, PakistanHimalayas, PakistanKarakoram Mountains, PakistanArabian Sea, PakistanUnited StatesMontana, United StatesAlaska, United StatesMexicoDalton Highway, United StatesDeadhorse, United StatesRomaniaCarpathian Mountains, RomaniaTransylvania, RomaniaTransalpina, RomaniaMaramureș, RomaniaSocotra, YemenCentral AsiaRussiaCentral AfricaSaharaNorthern Canada, CanadaPatagonia, Argentina and Chile Eva’s new book, The Wilder Way, is out now, and if you loved this conversation, I think you’ll absolutely love the book too. With thanks to... Richard Haworth - Discover their luxury hotel-quality bedding, towels and table linen at Richard Haworth At Home Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host If you enjoyed this episode, please hit follow or subscribe wherever you’re listening. It really helps the podcast grow, allows me to keep bringing you these incredible guests - and it means you’re delivered a fresh dose of wanderlust each week. And if you’d like a little more Travel Diaries in your life, you can find me on Instagram and TikTok @hollyrubenstein. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you next week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 19, 202656min
Number 3: Nisha Katona
Hello and welcome to a brand new season of The Travel Diaries. It’s great to be back! I couldn’t think of a more joyful guest to kick off the season than Nisha Katona. A former child protection barrister turned restaurateur, food writer and TV presenter, Nisha is the founder of the hugely successful Mowgli Street Food restaurants, the author of several cookbooks, including her newest release, The Curry Bible, and was a judge on the BBC’s Great British Menu. In this episode, Nisha describes herself as a “culinary evangelist and anthropologist”, and food is the thread running through her extraordinary Travel Diaries. We journey from childhood holidays in Mallorca and the tastes that first awakened her curiosity, to Beijing, her ancestral home of Varanasi, the temples and night markets of Cambodia, and her love for the Amalfi Coast. Our conversation travelled far beyond holidays, taking in family, identity, faith, grief and the ways in which travel helps us understand both the world and ourselves. Destination Recap: Mallorca, SpainTaunus Therme, Bad Homburg, GermanyBeijing, ChinaForbidden City, Beijing, ChinaVaranasi, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaRiver Ganges, Varanasi, IndiaSiem Reap, CambodiaAngkor Wat, Siem Reap, CambodiaJeju Island, South KoreaAmalfi Coast, Campania, ItalyMount Vesuvius, Campania, ItalyPompeii, Campania, ItalyHerculaneum, Campania, ItalyParco dei Principi, Sorrento, ItalyPositano, Campania, ItalyRavello, Campania, ItalyCapri, Campania, ItalyLloret de Mar, Catalonia, SpainBlanes, Catalonia, SpainIbiza, SpainChinaJerusalem, Israel Nisha's fabulous new book, The Curry Bible, is out now. Today’s conversation was filmed earlier this summer at the beautiful London Marriott Hotel County Hall, in the most spectacular room - The Big Ben Balcony Suite - overlooking the Thames and the Houses of Parliament. I’ll be back on Sunday with our first episode of The Travel Diaries: Unpacked with travel editor John O'Ceallaigh. If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok, I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. With thanks to... Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host Citalia - Discover the real Italy with Citalia, the UK’s leading Italian holiday specialists. Let the Italy Experts craft the perfect holiday for you and experience Italy like a Citalian. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 08, 20261h
Number 4: Unpacked: China, Uzbekistan, Baku, Six Senses & more with travel editor, John O'Ceallaigh
Hello and welcome to our very first episode of The Travel Diaries: Unpacked, your weekend travel fix. Today I’m joined by the fabulous John O'Ceallaigh. John is a travel journalist and consultant to luxury hospitality brands, who previously served as the luxury travel editor for The Telegraph for nearly a decade. We'll be unpacking Nisha's bucket list destination, China; reflecting on my Hotel of the Week, Six Senses London; chatting about John's recent trip to Azerbaijan, and answering your listener question. Destination Recap: ChinaBeijing, ChinaShanghai, ChinaYunnan, ChinaShangri-La, Yunnan, ChinaGanden Sumtseling Monastery, Shangri-La, ChinaYellow Mountain, Anhui, ChinaChengdu, Sichuan, ChinaSt Peter’s Basilica, Vatican CitySix Senses London, Bayswater, London, EnglandThe Whiteley, Bayswater, London, EnglandNotting Hill, London, EnglandDubai, United Arab EmiratesBaku, AzerbaijanCaspian Sea, AzerbaijanFairmont Baku, Flame Towers, Baku, AzerbaijanHeydar Aliyev Centre, Baku, AzerbaijanUzbekistanKhiva, UzbekistanSamarkand, UzbekistanRegistan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan All the destinations mentioned are included in the episode show notes and on thetraveldiariespodcast.com If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok, I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. With thanks to... Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host I’ll be back on Tuesday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 13, 202634min
Number 5: Tom Allen
Today’s guest is one of the country’s best-loved comedians and presenters - the wonderful Tom Allen. You’ll know him from Bake Off: An Extra Slice, The Apprentice: You’re Fired, QI, Would I Lie To You?, Live at the Apollo and of course his standup comedy. He’s also a brilliant writer, and his new novel, Common Decency, is out now. Tom’s travel diaries are full of glorious detail. We talk childhood holidays, package holidays, the etiquette of sunbeds, solo travel, America, Japan, Spain, the joy of a great hotel, and why food is so often the thing that makes a place unforgettable. Destination Recap: Holly: Sani, Halkidiki, Greece Tom:Gran Canaria, SpainJavea, SpainAlicante, SpainBenidorm, SpainSan Francisco, USANew York, USAPhiladelphia, USACherry Hill, USAJapanTokyo, JapanKyoto, JapanOsaka, JapanHiroshima, JapanNara, JapanGran Canaria, SpainMaspalomas, SpainMenorca, SpainWakefield, EnglandElgin, ScotlandBanchory, ScotlandHighlands and Islands, ScotlandBeijing, ChinaForbidden City, ChinaGreat Wall of China, China Tom Allen’s hilarious debut novel Common Decency is out now Today’s episode was filmed in the Westminster Suite at London Marriott County Hall With thanks to... Richard Haworth - Discover their luxury hotel-quality bedding, towels and table linen at Richard Haworth At Home Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host If you enjoyed this episode, please hit follow or subscribe on your podcast app. It really helps the podcast grow, allows me to keep bringing you these incredible guests - and it means you’re delivered a fresh dose of wanderlust each week. And if you’d like a little more Travel Diaries in your life, you can find me on Instagram and TikTok @hollyrubenstein. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you next week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 02, 20261h 1min