The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your wanderlust

Southern USA rings with the sweet sounds of blues, soul and R&B – this week, we’re designing the perfect musical roadtrip through the southern states with iconic rock journalist Glenn A Baker.

“Memphis really is the centre of the journey,” says Glenn, who suggests starting in New Orleans and driving through four or five states – with even a river cruise in the mix – to find the places of legend. We're talking the crossroads where Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil in exchange for fame, the studio where Rolling Stone Keith Richards sat on the toilet and wrote the lyrics to Wild Horses, whether Elvis really was afraid of flying and the Tallahatchie Bridge, to name just a few sights on his dream US roadtrip, follow him here: facebook.com/officialglennabaker   

He’s even built us a soundtrack to drive by. So get a big convertible, plug in the playlist, and step on the gas. 

Also, we’ve got Wicked fever as Belle checks out the new movie and the Novotel Melbourne Central and its Wicked packages. Also, the World’s 50 Best Bars list is out, and three of them are here in Australia, and what do you do with your left-over foreign currency? ALL.com says Australians are sitting on more than one billion dollars in unspent foreign currency! If you have spare cash, you could donate it to the good people at UNICEF via this currency exchange outlet, travelmoneyoz.com/donate-foreign-coin   

For more, see;

www.hardiegrantgift.com.au/books/ultimate-island-escapes-australia-9781741178821
www.theworlds50best.com/bars/index.html
novotel.accor.com/a/en/offers/apac-wicked-the-movie.html
novotel.accor.com/a/en/offers/novotel-family.html 

We also asked Glenn A Baker for his mix tape for a US roadtrip through the musical south. Here's what he gave us:

Elvis Presley - That’s All Right Mama/Good Rockin’ Tonight
Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire/Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On
Roy Orbison - Only The Lonely
Little Richard - Tutti Frutti/Long Tall Sally
B.B. King - The Thrill Is Gone
Booker T & MGs - Green Onions/Soul Limbo/Time Is Tight
Carla  Thomas - Gee Whiz
Rufus Thomas - Walking The Dog
Otis Redding - I Can’t Turn You Loose
Percy Sledge - When A Man Loves A Woman
Sam & Dave - Hold On I’m Coming/Soul Man
Wilson Pickett - In The Midnight Hour/Land of 1000 Dances
Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved A Man
The Mar Kays - Soul Finger
Eddie Floyd - Knock On Wood
Hank Williams - Move It On Over
Jimmie Rodgers - Blue Yodel

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“The thing I like most about Bali is [it’s] like one big resort, and when you go on holiday you leave all your baggage behind… so everyone is enjoying themselves, it’s very optimistic,” says esteemed Australian designer, artist and owner of Pineapple Hill, Stuart Membery.

Stuart, the former head designer of Esprit, now splits his time between Bondi, Australia and Bali, Indonesia. He talks to us about his new boutique luxury Balinese villa, Pineapple Hill, how Bali has changed over the decades and gives us some insider picks of where you should go on your next trip to the Island of the Gods, see stuartmemberyhome.com or instagram.com/pineapplehill_bali/

We also chat about life at sea, with one US residential cruise ship launching a multi-year, around-the-world voyage to 'escape' the incoming US presidency, and we reveal the world’s best vineyards, which includes several in Australia and New Zealand, see worldsbestvineyards.com

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Solo sailor Lisa Blair OAM has sailed around Antarctica not once, but twice, and her book Facing Fear records that first, near-fatal expedition. Lisa has a rack of world records under her belt – just this year alone, she set the fastest time sailing Sydney to Auckland and first woman solo monohull record, slicing an incredible four days off the previous record; and is the first person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around New Zealand, a feat that took just 17 days. She is also Australian Geographic's Adventurer of the Year 2022.

Having spent so much time on the ocean and seeing the effects of pollution and climate change, she is a powerful advocate for sustainability with the Climate Action Now project and Boating Industry Australia's Sustainability Ambassador. See lisablairsailstheworld.com and the new movie about her adventures, Ice Maiden.

Which do you think are the safest countries to travel through? Travel insurer Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection’s research shows some of the best are very, very close to home;  bhtp.com/blog/safest-places-to-travel/

And how do you get a bargain in Bali? The Bali Bible shares some tips for getting not the lowest price, but the price that is fair for both you - the buyer - as well as the seller. The trick? To treat haggling as a charming game, see thebalibible.com 

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Is the 'Land of the Long White Cloud’ on your travel to-do list? This week, our resident Kiwi, co-host Kirstie Bedford chats about all the reasons you should head to New Zealand’s far north.

From a moving cultural experience to bedding down in the ultimate luxury at Rosewood Kauri Cliffs, pretty Northland ticks many a box and you’ll leave with a new appreciation of this sacred land to Māori, the Indigenous Peoples of Aotearoa, rosewoodhotels.com/en/kauri-cliffs

Belle also takes us on a little detour to one of NSW’s major wine regions, and how long does it take to save for a holiday? Money.com runs the numbers. Finally, a hot tip on how to get a 10-day holiday with only a few days of unpaid leave, thanks to seek.com

Read Kirstie's story about Rosewood Kauri Cliffs, karryon.com.au/luxury/rosewood-kauri-cliffs-northland-new-zealand

And Belle's tips for a Hunter Valley getaway include:
Accommodation @ Cypress Lakes, cypresslakes.com.au
Oud massage @ Elysia spa, elysiaretreat.com.au
Vamp wine rooms by Lisa McGuigan, vampwinerooms.com.au and Make-up & Merlot by The Boys Studio theboysstudio.com

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Love a cruise but just can’t choose? 

Cruise expert Honida Beram has sailed the seven seas on more than 50 cruises; she explains the best cruise for you to choose.

Also, Lonely Planet’s annual Best in Travel list – the breakdown of where to travel in 2025 and why, see lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel

And if you’re heartbroken and footloose, we reveal the best places to travel after a break-up, with travel blogger Miss Tourist giving a ‘heartbreak healing’ score for each destination. misstourist.com

Belle’s reading tip for armchair travel to Savannah, USA; Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil by John Berendt 

Kirstie’s tip for the adult-only island resort Likuliku likulikulagoon.com

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“Food is our love language,” says Lima-born chef Alejandro Saravia, who takes us on a culinary adventure through Latin America.

The chef, who recently opened Morena, two Latin American restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne, admits he didn’t like ceviche until he was 18. “It was a sacrilege for a Peruvian. At the same time, I’m not a soccer fanatic. But I learned to love it, and every time I visit Peru, I order beautiful fresh ceviche with lots of citrus and chilli. It’s a dish that makes you happy.”

Listen as Alejandro shares his top tips of where to eat ceviche in Peru, drinking tiger's milk, what a huarique is, and why you should order the classic Peruvian bar snack of anticuchos, ox heart skewers.

Staying on the food theme, which is the best airline food in the air? Money.com spills the beans on the best meal in the skies.

And finally, we list the spookiest tourist attractions around the world, from Edinburgh to Pittsburg; see planetcruise.com/en/top-haunted-hotspots-around-the-world For a deeper dive into Halloween’s origins, Belle chats about Ireland’s ancient celebration, Samhain, and the modern Puca festival, see www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmFQ1R2KVS4 and pucafestival.com

Alejandro Saravia’s top Lima restaurants
Restaurant Sonia, La Rosa Lozano Y Tirado 173, Chorrillos, Lima, Peru
La Mar Cebicheria, Av. Mariscal La Mar 770, Miraflores, Peru, lamarcebicheria.com
Morena Restaurant,  GPO, 1 Martin Pl, Sydney, and
71 Little Collins St, Melbourne, morenarestaurant.com.au

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Love islands?  Australia has thousands of them to choose from, and Emma Shaw, author of Ultimate Islands Escapes (Hardie Grant), can help you find the island of your dreams. From such all-stars as Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays to the far-flung Cocos Keeling Islands, nearly 3000km north-west of Perth, there’s an island to suit every taste and every budget. See hardiegrantgift.com.au; @exploreshaw

Belle and Kirstie also chat about American Express Travel’s annual ‘Trending Destinations’ list – with the top global destination right here in Australia, americanexpress.com

Finally, keep your gut happy when you travel with this great tip. We’re talking the perils of earlybird dining in Spain, and at what time street eats become a bad idea, from Southern Cross Travel Insurance, scti.com.au 

And a few notes from the show this week - 

Brisbane: Gourmet Traveller magazine’s top restaurant is found in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley – visit Agnes for smoking hot wood-fire cooking,  agnesrestaurant.com.au/ More on Brisbane’s new ‘green’ bridges here smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/the-new-global-design-marvels-to-bucket-list-including-two-here-20240830-p5k6m7.html 

And Belle’s story on the ethics of swimming with whales here smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/i-swam-australia-s-humpback-highway-but-should-i-have-20240917-p5kbb7.html 

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Co-host Belle takes us to Greece and Bulgaria, travelling by rail on a slow food, slow travel journey of these neighbouring countries, eurail.com She travelled on a Eurail pass, which criss-crosses 33 European countries, all without flying. She also gives us a peek at the new Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino on the Peloponnese peninsula, on the Greek mainland - and it's as glamorous as you would expect! mandarinoriental.com

Also, would you let your 15-year-old train around Europe with their friends? And where's the most popular place to see the sunset in the world? The answer may not surprise you...

Finally, if you have Italian heritage, check out the Italea project, which aims to link people with the villages of their ancestors, see italea.com

Belle's notebook: where to eat and sleep in Greece & Bulgaria's two main cities

BOUTIQUE HOTELS
The Modernist in Athens & Thessaloniki, Greece, themodernisthotels.com
Oborishte63, Sofia, Bulgaria oborishte63.com
Vizualiza Hotel, Plovdiv, Bulgaria vizualizahotel.com

LOCAL RESTAURANTS in Greece & Bulgaria
Vosporos Restaurant & Bar, Larisa, Greece vosporos.gr
Olympos Naoussa (chef is ambassador) Leoforos Nikis 5, 546 24, Thessaloniki, olymposnaoussa.gr
Kourtis Winery, Rachi, Greece kourtiswinery.com & the indigenous pig farmers farma-fotiadi.gr
Sintrofi, Thessaloniki instagramcom/sin_trofi
Pod Lipite, Sofia, podlipitebg.com
Cosmos Restaurant, Sofia cosmosbg.com
Staria Chinar, Sofia, stariachinar.com
Pavaj, Plovdiv facebook.com/pavaj.plovdiv
Aylyakira, Plovdiv aylyakria.com

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Living a nomadic life; the ‘not-hot’ list and airport departure times

Have you ever dreamt of packing it all in and travelling the world? That’s what Tim and Sharyn Nilsen have done and the only retirement plans they have are to keep ticking off the list of countries they visit – well, those that are left.
This week, Sharyn gives some great advice as to how you can do it too.
https://catchourtravelbug.com

We also cover Intrepid Travel’s ‘not-hot’ list, a reaction against overtourism. These are their top picks of the best lesser-known places you need to have on your radar (intrepidtravel.com/au/newsroom/releases/intrepid-releases-2025-not-hot-list) and we have the great debate about what time you should arrive at the airport.

Follow our hosts on Instagram
Kirstie Bedford
Belinda Jackson

Audio production and editing by
Alaisdair Leith

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When was the last time you really soaked up the night sky? Spotted a full moon? Admired the Milky Way? Saw an aurora?

Marnie Ogg joins us to talk about astrotourism. Marnie designs and leads stargazing tours, and she is also the founder of the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance, which educates people about light pollution. So stay with us to learn the best places on Earth to go stargazing, aurora hunting and spotting all sorts of celestial bodies. See darkskytraveller.com.au

We also reveal the best little town in Australia: it's official, with the winner of the Top Tourism Town Awards, and we've got some tips about how to make the best memories when you travel.  See toptourismtowns.com.au

Finally, it's giveaway time, thanks to Lonely Planet - win a guidebook to Vietnam, or their new book, Stargazing Around the World: A Tour of the Night Sky. To be in the running, email us at [email protected] 

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