Travel Bubble

Episode 35 of Travel Bubble is with Hattie Seal, co-founder and director of Travelling Whale, a company that specialises in locally-sourced, sustainable holidays. As well as being an industry professional, Hattie, is also well-travelled herself, having completed a round-the-world 18-month adventure back in 2015.

From caravan holidays and trips to Norfolk as a child, speaking from Hackney, East London, she recollects getting the travel bug after receiving postcards from around the globe from her dad, an aircraft engineer.

In this podcast, we get some invaluable tips from how to budget when it comes to travelling the world, how to seek out the best food, avoid being rogued by taxi drivers and the benefits of group tours.

Hattie’s choices include two destinations from the same continent, a tale of being in a tight squeeze in a cave while trying not to extinguish a candle and where you can get possibly the cheapest tacos in the world.

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Country No.1: Guatemala

Country No.2: Peru

Country No. 3: Vietnam  

Wildcard: Colombia

Top Travel Tip: Learn some of the local lingo

Best Souvenir: Backpack from Guatemala

Travel Bubble Film Club

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In this episode we speak to Catherine Livesley, founder of No Fly Travel Club. Speaking remotely from Brixton in London, Catherine explains why she set up the company which focuses on sustainable, overland travel, and where her passion for rail journeys began.

When choosing her Travel Bubble destinations, Catherine talks about a location so unique it inspired the Avatar movie, why she has chosen a country that is often negatively represented, a place that offers three coffees to visitors, and her reasonings for being an advocate of plans that go wrong.

Also listen out for a slight change in today’s episode in honour of a more environmentally-friendly way to travel.

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Country No.1: France

Country No.2: Romania

Country No. 3: China

Wildcard: Russia

Top Travel Tip: Hire a tour guide

Best Souvenir: Coffee set from Bosnia and cushion cover from Istanbul

Travel Bubble Film Club

14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible Nepal (2021)

If you’re a fan of world film then sign up to Mubi through this link and get a 30-day free Mubi trial.

If you want to support the podcast, why not buy me a pint?

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TravelBubble

Follow us on Travel Bubble Facebook and Instagram @TravelBubblePodcast.

Follow and subscribe so you never miss out on an episode.

In this episode we speak to adventurist Erik Cooper. You can often find him in his own words doing ‘cool shit’ such as competing in the Mongol Derby – the world’s longest horse race – or helping to put together the Argentinian Gaucho Derby.

Speaking in July from a ranch in Missouri, Erik goes in to detail about the three Travel Bubble destinations which, unusually, he has chosen based on the people - rather than the place itself.

Erik is also a tour leader and we talk about his unique and bespoke adventure tours - where you need to pass an interview to be a guest, as well as how to make plans with nomads, freak snowstorms in the summer and where to get the best sauteed mushrooms.

Erik has a fascinating and refreshing way of travelling – strongly believing that it is about the people and the relationships you build rather than the number of stamps in your passport.

Erik left a quieter rural life in the USA at 18 to live in New York and later Los Angeles. His passion for horses has since seen him travel all corners of the globe. Listen to this episode for his Travel Bubble choices, top tips and some amazing stories along the way.

Spoilers below, don't forget to like, subscribe, rate and tell your friends about the Travel Bubble podcast.

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Country No.1: Mongolia

Mongol Derby

Country No.2: South Africa

Country No. 3: Argentina

Arandu

Wildcard: Australia

Top Travel Tip: Always have an escape plan

Best Souvenir: Gifts including a jacket from Mongolia

Travel Bubble Film Club

Dave Not Coming Back, Canada/South Africa (2020)

If you’re a fan of world film then sign up to Mubi through this link and get a 30-day free Mubi trial.

If you want to support the podcast, why not buy me a pint?

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TravelBubble

Follow us on Travel Bubble Facebook and Instagram @TravelBubblePodcast.

Today’s episode is with Caitlyn Lubas, who at the age of just 23, has already visited 79 countries.

What’s more Caitlyn has even written a book about it. A spin on the old adage, ‘you are what you eat’, ‘You Are Where You Go’ is a title that rings true. Caitlyn is a big proponent of travelling now and not waiting until you’re older or retired. She believes that the memories and experiences gained through travel are invaluable and you shouldn't wait to see the world. We talk about all this as well as motorbike close calls, eating puffins and Icelandic Kaitlyn Jenner lip fillers. What are you waiting for? Listen to this inspiring episode right now.

You can find Caitlyn on Instagram as @caitlynlubas and find out more about her new book by visiting:

https://www.youarewhereyougo.com/

Spoilers below, don't forget to like, subscribe, rate and tell your friends about the Travel Bubble podcast.

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Country No. 3: Argentina

Wildcard: Nepal, to do Everest basecamp trek.

Top Travel Tip: Get out of your comfort zone, just do it.

Best Souvenir: Receipts, tickets and wristbands in a frame.

Travel Bubble Film Club

Mandabi, Senegal(1968)

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Follow us on Travel Bubble Facebookand Instagram @TravelBubblePodcast.

Subscribe so you never miss out on an episode.

Today’s episode is with the co-founder of Intrepid Travel, Geoff ‘Manch’ Manchester.

Formed 32 years ago with Darrel Wade, Intrepid Travel is now the largest small group adventure travel company in the world offering more than 1,000 tours on seven continents.

Starting as Intrepid’s very first tour leader, Melbourne-based Manch is now a giant in the travel industry and is globally recognised as a responsible travel pioneer. Intrepid’s mission is to create positive change through the joy of travel - aiming to be the best travel company not just in the world, but for the world. Manch plays a vital role in this vision, being integral in the formation of the Intrepid Foundation - a not-for-profit wing of the group - which has raised more than $12 million (AUD) to date.

Also, importantly, we get to hear the Travel Bubble choices of a man who has been all over the world as well as find out his best ever travel experience.

What an excellent way to kick-off Season 2 of Travel Bubble.

Spoilers below, don't forget to like, subscribe, rate and tell your friends about the Travel Bubble podcast.

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Country No. 3: Nepal  

Wildcard: Iran

Top Travel Tip: Pack a sarong. They are multipurpose and always come in

Best Souvenir: Old Laotian tapestries.

Travel Bubble Film Club

Brother, Russia (1997)

Available on Mubi, sign up through this link and get a 30-day free Mubi trial.

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TravelBubble

Follow us on Travel Bubble Facebook and Instagram @TravelBubblePodcast.

Subscribe so you never miss out on an episode.

This episode with Tiffany Mosher is a break from the norm on Travel Bubble. On this podcast, the focus is very much on just how much travel and helping others can impact – and even save – an individual’s life.

Tiffany lives in Virginia Beach, USA where she is a logistics analyst for the US Navy by day. As well as being a single mother to three children, she is a volunteer and International Missions Director for the charity AIDNOW. She has also written and published a book, gone through a divorce and completed a Masters – all during a global pandemic.

From visiting areas devastated by earthquakes and hurricanes, Tiffany shares her stories of travelling and volunteering on her own. A country that has amazing tea, a place with personal family ties and somewhere that has a day dedicated to celebrating dogs all make it in to her travel bubble.

Tiffany talks about how her experiences helped her with her depression and anxiety in her book. £1 from every sale of Beauty Beyond the Threshold: How International Volunteering Saved My Life will go to charity.

http://www.tiffanymosher.com/

Spoilers below, don't forget to like, subscribe, rate and tell your friends about the Travel Bubble podcast. 

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Country No.1: Puerto Rico

Country No.2: Mexico

Country No. 3: Nepal

Wildcard: Morocco

The Caliph’s House: A Year in Casablanca by Tahir Shah

Top Travel Tip – do your research and seek uniqueness

Best Souvenir: tea cups from Nepal

Travel Bubble Film Club

Angel of Nanjing (2015) China

Thanks for listening.

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In this episode we speak to Gary Arndt. He has a highly-successful blog which was listed in Time Magazine as one of the top 25 blogs in the world he is also one of the world’s most awarded travel photographers.

From Wisconsin, he sold his home back in 2007 to travel for a year or two but hasn’t stopped since – having no place of his own to call home for 9 years.

He’s visited more than 204 countries and territories around the world on the Travelers Century Club list of places, including travelling to all 50 US states and territories twice, every Canadian province three times, as well as all of the states in Australia, Germany and South Africa. He likes to explore places completely.

Gary has photographed and documented trips to over 400 UNESCO World Heritage sites and is close to seeing all 60 national parks in the USA.

Since 2009 he has been the co-host of This Week in Travel, an award-winning weekly podcast that covers travel industry news.

National Geographic said of Gary that ‘in the travel blogging world [he] is one of the big fish’, so it is certainly an ideal guest for Travel Bubble.

Gary’s choices include the country that has the second highest number of Michelin stars, another country that has the most UNESCO heritage sites, and tells us how and where he changed a law.

You can check out his blog and his podcasts by visiting his website https://everything-everywhere.com/

As usual, spoilers and more links are in the show notes below.

Thank you for listening. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, rate and share Travel Bubble in order to help us grow.

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Country No.1: Japan

Country No.2: Italy

Country No.3: Argentina

Wildcard: Peru

Top Travel Tip: Don’t over-plan

Best Souvenir: Kava bowl from Samoa

Wood carvings from Solomon Islands

Travel Bubble Film Club

Follow us on Travel Bubble Facebook and Instagram @TravelBubblePodcast.

Subscribe so you never miss out on an episode.

Episode 28 is with The Adventure Pro, Amy Angelilli, originally from Philadelphia currently based in St Augustine, Florida – she loves nothing more than travel and making people laugh, so an ideal Travel Bubble guest.

A certified laughter yoga leader, improv instructor and life long traveller, Amy is also the founder of the Adventure Project, an initiative that helps empower people to find the adventure in the every day.

You can find Amy on Facebook here and Insta as @theinstapro here and you can visit her website http://adventure-project.com/.

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Country No.1: Italy

Country No.2: Mexico

Country No. 3: St John, U.S. Virign Islands

Wildcard: Greece

Top Travel Tip: Pack light

Best Souvenir: Besides the romances – Italian Boots

Travel Bubble Film Club

Olla, (2019) France

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Episode 27 is with Jason Clitherow Boken. After moving away from the UK four years ago, Jay has certainly been there and done that. He’s been a business reporter at a Cambodia's leading newspaper, a part-owner of a hostel on a tropical island, he’s taught English in rural Vietnam, he’s rolled spliffs on the beach for cash… to put it simply, he’s been around.

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Country No.2: Vietnam

Country No. 3: Cambodia

Wildcard: Philippines

Top Travel Tip: Don’t make any real plans

Best Souvenir: Taser

Travel Bubble Film Club

Apocalypse Now 1979, USA

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In this episode we speak to Ian Collins. You know you’re in for a good episode when you struggle to choose a title and this was the case for this episode. I didn’t know whether to choose the time Ian sent flowers to the leader of North Korea or perhaps the time he took his mugger to a strip club. I went for the former, but I think both would’ve summed up the travel stories and anecdotes that Ian has to tell.

Originally from Perth, currently in Bali, Ian has managed to make a career out of travelling all over the world to around 85 countries and has worked in over 40 of those in places such as Libya and Bali, as well as living in cities like Vancouver, Barcelona, Cape Town and Singapore.

Ian took a very practical approach to choosing his countries, considering 5 points: the country of his passport, legal residence, business base, asset haven and playground.

His tales include presenting flowers to the eponymous dictator, listening to an oracle on where to move to next, taking a man who attempted to mug him to a strip club, and trying to calm down irate Libyans.

His choices include one that is increasingly popular with digital nomads, a dictator-led country that few are able to enter and a place that is often voted the most beautiful city as well as being one of the most deadly in the world.

As usual, spoilers and links are in the show notes below.

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Country No.1: Indonesia

Country No.2: North Korea

Country No. 3: South Africa

Wildcard: Belize

Top Travel Tip – Immerse yourself for as long as possible and do as locals do.

Best Souvenir: Handmade fruit bowl in Malawi

Travel Bubble Film Club

The Mole: Undercover in North Korea ,2020

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