Travel Genius

Was your New Year’s resolution to travel more in 2020 To help with your trip-planning, this week Mark and Nikki discuss the destinations that should be on your must-visit list this year. This week’s guest is Dr. Evan Antin, the celebrity vet and host of globetrotting TV show “Evan Goes Wild” (He’s also an alum of People magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive list). Antin is a steel-nerved explorer who considers snakes a welcomed sight wherever he goes. He’ll also help pet owners nervous to bring their dog or cat along on a trip, with a few suggestions on how to prep them for an unfamiliar locale.

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This week on Travel Genius, Mark and Nikki tackle one of thorniest subjects in travel right now: should we be buying carbon offsets for every flight we take? Or should we follow Greta Thunberg’s lead, and scrap any plans to hop on a plane for the foreseeable future? Or is the impact of flying greatly overrated compared with many other industries – and simply called out as it’s seen as a perk of the privileged? If you’re coming down with a case of flygskam (flight shame, in Swedish), they have advice on how to cure it, including how to be sure that any offsets you buy are truly impactful rather than pure greenwashing. If your New Year’s resolution is to travel more mindfully, we’ve got your covered. 

As for this week’s guest, she’s the self-proclaimed MacGirlver, Kari Byron. The former Mythbusters staple is now host of her own globetrotting show for kids, Crash Test World that’s aimed at using science to explore the way we live across the globe. She joins Travel Genius this week to share smart tips from her travels, which included backpacking around the world aged 23. Like a Swiss Army knife, she’s multipurpose and handy in any situation, whether it involves staying safe in your hotel room or keeping kids engaged when sightseeing. And she has something in common with Jason Atherton when it comes to keeping food tasty, wherever you are.

Want to share your own Travel Genius moments? Reach out on Twitter, via email, or by phone at 646 324-3490. If you’re lucky, we’ll share your best tips on a future episode.

Correction: This podcast misidentified the name of the carbon offset company, Cool Edge. The name of the company is Cool Effect.

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Next time you’re packing a suitcase, make sure to pack your Preparation H. That’s what this week’s guest, Waris Ahluwalia—who has featured in movies from "The Grand Budapest Hotel" to "The Darjeeling Limited"—swears by to look fabulous after a long flight. Combine it with ice water, and your eyes will depuff and your face will glow. 

Mark and Nikki also wax poetic on Australia, where there’s exciting news from top to bottom, coast to coast. They break down the most exciting destinations to prioritize now, including new underwater accommodations by the Great Barrier Reef.

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What’s better than turning left when you get on an airplane? Scoring the premium seat without actually paying a premium. This week, Mark and Nikki break down a handful of new and unsung strategies for booking cheaper business class fares. Then, Hanli Prisloo, champion free diver and onetime stunt double for Halle Berry shares several tips that focus on what lies below the (ocean’s) surface.

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At the airport, are you a gate louse or a #teamboardlast? Boarding the plane is a contentious, stressful part of any journey, and Mark and Nikki talk about the surprising innovations that airports and airlines are trialing to ease that tension. This week’s Travel Genius is Hitha Palepu, a businesswoman who also moonlights as a travel guru. Palepu wrote the ultimate guide to squeezing everything into a carry-on, “How to Pack,” and chronicles her travel hacks on the go via her Instagram, hashtagging #HithaontheGo. 

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One of the top tips that came out of this week’s chat with beauty guru Bobbi Brown feels especially poignant in the aftermath of Thanksgiving: never, ever pack your skinny jeans. To keep you glowing (and going) through the holidays, we turned to the beauty mogul, wellness entrepreneur, and boutique hotelier for her best tips and hacks. Should your travels this holiday season take you abroad, there’s always one thing to be mindful about: visas. Nikki and Mark discuss the red tape that you can’t ignore, and how it’s gotten more complicated—or a little easier—to parse, depending on where you’re going and when.

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Susan Veness can show you the world—shining, shimmering, splendid. From the edge of the sea to snow-glowing-white mountains, she’s got a hack for every situation… as long as it’s at Disney. That's because she literally wrote the book, “Walt Disney World Hacks: 350+ Park Secrets.” She’s got friends in hosts Nikki and Mark, who equally feel the love for Walt Disney and his magic kingdoms. They’ll show you the light on everything from the best places to watch the fireworks to the most underrated spots in Orlando.

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This week’s episode of Travel Genius gets competitive in a way that has little to do with the dings of the hotel bell. We’re talking about competitive travel: an entire subculture of people whose mission is, quite simply, to go everywhere—and to check the most obscure boxes off their bucket lists faster than anyone else.

Then, chef Eric Ripert—the toque behind New York’s three-Michelin-starred Le Bernardin—shares how to find the best cookbook store in the world. He also discusses his adventures with his late, great friend, Anthony Bourdain.

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This week we’re hitting a high note, literally. Schele Williams—who came up in the Broadway world as the “Seasons of Love” soloist in RENT—pulls back the curtain on her tried-and-true travel hacks, which are as wide-ranging as her singing voice. Also, Mark and Nikki focus this week on the ultimate currency calculations—the destinations where your dollar will go farthest. 

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Season two of Travel Genius kicks off with more tips, tricks, and hacks than any episode that’s come before. Co-hosts Nikki Ekstein and Mark Ellwood catch up on all the miles they logged since you last tuned in, while ABC News superstar Rebecca Jarvis riffs on the secret uses for airport yoga rooms, how to pivot when trips go wrong, and a little-known service for cheap business class tickets.

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