Hear about travel to Bhutan as the Amateur Traveler talks to Dorji Dhratyul, the former head of Tourism for the Kingdom of Bhutan.

This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel ⁠⁠⁠here.

Why should you go to Bhutan?

Doji says, "I think when you're talking about globally in terms of tourism, we are talking about over-tourism. The tourism destinations are getting crowded, but as of now, Bhutan is still a very pristine, quiet, and silent place. Bhutan is that place where a visitor comes here, not just on a journey, but basically they come here as an inward journey."

Bhutan is one of the few countries in the world that measures its success not by GDP but by Gross National Happiness. The small Himalayan kingdom regulates visitor numbers intentionally, following its “High Value, Low Volume” tourism policy. That means fewer crowds, pristine landscapes, and a deeply authentic experience.

Dorji recommends beginning with the western region, home to the country’s only international airport and some of its most iconic sites.

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Hear about travel to Kansas as the Amateur Traveler discusses a recent trip to Wichita, Kansas, for a conference and a post-conference Old West themed press trip.

This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel ⁠⁠⁠here.

Why should you go to Kansas?

Chris says, "This is a state that surprised me. I wasn't planning on doing an episode on this trip, but Kansas surprised me. The history and the food were all memorable. The press trip I did was about the Old West, so we visited sites about native americans, the Santa Fe Trail, railroads, cowboys, lawmen, and then later on the manufacturing of airplanes."

Start in Wichita. Drive two hours northeast to Council Grove, a historic stop on the Santa Fe Trail.

Day 1 – Council Grove and Abilene

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Hear about a road trip across the North Shore of Lake Superior as the Amateur Traveler talks to David Adler about an area that he fell in love with through a summer camp.

This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel ⁠here.

Why should you drive this road trip?

David says, "I think what makes it really unique is that it's a place that no one really knows about. I think it stands as one of the most beautiful spots in the world that I've ever seen. The nature there is really untouched. You'll be driving, and there'll be signs that say no gas for 150 kilometers. It's very remote."

David recommended road trip itinerary along the North Shore of Lake Superior (as described in the podcast transcript) begins in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and ends in Thunder Bay, following Highway 17, part of the Lake Superior Circle Tour.

Here’s the detailed route he outlines:

Overview

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Hear about travel to Cairo, Egypt, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Neil Laird, TV producer and the author of the Prime Time Travelers Series, about his favorite city.

This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel here.

Why should you go to Cairo?

Neil says, "I've traveled to some 70 countries and I've been an international documentary  TV producer for 30 years. But anytime people ask me what is my happy place, what is the place that set me all off on this journey, it is Egypt. I've been enamored and fascinated by the ancient Egyptians and by the culture there for 30, 35 years, and Cairo is the gateway to that. I spent a lot of time on Luxor shooting films for National Geographic, Discovery Channel, and BBC. But Cairo is often overlooked because it's the noisy, chaotic city that you fly into and see the pyramids before you go see Luxor and the great ruins. And that's a shame because Cairo is a universe in itself."

Here’s the 7-day Cairo itinerary recommended by Neil:

Day 1 – Zamalek (Gezira Island)

Stay in Zamalek, the leafy island in the Nile – quieter, easier to acclimate.

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Hear about traveling to Lake Constance (Bodensee) in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland as the Amateur Traveler discusses a biking trip around the lake to explore its historic, cultural, and natural sites.

The Lake Constance International Tourism Board sponsored this trip.

This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel ⁠here.

Day 1 – Arrival in Constance, Germany 

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Hear about travel to Marseille and Provence in France as the Amateur Traveler talks again to Audra Morris of The Nerd Traveler about her visit to France's second-largest city.

This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel ⁠here.

Why should someone travel to Marseille and Provence?

Audra says, "Marseille in Provence is the oldest town in France. It has got 2,600 years of history. It does have a reputation of being a little bit edgy, a little bit gritty, so it's one of those, under-the-radar kind of places. It's a beautiful place to have a home base for exploring the South of France, the Provence area specifically. It's such a cool and vibrant town. With it being one of the locales for the Olympics, they did spend quite a bit of money in the last 10 or 15 years really upgrading the city. It's quite a bit safer than a lot of people think it's gonna be."

Audra recommends the following itinerary:

Days 1–2: Explore Marseille

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Hear about travel to the top half of New Zealand's South Island as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane from Jonty Travels about his adopted country.

This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel ⁠here.

Why should you visit the top half of New Zealand's South Island?

Jonty says that this area has "spectacular scenery, natural hot springs, beautiful beaches, world-class vineyards, and whale watching".

Jonty suggests a two-week road trip (with additional optional side trips, particularly for multi-day hikes) starting in Christchurch and looping north through North Canterbury, Nelson/Tasman, Marlborough, and Kaikōura before returning to Christchurch. The trip combines cities, hot springs, alpine passes, national parks, short walks and multi-day hikes, vineyards, wildlife, and heritage.

Suggested Itinerary

Days 1–2: Christchurch

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Hear about travel to Solomon Islands as the Amateur Traveler talks to Chris Shorrock from Travel Obscure about his adventurous trip in these remote Pacific islands.

This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel here.

Why should you go to the Solomon Islands?

Chris says, "There's lots of reasons. One of the reasons we didn't really focus on World War II history. One of my big reasons for going was it's an adventurous destination and I like an adventurous destination. There's not many people going on holiday to the Solomons, so that was one of the big appeals. But besides that amazing natural beauty: jungle-clad volcanic islands, turquoise oceans, and then below the surface of the ocean lots of sea creatures, coral reefs, very spectacular underwater environment."

This is an adventurous loop through the Central Province: starting in Honiara, crossing to Savo Island for volcano hikes and megapode eggs, then finishing with shipwreck snorkeling at Roderick Bay before returning to Honiara.

Day 1 – Arrival in Honiara (Guadalcanal)

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Hear about travel to the Galapagos Islands as the Amateur Traveler talks to Michael from Rochester about doing this bucket list trip as a budget traveler.

This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel here.

Why should you go to the Galapagos?

Michael says, "It is a world location that should not be missed. And you do not have to be an animal enthusiast or safari adventure type person. That certainly helps to have an open mind about ecology and conservation. The animals, the marine life, and their ecosystem. If you have the opportunity to witness it firsthand, it truly is something that should not be missed. It is a marvel."

This version is land-based (with Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island as the base) rather than a cruise, making it more budget-friendly while still offering access to iconic wildlife and landscapes.

7-Day Galápagos Itinerary (Land-Based, Puerto Ayora Base)Day 1 – Arrival in Puerto Ayora

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In this episode of the Amateur Traveler podcast, host Chris Christensen talks with Bart from Trip Tailor, a travel agent and former train steward who has been working with European rail for decades. Bart shares his deep knowledge of night trains in Europe, from their practical benefits to the romance of waking up in a new city.

This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel here.

Why Night Trains?

Bart explains that he first started working on night trains as a student job in the 1990s, and the appeal never left him. Compared to planes, night trains offer:

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