In this first bonus episode of Amateur Traveler, we discuss how and why to travel solo, even if you are not single.

My Guest:

Beth Santos is the founder and CEO of Wanderful, a global community and lifestyle brand that aims to empower and connect women who travel. She is also the author of Wander Woman, in which she shares insights and advice on solo travel, particularly for women.

Beth focuses on encouraging women to explore the world independently and safely. She challenges common misconceptions about solo travel, especially the notion that it is only for single people or those without families. She emphasizes that solo travel can be a valuable and empowering experience for anyone, regardless of their personal circumstances.

In addition to her work with Wonderful, Beth is known for advocating female empowerment in travel and her efforts to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for women travelers.

Questions:

In the podcast episode, several key questions and topics related to solo travel are addressed:

What is solo travel, and who is it for?

What are the benefits of solo travel?

How can women travel solo safely?

What practical advice is there for planning a solo trip?

How do you handle loneliness when traveling solo?

What are the challenges and rewards of eating alone while traveling?

How can solo travelers balance planning and spontaneity?

What should you pack for a solo trip?

What can someone learn from solo travel?

How can someone prepare for their first solo trip?

https://amateurtraveler.com/solo-travel/

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Hear about travel to Romania and Northern Hungary as the Amateur Traveler talks to Lisa VanderVeen about her recent Intrepid trip to the area.

Why should you go to Romania?

Lisa says, "Romania is much more than Dracula and Vlad Tepes, though I will confess that was my initial draw to the country. It's got a great diversity of landscape and a multi layered history going way, way back. And then also as recently as the, communist times. Lots of really interesting museums to visit."

"In terms of the topography and the geography, it's just amazing. It's got beautiful towns the Maramures region has a history of weavings and just the colors, red, orange, pink, and blue with the haystacks dotting the rolling hills and the mountains in the backdrop are really stunning."

"The Carpathian Mountains are moody and they're filled with lore and at the same time they feel a little bit like Switzerland. There's great beauty, great history, and wonderful food and wine in Romania."

Here's the itinerary of the trip to Romania and Northern Hungary as described by Lisa:

• Start the trip in Budapest, Lisa's favorite European city, known for its architecture, the Danube River, the Fisherman's Bastion, and thermal baths.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-romania/

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Hear about travel to Northeast Florida as the Amateur Traveler talks to Angie Orth from Angie Away about her hometown and the area around it.

Why should someone go to Northeast Florida?

Angie says, "So many reasons. People come to Florida for a lot of different reasons. Mostly theme parks, maybe swamps, alligators, Miami. Those are the things when I meet people around the world that they think Florida is about. Everybody thinks I either live in Miami, in some kind of penthouse, or like at Disney World, in a castle of some sort."

"There's so much to do here, but I would say the majority of it is It's outdoors, it's nature, it's history. We have a ton of interesting history that even natives don't necessarily know about. It's hidden away in the neighborhoods and buried and there's ruins and also layers of history, layers and hundreds of years and wars. To make this area what it is and it's really interesting once you start going to the national park areas and the forts and the ruins."

Angie recommends several must-see locations and activities in Northeastern Florida:

1. Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island (Nassau County):

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-northeastern-florida/

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Hear about a road trip at the top of the world in Northern Norway as the Amateur Traveler talks to Torunn Tronsvang from Up Norway about this scenic but remote destination.

Why should you go to Northern Norway?

Torunn says, "There are so many good reasons why one should go to Northern Norway, and I think just as an introduction to Norway, I think it's worth mentioning the trend now of cool cations — skipping the hot and steamy Southern Europe and rather going up North to Norway. to Norway and Northern Norway."

"And Northern Norway, of course, if I were to summarize in one word, regardless of season, I'd say, go there for the light. Because in the summer, you have the midnight sun, which means that you have this magical, radiant light all day and all night. If you go there in winter, you have the northern lights, but you also have arctic lights, so you have color nuances of pink, orange, sometimes turquoise, of course, you have the very green-yellow northern lights on clear and starry nights"

Torunn recommends this itinerary...

https://amateurtraveler.com/road-trip-in-northern-norway/

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Hear about travel to the Maldives in the Indian Ocean as the Amateur Traveler talks to David Brodie from Travel in 10 about his experience in this tropical paradise.

Why should you go to the Maldives?

"I think it's a place that a lot of people have probably seen influencer videos or postcards of the luxury resorts that are there. And it does have. probably some of the most luxurious island resorts you're going to find anywhere in the world. Crystal clear waters, incredible snorkeling, incredible diving, and really at that luxury end of the spectrum, there is an enormous amount of properties on their own islands there, throughout the, about 187 islands that are populated in the island chain, about 160 of those 160 plus that have. Resorts on them."

"I say, really some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world and a whole new sort of aspect to tourism that's developing there with the opening up of the local islands and the local island tourism that's emerging there now as well."

David's adventure in the Maldives was part of a larger trip that explored multiple countries. After his family returned home from Singapore, David continued on his own, making the Maldives a key highlight of his solo journey. Known for its pristine beaches, crystal-clear waters, and vibrant marine life, the Maldives did not disappoint.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-the-maldives-2/

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Hear about travel to the region of Castile and León in Spain as the Amateur Traveler talks to Ethan Witthun about the region where he studied abroad.

Morning:

Afternoon:

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-castile-and-leon-spain/

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Hear about travel to Afghanistan as the Amateur Traveler talks to bigger and adventure tour guide Sibu Szymanowska about this adventurous destination, even for her.

Why should you go to Afghanistan?

Sibu says, "Because we are very influenced by what we see in the media nowadays and it is definitely one of those countries that will end up shocking you. But not Shocking you in a negative way, but shocking you in a very positive way, because there is so much more to the world than what we see on mainstream media, on the news, but by what our governments tell you, and Afghanistan obviously is not an easy destination to navigate, but is it possible?"... Yes.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-afghanistan/

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Hear about travel to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jo Clark from Have Glass, Will Travel about her hometown.

Why should someone go to Myrtle Beach?

Jo says, "Myrtle Beach is on the Grand Strand as we call it. It's on the coast of South Carolina and we are in the midst of 60 miles of gorgeous beach. Nice and wide. No rocks. I mean you can walk for miles and miles. It's just the perfect place. We have great weather. We have everything. we have history, we have music, and of course the beach."

Jo sent us this itinerary:

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-myrtle-beach-south-carolina/

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Hear about travel the Great West Way from London to Bristol as the Amateur Traveler talks to Penny Sadler, who writes Adventures of a Carry-on, about her recent trip to Southwest England.

Penny Sadler is a freelance writer covering wine, food, travel, and lifestyle topics. Her work has appeared in CNBC Travel, Culture Magazine, Matador Network, InsideHook, The Alcohol Professor, Vintner Project, The Cheese Professor, and elsewhere. She’s a Wine, Spirits Education Trust graduate and hosts tastings in her free time.

Why should you go?

Penny says, "The Great West Way is a historic route and basically now a tourist route that goes from London to Bristol. From London to Bristol is about two hours, and along the way, there are charming market towns, old pubs, castle ruins, rolling hills, and lots of farmland, it's very rural Stonehenge, Avebury, there's so much to see."

Penny Sadler's itinerary for the Great West Way offers a scenic and historically rich journey from east to west. Here is a breakdown of the recommended destinations, sorted from east to west:

1. London

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https://amateurtraveler.com/the-great-west-way-in-england/

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Hear about travel to India including the Golden Triangle as the Amateur Traveler talks to Nir ben Dov from Israel about his recent trip to the subcontinent.

Why should you go to India?

"I've gone to India many times over the past 20 25 years and it's a place that I've grown to love and love to hate it's a strange place. It's a place with its own character not for everyone But a very intriguing, place not easy, but a great place to visit. It's very different. So I decided this time to take my wife because I know that traveling with my wife, it just has a completely different flair to it. I know my wife likes the colors, the very bright colors, and the chaos in India."

Nir's recommended itinerary for India includes:

Delhi:

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-india-2/

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