Sandwiched between Estonia and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea, Latvia is a compact nation of forests, bogs, and beaches where pagan traditions never quite went away. The capital Riga boasts the world's finest Art Nouveau architecture, while beyond the cities, a quarter of the country remains wonderfully forested. Latvians are famously tall, reserved, and deeply attached to their rye bread, midsummer bonfires, and four very distinct seasons.

Love the pod? Get the guide! Out with each new podcast, we publish a guide to the country. Buy the TrodPod guide to Latvia for just $3: https://www.patreon.com/c/trodpod/shop. Better yet, become a TrodPod member for just $5 a month and access TrodPod guides to every country in the world, released weekly with each new podcast episode! Sign up now: https://www.patreon.com/trodpod/membership

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TrodPod is Murray Garrard and Elle Keymer. Sound editing by Leo Audio Productions. Design and marketing by GPS: Garrard Powell Solutions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nicaragua is Central America's largest nation and perhaps its least understood. Wedged between the Pacific and Caribbean, this is a land of volcanic drama, colonial grandeur, and revolutionary history. Two vast lakes dominate the interior, while twin coastlines offer everything from surf breaks to coral reefs. It's raw, beautiful, occasionally chaotic, and refreshingly unspoiled by mass tourism. Think of it as Central America's best-kept secret – though perhaps not for much longer.

Love the pod? Get the guide! Out with each new podcast, we publish a guide to the country. Buy the TrodPod guide to Nicaragua for just $3: https://www.patreon.com/c/trodpod/shop. Better yet, become a TrodPod member for just $5 a month and access TrodPod guides to every country in the world, released weekly with each new podcast episode! Sign up now: https://www.patreon.com/trodpod/membership

Thanks for all your support!

TrodPod is Murray Garrard and Elle Keymer. Sound editing by Leo Audio Productions. Design and marketing by GPS: Garrard Powell Solutions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australia is a continent-sized nation where ancient Indigenous cultures meet cosmopolitan cities, and where everything from the wildlife to the weather seems designed to test your mettle. It's a land of contradictions: friendly locals and hostile fauna, world-class wine regions and unforgiving deserts, sophisticated cultural institutions and a national obsession with the humble pie. Expect stunning natural beauty, excellent coffee, and the occasional reminder that nature here plays by different rules.

Love the pod? Get the guide! Out with each new podcast, we publish a guide to the country. Buy the TrodPod guide to Australia for just $3: https://www.patreon.com/c/trodpod/shop. Better yet, become a TrodPod member for just $5 a month and access TrodPod guides to every country in the world, released weekly with each new podcast episode! Sign up now: https://www.patreon.com/trodpod/membership

Thanks for all your support!

TrodPod is Murray Garrard and Elle Keymer. Sound editing by Leo Audio Productions. Design and marketing by GPS: Garrard Powell Solutions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

St Kitts & Nevis – the Western Hemisphere's smallest sovereign nation – packs considerable punch into its modest acreage. These twin volcanic islands in the Lesser Antilles offer a potent cocktail of colonial fortresses, sugar-plantation history, and Alexander Hamilton lore, all wrapped up in rainforest, beaches, and surprisingly good diving. It's the Caribbean distilled: rum punches, steel pans, and enough hiking trails to work off the Johnny cakes. Small it may be, but forgettable it is not.

Love the pod? Get the guide! Out with each new podcast, we publish a guide to the country. Buy the TrodPod guide to St Kitts & Nevis for just $3: https://www.patreon.com/c/trodpod/shop. Better yet, become a TrodPod member for just $5 a month and access TrodPod guides to every country in the world, released weekly with each new podcast episode! Sign up now: https://www.patreon.com/trodpod/membership

Thanks for all your support!

TrodPod is Murray Garrard and Elle Keymer. Sound editing by Leo Audio Productions. Design and marketing by GPS: Garrard Powell Solutions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Afghanistan sits at the crossroads of Central and South Asia, a mountainous landlocked nation in which the Hindu Kush range dominates the landscape. This is ancient Silk Road territory, a place where empires collided and cultures blended. Despite decades of conflict, Afghanistan retains extraordinary natural beauty, from turquoise mountain lakes to dramatic desert valleys, alongside architectural marvels that speak to centuries of artistic achievement.

Love the pod? Get the guide! Out with each new podcast, we publish a guide to the country. Buy the TrodPod guide to Afghanistan for just $3: https://www.patreon.com/c/trodpod/shop. Better yet, become a TrodPod member for just $5 a month and access TrodPod guides to every country in the world, released weekly with each new podcast episode! Sign up now: https://www.patreon.com/trodpod/membership

Thanks for all your support!

TrodPod is Murray Garrard and Elle Keymer. Sound editing by Leo Audio Productions. Design and marketing by GPS: Garrard Powell Solutions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Strung along the Adriatic like a sun-bleached necklace of islands, walled cities, and limestone cliffs, Croatia packs a disproportionate punch. Ancient Roman palaces double as living neighbourhoods, medieval fortresses guard turquoise coves, and a coastline once fought over by empires now belongs to the sun-seekers. Discovered and rediscovered, Croatia wears its beauty with the weary grace of a place that's seen it all before.

Love the pod? Get the guide! Out with each new podcast, we publish a guide to the country. Buy the TrodPod guide to Croatia for just $3: https://www.patreon.com/c/trodpod/shop. Better yet, become a TrodPod member for just $5 a month and access TrodPod guides to every country in the world, released weekly with each new podcast episode! Sign up now: https://www.patreon.com/trodpod/membership

Thanks for all your support!

TrodPod is Murray Garrard and Elle Keymer. Sound editing by Leo Audio Productions. Design and marketing by GPS: Garrard Powell Solutions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vietnam stretches along the eastern edge of Southeast Asia like a dragon's spine, its coastline unfurling for over 3,000 kilometers. From the misty mountains of Sapa to the labyrinthine waterways of the Mekong Delta, this is a country of startling contrasts. Ancient pagodas stand beside French colonial architecture, while motorbikes swarm through cities that pulse with entrepreneurial energy. The food alone justifies the journey.

Love the pod? Get the guide! Out with each new podcast, we publish a guide to the country. Buy the TrodPod guide to Vietnam for just $3: https://www.patreon.com/c/trodpod/shop. Better yet, become a TrodPod member for just $5 a month and access TrodPod guides to every country in the world, released weekly with each new podcast episode! Sign up now: https://www.patreon.com/trodpod/membership

Thanks for all your support!

TrodPod is Murray Garrard and Elle Keymer. Sound editing by Leo Audio Productions. Design and marketing by GPS: Garrard Powell Solutions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the north of the south. Colombia is a country of staggering contrasts, where Caribbean beaches meet snow-capped peaks, where jungle gives way to alpine vistas, and where a turbulent past has become a vibrant present. This is a land of eternal spring, explosive biodiversity, and cities that pulse with innovation and salsa. Prepare for more momentous history and clearer skies than you imagined possible as we head to one of the most amazing countries on Earth.

Love the pod? Get the guide! Out with each new podcast, we publish a guide to the country. Buy the TrodPod guide to Colombia for just $3: https://www.patreon.com/c/trodpod/shop. Better yet, become a TrodPod member for just $5 a month and access TrodPod guides to every country in the world, released weekly with each new podcast episode! Sign up now: https://www.patreon.com/trodpod/membership

Thanks for all your support!

TrodPod is Murray Garrard and Elle Keymer. Sound editing by Leo Audio Productions. Design and marketing by GPS: Garrard Powell Solutions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Niger sits landlocked in the heart of West Africa's Sahel, where sand meets sky in dramatic fashion. Named after the mighty river that curves through its southwestern corner, this is Africa's largest nation by area, though much of it consists of the Sahara Desert in varying moods. It's hot, remote, politically volatile, and utterly mesmerizing – a place where ancient trade routes still whisper stories and the horizon seems to stretch into eternity.

Love the pod? Get the guide! Out with each new podcast, we publish a guide to the country. Buy the TrodPod guide to Niger for just $3: https://www.patreon.com/c/trodpod/shop. Better yet, become a TrodPod member for just $5 a month and access TrodPod guides to every country in the world, released weekly with each new podcast episode! Sign up now: https://www.patreon.com/trodpod/membership

Thanks for all your support!

TrodPod is Murray Garrard and Elle Keymer. Sound editing by Leo Audio Productions. Design and marketing by GPS: Garrard Powell Solutions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Kingdom of Tonga is the Pacific's only surviving monarchy, a scatter of 170-odd islands (36 inhabited) straddling the international date line where yesterday meets tomorrow. Never colonised, this Polynesian realm maintains a proud independence. Expect warm hospitality, humpback whales, and the distinct possibility of temporal confusion.

Love the pod? Get the guide! Out with each new podcast, we publish a guide to the country. Buy the TrodPod guide to Tonga for just $3: https://www.patreon.com/c/trodpod/shop. Better yet, become a TrodPod member for just $5 a month and access TrodPod guides to every country in the world, released weekly with each new podcast episode! Sign up now: https://www.patreon.com/trodpod/membership

Thanks for all your support!

TrodPod is Murray Garrard and Elle Keymer. Sound editing by Leo Audio Productions. Design and marketing by GPS: Garrard Powell Solutions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.