Zero To Travel Podcast

Is it possible to hike the Inca Trail ethically?

Heather Jasper is a travel writer and photographer who has been based in Cusco, Peru, since 2019. She has written for BBC Travel, Fodor’s, Frommer’s, and other major outlets, leading readers off the beaten path across Peru.

In this episode, we dig into why Heather believes it’s nearly impossible to hike the Inca Trail ethically, and she offers lesser-known, more respectful alternatives and hidden gems across Peru.

This episode may help you become a better traveler and make more informed decisions. Heather explains why the system behind the Inca Trail, from permit quotas to porter treatment, is deeply flawed. You’ll hear exactly what red flags to look for when choosing a trekking company in Peru and what questions to ask before booking. We also explore alternative routes that offer just as much beauty with less harm, plus other parts of Peru that travelers often skip entirely.

What’s one assumption you hold about a destination you’re planning, and how might you challenge it? I'd love to hear about it, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.

How Heather built a career in travel writing while living in Peru (and her thoughts on AI!)

Why she says the Inca Trail is almost impossible to hike ethically

What happened during the pandemic that sharpened her view on porter welfare

How to spot an “unethical” trekking company just by their marketing or photos

The surprising reason why smaller trekking agencies tend to be more ethical

Specific treks in Peru that bypass the worst of mass tourism

Hidden destinations in Peru beyond Machu Picchu - art, desert, rainforest, and religious tourism

And so much more

Resources:

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Heather’s website

An Ethical Guide to Hiking the Inca Trail

Horizon Guides Alternatives to the Inca Trail

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How to Plan a Hike on the Inca Trail, Winning $500,000 on a Game Show, Learning from the Past with Philip Gibbons

Nomadic Matt on “How to Travel the World on $75 a Day,” Budget Travel, and Finding Your Balance While Traveling

DIY Adventure: Around the World in a $100 Car, the Pan-American Highway in a School Bus, Community-Powered Travel with Global Convoy Founder Joel Chevaillier

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Do you have the skills to survive on a deserted island? 

Tom Williams is the founder of Desert Island Survival, an adventure travel company that maroons people on desert islands, and the winner of the TV survival show Alone UK 2023.

In this episode, Tom traces his path from wealth management to remote survival guiding, explains how he designs his desert island expeditions, and shares the deep transformations that he's witnessed in his participants.

Tom shares how he went from being at the bottom of his class and experiencing childhood bullying in England to walking to the North Pole, becoming a dive master, and launching a wilderness survival business. He breaks down how Desert Island Survival trips work, why they’re structured the way they are, and what makes the format accessible even to beginners. You’ll hear real stories of guests who made dramatic life changes afterward - quitting jobs, leaving relationships, transforming their health - not because they were promised transformation, but because of what happens when you slow down and reconnect with your primal self. Tom also shares business lessons from starting small, building around passion, and growing with intention.

*This is a previously released episode from the archives! Zero To Travel interviews are timeless, offering valuable insight whenever you listen.

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What if the French Riviera you’ve seen in photos is only half the story?

Cédric Pages is the founder of WhatToDoRiviera.com, a local tour entrepreneur driving discovery across the Côte d’Azur by partnering with small operators and curating authentic experiences.

In this episode, we dive into seven hidden gems of the French Riviera that most visitors miss, plus Cédric’s journey from IT to tour guide and how he’s building a travel business that’s rooted in human connection.

Cédric shares seven of his favorite French Riviera hidden gems, including secret coastal walks, ancient monasteries, and even a solar-powered sailing experience. You’ll hear what makes the region so unique, how to explore it without breaking the bank, and why most visitors miss its most memorable spots. 

Which of these hidden gems are you most excited to explore, or which region have you discovered that surprised you? I'd love to hear about it, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.

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What if every choice as a digital nomad, from where you live, to how you work, to the people you surround yourself with, was made with more intention?

Remote Roundup is a new monthly series hosted by Zero To Travel’s associate producer, Caitlin Sunderland, and partnerships manager, Janessa Klatt. Explore what's new in remote work and travel, including helpful tools and resources, need‑to‑know trends, destinations, and insight into what it really means to live and work around the world.

In this episode, we talk about how adding intentionality to your travels can completely reshape your experience as a digital nomad, and how the right tools, communities, and mindsets can turn a place from “just okay” to somewhere you thrive. 

We reflect on how our experiences of a popular European city have shifted over time, share the realities of finding remote work setups that actually support this lifestyle, and unpack the growing trend of pop-up co-livings. You’ll get our honest take on destinations that look perfect on Instagram but don’t always hold up in real life, and how to think differently about where (and why) you go next.

What’s one experience, community, or personal goal that could guide your next destination? We’d love to hear about it, and hope you’ll share by sending an audio message.

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What would happen if you left home with no destination, no goal or deadline, and simply just went until you couldn’t go any further?

Jacob Lemanski is an engineer-turned-world traveler who bicycled 38,000 miles over 999 days, crossing six continents and circling the earth twice. After returning home, he turned his travel journal into a video podcast, How To Move The Stars. He also founded an art and clothing company inspired by the experience and now runs a bike touring business in Colorado.

Jacob shares what it was like to travel without a finish line and how it reshaped his entire approach to life and adventure.

He reveals how three years of solo, open-ended travel deepened his understanding of presence, identity, and emotional endurance. You’ll hear what it took to stay on the road for 999 days, the personal cost and reward of extreme solitude, and how returning home led him to reshape his life through creativity, entrepreneurship, and reflection. This episode challenges conventional ideas of success and shows what’s possible when the journey itself becomes the destination.

What’s one journey you’ve been holding back from because you felt you needed a clear goal or endpoint? I’d love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.

What inspired Jacob to leave home without a destination and why he expected to quit much earlier

What it’s like to live without a schedule for three years and how that changes your sense of time

What the trip taught him about limits, identity, and emotional endurance

The emotional impact of returning home after years of open-ended movement

How Jacob turned thousands of journal pages into a long-term podcast art project

Why he built a giant ant farm, and how psychedelics helped him process the trip

His best advice for aspiring long-distance cyclists and building a trip around your personal limits

And so much more

Resources:

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Jacob’s podcast, How To Move The Stars

Ant Life psychedelic art and clothing

Mountain High Bicycle Tours

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What does it take to plan an unforgettable African safari? How can one trip lead to building a life and business around travel? 

Scott Brills is a long-time digital nomad, international entrepreneur, and co-founder of Pamoja Safaris, a locally run company offering custom wildlife safaris in Tanzania. Over the past 20 years, he’s lived at the intersection of travel, business, and service — running trips, participating in charities, and creating a location-independent lifestyle before “digital nomad” was a common phrase. 

This episode is both a guide to planning a world-class African safari and a behind-the-scenes look at how Scott built a thriving travel-based business from scratch. 

Whether you're dreaming of lions in the Serengeti or wondering how to design your own unconventional lifestyle, this conversation delivers both practical insights and personal inspiration. If a safari is on your bucket list, you’ll learn how to plan smart: when to go, where to go, what it should cost, and what red flags to avoid. And if you’ve ever dreamed of building your life around travel, Scott’s story is proof that it’s possible, even without outside funding, marketing spend, or a fixed address. 

What would building your life around travel look like, and what’s one step you could take today? What element of a Safari is the most important to you? I'd love to hear what you think and hope you will share by sending me an audio message. 

*This is a previously released episode from the archives! Zero To Travel interviews are timeless, offering valuable insight whenever you listen. 

Tune In To Learn: 

What makes Tanzania a world-class safari destination 

How Scott co-founded a safari business through a single serendipitous encounter 

Key factors that affect safari pricing and how to keep costs down without sacrificing quality 

When and where to go for the best wildlife, weather, and experience 

Why guide quality is the single most important factor in a great safari 

What to look for in ethical safari operators (and how to avoid greenwashing) 

How Scott ran his business for over a decade on referrals alone 

The origin of his travel obsession and how it shaped everything 

What “building a life around travel” actually looks like, practically and emotionally 

Advice for travelers considering a leap into remote work or entrepreneurship  

And so much more 

Resources: 

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Learn about Pamoja Safaris 

Scott’s website 

Pamoja on Instagram 

Scott on Instagram 

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Could you turn a product idea into passive income, without starting a business or having to do it all yourself? 

Courtney Laschkewitsch is a serial inventor who, with no prior experience, licensed six products after facing 51 rejections. Now, Courtney helps everyday inventors bring their ideas to life and earn passive income through the free resources on her website, Serial Inventing, and the company she works for, inventRight.

Courtney lays out the inventRight 10-step product licensing business model and shows how she went from zero experience to multiple licensable products. We dig into what realistic timelines, costs, and mindsets look like when you want to bring your product idea to market by licensing instead of manufacturing.

Courtney explains how licensing can let someone else build your idea while you collect royalties from anywhere in the world. You’ll learn not just the mechanical steps, but why so much of your success depends on persistence, handling rejection, and building skills many people overlook. She’s honest about the financial realities - what small checks look like, what good deals look like - and what terms in contracts you should always negotiate. If you want a clear, actionable path toward turning ideas into income without a massive risk, this episode gives you that roadmap. 

Do you have a product idea that could help you earn passive income while you travel? I’d love to hear about it, and I hope you’ll share them sending me an audio message. 

Tune In To Learn: 

Why product licensing can let you earn passive income location‑independently without owning inventory or manufacturing 

The first three foundational steps: doing market research, checking for prior art/patents, and defining what makes your idea unique 

How to build prototypes or virtual models to show your concept 

How to write a one‑line benefit statement and develop an effective sell‑sheet  

Common myths around patenting and protection: what it does, the costs, limitations, and when it’s essential 

How to build a hit list of companies, reach out sensitively to avoid unsolicited idea policies, and follow up well 

Key negotiation levers beyond royalty rates: territory, exclusivity, distribution, wholesale vs net sales 

How to decide when an idea is worth continuing vs when to shelve it, and how to improve your process as you iterate 

And so much more 

Resources: 

Sign up for our FREE newsletter 

Courtney’s website 

The Serial Inventing Podcast 

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How to Grow Your Location Independent Solopreneur Business in 2025 + Advice from 8 Years of Slow, Nomadic Travel with Jeremy Enns 

10 Key Principles That Built a $40M Business While Traveling with Dan Demsky 

How To Run A Profitable Local Business From Anywhere In The World w/ Neel Parekh 

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Have you ever had the urge to explore the world beyond the boundaries of society?

Greg Abandoned shares his passion for urban exploration, including stories of some of his most challenging journeys, most cherished experiences, and all about the URBEX movement. 

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to visit lost parts of society and want to know more about finding beauty in decay, then you don't want to miss this episode. We discuss how Greg discovered a new perspective on life through urban exploration, what inspired him to adopt this lifestyle, the unwritten rules of URBEX, and how to begin your own journey.

Have you ever participated in urban exploration? I'd love to hear about your experience and hope you will share by sending me an audio message.

*This is a previously released episode from the archives! Zero To Travel interviews are timeless, offering valuable insight whenever you listen.

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What if the best time to start your business or creative pursuit was before you felt fully ready? And what if you didn’t need to follow all of the current “best practices” to market yourself? 

Nat Eliason is an entrepreneur and author based in Austin, Texas. Over the past decade, he’s built a career that gives him location freedom through writing, course creation, and now fiction. His debut sci-fi novel Husk: Book 1 of the Meru Initiative, was released in May 2025. 

In this episode, Nat returns to share his experience transitioning from nonfiction writer to sci‑fi novelist, revealing the counterintuitive strategies he used to launch Husk and build momentum in the noisy creator economy. 

Whether you're building a location-independent business or launching a creative project from anywhere in the world, Nat shares how to take control of your output, challenge “start later” thinking, and embrace the long game. He also opens up about what it takes to be patient in a fast-moving digital world, how he used an experimental marketing mindset to sell his products and books, and the often unseen emotional work of building something sustainably. 

What’s one creative project you want to launch? I'd love to hear about it, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message. 

Tune In To Learn: 

Nate’s journey as an entrepreneur and author, and how he constructed the fictional world of Husk 

Insight into balancing the joy of the journey with your bigger goals 

Why starting creative work before feeling "ready" may be your strongest move 

How to think like a business even while focusing on fiction or creative work 

Why Nat says newsletters and funnels are out and where you should focus instead 

The creative way that Nat sold his preorders instead of launching through Amazon 

Advice for staying motivated before your work gains traction  

How the "prep trap" holds creators and entrepreneurs back, and how Nat learned to bypass it 

Nat’s favorite fiction book recommendations 

And so much more 

Resources: 

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Visit Nat’s website 

Get the book, Husk 

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Lessons From Winning and Losing Millions in Crypto, How To Find Fulfilling Work, Advice for Transitioning to a Creative Career, and Creating Unlimited Upside With Nat Eliason 

How to Grow Your Location Independent Solopreneur Business in 2025 + Advice from 8 Years of Slow, Nomadic Travel with Jeremy Enns 

An Interview With John Craigie: Notes From The Road 

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Today, I’ve got a special episode from The Elements of AlUla, a travel docuseries produced by Armchair Productions. The company was founded by Aaron Millar, who you may know as the host of The Armchair Explorer podcast. 

In this series, Aaron is going to take you on a journey into the heart of one of the most ancient kingdoms on Earth. Located in the northwestern corner of Saudi Arabia, Alula is an oasis in the desert, layered in 200,000 years of human history. 

Until recently, it was closed to outsiders, and to this day, only a handful of visitors have ever been. In this immersive documentary recorded on location, we’ll take you to the heart of one of the great wonders of Arabia and give you a glimpse of what it feels like to be there for real. 

Highlights Include: 

Exploring the ancient city of Hegra. Built by the same people who built Petra in Jordan, Hegra is every bit as spectacular, but only visited by a handful of intrepid travelers. 

Visiting Jebel Ikmah, a library of ancient inscriptions carved into stone that reveal life in the desert more than 2,000 years ago. 

Riding Arabian horses to petroglyphs in the desert (and nearly falling off). 

Meeting a herd of overly friendly camels, with a taste for microphones. 

Learning from rawis, local storytellers, about the history of the incense road, a vast trading route that passed through Alula and changed the face of Arabia forever. 

Resources: 

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Listen on Apple, Spotify 

ExperienceAlula.com 

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Armchair Productions 

Armchair Explorer Podcast 

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Top 3 Life Lessons from the World’s Greatest Adventurers with Aaron Millar (Host of the Armchair Explorer Podcast) 

Travel To Utah: Fireside Dances, Ancient Ruins, and the Beauty of Hózhó (Balance) 

Exploring San Francisco by Cable Car 

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