The Travel Diaries

Today I’m joined by the iconic Celia Imrie. Celia is, of course, one of Britain’s best-loved actresses, with an extraordinary career spanning more than five decades. From her unforgettable collaborations with Victoria Wood, to Bridget Jones’s Diary, Calendar Girls, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and, more recently, The Thursday Murder Club. She's one of those performers who has been part of our lives for as long as I can remember.But what you might not know about Celia is that she is a completely insatiable traveller. She's happiest when she's on the move, whether that's aboard a glamorous ocean liner, travelling across America by train or setting off on an adventure somewhere entirely unexpected - because as you’ll soon discover, Celia doesn’t fly, so this makes for a particularly interesting episode.Her lifelong love of travel is at the heart of her new book, The Elegant Hustler: Adventures from a Life on the Move, which is out now, a collection of stories from a life spent exploring the world.Destination recapMiddleton-on-Sea, West Sussex, EnglandUdaipur, Rajasthan, IndiaJaipur, Rajasthan, IndiaDelhi, IndiaMelbourne, AustraliaSydney, AustraliaLos Angeles, California, USAWashington, D.C., USAToronto, CanadaSingaporeParis, FranceSainte-Chapelle, Paris, FranceNice, FranceHôtel Negresco, Nice, FranceVilleneuve-Loubet, FranceMenton, FranceMonte Carlo, MonacoIsle of Wight, EnglandSouthampton, EnglandQueen Mary 2, Cunard, Southampton to New YorkNew York City, USACoast-to-coast railway journey, USASan Luis Obispo, California, USALos Angeles, California, USAIce hotel, NorwayJapanChinaThe Elegant Hustler: Adventures from a Life on the Move, which is now.If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok. I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you.I’ll be back on Sunday with another episode of Unpacked, this time with Design & Travel Editor, Amira Hashish, With thanks to...Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I’m joined by the brilliant Suzannah Ramsdale, Lifestyle Director at The Standard, whose job involves knowing exactly where’s worth going and what’s worth your precious time off.And there’s so much inspiration in this conversation. If you’re already dreading the clocks going back, Suzannah has some very tempting ideas for extending your summer, with a little help from her Spanish family connections. There’s the seaside spot she returns to again and again, and a food-filled Italian escape that had me mentally checking flights before we’d finished talking.We also hear how a rather adventurous first meeting led to some extraordinary dates around the world, including a trip to New Orleans, which ties in beautifully with this week’s Louisiana Destination Special.And my Hotel of the Week is a Greek island favourite that promises to solve a few of those familiar family holiday dilemmas. Having finally been myself, I’ve got plenty to tell you.Destination Recap:New Orleans, Louisiana, USAInns of Aurora, Aurora, USAPeligoni, Zakynthos, GreeceVilla Kallista, Zakynthos, GreeceNobelos Bio Restaurant, Zakynthos, GreeceEliamos, Kefalonia, GreecePiazza Maggiore, Bologna, ItalyCremeria Santo Stefano, Bologna, ItalyCremeria La Vecchia Stalla, Bologna, ItalyCremeria Cavour, Bologna, ItalyPalacio Bucarelli, Seville, SpainCristine Bedfor, Seville, SpainRoyal Alcázar, Seville, SpainSeville Cathedral, Seville, SpainPlaza de España, Seville, SpainMaría Luisa Park, Seville, SpainTriana, Seville, SpainLa Viña, Cádiz, SpainCasa Manteca, Cádiz, SpainLa Caleta, Cádiz, SpainJerez de la Frontera, SpainSeoul, South KoreaIf you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok, I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you.With thanks to...Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/hostI’ll be back on Tuesday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the jazz clubs and Mardi Gras parades of New Orleans to the swamps, dance halls and small towns of Acadiana, this Destination Special explores a side of Louisiana, USA that many visitors never get to see.We travel west along Interstate 10 into the heart of Cajun and Creole country, a region shaped by its French language, distinctive music, extraordinary food and deep connection to the surrounding bayous.Louisiana travel and culture writer Herman Fuselier shares the traditions behind Jazz Fest and Mardi Gras, introduces the sounds of Cajun and Zydeco music, and explains why the true heart of Cajun country lies beyond New Orleans.Cajun French musician Jourdan Thibodeaux joins me from his home on Cypress Island, overlooking the Atchafalaya Basin. We discuss language, identity, life in the swamp and the importance of experiencing South Louisiana authentically.Finally, Lori Johnson Walls of Johnson’s Boucanière in Lafayette introduces the dishes every first-time visitor should try, from crawfish étouffée and po’boys to beignets and a proper Louisiana boudin.Destination RecapCities, towns and regionsNew Orleans, USABaton Rouge, USAAcadiana, USAAtchafalaya Basin, USALafayette, USABreaux Bridge, USAOpelousas, USAEunice, USANew Iberia, USALake Charles, USASunset, USAArnaudville, USAWashington, USACypress Island, USAHenderson, USAMamou, USAAvery Island, USAVacherie, USAPlaces mentionedNew Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans, USAFrench Quarter, New Orleans, USACafé du Monde, New Orleans, USAEunice Cajun Mardi Gras, Eunice, USALa Poussière Cajun Dancehall, Breaux Bridge, USABreaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, Breaux Bridge, USAEl Sido’s Zydeco & Blues Club, Lafayette, USAFestivals Acadiens et Créoles, Lafayette, USAJohnson’s Boucanière, Lafayette, USADwyer’s Café, Lafayette, USAPoor Boy’s Riverside Inn, Lafayette, USAOlde Tyme Grocery, Lafayette, USABorden’s Ice Cream Shoppe, Lafayette, USAOriginal Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival, Opelousas, USADezMeaux’s Boudin, Opelousas, USASteamboat Warehouse Restaurant, Washington, USAHotel Klaus, Washington, USAFred’s Lounge, Mamou, USACypress Cove Landing Houseboats, Henderson, USATABASCO Factory and Avery Island, Avery Island, USALaura Plantation, Vacherie, USATo find out more about visiting Louisiana, go to ExploreLouisiana.com.If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok. I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you.I’ll be back on Sunday with another episode of Unpacked, this time with Suzannah Ramsdale, Lifestyle Director for The Standard.With thanks to...Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The Travel Diaries: Unpacked, I’m joined by Sarah Allard, Digital Director of Condé Nast Traveller, for your weekly weekend dose of wanderlust.Sarah’s job takes her to some extraordinary places, and today she’s sharing the trips, hotels and foodie finds she thinks should be on your radar. We start with the growing appeal of Northern Europe, including the Danish island of Bornholm, before heading to New York for her 40th birthday celebrations. Expect bagels, martinis and a few days in the Hudson Valley, where pretty towns, farm shops and gorgeous hotels make the perfect contrast to Manhattan.We’re also talking Greek island favourites, from the spectacular restaurant setting that won Sarah over on Sifnos to a new hotel on Paros. My Hotel of the Week is Monastero Santa Rosa on the Amalfi Coast, where I found what might just be my favourite swimming pool in the world.And if you’re looking for somewhere closer to home this autumn, Sarah answers a listener’s question about cosy British boutique stays, with two delicious recommendations in Somerset and Devon.Destination RecapSwedenFinlandThe Lofoten Islands, NorwayBornholm, DenmarkNew York City, USAThe Hudson Valley, New York, USAINNESS, Accord, New York, USAThe Catskills, New York, USAWildflower Farms, Auberge Collection, Gardiner, New York, USARhinebeck, New York, USAAthens, GreeceSifnos, GreeceFaros, Sifnos, GreeceNÓS Hotel & Villas, Sifnos, GreeceParos, GreeceLuura Paros Cliff, Paros, GreeceSantorini, GreeceMykonos, GreeceGleneagles, Auchterarder, ScotlandThe Amalfi Coast, ItalyMonastero Santa Rosa Hotel & Spa, Conca dei Marini, ItalyAmalfi, ItalyPositano, ItalyCapri, ItalyBruton, Somerset, EnglandNumber One Bruton, Bruton, EnglandAt the Chapel, Bruton, EnglandGlebe House, East Devon, EnglandIndiaThe River Nile, EgyptOne&Only Moonlight Basin, Big Sky, Montana, USAEdinburgh, ScotlandGlasgow, ScotlandThe Scottish Highlands, ScotlandHope by WildLand, Sutherland, ScotlandIf you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok. I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. You can also send me your travel questions for a future episode of Unpacked at [email protected] With thanks to...Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is returning to the podcast after 5 years! TV presenter, adventurer and explorer Steve Backshall is one of the most travelled people in the world, and one of the best story tellers - so he is the ultimate Travel Diaries guest. Just listening back to his first episode in preparation for today was a reminder of what an amazing episode that was - if you haven’t listened to that scroll back and listen to that first, because his life is so interesting, and then come back and listen to this one!It was so lovely to meet him in person this time, just last week. We filmed this in London, and it was really good fun putting some of your new travel diaries chapters to him - his answers were sensational. When somebody has been to this many places it's hard to know where to start, but I think that you're going to be absolutely captivated by Steve's stories, as I was.So from Suriname to the Scilly Isles, Jerusalem to Alaska, and so much more, here’s Steve.**Listeners - there's a strange video with the loading of Apple Podcasts' video today, so I'm reuploading this as an audio only file until it resolves.**Destination recapWest Cornwall, EnglandLand’s End, EnglandSouth AfricaSurinameAlaska, USAJuneau, USAThe Azores, PortugalDominicaColombiaPapua New GuineaNew Britain, Papua New GuineaNew Ireland, Papua New GuineaNew CaledoniaYucatán, MexicoCancún, MexicoTulum, MexicoBimini, The BahamasThe Isles of Scilly, EnglandSt Martin’s, Isles of ScillyJerusalemTel Aviv, IsraelThe Negev Desert, IsraelKyrgyzstanNortheast Greenland, GreenlandSteve’s Deadly Live tour begins in October. Find out more here.If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok, I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you.I’ll be back on Sunday with another episode of Unpacked, this time with Conde Nast Traveller’s Digital Director, Sarah Allard.With thanks to...Kimpton Los Monteros - a five-star hotel for discovering the best of Marbella.Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.