DiscoverTravel Tales by AFAR
Travel Tales by AFAR
Author: AFAR Media
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Travel, at its best, changes the way we see the world. Join us each week as we dig into stories from people who took a trip—and came home transformed. Travel Tales by AFAR is your ticket to the world, no passport required. Find more inspiration at afar.com/traveltales.
57 Episodes
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How often do you do something that scares you? This week on Travel Tales by AFAR, Jeff Jenkins—host of the National Geographic show Never Say Never—reminds us that life begins where our comfort zone ends.
On his show, Jeff tests the limits of his physical and mental abilities. He climbs mountains, cave dives, learns to sumo wrestle, races in a Maori canoe (called a waka), and does basically anything else that is likely to terrify-slash-excite.
His adventures also serve another purpose: as representation for plus-size travelers. Jeff is the founder of Chubby Diaries, a community he built after he realized that no one in travel media looked like him. He has since used his platform to build that representation and to push for the travel industry to be more inclusive.
Don't miss these moments!
3:34: What Never Say Never is all about
4:29: The scariest moment of his first season
6:34: What it was like to learn to sumo wrestle
12:56: His first trip to Japan as a young adult
16:52: How he became a travel writer and influencer
19:29: The importance of representation for plus-size travelers
28:37: How the travel industry could better support plus-size travelers
Meet this week’s guest
Jeff Jenkins, host of the National Geographic show Never Say Never
Resources
Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Watch Never Say Never on Disney+.
Explore the Chubby Diaries.
Follow him on Instagram and YouTube.
Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.
And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.
Amazon Music link: www.tryamazonmusic.com/KjWPGN
The Great Bear Rainforest is one of the most spectacular, pristine protected places in Canada. But it wasn't always this way. Kevin Smith, a boat captain who grew up in British Columbia and now owns and operates Maple Leaf Adventures, was instrumental in helping turn the local economy from extraction (logging) to tourism. Since then, he's guided thousands of travelers through the wilds of the rainforest and helped build relationships with the Coastal First Nations who have lived there for thousands of years and now steward the land. During the pandemic, he also helmed the largest coastal cleanup ever embarked upon, which is part of his mission to only participate in regenerative tourism.
Don't miss these moments!
4:02: The beginning of the Q&A with Kevin.
4:31: What it was like growing up on a Canadian island.
6:46: Why the Great Bear Rainforest is so important.
11:00: Why regenerative tourism matters.
14:22: Kevin's Travel Tale.
Meet this week’s guest
Kevin Smith, owner of Maple Leaf Adventures
Resources
Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Explore the Great Bear Rainforest.
Listen to Kevin’s TED Talk.
Learn about Maple Leaf Adventures’ tours.
Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.
And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.
Amazon Music link: www.tryamazonmusic.com/KjWPGN
Can geometric shapes heal the world? That's what the artists of the De Stijl movement—which came of age in the Netherlands after World War I—believed. Piet Mondrian is one of the most famous members of this group, which forbade circles and embraced light, color, and geometry as a way to move past the chaos of the war. As AFAR contributing writer Chris Colin discovers on a trip to Utrecht, that's not quite as bizarre as it sounds. And as he bicycles through quaint streets, meditates along charming canals, and visits the De Stijl artifacts that still exist, Chris learns that, just maybe, De Stijl's philosophy is still applicable today.
Don't miss these moments!
3:31: The beginning of Chris's Q&A.
7:55: What he appreciated most about the city.
9:47: Why De Stijl's art has endured.
14:25: Chris's Travel Tale.
Meet this week’s guest
Chris Colin, AFAR contributing writer
Resources
Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Enjoy Chris’s book Off, a picture book about an analog world.
Visit Utrecht and explore De Stijl for yourself.
Listen to Chris’s other Travel Tales about renting a friend in Tokyo and grappling with the mystery of train travel on the Coast Starlight.
Follow him on Instagram.
Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.
And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.
Amazon Music link: www.tryamazonmusic.com/KjWPGN
For writer Ryan Knighton, surfing is one of the rare occurrences where he feels completely free. Because, in addition to being an excellent writer, a dad, and a curious individual, Ryan is blind. But that's never stopped him from exploring the world. So more than a decade ago, he learned to surf and has been riding the waves near his home in British Columbia ever since. But he’s always had a hankering to surf in a location he doesn’t know intimately. So this year, he traveled to Kaua‘i, where he found a guide—a surfer named Johnny—who pushed both of their boundaries so that Ryan could ride a new wave.
Don't miss these moments!
4:21: An interview with Ryan about how he learned to surf and what it's like to spend most of your life on other people's elbows.
24:03: Ryan's travel tale, read by actor Andrew Galteland
Meet this week’s guest
Ryan Knighton, AFAR contributing writer
Resources
Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Read Ryan's story about going on safari in Zimbabwe, his trip to Jordan, and his original Spin the Globe in Cairo.
Listen to Ryan's original Travel Tale.
Read Ryan’s book, Cockeyed: A Memoir.
Watch Billions.
Follow him on X.
A special thanks to Andrew Galteland, who read Ryan's story for him. You can follow Andrew on his podcast, Looters, a sci-fi western role-playing show. Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.
And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.
Amazon Music link: www.tryamazonmusic.com/KjWPGN
What's it like to eat your way along France's Vallée de la Gastronomie, a 400-mile food trail that begins in Dijon and ends in Marseille? That's the question we're exploring in this week's episode of Travel Tales by AFAR. Host Aislyn Greene, who spent some formative time in France as a 20-something, returns to hunt truffles, meet famous French cows, and taste wine in a cave.
Don't miss these moments!
2:25: Her introduction to French food
8:13: Truffle hunting in Burgundy with the world's cutest truffle dog
18:32: Lyon's most famous food tradition
21:32: An introduction to spelunking—and wine-tasting
25:59: The magic of Aix-en-Provence
In the episode, you'll understand how to better explore this trail, which invites travelers to get to know France's most famous gastronomic regions in new ways.
Resources
Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Explore the Vallée de la Gastronomie.
Follow me on Instagram.
Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.
And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.
Amazon Music link: www.tryamazonmusic.com/KjWPGN
The Great Smoky Mountains have had an outsized impact on Dolly Parton—they shaped the way she grew up, influenced her music, and are the only place where she feels truly restored. Which is why she has spent her adult life giving back to the region, primarily through tourism. On this week's episode, we travel to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for the unveiling of Dolly's new hotel, HeartSong Lodge & Resort. She shares what makes the hotel special, what's coming next, and sits down with our journalist to talk about how travel has influenced her.
Don't miss these moments!
4:35: Dolly welcoming everyone to her hotel press conference
7:34: What's next for her tourism efforts
11:52: What Dolly looks for in a hotel (it might surprise you!)
14:11: How travel can be an education
17:33: Dolly sings Heartsong
Meet this week’s guest
Dolly Parton. Need we say more?
Elaine Glusac, a travel journalist who writes for the New York Times and AFAR.
Resources
Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Learn more about Dolly’s new hotel, HeartSong Lodge & Resort.
Read Dolly’s new book, Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones.
Listen to the song that inspired the name for the hotel, Heartsong.
Follow Elaine on Instagram.
Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.
And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.
This year, you can follow us on Amazon Music!
After 15 years of living in the United States, food writer—and author of the new cookbook My Everyday Lagos—Yewande Komolafe finally revisited her home city: Lagos, Nigeria. In this episode of Travel Tales by AFAR, we hear the story of that journey and how it helped her heal, and how it helped her reconnect with the Nigerian foods she grew up with. On that first trip back home, she discovered:
The things that make home feel like home, even when it doesn't look the same
A new connection with Nigeria's Yoruba traditions
How food could help her unite her many selves
Don't miss these moments!
2:59: An excerpt from Yewande's new cookbook, My Everyday Lagos
5:19: Her arrival in the United States as a teenager
6:53: How she fell in love with food
12:22: Her first trip back to Nigeria
18:30: How all of that came together in her new cookbook
In the episode, you'll learn more about Nigerian cuisine, Yoruba traditions, and how, for one traveler, returning home was the catalyst for deep change.
Meet this week’s guest
Yewande Komolafe, food writer and cookbook author
Resources
Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Learn more about Yoruba traditions in Nigeria.
Read Yewande's column and recipes in the New York Times.
Buy Yewande’s cookbook, My Everyday Lagos.
Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.
And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.
Writer and avid hiker Peggy Orenstein is exactly the kind of person you should send off into the wilderness with an iPhone and a pair of hiking boots. And for this episode, we did just that. In October 2022, Slovenia rolled out the 167-mile Juliana Trail, a route that circles Slovenia's Triglav National park and the Julian Alps and takes walkers back in time. Peggy tackled a portion of the trail and along the way, she found:
Well-preserved remnants of World War I.
A rich farm-to-table cuisine.
Cultural legacies, including a lengthy history of beekeeping.
Fantastic hiking, that leads along the Sava River and through icon spots like Lake Bled.
Don't miss these moments!
2:37: An interview with Peggy.
8:15: Her first day on the trail.
11:27: How the Juliana Trail came together.
14:33: Exploring Slovenian culture along the trail.
19:31: Visiting Lake Bohinj.
21:08: Losing her phone on the trail.
26:47: Toasting with a septuagenarian on a mountaintop.
30:58: The last day on the trail.
34:16: Peggy's ode to American pop music
In the episode, you'll understand what it's like to hike the Juliana Trail, the trail's highlights, and how Peggy faced down her inner overachiever.
Resources
Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Learn more about the Juliana Trail and plan your own hike.
Read Peggy’s other AFAR stories: hiking the Kumano Kodo trail in Japan, horseback riding in Wyoming, and exploring Yunnan, China.
Buy Peggy’s latest book, Unraveling: What I Learned About Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World’s Ugliest Sweater.
Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.
And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.
How does a place change when the person who defined it for you is now gone? That's the question we're exploring in this week's episode of Travel Tales by AFAR. Author Shruti Swamy grew up in the United States, but her parents grew up in Mumbai, India, so she has a unique relationship with the city, in some ways intimate and in some ways totally distant.
Her aunt, Ila Mami, was the person who helped her find Mumbai’s pulse, who helped her fall in love with the city’s colors and tastes and smells. When Ila Mami passed away, Shruti wasn’t sure what Mumbai would hold for her. So she traveled to Mumbai to find out—with her four-year-old daughter in tow. Along the way, she discovered:
What it's like to visit a place after the loss of a loved one.
Her favorite memories of exploring Mumbai with her aunt
How creating new memories with her daughter redefined the city for her in new ways.
Don't miss these moments!
3:31: How writing nonfiction is different than writing fiction
6:01: Her expectations for the trip
7:16: Her daughter's memories of the trip
8:35: The hardest part of the trip
10:01: The beginning of Shruti's travel tale
In the episode, you'll understand how one traveler coped with grief and created new memories in Mumbai. You'll also get an insider's look at the vibrant, busy, full-of-life city on the west coast of India.
Resources
Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Read the story Shruti wrote for the magazine
Buy Shruti’s novel, The Archer, and short story collection, A House Is a Body.
Follow Shruti on Twitter.
Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.
And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.
50 years after Picasso’s death, AFAR associate editor Mae Hamilton traveled to Spain and France to retrace his life in Europe. She started in Málaga, Spain, where Picasso was born, and ended in Mougins, where Picasso spent his final days. As an art lover, she believes that art is one of the best ways to get to know a place. In this week's episode of Travel Tales by AFAR, Mae shares her story as well as:
The ways that art can help us understand a place more deeply.
Mae’s favorite places on her Picasso art tour.
How the places that Picasso lived are reflected in his art.
The places that impacted Picasso the most throughout his life.
Don't miss these moments!
1:56 An interview with Mae about her trip
11:27 The beginning of Mae’s travel tale, in Málaga, Spain, where she explored bull-fighting culture and its impact on Picasso
20:04 Mae’s visit to Barcelona, where Picasso began to rebel
24:18 Her visit to Paris, where Picasso rose to international fame
28:02 The last spot she visited in Nice, France, where Picasso spent his final days in Antibes and Mougins
From Mae, you'll learn how art can shape our perception of place, the ways that the cities Picasso lived in affected his art, the more complicated parts of Picasso’s legacy, and much more.
Resources
Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Read Mae’s story about following in Picasso’s footsteps and book your own tour.
Read Mae’s essay about growing up in Texas.
Follow Mae on afar.com.
Follow Mae on Instagram.
Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.
And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.
Comedian and writer Baratunde Thurston wants to tell a better story of us. The narrative around the United States is often one of fracture and discord. So in his PBS show, America Outdoors, he travels around the United States to better understand Americans' deep connections with nature—and how that tells a more positive story of the country. In this week's episode of Travel Tales by AFAR, we sit down with Baratunde to talk about season two, including:
Where he traveled, including the swamps of Georgia, the rivers of New Mexico, and the snowy hills of Maine.
What he learned about the United States and our current (and past) relationship with nature.
The ways that Indigenous views of the land are more frequently being adopted in a positive way.
How you can better understand the United States, through nature.
Don't miss these moments!
7:04: The way this season changed Baratunde
8:46: Where Baratunde's relationship with nature began
13:18: The most surprising moments of the season
24:43: The scariest moments in the season (including a petrifying tree climb)
35:31: His very own travel tale
From Baratunde, you'll learn about how to embrace the cold like a Mainiac, why the Suwannee River is so important to people in Georgia and Florida, the ways that individuals are finding creative ways to combat climate change, and so much more.
Resources
Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Watch America Outdoors on PBS.
Listen to Baratunde’s podcast, How to Citizen.
Read his comedic memoir, How to Be Black.
Inspired to get outdoors? Find some inspiration on our website.
Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.
And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.
Want to meet mentholated ants, see the forest that inspired Avatar, and search for living dinosaurs? Head for Cairns, Australia, home to the world's largest tropical rainforest. Australian playwright Michelle Law is our guide this week: Last summer, she and her sister took a road trip through the region to explore Indigenous culture, zoom through the rainforest, and bond over the mysteries of parenthood.
Read more about Michelle Law: http://www.michelle-law.com/
Explore Australia: https://www.afar.com/travel-guides/australia/guide
In this episode, we’re traveling to Vienna with AFAR contributing writer Emma John.
Emma has music in her blood. She grew up in London playing classical violin, and about a decade ago, she traveled to the American South to learn to play bluegrass, a journey she chronicled in a story for AFAR, and in her book Wayfaring Stranger. But in all those years, she avoided singing, for reasons you’ll soon hear about. And then one day, she decided to do something about it. So she booked a trip to Vienna, a city renowned for its singing talent—and the place where her musical odyssey begins.
Listen to Emma's books
Wayfaring Stranger: https://geni.us/GWtmOcb
Self Contained: https://geni.us/JUcD
Follow Emma online
Instagram: @emmajohnauthor
Twitter: @em_john
Her website: https://emmajohn.com/
The story that inspired it all: https://www.afar.com/magazine/viennas-moment-learning-to-love-opera-in-the-city-of-music
J.R. Harris is the greatest traveler you’ve never heard of. On a road trip through Canada and Maine, he meditates on a lifetime of adventure—and the enduring power of a great road trip.
You can follow J.R. on Instagram, @jrinthewilderness, or via his website: https://www.jrinthewilderness.com/
This story was inspired by a feature by AFAR deputy editor Katherine LaGrave—read the full story here: https://www.afar.com/magazine/solo-traveler-jr-harris-on-a-life-of-adventure
And don't miss J.R.'s book: Way Out There: Adventures of a Wilderness Trekker
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/2660/9781680511208
Amazon: https://geni.us/DKPBL
Brendan Francis Newnam, host of the Not Lost podcast, is a Croatian-Irish reporter who’s traveled the world. But in all his wanders, he’d never really given his Irish side a chance—until now.
Subscribe to Brendan's podcast, Not Lost: https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/not-lost
And follow him on social media: @BFNewnam: https://twitter.com/BFNewnam
And a special thanks to the Tourism Ireland team: https://www.tourismireland.com/
On Amtrak’s Coast Starlight, writer Chris Colin and his 13-year-old daughter, Cora, meet a Mike Tyson impersonator, marvel at the golden West Coast, and embrace the trancelike nature of the train.
Read more about Chris's harebrained shenanigans! http://www.chriscolin.com/
And don't miss the José Andrés podcast that Chris produced, Longer Tables: http://www.joseandres.com/podcast/
Thanks to Oklahoma, who shared his song, Mandy Sue. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1CKhoc4vjc
As a kid, comedian Esteban Gast tagged along when his parents visited family in Colombia. But he’d never established his own relationship with the culture—until now. Join Esteban as he confesses his deepest darkest family secrets (well, kinda), has his first-ever "real" talk with his cousin Camilo, explores Cartagena's ubiquitous plaques, and yes, parties without his parents!
The episode that inspired host Aislyn Greene's Canada trip: https://pdst.fm/e/chrt.fm/track/B6A62C/traffic.megaphone.fm/AFAR9710174884.mp3
Learn more about Esteban! https://www.estebangast.com/
Erik Weihenmayer lost his vision at age 13, but he never lost his thirst for adventure. In the decades since, he has rock-climbed in California and ice-climbed in Antarctica. In 2008, he decided he wanted to kayak through the Grand Canyon. It was, as you can, imagine quite a ride.
Read more about Erik on his website, listen to his podcast, or follow him on Twitter. You can watch his documentary, The Weight of Water, on Amazon.
It’s time to head for America’s heartland. Our guide will be Kelli Jo Ford, a Virginia-based writer, teacher, and author of Crooked Hallelujah, a much-praised novel that follows four generations of Cherokee women. In this episode Kelli Jo takes us on the road: For years, she’s made regular pilgrimages to Oklahoma to visit her family. As a kid living in Texas, those trips were especially poignant: Her grandma Longshore would meet Kelli Jo halfway, to take her back to Oklahoma for a summer of noisy feasts and preserved wild onions and creek crossings. All the things that to, Kelli Jo, felt like home. And their meeting place of choice was a Love’s Travel Stop, a special institution in this part of the world. Love’s is famous for their 24-hour services, which can include gas, travel tchotkes, fast food, on-site tire repair, and much more. But for Kelli Jo, this family-owned chain, which, naturally, features a large red heart in its logo, is more than just a place to get gas, or use the bathroom, or stock up on road snacks. For her, they are forever linked to home.
As a kid growing up in London, chef Zoe Adjonyoh learned to cook by watching her father make the foods he ate as a kid growing up in Ghana. As an adult, she opened a restaurant devoted to dishes like spicy, peanut butter–laced groundnut stew. A decade into her career, Zoe realized she wanted to know more about Ghanian cuisine—and her own family. Here’s what happened when she landed in Accra with an open heart and an empty belly.
Read, and cook from Zoe's book!
And listen to this week's Tiny Travel Tale from Roger Hill of Long Island, New York.