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Where does your wanderlust lead you? To Melbourne’s cafes or the vast deserts of the Empty Quarter, a New Zealand vineyard or the pavements of New York… what’s your neighbourhood? Join travel journalists and editors Kirstie Bedford and Belinda Jackson for stories from across the world. Hosts Belinda Jackson & Kirstie Bedford Website Instagram @theworldawaitspodcast Support us https://ko-fi.com/theworldawaits (thank you!)
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Southern USA rings with the sweet sounds of blues, soul and R&B – this week, we’re designing the perfect musical roadtrip through the southern states with iconic rock journalist Glenn A Baker. “Memphis really is the centre of the journey,” says Glenn, who suggests starting in New Orleans and driving through four or five states – with even a river c…
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“The thing I like most about Bali is [it’s] like one big resort, and when you go on holiday you leave all your baggage behind… so everyone is enjoying themselves, it’s very optimistic,” says esteemed Australian designer, artist and owner of Pineapple Hill, Stuart Membery. Stuart, the former head designer of Esprit, now splits his time between Bondi…
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Solo sailor Lisa Blair has sailed around Antarctica not once, but twice, and her book Facing Fear records that first, near-fatal expedition. Lisa has a rack of world records under her belt – just this year alone, she set the fastest time Sydney to Auckland and first woman solo monohull record, slicing an incredible four days off the previous record…
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Is the 'Land of the Long White Cloud’ on your travel to-do list? This week, our resident Kiwi, co-host Kirstie Bedford chats about all the reasons you should head to New Zealand’s far north. From a moving cultural experience to bedding down in the ultimate luxury at Rosewood Kauri Cliffs, pretty Northland ticks many a box and you’ll leave with a ne…
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Love a cruise but just can’t choose? Cruise expert Honida Beram has sailed the seven seas on more than 50 cruises; she explains the best cruise for you to choose. Also, Lonely Planet’s annual Best in Travel list – the breakdown of where to travel in 2025 and why, see lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel And if you’re heartbroken and footloose, we reveal…
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“Food is our love language,” says Lima-born chef Alejandro Saravia, who takes us on a culinary adventure through Latin America. The chef, who recently opened Morena, two Latin American restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne, admits he didn’t like ceviche until he was 18. “It was a sacrilege for a Peruvian. At the same time, I’m not a soccer fanatic. B…
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Love islands? Australia has thousands of them to choose from, and Emma Shaw, author of Ultimate Islands Escapes (Hardie Grant), can help you find the island of your dreams. From such all-stars as Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays to the far-flung Cocos Keeling Islands, nearly 3000km north-west of Perth, there’s an island to suit every taste and ev…
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Co-host Belle takes us to Greece and Bulgaria, travelling by rail on a slow food, slow travel journey of these neighbouring countries, eurail.com She travelled on a Eurail pass, which criss-crosses 33 European countries, all without flying. She also gives us a peek at the new Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino on the Peloponnese peninsula, on the Gre…
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Living a nomadic life; the ‘not-hot’ list and airport departure times Have you ever dreamt of packing it all in and travelling the world? That’s what Tim and Sharyn Nilsen have done and the only retirement plans they have are to keep ticking off the list of countries they visit – well, those that are left. This week, Sharyn gives some great advice …
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When was the last time you really soaked up the night sky? Spotted a full moon? Admired the Milky Way? Saw an aurora? Marnie Ogg joins us to talk about astrotourism. Marnie designs and leads stargazing tours, and she is also the founder of the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance, which educates people about light pollution. So stay with us to learn the …
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Would you let yourself be dropped on a remote island, for total solitude? That's explorer and entrepreneur Alvaro Cerezo's job - he drops willing travellers on deserted islands in the most remote corners of the globe. "We give fake names to protect our islands so they are secret to protect them from mass tourism.. [otherwise] we will destroy the fe…
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Done Saigon and Hanoi, ready to explore more of Vietnam? Co-host Belle Jackson talks about why you should have the water cities of Hue (on the Perfume River), Kê Gà (on Kê Gà Bay) and Can Tho (on the Mekong Delta), on your must-visit list. She also shares the cultural tourism of the Azerai hotel group, and new flights from Melbourne into Hanoi with…
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Want to get the best airfare to Europe or the US? We're going full #avgeek as flight booking expert Mark Trim shares insider secrets on airlines to watch, alternative routes and the best time to buy. He also shares tips on booking in shoulder seasons and the Asian gateways offering great lie-flat deals. The co-founder of the Complex Travel Group, w…
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This week we reveal the secrets of the Blue Zones – where people live the longest and healthiest lives. Blue Zone Vice President Nick Buettner explains how they discovered Blue Zones, the habits of those living there, and lessons you can learn from visiting these regions. And the Netflix show Nick mentions is Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones …
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Rajasthan is the India of the imagination – fortresses and palaces, the grand desert, bustling bazaars and incredible colour... men in fabulous turbans and elephants and camels everywhere. But there are so many places to love in India, says Fiona Caulfield. Fiona swapped a high-profile career as a futurist and branding consultant in New York for Ba…
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Dramatic fjords, snowy mountains, midnight sun… Norway’s natural beauty is legendary. But wait, there’s more! Torunn Tronsvang is the founder of UpNorway and says there’s so much more to Norway than the stunning scenery. She leads you through Norway’s world-leading food and wine scene, shares cultural experiences with the Indigenous people, as well…
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One in five Australians lives with a disability, and yet on hotel websites, the facilities listed to cater for these travellers are often as far down the list with the dog's water bowl. Julie Jones, creator of Have Wheelchair Will Travel and co-founder of Travel Without Limits, talks about what we can all do to make travel more inclusive for those …
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Spot the Big Five on a South African safari…and then really start seeing what the Greater Kruger National Park has to offer. Jacques Smit takes us on a tour of Sabi Sabi, a private, fence-free reserve within the Greater Kruger area. Take a birding tour, a walking safari, visit local communities; then soak up the luxury trimmings - think spa, sundow…
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Would you cycle for more than 210 kilometres in 30+ degree heat around southern Sardinia? For host Kirstie Bedford it was a dream come true. Kirstie just spent a week biking the hills of the Italian island, all in the name of fun. She rode through an abandoned medieval village, biked through a Blue Zone, climbed hills to scour some of the Mediterra…
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This week, we go to the high mountains and quiet forests with two mindful hikers, in Nepal and New Zealand. Ever think about quitting your corporate job and following a life-long dream? Laura Waters did, and she’s now an award-winning author, travel writer and speaker. Laura talks to Kirstie about hiking the length of New Zealand in a life-changing…
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This week, two of the world's biggest travel entrepreneurs speak to The World Awaits. Social entrepreneur, New York Times bestselling author and G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip talks about his decision to take his company into the luxury space after three decades – and what it means to you, the traveller. “The beautiful thing of travel [is] you…
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Need some travel tech or gear inspo? We’ve got you covered this week, with Belle and our producer Alaisdair Leith back behind the mic. We’ve also teamed up with Gypsea Loop to give away a gorgeous Hair Tie Bangle, talk whale swims and Rick Stein's NSW hotel, pop into Melbourne bar Brass Monkey’s love letter to Victoria, and stay at the W Sydney. He…
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Welcome to the winter series, where we talk to two of the biggest influences in the travel industry. He’s eaten tarantulas, jumped out of planes, dropped his kilt while Highland dancing and even…gone camping *quelle horreur!* Kevin Moloney, together with his wife Janetta Stones, are 'the snobby travellers' on the incredibly successful Travel Guides…
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Chef, restaurateur, author and all-round nice guy Luke Mangan has restaurants in hotels, cruise ships, airports and even in a pylon in the Sydney Harbour Bridge He has an OAM for his services to hospitality and has just launched his own wine brand. Kirstie chats to him about his favourite places to travel and eat, how he got his start and what he’s…
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It's our birthday! The World Awaits turns one, and to celebrate, we're talking the world's oldest and rarest cultural traditions, where to drink martinis and we even have a great giveaway! Author Eliot Stein talks about how he travelled around the globe in search of people who are maintaining some of the world’s oldest and rarest cultural tradition…
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Jenny Gray is the force behind Intrepid Travel’s incredibly successful women-only expeditions, which it runs in seven countries including Saudi Arabia. Jenny and Belle travelled together recently in the kingdom, exploring its deserts and meeting its people, merging two of the hottest trends in tourism at the moment - women-only travel and Saudi Ara…
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‘It’s already authentic, it’s not made for the tourist, everything is there like it has been for hundreds of years, Sanjib Raj Khanal, CEO of Explore Japan. Sanjib is a leading tour operator in West Japan, and talks about why Shikoku, Japan’s fourth largest island – with its tranquil Iya Valley, ancient rope swings and famed ramen – offers an authe…
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How do you earn the right to list “Adventurer” as your occupation? Ride a bicycle 10,000km across Russia? Row a wooden boat to the Arctic Ocean? Or maybe spend 3 ½ years riding from Mongolia to Hungary on horseback? Tim Cope has done all three, and has written and filmed his epic adventures. His best known book is On the Trail of Genghis Khan: An E…
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Social entrepreneur, New York Times bestselling author and G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip talks to Kirstie about his decision to take his travel company into the luxury space after three decades – and what it means to you, the traveller. Stay to the end because you do not want to miss his most bizarre travel moment! gadventures.com Also, why n…
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All eyes are on Paris ahead of the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games, from 26 July, 2024. Magali Déchelette joins us to talk about the world’s most beloved city, and how to get the best out of a visit to Paris. Magali, who is the founder of Family Twist, a company that creates luxury family-friendly experiences across the great cultural cities…
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It's the Switzerland of the Middle East, but unassuming Oman flies under the radar as a travel destination. This week co-host Belinda Jackson talks about why you should visit Oman - come for the evocative deserts, stay for the wild turtles and the rose harvest. We also take you on a quick run through the newly renovated boutique hotel The Lyall in …
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Do you go on holiday, only to come back feeling like you need ...another holiday? How do we come back rested from a getaway? Journalist, author and co-founder of Life Unhurried, Celeste Mitchell talks about how to slow down when you travel, and the best places to do it, lifeunhurried.com Also, new research on travellers' sleep habits shows how impo…
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What’s a tourism experience you can have nowhere in the world but here in Australia? Uluru is one of our great icons, and its tourist hub, Ayres Rock Resort, turns 40 this year. So it’s a great time to catch up with Matt Cameron-Smith, the CEO of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, which manages the resort. We talk about his favourite indigenous …
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How green is Tasmania? Lush mountainsides and emerald islands, but also farmers' markets and farmgates, and a story of pristine bays and innovative Indigenous experiences. The isle that is the apple of our eye lured Tourism Tasmania CEO Sarah Clark back home for the top job, and she tells Kirstie what makes Tassie different to anywhere else in the …
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Tune in for a masterclass on getting into Gold Class whenyou fly, with points whisperer Chris Chamberlin of Points Hacks. Chris has travelled over two million kilometers in First or Business class (that’s to the moon and back, twice) and shares his insights on which loyalty programs to focus on, and how to strategise your spending to switch your se…
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Would you cycle around the world with three kids, including a one-year-old baby? Andrew and Nicola Hughes quit their teaching jobs to do just that – they tell Kirstie about how they finance their trips, the logistics of it all and the trick of juggling three kids on bicycles. “Challenge and persistence, perseverance and exploration…are values we ho…
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Do you love the romance of a long train journey? Do these names – The Orient Express, The Ghan, The Flying Scotsman or The Rocky Mountaineer – have you dreaming of riding the rails into the sunset? Belle chats with train aficionado and travel writer Tim Richards, author of several books including Heading South and Ultimate Train Journeys World abou…
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How do you experience Māori culture? Andrew Waddel from Tourism New Zealand talks about Indigenous tourism, the balance of getting it right for both the tourist and the local tangata whenua and why it’s so important to help ensure New Zealand attracts the travellers it so badly needs to boost the economy. Also, iconic travel photographer Steve McCu…
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They’re billed as ‘the snobby travellers’ but is it all just a front for Channel Nine’s Travel Guides, Kevin Moloney and Janetta Stones? In conversation with Belle, Kevin gives us a peek behind the velvet curtains of the tv show, which has sent the pair travelling to every corner of the globe since Travel Guides started in 2017 (meanwhile collectin…
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Louis Thompson from Nomadic Resorts talks about how he’s flipping luxury travel on its head by creating flat-pack hotels with a low-carbon footprint – and he’s won two UN recognitions in the process. And stay listening for Louis' thoughts on how AI will have a positive long-term impact on eco-lodges in the future, nomadicresorts.com Also, we chat S…
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Tony Wheeler is one of the most recognisable names in travel, and anyone who’s ever used a Lonely Planet guidebook will have read the story on the last page about how he and his wife Maureen wrote and published their first guidebook, Across Asia on the Cheap, on their kitchen table in 1973, finally selling the Lonely Planet behemoth in 2011. He tal…
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Let us take you to a remote tropical island in the Indonesian archipelago, where young Aussie couple Jess and Dan Baldock have built Alamayah, a luxury boutique retreat. Designed by Jess and built by Dan along with the people of Sumba, the tiny, six-suite retreat has been a cultural experience, as the couple learned the local language and culture i…
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The incoming Lunar New Year brings in the Year of the Wood Dragon – a year of opportunity and renewal, career work and success. Australian-Chinese artist Chris Chun talks us through the origins of the Chinese zodiac, and how best to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Take Chris’ recommendation and visit Melbourne’s Chinatown to see the Lunar New Year pa…
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Should you wash elephants in Thailand? Adventure World's head Neil Rodgers talks about travelling ethically to ensure travel remains possible for our kids, including why you should avoid local tour operators who don’t protect wildlife, adventureworld.com.au Belle's just back from undertaking one of the great hikes in northern Victoria - the crossin…
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Antarctica and the Arctic are two of the last frontiers on the planet, and the focus of this week’s feature with veteran journalist Andrew Conway. He puts the case for travel to these two incredibly fragile, vulnerable places, and how we travellers can be involved in their conservation. We’re also talking the world's most powerful passports, accord…
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We’re still in the thick of Australian summer holidays, so it’s time for the great Victorian playground play-off! We ask the hard questions – who did it better these summer holidays, Mornington Peninsula (Belle) or Phillip Island (Kirstie)? Also this episode, we cover off the top tourism spots that Australians love to hate… and the hard-loved Gold …
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This week, we bring you two of the biggest names to join us here at The World Awaits – travel commentator Bruce Poon Tip and design innovator Bill Bensley. Social entrepreneur, New York Times best-selling author andowner of adventure travel company G Adventure Bruce Poon Tip talks to Kirstie from Toronto about the importance of community tourism, a…
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We love Spain, and our two guests love it even more! This week's episode brings two of our favourite interviewees in to talk about their big love of all things Spanish. Meet Ben Groundwater - travel journalist occasional tour guide and lover of San Sebastian's food scene. He talks to Belle about how to eat like a Spaniard, breakfast beers and the b…
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Vomiting comedians, being shot at in Honduras and running through a game reserve. We share some of the best responses we've received from our guests about their most bizarre travel moments. Thanks to @brenthillfiji @lisapagotto_ and @sheryltakayama for sharing stories of their escapades on the road. And hold the shame! Kirstie and I share our own f…
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Welcome to our Summer Series! We're bringing you some of our favourite interviews, kicking off with the Italian episode, featuring Rome and Florence. First up, the cuisine of Rome is carbonara, artichokes and lamb, says Italian-Australian author and journalist Maria Pasquale, who writes about Roman cuisine in her book, The Eternal City. “But if I h…
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