The Radio Vagabond

Here's an episode that was recorded at WTM - World Travel Market in London in November. World Travel Market London is the leading global event for the travel industry to meet industry professionals and conduct business deals. This is where global travel buyers network and make deals with over 5,000 of the biggest destinations and brands in the world. When we're talking about travelling, flying is a big part of it, and since 1 in 3 people have a fear of flying I thought it would be interesting and relevant to hear from someone who helps people get rid of that phobia. So I got in touch with Lawrence Leyton, who is arguably the world's leading authority on the 'Fear of Flying.' He is also a renowned Neuro-Linguistic Practitioner & Thought Field Therapist. I met up with Lawrence and his business partner Mark Wein (who was an ex phobic himself). They run a Fear of Flying course that is hugely successful and has helped over 10,000 people to date. LINKS: Fearless Flying Sponsor Hotels25.com The Radio Vagabond is produced by RadioGuru. See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Episode #148 - Finding Sugarman in Cape Town Pt: II V1.0 20.02.2020 Sawabona abangane! (Zulu for 'Hello friends!') Welcome back to The Radio Vagabond for Part II of my interesting conversation with Cape Town local Stephen' Sugar' Segerman, amateur music detective and inspiration behind the Academy Award-winning feature documentary Searching for Sugarman. If you haven't listened to or read Part I of this fantastic story, then I suggest you go back and do so before continuing, otherwise much of what is to come will not make any sense. So, let's just jump back into it and start where we left off in Part I – front row center of Rodriguez's 2013 sold-out concert in Cape Town. Wow, what a delight! The concert was surreal. The audience kept chanting, "RODRIGUEZ! RODRIGUEZ!" between each of his songs. We were all witnessing a legend perform remarkable songs with his backing band. At some point, he joked, "Hey, come on. Just relax and treat me like a regular legend". We all obliged, myself included. FIRST-HAND HISTORY The day after the concert was the night of the BAFTA awards in London. I didn't even know that the film was nominated, and it was a pure coincidence that I had my TV on in the background. And all of a sudden, the Swedish filmmaker Malik Bendjelloul was on stage accepting the award for best documentary feature. During his acceptance speech, Bendjelloul said, "Rodriquez couldn't be here this evening because he is in Cape Town kicking off a big tour of South Africa." I immediately felt a part of the story, as if I had been involved in something special. I soon realized that each and every South African felt the same way, perhaps a little more. The film was selected to open the Sundance Film Festival in Los Angeles (where the film went on to win two awards), and Bendjelloul took Sugar and Rodriguez along with him to experience the award ceremony and press circuit. After winning numerous awards, the film then went on to achieve something special – a nomination for best documentary feature at the Academy Awards. Sugar wasn't even thinking about going – a trip like that to Los Angeles from Cape Town would be super expensive. But then the City of Cape Town Tourism Board came knocking on his door, offering him a flight to LA and accommodation for the ceremony because of what the documentary had done for Cape Town tourism. Sugar tells me stories about what it was like being thrust into the spotlight and rubbing shoulders with Hollywood celebrities at the Vanity Fair afterparty – an exclusive winners-only award party where your entry ticket is an Oscar statue. Here he met Buzz Aldrin, who gave him some sage advice. FROM SUCCESS TO TRAGEDY It's truly an epic story. Not only for Rodriguez but also for Sugar – the owner of a small vinyl record store in Cape Town – and for Craig Bartholomew Strydom, a journalist from Johannesburg. And even though Craig and Sugar worked together in finding Rodriguez, they rarely found themselves in the same room. It was only after the film was complete that Craig moved from Johannesburg to Cape Town, buying a house just around the corner from his good friend Sugar. It was also a fantastic story for Malik Bendjelloul, the dirt-poor Swedish filmmaker who, seemingly overnight, achieved so much success and recognition from the film and music industries, and beyond. Naturally, the documentary was a huge commercial success, scoring over $3.6 million at the box office, and made Malik an overnight millionaire. He now had no problems finding people to work with as everybody wanted to collaborate and fund his next project. Unfortunately, Bendjelloul's career would never reach the heights of success it promised. At age 36, at the peak of his career with the world at his feet, Malik was struggling with depression. On 13 May 2014, at a busy rush hour station in Stockholm, Sweden, Malik Bendjelloul threw himself in front of an oncoming train. Like the rest of the world, Sugar was shocked at the news. He tells me that he and Malik became very close during the 5-year production project of Searching for Sugarman, and the pair would speak on a daily basis. They were friends, close allies, and will forever share the bond they created working on such a meaningful project. THE SWEETEST SUGAR When Sixto Rodriguez gave up music two weeks before Christmas in 1971, after his record label dropped him, he lived a tough life as a construction worker in Detroit, Michigan. He was married and divorced twice yet remained a wonderful father to his three daughters. He rented an old, dilapidated house for $50 a month. So strong was his drive for social justice that he ran, unsuccessfully, for regional government in Detroit. A complex, introverted drifter, calloused by a lifetime of injustice and missed opportunities, Rodriguez's story is remarkable on every level. Although at the time he didn't receive a penny for his two albums recorded in '70 and '71, through Sugar, Malik, and Craig's intervention Rodriguez has made

After coming down from my wine and gin-soaked euphoria after receiving the amazing news that I am officially cancer-free (yay!), I got the opportunity to chat with Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman, the inspiration behind the Academy Award-winning documentary Searching for Sugarman. If you haven't seen the documentary yet (where have you been hiding?) then take a quick look at the trailer so you can be up-to-date with what this episode is all about. Go on, I'll wait. Finished? Alright, let's jump into it! Sugar is one of the main characters in the documentary. He owns a vintage record store in Cape Town called Mabu Vinyl, an iconic meeting spot for the city's art and music scene. The store is just around the corner from where I am staying, so the other day I walked in, bought a T-shirt, and asked to interview Sugar. A few days later I received a call from the man himself and soon I was ringing the doorbell of his home, eager to hear more from the amateur music detective. He opened the door and welcomed me in with a warm smile and, of course, a classic South African 'howzit!'. "I'm Sugar," he said, as if I didn't already know (I have watched the documentary more times than I care to admit). Sugar got his nickname from his army days when his friends preferred to call him Sugarman instead of Segerman, and it soon became Sugar for short. The reference comes from the song 'Sugarman' by the American singer-songwriter Rodriguez, an incredibly popular music artist in South Africa at the time. THE COLD HARD FACTS Sixto Rodriguez is a remarkable musician hailing from Detroit, Michigan USA. Although immensely gifted, his music career had a disappointing start in the US, with his first album Cold Fact (1970) selling only a handful of copies. However, by chance or divine meddling, bootleg copies of Cold Fact started making their way to African shores in the early 70s which resulted in a massive fanbase in South Africa, unbeknownst to the singer. The Cold Fact LP was a fixture in most South African's record collection, and the singer was more popular than The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in South Africa. However, the only information South Africans could get regarding Rodriguez was from the Cold Fact LP. The musician's identity was a mystery, and so rumours and tales started surfacing about his possible whereabouts, furthering his popularity and mysticism in the country. It's important to consider that during this time South Africa was in the height of the Apartheid regime, which saw the country being isolated from the world through trade tariffs and embargos, and the like. So very little information about the goings-on of the rest of the world trickled into the South African public's radar. Sugar, like every South African in the 70s, was a massive Rodriguez fan and so attempted to find out more about the singer, finding hidden messages and geographical references in the lyrics of his songs. To cut a long and fascinating 30-year story short – which forms the basis for the documentary – Sugar eventually tracked down Rodriguez in Detroit, almost penniless working in construction, and informed him of his celebrity in South Africa. The singer-songwriter had been toiling in obscurity due to his record label's inability and lack of desire to promote the artist as he deserved to be. Add to this a fair bit of thuggish dishonesty and limitless greed by record labels in the US, and the result was a musical genius relegated to a lowly construction worker, deprived of a life of stardom he so desperately deserved. Rodriguez quit his musical career in 1971 and even though he sold hundreds of thousands of records – maybe millions – in another country, he never saw a dime of that money. After years trying to track him down, Sugar and his accomplices managed to fly Rodriguez and his family over to South Africa where he played 6 sold-out shows to arenas filled with cheering fans - something the singer had never experienced before. It's an absolutely heartwarming story that still gives me chills - and it is far from over. MUSICAL DETECTIVES Let's go back to the beginning of the story of how Sugar eventually got the opportunity to meet his idol. When Rodriguez's music could be heard from every living room in 1970's South Africa, his fans believed he was just as famous in his home country as he was in South Africa. And why not? After all, his talent was undeniable, his lyrics layered and politically poignant, and he was seen as a worthy rival to the likes of Bob Dylan and Simon and Garfunkel. Surrounded by mystery due to lack of information about the artist, many people believed that he was dead. Some said he shot himself on stage in an underground bar in Moscow, others that he'd set himself alight and burned to death before an audience someplace else, or he died of a drug overdose. Some rumours said that he was alive but in a mental institution, another that he was in jail for murdering his girlfriend. The mystery grew rampant. After Apartheid end

I met Becky Gillespie on The Nomad Cruise, and we became good friends quickly. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Becky Gillespie has been living abroad since the age of 22, when she moved to Tokyo. The plan was to spend one year working as a teacher, but one year turned into 12. Becky is writing a book about the part of Tokyo she ended up staying in and loving so much. The title will be "Shimokitazawa: Your Guide to the World's Most Walkable Neighborhood". She became a digital nomad in 2017 and is now a freelance editor and host of The School of Travels Podcast, where she interviews people about what travel has to teach us about life, love, work, and all the in-between. I had the pleasure of being a guest in episode 31. In this chat, we talk about Japan and some of the places she visited since she became a full-time traveler two years ago. We also talk about The Rickshaw Challenge – a ten-day trip driving yourself in a tuk-tuk through India – and about meeting again in South Africa in April attending Africa Burn outside Cape Town.

We are back in Africa, and I have finally reached Cape Town – also known as "The Mother City". It's my favorite city in the world so I couldn't be happier, except for the fact that I'm still very worried about my health. So we start by going to the hospital where I get the verdict: Do I have cancer or not. You can also join me on a wine tour and on a visit to a micro-distillery, Pienaar & Son that produces some great gin. LINKS: Pienaar & Son Produced by RadioGuru. Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

This is just a quick Sunday update, so you are ready for tomorrow when we're back on track on my Africa trip. I left you in Ethiopia, and just as I was about to fly to Cape Town, I got a disturbing message from my retired doctor back in Denmark. Since you might have missed that episode, here it is again. Tomorrow when I will take you with me to a visit to the hospital in Cape Town where I get the news about my health. See you tomorrow.

NOTE: There was a bug in the episode when I uploaded it yesterday – so listen here instead. ----- In this episode, I'll take you on a beautiful train ride through some beautiful nature in Sri Lanka, so I can understand why many people call it the most scenic train ride in the world. But there's so much more for you in this last episode from Sri Lanka. I also stay at Club Hotel Dolphin with the biggest swimming pool in the country on the beach north of Colombo, where I speak to the German manager about what it's like being an ex-pat far away from his family. Then I visit one of the churches where the Easter terror attacks hit in 2019. LINKS: Sri Lanka Tourism. Book Club Hotel Dolphin via Hotels25.com The Radio Vagabond is produced by RadioGuru. See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

The Radio Vagabond is back, and this week you will get two more episodes from Sri Lanka. In this one we go to the center of the country. We start by visiting two workshops – one doing batik and a wood workshop where we get a demonstration of how they make natural paint using what they call "The Rainbow Tree". FESTIVAL OF THE TOOTH Then we go to a spectacular parade called "Kandy Esala Perahera" – also called The Festival of the Tooth. It happens every year and is one of the most important celebrations in the Buddhist world. It was amazing to witness but I didn't like to see elephants in the parade. It's such a big part of the Sri Lankan culture so we explore the meaning and importance in this episode. DROP ME A LINE I would like to hear from you. Where are you and what are you doing as you listen to this episode. Please send me an email on [email protected] or send me a voice message on WhatsApp to +45 40 105 105. DISCLAIMER The trip to Sri Lanka was made possible by Sri Lanka Tourism, but everything I say is my own genuine opinion. LINKS Sri Lanka Tourism Henry Batik Find the way to Rajanima Craft Produced by RadioGuru. Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

When I left you in the latest episode here from Sri Lanka, we were heading to an authentic village in the forest. You might remember that I was steering the bullock cart on the way there. After that, we walked a bit more along the rice fields down to the river where a "catamaran canoe" took us across. And then after a bit more walking, we got to a small house with a grass roof. Inside was a smiling Sri Lankan woman about to cut a coconut in half with a big knife. AUTHENTIC VILLAGE EXPERIENCE I get to taste a bit of the coconut milk, and then she starts grinding the inside of the coconut. She's using a piece of metal at the end of a stick she's sitting on. The desiccated coconut falls on a banana leave. It looks so easy, and yet we can see that she was very skillful. She has done this a million times before. Especially after Joanna and Viola from the group tried to do it, we realized that they just didn't have the same touch. We go outside where there's a big rock. Here she puts some chili and salt and starts rubbing with another stone the size of a loaf of bread. She adds the desiccated coconut, onion, and lemon, and rubs some more. This coconut paste was scooped back to the banana leave and was to be a little part of the meal that awaits us. The rice and the chicken drum stick curry had been cooked over a fire outside the hut. And there was so much delicious food on this authentic Sri Lankan buffet that we were eating with our hands. On the way back to the bus, we sailed a bit more in the catamaran canoes, following the river on to a lake. Visiting this small village in the forest, having the authentic Sri Lankan lunch prepared like it's been done for centuries in a small hut with a grass roof, eating with our hands was truly an experience. ELEPHANT SAFARI But the afternoon was about to get even better: We were going on an elephant safari. For the next couple of hours, we were driving around a big area where close to one hundred elephants were roaming freely – like they are supposed to. We're in Minneriya National Park, best known for its large herds of Elephants – generally well over 100 elephants at a time nearby area of the Minneriya reservoir. It's situated in the south-central area of the island and comprises of grasslands, thorny scrubs, and many valuable species of trees. Apart from elephants, species of deer, wild boar, water buffalo, and jackals are some of the wild animals found, along with a variety of avifauna that abounds the park. PALLE ON THE SOAPBOX: DON'T RIDE ELEPHANTS If you've followed me for a while, and especially heard my episode from Chiang Mai in Thailand, you will know how I feel about elephant riding. You should never ever do that. The elephant back is not built for it, and it's just plain cruel to do so, in my opinion. A guy from the company that did the village experience and the elephant safari gave me his business card when we were having lunch. I noticed that it said "Elephant Riding" on the card, and I asked one of our guides if this was something they still do. He went and asked him and got back to me and said that they stopped doing this more than a year ago. They just had more business cards. To me, that was a valid explanation, and I understood. I accepted that, so we went on the elephant safari. As I'm editing this episode, I visit this company's website and see that they still have Elephant Riding on the site. If they have stopped it, and of course I expect that they did, I find it weird that they didn't remove those pages from the website. That's why I won't mention the name of the company here – as I usually would until I know for sure that they have stopped elephant riding. If you go to Sri Lanka – and please do because this is a fantastic country; do the elephant safari, do the village experience, but do your best to make sure that you don't do it with a company that does elephant riding. Be responsible as a traveler. It might be a cultural thing, and I do respect the Sri Lankan culture and that they have to make money off the tourists, but I simply can't support something that is cruel to animals. So I would never go riding elephants, I wouldn't go to bullfighting or go swimming with dolphins (like I did in the Bahamas before I knew better). All this is my own genuine opinion. THE ANCIENT CITY OF POLONNARUWE The next day we start at another place here in Sri Lanka with a name that's difficult to say but worth visiting. The Ancient City of Polonnaruwa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms. The Chola dynasty first established Polonnaruwa as their capital in the year 993. Today the ancient city of Polonnaruwa remains one of the best planned archaeological relic cities in the country, standing testimony to the discipline and greatness of the Kingdom's first rulers. And as a fun fact, it was used as a backdrop to the Duran Duran music video Save a Prayer in 1982. It's a beautiful place that also holds some beautiful statue

Sheila Dee and Evo Terra are friends of mine. I met Evo in Manilla at TBEX Asia in 2016, and when I got to Bangkok a few months later, they offered me to stay with them. At that time they were living in a beautiful condo with a fantastic view of Bangkok, after traveling the world for a few years. It started as a sabbatical became an epic world-wide journey for over three years. They basically did what I did: Sold everything to explore life on the road – and (like me) they were podcasting about it. One day they got a call from their son and daughter in law telling them that they were about to become grandparents. And that made them decide that it was time to return to their home town, Phoenix, Arizona. And that's where I meet them – in their podcasting studio, that they call ShEvo Studio. In this episode, we talk about what it's been like coming back to "the first world." Together Sheila and Evo have done different podcasts. The newest is called ShEvo vs. The First World. Evo Terra is a podcasting expert. He runs a podcasting consulting company called Simpler Media Productions and an interesting podcast about podcasting called Podcast Pontifications. LINKS: ShEvo vs. The First World Simpler Media Productions Podcast Pontifications. Radiovagabond er produceret af Radioguru. Sponsor Hotels25.dk Følg også RadioVagabond på Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

We're back in Sri Lanka for the third episode about what this country has to offer. And now, it's time to leave Colombo. THINGS TO SEE IN THE EAST AND THE MIDDLE OF SRI LANKA In this episode I will share (at least) five things, I would recommend you to explore in the central and eastern part of Sri Lanka. Pineapple Farm Ridee Viharaya Koneswaram Temple Sunrise on the beach in Trincomalee Riding Bullock Carts and Canoe Catamaran in Habarana I'm on a press trip, invited by Sri Lanka Tourism, and I'm exploring the country with six other content creators. Let me introduce them to you: It's Joanna from TheWorldInMyPocket.co.uk Romina from MissTourist.com Viola from TheBlessingBucket.com Maria and Katarina from ItsAllTripToMe.com And Serena from ThePeterPanColor.com Even though we're only seven people and could easily fit into one minibus, Sri Lanka Tourism have put us in two minibusses, for extra comfort. The two drivers, Fernando and Pradeep, also works as our guides. The first day on the road we're heading across the island from Colombo in the southwest to Trincomalee in the northeast. Even though the distances aren't that vast, it's going to be a full day of driving – with a few stops on the way. Trincomalee is a port city on the northeast coast of Sri Lanka. PINEAPPLE FARM Our first stop was at a pineapple farm called Pineapple Village. It was the first time I had seen how pineapples are grown and trying to taste them of the tree. What surprised me was that they pit salt and chili on them. RIDEE VIHARAYA – THE SILVER TEMPLE Halfway across the island, we stopped at a Buddhist temple, called Ridee Viharaya. Ridee (sometimes spelled Ridi) means silver and Viharaya means Temple, so "The Silver Temple". It's built under a rocky mountainside and looks stunning. I was amazed that it was possible to build it under this colossal rock more than 2,000 years ago without it crushing it. According to the legend this was only possible because the king had two giants to help them carry the mountain. Of course, that makes sense. Why didn't I think of that? Inside the temple, there were many statues of Buddha and well worth a visit. Ridee Viharaya has its beginnings in a series of cave dwellings on the rocky hillside. In the early days of Buddhism, these were once inhabited by meditating monks. And the monks are still here. The main monk had agreed to a meet and greet with us. He looks exactly like you would expect a Buddhist monk. Dressed in orange, completely shaven, and very smiling and welcoming. STAY AT THE TEMPLE FOR FREE This place is unique, and they let people stay here for free if they want to come here to meditate – have a so-called Pilgrim Rest. Their website says that The Pilgrim Rest equipped with modern facilities with rooms established in the calm and quiet surroundings of the Silver Temple and that it's free of charge for the devotees. We got to see one of the rooms that people can stay in, and it's like a standard modern hotel room – with a stunning view. It's the main monk's responsibility that guests are feeling welcome here. After a tour of the grounds, including the temple itself, they served tea and cakes for us. At the end of our visit our guide, Sasa gave the monk some money, but he simply wouldn't take it. I was wondering how it's funded. Because it can't be inexpensive to maintain, and Sasa tells me that they do get some money from the government, but are also depending on donations. If you stay here, it's free, but you are welcome to give a donation. If you want to learn more about The Silver Temple – and maybe meet the monk and the small monkeys jumping around everywhere, you can start with a visit to their website RideeViharaya.lk. ANOTHER PODCAST FROM RADIOGURU: TRAVEL MATTERS Last week I launched another podcast that you might like if you're into travel and especially travel content creation, like blogging, YouTubing, Instagramming or podcasting about travel. The podcast is called Travel Matters, it's the official podcast from TBEX, and I'm co-hosting with TBEX CEO Rick Calvert. I was just at TBEX North America in Billings Montana, and we have recorded some interesting interviews that we're going to share with you in future episodes of Travel Matters. Find Travel Matters wherever you listen to podcasts. KONESWARAM TEMPLE IN TRINCOMALEE We're in Trincomalee. A port city on the northeast coast of Sri Lanka and it has the sixth-largest natural harbor in the world. Friday morning, we're visiting Koneswaram Temple – The Temple of the Thousand Pillars. It's a classical-medieval Hindu temple complex, set on a peninsula, where Fort Frederick also was built by the Portuguese in the 17th century. Within its grounds, the grand Koneswaram Temple stands on Swami Rock cliff, a popular vantage point for blue-whale watching. The holy complex contains ornate shrines and a massive statue of Shiva. The nearby Gokanna Temple has panoramic views over the city and the coastline. HINDUISM ISN'T THE BIGGEST RELIGION I

This weekend I attended the BorderlessLive conference in London. It's a brand new two day event organised by Traverse Events and WTM all about travel content creating and how we as content creators can work with brands and destinations. I had the pleasure of moderating a panel and we decided to put it out as a podcast right here. So if you're a writer, blogger, YouTuber, Instagrammer or podcaster, this might be interesting for you. ON THE PANEL: Kim Leuenberger, @kim.ou and @travellingcars Sandy Breitmeier, Sandy Makes Sense and on YouTube Daniel James, Dan Flying Solo Karl Watson, Karl Watson Travel Documentaries and on YouTube LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com The Radio Vagabond is produced by RadioGuru. You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

We're back in Sri Lanka for the second episode in this miniseries with tips on what you should see on this island. In this episode, we're still in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. Join me as we will be attending a cocktail party with some beautiful traditional music and dancing. Also, I speak to the Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism about what the terrorist attacks in April 2019 meant for this country, its people, and tourism. BEST MASSAGE EVER After a fantastic breakfast at the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel, we went to a spa called Siddhalepa Ayurveda, and it's a fascinating place. They produce their own herbal products like oil, balm, medicine, and toothpaste. It's also a hotel and a part of the hospital. It's a medical treatment center, they do cooking classes, and then they do massages – but not without talking to a doctor first. "We don't do any treatment before a doctor consultation," Ushan, their senior marketing manager tells me. When it was my turn, I told the doctor about my shoulder pain that I got after the flight from Doha to Sri Lanka. It was still very painful, and I was hoping that this treatment would be able to help just a little bit. After getting the best massage I've arguably had in many, many years, and using their Ayurveda balm for a few days, my shoulder pain went entirely away. We also got a small cooking demonstration and learned a lot about the different herbs and spices, while Ushan explains. "We are mixing with herbal spices; no ketchup, no butter, no coloring. We're using coconut milk but no dairy. It's not completely vegan; we sometimes use white fish." "BEST COUNTRY TO VISIT 2019" WAS ATTACKED After the civil war ended ten years ago, Sri Lanka has turned itself into a popular tourist destination, winning the title of the best country in the world to visit in 2019 from travel guide publisher Lonely Planet. It was a big deal, and the country was ready for it. This could mean so much for this developing country. And then in April 2019 terror hit the country in eight coordinated attacks in four different cities. Four days later the Sri Lankan Health Ministry estimated that 253 people died, but the number ended up being closer to 300. The toll on tourism has been tremendous on the island state. Back at the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel that night, I got to speak to the chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism, Kishu Gomez. "It was a big, big setback and we saw the tourism numbers going down to rock bottom levels in May." However, Mr. Gomez is optimistic about the future and feels confident that they soon will be able to go back to the original levels. "This time it was Sri Lanka, that became a victim, and it could happen anywhere. If we stay away, then we'll be strengthening terrorism. The entire world has to work together, stand together to combat global terrorism." The next day will the first day where we have to spend quite some time driving. You can join us in the next episode when we're taking a long drive to the eastern part of the island to a city called Trincomalee. It's 237 kilometers (147 miles) northeast of Colombo. DISCLAIMER: This is a sponsored press trip. Sri Lanka Tourism has been kind enough to invite me on a ten-day trip to explore the country. But as always the content I make is with my own direction and genuine opinions. LINKS: Sri Lanka Tourism Siddhalepa Ayurveda Sponsor Hotels25.com The Radio Vagabond is produced by RadioGuru. See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

Almost ten years after the end of its civil war, Lonely Planet has named Sri Lanka as the best country in the world to visit in 2019. And this is where we're heading in this and the next few episodes. I'm taking a small detour from my episodes from Africa, to bring you something that happened very recently. If you were waiting to hear what happened to me at the hospital in Cape Town – and everything else at the southern tip of Africa, don't worry. It will be out after this detour. But in this and in the next few episodes, I'm taking you to Sri Lanka. It's my first visit to this country, and that brings my country count to 84. A ROUGH NIGHT FLIGHT When I was heading down here, I had a stopover in Doha, Qatar. The flight from Doha to Colombo was a bit more than five hours. It was a "red-eye" in the night from 1.40 local time – and it was a bit rough. I couldn't sleep and had very little room to move; partly because the guy in front of me took the seat all the way down, so it was a few inches in front of my face. I know, it's your right to put down the seat, and maybe it's just me, but I can't help thinking about the person behind me. It's a bit silly, but I always do it very slowly… centimeter by centimeter. I don't just take it down in one go. This guy did. It was mostly a problem for me when they served dinner. It was impossible to access my tray table with his seat back. He didn't put it back up until I tapped him on the shoulder and asked him to. Also, I had pains in my legs, my chest, and especially my right arm and my shoulder. I don't know why but could hardly lift my arm. It was rough, and I didn't sleep a wink that night. I'm telling you this so you can know how I felt when I had to go through immigration. IMMIGRATIONS TOOK FOREVER It was one of those typical airport immigrations with around ten different counters. You choose a line, wait for a while and go up to an officer when it's your turn. He looks at your passport and the visa, types a bit on a keyboard and stamps your passport – and in this case also puts in a small sticker that he prints out on a special little printer. I picked a line, and when I could see that the line beside me was a little shorter, I chose to jump over to that line. That turned out to be a mistake. The lines weren't that long. I think I only waited around 10 minutes before it was my turn. At this time it was 9.40 in the morning local time. In the recordings, you can hear in my voice that I was cheerful and feeling good despite my lack of sleep. I was having a friendly chat with the smiling officer. He did all the things he had to do and pressed "print" when he was done processing everything. He only needed to print that little sticker to put in my passport. But then the sticker didn't come out. It got stuck inside the printer. And that sticker was the last one on the roll, and he called a guy to replace it. So I had to wait for a bit. But at this point, I was still totally fine with that. I thought if I wait here or wait at baggage claim for my suitcase would be the same. After waiting 10 minutes for the tech-guy, he left me to find him. By this time, there were hardly any other people waiting. It was just me, and the officers in the other booths. While he was gone, I started chatting with the guy in the next cubicle and asked if he had labels in his printer. Maybe I could have him do it, and I could be on my merry way. He said that it was already on the other computer so there was nothing he could do. A few more minutes later, my guy came back again — still no sight of the tech guy with a new roll of labels. Seven minutes later, he leaves again, and this time he returns with the tech guy. He's on the phone while he replaces the labels. It's now 10.02. My guy starts over, processing everything and presses print again. And again. Nothing happens. He grabs my passport and leaves me without saying a word. Here I am left alone at the booth – again. By then, I'm the only person there. I'm tired, and there's no place to sit down. As I'm waiting here, a guy comes around to all the counters and collects the many immigration slips. Slips that people have filled out on the plane. I notice that he also takes my slip, and I tell him that he might want to leave that there in case they need it. And thank god I did; we're going to need that later. Ten minutes later, my guy comes back, grabs the little slip and asks me to follow him. They need the reference number for my visa. The number that he already typed into his computer. I follow him to a small office in the back. Here there's a superior officer behind a computer looking at the visa reference number, my passport, and the immigration slip. Something is not right. On the way back, my guy explains what has happened: When he entered my details, he only had a certain time before printing the label. If he waits too long the system says that the visa had expired; and that's what happened when we were waiting for the tech guy with new lab

This episode is about the second half of my one full day in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. As you might remember from the latest episode, the first half of the day was amazing. I landed in the middle of the biggest religious celebration of the year and went for a drive around the city with a local guide. When I got back I got a text message from my doctor that makes me think I only have a few more months left to live. And as if my mood wasn't bad enough I finish the day of by falling for a scam. LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com The Radio Vagabond is produced by RadioGuru. See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

When I left you on my African journey, I was in Conakry, Guinea, in the western part of Africa. By then I had been traveling overland – except for one flight from Dakar to Conakry – in small crammed cars and minibusses on bad roads. ROUGH TRAVELING It was from Fez in the northern part of Morocco to Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakesh, Tiznit, Tan-Tan. Then back to Tiznit when I needed to go to the hospital, down to Dakhla in Western Sahara, Nouakchott in Mauritania, Dakar in Senegal, The Gambia, Cap Skirring in Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, and then back through The Gambia to Dakar to catch a flight to Conakry. All in all the transport overland was 5750 kilometers – more than 3500 miles. The busses in Morocco was fairly nice, but then they became smaller, older and much more noisy with a lot less room to move. Sometimes those tiny minibusses had a live squealing pig tied to the roof. And sometimes, it was the so-called "sept-place." Usually, an old Peugeot station wagon converted into a seven-seater. Seven plus the driver. None of these have air-conditioned or any schedule. They leave when all the seats are sold. You always had to negotiate the price, and always knew that you were paying many times more than the locals. Just because you're a white westerner – so obviously you're rich. The last of these drives was the last leg of the 1000 km drive from Guinea-Bissau to Dakar. Here I negotiated too hard and "only" paid double everyone else, and as punishment, I was given the worst seat in the back corner of this old Peugeot. It was the seat with the lowest ceiling and less legroom than any other seat. As the tallest man in the car I couldn't feel my legs after 10 minutes and kept banging my head against the metal beam in the ceiling right over my head whenever the car hit one of the many potholes on the roads. And they were all over. I'm not saying this to give the impression that I hated my three months in Western Africa. Because I didn't. On the contrary: I loved it! I met so many amazing people, and it was such an adventure. But I was tired – both mentally and physically, and started to look into a way to get down to one of my favorite cities, Cape Town. I came across a flight with Ethiopian Air from Conakry. On the same ticket I was able to have a two-day stop-over in a country and a city, I hadn't been to before. So instead of flying south from Conakry to Cape Town, I was heading straight east – to Addis Ababa. BIGGEST RELIGIOUS EVENT OF THE YEAR As soon as I landed, I checked into Bole Skygate Hotel – a nice little airport hotel, and the next morning I was woken up by the sound of thousands of people getting ready for a parade outside my hotel. I went out into the area where the parade was going on. This is a religious celebration called Timkat. It's the most important ceremony of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the feast of the epiphany that celebrates the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River. It's celebrating on January 19 and by pure coincidence just the next day after I arrived. During the ceremony, a replica off the ark of the government is wrapped in rich cloth and taken in procession. The singing, dancing and the procession itself was truly a spectacular sight. TOURING ADDIS ABABA In the afternoon I've arranged with Tom, a local driver and tour guide to take me around Addis Ababa for a few hours. Addis Ababa is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. According to my research, the city has a population of 2.7 million inhabitants – but Tom thinks it's closer to 6 million. It is where the African Union is headquartered, and where its predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity was based. It also hosts the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, as well as various other continental and international organizations. Addis Ababa is therefore often referred to as "The political capital of Africa" for its historical, diplomatic and political significance for the continent. IS ETHIOPIA DEMOCRATIC? The government of Ethiopia is a federal parliamentary republic, where the Prime Minister is the head of government. The government chooses the prime minister. The laws are made in both the government and the two chambers of parliament. The 108 seat House of Federation has members chosen by the state assemblies to serve five-year terms. And the 547-seat House of People's Representatives is elected by direct election. So on paper, it all sounds good and democratic. However, there's a thing called "Democracy Index" that makes a list of how democratic countries are. It measures the state of democracy in 167 countries compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). On this list, the Scandinavian countries and New Zealand are on top of the list – and North Korea is on the bottom. Ethiopia is number 128 on the list. So way down. In the car with Tom, we just passed the parliament. "This is where the stupid idea has come from," Tom says. "I don't like the government at all because they don't do

This is part 2 of my talk to Harry Mitsidis, the founder of Nomad Mania and possible the person who's been to most places in the world. In this episode Harry shares some of the many stories from his travelling life.

I'm in England to meet a true travel legend. Harry Mitsidis, the founder of Nomad Mania, and the person who arguably has been to most places in the world. Nomad Mania is a community for extreme travellers and a website that divides the world into 1281 regions. When you fill out the regions you've been to you will appear on different rankings, which includes Cities, Sights, Museums, Islands, Airports and lots more. For that Nomad Mania is quite unique. It's the only website listing travel achievements through so many aspects and the aim is to create an active multicultural community of travelers, which inspires travel while being a true reference to all 1281 regions of the World. On the Master Ranking list Harry himself is number one. He's been to 1188 of the 1281 regions. Obviously he's been to every country in the world. All the 193 UN nations. He did his last UN country, Equatorial Guinea in March 2008. Since then he's all most been to all of them again. But there's so much more than just jumping quickly into a country to say that you've been there. It's about really being there – seeing, sensing, meeting, understanding and comparing. Traveling has become Harry's way of life, and staying put has become increasingly hard. Harry Mitsidis was born in London to a Greek father and a South African mother, and has grandparents from Poland and Turkey. So there was always an international element to it all, and this just grew and grew through the years. Already in 2001 he had visited all the countries of Europe, and then he aimed for the whole world, which initially started as a joke but gradually, as it became within his reach, turned into an obsession. Before we sit down for the interview, Harry takes me for a stroll through Chatham – the town where he lives. He wanted to show me just how ugly it is. Then we sit down for a talk about travel and in the second episode, Harry shares some of the adventures he's had in his traveling life. Nomad Mania also does a podcast called The Nomad Mania Podcast, hosted by Ric Gazarian. LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com The Radio Vagabond is produced by RadioGuru. You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

Welcome to the third and final episode from Antigua in the Caribbean. Here you can join us on a so-called Triflexcursion. It's a small startup company run by Mark and Giles. TRIFLEXCUSION We're going on a 2-hour biking, hiking and kayaking tour. First, we ride 15 minutes through St. John's to a beautiful beach, where we get into a kayak – two people in each – and paddle through a mangrove reserve for 30 minutes. Then we get back on our bikes and ride a further 10 minutes to Fort James National Park. But before we go up there, we make a rest stop at the beach. I MET MISS ANTIGUA Here on the beach, there's a small restaurant in a shed. When I enter, there's an older woman with the back to me. She's singing, and I see her being on the phone. Somebody tells me that she's live on the local radio right now on a program is called "The Shut-in Show" – and that this is something she does every Sunday. Her name is Yvonne, and after she hangs up, I chat to her. She shows me a small picture of herself in an old book. The text beside the picture reads: "Former model turned restaurateur. Yvonne "Candy" Pilgrim has run the Candy Lane beach bar and restaurant since 1976. Located near the historic Fort James, the venue is popular with locals and tourists alike." She tells me that she was Miss Antigua in 1967. FORT JAMES WITH CANONS AND A DISCOTEQUE IN RUINS We finish the Triflexcursion up a hill at historical Fort James. It's a place where there are some old canons and a house that some years ago it was used as a discotheque. Now it's abandoned and in ruins. But an exciting place with a great view. And that was all from my fantastic trip to Antiqua. LISTENER RESPONSE I received an email from Daniel, a listener in Dubai: Hi Palle, I have just been listening on my earphones while out on my morning run. It was the Conakry Podcast, so the background traffic noises had me looking over my shoulder thinking it was errant motorcycle or taxi! Your podcasts are quite addictive and a great way to get a dose of vitamin 'travel' in between the two long stretches of the real thing for me. If you're ever in Dubai again let me know. I have met up with many , including Torbjørn Pedersen and Ric Gazarian on their travels passing through the city. Looking forward to your adventures around the world to come. Cheers, Daniel Whitfield Thank you, Daniel. I'll be coming to Dubai in December, so I hope I'll see you then. Daniel mentions Torbjørn Petersen and Ric Gazarion. Tor is an amazing traveler. A Dane who is traveling to every country in the world without flying in one single unbroken journey. You can follow his project on onceuponasaga.dk. And Ric is also a good friend of mine. We've met so far in three different continents. In fact, I met him in London just a few weeks ago. He does a podcast called Counting Countries - where I was a guest recently. He also does another podcast called The Nomad Mania Podcast, where he interviews some of the worlds most extreme travelers. Nomad Mania is a website that divides the world into regions. It's founded by the man that arguably has been to most places in the world, Harry Mitsidis. I guy I also met in London recently for a chat – and that's going to be the next interview here on The Radio Vagabond. Ric Gazarian has also been on The Radio Vagabond when I met him in Chicago. I called that episode: "Gaz is Global Country Counter." All the links are below. If you also want to drop me a line and tell me where you are and what you're doing right now, please use this special email address for this: [email protected] You can also send me a voice message on WhatsApp. The number is +4540105105. NEXT: BACK IN AFRICA The episodes from Antigua was a bit of a detour from my journey. And in the next episode, we're back on track with my adventures in Africa. When I left you, I was in Conakry and about to leave western Africa after having visited Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, and Guinea. Traveling through these countries over three months was exciting, an adventure and very rewarding with all the exotic places and interesting people I met. I made so many interesting people, and both made a lot of friends. It was exciting but also rough. Physically and mentally challenges, especially when going from one place to another overland in small beat-up crammed minibusses or shared taxies on bad roads. So after three months, I decided that I wanted to get down to Cape Town, which has a very special place in my heart. I'll spend two months in Cape Town, my longest stop on the trip so far. But I still carry my microphone everywhere, so I have so many recordings that I'm going to be sorting through and sharing with you in several episodes. To name a few things: There's going to be a full episode only with Cape Town Uber drivers. I find out that Cape Town is the gin capital of the world and I speak to the young owner of one of the many a small distilleries. I go searching for Sugar

In this second of three episodes from Antigua, I'll take you to some of the must-see places on the Island. We're going to Devil's Bridge, Shirley Heights for the sunset, learning to sail a small sailboat and a few other places. FACT ABOUT ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA Antigua & Barbuda is one of the smallest countries in the world, both in population and in size. The population is around 80,000, and it's 170 square miles – so slightly smaller than Andorra and somewhat bigger than Malta. The official language is English, and the currency is East Caribbean Dollars, but you can just as easily use US Dollars. The biggest of the two islands – and the one we're on is Antigua, 30 miles south of Barbuda. Here is a population of 65,000, and a bit more than half of those living in the capital, St. John. on the northwest coast of the island. Antigua is 14 miles long and 11 miles wide. LEARNING TO SAIL Sailing a small sailboat is not complicated. Well, that was what the instructor told us. We would soon find out just how easy it is. After the brief introduction to the art of sailing, we got into four small sailboats – four in each with an instructor. We took turns being the captain of the boat. We had to move from one side to the other whenever we changed direction. And that's where we should keep our heads down when the boom under the sail moved from one side to the other. At some point when it was Jamie's turn of being the captain, he forgot to warn us and the boom came with high speed towards my head. I only just took my head down; otherwise, it would have hit me in the forehead and most likely knocked me out or in the water. Thank god I survived, because there are so many other adventures ahead here in Antigua. SHIRLEY HEIGHTS The highest peak of Antigua used to be called Boggy Park. It rises to a height of 1,319 ft so you can hardly call it a mountain. But they do now. On August 4, 2009, and Barack Obama's 48th birthday the Antiguan Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer renamed it to Mount Obama. In this episode, we're going to another place with a view: Shirley Heights. It's a perfect spot for a sunset on the south tip of the island – overlooking The English Harbor. Every night it draws a crowd for that view. There are a few restaurants and bars serving rum punch and a great steel band, and according to the managing director Valerie, it's the best steel band in the world. Listen to my chat with her in this episode. Hear how she and her brother transformed this historic place to a tourist attraction. THE WEATHER IN ANTIGUA The climate is tropical, and the temperature doesn't change much over the year. Sure, most of the Caribbean is warm and sunny, but Antigua holds the distinction of being the sunniest of the Eastern Caribbean Islands. The temperatures average mid-70s in the winter and mid-80s in the summer. That's 21 Celsius in the winter and 27 in the summer. ISLAND SAFARI We went on a so-called safari around the island. Not to see animals but to explore the different sights of the island. Our first stop was very close to where we live, and it's a must see by the coast called Devil's Bridge. It's not a man-made bridge but something that is naturally shaped with the crashing waves on the rocky shore. It's also a place with a history. In the old days, this is where the slaves went to commit suicide. I speak to our guide, Bernadette about this in the episode. Our next stop was a place they served some excellent street food in a paper cup. It was a traditional Antiguan Gumbo. LAND OF 365 BEACHES The country is nicknamed "Land of 365 Beaches" due to the many beaches surrounding the islands. With "one beach for every day of the year," it's also a popular place for weddings. It's estimated that there are 1200 weddings a year. Many of them on a white sandy beach like the one we ended our Island Safari. DROP ME A LINE I share much about my life in this podcast, and now I would love to hear from you. Please drop me a line and tell me where you are and what you're doing right now on [email protected]. You can also send me a voice message on WhatsApp. The number is +4540105105. DISCLAIMER The trip to Antigua was made possible by Antigua and Barbuda Tourism and Elite Island Resorts, but everything I say in this episode is my genuine opinion. LINKS: Antigua and Barbuda Tourism. Verandah Resort And Spa. The Radio Vagabond is produced by RadioGuru. See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

This week I have three episodes for you from the island Antigua in the country Antigua and Barbuda. It is truly a Caribbean paradise. I've been invited to go on a trip with around 40 content creators on this trip. There are some of the worlds best travel bloggers, YouTubers, Instagrammers, and then we're two podcasters. We're going on a direct transatlantic flight from London Gatwick with Virgin Atlantic. Antigua and Barbuda is a country in the West Indies, lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. ABOUT ANTIGUA & BARBUDA It consists of two major islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and several smaller islands. The permanent population is about 80,000, and the capital and largest port and city is St. John's on Antigua. The island of Antigua was explored by Christopher Columbus in 1493. The first European that stayed on the island was Spanish and French. But they soon decided to leave the island due to the lack of fresh water. Then it was colonized by Britain in 1632; and Barbuda island in 1678. They grew tobacco and ginger on Antigua – using slaves from Africa. After 349 years as a British colony, Antigua and Barbuda gained independence in 1981. Antigua and Barbuda remain a member of the Commonwealth and Elizabeth II is the country's queen. We're staying at The Veranda Resort and Spa, an All-Inclusive Resort, around 30 minutes from the airport, and they had two small busses waiting for us. The experience starts as soon as we arrive when we are welcomed with an inviting tropical drink. And then we get the key card and get in a small golf cart that takes us up and down the hills inside the area to our cottage. I'M STAYING IN ANTIGUA ON ANTIGUA IN ANTIGUA & BARBUDA All the cottages in The Verandah Resort have names. Named after destinations in the Caribbean. And by pure coincidence, my villa is called "Antigua." I felt a bit privileged to be the one getting that one. My cottage is 700 square feet (65 m2) and classic Caribbean-style architecture and décor, with a private veranda with a beautiful view through sliding glass doors. This is where I spent most of my time when I was here - and also where I did the interviews that I published the last month. It has a look and feel of a cozy Caribbean cottage, with white-washed trim and pale-green exteriors with a porch in the front. The resort is in quite a big area with I don't know how many white wooden houses. They call them villas and suites. Suites can accommodate up to 4 persons and The Villas up to 6 persons. There are a lot of small roads inside the resort with a lot of hills. It's an excellent way to get some exercise. Or you can get on one of the small open golf-cart-busses they have driving back and forth, and even pick up the phone and say that you would like one to drop by and pick you up. There are quite a few dining options, with a great variety of restaurants and a beach grill. When you stay here, the All-Inclusive package includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as afternoon tea and snacks throughout the day. You will also have unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, including water, juice, milk, soft drinks, wine, beer, liquor, and cocktails. Besides two Nomad Cruises in 2018, this is the first I've done "All-Inclusive." And just about everything is included: dining, activities, experiences, stunning beaches, fitness facilities, evening entertainment and much more. I'm just around the corner from the main pool - where we also find the main bar and the evening entertainment. Steel bands, DJs, Karaoke, local performers, guest participation contests, and much more! NEVER DO LAUNDRY SERVICE IN A RESORT When I say that "just about everything is included," I did find one thing that wasn't. And I learned this the hard way. It was my own fault, and everyone laughed and said that I should that obviously laundry service isn't included in a resort. I had a few t-shirts and other stuff that needed a wash. Normally I would do it myself in the sink of the bathroom. Instead, I called the reception and asked if they had laundry service. "Absolutely, just use the bag in the closet and put it outside… We'll stop by and pick it up", they said. So I did. I think I had three t-shirts, a normal shirt, four pairs of underwear and some socks. A few hours later – as they were already doing the laundry, they called me and said that I forgot to fill out the form. "The form?" I said. "I didn't know anything about a form." "Don't worry. We've already done it for you. It's on the table". And then I saw it. My bag of laundry added up to 82$ US. I was totally in chock. But again: I should have known. So: Travel tip of the week: "NEVER DO LAUNDRY IN A RESORT." Use the sink. After you've washed it, put the wet clothes on a towel and roll it up tight and then twist as hard as you can. Then you hang it, and that leaves dry the next morning. This is something I do all the time. Just not here. HAMMOCK COVE Verandah Resort and Spa is owned and operated by Elite Island Re

She calls herself Adventurous Kate for a reason. On her blog she shares stories of the time she was an extra in a really, really bad German movie, when she got naked in public and took a boob to the face in Istanbul, when she hit on Jon Stewart in New York City, which subsequently got her mocked on The Daily Show, and in this episode, Kate will talk about the time she was shipwrecked in Indonesia. At age 26, she quit her job to travel the world alone. She spent six months in Southeast Asia and turned her travel blog into a full-time business. Nine years later, she's based in New York but still traveling. When I meet her she's done 77 countries and 7 continents. As a travel blogger she is a superstar. One of the first and one of the most succesful. This is her story.

In this episode I speak to the two founders of Traverse Events, Paul Dow and Michael Ball. They do multiple events every year for people in the travel industry. They also arranged the trip to Antigua where this interview is recorded. Next week they do their main event of the year, the annual Traverse. This time in Italy, and I'm doing a workshop about starting a podcast. This episode is made possible by The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority and Elite Island Resorts - and produced by RadioGuru. LINKS: Traverse Events Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

Apart from my regular travel episodes, I put out these interviews as bonus episodes whenever I meet an interesting traveler. And today is no exception. With a view of a beautiful bay from my balcony in Antigua - and a close drink within reach, I sit down with Tom Grond. Calling himself Travel TomTom, he has been a full-time traveler since 2012, and like me, he wants to visit all the countries in the world. Learn how he travels and how he's making money to sustain this dream life. LINKS: TravelTomTom: Blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter Sponsor Hotels25.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

In this episode I go for a walk in Conakry and meet more expats. A couple of John and Sheriff from Sierra Leone and Nico from South Africa. You can hear a lot more about this country where I felt like I was the only tourist. LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

I met Dane and Stacey on a recent prestrip to Antigua in the Caribbean. They are full-time travelers, digital nomads, and produce travel videos from their journey. We have a chat about how they travel, where they've been, and what it's like traveling as a couple and being together 24-7. Enjoy. LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com DanegerAndStacey.com Daneger & Stacey på YouTube See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

Friends told me that going overland into Guinea could easily get me held up by the police for no other reason than they wanted a bribe. So they recommended that I went all the way back to Dakar in Senegal and take a flight to Conakry. They also said that they didn't really like the country. Would I have a different experience? I met some of the locals, and in this first of two episodes from Conakry, you can meet the first one. It's Tim, a French expat who likes the country a lot. LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest countries in Africa – and hereby the world. I travel with minibus from Cap Skirring to the capital Bissau, and by random coincidence my host is a countryman. In fact there are many Danish doctors and scientists living and working in Bissau. They work with Bandim Health Project. It's a health and demographic surveillance system site situated here in Guinea-Bissau. Bandim Health Project follows a population of more than 200,000 individuals in urban and rural Guinea-Bissau. This provides a Unique platform for conducting health research. It was founded by the Danish anthropologist Peter Aaby. He came to Bissau in 78 and set out to understand the reasons for the high mortality among children in Guinea-Bissau. At that time every second child died before it was five years. Peter Aaby began to register and monitor the population in the suburb Bandim - and so he created a unique research station, the Bandim Health Project. The project is the oldest of its kind in Africa, and one of the largest. One night he and his wife Svetlana - a wonderful African woman - invited me to eat with his colleagues. Officially it's called the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. It covers 36,125 km² (nearly 14,000 sq mi) with an estimated population of 1,9 million. When it was declared independent in 1973 and recognised in 1974, the name of its capital, Bissau, was added to the country's name to prevent confusion with Guinea (formerly French Guinea). Most of the population speaks Crioulo, it's a Portuguese-based creole language, and the rest speak a variety of native African languages. It's a very poor country. The country's per-capita gross domestic product is one of the lowest in the world. LINKS: Bandim Health Project Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

Margherita and Nick, are long-term travellers and lovers of nature, wildlife and the outdoors. I met them at the ITB in Berlin in March 2019. Traveling is their full-time job. In this episode we will found out how this is possible. LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube. Visit TheCrowdedPlanet.com. You can also find Nick og Margherita on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube. Click here to read the story about getting lost in Malaysia.

In the next episode, I'll tell you more about Cap Skirring. I'll tell you about the unusual taxi system here. What it's like to be a white westerner here. I'll talk to my Belgium hosts at the place I ended up staying, and then I meet a young gay Gambian man, who works as a boy toy for elderly white women - and he shows me a picture of himself that I wish I never saw. LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

I've been to Senegal before, but that was in Dakar in the northern part of the country. After a week in The Gambia in the middle of Senegal I'm heading further south to the beach town, Cap Skirring in the southern part of the country. Before I leave Banjul, I talk to the Polish hostel-owner, Marek about how he ended up right here after years as a full-time traveler. On the trip down to Cap Skirring I travel with another Danish guy, Alex, who just happened to go the same way. I enjoy Cap Skirring so much that I decide to extend my stay with another week. So I go looking for another place with better wifi. LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

We got the opportunity to spend a few days at Mandina River Lodges, the most amazing place in the middle of the forest around half an hours drive from the small capital of The Gambia, Banjul. Mandina River Lodges is founded by two Englishmen, Lawrence Williams, and James English. Lawrence is a friend of a friend of mine - and also an avid traveler with an exciting story. Unfortunately, Lawrence wasn't in The Gambia at the time we were there, but I promise to catch up with him at some point to get his story. James English is his uncle. Or was. Because he passed away very unexpected in 2012, five weeks after being diagnosed with cancer. James and Lawrence had been traveling a lot together and now, whenever Lawrence visits a new country, he spreads a little bit of his uncle's ashes in the country as a gesture. A thing that almost got him arrested in North Korea. Like I said: He has a lot of stories that I promise I'll have hin share at some point when I finally meet him. For years James had been searching for a piece of land suitable to create a tourism project, and on Christmas Eve 1992 they found Makasutu. Today Mandina River Lodges is run by his former wife, Linda English. And it was only after James passed away that Linda came down here. In fact, the thought it was a crazy idea to put money in a piece of forest in The Gambia. She's been here six years already and loves the place. Makasutu is a tropical 1000-acre reserve encompassing five different eco-systems. Fifteen thousand trees were planted over the next few years, and the wildlife came back. Now the wildlife is plentiful with many bird species, monitor lizards, baboons, vervet and red colobus monkeys, and the occasional crocodile, and even the odd mongoose can be spotted on the riverbanks. In the afternoon on the first day we were invited to go for a walk through the a with a local guide, dressed in green and khaki and with a monocular around his neck ready for bird watching. Makasutu, meaning 'sacred forest' in the local language Mandinka, and they started it as both an ecology project and a place for people to come and learn about the local culture and people. James and Lawrence spent the first seven years living in tents on the land, with no running water or electricity. They did this getting to understand the land and environment, which is why you notice the attention to detail that has gone into the design and construction. The initial idea was to a small backpackers lodge, but after many nights sitting around the campfire they decided to try to help in the re-foresting of the area, and eventually to open the site as a cultural reserve, highlighting how the local people live, and also to encourage the return of wildlife to the area. One thing lead to another and instead of the small backpackers lodge they decided to develop a five-star eco-lodge like no other in West Africa. Construction began in 2000, with as many as 150 people working on the swimming pool alone. Due to the standard of the carpentry, the lodges were very time consuming to produce, however, the finished result is impressive with a total of nine lodges being completed over several years, with differing designs both on and off the water. And apart from the birds singing it's very quiet and peaceful here. The staff at Makasutu all come from the surrounding villages, a deliberate measure to try to help stop the urban drift to the city, and allowing the surrounding area to directly benefit from this place. One of them The head of security at Mandina River Lodges, his name is Dawda. We met him at the Base Camp when we were doing the jungle walk. He used to be a policeman, and then he's a popular radio DJ in his free time. We agreed to meet later and chat some more. So the next day Dawda came and picked me up at the main gate. I got on the back of his motorcycle, and we took off down the dirt road. He wanted to show me a spot that was very important for his work as the head of security. So I was a bit surprised when we stopped in the middle of the forest. That's where they have the main borehole, the main well. LINKS: Mandina River Lodges The Gambia Experience Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

Our bus out of Dakar was leaving at 7 am. Join a stressfull situation where a taxi driver couldn't find the bus terminal. Also, you can meet a local Senegalese artist and an Italian girl working for Unicef. LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

In last weeks episode, we were making our way down through The Sahara Dessert. And our plans kept changing. Partly because of me recovering from my pneumonia and partly because promises weren't kept. We weren't picked up and driven down to the capital of Mauritania in a nice big Mercedes - just the two of us. Hours later we were seven people in a smaller very old beat up Peugeot station wagon. When I left you in the last episode, I was trying to cross the border between Western Sahara and Mauritania - with my travel buddy Edvard - and a group of locals and our local driver. From the windows, we couldn't see much more than sand and camels. Sometimes we would drive through a small village with some tiny houses. The roads we were driving on were full of potholes as big as bathtubs. But that would only get much much worse as we entered Mauritania. This is a developing country. Their GDP ranks it at around number 140 out of the 193 UN nations in the world. Mauritania is a country with 400,000 sq miles and a population of around 4 million people. It took us around 4 hours to get the passport stamps and be allowed to enter the country. When you cross a border like this, there are typically people offering to change your money. Something I would never do, but in this case, it was recommended to do so. Much to my surprise, the exchange rate you get here is much better than you would get in a bank in the city. So with a bit of Mauritania cash, "Ouguiya" we continued the drive. We only drove a short distance from the border to an intersection. And we were super confused because we had another 300 miles before we would arrive in Nouakchott. I remember thinking "OMG what now. Another checkpoint…?" Then they unloaded our bags and stopped a random car. They asked the driver if he could take us down to Nouakchott, and when he did, we got into the car and continued. This was a huge upgrade. This was a relatively new BMW without a scratch. The driver could speak English and apart from him doing his best to avoid the many potholes on the road this was very nice. Especially for Edvard. He finally got the "shotgun position" beside the driver, and I was crammed into the backseat that was full of luggage. It could barely fit a 10-year-old in there. And I'm a lot bigger. The driver is a guy from Dakar going back in his new car after having worked in Italy for six months. When we got to our hotel Nouakchott it was after midnight. He drove us to our hotel and he said that he would sleep a few hours before continuing at 4 o'clock. He asked us if we wanted to join him all the way to Dakar. He mentioned a very fair price for it, and after having seen a bit of the city looking for the hotel, we honestly didn't think that this seemed like a place with too much to see. Also, we only thought about getting down to Dakar where we had a lovely Airbnb for a week. With this drive, we would be in a nice car with a nice guy, and wouldn't have to worry about finding another crappy car packed with people and potentially getting ripped off again. We knew what we had so we decided to accept his offer. The next morning at 4 a.m. we continued the drive and thought we would get to Dakar in the early afternoon the next day. Even if the border crossing to Senegal took as long as the one entering Mauritania. It turned out to take much longer, and it was after midnight again when we rolled into Dakar. It was 1:30 in the morning, and we were tired. Dead tired. We felt dirty and sweaty. I remember I had sand between my teeth from being in the Sahara's sandy wind So when we were dropped off at our apartment, we couldn't wait to get in there and catch some sleep. But when we got there, it was nothing like the one we booked. So we left. Close to two in the morning we took our bags and walked down to the street of a big west African city that we'd never been to before. We had no place to stay and had no idea where to go. Join this crazy journey in this episode. Also, you can come with us when we meet a local woman, that invites us to traditionally Senegalese lunch at her apartment. Her name is Astou Ndiaye, and I talk to her about life in Senegal. LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

I can see that new listeners are joining me every week. Welcome. To let you catch up, I've dine a quick bonus episode where I explain how and why I made a decision to become a digital nomad and full-time traveler at the age of 50 years old. I also let you know what you can expect in this podcast in the future. Enjoy - and again: Welcome.

Join Edvard and me as we work our way from Tiznit in Morocco via Dakhla in Western Sahara towards Mauritania. We start in a café in the morning where I have to break the news to Edvard that I'm not able to do a 17 hour bus ride because I'm still sick. LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

In this episode, I speak with Mokhtar, who has grown up as a true nomad in the Sahara Desert. Just until he became a teenager, he was almost nothing but his family, a bunch of goats and a lot of sand — no TV, radio or other things that we take for granted. Also, he does not know when he was born beyond the fact that it was in 1962 and it was under a sandstorm. I'm talking with him just before we're on our way back to Tiznit. I have become ill and need to go to the hospital. You can join me the way to the doctor's office and hear what's wrong with me. Also, I get help from my new friend, Omar - "The Butcher from Tiznit." Omar is a great help in a difficult situation and in addition to paying my hospital bill (even though I'm insured) he invites Edvard and me home and have dinner privately with him. LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

We have a lot to cover in this episode. I'm in the southern part of Morocco and first we visit the little city, Tiznit. Edvard and I become good friends with the local butcher, Omar. Them we travel further south to another small city called Tan-Tan. On the way there we're stopped twice, first by the customs and then by the police. Both times they only want to see the passports from me and Edvard. Very weird, but an indication that we are getting close to Western Sahara. In Tan-Tan we meet two wonderful people that have offered to host us for a few days, we get caught in the first rain in this part of Sahara for years and then I get a fever. LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

In this episode we go outside Marrakech to drive ATVs - or Quad Buggies as they call them here in Morocco. And then we ride into the sunset on camels. Enjoy this episode. LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

Before we arrive to Marrakech we meet a Polish guy who's doing his own race - that he calls 'Krakow-Dakar'. In Marrakech we do the ultimate tourist thing and hop on a red 'hop-on-hop-off-bus'. In the Mediana (the old town) we meet a magic man. And then Edvard gets a henna-tattoo and is not happy. Enjoy this episode. LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

As a digital nomad, this guy is different than most of us, as you will get to hear in this episode. Also, he is one of the nicest guys I've had the pleasure of getting to know through the Nomad Cruise. His name is Martin Locklear, he's American, and he works for Zip Recruiter as a programmer. We both have a few things in storage back home, we have both been traveling full time around two and a half years, but this is where the similarities stop… Martin has a very different way of traveling than me. He's more the definition of a slow traveller. Enjoy this episode. LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

In this episode I am still in Rabat, Morocco and continue the hunt for visas. It can be hard to get a taxi on the streets in Rabat, so on Monday morning we booked an Uber, even though Uber technically is illegal here in Morocco. And the first Uber driver was a young bright guy with a good English. He had a lot of dreams for for himself and his country, and seemed like a good representative for the new generation of Morocco. So I decided to give him my five questions that didn't work out so well in Fez. And unlike the royalist there - that wouldn't say anything negative about his country, it was very different with the Uber driver, Jad. This and much more in this episode of The Radio Vagabond. LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

DANISH: RadioVagabond.dk Johannes Voelkner started his digital nomad lifestyle in 2010. As much as he enjoyed working while traveling, he was missing like-minded people around him, sharing the same values and lifestyle. He took action – he was organizing events for entrepreneurs and digital nomads for years and created a Facebook group for digital nomads called Global Digital Nomad Network (currently one of the largest of its kind with over 36,000 members). One day in 2015 he came upon a cheap travel deal across the Atlantic and posted it in his Facebook group. 100 applications in 3 weeks convinced him it was worth turning into a business – and Nomad Cruise was born. Since then it has grown a lot. Nomad Cruise 6, my first, from Malaga to Athens had 249 attendees from 42 countries, and this one that just brought us across the Atlantic from Barcelona to Brazil Nomad Cruise 7 broke all previous records with almost double that: 492 participants on board from more than 50 countries. Today Johannes and his team are running two cruises each year building friendships, collaborations, projects and most importantly – a community of like-minded people. In this episode of The Radio Vagabond, we dive into the history of Nomad Cruise and take a look at what's on the horizon, as we talk about the future of the company and their new project Homebase Global. LINKS: Nomad Cruise Home Base Global The Facebook Group: Global Digital Nomad Network Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

DANISH: Radiovagabond.dk Together with my travel buddy, Edvard I'm moving on the train from Fez to Rabat in Morocco. Here I talk to him so you can get to know the guy, I'm going to be traveling with for a while in Africa. You can also join us as we start our hunt for visas to many African countries. A hunt that turns out not to be without challenges. Enjoy - and happy New Year. LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadiovagabond.com Follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

DANISH: Radiovagabond.dk Here is another conversation with a full-time traveller, and this guy is quite a character with an interesting story. His name is Greg, but he goes by the name of Curtin. He's not like most people and is very spontaneous when he makes decisions. Even big ones. In this episode, you can hear how he ended up in Europe playing rugby, which is not so typical for an American, and how he spent very little time deciding to move from China to Uganda. Also, about his time as a rugby player in England. And much more. Enjoy. LINKS: Curtins website AmericaRex.com Sponsor Hotels25.com Follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

DANISH: Radiovagabond.dk This is it. The fourth season of The Radio Vagabond Podcast starts right here. You can travel with me through Africa, and we start in the northwestern corner of the biggest continent in the world, and slowly move south through Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea. But there's much more ahead after that. In this episode you can follow me right from the moment I'm walking towards the airport in Billund, Denmark. Many hours later - close to midnight I arrive in the heat in Fez, Morocco. When I finally get to the hotel the night guy at the hotel couldn't find my reservation. Also, you can hear me when I insult the king of Morocco. Here on this leg of my journey I'm not traveling alone, another digital nomad will join me and in the next episode you can get to know him a lot better. LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com See pictures on TheRadiovagabond.com Follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

DANISH: Radiovagabond.dk Monday morning the new season of the regular travel shows in The Radio Vagabond Podcast will begin. You can join my adventures in Africa and we begin in Morocco. At the same time you will get interesting conversations every Friday and this is the first. All of these interviews have been recorded recently when I joined The Nomad Cruise across the Atlantic. In fact this one is recorded in the middle of the ocean. Meet Matt Bowles. He has been a full-time nomad for five years. We talk about ways of traveling, loneliness, networks, podcasting, the art of traveling with carry-on luggage only and about a giant table-top espresso maker. And much more. In the conversation we also talk about different communities for nomads, and if you would like to join here are a few links that will get you a discount on your membership: "Remote Year" ($200 discount): Click here. "Hackers Paradise" ($100 discount): Click here. Disclosure: These are affiliate links where Matt makes a little bit. But it doesn't make it more expensive for you. Other networks/communities for nomads: Nomad Cruise and WiFi Tribe. You can access Matt's video on packing and see links to all his stuff by signing up to his newsletter on MaverickNomadLife.com. Here you can also see the bicycle pump espresso maker, he is talking about. Listen and subscribe to Matt's podcast The Maverick Show by searching for it in your favourite podcast app. I will be a guest there in the near future. And finally: Link to Matt's company, Maverick Investor Group. OTHER LINKS: Sponsor Hotels25.com Follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

While I'm working on the next season you will get some flashbacks from the first two years of traveling. This episode was recorded in August 2017 in Nashville. See pictures here.

While I'm working on the next season you will get some flashbacks from the first two years of traveling. This episode was recorded in March 2017 in North Korea. See pictures here.

While I'm working on the next season you will get some flashbacks from the first two years of traveling. This episode was recorded in December 2016 in Pattaya.