Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast

Hear about travel to Mazatlan, Mexico as the Amateur Traveler talks again to Craig Zabransky about this Mexico seaport. Mazatlan is on the west coast of Mexico. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Arctic Manitoba as the Amateur Traveler talks to Marybeth Bond from GutsyTraveler.com about her recent trip to Churchill Manitoba to see polar bears. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Indonesia as the Amateur Traveler talks to repeat guest Chris Willis about his trip to Indonesia. The main objective of Chris’s trip was to photograph Komodo dragons in the wild. Komodo dragons live on 2-3 islands which are not near any airport so getting there is half the experience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Mobile, Alabama as the Amateur Traveler talks to Carla Rountree from theinconsistentnomad.com about her home state. There are beautiful beaches. It is an area that was founded in the early 1700s so there is lots of culture, lots of history and it is even the area where Mardi Gras actually started in the USA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Sudan as the Amateur Traveler talks to Nicholas Bori of the I Quit project about his journey through that remote African country. Nicholas visited Sudan on an overlanding truck that traversed Africa from south to north. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Montana as the Amateur Traveler talks to Donna Hull from MyItchyTravelFeet.com. Donna and her husband visited Montana in 2001 as part of a National Park tour and fell in love with the Big Sky state. Finally in 2010 they moved to the Bitterroot Valley of Montana, the so called “banana belt” of Montana. They had planned to live there only in the Summer but did not want to leave when the end of Summer came. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to the Russian Far East as the Amateur Traveler talks to freelance travel journalist Robert Reid about his numerous journeys to this remote part of Russia. Robert does not describe a country that is easy to see or necessarily always approachable, but one that can still be seductive. Learn why Robert has “Russia Love”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to The Pantanal in Brazil as the Amateur Traveler talks to Daisy about her recent trip to this vast wetlands area. The Pantanal is south of the Amazon in Eastern Brazil and also extends into Bolivia and Paraguay.“The Pantanal is a basin that is the world’s largest wetlands. It is about ten times the size of the Everglades. It’s really a great site to see wildlife.” The Pantanal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Southern Alberta as the Amateur Traveler talks to Karl Andrews from Calgary about travel to his home province. The Canadian Rockies, Kananaskis Country, Waterton Park, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, The Calgary Stampede, and Dinosaurs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to the Island of Socotra and Yemen as the Amateur Traveler talks to Earl from WanderingEarl.com about a visit to this isolated island best known for its production of frankincense. The island is quite isolated and a third of its plant life is found nowhere else on the planet. With trees like the umbrella-shaped dragon’s blood tree it has been described as the most alien-looking place on Earth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean as the Amateur Traveler talks to Gary Arndt about his journey to visit many of the islands in the Caribbean on a single trip. In this episode we talk about Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Barbados, and Trinidad. This episode is a continuation of episode 386 which talked about the Leeward Islands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to the island of Vieques off Puerto Rico as the Amateur Traveler talks to Ira Winston from Philadelphia about his recent trip there. Vieques is an island thais 8 miles off the coast of Puerto Rico. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Panama as the Amateur Traveler talks to Chaundra from London about her recent trip to that country. She spent a week in Panama before a SilverSeas Silver Explorer cruise in the area to see wildlife. As part of the cruise they visited the Pearl Islands as well as the Darien Gap. On their own they visited Panama City, the Old Panama City, Casco Viejo, Fort Sherman, Colon and Soberania and Chagres National Parks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Flanders in Belgium from the Amateur Traveler. I recently traveled to 5 cities in Belgium: Antwerp, Ghent, Ieper, Bruges and Brussels. Each of these historic cities is wonderfully picturesque, even on a grey November day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to New Jersey as the Amateur Traveler alks to Lisa Luben about her home state. Lisa comes on the show to introduce us to the pretty parts of New Jersey that many people don't picture. The state is one quarter farmland and one quarter woodlands and filled with historic towns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Morocco as the Amateur Traveler talks to Ralph Velasco about his recent photography tour of the country. Ralph tells us about some of his favorite cities in the country Chefchaouen and Essaouira in a trip that also included Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, and Fes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Belfast, Northern Ireland as the Amateur Traveler talks to Mary Jo Manzanares about her recent trip there. Mary Jo was really interested in learning more about the history of "the troubles" and her husband about the Titanic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Ottawa, Ontario as the Amateur Traveler talks to return guest Michael Soncina of Sonchy's Adventures about Canada's capital city. Michael was in Ottawa as a part of a press trip looking a new eco district the city is setting up in its downtown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as the Amateur Traveler talks to Kay from TheKayDays.com who is a University student in Rio."Rio has a culture and a aura that is completely different from anywhere I have seen before." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Arequipa, Peru as the Amateur Traveler talks to Sam from Indefinite Adventure. Arequipa is Peru’s second largest city after Lima. It is in the south, inland, west of Lake Titicaca and south of Cusco. Sam heard about Arequipa from other travelers and lived and worked there for a month as a temporary local. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about trekking in Ecuador’s Quilotoa Loop as the Amateur Traveler talks to Kim Mance about her recent trip to that country. Kim spent 3 weeks in Ecuador including one week on the Quilotoa Loop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Baton Rouge as the Amateur Traveler talks to Lindsay Thomas from TheTraveluster.com about her hometown. Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana. It can be a great gateway to Cajun food and culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Ireland as Chris, the Amateur Traveler himself, talks about a recent trip to the Emerald Isle. Chris did a driving tour with 7 family members and friends from Dublin to the west point of Ireland and of Europe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to the Andalucia region of Spain as the Amateur Traveler talks to Crawford Hill from Chill Expeditions about his adopted home in Southern Spain. Crawford traveled in that area and then fell in love and bought a second home here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to the Island of Shikoku, Japan as the Amateur Traveler talks to Dan from Chicago about his recent trip back to the island. Dan also worked teaching English on Shikoku in the city of Imabari. Shikoku is the 4th largest of the islands in Japan and just across the from Hiroshima. Shikoku is mountainous, more traditional and more rural than the areas of Japan more tourists know. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Macedonia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Kelsey of CineTraveler.com about her recent trip to this country in the Balkans. Macedonia is just north of Greece and probably best known as the home for Alexander the Great but Kelsey found much more to recommend in this much too overlooked country. In a week they were able to see much of the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean as the Amateur Traveler talks again to Gary Arndt of Everything-Everyhwere.com. Gary just finished an island hopping tour that took him to most of the islands in the Caribbean. We will cover the islands of St. Martin, Anguilla, Saba, St. Barts, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts, Nevis, Antigua, Barbuda, and Montserrat on this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) as the Amateur Traveler talks to Chris Rosencranz about his recent visit to this country in equatorial African. The Republic of the Congo sits in the rain forest just north of the Congo River from its better known, and less stable neighbor, the Democratic Republic of Congo. “In the past few years the Republic of the Congo has emerged with some new infrastructure to let tourists access some of the best parks that the continent has going for it plus the rain forest itself which is really quite special, and the river.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Vienna, Austria as the Amateur Traveler talks to Gerhard Strassgschwandtner who is a tour guide and owner of the Third Man Museum in Vienna. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to the Navajo Nation as the Amateur Traveler talks to Mark Carrara from markstravels.com about his recent visit. The Navajo Nation is a semi-autonomous Native American-governed territory the size of the state of Connecticut located mostly in Arizona. It can be described as desolate, majestic, barren and spacious. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Azerbaijan as the Amateur Traveler talks to Mason Wiley of Community Based Tourism Azerbaijan about his time spent in the country during the Peace Corps. Even though he has come back to the USA he still loves and misses Azerbaijan and its people. Mason had not even heard of Azerbaijan until he was posted there by the Peace Corps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to the Isle of Man as the Amateur Traveler talks to writer and film maker Andrew White. The Isle of Man is a small island in between Ireland and England. "It's a fantastic place. It really is. It's often said it's like the British Isles in miniature." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Kansas City (Kansas and Missouri) as the Amateur Traveler talks to Rob Walch about the Paris of the Plains. Kansas City has that nickname because of the many fountains in the city. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Belarus as the Amateur Traveler talks to Velvet Dallesandro about his trip to this former member state of the Solviet Union. Belarus is very close to Poland and the Baltic states but does not get as much western tourism as those countries. Velvet is on a quest to see all the former Soviet countries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Buenos Aires, Argentina as the Amateur Traveler talks to Leandro Gonzalez about his hometown. Buenos Aires is a large cosmopolitan city of 13 million people. Leandro tries to help us find options for travelers from the backpacker to the upscale traveler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to South Australia as the Amateur Traveler alks to Dave and Deb from ThePlanetD.com about their recent trip down under. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Oslo and Western Norway as the Amateur Traveler talks to Øystein about his native Norway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Amsterdam as the Amateur Traveler talks again to Erik Smith from onmyfeetorinmymind.com. Erik returned to Amsterdam for the seventh or eighth time recently. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jodi Ettenberg from legalnomads.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Slovenia as the Amateur Traveler talks again to Michael Soncina about his visit to the country. The country is independent, beautiful and deserves to see more tourists than it gets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Stockholm, Sweden as the Amateur Traveler talks to Malin from HauteCompass.com about Sweden's beautiful capital city. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Victoria Falls as the Amateur Traveler talks to Nir Ben-Dov about his trip to this spectacular falls on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. This was Nir’s second trip and his wife’s first trip from their home in Israel to this famed set of falls in southern Africa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Fort Worth, Texas as the Amateur Traveler talks again to Jason Hull about Fort Worth Texas the "City of Cowboys and Culture". Sometimes over shadowed by it's neighbor Dallas Jason shows us why Fort Worth is worth a visit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Bucharest as the Amateur Traveler talks to Wandering Earl about visiting and living in that city. Earl calls Bucharest one of the most under-rated cities in all of Europe, certainly eastern Europe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Extremadura in Spain as the Amateur Traveler talks to Sam from indefiniteadventure.com about living and working there. Extremadura is a lesser known region in southwest Spain on the border with Portugal and adjacent to Andalusia, Madrid and Castilla. Sam lived in the city of Medira for 3 months teaching English. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Amateur Traveler talks to Benny the Irish Polyglot about Toulouse, France. Benny lived in the city for 3 months to work on his French. He was drawn to the University city culture but fell in love with the "pink" city. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Vanuatu as the Amateur Traveler talks again to Chris Willis who comes back on the show to talk about a recent trip to the remote, tropical paradise of Vanuatu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to the South Side of Chicago as the Amateur Traveler talks to Amy Bugbee, author of "Suffering and Celebration of Life in America", about her hometown, the South Side of Chicago. The South Side of Chicago is more than just the White Sox and the stock yards just as Chicago pizza is more than just deep dish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Japan on the Amateur Traveler as I relate stories from my recent trip to Tokyo, the ancient capitals of Nara and Kyoto, the castle at Hikone, the shrines and temples of Nikko and Kamakura. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Puerto Rico as the Amateur Traveler talks to Kaleb Garcia about his home country of Puerto Rico. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory in the Caribbean with its own culture, language (Spanish), history and food. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices