Pre-flight Pilot Episode - Apr 9, 2022
Hard to believe all of this started with the two of us screwing around on our balcony overtop of a suspiciously still little bee on the patio table. What a wild ride it turned out to bee.
Mar 29, 2024•12 min
The Travelling Hive Podcast
Two bees in the world - 12 months, 12 countries. We're Jess & Chris, two newlyweds exploring Europe and Asia for a year and sharing our travels regularly. Join us for our morning chats on the inevitable stumbles, funny observations, and enlightenment that comes from exploring new countries & cultures.
Last refreshed: ⓘ
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
Episodes
Zai Jian Taipei Pt 2: It's the sudden stop at the end - Apr 7, 2023
SPOILER ALERT - Listen to Zai Jian Taipei Pt 1 first, if you haven't already... In a flash our whirlwind, one-year tour around the world comes to an abrupt close when some tragic family news is shared with Chris. We bid adieu to the parallel reality where we explored the beautiful island and culture of Taiwan for the following 3 weeks, pay an abhorrent amount for rushed plane tickets home, and decompress abruptly without any safety stops.. Pause for nitrogen bubbles in the blood (that's a little...
May 10, 2023•34 min•Season 12Ep. 5
Zai Jian Taipei, Pt 1: It's not the fall that kills you - Apr 7, 2023
This week we really grab Taiwan by the tapioca pearls. Strap in for getting gritty in and around the city of Taipei. So many hidden gem night markets and neighborhoods, some Michelin-recognized street food, the spectacular Taipei 101 building, and of course, the birth of Bubble Tea. For those who are interested, Chris gets super deep into the history of Taiwan from a nuanced & multilateral perspective as only Chris can.. And for those who aren't interested, dui bu qi!! Let's ready for some M...
May 08, 2023•42 min•Season 12Ep. 4
Taipei, Taiwan first Impressions! - Mar 25, 2023
Taipei is an amazing blend of Chinese & Japanese cultures, with a proud democratic culture and amaaaazing food. We're posted up in Ximen district of Taipei (not to be confused with NEW Taipei City) and are immediately blown away by how comfortable & clean the city is. It's so cool to get a view of the history of Taiwan outside of the official international narrative, visiting the monument of Chiang Kai-shek, and enjoying dim-sum with our fantastic AirBnB host Brad (who fortuitously also ...
May 04, 2023•27 min•Season 12Ep. 3
Last Week in the Land of Smiles - Mar 18, 2023
After a couple weeks of pure focus, we way overcompensate & knock our last week in Koh Lanta out of the park before jetting to Taipei. Keywords that start with S: Scuba Diving, (Drunk) Scots, Stand-up Paddleboard, Spirited Away, Snickers Adventure, S-tiny naked boy. Suffice to say it's been magical. Until next time!
Apr 29, 2023•44 min•Season 12Ep. 2
Taking on a Muay Thai Boxer in Thailand (Kicking Buns and Making Braids) - Mar 11, 2023
After three months of straight training, Jess interviews Chris the morning after his premier Muay Thai fight in Williams Stadium, Koh Lanta. Chris recounts the moments leading up to the match in grueling detail, as he faced a local Thai fighter with his terrified wife watching on. This may well be as good as it gets out here in the world. We may have just reached peak bees, with one week left in paradise to make the most of it. Stay tuned for the riveting conclusion of this earth-shattering even...
Apr 23, 2023•56 min•Season 12Ep. 1
A Growable Moment. Philippines wrap-up - Feb 25, 2023
In this powerful retrospective we reflect on the interplay of expectation, privilege and empathy. They say you learn more from your losses in life than your wins. True to form, after a rocky start Philippines turned out to be the place where we had the most to gain from the poise and wisdom of the community we stumbled upon. Sorry in advance for the audio quality, it took a lot of tweaking to get it to where it is. Sometimes the greatest lessons are the hardest to hear ;) Salamat, Siargao....
Apr 13, 2023•55 min•Season 11Ep. 4
Bonus: Surfing Cloud9 in Siargao, Philippines! (with Nina!) - Feb 21, 2023
Join us in the setting of 2017's Siargao, a love story about a hidden surfing paradise. We spill the tea on one of Southeast Asia's most storied surf spots with our lovely local guide Nina, before jetting off to (secret location redacted)!
Mar 31, 2023•17 min•Season 11Ep. 3
(Special Guest Nina!) Clubbing in The Philippine Islands - Feb 21, 2023
Joined by our amazing and talented local host & guide to Philippine culture, this evening is one we'll remember forever. After a few tough weeks in Philippines, we finally find our community and have one hell of a big night out on the town. Amazing new dishes, hidden speakeasies, and one rocking outdoor club in torrential rain with a few streaking Brits among a sea of generic white faces. Thank you Nina! <3
Mar 25, 2023•43 min•Season 11Ep. 2
Siargao, Philippines First Impressions - Feb 2, 2023
DISCLAIMER: The views in this episode are those of our former selves and in no way represent the views of our current selves. Also, please forgive the sound quality, we recorded in a full coffee shop and if you put a seashell up to your ear you can hear a bit of glorious 90s rock. You're welcome. We kick off our month on the only island in the Philippines that's in wet season and tut tut, it sure does look like rain. But this is also the surf capital of the Philippines, a glorious island full of...
Mar 05, 2023•27 min•Season 10Ep. 1
Singapore: Chinese New Year in Post-Western Utopia - Jan 27, 2023
Come ring in the Year of the Rabbit with a long-awaited food adventure across beautiful SINGAPOOOOORE! I've been telling Jess about this place since I visited in 2017 and we finally have a chance to explore it together at the most magical time of year. From the Marina Bay Sands, to the Avatar trees or whatever, to amazing food, amazing food, and amazing food. This is the first city in the world we could both imagine building a future in over Vancouver, which is really saying something. Come witn...
Feb 27, 2023•39 min•Season 11Ep. 1
Thailand in Review Pt. 2: A Medical Emergency - Jan 21, 2023
2 much excitement for one episode! Straddling Thailand and Singapore (with a seamless mid-episode transition) your exhausted but fulfilled bees reflect on their last week in Koh Lanta. And it was an action packed adventure from start to finish. We say goodbye to all of our new friends, get a crash course in Thai medicine, and with no small contribution from Jess earning her scooter level intermediate we all live happily ever after! Thailand achievement unlocked. See you soon, Paradise....
Feb 18, 2023•40 min•Season 10Ep. 5
Thailand in Review Pt. 1: Almost Thailand - Jan 18, 2023
Part one of what turned out to be a two-part wrap-up is chock full.. (chalk full? wtf...) of living in the moment, from swimming through a pirate cave and touching profound humanity to watching someone butcher Pink Floyd and getting molested by a 12 year old.. We can't make this stuff up. Catch us next time for part deuce where we cover our last days in tropical utopia. Peas~
Feb 12, 2023•41 min•Season 10Ep. 4
Christmas & New Year's in Neverland - Jan 2, 2023
Get ready for a healthy dose of nirvana in the heart of tropical Thailand, as close to Neverland as you could possibly encounter on earth. It has been a week full of magic, adventure, friendship and a lot of peace, spending the holidays in that place between sleep and awake, that place where you can still remember your dreams. We watched a fire-show, finally saw a live Muay Thai match, and built our own little tropical escape on New Year's Eve. My only unmet happy thought is getting my caffeine ...
Feb 05, 2023•39 min•Season 10Ep. 3
So This is What A Mid-life Crisis Looks Like - Dec 24, 2022
It's Christmas Eve in gorgeous Koh Lanta, and all through the house, Chris is groaning about his brittle ankles from Muay Thai! We make some new friends, we get ready for three weeks of "straight" partying, and Jess gets her scooter level Beginner. A beautiful end to what has been an incredible calendar year. What a ride it has been.
Jan 29, 2023•34 min•Season 10Ep. 2
Koh Lanta, Thailand. From Phuket to Paradise - Dec 12, 2022
Sawasdee krup! After 8 months of searching, your traveling bees have found the promised land. It's like Jurassic Park had a love-child with The Garden of Eden and that child turned out to be Tommy Chong. That's Koh Lanta. So glad we decided to forgo the run around all over the damn country and instead just plant ourselves in what has turned out be the closest place to paradise we have found in the whole world. Get ready for 6 straight weeks of good food, fun & freedom.. and Jean Claude van D...
Jan 19, 2023•40 min•Season 10Ep. 1
Cambodia Wrap-up: The End of Dark Tourism - Dec 9, 2022
As a storied destination for travelers, I've got to say Cambodia left us with a mixed impression. Incredible historical sites & significance juxtaposed with a pretty bleak reality for the locals serving the booming tourism industry. Definitely a profound experience, no matter which way you slice it. Leahaey Cambodia, and good luck. Next stop, Thailand!
Jan 17, 2023•42 min•Season 9Ep. 3
Siem Reap & Angkor Wat; Jess Living Her Best Bee Day - Dec 3, 2022
Move over Lara Croft, get ready for the Tomb Raider reboot.. this time with more bees. In the heart of Phnom Penh, Chris and Jess, are drawn into a world of danger and intrigue. As they journey north to Siem Reap, they are pursued by shadowy figures with their own agendas. Despite the scorching heat, Chris and Jess refuse to back down, determined to uncover the truth. As they navigate the treacherous landscape of Cambodia, they are joined by a diverse group of allies, each with their own secrets...
Jan 06, 2023•40 min•Season 9Ep. 2
Phnom Penh, The Output for the Bermuda Triangle - Nov 22, 2022
We've crossed the great divide into Cambodia; the land of the Khmer Rouge, Angkor Wat and what appears to be a bizarre purgatory for all the lost traveling souls of the world. Join our noble adventurers as they venture through the upside-down-yesterday seeking a thread of spark (isn't that called a fuse?) to lead them back into the present. With the help of a benevolent Canadian spirit who manifests from the aether and in spite of some ungodly ATM fees, they may just persevere. Welcome to the he...
Dec 19, 2022•35 min•Season 9Ep. 1
Going Undercover in Saigon! (AKA Ho Chi Minh City) - Nov 16, 2022
Moving around literally once every 2.5 days on average for a full month (that's about 12 different sleeping locations) is a lot, and now it's time to enjoy our last Vietnamese stop, the culinary and cultural heart of Saigon! AKA Ho Chi Minh City, but not if you're basically local.. like we obviously are at this point. We wrap up our secret agent sleeper thread with an exciting clandestine rendezvous with our Saigon contact, and go on one hell of an epic food journey t'boot. Also, since great thi...
Dec 08, 2022•41 min•Season 8Ep. 5
Cultivating Human Potential (Somewhere over Vietnam) - Nov 10, 2022
After 30,000+ km, some 12 countries, and god knows how many cities, we’ve finally glimpsed the promise of what we set out to do. Reflect on the truths of the world outside of our own cultural context. So strap in, buckle up, and pour a great big coffee.. because we’re about to get metaphysical in this mother. And neither art nor culture may be the same again. This is the real essence of Coffee Mornings with Bees.
Nov 29, 2022•39 min•Season 8Ep. 4
Becoming a Secret Agent in Da Nang - Nov 6, 2022
There's a man who leads a life of danger-r. To everyone he meets he stays a stranger-r. With every move he makes, another chance he takes. Odds are he won't live to see tomorrow-w. Secret.. Agent Bees. Secret.. Agent Bees. This message will self destruct in 30 seconds. -Mr. F
Nov 27, 2022•38 min•Season 8Ep. 3
Hanoi Pt 2: Cruising Ha Long Bay for my Birthday - Oct 30, 2022
Welcome to Paradiiiiiise!!! Or honestly, as close as you're going to get to it on Earth. We finish off our tour in northern Vietnam with a luxury cruise through the storied islands of Ha Long Bay, and they live up to their reputation for beauty, luxury, and island. Join Jess as she drinks snake wine, Chris having to sit through the happy birthday song in front of a room full of 50 strangers, and generally just the most comfortable experience of our entire trip to date. Definitely one for the boo...
Nov 20, 2022•41 min•Season 8Ep. 2
Hanoi Pt 1: Ban Gioc Waterfall and Getting Scammed at the Airport - Oct 29, 2022
Your travel savvy bees finally face the statistical music at the airport in Hanoi. But we don't let this first impression get us down, on to the most fantastic waterfall in all of Asia, on the border between Vietnam and China - Ban Gioc Waterfall! All in all Vietnam has been an incredible journey so far, and we're excited that our story begins at the northern tippy-top, before making our way south down the 2,000km of coast-line toward Ho Chi Minh City (that's Saigon for those of you, like me, wh...
Nov 09, 2022•40 min•Season 8Ep. 1
Indonesia Wrap Up: Sarongnara, Suckers! - Oct 21, 2022
Another episode edited by the ever-elusive Jess! As we ventured through the winding Northern roads of Vietnam, two bees wrap-up Indonesia by talking about the important things - Chris’ overwhelming humility that would make an orphan cry, how to properly share/eat mango popsicles with your spouse, and of course - chickens. We’ll be back, Bali. That’s a promise.
Nov 04, 2022•40 min•Season 7Ep. 6
Getting Scuba Certified in Amed, Bali! - Oct 9, 2022
The travelling hive goes on a fantastic adventure Under Da Sea in this dazzling exploration of A Whole New World where the fish invite us to Be Our Guest as long as... We Don't Talk About Bruno? Long story short, Jess and I get scuba certified in gorgeous Amed on the northeast coast of Bali. And honestly we learn as much about crisis management as we do about breathing underwater.. Coincidence? No spoilers! Super glad to get this under our belt though as we gear up for the next 6 months abroad i...
Oct 29, 2022•40 min•Season 7Ep. 4
My Big Fat Balinese Wedding Crashers - Oct 2, 2022
Check out our Insta @thetravellinghive to see the photos! In this very special episode Jess & I are invited to a traditional Balinese wedding at the nearby village of Klungkung in Bali, and we crash it in traditionally overconfident North American style. Honestly, after our own wedding just in April of this year, it's so interesting to be the married couple witnessing a new pair cross that threshold themselves, into the long.. interminable.. ... forever... bliss that is marriage. I kid, six ...
Oct 21, 2022•34 min•Season 7Ep. 3
The Blue Lagoon & Bali Belly - Sept 30, 2022
Welcome to Bali! This place is a beautiful paradise, full of culture and incredible hospitality. We're staying at the wonderful Graha Madesimon in Batubulan, and we've had so much fun exploring our neighborhood and surrounding areas. After so long travelling and sharing our space, it's really nice to have a little spot to call our own for the month. Looking forward to many amazing adventures!
Oct 18, 2022•31 min•Season 7Ep. 2
Going going, back back, to Bali Bali - Sept 27, 2022
After some radio silence we're back online with the fury of a thousand dueling banjoes. Navigating from Beirut to Jakarta was our most intense travel day (slash night) since our first flight across the Atlantic to Italy. But the reward of lush, tropical forest, bustling commercial activity, and all the delicious street noodles you can eat almost makes it all seem worthwhile.. almost like... 10% of the way worthwhile. Seriously you guys this flight experience was trauma. Now after 36 hours in tra...
Oct 11, 2022•42 min•Season 7Ep. 1
ALL the cool stuff we did in Lebanon (Extended Episode Hint: Listen at 1.25x) - Sept 20, 2022
This may not be India but Holy Cow. In this episode we cover everything from the natural wonders of the world, the Christian Crusades and how real life princes are little dicky bitches, to bringing new life into the world and punching sock-vendors on trains. No joke, we listened to this whole episode at 1.25x and we were absolutely in stitches. We might have to release an Alvin & the Chipmunks style Christmas album if this thing takes off. God knows we've got the sweet, sweet nuts for it....
Oct 01, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 6Ep. 3
Hosted on Spotify for Creators (Anchor)
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android