Welcome to our Winter Series! This week is all about Italy. We are taking you from the Amalfi Coast to a tiny town south of Rome. First up, host Belinda Jackson’s chats with author Maria Pasquale , who explores the food histories and dishes across regional Italy. Maria, born to Italian parents and raised in Melbourne, is the author of four books and has readers in more than 100 countries. Then, host Kirstie Bedford talks to award-winning freelance journalist, Natascha Mirosch , who swapped the s...
Jul 09, 2025•46 min
Veteran journalist Andrew Conway has been to India four times, but this time he's doing things differently. His latest month-long sojourn was self-funded, and he took his husband, Greg, who had never been to India before. Andrew talks about how having a personal driver (details below) changed his entire experience and lets us in on some of the lesser-known places to go in this often chaotic country. 1 Hotels opened its first property in Australia recently, and host Kirstie Bedford was there to r...
Jul 02, 2025•47 min
The World Awaits has hit a remarkable milestone, celebrating its 100th episode! To get the party started, Avani Hotels & Resorts has partnered with us for a listener giveaway a tropical holiday in Thailand! To enter, simply like, follow and tag a friend on our Instagram page here . On this special episode, our sound producer Alaisdair Leith joins us, and we chat about our favourite guests over the last two years (after all, there are now 100 to choose from!) And it's time to ask ourselves th...
Jun 25, 2025•26 min•Ep. 100
Meet the singing teacher who founded a hiking company in Bhutan. Keen hiker Karen Haranis, of Rare Air Himalayan Travel , shares her favourite hikes, through the territory of Bengal tigers and red pandas, from the high mountain passes and lush rhododendron forests of this tiny mountain kingdom. Together with her guides Tashi and Namgyel, they scout new routes and cultural experiences in Bhutan, including the little visited East Bhutan, also known for its handicraft villages, rareairtravel.com.au...
Jun 18, 2025•40 min•Ep. 99
“These dolphins surrounded me and I was hovering above the sand and they were playing with me and I swam up with them and thought I would die for them to be safe, it was like my heart was cracked open and I came up thinking how can I be more impactful in the ocean space,” says freediving champion turned conservationist Hanli Prinsloo. It was this encounter with dolphins in Mozambique while teaching a freediving course that made Hanli Prinsloo turn conservationist, and now she hosts retreats to t...
Jun 11, 2025•37 min•Ep. 98
"Southern Africa is very hard to describe; for many people, you get bitten by something, or you breathe something in, and you become hooked," says Australian author Tony Park. Speaking to us from his home just north of Kruger National Park in South Africa, Tony shares his vast experience about going on safari in southern and east Africa. From the Kruger to the Kalahari, we're taking self-drive safaris on a budget, which regions are better for different wildlife and wildlife poaching. "The best w...
Jun 04, 2025•38 min•Ep. 97
On the fringe of the Sahara, at the birthplace of Star Wars, the little Northern African country of Tunisia's drawcards are its medinas and souqs, its Roman ruins and Mediterranean seaside resorts. Stay in desert camps or in cave hotels carved into the mountains; you'll find spicy harissa, dramatic doors and ornate tiles everywhere. "What's not to love?" asks co-host Belle Jackson, who travelled through Tunisia recently with Intrepid Travel, intrepidtravel.com Also, if you enjoy going off the be...
May 28, 2025•32 min•Ep. 96
"The best way to see the Mekong is slowly," says travel journalist Michael Turtle. He takes us on a cruise down the river in Laos on board the beautiful new boat Boheme . With only 13 cabins, it runs between the royal city of Luang Prabang and the capital, Vientiane, connecting you to the lifeblood of the country, all while exploring Laos' cuisine and visiting its villages. "Watch longtail boats, see temples... on a river cruise, you see the river at all times of the day, while people are fishin...
May 21, 2025•37 min•Ep. 95
Do you know who was behind the design of Canberra? What about the first person hired to manage the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge? Both are women whose stories have historically rarely been told. That’s something tour guide, feminist, history nerd, and author Sita Sargeant plans on changing. Frustrated by the lack of recognition for women’s historical contributions, she founded She Shapes History – a tourism company offering entertaining and engaging walking tours in Canberra, Sydney,...
May 14, 2025•41 min•Ep. 94
Have you ever thought about packing everything up, renting or selling the house and moving to Italy? Well, that’s just what our guest this week did. Award-winning freelance food, travel and lifestyle journalist Natascha Mirosch has swapped the sunny shores of Brisbane to move temporarily to a tiny village south of Rome. We chat about why she did it, what there is to see and do in the region where she’s now living and how you could do it too. We also have a last-minute Mother’s Day guide for the ...
May 07, 2025•43 min•Ep. 93
Should Australians be concerned about travelling to the US now? With a super-strong US dollar and reports of 'enhanced vetting' at US borders, economics groups forecast a 12% drop in visitors to the States this year. So just how welcome are travellers these days? New York State is bucking the trend, says Michael Cassis, the Australian representative for the state, and shares some tips for smooth entry into the US. And - jazz hands to the ready - 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the publicatio...
Apr 30, 2025•32 min•Ep. 92
Australia has more than 10,000 beaches, so if you need a beachside break, how do you choose where to go? Celeste Mitchell, author of Ultimate Beaches Australia has scoured the nation to come up with 80 of the best beaches from the big names to some secret spots; places for world-class surf breaks or rock pools for the kids. https://publishing.hardiegrant.com/en-au/books/ultimate-beaches-australia-by-celeste-mitchell/9781741178920 Celeste is also the owner of the slow travel booking site, Life Un...
Apr 23, 2025•32 min•Ep. 91
Giant green palms, sugar-white sand beaches where every shell seems to move with life, and gin-clear waters home to an aquarium of kaleidoscopic marine life. Welcome to the Cocos Keeling Islands – an atoll almost halfway between Australia and Sri Lanka where the airport runway doubles as the golf course, so infrequent are the flights. We explain why this special little spot should be on your travel bucket list – and if you’re travelling from Australia, you don’t even need a passport to get there...
Apr 16, 2025•30 min
What do you do when a revolution breaks out? If you're Dennis Bunnik, you throw yourself into the thick of it. Dennis is co-owner of Bunnik Tours which, in 2025 celebrates 30 years taking Australians to every corner of the globe, and he chats to Belle about the situations he's found himself in as a very, very hands-on small group tour operator. He's also a hardcore aviation geek with a huge YouTube following for his airline reviews and behind-the-scenes access into the world of aviation, answeri...
Apr 09, 2025•35 min•Ep. 89
First, she walked the length of New Zealand and now adventurer, author and inspirational speaker Laura Waters has completed an epic journey paddling the length of Australia’s longest river, the Murray River. The 2,400-kilometre challenge saw her paddle for weeks on end. She tells us why she did it, recounts the tough challenges she faced along the way and tells us where the best spots are if you want to follow in her wake. Watch Laura here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCRARCeTKyw The Qantas ...
Apr 02, 2025•35 min
If your dream destination is anywhere curled up with a great book in a cosy nook by the fire or by the pool, let Lucy Pearson take you on a reading retreat. Lucy is a bibliotherapist and bespoke library curator who has designed a series of upcoming reading retreats in France, Wales and Australia. Expect silent book clubs or find a cosy nook by the fire or pool to read, as well as a bibliotherapy session and a book 'prescription'. Each retreat has a theme, stories shaped by the sea, a French-insp...
Mar 26, 2025•38 min
“These women are selling bikes to families who are using them to get to the river to fish, fields to farm and to get to school… we have one bike shop in Zambia that has sold over 8,000 bikes in that local community… and they are ferocious entrepreneurs and it’s so fun to hear them talk about their lives now compared to when they started nine years ago,” Keith Sproule, the Executive Director of Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy . Keith Sproule oversees 55 philanthropy projects for A&K in 24...
Mar 19, 2025•39 min
Discover what fills your heart with Ireland, be it the rich culture, the legendary Irish hospitality, the stunning scenery, ancient cities or world-class food. This episode is sponsored by our friends at Tourism Ireland . Learn more at ireland.com This coming week sees the celebration of St Patrick's Day , one of the biggest festivals on the Emerald Isle. Walk the famous saint's waymarked way, or find your own celebration, from the long-running Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival ...
Mar 12, 2025•39 min•Ep. 85
“I don’t see a town any sooner than five days and now 10 to 20 days … so it’s remote, it’s very cold …and there are grizzly bears, and wolves and they travel in packs… so I start at daylight and I’ve always got a podcast playing because of predators,” says Lucy Barnard , the Australian woman walking the length of the Earth. With International Women's Day fast approaching, there couldn’t be a more fitting interview for this week as Lucy attempts to be the first woman to walk the world from Argent...
Mar 05, 2025•38 min•Ep. 84
Ice skating, Christmas markets, imperial palaces and eating sausages in your opera gown – welcome to Vienna. Co-host Belle Jackson gives us a rundown from her recent 'coolcation' to Austria's capital and why 2025 is the year to visit, wien.info/en and how you can use Vienna as a hub for further European exploration, using a Eurail pass. We also chat about the NZ$500,000 campaign to lure Aussies across the ditch. Have you heard of the new tagline? Sublime or a stinker? Take a listen to hear our t...
Feb 26, 2025•29 min•Ep. 83
How do you get more real estate in an economy airline seat? Tech reviewer Alaisdair Leith rounds up some great new travel gear - with a seriously unexpected find... His new travel gear recommendations are: Ninja water bottle Bellroy Lite Travel Pack Sony in-ear headphones The Bevledge - ta-da! and Belle's addition, thanks to guide James Burt of the Tasmanian Walking Company , is the Wollemi 90 Ultralight Expedition pack Also, Kirstie and Belle chat about their recent stay at the newly reopened A...
Feb 19, 2025•43 min•Ep. 82
It's one of the world's greatest tourist destinations, and Machu Picchu totally lives up to the hype! Our guest this week is Sol Campos de Parry, Peru trade commissioner to Australia, who talks about the joy of hiking to the Inca City's Sun Gate. But if you miss out on a hiking permit up the Inca Trail, or are keen to explore other trails in Peru, Sol also takes us to other great walking destinations in the Amazon and Ancash's classic Laguna 69 trek in Huascarán National Park. Beware - Laguna 69...
Feb 12, 2025•29 min•Ep. 81
"I always say 'collect, don’t shop'… so when you're purchasing something that’s a tangible representation of a destination you’re making a contribution not only financially, but also to that cultural preservation of a destination, and that’s something you’ll have forever and it’s better than any memory," says Andria Mitsakos, founder of Anthologist and global founder of AMPR. It was an accident, quite literally, that saw Mitsakos fall in love with Greece, and now she splits her time between Athe...
Feb 05, 2025•32 min•Ep. 80
“Costa Rica has something that’s very special… we have the second best place in the world for diving … and now the Government is thinking in blue, and you’ll hear that soon about the Costa Rica preservation, the idea is to make the coastline a [fish] nursery… so you’re going to hear very soon about the blue country Costa Rica wants to be,” Juan Carlos Rodriguez, a naturalist guide with Explore Worldwide. Few people would be as passionate about their country as Juan, who has been taking tours to ...
Jan 29, 2025•38 min
There are 26,000 ramen bars in Tokyo – how do you choose the best one? Chef Luke Burgess talks about finding your way in the megalopolis that is Tokyo. Luke, who co-authored the book ' Only in Tokyo: Two Chefs, 24 Hours, the Ultimate Food City ', shares his favourite, and most confronting dishes, and talks about the endless pursuit of understanding Japanese food and its refinement. Also, Lonely Planet's much anticipated global best beaches of 2025 list has dropped and Australia has made the top ...
Jan 22, 2025•38 min•Ep. 78
Sri Lanka now has its first long-distance hiking route and we’re talking to the man who created it. The 300-kilometre The Pekoe Trail is the brainchild of adventurer Miguel Cunat, who spent a decade knitting together hill-country trails to create a walking route that ventures through tea plantations and historical sites, and visits remote villages to connect with the local culture. He talks about how he did it, and his favourite parts of the trail. We also take you to the Australian Open tennis ...
Jan 15, 2025•40 min•Ep. 77
Dream of days wandering Italy’s Amalfi Coast? In our first episode of 2025, we are taking you there with Australian-Italian author Maria Pasquale . Maria’s new book, Mangia: How to eat your way through Italy , explores the food histories and dishes across regional Italy, including Campania, which includes the Amalfi Coast, and is famed for its fragrant lemons and San Marzano tomatoes. So let’s go explore some of the villages and beaches, Maria’s favourite eating experiences, and the best times t...
Jan 08, 2025•35 min
This is our last Summer Series before we return to normal programming! Tune in for a masterclass on how to fly first class with Chris Chamberlin of Points Hacks. Chris has travelled more than two million kilometres in first or business class (that’s to the moon and back, twice) and shares his insights on which loyalty programs to focus on, and how to strategise your spending to switch your seats from beside the toilets to the champagne class. See pointhacks.com.au Want to get the best airfare to...
Jan 01, 2025•53 min•Ep. 75
Do you go on holiday, only to come back feeling like you need ...another holiday? How do we come back rested from a getaway? Journalist, author and co-founder of Life Unhurried Celeste Mitchell talks about how to slow down when you travel, and the best places to do it, lifeunhurried.com Then all aboard for The Orient Express, The Ghan, The Flying Scotsman or The Rocky Mountaineer with train aficionado and travel writer Tim Richards. The author of several books including Heading South and Ultimat...
Dec 25, 2024•46 min•Ep. 74
Let's take you completely off the beaten track and to the ends of the Earth. Jenny Gray is the force behind Intrepid Travel’s women-only expeditions, which it runs in seven countries including Saudi Arabia. Jenny chats about travelling as a woman in the kingdom, exploring its deserts and meeting its people, merging two of the hottest trends in tourism at the moment - women-only travel and Saudi Arabia, intrepid.com And Antarctica and the Arctic are two of the last frontiers on the planet. Vetera...
Dec 18, 2024•57 min•Ep. 73
