Would you ever walk the 'Backbone of Britain'? 2025 marks 60 years since the UK got it’s first official long distance pathway - the Pennine Way. As political as it was pioneering, Wander Woman Phoebe Smith delves into the history of this hard-fought-for trail - one that is integral to all the rights walkers enjoy today, discovering a kick-ass, bell bottomed jeans wearing hiker in the 1960s, before heading out with her friend Cerys Matthews to walk a prime 3-day section in the present day, to mee...
Jun 30, 2025•52 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Can walking a coastal path really heal a broken heart? As bestselling book The Salt Path becomes a major film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Issacs, Wander Woman Phoebe Smith heads to author Raynor Winn's favourite 2-day section of the South West Coast Path in Cornwall - walking from Zennor to Minnack. Along the way she meets other hikers and discovers the power of simply placing one foot in front of the other. Also coming up: Raynor Winn shares who she really thought would play her in a mo...
May 28, 2025•55 min•Season 3Ep. 5
What if everything you thought you knew about voodoo was completely wrong? This episode Wander Woman Phoebe Smith heads to Togo and Benin in West Africa - the birthplace of the religion, with Explore, to seek out the real voodoo beyond the sensationalist Hollywood portrayals of evil dolls and sinister spells. Journeying to the rural north of both countries she invites you to experience with her the rituals, practises, dances and truth behind perhaps the most maligned belief system in the world. ...
Apr 30, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 4
All across Britain, in some of the wildest places you can find, is a network of mountain huts - called bothies. But unlike shelters found in the rest of the world, these were never built for walkers. Former schoolhouses, farmsteads, gamekeepers lodges, coastguards lookouts and miners bunkhouses, there are around 100 buildings (across Scotland, England and Wales) left open for walkers and climbers to use - free of charge. For the last 60 years they have been in the care of the Mountain Bothies As...
Mar 26, 2025•54 min•Season 3Ep. 3
In the land Down Under one island in Western Australia is in the midst of a bold project to return it to a pre-European state. The Dirk Hartog Island National Park: Return to 1616 initiative has seen sheep farming (the mainstay for the single resident family for over 100 years) be replaced by eco-tourism. All cattle has been removed, invasive species have been culled and slowly, the vegetation and biodiversity is bouncing back. Given that the Wardle family used to earn around AUS$2.5million from...
Feb 26, 2025•54 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Adventurer Phoebe Smith heads to the Central American nation of Belize, to see - in the wake of the rollback of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives in the USA - how multiple cultures can live in harmony while still celebrating their own uniqueness. The country is found on Central America’s north eastern coast, bordered by Mexico, Guatemala and the Caribbean Sea. It's one of only two destinations in Latin America where English is the official language. This is a country that is happy wit...
Jan 29, 2025•56 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Halloween – with the costumes, pumpkin carving and trick or treating – is believed by many people to be an import from the USA? But where did it really start? Join adventurer Phoebe Smith as she journeys on a mission to locate the home of Halloween. Her research takes here to Ireland, where an ancient Celtic ceremonial fire location was discovered a few years ago that may be the ground zero for it all. Along the way she meet characters from Irish folklore - including a sun goddess Tlachtga, visi...
Oct 18, 2024•15 min
Deep in the Rockies in Alberta, Canada, is a small unassuming hut that - unknown to many - houses a teahouse that has been serving hikers since 1904. In the heat of high summer the cabin swarms with hikers in search of a brew. Early or late in the season, though, it’s possible to bag the best view in the house on the porch overlooking Lake Agnes before choosing from the impressive menu of loose-leaf teas in relative tranquillity. Joanna Magee owns the teahouse and has to get up at 4.30am to bake...
Oct 16, 2024•50 min•Season 2Ep. 12
What if one simple question could help save the planet? Join Phoebe as she heads to the Maldives to ask the difficult question - can travel to these islands ever really be sustainable? Learn about the unsung hero of marine conservation: underwater seagrass, which so far has been ruthlessly removed in pursuit of the 'perfect' image of paradise despite it capturing 60 times more carbon than terrestrial forests and how one resort is working to save it and get others on board. Also coming up: TV Bus...
Sep 27, 2024•54 min•Season 2Ep. 11
There’s a new buzzword in travel – “multi-generational” or multi-gen. That is at least 3 generations of the same family travelling together. Grandparents, parents and children choosing to holiday together despite each having their own specific wants and needs. SOUNDS TERRIFYING! Yet it is reportedly a growing trend. Keen to go behind the headlines as ever, Phoebe takes her whole tribe - 75-year-old dad, 3-year-old son, and partner to SE Asia, to travel 1,200 miles from Singapore to Thailand, by ...
Aug 14, 2024•52 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Saudi Arabia is a controversial place - one that for years was closed off to westerners without a special invite. But that all changed in 2019 with the announcement of a new tourist visa and a huge investment in infrastructure - beginning with the north-western oasis city of Alula . So far, most travellers have been Instagram influencers, keen to get 'that' shot of Elephant Rock or the infinity pool at Habitas. But Wander Woman Phoebe Smith is determined to skew the surface glitz, head off piste...
Jul 17, 2024•54 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Pour yourself a glass of Albariño and settle in as Phoebe puts her navigationally inexperienced friend in the lead (and self-guided specialist tour operator InnTravel to the test) as they wander along the Camino Portuguese's Espiritual Variante aka The Old Way . Walking between Tui on the Portuguese/Spain border all the way to Santiago - with much laughter on the way - the question is will they get lost? There's only one way to find out... Also coming up: How to switch from flying to trains on y...
May 01, 2024•50 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Embark on an adventure to Shimokawa, in the heart of Japan's Hokkaido region, where this small town is breaking new ground in the world of sustainable living. Phoebe Smith will take you through the streets and forests of this pioneering community, uncovering how they've transformed from a lumber-dependent economy to a beacon of environmental harmony. From making chopsticks (to avoid the millions that go in landfill each year), to powering homes and public buildings using locally made biomass, us...
Apr 10, 2024•45 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Strap on your eco-friendly gear and prepare to be immersed in tales of transformation, recovery, and the relentless pursuit of a better world. Join adventurer Phoebe Smith in Egypt's Red Sea (literally) where she meets the resort cleaning up its act - and the ocean. Red Sea Safaris in Marsa Alam (one of the first PADI eco-dive centres in the world) firmly pushes back against the mass tourism model, and empowers divers to be part of the solution by offering the Dive Against Debris course free of ...
Mar 06, 2024•52 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Unicorns. Not usually the kind of mythical thing you'd think a travel writer would be on assignment to find. Yet in the Canadian Arctic of the territory of Nunavut, on Baffin Island, a sea creature who inspired these fabled creatures lingers beneath the waves. We're talking the narwhal - a small whale that sports a twisted ivory tusk that to this day still baffles scientists. Accompanied by her Inuit guides Phoebe battles whiteouts and icy seas on a mission to find these marina mammals. Along th...
Feb 07, 2024•39 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Celtic goddess? Catholic Saint? Or master beer brewer? February 1st marks St Brigid's Day – as well as the pagan festival of Imbolc, which elebrates the coming of spring, which the Irish Government have declared to be a public holiday. But who was the Brigid behind Ireland's female patron saint? The stories are many - from the igniter of an eternal flame, protector of the earth, the environment and animals; to the girl who gave away her father's sword to the poor so that they could sell it for f...
Jan 28, 2024•17 min
Think Thailand and you usually think two things. The first is the vibrancy and hedonism of the capital city of Bangkok. The second is The Beach - the book-turned-film featuring Leonardo DiCaprio that sent scores of backpackers to a tiny island off the coast of Phuket. I pay the Land of Smiles a visit (in association with the Tourism Authority of Thailand) to uncover a different side to the world's busiest city and the country beyond. From visiting the Green Lung of the capital where monks ask fo...
Jan 10, 2024•49 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Want to escape the chaos of the festive season? Join Phoebe Smith as she undertakes a micro-pilgrimage in Sussex, England, on the recently discovered Old Way. But here's the twist - although she's joined by 15 others they walk in complete and total silence... As a non-religious soul, Phoebe wonders what brings people to complete a pilgrimage and learns the value of time spent outside without speaking a single word. The event was run by the British Pilgrimage Trust whose motto is BYOB (Bring Your...
Dec 05, 2023•45 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Many of us have been to Ireland before – bought a pint of Guinness in Dublin, gazed at the Atlantic from Galway and maybe kissed the Blarney stone in Cork, but few of us - Phoebe included – have taken the time to explore the central valleys and hills of the Hidden Heartlands, which are home to the River Shannon – the longest river in the country. Desperate to see what stories would flow she jumps on a train, then ferry and heads to the source to follow the waterway all the way to sea… Also comin...
Nov 01, 2023•51 min•Season 2Ep. 2
The invite came in bright red letters from Intrepid Travel: Sabah Adventure – climb Mt Kinabalu and head into the jungle to find Borneo’s iconic wildlife. It promised to be a trip to rival all other trips. The catch? It was a group trip. That would mean Phoebe – an avid solo traveller – would have to share her experience (not to mention bedroom) with others. How would it effect the trip? There was only one way to find out... Also coming up: Learn how to survive room sharing on your adventures wi...
Oct 04, 2023•52 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Tickle your tastebuds in every sense as we join Phoebe Smith on assignment in South Wales where she goes on a food tour of the Vale of Glamorgan to meet the producers championing sustainable produce and low food miles; get to grips with Rewilding with her Travel Hack of the Month; prepare to scream with a run down of the Top 10 latest adventure activities she dares you to try; journey with her to Cornwall to meet the farmer turned conservationist who realised that reintroducing the extinct beave...
Jul 13, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Join Phoebe Smith on assignment in Greenland where she talks to locals about battling extreme weather, fighting to keep their traditions and meets a family who gave up high flying jobs to live more sustainably; discover how to be a better and greener traveller in her Travel Hack of the Month; go beyond the marketing spiel to discover the most sustainable destinations to visit in the new year in Phoebe's Top 10; journey with her to Australia's Outer Reef to meet Professor Minke aka Dr Alistair Bi...
Dec 31, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Join Phoebe Smith for a brand new season of the Wander Woman Podcast as this month she (in association with the Caravan and Motorhome Club ) heads to Britain's Isle of Wight on a self-styled safari to go in search of this wild isle's Big – or maybe little – 5; discover how to find a wildlife tour operator or guide that is showing you animals in a responsible way with our regular Travel Hack of the Month; dust off your walking boots to climb one of the best walker's mountains in the world with Ph...
Sep 30, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Join Phoebe Smith as this month she sends her Wander Woman correspondent (and podcast producer) Daniel Neilson to the wild and remote Torngat Mountains - he went for polar bears and icebergs but found so much more.... (in association with Destination Canada); learn how to haggle like a pro in a souk with our Travel Hack of the Month, so you can ensure both you and the vendor leave with smiles on your faces; wanting a city break with some wilderness on the side? Our Top 10 looks at the best urban...
Jun 26, 2020•51 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Join Wander Woman Phoebe Smith as this month she takes the wheel and hits the road to follow Mexico’s Route 1 on a mission to prove that the Baja peninsula is the perfect place for a solo road trip. Get clued up with our Travel Hack of the Month to help you avoid getting stung by hidden costs when renting a car overseas; start planning for life after lockdown (in association with Destination Canada)with our pick of the quirkiest trips to take in Canada over the next 18 months and beyond; journey...
May 13, 2020•58 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Join Wander Woman Phoebe Smith as this month she heads to north Iceland, to a small town called Husavik, which was the former whale hunting hub and is now the country’s capital for whale watching. There she trials a trip with innovative company North Sailing which now offers a carbon neutral experience with silent electric boats; learn how to make a travel movie on your smartphone that people will actually want to watch with the Travel Hack of the Month; find your happy place with one of the mos...
Apr 24, 2020•55 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Join Wander Woman Phoebe Smith as this month she stays in Britain to undertake a 300-mile kayak around the British waterways to highlight how easy it is to have an adventure close to home as well as to help her co-conspirator in adventure Dr John Pike raise money and awareness for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance; find out how to create your own home-grown expeditions with her hard-won travel hack; tour the isles, forests, mountains and coast of the UK as Phoebe reveals the top 10 British Escapes...
Jan 26, 2020•52 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Join Wander Woman Phoebe Smith as this month she takes a cargo boat along Quebec's isolated Lower North Shore, in Canada, a place that relies of a ship to deliver goods and people between 12 remote communities; find out how to stay on the road for longer with her hard-won travel hack; open your mind as Phoebe reveals the top 10 most mythical creatures said to roam the earth - and explains where to see them; meet Roberto Klabin, of Brazil's Caiman Ecological Refuge, as he tells how he's trying to...
Nov 17, 2019•43 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Join Wander Woman Phoebe Smith as this month she goes walking with the ancestors in Tasmania, a place where, until the 70s all of the aboriginal people were said – incorrectly - to have been wiped out; find out how to get the best deal on a flight for your next trip with her hard-won travel hack; prepare to be awed as Phoebe counts down the top 10 natural phenomena in the world and where to see them; meet Professor Peter Harrison who talks sex… on the Great Barrier Reef, in a mission to save the...
Oct 20, 2019•54 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Join Wander Woman Phoebe Smith as she goes bog hiking in Estonia - a far cry from the stag parties and football hooligans usually associated with Tallinn. Learn how to pack like a pro with her hard won travel hack; walk this way as she reveals the best long distance paths in the world; meet Dr Guy Stevens, the man trying to save manta rays in the Maldives: find the perfect gloves for your travels thanks to Rohan; go underground with author of new book Underland - Robert Macfarlane; and meet our ...
Jul 31, 2019•52 min•Season 1Ep. 3
