AT#887 - Travel to Kyushu Japan
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about a 7-day itinerary for the island of Kyushu, Japan as the Amateur Traveler talks to Adeline Kuroki, the owner of Saver and Soak travel company about her adopted home in southern Japan. Why should you go to Kyushu? Adeline says, "I think there's so many things to do there. Also, it's a great way to get off the beaten path away from a lot of other tourists. Japan. For good reason, it's definitely very popular. It's easy to fly into Tokyo and so many people want to go and visit Kyoto, Osaka, and a lot of those really popular areas that are really starting to suffer from a lot of...
info_outline
AT#886 - Travel to Northern Tasmania
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about travel to Northern Tasmania as the Amateur Traveler talks to Paula Barnes from trulyexpattravel.com about an unexpected visit to this popular region. https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-northern-tasmania/ Why should you go to Northern Tasmania? Paula says, "Firstly, it's because it's now classed as 1 of the 50 cities that is the City of Gastronomy. Australia has 2. We have 1 in Bendigo but we also now have 1 in Launceston and it's a foodie's paradise. It's also an amazing landscape and it's an adventure area. I thought this part of the world had Queenstown in New Zealand,...
info_outline
AT#885 - Travel to Poland (Warsaw, Krakow and Poznan)
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about travel to Poland as the Amateur Traveler talks to Sharon Kurtz from sharonkkurtz.com about her recent trip exploring the culture and food of Warsaw, Krakow, and Poznan. show notes - https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-poland-warsaw-krakow-and-poznan Sharon says, "It is a beautiful country. It's a blend of history that goes back to the tenth century. And then it has sad history, World War II, and then they were occupied by the Soviets and got their independence in 1989. And some people seem to have this feeling that they're gray and it's sad and dark, and nothing could be further...
info_outline
AT#884 - Dublin to Cork Road Trip in Southeastern Ireland
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about a week-long road trip from Dublin to Cork through southeastern Ireland as the Amateur Traveler talks to Amber Hagerty from AmberEverywhere.com about this out-of-the-way corner of Ireland. https://amateurtraveler.com/dublin-to-cork-road-trip-in-southeastern-ireland/ Day 1: Dublin to Wicklow Morning: Arrive in Dublin and explore the city. Visit Bar 1661 for the best Irish coffee and Trinity College to admire the campus. Afternoon: Indulge in some delicious ice cream at Murphy's on Wicklow Street in Temple Bar. Evening: Rent a car and drive south to Bray. Enjoy a stroll along the...
info_outline
AT#883 - Germany Road Trip to 9 UNESCO Cities
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about a German road trip to 9 UNESCO Cities as the Amateur Traveler talks to Renee Hannes from dreamplanexperience.com about her exploration of the land of her ancestors. https://amateurtraveler.com/germany-road-trip-to-9-unesco-cities/ Renee says, "I just returned from living in Berlin for 3 months. So had an opportunity to make a little bit of a longer trip and was there with my husband and dog and lived in Berlin and I had a good chance to be able to see the city and lots of other places around it. I had this long list of places on my to-do list. I think like most travelers, I become...
info_outline
AT#784 - Travel to Zaragoza, Spain (Repeat)
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about travel to Zaragoza as the Amateur Traveler talks to Cat Driver about this historic but under-visited region of Spain. https://amateurtraveler.com/things-to-do-in-zaragoza-spain/ Cat says, "Every time I have said to people that I lived in Spain and they asked me where and I say Zaragoza, I usually just get a blank stare and then I have to explain it. Zaragoza is between Barcelona and Madrid almost exactly. I was teaching English there. I decided on Zaragoza because it had everything I wanted. It was very local, not much English so I'd be forced to learn Spanish. The...
info_outline
AT#882 - Travel to the Island of Malta
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about travel to the island nation of Malta as Chris Christensen, the Amateur Traveler, tells about a recent week-long trip to the island at the center of the Mediterranean Sea. https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-the-island-of-malta/ Why should you visit Malta? Malta is an amazing island country with a rich history and spectacular scenery. The one-week itinerary for Malta includes the following highlights: Sunday: Take a harbor cruise around Valletta. Pick up a 7-day bus pass, if you are getting around by public transportation Explore Valletta a UNESCO city, and visit the Upper...
info_outline
AT#881 - Travel to Croatia's Istrian Peninsula
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about travel to Croatia's Istrian Peninsula as the Amateur Traveler talks to Olivia from inspiredbycroatia.com about her adopted country. https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-croatias-istrian-peninsula/ Why should you go to the Istrian Peninsula? Olivia says, "I think that Istria is still a little bit underrated. Personally, I like to Talk about it as this like a fairytale like region. It has quite a strong Italian heritage somewhat reminiscent of Tuscany, but with a Croatian flair It's filled with these emerald green hills dotted with medieval villages throughout the food there is...
info_outline
AT#880 - Travel to Tokyo Japan
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about travel to Tokyo as the Amateur Traveler talks to Matthew Jasek from The Nerd Tourist about one of his favorite, if nerdy, cities. https://amateurtraveler.com/otaku-guide-to-tokyo-japan/ Day 1: Arrival and Food Tour Afternoon: Arrive in Tokyo and check into your hotel. Evening: Join a food tour or find a local guide to visit a traditional Japanese restaurant. Explore the dining culture with the help of a guide who can navigate through nuances. Day 2: Tsukiji Outer Market and Senso-ji Morning: Visit Tsukiji Outer Market for a variety of food stalls. Try grilled eel and other...
info_outline
AT#879 - Travel to the Exumas, Bahamas
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about travel to the Exumas in the Bahamas as the Amateur Traveler talks to Tessie from TravelingTessie.com about these sundrenched islands she has fallen in love with. https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-the-exumas-bahamas/ Why should someone go to the Exumas? Tessie says, "It's a perfect destination if obviously, you enjoy the beach. But the beaches, they're very unique because they're really unspoiled. And there's not a lot of crowds. So if someone's interested in that, it's a really great destination for that, but it's also great for people with kids, for bachelorette couples, and...
info_outlineHear about things to do in Transylvania in Romania as the Amateur Traveler talks to Ela Palmer from WhereNextNomad.com about this historic and beautiful place that has much more to offer than Dracula stories.
https://amateurtraveler.com/things-to-do-in-transylvania/
Ela starts this itinerary in Bucharest but immediately hops a train to Sinaia, a beautiful mountain town in the Bussegi Mountains. Sinaia is known for its stunning fall colors and is home to two magnificent castles from the Romanticism movement of the 1800s, Peles Castle and Pelesor Castle. You can explore these castles, enjoy the charming town, and visit the 17th-century Sinaia Monastery.
After Sinaia, you can take a train to Brasov, a city in Transylvania that Ela fell in love with.
Brasov offers a variety of museums, and Ela suggests getting a ticket that allows access to 11 different museums in the area. Some notable museums include the Black Church, the Museum of Ethnography, the Museum of Urban Civilization, and more. The Black Church is known for its display of Turkish rugs donated by Saxon guilds in Brasov. Saxons were brought to the region to aid in the defense against the Ottoman Turks.
Brasov serves as a convenient base for hiking in the surrounding mountains, with cable cars available for easy access to stunning viewpoints and rock formations. Poiana Brasov, a ski resort located about 20 minutes from Brasov, is recommended for both skiing and hiking. Ela mentions enjoying hikes between Tampa and Poiana Brasov.
The best-known site in the area is Bran Castle. Ela does think this stunning castle is worth seeing. The castle is sometimes called Dracula's Castle but has little historical connection to Vlad Dracula who was an actual Transylvanian ruler. Ela advises against visiting during Halloween due to crowds.
Sighișoara is a smaller city compared to Brasov. It is a complete Saxon citadel with medieval streets, towers, and museums. Ela recommends the the Mystical Transylvania Museum where you can learn more about the actual Vlad Dracula and decide for yourself if he is a hero or villain.
The Carpathian Mountains and heavily forested Transylvania surrounding Brasov are home to one of the largest bear populations in Europe. Ela shares their experience of bear watching from a hide near Zărnești.
Ela suggests continuing the journey to other places like Cluj or visiting the Turda Salt Mines.
This region of Romania has become one of Ela's favorite places in Europe. See if you don't respond the same to the mountains, forests, castles, and picturesque cities of Transylvania.