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 a Viking Ocean Bay of Bengal Cruise to 5 countries from Bangkok to Mumbai as the Amateur Traveler talks to travel writer Elsa Dixon about this East Asia sampler cruise.
https://amateurtraveler.com/bay-of-bengal-cruise/
The Viking Ocean Bay of Bengal Cruise travels to 5 different countries: Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and India. What Elsa loved about this cruise was experiencing diverse and exotic cultures, including music, food, temples, architecture, and ceremonies in the Bay of Bengal region.
The cruise started in Bangkok, Thailand where Elsa and her travel companion did the typical city tour which included the Royal Palace, the Reclining Budha, and the Chao Phraya River. The cruise also offered more demanding walking tours, cooking classes, river cruises, and flower market tours. It also offered a full-day visit to Ayutthaya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On Viking, there is always at least one free shore excursion as well as some with additional costs.
The cruise stopped again in Thailand on the Island of Koh Samui. The sightseeing tour visited Wat Phra Yai, the Smiling Buddha Temple. Or you can hang out on a beautiful tropical beach.
In Singapore, Elsa explored different cultural neighborhoods like Little India, the Arab Quarter, and Chinatown. Her traveling companion did a walking tour that explored the Peranakan culture which is a mixture of Chinese and Malay/Indonesian cultures.
In Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Elsa was able to visit the colorful Batu Caves temple complex, the National Monument, the old British Railway Station, and the twin Petronas Towers.
The cruise also stopped in George Town in Malaysia where shore excursions include more temples, trishaw tours, and a visit to the Orangutan Island.
In Colombo, Sri Lanka, Elsa toured the old town, the Galle Fort, and attended a cultural evening at the Gallface Hotel where she watched the Sri Lanka dances. One of the other tours offered was a trip up to the high country to explore the tea culture.
In India, the cruise stopped in both Goa and Mumbai. She enjoyed the Portuguese influences in Goa but really felt like she was in India while touring the crowded bustling city of Mumbai. In Mumbai, she toured the markets at the Gateway to India, Dhobi Ghat, the Hanging Gardens and Kamala Nehru Park, and the Mumbai residence of Mahatma Gandhi.
The cruise had a number of days at sea that were filled with talks and cultural presentations about the region.
Elsa continued her trip with a land tour of the "Golden Triangle" Mumbai, Jaipur, and Agra. She visited historical sites, observed local customs, and marveled at architectural wonders like the Amber Fort (Jaipur) and the Taj Mahal (Agra).
If you are looking for a cruise that allows you to sample some of the countries around the Bay of Bengal, Viking River offers luxurious adventure.