Caribbean on a Budget Part Two
Travel Tales From Beyond The Brochure
Hello :) Back in June 2025 I travelled to the Caribbean for the first time, along with my regular travel companion Laura. Now, one might ask, why is a non-swimming easily-bored less-than-aesthetic enby with Celtic skin (and all the sun resistance *that* doesn't entail) spending two weeks in the Caribbean? Wasn't four days in Maldives enough to satisfy the tropical beach itch? Well, apparently not. Apart from getting to 100 Countries in 50 Years, we were interested to see if it were even possible to travel independently, slowly, and locally, through the region they way most holidaymakers don't....
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Caribbean on a Budget Part One
Travel Tales From Beyond The Brochure
Hello :) Back in June 2025 I travelled to the Caribbean for the first time, along with my regular travel companion Laura. Now, one might ask, why is a non-swimming easily-bored less-than-aesthetic enby with Celtic skin (and all the sun resistance *that* doesn't entail) spending two weeks in the Caribbean? Wasn't four days in Maldives enough to satisfy the tropical beach itch? Well, apparently not. Apart from getting to 100 Countries in 50 Years, we were interested to see if it were even possible to travel independently, slowly, and locally, through the region they way most holidaymakers don't....
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100 Countries In 50 Years
Travel Tales From Beyond The Brochure
Hello :) So, in August I hit both my 100th country and my 50th birthday - I arrived in Norway with three days to spare. Given these two momentous milestones, I figured it made sense to do a podcast that covered, well, at least my country count. We don't need to talk about my ever-advancing age. I had originally planned to do a pod looking at each of my countries by first visit, and a brief synopsis of how I felt on that first visit. But then I realised that would take quite a long time, would feel a tad repetitive, and would get quite boring really. So instead I got my friend V to ask me...
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Five Days In South India
Travel Tales From Beyond The Brochure
Hello :) Laura has been bugging me to talk about our trip to India earlier this year for a while, and because Past Me was always intending to pod it, they did travel diary voice recordings on a near-daily basis to provide a basic framework, or in fact to just use as the pod. Anyway, the trip was across a little of Southern India, starting in Kochi and taking in the Kerala Backwaters, an overnight train, and the two temple-centric cities of Madurai and Thanjavur. This had us visiting the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Due to the nature of the recordings, quality cannot be guaranteed to be...
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Do You Remember The First Time?
Travel Tales From Beyond The Brochure
Hello :) This episode is the first example of something new I'm going to develop - storytelling vignettes. Three or four little pieces, connected only by the vaguest of theme, telling little stories about my travel past that are too short for a full episode. Over time I hope they'll develop and become much more 'storylike' rather than what feel like 5-10 minute podcast extracts. The three vignettes this time are: * My first international backpacking adventure (1994) * My first backpacker hostel experience (2012 or maybe not) * My first flight (1986) . As always, if you have anything to say...
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How Not To Run An UltraMarathon
Travel Tales From Beyond The Brochure
Hello :) This episode (a bit delayed) is all about the Ultramarathon I entered and attempted in May 2025. It is, very much, an example of 'I do these things so you don't have to'. Topics discussed in this episode are: * Why I thought about doing an Ultra-Marathon * What *is* an ultra-marathon anyway? * How I trained for my ultra, and how you *should* train for an ultra * Obligatory kit to take on an ultra, and why you need it * How I felt running the first half of the ultra * () * How I felt running the second half of the ultra * How I physically felt having finished the ultra * Food and...
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"Tourist or Traveller": a chat with Amanda Kendle
Travel Tales From Beyond The Brochure
Hello :) A month or so ago, Amanda Kendle had a natter with me, so she could make an episode of her Thoughtful Travel Podcast. Now that's gone live, I'm using the same interview to make my own version. We chatted for about 100 minutes in total - both our episodes are edited highlights! The discussion we had was a general one around travel, framed by a Buzzfeed quiz she found online. Because we're both Gen-X and still surf the web like it's 2007. But we used the questions to delve (a great word, sadly much maligned) deeper into the subjects raised. Topics discussed in this episode are: *...
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Comfort Zones, or: "Their 'Nope' Might Be Your Tuesday"
Travel Tales From Beyond The Brochure
Hello :) So, this podcast is all about comfort zones, primarily but not exclusively, in travel. I look at what they are, why people stay in them, how you can break them comfortably, and talk about times I've broken my own comfort zones, with both good and bad outcomes. Because that's what makes good travel experiences, right? Topics discussed in this episode are: * The British Guild of Travel Writers AGM * Standing on a stage, barefoot and vulnerable, reading teenage diaries * What is a comfort zone? * Language and culture are comfort zones to many * Personal Identity * Don't you just love...
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Maldives on a Budget
Travel Tales From Beyond The Brochure
Hello :) In March 2025, me and my travel buddy Laura surprisingly went to Maldives for four nights. Given I'm a budget backpacker who can't swim and gets bored easily, we figured it would make a great concept for a podcast. Very few people think of Maldives as a budget backpacker destination, and we thought we'd talk about how we managed to visit without spending the world. Topics discussed in this episode are: * Why on earth would I go to Maldives * Maldives is small, flat, hot, and ... full of Russians? * Budget travel around Maldives * - mainly on the beach * Budget accommodation in...
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Festivals (Music and Beer)
Travel Tales From Beyond The Brochure
Hello :) This podcast is on Festivals, and as we're coming up to the season where people are likely planning their summer, this feels quite pertinent. It came off the back of my episode from last year about Travelling For Music, where I got a couple of contribs that made me think a dedicated episode on festivals would be a good idea. Topics discussed in this episode are: * The weather in 2012 * The delights of camping * My history of attenting festivals (, , ) * Music festivals in town centres * Local beer festivals * The Great British Beer Festival * Volunteering at festivals * The...
info_outlineHello :)
This is the recording of the sixth Twitter Spaces that I did with my friend V. This particular recording also saw a fair contribution from a Miranda, a mutual Tweep who lives in Netherlands.
This edition is on Solo Travel; I usually travel on my own and here I explain why, and whether there are any problems associated with that - especially with relevence to my Mental Health or Personal Safety. We also discuss the benefits and malefits of group travel, whether my experiences of solo travel would be different if I presented differently, and why I'm very unlikely to ever be taken in by a cult..
Usual disclaimer, be aware this conversation took place over the phone and is recorded via my computer's internal audio card, so the quality won't be as great as my normal podcast episodes. In fact, when I was editing it I realised it sounded pretty variable and dodgy. Blame Twitter for not allowing me to do Spaces through my computer.
Topics discussed include:
* Why I travel alone (planning, last minute travel, unusual places)
* "I go to these places so you don't have to" - vicarious travelling
* Travelling with me is a veritable pot of chaos
* How travelling with someone is hard from both people's point of view
* Being scared to travel solo, and social anxiety
* Places I wouldn't travel alone - mainly for admin reasons
* Feeling like a minor celebrity in a different country
* Dealing with language issues while travelling solo abroad
* How I tend to ignore scams
* Ways in which I don't get bored when I travel long distances
* What's it's been like travelling with companions
* Not keeping in touch with people you meet while travelling
* Six Degrees of Separation, and how it both helps and hinders travel vibe
* My feelings about full group travel; party buses, middle-class coach tours, & cruising
* Worries about being sick or having accidents
* The hidden expenses of solo travel
* Female solo travel safety, & how safety is often relative and personally-specific
* How someone should start if they want to travel solo but never have
I was interviewed by the lovely Victoria, but you can call her V.
A PDF transcript of this episode will be available shortly.
As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. You can also sign up to my newsletter and find out about future podcasts and recent blog posts.
I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.
Until next time, bye for now. :)