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PODCAST

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast

Chris Christensen

Since 2005, Amateur Traveler has been talking about different destinations every week. It covers destinations all over the world with an emphasis on culturally rich travel. Learn more about your world. Amateur Traveler won its creator, Chris Christensen, a Travel+Leisure award as the "best independent travel journalist" and entry into the "Podcast Hall of Fame."

society & culture places & travel

All Episodes

57:05

AT#963 - Travel to Marseille and Provence

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/09/27

Hear about travel to Marseille and Provence in France as the Amateur Traveler talks again to Audra Morris of The Nerd Traveler about her visit to France's second-largest city.Why should someone travel to Marseille and Provence? Audra says, "Marseille in Provence is the oldest town in France. It has got 2,600 years of history. It does have a reputation of being a little bit edgy, a little bit gritty, so it's one of those, under-the-radar kind of places. It's a beautiful place to have a home base

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63:51

AT#962 - Travel to the Northern South Island of New...

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/09/20

Hear about travel to the top half of New Zealand's South Island as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane from Jonty Travels about his adopted country.Why should you visit the top half of New Zealand's South Island? Jonty says that this area has "spectacular scenery, natural hot springs, beautiful beaches, world-class vineyards, and whale watching". Jonty suggests a two-week road trip (with additional optional side trips, particularly for multi-day hikes) starting in Christchurch and looping

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50:49

AT#961 - Adventure Travel in the Solomon Islands

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/09/13

Hear about travel to Solomon Islands as the Amateur Traveler talks to Chris Shorrock from Travel Obscure about his adventurous trip in these remote Pacific islands.Why should you go to the Solomon Islands? Chris says, "There's lots of reasons. One of the reasons we didn't really focus on World War II history. One of my big reasons for going was it's an adventurous destination and I like an adventurous destination. There's not many people going on holiday to the Solomons, so that was one of the

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50:17

AT#960 - Budget Travel to the Galapagos Islands

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/09/06

Hear about travel to the Galapagos Islands as the Amateur Traveler talks to Michael from Rochester about doing this bucket list trip as a budget traveler.Why should you go to the Galapagos? Michael says, "It is a world location that should not be missed. And you do not have to be an animal enthusiast or safari adventure type person. That certainly helps to have an open mind about ecology and conservation. The animals, the marine life, and their ecosystem. If you have the opportunity to witness it

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29:17

MT#9 - Night Trains in Europe

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/09/03

In this episode of the Amateur Traveler podcast, host Chris Christensen talks with Bart from Trip Tailor, a travel agent and former train steward who has been working with European rail for decades. Bart shares his deep knowledge of night trains in Europe, from their practical benefits to the romance of waking up in a new city. Why Night Trains? Bart explains that he first started working on night trains as a student job in the 1990s, and the appeal never left him. Compared to planes, night

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59:30

AT#959 - Road Trip in Oman

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/08/30

Hear about a road trip in Oman as the Amateur Traveler talks to Max Walton from Sloths with Latitude about the country he thinks is the best in the world.In this episode of the Amateur Traveler podcast, we explore a two-week road trip through Oman, a country offering dramatic mountains, turquoise wadis, pristine deserts, and a warm culture rooted in Ibadism. Max shares his favorite country in the world, guiding us through a self-drive adventure with a 4x4, rooftop tent, and plenty of memorable

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57:51

AT#958 - Travel to Turkmenistan

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/08/23

Hear about travel to Turkmenistan as the Amateur Traveler talks to Abdylla Geldiyev, Managing Director of Undiscovered Frontiers, about an itinerary for one week in this seldom-visited country in Central Asia.Turkmenistan remains one of the least explored destinations in the world. From Ashgabat, a city of Guinness World Records and futuristic white marble architecture, to ancient Silk Road cities and surreal desert landscapes, this itinerary combines history, archaeology, and natural

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83:06

AT#957 - Cruising the Peruvian Amazon with G Adventures

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/08/16

In this episode of the Amateur Traveler podcast, host Chris Christensen recounts his immersive experience cruising the Peruvian Amazon on a nine-day "Amazon Riverboat Adventure in Depth" with G Adventures. This small-group journey, involving ~24 travelers, offers a deep dive into the culture, biodiversity, and challenges of life in the Amazon Basin.The trip began in Lima, Peru, and then took the group via domestic flight to Iquitos, one of the world’s most isolated cities, accessible only by air

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41:15

AT#956 - Travel to Andorra

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/08/09

Hear about travel to the tiny country of Andorra as the Amateur Traveler talks to musician Eli Lev about this small country in the Pyrenees Mountains, where he lived for three years.Why should you go to Andorra? Eli says, "I just fell in love with the country. First of all, it's in the middle of these magnificent mountains of the Pyrenees, so that means in winter you've got skiing, snowboarding, Aper ski, lots of festivities. Beautiful. In the summer, you've got these incredible hikes and a

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54:41

AT#955 - Travel the Silk Road in Gansu, China

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/08/02

Hear about travel to the Silk Road as the Amateur Traveler talks about his recent trip to the Gansu province of China, Buddhist Grottos, stunning landscapes, barren deserts, and the original Great Wall of China.More than 2,000 years ago, Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty sent his prodigy general Huo Qubing to seize the Hexi Corridor from the Xiongnu nomads, founding four fortified outposts—Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, and Dunhuang—that anchored the eastern Silk Road. Centuries later, the monk Xuanzang

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59:23

AT#954 - Travel to China (Beijing and Gannan)

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/07/26

Hear about travel to Beijing, China, and the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Gansu) as the Amateur Traveler discusses the first half of a recent press trip to China, sponsored by the Chinese Tourism Board.Seven days let you pair Beijing’s imperial centers and Great Wall with the yak‑grazed valleys, monasteries, and soaring limestone of Gannan—history and highlands in a single, unforgettable loop. Morning Land at PEK or PKX before noon. A pre‑booked car or the Airport Express gets you

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60:54

AT#953 - Travel to Suriname

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/07/19

Hear about travel to Suriname as the Amateur Traveler talks to Mike Power from SmallOfTheRoad.blogspot.com about his recent trip to this South American country.Why should you go to Suriname? Mike says, "It's an undiscovered little gem. I'm just surprised it's not more popular. The number one draw there would be nature and ecotourism. There's a ton to see. As much as 95% of the country is covered in rainforest. And so ecotourism and the wildlife, especially a lot of birds, monkeys, etc. The second

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72:10

AT#833 - Travel to the Peloponnese, Greece (Repeat)

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/07/12

Hear about travel to the Peloponnese Peninsula in Greece as the Amateur Traveler talks to travel writer Sally Jane Smith about a great alternative to visiting the Greek Islands.Sally Jane says, “The thing is that most visitors go to Greece. They go to Athens, and then they tend to go straight to the islands. And Greece has hundreds of islands. The ones that most visitors go to are the resort-style islands of Santorini and Mykonos. Don’t get me wrong, these are incredible places, but they tend to

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66:49

AT#952 - Travel to Samoa

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/07/05

Hear about travel to the island nation of Samoa as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane from Jonty Travels about his recent trip biking around the country.Why should you go to Samoa? Jonty says, "Samoa is a small island in the Pacific. If you imagine a tropical Pacific paradise, then something like Samoa would probably spring to mind in terms of palm trees along a beautiful sandy beach with snorkeling opportunities and some diving opportunities. The Samoan culture is very interesting. It is

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58:45

AT#951 - Travel to Northern Iceland

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/06/28

Hear about travel to Northern Iceland as the Amateur Traveler talks to Monika from PlanPackExplorer.com about her recent trip through the center of Iceland to the less-visited northern part of the country.Why should you visit Northern Iceland? Monika says, "I'm a self-proclaimed Iceland lover. I went there for the first time in 2022, by accident, which is a long story, but we ended up in Iceland, and literally after six days, started planning the second trip. Then we went back. I went back the

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75:06

AT#950 - Rafting the Grand Canyon with Western River...

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/06/21

Hear about rafting the Grand Canyon for seven days as the Amateur Traveler talks about this bucket list trip sponsored by Western River Expeditions.In this solo (but not really solo) episode of Amateur Traveler, host Chris Christensen recounts a seven-day rafting adventure down the Grand Canyon with Western River Expeditions — a journey filled with whitewater rapids, red rock cliffs, side canyon hikes, waterfalls, fossils, ancient ruins, and meaningful encounters with fellow travelers.

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46:16

AT#949 - Travel to the French Riviera

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/06/14

Hear about travel to the French Riviera as the Amateur Traveler talks to travel writer and children's book author Kimberley Lovato about this region where she has had a pied-à-terre for years.Why should you go to the French Riviera? Kimberley says, "Certainly for people who love great hotels and Michelin star food and gorgeous scenery, you know what's not to love? We have the Cannes Film Festival. But, if you love beaches, hiking, and museums, I hate the cliche 'there's something for everyone',

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45:07

AT#948 - Espírito Santo, Brazil

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/06/07

Hear about travel to Espírito Santo, Brazil, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Fuse from Fuse Travels about her family's homeland.Why should you travel to Espírito Santo? Fuse says, "It is way more affordable than Rio, just as pretty, as far as beaches. It is underrated. So you're not gonna go sightseeing and have a swarm of tourists. You really get a feel of local culture. There's some amazing cuisine. Espírito Santo is diverse geography." Fuse suggests a rich and varied itinerary for a visit to

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54:03

AT#947 - Travel to Brunei and Sabah on Borneo

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/05/31

Hear about travel to Brunei and Sabah on the island of Borneo as the Amateur Traveler talks to Max Walton about his recent trip to these contrasting locations.Why should you go to Brunei and Sabah? Max says, "It's one of the least visited regions in the area. I think in 2023, only 133,000 people visited. It's not many at all. This also offers a different side of Southeast Asia. I know a lot of people go to Vietnam, Thailand, even Bali, Indonesia, but Brunei is the only absolute monarchy in the

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75:33

AT#946 - Travel to Abitibi-Témiscamingue in Quebec

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast ·

2025/05/24

Hear about travel to the region of Abitibi-Témiscamingue in Quebec as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jennifer Doré Dallas from Chasing Poutine about this out of the way road trip.Why should you go to Abitibi-Témiscamingue? Jennifer says, "Most people don't really know about it outside of Quebec. But in our province, it's really well known, especially for nature. It's a true paradise for nature lovers. It's also historical, bringing us back to log driving and fur trading times. I'll take you from

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94 results

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