The Amateur Traveler talks to Audrey Scott and Daniel Noll about their recent trip to Bangladesh. Bangladesh is the most densely populated country, but all those people are one of Bangladesh's strengths."

Amateur Traveler Podcast (2011 archives)

AT#309 - Travel to Bangladesh

The Amateur Traveler talks to well-known travel writer / editor Don George about his first visit to the Champagne region of France. Despite having lived in France after college, Don had never visited the area made so famous by the blind monk Dom Perignon and his sparkling wine. Don discovered a beautiful agricultural area and learned the secret to a good life is one bottle of Champagne a day.

AT#308 - Travel to the Champagne Region of France

The Amateur Traveler talks to Mike about his recent trip to Kazakhstan.  He explored this large area on a backpacker's budget.  Kazakhstan is the 9th biggest country in the world. "In the very West end of the country you have old mosques. In the new capital Astana you have futuristic buildings."

AT#307 - Travel to Kazakhstan

The Amateur Traveler talks to Colm Hanratty from HostelWorld.com about Dublin, Ireland. Colm has been living working and studying in Dublin for the last 17 years.    “Dublin is the gateway to Ireland. It is a very welcoming city. It is a very compact city. You can see the main sites and the more off the beaten track sites in about 3 days."

AT#306 - Travel to Dublin, Ireland

The Amateur Traveler talks to Shannon Martin from Two Who Travel about her hometown of Tampa Bay (and St Petersburg) Florida. Shannon recommends the Tamp Bay area for a beach vacation, possible combined with a trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando.

AT#305 - Travel to Tampa, Florida

The Amateur Traveler talks to Jessie Voigts from Wandering Educators about County Kerry and the Ring of Kerry in Ireland. County Kerry is a popular tourist region in Ireland.

AT#304 - Travel to The RIng of Kerry in Ireland

The Amateur Traveler talks to Matt Long from LandLopers.com about his recent trip to St. Kitts (officially part of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis) which is part of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. Matt was on a press trip to the Marriott resort on the island.

AT#303 - Travel to St. Kitts

The Amateur Traveler talks to Alan from Jacksonville about St. Augustine Florida which is the oldest continually inhabited European settlement in what is now the United States. St. Augustine was founded in 1565 and is 42 years older than Jamestown.

AT#302 - Travel to St. Augustine, Florida

Chihuahua is also known for the beautiful Cooper Canyon which is best seen from the train that transverses it. Copper Canyon is a popular tourist destination with Mexicans. Copper Canyon is larger and portions are deeper than the Grande Canyon.

AT#301 - Travel to Chihuahua, Mexico with Photographer Ralph Velasco

The Amateur Traveler talks to Ira Berstein again, this time about the Canadian Provence of Quebec. Ira suggests seeing both Montreal and Quebec City because of the contrasts in the two major cities in this French-speaking part of Canada.Ira would personally recommend spending more time in Montreal but would understand those who like Quebec city better. Montreal is an international city with more than just French and English influence, all of which add their influence to a lively restaurant scene. Montreal sits on the Saint Lawrence River and at the base on Mount Royal from which it derives its name.Quebec City is possibly the most European city in North America and one of the only walled cities. The city is so popular with American’s that we tried to capture it during both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Le Chateau Frontenac dominates the Quebec skyline as it has for more than 100 years.

AT#300 - Travel to Quebec, Canada

The Amateur Traveler talks to Francis Tapon about European Russia west of the Ural Mountains. Most people only know 2 cities in Russia – Moscow and St Petersburg. In St Petersburg he recommends the Hermitage and the Peterhof. Moscow is so central culturally to Russia that the trains all run on Moscow time across the 9 timezones of Russia. Francis extends the suggested itinerary to include Kazan and Kaliningrad. Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan which is a mostly Muslim area of Russia. Kazan is over 1000 years old. Kazan is right by the Volga river with a large mosque and classic cathedral. Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave in what used to be East Prussia.

AT#299 - Travel to European Russia

The Amateur Traveler talks to Bethany of the Nevada Tourism Bureau about Lake Tahoe. Lake Tahoe is a high elevation alpine lake on the border of California and Nevada. It is surrounded by 18 ski areas so it is a popular winter destination. In the winter it is also a great place for back country hiking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. In the Summer, Tahoe is a popular area for hiking, fishing and outdoor activities. But, there is another side to Tahoe which is the casinos, restaurants, and entertainment of Nevada's South Tahoe.

AT#298 - Travel to Lake Tahoe in California and Nevada

The Amateur Traveler talks to Phil Smy about his second home in Kyoto, Japan."Japan is organized and meticulous and perfect. Kyoto is the number one tourist destination outside of Tokyo in Japan.  The former capital of ancient Japan, it is history and I think you get a real sense of Japan's psyche by going to Kyoto."Phil talks about the temples, palace, geisha culture, and food of Kyoto.

AT#297 - Travel to Kyoto, Japan

The Amateur Traveler talks to travel blogger Candice Walsh about St Johns and her her home province of Newfoundland (and Labrador). "In my opinion Newfoundland is maybe the most underrated unappreciated province in Canada".

AT#296 - Travel to Newfoundland, Canada

The Amateur Traveler talks to Robert Reid from Lonely Planet about his home state of Oklahoma. Robert recommends when you are driving through Oklahoma on your great American road trip you get off the interstate and explore for a few days. From the hills and woods of Eastern Oklahoma, to the tall grass prairies, to the oldest mountains in the United States (The Wichita Mountains) Oklahoma has more variety than you might have guessed from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical of the same name. Even the shape of the state holds clues to its unusual history. It is a state shaped by treaties made and broken with the Native Americans and by slavery and the Compromise of 1850. Its people are influenced by its history, its oil, its tornadoes, and of course its football. Ever a storyteller, Robert talks about African American towns, football upsets, buffalo, songwriters, authors, cowboy poets, onion burgers and Route 66.

AT#295 - Travel to Oklahoma with Robert Reid from Lonely Planet

Amateur Traveler is an award winning audio travel show that focuses primarily on the question: "where should you go next and what should you see, do and eat there?". Amateur Traveler won its creator Chris Christensen a Travel+Leisure SMITTY award as the best independent travel journalist and a Society of American Travel Writers Lowell Thomas Award. It is also used to teach English at Oxford University.

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Amateur Traveler Podcast (2011 archives)

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