The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

293 Citizen Science for Travellers

26 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many of us like to “do good” when we travel, and getting involved in some kind of citizen science program when we travel is a fantastic way to do ...

292 Ethical Animal Experiences on Your Travels

30 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Getting animal experiences right when we travel is something we can all try hard to do - checking ahead of time whether the ways we might be about to ...

291 Things Going Wrong on Our Travels

08 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There is, apparently, no end to the appetite of both me and my listeners to hear stories about things going wrong on our travels. It’s not that we w...

Book Club 18: Travel as a Political Act by Rick Steves

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the March 2023 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, talking about Travel as...

290 Kununurra and Seven Years of Podcasting

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Happy 7th birthday to The Thoughtful Travel Podcast! This is a special episode with a few interesting tidbits about the podcast, inspired by members o...

289 Behind the Scenes of Travel Media and Public Relations

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What really goes on behind the scenes of travel writers, content creators and podcasters, and their counterparts in the tourism and travel industry, p...

288 Is Volunteer Tourism Good or Bad?

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It'd be great if any time we took ourselves travelling and volunteered somewhere that it was a purely good act. The problem is, of course, that we are...

287 Not Your Typical Cruise

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I don't think I'm the kind of traveller who's going to board a five-thousand-passenger cruise ship any time soon. But when I chatted with these three ...

286 Melbourne, Victoria, and Sports Travel

21 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of my very favourite cities anywhere is Melbourne, Australia. It's a city I seriously considering moving to when I returned from living abroad, an...

285 Thoughtful Travel to Hawaii - Island Wisdom by Kainoa Daines and Annie Daly

13 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I've always wanted to get to Hawai'i some day - but now I know why I haven't made it yet. I needed to read this brilliant book first! This episode of ...

284 Letting Go of Expectations on Your Travels

07 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We know that having expectations can often set us up for disappointment - and many thoughtful travellers will also know that letting go of these expec...

283 Antarctic Travel

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's the season for Antarctic travel - but should we really encourage Antarctic tourism? That's the question I had in mind when I chatted with Justin ...

Book Club 16: Peel Me A Lotus by Charmian Clift

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the 2022 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, talking about Peel Me A Lotus...

282 Friendships Made While Travelling

04 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Friendships made while travelling are some of the best friendships of all, right? I think the kind of person we act as while we travel is closer to ou...

Book Club 15: Sovietistan by Erika Fatland

27 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the December 2021 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, talking about Soviet...

281 Regenerative and Sustainable Travel

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We all see the headlines about how travelling is bad for the earth - and yet I know my podcast listeners also agree that travel is so very good for us...

Book Club 14: A Beginner's Guide to Japan by Pico Iyer

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the October 2021 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, talking about A Begin...

280 Western Australia - Thoughtful Travels in 2022

05 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I'm one lucky gal. Work and being (suddenly!) the parent of a high school kid has kept me from too many big trips this year - along with the after-eff...

279 Travels Along the LGBTQIA+ Rainbow

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For many kinds of travellers who belong to some kind of minority - even large minorities! - the experience of travel can be quite different to the mai...

278 Saying Yes to Invitations from Locals

24 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What happens if you just say yes? When we travel, there are times that an interaction with a local person offers us something a bit off the beaten pat...

277 Languages and Connection

17 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A human connection - whether it’s brief and in passing, or deeper and more lasting, is a wonderful side product of travelling in another country. Th...

276 Walking the Cape to Cape Track in Western Australia with Catherine Marshall

10 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Cape to Cape Track has loomed iconically in my mind for many years, although its location down in the south-west corner of Western Australia means...

Book Club 17: The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn

03 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In July 2025 reports were published by The Observer (UK) suggesting significant parts of Raynor Winn’s story are untrue. This is a really sad de...

275 Kids Are Shaped By Travel

06 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

My own kid is twelve years old now, and thanks to the pandemic had spent more than two years without a trip outside his home state of Western Australi...

274 Dale Neill: Deep Dive into Thoughtful Travel

01 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dale Neill, photographer, traveller, teacher and all-round nice guy, is my guest for this special Deep Dive episode. I've known Dale for a decade or s...

273 Broome, Western Australia

29 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Broome in Western Australia is in my home state, but it’s over 2000km away, so earlier this year was the very first time I’d finally got t...

272 Travel Gives You Confidence

18 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you're hitchhiking, making new friends or buying a train ticket in India, all of these things take confidence. We talk often on The Thoug...

271 Six Years of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

13 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Can you believe this - because I almost can't - that The Thoughtful Travel Podcast turned six years old recently?! Unfortunately, my household were al...

270 Post-Pandemic Travel: What Will Change?

23 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I don’t think we’re at the post-pandemic stage yet, but we definitely seem to be at the stage where people are travelling a lot more - eve...

269 Working in Tourism and Travel

14 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Working in the tourism industry sounds like a dream, right? (Well, maybe not during a pandemic ...) But there's certainly something to be said for wor...

268 Finding Yourself in Danger on Your Travels

07 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Warnings of danger on our travels seem to be over-represented in the discussions people have before rips. Perhaps it’s the (understandable) fear...

267 Specialised Group Travel

31 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Are you a fan of group trips? Or are you, like me, more generally a keenly independent traveller who needs a very good reason to decide to take a grou...

266 LGBTQIA Travel

24 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How does travel differ for the LGBTQIA community? It's a question I've long pondered and in this episode I get to chat to four excellent guests to hea...

265 A Year Without Travel

17 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Happy new year! It’s 2022 and who really has any idea this year has in store for us - I’m sure we’ve now learned our lesson about ha...

264 Celebrity Encounters on Your Travels

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You mightn't think there's a place for tales of celebrity encounters on a podcast about thoughtful travel but I'm sure you'll listen to this episode a...

263 Travelling for Work: Can You Be A Thoughtful Traveller?

06 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Travelling for work can be very different to other kinds of travel, but when I had the chance to travel to south-west Western Australia to run worksho...

262 Josie Major and Debbie Clarke: Deep Dive into Thoughtful Travel

29 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's time for a deep dive and I absolutely loved getting to know the two women behind the GOOD Awaits podcast - New Zealanders Josie Major and Debbie ...

261 Languages and Accents

15 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hearing languages I can't understand is one of my favourite parts of travelling - it's one of the surest ways to feel I am away from home, exploring a...

260 Berlin: Travel Bringing History to Life

09 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

History, current events and politics are intrinsically interesting, but when you have the chance to travel to the places where important world events ...

259 Being Less Tourist, More Traveller

01 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Focusing away from the big tourist attractions and being more open to just seeing what comes your way when you travel is one way we can be “less...

258 Making Connections When We Travel

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Getting to meet all kinds of people is one of the best parts of travelling and this episode is full of stories of connecting with people in all kinds ...

257 Travel Writing World x The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

18 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this special collaborative episode, I chat with Jeremy Bassetti of the Travel Writing World Podcast. We talk about our most memorable and influenti...

256 Travel Teaches Us So Much

11 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Travel is fun, but even more, it teaches us so much. From life skills to personal development and even changing our fundamental personality, travel ha...

255 Vincie Ho: Deep Dive into Thoughtful Travel

04 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the fourth of my Deep Dive Into Thoughtful Travel interview episodes, I chat with Dr Vincie Ho, founder and executive director of the RISE Travel I...

254 Migrating to Australia

27 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The ultimate long trip is not a trip at all: migrating to another country has much in common with long-term travel, but then, you never go home. Episo...

253 Walking the World

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Walking is such a wonderful way to explore the world - it's a way to slow down, really look around you, often to get in touch with nature too, and it'...

252 Ethical Wildlife Tourism: Elephants Are Many Shades of Grey

30 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Should we ride elephants? (For me, the answer is definitely no.)  But did you know that at one stage, the offering of elephant rides was seen as ...

251 Penny Rafferty: Deep Dive Into Thoughtful Travel

23 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the third of my Deep Dive Into Thoughtful Travel interview episodes, I chat with Penny Rafferty in South Australia, with a wide-ranging discussion ...

Book Club 13: All the Way to the Tigers by Mary Morris

22 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the August 2021 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, talking about All the ...

250 Making Friends Through Podcasting

16 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's the semiquincentennial episode of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast (and listener Justin, who features in this episode, told me about that crazy word...

249 The Dangers of Elephants

09 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I’m usually talking about elephants in the sense of seeing them on safari, or of how we should ethically visit elephants in appropriate sanctuar...

248 Studying in Other Countries

02 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Studying in other countries isn't just about getting a qualification: oh no, it's SO much more! In Episode 248 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast I chat...

247 Benefits of Family Travel

26 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I've been raving about the benefits of travel with kids for many years now (almost my whole life!), and I loved putting together this episode about th...

246 James Mwenda: Deep Dive Into Thoughtful Travel

19 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In my second Deep Dive Into Thoughtful Travel interview episode, I speak with James Mwenda in Kenya - and I'm really excited to share our chat. For al...

245 What Does Thoughtful Travel Mean?

12 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

My definition of thoughtful travel has come a long way since I named this podcast over five years ago; I’ve also been excited to see a lot more ...

244 Transport Glitches

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Most of travel involves a flight, train or ferry ride, and things can go wrong - that's why Episode 244 is all about transport glitches when we travel...

243 JoAnna Haugen: Deep Dive Into Thoughtful Travel

28 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This month's special guest for a deep dive into thoughtful travel is JoAnna Haugen, founder of Rooted Storytelling. JoAnna has appeared in a couple of...

Book Club 12: Couchsurfing in Iran by Stephan Orth

24 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the June 2021 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, talking about Couchsurfi...

242 Meeting Kind Strangers

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When we travel, we are sometimes wary of strangers - but should we be? The stories in Episode 242 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast suggest we shouldn'...

241 Emotional Travel

31 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Some travel is for fun; other travel is for a huge range of reasons. And some travel turns out to be really emotional - that's the kind we are looking...

240 Behind the Scenes Again

24 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's a round-numbered episode so time for something different: this time I'm the one getting interviewed, and I answer questions about what happens be...

239 Street Art and Murals

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Wandering the world with your eyes wide open means you'll inevitably encounter some incredible street art and murals. My favourites (to date) have bee...

238 Travel for a Sporting Event

10 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Travelling to participate in a sporting event is a niche reason to travel that a surprisingly large number of travel lovers have experienced during th...

237 Being a Tourist at Home with Jenny Herbert

03 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You know I'm all about travelling more thoughtfully and purposefully - and you might find it strange that I'm talking in Episode 237 with the author o...

236 Covid Thoughts from Western Australia in May 2021

01 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's nearly a year since I recorded an episode about how Covid-19 was affecting us here in Western Australia, and what I thought about travel then and...

Book Club 11: Wild by Cheryl Strayed

24 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the April 2021 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, talking about Wild by C...

235 Travel Slip Ups

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Things inevitably go wrong when we travel and I know from experience that listeners of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast quite enjoy hearing these tales! ...

234 Cultural Blunders

12 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Much of the fun of travelling is about bumping up against other cultures and habits - and these days as thoughtful travellers, we usually try to be pr...

233 Studying Abroad

05 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Opportunities for university or college students to study abroad - during non-Covid times, of course - are very special. While I didn't get an opportu...

232 5th Birthday and 500,000 Downloads

28 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's party time!! The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, in the past week, has both turned five years old (ready to start school now!!) and download numbers h...

231 Unconscious Bias and Travel

22 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We all have some kind of unconscious bias - or a few! - some stereotypes or misconceptions that we think deep down, even if in our conscious minds we ...

Book Club 10: Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams

20 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the March 2021 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, talking about Turn Righ...

230 Travel vs Vacation Lessons from 2020

15 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For this special round-numbered episode I wanted to muse on just one of the important lessons the 2020 pandemic has taught me about travel. In this ep...

229 Living Abroad Vs Travelling Abroad

08 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Travelling abroad is an amazing experience but living abroad takes this to an entirely new level. It's not for everyone but if you've been fortunate e...

228 Volunteering Experiences

22 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Volunteering abroad is an experience lots of thoughtful travellers contemplate - who doesn't want to give back when we can. But of course, we know tha...

227 Meaningful Interactions with Locals

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Travelling to see the sights is one thing; travelling when you get to know some of the local people is a whole other level of wonderful experiences. F...

226 The Best Travel Memories Are When Things Go Wrong

08 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If nothing goes wrong, were you even travelling? Episode 226 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast centres on my firm belief that many of the best travel m...

225 Vegetarian and Vegan Travel

01 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet or not, the stories in Episode 225 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast will still fascinate you, I'm sure! ...

224 Big Purchases on Your Travels

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Usually the souvenirs we purchase on our travels are relatively small - we want to be able to fit them in our baggage to bring home, after all. I say ...

Book Club 09: Bewildered by Laura Waters

22 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the January 2021 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, talking about Bewilde...

223 Single Parent Travel

18 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Travelling with kids in tow is a great way to see the world, but if you're the only parent, it can add a degree of difficulty - but it can also make f...

222 Meaningful Shopping and Souvenirs

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Bringing home a meaningful souvenir from a trip is such a pleasure: if the process of buying it was fun and special, perhaps involving a chat with an ...

221 Planning and Booking Trips

04 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Your style of planning and booking trips is likely, it seems, to fall into one of two categories: a detailed planner (sometimes, incredibly, almost ov...

220 Goodbye 2020 and My Son Interviews Me

28 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This crazy year, 2020, when everything about the world, and especially the world of travel, was turned on its head, is nearly over.  Phew - I thi...

219 Seeing the Northern Lights

21 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's Christmas time which - weirdly, I guess, since I live quite far down in the southern hemisphere! - makes me think about the North Pole, about sno...

218 Travel Trends for 2021

14 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

2020 is nearly over, and I know many people in the travel industry (and beyond) are breathing a sigh of relief over that. But what will the travel wor...

217 Friendships with Fellow Travellers

07 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The friends you make while you're travelling are, I think, often destined to be lifelong friends, because you've probably got a lot in common. If you'...

216 What We Learn From Travelling

30 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There are countless lessons we can learn from travel: from small to large, nice-to-know to completely life-changing. I'm sure that I'm a completely di...

215 Paul Theroux Interview Part 2

23 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul Theroux returns! This episode is the second half of my interview with travel writer Paul Theroux - if you haven't listened to Episode 214 yet, go...

214 Paul Theroux Interview Part 1

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I'd need a time machine to be able to tell for sure, but I think that Paul Theroux's "The Great Railway Bazaar" was probably the very first travel nar...

Book Club 08: Down Under by Bill Bryson

14 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the November 2020 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, talking about Down U...

213 Sustainable Travel Tips

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Over recent years, more of us have paid attention to ways in which we can travel a little more sustainably, and harm the environment a little less - b...

212 Honeymoons and Weddings

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Travelling is often fun but if you're travelling for a super-special reason like to get married - well, then that's even more fun! This episode of The...

211 Visiting Cervantes in Western Australia

26 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Quirky limestone pillars, Spanish street names, a barbecued pizza ... all this and more in our most recent trip. It's been a busy year - oddly enough!...

210 How Travel Helps Us Really Understand the World

19 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's Episode 210, a nice round number so it's time for a special edition of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast. As some of you may know, I've spent a fair ...

209 Travelling With Grandchildren

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Episode 209 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast was inspired by a chat I had with Rick Antonson a year or so back, who described a trip he'd taken in Can...

Book Club 07: Step By Step by Simon Reeve

08 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the September 2020 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, talking about Step ...

208 Local Trips - Meckering in Western Australia

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We might not be travelling as far and wide as usual thanks to Covid-19 and our state's border closure, but my son and I have just had a quick getaway ...

207 Writing Retreats Around the World

28 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

My first creative love is writing, and it's exciting to me to be able to explore how my guests combine writing and travel in this episode about writin...

Book Club 06: The Salt Path by Raynor Winn

25 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In July 2025 reports were published by The Observer (UK) suggesting significant parts of Raynor Winn’s story are untrue. This is a really sad de...