The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

111 - Secret Thailand: Phrae and Nan

01 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Exploring the lesser-known parts of Thailand was something I was lucky to do recently following the annual Australian Society of Travel Writers conven...

110 - 10 Thoughts I'm Thinking About Thoughtful Travel

27 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

I didn't start off being all thoughtful about travel and I also know I still have so much to learn - and that'll continue to need to learn - about man...

109 - Travellers Taking Photographs

20 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When you travel, you take pictures. When you travel a lot, you take lots of pictures, and you start to want them to be good pictures! That's one reaso...

108 - Exploring Nature in Australia

13 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

My beautiful home country of Australia is a diverse place when it comes to nature, from the outback desert to tropical rainforest and everything in be...

107 - Trips and Holidays With Teenagers

06 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Travelling as a teenager or with a teenager is eye-opening in many ways, and Episode 107 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is all about trips and holid...

106 - Unusual Food Experiences on Your Travels

30 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes food is the whole reason for a trip, but other times, like what we'll hear about in Episode 106 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, it's the u...

105 - Visiting Art Galleries on Your Travels

23 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Lots of people enjoy visiting art galleries on their travels - I didn't start out that way but I'm definitely a convert now. In Episode 105 of The Tho...

104 - Fiji and Empowerment Tourism

16 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As promised, I wanted to tell a bit more about some of the experiences we had on our recent Fiji trip, and I asked some of the friends I made on tour ...

103 - Travelling as an Introvert

09 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As a fairly hard-core extrovert, tackling the topic of “introvert travel” is something I have definitely had to leave to my guests, but Ep...

102 - Child-Friendly Cultures for Travellers

02 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Are certain places better - or perhaps easier, and more fun - take your children travelling? In Episode 102 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast we talk a...

101 - Destinations Worth Visiting Twice

25 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Which destination would you love to return to? In Episode 101 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast I’ve asked some of my guests about the destinatio...

100 - Behind the Scenes at The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

18 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

I asked in the Thoughtful Travellers Facebook group for some ideas for celebrating the milestone of releasing Episode 100 of The Thoughtful Travel Pod...

99 - Close Calls When Travelling

11 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Travel safety is often a concern and I'm sure I'm not the only one who checks government safety advisory messages (often with a grain of salt, it must...

98 - Fun Tales of Getting Lost on Your Travels

04 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ever got lost when you've been travelling? In my experience getting lost usually means you have a fun story to tell and that is definitely the case wi...

97 Lessons from Living Abroad

28 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If you ever get the chance to choose to live in another country (perhaps for study or work, or many other reasons) then you're very lucky because it's...

96 - Remote Travel in Africa

21 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Africa is one of those most amazing destinations, and of course it's not a single destination but countless different countries and regions which are ...

95 - Travel Mishaps and Misjudgments

14 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Mishaps and misjudgments are part of the fun when we travel - right? Well, at least that's what my guests and I decide in Episode 95 of The Thoughtful...

94 - How Travel Changes Kids

07 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As parents, we have so many choices on the way we influence our kids. In Episode 94 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, the influence we talk about is -...

93 - How to Deal With Travel Anxiety

01 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Many a well-travelled travel-lover experiences travel anxiety and the guests in Episode 93 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast are no exception. (And nei...

92 - Expat Life on Three Continents

23 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Travelling to other countries is one (amazing) thing - actually living abroad for an extended time is quite another altogether and it’s an exper...

91 - Bargaining and Tipping on Your Travels

09 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Do you love to haggle at the local markets when you travel to get down to the cheapest possible price or are you happier when there's a fixed price an...

90 - Interviewing Amanda Kendle - Two-Year Podcast Anniversary

26 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It’s two years since I launched The Thoughtful Travel Podcast for my fortieth birthday. (Because why not do something crazy like launch a p...

89 - Housesitting While You Travel

19 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Housesitting works for both sides of the travel equation but in Episode 89 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast I talk to four travellers who have used ho...

88 Random Acts of Travel Kindness

12 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

I always think it's a shame we preach about "stranger danger" when in reality 99.9% of strangers are just people waiting to be kind to us - and Episod...

87 - Travelling With Your Parents

05 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

I just love the variety of stories I've got to share in this episode about travelling with your parents as an adult, because everyone has ended up hav...

86 - Travel and Self Development

26 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

One of my very favourite topics in the world is talking (for hours) about why travelling is good for you and all the self development and educational ...

85 - Cross Cultural Kids

19 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

I'm immensely curious on how culture affects child development - if you have kind of international kids who relate to more than one culture, how does ...

84 - Adventures Abroad in Nature

12 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Like going on adventures abroad in nature? Then you will love listening to the stories my three guests have to tell in Episode 84 of The Thoughtful Tr...

83 - Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL)

05 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Teaching English as a second language can be anywhere from a fascinating lifelong career to a short stint while travelling, and in Episode 83 of The T...

82 - Hobbies and Travelling

29 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What do you love to do - other than travel - in your spare time? While my listeners and readers have a love of travel in common, they have a huge rang...

81 - Culture Shock in Your Home Country

22 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Reverse culture shock - the kind of culture shock you get when you return to your home country - is worse than just regular culture shock, I think. If...

80 - Travel in Africa

15 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ever dreamed of a trip to Africa? Or have you already had the good fortune to visit Africa? In either case, Episode 80 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcas...

79 - Cultural Differences Around the World

10 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

I really love a good cultural difference. It’s true! I find the differences in everyday life around the world utterly fascinating and it’s...

78 - Border Crossings in Europe, Africa and Asia

04 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes crossing a border into a new country is simple. Sometimes it’s not - and it’s the not-simple crossings that turn into great stor...

77 - The Unstoppable Urge to Travel

27 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Do you have an unstoppable urge to travel? You are not alone! In Episode 77 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, I chat with two fellow travel-lovers who...

76 The Kindness of Strangers When You Travel

20 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

While sometimes we are inclined to feel suspicious of strangers, the fact is that 99.9% of people are good and when you travel, you will often come ac...

75 - Travels in Nature

13 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Who doesn’t love nature - at least some of the time? Episode 75 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is all about travels in nature, and the many an...

74 - First Solo Adventures

06 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Travelling for the first time is something you always remember. And travelling on your own for the first time is possibly even more memorable. In Epis...

73 - When Things Go Wrong

30 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

When you travel, something is bound to go wrong. Most of the time, whatever went wrong ends up making a good story, and that’s exactly what the thre...

72 - Museum Love

23 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Visiting museums when you’re somewhere new is very high on the list of many travellers. I don’t love all museums, but there are many aroun...

71 - Getting Past Travel Anxiety

17 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve ever felt anxious about travelling, please rest assured that you are absolutely not alone! In Episode 71 of The Thoughtful Travel Podc...

70 Growing Up in Different Cultures

09 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How does growing up as part of several different cultures change you as a person? Or growing up in many different countries? These questions fascinate...

69 Travel Mistakes

02 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Making mistakes on our travels is just par for the course, I think, and the three guests on Episode 69 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast have all made ...

68 Solo Travel Tips

26 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Travelling solo is a fabulous experience but not everyone thinks they’re ready for it. In Episode 68 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, I chat wi...

67 Exploring Western Australia

18 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It’s rare an episode of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast focuses on just one destination, but when it’s my beautiful home state of Western Au...

66 - On Taking Your Kids Travelling

12 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Regular listeners already know I think it’s enormously beneficial to take your kids travelling from a young age, but in Episode 66 of The Though...

65 - First Trips

05 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Hearing about people’s first trips is fascinating and Episode 65 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is all about the first times some very experie...

64 Travel and Foreign Languages

07 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

If you travel much at all, you’re going to encounter foreign languages, and Episode 64 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is all about how learnin...

63 - Travel to Change Your Life’s Path

31 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Travel can be life changing in many ways and the guests in Episode 63 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast are proof of that. To start off, Amanda chats w...

62 Foodie Lessons from Travel

24 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Who doesn’t love exploring new cuisines on their travels? Amanda is always keen to set her taste buds loose on some new foods but as her guests ...

61 - Travel and Gratitude

17 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Amanda could give you a page full of reasons she feels a sense of gratitude connected to travelling, but instead, she's going to let her three guests ...

60 - Fun and Philosophical Travel

10 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the round-numbered episode 60 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast and that means Amanda has a mixed bag for you: the common theme is these cha...

59 - Conversations with Locals

03 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Episode 59 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is all about having conversations with locals when you travel. Meeting local people is such a fun and rewa...

58 - Solo Travel Freedom

27 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Travelling solo is a really special way to travel and it’s the focus of Episode 58 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast. Everyone’s experience...

57 - Taking Photos of People on Your Travels

19 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In Episode 57 of The Thoughtful Travel podcast Amanda talks about taking photos of people on your travels, by chatting with a couple of photographers ...

56 - Unique Travel, Unique Destinations

12 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Travelling to unique places or travelling for unique reasons fascinates Amanda and the three guests she speaks with for Episode 56 of The Thoughtful T...

55 - Life-Changing Travel

15 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Travel is so very often life-changing - it’s one of the big reasons Amanda is always trying to encourage people to travel more. On Episode 55 of...

54 - Benefits of Travelling with Kids

08 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Honestly, the benefits of travelling with kids are uncountable - and that’s benefits both for kids and their parents! in Episode 54 of The Thoug...

53 - Travel with Disability and Chronic Illness

01 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It’s common to face a few difficulties when we travel but in Episode 53 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, Amanda chats with three guests wh...

52 - How Travel Sparks Creativity

24 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Amanda is constantly amazed how creative and inspired she feels while she's travelling - without even trying, the creativity just seems to well up in ...

51 - Reverse Culture Shock

17 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone has experienced culture shock on their travels, but what about reverse culture shock? When Amanda returned back to Australia after six years ...

50 - Cold or Sick? Adversity on Your Travels

10 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Sitting in sunny Perth, Western Australia, makes cold weather or illness seem far from Amanda's mind, but they still happen to us on our travels and w...

49 - Understanding History Through Travel

03 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

History can really come alive when you travel to the place where it happened. Episode 49 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is all about understanding h...

48 - The Grateful Anniversary Episode

27 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been a whole year since The Thoughtful Travel Podcast launched and it has been an immensely fun and rewarding time! Episode 48 is the Grate...

47 - Taking Tours on Your Travels

20 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Loathe tours? Amanda knows many thoughtful travellers recoil at the thought of a month-long bus tour of Europe, but there is a time and place for shor...

46 - Online or Off? Friendships and Travel

13 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Travelling is a great way to make friends; travelling to meet up with online friends in the real world is another great reason to travel. In Episode 4...

45 - Ways to Experience Nature on Your Travels

06 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Getting out into nature is a common reason for people to go travelling but everyone chooses to experience nature in their own preferred, different way...

44 - How To Embrace Slow Travel

27 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Slow travel is easily one of Amanda's favourite topics - taking your time when you travel instead of rushing around to see all the sights as fast as p...

43 - How Authors Travel to Research Their Novels

20 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever read a novel set in a foreign place and wondered just how the author knew how to describe everything in this place? Chances are they too...

42 Great Travel Souvenirs

13 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Great Travel Souvenirs What do you bring back from a trip besides photographs and stories? I talked with three Australian travellers about their favou...

41 Culture Shock Abroad

06 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Travelling to countries with different customs and cultures from your own can induce varying kinds of culture shock, and Episode 41 of The Thoughtful ...

40 Important Things Travel Teaches Us

30 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Amanda is always looking for great reasons to persuade others to travel more and Episode 40 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast provides quite a few of t...

39 Fears and Freaking Out Before You Travel

23 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It’s 2017, everyone’s making plans for a new year, and it’s time to talk about one of the things that sometimes stops up making trav...

38 - New Year’s Eve Travels

19 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Episode 38 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is the final episode for 2016 so Amanda is talking about New Year’s Eve Travels. Celebrating a new y...

37 Christmas Travels

12 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Merry Christmas! With Christmas just around the corner, Episode 37 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast turns to travelling at Christmas time and Amanda c...

36 Reasons to Love Japan

05 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

It’s all about Japan in Episode 36 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast. It’s rare that Amanda chats about a single destination but she's made...

35 Making Friends Through Travel

28 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In Episode 35 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast Amanda has a lot of fun chatting about the magic of making friends while you travel. There are so many ...

34 - Travel and Stereotypes

21 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Stereotypes of people by nationality are rife in the world, and come up all the time when we travel. In Episode 34 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, A...

33 Volunteer Travel to Help You and the World

14 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

You might just be able to get the best of both worlds by travelling around the world and helping people by volunteering. It’s not always that si...

32 - On Keeping a Travel Journal

07 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Lots of people keep a travel journal when they travel and in episode 32 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, Amanda talks with three guests about their t...

31 - How the Internet Has Changed Travel

31 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In Episode 31 Amanda is talking about the different ways, both good and bad, that the internet has changed travel - how we plan and book it, how we ac...

30 - Lace, Lego and Lola on Travel

24 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

It's time for another round-figure episode of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, and Amanda is celebrating Episode 30 with a random mix of chats with some...

29 - Sketching on Your Travels

17 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Whether or not you have any artistic talent, Amanda believes that sitting down and doing some sketching on your travels is a great idea, and in Episod...

28 - Getting From A to B

10 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Getting around on our travels can be fraught with both fun and difficulty. In Episode 28 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast Amanda chats with fellow tra...

27 - Are All Aussies Tanned and Tall? Stereotypes of Australians

03 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In Episode 27, Amanda covers a very serious question: Are all Aussies tanned and tall?   It’s all about stereotypes of different cultures b...

26 How to be Bilingual

26 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Encountering foreign languages when we travel is both a challenge and a joy - and some of us dream not only of learning a few phrases when we travel, ...

25 How Slow is Slow Travel?

19 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

So just how slow is slow travel? We can probably all have some kind of similar idea on what slow travel is - being more mindful with how we spend our ...

24 Wanderlust for Adults Who Didn’t Travel As Kids

12 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Lots of people with a deep sense of wanderlust develop it by travelling at a young age, but as Amanda chats about in this episode, it's defi...

23 - Foreign Food: From Fishermen to Tarantulas

05 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Are you an adventurous eater? The topic of food in foreign countries is always a fascinating one and today’s episode addresses it on a couple of...

22 - Memorable Travel Moments - Hungry Porcupines and More

29 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Recently Amanda has started asking her guests about their craziest travel moments, but really, what she's looking for is those particularly ...

21 - Pros and Cons of the Internet for Travellers

01 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Episode 21 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast is all about the internet. What did we do without it? On the surface, the advent of the internet can surel...

20 - English Names, Widows and PNG in the 50s

25 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The Thoughtful Travel Podcast has reached its 20th episode, and Amanda is celebrating by sharing a collection of special stories her guests have ...

19 - Travelling with Kids is Good for Everyone

18 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In Episode 19 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast Amanda returns to the topic of travelling with kids - she's on a mission to prove to everyone that...

18 - Cultural Fusion (and Confusion)

11 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

  Discovering new cultural norms and comparing them to our own is one of the most fascinating parts of travel and the three guests on Episode 18 ...

17 - What Sparks Wanderlust?

04 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

  Where does wanderlust come from? It’s a question that’s intrigued Amanda ever since she discovered that some people don&rsquo...

16 On Grief and Travel

27 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Travel is a powerful tool for so many things but one more way that travel can bring great meaning to your life is by helping you to process grief - an...

15 Travel Builds Confidence, So Do It!

20 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Gaining confidence from your travels is just one more great reason to get out there and travel often. In Episode 15 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast A...

14 - Feel the Fear and Travel Anyway

13 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In Episode 14 Amanda returns to the topic of scary tales from our travels. Frightening experiences can be entertaining, but they also teach us that mo...

13 Takin’ it Slow: Travelling to Feel Like a Local

06 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Slow travel is a real buzz word these days but many travellers have been using slow travel principles for decades - because travelling slowly is a fan...

12 Culture Clash! Something’s Different Here

30 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Cultural differences make our travels so much more interesting (if somewhat complicated at times!). In Episode 12 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, we...