The world's greatest adventurers tell their best story from the road. Each episode is cut documentary style and set to music and cinematic effects to create an immersive storytelling experience. 'Best travel podcasts 2020'- The Guardian, 'Thrilling Stuff'-Sunday Times, 'Ear Candy for Listeners' - Washington Post
Fighting Monks: Trekking Japan's 750-mile Shikoku Pilgrimage with Black Belt Travel Writer Paul Barach
Follow Black Belt travel writer Paul Barach as he treks the 750-mile Shikoku Pilgrimage in Japan. Dedicated to the 8thcentury Buddhist Holy Man, Kukai, Shikoku is the wildest of Japan’s four main islands filled with steep mountains, thousand-year-old temples and thick cedar forests. Walked for more than 1,200 years, this is one of the hardest Buddhist pilgrimages in the world and Paul will be doing it all on foot, staying in traditional villages and camping out along the way.But this is more than just a trek. A black belt in bare-fisted full contact Kyokushin karate, Paul had dreamed of coming to Japan since he was a small boy. He had trained hard for this moment. He had dreams of fighting monks on hilltop temples, dodging ninjas or perhaps even meeting a wizened old man on the path who would give him a samurai sword and say: “You’re ready.”What he didn’t prepare for was the trek. At all. He arrived in Shikoku during the worst heat wave in over 100 years with shoes that didn’t fit, a map he couldn’t read and no ability to speak Japanese. He survived, but only just.He fought off wild boars and heat stroke. He struggled to find food, water and places to sleep. He was nearly arrested, broke a temple and ended up in hospital. But through that struggle, for fleeting moments, he also caught glimpses of the enlightenment and wisdom he sought. And let’s just say all that kung fu training wasn’t for nothing either …Highlights include:· Find out about the 1,200-year-old Shikoku pilgrimage, one of the hardest but also most beautiful pilgrimages in the world· Join Paul on his many misadventures: wild boar attacks, temple catastrophes, hiding from security guards, hospitalization and more· Hear about the wisdom and enlightenment Paul found along the way, and how you can benefit from that in your own life too· See if Paul’s dreams of fighting monks on mountain top temples comes true … Paul’s book is called ‘Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains: Misadventures on a Buddhist Pilgrimage’ and his Instagram is @barachoutdoors … connect with him, he’s an awesome guy!Thank you to Wondrium for sponsoring this episode! This is the new name for The Great Courses Plus, but it’s now loads more content from documentaries and expert courses to world cinema and more. It’s awesome and we’ve got a deal for you – just go to www.wondrium.com/armchair to get 1 month of content absolutely free. No obligations, just check it out for free. It’s a great way to support the show!Check out Armchair Explorer (www.armchair-explorer.com) for background videos, photos and more on each episode. And please hit that follow button to support the show!Follow @armchairexplorerpodcast across Instagram and Facebook
Tracking Grizzlies in the Gobi Desert with National Geographic Wildlife Biologist Doug Chadwick
Follow National Geographic wildlife biologist Doug Chadwick to the Gobi Desert of Mongolia in search of the world’s rarest bear. There are less than 50 Gobi Grizzlies left in the world and until recently almost no one even knew the existed - including Doug, a self-proclaimed ‘Bear Junkie’ who has spent his life studying Grizzly Bears around the world. While tracking snow leopards in the Himalayas he heard about the Gobi Grizzly and swore then and there to try and find them, and do what he could to help save them. This is a story about that adventure. It’s a story about Mongolia’s Gobi Desert, one of the harshest and most beautiful places on Earth. There are sandstorms and sacred mountains and ticks as big as your thumb. But it’s also a story about us. Because through this adventure, and others, Doug has developed a new theory of nature, an entirely new paradigm of how to look at ourselves and the world around us - and it’s going to blow your mind. Get ready, because the wind is blowing in the Land of the Eternal Blue Sky and somewhere out there is one of the last 50 Gobi Grizzlies on the planet – and we’re going to find her … and in doing that we’re going to discover something about our greater selves that may change the way you look at the world forever.Highlights include:· Track the world’s rarest bear through one of the harshest environments on Earth· Discover the sublime beauty of the Gobi Desert, no trace of the modern world for as far as the eye can see· Feel what it’s like to be hit by a huge sandstorm – a ‘black tsunami’ of dust consuming all in its path· Climb Tsagaan Bogd, one of Mongolia’s most sacred peaks· Find out about Grizzly Bears, here in the Gobi and elsewhere, one of most ferocious, smart and misunderstood animals on the planet· Hear a new theory of nature that will change the way you understand yourself and the world around you in profound ways Doug’s latest book is called ‘4/5th a Grizzly: a New Perspective on Nature that Just Might Save Us All’. It’s a beautiful, fascinating and important book and it would make a wonderful present to yourself or anyone that loves and cherishes the outdoors. Thank you to Juggernaut Wines for sponsoring this episode! We’ve got a special deal for listeners of this show. You can get four bottles – two cabernet sauvignons and two pinot noirs delivered direct to your home for only 1 cent in shipping costs. One cent! Just head over to www.juggernautwines.com and type in the code ARMCHAIR21. Drinking their wine is a great way to support the show … how cool is that?!Check out Armchair Explorer (www.armchair-explorer.com) for background videos, photos and more on each episode. And please hit that follow button to support the show!Follow @armchairexplorerpodcast across Instagram and Facebook
Walking the Yangtze: 4,000-miles Along China's Longest River with Extreme Adventurer Ash Dykes
Follow extreme adventurer Ash Dykes on a world first trek along the entire 4,000-mile length of the Yangtze River in China. Travelling from the Tibetan Plateau in the far northwest of the country, through 11 provinces to the river’s estuary near Shanghai in the south he will face innumerable challenges: dodging aggressive Tibetan bears, fighting off wild Tibetan Mastiffs, he was stalked by wolves, arrested and nearly hit by landslides.But through his journey he also explored a side to China that few travellers have seen before, from thundering white-water gorges and spectacular V-shaped valleys to tropical forests and paddy fields teeming with colour.He also became a Chinese celebrity. Much to his surprise, the further he walked the more the Chinese people walked with too. Internet superstars live-streamed beside him to millions of followers, he was celebrated in the Chinese media, welcomed in by locals, taught Chinese opera, kung-fu, meditation and even asked to join a photoshoot with movie star Jackie Huang.It took him 352 days and eight million steps to complete. It was a world-record, the first time anyone had walked the entire length of China’s great river, and the experience taught him much. He learned about motivation, about discipline, about the power of visualization – skills and wisdom that can be applied to all aspects of life. But more than anything he learned that you can make impossible things happen if you have the courage to ignore the naysayers, prepare for the struggle as well as the successes, and don’t let anything stand in your way. Highlights:· Hear the incredible story of Ash Dyke’s world-recording breaking 4,000-mile trek along the entire length of the Yangtze River· Find out how Ash survived being stalked by a pack of wolves and fought off wild Tibetan Mastiffs· Listen to the best worst food story you’ve ever heard. Spoiler alert: it involves huge worms· Be inspired by the lessons and wisdom Ash learned on his journey: how he uses visualization to achieve success, how to stay motivated and achieve your goals.If you enjoy this adventure, please connect with Ash – he’s a true modern-day explorer and you can you follow along with his crazy adventures. He’s a lot of fun to travel with. Instagram: @ash_dykes / Facebook: @ashdykesofficial / Twitter: @ashdykes / You Tube: @ashdykes. His website is www.ashdykes.com and his book is Mission Possible: a Decade of Living Dangerously reveals the spirit, planning, and sheer determination that goes into his world record-breaking adventures. It’s an awesome read. Thank you to Juggernaut Wines for sponsoring this episode! We’ve got a special deal for listeners of this show. You can get four bottles – two cabernet sauvignons and two pinot noirs delivered direct to your home for only 1 cent in shipping costs. One cent! Just head over to www.juggernautwines.com and type in the code ARMCHAIR21. Drinking their wine is a great way to support the show … how cool is that?!Check out Armchair Explorer (www.armchair-explorer.com) for background videos, photos and more on each episode. And please hit that follow button to support the show! Follow @armchairexplorerpodcast across Instagram and Facebook
Walking with Nomads: 2,800-miles Across the Entire Length of Morocco with Explorer Alice Morrison
Follow explorer Alice Morrison on a world-first 2,800-mile trek across the entire length of Morocco. Starting in the city of Ouarzazate, at the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, we will walk with her from the lush valleys of the Draa River across the barren windswept dunes of the Western Sahara to the tallest peaks of the High Atlas Mountains. We will discover lost cities, tombs of giants, singing sands and dinosaur footprints. We will learn about the lives of the nomadic Sahrawis, the people of the desert, and the Amazigh, the original inhabitants of Morocco. This is more than a long walk, this is a journey through the culture and history of one of the most fascinating and beautiful countries on Earth.But Alice didn’t do it just any old way. Mirroring journeys taken by traders and nomads across Morocco for centuries, she decided to travel in a traditional caravan of six camels, led by her two Amazigh companions and camelteers Brahim and Addi. And despite not being very keen on the animals to start with, she ended up falling head-over-heels for them – particularly a very naughty one called Hamish. Yes, that’s right – somewhere in Morocco right now, there is a camel called Hamish. This is a story about history and archeology, it’s a story about endurance and moments of sublime beauty. But mostly it’s a story about a deep exploration of a place and its people. Alice relied on the kindness and hospitality of local communities throughout and because she speaks fluent Arabic she was able to get an intimate insight into their lives that most outsiders would never see.It’s also one hell of an adventure. Alice is known as ‘Indiana Jones for Girls’. This is a story that even Indy himself would have been proud of.-- If you enjoy this episode please connect with Alice, you’re going to have a lot of fun following her adventures. Her Instagram and Twitter is @aliceoutthere1. Her Facebook is @alicehuntermorrisonadventures and her You Tube channel is alicemorrison.She has three books out, the latest of which is called Adventures in Morocco – she’s a great writer and covers loads more than we could fit into this episode. Finally, because I know you love podcasts, please check out hers – it’s called Alice in Wanderland and it’s one of my favourites.--Thank you to Juggernaut Wines for sponsoring this episode! We’ve got a special deal for listeners of this show. You can get four bottles – two cabernet sauvignons and two pinot noir delivered direct to your home for only 1 cent in shipping costs. One cent! Just head over to www.juggernautwines.com and type in the code ARMCHAIR21. Drinking their wine is a great way to support the show … how cool is that?!--Check out Armchair Explorer (www.armchair-explorer.com) for background videos, photos and more on each episode. And please hit that follow button to support the show!Follow @armchairexplorerpodcast across Instagram
The Lost Tribe of the Kogi with BBC Documentary Filmmaker Alan Ereira
In 1990, the Kogi people of Colombia came out of 500 years of isolation to give the world a message. They call themselves the Elder Brothers, the protectors of an ancient wisdom, which we, the Younger Brother, have forgotten. Hidden from the modern world, their culture, way of life and beliefs has remained unchanged since the time of the Incas. They emerged only for a brief moment, inviting one film maker in to help them pass on their warning. This is a story about the making of that film. It is a story about one of the most unique tribes on the planet. It is an invitation into the lost world of the Kogi.If you enjoy this episode, please consider donating to the Tairona Trust. This charitable organisation has been set up to help protect the Kogi and spread their message to the wider world. Recent projects include connecting Kogi elders with western scientists to restore damaged areas of forest in their homeland. It’s one of the few projects which seeks to unify indigenous wisdom with modern ecology and if we can prove it successful will provide a model for other indigenous cultures around the world. Please go to http://www.taironatrust.org to find out more. Instagram: @taironatrust / Facebook: @taironatrustheritage / Twitter: @taironatrustThank you also to Room Steals (www.roomsteals.com) for sponsoring this episode. This is the ultimate hotel hack and if you love travel you are going to want to check this out. Room Steals is a subscription service that offers you wholesale prices of more than 600,000 hotel rooms around the world. On average you will save 30% off of what the major online booking sites will charge you and their Google Chrome extension lets you check out the prices before you buy. The subscription costs $95 per year, but you're going to save loads more than that. Head over to Room Steals (www.roomsteals.com) and type in the coupon code 'armchair' for 20% off the listed price. Check out Armchair Explorer (www.armchair-explorer.com) for background videos, photos and more on each episode. And please hit that follow button to support the show!Follow @armchairexplorerpodcast across Instagram and Facebook
Rowing Solo Across the Atlantic While Recovering from Brain Surgery with World Record Holder Kiko Matthews
Follow world record holder Kiko Matthews on a solo row across the Atlantic Ocean: 3,000 nautical miles in 49 Days 7 hours and 15 minutes. 200 women have completed this challenge, that's it. Only 18 have done it solo. Kiko is the fastest ... and before she started training she hadn't even set foot in a row boat before. But that's not the most remarkable thing about this story. Eight months before she was due to set out Kiko was diagnosed with Cushing's Disease a rare, and often fatal, form of brain cancer. The doctors found a tumour on her pituitary gland at the base of her brain. It was life or death. Most of us would have given up at that point. Not Kiko. She received emergency brain surgery and just a few weeks later got straight back to training. This is a story of an incredible adventure: She faced huge storms, rogue waves that nearly capsized the boat. She paddled with whales, dolphins and sharks. She saw the ocean light up like stars with phosphorescence and felt what it meant to be truly alone and humbled, in the vastness of the ocean.But it's also a story about courage, about mental strength and resilience and her story will inspire you to face your own challenge, to follow your own dream, row your own ocean, whatever that may be. If you enjoy this episode, please connect with Kiko she has a book out about her experience – Kiko: How to break the Atlantic rowing record after brain surgery. Find it at Kiko: How to Break the Atlantic Rowing Record after Brain Surgery and connect with her on social media at @kikomatthews – that’s with two Ts so watch out – and her website is kikomatthews.co.ukThank you also to Room Steals (www.roomsteals.com) for sponsoring this episode. This is the ultimate hotel hack and if you love travel you are going to want to check this out. Room Steals is a subscription service that offers you wholesale prices of more than 600,000 hotel rooms around the world. On average you will save 30% off of what the major online booking sites will charge you and their Google Chrome extension lets you check out the prices before you buy. The subscription costs $95 per year, but you're going to save loads more than that. Head over to Room Steals (www.roomsteals.com) and type in the coupon code 'armchair' for 20% off the listed price. Check out Armchair Explorer (www.armchair-explorer.com) for background videos, photos and more on each episode. And please hit that follow button to support the show!Follow @armchairexplorerpodcast across Instagram and Facebook
Diving the Titanic with Deep Sea Explorer Rory Golden
Follow deep sea explorer Rory Golden to the world’s most famous shipwreck: Titanic. Located 12,600-feet below sea level, in the middle of the North Atlantic, only a handful of people have ever seen her with their own eyes. Descending in a tiny Mir submersible, in a cockpit the size of a small port-a-loo, with enough pressure outside the port windows to crush him in an instant should anything go wrong, this is a once-in-a-lifetime journey into history and the dark depths of the sea. The Titanic is the world’s most famous shipwreck. It was the largest and safest vessel ever built, or so they thought. Four days into its maiden voyage, on a calm night, it struck an iceberg ripping a 300-foot whole in its hull. Panic ensued. There weren’t enough lifeboats. There was no one to save them. Of the 2,200 people on board, 1500 perished. It took only three hours for the greatest ship ever built to sink and for more than 50 years it lay undiscovered there, at the bottom of the ocean. Rory’s mission was to recover historical artefacts from the wreck – they found leather bags with clothes still neatly folded within, a bottle of perfume still unopened, the ship’s wheel last touched by the Captain before he walked calmly to his death in the dark sea. Through Rory’s journey we learn not just the history of the Titanic, but the individual personal stories of heroism and tragedy that he rescued from the bottom of the sea.It’s an incredible adventure. But it’s also a ground-breaking piece of exploration. We know more about the surface of Mars than we do the bottom of the sea. 70% of our planet is ocean, yet only 5% of the ocean depths have been explored. There are creatures down there that no one knows even exist – strange bioluminescent beings living in a world of darkness and extreme pressure, creatures that are as alien to us as any little green man that may or may not one day appear from the sky. The oceans are our planet’s last frontier of exploration. Join him now as we descend into the deep to dive the world’s most famous, and dangerous, wreck. Join him to dive the Titanic. Highlights include:· Find out what it’s like to descend to 12,600-ft beneath the ocean in a tiny Mir Submersible · See the Titanic through Rory’s eyes as he travels across the wreckage in search of historical artefacts to preserve· Hear the story of the Titanic, the greatest shipwreck of all time· Be inspired by the mysteries of the deep ocean, the final frontier of exploration on the planetWho’s the Guest?Rory Golden's dived all over the world, from the coasts of his home in Ireland to deep-sea off-shore rigs and some of the most iconic wrecks on the planet, including The Titanic. He is one of the most respected underwater explorers in the world and the on-board Titanic expert for Ocean Gate Expeditions, a deep sea underwater adventure company which takes ordinary people to extraordinary depths, including the chance this year to dive the Titanic alongside Rory himself. For more information: https://oceangateexpeditions.com. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook @oceangateexped.Thank you to The Great Courses Plus for sponsoring this episode. Head over to www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/armchair to get a free month trail with unlimited streaming of 1000s of videos and audio … it’s a great way to support the show!The Armchair Explorer podcast is produced and hosted by award-winning travel writer Aaron Millar. Follow the show on Instagram & Facebook @armchairexplorerpodcast. www.armchair-explorer.com"Best travel podcasts 2020: Every episode is an immersive experience" - The Guardian
Bonus Episode! Out There Podcast: Conservation 2.0
In this special bonus edition of the Armchair Explorer we are showcasing an episode from one of my favourite travel podcasts: Out There. The episode is called Conservation 2.0, and it's about a subject very close to every outdoor lover's heart: National Parks.The outdoors is a place for everyone. It’s where we all come from, it’s in our DNA, our blood, it is where we all belong. That’s why we have to think carefully about how we conserve and protect it, which is what this episode is all about. Many of Out There’s shows are first person stories, told directly by the individual … this one’s a little different in that it’s an interview with a really incredible nature writer called David Gessner about his book 'Leave it as it is: A Journey through Theodore Roosevelt’s American Wilderness'"Leave it as it is" was the rallying cry spoken by Roosevelt at the Grand Canyon, advocating for its preservation. Roosevelt's vision was for an expansion of the national park system and conservation in general. The idea of national parks is widely heralded as one of the greatest in history, and one of the highest expressions of democracy on the planet – to preserve places of incredible awe and beauty that we all own and share equally. But as amazing as National Parks are, they're not perfect. Much of the land that we preserve was acquired through the expulsion of the native people that had lived there for thousands of years. That’s a huge injustice of course, but it’s also an opportunity, because one way we can rectify that, in part, is by including indigenous practices, passed down for millennia, into the care and preservation of that land. By giving them a say in the preservation of their own heritage. Let’s find a way to marry contempory environmental science with native environmental wisdom … that’s a new vision for conservation, a vision that might help carry us into the future, into the next epoch of our relationship with nature. It’s a development of Teddy Roosevelts original vision. It’s conservation 2.0. So, if you like this episode please search up the Out There podcast on your favourite app and hit that subscribe button – or head over to www.outtherepodcast.com, where you'll find a playlist of their favourite episodes, which is a really great place to start. The social media is @outtherepodcast across Instagram and facebook – they post cool stuff and definitely recommend following them too.
Open Your Mind: Experiencing Indigenous Jungle Medicine with BBC Travel Presenter Mike Corey
Follow BBC travel presenter and You Tube star Mike Corey into the depths of the Brazilian Amazon to experience Ayahuasca, Kambo and other mind-altering indigenous plant medicines. This is not your average psychedelic tourist experience. Mike travels to a traditional village in remote part of the jungle where foreigners have never been before. There, in the thatched roof long house, he gathers by the firelight with a group of elders as the shaman passes around eagle bones filled Rapé powder, burns holes in his skin to rub in poisonous frog venom and gives him shots of ayahuasca as they chant into the night. This is more than just travel. This is adventure of the brain as well as the body - and let’s just say (pun intended) it’s quite trip. But Mike’s not looking for a simple high. Mike is on a war against fear. He wants us to challenge our preconceptions in the same way he challenges himself. He’d never done drugs before. And though nothing he took was illegal, he was scared to try. That’s the point. Jungle medicine may seem strange to us, but in the Amazon it’s been practiced for thousands of years and traditional practitioners claim healing benefits that modern medicine cannot provide. To be a true explorer, Mike says, you must try new things, things you’re scared of, things that make you grow. He should know – he’s made a career out of doing the kind of crazy things that would send most sane people running. So he set off into the jungle in search of answers, in search of authentic cultural understanding. He set off to conquer his fears. What he found was something inspiring, at times painful, but enlightening too and it altered his view of the world forever. Highlights include:· Taking ayahuasca with a shaman in Peru· Experiencing two of the most intense indigenous ceremonies in the world: Rapé, a powder which is shot like a blow dart into your nose, and Kambo a frog venom which is burnt into your skin.· Travelling to a remote village deep in the jungle where tourists had never gone before.· Hearing about Mike’s other crazy adventures including hopping iron ore trains across the Sahara, taking part in an exploding hammer festival in Mexico and drinking blood straight from a cow with the Masai in Tanzania (for real)· Being inspired by Mike’s message of turning your fears into allies and how that can be a catalyst for personal growth· Learning about traditional plant medicine, which has been practiced in the Amazon for thousands of years.Who’s the Guest?Mike Corey is a BBC Travel Presenter and adventure travel filmmaker. His You Tube channel is Fearless and Far where he shares videos of his crazy adventures: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_DmOS_FBvO4H27U7X0OtRg You can also follow him on twitter, Instagram and facebook: @fearlessandfar … and his website is www.fearlessandfar.comThank you to The Great Courses Plus for sponsoring this episode. Head over to www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/armchairto get a free month trail with unlimited streaming of 1000s of videos and audio … it’s a great way to support the show! Follow the show on Instagram & Facebook @armchairexplorerpodcast. www.armchair-explorer.com"Best travel podcasts 2020: Every episode is an immersive experience" - The Guardian"Armchair Explorer is ear candy for listeners” - Washington Post
Crossing Africa: a 7,500-mile trek from Cape Town to Cairo with Explorer Mario Rigby
Follow explorer Mario Rigby on a 7,500-mile trek across the entire length of the African continent. Travelling on foot from Cape Town to Cairo, through South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt, Mario sought to understand the lives of African people better, to learn from them, sleeping where they slept, eating where they ate, living side-by-side, step-by-step. Born in the Turks & Caicos islands of the Caribbean, he also sought to learn about his roots and inspire other black men and women that though they may be shamefully under-represented in the outdoor and adventure industries, they too can be explorers. nnnBut it was more than that too. At the age 30, Mario found himself lost. He was living in Canada, unhappy with his job, uncertain of his future, uncertain how he could make a difference, how he could live a life of meaning and purpose. Then he remembered a hero from his childhood. Before T’Challa, otherwise known as the Black Panther, could become king he had to go on a journey, a ‘walkabout’ as he called it. He did this to learn how to be a better leader, a better person, to learn how to contribute to society and humanity as a whole. As a child Mario dreamed of doing the same thing, but as an adult he knew it was just a fairy tale. But what if it wasn’t? What if he too could go on a walkabout to learn about Africa, and himself, to change his life and start a new path?The way was unclear. He had no guarantees and very little money. He was daunted by the prospect. But nonetheless he plucked up the courage, flew to Cape Town, and began his own walkabout. In doing so, he would inspires all of us that anything is possible. He would inspire us that dreams don’t have to be fairy tales. Highlights include:· Hear the inspirational story of how Mario changed his life by setting out on a ‘walkabout’ in search of answers about himself and his place in the world· Find out how Mario became a Mozambique TV Star· Kayak with him nearly 400-miles across Lake Malawi, dodging crocodiles and hippos, camping out on remote villages, many of which had never seen a foreigner before· Walk among a troop of 1000 Gelada Baboons in the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia· Cross the deserts of Sudan, meeting the women who would later spark the revolution to overthrow the government, and the child refugees who were inspired by his story to find their own courage too· Discover what Mario learned, the answers he came too and how the journey changed his lifeGo and connect with Mario right now, his social media is awesome! Instagram & Twitter @mariorigby / Facebook @mariorigbyofficial. He also posts really awesome You Tube videos from this adventure, and others: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnzaISaYOAlC1BcIUxAxifQ … and his website is www.mariorigby.comThank you to The Great Courses Plus for sponsoring this episode. Head over to www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/armchairto get a free month trail with unlimited streaming of 1000s of videos and audio … it’s a great way to support the show!Follow the show on Instagram & Facebook @armchairexplorerpodcast. www.armchair-explorer.com"Best travel podcasts 2020: Every episode is an immersive experience" - The Guardian"Armchair Explorer is ear candy for listeners” - Washington Post"Thrilling stuff" - Sunday Times
Voyage of the Finmen: Kayaking from Greenland to Scotland with Explorer George Bullard
Follow world-record breaking explorer George Bullard on a world-first kayak from Greenland to Scotland across one of the most dangerous stretches of water on the planet. No one thought they could do it. Most people assumed they would die trying – and they nearly did, more than once. But, despite the odds, over six weeks, George and his expedition partner Ollie Hicks, crossed 1,200-miles of open ocean from the edge of the Greenland Ice Cap to Iceland, then on to the Faroe Islands, and from there to the north Scottish shore. Paddling through the night, sleeping out in the sinister dark of the polar ocean, battling storms, exhaustion and raging seas – this is the story of the most dangerous kayak expedition ever undertaken. But it’s more than that too. Three hundred years ago a mysterious figure in a strange shaped canoe washed up on the coast of Aberdeen, in northeast Scotland. He was alive, barely. No one knew who he was, where he came from, what language he spoke, and he died a few days later before anyone could find out. Since then, the myth of the ‘Finmen’ has continued to grow. The historical records describe his clothing as similar to what we now know as hailing from Inuit culture. But it seemed impossible. Did a Greenlandic fisherman cross the North Atlantic Ocean, 300 years ago, on nothing more than a seal-skin canoe? By undertaking this journey, George and Ollie set out to unearth the truth behind the mystery. If they could do it, perhaps the myth was true. Get ready for the Voyage of the Finmen. Highlights include:· Kayak across one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world, a section of the North Atlantic between Iceland and Scotland, known as the ‘Devil’s Dancefloor’ because of the size of the waves and storms· Paddle through the midnight sun from Greenland to Iceland, and then 450-miles around the crocodile teeth of the rugged fjords and soaring cliffs of North Icelandic coastline, camping out on wild beaches along the way· Listen to one of the craziest rescue and survival stories you will ever hear· Find out what happens when George and Ollie are hit by an enormous hurricane 60-miles off the Scottish coast· Be inspired by George’s love and enthusiasm for the outdoors and adventure. He is one of the UK’s most sought-after motivational speakers and will fire you up to embark on your next adventure wherever that may beWho’s the Guest?George Bullard is a world record-breaking explorer, endurance athlete and motivational speaker. To date he has covered more than 2,000 miles on foot in the polar regions (including the longest unsupported polar journey in history, at just age 19) and completed countless extraordinary expeditions around the world. George is passionate about encouraging others to climb their own Everest physically, mentally and emotionally @georgebullardexplorer / www.georgebullard.co.ukLooking for inspiration for your next trip? George’s adventure travel company www.igoadventures.com curates one-of-a-kind adventures with purpose, for those looking for exceptional experiences in nature. They are affordable, amazing and hand-crafted by one of the world’s greatest adventurers. Thank you to Juggernaut Wines for sponsoring this episode. Harnessing the power of nature with every drop. @juggernautwines / www.juggernautwines.comThe Armchair Explorer podcast is produced and hosted by award-winning travel writer Aaron Millar. Follow the show on Instagram & Facebook @armchairexplorerpodcast. www.armchair-explorer.com Episode image (c) Emma Hall, courtesy of George Bullard
Listener Episode! A 300-mile Trek Through the Balkans with Teacher Adam Seldon
In this special listener episode, we follow teacher Adam Seldon on a 300-mile trek across the Balkans, one of Europe’s most mis-understood and rarely visited regions. Travelling from Sarajevo, in Bosnia, across Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Greece, Adam links together some of the region’s most spectacular scenery, national parks and long-distance trails. It’s a fantastic adventure. But what really sets it apart is why Adam is doing it.Standing on the cusp of adulthood, with his formal education just completed, Adam felt something was missing. Life had been too easy, he’d not faced enough challenge, enough risk or hardship. He wanted to learn by experience, not books. So, he set off on what’s called an Agoge, an ancient Spartan tradition in which young men were tasked with going into the wilderness on their own and overcoming a number of challenges before they could be considered a man. Adam wanted to do his own kind of modern day Agoge, to test himself in a way that he’d never experienced before. It was a personal journey of self-discovery and learning, but it was also a challenge to the misconceptions and unfair stereotypes of the Balkan region and its people. He found beautiful landscapes and incredible hospitality, but he also found the scars of war. Two decades after a brutal civil war, and genocide, much of the region was still reconciling itself to its bloody past and through his journey Adam illuminates that history and its effects on the people to this day. Peppered with genuine inspiration, and insight throughout, this is an inspiring story of Adam’s determination to challenge himself, it’s a story about a rarely visited part of the world, but it’s also a story about you – how just like Adam you too can break the mould of modern life and set out on your own adventure, your own Agoge whatever that may be. Highlights include:· Trekking through some of the last remaining untouched wilderness in Europe· Discovering a rarely visited region, including Albania’s spectacular Accursed Mountains and Bosnia’s Sutjeska National Park· Learning about the brutal civil war that rocked the region more than two decades ago, and whose scars are still evident today· Discover the ancient Spartan concept of an Agoge, a challenge undertaken on the cusp of adulthood· Be inspired to set out on your own Agoge, whatever that may be – whether trekking 300 miles through Europe’s forgotten region or just pushing yourself to find out about your true potentialAdam Seldon’s book about this journey, A Balkan Journey: Walking Through Europe's Forgotten Region, is out now on Kindle. It’s a really quick read (about 80 pages), but full of fascinating history and intellectual insight. Follow him on Twitter - @adamjseldon and Instagram @adam.j.seldonThe Armchair Explorer podcast is cut documentary style with music and cinematic effects to create an immersive storytelling experience unlike anything else out there in the travel sphere. Each episode one of the world’s greatest adventurers comes on and tells their best story from the road. Connect on Instagram and Facebook - @armchairexplorerpodcast. Thank you to Juggernaut Wines for sponsoring this episode. This is the adventurer’s wine of choice, harnessing the power of nature to infuse every drop with the gritty spirit of the wild Californian coast. Follow them on Instagram @juggernautwines www.juggernautwines.com
Signs of Life: a 53,000-mile Bike Ride Around the World with Doctor Stephen Fabes
Follow travel author and doctor Stephen Fabes on a six year, 53,000-mile journey from his home in London across Europe, Africa, The Americas, Australia and Asia. He will cross deserts, jungles and the highest mountain ranges in the world; he will face the freezing winds of a Mongolian winter and the stifling heat of an Indonesian summer. In Peru, he is held up at gunpoint; in Nepal, a deadly blizzard strikes; in Kenya, he dodges shifta bandits; in Portland, he joins a naked rave. It's an incredible adventure. But it’s also more than that. It’s also a story about us. Stephen had a good job as an emergency room doctor, working at a prestigious hospital in London. His many years of training had just finished, his career was poised to take off. But he saw the years of his life unfolding before him, and though he was proud of what that life would be, it felt too predictable, too safe. So, he left. He cycled away from the hospital he worked at and didn’t return for six long years. He traded a comfortable city lifestyle for a $10 per day budget, wild camping by the side of the road. And guess what: he loved every minute of it. But the more he travelled, the more the doctor in him began to resurface. He visited medical clinics, mental health facilities and refugee slums. He volunteered at some of the poorest, and most war-torn regions on the planet. And the more he did, the more he began to realise that health is more complex than simply what’s happening inside the body. It is part of an intricate web of social and political forces; it is influenced by everything from geography and climate to belief and economics. By seeing the world through the eyes of a doctor, he shows us humanity at its most cruel, but also its most compassionate. He shows us that we are inextricably bound together, that we affect each other no matter how different or distant we may seem. In the margins of the world, he finds our common humanity, our Signs of Life.Highlights include:· Cycle around six continents, a whirlwind journey through some of the planet’s harshest, most beautiful and awe-inspiring places.· Ride across the Alps in winter, dodge lions in Botswana, sleep out on the salt flats of Bolivia, cycle frozen lakes in Mongolia, pedal through a war zone in Afghanistan and more· Visit some of the most vulnerable and marginalised communities on Earth, hear their stories of cruelty and compassion, desperation and hope· See the world through a doctor’s eyes, learning about the broader forces at work that affect global healthcare, from politics to climate change.· Be inspired to break out of the mould and set off on your own big adventure, wherever that may beWho’s the Guest?Stephen Fabes is a medical doctor with a bad case of wanderlust and no sense of direction. His writing has appeared in The Guardian, the Telegraph, CNN and the BBC among others. He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, an inspiring public speaker and a regular at live storytelling nights. He currently works in the Emergency Department at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. Signs of Life is his first book. www.stephenfabes.com, @stephenfaves (Instagram), @drstephenfabes (twitter), @cyclingthe6 (Facebook)Thank you to The Great Courses Plus for sponsoring this episode. Go to www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/armchair to get a free one-month trial with access to unlimited streaming of thousands of videos and audio content taught by the world’s best professors. It’s like Netflix for your brain. Find out more about the show www.armchair-explorer.com, @armchairexplorerpodcast
The Ho Chi Minh Trail by Motorcycle with Travel Author Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent
Follow travel author Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent on one of the toughest motorcycle journeys on the planet: six weeks and 2,000 miles through the near impassable mud and steep mountain slopes of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Crossing Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, The Ho Chi Minh Trail was the main military supply route during the Vietnam War, moving men and supplies from communist controlled North Vietnam to the American backed south. Today, it’s slowly disappearing, overrun by jungle, deforestation and the advancement of the modern world. In riding the trail, Antonia wanted to explore this rapidly changing region and important part of history before it’s lost forever.She also wanted a proper adventure. The Ho Chi Minh Trail that most people ride is the modern tarmac friendly version. Few people attempt the original route over the muddy guts of the Truong Son Mountains in Laos. Even fewer trace it south into the wild eastern reaches of Cambodia. Antonia did both; and she did it on her own with nothing more than a 25-year-old shiny pink 125cc Honda Cub, she named the Pink Panther, for company. It’s an incredibly beautiful place, filled with shimmering jungles, limestone mountains and small tribal villages where tourists rarely go. But it’s also marred with tragedy. During the war, the Ho Chi Minh Trail was bombed on average every eight minutes and the scars are still visible today: entire villages made out of war scrap, bomb craters big enough to fit a double-decker bus and, most tragically of all, UXO (unexploded ordinance).As much as 30% of American bombs dropped during the war failed to explode and 40-years later they are still primed and hidden in the thick undergrowth of the forest. To date, UXO along the trail has killed more than 100,000 people, many of them children. This is an incredible adventure story about one of the most difficult motorbike routes on the planet. But it’s also a story about the legacy of the Vietnam War that is still affecting the people who live along the trail today. Are you ready for a wild ride? Let’s go. Highlights include: · Heading out on one of the wildest motorcycle rides on the planet, 2,000 miles through remote jungle, over steep and muddy mountain slopes · Discovering a remote part of South East Asia few travellers get to see, deep in the jungles of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia · Learning about the history of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the most bombed place per capita in the world, and the tragic legacy of the war still affecting people to day · Hearing about Antonia’s close call along the Mondulkiri Death Highway, one of the most dangerous stretches of road on the planet. Let’s just say, it nearly lived up to its name · Being inspired to achieve anything you set your mind to. Antonia chose to do this journey solo to test herself, to prove to herself she could be self-reliant, to see how strong she really was. What she discovered was that if you’re determined enough, if you want something bad enough, you can do anything you set your mind to. Who’s the Guest?Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent is a travel author, broadcaster and public speaker with a particular love of wandering alone through remote regions. Her website is www.theitinerant.co.uk and you can find her on twitter and Instagram @antsbk. The full story of this journey is available on audiobook at Audible, and other audio book platforms. www.armchair-explorer.com / @armchairexplorerpodcast. This is episode is sponsored by The Great Courses Plus - head over to www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/armchair for thousands of videos and audio content, for free, for a month. It's like Netflix for your brain.
A Journey to Discover South America's Hidden Wonders with Atlas Obscura Founder Dylan Thuras
Follow Atlas Obscura co-founder Dylan Thuras on a quest to discover South America’s hidden wonders. From the Last Incan Bridge and the Machu Picchu of the North to the Everlasting Lightning Storm and a statue of a squid fighting a whale the size of the statue of liberty (yes, you read that right), this is an epic ride through Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru’s weirdest and wildest wonders. The stuff glittering in the shadows that you may never have heard of before, but you’ll be desperate to see after. But it’s more than that too. When we think of wonders of the world we think of The Grand Canyon, the Great Pyramids. These are undeniably awe-inspiring, but they’re obvious. Everyone goes there, and all too often the experience and the destination suffer as result. Atlas Obscura’s mission is to open our eyes to the wonders all around us, the bizarre, hilarious, incredible things that inspire our curiosity and make our jaws drop at the amazing world we share. Wonder is a state of mind, they say, not a place; and the more we look for it, the more it becomes a part of who we are. This is a quest to discover South America’s hidden wonders, but we may just discover something hidden in ourselves too.“The problem of failing to recognise the magic in the world lies not with the world, but with us; and it is our job to turn ourselves into vessels of recognising that magic.” - Dylan Thuras, co-founder Atlas Obscura Highlights include:· Visit the Last Incan Bridge, an 120-foot long woven grass suspension bridge, straight out of Indiana Jones, which has been re-built every year for more than five centuries.· Stand at the base of Gocta Falls, the most incredible waterfall you’ve never heard of – twice the size of the Empire State Building.· See Venezuela’s Everlasting Lightning Storm, the most electric place on the planet.· Meet the Colombian village who travel by home-made zip-line across the jungle.· Find out about the inspiration for Atlas Obscura, how it went from a childhood love of weird Midwestern roadside attractions to a global phenomenon and New York Times bestseller.· Hear about such crazy historical inventions as the cat piano, the vomiting statue and a language created entirely out of music· Learn how by changing our mindset we can escape the wonder deficit of the modern world and live more meaningful and extraordinary livesAtlas Obscura tells extraordinary stories about hidden places, incredible history, scientific marvels, and gastronomical wonders. www.atlasobscura.com / @atlasobscura Dylan’s book, ‘Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders’, is a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon and in the New York Times: https://www.atlasobscura.com/unique-gifts/atlas-obscura-bookThe Armchair Explorer podcast is adventure storytelling set to music and cinematic effects. Each episode one of the world’s greatest adventurers tells their best story from the road. No long-winded interviews, just straight to the heart of the action. https://www.armchair-explorer.com "Best podcasts for pure escapism: It’s thrilling stuff" - Sunday Times"Best travel podcasts 2020: Every episode is an immersive experience" - The Guardian"Armchair Explorer is ear candy for listeners” - Washington Post"Best Travel Podcasts to Listen to Now: Action-packed and thrilling ..." - Wanderlust"Adventure stories from the wildest places on Earth ... Guaranteed to inspire wanderlust." - The Telegraph