In a land defined by otherworldly, unpeopled spaces, and the isolation of islanders — it makes no sense to explore here en mass. In this episode, Native Traveler shows you the Iceland of Icelanders.
(Start: Feature; Interview with Mike Poppe of Trufflepig — 7:30; Interview with Wake Up Reykjavik — 20:00)
Contributor Ann Abel entitled her heartfelt feature for this show I Lost My Job, My Marriage, and My Home, So I Climbed Kilimanjaro. Ann won a North American Travel Journalists Association Award for this story. Deservedly so. It's a compelling kickoff to our exploration of the routes and wonders of summiting Africa’s highest peak, even drilling down to what to bring. And then we talk girl power in tackling such challenges, and other places where women and wilderness are coming together. Cue Mother Superior's solo in The Sound of Music.
Aka Girlie Badass—Native Traveler feature contributor and award-winning travel journalist for Forbes, Robb Report, Departures, Afar, National Geographic Traveler, Islands, Brides and more. Will try almost anything once.
Dervla Pinto is a “Destination Expert” for Kensington Tours, a custom-tour company based in Toronto. She’s traveled to 58 countries across six continents and studied in Tanzania, where she climbed Kilimanjaro at age 22. Not surprisingly, she’s an Africa specialist, but also has a soft spot for countries like India, Vietnam, and Bolivia.
The owner of Wild Women Expeditions, Jennifer Haddow. She's also Editor-in-Chief of the new Wild Women Magazine. See below an excerpt from the first issue's letter from editor.
"I wanted to read stories about these wild women, who favour cooperation over competition, connection and compassion over ego and fear. Women who are bold and brave adventurers and warriors who protect what we love. Women who are deeply dedicated to the conservation of wild places and who step lightly on the land..."
Check out WWM's first issue:
(From travel writer, Ann Abel)
(From Kensington Tours Tanzania expert, Dervla Pinto)
(From MEC, Rozanne Pilbeam)
If you think North Atlantic gales and cottage getaways are an odd pairing, well, you're not alone. But you'd be wrong. The Danish way is full of such seeming contradictions. Come along on this enigmatic North Atlantic road trip.
Today we explore the soulful Balearic Isle of Mallorca, Spain—its rich, multi-layered culture and its draw as home to cycling's inner sanctum. In many ways, this show is also an ode to MAMILs (middle-aged men in Lyrca). Sometimes misunderstood by their non-road riding partners (ok, maybe that was just me)—their experience (and mine) tackling some of their most epic rides around the world reveals, with epiphanic clarity, why they keep climbing onto that hard narrow little saddle. Push off and clip in, this is a good one.
Chef and writer Phillip Pearce says it best, in introducing his Native Traveler feature:
I know I’m not alone in the excitement I’m feeling. My clothes feel too heavy. My head, lighter. My life from four hours ago in cold, wet Toronto begins to feel like an archaic mainland memory, sluggish and grey. Our wide eyes take it in from above and I can’t wait to walk out onto the tarmac, and feel Exuma all around me.
Click the red circle right below to experience more of etherial Exuma.
Chef/Writer
Canada's Bahamas Tourism ambassador
Here we celebrate ice out on the lacework of lakes and waterways across Canada, but specifically that of Algonquin park—Canada’s oldest provincial park three hours northwest of Toronto. We talk lost canoe routes and tripping techniques. We take a look at one of Ontario's most beloved wilderness lodges. First, though, we mark the 100th anniversary of the death of a Canadian art icon, Tom Thomson, in Algonquin Park and the making of a Canadian legend.
When was the last time you heard nothing? This week we explore wild silence—the most extraordinary places for travelers to find it, why we need it, and how we can enjoy it while being pampered with the ultimate in creature comforts. Shhhhhh and listen below.
The Dordogne feels eternal. We marvel at landmarks reaching back to pre-history, bucolic landscapes and unhurried traditions that defy a trend-driven hyper-wired world. Its beauty and history aside, I think the sheer endurance of a Deep France way of life here restores us, and, more recently, reassures us that perhaps these wonky times too shall pass.
Amid the remnants of our family homestead in Ulster Ireland, I found myself asking these questions—what about this place made my ancestors who they were, who we are. The quest for such answers has more and more travelers hitting the road to explore family roots the world over. This show celebrates their journeys.
For us snowbirds north of 49th parallel, our notion of Mexico can be involuntarily shaped by widespread promotions of sun and sand, all-inclusive packages—easy enticing respites from harsh Canadian winters. What an injustice. In this show, the ladies at The Divine Destination Collection and others help us dive deep, beyond the stereotypes, to experience the rich resonant culture of Mexico's Yucatan.
