On today’s destination special, we are embarking on a journey to the jewel of the Caribbean, just 27 miles long and 14 miles wide, adorned with a tapestry of turquoise waters, golden beaches, and emerald-green rainforests. The enchanting island of Saint Lucia.  Having visited many Caribbean islands myself, Saint Lucia is one that truly sets itself apart, in part because of its enormously diverse landscape. The famous Piton mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage site, frame a lush rainforest that...

Susannah Constantine first burst onto our TV screens in the late 90s, alongside her partner-in-style, Trinny Woodall. Together, they revolutionised the way women approach fashion with their ground-breaking show 'What Not to Wear’, as the iconic duo Trinny & Susannah. The series not only garnered international acclaim but also became a cultural phenomenon, empowering women to embrace their bodies and dress with confidence, taking them all over the world from The Oprah Winfrey Show to the...

Phil Rosenthal first gained international recognition by creating the iconic TV sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond,” which won 16 Emmys and as we discuss on the episode today, 30 years later is still a mainstay on both US and UK TV. A self-described foodie, he has always been an ardent supporter of restaurants and food culture and his favourite saying is that “food is the great human connector”. Now he is living out his dream, travelling the world and exploring different cultures one bite at a...

Today we are joined by a name synonymous with adventure, exploration, and a deep passion for the great outdoors. Julia Bradbury's love affair with nature began at a young age, nurtured by family hikes and camping trips in the rugged landscapes of the Peak District. She started her career as a show business reporter for breakfast TV in Los Angeles, becoming a household name as the presenter of BBC’s Countryfile alongside co-host Matt Baker - her boundless enthusiasm for the countryside...

Today, we're joined by one of the most recognisable faces of British TV, the delightful Alex Jones. Alex has been the co-presenter of The One Show, since 2010, a daily magazine show here in the UK which is broadcast every week night on BBC 1. It’s a British institution that's become a staple in many households. Hailing from Wales, Alex grew up bilingual, fluent in both English and Welsh. She tells us today about her first experience of TV, taking part as a contestant in a reality show in...

Today’s episode has a particular focus on family travel, and I’m joined today by Jessica Gee, the matriarch of one of the most well known travelling families in the world, The Bucket List Family, who I’m sure many of you follow on Youtube and social media.  The Bucket List Family’s story began back in 2015 when Jess and her husband Garrett decided to sell everything and leave home with their two children, for a journey around the world together. Eight years and another son later, they've...

Welcome to Season 11! Kicking us off in style, we’re joined by a dazzling duo who are set to waltz their way into your hearts, stars of Strictly Come Dancing, and heading into a second season of their much loved travel show Anton and Giovanni’s Adventures, it’s Anton du Beke and Giovanni Pernice.  I spoke to Anton and Gio in London a couple of weeks ago, at a dance studio which was like something out of Fame - sprawling rooms filled with people singing and whooping and music blaring from...

Today we are embarking on a sun-soaked journey to the Sunshine State - Fantastic Florida. From the magical world of theme parks in Orlando to the laid-back vibes of the Florida Keys, we’ll be chatting about some of the State’s best known spots as well as uncovering its hidden gems that may not yet be on your radar. For example, did you know that Florida is a foodie’s paradise? My first guest today knows a bit about that. Jimmy Doherty is a TV presenter and one of the UK’s best known farmers....

Sir Michael Palin - where do you start! He’s a legendary comedian, part of pop culture history as one of Monty Python. He’s a BAFTA-winning actor, a best-selling author, and one of our most loved travel documentarians and travel writers. His journeys across the world, beginning with Around the World in 80 Days, followed by Pole to Pole, Full Circle, Sahara, Himalaya, Brazil and more, were a key part of how many of us discovered the world growing up, through his eyes, and through his warmth...

You might know today’s guest as the formidable judge on "MasterChef: The Professionals,”; or maybe you've followed her globetrotting escapades on the BBC’s "Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby”. Perhaps you’ve even been lucky enough to eat in her London restaurant, Mere. She’s one of the best-known and highly renowned female chefs in the UK, it is of course, Monica Galetti.  This season has been such a treat because I’ve managed to interview so many names who I dreamed of talking to when I...

Sophie Morgan is a TV presenter, Conde Nast Traveller columnist and disability advocate. When she was 18, on the night she received her A level results, Sophie crashed her car, and was left instantly paralysed from the chest down. Everything she had dreamed for her life was instantly forgotten and her journey to rediscover herself and build a different life began. “I want to go to some extraordinary places, meet some extraordinary people and do some extraordinary things", she wrote from her...

Today, we're diving into the awe-inspiring world of high-altitude adventure. Our subject is a man whose name is synonymous with daring expeditions and summit triumphs, the legendary climber and adventurer, Kenton Cool. With 17 successful ascents of the mighty Mount Everest to his name, along with many other mountain peaks around the globe, including the ‘seven summits’ – the highest mountains on each of the seven traditional continents, Kenton is not just 'cool' by name, but by nature. You’ll...

Hello and welcome to this bonus Destination Special of The Travel Diaries. Yes, I am back for a second time this week, as we continue to celebrate California and all it has to offer, today bringing to life one of my personal favourite spots, Greater Palm Springs. I was there in 2019 as part of a much bigger US road trip, which took me through all of California, and it’s one of the places I think about most when I’m daydreaming about far off lands. It’s nestled in the heart of California's...

Today we are heading to a sun-soaked slice of heaven. The place I chose as my all time favourite destination when I answered my own travel diaries here on the podcast. The Golden State. It is of course, California.  I have been so excited to work on this episode for you, bringing to life a destination so close to my heart - so close in fact, that I even got married on one of its many golden sand beaches. The reason I love California so much is that it’s a paradise of possibilities, a promise...

Growing up around farms and wildlife, TV presenter Kate Humble has always had a fascination for nature. After leaving school, she travelled solo to Africa; working her way from Cape Town to Cairo. On her return to the UK she began working for TV production companies, as a runner, then researcher on ‘The Holiday Programme’. It was on her second day in the Holiday office when she was asked by the programme’s editor if she had ever presented before. "No," she said "and nor do I want to." Kate...

Our guest today knows his way around both the kitchen and the world. He’s a culinary maestro with a passport full of flavours and a heart full of stories. It’s the wonderful, Gino D’acampo.  Born in Naples, in Southern Italy, Gino inherited his grandfather’s love and passion for cooking. After studying at catering college, at just 18 years old Gino moved to London. Soon after he was spotted by a TV producer and began to grace our TV screens on shows like Ready Steady Cook, This Morning and...

Today’s guest is the queen of British Soul, a West End superstar, and an Olivier-award winner - Beverley Knight. If you've ever swayed to the rhythms of Beverley’s songs like "Shoulda Woulda Coulda" or "Come as You Are," you know that Beverley's voice has the power to transport you to another dimension. But what about the destinations that have transported her? She's also a seasoned traveler with a passport filled to the brim with stamps from around the world and today, she's going to take us...

Today, we're embarking on a special adventure – a voyage through the enchanting world of train travel. Our guest today is a true connoisseur of locomotion, travel writer Monisha Rajesh. In 2010, Monisha spent four months travelling around India by rail recounted in her debut book, Around India in 80 Trains. After India, Monisha took on the world, over seven months and 45,000-miles, on an adventure through the global rail networks, which later became her next book, the brilliant Around the...

Today’s very special guest is not only a seasoned sailor but also a true legend of the high seas. She's the captain that keeps it all together on the hit TV series, "Below Deck: Mediterranean”. That's right, today we're setting sail with none other than Captain Sandy Yawn! Now, if you're a fan of the show, you already know that the show chronicles the lives of the crew members who work and reside aboard a super yacht during charter season and Captain Sandy brings more than just nautical...

We’re kicking off Season 10 by diving into the world of one of the most iconic figures in the music industry, a Grammy-winning artist whose distinctive voice and reggae beats have seen him top the charts over the past 30 years. That's right, we’re joined today, Shaggy. “Oh Carolina”, Shaggy’s debut single, was his big breakthrough into the music industry, all the way back in 1993. It became a chart-topping hit around the world and subsequent mega-hits like “Boombastic”, "It Wasn't Me” and...

On today’s season finale we're joined by a national treasure, and a name synonymous with travel, Dame Joanna Lumley. Joanna's appetite for adventure was deeply engrained from childhood. She was born in Kashmir in the last days of British India, the daughter of an army officer who served with the Gurkhas. Throughout her childhood her parents lived in Asia, moving to Hong Kong and Malaysia, while she spent term times at school in England. From her early days as a fashion model, gracing the...

Today we’re uncovering another favourite episode from The Travel Diaries archive, now that we have over 100 episodes to pick from, as we build up to our big season finale with Joanna Lumley next week. It was so hard to choose, but when I reflected on the episodes that sparked the most wanderlust in me, from the most seasoned travellers, I thought it had to be Ben Fogle. Ben’s episode was recorded back in the Covid days, during season three, when no one really knew what was going on with the...

We're revisiting one of the podcast's favourite episodes today, from back in Season 3, and we're joined by one of travel’s most familiar faces. Known for his TV series tracing the Equator, the Tropics of Cancer & Capricorn, following the world’s sacred rivers and pilgrimages, travelling the length of the Americas, and deep diving into destinations like Burma, Russia and Colombia, visiting over 130 countries along the way. It is of course the adventurer, author and broadcaster, Simon...

Megan Hine is a survivalist and wilderness guide who has carved her path in the fiercely competitive world of adventure travel, producing some of the biggest adventure and survival shows on TV around the world. Her big break came working alongside Bear Grylls on his hit show Man vs Wild, and from there, she’s led talent and film crews in the world’s toughest environments for over 20 years.  A seasoned adventurer, Megan also possesses an insatiable hunger for exploration. Armed with her...