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There’s a new buzzword in travel – “multi-generational” or multi-gen. That is at least 3 generations of the same family travelling together. Grandparents, parents and children choosing to holiday together despite each having their own specific wants and needs. SOUNDS TERRIFYING! Yet it is reportedly a growing trend. Keen to go behind the headlines as ever, Phoebe takes her whole tribe - 75-year-old dad, 3-year-old son, and partner to SE Asia, to travel 1,200 miles from Singapore to Thailand, by train. How will it go? Will they still be talking at the end? And who will be the first to ask the dreaded question - "Are we nearly there yet?"
Also coming up:How to survive a night on a sleeper train in South East Asia; discover how to travel as friends and still be talking at the end of the trip with Race Across the World winners Tricia Sail and Cathie Rowe; learn how to dress to survive hot and humid conditions; meet the man who was key to bringing bison back to Saskatchewan's prairies in Canada; Wander Woman of the Month – Florence Baker.
www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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Saudi Arabia is a controversial place - one that for years was closed off to westerners without a special invite. But that all changed in 2019 with the announcement of a new tourist visa and a huge investment in infrastructure - beginning with the north-western oasis city of Alula. So far, most travellers have been Instagram influencers, keen to get 'that' shot of Elephant Rock or the infinity pool at Habitas. But Wander Woman Phoebe Smith is determined to skew the surface glitz, head off piste and dig deeper to discover if tourism really has made a difference to the local women who live there. Following in the footsteps of her late grandmother, who journeyed to Saudi in 1987, her guide is the diary her granny kept, a constant source of comparison between then and now. Never afraid to ask questions, probe deeper and seek answers, Phoebe asks - is tourism helping the women of Saudi to break trail?
Also coming up:How you can enjoy a stress-free visit to Saudi Arabia; meet the woman working as part of a team to bring back the Arabian leopard; discover how best to dress to comfortably go from souk to sand; 10 reasons to consider a visit to Alula; hear about TV historian Bettany Hughes' love of all things Nabatean; Wander Woman of the Month – the first British born Muslim woman who made a pilgrimage to Mecca – Zainab Cobbold (aka Lady Evelyn Murray).
www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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Pour yourself a glass of Albariño and settle in as Phoebe puts her navigationally inexperienced friend in the lead (and self-guided specialist tour operator InnTravel to the test) as they wander along the Camino Portuguese's Espiritual Variante aka The Old Way. Walking between Tui on the Portuguese/Spain border all the way to Santiago - with much laughter on the way - the question is will they get lost? There's only one way to find out...
Also coming up:How to switch from flying to trains on your next adventure; Discover the top 10 foods worth travelling for in Europe; meet the man responsible for designing the best walking trips and find out what makes the perfect hike; in our regular gear chat discover how to pack for the Camino de Santiago; hear about TV presenter Michaela Strachan's recent pilgrimage and why mountains and cashew nuts are the way to her heart; and in our Wander Woman of the Month - learn about the woman who inspired Jack Kerouac - Alexandra David-Néel.
www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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Embark on an adventure to Shimokawa, in the heart of Japan's Hokkaido region, where this small town is breaking new ground in the world of sustainable living. Phoebe Smith will take you through the streets and forests of this pioneering community, uncovering how they've transformed from a lumber-dependent economy to a beacon of environmental harmony. From making chopsticks (to avoid the millions that go in landfill each year), to powering homes and public buildings using locally made biomass, using weeds to produce natural essential oils, and taking people to fish for (and then eat) an invasive species, she asks if this could be the blueprint for a better life?
Also coming up:How to learn a new language - fast; Discover the top 10 places for whale watching; meet adventurer and author a new book Ash Bhardwaj who answers the question - why we travel? In our regular gear chat it's all about choosing insect repellent for your travels; be inspired by Onguma Reserve Manager Jonathan 'Yona' Strijbis who dedicates his entire life to protecting the endangered black Rhino in Namibia; and in our Wander Woman of the Month - learn about 'wandering writer' and translator Sanmao.
www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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Strap on your eco-friendly gear and prepare to be immersed in tales of transformation, recovery, and the relentless pursuit of a better world. Join adventurer Phoebe Smith in Egypt's Red Sea (literally) where she meets the resort cleaning up its act - and the ocean. Red Sea Safaris in Marsa Alam (one of the first PADI eco-dive centres in the world) firmly pushes back against the mass tourism model, and empowers divers to be part of the solution by offering the Dive Against Debris course free of charge, alongside other conservation first initiatives, and in doing so improves both the land and underwater world for everyone.
Also coming up:How to travel sustainably on a budget; Discover the top 10 places to try diving; I meet ultrarunner and co-founder of Black Trail Runners Sabrina Pace-Humphreys to discuss why Lanzarote is just like running in the Sahara desert and why she never travels without her running shoes. In our regular gear chat we consider the most eco-friendly snorkelling kit; be awed and humbled by child solider turned artist Peter Oloya, who is using his talent to empower other survivors in Uganda; and in our Wander Woman of the Month - learn about the woman who made waves becoming the first scuba instructor in the USA - Dottie Frazier.
www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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Unicorns. Not usually the kind of mythical thing you'd think a travel writer would be on assignment to find. Yet in the Canadian Arctic of the territory of Nunavut, on Baffin Island, a sea creature who inspired these fabled creatures lingers beneath the waves. We're talking the narwhal - a small whale that sports a twisted ivory tusk that to this day still baffles scientists. Accompanied by her Inuit guides Phoebe battles whiteouts and icy seas on a mission to find these marina mammals. Along the way she climbs icebergs, learns how to track polar bears and is privileged to hear, first hand, the indigenous legends of the creation of the first narwhal. Will she find one? There's only one way to find out...
Also coming up:
How to keep your batteries and devices going in cold climates - with this month's travel hack; Discover 10 flying alternatives for your next adventure; fresh from launching his new BBC series Wilderness, I meet TV presenter and author Simon Reeve, to talk wild places, his ultimate travel gear and... testicles? In our regular gear chat you can learn all about the joy of using gaiters (the little shoe and boot covers that can make all the difference); join us for a heart-to-heart with ice swimmer Kate Steels who shares some of the best swimming spots around the planet; and prepare to be amazed by our Wander Woman of the Month - Brigid of Ireland.www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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Celtic goddess? Catholic Saint? Or master beer brewer? February 1st marks St Brigid's Day – as well as the pagan festival of Imbolc, which elebrates the coming of spring, which the Irish Government have declared to be a public holiday.
But who was the Brigid behind Ireland's female patron saint? The stories are many - from the igniter of an eternal flame, protector of the earth, the environment and animals; to the girl who gave away her father's sword to the poor so that they could sell it for food; and the saint who manage to claim The Curragh lands under her mythical cloak . And did we mention the woman who brewed enough beer to satiate her entire parish of 18 churches in a single pot?
Fascinated by this indisputable Wander Woman, adventurer Phoebe Smith heads to Kildare in Ireland (just a 30 minute train ride from Dublin), in association with Tourism Ireland, to go on the St Brigid Trail in a mission to find out who she really was. There's reed weaving, well visiting, storytelling and - of course - ale tasting. Come wander with her...www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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Think Thailand and you usually think two things. The first is the vibrancy and hedonism of the capital city of Bangkok. The second is The Beach - the book-turned-film featuring Leonardo DiCaprio that sent scores of backpackers to a tiny island off the coast of Phuket. I pay the Land of Smiles a visit (in association with the Tourism Authority of Thailand) to uncover a different side to the world's busiest city and the country beyond. From visiting the Green Lung of the capital where monks ask for recycling rather than alms, to journeying by sleeper train to Chiang Mai to check out sustainability projects already underway, and interviewing a ranger about the initiatives that have been introduced to tackle overtourism on the beach from The Beach - wander with me to discover a side to the country that is distinctly green.
Also coming up:
Learn how to prevent and treat sea sickness on all your water-based adventures; Dip into the 10 Best Travel Books to fuel your wanderlust; meet itinerant TV presenter, author and farmer Kate Humble to talk Interrailing, Africa and... magic string; Understand how to buy the best sun cream for your travels - whether in warm or cold climates; join us for a chat with Urban Explorer Greg Abandoned as he reveals some of the most fascinating places in the world; and prepare for a polar expedition with our Wander Woman of the Month - Arnalulunguak.www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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Want to escape the chaos of the festive season? Join Phoebe Smith as she undertakes a micro-pilgrimage in Sussex, England, on the recently discovered Old Way. But here's the twist - although she's joined by 15 others they walk in complete and total silence... As a non-religious soul, Phoebe wonders what brings people to complete a pilgrimage and learns the value of time spent outside without speaking a single word. The event was run by the British Pilgrimage Trust whose motto is BYOB (Bring Your Own Beliefs) and people definitely did...
Also coming up:
Learn how to Beat the Blisters with our expert Travel Hack of the Month; Discover the 10 best pilgrim paths around the world; meet the BBC Correspondent and Barrister, turned nuns - turned tour guides who mapped out a series of 'Caminos' in their native Northern Ireland; Discover the joys of walking poles in our regular gear section; Gen up on Canada's Ojibwe Spirit Horses, a rare and endangered breed - and the woman working to save them; and be left in awe by our Wander Woman of the Month - Egeria aka the world's first pilgrim.www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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Many of us have been to Ireland before – bought a pint of Guinness in Dublin, gazed at the Atlantic from Galway and maybe kissed the Blarney stone in Cork, but few of us - Phoebe included – have taken the time to explore the central valleys and hills of the Hidden Heartlands, which are home to the River Shannon – the longest river in the country. Desperate to see what stories would flow she jumps on a train, then ferry and heads to the source to follow the waterway all the way to sea…
Learn how to enjoy Ireland for free with our Travel Hack of the Month; Discover the 10 best stops on the Wild Atlantic WayHear from Timmy Donovan, barman at the oldest pub in the world, who’s about to front a new series on Netflix about the origins of whiskeyWhat to pack if you are travelling in the ‘shoulder season’ in changeable weatherHear from the inspiring Access for All Lough Ree who are working to ensure everyone can enjoy the outdoorsWander Woman of the Month - Gráinne ni Mhaille aka Grace O’Malley - Ireland’s Pirate Queen
Also coming up:Come wander with her…
#WanderWomanWednesdaywww.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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The invite came in bright red letters from Intrepid Travel: Sabah Adventure – climb Mt Kinabalu and head into the jungle to find Borneo’s iconic wildlife. It promised to be a trip to rival all other trips. The catch? It was a group trip. That would mean Phoebe – an avid solo traveller – would have to share her experience (not to mention bedroom) with others. How would it effect the trip? There was only one way to find out...
Learn how to survive room sharing on your adventures with our regular Travel Hack of the Month; Discover the 10 best places in the world where you can travel solo;Hear from climber and adventurer Leo Houlding about why 'big pointy mountains' make for the most memorable holidays - even with kidsWhich are best - walking boots or shoes? We find out... Hear from the inspiring Matricia Bauer, an Indigenous guide in Jasper and owner of Warrior WomenWander Woman of the Month - Jemima Anne Morrell - the first modern tourist in 1832
Also coming up:Come wander with her…
#WanderWomanWednesdaywww.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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Tickle your tastebuds in every sense as we join Phoebe Smith on assignment in South Wales where she goes on a food tour of the Vale of Glamorgan to meet the producers championing sustainable produce and low food miles; get to grips with Rewilding with her Travel Hack of the Month; prepare to scream with a run down of the Top 10 latest adventure activities she dares you to try; journey with her to Cornwall to meet the farmer turned conservationist who realised that reintroducing the extinct beaver to Britain could help with flooding; keep it warm with a lightweight fleece and learn how to by the perfect one for you in her fantastic Gear geek out with Rohan; and, from the archives, Phoebe catches up with daughter of a polar explorer and adventurer and author in her own right - Kari Herbert; and meet our Wander Woman of the Month – Jean Beret, the first woman to circumnavigate the world by ship - disguised as a man...
www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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Join Phoebe Smith on assignment in Greenland where she talks to locals about battling extreme weather, fighting to keep their traditions and meets a family who gave up high flying jobs to live more sustainably; discover how to be a better and greener traveller in her Travel Hack of the Month; go beyond the marketing spiel to discover the most sustainable destinations to visit in the new year in Phoebe's Top 10; journey with her to Australia's Outer Reef to meet Professor Minke aka Dr Alistair Birtles a man who has dedicated his life to learning about the rare dwarf minke whale (cetaceans of course being one of the best ways to capture carbon - so saving them, can save the planet too); don’t keep it under your hat with our podcast partners Rohan as we delve into the best travel caps, sunhats and beanies for your head; and, from the archives, Phoebe catches up with Queen guitarist and astronomer Brian May about astrotourism and why Tenerife is his favourite place in the world; and meet our Wander Woman of the Month – Freda du Faur, mountaineer extraordinaire, the first known woman to summit Aoraki / Mount Cook in New Zealand despite being forced to wear a skirt.
www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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Join Phoebe Smith for a brand new season of the Wander Woman Podcast as this month she (in association with the Caravan and Motorhome Club) heads to Britain's Isle of Wight on a self-styled safari to go in search of this wild isle's Big – or maybe little – 5; discover how to find a wildlife tour operator or guide that is showing you animals in a responsible way with our regular Travel Hack of the Month; dust off your walking boots to climb one of the best walker's mountains in the world with Phoebe's Top 10 - no crampons required - guaranteed; journey with her to Alladale Wilderness Reserve to meet the man intent on bringing wolves back to the Scottish Highlands; stay comfy underneath your clothes with a good pair of technical underwear - thanks to our podcast partners Rohan; and Phoebe catches up with Emily Chappell, woman's winner of the Transcontinental Bike Race and ass-kicking author, to learn about the best places to discover on earth by two-wheels; and meet our Wander Woman of the Month – Kate Rice (in association with Destination Canada), a prospector who not only pushed the boundaries for women but also for mining in North America.
www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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Join Phoebe Smith as this month she sends her Wander Woman correspondent (and podcast producer) Daniel Neilson to the wild and remote Torngat Mountains - he went for polar bears and icebergs but found so much more.... (in association with Destination Canada); learn how to haggle like a pro in a souk with our Travel Hack of the Month, so you can ensure both you and the vendor leave with smiles on your faces; wanting a city break with some wilderness on the side? Our Top 10 looks at the best urban centres around the globe that offer an abundance of outdoor activities right on the doorstep; journey to South Africa to meet the group of street kids turning their lives around by learning to shoot with a camera rather than a gun; get shopping and beat the bugs with the best insect repelling shirts - thanks to our podcast partners Rohan; and Phoebe catches up with Olympic gold medallist and world record rowing champion Helen Glover MBE to find out how much travelling she got to do when competing and how life as a mum has changed her approach to exploring places; and meet our Wander Woman of the Month – Bessie Coleman, an aviator who not only pushed the boundaries for women but also for African Americans.
www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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Join Wander Woman Phoebe Smith as this month she takes the wheel and hits the road to follow Mexico’s Route 1 on a mission to prove that the Baja peninsula is the perfect place for a solo road trip. Get clued up with our Travel Hack of the Month to help you avoid getting stung by hidden costs when renting a car overseas; start planning for life after lockdown (in association with Destination Canada)with our pick of the quirkiest trips to take in Canada over the next 18 months and beyond; journey to Australia to learn about the colourful and bizarre annual mating ritual performed by cavorting cuttlefish; find out the ultimate trousers to wear on long-haul flights, train rides and bus trips thanks to gear experts, Rohan; and Phoebe catches up with comedian, outdoor lover and avid traveller Ed Byrne to find out why one adventure ending up making the headlines and which bit of kit he never leaves home without; and meet our Wander Woman of the Month – Ann Sayer, former vice-president of the Long Distance Walkers Association, who still to this day holds the record for fastest walk from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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Join Wander Woman Phoebe Smith as this month she heads to north Iceland, to a small town called Husavik, which was the former whale hunting hub and is now the country’s capital for whale watching. There she trials a trip with innovative company North Sailing which now offers a carbon neutral experience with silent electric boats; learn how to make a travel movie on your smartphone that people will actually want to watch with the Travel Hack of the Month; find your happy place with one of the most calming destinations to visit in the world with Phoebe’s regular Top 10 in Travel; meet Sylvia Cloutier (in association with Destination Canada), the Canadian woman who is ensuring that the Inuit cultural tradition of throat singing is passed on to the next generation after nearly being lost when the missionaries arrived; find out why you need a rucksack that packs down tiny on your next trip thanks to gear experts, Rohan; and finally Phoebe catches up with her polar teammate and the first black Briton to walk to the North Pole, Dwayne Fields, to find out how he turned his life around from the streets to the peaks; and meet our Wander Woman of the Month – Ada Blackjack – the female Robinson Crusoe who survived on a remote Arctic island when the British expedition she was on went wrong.
www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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Join Wander Woman Phoebe Smith as this month she stays in Britain to undertake a 300-mile kayak around the British waterways to highlight how easy it is to have an adventure close to home as well as to help her co-conspirator in adventure Dr John Pike raise money and awareness for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance; find out how to create your own home-grown expeditions with her hard-won travel hack; tour the isles, forests, mountains and coast of the UK as Phoebe reveals the top 10 British Escapes to take this year; meet Barrie Gilbert the man who was mauled by a grizzly bear and then became one of the biggest campaigners to protect them (in association with Destination Canada); find out why a pair of normal looking jeans - with hidden tech built in - could be all the leg wear you need on your next trip, thanks to gear experts, Rohan; and finally Phoebe catches up with her friend travel author and legend Bill Bryson to find out where he's been, where he's going and what makes a good travel writer; and meet our Wander Woman of the Month - Mary Anning - who wandered the British coastline to support her family by collecting fossils almost single-handedly bringing tourism to the Jurassic Coast.
www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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Join Wander Woman Phoebe Smith as this month she takes a cargo boat along Quebec's isolated Lower North Shore, in Canada, a place that relies of a ship to deliver goods and people between 12 remote communities; find out how to stay on the road for longer with her hard-won travel hack; open your mind as Phoebe reveals the top 10 most mythical creatures said to roam the earth - and explains where to see them; meet Roberto Klabin, of Brazil's Caiman Ecological Refuge, as he tells how he's trying to save the Pantanal's jaguars; find out which is the best travel top for your next trip, thanks to gear experts, Rohan; hear why Australia truly got under the skin of light artist Bruce Munro - creator of the Field of Light in Uluru; and meet our Wander Woman of the Month - Bertha Benz - who undertook the world's first road trip and was vital to the forming of the largest car makers in the world.
www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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Join Wander Woman Phoebe Smith as this month she goes walking with the ancestors in Tasmania, a place where, until the 70s all of the aboriginal people were said – incorrectly - to have been wiped out; find out how to get the best deal on a flight for your next trip with her hard-won travel hack; prepare to be awed as Phoebe counts down the top 10 natural phenomena in the world and where to see them; meet Professor Peter Harrison who talks sex… on the Great Barrier Reef, in a mission to save the coral; find out how to buy a waterproof for your travels thanks to gear experts, Rohan; find out where the wild cooks go with Cerys Matthews – ex-Catatonia frontwoman, BBC Radio presenter and author of a brand new cookbook; and meet our Wander Woman of the Month – Emma Gatewood – the first and oldest woman to complete the USA’s Appalachian Trail back in the 1950s.
www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
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