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  • Today, we travel to the heart of Wadi Rum Desert in Southern Jordan with Ahmad Mara'yeh, a Bedouin man and co-founder of Rum Planet Camp.

    In this episode, Ahmad shares why understanding the local culture and connecting with its community is as vital as experiencing its landscapes.

    We also touch on the impact of tourism on Wadi Rum and how Ahmad has incorporated sustainable practices into his family’s camp. You’ll also hear about his experience meeting Matt Damon in the desert.

    Original Air Date: Oct 3, 2023.

    Featured on the show:Last chance to join me this Fall on a 10-day trip to JordanFollow Rum Planet Camp on Instagram @rum.planet.campRead my article in AFAR Magazine, Heading to Jordan? Skip the Bubble Tent and Stay Here Instead.Learn more about Lindsay’s projects Dance Afrikana and The New Red Book

    Get more information at: Going Places website

    Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!

    For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

    Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

    And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!

    Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. 

    Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

    Our theme music this season, Abbad El Shams, is provided by Rawan Roshni, a Palestinian/Balkan singer based in Jordan.

  • Today, we're speaking with Lindsay Gary, a Houston-based professor-scholar, multi-disciplinary artivist, and social entrepreneur on a mission to educate, connect, and empower the African diaspora in the US.

    In this episode, Lindsay talks about staying true to your purpose, finding time in our busy days to dedicate to what matters, and the value of asking important questions as a method for finding our paths forward. It’s what has led her on her journey in becoming a choreographer, educator,  founder of a nonprofit, and artist.

    Original Air Date: Feb 24, 2021.

    Featured on the show:Join me this Fall on a 10-day trip to JordanFollow Lindsay on Instagram @doctor_lindsCheck out Lindsay's website Learn more about Lindsay’s projects Dance Afrikana and The New Red Book

    Get more information at: Going Places website

    Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!

    For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

    Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

    And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!

    Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. 

    Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

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    Akışı yenilemek için buraya tıklayın.

  • In today's episode, I speak to Khadija Farah, a travel and documentary photographer based in Nairobi, Kenya. Khadija’s work appears in the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Guardian and more.

    Khadija is a member of Inland Stories, an international cooperative of long-term documentary photographers. Her work is part of the 2020 Lit List by Authority Collective, Women Photograph, Diversify Photo, and World Press Photo's African Photojournalism Database (APJD). Khadija’s projects includes In Bibi's Kitchen, a cookbook with recipes and stories from eight African nations for which she produced all on location images.

    Original Air Date: Nov 11, 2020.

    Featured on the show:Join me this Fall on a 10-day trip to JordanFollow Khadija on Instagram @farahkhadCheck out Khadija’s website Learn more about In Bibi’s Kitchen, a book of recipes and stories from the African continent

    Get more information at: Going Places website

    Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!

    For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

    Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

    And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!

    Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. 

    Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

  • Growing up in Mumbai with her extended family, Vibha Chokhani was destined to live a traditional lifestyle. Women in her life were married young and spent their days as homemakers, yet this path never felt right to her. 

    First woman in her family to get divorced, to get a master degree, and to live in a foreign country, Vibha has learned how to step into the unknown and in this episode, she traces her journey of transformation and acting in spite of fear on a path that took her from India to the United States and back. 

    Today, Vibha is a leadership and transformation coach based in Mumbai where she is supporting leaders worldwide to build capacity of “skillful human presence” in themselves in order to build capacity for their teams and organizations.

    Original Air Date: Oct 14, 2020.

    Featured on the show:Join me this Fall on a 10-day trip to JordanFollow Vibha on Instagram @vibhachokhani

    Get more information at: Going Places website

    Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!

    For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

    Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

    And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!

    Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. 

    Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

  • Today on the show, we're exploring the idea of rest (including cognitive rest), how the US culture sees it differently from Europeans, and what the relationship is between rest and creativity.

    And stick around in the end for a special announcement. 

    Featured on the show:Read the CNBC report on US attitudes toward vacationRead the Financial Times article, Europeans have more time, Americans more money. Which is better?Check out the 2023 World Happiness RankingsRead this article on the history of the 5-day workweekLearn more about cognitive rest from this Harvard Business Review articleCheck out what Lola Akinmade has to say about rest

    Get more information at: Going Places website

    Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!

    For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

    Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

    And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!

    Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. 

    Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

  • Aziz Abu Sarah is a peace builder, cultural educator, entrepreneur, author and international speaker. He’s also a Palestinian man who lost his brother to the Israeli soldiers and who is currently working with his Israeli partner, Maoz Inon, to imagine a new vision for both Palestinians and Israelis. 

    If there is only one episode you will tune in to this season, let it be this one, because it will give you an idea of how to talk to people who don’t have the same views as you when it comes to Palestine - Israel, one of the most important issues and injustices of our time.

    Aziz is a National Geographic Explorer and a TED Fellow who co-founded Mejdi Tours, a travel company that takes people to places like Palestine/Israel, Northern Ireland, and South Africa and presents multiple narratives about those places. His recent efforts with Maoz Inon include a Ted talk titled A Palestinian And Israeli, Face To Face, and meeting Pope Francis in time for the G7 Summit. 

    What you’ll learn in this episode:

    What it's like to meet with Pope FrancisHow Aziz stays engaged in the face of pain and lossA Palestinian and an Israeli joining forcesAziz tells the story of losing his brother and becoming a peacemakerWhat it's like living under the Israeli apartheid structureWhat Aziz wants people to see when they see PalestiniansThe power of poetry in Palestinian cultureMejdi Tours and the Dual Narrative methodSeeing beyond tourism stereotypes in EgyptThe asymmetry between Palestine and IsraelThe crux of Aziz's peacemaking approachMoving beyond pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli labelsFighting fear with hopeWhat the peacemaking vision in Palestine and Israel looks likeHow you can get involved in the peacemaking processWhy Aziz thinks hope is an action
    Featured on the show:Learn more about Aziz on his website Read Aziz's Ted Ideas story, How I Learned to Forgive My Brother’s MurderersCheck out the Ted Talk by Aziz and Maoz, A Palestinian And An Israeli, Face To FaceRead Al Jazeera op-ed by Aziz and Maoz, When It Comes to Israel-Palestine, True Naivety Is Believing in Endless WarLearn more about Mejdi ToursLearn more about Land For AllGet involved at InterActLearn more about the Palestinian poet Samih al-QasimFollow Aziz Abu Sarah on InstagramFollow Maoz Inon on InstagramCheck out Aziz's book, Crossing Boundaries: A Traveler's Guide to World Peace

    Get more information at: Going Places

  • Beth Santos is a passionate entrepreneur and community builder who many women in the travel industry will recognize as the CEO and founder of Wanderful, an international collective of travelers and travel content creators on a mission to make travel better for all women.

    Beth is the author of WANDER WOMAN: How to Reclaim Your Space, Find Your Voice, and Travel the World (2024). In this conversation, we discuss the stories that make this book so special, the challenge of not only writing , but also marketing and promoting the book, breaking through the noise, and what we can do to reclaim our space as women in travel, a true majority in the travel industry that still gets treated as a niche.

    We also talk about AI and its impact to our fragile storytelling and media eco-system. I try to surprise Beth by asking my ChatGPT bot questions about Beth and her work and prompting the bot to impersonate Beth. What we learn about AI in the process is fascinating!

    What you’ll learn in this episode:

    Beth reads an excerpt from Wander WomanThe challenge of writing a bookRethinking the traveler versus tourist narrative and the privilege of travelReclaiming our space as women in travelBook publicity and the fairy godmother complexYulia talks to AI about BethThe impact of AI on travel creatorsHow Wanderful plans to use AI Beth responds to ChatGPT impersonating BethIs there a digital space that is safe to build our businesses in?Celebrating 11 years of WanderfulBuilding one DEI table in travel
    Featured on the show:Learn more about Beth on her website Check out Beth's book, WANDER WOMAN: How to Reclaim Your Space, Find Your Voice, and Travel the WorldLearn more about Wanderful, a community of travelers and content creators redefining travel for women worldwideGet your free solo travel guide from Wanderful Check out WITS, a conference for women in travelListen to Beth's podcast, The 85 PercentFollow Beth on InstagramFollow Wanderful on InstagramCheck out Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World, a book by Dr. Anu TaranathCheck out Black Travel AllianceCheck out Native Women Wilderness

    Get more information at: Going Places website

    Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at

  • Villain hitters. Fortune tellers. Bamboo cage makers. Meet the people keeping Hong Kong's traditions alive.

    Lindsay Varty is an author and former professional rugby player from Hong Kong who writes about Cantonese culture and history in an attempt to generate a greater love and understanding of her home for herself and her readers. So today on the show, we're traveling to Hong Kong with Lindsay and me.

    Lindsay is the author of several books including Hong Kong Slang, Welly the Wild Boar and the local best-seller, Sunset Survivors, which features a collection of photographs and interviews with local artisans who work in some of the city's oldest, most traditional trades.

    What you’ll learn in this episode:

    Meet the keepers of some of Hong Kong's disappearing traditions like villain hitters, fortune tellers, and bamboo pole noodle makersWhy some Hong Kong artisans don't want more salesIs growth always good?What Hong Kong leaves behind when it moves forwardHong Kong's real estate problemHow to avoid the cliches of Hong KongLooking for identity and belonging as third-culture kidsHong Kong's walking tours with LindsayLindsay's upcoming book on third culture kids
    Featured on the show:Learn more about Lindsay's work on her website Check out Lindsay's book, Sunset SurvivorsFollow Lindsay on InstagramFollow Lindsay's Sunset Survivors project on InstagramCheck out VoiceMapCheck out The Impossible City: A Hong Kong Memoir by Karen Cheung

    Get more information at: Going Places website

    Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!

    For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

    Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

    And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!

    Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. 

    Learn more about our show

  • Today on the show, I’m sharing with you an episode that first came out last September, in which the table is turned on me and I am, for once, in the guest seat, as my friend and podcast producer Noelia Sanchez interviews me about Jordan, one of my favorite places on Earth.

    What you’ll learn in this episode:

    The origin story of my relationship with Jordan Yulia's favorite places in JordanWhat people get wrong about Jordan and the Middle EastWhat first time travelers to Jordan should see and experience Yulia's group trip to Jordan in Oct 2024

    Original Air Date: Sep 20, 2023.

    Featured on the show:Join me this Fall on a 10-day trip to JordanRead my CN Traveler article about traveling to Jordan this yearCheck out Noelia's company, Noteworthy Lab

    Get more information at: Going Places website

    Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!

    For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

    Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

    And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!

    Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. 

    Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

  • Today on the show: Part 2 of our conversation with Nada Raphael, a journalist, storyteller, and traveler based in Beirut, who, together with her partner Joelle Sfeir has co-founded Tourleb, a socially responsible tour operator that aims to promote local, women-owned and family operated businesses while changing the narrative about Lebanon.  

    This is Part 2 of our two-part episode.

    What you’ll learn in this episode:

    The origins of Lebanon's joie de vivre, creativity, and resilienceHow Beirut is doing after the blast of 2020Why making plans in Lebanon is impossibleMust-see experiences for a first-time traveler to LebanonWhy Nada loves TripoliWalking the Lebanon Mountain TrailExploring Lebanon through dishes like kibbeh and freekehWomen traveling solo in Lebanon
    Featured on the show:Check out the TourLeb websiteNada's book, Hyphen Islam ChristianityJoe Sacco's Gaza comic bookWanderful's Lebanon chapter announcementFollow TourLeb on Instagram

    Get more information at: Going Places website

    Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!

    For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

    Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

    And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!

    Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. 

    Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

  • Nada Raphael is a Lebanese journalist, storyteller, and traveler, who, together with her partner Joelle Sfeir has co-founded Tourleb, a socially responsible tour operator that aims to promote local, women-owned and family operated businesses while changing the narrative about Lebanon.  Get ready to travel to Lebanon with Nada and me and dismantle some myths about it while we’re at it. 

    This is Part 1 of our two-part episode and next week, we’ll share Part 2 of our Lebanon conversation with Nada.

    What you’ll learn in this episode:

    The complex narratives and histories of LebanonHow Nada’s book project led to the eventual launch of TourlebStarting a new kind of tourism in LebanonWhat the west gets wrong about the Middle East Nada unpacks the statement "It's complicated"Dispelling the myths and misconceptions about traveling to LebanonIs it safe to travel to Lebanon now?
    Featured on the show:Check out the TourLeb websiteNada's book, Hyphen Islam ChristianityJoe Sacco's Gaza comic bookWanderful's Lebanon chapter announcementFollow TourLeb on Instagram

    Get more information at: Going Places website

    Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!

    For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

    Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

    And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!

    Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. 

    Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

  • Imani Bashir is a world-traveling storyteller, mother, and advocate who's lived in five countries across four continents, including Egypt, Poland, and Malaysia. Her work focuses on culturally immersive social media content highlighting various atrocities and initiatives to support marginalized communities worldwide. Get ready to be immersed in this important topic: how do we travel in a way that is generative (to use the term on everyone’s minds right now), and not destructive?

    Imani has worked with The New York Times, Cosmo, The Washington Post, Travel + Leisure, and many others. She just took on a new role as the director of communications at BEAM, which stands for Black Emotional And Mental Health collective.

    What you’ll learn in this episode:

    Imani's experience of being a Black digital nomadHow living abroad shaped Imani’s global citizenshipTraveling with kids & mom culture in the US and abroadTravel as a way to gain empathy for immigrantsTravel media industry’s handling of GazaThe ethics of press tripsThe history of Black Islam in AmericaMisconceptions about IslamDid anything change since the murder of George Floyd?
    Featured on the show:Learn more about Imani on her website Read Imani's story, Life As a Black “Digital Nomad” Isn’t the Same Read Imani's story, A Reflection on What It Means to Be a Black American MuslimCheck out the work of BEAMSign the Travel Industry For Palestine initiativeListen to the Upstream PodcastFollow Imani on TikTokFollow Imani on Instagram

    Get more information at: Going Places website

    Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!

    For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

    Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

    And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!

    Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by

  • Today, I’m sharing a story I wrote for Conde Nast Traveler called In Jordan, a Community Disrupted Awaits Travel’s Return. I traveled to Jordan this February amid the ongoing war on Gaza by the Israeli government. This story was the outcome of this trip. 

    Featured on the show:Read Yulia's CN Traveler story, In Jordan, a Community Disrupted Awaits Travel’s ReturnListen to Episode 113, Palestine, Orientalism, and Solidary Movements with Matt Bowles on Apple Podcasts or SpotifySubscribe to Yulia's Going Places newsletter to get notified about Yulia's October group trip to Jordan

    Get more information at: Going Places website

    Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!

    For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

    Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

    And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!

    Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. 

    Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

  • If I could summarize this conversation with one phrase, it would be something Shannon said: “When people meet each other they find out that the other is not so other.”

    Shannon Stowell is the CEO of the Adventure Travel Trade Association, an organization for travel industry partners that believes travel can be a powerful force for good in the world. Shannon has spent over 30 years working in adventure travel, e-commerce, outdoor retail, and environmental science. Shannon and I met in person on a trip to Jordan this February, and we immediately connected around our shared belief about what travel could be. 

    In this conversation, Shannon takes us to Kurdistan, an autonomous region in Northern Iraq, where Shannon traveled with his son in 2017. You’ll learn about the meaning of the Kurdish saying “The Kurds have no friends but the mountains,” and what it feels like to visit the Yazidi sacred village of Lalish. We also discuss Shannon’s must-see places for people like me who have already traveled a lot, the Tomorrow’s Air initiative led by ATTA, why Shannon believes travel is a privilege, not a right, and what is a soft ambassador.

    What you’ll learn in this episode:

    How Shannon defines adventure travelShannon’s trip to Kurdistan in 2017What living off the grid in nature is likeWhat Maslow's hierarchy of needs has to do with modern depressionMust-see places for people who've already traveled a lotThe impact of media on destinationsMeeting the current moment: travelers' role in times of strifeThe story of “To kill a white person”What gives Shannon hope right now
    Featured on the show:Learn more about the Adventure Travel Trade AssociationCheck out Explore Mesopotamia tours in Iraqi KurdistanRead The New York Times story about KurdistanCheck out Shannon's book, Riding The Hula Hula to the Arctic OceanLearn more about the Tomorrow’s Air initiativeFollow ATTA on Instagram

    Get more information at: Going Places website

    Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!

    For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

    Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

    And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!

    Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people

  • Welcome back to Going Places!

    Matt Bowles is a veteran location-independent entrepreneur and host of The Maverick Show. I recently sat down with Matt to do a two-part series for his show. Matt has been doing activism work in solidarity with the Palestinian movement for the past 25 years, and in this conversation, we cover how he and I first became aware of the Palestinian struggle and movement, Orientalism, the asymmetry of power, the student encampments currently taking over the US and the world, what activism inside solidarity movements looks like, and more. If you like this conversation with Matt, head to the Maverick Show to listen to the full two-part interview series we did on his feed. 

    What you’ll learn in this episode:Matt's story: joining the Palestinian solidarity movementWhat Orientalism looks likeHow the asymmetry of power is related to injustices around the worldMultiple ways to become an activist
    Featured on the show:Listen to The Maverick Show's episodes with Yulia: Episode 282: Growing up in the Soviet Union, Traveling Through Africa, and Falling in Love with Jordan and Episode 283: The “Travel Industry for Palestine” Petition, Unpacking Orientalism, and Writing Great Travel StoriesVisit Travel Industry For Palestine to learn moreFollow Matt on Instagram

    Get more information at: Going Places website

    Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!

    For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

    Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

    And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!

    Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. 

    Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

  • Welcome back to Going Places! We’re speaking to Jen Ruiz, a lawyer turned full-time travel writer, blogger, and content creator. Jen is a 5-time Amazon bestselling author, 3x TEDx speaker, and 4-time award-winning journalist. She is also the solo female traveler behind Jen on a Jet Plane, with an audience of over 350,000 social media followers.

    In this conversation, Jen and I discuss dating while traveling, our strategies for finding a partner for life, why we don’t want to put all our eggs into one basket as entrepreneurs, and what passive income streams Jen is currently working on. Jen will also share her approach to achieving so many incredible accomplishments in the span of several years, like self-publishing a book, becoming a TEDx speaker, and getting a book deal based on an article she wrote 5 years ago. The book in question, 12 Trips in 12 Months is available to pre-order!

    What you’ll learn in this episode:Jen's story: Giving Up Dating to Travel the WorldThe evolution of travel journalismChallenges and opportunities in monetizing travel journalismHow Jen is diversifying her income streamsNavigating the volatility of freelancingFinding love and building relationships as a digital nomad
    Featured on the show:Jen's book, 12 Trips In 12 Months, is available to pre-order now!Check out Jen's story, Giving Up Dating to Travel the WorldGet Jen's free list of 17 flight alert websites and apps to get notified of flight deals (business class, too!) Jen's Ted Talks: The Power of Flying Solo; Why Can't We Be Friends?; Remote Work FreedomCheck out the Jen On A Jet Plane websiteFollow Jen on InstagramFollow Jen on TikTokFollow Jen on Facebook

    Get more information at: Going Places website

    Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!

    For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

    Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

    And show us some love, if you have a minute, by...

  • Welcome back to Season 10 of Going Places, everyone!

    I'm your host Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel photographer, writer, storyteller, community builder, podcaster, filmmaker, educator, and entrepreneur working on stories from around the world for top global publications, traveling to places like Botswana and the Arctic Circle, and producing stories about people that live and work in those places that I’m excited about.

    Going Places is my show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far. We hope to foster a space for real conversations to occur as we celebrate humanity in all its forms and hope to build bridges, rather than walls, with our work.

    How does one move through the world in this moment in time? This will be the central question we will explore on the show this season. How do we stay engaged with the world that has so much injustice and pain in it? How can we, through our individual actions, improve the situation around us? How do we stay open to the joys of travel while recognizing how our political and societal structures impact, and often oppress others? 

    These are all complex questions that I don’t have an answer to. But I am inviting a host of smart and kind people on the show to help me tackle them.

    Thank you so much for listening and stay tuned for the first episode coming to you next week!

    Get more information at: Going Places website

    Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!

    For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

    Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

    And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!

    Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. 

    Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

  • Welcome back to Going Places, everyone! This season on the show, we learned about Bedouin hospitality, heard from Ammani artists on Gaza, traveled to Italy in search of the world’s rarest silk, and more.

    I hope you enjoyed the new show format - and if you did, please take a moment to leave us a rating or a review on Apple podcasts or Spotify. I appreciate it! 

    This episode and the entire season of the show are brought to you by Visit Jordan. Be sure to visit myjordanjourney.com to learn more about Jordan. I loved partnering with this organization because, as you know, I love the country of Jordan so much, and I loved the opportunity to talk about it at length. 

    Today is our last episode and we’re going on a short hiatus, but before we do, I want to leave you with final thoughts on whether or not travel can change the world. This episode will talk about and reflect upon my latest trip to Jordan in February 2024.

    Get more information at: Going Places website

    Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!

    For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

    Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

    And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!

    Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. 

    Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

    Our theme music this season, Abbad El Shams, is provided by Rawan Roshni, a Palestinian/Balkan singer based in Jordan.

  • Welcome back to Going Places! Today, we have a conversation with Amelia Bilbeisi, co-founder of Maida Olive Oil, known as Onsuri Olive Oil in North America. Amelia produces one of the world's most premium olive oils on a farm deep inside a Jordanian desert. Tasting this olive oil, designated ultra premium quality, a coveted grade only 5 percent of the world's olive oil producers meet, has opened my eyes and my palette to what quality olive oil should taste like. 

    Olive oil is central to Jordanian culture, and today, Amelia and her team are well on their way to elevating its status worldwide. To get the taste of this incredible oil, head to onsurioliveoil.com. And be sure to use code GOINGPLACES, all caps, to get 10 percent off your purchase. Onsuri ships free to North America. 

    This episode and the entire season is brought to you by Visit Jordan. Be sure to visit myjordanjourney.com to learn more about Jordan.

    Get more information on the episode page.

    What you’ll learn in this episode:Significance of olive oil in Jordanian cultureHow ONSURI became a top olive oil producerHow to tell if the extra virgin olive oil is of high qualityChallenges affecting olive oil production (e.g., climate change)Traditional vs. modern approaches in agricultureThe role of women in olive oil productionWhere olive trees come fromCultural significance of olive oil in the Middle EastSustainability practices on Amelia's farmONSURI's environmental sustainability efforts (it's carbon-negative)Amelia's journey to becoming an olive oil sommelierBenefits and versatility of extra virgin olive oil in cooking and bakingVarieties of olive oil offered by Onsuri and their recommended usesTours and visits to Onsuri Farm for travelers What it's like for Amelia to be a part of her father's dream
    Featured on the show:

    To get a taste of this incredible oil, head to onsurioliveoil.com and use code GOINGPLACES to get 10% off your purchase. Onsuri ships free to North America!

    Get more information at:

    Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!

    For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

    Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

    And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!

    Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk,...

  • Join us in this episode in conversation with Chicago-based travel journalist and photographer Karthika Gupta. Her work has been featured in Vogue, BBC Travel, USA Today, Condé Nast Traveler, Fodors, AFAR, Travel & Leisure, Robb Report, and more. Karthika is also the founder of Culturally Ours, a platform dedicated to promoting cultural understanding and celebrating global diversity.

    In this episode, Karthika and I cover great distances. We travel to the flower markets of Mumbai,  the deserts of Jordan, and the sustainable farm run by one of the smallest tribal nations in California. Karthika shares with us the backstory to her latest work for Vogue magazine,  the motivation that enables her to keep pitching her beautiful stories and get published in places like Vogue, AFAR, and others, and how knowing people from places we visit can exponentially increase our understanding of the world.

    We also discuss the misconceptions about traveling to the Middle East and why traveling with her two children is Karthika's favorite way of learning something new about herself and others. Discover the motivation behind her compelling stories and her insights on how connecting with locals can deepen our understanding of the world.

    This episode and the entire season of the show is brought to you by Visit Jordan.  Be sure to visit myjordanjourney.com to learn more about this beautiful place.

    Featured on the show:Read Karthika's Vogue Story, How One of the Smallest Tribal Nations in the U.S. Is Redefining Sustainable Living Follow Karthika on Instagram: @karthikaguptaKarthika's website: karthikagupta.comListen to Episode 07: You're Good Enough To Do This Work with Karthika Gupta

    Get more information at:

    Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

    Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!

    For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

    Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

    And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!

    Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National...