GoNOMAD Travel Podcast

Boquete Panama has 5000 expats and a thriving tourism and outdoor adventure scene. Discover this unheralded Central American country where things are cheap and people are friendly. Read more on GoNOMAD Travel https://www.gonomad.com/227220-boquete-and-chiriqui

Coastal Mississippi has 42 miles of white sand beaches along the Gulf of Mexico at the bottom of the state. We visited the area between Bay St. Louis and Pascagoula and went shrimping, rode an airport, slurped oysters, and found one of the world's largest model train sets. Read more about it on GoNOMAD Travel

On the island of Penang, Malaysia, GoNOMAD Senior Writer Chin Teh Liang attends the wild Thaipusam Festival, where devotees of Lord Murugan follow his golden chariot to the temple, and coconuts are broken in celebration. Read more about it here https://www.gonomad.com/226551-thaipusam-festival-in-penang-malaysia

Switching seats on an airplane might be getting some viral videos and catching on, but Christopher Elliott provides solid reasons to NOT switch seats but to plan ahead to get the best seats.

Join us as we shed our clothes and join GoNOMAD writer Chris Moore as he joins 200 others on a naked sailing cruise on the Royal Clipper, a 440-foot steel sailing vessel. The trip sailed to ports in Croatia, and everyone enjoyed the freedom of being nude with others on board, except in the dining room and in port.

Read the full article on GoNOMAD Travel https://www.gonomad.com/224333-a-naked-cruise-adventure-in-the-adriatic

North Macedonia might be the 'dim sum of tourist destinations' says Max Johnson, a frequent traveler and former tour company man. He visited the country to see Lake Ohrid, one of Europe's deepest, Tetovo, and learned that Mother Teresa and Alexander the Great are the two touchstones.

Medford Oregon is located in the southern part of the state, about 30 miles north of California. Highlights of a recent visit to Medford were Crater Lake, Table Rock, two large mesas near town, and the 70 wineries that line the Rogue Valley. Read the story on GoNOMAD.com

New Brunswick, in the Maritimes of Canada, has so much to see and do and eat! Lobster is top of mind up here, and there are interesting history living museums, Acadian festivals and music, and spectacular scenery to explore.

New Brunswick Canada is home to Shediac...the world's lobster capital. We learned about the life and times of lobsters and how the fishery has become very sustainable with conservation and baby lobster breeding. Read more about New Brunswick on GoNOMAD Travel.

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In Guanajuato, located in the middle of Mexico, there is a booming wine tourist business, with more than 40 wineries in San Miguel de Allende, Leon, and Guanajuato City offering travelers European style Agritourism experiences where they can take tractor rides through the vineyards and taste the dozens of varieties. Find out more https://www.gonomad.com/221217-wine-culture-grows-in-guanajuato-mexico

Today is a rant. Why are airport terminals so noisy? In his Ask the Pilot column, airline pilot Patrick Smith talks about the noisiest terminals in the U.S. and some of the quietest ones, such as Berlin-Brandenburg Airport and Helsinki. Read the column here. https://askthepilot.com/airport-noise-scourge/

The Deep South is excited about bringing back the popular train service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama. It has a new name, the Mardi Gras Express, and hopes to start service in 2024 if issues with the freight railroad CSX are resolved. Read the story on GoNOMAD https://www.gonomad.com/220977-amtrak-train-makes-a-gulf-coast

Tropea is a stunning sight...a town perched on top of a cliff with a 240-foot drop down to a golden sand beach. Find out about the beaches, the views, and some of the culinary highlights of this popular beach town in Calabria, in the toe of Italy's boot. Read the story by John Henderson https://www.gonomad.com/219818-tropea-the-gem-of-calabria

Timber Rafting on the The Klaralven River, or “the clear river” in Swedish, that runs for over 250 miles of clean and fresh water stretching from Sweden through Norway. Vildmark and Varmland, a Swedish tour operator, takes travelers into the woods and helps them build their own timber raft, then it sets them loose without a guide to navigate the long river, on either a one, four or eight night adventure.

Read the story on GoNOMAD about a couple from England who built their own raft and took the eight day journey.

https://www.gonomad.com/5175-timber-rafting-in-sweden

New York State's vast six million acre Adirondack Park has vistas, mountains and plenty of fun. Take a visit to the New York State country today on the GoNOMAD Travel podcast.

The Gaspe Peninsula is long stretch of coastline in eastern Quebec, at the top where the St. Lawrence river empties into the Atlantic Ocean. We took a week-long road trip to see whales and moose up close, learn about the history here and take in some great nightlife. Read more about Gaspe Peninsula on GoNOMAD Travel https://www.gonomad.com/98502-gaspe-peninsula-quebec-plenty-of-room-plenty-of-whales

Siskiyou County is the way, way far northern county, on the Oregon border in the center of the state. Take a trip 9.5 hours north of Los Angeles to discover the remote county the size of Connecticut with 4 percent of the people, and stay in a converted caboose at the Railroad Park Resort in Dunsmuir CA. Read the story https://www.gonomad.com/220787-northern-californias-siskiyou-county

The Belmond Venice-Simplon Orient Express is one of the world's greatest and most luxurious trains, harkening back to the original Orient Express made famous by Agatha Christie. Join us on an excursion from Venice to Paris for two days of total luxury, and don't forget to bring your tuxedo! Read the story on GoNOMAD Travel https://www.gonomad.com/219889-belmond-orient-express-train

How will the disaster of climate change affect your next vacation. Eloise Barker interviewed tour operators from Spain, the Galapagos, the Alps and Australia to find out specifics on how global warming is changing nature tourism and skiing. Read more https://www.gonomad.com/220674-how-will-climate-change-next-vacation

Montenegro is a tiny Balkan nation about the size of Connecticut. Annie Chen discovered a great beach town, Budva, and a historic center, Cetinje, and shares some of what makes them worth visiting. Read more about them on GoNOMAD. https://www.gonomad.com/192820-montenegro-budva-cetinje

Kuching is the capital city of the province of Sarawak, a wild, large province on the island of Borneo making up the eastern half of Malaysia. Find out about why it's called Cat City and about the exotic fruits and strange architecture that makes it a fascinating place to visit.

We just returned from France and found some new tricks and tips for planning our trip and how to make it easier when we arrived. Using AI, Uber, Airbnb other information for modern travelers.

Tom's Wall is a remarkable achievement in the woods of rural Florence Alabama. Built by Tom Hendrix, the one-mile wall is dedicated to his great, great Grandmother who was forced to walk the Trail of Tears when the natives were expelled from the Alabama territory to Oklahoma, and she walked back home by herself.

Luggage storage is convenient and in some cases, essential. But you can't really store your luggage in an airport locker any more, now services such as Bounce and Nannybag offer off-site storage in a variety of hotels, self-storage stores and other locations. Some offer pick up and drop off and water taxi service. Find out more about luggage storage on GoNOMAD https://www.gonomad.com/219056-tips-and-tricks-about-luggage-storage-on-vacation

Take a 12-day transatlantic trip on the 596-foot-long Silverseas Dawn luxury ship. GoNOMAD Senior Writer Tab Hauser's article shares the stories of life at sea, the 8 restaurants, and more. To read the story on GoNOMAD. https://www.gonomad.com/217810-going-transatlantic-on-the-silversea-dawn

We interviewed Kelly Goehler, one of the proprietors of La Belugue, a unique small B&B in a village in Provence that offers photography, cooking, and other wellness retreats and a full range of cooking classes. The property is from the 18th century and is surrounded by vineyards and has a very beautiful backyard with a pool and a long table for leisurely lunches and festive dinners. They also operate a wine bar and restaurant on the weekends. Find out more about these retreats and the B&B at www.la-belugue.com and www.cookinprovence.com.

The Star Clipper is one of three elegant schooners that sail the seas around the world, part of the Star Clippers line. We interview Captain Yuriy Slastenin about what it takes to be a ship captain and man the helm of these great ships and what the world of sailing is like.

Take a tramp steamer, up the massive Amazon and Rio Negro in Brazil! GoNOMAD Contributor Johnny Motely shared his tale of time spent on the Greyhound of the river in South America, with tips on taking the most inexpensive cruise in the world. Read more https://www.gonomad.com/159687-amazon-river-cruising-to-see-the-rainforest

Norm Bauer and his wife recently took a 47-day marathon motorcycle trip across Greece and Turkiye. They were thrilled to discover how inexpensive Turkiye's beach resorts are with no dinners costing more than $25 for two. Climb aboard a BMW motorcycle and take a journey with us today on GoNOMAD. Read the story here. https://www.gonomad.com/217100-crossing-turkiye_motorcycle

Guanajuato is in the very center of mountainous Mexico, it's both a state and a city and it offers Spanish colonial cities, ATV and kayaking adventures, and the special charm of the less-touristed interior of wonderful Mexico. Read Irene Thomas' GoNOMAD story https://www.gonomad.com/217734-guanajuato-the-mexico-you-havent-seen-yet

Muscle Shoals is famous for the sounds that came from the two legendary recording studios there, the region of North Alabama is also home to Helen Keller's birthplace, WC Handy's home museum, and a stunning house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Visit Northern Alabama today on GoNOMAD!

Forest Bathing, or Shinrin Yoku in Japanese, is the art of walking into a forest and taking stock of every sense...the sights, the sounds, the smells and the feel of what you're experiencing. We meet two women who are forest bathing guides and find out details about this popular practice. Read more https://www.gonomad.com/216657-forest-bathing-a-mindful-woodland-journey

Punta Gorda is a throwback to the Florida of 1940s and before, when Disney wasn't there and towns like this were the main attraction. Find nature, art and fun people in this town, read more https://www.gonomad.com/216054-punta-gorda-florida

Normandy, France is famous for Mont St. Michelle, the abby atop a hill off the coast, and for the D-Day Beaches and Caen Memorial. Come find out more reasons to visit this seaside province of France, Normandy, today on GoNOMAD. Read more about Normandy: https://www.gonomad.com/216718-normandys-brilliant-historical-and-touristic-sights

Roosevelt Island lies between Manhattan and Queens and makes for a fun day trip in NYC, where you can enjoy great views, historic buildings and lunch. Find out more about the island, today on GoNOMAD Travel.  Read Tab Hauser's story https://www.gonomad.com/216349-roosevelt-island

San Antonio has become the top city for transplants in the entire country with 13,000 people moving there over the past few years. A new collections center featuring artifacts collected by rock drummer Phil Collins has just opened, and the city is a great place for a bike ride. Find out more about San Antonio in 2023 today on GoNOMAD Travel Podcast.

The newest airport terminal in the United States opened in February 2023 with the Kansas City International Airport, replacing three ugly buildings with one gigantic terminal with 40 gates and a host of people-friendly amenities.

The island of Iceland is crazy for the unique flavor or licorice because for decades it was the only sweet imported to the island. Take a tasty tour of the many places you'll find licorice in coffee, ice cream and in baked treats in Iceland. Read more https://www.gonomad.com/215440-six-places-in-reykjavik-about-licorice

Playing a sport in a foreign country is a big challenge, and a great way to see the country. Jakobi Bonner shares his story as a professional basketball player who is living and working in Albania. 

Worcester Massachusetts is the second largest city and one of the most diverse...listen to why Worcester, with the Woo Sox, the Woo Ha Ha Comedy Club and the city's many historic buildings is worth a second look, today on the GoNOMAD Travel Podcast. Read more about Worcester: https://www.gonomad.com/139720-worcester-massachusetts-getting-noticed-finally

Equatorial Guinea in West Africa is a two-part country, made up of an island a section of the West African coast about the size of Maryland. Find out more about this seldom-visited nation where Spanish is the main language, unique to the entire continent of Africa.

Travel is really back...and there are already nine new international travel routes that have been announced by major airlines. Find out where you can go in 2023 on this edition of the GoNOMAD Travel Podcast. HT: Conde Nast Traveler

Where are the hottest destinations and trends for 2023? GoNOMAD Editor Max Hartshorne makes bold predictions for the year in travel.

There is just something about the mountaintop town of San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas Mexico that draws people in, many come and never want to leave. Find out about the town with the laid-back spiritual vibe in Mexico's far south, today on the GoNOMAD Travel Podcast. 

Read the full story here. https://www.gonomad.com/215298-san-cristobal-de-las-casas-might-change-life

What do Cubans think of how their country is run? Jamey Melcher visited Cuba in Dec 2022 and found people who were unhappy and trying to leave. 

A visit to the Czech Republic, or Czechia as it likes to be called. What else is there to see in Czechia if you don't visit Prague. How about Kutna Hora, Kolin and Malesov, where ossuaries, castles, and towers await?  Find out more about Central Bohemia today on the GoNOMAD Travel Podcast. Read the full story by Max Hartshorne here https://www.gonomad.com/213979-central-bohemia-ring-around-prague

Today, Beth Reiber shares her story of visiting a remote eco-lodge in the vast jungle along the Amazon river in Colombia.  Water levels are low and there is fear that the jungle's diversity of plants, insects, and animals is threatened. Read more here https://www.gonomad.com/213952-colombias-fantastic-and-wild-amazon