Listen to this, Hidden Lemur Readers! Whether you’re in the mood for education, humor, escapism, or want to set some new #travelgoals, our favorite podcasters have just the ticket. Learn how to create a nomadic lifestyle, consider the complexities of sustainable travel, or escape vicariously with off-the-beaten-path travel stories. Whatever your wanderlust beckons you to hear, these top travel podcasts will perk up your ears.
Sustainable Travel Podcasts
Want to learn more about sustainable travel? Listen to this!
How Not to Travel
Hosted by the mononymous Dr. Kiona, an award-winning travel content creator and voracious academic (Ph.D., MS, MA), this podcast sheds an unfiltered light on traveling ethically, which helps travelers gain confidence and awareness. Dr. Kiona confronts the contradictions of traveling sustainably and unpacks complicated themes such as travel privilege, xenophobia, and what it really means to travel “like a local.” To learn more about her work, check out www.hownottotravellikeabasicbitch.com
“I believe that if more people traveled, the more humans would have a mutual respect for each other, making the world more about love and less about hate.” – Dr. Kiki.
Black Broads Abroad
This podcast amplifies the voices of black female expats around the world. Creator Phelena Jean is a self-proclaimed “international woman of leisure who said ‘peace out’ to the USA in 2011.” Since her departure, she has lived in over 40 countries and has gathered inspiring stories from other black women who bravely ventured out of their home countries and into the great unknown. Her infectious humor, inspiring confidence, and educational content make this an indispensable resource for black ladies who want to spread their wings and live their best expat lives (and for anyone who loves great storytelling)!
Building a sustainable travel industry depends on authentic diversity and inclusion. With equitable representation in travel media, influencers empower other explorers to make choices that benefit everyone involved, richly improving both the travel industry and the tourist experience.
Ecolust
Australian couple Hayley Tillard and Chris Minehan readily admit that they embody a classic millennial stereotype: they want full lives and like nice things, but they don’t want to be part of the problem anymore. Thus was born the Ecolust travel podcast. With a lofty yet straightforward mission, “We want to live better – for the planet, for others, and for ourselves,” the couple shares their struggles and triumphs as travelers navigating the paradoxical realm of sustainable living. Their episodes span three seasons so far, blending practical tips, philosophical banter, and storytelling with zero “eco-shame.” Tune in to slow travel with bamboo backpacks, The Galapagos Islands on a Budget, or Spirituality and Environmentalism to start.
Sustainable Jungle Podcast
This mission-driven show focuses on solutions to the world’s environmental challenges. Hosts Joy and Lyall interview fascinating and influential people from various sectors working toward a common goal: “future-proofing” our planet. Sustainable Jungle encompasses conservation and sustainability themes beyond the travel sphere. However, conservationist travelers will find many episodes both inspiring and informative. For example, episode 58: “Is it Really Green,” aims to help listeners reduce overconsumption by shifting their attitudes. Other titles are more self-explanatory, such as episode 37: “Let’s Go on Safari and Save Africa’s Wildlife,” episode 30: Planting Trees and Changing Communities in South Africa, or episode 8: The Dark Side of Wildlife Tourism and What to Do About It.
On She Goes
Four women of color created this brand-new travel podcast with the self-stated goal of “inspiring women of color to travel confidently, adventurously, more often.” Their conversations confront the uncomfortable realities of traveling while black, and black representation in mainstream media while covering other travel topics such as getting paid to travel and #vanlife. The creators of On She Goes specifically reach out to women of color with their stories and content. But for all other travelers, their conversations are a powerful reminder that intersectionality is vital for sustainability. To learn more, follow them on Instagram.
Nomadic Lifestyle Podcasts
Want to trade your nine-to-five for a nomadic lifestyle? Listen to this!
Extra Pack of Peanuts Travel Podcast
One of the biggest obstacles travelers confront when pursuing a nomadic lifestyle is paying for it. For readers eager to travel the world on a budget, Travis Sherry unpacks precisely how it can be done on his EPOP Travel Podcast. Sherry interviews the world’s most famous travelers and shares specific advice on finding cheap hotels, using frequent flyer miles, packing like a pro, and more. With humor and well-earned perspective, Sherry teaches listeners “how to travel more and spend less.”
Zero To Travel
From advice on traveling the world on a budget, finding a work/life balance on the road, to building an online business from anywhere, Jason Moore is a trusted resource for creating a travel-based lifestyle. On his website, Moore shares his transformational story, from uninspired couch surfer, to voluntary vagabond, to the itinerant entrepreneur he is today. He acknowledges that the journey toward location independence is challenging but worth it, and offers courses with in-depth practical guides for those ready to take the leap. Jason weaves actionable advice into every episode and features well-traveled wanderers with unforgettable stories.
From Sumplace New
Karen and Jon Sumple are the ultimate digital nomads, living “Sumplace New” every few months. They left the USA in July 2018 and embarked on an open-ended journey that has taken them through Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Scotland, and counting. Their podcast offers listeners insights, encouragement, and unfiltered perspective gleaned from their experience as full-time travelers.
Indie Travel Podcast
This long-running podcast from Kiwi couple Craig and Linda Martin gives listeners boots-on-the-ground advice for long-term travel. The Indie Travel Podcast was born in 2006, an upshot from the litany of mistakes that Craig and Linda made when they initially embarked. Now, with years of experience under their belts and plenty of anecdotes to share, they help other travelers choose destinations, decide what to pack, and learn how to find lesser-known attractions in cities of interest. With a nod to sustainability, they also promote alternative accommodations such as couch surfing and pet sitting.
Amateur Traveler
Chris Christensen casts himself as the Amateur Traveler in his podcast, a comic misnomer considering the 600 episodes on cue in his Rolodex. Each one is formatted as a simple location guide with a guest expert on each location to give in-depth insights on how to best experience it. With so many dream destinations to choose from, you’re sure to find helpful advice for almost any upcoming trip. It’s like listening to the Cliffnotes for Lonely Planet – you’ll be ready for take-off in just 20-40 minutes.
Travel Stories Podcasts
Need a virtual escape? Listen to this!
Armchair Explorer
Aaron Millar’s Armchair Explorer marries the interview with adventure storytelling. With high production values and musical underscoring, this action-packed podcast gives listeners a cinematic experience as they journey through the memories of the world’s greatest travelers. Millar draws from his depth of experience as an award-winning writer and host of National Geographic in the UK to bring the best travel stories out of his guests.
Travel Tales
Comedian by day and a travel junkie by night, Mike Siegel has managed to merge his passions in this quirky and lighthearted podcast. From Amsterdam to Hong Kong, Siegel brings humor to his interviews with the locals and explorers he meets along the way. He pokes fun at the best and the worst of his travel experiences while encouraging listeners to see as much of the world as they can.
The Thoughtful Travel Podcast
What could be more satisfying than a travel tale, well told? Very few things, in my opinion. And the Thoughtful Travel Podcast with Amanda Kendle is a show for people who agree! Kendle’s conversations with fellow travel fiends feel like sitting at the table with new friends as they share their funniest, scariest, and most memorable travel stories.
Women Who Travel
Hosted by Lale Arikoglu and Meredith Carey of Conde Nast Traveler, Women Who Travel delves deep into the experience of traveling as a woman and covers a wide range of topics. It all started as a Facebook group where women shared stories, advice and asked each other questions. Today, this podcast is a luminary resource and supportive community that embraces women on the road in all their highs and lows.
Chronicles Abroad
Nubia Younge and Frantzces Lys are two women who broke out of patterns that no longer served them, packed a suitcase, and hit the road together. Their mission to inspire professionals of 35 and older to travel with passion and purpose now reaches listeners in 94 countries and 46 US territories. The show also has a unique format, as it sprinkles in lots of “minisodes” in which the hosts share nuggets of worldly wisdom in under ten minutes. They also produce hour-long episodes that delve deeper into their revelations and observations abroad.
Off-The-Beaten-Path Travel Podcasts
Who says travelers can’t make their own rules? Listen to this!
Let’s Go Together
Let’s Go Together by Travel + Leisure celebrates diversity in travel and features inspiring explorers who’ve wandered far off the beaten path. Some memorable guests include a quadriplegic who climbed Machu Picchu, the first documented Black woman to travel every country in the world, a gay couple who left their city life behind to explore national parks in a 26-foot RV, and more. Host Kellee Edwards brings a breadth of experience to her conversations as an award-winning travel expert who has visited over fifty countries. She is also a licensed pilot, scuba diver, and television host.
Deviate with Rolf Potts
For travel stories with a philosophical bent, listen to Deviate, by Rolf Potts. An accomplished essayist, author, and advocate for sustainable travel, Potts has dedicated his impressive career to storytelling at the intersection of travel and philosophy. His recorded conversations, like his writing, combine thoughtful advice, humor, and incisive rumination. USA Today calls him “Jack Kerouac for the Internet Age.”
Wild Ideas Worth Living
On Wild Ideas Worth Living, journalist Shelby Stanger features conversations with people who “took the path less traveled and brought their wildest ideas to life.” Listeners will hear from athletes, environmentalists, entrepreneurs, and CEOs who embrace adventure and encourage others to get outside and live passionately. Robert Frost would love it!
The Offbeat Life
Who hasn’t fantasized about leaving the daily grind behind and living life on the road these days? Whether you’re looking to color your daydreams or scheme about how to practically make them happen, check out The Offbeat Life podcast by Debbie Arcangeles. She keeps listeners inspired with stories from travelers who’ve discovered how to live a remote life to the fullest.
Get Lost Podcast
Sometimes an Instagram bio says it all, “Adventures that might curse, bankrupt, or kill you.” Winner of Adweek’s Best Interview Podcast of 2020, The Get Lost Podcast is a fun and engaging listen. Playing host is prolific travel writer and dauntless explorer, Joe Sills. His well-produced episodes feature travelers who’ve pushed past their comfort zones in the most far-flung places, from stumbling into The Crypt of Osiris to meeting the Mountain Gorillas of Uganda to Drag Racing in Tennessee.
