Today’s guest is returning to the podcast after 5 years! TV presenter, adventurer and explorer Steve Backshall is one of the most travelled people in the world, and one of the best story tellers - so he is the ultimate Travel Diaries guest.

Just listening back to his first episode in preparation for today was a reminder of what an amazing episode that was - if you haven’t listened to that scroll back and listen to that first, because his life is so interesting, and then come back and listen to this one!

It was so lovely to meet him in person this time, just last week. We filmed this in London, and it was really good fun putting some of your new travel diaries chapters to him - his answers were sensational. When somebody has been to this many places it's hard to know where to start, but I think that you're going to be absolutely captivated by Steve's stories, as I was.

So from Suriname to the Scilly Isles, Jerusalem to Alaska, and so much more, here’s Steve.

**Listeners - there's a strange video with the loading of Apple Podcasts' video today, so I'm reuploading this as an audio only file until it resolves.**

Destination recap

• West Cornwall, England
• Land’s End, England
• South Africa
• Suriname
• Alaska, USA
• Juneau, USA
• The Azores, Portugal
• Dominica
• Colombia
• Papua New Guinea
• New Britain, Papua New Guinea
• New Ireland, Papua New Guinea
• New Caledonia
• Yucatán, Mexico
• Cancún, Mexico
• Tulum, Mexico
• Bimini, The Bahamas
• The Isles of Scilly, England
• St Martin’s, Isles of Scilly
• Jerusalem
• Tel Aviv, Israel
• The Negev Desert, Israel
• Kyrgyzstan
• Northeast Greenland, Greenland

Steve’s Deadly Live tour begins in October. Find out more here.

If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok, I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you.

I’ll be back on Sunday with another episode of Unpacked, this time with Conde Nast Traveller’s Digital Director, Sarah Allard.

With thanks to...

Kimpton Los Monteros - a five-star hotel for discovering the best of Marbella.

Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I’m joined by travel writer, author and photographer, Luke Abrahams. Luke is one of the UK's most prolific travel journalists, having been to 30 countries this year alone, and he's about to release a new book, The Luxury Travel Book: 25 personal experiences that make you rethink the world and your place in it. These are stories that make you rethink the beauty of life and the mastery of human creativity, and it is packed full of his beautiful photography too.

We'll be unpacking Ruthie Rogers' bucket list destination, Kyoto; reflecting on my Hotel of the Week, Casa Angelina; chatting about Luke's recent trip to Ladakh in Northern India, and answering your listener question.

Destination Recap

• The Shinmonzen, Kyoto, Japan
• Park Hyatt Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
• Sowaka, Kyoto, Japan
• Tokyo, Japan
• Okinawa, Japan
• Osaka, Japan
• Hotel Lo Scoglio, Nerano, Italy
• The Amalfi Coast, Italy
• Ravello, Italy
• Casa Angelina, Praiano, Italy
• Positano, Italy
• Capri, Italy
• Le Sirenuse, Positano, Italy
• The Path of the Gods, Amalfi Coast, Italy
• Scala, Italy
• Ladakh, India
• Shakti Ladakh, Ladakh, India
• Kargil, India
• The Imperial New Delhi, New Delhi, India
• Leh, India
• Paro, Bhutan
• Genghis Khan Retreat, Orkhon Valley, Mongolia
• Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• Kazakhstan
• Tajikistan

Luke's new book, The Luxury Travel Book: Extraordinary experiences money can't buy is available for pre-order here.

If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok, I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you.

With thanks to...

Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host

I’ll be back on Tuesday.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is one of the most influential figures in British food. Ruthie Rogers is the chef and co-founder of The River Cafe, the legendary Michelin-starred Italian restaurant in Hammersmith, which she opened with Rose Gray in 1987. Over nearly four decades, The River Cafe has completely transformed the way we eat and think about Italian food in this country, and its kitchens have helped launch the careers of some of Britain’s best-known chefs, including Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Theo Randall and April Bloomfield.

But Ruthie’s influence extends far beyond the restaurant. She’s the author of numerous much-loved cookbooks and the host of the hugely successful podcast Ruthie’s Table 4, where an extraordinary guest list, from Paul McCartney and Elton John to David Beckham, Tony Blair and Nancy Pelosi, share the food memories that have shaped their lives. The podcast has now inspired her beautiful new book, Table 4 at The River Cafe: Conversations about Food and Life.

And it turns out that food memories and travel memories have a great deal in common. Both can transport us instantly back to a particular person, place or moment in our lives. 

I joined Ruthie at The River Cafe on a gloriously sunny summers day. Her travel diaries today take us from Cuba and Mexico to Maine and Marrakech, as well as her beloved Italy and the beautiful rhythm of family life she created with her late husband, the architect Richard Rogers, with summers in Tuscany, winters exploring the world and an almost constant desire to plan the next adventure.

Destination Recap:

• Havana, Cuba
• Hotel Lungarno, Florence, Italy
• Camino Real, Mexico City, Mexico
• Contramar, Mexico City, Mexico
• Niddo, Mexico City, Mexico
• Oaxaca, Mexico
• Puerto Escondido, Mexico
• Huatulco, Mexico
• Chichén Itzá, Yucatán, Mexico
• Uxmal, Yucatán, Mexico
• Monte Albán, Oaxaca, Mexico
• Palermo, Sicily, Italy
• Naples, Italy
• Lo Scoglio, Marina del Cantone, Italy
• Amalfi Coast, Italy
• Ravello, Italy
• Capri, Italy
• Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy
• Trattoria Gianni Franzi, Vernazza, Italy
• Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy
• Portofino, Italy
• Belmond Hotel Cipriani, Venice, Italy
• York, Maine, USA
• Marrakech, Morocco
• Taroudant, Morocco
• Tafraoute, Morocco
• Essaouira, Morocco
• Fez, Morocco
• The Shinmonzen, Kyoto, Japan

You can listen to Ruthie’s Table 4, wherever you get your podcasts.

Her new book, Table 4 at The River Cafe: Conversations about Food and Life is available now.

I’ll be back on Sunday with another episode of The Travel Diaries: Unpacked.

If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok, I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. 

With thanks to...

Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host

Citalia - Discover the real Italy with Citalia, the UK’s leading Italian holiday specialists. Let the Italy Experts craft the perfect holiday for you and experience Italy like a Citalian.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The Travel Diaries: Unpacked, I’m joined by Lauren Ho, one of the world’s most well-travelled luxury hotel experts. Lauren is Travel Director of Wallpaper*, a contributing editor at Country & Town House and the Academy Chair for Western Europe for The World’s 50 Best Hotels.

Recorded just days after this year’s list was revealed in Paris, Lauren shares her reaction to the results, why Asian hotels continue to dominate the top 10 and which new entries she was particularly pleased to see recognised.

We also journey to AlUla in Saudi Arabia, where ancient Nabataean tombs, dramatic desert landscapes and extraordinary new hotels are putting the destination firmly on the travel map. Lauren shares her recent stay at Six Senses Amaala on the Red Sea and takes us inside her trip to Georgia, from the hidden corners of Tbilisi to Kakheti’s vineyards and traditional amber wine.

My Hotel of the Week is the newly restored Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, overlooking the impossibly beautiful harbour of Portofino.

Plus, in our listener Q&A, Lauren recommends the perfect luxurious but not completely bank-breaking destination for a special family celebration.

Destination Recap

• The Peninsula Paris, Paris, France
• Rosewood Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
• Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand
• Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá, Mexico
• Upper House Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
• Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing, China
• Rosewood São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
• Passalacqua, Lake Como, Italy
• Atlantis The Royal, Dubai, UAE
• Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, Bangkok, Thailand
• Capella Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand
• Amangiri, Canyon Point, Utah, USA
• Monument Valley, USA
• AlUla, Saudi Arabia
• Banyan Tree AlUla, AlUla, Saudi Arabia
• Our Habitas AlUla, AlUla, Saudi Arabia
• The Chedi Hegra, Hegra, Saudi Arabia
• Petra, Jordan
• The Peninsula Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
• FORESTIS, Brixen, Italy
• Villa Treville, Positano, Italy
• Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel, Cannes, France
• Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino, Italy
• Six Senses Amaala, AMAALA, Saudi Arabia
• Rosewood Amaala, AMAALA, Saudi Arabia
• Tbilisi, Georgia
• The Telegraph Hotel, Tbilisi, Georgia
• Kakheti, Georgia
• Estelle Manor, The Cotswolds, England

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is one of Britain’s funniest, most distinctive and most beloved writers, Caitlin Moran.

Caitlin began writing her first book at just 13, was published at 16, and became an award-winning Times columnist and the bestselling author of books including How to Be a Woman, More Than a Woman and What About Men?

Her brilliant new book is called How to Be Hopeful, and it begins with a feeling I think many of us will recognise: that the world has become overwhelming and the only reasonable solution might be to run away and start an entirely new life somewhere else. In Caitlin’s case, that meant fantasising about a self-sufficient farmhouse in the Welsh mountains, until she discovered quite how expensive Welsh farmhouses actually are. So what happens next? 

From her wonderfully feral childhood summers she spent living with her seven siblings in a tiny caravan in Wales to a romantic road trip through the Scottish Highlands; the lavish trip to Antigua that taught her luxury travel wasn’t necessarily for her; and why Corfu remains the island she returns to again and again, and much much more, here are the Travel Diaries of Caitlin Moran.

Destination Recap:

• Tregaron, Wales
• Strata Florida Abbey, Wales
• Ynyslas, Wales
• Ullapool, Scotland
• Rannoch Moor, Scotland
• Cornwall, England
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Tenby, Wales
• Kassiopi, Corfu, Greece
• Paxos, Greece
• Antipaxos, Greece
• Iceland
• Japanese Alps, Japan
• Tokyo, Japan
• Abergavenny, Wales
• Bannau Brycheiniog, Wales
• Florida, USA
• Austria
• Scandinavia

Thanks so much for listening today. If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok, I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. 

I’ll be back on Sunday with The Travel Diaries: Unpacked and our guest, World’s 50 Best Hotels European chair, and travel journalist, Lauren Ho.

If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok, I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. 

With thanks to...

Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host

Hotels with History podcast - Hotels with History is a podcast hosted by actor Richard E. Grant and travel & hospitality expert Jules Perowne, uncovering the scandals, legends and surprising stories behind the world's most legendary hotels. Search Hotels with History wherever you get your podcasts 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to our very first episode of The Travel Diaries: Unpacked, your weekend travel fix. 

Today I’m joined by the fabulous John O'Ceallaigh. John is a travel journalist and consultant to luxury hospitality brands, who previously served as the luxury travel editor for The Telegraph for nearly a decade.

We'll be unpacking Nisha's bucket list destination, China; reflecting on my Hotel of the Week, Six Senses London; chatting about John's recent trip to Azerbaijan, and answering your listener question.

Destination Recap:

• China
• Beijing, China
• Shanghai, China
• Yunnan, China
• Shangri-La, Yunnan, China
• Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, Shangri-La, China
• Yellow Mountain, Anhui, China
• Chengdu, Sichuan, China
• St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
• Six Senses London, Bayswater, London, England
• The Whiteley, Bayswater, London, England
• Notting Hill, London, England
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Baku, Azerbaijan
• Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan
• Fairmont Baku, Flame Towers, Baku, Azerbaijan
• Heydar Aliyev Centre, Baku, Azerbaijan
• Uzbekistan
• Khiva, Uzbekistan
• Samarkand, Uzbekistan
• Registan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

All the destinations mentioned are included in the episode show notes and on thetraveldiariespodcast.com 

If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok, I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. 

With thanks to...

Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host

I’ll be back on Tuesday. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to a brand new season of The Travel Diaries. It’s great to be back!

I couldn’t think of a more joyful guest to kick off the season than Nisha Katona. A former child protection barrister turned restaurateur, food writer and TV presenter, Nisha is the founder of the hugely successful Mowgli Street Food restaurants, the author of several cookbooks, including her newest release, The Curry Bible, and was a judge on the BBC’s Great British Menu. 

In this episode, Nisha describes herself as a “culinary evangelist and anthropologist”, and food is the thread running through her extraordinary Travel Diaries. We journey from childhood holidays in Mallorca and the tastes that first awakened her curiosity, to Beijing, her ancestral home of Varanasi, the temples and night markets of Cambodia, and her love for the Amalfi Coast.

Our conversation travelled far beyond holidays, taking in family, identity, faith, grief and the ways in which travel helps us understand both the world and ourselves.

Destination Recap:

• Mallorca, Spain
• Taunus Therme, Bad Homburg, Germany
• Beijing, China
• Forbidden City, Beijing, China
• Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
• River Ganges, Varanasi, India
• Siem Reap, Cambodia
• Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia
• Jeju Island, South Korea
• Amalfi Coast, Campania, Italy
• Mount Vesuvius, Campania, Italy
• Pompeii, Campania, Italy
• Herculaneum, Campania, Italy
• Parco dei Principi, Sorrento, Italy
• Positano, Campania, Italy
• Ravello, Campania, Italy
• Capri, Campania, Italy
• Lloret de Mar, Catalonia, Spain
• Blanes, Catalonia, Spain
• Ibiza, Spain
• China
• Jerusalem, Israel

Nisha's fabulous new book, The Curry Bible, is out now. 

Today’s conversation was filmed earlier this summer at the beautiful London Marriott Hotel County Hall, in the most spectacular room - The Big Ben Balcony Suite - overlooking the Thames and the Houses of Parliament.

I’ll be back on Sunday with our first episode of The Travel Diaries: Unpacked with travel editor John O'Ceallaigh.

If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok, I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. 

With thanks to...

Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host

Citalia - Discover the real Italy with Citalia, the UK’s leading Italian holiday specialists. Let the Italy Experts craft the perfect holiday for you and experience Italy like a Citalian.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is, quite simply, one of the great travellers of our time. Sir Michael Palin first joined me on The Travel Diaries back in 2020, and that episode went on to become one of our most loved and most listened-to conversations ever. So when the opportunity came up for him to return to the podcast, this time to mark the publication of his new book, In Nigeria, I absolutely leapt at the chance.

For anyone listening who might not be fully familiar with Sir Michael Palin’s extraordinary career, he first became known as one of the members of Monty Python, before going on to become one of the world’s most beloved travel broadcasters and writers. His landmark BBC travel series, from Around the World in 80 Days to Pole to Pole, Full Circle, Himalaya and so many more, completely changed the way travel was brought to our screens.

I went to Michael’s house in London to film the interview and you’ll be able to watch the full conversation on YouTube and Spotify this weekend.

On today’s episode, we talk about some of the extraordinary journeys he’s been on since we last spoke, from Nigeria to Iraq, Venezuela and the Philippines. We talk about the places that surprised him, the countries that defied their reputation, the journeys that have stayed with him, and the places he still dreams of visiting. And, because Michael has already shared his original seven travel chapters with us, this time I asked you to send in some brand new travel chapters for him. So listen out, because one of your questions might just be in there.

Holly’s stay:

Palazzo Fiuggi, Italy 

Destination Recap:

• Venezuela
• Philippines
• Nigeria, Nigeria
• Lagos, Nigeria
• Kano, Nigeria
• Port Harcourt, Nigeria
• Iraq, Iraq
• Babylon, Iraq
• Cuzco, Peru
• Machu Picchu, Peru
• Iguazu Falls, Argentina/Brazil
• Victoria Falls, Zambia/Zimbabwe
• Russia, Russia
• Mürren, Switzerland
• Kamchatka, Russia
• Bhutan
• Nepal
• The Dolomites, Italy
• Armenia, Armenia
• Georgia, Georgia
• Mount Ararat, Turkey/Armenia

Michael's new book, In Nigeria, is out now.

With thanks to Sani for their support of today's episode. Discover your paradise at Sani. For more information, visit sani-resort.com

Thank you so much to all of you for listening this season. I really hope you’ve enjoyed travelling the world with me through all of these conversations. The good news is, it won’t be too long before I’m back. We’ve got another summer season coming your way in mid-August, so there are lots more travel stories to come very soon.

You can find me on Instagram and TikTok at @hollyrubenstein, you can watch us on YouTube here.

And have you checked out my brand new Travel Diaries map, which will save every single destination ever mentioned on the podcast? A very dangerous tool for anyone with a serious case of wanderlust? You can look at it here.

Thank you again for listening, have a wonderful summer, and I’ll see you very soon.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before we get started, a quick warning: this episode contains spoilers. So if you haven’t finished watching the latest series of Race Across the World, I’d suggest turning off now and coming back once you have!

Race Across the World is one of those shows that just gets under your skin, isn’t it? You start off thinking you’re watching a travel programme, and then suddenly you’re so emotionally invested in people trying to get across a border, find a cheap hostel, or make it onto a 29-hour train with no phone and barely any money. This season, five pairs travel over 12,000 kilometres, from Palermo in Sicily all the way to Hatgal in Mongolia, without smartphones, internet access, flights or bank cards, relying instead on instinct, kindness, grit and a lot of very long bus and train journeys.

And at the heart of it all were today’s guests: best friends Jo and Kush from Liverpool, who not only won the series, but completely won over viewers along the way. Their friendship was such a joy to watch and there was something so lovely about seeing two young men support each other so openly through the highs and lows.

What I loved about chatting to them is that Race Across the World has this brilliant sense of mystery around it. As a viewer, I’m always wondering how the show actually works. So in this episode, we really get into all of that. We talk about the audition process, the secrecy around winning, the budget, the homestays, the toilets, the borders, the long-distance trains, and what it’s really like travelling without your phone in your pocket.  And of course, we talk about the places too. From Sorrento and Naples, to Tbilisi in Georgia, the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, the vast landscapes of Kazakhstan, and the wild, icy beauty of Mongolia.

Destination Recap:

• Palermo, Sicily, Italy
• Sorrento, Italy
• Naples, Italy
• Greece
• Türkiye
• Kars, Türkiye
• Georgia
• Tbilisi, Georgia
• Azerbaijan
• Uzbekistan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Jalal-Abad, Kyrgyzstan
• Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
• Kazakhstan
• Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan
• Almaty, Kazakhstan
• Mongolia
• Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• Hatgal, Mongolia
• Lake Khövsgöl, Mongolia
• Kathmandu, Nepal
• Punjab, India
• Central India
• Sri Lanka
• Costa Rica
• Brazil
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

With thanks to...

Richard Haworth - Discover their luxury hotel-quality bedding, towels and table linen at Richard Haworth At Home

Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is one of the country’s best-loved comedians and presenters - the wonderful Tom Allen. You’ll know him from Bake Off: An Extra Slice, The Apprentice: You’re Fired, QI, Would I Lie To You?, Live at the Apollo and of course his standup comedy. He’s also a brilliant writer, and his new novel, Common Decency, is out now.

Tom’s travel diaries are full of glorious detail. We talk childhood holidays, package holidays, the etiquette of sunbeds, solo travel, America, Japan, Spain, the joy of a great hotel, and why food is so often the thing that makes a place unforgettable.

Destination Recap: 

Holly: Sani, Halkidiki, Greece 

Tom:

• Gran Canaria, Spain
• Javea, Spain
• Alicante, Spain
• Benidorm, Spain
• San Francisco, USA
• New York, USA
• Philadelphia, USA
• Cherry Hill, USA
• Japan
• Tokyo, Japan
• Kyoto, Japan
• Osaka, Japan
• Hiroshima, Japan
• Nara, Japan
• Gran Canaria, Spain
• Maspalomas, Spain
• Menorca, Spain
• Wakefield, England
• Elgin, Scotland
• Banchory, Scotland
• Highlands and Islands, Scotland
• Beijing, China
• Forbidden City, China
• Great Wall of China, China

Tom Allen’s hilarious debut novel Common Decency is out now 

Today’s episode was filmed in the Westminster Suite at London Marriott County Hall 

With thanks to...

Richard Haworth - Discover their luxury hotel-quality bedding, towels and table linen at Richard Haworth At Home

Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host

If you enjoyed this episode, please hit follow or subscribe on your podcast app. It really helps the podcast grow, allows me to keep bringing you these incredible guests - and it means you’re delivered a fresh dose of wanderlust each week.

And if you’d like a little more Travel Diaries in your life, you can find me on Instagram and TikTok @hollyrubenstein.

Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you next week.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s Destination Special, we’re taking you somewhere that, for so many travellers, represents the ultimate holiday feeling: Queensland, Australia.

This is a state seven times the size of Britain! A place where one trip can take you from the cultural heartbeat and riverside energy of Brisbane, to the al fresco beach lifestyle of the Gold Coast, to ancient rainforest, island life, wildlife encounters, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island cultures, First Nations storytelling, and one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef.

Known as Australia’s Sunshine State, Queensland is, of course, famous for its blue skies, golden beaches and that blissful sense of switching off the moment you arrive. But as I discovered through making this episode, it is so much more than that.

And that, really, is what makes Queensland so compelling - it’s not just one kind of holiday. It’s a whole collection of holidays in one place. You can wake up in Brisbane, wandering along the river as the city comes to life, stop for brilliant coffee and world-class food, then be out in nature within minutes, perhaps heading to nearby Minjerribah, also known as North Stradbroke Island, for First Nations culture and extraordinary natural landscapes. You can head south towards the Gold Coast for beach walks, coastal drives, wineries, rainforest and incredible produce. Or you can travel north to the Whitsundays, where Hamilton Island, Whitehaven Beach and the Great Barrier Reef deliver that almost dreamlike version of Australia with its turquoise water, white sand, sailing, seafood, and warm tropical air.

Today’s guest is someone who experienced Queensland through one of its great strengths: food. Matt Tebbutt, chef, broadcaster and host of Saturday Kitchen, recently travelled there, eating his way through the state, from riverside restaurants and beachside lunches to extraordinary seafood and island dining.

What struck me most in speaking to Matt was that the food became a way into everything else: the landscape, the wildlife, the culture, the openness, the warmth, and that easy-going Aussie outdoor lifestyle. This episode is wanderlust, guaranteed. So let’s buckle up and get started.

Destination Recap

• Brisbane
• Stanley Restaurant, Brisbane
• Howard Smith Wharves, Brisbane
• James Street, Brisbane
• Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Brisbane
• North Stradbroke Island / Minjerribah
• Lady Elliot Island
• The Great Barrier Reef
• Gold Coast
• Rick Shores, Gold Coast
• Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk
• Mason Winery, Mount Tamborine
• The Whitsundays
• Hamilton Island
• The Sundays, Hamilton Island
• Whitehaven Beach
• Catseye Pool Club, Hamilton Island
• Long Pavilion at qualia
• Bommie, Hamilton Island
• Passage Peak, Hamilton Island

Thank you to Tourism and Events Queensland for working with me on this episode. For more information and further inspiration about travelling to Queensland, visit queensland.com. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please hit follow or subscribe wherever you’re listening. It really helps the podcast grow, allows me to keep bringing you these incredible guests - and it means you’re delivered a fresh dose of wanderlust each week.

And if you’d like a little more Travel Diaries in your life, you can find me on Instagram and TikTok @hollyrubenstein.

Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you on Tuesday.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.