Hear about travel to Northern France (and a day in Flanders) as the Amateur Traveler talks to Craig Anderson about his trip into the historic towns and sites of the Pas-de-Calais region.

Why should you go to Northern France?

Craig describes an itinerary that includes the Hundred Years' War, the Napoleonic Wars, WWI, and WWII history, historic monasteries, gothic cathedrals, chalk cliffs, and wonderful old walled towns.

Craig’s Recommended Northern France / Flanders Itinerary

Overview:

Base yourself in northern France (Craig used Boulogne-sur-Mer) with a rental car, explore outward in loops, and start by pairing the trip with nearby Belgian WWI sites. 

Day 1 — Ypres & Flanders Fields (Belgium)

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-northern-france/

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Hear about travel to Puebla, Mexico as the Amateur Traveler talks to Scott Thompson from Livit Immersion Center about his adopted home in this historic colonial city in central Mexico.

Why should you go to Puebla?

Scott says, "Puebla's kind of an outlier. It's the one big city that nobody's ever heard of. So there's not a lot of tourist industry. The international tourist industry, especially. The city is a world heritage city, and it's recognized by UNESCO since 1987. So it's full of history and architecture and culture and food. There's 2,600 historic buildings and monuments in the city center."

Scott Thompson’s Recommended Itinerary for Visiting Puebla, Mexico

Day 1: Get Oriented in Historic Puebla

https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-puebla-mexico/

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Hear about travel to Bern, Switzerland, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jack Baumann from Guidester and the Europe Travel 101 Podcast about a city he fell in love with early in his travels.

Why should you visit Bern?

Jack says, "I would say Bern epitomizes the blend mixture of natural beauty, culture, and history that Switzerland is known for. It's on the river Aare, it's surrounded by the Bern oberland, so you can get from the city center to a mountain in about 15 minutes. On a clear day, you can see the Alps."

Jack’s Recommended 7-Day Itinerary for Bern, SwitzerlandDays 1–2: Historic Bern (UNESCO Old Town)

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-bern-switzerland/

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Hear about travel to Sardinia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Shannon O'Brien from shannon-obrien.com about her visit to this island corner of Italy.

Why should you go to Sardinia?

Shannon says, "It's Italian, but it's a very different vibe as well from mainland Italy. There's insanely beautiful beaches. Some argue some of the most beautiful beaches of the world. The water is crystal blue; it looks like Windex. The white sand beaches. The interior of the island has these huge mountains that kind of bleed into the ocean. Winding coastal roads up and down both sides of the island with insane views. It exceeded my expectations for sure." Shannon’s Recommended Sardinia Itinerary (West Coast Focus, 7–10 Days):

Start: Cagliari (1–2 nights)

• Fly into Cagliari, Sardinia’s capital.
• Explore the Castello district, including Saint Remy Bastion and Cagliari Cathedral.
• Wander cobblestone streets, historic fortifications, and viewpoints.
• Shannon recommends keeping this short; it’s a gateway, not the main event.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-sardinia/

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Hear about travel to Christmas Markets in Europe as the Amateur Traveler talks to Justin Barnes of JustinAndCrystal.com about his visit to markets in 32 different cities across 12 countries.

Justin's Core Itinerary Philosophy

• Visit 3–5 destinations total, ideally within 4 hours of each other by train.
• Base yourself in larger cities and use day trips to nearby towns when possible.
• Travel by train with light luggage (backpack style) and stay near train stations or old towns.
• Aim for early–mid December, before the final pre-Christmas weekend crowds and before many markets close around Dec 23–24 

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https://amateurtraveler.com/christmas-markets-in-europe/

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Hear about travel to the Zambezi Valley in Zimbabwe as the Amateur Traveler talks to Rael Zieve from Keep Travelling Africa about one of his favorite African itineraries.

Why should you visit the Zambezi Valley? 

Rael says, "Just the landscapes are quite amazing. I think you should go because the landscapes change. There are still people who live very humbly along the river banks, living out of their mud huts in very medieval conditions, and that type of thing. Even today in the 21st century."

Rael’s Recommended Zambezi Valley Itinerary (9 Nights Total)

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-the-zambezi-valley/

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Hear about travel to Tunis, Tunisia, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jeff Ohlfs about his recent visit to this arid Arab country in North Africa.

Why should you go to Tunis?

Jeff says, "I don't think a lot of people think too much about traveling to Tunisia. It's an incredible country, friendly people. It's an Arab country. And all that goes with it, and it's reasonably inexpensive, and it's just right there off the boot of Italy."

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-tunis-tunisia/

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Hear about travel to lesser-known parks in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada as the Amateur Traveler talks to Justin Barnes from justinandcrystal.com about their recent road trip through the American Southwest.

Justin said, "When I got back, I realized that in addition to all the photos we had from the national parks, which obviously are well covered, including, I think it was episode 503, I actually had more photos of the places outside the national parks and Monument Valley than I did inside the national parks and Monument Valley."

This itinerary summarizes Justin Barnes’s recommended road trip through Utah and the surrounding region. It focuses on smaller, high-impact stops outside the major national parks, designed to be combined into a coherent, scenic route.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-the-parks-of-utah/

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Hear about travel to the remote region of Skardu, Pakistan, as the Amateur Traveler talks to James Schomburgk about his recent visit to this beautiful mountain region.

Why should you go to Skardu?

James says, "It is really a step back into time. You're getting exposed to Stan culture, which is quite unique, very different from Southern Pakistan. There's a lot of crossover to the Ladakhi people in India. It's very much Muslim, but very different Muslim."

The people there are believed to originated more from European and Iranian looks. So a lot of them are blondes. Many of them have blue or green eyes. A lot of them would look more like Scandinavians. It was quite a shock to see people who looked Scandinavian speaking with a Pakistani Indian accent."

"Also, it was just a very interesting culture. Very proud of their culture. And have some real beliefs that, as we were up there, we got quite a few lectures by them about how they believe they should be a separate country. They believe they're very different from the rest of the culture."

James's Recommended 7-Day Itinerary for Skardu, Pakistan

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-skardu-pakistan/

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Hear about travel to Southeastern Turkey as the Amateur Traveler talks to Mark Michael from rambleswithmark.com about this region that is the home to people in the Bible like Paul and Abraham, ancient monasteries, and some of the oldest known megaliths.

Connection to Region

1. Read William Dalrymple’s From the Holy Mountain in college, a journey through the region retracing the steps of John Moscos, a seventh-century monk
2. It’s hard to underestimate how ancient this part of the world feels. In Urfa, they have a few prized local delicacies: one is a meatball they say that Abraham invented, another is a dessert they call Noah’s pudding, and there’s a pancake covered in molasses that is supposed to derive from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. I have made a lot of Christian pilgrimages, almost always to sites from the New Testament or the early church; many sites on this trip are associated with Muslim traditions about Old Testament figures, which are usually similar but different from those preserved by Jews and Christians. If you are interested in the history of the Ancient Near East, Turkey is by far the easiest place to travel: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel are all barred or unsafe. 
3. Turkey has good roads, helpful people, and relatively low costs (though inflation has climbed steeply in the past 2 years)
4. Area is changing quickly through massive investment in GAP Project (22 hydroelectric dams on the Euphrates, 19 power plants, with initiatives to develop agriculture and tourism in region that has been Turkey’s poorest), allowing for development of tourist infrastructure, but accelerating decline of traditional ways of life, if you go now, it will still seem timeless, and you will be ahead of the tourist rush
5. You feel like a traveler here, not a tourist. I only met one other native English speaker. People are curious and enthusiastic to show you their local treasures.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-southeastern-turkey/

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In this episode of Amateur Traveler, host Chris Christensen talks with AJ Ajay, a Libyan-born travel professional and founder of Intu Libya, about traveling to one of North Africa’s least-visited and most misunderstood destinations: Libya. From spectacular Roman ruins to Saharan oases, ancient Amazigh towns, and the vibrant streets of Tripoli, AJ explains why Libya rewards travelers who are curious, respectful, and willing to look beyond headlines.

This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here.

Why Visit Libya?

Libya offers a rare sense of discovery. With tourism largely undeveloped since the mid-20th century, many of its historic sites feel untouched. AJ describes Libya as a country where Roman, Greek, Phoenician, Ottoman, Italian, and Islamic histories overlap, often in the same physical space. Add to that Mediterranean coastline, vast Saharan landscapes, and deep-rooted traditions of hospitality, and Libya becomes a destination for travelers seeking something truly different.

Safety, Visas, and Practicalities

Chris and AJ address the elephant in the room: safety and travel advisories. AJ explains how Libya currently operates with an electronic visa system that requires a local sponsor and organized itinerary. Tourism is tightly coordinated with authorities, and travel routes are planned in advance. While some regions remain off-limits, AJ emphasizes that millions of Libyans live their daily lives safely and that guided travel within approved areas is the key to visiting responsibly.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-libya/

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