American travel journalist and editor Nikki Vargas joins Laura to talk about her new memoir - Call You When I Land - in which she bares all - love, lust (and wanderlust)... and a murder mystery.

Laura catches Nikki in the throws of her book tour to discuss some of the most gripping moments in her memoir: calling off the wedding to her college sweetheart with days to go, making it as a writer in the world's most expensive city and venturing to Colombia to find out why her aunt was mysteriously killed when she was young.

Find out where Nikki finally lands in love, life and the world and what's in store for her third book which is already in the works.

Buzzsprout is the #1 podcast hosting platform and made launching the True Travel Podcast really easy. As a subscriber, you get tons of guides, from finding the right equipment at the right price to growing your podcast organically; as well as detailed analytics to see how people are listening, tools to promote your episodes, and more.

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The podcast's very own host, British journalist and travel writer, Laura Sanders, documents her journey through Peru with small group tour specialists G Adventures.

South America's third-largest country, Peru is a land of deserts, glaciers, lakes and jungles. But it's most famous for Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas.

Learn more about this powerful civilisation as Laura makes her way through Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu. Laura then treks to Rainbow Mountain, an overnight social media success story, before sleeping beneath the jungle canopy in an eco-cabin just outside of Porto Maldonado.

Hang on until the end, when Laura answers your questions about Peru, preparing for the Inca trail, and travelling with G Adventures.

See Laura's itinerary and the other tours on offer with G Adventures here.

Buzzsprout is the #1 podcast hosting platform and made launching the True Travel Podcast really easy. As a subscriber, you get tons of guides, from finding the right equipment at the right price to growing your podcast organically; as well as detailed analytics to see how people are listening, tools to promote your episodes, and more.

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(Affiliate disclaimer: Following this link lets Buzzsprout know we sent you, gets you a $20 Amazon gift card if you sign up for a paid plan, and helps support the show).

Hot off the back of a tense finale of Race Across the World season 3, the winners talk to Laura about their experience, what they've been up to since and where they're off to next.

Buzzsprout is the #1 podcast hosting platform and made launching the True Travel Podcast really easy. As a subscriber, you get tons of guides, from finding the right equipment at the right price to growing your podcast organically; as well as detailed analytics to see how people are listening, tools to promote your episodes, and more.

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(Affiliate disclaimer: Following this link lets Buzzsprout know we sent you, gets you a $20 Amazon gift card if you sign up for a paid plan, and helps support the show).

As we approach the new year, Laura asks Skyscanner's Travel Trends Expert, Laura Lindsay, about what and where is up and coming in 2023 - so you can get in there ahead of the crowds.

According to Laura, we're more determined than ever to travel despite the cost of living crisis, but we're looking for places which offer better value for our hard-earned cash. As a result, lesser-known destinations such as Amman, Madeira and Zagreb are on people's radars.

Having recently returned from Jordan herself, Laura tells us why it's one of Skyscanner's trending destinations - and why it should be on your travel checklist.

Skyscanner is a search engine which helps you find the cheapest flights and hotels. You can browse flights across an entire month to find the best deal and use it's 'Everywhere' feature to find the cheapest destinations to fly to from your chosen airport.

Feeling inspired? Find cheap flights on Skyscanner.

Buzzsprout is the #1 podcast hosting platform and made launching the True Travel Podcast really easy. As a subscriber, you get tons of guides, from finding the right equipment at the right price to growing your podcast organically; as well as detailed analytics to see how people are listening, tools to promote your episodes, and more.

Start your free trial with Buzzsprout now.

(Affiliate disclaimer: Following this link lets Buzzsprout know we sent you, gets you a $20 Amazon gift card if you sign up for a paid plan, and helps support the show).

The True Travel Podcast: Travel Guides takes you on a journey to an exciting destination, sometimes with the help of a guest expert.

In this first Travel Guides episode, award-winning travel journalist and author Tharik Hussain (S4,E4) joins Laura to tell us what Saudi Arabia has to offer as it undergoes a dramatic transformation.

Having lived there for some time and travelled the country extensively, Tharik shares his insider knowledge and tells us what to see and do, where to stay, and what's on the menu. He also tells us how Saudi Arabia has changed since he first moved there and how the country is pumping billions into the tourism industry.

Tharik's top tips? Get in there before Saudi Arabia goes mainstream and pack plenty of sunscreen!

The True Travel Podcast -
Instagram: @truetravelpodcast
Twitter: @truetravelpod
Facebook: The True Travel Podcast

Tharik Hussain
Instagram: @tharik_hussain
Twitter: @_TharikHussain
Website: tharikhussain.co.uk

Buzzsprout is the #1 podcast hosting platform and made launching the True Travel Podcast really easy. As a subscriber, you get tons of guides, from finding the right equipment at the right price to growing your podcast organically; as well as detailed analytics to see how people are listening, tools to promote your episodes, and more.

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(Affiliate disclaimer: Following this link lets Buzzsprout know we sent you, gets you a $20 Amazon gift card if you sign up for a paid plan, and helps support the show).

Travel journalist Oli Smith joins Laura to talk about the world's abandoned wonders, as detailed in his new book, Atlas of Abandoned Places.

During the episode, Oli talks about some of the destinations which feature in the book - many of which he's visited himself - as well as some of his earliest adventures as a young backpacker and his career as a travel journalist.

Oli also tells us why you shouldn’t try visiting some of the destinations in this book yourself as it can be illegal. But this hasn’t stopped a group of people who’ve formed the “Urbex” community who sneak into off-limits places.

The True Travel Podcast -
Instagram: @truetravelpodcast
Twitter: @truetravelpod
Facebook: The True Travel Podcast

Oli Smith
Instagram: @olismithtravel
Twitter: @OliSmithTravel
Website: oliversmithtravel.com

Buzzsprout is the #1 podcast hosting platform and made launching the True Travel Podcast really easy. As a subscriber, you get tons of guides, from finding the right equipment at the right price to growing your podcast organically; as well as detailed analytics to see how people are listening, tools to promote your episodes, and more.

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(Affiliate disclaimer: Following this link lets Buzzsprout know we sent you, gets you a $20 Amazon gift card if you sign up for a paid plan, and helps support the show).

Tharik Hussain is a British-Muslim travel writer and author who’s been travelling in search of Europe's native Muslim communities.

Tharik released his book Minarets in the Mountains: A Journey into Muslim Europe in July which is all about his adventures around the Western Balkans, connecting with muslims who have lived there for centuries.

During the episode, Tharik talks about the way Muslim heritage has been erased from travel literature by colonial-era writers, what elements of the journey surprised him and challenged his preconceptions about muslim identity, and why travel writing desperately needs more diverse voices.

The True Travel Podcast -
Instagram: @truetravelpodcast
Twitter: @truetravelpod
Facebook: The True Travel Podcast

Tharik Hussain
Instagram: @tharik_hussain
Twitter: @_TharikHussain
Website: tharikhussain.co.uk

Buzzsprout is the #1 podcast hosting platform and made launching the True Travel Podcast really easy. As a subscriber, you get tons of guides, from finding the right equipment at the right price to growing your podcast organically; as well as detailed analytics to see how people are listening, tools to promote your episodes, and more.

Start your free trial with Buzzsprout now.

(Affiliate disclaimer: Following this link lets Buzzsprout know we sent you, gets you a $20 Amazon gift card if you sign up for a paid plan, and helps support the show).

Buzzsprout is the #1 podcast hosting platform and made launching the True Travel Podcast really easy. As a subscriber, you get tons of guides, from finding the right equipment at the right price to growing your podcast organically; as well as detailed analytics to see how people are listening, tools to promote your episodes, and more.

Start your free trial with Buzzsprout now.

(Affiliate disclaimer: Following this link lets Buzzsprout know we sent you, gets you a $20 Amazon gift card if you sign up for a paid plan, and helps support the show).

James Willcox is the co-founder of Untamed Borders which creates bespoke tours in places such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan, among other unconventional destinations.

During this episode, James tells us the story behind Untamed Borders and how it has helped documentary film makers - most recently Michael Palin - access and explore these seemingly cut-off corners of the globe.

But you don't have to be in the media to go on one of their trips and James tells us what’s on offer to travellers. Laura also asks James about the issue of safety when arranging tours in places we typically only hear about when there's war and other dangers.

The True Travel Podcast -
Instagram: @truetravelpodcast
Twitter: @truetravelpod
Facebook: The True Travel Podcast

James Willcox/Untamed Borders -
Instagram: @untamedborders
Twitter: @untamedborders
Website: untamedborders.com

Buzzsprout is the #1 podcast hosting platform and made launching the True Travel Podcast really easy. As a subscriber, you get tons of guides, from finding the right equipment at the right price to growing your podcast organically; as well as detailed analytics to see how people are listening, tools to promote your episodes, and more.

Start your free trial with Buzzsprout now.

(Affiliate disclaimer: Following this link lets Buzzsprout know we sent you, gets you a $20 Amazon gift card if you sign up for a paid plan, and helps support the show).

Buzzsprout is the #1 podcast hosting platform and made launching the True Travel Podcast really easy. As a subscriber, you get tons of guides, from finding the right equipment at the right price to growing your podcast organically; as well as detailed analytics to see how people are listening, tools to promote your episodes, and more.

Start your free trial with Buzzsprout now.

(Affiliate disclaimer: Following this link lets Buzzsprout know we sent you, gets you a $20 Amazon gift card if you sign up for a paid plan, and helps support the show).