Do you love spontaneous adventures, travel tips, and stories that will inspire you to pack up and go? Well welcome to the Winging It Travel Podcast. I'm James, your host, and each week I bring you travel tales, practical advice, and interviews with travelers from around the globe. Whether you're planning a big trip or just dreaming about one, you'll find everything from hidden gems to epic fails, because travel is not perfect.

And that is what makes it beautiful. So grab your backpack and let's wing it. New episodes every Monday wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube too. You can find Winging It and more fantastic travel podcasts from around the world at voyescape. com. The link is in the show notes. Let's go and explore the world.

Hello and welcome to this last episode of 2024. And I thought I'd do a quick one to look into 2025 about what's to come. In terms of travel, where I'm thinking about going, but also some travel podcasts that you should follow in 2025 alongside some travel creators on YouTube. Just trying to give you some of that inspiration in case you're wondering where to go, what to do, etc.

So I'm going to kick off with My top 10 travel podcasts that you should follow in 2025. And number one, of course, is going to be the winging it travel podcast. I've got a series coming up on Central America. I've got some plans to go traveling maybe in the middle of the year. And I've got some great guests coming up for the first half of the year as well.

So I've got a lot of content coming your way every Monday. with maybe some bonus episodes, uh, during the week as well, maybe on a Friday or Saturday, just to get that extra juice going for that wanderlust. Number two is the Curious Tourism Podcast by Erin Hines. Simply because I think in this day and age going into 2025, I think there is a need and a want to understand how to travel responsibly, but I think there's a Bit of a understanding and I want to understand about how do we help people locally because I think tourism got out of control before COVID.

We had the classic cliche reset and now we're in this post COVID world where everything's expensive. I mean the airlines are charging more which I don't think is a bad thing but you know Ryanair classically charging now for taking anything on the plane. I think these things coming in can make tourism and traveling a bit harder but also I think people are aware they don't want to Contribute maybe to the mass tourism operators, which kind of means that, well, how do I invest locally to local people?

Now, Aaron's podcast addresses all of that, whether that is understanding passport privilege, whether that is the downsides of modern tourism or dark tourism. Uh, ideas and advice on how to invest your money locally to help local businesses. Erin is awesome at hosting that and doing her blog, Pina Travels.

I think you can get a good idea of how to travel responsibly. So that has to go in at the top, uh, apart from my podcast. Number three, I've got tickets anywhere because Leah and Trizzy won an award last year. For women in podcasting so they're on the up and we've got a destination episode coming I think early next year on el salvador Leah and I because leah is currently there in el salvador as I record today So I think that's going to be a cool episode.

I just love watching those guys I've got a great vibe to talk about lots of different aspects and travel whether that is destinations, uh people of color traveling Their cultures where they live in california Um Uh, how they integrate work and travel. It's a very well rounded podcast. I do love the positive vibes there.

Number four. I've got traveling 10. Now, this is on the Voyascape network with me and Erin. And these guys give you a quick snippet 10 minutes into a destination, a hotel. a local tour, whatever it is, it's just enough to get you thinking about, oh, I need to go there. And I love the quick, sharp nature of it because sometimes, like my podcast, it can go on for hours, but those guys travel in 10, very efficient and very consistent with their episodes.

So watch out for those guys in 2025. Number five is Tripology. Now the reason I put these guys in because I love those guys, Alan and Adam, they're very funny to listen to and watch. Also they're one of the very few podcasts that are traveling and podcasting at the same time. I did do this in 2023, um, for a year but these guys are going a bit longer than that so you get to hear their current travels as they travel on their podcast.

Lots of funny stories, some tips, some tricks, some do's and don'ts and some things going wrong. Very funny podcast to listen to, and they're on the up for 2025. Number six, I've got the Armchair Explorer. I love Aaron's way of doing his immersive audio episodes. It kind of inspired me to do my own. I love the idea of bringing you into the travels, so you're actually experiencing it there as you listen to the podcast.

Love the idea. Gives you a sense of traveling to the place that he's talking about while he's in. And also maybe if you can't travel it's a good way to experience travel by going to a country through your headphones in an awesome space such as the Armchair Explorers podcast. Number seven is speaking of travel, Marilyn Ball.

This is a travel podcast on a radio station out of North Carolina. I was a guest on there a few weeks ago and Marilyn really likes to delve into the uplifting stories of travel, trying to give you inspiration whether that is to travel somewhere. or to try and inspire you to go traveling because they talk about how awesome people are around the world, how positive it generally is, even though in the media it might seem negative some places and no places are off the cards.

They talk about local traveling as well, that's great for US travel. I just love her positive, inspirational ambience, sort of intrigue into travel and hearing about your own travels as well. A great radio show. First of all, but also it's a podcast and you can find that anywhere on the podcast platforms.

Number eight is the Travel Squad podcast. Kim, Brittany and Jamal have the same and similar vibe as me on my podcast. Love speaking amongst each other, funny stories, great vibes. I love getting guests on, hearing about their stories and tips, inspiration. And it's all about storytelling, right? So I think these guys are great at storytelling.

And they make people laugh, whether that is through the podcast, when you listen to it. Or even if you follow him on Instagram or TikTok, they're quite funny on there as well. So I think it's just a cool, casual vibe, exactly like mine. We're both doing a similar kind of podcast, trying to make it a bit of fun, a bit of a laugh, but also give you that inspiration to go travel as well.

Number nine is a fellow Voyascape Network podcast called Go Nomad Travel Podcast. Max is a very experienced traveler and travel writer, and he's got lots of recommendations for every place in the world. So I think if you want to Get that inspiration, go and experience some places, maybe you've not heard of before or know much about, then GoNomad is your place of choice to get that information.

And lastly, number 10 is Travel Mug Podcast. Megan and Jen are very consistent with their podcasts every week. They love coffee, which I do as well, so check them out. When I was a guest on their podcast we talked about coffee. Nice, casual vibe, Canadians and the East Coast. They're full time workers as well, so they talk about integrating work and travel at the same time.

So if you can't quit your job or you can't be a digital nomad, these guys will talk about traveling to places that are doable on paid time off. So these guys are right up the street and talk about coffee. Is there anything better? Not sure. That's my top 10 podcasts for 2025. I've got a cheeky top five travel creators on YouTube that you maybe should follow if you fancy a bit of Inspirational by watching it on your TV or your laptop So number one is me roaming with Hammo as a cop out But I've got some great content coming out in the new year.

Number two is Chris and Sarah They're currently driving down the Pan American Highway They had a bit of a hiatus, but they're back with content and I think they have released content from Mexico I And they're flying back to get on the road with their dog, Kramer. And I think there's a lot of content coming in 2025.

And I just love their story, their vibe. They're very positive. They're great people. And I can't wait to see them at an event next year. Number three is Adventures of Matt and Nat. These guys are relentlessly traveling. A great couple. They make me laugh. They're so nice. I went to the Christmas markets in December.

They've got some awful story with that. We've getting some gear nicked, but they're very transparent on there. YouTube channel. They're great for Dipping into maybe like two or three days in the city if you've got a layover or maybe in Europe or something They also host group travel so you get an idea of maybe like what that's like to maybe host it Also run a group tour around the world and US and they've just got a great vibe when they're chatting about their travels.

The one thing I would say about those guys, when you watch them, it's like watching an actual TV documentary, it's so good. Those guys are awesome. Number four, I've got a UK based travel critic called Liam Brown. Uh, I watched him quite a bit because he goes hiking mainly around Europe, occasionally around the world.

And his thing is he takes his tent, his hiking shoes, his backpack, and he goes and does Amazing walking trails whether that's in UK, Ireland or around Europe and they're normally a week to 10 days long Maybe it's the start of a trail and finish a trail and there's some great ones on there I mean at the Alta Hebrides is a great one.

If you want to watch that, uh, he's been to Portugal, Spain, uh, all around Europe, UK as well. He's done a lot in UK if you're interested in walking the UK, there's loads of trails here He's got lots of content about that as well in terms of the content. He's more about the nature You And about showing you where he is, it gives a little bit of reaction to some travel creators are in your screen a lot, maybe like every 5 10 seconds.

Liam Brown's not like that, he pops in now and then, and it's mostly about drone footage and his footage from his camera about where he's walking. And I love that style, I kind of try and base my own on that style as well for YouTube. And lastly, I've got Jay Swanson, he was a guest on my podcast, uh, must be over a year ago now.

A great guy, American guy living in Paris, and this is a slightly different one, it's more about lifestyle. And he talks about what it's like. to emigrate from America to Paris and he goes through that detail but also what it's like to live in Paris as an expat. So he lives there, gives you maybe recommendations, places to see and do, maybe some of the do's and don'ts and some of the tough times, uh, some language stuff, just some collaborations, some interviews.

It's a well rounded and very honest travel YouTube video and he will say what he's feeling at the time and very consistent. Sometimes he releases every day but definitely every week and you can also find him on Patreon if you want to support him as well. And lastly, what am I thinking for 2025 for travel?

So these are places that I want to visit, whether I visit them all or not. is another thing, but if I was going to go traveling these are definitely the ones I'm going to pick out of. I've got 10 here and I reckon half are doable, um, and the other half are there because in case I change my mind and I don't want to go to the first five.

But in no particular order, uh, I've got number one, Cuba. I think Emma and I have confirmed that this is the place we want to go to together next year. It's not going to be Easter this time because we're applying for the Canadian passport, so we have to wait for the admin to be completed, but it will be towards the end of the year.

It might even be pushed out to early 2026, we'll see, but Cuba's on my list because It's raw, it's got an amazing culture and history. I want to experience what it's like to go and visit there. I don't want to stay in a resort. I want to go to Havana. I want to go to other places around the island. So I'm really looking forward to going there.

Number two, I've got Australia. I used to live there, visited many times, but I just got a hankering after that place. maybe the last six months and I think I just need hot weather, great beaches, maybe watch a bit of sport like cricket, great coffee as well, and maybe do some road trip action. I just love to road trip Tasmania.

I love to road trip the west coast so I'm kind of feeling like I need to go back there and hopefully I can go back. Maybe, uh, late next year in November. Number three is Nicaragua. After my trip in Central America I got the buzz for it a little bit and there's lots of little places in Central America to go to.

I think next time I would just delve into one country on its own. So this time it'd be Nicaragua. I met some people when I was traveling who have been there or who are going there and the guys who have been there just said it's amazing. Lots of scenery, great little towns, very safe and not too bad on the budget.

So I'm looking forward to visiting that place. Number four is a return visit to Hornby Island, one of my most popular videos on YouTube on Roaming with Hammo. And we went, I think it was early September last time, which was just warm enough to dip into the water. But I really want to go in the height of summer and just delve into that clear crystal water on Tribune Bay and Wayland Beach as well.

And this time it'll probably be a cabin, just drive over there, chill out for four days. hit me up. Number five probably almost definitely going to happen is Dallas and Austin in Texas. I've got an event in Dallas and I probably will couple that with Austin. Texas has been on the list for a while and the reason I just love blues music.

So I want to go and check out Stevie Ray Vaughan's statue. I want to go and check out some blues bars in the evening in amongst that vibe and see what it's like because as I studied music on the guitar many many years ago. I want to go back and kind of get into that groove, uh, and maybe if it's a jam night, maybe even get up and have a go.

We'll see. Number six, Amsterdam. Now I was supposed to go there for an afternoon when I was flying back to UK this year. Didn't happen because of the airport being way too busy and they advised us not to go out and in. Because even though we had six hours, the queue for passport control was out of control.

So now I'm like, okay, well, if I fly back to UK for an event in May, which could possibly happen, I'll fly back to Norwich via Amsterdam, but have a couple of days there. I'm gonna check out the city. Looks great. Never been. It's a 30 minute flight from Norwich where I'm from. It's an absolute travesty. I've not done that.

So that's on my list. Number seven. I did half think next year would be an island vibe. Mainly for my YouTube but also for the podcast as well, so I've got Bahamas now I've got a friend who lives in Vancouver who's from the Bahamas So she gives me recommendations every time I ask and it just looked idyllic I mean, why wouldn't you want to go into white sand beaches clear water and go and look at some pigs?

Resting in warm water, getting a tan. Yeah, it's on my list. Number eight, Thailand. Yep, it's same as Australia, this one. I've been there many a time, but I'm just starting to hanker after, uh, great Thai food, some Thai islands and Bangkok. I love Bangkok as a city. I'd love to go there for a week. Uh, maybe like an Airbnb, but going like live in the city for a week.

Just love to do that. Wander around, check out some places, be a tourist again. And I think Erin. From the Curious Tourism podcast, I went there for work for three weeks. So I'm looking forward to catching up with her to see what it's like. But yeah, that's on my list. Number nine, back to the island theme, Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean.

It's not a country, it's a territory. It's the same reason. The beaches look incredible, looks very laid back. I'm not sure how easy it is to get there. But again, I just keep seeing it on Google and on Instagram. I just want to go. And number 10, finally, is Newfoundland in Canada. All the way east. It's the only place we didn't go to on a road trip.

Some friends went this year. It looked incredible. It's an absolute nightmare to get to in terms of flight time. It's gonna be seven hours from Vancouver, I think. And not direct, it could be even 10 with the connection. That's crazy to think that being in the same country. But the island looks incredible.

I'll go there, rent a car out, and drive around the island, or even camp around the island, that'd be pretty cool as well. I've also got a bonus one, which we half considered. We've still got a campervan in Vancouver, so that's always road trip potential. And I think the two places we'd love to go on a little road trip would probably be Vancouver Island again.

We'd love to go back to Tofino and Euclid on the west coast, but also down the 101 on the Oregon coast. It's not too far, uh, for Vancouver. If you're willing to get the first stint done, in the first day of getting down there to that road, which will be, I guess, six, seven hours. Then I'd love to enjoy that coast for another three or four nights.

That'd be so good. That is a coast that is very special. Great beaches, great views, loads of little towns, camping available. Yeah, would love to recreate that for my road trip in 2023. I think that rounds up to This 2025, I'm really looking forward to podcast. Hope you guys stick with it. I've got some interviews coming up, early doors, and then I got my eight episode series for Central America with some bonus episodes on top and some interviews.

So it's going to be a very busy year, probably up until Easter and May. And then I'm probably going to an event in May to the podcast show in London. So probably will be podcasting about my trip to Amsterdam, of course, if I go there. And of course. Uh, a nice podcast episode coming up about my home city Norwich.

Adam Bamford the podcast, the first ever guest on the podcast, four years later, and we're going to talk about Norwich, our home city. It might be a really unusual place for people visiting the UK to visit, so we're going to put Norwich out there as a reason to visit. Gonna do some facts and figures, some top places to see and do, coffees, brunches, dinners out, and maybe some local day trips as well around the county, around the coast.

So look out for that, look out for all the other guest episodes and the content coming your way for early 2025, and have a great new year. Let's get stuck into more adventures, more travels, and more great times. See you next year! Cheers! Thanks for tuning in to the podcast episode today. If you've been inspired by today's chat and want to book some travel, if you head to the show notes you'll see some affiliate links below which help support this podcast.

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