Tea For Travel Podcast

I was lucky enough to be asked to feature on the Tea for Travel podcast, hosted by Luke Western. It was such a fun experience talking all things travel as we went through the building blocks of my ideal (imaginary) holiday. 

You can find the whole episode on Spotify but in this article, I share some of what we talked about in the episode. We talked about some of my favourite memories & experiences that I've particularly enjoyed in my travels to over 60 countries.  

A holiday memory that always makes me smile? 

I travelled from Beijing, through Mongolia, into Russia a few years ago. Obviously, you can't do that now, but it was just one of those trips that stayed with me—the different people we met, the experiences we had, the places we visited along the way, the steppes of Mongolia. All of those experiences just make me smile every time I think about them.

Sunset or Sunrise?  

Definitely sunrise, its quieter & takes a bit more effort to get up early making it very rewarding.

Travel for food or for sights?

Food experiences rather than the food itself. Something like hotpot in China, or it's a home stay where I'm eating locally made food with a family. I love the whole experience around the food, it's such a massive part of culture all over the world making those experiences really special. 

Favourite way to travel?

I love to explore, and train travel is one of the best ways to do that. I've loved travel by train in lots of places around the world. It’s a great way to experience the culture and the destination, and to see changing landscapes & daily life as you travel. 

Where would you start?

The beaches of Western Australia, up north towards Broome. I spent a few months coming down the coastline there. The beaches are spectacular, and you can go straight from the beach to snorkelling on the reef. I loved Coral Bay where I remember going to see baby reef sharks in the shallows. 

Next stop?

The Mayan temples of Belize. I loved exploring the amazing temple ruins surrounded by jungle with hardly anyone else around. Caracol, in particular, is a huge Mayan city ruin —bigger than Tikal, but so much quieter. Learning more about the Mayan history & culture was fascinating especially whilst exploring their now silent ancient cities. 

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Anywhere else on your list?

I think we need to add some mountains and lakes. Canada or New Zealand, somewhere with dramatic outdoor landscapes. If I had to pick a mountain though, it would be Mount Cook / Aoraki, where I got engaged.

Favourite accommodation?

A lovely traditional Japanese inn in the Iya Valley, Japan. It was set on a hillside with fantastic views, especially from the onsen. The food was delicious, and the friendly service was special. More recently, I stayed at Marina Bay Sands, which was a completely different but also special experience.

Favourite place to eat?

Somewhere with a view—like a lovely small hotel restaurant I visited in Ella, Sri Lanka, perched on a hillside with home-cooked curries and fantastic scenery. I also love food markets around the world for their atmosphere and variety - I love being led by the smells, sounds, where the locals are queuing & ending up with something different to what you may have otherwise chosen. 

Favourite meal?

Breakfast at the Tokyo Fish Market—just sashimi, ginger, and wasabi, freshly prepared. There were 6 of us, sat on stools along a counter in a tiny restaurant & the fish was as fresh as it could possibly be.  It was melt-in-the-mouth delicious and stands out as one of the best meals I’ve had. 

Special mention for hot pot in China - a very fun experience, from choosing your meat, fish, veg, noodles, tofu, whatever you want to trying to catch your food as it whizzes round in a bubbling spicy soup.  I'm not sure I ate that much but definitely fun trying. 

Favourite drink?

When I was pregnant with my son, we stayed at Sandals in Saint Lucia and drank a mix of guava and pineapple juice every morning. We still drink it at home almost 10 years later, we call it 'Sunshine Juice' & my son loves it too!

Favourite activity?

I love activities I haven’t done before or not done very often, like whitewater rafting or ziplining. I'm not a fan of heights so not sure why I like the ziplining. Snorkelling is always a fun activity which I've enjoyed in many places from Thailand to Australia. It was in Belize though, that I learnt how to dive beneath the surface without swallowing a lot of water. I loved the feeling of freedom it gave me especially when swimming with scuba divers & seeing the same things that they were! 

Listen to the full episode on Spotify

It was such a fun experience re-living so many of my personal travel memories. I hope you've enjoyed reading them. If anything has grabbed your attention, I'd love to help with a personalised adventure just for you. 

As I enjoyed the podcast so much, I'm offering an exclusive offer for newsletter subscribers only. 

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