Showing titles in Travel Writing & Commentary

In American Notes, Charles Dickens sets out on an eye-opening journey across the Atlantic in the early 19th century, capturing his impressions of a rapidly growing United States. Published in 1842, the book recounts his travels through the U.S. and Canada, blending lively storytelling with sharp social observations—something Dickens was especially known for.

Bienvenue les amis ! The Easy French podcast was made for you if you love learning French while entertaining yourself with funny and educational content. In it, we explore cultural and day-to-day topics in a light-hearted way. While listening to us, you will learn tons of French expressions, phrases, and even slang to help you grasp French as spoken by the locals! And because we love interacting with French learners, we will also answer your questions and invite you to send us voice messages that may be broadcasted on the show! And for those who want to jump to the next level and become ...

Upon retirement at the age of sixty-two, and grieving his deceased wife, renowned journalist Bernard Ollivier felt a sense of profound emptiness: What do I do now? While some see retirement as a chance to cash in their chips and settle into a comfy armchair, Ollivier still longed for more. Searching for inspiration, he strapped on his gear, donned his hat, and headed out the front door to hike the Way of St. James, a 1400-mile journey from Paris to Compostela, Spain.

A weekly one-hour conversation with guest experts and callers about travel, cultures, people, and the things we find around the world that give life its extra sparkle. Rick Steves is America's leading authority on travel to Europe and beyond. Host and writer of over a hundred public television travel shows and author of 30 best-selling guidebooks, Rick now brings his passion for exploring and understanding our world to public radio. Related travel information and message boards on www.ricksteves.com

Canoeing the Congo narrates the journey of Phil Harwood, who undertook an epic five-month solo attempt to canoe the Congo River in war-torn Central Africa. It was a historic 'first descent' from the true source in the highlands of Zambia. Just short of 3,000 miles long, the Congo River is the eighth longest in the world and the deepest river in the world, with a flow rate second only to the Amazon. Along the way, Phil encountered numerous waterfalls, huge rapids, man-eating crocodiles, hippos, aggressive snakes...

The official podcast of Triumph Motorcycles America, where host Adam VanderVeen interviews motorcyclists from all walks of life. The episodes will give you a deeper look at some of the most interesting people you'll ever meet on two wheels, including the impact that motorcycles have made on their personal and professional lives.

Join the adventure as 33-year-old Rene Cormier politely removes himself from the working world that surrounds him and cashes in what few possessions he has to finance a three-year-long motorcycle journey around the world. Never one to let excessive planning get in the way of a good ride, Rene runs out of money half way through the tour and ultimately takes five years to cover the 41-country, 154,000 kilometer (95,000 mile) route.

Years ago, an overachieving and harried young mother accidentally flushed her gold watch down the toilet. Time passed, but the image of the lost watch continued to haunt her, a symbol of an overcommitted life. Two decades later, propelled by a series of curious coincidences, she leaves behind her busy professional life, her cell phone, and her family to escape the tyranny of time and walk 500 miles across Northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela.

A series that seeks to tell the story of the South Africa in some depth. Presented by experienced broadcaster/podcaster Des Latham and updated weekly, the episodes will take a listener through the various epochs that have made up the story of South Africa.

A relaxed hour or so chatting about our adventures, and those of our paddling mates, from Australia and around the world. We'll feature tales of expeditions, races, the paddling stories of people ranging from the high profile over-achievers, to those who simply get out each week and enjoy our waterways.

Each week the BBC Earth podcast brings you entertainment, humour, an abundance of amazing animal stories and unbelievable unheard sounds. Explore the world of animals with superpowers, deep dive into death, hear from heroes passionately protecting the planet and get expert insights into corners of the natural world you’ve never explored before.Hosted by zoologists Rutendo Shackleton and Sebastian Echeverri, each episode features special guests including the world’s most respected scientists and naturalists, stars of film and television, nature Instagrammers and more.Listen, laugh and learn...

The One-Bag Travel Minimalism Guide shows you how to pack less, move faster, and experience more. This isn’t about sacrifice — it’s about freedom. By stripping away the clutter and focusing on what truly matters, you’ll discover how lightness creates space for adventure, clarity, and connection.

"We are all travelers in the 'wilderness of the world' - travelers with a donkey." So Robert Louis Stevenson wrote to a friend on completing this enchanting account of a journey in rural France in 1878. Alone with his pack-donkey Modestine, and showing total disregard for discomfort, Stevenson relishes to the full his walking tour of the Cevennes.

On his 44th birthday, Eric Newby sets out on an incredible journey: to travel the 1,200-mile length of India's holy river. In a misguided attempt to keep him out of trouble, Wanda, his lifelong travel companion and wife, is to be his fellow boatwoman. Their plan is to begin in the great plain of Hardwar and finish in the Bay of Bengal, but the journey almost immediately becomes markedly slower and more treacherous than either had imagined - running aground 63 times in the first six days.

Author and adventurer Bruce Chatwin was one of the 20th Century’s most charismatic writers. His first book, In Patagonia, changed the face of travel writing and made him a literary sensation. Collected here are dramatisations and readings of some of his best-known work, as well as a bonus programme shedding light on his relationships and writing.

Sam Manicom left his job, sold his house and his belongings, aiming to ride a motorbike the length of Africa. He'd been riding a motorcycle for just 3 months by the time he made it to the Sahara. But once the travel bug bit, he couldn't stop. 'Under Asian Skies', like his first book 'Into Africa', is packed with adventure. He narrowly escapes a serious wipe out in the vast Australian Outback, falls critically ill in Thailand and is rescued by a prostitute, gets arrested in Madras, dodges the manic traffic of India's Grand Trunk Road and rides sheet ice on the roads through Turkey.

From Myanmar's highlands to the British Pennines, from slow travel between coffee plantations in Borneo to a cross-continent odyssey on African railways, from the pioneers of the American West to European trains in war, this is a new prism through which to explore human lives, and global landscapes, politics and history. The Untold Railway Stories is a testament to both the joy and impact of train travel - to the ambition and ingenuity, and also to destruction and sacrifice within its history - and is published to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the first passenger railway line.

There must be easier ways to heal and grow than walking 500 miles across Spain. But it’s hard to imagine one filled with more adventure, laughter, and excitement. The author sets off armed with idealistic expectations and a backpack. But then things quickly get real on the Camino, and she soon learns a thing or two about humility, vulnerability, and letting go.

When Jack Hitt set out to walk the 500 miles from France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, he submitted to the rigorous traditions of Europe's oldest form of packaged tour, a pilgrimage that has been walked by millions in the history of Christendom. Off the Road is an unforgettable exploration of the sites that people believe God once touched.

When most people think of Hawaii, they imagine sand, surf, and the Aloha Spirit....but spirits of a different kind may occupy the Hawaiian islands. Most people visiting the islands don‘t know of Hawaii‘s haunted history. Want to learn of the haunted hotels and the restless spirits that still roam the grounds? Or why whistling at night attracts spirits of the dead... Come join me, Uncle Jared, as I cover these infamous tales on my podcast, Ghostlore of Hawaii: Paranormal Paradise