Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast
Since 2005, Amateur Traveler has been talking about different destinations every week. It covers destinations all over the world with an emphasis on culturally rich travel. Learn more about your world. Amateur Traveler won its creator, Chris Christensen, a Travel+Leisure award as the "best independent travel journalist" and entry into the "Podcast Hall of Fame."
Episodes
July 12, 2025 • 72 mins
Hear about travel to the Peloponnese Peninsula in Greece as the Amateur Traveler talks to travel writer Sally Jane Smith about a great alternative to visiting the Greek Islands.
Sally Jane says, “The thing is that most visitors go to Greece. They go to Athens, and then they tend to go straight to the islands. And Greece has hundreds of islands. The ones that most visitors go to are the resort-style islands of Santorini and Mykon...
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July 5, 2025 • 66 mins
Hear about travel to the island nation of Samoa as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane from Jonty Travels about his recent trip biking around the country.
Why should you go to Samoa?
Jonty says, "Samoa is a small island in the Pacific. If you imagine a tropical Pacific paradise, then something like Samoa would probably spring to mind in terms of palm trees along a beautiful sandy beach with snorkeling opportunities and some...
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June 28, 2025 • 58 mins
Hear about travel to Northern Iceland as the Amateur Traveler talks to Monika from PlanPackExplore.com about her recent trip through the center of Iceland to the less-visited northern part of the country.
Why should you visit Northern Iceland?
Monika says, "I'm a self-proclaimed Iceland lover. I went there for the first time in 2022, by accident, which is a long story, but we ended up in Iceland, and literally after six days, sta...
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June 21, 2025 • 75 mins
Hear about rafting the Grand Canyon for seven days as the Amateur Traveler talks about this bucket list trip sponsored by Western River Expeditions.
In this solo (but not really solo) episode of Amateur Traveler, host Chris Christensen recounts a seven-day rafting adventure down the Grand Canyon with Western River Expeditions — a journey filled with whitewater rapids, red rock cliffs, side canyon hikes, waterfalls, fossils, ancien...
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June 14, 2025 • 46 mins
Hear about travel to the French Riviera as the Amateur Traveler talks to travel writer and children's book author Kimberley Lovato about this region where she has had a pied-à-terre for years.
Why should you go to the French Riviera?
Kimberley says, "Certainly for people who love great hotels and Michelin star food and gorgeous scenery, you know what's not to love? We have the Cannes Film Festival. But, if you love beaches, hikin...
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June 7, 2025 • 45 mins
Hear about travel to Espírito Santo, Brazil, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Fuse from Fuse Travels about her family's homeland.
Why should you travel to Espírito Santo?
Fuse says, "It is way more affordable than Rio, just as pretty, as far as beaches. It is underrated. So you're not gonna go sightseeing and have a swarm of tourists. You really get a feel of local culture. There's some amazing cuisine. Espírito Santo is diverse ...
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May 31, 2025 • 54 mins
Hear about travel to Brunei and Sabah on the island of Borneo as the Amateur Traveler talks to Max Walton about his recent trip to these contrasting locations.
Why should you go to Brunei and Sabah?
Max says, "It's one of the least visited regions in the area. I think in 2023, only 133,000 people visited. It's not many at all. This also offers a different side of Southeast Asia. I know a lot of people go to Vietnam, Thailand, eve...
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May 24, 2025 • 75 mins
Hear about travel to the region of Abitibi-Témiscamingue in Quebec as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jennifer Doré Dallas from Chasing Poutine about this out of the way road trip.
Why should you go to Abitibi-Témiscamingue?
Jennifer says, "Most people don't really know about it outside of Quebec. But in our province, it's really well known, especially for nature. It's a true paradise for nature lovers. It's also historical, brin...
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May 17, 2025 • 65 mins
Hear about travel to Victoria, British Columbia, as Chris Christensen from Amateur Traveler talks about his recent visit to the capital of British Columbia.
Join Chris Christensen as he returns to one of the first cities he ever visited outside the U.S.—Victoria, British Columbia. In this solo episode, Chris recounts a week-long press trip to Vancouver Island's picturesque capital. From kayaking and whale watching to historic Chin...
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May 14, 2025 • 71 mins
Hear about New Zealand Great Walks as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane from jontynz.com about these amazing multi-day treks in his home country.
Picture snow-capped mountains, volcanic landscapes, brilliant blue alpine lakes, epic coastal scenery, unusual native birds, wilderness as far as the eye can see, golden sand beaches, historic sites, lush moss-filled bush, and huge waterfalls.
New Zealand has ten Great Walks, ...
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May 10, 2025 • 69 mins
In this solo episode of Amateur Traveler, I share the story of my recent walking trip through the Kunisaki Peninsula and Yufuin in Kyushu, Japan, with Walk Japan. This immersive journey took me past massive stone Buddhas, forest trails, rural villages, sacred shrines, and into steamy onsens — all while uncovering centuries of Japanese history and culture.
Temples, Shrines, Onsens, and the Trails Between – Kunisaki & Yufuin Walk
...
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May 3, 2025 • 62 mins
Hear about travel to Auckland, New Zealand, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane from Jonty Travels about a city that he called home for a decade.
Why should you go to Auckland?
Jonty says, "Many people go to New Zealand, but spend almost no time in Auckland. It's a bit like a little sister or brother to Sydney in Australia, but with some unique New Zealand characteristics. There are over 50 extinct volcanoes. It's betwee...
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April 26, 2025 • 67 mins
Hear about travel to the Queensland Outback as the Amateur Traveler talks to Melissa from Queensland about a destination she discovered during the pandemic when she could not leave her home state.
Why should you go to the Queensland Outback?
Melissa says, “Firstly, I think when most people think of Queensland or plan a visit to Queensland, they’re thinking Great Barrier Reef, maybe Gold Coast, theme parks, beautiful beaches, and I...
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April 19, 2025 • 59 mins
Hear about traveling to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, as the Amateur Traveler talks to a longtime Disney expert, former attorney, host of WDW Radio, and Podcast Hall of Fame inductee.
Why Visit Walt Disney World?
Nearly 87% of Americans visit a Disney park at some point—it's a "rite of passage."
Offers a wide range of experiences for all types of visitors—first-timers, families, superfans, and solo travelers.
The sheer...
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April 12, 2025 • 61 mins
Hear about travel to Kolkata, India (formerly Calcutta) as the Amateur Traveler talks to Sam Sarkar from Travels with Dr. Sam about this city built by the British East India Company.
Why should you go to Kolkata?
Sam says, "It's a real hidden secret. This is a city that has grand colonial buildings. It used to be the second city of the British Empire for the longest time. The first US consulate in the world was set up in Kolkata ...
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April 5, 2025 • 51 mins
Hear about travel to Cuba as the Amateur Traveler talks to 3 listeners of the show who joined this year’s trip to explore this beautiful and sometimes challenging country.
Here’s a summary of the 2025 Amateur Traveler's Private Hola Cuba itinerary:
Trip Overview
Trip Name: Amateur Traveler's Private Hola Cuba
Duration: 9 days / 8 nights
Start & End Location: Havana, Cuba
Group Size: 17 travelers
Travel Style: Comfortable, imme...
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April 2, 2025 • 36 mins
In this episode, Johnny Jet shares his deeply personal story of overcoming a debilitating fear of flying before becoming a travel expert.
A dream trip to Australia in high school was derailed when, at the airport, he had a panic attack and refused to board the plane, devastating his family and himself. He spent the next three years struggling with anxiety and fear—not just of flying, but even of leaving home.
Learn what triggered...
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March 29, 2025 • 45 mins
Hear about travel to Germany’s Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg as the Amateur Traveler talks to Matt Kepnes (Nomadic Matt) about his visit to the hills and woods of southwest Germany.
Why should you go to the Black Forest?
Matt says, "You'll find incredible hiking, lots of lakes, waterfalls, and cute little quintessential German towns with beautiful architecture. There are also a lot of hot springs around the Baden Baden area. ...
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March 22, 2025 • 56 mins
Hear about travel to the Basque Country in France and Spain as the Amateur Traveler talks to Craig Anderson about his recent trip to the home of the Basque.
Why should someone go to the Basque Country?
"It's a very unique region so it's got some unique architecture, it's got unique history. The culture is unique and fairly compact, so you can get around and explore the whole thing in a week. There's obviously other things that yo...
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March 15, 2025 • 69 mins
Hear about travel to Genoa and Liguria in Italy as the Amateur Traveler talks to Enrica, Ligurian food expert from ASmallKitcheninGenoa.com about her home region in Italy.
Why should you travel to Liguria?
Enrica says, "Liguria is a wonderful region, not just because this is my region, but there are many reasons for traveling here. First of all, for its spectacular scenery. We have a mix of mountains and sea with dramatic cliffs, h...
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