Tripology: Travel Podcast

Alun's arrived in Seoul, South Korea's sprawling capital, but it hasn't been plain sailing. After a disappointing layover in Shanghai, we hear how Alun's airplane seat resulted in a moral dilemma. Turbulence was the least of his worries!

Adam throws a South Korean pop quiz in for good measure. Alun's only been in Seoul for a few days, but correcting the jet lag with buckets of kimchi is all the preparation he...

East Asia bound! Alun announces he's off to South Korea, and then onto Japan to commence his Japan working holiday visa, but why? We hear Alun's motives, as he prepares for life in two countries that he's fantasised about for a long, long time.
Tales of a Trip returns with a powerful message from a seasoned traveller. We dive into prejudice, the real impact of expats on local communities, and why integration matters ...

It's a pirate's life! While sea kayaking in New Zealand's stunning Marlborough Sounds region, Adam visited an open-ocean mussel farm. He took his chance and snagged New Zealand's prized greenshell mussel - but with Harbour Patrol hot on his tail, would he make his escape?

The Marlborough Sounds is New Zealand's top sea kayaking destination, and a local favourite for its world-class fishing. Stingray isn't...

Can you really travel forever? As Alun prepares for another adventure, we dive into the truth about long-term travel. In an episode inspired by a listener's curious questions, we define what 'long-term travel' really means, discuss backpacking burnout, and ask the question every traveller faces: is backpacking a sustainable lifestyle? With a combined 20 years abroad, things are about to get existential, baby!

Plus, T...

New Zealand's most underrated trail, the Copland Track, has it all: dense rainforest, ice cold glacial rivers, waterfalls, swing bridges, and hidden hot pools... with a nasty surprise! Tune in to hear about Adam's favourite hike in New Zealand so far.

Adam also shares a few anecdotes from his trip up New Zealand's wet west coast, including a romantic glow worm walk with a Chinese tour group, an offensive interaction involving a bana...

Adam ran the Routeburn Track and regrets it! Nestled in the Fiordland National Park, and perhaps New Zealand’s most beautiful ‘Great Walk’, the Routeburn Track stretches 32km, through alpine meadows, stunning valleys and lush forest. It’s possible to complete the track in one day, but should you? Adam shares his thoughts and feelings on running the track, as well as the surprises, struggles, and how the experience relates to the br...

Forget rice for breakfast - this week, it's stingray for dinner! Alun's been exploring Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's fast-developing capital, including its culinary delights. We hear all about his experience trying Malaysia's unusual street food, stingray, at the popular night market: Jalan Alor Food Street. Apologies to all you divemasters out there!
Alun also shares a heartwarming, full-circle moment, revisiting an ...

This week, Adam hiked the Kepler Track: one of New Zealand's 11 Great Walks. The 60km loop, located in the South Island's Fiordland National Park, is a stunning track, including forests, lakes, ridge walks, and destructive native birdlife! Tune in to find out why the endangered Kea is New Zealand's most dangerous bird.

Tales of a Trip returns with a backpacking horror story involving more native wildlife. Perhaps camping in Australi...

Backpackers claim that Brunei's the most boring country in Asia. After speaking with numerous travellers, and hearing comments such as "Brunei's only worth visiting if you're counting countries", Alun went to see for himself. In this episode, we hear why Brunei is one of Asia's most misunderstood destinations.

Stay tuned for Tales of a Trip, as Karl Watson shares a rollercoaster of a story! We find out the ...

Eye-eye, Captain! Alun's cruising through the Borneo jungle this week. We hear all about his trip along the Kinabatangan River, as he attempts to see Borneo's big 5 on a budget! Impaired by an eye infection and up to his eyeballs in antibiotics, could having a big nose give him the edge? Will Alun finally catch a glimpse of a wild Orangutan?
Prepare for road rash in this week's Tales of a Trip, as we hear from a list...

Alun's seen Orangutans in Borneo but how? We dive inside Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and ask whether it's an ethical sanctuary or a zoo-like tourist attraction.

Alun’s final moments in Cebu, Philippines, were action-packed and fraught with danger. He narrowly escaped the island amid the devastation caused by Typhoon Tino. Our hearts go out to everyone affected, and we wish the people of the Philippines a safe and...

This week, Alun's been diving with Thresher sharks in Malapascua. Rounding off his time in the Philippines, we hear what it's like to be back at scuba diving school and then thrown in at the deep end... with thresher sharks!

Adam's out of character, as he relives the moment he simultaneously smashed his laptop and studio lamp, resulting in a trip to see some wheeling, dealing, Punjabi friends.

Tales of a Trip retu...

Adam survives New Zealand's most dangerous road but not without injury! We hear how a wild 4X4 ride through Skipper's Canyon was a bridge too far. Lord of the Rings filming locations, a suspect first aid kit, and a high risk of landslides was more than Adam bargained for. Did Adam strike gold or was the experience a thorn in his side?
Alun's Miscellaneous Travel Item returns with a cameo from Vagabot. Adam's pres...

Travel guides, travel novels, and travel magazines are the theme of this week's Tripping Point travel quiz! How much does Alun know about the travel publications that changed the world? Tune in and play along!

Adam's been having campervan malfunctions, which have left him stranded in the rain. Apparently leaving the headlights switched on all day can run the battery down... Fortunately there's a French stallion on ha...

It's been a rollercoaster week here at Tripology Podcast. We're thrilled to announce we won Best Travel & Adventure Podcast at the 2025 Independent Podcast Awards! Spotify then hit us with a false copyright claim and blocked our episodes! We share the stories behind the chaos and discuss what it's like being independent creators.

Hostel Common Room returns with a listener who's about to embark on a 2-year backpacking trip and wa...

We're rocking this week! Not only did we win 'Best Travel & Adventure Podcast' at the 2025 Independent Podcast Awards, we also received a knockout Tales of a Trip entry from Harry Jaggard! Whilst visiting Northern Nigeria, Harry was roped into a bare-knuckle boxing match. Tune in to hear the full story, and make sure you watch the video... Rather him than us!

Harry's YouTube video: https://youtu.be/PzG7FMhP6ZI?si=XMWF8SjvDq3sFck...

We discover the surprising origins of India's most famous dish: Butter Chicken. Adam relives his India food adventures, sharing his experience of eating at Gulati Restaurant in Delhi, touted as the best butter chicken in India. We ask: Was butter chicken actually invented in Pakistan? And why are two Delhi restaurants fighting over the original recipe?
Acclimatise quickly, as Tales of a Trip reaches new heights! We hear from...

Two worlds collide in this week's episode, as Artificial Intelligence makes the news for sending travellers to locations that don't exist. We hear about a couple in Peru who were left stranded, after letting AI plan their trip!

We find out what a coffee pot, water pump and a safe box all have in common, as Tripological Reasoning returns with hypothetical scenarios that may or may not be Alun's real life dilemmas.

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Have your passports ready! This week's travel quiz tests Alun's knowledge of all things passports. Which countries have the strongest passports and which countries have the weakest passports? And when was the first ever passport issued? We go through some of the 2025 passport rankings and share some weird passport facts you didn't know!

If there's one thing Alun's hates about travel, it's ubiquitous, unimaginative travel quotes. Alu...