Scared to travel alone after 50? So was I. From hiding in a hotel at 21 to driving Sicily solo, here's how I learned to love solo travel, plus my safety tips.

This week it's just me, and it's personal. I share how I went from eating dinner alone in my hotel room to making solo dinners my favourite part of any trip. I also cover the fears that nearly stopped me: my age, loneliness and safety.

IN THIS EPISODE
- The s...

Everything You Need to Know About Cruising — The Hacks, the Freebies & Why You're Doing It Wrong

If you've ever been cruise-curious but didn't know where to start, this episode is for you. Shannon and Anne from Travel Time Stories with Shannon have cruised everything from Alaska to Iceland and they're sharing the insider knowledge that most people only learn after their fourth or fifth sailing — including ho...

She lives on an island with palm trees, walks to world-class restaurants, and says the mountains are only an hour away. Shannon Bednarova moved to South Carolina's Isle of Palms — and makes a very convincing case that it's the most liveable place in America right now.

In this episode: the beaches most visitors never find, the Gullah Geechee food culture that makes Charleston's dining scene unlike anywhere else in the US, what ...

Voted the #1 small city in the world seven times by Condé Nast Traveler. Spring-like weather 365 days a year. A Waldorf Astoria moving in next door. This isn't a fantasy — it's San Miguel de Allende, and today's guest has lived there for 17 years.

Greg is a real estate broker and owner of the first Berkshire Hathaway Home Services franchise in all of Mexico. He moved to San Miguel at 50, intending to semi-retire — and ne...

Everyone knows Everest. But Nepal has over 6,000 peaks near 6,000 metres — and most of them have never been climbed. This week, third-generation mountain guide and CEO of Everest Holiday, Shreejan Simkhada (call him Joe), takes us off the tourist trail and into the Nepal that most people never see.

From a 1,300-year-old monastery in Upper Mustang to a Christian village tucked into a Buddhist valley at 4,000 metres near the Tib...

If you're living in or visiting Singapore and craving an easy escape, you don't have to go far. Host Paula shares her personal experiences on three Indonesian islands you can reach by ferry — perfect for a day trip, a girls' weekend, or a full family getaway. Want to know more about Singapore? Listen to Season 2 Episode 1 - Discovering Singapore: More than just a stopover!

Batam is the go-to for spa lovers. The Tempat Senang S...

Paula sits down with Todd Hata — content creator, food lover, and full-time traveller for the past three to four years — to talk about something every traveller should know more about: hotel loyalty programs. Todd has been working the points system for 25 years, recently hit Hyatt Globalist status, holds Marriott Lifetime Platinum, and has racked up enough nights to know exactly how to get the most out of every stay. Th...

If you think Ireland is just about rain and Guinness, this episode will change your mind. Paula sits down with Dani — a Dublin local and founder of Nomadeire— for an insider's guide to one of Europe's most underrated holiday destinations. From wild coastal hikes to cozy pub sessions with live music, Dani shares all the things only locals know that make Dublin and Ireland so special.

In this episode:

• Why Dublin punches...

Paula is joined by Neil H Solomon — entrepreneur, author, and nomad — who gave up everything in the US in 2018 to travel the world. Now based in Mexico City, his other great love is Medellin, Colombia. In this episode, he breaks down the myths, shares the real numbers on safety, and makes a compelling case for why Medellin belongs on your bucket list.

About Neil

Neil walked away from a corporate career at 35, built a busi...

Most people who drive between Melbourne and Sydney take the coastal route — and yes, it's beautiful. But in this episode, Paula reveals the road trip that most Australians have never done: the inland heritage route, through tiny historic towns that most tourists completely overlook. If you want to hear more about what to do in Sydney - listen to Season 2, Episode 14 - Is Sydney Harbour really the most beautiful harbour in the...

Samoa doesn't usually make the bucket list — but maybe it should. Linda King from The Smart Travelista has visited almost every South Pacific island and says Samoa genuinely surprised her. We get into where to go, what it costs, and what to pack (mosquito repellent — trust us on this one).

WHAT WE COVER

- Why Samoa is worth your attention — untouched, warm, incredibly welcoming, and not overrun with ...

Airline Status: Lounges, Upgrades & Points Strategy with Tim Lewis

Most frequent travellers are so focused on collecting points that they completely overlook airline status — the thing that actually gets you into the lounge, moves you to the front of the boarding queue, and protects you from being bumped or downgraded.

This week I'm joined by Tim Lewis, who has spent years mastering the art of earning and keeping airline st...

Paula is joined by Camille and Rosalie (friends from way back in Sydney) to talk real talk: 40-degree days in Puglia that wrecked a meticulously planned itinerary, buildings across Europe that simply aren't built for heat, the post-COVID over-tourism explosion, and why they're all rethinking when and where they travel.

IN THIS EPISODE 

• Is Europe genuinely too hot to sightsee in June and July? 
• Why Rosalie felt ripped off...

Paula shares an honest, first-hand Nashville travel guide from her solo 3-day trip — Broadway honky-tonks, the Johnny Cash Museum, a Jack Daniel's Distillery tour, must-try food, and the mistakes she wishes she'd avoided. Want to hear more about North America? Listen to Series 1 Episode 22 - New York Christmas

This episode contains affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra co...

Belize has the second-largest barrier reef on the planet, Mayan caves you can swim inside, jaguars in protected jungle, and one of the most surprisingly multicultural societies on earth — and most travellers have never even considered it. This week, Simo D, a Canadian expat who moved his young family to the Placencia Peninsula in 2022, gives us his unfiltered insider guide to visiting Belize.

In This Episode

• Why Belize is s...

Slow travel or fast travel — which style actually fits your life right now? Paula sits down with returning guests Deborah De Reeper and Jo Hunter for an honest panel conversation about how travel changes as we get older, why the "travel while you can" message might be doing us a disservice, and where to actually go instead of the obvious hotspots.

In this episode

• Empty nesters on travel without the kids — and why it c...

Think KL is just a stopover? Think again. Paula Barnes lived in Kuala Lumpur for three years and is here to tell you why it's one of the most underrated cities in Southeast Asia — great food, incredible shopping, rich multicultural culture, and easy day trips all within reach.

In This Episode

• Why the bus from Singapore beats flying
• Best areas to eat, shop and explore — Bukit Bintang, KLCC, Bangsar, Chinatown
• Batu Caves ...

Have you ever dreamed of tracking mountain gorillas through a UNESCO World Heritage rainforest, tasting food wrapped in banana leaves, or watching chimpanzees leap through the treetops? In this episode, host Paula Barnes sits down with Lynett, a Uganda-based travel expert with over 10 years in the tourism industry, to uncover why Uganda — the Pearl of Africa — should be at the top of every traveller's bucket list.

From g...

What does it actually take to visit 50+ countries without draining your bank account? John Johnston of The Bucket List Things has been doing exactly that — chasing bucket list adventures across Africa, South America, the Baltic States, and beyond, all on a budget most people spend on a single resort vacation.

In this episode, John breaks down his entire approach to affordable adventure travel: how he finds jaw-dropping flight ...