Women Who Travel | Condé Nast Traveler

What is it like growing up in one of the most storied and iconic hotels in Italy? Ask Valentina de Santis, who was raised in the kitchens and ballrooms of Lake Como's Grand Hotel Tremezzo and now runs the charismatic Passalacqua along with her parents nearby. Lale chats with the hotelier to hear stories of life on Lake Como, get tips on traveling in both summer and the off-season, and what it really means to live La Dolce ...

Born and raised in Singapore, Jemimah Wei uses her hometown as the backdrop to her new novel, The Original Daughter—a story of sisterhood and family drama set in the turn of the millennium. But as well as it being a great source of inspiration for the author, she also believes it to be a great destination for solo travelers. Lale sits down with Wei for her tips on how to plan a trip, navigate its vibrant hawker centers, an...

There are over 60 national parks in the United States—and they're never more popular than at the peak of summer. This year, however, might look a little bit different as a result of sweeping budget cuts that impact everything from how the trails are maintained to the park rangers who guide you. To help us understand what to expect—and plan our next trip—associate articles director and podcast regular, Megan Spurrell, joins...

In 2023, Eva Longoria headed to Mexico with CNN in search of a deeper understanding of the country’s rich culinary heritage and her own family history. Last month, she returned to our screens with a brand new season, Searching for Spain, which takes her all over the country to explore the vast regional scope of its cuisine and learn about her Spanish ancestors. Lale sits down with the actor and television host to find out ...

In Hawa Hassan's second cookbook, the chef and author explores the recipes and stories born out of displacement, and the sense of community and resilience that can be found through food. Lale chats with her about the travels and research behind the book, which took her to The Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and Lebanon, among others, as well as how her own path from Somalia to the US informed her personal food journ...

Today, we are sharing an episode of Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, the chart-topping and Webby Award-winning podcast from our friends at Nature on PBS. Back for a brand new season, Going Wild features some of the coolest champions of nature – like a paleoanthropologist who hunts fossils in conflict zones, and a former butterfly technician who saved an endangered species while incarcerated. Each episode explores what l...

Our guest this week is British journalist Emma Lunn, an avid hiker who has hit the trails all over the world. But a particularly memorable solo walk for her was closer to home—across the English countryside, and filled with dramatic moors and grand coastlines. Lale chats with Lunn to find out how she pulled it off, why she believes in the healing powers of hiking, and how she navigated both unexpected wildlife and eccentri...

Is there anywhere left in the world that is truly quiet? This episode, we seek to find out, with Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler’s Global Digital Director, and writer Yulia Denisyuk joining Lale in the studio to talk about their favorite quiet places—from the sprawling deserts of Wadi Rum, Jordan, to the Makgadikgadi salt pans of Botswana. And if you’re still left wanting more inspiration for finding stillness on our nois...

Ever fantasized about giving up the grind and starting a new life in Italy? This week, we hear from a listener who did just that, swapping her life in San Francisco for the rolling hills of Piedmont, where she renovated a 300-year-old farmhouse’ and built a new life—‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ style. Listen to the episode to find out how Barbara Boyle, who penned the experience in her new memoir ‘Pinch Me,’ pulled the move off ...

If you’ve been absorbed by the latest season of The White Lotus over the past few weeks, you’ve probably found yourself Googling images of Thailand and wondering whether to book a flight there ASAP. Or perhaps you were once seduced by the fantasy of Eat, Pray, Love and considered  dropping all your responsibilities in favor of seeking a path of self discovery in Bali? When it comes to our favorite television shows and movi...

Right before filming the latest season of White Lotus, Natasha Rothwell booked herself a silent Buddhist retreat—a move she says reflects her deep spiritual roots. In this week’s episode, Lale chats with the actor and longtime traveler about returning as the character of Belinda in Mike White’s hit HBO dramedy, her own relationship with wellness, and what it was like to spend six months in Thailand for the show.

With French-Haitian roots, and multiple cities she can call home, Naïka is a self-proclaimed Third Culture Kid—an identity that she explores regularly through her music. Lale speaks with the singer-songwriter, who at the time is wrapping up her day in Paris, about how singing in multiple languages helps her tap into different parts of herself, her upcoming album, and a childhood spent across continents. 

Tracee Ellis Ross’ earliest memories involved traveling the world with her mother, Diana Ross, but it was at the age of 22 that she discovered what solo travel could give her. This episode, Lale sits down with Tracee, who on March 8 will be honored on Women Who Travel’s annual Power List, to discuss how solo travel can be an act of radical self care, her upcoming Roku show Solo Traveling With Tracee Ellis Ross, and her fla...

Sound baths. Silent retreats. Cryotherapy. When it comes to wellness, there’s an encyclopedia’s worth of experiences, treatments, and rituals to dip your toe into. But where on earth to start? This week, Lale is joined by three experts—Lydia Bell, Traveller UK’s senior features editor, Yariella Coello, the blogger behind The Beauty Backpacker, and Jen Murphy, a writer who reports regularly on wellness tourism—to demystify ...

Polycurious? Or perhaps you’re simply curious to know more about the word polyamory? We’ve got you covered with a special Valentine’s Day episode dedicated to everything from traveling polycules and triads to advice on how to open up your relationship on the road for the first time—all courtesy of journalist Anna Silman, senior features reporter at Business Insider, who joins Lale in the studio.