Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast

Hear about travel to Western Crete as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane from jontytravels.com about his hiking adventure around the villages and in the mountains of the largest Greek island. This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Why should you visit Western Crete? Jonty says, "Crete is a diverse Greek island, home to excellent hiking, dramatic gorges, atmospheric villages, epic coastlines, and ancient history." Jonty spent around a week hiking in western Crete, village walks in the north, the White Mountains in the center, and along the south coast. He did a self-guided trip with the Natural Adventure and their local operator, S-Cape. They organize the logistics, including accommodation, bag transfers, and provide GPS walking routes. Many of the sights can be seen without hiking, though, in fewer days with a car. ... https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-western-crete/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Bern, Switzerland, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jack Baumann from Guidester and the Europe Travel 101 Podcast about a city he fell in love with early in his travels. Why should you visit Bern? Jack says, "I would say Bern epitomizes the blend mixture of natural beauty, culture, and history that Switzerland is known for. It's on the river Aare, it's surrounded by the Bern oberland, so you can get from the city center to a mountain in about 15 minutes. On a clear day, you can see the Alps." Jack’s Recommended 7-Day Itinerary for Bern, SwitzerlandDays 1–2: Historic Bern (UNESCO Old Town) ... https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-bern-switzerland/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Christmas Markets in Europe as the Amateur Traveler talks to Justin Barnes of JustinAndCrystal.com about his visit to markets in 32 different cities across 12 countries. Justin's Core Itinerary Philosophy Visit 3–5 destinations total, ideally within 4 hours of each other by train. Base yourself in larger cities and use day trips to nearby towns when possible. Travel by train with light luggage (backpack style) and stay near train stations or old towns. Aim for early–mid December, before the final pre-Christmas weekend crowds and before many markets close around Dec 23–24 ... https://amateurtraveler.com/christmas-markets-in-europe/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Tunis, Tunisia, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jeff Ohlfs about his recent visit to this arid Arab country in North Africa. Why should you go to Tunis? Jeff says, "I don't think a lot of people think too much about traveling to Tunisia. It's an incredible country, friendly people. It's an Arab country. And all that goes with it, and it's reasonably inexpensive, and it's just right there off the boot of Italy." ... https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-tunis-tunisia/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to the remote region of Skardu, Pakistan, as the Amateur Traveler talks to James Schomburgk about his recent visit to this beautiful mountain region. Why should you go to Skardu? James says, "It is really a step back into time. You're getting exposed to Stan culture, which is quite unique, very different from Southern Pakistan. There's a lot of crossover to the Ladakhi people in India. It's very much Muslim, but very different Muslim." The people there are believed to originated more from European and Iranian looks. So a lot of them are blondes. Many of them have blue or green eyes. A lot of them would look more like Scandinavians. It was quite a shock to see people who looked Scandinavian speaking with a Pakistani Indian accent." "Also, it was just a very interesting culture. Very proud of their culture. And have some real beliefs that, as we were up there, we got quite a few lectures by them about how they believe they should be a separate country. They believe they're very different from the rest of the culture." James's Recommended 7-Day Itinerary for Skardu, Pakistan ... https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-skardu-pakistan/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices