S2, Ep. 16: Running With The Buffalo In Bali

No Blackout Dates is back for Season 2! We've partnered with Matador Network to take the cause of irreverent and unfiltered travel talk to heights not seen your last international flight. Tune in every Tuesday morning beginning October 5 for guests including an OnlyFans star turned travel tv host, the outspoken hosts of the web's preeminent dating podcast, a Physician's Assistant living on the South Pole, and a cadre of other booming personalities from across the weird world of travel. The insight is big, and the Hot Takes are, well, as revealing as Tim and Eben's deepest thoughts allow them to get. We'll see you right here next Tuesday!

We're trying something new this week on No Blackout Dates. To complement our interview episodes, every other week we will feature a read-aloud of a crazy travel story from Matador Network. This week's adventure is from writer Nicholas Mancall-Bitel, entitled "My Car Broke Down in the Sahara, and It Taught Me About Trust."

Travel to places far off the typical tourist track – think Iraq, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia – is an increasingly common theme here on No Blackout Dates. As the founder of Untamed Borders, a tour operator that hosts guided trips to places like Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Yemen, and elsewhere, James Wilcox knows more about the logistics of visiting often misunderstood destinations than perhaps anyone. James has built an entire business around creating itineraries for intrepid travelers looking to explore countries we often perceive to be dangerous or inaccessible.

Marko Randelovic is a documentary filmmaker and photojournalist from the UK whose work focuses heavily on Southeast Asia. Marko joins No Blackout Dates to discuss his new film, Makepung, which debuts on Matador Network on January 12. Makepung tells the story of Bali’s long-running tradition of buffalo racing. That’s right – there’s a dedicated cohort of Balinese who aren’t afraid to hop on a water buffalo and chase speed, glory, and honor. Lest you be worried about animal rights, these water buffalo are among the most cared-for animals on the Indonesian island.