The Sustainable Travel Podcast

Wildlife cafes are gaining popularity, especially in places like Japan, but are they good for the wildlife and safe for people? Is it ever right to have coffee with capybara or cake with pigs? I dive into this issue with the inimitable Susanna Shankar.Follow Susanna: @curiositysaves.travel on Instagramhttps://curiositysavestravel.com/

Travel is built on colonial systems that prioritise the comfort and wellbeing of outsiders over that of resident communities. Saying that doesn't place the blame on travellers or travel itself, but instead aims to find a system that works for everybody.Find Hira on @thehybridtours or @hiraaftab04 on InstagramRead more:https://thattravel.co.uk/how-can-we-decolonize-travel/

I interviewed conservationist and documentary maker Janna Giacoppo about all things Maasai, Marriott and human-wildlife conflict. How were Lazizi LTD and Marriott allowed to build a $3000 per night luxury hotel on an important wildlife corridor despite a moratorium on tourist builds in the area? Why did the Maasai retract their case and what can we do about it now? We chat it all through in this latest episode of the Sustainable Travel Podcast.Find Janna on Instagram @jannagiacoppo and learn more about her documentary on https://onebutmanydocumentary.com/

With the humanitarian crisis in Gaza reaching unimaginable heights, I connected with 5 families living in Gaza, as well as Emma Chave, their long time friend and supporter in the UK.Support the 5 families in the podcast here:https://chuffed.org/project/137912-gather-for-gaza-many-voices-one-purposeIf you're stuck on ways to help Gaza, read this article: https://thattravel.co.uk/how-can-i-help-gaza/Read more about the families here:https://bea-adventurous.com/gaza-fundraiser/Related articles:https://www.inwanderment.com/free-palestine/You can find Emma on Instagram (@inwanderment) or on her website: www.inwanderment.com

Sarah is the brains behind Cultured Creative,  a brand consulting and design studio for responsible tourism businesses that blends Sarah's Nigerian American roots and passion for deep cultural immersion with 12 years of branding and marketing experience. In this episode, we discussed whether or not sustainable travel is becoming 'a trend', what this means for the industry and what customers and brands can do to keep greenwashing to a minimum and positive action at the forefront of their minds.You can find Sarah on Instagram @sarahovidal

Eva is a sustainable content creator, group trip host and environmentalist living South East Asia. She's been working together with local businesses across Asia, as well as NGOs to find out more about the plastic crisis and how we, in the Global North, also have an impact on it. You can find Eva on Instagram @evaandtheplanet or on her website: https://www.evaandtheplanet.com/

Angie is a content creator from Barcelona, who has been sharing content now for 10+ years and has a combined social media following of around 80k. She shared her thoughts and insights with me in this episode on how what we share to social media can impact the world around us, especially from the perspective of travellers. You can find Angie on Instagram, Threads or TikTok: @whereisangiee

Sabine (aka @sabe_travels - Instagram) is a solo Black female traveller, whose guides to planning sabbaticals have been helping travellers all over the world. Sabe prides herself on visiting new countries, regardless of what others have told her and always trying to make up her own mind without any preconceived notions.You can find Sabe on Instagram (@Sabe_travels) or her blog: sabetravels.com

Taryn is a Leave No Trace Level 2 instructor (the highest level you can get!) and outdoor writer, who has been working together with Leave No Trace for 20 years. In this episode, we discussed everything Leave No Trace: what the 7 principles are, how you can follow them outdoors and why they matter so much. We also talked through a hotly debated topic: geotagging vs gatekeeping. Which is right in this world of social media and how can we all do better?You can find Taryn on Instagram or her websiteHere are the 7 principles of Leave No Trace

Tim is a train expert and founder of the online booking tool, Bookachoo, which helps corporate travellers find more sustainable options for travel.In this episode we talked about ALL things train and tried to answer the question: what exactly is holding people back from travelling by train more often?You can find Tim on LinkedInYou might also want to check out his booking tool Bookachoo!

We've all made 'mistakes' when it comes to wildlife when travelling (I mean, if you haven't, then a big well done to you!), and no one knows the horror of this better than Mia, who is currently studying for her Masters in primate conservation. Following a degree in psychology, Mia took a round the world trip, where she thought she'd done all the research and unfortunately, it turned out to be misleading in some cases and she fell into some unethical wildlife traps. That guilt fuelled her passion for educating others about wildlife tourism mistakes, and led her to make this episode with me. It is so important that we destigmatise unethical wildlife experiences so that we can move forward with education and understanding!You can find Mia on Instagram.

Alexa is an imperfect sustainability, small space garden and composting enthusiast. In this episode we talked about:🤨 What zero waste actually means and why all the stigma around it✅ How to be more zero waste in your day to day life👀 Things to look out for specifically to help you when you travel💰 Why supporting small businesses is so importantYou can find Alexa on Instagram or TikTokLinks you might find useful after listening to the episode:✨ Book alternatives to Amazon✨ Alexa's website

Kate is a conservation biologist who has spent the majority of her career in impressive ecosystems such as the Maldives or various African national parks (where she cared specifically for rhinos). In this episode, we talked about:⛳ More red and green flags within wildlife experiences (we love that on this show!)🗝 Flagship and keystone species, and what that means✅ Why it's so important for tourists to see wildlife for themselves and support conservation effortsFind Kate on Instagram

Mahin is a climate change activist and the founder of Carbon Wise Pakistan, Pakistan's first carbon footprint calculator. In this episode we chatted about:🌍 The situation with climate change in Pakistan👩🏽‍🏫 How important education is there about climate change for future generations💰 Climate funding and how it is woefully lackingFind Mahin on Instagram. Here are some links you might find interesting after listening to the show:Carbon Wise Pakistan appClimate change in Pakistan

Welcome back to this episode with Danielle, a wildlife conservationist and elephant expert, who talks us through all things elephants in tourism.In part 2, we talked about:✅ Green flags from good sanctuaries and how we, as tourists can't make assumptions based on what we see🐘 Elephants as complex beings and their individualised care🌍 The human side of sustainable tourism, how local people need to be involved in the conservation conversationYou can find Danielle on ⁠Instagram⁠ or on ⁠her website⁠.Some links you might find helpful after listening to this episode:✅ Danielle's ⁠personally approved list of ethical elephant facilities⁠ in Asia🌍 World Animal Protection ⁠Elephant Friendly Tourist Guide⁠✍🏽 Danielle's Masters Thesis - ⁠Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Thai Elephants

Danielle is an elephant expert and wildlife conservationist, who wrote her Masters on trauma in captive elephants within South East Asia.In this first part of our super interesting two part episode on these beautiful animals, we spoke about:🐘 The 'breaking in' process of captive Asian elephants and their general plight in captivity🧠 How elephants process emotions and their similarities to humans❓ What's a sanctuary? What does that word mean?You can find Danielle on Instagram or on her website.Some links you might find helpful after listening to this episode:✅ Danielle's personally approved list of ethical elephant facilities in Asia🌍 World Animal Protection Elephant Friendly Tourist Guide✍🏽 Danielle's Masters Thesis - Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Thai ElephantsNote: this episode contains details that some listeners may find disturbing, including descriptions of sexual assault and animal abuse.

Have you ever wanted to help out abroad? Maybe you've thought about teaching, or building work or even working in an orphanage?Well all of those things are known as voluntourism and they can be good... sometimes. However, there is a dark side of voluntourism that many people just simply don't think about. I interviewed Jade and Matt from Giveback (a platform for finding regenerative travel projects as you travel) who gave me their insights.After listening, you might find these links helpful:https://cambodianchildrenstrust.org/about/Tara Winkler TED Talk about orphanage volunteeringFind Jade and Matt on Instagram, Youtube or browse the Giveback Guide

Have you ever heard of a food desert?Something that is not discussed enough in the sustainable travel space is climate injustice, also known as environmental racism.Food deserts are a small part of this though honestly it comes into a lot of other things, like countries that contribute very little to climate change being some of the worst affected etc.How do we navigate all of this when advocating for people to make more eco conscious choices such as a vegan diet?I spoke to Zenee from @its.dearearth (Instagram) who is an intersectional environmentalist and vegan advocate, who encourages gentle teaching when it comes to climate change.The chat with Zenee was super interesting, we talked through how she became a vegan, what it's like to be a vegan in rural Georgia and when travelling, why food deserts exist and how environmental racism is affecting communities worldwide, plus what you can do to help!Connect with Zenee on Instagram, TikTok or YoutubeFurther reading on this topic:Food Deserts-https://foodispower.org/access-health/food-deserts/https://socialwork.tulane.edu/blog/food-deserts-in-america/https://digitalcommons.tacoma.uw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1074&context=gh_thesesEnvironmental Racism-https://www.nrdc.org/stories/what-environmental-racismhttps://insider.augusta.edu/environmental-racism/

Tesa is a wildlife conservation biologist and primatologist currently studying in the UK. In this enlightening conversation, we talked about:✋🏽 When it is necessary for anyone to touch wildlife and who that should be🙅🏽‍♀️ Why tourists play no role in this process🆚 The idea of 'tame' vs domesticated✅ What tourists can do to support and see wildlife when they travelFurther reading:Responsible TravelWorld Animal ProtectionNational GeographicYou can find Tesa on Instagram or on her website.

Katie is a content creator and technology whizzkid who has a passion for sustainable travel and came to talk to me about how technology can be a force for good (and sometimes bad) within sustainable travel, and how we can do better.👍🏽 You can find Katie on Instagram and on her websiteLinks mentioned in the podcast: 🚌 Busbud (booking buses online)🚌 12Go (the same thing)🌊 Bonbeachie (waterproof wristband)

Bea Adventurous is an immersive cultural traveller and group trip host. In this interesting episode, we tried to answer the very big and difficult question: what makes traditional leisure travel unsustainable? Bea also explained how she got into travelling from a pretty complicated background!👍🏽You can find Bea on Instagram or her website

Travelling with a toddler is not easy at the best of times, let alone when you are trying to do it sustainably!I spoke to Ilani about the challenges of travelling with a young child, but also the positives on the flip side, how she makes travelling with her toddler a little easier for herself and how she supports other first time mums as well.👍 You can find Ilani on Instagram

Teresa and Dennis are travelling from Germany to Australia via public transport, and they really have some stories about it!! Chatting with them was so much fun, we swapped tall tales of public transport and talked about how feasible it is to cross the planet in this way. You can find Teresa and Dennis on Instagram or their website You might find this article useful after listening: Tips for surviving long bus trips!

Carmen and Michael from Ruamar run an immersive tourism company in Portugal and, the way they see it, travelling in an immersive way, delving deep into the culture of a place could be the answer to overtourism. In this episode we talked about all things immersive travel in Portugal, some incredible experiences they have had living in Portugal and all about how you can get involved.👍 You can find Carmen and Michael through Instagram or their website

Merel is a queer, disabled sustainability activist and wheelchair user. She is part of a political party for environmental justice and animal rights and represents a lot of people within the sustainability space. In this episode we talked about: how train travel can sometimes be easier than flying as a wheelchair user, what improvements are needed within sustainable travel for wheelchair users and how you can help advocate for disabled travellers within the sustainability space as an able-bodied traveller.👍 You can find Merel on Instagram and TikTok

Renee Bruns is a passionate people-centric traveller and Guinness World Record holder, who also happens to be a wheelchair user. We had an incredible conversation about all things accessible travel, including why it can sometimes conflict with sustainability (and sometimes complement it), what sustainability can mean when it's people- or culture-focused, how to get started travelling as a wheelchair user and how to help as an able-bodied person.👍 You can find Renee onInstagram or herwebsiteHere are some links you might find useful after listening to this episode:✨The Free Wheelchair Mission✨Renee's blog

Kirsten Doyle is an autistic traveller and content creator, who specialises in creating content to help neurodivergent travellers understand better how to navigate travelling the world. In this episode, we talked about: the challenges of travelling with a neurodivergent brain, particularly the experience of the airport and different modes of transport (like trains), and what could be done to improve this, while keeping it sustainable.👍 You can find Kirsten onInstagram,TikTok,YouTube orher websiteHere are some links you might find useful after listening to this episode:✨Does the sunflower lanyard programme work?✨Autism and airports: 4 common challenges and what to do about them✨5 tips for taking road trips with autistic kids

Praneetha is a wildlife biologist and conservationist, who has a lot of feathers in her cap, including environmental educator. She was the perfect person to tackle this difficult question that genuinely confuses so many tourists, even sustainable travellers. Should we be feeding wild animals and if not why not? How much of a problem does it really cause? Praneetha answers all of that and so much more in this episode. 👍 You can find Praneetha on Instagram and LinkedIn Here are some links you might find useful after listening to this episode:✨ Podcast episode with Connie Needham - how do I know if a wildlife encounter is ethical?✨ 5 tips for ethical wildlife tourism Or join our Facebook group

Erin is a responsible blogger and content creator, who has been podcasting about sustainable travel for 5 years now. She is a huge proponent for repeat traveller and getting to know cultures in depth. In this episode, we talked about how travelling back to the same place can tie into sustainable travel, how sharing negative opinions about places as a tourist can be damaging (particularly as a content creator or influencer), how to share content responsibly instead, and some of the best repeat travel experiences Erin has had over the years.  You can find Erin on Instagram, TikTok and her website Here are some links you might find useful after listening to this episode: 8 tips for sharing responsible travel content 8 travel cliches to avoid Your guide to unpacking travel privilege Join our Facebook group! Don't forget to like and subscribe on Spotify.

Danielle, a.k.a. Plan for me Dani is a teacher in the US, whose passion is travelling (especially to Paris and Italy!). Despite her time limitations, she manages to do her own version of slow travel, mainly by staying overnight (or more than one night) in places where people typically daytrip. In this episode, we talk about: slow travelling on a short time frame, some of the best places where you should 'ditch the daytrip', and offseason travel in on-season months. People have such a fixed idea that sustainable travel is not possible for those with limited time off, but Dani is proving that this isn't true at all! 👍🏼You can find Dani on Instagram or her blog Here are some links you might find useful after listening to this episode:✨ Ditch the day trip to Montepulciano✨ Ditch the day trip to Sintra✨ Dani's travel guides on Thatch

Ilsa identifies as a fat, queer traveller and firmly believes that everyone belongs in the outdoors and should have the opportunity to travel! This is a topic so close to my heart as well - travel is a privilege and I hope it will become more accessible in future. In this episode, we talked about: representation and accessibility in outdoor spaces, how fat and queer communities can feel pushed out of travel and outdoor spaces simply because they don't feel like they belong, how straight and slim people can help and advocate for plus-size or queer friends and some examples of how 'being different' can feel in homogenous societies (such as South Korea, where Ilsa lived for two years). 👍🏼You can find Ilsa on Instagram or TikTok

Serena is a cultural travel advocate, an ambassador for Planeterra (a non-profit using community tourism to save lives) and a real Morocco enthusiast. Sere has now been to Morocco 3 times to immerse herself fully in the culture and has also started learning Darija to learn more. In this episode we talked about cultural travel, common faux pas tourists can make when visiting Morocco and how to avoid them, and some truly unique experiences you can have only in Morocco. 👍🏼You can find Serena on Instagram or her website Here are some links you might find useful after listening to this episode:✨3 days in Marrakech - a sustainable itinerary✨FREE Morocco Food Guide from Sere Travels✨Places that want your tourism - Morocco's approach

Connie is an anthrozoologist, ethical wildlife enthusiast and the founder of Project Wild, a handbook for ethical animal projects worldwide. She has so much to say on this topic, but in this episode, we covered: some of the issues in wildlife tourism right now and what you should avoid, why you SHOULD support an ethical sanctuary if you can, and some green and red flags to look out for! Here are some links you might find useful after listening to this episode:✨Project Wild: The Wild Guide!✨5 ways to be sure you are taking part in ethical wildlife tourism✨A guide to ethics washing by Connie and Emma

Susanna is a regenerative travel expert with a Master's in Biodiversity, who is aiming to bridge the gap between environmental and tourism research through her work on social media and her two websites (Curiosity Saves Travel and Curiosity Saves The Planet). In this episode we covered all things regenerative travel, what destinations are currently doing, how you can adopt this mindset yourself and how it differs from sustainable travel. Here are some links you might find useful after listening to this episode:✨What is regenerative travel 101✨8 easy ways to make sure you're supporting locals when you travel✨Sustainable Traditional Practices from an Indian Perspective

Sam (and her partner Chris) are full time vegetarian backpackers, who have been travelling for over 4 years now to some of the under touristed places in the world! They do their best to eat vegetarian local food and have tried some bizarre and interesting concoctions! In this episode we talked about the fun parts and the struggles, where it's easy and where it's hard, some hacks to help you through and what it means to get away from international tourists when you travel, and travel like the locals do. *Sam and Chris refer to their style of travel as 'off the beaten path', so for simplicity, this is how we have spoken about their travels in this episode. That Travel and the Sustainable Travel Podcast would like to acknowledge the complexities of wording such as this and the importance of local tourism. Sam and Chris generally stray pretty far from the international tourist route, but we appreciate there have probably been local tourists and visitors who have come before! 👍🏼You can find Sam and Chris on Instagram or via their blog Here are some links you might find useful after listening to this episode:✨5 vegan travel tips you need to know about✨Vegetarian travel guides from Relentless Roaming

Arianne is a mindful traveler and adventure seeker from Aruba, who loves to engage in positive impact experiences, and has been a source of inspiration to many with her series 'Positive Impact Sundays' - she is a total powerhouse who is currently managing to juggle a full-time job in a humanitarian organisation, a content creation business to the side and weekly volunteering projects! In this episode, we dove into how you can make a positive impact when you travel to combat the negative effects of mass tourism, and how she does it all so well. 👍🏼 You can find Arianne on Instagram (here’s one of her favourite reels to get your started!), or sign up to her newsletter here for self-improvement and life management tips Here are some links you might find useful after listening to this episode:✨ How to recycle plastic waste in Aruba✨ What is overtourism? How can we help with the mass tourism crisis✨ Metabolic Foundation Aruba – transitioning the global economy to a state of stability✨ Living soil Aruba – sustainable farming organisation in Aruba! ✨ Find out more about our sponsor – 100yrs

If you haven't heard of plogging, it's a new movement, sweeping the planet (literally!) that combines Paul Waye's two passions: jogging and picking up litter. I had the pleasure of meeting Paul recently and though I had no idea what he was talking about at the time, I found him so interesting and inspiring, I knew I had to interview him. In this episode we covered: what plogging is, the World Plogging Championships, Paul's upcoming plogging/train trips around Italy and the Netherlands, and ways to get involved. It's super inspiring - Paul is a hoot and you can't miss a chance to catch him in his disco banana outfit! 👍🏼You can find Paul on Instagram Here are some links you might find useful after listening to this episode:✨Paul's Podcast - P is for Plog✨PlogX - monthly cleanup✨Waye of Life Website - find out more!

Mary Kay is a midlife traveller who's on a mission to inspire people over 50 to get out there and travel as much as you can! She's been travelling since day dot and even used to ask for plane tickets as a kid. In this episode we talked about: travelling as a midlife traveller, respecting local culture, being brave enough to go to lesser known destinations (such as Venezuela), ditching group tours as a midlife traveller and what it's like to be a content creator in retirement! 👍🏼You can find Mary Kay on Instagram

Penelope is a content creator and blogger, specialising in lesser known destinations and going beyond the tourist hotspots. She's currently living in Gibraltar and has just launched her new business, Go Here Instead. In this episode we talk about why it's important to get 'off the beaten path', and how to do that without impacting your trip too much! 👍🏼You can find Penelope on Instagram (the_flyaway_girl and gohereinstead.co), TikTok and Youtube Here are some links you might find useful after listening to this episode:✨ Gibraltar in one day - a local’s guide✨ Sustainable Travel Tips Facebook Group✨ 20+ hidden gems in Spain✨ 20+ incredible hidden gems in Europe

Tinaye is an intersectional environmentalist, climate activist and the founder of Kids 4 Climate, Botswana. In this episode, we talked about reframing the way that Africa should be included in the discussion surrounding the climate crisis, positive climate stories coming out of Africa right now and how you, as a visitor to the African continent, can positively contribute and help empower local people. 👍🏼You can find Tinaye on Instagram Here are some links you might find useful after listening to this episode:✨ Kids for Climate Action Instagram✨ Find out more about Kids for Climate action✨ Donate to Kids for Climate action

Lexie is a sober and mindful slow traveller, who has just returned to the US after years of travelling abroad with her partner. Her approach to travel is to experience EVERYTHING in a sober and conscious way. In this episode, we talk about Lexie's journey to sobriety, the similarities between sober/mindful and sustainable travel, and how you can get involved with both. 👍🏼You can find Lexie on Instagram or her website Here are some links you might find useful after listening to this episode:✨ Book a sobriety discovery call✨ Sober travel tips from Lexie!✨ Sober retreats in Bali

Marta is the brains behind a regenerative botanical community agroforest in Leiria (Floresta das Lebres) and has poured her heart and soul into creating a space for regenerative tourism in Portugal. In this episode, we talked about the community element of the project, how you can get involved, how mass tourism is affecting Portugal and what you can try to do instead. We also talked about some incredible lesser known areas of Portugal and things you can see beyond what the tourists know! 👍🏼You can find Marta and learn more about the project on Instagram, LinkedIn or her website, or you can buy a coffee or adopt a tree here, or book a stay at the forest here Here are some links you might find useful after listening to this episode:✨ Ruamar - authentic journeys in Portugal

Prathibha (aka Prathi!) is a professional photography who truly got me thinking about how our photography can have an impact in the world of sustainable travel. In this episode, we talk through: respecting privacy, ethical wildlife photography, 'bad behaviour' we've seen from photographers, artificial intelligence in photo editing and loads more! 👍🏼You can find Prathi on Instagram, Thatch or her website, or if you're interested in booking Prathi for an event, check out her Instagram portfolio here Here are some links you might find useful after listening to this episode:✨ What you need to know about ethical wildlife photography✨ How to take photos of people ethically✨ 5 ways to be sure you are taking part in ethical wildlife tourism

Lizet is a train expert and enthusiast, who travels the world by cat-sitting! She prefers to think of her train journeys as train adventures, rather than a means of getting from A to B. This episode we talked about the highs and lows of life on a train, figuring out how to plan a train route, and how to find cat-sitting opportunities! 👍🏼You can find Lizet on LinkedIn, Pinterest⁠ or ⁠her blog⁠ Here are some links you might find useful after listening to this episode:✨ Lizet's train travel guides and newsletter sign up✨ The Interrail Pass review - is it worth it?

Bianca is a travel-addicted New Yorker, currently overlanding South America with her pup Zeus! This episode, we talked about the importance of supporting local communities and not contributing to gentrification when you travel, along with some fun stories about nightmare travel days and how it really is to travel with a dog in South America. 👍🏼You can find Bianca on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ or ⁠her blog Here are some links you might find useful after listening to this episode:✨ Top tips for haggling like a pro✨ 8 easy ways to make sure you're supporting locals when travelling✨ How to tip properly wherever you go - Instagram video guide All other information at: https://thattravel.co.uk/the-sustainable-travel-podcast/

Sivan is a vegan traveller, whose travel superpower is finding incredible local guest houses and homestays. In this episode, she talks us through all things local accommodation: how to find them, what to look out for and even how it is to spend a festival (celebrating dogs!) in a homestay! ✨ You can find Siva n on Instagram and Thatch Here are some links you might find useful after listening to this episode:✨ Guest House vs Hotel: what's the difference?✨ 8 easy ways to make sure you're supporting locals when travelling✨ 5 vegan travel tips you need to know about✨ Sign up to homestay.com and receive 20 EUR in credit!

Lotte is a sustainable traveller from the Netherlands, who has committed to no flights for as long as she can hold out! She’s made it to some incredible destinations from the UK, including Sweden, Ireland and Copenhagen! Here we talk about all things flight-free travel and some additional ways you can start thinking about sustainable travel (particularly focusing on Europe). *While the Sustainable Travel Podcast applauds Lotte’s commitment to flight-free travel, we recognise that this is not feasible for all travellers, particularly those outside of Europe. As such, in future episodes we will be interviewing guests who focus on other areas of sustainable travel from other areas of the world to give you inspiration in other ways! 👍🏼You can find Lotte on ⁠Instagram⁠, Thatch or ⁠her blog ⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.sustainable.travel.guide/Thatch: https://www.instagram.com/the.sustainable.travel.guide/ Blog: https://thesustainabletravelguide.com/ Here are some links you might also find useful: https://thesustainabletravelguide.com/travel-resources/ https://thattravel.co.uk/how-to-travel-sustainably/ https://thattravel.co.uk/ferry-from-holyhead-to-dublin-guide/