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The Travel Diaries

Clare Balding

Season 6

Today’s guest is a broadcasting legend. Whether it’s the Olympic Games, Paralympics, horse racing, Crufts, Wimbledon or so much more, Clare Balding has risen to national treasure status. She’s also a best-selling author, radio presenter and podcaster, in case you didn’t think she was busy enough!


Covering so many major TV events has taken Clare around the world, and then some. Her travel diaries take us from Mauritius to Costa Rica, Italy to Iona. She tells us how she once won her weight in champagne as a horse jockey; as a dog lover like me she shares her favourite dog friendly spots in the UK; we hear her take on the future of Emma Raducanu, and about the time the Queen turned up at her house for breakfast. All that coming up on The Travel Diaries.


Destination Recap:


  • Chamonix, France
  • Aspen, Colorado, USA
  • Mauritius 
  • Four Seasons Hotel, Mauritius 
  • Sydney, Australia
  • Melbourne, Australia
  • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • Australia
  • New Zealand 
  • Costa Rica
  • Hotel Punta Islita, Costa Rica
  • Cuba
  • Lewa, Kenya
  • Galana, Kenya 
  • Tofauti charity
  • Lucknam Park, Bath, England
  • Whatley Manor, Wiltshire, England 
  • Holbeck Ghyll, Lake District, England
  • Rosa Alpina, The Dolomites, Italy
  • Puglia, Italy
  • Umbria, Italy 
  • Iona, Scotland
  • Northumberland, England
  • Wigton, Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway 
  • Elephant Corridor, Sri Lanka 
  • Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Mexico
  • Baltic Sea Cruise
  • Fjord Cruise
  • Panama Canal Cruise
  • The Amazon Cruise
  • South Pacific Cruise
  • Alaska, USA


A big thanks to Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London for hosting us for our interview. Book your winter or Christmas staycation and enjoy Magical Mandarin Moments of delight from £740 per night.


To book your dream villa holiday visit The Thinking Traveller. The Thinking Traveller's collection of luxury villas across Italy, The Greek Islands, Corsica and Mallorca are some of the best properties out there for a villa holiday and come in all sizes, whether you're travelling as a couple or for a big family reunion.


Freddie’s FlowersGet your first two boxes half price, at just £12.50 each with the code TRAVEL50 at freddiesflowers.com


British Airways x Visit Florida - Book your trip with confidence at BA.com/Florida


To find out who’s joining me on next week’s episode, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. 

More episodes

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  • Alex Jones

    01:02:52
    Today, we're joined by one of the most recognisable faces of British TV, the delightful Alex Jones. Alex has been the co-presenter of The One Show, since 2010, a daily magazine show here in the UK which is broadcast every week night on BBC 1. It’s a British institution that's become a staple in many households.Hailing from Wales, Alex grew up bilingual, fluent in both English and Welsh. She tells us today about her first experience of TV, taking part as a contestant in a reality show in Magaluf - and how that led to none other than Davina McCall invigilating her final university exams. She shares her journey to the One Show sofa, which included hosting a travel show. And you could say that sparked a love of travel in her. She’s travelled all around the world with her husband and 3 children, and Alex takes us today on a journey from rural Wales, to coastal France, the rolling countryside of Italy to the ranches of Arizona. Destination Recap:Bellagio, Lake Como, Italy MallorcaPembrokeshire, Wales, UKSolva, Wales, UKNewport, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UKSorrento, Italy Capri, Italy Magaluf, Spain Arizona, USAOgmore, Wales, UKBerlin, Germany Gothenburg, Sweden Pembrokeshire, WalesIle de Re, FranceLe Marche, Italy BelgiumSonnwies, The Dolomites, Italy (Holly)JapanWith thanks to my sponsors today - Citalia - Discover the real Italy with Citalia, the UK’s leading Italian holiday specialists. Let the Italy Experts craft the perfect holiday for you and experience Italy like a Citalian.Airbnb - Visit Airbnb.com and find out more. Prospective Hosts can learn more about how much they can earn sharing their space through the What’s My Place Worth Tool.
  • Jessica Gee, The Bucket List Family - Family Travel Special

    01:03:30
    Today’s episode has a particular focus on family travel, and I’m joined today by Jessica Gee, the matriarch of one of the most well known travelling families in the world, The Bucket List Family, who I’m sure many of you follow on Youtube and social media. The Bucket List Family’s story began back in 2015 when Jess and her husband Garrett decided to sell everything and leave home with their two children, for a journey around the world together. Eight years and another son later, they've visited more than 90 countries, have grown a following of 1.5 million YouTube subscribers and 3 million Instagram followers, and continue to find ways--big and small--to add to their lifelong travel bucket list.As a family of five, they’ve swum with whales in Tonga, slept in castles in Ireland, lived on a houseboat in Amsterdam and eaten breakfast with giraffes in Kenya. Jess shares how having been raised “a traditional all-American girl” whose family favoured trips to Disneyworld over international travel, she never imagined she would end up seeing so much of the world. Now she’s partnered with National Geographic on her debut book, which provides all the know-how to fulfil your own family’s bucket list—including how-tos for picking a destination, packing, budgeting, and even surviving a 12-hour plane ride. And it’s these kind of practical questions as well as her Jess’s travel chapters, that now as a parent myself, I’m so excited to uncover today. I’ve followed Jess and the family for years now, with a mixture of admiration and envy, and it’s so interesting to hear about life on the road with three little ones. Destination RecapTongaSwallow’s Cave, TongaRwanda Rwanda Genocide Memorial Building, RwandaSoneva Fushi, MaldivesSoneva Jani, Maldives Miavana, Madagascar Dominica Rosalie Bay Eco Resort & Spa, Dominica New Zealand AntiguaBelize Alaska, USATordrillo Mountain Lodge, Alaska, USAAnchorage, Alaska, USAHomer, Alaska, USABorneo AntarcticaThe ArcticSouth GeorgiaThe Falkland Islands Hawaii, USAKona, Hawaii, USAMaui, Hawaii, USAHonolulu, Hawaii, USAKauai, Hawaii, USA Tahiti, French Polynesia Rangiroa, French Polynesia Jess’s new book, National Geographic Bucket List Family Travel: Share the World with Your Kids on 50 Adventures of a Lifetime is out now and available wherever books are sold. You can follow Jess and her family’s travels on Instagram @thebucketlistfamily With thanks to my sponsors today - Airbnb - Visit Airbnb.com and find out more. Prospective Hosts can learn more about how much they can earn sharing their space through the What’s My Place Worth Tool.Lindex - Fom their UV 50+ protection swimwear to the cutest hats and tees, Lindex is a one stop shop for chic kid's clothing.Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels - For a tropical family holiday unlike any other with endless opportunities for fun and adventure, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels are the place to stay. Book your next getaway here.
  • Anton Du Beke & Giovanni Pernice

    44:33
    Welcome to Season 11! Kicking us off in style, we’re joined by a dazzling duo who are set to waltz their way into your hearts, stars of Strictly Come Dancing, and heading into a second season of their much loved travel show Anton and Giovanni’s Adventures, it’s Anton du Beke and Giovanni Pernice. I spoke to Anton and Gio in London a couple of weeks ago, at a dance studio which was like something out of Fame - sprawling rooms filled with people singing and whooping and music blaring from every corner, so if you hear the odd vocal warmup or some echoey bits in the background, that’s why. I’ve watched Strictly since Season 1 and Anton has been a part of the show since the very beginning, a seasoned dance floor veteran, first as a contestant and now as a judge. And then Giovanni entered with a bang back in 2015, reaching the final 3 times, and then winning with EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis in 2021.With Anton being half Spanish, half Hungarian and Giovanni growing up in Sicily, travel has played an important part of both their lives, and I hope you really have a laugh with us on this one.Destination Recap:Holly:COMO Alpina Dolomites Anton & Gio’s Destination Recap:Sciacca, Sicily, ItalyTaormina, Sicily, ItalyPalermo, Sicily, Italy HungaryGalicia, SpainBilbaoSan Sebastian, SpainBenidorm, SpainBologna, Italy ThailandMaldives Pacific Highway 101, California, USACarmel, California, USASeville, Spain Ronda, SpainMadrid, SpainDoncaster, England, UKBangkok, Thailand Portofino, Italy Buenos Aires, Argentina, South AmericaNew York, USAEpisode 1 of Anton & Giovanni’s Adventures in Spain will air on BBC One and iPlayer on Mon 18th March at 9pm.With thanks to my sponsors today - Citalia - Discover the real Italy with Citalia, the UK’s leading Italian holiday specialists. Let the Italy Experts craft the perfect holiday for you and experience Italy like a Citalian.Airbnb - Visit Airbnb.com and find out more. Prospective Hosts can learn more about how much they can earn sharing their space through the What’s My Place Worth Tool.Thanks so much for listening today. If you'd like to hear more from the podcast don’t forget to hit subscribe, or if you use Apple Podcasts to press follow so that a new episode lands in your podcast app each week. If you want to be the first find out who is joining me on next week’s episode come and follow me on Instagram I’m @hollyrubenstein, and you’ll also find me on Threads and TikTok - I’d love to hear from you. And if you can't wait until then remember there’s the first ten seasons to catch up on, that's over 110 + episodes to keep you busy there. Don't forget that all the destinations mentioned by my guests are included in the episode show notes here on your podcast app, and listed on my website, thetraveldiariespodcast.comSee you next Tuesday!
  • Fantastic Florida with Jimmy Doherty - Destination Special

    51:23
    Today we are embarking on a sun-soaked journey to the Sunshine State - Fantastic Florida. From the magical world of theme parks in Orlando to the laid-back vibes of the Florida Keys, we’ll be chatting about some of the State’s best known spots as well as uncovering its hidden gems that may not yet be on your radar. For example, did you know that Florida is a foodie’s paradise? My first guest today knows a bit about that. Jimmy Doherty is a TV presenter and one of the UK’s best known farmers. His journey started over 20 years ago when he took on a leasehold of a 100-acre farm which was followed in a BBC series called Jimmy’s Farm. You’ll have seen him on loads of shows including Escape to the Wild, Food Unwrapped, as well as co-hosting Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast with his friend, Jamie Oliver. Jimmy recently returned from a three week shoot travelling all around Florida for his new ITV show, Jimmy’s Taste of Florida, and I can’t wait for you to hear his Floridian travel diaries. Then, we’ll be joined by Florida resident and Florida travel expert and writer, Simon Veness, who’ll be sharing all his hidden gems, travel tips, and recommendations for your next trip to Florida.Destination Recap: Jimmy DohertyUniversal Studios, OrlandoUnion Public House, Pensacola Dat Cajun Place, Panama City Beach Third Wave, New Smyrna Beach The CURRENT Hotel, TampaWaterline Marina Resort & Beach Club, Anna Maria Island, Gulf CoastThe Florida Aquarium, TampaLittle Havana, Miami The Ball and Chain Restaurant, Little Havana, Miami Columbia Restaurant, TampaBusch Gardens, Tampa BaySand Bar, Anna Maria Island The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, BradentonPeebles BBQ, Polk County, Central FloridaWestgate River Ranch, Lake Wales, Central FloridaEverglades National Park, Miami Simon VenessCapa, Four Seasons, OrlandoGulf CoastOverseas Highway, Florida Keys Casa Morada, Isla MoradaKey LargoFlagler BeachSt AugustineEvermore Orlando Resort, Orlando Resort Collection, IslamoradaSt Regis, Longboat Key Epic Universe, Universal Orlando Indian River Lagoon, Atlantic Coast Manatee swimming, Crystal River, Gulf Coast Deep Sea Fishing, Florida KeysFlorida PanhandleAmelia Island, Nassau County Gulfport, St Petersburg Don’t miss Jimmy’s Taste of Florida on ITV. For more Florida travel inpso, head to Instagram @hollyrubenstein and visitflorida.com 
  • Sir Michael Palin - From the archives

    59:20
    Sir Michael Palin - where do you start! He’s a legendary comedian, part of pop culture history as one of Monty Python. He’s a BAFTA-winning actor, a best-selling author, and one of our most loved travel documentarians and travel writers. His journeys across the world, beginning with Around the World in 80 Days, followed by Pole to Pole, Full Circle, Sahara, Himalaya, Brazil and more, were a key part of how many of us discovered the world growing up, through his eyes, and through his warmth and curiosity with whoever he encountered along the way. From Saharan Africa and the Amazon, to western Scotland and North Korea, it was such an honour to hear the travel diaries of Sir Michael Palin. I hope you enjoy them.Destination recap:Sheffield, EnglandNorfolk, EnglandSolden, Austria Venice, ItalyBarbadosMoroccoMauritaniaChinguetti, MaliPersian gulf to Indian Ocean dhow boat tripWest coast of Scotland including GlencoeAberfeldy, ScotlandNew York, USAIstanbul, TurkeyKolkata, India Pongo de Mainique, PeruNorth KoreaAlgiersVietnamGulag camps, Kolyma, RussiaMongolia and the 'StansAltai MountainsWalking in the Dolomites, ItalyWith thanks to #mindbodysoul at worlddutyfree.com @worlddutyfreeuk for their support of today's episode.  Thank you so much for listening. If you haven’t yet left a rating or a review, why not do so now? Your support is so greatly appreciated and most importantly, helps others to discover the podcast. Hit subscribe and every week a new episode will appear in your library.To find out who’s on next week’s show, come and find me on Instagram. I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything else podcast-related.This episode was produced by Holly Rubenstein.
  • Monica Galetti

    43:30
    You might know today’s guest as the formidable judge on "MasterChef: The Professionals,”; or maybe you've followed her globetrotting escapades on the BBC’s "Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby”. Perhaps you’ve even been lucky enough to eat in her London restaurant, Mere. She’s one of the best-known and highly renowned female chefs in the UK, it is of course, Monica Galetti. This season has been such a treat because I’ve managed to interview so many names who I dreamed of talking to when I started the podcast, and Monica was one of those, for so many reasons. I was desperate to ask her about what her childhood was like growing up on a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. And then what life was like when she moved as a child to New Zealand, where suddenly it’s cold and it’s another language that she didn’t speak. I was excited to ask her where her love of food began and how that led her to London to work alongside Michel Roux Jr - a former guest on the podcast of course - at his legendary Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Gavroche. The intense kitchen there became the crucible where Monica honed her skills, eventually rising to become the restaurant's first female sous chef. Her experience there would eventually serve as the foundation to the opening of Mere, her restaurant in Fitzrovia, London. After a few technical issues, I was so pleased Monica was able to squeeze this interview into her busy schedule. She’d just got off a plane, and got home, so this was recorded remotely last week. So from Samoa to Sri Lanka, Ireland to Italy and much more, let’s get started. Destination Recap:SamoaNew ZealandVanuatu Sri LankaItalyAshford Castle, Ireland Borgo Egnazia, Puglia, ItalyThe Brando, French Polynesia Ceylon Tea Trails, Sri LankaJOALI, MaldivesCroatiaJ Sheekey Restaurant, LondonSabor Restaurant, LondonScotlandJapanA big thank you to Monica Galetti, do check out her restaurant Mere for a taste of what we’ve been talking about today. And thank you to the magnificent JOALI and JOALI BEING resort in the Maldives, one of Monica’s Amazing Hotels, who helped to make the interview happen. This episode was recorded at Cliveden House.And so that is a wrap for Season 10. Thank you again for tuning in. I hope you are all gearing up for a lovely festive. I put together a little travel diaries Christmas gift guide on my Instagram @hollyrubenstein so do check that out. I will back next week with a bonus episode from the archives, and I’ll be back with a whole new season in the Spring. So who would like to hear from? Who are your dream guests? You know I always try to make it happen if you ask, so remember you can get in touch with me on Instagram, I’m also on threads, TikTok - maybe my new years resolution will be to use those a bit more, but certainly i’m always happy to chat on Instagram, and remember all the destinations mentioned by my guests are included in the episode show notes, and on my website, thetraveldiariespodcast.com Lots of love everyone, Happy holidays, and i’ll speak to you soon. 
  • Sophie Morgan, Disability Advocate & Presenter

    56:31
    Sophie Morgan is a TV presenter, Conde Nast Traveller columnist and disability advocate. When she was 18, on the night she received her A level results, Sophie crashed her car, and was left instantly paralysed from the chest down. Everything she had dreamed for her life was instantly forgotten and her journey to rediscover herself and build a different life began. “I want to go to some extraordinary places, meet some extraordinary people and do some extraordinary things", she wrote from her hospital bed the day she was discharged. But as a recently injured paraplegic woman, she would go on to face barriers as complex and nuanced as her impairment itself. In her words: “When it comes to travel, total satisfaction can be hard – if not impossible – for disabled people to find.” Sophie first appeared in BBC Two’s show Beyond Boundaries which followed 11 disabled people on a 220-mile trek across Nicaragua, alongside another previous podcast guest, Amar Latif. After that, her career on TV grew, and she became one of the first female wheelchair users globally to host on TV, playing a part in transforming the representation of disability on screen, as the lead presenter on Channel 4's broadcast of the Summer Paralympics, fronting her own prime-time travel series, documentaries as well as being a regular panelist for ITV's Loose Women. She’s currently spearheading the global disability rights campaign Rights On Flights which has taken her to the White House to meet the President, and we talk a lot on today’s episode about accessible travel and ableism - it’s an issue that has been hugely overlooked in the travel sphere for too long, and hearing Sophie’s experiences as a wheelchair user, on planes in particular, but within travel more broadly, really opened my eyes to the significant change that needs to take place to make travel accessible for everyone. Having said that, Sophie has been travelling literally non-stop for the last year, I mention it at the start of the episode all the places and adventures that she’s been on recently, so not only will today’s episode open your eyes to things you may not have thought of before - it will also fuel your wanderlust for your own future adventures. Destination Recap:The Whitehouse, Washington DC, USAFrench AlpsBiking trip across the USAWyoming, USAIdaho, USACotignac, FranceScotlandCaliforniaXimuwu, Greater Kruger, South Africa Seville, SpainNicaraguaAntarcticYou can read Sophie’s Conde Nast Traveller column 'Beyond Barriers’ in magazines and online now.
  • Kenton Cool, Mountaineer & Adventurer

    56:47
    Today, we're diving into the awe-inspiring world of high-altitude adventure. Our subject is a man whose name is synonymous with daring expeditions and summit triumphs, the legendary climber and adventurer, Kenton Cool.With 17 successful ascents of the mighty Mount Everest to his name, along with many other mountain peaks around the globe, including the ‘seven summits’ – the highest mountains on each of the seven traditional continents, Kenton is not just 'cool' by name, but by nature.You’ll have heard him mentioned on previous podcast episodes - with Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Ben Fogle - Kenton has accompanied them on some of their most challenging ascents. Ben Fogle, Summited Everest with Kenton, and he led Sir Ranulph Fiennes up the North Face of the Eiger and to the summit of Mount Everest, too.Kenton's adventure-filled life began in the UK, but he quickly found his heart in the Himalayas. He brings to life some of his most incredible adventures, and the valuable lessons he learnt along the way. Destination Recap:AlaskaHubbard Glacier, AlaskaSkagway, AlaskaWest Wales, Cardiganshire and Pembrokeshire The Presili Hills, Pembrokeshire PakistanMt EverestNepalPeshawar, Pakistan BhutanColorado, USACape Town, South Africa European Alps in Summer Megeve, Switzerland South Africa Antarctic Peninsula North side of Everest Darjeeling, India Tibetan Plateau You can find out more about their performance initiatives here: www.incoolcompany.comThanks so much for listening today. If you'd like to hear more from the podcast don’t forget to hit subscribe, or if you use Apple Podcasts to press follow so that a new episode lands in your podcast app each week. If you want to be the first find out who is joining me on next season come and follow me on Instagram I’m @hollyrubenstein, and you’ll also find me on Threads and TikTok, also @hollyrubenstein - I’d love to hear from you. And if you can't want until then remember there’s the first nine seasons to catch up on, that's over 100 episodes to keep you busy there. Don't forget that all the destinations mentioned by my guests are included in the episode show notes here on your podcast app, and listed on my website, thetraveldiariespodcast.com
  • Greater Palm Springs Perfection - Bonus Episode

    40:58
    Hello and welcome to this bonus Destination Special of The Travel Diaries. Yes, I am back for a second time this week, as we continue to celebrate California and all it has to offer, today bringing to life one of my personal favourite spots, Greater Palm Springs. I was there in 2019 as part of a much bigger US road trip, which took me through all of California, and it’s one of the places I think about most when I’m daydreaming about far off lands. It’s nestled in the heart of California's Coachella Valley, a couple of hours drive from LA, and it’s a desert oasis that's been capturing the hearts of travellers for generations. It’s where 1950s celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley spent their weekends, played golf at championship courses, and wined and dined the desert night away. With that Rat Pack spirit still lingering in the air, it has a unique allure that draws you in from the moment you arrive. Picture an elegant city framed by the towering San Jacinto Mountains and lined with impossibly tall swaying palm trees. A nexus of natural beauty, wellness, and culture, a living canvas of perfectly preserved mid-century modern architecture, offering such an intoxicating blend of nostalgia and sophistication.I’m joined today by Steven Biller, he’s a Palm Springs legend, having edited Palm Springs Life Magazine for over 20 years, and we uncover his Palm Springs travel diaries, his all time favourites, his hidden gems, and top recommendations as someone who knows it so well. From its food and art scenes to its wild outdoors and hiking trails, there is so much to experience in Greater Palm Springs. I really hope you enjoy getting a flavour of it now. Destination Recap: Palm Springs aerial tramwayCoachella ValleyThe Indian CanyonsAgua Caliente Cultural PlazaPalm Canyon TrailKorakia Pensione L’Horizon Hotel Joshua Tree National ParkJoshua Tree rock climbing school Barker Dam trail, Joshua Tree National ParkRyan Mountain, Joshua Tree National ParkJohannes restaurant Sol y Sombra restaurant, Paloma Resort Cabot’s Pueblo MuseumBox Canyon, MeccaMojave DesertKelso Dunes Well, I hope that has given you a flavour of what a fantastic destination Greater Palm Springs is. Thank you to Stephen Biller for joining me. You can find out more about Palm Springs at palmspringslife.com , in your favourite travel guides and magazines, and of course always on the tourist board website too, in this case it is visitgreaterpalmsprings.com