Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast

Hear about travel to the Alentejo Region as the Amateur Traveler talks to travel blogger and adviser Julie Fox from JulieDawnFox.com about this overlooked but spectacular region of Portugal.

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 go to the Alentejo?

Julie says, "There's plenty to see and do in the Alentejo. So yeah, it's a great place if you're into slow travel, small towns, and the countryside. It is quite varied, and you've got natural parks with mountain ranges. You've got turquoise waters and pale sand in places just south of Lisbon."

Itinerary

Julie’s recommended one-week Alentejo itinerary is a round trip from Lisbon by car, with the first four nights based in Évora and the last two nights in Monsaraz, then a return to Lisbon via Setúbal and Azeitão.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-the-alentejo-region-of-portugal/
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Hear about travel to East Java in Indonesia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Kiara Kolaczyk from Kultura Travel about this less-traveled region where she once lived.

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.

Kiara’s recommended East Java itinerary starts with the better-known sights, then shifts into a more Malang-centered, off-the-beaten-path route. She opens with Mount Bromo as the big classic excursion, especially as a sunrise trip, then mentions Borobudur and Prambanan as the other major temple stops, though she notes those are more of a Central Java add-on than part of her core East Java route.

After that, her main recommendation is to base yourself around Malang and explore cultural sites there instead of just doing the standard Bali-to-Bromo run.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-east-java-indonesia/
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Hear about travel to Southeastern China as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane from JontyTravels.com about his first trip to China, to a less-visited region.

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 Southeastern China?

Jonty says, "China is a unique country, with a fascinating history, and interesting sights, and these three areas discussed have seemingly almost no Western visitors despite only being half a day's travel from Hong Kong."

Jonty visited over the New Year 2025 from Hong Kong. Visiting China isn't quite as simple as visiting other countries. We cover what you need to know in this episode. 

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-southeastern-china/
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Hear about a road trip through Central America as the Amateur Traveler talks about traveling overland through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala in search of volcanoes, tropical birds, colonial cities, crater lakes, Mayan ruins, and a few new countries added to his map.

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 Central America?

This multi-country journey combines some of the region’s best experiences into one trip: cloud forests in Costa Rica, volcanic landscapes in Nicaragua, changing fortunes in El Salvador, the Mayan ruins of Copán in Honduras, and the lakeside villages and colonial cities of Guatemala. Along the way, Chris finds colorful markets, Scarlet Macaws, crater lakes, beautiful colonial architecture, and more volcanoes than he expected.

In this episode.

Chris shares stories from a 15-day small-group trip that began in San José, Costa Rica, and ended in Antigua, Guatemala. The trip was designed to pick up three new countries for him: Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador, while also revisiting Costa Rica and Guatemala.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/central-america-road-trip/

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Hear about visiting the hidden gems of London, England, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane from Jonty Travels about this city he once called home.

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 visit London?

London is one of the world's great cities, and it can easily fill a week, if not two, exploring the city. Everyone has heard of Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower of London, Tate Modern, Changing of the Guard, British Museum, and the London Eye, but there are so many more sights that are arguably as interesting and less busy.

Jonty lived in the UK for the first 29 years of his life, worked in London for 5 years, and visited London almost every year for 15 years after moving to New Zealand.

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https://amateurtraveler.com/hidden-gems-of-london/
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