Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast

Hear about travel to Nova Scotia, Canada, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Elisabeth Frost from Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist about exploring her home province. Elisabeth lives in Wolfville, in the heart of the Annapolis Valley, and shares an itinerary that combines maritime history, dramatic tides, coastal villages, vineyards, hiking, and beaches.

Nova Scotia offers an unusual amount of variety in a relatively compact region. Visitors can explore a lively capital city, walk on the ocean floor at low tide, visit historic fishing communities, sample local seafood, and discover quiet beaches, all without traveling enormous distances.

For first-time visitors, Elisabeth recommends three bases: Halifax, Wolfville in the Annapolis Valley, and Nova Scotia's South Shore. Rather than trying to see the entire province in a week, she encourages travelers to spend two or three nights in each area and adjust their activities around the weather and the Bay of Fundy's extraordinary tides.

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

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https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-nova-scotia-2/
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Hear about travel to Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe as the Amateur Traveler podcast talks to returning guest Rebecca Merrell about exploring two lesser-visited countries in Central Africa. From tracking hundreds of mandrills through the rainforest and searching for western lowland gorillas to snorkeling off volcanic islands and tasting locally produced chocolate, Rebecca shares an adventure that combines wildlife conservation, remote national parks, tropical beaches, and Portuguese colonial history.

Rebecca spent approximately two and a half weeks exploring the region, including nine days in Gabon and seven nights in São Tomé and Príncipe. She recommends Gabon for its extraordinary wildlife and largely untouched rainforests, while São Tomé and Príncipe offer a more relaxed mix of beaches, chocolate plantations, diving, and ecotourism.

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

...

https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-gabon-and-sao-tome-and-principe/
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Hear about travel to coastal Peru as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jorge Salas of New Paths Expeditions about the archaeology, wildlife, food, and living cultures of Peru beyond Machu Picchu.

Jorge argues that Peru’s Pacific coast deserves far more attention from travelers. This dry coastal desert preserves thousands of years of history, including adobe pyramids, elaborate tombs, ancient textiles, and the remains of civilizations that flourished long before the Incas.

The trip begins in Lima, where Jorge recommends arriving, spending the night near the airport, and heading south the next morning. The drive follows the Pacific through a desert broken by narrow, fertile river valleys.

Check out the Smart Travel Podcast:

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

...

https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-coastal-peru/
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Hear about a trip to Normandy and Nouvelle-Aquitaine in France as Chris Christensen from Amateur Traveler recounts his journey through two fascinating regions during the inaugural France-USA Media Forum in 2026, organized by Atout France.

This bonus episode features two half-week itineraries rather than the usual one-week itinerary. Chris explored Normandy before traveling south to Bordeaux, the Dordogne, and Cognac. He recommends spending a full week in either region rather than trying to combine both into one trip.

Along the way, he explores the legacy of William the Conqueror, the Allied invasion of Normandy, medieval castles, prehistoric cave paintings, Bordeaux's wine culture, and the centuries-old tradition of cognac production.

Check out the Smart Travel Podcast:

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

...

https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-normandy-and-nouvelle-aquitaine/
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Andrew Brodsky of WanderWolf joins us to talk about traveling in southern Algeria, including Algiers, the Roman ruins at Tipasa, Djanet, and a multi-day trek through Tassili n’Ajjer National Park to the ancient rock art of Sifar.

Southern Algeria offers a very different Sahara experience from the classic image of endless sand dunes. Tassili n’Ajjer has dramatic sandstone formations, narrow canyons, black lava fields, ancient cypress trees, and thousands of prehistoric paintings and carvings documenting thousands of years of human life in a landscape that was once much wetter.

Andrew’s trip combined a few days in and around Algiers with a five-day, four-night trekking trip through Tassili n’Ajjer.

Check out the Smart Travel Podcast:

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

...

https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-southern-algeria/
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