Zero To Travel Podcast : National Geographic Type Adventures, Lifestyle Design Like Tim Ferriss Plus Inspiration Like Ted

What if one of Africa's most diverse and rewarding destinations has been hiding in plain sight — and most travelers only ever see a fraction of what it has to offer?  Lynett Nakamanya is a tourism professional and Kampala native who has worked across the East African travel industry for over a decade. She holds a master's degree in management science with a focus on project monitoring and evaluation in tourism, and is affiliated with the Uganda Tourism Board. She also runs her own trip-planning platform focused on sustainable and meaningful experiences across the region.  In this episode, Lynett shares her list of Uganda hidden gems and travel recommendations, the state of tourism in Uganda today, and the real impact that responsible travel can have on local communities.  Lynett brings a perspective that's hard to find — someone who grew up in Uganda, has spent her career inside the tourism industry there, and thinks seriously about what travel can and should do for local communities. She makes a compellin

What if the travel mindset you bring to far-off places is exactly what's needed right where you live?  Alastair Humphreys is a British adventurer, bestselling author, and speaker named National Geographic Adventurer of the Year. He spent four years cycling 46,000 miles around the world and has since canoed 500 miles down the Yukon River, rowed across the Atlantic, walked the length of India's Kaveri River, and crossed Iceland on foot and pack raft. In recent years he has become one of the most well-known advocates for microadventures and local exploration, and his newest book is Unwilded: Finding Our Way Back to Nature.  Alastair joins me to unpack the ideas in his book, including why our growing disconnection from nature matters personally and planetarily, and how a travel mindset and nature connection can be tools for changing both.  Alastair has made this case before on the show, but Unwilded takes it somewhere new. This isn't just a conversation about microadventures or getting outside more. It's about

Molly McDonald is a London-based YouTube producer and founder of Blue Door Productions, a YouTube-first content agency that brings broadcast-level production to digital storytelling. She studied journalism at Boston University and later earned a master's in Irish studies from NYU before building her career in television production in New York City. Her client list includes Red Bull, BBC, and National Geographic, and her films have accumulated over 200 million views on YouTube.  This episode covers Molly's journey from Irish-American New Yorker to YouTube travel documentary producer, including her work on some of the most extreme human endurance expeditions ever filmed and what she learned along the way.  Travel has a funny way of dismantling the stories we tell ourselves about the world, and Molly McDonald has lived that firsthand, from the pubs her family built in Manhattan to the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan. She grew up straddling two cultures, and that dual identity turns out to be the exact foundation

This week, I'm sharing a bonus episode from a brand new podcast called Y We Travel, co-hosted by my friend Eric Weiner, who has joined me on the show a few times over the years. Eric is a New York Times bestselling author and former foreign correspondent, and his co-host Erica Vella is an award-winning podcaster and former broadcast journalist.  There's no shortage of travel advice out there — who can save us a buck, what to do, when's the best time to go, where to go. But one fundamental question often gets left behind: why?  Born from an award-winning magazine series of the same name, Y We Travel explores the deeper motivations behind our journeys. The show unpacks the emotions, discoveries, and purpose that give travel its meaning.  In this episode, Eric and Erica discuss the origins of the series and their own motivations for travelling. Eric interviews author and Y We Travel essayist Pico Iyer, trading travel anecdotes from Japan to California to North Korea and discussing themes from Pico's piece in

Matt Gray is the founder and CEO of Pangea, a free social travel app built to help people coordinate travel plans, share recommendations, and connect with their network around the world. After a decade in product development and corporate M&A at a global fintech company, he left the corporate world in 2023 to become a full-time digital nomad and build Pangea full-time. He is on a personal mission to visit every country in the world. In this episode, we get into seven travel tech trends shaping how people plan, book, and experience travel, including why most travel apps fail, the rise of social travel, and what AI can and can't do for travelers right now. We also dig into destination recommendations, advice for running a remote business on the road, and what it means to bridge the nomad bubble. These are genuinely fascinating times to be a traveler and a builder in the travel space, and Matt sits at the center of both worlds. He's thinking seriously about why travel tech has such a high failure rate, and wha

What would it mean to stop measuring your life by the conventional yardstick and start building one that actually fits?  Blake Boles is a writer, experiential educator, and the founder of Unschool Adventures, a travel company for self-directed teenagers, which he has run since 2008. He is the author of several books on alternative education and self-directed learning, and his newest book, Dirtbag Rich: High Freedom, Low Income, Deep Purpose, was released in March 2026.   In this episode, Blake and I get into the philosophy behind "dirtbag rich" living, including what it really means to pursue a high-freedom, low-income lifestyle while still navigating the demands of modern capitalism. We also dig into the practical side of how to make a non-traditional financial model actually work, and talk about purpose, downward mobility, unschooling, outdoor adventure, and so much more.  If you've ever wondered whether there's a middle path between grinding toward a distant retirement and going full dirtbag with no fin

Ever considered traveling to or working from Uruguay?  Lucia Krygier is a Uruguayan entrepreneur and innovation consultant based in Montevideo. In early 2025, she spent two months working remotely from Cape Town, South Africa, an experience she describes as a turning point in her life. That trip led her to found Work From Uruguay, a community-driven workation program bringing together remote workers, digital nomads, and entrepreneurs to co-live and co-work in Uruguay.  In this episode, Lucia shares her journey from first-time remote worker to budding business owner, and makes a strong case for why Uruguay deserves a spot on your radar.  There is something worth sitting with in this conversation about what happens when you stop waiting for the right moment and just go. Lucia's path touches on trusting yourself through uncertainty, building a life around how you actually want to live, and what travel to Uruguay's hidden gems can unlock when you give a place more than a few days.   If you had the chance to s

What do you do when the adventure ends?  Tom Turcich is a motivational speaker, author, and the tenth person in history to walk around the world. Over seven years, he and his dog, Savannah, covered 28,000 miles across 38 countries and six continents, completing the journey in 2022. He is the author of the memoir The World Walk and the children's book Savannah's World of Adventure.  In this episode, Tom shares what returning home after long-term travel actually looks like, from the mental and emotional toll of losing the road, to the financial catch-up game, to the harder question of who you are once the adventure is over.  If you've ever come back from a trip and felt a strange kind of grief you couldn't quite name, this one is for you. Tom is remarkably open about the difficulty of that first year back, and the conversation gets into territory that doesn't often get talked about after a big journey ends. There's real honesty here about what it takes to find your footing again, how to rebuild adventure int

What does it actually take to give yourself permission to live unconventionally, and what's really standing in the way?  I had the opportunity to be a guest on the My Most Authentic Life podcast with Fede Vargas, a conversation we recorded live on the rooftop at Podcast Movement Evolutions during South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. Fede interviewed me about the themes that run through this show, including unconventional paths, pivots, lifestyle design, and what it means to choose differently.  This conversation pulls out some of my most honest thinking on what it means to give yourself permission to live unconventionally. We talk openly about my decade as a nomad with no fixed home, the internal and external forces that push back against unconventional choices, and how imposter syndrome never goes away but can be trained around. There's a lot here that I think will resonate if you've ever felt the pull of a different path but weren't sure you were allowed to take it.  Tune In To Learn:  Why giving yo

What would it take for you to actually turn travel into a lifestyle, not just a vacation?  Nick Wharton and Dariece Swift are the Canadian couple behind Goats On The Road, one of the longest-running travel and lifestyle blogs online. Since leaving Canada in 2008, they have lived and traveled full-time across Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Caribbean, funding their adventures through teaching English abroad, house sitting, freelance writing, and eventually building a successful travel blog and suite of online courses.  In this episode, Nick and Dariece share the real, unfiltered story of how two regular people from a small town in Canada traded their office jobs and oil rig shifts for a decade of long-term travel, and how they've figured out how to keep it going.  This episode covers what it really takes to make travel a long-term lifestyle, from the mindset shifts that keep you going to the practical ways people actually fund life on the road. Nick and Dariece have been doing this

Oslo doesn't hit you the way other European capitals do. There's no single monument everyone leaves talking about, and yet people consistently walk away from this city with a feeling they can't quite explain.  Curtis Rojak is an American expat who has lived in Europe for over 25 years and holds dual Norwegian-American citizenship. He is the founder of Viking Biking, Oslo's premier guided bike and hiking tour company, and has led more than 3,000 tours through Oslo on foot and by bike.   This episode is a local's guide to Oslo, recorded in my living room with Curtis. We cover seven hidden gems in the city, from a haunting mausoleum most tourists never find to a private island cabin you can rent for a night on the Oslo Fjord.  This episode covers what makes a place feel like home versus just a place you've visited, what it takes to genuinely know a city at a local level, and how to discover the experiences that don't make it into guidebooks. You'll also hear honest conversation about building a life abroad lo

From destinations that challenge your assumptions to the routines and mindsets that make this lifestyle actually sustainable, join Caitlin and Janessa as they unpack what's been on their minds this month.  Remote Roundup is a monthly series hosted by Zero To Travel's associate producer, Caitlin Sunderland, and partnerships manager, Janessa Klatt. Explore what's new in remote work and travel, including helpful tools and resources, need-to-know trends, destinations, and insight into what it really means to live and work around the world.  In this episode, Janessa reports back from a solo trip to a destination most travelers hesitate to visit alone, Caitlin shares a surprisingly simple tool for building calm and consistency into nomadic life, and both take a hard look at a habit nearly every long-term traveler has that might be doing more harm than good. There are also a few remote work stories from the community that prove people will go to remarkable lengths to keep living life on their own terms.  Have you

What if the part of Brazil most worth exploring is the one almost nobody talks about?  Eddie Lott is a Dallas-born expedition leader who has spent nearly two decades studying Brazilian history, geography, and culture. He rediscovered the Serra do Espinhaco in 2018 and has been documenting its trails and communities ever since. Elisa Oliveira is a Brazilian architect turned expedition coordinator who left behind her career and her previous life after a single weekend in the Espinhaco in 2019.   Together, they co-founded Gift of Go, a company that builds and leads founder-guided expeditions through one of Brazil's most layered and least-visited mountain ranges, and they are also husband and wife.  In this episode, co-host Paige McClanahan talks with Eddie and Elisa about how Gift of Go came to be, what their expeditions actually look like, and what travelers need to know before heading to this part of Brazil.  This is a rewarding listen for anyone drawn to real adventure travel in Brazil off the beaten path

What if one small act of kindness could completely change someone’s life trajectory?  Bryan Driscoll is an entrepreneur, real estate investor, and the author of The Goodness Game. He built a multimillion-dollar real estate portfolio while running a marketing company, and he’s now focused on helping people create positive ripple effects through simple acts of kindness.  In this episode, Bryan shares the story that inspired his kindness philosophy and breaks down his five-rule framework for making the world better in a practical, sustainable way.  This episode offers a simple, practical way to approach kindness without overthinking it, something you can use at home or take with you on the road. Bryan breaks down how small, intentional actions can create meaningful impact, and why connection is often more valuable than money. It’s a grounded guide to taking action in a way that feels honest, natural, and aligned with your strengths, while also having a little fun.  What’s one small act of kindness you could

What does it actually take to travel well with a partner, and what are the hidden layers of that experience when you're also navigating the world as a queer couple?  Gabi and Shanna Meit-Sciara are a Brooklyn-based couple and the creators of 27 Travels, a platform launched in 2016 to document their adventures while building more visibility and resources for LGBTQIA+ travelers. Gabi is a photographer and graphic designer; Shanna is a videographer and video editor. Together, they've visited 40+ countries and built a full-time creative business rooted in their relationship and their shared love of the world.  In this episode, co-host Dianni Hall sits down with Gabi and Shanna to talk about what it really looks like to build a relationship through travel, how their partnership has been tested and strengthened on the road over ten years, and what the experience of traveling as a queer couple actually involves beyond what most people see.  This conversation is for anyone who's ever taken a trip with someone they

What if the key to planning your dream trip isn't choosing the right destination, but first figuring out what you actually need right now in your life?  Kelly Tolliday is the founder of Transform With Travel, a professional travel advisor and wellness travel expert with over a decade of industry experience, a retreat facilitator and 500-hour registered yoga teacher, and a podcast host. She has traveled to more than 45 countries and lived across four continents, including extended time in Australia, Thailand, and Costa Rica.  In this episode, Kelly walks through the step-by-step system she uses to plan bucket list trips and how anyone can apply the same framework to start planning their own dream trip today.  Kelly reframes the entire planning process in a way that most of us haven't considered, and it changes not just where you end up going, but how you show up when you get there. She also makes a strong case for why the best travel experiences often come from letting go, even when every instinct is tellin

What would you do if your bus driver bought six Coca-Colas at the border, cost you your exit stamp, and forced you to sleep outside in malaria country between two countries?  Co-hosts Gunnar Garfors and Jacqui Kunz are back to share part two of their overland travel adventure through West Africa, covering the final stretch of their seven-country journey through Sierra Leone, Liberia, and the Ivory Coast.  If you've ever been curious about what it actually takes to travel overland through West Africa, this episode gives you the unfiltered picture. You'll walk away with concrete tips on visa strategy, border navigation, shared transport logistics, and honest guidance on when to push through and when to bail and book a flight. Beyond the tactics, Gunnar and Jacqui model what it actually means to travel slowly and patiently through challenging terrain, staying flexible when things go sideways. If you're considering overland travel in West Africa or anywhere similarly complex, this episode cuts through the roman

What if the secret to a truly meaningful travel experience starts not when you land, but long before you ever pack a bag?  Dr. Kristina Wachter is an award-winning professor, bestselling author, and CEO of Cross-Culture Connections. With over 25 years of experience in cross-cultural communication and education, she developed the Culture SPIN Method, a four-step framework trusted in 54 countries to help individuals and organizations turn cultural differences into genuine human connection.   In this episode, Dr. Wachter walks us through her Culture SPIN Method and how it applies directly to travelers who want richer, more meaningful experiences on the road. She uses real-world business stories, her own travel mishaps, and a live case study with Jason to bring the whole thing to life.  If you've ever shown up somewhere and felt like you were missing something, like you were skimming the surface of a place rather than really getting into it, this conversation is for you.   Dr. Wachter breaks down the cross-cu

What are you really looking for when you travel?  Sarika Bansal is a travel writer, editor, and former editorial director of Afar magazine. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, and Vice, and she focuses on ethical storytelling, global perspectives, and the deeper impact of travel. She currently lives in Nairobi, Kenya, with her family.  In this episode, Co-host Paige McClanahan talks with Sarika Bansal about how travel shapes us, from living in Kenya to trekking in the Everest region, and how those experiences influence the way we think about travel itself.  This conversation explores what happens when we shift from collecting places to truly engaging with them, and how that shift can completely change the way we experience travel. Sarika shares stories from her own journey, from trekking in the Everest region to building a life in Kenya, and reflects on how stepping outside your comfort zone can reshape your worldview in unexpected ways. We also get into the idea of country counting,

If you need some inspiration to make those travel dreams a reality, look no further! We're resharing some of our Transition to Travel episodes this month to help kickstart your plans in 2026. In this series, we interview a guest both before and after their travels (or during if it's long-term), so we can see how it all panned out and how travel has changed them. Sofia and Teague are a couple who left behind demanding careers, including law and personal training, to travel the world for a year. This conversation gives you a full arc of a transition to travel story, from fear and uncertainty to growth, burnout, perspective shifts, and ultimately redefining what “home” and “work” mean. You’ll hear how they saved money quickly, traveled on a budget, worked abroad, navigated relationship dynamics, and what surprised them most along the way. What part of your life might be ready for a transition, even if you don’t know exactly what comes next? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you'll share by sending me