Our Man In Iran – Andrew Burke

Our Man In Iran – Andrew Burke

Andrew Burke has worked on Lonely Planet guides to Senegal and Gambia, South Africa and many Asian destinations including Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea and Thailand. He’s also been a journalist  for the FT, South China Morning Post and Australian Financial Review.  In this episode we focus on his numerous trips to Iran, a country he believes redefines traditions of hospitality. Expect tales of private parties in North Tehran, desert weddings, dealing with the Revolutionary Guard and the kindness of strangers.    (05:25) First Impressions, Tehran (13:12) a desert homestay (17:33) Iranian hospitality, and a wedding (30:46) sights including Yazd (34:48) cuisine and pre-Islamic culture (40:45) North Tehran (43:53) arrested by the Revolutionary Guards

Mark Elliot (1) the Asia Overlander

Author Mark Elliot needs little introduction in Lonely Planet circles. Always prepared to go the extra mile, his dedication has resulted in seven KGB arrests (and counting). He’s crossed Lake Baikal by truck, dropped his trousers at a travel expo talk to make a point (to wide acclaim) and pioneered ‘Treasure Maps’ while writing Asia Overland, recognised as one of the greatest guidebooks ever written.    (01:10) Iran in the 1980s (08:00) researching Asia Overland (12:12) Azeribaijan (15:00) the trouser-drop tale (21:35) KGB and Siberia (25:33) Lake Baikal (29:12) in Russia, smiling is insane (31.00) Indonesia, the Spice Islands at war

Celeste Brash

Celeste Brash has had an extraordinary life and writing career. She's worked on 100 or so titles for Lonely Planet, covering destinations including French Polynesia, Southeast Asia , Central and South America, Mexico and the USA, usually travelling solo. Her research trips have included negotiating the jungles and mangroves of the Mosquito Coast, hiking through tribal villages in the Luzon highlands and a testing trip to Pitcairn island. Hold tight for some astonishing tales: a gunfight in Tegucigalpa, dodging hairy buffalo meat in Philippines and searching for Splash and Throb in Pattaya. (02:55) Lonely Planet beginnings (07:43) researching Sulawesi, Indonesia (16:35) Thailand tales, Phuket rewrites, Pattaya (20:53) Luzon, Philippines (26:19) Pitcairn Island (32:55) Honduras: guns , drugs 'n' bugs (41:45) Gender and travel (49:35) Guyana gig (55:35) National Geographic and pearl farming https://www.instagram.com/cjbrash https://www.instagram.com/kamokapearl

Nick Ray - Lonely Planet 'ledge

Nick Ray is a genuine LP  'ledge of over 20 years standing. He talks about life in Cambodia, dodging bullets on the border, researching Rwanda, working on Top Gear Vietnam with Jeremy Clarkson and other tall tales.  (01.25) Watford -  the sort of town that makes you want to travel (06:52) researching Lonely Planet Cambodia (18:50) around Vietnam (24:48) Myanmar (28:13) Indonesia: Gilis, Sumba, Bali (36:13) Rwanda (46:28) Cambodia today (57:15) travel disasters, Ha Giang, border hassles (65:17) working on Top Gear Vietnam

Adam Skolnick

Stories from the road with Lonely Planet writer Adam Skolnick and his research trips which include Indonesia, Nicaragua and Mongolia. Adam recounts meeting Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert in Bali, the cocaine economy in Central America, his love of freediving and his new novel American Tiger. (0:00) whales in Southern California (07:54) Getting into Lonely Planet (11:45) Lonely Planet Indonesia (19:00) meeting Elizabeth Gilbert in Bali (20:33) on to Papua and Raja Ampat (30:18) research in Thailand (38:48) Mongolia (42:28) Mosquito Coast Nicaragua (50:37) working with David Goggins (55:06) American Tiger novel