Travel Tales by Afar

Antoni Porowski, our favorite culinary expert from Queer Eye, takes you behind-the-scenes of his new National Geographic show, No Taste Like Home [https://www.natgeotv.com/za/shows/natgeo/no-taste-like-home-with-antoni-porowski] (premiering February 23, 2025). In this episode, he shares the connection that sent him crying off camera with Awkwafina, the dish that defeated his adventurous palate with Henry Golding, and how his Polish roots served him well while helping celebrities explore the foods that taste like home in six different countries. What Do Kimbap, Ndambe and Chicken Fried Steak Have in Common? On this episode you’ll learn:  * How National Geographic’s team created epic, transformative travel experiences for celebrities.  * The tastes and origin stories that transformed Antoni Porowski, from kelp soup in Korea to ndambe in Senegal.  * The ways that food and travel can connect people to their deepest roots.  Queer Eye's Antoni Porowski Will Eat Anything—Except This Don’t miss these transformative, travel moments:  [03:06] “I was the pickiest eater ever growing up!” [10:01] Kelp, crying, and Korean connections with Awkwafina. [17:18] James Marsden sheds a light on chicken fried steak. [19:21] Antoni Porowski tests his foodie limits with Henry Golding. [20:04] The surprising connections that changed the way Antoni Porowski approaches food. Why The Perfect Meal Should Remind You of Your Childhood Every episode of Antoni Porowski’s new show, No Taste Like Home, took three to six months of research: from tracing family trees to exploring the origins of traditional foods. In this episode of Travel Tales by Afar, discover what Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski learned about the universality of place, comfort and connection by taking celebrities on epic journeys to explore their culinary and familial roots.  Resources:  Follow Antoni Porowski on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/antoni/?hl=en]  Stream the show, No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski [https://www.natgeotv.com/za/shows/natgeo/no-taste-like-home-with-antoni-porowski].   Watch this episode on Youtube. [https://youtu.be/GVq-6W03a80]  Read the episode transcript [https://www.afar.com/podcasts/travel-tales/bonus-antoni-porowski-best-meals-from-new-celebrity-show-no-taste-like-home]. Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic [https://email.afar.com/join/3n4/behind-the-mic-aislyn], where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked [https://www.afar.com/podcasts/unpacked], which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.

No plan. No luggage. Five weeks in India. Joe Diaz and Greg Sullivan, dreamed up Afar on a beach in Goa more than 15 years ago. In this candid episode from our sister podcast, Unpacked, they reflect on what they’ve learned by helping people travel deeper. From the spontaneous trips that honed the company’s values to how they’ve helped shape the travel industry, get an inside look into the transformative power of rallying around travel as a force for good.  But, How Many Kitchen Tables Have You Visited?  In this episode, discover: How Afar helped pave the way for “experiential travel.”  The origin and impact of Learning Afar [https://glaif.org/learning-afar-fund/], which gives students access to travel.  How you can continue to shape travel as a force for good in the world.   Going Home with a Rickshaw Driver.  Don’t miss these memorable moments: [2:03] It started without a plan—or luggage.  [14:55] The first step: transformative travel education.  [25:15] Spin the globe and other stories that have impacted them the most.  [37:49] A trip to Cairo that led to a surgeon’s debut on The Daily Show. [45:15] A friendly debate on travel practices—from packing to plane rides.    The Transformative Power of Teachers Turned Travelers.  Greg Sullivan and Joe Diaz met in the classroom, so when they traveled to India and found a deeper way to travel, they had to share that with others. In this lighthearted conversation, they share the spontaneous travel stories that have impacted the industry and continue to sustain Afar 15 years later.  In this episode you’ll learn how Afar went from an idea to a multi-faceted media company, how they’ve pivoted over time to hone their impact on the world and how you can travel in a more conscious and connected way.  Resources • Explore Afar’s 15-year anniversary hub [https://www.afar.com/magazine/afar-15-anniversary] of favorite stories, including:   A Skeptic Visits the Holy Waters of Lourdes. [https://www.afar.com/magazine/lourdes-a-pilgrimage-to-frances-holy-waters] What It’s Like to Navigate Cairo’s Chaos as a Blind Traveler.  [https://www.afar.com/magazine/spin-the-globe-ryan-knighton-in-cairo] • Read the https://www.afar.com/magazine/a-blind-mans-trip-will-change-the-way-you-think-about-safaristranscript [https://www.afar.com/podcasts/unpacked/s3-e21-how-afar-started-with-spontaneous-travel]of this episode. • Listen to the podcast episodes mentioned in this episode:  A Blind Man’s Trip Will Change the Way You Go on Safari.  [https://pdst.fm/e/chrt.fm/track/4G278/traffic.megaphone.fm/AFAR5723920475.mp3?updated=1726006654] A Blind Surfer Takes On Kauai’s Legendary Waves. [https://pdst.fm/e/chrt.fm/track/4G278/traffic.megaphone.fm/AFAR4654331926.mp3?updated=1700611032] Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic [https://email.afar.com/join/3n4/behind-the-mic-aislyn], where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked [https://megaphone.link/AFAR6756233083], which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.

Not only can you swim in the rivers of Bern and Basel— but thousands of locals regularly take the plunge. From a morning commute to a relaxing weekend escape, discover how rivers are at the heart of everyday Swiss life. In this episode of Travel Tales by Afar [https://www.afar.com/podcasts/travel-tales], Bonnie Tsui, author of Why We Swim, follows the currents of Switzerland's alpine rivers into the depths of history, culture and identity.  How Rivers Reveal Years of Swiss Culture In this episode you will learn:  * How the Rhine was transformed into a meeting place for swimmers * What river swimming reveals about the people and culture of major Swiss cities * What our changing world could mean for the future of alpine river swimming.   Behind Every Great Swiss City, There’s A River. Don’t miss these transformative travel moments:  [5:19] A legacy of guarding the rights of swimmers in Basel. [8:14] Three distinct relationships with the Rhine. [11:07] An insightful swim at Rheinbad Breite, a 125-year-old bathhouse.  [12:54] What does climate change mean for the future of Alpine river swimming? Swimming for a Slice of Life Afar contributor, and author of Why We Swim, Bonnie Tsui has swimming in her DNA. Her parents met in a pool in Hong Kong, she worked as a lifeguard growing up in New York, and she often swims when she travels—she's the perfect person to explore Switzerland’s river swimming culture.  In this episode you’ll learn how to enhance a trip to Switzerland by swimming its rivers, hear how locals see rivers as an important thread in the fabric of Swiss life and culture, and be inspired by the people who are working to protect the future of alpine river swimming.  Resources • Read the transcript [https://www.afar.com/podcasts/travel-tales/s5-e13-how-river-swimming-reveals-swiss-life] of the episode • Order Bonnie’s book Why We Swim [https://geni.us/8EtokB] • Read more of Bonnie’s work [https://www.bonnietsui.com/stories]on her website.  • Pre-order Bonnie's latest book, On Muscle:The Stuff That Moves Us and Why it Matters.  [https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/bonnie-tsui/on-muscle/9781643753089/] Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic [https://email.afar.com/join/3n4/behind-the-mic-aislyn], where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked [https://www.afar.com/podcasts/unpacked], which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.

Tom Turcich and his dog, Savannah, completed their world walk in 2022. On this week’s episode of Travel Tales, we hear their story. We first talked [https://www.afar.com/magazine/tom-turcich-and-the-world-walk] with Tom and Savannah back in 2021, when they were in Kyrgyzstan, six years into their journey, which began in 2015. They had been held up by the pandemic, which was only one of many ordeals they faced on their circumnavigation. A year and a few thousand miles later, they were done and back home in New Jersey. And now, two years later, Tom has released his memoir, The World Walk: 7 Years. 28,000 Miles. 6 Continents. A Grand Meditation, One Step at a Time. In his Travel Tale, Tom reads an excerpt from the book, a moment set in the Peruvian desert about a year and a half into his journey. At that time, he’d already been held up by knife point and chased by semi-feral dogs in South America. The novelty of his walk had worn off and as he shuffled through the desert, he started to lose sight of why he was attempting this journey. And then he encountered a special restaurant with a special individual, one that revealed that he was indeed on the right path.  Tom and host Aislyn Greene also talk about what it was like to return to “real” life after seven years of walking, his relationship to walking now, and where he wants to go next.   Copyright © 2024 Tom Turcich. Excerpted by permission of Skyhorse Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved. Resources Read the transcript [https://www.afar.com/podcasts/travel-tales/s5-e12-benefits-of-walking] of the episode. Listen to the episode on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjGsUynmhW3PNN-Mr936MKddh0zV3hADh] on August 29th. Buy Tom's book on Amazon [https://geni.us/O3cbr] and on Barnes & Nobles [https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%2Fw%2Fthe-world-walk-tom-turcich%2F1145969916%3Fean%3D9781510779013&data=05%7C02%7Caislyn%40afar.com%7C7b8ac754b3714a62b8cc08dcc0795ae3%7C8ce99c9fed1644d6b401f800f8735606%7C0%7C0%7C638596874701549542%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=LEZrbW5KY%2FLVSkTJQRNXccTFTHHXyI%2Bg9xyVBa7aMoc%3D&reserved=0]. Follow Tom on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/theworldwalk/?hl=en].  Read our feature [https://www.afar.com/magazine/tom-turcich-and-the-world-walk] on Tom and Savannah.  Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic [https://email.afar.com/join/3n4/behind-the-mic-aislyn], where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked [https://link.chtbl.com/_vM-Ms1-], which unpacks one tricky topic in travel each week.

Road trips are such funny things. They allow more room for whimsy and spontaneity. They can inspire frank conversation, sitting side by side with someone, looking out at endless stretches of highway. And they can be dull (all that endless highway) in a way that somehow opens your mind to other possibilities and maybe even other lives.  That’s what happened for Charlie Sprinkman as he drove back and forth—and back again—across the United States. He was working a job that required constant travel, and as a queer person, he was always on the lookout for spaces that were both welcoming and queer owned. On their third trek across the States, he realized that if he was looking for these kinds of businesses, other LGBTQIA2S+ travelers would be too. So he founded Everywhere Is Queer, a map that helps those travelers find welcoming, queer-owned spaces around the world.  In this week’s episode, Charlie shares their journey from a young, searching kid in Wisconsin to successful entrepreneur, and everything in between. And in the companion interview with Charlie on YouTube, he shares some of their favorite queer-owned places and businesses, where he wants to go from here, and how road-tripping helped them see that the country is really more alike than it seems.  Resources Read the transcript [https://www.afar.com/podcasts/travel-tales/s5-e11-how-to-find-queer-and-trans-owned-spaces-when-you-travel] of the episode. Listen to the episode on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjGsUynmhW3PNN-Mr936MKddh0zV3hADh]. Explore the map [https://www.everywhereisqueer.com/] or download the app (iOS [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/everywhere-is-queer/id6467166300]) (Android [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.everywhereisqueer.app&pli=1]). Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic [https://email.afar.com/join/3n4/behind-the-mic-aislyn], where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked [https://www.afar.com/podcasts/unpacked], which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.