The Travel Addict

At your favorite book stores this month is the new book by Malcolm Teasdale.

 For those who find joy in the turn of a map, the scent of an unfamiliar market, or the thrill of setting foot in a new land, Emptying the Travel Destination Bucket List is the ultimate travel companion. This book takes readers on an immersive journey across the globe, uncovering destinations that inspire, challenge, and transform.
Believing that travel is more than a getaway, but rather a way of life, this book covers some of the world's most awe-inspiring places.

Andrew has traveled through 10+ countries in Latin America alone, but his most meaningful destination is Bogotá, Colombia—a city he has visited nine times and now plan to call home. What started as a love story turned into a full-blown expat adventure involving jungle rides on Harleys, navigating city streets that never sleep, and investing in property in the highlands of La Calera.

This isn’t your typical travel tale. It’s got love, risk, grief, healing, and a whole lot of street-savvy survival.

Human Connection: How Andrew's travels reshaped his identit...

Maya Azucena is an Award-winning Singer, Recording Artist and Humanitarian, and is a Cultural Ambassador with a focus on Women’s & Youth Empowerment and Domestic/Sexual Violence, who has completed 12+ humanitaran tours sponsored by American Embassies and U.S. State Department to countries such as China, Tanzania, Suriname, India, Sri Lanka, Haiti and Turkey.

As a full-time touring Artist, she has traveled with her band to 40+ countries, most recently in Uzbekistan. We talk about this.

Other recent concerts have been in  Qatar, The Philippines, Myanmar, Tanzania, all around the USA, many European countries, plus South Ame...

It was a long one.  

I was contracted as a Luminary to provide 10 educational talks about various travel subjects. My voice survived, barely.

Places visited:

BermudaAzoresLisbonCartegenaValenciaMallorcaCreteRhodesKusadasiMilosAthens

This is a brief trip report, from my current time zone to a place 7 hours ahead.

Then the long flight home, then jet lag.

A trip full of education, historical places and culture.

All good.

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

Trina is a GenX adventurer, solo traveling across Africa.

Currently, she is traveling overland from Ghana to Namibia, exploring each country as she goes, then around South Africa, then up the east coast towards Turkey.  

In 2017, Trina and her husband sold everything and set off to travel the world. He was losing his vision and she wanted him to see as much as possible before it went completely. They traveled mostly in Southeast Asia and Africa, but then she lost him to health issues in 2022. They were in Ghana at the time and Trina paused t...

In the past, people have asked me such questions as:

Did you ever get into trouble?Did you have any close encounters?Did you have any near misses?Were you ever in jail in a foreign country?Did you ever fear for your life?

In this short podcast, there are a few examples of the above, with the exception of jail time, because that never happened.

Just to drop a hint or two:

Flight MH 17Moscow in Dec. 1991First Gulf CrisisScuba Diving incidentCycloneEarthquakeBali in 2002

..... to name a few.

The main thing...

Here is my "current "To Do List" for adventure travel, otherwise known as a Bucket List.

Will I get through the list before I am told that I will have to stay at home for the rest of my life? A horrible thought it is.

There are so many wonderful places on our planet and I rather be traveling to experience them than listening to all of the bad news on TV. The anger, the hate, the egos, the lies are all depressing. 

So I am making the most of it.

M...

Since 2008, Ralph Velasco has been a full-time travel photographer and international tour organizer, having created and led over 120 international tours (all 5-star rated) in well over 30 countries on 7 continents (plus over 100 domestic tours in the U.S.).

He has been location-independent for 11+ years and traditionally spends anywhere from 8 - 9 months on the road internationally scouting and leading  tours.

Like many others, he is considering leaving the USA to live in Europe, for a few reasons. 

Check out how web site. There may be something that he is organizing that will interest you.

...

Paul W. Neville brings a wealth of firsthand travel experience, cultural insights, and actionable advice that captivates interviewers and audiences alike. Having explored over 120 countries, Paul is a seasoned adventurer with a deep understanding of global travel and the transformative power it holds. 

Whether offering practical travel tips, sharing stories of resilience and humor, or providing guidance for aspiring adventurers, Paul connects with audiences through his relatable and inspiring approach.

A U.S. Foreign Service Officer currently stationed in the Netherlands, Paul’s career and travels have given him a unique lens on the world. His...

Arias’s entrepreneurial journey is rooted in overcoming profound adversity. Raised by a single mother who worked two full-time jobs and a father who struggled with drug addiction, Arias experienced homelessness and instability, living in over 12 different places before turning 18.

Nowadays, as a digital marketing expert, he helps people build businesses and enables success, and he still finds time to travel.

Listen to his escapades in Cuba and Morrocco.

Check him out here:
https://ariaswebsterberry.com/
https://www.passportnoire.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariasweb/
https://www.instagram.co...

When you're ready for a good story, Miles Spencer has one.

He trekked 1,100 miles through the deserts of Israel, Saudi, Jordan and Syria based on the history of TE Lawrence.

He wrote "A Line in the Sand", a recent Amazon bestseller on Middle East history and modern humanity .. with recipes!

After listening to this  podcast, you will be wondering how Miles is still alive. Based on what he did, and where he did it, begs the question, "Why?"

He has the memories and achievements of which to be proud.

H...

Trisha  DePasquale is an early childhood educator and has been for more than 17 years and is also a world traveler.

Teaching kids about the world has been a love of hers throughout her entire teaching career. Providing teachers with resources to bring the world to their classrooms has become her passion.

She created Passport Adventures and American Adventures as a unique way to make children feel as if they are actually traveling to these places. A little imagination goes a long way, and it is quite inspiring.

Check our her web site:
h...

Simon Yeats has 3 distinct sides to his life. His funny side, his serious side and his dark side. In each case, his experiences are unique.

Funny Side: Birth by Fire in his travel escapades around the world and then writing books to tell all. How to maybe avoid mistakes and survive.

Serious Side: Helping people walk again and bringing some back to life.

Dark Side:  Facing death 10 times. Mental health issues. Kidnapping of son.

After an unbelievable life packed ful of incidences, he is lucky t...

Yes, it is very true.
Music, whether it is rock, motown, classical, opera, reggae, and many others, can take you back to a certain moment in time where you may have been traveling or experiencing something, somewhere in the world.
In other words, you could be listening to a piece of music, and think, I remember this song when I was.......

Listening to these musicians and their music have caused me reflect and remember a travel experience from the past:

Pink Floyd
Santana
Dire Straits
AC/DC
Men at...

Many thanks to the International Impact Book Awards organization for this award in the "Adventure" category.
You can read it or listen to it (ebook, paperback, hard cover, audible). It is all about my escapades to:
Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and Myanmar

Sacred places they maybe, but being in the Hiamlayan Mountain region is something really special and enlightening.

Give it a read or a listen, and learn a littel about the land and its people.

https://internationalimpactbookawards.com/

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

Nina Zapala ia a certified Myers-Briggs® instructor, and an award winning hospitality professional.
How do we become who we are meant to be? Listen to ZIna explain how.
Her own 7-year life tsunami taught her how to become who she was meant to be; a teacher of spiritual personality. It's her life calling.
She talks abbout tips, tools and theories she used to create a life of meaning and purpose.
Now let her show you how to do it for yourself.
Travel helps.

Check her out here:
https://ninazapala.com/
h...

When Chris Donaldson left Belfast in 1979, his original plan was to ride to Australia, on his Moto Guzzi Le Mans bike. He never made it "down under" and ended up in Argentina nearly 2 years later.

He travelled through the Middle East, rode across the Sahara Desert and down to Cape Town, where he hitched a ride on a yacht race back to Europe. He then went to the USA and rode from Canada south through Central America and South America to Buenos Aires.

He recently published a book called  'Going the Wrong Way,' which i...

I have named 15 places that have etched memories into my brain cells - for a valid reason.
Many of us have visited a place that have made us stop and think a little. These places may have given us thoughts and feelings of being fortunate, horrified, thankful, respectful, and just downright surprised. Even maybe that question of, "I did not know that."
This is why travel is important and educational.
The places mentionied above are from Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America.

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

Faustina Mulnik has been traveling as a digital nomad for the last 2 years. She also studied abroad in college (but got sent home early due to Covid!). She is a huge fan of long-term travel and tries to stay in each place at least 1 month at a time.
She has worked remotely from Mexico, Argentina, Spain, and Italy. and has loads of tips on what to pack, dual/esim cards, how to make friends abroad, etc.

Why wasn't the Digital Nomad experience around when I was growing up in England? Basically because the technology to make...

Gail Gibson, an accredited master coach, mentor, author, and podcast host is renowned for her transformative approach, The Can Do Way®.
Gail's methods empower clients around the world to break through frustration and find fulfilment, sparking incredible personal and business growth. She captivates global audiences with her insights on growth mindsets, leadership excellence, and midlife wellbeing for women leaders.
A champion of conscious, compassionate leadership, Gail's impact resonates across diverse regions, fostering sustainable success. When she's not inspiring others, she enjoys reading, green tea, haiku poetry, and forest bathing, finding solace in nature.
A curious traveller a...

Kat Medina is an entrepreneur, world traveler, public speaker, and author of the book "The Joys of Jet Lag."
Jet lag is a thing, and people who travel by plane for many hours through different time zones to reach their destination, can or will suffer from it.
It is not pleasurable, however, the art of dealing with it can help in other ways. For example, it can help us be tolerant, accepting, and understanding of people in foreign lands around the world. We will be guests in their country, a place that is likely to have different...

Jamie is a traveller and entrepreneur from Australia. She was running a company at 23 and founded her own at 27.
At age 30, she set out to explore the world, and has lived in various countries.
She is the only person I know that has taken an Uber ride for 7 hours. That was along the coast in Mexico.
She has led a full life that has included ups and downs, excitement, and lots crazy stuff, but she is still on a quest to keep it all going.
A lady of many trades, she is a coach, mentor...

Born and raised in France, Solene has lived abroad for over 12 years - in Norway, the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and Australia. Her passion for travel has also led her to visit more than 58 different countries so far.  

Day-to-day, she works in diversity and inclusion as Programme Lead for Disabled Innovators for the UK's government agency for innovation, something she is really passionate about. 

She also runs her own business: Be Beyond Borders, which is all about storytelling, creativity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging. As part of this venture, she hosts a talkshow called 'T...

Zephyr et Luna’s founder, Ambre Peyrotty, captures the essence of elopements through nature’s unique light, crafting award-winning photography that preserves each moment in its most authentic and radiant form. 
With a background in travel agency and guiding, Amber brings unrivaled insight to orchestrate dream elopements, seamlessly blending exploration with exquisite imagery.
So everybody out there, if you and your other half are looking to elope to a place of beauty and peacefullnes to create lifetime memories, Ambre is your "go to" person.
Enoy the podcast.

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

This is about Lauren, husband Jon and their dog Belka, who are living an adventurous life mixed in with a few variations of lifestyle every now and again.
In Lauren's own words:
"My proudest travel moments include taking a student expedition team to Ecuador. Having treated herself to a trip of the Trans-Siberian railroad for my 30th birthday, I am now looking forward to being in Japan for my 40th. Together with my husband, Jon, I run the travel website https://twohumansandadog.com. This focuses on dog-friendly adventure travel. We have enjoyed plenty of adventures together from...

Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, Tobago, Curacao, Bonaire, Aruba, and Dominican Republic. Culturally diverse, but each of these islands have their own history and personality.
Collectively, the Travel Addict had 5 education talks to perform and in addition, by special request from a few pssengers, they wanted to hear an explanation of the rules of cricket.
An abbreviated version it was to be, which is borderline giberish, however presents a brief and somewhat humorous explanation of one of the worlds oldest and most popular sports.
Add in addition, a quick overview of the islands visited.
Island hop...

Autumn Carolynn recently had a goal to visit 30 countries within 30 years. Throughout her time traveling,  she kept an on-going journal of all her travels and when reaching  that goal, she created  a book called "Traveling in Wonder".
It was launched in February 24th, 2024.
She was a previously a flight attendant, travel agent, travel design manager, and is now a travel photographer within the twin cities in Minnesota.
She sells her canvases, matted prints, calendars, greeting cards, and more at art festivals and fairs around the Midwest!

Check her out here:
https://autumncarolynn.com/

I had a speaking gig on a cruise ship around Asia for 2 weeks, so I thought I would extend it for a week before and after. Presenting to people from the Americas, Europe, Asia, Australasia, and Africa was fullfilling and it was just great to be in an environment where humans from many parts of the world all got along with each other wonderfully well. 
Apart from presenting some history, geography, and cultural facts about countries in Asia, I decided to take on an extreme challenge and climb to Tigers Nest Monastery for the 2nd time, however I w...

Alastair Henry did something not many people would think about doing when retiring in his 60s.
He did volunteer work in Bangladesh, Guyana, and Jamaica. He also did his share of backpacking around the world, an activity normally associated with the younger generation.
This is a prime example of "You are never too old for adventure", which is also a title of one of my presentation topics.
He did surprise me when he stated that more people than we think do these commendable activities, even when they are in the latter part of their lives.
...

Max Vanaalst and I were both invited on the brand new luxury ship Explora 1 on its inaugural visit to Caribbean from Europe.
We were contracted as Luminaries, as we provided educational and enrichment talks to passengers during the 2+ week cruise around the Caribbean, visiting islands such as Barbados, Bonaire, Dominica, Curacao, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Martinique, St. Kitts and Antigua.
A great ship with wonderful staff and delicious food.

Max and his company Branch Coral Foundation are doing a wondeful job preserving and expanding the coral reef system around Curacao.
Listen and learn a...

Wayne has been chronicling his life's adventures, grappling with personal demons, recounting moments of shame, and reflecting on his wild, at times bewildering behaviors for over three decades.
Now, using the wealth of insights contained within his extensive series of journals and life experiences, he has unveiled it all to the world in his debut book, "So It Begins: Dark Dreams, Demons, and Discovery." This book marks the first installment in a series that captures his myriad experiences and profound self-reflection as he embarks on a quest for redemption, striving to invest his emotional currency wisely.
After...

Kelly Keefe is a multi-disciplinary artist, best-selling author, innovative leader, empowerment guide, and Reiki teacher. 
She is the founder of The Heartspace, established in 2016 helping individuals and groups elevate into states of thriving. 
She works deeply with the Divine Feminine/spiritual world to endlessly create uplifting experiences, creations, and teachings. 
Her music is a multi-dimensional experience created with the intention to expose and elevate the different facets of herself, and as a reflection - of everyone. Kelly is a world traveler serving, performing, and creating as needed and desired. 
Ready to thrive and live alive? List...

This podacst is based on Lisa Ruoff's own personal experiences, as a single solo female traveler, within her highly unconventional life. Alaska to Cuba and Back is the story and is about leaving her little, off grid cabin in Alaska to make her way onto a sailboat off the east coast of the states, to sail around Cuba with a South African captain and the girl he met at a bar the night before. She wrote a book about this.
Her second book, Bite of the Travel Bug , recently released,  is about backpacking and hitchhiking adventures in both A...

For the 100th episode of the Travel Addict Podcast, I find myself listening to an inspiring story about the Gagnon family from Canada. Daughter Jordan has a very rare illness has caused her to become disabled and wheelchair bound.
Nevertheless, they travel, primarily because Jordan has her own travel Bucket List.
With an attitude of, "we will make it happen", they have plans to travel and make the most of life.
With an upcoming trip to Costa Rica and a cruise to Alaska, they intend to continue their travels under the challenging situation without hesitation.
...

Being a luxury 5 star resort does not mean it is always better than a 4 star resort.

Here is the list of my Top 10 in no particular order.:

Peninsula                                                                 Hong Kong         Mandarin oriental                                              Hong Kong         Dhara Dhevi                                                          Thailand             Royal Livingstone                                              Zambia               Montague  on the Gardens                           England              Sands                                                                         Turks & Caicos  Raffles Singapore                                               Singapore           Old Course                                                            Scotland             Desert Hills Lodge                                            Namibia              Conrad Rangali Island                                     Maldives 

My #1 choice will be mentioned at the end.

Listen to this podcast and learn why. I have my reasons. Would I go back there tomorrow? Yes of course,

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

Sonja a mapmaker, artist, and designer. For the first 26 years of her life,she lived in  4 countries while not changing her street address. You have to listen to this podcast to understand this logic.
She moved to Paris 12 years ago from Serbia to complete her second master's degree in Urban Regeneration (her first was in Architecture).
Paris ignited her creativity,  and for the past 8 yearsshe has been crafting maps for companies and individuals. She believes anything can be turned into a map, aiding communication in the workplace and celebrating life.
She has also climbed the Eiffel To...

Mitch Metzger helps people completely change their lives by traveling the world and getting paid to teach English abroad. 
If an opportunity like this was around when I was growing up in England, I would have given it some serious consideration.
Mitch describes his time in Thailand teaching English and also teaching teachers. It may not be the highest paying job on the planet, but the advantages of living inThailand are many:

Low cost of livingSafeAffordable accomodationGood health care systemHospitality of the country's citizensA desirable place to live for ex-pats from all over the worldCulturally richThailand's d...

These days, I am more likely to visit and stay in a place where there are fewer people, however I do have some favorite major cities, which left their mark on me.
Would I go back to these places? Of course I would.
Below is a list of my favorite capital cities of the world. Each has their own personality and unique history. 

In no particular order:

Edinburgh, ScotlandLondon, EnglandLjubljana, SloveniaBerlin, GermanyKyiv, UkraineBangkok, ThailandSingaporeStockholm, SwedenSydney, AustraliaVilnius, Lithuania

The picture inserted in my logo is a view of Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok o...