AT#973 - Travel to Northern Taiwan

In this episode of Amateur Traveler, Chris talks with returning guest and friend of the show Lee Moore, author of "China's Backstory: The History Beijing Doesn't Want You to Read" and co-host of the Chinese Literature Podcast. Lee returns to share his love for Northern Taiwan, a place he first lived in more than a decade ago while studying Chinese literature in Taipei, and a region he revisited in 2023 with his wife and two young children. Together, they explore what to see, how to get around, and why Northern Taiwan makes an unexpectedly great family-friendly adventure. 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. Why Visit Northern Taiwan? Lee describes Northern Taiwan as a place rich in history, natural beauty, museums, night markets, rail-line towns, beaches, and hot springs. It blends the best of Japan and China while maintaining its own distinct culture. He jokes that you should visit now “before China invades,” but quickly follows with more grounded reasons: world-class museums, unique cultural quirks, kid-friendly public infrastructure, beautiful hikes, and easy day trips from Taipei without ever changing hotels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Amateur Traveler, Chris talks with travel writer and guidebook author Joshua Zukas about planning an immersive trip through Central Vietnam, a region filled with imperial history, dramatic caves, ancient cultures, beaches, wildlife, and some of the country’s most distinctive cuisine. Joshua has lived in Vietnam for nearly 20 years, first in Huế and now in Hanoi, and has authored multiple guidebooks. 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. Why Visit Central Vietnam? Central Vietnam offers a compact blend of what makes the country special. Within a week, you can explore beaches, royal palaces, ancient ruins, caves, and historic neighborhoods. Spring is the ideal time to visit, while October and November bring storms and flooding. ... https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-central-vietnam/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this solo episode of Amateur Traveler, Chris takes you along on a Yangtze River cruise from Yichang to Chongqing, an upstream journey through China’s legendary Three Gorges. Along the way, you’ll hear about naked trackers of old, a poet whose death inspired a festival celebrated across China, engineering marvels, hanging coffins, misty karst cliffs, and the modern rhythms of cruise life on the Victoria Sabrina, a ship from Victoria Cruises. 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. My thanks to Victoria Cruise Lines for treating me like a VIP, including an upgraded cabin, shore excursions, and the upgrade package with access to the Sabrina Lounge. What You’ll Experience ... https://amateurtraveler.com/yangtze-river-cruise/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to the south of England as the Amateur Traveler talks to Heather Cowper from HeatherOnHerTravels.com about hiking the Thames Path National Trail. 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. Why should you walk the Thames Path National Trail? Heather says, "There are some people like me who are avid walkers and love to do a national trail, a long-distance trail, and I've done a few, and this was a very enjoyable one. I think this particular trail takes you through the south of England, and you really do see some quintessentially English landscapes. You've got really beautiful rural landscapes, and then as you come towards London, you've got some of the most iconic landmarks in England." In this episode of Amateur Traveler, Heather Cowper returns to the show to share her experience walking the Thames Path National Trail, a 300-kilometer (185-mile) long-distance route that follows the River Thames from its source in rural Gloucestershire all the way to London’s Docklands. Heather, who hiked the trail in sections with her sister over the course of a year, explains why this is one of the most scenic, accessible, and flexible long-distance walks in England. ... https://amateurtraveler.com/thames-path-trail-in-england/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Kosrae and Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Lexie Brown from @lexienicolebrown on Instagram about her explorations of this remote island country. 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. Why should you go to the Federated States of Micronesia? Lexie says, "It is a place that's so unique, and, I think, unmatched when it comes to experiencing ancient Micronesian culture. And what's interesting about the FSM is that there are four states, and each of those states is made up of either one island or over a hundred islands, split up in a lagoon. So it's very diverse and even because each state is so far apart, they have their own language and their own culture." Lexie recommends an itinerary that focuses on Kosrae and Pohnpei, two of the four states that make up the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) Suggested Itinerary Overview Duration: About one weekRoute: Start in Kosrae for nature, hiking, and ancient ruins Continue to Pohnpei for waterfalls, diving, and the famous Nan Madol ruins (Optional extensions: Yap for traditional culture during Yap Week in March, and Chuuk for advanced wreck diving in Truk Lagoon)  ... https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-the-federated-states-of-micronesia/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Bhutan as the Amateur Traveler talks to Dorji Dhratyul, the former head of Tourism for the Kingdom of Bhutan. 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. Why should you go to Bhutan? Doji says, "I think when you're talking about globally in terms of tourism, we are talking about over-tourism. The tourism destinations are getting crowded, but as of now, Bhutan is still a very pristine, quiet, and silent place. Bhutan is that place where a visitor comes here, not just on a journey, but basically they come here as an inward journey." Bhutan is one of the few countries in the world that measures its success not by GDP but by Gross National Happiness. The small Himalayan kingdom regulates visitor numbers intentionally, following its “High Value, Low Volume” tourism policy. That means fewer crowds, pristine landscapes, and a deeply authentic experience. Dorji recommends beginning with the western region, home to the country’s only international airport and some of its most iconic sites. ... https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-bhutan-2/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Kansas as the Amateur Traveler discusses a recent trip to Wichita, Kansas, for a conference and a post-conference Old West themed press trip. 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. Why should you go to Kansas? Chris says, "This is a state that surprised me. I wasn't planning on doing an episode on this trip, but Kansas surprised me. The history and the food were all memorable. The press trip I did was about the Old West, so we visited sites about native americans, the Santa Fe Trail, railroads, cowboys, lawmen, and then later on the manufacturing of airplanes." Start in Wichita. Drive two hours northeast to Council Grove, a historic stop on the Santa Fe Trail. Day 1 – Council Grove and Abilene Kaw Mission State Historic Site: Learn about the Kanza (Kaw) tribe for whom Kansas is named, and the short-lived Methodist mission school built after the tribe ceded land to the U.S. Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park: The only remaining Kanza-owned land in Kansas, used for powwows and home to a sacred red rock recently repatriated from Lawrence. The Last Chance Store: Once the final supply stop for wagons heading southwest toward Santa Fe. Lunch: Eat at Hays House, founded in 1857 and considered the oldest restaurant west of the Mississippi. ... https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-kansas/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about a road trip across the North Shore of Lake Superior as the Amateur Traveler talks to David Adler about an area that he fell in love with through a summer camp. 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. Why should you drive this road trip? David says, "I think what makes it really unique is that it's a place that no one really knows about. I think it stands as one of the most beautiful spots in the world that I've ever seen. The nature there is really untouched. You'll be driving, and there'll be signs that say no gas for 150 kilometers. It's very remote." David recommended road trip itinerary along the North Shore of Lake Superior (as described in the podcast transcript) begins in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and ends in Thunder Bay, following Highway 17, part of the Lake Superior Circle Tour. Here’s the detailed route he outlines: Overview Route: Sault Ste. Marie → Wawa → Marathon → Thunder Bay Highway: Ontario Highway 17 (Trans-Canada Highway) Distance: ~700 km (435 mi) Duration: 5–7 days recommended Best season: Summer (May – September) ... https://amateurtraveler.com/north-shore-of-lake-superior/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about travel to Cairo, Egypt, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Neil Laird, TV producer and the author of the Prime Time Travelers Series, about his favorite city. 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. Why should you go to Cairo? Neil says, "I've traveled to some 70 countries and I've been an international documentary  TV producer for 30 years. But anytime people ask me what is my happy place, what is the place that set me all off on this journey, it is Egypt. I've been enamored and fascinated by the ancient Egyptians and by the culture there for 30, 35 years, and Cairo is the gateway to that. I spent a lot of time on Luxor shooting films for National Geographic, Discovery Channel, and BBC. But Cairo is often overlooked because it's the noisy, chaotic city that you fly into and see the pyramids before you go see Luxor and the great ruins. And that's a shame because Cairo is a universe in itself." Here’s the 7-day Cairo itinerary recommended by Neil: Day 1 – Zamalek (Gezira Island) Stay in Zamalek, the leafy island in the Nile – quieter, easier to acclimate. ... https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-cairo-egypt/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear about traveling to Lake Constance (Bodensee) in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland as the Amateur Traveler discusses a biking trip around the lake to explore its historic, cultural, and natural sites. The Lake Constance International Tourism Board sponsored this trip. 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. Day 1 – Arrival in Constance, Germany  Flew into Zurich, train to Constance. Quick city tour: Roman history dating back to Caesar Augustus, Council of Constance (resolved the Papal Schism). Began biking to Reichenau Island (UNESCO World Heritage Site): monasteries, vineyards, Romanesque churches, small museum of monastic culture. Dinner on Reichenau, returned by boat to Constance. Overnight: Hotel Constantia. ... https://amateurtraveler.com/lake-constance-bike-trip/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices