Wander Woman: A Travel Podcast Phoebe Smith

Embark on an adventure to Shimokawa, in the heart of Japan's Hokkaido region, where this small town is breaking new ground in the world of sustainable living. Phoebe Smith will take you through the streets and forests of this pioneering community, uncovering how they've transformed from a lumber-dependent economy to a beacon of environmental harmony. From making chopsticks (to avoid the millions that go in landfill each year), to powering homes and public buildings using locally made biomass, using weeds to produce natural essential oils, and taking people to fish for (and then eat) an invasive species, she asks if this could be the blueprint for a better life?

Also coming up:
How to learn a new language - fast; Discover the top 10 places for whale watching;  meet adventurer and author a new book Ash Bhardwaj who answers the question - why we travel? In our regular gear chat it's all about choosing insect repellent for your travels;  be inspired by Onguma Reserve Manager Jonathan 'Yona' Strijbis who dedicates his entire life to protecting the endangered black Rhino in Namibia; and in our Wander Woman of the Month - learn about 'wandering writer' and translator Sanmao.




www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith

Strap on your eco-friendly gear and prepare to be immersed in tales of transformation, recovery, and the relentless pursuit of a better world. Join adventurer Phoebe Smith in Egypt's Red Sea (literally) where she meets the resort cleaning up its act - and the ocean. Red Sea Safaris in Marsa Alam (one of the first PADI eco-dive centres in the world) firmly pushes back against the mass tourism model, and empowers divers to be part of the solution by offering the Dive Against Debris course free of charge, alongside other conservation first initiatives, and in doing so improves both the land and underwater world for everyone. 

Also coming up:
How to travel sustainably on a budget; Discover the top 10 places to try diving; I meet ultrarunner and co-founder of Black Trail Runners Sabrina Pace-Humphreys to discuss why Lanzarote is just like running in the Sahara desert and why she never travels without her running shoes. In our regular gear chat we consider the most eco-friendly snorkelling kit;  be awed and humbled by child solider turned artist Peter Oloya, who is using his talent to empower other survivors in Uganda; and in our Wander Woman of the Month - learn about the woman who made waves becoming the first scuba instructor in the USA - Dottie Frazier.
www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith

Unicorns. Not usually the kind of mythical thing you'd think a travel writer would be on assignment to find.  Yet in the Canadian Arctic of the territory of Nunavut, on Baffin Island, a sea creature who inspired these fabled creatures lingers beneath the waves. We're talking the narwhal - a small whale that sports a twisted ivory tusk that to this day still baffles scientists. Accompanied by her Inuit guides Phoebe battles whiteouts and icy seas on a mission to find these marina mammals. Along the way she climbs icebergs, learns how to track polar bears and is privileged to hear, first hand, the indigenous legends of the creation of the first narwhal. Will she find one? There's only one way to find out...

Also coming up:
How to keep your batteries and devices going in cold climates - with this month's travel hack; Discover 10 flying alternatives for your next adventure; fresh from launching his new BBC series Wilderness, I meet TV presenter and author Simon Reeve, to talk wild places, his ultimate travel gear and... testicles?  In our regular gear chat you can learn all about the joy of using gaiters (the little shoe and boot covers that can make all the difference);  join us for a heart-to-heart with ice swimmer Kate Steels who shares some of the best swimming spots around the planet; and prepare to be amazed by our Wander Woman of the Month - Brigid of Ireland.
www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith

Celtic goddess? Catholic Saint? Or master beer brewer? February 1st marks St Brigid's Day – as well as the pagan festival of Imbolc, which elebrates the coming of spring, which the Irish Government have declared to be a public holiday.
But who was the Brigid behind Ireland's female patron saint? The stories are many - from the igniter of an eternal flame, protector of the earth, the environment and animals; to the girl who gave away her father's sword to the poor so that they could sell it for food; and the saint who manage to claim The Curragh lands under her mythical cloak . And did we mention the woman who brewed enough beer to satiate her entire parish of 18 churches in a single pot?
Fascinated by this indisputable Wander Woman, adventurer Phoebe Smith heads to Kildare in Ireland (just a 30 minute train ride from Dublin), in association with Tourism Ireland, to go on the St Brigid Trail in a mission to find out who she really was. There's reed weaving, well visiting, storytelling and - of course - ale tasting. Come wander with her...
www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith

Think Thailand and you usually think two things. The first is the vibrancy and hedonism of the capital city of Bangkok. The second is The Beach - the book-turned-film featuring Leonardo DiCaprio that sent scores of backpackers to a tiny island off the coast of Phuket. I pay the Land of Smiles a visit (in association with the Tourism Authority of Thailand) to uncover a different side to the world's busiest city and the country beyond. From visiting the Green Lung of the capital where monks ask for recycling rather than alms, to journeying by sleeper train to Chiang Mai to check out sustainability projects already underway, and interviewing a ranger about the initiatives that have been introduced to tackle overtourism on the beach from The Beach - wander with me to discover a side to the country that is distinctly green.

Also coming up:
Learn how to prevent and treat sea sickness on all your water-based adventures; Dip into the 10 Best Travel Books to fuel your wanderlust; meet itinerant TV presenter, author and farmer Kate Humble to talk Interrailing, Africa and... magic string; Understand how to buy the best sun cream for your travels - whether in warm or cold climates; join us for a chat with Urban Explorer Greg Abandoned as he reveals some of the most fascinating places in the world; and prepare for a polar expedition with our Wander Woman of the Month - Arnalulunguak.
www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith

Want to escape the chaos of the festive season? Join Phoebe Smith as she undertakes a micro-pilgrimage in Sussex, England, on the recently discovered Old Way. But here's the twist - although she's joined by 15 others they walk in complete and total silence... As a non-religious soul, Phoebe wonders what brings people to complete a pilgrimage and learns the value of time spent outside without speaking a single word. The event was run by the British Pilgrimage Trust whose motto is BYOB (Bring Your Own Beliefs) and people definitely did...

Also coming up:
Learn how to Beat the Blisters with our expert Travel Hack of the Month; Discover the 10 best pilgrim paths around the world; meet the BBC Correspondent and Barrister, turned nuns - turned tour guides who mapped out a series of 'Caminos' in their native Northern Ireland; Discover the joys of walking poles in our regular gear section; Gen up on Canada's Ojibwe Spirit Horses, a rare and endangered breed - and the woman working to save them; and be left in awe by our Wander Woman of the Month - Egeria  aka the world's first pilgrim.
www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith