The Travel Diaries Holly Rubenstein

On today’s destination special, we are embarking on a journey to the jewel of the Caribbean, just 27 miles long and 14 miles wide, adorned with a tapestry of turquoise waters, golden beaches, and emerald-green rainforests. The enchanting island of Saint Lucia. 
Having visited many Caribbean islands myself, Saint Lucia is one that truly sets itself apart, in part because of its enormously diverse landscape. The famous Piton mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage site, frame a lush rainforest that cascades down to meet the powdery sandy shores below.
And let's talk about the warmth of its people. St Lucia isn't just a destination; it's a welcoming embrace from the moment you arrive. With easy year-round access from the UK, including daily flights from London Gatwick and seasonal options from London Heathrow, getting there is a breeze.
You're spoiled for choice with accommodation. From the unparalleled luxury of Jade Mountain, featured on BBC's Amazing Hotels, to the romance-infused retreats of Sandals, and an array of cosy boutique hotels and villas, there's something for every traveller's taste and budget.
And let's not forget the vibrant culture pulsating through St Lucia's veins, with events like the Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival and Carnival adding rhythm and colour to the calendar year-round.
And our guest today knows a thing or two about the music scene. I am truly honoured to be joined on today’s episode by an institution of British music culture, Trevor Nelson. 
Trevor’s parents are both from St Lucia and though he grew up in the London, he has travelled there throughout his life, and has a home there where he spends a lot of time. 
Not only does he help bring his favourite island to life, we also get to hear all about his illustrious life and career along the way. 
So let's get ready to set sail for paradise. Here’s Trevor Nelson’s St Lucia. 
Destination Recap 
Reduit BeachThe Landings Resort & SpaJade Mountain ResortCap EstateCabot Golf CourseThe Coal Pot Restaurant, Castries The Pink Plantation House, Castries Rodney BayPigeon Island Marigot Bay Sulphur Springs 
For more information about St Lucia visit StLucia.org.


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Susannah Constantine first burst onto our TV screens in the late 90s, alongside her partner-in-style, Trinny Woodall. Together, they revolutionised the way women approach fashion with their ground-breaking show 'What Not to Wear’, as the iconic duo Trinny & Susannah. The series not only garnered international acclaim but also became a cultural phenomenon, empowering women to embrace their bodies and dress with confidence, taking them all over the world from The Oprah Winfrey Show to the Oscars red carpet. 
This, we discuss, was just one chapter in Susannah’s fascinating life. In her 20s she was in a long-term relationship with Viscount David Linley, the son of Princess Margaret, and we chat today about her travels with Princess Margaret and how she viewed her very much as a mother figure in her life. 
Susannah is also a bestselling author, and a very successful podcaster - her podcast, My Wardrobe Malfunction, has had 9 seasons, and the most incredible guest lineup from Elizabeth Hurley to Nile Rodgers.
Travel quite clearly means a lot to Susannah and she evokes the destinations in her travel diaries today, from Cornwall to Canada, Pakistan to Antarctica, so vividly, and emotively.
Destination Recap:
Holly - 
Four Seasons Ritz Lisbon, PortugalSusannah - 
AntarcticaGassin, France St Tropez, France Olhão, Portugal MustiqueVancouver Island, British Columbia, CanadaClinton, British Columbia, CanadaPakistanHelford Passage, Cornwall Cairngorms, Scotland Soverato, Calabria, Italy Nairobi, KenyaAntarctica 
Susannah was on a Viking cruise to Antarctica, and Viking provides destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans and lakes across all seven continents and destination-focused expeditions in Antarctica, the Arctic and North America’s Great Lakes. And you can find Susannah’ podcast my wardrobe malfunction wherever you get your podcasts. 
Thanks so much for listening today. If you'd like to hear more from the podcast don’t forget to hit subscribe, or if you use Apple Podcasts to press follow so that a new episode lands in your podcast app each week. If you want to be the first find out who is joining me on next week’s episode come and follow me on Instagram I’m @hollyrubenstein, and you’ll also find me on Threads and TikTok - I’d love to hear from you.
And if you can't want until then remember there’s the first ten seasons to catch up on, that's over 110 episodes to keep you busy there. Don't forget that all the destinations mentioned by my guests are included in the episode show notes here on your podcast app, and listed on my website, thetraveldiariespodcast.com

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Phil Rosenthal first gained international recognition by creating the iconic TV sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond,” which won 16 Emmys and as we discuss on the episode today, 30 years later is still a mainstay on both US and UK TV.
A self-described foodie, he has always been an ardent supporter of restaurants and food culture and his favourite saying is that “food is the great human connector”. Now he is living out his dream, travelling the world and exploring different cultures one bite at a time on his hit Netflix show, “Somebody Feed Phil” which is going into its 7th season, this time featuring Orlando, Scotland, Kyoto, Dubai, Washington D.C. and more. More than anything in this episode Phil is just such an advocate for travel for the positive power that travelling can have in broadening our perspectives on life, and he transports us today from Florence to Florida, Paris to Taipei and much more.
Destination Recap:
Holly --
Vila Vita Parc, Algarve, PortugalQuinta da Comporta, Comporta, PortugalLisbon, Portugal
Phil --
New York, USACape Cod, Massachusetts, USAAtlanta, Georgia, USADisneyworld, Florida, USAOrlando, Florida, USAFlorence, ItalyKyoto, JapanParis, France Italy TaipeiShanghaiAustraliaVenice, Italy 
You can watch the new season of Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix now. He also has published a children’s book that he co-created with his daughter Lily, called JUST TRY IT.
With thanks to my sponsors today - 
Citalia - Discover the real Italy with Citalia, the UK’s leading Italian holiday specialists. Let the Italy Experts craft the perfect holiday for you and experience Italy like a Citalian.
Airbnb - Visit Airbnb.com and find out more. Prospective Hosts can learn more about how much they can earn sharing their space through the What’s My Place Worth Tool.

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Today we are joined by a name synonymous with adventure, exploration, and a deep passion for the great outdoors. Julia Bradbury's love affair with nature began at a young age, nurtured by family hikes and camping trips in the rugged landscapes of the Peak District.
She started her career as a show business reporter for breakfast TV in Los Angeles, becoming a household name as the presenter of BBC’s Countryfile alongside co-host Matt Baker - her boundless enthusiasm for the countryside endeared her to audiences across the UK. She is perhaps best known for turning her lifelong passion for walking into prime-time TV, with shows including Britain’s Best Walks, Cornwall and Devon Walks with Julia Bradbury and Wainwright’s Walks in the Lake District. 
But Julia's thirst for adventure extends far beyond the borders of Britain, and over the years, she’s embarked on countless adventures to some of the world's most remote and awe-inspiring destinations. Her travel diaries today take us from Greece to South Africa, Iceland to Costa Rica. 
I also really enjoyed talking to Julia about health and wellbeing, she has a huge wealth of knowledge that she accumulated while writing her Sunday Times Bestseller Walk Yourself Happy, and also because of the lifestyle shift she herself adopted after being diagnosed with breast cancer for which she underwent a mastectomy in 2021. I think that you’ll find this an inspiring, energising and wanderlust-inducing conversation. 
Destination Recap:

Agia Marina, Athens, GreeceChios, Greece Skiathos, Greece Skopelos, Greece South AfricaPeak District, England - Stanage Edge, Buxton, Mam TorLandmannalaugar trail, Iceland Costa Rica Lake District, EnglandSouth America 
Walk Yourself Happy is available from all good bookshops and online, and you can book her Lake District retreat, which is called Walk Yourself Happy Wellbeing Retreat on theOutdoorGuide.co.uk here.

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Today, we're joined by one of the most recognisable faces of British TV, the delightful Alex Jones. Alex has been the co-presenter of The One Show, since 2010, a daily magazine show here in the UK which is broadcast every week night on BBC 1. It’s a British institution that's become a staple in many households.
Hailing from Wales, Alex grew up bilingual, fluent in both English and Welsh. She tells us today about her first experience of TV, taking part as a contestant in a reality show in Magaluf - and how that led to none other than Davina McCall invigilating her final university exams. 
She shares her journey to the One Show sofa, which included hosting a travel show. And you could say that sparked a love of travel in her. 
She’s travelled all around the world with her husband and 3 children, and Alex takes us today on a journey from rural Wales, to coastal France, the rolling countryside of Italy to the ranches of Arizona. 
Destination Recap:

Bellagio, Lake Como, Italy MallorcaPembrokeshire, Wales, UKSolva, Wales, UKNewport, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UKSorrento, Italy Capri, Italy Magaluf, Spain Arizona, USAOgmore, Wales, UKBerlin, Germany Gothenburg, Sweden Pembrokeshire, WalesIle de Re, FranceLe Marche, Italy BelgiumSonnwies, The Dolomites, Italy (Holly)Japan
With thanks to my sponsors today - 
Citalia - Discover the real Italy with Citalia, the UK’s leading Italian holiday specialists. Let the Italy Experts craft the perfect holiday for you and experience Italy like a Citalian.
Airbnb - Visit Airbnb.com and find out more. Prospective Hosts can learn more about how much they can earn sharing their space through the What’s My Place Worth Tool.

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Today’s episode has a particular focus on family travel, and I’m joined today by Jessica Gee, the matriarch of one of the most well known travelling families in the world, The Bucket List Family, who I’m sure many of you follow on Youtube and social media. 
The Bucket List Family’s story began back in 2015 when Jess and her husband Garrett decided to sell everything and leave home with their two children, for a journey around the world together. Eight years and another son later, they've visited more than 90 countries, have grown a following of 1.5 million YouTube subscribers and 3 million Instagram followers, and continue to find ways--big and small--to add to their lifelong travel bucket list.
As a family of five, they’ve swum with whales in Tonga, slept in castles in Ireland, lived on a houseboat in Amsterdam and eaten breakfast with giraffes in Kenya. Jess shares how having been raised “a traditional all-American girl” whose family favoured trips to Disneyworld over international travel, she never imagined she would end up seeing so much of the world. Now she’s partnered with National Geographic on her debut book, which provides all the know-how to fulfil your own family’s bucket list—including how-tos for picking a destination, packing, budgeting, and even surviving a 12-hour plane ride. And it’s these kind of practical questions as well as her Jess’s travel chapters, that now as a parent myself, I’m so excited to uncover today. 
I’ve followed Jess and the family for years now, with a mixture of admiration and envy, and it’s so interesting to hear about life on the road with three little ones. 
Destination Recap

TongaSwallow’s Cave, TongaRwanda Rwanda Genocide Memorial Building, RwandaSoneva Fushi, MaldivesSoneva Jani, Maldives Miavana, Madagascar Dominica Rosalie Bay Eco Resort & Spa, Dominica New Zealand AntiguaBelize Alaska, USATordrillo Mountain Lodge, Alaska, USAAnchorage, Alaska, USAHomer, Alaska, USABorneo AntarcticaThe ArcticSouth GeorgiaThe Falkland Islands Hawaii, USAKona, Hawaii, USAMaui, Hawaii, USAHonolulu, Hawaii, USAKauai, Hawaii, USA Tahiti, French Polynesia Rangiroa, French Polynesia 
Jess’s new book, National Geographic Bucket List Family Travel: Share the World with Your Kids on 50 Adventures of a Lifetime is out now and available wherever books are sold. You can follow Jess and her family’s travels on Instagram @thebucketlistfamily 
With thanks to my sponsors today - 
Airbnb - Visit Airbnb.com and find out more. Prospective Hosts can learn more about how much they can earn sharing their space through the What’s My Place Worth Tool.
Lindex - Fom their UV 50+ protection swimwear to the cutest hats and tees, Lindex is a one stop shop for chic kid's clothing.
Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels - For a tropical family holiday unlike any other with endless opportunities for fun and adventure, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels are the place to stay. Book your next getaway here.

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