El Cafecito Travel Talks

Tony Lloyd

El Cafecito Travel Talks is a travel and cultural podcast hosted by Tony Lloyd, a travel planner, hostel owner, and community builder who has spent more than 25 years living and working in Latin America. Each episode features real conversations with travellers, expats, backpackers, cultural explorers, community leaders, and people who have chosen to step outside their comfort zone and explore the world in their own way. From short adventures to life-changing moves abroad, these stories highlight the experiences, challenges, connections, and discoveries that come from seeing the world through different eyes. Along the way, we’ll explore travel, culture, community, identity, and the unexpected moments that connect people across borders. Many conversations focus on Latin America, including the stories, experiences, and contributions of Afro-descendant communities throughout the Americas, but the lessons and connections are universal. Whether you’re an experienced traveller, dreaming of living abroad, planning your next adventure, or simply curious about the people and places that make our world interesting, there’s a seat for you at the table. Grab a cafecito or a tea and join us for the journey. Travel. Culture. Connection.

  1. 13h ago

    #62 Finding Family In Ecuador

    When Hannah O’Hare Bennett arrived in Ecuador as a Peace Corps agriculture volunteer, she wanted more than travel...she wanted to build relationships and truly understand a place. Placed in a small rural community near Saraguro, Hannah initially struggled with isolation, limited Spanish and the thought of spending two full years away from home. But through the patience, humour and warmth of her host sister Sandra and the rest of the family, an unfamiliar community gradually became another home. Hannah shares the moment she first made Sandra laugh in Spanish, the emotions of leaving Ecuador and what happened when she returned after 12 years. Within ten minutes of arriving, she was once again harvesting corn alongside the family. Now, with a master’s degree in textile design, Hannah is also connecting her life in the United States with the traditional beadwork created by Indigenous Saraguro artisans. This is a story about cultural immersion, unexpected belonging and finding family far from where you started. IN THIS EPISODE: • Joining the Peace Corps at 27 • Adjusting to life in rural Ecuador • Building relationships across a language barrier • Finding family near Saraguro • Returning after 12 years • Connecting textile design with Saraguro beadwork • Why letting go of expectations can create a deeper travel experience Subscribe to El Cafecito Travel Talks and share this episode with someone who believes that family can be found anywhere. Support the show Connect info: Questions, comments, guest suggestions, or story ideas:  email: cafecitotraveltalks@gmail.com El Cafecito Hostel - Cuenca Ecuador email: admincafecito@gmail.com Travel Advisor - Latin America: WhatsApp: +593 99 99 39 550 LinkedIn: Tony Lloyd Wilkinson Support the Podcast: PayPal Donation Link If you have any problem with the PayPal link, please contact:  WhatsApp: +593 99 99 39 550 New episodes are released every Tuesday. Thank you for sharing a cafecito or a tea with us...

    #62 Finding Family In Ecuador
  2. 2d ago

    #61 40 Years Backpacking

    “Home is where the backpack is.” Ken has spent 40 years travelling the world and 36 years working internationally as a United Nations peacekeeper and diplomat. Born in what is now Zimbabwe, he was given 48 hours to leave the country at the age of 18 and began building a life without a permanent home. In this episode, Ken remembers travelling before smartphones, GPS, online reservations and ATMs...when backpackers depended on guidebooks, postcards, travellers’ cheques and advice from strangers. He also shares some unforgettable experiences, including finding an unmarked hotel in Siberia and attempting to cross from Peru into Ecuador during a violent demonstration. Now 65, Ken reflects on how backpacking has changed, what modern travellers have gained and lost, and why age should never prevent someone from exploring the world. His advice is simple: be brave, be realistic, do your research—and never stop. Ken previously appeared in Episode 59, “The Travelling Lion,” featuring his unusual travel companion, Molly. If you enjoyed this conversation, please follow El Cafecito Travel Talks, share the episode and leave a review. Your support helps us continue sharing independent travel stories from Ecuador and beyond. Topics: Backpacking, long-term travel, solo travel, older travellers, travel before the internet, Zimbabwe, United Nations, Siberia, Peru, Ecuador, travel safety Support the show Connect info: Questions, comments, guest suggestions, or story ideas:  email: cafecitotraveltalks@gmail.com El Cafecito Hostel - Cuenca Ecuador email: admincafecito@gmail.com Travel Advisor - Latin America: WhatsApp: +593 99 99 39 550 LinkedIn: Tony Lloyd Wilkinson Support the Podcast: PayPal Donation Link If you have any problem with the PayPal link, please contact:  WhatsApp: +593 99 99 39 550 New episodes are released every Tuesday. Thank you for sharing a cafecito or a tea with us...

    #61 40 Years Backpacking
  3. 5d ago

    #60 Looking for Home

    Dan left London with a plan to travel through eight or nine countries across Latin America. Almost a year later, that plan looks very different. Three months in Panama became six months in Colombia. In Salento, an unexpected relationship pulled him into a local family and changed the direction of his journey. When the relationship ended, Dan had to move forward — but he doesn’t regret the experience. Now in Ecuador, he’s asking a bigger question: Is he simply travelling, or is he looking for somewhere new to call home? Over tea, we talk about slow travel, relationships abroad, the rising cost of life back home, learning Spanish through immersion, connecting with strangers, and why Cuenca has already made Dan wonder: Could I live here? And after nearly a year away, sometimes “home” is still something as simple as your mother’s cooking. In this episode: • Quitting a job to make travel possible • Falling in love while travelling in Colombia • Heartbreak, lessons and moving forward • Why slow travel changed Dan’s experience • Learning Spanish through everyday life • The financial pressures of life in the UK • Why Cuenca feels different • Meeting locals instead of simply checking off destinations • Looking for freedom — and perhaps a new home El Cafecito Travel Talks — real people, real journeys, and the stories we collect along the way. Support the show Connect info: Questions, comments, guest suggestions, or story ideas:  email: cafecitotraveltalks@gmail.com El Cafecito Hostel - Cuenca Ecuador email: admincafecito@gmail.com Travel Advisor - Latin America: WhatsApp: +593 99 99 39 550 LinkedIn: Tony Lloyd Wilkinson Support the Podcast: PayPal Donation Link If you have any problem with the PayPal link, please contact:  WhatsApp: +593 99 99 39 550 New episodes are released every Tuesday. Thank you for sharing a cafecito or a tea with us...

    #60 Looking for Home
  4. Aug 6

    #59 The Travelling Lion

    What if your travel companion had been to 117 countries, needed his own luggage, had his own Instagram account—and happened to be a lion? Meet Montgomery J. Lion, better known as Monty, Ken’s rather unusual travel companion. Monty’s story began in Tanzania, when Ken brought him home for his son. Years later, when his son left for university, Monty joined Ken on the road—and never really stopped travelling. Since then, he’s crossed borders around the world, attracted the attention of airport security, posed with complete strangers in China, visited some extraordinary places and even played an unexpected role in saving Ken during a dangerous moment in the mountains of Pakistan. At the time of our conversation, Monty had visited 117 countries. His goal? 150. In this episode: • How Monty became part of Ken’s family • Travelling with a one-metre-tall lion • Eight months travelling across Europe • Monty’s encounters with airport security • Why strangers around the world pose for pictures with him • Returning to the Serengeti • The extraordinary story of Pakistan • The journey from 117 countries toward 150  Follow Monty on Instagram: @montgomeryj.lion  Enjoy El Cafecito Travel Talks? Follow the podcast and share this episode with someone who loves travel and unusual stories from around the world. Your support helps an independent podcast like this continue to grow.  Planning a trip or considering a move to Latin America? I also provide personalised travel and relocation planning, drawing on more than 25 years of living and travelling throughout Latin America. Send me a message if you’d like to discuss how I can help.  Want to support the podcast? If you enjoy these independent travel stories and would like to help us continue producing them, donations and support are always appreciated. Support the show Connect info: Questions, comments, guest suggestions, or story ideas:  email: cafecitotraveltalks@gmail.com El Cafecito Hostel - Cuenca Ecuador email: admincafecito@gmail.com Travel Advisor - Latin America: WhatsApp: +593 99 99 39 550 LinkedIn: Tony Lloyd Wilkinson Support the Podcast: PayPal Donation Link If you have any problem with the PayPal link, please contact:  WhatsApp: +593 99 99 39 550 New episodes are released every Tuesday. Thank you for sharing a cafecito or a tea with us...

    #59 The Travelling Lion
  5. Aug 4

    #58 Documenting the Journey

    What will you remember from your travels a year from now?  Carina, a traveller from Germany, has taken a sabbatical to spend more than a year exploring the world. But she isn’t just travelling; she’s documenting the journey. Through a private written journal, photography, and printed photo albums for each country she visits, Carina is creating a personal record of the places she sees, the food she eats, the things that go right and the things that don’t. We talk about: • Why she has kept travel journals since childhood • Travelling solo as a woman • The difference between a private journal and social media • Photographing landscapes, food, and everyday moments • Creating a photo album for every country • How journaling can make travel more immersive • Whether documenting a moment can sometimes make you miss it • Why ordinary travellers’ stories may be worth preserving • Her year-long journey and the destination she’s most excited about: New Zealand Sometimes the best travel stories aren’t meant for an audience. They’re simply a way of remembering who you were and what you saw along the way. Support the show Connect info: Questions, comments, guest suggestions, or story ideas:  email: cafecitotraveltalks@gmail.com El Cafecito Hostel - Cuenca Ecuador email: admincafecito@gmail.com Travel Advisor - Latin America: WhatsApp: +593 99 99 39 550 LinkedIn: Tony Lloyd Wilkinson Support the Podcast: PayPal Donation Link If you have any problem with the PayPal link, please contact:  WhatsApp: +593 99 99 39 550 New episodes are released every Tuesday. Thank you for sharing a cafecito or a tea with us...

    #58 Documenting the Journey
  6. Aug 2

    #57 Finding a Wife Abroad

    At 73, a traveler shares a very personal story about looking for companionship abroad, using an international matrimonial agency, and eventually marrying a woman in Colombia. He talks openly about spending thousands of dollars through the agency, the excitement of arriving in Medellín, falling in love, getting married and the red flags he admits he ignored along the way. At his request, we have chosen not to use his name. But we felt his story was important to share. This episode isn’t about judging his choices or anyone else’s. It’s an honest conversation about loneliness, attention, cultural and economic differences, relationships abroad, and what can happen when things move too quickly. Over tea, he reflects on what went wrong, what he would do differently today, and the advice he would give others looking for love far from home. Sometimes the most valuable travel stories aren’t about where we go, but what we learn along the way. Support the show Connect info: Questions, comments, guest suggestions, or story ideas:  email: cafecitotraveltalks@gmail.com El Cafecito Hostel - Cuenca Ecuador email: admincafecito@gmail.com Travel Advisor - Latin America: WhatsApp: +593 99 99 39 550 LinkedIn: Tony Lloyd Wilkinson Support the Podcast: PayPal Donation Link If you have any problem with the PayPal link, please contact:  WhatsApp: +593 99 99 39 550 New episodes are released every Tuesday. Thank you for sharing a cafecito or a tea with us...

    #57 Finding a Wife Abroad
  7. Jul 31

    #56 Black Queer Travel

    What is it like to travel the world as a Black queer couple? In this episode of El Cafecito Travel Talks, Tony sits down with Ash and Phae, two slow travellers from the United States who share their experiences navigating the world while embracing multiple identities. From defining what “non-binary” and “queer” mean in their own words to discussing safety, community, and the realities of long-term travel, this conversation is thoughtful, honest, and approachable. The discussion also explores Ecuador’s LGBTQ+ history, the importance of finding welcoming communities, and why slow travel has given them a new sense of freedom. Whether you’re part of the LGBTQ+ community or simply curious to learn from different perspectives, this episode is about travel, understanding, and human connection. In This Episode What “non-binary” means in everyday lifeHow Ash and Phae define the word “queer”Travelling internationally with different identitiesSafety considerations before choosing a destinationWhy they chose slow travel over fast-paced tourismFinding Black and LGBTQ+ communities abroadTheir experiences in Costa Rica and EcuadorCuenca’s role in Ecuador’s LGBTQ+ historyResources they use before visiting a countryWhat true freedom means while travellingBuilding welcoming spaces wherever you goGuests: Ash and Phae https://www.instagram.com/unboundphae?utm_source=qr Host: Tony Lloyd Connect with El Cafecito  Travel Planning & Relocation Services throughout Latin America  El Cafecito Hostel – Cuenca, Ecuador  Subscribe to El Cafecito Travel Talks for inspiring stories from travellers, expats, and locals across Latin America. Support the show Connect info: Questions, comments, guest suggestions, or story ideas:  email: cafecitotraveltalks@gmail.com El Cafecito Hostel - Cuenca Ecuador email: admincafecito@gmail.com Travel Advisor - Latin America: WhatsApp: +593 99 99 39 550 LinkedIn: Tony Lloyd Wilkinson Support the Podcast: PayPal Donation Link If you have any problem with the PayPal link, please contact:  WhatsApp: +593 99 99 39 550 New episodes are released every Tuesday. Thank you for sharing a cafecito or a tea with us...

    #56 Black Queer Travel
4.6
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

El Cafecito Travel Talks is a travel and cultural podcast hosted by Tony Lloyd, a travel planner, hostel owner, and community builder who has spent more than 25 years living and working in Latin America. Each episode features real conversations with travellers, expats, backpackers, cultural explorers, community leaders, and people who have chosen to step outside their comfort zone and explore the world in their own way. From short adventures to life-changing moves abroad, these stories highlight the experiences, challenges, connections, and discoveries that come from seeing the world through different eyes. Along the way, we’ll explore travel, culture, community, identity, and the unexpected moments that connect people across borders. Many conversations focus on Latin America, including the stories, experiences, and contributions of Afro-descendant communities throughout the Americas, but the lessons and connections are universal. Whether you’re an experienced traveller, dreaming of living abroad, planning your next adventure, or simply curious about the people and places that make our world interesting, there’s a seat for you at the table. Grab a cafecito or a tea and join us for the journey. Travel. Culture. Connection.