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. Oct 16

    #74 Moving to Cuenca: What the Locals Really Think

    Cuenca, Ecuador, has become an increasingly popular destination for people looking to retire, relocate, or begin a new chapter abroad. But what does this growing international interest look like through the eyes of someone who calls Cuenca home? In this episode of El Cafecito Travel Talks, Tony Lloyd sits down over tea with Andres, a Cuenca-born architect who moved to Chicago and is now exploring the possibility of returning to Ecuador. After several years abroad, Andres is rediscovering his hometown through a different perspective. Some things feel familiar, while others have changed in ways he never expected. Together, they explore what it means to leave home, adapt to another culture, and return to a place that may no longer feel quite the same. It’s a candid conversation about belonging, cultural exchange, community, and the sometimes complicated relationship between newcomers and the people who have always called a place home. Whether you’re considering moving to Ecuador, already living abroad, or thinking about returning home, this conversation offers a perspective worth hearing. Grab a cup of tea or coffee and join us! El Cafecito Travel Talks — Real people. Real journeys. Real conversations. 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...

    #74 Moving to Cuenca: What the Locals Really Think
  2. Oct 6

    #72 One Trip Changed Everything

    What happens when a trip you never planned changes the direction of your life? Hannah, a nurse from Wales, never imagined herself becoming a long-term traveller. A friend invited her on a trip through Southeast Asia, where a series of unexpected encounters eventually brought her into Sean’s orbit, a Canadian solo traveller who had already left his job to spend months on the road. They went their separate ways, but their story did not end there. In this episode of El Cafecito Travel Talks, Hannah and Sean reflect on how an unexpected connection led to a much bigger adventure, what it is like to move from solo travel to travelling together, and how two people with very different personalities navigate life on the road. We talk about family reactions, planning versus spontaneity, learning Spanish, the challenges of sharing a long journey, and the personal lessons that can emerge when travel pushes you outside your comfort zone. For Hannah, travel has also meant discovering that the people who take big trips are not necessarily so different from the rest of us. Sometimes, you simply have to try.  El Cafecito Travel Talks Real people. Real journeys. Real stories from the road. 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...

    #72 One Trip Changed Everything
  3. Oct 4

    #71 What Is Enough? Choosing a Life of Travel

    What does “enough” really mean? Dave spent around 20 years working in accounting and finance before eventually realising that the life he had built was no longer the life he wanted. At 45, he stepped away from that career, became a bartender, and later began building a life centred around long-term travel. In this episode, Dave talks about travelling for months at a time, balancing expensive destinations with more affordable ones, and learning how to shape a life around what matters most to him. He also shares some unforgettable moments from the road — including an accident at Angkor Wat just days into one of his first major trips, unexpected dental care in Thailand, and a chance encounter that landed him at a special International Hobbit Day celebration in New Zealand. But the heart of the conversation comes down to one question: What is enough for you? Dave explains why understanding that answer can change the way you think about money, work, freedom and the kind of life you actually want to live. A conversation about travel, changing direction, taking chances, and dreaming bigger than you once thought possible. Follow Dave on Instagram:  @uncle_traveling_dave 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...

    #71 What Is Enough? Choosing a Life of Travel
  4. Sep 26

    #70 A Woman’s Journey Into Plant Medicine

    What does it mean for a woman to enter the world of plant medicine — especially in another country, placing her trust in people she may barely know? Phoenix grew up between two worlds: New York and Ecuador. Those experiences eventually brought her back to Cuenca, where spirituality, Reiki, women’s circles and San Pedro became an important part of her life. In this episode of El Cafecito Travel Talks, Tony sits down with Phoenix at her Sol Studio in Cuenca to talk about her journey from fear and uncertainty to becoming a facilitator herself. Phoenix shares a distinctly female perspective on plant medicine: the importance of trust, the vulnerability of giving up control, concerns about personal safety, and why she believes women can bring a different kind of nurturing energy to these experiences. They also talk about Phoenix’s life as a mother, raising binational children, the accident that led her to Reiki, and what it means to move between the very different worlds of New York and Ecuador. This isn’t a conversation about convincing anyone to try plant medicine. It’s one woman’s story of how spirituality, culture and community became part of her life. In this episode: Growing up between New York and EcuadorPhoenix’s journey into Reiki and natural medicineWomen’s circles and the feminine perspectiveSan Pedro and its place in Phoenix’s spiritual practiceWhy trust and safety matter, particularly for womenKnowing when someone may not be readyReturning to everyday life after a spiritual experienceGuest: Phoenix Sol Studio — Cuenca, Ecuador Instagram: @Phoenixdevenus The experiences and views discussed in this episode are Phoenix’s personal perspectives and should not be considered medical advice. 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...

    #70 A Woman’s Journey Into Plant Medicine
  5. Sep 19

    #69 Travel Longer by Volunteering

    How do you travel for six months without spending like a tourist every day? In this episode, I speak with Mirella, a young traveller of Cameroonian heritage who grew up in Germany and France and has spent several months travelling through Latin America. Along the way, she volunteered in Colombia and Ecuador, including as an English teaching assistant, at a refugee shelter, and with an Afro-Ecuadorian organisation in Cuenca. We talk about why volunteering can make long-term travel more affordable, how it helps you connect with local people, and why sometimes the people you meet become just as important as the destination itself. Mirella also shares what she has learned as a solo Black woman travelling through Latin America, the advantages and challenges of volunteering, and what she would ask before accepting another placement. If you have ever thought about travelling longer, spending less, and becoming more connected to the places you visit, this episode may give you another way to think about the journey. Topics include: Volunteering while travelling • Long-term travel • Solo female travel • Black travellers in Latin America • Cultural immersion • Volunteer placements • Budget travel • Colombia • Ecuador El Cafecito Travel Talks Real people. Real journeys. Real travel experiences. 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...

    #69 Travel Longer by Volunteering
  6. Sep 14

    #68 Starting a New Chapter Abroad

    What happens when the life you planned abroad suddenly changes? In this episode of El Cafecito Travel Talks, Tony heads into the countryside outside Cuenca, Ecuador, with Mary and three dogs  for a conversation about travel, relocation, community, loss and starting over. Mary had already lived around the world before eventually settling in Colorado, where she spent decades working in real estate and breeding horses. An unexpected accident changed everything and eventually brought her and her partner to Ecuador. Nine years later, Mary talks openly about the realities they faced when her partner became seriously ill: finding medical care abroad, preparing powers of attorney, navigating different laws, dealing with death and funeral arrangements in another country, and relying on the community she had built around her. But this isn’t an episode about death. It’s about what comes afterward. For the first time in her life, Mary is living alone, improving her Spanish and discovering what she wants her next chapter to look like. As she puts it: “Now that I don’t have to compromise on anything, how do I really want it? What is it that I want?” Whether you’re thinking about moving abroad, already living overseas, or simply wondering what happens when life doesn’t follow the plan, Mary’s story is a reminder that relocation is about much more than choosing a destination.  El Cafecito Travel Talks — real people, real travel, real life abroad. 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...

    #68 Starting a New Chapter Abroad
4.6
out of 5
11 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.