Going Places

Yulia Denisyuk
  • 5.0 (36)
  • PLACES & TRAVEL
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Going Places

Stories of people and places near and far hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who’s worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Guided by Yulia’s years of working in the travel media industry, we meet the people living in the Middle Eastern deserts, culture writers in Hong Kong, street artists in Chicago, and more.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Living In Between Cultures with Changemaker Justine Abigail Yu: Part 1

    Welcome back to the show and welcome to 2025! Thank you for being with us all throughout this season. Today, we’re talking with Justine Abigail Yu, the founder of Living Hyphen, a community and multimedia platform that explores what it means to live in between cultures as a hyphenated Canadian – that is, an individual who calls Canada home but who has roots elsewhere. Justine is a Filipina-Canadian and in our conversation, we discuss identity and belonging in the diaspora communities, radical imagination, and storytelling as a soft landing. This conversation was so big and important that we're breaking it into two equally powerful parts. In the next two episodes, Justine shares with us a healing and hopeful way to approach the new year. Get 20% off of any issue of the Living Hyphen magazine with code GOINGPLACES at the Living Hyphen online store. The beautifully produced magazine features artists and writers from all across Canada hailing from over 30 ethnicities, religions, and Indigenous nations who explore various themes of this multi-hyphenated identity in a collection of poetry, prose, photography, and visual art. Announcement: my 10-day group trip to Jordan in May 2025 is now open! Get more details here. What you’ll learn in this episode:Growing up in between culturesConnecting the dots between local and global strugglesWhy travel is an inherently political actExpanding the idea of what activism looks likeHow Justine holds multiple truths at the same timeHow Vent Diagrams can help us with the complexity of the worldThe origin of Turtle Island and the power of wordsThe practice of pleasure activism Featured on the show:Follow Justine on Instagram: @justineabigailFollow Living Hyphen on Instagram: @livinghyphenLearn more about Justine on her websiteFollow the work of Living HyphenCheck out the Living Hyphen podcastRead Justine's 3DR newsletterCheck out Vent Diagrams on Instagram: @vent_diagramsRead Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown Get more information at: Going Places website Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple...

    42 min

  2. 12/25/2024

    Custodians of Wonder with BBC Travel's Eliot Stein (Re-Release)

    Today, we’re talking with Eliot Stein, a journalist, writer, book author, and deputy editor at BBC Travel. Eliot and I first got to know each other through our shared passion for stories that reveal something about a place through the lens of tradition and unique cultural practices. Eliot has edited a few of my stories at BBC Travel, where he started a column called Custom Made that highlights cultural custodians preserving vanishing customs. Eliot's book, Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive, is now available. Original Air Date: Feb 14, 2024. What you’ll learn in this episode:Writing "The Last Surviving Sea Silk Seamstress" for BBC TravelHow to build relationships and trust with people you're reporting onHow traditions shape places and peopleGoing beyond tourist attractionsEliot and I discuss changing reading habits Eliot's book "Custodians of Wonder" is now availableHow Eliot's journalism background set him up for the process of writing a bookThe intense commitment required to write a bookEliot gives advice to aspiring authors and shares resources like the Writer's Digest conferenceThe story behind a photo featuring traditional soy sauce production in Japan Featured on the show:Eliot's book, Custodians of Wonder, is now available wherever books are soldFollow Eliot on Instagram: @eliot.steinRead Eliot’s article on BBC Travel: The last surviving sea silk seamstressLearn about the Barrel-aged soy sauce, also available online at trf-ny.comPitch your book idea: writersdigestconference.comRead the BBC Travel author brief Get more information at: Going Places website Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world....

    1h 3m

  3. 12/18/2024

    12 Things You Didn’t Know about Nordic Christmas (Plus, Meet Yulia’s AI Clone)

    Today on the show, we’re traveling to Scandinavia because it's almost Christmas time. The holiday season is probably my favorite time to be in this region. I grew up in Estonia, a small country just south of Finland that, while not technically part of Scandinavia, has strong cultural ties with the Nordic countries. In my childhood, these Nordic ways to celebrate Christmas were common and today, I'm sharing these traditions with you from a story I did for Fodor's Travel called 12 Strange Things You Didn't Know About Nordic Christmas. Plus: as a special bonus, my very own AI clone, which I created just for this story, makes an appearance. What you’ll learn in this episode: Growing up with Nordic Christmas traditionsThe pagan roots of ChristmasMeet Nordic Christmas characters: Grýla, Bjúgnakrækir, and JoulupukkiWhat Christmas feasts look like across ScandinaviaThe Finnish tradition of Christmas Sauna Featured on the show:Read my Fodor's article, 12 Strange Things You Didn’t Know About Nordic ChristmasCheck out the Descript app Get more information at: Going Places website Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.  Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

    21 min

  4. 12/11/2024

    Palestine-born Artist Firas Zreik on Playing the Music of His People

    Firas Zreik is a Palestine-born, NY-based composer and player of Kanun, a traditional Arabic string instrument. He has performed and recorded in varied styles including Arabic Maqam and jazz and collaborated with many international artists such as Residente, Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, Shreya Ghoshal, and others. His debut EP "Solo" came out in 2021 and his most recent release is a 2023 full-length album called "Salute.” Take a journey with us today to the land of Kanun, the Arabic tradition of Maqam, and world music. What you’ll learn in this episode: Understanding the Kanun and its historyMaqam: the language of Arabic musicHow colonization and racism show up in the music worldGrowing up Palestinian and second-class citizen in Haifa and GalileeWhat it was like collaborating with Grammy-winning artist ResidenteThe role of artists and activism in the Palestinian causeFiras tackles the question of diaspora Featured on the show:Opening credit: Prelude to Salute by Firas ZreikSee Firas play Kanun in my three other favorite compositions:Fields of FigsShamsLullaby for NatureListen to the song dedicated to the children of Gaza, in collab with Residente Learn more about Firas on his website Follow Firas on Instagram Get more information at: Going Places website Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.  Learn more about our show at a...

    56 min

  5. 12/04/2024

    Counting Countries with Avid Traveler Ric Gazarian (Who’s Been to 181)

    Ric Gazarian is an avid traveler who has visited all seven continents and 181 countries on his quest to visit every country in the world. He is also the host of the popular long-format podcast Counting Countries and the founder of the Extraordinary Travel Festival. Travel with us to some of the world’s lesser-known places like Abkhazia and Mauritania and hear what Ric learned about humanity by visiting 181 countries.  What you’ll learn in this episode: Chasing 193: the quest to visit every country in the worldExploring Abkhazia, a de-facto nation between Georgia and RussiaThe hospitality of the Caucasus regionDesert life in Mauritania and riding the Iron Ore trainThe Amazigh culture, identity, and quest for self-determination (why you shouldn’t call them Berbers)The nature of borders and national identityHow we should think about visiting countries with inhumane recordWhy Ric founded the Extraordinary Travel FestivalWhat Ric learned about humanity from visiting 181 countries Featured on the show:Check out Ric's podcast, Counting CountriesCheck out Ric's blog, Global GazLearn more about the Extraordinary Travel FestFollow Ric on Instagram Get more information at: Going Places website Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.  Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

    52 min

  6. 11/27/2024

    Fighting for Women’s Rights in Kazakhstan with Journalist Aisana Ashim

    Aisana Ashim is a Kazakh journalist and civil movement activist. She is the founder of the independent media agency The Village Kazakhstan, and the co-founder of Masa Media, a political education project. In 2021, Aisana launched Batyr Jamal, an independent media platform aimed at empowering women and girls in Kazakhstan, focusing on their rights, safety, and self-worth. Get ready to learn more about Kazakhstan and Almaty, the city I was born in, through one of its most prominent voices today. What you’ll learn in this episode: Aisana’s path to founding independent mediaLearning about Kazakhstan's history and geographyThe legacy of colonization in KazakhstanThe state of women’s rights in Kazakhstan and the parallels Aisana sees in the USCan journalists be activists too?How our work can fit into the current landscape in the world Aisana’s favorite places in Almaty and Kazakhstan Featured on the show:Watch Qazaq Tili, a documentary about the Soviet erasure of the Kazakh language and culture (English subtitles)Learn more about the ancient Kazakh warrior queen, TomirisLearn more about the unrest in Almaty in 2022Learn more about the role of radio in Rwanda's genocideRead Yulia's BBC Travel article about KazakhstanFollow Aisana on InstagramFollow Village Kazakhstan on InstagramFollow Masa Media on InstagramFollow Batyr Jamal on Instagram Get more information at: Going Places website Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists,...

    50 min

  7. 11/20/2024

    Why Artists Must Speak Now with Emmy-Winning Storyteller Evita Robinson

    Evita Turquoise Robinson is an Emmy award-winning storyteller who tells and amplifies stories about the BIPOC communities worldwide. She's also the founder of NOMADNESS Travel Tribe — a community of 40,000 Black and brown travelers worldwide with its own festival, the Nomadness Fest. Laugh, cry, and tune in with us as we unpack what it means to create in this time of poly crisis on Earth. Evita has spoken from multiple stages, including TEDx, and she uses the stages she’s built to amplify messaging, use data storytelling, and pass the mic to those doing the work. But right now, Evita is embarking on a new phase in her journey, bringing her back home to herself and her roots as a storyteller, writer, and filmmaker. What you’ll learn in this episode: our journeys to motherhood and love as we both turn 40what we can do to take agency of our fertilitygoing through a phase of rebirth in Egyptwhat outliving your dream looks likewhy we need insanity to get our creative visions into the world why we both love the desertwhy storytelling is urgently needed nowspeaking up for Palestine Featured on the show:Check out Evita's Egypt filmCheck out Evita's Emmy-award-winning Palm Springs episodeLearn more about Evita's work on her website Learn more about NOMADNESS Tribe and NOMADNESS FestFollow Evita on InstagramSign Travel Industry For Palestine petition Get more information at: Going Places website Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC...

    1h 1m

  8. SEASON 11 TRAILER

    Going Places Is Back!

    Today, stories matter more than ever. This season on Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk, we travel across the world to bring you imaginative stories about the people we meet: from the journalist fighting for women's rights in Kazakhstan to the man who believes borders are but a fiction and the Finnish keeper of ancient sauna traditions. Get to know incredible places and the people that call them home–and get closer to understanding all the wonderful, awe-inspiring parts of humanity. Get more information at: Going Places website Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.  Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

    8 min
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About

Stories of people and places near and far hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who’s worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Guided by Yulia’s years of working in the travel media industry, we meet the people living in the Middle Eastern deserts, culture writers in Hong Kong, street artists in Chicago, and more.

Information

  • Creator
    Yulia Denisyuk
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    197
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 Yulia Denisyuk
  • Show Website
    Going Places

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