Flight of Fancy

Sadly, this will be the final episode of Flight of Fancy. However, we're going out with a bang, bringing back some of your favourite guests - including Rob McFarland, Ute Junker and Flip Byrnes, along with host Ben Groundwater - to reveal the journey, destination or experience that has changed their lives in the most significant way. You won't believe some of their stories.

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This area of northern Spain might just be the greatest food destination on the planet, with its mix of pintxos culture and Michelin-starred brilliance. However, there's a lot more to the Basque Country than meets the eye, and on this episode we're taking a deep-dive into the region with two absolute experts.

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Planning to travel with a partner or significant other? Hoping to survive the experience not just with your relationship intact, but also your sanity? Then you need to listen to this episode. Today, we're discussing the highs and lows, the good, the bad and the ugly of sharing the travel experience with a partner. What to do. What to avoid. And why camping might just be the least sexy travel experience around.

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Is cash king when you're travelling? Or should you always use cards? And if so, debit cards, or credit? And how do you avoid all those overseas transaction fees? What's a dynamic conversion? And what about travel money cards? If you're confused about how best to manage and access your money while overseas, this episode is for you.

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It's one of our favourite destinations on the planet, Ireland, and yet for so long we haven't been able to visit. On this episode we're taking a deep dive into the Emerald Isle, looking at all of the latest developments since the pandemic, the newest attractions, as well as rediscovering the timeless appeal of this land of music, literature, green hills and good times - and so much Guinness.

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You've heard of the Slow Food movement, but how about Slow Travel? This is the ultimate way to see the world, allowing full cultural immersion and eliminating many of travel's stresses. Today, our expert panel talks you through how to make your next journey a slow one - and why you will love it.  

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These are some of the most interesting, historic and immersive cultural experiences you can have while you're travelling, and they take place in a bath. From Japanese onsens to Finnish saunas, Turkish hammams to Korean jimjilbangs, on this episode we're talking about bathing, and the most fascinating, hilarious and immersive places in the world where you can kick back and have a scrub.

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It doesn’t matter if you’re a first-time traveller or an absolute expert, all of us make mistakes on the road. And in fact, all of us make the same mistakes. Or at least the same sorts of mistakes. On today's episode we're going to discuss a few of our panel's most spectacular howlers, and tell you how to avoid doing the same things.

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On this episode, we're going deep into the Europe you may not know: the off-the-beaten track destinations, the affordable, quiet countries, regions and cities that have so much to offer intrepid travellers. From Georgia to Bulgaria, Albania to the Alentejo, these are the places you need to check out.

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Travel really is back – the good bits, but also the bad. The airport delays. The flight cancellations. The monumental disintegrations like we saw in Sydney over Easter. It’s not what we missed, exactly, but it does get you thinking, and remembering, the way things have gone in the past. Because if you’ve travelled for any amount of time, to pretty much anywhere in the world, you’ve probably got a story of airport-related drama. We, here, certainly do.

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International travel is back, but everything has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic: how you plan your trips, what you pack, what you do at the airport, what you do at your destination, even how you get home. On this episode, we're guiding you through the process of international travel now, with advice on how to follow your passion in a way that's as safe and reliable as possible.

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South Korea is having a moment. Not only is this the country responsible for the "K Wave", the cultural juggernaut that is sweeping the globe, but this is also the latest country to open to international tourism after closing its doors at the beginning of the pandemic. So, what awaits travellers in South Korea? What is there to see and do, to eat and drink, to enjoy and experience? We're about to tell you. 

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Let us take you on a journey today to a place you may never have visited, to an ancient place, a historic place, a place of amazing cultures and traditions, a place of artists and poets, of foodies and coffee fiends, of inventors and adventurers. Let us take you to the Middle East, a maligned and sometimes controversial destination, to tell you everything you need to know about travel in some of the most amazing places in the world.

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If you're only exploring the world above ground level, you're missing out. You're missing out on wildlife, on scenery, on history, on wonder. This episode is dedicated to exploration of the underwater world, and how it can change your travelling life. We're talking scuba-diving, free-diving and snorkelling with people who live for this stuff: where to do it, why to do it, and how pretty much anyone can get involved.

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With almost all state borders now open and the Omicron wave passing, 2022 might just be the perfect time to travel in Australia. On this episode we're hitting you with 40 minutes of solid Oz travel inspiration, from the reef to the rainforest, from wineries to great walks: where to go this year, what to do, what to see and what to experience, even for those who feel like they might have done it all.

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So, you've chosen to stay in a home-share property. What should you bring with you: clothes? Food? How about your own bed linen, garbage bags, toilet paper and detergent? Do you have to clean at the end, or is that someone else's job? On this episode of Flight of Fancy we're looking into the world of Airbnb, figuring out what's fair and what's ridiculous, and how to make sure you're getting the perfect property.

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This is the big question: what will the next 12 months hold for Australian travellers? Will this be the snap-back we've been hoping for? Will domestic travel be key, or is now the time to plan an overseas trip? Is Omicron going to ruin everything? And what can you do if that happens? As Flight of Fancy returns for 2022, we seek to answer these key conundrums.

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To wrap up Flight of Fancy for 2021, we're taking a look back at the year that was for travellers, from vaccine "stroll-outs" to burst bubbles, from border restrictions to a very gradual and timid reopening - plus, you know, floods and earthquakes and mouse plagues and the like. Join host Ben Groundwater, Traveller's digital editor Craig Platt, and our own "stranded Aussie" Flip Byrnes to recount 2021.

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It’s impossible to be unaffected by Antarctica: there’s something mystical about this vast continent, something primal, something that taps you straight into the spirit of explorers and adventurers and seekers of the unique. And now, it's opening to travellers once again. But how will the experience of visiting Antarctica change in the post-COVID world? And how do you get the best out of your journey?

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Getaway host Catriona Rowntree and Antarctic explorer David McGonigal join us to share hard-won wisdom accumulated over two lifetimes of incredible travel experiences. From riding a motorbike around the world to navigating cultural norms to realising that we're all brought together by the music of Celine Dion, there's so much to learn from these absolute experts.

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