The Travel Addict

Alastair Henry did something not many people would think about doing when retiring in his 60s.
He did volunteer work in Bangladesh, Guyana, and Jamaica. He also did his share of backpacking around the world, an activity normally associated with the younger generation.
This is a prime example of "You are never too old for adventure", which is also a title of one of my presentation topics.
He did surprise me when he stated that more people than we think do these commendable activities, even when they are in the latter part of their lives.
Take note everyone. Life is short.
Check out his web site and books:
Alastair Henry - Fiction & Non-Fiction Author

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

Max Vanaalst and I were both invited on the brand new luxury ship Explora 1 on its inaugural visit to Caribbean from Europe.
We were contracted as Luminaries, as we provided educational and enrichment talks to passengers during the 2+ week cruise around the Caribbean, visiting islands such as Barbados, Bonaire, Dominica, Curacao, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Martinique, St. Kitts and Antigua.
A great ship with wonderful staff and delicious food.

Max and his company Branch Coral Foundation are doing a wondeful job preserving and expanding the coral reef system around Curacao.
Listen and learn a little about the intricacies his company's work.
Very commendable.

https://www.branchcoralfoundation.com/

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

Wayne has been chronicling his life's adventures, grappling with personal demons, recounting moments of shame, and reflecting on his wild, at times bewildering behaviors for over three decades.
Now, using the wealth of insights contained within his extensive series of journals and life experiences, he has unveiled it all to the world in his debut book, "So It Begins: Dark Dreams, Demons, and Discovery." This book marks the first installment in a series that captures his myriad experiences and profound self-reflection as he embarks on a quest for redemption, striving to invest his emotional currency wisely.
After an active life so far, he is still alive to talk about his escapades.

Keep doing it Wayne.

https://www.facebook.com/c.wayne.butler/
https://www.instagram.com/turnerblade/

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

Kelly Keefe is a multi-disciplinary artist, best-selling author, innovative leader, empowerment guide, and Reiki teacher. 
She is the founder of The Heartspace, established in 2016 helping individuals and groups elevate into states of thriving. 
She works deeply with the Divine Feminine/spiritual world to endlessly create uplifting experiences, creations, and teachings. 
Her music is a multi-dimensional experience created with the intention to expose and elevate the different facets of herself, and as a reflection - of everyone. Kelly is a world traveler serving, performing, and creating as needed and desired. 
Ready to thrive and live alive? Listen and discover.

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

This podacst is based on Lisa Ruoff's own personal experiences, as a single solo female traveler, within her highly unconventional life. Alaska to Cuba and Back is the story and is about leaving her little, off grid cabin in Alaska to make her way onto a sailboat off the east coast of the states, to sail around Cuba with a South African captain and the girl he met at a bar the night before. She wrote a book about this.
Her second book, Bite of the Travel Bug , recently released,  is about backpacking and hitchhiking adventures in both Australia and Africa. 
Hear about her experience with a Tasmanian Devil in, guess where, Tasmania.
All fun stuff, and she is still alive to talk about it.

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

For the 100th episode of the Travel Addict Podcast, I find myself listening to an inspiring story about the Gagnon family from Canada. Daughter Jordan has a very rare illness has caused her to become disabled and wheelchair bound.
Nevertheless, they travel, primarily because Jordan has her own travel Bucket List.
With an attitude of, "we will make it happen", they have plans to travel and make the most of life.
With an upcoming trip to Costa Rica and a cruise to Alaska, they intend to continue their travels under the challenging situation without hesitation.
Hear mother Christa talk about  their escapades and plans for the future. Very inspiring it is:
Resilience, Determination, Courage, Bravery, and Strength are their core values

Check out the Gagnons here:
https://goingwiththegagnons.com/
https://www.instagram.com/goingwiththegagnons/?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D
https://www.tiktok.com/@goingwiththegagnons?_t=8fdzaPukXGn&_r=1

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

Being a luxury 5 star resort does not mean it is always better than a 4 star resort.

Here is the list of my Top 10 in no particular order.:

• Peninsula                                                                 Hong Kong         
• Mandarin oriental                                              Hong Kong         
• Dhara Dhevi                                                          Thailand             
• Royal Livingstone                                              Zambia               
• Montague  on the Gardens                           England              
• Sands                                                                         Turks & Caicos  
• Raffles Singapore                                               Singapore           
• Old Course                                                            Scotland             
• Desert Hills Lodge                                            Namibia              
• Conrad Rangali Island                                     Maldives 

My #1 choice will be mentioned at the end.

Listen to this podcast and learn why. I have my reasons. Would I go back there tomorrow? Yes of course,

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

Sonja a mapmaker, artist, and designer. For the first 26 years of her life,she lived in  4 countries while not changing her street address. You have to listen to this podcast to understand this logic.
She moved to Paris 12 years ago from Serbia to complete her second master's degree in Urban Regeneration (her first was in Architecture).
Paris ignited her creativity,  and for the past 8 yearsshe has been crafting maps for companies and individuals. She believes anything can be turned into a map, aiding communication in the workplace and celebrating life.
She has also climbed the Eiffel Tower 100's of times.
We talk about her ex-pat life and the science of maps.

Find her right here:
https://sonjabajic.substack.com/p/travelogue-scandinavia
hello@sonjabajic.com

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

Mitch Metzger helps people completely change their lives by traveling the world and getting paid to teach English abroad. 
If an opportunity like this was around when I was growing up in England, I would have given it some serious consideration.
Mitch describes his time in Thailand teaching English and also teaching teachers. It may not be the highest paying job on the planet, but the advantages of living inThailand are many:

• Low cost of living
• Safe
• Affordable accomodation
• Good health care system
• Hospitality of the country's citizens
• A desirable place to live for ex-pats from all over the world
• Culturally rich
• Thailand's diversity
• Fun
• Easily accessible to other parts of Asia
• etc.

He does return to the States every now and again, but after 2 weeks, he feels the need to get back to Bangkok.
A frequent visitor to Thailand myself, I understand completely his desire to live there.
In 2024, I will be there again.

Listen to his story as it is very inspiring to the younger generation who maybe looking for something "different" to explore in their lives.  FIVE STAR reviews.

https://destinationtefl.com/bkk/
https://www.instagram.com/teflthailand/
https://www.gooverseas.com/organization/destination-tefl-reviews

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

These days, I am more likely to visit and stay in a place where there are fewer people, however I do have some favorite major cities, which left their mark on me.
Would I go back to these places? Of course I would.
Below is a list of my favorite capital cities of the world. Each has their own personality and unique history. 

In no particular order:

• Edinburgh, Scotland
• London, England
• Ljubljana, Slovenia
• Berlin, Germany
• Kyiv, Ukraine
• Bangkok, Thailand
• Singapore
• Stockholm, Sweden
• Sydney, Australia
• Vilnius, Lithuania

The picture inserted in my logo is a view of Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok on a typical day.
Enjoy the short podcast. 

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

My Top10 islands of the World and the explanation of why that is:

• Isle of Wight, England
• Palau, Micronesia
• Bonaire, ABC Islands 
• Rangali, Maldives 
• Providenciales, Turks and Caicos 
• Phuket, Thailand
• Koh Samui, Thailand
• Bali, Indonesia
• Palawan, Philippines
• Aitutaki, Cook Islands

Worthy mentions:

• Guernsey, U.K. Channel Islands
• Borneo, Malaysia
• Vanua Levu, Fiji
• Bora Bora, French Polynesia

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

My Top 10 list of places where I have enjoyed the wonders of Mother Nature.

1. The world's oldest desert, Namibia
2. High up in the Himalayan Mountains, Nepal
3. Where the sea meets the sky, Maldives
4. Mystical peacefulness, Bhutan
5. Norwegian Fjords
6. Wilderness, Mongolia
7. Just a normal sunset, Boracay, Philippines
8. World's largest biodiverse marine area, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
9. Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
10. Deadvlei, Namibia

I could have added 10 more also. The world is a wonderful place.

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

I asked Sarah after she told me about her activities day to day, "Do you have time to sleep?"
Hear her response in this podcast. She also  answered how she defines the meaning of life.
Her adventurous spirit, volunteer work and support for non-profit organizations is commendable, but she also embraces financial and spiritual wisdom in helping people to succeed in life.
Her travel stories are delightful also.

Great stuff.
FInd her here:
https://thesarahmarie.net


The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

This is a relatively short description of the 10 most sacred places I have visited on our wonderful planet.
Yes, there are so many out there, I could have made a top 20.
Nevertheless, I narrowed it down to my top 10, and they are probably nothing what you would expect, or maybe never heard of.
These are very special places, or as I say sometimes, while I was there, I just knew that they are/were important and very significant.
Listen and make comments.
Enjoy.
 

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

It was October when I took the Norwegian Airlines flight to Stockholm. It made me think for a few seconds while in flight that I may be going to Oslo instead.
Staying in Stockholm's Old Town is a great area to be. You can just spend your day walking around.
Coffee shops, Pubs, Historical Buildings, and blocks of ice high up on buildings. The latter you have to be aware of, although there are Ice Managment Staff monitoring and removing any signs of falling ice blocks.
Take a walk to Abba's museum and reminisce about the great music of the 70's and 80's.
Staying at the Victory Hotel was excellent and made me think about Admiral Lord Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar, and why I would see this in Stockholm.
I sailed through the Stockholm Archipelago which was just spectacular and was honored to be ask to speak from the Cruise Ship's Bridge as we navigated the area.
Great memories.

Also, thanks to Feedspot for putting the Travel Addict Podcast high in the MIdlife Travel category
https://podcasts.feedspot.com/midlife_travel_podcasts/




 
 

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

After listening to this, you may be either surprised or enlightened to the fact that the Nordic countries are rated highly in various world indexes and are desirable places to live, although maybe not all year round.
I have not made up these statistics as they have come from trusted sources.
Maybe before you listen, just jot down the countries you think maybe at the #1 position for Happiest Country, Safest Country, Most Freedom, Human Development, Best Places to Live, etc.
Good luck.
As I lecture about this stuff, I have to be pretty much correct and have this info. backed up fom reliable sources.

Personally, I still love the English Countryside.

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

After a flight to Amsterdam and a quick train ride to Rotterdam, I boarded the excellent Celebrity Apex for 9 days in the Norwegian Fjords.
Apart from 4 enrichment talks to a full theater, I was able relax and hike several miles through spectacular countryside.
Geiranger, Flam, Olden, and Bergen were the stops en route.
Camping is popular of course, but for the people who live in these remote areas obviously enjoy their way of life and high standard of living. A few few months of cold weather in the year is obviously not a deterance.
No crowds, superb scenery, very safe, healthy ifestyle, and contentment.
The busy port of Bergen is bustling with life, and Oslo, although modern, is protective of their historic buildins, rightfully so.
Yes, I would go back there and stay in a mountain resort for a few days.
This podcast includes some info on geography, history, vikings, and other "did you know?" items.

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

Yep, I had to blame someone. My parents.
For me it started at an early age. The earlier the better I think.
Why? Because it is an experience, both educational and inspirational, that I will never regret.
My business, adventure and pleasure travel has taken me to 118 countries so far, and that will continue as long as I am physically able.
There have been mistakes (avoidable, unforeseen, and self-made) but all-in-all it has been enlightening, educational and fulfilling, and I have experienced places of beauty and rich culture.
I have my favorites, and not-so favorites, which I will talk about another time.
The adventure continues.

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

Evelyn LaTorre ‘s first book, Between Inca Walls, A Peace Corps Memoir, won several awards and is about her adventures growing up in Montana, volunteering in Mexico, and coming of age in Peru, where she met her husband of 57 years.
He second book is called Love in any Language, A Memoir of a Cross-Cultural Marriage.

She holds a doctorate in multicultural education from the University of San Francisco and a master’s degree in social welfare from UC Berkeley. 

She worked as a bilingual school psychologist and school administrator for 32 years in public education in California until her retirement in 2002. She and her Peruvian husband have been married since 1966 and have traveled to close to 100 countries.
She has 2 grown sons, who both live in the USA.

Her writing has appeared in several magazines, such as World View Magazine and the California Writers Club Literary Review.
Our conversations is all about travel and cultural understanding and acceptance.

Check out her stories and photos on her web site and social media:
https://www.evelynlatorre.com
http://www.instagram/evelynkohllatorre
https://www.facebook.com/evelyn.latorre

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com

Brent Antonson is a travel writer who has circumnavigated the world by rail, including North Korea, 50 states, etc, and taught in Russia, Iraq, and China.
Talk about venturing to places where most people would not consider, he pushes the envelope and his luck to fulfill his adventurous side.
He even  went to Europe and entered the Former Yugoslav crisis by sliding into Zagreb during the war on a night train.
His epic train ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Beijing via Mongolia is another adventure that is well worth knowing about.
He is also a big fan of driving and has passed through 19 countries, and slept a few nights inside the vehicle on occassion.
Epic travel stories abound incluing arrests, torture, girlfriends, and risque stuff.

Learn more about Brent here:

www.brentantonson.com
https://www.planksip.org/author/brent-antonson/
https://www.facebook.com/bAntonson/

Check out his book on Amazon: Of Russia - A Year Inside

http://www.malcolmteasdale.com