Choosing a destination for travel is part of the adventure! Check out our top tips on how to choose the best travel destination for you.

Talk to locals or other travellers, find information online or off, or just head out to explore. Here's how to find lesser-known attractions in your travel destination.

One of the best things about travelling is trying new things — like different beer! Check out our top places to drink beer around the world.

Travelling with kids requires a different approach than travelling alone or with other adults. It can be awesome for all involved, as long as you are well prepared! Listen to our podcast about how to travel with children.

Festivals are a great reason to travel, and summer is a particularly good time to head to an event. Check out our podcast about the best summer festivals around the world.

Milwaukee is a quirky city with a unique vibe. Check out our podcast on the top things to do in Milwaukee, Wisconsin!

Ten cheap things to do in Auckland, from visiting a beachside café to island adventures or wine tasting. Listen to our Auckland podcast for advice about cheap things to do in Auckland, New Zealand.

Packing for travel isn’t just about what clothes to take! It’s also important to think about what to pack in the carry-on bag that you put under the seat in front of you, for a comfortable short- or long-haul flight.

The Cotswold Way is a multi-day walk through some of England's most picturesque landscape. Listen to our Cotswold Way resources podcast to learn how to walk the Cotswold Way.

Delve into history, see a show, enjoy the parks -- if you find yourself wondering what to do in London, England, these five things to do are a great place to start.

Packing for travel can be a challenge. Listen to our travel packing podcast for our top tips on what clothes to pack for short and long trips.

Travel insurance is an important part of any trip. But how do you know which policy is right for you? We talk with travel safety expert Phil Sylvester about all things travel insurance.

Road trips are a great way to explore. You’ll get the most out of your journey with a little planning, so check out our top tips for road trips podcast.

Drink wine, eat pies, visit the Bay of Islands -- there's plenty to do and see in New Zealand. Check out our top ten things to do in New Zealand.

Transit days can be a challenge, but with a bit of preparation and a deep breath or two, you’ll get there. Check out our top tips for travel days.

Trying local food is an important part of travel — not only do you get to try some brand-new flavours, food can also give an insight into the culture of your destination. Listen to our food and travel podcast with Tommo and Megsy.

Renting a car while travelling can be daunting, but these top ten tips for travel car hire will help you save time and money. Listen to our car hire podcast!

If you're considering a trip to Prague, Czech Republic, you might need to know the answers to some of these questions. Listen to our Prague podcast!

Europe is full of imagery and experience, but planning can be a bit overwhelming -- there are so many options. Listen to our Europe planning podcast for advice!

Spain is a large country, and there's a lot to see in the different regions that form the country. There are plenty of ways to get around in Spain, including land, air and sea -- check out the options in our Spain transport podcast.

Listen to our travel gift podcast for tips about what presents to buy for travellers. We've received some awesome travel gifts over the years!

You need money to travel — but maybe not as much as you think! In our travel money podcast, we talk about saving for travel, making and managing money while travelling, spending less, and what to do about money and your travel companions.

Whisky, haggis, bagpipes, the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow — there are so many good things to do in Scotland! Listen to our Scotland podcast for our tips.

Get on the water, on the road, to local events! Want to truly experience the Kiwi summer? Check out our top five things to do in the NZ summer.

If you’re a wine drinker, a trip to the Champagne region of France is a must! Check out our top things to do in Champagne podcast.

Preparing well for a long flight can make your trip that much smoother and more comfortable. Have a great plane trip with our top ten tips for long flights.

Why travel by public transport while travelling? Find out in our public transport podcast.

It's easy to spend a week or more in the Spanish seaside city of La Coruña, but one day is okay too! Check out our guide to how to spend one day in A Coruña, Spain.

Australia is a land of huge distances, so choosing the right transport is a big deal! Find out how to get around Australia in our Australia transport podcast.

Portugal is an amazing place, full of delicious food and drink! Listen to our top ten things to do in Portugal in this Portugal travel podcast.  

The Milford Track is the most famous of New Zealand’s Great Walks — and for good reason. An easy track, wonderful scenery and birdsong, and good infrastructure make the Milford one awesome track. Learn how to prepare for the walk in our Milford Track podcast.

Heading to Jerusalem? Listen to our Jerusalem podcast for tips on what to do with 24 hours in Israel's capital.

It's always possible to keep the travel mentality alive, by being a tourist in your own backyard. Listen to our local tourist podcast for some ideas!

Want to know how to get around New Zealand? Check out our New Zealand transport tips in this NZ travel podcast. 

Australia is a fantastic place, with great cities and amazing wildlife. Check out our top ten things to do in Australia in our Australia podcast.

Travelling can be stressful. But don't let travel stress ruin your journey -- use our seven tips for de-stressing on the road!

There's plenty to do in Croatia, from adventure sports, to wine and food experiences, to city breaks. We speak with Maja Gudelj about her home country.

Long-distance bus is one of the most common forms of transport out there. As an independent traveller, you’re sure to find yourself on one or more long bus trips. Find out how to travel by long-distance bus in this episode of the Indie Travel Podcast

Choosing just ten things to do in England was a challenge — there’s so many options! In this podcast, we talk about our favourite things to do in England.

Washing your clothes is an unavoidable part of long-term travel, but it doesn’t have to be a chore! Learn how to do it well in our laundry podcast.  

Getting to and around Panama is easy but information is scarce! We share what we’ve learned over four months here in our Panama transport podcast.  

Austria is one of our favourite European countries -- we've spent a lot of time there! Find out our top ten things to do in Austria in this Austria podcast.

It's possible to feel lonely while traveling -- even if you're travelling with a partner, friend or family member! That's why making friends while travelling is so important.

Booking accommodation online is easy, but you’ll get the best results if you take a bit of time and consider your needs before you enter your credit card details!

Spain is an amazing country, with its regional variation of culture and gastronomy. We kept being drawn back and we’re sure you will too — but these top ten things to do in Spain are a good place to start.

Eating healthily on the road can be a challenge, but it’s possible! In this healthy eating podcast, we share tips and stories about eating well while travelling.

Colombia is an amazing place, full of flavour, colour, and music. Listen to our Colombia travel podcast for tips and stories about travel in Colombia.

Getting robbed is never fun — avoid it by following some basic security practices. Listen to our security podcast for travel security tips.

Getting sick on the road isn't fun for either of you when you're travelling as a couple or with a friend, but it doesn't have to ruin your trip. Listen to this episode of the Indie Travel Podcast to find out what to do when your travel partner is sick.   

Italy is an enchanting place, full of hidden corners and delicious flavours. Listen to our top ten things to do in Italy podcast for our picks for what to do in this awesome country.

Cartagena, Colombia, is a charming city, with its walled old town and colonial history. But there's more to it than that -- visit the poorer neighbourhoods and make a difference to kids growing up in a rough environment.

After ten years of full-time travel, we've finally created a pre-trip checklist to make sure everything gets done the day before a travel day. Now we just have to remember to use it.  

Travellers in the United Kingdom will almost always find multiple alternatives for getting from A to B. In our UK transport podcast, we give you some tips for getting around this island nation and share some of our UK transport stories.

If you’re looking for a holiday in the sun, Quintana Roo in eastern Mexico is the place to go. What else is there to do? Listen to the Quintana Roo podcast.

Listen to our Mexico road trip podcast to hear about travel in the Mexican states of Yucatan, Chiapas and Campeche.  

The end of the year is a great time to travel, but it can be hard to be away from family and friends. Listen to the Christmas podcast for our tips on how to celebrate the holidays away from home.

Cuba is unlike any other place in the world, and travelling there requires a different travel strategy. Find out how to travel in Cuba with this Cuba travel podcast.

Housesitting is a great way to immerse yourself in a destination and live like a local. In this housesitting podcast, we talk about how we started housesitting and how you can try this alternative (and cheap) form of accommodation.

Ukraine hasn’t had good press recently, but we found it to be a friendly country with delicious food and amazing architecture. Listen to our Ukraine podcast!

Moldova is an eastern European country that's worth a visit -- especially if you like wine! Listen to this Moldova podcast for advice about travel in Moldova.

Japan is a country of contrasts, which has a lot more to offer the independent traveller than just geishas and sushi. In this episode of the Indie Travel Podcast, we talk to Andres Zuleta about what to do in the land of the rising sun.

One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned in ten years of travel is to pack light. Learn how to travel with carry-on size luggage.

In this Prague travel guide podcast, we talk about our experience of Prague, Czech Republic and how you can enjoy it too. 

Alcalá de Henares is a charming city that is definitely worth a visit while you're in Spain -- just be prepared for Cervantes to be ever-present!

Berlin is a fantastic city that warrants more than just a flying visit, but if you want to see Berlin in a day this podcast will help.  

  Riga's the biggest city in the Baltics, the most-vibrant city, and the place with the best nightlife. In English-speaking Europe, the capital of Latvia is also known as the stag- and hen-party capital of the region.

  The Camino Primitivo is our favourite Way of Saint James so far. If you’re planning to do a Camino de Santiago, we recommend this one — but do a bit of preparation before you go! 

  In this Lithuania podcast, we talk about a country that is like no other, full of quirks and surprises, with a fantastic, independent spirit.

  For our 300th episode of Indie Travel Podcast, we revisit our roots and discuss what indie travel means to us: flexibility, immersion, and experience among other things.

  In this Estonia Podcast, we explore Tallinn, the national parks, and Parnu. From the capital to the beach resorts, we loved it!

Semana Santa is a great time to be in Spain -- experience the processions, eat delicious food and generally soak up the atmosphere of Holy Week (or Easter, if you prefer).

We talk with Nora Dunn, author of Working on the Road, about life, travel, and her new book. Discover how you can work and travel. 

Where have we been for the last year? We discuss why we took a year off the Indie Travel Podcast and our plans for 2015.

Just a quick note to say thanks for 2013 -- and we're looking forward to a great 2014 with you all.

We talk travel photography in Vietnam, and all kind of goodness with Joseph Linaschke who shares his thoughts on ultra-light cameras and why he uses an iPad.

How do you choose a hike in New Zealand? There are a number of factors to consider, which will be more or less important depending on you and your group.

What must you pack on a round-the-world trip? Opinions change, and we're revisiting our "essential items" four and a half years after posting a podcast on this same topic.

Busking to finance travel isn't for everyone, but if you're interested in this option there are a few things you can do to help your chances. We talk to professional busker Annie Chambers and her partner Colin Callanan about their experiences busking to finance their travels. They're also super-generous and play for us!

Croatia is a fascinating country that has now been well and truly incorporated into the backpackers' trail, so infrastructure is good while prices are still pretty cheap.

If you are heading off on your first trip, use these tips for new travellers to make sure you have the best experience possible. 

From books to beer, Ireland's capital is full of things to experience.

Europe's rail network is immense, and navigating it can sometimes be a bit of a mission. But with forward planning and perseverance, you can get some very good deals. 

Jamie Isaac tells how his surfing holiday turned into a sustainable business that’s changing people’s lives in Fuerteventura, while we're in Ireland and Croatia. Features Irish music from the streets of Dublin.

This week we take a look at the months ahead (since we haven't really yet!) and also reminisce and grieve over the end of our time in Berlin. 

It can be hard to learn a language, especially after you've picked up the basics and you're ready to take it to the next level. Learn how (with our mistakes).

In this podcast we apologise profusely for not recording an episode for a few weeks and talk about what we’ve been up to during that time, as well as discussing recent reviews.

This podcast starts in Hamburg, passes through Rostock down to Berlin, then takes a day trip to Leipzig... Just like us! Check out photos from Rostock and Leipzig in this travel podcast. 

Hamburg - one of Europe's biggest cities - is fun to visit too: lots of interesting restaurant quarters, water to play on, and lovely buildings to see. 

Dresden is delightfully schizophrenic: on one side it's a series of baroque portraits, and on the other an alternative zone filled with bars and boutiques.

What are some of the best things to do in Cologne and Bonn? We find out as we travel in Cologne and Bonn as part of a four-month trip through Germany.

It’s true! Nuremberg has a beauty and loveliness all of its own, and it’s jumped up our internal ranking to become our second-favourite city in Germany.

Munich: the home of Oktoberfest! We found beer gardens and beer halls, but we also found a whole lot more: a city with an outdoor vibe; with museums, palaces and galleries; and great people too.

What is #IndieGermany, what are we doing, and why are we doing it? Find out, as well as catching up with our travels through the Czech Republic and Italy. 

After our recent time in Salzburg, we talk about what we got up to, and our top ten picks for things to do on your visit.

We'd never heard of the San Juan festival until we arrived in A Coruña, where it's the biggest event of the year -- and then we got to experience it first-hand. It has roots in pagan solstice celebrations and summer cleansing rituals, and is celebrated all over Spain. In Alicante the modern celebration started in the 1920s and involves burning intricate structures created by local artists. In A Coruña, just one of these structures is burned, representing the major events that have happened in the city during the previous year. Read more at http://indietravelpodcast.com/spain/san-juan-festival-coruna/

Mongol Rally 2012 podcast: Pam is part of the only female-only team to compete. From Prague to Ulan Bator, it's the ultimate adventure. We discuss the trip, the planning, the fundraising, and the visas. Oh god, the visas! More at http://indietravelpodcast.com/mongolia/mongol-rally-podcast-2012

Visit Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with our KL travel guide. A bustling, muggy, shopping mecca, is a great place to start exploring Asia. http://indietravelpodcast.com/malaysia/travel-kuala-lumpur-malaysia/

How do you avoid fights on the road? How do you stay happy with each other, and ensure your trip is the best it can be? While there's a million and one ways each relationship is different, these tips can improve your trip. For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/travel/couples-sane-travel/ and http://artofcouplestravel.com

What are the best electronics to take travelling? Should you take your laptop on the road? How about an iPad? A Kindle? A DSLR camera? We explore the best electronics to carry with you, right down to our recommended brands and models. http://indietravelpodcast.com/travel-gear/best-electronics-travelling/ for more!

Why visit A Coruña, Spain? Why not! It's a beautiful city far in the north-west, with long white beaches and lots of cultural and foodie opportunities. We talk about how we (accidentally) ended up here, and what it's like. http://indietravelpodcast.com/spain/visit-corunna-spain/

Ready to head out on your first big trip? Learn how to prepare for your first trip, whether that's a summer in Europe or a RTW extravaganza. http://indietravelpodcast.com/preparation/prepare-first-big-trip/ We cover: Planning Packing Money Airports Arrival So that you can confiently go and have the time of your life.

This Salta podcast covers things to do, places to see, where to stay, how to get around in Salta, Argentina. Rounded out with good stories & nice pictures. For more, see: http://indietravelpodcast.com/south-america/argentina/salta/ or http://indietravelpodcast.com/argentina/salta-podcast/

We're back! The first podcast in almost two months recounts some stories and learnings from the Via de la Plata — the 1031km 'pilgrimage' walk we have just completed. Learn... * What is the Via de la Plata? * Our Stand-out moments on the Camino * Why we choose this to celebrate 10 years of marriage * Resources for the Camino de Santiago * How to prepare for the Camino * and for more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/spain/via-de-la-plata-podcast/

Travel in your home country doesn't have to be a second-best option. Thousands of people visit your home area every year. Why shouldn't you be one of them? For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/travel/explore-backyard-travel-country/

The best places in Asia are hard to pin down, so this list comprises the places we've loved the most, and the places we're most fascinated by. Go travel... http://indietravelpodcast.com/thailand/best-places-asia/

Adventure, food and fun are all to be found in the Central American country of Belize... at least according to today's interviewees. We speak with Kristin Fuhrmann-Simmons and Lebawit Lily Girma about the time they've spent in what seems to be a marvelous country. http://indietravelpodcast.com/belize/adventure-food-fun/

How to buy travel insurance? Look online! But how do you find the best travel insurance? What do you look for? What questions should you ask? Find out! http://indietravelpodcast.com/insurance We're now on Soundcloud! Find the Indie Travel Podcast at http://soundcloud.com/indietravel

Carnival (or Carnaval) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is one of the world’s biggest parties. Joel Ward talks about learning to samba and enjoying the party. For more details, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/brazil/carnival-rio-de-janeiro/

When it comes to travel, cheap accommodation options can help you to save money, but great accommodation will help you to really enjoy your destination. You might be overwhelmed by suggestions of where to go and where to stay. I'm sure you'll have some idea of your dream destination -- but once you get there, where do you sleep? There are a multitude of accommodation options, and your choice will be influenced by both your budget and your inclination. For more see: http://indietravelpodcast.com/preparation/travel-accommodation-options/

Auckland, known as the "City of Sails" is New Zealand's largest city. It's surrounded by sea and is studded with volcanic mountains, and is a very pleasant place to live or visit -- it ranked third in the 2011 Worldwide Quality of Living Survey, up from previous years. This Auckland podcast covers: Layout Transport Accommodation Events Things to do For more information visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/oceania/new-zealand/

Is it safe to travel in Asia? It sure is! But there are risks to mitigate. We give you the low-down on the best health and safety advice for travel in Asia. http://indietravelpodcast.com/travel-safety/health-safety-asia-safe-travel-asia/ This first half of this podcast deals with health concerns, while the second looks at safety and security issues. See the new book at http://travelsafetybook.com/ for more in-depth coverage.

Looking at our highlights from 2011, we realise we have a lot to be thankful for. Most of all, thanks to you — the Indie Travel Podcast Community — for inspiring us, for funding us, for talking to us every day. If it wasn’t for you, Indie Travel Podcast would have died a long time ago. Instead, it’s growing. Listen to this podcast about our travel resolutions for 2012, and how 2011 went for Indie Travel Podcast.

Want to volunteer, but don't want to pay high "voluntourism" fees? This week we uncover a great opportunity to volunteer in Chile, with a government-backed project to put native- and proficient-English speakers into Chilean classrooms. You can travel Chile in 2012 without having to find more money than paying for the plane tickets. In this interview we speak with Dave Hanegraaff from PROGRAMA INGLÉS ABRE PUERTAS, or English Opens Doors -- he tells his story of volunteering in Chile, and also how you can get involved in 2012 and beyond. For more details, see http://indietravelpodcast.com/chile/volunteer-chile-english-opens-doors/

The Camino de Santiago is a famous pilgrimage walk. In this podcast, we discuss planning for the Camino Frances & Via de la Plata. In this podcast we first talk about the Passports with Purpose fundraiser which we're supporting, then planning for the Camino de Santiago -- and how you can do it too.

South America in four months? That's what we've just done! Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay -- we talk about it in this podcast. For more details head to http://indietravelpodcast.com/brazil/south-america-four-months/

We talk about some of our favourite visits to England; give some tips on how to save money as you travel around the country; and finish up with 10 things to do, from our England travel resources page. http://indietravelpodcast.com/europe/england/

With holiday travel season approaching, we talk about staying sane while travelling over the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year holiday time. Family can be stressful enough, but the huge numbers of people doing "vacation travel" over late November, December and early January definitely adds lots of stress to family events. And nobody needs more of that.

Looking for a volunteer experience with a difference? Take a look into Cloudhead.org if you're heading through Northern Argentina.

It's been some time since we've highlighted the best of the travel gear we are carrying. While there are thousands of new product releases each year, there's only so much stuff you can fit into a carry-on sized bag, so everything we carry is carefully considered in terms of both utility and weight. We cover: * Electronics * Clothing * Packs and bags * Equipment and other stuff * Things we don't carry We also have a new-look website at the same address: http://indietravelpodcast.com/ Please send in your feedback.

Paraguay travel advice from independent travellers who have just been. We cover visas, Ciudad del Este, Encarnacion, the Jesuit ruins and the capital of Paraguay, Asuncion. Our world fact book claims that Paraguay and Bolivia have a very similar GDP, but our experience of Paraguay was that it was much more affluent and faster-growing than its andean neighbour. There seems to be more indigent people living in Asuncion than the other cities we visited, and there are large areas of farmland that provide little more than sustenance living for its workers ... so maybe those stats are true. All in all, we felt very safe travelling in Paraguay, even when walking the streets in the late evening or on long bus trips. While we've heard reports of some scams, we encountered none at all. We never felt threatened, hassled or oversold because we were foreigners ... which was a nice contrast with our time in Bolivia. Paraguay's a great destination, with lots more to see. There are wonderful natural sites, an intriguing and accessible modern history, and is very well priced. I really don't know why more people don't visit, so plan to go soon before tourism really picks up.

We recently travelled from Buenos Aires, Argentina through Uruguay to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with Intrepid Travel. It was a fast and fun 17 days with lots of great stops along the way. In this podcast we break down the itinerary with our own comments and give the feedback we feel most important when considering this trip as part of the tour or independently. We visit: Argentina * Buenos Aires Uruguay * Colonia * Montevideo * An estancia * Salto Brazil * Foz Do Iguacu * Paraty * Ihla grande * Rio de Janeiro

We talk about some of the oldest -- and newest -- tricks in the book for travel scams, cons, and how you can safeguard against them. For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/travel-safety/travel-scams-cons/

Things to do in Kangaroo Island, South Australia ... Well know to many Aussies, this doesn't feature highly on international agendas ... perhaps because people don't know about it. For more (and photos!) visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/australia/things-to-do-kangaroo-island/

Uruguay is an excellent country to explore independently. The long-distance buses run frequently and are clean and comfortable, and there are lots of hotels and hostels to choose from throughout the country. That said, we recently travelled through on a tour and learnt a lot from that experience too. This travel podcast covers places to go in Uruguay was well as independent travel and intrepid tours through Uruguay.

What are the best ways to learn a language while you are travelling? What are the keys to success when learning a language? For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/ If you're learning a language to travel, your main goal will be communication … speaking! No matter how much you read or how many grammar activities you do, or how much vocabulary you understand … if you want to speak to people, you have to speak. We've been teaching English as a Second Language since 2003, and over the last two years have been learning Spanish. We've seen what works and what doesn't, and can recognise the same successes and failures in our own language learning. Here's the gist of what we've learned.

Trip planning for couples can be tricky, but we share everything you need to know to travel without fighting ... from dreaming to planning the trip. For more, see: http://indietravelpodcast.com/preparation/planning-couples-travel/ We talk about dreaming, creating a plan, and the four points to help you frame your next trip: 1. Time 2. Non-negociables. 3. Destinations. 4. Money

Best cities in Australia - Australia is a huge country, but most of the population and action are centred in its cities -- each with its distinct personality. We cover: Perth Adelaide Melbourne Sydney, and Brisbane For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/australia/best-cities-australia/ or http://indietravelpodcast.com/oceania/australia/

How do you choose the best flight? If you're travelling long-term, you'll probably need to book several. These notes help you choose the right flight. We discuss: 1. Price 2. Airline 3. Flight arrival/departure times 4. Extra benefits ...and our first few hours in Buenos Aires, Argentina. For more information, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/flights/choose-best-flight/

How to prepare for long-term travel ... on the third time around. Craig and Linda have had a few months at home, and show you how they prepare for another 18 months away. For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/travel/preparing-travel/ WITH: Bonus ending interview with the Social Media Syndicate Mongol Rally 2011 team from Prague, Czech Republic.

How to do La Tomatina 2011 - the world's biggest tomato fight in Valencia, Spain. This podcast looks at preparation and what you might expect to see and do on the day of La Tomatina, based on our experiences in 2010. For more visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/spain/how-to-la-tomatina-valencia/

We speak with Adventurists co-founder Tom Morgan about the start of the Mongol Rally and the other adventures to have come from it. Then, with Dave and Deb from the Planet D, who are participants in this years' rally as part of the Social Media Syndicate. http://indietravelpodcast.com/mongolia/mongol-rally-planning-tom-morgan-planetd/ for more.

Cheap things to do while you travel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia including Royal Palace, FCC club, Phnom Wat and cultural documentaries. For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/asia/cambodia/

The Rugby World Cup 2011 is coming to New Zealand. We talk transport, accommodation, parties and rundown the centres hosting world cup rugby games to help your travel planning. For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/new-zealand/rugby-world-cup-2011-podcast/

Travel photography podcast with Ralph Velasco, where we discuss composition time, shot lists, people and permission, and other travel photo advice. More at http://indietravelpodcast.com/photography/

The best cities in Europe to travel through, including unusual cities like Tallinn, Utrecht, Goteborg, Sofia and Vienna as well as London, Paris and Amsterdam. For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/travel/best-cities-europe-travel/

In this podcast we speak with Vera Marie Badertscher about the life and times of Quincy Tahoma, a 20th century Navajo artist. As we talk, we explore the Navajo nation and how visitors can see the influences and works of Tahoma as they travel in America's Southwest. For more information, visit: http://indietravelpodcast.com/usa/travel-navajo-nation-quincy-tahoma For Vera's book, visit: http://tahomablog.com

Wine tourism is one of the reasons we love to travel! We tell stories about our wine tasting adventures on five continents in this travel and wine podcast. In this podcast we tell stories from: Champagne, France Swan Valley and Margaret River, Australia Auckland, New Zealand Battambang, Cambodia Malta Savoie and the French Alps, France Neusiedl am See, Austria St Anna am Aigen, Austria Montevideo, Uruguay Gibbston Valley, New Zealand Ica, Peru Cafayate, Argentina and give some general wine-tasting tips. For shownotes, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/malta/wine-tasting-travel And all our wine week stories at http://indietravelpodcast.com/travel/wine-week-2011/

What is Couchsurfing, how to Couchsurf, and is couchsurfing safe ... Advice from years of couchsurfing, new friends and free accommodation around the world. For more, visit: http://indietravelpodcast.com/travel/how-to-couchsurfing/

Travel the Bay of Islands, Northland, New Zealand with things to do, where to stay and how to get there as an independent traveller. Spring, summer and autumn all offer plenty to the visitor, although the high season is definitely over the Christmas period: from December until early February. If you are visiting during winter, take a look at the things to do on a rainy day and the historic places ... Because most of the sports are right out. For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/new-zealand/bay-islands-do-stay-travel/

Would you consider driving a third of the way around the world with strangers for two months over some of the toughest terrain on the planet? Does this sound like torture to you? It might once you discover their music tastes. Even the most intrepid travelers may shun this idea, but for four over forty travel bloggers this is just another adventure in their already crazy year of travels. For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/mongolia/2011-mongol-rally-ultimate-summer-road-trip/

This is our biggest podcast ever, and cover all sorts of hints, tips and tricks for saving money and having a blast while you travel in Europe this Summer. Shownotes will soon appear on http://indietravelpodcast.com but it's a really late night! Enjoy the show.

No-one wants to imagine an earthquake or flood ruining their travels (or happening at all!) but travel safety advice can help you survive a natural disaster. Craig Bidois, today's guest from Fearfree.co.nz, has trained over 15,000 people in travel security, from soldiers in the Middle East to humanitarian workers in Africa. We speak with Craig about travel safety and surviving a natural disaster. For more, visit: http://indietravelpodcast.com/travel/travel-safety-natural-disaster/

Learn about teaching English in South Korea with Valerie & Griffin Stewart. They've been teaching in Korea for 18 months experiencing expat life, well-paid work and travel. Valerie has written a book about their findings: Coming to Korea: A Practical Guide For Getting An English Teaching Job in Korea And What To Expect. For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/south-korea/teach-english-south-korea/ For Valerie's book, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/links/comingtokorea

The best places to visit in South America, as chosen by Indie Travel Podcast hosts, Craig and Linda. Our favourite places and places we still want to visit in South America. For full shownotes, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/brazil/best-places-south-america/ For more about South America, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/south-america/ This episode focuses on Chile, Peru, Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia with notes on Paraguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and mentions of Guyana, French Guyana and Suriname.

This New Zealand travel itinerary will help you plan a breakneck journey through many of New Zealand's highlights in just four weeks. For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/oceania/new-zealand Produced for #blog4nz. See http://facebook.com/blog4nz for more info.

Learn how to manage your miles and stop frequent flyer miles expiring in our interview with the experts at AwardWallet. Frequent Flyer Miles are becoming a hot topic of conversation as more young travellers look for ways to bankroll their RTW tickets without putting down cash. This week we speak with the crew from AwardWallet, who are currently tracking around 8,500,000,000 miles and rewards points. 8,500,000 miles sounds like a lot, but they estimate more than 10 trillion miles are currently sitting unused in people's frequent flyer accounts. Combined, that's an awful lot of travel. Learn more about how to manage, earn and stop your frequent flyer miles from expiring by visiting http://indietravelpodcast.com/. Further resources: http://indietravelpodcast.com/miles http://indietravelpodcast.com/travelhacking

We recently spent three weeks in Mui Ne, a beach town in Vietnam, about four to five hours in the bus from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). It's a lovely town although quite touristy, but worth a visit if you're in the area. For more information and links, please visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/vietnam/travel-mui-ne-vietnam/

After five years of full-time travel, hosts Craig and Linda Martin take a few minutes to reminisce and highlight some favourite moments from their travels. Highlights include: * Camino de Santiago, Spain * Perth, Australia * Istanbul, Bursa and Cappadocian cities, Turkey * Flitting around Europe - Austria and Czech Republic get a focus each * Couchsurfing in South America * Road-trips in New Zealand * Favourite natural attractions * Favourite man-made attractions For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/travel/five-years-fulltime-travel/ or listen to the podcast!

Travel photography is one of those things that can make or break your memories of a trip. And we're not talking about boring your friends and family to death once you get home. We're talking about how you take photos while you're on the road.

The Via Alpina hike runs over 5,000km through eight European countries. We speak with adventurer and author Brandon Davis about his experiences on the trail and slow travel in Europe.

In the last podcast we talked about how awesome South Australia is, but we ran out of time just talking about Adelaide and Kangaroo Island. And there's even more to the state than that! Northwest of Adelaide is the Eyre Peninsula, where you can swim with sharks or tuna, visit national parks, ancient caves and the Nullarbor Plain among other adventures. If you're looking for places called Eyre (perhaps you're a Charlotte Brontë fan?) Lake Eyre might be worth a visit. The lake is dry for most of the time but occasionally fills with water, especially after times of heavy rain in the north. The flooding in Queenstown this year and last has meant that the lake has had water in it for the last couple of years, and in 2008 we were lucky enough to see the lake for ourselves. If you don't have pilots as family members you can do a scenic flight from Coober Pedy, William Creek, Marree, Adelaide or even Brisbane, though it's a rather expensive day out. You could also choose a tour by 4x4 that takes you to the edge of the lake to see it from the ground. For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/

Let's be honest - South Australia isn't Australia's biggest drawcard. The states of New South Wales and Victoria host the biggest and most vibrant cities, Queensland has the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, and the Northern Territory has Uluru to draw people in. Even Western Australia has the advantage of being a short flight to many Asian cities, so is a popular stopover on the way to the eastern states. But South Australia is there in the middle, largely ignored by tourists to the country. That's okay though, they're the ones missing out! There's a lot to do in South Australia, and we're not just saying that because it's packed with wine regions. Adventure sports are on the rise, and there's plenty of opportunity to get up close and personal with the wildlife.

Some small travel items are essentials, others are luxuries. Choose the ones that will work for you. For more information, links and photos, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com.

We couldn't resist a little navel-gazing as 2010 finished up. In this podcast we relive our favourite moments in each country we spent time in this year. (There's no photos in this episode due to time constraints. Apologies!)

Round-the-world travel is nothing unusual for Kiwi, Dave Dean. He tells us about his travel in Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania. For more information, please see http://indietravelpodcast.com/travel/roundtheworld-travel-dave-dean/ Dave's website is: http://whatsdavedoing.com

London is, quite simply, an amazing city: a meltingpot of cultures and experiences. It’s the home of dozens of world-class galleries as well as boasting thousands of excellent restaurants, theatres, fashion houses and attractions. London is a sprawling metropolis that grew up along the banks of the River Thames, which weaves through the city like a serpent. The M25 motorway marks the outermost boundaries of the city, but most of the city's attractions are a lot more central. Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben are located on the northern bank of the river, with the London Eye and the aquarium just on the other side. A wander along Southbank will take you past a wide variety of theatres and galleries, and you’ll soon see the Tower of London (on the north side) and Tower Bridge. From Big Ben, Mayfair and Hyde Park are to the west, Regent's Park is to the northwest, the City of London is along the river to the east, and Greenwich (of Greenwich Mean Time fame) is to the southeast. For more, please visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/europe/england or http://indietravelpodcast.com/england/london-travel-guide/

Laos is a truly beautiful country, with high, mist-covered mountains dropping into steep river valleys. We were lucky to have a lightening-fast 10-day tour through Northern Thailand and Laos. And we loved it... We had no problems checking out of Thailand, and caught a small boat across the river to Laos. Border control there was hectic and badly organised but, although it took forever, we had no hassles. Every ATM in the country was out of operation for the first two days were were in Laos, so we were glad Dave had recommended we carry cash in from Thailand. For photos and video, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/laos/travel-laos-luang-prabang-vientiene

Travel can be stressful, physically, mentally and emotionally. You're constantly moving, and being exposed to new foods and diseases, which puts stress on your body. Your mind is being exercised as well, as you plan your trip and deal with challenges as they arrive - maybe you have to speak a new language, or alter your plans at the last minute. All of these stressors will have an impact on your emotional health, which is subject to its own problems - after all, you have to interact with people, which can be tough on your emotions. For more, visit

World travel as a way to cut down your debt? That's exactly what this family started doing a few years ago. We talk family travel, work and travel and debt reduction. When they set off, the plan was to work in Cairns, Australia and make the most of the amazing diving opportunities right next to their apartment. What they didn't realise was that having a "dependent" (a child, in non-government parlance) meant they couldn't get the work and holiday visas they were relying on. With no time to change their plans, they still went to Australia hoping to make something work. It was next to impossible, so they moved down to Auckland, New Zealand where they were quickly able to find work and -- although the diving didn't happen -- a lifestyle. Travelling from there the three of them found a workable pattern of travel and Baker put a pile of work into his personal finance blog, Man Vs Debt. The family proved it was possible to cut down their US consumer debt and travel the world with a child. To read more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com

Travel Cambodia with us: we visit Phnom Penh, Battambang, Phnom Penh and cross borders on the way to and from Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok.

If you travel for any length of time, it's likely that at some point you'll encounter rain. Be prepared for it. A lightweight or heavy-duty jacket. If you're heading into summer, just pack a lightweight shell for emergencies. But if you'll be spending a winter or a rainy season somewhere, get a really good waterproof layer. Goretex is a good choice. Consider something that has a warm inner shell and a waterproof outer shell, then you can mix and match depending on the weather. An umbrella. Definitely not an essential, but if you plan on spending a lot of time in cities it might be worth carting one around. I like to be able to put it up and down without changing my clothes or carrying around a wet jacket (for some reason, a wet umbrella isn't as bad). We just have one between the two of us. For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com

Two subjects today: Denver, Colorado and community-centered tourism with Milan Doshi from the Queen Anne BnB located in the city. We talk about waste and ecological developments in hospitality then move on and get a great overview of things to see and do in the "mile high city".

Washing your clothes while travelling is something you'll have to do if you're travelling for more than a week. And even if you're travelling for a week, you can pack lighter if you're prepared to do a little bit of washing along the way. The most important thing to remember when travelling is to pack light. This means you need to take fewer clothes, but you should also consider what each item weighs, and how easy it will be to wash - and of course, since you will have fewer clothes with you, you'll need to wash what you do have more often. Avoid very heavy things like jeans and bulky jumpers, as they are hard to wash and even harder to dry. Leave the big towel at home and pack a sports or travel towel, which takes up a fraction of the space and dries quickly. If you're going somewhere cold, the trick is layering. Pack lightweight trousers and thermal underwear to put under them. Instead of one thick jumper, pack three thin ones - it'll weigh the same or less, you can rearrange them for a change of wardrobe, and they'll dry so much faster when you wash them. For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/

Scandinavia is a fantastic region of the world. We'd been wanting to spend time there for a while, and apart from a weekend in Helsinki in 2007, didn't manage to get there until earlier this year. Mostly, we'd been put off by prices - we'd heard that everything was expensive, especially accommodation, transport and alcohol, and this had been proven correct during our brief time in Finland. But thanks to eurail.com and couchsurfing.org, we managed to have a great time on a leaner budget than we'd expected. For more, and links to everything we talk about in this show, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/

Benny the Irish Polyglot isn't your typical crazy Irishman. He spends his time completing language missions and currently speaks eight languages. Learn how to learn a language with Benny. When he graduated from university with a degree in electronic engineering, he was fluent in only one language - English. He'd studied German at school, but didn't get anywhere with it, and after six months living in Spain was in a similar situation. But one day, he made a dramatic decision - he *really* decided to learn Spanish. He cut English out of his life as much as possible (he still had to work and talk to his parents) and spent the rest of the time speaking Spanish. It was the start of an epic journey. Benny learned that the big secret to learning a language is to speak the language from day one. Don't wait until you're "ready" - you'll never feel ready. But you can communicate immediately, using what you have. In Spain, he used his body and extrapolated new words from ones he knew and ones other people used. He learned that it's important to be confident and social. Just start talking to people with confidence and it will seem like you speak better than you actually can. To start, learn some phrases (Benny likes Lonely Planet phrasebooks) and leave the grammar to later - the point isn't to speak perfectly, it's to communicate. Break each task into small pieces and use creativity to help you learn - singing, for example, will help you remember phrases faster. It can be difficult to get around the problem of people wanting to practice their English by talking with you, but it's possible. Benny always helps them by explaining how they can improve their Enlgish (websites, couchsurfing etc.) but he explains it in their language - giving him more chance to speak his target language. Download Benny's book from http://indietravelpodcast.com/fluent

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and the second most-visited city in the UK - and for good reason. Our Edinburgh travel guide features Edinburgh-based travel writer Andy Hayes.

As we travelled using the Eurorail/Eurail Global Pass, we took note of what we would have spent buying point-to-point tickets. Is a Eurail Pass worthwhile, or is it too expensive? Eurorail or Eurail? There's a little confusion over the terms Eurorail and Eurail. Basically, they're two terms for the same thing! The term Eurorail was replaced with Eurail a few years ago, so we're going to stick with that from now on. Our Europe train travel We had a 15-day Global Eurail Pass each, which meant we could travel in any of the countries covered by Eurail on fifteen individual days spread across the two-month validity of the pass. Every day that we wanted to use the pass, we wrote the date in the space provided. Our passes were checked every day that we used them, and usually stamped by the conductor - we'd heard stories of people trying to cheat the system using removable ink on their passes - this isn't going to work anymore.

Jane Meighan set off on her first big adventure at the age of 17, heading to Australia to spend three months there. Her family hadn't travelled a lot, so it was an eye-opening experience for her, and laid the foundations of her love for travel. Since then, she's spent a fair bit of time in Western Europe, visiting friends and enjoying the art - especially the Gaudi museum in Barcelona. As an environmentally conscious person, a comment made by a friend about her carbon footprint made Jane realise how much flying she was doing, and what that was doing to the environment. So she's decided to travel around the world by land and sea. She'll start in Edinburgh, and travel down the UK to catch a boat to Amsterdam before travelling slowly through Eastern Europe. The Trans-Siberian train will take her across Russia, and she'll travel by cargo ship from Shanghai to the States and from the other side of the States back to the UK after cross-country trip. Although Jane has got the big picture sorted out, she plans to organise the details as she goes along. A bit of research has of course helped a lot - she knows, for example, that it's a lot cheaper to buy trans-Siberian tickets in Moscow than book them from the UK. She'll use point-to-point tickets in Eastern Europe, buying as she goes to keep her options open.

La Tomatina is a giant tomato fight that’s held every year in Buñol, Spain, on the last Wednesday of August. There’s celebrations all week, but most people go just to throw tomatoes at each other, and this year we joined in the fun. We had a great time, but as always we learned a fair bit about what we could have done better. What we did right Arrived early Although the fight starts at 11am, you can’t get there at 10am and hope to be part of the action. The smart people are in the main square at 8am – we didn’t make it that early but we were there by nine. Didn’t prepare too much but knew where we were going We travelled by train, and we knew that the train we wanted left from San Isidre station and not from Valencia Nord, the main station in the centre of town. The night before, we worked out how to get to that station (by metro) and we got there as soon as we could. We’d tried to find out about train times, but couldn’t – which didn’t matter anyway, since there was a crowd waiting at the station and everyone just had to wait until the next train, whenever it might be. In Buñol, we followed the crowd to the main square, but we knew we wanted to be in sight of the ham, so we squirmed through until we could see it. We had a great spot which ensured we were part of the action. Wore sensible (and disposable) clothing Despite the fact that one of the few rules of La Tomatina is “don’t rip t-shirts” a lot of people lost the shirts off their backs. We wore shirts that we wouldn’t mind losing – in fact Linda’s was one wear away from the bin in any case, so she threw it out afterwards. Linda wore shorts with a zip pocket for a credit card, train ticket and a bit of cash, and bought a pair of cheap sunglasses instead of wearing her hat. Craig wore swimming trunks with a deep pocket. We both wore sneakers instead of flip flops. This was definitley a good idea, we saw hundreds of flip flops floating on the tide of tomato, and many people were shoeless at the end of the event. Washing our shoes wasn’t fun, but it was better than losing them. Didn’t take too much We didn’t take a bag with us. There just isn’t room in a crowd like that, and it would likely have been stolen. We took a cheap camera which we tried to waterproof, and a video camera that now needs a bit of love. We also took a plastic bag with some croissants in it, but we bought water when we arrived. There was plenty of food available, but we enjoyed having our croissants on the train. Were in a good mood Being in a good frame of mind is essential to enjoy La Tomatina. Some people were angry about being pushed around or having wine poured on their heads, others panicked when the crowd were too dense. We tried to relax and enjoy ourselves (and practise deep breathing occasionally) and left with a positive view of things. For more information, and to find out what we did wrong, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com

Whether you call it a career break, gap year, or a sabatical, the movie Eat, Pray, Love has certainly created a lot of buzz around the idea of taking extended time off to travel the world. And, of course, that's something we approve of! One person fomenting the career break discussion is Sherry Ott from Briefcase to Backpack and one of the leading figures behind Meet, Plan, Go - a North American event with meetings around the US and Canada to help people find career break opportunities themselves. In this interview we talk with Sherry Ott about her own journey, about career break travel, and about Meet, Plan, Go. For more information and links, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com

Buenos Aires is located on the Rio de la Plata (the silver river). Most of the transport hubs are located on or near the river, and the city is laid out on a rough grid stretching away from the river. The city centre is centred around where Avenida 9 de Julio (which runs up from the river) crosses Avenida Corrientes, and that's where the Obelisk is located. The other principal street, Avenida 25 de Mayo, runs parallel with Av. Corrientes. Buenos Aires is divided into 48 barrios (neighbourhoods) but docsmost are residential - posh Recoleta is in the north near the bus station, and edgy La Boca is in the south near the river. In the city grid, the blocks are numbered by the hundreds, so each street you cross will take the numbers up 100, even though there aren't that many buildings in each block. This makes finding an address really easy! You aren't going to go hungry in Buenos Aires. There's everything from budget options like hot dogs on the street, to the lushest meal in a five-star restaurant. Don't miss out on an asado (barbecue) - if you can get yourself invited to a local's home you'll have the most authentic experience, but if not restaurants are tripping over themseves to feed you tasty Argentinian meat. Empanadas are a must - they're pastry circles folded over and stuffed with meat, egg and olives, There are different fillings but the beef ones are the most popular. You can find them in bakeries and some corner stores - make sure you ask for them heated or you might get cold ones. Alfajores are a typical Argentininan snack - two soft biscuits stuck together with dulce de leche and maybe coated in chocolate. If you take a long bus trip, they might just give you one, but the fresh ones from a bakery are much better. Medialunas (half-moons) are a great option for breakfast or a mid-morning snack. Mate is also worth a try, but it's difficult to buy just one cup. Mate is the bitter tea you'll see Argentinians drinking all day out of small cups, with a straw. You might have some problems if you're a vegetarian though, although most restaurants have some sort of vegetarian option, it isn't universal. There are quite a few vegetarian and vegan restaurants around though, if you do your research! Attractions Buenos Aires is an attractive city to walk around, with a lot of parks and squares to explore. Many are central, but Palermo is a great place to start, as that is where the Botanical Gardens are located. There's also a rose garden in Parque Tres de Febrero, and BA has the largest Japanese Garden outside of Japan. Plaza de Mayo is a square in the central city, and is lined with impressive buildings that house the government offices, and might be familiar as the location of one of Eva Peron's speeches. You can also visit Evita's grave in the stunning Recoleta Cemetery - many other historical figures are buried there, but it's worth a visit even if you hate history, the tombs are amazing. For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com

Berlin is a vibrant city full of art, history, and fantastic people doing interesting things. We speak with Paul Sullivan from Slow Travel Berlin and try to get to grips with the best clubs, best restaurants and most interesting things to do in the city. For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/podcast/berlin-travel/

Trains are the best way to get around Europe and a Eurail Pass, also known as a Eurorail Pass, might be a good solution for you. Although budget flights have made air travel more affordable, if you want to explore, trains are your best option. And for short journeys or trips with good connections, taking a train can be faster than going by plane - not to mention that you don't have to go through airport security! If you're just taking one or two long train trips during your European vacation, you're probably best to just buy point-to-point tickets. But if you want to see more of the continent, a Eurail pass is a good option. A Eurail pass (also known as a Eurorail pass) is a ticket which allows you unlimited train travel in Europe. It comes in many different forms - you need to decide which region you'll be travelling in, how long you want the pass to last, how many days you'll actually be travelling within that time frame, and if you want a first or second-class ticket. For more information on Eurail/Eurorail tickets and train travel in Europe, visit: http://indietravelpodcast.com/podcast/eurorail-eurail-pass-tips-tricks

Victoria Brewood was the winner of WorldNomads Vantastic South Australia, which means she got to spend six weeks travelling the state in a campervan called Geoff. We talk with Victoria about her South Australia road trip and look at things to do in South Australia. For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/podcast/road-trip-south-australia/

Ever wanted to travel to China? This week we speak with Coley Dale who has been living and travelling in China for seven years. Coley describes a China of amazing diversity, both physically and culturally. We talk about China's most well-known cities, then head west to get away from the big smoke and into the countryside. We discuss Beijing, Shanghai, Yunnan and Xianjing as well as budgets for travel in China and visas for China travel. Coley Dale is the Senior Manager of cTrip's English website and has offered his advice with your China travel planning. All photos are from Coley's Flickr account. For more visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/podcast/travel-china-interview-independent-travel-china

Travel to Bath, England and you will be rewarded for your effort with Roman Baths, Georgian architecture and gorgeous parks ... all in a World Heritage site. For more visit: http://indietravelpodcast.com

New York is an incredible city - we’ve just discovered that six days is in no way enough. We caught a lot of the highlights though, such as the Empire State Building, MOMA, the Met, and the Circle Line. For more information on travel in New York City, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/podcast/things-to-do-in-new-york-city/

Wine and football aren't the most obvious of combinations, but today we talk with Tara O'Leary, the Wine Passionista, about South Africa and wine travel. For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com

It's our last week in South America, travelling with our friends Angela and Janine. It's been an amazing trip and we're sad that it's coming to an end. In this episode, we talk about some of our experiences in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. For show notes, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com

We're coming to the end of our four-month trip in South America, and we've had an awesome time. In this episode we talk about our time in Peru and Bolivia, travelling with our friends Angela and Janine. Peru After being delayed by the Chilean earthquake, we arrived a little late in Lima, but managed to meet Ange and Mark on the day they arrived in the country. We headed north and spent too little time in the northern cities of Trujillo, Chiclayo and Chachapoyas, which were amazing. We all really enjoyed our time in Arequipa and Cusco - especially the language lessons. For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com

We're just days away from launching our new ebook, The Art of Solo Travel: A Girls' Guide by Stephanie Lee. Today we wanted to introduce Stephanie and her take on travel. For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/girlsguide or http://indietravelpodcast.com/podcast/153-interview-art-solo-travel-author-stephanie-lee

A visit to the Iguaçu Falls is a must on many travellers' itinerary of South America. And for good reason - they are incredible. You can view the falls from both Brazil and Argentina, and each side provides quite a different experience. We were staying in Puerto Iguazu, which is in Argentina, and we visited both sides from this point. It's equally easy to base yourself in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, which is a much bigger city. Brazil: getting there The border crossing between Argentina and Brazil was very straightforward. We decided to use the hostel-organised transfer instead of going independently, which would have meant three buses and a lot of time-wasting. So we crossed by car and didn't even have to get out - we passed our passports to our driver Susanna, who gave them to the border guards. They were stamped and we were in - possibly the easiest border crossing ever, although the Brazilian stamps are incredibly boring. Brazil: Pros and cons When we arrived, we realised that we didn't have any real, and apparently none of our credit cards were suitable for use. We withdrew cash at the ATM with no problems though. It cost R$37, which seemed a fair price to us. For more information visit:

Tim Ackroyd spent six weeks touring Victoria, one of our favourite Australian states, as part of the WorldNomads Vantastic Adventure. We caught up with Tim to talk about his experiences and help you plan your own Australian road trip. Tim says... I have been making the video podcast 'Snowfix' for the last 5 years. It basically came about when a friend and I did our first ski season, we decided we wanted to keep skiing but didn't want to do the horrible resort jobs, so we started making videos. Within one year we had created the world's most popular skiing/snowboarding podcast and also turned it into a TV show on the Extreme Sports Channel on sky all across Europe. When I am not making the show, in the summer I move back to London and due to the short amount of time I am around for, generally live with Aussies that are over here travelling. Subsequently I have been saying for years that I was going to do a big trip and visit all those guys I lived with, and the Vantastic tour seems the perfect chance. This is going to be a total whirlwind 2 months for me because running up to the trip I am working presenting the London Freeze, the uk's biggest skiing/snowboard event (www.londonfreeze.com). The next day I fly to Oz for the trip and as soon as I return I travel back out to France to start this season of Snowfix. Expect strangers, sillyness, singing and special FX! For more, visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/podcast/151-vantastic-road-trip-victoria-australia

We've spent the last ten days in Bolivia, which isn't really enough to do it justice. But we've had a great time and have learned a lot about travel in this beautiful South American country. Border crossing The border between Peru and Bolivia is easy to cross. We went by bus, and the bus stopped outside the police station to allow us to hand in our tourist cards - it's really important that you don't lose this little piece of paper! You'll get it when you enter Peru. After the police station, we went to immigration for our exit stamp, then walked about 200m up the road to the Bolivian offices, where we filled in forms and got our entry stamps. Despite the fact that as Kiwis we can stay for up to 90 days, they only gave us 30-day visas ... apparently we can extend them in La Paz, but we didn't get the full quota automatically. And the border crossing wasn't easy for all of us. Ange's passport had been stolen in Cusco, and though she'd got a replacement travel document and had a full police report of what had happened, apparently this wasn't good enough for the Peruvian border guards. She needed an entry stamp, which she apparently had to get back in Cusco, but of course her travel document was only valid for that one day. Luckily a one-off fee solved the problem, and we were allowed to leave the country. Copacabana and the Isla del Sol Copacabana is a tiny little tourist town perched on the edge of Lake Titicaca. Its lack of ATMs made it difficult to get cash - always make sure you have a stash of emergency money for this kind of situation. US dollars are definitely the currency of choice to carry around in South America, and we found the exchange rates at the border and in Copacabana to be very reasonable. Copacabana is a good jumping-off point for tours to the Isla del Sol. You can camp or stay in a hostal on the island, but we chose to do a one-day trip. It was very well-priced: it would have cost us about the same to do the same thing independently. We were dropped off at one end of the island, and the boat met us on the other side. We've noticed that the Bolivians are much more concerned about time than the Peruvians - both boat trips left very nearly on time, and anyone who wasn't there to get on the boat was left behind. Bus journeys Bus travel in Bolivia has been an experience. It's a step down from Peru, which in turn was a step down from the excellent service in Chile. The trip from Copacabana to La Paz included a surprise boat trip, which we hadn't been told about and had to pay for. We had planned to get more cash from an ATM in La Paz and so didn't have much money, but luckily we'd changed a little more just before we left. We went across on a motorboat while the bus crossed by a wooden barge. It was interesting, to say the least! The bus from La Paz to Uyuni had a different seat configuration from the one we'd been shown when we booked our tickets, so we weren't in the seats we wanted, and our group wasn't sitting together. There also seemed to be a lot of extra stops along the way, despite the fact that we'd been told that it was a direct service. La Paz La Paz is a sprawling city with a lot of markets and hills. It's the highest city in the world, so altitude might be a problem for some - luckily coca tea is easy to come by, which should help you out. There's also a lot of excellent street food to try, like papa rellena (deep-fried stuffed mashed potatoes), freshly-squeezed juices, doughnuts and other gems. There are a lot of taxis to choose from in La Paz, but use ones with a radio for security. They should call their base to let the base know where they're headed and with how many people. As always in South America, agree on a fare before you get into the car, and if you don't feel safe, choose another taxi. For more visit http://indietravelpodcast.com/podcast/travel-bolivia-safety/

We've spent the last three weeks in Cusco, studying Spanish, enjoying the history, and being frustrated with problems here on the site. we haven't done all the touristy things, but we've been enjoying relaxing and soaking up the atmosphere. Cusco Cusco is incredible. It's supposed to be laid out like a puma, but we haven't really seen it. It's in a valley, with the centre of action as the Plaza de Armas. Up one side of the valley is the hippy district of San Blas, with the head of the puma at the top. That's where the iconic White Christ is situated, with the Sacsaywaman fortress nearby. Food One thing that we love about travel is the food. And Cusco has a lot of it. We enjoyed juice and beer milkshake in the market, lots and lots of menus del dia, and the street food was varied and interesting. It was just sad that we only found that empanada vendor near our school in our last week. Things to do There's heaps to do around Cusco. It's the jumping-off point for Machu Picchu, and if you don't want to pay through the nose, there are lots of other ruins nearby too. We loved Tipon and our visit to the Sacred Valley with our friend Renzo. ATMs We've done a bit of experimenting here in Peru to find the best ATMs. Globalnet is really prevalent, and is often found in shops and hotels, but they have a limit of 400 soles and they charge you on this end to withdraw cash. We like BCP, which has a 700 sol limit and there's one in the Plaza de Armas and one around the corner on Avenida del Sol. School We've been studying at Wiracocha Spanish Language school on Cuesta San Blas, which is situated in the hilly hippie district of San Blas. There's a lot of nice places to stay around here, though the backpacker district is on the other side of the Plaza de Armas. We really enjoyed Cusco, and it's definitely worth a visit. Make sure you see what it has to offer, don't just get caught up in the tourist trail.

I find it strange that concerns about safety are some of the main reasons people don't like to travel. Demolishing those fears is one of the things we like to do around here. Today we speak with travel security expert Craig Bidois, who covers travel safety strategies before leaving home, during transit times and while you are in foreign lands. For more, see http://indietravelpodcast.com

South America us huge, and full of interesting places to explore. Distances between destinations aren't short, there are no trains to speak of, and flights aren't exactly budget, so you'll probably spend a fair bit of time on buses. We've travelled a fair bit by bus in Chle and Peru, and we've picked up a few ideas that could help to smooth your journey. For journeys of less than six hours, your best bet is to travel by day and enjoy the scenery (at least in the south of Chile, in the north it's quite repetitive). But for longer journeys, save your days for sight-seeing and travel by night. The buses are generally safe and comfortable, and you can increase your comfort by paying more for a better seat. The names vary from company to company, but generally there are four classes of seats on night buses. For more visit: http://indietravelpodcast.com