Women Who Travel | Condé Nast Traveler artwork

Women Who Travel | Condé Nast Traveler

270 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 days ago - ★★★★ - 382 ratings

Though travel and adventure have historically been publicly claimed by men, women have always been part of those narratives, too. Each week, host and Condé Nast Traveler editor Lale Arikoglu shines a light on some of those stories, interviewing female-identifying guests about their most unique travel tales—from going off-grid in the Danish wilderness to country-hopping solo—sharing her own experiences traveling around the globe, and tapping listeners to contribute their own memorable stories. This is a podcast for anyone who is curious about the world—and excited to explore places both near and far from home. For more from Women Who Travel, visit our website or subscribe to our email newsletter.

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Episodes

Love, Loss, and Noodles in Cambodia

March 21, 2024 09:00 - 26 minutes - 24.3 MB

This week Lale chats with author Chantha Nguon—along with her daughter Clara and co-author Kim Green—about her new memoir Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes. Listen to hear the trio share stories of their travels across Cambodia and collaborations in the kitchen, while Chantha reflects on life as a Cambodian refugee, life in 1960s Battambang, and the dishes that have always kept her connected to home.

Celebrating the Most Powerful Women in Travel

March 14, 2024 09:00 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MB

Following the release of Condé Nast Traveler's annual Women Who Travel Power List, spotlighting 15 leaders like activist Quannah ChasingHorse, TV host Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, and content creator Charlotte Simpson, Lale and fellow editor Megan Spurrell get together in the studio to chat about how they shaped the list, the ways it's guiding their travel decisions, and ask the question: How should we use our power, once we have it?

Director Lulu Wang Isn't Compromising

March 08, 2024 10:00 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MB

In honor of International Women's Day, Lale chats with award-winning director Lulu Wang, who is featured on Condé Nast Traveler's 2024 Women Who Travel Power List, about creating the worlds of Expats and The Farewell, the importance of using filmmaking to highlight untold stories, and her journey to becoming an award-winning director—without making compromises.

On the Road for the US Election

February 29, 2024 10:00 - 31 minutes - 28.5 MB

It's an election year, and already journalists are traveling all over the country to tell voters the most important stories from the trail. But what is it like to cover the US presidential race as a foreign reporter? Lale chats with three correspondents from Canada and Europe as they share tales of blizzards, campfires in Tennessee, and late-night eats after long days of breaking news.

Island Hopping in Spain, Italy, and Croatia

February 22, 2024 10:00 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MB

In her upcoming book Enchanted Islands: Travels Through Myth and Magic, Love & Loss, author Laura Coffey charts a real-life journey she took inspired by one of the most epic travel stories ever told: The Odyssey. Lale catches up with Coffey to find out how the famous poem informed where she went, the unforgettable meals she ate, and the cast of characters she met along the way.

More Solo Travel With Jessica Nabongo

February 15, 2024 10:00 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MB

In 2019, friend of the podcast Jessica Nabongo became the first Black woman to visit every country in the world—and document it all along the way. We check back in with her to find out how and where she’s traveling in 2024, and revisit a conversation about solo travel from an earlier episode.

Your Love and Travel Stories: Breakups, Hookups, and More

February 08, 2024 10:00 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MB

Love doesn’t sleep just because you’re traveling. This episode, in honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re dedicating an episode to our listeners’ stories, from tales of a windswept singles resort, to a fling in a Toronto hotel, to a surprising encounter in China. Whether you love or hate this holiday, or love to hate it, we promise this episode will be a fun one.

Mapping the World's Oceans

February 01, 2024 10:00 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MB

This week, we chat with journalist Laura Trethewey, author of The Deepest Map: The High-Stakes Race to Chart the World's Oceans, about traveling to the deepest parts of the ocean, sailing on research boats across some of the most remote and roughest seas in the world, and the intrepid deep sea divers and scientists who are racing to map the ocean floors.

Home Cooking in Latin America

January 25, 2024 10:00 - 29 minutes - 26.8 MB

Twenty one countries make up Latin America—and within those countries lies myriad food cultures, recipes, and histories. This week, Lale chats with guest Sandra A. Gutierrez about her latest cookbook Latinísimo: Home Recipes from the Twenty-One Countries of Latin America, an encyclopedic exploration of the region through its dishes and the home cooks who make them. Plus, her travels in countries like Peru and Colombia, and insider tips for tracking down the best eats in a new city. ...

Walking Across Morocco

January 18, 2024 10:00 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MB

Slow travel is a buzzy term these days, but what does it actually mean? Over the coming months, we'll explore what it takes to travel slowly and more intentionally, starting with this week's episode: A conversation with travel writer and adventurer Alice Morrison, who spent seven months walking across Morocco alongside a group of nomads. 

Here's Where to Travel In 2024

January 11, 2024 10:00 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MB

It's a new year, which means it's time to stop daydreaming and start planning your travels for the next 12 months. Can't decide where to visit? Start listening to find out the best places to go in 2024—from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Accra, Ghana—according to Condé Nast Traveler editors Arati Menon and Sarah James.

From Critics at Large: Britney Spears Tells Her Horror Story

January 04, 2024 10:00 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MB

In a special episode from The New Yorker's Critics At Large, the celebrity memoir has long been a place for public figures to set the record straight on the story of their lives. By any measure, Britney Spears’s life, as detailed in her new book, “The Woman in Me,” is rich material. The pop star rose to fame in the early two-thousands, and, after enduring a series of mental-health crises, was placed in a conservatorship through which her father controlled almost every aspect of her ...

Raving in Ukraine

December 21, 2023 10:00 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MB

For our last episode of the year, we’re diving into something we’re all doing a lot of around the holiday season: partying. And in Ukraine, where our two guests are based, rave culture has become a necessary vehicle for letting off steam, distraction, and finding joy. Back in November, Lale caught up with Kyiv-based journalist Anastacia Galouchka, who recently penned a story on the capital’s rave scene for Stranger’s Guide, and novelist Haska Shyyan, who lives in Lviv, about what ra...

What Is Passport Privilege?

December 14, 2023 10:00 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MB

We dive into the thorny issue of passport privilege thanks to this week’s guest, Shahnaz Habib, author of the new book Airplane Mode: An Irreverent History of Travel. Why do some travelers gain more visa-free access than others? Who determines how a place is seen through the lens of its guidebooks? And what does the word "wanderlust" mean, exactly? Shahnaz seeks to answer all that and more, and shares some of her own travel stories.

The Global Power of Eyeliner

December 07, 2023 10:00 - 25 minutes - 23 MB

Is there a more universally used beauty product than eyeliner? Not according to author Zahra Hankir, who chats with Lale about her new book Eyeliner: A Cultural History, which looks at the meaning and symbolism of kohl around the world, from Kyoto to Chad, as well as throughout the Middle East—and dives into her own personal history with the enduring piece of makeup.

Braving the Grand Canyon’s Rapids

November 30, 2023 10:00 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MB

In 1938 two women botanists broke with convention and set off on an expedition trip along the Colorado River that would see them risk their lives over rapids in the name of research. Two years ago, science journalist Melissa Sevigny retraced their adventure, whitewater rafting the same rapids and sleeping under the stars to learn more about who these women were—and why their work still influences the scientific landscape of America today.

Hong Kong’s Untold Stories

November 16, 2023 10:00 - 26 minutes - 23.8 MB

Lale chats with journalist and author Louisa Lim about her recent book, Indelible City, which dives deep into the untold stories of Hong Kong, both past and present, through a cast of calligraphers, street artists, and more, while also reflecting on her own personal connection with a place she long-called home.

A Vogue Editor’s Packing Secrets

November 09, 2023 10:00 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MB

Should I check my luggage or carry-on? Fold or roll? Bring one pair of shoes or...seven? Packing for a trip, when done well, can feel like an art form—yet one that few of us seem to have figured out. This week, Chloe Malle, the new Editor of Vogue.com and the co-host of Vogue’s podcast The Run-Through with Vogue, joins Lale in the studio to dish her packing wisdom—and answer listeners' burning questions.

Susan Orlean’s Extraordinary Travels

November 02, 2023 09:00 - 26 minutes - 24.4 MB

Whether its embedding herself with orchid hunters in Florida or chasing surfers in Maui, Susan Orlean is never afraid to throw herself into the story. A longtime writer for the New Yorker, and author of beloved titles like Saturday Night, The Library Book, and On Animals, she's traveled the world—and calls into the studio to share stories from Iceland, Bhutan, and more.

A Witch Expert on Salem

October 26, 2023 17:55 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MB

Salem, Massachusetts has long lived in our public consciousness as both the site of the infamous witch trials of 1692 and 1693 and as a Halloween tourist destination depicted in myriad pieces of literature, pop culture, and art. But what is it actually like to spend time there? Lale chats with Dr. Helen Berger from the Women’s Studies Center at Brandeis University, whose written multiple books about witch communities in Salem and elsewhere to find out. Plus, we dive into WitchTok co...

New York's Chinatown Through the Eyes of a Family That's Been There for Generations (Re-Run)

October 19, 2023 09:00 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MB

New York City's Chinatown is arguably one of the most famous neighborhoods in the world—and perhaps one of the most storied, too. Ava Chin, whose memoir, Mott Street: A Chinese American Family’s Story of Exclusion and Homecoming, came out this spring, chats with Lale about the apartment building that housed four generations of her family, and the journey a look into her heritage took her on.

Life on a Windswept Scottish Island

October 12, 2023 09:00 - 29 minutes - 27.5 MB

When Tamsin Calidas left London to live on a croft in the Scottish Hebrides, she was idealistic and totally ignorant about farming. Years later and after facing and overcoming significant struggles, she feels in harmony with nature, wildlife, and the beauty of her island. Calidas sits down with host Lale Arikoglu to chat about working the rugged landscape.

Making Dinner On a Group Trip

October 05, 2023 09:00 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MB

This week, we're teaming up with our friends over at Bon Appetit for a special episode of Dinner SOS. Tune in to hear host Chris Morocco and food editor Shilpa Uskokovic put their heads together and help Lale prepare a group dinner for some travelers with pretty specific dietary restrictions. They all get very confused about what a nightshade is, but we promise they find a solution in the end.

The Romance and Reality of Sleeper Trains

September 28, 2023 09:00 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MB

Glamorous, exciting, and often nostalgic—when at its best (and let’s be clear, no two journeys are made equal) seeing the world by train can be all of those things and more, especially if you’re on a sleeper train. After all, what could be more exciting than going to sleep in one country and waking up in another? Lale chats with Monisha Rajesh—friend of the podcast and author of books like Around the World in 80 Trains and Epic Train Journeys—about her recent travels by sleeper, and...

Morocco, Music, and More With Faouzia

September 21, 2023 09:00 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MB

Lale chats with Moroccan-Canadian singer songwriter Faouzia Ouihya—who, at just 23, has already clocked up numerous accolades for her poppy, anthemic hooks performed in English, French, and Arabic. They talk Moroccan food, how Faouzia’s heritage shapes her music, and more.This episode was recorded several weeks before the devastating earthquake in Morocco. For information on how to help and donate, head to cntraveler.com. Link to embed: https://www.cntraveler.com › storyHow to Suppo...

When You Travel to Eat With Bon Appétit

September 14, 2023 09:00 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MB

Planning a trip around food is one of our favorite ways to travel, so Lale turns to a seasoned restaurant scouter for intel. Kate Kassin is the Editorial Operations Manager at Bon Appétit, which means she works on some of the magazine's biggest projects, including its Best New Restaurants list. They talk about what it takes to uncover some of the most exciting places to eat in the US right now, and her tips for finding the best spots to eat on any vacation.

Walking Pompeii With Rebecca Mead

September 07, 2023 09:00 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MB

After a summer filled with European travel, Lale catches up with The New Yorker's Rebecca Mead to learn a few surprising facts about one of the continent's most famous—and ancient—sites, Pompeii. Plus, she hears from a listener about what it felt like to explore a Greek landmark steeped in mythology.

Listener Dispatch: Gaining Perspective in Oaxaca

August 31, 2023 09:00 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MB

As summer comes to a close, Lale catches up with one last listener about her recent trip to Oaxaca, where she found herself sharing a transformative hiking experience with a group of women.

Listener Dispatch: Traveling In My Mother's Footsteps

August 24, 2023 09:00 - 13 minutes - 12.6 MB

In another special mini episode of Women Who Travel, Lale takes a call from listener Margaret, who is so fascinated with an international trip her mother took in the 1950s that she's now working to recreate it for herself.

On the Road for the FIFA World Cup

August 17, 2023 09:00 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MB

As the FIFA World Cup in Australia and New Zealand draws to a close, we share conversations with two women who've had very different experiences with the tournament over the years: Australian Broadcasting Company's sportscaster Tracey Holmes, who spent her career covering numerous Olympics and World cups, and Nicole Barnhart, goalkeeper of The Washington Spirit and, unsurprisingly, a super traveler for the sport.

Listener Dispatch: Camping Gone Awry

August 10, 2023 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13 MB

In another special mini episode of Women Who Travel, Lale catches up with listener Jamie, who says she loves the idea of camping, but can never quite get it right. Enter, calamitous stories of thunderstorms in the Grand Canyon and a misguided weekend at a music festival.

Listener Dispatch: Eating Champorado in the Philippines

August 03, 2023 09:00 - 7 minutes - 6.91 MB

In a special mini episode of Women Who Travel, Lale gets on the phone with South Carolina-based listener Cinelle to hear about her recent, long-awaited trip home to the Philippines—and the food she was in search for once she got there.

Climbing Mountains

July 27, 2023 09:00 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MB

Treacherous mountain ascents like Everest have long been mythologized by men. But this week, Lale chats with two women who are achieving extraordinary feats at high altitudes: Jen Peedom, an award-winning Australian film director, who makes documentaries about mountaineering, and Sasha DiGiulian, a professional rock climber who went from winning indoor competitions to going on treacherous outdoor climbs that led her to accomplish 28 First Female Ascents around the world, including a...

Solo Travel, According to Rachel Cargle

July 20, 2023 09:00 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MB

We travel for all sorts of reasons: self-discovery, something new, a chance to break out of our routines. But how often is it truly restorative? Lale talks to activist, educator, entrepreneur, and ardent solo traveler Rachel Cargle about creating calm in every step of a journey—and her new memoir and manifesto, A Renaissance of Our Own.

The Wild Swimming Phenomenon

July 13, 2023 09:00 - 27 minutes - 25 MB

It’s summer, which means we're grabbing every chance there is to hit the beach or dive into a hotel swimming pool. But some travelers are a little more intrepid, plunging into wild, frigid waters for all manner of reasons. To find out why, Lale chats with writer and wild swimmer Freya Bromley about her recent memoir The Tidal Year and catches up with friend of the podcast and author Dorthe Nors, who lives on a remote part of Denmark’s west coast.

Sasheer Zamata and Nicole Byer on Becoming the Perfect Travel Companions

July 06, 2023 09:00 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MB

Nicole Byer and Sasheer Zamata love being best friends, which means they also love traveling together. Lale catches up with the two comedians, whose respective television appearance include Nailed It and Loosely, Exactly Nicole, and Saturday Night Live, Woke, and Home Economics, to find out more about how they vacation together. Plus, Nicole and Sasheer field questions from Condé Nast Traveler editors about how to navigate the challenges of traveling with friends.

Do National Dishes Really Exist?

June 29, 2023 09:00 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MB

What makes a national dish? And who gets to decide? Lale talks to food writer Anya Von Bremzen about her global quest to find out, which she charts in her new book National Dish: Around the World in Search of Food, History, and the Meaning of Home, and checks in with Bon Appetit's Mallary Santucci to find out how the food publication tackles the question in its own test kitchen.

Gabrielle Union’s Birthday Journey Across Africa

June 22, 2023 09:00 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MB

This week, Lale chats with actor Gabrielle Union about her new docuseries, Gabrielle Union: My Journey to 50, a two-part special on BET+. Listen in as Gabrielle shares how she traveled with her family—and many friends—to Zanzibar, Ghana, Namibia, and South Africa in honor of her 50th birthday, reflecting on the beauty of Namibia's spectacular desert, the emotional experience of visiting sites like the Assin Manso River and the Memorial Wall of Return in Ghana, and much more.

New York's Chinatown Through the Eyes of a Family That's Been There for Generations

June 15, 2023 09:00 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MB

New York City's Chinatown is arguably one of the most famous neighborhoods in the world—and perhaps one of the most storied, too. Ava Chin, whose memoir, Mott Street: A Chinese American Family’s Story of Exclusion and Homecoming, came out this spring, chats with Lale about the apartment building that housed four generations of her family, and the journey a look into her heritage took her on.

Living Wildly in Patagonia With Conservationist Kris Tompkins

June 08, 2023 09:00 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MB

Lale chats with Kris Tompkins, an American conservationist who is the subject of a new National Geographic documentary, Wild Life, about her work restoring the wild beauty of Patagonia by protecting and creating nearly 15 million acres of parkland. Her philosophy? "If you buy a Picasso and you hang it in your living room, you and your family can enjoy it. But if you take that same Picasso and you donate it to MoMA or any place really around the world, millions of people will see tha...

Writer Elise Hu on Life in Seoul and the Rise of K Beauty

June 01, 2023 09:00 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MB

K Beauty is one of biggest beauty markets in the world—and one that people travel from all over the world for. This week, Lale chats with Elise Hu, a broadcast journalist, author, and host of the podcast TED Talks Daily, whose new book Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Beauty from the Korean Capital, reflects on her time living in Seoul and dives deep into the six billion dollar industry and its impact on Korean culture.

Special Episode: Catalina Island Bison Herd from Atlas Obscura

May 25, 2023 16:05 - 15 minutes - 14.6 MB

A special episode from The Atlas Obscura Podcast about the strange story of Catalina Island’s herd of bison, and the harrowing story of producer Sarah Wyman’s encounter with these intimidating residents. Listen to The Atlas Obscura Podcast on Apple, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/catalina-island-bison-herd

An Episode Dedicated to the Ultimate Travel Companions—Our Mothers

May 11, 2023 09:00 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MB

In honor of Mother’s Day, journalist and author Connie Wang calls in to talk about her new book of essays, Oh My Mother!, centered around travels to places like Paris, China, and Las Vegas (one Magic Mike show included) with her mother Qing. And later, we hear from a whole host of listeners, both mothers and daughters, about their own trips.

An Episode Dedicated to the Ultimate Travel Companions—Our Mothers

May 11, 2023 09:00 - 30 minutes

In honor of Mother’s Day, journalist and author Connie Wang calls in to talk about her new book of essays, Oh My Mother!, centered around travels to places like Paris, China, and Las Vegas (one Magic Mike show included) with her mother Qing. And later, we hear from a whole host of listeners, both mothers and daughters, about their own trips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Journalist Lyse Doucet Likes to Think of the BBC as Her Passport

May 04, 2023 09:00 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MB

Lale chats with Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent. Doucet’s career has taken her to places like Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Brazil—she often leaves for an assignment on a moment’s notice to cover natural disasters and turbulent warzones. If you follow the BBC World Service or BBC News, then her voice is likely familiar to you thanks to her decades of work spent bringing the stories of people and places around the globe into our living rooms, but it’s not often t...

Arsema Thomas on Filming the 'Bridgerton' Spin-Off in English Country Homes and Traveling Across Africa

April 27, 2023 09:00 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MB

Lale chats with actor Arsema Thomas, who plays a young Lady Danbury in the soon to be released Netflix series Queen Charlotte - A Bridgerton Story, from Shonda Rhimes. Off screen, Arsema has spent large swathes of her life living in different countries across Africa—an experience that has informed her approach to acting, and the role she is now playing. She shares stories from Uganda, Nairobi, Cape Town, and more, and discusses filming the Bridgerton prequel inside English country h...

What It Takes to Become a Free Diver, Caring for Our Oceans, and More

April 20, 2023 09:00 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MB

Few of us get to witness the rich and complex ecosystems that live below the oceans' surface—but for Zandile Ndhlovu, venturing deep underwater on a single breath is part of daily life. Lale chats with the South African free diver about her work running The Black Mermaid Foundation, witnessing coral bleaching first hand, weaving sustainability into her travels, and coming face-to-face with a shark. Plus, we hear from a New Yorker about restoring oyster reefs in and around the city. ...

‘Love & Death’ Director Lesli Linka Glatter on Capturing Texas and Travels in Tokyo

April 13, 2023 09:00 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MB

Everyday we travel to far-flung places through our television screens, all thanks to the directors, location scouts, camera crews, and more who skillfully capture—or create—entire worlds for us to get lost in. One of those people is Lesli Linka Glatter, the award-winning director behind shows like Twin Peaks, Homeland, and Mad Men. Lale sits down with her to find out about how she bought to life 1970s Texas in the new HBO Max show Love and Death, what it's like to travel the world w...

The Weird and Wonderful World of Road Tripping

April 06, 2023 09:00 - 27 minutes - 25 MB

With summer only a few months away, now is the time to start planning that road trip—especially if you're based in the U.S., where one of the best ways to see the country is by car (there are so many iconic American road trip movies for a reason). Enter, our guest this week: Kristen Meinzer, an author and podcast host who has spent much of her travels road tripping around the Midwest and staying at kitschy motels. Lale chats with Meinzer about her favorite roadside attractions acros...

Traveling the World for Its Birds, With Mya-Rose Craig

March 30, 2023 09:00 - 24 minutes - 22.7 MB

We travel for all manner of experiences—culinary, adventure, music, and more. Mya-Rose Craig travels to spot birds. Lale chats with the 20-year-old ornithologist about birdwatching in some of the world's most spectacular places, sharing a platform with climate change activist Greta Thunberg, and her new memoir Birdgirl. Plus, we hear from Condé Nast Traveler contributor Betsy Andrews about her own birdwatching trip to Bonaire.

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