How often do you take a tour when you go travelling? In my case it’s a pretty rare event, but after the chats I had with the guests in today’s episode I think I’ll be more open in my approach. There are definitely more kinds of tours these days and especially short trips and day tours where there are a bunch of benefits of having a guide rather than bumbling along on your own. (Though I do rather love the whole bumbling thing!).
In this episode one of the things I chat about is a short tour I did of a sake factory in Kobe, Japan. I just had to share a couple of pictures. It’ll make sense once you’ve listened!
At one stage this sake-making expert was standing on the vat and pushing the rice around inside with a very long pole and I was sure he was going to fall in – I was obviously too tense to take any photos at that moment!
Show notes: Episode 47 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast
Taking Tours on Your Travels
Loathe tours? I know many thoughtful travellers recoil at the thought of a month-long bus tour of Europe, but there is a time and place for shorter, smaller tours and that’s the topic of Episode 47 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast.
First up, novelist Natasha Lester tells tales of the amazing private tours she took through Paris, helping her to research the history of fashion in a way that Google could never do. Another Australian novelist, Rachael Johns, then chats with me about the pros and cons of taking small tours – and gives some great examples of being a tourist in your own town too by joining some local tourist guide experiences.
Finally, Emma Mann talks with me about how she’s leaning more towards joining small group tours when she travels solo, largely because it’s a great way to meet some like-minded fellow travellers, and I’m all for that!
Links:
- Natasha Lester’s website
- Natasha’s novel A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald
- Natasha’s new novel Her Mother’s Secret
- Rachael Johns’ website
- Rachael’s recent novel The Patterson Girls
- Emma Mann at The Vagabond Feminist
- Emma’s Flying Foodie blog
- Join our fun Thoughtful Travellers Facebook group
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