If you’re having a crazy itch to travel but you can’t right now, then having a go-to travel podcast to soothe your wanderlust might be the cure you need. We all have these moments when we feel like the travelbug won’t stop bugging and we’re just dying to hit the road.
When I find myself pacing around my house, looking up destinations and incessantly checking out flights, or turning going to the supermarket into a full-fledged road trip, then I know my wandering soul is full of wanderlust. The irony is that this usually happens when travel is nowhere on the horizon and I just can’t go anywhere. You know like quarantining cuz…coronavirus pandemic.
If you’re like me and this happens to you too, then try listening to these travel podcasts to soothe your wanderlust, to shut-up that travelbug and calm your wandering soul.
Travel Podcasts to Soothe Your Wanderlust
1. Wild Ideas Worth Living
What’s Unique About It: Have you ever had a wild idea, but were afraid to act on it? Or maybe you started but stopped halfway because of self-doubt? Wild Ideas Worth Living podcast is about taking a wild leap of faith and having meaningful conversations with people who have made it happen.
Each episode features a guest from around the world who embodies the notion of taking a risk on their wild idea. If you’re looking for motivation to take that travel risk and see the world then this is the podcast for you.
Listen to Wild Ideas Worth Living here
2. Travel Tales Podcast
What’s Unique About It: This podcast is hilarious and sometimes the stories are horrifying…it’s a fun twist on travel podcasts. Imagine getting kidnapped by nuns in Puerto Rico, sleeping at bus stations, explosions, flying around with a US President, wild nights and other unforgettable experiences.
Travel Tales Podcast does what it says…tells tales of travel on the road. It’s funny and a little irreverent, hosted by comedian and travel junkie Mike Siegel. Each week there is a new guest who shares one of their most memorable travel story from around the world.
Listen to Travel Tales Podcast here
3. Afropop Worldwide
What’s Unique About It: Afropop Worldwide podcast takes you on a listening journey around the world, taking you where our ancestors have left their mark of African Music. From the rhythms of samba and salsa across Latin America, from Polynesian reggae beats, to the spiritual vibes of West African Vaudou in Utrecht, Netherlands. The podcast is an intriguing blend of culture, historical insights, and the sweet melodic voices of African music in the places and forms you never imagined.
Listen to Afropop Worldwide here
4. Black Women Travel Podcast
What’s Unique About It: Black Women Travel Podcast shares the stories of Black women who dreamed to make travel a priority. This community of bold women from around the world has shared their travel stories including short-term travelers based in a country, to long-term travelers living as digital nomads or working abroad.
Listen to Black Women Travel Podcast here
5. Field Recordings Podcast
What’s Unique About It: Probably one of the most fascinating podcasts I’ve come across. Field Recordings describes itself as a podcast where “audio-makers stand silently in fields (or things that could be broadly interpreted as fields).” But it is so much more! Field Recordings podcast is quite literally sound travel. It’s a truly captivating listening experience.
Have you ever wondered what a shrine in Japan sounds like just before it opens its doors to the public? Or the waves of a beach off the coast of Greenland? Want to know what nature sounds like in the Sinharaja rainforest in Sri Lanka? I especially tune-in when I’m having trouble sleeping.
In each episode, people from around the word send in audio recordings of their experiences of different spaces, places, and moments captured in time. Field Recordings podcast is haunting, compelling, idyllic, mesmerising…and it’s all captured in sound.
Listen to Field Recordings here
6. The Food Chain Podcast
What’s Unique About It: It’s like they say…the only thing better than travelling is travelling for food! What’s your palette?
The Food chain is a delicious mix of culture, esoteric foods and the chefs who make them, and taste profiles from around the world. Listen to international chefs describe their lives in five dishes (my favourite series from this podcast) or find out what on earth Space smells like. It’s the wild wild west on here, but in a good way. the lives of chefs in five dishes
The Food Chain examines the business, science and cultural significance of food, and what it takes to put food on your plate.
Listen to The Food Chain here
7. The Lonely Hour Podcast
What’s Unique About It: This podcast tackles what each of us have encountered (endured?) on our travels but are often too afraid to talk about…loneliness.
The Lonely Hour discusses loneliness in all its forms and the different ways it may manifest when we’re abroad…especially travelling solo. Loneliness as the pang of longing we feel when we just had an awesome experience but can’t share it with anyone. Loneliness as those feelings of empowerment when we realise we can do bad all by ourselves. Loneliness as confusion when we try to navigate spaces in an unfamiliar language. Loneliness as the strength we didn’t know we needed to face our inner struggles head-on.
This podcast is a must-listen for anyone thinking about moving abroad as an expat, working remotely, travelling around the world, or taking a simple solo vacation for 1-2 weeks. This isn’t your typical travel podcast but it’s an essential one.
Listen to The Lonely Hour here
8. One Happy Podcast
What’s Unique About It: One Happy Podcast is a dynamic Caribbean travel podcast about the island of Aruba. I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon this travel podcast with it’s tropical vibes. It deep dives into life in Aruba with episodes featuring couples retreat, family vacations, and a bit of weekly news on the ground.
Listen to One Happy Podcast here
9. Amateur Traveler Podcast
What’s Unique About It: Amateur Traveler discusses a different destination every week. You get great travel tips on why you should visit, what to do, things to eat, etc etc. But what’s really cool about this travel podcast is that only people who have visited the destination or have particular experience with the place get interviewed. You get firsthand accounts and stories from travellers just like yourself. For example, I was pleasantly surprised to listen to a couple’s trip to Jamaica and hear their take on things to do, views, and food in Jamaica.
Listen to Amateur Traveler here
10. On She Goes Travel Podcast
What’s Unique About It: Centering Black women voices, On She Goes travel podcast highlights women of color who travel confidently, adventurously, and often. Topics range from showing up melanated in remote places, being humbled by nature and the outdoors, trying new foods (escargot anyone? yum!), and memorable experiences – good, bad, and inappropriate.
Listen to On She Goes here
11. Overheard at National Geographic
What’s Unique About It: If you were a fly on the wall, what do you think you’d hear if explorers, archaeologists and photographers at the National Geographic started talking? Well let me introduce you to the Overheard podcast! Discover the world’s magic, historic cultural insights and bizarre tales about ancient social media, scuba diving in pyramids and zombie mice on a deserted island. These conversations are juicier than gossip and sometimes stranger than fiction. National Geographic did what it does best in this podcast – tell insightful stories about the world we live in. Definitely a travel podcast to soothe your wanderlust. Get ready.
Listen to Overheard here
12. Melanin and Miles Travel Podcast
What’s unique About It: Melanin and Miles is a weekly travel podcast geared towards Millennial and Gen-Z black women. It’s hosted by Joi Wade and Janelle Layton, and covers topics like skydiving, being a black expat, studying abroad and so much more. Melanin and Miles def covers various topics for black women listeners and highlights things like budget travel and recaps on wanderland destinations.
Listen to Melanin and Miles here
13. Awake At Night Podcast
What’s unique About It: Awake At Night podcast challenges our notion of what is travel and why we do it. Is it travel only if the aim is for vacation, or work, or curiosity and enjoyment? Or should we also include moving from one place to the next, regardless if we want to or not? Can the movements of refugees be considered a type of travel? I think so, yes.
Awake At Night explores the journey of displaced people around the world and their harrowing journey, facing unique dangers we may never experience. Awake at Night podcast also interviews former refugees like Khaled Hosseini – author of The Kite Runner, and former child refugee of Afghanistan. The podcast is hosted by Melissa Fleming, chief spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Listen to Awake At Night here
14. Experiences You Should Have Podcast
Whats’ Unique About It: If you love adventure and an adrenaline rush then this is the podcast for you. Each episode gives a how-to guide for amazing experiences in the world. Topics range from swimming with great white sharks, driving through an African Safari by yourself, to rappelling down waterfalls and more. Experiences You Should Have podcast is an adventure podcast you shouldn’t miss out on.
Listen to Experiences You Should Have here
15. The Journey Podcast by KLM Airlines
What’s Unique About It: The Journey podcast shares the story of one interesting individual and a journey that changed their life. It’s a deep dive into how moments on the road can have life-altering impacts on our lives. One fascinating story is told each week by the person who experienced it.
Listen to The Journey here
16. World Nomads Travel Podcast
What’s Unique About It: I’m featured as a guest on their podcast episode on The Caribbean but that’s not the only reason I love tuning in to the World Nomads travel podcast.
“Where nomads go” is an essential theme for this podcast, transporting listeners to unique destinations through the experiences of people who are wanderers at heart. Walk the cacao fields of Sao Tome and Principe, explore Suriname, or hear the stories of amazing nomadic travellers. Intertwined in these interviews are discussions around sustainability and eco-tourism that are a ethos of World Nomads.
Listen to World Nomads Travel Podcast here
17. Season Pass Travel Podcast
What’s Unique About It: Do you love amusement parks? Do you love adventure? The Season Pass travel podcast is a quirky adrenaline rush! Join theme park enthusiasts to find out basically everything you need to know about theme park travel and roller-coasters.
The hosts (Dough Barnes, Brent Young and Robert Coker) review rides and give lots of advice on how to create some of the best amusement park experiences on your vacation. The Season Pass website is a bit hard to navigate but the podcasts episodes are usually really informative and make up for it.
Listen to Season Pass Podcast here
18. This Week in Travel Podcast
What’s Unique About It: A quirky travel podcast with a friendly gang of hosts who keep you updated on the latest news in the travel industry. It’s not all “what are travel companies doing” either, but more so trends in adventure as well as any weird travels news from around the world (like a woman strapping 20+ gerbils on her thigh at the airport).
Listen to This Week In Travel here
What podcast are you listening to these days? What is your go-to travel podcast to soothe your wanderlust?What’s your favourite travel activity when you’re not on the road?
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I trust and the income goes to keeping the site up and running.
Thanks for this! The Lonely Hour seems interesting…I’ve always wondered how to deal with being alone on solo travels.
I like listening to TLH too
I have to admit I’ve never really listened to podcasts, but some of these sound really interesting!! Starting to think maybe I should give them a go!
I only recently got into podcasts myself. Once you find one that you really like…you’re just hooked!
Love this post! I have never listened to podcasts before and you’ve made me want to check them out! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
P.s I’m loving that you have such a Scottish second name (same as mine)! Blow my mind that the Mcleod name has made it to Jamaica! So cool!
Wow, I’m surprised that I hadn’t heard of any of these before. Let the listening commence!
Come back and let me know which ones you liked listening to so far, Katie!
Sorry to be a mood killer but Scottish names made its way to Jamaica because…slavery 😔. Many Jamaicans have European surnames because our enslaved ancestors were “given” (branded) the names of their European slave masters. Not sure if that’s exactly the case with my family name though (it’s hard to trace families in Jamaica/Caribbean because well…slavery disjointed families)
Ooooh these are nice. I’ve been looking for some new podcasts to listen to 😁
Hahaha Patrick, yes there are some really good ones on here 👍🏾