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Join us as we accept the world's invitation to visit.
Episodes
Thursday Nov 21, 2019
Thursday Nov 21, 2019
Le Boat inspires adventurous travelers to set their own pace and follow those paths less traveled. And if you can drive a car you can skipper a Le Boat – no experience or special license necessary. You eat, sleep and live on board as you cruise the world’s most scenic waterways and visit amazing ports-of-call.
For the last 50 years Le Boat has created unforgettable experiences for travelers on one of their more than 950 vessels in Europe, the U.K., Ireland and Canada. Le Boat is a home away from home and a gateway to exciting and romantic adventures on shore. It’s the ideal self-propelled holiday for families, friends, couples and their pets.
This Fall Julie and I piloted a Le Boat cabin cruiser on the Lot River in Southwest France – fishing, swimming and visiting riverside vineyards, villages and towns along the way. Cahors is the capital of the Lot region and offers a world of historic, artistic and culinary attractions. I’ll highlight the best of Cahors on my latest podcast.
For more information on Cahors and the Lot region of France go to Tourisme-Lot.com. For Le Boat information and to order a free brochure and start planning your Le Boat cruise call 844-675-1669, that’s 844-675-1669 or go to LeBoat.com. You can read all about my Le Boat Rideau Canal adventure in Ontario, Canada at my blog on our Travelscope.net website. Happy Traveling!
Tuesday Nov 05, 2019
Tuesday Nov 05, 2019
Le Boat inspires adventurous travelers to set their own pace and follow those paths less traveled. And if you can drive a car you can skipper a Le Boat – no experience or special license necessary. You eat, sleep and live on board as you cruise the world’s most scenic waterways and visit amazing ports-of-call.
For the last 50 years Le Boat has created unforgettable experiences for travelers on one of their more than 950 vessels in Europe, the U.K., Ireland and Canada. Le Boat is a home away from home and a gateway to exciting and romantic adventures on shore. It’s the ideal self-propelled holiday for families, friends, couples and their pets.
My wife, Julie, and I just returned from a Le Boat adventure on the Lot River in France. Besides stunning scenery and clear sailing, one of the joys of piloting your own Le Boat cruiser on the canals and rivers of France is stopping at the picturesque villages along the way. Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, which hangs off the Lot river’s limestone cliffs, is officially designated a Most Beautiful Village of France. I highlight Saint-Cirq-Lapopie's award-winning qualities on my latest pod cast.
For more information and to order a free brochure and start planning your Le Boat cruise call 844-675-1669 or go to LeBoat.com. You can also read all about my Le Boat Rideau Canal adventure at my blog. For more information on Saint-Cirq-Lapopie visit Tourisme-Lot.com.
Tuesday Oct 15, 2019
Tuesday Oct 15, 2019
Monday Jul 22, 2019
Monday Jul 22, 2019
Historic Kyoto, Japan in the spring during cherry blossom time is an experience like no other. So, when in Kyoto it’s a special pleasure to stay in accommodations like no other. The properties run by Nazuna are just that, providing a unique stay, while also working to preserve a piece of Japanese heritage.
Faced with the slow decay of historical architecture and cultural gems throughout Japan, Nazuna took it upon themselves to deal with the challenge. From Bukeyashiki (Samurai house) style mansion in the castle town of Obi, to Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) style “Nazuna” lodges set in the historic alleyways of Kyoto to “Kiraku” homes in various parts of Japan every accommodation is unique.
They are in the process of transforming historic buildings (Nazuna Kyoto Gosho was a factory) into unique, luxury lodgings and preserving time-old businesses and architecture along the way. Their mission fits with today’s travelers' new demand for authentic experiences. Guests enjoy a relaxed, warm-hearted Japanese hospitality where they are made to feel at home.
I speak with the CEO and director Nazuna about Japanese culture and their preservation efforts on my latest pod cast. For a look at the properties and the experiences they offer go to Nazuna.co.
Julie and I flew to Osaka, Japan with E.V.A. Air, the airlines of Taiwan. They operate 146 weekly flights between Taipei and 12 Japanese destinations including Tokyo, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Okinawa. They also provide 117 weekly-chartered flights to seven additional destinations such as Fukushima, Nagasaki and Kumamoto. Go to EVAAIR.com to book your next Asian adventure and learn about their many special offers and deals. E.V.A. Air and Taiwan are the U.S. traveler’s best gateway to Asia.
If you build into your itinerary a 7- to 24-hour Taipei layover, Taiwan Tourism is offering a free half-day tour program for travelers. Get more details at Taiwan English language website. The new airport metro has made the 38-minute trip between the airport and Taipei City a breeze and at about $5 one-way a bargain.
Visitors can also use the public metro system to take in “small town” attractions such as the Beitou Hot Springs (about a $1 one-way and 30-minutes from Taipei City), as well as sample some of Taipei’s Michelin Guide restaurants during their stay. By checking out Beitou and Beitou Hotel Springs, as well as Taiwan’s listings of Michelin Restaurants you'll get some good ideas that will help you plan your Taipei layover or your next trip to Taiwan.
Happy Traveling!
Monday Jul 22, 2019
Monday Jul 22, 2019
Guten Tag! Good Day! Germany offers the visitor great natural beauty, a dynamic history, cultural treasures and an array of activities to satisfy every interest — including the yearly pre-lent Carnival or FastNacht Celebration. Today Joseph heads out on a tour of the Southern German state of Baden-Wittenberg that takes him from the cosmopolitan city of Stuttgart to the Black Forest, along the Rhine to Lake Constance and beyond. You’ll meet the revelers and participates at Germany’s Carnival — a yearly celebration designed to chase away the winter blues. So grab your jester’s cap and your wooden mask for a good dose of “Gemutlichkeit” — the good life — on part one of Travelscope’s Carnival in Germany Adventure.
Monday Jul 22, 2019
Monday Jul 22, 2019
The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International is dedicated to the conservation and protection of gorillas and their habitats in Africa. During my trek through Volcanoes National park to the mountain gorillas of Rwanda, I was accompanied by Claire Richardson, CEO of the Fund. After our encounter with the Agasha group, we spoke together about the history and future of Gorilla protection in the Virunga mountains and how tourism, in the form of park fees, hotel accommodations and tours run by companies like Baobab Expeditions, are contributing to the welfare of the gorillas and their human neighbors. After you listen to the pod cast if you want more information on the Fund go to GorillaFund.org. Don’t forget to catch Travelscope’s Rwanda Mountain Gorrilla show airing beginning September 2011 on your Public Television station.
For more information about Baobab Expeditions click here.
Sunday Jul 21, 2019
Sunday Jul 21, 2019
Join Joseph on his Micronesia adventure to the island of Palau, noted for diving, scenic beauty and exotic cultures. Among other things, on this podcast we visit the Rock Islands, take a kayak trip through mangrove forests and swim with non-stinging jelly fish. Along the way, Joseph meets the friendly islanders and participants in some festive celebrations—Palau-style.
Sunday Jul 21, 2019
Sunday Jul 21, 2019
It may seem hard to say, but this little known region of British Columbia, Canada offers travelers a world of adventures. From the ocean to the mountains, Joseph crosses the region having experiences that range from smoking salmon with the First Nations Nuxalk people, fishing for prawns with local fisherman, hiking through the wilderness to Canada’s third highest waterfall and stepping back in time at the roaring gold rush town of Barkerville. Throughout the journey Joseph comes face to face with the region’s expansive, remote beauty and wildlife that includes hundreds of species of birds, Grisly and Black Bears, as well as a mother moose and her calf. It’s an adventure without limits that is close to home. For a look at the Cariboo-Chilcotin-Coast Region of British Columbia, Canada go to travelscope.net/BC.
Sunday Jul 21, 2019
Sunday Jul 21, 2019
Machu Picchu Pueblo also known as Aquas Calientes (“Hot Waters” – because of its famous hot springs) is the gateway to the world’s most famous archeological site, Machu Picchu. Founded in 1911 along with the railway (a monumental engineering feat), the town began just ten years after the modern-day discovery of the Incan royal city of Machu Picchu. It is the end of the line for the daily trains that bring visitors from Cusco and the Sacred Valley. Besides being the starting point for a twenty-minute bus ride or a hour and half hike to the archeological site, the town offers its own attractions.
The central market is filled with a large selection of tourist trinkets, as well as local goods, such as colorful hand-woven textiles, fresh fruits and produce, exotic sounding and smelling herbs and natural homemade concoctions created for your benefit. I was glad to find a fresh supply of Maca, a powder made from a root crop that is said to have been used by Incan royalty for strength and stamina. Of course, there are stalls offering Coca leaves, which are especially good for the treatment of the high altitude illness often encountered by flatlanders newly arrived in the Andes.
There are a surprising number of good restaurants in town. Indio Feliz offers an eclectic menu and an abundance of spirited fun that gets your Andean vacation off to a good start. An elegant stop for local and fusion foods is the Tree House, where you may get a Thai spiced fish or hearty Peruvian meat dish with your genuine Pisco sours. Since spending a night in Machu Picchu Pueblo in order to beat the tour groups and be one of the first at the archeological site is one of my best recommendations, it’s a good that there are a wide selection of accommodations in town. They run the gamut from student hostels to five-star properties, yet none even closely compares with the glorious Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, a Relais & Chateaux property.
Tucked away in a 12-acre garden of tropical flora, the intimate 85-casita hotel conjures up an Andean village in architecture and spirit. Located on the edge of the Vilcanota River, it offers a gentle refuge from the overflow of people in town and at up at the site. Dinner at its first-class restaurant is within ear shot of the rushing river (breakfast and lunch are included in your hotel package) and was one of the highlights of my and Julie’s Peruvian adventure. In my latest pod cast, I discuss the property and the hotel’s commitment to the protection and preservation of Peru’s natural treasures, including the endangered Andean Bear, with hotel general manager Joaquin Escudero.
For information on all the Inkaterra properties in Peru go to Inkaterra.com. For more on the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel visit their website.
Sunday Jul 21, 2019
Sunday Jul 21, 2019
Joseph heads out on safari at the Shamwari Wildlife Preserve then visits the town of Alicedale – where people power is thriving. Along the way he visits a Capetown area winery for some rest, relaxation and wine tasting.