The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your wanderlust

Welcome to the underwater world of photographer and professional diver Todd Thimios, who shares his best dive sites in Australia and around the world – he’s got some hot tips for snorkellers, too. 

To win a copy of Todd's book, Ultimate Dive Sites (Hardie Grant), follow us on instagram @theworldawaitspodcast and catch him MC'ing at the Go Diving Show at Sydney Showgrounds 6-7 September, see godivingshow.com/anz/sydney-dive...

“We’ve kind of become addicted to the novelty, life is always exciting… someone said to me, ‘you never get beyond the honeymoon stage in these countries you live in’, and I thought well that’s entirely true... but honeymoons are awesome… spending your life on a honeymoon sounds pretty good to me," says Brent Hartinger of Brent and Michael are Going Places. 

Authors, travel writers, digital creators and husbands Brent Hartinger ...

You've booked a holiday to Egypt, but the Grand Egyptian Museum's (GEM) opening has been postponed...again! "All is not lost!" says podcast host and Egypt aficionado Belle Jackson, who is just back from Cairo.

Belle shares her top three things to do in Cairo, including the best Egyptian museums and neighbourhoods, essential experiences and answers the age-old question, is Cairo safe right now? For more of Belle&a...

Hi there, welcome to our winter series. This week, we're taking you to the idyllic Cocos Keeling Islands – an atoll almost halfway between Australia and Sri Lanka where the airport runway doubles as the golf course, so infrequent are the flights.

Host Kirstie Bedford talks about her recent visit to the remote islands and what makes this largely unknown Australian island a must-visit. You can see some footage of her trip on Inst...

This week, we’re chatting to two remarkable women adventurers.

First up meet Lucy Barnard, the Australian Geographic Society's 2024 Adventurer of the Year. Lucy is almost at the end of an intrepid feat to become the first woman to walk the length of the Earth – 30,000 kilometres from the southernmost tip of South America to the top of North America, and talks to co-host Kirstie Bedford about this incredible journey. Follow her ...

Welcome to our Winter Series!

This week we're taking you to Greece.

First up, host Kirstie chats to Andria Mitsakos, founder of Anthologist and global founder of AMPR, who takes us to some of the country's best artisans where she buys her artefacts, and shares insider tips on the best way to enjoy a Greek getaway. 

Next, host Belle Jackson takes us to Greece and Bulgaria, travelling by rail on a slow food, slow travel journe...

Welcome to our Winter Series!

This week is all about Italy. We are taking you from the Amalfi Coast to a tiny town south of Rome. 

First up, host Belinda Jackson’s chats with author Maria Pasquale, who explores the food histories and dishes across regional Italy. Maria, born to Italian parents and raised in Melbourne, is the author of four books and has readers in more than 100 countries.

Then, host Kirstie Bedford talks to award-winn...

Veteran journalist Andrew Conway has been to India four times, but this time he's doing things differently. His latest month-long sojourn was self-funded, and he took his husband, Greg, who had never been to India before. 

Andrew talks about how having a personal driver (details below) changed his entire experience and lets us in on some of the lesser-known places to go in this often chaotic country.  

1 Hotels opened its first ...

The World Awaits has hit a remarkable milestone, celebrating its 100th episode!

To get the party started, Avani Hotels & Resorts has partnered with us for a listener giveaway a tropical holiday in Thailand!  To enter, simply like, follow and tag a friend on our Instagram page here.

On this special episode, our sound producer Alaisdair Leith joins us, and we chat about our favourite guests over the last two ye...

Meet the singing teacher who founded a hiking company in Bhutan. Keen hiker Karen Haranis, of Rare Air Himalayan Travel, shares her favourite hikes, through the territory of Bengal tigers and red pandas, from the high mountain passes and lush rhododendron forests of this tiny mountain kingdom.

Together with her guides Tashi and Namgyel, they scout new routes and cultural experiences in Bhutan, including the little visited East Bhuta...

“These dolphins surrounded me and I was hovering above the sand and they were playing with me and I swam up with them and thought I would die for them to be safe, it was like my heart was cracked open and I came up thinking how can I be more impactful in the ocean space,” says freediving champion turned conservationist Hanli Prinsloo.

It was this encounter with dolphins in Mozambique while teaching a freediving course that made Hanl...

"Southern Africa is very hard to describe; for many people, you get bitten by something, or you breathe something in, and you become hooked," says Australian author Tony Park. 

Speaking to us from his home just north of Kruger National Park in South Africa, Tony shares his vast experience about going on safari in southern and east Africa. From the Kruger to the Kalahari, we're taking self-drive safaris on a budget, wh...

On the fringe of the Sahara, at the birthplace of Star Wars, the little Northern African country of Tunisia's drawcards are its medinas and souqs, its Roman ruins and Mediterranean seaside resorts. Stay in desert camps or in cave hotels carved into the mountains; you'll find spicy harissa, dramatic doors and ornate tiles everywhere.

"What's not to love?" asks co-host Belle Jackson, who travelled through Tuni...

"The best way to see the Mekong is slowly," says travel journalist Michael Turtle. 

He takes us on a cruise down the river in Laos on board the beautiful new boat Boheme. With only 13 cabins, it runs between the royal city of Luang Prabang and the capital, Vientiane, connecting you to the lifeblood of the country, all while exploring Laos' cuisine and visiting its villages.

"Watch longtail boats, see temples... on...

 Do you know who was behind the design of Canberra? What about the first person hired to manage the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge? Both are women whose stories have historically rarely been told.

That’s something tour guide, feminist, history nerd, and author Sita Sargeant plans on changing. Frustrated by the lack of recognition for women’s historical contributions, she founded She Shapes History – a tourism company offe...

Have you ever thought about packing everything up, renting or selling the house and moving to Italy? Well, that’s just what our guest this week did. 

Award-winning freelance food, travel and lifestyle journalist Natascha Mirosch has swapped the sunny shores of Brisbane to move temporarily to a tiny village south of Rome. We chat about why she did it, what there is to see and do in the region where she’s now living and how you could ...

Should Australians be concerned about travelling to the US now?

With a super-strong US dollar and reports of 'enhanced vetting' at US borders, economics groups forecast a 12% drop in visitors to the States this year. So just how welcome are travellers these days? New York State is bucking the trend, says Michael Cassis, the Australian representative for the state, and shares some tips for smooth entry into the US.  

And - j...

Australia has more than 10,000 beaches, so if you need a beachside break, how do you choose where to go?

Celeste Mitchell, author of Ultimate Beaches Australia has scoured the nation to come up with 80 of the best beaches from the big names to some secret spots; places for world-class surf breaks or rock pools for the kids.  https://publishing.hardiegrant.com/en-au/books/ultimate-beaches-australia-by-celeste-mitchell/9781741178920

Ce...

Giant green palms, sugar-white sand beaches where every shell seems to move with life, and gin-clear waters home to an aquarium of kaleidoscopic marine life.

Welcome to the Cocos Keeling Islands – an atoll almost halfway between Australia and Sri Lanka where the airport runway doubles as the golf course, so infrequent are the flights.

We explain why this special little spot should be on your travel bucket list – and if you’re travell...