Wander Woman: A Travel Podcast

Phoebe Smith

The monthly Wander Woman Podcast frequently charts in 'Travel and Places' in over 147 countries around the world. It is the first travel podcast to take on a magazine style - rather than the format of just an interview – and has been listened to and downloaded everywhere from the UK to Australia and beyond, by hundreds of thousands of people. It has been selected as “Best of” travel podcasts by The Telegraph, The Guardian and The i newspaper, Globetrender and Tech Times - to name a few.

Every episode, award-winning broadcaster, travel writer, author and photographer Phoebe Smith offers a behind the scenes journey to a different destination which features interviews with locals, audio clips and vivid descriptions to make the listener feel like they are there too - without having to leave home.

The main ‘destination’ story weaves together her passion for finding off-the-beaten track places, undertaking quirky and unusual activities, discovering wild spaces in unlikely mass market destinations, watching wildlife and meeting the unsung heroes behind conservation efforts.

Additionally the Wander Woman Podcast’s regular features a celebrity interview; Best Travel Gear for a life on the road; Travel Hack of the Month; Top 10 in Travel; Hidden Hero; and the Wander Woman of the Month - the traveller whose name is lost in the history books.

Wherever you find yourself - come wander with her…

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45 episodes
Updated July 29

Episodes45

Newest first

July 29 · 47 min
The Long Haul
A splash of wine hits the dust beneath the table, offered first to Pachamama - aka Mother Earth, and suddenly northern Argentina feels more family member than nameless destination. Follow Phoebe's Wander Woman correspondent Daniel Neilson as he journeys to Jujuy and Salta following ancient Andean trade routes, reading a 4,000-year timeline etched into rock, and asking one deceptively simple question: how did life and culture move across mountains that seem designed to keep people apart? The answer, it seems, is llama-shaped. Also coming up: Author Michael Pugh - on Riding through War and Peace on a horse from Russia to Transylvania Travel Hack: How to (and how not to) travel with a teenager Whales, sloths and cabybaras... Latin America's best 10 wildlife encounters Meet Katie Carr, the woman who not only finished her late brother's book but went on to honour his memory by completing his kayaking adventure Gear chat: what to pack to travel by horseback Juana Manual Gorriti – the greatest Argentine author you've never heard of – is our Wander Woman of the Month. If you enjoyed the stories, subscribe, share the episode with a fellow traveller, and leave us a review so more people can find the show. Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
June 30 · 51 min
Everything That Happened Here
Journey to Canada's most underrated province - Saskatchewan - where the simple act of hiking feels like time travel. From Badlands replete with fossils, to miles of Prairie grassland teeming with wildlife where bison roam, join adventurer Phoebe Smith as she explores the National Park you've never heard of - but definitely should add to your to do list. Practical travel help is baked in too. I share my no-nonsense travel hack for avoiding ticks and removing them safely, plus we chat with Jenna Carr, aka The Travel Mum, about why family travel is chaotic, slower, and still absolutely worth it. We round things out with fast Saskatchewan facts, stargazing gear for a dark sky preserve, and a Hidden Hero conversation with a species at risk scientist working behind the scenes to protect the “little guys” we too often overlook. Also coming up: The Travel Mum - Jenna Carr on why you can travel with kids Travel Hack: How to avoid and remove a tick A Canadian Dead Sea, the biggest T-Rex fossil on the planet? 10 Saskatchewan Facts that will have you headed straight for Regina Meet the woman who works to protect endangered species in Grasslands National Park Gear chat: what to pack to go stargazing Geraldine Moodie – pioneering photographer and owner of the first studio opened by a woman – is our Wander Woman of the Month. If you love wildlife encounters, Canadian road trips, and prairie dogs, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who needs fresh travel inspiration, and leave a review so more people can find us. Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
May 31 · 52 min
Undercurrents
A manta ray glides through water as though it owns the ocean, then you remember the uncomfortable truth: many shark and ray species are sliding towards extinction, and we still do not have enough data to protect them properly. From Ishigaki in Okinawa, join adventurer Phoebe Smith as she becomes one of the first people in the world to complete the PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors) Shark and Ray Conservation speciality and uploads her sightings to the Global Shark and Ray Census, showing how everyday divers can turn a camera and curiosity into citizen science that actually makes a difference. Also coming up: Detectorists and authors Roman Found (aka Eleanor Bruce and Lucilla Gray) talk treasure hunting and Thing We Found in the Ground Travel Hack: How to thrive on your first scuba dive 10 lesser known destinations in Japan Meet the man who - following the devastating Tsunami at Fukushima in 2011 began an underwater clean-up efforts that would unite the entire community. Gear chat: what to pack in the tropics Lady Sarashina – said to be one of the world's first travel writers – is our Wander Woman of the Month. If you care about responsible travel, scuba diving, marine conservation, Japan and hidden histories, press play. Subscribe, share the podcast and leave a review so more people can find the show. Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
April 30 · 49 min
Pooh Sticks and the real Hundred Acre Wood
Pooh Sticks looks like a simple game, until you’re standing on the real bridge where it all started, in Ashdown Forest watching your stick float on the water underneath the slats and realising Winnie the Pooh began right here in a living landscape. Join Adventurer Phoebe Smith as she travels to East Sussex to find the real Hundred Acre Wood behind the 100 year old Winnie-the-Pooh story. Along the way she meets the people who protect it today and learns why the open heathland – rarer than tropical rainforest – needs our help. Also coming up: Author and dog-friendly travel specialist Lottie Gross on the best and worst countries in Europe for taking your canine companion to Travel Hack: How to travel like Pooh Bear 10 literary destinations lifted straight out of your favourite children's books Meet the woman who has dedicated her life to helping stray dogs and the volunteers who look after them in Greece through the charity Starlight Barking Gear chat: what to pack in destinations with a large stray dog packs Simona Kossak – who lived in a hut in Poland's Białowieża Forest with a lynx, boar and crow – is our Wander Woman of the Month. If Pooh's wisdom and legacy helps you plan your next trip do subscribe, share with a friend who needs some inspiration, and leave a quick review to help more travellers find us. Now pull on your big boots and get ready for your next adventure to happen... Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
March 31 · 51 min
The Milk Run
A ferry announcement about whales comes over the tannoy and suddenly the cafeteria empties, the crew step away from their tasks, and everyone presses to the windows. That shared pause is the heartbeat of slow travel, and it’s why Adventurer Phoebe Smith takes you onboard BC Ferries’ “Milk Run” from Vancouver Island up through Canada’s Inside Passage. This isn’t a floating resort. It’s a working supply route that carries food, freight and locals between remote Indigenous coastal communities and, for travellers, it’s one of the most affordable ways to see humpbacks, orcas, sea lions and wild, rain-soaked shorelines. Also coming up: Author of All My Wild Mothers and new book The Apothecary by the Sea: A Year in an Orkney Garden and self-confessed wild woman Victoria 'Vik' Bennett Travel Hack: how to travel on a budget without being a backpacker Top 10 of the best ferry rides in the world Meet the woman who's been making an audio record of women adventurers – of all ages, shapes and sizes – with her Tough Girl Podcast for the past 10 years, Sarah Williams Gear chat: what to pack for a scenic ferry ride Isobel Gunn – who in 1806 passed herself off as a man and inadvertantly becoming the first European woman to travel to Rupert's Land, now part of Western Canada – is our Wander Woman of the Month. If you enjoy travel stories with substance, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find us. Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
February 27 · 57 min
Passage to India
What if we stopped saving our dream journey for “one day” and booked it now? Wander Woman Phoebe Smith hits pause on the grind and takes a micro‑retirement across North India by rail—soaking in Kolkata’s dawn ferry music, the riot of colour at the flower market, and the earthy taste of chai, before tracing slower paths to Bodh Gaya, Varanasi and Agra. The result is an immersion into India that her late mother always wanted but whose death age 50 meant she never got to experience. Also coming up: Author and travel writer Shafik Meghji on South America's links with Britain and the perfect trip for first time visitors Travel Hack: Survive your first night on an Indian Sleeper Train Top 10 North Indian dishes you have to try... now! Meet the acid attack survivors at Sheroes Hangout Cafe - who turn tragedy into triumph over coffee every day Gear chat: what to pack for a trip to India in winter and summer Ida Pfeiffer – the midlife pioneer who circled the globe on grit, curiosity, and a shoestring – is our Wander Woman of the Month. If this journey nudges your own “someday” list, make it sooner. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a push, and leave a quick review to help more travellers find us. Where would your micro‑retirement take you? Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
January 31 · 50 min
Wayward Wanderings
A rewilded valley, a returning herd, and a community finding new roots—come with Wander Woman Phoebe Smith to Portugal’s Côa Valley where tauros and sorraia horses are reshaping the land and jumpstarting local livelihoods. Join her as she learns how large herbivores create healthier mosaic habitats that reduce wildfire risk, boost biodiversity, and draw back predators like wolves, and listen in as she meets the people turning these ecological wins into sustainable nature-based tourism. Also coming up: Right to Roam campaigner Guy Shrubsole on access rights and Britain's Rainforests Travel Hack: How to find a legit re-wilding project Top 10 Rewilding projects around the world and where to visit them Meet travel writers and authors Rhona Carrier and Tracey Davies as they discuss their memoir Wayward Women - and how mid-life women are a force to be reckoned with Gear chat: what to pack for a responsible wild camp Florence Merriam Bailey - a birdwatcher who had to persuade others to look but don't shoot (yes, really) is our Wander Woman of the Month Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
Dec 31, 2025 · 45 min
Beneath a Stirring Sky
The sky is stirring over Canada's Northwest Territories, and we wanted to know what it really means when the norhtern lights dance. So Wander Woman Phoebe Smith sent her editor and correspondent Daniel Neilson to travel to Yellowknife to sit with Dene guides who treat the aurora as memory and medicine, not a bucket list stunt. Join us for stories that bring light to the darkness and stir the sky - and the soul. Also coming up: Celebrity Chef Rick Stein on his new series about Australia airing on the BBC Travel Hack: How to photograph the aurora borealis Top 10 winter festivities around the world that aren't Christmas - from Up Helly Aa to Diwali and moew Meet the man behind the former hunting farm that became a stronghold in Namibia for protecting endangered species - and ensuring local people benefitted too Gear chat: what to wear when stood watching for the Northern Lights Shaaw Tláa - a pioneering prospector and proud member of the Tagish community is our Wander Woman of the Month Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
Nov 28, 2025 · 52 min
In to the Woods
Cold breath on the air, pancakes at dawn, and the hush before a bear appears at the treeline – join Wander Woman Phoebe Smith as she journeys from Finland’s close‑to‑Helsinki wilds with a foraging guide to paddle a quiet nine kilometres to a lean‑to where two dogs double as companions and hot‑water bottles. The theme is deliberate slowness: built in boredom, and the forest fills the space. Before a finale at dusk with an elusive sighting of the European 'Spirit Bear' on the Finland-Russia border. Also coming up: BBC Radio 4 Women's Hour presenter Anita Rani on what drew her to Race Across the World... Travel Hack: How to keep warm in cold climates Top 10 species of bears to spot around the world - from polar to grizzly and all those in between Meet the tour company in Jasper National Park Canada who is embracing the change caused by the 2024 wildfires to teach travellers about ancient indigenious practises Gear chat: what to pack for a night out in an unheated hut (or bear hide) Mina Benson Hubbard - a pioneering Canadian explorer is our Wander Woman of the Month Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
Oct 29, 2025 · 51 min
Ways and Means
A simple walk can change a life and a place. Join Wander Woman Phoebe Smith as she head's to Umbria to undertake part of Italy’s lesser-known pilgrim path - the St Francis Way - and see how it is bringing life back into the region. In association with this episode's podcast partner Sloways. From truffle hunts on the village edges to choirs echoing through convents, to ridge walks above Assisi and stamps in a well-worn pilgrim passport, this journey shows how slow travel creates real ties between people and landscape. Also coming up: Co-founder of the British Pilgrimage Trust Guy Hayward about his mission to change the path of walks with purpose to enable everyone to bring their own beliefs... Travel Hack: How to have a meaningful pilgrimage Top 10 non-religious pilgrimages around the world Meet Andrea Devicenzi – the Italian Paralympic cyclist who is using pilgrimages to change people's perceptions about disability Gear chat: what to pack when doing activities in very hot weather Margery Kempe - pilgrim and author of the first memoir in history is our Wander Woman of the Month Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
Sep 30, 2025 · 51 min
Who am I when I am transported?
With the rise of the Far Right across the globe, things have never been so tough for refugees and asylum seekers. So I head out with a new social enterprise that’s training immigrant women to become tour guides across Britain so they can celebrate their culture whilst earning their own income and teach us all a thing or too about our most well-known cities. Join Phoebe on an exploration of Syrian-Palestinian culture right here in London. Also coming up: Award-winning chef Ahu Hettema - who spent a decade stuck in the US immigration system - shares how she managed to cook her way out of depression… Travel Hack: How to travel everywhere without going anywhere Top 10 ethnic enclaves in unexpected places around the world Meet Beki Henderson the adventure producer/director behind some of TVs most popular male-fronted shows – from Will Smith to Levison Wood and more Gear chat: what to pack for a walking city tour Mabel Barker – the Lakeland teacher, inventor of the microadventure and fearless climber is our Wander Woman of the Month Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
Aug 27, 2025 · 54 min
Strange Trails
Think you have to travel far to feel like you've had a proper expedition? Think again. In an effort to prove that you don’t need to travel to far flung lands – or spend very much money at all to have a proper expedition, Wander Woman Phoebe Smith attempts a timed walking challenge with the Long Distance Walkers Association across two counties, to discover the joys (and pain) of walking 50 miles in a single day. Along the way expect epic sunsets, camaraderie and Jelly Baby fuelled hallucinations as she attempts to answer the question – why on earth would anyone do it? Also coming up: TV naturalist Mike Dilger shares his journey from being an awkward kid who hid in bushes to a wildlife expert Travel Hack: How undertaking an endurance event can help prepare you for your next big trip Top 10 short walks with BIG views around the world Meet Roberto Battista the man breathing new life into near-abandoned Italian mountain towns - through the power of adventure Gear chat: what to pack for an endurance challenge Florence Dixie - Victorian Patagonia explorer and women's rights activist is our Wander Woman of the Month Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
Jul 30, 2025 · 47 min
Are We Over Tourism?
With scenes of protest erupting in some of the most visited cities and countries in the world – telling tourists to go home – Wander Woman, Phoebe Smith, shows how merely travelling a little north of the Croatian honeypot of Dubrovnik to explore the region of Zadar the rewards can be great - for travellers and locals. From discovering the 3,000-year-old Old Town and dancing to the sustainable (and free) Sea Organ, to birdwatching and kayaking in Vrana Lake Nature Park, paddling and eating local on the islands of Ugljan & Pašman and tasting the delights of Pag, there's a whole family-friendly area to enjoy - minus the crowds. Come wander with her… Also coming up: 10 alternative destinations to the overtouristed locations (including scintillating swaps for Barcelona, Tuscany, Iceland and more) Travel Hack: How to be a more responsible traveller in the overcrowded locations Meet "Guerrilla Geographer" Daniel Raven-Ellison who is creating a national walking network connecting every single town and city in Britain Pack the kit you need for scorching hot temperatures Meet the 20-year-old female guide in Benin who is breaking gender barriers in West Africa's tourism industry Dervla Murphy - the ultimate responsible traveller - is our Wander Woman of the Month Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
Jun 30, 2025 · 51 min
Going the Distance
Would you ever walk the 'Backbone of Britain'? 2025 marks 60 years since the UK got it’s first official long distance pathway - the Pennine Way. As political as it was pioneering, Wander Woman Phoebe Smith delves into the history of this hard-fought-for trail - one that is integral to all the rights walkers enjoy today, discovering a kick-ass, bell bottomed jeans wearing hiker in the 1960s, before heading out with her friend Cerys Matthews to walk a prime 3-day section in the present day, to meet other walkers, accommodation owners and bar workers, and discover what has changed here in the six decades since it opened. Come wander with her… Also coming up: Adventurer and presenter Pelumi Nubi explains why she went from being a scientist to driving from London to Lagos (Nigeria), solo, in a Peugeot 107 Travel Hack: How to share close quarters with a friend on a trip – and still be talking at the end 10 best road trips you can do by electric vehicle Meet conservationist Laurie Marker who has single-handedly shaped cheetah conservation in Namibia whilst improving the lives of the country’s human residents Pack the kit you need for the ultimate road trip Hannah Hauxwell, hardy Pennine hill farmer and female Palin of the 70s-90s, is our Wander Woman of the Month Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
May 28, 2025 · 55 min
The Salt Path
Can walking a coastal path really heal a broken heart? As bestselling book The Salt Path becomes a major film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Issacs, Wander Woman Phoebe Smith heads to author Raynor Winn's favourite 2-day section of the South West Coast Path in Cornwall - walking from Zennor to Minnack. Along the way she meets other hikers and discovers the power of simply placing one foot in front of the other. Also coming up: Raynor Winn shares who she really thought would play her in a movie and explains why the path will always be her home Travel Hack: Prepare for your first long distance path 10 best coastal paths arounds the world Meet BBC presenter and disability advocate Lucy Edwards about traveling while blind – including on safari Pack the kit you really need for walking the South West Coast Path Sarah Stoddart Hazlitt, who walked nearly 300 miles to process her divorce in 1822, is our Wander Woman of the Month Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
Apr 30, 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
Voodoo Child
What if everything you thought you knew about voodoo was completely wrong? This episode Wander Woman Phoebe Smith heads to Togo and Benin in West Africa - the birthplace of the religion, with Explore, to seek out the real voodoo beyond the sensationalist Hollywood portrayals of evil dolls and sinister spells. Journeying to the rural north of both countries she invites you to experience with her the rituals, practises, dances and truth behind perhaps the most maligned belief system in the world. Come wander with her... Also coming up: Woman with Altitude Elise Wortley on why she travels with world wearing a bonnet and Victorian bras Travel Hack: Make the most of your tour leader 10 incredible cultural experiences around the world Meet Namgyal Doma Sherpa a massage therapist on the Everest Basecamp trek with Lehara, helping heal hikers AND give jobs and money to remote communities Pack the kit you really need for visiting West Africa Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, is our Wander Woman of the Month Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
Mar 26, 2025 · 54 min
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
All across Britain, in some of the wildest places you can find, is a network of mountain huts - called bothies. But unlike shelters found in the rest of the world, these were never built for walkers. Former schoolhouses, farmsteads, gamekeepers lodges, coastguards lookouts and miners bunkhouses, there are around 100 buildings (across Scotland, England and Wales) left open for walkers and climbers to use - free of charge. For the last 60 years they have been in the care of the Mountain Bothies Association - an organisation who maintain and look after them and are funded by donation and run by volunteers. To celebrate their diamond anniversary, adventurer Phoebe Smith (who wrote the first ever guidebook to bothies 10 years ago) takes her mum friend Ellie to stay in her first one and speaks to the MBA's chair Simon Birch about what changes have occurred over the last 60 years. Also coming up: Octogenarian publisher Hilary Bradt discusses how travel has changed since her first adventures in 1969 Travel Hack: How to make friends on the road - safely Top 10 places to escape the crowds around the world Meet Katie Wignall, the guide telling the stories of forgotten women in London All the kit you need for wild swimming Nan Shepherd, author of The Living Mountain is our Wander Woman of the Month SPECIAL OFFER: Use code WanderWoman at the checkout on the Cicerone website to get 15% off the Book of the Bothy and all of their guidebooks. Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
Feb 26, 2025 · 53 min
Whales, Wallabies, and Re-Wilding
In the land Down Under one island in Western Australia is in the midst of a bold project to return it to a pre-European state. The Dirk Hartog Island National Park: Return to 1616 initiative has seen sheep farming (the mainstay for the single resident family for over 100 years) be replaced by eco-tourism. All cattle has been removed, invasive species have been culled and slowly, the vegetation and biodiversity is bouncing back. Given that the Wardle family used to earn around AUS$2.5million from their merino wool enterprise adventurer Phoebe Smith decided to pay them a visit to see how the less lucrative tourism industry was being embraced by them and undertake their inspiring hiking trail - Walking with Whales. Come wander with her... Also coming up: An interview with cookbook and travel author Caroline Eden Travel Hack: Survive a long haul flight in economy class Top 10 European Islands to visit Meet Mariko Wallen a sustainable seaweed farmer in Belize Discover the value of a good pair of multi-activity socks Learn all about our Wander Woman of the Month - Truganini - often thought (incorrectly) to be the last Aboriginal Tasmanian woman Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
Jan 29, 2025 · 56 min
Can't we all just get along?
Adventurer Phoebe Smith heads to the Central American nation of Belize, to see - in the wake of the rollback of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives in the USA - how multiple cultures can live in harmony while still celebrating their own uniqueness. The country is found on Central America’s north eastern coast, bordered by Mexico, Guatemala and the Caribbean Sea. It's one of only two destinations in Latin America where English is the official language. This is a country that is happy with its own cultural diversity - being home to more than six ethnic groups in a country around the size of Wales. So how does Belize manage to weave so many cultures into a harmonious tapestry - wander with Phoebe to find out... Also coming up: An interview with National Geographic explorer and conservationist Jamal Galves aka The Manatee Man Travel Hack: Know your Belizean ethnic groups Top 10 wildlife found on land and in the sea around Belize Meet Dayter Rodriguez - the first female maker of Garifuna drums Discover how to pack for a land and sea adventure Learn all about our Wander Woman of the Month - Gwendolyn Lizarraga aka Madam Liz - fighter for equal rights for women and the poor Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith
Oct 18, 2024 · 15 min
Trick or Treat? A Journey to Ireland in search of Halloween's origins
Halloween – with the costumes, pumpkin carving and trick or treating – is believed by many people to be an import from the USA? But where did it really start? Join adventurer Phoebe Smith as she journeys on a mission to locate the home of Halloween. Her research takes here to Ireland, where an ancient Celtic ceremonial fire location was discovered a few years ago that may be the ground zero for it all. Along the way she meet characters from Irish folklore - including a sun goddess Tlachtga, visits scared burial tombs older than the Egyptian pyramids, learns about barmbrack and the traditional foods of Samhain, indulges in a seaweed bath to remove any impurities from her body and discovers the age old techniques to ward off evil spirits with the organiser of the upcoming Púca Halloween Festival. Whether you're drawn to the historical roots, the folkloric elements, good food, dressing up or simply the spirit of Halloween, this special episode promises to both enthrall and enlighten, painting a picture of a festival that is as vibrant today as it was millennia ago. Come wander with me... Contact Wander Woman www.Phoebe-Smith.com; @PhoebeRSmith