Podcast · Leisure & Travel

The Travel Diaries

by Holly Rubenstein · English · Leisure & Travel

The Travel Diaries is a weekly interview series where journalist Holly Rubenstein chats to a special guest about their adventures around the world, and the travel experiences and destinations that have shaped their lives. Be transported to exotic and far flung places as Holly and her diverse range

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 52 min
Latest: 13 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026 · 53 minNew

Celia Imrie

Today I’m joined by the iconic Celia Imrie. Celia is, of course, one of Britain’s best-loved actresses, with an extraordinary career spanning more than five decades. From her unforgettable collaborations with Victoria Wood, to Bridget Jones’s Diary, Calendar Girls, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and, more recently, The Thursday Murder Club. She's one of those performers who has been part of our lives for as long as I can remember. But what you might not know about Celia is that she is a completely insatiable traveller. She's happiest when she's on the move, whether that's aboard a glamorous…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S17 · 11 Oct 2026 · 38 min
Unpacked: Seville, Bologna, Peligoni, Cádiz & more with Suzannah Ramsdale, Lifestyle Director at The London Standard
Today I’m joined by the brilliant Suzannah Ramsdale, Lifestyle Director at The Standard, whose job involves knowing exactly where’s worth going and what’s worth your precious time off. And there’s so much inspiration in this conversation. If you’re already dreading the clocks going back, Suzannah has some very tempting ideas for extending your summer, with a little help from her Spanish family connections. There’s the seaside spot she returns to again and again, and a food-filled Italian escape that had me mentally checking flights before we’d finished talking. We also hear how a rather…
S17 · 6 Oct 2026 · 49 min
Louisiana: Small Towns, Swamps & Southern Soul - Destination Special
From the jazz clubs and Mardi Gras parades of New Orleans to the swamps, dance halls and small towns of Acadiana, this Destination Special explores a side of Louisiana, USA that many visitors never get to see. We travel west along Interstate 10 into the heart of Cajun and Creole country, a region shaped by its French language, distinctive music, extraordinary food and deep connection to the surrounding bayous. Louisiana travel and culture writer Herman Fuselier shares the traditions behind Jazz Fest and Mardi Gras, introduces the sounds of Cajun and Zydeco music, and explains why the true…
S17 · 4 Oct 2026 · 32 min
Unpacked: New York, Greek Islands, Monastero Santa Rosa, Scandinavia & more, with Conde Nast Traveller Digital Director, Sarah Allard
This week on The Travel Diaries: Unpacked, I’m joined by Sarah Allard, Digital Director of Condé Nast Traveller, for your weekly weekend dose of wanderlust. Sarah’s job takes her to some extraordinary places, and today she’s sharing the trips, hotels and foodie finds she thinks should be on your radar. We start with the growing appeal of Northern Europe, including the Danish island of Bornholm, before heading to New York for her 40th birthday celebrations. Expect bagels, martinis and a few days in the Hudson Valley, where pretty towns, farm shops and gorgeous hotels make the perfect contrast…
S17 · 29 Sep 2026 · 55 min
Steve Backshall returns to the podcast!
Today’s guest is returning to the podcast after 5 years! TV presenter, adventurer and explorer Steve Backshall is one of the most travelled people in the world, and one of the best story tellers - so he is the ultimate Travel Diaries guest. Just listening back to his first episode in preparation for today was a reminder of what an amazing episode that was - if you haven’t listened to that scroll back and listen to that first, because his life is so interesting, and then come back and listen to this one! It was so lovely to meet him in person this time, just last week. We filmed this in…
S17 · 27 Sep 2026 · 41 min
Unpacked: Japan, Mongolia, Praiano's Casa Angelina, Ladakh & more with travel writer, Luke Abrahams
Today I’m joined by travel writer, author and photographer, Luke Abrahams. Luke is one of the UK's most prolific travel journalists, having been to 30 countries this year alone, and he's about to release a new book, The Luxury Travel Book: 25 personal experiences that make you rethink the world and your place in it. These are stories that make you rethink the beauty of life and the mastery of human creativity, and it is packed full of his beautiful photography too. We'll be unpacking Ruthie Rogers' bucket list destination, Kyoto; reflecting on my Hotel of the Week, Casa Angelina; chatting…
S17 · 22 Sep 2026 · 42 min
Ruthie Rogers
Today’s guest is one of the most influential figures in British food. Ruthie Rogers is the chef and co-founder of The River Cafe, the legendary Michelin-starred Italian restaurant in Hammersmith, which she opened with Rose Gray in 1987. Over nearly four decades, The River Cafe has completely transformed the way we eat and think about Italian food in this country, and its kitchens have helped launch the careers of some of Britain’s best-known chefs, including Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Theo Randall and April Bloomfield. But Ruthie’s influence extends far beyond the restaurant.…
S17 · 20 Sep 2026 · 36 min
Unpacked: World's 50 Best Hotels, Belmond Splendido, AlUla, Listener Q&A & more with travel editor, Lauren Ho
This week on The Travel Diaries: Unpacked , I’m joined by Lauren Ho, one of the world’s most well-travelled luxury hotel experts. Lauren is Travel Director of Wallpaper* , a contributing editor at Country & Town House and the Academy Chair for Western Europe for The World’s 50 Best Hotels . Recorded just days after this year’s list was revealed in Paris, Lauren shares her reaction to the results, why Asian hotels continue to dominate the top 10 and which new entries she was particularly pleased to see recognised. We also journey to AlUla in Saudi Arabia, where ancient Nabataean tombs,…
S17 · 15 Sep 2026 · 52 min
Caitlin Moran
Today’s guest is one of Britain’s funniest, most distinctive and most beloved writers, Caitlin Moran. Caitlin began writing her first book at just 13, was published at 16, and became an award-winning Times columnist and the bestselling author of books including How to Be a Woman, More Than a Woman and What About Men? Her brilliant new book is called How to Be Hopeful, and it begins with a feeling I think many of us will recognise: that the world has become overwhelming and the only reasonable solution might be to run away and start an entirely new life somewhere else. In Caitlin’s case, that…
S17 · 13 Sep 2026 · 34 min
Unpacked: China, Uzbekistan, Baku, Six Senses & more with travel editor, John O'Ceallaigh
Hello and welcome to our very first episode of The Travel Diaries: Unpacked, your weekend travel fix. Today I’m joined by the fabulous John O'Ceallaigh. John is a travel journalist and consultant to luxury hospitality brands, who previously served as the luxury travel editor for The Telegraph for nearly a decade. We'll be unpacking Nisha's bucket list destination, China; reflecting on my Hotel of the Week, Six Senses London; chatting about John's recent trip to Azerbaijan, and answering your listener question. Destination Recap: China Beijing, China Shanghai, China Yunnan, China Shangri-La,…
S17 · 8 Sep 2026 · 59 min
Nisha Katona
Hello and welcome to a brand new season of The Travel Diaries. It’s great to be back! I couldn’t think of a more joyful guest to kick off the season than Nisha Katona. A former child protection barrister turned restaurateur, food writer and TV presenter, Nisha is the founder of the hugely successful Mowgli Street Food restaurants, the author of several cookbooks, including her newest release, The Curry Bible, and was a judge on the BBC’s Great British Menu. In this episode, Nisha describes herself as a “culinary evangelist and anthropologist”, and food is the thread running through her…
S16 · 16 Jun 2026 · 57 min
Sir Michael Palin returns
Today’s guest is, quite simply, one of the great travellers of our time. Sir Michael Palin first joined me on The Travel Diaries back in 2020, and that episode went on to become one of our most loved and most listened-to conversations ever. So when the opportunity came up for him to return to the podcast, this time to mark the publication of his new book, In Nigeria, I absolutely leapt at the chance. For anyone listening who might not be fully familiar with Sir Michael Palin’s extraordinary career, he first became known as one of the members of Monty Python, before going on to become one of…
S16 · 9 Jun 2026 · 49 min
Race Across The World’s, Jo and Kush
Before we get started, a quick warning: this episode contains spoilers. So if you haven’t finished watching the latest series of Race Across the World, I’d suggest turning off now and coming back once you have! Race Across the World is one of those shows that just gets under your skin, isn’t it? You start off thinking you’re watching a travel programme, and then suddenly you’re so emotionally invested in people trying to get across a border, find a cheap hostel, or make it onto a 29-hour train with no phone and barely any money. This season, five pairs travel over 12,000 kilometres, from…
S16 · 2 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
Tom Allen
Today’s guest is one of the country’s best-loved comedians and presenters - the wonderful Tom Allen. You’ll know him from Bake Off: An Extra Slice , The Apprentice: You’re Fired , QI , Would I Lie To You? , Live at the Apollo and of course his standup comedy. He’s also a brilliant writer, and his new novel, Common Decency , is out now. Tom’s travel diaries are full of glorious detail. We talk childhood holidays, package holidays, the etiquette of sunbeds, solo travel, America, Japan, Spain, the joy of a great hotel, and why food is so often the thing that makes a place unforgettable.…
S16 · 30 May 2026 · 31 min
Matt Tebbutt's Queensland, Australia - Destination Special
On today’s Destination Special, we’re taking you somewhere that, for so many travellers, represents the ultimate holiday feeling: Queensland, Australia. This is a state seven times the size of Britain! A place where one trip can take you from the cultural heartbeat and riverside energy of Brisbane, to the al fresco beach lifestyle of the Gold Coast, to ancient rainforest, island life, wildlife encounters, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island cultures, First Nations storytelling, and one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef. Known as Australia’s Sunshine State,…
S16 · 26 May 2026 · 53 min
Antoni Porowski, Queer Eye star and Presenter
Today’s guest is a global tv star, bestselling author, food obsessive and one of the most beloved members of one of Netflix’s biggest ever shows…Antoni Porowski. You’ll know Antoni as the much-loved food and wine expert from Netflix’s global phenomenon Queer Eye , where for ten seasons he helped people transform not just the way they cooked and ate, but the way they saw themselves. Antoni’s own story is such a fascinating journey in itself. In today’s episode, we travel through his life from childhood road trips to the North Carolina coast and the first meal that truly blew his mind, to the…
S16 · 19 May 2026 · 55 min
Eva zu Beck, adventurer & filmmaker
Today’s guest is an adventurer, filmmaker, writer and one of the most extraordinary travel storytellers of her generation. Eva zu Beck's life reads like something from a film. She was Oxford-educated, working in travel media, married, successful, and living the kind of polished, high-achieving life so many people are told to want. But behind the scenes, she knew something wasn’t right. So she walked away from it all. The marriage, the career, the security, the neatly mapped-out future, and bought a one-way ticket to Nepal. Over the past nine years, Eva has travelled almost constantly, often…
S16 · 16 May 2026 · 34 min
Newport Beach - Bonus Destination Special
Today we’re heading to the sun-soaked Southern California coast in the USA, arriving at Newport Beach. Now, if you’re listening in the UK and thinking, hang on, where exactly is Newport Beach? - it’s just south of Los Angeles, in Orange County. For a lot of you listening, that name might immediately conjure up The O.C. , or the The Real Housewives of Orange County - it’s one of those places that really captures that classic California coastal lifestyle: long sandy beaches, a beautiful harbour dotted with boats, waterfront restaurants serving the freshest seafood, surf culture, spectacular…
S16 · 12 May 2026 · 53 min
Lucy Beaumont
Today's guest is one of the most distinctive and brilliantly funny voices in British comedy. Born in Cornwall by accident, raised in Hull with pride, Lucy Beaumont has built a career out of finding the strange, hilarious and deeply human moments in everyday life. You’ll know her from shows like Would I Lie To You? , Taskmaster , Meet the Richardsons , The Celebrity Traitors , and so much more, as well as from her acclaimed stand-up and writing. In today’s conversation, we travel from an out-of-season teenage trip to Magaluf, to sneaking off to Torquay in search of surfers, falling in love…
S16 · 5 May 2026 · 54 min
Charlotte Crosby
Today’s guest is one of the defining reality TV stars of the last decade. Charlotte Crosby first burst onto our screens on Geordie Shore, one of the biggest reality shows of the 2010s - a show that became a global phenomenon and completely changed the course of her life, taking her from the north of England to filming and working all over the world. Since then, she’s built a huge international following, particularly in Australia, where she’s become a familiar face on primetime TV. And as you’ll hear, travel has completely shaped who she is today. From Southshields to Sydney, Spain to…
S16 · 28 Apr 2026 · 54 min
Dermot O'Leary
Today’s guest is someone whose voice - and face - I think most of us know instantly. Dermot O'Leary has been such a constant in British life for years now, from hosting The X Factor, to his Friday slot on This Morning, to his weekend shows on BBC Radio 2. He’s had this really varied career - presenting everything from major live events like the Brit Awards and BAFTAs, to documentaries, and his more recent travel and food series Taste of Ireland with Dermot O’Leary on ITV, which is back for a second season. What I loved about this conversation is how much of his life has been shaped by…
S16 · 21 Apr 2026 · 48 min
Totally Türkiye - Destination Special with Trip.com
In this Destination Special episode, we head to Turkey or Türkiye as it’s now officially known - a country where continents, cultures and centuries collide. From the energy of Istanbul to the surreal landscapes of Cappadocia, and from the beach clubs of Antalya to the hidden coves of the Turquoise Coast, this is a journey through one of the world’s most diverse travel destinations. Along the way, you’ll hear stories and recommendations from past Travel Diaries guests including Simon Reeve, Beverley Knight, Jamie Laing and Fiona Duncan, alongside expert insight from travel writer Annabelle…
S16 · 14 Apr 2026 · 53 min
Tom Bradby
Tom Bradby is the calm, authoritative face of ITV News at Ten …but behind that desk is a man who has reported from war zones, witnessed history unfold first-hand… and even been shot in the line of duty. He’s spent decades right at the centre of global events, from political uprisings to natural disasters, often in places most of us would never dare to go. And then there’s the royal family. He’s one of the very few journalists to have had real, behind-the-scenes access at the moments the whole world is watching. He was the journalist chosen to conduct the official engagement interview with…
S16 · 7 Apr 2026 · 47 min
Eve, Grammy-winning hip hop star
Today’s guest is quite simply one of the most iconic voices in hip hop and R&B. She’s the artist behind some of the biggest tracks of the early 2000s, including Who’s That Girl , Let Me Blow Ya Mind with Gwen Stefani, and Gangsta Lovin’ . These are songs that defined an era and still feel just as fresh today. It is of course, Eve. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Eve, rose to global fame as part of the legendary Ruff Ryders crew, working alongside names like DMX and Dr. Dre, before carving out her own hugely successful solo career. She became the third female rapper in history to have a…
S16 · 31 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
Dom Joly
Welcome to a brand new season of The Travel Diaries - I’m so excited to be back! My guest today is comedian, writer and broadcaster Dom Joly. You’ll of course know him from Trigger Happy TV - one of the most iconic comedy shows of the early 2000s - now celebrating its 25th anniversary, with Dom back on tour across the UK through to 2027. But beyond comedy, travel has been a defining thread throughout Dom’s life. He’s visited 108 countries, and his story begins in Lebanon, where he grew up during the civil war, with what he describes as a “front-row view” of the conflict. His early…
S16 · 24 Mar 2026 · 1 min
Season 16 Trailer - The Travel Diaries with Holly Rubenstein
A new travel chapter begins next Tuesday March 31. Join me every Tuesday for unforgettable travel tales. It's wanderlust guaranteed! See you then everyone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S16 · 30 Dec 2025 · 52 min
Richard E. Grant
Today, for our final episode of the year, I am joined by someone whose life story reads like an atlas: the actor, writer, and now podcast host, Richard E. Grant. Born in Swaziland, now known as Eswatini, in southern Africa, Richard grew up in a world of big landscapes, no television, and endless imagination. From there he moved to London in the early 1980s, and very quickly became unforgettable figure on stage and screen - from his iconic role in Withnail & I, all the way through to Gosford Park, Jackie, Star Wars, Saltburn, and his Oscar-nominated performance in Can You Ever Forgive Me?…
S15 · 16 Dec 2025 · 41 min
Rick Stein returns - Christmas Special
Welcome to a very special festive edition of The Travel Diaries . Today I’m joined by the legendary chef, restaurateur and writer, Rick Stein. Rick is returning to the podcast for the first time in five years , and I can’t think of a better guest to bring a little culinary sparkle to our Christmas Special. This year, Rick is celebrating the release of his beautifully personal and utterly joyful new book, Rick Stein’s Christmas - a treasure trove of festive recipes, stories, traditions, and reflections on what this time of year really means. In our conversation, we dive into his own Christmas…
S15 · 28 Oct 2025 · 55 min
Magical Morocco - Destination Special
Welcome to a very special edition of The Travel Diaries , where we’re heading to a country that has enchanted so many of my guests over the years: Morocco. This Destination Special is a love letter to a place that casts a lifelong spell. In the first half, you’ll hear unforgettable memories from past guests - Sir Michael Palin, Anya Hindmarch, Lyn Hughes, Sir Richard Branson, The Hairy Bikers, Amar Latif, and Jacqui Gifford - each sharing the moments that made Morocco magical for them: the colours of Marrakech, the silence of the Sahara, the scent of a tagine in the Atlas Mountains.…
S15 · 21 Oct 2025 · 59 min
The Hairy Bikers - From the archives
Today on The Travel Diaries we’re revisiting a very special conversation from the archives with national treasures Si King and the late, much-loved Dave Myers, better known to millions as The Hairy Bikers. Si and Dave were my very first duo on the podcast, and what a joy they were. For more than two decades, they entertained Britain with their infectious humour, foodie expertise and shared love of motorbikes. Their travel and food shows from Asian Adventure to Mediterranean Adventure and Route 66 inspired countless viewers to see the world through flavour and friendship. When I spoke to…

About The Travel Diaries

The Travel Diaries is a English leisure & travel podcast from Holly Rubenstein. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Holly Rubenstein
Language: English
Category: Leisure & Travel
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 52 min
Latest episode: 13 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1471130008
Rights: Holly Rubenstein

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