This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the October 2025 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, speaking with author Monisha Rajesh about her book "Moonlight Express: Around the World by Night Train" - https://amzn.to/4nAkyNx 

If you'd like to join the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, sign up for our updates at https://thoughtfultravellersbookclub.substack.com/

You can also read more about it at https://notaballerina.com/bookclub, and you can keep up with all the thoughts about our current books in the Thoughtful Travellers Facebook Group at https://facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers 

 

This special episode is the audio of the Facebook Livestream of the October 2025 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, speaking with author Monisha Rajesh about her book "Moonlight Express: Around the World by Night Train" - <a href="https://amzn.to/4nAkyNx">https://amzn.to/4nAkyNx</a>&nbsp;
If you'd like to join the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, sign up for our updates at <a href="https://thoughtfultravellersbookclub.substack.com/">https://thoughtfultravellersbookclub.substack.com/</a>
You can also read more about it at&nbsp;<a href="https://notaballerina.com/bookclub,">https://notaballerina.com/bookclub,</a>&nbsp;and you can keep up with all the thoughts about our current books in the Thoughtful Travellers Facebook Group at <a href="https://facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers">https://facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;

The Thoughtful Travel Podcast with Amanda Kendle is a show for travel lovers. Each episode is packed with travel stories from fellow travel addicts on topics like using foreign languages, meeting the locals, getting lost and what we learn from our travels.

Tales from travel-lovers about why we travel and what we learn from it.

The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

The Thoughtful Travel Podcast with Amanda Kendle - established 2016 - is a weekly show which helps travellers think about how our travels can be good for us and good for the world. We talk about how to make ethical decisions on our trips, sustainable and regenerative tourism, bringing back what we learn from the people and cultures we meet to improve our lives back home, and share the most memorable stories from travelling: fun, scary, educational and more. Most episodes include extracts from conversations with three different guests, centred on a particular topic, but you'll also hear occasional deep dive interviews, recordings from the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, and Amanda's own experiences from travelling past and present.

The Thoughtful Travel Podcast with Amanda Kendle - established 2016 - is a weekly show which helps travellers think about how our travels can be good for us and good for the world. We talk about how to make ethical decisions on our trips, sustainable and regenerative tourism, bringing back what we learn from the people and cultures we meet to improve our lives back home, and share the most memorable stories from travelling: fun, scary, educational and more. Most episodes include extracts from conversations with three different guests, centred on a particular topic, but you'll also hear occasional deep dive interviews, recordings from the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, and Amanda's own experiences from travelling past and present.

Book Club 22: Moonlight Express by Monisha Rajesh

Travelling to observe animals in the wild is a huge reason that we move around the world. The best case scenario is that we can see them without disturbing their environments or habits, perhaps take some photos, and head home. The worst case scenario is that something goes wrong and these animals become dangerous to humans! In this episode - spoiler alert, everyone survives, animals included! - we have some great stories of animal encounters in the wild.

We start with Satyajit Das, author of "Wild Quests" about his experiences with ecotourism and animal encounters, and he takes us back a couple of decades to a visit to Venezuela looking for green anacondas.

Next up, Ameliya Safaris owner Suyash Keshari tells us his signature "campfire story", the one he scares his safari guests with frequently - and it's about a particularly close tiger encounter in India that you wouldn't want to relive!

Finally, Neil Laird, author and documentary producer, has a story to tell about a time when filming a TV series in the United States, when a non-nature-loving family had a close encounter with a bear.

Links:
Satyajit Das - author of Wild Quests - Journeys into Ecotourism and the Future for Animals - https://amzn.to/4eMWpP9 
Suyash Keshari, Ameliya Safaris - https://ameliyasafaris.com/  
Neil Laird - https://neillaird.com
Neil’s Prime Time Travelers novels - https://amzn.to/48jqoNB 
Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers
Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin
Sign up for the Thoughtful Travellers newsletter at Substack - https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com 
Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/373

Travelling to observe animals in the wild is a huge reason that we move around the world. The best case scenario is that we can see them without disturbing their environments or habits, perhaps take some photos, and head home. The worst case scenario is that something goes wrong and these animals become dangerous to humans! In this episode - spoiler alert, everyone survives, animals included! - we have some great stories of animal encounters in the wild.
We start with Satyajit Das, author of "Wild Quests" about his experiences with ecotourism and animal encounters, and he takes us back a couple of decades to a visit to Venezuela looking for green anacondas.
Next up, Ameliya Safaris owner Suyash Keshari tells us his signature "campfire story", the one he scares his safari guests with frequently - and it's about a particularly close tiger encounter in India that you wouldn't want to relive!
Finally, Neil Laird, author and documentary producer, has a story to tell about a time when filming a TV series in the United States, when a non-nature-loving family had a close encounter with a bear.
Links:
<ul>
<li>Satyajit Das - author of Wild Quests - Journeys into Ecotourism and the Future for Animals - <a href="https://amzn.to/4eMWpP9">https://amzn.to/4eMWpP9</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Suyash Keshari, Ameliya Safaris - <a href="https://ameliyasafaris.com/">https://ameliyasafaris.com/</a> &nbsp;</li>
<li>Neil Laird - <a href="https://neillaird.com/">https://neillaird.com</a></li>
<li>Neil&rsquo;s Prime Time Travelers novels - <a href="https://amzn.to/48jqoNB">https://amzn.to/48jqoNB</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers">https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers</a></li>
<li>Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - <a href="https://notaballerina.com/linkedin">https://notaballerina.com/linkedin</a></li>
<li>Sign up for the Thoughtful Travellers newsletter at Substack - <a href="https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com">https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Show notes: <a href="http://notaballerina.com/373">https://notaballerina.com/373</a></li>
</ul>

373 Dangerous Animals on our Travels

One of my favourite outings in Bangkok last month was heading north to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed historic city of Ayutthaya for a day, together with my friend Vincie. Since we are both deeply into contemplating thoughtful travel - Vincie is the founder of RISE Travel Institute - we decided to record a chat about our experiences in Ayutthaya through a "thoughtful travel lens". We report the good and the bad and our conversation ranges from sustainabilty practices through tourist education and on to wildlife protection as well, and we also have a lot of fun reminiscing - so hope you enjoy this conversation too.

Links:
Ep 368 Bangkok Trip Diary and Thoughtful Travel Scorecard - notaballerina.com/368
RISE Travel Institute - risetravelinstitute.org 
Retouch Ayutthaya app - https://www.retouchayutthaya.com/ 
Ep 252 RISE Capstone project: Elephants Are Many Shades of Grey - notaballerina.com/252 
Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers
Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin
Sign up for the Thoughtful Travellers newsletter at Substack - https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com 
Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/372

One of my favourite outings in Bangkok last month was heading north to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed historic city of Ayutthaya for a day, together with my friend Vincie. Since we are both deeply into contemplating thoughtful travel - Vincie is the founder of RISE Travel Institute - we decided to record a chat about our experiences in Ayutthaya through a "thoughtful travel lens". We report the good and the bad and our conversation ranges from sustainabilty practices through tourist education and on to wildlife protection as well, and we also have a lot of fun reminiscing - so hope you enjoy this conversation too.
Links:
<ul>
<li>Ep 368 Bangkok Trip Diary and Thoughtful Travel Scorecard - <a href="http://notaballerina.com/368">notaballerina.com/368</a></li>
<li>RISE Travel Institute - <a href="http://risetravelinstitute.org">risetravelinstitute.org</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Retouch Ayutthaya app - <a href="https://www.retouchayutthaya.com/">https://www.retouchayutthaya.com/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Ep 252 RISE Capstone project: Elephants Are Many Shades of Grey - <a href="http://notaballerina.com/252">notaballerina.com/252</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers">https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers</a></li>
<li>Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers -<a href="https://notaballerina.com/linkedin"> https://notaballerina.com/linkedin</a></li>
<li>Sign up for the Thoughtful Travellers newsletter at Substack -<a href="https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/"> https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Show notes:<a href="http://notaballerina.com/372"> https://notaballerina.com/372</a></li>
</ul>

372 Ayutthaya, Thailand: Visiting Thoughtfully

The new year is coming at us fast: 2026, here we come! At this time of year the reports and articles about travel trends are rife, and I like to look through them all and see what might be happening in tourism and whether or not I like it (by which I mean, of course, does it fit with a thoughtful travel ethos?).

In this episode, I take you through some of the key trends identified by numerous players in the travel industry and also figure out which destinations are being predicted most often as being 2026 hotspots. I also chat with some experts, starting with Brett Mitchell, Managing Director of Intrepid Travel for Australia and New Zealand, who describes key trends Intrepid has identified and discusses their annual "Not Hot" list. I then chat with Melanie Fish, Vice President of Global PR for the Expedia Group, who explains how their "Unpack 26" study has included a new feature this year which I particularly like.

Links:
Intrepid Travel's Not Hot List 2026 - https://www.intrepidtravel.com/au/newsroom/releases/2026-not-hot-list 
Unpack 26 from Expedia - https://www.expedia.co.uk/unpack26/
Hilton 2026 trends report - https://stories.hilton.com/2026-trends
Booking.com 2026 trends report https://news.booking.com/the-era-of-you-bookingcom-predicts-the-top-trends-defining-travel-in-2026-with-individuality-taking-center-stage/
Skyscanner 2026 travel trends - https://www.skyscanner.com.au/travel-trends
Priceline 2026 travel trends - https://www.priceline.com/partner/pcln-promotions-2026-travel-trends-report-pr
Explore Worldwide 2026 travel trends - https://www.exploreworldwide.com.au/travel-trends-2026
Trafalgar 2026 travel trends - https://www.trafalgar.com/real-word/2026-travel-trends/
Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2026 - https://www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel 
Contiki top 2026 travel destinations - https://www.contiki.com/six-two/article/top-travel-destinations-in-2026/
Virtuoso best destinations 2026 - https://www.virtuoso.com/travel/articles/the-best-travel-destinations-2026
Forbes 26 best trips for 2026 - https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2025/08/21/the-26-best-trips-for-2026-according-to-travel-experts/
Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers
Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin
Sign up for the Thoughtful Travellers newsletter at Substack - https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com 
Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/371

The new year is coming at us fast: 2026, here we come! At this time of year the reports and articles about travel trends are rife, and I like to look through them all and see what might be happening in tourism and whether or not I like it (by which I mean, of course, does it fit with a thoughtful travel ethos?).
In this episode, I take you through some of the key trends identified by numerous players in the travel industry and also figure out which destinations are being predicted most often as being 2026 hotspots. I also chat with some experts, starting with Brett Mitchell, Managing Director of Intrepid Travel for Australia and New Zealand, who describes key trends Intrepid has identified and discusses their annual "Not Hot" list. I then chat with Melanie Fish, Vice President of Global PR for the Expedia Group, who explains how their "Unpack 26" study has included a new feature this year which I particularly like.
Links:
<ul>
<li>Intrepid Travel's Not Hot List 2026 - <a href="https://www.intrepidtravel.com/au/newsroom/releases/2026-not-hot-list">https://www.intrepidtravel.com/au/newsroom/releases/2026-not-hot-list</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Unpack 26 from Expedia - <a href="https://www.expedia.co.uk/unpack26/">https://www.expedia.co.uk/unpack26/</a></li>
<li>Hilton 2026 trends report -&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.hilton.com/2026-trends">https://stories.hilton.com/2026-trends</a></li>
<li>Booking.com 2026 trends report <a href="https://news.booking.com/the-era-of-you-bookingcom-predicts-the-top-trends-defining-travel-in-2026-with-individuality-taking-center-stage/">https://news.booking.com/the-era-of-you-bookingcom-predicts-the-top-trends-defining-travel-in-2026-with-individuality-taking-center-stage/</a></li>
<li>Skyscanner 2026 travel trends - <a href="https://www.skyscanner.com.au/travel-trends">https://www.skyscanner.com.au/travel-trends</a></li>
<li>Priceline 2026 travel trends - <a href="https://www.priceline.com/partner/pcln-promotions-2026-travel-trends-report-pr">https://www.priceline.com/partner/pcln-promotions-2026-travel-trends-report-pr</a></li>
<li>Explore Worldwide 2026 travel trends - <a href="https://www.exploreworldwide.com.au/travel-trends-2026">https://www.exploreworldwide.com.au/travel-trends-2026</a></li>
<li>Trafalgar 2026 travel trends - <a href="https://www.trafalgar.com/real-word/2026-travel-trends/">https://www.trafalgar.com/real-word/2026-travel-trends/</a></li>
<li>Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2026 - <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel">https://www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Contiki top 2026 travel destinations - <a href="https://www.contiki.com/six-two/article/top-travel-destinations-in-2026/">https://www.contiki.com/six-two/article/top-travel-destinations-in-2026/</a></li>
<li>Virtuoso best destinations 2026 - <a href="https://www.virtuoso.com/travel/articles/the-best-travel-destinations-2026">https://www.virtuoso.com/travel/articles/the-best-travel-destinations-2026</a></li>
<li>Forbes 26 best trips for 2026 - <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2025/08/21/the-26-best-trips-for-2026-according-to-travel-experts/">https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2025/08/21/the-26-best-trips-for-2026-according-to-travel-experts/</a></li>
<li>Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers">https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers</a></li>
<li>Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - <a href="https://notaballerina.com/linkedin">https://notaballerina.com/linkedin</a></li>
<li>Sign up for the Thoughtful Travellers newsletter at Substack - <a href="https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com">https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Show notes: <a href="http://notaballerina.com/371">https://notaballerina.com/371</a></li>
</ul>

Book Club 22: Moonlight Express by Monisha Rajesh

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