This special episode is the audio of the live-streamed May 2026 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, chatting about "The Venice Hotel", a novel with very thoughtful travel themes, with author Tess Woods - https://amzn.to/4ug8Cou 

 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 

*Full disclosure: Amazon Services LLC Associates Program
NotABallerina.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This special episode is the audio of the live-streamed May 2026 meeting of the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club, chatting about "The Venice Hotel", a novel with very thoughtful travel themes, with author Tess Woods -&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/4ug8Cou">https://amzn.to/4ug8Cou</a>&nbsp;
&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;
*Full disclosure: Amazon Services LLC Associates Program NotABallerina.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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 25: The Venice Hotel by Tess Woods

It's easy to be a little envious of anyone who gets to travel to interesting places as part of their work, but when the work itself is also truly fascinating, then I think it's fair that we can all be rather jealous! Nonetheless I loved chatting with these four guests about the experiences their careers have afforded them around the globe.

First up, Tudor Morgan explains how his lifelong love of the polar regions has translated into a range of rewarding work opportunities. Next, Kerstin Pilz tells of a very special job that she did during her academic career, on The Scholar Ship. Cade Martin then explains how his initial work in photography came about via a National Geographic project, and finally, Neil Laird describes the making of his graduate school film in Egypt, which led to a lifetime of travelling the world making documentaries.

Links:
Tudor Morgan of HX Expeditions - https://www.travelhx.com/en-au/ 
Kerstin Pilz - https://kerstinpilz.com/
Kerstin Pilz’s book “Loving my lying, dying, cheating husband” - https://amzn.to/422vCdn
Cade Martin - https://www.cademartin.com/
Wheelchair Mafia short film on rescue dogs in Thailand - https://www.cademartin.com/exploration-wheelchair-mafia 
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/391

 

 


*Full disclosure: Amazon Services LLC Associates Program

NotABallerina.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

It's easy to be a little envious of anyone who gets to travel to interesting places as part of their work, but when the work itself is also truly fascinating, then I think it's fair that we can all be rather jealous! Nonetheless I loved chatting with these four guests about the experiences their careers have afforded them around the globe.
First up, Tudor Morgan explains how his lifelong love of the polar regions has translated into a range of rewarding work opportunities. Next, Kerstin Pilz tells of a very special job that she did during her academic career, on The Scholar Ship. Cade Martin then explains how his initial work in photography came about via a National Geographic project, and finally, Neil Laird describes the making of his graduate school film in Egypt, which led to a lifetime of travelling the world making documentaries.
Links:
<ul>
<li>Tudor Morgan of HX Expeditions -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.travelhx.com/en-au/">https://www.travelhx.com/en-au/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Kerstin Pilz - <a href="https://kerstinpilz.com/">https://kerstinpilz.com/</a></li>
<li>Kerstin Pilz&rsquo;s book &ldquo;Loving my lying, dying, cheating husband&rdquo; - <a href="https://amzn.to/422vCdn">https://amzn.to/422vCdn</a></li>
<li>Cade Martin - <a href="https://www.cademartin.com/">https://www.cademartin.com/</a></li>
<li>Wheelchair Mafia short film on rescue dogs in Thailand - <a href="https://www.cademartin.com/exploration-wheelchair-mafia">https://www.cademartin.com/exploration-wheelchair-mafia</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/391">https://notaballerina.com/391</a></li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
 *Full disclosure: Amazon Services LLC Associates Program
NotABallerina.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

391 Enviable Travel Jobs

The world of volunteer tourism is a tricky one. Getting the balance right between enabling people to volunteer in another country, and meeting the needs of the places they volunteer at, isn't easy, and the guests in this episode have many thoughts about what can go wrong and what are better ways to go about volunteering abroad.

I first chat with Kim Krowne and Edward Lyimo, who in fact first met when Kim went to Tanzania to volunteer at a program where Edward was involved. After that, I speak with Jonty Crane who has recently done long volunteer stints with his wife in Timor Leste and Fiji, organised through New Zealand's Volunteer Service Abroad program. Finally, I discuss giving back on your travels with Bianca Rappaport, who has a long-term digital nomad has found many varied ways to donate her time or expertise in many different parts of the world.

Links:
Edward Lyimo and Kim Krowne - Pristine Trails - https://pristinetrails.com/ 
Jonty Crane - https://jontytravels.com/
Exploring Timor - https://www.exploringtimor.com/ 
Bianca Rappaport - Wanderwell Club - https://www.instagram.com/wanderwellclub/ 
Give Back Guide - https://giveback.guide/ 
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/390

 

Long term volunteer programs:
NZ: Volunteer Service Abroad
Australia: AVI (Australian Volunteers International)
US: Peace Corps
Canada: VCP (Volunteer Cooperation Program)
Germany: GIZ (Deutsch Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)
UK: VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas)
Japan: JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)
South Korea: KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency)

The world of volunteer tourism is a tricky one. Getting the balance right between enabling people to volunteer in another country, and meeting the needs of the places they volunteer at, isn't easy, and the guests in this episode have many thoughts about what can go wrong and what are better ways to go about volunteering abroad.
I first chat with Kim Krowne and Edward Lyimo, who in fact first met when Kim went to Tanzania to volunteer at a program where Edward was involved. After that, I speak with Jonty Crane who has recently done long volunteer stints with his wife in Timor Leste and Fiji, organised through New Zealand's Volunteer Service Abroad program. Finally, I discuss giving back on your travels with Bianca Rappaport, who has a long-term digital nomad has found many varied ways to donate her time or expertise in many different parts of the world.
Links:
<ul>
<li>Edward Lyimo and Kim Krowne - Pristine Trails - <a href="https://pristinetrails.com/">https://pristinetrails.com/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Jonty Crane - <a href="https://jontytravels.com/">https://jontytravels.com/</a></li>
<li>Exploring Timor - <a href="https://www.exploringtimor.com/">https://www.exploringtimor.com/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Bianca Rappaport - Wanderwell Club - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wanderwellclub/">https://www.instagram.com/wanderwellclub/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Give Back Guide - <a href="https://giveback.guide/">https://giveback.guide/</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/390">https://notaballerina.com/390</a></li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Long term volunteer programs:
<ul>
<li>NZ: Volunteer Service Abroad</li>
<li>Australia: AVI (Australian Volunteers International)</li>
<li>US: Peace Corps</li>
<li>Canada: VCP (Volunteer Cooperation Program)</li>
<li>Germany: GIZ (Deutsch Gesellschaft f&uuml;r Internationale Zusammenarbeit)</li>
<li>UK: VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas)</li>
<li>Japan: JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)</li>
<li>South Korea: KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency)</li>
</ul>

390 How to be a Good Volunteer Abroad

The more I travel (and the older I get!), the more I realise how little I know, and how wrong I've been about so many things! In this episode, I chat with three guests about various ways their travel experiences have transformed their thinking and perspective, and the general consensus is that everything's more complicated than we first think.

I speak with Nikki Padilla Rivera about her experiences in Vietnam and Cuba, two very different work trips that introduced her to local knowledge and culture in varying ways and smashed her preconceived ideas about these places. Next, my discussion with Tom Sykes harks back to our younger years of travelling and how we now reconsider our old thoughts and attitudes, and in general how much travel teaches us about the nuances of the world, politics, culture and more. Finally, I round out the episode with a story from James Ward about a perspective shift in his daughters after he took them to Zambia.

Links:
Nikki Padilla Rivera of She Shapes History NYC - https://sheshapeshistory.com/nyc 
Tom Sykes - https://tomgsykes.co.uk/
Tom’s book The Years of Travelling Anxiously - https://amzn.to/4cbKPPC 
James Ward - https://jameswardphotography.com/ 
James’ Rewild Safaris - https://rewildsafaris.com/ 
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/389

 

*Full disclosure: Amazon Services LLC Associates Program

NotABallerina.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The more I travel (and the older I get!), the more I realise how little I know, and how wrong I've been about so many things! In this episode, I chat with three guests about various ways their travel experiences have transformed their thinking and perspective, and the general consensus is that everything's more complicated than we first think.
I speak with Nikki Padilla Rivera about her experiences in Vietnam and Cuba, two very different work trips that introduced her to local knowledge and culture in varying ways and smashed her preconceived ideas about these places. Next, my discussion with Tom Sykes harks back to our younger years of travelling and how we now reconsider our old thoughts and attitudes, and in general how much travel teaches us about the nuances of the world, politics, culture and more. Finally, I round out the episode with a story from James Ward about a perspective shift in his daughters after he took them to Zambia.
Links:
<ul>
<li>Nikki Padilla Rivera of She Shapes History NYC - <a href="https://sheshapeshistory.com/nyc">https://sheshapeshistory.com/nyc</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Tom Sykes - <a href="https://tomgsykes.co.uk/">https://tomgsykes.co.uk/</a></li>
<li>Tom&rsquo;s book The Years of Travelling Anxiously - <a href="https://amzn.to/4cbKPPC">https://amzn.to/4cbKPPC</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>James Ward - <a href="https://jameswardphotography.com/">https://jameswardphotography.com/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>James&rsquo; Rewild Safaris - <a href="https://rewildsafaris.com/">https://rewildsafaris.com/</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/389">https://notaballerina.com/389</a></li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
*Full disclosure: Amazon Services LLC Associates Program
NotABallerina.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Book Club 25: The Venice Hotel by Tess Woods

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