Podcasts about tbex

Rincón de la Victoria está presente en una nueva edición de la Feria Internacional de Turismo Worl Travel Market de Londres que ha comenzado hoy y se desarrollará hasta el 7 de noviembre. El concejal de Turismo, Antonio José Martín (PP), ha mantenido durante la primera jornada de hoy distintos encuentros con agentes del sector para establecer líneas de trabajo. “Nos hemos reunido con Kayak, con la asociación internacional de influencers y creadores de contenidos (TBEX), British Airways Holidays de las que tenemos sensaciones muy buenas, y seguimos con una agenda de trabajo junto a empresas locales como Añoreta Resort para abordar el sector del golf y deporte”. El alcalde de Rincón de la Victoria, Francisco Salado (PP), ha destacado la importancia de “acudir a estos encuentros internacionales que nos permiten promocionarnos como destino único al ofrecer nuestras excelentes condiciones de clima para la práctica deportiva, una oferta patrimonial y cultural, gastronomía y ciudad para vivir y descansar con una inmejorable calidad de vida”. Sobre la WTM, Salado ha asegurado que, “se trata de una potente plataforma donde captar al turista del Reino Unido e Irlanda con el objetivo de reforzar el mercado británico en nuestro municipio”, indica. En este sentido, el concejal ha informado que, “el turista inglés es nuestro principal visitantes, con 4.155 visitas durante el último año (20%), seguidos de los alemanes, franceses e italianos en un tercer lugar”. Desde el stand propio de Costa del Sol, Rincón de la Victoria promociona su amplia oferta para disfrutar de unas vacaciones, hacer una escapada tranquila en familia, practicar deporte, así como disfrutar de la playa o la gastronomía. Además, toda esta información se promocionará a través del especial WTM de Sur in English. Campaña RRSS En el marco de la WTM, Rincón de la Victoria ha lanzado una campaña en redes sociales en Meta Ads, orientada a atraer a turistas del Reino Unido, uno de sus principales mercados emisores, “aprovechando el impacto del evento y el interés del mercado británico en descubrir nuevos destinos, esta campaña se ha proyectado en Facebook e Instagram para captar la atención de potenciales visitantes y mostrarles las bondades de este destino turístico en plena Costa del Sol”, explica el concejal. La estrategia consta de cuatro campañas distintas, diseñadas para conectar de manera personalizada con dos audiencias diferenciadas: un primer grupo dirigido a residentes de Londres, y otro para usuarios en el Reino Unido en general. Ambos públicos son personas mayores de 30 años, de género femenino y masculino, y con un marcado interés en vacaciones y viajes de descanso. La campaña ha utilizado dos formatos de vídeo de corta duración, uno de 8 segundos y otro de 60 segundos. En estos vídeos, desarrollados por la Concejalía de Turismo para la campaña de 2024, se muestran imágenes de las playas, la cultura local y una atractiva combinación de atracciones de historia, cultura y aventura como Cueva del Tesoro, Villa Antiopa o Cueva de la Victoria, destacando los elementos únicos que Rincón de la Victoria tiene para ofrecer. “Estos anuncios están diseñados para capturar la atención rápidamente y dirigir al usuario hacia la página web en inglés de Turismo en Rincón, donde podrán conocer más sobre el destino y planificar su futura visita”, añade. Para maximizar el impacto, la campaña integra hasta cinco creatividades diferentes adaptadas a cada grupo de público y activadas con los elementos de IA Advantage+ de Meta. Esta herramienta avanzada permite a Meta seleccionar y optimizar automáticamente las combinaciones de copy y formato de vídeo que generan mejores resultados, incrementando la eficacia de la campaña y asegurando que los anuncios con mayor rendimiento se muestren con mayor frecuencia. Esta optimización en tiempo real garantiza que cada anuncio capte el máximo interés y alcance la audiencia más adecuada, aumentando las probabilidades de conversión.

In this episode of Travel Matters, join hosts Palle Bo and Rick Calvert as they sit down with travel blogger Mike Shubic from Mike's Road Trip at TBEX North America 2023 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. They dive into Mike's journey from early tech adoption to exploring the latest in AI tools, sharing invaluable insights for content creators. Tune in to hear about Mike's adventures, the transformative power of AI in the travel industry, and how technology is shaping the future of content creation. Key Points AI Tools for Content Creation: Mike Shubic discusses various AI tools like ChatGPT, Luminar AI, and others, highlighting how they can enhance content creation, marketing, and video production, offering new revenue opportunities and audience engagement for travel creators. The Evolution of Travel Blogging: Mike shares his journey from starting Mike's Road Trip in 2009 to becoming a travel influencer, discussing how early adoption of video and new technologies like AI have transformed his career and the travel blogging landscape. Future of AI in Travel and Content Creation: The conversation explores the potential and challenges of AI, including its impact on white-collar jobs, the importance of maintaining human creativity and artistry in content, and how AI can be a valuable tool without replacing the authenticity of personal experiences.

Podcasting. You, like me, are blown away by the potential podcasts hold for our business. I know this because our previous podcast episode (in my mini series on takeaways from TBEX) is our most popular episode, by far.That is why I am thrilled that Gary Arndt (who encouraged my foray into the practice of podcasting) agreed to sit with us for an extended interview.His podcast, Everything Everywhere Daily, reaches over 1MM listeners every month! So yes, he knows a thing or two about them.I hope you'll listen as I ask Gary about how (and why) he transitioned into podcasting after running such a successful blog.I ask him about how he came to know that this was the right move for his business, and how he ties the podcast with  his blog.We talk about monetization strategies, selecting a subject for your podcast, CPM data, why daily is such a good idea... and so much more.Every second with Gary brings nuggets of insight and information that can help you grow your own show. Grab a coffee... put on your running shoes... whatever you need to do to settle into this episode. It's a long one, and it's jam-packed with goodies! THE INSIDER MEMBERSHIP IS OPEN AGAIN! Learn more here: https://leslipeterson.com/insider2/If you're a professional blogger (or want to be) then check out my FREE Facebook Group where we talk about the business of blogging everyday! https://www.facebook.com/groups/leslipetersonThe quickest way to increase your traffic? Update your content regularly. Get a free blog post update checklist here: https://leslipeterson.com/Curious about how to connect with your newsletter audience? Get a free list of 52 Newsletter Connection Prompts here: https://leslipeterson.com/===== FOLLOW ME ===== FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/leslipeterson Podcast: https://podcast.leslipeterson.com/ ** Sometimes I link to additional resources, and they may or may not include affiliate links. I'll never link you to anything I don't use myself!

It's the final episode in this mini-series on my favorite take-aways from TBEX, and we're talking about AI! At the conference keynote Julia McCoy, President of Content at Scale, shared her C.R.A.F.T. framework for writing with AI. In this podcast I share the details of that framework and why it's a great one (even if you don't use AI) I also share with you the details of my free trial with Content at Scale (TL;DR it was 50/50 good/bad) I also implore you maintain your integrity if you move forward with this or any AI tool.For the record, here is Leslie Harvey's X that I mention in this podcast: https://twitter.com/TripsWithTykes/status/1682185579038126084   Want to hear the other podcasts in this mini-series?Podcasts - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2214188/13281407Affiliates - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2214188/13286129Know Your Worth - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2214188/13295469  THE INSIDER MEMBERSHIP IS OPEN AGAIN! Learn more here: https://leslipeterson.com/insider2/If you're a professional blogger (or want to be) then check out my FREE Facebook Group where we talk about the business of blogging everyday! https://www.facebook.com/groups/leslipetersonThe quickest way to increase your traffic? Update your content regularly. Get a free blog post update checklist here: https://leslipeterson.com/Curious about how to connect with your newsletter audience? Get a free list of 52 Newsletter Connection Prompts here: https://leslipeterson.com/===== FOLLOW ME ===== FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/leslipeterson Podcast: https://podcast.leslipeterson.com/ ** Sometimes I link to additional resources, and they may or may not include affiliate links. I'll never link you to anything I don't use myself!

Today we're talking about 3 considerations you need to know as you consider your worth, especially as you work with brands. It's the third podcast in a series where I am sharing the lessons that hit home for me at the most recent TBEX event – but these take-aways bring value to ALL niches. There are THREE things I want you to consider as you contemplate (and hold your ground on) your worth. The first is your SPECIAL SAUCE. What skills do you excel at? How can you use those to benefit the brand? And how do you differentiate yourself among others with the same skill? The second is STATS. I don't mean your pageviews and household income. I mean, gather and share the STATS that matter to the brands you want to work with. What KPIs are important to them? Marketing dollars, PPC value, click thrus to their site… plus dollar spend and affinity, if applicable. The final consideration is SAYONARA. You have to be able to say goodbye – to walk away from brand proposals that don't serve you or acknowledge the value you bring. Mentioned in this episode: https://www.quantcast.com/products/measure-audience-insights/ THE INSIDER MEMBERSHIP IS OPEN AGAIN! Learn more here: https://leslipeterson.com/insider2/If you're a professional blogger (or want to be) then check out my FREE Facebook Group where we talk about the business of blogging everyday! https://www.facebook.com/groups/leslipetersonThe quickest way to increase your traffic? Update your content regularly. Get a free blog post update checklist here: https://leslipeterson.com/Curious about how to connect with your newsletter audience? Get a free list of 52 Newsletter Connection Prompts here: https://leslipeterson.com/===== FOLLOW ME ===== FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/leslipeterson Podcast: https://podcast.leslipeterson.com/ ** Sometimes I link to additional resources, and they may or may not include affiliate links. I'll never link you to anything I don't use myself!

I'm sharing my notes from a fantastic speaker I heard at TBEX, Shelley from Mexico Solo Travel, about affiliate marketing.Shelly's workshop was direct, to the point, and PACKED with great information that really challenged some of my assumptions about keywords and affiliates.And with the revenue she's generated in only a few short years, man... she's one to listen to!Here are three actionable steps I took from her workshop, some dos and don'ts, and a call to YOU to rethink your affiliate strategy, as well. THE INSIDER MEMBERSHIP IS OPEN AGAIN! Learn more here: https://leslipeterson.com/insider2/If you're a professional blogger (or want to be) then check out my FREE Facebook Group where we talk about the business of blogging everyday! https://www.facebook.com/groups/leslipetersonThe quickest way to increase your traffic? Update your content regularly. Get a free blog post update checklist here: https://leslipeterson.com/Curious about how to connect with your newsletter audience? Get a free list of 52 Newsletter Connection Prompts here: https://leslipeterson.com/===== FOLLOW ME ===== FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/leslipeterson Podcast: https://podcast.leslipeterson.com/ ** Sometimes I link to additional resources, and they may or may not include affiliate links. I'll never link you to anything I don't use myself!

It's my first "real" podcast episode --- not just an audio conversion from YouTube.And we're going "semi-daily"! (Is that a thing? haha.) I'll be releasing episodes 5x a week, with a "combined" podcast on the weekends that allow you to catch up on everything in one single episode.In this episode I start a multi-part series on the amazing things I learned from a recent blogging conference... and how fitting that I start with WHY I am transitioning into daily podcasting.TL;DR it comes down to some incredible stats I learned from fellow blogger and podcaster Gary Arndt. You can find him at Everything Everywhere Daily, with a sensational daily podcast that my kids are already consuming ravenously (but it's not just for kids... adults are the target market.)I hope you'll consider doing what Gary did and really THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX about what we see bloggers doing over and over and over again. Gary took a risk and saw a sensational return for his efforts. I am so grateful for what he taught me at the conference... I hope he'll come on the podcast someday soon and share even more. THE INSIDER MEMBERSHIP IS OPEN AGAIN! Learn more here: https://leslipeterson.com/insider2/If you're a professional blogger (or want to be) then check out my FREE Facebook Group where we talk about the business of blogging everyday! https://www.facebook.com/groups/leslipetersonThe quickest way to increase your traffic? Update your content regularly. Get a free blog post update checklist here: https://leslipeterson.com/Curious about how to connect with your newsletter audience? Get a free list of 52 Newsletter Connection Prompts here: https://leslipeterson.com/===== FOLLOW ME ===== FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/leslipeterson Podcast: https://podcast.leslipeterson.com/ ** Sometimes I link to additional resources, and they may or may not include affiliate links. I'll never link you to anything I don't use myself!

In this final episode from TBEX Europe 2023 Kalamata, you can meet two guests. First, Rick talks to Elena Sergeeva. With a decade-long career in Sales & Marketing, she co-founded Travel Bloggers Greece in 2015 with the purpose to unite like-minded individuals and to educate the Greek market on how to work with bloggers. She is the founder of several travel blogs. She also works with JayWay Travel, one of the sponsors of TBEX. She did a session at this TBEX called “Destination Blogging Community and DMO Partnerships: Value and Opportunities” where she talked about how working with blogging communities provides new marketing opportunities and continued growth for Andros Island. The session covered the needs of a DMO from the local travel industry – Projects to empower the island's footprint in the global tourism market. And our last interview from TBEX Europe 2023 is with Ivan Bengeri from Croatia. In 2013 he quit his 9-to-5 job to travel around the world. In November 2014, www.bengeri.com travel blog happened, and since then, Ivan has been blogging and traveling full-time. So far, he's been to 60+ countries, walked a Camino de Santiago (800 km) in September 2018, represented Southeastern Europe (SEE) as a travel influencer on Kerala Blog Express 2019, and in 2020 he launched Bengeri.travel agency to share his love for traveling.

In this episode, you can meet travel blogger Eric Stoen from the family travel blog Travel Babbo. He used to work in healthcare but was addicted to travel. So, in 2014 he quit his job and started the travel blog to inspire more people. So far, he's been to 101 countries and seven continents. Hear how he got started and how he grew his blog. You can also hear him talk about the time he took his kids to Antarctica. Rick has tried to get Eric to be a speaker, but he keeps saying no. Will this interview make him change his mind?

In this episode, we have two guests. Cazzy Magennis and Bradley Williams are the travel blogging duo behind Dream Big, Travel Far. Using captivating content and an intelligent approach to sharing their stories on mainstream media, their website reaches as many as 350,000 page views a month. In their session, they shared the step-by-step details of how they have landed a large number of high-profile mainstream media features in the last 18 months – which has, in turn, helped them to 3-4x their blog's monthly traffic. This is their first TBEX, their first time as a speaker, and their first time as guests on a podcast. Have a listen and hear how they did.

In this episode, we have two interviews. First, we meet Brennen Bliss, a US Search Award-winning SEO consultant and principal at the US-based travel and tourism-focused SEO agency, Propellic. The agency forms successful and creative SEO campaigns for its clients. Brennen is passionate about travel; sending more people to incredible places is part of his lifelong mission. Brennan did a double session called “Advanced SEO: Hidden Strategies to Compete in Search.” Then we have a conversation with Anna Kalogeropoulou, Deputy Governor of Tourism for the Region of Peloponnese, a destination for all seasons. Kalamata is one of the fastest-developing cities in Greece. This modern city has been re-introduced to the world as a tourism destination.

In this episode, we meet Caroline Makepeace (Caz) from yTravelBlog and This is Raleigh about Raleigh, North Carolina. Together with her husband, Craig, she's been traveling the world since 1997 and since 2007 with their two daughters. The White House invited them to attend a travel summit as one of the top digital travel influencers in the world in 2014, and in 2020 they were granted a green card for their ”extraordinary ability in the art of travel blogging.” Caz and Craig are from the Central Coast of Australia and now live in North Carolina – but they like to call the world our home. She was the Opening Keynote Speaker for TBEX North America in Billings, Montana, 2019. We planned to have her on Travel Matters back then, but it wasn't possible to make it happen. So, better late than never… Enjoy this conversation with an extraordinary travel blogger.

In this episode, we have an interesting conversation with pioneer travel blogger Melvin Boecher from Germany. Melvin is the founder and CEO of Travel Dudes, co-founder of the Social Travel Summit, former COO of iAmbassador, and with more than 15 years of successfully running his business, he is a pioneer of professional travel blogging. His Social Media are very popular. On Twitter, he has accumulated around 250.000 followers, and Melvin appears on over 8.500 recommended Twitter lists – this ranks him in the top 3 in travel. His Facebook page has over 115,000 fans, and his Instagram has around 50,000 followers. He's also on YouTube, where he and his team post some great videos. Hear how he started as a travel blogger, how he built his travel blogging empire, and what he shared in his session at this TBEX.

In this episode, we have an interesting conversation with Catharina Fischer about sustainable travel. Catharina is one of the leading experts in influencer marketing and a digital leader with over ten years of experience in tourism. At TBEX Europe 2023 Kalamata, Greece, she gave an interesting talk about the impact of tourism trends on travel content creators. Before she was Head of Social Media at the German National Tourist Board (GNTB), she was in various marketing positions in the tourism industry. At the GNTB, she implemented the international Social Media Strategy in over 12 markets & created in 2013 the first international influencer campaign for Germany. Since 2015 she has been working for the consulting network Tourismuszukunft. Here she supports destinations, hotels, and tour operators, mainly in DACH countries, with their digital marketing. In 2016 she initiated the industry think tank ‘Change4Destination' which is dealing with the question of the ‘future of public destination marketing'. The think tank white paper became a must-read in the German-speaking markets. Furthermore, she created the VideoSummit – the leading conference for video in tourism with top videographers and video bloggers worldwide.  Connect to Catharina Fischer on LinkedIn.

In this episode we say “mojn” to Jessica Schmidt from Hamburg Marketing. By developing, communicating and coordinating the Hamburg brand, they highlight the locational attractiveness of Hamburg and the Hamburg Metropolitan Region in Germany and abroad.  Hear how they work with content creators.  

Martin Solhaugen is a filmmaker, youTuber and photographer from Oslo, Norway. Martin has worked on global projects for Tourism-boards, luxury hotels, and high-profile clients. Martin has been traveling the world for the past 6 years in pursuit for cultural and visual expressions. With a big heart for visual storytelling and a unique eye for detail, he has worked on global projects for Tourism-boards, luxury hotels and high-profile clients. He did two sessions at TBEX Europe 2023, and in this conversation, he shares some tips, and talks about how the same video made him more money on Facebook than on YouTube.

Chris Lau talks about his YouTube channel, SeeLauTravel and then we get into a long conversation about selling – an important skill to have as a travel content creator. With 10+ years of experience in a professional-level sales role, being recommended by other world-class creators, and having helped almost 80 creators from around the world, Chris also has a Mentor Program where he teaches how to travel for free, get paid for your work, and really make this into a lifestyle. See more about that on SeeLauTravelMentorProgram.com. 

In this one, we meet another experienced travel blogger and entrepreneur, Yeison, from the Costa Rica travel blog, Mytanfeet.  The keynote speaker at this TBEX, Yeison (pronounced like Jason), is Costa Rican, born and raised. He started Mytanfeet with his wife Samantha, who moved to Costa Rica in 2012 from the United States and ever since then.  Mytanfeet is a blog with local tips, detailed guides, photos, videos, and maps to help you plan the perfect trip to Costa Rica.

Welcome to Travel Matters, recorded at TBEX Europe 2023 in Kalamata, Greece. In this one we have a conversation with the amazing couple, Mike and Anne Howard from HoneyTrek.com. They're two Americans that realized life is short; the world is big, and the value of travel too great to wait another day. So, when it came time for their honeymoon, they decided to sell their stuff and embark on a trip around the world. They left on January 22, 2012, and are on “The World's Longest Honeymoon” … 11 years and counting! Books:Check out their National Geographic book “Ultimate Journeys for Two” and their glamping book “Comfortably Wild”. Other links: Facebook: https://Facebook.com/HoneyTrek Twitter: https://Twitter.com/HoneyTrekInstagram: https://Instagram.com/HoneyTrekYouTube: https://YouTube.com/TheHoneyTrek TikTok: https://TikTok.com/@honeytrekPinterest: https://Pinterest.com/HoneyTrek  

Welcome to Travel Matters recorded live on tape at TBEX Europe 2023 in Kalamata, Greece. In this one, we have a conversation with one of the speakers, Edu Giansante – a Brazilian who lives in Dublin. He's the Founder and Content Creator at E-Dublin – a brand that has reached more than 50 million YouTube views and reaches 1 million accounts every month. For more than ten years, Edu has demonstrated his skills as a highly experienced strategic thinker for online communities for companies across the world. He was awarded the Community Professional of the Year 2020 at the CMX Awards – one of the most prestigious companies in the communities industry. Edu did a session where he explained how community-led content is the new way to do business. No matter the industry, we're seeing a shift in how companies and content creators with a strong community are leading businesses. We are moving from broadcasting to connecting, telling to hearing, and transactional comms to symbiotic. You can download Edu's Community cheat sheet from his session on ed.community/tbex. His website for Brazilian expats in Dublin is called eDublin, and you can find also connect with Edu on LinkedIn, Instagram, twitter, and follow his popular YouTube channel. We are also talking a lot about AI and the future. Edu mentions a cool app called Captions (download it in the iOS store) and we also talk about the app called Lemon8, and the documentary Transcendent Man. Enjoy an interesting conversation with Edu, and please share if you like it.

Welcome to Travel Matters recorded live on tape at TBEX Europe 2023 in Kalamata, Greece. In this one we have a conversation with one of the speakers, Itai Marshall. He's a Social Media strategist from Israel who made the leap from YouTube to TikTok, where he has now amassed more than 200,000 followers and 12 million likes with his high-energy and snappy video style. Itai is also a video marketing coach, and his work includes showing tourism professionals how to effectively create short-form video. At TBEX in Greece he did two sessions: “Elevate your Online Presence and Personal Brand with TikTok” and “Creating the Ultimate Short Form Video” You can follow Itai on TikTok, Instagram, and on any other SoMe channel as itaimarshall.

Welcome to Travel Matters, and the first of many episodes from TBEX Europe 2023 in Kalamata, Greece. In this one – recorded today, two days before the conference, we talk to conference director Shane Dallas about what to expect from this conference.

This is The Radio Vagabond, and then today, it's not really. Because I have something special for you in this one. There's another podcast that I listen to, and I would like to introduce for you. It's hosted and produced by a good friend of mine, Francis Tapon, and his podcast is called “Wanderlearn”. It's a travel podcast, but so much more. Francis is an extreme traveller and I'm almost out of breath when I hear about all the crazy stuff he's done – like extreme hikes and travelling to every country in Africa without leaving the continent and attempting to climb the highest mountain in each of them, and so much more. The episode you're about to hear features me as a guest. Just to make it super meta… We recorded it when we met for the first time in Spain at the TBEX conference. Since then, we also met in Yerevan at the Extraordinary Travel Festival and then again at TBEX in Thailand. I also did an interview with Francis about hitchhiking, and you can find that one either here or by going to the Wanderlearn podcast. He published this episode in December, when he was in Morocco, just after Morocco was celebrating a win at the FIFA World Cup. So, you'll hear him talking about that. I'll be back after the Wanderlearn episode and give you a quick update about what I've been up to lately. Here's Francis Tapon and his episode of Wanderlearn. Enjoy. Make sure that you find Wanderlearn in your podcast app or go to ftapon.com to learn more about this extraordinary guy. A quick update about what's been happening in my life: I am still in New Zealand where I was, the last time you heard from me – and I haven't been publishing much apart from the Flashback episodes that you get every Friday. I haven't even done the diary entries that I normally put out on Saturdays, and part of the reason for that is I've been traveling so fast, making a road trip around this South Island. Also, I ran into some difficulties, like an SD card with some footage that all of a sudden didn't work. So I wasn't able to do a video. There was a ferry that was delayed, so I wasn't able to sit down and edit the episode. And then, when I finally had some time on my hands, I forgot the power cable to my Mac when I was in Queenstown visiting a friend there. But now I have the power, and I have the time. So, you will be getting some diary entries, and the first one is coming out very soon. Also, I plan to be working on some new episodes that you haven't heard before from some of the travels, I've been on. I'm in Christchurch, New Zealand, until May when I'm going to Greece to attend another TBEX conference. There's so much more to come, so stay subscribed, and you will hear from me very, very soon. My name is Palle Bo, and I gotta keep moving. See you.

Welcome to Travel Matters, and we're joined by serial entrepreneur and travel-junkie Dannelle Gay, AKA the Traveling Cheesehead. She loves to talk about Travel, Partnerships with Destinations, and teach bloggers how to make money. Her latest book '100 Things to Do in Wisconsin Before You Die' just came out and she is more than delighted that TBEX is coming to her home state! LINKS: Blog: TravelingCheesehead.com Book: ‘100 Things to Do in Wisconsin Before You Die' – or use your own Amazon affiliate link. TheTravelingCheesehead on InstaGram.  

Welcome to Travel Matters, and we're joined by Pro Travel Photographer, Ajay Sood from Travelure. ‘Travelure‘ started on wordpress.com in 2007, and switched to this self-hosted site in May 2015. It began as an aggregation of Ajay Sood's articles published in travel, photography, and in-flight publications like Condé Nast Traveller, Huffington Post, JetWings, Travel3Sixty°, Smart Photography, Taj Magazine, GoGetter, etc. Travelure simply means building a lure of travel among its readers. Follow Ajay on Instagram and on Travelure.in This episode of Travel Matters was recorded at TBEX Asia in Phuket, Thailand, and hosted by TBEX CEO Rick Calvert and The Radio Vagabond, Palle Bo.

Welcome to Travel Matters, and we're joined by four awesome content creators: Nathan Sado, Sarah Hughes, Dave Brett, and Dan Zeek. Sarah and Nathan have several sites, but their main site is Live Dream Discover. Adventure traveler Dave Brett is better known as Travel Dave UK. You can follow Dan Zeek on YouTube as Zeekman Eats and Zeekman Travels, on Instagram as Zeekman73 and Zeekman Travels, and on TikTok as ZeekmanDan. This episode of Travel Matters was recorded at TBEX Asia in Phuket, Thailand, and hosted by TBEX CEO Rick Calvert and The Radio Vagabond, Palle Bo.

Welcome to Travel Matters and the two interesting conversations with three unique content creators. This one was also recorded at TBEX Asia in Phuket, Thailand. In this episode, we're joined by Paul Pruangkarn and Matt Gibson from Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). Founded in 1951, PATA is a not-for-profit membership-based association that acts as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. By bringing together our private and public sector members, PATA facilitates meaningful partnerships to enhance the value, quality and sustainable growth of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. This episode of Travel Matters was recorded at TBEX Asia in Phuket, Thailand, and hosted by TBEX CEO Rick Calvert and The Radio Vagabond, Palle Bo.

Breaking news.... See more on the new TBEX website.

Welcome to Travel Matters, and the two interesting conversations with three unique content creators. This one was also recorded at TBEX Asia in Phuket, Thailand. First you can meet two American Thailand experts. Jason does a lot of content from Thailand on his YouTube channel, and Ric has his base in Bangkok. We're also joined by Filipino, travel blogger, Yosh Dimen. Jason's YouTube channel is called Travel & Pamper, and everywhere he goes, he visit the local barbershop for a haircut, hair wash, pedicure, facial, foot scrub, massage, or a straight razor hot towel shave. Now that's a different angle to a travel YouTube channel. And he's doing well with 579.000 subscribers and almost a quarter of a billion views.   Ric is an extreme traveler on a quest to travel to all 193 UN countries and he shares his unique experiences, must-see places, and off-the-beaten path locations on his blog, Global Gaz. He's the host of the popular podcast, Counting Countries, where he interviews travelers who also are aiming to visit every country in the world. Also, he founded a new conference called Extraordinary Travel Festival, held for the first time in Yerevan, Armenia in October 2022. Co-host of Travel Matters, Palle Bo, was there and did a lot of interviews with some extraordinary travelers on his own podcast, The Radio Vagabond. Yosh Dimen, started The Poor Traveler in 2010 with his friend Vins Carlos. The blog is about being smart when traveling, planning, and budgeting. And (as they say on the blog), in most cases, the cheapest is not always the wisest. The truth is, although they were struggling financially when they started, it wasn't the reason for the name. They called it poor to mean “unfortunate or unlucky”. As in poor soul, poor choices, you poor thing. Yosh and Vins are very successful with 855,000 followers on Facebook, 77,000 followers on Instagram, and almost 90,000 subscribers on their YouTube channel. Yosh was on the closing panel at TBEX Asia, and will be a keynote speaker at TBEX Europe 2023 in Greece. This episode of Travel Matters was recorded at TBEX Asia in Phuket, Thailand, and hosted by TBEX CEO Rick Calvert and The Radio Vagabond, Palle Bo.

Welcome to Travel Matters, and the two interesting conversations with two unique content creators. This one was also recorded at TBEX Asia in Phuket, Thailand. Meet Scott Gurian from Far From Home Podcast and Maria Haase from San Diego Explorer. Scott mentioned his podcast where he met a Medicine Man in Peru and went to an ayahuasca ceremony. This episode of Travel Matters was recorded at TBEX Asia in Phuket, Thailand, and hosted by TBEX CEO Rick Calvert and The Radio Vagabond, Palle Bo.

Welcome to Travel Matters, and another episode recorded at TBEX Asia in Phuket, Thailand. Meet Australian Sharon Gourlay from DigitalNomadWannaBe. Sharon is an SEO expert and runs 15-20 sites, does training, and hosts the weekly podcast “Make Money Blogging with Digital Nomad Wannabe”. Here she teaches you how to turn your blog into a business with sustainable passive income. Our second guest is a Kiwi. Megan Singleton from  Blogger at Large, has been travel writing full time since 2000 and blogging since 2006. She's also also the travel correspondent on Newstalk ZB radio on Sundays and also love to host tours for her readers around New Zealand, her home country. Megan did a session with the simple title “Extraordinary Creative Collaboration Ideas for Content Creators and DMOs”, where she shared how to create and host tours for our readers. The session covered how to plan a tour, how to determine pricing, how to market it and most of all, how to make sure it's fail safe in this post-Covid environment. This episode of Travel Matters is hosted by TBEX CEO Rick Calvert and The Radio Vagabond, Palle Bo.

Welcome to Travel Matters and the first episode of 2023. This one was also recorded at TBEX Asia in Phuket, Thailand. Meet Kyle Jennermann, a Canadian national who found himself falling in love with the Philippines and its people. He calls himself “Kulas”, a nickname he was given several years ago by one of the people he met on one of his trips there. He decided to introduce the Philippines to the rest of the world in his YouTube channel, "Becoming Filipino”. And that is happening. Click this link and see an act from a senator, to grant him citizenship. Even though his channel has more than a million subscribers, and he's able to live of it, he's very modest and very sharing. Follow Kulas on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and soon also on TikTok. Finally, here is a link to the "Lucky Me! Lomi" TV commercial we're talking about. This episode of Travel Matters was recorded at TBEX Asia in Phuket, Thailand, and hosted by TBEX CEO Rick Calvert and The Radio Vagabond, Palle Bo. Happy New Year!

On today's Lunch With Norm, we are with Partner Acquisition & Development Manager with Awin US, Jeannine Crooks! We discuss 5 things to consider before starting an affiliate program. Today, find out what the  opportunities are when using an affiliate program for you business, the benefits of having an affiliate program, and what the realistic time demands are when managing affiliates. As the Partner Acquisition & Development Manager with Awin US, our guest works closely with advertiser programs of all sizes, from HP,  Lululemon, Bloomsy Box and ValuePet Supplies. She is a frequent speaker at a variety of conferences including Affiliate Summit, FinCon, TBEX and MailCon. She works with all types of publishers, especially bloggers, helping each to maximize their affiliate earnings. With 20+ years in affiliate marketing, she is always happy to share her knowledge to help others succeed in the industry she loves. Post Purchase PRO specializes in helping Amazon sellers create more sales, ranking, and reviews through post purchase marketing. Finally your email marketing can be actively managed by professionals with over 30 years experience so you can focus on running your business. Increase repeat purchases, drive better organic search term ranking, get more reviews, and build a real asset. For more information visit https://www.postpurchasepro.com/lunch This episode is brought to you by Startup Club Startup Club is the largest club on Clubhouse supporting the Startup ecosystem. Startup Club offers an exciting sense of belonging to established and aspiring entrepreneurs, startup businesses, and companies wanting to Learn, Connect, and Grow. Join us for conversations with founders, entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, subject matter experts, and more. For More information visit https://Startup.club In this episode, we are joined by Linkedin Influencer and entrepreneur, Cory Sanchez. Today, we learn how to drive millions of impressions to your brand using YouTube and Google Ads. Michael is the Founder of Mojo Global, an entrepreneur, investor, author and breakfast burrito aficionado. This episode is brought to you by Jeff Schick Legal Protect your business from legal threats that could severely disrupt your normal business operations. I designed my monthly retainer plan with the sellers in mind, because I've been in your shoes. For a very low, monthly retainer of $89, Get access to Amazon attorney Jeff Schick. Mention Lunch with Norm and receive 50% off the first 2 months. For more information visit https://jeffschick.com – drive online sales, increase conversions and help build your brand. This episode is brought to you by Clear Ads Clear Ads is a proudly unique Digital Advertising Agency, based in London, that helps Amazon Sellers advertise through Demand Side Platform & Seller/Vendor Central. ClearAds is proud to be a 100% Amazon agency. That means all of their account managers are entirely immersed in Amazon marketing services and Amazon DSP around the clock. They don't dabble in social media and they don't get distracted by content marketing. In fact, they guarantee that you won't find a more knowledgeable Amazon team than the ClearAds crew outside of Amazon itself. For more information visit https://www.clearads.co.uk/ In this episode, Partner Acquisition & Development Manager with Awin US, Jeannine Crooks is here. Today, we discuss 5 things to consider before starting an affiliate program. With over 20+ years in affiliate marketing, she is always happy to share her knowledge to help others succeed in the industry she loves. This episode is brought to you by Startup Club, Post Purchase Pro, Clear Ads, Jeff Schick Legal and HONU Worldwide.

Welcome to the Christmas episode of Travel Matters, also recorded at TBEX Asia in Phuket, Thailand. In this one Tomiko is sitting in for Rick in the interview with Indonesian travel blogger and author Trinity Traveler aka “The Naked Traveler”. Trinity is Indonesia's leading travel writer, author of 15 best-selling books incl. The Naked Traveler series and a blogger since 2005. She's had such an interesting life that her life story was turned into two movies. Not many of us can say that. You can also hear about Rick chasing his new Alaska dog in the rain and about him being afraid of being replaced on the podcast. Follow Trinity on Instagram and Facebook. This episode of Travel Matters was recorded at TBEX Asia in Phuket, Thailand, and hosted by TBEX CEO Rick Calvert and The Radio Vagabond, Palle Bo. Happy Christmas!

Time to kick off the episodes recorded at TBEX Asia in Phuket, Thailand. And we start with the men of the hour, Conference Directors Shane Dallas and Anton Diaz. Hear about the biggest TBEX of the year and what was so unique about it. You can also hear a bit about some of the upcoming guests. This episode of Travel Matters was recorded at TBEX Asia in Phuket, Thailand, and hosted by TBEX CEO Rick Calvert and The Radio Vagabond, Palle Bo.

Six years ago, Palle Bo, a Dane, sold most of his belongings to travel the world for years. He lived in Cape Town and got hooked on travel! He's aiming to visit all 193 countries of the world. He's more than halfway there! We recorded this at a TBEX conference. Here's what we talk about: 00:00 Intro 04:30 Making the Radio Vagabond podcast 05:40 African surprises 08:00 Advantages of podcasting vs. vlogging Subscribe to his Radio Vagabond podcast and start by listening to his most recent episode, which features someone you know! Feedback Leave an anonymous voicemail on SpeakPipe.com/FTapon Or go to Wanderlearn.com, click on this episode, and write a comment. More info You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com. If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!  On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on: Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon Rewards start at just $2/month! Affiliate links Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free! In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken.  Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees! For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.

In this episode, Rick speaks with travel blogger and Airbnb expert Toby Doré about connecting travel influencers to short-term rental hosts. His blog is The Cajun Traveler, and he's on Instagram as @TheCajunTraveler. We also meet Nicole from Explore Houma, Louisiana. Just 55 miles from New Orleans, Louisiana's BayouCountry contains over 2500 sq. miles of mysterious swamps and vast wetlands.  This episode of Travel Matters was recorded at TBEX Lafayette and hosted by TBEX CEO Rick Calvert.

Thinking about starting a new site? Working on your old site and feel like it's going nowhere? Is your blog going well but you are always interested in what's working for others? Looking for new ideas for how to monetise your site effectively?Then you will love today's podcast as I share what's happening in my Malaysia case study site now that I've been concentrating on it for a few months, finally travelled back to Malaysia and hit up ITB Asia in Singapore and Tbex travel blogging conference in Phuket.I'm also talking about selling sites and what I should do with the crazy 20 I have currently.Finally, I discuss goal setting and planning for 2023 and what you should be doing in your blogging business RIGHT NOW to have the best chance of success in 2023.Learn what's working right now in blogging for growing and monetising your site especially in travel as I finally feel hope again that travel is a fantastic direction to be heading in.I talk about all of this in today's episode!Read the show notes here: https://www.digitalnomadwannabe.com/episode40

In this episode, Rick speaks with Frederic Aouad from Stay22 and Allie Eggert Visit Billings. If you're interested in working with Visit Billings at alyson@visitbillings.com. This episode of Travel Matters was recorded at TBEX Lafayette and hosted by TBEX CEO Rick Calvert.

In this episode, Rick speaks with Shelia Scarborough from Tourism Currents and Dianne McNamara from Go RVing. If you're a content creator and would like to work with Go RVing, you can reach out to christy@fireituppr.com This episode of Travel Matters was recorded at TBEX Lafayette and hosted by TBEX CEO Rick Calvert and The Radio Vagabond, Palle Bo.

In this episode, Rick speaks with Vivian TrovaTrip and Susan Melton from Janesville, Wisconsin. This episode of Travel Matters was recorded at TBEX Lafayette and hosted by TBEX CEO Rick Calvert and The Radio Vagabond, Palle Bo.

In this episode, Rick speaks with Sven and Rene from Tripello. Tripello does Travel in a new and different way, it's a platform that can get you up to 60% discount hotel rooms. Also, they have an affiliate program that might interest you. He also has an interesting conversation with the closing keynote speaker, Gerald Gruenig. He's a local TV host in Lafayette but now also very active on social media. On TikTok he's @GeraldGruenig, on Facebook “KLFY Gerald Gruenig”, on Instagram @GeraldGruenigTV and on Twitter @GeraldGruenig. This episode of Travel Matters was recorded at TBEX Lafayette and hosted by TBEX CEO Rick Calvert and The Radio Vagabond, Palle Bo.

In this episode, Rick speaks with his homeboy San Diego Travel Host Jay Jay Maniquis from the YouTube channel, Jaycation, and TBEX Conference Director for North America Tim Leffel. Tim is a veteran travel writer who has dispatched articles from five continents. He is an author of multiple books, editor of Perceptive Travel, and a long time travel blogger. His company, Al Centro Media, produces a variety of additional websites including Hotel Scoop. This episode of Travel Matters is hosted by TBEX CEO Rick Calvert and produced by The Radio Vagabond, Palle Bo.

In this first episode from TBEX North America in Lafayette, 2022, Rick speaks with Radio host and culinary personality Jay Ducote and Ines Boutamagia from SafetyWing. Not only does SafetyWing have Nomad Insurance, but they also plan to build a country on the internet, calling it Plumania. This episode of Travel Matters is hosted by TBEX CEO Rick Calvert and The Radio Vagabond, Palle Bo.

In this episode, we will tell you when and where the next TBEX Europe is taking place. Also, a few more details about TBEX North America in Lafayette and TBEX Asia in Phuket, Thailand. This episode of Travel Matters is hosted by TBEX CEO Rick Calvert and The Radio Vagabond, Palle Bo.

In this episode, we speak with Anton Diaz from Our Awesome Planet and Max Hartshorne from GoNOMAD. This episode of Travel Matters was recorded at TBEX Europe in Marbella, Spain and hosted by TBEX CEO Rick Calvert and The Radio Vagabond, Palle Bo.

In this episode we speak with Fierita Catalano about how he livestreams wherever he goes – to a huge following. Fierita is the winner of the 2021 MoJo Travel Journalism prize from Agencia EFE, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya and Vueling. Fierita Catalano went from a 20-year career in mainstream television in Argentina (that included hosting game shows and a sports broadcaster) and shifted to an interactive travel format through his Decidilo website and Social Media. Fierita has travelled through 39 countries with no external funding, and he built up a community of more than one million followers. We speak with Fierita about the benefits of livestreaming, including how to use it to build your community. This episode of Travel Matters was recorded at TBEX Europe in Marbella, Spain and hosted by TBEX CEO, Rick Calvert and The Radio Vagabond, Palle Bo.

Be yourself. There's simply NOT enough time NOT to be.This week's podcast episode is filmed in two places:1. Portland, Oregon at the World Domination Summit2. Bellevue, Washington traveling post TBEX (the travel bloggers exchange)Joy of Tidying up by Marie Kondo https://www.amazon.com/s?k=joy+of+tidying+up+marie+kondo&crid=1HVVRUG3P3I3R&_encoding=UTF8&tag=christinelo0d-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=ff2041e23f0e935b29d6d50a076e555d&camp=1789&creative=9325Podcast episode with Meatball:https://whereintheworldiscl.com/8-questions-to-ask-yourself-for-a-better-relationship/

Welcome to this mini-series about Kenya and Masai Mara. This is part 1 On December 31st, I was excited to go to Masai Mara. I went on a 5-hour drive from Nairobi, Kenya, to Masai Mara National Reserve (often referred to just as The Mara). I knew that the game drives would start early in the morning, and I would not be partying too hard for New Year. The two-night/three-day safari trip was partly made possible by Scenery Adventures Ltd, which is owned and operated by Monica Musungu. Scenery Adventures does inbound and outbound travel. They take visitors to Congo, Tanzania, Seychelles, Egypt, and many other places. I got to know Monica when we were in Berlin in March 2020, just as the Corona pandemic was beginning to rear its ugly head. We were both there for a big travel event called ITB, which was canceled days before the event. As we had our tickets ready, we decided to travel anyway and that's how our paths crossed. MEETING THE TRAVEL CAMEL I also met Shane Dallas who I knew from the travel industry, and TBEX, which does conferences for travel content creators around the world. Shane is the conference director of TBEX Europe, Asia, and Africa. As I'm the co-host and producer of the TBEX podcast, Travel Matters, you can say that we're colleagues. Shane has been traveling worldwide for years – calling himself and his travel blog “The Travel Camel”, but when he came to Kenya, he fell in love with the country and his wife, Maureen. He's been living here for a number of years with her and their daughter. He knows a lot about this country, but he's originally from Australia. It has been nine years since he went back to Australia. He is probably getting away from all the poisonous snakes and spiders. However, he misses his family, friends, cricket, and rugby. I asked Shane to give me some insights into what Kenya means to him. “Kenya is complex with more than 40 tribes, and each has its food, customs, and activities. I love it”. That morning, I finally met Dennis, my driver, in Nairobi for the next few days. We got on the van with an open roof which would come in handy when we went on game drives in the park. That way, we could stand up and get a good view of the wildlife for taking photos. We were a group of 7 or 8 – a few from Kenya, and besides me was a guy from San Francisco. Not only was I going on game drives, but I also decided to spend a little extra time by visiting a Maasai Village and then start 2022 by going on a hot air balloon safari over the savannah early in the morning on January 1st. Here are some facts about Kenya FACTS ABOUT KENYA How Big and How Many People At 580,367 square kilometers (224,081 sq mi), Kenya is the world's 48th largest country by area. It is slightly smaller than Ukraine and a bit bigger than Spain. With more than 47.6 million people, Kenya is the 29th most populous country globally. Kenya is the World's Leading Safari Destination Kenya has been recognized by the World Travel Awards as the world's leading safari destination for 2021, a position it has held for seven years now! The country has 50 epic national parks and reserves home to diverse wildlife, including the renowned Big Five (lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffaloes). Official Languages There are more than 69 different languages spokenKenya, but they only have two official languages, English and Swahili. English is widely spoken in commerce, schooling, and government, and you can totally get by here. The English level on the street is very good – even though they do have a local dialect that can be a bit hard to catch sometimes for a western speaking ear. The Flag The flag is a horizontal tricolor with black, red, and green from the top and thinner white lines. The black stands for the country's people, the green stands for the landscape, the white lines represent peace, and the red in the middle symbolizes war. And then what is most unique of the flag: a Maasai shield and spears in the middle – and it symbolizes the defense of all the things mentioned in the colors. All in all, it's a cool flag. Religion Most Kenyans are Christian (86%), with 54% Protestant and 21% Roman Catholic. Islam is the second-largest religion, with 11% of the population. Famous Proverbs from Kenya They have quite a few sayings, but here are a few of my favorites: ”Because a man has injured your goat, do not go out and kill his bull.” ”Do not slaughter a calf before its mother's eyes.” ”A hyena cannot smell its own stench.” And the last one is a twist of one I've heard many times where I come from … that “a captain should go down with his ship”. But Kenyans have a saying that goes like this: ”A sinking ship doesn't need a captain.”   THINGS TO SEE IN TWO PERFECT WEEKS IN KENYA I also asked Monica and Shane about their recommendations on what to see in two perfect weeks here in Kenya. These were some of their recommendations. TURKANA It is Kenya's largest county by land area in the north-western part of the country. It's bordered by the countries of Uganda to the west, South Sudan to the north and there is a a 27 km border with Ethiopia just north of the amazingly beautiful Lake Turkana. I've been told that a trip to Turkana County needs guts and a passion for lengthy road trips. It also needs an adventurous heart and gallons of water to live through the harsh, dry climate. Overall, Turkana is an idyllic location and is well worth a visit, according to Monica. SAMBURU Both Monica and Shane recommended Samburu. The Samburu National Reserve is a game reserve famous for an abundance of species of animals such as zebra, ostrich, giraffe, and many more. The reserve is also home to a population of close to 900 elephants. The park is 165 km² in size and is situated 350 kilometers from Nairobi, just on the other side of the majestic Mount Kenya. With peaks of 5,199 meters or 17,057 feet, it's the second-highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. AMBOSELI And speaking of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, just south of the border, you find the Amboseli National Park – another one of Kenya's most popular parks. TSAVO Tsavo West National Park is located in the south-eastern part of Kenya and covers an area of 9,065 square kilometers. It's ”sister park”, Tsavo East National Park a little bit north, is one of the oldest and largest parks in Kenya at 13,747 square kilometers. Both parks are between Nairobi and the east coast of Kenya. And there are a few places worth visiting on the east coast – or as Monica calls it “The Big Side”. EAST COAST Mombasa, that's also known as the white and blue city in Kenya. It is the country's oldest town and has about 1.2 million people. It is the second-largest city, after the capital Nairobi. Other places to visit are Diani Beach, Malindi, and Watamu. LAMU Shane agrees that the east coast is wonderful, and he moved there just a few days after our chat with his family after having stayed for years in Karen, Nairobi. But he mentioned a small island even more north just off the coast called Lamu. Old Lamu Town gives you a sense of stepping back in time. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and there are many activities to do there, including snorkeling, mangrove tours, visiting the Gedi ruins, beach walks in Shela, show races, donkey rides, etc. KISUMU Kisumu is a port city situated on Lake Victoria. Here there are beautiful lakeside views at Hippo Pint and Dunga Hill Camp. You can also visit the Kisumu Impala Sanctuary to see impalas, zebras, cheetahs, and more wildlife. You can visit the Kakamega Forest National Reserve to hike or see wildlife. Another interesting thing to do is to visit the 44th US president Barack Obama's village in Nyangoma, Kogelo. WESTERN REGION Western Kenya has tea plantations, and forests and is home to the largest lake in the continent. You can visit the Mr. Elgon National Park, Saiwa Swamp National Park, Kakamega Forest reserve and Lake Victoria. You can also see the famous Crying Stone of Ilesi, which is a stone that resembles a person in tears. NAIVASHA Naivasha is a town in Nakuru county, and it is known for its beautiful flamingos and large population of hippos. It is home to over 400 bird species. Lake Crescent, Hells Gate National Park, and Lake Naivasha are must-visit for travelers. NANYUKI Nanyuki is a town in central Kenya is a great gateway to Mt. Kenya and includes several trails. You can visit Mt. Kenya National Park, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, and hike the mountain. As you probably see, there's a lot to see and do in Kenya. You can also just reach out to Monica and the team at Scenery Adventures. Tell her I said hi. THE WEATHER Kenya lies on the equator and has a pleasant, tropical climate. The daytime temperatures average between 20° and 28°C (68° and 82°F), but it's warmer on the coast. Kenya is too close to the equator to experience a real winter and summer. But there is both a dry and wet season. The hottest months are December to March, and July to September are perfect for a sunny holiday. ARRIVING TO MASAI MARA We arrived at 2 pm in Narok town and at 4 pm to Masai Mara and Lenchada Tourist Camp – our home for the next two nights. It was raining heavily when it got here and having lunch. At the Mara, you experience the Big Five and many other animals. The Mara is run by the Massai community who you will see from the entrance to the camps. In fact, our camp was guarded by about seven Maasai warriors at night.  The Maasai who are pastoralists, do not fear wild animals and they seem to coexist with them. You will often see them with their large herds of cattle looking for grazing grounds within the conservancy. We stayed in a tent and there was a bed and a concrete floor and a bathroom. There was no electricity in the tent, and you would only charge your phone in the evening. The best time to visit is in the peak season is from July to November, during The Great Migration where there are about two million animals. During peak season, you also get a lot more traffic with many more cars. Although this was around new year, I would still get to see some animals. And our evening game drive was no disappointment. Stay tuned for part 2 of this mini-series where we get “attacked” by an angry rhino. My name is Palle Bo and I gotta keep moving. See you.

Velkommen til en miniserie om Kenya og Masai Mara. Dette er del 1. Nytårsaftens morgen 2021 står jeg på gaden i Nairobi og er på vej til en længere køretur til safariparken Masai Mara, fem timers køretue vestpå. Jeg kommer nok ikke til at feste så meget dette år, da turene ud på savannen starter tidligt om morgenen. Det er en tredages tur med to overnatninger inde i parken, som er gjort muligt med hjælp fra Scenery Adventures, som er ejet og bliver drevet af Monica Musungu. Ud over Kenya laver hun ture til lande som Congo, Tanzania, Seychellerne, Egypten og mange andre steder. Jeg lærte hende at kende, da vi begge var i Berlin i marts 2020 lige før Corona pandemien lukkede verden ned. Vi var begge taget dertil for at deltage i en stor rejsemesse, der hedder ITB. Den blev aflyst, men da vi begge havde booket billetterne, valgte vi at tage dertil. Monica fra Kenya og mig fra Danmark. Og så krydsede vores veje i den tyske hovedstad. MØDER EN REJSE KAMEL Jeg møder også min gamle ven, Shane Dallas, som jeg kender fra rejseindustrien og TBEX, der laver konferencer for rejsebloggere rundt omkring i verden. Shane er Conference Director for TBEX Europa, Asien og Afrika. Da jeg er medvært og producer på den officielle TBEX podcast, ”Travel Matters” kan man med lidt god vilje sige, at vi er kollegaer. Jeg har rejst kloden tynd i mange år med sin rejseblog, The Travel Camel, men da han kom her til Kenya, blev han forelsket i landet og i Maureen. De er nu gift, har en datter og har boet i Karen i udkanten af Nairobi i flere år. Han ved derfor en masse om landet. JEG MØDER MIN CHAUFFØR Tilbage på gaden i Nairobi møder jeg Dennis, der skal være min chauffør de næste par dage. Jeg stiger ombord i en minibus med et tag, der kan løftes og give os godt udsyn. Det bliver nyttigt når vi skal på ”game-drive” i parken. Med det løftede tag kan vi stå på og tage gode billeder. Vi er en gruppe på 7-8 personer – de fleste fra Kenya og en fyr fra San Francisco. Ikke alene skal jeg se en masse vilde dyr og natur, jeg har også besluttet mig for at bruge lidt ekstra på at besøge en Masai landsby og så starter jeg 2022 med at flyve varmluftsballon over savannen meget tidligt om morgenen den 1. januar. FAKTA OM KENYA Hvor stor og hvor mange mennesker Kenya er 580.367 km2 stor og er verdens 48. største land. Det er lidt mindre end Ukraine og lidt større end Spanien. Og med 47,6 millioner indbyggere er det den 29. mest befolkede land i verden. Kenya er verdens førende safari destination Kenya har fået World Travel Award for at være verdens førende safari destination hele syv år i træk. De har ikke mindre end 50 fantastiske nationalparker, hvor man finder en masse fantastisk natur og ”The Big Five” (løver, leoparder, elefanter, næsehorn og bøfler). Officielle sprog Der bliver talt hele 69 sprog her i Kenya, men de har kun to officielle sprog: Engelsk og Swahili. Engelsk er det normale at bruge i handel, skoler og regering – og du kan sagtens klare dig med engelsk. Langt de fleste taler engelsk, selvom deres dialekt kan være en smule svær at forstå når det går hurtigt. Flaget Deres flag er stribet med sort, rødt og grønt fra toppen, med tyndere hvide linjer imellem disse. De sorte står for befolkningen, det grønne for naturen, de hvide linjer for fred og den røde farve symboliserer krig. Og så det mest specielle ved flaget: Et masaiskjold og spyd i midten. Dette symboliserer forsvar af alle tingene nævnt i flaget. Alt i alt er det et ret sejt flag. Religion De fleste kenyanere er kristne (86%), hvoraf 54% er protestanter og 21% katolikker. Islam er den næststørste religion med 11% af befolkningen. Berømte ordsprog fra Kenya De har en del specielle ordsprog, men her er et par af mine favoritter. ”Bare fordi en mand har såret din ged, behøver du ikke at slå hans tyr ihjel”. ”Du bør ikke slagte en kalv mens dens mor ser på”. ”En hyæne kan ikke lugte sin egen stank”. Den sidste er en variant af noget, jeg har hørt hele mit liv, nemlig at en kaptajn bør gå ned med sit skib. Kenyanerne siger noget lidt andet: ”Et synkende skib har ikke brug for en kaptajn”. TING AT OPLEVE I TO PERFEKTE UGER I KENYA Jeg beder Monica og Shane om at komme med gode råd om, hvad der er værd at se, hvis man kommer hertil og skal planlægge to perfekte uger. TURKANA Turkana er Kenyas største region i den nordvestlige del af landet. Den grænser op til Uganda mod vest, Sydsudan mod nord og en lille 27 km grænse mod Etiopien lidt nord for den smukke Lake Turkana. Jeg får at vide, at en tur til Turkane kræver lidt hård på brystet og mod på en længere køretur. Husk også at medbringe masser af vand, hvis du begiver dig igennem dette store, tørre område. Men Turkana er et idyllisk sted og ifølge Monica er det helt klart værd at besøge. SAMBURU Både Monica og Shane er enige om at Samburu også skal på listen. Samburu National Reserve er en safaripark, der er berømt for at have masser af dyr som f.eks zebraer, strudser, giraffer mere end 900 elefanter. Parken er 165 km² stor og ligger 350 km fra Nairobi lige på den anden side af det majestætiske bjerg, Mount Kenya. Det er mere end 5 km højt og er det næsthøjeste bjerg i Afrika efter Kilimanjaro. AMBOSELI Og apropos Kilimanjaro lige på den anden side af grænsen til Tanzania, så kan det ses fra Amboseli National Park – en anden af Kenyas mest populære parker. TSAVO Du finder også Tsavo West National Park i den sydøstlige del af Kenya og dækker et område på godt 9.000 km². Dens ”søsterpark”, Tsavo East National Park der ligger lidt nord herfor, er den ældste og største nationalpark i Kenya med næsten 14.000 km². Begge parker er mellem Nairobi og østkysten, hvor der også er ting, der er værd at besøge. ØST KYSTEN Mombasa, der også er kendt som den hvide og blå by i Kenya. Det er landets ældste by og med 1,2 millioner indbyggere er det også den næststørste by efter hovedstaden. Monica nævner desuden Diani Beach, Malindi og Watamu, som steder, der er værd at besøge. LAMU Shane er enig med Monica i at østkysten er skøn (faktisk flyttede han dertil med familien et par dage efter jeg mødte ham i Karen, hvor de har boet i mange år. Men han fremhæver Lamu, en lille ø lidt længere nordpå. Den gamle by på Lamu giver dig en følelse af at træde tilbage i tiden. Det er et UNESCO World Heritage sted, og der er meget at tage sig til på øen – så som snorkling, sejlture, ruiner, strande, rideture på æsler og meget andet. KISUMU Kisumu er en havneby ved Lake Victoria. Der er en smuk udsigt til søen ved Hippo Pint og Dunga Hill Camp. Du kan også besøge Kisumu Impala Sanctuary for at se impalaer, zebraer, geparder og andet dyreliv. Du kan besøge Kakamega Forest National Reserve for vandreture med endnu mere dyreliv. En anden interessant ting at gøre er at besøge den 44. amerikanske præsident Barack Obamas landsby i Nyangoma, Kogelo. Nej, han er ikke født her, men meget af hans familie er. DEN VESTLIGE REGION Det vestlige Kenya har teplantager og skove og er hjemsted for den største sø i Afrika. Du kan besøge Mr. Elgon National Park, Saiwa Swamp National Park, Kakamega Forest Reserve og Lake Victoria. Du kan også se den berømte grædende sten ved Ilesi (”Crying Stone of Ilesi”), som er en sten, der ligner en grædende person. NAIVASHA Naivasha er en by i Nakuru regionen, som er kendt for sine smukke flamingoer, mange flodheste og for at være hjem for mere end 400 fuglearter. Lake Crescent, Hells Gate National Park og Lake Naivasha er også et must-besøg for rejsende. NANYUKI Nanyuki er en by i det centrale Kenya og er en fantastisk indgang til Mt. Kenya med mange naturskønne stier. Du kan besøge Mt. Kenya National Park, Ol Pejeta Conservancy og vandre på bjerget. Som du sikkert kan fornemme, er der utrolig meget at se og opleve i Kenya. Du kan også bare kontakte Monica og teamet hos Scenery Adventures. Hils fra mig. VEJRET Kenya har et behageligt, tropisk klima. Dagtemperaturerne er i gennemsnit mellem 20° og 28°, og lidt varmere ved kysten. Kenya er for tæt på ækvator til at de oplever en egentlig vinter og sommer. Men der er både en tør og våd sæson. De varmeste måneder er december til marts, og juli til september er perfekte til en solrig ferie. ANKOMMER TIL MASAI MARA Kl. 14 kommer vi til byen Narok og kl. 16 til Masai Mara og Lenchada Tourist Camp, som var vores hjem de næste to nætter. Det regnede kraftigt, da vi ankom, og spiste frokost. På Masai Mara oplever du ”The Big Five” og mange andre dyr. Maraen drives af Massai-samfundet, som er meget synlige i landskabet fra indgangen til lejrene. Faktisk blev vores lejr bevogtet af omkring 7 Masai-krigere om natten. Masaierne frygter ikke vilde dyr, og de ser ud til blot at leve sammen med dem som naboer. Du vil ofte se dem med deres store flokke med køer på udkig efter gode steder med græs. Vi boede i et telt, og der var en seng og et betongulv og et badeværelse. Der var ingen strøm i teltet, og man opladede kun sin telefon om aftenen. Det bedste tidspunkt at besøge er i højsæsonen fra juli til november under The Great Migration, hvor der er omkring 2 millioner dyr. Men selvom dette var omkring nytår, var der stadig mange dyr at se og vores aften-game-drive var bestemt ikke en skuffelse. Følg med i del 2 af denne miniserie fra Kenya, hvor vi bliver "angrebet" af et vredt næsehorn. Du kan også tage med på besøg i The Giraffe Centre i Nairobi og op i den højeste bygning i byen. Mit navn er Palle Bo og jeg skal videre. Vi ses.