travel podcast | GlobalSalsa: travel writer Belinda Jackson

Expert travel packing tips with @StyledBy Sally | The World Awaits podcast

Are you a carry-on queen trapped in an overpacker’s body? I’m sharing some expert travel packing tips on our travel podcast this week.

Melbourne stylist Sally Mackinnon is founder of the viral @styledbysally instagram account, and my guest on of The World Awaits podcast. She shares with me her packing hacks and how you can genuinely travel stylishly with carry-on only.

She talks through what she describes as the magical Sudoku packing method. Jump onto the podcast to hear the full ep, with more fantastic packing and travel style tips on the current ep. Try it and tell me if it works – I’d love to hear about your experiences!

Sally also shares ideal boarding outfit, which has no whiff of a hoodie about it. “I do think we’ve lost the plot with plane travel style,” she says. “There’s nothing wrong with making an effort. Because how you dress influences the way you feel.”

For more great fashion and travel tips, grab a copy of Sally’s book, Styled: How to dress as your most stylish self.

And huge news – I have launched my travel-writing tour of Algeria, departing March 2027! Join me on an adventure through the Sahara and souqs, kasbahs and the footprints of civilisations past!

Also this episode, we ask what’s your take on Aussie airline Jetstar‘s new luggage charges, which now includes charging for carry-on luggage? I’m reading AirlineRatings.com‘s take on the new way to charge, which says Jetstar has traded size for weight. Click here to read:

https://www.airlineratings.com/articles/jetstar-just-did-australian-travellers-a-favour-but-nobody-wants-to-hear-it

Vale rock brain Glenn A Baker, and his musical roadtrip through southern USA

Take a musical roadtrip through southern USA with Glenn A Baker, rock historian, eminent music journalist and travel writer.

This week, I’m remembering Glenn A Baker, a friend who was not only a rock historian and eminent music journalist, but an avid traveller who’d visited more than 150 countries, documenting his travels in books and the Australian media.

Tune into to my interview with Glenn about taking a musical roadtrip through southern USA

Click TO LISTEN

An accomplished radio presenter who was instrumental in the creation of radio stations JJ, he also presented Qantas’ inflight music entertainment for three decades. Glenn was also named the BBC’s Rock Brain of the Universe three times in the 1980s, a clear demonstration of his encyclopedic knowledge of music.

I can’t find any photos of us roaring through southern Ireland in a minibus (I was still in my no-photo stage of life) but I remember vividly going to a pub with Glenn one night to watch some trad Irish music. We had a table, watching the fiddles, and a bloke comes up to us and says, in his Australian accent, “Glenn A. Baker, didn’t think this was your scene!” He was just some punter who recognised Glenn, in a bar at a crossroads in Co Clare, so far was Glenn’s fame.

On that same roadtrip, I’d watch him leap from the a moving minibus as we were driving through a village one Sunday afternoon, a local band thrashing it in front of the pub – he was always on the look-out for new sound and talent.

Glenn was also my guest on the travel podcast The World Awaits. For our interview, I asked him to create an itinerary for a musical roadtrip through the USA, a task that he immediately said required at least two episodes to cover. We never did record the second, before he passed away earlier this week.

So I’m resharing his chat about travelling in southern USA, which reflects his deep passion for music, musical history and for the US. You can take a listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or via our website.

My chat with Priscilla Presley

“Memphis is the centre of it all,” said Glenn, “and the aura – the spectre – of Elvis hangs over Memphis.”

Remember that Elvis cut his first record at Sun Studios, and Glenn talks about visiting Gracelands and seeing Elvis’ plane, the Lisa Marie. He even chatted with Priscilla about living in Gracelands – naturally, as an obsessive record collector, Glenn wanted to know what Elvis’ record collection was like. Priscilla also shared with him how Elvis listened to music, and how he chose new songs – jump onto the podcast to hear what she told him.

Key sites on a musical roadtrip in southern USA

Glenn’s suggested itinerary for a musical roadtrip of southern USA includes the key music cities of Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana.

Add to that the three possible graves of Robert Johnson, the first great blues recording artist, famous for his song Crossroads, recorded in San Antonio, Texas in 1936. Famously, in the song Johnson sells his soul to the devil in exchange for fame. (If you’d like to read more about this story of fame bought, click here

Then, you could slip in Montgomery, Alabama, the birthplace of country singer Hank Williams, and the famous Tallahatchie Bridge from Bobbie Gentry’s song “Ode to Billie Joe,” is located near Greenwood and Money, Mississippi. He’d pass through Ferriday, Louisiana, where Gerry Lee Lewis was born, and went on to become “a very, very wild man,” and Vicksburg, Mississippi, home of blues songwriter and musician Willie Dixon.

For us, the iconic music journalist designed a custom soundtrack and playlist/mixtape alongside a guided itinerary of southern blues, soul, and R&B landmarks, which I’m sharing The World Awaits website.

Glenn’s mixtape for a musical roadtrip through southern USA includes:

When a Man Loves a Woman, Percy Sledge
Wild Horses, Rolling Stones
The American Trilogy, Elvis
Proud Mary, Creedence Clearwater Revival
Sweet Home Alabama, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Knock on Wood, Eddie Floyd
Crossroads, Robert Johnson
(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay, Otis Redding
Green Onions Booker T & the MGs
Rainbow Connection, Jim Henderson
Last Man Standing (album), Jerry Lee Lewis

BB King's Blues Club, one stop on Glenn A Baker's musical roadtrip.

FAQS: Best places to visit on a musical roadtrip in southern USA

Who is Australia’s rock music expert?

Glenn A. Baker was Australia’s premier rock historian, as well as a journalist and travel writer. He was the Australian editor of Billboard magazine for more than 20 years and wrote 17 books. He also managed bands including Ol’ 55 and was a keen spotter of new talent. He won the BBC’s Rock Brain of the Universe three times in the 1980s. Throughout his life, he collected around 80,000 vinyl records and CDs.

What are the best places to visit in southern USA for music?

Rock historian Glenn A Baker suggested the key music cities of Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana, on a musical roadtrip of southern USA. He also includes Montgomery, Alabama, which is the birthplace of country singer Hank Williams, and the famous Tallahatchie Bridge from Bobbie Gentry’s song “Ode to Billie Joe,” which is located near Greenwood and Money, Mississippi.

Why now is the best time to visit Afghanistan: The World Awaits podcast

Come to Central Asia’s forgotten country, Afghanistan.

I’ve long been fascinated by Afghanistan, since I first read historian William Dalrymple’s inspiring book In Xanadu; A Quest, and followed Irish travel doyenne Dervla Murphy, who cycled through Central Asia in the 1960s.

So I am very proud to bring this interview to you on my travel podcast, The World Awaits, about travelling in Afghanistan.

If you asked, “Why, of all times, would you run a story about the region now?” I’d respond, “If not now, then when?” Australia’s government foreign advisory

website Smartraveller has kept its advice, ‘Do Not Go’ unchanged for 20 years.

My guests are James Willcox of extreme travel group Untamed Borders, and also author of the new Brandt guidebook to Afghanistan, and Fatima Haidari, Afghanistan’s first female tour guide.

From Herat and now living in Italy, Fatima leads virtual tours through Afghanistan, a tribal country with enormous diversity. She talks not only about the tours, but the impact tourism has upon her country, from the natural beauty of Bamiyan, chaotic, crowded Kabul and the poetic heart of Herat.

“Isolation is the worst way to punish a population,” says Fatima, who shares the profit from the tours with a women’s education charity she established in Afghanistan. “Because the media is so heavily censored, tourism is one way to help open up the country. It helps local businesses and helps us to get out of isolation just a little bit.”

Listen on Apple Podcasts , Spotify or via our website https://theworldawaits.au

You can join Fatima’s virtual tours here https://untamedborders.com/itinerary/virtual-tours-with-fatima-afghanistan/

And take a tour with Untamed Borders https://untamedborders.com/

The Bradt guidebook to Afghanistan https://www.bradtguides.com/product/afghanistan-pb/

Champions of the Golden Valley https://www.championsofthegoldenvalley.com/

Secret Marathon Film https://thesecretmarathon.com/

Untamed Borders’ founder James Willcox

Podcast links

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/5eRb6ckSE286bxJugtDuRf?si=48279324689b4b0a
Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-141-travelling-in-afghanistan-keeping-your-eyes/id1689931283?i=1000760319714

Walking, wine and wombats: Tasmania’s lake lodge you need to visit; Australia’s best cellar doors & save on Swiss rail passes

In Tasmania’s Central Highlands, in Australia’s deepest lake, that’s where we’re all going this week, for walking, wine and wombats at Pumphouse Point.

Stuck at the desk? You can still come along to Tasmania via our latest episode of The World Awaits travel podcast. Jump on the pod to hear this week’s chat, (which I recorded while sitting on the floor of the business centre at Niyama Private Islands in the Maldives, while my co-host Kirstie Bedford was packing for Athens. If you’re going to be in a business centre anywhere, I thoroughly recommend this one, because you can look at at a turquoise lagoon in the Dhaalu Atoll while you’re working)

Listen via Apple Podcasts
Spotify
or via our website https://theworldawaits.au

Set in the glacial Lake St Clair, the lake lodge has recently opened its new Retreats, beautiful cocoons amidst the remote wilderness. The central highlands also a hub for walkers, wine and wombats; https://lnkd.in/gpia2S9N

Also, leading wine reviewer the Halliday Wine Companion reveals Australia’s top cellar door to put on your travel list https://lnkd.in/gVXNehpf and we’re sharing some great tips to save when travelling around Switzerland on its Swiss Rail Pass, https://lnkd.in/gAwp-_9p

And a spot of trivia; what do you think is the most expensive thing left in Brisbane Airport’s Lost & Found? Lloyds Auctions recently put all the items under the hammer, including one pretty surprising, pretty pricey item that would be hard to forget…

The view from a neurodivergent traveller; world’s most crowded hotspots & duty-free shopping tips

Airports are one of the most stressful places we’ll find ourselves, and this week on The World Awaits travel podcast, we’re looking at travel from the viewpoint of a neurodivergent traveller.

Listen to the current episode of The World Awaits on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or via the website https://theworldawaits.au

Sarah Maree Cameron is a radio and TV presenter, writer and comedian. She presents the House of Wellness on Nine Radio, and in Melbourne, the Weekend Break with Grubby on 3AW and TravelOz on Channel 7.

With that job description, she’s constantly on the road, and we chat about how she manages her hectic schedule while juggling a number of dietary and health issues. Listen for her top tips on staying stress-free and healthy. Follow Sarah Maree on instagram for more wellness tips

Also, which are the most crowded tourist destinations in the world? A couple are particular favourites for Australian travellers, according to new analysis from Deluxe Holiday Homes.

And Kadi Luggage reveals how to get the best bang for your buck when shopping duty-free at airports.

Sarah Maree’s tips include:
Listening to sleep stories with the Calm app
Hotteeze heat pads

Best things to do in Cairo, how to guarantee a sunny holiday & things left in Ubers: The World Awaits podcast

You’ve booked a holiday to Egypt, but the Grand Egyptian Museum’s (GEM) opening has been postponed…again! “All is not lost!” I say!

Listen on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-106-the-new-cairo-with-belle-jackson-avoiding/id1689931283?i=1000720943277
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/0sBUGYM7YLATaHjYawp5yq?si=b0a843ca0b4a4408
or via the website at https://theworldawaits.au

As podcast host of The World Awaits travel podcast and an Egypt aficionado, I’m the guest this episode, rounding up the best of new things to do in Cairo.

I share my top three things to do in Cairo, including the best Egyptian museums and neighbourhoods, essential experiences and answers the age-old question, is Cairo safe right now? For more of my travels, including some pretty great footage (if I do say so myself) see https://www.instagram.com/global_salsa

And we have a winner of our tropical Thai holiday giveaway of four nights at Avani+ Khao Lak! Thanks to Avani Hotels & Resorts, who generously offered this prize to our listeners to celebrate our 100th episode!

And finally, our tip this week is how to avoid the rainiest places in the world (unless you love a downpour!), and we cover off the craziest things people have left in Ubers.

How can we protect Africa’s wildlife from poaching? Go on safari! The World Awaits podcast

How can we protect Africa’s wildlife from poaching? Go on safari! Australian author Tony Park is my guest on The World Awaits travel podcast this week, chatting about safaris in southern Africa, where he lives on the edge of Kruger National Park, and his whodunnits all have a strong conservation theme.

We’ve teamed up with Tony and publisher @macmillianaus to give away five copies of Tony’s latest novel, Die by the Sword, to be released on 29 July!

To win:
Follow @theworldawaitspodcast on Instagram or Facebook
Like this post https://www.instagram.com/p/DKlUKNIp654/?igsh=NHhkZHEwMGYzNTlw
Tell us in the comments below where you’d like to travel to next, and tag your favourite travel buddy!

“Southern Africa is very hard to describe; for many people, you get bitten by something, or you breathe something in, and you become hooked,” says Tony.

Speaking to us from his home just north of Kruger National Park in South Africa, Tony shares his vast experience about going on safari in southern and east Africa. From the Kruger to the Kalahari, we’re taking self-drive safaris on a budget, which regions are better for different wildlife and wildlife poaching.

“The best way to tackle poaching is to uplift the communities and the people, who feel that their only option is to turn to wildlife crime,” he says. “So the best thing for wildlife is to visit Africa.”

Tony has published 22 novels set in southern Africa; his 23rd, Die by the Sword, is out at the end of July, and like all his novels, it has a strong environmental and wildlife conservation angle. You can read more about his 23rd novel, with a synopsis and behind- the-scenes author notes at https://www.tonypark.net/sword.html

T&Cs: Australian addresses only. Winners announced on the podcast on 26/6/2025 and notified by email.

#theworldawaits #podcast #travel #travelpodcast #southafrica #wildlife #conservation #africa #africatravel

A river cruise through Laos & travel inspo from the movies: The World Awaits podcast

“The best way to see the Mekong is slowly,” says travel journalist Michael Turtle, speaking to me on this week’s episode of The World Awaits travel podcast.

He takes us on a cruise down the Mekong river in Laos on board the beautiful new boat Boheme. With only 13 cabins, it runs between the royal city of Luang Prabang and the capital, Vientiane, connecting you to the lifeblood of the country, all while exploring Laos’ cuisine and visiting its villages.

To listen to the podcast, visit its website https://theworldawaits.au or listen via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or most other listening apps.

Please check your feed, the data was entered incorrectly.“Watch longtail boats, see temples… on a river cruise, you see the river at all times of the day, while people are fishing or swimming,” says Michael of the six-day sailing journeys.

For more about the Boheme, visit mekongkingdoms.com and add a stay at the Avani+ Luang Prabang, avanihotels.com And to follow Michael, see timetravelturtle.com

Also, what’s the world’s most beautiful airstrip? This list of ravishing runways will have you fighting for the window seat. https://www.allcleartravel.co.uk/blog/the-worlds-most-beautiful-airport-landings/

And finally, tap into the set-jetting trend and get your travel inspiration from movies and TV series. We’re talking Thailand, Malta and the UK – tune in to see what’s filmed where.

This mini-series is brought to you by Avani Hotels & Resorts. With more than 40 properties across five continents, Avani offers city hotels, tropical resorts and retreats in nature. For more, visit avanihotels.com

READING RECOMMENDATIONS

If you’d like to read my story on the young woman shaking up PNG’s traditional drumming scene, published in Paradise, the inflight magazine of Air Niugini, visit airniuginiparadise.com

Rebuilding Maui & Life in Bhutan

This week on The World Awaits podcast… rebuilding Maui and life in Bhutan.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of our travel podcast.

Did you know there are only 45 foreigners living in the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan? One is Carissa Nimah, an Australian responsible for marketing the Land of the Thunder Dragon. Surrounded by snowy peaks and temples, I caught up with Carissa to talk about about the hiking trails, homestays and spirituality of Bhutan, ⁠bhutan.travel⁠

Also on the podcast this week, Lianne Driessen from Sail Trilogy, talks to Kirstie about the fires that recently devastated Maui. The a 50-year-old tourism business is integral in helping rebuild Maui and Lianne – who lost her own home 12 weeks ago – shares what you can do to help in its recovery, ⁠sailtrilogy.com⁠

We’re announcing the winners of our giveaway, Lonely Planet’s new book, Best in Travel 2024, hack claiming insurance if monkeys steal your gear, and cover Fodor’s 2024 No List; travel list of places to avoid.

Mindful travel in Nepal & Hiking with refugees

Walking slowly in silence in the Nepalese Himalayas is just one of the ways travel writer Nina Karnikowski says we can embrace mindful travel. Belle talks to Nina about taking the time to travel, and taking in the world around us on a more acute level.

“We can travel at a pace so fast, we actually miss all the wonder around us as we tick our boxes and return home exhausted,” she says. You can see more about Nina’s work, including her latest book, The Mindful Traveller, at ⁠ninakarnikowski.com, and for more about her tour to the Nepalese Himalayas, visit worldexpeditions.com

For many refugees from war-torn countries, settling into Australian life can be daunting. Especially for those who have suffered trauma most of us can’t even imagine. Finding solace in nature himself, Neil McCulloch decided to start a charity where he could help new refugees in Australia settle into life here, and experience an Aussie pastime, camping and hiking – and First Hike Project was born, firsthikeproject.org.au

Neil talks to Kirstie about how the transformative effect of nature on many of the refugees he takes into the Aussie bush, and why it’s so life-changing.

We also reveal the world’s most loved landmarks, including which Australian landmark makes the list (it might just surprise you), share tips on the best ways to save money when you’re travelling in Europe, and take a little ride down the Great Victorian Rail Trail, see greatvictorianrailtrail.com.au

Visit our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theworldawaits