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Today is our final episode of this season! Thank you so much for staying with us, listening to us, sharing your words of encouragement with me, and spreading the word about our show. For two years now, I have been asking every guest who comes on the podcast two questions: What gives you hope? And which place are you going to next? I started asking the hope question because I needed to find that hope myself. And boy did our guests deliver! So I thought it would be a beautiful way to close out this season with a collective, crowdsourced answer to that question. What gives you hope? We also asked our community members to send in their answers to these two questions. Thank you to everyone who participated: Carrie, Siham, Alice, Maxim, and Ami! 18 guests. 5 of our community members. The answer is in this episode. We are an audience-supported platform. Become a paid member to support our work and get our many perks. Visit us at goingplacesmedia.com to learn more. Thanks to our Founding Members: RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel educationRadostina Boseva, a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco Featured on the show:02:38 Our community's answers07:04 Storyteller & Educator Justine Abigail Yu10:54 Climate Activist Arto Sivonen14:05 Palestine Rights Activist & Podcaster Matt Bowles15:22 Stockholm Archipelago's Marie Östblom16:16 Runner & Writer Joe Baur20:08 Hostel Owner & Solo Biker Alex Reynolds21:02 Author Natasha Hakimi Zapata22:55 Saudi Photographer Tasneem Alsultan24:43 CCCL's Founder Farah Cherif D'Ouezzan30:45 Sororal CEO Megan Ryder-Burbidge31:16 Hybrid Tours' Sibu Szymanowska and Hira Aftab33:54 Condé Nast Traveler's Editor Lale Arikoglu35:08 Author Tharik Hussain39:31 Author Lindsey Danis41:13 Journalist Mitti Hicks44:01 Baraka Destinations' Muna Haddad47:21 Porter Rights Activist Marinel de Jesus49:48 Author & Educator Dr. Anu Taranath Going Places is a reader-supported platform. Get membership perks like a monthly group call with Yulia at goingplacesmedia.com! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.  Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

Today, we’re speaking with Lindsey Danis, a queer writer of fiction and essays whose writing has appeared in AFAR, Fodor’s Travel, Condé Nast Traveler, Longreads and more. Lindsey’s book (Out) On the Road: The Radical Joy of Queer Travel is out this month. In it, Lindsey weaves personal experience with data and interviews, and offers readers a framework for planning travel, navigating risks, and becoming self-reliant. Lindsey is also the founder of the LGBTQ+ travel platform, Queer Adventurers, that focuses on queer women and nonbinary people. Her work is all about empowering LGBTQ+ travelers to understand and advocate for their needs so that they can plan incredible adventures. We are an audience-supported platform. Become a paid member to support our work and get our many perks. Visit us at goingplacesmedia.com to learn more. Thanks to our Founding Members: RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel educationRadostina Boseva, a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco What you’ll learn in this episode:The "how" of writing a book and securing an agentThe concept of queer joyWriting for LGBTQ+ audiences through a liberatory frameworkWhy queer stories aren't just for queer travelers, but for anyone interested in a more expansive and inclusive worldWhat mainstream travel advice often gets wrong about the queer experienceHow we can use our spending power to advocate for changePractical insights on how to be an ally to a queer traveler Featured on the show:Read (Out) On the Road: The Radical Joy of Queer TravelLearn more about Lindsey's workFollow Lindsey on Instagram: @lindsey.danis.writerConnect with Lindsey on LinkedInCheck out Lindsey's platform, Queer AdventuresGet Lindsey's book proposal worksheetGet Lindsey's allyship guide for travelersRead Lindsey's piece for Eater about the restaurant industryCheck out the Everywhere is Queer app Going Places is a reader-supported platform. Get membership perks like a monthly group call with Yulia at goingplacesmedia.com! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.  Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

Did you know that only 15% of African safaris are Black-owned? Since their colonial origins in the late 19th century, the safari operations on the continent have largely been headed by white men, with local communities rarely seeing the benefits. (This extends beyond safaris to luxury tourism in Africa, which has been linked to extractive practices and degradation of local habitats.) Mitti Hicks is a travel writer and former broadcast journalist who first reported on this issue for Travel Noire. In this episode, Mitti will share how you can choose to do safari differently, seeing wild animals while supporting local communities AND black owner operators instead. We are an audience-supported platform. Become a paid member to support our work and get our many perks. Visit us at goingplacesmedia.com to learn more. Thanks to our Founding Members: RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel educationRadostina Boseva, a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco What you’ll learn in this episode:How Mitti went from broadcast journalism to travel writingWhat traveling in Jordan and Sierra Leone was like for MittiConnecting with Jordan's Black communityHow you can support Black-owned safaris in AfricaWhy Mitti seeks out Black stories wherever she goes Featured on the show:Follow Mitti on Instagram: @mitti_meganConnect with Mitti on LinkedInRead Mitti's story on Black-owned safarisRead Mitti's story on Sierra Leone Going Places is a reader-supported platform. Get membership perks like a monthly group call with Yulia at goingplacesmedia.com! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.  Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

Marinel de Jesus is a social entrepreneur and former human rights lawyer who advocates for justice in the mountain-trekking industry. Nearly a decade ago, she left the courtroom to imagine what it would take to travel through the lens of equity and dignity. In 2024, Marinel spent over 100 days walking the Great Himalaya Trail with Mingmar Dolma Sherpa, the first Nepali woman to guide 100 days on the commercial sections of this legendary trail. Marinel’s documentary, KM 82: The Porter Voices of Peru’s Camino Inca, tells the story of the Indigenous Quechua porters on the Inca Trail through their own voices. Marinel, the porters, and her team received many threats for telling this story. Our first-ever member drive ends soon! Join us as a paid member by Friday, May 1st, to get these limited-time member drive perks: Free 1:1 Call: Every new member (at any level) gets a free 15-minute 1:1 call with me to brainstorm or chat.The Masterclass ($79 Value): Join as an Annual Member and get "free forever" access to my Travel Media Masterclass Video Series, featuring pitch templates and industry deep-dives. Become a paid member, so that we can continue doing this work in the months to come. Visit us at goingplacesmedia.com to learn more. Thanks to our Founding Members: RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel educationRadostina Boseva, a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco What you’ll learn in this episode:The dark side of tourism no one talks aboutMarinel’s origins as a Filipina and an immigrant to the U.S.The status of porters and other "invisible people" in the travel service industryAdvocating for women and Indigenous communities in mountain tourismTrekking in Peru, Nepal, and Mongolia Featured on the show:Follow Marinel on Instagram: @browngaltrekkerConnect with Marinel on LinkedInLearn more about Marinel's work on her siteCheck out Porter Voice CollectiveFollow The Porter Voice Collective on InstagramJoin Marinel's Equity Global TreksCheck out Khusvegi Nomadic Camp in Mongolia Going Places is a reader-supported platform. Get membership perks like a monthly group call with Yulia at goingplacesmedia.com! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.  Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

We're celebrating a very special milestone this week: Going Places turns one! We're building a home for decolonial storytelling, a place where we travel through a lens of equity, justice, and humanity and ask hard questions about who gets to tell the story of a place and who benefits from the traveler's presence there. We have ambitious goals for Going Places, and we need you. That's why we're running our first Annual Membership Drive for new paid members to join our cause. Join us for as little as $6 a month and get access to our NEW membership perk: now everyone, even at our lowest membership level, can tune into regular, quarterly Zoom check-ins with me. Our first one is this Friday, April 24th! PLUS, for the duration of this drive, we're offering two very special perks: Learn from Yulia: every annual member gets access to our Travel Media Masterclass Video Series. (A $79 value!) Understand how the travel media industry works with sessions that cover working with tourism boards and publications, demystify the entire pitching process, and share real earnings you can expect in this industry.Connect with Yulia: everyone who joins us during this membership drive also gets a free 15-min 1:1 call with me. Use it however you like! Join us at any level by Friday, May 1st, to get these perks. Thanks to our Founding Members: RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel educationRadostina Boseva, a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco Mentioned on the show: this Talk Easy episode on AI. Going Places is a reader-supported platform. Get membership perks like a monthly group call with Yulia at goingplacesmedia.com! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.  Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

The narratives that claim Muslims are "new" to Europe are in part fueling the Islamophobia we see on the continent and across the globe today. But what if we knew and celebrated the fact that Muslim people have always been an integral part of the European story? In Part 2 of our conversation, Tharik Hussain—an award-winning author, historian, and journalist—returns to help us dismantle the long-standing myth of Jews versus Muslims always fighting each other. We’ll meet the Red-haired sultans of Europe, cover the Jewish and the Muslim Golden Age, and look at these 1,400 years of Muslim rule in Europe through its biggest context: that of co-existence. This season, we want to hear from you! Send us a short note with your name, where you’re calling in from, and an answer to two questions: What gives YOU hope in this moment in timeWhich place you are going to next We’ll run your answers at the end of the season in our Community Voices episode! To participate, fill out this form OR send us a short audio clip (an iPhone voice recording is just fine!) to [email protected] by Monday, April 27. Going Places is an audience-supported platform. Today, I want to invite you to become a paid member, so that we can continue doing this work in the months to come. Join us for as little as $6 a month and get access to our membership perks. We just added a new one: now everyone, even at our lowest membership level, can tune into regular, quarterly Zoom check-ins with me. Our first one is in April. Visit us at goingplacesmedia.com to learn more. Thanks to our Founding Members: RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel educationRadostina Boseva, a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco What you’ll learn in this episode:The role of Cyprus in Muslim EuropeThe World's first Muslim navyWhy the Muslim Empire was often Muslim in name onlyDismantling the myth of eternal conflict through the lens of the Jewish and Muslim Golden AgesWhy did King William II of Sicily call himself Sultan Musta’izMaimonides of Cordoba: What the life of this Arabized Jewish scholar teaches us about coexistenceWhy a synagogue in Manchester mirrors a mosque in CordobaWhat gives Tharik hope today Featured on the show:Follow Tharik on Instagram: @tharik_hussainConnect with Tharik on LinkedInLearn more about Tharik's work on his siteRead Minarets in the Mountains: A Journey into Muslim EuropeCheck out Tharik's latest book, Muslim Europe: A Journey in Search of a 1,400-Year HistoryLearn about Britain’s first Muslim heritage trail, created by Tharik Going Places is a reader-supported platform. Get membership perks like a monthly group call with Yulia at goingplacesmedia.com! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.  Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

For over 1,400 years, Muslims have been an integral part of Europe’s story, yet their contributions to the continent’s development and history have been pushed to the margins or erased altogether. Today's guest is bringing some of these forgotten stories back to the forefront. Tharik Hussain is an award-winning author, historian, and journalist based in the UK who specialises in global Muslim heritage and culture. He’s written a book on Islam in the Western Balkans, Minarets in the Mountains, and his latest book, Muslim Europe: A Journey in Search of a 1,400-Year History, reveals the ancient, long-forgotten roots of Islam on the continent and how deeply interconnected the story of Muslims is with the story of Europe. Our conversation was so monumental that we broke it down into two parts. Catch Part 2 of our conversation next week! This season, we want to hear from you! Send us a short note with your name, where you’re calling in from, and an answer to two questions: What gives YOU hope in this moment in timeWhich place you are going to next We’ll run your answers at the end of the season in our Community Voices episode! To participate, fill out this form OR send us a short audio clip (an iPhone voice recording is just fine!) to [email protected] by Monday, April 27. Going Places is an audience-supported platform. Today, I want to invite you to become a paid member, so that we can continue doing this work in the months to come. Join us for as little as $6 a month and get access to our membership perks. We just added a new one: now everyone, even at our lowest membership level, can tune into regular, quarterly Zoom check-ins with me. Our first one is in April. Visit us at goingplacesmedia.com to learn more. Thanks to our Founding Members: RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel educationRadostina Boseva, a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco What you’ll learn in this episode:How a layover in Cyprus led Tharik on this pathMuslim rule in the Mediterranean: Cordoba, Palermo, Toledo, & CyprusWhere in Europe is the aunt of Prophet Muhammad buriedRed-haired sultans and Arabic-speaking Christian kingsThe story of Cordoban MezquitaWas Alhambra really a pleasure palace?The Islamic roots of the European RenaissanceThe myths of Matamoros and the 100-virgin tributeWhy the history of Islam in Europe is barely known today Featured on the show:Follow Tharik on Instagram: @tharik_hussainConnect with Tharik on LinkedInLearn more about Tharik's work on his siteRead Minarets in the Mountains: A Journey into Muslim EuropeCheck out Tharik's latest book, Muslim Europe: A Journey in Search of a 1,400-Year HistoryLearn about Britain’s first Muslim heritage trail, created by Tharik Going Places is a reader-supported platform. Get membership perks like a monthly group call with Yulia at goingplacesmedia.com! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.  Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

Travel is a tool for validation, a way to say "I see you, I hear you, and your story matters." Today's guest, Muna Haddad, has built her long career in tourism around this principle. Muna is a powerful maker of change in the world of travel and someone I admire deeply. She is the founder of Baraka Destinations, an organization creating tourism experiences in Jordan’s secondary, forgotten locations that center local narratives and give power back to where it belongs: local communities. Muna spent nearly two decades working in sustainable tourism. She founded the Jordan Trail Association, which promotes the 400-mile hiking trail that runs across the country, and helped create the Meaningful Travel Map of Jordan. This season, we want to hear from you! Send us a short note with your name, where you’re calling in from, and an answer to two questions: What gives YOU hope in this moment in timeWhich place you are going to next We’ll run your answers at the end of the season in our Community Voices episode! To participate, fill out this form OR send us a short audio clip (an iPhone voice recording is just fine!) to [email protected] by Monday, April 27. Going Places is an audience-supported platform. Today, I want to invite you to become a paid member, so that we can continue doing this work in the months to come. Join us for as little as $6 a month and get access to our membership perks. We just added a new one: now everyone, even at our lowest membership level, can tune into regular, quarterly Zoom check-ins with me. Our first one is in April. Visit us at goingplacesmedia.com to learn more. Thanks to our Founding Members: RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel educationRadostina Boseva, a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco What you’ll learn in this episode:How a trip to Cambodia led Muna down this pathAsking 'who benefits?' and 'who gets to tell the story of a place?'How Baraka's work transformed the village of Umm Qais in northern JordanWhy the model Muna started is a revolution needed everywhere in travelWhat makes Baraka's new tour in Amman extraordinaryWords matter: why terms 'Middle East' and 'Levant' are a colonial legacyUnpacking Orientalism Featured on the show:Follow Muna on Instagram: @munahaddadFollow Baraka Destinations on Instagram: @barakadestinationsLearn more about Baraka DestinationsCheck out the newly-launched Amman City Tour by BarakaRead about Muna in the 2026 Power List by Condé Nast TravelerLearn more about Edward Said and his seminal work, Orientalism Going Places is a reader-supported platform. Get membership perks like a monthly group call with Yulia at goingplacesmedia.com! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.  Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

Our first guest this season is Lale Arikoglu, the Director of Special Projects at Condé Nast Traveler and host of the award-winning Women Who Travel podcast. Lale has been working as Condé Nast Traveler editor for the past ten years, and her reporting has taken her from horseback riding in Patagonia and hiking in the Andes to sailing down the Amazon River, chasing the Iditarod in Alaska, and clubbing in Kosovo. If you’re interested in working with Condé Nast, don’t miss this episode: Lale gives tips on how to pitch her, what she looks for in the pitch, and how the current moment informs the types of stories she’s looking to champion at the magazine. This season, we want to hear from you! Send us a short note with your name, where you’re calling in from, and an answer to two questions: What gives YOU hope in this moment in timeWhich place you are going to next We’ll run your answers at the end of the season in our Community Voices episode! To participate, fill out this form OR send us a short audio clip (an iPhone voice recording is just fine!) to [email protected] by Monday, April 27. Going Places is an audience-supported platform. Today, I want to invite you to become a paid member, so that we can continue doing this work in the months to come. Join us for as little as $6 a month and get the perks like getting on a group call with Yulia every month to ask questions, get advice, and be in community with each other. Visit us at goingplacesmedia.com to learn more. Thanks to our Founding Members: RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel educationRadostina Boseva, a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco What you’ll learn in this episode:What fuels Lale's reporting right nowWhat it was like for Lale crossing borders with her Turkish fatherWhat our show’s concept (travel through a decolonial lens) means to LaleDiscussions inside the editors' room: borders, visa equity, and the privilege of travelWhat Lale learned from interviewing women like Tracee Ellis Ross & Brooke ShieldsLale's tips on how to pitch Condé Nast TravelerLale answers our listeners' questions Featured on the show:Follow Lale on Instagram: @lalehannahRead Lale's Istanbul article, In Charismatic Istanbul, the Past Still Shapes the PresentRead Yulia's article edited by Lale, In Okinawa, the Enduring Legacy of Bingata TextilesListen to the Women Who Travel podcastCheck out this Brooke Shields episode, this Antarctica episode with Preet Chandhi, and this episode where Lale interviewed YuliaCheck out CNT pitching guidelines Going Places is a reader-supported platform. Get membership perks like a monthly group call with Yulia at goingplacesmedia.com! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.  Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

Welcome back to the new season of the Going Places show! This season of Going Places is all about changing narratives. From who gets to tell the story of a place to revealing the hidden history of Muslim Europe and elevating the people who serve as the backbone of the trekking industry, you'll hear voices, perspectives, and stories that will provide a deeper understanding of places and cultures around the world. Here's a preview of who you're going to meet: Muna Haddad, founder and CEO of Baraka Destinations in JordanLale Arikoglu, a longtime editor at Condé Nast Traveler and host of the Women Who Travel podcastMarinel de Jesus, advocate for porters in the trekking industry and the founder of the Porter Voice Collectiveand many more This season, we want to hear from you! Send us a short note with your name, where you’re calling in from, and an answer to two questions: What gives YOU hope in this moment in timeWhich place you are going to next We’ll run your answers at the end of the season in our Community Voices episode! To participate, fill out this form OR send us a short audio clip (an iPhone voice recording is just fine!) to [email protected] by Monday, April 27. Going Places is an audience-supported platform. Today, I want to invite you to become a paid member, so that we can continue doing this work in the months to come. Join us for as little as $6 a month and get the perks like getting on a group call with Yulia every month to ask questions, get advice, and be in community with each other. Visit us at goingplacesmedia.com to learn more. Thanks to our Founding Members: RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel educationRadostina Boseva, a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco Going Places is a reader-supported platform. Get membership perks like a monthly group call with Yulia at goingplacesmedia.com! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.  Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

Happy New Year! Today, we're speaking with Dr. Anu Taranath, a speaker, facilitator, and faculty member at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she teaches about global literature, race, and equity, and directs study abroad programs on human rights. Anu is the author of Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World, a book that puts our movement across the world in a larger context of systems of power. She also writes a column for AFAR Magazine. We're closing the year with a conversation that's full of lightness, joy, and delight. I hope you enjoy it! Reminder: We are running a 10-day trip to Jordan from June 5-14, 2026. We'll visit the Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum, Amman, and many off-beaten spots in between. We'll meet a renowned artist who designed the country's newest currency, spend time with the Bedouins in the desert, and more. Go to https://goingplacesmedia.com/jordan for details on early-bird booking, which ends on Jan 4, 2026. Going Places is an audience-supported platform. You can become a member for as little as $6 a month. Visit us at goingplacesmedia.com to learn more. Thanks to our Founding Members: RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel educationRadostina Boseva, a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco Today is the last episode of the season! Thank you so much for listening. We’re taking a break and will be back with new episodes this Spring. What you’ll learn in this episode:The origins of Anu's justice work: too foreign to be an AmericanGrowing up in a South Asian family in TexasHow Anu creates spaces of belonging from New York to New DelhiWhat the hyper-individualistic U.S. culture teaches us about communityThe politics of travel: how power structures shape the way we travelAnu reads an excerpt from her bookHelmet-to-cheek: looking for sweetness, lightness, and joy wherever we go Featured on the show:Follow Anu on Instagram: @dr.anutaranathRead Anu's book, Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel In an Unequal WorldCheck out Anu's column at AFAR MagazineWatch our panel with Anu: Travel, Power, and the Role of Creators in a World on FireJoin me in Jordan next June Going Places is a reader-supported platform. Get membership perks like a monthly group call with Yulia at goingplacesmedia.com! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.  Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

How do a nomadic Costa Rican-Polish-American and a British-Pakistani raised in Saudi Arabia start a travel company together? Today, we're going to find out. We're speaking with Sibu Szymanowska and Hira Aftab, co-founders of The Hybrid Tours, a travel company that uses the power of travel and storytelling to challenge stereotypes and foster connections with activists, refugees, and changemakers worldwide. Use code GOINGPLACES to receive $100 off any of The Hybrid Tours' upcoming trips. Reminder: We are running a 10-day trip to Jordan from June 5-14, 2026. We'll visit the Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum, Amman, and many off-beaten spots in between. We'll meet a renowned artist who designed the country's newest currency, spend time with the Bedouins in the desert, and more. Go to https://goingplacesmedia.com/jordan for details on early-bird booking, which ends on Jan 4, 2026. Going Places is an audience-supported platform. You can become a member for as little as $6 a month. Visit us at goingplacesmedia.com to learn more. Thanks to our Founding Members: RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel educationRadostina Boseva, a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco What you’ll learn in this episode:Hira and Sibu’s origins in the human rights workHow a trip to the Azraq refugee camp in Jordan started it allTraveling as a visibly Muslim woman Meeting survivors of partition in PakistanWhat decolonizing travel really isCreating travel content with a human rights lensSibu's lessons from 5+ years of full-time travelTraveling overland from the West to North AfricaHira and Sibu dream of starting the world from scratch Featured on the show:Follow The Hybrid Tours on Instagram: @thehybridtoursCheck out upcoming trips with The Hybrid ToursJoin The Hybrid Tours newsletterWatch Sibu's Instagram series on traveling from West to North Africa overlandCheck out Hira's Instagram post on misconceptions about Muslim womenCheck out Hira's organization, Our World Too, and listen to their podcastCheck out Baraka DestinationsRead about U.S. wheat flooding Jordan's marketsJoin me in Jordan next June Going Places is a reader-supported platform. Get membership perks like a monthly group call with Yulia at goingplacesmedia.com! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.  Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

Today, we're speaking with Vanessa Abbe, a travel advisor who joined me on my last group trip to Jordan. Travel to Jordan has dropped 90% in some cases in the last two years. In this conversation, I wanted to hear Vanessa's take on what it’s like to travel to Jordan for someone who’s never been, as we experienced the country largely empty of tourists together.  We are running a 10-day trip to Jordan from June 5-14, 2026. We'll visit the Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum, Amman, and many off-beaten spots in between. We'll meet a renowned artist who designed the country's newest currency, spend time with the Bedouins in the desert, and more. Go to https://goingplacesmedia.com/jordan for details on early-bird booking, which ends on Jan 4, 2026. Going Places is an audience-supported platform. You can become a member for as little as $6 a month. Visit us at goingplacesmedia.com to learn more. Thanks to our Founding Members: RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel educationRadostina Boseva, a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco What you’ll learn in this episode:Is it safe to travel to Jordan?The impact of tourism cancellations on Jordan's tourism communityWhat it was like for Vanessa to travel in proximity to PalestineMeeting the people of Jordan: an Ammani photographer, a sustainable farmer in Madaba, the Bedouins of Wadi RumVanessa's top experiences in JordanConsidering going to Jordan? Vanessa has this to say Featured on the show:Join me in Jordan next JuneFollow Vanessa on Instagram: @adventures_vkabbe Original Air Date: Feb 25, 2025. Going Places is a reader-supported platform. Get membership perks like a monthly group call with Yulia at goingplacesmedia.com! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.  Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

Today, we travel to my favorite place on the planet: the desert of Wadi Rum in southern Jordan, to meet Ahmad Mara'yeh, a Bedouin man and co-founder of Rum Planet Camp. We are returning to Jordan next June! Join us June 5-14, 2026 on a 10-day trip to this country we love so much. We'll visit the Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum, Amman, and many off-beaten spots in between. And yes, we will also stay with Ahmad at Rum Planet Camp in the desert. Go to https://goingplacesmedia.com/jordan for details on early-bird booking, which ends on Jan 4, 2026. Going Places is an audience-supported platform. You can become a member for as little as $6 a month. Visit us at goingplacesmedia.com to learn more. Thanks to our Founding Members: RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel educationRadostina Boseva, a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco What you’ll learn in this episode:What it's like growing up in the desertWhat is Bedouin culture?What Bedouin hospitality looks likeHow tourism impacted Bedouin communitiesThe disappearance of traditional Bedouin lifestyle What it was like for Ahmad to meet Matt Damon during the actor's "Martian" filmingHow Ahmad thinks about some of the stereotypes about Arabs and MuslimsWomen in Bedouin cultureWhat Ahmad is doing to make his eco-camp truly sustainableRum Panet Camp’s efforts to showcase the real Bedouin identity Featured on the show:Join me in Jordan next JuneFollow Rum Planet Camp on Instagram @rum.planet.campRead my article in AFAR Magazine, Heading to Jordan? Skip the Bubble Tent and Stay Here Instead. Original Air Date: Oct 3, 2023. Going Places is a reader-supported platform. Get membership perks like a monthly group call with Yulia at goingplacesmedia.com! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.  Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

One in three women worldwide has experienced physical or sexual violence (that’s according to UN Women). Yet, this rarely gets discussed outside of specialized circles. Today, we’re going to fix that. We're speaking with Megan Ryder-Burbidge, a global advocate for women’s equality and the co-founder and CEO of Sororal, a feminist travel company and advocacy brand reshaping how women experience the world. Megan's company is addressing violence against women by partnering with anti-violence organizations in the places they take travelers to, such as India, Morocco, and Kenya. Book your 2026 trips with Sororal and use code GOINGPLACES to receive $250 CAD off your booking (~$175 USD). Going Places is an audience-supported platform. You can become our member for as little as $6 a month. Visit us at goingplacesmedia.com to learn more. Thanks to our Founding Members: RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel educationRadostina Boseva, a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco What you’ll learn in this episode:Megan’s childhood in the Middle East and North AfricaWhy we don't talk about the widespread issue of violence against womenWhat Sororal is doing to contribute to the anti-violence campaignWhat it's like being a woman in the modern world Sororal trips to India, Morocco, and KenyaPerformative advocacy in the travel spaceAre women traveling solo safe?How Megan is raising a feminist daughterWhat if women ruled the world? Featured on the show:Follow @sororal on Instagram and TikTokRead Megan's SubstackConnect with Megan on LinkedInLearn more about Sororal on its websiteRead Sororal's Motherhood & Travel post Going Places is a reader-supported platform. Get membership perks like a monthly group call with Yulia at goingplacesmedia.com! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.  Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.