Armchair Explorer – Details, episodes & analysis

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Armchair Explorer

Armchair Productions

Society & Culture

Frequency: 1 episode/11d. Total Eps: 207

Award-winning podcast featuring travel documentaries recorded on location, immersive adventure stories, deep dives into cultures around the world, and inspiration for how to life to the fullest. Hailed as “inspiring storytelling” by the New York Times, and “Ear candy for listeners” by the Washington Post. Two-time Webby Nominee Best Society & Culture Podcast

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https://www.armchair-productions.com/
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https://www.armchair-explorer.com/
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http://www.armchair-explorer.com/
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https://www.instagram.com/armchairexplorerpodcast
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https://www.instagram.com/aaronmwriter
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https://www.instagram.com/visittheusa
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https://www.facebook.com/ArmchairExplorerPodcast/
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https://facebook.com/armchairexplorerpodcast
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Season 4 Trailer - The Adventure is About to Begin!

Monday, March 9, 2026 • Duration 01:01

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

This episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast

There’s a moment before every journey begins — that flicker of anticipation when the map is still folded, the road still unknown, and the world feels impossibly wide.

That’s where this new season of Armchair Explorer begins.

In the coming episodes we’ll travel from the highest volcanoes in the world to the Arctic Circle, from ancient trade routes in Italy to the sacred storytelling landscapes of Australia.

These are immersive journeys, told by the people who lived them and crafted with the cinematic sound design you’ve come to expect from the show.

Here’s a glimpse of what’s ahead.

Climb the Seven Volcanic Summits Challenge, summiting the highest volcano on every continent.
Listen to an Aboriginal storyteller share the living stories of Uluru — a place where landscape, culture, and time are inseparable.
Explore the fjords of Norway in search of the Northern Lights.
Hike across Italy’s Old Salt Road, an ancient trade route across the Apennine Mountains to the Mediterranean Sea.
Descend into Wind Cave, South Dakota, one of the longest cave systems on Earth, to hear the Lakota Emergence Story.
Road trip through Australia’s Northern Territory, where the highways stretch for hundreds of miles and the outback stories grow taller with every one.
Take part in the River Nevis Race in Scotland — if Monty Python went white-water rafting, this would be it.
Soar on a hot air balloon ride over the Saguaro Desert and a hike through the Petrified Forest of Arizona.

And lots more … These are stories of wild places, remarkable people, and the journeys that change how we see the world. So pack your headphones and join us for a new adventure every single week.

Follow the show so you don’t miss the first episode of the new season of Armchair Explorer!`

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from aroundthe world

This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape Podcast Network For advertising or sponsorship opportunities on this show and across the network, email advertising@voyascape.com or you can find more information at Voyascape Advertising.

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Namibia Safari: From the Sossusvlei Dunes to the Skeleton Coast

Friday, December 5, 2025 • Duration 38:58

Check out the new Smart Travel Podcast

There are many beautiful countries in Africa, but none are like Namibia.

Today we will travel from the highest sand dunes in the world to the wildest coast on the planet. We will track the last free-roaming herd of rhinos on the continent, and watch desert elephants as we float above them in a hot air balloon.

But more than anything we will discover a sense of vastness and awe that is unmatched by almost anywhere else on Earth.

Taking us there is safari guide and author Peter Allison, who has been guiding in Namibia and elsewhere in Africa for nearly 30 years. He’ll tell us the story of his ultimate Namibia safari, traveling from the Sossusvlei Dunes to the Skeleton Coast. It’s an adventure filled with rare wildlife, inspiring people and more than one of his crazy stories.

Get ready for a journey into the heart of the remote, and enchanting land of Namibia.

Highlights include:

Taking a hot air balloon ride watching the sun rise over the Sossusvlei dunes
Tracking rare desert elephants and the last remaining free-roaming rhino in the world
Spending time with the Himba people of the Hoanib Valley
Exploring the Skeleton Coast, where the Atlantic ocean crashes against the Namib desert
Sleeping under the stars in one of the largest Dark Sky Reserves in the world

FIND OUT MORE

A lot of our episodes are about huge expeditions and epic adventures.This one is about something you can actually do.

We’ve partnered with Peter’s safari company Natural Selection Safaris, and tour operator Africa Endeavours - two of the most highly regarded sustainable operators on the continent - to create our dream Botswana itinerary. And it’s a trip you can actually book and do yourself.

Check out all of our other travel podcasts from aroundthe world

BEST OF EXPLORER: Land of the Thunder Dragon: Exploring Bhutan

Monday, September 22, 2025 • Duration 36:43

Bhutan is the last of the great Himalayan kingdoms. Still largely untouched by outside influences, shrouded in mystery and magic, this Buddhist country, hidden for centuries on the roof of the world, is like nowhere else on the planet.

Follow British Travel Writer of the Year Emma Thomson as she explores the culture and majesty of Druk Yul, Land of the Thunder Dragon, as it's known by its people. Shunning the usual group tour, Emma stays with local families miles from the tourist trail and discovers, because of that, a glimpse of the real Bhutan most travellers will never see.

But this is more than just an adventure. Cut off from the rest of the world until 1974, and surrounded by virtually impenetrable Himalayan peaks on all sides, Bhutan has remained culturally intact for centuries. It is a real-life Shangri-La, a kind of fabled mythical kingdom hidden in the mountains, where spirituality and happiness are more important than money and economic development.

Intrepid travellers whisper its name in hushed and reverent tones for a reason. Bhutan is, perhaps, the most enlightened country on Earth, and when we visit some of that wisdom and inspiration becomes a part of us too.

Highlights include:

• Staying with two local Bhutanese families in remote rural villages, far off the usual tourist trail

• Experiencing real Bhutanese daily life: tending the fields, bathing in hot stone baths and helping to prepare the meals - fresh dumplings, curries, chillies and cheese

• Exploring Punaka Dzong, the most beautiful of all of Bhutan's fortress temples

• Trekking to the Tiger's Nest Monastery, which clings to the face of a sheer cliff and is the holiest site in the country

• Visiting Bhutan's head of astrology, which is usually forbidden to tourists and discovering a surprise message there that might just shake your scepticism.

• Be inspired by the peace and serenity of the most enlightened country on Earth, and learn how to take that wisdom and stillness into your own life too

Honky Tonks, Country Music and All Sorts of Mayhem On Location in Nashville, Tennessee

Season 2 · Episode 28

Tuesday, February 27, 2024 • Duration 33:59

This week we are going to Nashville, Tennessee The Country Music Capital of the World … but don’t worry you don’t have to love country to love Nashville. It is a music town. If you like listening to live music – who doesn’t? – then this is a musical odyssey you must take at least once in your life.

We’re going to have some fun, we’re going backstage at 3 rd and Lyndsey, one of Nashville’s most iconic venues, to meet the songwriters who are the beating heart of Nashville and hear a song or two. We’re going to stand on the stage of the legendary Ryman Auditorium, where everyone from johnny cash to Aretha Franklin have played. And of course, we’re going to party on Broadway, Nashville’s ‘Honky Tonk Highway’, row after row of raucous saloons, where you can listen to live music from 10am to 3am seven days a week. It’s like being caught in a maelstrom of sound.

The band’s about to go on stage, turn it up to 11 … we’re going to Nashville, Tennessee.

Connect with us - Tell us what you think of this episode, what you’d like to hear more of, and where you’re dreaming of going next. If you like travel and adventure, we’re going to get on well.

Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast

Facebook: @armchairexploerpodcast

Newsletter: www.armchair-explorer.com

We did six episodes on this series, if you like this one scroll back in the feed to find a few more… Memphis & The Birth of Rock n’ Roll and Soul, and The Tennessee Whisky Trail are two of our favorites. Or check out the Tennessee Music Pathways podcast for the full series.

Our On-Location episodes take a lot of time and money to produce, so we partner with destinations to make it happen. They help with the costs. But the storytelling is all ours. Thanks to the folks at Tennessee Tourism.

Armchair Explorer is produced by Armchair Productions. Aaron Millar wrote and presented this episode, and Jason Paton did the field recording and production. Find our other shows at www.Armchair-Productions.com. Armchair Explorer is part of APT Podcast Studio.

Flooded Forests, Piranhas, and Mountains Above the Clouds: Experiencing the Amazon through Indigenous Eyes with Alex Robinson

Season 2 · Episode 27

Monday, February 19, 2024 • Duration 29:13

"I will show you my Amazon - the Amazon that visitors never get to see."

When Alex Robinson heard those words, he knew he was in for the adventure of a lifetime. His guide, Saru Mundurucu, had recently founded his own adventure and travel company, Aracá Expeditions. As the first and only Amazon adventure company owned and operated by an indigenous Amazonian, Saru promised Alex an experience unlike any other - and he delivered.

Immerse yourself in rich, abundant landscapes as Alex he recounts his eye-opening voyage down the Rio Negro. You'll float along, sipping caipirinhas on the deck of Saru's boat; you'll paddle through the flooded forest in Jaú National Park; you'll come face to face with some of the Amazon's most elusive wildlife, from giant otters to river dolphins. The trip culminates with a hike up the remote Serra Do Aracá - a mountain which Saru describes as a place "like the world before humans walked the earth." From gorgeous descriptions to surprising and touching anecdotes, this is a story you won't want to miss.

FIND ALEX

Follow Alex on Instagram @AlexRobinsonPhotography or on X (Twitter) @AlexRobPhoto. You can also find his writing in Wanderlust at WanderlustMagazine.com. And check out their podcast, Wanderlust: Off the Page, for plenty of interviews with other incredible writers!

You can also book this episode's featured trip, and other travels with Saru, through his company Aracá Expeditions at Aracá Expeditions.com.

Hidden Bar Crawls to Experimental Art Labs: Getting Weird On Location on Oregon's Culture Trail

Season 2 · Episode 26

Monday, February 12, 2024 • Duration 47:09

Today, we're embracing our weird in Oregon as we explore the Northern Culture Trail!

We’re going to discover Portland’s favorite food carts, sample food from around the world and go on a secret bar crawl to hidden local spots. “Portland is the rebel base of the Star Wars universe, we’re sticking it to the forces of normal,” Dresden of Throw Snakes told us. We’re going to have some fun!

From there we hit the road south to the Willamette Valley to sip some of the most delicious Pinot Noir grapes in the world. But this isn’t pinky up drinking, this is down-to-earth wine-tasting in craft vineyards, surrounded by the beautiful rolling vines of the Dundee Hills.

Lastly, we visit the Eugene Saturday Market, Oregon’s premier art market, to meet the makers who helped turn this artist community into one of the most thriving creative hubs in the Pacific Northwest. We finish at Harmonic Laboratory, an experimental artist collective pushing the boundaries of visual arts, soundscapes, and technology. It’s going to blow your mind.

Through it all, we’ll reveal why, here in Oregon, weird isn’t strange; it’s the spark from which the best things grow.

Find out more at www.traveloregon.com .

Produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry.

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Rowing to Baikal: A Camel, Horse, and River Journey to the 'Pearl of Siberia' with Peter Fong

Season 2 · Episode 25

Wednesday, February 7, 2024 • Duration 41:42

Today we're journeying to Lake Baikal, the largest, oldest, deepest freshwater lake in the world...and to get there, we're crossing over a thousand miles in Mongolia and Russia by camel, horse, kayak, and rowboat.

Like all lakes, Lake Baikal exists because of a river. And in 2018, fishing and river guide Peter Fong led the first-ever expedition from the headwaters of Mongolia’s Delgermörön (Selenge) River all the way to Lake Baikal.

As Peter writes, "Rowing to Baikal is about the fish and wildlife that call the river home. About the personal risks of prolonged flooding and sudden snowstorms. About the human history of the region, from the Bronze Age to the fall of the Soviet Union. About the people who live in the basin now—from nomadic herders to construction workers—and their attitudes toward development and conservation. About the old gods and legends that haunt the mountains. And about the disparate possible futures for one of the most starkly beautiful places on Earth."

FIND PETER

Get Peter's book about the expedition, Rowing to Baikal, at RowingToBaikal.com or at your local bookshop. Half of the proceeds from book sales are supporting the International Taimen Initiative via the Wild Salmon Center, so it supports a great cause! There's also an excellent video trailer on the website, so make sure to check that out. And to keep up with his other work, follow him on Instagram @PWFong.

SOCIAL

Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, , and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website at .

The Legendary Tale of Bird & Jim: On Location in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Season 2 · Episode 24

Monday, January 29, 2024 • Duration 36:27

Today, we're returning to the mountains of Colorado to hear about the adventures of Isabella Bird, a British explorer who famously ascended Longs Peak in 1873 with her guide and companion Jim Nugent.

The story of Bird and Jim illuminates the early history and character of Estes Park, as her writings helped establish the town as a tourist destination, and parallels with the broader historic myth of the frontier and the American west.

Bird remains an inspiration to the locals of Estes Park, including restaurateur Melissa Strong. We visit her new restaurant Bird & Jim to hear of her near-death experience and learn how Isabella’s determination to break the conventions of the time was an inspiration for Melissa’s subsequent recovery.

SOCIAL

Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, armchair-explorer.com, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website at APTpodcaststudios.com.

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Flying Polar Bears and Charging Grizzlies: Beartrekking With Ecologist Chris Morgan

Season 2 · Episode 23

Wednesday, January 24, 2024 • Duration 41:44

"There are eight species of bears on the planet. Six of them are threatened everywhere they live."

Thus begins Beartrek, a documentary which took Chris Morgan nearly 8 years to make. In Beartrek, he follows the lives of several individual bears around the world, from a friendly spectacled bear in Peru's arid mountains to a shy sun bear cub in the muggy rainforests of Borneo.

Chris, a British-born ecologist, conservationist, TV presenter, and podcast host, has spent most of his adult life learning about bears and telling their stories. His interest in ursidae began with one very interesting nighttime trip to a dumpster in New Hampshire (listen to the episode for the full story); now, he's one of the world's foremost bear storytellers.

Follow along with Chris as he recounts some of Beartrek's most memorable moments - some of which never made it to the screen - as well as the work he's doing today with bears around the world. You'll travel from Canada's icy Arctic tundra to the humid rainforests of the Indo-pacific, and you'll learn the names - and life stories - of some bears you'll never forget.

FIND CHRIS

Listen to Chris's incredible podcast, The Wild, wherever you find your podcasts, and follow it on IG @TheWildPod. You can also rent or buy Beartrek, his documentary featured in today's episode, on Amazon Prime. Finally, follow all of his work on his website, ChrisMorganWildlife.org, or on socials @ChrisMorganWildlife.

The Birth of Soul and Rock N' Roll: On Location in Memphis, Tennessee

Season 2 · Episode 22

Monday, January 15, 2024 • Duration 48:29

"It was here, on the banks of the Mississippi River, where music changed the world."

In Memphis, music has always been more than a melody and lyrics - it's a movement. This is a city that launched some of the world's most beloved musicians, from Otis Redding to Isaac Hayes, Carla Thomas, Elvis Presley, and more. And in the midst of segregation and racial tension, the music of Memphis became a powerful tool for bringing people together - and creating the sound of a civil rights movement that would move the world.

Join host Aaron Millar and step into some of the world's most famous recording booths all around the city. It's in these rooms where the greats of soul and rock n' roll have shed blood, sweat and tears for decades. You'll hear how Elvis Presley was discovered completely by accident at Sun Studios; learn about Otis Redding and the joyous growth of soul at the Stax Museum; and go behind the scenes of pop music with Bruno Mars at Royal Studios.

WANT MORE TENNESSEE MUSIC?

Tennessee Music Pathways is a guide that connects visitors to the rich musical heritage of the state. Visitors can curate their own path based on interests using an interactive guide at TNmusicpathways.com. Follow the conversation on social using or searching hashtag #tnmusicpathways.

Thank you to our guests and musicians:

Hal Lansky, Lansky Brothers Clothing lanskybros.com
Crockett Hall, Sun Studio sunstudio.com
Jeff Kollath, Stax Museum of American Soul Music staxmuseum.com
Boo Mitchell, Royal Studios boomitchellmemphis.com and royalstudios.com
Dr. Noelle Trent, National Civil Rights Museum civilrightsmuseum.org
Visit Memphis memphistravel.com

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