Unravel Travel is a weekly British travel podcast featuring honest stories, practical advice and plenty of humour from lifelong travellers Malcolm and David. Expect independent travel, walking holidays, trekking adventures, city breaks, longer journeys and the realities of living overseas.
Malcolm and David met at school when they were 14 and, by some miracle, are still friends more than 40 years later. Their travels together began with an Interrail trip after university, but both have continued exploring the world throughout their working lives and into semi-retirement.
Malcolm has travelled extensively for work and pleasure, lived in Singapore and now divides his time between the UK and Czechia. He has also been an Airbnb host for several years. David combined a career in accounting and financial services with ambitious long-distance trips before retiring early and starting a business offering walking and group holidays. He now spends much of each winter travelling in warmer parts of the world.
Each episode draws on their own experiences—from famous cities and classic journeys to remote treks, cabin life and travel before smartphones. They are regularly joined by friends with remarkable travel stories of their own.
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Planning a York city break or a holiday in Yorkshire? Malcolm and David explore things to do in York, walking in the North York Moors and places to visit along the Yorkshire coast — with personal travel stories, childhood memories and plenty of humour.
David reports back from a weekend in York, while Yorkshire-born Malcolm explains why his home county deserves its “God’s Own Country” reputation. Expect medieval streets, Viking history, ghost stories, dramatic coastline and the occasional disagreement about just how wonderful Yorkshire really is.
In this episode:
• YORK CITY BREAK IDEAS — Exploring York on foot, admiring York Minster and choosing a favourite stretch of the city walls for views across the historic centre. Plus the confusing business of gates, bars and streets.
• FREE THINGS TO DO IN YORK — Wandering the Shambles, relaxing around the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey and discovering artists and makers at the York River Art Market beside the River Ouse.
• VIKINGS, GHOSTS AND RAILWAYS — Visits and memories from the JORVIK Viking Centre, Treasurer’s House and the National Railway Museum, alongside an evening walk through York’s darker history.
• FOOD AND WINE — David’s experience at 22 Yards wine bar and memories of dining at Melton’s, with time to enjoy York beyond its headline attractions.
• NORTH YORK MOORS WALKING — Moorland scenery, railway connections and memories of a pre-Christmas trip together. We discuss combining walking with visits to places such as Pickering, Whitby and Robin Hood’s Bay.
• THE YORKSHIRE COAST — Whitby’s Dracula connections and ruined abbey, Scarborough, Bridlington and Flamborough Head. There are mentions of Bempton’s puffins, coastal coves, sea fog and the distinctive sound of a foghorn.
• HULL AND THE HUMBER — Art, poetry and memories of Hull’s City of Culture celebrations, The Deep, the Humber Bridge and crossing the estuary by ferry before the bridge opened.
• MORE YORKSHIRE DAYS OUT — Malcolm’s enthusiasm for Yorkshire Sculpture Park near Wakefield, plus memories of Mother Shipton’s petrifying well, Fountains Abbey and Aysgarth Falls in the Yorkshire Dales.
Whether you’re planning a weekend in York, looking for Yorkshire holiday ideas or simply enjoy a funny travel conversation between old friends, join us for a personal tour of this much-loved corner of northern England.
Useful visitor note: general admission to York’s National Railway Museum is free. See the museum website for visit information and tickets: https://www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/
Follow Unravel Travel for more travel stories, destination ideas and good-humoured debate with Malcolm and David. Enjoyed this episode? Leave a rating or review, share it with a fellow traveller and tell us which Yorkshire favourite we missed.
If you have a story to share or some feedback to give just contact us at contact.unraveltravel@gmail.com
Our theme music is Traveler's Blues by Jerzy Gorecki from Pixabay (with licence)
Which Thai island should you visit—and is James Bond Island really worth the journey?
Malcolm and David return to Thailand to share memories from Koh Tao, Koh Chang, Koh Lanta, Phuket and the spectacular limestone scenery around Krabi and Phang Nga Bay.
David recalls a stormy journey to Koh Tao, learning to scuba dive in three and a half days, spending Christmas walking through the jungle and discovering an ocean-view bungalow that cost almost nothing. There are also tranquil mornings on Koh Chang, decidedly less tranquil scooter adventures and thoughts about returning to Koh Lanta for its beaches and diving.
Away from the islands, we kayak through Krabi’s mangroves, encounter a barracuda and some persistent macaques, then venture into Khao Sok National Park. Floating cabins, hornbills, a bat nursery, a deadly snake and a swim through a dark jungle cave make this rather more than an ordinary beach holiday.
Malcolm takes us back to Phuket in the 1990s and a longtail-boat journey through Phang Nga Bay, stopping at a floating fishing village before reaching James Bond Island—the setting for Scaramanga’s hideaway in The Man with the Golden Gun. The famous location may be crowded, but the extraordinary journey through the limestone islands proves to be the real attraction.
Expect honest travel memories, practical observations, spectacular scenery and the usual Unravel Travel humour.
Follow Unravel Travel for more entertaining stories and ideas from around the world—and please share the episode with anyone planning a trip to Thailand.
If you have a story to share or some feedback to give just contact us at contact.unraveltravel@gmail.com
Our theme music is Traveler's Blues by Jerzy Gorecki from Pixabay (with licence)
Havana is a city of glorious contradictions: elegant Spanish colonial squares and grand hotels, crumbling balconies and improvised daily life, vintage American cars kept running with replacement engines—and music, rum and conversation around every corner.
In this episode of Unravel Travel, Malcolm takes David back to his 2016 visit to Havana, Cuba. From the bureaucratic chaos of the airport and the challenge of finding a hidden Cuban homestay to touring the capital in a classic 1950s American car, Malcolm recalls a city that looked remarkably like the Havana seen in films—and unlike anywhere else he had visited.
Along the way, Malcolm and David discuss:
Drinking a mojito at La Bodeguita del Medio and a daiquiri at El Floridita, following in the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway
The colonial plazas and restored streets of Old Havana
Crumbling apartment buildings, precarious balconies, chickens and bread delivered by basket
Driving along the Malecón and through Miramar
The faded glamour of the Hotel Nacional de Cuba
Havana’s classic American cars and how Cubans keep them running
Lobster, black beans, plantains, sugar-cane juice and the unexpected appearance of sponge cake at breakfast
Cuban rum, cigars and sunset beside Havana harbour
The Museum of the Revolution, Cuban art and a gallery roof leak that might almost have been an exhibit
Plaza de la Revolución—and the unfortunate timing that meant missing the Rolling Stones in Havana
Reading Graham Greene’s Our Man in Havana and Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea
David asks the questions while Malcolm explains why Havana’s crumbling magnificence, street life and sense of living history made such a lasting impression. There is also the usual diversion into alcohol, communism, fishing and whether Hemingway’s reputation as an expert drinker makes him a reliable judge of cocktails.
This episode is based on Malcolm’s personal experience of visiting Havana in March 2016. Conditions, currencies and entry requirements may have changed, so check current official travel advice before planning a trip.
Travel Before Smartphones: Paper Maps, Guidebooks and Chaos
How did we travel before smartphones, Google Maps, WhatsApp and instant online booking—and was it actually better?
In this nostalgic and frequently funny episode of Unravel Travel, Malcolm and David climb aboard a metaphorical TARDIS and return to the days when independent travel involved physical travel agents, paper maps, enormous guidebooks, travellers’ cheques and a considerable amount of guesswork.
The memories include a travel agent nearly booking the wrong Palma—or Parma—an overnight Italian train journey spent on the floor of the baggage carriage beside a dog, and the questionable wisdom of tearing unwanted countries out of a guidebook to save weight.
David recalls arriving in Burma, now Myanmar, for a month-long trip with unusable travellers’ cheques and only $100 in cash. With Western email services blocked, even telling the family they were safe required the help of an internet café owner, a borrowed email account and a message written in Dutch to prove they had not been kidnapped.
Malcolm remembers pagers, airmail letters and travelling around Singapore and the wider region before mobile internet. There are also tales of finding accommodation by walking the streets with your luggage, navigating unfamiliar bus routes by asking local passengers, and attempting to read an actual road map.
Of course, modern technology has not eliminated travel chaos entirely. A more recent Wizz Air flight produced two passengers with exactly the same allocated seat—proving that possession may still be nine-tenths of airline law.
Alongside the humour and inevitable digressions, Malcolm and David consider what has genuinely improved. Online booking, Google Maps, ATMs and WhatsApp make travel much easier—but have convenience and constant connectivity removed some of the spontaneity, human interaction and adventure?
A funny and affectionate look at travel before the internet, backpacking in Asia, old-fashioned European journeys and the remarkable ways independent travellers managed without an app for absolutely everything.
Travel Update: UK Walking Holidays and a Winter in Asia
What happens when a summer of UK walking holidays turns into plans to spend most of the winter travelling around Asia?
Malcolm and David pause their usual destination-led episodes for a catch-up on where they have been—and where they are heading next.
David looks back on walking holidays in the Yorkshire Dales, Peak District and Mendip Hills, including Whernside in glorious sunshine, an exceptionally hot walk through Swaledale, Dovedale, Kinder Scout, Cheddar Gorge and Ebbor Gorge. There is also a useful tip for seeing Stonehenge from the surrounding public-access landscape without buying the standard visitor ticket.
They discuss the realities of leading group walking holidays: choosing routes around the weather, carrying enough water, protecting a troublesome knee and understanding why a familiar walk can sometimes give guests a better experience than an entirely new one.
Meanwhile, Malcolm has been preparing his Cotswolds home for Airbnb guests as part of a plan to spend around half of each year overseas. He also reveals the logistical challenge of organising a 40-person party at his remote Czech cabin—including camping, beer, transport, an unavailable army tent and the questionable wisdom of lighting a large fire in a very dry meadow.
Looking ahead, David is planning an extended winter journey through Chiang Mai and Pai in Thailand, Lombok and Gili Trawangan in Indonesia, and Delhi, McLeod Ganj and Goa in India—followed by a return to Bali. Malcolm is considering road trips through Slovenia and Croatia, plus a possible winter escape to Greece.
Along the way, they ask whether travellers should continually chase new destinations or return to places they already know and love.
In this episode:
Walking Whernside and Swaledale during a heatwave
Dovedale, Kinder Scout and Jacob’s Ladder
Cheddar Gorge, Ebbor Gorge and the Mendip Hills
Walking to Stonehenge from Amesbury
Perth & Western Australia: The Pinnacles, Quokkas and Giant Trees
Perth may be one of the world’s most isolated major cities, but Western Australia is anything but empty.
In this episode, Malcolm returns to 1997, when he travelled from Singapore to spend two weeks with friends living near Scarborough Beach. Dave wasn’t on the trip, so he supplies the questions, reactions and occasional disbelief as Malcolm retraces his journeys around Perth and across Western Australia.
The adventure begins in laid-back Perth, beside the Swan River and its black swans, before heading to Rottnest Island for beaches, cycling and an introduction to the island’s famously friendly quokkas.
Travelling south brings an unexpectedly green side of Australia: forests, vineyards, wildlife and the Margaret River wine region. In Pemberton, Malcolm tackles the Gloucester Tree—climbing towards its former fire lookout using metal pegs spiralling around the trunk. Going up is one thing; getting down while other people are climbing towards you proves rather more alarming.
The landscape changes again heading north. Malcolm visits the strange limestone formations of the Pinnacles Desert before undertaking the much longer drive towards Shark Bay and Monkey Mia. Along the way are Shell Beach, wild dolphins and the extraordinary stromatolites of Hamelin Pool—living structures offering a glimpse of some of the earliest life on Earth.
There are also small hire cars, enormous distances, an improvised roadside repair and a confusing encounter with an Australian speeding ticket.
Malcolm finishes by recalling later visits to Perth, including watching Ashes cricket at the old WACA Ground, before he and Dave consider whether Western Australia should feature on a modern Australian itinerary.
Places and subjects mentioned
Perth and Scarborough Beach
Swan River and Perth city centre
Rottnest Island and quokkas
Margaret River and Western Australian wine
K2 Carnage: Trekking Pakistan’s Karakoram Without Porters
A trek to K2 Base Camp is difficult enough with an organised expedition and a team of porters. In 1994, aged just 21 and with very little overseas travel experience, Stewart set out with four university friends to carry everything they needed through Pakistan’s Karakoram mountains.
In this episode, Malcolm and David are joined by Malcolm’s brother Stewart, who recounts an extraordinary journey towards K2 involving rockfalls, landslides, dangerous river crossings, severe illness and some decidedly improvised expedition planning.
Their adventure began with a gruelling journey from Islamabad to Skardu along the Karakoram Highway. From there, jeeps and sections on foot took them towards Askole, the last village before the traditional K2 Base Camp trekking route.
Unlike most expeditions, the group had no porters. They travelled with an experienced local guide, Mansur, but carried their own tents, food, climbing equipment and supplies for a journey expected to last around three weeks.
Even reaching the starting point proved dangerous. Landslides had destroyed sections of the mountain road, forcing the group to cross unstable slopes while rocks continued to fall around them. One large rock narrowly missed a team member’s head and struck his backpack instead.
Beyond Askole, the route followed river valleys towards the enormous Baltoro Glacier and the mountain amphitheatre around Concordia. This is one of the most dramatic high-altitude landscapes in the world, surrounded by K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II.
The group encountered broken paths, exposed ledges hundreds of feet above the valley floor and an improvised wire-and-basket crossing over a raging glacial river. At night they experienced bitter cold, while the days could be intensely hot. In the distance, flashes and artillery fire provided a reminder of the continuing tensions along the nearby Pakistan–India border.
From Walden to the Czech Woods: The Reality of Cabin Life
A cabin in the woods sounds wonderfully romantic—but what is everyday cabin life really like when there is no mains water, electricity or sewage, and the nearest regularly occupied neighbour is around two miles away?
In this episode of Unravel Travel, Malcolm takes us inside the remote cabin he has owned for around nine years in the Czech Republic. David, who has visited the cabin six or seven times, contributes the perspective of a regular guest who knows both its pleasures and its practical challenges.
Beginning with Henry David Thoreau’s Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Malcolm and David discuss the Central and Eastern European tradition of escaping from city apartments to simple weekend cabins in the countryside. Malcolm’s cabin is more isolated than most: hidden in woodland beside a river and reached by a rough track, it can sometimes feel completely cut off from the outside world.
Malcolm explains how the original two-room building—with no chimney, running water or indoor toilet—has gradually been enlarged and improved. Water still arrives in 50-litre containers, power comes from a generator and a small solar-powered 12-volt system, and cooking ranges from a camping stove to surprisingly ambitious meals prepared over an open fire.
There is also an honest look at the less glamorous side of off-grid cabin life: mowing a meadow full of ticks, keeping food away from mice, emptying wastewater buckets, running out of cooking gas and maintaining a composting toilet. More successful innovations include solar-powered lighting, USB charging, an outdoor shower using a rechargeable pump and a winter bath beside the wood-burning stove.
Along the way, Malcolm and David share stories of enormous campfires attracting the attention of low-flying helicopters, an emergency bottle of seriously out-of-date beer and the difficulties of keeping food cold without a permanently running fridge.
Malcolm also recounts his latest journey to the cabin by e-bike, travelling partly by train through Znojmo before cycling the final 40 kilometres. His return journey covered approximately 100 kilometres in six hours and provided a useful test of the bike’s real-world battery range.
Festivals and Travelling for Music: From Glastonbury to Ghent
Can a music festival replace a traditional summer holiday? In this episode of Unravel Travel, Malcolm and David revisit more than three decades of festival travel, free concerts and trips built around live music.
Their festival memories begin at Glastonbury Festival in 1992, reached from North Lincolnshire in an ageing Mini with camping equipment—and a portable toilet—strapped to the roof. They recall James, Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine and several emerging performers they failed to appreciate fully at the time, including Blur and PJ Harvey.
Malcolm returned to Glastonbury in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1999. He remembers the smaller stages, comedy, crafts and bars beyond the main programme, as well as the festival’s increasingly formidable fences and ticket arrangements. His memories also include Tom Jones, a burning wicker figure, comedian Rob Newman, or was it?
Malcolm’s first major festival was Reading Festival in 1991, where he attended on Sunday to see The Sisters of Mercy. Only afterwards did he appreciate what he had missed on the other days—including Nirvana. It demonstrates one advantage of attending an entire music festival: discovering performers you did not originally plan to see. And a guest appearance by John Peel.
The episode then travels to Rock Werchter in Belgium, where David saw Metallica, Neil Young with Booker T. and the MG’s, Faith No More, Lenny Kravitz, the Levellers and Sonic Youth in 1993. Compared with major British festivals, tickets, food and drink in Belgium were surprisingly affordable.
After starting a family, Malcolm returned to festival life through the family-friendly Wychwood Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse. Between approximately 2010 and 2013, the family saw performers including the Waterboys, the Damned, the Levellers, the Saw Doctors, Dodgy, Dreadzone and the Human League. Wychwood combined live music with comedy, crafts and children’s activities.
Free festivals also feature strongly. David recalls the 1994 Carnival Against the Nazis in Brockwell Park, featuring the Levellers and Manic Street Preachers, and seeing John Cale with the Soldier String Quartet at Belgium’s Lokerse Feesten. At Gentse Feesten, the historic centre of Ghent becomes a ten-day city festival of music, theatre, circus and street performance.
Peru and the Inca Trail: Lima, Lake Titicaca, Cusco, Machu Picchu and the Amazon
In this episode of Unravel Travel, we revisit an organised group trip to Peru, built around the legendary four-day Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu. The full journey lasted around 17 days and took in several of Peru’s most memorable travel experiences: the humidity and history of Lima, the altitude and strangeness of Lake Titicaca, the relaxed beauty of Cusco, the physical and emotional challenge of the Inca Trail, and an Amazon extension filled with night boats, jungle walks, macaws and football in unlikely places.
This is a classic adventure travel episode: part travelogue, part cautionary tale, part celebration of one of the world’s great walking routes. We talk about altitude, camping, group travel, porters, local food, jungle wildlife, and the moment when Machu Picchu finally appears beneath you after days of trekking through the Andes.
What we cover in this episode
Starting in Lima
The trip begins in Lima, Peru’s coastal capital, where the first impression was the extraordinary humidity. We talk about arriving in a city that feels heavy with heat and history, and visiting Lima Cathedral, with vultures circling overhead and adding a slightly surreal edge to the scene.
We also visit the National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History, one of the key cultural stops in Lima, with collections ranging from ancient textiles and ceramics to Inca stonework and other pre-Hispanic objects. It is a useful grounding point before heading deeper into the landscapes and stories of the Andes.
Train to Lake Titicaca
From Lima, the journey moves towards Lake Titicaca, one of the most famous high-altitude destinations in South America. At over 3,800 metres above sea level, the lake is often described as the world’s highest navigable lake, and the first real experience of altitude can be dramatic.
We discuss what it feels like to be at altitude for the first time: the breathlessness, the strange physical sensations, and the way even simple walking can suddenly feel much harder.
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And this is only Havana. A future episode will follow Malcolm and Petra beyond the capital and into rural Cuba, with mountain scenery, coastal villages, snorkelling and diving.
If you have a story to share or some feedback to give just contact us at contact.unraveltravel@gmail.com
Our theme music is Traveler's Blues by Jerzy Gorecki from Pixabay (with licence)
Chiang Mai, Pai, Gili Trawangan, McLeod Ganj, Goa and Bali
Possible road trips through Slovenia and Croatia
Why returning to a favourite destination can beat starting again
If you enjoy Unravel Travel, please follow or subscribe, leave a rating and share the episode with another traveller.
This episode is brought to you by Chiltern Walks who provide guided walks and walking holidays around the UK. If you'd like to be added to Chiltern Walks mailing list to receive details of our walking holidays please follow this link to join the Chiltern Walks WhatsApp community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/I6e0xptc88z0B27aJlEHNw
If you have a story to share or some feedback to give just contact us at contact.unraveltravel@gmail.com
Our theme music is Traveler's Blues by Jerzy Gorecki from Pixabay (with licence)
The expedition began to unravel when their lightweight water filters became blocked by glacial silt. Stewart was eventually forced to drink water treated with purification tablets but not properly filtered. Several days into the trek, he became seriously ill with what was later diagnosed as both giardiasis and salmonella.
Dangerously dehydrated and losing weight rapidly, Stewart had little choice but to abandon the attempt. He and the group’s designated medic, Mark, turned back while the remaining three trekkers and Mansur continued towards their objective.
After several difficult days, Stewart and Mark reached the camping area at Jhola, where they waited for the others to return. With no means of communication and no idea whether their companions would arrive in hours or days, they created a chessboard on a sleeping mat and improvised pieces from playing cards.
Feeling slightly better—and apparently having learned very little from his illness—Stewart then set off alone to climb a nearby mountain, sleeping overnight on a ridge before returning to camp.
The group also encountered remarkably tough local porters, some crossing glaciers in little more than sandals while carrying enormous loads. At one point Mark used much of the expedition’s medical equipment to treat a porter whose badly injured foot had become dangerously infected.
Stewart reflects on the expedition’s rudimentary planning, the mistakes they made and the experience of travelling through one of the remotest mountain regions on Earth. He also explains how the journey influenced his attitude towards risk, adventure and preparation for the next 30 years.
In this episode
Planning a K2 expedition before internet research
Travelling from Islamabad to Skardu on the Karakoram Highway
Trekking from Askole without porters
Carrying three weeks of food, tents and equipment
Crossing landslides, exposed ledges and glacial rivers
Walking on the Baltoro Glacier
Water purification problems in the mountains
Contracting giardiasis and salmonella
Turning back while the rest of the team continued
Meeting climbers returning after losing teammates
The lives and extraordinary resilience of local porters
Waiting without communications at Jhola
How extreme travel changes your attitude towards risk
Away from the practical work, the cabin offers what matters most: long walks, swimming, music around the campfire and the freedom to explore the Czech countryside. A 15-kilometre woodland walk leads Malcolm to otters, signs of wild boar, a secluded lake and an active beaver habitat hidden away from the main paths.
For anyone interested in cabin life, off-grid living, slow travel, Czech Republic travel or a different kind of European countryside escape, this episode explores both the inconveniences and the considerable rewards of having a place in the woods.
Topics covered:
Cabin culture in the Czech Republic and Central Europe
Malcolm’s nine years of owning and improving the cabin
Living without mains water, electricity or sewage
Solar panels, batteries, generators and USB charging
Outdoor showers and composting toilets
Cooking over an open fire
Food storage, water supplies and cabin planning
Travelling to the cabin by train and e-bike
Hiking and navigation in the Czech countryside
Beavers, otters, wild boar and woodland wildlife
Why winter cabin life deserves an episode of its own (and many more)
Mentioned in the episode:
Walden; or, Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
The Czech Republic/Czechia
Znojmo - historic and beautiful border town
www.Mapy.cz - free and perfect for walking or cycling routes and navigation
Although, not quite offering the same vibe the same vibe, the rise of one day festivals like British Summertime Live (Hyde park, London), usually offer great line ups and give a great reason to visit a place and hook for a memorable trip which can include other activities in nearby locations.
Finally, Malcolm and David discuss travelling to see bands, including The Wedding Present in Ghent, New Model Army in Brno and concerts at venues such as Nottingham Rock City, the Marquee and Wembley. They finish with memories of the Great Xpectations Festival in Finsbury Park and the pleasure of discovering free local live music such as the summer delight of Cap r live music in Breclav, Czechia.
Places mentioned
Glastonbury and Pilton, Somerset
Reading
North Lincolnshire
Cheltenham and Cheltenham Racecourse
Brockwell Park, London
Finsbury Park, London
Hyde Park, London
Ghent, Belgium
Werchter, Belgium
Lokeren, Belgium
Brno, Czechia
Bradford
Bristol
Nottingham
Wembley and Hammersmith, London
Singapore
New York
Other subjects and performers mentioned
Festivals as alternatives to conventional holidays
Travelling overseas for cheaper concerts
Discovering unfamiliar performers
Festival ticket ballots and security
Glastonbury’s fences and unofficial entry
Camping equipment and the portable toilet
Arriving early and leaving after the crowds
Family-friendly festivals
Free festivals and politically motivated music events
Following New Model Army around Europe
The Wedding Present in Ghent
Festival camaraderie
Famous music venues
Pulp and David Bowie
James, Carter USM, Blur and PJ Harvey
The Sisters of Mercy and Nirvana
Metallica and Neil Young
John Cale
Green Day
The Cure
The Damned
The Levellers and Manic Street Preachers
If you have any question on this or another travel topic, just contact us at contact.unraveltravel@gmail.com
Our theme music is Traveler's Blues by Jerzy Gorecki from Pixabay (with licence)
The episode also covers the Uros Floating Islands, the man-made reed islands of Lake Titicaca. Built from totora reeds by the Uros people, these floating platforms are one of Peru’s most distinctive cultural sights. We also visit Taquile Island, where a training hike in beautiful weather helps prepare the group for the Inca Trail.
Cusco: churches, cafés and altitude
Next comes Cusco, the old Inca capital and one of the great travel cities of South America. After the intensity of Lima and the altitude of Lake Titicaca, Cusco feels sunny, warm and relaxed.
We talk about Cusco’s mix of churches, cafés, plazas and mountain light, and the way the city gives travellers time to acclimatise before heading onto the trail. There is also a personal “John Peel” moment in the notes: a reminder that travel memories are often tied to music, atmosphere and tiny details as much as to monuments.
Cusco becomes the pause before the hard part: the gateway to the Sacred Valley, the Andes, and the trek to Machu Picchu.
The four-day Inca Trail trek
The heart of the episode is the four-day Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu. This was the classic group adventure: camping, mountain paths, porters, altitude, basic toilets, tired legs and moments of real wonder.
We talk about the mistaken confidence of thinking that football fitness would be enough. The Inca Trail is not just about being generally fit; altitude changes everything. Even people who feel sporty at home can find themselves struggling once they are walking and climbing at over 3,000 and 4,000 metres.
There are also the practical realities of trekking: camping, tiredness, shared routines, and the unforgettable toilet tent. The notes include a collapsing toilet tent, a hole in the ground, and a personal toilet faux pas — the kind of travel detail that may not appear in the brochures but often becomes one of the stories people remember most.
One of the lighter moments is playing football against the porters on an old camping field. At altitude, even a casual kickabout becomes exhausting. The porters, of course, are operating in their natural environment and are usually far better adapted to the conditions than the visitors.
The hardest physical point is Dead Woman’s Pass, or Warmi Wañusqa, the highest pass on the classic Inca Trail at around 4,200 metres. It is the point where the trek becomes a serious test of lungs, legs and morale.
Arriving at the Sun Gate and Machu Picchu
After days of walking, the emotional high point is arriving at Inti Punku, the Sun Gate. This was the ancient ceremonial entrance to Machu Picchu for those approaching on the Inca Trail, and for modern trekkers it still carries a powerful sense of arrival.
The first view down onto Machu Picchu is one of the great travel moments: the famous lost city below, the mountains around it, and the sense that the effort of the trek has built towards exactly this reveal.
We talk about the spiritual feeling of reaching the Sun Gate, the first sight of Machu Picchu, and why walking there gives a very different emotional connection from simply arriving by bus or train.
After exploring the site, the group takes the bus down to Aguas Calientes, the town below Machu Picchu.
Aguas Calientes: hot shower, hot springs and beer
After four days on the trail, Aguas Calientes feels like luxury. The first hot shower in days becomes a major event. So do the hot springs and a beer.
This part of the episode captures the strange pleasure of basic comfort after a trek: clean clothes, warm water, a proper bed, and the feeling that every ordinary thing has become special.
There is also a classic Peru food moment: guinea pig for dinner. For many visitors, trying cuy is part curiosity, part cultural experience, and part test of how adventurous they really are.
Amazon extension
The journey then shifts from the Andes to the Amazon, adding a completely different side of Peru to the trip. After mountain walking, altitude and Inca history, the Amazon brings heat, water, jungle sounds and wildlife.
We talk about a night boat trip looking for caiman, the excitement of scanning the water in darkness, and a jungle hike that was meant to be about seeing giant river otters but ended up becoming a macaw experience instead.
The notes include macaws at a salt or clay lick, a tame macaw at the jungle lodge, and another unlikely football match — this time with the macaw somehow becoming part of the story.
It is a reminder that organised trips rarely unfold exactly as described in the itinerary. Sometimes the thing you expected to see does not appear, and something stranger or funnier becomes the real memory.
Key places mentioned
Lima Lima Cathedral National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History Lake Titicaca Uros Floating Islands Taquile Island Cusco The Inca Trail Dead Woman’s Pass / Warmi Wañusqa Inti Punku / the Sun Gate Machu Picchu Aguas Calientes Peruvian Amazon
Why this Peru trip stayed memorable
This journey stays memorable because it combines almost every kind of travel experience in one country. There is the capital city of Lima, the history of Peru’s museums and cathedrals, the thin air of Lake Titicaca, the charm of Cusco, the effort of the Inca Trail, the emotional arrival at Machu Picchu, and the wildness of the Amazon.
It is also memorable because of the contrast between the grand and the ridiculous. On one hand, there is the spiritual feeling of reaching the Sun Gate and looking down on Machu Picchu. On the other, there are toilet tents, football at altitude, hot showers that feel like miracles, guinea pig for dinner, and a macaw that somehow becomes part of the story.
That is often what makes travel powerful: the famous places bring you there, but the odd details are what you end up retelling years later.
Keywords
Peru travel podcast, Inca Trail podcast, Machu Picchu travel, Lima Peru, Lake Titicaca, Uros Floating Islands, Taquile Island, Cusco travel, Dead Woman’s Pass, Warmi Wañusqa, Sun Gate Machu Picchu, Inti Punku, Aguas Calientes, Peru Amazon, Amazon jungle Peru, caiman night boat, macaws Peru, organised group travel, adventure travel Peru, altitude sickness Peru, trekking podcast, travel stories Peru, Unravel Travel
If you have any question on this or another travel topic, just contact us at contact.unraveltravel@gmail.com
Our theme music is Traveler's Blues by Jerzy Gorecki from Pixabay (with licence)
