When Austrian traveler Elisa Schwarz arrived in Tahiti, she expected a job as an au pair, not a Polynesian adventure that would take her hitchhiking between islands and diving among sharks. In the premiere episode of Wayfinder, host Daniel Scheffler traces Elisa’s journey through the island’s waters, communities, and living sense of mana: the life force that connects all things. Alongside some firsthand Tahiti travel tips, come journey with us as Elisa learns to surrender control, find peace in the unknown, and rediscover herself through the art of travel.

Follow Elisa on TikTok: @elisaveta.sc & Instagram: @elisaveta.schwarz

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wayfinder invites you to indulge in the art of travel through story, sensation, and self-discovery. Hosted by Daniel Scheffler, veteran travel writer, this immersive new series ventures beyond guidebooks and itineraries into the transformative journeys that reshape how we see the world and ourselves.

Rediscover the beauty and awe-inspiring moments that define life-changing travel. From swimming with whales in Tahiti to savoring local flavors and hidden traditions in Tunisia, each episode captures the heart and humor of adventure through the eyes of real travelers.

Every other week, join Daniel as he explores the experiences that can only be found when we follow our senses, trust our inner compass, and let curiosity lead the way.

Check out Daniel Scheffler's Substack: https://withoutmaps.substack.com/about

Follow iHeart's Ruby Studio: https://www.instagram.com/rubyiheart/?hl=en

Our Team:

Executive Producer: Ciara Kaiser

EP of Post Production: James Foster

Supervising Producer: Nakia Swinton

Story Producer: Ryan Amador

Post-Production: Siara Spreen

Theme Music: Max Hershenow

Show Art: Samantha Rayman

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Personal refuge, self-discovery, and chosen family... Beyond the neon lights and chance encounters, NIGHTLIFE in Bangkok runs deeper than it first appears. 

Daniel sits down IRL with Pangina Heals: drag icon, club owner, and one of the defining forces of Bangkok’s club scene. Recorded the morning after a night out together, their conversation traces Pangina’s journey from a childhood in the suburbs to building some of the most influential queer spaces in Thailand, including her drag venue, House of Heals. Moving in & out of drag history, queer nightlife, Thai flavors, and a very spiritual shrine, they reflect on how Bangkok’s many contradictions lay the groundwork for personal liberation, and how its club culture has become both stage and sanctuary for those looking to become fully themselves. 

Follow Pangina Heals on TikTok & Instagram @panginaheals

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Immersive spaces, curated meals, rich destinations, and a floating city filled with possibility... Sometimes travel reminds us how good it feels to be taken care of. In this episode, Daniel follows content creator Cynthia Andrew aboard Virgin Voyages, where a solo cruise became an unexpected reset. From cozy corners and quiet sea days... to live music, thoughtful dining experiences, and spontaneous connection with others, Cynthia basks in all of the luxury and fun that Virgin Voyages has to offer, and shares the many reasons cruise skeptics are missing out. Through her island stops in the Caribbean, locally guided excursions, and moments of stillness under open ocean skies, Cynthia maintains a balance between festivity and calm, and reconnects with the part of herself she’d been craving.

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The color of the bougainvillea, the hum of the medina, the cleansing touch of the hammam... For travel consultant Joy Malonza, Tunis's sensory captivation was exactly what she needed, transforming a quick summer pit stop into an unexpected lesson in presence. Daniel traces Joy’s exploration of Tunisia’s historic capital by way of her senses, conscious luxury, and genuine connection to its community. Through the city’s signature winding corridors to its Mediterranean seaside cafés, Joy shares her experience of a place that is alive with history, rhythm, and beauty, alongside her wisdom on how to travel ethically.

Follow Joy's guide to sustainability and ethical tourism on Instagram: @joy.malonza

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In-person experiences are becoming a rare commodity, and making them happen requires smart planning, great companionship, and a bit of creative system-hacking. 

Daniel chats with writer, performer, and musical theater artist Cheeyang Ng, who has made it a mission to travel the world luxuriously through travel hacking while learning more about themself as a global citizen. After years of solo travel, Cheeyang met their parents in Italy and spent a transformative few days together in the city of Florence.

As Cheeyang takes us through the city’s complex history, iconic art, creative meals, and a hands-on pasta-making class in the Tuscan hills, they reflect on travel as a tool for perspective, access, and deeper connection. Through this timeless experience with their parents, Cheeyang is reminded that, in the modern era, human connection may be the rarest luxury we have.

Follow Cheeyang Ng on Instagram & YouTube @cheeyangmusic

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Nourishing rest, much-needed reconnection, and a message in a rainbow… sometimes we have to follow the unexpected to arrive exactly where we’re meant to be. For travel creator and swimwear founder Becca Ingle, a babymoon in Cabo San Lucas became a long-overdue reset. Traveling without their children for the first time in a decade, Becca and her husband traded packed family schedules for warm air, quiet mornings, indulgent wellness rituals, and the kind of presence that’s hard to access at home. While reliving the the trip, Becca reflects on marriage, motherhood, and the importance of making space in our busy lives. And when a familiar rainbow appears at just the right moment, the trip takes on deeper meaning, reminding her that sometimes stepping away is exactly how we find our way forward.

Follow Becca Ingle on Instagram & TikTok @beccaingle and check out her swimwear line, LainSnow.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's something we love about a road trip. It's not just a way to explore the vastness of a place, it's a way to sink into time with someone you love. 

That is why, in this episode of Wayfinder, Daniel follows entrepreneur and world traveler Carlo Schneider on a father-daughter road trip through the country of Georgia, beginning in the capital city of Tbilisi. From winding streets and wooden balconies to vineyards, cave cities, and the shores of the Black Sea, Carlo shares how Georgia’s dramatic shifts in architecture and landscape mirror the country's layered identity.

For Carlo and his daughter Lara, what begins as a simple adventure becomes something quietly transformative: a journey through history, culture, and the beauty of being present with one another. Sometimes the best destination is the connection you build along the way. 

Follow Carlo Schneider on Instagram & TikTok: @travel.renaissance.man and listen to his new podcast "Ask Carlo - Private Equity simplified." 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Communion with nature, unexpected healing, and hidden lessons within every stone. What if travel wasn't just about following an itinerary, but about learning to give and receive with everything we encounter along the way? 

Today's season finale guest is Huda Alvi, entrepreneur and co-founder of The Girls Trip, who has traveled three times to Peru and the ancient city of Cusco. What begins as a scouting trip for her company soon becomes something far more transformative, as Huda steps into a landscape and culture shaped by living in relationship with the Earth, and with the people who call it home.

Through shared meals, sacred sites, and a slow reveal of the fabled Machu Picchu, Huda reflects on travel as a practice of curiosity, generosity, and care, uncovering a deeper understanding of her own quality of happiness. 

Follow Huda Alvi on Instagram and TikTok @iamhudaalvi 
Follow The Girls Trip on Instagram @the.girls.trip

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we expand our perspective, our personal lives can suddenly feel much smaller. That’s what happened to Gwyn Manser when she and her wife took an impromptu Alaskan cruise, a trip that transformed how she sees the world and her place within it.

From sailing along the Inside Passage to exploring the historic streets of Skagway, Gwyn recounts a landscape that feels vast and timeless, and shares her unforgettable experience of landing on a remote glacier by helicopter.

As she uncovers the advantages of cruise travel, the beauty of multi-generational trips, and the gift of witnessing Alaska’s natural grandeur up close, Gwyn returns home with a renewed sense of awe for the planet we call home.

Follow Gwyn Manser on Instagram & TikTok @gwynandami

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Uncover the precious moments that shape how we see the world and ourselves. From remote natural landscapes of Alaska to culturally rich cities of Uzbekistan, this season features sixteen new stories across sixteen new destinations. Every other week, join Daniel as he follows the threads of curiosity, intuition, and wonder, unpacking what happens when we step away from our everyday lives and allow the world to change us.

Check out Daniel Scheffler's Substack: https://withoutmaps.substack.com/about

Follow iHeart's Ruby Studio: https://www.instagram.com/rubyiheart/?hl=en

Our Team:

Executive Producer: Ciara Kaiser

EP of Post Production: James Foster

Supervision Producer: Kelli Kyle

Story Producer: Ryan Amador

Post-Production: Siara Spreen

Theme Music: Max Hershenow

Show Art: Katty Huertas

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some places invite you to visit. Others ask you to stay. That’s what happened to journalist and historian Joanna Lillis when she first traveled to Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in 2001 — a simple weekend trip that welcomed her so deeply into the region, she never left. 

In the glow of Samarkand’s vibrant markets and iconic blue-domed architecture, Joanna shares the moments from her trip that revealed a deeper truth about travel: that the most meaningful experiences come not from what we see, but from how we connect. She even found herself welcomed into a local wedding, an unplanned moment of celebration that turned a weekend visit into something far more personal.

As she reflects on nearly 25 years living in Central Asia, Joanna weaves together historical tidbits, personal insights on the power of openness, and what it means to move through the world not just as an observer, but as an active participant.

Follow Joanna Lillis on Instagram @joanna_kazakhstan and learn more about her adventures in new latest book: “Silk Mirage: Through the Looking Glass in Uzbekistan”

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We spend so much time thinking about where we’re going, but rarely about how we return.

That’s what writer Chris Singh discovered when he arranged an intentional multi-day stopover in the Mamanuca Islands of Fiji on his way home to Australia from the United States. 

Surrounded by vivid blues, volcanic islands, and a culture rooted in care and community, Chris shares the key moments that defined his time in Fiji, from communal Lovo feasts and kava ceremonies, to an unexpected yet powerful boost of confidence while out on the water. 

What could have been a simple layover became something more: a chance to reset, reflect, and fully absorb a transformation that had already begun. 

Follow Chris Singh on Instagram & TikTok @chrisdsingh

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all carry stories about who we think we are. And for some of us, those stories can limit who we’re allowed to become. 

Preethi Chandrasekhar set out to challenge those limits when she led a group of women on a journey through Morocco. With a do-it-all itinerary designed not just to explore the destination, she encouraged the group to step beyond their routines into an adventure that requires vulnerability, courage, and connection.

From navigating the sensory rush of the markets, to shedding insecurities in a traditional hammam, to rising above fear on a hot air balloon ride (and more), Preethi shares the moments that pushed both her and these women beyond the beliefs they’d long held about themselves, to discover the person they’ve been all along. 

Follow Preethi on Instagram and TikTok @eagertravele

And on her website at https://theeagertraveler.com/preethi/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our first official SAFARI episode, what begins as a search for “the Big Five” gives way to a profound shift in perspective.

Eco-tour organizer Jared Sternberg reflects on his first scouting trip to Tanzania, the transformative power of safari, and the unexpected lessons that emerge when we let go of our control and judgment during travel. 

From witnessing his first hunt in the Serengeti to sharing time with Maasai communities protecting vital wildlife corridors, Jared and Daniel explore how safari strips away distraction and reconnects us to something primal; where long conversations in safari vehicles, shared meals in the bush, and encounters with Maasai communities become just as meaningful as the wildlife itself.

Follow Jared on Instagram @j_leeroy and check out Godwana Tours @gondwana_ecotours

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when a birthday cruise unexpectedly reconnects you to parts of yourself you didn’t realize you’d been missing? In this episode, treasure shopper Maya Valentino tells us all about her first cruise aboard Virgin Voyages, a trip which offered her a surprising return to creativity, stillness, and reconnection with her mom. 

Maya dives into Virgin Voyage’s immersive entertainment, unforgettable cuisine, and iconic onboard experiences, while she and Daniel explore how this experience created a much-needed tempo shift in her life, one that made way for self-reflection, connection, and inspiration. 

Along the way: interactive performances at sea, late-night desserts, hilarious moments on the beach, and quiet conversations in a hammock by the sea… all gentle reminders that while we can plan our itinerary, we can’t always predict the ways travel will unlock the parts of ourselves we’ve kept hidden away.

To learn more, visit: virginvoyages.com

Follow Maya on Instagram @mayadannie & TikTok @maya.dannie

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.