Armchair Explorer

Every Pathways, host Aaron Millar and producer Jason Paton crack open a few stories, play their favorite clips, and take you on a whirlwind preview of what’s coming up on Armchair Explorer.
In this episode, we’ll be traveling from the craziest white water race in the world to the highest volcanoes on the planet, from ancient trade routes in Italy to the sacred storytelling landscapes of Australia and beyond.
If you like travel and adventure, come and hang out, we’re going to have some fun.
Climb the Seven Volcanic Summits Challenge, summiting the highest volcano on every continent.
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.
Take part in the River Nevis Race in Scotland — if Monty Python went white-water rafting, this would be it.

Ready to Explore? If you're into real stories of epic places told by the people who’ve lived them, make sure to subscribe so you won’t miss an episode of Series 4 of Armchair Explorer.
Instagram: ⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast⁠
Facebook: ⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast⁠
⁠Armchair Explorer⁠ is produced by ⁠Armchair Productions⁠. Aaron Millar and Jason Paton presented the show, Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design.
Mentioned in this episode:
Check out the Smart Travel Podcast
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:
Smart Travel Podcast
Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world
This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape.com.

For advertising or sponsorship opportunities across the network, see the link below.
Voyascape Podcast Network

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!`

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.

To find out more go to AfricaEndeavours.com/Armchair and you will get $500 off your next trip. Even if you’re just dreaming about going one day, checking out what they do is a great way to support the show.

Follow Peter on Instagram @peterallisonsafari

FOLLOW US:

Instagram: ⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast⁠Facebook: ⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast⁠Newsletter: ⁠armchair-explorer.com⁠

PODCAST RECOMMENDATION

Check out the Smart Travel Podcast:

This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel here. 

CREDITS

Armchair Explorer is produced by ⁠Armchair Productions⁠. Aaron Millar wrote and presented the show, Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠.

Mentioned in this episode:
Check out the Smart Travel Podcast
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:
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.

To find out more go to AfricaEndeavours.com/Armchair and you will get $500 off your next trip. Even if you’re just dreaming about going one day, checking out what they do is a great way to support the show.

Follow Peter on Instagram @peterallisonsafari

FOLLOW US:

Instagram: ⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast⁠Facebook: ⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast⁠Newsletter: ⁠armchair-explorer.com⁠
CREDITS

Armchair Explorer is produced by ⁠Armchair Productions⁠. Aaron Millar wrote and presented the show, Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠.
Mentioned in this episode:
Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world
This podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape.com.

For advertising or sponsorship opportunities across the network, see the link below.
Voyascape Podcast Network
Check out the Smart Travel Podcast
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:
Smart Travel Podcast

The Black Hills Powwow is the biggest powwow in the U.S., where dancers, singers, artists, and spectators come from across North America to honor the spirit and beauty of the Great Plains Indigenous culture. The powwow comes alive through handcrafted regalia and the spirited dancers who embody history.

Join us as we take in the sounds and stories from this enduring celebration that bridges generations and cultures. We meet Ruben Little Head who has been an MC at the Black Hills Powwow for 17 years, dancer and former Miss Oglala Lakota Nation winner Santana Young Man Afraid of his Horses and we get a private concert from singing and drumming group Showtime.

Thank you to everyone who featured in this episode:

-  Ruben Little Head

-  Santana Young Man Afraid of his Horses 

-  Showtime singers, Hunter Blasingame, Xavier Little Head and BJ Braveheart

Recorded on-location, this audio adventure is designed to do more than just let you hear what it’s like to be there; it’s designed to let you feel what it’s like for real.

Find out more at www.travelsouthdakota.com where you'll find lots of inspiration, ideas and everything else you need to know to plan your great South Dakota adventure.

Produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry. Brian Thacker wrote and presented the show. Jason Paton did the field recording and audio production. Aaron Millar is the executive producer. www.armchair-productions.com

FOLLOW US:

Instagram: ⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast⁠Facebook: ⁠@armchairexplorerpodcast⁠Newsletter: ⁠armchair-explorer.com⁠

PODCAST RECOMMENDATION

Check out the Smart Travel Podcast:

This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel here. 

CREDITS

Armchair Explorer is produced by ⁠Armchair Productions⁠. Aaron Millar wrote and presented the show, Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠.

Mentioned in this episode:
Check out the Smart Travel Podcast
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:
Smart Travel Podcast