We can’t travel the world right now. But we can take a holiday of the imagination.
In ‘Postcards’, a brand new travel podcast hosted by Greg Dickinson of the Telegraph’s travel desk, we speak to some of the world’s leading travellers, adventurers and storytellers about their formative travel experiences.
“As soon as the country went into lockdown, I had a thought,” says Greg Dickinson. “It’s usually a pain in the backside trying to get hold of the world’s most interesting travellers because, well, the likelihood is they’re off travelling.
“But now, for the first time ever, they’re pretty much all stuck at home. So I made it my mission to get their numbers, and give them a call. I wanted to hear their wildest travel stories that they’ve never told before. We all have them.
“But more importantly, I wanted to hear these stories unfiltered, untampered-with, untweaked by skilful editors, and without the clichés we sometimes come to associate with travel writing.”
In each episode, the guest shares three photographs with Greg. These photographs, of precarious moments at sea, ill-advised student adventures, poignant moments looking out the window of a taxi in India, have a story attached, and are all available to view here on telegraph.co.uk/postcards.
In episode one, Greg speaks with nature television presenter, documentarian and author Kate Humble. Her photographs lead us on a world tour, to the Sahara, on the trail of salt traders; to the depths of the Congo, tracking wild gorillas; and to a peculiar festival in the Isles of Scilly – held in the middle of the sea.
“Kate transported me somewhere else, making my itchy feet considerably itchier than they were before,” says Greg Dickinson. “But she also brought about a series of urges I never knew I had. The desire to leave London and live on a farm, for example. To go to the jungle and come face-to-face with a silverback gorilla – which she described in moving detail.
“But, more than anything else, she made me think it would be a good idea to strip off and jump into a river…”
In episode two (June 16), Greg speaks with comedian and TV travel documentarian, Griff Rhys Jones.
If you are seeking some much-needed escapism, you can listen to ‘Postcards’ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, or you can stream each episode for free on telegraph.co.uk/postcards.