Unravel Travel
David and Malcolm met at school when they were 14, and by some miracle, 40 years later they are still friends. They Interrailed together after University and for both travel has been a constant in their lives.
Out travel blog is weekly and covers everything travel related including reviews of trips taken, the business of travel, longer breaks, short breaks, travel for work and living overseas. We will also interview our friends about their interesting travel experiences.
Malcolm has been an Engineer and run several software businesses, now he is semi-retired with a part time role in IT and a full time role in life. He is a long time traveller for work and pleasure who has lived in Singapore for 2 years, is currently dividing his time between the UK and Czechia and has been an AirBnB host for 5 years.
David worked in Accounting and Financial services for many years and retired young to start a business providing walking trips and tour group holidays. David travelled extensively and took very interesting long holidays during his working life. Since retirement he has become a migratory bird, overwintering in warmer climes.
Episodes
32 episodes
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 Un...
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 m...
Peru and the Inca Trail
Peru and the Inca Trail: Lima, Lake Titicaca, Cusco, Machu Picchu and the AmazonIn this episode of Unravel Travel, we revisit an organised group trip to Peru, built around the legendary four-day Inca Trail t...
Alcohols of the world
Alcohols of the World: Beer First, Then Spirits of TravelSpecific episode mentionsHook Norton Brewery tours - https://www.hooky.co.uk/visit-us/book-a-brewery-tour/That bar in Bratislava - ZilVerne ...
Bath and Bristol
Bath vs Bristol: Two Cities, Two WorldsEpisode summaryIn this episode of Unravel Travel, we compare two of the great West Country city breaks: Bath and Bristol. They sit close together on the map, yet they fe...
Sri Lanka with a Driver
In this episode 27 we go back to Sri Lanka to discuss how Malcolm visited in the early 2000's with a very young family. Many shared perspectives and a few differences and an exploration of a different side of Sri Lanka. This has muc...
Questiontime
In this episode 26 we thought we would address the backlog of questions from listeners leading a to a diverse episode covering a range of topics, some on which we agree and some on which we don't.How different is it to live overseas, rat...
Sri Lanka by public transport
Join Malcolm and David on this first episode of a double header as they explore the incredible island nation of Sri Lanka.From the bustling streets of Colombo to the scenic tea-covered hills of Ella and the wildlife-rich national park of...
Bali and surrounding Islands
In this episode, David & Malcolm are joined by Izzy to take you on a tropical journey through Bali and Gili Trawangan, two of Indonesia’s most captivating destinations.The adventure begins in Ubud on Bali, where lush rice terraces -...
New York - Part 3
In this third episode of the New York Trilogy we look into some of the details of food and gallery visits.We talk shopping in New York, Old buildings and new concepts like trip planning with AI, when to trust it and when to ask again.
New York - Part 2
In this second episode of the New York Trilogy we are joined by Izzy for a slightly different take on New York. All the deep and meaningful culture that Malcolm didn't bother with.We talk about Dumbo, the best sort of Diner breakfa...
New York - Part 1
In this episode we take our first bite out of the big apple.We talk about musical influences, first impressions and getting around.Walking is good, too much walking is bad.Visa applications pitfalls, the worst immigration (...
Cornwall - part 2
In this episode we continue our review of Cornwall, this time with more of a focus on the cultural, covering:St Ives (Tate and the Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden).Tremenheere Sculpture gardensThe Minack Theatre...
Cornwall - Part 1
To celebrate the May Bank Holiday and the inevitable forecast of rain, what could be more appropriate than a discussion of Cornwall? The A30 will be packed with visitors eager to get away for some summer sun, walks, fish and chips and the...
Trekking Expeditions
In this episode David and Malcolm discuss the basics of trekking, including how best to avoid and deal with altitude sickness.They talk about how the gear is transported on a trekking expedition and they fall down the rabbit hole of wha...
Canoe Expeditions in Scotland pt 2
In the 2nd part of this episode on Scottish Canoe Expeditions we explore some of the practicalities like travel and hire. Also tents, sleeping and the usual juvenile toilet topics.We talk about how to work your way up to a trip lik...
Canoe Expeditions in Scotland
In this episode we are joined by Malc's brother Stewart to talk about Canoe expeditions in the wilds of Scotland.This is part one of a two part topic where we cover some basics:- Canoe vs Kayak- Preparation and planning- The...
A Guide to Independent Travel
In this episode, Malcolm and David use their many years of travelling independently to give advice for people without experience of independent travel. We discuss how to identify and manage the risk of this sort of travel and how to plan to get...
Great walks in the UK
In this episode Malcolm and David discuss their favourite places to hike in the UK.Hear us talk about the best places to stay, eat and walk. We discuss, waterfalls in Yorkshire and the Yorkshire 3 peaks hike. The differences between the...
Iceland in Winter
In this episode we discuss Malcolm's Winter trip to Iceland.Hear us get to grips with plate tectonics, geophysics, atmospheric phenomena and avant-garde Icelandic art . Whilst avoiding snow blindness, scolding water and fermented fish ba...
Overland to India - Pakistan, India and reflections
In the second part of Overland to India we follow Ollie as he explores Kashmir and does a pre-mobile phone needle in a haystack hunt for Becca in Northern India.We continue to categorise the world by how it takes it's tea, and discuss wh...
Overland to India - The Middle East and Iran
In this episode Malc and David are joined by Ollie to talk about his epic overland journey from the UK to India. This first part focuses on the journey through Europe, Turkey, Syria and down into Lebanon then back up and through Iran befo...
Travel Buddies
In this episode we discuss the pros and cons of travelling solo or with a buddy. Malcolm discovers an unlikely resemblance to a famous film star and David shares some ideas on how to make a success of a holiday when travelling with a smaller gr...
Safari - So Goody
In this episode we discuss Malcolm and David's previous safari experiences, including your traditional guided safari and your less traditional self drive safari. We talk about Malcolm's experiences with malaria and the safety procedures in plac...
Island hopping & life at sea on a diving liveaboard
In this episode we discuss David's recent island hopping trip in the Philippines. We will delve into: the activies on the trip, the food, the other people on the trip as well as the Filipino support crew. There is a discussion of toilet facilit...
