The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your wanderlust
Where does your wanderlust lead you?
To Melbourne’s cafes or the vast deserts of the Empty Quarter, a New Zealand vineyard or the pavements of New York… what’s your neighbourhood?
Join travel journalists and editors Kirstie Bedford and Belinda Jackson for inspiring stories and inside information from across the world.
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The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your wanderlust
EP 76 Amalfi Coast adventures; top travel trends for 2025 & a world of wellness
Dream of days wandering Italy’s Amalfi Coast? In our first episode of 2025, we are taking you there with Australian-Italian author Maria Pasquale.
Maria’s new book, Mangia: How to eat your way through Italy, explores the food histories and dishes across regional Italy, including Campania, which includes the Amalfi Coast, and is famed for its fragrant lemons and San Marzano tomatoes.
So let’s go explore some of the villages and beaches, Maria’s favourite eating experiences, and the best times to visit. maria-pasquale.com
We also chat about the top travel trends for 2025 from coolcations to radical sabbaticals exploreworldwide.com.au/travel-trends-2025, and we share some great tips from Etihad’s cabin crew about inflight skincare.
This episode is sponsored by Explore Worldwide, which offers small group adventures with local tour leaders. We dare you not to be tempted by these incredible tours.
Click here for Adventure Travel inspiration from our friends at Explore Worldwide. Don’t Just Travel, Explore.
Visit us at https://theworldawaits.au
Welcome to The World
SPEAKER_01:Awaits. Travel tales to inspire your wanderlust. I'm Kirsty Bedford, journalist, editor and travel writer. And I'm Belinda Jackson, author, travel journalist and columnist, and we're your weekly co-hosts.
SPEAKER_00:Welcome back to The World Awaits. Happy New Year, everyone.
SPEAKER_01:Happy New Year. Hi everyone, we are so excited to bring you our 76th episode, which is our first fresh episode for 2025 after our summer series, which we hope you enjoyed. This is a very special mini-series brought to you by Explore Worldwide. So before we get into that, let's do a quick roundup. I had a really special Christmas and New Year this year with the family in Vienna, froze my chops off. It was that really cold, still frigid cold that only Central Europe can do. And we'll be doing a full interview on Vienna, gorgeous Vienna, and its surrounds in a couple of weeks' time. So hang out for that one. And I haven't seen you forever, Kirsty. How was your Christmas and your New Year? And I think you've got a bit of news for us as well, haven't you?
SPEAKER_00:Well, I was so jealous watching your posts. And yeah, I missed you. It's been such a long time. But if you want to see Belle's magical trip go to her instill, which is global underscore salsa. And you can see some incredible photos of her escape to Europe. So I had a very relaxing breakdown at Smith's Beach on Phillip Island with lots of hiking and biking, bit of whining and dining too, because who doesn't do that? You know what they say, don't worry about what you did between Christmas and New Year, worry about what you do between New Year and Christmas. Love it. And yeah, Yes, yes, my news. So I'm really excited to kick into 2025 because I do have a new job. So I've taken on, well, it's not an entirely new job. I'm taking on a role part time as I'm back in the editor's seat. So I am going to be editor of a magazine called Wanderer, as well as still doing my work for Carry On. This is a glossy print magazine for the CMCA, which is the leading association for those with an RV, which has 60,000 members. So that's Motorhomes, Caravans and Campers. And it's a pretty exciting time to join because the sector is booming. So in fact, I looked it up and RV manufacturers are actually producing more RVs now than at their peak, which was in the 1970s of all time. So yeah, it's a massive industry for the economy and the tourism sector, of course, because all of those people are traveling around Australia and also they go abroad spending money and communities that really need it most so you'll be hearing a lot more from me about road tripping and as I said I'm still working for Carry On Luxury too and of course we have our broadcast baby The World Awaits so I'm going to be a little busier but that's me that's how I live my life I like to roll you know with doing lots of juggling lots of balls and um I work best when I'm busy, so I'm really happy to be back in the editor's seat.
SPEAKER_01:Well, enormous congratulations on that one. It is another string to our broadcast bow, and it's going to bring you insights from the world of the thousands and thousands of people who road trip, which is a hot trend. So kicking off this week, we are bringing you more travel insights, more trends, and that comes from, we tapped into Explore Worldwide's Global Travel Trends Report, which has landed showing where and how we're going to be traveling this year.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so Explore Worldwide travel experts have delved into search data, booking patterns and customer queries to provide an adventure travel outlook for the year. And topping the list for 2025 are cool locations. So Google Trends has shown a 300% increase in searches for cooler holidays in the last 12 months. So that's anywhere from Iceland to Scandinavia and polar expeditions. I'm actually not typically a cool destination type of girl, but... I have to say walking tours in Ireland or the Faroe Islands, which are proving very popular, would definitely get me there. I mean, who doesn't want to do that, right? And it's better walking in the cooler conditions because who wants to walk in the heat? And Japan's still proving really popular too. So searches are up for things like the Sapporo Snow Festival, which has incredible snow sculptures and a good dose of warming Japanese food. So ramen noodles sound pretty good in the snow, right?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I think my Vienna trip qualifies as a Caucasian, right? So another popular pastime in that trend report was set jetting. And this is when you travel to somewhere that's inspired from a... a book or a movie or a TV series like, you know, Paddington in Peru because Peru and South America is so hot right now. Gladiator 2 is out and that was filmed in Rome and North Africa. The third series of White Lotus, of course, which was filmed in Phuket in Thailand and Letters from Everest, which is the book of, I found this fascinating, the book of previously unpublished letters from the climber George Mallory who disappeared on the slopes of Everest in 1924 and his body was only discovered three, 75 years later in 1999. And these letters were being published by his grandnephew and are finally being published like 100 years after his death. So I think that's really fascinating. Then
SPEAKER_00:there's
SPEAKER_01:the radical
SPEAKER_00:sabbatical. My God, I'm loving these names. So this is because fewer young adults are taking a gap year and they're combining that now, their gap year that they're taking later in life, with some workplaces increasingly offering generous leave and hybrid work, which means that they can now do it. So Slovenia is proving popular as Estonia and Lithuania, or some might even spend a month in Europe and then combine that with a trip somewhere else. So I know you did a lot of travel in your 20s, Belle. Did you do an actual official gap year?
SPEAKER_01:No, I didn't. My gap year was spent saving money to go to university. So I just waitressed and temped my backside off. I wasn't in a position to blow it on travel at that point in my life. Been doing it ever since. I mean, once I was done at uni, you did not see my heels for dust. So, you know, London, living in London, living in Edinburgh before I settled down for a very long stint in Dublin and didn't come home for eight years. Yeah, but that was, you know, and that's where I did all my Eastern European and Russian travel at that time. What about you, though?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, I also didn't do the official gap year after school, because I also went into, well, I was actually really focused on work. So I was in my first journalist job and news journalism, and so I was sort of throwing myself into my career. But I did do the customary European tour in my 20s, so it's like suckling along the French Riviera and zipping around Tuscany on a scooter, because, you know, who doesn't want to be doing that?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, right. I thought also, you know, doing bus tours with 20 tourists, countries in 20 days, wasn't it? But now, one of the big trends, and I love this one. This is one of my favorites. It just makes my heart sing. One of the big trends for 2025, according to the report, is astrotourism, which I totally agree with. So if you jump back to episode 61, that's where I interviewed Marnie Ogg about the rise of tourism dedicated to stargazing and other phenomena in the skies above us. So of course, the northern and southern lights are the most popular events around astrotourism. tourism and you can do it in some of the world's most incredible locations like Finnish Lapland where the dark skies and the lack of light pollution means you get the best chance to view an aurora and here you can then you know so you build a holiday around that you can combine it with a Sami culture experience like visiting a local reindeer herder and husky sledding which is just so fabulous and I'm also a bit of a desert rat so it's great to see mentioned that desert camps also offer incredible sky gazing experiences such as Jordan, like that's Wadi Rum, and Oman, where I just came back from a few months ago, and the Atacama Desert in northern Argentina. All amazing locations in their own right, but exceptional stargazing and astrotourism destinations too.
SPEAKER_00:And rounding out the top experiences are those looking for change. So in this world of busy schedules, always on and overthinking brains and seemingly endless news feeds of doom, travellers are choosing something completely removed from our day-to-day routine. So it could be a foodie tour in Turkey, right up your alley bell, or a safari in Sri Lanka, which I've done and absolutely loved, which is an amazing way to experience that island nation. And lastly, Aussies are increasingly seeking accessible luxury travel where as well as bucket list sites and life-affirming experiences, they can stay in hand-picked premium accommodation because, you know, who doesn't want the best of both worlds? And we will put a link to the travel trend survey in the show notes.
SPEAKER_01:This episode is sponsored by Explore Worldwide, which offers small group adventures with local tour leaders. This week, we are taking you to Italy's glorious Amalfi Coast with Rome-based Australian-Italian author Maria Pasquale. Maria's new book, Mongia, explores the food histories and dishes across regional Italy, including Campania, famed for its fragrant lemons and San Marzano tomatoes. So let's go explore some of the villages and beaches. Maria's favorite eating destinations and the best times to visit the Amalfi Coast. Maria, welcome to The World Awaits. It's so great to have you back on the podcast.
SPEAKER_02:Thanks, Belle. Thanks so much for having me back. Great to speak to you.
SPEAKER_01:Awesome. Look, the last time that we spoke, you just released your book, The Eternal City, which was all of those gorgeous recipes and stories from Rome where you've lived for, how many years have you lived in Rome now? I know you don't want to count, but I'm going to make you count.
SPEAKER_02:Exactly. It's always confronting when you start counting years, isn't it? But it's 13 years this year.
SPEAKER_01:13 years, but a childhood spent going back and forward as well. And last time we talked about all of the types of Roman cuisine, some fabulous recipes shared by chefs, you know, by market owners, by butchers, bakers. And now you're seeing the new year in with your new book called Monja. So tell us a little bit about your new book and tell me the research trips that you had to do to write it.
SPEAKER_02:Well, mangia is how to eat your way through Italy. And with that, I really wanted to debunk the myth that Italian cuisine is just about pizza and pasta. And really, in essence, an Italian cuisine as such doesn't really exist because there is not a homogenous cuisine in Italy. It's so regional and based on where you are, you could be having a completely different meal and a completely different cultural experience. So mangia is a culinary guide to the entire country. It's divided into the 20 regions. And the thing I find when I've been speaking about the book lately is that people are quite surprised to hear that Italy is a new country. And when I say new, I mean the Italian Republic was only unified about 150 years ago. And so what that means, talking back to that homogenous culture of the food identity, is that you have all of these regions that had their own identity. And so regions and kingdoms were like little countries. And so The geography, the traditions, the dishes, the produce are different in every single region. I mean, you know, every single town really. From town to town, things change, let alone from region to region. You know, the travel that I did and the research that I did to write this book really, you know, in a sense, it's a culmination of 40 plus years of my own travels through Italy. So I'm very fortunate to have traveled to each of the 20 regions. There were two that I hadn't been to and I did those, you know, I visited those throughout the process of writing the manuscript. And that was Le Marche and Valle d'Aosta, the Aosta Valley in Northern Italy.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, gorgeous. And so the area that we're going to, I mean, it sounds like the dream trip or the dream commission really, doesn't it? And out of those 20 regions you included Campania, which is the region that includes the Amalfi Coast, where we're going today. So give us a little geography schooling about where exactly the Amalfi Coast is and what does it mean to you? The
SPEAKER_02:Amalfi Coast is located in Campania and I dare say, I mean, it's probably one of the most, you know, like foreigners are just so enamoured with this coastline. It's probably one of the most famous in the world. And, you know, look, I travelled there for many years, Belle, and then I kind of, you know, dropped off a bit as I wanted to explore other parts of the country and I went back just post-pandemic. And it was just a, you know, it's a quick and easy reminder as to why people are so in love with it. I mean, as soon as you turn those hairpin cliff edge turns, you know, the views are just spectacular. And so the Amalfi Coast lies in the Campania region. It's in the Gulf, and a quick way to remember this is the Gulf of Salerno. So you have two major gulfs in the Campania region. One is the Gulf of Naples, and within that lies the islands that are, you know, household names nowadays, but Capri, Ischia and Procida. So they're in the Gulf of Naples. People are often surprised to hear that they're actually not part of the Amalfi Coast, technically. And then you have the Amalfi Coast, which is, you know, just off the Sorrentine Peninsula, but the Gulf of Salerno. And it stretches from Vietrisulmare, that's one of the opening towns of the Amalfi Coast, and, you know, right through to, you know, Positano, Amalfi, and a whole number of, you know, towns that are dotted along that cliff edge.
SPEAKER_01:And just, I mean, it is, you're right, it's so evocative. You know, we've got beach holidays, sun, Hollywood stars everywhere, and not just like, you know, new money as well. This is, you know, the Amalfi Coast is steeped in history. I just think of the 1950s, 60s, when you had all of those glamorous moving clouds roaring around on timber-lined speedboats. That's me. That's how I'm, that's the Amalfi
SPEAKER_02:Coast. That's how you envision the coast. Absolutely. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01:I
SPEAKER_02:agree. I agree. When I think of the Amalfi Coast, you know, like you asked me earlier what it means to me, you know, I think of lemons and I think of, you know, just that sun-kissed summer. Yes, you can visit it all round and I think that's the beauty of, you know, many of these locations in Italy. The Amalfi Coast, gosh, you know, you can definitely visit in the off-season and in winter, but by gosh, you know, summer is certainly its most spectacular moment.
SPEAKER_01:And let me just tease out on that because you know we always ask when is the best time to go and Would you go in summer? Is it so insanely busy that you wouldn't love it? Or unless you really like being with all the people right now?
SPEAKER_02:Look, I think there are ways to travel throughout Italy. You know, Italy, like many other countries in Europe and many other countries in the world, is facing a number of issues with mass tourism. And, you know, there are ways around that. I'm certainly not going to discourage people from visiting Italy or any of these places. I would certainly say that sometimes Yes, it is a predominantly summer... destination, but there are ways of doing that. And, you know, perhaps in the earlier part of summer, so May, June and avoiding July and August, you know, September and October, even October, you know, Italians are still at the beach throughout October, especially in areas like Campania, which are that southern part of Italy where the sun continues to shine way through October. So I would certainly recommend those kind of, you know, early summer or probably late summer. And then, you know, then avoiding maybe some of the more popular towns in those higher season periods. So, you know, Locopositano is just going to be completely chock full throughout summer. And it can be quite unbearable. Unfortunately, you're starting to miss out on some of those authentic experiences because many businesses sadly are catering to mass tourist crowds. And so I would, you know, look at a town like Cetara, which is the anchovy capital of Italy. So if anyone's in love with anchovies, which I am, but you know, a town like Cetara, a town like Vietrisulmare, Vietrisulmare is where all the ceramics are. you know, are created and produced and then supplied to the rest of the coast, if not the rest of Italy.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, fantastic. And so then... Are these your favorite villages or do you have a little secret that you want to tell us personally on the podcast? I
SPEAKER_02:love, look, I traveled. Oh yeah, that's right. Let's not tell anyone. Look, I traveled for years through Amalfi. I find Amalfi is the Amalfi town and the small little Borghi, like the little, you know, the smaller, I guess, hamlets or smaller towns just off Amalfi, like Conca dei Marini. You know, some of these towns are a little less known. I mean, Amalfi obviously is very well known, but Yeah, Cetara and Vietrisulmare, they're probably two of my favourites. Vietrisulmare is the gateway to the Amalfi Coast, so it's one of the opening cities. It's quite easy to access from Salerno. I mean, look, you know, if you're flying in through Rome or in any of the major capitals in that area, but, you know, Rome or Naples will get you to Salerno quite easily on the fast train. And then it's just a quick ferry or, you know, hydrofoil over or, you know, a drive if you can you know, not for the faint heart sometimes, the drive along the Amalfi Coast, but they're all quite accessible from Salerno and from Naples and from Rome.
SPEAKER_01:Or you can, you know, zip in on your own fabulous little yacht. How did I see you do that?
SPEAKER_02:Why not?
UNKNOWN:Right?
SPEAKER_02:Yes, I have. Well, it was not my yacht. That would be nice. But look, one of the properties, you know, and look, there are a number of those cliff edge properties that are just spectacular along the coast. And, you know, most of them have like elevators to get down to the beach because as you can imagine, there are a lot of steps to get down. I just don't know how they construct some of these properties, but they're certainly easy on the eyes. But there is a, you know, a new property because the Amalfi Coast, for all its, you know, the traffic in a sense, that it receives in terms of tourism, hasn't really had many new hotels over the last decade. And they do have a new one called Borgo Sant'Andrea and it's a luxury boutique hotel, five stars, perched on a cliff overlooking the coast. And it combines mid-century modern design with Mediterranean charm and it has these stunning tiles. You know, it's just a real feast for the eyes. It's that blue and the white and then the hanging ivy. I mean, it's just stunning. And you can arrive, guests can arrive by So that's a very nice little entrance to your Amalfi Coast holiday. Oh,
SPEAKER_01:that sounds just divine. And speaking of feasts, not just for the eyes, let's go to the food. Your favourite food, what is the must eat when you're on the coast? And I suspect you're going to put anchovies in there somewhere. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Definitely anchovies. So when I mentioned Chitara, you know, it's a major anchovy hub and they produce Collatura di Alici, which is, you know, in a sense liquid gold is what I call it. But it's, you know, imagine if you're curing anchovies and it's the oil that drains out of those. And so the dish that is cooked the classic dish that you eat in that area is spaghetti with collatura di alici. And so it's just prepared. Sometimes I put like breadcrumbs on it to give it a bit of texture. But that oil is just, like I said, it's liquid gold. You can imagine it's salty. It has that taste of anchovy and it's quite delicious. Some other dishes, my favorite, look, there's a number of sweets. I should probably not skip straight to those, but there's the baba, which is a rum soaked sponge. And it's quite common around Naples and around the entire Campania region But, you know, across the Amalfi Coast, you'll find that and anything with lemons, Belle. So anything with lemons. And aside from drinks, you know, things like the Delizia al Limone, which is the local dessert. It's, you know, a sponge cake filled with like a lemon cream. And you'll find that anywhere from Sorrento through to Naples. I mean, you know, there's really hard press not to find one at a gelateria, at a bar or at a pasticceria. In terms of savoury, a lot of seafood.
SPEAKER_01:What is it about lemons in this part of the world? I mean, they just have a certain essence. They're ridiculously famous in their own right, aren't they?
SPEAKER_02:They are. And look, it's the sun and it's the soil. You have volcanic soil in this area. So just as lemons are in abundance in this region, you have tomatoes. So the San Marzano tomato, you know, and a million other types of tomato varieties. So anything with tomato is also, you know, this is why now I mentioned capre before. It's quite close, even though it's not technically on the Amalfi Coast, but people will have heard of the caprese salad. So, you know, the buffalo mozzarella, which is also produced in is just outstanding. And that paired with tomatoes is just a classic dish that you will find not only across towns and islands in the Gulf of Naples, but across the Gulf of Salerno.
SPEAKER_01:Amazing. And seafood, of course. Yes,
SPEAKER_02:seafood. Absolutely. Clams. So, you know, spaghetti with vongole, you know, which is just like that is my iconic and quintessential summer dish. It doesn't feel like summer to me in Italy until I've had my first spaghetti with vongole. And then you'll have the local pasta around the Amalfi Coast is a scialia tielli. which is like a ribbon, almost think of like a fettuccine, but, you know, it's like only probably like finger length. So it's kind of like a short, long pasta, if you like, and it's just made with flour and water.
SPEAKER_01:And how
SPEAKER_02:would you describe
SPEAKER_01:that dish?
SPEAKER_02:Generally served with like a bit of tomato, a bit of white wine and a mix of seafood.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, my gosh, you are singing to the choir on this one. And the essential drink then, the essential drink with all of this deliciousness is...
SPEAKER_02:The limoncello, of course. Which, look, you can find Limoncello across Italy. I mean, gosh, you know, you find it around the world now. It's just so popular and such an icon of Italy. But Limoncello is definitely locally produced just about anywhere. And nowadays they're also, you know, barmen and mixologists are getting quite creative with, you know, Limoncello and using it in cocktails. So you'll find things like a Limoncello spritz and a Limoncello mojito and all of that sort of stuff. So lemons are just used everywhere.
SPEAKER_01:I have seen it actually being blended with Prosecco quite a lot. And that really is a taste of the start of summer, isn't it? Limoncello and Prosecco. It is. Blend on it. Just divine. Now, so while you're on the coast, we've ticked off your favourite places to visit. I mean, is there a viewpoint or... I mean, what is the iconic view of when you're coming down the Amalfi Coast then? Because you're coming down from Rome. When do you know that you've actually hit the coast when you go, okay, this is it. This is the moment when I am on the Amalfi Coast.
SPEAKER_02:I would actually dare say, Belle, rather than down, up and going up to Ravello, because that is a town on the Amalfi Coast and I'm not good with, you know, numbers and geography. That's not my thing. So I can't tell you exactly at how many metres it is, but I do know that people, you know, have to kind of sometimes take in some deep breaths when they're up there. It is quite high. So if you suffer from altitude or anything like that, sickness, you might, I don't know if you want to give it a miss, but from Ravello is literally the viewpoint of the Amalfi Coast. Any of the locals will tell you that. And it's quite a winding road to get up there, but it's definitely a view that you won't regret.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, fantastic. And a lot of this history of the food is spelt out in your book as well, isn't it?
SPEAKER_02:It is. So each of the chapters, Belle, so you'll open the Campania chapter and whether you're planning a trip there or whether you're just doing some armchair travel from here in Australia, I think that it's an immersive, deep dive into the region. And so someone, I hope, will open that Campania chapter and dream big to travel to that area one day. It features an introduction to the geography, to the culture, to the identity and DNA of the region and of the people. And then I outline 10 of my favorite dishes and then about another 30 of the dishes that people look out for so look it's not an exhaustive list it never could be because the food in Italy like in most cultures you know is never-ending but you know it outlines like I said about 30 dishes that you should look out for and also the produce so you know it might be that you're at a restaurant and you don't know what dish to order but you know if you're in Campania and you see something with lemons or you see something with tomatoes then you'll know that that might be something that's that's local it outlines some drinks and then culinary experiences and some food festivals as well.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, fantastic. That's a really great rule of thumb. If you don't know what to order, go the produce store. approach. Yeah, go
SPEAKER_02:the produce. And look, speak to your, you know, speak to your waiters, of course. I mean, and I still do it. I've lived in, I've traveled Italy for my whole life. My family heritage is Italian. So, you know, Italian food is very close to my heart and, you know, I know a lot about it. But, you know, I travel through the country to many towns throughout the year that I haven't been to. And so often I'll look at the menu and then just ask the waiter, look, what should I have? What, you know, what's good here? What would you have? What's your favorite dish on the menu? So, you know, that never hurts.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely. Brilliant tip. Now, the final question which of course we ask all our guests and you've answered it for me once before so you're going to have to dig deep for this way back at the beginning your most bizarre travel experience doesn't have to be in Italy doesn't have to involve food but you get extra gold stars if it does
SPEAKER_02:okay gosh I can't remember what I said last time but If I had to think, it was probably when I almost broke, I should say busted my ankle once on the Isle of Salina in the Aeolian Islands in Sicily. And we were on a day trip, you know, one of those day trips where you go out on the boat and you're swimming all day. And of course, out of the 12 people on the boat, I ended up being the one that couldn't do anything all day because I was sitting there with an ankle that I couldn't put any weight on. And when we got back to the port, it was full of people. And there was an ambulance there with sirens blaring and waiting for me. And it was just for an ankle. So I got out, I was like hugely embarrassed. And I was rushed to a local hospital and they kept saying, we're going to have to airlift you to the mainland. And I was like, oh my gosh, it's only an ankle. So it was just my, you know, first, one of the first early experiences into the Italian health system. And then I, as most young, smart people do, I kept traveling through, you know, it's not like I flew home to Australia. I wasn't living in Italy at the time. So I kept having, you know, hopping along on crutches throughout the South of Italy for another three weeks, which I dare say did not help my ankle and had to be reconstructed a year later in Australia. Oh
SPEAKER_01:my goodness. But you know, never let an injury get in the way of a good time, right?
SPEAKER_02:Never, never. I'm like, I've still got three weeks of travel to go. So I'm just going to have to, just going to have to fuck it up.
SPEAKER_01:Never going to go home. But that sounds like you always celebrated, uh, as, as the celebrity, um, you know, being, being flown out or, you know, shipped out by ambulance. I think that there's a little glam. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:A bit of glam to it as always.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. Just order the limoncello from your, from your stretcher. That's right.
SPEAKER_02:That's right. Yeah, we had a few drinks to help the pain and the inflammation.
SPEAKER_01:Good job. I'm pleased to see that you actually walk the talk. So Maria, thanks so much for taking us to the beautiful Amalfi Coast for even just for a few minutes and really looking forward to deep diving back into your newest book. Congratulations again.
SPEAKER_02:Thanks so much, Belle, and you're very welcome. Hope to see you in Italy and having a drink with you there soon.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00:It's a
SPEAKER_01:date.
SPEAKER_00:Enjoying this episode? Well, you can experience the Amalfi Coast for yourself on Explore's range of tours traversing its walking trails by ferry, by road and by rail to discover 11th century cathedrals, walk through lemon grows, villages loved by stars of the silver screen and glorious views of the spectacular coastline. Head to exploreworldwide.com.au to find out more.
SPEAKER_01:Our tip today is inspired by the growing trend of wellness travel. Etihad Airways has teamed up with airport spa company Be Relaxed to open a new spa at its home airport in Abu Dhabi. It's got full body massages and chair massages, barbers and experiential showers. The spa is open 24-7 in Terminal A. Of course, if you are flying first class, it is free. But for all of us that don't fly first class, anyone can book in.
SPEAKER_00:And not everyone has the time or the budget for a transit spa stop as fabulous as it sounds. So Etihad has asked some of its staff for some hot skincare tips, which we're passing on. So they asked Australian cabin crew member Robert Nelson, who says it's a little known fact that day flights at a high altitude means high UV exposure. Who would have thought you can get UV exposure on a plane? But you can. And he recommends Cancer Council's SPF 50+, especially for regular flies.
SPEAKER_01:Look, I do love the Cancer Council product. I use the BB cream, which has a sunscreen in it. But on those day flights, they must have the blinds all the way up. I seem to always be on night flights out of Australia, so I'm saving my skin, clearly. But we all know how absolutely horrific... you know, the pressure cabin is on your skin as well. So another tip from another Etihad crew member, Emma Brown, she also uses the Cancer Council sunscreen, which makes me feel so much better about it. But then she ramps it up with bio oil. And what I love about this is they're both really affordable products, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Well, bio oil never used to be. It used to be really expensive, but it's now become very affordable. And Emma says it's full of vitamin A, vitamin E, which moisturizes and protects your skin. And we all know how dehydrated So slap a bit of that on as well before you go flying.
SPEAKER_01:I do love a bit of slap, I do. Emma also shared a second tip, and this is all about keeping your makeup on for the full 14-hour flight. And while I don't, I mean, look, I do love slap, but I wouldn't need to say that you have to have a full face of makeup to fly. This is definitely a great tip if you're on the go all day, and that is CoverGirl's pressed powder, which she absolutely swears by and says keeps you looking fresh all day. And look, I think that Cabin Crew are an inspiration when it comes to looking fabulous for, you know, the rest of us just go from bad to gruesome don't we on those flights
SPEAKER_00:well as you know bell i do take flying seriously and i like to dress nicely like i'm not going to ever wear gym pants on a flight or anything um and i do always have a full face of makeup because when you arrive you feel so much better you just you do it makes you feel a bit better so um i don't know about the press powder but if it wasn't really decent coverage i'd go for clinics beyond perfecting
SPEAKER_01:Oh, okay. See, I'm always fascinated about, I actually, look, I, what I, you know, I always touch up before I touch down, as they say in the industry. I am always fascinated by the lipstick that the cabin crew wear. If anyone knows me, knows that I am a red lipstick girl, clearly wearing it now because, you know, audio podcasts, why not? And, you know, like the, like the, do you remember when we corralled the Emirates girls and demanded what lipstick they were wearing? Etihad, so they're all about the red lip. Etihad runs to a softer pink tone. But whatever the colour, it's got to last. And the staff often recommend Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink. And if you're looking for the colour, that soft pink that they use is often Riri, R-I-R-I, if you're here for the detail.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so we've got sidetracked there. Not so much about, you know, facial wellness and keeping you hydrated, but onto makeup as well. But hey, look, if you're wearing lots of makeup, you look better, you know, you can feel better. So it's all related, right? And
SPEAKER_01:if you're looking at me. Oh, that glow with natural's face. Look at that.
SPEAKER_00:If you're looking for other Be Relaxed Airport spas, you'll find them in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and there's one in Frankfurt, also Dubai, and the major hubs in the US
SPEAKER_01:airports.
SPEAKER_00:Next week, we're taking you to Sri Lanka with Miguel Canet, the brainchild behind Sri Lanka's first long-distance hiking route, the new 300-kilometre The Pico Trail. Venture through tea plantations, forests, cultural and historical sites, and visit remote villages where you'll connect with the local culture.
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SPEAKER_01:That's a wrap for The World Awaits this week. Click to subscribe anywhere you listen to your favourite pods. And where can people find you, Kirsty?
SPEAKER_00:I'm at kirstierights on Instagram. That's K-I-R-S-T-I-E, rights, W-R-I-T-E-S. And where can people find you, Belle? You can find
SPEAKER_01:me at globalsalsa.com or on Insta at global underscore salsa. Thanks
SPEAKER_00:for listening. See you next week.
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