What is a conscious traveler? 

To us — Kathryn and Eric, two journalists with decades of reporting experience around the globe — a conscious traveler seeks a deeper understanding of the world, embraces curiosity, seeks rare adventures and, above all, practices empathy along the way. Empathy is the key to so much of what makes life wonderful: community, friendship, wellbeing, peace, happiness, and change. Traveling heightens our awareness and appreciation of these things, and teaches us to value them even more when we’re home. 

Conscious Traveler is our sonic love letter to this great planet, and all the mind-opening experiences it offers. We cover sustainability, conservation, culture and community, and talk about projects ranging from socially minded gorilla conservation efforts in Uganda to Lao textile workshops that celebrate traditional artisans, and from efforts to ban coral reef–damaging sunscreens to the thoughtful evolution of airport design. With the help of experts we’ve met along the way, we examine gender roles in the tourism industry and discuss how to avoid exploitation during encounters with both indigenous groups and wildlife. As we tell these and other stories, we invite you to engage with us, and with the landscapes and cultures you visit. Doing so, we believe, improves our lives and the lives of those we meet along the way, since conscious travel creates connections.

We know it seems crazy to start a travel podcast in the middle of a pandemic that has shut down travel around the world. But that’s what makes it the perfect time, too. Right now, we have a moment to sit still and think deeply about the fundamental reasons we travel — and what’s at stake if we can’t, or don’t. We hope you’ll join us as we tackle these issues and more, and that you’ll choose to be conscious travelers, too.