Armchair Explorer

Follow travel author Oscar Scafidi on his world-record paddle down the Kwanza River in
Angola. Stretching 600-miles from its source in the Angolan Highlands, in the center of the
country, to the Atlantic Ocean on the country’s west coast, Oscar and his partner Alfie
Weston kayaked the entire length and hiked an additional two hundred miles to circumvent
rapids, waterfalls and dams.

The going was tough and they were unprepared for the dangers and hardships ahead. But,
that’s also part of what’s so inspiring and unique about this story – Oscar and Alfie aren’t
professional adventurers, explorers or African bush experts. They’re just two young guys
with a crazy idea and a lot of guts.

They faced man-eating crocodiles, angry hippos and even angrier police. But over 33 hard
days, camping beside the banks of the river and in small settlements along the way, they
reached the ocean and in doing so did something no one else had ever achieved before,
which has since been recognised as an official world-record by Guinness World Records
This is a story about that adventure, but it’s also a story about dreaming big, taking risks and
achieving something extraordinary. If two ordinary guys, with very little kayaking
experience, can paddle the entire length of one of the longest rivers in Africa, why can’t you
achieve your travel dreams too?

Highlights:
Facing 600-miles of man-eating crocodiles, deadly rapids and pods of angry hippos
Kayaking the entire length of one of the least explored rivers on the planet – an official Guinness World Record
Discovering Angola, one of Africa’s least visited and most misunderstood countries,still reeling from the aftermath of a brutal civil war.
But one that’s also filled with incredible wildlife, surfing, hiking and more
Getting arrested in the middle of the night at gun point by the security forces
Being inspired to follow your own dreams of adventure and hearing what it takes to get it done

If you want to connect with Oscar directly his Instagram is @oscarscafidi and his twitter is
@scafiditravels. He also has an awesome YouTube channel which charts this trip and his
other adventures www.youtube.com/c/ScafidiTravels

The book of this journey is called Kayak the Kwanza: Source to Sea Along Angola’s Longest
River - www.amazon.com/Kayak-Kwanza-Oscar-Scafidi/dp/1789650127

Oscar and Alfie were raising money for the HALO Trust who are removing landmines from
Angola and other war-torn countries around the world. Their goal is a landmine-free wolrs
by 2025. Help them get there at www.halotrust.org

Follow @armchairexplorer podcast on Instagram and Facebook or head over to
www.armchair-explorer.com to find more background information on this episode
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.

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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:
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The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is the biggest two-wheeled party in the world drawing hundreds of thousands of riders each year to the Black HIlls of South Dakota.
Join presenter Brian Thacker on location as he gets right in amongst it - riding Main Street on a Fat Boy Harley-Davidson, taking in the stunts, burnouts and live rock at the legendary Buffalo Chip, meeting a Hall of Famer, a Sturgis veteran and a 100-year-old rider who still hasn't stopped.
Whether you ride a motorcycle or not, this is a wild ride into one of the loudest festivals on the planet.
You'll hear from:
Rod "Woody" Woodruff, founder of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip, the legendary concert and events venue at the heart of the rally
Michael Lichter, photographer and chronicler of motorcycle culture for over four decades
Milton "Mac" McKinney, Sturgis veteran and keeper of the rally's spirit
Gloria Struck - centenarian rider, still on two wheels at 100 years old
Cris Sommer-Simmons - Sturgis Hall of Famer and one of the great figures of American motorcycle culture

FIND OUT MORE
Our on-location Immersion documentaries are designed so that you can experience everything we did in this episode.
Visit travelsouthdakota.com for inspiration, ideas and everything you need to plan your own South Dakota adventure
SHARE THE RIDE
If this episode fired something up in you - please send it to just one person, one friend, one family member who's ever dreamed of hitting the open road. Hit the share button in your podcast app, it takes about ten seconds, and helps us continue to tell stories like this.
CONNECT WITH US
If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on whatever podcast player you're reading this on right now. Go on, do it. It means you get to choose what episodes you listen to, rather than the algorithm guess (wrongly) and kick us off your feed.
Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcast
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CREDITS
Armchair Explorer is produced by Armchair Productions. Brian Thacker wrote and presented this episode. Jason Paton did the field recording and production. Aaron Millar was executive producer.
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

In today’s Discover Destination guide, we’re taking a road trip across the Northern Territory of Australia, from crocodile close-encounters and aboriginal rock art to a wonder of the world that’s been drawing people to it for more than 30,000-years.
The Top End, as it’s known, is ancient, vast, deeply spiritual, and unlike anywhere else on Earth. This is a journey into its heart to discover one of the wildest and most
fascinating places in the country.
Highlights include:
Exploring Arnhem Land, a 200,000 acre wilderness home to the largest collection of Aboriginal rock art on Earth..
Sitting by the campfire with Peter ‘Fingers’ Taylor of Finnis River Lodge hearing stories of wildlife close-calls and the greatest animal rescue story you will ever hear (spoiler: it involves giving CPR to a possum).
Seeing Uluru for the first time: more than 1,000ft tall, and nearly six miles around, this giant stark red sandstone monolith is one of the great wonders of the natural world, and infused throughout with aboriginal history stretching back to the Dreamtime.
Walking in Kata Tjuta, Uluru’s less-visited but equally sacred neighbour - 36 ancient domes of rock, and a Valley of the Winds hike that might just be one of the most beautiful in Australia.

PLAN YOUR TRIP
We designed this itinerary with a company called Down Under Endeavors, who specialize in authentic Australian adventures: wide open spaces, real wilderness, and the kind of local characters you'll be telling stories about for years.
Armchair Explorer listeners get $500 off any trip. Downunderendeavours.com/armchair and use the code ARMCHAIR at checkout.
You can literally book this exact trip - with these exact guides - or design something entirely your own. You can book from anywhere in the world, and even if you're just dreaming right now, the website is worth a visit, and the dream is half the fun.

GOT 30 SECONDS?
If this episode made you want to book a flight to Australia, do us a favour and send it to just one person who you think might need an escape too. It helps us continue to build this community of travelers who want to protect the outdoors, learn from different cultures, and celebrate the pure joy of exploring this beautiful planet. We think that’s a message that’s worth sharing. If you do too, please leave a review or pass it on.
FOLLOW US
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Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcast
CREDITS
Armchair Explorer is produced by Armchair Productions, find out other shows at armchair-productions.com. Aaron Millar writes and presents the show. Charles Tyrie does the audio editing and sound design. Theme music by the artist Sweet Chap.
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

Today host Aaron Millar is sharing a bucket list bit of madness — literal adventure insanity he got up to about 15 years ago in the Scottish Highlands. It's called the Glen Nevis River Race, and it involves hurling yourself down two miles of white-water rapids with nothing but a novelty inflatable for company.
Picture part extreme white-water adventure, part Monty Python's Navy — competitors arrive bearing giant inflatable swans, killer whales, dinosaurs and, for one unfortunate soon-to-be husband, a blow-up doll. It's one of those rare, acutely British moments when only the preposterousness of your situation matches the bravado required to see it through. And Aaron has never, ever laughed so hard in his life.
Highlights include:
Hearing what it feels like to stand on the edge of a thundering 40ft waterfall, inflatable lilo in hand, with a crowd screaming at you to jump.
Discovering what it feels like to be swept into a churning cauldron of white-water with nothing but an inflatable air mattress to keep you afloat.
Finding out about the world's most wonderfully ridiculous outdoor adventures — including World Bog Snorkelling, Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling, and the Frozen Dead Guy Days festival.

FIND OUT MORE
The Glen Nevis River Race is an annual summer event held in Glen Nevis, Scotland, raising money for the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team. It's free to enter but contestants must raise a minimum of £100 in sponsorship. It's run by No Fuss Events: find out more at nofussevents.co.uk
Other adventures mentioned in this episode:
World Bog Snorkelling Championships: held each summer near Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales: green-events.co.uk
Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling: annual chaos every last Monday of May in Gloucestershire: cheese-rolling.co.uk
Frozen Dead Guy Days: Estes Park, Colorado. Yes, it's real. Yes, you should go. VisitEstesPark.com

SHARE THIS EPISODE
If this story made you laugh — and it will — do Aaron a favour and send it to just one person who needs a little madness in their life right now. Hit the share button in your podcast app, it takes about ten seconds, or leave a review. We’re trying to reach 1,000 new listeners this series, and every single share genuinely moves the needle.
FOLLOW US:
Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast
Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcast
CONNECT WITH US:
If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on whatever podcast player you're reading this on right now. Go on, do it! It helps us grow the show, and continue to bring this content to you.
Armchair Explorer is written and presented by Aaron Millar. Audio editing and sound design by Charles Tyrie. Theme music by Sweet Chap. Produced by Armchair Productions.
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

Levison Wood is one of the world’s most well-known explorers, TV presenters and authors. Join him for a 5,000-mile journey through the heart of the Middle East, from the front lines of Iraq and Syria through the Empty Quarter desert to Yemen, the West Bank and beyond. 13 countries in five months, his most complicated and dangerous expedition yet.
Following in the footsteps of great explorers such as Lawrence of Arabia and Wilfred Thesiger, we will pass through some of the most devastated and war-torn areas on the planet, but also some of the most fascinating and historic too. We will peel back our preconceptions and discover a hidden side to the Middle East, beyond the headlines and politics. This is the real Arabia, a mosaic of the best and worst of humanity, a quest to better understand the region and, perhaps, ourselves.
Highlights include:
Hear how one totally random chance event changed his life and led him to become one of the world’s most famous explorers
Hitchhiking to Baghdad during the Gulf war – hear the story of Levison’s first and craziest ever adventure as a young university student
Follow him to the front line, as he embeds with Kurdish fighters in Iraq, liberating ISIS held cities
Discover the Mesopotamian Marshes, the jewel of southern Iraq, where one of the most ancient cultures in the world is slowly rebuilding their lives
Cross the Empty Quarter desert on foot, 10-days through one of the harshest environments on the planet
Sneak into Yemen and cross over into Somalia by fishing boat, through the most pirate infested waters on Earth
Explore Jerusalem, and the West Bank, joining a demonstration that turns into a riot

“This is a story of my own wanderings set against a backdrop of interesting times. I have tried to challenge the prevailing winds where possible and contest stereotypes, hopefully smashing a few myths along the way.”
Levison Wood

FIND OUT MORE
Levison Wood is a British explorer, writer and photographer. He's written seven best-selling books, presented and produced some of the best travel and adventure documentaries out there, and done some quite simply incredible expeditions. Find out more at www.levisonwood.com
Instagram:@levison.wood / Facebook: @levisonwoodofficial / Twitter: @levisonwood
SHARE THIS EPISODE
If this story lit something up in you, do me a favour - send it to just one person. One friend, one family member, one person you think needs a little adventure in their life right now. Hit the share button in your podcast app, it takes about ten seconds. Or go Old School and tell someone about it over a cheeky pint! I'm trying to reach 1,000 new listeners this series, and every single share genuinely moves the needle.
https://linktr.ee/armchairexplorerpodcast
FOLLOW US: Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast
CONNECT WITH US: If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on whatever podcast player you're reading this on right now. Go on, do it! It helps us grow the show, and continue to bring this content to you.
Armchair Explorer is written and presented by Aaron Millar. Theme music by Sweet Chap. Produced by Armchair Productions. armchair-productions.com, armchair-explorer.com
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