Zero To Travel Podcast

• Surviving On a Desert Island + Transformative Travel with Tom Williams from Desert Island Survival

  Do you have the skills to survive on a deserted island?  Tom Williams is the founder of Desert Island Survival, an adventure travel company that maroons people on desert islands, and the winner of the TV survival show Alone UK 2023. In this episode, Tom traces his path from wealth management to remote survival guiding, explains how he designs his desert island expeditions, and shares the deep transformations that he's witnessed in his participants. Tom shares how he went from being at the bottom of his class and experiencing childhood bullying in England to walking to the North Pole, becoming a dive master, and launching a wilderness survival business. He breaks down how Desert Island Survival trips work, why they’re structured the way they are, and what makes the format accessible even to beginners. You’ll hear real stories of guests who made dramatic life changes afterward - quitting jobs, leaving relationships, transforming their health - not because they were promised transformation, but because of what happens when you slow down and reconnect with your primal self. Tom also shares business lessons from starting small, building around passion, and growing with intention. *This is a previously released episode from the archives! Zero To Travel interviews are timeless, offering valuable insight whenever you listen. What travel experiences have changed your life? I'd love to hear what they are and hope you will share them by sending me an audio message. Tune In To Learn: Why a trip to Honduras at 20 shifted Tom’s identity and changed the course of his life How walking to the North Pole helped him build the resilience to start a business What inspired him to leave a finance job and build Desert Island Survival from scratch What actually happens on the island and why it’s designed to feel like raw adventure, not hardship The “non-negotiables” that make each trip feel special, accessible, and transformative What it means to go back to “layer zero” of technology and why that’s so powerful How Tom finds untouched islands in a mapped world, and what makes the perfect location What he’s learned from growing slowly, staying picky, and building around passion Why following your dream isn’t always about success And so much more Resources: Sign up for our FREE newsletter Tom's website Tom on Instagram  Desert Island Survival Tom’s book recommendations:  Humankind, Sapiens, At Home,  438 Days Want More? 3 years Alone On Foot: An Interview With Sarah Marquis Finding Your Island Paradise: An Interview With Alex Sheshunoff How To Hike The PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) Thanks To Our Sponsors: Smart Travel Podcast - Before you book, learn how to get the most out of your travel dollars. Follow Smart Travel on your favorite podcast app. CREATOR: The Podcast - Join host Ross Borden as he uncovers how top creators built six-figure incomes from beach cafes, mountain peaks, and everything in between.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Top 7 French Riviera Hidden Gems (A Local’s Guide) + A Lifestyle Redesign Built Around Travel with Cédric Pages

  What if the French Riviera you’ve seen in photos is only half the story? Cédric Pages is the founder of WhatToDoRiviera.com, a local tour entrepreneur driving discovery across the Côte d’Azur by partnering with small operators and curating authentic experiences. In this episode, we dive into seven hidden gems of the French Riviera that most visitors miss, plus Cédric’s journey from IT to tour guide and how he’s building a travel business that’s rooted in human connection. Cédric shares seven of his favorite French Riviera hidden gems, including secret coastal walks, ancient monasteries, and even a solar-powered sailing experience. You’ll hear what makes the region so unique, how to explore it without breaking the bank, and why most visitors miss its most memorable spots.  Which of these hidden gems are you most excited to explore, or which region have you discovered that surprised you? I'd love to hear about it, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message. Tune In To Learn: How Cedric turned a single walking tour into a platform supporting local guides and curated experiences across the Riviera A coastal walk that offers dramatic sea views, rare flora, and villa-lined cliffs An under-visited nearby island that still houses monks and produces local wine and olive oil The story of a tiny, family-run vineyard still using centuries-old winemaking methods Why a scenic train ride turns a Riviera base into an unexpected mountain gateway What it’s like to glide silently along the coast on a solar-powered boat How one inland river canyon makes for an epic full-day adventure Which town Cédric recommends as your base, and when it actually makes sense to move The biggest assumption people make about French hospitality and how to break through Advice for building a travel business that connects you with people, not just tours And so much more Resources: Sign up for our FREE newsletter Cédric’s list of French Riviera hidden gems What To Do Riviera Instagram Want More? How to Plan Your Camino + Going Beyond the Camino Frances (Secret Routes, Donkey Highways, and Spain’s Hidden Village Network) with Shawn and Lainey 5 Unexpected Things to Do in Paris and 3 Hidden Gems in France with Paige McClanahan How To Explore Paris Like a Local, Working on Hospital Ships, and Becoming an Expat on a Mystery Visa With Jay Swanson Thanks To Our Sponsors Smart Travel Podcast - Before you book, learn how to get the most out of your travel dollars. Follow Smart Travel on your favorite podcast app. CREATOR: The Podcast - Join host Ross Borden as he uncovers how top creators built six-figure incomes from beach cafes, mountain peaks, and everything in between.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Remote Roundup: Intentional Travel, Nomadding Berlin, Work Setups, Co-Living Trends, Overhyped Destinations (September 2025)

  What if every choice as a digital nomad, from where you live, to how you work, to the people you surround yourself with, was made with more intention? Remote Roundup is a new monthly series hosted by Zero To Travel’s associate producer, Caitlin Sunderland, and partnerships manager, Janessa Klatt. Explore what's new in remote work and travel, including helpful tools and resources, need‑to‑know trends, destinations, and insight into what it really means to live and work around the world. In this episode, we talk about how adding intentionality to your travels can completely reshape your experience as a digital nomad, and how the right tools, communities, and mindsets can turn a place from “just okay” to somewhere you thrive.  We reflect on how our experiences of a popular European city have shifted over time, share the realities of finding remote work setups that actually support this lifestyle, and unpack the growing trend of pop-up co-livings. You’ll get our honest take on destinations that look perfect on Instagram but don’t always hold up in real life, and how to think differently about where (and why) you go next. What’s one experience, community, or personal goal that could guide your next destination? We’d love to hear about it, and hope you’ll share by sending an audio message. Tune In To Learn: How Berlin won Caitlin over on her second visit, and what makes it a compelling nomad base The gear and simple upgrades that can make remote work more comfortable and sustainable on the road Why pop-up and self-organized co-livings are on the rise and how they’re creating more organic, affordable, and aligned ways to live and work together How choosing a purpose or focus for your travels can lead to deeper connections, routines, and a more memorable time Which popular destinations are overhyped, and how expectations shape our experience A fun round of Would You Rather” that can help you reflect on your own travel values and priorities And so much more Resources: Sign up for our FREE newsletter Caitlin on Instagram Janessa on Instagram Instagram vs Real Life article Want More? Remote Roundup: Future Hotspots, Productivity Experiments, Digital Nomadding 2.0 (August 2025) Digital Detox: Downsizing Your Digital Life to Create Freedom + Reboot Your Lifestyle Business with Corbett Barr Co-living 101: How to Build Community While Traveling + the Future of Remote Work with Fabio and Juls Thanks To Our Sponsors Apple Card - Earn 3% back on the Apple products and services you love with Apple Card. Smart Travel Podcast - Before you book, learn how to get the most out of your travel dollars. Follow Smart Travel on your favorite podcast app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Traveling with No Destination and No Goals: Lessons from a 3-Year, 38,000-Mile Solo Bike Ride Around the World with Jacob Lemanski

  What would happen if you left home with no destination, no goal or deadline, and simply just went until you couldn’t go any further? Jacob Lemanski is an engineer-turned-world traveler who bicycled 38,000 miles over 999 days, crossing six continents and circling the earth twice. After returning home, he turned his travel journal into a video podcast, How To Move The Stars. He also founded an art and clothing company inspired by the experience and now runs a bike touring business in Colorado. Jacob shares what it was like to travel without a finish line and how it reshaped his entire approach to life and adventure. He reveals how three years of solo, open-ended travel deepened his understanding of presence, identity, and emotional endurance. You’ll hear what it took to stay on the road for 999 days, the personal cost and reward of extreme solitude, and how returning home led him to reshape his life through creativity, entrepreneurship, and reflection. This episode challenges conventional ideas of success and shows what’s possible when the journey itself becomes the destination. What’s one journey you’ve been holding back from because you felt you needed a clear goal or endpoint? I’d love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message. Tune In To Learn: What inspired Jacob to leave home without a destination and why he expected to quit much earlier What it’s like to live without a schedule for three years and how that changes your sense of time What the trip taught him about limits, identity, and emotional endurance The emotional impact of returning home after years of open-ended movement How Jacob turned thousands of journal pages into a long-term podcast art project Why he built a giant ant farm, and how psychedelics helped him process the trip His best advice for aspiring long-distance cyclists and building a trip around your personal limits And so much more Resources: Sign up for our FREE newsletter Jacob’s podcast, How To Move The Stars Ant Life psychedelic art and clothing Mountain High Bicycle Tours Want More? Lessons From Caring for the Dying and Bike Packing 18 Countries With Jerry Kopack 7 Bike Rides of a Lifetime With National Geographic’s Roff Smith Bike-Packing Scotland and Breaking Free of Cultural Expectations with C.D. Seventeen Thanks To Our Sponsors Apple Card - Earn 3% back on the Apple products and services you love with Apple Card. Smart Travel Podcast - Before you book, learn how to get the most out of your travel dollars. Follow Smart Travel on your favorite podcast app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Safari Planning 101 + How to Build Your Life Around Travel with Scott Brills

  What does it take to plan an unforgettable African safari? How can one trip lead to building a life and business around travel?  Scott Brills is a long-time digital nomad, international entrepreneur, and co-founder of Pamoja Safaris, a locally run company offering custom wildlife safaris in Tanzania. Over the past 20 years, he’s lived at the intersection of travel, business, and service — running trips, participating in charities, and creating a location-independent lifestyle before “digital nomad” was a common phrase.  This episode is both a guide to planning a world-class African safari and a behind-the-scenes look at how Scott built a thriving travel-based business from scratch.  Whether you're dreaming of lions in the Serengeti or wondering how to design your own unconventional lifestyle, this conversation delivers both practical insights and personal inspiration. If a safari is on your bucket list, you’ll learn how to plan smart: when to go, where to go, what it should cost, and what red flags to avoid. And if you’ve ever dreamed of building your life around travel, Scott’s story is proof that it’s possible, even without outside funding, marketing spend, or a fixed address.  What would building your life around travel look like, and what’s one step you could take today? What element of a Safari is the most important to you? I'd love to hear what you think and hope you will share by sending me an audio message.  *This is a previously released episode from the archives! Zero To Travel interviews are timeless, offering valuable insight whenever you listen.  Tune In To Learn:  What makes Tanzania a world-class safari destination  How Scott co-founded a safari business through a single serendipitous encounter  Key factors that affect safari pricing and how to keep costs down without sacrificing quality  When and where to go for the best wildlife, weather, and experience  Why guide quality is the single most important factor in a great safari  What to look for in ethical safari operators (and how to avoid greenwashing)  How Scott ran his business for over a decade on referrals alone  The origin of his travel obsession and how it shaped everything  What “building a life around travel” actually looks like, practically and emotionally  Advice for travelers considering a leap into remote work or entrepreneurship   And so much more  Resources:  Sign up for our FREE newsletter  Learn about Pamoja Safaris  Scott’s website  Pamoja on Instagram  Scott on Instagram  Want More?  9 Ways Travel Will Change You + Lessons from Cycling Africa and Visiting 95 Countries with Alex Hennock  Adventure and Conservation: A 6000 km Tuk Tuk Journey Through Africa  5 Surprising Experiences in Africa, How to Transition to a New Career After Travel, and Exploring the African Diaspora With Jay Cameron  Thanks To Our Sponsors: Apple Card - Earn 3% back on the Apple products and services you love with Apple Card. Smart Travel Podcast - Before you book, learn how to get the most out of your travel dollars. Follow Smart Travel on your favorite podcast app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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