Is social media ruining travel? We explore whether overexposure to travel destinations is setting us up for disappointment, ensuring our travel expectations cannot be met.

In this episode of Tripology Podcast, we unpack how social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and even travel blogs, impact how we experience travel —and how it might be making us less happy on the road.

We discuss the psychology behind the Instagram vs Reality meme and ask: is travel content killing spontaneity?

Hostel Common Room returns with a fantastic email from a listener, one which will resonate with many: does overplanning dull the experience?

Stay tuned for Tales of a Trip, as we hear a story from a listener who stayed with a Monastic community, only to discover she would be cooking mash potato for 500 people in one of France's largest commercial kitchens!

The topics we cover in this episode include:

- "The Golden Age of travel": Pre-2020 vs Backpacking in 2025

- How hostels & backpackers have changed

- The rise of the Digital Nomad and how digital nomads have impacted hostel culture

- Backpacker diets & hostel kitchens

- How expectations govern happiness, sharing some of our biggest backpacking let-downs.

We'd love to hear from you! Submit your own travel story to: ⁠https://tripologypodcast.com/talesofatrip⁠

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Thank you, as always, for your continued support. It means the world.

This week we introduce a new segment: Hostel Wars - We present AI Travel Bot 'Vagabot 3000' (definitely not ChatGPT) with two accommodation options in Kotor, Montenegro. In the hope of backpacking Europe, Vagabot 3000 must pick the worst hostel based on genuine hostel reviews, continuing the search for the most 'authentic' experience.

Tales of a Trip takes a romantic but embarrassing turn, as we hear from a Brazilian backpacker who unknowingly let himself go in Indonesia. No amount of diarrhoea would stop this traveler finding true love.

We'd love to hear from you! Submit your own travel story to: https://tripologypodcast.com/talesofatrip

Before Hostel Wars and Tales of a Trip, we discuss:
- Competitive backpacking and travel one-upmanship
- Adam's 7-Eleven friend in Hong Kong

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Join our Patreon community: patreon.com/tripologypodcast

Check out our Discord: https://discord.gg/e8AqJgbn

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@tripologypodcast

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tripologypodcast/
Take a look at out our website: https://www.tripologypodcast.com

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. It means the world.

A backpacking trip to India takes a wild turn when friend of the show Will Hatton, aka The Broke Backpacker, finds himself surrounded by 100 monkeys — while tripping on LSD. In this psychedelic travel tale, Will recounts how a peaceful sunset at a Rajasthani fortress spiralled into monkey madness.

This is the first edition of Tales of a Trip: a brand-new segment on Tripology Podcast where fellow travellers and listeners of the show share their greatest travel stories — prepare for wild animal encounters, holiday romances, near-death experiences and once in a lifetime adventures.

Submit your own travel story to: https://tripologypodcast.com/talesofatrip

Before we get to Will's stellar travel story, we speak about:

- Manila and the Philippines: coffee culture & globalisation

- Alun shares the hilarious story of his Workaway experience in Hanoi, Vietnam, which saw him breaking into a building at midnight.

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Please rate the show and help us grow! Recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). It makes a HUGE difference! Thank you for your continued support; it means the world.

It's Alun's turn this week, as he relives one of his greatest travel stories! Whilst walking the streets of Johannesburg, South Africa, he was attacked and mugged by a Zimbabwean gang; the gang were armed with knives, machetes, and a rusty screwdriver!

After a year travelling the continent of Africa, and with a flight to New Zealand booked for the very next day, was Alun lucky to escape or did he push his luck too far? Tune in to hear the full story!

We'd love to hear from you! Send in your greatest travel story here: ⁠tripologypodcast.com/talesofatrip

Need travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: ⁠⁠⁠https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=26035801&utm_source=26035801&utm_medium=Ambassador
Require an onward flight? Please use this fantastic flight rental service: ⁠⁠⁠https://onwardticket.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠
Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Please rate the show and help us grow! Recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

To celebrate a new dawn at Tripology, Adam shares two of his greatest travel stories. Both set in Borneo, on the same action-packed adventure, we hear how he came face to face with an enormous male Orangutan whilst trekking through the Danum Valley rainforest, and the terrifying moment he almost drowned whilst scuba diving in Mabul.

Extreme ends of the travel spectrum but equally spectacular, this episode is not to be missed!

We'd love to hear from you! Send in your greatest travel story here: tripologypodcast.com/talesofatrip

Need travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: ⁠⁠⁠https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=26035801&utm_source=26035801&utm_medium=Ambassador
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Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Please rate the show and help us grow! Recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

We hiked through the ancient rice terraces of Banaue, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that's been dubbed the 8th Wonder of the World. Carved into the mountains of Banaue on the main island of Luzon, Philippines, these 2000 year old rice terraces are well worth the 10 hour night bus north of Manila. As predicted, Adam falls victim to heatstroke, but who's to blame? Was it the midday sun? Was it the questionable hiking gear? Or was it the work of the Engkanto?

Adam also flirts with the idea of changing career, as he tells the story of him being approached by a model scout whilst showering; a meeting that was "unprofessional at best."

We'd love to hear from you! Send us a message using the contact form on our website: ⁠tripologypodcast.com⁠

Need travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: ⁠⁠⁠https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=26035801&utm_source=26035801&utm_medium=Ambassador
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Please rate the show and help us grow! Recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

No trip to the Philippines would be complete without eating the controversial Filipino delicacy, Balut. This popular street food has been trending on social media for some time, due to its shocking appearance and questionable ethics, so we decided to give it a try. Is it good? Is it wrong? Join the debate!
We also discuss the Philippines' other defining features: incredibly slow elevators and the infamous mode of public transport, the Jeepney.

Sign up to Patreon for this week's Lost & Found section, as we continue the food theme. We put Manila's local desserts to the test in what is quite possibly the most underwhelming food experience we've had in Southeast Asia.

We'd love to hear from you! Send us a message using the contact form on our website: ⁠tripologypodcast.com⁠

Need travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: ⁠⁠⁠https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=26035801&utm_source=26035801&utm_medium=Ambassador

Require an onward flight? Please use this fantastic flight rental service: ⁠⁠⁠https://onwardticket.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠

Join our Patreon community: patreon.com/tripologypodcast

Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Please rate the show and help us grow! Recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

Join this week's Filipino Pop Quiz, as Adam tests Alun's knowledge of the Philippines! If Alun scores less than 3 out of 5 he'll have to eat a controversial Filipino delicacy!We also discuss the supernatural Filipino spirits: Engkantos. Often associated with the natural world, could they be delivering signs from above in the form of ripe mangoes?

We'd love to hear from you! Send us a message using the contact form on our website: tripologypodcast.com

Need travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: ⁠⁠⁠https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=26035801&utm_source=26035801&utm_medium=Ambassador

Require an onward flight? Please use this fantastic flight rental service: ⁠⁠⁠https://onwardticket.com/tripologypodcast

Join our Patreon community: patreon.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠

Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@tripologypodcast

Please rate the show and help us grow! Recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.