What’s this?
In each episode, we ask our city expert to pick:
— One strange thing to see
— One strange thing to do
— One strange festival or event
— One strange thing to eat or drink
— One strange local legend or slice of history
— One strange thing visitors do (that baffles locals)
— And one strange day trip from the cityWe'll also get straight-up recommendations, advice on when to visit, and their pick of strange sight elsewhere in the world.
Strange Old World is a travel podcast that celebrates the weird and wonderful sides of the world’s most historic cities — from Athens to Zhengzhou.
Every fortnight, a local travel expert selects some of the peculiar sights, offbeat activities, bizarre traditions and downright-odd delicacies that make their hometown tick.
It’s funny, affectionate, informative and, occasionally, a bit rude. Like all the best things in life.
(And yes, it's free too).
Listen now on Acast, Spotify, Apple, Amazon or wherever else you get your podcasts.
Episodes
Listen to the latest episode of Strange Old World right now. There’s more info on each episode (including a full list and map of recommendations) below the player.
with Mandy Sinclair, host of Why Morocco
Learn about perfume museums, avocado milkshakes, unusually open film festivals and a whole lot more…
with Molly Sears-Piccavey, creator of Piccavey.com
Learn about pointy-hooded sinners, double-crossed sultans, testicle-filled omelettes and a whole lot more…
with Jessica Cutrufello, creator of A Wanderlust for Life
Learn about floating cat sanctuaries, microbe-themed museums, raw soused herring and a whole lot more…
STRANGE OLD LAGOS & YORUBALAND
with Pelu Awofeso, editor of One for the Road
Learn about monkey-head fetishes, mask-filled masquerades, cow-skin beer snacks and a whole lot more…
with Nicky Swallow, writer for Condé Nast Traveller
Learn about vomit-inducing waxworks, violent medieval footy, boiled cow stomachs and a whole lot more...
with Ann Abel, writer for Forbes Travel
Learn about out-of-place hippos, sardine-filled street parties, fake medieval castles and a whole lot more...
with Mark Baker, writer for Lonely Planet
Learn about horse-meat burgers, dragon-themed carnivals, kayak-friendly lead mines and a whole lot more...
with David McElhinney, writer for Tokyo Weekender
Learn about spectacular penis-filled festivals, pit-viper liqueur, Japan's most loyal dog and a whole lot more...
with Emily Lush, blogger at Wander-Lush
Learn about Stalin's printing press, hangover intestine soup, bird-killing sulphur baths and a whole lot more...
with Mark Pickering, writer for The Guardian
Learn about statues of urinating men, tasty pickled cheese, creepy bone-filled chapels and a whole lot more...
with Pat Yale, author of Following Miss Bell
Learn about self-flagellating men, roasted sheep intestines, swaying Roman columns and a whole lot more…
with Jason Moore, host of Zero to Travel
Learn about some very funky fish, a ghostly guard dog, Santa’s Norwegian post office and a whole lot more…
with Will Noble, editor at Londonist
Learn about preserved celebrity poo, a clown church service, a mysterious white rabbit and a whole lot more…
Pick of the pods
Here’s a map of all the strange recommendations we’ve had from podcast guests so far. For more details on each, follow the links above to the individual episodes.
Who’s Joe?
Host Joe Reaney is a travel and comedy writer based in the UK and the Czech Republic. A regular contributor to the likes of Lonely Planet, National Geographic and Fodor’s, he’s been to every country in Europe (and a fair few beyond) and likes seeking out their stranger sights.
You might have heard him on other, more successful travel pods, including Zero to Travel and Where To Go. But this is his first time hosting one, so go easy on him. He’ll get better… surely?
You can follow Joe on the social media network formerly known as Twitter and on Instagram.
Contact us
Got any suggestions for where we should cover next? Know a funny, well-informed travel expert who’d make the perfect podcast guest? Get in touch with us today.