Lonely Planet Travelcasts

Listening to Lonely Planet’s podcasts, which they refer to as ‘Travelcasts,’ is like stepping directly into the traveller’s world.

See Lonely Planet’s latest podcasts here.

Whether it is the Mayan splendour of a temple or the adventure trail of a Europe-wide bicycle journey, Lonely Planet is sure to take you right into the middle of some of the Earth’s travel treasures.

We spoke to the online editor of Lonely Planet, Amy Rudder, to ask how this recent development has taken their reputable guidebooks off the page.
 
What are the main aims in making a podcast? Are there certain guidelines?

A podcast has to take your audience 'on location'. It should be mainly inspirational, but should also suggest how to replicate the experience at hand.

Do podcasts have to emulate the guide books?

A podcast won’t necessarily emulate the guidebook as the two serve different purposes. A guidebook - in addition to giving you background information on a country - is primarily used to practically plan your trip. A podcast is inspirational - it is the impetus to make that decision to just go there. For armchair travellers it is also informative, educational and just a bit of fun. Some podcasts will be more practical in nature - follow the path of a walking tour suggested in the guidebook, or be an experience listed come to life.

How does the traveller go about making a podcast from start to finish?

Anyone can make a podcast, that is the greatest thing about it. Barring equipment to get going, all of the software you need to complete your podcast is available free from the internet. It takes a while to master, but it is easy to get started.

Firstly you need some kind of recording equipment. Our authors tend to use an iriver - which far from looking hi-tech - is about the same size as a lipstick case. A mic is all important - but it is pretty easy to pick up one these days that is inexpensive and will get the job done. Before you are actually going to do any recording in the field, it is best to trial out the settings and the levels on your recording device, so that you know when you get home your audio won’t be distorted.

Spend some time thinking about the story you are trying to uncover or tell. But remember the best place to start, if ever you are stuck, is to plant your feet and turn a 360 describing exactly what it is you can see and smell. Take your audience there. When you have your raw audio files, you will need to edit them together and you can do this with the freeware - audacity. Save it as an mp3 - load it up to ipodder - and there you have it.

What technical problems are common with making a podcast?

Surely one of the most simple and frustrating problems that can occur is that you run out of battery. Make sure you have checked that you have full power before you head out on location. Distorting the audio recording is common too. When you save your audio files, make sure you make a couple of copies before you start editing, as otherwise - if you make changes you don't like - you may not be able to undo them later.

Where are the podcasts put together and uploaded?

You can use audacity, which can be downloaded for free from the internet. There are also comprehensive online tutorials that will teach you how to use this audio editing software. You can upload your podcast to a podcasting client such as ipodder or itunes.

What are the benefits of podcasting technology?

It is relatively simple and easy to use. Tags attached to podcasts make them searchable by theme, so that even the most niche podcast will be sought out by the audience interested. The power is then with the person to download that audio file and to listen to it in their own time. This is the ultimate benefit of podcasting technology. We no longer live at the whim of broadcasting schedules - we have the power to listen to what we want, when we want.

Is being educational an important part of the travel journalist’s remit in making the podcast?

In a way education is what life and travel is all about. When you are learning about anything new you are being educated. Lonely Planet definitely sees education as an important aspect of what it aims to achieve, but not in a dry sense of the word. Hence why our guidebooks are written in their unique style and why we have authors create podcasts: the education you get when you don't even realise you are getting it is surely the best. Our podcasts take people who want to go, or can't go, or who just like dreaming about going, on location to some of the most amazing destinations the world has to offer.

What podcasts are coming up in the Lonely Planet collection?

Just this week we have completed a four-part podcast series navigating the Mayan ruins of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. Our author Ray Bartlett took us to Tulum, Kohunlich and Dzibanche, Palenque and Chichen Itza. Soon we will be headed to London, a Welsh music festival and the backstreets of Dubai.

Keep up to date with Lonely Planet’s latest podcasts here.

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