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Every Thursday on Unpacked by Afar, we tackle a new tricky topic in travel. Because the travel world is complicated. We’re here to help you unpack it.
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Episodes
On this episode of Unpacked: Travel to Listen, host Tim Chester discovers why the Mojave Desert around Joshua Tree has been producing some of rock’s most original music for decades—and why once the desert gets under your skin, it never really lets go.
On this Feel Good Friday episode of Unpacked by Afar, the team shares good news about Australia’s plastic reduction, a Polish climber who skied down Everest alone, and the female guides redefining safari in Botswana.
On this episode of Unpacked by Afar, host Aislyn Greene travels to the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park to spend time with the women breaking into one of Africa’s most male-dominated professions—and discover why having a female guide changes everything about being in the bush.
On this Feel-Good Friday episode of Unpacked by Afar, Aislyn Greene, Nikki Galteland, and Katherine LaGrave make the case that the path to happiness runs straight through a dance floor, a dog-friendly lobby, and a conversation with a stranger on a plane.
On this episode of Unpacked by Afar, host Aislyn Greene talks with photographer and adventurer Brad Ryan about the road trip of a lifetime—visiting every U.S. national park with his grandmother—and what he learned about age, connection, and what travel is really for.
On this episode of Unpacked: Travel to Listen, host Tim Chester discovers how Minneapolis became one of America’s most original music cities—and why, a decade after Prince’s passing, the sound he created has never been more alive.
On this “Feel-Good Friday” road trip episode of Unpacked by Afar, Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland debate the one song that defined the millennial generation—and make a strong case for SPF.
S5, E21: Feel-Good Fridays | A Hidden India, a Celebrity Elephant, and the Future of California Wine
On this Feel Good Friday episode of Unpacked by Afar, the team celebrates sustainable travel in India, the life of a legendary super tusker named Craig, and a California incubator giving BIPOC winemakers their shot.
On this episode of Unpacked: Travel to Listen, host Tim Chester discovers why Macon, Georgia—home to Little Richard, Otis Redding, and the Allman Brothers—is one of America’s most musically rich cities.
On this Feel Good Friday episode of Unpacked by Afar, the team celebrates baby salmon heading to sea, United’s first female senior pilot, and the joy of following pottery signs through rural Minnesota.
On this bonus episode of Unpacked by Afar, host Aislyn Greene shares five things she learned towing a 20-foot Airstream with an electric Rivian truck — and why the infrastructure surprised her most.
On this first Feel-Good Fridays episode of Unpacked by Afar, host Aislyn Greene Nikki Galteland, and Michelle Baran share stories that prove travel—and the world—can still surprise you.
On this episode of Unpacked, host Aislyn Greene sets off on an eight-day Oregon coast road trip in a Rivian hauling an Airstream and discovers that the hardest part isn’t the miles—it’s the parking.
On this episode of Unpacked: Five Questions, host Katherine LaGrave talks with documentary photographer Nathalie Mohadjer about the four weeks she spent in Siwa, Egypt—and why the best photographs start with putting the camera away.
On this episode of Unpacked, host Aislyn Greene sits down with Afar senior editor Jennifer Hope Choi to explore what it means to travel with your stomach first and your itinerary second.
On this episode of Unpacked: America 250, host Aislyn Greene discovers the surprisingly deep history of Hawaii’s most joyful instrument and learns to play it herself.
On this episode of Unpacked, host Katherine LaGrave sits down with journalist Lisa Abend and discovers why ditching the internet might be the best thing you can do for your travels.
On this episode of Unpacked, guest host Billie Cohen talks with Wendy Perrin about the surprising difference between booking a trip and truly experiencing one, and why the right travel advisor changes everything.
On this episode of Unpacked: Live, host Aislyn Greene talks with artist and naturalist Obi Kaufmann, who has spent decades mapping California’s landscapes—and why he believes the state’s infinite beauty is only just beginning to reveal itself.
On this special live episode of Unpacked, Aislyn Greene talks with acclaimed L.A.-based architect Barbara Bestor about the buildings, neighborhoods, and landscapes that define California.
On this special live episode of Unpacked, host Aislyn Greene talks with San Francisco native and landscape architect Roderick Wyllie about what it means to design spaces that feel unmistakably, undeniably Californian.
On this episode of Unpacked, host Aislyn Greene sits down with soccer historian Jonathan Wilson to unpack a century of World Cup drama — and what makes 2026 the most complicated tournament yet.
On this episode of Unpacked, host Aislyn Greene goes behind the scenes of the Castro Theatre’s $41 million renovation and finds that bringing an icon back to life means honoring everything it survived to get here.
On this episode of Unpacked, host Aislyn Greene talks with author Patrick Bixby—and discovers that the little book in your drawer is far more loaded, and far more recent, than you ever imagined.
On this Unpacked, host Aislyn Greene sits down with Stanford circadian researcher Dr. Jamie Zeitzer and Flykitt founder Andrew Herr to find out why jet lag doesn’t have to be an inevitable part of travel.
On this episode of Unpacked: Off the Tourist Trail, Blane Bachelor shares her insider tips on navigating overtourism, cycling like a local, and finding the city’s quieter, more authentic side.
On this episode of Unpacked, Afar deputy editor Michelle Baran and editorial director Billie Cohen get candid about the state of travel in 2026: why airline loyalty isn’t so loyal anymore, whether your premium credit card still earns its keep, and the destinations they’d book right now before the crowds catch on.
On this episode of Unpacked, Five Questions, food writer Lisa Abend road trips through northern Spain to discover how Michelin-starred chefs are breathing new life into the country’s emptying villages.
On this episode of Unpacked: Where to Go, Bianca Bujan introduces us to Saba, a five‑square‑mile Dutch Caribbean island where lush mountains replace beaches, gingerbread‑style houses dot steep cliffs, and outdoor adventure rules the day. She covers how to get there, the best hikes and dives, and local food and culture.
On this episode of Unpacked: Where to Go, Nick DeRenzo shares tips for exploring Stratford and the East Bank cultural quarter, including where to eat, where to stay, and the new museums and venues reshaping East London in 2026.