As The Weather Channel rolls out its new show “From The Edge With Peter Lik” on March 31st, I decided to pick some of the best travel shows I’ve seen and that have inspired some of my wanderlust.
The Amazing Race (CBS)
I consider myself somehow a victim of this guilty pleasure show. How many times I’ve said, “ugh, I wish it was me doing that challenge!!” The Amazing Race shows two-person teams compete against each other in a race across multiple continents. Throughout the race, team members interact with locals and experience native customs to complete the challenges and to figure out the clues.
While it doesn’t really show how people normally travel, since contestants jump from country to country without fully appreciating the culture and surroundings, it does manage to entertain and to show a huge deal about world cultures and interesting destinations.
The show presents many highs and lows with its contestants (you will see how these people get nasty with each other along the way), but the show doesn’t shy away from presenting the rigors and challenges of traveling this way.
Globe Trekker (PBS)
First and foremost is the always-entertaining Globe Trekker. Globe Trekker takes you around the world to a variety of countries; from the famous and well-known destinations like Paris and London to the not so easy to go countries like Cuba and Iran.
This always entertaining show has practically gone everywhere in this world. Every show is unique, not only because every show presents a new destination, but also because every show has a different host.
They always have great ideas, show interesting sights (even on the destinations that have been overly covered before), and they take the time to meet the people and to experience the culture. Am I the only one that wants to start a show after watching Globe Trekker?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFFPlR6gM6E
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (Travel Channel)
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations is a travel and food show that follows Bourdain as he visits various locations around the world to sample the local cuisine and culture. What makes it so interesting is Anthony’s willingness to try any bizarre eating tradition and dishes; even the nastiest dishes that have made me gag just by looking at them through the TV. But “No Reservations” is not just a weird foreign cultures and foods extravaganza, it also shows Bourdain’s genuine curiosity about the places he visits and the people he meets. See how different destinations bring either Good Tony or Bad Tony… Whether the good or bad, his neurotic persona is clearly exhibited in each episode.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiJhGIAoUuw
Rick Steve’s Europe (PBS)
Even though he gives me a little bit of the creeps (I don’t know why), Rick Steve is a very knowledgeable traveler, travel writer, tour guide, and TV host.
While the show is only based in Europe, this is one of the most educational travel shows you will find around. It will teach you more than you can imagine about each destination with easy to digest visuals and information. It literally feels like being on a tour and having Rick Steve as your guide.
These four shows have and continue to inspire my passion for travel and my thirst for discovering new places. Obviously there are more travel shows around, in the US and Internationally, but these have a high place in how they manage to entertain, while educating, and inspiring at the same time.
Now, starting on March 31st, From The Edge with Peter Lik (The Weather Channel), will hopefully take a place among these travel shows. While I haven’t seen this show yet, From the Edge seems to be a highly visual show that follows Peter Lik as he makes a connection between photography and weather. This merge comes to life through Lik’s camera lens, showing a unique point of view of the United States and some of its most treasured and dramatic landscapes.
Peter Lik’s show combines two things I love about travel; the adventurous spirit of going off the beaten path and good travel photography.
See a slideshow with some images from the show here.
Here’s a short clip about Peter Lik:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuoyTxYrWJ8
What other travel show has inspired you to travel?
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