Best Travel Shows

Quite bizarrely, although I have a complete passion for travel, I haven't much been into travel shows in the past.

Thinking about it now, it's either because I'd rather be there, discovering that place and that country...or because I have previously found them to be quite dry and overly focused on educating the viewer.

I have, however, recently discovered a combination that really works for me...travel show + comedy host.

Maybe not everyone's idea of the best travel shows, but ones that I myself have found to be very entertaining.

The Trip To Italy; Rob Brydon & Steve Coogan

Given our shared love of the Alan Partridge show and of Italy, hubbie and I thought that this would be an interesting watch...and it didn't disappoint. The Italian edit follows the first series of The Trip, based in the UK and has Steve and Rob playing fictionalised versions of themselves, discussing life, love and the universe as they make their way through Italy from Piedmont to Capri . The landscapes, as you'd expect, are stunning (which prompted us to take several trips to Italy). It's a great programme for foodies, as one of the characters is a restaurant reviewer and they spend quite a lot of time in restaurants. The interaction between the two comedians is heartwarming, hilarious, thought-provoking and at times humorously awkward, as you'd expect from the man behind Alan Partridge. You can stream the series here.

Rob Brydon and moi :-)

Asian Provocateur (with Romesh Ranganathan)

Watch Romesh as he is forced, by his mother, to explore his roots in Sri Lanka, meet eccentric family members and be introduced to all kinds of local traditions including an ancient martial art, a barefoot pilgrimage and auditioning for a Sri Lankan soap opera. There are two series and this is the trailer. You can find it on Netflix, Amazon Prime and britbox. It is very funny.

The Misadventures Of Romesh Ranganathan

This time Romesh helps us to discover some of the world's more unusual and adventurous travel destinations like Mongolia, Colombia and Zimbabwe. Currently available on BBC Two here.

James May: Our Man In Japan

Although not officially a comedian, the former Top Gear presenter has a very lighthearted and likeable style and takes us on a very watchable tour of Japan from Hokkaido in the North to Nagoro in the South. The comedy comes from interactions with his quirky local guides and his participation in unexpected and unusual activities, such as competitive snowball fighting, giant robot duels and attendance at the penis festival in Kawasaki City. Watch the trailer here. It is currently available on Amazon Prime.

Jack Whitehall Travels With My Father

Having not had a gap year since he started doing stand up comedy at the age of 17, Jack thinks it will be a great bonding experience to take his slightly stuffy father on a trip to explore the world. The first season sees them discovering South East Asia, the world of backpacking, primitive train rides and a full moon party. Here's the trailer. Catch the series on Netflix.

And... a bonus one thrown in by hubbie; An Idiot Abroad with Ricky Gervais, Steve Merchant and Karl Pilkington. The trailer is here. Karl hates travelling and he is sent by Ricky and Steve to see the 7 Wonders of the World. You can get the series through Amazon Prime, NOW TV or Sky.

Can you suggest any?

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