The Winging It Travel Podcast is your weekly ticket to the world—dropping every Monday and hosted by me, James Hammond, proudly part of the Voyascape Network. This is more than just a travel podcast—it's a cinematic audio experience that takes you deep into the heart of each journey. Through rich immersive soundscapes, on-the-ground reactions, and authentic storytelling, I bring you right alongside me—whether I’m hiking up volcanoes in Guatemala, navigating the chaos of a city market in India, or camping under the stars in British Columbia. With over fifteen years of travel behind me, I've met incredible people, seen breathtaking places, and collected unforgettable stories—and now I get to share them with you. Expect a mix of: 🎧 Immersive-Audio episodes that let you hear the world as I experience it 🎙️ Raw, reflective solo episodes filled with insights, tips, and honest travel tales 🌍 Guest conversations with some of the most diverse and well-travelled people I've encountered on the ro
James Hammond emphasizes the importance of flexibility in travel planning, suggesting that rigid itineraries can lead to missed opportunities. He recounts an experience in Thailand where fixed flight dates prevented him from attending a Formula 1 Grand Prix and a subsequent event. Hammond advises booking a flight into a region and then arranging onward travel locally, allowing for spontaneous decisions and recommendations from locals or fellow travelers.
James Hammond revisits his earlier advice on travel flexibility, acknowledging its general merit for spontaneous travel. However, he cautions that in 2026, popular activities like the Inca Trail or Patagonia hiking can book up months in advance, necessitating pre-booking. He suggests flexibility is still valuable for medium to long-term travel but requires strategic planning for certain sought-after experiences.
James Hammond, host of the Winging It Travel Podcast, shares his travel philosophy inspired by travel bloggers like Nomad Rick. He advocates for adapting to situations and learning from locals and fellow travelers rather than relying solely on online information. Hammond believes that genuine insights and the best experiences come from human connection during travel.
Jul 8 · Why the World Cup Proves Travel Brings People Together | My Updated 2026 Travel Plans & Recovering From Kidney Stones5 stories
Host James Hammond detailed his upcoming travel plans, which include trips to Toronto, Tallinn, and Helsinki, with a potential six to eight-week trip in the fall. He is recovering from kidney stones, which have impacted his ability to travel and release episodes on his normal schedule.
James Hammond argues that despite issues with corruption in sports organizations and host countries, the World Cup demonstrates the power of travel to bring people together. He points to the positive atmosphere and interactions between fans from different nations as evidence of people's willingness to learn from and respect each other's cultures.
James Hammond shared details of his upcoming travel plans, starting with a long weekend in Toronto in three weeks to visit Aaron from The Curious Tourism podcast. He will then travel to Tallinn, Estonia, for a few nights before taking a ferry to Helsinki, Finland, for another long weekend. He also mentioned a potential six to eight-week trip before Christmas, with options including Cape Verde, Sao Tome, South Africa, and Kenya.
James Hammond described his painful experience with kidney stones, detailing the excruciating pain that led to hospitalization and IV medication. He mentioned having two stones, each around 4 millimeters, and is currently focused on managing the pain and drinking a lot of water for them to pass, predicting another two weeks for full recovery.
James Hammond plans to experiment with new content formats, including potentially daily podcast vlogs for his upcoming trips. These vlogs would be short, around five to six minutes, reflecting on his daily activities and experiences. This is part of a broader strategy to re-evaluate his content for the next year.
