El Cafecito Travel Talks
El Cafecito Travel Talks is a travel and cultural podcast hosted by Tony Lloyd, a travel planner, hostel owner, and community builder who has spent more than 25 years living and working in Latin America.
Each episode features real conversations with travellers, expats, backpackers, cultural explorers, community leaders, and people who have chosen to step outside their comfort zone and explore the world in their own way. From short adventures to life-changing moves abroad, these stories highlight the experiences, challenges, connections, and discoveries that come from seeing the world through different eyes.
Along the way, we’ll explore travel, culture, community, identity, and the unexpected moments that connect people across borders. Many conversations focus on Latin America, including the stories, experiences, and contributions of Afro-descendant communities throughout the Americas, but the lessons and connections are universal.
Whether you’re an experienced traveller, dreaming of living abroad, planning your next adventure, or simply curious about the people and places that make our world interesting, there’s a seat for you at the table.
Grab a cafecito or a tea and join us for the journey.
Travel. Culture. Connection.
Episodes
64 episodes
#64 AYAHUASCA: BEYOND THE CEREMONY (Part 1 of 3) — The Journey Begins
What leads someone from ordinary travel into the world of plant medicine?In Part 1 of this three-part conversation, Tony sits down with Australian traveller Daniel Hannah to talk about the journey that eventually led him to ayahua...
#63 What Does an Ecuadorian Look Like?
Douglas Chang was born in Ecuador, but his family story began thousands of kilometres away in China.Three of his grandparents came from China to Ecuador with very little, eventually settling in small communities near Guayaquil. Do...
#62 Finding Family In Ecuador
When Hannah O’Hare Bennett arrived in Ecuador as a Peace Corps agriculture volunteer, she wanted more than travel...she wanted to build relationships and truly understand a place.Placed in a small rural community near Saraguro, Ha...
#61 40 Years Backpacking
“Home is where the backpack is.”Ken has spent 40 years travelling the world and 36 years working internationally as a United Nations peacekeeper and diplomat. Born in what is now Zimbabwe, he was given 48 hours to leave the countr...
#60 Looking for Home
Dan left London with a plan to travel through eight or nine countries across Latin America. Almost a year later, that plan looks very different.Three months in Panama became six months in Colombia. In Salento, an unexpected relationship ...
#59 The Travelling Lion
What if your travel companion had been to 117 countries, needed his own luggage, had his own Instagram account—and happened to be a lion?Meet Montgomery J. Lion, better known as Monty, Ken’s rather unusual travel companion....
#58 Documenting the Journey
What will you remember from your travels a year from now? Carina, a traveller from Germany, has taken a sabbatical to spend more than a year exploring the world. But she isn’t just travelling; she’s documenting the journey.
#57 Finding a Wife Abroad
At 73, a traveler shares a very personal story about looking for companionship abroad, using an international matrimonial agency, and eventually marrying a woman in Colombia.He talks openly about spending thousands of dollars through the...
#56 Black Queer Travel
What is it like to travel the world as a Black queer couple?In this episode of El Cafecito Travel Talks, Tony sits down with Ash and Phae, two slow travellers from the United States who share their experiences navigating ...
#55 7 Wonders Quest
What does it take to visit all Seven Wonders of the World before turning 26?In this episode of El Cafecito Travel Talks, I sit down with Austin from the Netherlands, who set himself an ambitious goal: visit all seven of the New Se...
#54 One-Way Exploration
What would you do if you had no return date?At just 24 years old, Fabian left behind a career in sports event management in Austria and bought a one-way ticket to South America. Six months later, he’s still exploring—discovering n...
#53 Group Tours vs. Solo Travel
Should you join a group tour or travel independently?In this episode, I sit down with Nathan, an experienced traveller and international teacher, to compare the advantages and disadvantages of both styles of travel.We discuss safe...
#52 Irish Teacher in Colombia
In this episode of El Cafecito Travel Talks, Tony sits down with Azim, a 27-year-old teacher from Dublin, Ireland, who is working at an American international school in Valledupar, Colombia.Azim shares what led him to leave Irel...
#51 Behind the Hotel Desk
What really goes on behind the scenes of a hotel?In this episode of El Cafecito Travel Talks, Tony sits down with Pierce Lowney, an Irish hospitality professional who started working in a local pub at just 14 years old before building a ...
#50 Medellín to Ushuaia – A Motorcycle Journey Across South America
In this episode of El Cafecito Travel Talks, Tony sits down with Gregorio Cárdenas from Medellín, Colombia, who set out on the adventure of a lifetime: riding his motorcycle from Colombia to Ushuaia, Argentina—the southernmost city in the world...
#49 Moving to Ecuador with a Dog: What Nobody Tells You.
In this episode of El Cafecito Travel Talks, Tony sits down with Troy, who recently relocated from the United States to Cuenca, Ecuador — along with his dog, Cosmo.Troy shares the real process of moving internationally with a pe...
#48 What Ecuador Taught a 12-Year-Old Traveller
What is it like to move to another country at age 10, learn a new language, attend school in a different culture, and build a new life from scratch?In this episode of El Cafecito Travel Talks, Tony Lloyd sits down with Karmarri and his m...
#47 Sailing to Latin America
What would make someone from Switzerland trade a plane ticket for a sailboat?In this episode of El Cafecito Travel Talks, Tony Lloyd sits down with Tobias, a young traveller who chose the slow route to the Americas. Instead of flying acr...
#46 Photography, Identity and the African Diaspora with Skye Jalal
In this episode of El Cafecito Travel Talks, Tony Lloyd speaks with photographer and recent graduate Skye Jalal, who is travelling through Ghana, Kenya, Germany, Ecuador, and Mexico on a Watson Fellowship.Skye shares how photog...
#45 Welcome Back – The Relaunch of El Cafecito Travel Talks
After several years away from the microphone, El Cafecito Travel Talks is back.In this special relaunch episode, the tables are turned as Skye Jewel interviews host Tony Lloyd about his journey, life in Latin America, travel, community b...
#44 Hash House Harriers
Ed Howell a.k.a. Hazukashii, after retiring from the US military, decides to spend his time hashing around the world.Hazukashii shares with us the tales of the Hash House Harrison, how he was renamed, and his quest for hashing in over 10...
#43 Father & Son
Brian and Alec Altonen farmers Michigan USA taking a winter break to do a father and son trip to explore Ecuador togetherThey share with us the reasons for travelling at this time, what they hope to get out of this trip and wha...
#42 Where is George?
George Griffiths from Canada also featured in show #33 and #37, finally settled in Cuenca Ecuador George shares with us his impressions of his first 6 weeks in South America, some of the interesting things he has seen so far, ...
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