All Inclusive

Servaas is a Dutchman, raised in the UK and living in Belgium, who has more than one story to tell, and even more so when it comes to travel.  Meet Servaas, also known as Faas Kramer (his nom de plume): a serious businessman and a seasoned business traveller, a fun wheelchair basketball coach (and paralympic champion) for the Leuven Bears on Wheels, a creative and ruthless murderer of wheelchair users (in his books only!) who is currently writing his 4th thriller novel. Spoiler alert: there is a lot of sex and murder and wheelchairs - and a lot of suspence. Servaas talks to us about 1000 things in this interview: funny stories and practical tips, prosthetic leg pranks and useful advice on how to navigate air travel - art of which he is a pro-, wheelchair basketball, travelling for work as a wheelchair user, and his books, that you will definitively want to read after this interview. Want to know more about Servaas/Faas? You can find his books on Amazon, but first visit his website at https://faaskramer.wordpress.com/  Servaas has also an activity as consultant on disability and worklife: https://infusionweb.wordpress.com/ 

One of the most debated issues when talking about travel, and accessible travel in particular, is the need to do careful planning and spend a lot of time and care in anticipating every possible issue that may arise while you are on holiday. Meet Pieter Ghijsels and the art of not planning, and being open to the unexpected beauty that’s out there. An esteemed professional of accessible and inclusive destinations, working for the Belgian Flemish Tourism Board Visit Flanders for the last 20 years, Pieter tells all about how things just have to happen while you are travelling, and how, for better or worse, if you don’t leave enough space for the unexpected, you risk losing some unforgettable experiences. The first of a series of episodes dedicated to Belgium and to Belgian travellers, do not miss this fun interview on beautiful encounters, tragic customer service, how not to enjoy a Michelin starred restaurant with jetlag, how to enjoy starred night skies in Italy and how The Hickhikers’ Guide to The Galaxy is actually a great source of travel advice. Want to know more? Pieter has his personal accessible travel blog: https://www.toegankelijkopreis.be/ You can also find him on Instagram @toegankelijkopreis The music in this episode is played by the guest himself, Pieter Ghijsels Sound editing of the podcast by Aman Dembla This episode is offered by Destination Everywhere Accessible Travel: if you are looking for inclusive travel destinations and tours, visit www.destinationeverywhere.eu During the episode we also talk about Tabifolk, the free online community for accessible travel, check it out, create your profile and start connecting with travellers worldwide:  tabifolk.com

Where will you travel to, as soon as it is safe again to do so? Well, there is no doubt for James, this has to be to Sri Lanka, a country he has been visiting for almost thirty years, and which he has also been helping become more accessible in the last few years, with his expertise and his company, Access The Globe.  With Access The Globe James has been supporting the tourism sector, especially in adapting their locations and service to cater for all guests, specifically those who, like him, use a wheelchair.  But it's not all about work, or Sri Lanka, and if you want to discover the best places to sip a gin tonic, then he is your man, and there is much much more to discover in this light hearted interview from a heavily locked down UK, going from Ayurveda to Mr Bean and other quirky travel tales. Get yourself a drink and enjoy the chat. For more information about James and his accessibility consulting activity: His website is https://www.accesstheglobe.co.uk/  Follow James on Instagram and Facebook: @accesstheglobe Credits The music in this episode is played by Francesco Aprile (opening titles) and Pieter Ghijsels (closing titiles) Sound editing of the podcast by Aman Dembla This episode is offered by Destination Everywhere Accessible Travel: if you are looking for inclusive travel destinations and tours, visit www.destinationeverywhere.eu. By the way, we do have tours to Sri Lanka thanks to James' company, ask us for a quote! During the episode I also talk about Tabifolk, the online community for accessible travel, check it out, create your profile and start connecting with travellers worldwide:  tabifolk.com

Sara-Louise is an entrepreneur, a backpacker, a hostels lover and the protector saint of brave but sometimes struggling travellers. She is the founder of Wired Differently, a company that provides and creates services and products for neurodivergent people. Having been diagnosed with autism as an adult, she has put together her wide professional experience and her personal love for travel, and has been focusing on how to provide support to those who, like herself, experience problems while planning a trip, or during their travels. We talk about her travel stories and her projects, and the story behind her new entrepreneurial venture. Want to know more? Check out Sara-Louise's website here: wireddifferently.co.uk Find her on Linkedin: Sara-louise-ackrill Update: since the recording of the interview Sara-Louise has changed role in the Kimmel Foundation, and she is now collaborating in a contracting role. Credits The music in this episode is played by Francesco Aprile (opening titles) and Pieter Ghijsels (closing titiles) Sound editing of the podcast by Aman Dembla This episode is offered by Destination Everywhere Accessible Travel: if you are looking for inclusive travel destinations and tours, visit www.destinationeverywhere.eu During the episode I also talk about Tabifolk, the online community for accessible travel, check it out, create your profile and start connecting with travellers worldwide:  tabifolk.com

What can you do if you totally fall in love with a country, and you just can't get enough of it? We ask Josh Grisdale, born in Canada and now a naturalised Japanese citizen, who has been discovering every hidden corner of this beautiful country where he lives and works, and telling all about it in the Bible of accessible tourism in Japan: Accessible-Japan.com. His website is the reference for all those wishing to visit, with detailed information and videos where he shows us places and gives all the necessary information, mainly to wheelchair users, and he has also created more recently a community for travelers of all abilities: tabifolk.com. And these are just his hobbies! He tells us about some hidden corners of Japan for an off-the-beaten track exploration, and has also some very good travel stories from other countries. Don't miss it! If you want to follow Josh on social media you can find him here: Ig, Twitter and Facebook: @joshgrisdale Websites: https://www.accessible-japan.com/ and https://www.tabifolk.com/  The music in this episode is played by Francesco Aprile (opening titles) and Pieter Ghijsels (closing titiles) Sound editing of the podcast by Aman Dembla This episode is offered by Destination Everywhere Accessible Travel: if you are looking for inclusive travel destinations and tours, visit www.destinationeverywhere.eu