Globe Trekker Series 11

1  England and Wales

Ian Wright travels to England and Wales, small countries with big histories, where not many people wear bowler hats or sip tea from china cups anymore. Ian explores England's rich cultural heritage when he visits historic Canterbury Cathedral, Windsor Castle - one of the Queen's residences - and Eton College, the poshest private school in the country. Ian takes in the beauty of Cornwall, famous for its surfing beaches, and the village of Chipping Campden in the Cotswolds where he tries his hand at the bizarre sport of shin kicking! Spectacular celebrations are enjoyed in Portsmouth with a reenactment of the Battle of Trafalgar, and Glastonbury, home to one of the world's most famous music festivals. In Wales Ian hops aboard the picturesque Ffestiniog steam railway and meets some traditional Welsh singers before heading to Snowdonia, where he climbs the Horseshoe to take in the stunning panoramas.
Duration: 60'

 

2  Mid West USA

Justine Shapiro travels to the Mid West US states of Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin, known as America's cereal bowl. She visits the great American metropolises of Chicago and Detroit with their fascinating history of skyscrapers, gangsters, Motown music, hip hop and automobiles. Justine heads down the famous Route 66 to Springfield, the home of Abraham Lincoln. Justine hits a slower pace of life when she meets an Amish family and completes her journey with a kayaking trip around the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior.
Duration: 60'

 

3  Ultimate UK

The Globe Trekker team visits the highlights of this green and rich group of countries. In London, one of the world's most exciting cities, they go on the trail of famous landmarks such as Soho, St. Paul's cathedral and the London Eye, then explore the alternative London of Bangladeshi Brick Lane, Brixton and the Notting Hill Carnival. The team travels through history from Stonehenge to the Battle of Hastings to Liverpool and the Beatles. The islanders' taste for eccentricity is seen in greyhound racing, Scotland's Highland Games and the Edinburgh Arts Festival. The team also gives tips on unusual and exciting ways to get about and food and drink to try, from Cornish pasties to Scottish whisky to English fish and chips.
Duration: 60'

 

4  Venice City Guide

Venice has been called many things - such as 'La Serenissima' and 'Queen of the Adriatic' - and there is no doubting it is one of the world's most historic and romantic cities. Justine Shapiro travels to the city to explore its landmarks nestled along the Grand Canal - the Doge's Palace, St Mark's Square and Basilica, and the Bridge of Sighs to name a few. Justine has a go at rowing a gondola and even gets to take part in the Regata Storica, an historic rowing race full of pomp and ceremony. She lines the red carpet at Venice's Film Festival, views the art at the city's Biennale Festival and enjoys medieval festivals on the mainland in Monselice and Asolo. Off the main tourist trail she explores Venice's hidden backstreets, meets locals who give her tips and explain what it's like living on a city that is surrounded by water and slowly sinking, and even turns her hand to traditional lace making and fishing on the picturesque lagoon island of Burano.
Duration: 60'

 

5  South East USA

Megan McCormick travels to the sultry southern states of the Carolinas, Georgia and Virginia, ripe with antebellum history, black American culture and varied natural environments. In Virginia Megan treks a section of the Appalachian Trail, overnights at a Civil War adventure camp and has a wild time at Virginia's state fair. In South Carolina she takes a walking tour of the historic city and tries out 'shagging', a dance popular in the '50s. Visiting a peanut festival and a sea baptism are top of the list in Georgia while in West Virginia Megan's highlight is the exhilarating sport of base jumping.
Duration: 60'

 

6  Indian Ocean Islands

Ian Wright travels to the paradise islands of Mauritius, Seychelles and Reunion; picture perfect holiday destinations known as the preserve of the rich. Our host discovers, however, that there is much more to these islands than fabulous beaches and crystal clear waters, and it is possible to holiday there on a budget. In the Seychelles Ian snorkels with whale sharks, meets a modern day Robinson Crusoe, takes part in a big game fishing competition and dances the sexy moutia at the annual Creole festival. In Mauritius he tours historic Port Louis, is invited to a hindu wedding and goes to the races. Reunion island delivers up an adrenalin thrill from start to finish as Ian goes canyoning, catches the world paragliding championships and treks to the top of Piton de la Fournaise, the island's active volcano.
Duration: 60'

 

7  The American Civil War

Host Megan McCormick retraces the sites of many of the most significant battles and events of the American Civil War. Megan begins her journey by examining the origins of war - she explores the issue of slavery at a plantation house and visits Harpers Ferry where John Brown tried to start an uprising. Megan visits some of the bloodiest battlefields of the war at Manassas and Antietam and at Stanardsville she takes part in a re-enactment. As well as seeing the war from a soldier's point of view, she looks at the civilians' perspective and at Gettysburg takes a ghost tour, visits the battle sites on horseback and overnights in a haunted hotel. Megan continues her journey south to the confederate capital of Richmond before ending her journey at Appomattox, where General Lee finally surrendered and brought the war to an end.
Duration: 60'

 

8  Good/Bad Food 2

In this episode we take a culinary trip around the globe with seven of your favourite Globe Trekker hosts. Ian and the crew travel from the sake bars of Tokyo to the rainforests of Cameroon and the colourful conch catching Isles of the Caribbean.
Duration: 60'

 

9  Chinatown

The Chinese migration of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries has had a massive cultural impact around the world. In a special edition of Globe Trekker, our team trace the steps of this Diaspora from the motherland to its great population centres of Penang in Malaysia, San Francisco, London, New York and Mauritius discovering the motivations and history of the Chinese who left and the impact they've had on their new homes. We also witness some of their fantastic New Year celebrations in Chinatowns across the world.
Duration: 60'

 

10  Great Festivals 3

In the third edition of Great Festivals, we sample more of the delights to be experienced around the world. We encounter all manner of festivities from the Up Helly Aa Viking festival in the Shetland Isles to bronco bashing at Canada's biggest Rodeo, the Calgary Stampede, from music and mud at the world-famous Glastonbury Festival to medieval human chess matches and chariot races in Italy. We catch some of the world's most spectacular religious celebrations from Chinese New Year in Hong Kong, London and San Francisco to Christmas festivities in Jesus' birthplace, Bethlehem.
Duration: 60'

 

11  New Zealand 2

Ian Wright and Zay Harding visit New Zealand to discover more of its magic. Our hosts discover why New Zealand's Maori name is both romantic and apt - Aotearoa, meaning 'land of the long white cloud'. It's a land of unspoilt landscapes and immense natural beauty, with its beautiful extremes of rainforests and reefs, glaciers and volcanoes. They meet Maori warriors and watch canoe races, see first hand the stunning locations for the Lord of the Rings films, dabble in extreme sports in Queenstown, go trekking in the glacial Mount Cook national park and the Milford Track, relax in the hot springs of Great Barrier island and take part in a sheep sheering contest at Masterton.
Duration: 60'

 

12  Malaysia- Penang, Malacca & Borneo

In this episode Ian ventures to Malaysia, where he checks out the historical city of Malacca, visits Malacca, the country's arm wrestling capital, and travels to the island of Penang, home to the largest Chinese population outside China. Then it's off to Borneo, where Ian explores the rainforest and climbs mighty Mount Kinnabalu.
Duration: 60'

 

13  Beirut City Guide

More exciting round-the-world adventures with Ian Wright and his team of intrepid travellers. Filmed in June 2006, two weeks before the latest outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, this episode sees Megan McCormick venture to Beirut in Lebanon, a city that has a long history of political and social unrest, but whose inhabitants somehow manage to maintain hope for a brighter future.
Duration: 60'