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Travel Shows and Ireland.

I'm not going to lie, I love watching Anthony Bourdain: No Reservation. When I first saw his episode on Ireland (season 3, episode 1) back in 2006, I was so moved by how he portrayed the city of Belfast that I knew I'd have to go there some day.
And I did it go to Belfast, just this last year in fact I went two different times.
But what was funny about my trip last year to Ireland was that while I was there Anthony Bourdain new show The Layover arrived it's Dublin episode (season 2, episode 6). I watched it with my boyfriend (he's from Dublin) and the next week in Dublin we hunted down all the pubs, bars, cafés, restaurants and fish and chips eateries that Bourdain had eaten and drank at. It was amazing, some of the places weren't in guide books.

So my question to the group is what travel shows would you suggest for people wanting to get an idea of what Ireland is about? And what about the show made you want to see Ireland?

Posted by
1806 posts

I have family that were born, raised and still live in Ireland, so it was not a travel show that peaked my interest in spending a lot of time there. I did see the "No Reservations" show and thought it was very good. I would always suggest "Globe Trekker" shows as they frequently get a bit off the grid. But their shows are geared more towards younger travelers looking for a little more adventure in their trips. Still, even if that is not something you are looking for, they feature great scenery.

Travel shows I don't particularly care for... Rudy Maxa and Samantha Brown. They stick to the well-tread highlights and generally stay or eat at some pretty frou-frou places. Bourdain does that at times, too, but at least he tempers it with sometimes hilarious commentary and lots of visits to street food vendors or small mom & pop restaurants with no Michelin stars not typically found in a guidebook.

Posted by
24 posts

I really enjoy the "Visions of..." series. It is not a traditional travel show. It is a series of aerial shots accompanied by traditional music and a host describing what you are seeing.

I will be taking my first trip to Ireland in May. There really isn't a single show that made me decide to visit. My gf and I both wanted to visit someplace neither of us have been to before.

Posted by
307 posts

Burt Wolf Travels and Traditions. I find he covers a lot of interesting sites in a short amount of time. I'm in Toulouse now and really enjoyed watching his show before I left. Not too much covered in the guide books about Toulouse and I enjoyed his visual and commentary.
I like all travel shows though including Anthony Bourdains.