About Our Guest:

There’s a moment that happens to many of us when we’re out in the world—maybe on a dusty trail in a far-off country, or standing on a cliff where the wind smells different, or catching sight of wildlife doing exactly what it has done for millennia—something in us softens. We breathe differently; we remember what awe feels like. 

Katie Losey has built a life around creating more of those moments, not just for herself, but for all of us; and she’s doing it in a way that honors the places we visit, the wildlife we meet, and the people whose homelands we are walking through.

Katie is the Head of Partnerships and Conservation at Natural World Safaris, and she’s lived the kind of stories that would make any adventure-lover sit up straighter: gliding beside orcas in the Arctic; being engulfed by millions of monarch butterflies in Mexico; even losing a staring contest with a gorilla in Rwanda. What struck me most in our conversation wasn’t the drama of those moments, though—it was the sense of responsibility that frames them. 

Katie is part of a growing movement of people who believe that travel can be a force for good, rather than a weight on the world, if we can only work together to do it right. 

After decades of global travel myself—from the outback of Australia to remote corners of South America, Tibet, and deep Africa—I know how true that is. Travel can make us better humans—but only if we remember to tread lightly. Here are five key tips from this conversation to help you travel with respect.

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1: Go where your presence is wanted (not necessarily where everyone else is going!)

Katie Losey reminds us that “overcrowded” is a choice, not a fact. 

The world is vast, wonders are everywhere, and nature doesn’t cluster all of her magic in the same five Instagram-famous locales. There are astonishing places all over the world that welcome curious, respectful travelers — places where your visit supports livelihoods without adding to strain. 

One of the simplest ways to travel responsibly is to actually choose the shoulder seasons in less-visited regions. You’ll find more authenticity, more quiet, and more opportunities to actually connect with the culture instead of elbowing your way through it. It’s amazing how many doors open when you decide not to follow the crowds.

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2: Let awe be your compass — and your teacher

Katie has this luminous way of talking about awe, not as entertainment, but as a way of remembering our place in things. When she describes standing among millions of butterflies or meeting the gaze of a mountain gorilla, she doesn’t talk about the selfie or the bragging rights: She talks about humility; about how small she felt, but in the best possible way—being “rewilded,” in her words. 

Travel, at its best, strips away all our false urgencies, and instead it asks us to listen, to soften, and to open our senses wider than we usually do in daily life.

And here’s the thing: awe doesn’t have to come wrapped in spectacle. There can be so much joy in small moments—like the quiet café under the streets of Santiago de Compostela where you read the paper before the day gets loud, or even just the bird feeder outside your own window. If you train yourself to look for wonder, you’ll never run out of it.

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3: Ask one simple question everywhere you go

Katie believes (and I wholeheartedly agree) that responsible travel begins with curiosity, not guilt. Instead of worrying that your trip is doing harm, start by asking a local or a guide a very simple question: 

“What does this place need more of?” 

Is it jobs? Visibility? Conservation dollars? Respect for cultural traditions? Visitors who are willing to listen and learn instead of rush and consume? Every destination has a different answer.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is stay longer; sometimes it’s choosing a locally-owned lodge instead of a generic chain. Sometimes it’s joining a conservation experience—not the performative kind, but a real, thoughtful effort led by the people who live there. 

Responsible travel isn’t about perfection; it’s about participation.

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4: Thoughtful travel makes the world softer — and makes us better humans

At some point, many of us started treating travel like a checklist: see this, snap that, eat here, move on. Katie gently points us back to a deeper truth: you don’t have to conquer a place to enjoy it. 

You can let a place wash over you instead—this is that feeling she calls “being rewilded.” It’s that sensation of reclaiming a part of yourself that modern life has tamped down—and honestly, isn’t that what we’re all craving after the last few years? A sense of being restored, reclaimed, and reconnected?

Travel is one of the fastest ways to remember who we are beneath the noise, but if we want our travel to give us that gift, we have to slow down: we have to talk to the baker; we have to learn the bird calls; we have to choose experiences that connect rather than distract.

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5: Your travel story can be a love letter, not just a footprint

Katie Losey’s greatest pearl of wisdom is this: Every trip leaves a story behind. The only question is, what kind? Did we take more than we gave? Or did we leave a little trail of kindness and curiosity behind us? 

Travel can be a powerful part of the Gratitude Economy—through the darkness, a new era is finally unfolding, one where the most successful people are the ones who create value, connection, and goodwill everywhere they go, and travel gives us endless opportunities to do exactly that. 

So leave a generous tip for that guide who shared their grandmother’s recipe; have a genuine conversation with someone whose life is utterly different from yours; make a contribution to a conservation effort you’ll likely never see the outcome of, and simply trust that it is worth it. 

It all adds up.

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A world worth exploring and protecting

Travel isn’t just about seeing the world—it’s about caring for it. And when we travel with the mindset of intention and curiosity that Katie Losey champions so gracefully, the world becomes gentler… and so do we.

Whether you’re dreaming of the beauty of the Arctic, the gorilla forests of Rwanda, or just a small-town café that’s somewhere beyond your usual routine, remember this: there are still wonders everywhere, and there are still good people stewarding those wonders—and we can be part of the story that keeps them alive.

References Mentioned:

RELATED EPISODES:

• You Can Transform Your Outrage into Action: The Proof Is In This Elephant Plushie with Kristina McKean (Episode #155)
• Mexico’s Whales are Winning as Everyday Heroes Work Together with Katherina Audley (Episode #172)
• Looking to Nature to Solve Complex Problems with Katie Losey (Episode #178)
• Save the Sloths and You Save Everything Else with Rebecca Cliffe (Episode #179)
• Hatching Plans to Preserve Sea Turtles with Kendra Bergman (Episode #194)
• What If Rats Could Save the World? Turns Out, They Already Are! With Dr. Cindy Fast (Episode #222)

VIDEO: Patrick and the Whale 

FURTHER READING:

• ARTICLE: “That’s aloha”: Can Hawai’i’s tourism imbalance ever be fixed?
• ARTICLE: 7 travel habits that feel luxurious but are actually better for the planet

Chapters:

• 00:00 – Intro & Welcome
• 03:40 – Travel as a Force for Good
• 05:15 – The Elephant Story That Sparked a Mission
• 11:16 – Wonder, Wildlife, and Why It Matters
• 14:35 – Overtourism and Making Better Choices
• 21:40 – How to Vet Travel Companies and Hotels
• 26:56 – Finding Awe in the Smallest Moments
• 31:07 – Hidden Places and Smart Timing
• 35:14 – Break
• 37:29 – Practical Travel Questions Answered
• 41:35 – Traveling With Purpose
• 53:29 – Softness and Understanding
• 01:05:30 – Why Personal Experiences Matter