Episode Details

What does it mean to truly witness the world? 

In this episode of Travel Time Stories, we sit down with veteran broadcast journalist Barry Maughan, whose life and career were shaped by decades of reporting across the African continent. 

Barry shares the extraordinary story of traveling the length of Africa with his wife in a Volkswagen Kombi bus, journeying from Egypt to South Africa and visiting fifteen countries along the way — an adventure that would forever shape his understanding of the continent and its people. 

But his time in Africa was about more than travel. While living and working in Ethiopia in the early 1970s, Barry was one of the few journalists reporting on the historic coup that toppled Emperor Haile Selassie and among the first to bring global attention to the devastating famine in northern Ethiopia that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. 

In this powerful conversation, we explore: 

🌍 What it was like to drive the length of Africa in the 1970s 

🚌 Life on the road in a Volkswagen Kombi bus 

📡 Reporting on the Ethiopian revolution and famine 

📰 The responsibility of journalists to bear witness to history 

✈️ Barry’s philosophy on meaningful travel 

His memoir, Beneath the African Sun, captures these unforgettable years — blending adventure, history, and the human stories behind the headlines. 

This episode is a reminder that travel can do more than show us the world — it can help us understand it. 

Find out more about Barry & his book: https://www.barrymaughan.com/ 

Ready to join The Story Circle: https://www.traveltimestories.com/join/ 

Our Website: https://www.traveltimestories.com/ 

Tell us in the comments: What place in the world has changed how you see life? #africatravels #travelhistory #Journalism #ethiopiahistory #travelstories #traveltimestories #traveltimestorieswithshannon #wanderlust #serendipity #podmatch #worldtraveler #newpodcastepisode #tunein #travelpodcast 

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