This week on The Travel Date, host Angelica-Hazel Toutounji is joined by Penny Wilson, founder of Pip & Co Travel — a women-focused small group travel company specialising in culturally immersive journeys across Asia.
Penny shares how travel has been woven through her life from a young age, including living in the UK, spending formative years in Vietnam, and developing a deep love for Asia, languages, and cultural exchange. These experiences ultimately led her to create Pip & Co Travel — a business designed to help women explore the world in meaningful, responsible, and well-supported ways.
Penny talks about hosting her first group trips through Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, the excitement of launching a Borneo adventure focused on wildlife conservation, and why Asia continues to be her “happy place". She also shares insights into sustainable accommodation choices, locally owned hotels, and why travelling consciously can create a lasting positive impact for both travellers and local communities.
From unforgettable food moments on the streets of Vietnam to elegant high teas in London, camping on the Queensland coastline, and dreaming of future adventures in Central Asia and North Africa, this episode is filled with curiosity, warmth, and a genuine love of travel.
🌍 Destinations Mentioned in This Episode
Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Hoi An, Danang, Hanoi, Ha Long Bay & Six Senses Hotel Con Dao
Cambodia
Laos
Borneo (including turtle conservation experiences)
Sri Lanka
Indonesia (upcoming tours)
China: Shanghai
Netherlands
Egypt
United Kingdom: England, Wales, Scotland, London (high tea experiences)
Thailand: Bangkok
Australia:
- Darwin to Broome road trip
- Queensland (1770, beachfront camping)
- Uluru, Kakadu, Daintree
- Geelong & the Surf Coast
New Zealand
Central Asia (bucket list): Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan
North Africa (bucket list): Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria
👤 Guest Bio – Penny Wilson
Penny Wilson is the founder of Pip & Co Travel, a women-led small group travel company offering culturally immersive journeys throughout Asia. With a background in languages, long-term travel, and living abroad, Penny designs trips that prioritise connection, comfort, sustainability, and meaningful local experiences.
Her tours focus on responsible travel, locally owned accommodation, environmental awareness, and creating safe, enriching spaces for women to explore the world together.
🌐 Website: pipandcotravel.com
📸 Instagram: @pipandcotravel
🎧 Episode Credits
Host:
Angelica-Hazel Toutounji
📸 Instagram: @angelica_hazel_nutrition · @the_travel_date_
🌐 Website: angelicahazel.com.au
📧 Email: [email protected]
Guest:
Penny Wilson — Founder, Pip & Co Travel
The Travel Date
The Travel Date is an inspiring and entertaining travel podcast hosted by Adelaide-based clinical nutritionist, writer, devoted foodie and passionate traveller Angelica-Hazel Toutounji.
Every journey begins with a story, and each episode of The Travel Date invites listeners to discover the people, places, cultures and unforgettable experiences that make travelling so special. Through warm, relaxed and engaging conversations, Angelica-Hazel speaks with travellers, travel writers, content creators, tourism professionals, business owners and fascinating guests whose lives have been influenced by their adventures around Australia and across the world.
The Travel Date explores much more than simply where someone has travelled. It discovers why people travel, what they learn along the way and how a destination can change their outlook on life. Guests share their favourite locations, memorable meals, unexpected challenges, hidden gems, cultural experiences and practical travel advice, along with the personal moments and meaningful connections that stay with them long after they return home.
From spontaneous overseas adventures and immersive cultural journeys to luxury escapes, regional road trips, family holidays, wellness retreats and budget-friendly experiences, The Travel Date celebrates the many different ways people explore the world. Whether it is a major international destination or a remarkable place closer to home, every location has a story waiting to be discovered.
Food, culture and human connection are at the heart of the podcast. Angelica-Hazel’s natural curiosity and love of storytelling encourage her guests to go beyond the usual travel recommendations and share the honest, funny, emotional and sometimes life-changing experiences behind their journeys.
Listeners can expect fascinating destination ideas, authentic travel stories, helpful recommendations and plenty of inspiration for their next adventure. The podcast also provides an opportunity to discover local communities, independent tourism operators, accommodation providers, regional businesses and extraordinary destinations throughout South Australia, across Australia and around the world.
The Travel Date is not simply about collecting destinations—it is about collecting moments, creating memories and developing a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us. The podcast celebrates travel’s ability to inspire curiosity, build confidence and resilience, strengthen relationships and remind us to make the most of the time we have with the people we love.
Whether you are actively planning your next holiday, dreaming about a faraway destination, searching for practical travel ideas or simply enjoy hearing wonderful stories from interesting people, The Travel Date will leave you informed, entertained and ready to explore.
Take the trip. Taste the food. Meet the people. Collect the moments.
Subscribe to The Travel Date and join Angelica-Hazel for a new guest, a new destination and a new story.Host and contact details
Angelica-Hazel Toutounji
Adelaide, South Australia
Telephone: 0438 716 606
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.angelicahazel.com.au
The Travel Date Instagram: @the_travel_date
Angelica-Hazel Instagram: @angelica_hazel_nutrition