REVIVING THE MAGIC OF ANALOG TRAVEL AND THE HUMAN SKILLS THAT COME WITH IT
TRAVEL LIKE IT’S 1999!
Our Looney Planet is a project of Matlana Media, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Through our video podcasts and travelogues we highlight the human skills of pre-digital travel: talking to strangers, listening and observing, improvising without script, tolerating uncertainty, tuning into instinct and common sense, and navigating the inevitable friction that is life’s journey.
30 years ago, Ian Wright & Justine Shapiro, the original hosts of the travel series Lonely Planet / Globe Trekker, backpacked through more than 100 countries appearing on camera unscripted and often unshowered, their intrepid spirits attracted tens of millions of viewers across the globe.
Their navigational tools were common sense, paper maps, phrase books, cash, and the help of strangers. That dynamic wasn't a by-product of the trip. It was the trip.
Those weren’t just travel skills. Those were human skills. And they’re worth bringing back.
Season 1
Ian & Justine are still traveling. Bumpy backroads have given way to a couple of comfy chairs, but the essential ingredients remain: curiosity, an open mind and another human willing to share their story.
Season 2 launches in September!
In Season 2, Ian & Justine reconnect with Globe Trekker colleagues and meet total strangers. revisiting adventures from their past and discovering unexpected stories from people they’ve never met - proving what they’ve always known: a good conversation can take you just about anywhere.
Participate
We want YOUR stories. We really do! PARTICIPATE! Send us your video. We're all a little Loonie around here, and honestly… your stories are as good as ours.
Our Latest Episode
Episode 6: Part 2: Life After Globe Trekker
March 19, 2026
In Episode 6, Part 1, Ian and Justine pulled back the curtain on what it was really like to have "The Best Job in the World." Now, in Part 2, Ian & Justine are back to tell us what they've been up to since hosting Globe Trekker.
