384: From Antarctica to South India to Indigenous Communities in Costa Rica: Priyanka Surio on Regenerative Travel in Practice

Episode Summary

Learn how real travel experiences can transform the way you see impact, responsibility and your role in the world. In Part 3 of this conversation, Priyanka Surio shares how her travels across Antarctica, South India, and Costa Rica reshaped her understanding of what it means to travel responsibly. She reflects on how the fragile ecosystems of Antarctica shaped her blueprint for “sustainable travel,”  and how participating in a community-led travel caravan in South India demonstrated what regenerative travel looks like in practice. Priyanka also recounts her experience engaging with Indigenous communities in Costa Rica and how those encounters challenged her to rethink tourism, reciprocity, and the role of travelers in local ecosystems. Along the way, she explores how music can create meaningful cross-cultural connection and explains how she builds community in an itinerant nomadic lifestyle. This episode offers a grounded look at how real-world travel experiences can transform the way we think about impact, responsibility, and connection across cultures.

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Priyanka Surio

Priyanka Surio is a sustainable and regenerative travel expert, 2 time published author, and full time nomad with no base.  She holds a masters degree in Public Health and has built a 16 year career focused on health, social care, climate action, and economic empowerment.  Born in Florida to immigrant parents from India and Hungary, her childhood experiences with racism and poverty turned her into a lifelong activist, and she views travel as a mechanism for activism to safeguard and advocate for a better world. In her books, she breaks down a sustainable travel formula and scorecard to help any traveler begin to intentionally design and assess how they can be more sustainable and regenerative on their travels. She has now traveled to all 50 U.S. States and almost 90 countries on all 7 continents.

What You'll Learn
  • Lessons about sustainable and regenerative travel learned from Antarctica and South India
  • How engaging with Indigenous communities can reshape your understanding of reciprocity, tourism, and ethical travel
  • How shared appreciation for music can be a meaningful way to create cross-cultural connections
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Time Stamped Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.

[1:35] Regenerative Caravan in South India

[11:52] Traveling to Antarctica: A Blueprint for Sustainable Travel

[22:33] Lessons from Indigenous Communities in Costa Rica

[29:00] How Priyanka Designs Her Nomadic Life

[35:38] How Priyanka Builds Community in her Nomadic Lifestyle

[42:19] Connecting Across Cultures Through Music

[48:48] How Travel Has Impacted Priyanka

[52:59] The Lightning Round

[1:03:44] Follow and Connect with Priyanka

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