Benny's next travel/language project is...

Benny's next travel/language project is...

Author: Fluent in 3 Months December 3, 2025 Duration: 6:52

I’m kicking off this episode by checking in from Ireland, where I’ve been doubling down on my Irish through meet-ups, tech immersion, and plenty of telly. This is the first stage of a longer journey that will involve several trips back and forth, all with the aim of finally becoming truly fluent in the language. After Christmas I’ll make my usual pilgrimage to the Esperanto Youth Week in Germany, brushing up my German just enough to avoid sounding too rusty outside the event. But the real excitement begins straight after that, when I launch into my next major travel and language project for 2026: exploring Malaysia. Since Malay is almost entirely mutually intelligible with Indonesian, which I reached a solid conversational level in earlier this year, I’ll be able to hit the ground running with a huge head start.

My plan is to spend about two months travelling throughout both Western and Eastern Malaysia, revisiting Borneo from a different angle and hopefully making a short stop in Brunei as well. I know I won’t need much Malay in Kuala Lumpur, but the moment I hit the road, the language will unlock all those deeper cultural experiences I value so much. If I make it to Brunei, it will even mark my fiftieth country in more than two decades of nomadic living. I’m excited to return to Asia in mid-January, spend a week or two in Indonesia to warm up, and then dive headfirst into this new adventure. As always, I’ll share tips for anyone planning a fresh language project in the new year, along with plenty of updates from the road. 


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There’s a certain magic that happens when you step off a plane and try to order a meal in a language you’re still fumbling through, or when a simple conversation with a stranger on a train opens up an entirely new perspective. Language & Travel Hacking, from the team behind Fluent in 3 Months, lives in those messy, authentic, and profoundly rewarding moments. Host Benny Lewis, a nomadic polyglot and best-selling author, doesn’t just theorize from a studio; he records from the road, sharing raw, real-time experiences and the practical strategies that actually work when you’re navigating a foreign market or building confidence in a new tongue. Each episode feels like a candid chat with a well-traveled friend who’s made all the mistakes so you don’t have to. You’ll hear the sounds of street markets and train stations in the background as Benny breaks down the psychology of language learning, offers actionable tips for picking up phrases quickly, and discusses how travel itself can be the ultimate classroom. This podcast is built on the idea that fluency and cultural connection aren’t distant goals reserved for the gifted, but accessible skills you can hack through smart, intentional practice. It’s for anyone who believes that the deepest way to explore a place is through its language, and that every journey is an opportunity to reshape how you see the world-and yourself. Tune in for honest stories and tangible advice that will change how you approach your next adventure, whether it’s across the globe or right in your own neighborhood.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 271

Language & Travel Hacking
Podcast Episodes
Update and my daily routine during my Chinese project [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:48
In this episode, I give an update on my Mandarin progress after spending a month in Taiwan. I explain how I quickly regained enough confidence to handle everyday conversations, although my first social speaking attempt w…
Are you not ready yet, or is the situation what’s wrong? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:53
I shared how reactivating my Mandarin has put me in an unusual stage of language learning: I am far beyond beginner level, but still rusty enough that real social situations can feel overwhelming. At one language exchang…
Wrapping up Malaysia and Brunei [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:47
In this episode, I look back on the final weeks of my journey through Malaysia and Brunei before starting my new adventure in Taipei. Malaysia turned out to be an incredible experience. Thanks to my background in Indones…
Benny's next language project [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:10
In this episode, I’m announcing a return to one of my core languages: Mandarin. Earlier this year I focused on a short-term project in a brand-new country, but now I’m shifting back to a long-term priority. Mandarin has…
My 50th country! But, what's the right number to visit? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:54
In this episode, I mark my arrival in my 50th country and reflect on what that number really means. After more than two decades of nomadic life, I’ve averaged about two countries per year. Some travellers race through do…
Life challenges that made me a better language learner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:59
In this episode of the Language and Travel Hacking podcast, I share how two childhood challenges, hearing issues and speech difficulties, ultimately gave me an advantage as a language learner. Growing up, I rarely unders…
How ADHD made me a better language learner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:55
In this episode of the Language and Travel Hacking Podcast, I share how ADHD, something that once made me feel like I was terrible at languages, has actually become one of my greatest strengths as a learner. Although I w…
Kicking off my Malay/Malaysian adventure [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:23
In this episode, I’m checking in from Kuala Lumpur to kick off my first language and travel project of the year: using Malay to enrich my experience as I travel through Malaysia. I talk about how closely related Malay an…
End of year language boost [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:50
In this episode, I share an update on my end of year language boost after a very multilingual December. I talk about how I fully reactivated my Irish through local meetups in my hometown, without needing to travel to a m…