Program One: Australia - Sydney
Seize the day in a city that knows how to play! Rudy Maxa tours the famed Opera House, goes pub hopping in the Old Rocks quarter, explores the cliffs and rainforests of the Blue Mountains, and captures glimpses of Australia's legendary wildlife at Featherdale Wildlife Park. You will bask in the sun at Bondi Beach, and swim with sharks at Oceanworld Manly.


Program Two: Australia: Queensland
Queensland has it all! From the awe-inspiring Great Barrier Reef to the ancient Daintree Rainforest, a trip to Queensland is a once in a lifetime chance to explore a natural world virtually unchanged for millenia. Rudy explores aboriginal culture and visits the remarkable Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island.


Program Three: New Zealand: North Island
Take in New Zealand's most historic site, the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where Maori chiefs signed a controversial treaty with the British. Stops also include the fruit and olive groves of Hawke's Bay, the massive colony of gannet birds at Cape Kidnappers, a blast from the art deco past at Napier, as well as a primeval forest, an oyster farm, Cape Britt Lighthouse, and regional wineries .


Program Four: New Zealand: South Island
South Island is a mecca for extreme sports and outdoor adventures. It is also a haven for wine-country tours and rapturously beautiful scenery. Rudy visits the winding costal hiking trails of Abel Tasman National Park, takes in the birthplace of bungee jumping in Queenstown, and braves white water rapids in the spirit of adventure.
Host Rudy Maxa models hassle-free ways of getting to great places, discovering the world's vitality and character, and plotting memorable, independent trips. Maxa, a well-known travel personality, writer and lecturer, is an MSNBC business travel columnist, a Pulitzer Prize nominated reporter and the original host of public radio's "The Savvy Traveler."

Rudy is engaging, sophisticated, wry, and practical.

He shows viewers how to travel smart and take charge of their own trips. Our itineraries lead into the tourist-savvy destinations first and then beyond, making travel easy for first-timers and anyone who can read a map, browse a guidebook, pack light, and enjoy good wines and food. Smart Travels motivates independent travel and appeals to armchair travelers. These are real trips with precise you-are-there details. In every episode, Rudy highlights a manageable itinerary of famous spots and off-the-beaten-path surprises.

Each episode

Each episode delves into the rich historical and cultural nature of destinations, and provides practical insights for traveling. Rudy visits famous sites and lesser-known attractions. He barges, walks, hikes, drives, and seeks out the locals to learn where they take out-of-town friends. This is thoughtful travel-an engaging way to gain insight into a quickly changing world in a new millennium. Through the lens of Emmy-Award winning photographers, the audience sees today's world not only in its great cities like London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Hong Kong ... but also in its great regions. From Norwegian fjords and the vineyards of Burgundy to the Italian Dolomites and Sydney's glorious harbor, there's no shortage of stunning experiences to share.

Over the 65 half-hour episodes

Rudy cozies up to new and old world, adding a touch of luxury to the day-to-day delight of discovery. Diversity is a touchstone of this series. Rudy's philosophy is clear: savvy travelers find the world on their own, at their own pace. He's just eager to get them started. Armchair adventurers and seasoned travelers alike will be delighted with Smart Travels with Rudy Maxa.