The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan

As with most Brits, the headlines that flash into Romesh's mind when he thinks about Romania are those around communism, the 90s orphan crisis, maligned Roma and its greatest celebrity export, Count Dracula. But is this image justified? Or does Romania have more to offer? Landing in Bucharest, the only place in the country he's heard of, Romesh meets political activist and media expert Angi Serban at the parliament palace, the astonishing architectural behemoth built on the command of the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

Failing to warn him about the miles they're about to clock, she takes Rom out of the capital to explore many amazing things that are overlooked in this vast slice of eastern Europe.

Romesh and Angi embark on a journey through the country's seemingly endless and varied landscapes. Along the way, they sample Romania's ghoulish side, seeing Transylvania and Vlad the Impaler's castle and paying their respects in a 'merry' cemetery. They also witness cars rolling up hills, drive along the spectacular yet dangerous Transfagarasan Highway, dance to world-famous Roma music and take part in a spiritual ceremony in Romania's traditional heartland.

But whilst Romesh realises the beauty of Romania, he also learns how the hangover of the communist regime remains, what challenges are still faced today and why more people visiting would help the country to continue to move forward.

Romesh Ranganathan explores Uganda, its people and culture, its past and its modern complexity, to find out whether Brits should add this this visually stunning, landlocked country the size of the UK to their holiday bucket list.

With his guide, Bugandan princess Alex, Romesh learns about Uganda's history before and after Idi Amin and how Uganda got its name, before sampling traditional rural village life by getting blind drunk on banana gin (of unknown alcohol strength).

Rom is awed by Uganda's natural beauty but is unable to ignore an ugly truth. Will the treatment of the LGBTQ+ community in Uganda in the wake of the widely supported and recently passed anti-gay laws force him to come to an uncomfortable conclusion about his time in the country?

Romesh crosses the border from Uganda into Rwanda, a country he feels has been defined by Westerners almost entirely by the 1994 genocide. More recently, the British government announced plans to send refugees seeking asylum in the UK to Rwanda.

Rom's affable guide is performance artist, genocide survivor and peace activist Hippo, who initiates him the cultural significance of sharing milk, puts him to work helping to maintain the pristine streets of the capital, Kigali, and shows him where Rwanda plans to house asylum seekers sent from Britain.

Leaving the busy capital behind, they venture east to a village where they try to create indigenous art. In Akagera, the country's largest national park, they encounter incredible wildlife, including giraffes, impala and lions. After trying to take on the women's national cycling team, the pair head to the National Genocide Memorial Museum to learn more about what happened in 1994.

Romesh is blown away by Rwanda's unique culture and welcoming people but troubled by reports of alleged human rights abuses, including suppression of dissent and invasive surveillance methods. He and Hippo end their Rwandan adventure via a magical encounter with a family of wild gorillas.

Romesh travels to Uganda, Rwanda and Madagascar to find out what each place has to offer.