The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan

When trying to place Sierra Leone, Romesh finds it impossible to think of anything other than the country's dark history - a horrific civil war, child soldiers, blood diamonds and Ebola. But with the green light to travel for the first time since the start of the pandemic, he is exploring the country to find out whether Brits could and should plan their next holiday here.

Rom is picked up by Gwyn Jay Allen, a local musician who's agreed to spend a week showing him around and opening his eyes to incredible places, either unknown or forgotten.

They venture through spectacular national parks, hoping to witness extraordinary and rare wildlife such as the elusive pygmy hippo, sample the national drink poyo, take in miles and miles of the most incredible beaches and meet locals living truly off-grid. They then settle down for the night at a once-in-a-lifetime camping spot on a remote archipelago.

But as safe as the country feels, creatures aside, Rom can't avoid its complex and brutal past, which has lasting effects today. Visiting Bunce Island's slave fort, the capital Freetown, a diamond mine and the incredible athletes that make up the Flying Stars amputee football club, he learns about the trauma endured by Sierra Leonians - their unbelievable resilience and astonishing hopes for the future, of which tourism forms a key part.

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.