Podcasts are a fairly new medium - They're rising in popularity, though, which is why we've included a Tripbase awards category dedicated to them. Listed in no particular order of excellence, these podcasts provide an accurate and interesting snapshot of a country, town or area, without the bias of a tourist board or the detachment and obsolescence of a guide book.

You can download these podcasts to your mobile phone or mp3 player and listen to them as you walk around the city. Some towns even have official podcast guides, with a map you can download to accompany it. Some of the blogs below follow this format, others simply inform and entertain. For a podcast, you will of course need something to play it on. This can be an iPod, a similar mp3 player, a modern mobile phone, an iPad, a laptop or your computer at home. Check what format these travel podcasts download as and make sure you have the appropriate software to play them. Most will be in mp3 format.

The award-winners below were chosen for their information and their ease of listening. The most exciting place in the world could be made to sound boring if the wrong person is talking about it - all of the examples below are factually accurate and enjoyable to listen to.