Eugene Levy has been a staple of the entertainment industry for over 50 years. With hit after hit show, the man is a legend in the business and now he has his own show on Apple TV+ – The Reluctant Traveler.
Now I know that travel shows aren't the most imaginative. Plenty of celebs have documented their time bouncing from country to country. So does The Reluctant Traveler stand out amongst the crowd?
What Is The Reluctant Traveler About?
Eugene Levy is 75 years old and loves his creature comforts. He doesn't really like to travel, try new foods or experience new things. He's happy exactly as he is.
So it's quite fun to see him get thrown right in at the deep end as he ventures to eight different countries, most of which he has never even considered visiting before.
First up is Finland, the happiest country in the world. Levy heads to Lapland, stays in the Arctic TreeHouse Hotel, and goes ice fishing, husky sledding, vodka sipping and ice floating as he learns that simplicity is the key to a great life.
Through eight episodes, Eugene Levy visits not just Finland but Costa Rica, Venice in Italy, Lisbon in Portugal, South Africa for a safari in Kruger National Park, the Maldives, Utah and Tokyo in Japan.
Along the way, he stays in remarkable hotels and experiences the cultures surrounding him as he lets go of his fears, steps out of his comfort zone and embraces everything new the world has to offer.
The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy Trailer
Is The Reluctant Traveler Worth Watching?
There's something very nice about this show that's quite tricky to put a finger on. It's not overly exciting, and the places are lovely, but Levy is not an adventurous man, so don't expect to see him bungee jumping off a cliff any time soon!
The Reluctant Traveler is low-ley in its approach, and I think serves more as a guide to encourage people to try new places, more so than an in-depth travel programme.
It's about connecting with other people, other cultures and taking baby steps to try new things. This is a man who has never eaten sushi, can't look over a balcony, doesn't like going into the sea, has a fear of heights, and whose favourite meal is a cheeseburger and chips.
As I said, the Canadian actor has a comfort zone, and while he doesn't necessarily take any great leaps out of it in The Reluctant Traveler, he does enough to keep things interesting.
Overall it's an entertaining, low-key and occasionally funny travel show that's easy to watch, even if it doesn't exactly set the world on fire.
Hotels In The Reluctant Traveler
Some of the hotels Levy stays in are remarkable. One costs $7000 a night to stay in, making the $3000 a night hotel in Venice seem like a bargain!
So just where did Eugene Levy stay as he travelled the world in this travel series?
Finland – The Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Finland
Costa Rica – Nayara Tented Camp Hotel in Costa Rica
Venice – The historic Gritti Palace in Venice
Utah – The Amangiri Hotel in Utah
Maldives – The Kudadoo Resort in the Maldives
South Africa – The Kruger Shalati in South Africa
Lisbon – The Verride Palácio de Santa Catarina Hotel
Tokyo – Hoshinoya Hotel in Tokyo
Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac and popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, and others.
You can also get it on Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $6.99 per month with a seven-day free trial.
For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.*