Karl Henry: 'The Portuguese Camino route was beyond what I expected'
Karl Henry wx291125
Currently planning his next Camino wellness trip, Karl Henry has long used travel as a way to recharge – whether it’s training for marathons in Rome, swapping emails for elephant safaris, or swimming off the coast of West Cork.
Known for his role as the fitness expert on Operation Transformation, Karl is also the host of the Real Health podcast and recently launched his 40 Day Health Challenge and wellness course. Here, the bestselling author and personal trainer shares the trips that shaped him, and why nothing beats walking somewhere new.
One that really stands out is Clara Lara in Wicklow. Kids of my generation will remember it, a water-based fun park in the middle of nowhere. There was a huge slide, or at least it felt huge at the time. But the big one was when I was about 10 or 11. We went to the US – Disneyland and the Roy Rogers Museum. My dad had done a documentary on him, so we visited the museum, met him, and I got a photo taken with him. It was all cowboy hats and horses… very different to what my friends were doing on their holidays!
That has to be a four-month backpacking trip I did with my best friend after college. We flew to Belgium and travelled all the way to Thailand – by land. No planes, just trains and buses. Through Europe, Russia on the Trans-Siberian, into China, down to Vietnam, and finally to Thailand.
We ate where locals ate, travelled how they travelled. It was pre-smartphone days, so we had no plan, just paper maps and visas. We were winging it the whole way. We were 21 years old — just two lads from Ireland on the road for months. I kept a journal every day and still have it.
There’s one moment that sticks with me forever. In Thailand, we went to this elephant sanctuary that had no Wi-Fi, no TV, no phone signal. Just nature. You’d wake up, see elephants outside, go on hikes, and completely unplug.
It taught me the importance of disconnection. In my work now, whether it's the podcast or wellness coaching, I’m always trying to bring people back to that idea: that slowing down and switching off is vital. That trip changed my life.
This year’s Camino trip. I brought a group on the Portuguese route, and it was beyond what I expected. It’s just walking; you’ve nothing to do but move forward.
No phones, no rush. When we reached the cathedral in Santiago, so many people cried.
I didn’t expect it to hit me the way it did. We’ve two more trips planned already.
I’ve run marathons there, and the history is incredible. If I wasn’t in health and fitness, I’d have loved to be an archaeologist! The food, the people, the atmosphere – I just love it. Reykjavik also stands out. I remember coming home thinking, “If I ever lived outside Ireland, this would be it.”
Hilton Park in Monaghan. It’s a big old country house run by the family who owns it. You get tea and cake on arrival, and breakfast in the old servants' quarters. It feels like you’re arriving at Buckingham Palace in the middle of nowhere.
You walk in and are instantly greeted with warmth and calm; no TV in the rooms, no digital distractions. Places like that are rare. We’ve started booking places that are more focused on wellness. Somewhere with no tech, great walks, good food and just peace.
Definitely a train journey in China. It was a 25-hour third-class carriage, packed with locals. I was the only tourist on board, and the people beside me shared their food: soup, chicken feet, all sorts. It wasn’t fancy, but I’ll never forget that moment. We didn’t speak the same language, but food broke the ice.
Walk. Always. I’ll walk across a city instead of taking a taxi; it helps me figure out where I am, and it’s the best way to slow down and take things in. Even in Dublin, when I’m up from West Cork, I’ll walk from Heuston to wherever I’m going. I’ve always done it.
There are a few. One is the Royal Scotsman, a sleeper train through Scotland, full of old-school glamour. I’ve seen documentaries on it, and it looks amazing. I’d also love to drive the south of France in a classic convertible, just taking it all in. Another is doing the full French route of the Camino – four to six weeks, start to finish. I met someone recently who did it, and it really inspired me. And finally, a swim trek in Greece or Croatia, swimming 25km a day, sleeping on a boat. Total escape. Like something from Mamma Mia!
- The Walking Effect by Karl Henry (Penguin Ireland) is out now
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
