When travelers consider northern India, thoughts run to the Golden Triangle, the popular India tourist circuit of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. While we appreciate the appeal of sights like the Taj Mahal, there is much more to experience in northern India — without the crowds, scams and hustle of being on the tourist path.
How Do You Know Your Travel Money Stays Local?
When you travel, is there any way you can “follow the money” to ensure that whatever you spend on your trip stays local and benefits the communities you visit? This article offers a few ideas on how to do that and highlights some movements and methodologies afoot in the travel industry that might help.
Traveling Sustainably: 20 Ways to Be a Sustainable Traveler
We think of traveling sustainably as a movement of respectful travelers who live at the intersection of deeper travel experiences and caring for our planet and its people. This is a journey of awareness and travel decisions that aim to … Continue Reading
Insider’s Prague: 5 Tourist Traps to Avoid and Things to Do Instead
While we lived in Prague for over five years, we were simultaneously awed by its beauty and frustrated by the rapacious tourism development that had swamped its old town. More recently, I've heard from travelers disappointed by their visits to Prague because of the city's crowds and tourist schlock.
Yes, there's a fair heap of that. But, there are also ways to avoid it and there is much to see and experience in Prague without crowds. That's what this insider's guide is all about with tourist traps to avoid, best things to do, favorite Czech beers and pubs, neighborhoods to stay in, and where to eat in Prague.
How to Use Social Enterprises to Improve Your Travels…and Make a Difference
If you’re looking for more meaningful travel interactions and are interested in giving something back as you travel, it’s important to understand the concept of social enterprise — what is it, how it works with local communities, and where to find it in the travel industry.
Brazil Experiential Travel Guide: 18 Things to Do, See and Eat + 2 Week Itinerary
Are you interested in traveling to Brazil, but only have a limited amount of time? Maybe you have a couple of weeks and you feel overwhelmed by Brazil's size and variety of destinations. Don't worry, we've been there. That’s why we created this Brazil Experiential Travel Guide to get you started in organizing and planning your own trip.
A Favela Tour in Vidigal, Rio de Janeiro: How to Do One Respectfully and Responsibly
In this piece, we explore the nature and meaning of favelas in Brazil and the ethics of favela tours. Through conversations with residents and community leaders in Vidigal favela in Rio de Janeiro, we consider how community-driven favela tour experiences can create positive social impact and reduce the exclusion and separative otherness of marginalized communities.
Volunteering and Voluntourism: The Good, The Bad, and The Questions You Should Ask
If you are interested in volunteering internationally or going on voluntourism trip, what are the ethical considerations you should be aware of? Which questions can you ask to better ensure that your actions and any financial contribution are aligned with your values, desired impact and expectations? So that you don't end up doing unintended harm with your goal of helping or “doing good”?
Iranian Food: A Culinary Travel Guide to What to Eat and Drink
Although this ultimate guide to Iranian food could also be entitled Persian Food, today’s Iran is ethnically broader than its Persian roots. So too is its cuisine. Influences on Iranian food draw from across Central Asia, Turkey, former Mesopotamia, and … Continue Reading
Child Welfare in Travel: 10 Do’s and Don’ts for Engaging Responsibly
You care about the kids you encounter while traveling, right? Are children ever props in your photos? Do you location tag them? What about giving money to begging children? What about passing out gifts to random kids you meet? What about those school visits? How does it all impact children and their well-being? Can any of your actions cause unintended harm?
A recent release of a set of child welfare in travel guidelines and code of conduct seems to be tipping the apple cart. What many of us thought were perfectly acceptable behaviors when we encounter kids while traveling are now called into question.