By the Malecon: Havana Nights in Search of the Real Cuba
By Jennifer RichardsonA block from Havana’s famous Malecon, I found myself standing on a curb, sharing a bottle of rum with my good friend and traveling companion Sandra, and three strangers. We’d all met earlier at a nearby salsa club tucked in an alleyway between the Centro and Old Havana neighborhoods, a … Read more Read more
Caribbean and Atlantic Off the Beaten Path Architecture
Eau Claire’s Artistic Wonders
By Robin RavenThe American heartland city of Eau Claire is enjoying an artistic renaissance. Sitting at the junction of the Eau Claire and Chippewa Rivers in Wisconsin, Eau Claire is French for “clear water,” and water is a defining physical feature of the city. Read more
United States The Arts
Looking Behind the Funhouse Mirror in Thailand
By Josh FredmanThe dock at Ao Nang in Krabi, Thailand is as nondescript as any western restaurant patio. Wooden slats make up a narrow walkway with benches on either side. Read more
Asia Sustainability
Quirky Albuquerque, Five Things To Experience in the Land of Enchantment
By Melissa CurtinMost people think of Santa Fe when visiting New Mexico, but Albuquerque, where Native culture combines with New Mexican and Mexican influences throughout this quirky city, is a fascinating place to visit. Read more
United States Off the Beaten Path
Quebec City: Where New France celebrates its heritage
By Tonya FitzpatrickIn 1608 the first Europeans set foot on North American soil. Samuel de Champlain, considered to be the founding father of New France, built a settlement that would later be called Quebec City. Read more
Canada Events & Festivals History
Central Florida Lantern Festival Shines Light on Chinese Culture
By Kirsten HarringtonThe Lunar New Year is celebrated across Asia by gathering with family, decorating the house with red couplets and giving red envelopes with money to friends and colleagues. Also known as Spring Festival in China, this 15-day celebration starts on January 22nd and ends with the Lantern Festival on February … Read more Read more
Asia The World Events & Festivals
Exploring Portland’s Multicultural Offerings
By Becky GarrisonThe cult TV show Portlandia pushed Portland, Oregon to hipster fame, but behind the city’s heralded “cool” veneer, lies a white supremacist history. Black people were explicitly forbidden from living in the city when the state entered the union in 1859. Read more
United States Off the Beaten Path History
A day out amongst the white lions of Johannesburg
By Davison MatangaLions and elephants are nothing fantastic. They are part of the DNA of the land and they are not page turners. There is an animal park on every road leading out of Johannesburg. Read more
Africa Adventure Preservation
Exploring Acadia National Park
By JenLyn FitzAcadia National Park is one of the fifty-eight National Parks in the United States and it is in the state of Maine. The park’s original Read more
United States Backpacking & Camping Family Travel History
A Trip to Burundi
By Breana JohnsonAsk any average Westerner, and they likely won’t be able to point out Burundi on the map. Although this tiny country is virtually ignored when it comes to East African tourism, that’s no reason why it shouldn’t be on your travel bucket list. Read more
Africa Off the Beaten Path Food & Drink
Traveling in China – under the skin of the culture
By Jon GeldartTravelling by train in China is not as difficult as you might first think, though buying tickets can be a fraught affair with the many booths and total lack of any language other than Chinese which can confront you. Read more
Asia Off the Beaten Path Rail & Road Travel
Welcome to Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley
By Derek CullenStretching for more than six thousand kilometers from Mozambique to Syria in the Middle East, the Great Rift Valley is home to thousands of tribes and some of the most stunning landscapes anywhere in the world. Read more
Africa Experiences
Human Trafficking in Kenya: A Nonprofit Takes Aim
By Jessica BarrettImagine a seven-year-old girl, spending her days not in school, but cooking and cleaning for a family in a wealthy suburb. Or a young mother struggling to make ends meet, lured away from her children by an employment agency and forced into sex work abroad. For millions of people, this … Read more Read more
Africa Human Trafficking
Cajun Culture in Lafayette Parish
By Kathleen WallsIn Southern Louisiana, French Canadian migrants settled and intermingled with the existing community to create a unique ethnic group, the Cajuns, whose culture continues to thrive today. Visitors can learn more about the Cajuns through a visit to Lafayette Parish, where they can explore their history, customs, music and food. Read more
United States Experiences
Perugia from the Outside In: Following the Locals to the Suburbs
By Anthony PaonitaPerugia’s lively historic center, filled with ancient stately buildings, can take your breath away. The Piazza IV Novembre is larger than most Italian hill towns’ main squares, with a large central fountain surrounded by Perugia’s foremost cathedral and medieval city hall. Read more
Europe Experiences