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Sustainable Hotels in Costa Rica: 5 Eco-Conscious Choices
By Lola MéndezCosta Rica is a top eco-conscious destination with many properties implementing sustainable initiatives to keep their environmental impact to a minimum to preserve the biodiversity of the country. This movement is a natural extension of the country motto, Pura Vida! Read more
Central and South America Eco-tourism Sustainability
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
Jewish History Behind the Communist Blocks of Bucharest
By Diana CondreaHidden behind Bucharest’s Soviet-style apartment blocks are the traces of the city’s once thriving Jewish community, 70,000 people strong, who lived in the capital before World War II and Soviet demolition nearly obliterated their culture. Read more
Europe History
A Message of Harmony at the End of a Jamaican Dirt Road
By George MillerI’m walking along a dirt lane in the Jamaican bush when I meet Franklin. We’re beyond the end of the paved road, miles from the closest phone or electricity. Read more
Caribbean and Atlantic Off the Beaten Path
Shooting Stars and Shay in Jordan’s Dana Biosphere Reserve
By Christina NewberryLying on stacked cushions on the roof of a lodge in Jordan’s Dana Biosphere Reserve, I watch a beam of green light shoot into the sky as our guide circles a constellation with the most powerful laser pointer I’ve ever seen. “That orange star, that’s the womanizer,” Ali says. “He’s … Read more Read more
Middle East Experiences
Queen of Mantas – One Woman’s Fight For a Threatened Species
By Melissa HobsonWhen Andrea Marshall began studying manta rays in Mozambique in 2003 there was so little information about the species that she was forced to recommend them as “data deficient” on the Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, the go-to authority on endangered species. Read more
Africa Conservation
Washington DC: An Exploration of a Thriving Poetry Scene
By Daniel BaldwinPoetry is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Washington DC. Despite its storied literary history, diverse music communities, and world-renowned museum system, visitors and residents alike have trouble seeing beyond the shadow of Capitol Hill. Read more
United States Literature & Music The Arts
Western New York’s New Onöhsagwëde’ Cultural Center
By Kathleen WallsThe Enchanted Mountains of Cattaraugus County, New York are the homeland of The Seneca Nation, one of six Native American tribes that formed a confederacy in the region. The largest of the six tribes, The Seneca, who lived in the Western part of the Confederacy, called themselves the Onöndowa’ga,’ or … Read more Read more
United States Experiences Indigenous Preservation
Touring a Coffee Plantation in Costa Rica
By Lola MéndezTraveling has made me a coffee lover. I’ve enjoyed the perfect espresso in Italy, strong traditional brews made in copper pots in Albania, cortados in Uruguay, and learned to take my coffee with coconut milk in Vietnam. Throughout my adventures, I’ve visited coffee plantations in India, Indonesia, and Vietnam. I … Read more Read more
Central and South America Agritourism Food & Drink
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
No Roads Lead to Stehekin
By Eliza AmonTucked in the rugged North Cascade Mountains near the Canadian border, is a town unreachable except by ferry, foot or flight. Remote as Stehekin is, the Washington town is a hub for nature lovers looking to hike, kayak, ride horses or fish in a national park whose glacier-tipped peaks are … Read more Read more
United States Nature & Outdoors Off the Beaten Path
Martha’s Vineyard: A Vacation Journey Through Black History and Black Film
By Laura K. WiseA friend invited me to share a house with her and a few other friends in Martha’s Vineyard over the Fourth of July weekend last year. Hearing stories of the Kennedys and the Obamas vacationing there, I assumed it would be a stuffy, pretentious community for the rich and famous. … Read more Read more
United States Events & Festivals History
Keeping Whale Shark Tourism Sustainable in Madagascar
By Melissa HobsonMadagascar’s Nosy Be was recently identified as a hotspot for whale sharks, which could boost the island’s ecotourism to rival the likes of global whale shark hotspots in Tanzania and Mozambique. Read more
Africa Adventure Conservation Sustainability
The Architectural Delights of Barcelona
By Simone GalicBarcelona is one of the most visited cities in the world, and once you’ve had a glimpse of the architecture it’s easy to see why. Read more
Spain Architecture
Cycling in Uzbekistan
By Kelly SheldrickIn many ways Uzbekistan is a fantastic country to cycle through – the friendly hospitality, exotic culture, stunning architecture and, of course, the excitement of exploring faraway lands, well away from the beaten tourist trail. Read more
Asia Adventure