Editors’ Picks
Selections of inspiring stories from around the world.
One Night in Jail: A Travel Horror Story
By Katherine BertrandSuddenly, below several work emails and app notifications, a Whatsapp message from your mother catches your eye: “Well… I just had the longest shower…ate breakfast and drinking 3 cups of coffee… I just spent my first night ‘ever’ in jail.” Read more
Mexico Insights
Saving a Species: Palm Oil, Orangutans, and the Leuser Ecosystem
By Jessica BarrettSix and a half million acres. That’s the size of Indonesia’s Leuser Ecosystem, one of the most ancient and biodiverse places ever documented and the last place on Earth where Sumatran rhinos, tigers, elephants, orangutans, and sun bears roam freely together. Read more
Asia Sustainability
Experiencing the World as a Blind Traveler
Meet Dale Reardon, a blind traveler from Australia who has not let his disability limit his love for exploring the world. Read more
The World Accessible
Why I advocate for slow travel—and why you should, too
By Jessica BarrettTravel used to be slow. Granted, it was slow because there was no other way…Somewhere along the way, we got (very) lost. Read more
The World Insights Social Responsibility
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
Women’s History Month: My Grandmother’s Malta
By Ann-Marie CahillThis may seem a little strange but Women’s History Month always has me thinking about travelling to Malta. It is the birthplace of my grandmother; my mother’s mother. Like many women in my family, Malta is small but feisty. And again like my family, it is filled with stories about … Read more Read more
Europe Experiences History
Unearth Istanbul In Rumi’s Footsteps
By Lipsa DasRumi. That is one of the first thoughts that would cross your mind when you visit Istanbul. When you google Istanbul, Hagia Sophia, the Grand Market, the Blue Mosque would be the topmost tourist attractions on the list. Read more
Asia Europe Architecture History
Revisiting the Little Rock Nine experience with Ernest Green
This event was the first experiment in school integration and came three years after the U.S, Supreme Court’s Brown vs. Board of Education landmark ruling… Read more
United States History Humanity
Discover Black History and Culture While Traveling the USA
By Terri MarshallAs a Southern-born white woman, incorporating Black history sites into my travel plans never crossed my mind… until I married a Black man. Read more
United States Family Travel History
The Rise and Fall of Goldsboro, Florida: An African American Town
By Kathleen WallsMany people know the story of the African American town Rosewood from the movie about the massacre, but how many of us have heard of Goldsboro, Florida, the second black incorporated city in the United States, which also thrived and was subsequently destroyed? Read more
United States History
How to Make Your Trip More Eco-Friendly
By Ali JenningsMore and more of us are becoming aware of the impact our carbon footprint has on the globe and are already taking steps to limit this. Read more
The World Social Responsibility Sustainability
Protecting Pottery and the Past
By Breana JohnsonAgua Fria National Monument protects nearly 500 ancient Native American homes within four distinct settlements. Read more
United States History The Arts
How Budapest’s Cafe Culture is Lifting Social Stigmas
By Tara TadlockHungary, and Budapest more specifically, was once known for its mistreatment of those with physical and intellectual disabilities. Read more
Europe Accessible Food & Drink Social Responsibility
Around the World in 16 Photos
By Tonya Fitzpatrick, Esq.Photos and good storytelling inspire and engage our senses so we have curated this compelling photo essay from 16 fellow travelers who have memorable travel stories to share. Read more
The World Insights
The Coral Rehabilitation Project Reviving the Maldives Reefs
By Bianca CaruanaThe Maldives islands are home to more than a thousand coral reefs, vibrant ecosystems that provide a home for marine life. Read more
Asia Volunteer Travel Preservation
Empowerment By Stringing Beads in East Africa
By Julie Dee SumanIrene patiently showed me her technique for rolling clay into beads using a tiny mold. While I needed more practice, the women at Kazuri worked diligently to produce ceramic jewelry. Kazuri, located in Nairobi, employs single mothers. This small business provides a daily income and healthcare in a country where … Read more Read more
Africa Humanity
Climbing A Stairway to Heaven in The Philippines
By Len CristobalGrowing up in the Philippines, an intensely Catholic country, I have seen the extremes that people sometimes go to in the name of religion. “Stairway to Heaven,” a giant, outdoor stairway leading to a breathtaking replica of heaven, or how heaven looks according to traditional beliefs. Read more
Asia Experiences Religious Travel
Rats and Astronauts: Street Art in Oaxaca
By Eliza AmonFamed for its artistic traditions in weaving, pottery and painted wooden animal carvings known as alebrijes, the Mexican city of Oaxaca is also brimming with contemporary art. Read more
Mexico Off the Beaten Path The Arts
Locals of Licin, East Java
By Ziba RedifThe sleepy village of Licin is situated in the Banyuwangi regency of East Java, Indonesia. It’s a 30-minute drive from the town of Banyuwangi – Java’s easternmost tip – and an hour from the slopes of Kawah Ijen, the legendary volcano famous for its electric blue flames. Read more
Asia Agritourism Indigenous Sustainability
Welcoming the Return of the Sun to Lake Titicaca
By Renee AlexanderOur winter welcome to Bolivia wasn’t exactly warm. For Americans, the visa requirements are extensive. Read more
Central and South America Religious Travel Events & Festivals
What to do about Racism and Bigotry as Travelers of Conscience and Culture
By Ian FitzpatrickWith everything taking place in the world from the coronavirus pandemic, global recession, and America’s racial reckoning, even a brief escape from these problems can be an elixir for the body, mind, spirit, and soul. Read more
United States Backpacking & Camping Insights Social Responsibility
Glacier National Park: A beautiful place with an ugly history
By Ali WundermanIt’s been a tough summer living right next to Glacier National Park. With international borders closed to U.S. travelers, Americans have set their sights on road tripping the national parks, especially in places of low population density, and by extension low COVID-19 cases. Read more
United States History Social Responsibility
What a snack from southern Spain tells you about religious persecution
By David PopeI was eating my favourite sandwich in a tapas bar in Seville when my mind was blown. Read more
Spain Religious Travel Food & Drink History
The Myths, Legends, and Magic of Malacca
By Tonya Fitzpatrick, Esq.Southeast Asia is filled with cultural diversity, unique cuisine, and the most unbelievable panoramic views, such as tropical rainforests and seas. Located in the Southern region of the Malay Peninsula is the state of Malacca, and the capital is Malacca City which UNESCO named a world heritage site in 2008. Read more
Asia Off the Beaten Path History Preservation
A South Carolina Plantation Shows Us the Way Forward
By Erica ChatmanIt is no secret to anyone that tourism is a major industry and draw for Charleston, South Carolina. However, on my most recent visit, I became a fan of their county parks because of one particular experience. I visited MacLeod Plantation Historic Site. Read more
United States History Social Responsibility
A Walking Tour Highlighting a Mumbai Slum’s Innovative Industry
By Bianca CaruanaDharavi, in central Mumbai, is considered one of the largest slums in Asia, but deep within this neighborhood, below the shanty grey roofs, loosely comprised of scavenged, upcycled metal, lives a resourceful and innovative community that plays an imperative role in Mumbai’s city-wide waste management. Read more
India Off the Beaten Path Social Responsibility
Coffee in Laos: an Unlikely Pathway out of Poverty
By Tara TadlockWhen people think of Southeast Asia, Thailand and Vietnam often come to mind first. But squeezed between them is Laos, a country covered in dense jungles and lush mountains perfectly suited for growing coffee, a relatively new crop that has grown recently in importance to the nation’s economy. Read more
Asia Food & Drink Humanity
Confronting Cannibalism Stereotypes in Papua New Guinea
By Cara SieraI hate to admit it, but when we booked our trip, I didn’t even know where to find Papua New Guinea on the map. Our travel companions had selected the destination. But in the months leading up to our departure, I began to fall in love with a place that … Read more Read more
Oceania Experiences History Indigenous
Why Walking the Camino de Santiago is Not Just a Religious Journey
By Derek CullenThough it’s best known as a religious pilgrimage, walking the Camino de Santiago does not need to be a spiritual journey and people from all walks of life can and do take this adventure for different reasons. Read more
Europe Experiences Religious Travel
Ging: Tea Trails in the Himalayan Foothills
By Bandita MukherjeeLeaving behind the tourist-filled streets of Darjeeling and the lingering whistle of the steam engine of the Heritage Himalayan Railway, our car enters the Lebong Valley. It is a different world altogether. Read more
India Food & Drink History
Biking Windhoek’s Bustling Township of Katutura
By Chez ChesakBefore your wildlife safari or self-drive adventure, take a day or two to discover Windhoek’s history, particularly the township of Katutura, where the city’s black population was forcefully moved under Apartheid. Read more
Africa Adventure History
The Heidelberg Project: A Detroit Artist’s Political Protest
By Kathleen WallsAward-winning artist and sculptor Tyree Guyton started The Heidelberg Project in 1986 as a political protest after he returned to his old Detroit neighborhood, the Heidelberg area in the McDougall-Hunt Neighborhood, and found dereliction and debris. Read more
United States Insights The Arts Preservation
Offbeat India: A Pilgrimage to the Source of the Ganges
By Trixie PacisIndia cradles an ancient and spiritual culture that draws visitors from around the globe. Spiritual experiences in the country range from temple visits and yoga retreats to 10-day silent Vipassana meditations. While India is best known by tourists for wonders like the Taj Mahal, our six-month sojourn brought us to … Read more Read more
India Off the Beaten Path Religious Travel History
How South Korea is Painting Its Way out of Poverty
By Rose MundayOn a warm June day, the ocean breeze cools balmy Busan, South Korean’s busiest port city. As I stand overlooking Gamcheon Culture Village nestled on the coast, I shiver as I imagine what it once was: a dangerous slum, ravaged by war. Nowadays the rainbow facade of Gamcheon Culture Village … Read more Read more
Asia Architecture History The Arts
Township tourism: The good, the bad, and the ugly
By Rachel FlynnIf you have traveled to a developing country, you have probably seen tours that visit favelas, slums, or in South Africa’s case, townships. Read more
Africa Insights Social Responsibility
Shaping the rainbow nation: The role of Indians in South Africa
By Rachel FlynnWelcome to South Africa, the country with too many names! The list is long, but some of the most notable options include the Republic of South Africa, my absolute favourite country, Mzansi, and the rainbow nation. Read more
Africa Insights History
Kefi Culture: The Greek Ethos
By Jim BamboulisGreeks don’t seek kefi, they find it naturally in their day-to-day lives. Read more
Europe Insights Lifestyle
Opinion: Why You Should Care About What’s Happening In Palestine
By Alicia-Rae LightUntil I spent time in Palestine’s West Bank, seeing it with my own eyes and listening to people’s stories…I didn’t have a grasp or understanding of what was happening or why. Read more
Middle East History Humanity
Cause for a change: The post-pandemic future of Asia’s elephant tourism
By Bianca CaruanaIn a small town in the southwestern region of Nepal, Eva the rescue elephant and her new companion Lhamo are sprouting a charming kinship. Read more
Asia Social Responsibility
Early American History in Harmony, Pennsylvania
By Kathleen WallsA half hour’s drive north of Pittsburgh, the tiny Western Pennsylvania town of Harmony, with a population of fewer than 1,000 people, has an unusual history that makes for a fascinating visit. Read more
United States Religious Travel History
6 Amazing Destinations for Stargazing
By Ali JenningsIf you are interested in stargazing, there are still lots of places in the world where you can see the universe at its finest through both the naked eye and observational equipment. Read more
The World Experiences
Rick Steves “For the Love of Europe” and his Travel-Driven Social Ethos
Today on World Footprints, we welcome back, author and television host, Rick Steves. We enjoy a very thought-provoking discussion about a range of topics from the current pandemic and social issues to the challenging issues facing the travel industry today. Read more
Europe Social Responsibility
How one Indonesian community is using ecotourism income to fight deforestation and climate change
By Nayla AzmiClimate change is impacting the world in significant ways. We know this. But it’s impacting the beautiful islands of Indonesia, in particular… Read more
Asia Eco-tourism Indigenous
Arcosanti: An Experiment in the Arizona Desert
By Breana JohnsonOut of view, built into the hill above, rises Arcosanti, a prototype of arcology. Arcology, a concept coined by Soleri himself by combining “architecture” and “ecology,” is the idea that architecture can be in harmony with the landscape. Read more
United States Architecture Sustainability
Philotimo: the Greek secret not easily translated
By Jim Bamboulis‘Philotimo’ dates back millennia, and although can’t be translated into a single word in the English language to this day, is packed with meaning, often illustrated through honourable, respectful and humble acts towards others, no matter who they are, or where they come from. Read more
Europe History
Teaching Children to Appreciate Diversity
By Breana JohnsonThe best way to travel with the intent of exploring diversity is to ditch the touristy places. Sometimes, tourist attractions bring people from all over the world — the Grand Canyon or Disneyland, for example. Read more
The World Family Travel Insights The Arts Social Responsibility
The Future of Sustainable Orangutan Treks in a Post-COVID World
By Nayla AzmiAs the only primate that only can be found outside of Africa, the orangutan lures people from all over the world to see its uniqueness of being strikingly similar to human beings. Read more
Asia Social Responsibility
How to Social Impact Travel (Without the Price Tag)
By Natasha TuckerFor many people, including myself, while travelling the world is a passion, it is important to simultaneously make a positive change in communities and the environment in which we are exploring. This is known as social impact travel. Read more
The World Volunteer Travel Social Responsibility
How a trip to Pakistan changed my life
By Samantha SheaI first became interested in Pakistan when I was 9 years old. At the time, I was completely fascinated by all things South Asia. Read more
Asia Transformative
Traveling Insights from a deaf Traveler
Have you ever thought what it would feel like to travel the world in silence? Read more
The World Accessible Insights
Experiencing the fight for freedom along the U.S. Civil Rights Trail
Explore the story of Black Americans’ fight for freedom and equality with U.S. Civil Rights Trail author Deborah Douglas. Read more
United States History
Travel Beyond Black History Month
By Ann-Marie CahillDuring February, there is an influx of travel stories for the “Best Places to Celebrate Black History Month”. It’s great and there are so many places I want to visit! However, the same list almost disappears into the ether as soon as March 1st arrives. Read more
The World Insights History Social Responsibility
Bali battles a plastic ocean while eagerly awaiting economic respite
By Bianca CaruanaAs if Bali hasn’t been suffering enough with the economic blow of COVID-19, locals are also battling a catastrophic environmental disaster as an abnormal amount of plastic washes up along popular tourist beaches Kuta & Seminyak. Read more
Asia Social Responsibility Sustainability
Singing the country: Understanding the Aboriginal creation story
By SJ ArmstrongEvery inch of Australia is written in song. Read more
Oceania History Indigenous
Balancing safety and sanity as a nomadic soul during the pandemic
By Kellie PaxianBut for many of us wanderlust-filled souls, there is one major influence on our well-being that the pandemic discourages — and that is travel. Read more
The World Safety
Reminiscing on Slovenia Through the Senses
By Trixie PacisFrom the summer of 2018 to 2019, I called the charming Slovenian capital of Ljubljana my home. For those of you who have yet to experience Slovenia, it is a feast for the eyes. Read more
Europe Architecture History
Mehrangarh: Rajasthan’s Fortress of the Sun
By Sugato MukherjeeTo the discerning traveler, Mehrangarh fort of Jodhpur is an intricate tapestry of half a millennium of history, intertwined with bravery and artistry. And a few dark secrets. Read more
India Architecture History
A Love Letter to the World from an American
By Terri MarshallA couple of years ago I jumped on the Ancestry DNA bandwagon to discover more about my history. The results weren’t terribly surprising. Read more
The World Insights
A look through the lens of a humanitarian photographer
By Jessica BarrettFrom long, uncomfortable trips to challenging accommodations, humanitarian travel isn’t typically glamorous. Massachusetts-based social documentary photographer and Capture Humanity founder Matilde Simas recently traveled to Imvepi Refugee Settlement in Uganda to explore the ways that children are exploited due to war. Read more
Africa The Arts Social Responsibility
A letter to my favourite country: We need to talk
By Kellie PaxianSouth Africa is not the safest country in which I’ve travelled. It’s not the least corrupt. Or the most open-minded. But it is my favourite. Read more
Africa Social Responsibility
Viewing Today’s World Through Journalistic Eyes: Can Travel Heal The Divide?
By Ian and Tonya FitzpatrickAs travel journalists who happen to be people of color, we celebrate the cultures of the world. Read more
United States Insights Social Responsibility
Mexico’s street dog problem — and how travelers are part of the solution
By Jessica Barrett“Watch us come back with a dog,” I joked to my partner as we packed our things for four months on Mexico’s Pacific coast. As it turned out, it was less of a joke than I thought. Read more
Mexico Volunteer Travel Social Responsibility
In the Footsteps of Birmingham’s Civil Rights Movement (Lowell Thomas Award-Winning show)
Birmingham, Alabama is considered ground zero in the civil rights movement. In the 1950s, African-Americans of all ages in Birmingham drew a proverbial line in the sand against racial segregation. Their stories, struggles and ultimate success over Jim Crow laws is on display at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute in … Read more Read more
United States Insights History
Bringing a dark history to light in Bosnia
By Tara TadlockTwenty-seven years ago, Bosnia and Herzegovina was considered one of the most dangerous places in the world. Read more
Europe Off the Beaten Path History
Voluntourism: When Helping can Hurt
By Breana JohnsonVoluntourism can be a benefit to communities, but if done improperly, it can actually be more harmful than helpful. Read more
Caribbean and Atlantic Volunteer Travel Social Responsibility
The Saanich Peninsula: A Family Farm Haven on Vancouver Island
By Christina NewberryWhen I arrive at Healing Farm, I have an overwhelming sense that I’ve come home. This 18-acre organic farm on Vancouver Island’s Saanich Peninsula is everything I love about this part of the world, where I grew up. Read more
Canada Agritourism Experiences Food & Drink History
Uluru: Why Climbing is Bad for Australia’s Heart
By Ann-Marie CahillUluru is not just the geographical heart of Australia; it is considered by Indigenous Australians to be the spiritual heart as well. Read more
Oceania Preservation
Trophy Hunting in Zimbabwe
By Derek CullenI knew very little about the black rhino when I first arrived in Africa. In fact, I knew next to nothing about African wildlife in general and even less about the impact of hunting in Zimbabwe. After three years guiding on the continent, black rhino poaching is now a problem … Read more Read more
Africa Social Responsibility Sustainability