The Camino Frances is a 500 mile walk from France into Spain—the final destination is Santiago de Compostela. But it’s more than a destination; the pilgrimage is a weeks-long journey. Curious? Here’s everything you need to know. In May 2017, my 13-year-old niece and I left St. Jean Pied de Port. We planned to walk …
Southeast Asia is one of the most popular backpacking destinations in the world. And for good reason—everything that makes traveling great is easily accessible in this region. Plus is safe! Southeast Asia is among the places that I have felt safest traveling as a solo woman, and it’s among the best places for adventurous first-time …
Cold air gnawed through my layers, persistent and unrelenting. As an avowed lover of all things tropical—smoothie flavors, color palettes, and, yes, temperatures—I had dreaded exploring St. Petersburg, Russia in November, a month marked by gray skies, drizzling rain, and pervasive chill. Although my unsuitability for cold weather panned out, St. Petersburg upended my every …
Finding a way to stop traveling has been an evolving process. When I booked that one-way flight ten years ago, a year of travel loomed before me, an epic round-the-world trip that would fulfill my dreams to see more of the world while also preparing me to contentedly return to Los Angeles at the end. …
Drizzling rain pattered on my umbrella as I wove through throngs of tourists, their rainbow-hued ponchos forming sudden pops of contrast against the canary-colored walls. I dodged locals pedaling rickety bicycles on the rain-drenched streets, and darted into the calm oasis of a local teahouse-cum-social enterprise in Hoi An, Vietnam. The rain hadn’t let up …
To call it sadness gives it too much weight. But happiness is too vibrant and concrete. I don’t feel identifiably happy as I enter my tenth year on the road. At least not toward travel, particularly. It’s more like a heavy uncertainty. My life is pregnant with pause. I’m waiting to hear from the Spanish …
You’re planning a trip to Thailand and/or Southeast Asia—congrats! It’s among my favorite parts of the world and one of the easiest places to have an incredible experience. Between the food, the people, and the sheer number of cultural, historic, and natural sites, you will not want for things to do. Most backpacking trips in …
While lumped together with Southeast Asia for geographic and tourism purposes, Vietnam stands out as a destination unique among its neighbors. Each region balances the other. The frenetic chaos in Saigon is just a stone’s throw from the sleepy colonial towns in the Mekong Delta. Hoi An’s charming, historic ancient town is a mere 40 minutes …