Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer

The Thinking Traveller

The Thinking Traveller

Gawk like an Egyptian

The ancient Egyptian burial site of Saqqara has been studied for more than a century, due to the importance of the location for political, religious and architectural history. One of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. But a new “born-digital” publication by UC Santa Cruz associate history…

Read more

Mexico-go-go!

Mexico is as vast as it is diverse. Its 761,600 square miles of land range from arid coastal regions in the west to verdant Rousseau-esque jungles in the south. Long known for its cultural roots in plant medicines and healing temazcal (or sweat lodge) ceremonies, Mexico has always been a wellness haven—a place of ritualized…

Read more

Indian food you’ve never heard of

At Café Lota, Head Chef Udit Maheshwari is on a mission to introduce diners to regional Indian cuisine they may have never sampled before. The outdoor café at the National Crafts Museum in New Delhi specializes in lesser-known dishes, like chingri kamranga khatta (prawn curry with star fruit), a guava vegetable dish, and a curry…

Read more

Gourmet cooking in the wild

I’ve tried to be a lightweight backpacker, packing my bag with energy bars that look like they came out of a toilet and dehydrated meals that have the consistency of plaster. It didn’t last. When packing, I think of what J.R.R. Tolken wrote in The Hobbit: “If more of us valued food and cheer and song…

Read more

Are your plans to go to Europe trumped?

During Wednesday (March 11, 2020) evening’s address from the Oval Office, President Trump announced a 30-day travel ban from Europe in response to the growing coronavirus pandemic. The announcement immediately caused confusion, has been criticized by politicians and public health officials alike, and condemned by the European Union. What are the terms and conditions and . . …

Read more

Climate change is an emergency but despair is not the answer

n 2000, Tsai Jen-Hui, a professor of architecture at the National Taipei University of Technology, had the walls of the campus torn down. In their place, he had a stream built that functions like a moat, fed by recycled water and rain. He gave the university an entrance way inspired by – and incorporating –…

Read more

Your-uguay

Uruguay is a hidden gem. Overshadowed by its larger neighbors, Argentina and Brazil, our private tours to this small and chic country should not be overlooked. Uruguay has supremely stylish beaches, accessible wine and gourmet experiences, a vibrant cultural arts and music scene, hospitable locals and great infrastructure – allowing for both independent discovery and…

Read more

Hybrid-powered Roald Amundsen

In 2019, Hurtigruten added a brand new ship to its fleet: the MS Roald Amundsen. The state of the art vessel features new and environmentally sustainable hybrid technology that will reduce fuel consumption and show the world that hybrid propulsion on large ships is possible. Named after the first man to cross Antarctica and reach the South…

Read more

Goa a-go-go

I stood at the epicenter of India’s only Latin Quarter, Fontainhas in Goa, surrounded by a palette of purple, orange, red and blue painted houses topped with ornamental roosters and terracotta tiles. Boarded windows painted with Christian art were garnished with petals and pots of tulips, a shrine to the quarter’s Catholic roots. Past the…

Read more

Finding mindfulness

Often, the ways we define mindfulness can be misleading. Definitions like “a quality of awareness that accepts things the way that they are” or “being aware without judging what is” are not incorrect, but they can imply passivity or complacency. But mindfulness is a dynamic relationship with what is. It doesn’t mean you never take…

Read more

The art of coffee

Famous Saudi coffee roasters Elixir Bunn opened their new location in Riyadh, designed by Azaz Architects. After building a strong reputation for their coffee, it was time to build an atmosphere to complement their famous drinks. Coffee in Saudi Arabia is well-rooted into the local culture and could be traced back to times prior to the…

Read more

Not the end of the line for Amtrak?

It will come as no surprise to many that Amtrak has struggled for many many years. The train service covers almost all of America - although sometimes with schedules that may require boarding or disembarking in the middle of the night - and also not the largest uptake of travelers in most of the USA. …

Read more