“Raiatea is the sacred island,” explains Karine, the director of Raiatea Lodge Hotel. “It’s a very authentic island with a rich history and culture that is very different from the other French Polynesian islands.” We’re enjoying an artisanal breakfast at the lodge. Fresh sweet grapefruit, papaya and passionate fruit, house [...]
Before visiting Hocking Hills, Ohio, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. While I’d heard the state was flat with not much to do, I also heard there were some quirky and adventurous activities to be experienced. After visiting for myself, the latter view won by a landslide. One that [...]
It is still very hot on this November day. Some of my friends living in Saitama, the large prefecture north of Tokyo, have invited me to come and visit them in their city of Kawaguchi for a matsuri, a Japanese traditional festival. The event is rooted in religion linked to [...]
When exploring the city of Melbourne, walking down the hidden lanes and bright arcades, you’ll notice many unique stores and boutique shops. One particularly interesting space is located in the Cathedral Arcade on the 2nd floor, Buttonmania. Owned by local button collector Kate Boulton, the shop has over four million [...]
The national instrument of Trinidad & Tobago is the steelpan, or steel drum. Crafted from oil drums — although many of these drums never contained oil — these instruments are not actually drums in the membranophone sense, but are steel containers which are struck with a rubber-tipped stick to create [...]
When traveling through Peru, it’s hard not to notice the colorful handicrafts made by locals. Hats, scarves, bags, socks, sweaters and headbands are weaved with care using locally-sourced fabrics like alpaca, vicuna and sheep. While you can browse these products at local markets, another way to explore the art and [...]
With the success of last year’s event, JNTO and JTA will collaborate again to bring back Japan’s tourism promotion event Japan Week from March 19 to 21, 2013 at Grand Central Terminal in New York. In addition to celebrating Japanese culinary culture, this year’s event will also recognize the “sister [...]
The close-knit community of Hocking Hills is very sustainable, with restaurants promoting local ingredients, naturalist guides teaching the importance of ecology, accommodations made of recycled materials and tasty, organic beers. Locals in Hocking Hills work together to promote an ethical lifestyle, believing in quality over quantity. This is also true [...]
Laying out on the jagged harbor rocks in Riomaggiore, Italy, I let the warm sun tan my skin. It was so peaceful in this town of old-warm charm and fishing boats. Families swimming in the small alcove while the more adventurous types dove from high-cliffs into the water. I close [...]
“Welcome to the party!” greets Javier, opening the door to let me into his apartment. I met Javier on CouchSurfing when posting on the Mendoza, Argentina, forum. We ended up going wine tasting together and afterward he invited me to a party at his house to meet his friends and [...]
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