Africa
A Long Weekend in Cape Town Is Only an Introduction
Cape Town makes a long weekend feel both generous and absurd. Mountain, ocean, museums, neighborhoods, vineyards and the Cape Peninsula all sit…
Topic
Travel
Belize
Belize Is Not the Affordable Bora Bora. It Is Belize.
Calling Belize the affordable version of Bora Bora sounds flattering until you notice what disappears in the comparison. Belize becomes turquoise water…
Bucket List Ideas
Chichén Itzá Is More Than One Pyramid
El Castillo is so recognizable that it has nearly swallowed the city around it. Search for Chichén Itzá and the same pyramid…
Explore
Mexico’s “Secret” Beaches Are Not Secret, and That’s Fine
A beach with road signs, boat service, restaurants and thousands of search results is not undiscovered. That does not make it ruined.…
Explore
A Cooking Class in Oaxaca Should Teach More Than a Recipe
Oaxaca is an easy place to become overconfident about food. A few days of mole, tlayudas and mezcal can make a visitor…
Explore
Mexican Food Is Regional Before It Is National
Calling something “Mexican food” is useful until the meal arrives. Then geography takes over. The country’s cooking changes with climate, agriculture, migration,…
Explore
Fourteen Days in Mexico Means Choosing One Mexico
Mexico is not a two-week route. It is a country large and varied enough to contain dozens of them. The old itinerary…
Bucket List Ideas
Day of the Dead in Oaxaca Is Not a Costume Party
Oaxaca during Day of the Dead is easy to romanticize. Marigolds cover doorways, candles flicker beside photographs, brass bands move through the…
Budgeting
Budget Travel in Mexico Starts With Geography
Mexico can be affordable, but calling it a cheap country is not much of a plan. A week in a beach resort,…
Africa
Bazaruto Is a National Park, Not an Empty Paradise
Bazaruto is often sold with the usual island language: untouched, undiscovered, empty. It looks good in a brochure, but it is a…