Any traveller to Morocco will inevitably come across these lonesome shrines dotted across the landscape of the Maghreb, from Tetuan to Tan-Tan. These “Marabouts” are the final resting places of Islamic holy men, “saints” if you will, although Islam officially frowns upon the concept. Morocco being Morocco, however, has traditions that stretch back before the arrival of […]
What is it? “La Via Verde de la Sierra” is one of Andalucia’s best kept secrets. If you’re looking to get away from the crowds of monuments and get out to the real Andalucian countryside for that natural high (and burn off the extra calories of that jamón ibérico at the same time), this is a day […]
Nestled in the depths of the somewhat obscure Katavi National Park, far out in the western reaches of Tanzania, is a camp called Chada Katavi. If you look at a map it’s a touch closer to the Democratic Republic of Congo than to the Serengeti. In other words, the beaten path is nowhere to be seen. […]
Semana Santa or Holy Week, the period between Palm Sunday and Easter, brings out all the colour, sight, and sound that make Spain such an irresistible destination. Jerez, a small town in Andalucia most of you have probably never heard of (but you will, as our new Spain trip planner is located here) celebrates the […]
I like to eat (and drink) like a local whenever I go anywhere new, and Tel Aviv has some wonderful restaurants and cafes. The Neve Tzedek neighbourhood is a great spot for sitting at a street-side café and enjoying some coffee, shakshuka, and people-watching. In between eating, drinking, and generally exploring the city, I had the […]
Argentina is huge. Yes, you can fly from place to place, but if you’re sticking to the very well-equipped bus system, there may not be time to cross all the way from culture capital Buenos Aires down to the epic Perito Moreno Glacier. That doesn’t mean you can’t get a brilliant taste of the Patagonian […]
The last thing most people want to do on vacation is get up at the crack of dawn. I’m not one of those people, but I’m also just plain strange. Getting up at dark-thirty in Luang Prabang is actually worth it, not only do you get to see the city come alive, but you also […]
Let’s face it, Italy has a knack for making things look beautiful. True, their politics are absurdly colourful. And yes, the mafia thing is kind of dark. But when it comes to design and the visual shape of things, they really sparkle. It was Italy who took the simple form of the car and styled it […]
If you’ll indulge me, I’d like to talk statistics for a moment. The largest African elephants weigh in at around 13,000 lbs and stand 10 feet tall at the shoulder. Each of its two swiss-army-knife-like tusks can weigh in at 150 lbs with the largest recorded being 287 lbs each—which is kind of like having […]
New York City is chock-a-block with shops that specialize. There’s an entire restaurant devoted to meatballs, and one just for grilled cheese, and of course one just for peanut butter. So imagine my delight (and not so surprise) when I came across The Meadow, which specializes in salt, chocolate and bitters. Inside the tiny store […]
There’s a reason we’re always heading back to the countries we love: Research. We do a lot of it, and its probably just about the best part of our jobs. Finding new things, meeting new people and visiting new places helps us grow, both as a company and on a personal level. It’s a bit […]
Brazil is a veritable piñata of sights and experiences. And while the Amazon, the epic Iguassu Falls, and Rio are all rightfully high on the must-see list, there is another compelling reason to visit (or revisit) this gigantic playground. And it’s called the Pantanal (say this to yourself in the echo-y voice of an omniscient […]
What follows is the tale of the time I tried to taste everything in Istanbul. Spoiler: I ate so much I had to take a nap. Our story begins at the charming locale of the oldest market in the world: the Egyptian Bazaar, where we meet our passionate and knowledgeable gastronomic guide Aylin. We’re surrounded […]
When the calendar ticks over from September to October, you’ll find me salivating at the gates of the the International White Truffle Fair in Alba, Piemonte. As if being home to the greatest Italian red wine of all, Barolo (I’ll brook no arguments), were not enough, Alba also just happens to be the epicenter of […]
You may (or may not) have noticed that we haven’t posted a single new Sounder article since the tail end of 2012. What can I say, we’ve been busy planning a lot of trips. I hasten to add that our long-time, ever-steady and always-reliable Sounder editor, Amy Smithers, skipped town a month ago to travel […]
Let’s go out on a limb and predict that the world isn’t going to end tomorrow. Christmas and New Year’s will come and go, and then those of us in the northernmost parts of the northern hemisphere will enter what one Trufflepig planner calls “the long, dark tea time of the soul.” Give your soul […]