archives: Travel Stories

Fragile Moment: Pakistan Before the Rise of the Taliban

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Traversing the desolation of Pakistan was not a part of Greg Johnson's travel plans. Yet, here he is humbled by a small act of human kindness.  More »

The Sisterhood of the Temazcal: Purification, Detoxification, and Rebirth

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This ancient Mayan tradition was used to cleanse the body and soul. Karin Leperi shows how Temazcal can also be used to bond those of differing backgr  More »

The Ultimate Spiritual Awakening: How Going to the Moon Changed the Astronauts

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On the 40th Anniversary of the first moon landing, it is worth examining the spiritual implications of setting foot outside of this world.   More »

Powerful Pilgrimage: Insight on the Camino de Santiago

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John Brierley looks at how mindfully walking the Camino de Santiago can help you consciously evolve.  More »

5 (Legal) Ways To Get High While Traveling

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Christine Garvin counts down the best ways to get high on travel without getting arrested.  More »

What Makes A Great Woman Traveler?

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Does a woman have to accomplish incredible feats in order to be considered a great woman traveler?   More »

Can Slum Tourism Be Done Right? Eric Weiner Says Yes.

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This type of tourism is on the rise, but is it ethical? Eric Weiner offers 4 criteria for saving slum tourism.  More »

A Great American Tradition at $1.75 a Gallon

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"There is an unsung liberation about the ability to stop and go on your own accord. Eat stick after stick of beef jerky."  More »

5 Writers Who Affirm the Importance of Travel

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Famous Author quiz. Who said: "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." ?  More »

Now Boarding: Why the Airport is a Metaphor for Life

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The airport provides the most interesting of backdrops for someone who enjoys imagining other people’s stories.  More »

Tales From The Road: Kenya, Burma, Colombia, Argentina

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Tim Patterson rounds up a new crop of evocative travel stories.  More »

Tales From The Road: Angola, New Orleans, Rio, India, Mexico

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Tim Patterson reveals why good travel writing must be intensely personal.   More »

Tales From The Road: Focus On China and Tibet

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These stories give color, depth and humanity to the people behind the headlines.  More »

Tales From The Road: China, Vietnam, Nigeria, Mexico and Disney World

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True travel gems from around the web, as collected by Tim Patterson.  More »

Tales From The Road: Agent Orange, Naypidyaw, Surfing Panama, Sudan, Nazis In Paraguay


Tim Patterson rounds up another crop of travel gems from the web.  More »

Tales From The Road: Wilderness Survival, Sea Turtles And Acid Trips In Tokyo

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Travel, oddly enough, is often a quest for rootedness and connection. The travelers who penned the outstanding stories that feature in this weekR  More »

Tales From The Road: Matador Edition

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To celebrate the wedding of BNT and MatadorTravel, this week’s collection of inspiring travel tales highlights the best writing from the Matador  More »

Tales from the Road: Antarctica, Moldova, Egypt and Wyoming

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I’ve got Antarctica on the mind. A lot of terrific travel writing has emerged from the White Continent of late, but my attention is more pers  More »

Tales From The Road: Antarctica, Biafra And A Little Town Called Bethlehem

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Sometimes, when I tell people I’m a travel writer, they ask if I studied journalism in college. “No,” I answer. “I didnR  More »

Tales from the Road: Afghanistan, Thailand, Canada, Nigeria

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One of my favorite parts of the Best American Travel Writing anthology each year is series editor Jason Wilson’s foreword. With each new edition  More »

Tales From The Road: Argentina, France, Cameroon And … Home


I’m typing in a cozy armchair in front of the fireplace in my Uncle’s house in Connecticut, recovering from Thanksgiving dinner and the tr  More »

Tales From The Road: Scotland, China, Cambodia and Easter Island

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Every week I search for hidden treasure, scouring the Internet for travel writing that resonates, narratives that slap me across the face with wit and  More »

Tales From the Road: Bearing Witness


The most powerful travel stories are like lanterns in the night, heart-felt reports from dark corners of the world where truth is obscured by poverty  More »

Tales From the Road: India, Egypt, Argentina and Montreal

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Aside from honesty, curiosity is the most important ingredient of good travel writing. The best stories come from authors who are both ignorant and   More »

Tales From the Road: Focus on Burma

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I’ve long been fascinated by Myanmar (Burma), a large country of diverse geography tucked between Yunnan, India and Thailand. Since 1962, Burma  More »

Tales From the Road: Spain, California, Caribbean, Nevada, Japan


“No charge,” said bike shop man in Mont St. Anne, Quebec. “You’re on a long trip, you need help, it’s no problem.”  More »

Tales From The Road: Mexico, Mt. Everest, Ladakh, and Haunted Motel Rooms


This week Tales From the Road travels from the summit of Everest to motel room floors haunted by ghosts of dead rock stars, from the high desert of La  More »

Tales From the Road: Tibet, Xinjiang, Bangkok, Kenya


We all know the feeling. It comes in airport shuttles and on mountain passes, in subway cars and deep in tangled jungles. It comes from breaking out  More »

Tales From the Road: Macau, California, Pakistan, Papau New Guinea, Italy

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Travel can be a journey into the realms of fear and loathing, or a happy-go-lucky search for wildflowers. It can be an exploration of animosity, or   More »

Tales From The Road: Hong Kong, Bangkok, Cairo, and Jamaica


Finding great travel tales often entails getting a little dirty. The best stories are the ones that smell, the kind you can’t hope to spot from  More »

Tales From The Road: Spotlight On Argentina

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Last Tuesday I decided to move to Argentina. Sometimes this kind of decision takes a while to percolate before coalescing into a concrete plan, but th  More »

Tales From the Road: Montana, Afghanistan, Bulgaria, St. Vincent and the Naked Country

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Who would have thought putting together this weekly round-up of outstanding travel stories would be such a hazardous job? First Rory Stewart’s   More »

Tales From the Road – Congo, Iraq, Mongolia, El Salvador

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Travel, and travel writing, are born of curiosity. Some travelers hit the road to answer a specific question. An example: Are Bonobos really the g  More »

Tales From The Road: Japan, Colorado, Burma, New Orleans, and a Long Walk

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What makes for a quality travel story? According to Ernest Hemingway, “good writing is true writing.” Honesty is especially crucial in t  More »

Tales From The Road: Miami, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Italy, India

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This week’s edition features a mix of comedy and cultural insight. You’ll laugh your way through a lesson on orgasm control and learn h  More »

Tales From the Road: Cuba, Alaska, Iraq, Colombia,


As an American, I’m distressed and saddened by the conduct of my government under Dick Cheney and his pet prince. Despite Cheney’s fetis  More »

Tales From The Road: Greenland, USA, Nepal, India

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I’ve got a lively and eclectic batch of stories for you this week, but before I get to the picks, here are some thoughts about the intersection   More »

Tales From The Road: Thailand, Iran, Iraq and the Caribbean


This week we take a turn to the dark side with hard-hitting, emotional and provocative travel narratives from Iran, Iraq, rural Thailand, and the Cari  More »

Tales From The Road: Bejing, USA, Nepal, and Siberia

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This is the first edition of a new weekly column, celebrating the best inspirational travel writing on the web. We all love a great travel story, but  More »

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