As an American who grew up during the tail end of the Cold War, it was difficult to avoid developing a few stereotypes about Russia. Could it really be how it’s portrayed in popular culture–or how I imagined it? Now that I’ve been living in Sochi for nearly a month, let’s examine four preconceived notions I brought with me along with my luggage–and how they’ve panned out.
Like a fine wine, Australia’s Barossa Valley is aged perfection. An hour north of Adelaide, wineries here are housed in sandstone cottages built circa 1860, and multigenerational families still use Old World techniques and fruit from century-old vines planted in the shadow of ancient gum trees.
There are some amazing events on tap all over the world, all the time. Here’s a taste of what you can see and do in March.
When someone mentions ramen, you probably think of those store-bought dried noodles you bring to life with boiling water and a packet of spices.
In Tokyo, ramen noodle soup is not fast food; it’s an art form.
For the past three years, we’ve driven north to Quebec, where the locals not only embrace the cold, they celebrate it. We’ve partied at the city’s Winter Carnival, gone dog sledding through winding forest trails, ice-climbed at Montmorency Falls, and even stayed at the famous Hôtel de Glace. This year’s adventure? Cross-country skiing.
“Would you like to dance?”
I looked up and saw the handsome stranger I’d been watching on the dance floor for half an hour at Tin Tin Deo, one of the hottest clubs in Santiago de Cali, the “salsa capital of the world.”
Meet the Editor: Isabella Brega
Isabella Brega, the executive editor of Traveler’s Italian partner magazine, put together a buyer’s guide to authentic goods in Italy, highlighting 20 places in five different cities where you can witness craftsmanship in its highest form–from marionettes to mandolins. “The story of Italian artisans is one of valuables and values,” she writes. Here’s a brief look at Touring’s creative maven and her singular view of the world.
Last fall I attended the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival on the Indonesian island of Bali. I had fallen in love with the artful atmosphere and fervent grace of Ubud at the same festival the year before, so I had arrived in the city full of expectations. Yet on my first day there, as I walked down the main street, I found my senses pummeled by a noxious non-stop stream of cars and motorbikes, exhaust fumes, chaos, and noise. Had that other Ubud been just a dream?
#NGTRadar: Travel Lately
The Radar–the best of the travel blogosphere–is a regular feature on Intelligent Travel every other Wednesday. Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTravel and tag your favorite travel stories #NGTRadar to help us find the crème de la crème on the Web. Here are our latest picks.
Munira Chendvankar has traveled across much of India, but maintains a “happy bias” toward her hometown. In keeping with the city’s status as the country’s entertainment capital (hello, Bollywood!), this self-proclaimed “film-ie” works as a senior producer for a television production house and says filling out our “I Heart” questionnaire reaffirmed her faith in–and love for–the city she calls home. Here are a few of Munira’s favorite things about Mumbai.
If these cliffs look familiar, it’s because they brood over the key crime scene in the transatlantic TV hit Broadchurch. Rising as if ripped from Earth’s crust, the formation has always seemed positioned for dramatic effect. In fact, show creator Chris Chibnall calls the murder mystery a love letter to his home in West Dorset, a classic British seaside town served up in one of England’s most family-friendly settings.
National Geographic Traveler magazine publishes 14 international editions in 12 languages. I read–or look at, when there’s a language barrier–them all. They are a window on the world, reflecting the personalities, interests, dream destinations, and visual expressions of their readerships.