archives: Cultural Immersion

7 of Britain’s Lesser-Known Stone Circle Sites

  6 Comments

Marc Latham steps beyond Stonehenge to point out other stone circle sites that might be of interest on the longest day of the year (or anytime, really  More »

5 NYC Museums That Aren’t in Your Guidebook

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Check out a different side of New York's museum scene with these 5 recommendations from Sara Clarke.  More »

Where to Celebrate Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month

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The month's almost over, but you've still got time to take Valerie Ng's advice on how to celebrate America's Asian heritage.  More »

Cultural Immersion: Naked Floggings and Arctic Plunges in Russia

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When in Rome, right? David Francois talks about his banya experience in St. Petersburg.  More »

5 Little-Known Museums to Check Out in London’s West End

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London has over 250 museums, and many of them are free.  More »

6 Ways to Experience Art and Culture in Lahore, Pakistan

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Heather Carreiro wants you to do more than snap photos, eat biryani, and bargain for shawls. Here are her suggestions.  More »

Where Are the Nicest People in the World?

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If you're basing your next trip on the hospitality of the locals, check this out.  More »

What NOT to Do in New York City

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Matador’s NYC-based managing editor, Julie Schwietert, lays out the city’s avoidable attractions…and what you should do instead.  More »

4 Reasons Why I Want to Travel to Syria Right Now

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Trips co-editor Hal Amen publicizes one of his many travel longings and calls out the online content responsible for it.  More »

A Hello Kitty Tour Around Japan and Taiwan

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Break out your pink stilettos and Lady Gaga bows. It's time for the Hello Kitty tour.  More »

How to Be Literary in Paris

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We can't all be Maupassant or Colette, but we can have some fun trying. Here are 5 classy ways to do some reading and writing in Paris.  More »

5 Alternative Carnival Destinations in Brazil and Beyond

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Rio's not the only Carnival in Brazil, and for many Brazilians it's not even the most popular. Here are some other options.  More »

Following Van Gogh Through Europe

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Trace Van Gogh's wayward route around the Netherlands and France and see the cities and countryside through the eyes of an artist.  More »

On the Trail of Ruins in Northern Peru

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Follow this circuit and explore a network of historically significant sites that are nearly empty of tourists.  More »

U.S. Destinations Every American Should See

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Budget Travel has a list of 8 heritage-heavy places. What others would you add?  More »

2 Ways to Celebrate the Fall of the Berlin Wall

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If you're in Berlin on 9 November this year, here are a couple ways to celebrate the Fall of the Wall's 20-year anniversary.  More »

Día de los Muertos: 5 Places to Celebrate

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No holiday celebrates death like Día de los Muertos.  More »

2010’s Most Endangered Cultural Sites

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The World Monuments Fund's 2010 watch list covers sites from the world famous to the iconic local.  More »

Shinugu Matsuri: The Festival That Could Change the World

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Matador's Ryukyu Mike travels into the far northern reaches of the Ryukyu Archipelago for this story and returns with a whole new perspective on the w  More »

Oktoberfest in Palestine

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Yep, you heard me right.  More »

10 Great Outdoor Events in Okinawa

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From the largest cities to the smallest villages, Okinawa invites the outside world to share in the culture, dance, music, and spirit of the Ryukyu Ki  More »

A Taste of Cognac, France

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Step aside Champagne, it's Cognac's turn.  More »

Prehistoric England Gets a Little Older

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Twin Neolithic burial mounds recently discovered near England's Stonehenge are among the oldest in the country.  More »

Indian Summer: 11 Reasons to Visit India in the Summertime

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While the majority of travelers visit India in the winter, there are some who like it hot.  More »

Discover Your Own Machu Picchu: Choquequirao, Peru

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Did you visit Machu Picchu thinking you'd arrived 50 years too late? Choquequirao might be for you.  More »

Barcelona, Minus La Rambla

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Natasha Young shows you how to keep clear of La Rambla and avoid the tourist crowds in the Catalan capital.  More »

Photo Essay: Boi Bumbá – The Beat of the Amazon

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Second only to Rio Carnival, Brazil's Boi Bumbá festival is an exercise in trippy flamboyance.   More »

In Jordan, Forget Lonely Planet. Bring a Bible.

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With its welcoming people, small size, and manageable number of sacred sites, Jordan is the place to go biblical.  More »

7 Bastille Day Celebrations Outside la Belle France

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Many of these events begin tomorrow...don't miss out!  More »

Photo Essay: An Amazon Adventure

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A journey through the heart of the Brazilian Amazon.   More »

Six Cups: Tea Cultures Around the World

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And you thought your cup of Lipton's was as good as it was going to get?  More »

South Korea Exploration: Roadtripping the Peninsula

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One of the best ways to explore the Land of the Morning Calm is by car.  More »

North America’s Best Summer Shakespeare Festivals + Ticket Giveaway!

Popular  25 Comments

Get thee to one of these festivals with all haste to enjoy the best interpretations of ye olde bard's plays.   More »

New Zealand: Your Safest Bet

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Some recent events have lowered Iceland's peaceful ranking. New Zealand is there to slip into top spot.  More »

Backpacker’s Secret Guide: Nan, Thailand

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With a motorbike as your trusty steed, there are no limits to what you can see and do in Nan Province.  More »

Eat, Pray, Love in Morocco

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A country of four mountain ranges, two long coastlines, and desert, Morocco doesn't need to try very hard to be diverse in its culinary arts, sacred s  More »

Northern Spain: A Mix of Surf and Culture

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In Northern Spain, surfers can return home with tales of perfect left-hand point breaks AND the best patatas bravas this side of Seville.  More »

5 Bizarre Local Traditions and Competitions Worldwide

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Wife Carrying? Nettle Eating? Mooning Amtrak? Who does these things and where and why?  More »

Chile’s Best Coast Towns

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Skinny Chile is practically all coast, but Cathy Dean has singled out 6 of the best cities and towns that put you right next to the Pacific.  More »

Totalitarian Tourism. Why? Because You Gotta See For Yourself.

Popular  11 Comments

See for yourself how these countries are bringing Orwell's nightmare of 1984 to life in ways he never even imagined.  More »

Chicago for the Architecture Buff

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In a city famous for its buildings, native Chicagoan Adam Roy introduces some of the best.  More »

Boutique Hostels: The New Breed

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You're not 21 anymore, you have more disposable income, and you deserve better. You're ready for the boutique hostel.  More »

Choose Your Own Blues Adventure

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There is no "right" way to do the Delta blues. But if you're headed to Mississippi, here are the tools you'll need to build your own blues-infused adv  More »

What Are the World’s Most Photographed Cities?

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A recently published list of the world's most photographed cities begs the question, "What draws the shutterbugs to these urban destinations?"  More »

Breton in Oz: A Couchsurfer Talks of Food from Home


Breton couchsurfer Delphine Mazars tells us a bit about local cuisine in Brittany, France.  More »

Nova Scotia’s Black Loyalists: Forgotten of the Forgotten

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It's time for an American history lesson...from Canada.  More »

Trekking Central Laos

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This 2-day trek will take you to the heart of central Laos, its people, culture, and magnificent landscapes.  More »

Finland: What’s Up With Your Public Events?

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It's debatable why the Finnish seem to have a knack for the wack; could be their sense of humour or imagination. Or, maybe there' just isn't a bloody   More »

Words from Russia: A Couchsurfer’s Take on its Culture

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You never know until you ask. A Russian couch surfer takes a couple of minutes to answer a question about his culture  More »

Beyond Paris: 5 Other Places to Experience La Belle France

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The City of Lights can sometimes feel like anything but.  More »

Koreans in…Mexico City?

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Where bulgogi and tacos al pastor collide.  More »

4 St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations You May Not Have Heard Of

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A lucky foursome of unlikely St. Paddy's Day destinations.  More »

Black History Year: 7 Spots to Keep Learning Year-Round

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Black History Month is only once a month...but learning more doesn't have to be.   More »

The Romantic’s Cheap Guide to Southern France

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Want to travel through Southern France but think you can't afford it? If you can get there, this guide will get you through without spending too much.  More »

10 Places Where Graffiti is Legal

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Though graffiti purists may call out legal graffiti as not real tagging, the luxury of time allows for incredibly detailed and intricate artwork.   More »

10 Countries Where You Can Enjoy Hot Springs

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While the hot springs exist in such a marked variety of environments, hot spring culture is universal.   More »

World’s 8 Most Colorful Chinatowns

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Can’t be in China to ring in the Lunar New Year? Not to worry: there will be celebrations going on in Chinatowns worldwide.  More »

10 Things To Do in Brussels Besides Drinking Beer

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On your next trip to Brussels, Belgium’s capital, sober up with some of these other activities.  More »

Discovering Israel’s City of the Future

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This often-overlooked Mediterranean city may be the only place in the Middle East where members of 5 different faiths coexist peacefully.  More »

Trekking the Sacred Mountains of Bhutan

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How to measure your country's progress? The Bhutanese use GNH, or Gross National Happiness.  More »

Castles, Wine, and History on The Cathar Trail

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Explore the lands and wines from where a celebrated population of Cathars lived back in the Middle Ages.   More »

How to Rock a Tapas Bar When Traveling Solo

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You obviously are there for some good reason. That confident look says it all.  More »

How People Celebrate Halloween in Spain

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"By the time I got to Puente la Reina I was so exhausted I forgot what day it was... until three little ghouls, a witch, and a pumpkin swooshed by."  More »

Getting into the Spirit: A Thai Halloween

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While Halloween is not widely celebrated in Thailand, Bangkok brims with otherworldly character.  More »

Arabian Bull Wrestling

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This sport which predates Islam is still alive and well in Fujariah, United Arab Emirates.  More »

Five Places You Should Visit Now for Authentic Experiences

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Tired of tangling with tourists?   More »

Slow Food, Slow Travel: Italy

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Traveling to the country that invented slow food? You need plenty of time to try everything.   More »

Insider’s Guide to Tokyo

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Turner Wright, our man in Japan, gives you 10 reasons to visit Tokyo.   More »

8 Places To Experience Unspoiled China

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Modern China is booming, but there are still places of great natural beauty where little has changed since the days of Confucius.  More »

6 Under-the-Radar Destinations In The Middle East

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These trip ideas will you get off the tourist trail in the Middle East.  More »

Sarawak: Trekking In The Kelabit Highlands

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Trekking in remote Borneo is a trip you won't soon forget.  More »

A Unique Journey Into The Heart Of Northern Laos

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Patrick Lucas spent years in rural Lao. This is the itinerary he suggests to adventurous friends.   More »

Surfer’s Guide to Asturias, Spain

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Winding trails lead to secret surf breaks on a rural slice of Spanish coast.   More »

Backpacker’s Secret Guide: Champasak, Lao PDR

Popular  14 Comments

Bouncing around Southeast Asia? Stop and relax for a few days among the ancient temples of southern Laos.   More »

How To Get Off The Tourist Trail In Southeast Asia

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Headed to SE Asia? Ditch the backpacker crowds with these 8 fresh destination ideas.   More »

7 Reasons To Travel To Iran NOW

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You Should Travel to Iran in 2008. Here's Why.  More »

Cycling Highway 1 In Vietnam

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Experience the best of Vietnam with this classic cycling adventure.  More »

Trekking the Mt. Kangchenjunga Circuit In Nepal

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If you'd rather share a cup of sweet tea with a Tibetan refugee than a bottle of beer with another backpacker, this is the Himalayan trek for you.   More »

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