Hear about travel to Turkmenistan as the Amateur Traveler talks to Abdylla Geldiyev, Managing Director of Undiscovered Frontiers, about an itinerary for one week in this seldom-visited country in Central Asia. Turkmenistan remains one of the least explored destinations in the world. From Ashgabat, a city
A trip on the Amazon is almost the definition of Adventure Travel: hiking to suspension bridges, riding in a dugout canoe, fishing for piranha, swimming in the river, and spotting monkeys, sloths, and dozens of bird species. When I set out on a riverboat adventure in
author at Zhagana: The “Stone Box” Village When I was in fifth grade, my geography teacher assigned us a project: draw a map of a region of the world that wasn’t defined by political borders. Most of my classmates picked islands or places surrounded
We first heard of Calerrain Wines when we visited nearby Horse Thief Vineyards in Morgan Hill. We struck up a conversation with someone who was in the wine club at Calerrain Wines. It was on our list of wineries in the Santa Clara Valley Wine Trail
We discovered EmmaLily Vineyards through the Santa Clara Valley Wine Trail Pass Deck, which included a free tasting… sort of. It turns out that a wine tasting at EmmaLily Vineyards is always free. To get to the winery, you can take a drive through the back
Many people have seen pictures of the so-called “Rainbow Mountains” of China on Instagram or some other social media platform. They know they look cool, but don’t know that visiting this landmark can be an introduction to a fascinating and historic corner of China in the
Hear about travel to the tiny country of Andorra as the Amateur Traveler talks to musician Eli Lev about this small country in the Pyrenees Mountains, where he lived for three years. Why should you go to Andorra? Eli says, “I just fell in love with
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery is much more than simply a memorial. It’s a place where memory truly takes physical form. During my inspiring year living in Washington, D.C., I visited Arlington several times. Still, one cold morning in January 2025
Last Updated on August 7, 2025 The scent hit us the moment we stepped out of the car — the earthy, sacred aroma of burning copal. It was a fragrance that instantly cleansed the mind, signaling a departure from the everyday. This was the entrance to
Getting ready for a road trip starts with a good, honest look at your upcoming adventure. Depending on how far you’re traveling and how much time you’ll spend on the road, you might want to ask yourself whether your current vehicle can keep up—especially if you’re
