Practical travel tips and advice
TipsFrom the dress code that matters to why you should pay in shillings, here's what nobody tells you about Zanzibar's liveliest beach town.
TipsAt 3,400 meters, Cusco punishes the unprepared. Here's everything I learned across two trips about surviving the altitude, stretching your soles, and actually enjoying Machu Picchu.
TipsUp to 10,000 cruise passengers flood Old Town daily in summer. Here's how to dodge them, eat well, and swim in places they'll never find.
TipsThe Tam Coc boat scam everyone falls for, why you should skip Mua Cave at noon, and where the locals actually eat. Ninh Binh done right.
TipsJiufen looks magical on Instagram. In reality, it's 70% timing. Here's how to get it right and avoid the mob scene.
TipsThe world's best diving doesn't have to cost a fortune — 18 practical tips for visiting Raja Ampat without a liveaboard budget.
TipsSkip the car ferry line, find the best fried clams, and learn why the up-island towns are worth the extra effort. Hard-won advice from eight trips.
TipsThe deer WILL eat your map. The big Buddha IS that big. And no, you don't need a full day in Kyoto first. Here's what I learned in Nara.
TipsThe wind schedule nobody tells you about, why cash matters more than cards, and the 5PM boat rule that strands tourists daily.
TipsFrom dodging touts at the Taj to scoring the perfect sunrise shot, here's everything I learned the hard way so you don't have to.
TipsThe mud situation, the homestay booking trick, the overnight train hack, and why your hiking boots matter more than anything else you pack.
TipsI packed shorts for June (mistake), left a bag in my car (bigger mistake), and ate at Fisherman's Wharf (biggest mistake). Here's what I learned.
