culture

Get the authentic cultural experience on your next foreign jaunt. Wander like a local; here, there, and everywhere.

Visit Bajo el Sol Gallery, Art Bar & Rum Room St. John, USVI
Bajo El Sol Gallery & Art Bar is a hybrid art gallery, bookstore, café, rum & cocktail bar. (c) Jim DeLillo Never mind the little bottles on the airplane. If you want to take a flight, try Bajo El Sol Gallery & Art Bar, a hybrid art gallery, bookstore, café, and rum & cocktail bar. Nestled among the shops at Mongoose Junction is a refined getaway that will give you a taste of rum — the Rum Room on St. John, USVI, where you can try sips to your heart’s content. Offering the largest selection of aged rums in Cruz Bay, it is tucked into the corner of an art gallery.
By Jim DeLillo3 years ago in Wander
The woman reviving Egypt's Nubian heritage
In the opening lines of a forgotten song called Mshkomsy, 70-year-old Haseeba is transported back to her childhood on the banks of the Nile in southern Egypt. Two hundred kilometres north of her drowned ancestral land, Haseeba's daughter Hafsa has asked her to sing something in Kenzi (also known as Mattokki) – one of two Nubian languages spoken in Egypt along with Fadicca – and from somewhere deep in her memory, Haseeba extracts part of the song she loved when she was young.
By Seamons Mahall3 years ago in Wander
The blue men of the Sahara
The Saharan daraa or boubou, a long and loose gown, and tagelmusts, a cloth veil that is used as a turban, are two key clothing staples for the traditionally nomadic men of the Sahara.
By Gay3 years ago in Wander
The Niigata Geigi: Japan's 'other' geishas
The dancer glides noiselessly across the tatami mat floor, a branch of reddening maple leaves in her right hand. The long sleeves of her kimono denote that she is a furisode, or apprentice geisha. Behind her, an onesan (senior geisha) in a fawn kimono sits on the floor, plucking a lilting rhythm on a three-stringed shamisen with a large wedge-shaped pick.
By Gay3 years ago in Wander
Spain's untapped 'liquid gold'
Stretching north from Madrid, north-west Spain's autonomous Castilla y León region is a patchwork of vast mountain ranges, high plateaus and medieval towns. While most visitors come to marvel at the castillo castles that lend the region its name or admire the enchanting cathedrals in León and Burgos, much of the area is blanketed in scrubby sierra and high-altitude meseta plains that extend as far as the eye can see.
By Seamons Mahall3 years ago in Wander
Spätis: The convenience stores that rule Berlin
New York City has its bodegas, Paris its tabacs, and Berlin its Spätis. Formally known as a Spätkauf, which translates-ish to "late shop," a späti can be found on most blocks in the city and is open late into the night – if not all night. They supply locals and tourists with cigarettes, snacks and €1 after-work wegbiers ("beers you drink on the go"). But during the pandemic, and particularly during the warmer months, they became essential fuelling stations for outdoor gatherings, as shuttered bars and nightclubs turned social life inside out.
By Seamons Mahall3 years ago in Wander
Saudi's lineage of interior stylists
If you walk through Rijal Almaa heritage village in the heart of 'Asir province in south-western Saudi Arabia, you'll soon notice how different this remote region is from the rest of the country. Instead of a monochromatic desert landscape, there is colour everywhere, from the green mountains that surround the village to the brightly hued flower wreaths that 'Asiri men wear on their heads.
By Seamons Mahall3 years ago in Wander
Kongthong: The Indian village where your name is a song
A piercing chorus of cicadas reached my ears from the dense subtropical jungles as my car precariously navigated its way through the narrow road carved into the steep hills. Around a bend, a different tune floated across the valley – this one softer, melodious, almost eerie. A few more perilous turns later, the first houses of Kongthong came into sight, accompanied by more melodies wafting in the air as one villager called out to another.
By Gay3 years ago in Wander
Visit a few of the top museums in Europe
You'll want to visit the museums whenever you travel, no matter where. Spending the day in a museum allows you to see some of the most impressive pieces of architecture, artwork, historical and natural relics, and everything in between. We have compiled a list of some of the most well-known museums in Europe, even if our list of favorite museums is pretty long.
By Isidor Gheorghiesi3 years ago in Wander
South Africa's Unknown Attractions
If you want the independence to explore the region you are visiting on your own, you might want to look into vehicle rental South Africa for the ideal set of wheels. South Africa isn't about the large cities, but rather the small towns and priceless pearls you find along the route, according to a seasoned traveler. There is a unique, lesser-known destination around every corner, from the Free State to the Western Cape and the Karoo, that will surpass your wildest expectations and revitalize your creative side without breaking the bank. South Africans are spoiled with undiscovered sights and jewels. Just a few of the towns and tourist destinations you should keep an eye out for when visiting that region.
By Isidor Gheorghiesi3 years ago in Wander
The US island that nearly ignited a war
Crisscrossed by pastoral fields and dotted with handsome wooden barns, San Juan Island – the second largest of the San Juan Islands in north-western Washington state – is a quiet, unhurried place. Orca whales breach in the surrounding waters and the southern shore of Canada's Vancouver Island glimmers less than seven miles to the west. It's hard to believe that in this isolated corner of the US, in 1859, the British and the Americans nearly went to war over a dead pig.
By Iturospee3 years ago in Wander
Four health-conscious cities putting pedestrians first
When the initial wave of Covid prevented indoor gatherings in most countries around the world, many cities responded by quickly reimagining what life could look like outside. Some introduced pedestrian-only streets, turned parking spots into pop-up restaurants and added more bike lanes – transforming once car-filled areas into walking- and cycling-friendly spots.
By Chilcosta3 years ago in Wander