Matador Network's Blog, page 2215

Map of culture

AS AN ANTHROPOLOGIST, part of what I studied was where “culture” began. Sometimes, it was in the Fertile Crescent, when agriculture became the norm. Other times, it began right when modern humans developed, with cave paintings, decorative spears, and bone needles. Others would argue that culture did not begin until the Medieval era had ended, because before that, the Egyptians, the Greeks, and the Romans all did the same stuff.

I like to think that culture is purely subjective, and that there is no “right” way to define it. What I can attest to, is how culture influences culture, whether through interaction, isolation, or a mix of the two. This insane video, created with data collected by University of Texas at Dallas’s Maximilian Schich, maps out culture and its hubs, from 600 BC to the present day. It’s a bit dizzying, but definitely worth watching.

40 storybook towns in Europe

Much of old-world Europe has been swept away. Thanks to countless wars, the irresistible draw of modernization, and overwrought tourism infrastructure, the Europe of your dreams is harder to find than ever. However, there are still towns where you can experience that ‘old-world European charm’ almost like it was when Wordsworth and the Romantics first popularized vagabonding the Continent.

These are places with well-preserved architecture dating back hundreds and even thousands of years. These are places where the negative impact of tourism isn’t allowed to run roughshod over local aesthetics. These are places where you can find that cobblestone-postcard view. And if you don’t find it here, you aren’t going to find it anywhere.




1

Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy

“CF” checks all the hill-town boxes: Etruscan and Roman ruins, medieval stone fortress, gelaterias, cobblestone streets, and zero souvenir shops. Locals’ favorite, the rustic Ristorante Da Muzzicone, is one of Tuscany’s finest.
Photo: Giovanni Maw

2

Gruyeres, Switzerland

Famed for producing the cheese of the same name, Gruyeres is a medieval gateway to the Swiss Alps where the only traffic jam you’ll encounter is the one created by cows on their way to alpine pastures.
Photo: Fèlix

3

Cinque Terre, Italy

The five fishing and grape-growing towns that comprise the Cinque Terre on Italy's Riviera—Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore—have taken extraordinary measures to impede the encroaching modern world, including opting out of a highway connection, strictly regulating building, and even blocking (before eventually allowing) high-speed internet.
Photo: Fougerouse Arnaud

Intermission





The 15 most expensive hotels in the world
by Matt Hershberger



10
25 European castles you can stay in
by Carlo Alcos



44
48 epic dream hotels to visit before you die
by Alex Scola










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4

Saint-Emilion, France

This UNESCO World Heritage Site in France’s Bordeaux region features Roman ruins and steep cobblestone streets, and has been in the wine business since about the second century BCE.
Photo: quintendusaer

5

Bruges, Belgium

Thanks to a silted-up port, Bruges—Venice of the North—is a perfectly preserved medieval UNESCO World Heritage Site. With tons of amazing beer and chocolate.
Photo: Wolfgang Staudt

6

Riquewihr, France

Riesling fans know Riquewihr for its famed appellation, and travelers love its town center, which hasn’t really changed much since the 1500s.
Photo: slack12

7

Monemvasia, Greece

Originally settled in the sixth century as a fortress refuge for Greeks fleeing invasion, Monemvasia has successfully repelled invaders—cultural and physical—ever since.
Photo: ForsterFoto

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8

Český Krumlov, Czech Republic

Another World Heritage Site, Cesky Krumlov’s outsized castle (the second largest in the Czech Republic) provides an amazing backdrop to this Baroque town.
Photo: Russell McNeil

9

Gimmelwald, Switzerland

Step off the tram and into another century in Switzerland’s best-preserved alpine village. By having the whole community declared an avalanche zone, locals have staved off modern development.
Photo: James Clear

Intermission





29 powerful images from protests worldwide
by Abigail Fox



1
16 astonishing images of islands that could disappear in the next century
by Brianna Bemel




Powder for Powder, ep. 4: Arctic Man
by Yancy Caldwell












10

Colmar, France

Colmar is a popular stop in the Alsace region, and for good reason. Its renowned old town couldn’t be more perfect—and then there's the wine...
Photo: MorBCN

11

Ronda, Spain

Three incredibly dramatic stone bridges span the 100-meter-deep El Tajo canyon upon which the city is built. Ronda's played host to many cultural heavyweights, including Ernest Hemingway, who indulged his love for bullfighting while residing in the old quarter.
Photo: Antonio Casas

12

Corinaldo, Italy

Medieval walls, ramparts, towers, and alleys more or less the way they were when built in the 14th century make for a perfect escape from touristed Italy.
Photo: Alessandro Casagrande

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Óbidos, Portugal

Sure the main street is touristy, but it doesn’t take much to leave the crowds behind in this white-washed little hill town whose history reads like a European timeline—Romans to Visigoths to Moors...
Photo: Melissa Toledo

14

Cochem, Germany

Another Celtic, then Roman, outpost on the Rhine, you’ll never believe how much of the old town was destroyed in World War II because key buildings somehow survived and now sit beside very clever reproductions.
Photo: Ineke Huizing

15

Potes, Spain

In Spain's mountainous north, Potes straddles steep, river-choked terrain and is home to several centuries-old stone bridges, including the famous San Cayetano and La Cárcel that span the Quiviesa River.
Photo: drodriva

Intermission




1
22 epic images of the Pacific Crest Trail we’re excited to see on the big screen in Wild
by Carlo Alcos



3
30 of the trippiest buildings around the world
by Abigail Fox




17 of the best Airbnbs in Berlin [pics]
by Matt Hershberger












16

Sibiu, Romania

This Transylvanian city of almost 150,000, with a Bohemian-chic vibe, is a cultural powerhouse recently ranked by Forbes as Europe’s “eighth-most idyllic place to live.”
Photo: Christian Hügel

17

Mittenwald, Germany

If the beautiful train ride to get here doesn’t do it for you, drink up the magnificent Bavarian architecture in a town Goethe called “a picture book come alive.”
Photo: Neil Howard

18

Dingle Peninsula, Ireland

You’ll find wooden fishing boats lazily bobbing in the harbor, sheep herders moving their flocks through rock-walled pastures, and plenty of dark, cozy pubs in this postcard “Gaeltacht” (a national park for traditional Irish culture) on the island's southwest coast.
Photo: Giuseppe Milo

19

Bragança, Portugal

Inhabited since the Paleolithic, Bragança has seen much military strife, but its old town walls, Renaissance buildings, and town hall—Portugal’s oldest—survive in remarkable condition.
Photo: jesuscm

20

Hallstatt, Austria

A town so old and esteemed it has a whole Iron Age era dedicated to it (the Hallstatt Era, 700 - 500 BC), Hallstatt can be reached by train or boat. Take the boat.
Photo: - peperoni -

21

Giethoorn, Netherlands

Another Venice-that’s-not-Venice, this canal and bike-path town with over 180 bridges has changed very little since its founding in 1230.
Photo: Zoltan A

22

Glorenza, Italy

Glorenza, or Glurns, is a German-speaking town in South Tyrol (the bit the Austrians lost to Italy after WWI) with fully intact medieval walls and towers and a fairytale setting in a lush, green valley.
Photo: Motographer

23

Zahara de la Sierra, Spain

One of Spain's pueblos blancos, Zahara de la Sierra spills down a hillside between olive orchards and vineyards.
Photo: Shemsu.Hor

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24

Esch-sur-Sûre, Luxembourg

Built along a big bend in the River Sauer, Esch-sur-Sûre was officially founded sometime during Charlemagne’s reign and is home to a stunning Gothic castle perched on the high ground above town.
Photo: nate2b

25

Arbois, France

Come for the vaunted Jura wine, stay for the medieval streets, houses, chateaus, and towers, as well as the lovely grottoes and waterfalls just outside town.
Photo: Sébastien Riat

26

Lindau, Germany

Storied Lindau occupies an island in Bodensee near the Austrian and Swiss borders. While a bustling modern town is connected via roadway, the city center retains its medieval core and charm.
Photo: Andreas Flohr

27

Annecy, France

Located in the northern French Alps, Annecy’s medieval old town is laced with canals in an idyllic lakeside setting.
Photo: Kosala Bandara

28

Quedlinburg, Germany

Containing some of Germany’s oldest buildings, Quedlinburg was spared the destruction that befell so many of Germany’s cities during World War II.
Photo: Ingrid Eulenfan

29

Monte Isola, Italy

Several small fishing towns, ports, and olive-and-grape villages dot this tranquil, traffic-free island in Lake Iseo.
Photo: efilpera

30

Burford, England

You needn’t look far in England’s Cotswold Hills to find enchanting stone villages, and Burford is among the finest.
Photo: missusdoubleyou

31

Molyvos, Greece

From its archaic period alliance with Lesbos, to the Peloponnesian War to the Ottoman Empire, Molyvos, or Mithymna, has endured countless invasions, wars, and occupations. You'd never know it to visit.
Photo: Drriss & Marrionn

32

Santillana del Mar, Spain

The Town of Three Lies (it's neither a Saint, santo, nor flat, llana, nor by the sea, mar) is The Truth when it comes to historic buildings, which are some of the best preserved in Spain.
Photo: Jose Javier Martin Espartosa

33

Znojmo, Czech Republic

Apart from the lovely Gothic church of St. Nicholas, the best of Znojmo is below ground. The town sits atop a vast underground labyrinth of tunnels, escape routes, and interconnected cellars dating from the 1300s.
Photo: Groundhopping Merseburg

34

Eguisheim, France

Half-timbered buildings and Alsace go together like wine and, well, Alsace. One of several fairytale Alsace towns on this list, Eguisheim traces its history back to the Paleolithic.
Photo: Tambako The Jaguar

35

Rochefort-en-Terre, France

This impossibly romantic town in Brittany on France’s northwestern coast is a beacon for artists and craftspeople of all stripes.
Photo: StefanoPiemonte

36

Chipping Campden, England

Another Cotswold stunner, this town is so idyllic it spawned the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Photo: Matthew Kirkland

37

Évora, Portugal

Within its 14th-century walls, Évora is pockmarked with intriguing historic sights like Roman baths, the Templo Romano, and the town hub, Praça do Giraldo.
Photo: César Marques

38

Arcos de la Frontera, Spain

Arcos de la Frontera—perhaps the most dramatic cliffside member of Spain’s pueblos blancos—is relatively well preserved from its glory days on the front line of Spain’s 13th-century war to expel the Moors.
Photo: kkmarais

39

Castle Combe, England

Castle Combe still has a working medieval clock and very little to do but sit back and drink it all in—this is quintessential English countryside. The stuff from novels.
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Meissen, Germany

As Bavarian as Bavaria gets, Meissen dates back to the 10th century and is renowned for its porcelain production.
Photo: Mundus Gregorius

On the VONA travel writing workshop

Faith Adiele reading at the VONA Faculty Reading. All photos: Author

AT FIRST, I TRIED TO HIDE MY HANDS. As I walked up the steps into the hall, full of so many accomplished writers, my fingers trembled slightly and my palms were coated over in a layer of cold sweat. But as I made my way through the room packed with bright, smiling faces, abuzz with reunions and new alliances, I began to chill out. For the following six days, this room would serve as ground zero for a literary movement peopled by people of all colors, and I wanted badly for my stories to find a home here, too.

The Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation (VONA) has been hosting the country’s only multi-genre workshop for people of color for the last 15 years, and this past June I was accepted into their inaugural travel writing course. About 150 of us word nerds swooped down upon UC Berkeley’s campus for a week to get schooled in the ways of story crafting, to have our minds blown by the 5-star faculty (Patricia Smith, Staceyann Chin, Junot Díaz, and many more), to connect with and support one another in our processes, and to witness unexpected life-changing epiphanies.

My guard was down, my notebook was blank, and though my fingers still trembled a little, I was ready for the schooling and story crafting and mind-blowing life-changing epiphany-witnessing. Here’s some of what I learned.

* * *

“Who travels more than people of color?” asked our teacher, Faith Adiele, aka “The Original Obama.” The author of Meeting Faith: The Forest Journals of a Black Buddhist Nun, and The Nigerian-Nordic Girl’s Guide to Lady Problems, Faith knew her shit, and taught accordingly. I was stoked to be under her tutelage for the following week.

Elaine Lee, editor of Go Girl: The Black Woman’s Book of Travel and Adventure, and Faith Adiele, author of Meeting Faith: The Forest Journals of a Black Buddhist Nun

What she said made immediate sense to me. Whether it’s because we wanted to or had to or whatever the case may be, since the dawn of peoples, POC have been migrating. Before civilization “began,” before our lands were “discovered,” before Lonely Planet and Couchsurfing and Airbnb — we’ve been traveling. Yet our voices are drowned out by the whiteness of the genre — from the conquistador’s field notes to the vastly commercial industry travel writing is today.

As educator and writer Abena Clarke told us in Travel Is Not a White Boy’s Club (And Never Was), “The tradition of travelers’ tales is deeply rooted in the period of imperial expansion in Europe; it is closely linked to colonialism and ‘scientific’ racism. Travel writing, like early anthropology, provided evidence of white superiority through its representation of the exotic as barbaric, or lascivious, or simply ‘other’. There is a lot of blood on the hands of travel writing. Then and now.”

I, for one, am pretty bored with reading one rendition after another of White Boy Finds Himself Abroad. And it’s not just the color of the skin of the authors, but the entitled language they employ that usually shuts me out. Like an “untouched” “gem” of a beach ruined by tourists, modern-day travel writing has become overrun with listicles, fluff, and a flagrant case of unchecked privilege. If there exists a colonized genre, this is it.

Writers of color aren’t off the problematic hook either, because some of us tend to mimic the dominant narrator’s voice instead of using our own. I get it — bills need to be paid. We land on foreign soil and record our first impressions, which always lack context.

And then there are those of us who reject the travel writer label and the genre itself. Some in my workshop had even been bumped there from the Memoir department. And with the reasons given above, I fully understand why folks wouldn’t want to affiliate themselves with the travel writing genre. But I reckon that every single person at VONA is a travel writer in their own right, because I heard story after story about writers on journeys, writers as the products of places, of migrations.

Many of us live at the crossroads of multiple identities, which made the potential in our 10-person travel writing workshop exponential. I came with my piece in mind and left invested in the stories of my peers: What happens when the Mexican-American woman with unsteady Spanish stumbles into notorious Juárez for the first time, alone? What happens when the Indian-American doctor not only treats cancer patients in Burundi, but pens poetry memorializing their deaths? What happens when a claustrophobic Chicana writer scuba dives in her grandmother’s native Philippines? What happens when the Colombian student searches for sisterhood among the refugees of Kuwait? What happens when the Ghanaian-American expatriates to Italy for 5 years and traces a history of what it means to be a transplant?

With Junot Díaz at VONA’s quinceñera party

There is a deep, deep well of untapped stories here.

What would happen if we were to reclaim a genre? When the subjects of travel narratives — the ‘noble savages’, the ‘smiling orients’, the perpetual Others — grab the mic, avail what agency we have, and flip The Single Story to centralize our experiences? What if we were recognized as the experts of our homelands, of ourselves?

These questions floated to the surface of my mind as I stood in the very back of a stuffy room in a swanky hotel, arms across my chest, during a reading in San Francisco. Faith took us on this ‘field trip’ to network with some bigwigs in the travel literature industry, and everyone — and I mean just about every single person — was white, was monied (and older). We could not have looked more out of place than if we were crashing a meeting of the Young Republican’s Club or had obtained backstage passes to a Taylor Swift concert. Unable to relate to any of the three readers’ stories, we listened with our ‘craft ears’, trying to figure out, Why these stories? Why not ours? We shook hands, exchanged business cards, and bounced.

All marginalized communities need spaces where their work will be affirmed, a place where it will not be considered niche, where we are not told “There is no market for this,” or “Translate that,” or “No, where are you really from?” Most of us have had damaging workshop experiences in the past, where someone, in some way, questioned the validity of our voices. So yes, we need to write our stories in a space that is safe outside the white gaze, the male one, the heteronormative one. Without that, our voices can become weak echoes of the dominate narrator’s. Without that, we can become isolated in our struggles.

Without a space like VONA, a lot of us might have just given up on writing altogether. I think of the writers who have pushed me to bring pen to page, and shudder at the thought of the absence of their work. VONA taught me to quit playing, to show up as myself, sweaty palms and all, in the world and in my writing, and tell it like it is. My stories had found a home.

8 things you can only do in Laos

Photo: Dietmar Temps

1. Getting locked out of your hostel at 11:30pm

If you don’t do the necessary research prior to your arrival, you’ll likely be unaware of the fact that Luang Prabang shuts down early. Before midnight early.

In turn, if your bus drops you off in Luang Prabang at 2am, you’d better hope your bags are rather comfortable — you’ll be using them as pillows on the sidewalk. And if you’re lucky, a friendly traveler will be outside his or her hostel smoking a cigarette. Hopefully they’ll be kind enough to give you the hostel’s wifi password. If you’re not quite so lucky, at least the stray dogs roaming the town will keep you entertained.

Just keep your fingers crossed that you don’t need a restroom before Luang Prabang wakes up.

2. Feeling morally torn about the alms ceremony

Every morning around 6am in Luang Prabang, nearly 200 Buddhist monks collect alms (typically food) given by locals in a revered ritual. Respectful visitors are encouraged to join, but therein lies the issue. The event has devolved into something of a spectacle, with tourists flashing cameras in the faces of the monks, some going as far as giving alms while taking pictures.

The ritual in its original form would have been something special to observe, but you probably won’t be sure how to feel about it anymore.

3. Drinking lao-Lao

Lao-Lao is a Laotian rice whiskey, one of the cheapest alcohols in the world. Yes, the world. A bottle of lao-Lao costs less than a dollar. The taste may be slightly acquired, but it’s just as effective as Jack Daniels. Due to its “cost-effectiveness,” you might end up drinking more (and forgetting much more of the evening) than you’d planned.

Lao-Lao is served and sold in restaurants, bars, and shops. Drink it straight. Mix it with whatever. At least this blackout won’t be too expensive.

4. Exploring tourist-trap caves

As you mountain bike around Vang Vieng, you’ll come across signs leading you to small caves within the limestone karsts. A nearby guide will pass headlamps to you and your friends without saying much — if you’re part of a big group, you may not even notice who provided them. You venture through the dark cave, scaling ladders and crossing slippery wooden “bridges,” eventually making it to the end.

After backtracking your way to the cave’s entrance, the guide might ask you for an unreasonable sum of currency as “money for guide.” You’ll start to argue for a second before deciding the hassle isn’t worth it.

5. Having a seven-course prix-fixe meal for less than $15

At Tamarind in Luang Prabang, you’ll find a set menu of well-prepared Laotian cuisine for the sum of 120,000 kip (around $14.90 USD). You’ll be served soups, Lao sausages, dips, steamed fish, chicken-stuffed lemongrass, sweet sticky rice, and more. Even beer and coffee/tea are included.

A more adventurous menu is available for ₭150,000. Not such a bad deal. Oh, and if you feel like splurging, sip on a basil gin and tonic. Get your money’s worth, because you won’t be finding this type of bargain back home.

6. Alternatively, experiencing an “AYCE” meal for $1

During your time in Laos, at least one traveler will tell you about the “all-you-can-eat” meal at Luang Prabang’s night market. You’ll probably forget about it until the moment you’re roaming the market, looking down an alleyway to your right before smelling fragrant spices and seeing a mass of people. You’ll walk over and remember the advice you were given.

You’ll see heaping bowls of noodles, grilled meats pressed between sticks over the flames, and an assortment of soups. You’ll gorge yourself to the point of discomfort before trudging back to your hostel, belly bulging, to lie down.

7. Going “Tubing in the Vang Vieng”

You’ll see the cheap t-shirts reading “Tubing in the Vang Vieng” (which will replace many of the shirts you “misplaced” throughout your trip). But the river isn’t named the Vang Vieng — it’s actually the Nam Song. The Nam Song flows through the town of Vang Vieng.

Picture tubing around a natural “lazy river” surrounded by towering limestone karsts on all sides. It’s not the party it once was, so you’ll actually have the chance to look around. Sure, it’s shallow and rocky and you’ll have to be careful, but you’ll also meet friendly locals during your journey. Some enterprising eight-year-olds might even cut you off at the pass before the end of the river, latching onto your tube to commandeer you towards their “exit” before asking for a tip.

8. Seeing the largest waterfall in Southeast Asia

Close to Laos’ border with Cambodia, you’ll find the Khone Phapheng Falls, the largest by volume in Southeast Asia, with a flow reaching 49,000 cubic meters during the rainy season. The water cascades 21 meters at its highest point.

While the falls may not be as beautiful as those in other parts of the region or even those elsewhere in Laos, they attract thousands of tourists annually due to their sheer size.

No cameras allowed [vid]

Get More:

No Cameras Allowed, Full Episodes

Marcus Haney doesn’t pay to get into music festivals. He sneaks in through cracks in security fences or uses fake wristbands.

Sometimes he gets caught and is kicked out, but sometimes he gets to see all the shows he wants and maybe gets to hang out backstage with some of his favorite rock stars. He’s basically turned it into a career, and was making a movie about it and shopping the trailer around to different studios when someone leaked this trailer.

It looks amazing: Marcus is probably going to get famous off this…which might make it a little harder for him to sneak into music festivals.

Only now it might not matter. Marcus has made friends with Mumford and Sons and the Naked and the Dead. He even shot the cover for Mumford and Sons’ acclaimed album Babel. The dude might not have to pay ever again anyway — he’ll just get in as press or as a friend of the band. Score.

Moab is a bikers’ playground

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Moab is the gateway to the land of arches that marks Utah’s southeastern border. The small, laid-back city is situated between Arches National Park to the north and Canyonlands National Park to the south, and is surrounded by state parks, national forest land, and other wilderness areas that feature the region’s picturesque red sandstone, naturally sculpted into fantastic formations, backdropped by snow-covered peaks.

All kinds of outdoor adventurers visit Moab, but it’s perhaps best known for its biking opportunities — of both the mountain and motorized variety. There are more than 10 different areas to ride, each with miles of trails that run the difficulty gamut from beginner to expert. (Note: No biking is allowed in the national parks.)

Matador Ambassadors Yancy and Wyatt Caldwell recently scoped out the Moab biking scene and produced the video above. Their conclusion? There is WAY more terrain than can be explored on just one trip. As with any visit to Utah, you’re just scratching the surface.

For more killer videos from Utah, check the links below:

5 adventures in Southern Utah to beat the crowds
What it looks like to ski the greatest snow on Earth
Powder Mountain ski mission: Waist-deep in Utah’s finest

Feature photo by Robert Tadlock

This post was proudly produced in partnership with Utah, home of The Mighty 5®.

On traveling vs. moving abroad

Photo: zharif hussein

1. You have to give something up.

Regardless of your relationships with your friends, family, and career, life at home won’t pause while you’re gone. If you’re studying abroad during the fall semester, no football tailgates for you. If you’re working a less-traditional job overseas, you might be putting your long-term career on hold. You may miss some birthday parties or holidays.

I’d love to say it’ll all be there when you come back (if you come back), but some of it might not be. Some friendships might dwindle. But for anything or anyone you do lose, you’ll have gained that much more confidence and independence. That many more friends and memories. Risks. Sacrifices. Some things are worth it.

2. You’ll have commitments like school or work.

It’s unlikely you’re going to reside in another country living Cabo Spring Break on replay. There’s this thing called “responsibility,” and it stalks us without borders. You’ll get a new routine going and learn to work with people outside of your comfort zone. It’s an unconventional resume builder. Your creative problem-solving strategies will increase.

3. You can truly explore a place.

You don’t have to select from the “Top Things to Do In XYZ” list — you can do them all. Take your time and do it right! Furthermore, an iconic landmark might become a part of your daily jogging path. You might pick up some local recipes. Or perhaps you’ll indulge in the nightlife, becoming a “regular.” You’ll be around long enough to enjoy seasonal celebrations, holidays, and sporting events.

4. You’ll get to know locals and other expats.

You’ll be forced to meet new friends. Some will come through work or school, others through a chat at the pub or metro stop. When we’re home, we aren’t necessarily looking for new close friends. Abroad, you’re more open-minded because few friends are physically present in your life. An active willingness to meet others will bring about new relationships.

5. You’ll learn to be alone.

Between finding somewhere to live, navigating a new city, and getting the hang of life abroad, it may take some time to establish intimate friendships. It’s inevitable you’ll spend time alone. Embrace it. Those moments of solitude will allow you to get to know yourself.

6. You’re going to be humbled by challenges. Then feel awesome when you overcome them.

You get lost. You get homesick. You struggle with a foreign language (or even just an accent — are we speaking the same English here, mate?). You deal with foreign exchange rates. All these ‘simple’ tasks can be so much harder when you live abroad.

As you struggle to master your new lifestyle, you’ll be making the same mistakes and dealing with the same s%#t over and over again. This can be frustrating. Gently remind yourself you’re not invincible. In the end, you’ll feel empowered by how much you can accomplish.

7. You’re going to learn about your own culture and other cultures, ultimately realizing there’s a lot you don’t know about the world.

There’s a whole globe out there, and you won’t realize how much you don’t know until you get out and see how other people live. You’ll find that some people do things differently. Not only will you learn to be okay with that, you’ll start to love these differences. If we were all the same, what would be the point of traveling?

8. You’re going to value the people closest to you at home and the complete strangers abroad who’ve become your best friends.

It takes so much effort to stay in contact with people at home that those who make the effort prove they really care about you. In your new city, being the outsider, you’ll rely on locals to aid your transition, and their selfless kinship will warm your heart. Turns out you can’t rely on everyone, but someone will always be there for you.

9. You’ll feel freer than you ever did at home.

You may find yourself liberated from your society’s expectations. You’ll learn to be yourself once you don’t have your home community’s pressures dictating the life you “should” be living. Sometimes you have to remove yourself from your norm to emancipate your innermost desires.

10. You’re going to be the one with the hot accent.

Point end.

This post originally appeared at Travel Break and is republished here with permission.

Westeros subway map

Photo via Michael Tyznik/Mashable

ONE OF THE MOST CONFUSING ASPECTS from Game of Thrones, is where everything takes place. I have a hard enough time keeping track of each character, let alone where they are from, or where they are headed. This map is beyond comprehensive, and must have taken ages to complete, given that the artist, Michael Tyznik, based his design off of locations from the books (there are currently 5, each one clocking in at 1,000 pages or more). I think it’s really clever, but also a fantastic reference for me as I try to navigate through the stories, and map out the locations on my own.

H/T Mashable.

13 well-visited sites in Cambodia

Photo: Sacha Fernandez

1. Angkor Wat

The largest religious monument in the world and Cambodia’s most popular tourist attraction, Angkor Wat draws over 2 million visitors annually. The site is a short tuk-tuk ride away from the city of Siem Reap (best taken in the dark just in time to catch the sunrise over the temple complex).

Tourists looking to learn about the history and significance of particular aspects of the temple typically hire a guide for the day. Others prefer to get their daily exercise, roam around, and lose themselves in the nooks and crannies of the complex. Whichever way you go, you won’t leave disappointed. Well, maybe just a little when the ‘seasonal’ scaffolding and green tarps prevent you from getting that picture-perfect sunrise photo of the temple’s facade.

2. Ta Prohm

After checking out Angkor Wat, the tuk-tuk driver you’ve hired for the day will suggest you continue on to Ta Prohm, also known as the “Tomb Raider temple.” While not of Angkor Wat’s scale, Ta Prohm is rather unique — you’ll see moss-covered blocks, trees climbing over walls, and so many passageways you won’t know which direction you’re headed. Make sure to snap a photo of the famous doorway engulfed in roots, or you’ll be the odd person out.

3. Bayon

Another popular Khmer temple in close proximity to Angkor, Bayon is known for the immense stone faces on the towers of its upper terrace. The temple completes the trio of the “most famous” temples near Siem Reap. Once you’ve had enough of the giant faces, stroll around Bayon and take a look at the reliefs depicting historical events, which adorn much of the temple.

Photo: Staffan Scherz

4. Banteay Srei

A Cambodian temple dedicated to Shiva, Banteay Srei, meaning “city of women,” sits 16 miles north of the main complex at Angkor. The temple is miniature in scale and composed of red sandstone, which lends itself to elaborate carving. Indeed, decorative motifs can be found all over the temple walls. For those tourists with more than a day or two to visit temples, Banteay Srei is always on the to-see list. And it’s more than worth it.

5. Siem Reap

After your long day(s) visiting the Angkor archaeological complex (and getting up early for that damn picturesque sunrise over Angkor Wat), you’ll likely end up in the town of Siem Reap trying to find dinner, as most tourists do. Grab a bite of amok trei, or steamed curried fish, to get a taste of Cambodia’s cuisine. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous (not in the culinary manner), go for the “happy” pizza. What makes it so happy, you ask? Special herbs that slow down time. A lot.

6. Sihanoukville

Sihanoukville’s beaches are a main attraction for tourists in Cambodia — especially for backpackers looking to drink their body weight in alcohol. Travelers need to be wary of potential crime, but with 75-cent beers, cheap liquor, and people playing with fire at night beachside, Sihanoukville holds an undeniable allure for plenty of young backpackers. The experience is memorable. Or not, depending on how much you drink.

Photo: Hendrik Terbeck

7. Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is one of the most somber ‘tourist attractions’ a traveler will see, and just about every tourist visiting Phnom Penh with any interest in Cambodian culture (you better have some if you’re visiting) will make the trip.

The museum is a former high school that was used as a prison, known as S-21, by the Khmer Rouge from 1975 to 1979. Over 17,000 people were imprisoned at Tuol Sleng, where the Khmer Rouge committed an unmentionable number of atrocities. Only 12 people are known to have survived imprisonment. A visit to the museum provides a sobering in-depth look at what the Cambodian people had to endure in the not-so-distant past.

8. Phnom Penh’s Royal Palace

Also known as Preah Barum Reachea Veang Chaktomuk Serei Mongkol, the palace serves as the residence of the King of Cambodia. It’s a complex consisting of the Silver Pagoda, the Throne Hall, the Khemarin Palace, and the Inner Court. Much of the palace has been rebuilt, due to deterioration. Though the king’s living areas, which take up nearly half the palace grounds, are closed to the public, the (rebuilt) Royal Palace remains a major tourist attraction in Phnom Penh.

9. Tonlé Sap

Tonlé Sap, translated as “great lake,” is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. Situated between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, the lake often sees boat-bound tourists targeting the country’s “greatest hits.” Tonlé Sap is unusual in nature — its flow changes direction twice a year, and the lake fluctuates in size rather dramatically with the seasons. A festival called the Celebration of the Seven-Headed Snake marks the changing of the Tonlé Sap’s flow as well as the opening of the fishing season.

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Photo: Donald Macauley

10. The Killing Fields

Found in the village of Choeung Ek, the Killing Fields are now a Buddhist memorial to the victims of the genocide that occurred in Cambodia at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek are the site of a mass grave of thousands of victims. Like the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, this site provides tourists powerful and disturbing insight into the extent of the Khmer Rouge’s atrocities. Many mass graves have yet to be excavated, and evidence of their presence can still be seen above ground.

11. Kep

Kep is Cambodia’s smallest province, but it brings in no shortage of tourists. It’s home to Kep National Park, which has great hiking and mountain biking. The seaside area is less “party” and more “relax” than Sihanoukville nowadays, though you can visit on any budget. Fresh seafood, friendly locals, and warm water abound.

12. National Museum of Cambodia

Photo: Clay Gilliland

Cambodia’s largest museum of cultural history is the first place many tourists visit to learn about the country they’re about to explore. Found in Phnom Penh, the museum houses over 14,000 items related to the country’s history (dating from prehistoric times to the current day). If history museums are your cup of tea, the National Museum of Cambodia will be on your list.

13. Central Market

Phnom Penh’s Central Market, known as Psah Thom Thmey in Khmer (which translates to “new grand market”), is Cambodia’s most popular market. It underwent a US$4.2 million renovation from 2009 to 2011. A wide range of goods are sold there — pretty much everything you could want or even think of. If bargaining is what you’re visiting a market to do, this is the place to do it. If you can’t get the deal you’re looking for at one vendor, try and try again to your heart’s content.

Is travel ever immoral?

Photo: Susana Fernandez

If there’s one thing that guided my transition from being just an absolutely awful adolescent to becoming a middlingly decent and globally conscious adult, it was travel. In my early 20s, I spent a lot of time abroad in developing countries, and that time basically dismantled everything I thought I knew about the world. I was forced to put my world back together in a way where I was no longer at its center, and where my culture no longer took precedence over everyone else’s.

So it rattled me a bit when, during a trip to Southeast Asia back in 2007, I was told that to go to Burma would be to go there against the wishes of the country’s pro-democracy group, the National League for Democracy, and against the wishes of their leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. They had apparently asked that people not visit so as not to support the brutal military regime in power in the country. Since then, Aung San Suu Kyi has changed her mind on tourism, and the country has begun major democratic reforms. But back in 2007, my fellow travelers and I debated the don’t-travel-to-Burma request, comparing it to the apartheid-era “cultural embargo” in South Africa.

We basically kept arguing about it until it was no longer an issue. No agreement was ever reached, and I still wonder: Is it ever truly “immoral” to travel somewhere? Does a local population requesting that you don’t come to their country morally obligate you to stay away? What other circumstances could raise a moral red flag among travelers? Thinking about this over time, I’ve developed two personal rules to decide if a trip is morally problematic or not.

#1: The House Guest Rule

There’s a very basic way to decide if you should go somewhere or not, and I call it the House Guest Rule. When Westerners — especially Americans — think of travel, they often think of it in terms of capitalism. The idea is that I’m going to this country, I’m putting money into this country, and the locals providing me with a service and a product by hosting me. In that mindset, travel is never “right” or “wrong,” as long as you fully compensate people for their service (their hosting duties) and their product (their country and culture).

This is a horrible way to think about travel. Travel isn’t like buying fruit from a shop — you’re basically entering someone else’s home. So you should behave less like a customer and more like a house guest. You wouldn’t go to a friend’s home and not make the bed or leave a mess in the bathroom (I mean, you might, but then you’d be a shitty house guest). And you wouldn’t ask your friend if you could come and, if they said it was a bad time, still barge into their home anyway.

Obviously it isn’t always that simple — after all, a country isn’t just a few people in a household, but often millions of people with different backgrounds and interests. But this way of thinking about travel goes a long way towards behaving more ethically.

#2: The More-Harm-Than-Good Rule

It’s impossible to travel somewhere and not do a little bit of harm. Whether it’s the fact that your mode of travel probably did at least some environmental damage, or the fact that you’re one among many tourists, and those other tourists may have fewer scruples than you — maybe they patronize the local sex trade, maybe they do damage to cultural sites when they visit. Or maybe the heavy presence of tourists precipitates a harsh police crackdown on the local poor or homeless. You’re always going to have an effect on the place you visit, regardless of the size of your footprint.

But that’s just a part of life in general. It’s impossible to live a totally ethical life in a globalized world without living in the woods and never buying anything; you shouldn’t expect your presence in another country to be all good.

What you should do is try to tip the scales towards good. First, try to travel as green as possible, and second, try to patronize local vendors rather than big tour companies. Don’t visit hotels or vendors that treat their workers poorly or have no regard for the surrounding environment. And then behave respectfully when you get there. That may be enough to tip the balance.

If I can’t make my travel plans work within these two rules, I don’t go. It doesn’t usually result in me not going on a trip, but I probably can’t go to the next two World Cups. Regardless of what your personal rules might be, it’s good to have them. Travelers often think of travel as an exclusively good thing, and it’s not. It’s a moral choice, and it’s something we should be thinking about.