Matador Network's Blog, page 515
February 17, 2022
The average carbon footprint of major transportation methods, visualized
As the impacts of climate change increase, many people are looking for ways to cut back on their carbon footprint. And one of the biggest culprits on an individual level is transportation. The bulk of carbon emissions in the UK and the US come from transportation. But it can be unclear how to make the right choices depending on where and how you’re traveling.
The Visual Capitalist analyzed data from the UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, as well as Our World in Data, to find which types of transportation contributed the most grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer a passenger travels.
Photo: Visual Capitalist
The breakdown of flying on a plane varies depending on where you’ve decided to fly. A short-haul flight adds up to 255 grams (.56 pounds), but as distance increases, the carbon density decreases. That means a medium-length flight, like one between different US states, adds up to 156 grams (.34 pounds), and a long haul flight of at least 2,300 mile uses 150 grams (.33 pounds). Short-haul flights are more intensive because take-off uses much more energy than when the plane starts to cruise, so the per-mile average of emissions goes down the longer a plane cruises. With sustainable aviation fuel (slowly) on the way, flights could become up to 80 percent cleaner.
Comparing cars, a medium-sized car spews out 192 grams (.42 pounds) per kilometer. That’s why carpooling is essential. When you carpool, the number is reduced to half when you include a second person, into thirds when you include a third person, and so forth. A diesel vehicle with only one passenger emits 171 grams (.37 pounds), and an electric vehicle has significantly reduced carbon footprint of just 53 grams (.11 pounds).
Trains fare way better than buses. Buses are responsible for 105 grams (.23 pounds) per passenger per kilometer, but national rail only creates 41 grams (.09 pounds), and Eurostar falls nearly flat with just six grams (.013 lbs). And with new train routes popping up in Europe, Africa, the US, and Asia, train travel will continue to become more accessible. Of course, walking, biking, and running beats all these options.
The news of climate change doesn’t have to be grim. And small changes can make you feel like you’re doing your part. 
These are the hardest countries for foreigners to drive in
Let’s be honest: driving in a country where you don’t know the exact rules of the road can be intimidating. You might even wonder if it’s worth it when there are other options like taxis, Ubers, and trains.
To put your mind at ease, a driver’s ed company, Zutobi, conducted a study to determine which countries are the best for foreigners to drive in. The results might convince you to get that international driver’s license and go for a ride.
The study compared these data points:
The amount of congestionSafetyRoad qualityCost of car rentalsCost of fuelParkingAttractions“Instagramability”Number of Google searchesIn third place is Spain, with a lot to offer in different regions. Find gorgeous beaches, beautiful accommodations, mountains ranges, and lots of food, history, and culture. The country has low congestion, with safe roads and cheap rental cars. Enjoy taking in cities like Valencia, Barcelona, and Madrid, landing the country a 6.34 score out of 10.
The number two spot is held by Italy, a country where there’s something for every type of traveler. The country scored the highest for its overall number of attractions that you can find along its beautiful Mediterranean coastline, including the Amalfi Coast or the Dolomites mountain range. The country also scored highly for the quality and safety of its roads and cheap rental car prices. This country scored a 6.38 out of 10.
Finally, the number one country suggested for foreigners to drive in overall is the United States. With iconic road trip destinations, the country had the highest interest in road trips on both Instagram and Google and had the lowest average amount of congestion. Remember, though, that’s an average — if you’re visiting a city like Los Angeles, you’re bound to have more issues. The country’s overall score was 7.7 out of 10
Other countries with the highest score in specific categories include Singapore with its road quality and safety, Slovakia for charging an average of just $21 to rent a car, Malaysia for averaging just 49 cents at the pump, and Lithuania for averaging $1.23 for two hours of parking.
In terms of countries to avoid, Israel was ranked the worst country for foreigners. It stumbled in categories like congestion, the average cost of fuel, and the number of attractions, scoring it a mere 3.84 out of 10. Colombia scored the second worst, but its congestion score is even higher than Israel’s at 53 percent, and its “Instagramability” scored even lower (though, it should be noted, Colombia is endlessly beautiful). It’s also expensive to rent a car in Colombia, earning it a 3.86 out of 10. The third worst country is Brazil, earning an overall score of 4.14 out of 10.
In descending order, these are the top 10 worst countries for foreigners to drive in the world.
Russia — 4.77/10Chile — 4.68/10Mexico — 4.63/10Hungary — 4.62/10Argentina — 4.52/10Romania — 4.24/10Peru — 4.21/10Brazil — 4.14/10Colombia — 3.86/10Israel — 3.84/10So yes, in certain countries, it is definitely worth it to rent a car. But in many cases, you don’t know for sure until you give it a try.
Once a glut of basic chains, Nashville is now America’s hottest city for cool new hotels
Brooklyn’s hippest innkeeper didn’t know much about Nashville until he couldn’t stop hearing about it.
“In our first six months of opening, we hosted people from all over the world,” says Lyon Porter, co-founder of the Brooklyn B&B Urban Cowboy. “Nine out of 10 people said we had to open in Nashville.”
Though Porter didn’t know much about the city, he was further intrigued when a travel writer friend told him Nashville was severely lacking in cool boutique hotels. So he took a trip to Music City, knocked on the door of an East Nashville bed and breakfast set in an old Victorian mansion, and made an offer to buy. By March of 2016, Urban Cowboy — with its claw-foot tubs and gold-painted walls — had made a second home in the capital of country music.
Photo: Ben Fitchett
The eight-suite boutique was at the forefront of a tidal wave of hotels opening in Nashville. But rather than a massive conglomeration of big box chains, the city has welcomed a variety of quirky, unique properties, the likes of which are rarely seen in a city this size not called Portland. But if the past few years are any indication, Nashville may soon be the best city in America for cool new hotels, making its lodging almost as iconic as its neon.
A city flooded with newcomers births a wave of creativity
Photo: The Graduate
Not so long ago, Nashville was simply the capital of country music, where you might go to catch a live band and messy your mouth with some hot chicken. But aside from a cavernous convention center hotel and the storied (i.e. expensive) Hermitage, the hotel options weren’t much better than what you’d find next to an airport.
But then, the world decided it was moving to Nashville.
Between 2010 and 2020, Nashville grew by over 300,000 people, or about 82 people per day. It wasn’t corporate types chasing tech jobs, either. The influx of new residents were largely creatives, bringing with them a spirit of doing something different.
“I can’t tell you how many people are moving here from New York or LA or Atlanta,” Porter says. “Nashville is a city built on an art form, it’s a city where your doctor or your lawyer or the guy working the toll booth is in nine different bands. And hotels are responding to that.”
For its part, Urban Cowboy has an entire front parlor devoted to jam sessions, where instruments line the walls and you’ll find impromptu performances most weekend nights. But even the sparkling new W Nashville has a ceiling made of acoustic tiles, and a secret speakeasy hidden behind a wall of speakers.
A true dive, in every sense of the word
Photo: Ben Fitchett
On an otherwise-desolate stretch of US-41 across from Brother Z’s Wangs, a half-broken neon sign flickers in front of the Dive Motel. The sign will never be fixed, because its purposefully-unkempt appearance is part of the place’s charm.
The lobby welcomes you with a wood-paneled dive bar, the kind of place that would still have cigarette smoke in the walls if it had opened before 2019. Old neon beer signs and cigarette ads adorn the walls that line where guests sit at vinyl booths and enjoy cold Montuckys or fresh-made old fashioneds.
Photo: Ben Fitchett
Every room is adorned with a disco ball, activated by a “party switch” next to the front door. The switch also initiates one of three specially-curated playlists, where you can toggle between “Sex,” “Drugs,” and “Rock and Roll” depending on your mood.
No two rooms are the same, many done up in ‘70s porn chic décor of shag carpets and platform beds. It also has a public swimming club and attached bar, hosting what passes for Nashville’s best pool party. Charleston sensation Xiao Bao Biscuit even opened a poolside truck, if you’re up for a little okonomiyaki with your day drinks.
“People in this town have an artist’s sensibility, and they celebrate things that are unique and individual,” says Porter, who also owns Dive. “There’s an energy here that’s based on a creative art form, and that carries over to the approach to hotels.”
Photo: Ben Fitchett
National hotels are taking notice of Nashville’s creative spirit, too. The Graduate, a chain that themes its properties to local institutions of higher learning, opened near Vanderbilt University in 2020. The pastel wonderland has the world’s only animatronic puppet karaoke bar at Cross-Eyed Critters Watering Hole, where you can creak across the purposefully-worn wooden floors and live your childhood dream of joining the band from Chuck E. Cheese. Rooms are adorned with pink-striped wallpaper, with headboards made to look like guitars and portraits of country music greats above the beds.
Last year also saw the opening of the Gallatin, a 25-room boutique in East Nashville set in the old Eastside Church of Christ. Its bright colors and white cinderblock walls are vaguely reminiscent of an after-school daycare center, and while the rooms are small and simple, what they lack in space they make up for in color. Beyond making for an aesthetically pleasing place to stay, the Gallatin gives back in big ways. A notable chunk of its proceeds go toward providing homes and showers for local people without homes.
Where artists start, big money follows
Photo: W Nashville
Of course, once a place becomes cool, the jet set will arrive in droves. And Nashville will soon offer all their favorite luxury and lifestyle brands too.
The arbiters of hotel cool at the W opened their most character-driven property to date in The Gulch last year. The 346-room hotel has original artwork in every room, and houses two restaurants from celebrity chef Andrew Carmelini. Its rooftop bar, Proof, has a collection of class Rock and Roll photographs, with a stunning view of the skyline, and the pool deck is poised to be Nashville’s new daytime party spot when summer rolls around.
Virgin Hotels opened in Nashville in 2020. As did Moxy and Thompson the following year. The Edition and 1 Hotels are on the way, and in 2025 the venerable Ritz Carlton is slated to open its doors in Music City.
“Before, Nashville hotels were catering to conventioneers and partiers,” says Martin Wormull, general manager of the new Conrad Nashville set to open this spring. “Now the city has started to attract high net-worth travelers who are looking for something other than a good time on Broadway. They want to experience more of the culture.”
Photo: Conrad Nashville
In total, Nashville saw more than 4,400 new hotel rooms open up in 2020 and 2021, according to the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Eight more hotels with 200 or more rooms are expected to pop up over the next few years. If there’s a major hotel, it’ll be in Nashville by the middle of the decade.
Back at the Urban Cowboy, Lyon Porter is optimistic about these hotels’ effect on the city, as he muses between bites of a Bee Sting pizza at his hotel’s outpost of Brooklyn pizza hit Roberta’s.
“Nashville responds well to things that aren’t big box,” he says. “I feel like with a commodity product, it could get to a point where it’s too much. But people want an experience that’s not just a place to sleep. And I think Nashville can do that exponentially.”
A distillery set out to prove Scotland doesn’t ‘own’ single malt whiskey. They were right.
Over the past couple of decades, whenever someone talked about single malt whiskey they were almost always talking about whiskey from one country: Scotland. It’s not too dissimilar than how people almost always had France in mind when talking about fine wine through the 1960s and 70s.
In the case of the latter, it took a surprise win by California winemakers in a blind tasting competition called the Judgement of Paris in 1976 to change opinions. Recently, single malt whiskey had its own Judgement of Paris moment called the Judgement of Westland.
From October 2021 to early February 2022, Seattle’s Westland Distillery held a blind tasting of single malt whiskeys from around the world. The Westland team gathered four whiskeys of similar price deemed emblematic of the region where they’re produced. Participants in the judgement then tasted and rated each one on a scale of one to five. At the end, the participants were told which country the whiskey came from: Scotland, America, Australia, or India.
Industry insiders at events like London’s The Whisky Show gave it a go, as did people who write about spirits — on a Zoom tasting with whiskey writers in October, myself and four other people in beverage media each failed to guess more than one whiskey’s origin. Tastings were also held in bars, so anyone who likes whiskey offered up their own guesses. A packed Judgment of Westland event for the general public at a bar in San Diego that I attended was the first time I’ve ever seen so many people enthusiastic about a blind tasting.
More like thisSpirits + CocktailsThe ultimate American whiskey road trip, mappedIn the end, more than 2,000 people from around the world participated in the Judgement of Westland. The responses and rankings were aggregated, and the results were clear: Scotland no longer has a monopoly on producing the best single malt whiskey. The whiskeys from the US and Australia each received an average rating of 3.4, the Scotch single malt received a 3.3, and the single malt from India a 3.1. Great single malt whiskey, it turns out, can come from just about anywhere.
We caught up with Matt Hofmann, co-founder of Westland and one of the leaders in American single malt whiskey, to learn more about what this means for whiskey drinkers.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Photo: Westland Distillery
Matador Network: Single malt whiskey outside of Scotland and Ireland has existed for some time now. Why do you feel that this was the right time to do something like the Judgment of Westland?Matt Hofmann: I think it’s precisely because single malt has existed for some time outside of Scotland and Ireland that we felt now was the time to do something like the Judgement of Westland. There are still so many people, particularly in the US, who are learning that not only is there a massive, growing community of single malt producers in America, but in dozens of other countries as well. That being said, you’re entering into a pretty complex world when you try to explore beyond the conventional categories. Doing a blind tasting like this helps to simplify the experience, just note how much you like what you have in front of you, no strings attached. After all, drinking delicious whiskey is why we’re all fans of single malt isn’t it?
When do you foresee single malt being considered as a worldwide category in the United States versus something that’s entirely, or primarily, dominated by Scottish producers?There’s really two phases to this country’s understanding of single malt being a global phenomenon. The first phase has already happened with the hardcore enthusiasts love of Japanese single malt breaking down that primary barrier of, “Wait, I thought single malt could only be made in Scotland?” The second wave I think will come as American single malt gains wider recognition and understanding. It’s hard for many small global producers to ship single malt here when there is a much more established market for it in Europe in particular. I tend to believe that Americans view the category through a lens that’s totally unique in the world. When they see themselves expressed in single malt, at scale, the understanding of the category as a whole will explode.
Where do you think some of the most exciting single malts are being produced in the world?Well obviously I’m going to say the US, to start with! Besides my obvious bias since Westland is very much at the leading edge of doing exciting things in this category, I tend to be excited by other distilleries trying something new yet with a sense of purpose. I’m not “excited” by someone making a great copy of Scottish single malt, even if I respect the care that goes into making something taste delicious. That’s just who I am and what interests me. Other countries I’m excited by tend to be the ones that link their whiskey to agriculture in some way, mostly places like France, Germany, and Australia for the moment, but there’s at least one exciting distillery in every country it seems like these days.
Photo: Westland Distillery
Where do the biggest differences in style by country come into play in your opinion?The beauty of single malt, for me, is to use the same principle four raw ingredients and the same basic technique to create wildly different outcomes. We’re all using the same, single grain type: malted barley. If you want to broadly generalize by country (and remember there are always exceptions), there are a few trends that you see out there.
First of all, Japan tends to distinguish itself from Scotland by creating hyper-complex technique variations to create a wide variety of flavor profiles in their aging stocks. This is an approach that appealed to us at Westland and we use it as well. I think looking at Canada and the US at the same time is really interesting too. Most Canadian single malts I’ve tasted are pretty close to their Scottish counterparts, which in my opinion mirrors Canada’s links with the UK, whereas most American single malts are trying something different, more bombastic, more innovative. Sometimes those innovations fail, but those that succeed tend to be very exciting.
In general the biggest differences by country tend to be whether they embrace their own local culture and ingredients. Are they farming their barley locally? Are they sourcing local, unique casks for maturation? Things like that. When distilleries lean into trying to be a representative of their own locale, as Westland does, it tends to equate to bigger stylistic differences in the finished product.
In addition to doing the online tasting with whiskey writers, I stopped by one of the tastings with friends at a bar in San Diego that was completely filled up. How much interest was shown in consumer markets for the Judgment of Westland?Well the funny thing about this is that we really didn’t anticipate doing too many online tastings at all — perhaps we were too optimistic about the end-date of COVID as we were planning it. So we were limited to in-person tastings where local regulations allowed them. That being said, we had huge interest from our very first tastings in London and it never stopped. We even offered to do a tasting for a large whiskey club with 200 spots available and had interest for more than 3,000!
I think a lot of people were curious about the concept, to do a structured blind tasting is actually a really rare experience for most people. And I think people were most curious about it because we were putting ourselves out there. We could have “lost” the tasting! That belief in the quality of our liquid caught peoples’ attention, for sure.
At what point did you start to think that these single malt whiskeys from around the world could compete with Scotch single malts?I’ve known that single malts from around the world could compete with Scottish products since the day I founded Westland, just by getting exposure to the industry. This was right as Japanese whiskey was taking off in the US. But this competition was not just for people like me who are “in the know” in the whiskey business. We figured, if people had the same access to taste whiskeys from around the world all together as we do, here in the form of a blind tasting, it could really accelerate the understanding of single malt as a global product.
Do you think this more suggests that worldwide styles are becoming monotonous, or that the quality overall of single malt whiskeys has equalized?I think there are three parts to this answer. First of all, absolutely the overall quality of single malt, in my mind, has equalized at a global level. That being said, some whiskeys are following the same playbook at Scotland when it comes to why their whiskey tastes the way that it does, so that makes it difficult to tell which country is which. But our selectors purposely chose whiskeys that were aligned in terms of price point, alcohol level, etc… which is where you tend to not see as much differentiation as you would if it were single casks or limited editions.
Photo: Westland Distillery
Which other countries where single malt is being made would you add to the list if you were to do something like this again?Japan was not on this list and I think that was a great decision personally, as it would have made it a bit too easy to have two of the products being from places they already know. But if someone were to replicate this at home with a group of friends (something I highly recommend doing!), throwing a Japanese single malt in there is absolutely a great idea. If we were to do this again I’d think we would shake up the two non-Scotland, non-US whiskeys. Go to continental Europe perhaps, or elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere.
Looking forward, how do you see the Judgement of Westland fitting into the broader story of the rise of single malts from around the world?I really hope it sparks a conversation with people to get outside of their comfort zones and realize there’s this huge world of whiskey just waiting to be discovered. It’s tough because there’s already so much good single malt whiskey coming from places like Scotland and Japan, and a lot of people are content to stay right there. But I expect the momentum to continue and people can look back at this moment as the time when a distillery bet its entire reputation on the belief that their single malt (and others) could go toe-to-toe against Scotland. That, I hope, stays with people for a long time.
Russian painting defaced with pen
In early December 2021, Aleksandr Vasiliev, took up a job as a security guard at the Yeltsin Center in the city of Yekaterinburg in west-central Russia. And his first day went as badly as it could have.
During his shift at the cultural center, Vasiliev took a a ballpoint pen and drew eyes on the blank faces featured on Three Figures, a $1.4 million painting by the famed late Russian artist Anna Leporskaya.
@ciaosasha 👁👄👁 #art #artist #russia #russian ♬ Nutcracker – Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez
The guard made his additions in December, but the act of vandalism on the Leporskaya painting was recently picked up by just about every news outlet and social media platform in the world. Most of them reported the guard’s actions as the result of boredom, but an interview Vasiliev gave to Russian news site E1 (as reported by Artnews), gives us his side of the story — and it’s not quite as straightforward as many thought.
Vasiliev explains that it wasn’t not boredom that pushed him to add his own personal touch to Three Figures, but a group of teenage girls and a lot of confusion about the art displayed on the walls. “I watched how people were reacting, and saw that 16-17 year-old kids are standing, discussing why there are no eyes, no mouth, no beauty! There were girls in the group, and they asked me: ‘Draw eyes, you work here.’ I asked them: ‘Are these your works?’ They said: ‘Yes.’ They gave me a pen. I drew the eyes. I thought it was just their childhood drawings!”
Vasiliev, a 63-year-old war veteran who has suffered severe physical and psychological trauma, was allegedly not keen on taking the job as he thought it may prove too draining for his condition, but the money was good, so he went for it. Unfortunately, after his first day on the job, he was arrested and charged for vandalism. He faces three months in prison and a fine.
Vasiliev bitterly regrets his action. “I’m a fool, what have I done,” he said during the interview.
Earlier this month, The exhibition’s curator, Anna Reshetkina, told The Guardian that Vasiliev was believed to have had “a kind of a lapse in sanity.”
Leporskaya’s painting, which was a loan from the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, has been returned to the Russian capital and restored to its original state. The rest of the paintings in the exhbition have been protected with clear screens.
You can dive with the world’s most dangerous sharks in Playa del Carmen — and it’s totally safe
“have you ever had anyone freak out underwater when they see the sharks?” I ask Sean-Douglas Brand of Blue Life Divers. “Like, they just panic and totally forget what to do?”
“Actually, no,” he says. “But sometimes you look at their masks and you can see their eyes just bugging out.”
Brand is a divemaster with Blue Life Divers, based in Playa del Carmen, just south of Cancún, Mexico. The company runs an extensive list of dive-related activities, from reef and cenote dives for certified divers to classes and snorkel trips for non-certified divers. But between mid-November and mid-March, a huge number of their dives are dedicated to scuba diving with sharks: getting divers in the water with bull sharks, one of the most aggressive shark species in the world. Oh, and sometimes they’re feeding, too.
What is scuba diving with sharks like?
Divemaster Sean Brand giving the underwater sign for “okay.” // Photo: Suzie Dundas
Brand has been leading bull shark diving tours since 2018 and estimates he gets in the water with them roughly four times a week during the bull shark season. While he’s a highly certified diver, the reason he was selected to dive with sharks was a bit more of a matter of convenience. “The owners said to me ‘you’re from South Africa, so you’re fine with sharks, right?'” says Brand.
Nearly every dive shop in Playa del Carmen offers bull shark diving, which means dozens of divemasters in the city are regularly in the water with the sharks on a weekly basis. And Brand knows the sharks well. While it appears to me that we’re seeing ten or more sharks during our dive, Brand tells me at the surface that it was only four. He recognizes the sharks by their markings and fins and can tell from their size when they’re going to give birth. Most of the sharks here are pregnant and come to feed in the warm water before heading south to give birth in the mangrove forests near the border with Belize.
Brand says he’s never been afraid of getting in the water with sharks, even when they’re feeding. (Blue Life runs observation dives, rather than feeding dives, which means they don’t offer chum or bait to bring the sharks closer to divers). Despite that, we’re in the water for less than 10 minutes when he gives our small group the hand signal to get very close to the sand — a bull shark is coming closer than expected to our group of four divers, and we want to make sure she doesn’t try to swim directly beneath us. According to Brand, “it’s just a safety standard. We let them pass above us. They’re peaceful, but it’s still nature out there, and if you bother them, they will react.”
Despite close encounters, Brand says he loves being in the water. “Sharks, in general are really misunderstood. They really are gentle and graceful animals, and just being able to observe them always makes me appreciate them.”
How to get over a fear of scuba diving with sharks
Photo: Suzie Dundas
Bull sharks aren’t particularly small, nor are they particularly docile. They’re considered one of the world’s most dangerous shark species, partially because they can live in both fresh and saltwater and get up to 11 feet and 500 pounds in size. That said, unprovoked shark attacks are rarer at between 50 and 80 a year — but around 450 people die per year from falling out of bed. And of those 50 to 80 attacks, the vast majority are non-fatal. In fact, only three species have been linked to repeat deaths: great whites, tiger sharks, and — wait for it — bull sharks.
The Blue Life team and the lawmakers in Playa del Carmen are well-aware of the stats. The government and non-profit partners who manage the marine park set requirements for diver safety: divers can’t wear any flashy jewelry, full-body wetsuits are required, and bright colors are a no-go. While the small purple stripe on my personal wetsuit passes muster, a fellow diver’s orange fins get swapped for solid black.
With these precautions, there’s never been an attack while shark diving in Playa del Carmen. That may still be the case even without precautions, as only four percent of shark bites worldwide are on scuba divers. By a massive margin, humans at the surface are attacked far more often, especially as the silhouette of a human on a surfboard looks a lot like a fat seal to a shark looking up from below.
The water visibility in Playa del Carmen is usually quite high during bull shark season // Photo: Suzie Dundas
But for most people, logic and statistics won’t do much to quash their fears — but getting in the water probably will. You’ll need a certain amount of bravery to sign up and back roll off the boat, but once the dive starts, it’s surprisingly peaceful. While non-divers may envision murky water with sharks coming seemingly out of nowhere, it’s really the opposite. Average water visibility is 70 feet or more. So unlike being on the surface, you can see everything going on underwater in every direction.
When diving, you’ll see sharks coming from far away, and with multiple divers in the water at once, the odds of an approaching shark going unnoticed are almost zero. Fear is common, says Brand, who experienced it himself. “Before my very first bull shark dive, I was quite nervous because I didn’t know what to expect,” he says. “But as soon as I was down there, I felt really relaxed and loved it so much.”
Offering an additional level of peace of mind is that divers spend most of their time shark diving lying on the ocean floor at around 80 feet deep. It feels somewhat protected and more like watching a shark theater than being surrounded by sharks.
Of course, the show isn’t that exciting, at least from a danger standpoint. The sharks see divers every day of the season and appear more interested in keeping an eye on the nearby fish than us. It’s not the same as a chance encounter with a shark in the open ocean. These sharks know the nearby humans will leave them alone and return the favor. And with fins on, an adult scuba diver can be eight or nine feet long and far too large for a pregnant shark to bother tangoing with. After scuba diving for so many years, being underwater feels much safer than being at the surface. I’m used to seeing everything going on around me in all directions. It’s a luxury not afforded to paddlers, surfers, and swimmers.
Is scuba diving with sharks ethical?
Shark feeding, or chumming, is a highly controversial activity // Photo: wildestanimal/Shutterstock
The ethics of scuba diving with sharks are a personal decision to make and one that I struggle with as a travel writer and scuba diver. Generally speaking, chumming or feeding wild animals is a bad decision. It impacts their natural behaviors and makes them more reliant on humans (and more prone to associating humans with food). For that reason, I chose an operator that doesn’t feed sharks. But we still benefited from the feeding, at least to some degree, since getting fed is the primary reason sharks congregate in the protected area just a few hundred yards offshore.
In a perfect world, everyone would understand the environmental value of protecting the sharks — not because humans get anything from it, but because sharks part of the food chain and are essential to ocean health. But in practice, the sharks here are only protected from fishing and boating because diving with them is more lucrative than fishing. If the sharks stop coming, the tourists stop coming, and it becomes harder and harder to keep the area protected against commercial fishing interests.
Another argument for scuba diving with sharks is that being close to the animals helps people learn not to fear them, resulting in better policies and more concern for their welfare. The area where we were diving in Playa del Carmen recently became a national reserve, which ensures the wildlife and reefs stay healthy — and it’s all because of the sharks.
Bookend your trip to the Pacific Northwest at these Seattle airport hotels
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport — SeaTac, as its commonly known — connects travelers through the Pacific Northwest to Asia, Canada, and across the United States. SeaTac serves as a primary hub for Delta and Alaska Airlines, meaning many routes from each pass through Seattle at some point in their journey. SeaTac is south of the Seattle city center, so if you need an overnight before or after a flight, the best option is to book one of the many hotels near Seattle airport. This strategy also works well as a bookend option for those flying into SeaTac and then departing via ground or sea transportation to other places. These are the best Seattle airport hotels to choose from.
Headliner Seattle airport hotelsTop Marriott Bonvoy hotels near Seattle AirportTop Hilton Honors hotels near Seattle AirportTop Wyndham Rewards hotels near Seattle AirportTop IHG Rewards hotels near Seattle AirportSee a full list of Seattle airport hotels
We hope you love the Seattle airport hotels! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay. Listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication. See our full Advertiser Disclosure here.
Headliner hotels near Seattle AirportRadisson Hotel Seattle Airport
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
SeaTac does not have a hotel inside the terminal. But the Radisson Hotel Seattle Airport is located just outside the terminal, and is actually walkable if you aren’t carrying a ton of luggage. This high-end hotel is ideal for longer stays where comfort and convenience are needed, or for a quick overnight before or after an oddly-timed flight (we’re looking at you, redeye). Rooms are crisp and clean, with wood-panel flooring preventing the buildup of excess hotel grime. The indoor pool is large enough for lap swimmers. Book a room with a balcony and look out over the city or the tarmac, also doable from the hotel’s cocktail bar. Of all hotels near Seattle Airport, the Radisson tops the list for luxury and convenience.
Airport shuttle: Yes24-hour front desk: YesFitness center: YesPrice: From $126 per night
Top Marriott Bonvoy hotels near Seattle AirportAloft Seattle SeaTac Airport
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Aloft is Marriott’s most contemporary brand, combining a hip aesthetic with quick-serve convenience. The Aloft Seattle SeaTac Airport has a spacious lobby with a pool table and game room, ideal for winding down over a beer at the end of a long travel day. Rooms are artsy and beg you to actually hang out in them, a major step-up from the drab display of the common airport motel. The location is nearby to public transit to get into either Seattle or Tacoma. The hotel also has a bar and a spacious conference center.
Airport shuttle: Yes24-hour front desk: YesFitness center: YesPrice: From $107 per night
Marriott Seattle Airport
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Marriott’s flagship hotel near the Seattle Airport, the Marriott Seattle Airport, puts you a quick shuttle ride from the terminal with all of the Bonvoy conveniences. Grab dinner in the hotel’s Aqua Terra restaurant or stroll through the lobby garden. In-room, foam mattresses invite sleep quickly, with blackout shades allowing a reinvigorating night’s sleep – just don’t forget to set the alarm if you have an early flight. The hotel features a business center and easy access to public transit, putting the Pike Place Market within easy reach.
Airport shuttle: Yes24-hour front desk: YesFitness center: YesPrice: From $119 per night
Top Hilton Honors Seattle airport hotelsDoubletree by Hilton Seattle Airport
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Who says you can’t enjoy one of America’s most iconic hotel experiences, just because you’re staying across from a major airport? Doubletree by Hilton coined the open-air hotel lobby lounge, designed by DWP, Khatib and Alami, with balconies ringing the interior to create a vibe that at once amplifies both privacy and convenience. Have a dip in the outdoor pool, grab a bite in the lobby, and after it all, crash out on top of a Serta Suites Dreams bed. The concierge can arrange dinner and activities in Seattle, and with both public transit and the airport within a mile of the hotel, you’re set up for an easy win with a stay here.
Airport shuttle: Yes24-hour front desk: YesFitness center: YesPrice: From $110 per night
Hilton Garden Inn Seattle Airport
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Hilton Garden Inn separates itself from other hotels near Seattle Airport because it takes iconic Hilton hospitality and turns it into a contemporary experience. Expect excellent service from the desk and food and drink staff, including a hot American breakfast and excellent WiFi. Where this hotel really shines, though, is through both its in-room experience and indoor/outdoor lounge space. Its Serta mattresses have become so popular with guests that they are now for sale in the Hilton Home store, so you know you’re going to get a good (and quiet) night’s sleep.
Airport shuttle: Yes24-hour front desk: YesFitness center: YesPrice: From $113 per night
Top Wyndham Rewards Seattle airport hotelsRamada by Wyndham SeaTac Airport
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Ramada by Wyndham SeaTac Airport brings the renowned Ramada experience just up the road from the airport. The brand has more airport locations than any other Wyndham brand, so expect amenities built for the flying traveler as well as a staff that is accepting of oddly-timed check-ins and departures. As an example, breakfast can be ready for you when you need to head out in the AM, and the hotel’s dark-hued ambiance makes sleep easy no matter the time of day.
Airport shuttle: Yes24-hour front desk: YesFitness center: YesPrice: From $75 per night
La Quinta by Wyndham Seattle SeaTac Airport
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
La Quinta by Wyndham Seattle SeaTac Airport is known for simple amenities including being pet-friendly, having a prompt airport shuttle, and offering a top-notch hotel fitness center. You won’t find a restaurant or excessive indoor lounge space here, but you will get a quiet room with WiFi, friendly staff, and a good continental breakfast.
Airport shuttle: Yes24-hour front desk: YesFitness center: YesPrice: From $75 per night
Top IHG Rewards Seattle airport hotelsCrowne Plaza Seattle Airport
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Booking.com
Crowne Plaza Seattle Airport takes the well-trodded experience of iconic brands like Holiday Inn and steps it up several notches to the low-luxe level. Expect locally-inspired food and drink from the hotel’s restaurant and bar and plenty of space to lounge both in-room and in the lobby. Amenities include refrigerators in each room and well-versed concierge service that can connect you with the whole of Seattle. And, the airport is right up the road, allowing you to maximize your stay without rushing out the door.
Price: From $127 per night
More like thisWhere to Stay8 Seattle Airbnbs close to fresh seafood, Pike Place, and the Space NeedleFebruary 16, 2022
Travel hack of the day: Pack your carry-on pillow with clothes
Air travel rules are strict when it comes to luggage, and often costly, too. While there are moments where airlines are forced to cough up the cash because they banged up or lost your luggage, travelers are usually at the mercy of the airline for what they can bring as a carry-on. Que this TikTok travel hack from Anya Iakovlieva.
Iakovlieva is a travel influencer who racked up 24.9 million views on her travel hack, and all you’ll need is a travel pillow case. The concept is simple: Swap out your pillow insert and instead stuff the cover with any extra clothes that didn’t fit in your carry-on, personal item, or checked bag. Sure, you’ll have to take the pillow through the x-ray scanner when you arrive at security and deal with any possible questions from the TSA agent, but this hack can make things a breeze once you arrive at the gate.
@nolimitua #travelhack #travelhacks #pillowtransformation #lifehack #travellight #noonesgonnaknow #traveltips #travellife #traveltip ♬ how would they know bad girls club – Chris Gleason
Unless your flight attendant at the gate is really stingy, you can typically get away with a personal item like a bag or purse plus a travel pillow for comfort. Just note that this travel “pillow” seems rather uncomfortable compared to a pillow with the normal stuffing inside. That doesn’t mean it’s useless. There are plenty of sleep hacks for comfortable flying, including the military sleep method or scoring some extra room in economy.
How far would you go to get a little more luggage up in the sky?
Watch: How to tell if your Airbnb host is secretly filming you at night
Airbnbs are a great option if you’re looking for a more homey experience. However, it turns out some Airbnb hosts are worried about you making yourself too at home.
A viral TikTok posted by cyber security expert Marcus Hutchins goes into detail about hidden cameras placed around Airbnbs and hotel rooms — and how to spot them. The video has racked up 33.4 million views on the platform, telling viewers to check for “suspicious places.” Hutchins explains a technique where guests can use their phone flashlight and shine them at suspected items. Cameras give off a blue-ish reflection. He also mentioned this technique can work with two way mirrors.
@malwaretech Reply to @safarijackza How to find hidden cameras in AirBnBs #safety #travel ♬ original sound – Marcus Hutchins
Another TikToker, @pootersnoots, posted a video showing how to find infrared cameras. By turning off all the lights and using your camera phone, you should be able to spot them. Both mentioned the places to check are spots like shower heads, smoke detectors, alarm clocks, and holes in the wall.
This problem isn’t new. In 2015, Vice reported a story on counter surveillance artist Julian Oliver, who created a script that Airbnb guests can run that finds any Dropcam or similar WiFi-connected camera on a local network and disconnects it. Some, however, question the legality of doing so.
@pootersnoots good to know if you're getting spied on. Share this so people are aware! #phonecamera #hiddencamera #spy #illegal #privacymatters #infrared #fyp ♬ pushin P (feat. Young Thug) – Gunna & Future
It makes sense why some hosts would want to use cameras to make sure property isn’t stolen or trashed. Airbnb’s host policy states that hosts are allowed to have cameras in common areas as long as no one sleeps in the space. That means no rooms with bedrooms, sofa beds, or bathrooms. Guests must also be informed before booking the property that there are cameras and where they are on the property.
In 2019, The Atlantic published a story where a guest claimed that Airbnb had violated its own policy on hidden cameras by telling guests to confront their hosts. Guests who find hidden cameras typically get their money back and are provided other accommodations, while hosts who are caught are suspended until an investigation is complete. If the host is found at fault they are permanently taken off the platform.
So, the next time you decide to stay in an Airbnb, you might want to point the camera on your phone around the place a bit.
Cool skateparks around the world
In 1987, at age 15, a crappy movie changed my life. The skateboarding in Police Academy IV inspired me to grab a board and practice the tricks I’d seen on the theater’s screen. My passion for skateboarding developed from there, and I soon started my own zine about the local skate/art/music scene in Denton, Texas, where I moved from Anchorage, Alaska, to skate year-round. My dream was to get sponsored and skate the world.
While my skills were better than some of the bros but not quite on par with the pros, my literary aspirations would end up picking up the slack in making my dream a reality. After getting a piece on skateboarding published in Sacramento’s now-defunct Heckler Magazine, I became a professional writing teacher and traveled the world that way, skateboard in hand, of course.
Being an itinerant teacher for the last 20 years, I’ve had the opportunity to visit and practice my skills on some of the most beautiful skateparks on the planet. This is my selection of cool skateparks that every skate amateur or wannabe pro should take the time to visit.
1. X-Dubai — Dubai, UAE
Photo: Philip Lange/Shutterstock
In a city obsessed with superlatives, how could the local skatepark disappoint? By combining the Kite Beach setting of date palms, white sand, and the clear Arabian Sea with Australian skatepark design knowhow, the designers at Convic have created not only the largest skatepark in the UAE at 34,444 square feet but also its most stunning. Under the big shade structure, there’s a seamless flow from the low-profile skate plaza to a 10.88 foot-deep bowl of polished concrete with gaps, ledges, and rails in between. You’ll be treated to the call to prayer ringing out from a nearby minaret more than once while performing tricks at X-Dubai.
2. Skatepark Taghazout — Taghazout, Morocco
Photos: SmallWorldProduction/Shutterstock and JON REMENTERIA/Shutterstock
On Morocco’s Atlantic Coast, just north of the city of Agadir, is Taghazout — a sleepy fishing village known for its killer surf and its cool panoramic skatepark. Built in partnership with local skaters and international volunteers from the Make Life Skate Life Foundation, the park draws inspiration from the North African surf scene and Islamic architecture while creating a unique, creative space for cultural exchange. The Taghazout Skatepark Association not only hooks up young local surfers who can’t afford gear with skateboards and protective accessories but also organizes skate classes three days per week (or whenever the waves aren’t pumping).
3. Venice Beach Skatepark — Los Angeles, CaliforniaPhoto: lulejt/Shutterstock
In skateboarding culture, Venice Beach is hallowed ground. In the 1970s, the local DogTown crew and Z-Boys ushered in the vertical era of skating by being the first to perform aerial maneuvers in backyard pools. California Skateparks Designer Zach Wormhoudt (a Mavericks big wave surfer, no less) helped ensure that hometown hero Jesse Martinez’s 20-year battle to get a cool skatepark built in Venice would be done right, with help from technical design consultants Christian Hosoi and Pat Ngoho (skateboarding legends in their own right). The 2009 result is awe-inspiring. You can see the evolution from surfing to skating and the rich cultural history represented in the smooth flow of the concrete bowls, pool tiles, and snake run.
4. Skatepark Du Prado — Marseille, France
Photo: Red Bull Content Pool via Teddy Morellec/Instagram
If you’ve ever played the video game Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, the Skatepark Du Prado (AKA Marseille Skatepark) will be very familiar. In the skate world, it’s that famous and was once even touted as the best skatepark in the world. With its clover-shaped pool, endless lines, and primo location on a topless beach in the south of France, I wouldn’t argue that Jean-Pierre’s urban masterpiece is anything less than perfect.
5. Kaos Temple — Alicante, Spain
Photo: Elchino Po via Ink and Movement
/Instagram
If Venice Beach is skateboarding’s hallowed ground, then the Kaos Temple in Alicante, Spain, is its Sistine Chapel. Transforming an abandoned 100-year-old church into something beautiful took a group of local skaters with a vision. Calling themselves the Church Brigade, they collaborated with urban artist Okuda San Miguel and his team at Ink & Movement to repurpose the dilapidated building into a psychedelic skate sanctuary. The resulting kaleidoscope of geometric faces and animal motifs painted inside play with the light from the stained-glass windows in much the same way the skaters play with gravity and physics on the halfpipe — creating a mystical atmosphere unlike any other skatepark in the world.
6. Zeeburg Skatepark — Amsterdam, Netherlands
Photo: Smeerjewegproducties/Shutterstock
Leave it to Amsterdam to mash up tradition, aesthetics, and function into a beautiful love triangle. By building this skatepark up rather than down (the Amstel riverbed upon which it stands would have it no other way), the Danish Agency Glifberg & Lykke has embraced the challenges of the typography while honoring the traditional land reclamation techniques that have spread the city far and wide. The typically Dutch Delft Blue tile, sprinkled throughout this cool skatepark, gives it a unique sense of place and local flavor.
7. Wanaka Skatepark — Wanaka, New Zealand
Photo: Molly Hope
Towards the southern end of New Zealand’s South Island, in the mountainous Otago Region, amidst beech forests, glaciers, and alpine lakes, you’ll find the burgeoning resort town of Wanaka. There on the glacial plain, on the shores of the town’s namesake lake is a cool skatepark designed by Jason Parkes of Premium Skatepark Designs. Standing on the edge of the 12-foot-deep clover-shaped bowl with snow-capped mountains in the background, you’ll aspire to greatness yourself and understand why this park has also become an attraction for snowboarders and free skiers alike — it’s so pristine and beautifully laid out that even in the summertime, you’ll feel like you’re carving through fresh powder at one of the nearby ski resorts.
8. Roller Vertical Exploration Skatepark — Quebradillas, Puerto Rico
Photo: Miguel Ramos/Instagram
It’s hard to beat a skatepark with an ocean view. Quebradillas Roller Vertical Exploration (RVE) Skatepark in San Jose, Puerto Rico, has a view of the Caribbean Sea framed by coconut trees, no less. What started as Miguel Ramos’s DIY lovechild back in 1988 has since blossomed, thanks to skatepark designer Stefan Houser, into a Boricua beauty that has it all — a silky surface, beautiful curves and vertical extensions that keeps skaters coming back for more.
9. Burnside Skatepark — Portland, Oregon
Photo: David Hupp
What makes the original DIY skatepark under the east end of the Burnside Bridge in Portland, Oregon, so beautiful is that it epitomizes the rebellious nature of skateboard architecture. Like most of the DIYs it has inspired since its inception in 1990, Burnside was built without permission in an urban wasteland. It has since become an icon of the skateboarding world, a concrete testament to the belief in the freedom of personal expression and a legitimate stop on the Portland Walking Tour.
10. La Duna — Ciudad Juárez, Mexico
Photo: The Elias Group/Instagram
With an undulant pink concrete landscape that’s reminiscent of the Samalayuca Dune Fields in the Chihuahuan Desert, La Duna beautifully embodies the next generation’s way of thinking about the role cool skateparks can play in an urban environment. The local municipality commissioned the Elias Group to design a skatepark that would draw the community together to improve marginalized barrios. By wrapping a cycle track around the skatepark’s three zones — a bowl, street, and beginner’s area (separated by endemic trees and desert flora) — and building a viewing deck with a classroom/office combo underneath, the skatepark has been integrated into the existing recreational area and connected to the surrounding neighborhood, encouraging youth and adults alike to engage with the space.
11. Pura Pura Skatepark — La Paz, Bolivia
Photo: Milton Arellano
At 13,000 feet above sea level, Pura Pura is the highest skatepark in the world. What’s so beautiful about this place, aside from the swaying eucalyptus trees all around and the stunning view of snow-capped Mt. Huayna Potosi in the distance, is that it embodies the collaborative yet anarchistic spirit of skateboarding. Pura Pura Skatepark was a global DIY collab with over a hundred volunteer skatepark builders from 17 different countries camping out on site for a month to give youth an outlet for their energies.
12. Skatepark Péitruss — Luxembourg
Photo: degetzica/Shutterstock
A cool skatepark inspired by a 16th-century impregnable fortress? Just on the outside wall of the medieval city of Luxembourg, you’ll find just such a park next to the bridge leading into the old city. By incorporating the same hexagonal patterns from the town’s Vauban Fortress and coloring the skatepark with a palette of maroon, gray, and white concrete, the designers at Constructo Skatepark Architecture have created a thoughtful and fun homage to the site’s heritage. By integrating levels that separate the sections of the park (bowl, flow, plaza), they’ve blended it into the patchwork parkland of the Péitruss Valley — popular for its playgrounds, fitness parks, pathways and picnic areas.
13. North Houston Skatepark — Houston, Texas
Photo: Lance Childers
With its smooth lines and seemingly endless curves, the North Houston Skatepark is not only one of the most beautiful, but at 78,000 square feet, it is also one of the biggest in North America and the second-largest in the world. The folks at Grindline took the maxim, “bigger is better” to the extreme with a 10-foot-deep bowl made in the shape of Texas and a 20-foot-tall full pipe right in the heart of it. For those leery of riding such a huge tube, there’s a gigantic (yet mellow) Lone Star at the heart of the street section that will send you careening towards an endless array of ledges, rails, benches, banks and quarter pipes. And there’s also a 12-foot vertical ramp, backyard-style pools, three flow bowls, and a snake run.
14. Oslo Skatehall — Oslo, Norway
Photo: Finn Ståle
The Scandinavian aesthetic is in full effect in this cool skatepark designed by Dark Arkitekter, Glifberg-Lykke, and IOU Ramps. Skatehall is sheathed in aluminum panels pierced with a pattern derived from a Morse code translation of the 1978 law that banned skateboarding in the entire country. While industrial on the outside, it’s decidedly organic on the inside thanks to its centerpiece – the mezzanine floor wooden bowl. With its tree-like columns stretching out and supporting the bean shaped bowl overhead, it feels like skating under a canopy of white spruce and birchwood in a Norwegian forest. The adjacent cafe and upper walkways ensure spectators can take in the scene from all angles without disrupting the flow of the skaters.
15. Skatepark La Faute-sur-Mer — France
Photo: Constructo Skatepark Architecture
On France’s Atlantic coast, between the Lay River and the Bay of Biscay, you’ll find a super cool skatepark. Basing the concept on sand and sea, the guys at Constructo Skatepark Architecture used blue and yellow concrete to reflect the local environment and to help revitalize the area that was submerged in 2010 by Storm Xynthia. Besides the color scheme in the bowls, street area, and snake run, what makes this park unique is that it marks a new era in skatepark construction. Skateparks are now seen as an asset — as a way to makeover a city, to create a young and dynamic new image.
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