featured stories
Featured
A Rail Journey: North Korea to Russia By Train
A Rail Journey: North Korea to Russia By Train

Follow along on a 68-hour rail journey from the North Korean capital of Pyongyang to Vladivostok in the Russian Far East.

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spotlight
Featured
What to Pack for Socotra: Expert Tips and Prep Guide
PACKING AND PREP
What to Pack for Socotra: Expert Tips and Prep Guide
PACKING AND PREP

Discover the ultimate guide to packing and preparing for Socotra in 2024. Get expert tips on what to bring, how to prepare, and essential travel advice to ensure a seamless adventure on this remote island.

PACKING AND PREP
Is It Safe to Travel to Yemen in 2024?
TRAVEL INTEL, CONFLICT ZONE
Is It Safe to Travel to Yemen in 2024?
TRAVEL INTEL, CONFLICT ZONE

I’ve run over a dozen trips since 2019 when I first visited Yemen and can speak about the safety and security over there, how to stay safe, and where it is generally okay to go.

TRAVEL INTEL, CONFLICT ZONE
Swim With Whales (2024): Everything You Need to Know
UNDERWATER, TRAVEL INTEL
Swim With Whales (2024): Everything You Need to Know
UNDERWATER, TRAVEL INTEL

Swimming with whales is more accessible than ever! Join me as I share insights from my experiences, including the best places to go in 2024, essential safety tips, and what to pack for your adventure.

UNDERWATER, TRAVEL INTEL
Travel to Socotra (2024): All You Need to Know
Guide, TRAVEL INTEL, Yemen Travel, Socotra Travel
Travel to Socotra (2024): All You Need to Know
Guide, TRAVEL INTEL, Yemen Travel, Socotra Travel

Planning a trip to Socotra? Look no further! Here's everything you need to know to make it happen!

Guide, TRAVEL INTEL, Yemen Travel, Socotra Travel
people and places
Featured
Mbuti: Congo’s Last Forest Pygmies Persist Despite Violence and Loss
Mbuti: Congo’s Last Forest Pygmies Persist Despite Violence and Loss

The Mbuti Pygmy people of the Congo’s Ituri Rainforest have largely avoided external pressures to abandon traditional practices and integrate into modern society, but their way of life is continuously at risk.

Featured
Mbuti: Congo’s Last Forest Pygmies Persist Despite Violence and Loss
LONG READS, PEOPLE AND PLACES
Mbuti: Congo’s Last Forest Pygmies Persist Despite Violence and Loss
LONG READS, PEOPLE AND PLACES

The Mbuti Pygmy people of the Congo’s Ituri Rainforest have largely avoided external pressures to abandon traditional practices and integrate into modern society, but their way of life is continuously at risk.

LONG READS, PEOPLE AND PLACES
Five Awe-Inspiring Places in Yemen
PEOPLE AND PLACES
Five Awe-Inspiring Places in Yemen
PEOPLE AND PLACES

Yemen is without a doubt one of the most culturally and historically rich countries in Earth.

PEOPLE AND PLACES
A Rail Journey: North Korea to Russia By Train
LONG READS, PEOPLE AND PLACES
A Rail Journey: North Korea to Russia By Train
LONG READS, PEOPLE AND PLACES

Follow along on a 68-hour rail journey from the North Korean capital of Pyongyang to Vladivostok in the Russian Far East.

LONG READS, PEOPLE AND PLACES
Mexican Caviar: Foraging and Eating Farty Ant Larvae
PEOPLE AND PLACES
Mexican Caviar: Foraging and Eating Farty Ant Larvae
PEOPLE AND PLACES

Writer and food explorer Robyn Huang delves into Mexico’s most curious culinary delicacy— queen ant eggs— in rural Hidalgo with chef JC Redon.

PEOPLE AND PLACES
⇲
nature and wildlife
Featured
Best Sustainable Places to Trek for Organutans in the Wild
NATURE AND WILDLIFE
Best Sustainable Places to Trek for Organutans in the Wild
NATURE AND WILDLIFE

Orangutans are one of the most intelligent and majestic great apes left on our planet, but due to continuous habitat loss as well as the pet trade, wild orangutans have been reduced to just several thousand animals on two islands: Borneo and Sumatra.

NATURE AND WILDLIFE
Featured
Best Sustainable Places to Trek for Organutans in the Wild
NATURE AND WILDLIFE
Best Sustainable Places to Trek for Organutans in the Wild
NATURE AND WILDLIFE

Orangutans are one of the most intelligent and majestic great apes left on our planet, but due to continuous habitat loss as well as the pet trade, wild orangutans have been reduced to just several thousand animals on two islands: Borneo and Sumatra.

NATURE AND WILDLIFE
Where to Go Off-the-beaten-path Gorilla Trekking
NATURE AND WILDLIFE
Where to Go Off-the-beaten-path Gorilla Trekking
NATURE AND WILDLIFE

We break down the known and lesser-known options for gorilla tracking and trekking in central Africa.

NATURE AND WILDLIFE
The Not So Tender World of Whale Courtship
NATURE AND WILDLIFE, UNDERWATER
The Not So Tender World of Whale Courtship
NATURE AND WILDLIFE, UNDERWATER

After years of documenting humpback whales’ annual migration to the South Pacific, photojournalist Matt Reichel shows why these massive animals make such a treacherous journey.

NATURE AND WILDLIFE, UNDERWATER
Squalene: How COVID-19 May Threaten the Natural Marine Order
UNDERWATER, NATURE AND WILDLIFE
Squalene: How COVID-19 May Threaten the Natural Marine Order
UNDERWATER, NATURE AND WILDLIFE

Squalene is being used in many preclinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines, putting the lives of half a million sharks at risk.

UNDERWATER, NATURE AND WILDLIFE
Travel Intel
Featured
How to Cross the Khunjerab Pass between China and Pakistan
How to Cross the Khunjerab Pass between China and Pakistan
Featured
How to Travel to Yemen in 2024: Border Crossings and Flights

Your guide to navigating the border crossings.

Is It Safe to Travel to Yemen in 2024?

I’ve run over a dozen trips since 2019 when I first visited Yemen and can speak about the safety and security over there, how to stay safe, and where it is generally okay to go.

Conflict Zones
Featured
Let Us Be Free, An Afghanistan Travelogue
Let Us Be Free, An Afghanistan Travelogue

In May 2021, travel writer Anna DeBattiste spent two weeks travelling around Afghanistan from Mazar-i-Sharif to Kandahar just before the Taliban took control.

Featured
Is It Safe to Travel to Yemen in 2024?

I’ve run over a dozen trips since 2019 when I first visited Yemen and can speak about the safety and security over there, how to stay safe, and where it is generally okay to go.

Ancient Babylonian and Mesopotamian Archeological Sites You Can Visit in Iraq

Iraq is home to many archaeological sites that are of great historical and cultural significance. Here are some of the main archaeological sites still standing in that you can visit today.

Underwater
Featured
Swim With Whales (2024): Everything You Need to Know
Swim With Whales (2024): Everything You Need to Know

Swimming with whales is more accessible than ever! Join me as I share insights from my experiences, including the best places to go in 2024, essential safety tips, and what to pack for your adventure.

Featured
2025 Swim With Whales New Regulations in French Polynesia: All You Need to Know

Explore the new whale swimming regulations in French Polynesia designed to protect marine life while allowing tourists to swim with whales responsibly.

Swimming With Whale Sharks (2024): All You Need to Know

Explore the exciting world of swimming with whale sharks! This guide reveals fascinating facts, top destinations like Maldives and Mexico, and essential safety tips for your adventure. Discover ethical practices for interacting with these gentle giants and learn how to make your experience unforgettable. Ready to dive in? Read the full article and start planning your next whale shark tour today!

LONG READS

Featured
Mbuti: Congo’s Last Forest Pygmies Persist Despite Violence and Loss
Female Solo Travel Through Yemen-- Done the Wrong Way
A Rail Journey: North Korea to Russia By Train
Let Us Be Free, An Afghanistan Travelogue
In Mexico, Keeping a Peyote Pilgrimage Alive
Poop Stories on the Island of Socotra
Sadness and Hope— Travels in Yemen
packing and prep
Featured
What to Pack for Socotra: Expert Tips and Prep Guide
What to Pack for Socotra: Expert Tips and Prep Guide

Discover the ultimate guide to packing and preparing for Socotra in 2024. Get expert tips on what to bring, how to prepare, and essential travel advice to ensure a seamless adventure on this remote island.

Featured
What to Pack for Socotra: Expert Tips and Prep Guide

Discover the ultimate guide to packing and preparing for Socotra in 2024. Get expert tips on what to bring, how to prepare, and essential travel advice to ensure a seamless adventure on this remote island.

The Ultimate Packing List for Swimming with Whales in 2024

Planning on freediving with humpbacks? Here’s your gear and preparation guide.

Tourism Ethics
Featured
Ethics and Realities of Visiting North Korea
Ethics and Realities of Visiting North Korea
Featured
The Ethics of Conflict-Zone Tourism

On one hand, conflict-zone tourism can seem privileged and voyeuristic. However, on the other, conflict-zone travel can help shift perspectives as well as provide much-welcomed resources and networks for local communities.

The Meaning of Conscious Travel

Inertia Network co-founder Matt Lim explores the meaning and ethics behind travel and what it means for people looking to discover the world and themselves.

Photography
Featured
A Look at Life Inside North Korea
A Look at Life Inside North Korea

Photos from daily life in North Korea captured over eleven years of working in the country.

Featured
7 Underwater Photography Tips for Documenting Whales

Discover essential photography tips for documenting whales in their natural habitat. Learn techniques for capturing stunning whale images, from choosing the right equipment to mastering camera settings. Perfect for wildlife photographers and whale enthusiasts.

Expert Tips for Underwater Photography of Whales and Whale Sharks

A list of the top 10 things to keep in mind when photographing and documenting large pelagic species underwater.

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TRAVEL INTEL Matthew Reichel TRAVEL INTEL Matthew Reichel

Why You Should Skip Iceland and Travel to Greenland Instead

First of all, don't get me wrong, Iceland is stunningly beautiful-- replete with verdant cliffs, waterfalls, glaciers, thermal hot springs, aurora sightings, puffins, and ice lagoons-- the place has road trip adventure written all over it. And it's true, driving Iceland's ring road is a phenomenal trip, and not many places on Earth can compete with the beauty of Thorsmork (þórsmörk) or creeping glaciers in Vatnajökull National Park. But there's a catch, with all the attention Iceland has received in recent years, it's crowded and is turning into a must see destination on the global tourist trail. Nearby Greenland, in contrast, is an entirely different story.

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