Carrie Back

Lonely Planet — Unlike other busy cities in Southeast Asia, the Lao captial is decidedly - and wonderfully - on the sleepy side. Here's a full guide to Vientiane, Laos.

Travel + Leisure — The hum of looms mixes with the sound of lapping water at Ock Pop Tok, a women’s weaving cooperative on the banks of the Mekong River in Luang Prabang. In Laos, the tradition of weaving as storytelling goes back 1,200 years. Important messages are conveyed through clothing: the patterns on the sinh, a long skirt, can indicate a woman’s age, marital status, and ethnic community (Laos has 50 state-recognized groups). Among the Tai Lue community, for example, color patches on a skirt signify that a woman is single, while stripes along the waistband mean that she is married. Ock Pop Tok works with more than 300 women artisans in 15 provinces. At its center in Luang Prabang, travelers can take classes in weaving, dyeing, and embroidery, as well as purchase apparel, bags, rugs, and decorative wall pieces. Ock Pop Tok also operates the five-room Mekong Villa (doubles from $50) and a restaurant, Silk Road Café (entrées $2–$4). Last month, the cooperative began offering pottery and paper-making workshops in the nearby villages of Ban Chan and Ban Xang Kong.

Going — The Gibbon Experience in Laos is home to the self-proclaimed tallest treehouses in the world accessible only by zipline. Here's how to stay there overnight.

AFAR — From the U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego to Salish Lodge and Spa in Snoqualmie, these are the six best Native and Indigenous American-owned hotels in the U.S.

Extraordinary Journeys — Cartagena is a vibrant tapestry of history and rich culture on Colombia's Caribbean coast. Spend your weekend wandering the cobbled streets of the UNESCO walled city, lined with Spanish colonial architecture, and discover the country's sultry rhythms on its lively plazas.

Matador Network — Sri Lanka's scene offers surfers not just warm waters, charming beach shacks, local curry houses, and palm-fringed beaches, but waves for every skill level and surfable swells nearly year-round. The best waves are found on the southern and eastern coasts. In the south, the prime surfing season is from October to the beginning of April, then in May everyone heads east to Arugam Bay on the east coast, where the dry season there lasts through September.

Parents — A long history of United States government policy has separated Indigenous children from their families and communities. The Indian Child Welfare Act was created to stop this without a good cause. It's now being challenged. The Indian Child Welfare Act ( ICWA) is a federal law that sets standards for the placement of Native American children in foster and adoptive homes.

The Culture Trip — The beautiful, bustling hillside port of Valparaíso is known for being one of the homes of the celebrated Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, who died in 1973. This colorful city is recognized worldwide as a Unesco World Heritage Site, a deserved award given its photogenic architecture, its rich history and its cultural currents. If you love history, street art and bohemian life, Valparaíso is must.

Travel + Leisure — Indigenous creators are sharing their cultures with the world on #NativeTikTok through dancing, jokes, history, and more. TikTok, an app first known for its choreographed dance videos, has become a go-to resource for learning about social justice and global issues. The platform, like Twitter and other social media channels, offers hours of endless entertainment, but it has also developed into a powerful and educational tool for activism and connecting people to other cultures. Indigenous content creators, for example, have turned to the app to share their lives, history, and customs.

The Culture Trip — Between its charismatic cities, idyllic beaches and unforgettable national parks, Colombia 's Caribbean Coast is a dream come true for solo travelers. Spreading from the Panama border to the desert of La Guajira, near Venezuela, the region is a surefire winner for thrill-seekers, beachgoers and food lovers, here to sample some of the country's best cuisine.

The Culture Trip — The epicenter of the Peruvian well-to-do set is the glitzy suburb of Miraflores, in downtown Lima – the nation’s capital. A lot of spots in this area will cost you, but there are parks and markets and other places where you won’t have to part with vast sums in order to have fun. Here are the top things to see and do in Miraflores, Peru.

Matador Network — It has never been easier to back Indigenous-owned businesses. Native American-owned and First Nations-owned small businesses have been booming in recent years. So if you'd like to do a little shopping and support, we've rounded up 10 of our favorite companies. All draw on their own culture and ancestral knowledge and work with others from the community to produce high-quality and one-of-a-kind products. Whether you’re Native American or First Nations, a non-Native ally, or just someone looking to give your hard-earned dollars to small businesses and entrepreneurs, these Indigenous-owned brands are for you.

The Culture Trip — From a coastal base with culture on tap to a sea-facing spa stay, we’ve combed 3,000 miles of shoreline to find the best barefoot breaks in the Southeast Asian nation of Vietnam. Beach-lovers are spoilt for choice in Vietnam, but with so many sandy coves and peacock-hued bays to distract you, making the tough decision of where to stay might just be the trickiest part of your holiday. After that, we assure you, these hotels with spas, bars and restaurants, will do all the hard work for you, no questions asked…

The Culture Trip — Most tourists head to Nazca in Peru with the sole intention of visiting the enigmatic Nazca Lines, a series of mysterious etchings that have puzzled archaeologists for eons. While these world-famous geoglyphs are certainly the city’s biggest attraction, there are plenty of other fascinating things to see nearby, including sand dunes, burial sites, and museums. Here are the best things to see and do during your trip to Paddington Bear’s homeland.

The Culture Trip — Connect with local guides and immerse yourself in unique experiences far from Phuket’s typical tourist spots. We’ve narrowed down the list of the best places to stay on Thailand’s largest island for a local experience – you can choose anything from family-run retreats to restaurant-rich resorts that embody the ever-evolving fusion of cultures that makes Phuket such an extraordinary place to visit. Stay at these exotic hotels on Thailand’s largest island and you can easily explore bustling night markets and Buddhist temples as well as arrange boat trips across the Andaman Sea.

The Culture Trip — A short walk from Lleras Park, the poshtel Los Patios goes all out to connect solo travelers. These colorful, Colombian-centric buildings have thought of everything and then some: rooftop pool, gym and organic garden; two bars and multiple lounge areas hosting events daily: salsa lessons, pub crawls, yoga classes, mojito-making sessions and bike tours.

The Culture Trip — Midway along Vietnam’s S-shaped coast, Da Nang is a prime pitstop for travellers snaking their way between the capital Hanoi in the north and the southern hub of Ho Chi Minh City. Its shores are sandy, its streetfood superlative and its natural scenery, nudged by the Marble Mountains, worth stopping for. Here are the best resorts in Da Nang.

Postcards Magazine — With over 500 federally recognized American Indian and Alaskan Native Nations, there are many opportunities to immerse yourself in tribal history, art, culture. With such enormous diversity among communities of Indigenous Peoples, each Nation has their own distinct culture, language, history, and unique way of life. Here are the top 5 Native American museums and events to experience the great variation of cultures that emerges from these many tribes and nations. Each museum has a large collection of Native American artifacts, contemporary art, and programs that promote the richness of American Indian culture firsthand.

The Culture Trip — Chances are you’ve got some time in the south Chilean town of Punta Arenas en route to Antarctica – cruise ships depart regularly for the White Continent between December and March. Or perhaps you’re en route to or from the jagged horizons of Torres del Paine National Park.

outrigger.com — Considered one of the finest snorkeling spots in the world, millions of people visit the Big Island of Hawaii every year for its clear, calm waters and abundant marine life. If you are headed to the Big Island on your next vacation, make sure to add these snorkeling spots to your Hawaiian itinerary for an unforgettable experience.

The Culture Trip — Ancient trading post Hoi An, on Vietnam’s central coast, is three treasures in one: an atmospheric old town, known for its lantern-lit streets, age-old shopfronts and a thriving textiles industry where you can get tailor-made clothes in a matter of days; a tranquil riverside retreat, with serene restaurants gracing the banks of the Thu Bon and De Vong; and a buzzy beachfront base, with miles of coffee shops and cool bars lining the sandy strip between Cua Dai and An Bang. It’s no surprise, then, that there are scores of resorts to choose from. Here are the very best that Hoi An has to offer.

The Culture Trip — Fast-evolving Vietnam is constantly coming up with new ways to meet and exceed travellers’ needs. And when it comes to hostels for backpackers on a budget, there are no shortages of places to stay. Here are some of the best, all with their own distinct style to make the most of your adventure in Southeast Asia.

foodcorps.org — Native American Heritage Month begins in November, a month when many people in the United States recognize Indigenous culture and celebrate Thanksgiving. While this heritage month has good intentions, for Native Americans it is far more complex. Thanksgiving is a grieving time for many Natives because of the various massacres that occurred exactly around this time frame.

outrigger.com — Born in Honolulu and learning to surf on Waikiki Beach, Carissa Moore has dominated the surf world since she was a pre-teen-and this summer the now 29-year-old became the first woman to ever win a gold medal in Surfing's Olympic debut in the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo.