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The Wanderer
Get inspiration, ideas, and recommendations for your next adventure.
Philadelphia: The USA on its 250th Anniversary
Philadelphia: The USA on its 250th Anniversary
This is the full text from an interview with Julie Silverbrook, Chief Content and Learning Officer at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, PA. Originally published July 4, 2026. What…
The World Isn’t Waiting
The World Isn’t Waiting
Lately, I’ve been thinking about how to prioritize travel more—and I already travel more than any reasonable person. But the world isn’t slowing down for us. It feels more divided,…
Discovering Rajasthan: A Journey Through Time
Discovering Rajasthan: A Journey Through Time
I still remember the overwhelming sensory rush of my first visit to India—a land of intense colors, intoxicating aromas, and ancient traditions that can be a sensory explosion for Western…
Rio de Janeiro: Quintessential Bucketlist
Rio de Janeiro: Quintessential Bucketlist
Ah, Rio de Janeiro. I’ll never forget my first glimpse of its impossibly beautiful beaches, where bronzed bodies bask under the sun and the rhythm of samba seems to float…
Cape Town’s Natural Wonders: A Hike, a Beach, and Breathtaking Beauty
Cape Town’s Natural Wonders: A Hike, a Beach, and Breathtaking Beauty
Cape Town, South Africa, is a city that hooked me with its blend of urban energy and breathtaking natural beauty. The first time I saw Table Mountain, its flat-topped peak…
Island Hopping for Vino: A Taste of Paradise in Waiheke
Island Hopping for Vino: A Taste of Paradise in Waiheke
New Zealand’s South Island might be the undisputed adventure jungle of the world (hope Brazil doesn’t read this—they’d definitely have something to say), but I’ll never forget the magic I…
Curtain Up in Chicago: Exploring the City’s Deep Musical Heritage
Curtain Up in Chicago: Exploring the City’s Deep Musical Heritage
There are countless reasons to choose Chicago as a travel destination, and I don’t just mean deep-dish pizza and architectural marvels (though those are pretty great). Today, I make the…
Mexico City Muse: Centuries of Art in a Vibrant Metropolis
Mexico City Muse: Centuries of Art in a Vibrant Metropolis
If you’ve been thinking about diving into art travel, let me tell you—Mexico City should be at the top of your list. When I visited, I quickly realized that in…
From Canvas to Cuisine: Navigating Art Basel (Without Drowning in Pretension)
From Canvas to Cuisine: Navigating Art Basel (Without Drowning in Pretension)
The Lay of the Land I didn’t know what to expect when I first ventured into Art Basel. For anyone who’s managed to dodge every art history class, it’s essentially…
Enough with the Colosseum: Mastering Roman Cuisine at Daniela’s Cooking School
Enough with the Colosseum: Mastering Roman Cuisine at Daniela’s Cooking School
Rome, the Eternal City, is a feast for the senses. There are far too many icons whispering legends for me to list here, but, just briefly, my fave is Fontana…
Sightseeing in Kyoto: A Very Biased Look at an Ancient City Abiding in Zen
Sightseeing in Kyoto: A Very Biased Look at an Ancient City Abiding in Zen
Kyoto, the former, ancient capital of Japan, is a city that engulfs with its beauty, serenity, and the whispers of a thousand generations. It is a place to live zen…
Powder Paradise: Planning Your Epic Ski Trip to Zermatt
Powder Paradise: Planning Your Epic Ski Trip to Zermatt
Zermatt… The crown jewel of the Swiss Alps. It wasn’t until I moved to Switzerland with my husband in 2012 (and we lived there for four years) that I discovered…
Exploring Namibia: Untamed Beauty and Luxury Lodges
Exploring Namibia: Untamed Beauty and Luxury Lodges
When I first traveled to Namibia, it felt like stepping into another world—breathtaking landscapes, unique wildlife, and an overwhelming sense of tranquility in one of the least densely populated countries…
Between Darkness and Light: A Museum Journey Through Berlin’s Artistic Triumphs
Between Darkness and Light: A Museum Journey Through Berlin’s Artistic Triumphs
Berlin — an expansive, introverted metropolis woven from resilience, artistic expression, and a tumultuous past — is one of the world’s most significant cultural hubs. While there are countless ways…
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The views: 10/10. The moment you finally get to lie down and take them in: 11/10.
Where’s the best place you’ve ever hiked? We’re taking notes 👇
Wonder less. Wander more.
#HikingAdventures #Reels #ExplorePage #Travel #Adventure
🏛️ Most hotels hang art. A few collect it. Fewer still are built around it.
The Silo Hotel (@thesilohotel_ )began life as a grain elevator. Today, it rises above the Zeitz MOCAA, with contemporary African art on its walls, Cape Town at its feet, and some of the most distinctive architecture in the world wrapped around it.
What stays with you is not any single room, artwork, or view. It’s the rare feeling that every part of the experience belongs exactly where it is. Some hotels are memorable because of the location. Others because of the design. The Silo manages both, while adding a world-class art collection to the equation.
✨ If you’re heading to Cape Town, this is one of those rare places worth building a trip around.
📩 We recently featured The Silo and spoke with its Art Concierge, Michael Jacobs, in The UR Welcome. Read the full story via the link in our bio.
Wonder less. Wander more.
#UponReturn #CapeTown #ArtTravel
If you only had one weekend in Vienna, we’d send you here:
🏨 Hotel Motto @hotelmottovienna - A stylish hotel that feels unmistakably Viennese without trying to recreate the past, and make sure not to miss the rooftop.
🖼️ Leopold Museum @leopold_museum - Home to the world’s largest collection of Egon Schiele and an outstanding selection of Austrian modern art, don’t forget to buy tickets in advance.
🍽️ Glacis Beisl @glacis_beisl - A modern take on classic Viennese cuisine, with one of the city’s loveliest garden courtyards.
🍸 Loft Bar @dasloftwien - Come for the drinks and stay for one of the best panoramic views over Vienna.
⭐ Steirereck @steirereck - One of the world’s great restaurants, serving contemporary Austrian cuisine in the heart of Stadtpark.
Which ones would make your list? Let us know in the comments 👀
Wonder less. Wander more.
#UponReturn #Vienna #Austria #TravelGuide
Image credits: Hotel Motto, Leopold Museum, Glacis Beisl, Loft Bar, Steirereck, Vienna State Opera, and Upon Return.
✈️ Sometimes the destination comes first. Other times, it`s the event that gets you on the plane.
Here are five island festivals that are more than enough reason to plan a trip. 🌍
🔥 Nyepi, Bali (Mar): the whole island goes silent for 24 hours after a parade of giant demon effigies.
🎷 Havana Jazz Festival, Cuba (Jan–Feb): more than 200 concerts in colonial courtyards.
🐘 Kandy Esala Perahera, Sri Lanka (Jul–Aug): decorated elephants, drummers, dancers, and fire across ten nights.
If you could only choose one, which one gets your plane ticket? 🎟️
Wonder less. Wander more. ✨
#TravelInspiration #IslandLife #FestivalTravel #BucketList #ReturnWithStories
Imge credit: MyBali, Cuba Education, Voye Global;
Four hours north of Reykjavík is exactly far enough that most visitors never make it. That’s the point. 🍽️🇮🇸
North opened in 2022 in a 1920s former printing factory in Akureyri, from Gunnar Karl Gíslason - the chef behind Dill, Iceland’s first Michelin star ⭐. Same precision, warmer room. The menu runs on northern Iceland: fish, lamb, herbs, foraged produce 🌿.
The drive takes nearly five hours if you stop for the scenery, which you should 🚗. North is the reward at the end of it.
📍 Save this for your next trip to Iceland.
Wonder less. Wander more. ✨
#Iceland #Akureyri #Reykjavik #FineDining #ReturnWithStories
Malta is small enough to explore easily and interesting enough to keep you busy for weeks. 🇲🇹 Start with Valletta:
🛎️ Stay: Rosselli AX
🦐 Seafood: Tartarun
⭐ Two Michelin stars: ION Harbour
☕ Coffee: Lot 61
🏛️ Must-see: Hal Saflieni Hypogeum
For the full Malta guide, subscribe to The UR Welcome - link in bio.
Wonder less. Wander more. ✨
#Valletta #Malta #Caravaggio #CityGuide #ReturnWithStories
The best cheese in Malta is down a road with no sign, where you`re told to navigate by churches. Malta has 359 of them. 🧀⛪
Twenty minutes from Valletta, Ta-Zeppi Farm turns sheep`s milk into some of the island`s best cheeses. This year they entered nine cheeses in the Malta cheesemaking competition and won nine medals. 🥇
There`s no shop. You taste, negotiate with sheep who refuse to move, and leave more interested in cheese than when you arrived.
Wonder less. Wander more. ✨
#Malta #Gozo #CheeseLovers #Valletta #ReturnWithStories
Image credit: Mindtrip
Lewis Hamilton’s first win in 686 days in Ferrari red 🏎️ came at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya last Sunday.
A victory like that deserves a proper celebration, so naturally we started wondering where Lewis Hamilton and Kim Kardashian should go afterward.
We`d start with drinks at 14 De La Rosa (@14delarosa), move on to dinner at Piedra (@piedrabcn), and finish in the morning with coffee at Onis (@oniscoffee).
We`ve put together more Barcelona spots worthy of a victory lap. Find the full list in The UR Welcome - link in bio.
Wonder less. Wander more. ✨
#F1 #SpanishGP #Barcelona #LewisHamilton #KimKardashian #ReturnWithStories
Image credit: BBC
The Sagrada Família has been under construction for 144 years. Last week, it took another step toward completion. 🏗️
Last week, the Tower of Jesus Christ was officially inaugurated, marking a major milestone in Gaudí’s unfinished masterpiece. Rising to 172.5 meters, it now makes the Sagrada Família the tallest church in the world. ⛪
Go now, while the cranes are still part of the silhouette. The basilica may be nearing completion, but the Glory Façade will keep builders busy well into the 2030s.
📍TIP: Book a timed entry, go early, and take the lift up one of the towers for the view back over Barcelona.
Wonder less. Wander more.
#SagradaFamilia #Barcelona #Gaudi #Architecture #SpainTravel #ReturnWithStories
