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Thanks for taking the time out of your busy day to visit our humble travel blog. We’re here to inspire unique, authentic, and ethical travel experiences while giving you deeper insights into the history, politics, and culture of some of our favorite destinations. Travel should be about making meaningful connections and responsible exploration, not just ticking popular sights off a list. Read more about On a Road to Nowhere here.
The Latest
- A Bug-Infested Peacock: Why Minca, Colombia Is a Beautiful Disappointment
Minca, a small town located in the mountains near Colombia’s Caribbean coast, was one of those gorgeous places I couldn’t wait to leave. Perhaps Minca’s lush jungle scenery and green mountain vistas were just too beautiful, because the town is now infested with fancy-pants European backpackers and the accompanying vegan restaurants and yoga studios. And you can’t even find a… Read more: A Bug-Infested Peacock: Why Minca, Colombia Is a Beautiful Disappointment
Most travel blogs kind of suck. Half the time, it feels like you’re reading a pitch for a multi-level marketing scheme. At On a Road to Nowhere, we’re trying our best not to suck. Our travel guides provide honest opinions and insights into local history, culture, and politics so you can actually understand a place before you visit.
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Gain insights and information about adapting to new cultures and navigating life overseas. Here we share stories and advice about the joys and harsh realities of living in a new country and culture. Click here to explore some of the latest posts…
- Rethinking Travel Safety and Crime in Latin America
- How to Talk to People Who Don’t Speak English Good
- What is Culture Shock? My Personal Experience in China
- Loneliness, Holidays and Living Overseas
- How to Vote in the Primary From Overseas
Mastering a new language can open both doors and windows to deeper connections and richer travel experiences. Whether you’re a casual tourist or a long-term expat, we have tips and guides for saying more than just “where is the library?” Read more here.
- The Best YouTube Videos for Learning Chinese: Your Ultimate Guide
- How I learned Chinese (and So Can You)
- How to Talk to People Who Don’t Speak English Good
- Bad Advice: Things You Shouldn’t Do When Learning Chinese
- Studying Chinese in China
- A Bug-Infested Peacock: Why Minca, Colombia Is a Beautiful Disappointment
Minca, a small town located in the mountains near Colombia’s Caribbean coast, was one of those gorgeous places I couldn’t wait to leave. Perhaps Minca’s lush jungle scenery and green mountain vistas were just too beautiful, because the town is now infested with fancy-pants European backpackers and the accompanying vegan restaurants and yoga studios. And… Read more: A Bug-Infested Peacock: Why Minca, Colombia Is a Beautiful Disappointment - A Travel Guide to Cartagena: Colombia’s Colorful Caribbean City
Cartagena is Colombia’s most sensuous city. And by “sensuous” I mean there’s a new sight, sound or taste around almost every corner. Brightly colored colonial buildings gleam in the tropical sun. Caribbean rhythms reverberate through the streets day and night. Street vendors sell plastic cups full of juices squeezed from fresh local fruits. Despite the… Read more: A Travel Guide to Cartagena: Colombia’s Colorful Caribbean City - Three Days of Solitude in Mompox, Colombia
Mompox is a hot, humid, colonial town located hours from the middle of nowhere and with almost nothing to do. On paper, at least, it seems like an unlikely tourist destination. However, Mompox’s reputation as a must-visit destination in Colombia is growing. I’m a big fan of Nobel Prize winning Colombian author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.… Read more: Three Days of Solitude in Mompox, Colombia - Barichara is Colombia’s Heaven on Earth.
Barichara is a small colonial town in the north east of Colombia, and a place of overwhelming beauty. You can stand on almost any street corner and be awed by the rows of white adobe Andalusian style houses, the clusters of orange and purple flowers and the distant green mountains that reach out to the… Read more: Barichara is Colombia’s Heaven on Earth. - Villa de Leyva: Wandering around a Colombian Town Lost in Time
It might be a little cliché to describe a place as being “lost in time,” but it’s probably the best phrase to describe the Colombian town of Villa de Leyva. Villa de Leyva is a gorgeous, small, colonial town nestled in the mountains. One of the many gorgeous, small, colonial towns nestled throughout Colombia. It’s… Read more: Villa de Leyva: Wandering around a Colombian Town Lost in Time - Bogotá: Colombia’s Capital City is Cooler than You Could Imagine
Bogotá is a very cool city. Colombia’s capital somehow manages to meld historic charm and punk rock attitude. It’s a place where old Spanish buildings and republican monuments stand alongside avant-garde graffiti and hip underground bars. Vendors hawking used books line the sidewalks. As night falls, the cool kids gather in a 16th century plaza… Read more: Bogotá: Colombia’s Capital City is Cooler than You Could Imagine - Covering Ground in Colombia: A Travel Guide to One of the World’s Most Magical Countries
Colombia is quite possibly the most amazing country I’ve ever traveled to. It’s so amazing, in fact, that I’m finding it difficult to write about. How do you describe a travel experience that affected you so deeply regular words fail to describe it? Wonderful, fantastic, really good; nothing quite captures the almost transcendent experience I… Read more: Covering Ground in Colombia: A Travel Guide to One of the World’s Most Magical Countries - Bananas, Backpackers and the Bourgeoisie: Why You Shouldn’t Travel to Bocas Del Toro, Panama
Bocas del Toro is on all of the must-see travel lists for Panama. This Caribbean archipelago, near Panama’s border with Costa Rica, has been the next big thing in tourism for years. With its sandy beaches, clear waters and laid-back culture, Bocas del Toro definitely seems like a sure thing. Well, I’m here to ruin… Read more: Bananas, Backpackers and the Bourgeoisie: Why You Shouldn’t Travel to Bocas Del Toro, Panama
As tourism becomes more popular worldwide, the travel industry has grown increasingly exploitative and damaging. Instead of supporting local communities, tourist dollars often end up lining the pockets of foreign millionaires, while gentrification tears communities apart.
At On a Road to Nowhere, we want you to think critically about your impact as a traveler. Are you contributing to neo-colonial exploitation? Or are you striving for a meaningful cultural exchange? It’s important we challenge our own perspectives and do our best to contribute to travel ethically and responsibly. In other words: don’t be a jerk.