Behind the Photo | Between the Attractions

Every destination has “can’t-miss” spots for a visitor’s to-do list.  

Manmade marvels like Europe’s cathedrals, Fez’s medina and Cambodia’s Angkor Wat.

Or natural wonders like Southern Africa’s cascading Victoria Falls, Vietnam’s Halong Bay and the Grand Canyon.

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  Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle, 2023.

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  Peru's Machu Picchu, 2019

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  Vietnam's Halong Bay, 2018

Visits to these hotspots are well-curated experiences, even in the most remote locations. With tens-of-thousands or even millions of visitors a year, the tourism industry and local businesses have made visiting seamless. Time-entry tickets, translated brochures, even identifying “Insta-worthy” spots.

While visits to these sites may seem a little manufactured (or a lot manufactured) - don’t deprive yourself a visit to the Sagrada Familia, Stonehenge or Machu Picchu in the name of having an “authentic” experience.

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  Stonehenge in England, 2025

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  Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona, 2022

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  The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, 2024

However, between the picturesque places and well-worn routes is where the most meaningful interactions can occur. Whether an impromptu exchange with the owner of a local hole-in-the-wall, the worker you meet at the public transit station, or the people you observe simply living their lives while you pass on the way to your next destination.

A vender. A woman and her children. A fisherman. An elderly couple on their way to the market.

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  A man in South Africa selling macadamia nuts. 2016

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  A man on a mule outside Meknes, Morocco, 2021

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  A fisherman along a river in Cambodia. 2018

We can learn a lot from these micro-engagements and observations between the attractions.  Seeing how people really live - their day-to-day activities.

So don’t skip bucket list destinations or events, but keep your eyes, ears and heart open between stops.