Traveling on a group tour can transform a vacation experience. With travel companions built-in, logistics handled, and expert guides leading the way, group travel offers convenience, camaraderie, and cultural immersion. But with so many group tour companies out there, how do you choose the right one?

On a trip to Costa Rica, we visited a coffee plantation and my husband’s face lit up like a child on his first trip to Disney. Experiencing the journey from plant to cup firsthand was a tiny step in his love affair with coffee, the process it goes through, and the joy he gets out of chasing his perfect brew. The tour guide at that space dropped some knowledge that over a decade later is still spoken in our home, reminding us that while the world may rank coffees, “the actual best kind is your favourite kind.” 

Being able to travel the world is a great privilege and an opportunity that remains inaccessible to a significant proportion of the world’s population. Many people’s attempts to travel are curtailed by financial, social, political, and sometimes even physical barriers: having the ability to move across the globe with little resistance ought never to be taken for granted. 

What would the City of Light be without the poetry of its bridges? Arcing across the Seine like stone verses in a love letter to the past, the bridges of Paris offer more than a way to cross from Left Bank to Right. They are time travelers, storytellers, and sentinels, each with its own soul and saga.

After the whole world had to spend a couple of years at home, in lockdown, travel and tourism returned with renewed vigour, as many of us sought to catch up on what felt like lost time. 

Unfortunately, a surge in visitor numbers is putting tremendous pressure on many of the destinations that we know and love so dearly.

Paris is lovely. It’s romantic. It’s full of iconic architecture, delicate pastries, and tourists standing in the middle of the street taking photos of things they don’t understand. But if you're the kind of traveler who prefers the weird little corners of a city to the glossy, over-filtered highlights, this post is for you.

 
Whilst law-breaking tourists are undoubtedly in the minority, and I am confident that no Wandering Educators fall within their ranks, they still remain a key component in discussions about the relationship between tourism and crime. Whether these individuals fall foul of the law through the excesses of alcohol (or other substances), a lack of legal awareness before travelling, or have deliberately sought out destinations to commit illegal acts, not every traveller stops to consider how their actions may impact the places they visit.

Lisbon, Portugal's capital city, is renowned for its vibrant music scene, delectable seafood, and stunning hills. There aren't many ways to summarize such a vibrant community in one simple vacation, however. You'll need to engross yourself in the beautiful sights, sounds, and tastes to truly learn about this rich and stunning European city.

If you're planning a first-time visit or want to observe everything that Lisbon has to offer, you'll want to make some noteworthy stops and try some fun and immersive activities.

Last year I lived in North Carolina for 18 months, and one of my favorites places to visit was Wilson. The friendly people are very united as a community and are very respectful.