Because life is short and the world is wide
“Volunteering and tourism are two words that should never meet”
∞This story originally appeared in the Vancouver Sun on June 13, 2022.∞ When the last tourist leaves, what is left for the locals? That’s the central question of the new documentary The Last Tourist, which explores the profound impact decades of mass tourism have had...
Modern Māori Indigenous Tourism: An Aotearoa Awakening
∞ Originally published on Whywanderlust.ca on February, 6, 2021. ∞ Joe Waide emerges from the forest onto the Lake Wanaka beach, bare chested, pale fall New Zealand sun glinting off of his ceremonial wood taiaha staff, his features ringed in intricate ta moko...
Wellness in the Wilderness: New Zealand’s luxury lodges offer ecology, gastronomy and serenity
∞ Originally published in the Vancouver Sun, June 7, 2020. ∞ New Zealand is the kind of place you go when you don’t want the world to follow. The country’s remote wilderness and pristine wellness retreats are so far removed from reality they seem to melt modern...
Bali bliss: Enjoy wellness, ritual and ethical travel on this exotic Indonesian Island
∞ Originally published in the Vancouver Sun, September 18, 2019. ∞ In Bali beauty and blessings are an industry. Hotels advertise “meditation area” on road signs, shoppers visit Reborn Gifts, graffiti is simply “KARMA” spray-painted in capitals. Its allure is obvious...
In search of the sublime on New Zealand’s South Island
∞ Originally published in the Vancouver Sun November 30, 2019. ∞ “This is the oldest thing your eyes will ever see.” I squint into a telescope at Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park Observatory on New Zealand’s South Island and my mind bends around the sight of a 13...
Stories from the Shuswap: Salmon runs, savory food and wine and soaking up Indigenous tourism
∞ Originally published in the Vancouver Sun, August 20, 2019 ∞ Adrian Lewis circles a hill in the fading forest light on the shores of Little Shuswap Lake and for a moment it seems like the First Nations guide disappears into the crisp fall air. Instead, he slips...
Istanbul Uncovered: Unveiling ancient architecture and modern art
∞ Originally Published in the Vancouver Province on August, 13, 2018. ∞ Down a set of stone stairs below the busy streets of Istanbul, artist Coskun Uzunkaya sits in a corridor of the Caferaga Medresesi — a circa 1559 Islamic school turned artists’ studio — lashing...
Tea and Trumpets: Elephant sightings and tea plantations in surprising Sri Lanka
∞ Originally published in the Vancouver Sun May 28, 2018 ∞ Wandering down a red-dirt road lined with emerald palms in Sri Lanka’s Anuradhapura district, I look in vain for a promised transportation hub to lead us further into the heart of village life. Our guide,...
The Natural Wonders of the Riviera Nayarit: Eco-adventures on Mexico’s Pacific Coast
∞Originally published in the Vancouver Sun April 27, 2018∞ High in the hills of Punta de Mita on Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit coast, I’m sitting on the patio of a bougainvillea-draped hacienda, pondering a local dining dilemma. What pairs best with my pre-dinner drink:...
Vietnam: A peasant food pilgrimage
∞Originally published in the Vancouver Sun, March 18, 2018∞ Cycling through Vietnam’s steamy Mekong Delta, sweat drenching our backs as we ride under coconut palm canopies, we’re astonished by sights at every turn: men fighting rooster cocks in a clearing, acres of...
About me
Elaine O'Connor
I’m a different kind of travel writer. I craft long-form, cover-worthy feature-length travel articles with style and substance. I tell travellers not just what to do, but why. Find out how to work with me.
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