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...
B.C.’s Narnia: The magic and majesty of the Broughton Archipelago
∞Originally published in the Vancouver Province November 10, 2017∞ “Where are we, Narnia?” They’re the first words out of the mouth of a travel companion the moment we climb from our zodiac and step on the shores of a Bond Sound estuary. In front of us all, is a...
Bubbly and beauty in Northern Italy
∞Originally published in the Vancouver Sun, December 17, 2016∞ It’s evening on the Adriatic, and we’re on a terrazza high on a karst cli over the Gulf of Trieste, holding a glass of Prosecco and watching harbour lights dot the dusk. Behind us oat the sounds of a...
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.