Although many of the 30 million travelers who visit Thailand each year head to its southern beaches and islands, relatively few will eat much southern Thai food while there. At southern Thailand’s simple guesthouses and fancy resorts alike, the green curries and pad Thais of Bang … | Continue reading
Named after the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Sarajevo ‘84 is a ćevabdžinica, a traditional Bosnian barbecue restaurant located in Piran, Slovenia. Tucked along Piran’s lively seafront, Sarajevo ‘84 is just a short walk from Piran’s main square, Tartini Square, and port. The … | Continue reading
Pune is full of hills. Both within and around the city, there are hills and mountains with lots of forts, temples and lakes. During weekends, one can find lots of nature enthusiasts and hikers exploring these parts of the city. Taljai Hill is located a short distance south of Par … | Continue reading
Hiding in plain sight at the edge of Yala’s sprawling, chaotic fresh market is 70-year-old Thai-Islam Phochana. Catering to a seemingly endless stream of market workers and shoppers, the open-sided restaurant specializes in Thai-Muslim breakfast dishes. These include banana leaf … | Continue reading
Tucked in northwest Tasmania’s “Valley of Views,” a 20-kilometer driving trail delivers big on scenery and whimsy. Nearly 80 novelty letterboxes crafted from recycled materials dot the section along C132, running from Gentle Annie Hill to the historic gold rush town of Moina. Alt … | Continue reading
Raya, a longstanding restaurant in Phuket Town, is largely known for its crab meat curry with coconut milk—a vast, decadent bowl that blends a spicy, turmeric-tinged coconut curry and massive chunks of lump crab meat served with knots of rice noodles. But it’s also one of only a … | Continue reading
Sitting along the Tug Fork River, just a stone’s throw from the Kentucky border, the West Virginia town of Vulcan features a similar history to many other American mining towns. Founded in the early 20th century, it faced a major loss in population in the 1960s after the coal min … | Continue reading
You may have encountered sago, tiny pearls that are boiled and served as a dessert or sweet snack (hello, bubble tea) in much of Asia, as well as in Brazil. These days, the vast majority of sago is made from tapioca, a root. But at Kanomwaan Pakee, a dessert shop in rural Phattha … | Continue reading
Lake Washington occupies a north-south trending glacial basin just east of Seattle, and so tends to isolate the city. For this reason much of the shoreline along the east side remained undeveloped until well into the 20th century. "Eastside" development didn't really take off unt … | Continue reading
As the oldest metaphysical shop in the Indianapolis area, Magick Candle is a must stop for those on any spiritual path. They carry everything from chime candles to coyote taxidermy and anything you can imagine in between. Owners Michelle and Jan are incredibly knowledgeable pract … | Continue reading
In northwest Tasmania’s Mole Creek Karst National Park, you can channel your inner spelunker while exploring natural limestone caves. Located approximately half an hour from Sheffield and a little over an hour from Cradle Mountain National Park, it’s a great add-on to view this n … | Continue reading
In 1870, the Montreal Mining Company sold their failed silver mine to the Silver Islet Mining Company, believing it wasn’t worth the hassle. The shafts extended down about 1,250 feet into Lake Superior, taking advantage of silver deposits in the bedrock along the way. But because … | Continue reading
One of San Fernando, La Union's most popular attraction is a statue of Christ the Redeemer, which towers above the town. Beside it though, right beside the staircase heading to the statue is an interesting sight: a house with its fence all made out of seashells. The house belongs … | Continue reading
Tucked into the winding cobblestone streets of Nessebar’s old town, the Church of St. Stephen is a gem of medieval Orthodox architecture. The first church on the site was built in the 11th century and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. However, most of what can be seen today dates bac … | Continue reading
Chumphon, located near where the Malay Peninsula reaches its narrowest point, is also approximately where central Thailand starts to become southern Thailand. This can be heard in the local dialect, seen in the coastal, palm-studded landscape, and tasted in the local cuisine. And … | Continue reading
This canyon walk will dazzle and amaze you with the many layers of colors throughout the stroll. It is not an actual trail, but you will be walking up hill in what is the Suntrana creek drainage. If you are into geology, then this is a must see when headed from Anchorage to eithe … | Continue reading
Located in the heart of Piran’s winding, Venetian streets, Trg 1 Maja would be easy to miss. Though its name invokes Slovenia’s communist past, Trg 1 Maja translates roughly to “First of May Square.” The name is perhaps a nod to the ancient Slovenian tradition of lighting bonfire … | Continue reading
The village of Ilulissat in West Greenland is known for the outstanding natural beauty of its icefjord. It's here that large icebergs break off from the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier after a journey of hundreds or even thousands of years from deep within Greenland's icecap. A moraine u … | Continue reading
The Industry, an eye-catching creation by sculptor Alex Chinneck, is a surreal artwork that appears to be a coiled canal boat floating tranquilly on the waters of the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal. The sculpture sits between locks 4 and 5 of the 19th-century waterway, which played … | Continue reading
This home-bound, family-run stall in the southern Thai town of Pattani specializes in one dish and one dish only: nasi dagae. The dish, whose name means “trader’s rice” in the local Malay dialect, has its roots in Malaysia. It takes the form of rice served with a rich fish curry … | Continue reading
Look for the line. Every night, at the edge of downtown Hat Yai, southern Thailand’s largest city, a small team set up a cart and a deep-fryer. Before the first wing has emerged from the bubbling oil, there’s likely already tens of people waiting to buy the savory, pleasantly sal … | Continue reading
Sin Jiew has been operating in Trang, an ethnically Chinese, landlocked provincial capital in southern Thailand, since 1958. Seemingly little has changed at this local-style food court: fans struggle to stir the humid air, and the paint job (and quite possibly some of the custome … | Continue reading
Drive through the Chicago suburb of Willow Springs late at night and local lore says you might see a forlorn young woman in a white dress on the side of the road. If you take pity and ask if she needs a ride, she’ll quietly accept. She’s soft-spoken and won’t say much, save that … | Continue reading
The work of local sculptor Stephen Walker, the Tasman Fountain was unveiled by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in 1988 and features the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water, with water flowing around three historic sail ships. On one side of the prominent landmark is a l … | Continue reading
Beautiful Lake Como, Colorado, is the primary rest point for hikers aiming to climb three of the state's iconic fourteeners—Blanca Peak, Ellingwood Point, and treacherous Little Bear Peak. While Blanca, the fourth-highest mountain in the Rockies, offers commanding views of southe … | Continue reading
"Late capitalism" is one of those terms that started out in academia, but slowly found a way into casual usage with a simplified meaning. Since the 2010s, it has appeared in social media and internet culture to mock and criticize the absurdities and tragedies of capitalist system … | Continue reading
Palisade was laid out by the (then) Central Pacific in February 1870, and initially rivaled Elko and Carlin to the east as a stage and freight hub. The Western Pacific was also built through here in the early 1900s, over strenuous objections by the Southern Pacific (the successor … | Continue reading
Every day, in nearly every town and village across southern Thailand, vendors prepare a huge variety of curries and other dishes, showcasing them in stainless steel pots and trays. These eateries are known in Thai as raan khaao kaeng, “rice and curry shops.” Regardless of locatio … | Continue reading
On the southern Thai island of Ko Samui, there’s no lack of places to put one’s toes in the sand during a meal. But Bangpo Seafood is one of the few places where it’s possible to do this while also eating one of Thailand’s most intriguing microcuisines. Before it was a holiday de … | Continue reading
The town of Otumba in central Mexico was dying of thirst. A succession of droughts in the mid-1500s had devastated the crops and forced many Indigenous communities to abandon their ancestral farms and seek their fortune elsewhere. The situation was bleak. A village drying up and … | Continue reading
On his walk home on the Scottish island of Tiree, a man came across a huge dog, its paw as big as the spread of his palm, near the hill of Kenavara. The black dog was resting on a sandbank near the shore, its thick fur wet with saltwater. The man hesitated, unsettled by the anima … | Continue reading
Akhtala Monastery, Pghindzahank, or "Copper Mine Monastery," is a 10th-century site in Armenia near the Georgian border. It was built on a plateau with very deep gorges, strategically positioned to defend the northwestern regions. The main church of Akhtala Monastery is named Sur … | Continue reading
The first thing you’ll notice at Maksu Soup Chormalee is a vat of broth that could practically double as a plunge pool. In it, beef bones and offal simmer along with typically Southeast Asian aromatics such as galangal and lemongrass, as well as dried spices, filling the air with … | Continue reading
Owner Marty Thomas has dedicated a lifetime to hunting animals and preserving their bodies. His many years spent working as a hunting guide have produced a surprising collection of creatures. Most of the animals were hunted from the local area and across Western Canada. Others we … | Continue reading
Khao man kai, rice cooked in chicken broth and paired with slices of poached chicken, a dish with roots on the Chinese island of Hainan, is served by thousands of vendors in just about every corner of Thailand. Many vendors claim to serve the dish in the style of Betong. To see w … | Continue reading
Last week, Hurricane Helene carved a devastating path through 500 miles of the southeastern United States. Unlike the average hurricane or tropical storm, Helene’s worst damage was in inland mountain communities in Appalachia, where it washed away roads, bridges, and, in at least … | Continue reading
The InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco has perched at the top of Nob Hill for nearly a century. When it opened in 1926, it was more simply called the Hotel Mark Hopkins, named after the railroad executive that once built a home there. The luxury hotel has hosted presiden … | Continue reading
Considered one of the great inventors and architectural minds of the 20th century, R. Buckminster Fuller is best known for his popularization of the geodesic domes. Geodesic domes—which can be found everywhere from Epcot Center to Antarctica to sports stadiums to your local publi … | Continue reading
Nestled in the serene Dutch countryside, Papiermolen De Schoolmeester is a living testament to centuries of papermaking tradition. This historic mill stands as the only remaining example of traditional paper production powered by wind in the Netherlands. Paper mills in the Zaanst … | Continue reading
Many of the largest medieval churches across Europe feature façades decorated with statues and other representations of individuals from Christianity, including saints and other biblical figures, but these individuals typically lived centuries ago. Even though their stories are s … | Continue reading
A pedestrian crossing leads from the Rue de la Loi into the Parc de Bruxelles, just in front of the Palais de la Nation (which houses the Belgian Parliament). Pedestrians crossing the street towards the park don't know that they're about to step on the largest cobblestone in Belg … | Continue reading
The Spanish city of Ciudad Real and the 17th-century novel Don Quixote are closely linked, as the novel is a testimony to the cultural heritage and identity of this part of central Spain. Located in La Mancha, the home of Cervantes' legendary character, the city adopts the advent … | Continue reading
It's amazing how intricate the patterns are on this building. Down to perfectly outlined birds, a lighthouse, and even a pirate ship, all using shells. You have to see it in person to truly appreciate the amount of detail and time, love, and care that went into this project. Also … | Continue reading
It’s considered a miracle, an engineering marvel, and even a scientific anomaly, depending who you ask. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, the helix-shaped spiral staircase at Loretto Chapel has long puzzled visitors, including architects and physicists. There are several unknowns surround … | Continue reading
Umit & Son is a man's lifelong passion project based on his love of cinema, especially movies shot and projected on 16mm film. Practically speaking, you can come here to purchase VHS tapes, vinyl records, film cameras, and get various film-related digitization services. There is … | Continue reading
It was a sunny autumn day in Danvers, Massachusetts on Oct. 10, 2011—perfect for some fall fun. Taking advantage of the good weather, a family of four ventured into a headless horseman-themed corn maze at Connors Farm. Things quickly unraveled. As the sun set and the maze closed … | Continue reading
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku is the canvas for a spectacular projection mapping display known as "Tokyo Night & Light." At 13,904 square meters, Tokyo Night & Light projections cover the 48-story building from its fourth to its 32nd floor. The nightly li … | Continue reading
This article is adapted from the October 5, 2024, edition of Gastro Obscura’s Favorite Things newsletter. You can sign up here. Where I live in California, it’s been an unseasonably warm fall. While cafés and grocery stores are going full-speed ahead with all things autumn, no on … | Continue reading