A festival filled with florescent feathers, sparkly sequins, and Rihanna sounds a little too good to be true. Fathom contributor and global nomad Lucy Laucht found all that and more when she headed down to Barbados for Crop Over, their annual summer celebration. We cant imagine a better way to kick of Caribbean Week.BARBADOS – Turns out there is more to Barbados than postcard-worthy beaches and sapphire-blue waters. Crop Over, the islands a

Carmen Ruiz de Huidobro, the multi-hyphenate creative behind boutique-minded Españolita Trips, puts together small group trips to Mallorca, Spain. Sign up while you can.MALLORCA, Spain – A range of hypnotic, watery blues draws me back to Mallorca every single summer of my life. I first came here in my mom’s belly. My parents fell in love with the place, bought a piece of land, and eventually built a house here. This same hypnotic quality is

Leave the gondolas and glitter in Venice. In this small town in Sardinia they drink, they dance, they lasso strangers for good luck. A reader story.MAMOIADA, Italy – The rope slipped over my head and around my waist in one swift movement. I circled around and caught a glimpse of the lasso-hauling Sardinian kid whod managed to ensnare me. The boy, dressed in soldiers garb (puffy white trousers, a crimson shirt, and a black sash at his hip),

In South Africa, an esteemed sculptor showcases the different phases of his career with a stunning new sculpture garden in the Cape Winelands.STELLENBOSCH, South Africa – With a career that spans over 25 years and patrons spread across the globe, South African artist Dylan Lewis is a foremost figure in the contemporary sculpture scene. This year marks the start of a new chapter with the opening of Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden, a stunning se

Name: Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge.Hometown: Oconomowoc, Wisconsin (JKP) and Randleman, North Carolina (BR).Occupation: Goat farmers and co-founders of Beekman 1802.Favorite destinations:JKP: Generally wherever we just came from and wherever we’re going next.BR: We rarely visit the same place twice, but the one place we both dream about returning to is Lamu Island, Kenya. On the north side of the island is the town of Lamu, a collisi

Gentleman farmers Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge are the co-founders of the lifestyle brand Beekman 1802, whose latest project is a goat-milk-based skincare range. We milked them for the lowdown on Sharon Springs, the charming old-time town in Upstate New York that they call home.Favorite old classic: American Hotel is a restored 19th-century inn with eight guest rooms, a lively weekend pub, and a restaurant that serves generous portio

How do you take in the Western Hemispheres second-largest city in just a few days? Make your way through landmark neighborhoods for a taste of what’s noteworthy in CDMX.MEXICO CITY – Visiting a new place in a short timeframe is always overwhelming, especially when that place is Mexico City. The mile-high metropolis, known for its gastronomy, culture, and arts, is also the World Design Capital for 2018, the first city in the Americas to earn

A visit to the lucha libre arena can be a good way to let off steam.MEXICO CITY – Things were going to get crazy. It’s practically guaranteed at the incredibly entertaining Mexican mass spectacle of lucha libre. That said, nothing could have prepared me for what I would witness at my first wrestling match at Arena Mexico. We arrived two hours late, just as the semi-final fight was wrapping up, on the advice of our local guide, who

¡Qué bonito es México! Mexico is one of the richest countries on the planet — resources, biodiversity, scenery, culture, food — you can find it all in Mexico City and beyond.MEXICO CITY – Cosmopolitan, crowded, and chaotic are a few adjectives that come to mind when I think about Mexico City. Dont get me wrong, its a city I love — especially for the tiny, world-of-its-own vibe where there is always something going on. But

On a trip to Bethlehem to research her family history, London-based writer Liza Foreman confronts the troubling reality of life in the city today, as symbolized by the citys imposing border wall. The wall was also the inspiration behind graffiti artist Banksys year-long art and hospitality project, The Walled Off Hotel and Museum. BETHLEHEM — “Are there many ISIS fighters in this part of the Sinai?” I asked my taxi driver, as we

It is always hard to lose someone, but Mexican holiday Día de Muertos allows us to feel closer to the dearly departed. For Fathom intern and Mexican native Helena Madrid, the death of her grandfather rekindled her desire to participate in the beautiful tradition.This year has been one of the best in my life —  I moved to New York, got an internship at a cool travel website, and got a taste of what I want to achieve next. But this

Its the season of Dia de los Muertos — when Mexicans celebrate the life of the dead. Its festive, its colorful, and it involves candy. Anyone can build a traditional Mexican altar. Heres how.Día de los Muertos merges Spanish and indigenous Mexican traditions of sacred devotion in a colorful demonstration of remembrance of people that are no longer with us. This is one of the most beloved holidays in Mexico, and extremely bittersweet.T

Halloween has its tricks. But Dia de los Muertos has its treats —  in the form of handmade poems that lampoon, satirize, and exaggerate real people, be they friends, loved ones, the famous, or the infamous.Calaverita literaria is a satirical poem usually written for the Day of the Dead in Mexico. Meant to express things that are hard to talk about (politics, tragedy, death), theyre often anonymous: The author doesnt matter becaus

A stunning photograph speaks for itself, but there’s always more to the story than meets the eye. We spoke with British photographer Thom Pierce, who is currently based in Cape Town, South Africa, about this striking image, which he took at a pre-election political rally in Kenya.Subject: A tribal procession in Turkana County, Kenya.Camera: Nikon D800Takeaway: Be really obvious with your actions and give subjects the opportunity to move out

Theres more to Dubai than all the glitz and glam you see on Instagram. The city is ripe with new openings, including vegan cafes, artisan chocolatiers, and hip concept shops. Travel writer Dylan Essertier spent five years exploring the best it had to offer.DUBAI – For those who think Dubai is nothing more than skyscrapers and fast cars, make no mistake, it is a cosmopolitan city with much to see, eat, and do. In fact, with so many new venue

Two five-star hotels on opposite coasts of Ireland take hospitality to noble heights.IRELAND — Though titles of nobility don’t really exist in modern Ireland, it’s still possible to live like you hold one on the Emerald Isle. Remnants of a privileged and complicated past remain throughout the country in the form of castles, estates, and grand homes of all kinds, a good number of which you can even stay in — for a price. The Merr

What’s a traveler to do when their visit to Malaysia coincides with the country’s biggest holiday? Attend an “open house” at the home of the country’s prime minister, of course.KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – One of my favorite parts of traveling is experiencing local festivals. So when I found out my trip to Malaysia would coincide with Hari Raya, the country’s biggest holiday, it felt like the stars had aligned.But then I did a little research,

It can be hard to stay focused in a library when bookshelves burst with color, rare books rest under decorative archways, and wall patterns repeat ad infinitum. Its okay. Let your eye wander.

The Hollywood RooseveltLos Angeles, CaliforniaRetro Modern, $$$ (from $289)At first glance, The Hollywood Roosevelt doesn’t look like the first place you’d expect to spot a movie star on vacation. From its perch above Hollywood Boulevard’s bustling Walk of Fame, the towering Spanish Colonial Revival hotel seems a little too in the middle of it all. But acquaint yourself with its history, and the reasoning becomes clear. Since opening i

Were one year away from the hundred-year anniversary of the end of World War I, but commemorative celebrations are already underway. British journalist Liza Foreman steps back in time to tour the historic battle sites in northeast France.MEUSE, France – Its not every day that you get to spend three days in the trenches of World War I. So when I was invited to spend Veterans Day weekend this past November exploring the key historic sites and