Jack Murnighan, our man in Burma who likes to drink from strange bottles, traded his life as digital media executive for the simpler pleasures of life in a very foreign country. After reading this, we can see why.MYANMAR – Everyone asks me why Im in Myanmar, why Im learning Burmese, why Im studying so hard. If I just say that yesterday a young couple on the train noticed my textbook, smiled at me, and then brought me a boiled egg, does that

Architect Kevin Mak, one of our 24 Best Travelers on Instagram, took us on a #FathomTakeover through the ancient streets of Kyoto. He shares his favorite photos from a family trip to Japans Imperial capital.KYOTO, Japan – After ten years of not traveling with one another, my parents, sister, and I decided it was time to make a change. For the occasion, we decided to visit Kyoto. The city has served as the old capital for Japan for mor

Tablet Hotels co-founder Laurent Vernhes knows a thing or two about choosing a good boutique hotel. On a recent visit to Norways capital, he checked into The Thief, a modern escape in the citys architectural hub.CHECKING INOverviewDespite the Nordic worlds reputation for modern design, much of what you actually find in a city like Oslo conforms to a subdued 19th-century bourgeois style. But The Thief is different. Its a contemporary de

Katie McKnoulty of The Traveling Light is living our ultimate travel fantasy — she has chosen to make the world her home, spending at least six months each year living outside her native Australia. For the last few months, the freelance marketing strategist and graphic designer has been in Paris, but prior to that she spent time in Berlin; Ubud, Bali; and Mercatello sul Metauro, Italy. Each location provided a unique experience with i

Being an artist isnt easy. Emerging talents and established creatives are tasked with interpreting the world, drawing on personal experiences with hopes of making a lasting public impression. Sometimes that requires a change of scenery, a different perspective, or a moment alone.To that end, we looked through many exceptional artist-in-residency programs — think of them as vacations with benefits for envelope-pushing artists &mda

As weve mentioned, its Free Trip Bonanza on Fathom this month. Were giving away trips all over the world, including some of our favorite places, like London.Yay, London! Were going old school and high style with this one, ensuring the prize winner and one lucky friend get a full-on, totally royal treatment. Oh, you can still go clubbing in Dalston and get all edgy on the East End, but youll be traveling and resting your head in veddy, veddy

The hottest hotel in Miami is as mad as a hatter and as over-the-top as Wonderland. Luxury lobby scout / expert tippler / Fathom contributing editor Kate Donnelly paints a wild picture of the happenings at Faena Hotel Miami Beach. Special COVID-19 Notes: The hotel, the spa, and the in-house restaurants are open, though the Faena theater is temporarily closed. See their coronavirus-related policies here.Faena Hotel Miami BeachMiami Beach, Fl

For all of its fractures, fissures, bruises, outlandish behavior, and beserk outbursts, the United States of America is still a big, beautiful country worthy of exploration and celebration. Your summer travel plans can include otherworldly landscapes, unexplained phenomena, unique flavors, and indigenous arts.WHAT ABOUT YOU?Wed love to hear about more things to do, people to see, and places to stargaze this summer. If you have a favorite se

Whether youre cheering in the stands at the Rio Olympics or from your sofa at home, we know all eyes are on the athletes. But what about the spectators themselves? How are people around the world reacting to the games?Over the past few days, Ive scavenged through the gold mine that is NBC Sports on YouTube and pulled together my favorite fan, athlete, and team reactions to date. In this first volume: squirmy contortions, full-out sprints, a

Although its still sweltering outside, were on the last laps of summer. This means theres only a few more precious weeks to plan and execute the perfect summer vacation. Continuing my scavenger hunt through the treasure trove of videos on NBC Sports, Ive pulled together a few moments that translate as great travel tips. Every time a gymnast solidly plants her feet on the floor or a swimmer speeds for gold, I get the adrenaline rush tha

Introducing Fathoms newest featurette: Video of the Week! With so many cool videos on the web, we thought wed save you the trip down the rabbit hole and hand-pick our favorites. Without further ado, heres our first selection.The only option left was to become beautiful. Toman Sasaki, pop star and self-proclaimed genderless danshi at the forefront of Japans emerging trend in androgyny, explains the evolution of his personal style and why its

Learning a new language is near the top of many a bucket list, but it takes lots and lots of practice. This Tech Tuesday, were looking at an app that makes memorizing vocab something you may actually want to spend time doing.The most effective way to master a new language is to live where that language is spoken, but for those who cant relocate to Spain, for example, and study syntax with a hot-blooded, smooth-talking Spaniard, theres now a

Explore the further reaches of Central Asia. With Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, as your starting point, there are fun weekend getaways (and yurts! and babushkas!) in every direction.BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan – One thing that makes Kyrgyzstan a unique destination for travelers is the country’s excellent community-based tourism (CBT) system. The Kyrgyzstan Community Based Tourism Association (KCBTA), an umbrella group that includes more than a dozen groups

Erica Firpo, Fathoms Rome-based contributing editor, keeps her sanity and love for Rome by getting away from it often. Where does she go? Modern, chic, industrialized Milan.MILAN – Milan is my Breath of Fresh Air, my Mind Clearer, and my Get Back to Reality city. As much as I love Rome and its ever-permeating chaos, every now and then I need to get out of my own head, literally and metaphysically. I need Milan like some people need that mor

Fathoms Kim VanderVoort makes a strong case for riding the rails around India. For starters, youll need the right mindset and a good app for tracking your seat.INDIA – People say the trains in India are crowded, dirty, and best avoided. I disagree. Indian trains are far from the apex of luxury, sure, but they offer a different sort of allure. After months traveling across the great country, my most vivid memories consist of the wordle

Globetrotters with a long list of places theyve been usually have an even longer list of places they want to go. We asked writer Jo Piazza, whose travel memoir, How to Be Married, we just excerpted, for her must-go and must-go-back list.My family wasnt a traveling family. Growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, we would often go to the Jersey Shore or skiing in the Pocono mountains. We had a handful of vacations in the United States &mda

Photographer Sofi Pechner digs into her archive for her favorite photos of Myanmar, a colorful and welcoming country that remained closed to outsiders for 50 years.MYANMAR – Once the borders opened to tourists in 2012, Myanmar shot to the top of my travel wishlist. Mostly Buddhist, the country is full of beautiful gold-leaf temples, studious monks, and kind, smiling people. There are seven states, each with its own unique history and

The travel blogger behind the Thailand-based design blog Rice Potato takes us on a visual tour of Bangkoks hippest neighborhood.BANGKOK – The days of Bangkoks Chinatown being merely a haven for street food are long gone. Attracted by low rents and a slower pace of urban life, the citys hipsters have flocked to the area in recent years, snatching up dilapidated shophouses and turning them into homes and businesses. Already dubbed

CHICAGO - Chicago is all about its neighborhoods, which have distinct personalities, scenes, and world views. You might be staying downtown or in the Gold Coast, but to get a feel for the city, go wandering.Photo: Courtesy of Glazed & InfusedWICKER PARK/BUCKTOWNThe Scene: Hipsters and foodies; indie boutiques and stunning Victorian mansionsThe Stops: Granola from Milk and Honey. Flowers at Asrai Garden shop. Doughnuts at the Glazed & Infuse

Give Fathom contributing editor Kate Donnelly a few minutes to talk about Santa Fe, her annual summer getaway spot, and itll turn into a whole day event. But who can blame her? Heres the long story short.SANTA FE, New Mexico – Its no secret. I love Santa Fe.I visit every year for a week with my family. Usually my mother and I sign up for the Southwest adventure series, last seen on Fathom. We are thick as thieves, so much so that Ive taken