In the lead up to Gourmantic’s 11th birthday on June 26, we decided to take a look back at some of our best, starting with our all-time favourite travel articles.
When Gourmantic launched in 2009, the website had a very strong travel focus. We shared stories, experiences and recommendations of places we’ve travelled. Conversations with friends around our dinner table about these travel and food stories led to the creation of Gourmantic. Looking back, clearly I had a lot fun writing some of these! This was before instagram and stories took over our lives. Some of the formatting may show its age, but that’s the beauty of being online for 11 years.
So without further ado, here are our 11 all-time favourite travel articles, in no particular order. We’ve picked an excerpt from each article with a direct link if you’d like to read more.
BEST TRAVEL ARTICLES: ALL-TIME FAVOURITE TRAVEL ARTICLES
1. How to Look Like a Tourist in Paris in 5 Easy Steps
“Forget about draping a chunky digital SLR camera around your neck, shuffling around in a tourist daze and practising your high school French on the locals. Follow these five simple steps and in no time, you’ll be screaming ‘I’m a foreigner’ louder than tattooing the word touriste on your forehead.” Read the rest of the article here.
2. The Ugly Side of Venice
“Venezia Bella. You broke my heart.
When the vaporetto approached S. Zaccaria stop near Piazza San Marco, I was filled with anticipation. It was my second trip to Venice. The first was a whirlwind stay and I could barely wait to revisit some of the iconic sights that had captured my imagination.
Until I saw this.” Read the rest of the article here.
3. Swim with Turtles at Le Meridien Bora Bora
“The turtles are naturally curious and approached us in the lagoon on several occasions. They cannot stay submerged for long periods and they need to come up for air every so often. We watched them poke their heads out of the water and exhale audibly, making a cute sound not unlike humans.” Read the rest of the article here.
4. Spearfishing in the Great Barrier Reef
“It took more than two hours at full speed to reach the reef. We couldn’t wait for them to throw the anchor and we dove. All around us there was blue water and some patches of shallow reef -that was the eerie décor. No land in sight, no cell phone coverage, only the radio and a Thuraya connection just for emergencies.
We really felt as one with the sea.” Read the rest of the article here.
5. Beit Sissi: The Pride of Aleppo’s Cuisine
“Beit Sissi embodies Aleppian culinary pride. The food is everything one would expect from a restaurant in the city of traditions. The flavours are authentic, complex and fresh. Like the first meal you enjoy after a lingering cold has finally lifted, each dish surpassed the next. Beit Sissi remains to this day the best culinary Middle Eastern cuisine I have experienced.” Read the rest of the article here.
6. How to Break a 500 Euro Note in Paris
“By now you’re thinking of the obvious… go to a bank.
7. A bank? Ah bah non! You will find that either access through the front door is reserved for bank customers after swiping their card or if you’re lucky and have made it inside, the bank will display signs stating that bank employees do not deal with cash.” Read the rest of the article here.
7. Likuliku Lagoon Resort Fiji – The Blissful Art of Doing Nothing
Likuliku Lagoon Resort – Photo © Gourmantic
“Imagine a luxury tropical island paradise, an adults-only resort with 35 beachside bures and 10 overwater bungalows, that’s a maximum of 90 guests seeking escape from the daily grind and the bustle of city living. And the the one thing you want to do is… nothing.” Read the rest of the article here.
8. Dubai: Swimming in the Persian Gulf
“Fish of various size and colour swam around me as I got further away from the shore. Wet sand under my feet felt fine and dense, like standing on a tightly woven Persian carpet. I floated on my back with ease, the salty nature of the water aiding buoyancy.” Read the rest of the article here.
9. Globalisation and the Changing Face of Travel
“And once upon a time not long ago, you drove along the roads of France and did not see an assortment of McDo signs telling you it was 25 kilometres to the town of Cognac. You did not trip over an avalanche of Starbucks franchises in central London all within a small radius of one another.” Read the rest of the article here.
10. Tokyo Tribute: The Gentleman from Asakusa
“It is right at this moment that I experience the soul of Tokyo.” Read the rest of the article here.
11. 5 Ways to Deal with ‘How Was Your Trip’ Question
“2. The Skinny Soy Latte Drinker
“How was your trip” is immediately followed by “Tell me the highlight”. This person is after a précis and doesn’t want to be bothered with any detail you have to offer. And let’s face it, you’ve come back with a lot of detailed stories. They may be in a senior management role or just an all round skinny or soy milk drinker, skimming through life swallowed up in their self-importance.” Read the rest of the article here.
Next… All-Time Favourite Food Articles
