“GT” Culture

Here are all the “GT” Travel posts that focus on the people or cul­ture of a des­tin­a­tion more than its nat­ur­al envir­on­ment. Posts that explore the cul­ture and nature of a place evenly appear both here and in “GT” Nature.

Reflections on the ‘best small city in the world’: San Miguel de Allende

April 7, 2022

Overlooking San Miguel de Allende. By Steven Buchanan (CC0) via Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/photos/mexico-san-miguel-de-allende-dusk-5756222/

A recent “Good Tour­ism” Insight about ‘jouis­sance’ promp­ted me to reappraise the con­cepts of sen­sa­tion and per­cep­tion and the pur­suit of pleas­ure.  It triggered memor­ies of San Miguel de Allende, a magic­al UNESCO World Her­­it­age-lis­ted colo­ni­al town in cent­ral Mex­ico.  The story begins with an artist and one of Canada’s former fig­ure skat­ing cham­pi­ons, the […]

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Posted in "GT" Travel World, "GT" Travel in Mexico, "GT" Travel in North America
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Memories of Jordan (and celebrating the ‘bucket list’)

February 17, 2022

Memories of Petra and Jordan by Melanie Kay Smith

I was at a tour­ism industry con­fer­ence a few months ago listen­ing to a talk on the dev­ast­at­ing effects of COV­­ID-related travel bans on her­it­age des­tin­a­tions.  Pro­fess­or Mike Robin­son, the speak­er, cited Jordan as a prime example.  Amidst my sym­pathy for the des­tin­a­tion and its people, my ‘buck­et list’ quest react­iv­ated instantly in my mind.  It […]

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Posted in "GT" Travel World, "GT" Travel in Asia, "GT" Travel in Jordan
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Find five-star dining in surprising Mae Sot

October 21, 2021

Instruction in the kitchen at HCTC's The Passport restaurant in Mae Sot, Thailand

The city of Mae Sot in west­ern Thai­l­and dis­plays most of the hall­marks of a small bor­der cross­ing hub. Rich in trade, the quiet little town is a fas­cin­at­ing melt­ing pot of people.  Over dec­ades, influxes of refugees flee­ing neigh­bour­ing Myan­mar, many from the per­se­cuted Kar­en tribe, have shaped the city and earned it the nick­name of […]

Read More Find five-star dining in surprising Mae Sot
Posted in "GT" Travel in Thailand, "GT" Travel in Asia, "GT" Travel World
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Far and wide: Inspired by Hanoi’s hoa sữa

August 25, 2021

Hanoi's hoa sữa (“milk flowers”, named after their milky white petals). Picture courtesy of Minh Quan (c). httpswww.facebook.comshotgun911

Estab­lished some 4,000 years ago on the banks of the Red River, and chosen as the cap­it­al more than 1,000 years ago, Hanoi is widely regarded as the his­tor­ic heart of Viet­nam. It clings strongly to tra­di­tions. The city’s Old Quarter trans­ports vis­it­ors back in time. Over the cen­tur­ies, Hanoi has been exposed to the ups […]

Read More Far and wide: Inspired by Hanoi’s hoa sữa
Posted in "GT" Travel World, "GT" Travel in Asia, "GT" Travel in Vietnam
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The luxury of simply feeling good in Siem Reap

July 28, 2021

The luxury of feeling good in Siem Reap, Cambodia at Sala Bai

As the gate­way to the icon­ic temples of Angkor, Siem Reap is one of the busiest ‘tour­ist towns’ in South­east Asia. Angkor Wat is a must-see, of course, but Siem Reap and its sur­rounds have much more to offer those who would stay a while longer.  With Siem Reap as a base, you can experience […]

Read More The luxury of simply feeling good in Siem Reap
Posted in "GT" Travel World, "GT" Travel in Asia, “GT” Travel in Cambodia
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Huế to go for a sweet treat

July 14, 2021

A class of 10 and an instructor. La Boulangerie Française, Huế, Vietnam

Huế is loc­ated on the bank of the pic­tur­esque Sông Hương (Per­fume River). Once the cap­it­al of imper­i­al Viet­nam, the city shines with the glor­ies of the past.  The town’s rich her­it­age includes charm­ing pago­das, palaces, and the tombs of Emper­ors who once ruled over the city. There are sev­en mauso­leums dot­ted all over the city.  I […]

Read More Huế to go for a sweet treat
Posted in "GT" Travel World, "GT" Travel in Asia, "GT" Travel in Vietnam
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