Top Stories

Stories in Wander that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.

Everybody Does Machu Picchu Wrong
These days it seems like everyone has been to Machu Picchu. Your friends plaster selfies of themselves at the famous lost city with the same enthusiasm of Hollywood directors showing their latest imagining of some two-bit hoodlum slaughtering Batman's parents.
By Walter Rhein6 years ago in Wander
The Running of the Bulls
Running with the bulls was never some kind of game. I was already conflicted with this being one of the few requirements of having a dream job (big props to Stoke Travel for the opportunity too) while listening to my mother, with the slightest touch of frantic in her voice, telling me to be careful. It was the afternoon before the opening day of San Fermín, and I was excited, but nervous, but trying not to be nervous, so I told my mother that I wasn't trying to outrun the bulls. As a rule in these situations, you always have to be faster than the slowest person. "Don't worry, mom," I cooed. "I brought my feet shoes!" More on that later.
By Ry Witt6 years ago in Wander
Lyon
The train from Antibes to Marseilles takes less than half the time the bus needs, but it costs twice as much. During the time we spent in Juan les Pins, summer playground of the staggeringly wealthy, we were at our poorest. It was the bus for us. Two buses, in fact, from Juan to Cannes and then from Cannes to Marseilles. From there, a train carried us up from the coast, flakes of snow streaking like falling stars past the windows as we rode to Lyon.
By Ryan Frawley6 years ago in Wander
Captain Contiki's School of Travel
Travel. It's one of those things in life that many of us think we know how to do, well, just because. Like speaking to our wives or understanding when to shut up (two deeply interrelated subjects).
By Grant Patterson6 years ago in Wander
Alice in Hostel-Land
I'm very lucky. Travel has always been a massive part of my family's lifestyle and priorities, so by the time I left home for university, I'd been to a fair few countries and continents.
By Chiara Torelli6 years ago in Wander
Never Home
Blame it on Brexit. I never thought the vote would go the way it did, and that the country I was born in would decide to tear itself away from the rest of Europe. I thought I’d always be an EU citizen, with the right to live and work anywhere I chose in twenty-eight different countries. And because I always had the right, I never used it. It was only the thought I might lose a life I had always dreamed of, but never pursued, that made us take the leap we did.
By Ryan Frawley6 years ago in Wander
The Secret World that Exists Within Japanese Temples
Traveling Japan, it is easy to see that everything is well ordered. Even for a country that is so well known in terms of allowing nature and modern construction to co-exist, most of the natural experiences within Japan are curated, careful to avoid the look of decay, wild overgrowth, or chaos. In contrast, within the ground of temples and sacred areas, wildlife frolic, plant life grows unchecked, and the separation between nature and modern life is blurred. This is not to say that the most important areas of temples and shrines are not well kept, but that you can find a secret world where nature finds a way, even in a society that seeks to control it everywhere else.
By Jessica Riffle6 years ago in Wander
Geotagging Crisis - Keeping the Wilderness Wild
This photo may look wild and remote. But the truth is that we shared a path with hundreds, maybe even thousands of people with selfie sticks, hiking up the steep path to the iconic Storr. The road below was lined with the cars of these eager visitors, causing traffic jams.
By Grumble Bee6 years ago in Wander
How to Tackle China, South Korea, and Japan in Less Than Three Weeks
The plan of tackling three countries in three weeks originated from being European and wanting to visit more than one country on our first trip to Asia. We therefore also chose countries that were "obvious" to visit and that were fairly close to each other. Our means of transportation from city to city and from country to country were solely by high speed trains and airplanes (I'm very sorry, mother nature). In the cities, we mostly walked and used the subway. Because we are still students, we chose to live on a budget mostly, hence why some of our flight times were less than ideal. However, we managed just fine! :)
By E DM6 years ago in Wander
The Bumpy Road to an Unforgettable Winter
Since moving to Canada, and traveling around in general, I’ve had a lot of people contact me asking how I went about getting to the places I have, and applauding my courage to do so, which I find so bizarre, because it is something everyone can do, yet so many don’t. Because of this, I wanted to share my story on how I got to this beautiful country, and hopefully it will motivate more people to leave their comfort zones, see opportunities where they might not, and explore. Firstly, I want to warn you, it may not be a carefree ride, you may encounter bumps and turns in ways you never thought imaginable, but a part of growing and traveling is taking everything as it comes, and always knowing that it will work out for the best.
By Cassie Sanay6 years ago in Wander
Coming "Home"
I have always been told that home is a place. It's where you learned how to walk, where your parents live, where you have memories of family game nights, etc. When you become an adult, and the world becomes a thousand times bigger, people tend to try and keep you boxed in. I've had multiple people tell me that travel is fun and all—but I'll end up back home someday.
By Ashley Benedict6 years ago in Wander
The Secrets of Five Sister Beaches
The daylight is waxing again here—we've crossed over the Solstice and winter has officially begun, but spring feels already on the way, with warm, sunny days and that fresh, lush, greenery smell in the air.
By Luna Jennifer Cross6 years ago in Wander