Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More Responsibly

Before you board an international flight, before you cross a border, you need a passport. But how much do you really know about the little book that controls where you can and cannot go in this world?

On this episode of Unpacked, host Aislyn Greene sits down with Patrick Bixby, an English professor at Arizona State University and author of the book License to Travel: A Cultural History of the Passport, which explores how a bureaucratic document became one of the most emotionally loaded objects in human history.

In the episode, they discuss the passport as a paradox: a document that simultaneously promises freedom and enforces control, that carries the hopes of liberation and the machinery of surveillance. You'll come away seeing that little booklet in your drawer in a completely different light.

In this episode, you'll learn

Key chapters

00:00:00 The Paradox of the Passport

Meet this week's guest

Patrick Bixby, English professor, cultural historian, and author of License to Travel: A Cultural History of the Passport

Resources

Read the afar.com story about the world's most powerful passports.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠Behind the Mic⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠⁠⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us, and ⁠⁠⁠View From Afar⁠⁠⁠, where we spotlight the people and ideas shaping the future of travel. Unpacked by Afar is part of ⁠Airwave Media⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jet lag doesn't have to ruin your trip. On this episode of Unpacked, host Aislyn Greene shares her game-changing experience using a jet lag protocol originally developed for Navy SEALs—and digs into the fascinating science of why it works. She speaks with Dr. Jamie Zeitzer, one of Stanford's leading circadian rhythm researchers, and Andrew Herr, the founder of Flykitt, who transformed military sleep science into a practical travel solution.

In this episode, you'll learn

Episode chapters

00:01:45 Inside Your Circadian Clock

00:05:30 Light, Food, and Melatonin

00:09:00 How Flykitt Was Born

00:11:30 The Protocol, Step by Step

Meet this week's guests

Resources

Stay Connected

Sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. 

Explore our other podcasts, View From Afar, about the people and companies shaping the future of travel, and ⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.

Unpacked by Afar is part of ⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most overtouristed cities—but it’s also so much more than the crowds in the city center suggest. On this episode of Unpacked—part of Afar’s ongoing Off the Tourist Trail series—host Aislyn Greene is joined by journalist Blane Bachelor, who moved to Amsterdam during the pandemic and has spent years navigating life as a resident. She shares how to experience the real Amsterdam—the neighborhoods, restaurants, and rhythms that exist just beyond the tourist-packed city center.

In this episode, you’ll learn

•       Why Amsterdam’s overtourism problem is really concentrated in just a few city-center neighborhoods—and how to avoid them

•       The best neighborhoods to stay in, including the artsy Noord and the very-Dutch Oost

•       When to visit for fewer crowds: the Amsterdam Light Festival in November and King’s Day in April

•       How to experience the Red Light District (De Wallen) thoughtfully and with historical context

•       The unwritten rules of cycling in Amsterdam—and why this is not the place to shake off the cobwebs

•       Where locals actually eat and drink, including a 17th-century gilded unicorn and a cash-only Dutch bar

Episode chapters

00:00 Introduction

04:30 Amsterdam's overtourism problem

12:00 Best neighborhoods to stay in: Oost and Noord

15:00 Best times to visit

21:00 Where to stay: hotels vs. Airbnb

24:30 First-timer tips for the Anne Frank House and Rijksmuseum

29:00 Navigating the Red Light District (De Wallen)

40:30 Dutch culture: directness, English fluency, and learning a few words

43:00 Cycling in Amsterdam: rules, etiquette, and survival tips

Resources

•       Read Blaine’s Amsterdam Off the Beaten Path story on afar.com

•       Follow Blaine’s Dutch adventures on Instagram

•       Check out our Iceland and England Off the Tourist Trail episodes

Where to Stay

•       Rosewood Amsterdam — The last hotel to be built in Amsterdam due to overtourism restrictions

•       Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht — Playful Dutch-designed interiors; canal-view rooms feel like you’re on the water

•       The Hoxton, Amsterdam — Two locations; the Eastern Docklands outpost is a local favorite

•       Hotel Arena — In Oost; known for its exceptional weekend brunch buffet

What to Do

•       Anne Frank House — Book immediately; tickets drop every Tuesday at 10 AM Amsterdam time, six weeks out

•       Rijksmuseum — Check for evening hours for a slightly less hectic visit

•       Prostitution Information Centre (De Wallen) — A thoughtful entry point into De Wallen’s history and culture

•       Vintage salon boat canal tours — Go small and guided; avoid the large party “buses”

•       Amsterdam Light Festival — November–January; illuminated art along the canals

•       King’s Day (Koningsdag) — April 27; street markets, orange everything, genuinely local vibe

•       Free ferries from Amsterdam Centraal to Noord — Walk or ride your bike on; no ticket needed

•       Tulip fields near Keukenhof — View from the field edges in spring; don’t walk into the flowers

•       SAIL Amsterdam 2030 — The world’s largest maritime event, returning in 2030

Stay Connected

•       Sign up for Behind the Mic, our podcast newsletter with episode news and behind-the-scenes details.

•       Also from Afar: View From Afar (the future of travel) and Travel Tales (first-person travel stories).

Unpacked by Afar is part of Airwave Media’s podcast network. To advertise, contact [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it okay to watch a violent movie next to a stranger's kid on a plane? Should you abandon your airline loyalty card? And wait—is March actually the real start of the new year?

On this episode of Unpacked, host Aislyn Greene is joined by Afar editorial director Billy Cohen and deputy editor Michelle Baron for a wide-ranging conversation tied to Afar's annual Plan Your Travel Year package on afar.com. Together they break down what travelers actually need to know heading into 2026—from the shifting airline loyalty landscape and the true cost of travel credit cards to the events, destinations, and flight routes worth planning around this year.

Plus: Michelle debuts a very special musical interlude. You'll want to stay for that.

On this episode you'll learn:

Don't miss these moments:

Resources:

Be sure to subscribe to the show and sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠Behind the Mic⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, ⁠Travel Tales⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us, and View From Afar, where we spotlight the people and ideas shaping the future of travel.

Unpacked by Afar is part of ⁠Airwave Media⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠[email protected]⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Unpacked, Five Questions, a podcast that takes you behind the scenes of one great travel story.

In this episode, host and Afar executive editor Katherine LaGrave sits down with contributing writer Lisa Abend, a Copenhagen‑based journalist known for her deep reporting on food, culture, and the ways travel shapes communities. For her latest Afar feature, Lisa embarked on an ambitious road trip across northern Spain to visit five tiny towns where some of the country’s most exciting chefs are opening destination restaurants — and, in the process, helping revive regions long affected by depopulation.

Lisa shares how she first discovered this movement, why these chefs are choosing villages of just a few hundred residents over major cities, and how their restaurants are sparking unexpected ripple effects — from new guesthouses to revived local food traditions. She also talks about the surprising absence of seafood in northern Spain’s inland kitchens, the emotional family histories behind many of these restaurants, and why chatting with gas‑station attendants might be the best road‑trip advice you’ll hear all year.

On this episode you’ll learn:

Why some of Spain’s most ambitious chefs are opening restaurants in remote villages

How food tourism can help counter rural depopulation

What makes northern Spain’s regional cultures so distinct — from language to landscape to cuisine

Why hyperlocal cooking in these towns often excludes seafood, even when the coast is close

How family history shapes the stories these chefs tell on the plate

Don’t miss these moments:

[03:00] The Madrid chef conference that sparked Lisa’s reporting

[05:00] How a single restaurant can create a ripple effect across a small town

[07:00] The surprising reason none of these restaurants serve seafood

[14:00] Lisa’s best advice for road‑tripping across northern Spain

[16:00] The gas‑station cherry exchange that became an unforgettable travel moment

[21:00] The “pregnant bun” dish Lisa would eat again in a heartbeat

[22:00] How family stories — and even abandoned villages — shaped the chefs’ menus

Resources

Be sure to subscribe to the show and sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming episodes and behind‑the‑scenes details. You can also explore our other podcasts: View From Afar, about the people and companies shaping the future of travel, and Travel Tales, which celebrates first‑person narratives about the way travel changes us.

Unpacked by Afar is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. To inquire about advertising, contact [email protected].

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a shiny new year, so this month on Unpacked, we're diving into Afar's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to Go list⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: 24 emerging regions and overlooked locales to explore this year.

Places like Saba, a tiny Dutch Caribbean island with no beaches, no cruise ports, and the world's shortest commercial runway—just 400 meters long. What it does have: lush volcanic landscapes, 20 hand-built hiking trails, and a population of just over 2,000.

In this episode, host Aislyn Greene talks with ⁠Bianca Bujan⁠, a Vancouver-based travel journalist who shares the thrilling 12-minute flight from St. Martin, the island's gingerbread-house architecture, and why her teenager called it his favorite trip ever—despite spotty wifi and no beaches.

Plan Your Saba Getaway

Stay

Eat and Drink

See and Do

Resources

Listen to All the Episodes in our Where to Go 2026 Series

E1: T⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠his Island in the Bahamas Promises Pink Sand, Historic Hideaways, and Perfect Solitude ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E2: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Why Peru's Second City Might Be Its Best-Kept Secret⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E3: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The New 170-Mile Hiking Network Connecting Stockholm's Dreamy Archipelago⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E4: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Route 66 Turns 100—and Albuquerque Is Ready to Celebrate ⁠⁠⁠⁠

E5: ⁠⁠⁠Why Morocco's Chill Capital Deserves Your Attention ⁠⁠⁠

E10: ⁠⁠The White Lotus Architect Designed a Hotel in This Vietnamese City—Now the World Is Noticing⁠⁠

E11: ⁠Malaysia's Most Overlooked Island Is a Feast for Every Sense⁠

E12: ⁠The Texas City Getting a Juneteenth Museum, FIFA World Cup Matches, and a Cowgirl Museum Expansion⁠

E13: ⁠The South Australian City That Punches Above Its Weight⁠

E14: East London's Olympic Park Has Transformed Into a Cultural Powerhouse

E15: (this one!) The Five-Square-Mile Caribbean Island That's Nothing Like Its Neighbors

Stay Connected

Unpacked by Afar is part of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠'s podcast network.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a shiny new year, so this month on Unpacked, we're diving into Afar's ⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to Go list⁠⁠⁠⁠: 24 emerging regions and overlooked locales to explore this year.

Like East London, where a billion-pound investment has transformed the 2012 Olympic Park into a creative powerhouse.

In this episode, host Aislyn Greene talks with ⁠Nick DeRenzo⁠, Afar's editorial director of newsletters (sign up here!) and a self-described Londoner at heart. Nick makes the case for hopping on the Elizabeth line and devoting time to the East Bank cultural quarter, where you can order a David Bowie costume at the V&A East Storehouse, dine on Chinese-Texas barbecue on a canal barge, and sweat it out in a community sauna.

Plan Your East London Getaway

Stay

Eat and Drink

See and Do

Coming in 2026

Resources

Listen to All the Episodes in our Where to Go 2026 Series

E1: T⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠his Island in the Bahamas Promises Pink Sand, Historic Hideaways, and Perfect Solitude ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E2: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Why Peru's Second City Might Be Its Best-Kept Secret⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E3: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The New 170-Mile Hiking Network Connecting Stockholm's Dreamy Archipelago⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E4: ⁠⁠⁠Route 66 Turns 100—and Albuquerque Is Ready to Celebrate ⁠⁠⁠

E5: ⁠⁠Why Morocco's Chill Capital Deserves Your Attention ⁠⁠

E10: ⁠The White Lotus Architect Designed a Hotel in This Vietnamese City—Now the World Is Noticing⁠

E11: Malaysia's Most Overlooked Island Is a Feast for Every Sense

E12: The Texas City Getting a Juneteenth Museum, FIFA World Cup Matches, and a Cowgirl Museum Expansion

E13: The South Australian City That Punches Above Its Weight

E14: East London's Olympic Park Has Transformed Into a Cultural Powerhouse (this one!)

Stay Connected

Unpacked by Afar is part of⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠'s podcast network.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a shiny new year, so this month on Unpacked, we're diving into Afar's ⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to Go list⁠⁠⁠⁠. And in 2026, we want to lessen the burden on overtouristed destinations and expand visitation to other parts of the world. So our editors carefully selected 24 emerging regions and overlooked locales that will inspire your next great adventure.

Places like Adelaide, Australia, a city within a park that punches above its weight with world-class wine, a booming food scene, and Australia's only UNESCO City of Music designation.

In this episode, producer Nikki Galteland interviews host Aislyn Greene, who traveled to Adelaide last year. Aislyn shares why she waited 10 years to visit, what makes Adelaide different from Sydney and Melbourne, and how to engage with Aboriginal history—including a new $35 million cultural center.

Plan Your Adelaide Getaway

Stay

Eat and Drink

Explore

Engage With Aboriginal Culture

Know Before You Go

Resources

Listen to All the Episodes in our Where to Go 2026 Series

E1: T⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠his Island in the Bahamas Promises Pink Sand, Historic Hideaways, and Perfect Solitude ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E2: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Why Peru's Second City Might Be Its Best-Kept Secret⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E3: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The New 170-Mile Hiking Network Connecting Stockholm's Dreamy Archipelago⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E4: ⁠⁠⁠Route 66 Turns 100—and Albuquerque Is Ready to Celebrate ⁠⁠⁠

E5: ⁠⁠Why Morocco's Chill Capital Deserves Your Attention ⁠⁠

E10: ⁠The White Lotus Architect Designed a Hotel in This Vietnamese City—Now the World Is Noticing⁠

E11: Malaysia's Most Overlooked Island Is a Feast for Every Sense

E12: The Australian City That Punches Above Its Weight (this one!)

Stay Connected

Unpacked by Afar is part of⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a shiny new year, so this month on Unpacked, we're diving into Afar's ⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to Go list⁠⁠⁠⁠—24 emerging regions and overlooked locales to explore this year.

Like Fort Worth, Texas, a city that blends its cowboy heritage with world-class museums, a thriving food scene, and major developments on the horizon.

In this episode, host Aislyn Greene talks with ⁠Nora Walsh⁠, a travel writer and podcast host who fell hard for the "Unexpected City." She took line dancing lessons at the world's largest honky-tonk and had a chance sauna encounter that connected her with a community of female entrepreneurs. She digs into the city's incredible museum district, the revitalized Stockyards, and how to get yourself a proper cowboy hat shaped to your head.

Related reading: Circle L Five: The Oldest All-Black Riding Club in Fort Worth

Plan Your Fort Worth Getaway

(First, explore our Texas travel guide.)

Stay

—Check into Hotel Drover in the Stockyards for a luxe take on Western heritage

—Book The Crescent Hotel, a new modern hotel across from the Cultural District museums

—Stay at Bowie House, an Auberge hotel and resort

—Try The Nobleman, which just opened in Fort Worth

—Watch for the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Hotel opening in 2026

Eat, Drink, and Dance

—Take line dancing lessons and boot scoot at Billy Bob's Texas

—Have a drink at Low Doubt

—Catch live music at Tulips FTW, a local live music venue

—Explore the restaurants and bars along Mule Alley in the Stockyards

—Visit the annual Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival

Explore....\

—The Fort Worth Cultural District, home to four world-class museums

—The Kimbell Art Museum

—American West art and photography at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art

—Contemporary works at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

—The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame—expanding in 2026

—The National Juneteenth Museum breaking ground in 2026 i

—The daily cattle drive in the Fort Worth Stockyards

—The Cowtown Coliseum rodeo

—The Cowboys of Color Rodeo in January 2026

Shop

—Get a proper cowboy hat shaped to your head at The Best Hat Store

—Shop City Boots for cowboy boots specifically designed for women

—Pick up Fort Worth–branded gear at Morgan Mercantile in Southside

Resources

• Follow Nora's work on Instagram and her website and podcast

• Explore all 24 destinations on Afar's Where to Go in 2026 list

• Follow us on Instagram: @afarmedia

Listen to All the Episodes in our Where to Go 2026 Series

E1: ⁠⁠⁠⁠This Island in the Bahamas Promises Pink Sand, Historic Hideaways, and Perfect Solitude ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E2: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Why Peru's Second City Might Be Its Best-Kept Secret⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E3: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The New 170-Mile Hiking Network Connecting Stockholm's Dreamy Archipelago⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E4: ⁠⁠⁠Route 66 Turns 100—and Albuquerque Is Ready to Celebrate ⁠⁠⁠

E5: ⁠⁠Why Morocco's Chill Capital Deserves Your Attention ⁠⁠

E10: ⁠The White Lotus Architect Designed a Hotel in This Vietnamese City—Now the World Is Noticing⁠

E11: Malaysia's Most Overlooked Island Is a Feast for Every Sense

E12: The Texas City Getting a Juneteenth Museum, FIFA World Cup Matches, and a Cowgirl Museum Expansion (this one!)

Stay Connected

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a shiny new year, so this month on Unpacked, we're diving into Afar's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to Go list⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. In 2026, we want to lessen the burden on overtouristed destinations and expand visitation to other parts of the world. So our editors carefully selected 24 emerging regions and overlooked locales that will inspire your next great adventure.

Places like Penang, Malaysia, a small island with one of Southeast Asia's most fascinating and underrated food and cultural scenes.

In this episode, host Aislyn Greene talks with Kathryn Romeyn, a Bali-based journalist who explored Penang for the first time last year. Kathryn shares what it's like to wander the UNESCO-listed streets of Georgetown. She digs into the food—from char kway teow to laksa to the elaborate Malaysian breakfast culture that UNESCO recently recognized—and shares what's new on the island, including boutique hotels and a weekend art market that's become a creative hub for locals and travelers alike.

Plan Your Penang Getaway

Stay

—Book a room the Millen Penang, Autograph Collection, a hotel on Millionaire's Row

—Watch for Soori Penang, a new 15-room boutique hotel opening in January 2025

Eat and Drink

—Try char kway teow, the iconic Penang dish of flat rice noodles stir-fried over charcoal flames with prawns, cockles, sausage, and bean sprouts

—Eat laksa, the spicy, aromatic noodle soup that's a Penang obsession

—Visit Mum's, a beloved Peranakan restaurant serving home-style cooking

—Experience Malaysian breakfast culture (a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage)

See and Do

—Visit Hin Bus Depot on weekends for the art market

—Visit Kek Lok Si Temple, home to the Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas

—Ride the Penang Hill funicular, the oldest in Southeast Asia (opened 1923), for panoramic views

—Join the local hiking community via the Facebook group "Hiking Trails in Penang" (nearly 50,000 members)—they've created trails in the shapes of animals like elephants, unicorns, and even Pokémon characters

Resources

• Follow Kathryn's work on Instagram

• Visit Kathryn's website

• Explore all 24 destinations on Afar's Where to Go in 2026 list

• Follow us on Instagram: @afarmedia

Listen to All the Episodes in our Where to Go 2026 Series

E1: T⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠his Island in the Bahamas Promises Pink Sand, Historic Hideaways, and Perfect Solitude ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E2: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Why Peru's Second City Might Be Its Best-Kept Secret⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E3: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The New 170-Mile Hiking Network Connecting Stockholm's Dreamy Archipelago⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E4: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Route 66 Turns 100—and Albuquerque Is Ready to Celebrate ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E5: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Why Morocco's Chill Capital Deserves Your Attention ⁠⁠⁠⁠

E10: The White Lotus Architect Designed a Hotel in This Vietnamese City—Now the World Is Noticing

E11: Malaysia's Most Overlooked Island Is a Feast for Every Sense (this one!)

Stay Connected

Unpacked by Afar is part of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices