Shows / Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More Responsibly
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More Responsibly
Unpacked by Afar is your weekly guide to where to go, how to travel, and everything worth unpacking in between. Each week, host Aislyn Greene and the Afar team travel the world and dig into the big questions behind every great trip, from the best new hotels and national parks to traveling more responsibly. Some weeks we follow a story through music, food, and culture. Others we tackle a tricky topic, share our favorite destinations, or help you plan where to go next. Because the travel world is…
Episodes
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More Responsibly“This Is Your Invitation”: A Guide to Indigenous-Led Tourism Across North America
Indigenous tourism is growing, but it’s not always easy to tell which tours are owned and led by the communities they showcase. In this episode, Afar senior…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyDubai Culture Beyond the Malls, From Heritage Crafts to Art House Cinemas
Welcome to the fourth and final episode of a four-part Unpacked series on Dubai travel, this time focused on Dubai culture. People love to say the city is all…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyDubai Food Tips From the Chefs Who Know It Best
Welcome to episode three of a four-part Unpacked series on Dubai travel, this time focused on Dubai food: how a city long known for celebrity chefs and global…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyA Marine Biologist, a Kuku Yalanji Guide, and the Real Story Behind Two UNESCO Sites in North Queensland
In a new ongoing series, Afar is asking a deceptively simple question: What does a UNESCO World Heritage designation actually do? This episode starts in North…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyDubai Hospitality and the Making of a World-Class Hotel Scene
Welcome to episode two of a four-part Unpacked series on Dubai travel, this time focused on Dubai hospitality: how a city with more than 800 hotels and 150,000…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyDubai Travel Tips From a Longtime Resident and a Native Emirati Chef
Welcome to episode one of a four-part Unpacked series on Dubai travel: the history, the ambition, and the glamorous, multicultural city it's become today. In…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyThe Australia Spa Road Trip That Won Over a Wellness Skeptic
Afar contributing writer Emma John road-trips the Great Victorian Bathing Trail, uncovering the best spa towns in Victoria, Australia—from thermal springs on…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyHow to See Thailand’s Wonders Without Feeling Like a Tourist
Travel journalist Kathryn Romeyn shares how to find Thailand off the beaten path—from Nan Province night markets to Khao Sok's rainforest—plus the best time to…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblySana Javeri Kadri's Regenerative Spice Farming Revolution
The spices in your cabinet are probably five to seven years old—and that's not an accident. On this episode of Unpacked, host Aislyn Greene sits down with Sana…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyFor a Crowd-Free African Safari, Head for Tanzania's Southern Circuit
An African safari doesn't have to mean a traffic jam. On this episode of Unpacked, host Aislyn Greene travels to Tanzania's southern circuit—visiting two parks…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyWhat We Lose When a Language Dies
By the end of this century, half of the world's 7,000 languages could be gone. On this episode of Unpacked, host Aislyn Greene hands the mic to travel writer…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyFive Questions for the Man Who Walked a Fault Line in Japan by Feel
This kind of Japan travel doesn't show up in guidebooks. In January 2024, a major earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula, lifting the seabed 15 feet into the air…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyWhy Women's Travel Writing Matters More Than Ever
For the past several decades, writer and editor Lavinia Spalding has championed women's travel writing. She's helmed seven editions of the Best Women's Travel…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyThis Is One of the Best Architecture Cities in America
Buffalo, New York might be the greatest architecture city you've never heard of. In the fourth and final episode of our Unpacked by Afar series, we explore how…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyHallowed Ground: The Street at the Heart of Buffalo's Black History
For 185 years, some of the most important chapters of American history have unfolded on a few blocks of Buffalo's East Side. In the third episode of our…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyAsheville Hiking, Waterfalls, and the Oldest Mountains on Earth | The Travel Guide
This is the final stop on our five-part audio guide to Asheville, North Carolina, and we’re heading for the trees. In this episode of Unpacked by Afar, host…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyAsheville Food and the Growth of a Farm-to-Table Town | The Travel Guide
This is the fourth stop on our five-part audio guide to Asheville, North Carolina, and it may be the tastiest one yet. In this episode of Unpacked by Afar…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyBlack Mountain and the Region's Creative Soul | The Travel Guide
This is the third stop on our five-part audio guide to Asheville, North Carolina, and it takes us just outside the city to the small mountain town of Black…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyAsheville Wellness and 150 Years of the Mountain Cure | The Travel Guide
This is the second stop on our five-part audio guide to Asheville, North Carolina, and it reaches back a lot further than you might expect. In this episode of…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyAsheville History and the Making of a Mountain City | The Travel Guide
Welcome to the first stop on our five-part audio guide to Asheville, North Carolina. And where better to start than at the beginning? In this episode of…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyThe City of Good Neighbors: A Buffalo Travel Story of Arrival and Belonging
Buffalo, New York has called itself the City of Good Neighbors since 1940, and in 2023 Reader's Digest even voted it the nicest city in America. But is it…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyBeyond the Wing: How Buffalo's Food Scene Quietly Became One of America's Best
Everybody knows Buffalo, New York, for the chicken wing. Fewer people know the real story behind the wing—or the full story of Buffalo's food scene, which is…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyFollowing the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail—and the Story It Left Out
Welcome to Unpacked Five Questions, a podcast that takes you behind the scenes of one great travel story. In this episode, executive editor Katherine LaGrave…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyQueer Travel Is About Joy, Not Just Safety
LGBTQ+ Americans are more than twice as likely as the general population to hold a valid passport. That stat sits at the heart of (Out )on the Road: The…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyTravel to Listen: Everyone Knows Motown. Not Everyone Knows Its Story
Welcome to Travel to Listen, a new Unpacked series hosted by veteran music journalist Tim Chester. Over four episodes, Tim took us into the cities where music…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyFeel-Good Friday: The Viral World Cup Food Obsession and a Very American Bourbon
It’s the last Feel-Good Friday before host Aislyn and producer Nikki take a summer break. And they’re sending the season off with two of summer’s great…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyWhy a Michigan Road Trip Might Be the Best Way to Build a Friendship
On this episode of Unpacked, host Aislyn Greene and producer Nikki Galteland hit the road in Michigan and find epic adventures, gorgeous waterways—and a new…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyFeel-Good Friday: An Ode to Obama, New London Museums, and a Hopeful Ocean Story
It’s Feel-Good Friday, and Unpacked host Aislyn and producer Nikki are joined by a guest they’ve been waiting weeks to record with: Afar senior editor Lucy…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyWhy the Best New Hotels of 2026 Aren’t All "New"
What makes a hotel the best? Not just new, not just beautiful, but worthy of a list that thousands of travelers plan their year around? For Afar senior deputy…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyTravel to Listen: The Spacey, Sunbaked Rock of California's Mojave Desert
Welcome to "Travel to Listen," a new Unpacked series hosted by veteran music journalist Tim Chester. Over four episodes rolling out every other week, Tim takes…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyFeel-Good Friday: Australia’s Plastic Win, a Different Kind of Summit Story, and the Women Changing Safari
It’s Feel-Good Friday, when your Unpacked host (Aislyn) and producer (Nikki) get together to swap the stories making them feel good this week. And this week…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyWhat a Safari Looks Like When a Woman Is at the Wheel
What does a safari look like when the guide isn't a man? Award-winning writer and editor Ellen Carpenter went to Botswana's Okavango Delta to find out. (To…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyFeel-Good Friday: A Queer Dance Revolution, Dog-Friendly Hotels, and What Actually Makes You Happy
Welcome back to Feel-Good Fridays. This week, host Aislyn Greene and producer Nikki Galteland are joined by Afar executive editor Kathrine LaGrave—and the…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyWhat My 96-Year-Old Grandmother Taught Me About Travel
What would happen if you called your grandmother out of the blue and asked her to go camping that night? For Brad Ryan, that impulsive phone call sparked a…
- Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More Responsibly
Travel to Listen: The City That Made Prince
Welcome to "Travel to Listen," a new Unpacked series hosted by veteran music journalist Tim Chester. Over four episodes rolling out every other week, Tim takes…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyFeel-Good Friday: A Road Trip, a Public Health Win, and the Great Millennial Song Debate
Welcome back to Feel-Good Fridays. This week, host Aislyn Greene and producer Nikki Galteland are bringing you a special road trip edition — recorded live from…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyFeel-Good Friday: A Hidden India, a Celebrity Elephant, and the Future of California Wine
Welcome back to Feel-Good Friday. Every Friday through the end of June, Unpacked is popping into your feed with a brand-new series designed to carry you into…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyTravel to Listen: Why This Southern City Is America's Most Underrated Music Town
Welcome to Travel to Listen, a new Unpacked series hosted by veteran music journalist Tim Chester. Over four episodes rolling out every other week, Tim takes…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyFeel-Good Friday: Pottery, a History-Making Pilot, and a Salmon Race Worth Following
Welcome back to Feel-Good Fridays! Every Friday through the end of June, Unpacked is popping into your feed with a brand-new series designed to carry you into…
- Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More Responsibly
Towing With an EV: What Hundreds of Miles Down the Oregon Coast Taught Us
In last week's episode, host Aislyn Greene shared the story of towing a 20-foot Airstream down the Oregon coast in an all-electric Rivian truck — the campsite…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyFeel-Good Fridays: A New Series for Brighter Weekends
Welcome to Feel-Good Fridays. Every Friday from now through the end of June, Unpacked is popping into your feed with a brand-new series designed to carry you…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyWe Towed an Airstream Down the Oregon Coast Using an Electric Truck. Here's What Happened.
What happens when the person who knows how to tow has to leave — and you're left with a 5,000-pound Airstream, an electric truck, and 800 miles of Oregon coast…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyUnpacked, Five Questions: Why This Photographer Spent Four Weeks in the Egyptian Desert
Welcome to Unpacked, Five Questions, a podcast that takes you behind the scenes of one great travel story. In this episode, host and executive editor Katherine…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyForget the Algorithm. Here's How to Actually Eat Well When You Travel.
Jennifer Hope Choi plans every trip the same way: open a Google doc, start with food, and build outward from there. As a former Bon Appétit editor, 13-year…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyThe Joyful Instrument That Became the Sound of Hawai'i
It started as an abandoned ukulele on a wall. Afar’s Aislyn Greene hadn’t touched it in two years — but that idle instrument sent her down a rabbit hole into…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyHow Two Years of Phone-Free Travel Rewired the Way I See the World
What if the secret to a great trip was leaving your phone in airplane mode — forever? Journalist Lisa Abend has been doing exactly that, arriving in cities…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyIn the Age of AI, This Is What Only a Travel Advisor Can Do
You've got more booking tools than ever — so why would you hire a travel advisor? In this episode, Afar editorial director Billie Cohen sits down with travel…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyAn Architect's California: From LA's Secret Garden to the Magic of Joshua Tree
This is a very special episode of Unpacked by Afar. This week, we hosted Unpacked Live — a live version of the podcast — in partnership with Visit California…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyHe's Been Designing California's Outdoors for Decades. Here's What He's Learned.
This is a very special episode of Unpacked by Afar. This week, we hosted Unpacked Live — a live version of the podcast — in partnership with Visit California…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyThe Naturalist Who's Been Decoding—and Painting—California's Wild Spaces for 30 Years
This is a very special episode of Unpacked by Afar. This week, we hosted Unpacked Live — a live version of the podcast — in partnership with Visit California…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyDrama, Geopolitics, and Glory: Inside the World Cup
Show Notes The World Cup is more than a soccer tournament — it's a mirror for geopolitics, national identity, and the power of global fandom. In this episode…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyThis Theater Was a Refuge for Queer Americans. Now It's Been Reborn.
She’s 104 years old, newly renovated, and she’s ready for her close-up. On this episode of Unpacked: America 250, host Aislyn Greene talks about the newly…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyThe Hidden History of the World's Most Powerful Travel Document
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…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyThe Military Secret That Could End Your Jet Lag Suffering
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…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyBeyond the Canals: An Insider’s Guide to Amsterdam’s Real Neighborhoods
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…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyThe Lowdown on 2026: Everything You Need to Make It Your Best Travel Year Yet
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…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyWhy Spain’s Star Chefs Are Setting Up Michelin-Starred Restaurants in Tiny Towns
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…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyWhere to Go in 2026: The Five-Square-Mile Caribbean Island That's Nothing Like Its Neighbors
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…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyWhere to Go in 2026: East London's Olympic Park Has Transformed Into a Cultural Powerhouse
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…
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyWhere to Go in 2026: The South Australian City That Punches Above Its Weight
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…