Hamba Travel Magazine
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From a detour close to home to a long road through East Africa. Pick a part of the world, or read them in order.
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112 stories from our editors. Filter by part of the world, or page back in time.
South America · Chile · Valparaíso
Ascensor Reina Victoria: Valparaíso in 40 Steep Metres
At the bend in Calle Elías, two rails run straight into the hillside at 52 degrees. Ascensor Reina Victoria covers only about 40 metres, but it links the lower *plan* of Valparaíso with the pedestrian streets of Cerro Alegre in one steep, compact movement.
Middle East · Asia · Oman
The Carved Doors of Mombasa Old Town
In Mombasa Old Town, carved timber marks the boundary between the street and the rooms beyond. Teak, brass, floral carving and geometric grids show how a Swahili port absorbed ideas and materials from across the Indian Ocean.
Romsdal, Norway · Centovalli · Locarno
Seven European train routes where the railway is the destination
Above Vermafossen, a regular train crosses the stone Kylling Bridge before dropping between the rock walls of Romsdal. These seven lines put landscape, railway construction and ordinary public transport in the same frame.
South America · Argentina · Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires at the Kiosk Window
At Junín and Paraguay, coffee crosses the counter of a green newspaper kiosk while magazines still face the pavement. Canillita has broadened its trade without abandoning the compact, street-level exchange that put Buenos Aires kiosks on daily walking routes.
Woodstock, still at work
At the Old Biscuit Mill, steel stairs, bridges and broad steel-framed windows sit alongside the older factory buildings. The conversion retained Pyott’s former biscuit factory and made each newer layer plain to see.
Recife · São José · Mercado de São José
From São José Market to Recife’s Tidal River
Inside Mercado de São José, a covered passage runs between iron columns, box stalls and two separate pavilions. Outside, a short walk to the Capibaribe shows why trade in central Recife has long relied on islands, quays and bridges.
Middle East · Syria · Lebanon
Sesame Bread and Knafeh in Downtown Amman
At the northern edge of downtown Amman, customers at Salaheddine Bakery take sesame-coated *ka’ak* from a wooden bin, cut it open and fill it at the counter. That brief stop puts bread between work, shopping, traffic and the steep routes home from the hills.
Asia · Philippines · Indonesia
Asia’s five most exceptional beaches, ranked
Natural beauty alone does not settle this ranking. These five beaches are judged equally on scenery, swimming or snorkelling, access, crowd levels and the season in which each one is at its best.
North America · Europe · Central America
The Caribbean’s eight best islands for life beyond the resort
This list ranks eight Caribbean islands by the mix of nature, culture, beaches, individual character and things to do beyond a resort. Big islands need to deliver distinct days in town, inland and on the coast; small ones need a clear identity that their scale does not dilute.
Asia · Indonesia · Solo
In Laweyan, Batik Still Lives at Home
In Kampung Batik Laweyan, batik passes from experienced makers to children, trainees and design students inside family businesses, workshops and organised classes. The neighbourhood is Solo’s oldest and largest batik production centre, making it a strong place to follow how a drawing becomes cloth, work and inherited knowledge.
Europe · Slovenia · Ljubljana
A Rainy Morning Beneath Ljubljana’s Market Arches
Rain sends umbrellas across Ljubljana’s open market squares and under Jože Plečnik’s riverside colonnade. The short walk from vegetables and flowers to coffee by the Ljubljanica follows the working edge of the old town, with the river never far from view.
Montevideo · Río de la Plata · Escollera Sarandí
Montevideo Carries Its Mate to the Water
Along Montevideo’s waterfront, mate appears with its working kit: a small cup, a metal *bombilla*, and a thermos under the arm. The thermos keeps hot water available away from home, so mate can stay with a walk, a fishing session, or an afternoon beside the Río de la Plata.