Hamba Travel Magazine
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112 stories from our editors. Filter by part of the world, or page back in time.
Asia · Laos · China
A Bowl of Luang Namtha: Rice Noodles at the Night Market
Broad rice noodles fill a bowl, followed by minced-meat sauce and clear chicken broth. In Luang Namtha, khao soi turns rice into supper, and the night market makes that link visible.
Europe · Portugal · Lisbon
Down the Steps of Alfama
From Portas do Sol, a compact walk drops through Alfama by stairway, lane and small square before reaching the old water ground of Largo do Chafariz de Dentro. The route shows how this old Lisbon hillside still holds front doors, groceries and daily errands alongside visitors.
Sya, the Old Heart of Bobo-Dioulasso
Bobo-Dioulasso grew around Sya, but the old settlement remains a lived-in part of the city between the Houet and Sanyo watercourses. Its earthen mosque, family compounds and workshops place worship, domestic life and skilled work within the same close-built neighbourhood.
Banfora’s rock, water and rice fields
Northwest of Banfora, the Comoé drops over sandstone ledges at the Cascades de Karfiguéla before water enters the cultivated plain below. A short local connection leads on to Fabédougou, where layered sandstone domes rise above the same farmed country.
Asia · Philippines · Iloilo Province
From Concepcion’s Morning Catch to the Grill
At Concepcion Fish Port, the day’s catch is already for sale in the morning. Buyers choose fish or squid by weight, then carry it across the road to paluto stalls, where a low grill fire turns the purchase into the first cooked dish of the day.
South America · Bolivia · La Paz
La Paz and El Alto, Joined by a Red Line
Mi Teleférico’s Red Line runs from La Paz’s former railway grounds to the commercial streets of El Alto in 11 minutes. Its three stations trace a sharp change in ground: from the built-up bowl of La Paz, across a steep rise, to the flatter Altiplano.
South America · Colombia · Bogotá
Before the Bouquet: Bogotá’s Flower Trade at Paloquemao
Each morning, flower sellers raise broad plastic covers over a parking area outside Mercado de Paloquemao. They trade there until early afternoon, when the stalls come down and the ground returns to cars.
Europe · France · Lyon
Where Lyon’s silk looms still move
On Croix-Rousse, Lyon’s silk trade still shows in tall windows, stone passages and a former family workshop where preserved looms run during demonstrations. At 12 bis montée Justin-Godart, Soierie Vivante keeps the rooms, machinery and working knowledge together.
In Arusha, a Bicycle Stays Useful Through Work
Opposite St Constantine School in Burka, ABC Bicycle Company brings sales, spare parts, maintenance and repair under one roof. The garage on Tanga General Road serves a modest but practical part of Arusha’s daily transport: bicycles used by riders that the company describes as daily commuters.
Where Faso Dan Fani Takes Shape: Cissin and Koudougou
Under a shelter in Cissin, Ouagadougou, weavers press pedals while wooden shuttles pass from left to right. The stripes of Faso Dan Fani begin as counted rows of coloured cotton, not as decoration added later.
Asia · Laos · Luang Prabang
From Luang Prabang’s Morning Market to the Mekong
Before the souvenir market takes over the main street, Talad Sao handles the more ordinary business of food. In a narrow lane on the Mekong side of Luang Prabang’s historic centre, vendors sell vegetables, meat, rice, snacks and fresh fish to people shopping for the day.
From Bread Boards to Copper Hammers in Fez
At a neighbourhood *ferran*, round loaves reach a hot communal oven on wooden boards, under cloth or in other familiar carriers. Downhill beside the Qarawiyyin, coppersmiths work in open-fronted shops, where iron hammers strike copper and brass.