The Keys to Oaxaca: How to Tour Mexico with Zapotec Travel

When Americans head to Mexico, we tend to stick to the Riviera Maya or Mexico City. (Or Baja, if you’re from Southern California.)

CDMX (an abbreviation for Mexico City from the Spanish Ciudad de Mexico) is having a notable heyday for travelers hungry for a new urban experience. As the largest city in the Americas, Mexico City is a treasure trove of culture, cuisine, and boutique treasures of all stripes.

Can you name the third destination in Mexico that’s gone mainstream over the last decade?

Oaxaca.

Oaxaca is a state with the capital of Oaxaca City. It’s located on the southwestern coast of Mexico, almost directly across from the Riviera Maya.

The region is known for its colorful textiles, rugged expanses, and delicious eats like chiles, chapulines, and chocolate. It’s also home to Zapotec and Mixtec peoples, two of Mexico’s largest indigenous groups.

Unsurprisingly, most Americans end up in Oaxaca searching for new cultural frontiers—ones that aren’t found in places like Isla Mujeres and Tijuana.

If you want to delve deep into Oaxaca, you’ve got a great option at your fingertips: Zapotec Travel by Lily, a tour company that was recently listed on National Geographic’s Traveler of the Year Awards list. Its founder was born in America, then immigrated to Mexico, meaning she’s got a foot in both worlds.

Meet Zapotec Travel by Lily

Zapotec Travel by Lily comes from Lily, a Zapotec woman who was born and raised in Santa Monica, California. She spent her childhood immersed in Santa Monica’s Zapotec community, which is the largest outside the state.

After spending summers in Oaxaca at her family’s home, Lily made the decision to immigrate to Oaxaca City in 2013.

A few months after the big move, she began creating a network of indigenous guides, tours, and providers to organize culturally immersive tours for out-of-towners. Her company now works with over 50 providers, most of which are women-led.

If you read my work, you know that I always recommend booking a tour or two with local guides. There are two main benefits: supporting the community directly (which preserves and empowers those places we love to visit) and giving you a more behind-the-scenes look at a place.

If you’re heading to Oaxaca City, I highly recommend looking at Zapotec Travel by Lily; you won’t find these tours offered anywhere else. Here’s how you can add on a tour or experience from her company.

How does booking with Zapotec Travel work?

Lily’s tour company is very flexible. They offer services for organizing private group tours, a monthly list of group experiences that anyone can join, online consultations for any guides who want to incorporate their guides, concierge services, and even transportation services.

You can ask questions by emailing info@zapotectravel.com.

If you’re traveling solo, with a partner, or in a small group, the easiest way to dive in is to explore the list of monthly activities. You can book activities like rainbow tortilla cooking classes, hands-on pottery classes, agave field tours, and more.

Just read through the list until you find tours that spark your interest, then email the address above to reserve your place.

What are community-led tours like?

Colorful tissue paper cut-out flags known as “papel picado” (Getty)

If you flipped through that list of monthly activities, I’m sure you noticed the difference from traditional tour booking sites like TripAdvisor.

Zapotec Travel by Lily is a homegrown project—which means you’re in store for a different tour experience.

Community-led tours sometimes have a slower pace than more commercial options. Let yourself unwind and forget about the clock. On top of that, you’ll have a more genuine chance to make connections with guides and experts—but they might not speak English, so feel free to try out your Spanish and Zapotec.

Best of all, you’ll have access to experiences that are more immersive, impactful, and personal than traditional booking platforms.

10 Most Welcoming Towns in the US Based on 300 Million Travel Reviews

Americans are opinionated.

That predilection has its pros and cons from just about every angle. In the context of travel, those strong opinions can be helpful.

Because we like to leave reviews about our experience at restaurants, hotels, tours, and more, fellow travelers can learn a lot about their options before hitting the buy button.

But those opinions aren’t just relevant to other jet-setters. Travel companies also use these opinions to look back at the year and forecast future trends… including factors like welcoming towns.

Following the data that’s driven by reviews (or those out-of-five ratings, more specifically), popular platforms like Booking dig into which cities, regions, and countries come out ahead in terms of annual bookings.

Usually, the focus in the US is on budget versus luxury destinations, new trends in travel like solo trips and outdoor adventures, and types of experiences, like cooking classes and movie-inspired travel.

But Booking has an interesting twist on last year’s data: friendliness.

In an era of increasing overtourism, many travelers aren’t just looking for a tropical beach that’s perfect for relaxing or a big city that’s chock-full of museums and trendy bars. We’re also on the hunt for a welcoming atmosphere.

Ready to see which spots nabbed the title of the most welcoming towns in the US? The results might surprise you.

Who ranked the most welcoming towns in the US?

The rankings from this article are taken from Booking’s Traveller Review Awards. This review awards program is aimed at the most celebrated providers that use the platform, from hotels to private vacation rentals to aparthotels.

The rankings are finalized based on guest reviews for hospitality providers published on Booking from 2021 to 2024. The final list of the US’s most welcoming towns is determined by the number of partners that received a Traveller Review Award in that city. The more award winners in a city, the higher they’re placed on the list.

Because this ranking is driven by hospitality providers (like hotel chains or management companies), I’m also listing the top hotels that helped rank them. (Plus, one-line descriptions.)

The 10 most welcoming towns in the US

St. Augustine, Florida

The oldest city in the US with a dash of Florida’s Margaritaville vibe

Stay at the St George Inn or Marker 8 Hotel and Marina

Cape May, New Jersey

The famous Victorian Architecture of Cape May (Getty)

A seaside resort town that’s often dubbed New Jersey’s Best-Kept Secret

Stay at Angel of the Sea Bed and Breakfast or La Mer Beachfront Resort.

Newport, Rhode Island

An unexpected combination of Gilded Age mansions and indie breweries

Stay at Marshall Slocum Inn or Wellington Resort.

Joshua Tree, California

One of California’s most iconic desert landscapes

Stay at The Bungalows by Homestead Modern or Desert Cove

Sedona, Arizona

A rugged but refined spiritual escape surrounded by red rock canyons

Stay at Sedona Pines Resort or Matterhorn Inn

Lahaina, Hawaii

An iconic Northeast Maui resort that’s recovering from the devastating 2023 wildfires

Stay at Napili Sunset Beach Front Resort or Napili Shores Maui by OUTRIGGER

Oakhurst, California

Sierra National Forest near Oakhurst (Getty)

The last stop in the Sierra Nevada mountains before Yosemite Park

Stay at Sierra Sky Ranch or Yosemite Southgate Hotel & Suites

Waikoloa, Hawaii

A coast on the Island of Hawaii known for its ancient Hawaiian history

Stay at Sweet Heaven or Slide of Paradise

Prescott, Arizona

A modern town with ties to the Old West—plus, some of the US’s top rodeos

Stay at Hassayampa Inn or Hotel St. Michael

Broken Bow, Oklahoma

A quiet Oklahoman escape with access to major state parks and lakes

Stay at the RISER or Blissful Pines

Digital Nomad Visas in Europe: 5 Steps to Apply Today

Around a dozen European countries have rolled out digital nomad visas since 2020.

These visas enable Americans who work remotely to set up shop in a country for a year or more. They can explore the world while they hold down a full-time job, sampling other countries without fully immigrating.

I’m a freelance writer from Missouri who has been in the process of immigrating to Spain—so I’m partial to this new setup. I’d love for more Americans, especially those from the Midwest, to get to experience life in Europe for a year or two.

And it looks like European governments are open to the arrangement. The premise is simple: Americans (and other nationals) can legally move, live, and work in another country after paying for a visa and agreeing to pay certain taxes. Every visa is different, from the duration to the monthly salary requirements to the ability to extend the visa terms.

Sounds pretty straightforward, right?

In reality, the decision to start looking for a European digital nomad visa and apply for one takes time and concentrated effort. Still, I’d hate for any remote workers to write off the possibility thanks to feeling intimidated by the process.

Here’s an introduction to digital nomad visas in Europe and how to apply—no need to stress.

Which European countries offer digital nomad visas to Americans in 2025?

If you want to dive into the ins and outs of each available digital nomad visa, start here. Keep in mind that my list applied to more accessible digital nomad visas and isn’t a comprehensive list.

If you’re ready to dive deeper into visa requirements, head straight to the country’s digital nomad visa page—you’ll be able to find those web pages with a simple Google search.

As of January 2025, these countries offer digital nomad visas to Americans: Albania, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Romania, and Spain.

How can you find the right country?

First, you need to take a close look at the country’s visa requirements. The most important considerations are the financial requirements and work contract.

Most countries require you to prove your monthly salary is about a certain amount; lower requirements hover around $2,000 per month. You might also need to prove that you have a certain amount of savings in your bank account.

After financial requirements, you might need to prove that you have a work contract. This is a little trickier for freelancers to manage, so before you apply you need to consider how you can prove your financial credibility if you don’t have contracts in place.

As a freelancer myself, you should be able to ask your clients for proof of ongoing work even if there isn’t a firm contract in place.

Keep in mind that the country you work for cannot be the country where you’re applying for a visa. Additionally, you must submit your criminal record. Lastly, you need to provide your own health insurance—so factor that into your final budget.

(In Spain, I had private health insurance for the first year that I lived in the country. It cost me around $500 for total annual coverage.)

5 steps to land a digital nomad visa in Europe

Step 1: Narrow down your potential destinations

Ideally, you can pick out a destination based on your interests. However, the decision will probably be driven by those monthly salary requirements and the average monthly cost of living in your destination.

Remember: just because you can’t swing rent in a major hub, that doesn’t mean you can’t find a little paradise off the beaten path. For example, I’d recommend staying in Sitges or Garaf rather than Barcelona. You’ll be close enough to the city to enjoy it, but also far enough to live a coastal dream life.

Step 2: Plan out whether you can meet their eligibility requirements

Once you’ve narrowed down the list, research the cost of living in cities and towns. Just because the visa requirements are feasible, you need to account for full-time living, from paying rent to buying groceries.

Step 3: Get your documents in order before applying

Every country has different requirements for digital nomad visas—and some might take a while to clear. For example, if you need to prove that you have a clean record, you might be waiting for an official document from the FBI. It could take upwards of a month to get your documents in order, so don’t underestimate the prep time that you’ll need.

Step 4: Fill out the application form and submit it

Some countries let you start the application process online, while others are fully submitted by mail. Again, you can find this information on a country’s digital nomad visa webpage. For example, here’s Croatia’s list of requirements.

Step 5: Wait for approval—then plan your getaway

Usually, your digital nomad visa term doesn’t start until you enter the country. That gives you time to figure out where you’re going and how you’ll find lodging.

Some nomads prefer to find their own short-term rental, but these are usually expensive. The cheaper option is to rent a room, instead. (It’s also a great way to learn more about the city and local culture.)

Italy’s Jubilee is Here—Keep These 7 Tips in Mind If You’re Heading to Rome This Year

The latest jubilee kicked off in late December 2024, which means millions of Catholic pilgrims are planning their trip to Rome.

These pilgrims will be sharing the city with locals and tourists alike. And given how congested Rome has become over the last five years, you can’t expect a simple, flawless trip.

To put it bluntly, you can expect an Olympics-level rush month after month in Italy’s capital.

If you want to see the city at your leisure, you need to actively plan ahead. Last year, I recommended getting ahead of the rush by booking hotels, transportation, and tours as early as possible. Assuming you followed my advice, you probably have the basics of your Roman adventure planned out.

Still, you’re going to need a few bonus tips if you want to keep your head above water. If you’re heading to Italy this year (regardless of whether you’ve booked anything), use this advice to learn how to join the jubilee rush—or steer clear.

Tips for visiting Rome during Italy’s 2025 Jubilee

If you haven’t booked your trip yet, go in August or November.

In August, sweltering heat means many locals flee the city (to go to places like Sicily)—but you’ll need to survive the 100+ temperatures. In November, there’s a slump in tourism, which makes it ideal for travel.

Pay for skip-the-line tours.

It doesn’t matter what city you’re heading to in Italy—I always recommend booking skip-the-line tours to beat the crowds. Just remember that Italy is now so popular with tourists that you’ll still need to wait in a line… albeit an expedited one.

In the context of the jubilee, you need to leave yourself plenty of time to explore Catholic sites and landmarks; they’ll be packed with pilgrims.

Research Rome’s hidden gems to avoid the crowds.

Locations like the Basilica di San Clemente and the Protestant Cemetery let you learn more about Rome’s lesser-known history, while also avoiding thousands of tourists and pilgrims. The further outside the city center, the more breathing room you’ll have.

Skip out on the taxis.

Rome has a solid public transportation system that will be working overtime this year to account for the added 32 million pilgrims. But many visitors will be using taxis and ride-share apps, meaning Rome’s already-congested streets will face added traffic. The fastest way to get around is via the metro.

If you’re a pilgrim, don’t forget to get your Pilgrim’s Card.

Keep in mind that some jubilee events aren’t open to the general public—you need proof that you’re a pilgrim to visit the Holy Doors and other major sites. Get your Pilgrim’s Card before leaving.

(There’s also an app you can download for real-time updates on Catholic events during the jubilee.)

If you’re new to visiting spiritual sites, don’t forget to cover up.

Even if you’re a religious person, it’s easy to get swept up in that vacation spirit. But remember that you’ll be expected to cover your shoulders and legs when entering holy sites.

That’s doubly important during a jubilee, which is a holy year that calls for Catholics to put their beliefs into practice with even greater purpose and mindfulness.

Learn a bit about the jubilee.

All jubilees have a theme. This year’s jubilee is ‘pilgrims of hope’, which Pope Francis declared last May. The official papal bull (that’s just a public decree made by the Pope) calls upon words of hope, paths of hope, signs of hope, appeals for hope, and actions anchored in hope.

If you’ll be in Rome this year, toss your coin into the Trevi Fountain with a word of hope—then you can say you joined the 2025 Jubilee!

6 Airports with the Best Duty-Free Deals

For years, I looked at duty-free shoppers as a rare breed.

Who actually has the time to shop in an airport? Who has the competence to stay aware of the time while on the hunt for a great product? And who the hell can afford those prices?

As it turns out, many flyers are more than practiced at getting to the airport on time. They might leave themselves an hour or two to wander through duty-free shops at their leisure.

Why bother, you might ask?

Though we’re used to paying a premium for basic things at airports (from quesadillas to macchiatos), duty-free shops are actually high-savings zones—even when it comes to luxury brands.

If you’re going to be setting off around the world, you might want to set aside a little added time to explore a major duty-free shop—especially if you’ll be passing through one of the airports listed below.

They’re renowned for their duty-free shops where you can find high-quality brands with slashed price tags, along with tons of other valuable deals.

Just make sure you have enough room in your carry-on to lug those steals once you land at your destination. (And try to focus your duty-free shopping on your return trip home. Otherwise, you’ll be carrying around those finds for the duration of your trip.)

Top airports for duty-free shopping

Dubai International Airport (DXB)

Unsurprisingly, Dubai’s penchant for luxury extends to its airport’s duty-free section. You can shop for spirits, tobacco, perfumes, cosmetics, electronics, and confectionaries in all three terminals. Terminal 1 has the largest duty-free section, while Terminal 3 has a handful of high-fashion brands, cosmetics, and fragrances.

In Dubai fashion, you can even hire a personal shopper to help you find the right products. Or if you’re short on time, you can also shop online and then pick up your orders at the duty-free shops.

Hamad International Airport (DOH)

Though Doha isn’t usually as well-known by American travelers, the capital of Qatar has a similar approach to luxury as Dubai. You’ll feel that focus in the airport, with shops and offers from leading brands like Adidas, Hermes, Bulgari, Kenzo, Dior, and plenty more. There’s even an Apple store in case you want to grab a tax-fee iPad.

Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)

Hong Kong has a luxury shopping obsession. Shopping for upscale brands is such a bona fide pastime that you don’t even need to leave the airport to take advantage of some seriously elevated brands and shops.

In fact, Terminal 1 of HKG is a who’s-who of boutique high-fashion giants like Louis Vuitton and Maison Margiela.

Just keep in mind that many shoppers have noted that Hong Kong’s duty-free prices aren’t actually much lower than retail options. As one of the most expensive cities in the world, it looks like avoiding those import taxes doesn’t actually help too much.

Still, if you like luxury shopping, you’ll have plenty of stores to keep you busy during a longer layover.

John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK)

Compared to other airports on this list, JFK’s luxury fashion options aren’t nearly as extensive. There’s a stronger emphasis on electronics and gadgets, along with spirits, wines, and tobacco.

According to some duty-free resources, you should be focusing on wines and spirits at JFK for the heftiest savings. If you have a spare hour or two to kill before your flight, you’ll find plenty of duty-free shopping options throughout each departure area.

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)

Want to shop in Paris without actually heading into the city? CDG has extensive duty-free shopping options with some brands having multiple stores.

But you can only take advantage as a non-EU citizen, so make sure to use your American passport if you’re a dual holder.

The focus is on high-fashion brands like Bulgari, Bottega Veneta, Cartier, Hermes, Prada, and more. But you’ll also be able to purchase upscale wine and liquor brands, along with fragrances and cosmetics.

Singapore Changi Airport (SIN)

Singapore Changi offers the most well-rounded duty-free shopping experience in the world—which shouldn’t come as a surprise given the over-the-top nature of this airport.

Along with the standard duty-free fare of fashion, spirits, cosmetics, and tobacco, you can find steals on electronics, entertainment, children and family retail, sports products, eyewear, and even health and wellness.

To be fair, you might be more taken with Changi’s extensive list of experiences. If you want to set aside some time to be a tourist at Singapore’s airport, leave yourself a multi-hour layover. It’ll be a vacation within a vacation.

5 Apps Social Butterflies Can Use to Make Friends Abroad

It’s easy to make acquaintances while traveling—but it’s tougher to forge lasting friendships.

Travel is a transient art. While we often add people on Facebook or Snapchat when we cross paths during vacation, the connection is based on short-lived interactions. These vacation-acquaintances add texture to our trip and make them more memorable… even if we don’t stay in touch with our new friends.

On a longer trip, social connections are a lot more important.

Having a circle of friends helps you stay in touch with yourself, digest new experiences, learn about hidden gems, and more. That circle can also help you work through tough challenges, like visa delays, and offer a helping hand when you get sick, like dropping off medicine and soup.

If you’re on a long business trip, doing a semester abroad, living on a digital nomad visa, or are backpacking around the world with no return ticket home, you have more options to make friends than you might think.

I’ve made lasting connections using Meetup, a popular event-making and event-joining platform—but it’s far from the only option.

If you want to up your social game on your next trip, use these apps. (And though social connections are more important on longer trips, there’s no rule against making friends on a short getaway! Don’t feel shy about joining the fun even if you’re only gone for a few days.)

Looking for a date, instead? Use these international dating apps.

5 apps that let you make friends anywhere: at a glance

Find your bestie: Bumble
Befriend locals & learn a language: Tandem
Make like-minded friends: Meetup
Eat like a local… with locals: Eatwith
Casual connections: Backpackr

First: a note on safety

All five apps listed in this article are trusted by users, come with security features, and have near-five-star ratings on the Google Play and Apple App Stores. That being said, I recommend sticking to activities that are hosted for groups.

If you’re going to meet up with someone solo, be sure to at least speak with them beforehand rather than solely on a chat—and always go to high-traffic public areas to meet up for the first time.

5 apps that let you make friends anywhere: at a glance

Find your bestie: Bumble

Bumble For Friends (BFF) lets you use the Bumble network to find friends. It’s definitely geared toward twenty-somethings, but I think the main requirement is to be young at heart.

You can set up a profile with kitschy little descriptions of yourself, whether you’re bad with plants, only eat comfort food, and more. If you enjoy heading to those hyper-trendy pop-ups and boutique shops, BFF is a great spot to find a co-adventurer.

Befriend locals & learn a language: Tandem

Tandem is a language-learning app that lets you pair with native speakers around the world. While you practice another language with them, they’ll speak English with you.

Given the app’s global network, you can find a buddy anywhere in the world. But the company also offers a face-to-face meeting option. I suggest using those live chat and message features before opting for a face-to-face meeting. From there, you can make a connection before meeting in person.

That being said, this is a fantastic way to brush up your language skills while also making friends.

Make like-minded friends: Meetup

Meetup is by far the most comprehensive and dynamic social app. The app works by letting people host meetups that are activity-centric.

My partner is a UX designer who hosts meetups with his fellow designer friends to network with other professionals and help beginner designers design their career paths.

There’s a meetup for every single interest—and if you can’t find one that suits you, you can always host your own.

Eat like a local… with locals: Eatwith

Eatwith is a food-focused tour platform—so it’s not a free-to-use social app by any stretch. That being said, Eatwith isn’t quite like the tours and cooking classes that you’d find on TripAdvisor or Booking.

That being said, Eatwith is focused on local meals and offers dinners hosted by locals. Its experiences are slightly less tourist-focused, meaning you can rub elbows with other travelers who will be in town for a while.

And what brings people together more than food?

Casual connections: Backpackr

It’s not too hard to make friends as a backpacker. Usually, hostels are hubs for making life-long friends—especially if you’re inching your way around the globe.

Backpackr is a fantastic way to meet travel buddies who are heading along the same route as you. Or if you’re not heading in the same direction, you can still use Backpackr to meet up and gain some insights from others. (In case you have never backpacked, fellow backpackers are usually generous and want to pass on their knowledge of a place to help out others.)

Plus, you don’t need to be a backpacker to join the network.