This year I wrote my first book: a look at the history and cultural impact of the hookah called Mystic Mist: Rituals of Huqqa, out now from Assouline. It was a…
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Recent Work
For Condé Nast Traveler, I wrote a piece about my new book from Assouline, Mystic Mist: The Rituals of Huqqa. I explored some of my fascinating discoveries from researching the book, from…
For the third year, I’ve edited the Africa section of Condé Nast Traveler’s ambitious Best Places to Go list. This year, we spotlighted new safari lodges in Botswana, Tanzania, Namibia,…
For the New York Times’ Routine column, I spotlighted how Peloton yoga instructor Aditi Shah spends a Tuesday. Read it here.
For Condé Nast Traveler’s September issue, I returned to my onetime home of Boston to see how much it’s changed in the last two decades — meeting the dynamic politicians,…
I’m back in the Wall Street Journal this weekend with a piece on Coronado, the idyllic island off the coast of San Diego – and how it’s in the throes…
For Virtuoso’s September issue, I interviewed Johannesburg artist Boemo Diale about what inspires here about living and working in the City of Gold. Read it here.
I interviewed Pakistani musician Ali Sethi for the New York Times, chatting with him about how he spent a busy Saturday leading up to the release of his new album,…
For my latest Condé Nast Traveler video, I checked out some of this year’s Hot List hotels that stand out for their singular design. Watch it here (and check out…
Awards & Books
Awards
- Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, 2021: Honorable mention for the Grand Award, Travel Journalist of the Year
- South Asian Journalists Association, 2021: Outstanding Arts and Culture Reporting for “Zanzibar in the Rain,” New York Times
- Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, 2020: Bronze in Short Work on Travel for “Raise the Roof,” Condé Nast Traveler
- South Asian Journalists Association, 2019: Outstanding Arts, Culture, and Lifestyle Reporting about South Asia for “Force of Nature,” Surface magazine
- Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, 2018: Gold award in US/Canada Travel for “A Muslim American’s Homecoming: Cowboys, Country Music, Chapatis,” New York Times
- Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, 2018: Bronze in Service-Oriented Consumer Work for “My Town,” Virtuoso Life
- Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, 2017: Gold in Culinary-Related Travel for “Eating Bunny Chow in Durban,” Saveur
- South Asian Journalists Association, 2017: Outstanding Arts and Culture Reporting for “Eating Bunny Chow in Durban,” Saveur
- North American Travel Journalists Association Awards, 2016: Two Silver awards in Destination Travel and Adventure Travel for “7 Days, 1500 Miles in Namibia,” New York Times
- Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, 2016: Gold in Foreign Travel for “7 Days, 1500 Miles in Namibia,” New York Times
- Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, 2015: Gold in Personal Comment for “Returning to Hyderabad, Once a Land of Princes and Palaces,” New York Times
- Solas Awards for Best Travel Writing, 2013: Silver in Most Unforgettable Character for “Spitting Distance in Jodhpur,” Wall Street Journal
Books
- New York Times Cultured Traveler: Contributed a feature on Bosnia & Herzegovina to this upcoming anthology
- Best American Travel Writing 2021: “City of Saints” from Travel + Leisure was selected for the 2021 edition of this anthology, edited by Padma Lakshmi and Jason Wilson
- New York Times 36 Hours World: 150 Cities from Abu Dhabi to Zurich: Contributed 36 Hours guides to Johannesburg and Mumbai for this anthology
- My Life Abroad: A Selection of Expat Stories: Contributed to this compilation of expat stories from around the globe, recounting my experience as an American in South Africa, in the chapter “From New York City to Cape Town.”
- The Places We’ve Been: Field Reports from Travelers Under 35: Contributed my essay “When Coconuts Attack” to this travel anthology.