I had the honor of moderating a panel with Intelligence Squared and Singapore Tourism at Expo 2020 Dubai's Terra Sustainability Pavilion, discussing ways cities can leverage urban design and technology...
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Recent Work
My visit to Malta last year to report a feature for Condé Nast Traveller Middle East was a revelation: the beautiful landscapes and Michelin-starred cuisine were wonderful, but I was most…
Wondering what it takes to make a good travel story? I sat down with travel journalist Yulia Denisyuk—whose work I appreciate as a fellow writer and whom I’ve commissioned as…
Welcome to the Gold List: Condé Nast Traveller‘s list of our editors’ favorite hotels around the world. I introduced our February/March issue with this editor’s letter, rhapsodizing about some of my…
Along with my colleagues at Condé Nast Traveller Middle East, I contributed to this guide on the latest in Dubai, my new home, for the US edition of Condé Nast…
Now that the world is opening up, we’re all plotting our travels for the year ahead. I sat down with Condé Nast Traveler‘s Women Who Travel podcast to chat about where…
The Readers’ Choice Awards are the banner event on the Condé Nast Traveller Middle East calendar, and I was thrilled to host a beautiful ceremony on the lawns of the…
For my second issue as editor in chief of Condé Nast Traveller Middle East, I visited Malta to learn more about the Mediterranean island’s lingering Arab links. It’s a fascinating…
I spoke with Hanaa Tameez of Harvard’s Nieman Lab about my career, the importance of diverse perspectives in travel journalism, Travel Is Better in Color, and more – you can…
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.