Saveur is one of my favorite magazines out there — they do such a great job of covering food and travel in a literary way — and I wrote this feature on Durban’s Indian food for its Origins issue, on stands now. It won awards from the Society of American Travel Writers as well as the South Asian Journalists’ Association.
Recent Work
A comprehensive guide for where to sleep, eat, drink, and play in Cape Town, for Travel + Leisure’s website — also available in app form.
I just hit Gold status on Emirates, which means I have racked up a LOT of time at Dubai Airport. Here’s how to make the most of a layover at DXB, for the September/October issue of Virtuoso Life.
I contributed reporting to Condé Nast Traveler’s Mumbai Black Book, in the September issue – it’s the ultimate guide to one of my favorite cities in the world.
I’ve gone and written yet another comprehensive guide to Cape Town, this time for American Express.
One of my favorite Cape Town design labels is Pichulik, known for gorgeous rope necklaces. You can find them at Ellerman House hotel’s chic new boutique, as I reported for Afar.
I reported on some of the most exciting new safari additions in southern Africa for the August issue of Condé Nast Traveller Middle East.
My insider’s guide to Cape Town — featuring tips on what to see/do/eat, courtesy GMs at some of the city’s top hotels — is the cover story of this month’s…
I have my first story in the US edition of Vogue this June – a spotlight on Jalakara, a new boutique hotel in India’s Andaman Islands.
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.