For the latest issue of List, I interviewed Jeddah-born, New York-based fashion consultant and influencer Alaa Balkhy about her favorite places in her Lower East Side neighborhood. Read it here.
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Recent Work
For Virtuoso, I wrote about some of the wonders of Tasmania—the natural beauty, cultural offerings, and delicious cuisine. Read it here.
It’s no secret how much I came to love Dubai during my time there. What I was most drawn to was the diverse, dynamic range of experiences beyond the dazzle…
I’m just back from a cruise up the East Coast and down Canada’s St. Lawrence River, experiencing the best of the region’s fall foliage. I wrote about my impressions of…
Last month I checked into the new Secret Suites collection at the Octant Vila Monte, a retreat in the quieter reaches of the eastern Algarve, and had an amazing time…
I’ve been a contributing editor at Condé Nast Traveler for a year and a half now, and I love working with their global teams—and this summer I had the opportunity…
One of my favorite Cape Town hotels, by far, is Ellerman House—I’ve been fortunate enough to stay in this dreamy cliffside estate overlooking the Atlantic on multiple occasions. On a…
I was included alongside other journalists I respect, including Lola Akinmade Åkerström and Zinara Rathnayake, in this important piece by Anam Hussain on a subject very close to my heart:…
When I lived in Cape Town, I was fascinated by its Muslim community and how deeply woven the faith is into the fabric of South African culture. And yet while…
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.