Dubai’s dining scene continues to dazzle—I wrote about some of the city’s buzziest eateries for the winter issue of Ultratravel. Read it here.
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Recent Work
As South Africa heads into its peak summer season, I recapped all the latest from Cape Town for Robb Report. Read it here.
For years I’ve been frustrated with a seemingly universal allergy to zippers shared by all major designers of luxury tote bags. Then I found Cuyana’s totes, with soft leather bags…
Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Best Places to Go list for 2024 just came out, and I’m thrilled to have played a big role in bringing this ambitious package to life….
I’ve been a fan of British-Lebanese journalist Zahra Hankir’s work for years, and when she set off around the globe to report her new book, Eyeliner: A Cultural History, out…
South Africa’s Cape Malay community encompasses a very unique hybrid of cultures—Southeast Asian, Dutch, English, African, Indian, Arab—that can only exist at the tip of the African continent. On a…
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.
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…
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.