Practical travel advice, packing tips, dress codes, and etiquette guides for destinations around the world.
There I was, standing at the entrance of Wat Pho in Bangkok, wearing a perfectly cute sundress — spaghetti straps, mid-thigh hem, the whole tropical vacation look — and a very kind but very firm guard handed me a pair of paper shorts and pointed me toward a changing area. Mortifying? A little. Easily avoidable? … Read more
Understanding Vatican Dress Code Basics My father worked for 38 years saying he’d travel when he retired. He retired and then kept finding reasons not to go. I watched that happen and promised myself I wouldn’t do the same thing — which is how I found myself standing outside St. Peter’s Basilica on a Tuesday … Read more
Understanding Cultural Clothing Expectations I’d never traveled alone before this trip. The thought honestly terrified me — no one to split decisions with, no one to blame if something went sideways. That was also exactly the point. What I hadn’t fully prepared for, though, was how much what I packed would matter — not just … Read more
Understanding Cultural Dress Codes When Traveling We’d been saying “we should all go somewhere together” for six years. After the fourth postponed trip and two weddings that got in the way, we stopped talking and just bought tickets. What we hadn’t done — not even a little — was think about what to pack, and … Read more
Understanding Dubai’s Dress Code I found a fare alert on a Thursday afternoon that made absolutely no sense to ignore. By Friday morning I had a ticket and no real plan — which turned out to be the best way to approach the whole thing. Dubai has this reputation for being glamorous and modern, but … Read more
