Mallory Gracenin improvises with strangers from a closet in her Brooklyn apartment. Marisha Wallace sings entire concerts from her London flat. Big Sam Williams blasts a mix of funk, jazz, rock, and hip-hop down his driveway in New Orleans while beckoning an unseen audience to dance with him from their living rooms. "This is the new norm, so get used to it, baby," Big Sam purred into the microphone at a recent Facebook Live event. Although the on-going health crisis will keep stages dark for the foreseeable future, the adage adopted by seasoned performers remains the same – the show must go on.

Offstage and online

At the end of April, a survey conducted by Americans for the Arts found that nearly two-thirds of artists and creative workers became fully unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the vast majority experienced income loss. Broadway's shutdown, initially expected to last 32 days, has been extended to 2021. Pollstar estimates that the live music industry will lose almost $9 billion in revenue if stages remain dark through the year's end, which looks increasingly likely. Even in the UK, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced theaters could start reopening this month, the earliest major theatrical production scheduled to resume indoor performances doesn't begin until October.

The internet is now the final frontier for entrepreneurial performers trying to adapt to the times. Some have turned to platforms like StageIt, Topeka, and Twitch to monetize their content, while others are giving away their work gratis on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. "It is remarkable that in the midst of this crisis creative workers are facing, they're making art at an extraordinary rate, often for free, because they know their communities need it right now even at their own hardship," said Robert L. Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, in a recent statement.

Funking up a New Orleans driveway "This is all we do," says Big Sam Williams, the lead singer and trombonist behind Big Sam's Funky Nation. "There is no side job; no other hustle."

When the majority of his band's upcoming gigs fell through in March, Williams, who supports his wife and two three-year-old sons, set up an iPad to film a series of concerts on Facebook Live. Once audiences began to grow, he invested in a new camera to enhance the viewer experience.

Big Sam, a consummate showman who usually invites audience members to dance with him on stage, now jumps and gyrates alone while his band grooves a safe 6ft away. "But it's my driveway – in 100-degree heat," notes the Louisiana-based artist. "It was so hot out there one day, I burned my mouth on my mouthpiece." For the following live stream, he purchased a tent.

In addition to online performances, Big Sam released a new single, No More Shakes, marking his first foray into self-recording. "This is new water for me," he says of his recent endeavors. I have no idea what I'm doing, really. I'm figuring it all out as I go."

Artists like Big Sam are no strangers to the hustle; ephemerality is the nature of the business, and ingenuity is the key to success. But the now-ubiquitous live stream isn't always enough to keep performers afloat. "When people tune in, hopefully they feel generous and are able to give [tips] because that's all we have coming in," he says. "We never know what that's going to be."

Turning a London flat into a recording studio

As a performer, "you are the product and CEO," says Marisha Wallace, a recording artist and Broadway veteran who recently starred in the West End production of Waitress. "You have to be thinking – this part of my business is shut down, so what other facets of my business do I have to build up?"

Wallace – who was set to play Motormouth Maybelle in the West End revival of Hairspray this spring – is now busy teaching virtual masterclasses and crafting new songs for an upcoming album. She even performed a 45-minute concert for the Royal Albert Hall from her living room.

Not all performers have found the same amount of success. Most West End actors don't qualify for unemployment benefits, either, and Wallace has watched former coworkers get jobs at grocery stores and care homes since the pandemic began. "I feel kind of betrayed by the government," she says in defense of fellow industry professionals.

At the end of May, Wallace released a soulful rendition of "Tomorrow," from the musical Annie, and donated 100% of the profits to Broadway Cares and MAD Trust in support of struggling theater artists in the US and the UK. The single soared to number two on the UK charts soon thereafter.

Wallace, the ultimate multihyphenate, recorded “Tomorrow” from her living room, released the single independently and edited the accompanying music video herself. Still, there are some things the most impressive DIY entertainers can't do without a team.

"'I miss the camaraderie of a cast," Wallace says. "I never realized how much I get hugged on a daily basis, and how many hugs I give out."

Flirting with foreigners from a Brooklyn closet

Self-sufficiency may be the most crucial asset for artists stuck at home. "During quarantine, the only person who's in your way to creating content is you," says Mallory Gracenin, who performed in the immersive theater experience Sleep No More before New York City theaters closed in March.

After the city issued stay-at-home orders, Gracenin converted a closet in her apartment into a stage space for an interactive one-woman show she produces on Instagram Live. Shimmering strips of aluminum foil and tinsel cover the back wall; a large curtain fastened shut with gaffer clamps hides her clothes. "I've always appreciated that when you put on a show, it takes a full ship of people to make that happen," says Mallory, who is now both captain and crew for her performances.

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Gracenin's online presence landed her a role in Eschaton – another immersive theater piece, but with a virtual twist: all the performances take place via Zoom. The nightclub simulator, conceived as an in-person performance but redesigned for life in lockdown, provides Gracenin "a limitless experience when it comes to being connected anywhere in the globe," she says.

As one of the show's hosts, Gracenin spends most of Eschaton flirting with an array of audience members. On any given night, she might wind up chatting with people from the US, the UK, Brazil, and even Japan.

No matter the international reach, Zoom can't replicate the electric connection forged between a performer and a live audience, and one of the greatest struggles Gracenin faces as a closet-bound entertainer is loneliness. "I think we're all struggling with a certain amount of loneliness," Gracenin says of life during the pandemic.

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A new beginning for performers

Although Eschaton is a theological term that means "the end of the world," the virtual theater experience feels like the birth of a new type of entertainment. According to a recent report by StreamElements and Arsenal.gg, live stream viewership grew 99% in the past year, and while a return to theaters is inevitable, platforms like Twitch and Zoom are here to stay.

But computer screens can't replace proscenium arches. Virtual performances are a medium all their own, and the most successful live streams – including Gracenin’s performance in Eschaton – are crafted specifically for the realities of the internet. Performances trying to reproduce the communal energy of a stage show often feel clunky, awkward, and out of sync with the times.

The pandemic has turned into a Darwinian experiment for performers, and those able to adapt are most likely to survive the coming months of uncertain employment opportunities. "If you have some blind faith in yourself that you can make some things work, you can," Gracenin says encouragingly.

It helps, of course, if you've got a polished act, a stable WiFi connection, and enough people who will pay to see you perform in a closet.

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With concerts canceled, artists go online to connect with audiences

The African elephant is a gentle giant, not to mention the earth’s largest land mammal and perhaps the most enduring symbol of nature’s grace and fragility. While elephants are a common sight when safariing in Africa, they are also facing unprecedented threats to their existence. The imperative to understand more about them and experience them in the wild has never been stronger. In this guide, we help you to do both.

African elephants: the behemoths (and the hunted)

An adult African elephant is seriously large. A fully-grown male can weigh-in at a massive 13,334lb (6048kg); even the smallest adult male rarely dips below 8820lb (4000kg), which is two-and-a-half times heavier than your average family car. Females are usually just over half the weight of the male. The size-difference between the two is not quite as pronounced when it comes to height – the tallest males are 13ft (4m) tall, the tallest female rises to llft (3.4m). Apart from overall size, and unless the male is aroused, the most obvious difference between males and females is that females have an angular forehead, while a bull’s forehead is more rounded.

An elephant has the largest brain of any mammal; it can weigh up to 13lb (6kg). Its trunk, which serves an elephant like a hand, can be 6.6ft (2m) long and weigh over 287lb (130kg) – a trunk has no bones but may have 60,000 muscles in it. An elephant uses its tusks as both tools and weapons. The longest recorded tusks were 10ft (3m) long, while heaviest reached 154lb (70kg).

Safari animals: the story of rhinos (and the best places to see them)

Apart from humankind, elephants have few natural enemies. In some areas, such as Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe or, in the 1980s, in the Savuti region of northern Botswana, certain lion prides have learned to hunt infant and adolescent elephants.

If left alone, elephants can live to between 55 and 70 years old.

The elephant sisterhood

Elephants live in a close, cross-generational sisterhood of females. An elephant mother has one of the longest pregnancy periods in the natural world: around 650 days. Most often, the mother gives birth to a single calf, and that calf will be able to walk, albeit unsteadily, within hours of being born. Baby elephants continue to breast-feed throughout the first two years of their lives, and many will not be truly independent until the age of ten. If the young elephant is a male, he will leave the herd of its birth somewhere between 10 and 14 years of age. Sometimes this dispersing male will remain alone or attach itself to an experienced larger bull elephant. Young female elephants remain with their natal herd, which may consist of their mother, grandmother, aunties, female cousins and other related females. This female bond will last throughout a female elephant’s lifetime. The herd is usually led by an older matriarch, an experienced female that takes the herd to water in times of drought and is the first to stand in defense of the herd’s members.

The world's most voracious vegetarians

Elephants are strict vegetarians and eat grass, leaves, fruits and even branches or twigs. In any 24-hour period, elephants will spend up to 19 hours eating and can eat up to 750lb (340kg), or around 5% of their not-inconsiderable body weight. If you extrapolate those figures further, elephants consume around 50 tons of food every year. At the other end, elephants defecate up to 30 times a day and deposit as much as 330lb (150kg) of dung in the process. Elephant dung serves a critical ecological purpose, spreading undigested seeds (a food source for insects, baboons and birds) which enable trees to spread their progeny; one study found that a single piece of elephant dung contained nearly 5700 acacia seeds.

Safari animals: the story of lions (and the best places to see them)

Elephants drink between 26 to 52 gallons of water per day. This compensates for the fact that as much as a gallon is lost every hour through the process of transepidermal water loss (through the skin), and that they urinate up to 13 gallons each day.

The best places to see elephants on safari

There are two species of African elephants: the forest elephant and the bush elephant. The much larger bush elephant is most commonly found in the savanna and light woodlands of East Africa and Southern Africa, with smaller populations in West Africa. The forest elephant is predominantly found in the forests of Central Africa, although their ranges do sometimes spill over into East and West Africa.

The 2016 Great Elephant Census – the most comprehensive survey of elephants ever undertaken – counted 352,271 African bush or savanna elephants spread across 18 countries.

Elsewhere, the Asian elephant, which is considerably smaller than the African elephant, is now restricted to isolated populations throughout the Indian Subcontinent and South-East Asia.

A day on safari in Africa: what you can expect in camp and in the wild

Botswana: Botswana has more elephants than any other country, more than 130,000 in 2016. Anywhere in the Okavango Delta can be outstanding, but Chobe National Park is one of the best places in Africa to see elephants, with big elephants in big herds.
Kenya: Kenya has some of the best elephant watching on the continent. The best is Amboseli National Park, but the Masai Mara, Tsavo East and Tsavo West national parks, as well as the Samburu National Reserve are excellent as well.

South Africa: As always for wildlife, Kruger is prime elephant-watching country. Of the other options, Addo Elephant National Park is South Africa ’s third-largest national park and offers some of the world’s best elephant viewing.
Namibia: Etosha National Park is your best bet, but seeing the desert-adapted elephants of Damaraland, also in the country’s north, is another highlight.
Tanzania: Tanzania ’s elephant population may be declining but sightings remain generally excellent in the Serengeti, Lake Manyara, Tarangire and Ruaha national parks.

Zambia: South Luangwa National Park is Zambia ’s best park for seeing elephants.
Zimbabwe: In 2016, Zimbabwe had more than 80,000 elephants, second only to Botswana. Try Hwange and Mana Pools national parks; the former is home to half of Zimbabwe’s elephants.
Malawi: Malawi ’s Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve is a lovely park, especially since the recent and historic translocation of 500 elephants there.
Mozambique: In Mozambique, Gorongosa National Park is brilliant for elephants.

Where you should go on your first safari in Africa

Elephants in peril

Thanks to their tusks and the enduring popularity of ivory (particularly in Asia), elephants have been poached in unsustainable numbers since the 1970s and their numbers have fallen dramatically as a result. The African elephant is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

In the 1970s and 1980s, poaching caused the numbers of African elephants to crash from around 1.3 million to closer to 500,000. In Kenya, for example, elephant numbers fell from 45,000 in 1976 to just 5400 in 1988. The slaughter ended only in 1989 when the trade in ivory was banned under the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). When the ban was established, world raw ivory prices plummeted by 90%, and the market for poaching and smuggling was radically reduced. The same year, Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi dramatically burned 12 tons of ivory in Nairobi National Park as a symbol of Kenya’s resolve in the battle against poachers.

Malawi's wildlife renaissance

But poaching is again on the rise. Africa has lost more than 30,000 elephants a year since 2010. That’s around 7% of Africa’s elephant population every year. That’s 673 elephants being killed a week, 96 a day. That’s four elephants being killed for their tusks every hour. In 2014, for the first time in decades, a critical threshold was crossed when more elephants were being killed on the continent than were being born.

The 2016 Great Elephant Census recorded a 30% decrease in Africa’s elephant populations in just seven years, although there was good news alongside the bad. Kenya's elephant population, for example, was considered to be "relatively stable" at 25,959, while Uganda's 4864 elephants were cause for optimism after the country's elephant population fell to just 800 during the 1980s. Tanzania, on the other hand, saw a catastrophic 60% decline in elephant numbers in the five years to 2016, with just 42,871 elephants and 2.6 carcasses spotted for every live elephant.

Conservationists anxiously await the next census to learn whether the massive conservation effort to save the elephant has stemmed the tide of elephant killings.

This article was originally published in November 2019. It was updated in August 2020.

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Safari animals: the story of elephants (and the best places to see them)

Renting a car in Costa Rica is costly and can even be dangerous if you're not prepared for what's to come. It’s also ridiculously good fun. Some of the most interesting, little-explored destinations are only accessible by car, and for the adventurous traveler, there’s simply no substitute for freedom.

In some cases, the drive itself – and all the striking scenery along the way – becomes a highlight of the trip. For those with the desire and the 4x4 (almost certainly necessary if you are planning to drive off the highway), here are the country's top five nerve-shredding road trips.

Editor's note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip and always follow government advice.

Cerro Chirripó

After winding along the narrow gravel roads connecting a few scattered mountain towns in southern Costa Rica, visitors come to what looks like the end of the road. Actually, this is the beginning of the driveway to Chirripó, Costa Rica’s highest peak. To get to the park entrance, visitors must gun it up the remnants of concrete slabs, worn away to nearly nothing. It’s a good idea to fill up with gas beforehand in the closest big city, San Isidro de el General.

Not interested in summiting 12,533-foot Chirripó? Not a problem. There are so many other reasons to brave these scenic mountain paths, including Cloudbridge Reserve, a 700-acre, privately owned research base next to Chirripó with free hiking, an enormous waterfall and an exotic plant garden.

Nearby luxury art hotel, Monte Azul, invites and commissions local and international painters to stay and work on the lush grounds, where hummingbirds zip through tropical foliage and twisting jungle abounds. The owners raise goats to make their own cheese, and a nearby restaurant called Antojitos de Maíz prepares the best tamales and chorreadas in town.

The Monkey Trail

Jokingly referred to as a shortcut between Playas del Coco and Flamingo, this curvy mountain pass is famous for eating cars. Its narrow, plunging corridors snake through river crossings and shouldn’t be attempted in the rainy season, or with anything less than four-wheel drive. But those who dare to brave the Monkey Trail are in for one of Costa Rica’s most extreme thrills.

The trail – and it really does feel more like a hiking trail than a road – takes you on a bumpy ride down rock faces, through jungles and across streams toward the Pacific coastline, passing its very own Congo Trail Canopy Tour. Eventually the trail spits you out in the idyllic beach town of Playa Potrero. Its dark sand cove and bathtub-warm seawater provide the perfect setting to relish the adrenaline rush.

Then it’s on to Playa Flamingo, a scenic expat beach town and sport-fishing hub with several fantastic hotels and restaurants, including a traditional Costa Rican joint called Marie’s.

San Gerardo de Dota

Perhaps the most infamous road in Costa Rica is the Cerro de la Muerte, or “Mountain of Death”. Every year, cars plunge over the side of this twisty, foggy mountain highway, often while driving in heavy rain, or after trying to pass a slow vehicle and ending up face-to-face with an oncoming truck. The key to driving this otherwise delightful road is to leave early in the morning.

Just south of the perilous stretch is a turn-off for San Gerardo de Dota, a charming town set in a high-altitude cloud forest where one of Central America ’s rarest and most beloved birds – the quetzal – still thrives. The place to stay in Dota is Dantica Lodge, a picturesque escape with its own distinctive art gallery and delicious restaurant. Much of the country’s rainbow trout farming takes place in this small town, so be sure to make a stop at restaurants Cafè Kahawa or Comidas Típicas Miriam for a taste of delicious trucha.

Drake Bay

Yes, there are flights to Drake Bay, the most remote town on Costa Rica’s wild Osa Peninsula on the southern Pacific coast. But taking the long, less travelled road through the towering rainforest, vast meadows and tiny farming villages is one stunning trip. There’s not a whole lot of difference between some parts of this journey and the nearby Corcovado National Park, the most biodiverse area in the country, so don’t be surprised to spot scarlet macaws, monkeys and other wildlife right out the car window.

Vehicles must cross a total of seven rivers on this journey, some of which will require that a passenger get out and wade in to test the water, ensuring it is shallow enough to cross (in general, below the knees is safe). Upon arrival, visitors are treated to panoramic views of the bay and the sweeping ocean beyond, dotted with fishing boats and occasionally leaping dolphins.

Accommodation here ranges from the swanky beachfront Copa del Arbol to the basic camp sites in town.

Rio Celeste

For visitors heading to the Arenal volcano, do yourself a favor: rent a car and include Rio Celeste in the plan. Arenal is good, but the volcanic eruptions and lava flows that made it a tourist destination stopped abruptly in 2010. Meanwhile, the country’s true natural wonder – an astonishing turquoise river – is as crazy azul as ever. The forest surrounding the river is lush and wild, providing a home to an abundance of Costa Rican fauna, including the iconic jaguar.

There are two ways to approach a stretch of river within Tenorio National Park, where special compounds called aluminosilicates absorb all the colors of sunlight except blue. The rejected rays create the hue of the most brilliant peacock feather you’ve ever seen. You can drive northwest from La Fortuna on paved roads to Guatuso, and from there, turn off on to an often steep, rocky affair only navigable with a 4x4. The reward for all the lurching and tossing is an arrival at the Rio Celeste Hideaway, a romantic retreat with its own jungle hike to a private section of river, where guests can bathe in pools beneath small waterfalls.

A faster and easier route takes you by the town of Cañas and up to the village of Bijagua, where a few hotels are gathered. But to reach the entrance to the national park or the beloved La Carolina Lodge, which features a fire-heated hot tub by the river and a short hike to a 70-foot waterfall, you'd better be ready to engage four-wheel drive.

Top tips for roadtripping in Costa Rica

Renting a car is a great way to explore this Central American wonderland, but there are some things to know before you sign on that dotted line. First and foremost, it costs more than in the USA or Europe, mainly because of an all-but-mandatory insurance charge that can double the price of a rental (note: holders of some credit cards can avoid this cost - check with your provider).

In addition, the roads in some areas are poorly marked, curvy, pothole-ridden, flooded and occasionally non-existent; do your research and check road conditions before setting out. Finally, thieves have been known to target and follow rental cars, waiting for a chance to break in; stay vigilant and familiarize yourself with Costa Rica's emergency numbers. Now that we’ve got all the disclaimers out the way, hit the road and find your own adventure.

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This article was originally published in September 2013 and updated in August 2020.

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5 road trips in Costa Rica that aren't for the faint of heart 

As a young girl traveling throughout Africa, I was exposed to the many wonders of the continent everywhere – spicy okra soup, jollof rice, colorful Herero women and the ample Kalahari desert. My father’s work as a diplomat took us to Namibia and Nigeria and introduced me to cultures long before I could even speak.

And yet, those formative years on the road did little to stop me from harboring my own set of biases. In particular against Europeans. It seemed my wholesome and religious ideals were a stark contrast to how many Europeans lived their lives. It wasn’t until my family moved to Amsterdam when I was 13 that I discovered Europe was teeming with linguistic and cultural intricacies, varied religious beliefs and it was more ethnically diverse than television programming had led me to believe.

Just as Mark Twain asserted in his book The Innocents Abroad, travel became an infallible elixir for the disease of bigotry.

Through travel, I was introduced to people’s complexities. It enabled self-reflection by forcing me to compare here and there. My worldview shifted and I’ve never been the same.

The very word travel encompasses history, culture, adventure, nature, food, drink and leisure. It can be (and should be) much more than mindless escapism.

Travel can be a remedy for biases – conscious and unconscious. Yet many limiting beliefs about “others” are persistent even in those who are well-traveled. Simply leaving one’s home is insufficient to dismantle prejudices. After all, not everyone travels with their eyes open and others pack their biases around with them.

Before my first trip to Argentina, my world conspired for me to hate it. The resounding verdict from people I knew was that I would be poked and prodded and surely robbed at machete point. To date, the only place I have been robbed was Paris.

A lot of the warnings we read about certain countries are laden with deeply-rooted racist sentiments. Stories like “these are the worst places to go” may be well-intentioned, but they are unhelpful in the long run. Danger will always exist in societies that are rife with economic inequality and no country is exempt from that.

Allowing travel to open your mind

In order for our voyages to trigger positive cognitive transformations, we must be prepared to see things with fresh eyes, willing to pass through places and let them truly pass through us, and travel not just to reenact established tropes. When you arrive in Paris or Rome, go beyond seeing the Eiffel Tower or throwing coins into the Trevi Fountain.

Many travel to simply confirm pre-existing beliefs about a place – that they’ll find a spiritual awakening in Goa and Bali, or that a safari is the sole reason to visit Africa.

A study from the Journal of Current Issues in Tourism found that travel’s power to be transformative depends on several factors including interaction with people, integration, being away doing unfamiliar activities and reflection. Essentially, recreating your home environment in someone else’s backyard will do little to educate yourself on the true essence of a place and its inhabitants. One cannot spend a week in at a Cancun resort and claim to "know Mexico."

Travel can also only initiate the undoing of the prejudices we hold about certain groups if we actually interact with them. A Harvard study found that guests with "African-American sounding names" were roughly 16% less likely to be accepted by Airbnb hosts compared to their white-sounding counterparts.

Airbnb is the canonical example of the sharing economy where names influence the first impressions people make. Hidden bias, therefore, prevents hosts from fraternizing with the very people who could temper the prejudices they hold.

Pavlovian conditioning suggests that repeated exposure can condition new responses to things we fear, dislike or distrust. If racist ideas are human-made, breaking them should be within our grasp. In other words, the more places we visit and the deeper our connections there, the greater the likelihood of quelling unsavory thoughts.

While some biases are not overtly harmful, they are limiting to the individual and widen the perceived distance between “us” and “them.” Despite lenient laws, not all Dutch people are pro-marijuana. Not all North Americans are loud. Black people swim, hike and also ride bikes.

In a perfect world, travel can indeed cure bias, but this surely depends on our open-mindedness and the depth and intent of our trips. We can better navigate the cultural zeitgeist of a place and its people when we roll our sleeves up, dive in and throw out the book we think we already read.

It holds true that travel dusts the cobwebs off locked imaginations, but a willingness to unlock them in the first place is key.

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Can travel cure bias?

In early March, Jeff Sandifort was on top of the world. The Bolivia -based mountain guide, who has lived in South America for 20 years, was leading a client up Ojos del Salado, a 22,615ft peak that’s the tallest active volcano on earth.

From a summit with views across Chile and Argentina, he gulped in cold, thin air and wondered what he’d find when he climbed back down. The virus was spreading rapidly; travel was slowing across the continent.

“We got home okay,” he recalls, “but then a couple of weeks later all the borders closed.” Flights to Bolivia halted, and tourism stopped entirely. Ojos del Salado would be Sandifort’s last guiding work for many months to come.

The COVID-19 pandemic has cratered tourist numbers in every corner of the map, exacting a toll on livelihoods from Lesotho to Timor-Leste. If that lasts, some countries could see a 20% spike in unemployment, according to a July report from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. It gets worse: For a few small island developing states, such as Maldives, tourism makes up more than half of gross domestic product.

But the fallout goes far beyond spreadsheets and economic forecasts. Should the travel industry fail to recover quickly, there could be lasting consequences for many thousands of families, not to mention for environmental health, vulnerable wildlife, and even traditional cultures.

The toll of lost tourism on lives and livelihoods

The impact in Sandifort’s own community in La Paz, Bolivia, has been staggering. Half of the city’s storefront tour companies have shut for good, he says. Sandifort, who owns the agency Climbing South America, watched the pandemic ripple through a broad-reaching network of mountain guides, trip leaders, drivers, and porters.

“Tourism is such an informal market, and now you see how many people are really affected by it,” says Sandifort. “People here work each day to survive for the next day.” With tourists gone, they must look elsewhere to earn a living, amid a pandemic that’s drastically slimmed the alternatives.

Ricardo Laso, a mountain guide at Climbing South America, left La Paz entirely. When the borders closed he took work in Bolivia’s gold mines, which sluice poisonous mercury into the country’s water and soil. It’s grueling labor that pays 2,000 Bolivianos a month, less than $300 USD.

“Tourists aren’t going to come back quickly,” says Laso, who has led groups through the Andes for nearly 20 years. “But I’d rather work with them – mining is really hard, and I earn so little.”

That frantic scramble for work is happening in tourist destinations on every continent; when South Africa closed the borders in March, safari guide Owen Booysen saw his country transformed. “For the last four months there were no safaris happening,” says Booysen, the lead guide at Chui Safaris in Pretoria. The effects are far-reaching, he explains, since each safari supports many people, from the farmers who sell fresh food in villages to cleaners at national park lodges.

“They have to make a living some way,” he says. Booysen, who dreamed of becoming a safari guide since he was a child, is now studying to become a fitness instructor.

Wildlife without tourists

As travelers stayed at home, their social media feeds filled with images of animals who didn’t seem to miss visitors very much. Lions napped on the roads of Kruger National Park. Jackals yowled in Tel Aviv. But while it’s heartening to imagine resurgent wildlife as a silver lining to the crushed tourism industry, Booysen says the reality is more complex.

“Everything does have an effect in the end,” he says, noting that South Africa’s fenced-in wildlife preserves require intensive management. That management is funded, in large part, by tourism. Without enough cash to maintain the reserves, animals could starve, be targeted by poachers, or come in violent conflict with neighboring communities.

And incidents of poaching are rising in many places amid the pandemic. Already, casualties range from South African rhinos to a 25-year-old silverback gorilla in Uganda.

In fact, diminished tourism could devastate conservation projects worldwide, says researcher Ralf Buckley, who studies ecotourism at Griffith University in Australia. The problem is especially grave in poor countries.

While conservation in rich countries is propped up by government spending, tourism revenue can account for 80% of park agency budgets in developing nations, Buckley notes. That money funds rangers, monitoring, and other essential safeguards.

When the handicraft markets close

Another casualty of lost tourism is the market for handicrafts, which in some places relies almost entirely on sales to travelers. Now that much of that revenue has evaporated, artisans are feeling the pinch.

“ Hanoi is empty,” says Hongky Le, of the city’s workshop-store Zó Project, which supports production of traditional Vietnamese dó paper produced in ethnic minority communities. “We sell mostly for tourists, but the shops are still closed.”

There’s not much of a local market for dó paper, whose labor-intensive production makes it relatively pricey. Le estimates that fewer than 100 people still know how to make the traditional paper; they’re getting older. With no tourist income, the artisans have largely turned to farming, highlighting just how fragile the chain of knowledge can be.

But dó paper has been made in Vietnam for centuries, and Le hopes the tradition will weather the pandemic, as well. She just wants tourists to come back so the store can reopen. “The craftsmen are not going to forget in one year or two years,” says Le.

She shares that optimism with Owen Booysen, the safari guide, who would also love to see tourism return full-force in 2021. If that happens, he’ll be ready.

“There’s a very good saying in South Africa,” he says. “If it’s not raining, prepare the fields for the rain that will come.”

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Travel's new threat is undertourism

From the stunning Twelve Apostles jutting out of the sea to the uncanny views of the Pinnacles Desert, Australia is a country with a bounty of wonders that date back centuries. From the coastal vibes to the arid, desolate spots, here are 10 natural wonders that make the land of Oz a popular destination for those with a zest for adventure.

Editor's note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip and always follow government advice.

Did you know this about the Great Barrier Reef?

1. Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is as fragile as it is beautiful. Stretching more than 2000km along the Queensland coastline, it's a complex ecosystem populated with dazzling coral, languid sea turtles, gliding rays, timid reef sharks and tropical fish of every colour and size. Whether you dive on it, snorkel over it or explore it via a scenic flight or a glass-bottomed boat, this vivid undersea kingdom and its coral-fringed islands are so unforgettable people are signing up to become a Citizen of the Great Barrier Reef to help save it.

2. Daintree Rainforest

Lush green rainforest replete with fan palms, prehistoric-looking ferns and twisted mangroves tumble down towards a brilliant white-sand coastline in the ancient, World Heritage-listed Daintree rainforest. Upon entering the forest, you’ll be enveloped in a cacophony of birdsong, frog croaking and the buzz of insects.  Continue exploring the area on wildlife-spotting night tours, mountain treks, interpretive boardwalks, canopy walks, self-guided walking trails, 4WD trips, horse riding, kayaking and crocodile-spotting cruises. You might even spot a prehistoric cassowary.

3. Uluru

Australia’s most recognised natural wonder, Uluru draws pilgrims from around the world like moths to a big red flame. No matter how many postcard images you have seen, nothing prepares you for the Rock’s immense presence, character-pitted surface and spiritual gravitas. There's plenty to see and do: meandering walks, bike rides, guided tours, desert culture and simply contemplating the many changing colours and moods of the great monolith itself. The one thing you can’t do – climb the Uluru. Stay off!

Editor’s note: Be mindful of the Mutitjulu Community by exercising proper health and safety protocols.

4. The Whitsundays

You can hop around a whole stack of tropical islands in this seafaring life and never find anywhere with the sheer beauty of the Whitsundays. Travellers of all monetary persuasions launch yachts from Airlie Beach and drift between these lush green isles in a slow search for paradise (you'll probably find it in more than one place). Don't miss Whitehaven Beach – one of Australia's (and the world's) best. Wish you were here?

5. The Twelve Apostles

The most enduring image for most visitors to the Great Ocean Road, the Twelve Apostles jut from the ocean in spectacular fashion. There they stand, as if abandoned to the waves by the retreating headland, all seven of them. Just for the record, there never were 12, and they were called the “Sow and Piglets” until some bright spark in the 1960s thought they might attract tourists with a more venerable name.

The two stacks on the eastern (Otway) side of the viewing platform are not technically Apostles – they’re Gog and Magog. And the soft limestone cliffs are dynamic and changeable, suffering constant erosion from the tides: one 70m-high stack collapsed into the sea in July 2005 and the Island Archway lost its archway in June 2009. The best time to visit is sunset, partly to beat the tour buses and also to see little penguins returning ashore.

6. Fraser Island

The local Butchulla people call it K’gari – “paradise” – and for good reason. Sculpted by wind, sand and surf, the striking blue freshwater lakes, crystalline creeks, giant dunes and lush rainforests of this gigantic sandbar form an enigmatic island paradise unlike any other. Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world (measuring 120km by 15km) and the only known place where rainforest grows on sand.

7. Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain

A precipitous comb of rock carved out by millennia of ice and wind, crescent-shaped Cradle Mountain is Tasmania's most recognisable – and spectacular – mountain peak. It's an all-day walk (and boulder scramble) to the summit and back for unbelievable panoramas over Tasmania's alpine heart. Or you can stand in awe below and fill your camera with the perfect views across Dove Lake to the mountain. If the peak has disappeared in clouds or snow, warm yourself by the fire in one of the nearby lodges … and try again tomorrow.

Why Tasmania is perfect for ecotourists

8. Ningaloo Reef

Snorkel among pristine coral, surf off seldom-visited reefs and dive at one of the world's premier locations at this World Heritage-listed marine park, which sits off the North West Cape on the Coral Coast in Western Australia. Rivalling the Great Barrier Reef for beauty, Ningaloo has more accessible wonders: shallow, turquoise lagoons are entered straight from the beach for excellent snorkelling. Development is very low-key, so be prepared to camp, or take day trips from the access towns of Exmouth and Coral Bay.

9. The Outback

Whether you're belting along South Australia's Oodnadatta Track in a 4WD or depreciating your van on the southern section of the Birdsville Track, you'll know you're not just visiting the outback – you've become part of it. Out here, the sky is bluer and the dust redder than anywhere else. Days are measured in kilometres, spinifex mounds and tyre blowouts. If time isn’t on your side, a road trip to the mining town of Broken Hill may be as far from the coast as you get.

Digging Outback Queensland’s Jurassic Trail

10. Pinnacles Desert

It could be mistaken for the surface of Mars, but scattered among the dunes of Nambung National Park, thousands of ghostly limestone pillars rise from the surrounding plain like a vast, petrified alien army. One of the west's most bizarre landscapes, the Pinnacles Desert attracts thousands of visitors each year. Although it's easily enjoyed as a day trip from Perth, staying overnight in nearby Cervantes allows for multiple visits to experience the full spectrum of colour changes at dawn, sunset and the full moon, when most tourists are back in their hotels.

Introducing Australia

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Australia's 10 best natural wonders  

Travel may still be a little tricky, but you can still traverse the globe with these delicious drink recipes to try at home.

Today's cocktail hails from Cuba – Mojito.

What is it?

Sultry and refreshing, a mojito is the rare island drink that is both sugary and herbaceous, an organic experience that takes the edge off a humid, tropical day wonderfully.

Origins

The mojito’s roots sink deep into the Cuban countryside, which makes sense, given the ingredients: limes prevented scurvy among colonial sailors and sugar cane fields blanket the hinterlands. No one knows who first brought these elements together to create the mojito. But the drink’s ascendancy can be traced, first, to 1930s Havana, and then to the cocktail culture of the mid-20th century.

You’ll need (serves 1)

1 tsp sugar
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 sprig mint
4 oz crushed ice
2–4fl oz (60–120ml) white rum
8fl oz (240ml) club soda

Method

Step 1: Put the sugar into a 12–ounce glass.
Step 2: Squeeze around 1-2 fl oz (30-60ml) of juice from the lime into the glass, then add a lime wedge.
Step 3: Place the sprig of mint into the glass.
Step 4: Use a muddler or spoon to mash everything together.
Step 5: Add the crushed ice to the glass.
Step 6: Add the rum to the glass.
Step 7: Fill the glass with club soda, stir and serve.

Tasting notes

You can order a mojito in the midst of a snowstorm in Bergen these days, but the Platonic ideal is served in Cuba, or Miami – home of the largest Cuban population outside of Cuba and stepping stone for the drink’s transition to the modern cocktail scene. Be it a sweaty bar accompanied by the sound of song on a scratchy radio or a flash lounge, in any location a good mojito is a wonderful twist on the tropical drink – cool, clear and refreshing, the mint and soda providing a zingy counterbalance to the heavy sugars of the rum.

Other recipes:

Garibaldi
Irish Coffee
Terremoto

This article was originally published in April 2020 and updated in August 2020.

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Destination Drinks #14: Mojito

Let’s get right to the point here. Costa Rica may have some of the most stunning rain forests and wildlife on the planet, but it also has some truly awesome strips of sand. Whether you’re keen to body surf in the crashing spray, or just spend your days soaking up the rays, one thing is for sure – Costa Rica is a beach lover’s dream. Here are 10 of our favorites.

Editor's note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip and always follow government advice.

1. Playa Negra

As its name implies, this much-loved beach near the reggae-fueled town of Cahuita is covered in dark black sand that positively shines on a sunny day. Although the sand can get a bit warm around midday, fret not as you’re never far from the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. Though undoubtedly the town's most popular spot for swimming, it's never crowded.

2. Playa Conchal

Arguably the most beautiful beach in Costa Rica, tiny yet never understated Playa Conchal is covered in a fine sprinkling of crushed seashells. As you wade through crystalline water in search of a memorable souvenir, pause for a moment to reflect on how wonderful it is to be in paradise.

3. Punta Uva

Off a dirt road marked by Punta Uva Dive Center is a quiet, idyllic cove that could double for a scene in the film The Beach. There are usually a couple of locals renting out surfboards on the sand, and the reef to the right of the cove is excellent for snorkeling and surfing (but not at the same time!). When the waves are up, this spot creates a forgiving peeling right-hand wave that's suitable for intermediates.

4. Playa Espadillia Sur

A half-hour hike from the Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio entrance, the exposed Playa Espadilla Sur is to the north of Punta Catedral and gorgeous with pinch-me scenes of white sand, backed by lush tropical forest. As tempted as you may be, swimming here can be dangerous – be aware of currents. There's drinking water, bathrooms and showers in the middle of the beach.

5. Playa Santa Teresa

Playa Santa Teresa is a long, stunning beach that's famous for its fast and powerful beach break. The waves at the popular Peninsula de Nicoya destination are pretty consistent and can be surfed at virtually any time of day. At the north end of the beach, Roca Mar – aka Suck Rock – is an awesome point break and a local favorite. The break La Lora is named for the nightclub that marks the turnoff from the main road, which is how you find it.

6. Playa Hermosa

Somewhere north of town, Playa Santa Teresa ends and Playa Hermosa starts. This gorgeous beach deserves its hermosa (beautiful) moniker and then some. It's wide and flat and spectacular at low tide. The beach nearly disappears at high tide. Somewhere between low and high is surf tide, when you can ride the wide beach break left or right from center. You can surf the point break (at the north end of the beach) at any time.

7. Playa Ventanas

Tucked behind a grove of coco palms on the Central Pacific Coast, this crescent-shaped, black-sand-and-pebble beach has elaborate rock formations at either end, and is called v entanas (windows) because on the northern side there are a couple of caves large enough to walk into. The ocean roars and crashes through the caves as the tide comes in – it's pretty spectacular to watch. There are no services here, but you can pick up some roadside coconut water, and snacks from vendors on the beach.

8. Playa Barrigona

A dreamy, hidden, white-sand beach about 30 minutes north of Sámara, where no development is visible.

9. Playa Montezuma

The best beach close to town is just to the north, where the sand is powdery and sheltered from big swells. This is your glorious sun-soaked crash pad. The water's shade of teal is immediately nourishing, the temperature is perfect and fish are abundant. At the north end of the beach, look for the trail that leads to a cove known as Piedra Colorada. A small waterfall forms a freshwater pool, which is a perfect swimming spot.

10. Playa San Josecito

South of Río Claro, Playa San Josecito is one of the longest stretches of white-sand beach on this side of the Península de Osa. It is popular with swimmers, snorkelers and sunbathers, though you’ll find it crowded at lunchtime since it's the favorite post-snorkeling picnic spot for tour companies coming back from Isla del Caño. Watch out for capuchin monkeys.

You might also like:

What travel looks like in Costa Rica in 2020
Costa Rica's best adventure activities
Peaceful escapes in Costa Rica

This article was originally published in July 2009 and updated in August 2020.

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Costa Rica's 10 best beaches

"When that ship has been made ready and is fit to sail, we'll launch it out into the broad sea," said Odysseus to his men in the Homeric epic that historians typically trace back to around 800 BC. But even then sailing was an ancient art dating back many thousands of years. Farther back than human memory and even myth can remember, our history has been deeply entwined with the science and art of sailing.

If you, too, feel the call of the sea and want to make ready to sail, there are plenty of destinations where you could go. But some some are perennial favorites for a reason – whether you're aiming for the "wine dark sea" of the Mediterranean, the clear turquoise bays of the Caribbean, or the silty green-tinted currents of the Nile. In this edited and updated excerpt from Lonely Planet’s 1000 Ultimate Experiences, we cast our net wide for the world's classic sailing spots.

Our editorial team provides independent recommendations to help you make the most of your travel experiences. When you make a purchase through the included links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

1. British Virgin Islands

What happens when steady trade winds meet an island-flecked channel with tame currents and hundreds of protected bays? Every mariner worth their sea salt sails there – hence the British Virgin Islands (BVIs) being a sailing fantasy land.

There are more than 40 islands and hundreds of anchorages, all within sight of each other. The BVIs are one of the planet’s easiest places to sail – more than a third of all visitors, from beginners to old hands, come to do just that. If you're seeking a boat on arrival, boatshare companies like Boatsetter let you search for rentable vessels at a variety of sizes and price points, with or without captains depending on your skill level.

2. Bay of Islands, New Zealand

This small island nation has a habit of throwing up some of the world’s best sailors (see its America’s Cup successes) and has one of the highest per-capita rates of boat ownership in the world. And with water like this, why wouldn’t it? Famed for its stunning coastal scenery, the Bay of Islands in NZ’s 'winterless north' is one of the country’s most worthwhile attractions, punctuated by dozens of coves and filled with clear waters ranging in hue from turquoise to deep blue.

Though a hugely popular tourist and sailing destination, the 150 or so islands have thankfully escaped development and the townships are all on the mainland. Paihia is the hub town of the Bay of Islands, and though it’s small, the population swells dramatically in summer – so book accommodation in advance.

3. Zanzibar, Tanzania

Travelling to Zanzibar, which sits in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Tanzania, is like being transported through the centuries – to the ancient kingdoms of Persia, to the Oman of yesteryear with its caliphs and sultans, to the west coast of India with its sensual rhythms and heavily laden scents. The old Stone Town, where everyone arrives, is easily one of Africa’s most evocative locations.

Turquoise waters and picture-perfect beaches are trademarks of the Spice Island, and cruising aboard a traditional dhow (an ancient Arabic sailing vessel) is a tip-top way to explore the surrounding archipelago and first-class diving and snorkelling sites. In particular, you might want to seek out Original Dhow Safaris, which offers cruises aboard a locally built dhow named after one of the island’s most famous sons – Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.

4. Croatia

Called the 'new Greece', the 'new Riviera' and the 'new Tuscany', Croatia has clearly become the latest gotta-go destination for the in-crowd. But for all the hype, Croatia’s pleasures are more timeless than trendsetting: as ever, the sun shines brilliantly on the crystalline Adriatic, which gently laps a 1778km coast and no fewer than 1185 islands.

That’s a lot of coastline to explore, and there’s no better way to do this than to sail it. The most popular place to dock is the hoity-toity island of Hvar, flush with well-heeled yachties, but you should also set sail for hidden coves, traditional fishing villages and more remote island groups like Kornati or Elafiti. Don’t be in too much of a hurry to set sail, however. Gateway cities such as Split and Dubrovnik have plenty of history and appeal for landlubbers too.

5. The French Riviera

Nice, Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Monaco – this celebrated coastline is loaded with legend, myth and celebrity scandal. From billion-dollar real estate to hedonism aboard monumental yachts, there’s no disputing the sheer glitz and glamour of the French Riviera.

If you want to live the lifestyle, befriend a rock star/Hollywood bigwig/Euro royal and pose artfully on the deck of their boat. Failing that, head to Antibes or Cannes (or Marseille) to hire a set of sails. Even if it’s just a small oceangoing craft, stock the fridge with champagne and caviar and live out a little of the fantasy.

6. Nile River, Egypt

For millennia the Nile was Egypt’s main transport corridor, and today’s travellers get the perfect chance to get off-road and sail into history. For multi-day river jaunts, budget-friendly feluccas (small, traditional canvas-sailed boats) and dahabiyyas (more-luxurious houseboats, which have become the Rolls Royce of the Nile) have it all over the big cruisers. They use sail power instead of engines so more time is spent on the river, and they can stop at small islands or antiquities sites that are skipped by the cruise boats.

Most overnight felucca trips begin at Aswan; the most popular option is a three-day, two-night sail to Edfu. By night, recharge your batteries after hot, history-heavy days by star-gazing and listening to the sounds of the river.

7. Whitsunday Islands, Australia

A prime holiday hot spot off the Queensland coast, the Whitsundays are the stuff of postcard designers’ dreams – cloudless skies, azure seas and 74 flawless islands. Much of this half-drowned mountain range belongs to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, one of the seven wonders of the natural world, so you’ll find kaleidoscopic coral gardens, sea turtles and a mind-boggling array of fabulous fish.

Diving or snorkelling straight off your yacht is incomparable and sailing is huge business, with boats and tours catering to everyone from first-timers to professionals. The gateway to the Whitsundays is the town of Airlie Beach, where all the services cluster along the main drag. To arrange day, overnight, or private charter tours, connect with Sailing Whitsundays, a reputable agency.

8. The Greek Islands

There’s something undeniably siren-like about Greece ’s islands. Could it be the call of magnificent history, 1400-plus islands dotting the waters of the Aegean and Ionian Seas, and more than 300 days of sunshine a year? Sailing is the best way to set your own island-hopping itinerary, stopping for octopus and ouzo or finding a secluded swimming spot.

Select an island group to explore – favourites include the Cyclades (including the recently booming Santorini and Mykonos) or the Ionians, west of the mainland and including Corfu, Lefkada and Skorpios, the private island of the late shipping billionaire Aristotle Onassis.

Sailors beware the winds of change: the meltemi is a northeasterly wind that blows through much of Greece during the summer, which can make for more challenging sailing conditions.

9. Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Bone up on Darwin’s theory of evolution while you sail around this volcanic archipelago the very name of which conjures images of other-worldly wildlife. The Galapagos present a once-in-a-lifetime visit is to fly in and take a week-long cruise, living aboard a boat (sailing yachts are available and totally look the part, but motors are often used).

By day you can snorkel or dive, or come ashore to play Attenborough among astounding wildlife, including vast numbers of sea lions, iguanas, giant tortoises and bountiful birdlife. We implore you, however to tread carefully in this ecological wonderland endangered by climate change.

10. Tahiti and French Polynesia

It’s impossible to talk about the exotic landscape of Tahiti and French Polynesia without clichés. From the lush slopes of the high islands to the white-sand, palm-ruffled atolls with lagoons bluer than Billie Holiday, this is the place that stereotypical ideals of paradise come from. Roughly halfway between Australia and California, French Polynesia’s 118 islands are scattered over an expanse of the Pacific Ocean stretching more than 2000 sq km – an area about the size of Western Europe.

If you’re a yachtie looking to live the dream, start your adventures on the island of Ra’iatea, the yachtcharter centre of French Polynesia. It’s a good idea for sailors to avoid the November-to-March tropical depressions, with their (depressing) rain.

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This article was originally published August 31, 2010 and was most recently updated August 7, 2020.

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