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Travel stories

Stories that begin far from home. The trip goes off-plan, and someone local decides to show you the way.

91 stories

At the Snow-Country Inn, the Young Proprietress Warmed Your SakeStart
At the Snow-Country Inn, the Young Proprietress Warmed Your Sake A blizzard has sealed the mountain road, and you're the only guest left at the old inn deep in the mountains. Yukino Shirakawa · Travel
The El Nido Innkeeper Wants to Show You a Lagoon That Isn’t on the MapStart
The El Nido Innkeeper Wants to Show You a Lagoon That Isn’t on the Map You came alone to El Nido to clear your head and booked a six-room guesthouse, but in three days you have not once gone into the water. Maricel · Travel
Rainy Season, Just YouStart
Rainy Season, Just You Rainy season on El Nido, and there are no tourists. Maricel · Slice of Life
The Hawaiian Hula Teacher Says Your Hips Are Too StiffPlayableTry it
The Hawaiian Hula Teacher Says Your Hips Are Too Stiff Your sister is getting married on Kauai, and by the groom's family tradition, the groomsman has to dance a hula at the wedding feast. Leilani · Travel
Miss the Last Bus? The Bartender Wants a Song for a BedStart
Miss the Last Bus? The Bartender Wants a Song for a Bed In Nashville, your interview falls through, your wallet is stolen, and you miss the last bus. Cathy · Travel
The Whole BoatStart
The Whole Boat You charter her sport-fishing boat alone, saying you want to fish all day. Mai Shan · Travel
Against the WindStart
Against the Wind You signed up for a sailing taster lesson, and the wind picked up the moment the boat left the harbor. Bai Lan · Travel
The Harvest DanceStart
The Harvest Dance She's heading to a terraced village in the northern mountains for fieldwork, and you're the assistant who came along. Mikaela · Travel
The Seventh HorseStart
The Seventh Horse You came to the grassland ranch for the weekend. Chimeg · Mystery
Afraid of Flying, You Met the Flight Attendant Who Counted the Bumps for YouStart
Afraid of Flying, You Met the Flight Attendant Who Counted the Bumps for You A night flight from Shanghai to Milan. Wen Yining · Travel
The Woman in Sunglasses Hires Your Fishing Boat for One Day, Just to SingStart
The Woman in Sunglasses Hires Your Fishing Boat for One Day, Just to Sing Summer, 1962. A woman in sunglasses jumps onto your small fishing boat, the one the bank is about to take, and announces that today it belongs to her. Octavia · Travel
Mother turtle No. 17 did not return to the beach last nightStart
Mother turtle No. 17 did not return to the beach last night Dawn on Noronha island, the sky barely light. Taïs · Adventure
You served the wrong three tables, and she sketched dishes on your apron in charcoal.Start
You served the wrong three tables, and she sketched dishes on your apron in charcoal. You’ve come to Valparaíso to travel, and you’re working at a harborside seafood restaurant in exchange for a place to stay. Constanza · Travel
A Train Passes, and She Pushes You Behind the Shrimp StallStart
A Train Passes, and She Pushes You Behind the Shrimp Stall You're spending your vacation at a houseboat guesthouse in Samut Songkhram. Binnie · Travel
The navigator withdrew from the race, so the old convertible could only be handed to you to navigate.Start
The navigator withdrew from the race, so the old convertible could only be handed to you to navigate. The vintage car rally from Kuala Lumpur to Penang has lost its navigator at the last minute, and the organizers have squeezed you, the reserve on the list, into the passenger seat of a bright red convertible. Farah · Travel
You Pointed Out a Wrong Station Name, and the Author Rides Your Tram in PersonStart
You Pointed Out a Wrong Station Name, and the Author Rides Your Tram in Person You are a driver on the Belgian coast tram. Maxime · Travel
The Pink Tuk-Tuk Chasing My SuitcaseStart
The Pink Tuk-Tuk Chasing My Suitcase You turned around for just a moment to buy a bottle of water at Bangkok's station, and a green tuk-tuk made off with your suitcase, which holds every presentation file you need for tomorrow. Aom · Comedy
In an Icelandic Valley, an Old Sheep Joins Her BackseatStart
In an Icelandic Valley, an Old Sheep Joins Her Backseat September in Iceland, the sheep round-up. Sigrid · Adventure
Every Day Grandpa Simmers an Extra Bowl of Soup, Never Sells It, Never Explains WhyStart
Every Day Grandpa Simmers an Extra Bowl of Soup, Never Sells It, Never Explains Why You flew back to Can Tho from Sydney with nothing in your pocket but an old photo your mother left behind. Nguyễn Xuân Lan · Feel-Good
Three and a Half Hours to the Wedding, and the Car Winds Up in a Lavender FieldStart
Three and a Half Hours to the Wedding, and the Car Winds Up in a Lavender Field Your sister's wedding starts at four. René · Travel
The Mechanic Hired to Drive the Winery Owner to VeronaStart
The Mechanic Hired to Drive the Winery Owner to Verona A blistering August noon in a small town on the Emilia plain, where a single garage stands. Antonella · Travel
The weaver's name doesn't match the Paris archive.Start
The weaver's name doesn't match the Paris archive. You are a textile restorer at a museum in Lyon, sent to the old city of Fez to appraise a carpet said to date from the sixteenth century. Elias · Adventure
Capri, 1959: The Young Duke Moored His Yacht Beneath Your CottageStart
Capri, 1959: The Young Duke Moored His Yacht Beneath Your Cottage Summer 1959. You’ve saved for a year to rent a stone cottage by the sea on Capri. Valentino · Drama
The Young Proprietress of a Kyoto Inn Smiles and Says She's Already Moved Your Checkout to Next MonthStart
The Young Proprietress of a Kyoto Inn Smiles and Says She's Already Moved Your Checkout to Next Month You came to Kyoto for a week to finish a manuscript, and booked a century-and-a-half-old inn in Higashiyama. Hanabishi Chizuru · Travel
On the Pilgrimage Road, the Girl in the Bunk Below Crouches Down to Pop Your BlistersStart
On the Pilgrimage Road, the Girl in the Bunk Below Crouches Down to Pop Your Blisters You set out alone from Sarria to walk the final hundred kilometers of the Camino, and blisters rub your feet raw on the very first day. Lucía · Travel
After Riding Through the Fog All Night, the Guesthouse Owner Drapes Her Sweater Over YouStart
After Riding Through the Fog All Night, the Guesthouse Owner Drapes Her Sweater Over You You have just quit your job and impulsively ridden a motorcycle all night from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat. Vũ Thu Sương · Travel
A waitress at the beer festival tent who carries ten beers at once and saved you a seatStart
A waitress at the beer festival tent who carries ten beers at once and saved you a seat Your first time at the beer festival. Leslie · Travel
The old train in Minas mountains. The female conductor tells you that you overslept your stop, and the next train won't come until tomorrow.Start
The old train in Minas mountains. The female conductor tells you that you overslept your stop, and the next train won't come until tomorrow. You fell asleep on the old steam train in Minas and woke up to find it had stopped at the terminal station. Marília · Travel
A blizzard has blocked the road, and the mistress of the sugar shack has saved the last room for youStart
A blizzard has blocked the road, and the mistress of the sugar shack has saved the last room for you The March blizzard closed Highway 138, and your car slid into a snowbank by the roadside. Elodie · Travel
In the blue alleys of Chefchaouen, the potter asks you to help her carry clay pots up to the roofStart
In the blue alleys of Chefchaouen, the potter asks you to help her carry clay pots up to the roof You got lost in Chefchaouen, finding your way back to the same blue staircase for the fifth time. Kotar · Travel
Rio Carnival's Samba Queen Wants You on Her Float All NightStart
Rio Carnival's Samba Queen Wants You on Her Float All Night It's your first time in Rio, and you're squeezed against the stands of the Sambadrome, watching the parade. Juliana · Travel
The female mail carrier in Cinque Terre is holding your package hostage, demanding you come to her house to pick it up yourselfStart
The female mail carrier in Cinque Terre is holding your package hostage, demanding you come to her house to pick it up yourself You rented a house in Cinque Terre for a month to write your thesis. Chiara · Travel
Avignon Theatre Festival: A street performer pulls you onto his makeshift stageStart
Avignon Theatre Festival: A street performer pulls you onto his makeshift stage Avignon Theatre Festival. Leo · Travel
A Fan Flies From the Stage. House Rules: You Buy the Drinks.Start
A Fan Flies From the Stage. House Rules: You Buy the Drinks. On a business trip to Seville, a colleague drags you into a little bar in Triana to watch flamenco. Rocío · Travel
Your Fiancée Saves the Last Jar of Saffron Just for You at the Spice MarketStart
Your Fiancée Saves the Last Jar of Saffron Just for You at the Spice Market Your families arranged your engagement last year, but you've been busy with work in Casablanca and have seen her fewer than three times. Najima · Travel
The polo champion of the Pampas bets that you'll fall in love with his horse in just one afternoonStart
The polo champion of the Pampas bets that you'll fall in love with his horse in just one afternoon You are a photographer here to shoot a documentary on polo in the Pampas, and on your first day you said the wrong thing: "Isn't polo just riding horses and hitting a ball?" The champion rider heard it, thrust the reins into your hands, and said, "Let's make a bet. Facundo · Travel
Midnight in Valparaíso: The graffiti girl makes you hold the ladder and keep watchStart
Midnight in Valparaíso: The graffiti girl makes you hold the ladder and keep watch You’re traveling alone in Valparaíso, and on your last night, you get lost on the hillside. Constanza · Travel
In the Nubian village of Aswan, she painted your name on the blue lintelStart
In the Nubian village of Aswan, she painted your name on the blue lintel You stayed for a week at a Nubian guesthouse in Aswan. Nawal · Travel
A carpet merchant in the old city of Fez, who says this rug isn't for sale—it's a gift just for you.Start
A carpet merchant in the old city of Fez, who says this rug isn't for sale—it's a gift just for you. You got lost in the old city of Fez and were led by a young man into a carpet shop. Elias · Travel
The female volcano guide on Stromboli; during the night climb, you were the only one who kept up with herStart
The female volcano guide on Stromboli; during the night climb, you were the only one who kept up with her You signed up for a nighttime volcano hike on Stromboli. Carmela · Travel
At the Blumenau beer festival, the female brewer says you're the only one who dared to call her beer badStart
At the Blumenau beer festival, the female brewer says you're the only one who dared to call her beer bad You were dragged by a colleague to the Blumenau beer festival. Greta · Travel
Waves rose in Ha Long Bay, and the female captain said the boat could only dock by an island tonightStart
Waves rose in Ha Long Bay, and the female captain said the boat could only dock by an island tonight In the off-season at Ha Long Bay, you were the only guest on this trip of the "Haiyan". Nguyễn Hải Yến · Travel
The Hmong guide from Sa Pa said the mountain path had collapsed, and we could only stay at his wooden house tonight.Start
The Hmong guide from Sa Pa said the mountain path had collapsed, and we could only stay at his wooden house tonight. On the second day of hiking, the path ahead collapsed, blocking the descent with mud and rocks. A Bảo · Travel
The Cordel Poet Wrote You into Her New VerseStart
The Cordel Poet Wrote You into Her New Verse You're a city boy from São Paulo who spent the whole morning at the Caruaru market behind a camera. Iara · Travel
The female ranger on Komodo Island, shielding you behind her with a wooden forkStart
The female ranger on Komodo Island, shielding you behind her with a wooden fork You were distracted by taking photos along the hiking trail in Komodo National Park and stepped off the path. Christy · Travel
The Female Guide's Car Got Stuck by the Rain Lake in the White DunesStart
The Female Guide's Car Got Stuck by the Rain Lake in the White Dunes You signed up for a day trip to the dunes of Lençóis, but you were the only person on the tour. Yara · Travel
The beekeeper in the lavender fields, lifting her veil to let you taste the first spoonful of honeyStart
The beekeeper in the lavender fields, lifting her veil to let you taste the first spoonful of honey You were stung by a bee while cycling through the lavender fields, and a woman wearing protective beekeeping gear led you into her stone farmhouse. Colette · Travel
The rain wouldn't stop, and the owner of the surf shop pulled the shutter down halfway.Start
The rain wouldn't stop, and the owner of the surf shop pulled the shutter down halfway. It's your third day on the island vacation, and a storm has canceled all surf lessons. Bianca · Travel

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