The tagine lid lifted with a soft clink. Steam rose up in slow, fragrant ribbons of salt, citrus, and warm spice. After a morning of shopping at the market and cooking side-by-side with Chamsi in her Casablanca home, I tasted more than a great meal. I tasted how Moroccan hospitality works. I chase culture through real experiences as a seasoned travel writer and photographer. I’ll show you what this Casablanca cooking class taught me about flavor, table manners, and belonging.

Dharavi, in central Mumbai, is considered one of the largest slums in Asia, but deep within this neighborhood, below the shanty grey roofs, loosely comprised of scavenged, upcycled metal, lives a resourceful and innovative community that plays an imperative role in Mumbai’s city-wide waste management.

The best way to travel with the intent of exploring diversity is to ditch the touristy places. Sometimes, tourist attractions bring people from all over the world — the Grand Canyon or Disneyland, for example.