When I arrive at Healing Farm, I have an overwhelming sense that I’ve come home. This 18-acre organic farm on Vancouver Island’s Saanich Peninsula is everything I love about this part of the world, where I grew up.

With the rise in sustainability awareness and a growing curiosity about food origins, agritourism has emerged as a captivating travel trend. From olive oil harvesting in Italy to rice planting in Japan, these experiences connect travelers with the land and traditions that sustain our diets.

Sunlight streamed in as I parted the window curtains of the double-decker luxury bus my husband and I were taking from Mumbai to the popular summer destination of Mahabaleshwar, 264 kilometers East of India’s biggest city. Outside, low-hanging tufts of clouds touched the opulent carpet of green that rolled down the hills.

The tallest paddy plant in the world, Pokkali grows up to 2 metres, with its grain-bearing head staying above the brackish flood waters that inundate coastal Kerala every year, where rising sea levels and frequent floods pose imminent climate threats.

Traveling has made me a coffee lover. I’ve enjoyed the perfect espresso in Italy, strong traditional brews made in copper pots in Albania, cortados in Uruguay, and learned to take my coffee with coconut milk in Vietnam. Throughout my adventures, I’ve visited coffee plantations in India, Indonesia, and Vietnam. I thought I’d collected an abundance of knowledge about the caffeinated beverage but it wasn’t until I took a tour of the organic Finca Rosa Blanca coffee plantation in Santa Bárbara de Heredia, Costa Rica, that I realized I knew absolutely nothing about the cultivation of coffee.

The sleepy village of Licin is situated in the Banyuwangi regency of East Java, Indonesia. It’s a 30-minute drive from the town of Banyuwangi – Java’s easternmost tip – and an hour from the slopes of Kawah Ijen, the legendary volcano famous for its electric blue flames.

I bend to reach under a blueberry bush, knowing the juiciest berries are hiding underneath, where all the other pickers have missed them.

This show illuminates the intersection of the California winegrowing industry and environmental activism.

Malaysia is one of the beautiful and unique countries to visit in Southeast Asia. It's a melting pot of cultures, populated by Malays, Chinese, Indians, and the various indigenous groups.

World Footprints travels to Jalisco, Mexico where we'll be met by dolphins, pirates and Jose Cuervo. Jalisco is the seventh largest state of the 32 states in Mexico.  It is rich in history and considered to be the true Mexico since many of the cultural characteristics of the country (Mariachis, the sombrero, Mexican Hat Dance, tequila) originated there.  While touring the state we enjoyed a playful swim with dolphins at the Dolphin Discovery in Puerto Vallarta and spoke to a resident veterinarian about how Dolphin Discovery is at the forefront of marine life conservation. World Footprints also set sail aboard a replica of the Santa Maria as we went off the beaten path with pirates to a private island to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. Stopping for a “drink” along the boardwalk in Puerto Vallarta. Photo: Tonya Fitzpatrick Photo: Tonya Fitzpatrick Photo: Tonya Fitzpatrick Harvesting the agave cactus [...]

At 100+ years old, Hakone Gardens is a National Trust and one of the oldest Japanese estate and gardens in the Western Hemisphere. 

Listen to our interview with Chef Cat Cora. The Norfolk Botanical Garden is an oasis that sits on a 155 acre site near the Norfolk International Airport. The garden showcases 52 themed gardens including a butterfly garden, rose garden and other diverse flora. President Michael Desplaines tells us that visitors will soon experience a taste of Asia when the garden hosts Lanterasia. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has launched four trusted traveler programs to help streamline the travel experience to and around the United States.  One program, TSA Precheck is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and we'll get the 4-1-1 from Nathan Tsoi on how the TSA Precheck program can help travelers avoid long and aggravating security lines. We had an opportunity to speak to Richard Zarkin about Mexico's Riviera Nayarit following a recent trip to Puerto Vallarta. Richard joins World Footprints to explain why Riviera Nayarit is [...]