AFAR

AFAR is a different kind of travel magazine that guides and inspires those who travel the world seeking to connect with its people, experience their cultures, and understand their perspectives. Get AFAR digital magazine subscription today for intriguing travel stories told with beautiful photos and a fresh design.

Afar

“Night Falls Above Jesús María” • Third-place winner, single photograph

Quite a Trip

The Joy of Travel

THE TRAVEL HAPPINESS SURVEY • How does travel make you happy? In our first-ever happiness survey, presented by the Aruba Tourism Board, we turned that question over to you. More than 15,000 of you replied: Turns out you love to connect with new people (big surprise) and you’d rather leave room for spontaneity than have a completely planned trip. Explore the results on these pages. For more, including videos inspired by readers’ happiest travels, visit afar.com/happy.

contributors

TRAVEL KENTUCKY

wander

SIMPLE PLEASURES • Hotels around the world are discovering that when it comes to sparking joy in travelers, sometimes less is more.

HOW TO TRAVEL HAPPIER • Whether it’s trying new things or appreciating our surroundings, we can all do more to connect with the places we visit. Here, two experts in happiness theory explain how to craft meaningful experiences and live your most fulfilling travel life.

A ROAD MAP TO HAPPINESS • What makes people satisfied is different in every culture. Your passport can be a tool for understanding those unique types of contentment.

DISNEY FOR GROWN-UPS • How midcentury design lovers, gastronomes, and, now, Jedi masters can find their happy place in the Happiest Place on Earth.

A TRIP TO PERU, THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD

CAFÉ SOCIETY • Tokyo takes its coffee seriously—and nowhere more so than at Café Bach, a traditional coffee shop known as a kissaten. For the past 50 years, the café has specialized solely in pour-over coffee made with beans sourced from around the world. Turn to page 81 to discover how this dedication inspired one of America’s biggest coffee brands.

KEEPING TIME • In northern Switzerland, travelers can learn the secrets to what makes great watches tick.

FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES • Novelist Jacqueline Winspear and her roommate Corinne clicked on their very first training day as flight attendants. Once they started traveling together, their friendship really took off.

PARADISE ISLANDS • Fashion designer Theodore Elyett finds inspiration in the Bahamas’ rich history, colorful architecture, and culture of entrepreneurship.

SPANISH LESSONS • In the flamenco clubs, soaring basilicas, and peaceful plazas of Spain, author Mira T. Lee rediscovers sides of herself that she thought she had lost forever.

AFAR PHOTO AWARDS

STRONG BREW • Hospitality, bean geekery, and pastry: How Tokyo’s coffee culture inspired an upstart American brand.

AFAR TURNS 10 • Celebrating a decade of traveling deeper

ASCENT TO HAPPINESS • THE HIMALAYAN KINGDOM OF BHUTAN IS A LAND OF MONKS, MEDITATION, AND JOY. CAN A SKEPTICAL, YOGA-AVERSE, WISE-CRACKING BLIND MAN FIND INNER PEACE?

THE DETAILS

THE GREATEST outdoors • Norwegians often rank as some of the world’s happiest people. Perhaps it’s something in their nature.

Friluftsliv • In her search to understand Norway’s concept of outdoor living, Lisa Abend made three stops in the country. Each offers a unique landscape and many ways to connect with nature.

Koh Tao Swimming Lessons