Unpacked by Afar

Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most overtouristed cities—but it’s also so much more than the crowds in the city center suggest. On this episode of Unpacked—part of Afar’s ongoing Off the Tourist Trail series—host Aislyn Greene is joined by journalist Blane Bachelor, who moved to Amsterdam during the pandemic and has spent years navigating life as a resident. She shares how to experience the real Amsterdam—the neighborhoods, restaurants, and rhythms that exist just beyond the tourist-packed city center.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn

•       Why Amsterdam’s overtourism problem is really concentrated in just a few city-center neighborhoods—and how to avoid them

•       The best neighborhoods to stay in, including the artsy Noord and the very-Dutch Oost

•       When to visit for fewer crowds: the Amsterdam Light Festival in November and King’s Day in April

•       How to experience the Red Light District (De Wallen) thoughtfully and with historical context

•       The unwritten rules of cycling in Amsterdam—and why this is not the place to shake off the cobwebs

•       Where locals actually eat and drink, including a 17th-century gilded unicorn and a cash-only Dutch bar

 

Episode chapters

00:00 Introduction

04:30 Amsterdam's overtourism problem

12:00 Best neighborhoods to stay in: Oost and Noord

15:00 Best times to visit

21:00 Where to stay: hotels vs. Airbnb

24:30 First-timer tips for the Anne Frank House and Rijksmuseum

29:00 Navigating the Red Light District (De Wallen)

40:30 Dutch culture: directness, English fluency, and learning a few words

43:00 Cycling in Amsterdam: rules, etiquette, and survival tips

 

Resources

•       Read Blaine’s Amsterdam Off the Beaten Path story on afar.com

•       Follow Blaine’s Dutch adventures on Instagram

•       Check out our Iceland and England Off the Tourist Trail episodes

 

Where to Stay

•       Rosewood Amsterdam — The last hotel to be built in Amsterdam due to overtourism restrictions

•       Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht — Playful Dutch-designed interiors; canal-view rooms feel like you’re on the water

•       The Hoxton, Amsterdam — Two locations; the Eastern Docklands outpost is a local favorite

•       Hotel Arena — In Oost; known for its exceptional weekend brunch buffet

 

What to Do

•       Anne Frank House — Book immediately; tickets drop every Tuesday at 10 AM Amsterdam time, six weeks out

•       Rijksmuseum — Check for evening hours for a slightly less hectic visit

•       Prostitution Information Centre (De Wallen) — A thoughtful entry point into De Wallen’s history and culture

•       Vintage salon boat canal tours — Go small and guided; avoid the large party “buses”

•       Amsterdam Light Festival — November–January; illuminated art along the canals

•       King’s Day (Koningsdag) — April 27; street markets, orange everything, genuinely local vibe

•       Free ferries from Amsterdam Centraal to Noord — Walk or ride your bike on; no ticket needed

•       Tulip fields near Keukenhof — View from the field edges in spring; don’t walk into the flowers

•       SAIL Amsterdam 2030 — The world’s largest maritime event, returning in 2030

 

Stay Connected

•       Sign up for Behind the Mic, our podcast newsletter with episode news and behind-the-scenes details.

•       Also from Afar: View From Afar (the future of travel) and Travel Tales (first-person travel stories).

 

Unpacked by Afar is part of Airwave Media’s podcast network. To advertise, contact [email protected] 
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Is it okay to watch a violent movie next to a stranger's kid on a plane? Should you abandon your airline loyalty card? And wait—is March actually the real start of the new year?

On this episode of Unpacked, host Aislyn Greene is joined by Afar editorial director Billy Cohen and deputy editor Michelle Baron for a wide-ranging conversation tied to Afar's annual Plan Your Travel Year package on afar.com. Together they break down what travelers actually need to know heading into 2026—from the shifting airline loyalty landscape and the true cost of travel credit cards to the events, destinations, and flight routes worth planning around this year.

Plus: Michelle debuts a very special musical interlude. You'll want to stay for that.

On this episode you'll learn:

Why February (or maybe March?) is the real time to start planning your travel year

How the airline loyalty and travel credit card game has changed—and what to do about it

Which destinations are worth getting to before they blow up (Malta and Panama are calling)

What events—from the World Cup to America's 250th—are shaping travel in 2026

Tips for stretching your PTO using federal holidays strategically

Don't miss these moments:

[01:45] The lightning round: TSA PreCheck, window vs. aisle, and travel credit cards in one word (or two)

[09:45] Why the airline loyalty game "isn't so loyal anymore"

[16:00] The Chase Sapphire Reserve breakup, and what it means for your points strategy

[25:20] Biometrics, face scanning, and how close we really are to a passport-free airport

[30:00] The lounge wars—and the case for a family-friendly soundproof play area

[33:30] America 250: Tall ships in New York, a new Roosevelt Presidential Library, and a reexamination of the Battle of Little Bighorn

[38:00] World Cup 2026: How to get tickets, where to stay, and why Providence might be smarter than Boston

[44:30] How to stretch your PTO using federal holidays—and why Terry Ward changed Michelle's mind

[48:30] Places to go before they get popular: Panama, Malta, Warsaw, and more

[54:00] Revisiting the lightning round—and Billy's unexpected in-flight encounter with a Mad Men star's dad

Resources:

Explore Afar's complete ⁠Plan Your Travel Year⁠ package on afar.com.

Read our story about whether or not airline loyalty is still worth it.

Read Terry Ward's story on ⁠how to maximize your PTO⁠ in 2026.

Read Afar's guide to ⁠12 places to visit before they get popular⁠.

Explore Afar's ⁠Where to Go in 2026⁠ list.

Stay up to date with Afar's ⁠travel news coverage⁠, including airline routes, loyalty programs, and credit card updates.

Use ⁠points.me⁠ or ⁠Points Path⁠ to help maximize your miles and points redemptions.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠Behind the Mic⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, ⁠Travel Tales⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us, and View From Afar, where we spotlight the people and ideas shaping the future of travel.

Unpacked by Afar is part of ⁠Airwave Media⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠[email protected]⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Unpacked, Five Questions, a podcast that takes you behind the scenes of one great travel story.

In this episode, host and Afar executive editor Katherine LaGrave sits down with contributing writer Lisa Abend, a Copenhagen‑based journalist known for her deep reporting on food, culture, and the ways travel shapes communities. For her latest Afar feature, Lisa embarked on an ambitious road trip across northern Spain to visit five tiny towns where some of the country’s most exciting chefs are opening destination restaurants — and, in the process, helping revive regions long affected by depopulation.

Lisa shares how she first discovered this movement, why these chefs are choosing villages of just a few hundred residents over major cities, and how their restaurants are sparking unexpected ripple effects — from new guesthouses to revived local food traditions. She also talks about the surprising absence of seafood in northern Spain’s inland kitchens, the emotional family histories behind many of these restaurants, and why chatting with gas‑station attendants might be the best road‑trip advice you’ll hear all year.

On this episode you’ll learn:


Why some of Spain’s most ambitious chefs are opening restaurants in remote villages


How food tourism can help counter rural depopulation


What makes northern Spain’s regional cultures so distinct — from language to landscape to cuisine


Why hyperlocal cooking in these towns often excludes seafood, even when the coast is close


How family history shapes the stories these chefs tell on the plate

Don’t miss these moments:

[03:00] The Madrid chef conference that sparked Lisa’s reporting

[05:00] How a single restaurant can create a ripple effect across a small town

[07:00] The surprising reason none of these restaurants serve seafood

[14:00] Lisa’s best advice for road‑tripping across northern Spain

[16:00] The gas‑station cherry exchange that became an unforgettable travel moment

[21:00] The “pregnant bun” dish Lisa would eat again in a heartbeat

[22:00] How family stories — and even abandoned villages — shaped the chefs’ menus

Resources

Read Lisa’s full Afar feature on Spain’s small‑town culinary revolution

Follow Lisa Abend for more food and travel reporting

Explore Afar’s Spain travel guides

Visit the restaurants Lisa mentions in the episode and her story: Versátil, Monte, Arrea!, Ansils, Fuentelgato 

Be sure to subscribe to the show and sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming episodes and behind‑the‑scenes details. You can also explore our other podcasts: View From Afar, about the people and companies shaping the future of travel, and Travel Tales, which celebrates first‑person narratives about the way travel changes us.

Unpacked by Afar is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. To inquire about advertising, contact [email protected].
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a shiny new year, so this month on Unpacked, we're diving into Afar's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to Go list⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: 24 emerging regions and overlooked locales to explore this year.

Places like Saba, a tiny Dutch Caribbean island with no beaches, no cruise ports, and the world's shortest commercial runway—just 400 meters long. What it does have: lush volcanic landscapes, 20 hand-built hiking trails, and a population of just over 2,000.

In this episode, host Aislyn Greene talks with ⁠Bianca Bujan⁠, a Vancouver-based travel journalist who shares the thrilling 12-minute flight from St. Martin, the island's gingerbread-house architecture, and why her teenager called it his favorite trip ever—despite spotty wifi and no beaches.

Plan Your Saba Getaway

Stay

⁠Juliana’s Hotel⁠ in Windward Side, a boutique property

⁠The Scenery Hotel, a new luxury boutique hotel opening in 2026 at the base of Mount Scenery

Eat and Drink

⁠Tropics Cafe⁠ at Juliana's Hotel—popular with locals

Try ⁠Saba Spice⁠, a local handmade spiced rum served on ice

Time your visit for the ⁠Saba Rum and Lobster Festival⁠ in November

See and Do

Hike ⁠Mount Scenery⁠, technically the highest point in the Netherlands

Try the ⁠Mas'Cohones Trail⁠ for spectacular views with a less strenuous climb

Book a guided hike with ⁠Crocodile James⁠, a local legend, via the Saba Conservation Foundation

Join a ⁠Sea and Learn Foundation⁠ workshop for hands-on experiences like wild clay pottery with locals

Resources

Follow Bianca on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ or read her work on her website

Explore ⁠Afar's ⁠Where to Go in 2026 list⁠⁠

Follow us: ⁠⁠@afarmedia⁠⁠

Listen to All the Episodes in our Where to Go 2026 Series

E1: T⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠his Island in the Bahamas Promises Pink Sand, Historic Hideaways, and Perfect Solitude ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E2: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Why Peru's Second City Might Be Its Best-Kept Secret⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E3: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The New 170-Mile Hiking Network Connecting Stockholm's Dreamy Archipelago⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E4: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Route 66 Turns 100—and Albuquerque Is Ready to Celebrate ⁠⁠⁠⁠

E5: ⁠⁠⁠Why Morocco's Chill Capital Deserves Your Attention ⁠⁠⁠
E6: ⁠⁠⁠Three Hours From Nashville, the South's Next Great Food Capital Is Waiting⁠⁠⁠
E7: ⁠⁠⁠The French Riviera's Last Stop Before Italy—and Its Best-Kept Secret ⁠⁠⁠
E8: ⁠⁠⁠Skip the Serengeti Traffic Jams for This Under-the-Radar Kenyan Safari ⁠⁠⁠
E9: ⁠⁠The Pacific Northwest's 80-Mile Playground Just Got Even Better ⁠⁠

E10: ⁠⁠The White Lotus Architect Designed a Hotel in This Vietnamese City—Now the World Is Noticing⁠⁠

E11: ⁠Malaysia's Most Overlooked Island Is a Feast for Every Sense⁠

E12: ⁠The Texas City Getting a Juneteenth Museum, FIFA World Cup Matches, and a Cowgirl Museum Expansion⁠

E13: ⁠The South Australian City That Punches Above Its Weight⁠

E14: East London's Olympic Park Has Transformed Into a Cultural Powerhouse

E15: (this one!) The Five-Square-Mile Caribbean Island That's Nothing Like Its Neighbors

Stay Connected

Sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And explore our other podcasts, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View From Afar⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, about the people and companies shaping the future of travel, and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.

Unpacked by Afar is part of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠'s podcast network.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a shiny new year, so this month on Unpacked, we're diving into Afar's ⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to Go list⁠⁠⁠⁠: 24 emerging regions and overlooked locales to explore this year.

Like East London, where a billion-pound investment has transformed the 2012 Olympic Park into a creative powerhouse.

In this episode, host Aislyn Greene talks with ⁠Nick DeRenzo⁠, Afar's editorial director of newsletters (sign up here!) and a self-described Londoner at heart. Nick makes the case for hopping on the Elizabeth line and devoting time to the East Bank cultural quarter, where you can order a David Bowie costume at the V&A East Storehouse, dine on Chinese-Texas barbecue on a canal barge, and sweat it out in a community sauna.

Plan Your East London Getaway
(First, explore our ⁠London travel guide⁠.)

Stay

⁠Moxy London Stratford⁠ for budget-friendly stays

⁠The Stratford⁠, an Autograph Collection hotel

⁠The Gantry⁠, a Curio Collection by Hilton property

Eat and Drink

⁠Barge East⁠, a restaurant on a canal barge

Chinese-Texas-style Uncle Hon’s BBQ

⁠Badu Café, a Black-owned coffee shop run by a youth athletics nonprofit

Snacks and drinks along ⁠Hackney Bridge⁠, an incubator space in an old candy factory

See and Do

Explore ⁠Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park⁠, the heart of the East Bank cultural quarter

Visit the ⁠V&A East Storehouse⁠ to see 250,000 objects—and use the "Order an Object" program for a personalized curator experience

Catch a show at ⁠Sadler's Wells East⁠, dedicated to non-ballet dance

Soak at ⁠Community Sauna Baths⁠, a not-for-profit with Scandinavian vibes

Dance at ⁠Coven⁠, London's first permanent Black-owned queer venue since the 1970s

Coming in 2026

⁠V&A East⁠ museum dedicated to East London design opens April 2026

BBC Music Studios moving to the area in 2027


London College of Fashion campus now open

Resources

Follow Nick on ⁠Instagram⁠

Explore ⁠Afar's Where to Go in 2026 list⁠

Follow us: ⁠@afarmedia⁠

Listen to All the Episodes in our Where to Go 2026 Series

E1: T⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠his Island in the Bahamas Promises Pink Sand, Historic Hideaways, and Perfect Solitude ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E2: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Why Peru's Second City Might Be Its Best-Kept Secret⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E3: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The New 170-Mile Hiking Network Connecting Stockholm's Dreamy Archipelago⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E4: ⁠⁠⁠Route 66 Turns 100—and Albuquerque Is Ready to Celebrate ⁠⁠⁠

E5: ⁠⁠Why Morocco's Chill Capital Deserves Your Attention ⁠⁠
E6: ⁠⁠Three Hours From Nashville, the South's Next Great Food Capital Is Waiting⁠⁠
E7: ⁠⁠The French Riviera's Last Stop Before Italy—and Its Best-Kept Secret ⁠⁠
E8: ⁠⁠Skip the Serengeti Traffic Jams for This Under-the-Radar Kenyan Safari ⁠⁠
E9: ⁠The Pacific Northwest's 80-Mile Playground Just Got Even Better ⁠

E10: ⁠The White Lotus Architect Designed a Hotel in This Vietnamese City—Now the World Is Noticing⁠

E11: Malaysia's Most Overlooked Island Is a Feast for Every Sense

E12: The Texas City Getting a Juneteenth Museum, FIFA World Cup Matches, and a Cowgirl Museum Expansion

E13: The South Australian City That Punches Above Its Weight

E14: East London's Olympic Park Has Transformed Into a Cultural Powerhouse (this one!)

Stay Connected

Sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And explore our other podcasts, ⁠⁠⁠⁠View From Afar⁠⁠⁠⁠, about the people and companies shaping the future of travel, and⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.

Unpacked by Afar is part of⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠'s podcast network.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices