Hong Kong's disappearing traditions

Welcome to Going Places! This newsletter revolves around travel and storytelling, occasional travel and creative entrepreneurship news, and updates on my show, Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk.

First up, we travel to Hong Kong to meet some of its most interesting residents.

On the Going Places show this week, I interview Hong Kong author and former professional rugby player Lindsay Varty . Lindsay is the author of Sunset Survivors, a book featuring local artisans who work in some of the city's oldest, most traditional trades.

In this conversation, you'll meet villain hitters, fortune tellers, bamboo cage makers, and other people keeping Hong Kong traditions alive. This episode will give you an understanding of the rich and layered place that is Hong Kong, where many fascinating cultural practices often go unnoticed by visitors.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

Celebrate Nada Raphael's win with me.

Nada Raphael is the co-founder of TourLeb, a socially-responsible tour operator based in Beirut, Lebanon. Nada recently joined me on the show to talk all things Lebanon travel (check out her two-part episode here) and she just won the Inspiring Female Leader & Entrepreneur of the Year award by Women In Travel CIC in London.

Join me in celebrating Nada's win, ever more so important today when Nada's tour company, like so many other travel businesses in Lebanon, continues to be impacted by the war on Gaza.

And if you want to support women-owned businesses in the region, take note: Nada and I are organizing an add-on trip to Lebanon for our Jordan travelers this Fall.

?? Get all the details for our upcoming Jordan trip ??

Travel to Jordan with me: Oct 27 - Nov 5, 2024

Curated dinners for women travelers.

My friend and travel industry colleague Sequoia Armstrong is running curated dinners for women in the major cities across the US to connect with each other while supporting a local and / or women-owned restaurant. She's organized intimate gatherings in DC and Miami, with Philadelphia coming next.

Sequoia helps conscious travelers plan their dream trips to Japan and Mexico and you can learn more about her services here.

Get more details about the next dinner here.

Guess This Place

In Hong Kong, the culture changes street by street. Located in the glitzy Kowloon area on the mainland, this blue-collar neighborhood is home to some of the trades featured in Lindsay's book. Above, a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) stall is one of many still standing in Sham Shui Po. In other areas of the city, stalls like these are harder to find because, according to my guide, "people today prefer convenience and speed, while TCM medicine takes time, rendering it less popular."

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