🗺️ Exploring Local Markets: West Africa, Peru & Portugal

07-16-2024

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When you work in travel, there’s a certain point at which you stop bringing home souvenirs. Instead, you’ll find us pursuing the local markets for things for our homes or wardrobes (one of our team members has great luck thrift shopping while abroad!). Or searching for food or snacks we can bring home to consume (another colleague brought vodka, caviar, and lard spread to a party they attended after a work trip to Moscow).

We’ve rounded up some trips to destinations with excellent markets to elevate your next suitcase haul.

Do you have a favorite item you’ve ever brought home from a trip?

Stay Curious,
The AO Adventures Team

Rhythms & Rituals: West Africa's Spiritual Traditions

The trip: Connect with local community members to learn about the influence of tradition on contemporary life while you navigate floating villages, bustling markets, and art-filled museums.

The market: Benin’s Dantokpa Grande Marche is a bustling open-air market that spans nearly 50 acres. There’s a lot to see here (including the Fetish Market) but we’re most likely to bring home some brightly colored fabrics.

TAKE ME THERE

Peru: Machu Picchu and the Last Incan Bridges

The trip: Trace the living legacy of the Incan Empire as you journey to the spectacular ruins at Machu Picchu and visit one of the last Incan Rope Bridges.

The market: The Mercado de Brujas, hidden within a train station is filled with traditional folk medicine that is widely practiced among indigenous groups and the greater Peruvian society. We’ll be bringing home some palo santo and spirulina (which will be a much better price & quality than we can get at our local health food shop).

TAKE ME THERE

Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon

The trip: Uncover the secrets of Portuguese cuisine, steeped in tradition & whispered from one generation to the next, and discover the history behind some of Portugal’s most enchanting cities.

The market: The local market in Setúbal is packed with fresh goodies and local treats that define the food scene. We’re planning on stuffing our suitcase with Queijo de Azeitão (a sheep’s milk cheese infused with flowers and cured for at least 20 days).

TAKE ME THERE

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Atlas Obscura Inc.

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Brooklyn, NY 11222

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