Reader, we have officially crossed 5,000 days on our HoneyTrek! That’s 13.7 years continuously traveling without a homebase. That may sound a bit crazy (sometimes it feels that way, too), but no matter where we are on earth, we always find ourselves at home and among family in every culture we meet. Seven continents and 91 countries later, the beauty, knowledge, and kindness in the world inspire us to keep exploring…and this newsletter is living proof! Sharing stories from the second half of our Africa trip to news of our upcoming journey through South America, we clearly still have wanderlust running through our veins and hope our tales and tips bring you closer to your travel dreams.

​Watch this NBC News clip from our 5,000th day to share in our excitement, then keep reading for highlights from this year’s Burning Man, Africa by vintage train, our latest glamping finds, and more.

Burning Man 2025

We first experienced Burning Man in 2018 and never forgot the extreme joy and inspiration we felt from this global gathering and social experiment. Seven years later, we wondered if it would still have that same sparkle, and the answer is 1000%. While the news wants to make it seem like one big debaucherous party or a cataclysmic weather event, it's closer to a protopia. People coming together to reimagine the world and make it better, through creativity, decommodification, radical inclusivity, and unshakable optimism—no matter the amount of dust, mud, or heat. To help clear up some of the misconceptions about Burning Man, and share a dash of the magic from our 10 days in the deep desert, we made this video...​

Glamping Latest & Greatest

Since embarking on our newest book assignment for The World's Best Glamping Destinations, we've traveled across Scandinavia, the Baltics, Iberian Peninsula, Northern Africa, to Southern Africa and reviewed 18 eco-resorts. It takes copious amounts of research to pinpoint the properties that hit our criteria—creative accommodations, immersion in nature, sustainable practices, experiential dining, uncommon adventures, inspiring proprietors (to name a few)—and we are so thrilled with what we found! Hopefully you saw this Instagram gallery with some of our favorite glamping moments, but to get you fully caught up, see our three latest camps, starting with this pinecone-inspired treehouse dangling 50 feet above the redwood forest floor!

Africa by Train?

Yes! It’s called Rovos Rail, and it’s one of the most luxurious in the world. For the past 36 years, the Vos family has been restoring historic trains to their most glamorous days and adventurous routes. Starting our four-day trip in Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, our locomotive and its 36 well-appointed suites rolled from Zimbabwe to the capital of South Africa.

During our 1,400 kilometers of travel, we took in incredible scenery, from the spray of Vic Falls to the rugged cliffs of the Soutpansberg Mountains…whether we were enjoying a four-course meal in the dining car or lounging in our suite. While there was ample time to relax, there was just as much opportunity for adventure with safari vehicles sweeping us away for game drives and mountaintop hikes. No matter how we spent our day, Rovos had a glass of champagne to help us celebrate it.

SF Peninsula Road Trip

Everyone knows the world-class city of San Francisco and the high-tech hub Silicon Valley, but many miss the gems in between. The San Francisco Peninsula is just a few miles south of the city, flanked by the Pacific Ocean and the SF Bay, with stunning mountains running up the middle. While it has a bunch of charming towns, San Mateo County and its many outdoor advocates had the foresight to protect 42% of its land, from beach coves to redwood groves.

That balance of urban sophistication and wilderness is what makes this region so special. We could catch a few waves in the morning, follow it with a Michelin-star lunch, hike a state park in the afternoon, and enjoy an outdoor concert at a historic mansion in the evening. So whether you are planning a city trip or a quick weekend getaway from the Bay Area, you don’t have to travel far to have a vacation, with both outdoor adventure and culture.

Test your Bay Area Knowledge with our reel on "7 Surprising Things to do in the SF Peninsula" and start planning your trip with our travel guide.

Berkeley: Come As You Are

We always love a college town for its youthful energy, creative thinking, and fun-loving vibes, but Berkeley is next level. They are the activists who started the Free Speech Movement of the 1960s, the locavores who defined farm-to-table and California Cuisine in the 70s…, and today, they are the creatives, movers, and shakers who make Berkeley one of a kind. We spent four awesome days exploring its 10 distinct neighborhoods. Between their historic Telegraph Avenue, legendary food scene, ultra-biodiverse botanical garden, cutting-edge music venues, and the largest regional park district in the country, Berkeley is well worth a trip over the Bay Bridge.

Get a feel for Berkeley’s good vibes in this reel and make the most of your time in this liberal mecca with our hit list of 16 things to do.

South America Bound!

We’re so excited to go back to South America…where our honeymoon began 5,000 days ago! Traveling the continent for two and a half months, we begin in Chilean Patagonia for the Adventure Travel World Summit, where Anne will be speaking to a crowd of 700 attendees, and we’ll be joined by some of the most sustainable and outdoorsy travelers on earth for a week of learning and adventuring. After that, we’ll be back on our Comfortably Wild glamping quest, traveling through Argentina, Paraguay, Peru, Colombia, and Brazil (Mike wants to add Suriname & French Guiana, but we’ll see how much we can pull off before Xmas!) Be sure to follow along on HoneyTrek’s Instagram!

Travel with love,
Mike & Anne