We are Michael Hodgson and Therese Iknoian, the husband-and-wife team behind the HI Travel Tales curtain – and, yes, despite travel’s occasional travails, we remain happily married and always look forward to the next trip together. We are veteran travel journalists and photographers — not Instagram bikini influencers (no one wants to see Michael in a bikini anyway!)
HI Travel Tales is dedicated to inspiring meaningful travel adventures around the world with a focus on immersive travel experiences. We discover the unexpected and extraordinary even in the most common of destinations. Our award-winning writing and photography guides travelers and non-travelers alike on a journey of discovery and wonder.
We love sharing stories from other travelers, too, and have a growing slate of wonderful contributors. We are also surrogate parents to a rather large and still growing family of stuffed animals who all have names and invariably fight over who gets to go on the next trip (Michael sometimes insists two go, hiding one in Therese’s carry-on.)
Want to know what it’s like to work with your spouse – and stay married? Then listen in to two CoupleCo podcasts featuring Michael Hodgson and Therese Iknoian below.
We are travelers. Always have been. We engage. We explore. We immerse ourselves everywhere we go. We are both uber-curious and enthusiastic about sharing our experiences. Here are a few of our latest travel adventures.
Reading Time: 7 minutes Skiing in the famed Hahnenkamm downhill ski race on the Streif in Kitzbuhel, Austria is considered a lifetime accomplishment for professional skiers. Hiking the Streif is something anyone can do in the late spring, summer and early fall. We explain the ski race while showing you how to go about hiking the Streif yourself.
Reading Time: 6 minutes If you are planning a trip to Berlin, then visiting the Reichstag dome is an absolute must, not only for the Berlin views, but for the amazing history. The Reichstag dome and the Reichstag building along with the celebrated TV tower have become iconic symbols of Germany’s capital, Berlin.
Reading Time: 9 minutes When you visit Kitzbuhel, look beyond the glitz and tourists with furs and diamonds, and you’ll discover the Kitzbuhel locals love so much. The real Kitzbuhel has gorgeous, soaring peaks, great trails, and everything picturesque, quaint and historic like the best Alpine villages you dream about.
Reading Time: 5 minutes I’ve always loved making pizza. Which is why the “Art of Pi – Making Artisan Style Pizza At Home” cooking class at Carriage House Cooking School with Chef Curtiss Hemm was so perfect for me. Learn how to make the perfect pizza margherita and get the recipe here.
Reading Time: 5 minutes Bab el Oued Ecolodge in Tamnougalt village, Morocco, offers a garden retreat with winding paths, a pool, separate cottages and excellent dinners. It is a lush world filled with plants and seductive scents from jasmine and roses. Read our review of our stay at Bab el Oued Ecolodge here.
Reading Time: 5 minutes While we can’t promise falling snow, Christmas at the Tierpark in Berlin (also known as Christmas at the Zoo and Weihnachten im Tierpark) comes as close as you can get to a perfectly illuminated Christmas wonderland.
Reading Time: 5 minutes German Christmas market drinks, options and choices. Having a Gluhwein at a German Christmas market seems an easy choice: hot mulled red wine in mug. But do you want a shot with that? Or a different flavor? German Christmas market drinks have become big business. So many choices. We’ll help you decide and know how to ask for what you want.
Reading Time: 3 minutes There is something very magical about Christmas lights at the Christmas Garden Berlin. Add in equal parts of Christmas music and servings of hot glühwein (German spiced mulled wine), and you have the recipe for an enchanting evening at the Berlin Botanic Garten.
Reading Time: 3 minutes Drago’s Charbroiled Oysters New Orleans style won me over. Know how to grill your own oysters with this recipe for Grilled Oysters from the official Louisiana Oyster Trail recipe book.
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