Kinez Riza and Nindy Noto

Bali

The stone foundations of this temple are megalithic, or around 2000 years old, and is one of Bali’s most sacred temples under the Agung Volcano. It is exceptionally large with stone paved alleys leading you towards the interior complex.

Tenganan Pegeringsinan Village is one of Bali’s earliest villages known for their ‘evil warding’ geringsing textiles and Perang Pandan, an annual ceremony held at the end of June that showcases fighters striking each other with Pandan leaves.

Melukat in Sebatu is a spring temple cleanse in the Sebatu valley, discovered as a sacred site 8 years ago and potent in energy. Required to go with a mangku or guide to enter the premises and conduct the ceremony.

Qi Temple Acupuncture, Bamboo Cupping, Moxibustion and Tui Na is my go to for a regular fix to ease physical or mental tension in Canggu.

Their Codage facials are especially compatible with my skincare needs, alongside their stretch shiatsu massage and signature massage. The Olaplex hair treatment and eyelash extensions are essential too.

John Hardy Seminyak serves a fantastic lunch inspired by flavours across the archipelago paired with jamu drinks in the Seminyak flagship store of jeweller John Hardy, known for Bali heritage jewellery techniques such as the chain link weave in silver, gold and precious metals.

Pura Ayun in Bongkasa - a quiet temple in the village of Bongkasa across the valley from Sayan Road, flanked by ancient banyan trees so old and colossal it is visible along the tree line as you look across the valley

A beautiful stay in the mountains in an organic coffee plantation with different styled rooms if you’re seeking colder nights by the fire and incredible organic food, owned by Ibu Kentri Norberg who is a mother to all. There are several natural river pools on the property accessible in a 15 minute trek when the days get hot.

Agustian Supriatna is a multi-instrumentalist who leads sound healing sessions using various instruments such as bamboo flutes, sitar, steel hand pan, bells and singing bowls. Catch him perform at venues in Ubud to help you attain a more peaceful and aligned state of mind.

Tirta Usada is a holistic clinic led by Tjokorde Gde Kerthyasa. Trained as a homoeopath and a Buteko Breathwork practitioner, he is also a tea master. If you have a specific ailment, he’s full of great advice. You can also head to the clinic for general advice on how to incorporate natural health practices into your daily life.

Savitri Devi is a Kundilini yoga teacher, reiki master, as well as a holistic and wellness lifestyle coach. She is based in the wellness hub of the island, an area called Ubud, and teaches at three different places there.

Bali's Spiritual and Wellness Side with Nindy and Kinez

Valeria Chrampani

Athens

A beautiful centre for a walk, running and even picnic. There are sometimes events and free concerts! Worth a visit

The best Chinese restaurant in Athens. Bit far from the centre but worth the visit

Good and cheap burgers in Central. The best food after a night out

Fave outlet ever ✌🏻 I found amazing deadstock pieces for 1-2€

Vintage store at Eksarxia. You can find treasures sometimes ✌🏻

Thrift store in the Centre, you need to search well for clothes but you will find at least one piece that u like x

V qt boutique, everything from Athenian Designers

I visited this place two months ago and it was incredible! There's a library with rare fashion books/magazines and art books and it's decorated with furry WALLS and the whole floor is pink!

Good vibes, and you can chill- have a drink on the street outside the bar

Best ice cream and fab decoration! You should visit

You should try the red curry chicken with cherry tomatoes. One of my fave restaurants in Athens

Stylist Valeria Chrampani Guide to Athens

Muzi

Durban

This is a cultural hub spot more than it is a club but it's played a very important role with creatives in KZN. It is based in Durban and I don't think there's an artist I know (musically and visually) who hasn't passed/been through there in some way shape or form. It's like a rite of passage.

This is a club in Durban that arguably brings the most eclectic crowd and has hosted some of the best Gqom parties I've ever been to. I've also done a show here, even though I'm an alternative artist and people still packed it out. Very supportive of multi-genre music.

Founded by an artist called Aewon Wolf, the Werehouse took from what Bat Centre built and sort of became a new-age hub on its own. As much as it's a club, there's also a skatepark there and it somehow held true to the nature of the creative spirit that roams in Durban/KZN.

This is a soccer stadium but there's been amazing concerts here also. Black Coffee did his orchestral show here and also his MUSIC IS KING concert. Also this is where most international artists perform when they are playing in Durban.

This is a strip in Durban that used to have a lot of clubs, even though now its just mostly has restaurants. When hiphop and the alternative scene starting booming in Durban, 2014/2015, this is where most artists would perform and it helped grow the industry.

Muzi's Guide to Music and Nightlife in KwaZulu-Natal

Varnrable

Addis Ababa

A place for organic homemade Ethiopian food and tella, a traditional brew. Tella is brewed in households, usually in the rural areas, and consumed on a daily basis. But tella's legitimate status has been fading away, losing its place to mass produced beer and imported liquor. In Selo everything is homemade, from the injera to the tella. Ingredients are collected from local communities, creating an authentic and sustainable culture around Selo. The energy is inclusive and warm, the food is fresh and tasty, and there is a variation of tellas to try out!

Shifta offers a wide range of delicious Caribbean, vegan and African food. The food I had there was super tasty! It's vibrant and filled with local creatives. A great place to eat, drink and hang out all night, having good conversations or just listening to the music. 

Fendika Cultural Center is the perfect place to take in traditional music, and at the same time enjoy traditional food and drinks in a chilled environment. There are performances every week and the place is filled with soul and good energy. Everything is traditional and relevant. I went there to soak up some local jazz one night and that was a beautiful trip.

This is a club concept, making electronic parties at different locations and with differenct DJs. They are reimagining rave culture in the modern day Addis Ababa. These parties are some of the highlights in the club scene and are happening once a month. 

A traditional restaurant in Addis Ababa where you can experience cultural performances while you eat local food. From around 7.30pm there are musicians, dancers and singers performing traditional acts from different tribes around Ethiopia, while wearing outfits from the different regions. All your senses are being stimulated while being in a beautifully decorated room with traditional design and art. 

The perfect way to get out of the city, and it is only a short car ride away from the centrum. There is a great view over the city and you're able to take a walk in nature. The park itself is how we know most parks to be, but if you wander more up, in the mountain, there are small villages; more raw and beautiful nature. 

An institute of Ethio jazz in its historical location, owned by the legendary Mulatu Astatke. This place features some of the best jazz musicians live in raw sessions. 

Explore Addis Ababa's Cultural Scene with Varnrable

Ethiopian Records 

Order the ye tsom firfir (fasting firfir). It is the best thing and come with friends, you won't be able to finish it on your own.

Their green juice is my personal favourite and the place is filled with artwork, most of it made by ZELALEM MERGA and Tesfahun Kebru.

Come early if you want to get those precious seats inside so you can experience the live music up close.

Anytime you want somewhere that has fresh air, greener around Mexico/ Mekenissa Zoma Musuem is the place, take a book and take time for yourself. Also take your time to explore the entire space.

Found next to Washa Mikael Rock Hewn Church. A walk up the hill with a nice view. Go during the day.

Found in the neighbourhood of Goma Kuteba and in front of the Ministry of Health. Take your time exploring the space.

Inside or out, the national theatre is filled with history.

My current neighbourhood, Kazanchis, where Fendika is situated. Sundays are the best days to work around anywhere in Addis.

I like barber shops, even though I haven't cut my hair in more than 10 years and I only go there for a trim or for my beard, because like anywhere else in the world, the barber shop conversations are lively. I used to go at least twice a month to another called Finfine Hotel Barber’s with my dad, I have very fond memories of that place.

Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Records 

Amsterdam

Black-owned vegan food spot in Amsterdam southeast with flavourful Surinamese dishes. The bowls are bomb and the vegan pom is a must-try!

A family-run vegan restaurant fusing Jamaican and Caribbean dishes with Japanese dishes. I love their Jamaican plate with plantains and the owners are too sweet!

Newly open at one of my favourite clubs in Amsterdam, Garage Noord. Authentic Sichuan food with fab cocktails and a terrace as well. The club opens at midnight so you can burn the calories off with a dance!

Also known as 'the queen of johnnycakes', which are Caribbean snacks. You can find her stand in multiple locations in southeast Amsterdam. Tip: they also do vegan johnnycakes with different fillings!

Authentic Ethiopian restaurant. Great for sharing meals, especially the injera with all toppings. They also have great fruit-flavoured beers and coffee.

Ghanaian restaurant in Amsterdam southeast. You can’t go wrong with the jollof, plantains or kelewele. African restaurants are very rare in Amsterdam so I’m always looking forward to supporting any new spot.

Non-profit art space with great exhibitions and curation focusing on queer and Afro-diasporic communities.

A Black-owned event space in southeast Amsterdam facilitating its direct community by hosting small parties, panels and ballroom functions. We love to see it!

Being a part of the ballroom community, I notice how hard it is to have access to spaces to practice or get together. Cultural centre Nowhere has facilitated its space to the community for many years. There are classes every week from members of the Dutch ballroom scene as well as organised get-togethers by The Living Room.

Arakaza on Where to Go in Amsterdam During Dekmantel Festival

Cami Layé Okún

Havana

I highly recommend a visit to the other side of the bay of Havana, the way to get there is by the “Lanchitas de Regla” (small boats). Known for being a town with a strong cultural tradition, especially with regard to Afro-Cuban religiosity and spirituality, it’s also a place known for its musicians.

The University of the Arts, built in 1976, is undoubtedly one of the city's architectural emblems. Twenty minutes from the centre of Havana, the ISA is a campus full of vegetation with domes and tunnels that from an aerial view, suggest breasts, fallopian tubes and vaginas. Despite having five buildings, you can only access the ‘artes circenses’ building that is currently abandoned. Ideal place to meditate, read or picnic with friends.

Exquisite live jazz club. Located in a basement of 23rd Avenue in the heart of the Vedado neighbourhood. A space where you can really get a feel for the musical talent found in the city.

The spot for fresh, natural juices. Ideal place to stop and cool down from the sun. It’s one of the few places I know where you can find a variety of juices without sugar, made in the moment with fresh fruits and vegetables. Only accepts national currency.

One of the best views of the city and sea. Admission is free for everyone, no matter if you are not staying at the hotel. Highly recommended spot for the sunset.

The greenest area in the city, where the smell of the earth is penetrating. With lush vegetation and trees brought from Africa, it is a space full of spirituality where many works of Afro-Cuban santeria are practised.

In the summer season there’s nothing better than swimming at Club Náutico.

This is a natural park where the facilities and nature merge in an enveloping way. Ideal to arrive by bicycle and enjoy the musical activities that are offered, mainly for children on weekends.

Havana would not be Havana without the Malecon. The Wall that protects the ocean and the place that gives us the best sunsets and sunrises from any point. It is the ideal place for all those things that make life more beautiful.

Havana with DJ, Cami Layé Okún

Wuh Oh

Glasgow

First up is Tchai Ovna! This is a wee stone cabin where they serve yummy vegetarian food and about a hundred types of tea. This spot has such a cosy atmosphere, with its own little garden and even spots to sit on the floor if you fancy. It’s a lovely way to start your morning, alone with a book or with a few buddies.

Next let’s hit the park. On our few days of summer in Glasgow, it feels as if the whole city congregates in this park (primarily on the one big hill at the centre!) and the warm sense of community is always comforting. BBQs, tunes, booze and always at least one group practicing their tightrope walking between a couple of trees... It’s all there.

Now that we’ve lounged on the grass for a bit, we can move on to this magical place. It has hundreds of hand crafted characters and structures built from scrap wood and metal. A few times a day it all springs to life, performing wonderful, mechanised choreography to spooky music and a synchronised light show. It’s so very endearing, elegantly playing out little tales of the human experience within the eternal cycle of life and death.

We’ve got a bit of time left before dinner so let’s check out Mono. This independent venue is a homely creative hub with a cosy feeling of community and music in the air. As well as having a bar serving quality beer and tasty vegan food, there’s an incredible little record shop inside called Monorail Music that I could lose hours in. You never know what music, poetry or other performance is going to pop up on their little stage.


It’s dinner time and therefore time for the best pizza I’ve ever had! Constantly bustling with an excellent atmosphere, this place has a super simple menu of insanely good pizzas fired for what feels like seconds in their stone oven. The pizza is soupy at the centre and charred perfectly at the crust. I’m completely addicted.

I am a complete sucker for the novelty and outright gimmickry of crazy golf. This place has these in spades! Fore Play is the perfect way to start pre-drinks properly, drinking a few beers as you merrily whack your way around 18 holes. This course has you putting into a giant helper skelter traffic cone, blasting your ball round a loop de loop and many more tasks that grow increasingly and hilariously more impossible as the drinks start to take their toll.

Now it’s time to go ‘out out’! While the Barras is every returning Glasgow musician’s dream live show, Subby is the DJs’ dream set! This dark underground venue is an institution and is second to none for its energy in the wee hours. In another fun flooring feature, there are sub woofers built beneath the dance floor so that you can feel the bass from your feet to your face!

It’s 4am and we’re not going home without a bite! This little food van close to where I stay in the West End is an institution of its own. Maggie’s is an absolute lifesaver for post-club scran and the crown jewel of their menu is the infamous Scooby Snack. This beast is aptly titled as it features basically every element of the Scottish fried breakfast (bacon, egg, tatty scone, black pudding, square sausage) plus cheese and a beef patty, arranged precariously in a towering stack within the burger bun. No better food to munch on as you stumble happily home after the loveliest of days and the biggest of nights!

Wuh Oh’s Day to Night in Glasgow

Sydney

BOCK:ARIE, is a unisex accessories and clothing brand founded in 2019 by designer Naomi Bockarie. Derived from the notion of bringing art into everyday life, the brands first collection features unique non-animal leather bags, that can be worn in numerous ways in the one design. The design philosophy is to allow the wearer to reinterpret the design into their own and to create their own personal look that is not entirely dictated by the designer and as a result BOCKARIE designs are intended to be ever evolving. Their next collection will feature clothing.

Being Mad About Curls, we specialize in all types of curls – Wavy, Curly and Afro. Based in Sydney Australia. With celebrity clients like Zadie Smith, FKA Twigs, Amanda’s Stenberg and Yemi Alade, we provide our curly haired beauties numerous and well-educated options for styling and wearing your unique look confidently.
Whether your curls are in their natural form, chemically treated or manipulated, we offer a judgement free zone so you can enjoy your hair’s versatility the way you like. 
Our role as a team is to simplify your curl journey, complimented by our Rumbie & Co curly hair products, our curly hair services and education. We also are creating a curl community that will empower and support you, leaving you time to embrace and love your curls.

Jarin Street began by recognising the misuse of Aboriginal art and the industry's failure to protect the artists and Aboriginal designs, as well as a failure to highlight the artists themselves.
We support up and coming Indigenous artists to get their designs out there and seen in day to day life.
We aim to provide ongoing ethical and sustainable support to the artists who contribute their work on our yoga mats and soon to come - active wear and fashion garments.

Sauti Systems is a multifaceted brand, focused on providing an atmospheric event of diverse and enjoyable musical content. We aim to bring positivity through all creative avenues, producing an all round inclusive experience.

A hip-hop dance experience designed to make you feel good about yourself. Usually held in a no mirrors, dim lights, judgement free space. Currently running livestream classes with dance courses also available so you can pause, rewind, and groove in your own time.

This homey Redfern cafe offers classic brunch food alongside pastries injected with Indigenous ingredients (lemon-myrtle cheesecake, hello!). Community groups can use the back room to hold meetings, and run pottery, poetry, and painting nights.

After spending its infancy as a pop-up, the popular Nigerian joint has recently found a permanent home in Newtown. It is the currently the only restaurant solely dedicated to Nigerian cuisine. All the usual suspects feature on the menu – jollof rice, puff puffs, fried plantains – with the most recent addition to the menu being suya (grilled spiced beef served with onions, tomatoes and capsicum).

Located in the heart of Sydney’s western suburbs, Gursha Ethiopian is a no-fuss, affordable and authentic Ethiopian food experience. There’s a large variety of vegan options alongside the more well-known Ethiopian dishes – doro wat and kitfo.

Bangarra is a critically acclaimed Indigenous performing arts company. Their dance technique incorporates 40,000 years of culture with contemporary movement, creating vibrant performances. While their scheduled tour is on hold due to current circumstances, they have made a number of performances available to stream for free online.

Eden Dessalegn provides traditional hair braiding with a modern twist. Self-taught, she started off charging $5 dollar a head in high school, graduated to market stalls, and now has her own studio based in south-west Sydney.

Tegan Murdock creates bespoke jewellery and keepsakes using a weaving technique taught to her by her mother. Customers can also learn to weave with her starter kits (which comes with videos and written instructions) or by attending one of her workshops. She is currently running these workshops online.

Black-Owned Businesses in Sydney

Cero Ismael 

Almere 

The only record shop Almere has at the moment. The owner has saved more than 25.000 records since his youth and now he’s selling LP’s, singles, CD’s, books and more.

Lunch and brunch room that is Hip-Hop and America inspired.

Beautiful sightseeing next to KAF. I have so many good summer memories with this spot.

A theatre, performance and exhibition centre in the city. A cultural hub. I had one of my first shows there.

Amazing Egyptian restaurant. Me and my friends used to come there a lot on the weekend.

Exploring Almere with Cero Ismael

Stiff Pap

Cape Town

If you want a night out in the township, this should be your first stop. Rands is one of the best live music venues in the city and a great place to experience a night out over some drinks and some of SA’s biggest musicians.

If you’re interested in hiking this is an entry level trail. There’s a beautiful view of the ocean and the city when you reach the peak. It’s really pretty around sundown.

This is a great spot for people who want to experience some of Cape Town’s alternative/underground music events. The best event to attend there is called Prime, so keep an eye on their socials.

This is probably the most popular bar in town. They have great music from an eclectic line up of local (and some international) djs. Start off at the one in Kloof Street around 6/7pm for sundowners and make your way down the road to the one on loop street around 10pm for the rest of the night. If you just want a chilled night out, stick to Kloof Street.

If you’re into markets/food festivals this is your spot on Saturday mornings. There are local bands, food stalls and tons of independent retailers selling (often local) goods.

Observatory is often referred to as the bohemian centre of Cape Town, because of all the students and backpackers it attracts. With the many bars on Lower Main Road, its definitely a must see for people looking to meet new people and interact with the creative community.

If you’re a fan of nature, you might want to make a stop here with the whole family. This is easily one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the country. Depending on the season they also host live concerts on the grass.

Cape Town with Music Duo, Stiff Pap

No Shade Collective

Berlin

They have a cool selection of books and magazines.



They're based here and Mexico. For us, it’s the best post-internet contemporary gallery.

Two English guys run it - arcade vibes.



A bar full of good beer and food. Queer-friendly crowd.



Found in Kreuzberg, Berlin, HAU is an international theatre showcasing dance performances, concerts, dialogue and visual arts across three venues. 

Germany's national centre for the presentation and discussion of international contemporary arts, with a special focus on non-European cultures and societies.

They host some cool parties and also, have a great outdoors area for summer chill.

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