Built to Explore — An Architect's Blueprint for Travel

What does it mean to truly read a place — not just visit it?

Sahana Kulur is an architect, an assistant professor of architectural history, and the founder of VacayWork, a travel blog for people who want to explore the world without leaving their careers behind. She and her husband have walked — and we mean walked — through dozens of countries across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and beyond, covering up to 20 kilometres a day with no fixed itinerary and their eyes wide open.

In this episode, Sahana brings a perspective on travel that most of us don't have — and once you hear it, you'll never look at a city the same way again. We talk about how her training as an architect has made her a more sensitive, more connected traveller. We talk about hunting for authentic local crafts (and the moments when the label tells a very different story). We get into wine — specifically what a glass of Austrian Grüner Veltliner does to her memory — and we find out why the smell of the Tokyo Metro is her favourite travel scent.

One word sums up why Sahana travels. Tune in to find out what it is.

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In this episode:

• How a childhood spent crossing northern India by train set the course for a life of travel
• Why architecture is one of the best lenses for understanding a new culture
• The art of finding genuinely local products — and why it's harder than it sounds
• Vegetarian travel in Japan, Iran, Jordan, and beyond
• Why planning a trip is one of the most underrated travel skills
• Wine as a sense of place — and what Grüner Veltliner has to do with the Wachau Valley

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Connect with Sahana Kulur & VacayWork:

• 🌐 Blog: vacaywork.com
• 📸 Instagram: @sahana.kulur
• 🧵 Threads: @sahana.kulur
• 📌 Pinterest: vacaywork
• 🐦 X (Twitter): @sahanak7889
• 👤 Facebook: sahanakulur
• ✉️ Email: sahana@vacaywork.com

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