The Taj Mahal needs little introduction. Rising from the banks of the Yamuna River in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India, it is one of the most famous monuments in the world, receiving over six million visitors per year. But there is a reality that is quite literally behind the Taj Mahal that we do not see in photos and films. Look at atypical Taj Mahal photos and read about the true story behind the Taj Mahal, India that you experience when you visit.

Hurling and Healing: The Medicine of Mothering - The collective healing I experienced through a Temazcal and Kambô ceremony in Argentina. About how kambô medicine works, what to expect after kambô, and what kambô does spiritually. But also about my experience in a temazcal ceremony and the meaning and definition of mothering in relation to others, ourselves and nature.

Forestry concession community Uaxactún (Guatemala) invited us to co-create a documentary in 10 days via Actuality Abroad. How did that go?

The word ‘authentic’ is used quite widely in the travel and tourism industry. But what does authentic travel actually mean?

What to make of contrasting experiences and narratives when travelling Mexico, or any other foreign country? Here is what it is really like

Why I decided to do a four-week Mamé dieta with the Indigenous Yawanawa in Aldeia Nova Esperança under guidance of Chief Isku Kua

Indigenous languages have the power to inspire a closer connection to nature, they can make us see the world differently and hence inspire a closer connection to our natural environment – something that is necessary if we are to change the human behavior that has led to the ecological crisis. This blogpost is about the role of stories. Stories express cultural values, traditions and philosophies of life that are related to the context people live in. The indigenous stories th

In my last blogpost I wrote about what my stay in the Yawanawa village from chief Iskua Kua has taught me about the forest as a pharmacy and the role of indigenous languages in preserving that knowledge. The value of indigenous languages surpasses the indigenous context and goes way further than merely protecting global cultural heritage. Indigenous languages are valuable because they can make us see the world differently and inspire a closer connection to our natural envi

As you may or may not know I have spent a month in the Brazilian rainforest at the end of 2022. I lived in a village of the indigenous Yawanawa led by chief Isku Kua . Yawanawa means ‘people of the wild boar’. I went there to do a Mamé dieta, which is a traditional and culturally significant dietary practice of the Yawanawa people that is done for the purpose of physical and deep spiritual purification. In that one month I have learned an infinite amount of lessons, both abou

Photo by Chris Castelijns Hi! My name is Ilse. Thank you for reading, or at least beginning to read, this page. I have an eternal fascination with people and how they relate to themselves, to each other and to the world. I love meeting new people, hearing their stories, experiencing cultures and learning new ways of thinking and new ways of living. My two studies perfectly match my interests: I study Philosophy and Cultural Anthropology, but I prefer to say that I study phil