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Interview | Finding the Real China Among Friends with Wanna Travel

EnjoyShanghai recently sat down with 5-year Shanghai veteran Muscovite  Anastasia  and Xīnjiāng-born  Sheng  (who has a degree in organic chemistry btw), the brains behind adventure/ecotourism travel agency  Wanna Travel , which organizes trips out of Shanghai into the lesser-known corners of China. Over a cup of coffee at the Urban Soup Kitchen near their new offices on Kāngdìng Road, we talked about their inspiration for Wanna Travel, ecotourism, camping on the Great Wall, how to escape Shanghai’s pollution and what they’ve got planned for future trips.

EnjoyShanghai: How did the idea of Wanna Travel come to you guys?

Anastasia : The idea of Wanna Travel came to me from my previous job where I was working in a wine company. I was doing wine tastings in small villages all over China, so they were sending me on business trip to really small places where no foreigner had ever been. Foreigners have no idea about such places, about the attractions of those places, and don’t have the opportunity or the know-how of how to get there. We thought of creating Wanna Travel as a way for foreigners to get to those hidden places and discover the “real” China.

Sheng : I agree. After university, I started my real estate business, and I’d always had a lot of clients and lots of friends, lot of foreigners, start telling me, oh, they want to go see the real China. Most of the time, when they took a trip to some part of China, they saw a lot of people, but they didn’t see the nature, they didn’t see the culture. That’s why beginning of last year…

Anastasia : Yeah, February last year.

Sheng : Yeah, February, we were thinking, why don’t we just have a lot of activities, bringing people to these places, to help them enjoy the real Chinese culture and life, and also improve the local businesses. That’s how we started with this ecotourism thing.

Anastasia : Ecotourism [tourism designed to create minimal disruption in the areas visited] helps local small businesses develop. When we travel, we hire local guides, we stay in local farmhouses, eat local food, which helps those small villages make money and survive.

Sheng : Every time we go to those rural areas, we see a lot of beautiful people, they’re very kind and they always welcome us to stay with them. That’s why we’re thinking, why don’t we bring people from everywhere, from all over the world to see what real Chinese people are like, not just Shanghai? Shanghai’s only part of China, right, it’s not the whole of China.

ES: That’s very true. Tell us about a recent tour you had?

Sheng : Why don’t we start with Gōngyú (公盂)?

Anastasia : We just completed the tour to Gōngyú in Zhèjiāng province. It’s a hidden village, we called it “Trip to Wild China, the Shangri-la of the East”. It’s a small village hidden in the mountains at a height of about 600 meters. There’re 98 families living there, preserving the traditions of 100 years ago. We had 21 people on the tour and it’s already the third time we’ve had a tour to that place. It’s very unique because you can really see the life of rural Chinese people in this village, like it was 100 years ago.

Sheng : Their buildings were mostly built 300 years ago. Very old, very beautiful.

ES: What’s it like in terms of amenities?

Sheng : There’re no amenities.

Anastasia : Well, there’s a public toilet, public shower, not really what foreigners are used to, no air conditioning, in the winter they use stoves instead of heaters.

ES: How do you feel that people have responded to that, have they freaked out?

Sheng : Nah, we’ve had no problems like that, most of our groups understand, they respect the way people live there. They just want to observe, they don’t want to interrupt, they just want to see how people live their lives. We’re from all over the world, but we’ve come here to just respect the way they live. It’s really a unique experience.

ES: So take us through it, what was it like being on the trip?

Anastasia : First of all, it was a hiking tour. There’s no infrastructure going to this village, so first it was two hours hiking just to reach it. There’re no cars to get there, and it’s really hidden. First the group hike to the village and explore the village surroundings, and hike to a point from where you can see this amazing view with rice terraces, a really beautiful view. In the evening they make dumplings, they learn from the local people, have a bonfire party and fireworks, like firecrackers, just to celebrate their adventure. The next day they climb to the highest peak where you need ropes to climb up, because it’s a really wild trail.

Sheng : There’re no stairs, it’s really off the wall, not like a scenic area.

Anastasia : Last time, they saw the sunrise, the weather was great, there was a sea of clouds. For lunch, the locals taught them how to make bamboo rice.

Sheng : It’s great, you put the rice in the bamboo wood and then you bake it in the bamboo cane itself. They put it on the stove or on the top of the bonfire to burn it, to heat it up, and eat it with meat. It’s very primitive, very cool.

ES: How did you guys come across this little village to being with?

Anastasia : We’re always looking for these kinds of places. Zhèjiāng province especially, because it’s not far from Shanghai, has a lot of different places that are within 5-6 hours by bus, and every village has something special. Most of our trips go to Zhèjiāng province. We do a lot of research, usually we just find a local farmhouse and contact the local people, and they tell us what kind of stuff they have there, what kind of activities they can organize for us. And usually we find these spaces in the first place with the help of local people.

Sheng : We plan the trips with their help. Without them, we couldn’t do them.

ES: Sounds like it’s a close partnership.

Sheng : Yeah, every time.

ES: How do they respond to all the foreigners coming in?

Sheng : They’re super excited. They like it, they post a lot of pictures on their WeChat.

ES: Wait, even up in the isolated villages they have WeChat?

Sheng : Some people do.

Anastasia : There’s no stable connection. Not sure about the majority of people, but the local guides who live outside and bring people there definitely do.

ES: What do you think is the appeal of this kind of rougher adventure tourism?

Sheng : People get used to comfortable living in Shanghai, and a lot of people work a lot during the weekdays. Wanna Travel gives you a way to get away from the stress, get to know people. It’s more like an adventure with a chance to meet people. Getting to know somebody on the trip, you know?

ES: In a place where you don’t have to worry about exchanging WeChat contacts…

Sheng : Yeah, it’s not like a lot of events people are holding in Shanghai. You have to be really formal, and you have to have your business card. When you travel, you open up yourself, it’s a way to get rid of the bad things in your life, the stress, missing home.

Anastasia : And it’s a chance to make friends. It’s why we say “Wanna Travel offers more than a trip.” it’s a great opportunity for people who travel alone to make friends. Many people remain friends after our trips, they meet in Shanghai afterwards and they create groups of friends. Some maybe even find more than that…

Sheng : We’re not digging into that sort of stuff, but…

ES: But you’re seeing people spending a suspiciously large amount of time together?

Sheng : Well, we’ve had people who met on our trip and they come again as a couple.

ES: How big are the groups?

Sheng : 20, 30 people?

Anastasia : Yeah, from 15 or 30, depending on the trip.

How do you manage such a big crew? If it’s a village of 98 families, all of a sudden 30 people showing up is a big deal.

Sheng : Yeah, it’s difficult to manage people, sure it’s hard. You have a lot of… we’re all people, right? We have demands.

Anastasia : it’s why we have very experienced guides, who are able to manage big groups.

Sheng : Every time we have a tour leader with a lot of experience in that particular area.

ES: Do you guys have specific guides for each tour?

Sheng : We have a leader for certain types of trips; someone’s good at hiking tours, someone’s good at culture tours, someone’s good for one-day tours.

Anastasia : Like Bella, she’s been with us for more than a year, she was the first one to join our group. She’s a specialist in Yellow Mountain trips. We call it the biggest hike out of all of our trips, it really requires a lot of energy.

ES: Yellow Mountain? Do you guys do the east side or west side?

Anastasia : We do both.

Sheng : Yeah, we’re pretty hardcore.

Anastasia : We give people the opportunity to see most of the Yellow Mountain over two days. It’s really tiring, a lot of hiking, but Bella leads all the tours to the Yellow Mountain. She’s been there more than ten times.

ES: Where’s she from?

Sheng:  She’s from Dōngběi.

Anastasia:  Yeah, a tough Dōngběi girl.

What do you think makes Wanna Travel different from other agencies that do travel tours?

Sheng : I think the real difference is we really understand what people want. We have a lot of group tours, but most of them are off the wall, off trail, really adventure things you cannot find in the market. On top of that, we care about the local economy and we conserve the environment, it’s not something you find in other agencies. Plus we often have dogs coming with us, to make it a really engaging experience.

Anastasia : We are trying to be different from the traditional agencies that take a big group of people and take them to shopping places. We want to give them more freedom, more activities, more chances to make friends themselves. It’s more like travelling in a club, travelling together. Every person is important, they can feel like they’re part of a group, not just brought there, told to see something, and put back onto the bus.

ES: Do you guys have much background in adventure stuff like this, have you gone on these kinds of trips in the past yourselves?

Anastasia : Myself, not really, I can’t say that I’m the hiking type. The idea for adventure type trips just came from experience. We started with more well-known destinations, and then we developed this idea of these unique tours that people really want.

Sheng : I was born in the Western part of China. It has beautiful mountains, beautiful lakes, I’m used to these kinds of surroundings, so if I don’t see those things, I’ll miss it. Personally I’m always trying to do something unique, so if you want to go this way, I’ll go the other way. So if someone takes tourists this way, we’ll take them the other way.

Anastasia : So Sheng is mostly bringing us the ideas of new destinations, and I’m organizing it, making a plan, making it happen.

What’s your favorite trip you guys have done so far?

Sheng : For me, it’s the Xīnjiāng trip. We had a Xīnjiāng tour last year to Kashgar (Kāshén 喀什), and it’s absolutely beautiful, it was a seven-day trip with, I think, eight people. We went to many places I hadn’t even been when I was a kid. We went to the lake, to the heavenly mountains, to the old town, there are a lot of old towns in Turpan… those are absolutely beautiful.

Anastasia : Mine’s also Xīnjiāng but I don’t want to repeat…

Sheng : Yeah try something different!

Anastasia : I’d have to say Zhāngjiājiè (张家界). We run tours every two months, and it’s a really magical place, completely different from what you can see on other mountains. The uniqueness on this tour is the sea of clouds, I’ve only ever seen two times in my life. When you stand on the mountains, and you can see the clouds like you see from the airplanes, especially when the clouds are flowing… it’s amazing.

Sheng : I also wanna mention a trip to Jiǔhuà Mountain, it’s also one of my favorite trips. We start hiking in a very scenic areas, with a lot of prayer shrines and temples, it’s a very religious place. People can see how Buddhism works in china, it’s one of the most famous Buddhist mountains here. We climb up and we live in a temple, and the next day we go to the other mountains. When we went, there were no people on the whole mountain, it was really beautiful.

ES: What’s your next trip?

Anastasia : We’re going to do camping on the Great Wall! We do it every month. Usually we get people who aren’t just from Shanghai but from different cities, we meet in Beijing on Saturday and we go to a very non-touristic part of the Great Wall, no people, no tourists, and it gives us a chance to stay on our own.

ES: So you’re literally camping on the wall?

Anastasia : Yeah, there’re these stairs on this abandoned part and we camp right there, so we have a chance to see the sunset and the sunrise from the Great Wall, have a chance to climb on the destroyed part of the Wall, so people really love this experience. In May, we even have two families joining, they really want to bring their children to experience camping on the great wall.

ES: Is that legal, are you allowed to camp on the Great Wall…?

Sheng : It’s not illegal.

Anastasia : This part of the Great Wall belongs to the village, so it’s the local people who arrange the camping and charge for the entrance. You need to cooperate with local people, it’s not like we just come to occupy.

Sheng : We’re pretty respectful.

ES: You guy seem pretty eager to get out of Shanghai, but is there anywhere you really like to go to?

Sheng : Inside or near Shanghai?

ES: Inside Shanghai, no trying to get away.

Sheng : Definitely the  lǎofángzi , with the art deco stylings. All these old buildings built 100 years ago, the Bund buildings, and the French Concession, the North Bund…

Anastasia : Same, we usually go to these places together.

ES: But you’re still passionate about getting people out of the city?

Sheng : I think it’s good that people have a chance to see the real nature, a lot of people say China is polluted, but if you go just 300 to 400 km outside of Shanghai, there are some really nice places, you won’t believe you’re still in China.

Anastasia : And they’re so close to Shanghai, just a few hours by bus. There are even some places they call oxygen bars [because the air is so clean].

Sheng : And these travels help you to know the nature, to know each other, to know yourself, to challenge yourself… it’s a group tour, but it’s way more than just a tour, it’s a great social group.

ES: What kind of people do you have joining our tours?

Anastasia : Currently we have a majority of foreigners, about 90% are foreigners, 10% are Chinese. The foreigners are very mixed, United States, Germany, Netherlands, Singapore, Malaysia, Italy, Spain, from everywhere. But we would like to invite more Chinese people to join our tours so they can have more cultural exchange with foreigners, it’s a great chance for a little cultural mingling.

ES: Is it bilingual?

Anastasia : Our tour is in English, so those Chinese who join us can speak English and they can understand. We’re going to keep it in English.

ES: Do you guys have a group meetup?

Anastasia : We have a meet-up every week. We call it a meet up and networking, but it’s more like a casual event where people come and make friends, exchange some ideas… at these events we usually have half Chinese and half foreigners. We usually hold it in a bar, a restaurant, here sometimes, every week in Jing’an or Xuhui, so people just come, enjoy, it’s free entrance for everyone. It’s an important way for us to let people know we’re happening! We usually have 100 people or so, and we have around 30 or 40 regulars who come to every event.

ES: How do people get onto your tours?

Sheng : We have a website, a WeChat, Facebook, via EnjoyShanghai.

Anastasia:  People can ask us questions via those channels, and when they want to book, we send them a link to the  booking form .

If you’d like to find out which trips Wanna Travel are organising next, you either check our  Shanghai community events section , the Wanna Travel website  here , or their Facebook page  here . 

Author: Enjoy Shanghai

Enjoy Shanghai is one of the best and largest news portals in China and has been proving with meaningful and helpful news for over a decade. We are delicate to share the useful information for you about everything in shanghai.

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These Are Going to Be the Most Popular Travel Destinations in 2024

A lready thinking about where you want to travel in 2024 ? If you’re hoping to hit the hottest travel destinations of the year, Expedia Group is here to help. The one-stop travel site—alongside Hotels.com and VRBO—just released Unpack '24 , a travel trends analysis for the coming year. In addition to detailing the projected top 10 most popular international destinations of 2024, the site also revealed 10 “dupes” for travelers looking to perhaps spend a bit less, as well as those hoping to be surrounded by fewer fellow tourists. Additionally, they revealed 10 affordable cities where the world’s biggest musical acts are set to perform, as well as where to travel if you live a sober lifestyle.

“At Expedia Group, we have extensive first-party travel data that we use to enhance and curate experiences for our travelers across Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo,” Jon Gieselman, president of Expedia Brands, says in the report. “These insights shape our travel forecasts, revealed in Unpack '24, enabling our travelers to be the first to discover and book the most desired trips before they become well-beaten paths.”

Ready to ignite your travel bug? Ahead, discover the most popular travel destinations of 2024.

The Top 10 Travel Destinations of 2024

Expedia Group predicts that travelers are most likely to jet set to destinations popularized in fan-favorite TV shows and movies. According to the report, “More than half of travelers say they’ve researched or booked a trip to a destination after seeing it on a TV show or in a movie. In fact, travelers say TV shows influence their travel decisions more than Instagram, TikTok, and podcasts.” With that in mind, they reveal that the top 10 travel destinations of 2024 are as follows:

• Thailand - Featured in White Lotus , Season 3—which has sadly been pushed to premiere in 2025
• Romania - Featured in Wednesday , Season 2—which has not yet set a release date
• Malta - As seen in Gladiator 2 , which is set to premiere on November 22, 2024
• Paris - As seen in Emily in Paris
• Scottish Highlands - Featured in Outlander
• London, Bath, and Windsor, U.K. - As seen in Bridgerton and The Crown
• South Korea - Featured in Squid Game —the Season 2 release date has yet to be announced
• Florida Keys - As seen in the series Bad Monkey
• Australia - Featured in Baz Luhrmann’s Faraway Downs series, as well as the film Furiosa , which is set to premiere on May 24, 2024
• Greece - as seen in the films Argylle (set to release in 2024) and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3

The Top 10 Travel Destination Dupes

Dupes have long been lauded in the beauty and fashion categories, and now the concept is making its way to travel. “1 in 3 of those polled say they’ve booked a dupe,” the report reveals. “But what do these less obvious alternatives offer besides potential savings? They’re often less crowded, tend to be a little unexpected, and can be every bit as delightful as the tried-and-true destinations.”

Intrigued by the idea of booking a stellar vacation for a fraction of the price? Check out Expedia Group’s Top 10 Travel Destination Dupes, below, which are listed as the original destination of inspiration and the dupe that mirrors it.

• Seoul —> Taipei
• Bangkok —> Pattaya
• Santorini —> Paros
• Saint Martin —> Curaçao
• Sydney —> Perth
• London —> Liverpool
• Lisbon —> Palermo
• Geneva —> Québec City
• Zermatt —> Sapporo
• Nashville —> Memphis

The Top 10 Tour-Inspired Travel Destinations

Music lovers, this one’s for you! As you well know, traveling to see your favorite artists live is expensive, to say the least. With this in mind, Expedia set out to find the most affordable destinations where the world’s most famous pop and rock stars are set to take the stage in 2024.

Through their research, in which they analyzed the average daily rates of tour locations, they found the top 10 most affordable cities (less than $150/night on average) where travelers can witness the likes of Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Coldplay, Metallica, Madonna, and more. They are as follows:

• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - $91
• Edmonton, Canada - $108
• Mexico City, Mexico - $119
• Warsaw, Poland - $119
• Birmingham, U.K. - $127
• Houston, Texas - $130
• Antwerp, Belgium - $140
• Tokyo, Japan - $147
• Perth, Australia - $148
• Detroit, Michigan - $149

For more research-backed travel trends, be sure to check out Expedia’s full Unpack ‘24 Trend Report .

I Wanna Travel Too!

Exploring the world is an option.

Hey! My name is Hacina. I grew up on the tiny island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but currently live in Washington, DC. I would always dream about seeing the different cities that I saw on TV, in magazines, and the internet with my own eyes. They seemed so far away and impossible for me to get to. Many years later, I grew tired of dreaming of these places and decided that I would figure out how to get to them. I don’t have access to luxury travel, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t have a wonderful time, eat amazing food, meet new people, and explore the cities that I always dreamed of! I believe that travel should be accessible for everyone and I hope to show you that here. This is for everyone that looks at someone else’s travel adventures and says, “Hey, I wanna travel too!”

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i Wanna Travel

structure, structure, beautiful world !!!

I Wanna Travel (IWT)

[forge|fabric|neoforge|datapack].

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Pets Wanna Travel

Pets Wanna Travel Welcomes You with Open Paws

Our services .

What we can do for you 

We handle the full process of pet travel. This includes airline bookings, pet customs clearance (for both import and export), custom made pet travel crates fitted with everything your pet will need for travel and even pet quarantine bookings should same be required. 

State Vet Clearance

None of your furry family members will be allowed to travel unless they are up to date with all vaccines and have been issued with a state vet clearance certificate. All vaccines and health checks are scheduled in a certain way in order to ensure that the correct clearance is acquired. 

Veterinary Approved Establishment

Pets Wanna Travel is one of the very few establishments in South Africa which has received accreditation from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries, as a veterinary approved facility. This means that our establishment is certified as an animal quarantine facilty. 

Pet Kenneling

Your pets will absolutely love our boarding facilities. We treat your furry family members with as much love and care as we do our very own. They are immediately part of the family and they are sure to enjoy a happy and safe boarding experience, no matter how long / short their stay. 

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Pets Wanna Travel have dedicated, qualified on site veterinary services so that you can rest assured that if any of your beloved animals require immediate medical attention same will be provided to them speedily and on site so as to avoid any delay. 

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We conveniently offer pet collections / deliveries. Our vehicle is well equipped and our staff have been professionally trained in the safe loading and transporting of your pet. 

Testimonials

Tanya, you are superstar! Thank you so much for your care, efficiency and empathy in getting my Boxer baby safely down to E.L so quickly. 

Will definitely recommend you to everyone I know. Again, a huge thanks! 

Lori Terlingen

"My puppy was home at the earliest, safe and sound. Carrying the most precious cargo, they had done an excellent job. 

THANK YOU TANYA! 

Robyn Nayager

"Amazing service and dedication!!! 

I had to arrange everything on very short notice last minute and Tanya helped without hesitation!! Fantastic service and prompt feedback! She had to go through hell with highway being closed and protests to get pups o the airport! Almost had to turn back but really pulled through even after a two hour detour! I cannot thank you enough Tanya and team!!! Definitely would recommend to anyone!!! THANKS SO SO MUCH!!! 

Chantelle Schwartz

430 Killarney Rd, Bredell AH, Kempton Park, 1619

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073 339 0953

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Restaurant chain Tijuana Flats files for bankruptcy, announces closure of 11 locations

The Central Florida-based restaurant chain Tijuana Flats has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will be closing 11 of its restaurants, according to a release from the company.

One location in Virginia Beach, Virginia were and 10 Florida locations were closed: in Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville and Boynton Beach, a Tijuana Flats spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY. Tijuana Flats said it will continue to provide full support to its franchisees and that its remaining locations will continue to operate as usual.

As of Monday, the fast-casual restaurant chain operates 65 locations throughout Florida, along with 26 franchised restaurants in Florida, Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee.

Tijuana Flats acquired by new ownership group

According to a release from the company, Tijuana Flats has been acquired by a new ownership group, Flatheads LLC, who listed the "immense brand recognition, strong following and customer loyalty, plus future potential of the brand as some of the key reasons it was excited about its new investment in the restaurant chain."

The Tex-Mex chain was founded in 1995 in Winter Park, Florida. In a release, Joe Christina, who joined the brand in November 2022, will remain CEO of the company under the new ownership.

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Anne Kyle: 'People want to know what life actually is like here’

Anne Kyle , 46, is the founder and CEO of Arigato Travel, which specializes in gastronomy-themed tours and customized travel curation focusing on cultural experiences around Japan. Growing from a one-woman operation in 2016 to a team that now numbers more than 100, Arigato Travel has been recognized by CNN Travel as one of Japan’s “most authentic experience” companies.

2. Did you begin leading food tours right away? No, I started out teaching English and then transitioned into selling beauty products to Filipinos living in Japan. I had always been entrepreneurial, even as a child, so launching a business was a natural progression for me. I also loved traveling and being exposed to new people, cultures and foods, so after I joined a market tour and cooking class while on a trip to France, I had the idea to merge all of these interests by starting my own cooking school for tourists in Azabu-Juban. These were the roots of Arigato Travel.

3. Did you launch the business on your own? I hired Japanese chefs to teach the classes, while I began leading food tours in Tokyo a few months later. My then-boyfriend (now husband) was also on board. He demanded to see a business plan, so I told him to find the money and I would take care of the rest! He’s the operations guy, while I handle the ideas. He ended up getting a loan from his boss; I knew the timing was right, and indeed everything worked out to plan.

4. And how did you branch out from Tokyo to other cities? Our dream was to expand to different regions, but after about six months we realized that it would be impossible to scale the company by opening kitchens in other cities — so we decided to shift business models by focusing exclusively on food tours rather than cooking lessons. We first branched out to Osaka, where we recruited tour guides without ourselves even yet being familiar with the local food scene. It was a risky thing to do, but it worked out because there were people who believed in us and our vision. Initially, we wanted to offer food tours in all 47 prefectures, but we ended up deciding to focus on a select few locations: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Nagoya and around Mount Fuji.

5. What are some of your top Tokyo neighborhoods for food-related experiences? I love Azabu-Juban, where we first started the business. People think of it as being a trendy expat neighborhood, but in fact it is very historical. Many samurai once lived there, and it is a great place to find traditional Japanese foods at shops that have been in the neighborhood for multiple generations; plus more modern places like a fabulous cheese store. I also love Shinbashi, you can have super authentic experiences there drinking with local office workers.

6. What are some of your favorite food regions outside the capital? I love the tiny but flavorful shirasu (whitebait) and sakura ebi (pink shrimp) you can get in Shizuoka; they’re tiny but so flavorful. I also love the hōtō nabe from Yamanashi, and anything from Hokkaido, such as the thick stews.

7. Do you plan to expand the locations and themes of your tours? Yes, we would like to begin offering tours in locations including Yamagata and Sendai. We are particularly interested in focusing on places like family-run sake breweries and small-scale artisans, in addition to just food. Because the tourist infrastructure in many places is not ready yet, though, running these tours requires a balancing act between wanting to offer authentic experiences in places with interesting stories to tell; while also considering how to provide appropriate services for foreign visitors.

8. What types of stories would you be interested in featuring? Our network includes places like tea farmers and indigo dyers in Shizuoka with more than 200 years of history, for example. Many of these types of artisans want to preserve their craft but often don’t have anyone to carry on the family lineage, so the traditions are dying. In the Philippines, there is often a rush to expand and monetize aspects of traditional culture rather than protecting them. So my eyes really opened after meeting these types of artisans here in Japan.

9. You have an impressively large team. How do you find your tour guides and other associates? It’s a combination of advertising and referrals, but mostly it’s about attracting people with like-minded energy. I actually think that one aspect of our special sauce lies in having so many women, who represent such an untapped resource. I’ve always believed in supporting women, and I try to hire single mothers whenever I can. I’d say that women represent about 80% of our company.

10. Arigato Travel has achieved immense success. Did you have a supportive community along the way? Yes, we’ve received so much support from people who believed in us. At the same time, though, even as I was encountering many passionate people doing meaningful work in the travel and tourism community, there didn’t seem to be an easy mechanism for networking — so I decided to create one myself. I launched a Facebook group during the pandemic, and it’s been a wonderful way for people to support each other and share ideas.

11. So your whole ethos seems to be about supporting people, is that right? Absolutely. I wanted to take some of the bumps I’ve encountered along the way, and use them to help others who might be interested in starting their own tourism-related business. And because of my own economically tough upbringing, it’s personally meaningful for me to use the means I’ve achieved in order to give back to others.

12. What were some of those bumps? As a foreign woman giving Japan-related tours, I often had to prove my authenticity. Another issue was that we operated the business out of our home, and although this is now normal, it was pretty much unheard of prior to the pandemic. Some travel agencies, restaurants and hotels didn’t take the business seriously; so we ended up going around them and working with foreign companies connected to Japan, instead. I’d say that this foreign mindset, combined with local experience, ended up contributing to the company’s success but it was not always easy.

13. What advice would you offer? I think that sticking to timelines is key to success. It’s the difference between an idea turning into reality, or not. In my own case, I set a goal of moving to Japan by age 19 and opening my first business here by age 30, and staying closely focused on that helped me achieve those goals. Similarly, I aimed to launch my food tours within three months, expand to Kansai in six months, and assemble a team in a year; and I stuck to that plan. I’d also tell people to focus in on potential opportunities. Prior to starting the business, I would often help lost tourists find their way before eventually conceptualizing the idea of turning this action into a monetizable business model.

14. Besides Japanese cuisine, what other types of foods are your favorite? I love the aromas and flavors of Thai food, and the healthiness of Mediterranean cuisines like Greek and Italian. And I am equally drawn toward Michelin-starred restaurants and hole-in-the-wall joints. Food does not have to be expensive in order to be good quality. At home, I love having things like pasta and nabe, which are hearty meals that you can personalize based on the seasons, and whatever ingredients you’ve got on hand.

15. You have two children. How do you juggle family life with running a successful business? I’d say trying to maintain a strict sleep schedule is key. I normally wake up by 5 a.m. each day, since I find that having an early start gives me good momentum. My mind is like clear water when I wake up around that time.

16. Are your kids foodies? My son? Definitely. He is very tuned in to things like the freshness of foods such as strawberries, tomatoes and salmon, and I love exposing him to different food traditions. With my daughter, I am not so sure yet. She definitely has a sweet tooth, that is for sure.

17. Besides the great eats, what else do you love about living and working in Tokyo? Of course, I love the peace of mind from the safety here, and the stable systems of education and health care. When you’re raising children, these things are priceless. Tokyo is also an optimal place to run a business, since everything here runs on efficiency. I cannot imagine doing this work in a place with unstable systems of public transportation, for example.

18. Where’s another place (anywhere in the world) you’d love to try living? I think I’d love to live along the Amalfi Coast in Italy, or maybe in Croatia. The history and culture in those regions is so rich. Growing up in poverty myself, I used to watch movies from other regions around the world to get inspiration, so when I was actually able to visit these places as an adult, the feeling was exhilarating.

19. What is in the works for Arigato Travel’s future? In addition to expanding from exclusively gastronomical tours into cultural ones, and growing our regional tour area, we are also working on building a travel app to benefit global tour operators. This will involve identifying problems and needs, and then finding appropriate solutions. We are also obtaining a license to become a full-scale travel company, which will require expanding our team and operations. In doing so, we will continue to focus on growing our company organically, while cultivating relationships of trust with the people in our networks.

20. What would you say is the most fulfilling aspect of running your business? I think that food is actually a gateway into deeper aspects of a culture. People love the cuisine in Japan, but beyond this what they really want is to know more about what life is actually like here. I feel very honored to be able to share this, and I have also seen our tours actually change peoples’ lives. An Italian woman who booked several of our tours in different cities ended up moving here, and later marrying a Japanese man. And in another case, a 14-year-old boy who went on some of our tours later came back to study at Temple University. Travel is incredibly transformative, and helps fulfill peoples’ dreams — my own included. So I don’t at all take for granted the opportunity to be a part of someone else’s journey.

For more information on Arigato Japan’s culinary and cultural tours and customized travel experiences, visit https://arigatojapan.co.jp/ .

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The sad, stale state of in-flight vegetarian meals

Who ordered the limp cucumber sandwich.

Last month, a traveler posted a photo to Reddit of his girlfriend’s vegetarian meal for a 12-hour flight. It wasn’t pretty.

The sandwich featured two grim cucumber slices and wan tomatoes. On the top half of the dry roll, faint oval imprints of the filling resembled cupping therapy marks. If the flight attendants had tried to revive the meal, they failed.

As a vegan, I could relate. For travelers who don’t eat animal products, the special meal delivered to our seat is often a mystery: What will the ingredients be? How was it prepared? Will it be halfway palatable?

We know the usual suspects all too well, tomato-soupy ratatouille, salty rice the color of pale sunshine or an anemic salad. We squirrel away extra packets of Biscoff not because we are members of the cookie’s fan club; we’re just trying to survive the flight.

The pitiful cuke is the latest publicly shared slight to vegetarian and vegan travelers seeking sustenance on airplanes. In 2023, a Japan Airlines passenger received a solitary banana with chopsticks for his vegan business-class breakfast. In March, Donna Zeigfinger, founder of Green Earth Travel , ordered a quinoa plate on a United flight. The travel adviser’s plant-based meal came with a side of chicken strips.

“They’re not quite getting it,” said Zeigfinger, a longtime vegan. “They’re still not understanding.”

On a 12 hour flight and this was my gf’s veggie sandwich around 8hrs in. by u/pestopopcorn in mildlyinfuriating

Airlines are constantly investing in meal service , especially in the higher ticket categories. American Airlines recently unveiled its reimagined menu, which included such meat-free dishes as truffle ricotta ravioli and vegetable and garbanzo bean tagine with couscous. Yet, veg travelers are discovering a disconnect between what’s on the menu and what lands with a thud — or whimper — on their tray table.

“One word — disgusting,” said Nikki Dewan, a Vegetarian Society member who participated in a recent Facebook survey about airplane food . “Airlines don’t make an effort to bring good, delicious and wholesome food for the airline customers.”

In a Gallup poll conducted in July, 4 percent of Americans said they were vegetarians. So, why aren’t airlines doing better? And can they please cheer up that sad cucumber with a little dressing?

Missing meals force airlines to improvise

In general, a catering company or in-house culinary team plans the in-flight menus and prepares thousands of meals and snacks in an industrial kitchen on the airport grounds. The airlines assume that all of the passengers will eat the standard meals unless they are otherwise informed.

No different from a restaurant or wedding reception, it is the diner’s responsibility to inform the host (in this case, the airline) of dietary restrictions or meal preferences. Most carriers require passengers to submit their meal choices at least 24 to 48 hours before departure, so the chefs can fill the special orders. If you wait until you’re on the plane to share your requirements, you could end up with an improvised meal conjured in the galley.

“I was always amazed by the time it takes to put together a special meal, which is actually not that easy,” said Daniel Klein, executive chef for research and development at LSG Group, one of the world’s largest airline catering firms. “That’s why I can sometimes see why you might just get a banana, because it’s a last-minute request.”

However, reserving a meal is no guarantee that you will receive it. The flight attendant might not deliver the dish to its rightful owner because of a technical glitch, human error or passenger interference.

“It’s not just the quality of the food or the availability. It’s actually the service,” said Deirdra Barr, director of communications for the U.K.-based Vegetarian Society. “So many people’s vegetarian or vegan meals go missing or someone else gets them, and that means they’re left with nothing.”

Grace Philips, a Vegetarian Society member, knew exactly what happened to her veg meal on a recent flight: Another passenger didn’t “fancy the meat option” and asked for the vegetarian option instead. When the flight attendant reached her seat, all of the veg meals were gone. “I was hungry,” she shared on the group’s Facebook page.

In these instances, the flight attendants will often assemble an improvised plate of food for the neglected passenger. They will forage in the galley or pinch items from their own mini-coolers.

On a flight from New York to Scotland, Elyse Mercedes King said a flight attendant donated her two apples. Vanessa Winsor once survived a long-haul trip with three segments of a satsuma mandarin, six grapes and a bread roll.

When Zeigfinger flew United from Washington Dulles to Berlin, her preordered vegan meal never materialized. The flight attendant tried to correct the injustice with a slapdash meal, plus 700 frequent-flier points.

“The flight attendant was really angry,” Zeigfinger said. “She acknowledged that this was a serious thing.”

The best and worst airlines for vegetarians and vegans

In the 1990s, many travelers who identified as carnivores on the ground became temporary vegetarians when flying. The meatless meal seemed like the tastier and less enigmatic option.

“People who weren’t vegetarian were ordering the vegetarian meal because it was so much better than the chicken or beef they would serve on the plane,” said James Doran, director of business development, tourism and hospitality practice at SIS International Research.

As airlines chase after loyalty members and elite travelers, they are paying more attention to overall meal service, including the previously maligned proteins. Some carriers have teamed up with celebrity chefs, such as Delta’s partnerships with Michelle Bernstein, Michael Chiarello and Linton Hopkins. Air France works with Michelin-starred French chefs and award-winning pastry chefs.

Charles Platkin, founder and executive director of the Center for Food as Medicine , described vegan and vegetarian meals as an “afterthought” in this profit-driven market. Even so, the major airlines are still providing special meals, including several that go beyond the traditional veg diet. The subcategories include Asian vegetarian, vegetarian lacto-ovo, fruit platter and Jain , a vegetarian diet that eschews root vegetables.

Travelers note that airlines that cater to populations inclined toward vegetarianism, for cultural or religious reasons, often excel in this department. Doran fondly recalled a vegetarian Malay meal on Malaysian Airlines and an Indian-style vegetarian dish on Emirates. However, this rule doesn’t always apply.

“Very surprisingly Air India is terrible on the occasions I’ve flown with them,” Teresa Dawkes shared on the Vegetarian Society’s Facebook page. “Pretty inedible and they didn’t have any gin.”

Ashley Isaacs Ganz, the vegetarian founder of the luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure , said she wishes carriers based in countries with strong vegetarian traditions would better showcase their culinary heritage. For example, she suggested Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways incorporate Japanese temple cuisine into their menus.

“I always want to have the Japanese meal, but the different components of the meal are, for the most part, not vegetarian,” she said. “I would love for them to take it to the next level.”

In a Vegetarian Society Facebook post about airplane food, more airlines were panned than praised. Patricia Thompson called Irish carrier Aer Lingus “woeful” for serving dry veggie pasta for dinner and canapés with chicken bits that the flight attendants offered to pick off.

Not just pasta and salad anymore

To be fair, some airlines have been refining their palates.

Since 2009, Swiss has partnered with Hiltl , which claims to be the world’s oldest vegetarian restaurant (it was founded in Zurich in 1898). The airline celebrated its 10-year anniversary with a three-course meal that included spicy beetroot tabbouleh, penne with vegetarian bolognaise or massaman curry for the main course, and a vegan mango mousse for dessert.

In November, Australian carrier Qantas launched new vegan menu items in all of its classes. Economy passengers can dine on lemon herb pearl couscous with roasted carrots, baby beans and toasted almonds. Higher classes can sample such dishes as pumpkin and ginger soup with sourdough croutons; stir-fried shiitake mushrooms with tofu, chrysanthemum greens and jasmine rice; or plant-based orecchiette with sautéed mushrooms, spinach, cauliflower cream and pangrattato.

For its latest vegan and vegetarian menus, Air New Zealand introduced such dishes as cannellini bean smash with pan-fried tofu spinach and jackfruit with coconut red curry and black mustard seed steamed rice.

Klein recently developed a Western-themed vegan menu for Korean Air. For first class, he created a trio of amuse-bouches, including an onion puree flavored with passion fruit; smashed Yukon potatoes with fresh truffles and a chestnut puree; and a risotto with roasted vegetables.

He said the biggest challenge in crafting innovative in-flight meals is not the altitude, which dulls the taste buds, but the cost of some products. He said alternative meats are too expensive to include on menus.

“They are still very pricey,” he said. “We’re not there yet, so we go with regular items, but we try to be creative.”

Platkin is not clamoring for fake proteins on flights. He advocates for clean, healthy ingredients, and said the airlines already rely too heavily on processed foods and easy carbs.

When asked to review new menu options on American Airlines, he said the dishes look tasty, but he was concerned about the heavy use of cheese and the fake meat.

As for the meal plan for international economy passengers, his critique was short and to the point: “It is all pasta.”

More on air travel

Leave flying to the pros: Think you could land a plane in an emergency? Experts say you’re wrong . Here’s what you should actually do if something goes awry during a flight .

Pet peeves: Why do “gate lice” line up early for a flight ? Psychologists explained for us. Another move that annoys airline workers: abusing the flight attendant call button . For more on how to behave on a flight, check out our 52 definitive rules of flying .

Plane mess: Stories about extremely disgusting airplanes have been grossing out travelers. The question of plane cleanups became the subject of a recent debate after a flight attendant allegedly told a pregnant passenger to pick up the popcorn spilled by her toddler.

Frequent flying: Airline status isn’t what it used to be, but at least there are some good movies and TV shows to watch in the air. And somewhere out there, experts are trying to make airline food taste good.

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The Most Beautiful Stations on the Moscow Metro

You might have heard that there are some beautiful metro stations in Moscow. Soviet decorations, chandeliers, mosaic painting and statues are common in many of the stations. The good news is that the Moscow Metro does not cost a lot of money and many of the most beautiful stations on the Moscow metro are on the same line, so you can almost get on and off at each station to visit these. Over the New Year holidays, I had a free afternoon and decided to visit some of these stations. Check out what I found below…..

The main stations that you will want to visit are on the Number 5 line, also known as the Circle Line. An advantage of this line is that you can get to it very easily and quickly no matter where you are in Moscow. The announcements on the metro are in Russian as well as English so you don’t need to worry if your Russian language skills are not good.

If, like me, you arrive in Moscow via train from Kyiv , then you will arrive at a metro station which many Muscovites believe to be the most beautiful of them all…..

Kievskaya metro station was opened in 1954 and features white marble walls which curve upwards and have with large mosaics surrounded by a gold trim in a very classical style. The mosaics depict life in Ukraine and was designed by a Ukrainian who wanted to display Ukraine’s influence and contribution to Soviet Russia.

Kievskaya, one of the most beautiful stations on the Moscow metro

Soviet era artwork between the arches

Mosaic with golden trim

People carrying flags is a common theme

Going into battle

Belorusskaya

If you look at a map of the metro , you will want to go in a clockwise direction on the circle line. So you will want to get on the train going in the Barrikadnaya direction and not Park Kultury. Stay on this line until you reach the 2nd station, Belorusskaya. This station was built in 1952 and like Kievskaya also features white marble pylons and a plaster ceiling.

The ceiling features 12 mosaics in an octagonal shape depicting Belarusian life, while the tiling on the floor is said to resemble a Belarusian quilt. One of the passageway exits of the station has a statue called ‘Belarusian Partisans’ of three men wearing long coats, holding guns and carrying a flag.”

Belorusskaya metro platform

Soviet artwork on the roof

The hammer and sickle features prominently in the metro artwork

Three men carrying guns, holding the flag…

Mayakovskaya

To get to the next station, we need to change onto the green line (line 2) and go just one stop to the station of Mayakovskaya. This station has an art deco theme and, for some, resembles an elaborate ballroom. The columns are faced with stainless steel and pink rhodonite while the marble walls and ceiling have 34 mosaics with the theme “24-hour Soviet Sky. Apparently, Stalin resided here during the 2nd World War as the station was used as a command post for Moscow’s anti-aircraft regiment.

Mayakovskaya metro

24-Hour Soviet Sky mosaic

Bomber planes

It looks like planes flying over Red Square

Novoslobodskaya

It’s time to get back on the metro and return to Belorusskaya. At Belorusskaya, change to the circle line again and continue clockwise to the next station, Novoslobodskaya. With its 32 stained glass panels, this station reminds me of a church. The panels were designed by Latvian artists and are surrounded by a brass border.

Novoslobodskaya metro

The platform of Novoslobodskaya metro

Stained glass artwork

The golden trim around artwork is also very common

Prospekt Mira

Back on the metro and again just one stop until our next station, Prospekt Mira. This station was originally called Botanichesky Sad after the nearby Botanical Gardens of the Moscow State University. The pylons are covered in white marble and decorated with floral bas-relief friezes. The ceiling is decorated with casts and several cylindrical chandeliers.

Prospekt Mira metro station

Notice the floral decoration

Komsomolskaya

On the metro once more and once more we are going just one stop to the next station – Komsomolskaya. This station is famous for its its yellow ceiling. The chandeliers in this station are huge. The photos below do not do this station justice.  For me, this station resembles a presidential palace.  You hace to see it for yourself to truly appreciate it.

Because of it’s location, this is one of the busiest stations in the Moscow metro as it serves three of the main train stations in the city – Leningradsky, Yaroslavsky, and Kazansky so be prepared for a lot of people.

Komsomolskaya metro

The yellow ceiling seems to go on forever

Yellow ceiling and artwork

One of the ceiling mosaics

Elektrozavodskaya

When you are ready to leave Komsomolskaya metro station behind, then get back on the circle line and go one stop to Kurskaya and change to the blue line (line 3) and go to two stops to the Elektrozavodskaya station. This station gets it’s name from a nearby electric light bulb factory and has a somewhat industrial but also futuristic style, with 6 rows of circular lamps (there are 318 lamps in total). I think this is one of the most beautiful stations on the Moscow metro for how unique it is. The station was opened in 1944 after a delay because of the 2nd World War and features 12 marble bas-reliefs of the struggle on the home front during the war.

The Komsomolskaya metro station

The struggles of war at home

Fixing machinery

Hard at work

Making weapons

Building a tank

Even the station sign is elaborate

Ploschad Revolyutsii

Back on the metro line 3 (but in the other direction), getting off at the 3rd stop – Ploschad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square). This is located underneath the square in Moscow of the same name and is a short walk from Red Square in the city centre. It is the perfect place to end a visit around Moscow’s metro. The station features red and yellow marble arches with a total of 76 sculptures in between each arch. The sculptures are supposed to represent the people of the Soviet Union and include soldiers, farmers, industrial workers, children etc… I noticed a lot of people touching the golden chicken in the photo below as well as the show of the woman. I am assuming that this is for good luck.

Industrial worker

Touch the chicken for good luck

Sculpture of the people of the Soviet Union

Woman reading a book – touch the shoe for good luck

In education

Parent and child

These are some of what I think are the most beautiful stations on the Moscow metro. Which ones are your favourite? Would you add any to this list?

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19 comments.

Kievskaya definitely caught me off guard. Didn’t know Moscow metro stations were THIS extravagant! Mayakovskaya is gorgeous too with the marble walls and mosaics. I might just need to book a flight over to admire all of these!

Do it! Kievskaya was my first introduction to the Moscow metro as I got an overnight train from Kyiv.

You know, in the States, all we ever hear is bad stuff about Russia. It’s nice to see other (and lovely!) dimensions of such a controversial place.

It’s the same in the UK which is why I prefer going to see somewhere and making up my own mind. It’s all ‘politics and bullshit’ as I say

I went to Moscow about 13years for Christmas and went to train stations, so I can see these amazing mosaics and chandeliers. I agree with you that are beautiful Stations for sure and I could of wandered around for days. I think Kievskaya is definitely my favourite out of them all and I even have some similar pictures as you.

I imagine Moscow would have been a little different 13 years ago but these stations have probably always looked beautiful

Food and Footprints

You chose some great stations for this write up! Beautiful details in these stations and would love to visit them sometime. Particularly like the Komsomolskaya station with that yellow ceiling!

Thank you very much. Komsomolskaya seems to be a lot of peoples favourite stations too

Sumit Surai

Wow! Without the text I would have thought them to be some museum or gallery.

I know exactly what you mean!

Rosie Fluskey

Wow, it is just stunning! How does anyone get to work with so much to look at. I’m surprised at the very bourgeois-looking Komsomolskaya station. I would have thought it was all too Tzarist looking, but then I haven’t been to Russia yet lol. This has just made me want to go more!

Wow, that’s a lot of artwork. I wonder how old some of these pieces are?

Generally most of the stations are from 1940-1960 approximately. The later stations are more functional than style.

My mother-in-law was in Moscow fifty years ago and still raves about the metro stations. So far, I could not imagine much. But now! The pictures are great and I think it’s almost a pity that this splendor is underground. But for every user of the Metro can enjoy a free trip to the world of art. Susanne

True. It is like having a free trip to an art museum/gallery. I hope that you can one day visit Moscow and see for yourself.

Oh wow, I would never have known that these were metro stations. The ceilings remind me of how you need to look up sometimes, even in the commuter rush!

It is true about life in general, we just go from A to B looking directly in front of us instead of around us

Wow, I would have never guessed that these were stations. The decor is so pretty and not one I’m used to seeing at metro stations. Love the ceiling at The Komsomolskaya metro station.

They certainly don’t look like metro stations. The ceiling there is one of my favourites too!

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Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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