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DESTINASIAN.COM – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019
DANIEL BOSLEY
AND AISHATH NAJ
Wrote and photographed
“The Next Island,” p. 74
After relocating to the
southernmost atoll in
the Maldives shortly after
getting married in 2016,
this British-Maldivian
couple set out to discover
the hidden secrets of
the ancient Dhivehi
civilization for their blog
Two Thousand Isles.
“The delicate culture
and environment of the
islands are changing fast,”
explains Naj. “We want
to combine our work in
order to collect as many of
their stories while we still
can.” Naj has developed
a reputation as one of
the country’s foremost
photographers over
the past decade, while
Bosley has worked as a
journalist in the Maldives
since 2012, reporting
for a wide range of
international publications
including Reuters and
The Economist.
MATT DUTILE
Wrote and photographed
“Higher Pursuits,” p. 94It was while bent over
trying to catch his breath
that Dutile realized Quito
required a different
style of travel. “You’ll
want to frantically run
around to do and see
everything in Ecuador’s
high-altitude capital,”
says the New York–based
photographer. “And there
is indeed much to see
and do. But it’s when you
slow down a little, and
take time to appreciate
the parade of street
vendors or the dazzling
Spanish-era architecture,
that you really begin to
enjoy Quito. Your lungs
will definitely thank
you.” From the church-
filled colonial quarter of
Centro Histórico, Dutile’s
travels took him across
the equator to Mashpi
Lodge. “This is one of the
world’s greatest ecological
hot spots, filled with
toucanets, motmots, rain
frogs, and hundreds more
species. Floating over
the forest canopy in the
Dragonfly cable car is sure
to play on the highlight
reel of my life.”CONTRIBUTORSMAVIS TEO
Wrote “Blue Streak,” p. 47Having grown up on
tales of Troy and Homeric
heroes, Teo finally fulfilled a
childhood dream of visiting
the Aegean coast of Turkey
last summer. She chose to
base herself in Bodrum, a
fashionable resort town that
has recently emerged from
a slump and witnessed a
flurry of new developments.
While working on her story,
the Singapore-based writer
and media consultant also
made time to stop by the
ancient ruins of Ephesus,
Halicarnassus, and other
beguiling relics of Greek
civilization. “Being a history
lover, I just had to visit
these places, even though
some of them required an
hour’s drive from Bodrum,”
she says. During her trip,
Mavis also discovered a
riding ranch that offered
wonderful tracks for
galloping in the countryside
of Turgutreis, and dive sites
with ship and airplane
wrecks. “A return to Bodrum
is definitely on the cards for
this adrenaline junkie.”JUN MICHAEL PARK
Photographed “House
Proud,” p. 106“Hanok are definitely
coming back into
vogue,” Seoul-
based documentary
photographer and
filmmaker Park says
of Korea’s traditional
wooden houses. “During
the past decades of
economic growth,
apartment complexes
have been associated
with wealth and prestige
in South Korea. But
these days, more and
more people seem
interested in renovating
or owning a hanok house,
which are truly beautiful
structures and a joy
to photograph.” Park
has been documenting
social issues across Asia
since he first took up
photography, contributing
to the likes of the New
York Times and Monocle.
“This assignment gave me
a newfound appreciation
for hanok. It was fun to
explore Seoul with a fresh
perspective.”SECOND^ FROMLEFT:^MARLIES^ GABRIELEPRINZL