Join The Design Tourist, Karen LeBlanc, as the award-winning travel journalist explores Otavalo, Ecuador, on a Hero’s Journey of cultural immersion with the Kichwa people—one of the largest Indigenous groups in the Andes. In this episode, Karen learns to weave on a backstrap loom, cooks ancestral recipes with a local chef, creates traditional dream catchers, and explores the spiritual symbolism behind Ecuadorian volcanoes and rituals.

This journey is packed with rich experiences: shopping at South America's largest artisanal market, discovering Andean wind instruments, and visiting the "center of the world" at the Quitsato Solar Museum.
Discover Ecuador beyond the guidebooks—through the art, music, cuisine, and ancestral wisdom of its people.
Locations Featured: Otavalo, Peguche, Cayambe, San Pablo Lake, Quitsato Solar Museum
Traditions: Weaving, Cooking, Music Making, Dream Catchers, Spiritual Rituals

Join travel journalist Karen LeBlanc on a Kichwa cultural immersion in Otavalo, Ecuador

Explore Otavalo, Ecuador: A Cultural Immersion with the Kichwa

Travel journalist Karen LeBlanc takes you on a richly immersive journey through the heart of Cuba—from the colonial beauty of Trinidad to the vibrant soul of Cienfuegos. In this episode of The Design Tourist, explore UNESCO World Heritage Sites, learn how world-renowned cigars are made from seed to smoke, witness powerful artwork by Cuban creatives, and experience the daily life, rituals, and resilience of Cuban communities.

Get insider access to coffee farms, artist studios, sacred Santeria traditions, and even a private concert with Cuba’s iconic choir, Cantores de Cienfuegos. This is Cuba as few tourists ever see it—honest, vivid, and unforgettable.

Travel journalist Karen LeBlanc takes you on a richly immersive journey through the heart of Cuba.

Curious Cuba, from Trinidad to Cienfuegos

Discover the incredible artisans of the Thuringian Forest in Germany, where the art of Christmas decor truly sparkles! Listen to their inspiring story of resilience through political divides as they passionately create festive masterpieces. Immerse yourself in the enchantment of the holiday season with one-of-a-kind Christmas crafts.

Meet the Christmas artisans of the Thuringia Forest in Germany, explore their craft & heritage

Explore Thuringia, Germany: The Forest of Christmas Artisans

In this episode of The Design Tourist, host Karen LeBlanc ventures beyond Marrakech on a three-day journey to the edge of the Sahara Desert. Along the way, she travels through the High Atlas Mountains, marvels at the red-rock canyons of the Dades Gorge and Todra Gorge, and explores the ancient ksar of Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site famous as a Hollywood film location.
Karen meets artisans practicing traditional crafts—from fire painters who use saffron and indigo pigments revealed by flame, to Berber carpet weavers preserving centuries-old textile traditions. She also learns how Berber and Bedouin communities have coexisted for generations, blending their languages, customs, and ways of life.
The adventure culminates in Merzouga, where Karen rides a camel caravan across the towering dunes of Erg Chebbi, experiences a luxury desert camp, stargazes under the unpolluted Saharan sky, and joins Berber musicians in a night of song and dance around the fire.
Through landscapes as cinematic as any film set and encounters with Morocco’s indigenous traditions, this journey reveals the mystical beauty and enduring culture of the Sahara.


Travel with The Design Tourist into Morocco’s Sahara Desert.

Explore Morocco from Kasbahs to Endless Dunes

In this episode, host Karen LeBlanc takes viewers on a journey through the sights, sounds, and stories of Marrakech and the surrounding Atlas Mountains. Beginning at Marrakech Menara Airport, Karen introduces the “Red City,” with its UNESCO-listed medina and maze-like souks. She explores Jemaa el-Fnaa Square, meets artisans in the leather souks, and shops for traditional crafts while sharing tips on navigating the market culture.
The journey continues through the Jewish Quarter, Koutoubia Mosque, and the Bahia Palace, highlighting Morocco’s Islamic architecture, Berber heritage, and vibrant artistic traditions. Karen also visits the Majorelle Garden and Yves Saint Laurent Museum, connecting fashion and design to Moroccan culture.
Venturing outside the city, Karen travels to the Ourika Valley to experience Berber life firsthand—touring pottery workshops, visiting an argan oil women’s cooperative, exploring the hammam tradition, and hiking to the Setti Fatma Waterfalls. Along the way, she samples Moroccan cuisine, including tagine and couscous, while reflecting on cultural contrasts and warm hospitality.
The episode captures Morocco’s blend of history, artistry, and living traditions, showing why Marrakech is a crossroads of cultures and creativity.

Meet the artisans of Marrakech and the Berbers of the Atlas Mountains

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