Mark Orwoll

Travel Writer

ABOUT MARK ORWOLL

Mark Orwoll has been a travel journalist for more than four decades, including 30 years at Travel + Leisure magazine, most recently as International Editor. Mark was the Silver award-winner in the cruise-writing category in the 2019-20 competition by the North American Travel Journalists Association. His work has been recognized by the Folio: Ozze & Eddie Awards, the min Editorial Awards, and by the Eastern chapter of the Society of American Travel Writers, among other awards and accolades.

Mark is the author of e-Travel (Macmillan), one of the first books published on the topic of online travel planning. He has taught travel writing at Mediabistro, and for many years was an adjunct professor in the Master's degree in Publishing program at NYU, where he was awarded a Teaching Excellence Award in 2015.

As a travel writer, Mark specializes in narrative-form travelogues about unusual cultures and offbeat, faraway destinations. He has filed stories from such far-flung outposts as Burma's Irrawaddy River, the Caucasus Mountains of European Georgia, Brazil's Amazon Basin, on a tall ship in the Andaman Sea, the Killing Fields of Cambodia, the Sacred Valley of Peru, and the Suez Canal en route from Jordan to Israel. Mark's articles have been published in such prestigious publications as Condé Nast Traveler, Town & Country, CNN Travel, Robb Report, United Airlines' Hemispheres, Travel Weekly, Frommer's Travel, The Travel Channel, AARP, the Saturday Evening Post, Matador Network, and many other print and online outlets.

Mark lives in the Lower Hudson Valley of New York. His travel motto:

"What the hell are you waiting for?!"

Silver award-winner, 2019-20 Writing Competition, North American Travel Journalists Association.

Photograph by Mark Orwoll, copyright 2019

WRITING SAMPLES

"I write for many different magazines and websites, and I'm always mindful of their specific audiences—their spirit of adventurousness, their experience as travelers, whether they're vacationing solo or as a family. But I always try to remain true to my own experiences of the destinations I cover, and I base all my writing on firsthand reporting. I started as a newspaper reporter, so I know that if you want the story, you need to get out on the street, knock on doors, and talk to people. And then double-check your facts when you get back home."

—Mark Orwoll

Why Do Cities and Countries Change Their Names?

The reasons are many: anti-colonialism, attempts to unify a varied group of people, to honor anarchist bomb-throwers, and more

Nature is on full display along the remote Guanacaste coast. Published in Porthole Cruise magazine, June 2020

Ray Caye in Belize is the Caribbean's newest private-island resort, but our writer wonders whether he might suffer from private island cluastrophobia. Published by Travel + Leisure, April 12, 2020.

French Polynesia's main island gets a bad rap. It's natural beauty call for some serious enjoyment. Published by Matador Network, April 10, 2020.

Landmines and other unexploded ordnance are a hazard of daily life in Cambodia. These are the people who try to fix that. Published by Matador Network, April 7, 2020

The fabled Lost City of Petra has been an iconic site on travel bucket lists since the days of the Victorians, when it was rediscovered. Published by the Intrepid Times, March 24, 2020.

On the exotic Tahitian island of Moorea, one man has made it his mission to share with the world the sort of street food real Tahitians eat every day. Published by Matador Network, March 13, 2020

Portugal's Alentejo region is the home of some of the finest wines in Iberia. But the region has been hit especially hard by climate change. Here's what the wineries are doing--and how you can visit. Published by Matador Network , March 12, 2020.

Take an amazing journey in the Baltics on the Viking Jupiter on the Viking Homelands itinerary. Published by Travel Weekly, March 10, 2020.

Once Backpacker Central, Cambodia's Siem Reap Is going upmarket with luxe hotels, fine dining, and a cutting-edge arts scene. Published by the Sydney Morning Herald and The Melbourne Age in print and online (traveller.com.au) in February 2020.

Our look at Viking Ocean’s newest vessel-the Viking Jupiter. Published by Insider Travel Report, November 2019.

The authored rose well before dawn, ventured from his river ship via ferry to the shores of a small Burmese village, there to help feed the monks of Myanmar. Published by Conde Nast Traveler, October 2019.

Here are some wine-vacation ideas that transcend the tasting room. Published by Hemispheres (United Airlines), October 2019.

Here's what it's like to sail on the Irrawaddy River on the Scenic Aura. Published by TravelAge West, September 2019.

Here's a way to see a sampler of Chile's attractions in just 5 days. Published by Frommer's Travel, June 2019.

Playful yet tasteful, Celebrity’s newest ship introduces the tech-forward Edge class. Published by Porthole Cruise, April 2019.

5 Steps To Tipping in the U.S.: New York-Based Journalist Mark Orwoll Explains. Published by Sydney Morning Herald, March 2019.

The small nation and former Soviet republic reveals itself wondrously, though slowly, the curious traveler. Published by The Travel Channel, December 2018.

One of St. Maarten's best-known resorts was nearly destroyed by a hurricane, but now it's back--and better than ever. Published by Travel Weekly, April 4, 2019.