Dan and Audrey from Uncornered Market Will Take You on a Journey

Dan and Audrey are the adventurous couple behind Uncornered Market, a brand that’s become their business and their lifestyle over the past years.

When they first had an idea to travel the world, they imagined they would just run a business while on the road. They had saved money for about a year of traveling in advance, but when they finally took the leap, new opportunities started unfolding.

They now have skills and experience to run a sustainable business that doesn’t depend on the location and allows them to live their nomad lifestyle.

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In awe of Mother Nature at dawn – Cordillera Huayhuash, Peru.⁠ ⁠.⁠ Doing the Huayhuash Trek (Cordillera Huayhuash in Peru) had been a dream of ours for 10 years. Although our expectations were high, the reality of our experience far exceeded them: eight high mountain pass crossings, surrounding peaks of 6,000+ meters (20,000+ feet), turquoise alpine lakes, stunning glacier-covered mountains, and a diversity of landscapes. Each day felt like a different experience, a new discovery. After answering endless questions about planning, organizing and preparing for the trek, it’s time we share it all in our Huayhuash Trekking Guide (link in bio)⁠ ⁠.⁠ Since the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu often get all the tourist and adventure travel ink in Peru, many people have never heard of the Cordillera Huayhuash. However, this small sub-range of the Peruvian Andes packs a huge punch for its size. Although only 30km long, it includes six peaks over 6,000 meters (20,000 ft.) and features spectacular panoramic views of scores of high snow-covered peaks from different perspectives.⁠ ⁠.⁠ This view was the beginning of Day 4 of our trek, at our campsite on the shores of Lake Carhuacocha. Before dawn, our trekking guide woke us and enticed us out of our warm sleeping bags with cups of steaming hot coca tea. We scampered up a hill just above the lake and waited for the the sun to emerge behind us and shine a light on these 5,500 – 6,600+ meter / (18,000-21,650 foot) snow-covered peaks you see here.⁠ ⁠.⁠ As much as I wanted to capture the “perfect” shot, I reminded myself to put down my phone and camera to just enjoy the moment – the shadows, the light moving across the glaciers and peaks as the sun rose higher in the sky, the changing colors from orange to pink, and the subtle movements of reflections on the surface of the lake. . Most of all, I remember a stillness, sense of awe and feeling of peace. This is the Cordillera Huayhuash. . . . . #CordilleraHuayhuash #trekking #Peru #destinationearth #ourlonelyplanet #lppathfinder #bbctravel ⁠#trekkingperu #adventuretravel #hikingadventures #perutravel

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It all started in 2001 when they left San Francisco with a one-way ticket to Prague and six suitcases. They came back home at some point, only to repeat the adventure in 2006. 

“Our family and friends really thought we’d lost it,” their website reads. “Not at all. This was our approach: to live deliberately, to not look back one day and wonder What if? To practice regret avoidance.”

You can follow their adventures on social media. Here are some photos below.

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Overtourism. Social media is one of its many causes, but can it also be part of the solution? ⁠ .⁠ We think so. We've just updated our latest post (link in bio) to include 10 ways to use your influence — no matter how small or large — and social media platforms to educate and change behaviors to help combat #overtourism.⁠ .⁠ The idea: more enriching experiences for the traveler + less pressure on and more benefits for the destinations we visit.⁠ ⁠ Now, to this image: St. Sophia Cathedral Square in Kyiv, #Ukraine. This speaks to #1 in the article: to share images and stories from less popular destinations to encourage travel to different locations. With an estimated 70% of travelers going to 20% of countries that leaves a large part of our beautiful world to explore without the same crowds. And many of these destinations, like Ukraine, are interested in attracting more travelers. ⁠ .⁠ To that advice, we'd also add advocating traveling in the shoulder or off-season. The benefit for the destinations: visitor numbers are spread out for longer in the year to reduce pressure and this also extends the earning season for local businesses. ⁠ .⁠ For us, it meant that we could explore Kyiv free from tourist crowds and pressures. Plus, we had beautiful autumn weather and colorful leaves. ⁠ . ⁠ We took the train to Kyiv (via Odessa) from Berlin in early October, rekindling our love of long-distance train journeys. Kyiv surprised us in many ways, from its edgy street art and murals to its stunning 12th-century orthodox cathedrals and monasteries to its Independence Square and the story of the 2014 EuroMaiden revolution that helped shift the course of the country to its hip cafes overflowing with avocado toast and flat whites. We only had a few days in Kyiv, but that was enough for a taste to make us want to return for longer. ⁠ .⁠ What lesser known destinations have you visited recently that surprised you? And how can you use your social media channels to help others explore it respectfully and with positive impact? ⁠ . . . . #kyiv #kiev #thisissustainable #ukrainetravel #sustainabletourism #responsibletourism ⁠ ⁠ ⁠

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Excited to return to the Alay Region and Pamir-Alay Mountains of southern Kyrgyzstan! This time we're working with @helvetas_kyrgyzstan on the Bai Alai rural economic and tourism development program. Among our work these next weeks: to help create and test community-driven cultural, culinary and adventure-based travel experiences in the region. The goal: to help more travelers discover and explore this region respectfully + enable local villages to benefit from community tourism development.⁠ ⁠ .⁠ ⁠ Our relationship with the Alay region began two years ago when we were advisors on the @USAID BGI program and its tourism development projects. During our time in this particular region, we also helped mark the Heights of Alay trek, taking us over the other worldly Sary Mogul Pass (4,303 m/14,120 ft) pictured here. That is how we met Talant (also in the photo) from Visit Alay (@south_kyrgyzstan). As we trekked through the mountains together for several days, we shared our ideas about the potential for sustainable community-based tourism development in a region whose contours are stunning and beautiful yet also present challenges to business creation and livelihood development. Our work and counsel led to the Heights of Alay becoming the best-selling trek in the region, which in turn led to our being asked to develop a regional marketing plan.⁠ ⁠ .⁠ ⁠ Many travelers don't know Kyrgyzstan very well, much less the Alay Region (south, near the borders with Tajikistan, China and Uzbekistan). This area is truly special. As is the case with much of our advisory work, the goal is two-way benefit: 1) travelers discover the region through community-driven travel experiences, whereby they develop a stronger connection to local people and nature and 2) local communities see direct economic and social benefit.⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠ Stay tuned as we explore more of the Alay mountains and villages over these next two weeks. ⁠.⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ #kyrgyzstan #baialaiprogram #tourismdevelopment #sustainabletourism #thisissustainable #visitalay #alaymountains #communitytourism #discoverkyrgyzstan #trekking #trekkinginkyrgyzstan ⁠

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Salvador de Bahia – the view of Pelourinho, the old historic center of town. ⁣ .⁣ A clear sense of local pride in Afro-Brazilian culture, music and cuisine defines Salvador, the capital of Brazil’s northeastern state of Bahia. History is deep here; the city was founded in 1549 by the Portuguese as the country’s first colonial capital. It was also South America’s first slave port.⁣ .⁣ Trip planning note: Our visit to Salvador happened to coincide with the season of preparation and practice just prior to Carnaval. As Salvador features the largest Carnaval celebration of its kind in Brazil, this run-up is a serious affair. We encountered “blocks” — think crews or groups of musicians and performers — coursing through the city streets, working out rhythms and routines. Drumbeats and voices echoed the colonial streets from morning through night. An excellent and engaging time to visit if you can't time your visit with Carnaval.⁣ .⁣ Be sure to head out of Pelourinho, up the hill into the Santo Antonio district. The path is flush with brightly colored Art Deco restorations, unofficial galleries and plenty of street art — from graffiti to full-on murals. Some of the best we’d seen in Brazil. ⁣ .⁣ We tacked our visit to Salvador and Bahia onto our @gadventures Wonders of Brazil tour. This and some extra time in Rio and Sao Paulo rounded out a full experience. For more info on this trip, check the full post (link in bio).⁣ . . . . #salvadordebahia #brazil #lppathfinders

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Sometimes the sharing economy can be double-edged and feature unintended consequences. . We continue our #overtourism series this week by sharing some ways travelers can help combat this problem while also having better travel experiences themselves. . Tip #6: Research your apartment rental to be sure it’s legal & doesn't do unintended harm to the local economy . Although Airbnb and similar apartment rental services can offer travelers excellent options for renting an apartment, depending on the circumstance this can sometimes come at a cost to locals. . As tourism took off in certain cities (e.g., Barcelona, Berlin, Reykjavik, Paris, New York, etc.), apartment owners removed rental units from the local market and instead rented only to tourists, as this made more money than renting to locals. This practice, however, resulted in the reduced supply of apartments available for locals. In turn, locals saw their rental prices rise, some to the rapid extent of no longer being able to afford to live there. . However, this doesn't mean that all vacation rentals are bad. Take, for example, this house in Hyrda, Greece (view from the balcony pictured here) owned by a family friend for almost 50 years. Outside of the several months a year she lived in it herself, it was empty. So last year she went through the licensing, taxes and paperwork to legally rent it out on Airbnb when she's not there. Travelers get a great place to stay (just look at that view!), a local person earns some additional money by maintaining and managing it, and the owner is able to earn money she wouldn't have otherwise been able to without the sharing economy and services like this. . As we make our accommodation choices and engage in the sharing economy, consider at what cost and on whose shoulders these new economy shifts fall. Before you book that apartment on your next trip, do a little research to determine if it’s legal and helping the local economy…or hurting it. . . . #hydra sustainabletourism #responsibletravel #sharingeconomy

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When you visit a city, do you often venture outside the old town or downtown? . We continue our #overtourism series this week by sharing some ways travelers can help combat this problem while also having better travel experiences themselves. . Tip #5: Branch out into the neighborhoods . We understand that it's often the old town or downtown area that may have offered the primary motivation for you to visit a city. But, don't forget the neighborhoods, including ones often ringed just around the tourist districts. If you want to “go local”, those areas are an excellent place to start. There, you’ll typically find more locals than travelers in cafes and restaurants. If you need to go further, press on. . Take Berlin, our adopted home, pictured here. When we spend time in our or other neighborhoods, we find it difficult to digest the statistic that from 2006 to 2016, the city’s tourism traffic doubled from 15 to over 30 million visitors a year. When we spend time near the concentration of historical sites, we feel the popularity. Then we retreat back to the neighborhoods 🚴 . For example, during our first “exploratory summer” living in Berlin, several times a week, we would choose a recommended restaurant with a lunch or “executive lunch” special and bicycle there. Even if you do this just once in your trip — tapping your inner adventurer — you’re likely to have your eyes opened. . The image here is of a boat making its way down the Landwehr canal. Water, bridges (more than Venice!), and canals offer loads of picturesque and experiential nooks and crannies — ones which intersect far-flung bits of the Berlin Wall way. . Do you visit nearby or outer neighborhoods when you visit a new city? If not, what's holding you back? . . . #berlin #sustainabletourism #responsibletravel #berlinlove

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How can we tread…even more lightly? We continue our #overtourism series of tips that make it better for travelers, and the destinations they visit. . Tip #4: Tread lightly and clean up after yourself. . It’s a shame this even has to be on the list. And I’m probably preaching to the choir. And the people who most need to hear this aren’t following this feed. But I just gotta say it: Don’t be *that* traveler. . Despite begs and pleas from advocates like us, travel companies and destinations, some travelers still insist on leaving a trail of trash and disrespect in their wake. . And it’s not just the cities. We witnessed this blatant disregard along the Huayhuash Trek in Peru (pictured here) earlier this year. In the midst of remote breath-taking landscapes and natural beauty, trekkers – who made the long-distance effort to get there to immerse themselves in nature — saw it fitting to toss their tin food cans and candy wrappers at campsites and for miles along trails. . Why visit someplace for its beauty, only to trash it? Make the wee effort to carry your trash in your pocket or bag until you find a proper trash can. It isn’t that hard, is it?. Note: if you aren't familiar with overtourism, check out the link in our bio for background, causes and more tips. . . . . #sustainabletourism #lppathfinders #responsibletravel #peru #huayhuash #trekking

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