Nikki Vargas

Nikki Vargas

Senior Digital Editor

Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Nikki Vargas is a Senior Digital Editor for Fodor's Travel. As Senior Editor, Nikki works on the brand's major editorial initiatives, helping to manage and execute its annual Fodor's Finest Hotel Awards, GO list, and holiday guide, as well as launch new editorial series such as "Dear Eugene." Nikki is also the author of the bestselling travel memoir CALL YOU WHEN I LAND (HarperCollins, 2023), named a best women's memoir by Glamour Magazine, a top 50 bestseller by Hudson Books, a staff pick by Apple Books, a book club pick by Real Simple, a recommended read by Good Morning America, and a winner of the 2024 Bessie Award for Impactful Writing. She also co-authored WANDERESS (Penguin Random House, 2022), a women's solo travel guide available in stores now and featured in Refinery29, Fortune Magazine, and Forbes. Additionally, Nikki is the Founder of Unearth Women, a women's travel publication set on championing women's stories and spotlighting women-owned businesses. She founded Unearth Women back in 2018, taking it from an idea to an internationally sold magazine available in over 800 bookstores across the United States. Nikki's work has been published and celebrated in The New York Times, Good Morning America, CNN, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast, The Washington Post, Forbes, and more. Beyond her writing, Nikki is a public speaker who has spoken at various travel conferences, including the Women’s Travel Fest, Women in Travel Summit, Latino Travel Fest, IMM, and more.​

Q&A

  • Why do you travel?

    I travel to gain new perspectives. Whether it is a deeper appreciation of my life back home, a new understanding of a country’s culture, or a better sense of self—travel helps to enrich my view of the world.

  • What’s one thing you never travel without?

    As a writer, I always have a journal and pen with me to jot down how a place inspires me, cool places I’ve come across, and things I want to remember. Writing down my feelings and impressions of a place always helps me to write my stories.

  • What’s the first thing you do when you arrive in a new place?

    I am a nester, so the first thing I do when I reach my accommodation is to unpack completely. Only then, do I feel as though I’ve truly arrived.

  • Carry-on or checked?

    Always carry-on!

  • Where did you have your most unforgettable meal?

    In Hanoi, my first slurp of Phở was nothing short of magical. Sitting on a red plastic stool near a makeshift sidewalk kitchen, I was blown away by the rich flavors.

  • What’s on your travel bucket list?

    There’s a place in Norway where you can snorkel with wild orcas, which happens to be one of my favorite animals.

  • What is your favorite book or genre of books?

    My favorite travel book is “A Cook’s Tour” by the late Anthony Bourdain. This was his second book, and his ability to capture the essence of a place is what I always aspire to in my own travel writing.

  • What are your favorite countries, destinations to travel to?

    As a Colombian immigrant, this is a biased answer, but I can’t get enough of visiting Colombia. It’s the one country I keep going back to.

  • What's the most unusual place you have stayed on a trip?

    A rickety riverboat in the heart of Borneo!

  • What items do you always try to bring back as souvenirs?

    I used to always collect bracelets so I could wear those memories on my wrist. Now, I like to bring back paintings for my gallery wall and ornaments for my Christmas tree.

Most Recent Works