Oh, the Places Nat Geo Goes
A passport stamp is just ink on paper.
How can something so simple be so complex, possessing the ability to transport us back so immediately to our pasts?
That frantic, crowd-dodging dash to catch a flight to Bhutan before the gate closed, the first time you tasted champagne in Champagne, the feeling of falling in love—with a person or a place.
We can all remember our first big trip abroad and what it meant to us at that point in our lives. And that meaning changes over time.
Lucky for us, our passports give us a chance to relive some of the best—and most memorable—moments of our lives.
When you work at National Geographic, one of the first questions people ask you is if you get to travel. The answer is often yes, but one of the best parts of the job is being surrounded by sharp, globe-trotting people, and getting to hear their stories.
That’s why we asked staffers in National Geographic’s digital media department to share their favorite passport stamps and the memories they provoke with our Intelligent Travel readers.
Some of those memories are being made right now. One stamp was just picked up on Nat Geo Explorer-in-Residence Enric Sala‘s expedition to the Pitcairn Islands.
Click through the photo gallery to see where we’ve been and what it’s taught us along the way.
What’s your favorite passport stamp, and why? We all want to hear about it, so let us know in the comment box below.
Go Further
Animals
- Cougar travels 1,000 miles in one of longest recorded treksCougar travels 1,000 miles in one of longest recorded treks
- Rare gray whale spotted in the Atlantic—and it's only the beginningRare gray whale spotted in the Atlantic—and it's only the beginning
- Why 'funga' is just as important as flora and faunaWhy 'funga' is just as important as flora and fauna
- Termite fossils prove mating hasn't changed in 38 million yearsTermite fossils prove mating hasn't changed in 38 million years
Environment
- Why the 2024 hurricane season could be especially activeWhy the 2024 hurricane season could be especially active
- Mushroom leather? The future of fashion is closer than you think.Mushroom leather? The future of fashion is closer than you think.
- This deadly fungus is hitchhiking its way across the worldThis deadly fungus is hitchhiking its way across the world
- Why 'funga' is just as important as flora and faunaWhy 'funga' is just as important as flora and fauna
- This exploding mine holds a treasure that may change the worldThis exploding mine holds a treasure that may change the world
History & Culture
- See the story of Jonah and the whale like never beforeSee the story of Jonah and the whale like never before
- This ancient mosaic offers extraordinary insights into the pastThis ancient mosaic offers extraordinary insights into the past
- These are the real dunes that inspired Dune—and you can visit themThese are the real dunes that inspired Dune—and you can visit them
- Meet the only woman privy to the plot to kill Julius CaesarMeet the only woman privy to the plot to kill Julius Caesar
Science
- Women’s bodies are understudied—but that’s starting to changeWomen’s bodies are understudied—but that’s starting to change
- Hundreds of tiny arachnids are likely on your face right nowHundreds of tiny arachnids are likely on your face right now
- What's worse than a hangover? Hangxiety. Here's why it happens.What's worse than a hangover? Hangxiety. Here's why it happens.
Travel
- A guide to Gdansk, Poland's regenerated maritime cityA guide to Gdansk, Poland's regenerated maritime city
- A taste of West Bengal, from curries to Kolkata street foodA taste of West Bengal, from curries to Kolkata street food