This article first appeared in the November 2026 issue of Travel + Leisure. For easier reading, click here to view a PDF or click here for the digital version of the story.
The Wild East – Travel + Leisure
Mark Johanson – Travel Writer | Freelance Journalist
Mark Johanson is an American journalist based in Santiago, Chile. His stories about travel, food, design and the environment have appeared in numerous global publications, including National Geographic, Travel + Leisure, The Economist, Outside, The Financial Times, Konfekt, Robb Report, AFAR, Food & Wine, Dwell, TIME, Bloomberg, CNN and the BBC, among others. He is the coauthor of 20 Lonely Planet guidebooks to destinations across the Americas and Asia, and has contributed to a dozen more coffee table books for the iconic travel brand. His first literary work, Mars on Earth, was released in 2024 by Rocky Mountain Books and named among the best travel books of the year by National Geographic and Geographical Magazine. Click through the menu here or links below to learn more about his work.
