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Every quarter, I send The Curious Passport newsletter—a behind-the-scenes peek of my reporting trips near and far, notes from my home base in San Diego, and the places and ideas that continue to shape how I see the world.

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I’m San Diego-based freelance writer Ligaya Malones, and my work has appeared in print and online for Condé Nast Traveler, Lonely Planet, Bon Appétit, San Diego Magazine, Salt & Wind, Time Out, and more.

In 2024, I published San Diego Cooks  (Figure 1).

The newsletter is the best place to keep up with my travels and more.

Words and photos by Ligaya Malones have been featured in:

Bylines

2025

• Read my work in Time Out
• Read my work in The Infatuation

2024

• San Diego Cooks (2024, Figure 1)

2022

• San Diego Magazine – Valle Food & Wine Fest Returns
• San Diego Magazine – A Taiwanese Dish Making Soup Sexy Again
• San Diego Magazine – Celebrating 15 Years of Mongolian Hot Pot
• San Diego Magazine – Long Story Short, You Should Go
• The Infatuation – Where to Eat and Stay in San Diego
• San Diego Magazine – Brunching Like Locals in West Maui
• San Diego Magazine – The Styrofoam Ban is Back on the Table
• San Diego Magazine – Crafting the Knives of San Diego’s Top Chefs
• San Diego Magazine – I Love Poke Festival is Back
• Lonely Planet – Where to See Live Music in San Diego
• TripSavvy – The 7 Best Arizona Spas
• TripSavvy – The Best Online Travel Agencies
• TripSavvy – The Best Hotels in San Diego
• San Diego Magazine – Chef Rob Ruiz Comes Home, Introducing The Kitchen
• San Diego Magazine – Teach Me Something: Pairing Wine With Game Day Foods
• San Diego Magazine – San Elijo Vine & Tap is the Neighborhood Restaurant and Bar Every Community Deserves
• Eater San Diego – This Soulful Dish from Animae Chef Tara Monsod is Redefining Filipino Food in San Diego
• Eater San Diego – 15 Essential Spots for Affordable Eats in San Diego
• Lonely Planet – Accessible Hawaii: Things to do for travelers with disabilities and additional needs
• Salt & Wind – Get to know the most famous regional traditional Mexican desserts
• Brides – Best wedding venues in San Diego in 2022
• Salt & Wind – Before Tequila there was Mezcal: Get to know one of Mexico’s original agave spirits
• Salt & Wind – Essential Mexican ingredients to keep on hand (and how to use them)

2021

• Lonely Planet – Top things to do in California no one has told you about yet
• Salt & Wind – Get to know Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico’s wine country
• Salt & Wind – Why Parmigiano-Reggiano is Italy’s most famous cheese
• Lonely Planet – 11 best things to do in and around Palm Springs
• Lonely Planet – Here’s how to get around Palm Springs on four wheels, two wheels, or none
• Lonely Planet – Why winter brings out the best in Palm Springs
• Lonely Planet – The best things to do in Hawaii you probably didn’t know about
• Salt & Wind – What is a Truffle? Digging into the World’s Most Coveted Fungus
• Salt & Wind – Beyond Mozzarella: Famous Italian Cheeses to Try ASAP
• Salt & Wind – What’s in a Mexican Pozole Recipe? Plus a brief history
• PureWow – The 7 Best California Islands to Visit ASAP
• Salt & Wind – Pre-Hispanic Drinks to Sip On Your Next Trip to Mexico
• Lonely Planet – Top 7 Parks in San Diego
• Lonely Planet – Best Hikes in San Diego
• Salt & Wind – Five Healthy Habits We’re Adopting From Italy ASAP
• Adventure.com – With Global Travel On Hold, Can Japan’s ‘Tiny Homes’ Still Help Revive Its Rural Towns?
• Salt & Wind – From Italy con Amore: Foods That Originated From Italy
• Salt & Wind – Stock your Pantry With These Essential Italian Ingredients

2020

• Condé Nast Traveler – Why We’re Heading to San Diego—For Sake
• Lonely Planet – Eat Your Way Through These 5 Unexpected U.S. Foodie Destinations
• October – Mujeres Brew Club is Building a Brewery to Empower Women
• Here magazine – 6 Underrated California Towns Perfect for Road Trips
• Westways, May 2020 issue – Cream of the Crop
• Hemispheres, February 2020 issue – The Foundry Hotel Honors Asheville’s Black History
• C magazine – Where to Eat and Drink in University Heights, San Diego

2019

• Lonely Planet – Spend a Day at Balboa Park in San Diego: One of America’s Largest Urban Parks
• San Diego magazine – 7 Specialty Food Shops in San Diego
• Here magazine – Meet San Diego’s Dynamic and Inclusive Arts Scene
• Modern Luxury, July/August 2019 issue
• Modern Luxury (San Diego) – 1 Opulent Dining Experience This Holiday
• Modern Luxury (San Diego) – 5 Foodie Instagrams to Follow
• Lonely Planet – The Best Day Trips From San Diego
• Lonely Planet – Comic-Con and Beyond: seeing San Diego
• Lonely Planet – A Perfect Weekend in San Diego
• Lonely Planet – Free Things to Do in San Diego
• Salt & Wind – A Brief History of Classic Italian Desserts
• Salt & Wind – What is an Osteria? And All of the Other Italian Restaurant Questions You’ve Been Meaning to Ask
• Salt & Wind – Tortillas 101: The Food Lover’s Guide to a Classic Mexican Staple
• Atlas Obscura – Everything You Wanted to Know About the ‘Olympics of Hula’
• Salt & Wind – What Exactly is the Difference Between Tequila and Mezcal?
• Oyster.com – Rookie Mistakes to Avoid on Your Oahu Vacation
• Modern Luxury (San Diego), April 2019 issue, p.112-113 – Burning Bright: Fort Oak restaurant review
• October – Beyond San Diego: Vista is an Idyllic Escape for Beer-Lovers
• Medium – The Amateur’s Guide to Visiting an Art Museum
• Salt & Wind – Puerto Rican Food is a Thing in Hawaii
• Salt & Wind – This Movement Made the Hawaii Food Scene What it is Today

2018

• The National (Amtrak magazine), December/January 2019 issue: Weekender in Oceanside, CA
• October – San Diego’s Border X Brewing Builds Community Through Beer
• Lonely Planet – Spotlight on: Christmas in San Diego
• KCET.org – Barrio Logan: Preserving the flavors of Mexican and Chicano Culture
• Lonely Planet – This historic windmill is being turned into a food hall in San Diego
• Salt & Wind – A guide to classic Mexican tacos
• Mic – Is St. Louis America’s next great food city?
• Mic – What makes for an accessible beach? We asked wheelchair users how they plan a day by the water
• Salt & Wind – The everyday foods that originated in Mexico
• New York magazine (Issue: Aug 6, 2018) – Fall Travel: Insider Travel Itineraries for 9 Far-Flung Cities
• Healthyish by Bon Appetit – How Hurricane Maria transformed a food park into a community wellness space in Puerto Rico (picked up by Yahoo)
• Salt & Wind – Not sure which Hawaiian island to visit? Let your food personality lead the way
• Food52 – Puerto Rican rice and beans – by way of Hawaii
• NYmag.com – What to read, watch, and download before visiting Honolulu
• NYmag.com – Ways to escape Waikiki
• NYmag.com – Where to drink in Honolulu
• NYmag.com – The insider’s guide to Chinatown, Honolulu
• NYmag.com – A live music guide to Honolulu
• NYmag.com – Where to find the best desserts in Honolulu
• NYmag.com – What to do in Kakaako, Honolulu’s Hippest Neighborhood
• NYmag.com – Must-have souvenirs from Honolulu shops
• NYmag.com – Honolulu’s best beaches for surfing, snorkeling and sunrises
• NYmag.com – Where organic farmers and top chefs eat in Honolulu
• NYmag.com – The best hotel for every budget in Honolulu
• NYmag.com – Honolulu is a Real City, Not Just a Vacation Destination
• Salt & Wind – Spanish vermouth: 101
• Salt & Wind – Everything You Need to Know About Spanish Tapas
• Salt & Wind – 5 Unexpected Things to Do in San Diego
• Salt & Wind – Where to Find the Best Horchata in Southern California
• Food52 – Portuguese Sausage, Eggs & Rice: Hawaii’s History on a Breakfast Plate (picked up by MSN)
• Salt & Wind – The Local Food Terms You Need to Know When Visiting Hawaii
• Salt & Wind – Where and How to Take the Best Photos in San Diego
• Salt & Wind – Wine tasting in San Diego: 5 urban wineries to try now
• Salt & Wind – The Best Shave Ice in Hawaii: Island by Island

2017

• Food52 – Exploring the world of Portuguese snacks: Petiscos 101
• Brit+Co – Life Lessons from the Portuguese word, Desenrascanço
• Luxury Living International – Reach for the Sky at These Rooftop Bars in Panama City
• Luxury Living International – Where to Eat, Drink and Stay in Cartagena

2016

• Packsmith by Tortuga Backpacks – What to Pack for Hawaii
• Packsmith by Tortuga Backpacks – Lisbon Packing List & Destination Guide
• Wanderful – The Ultimate First-Time Solo Travel Destination: Bilbao
• Elite Daily – 6 Travel Hacks to Ensure Your Hostel Stay and Vacation Are Smooth-Sailing
• Elite Daily – 10 Things To Do in Panama That Will Make You Feel Just Like a Local

Photo features, quoted in:

• Your Last Meal podcast – Keiko Agena, Hawaiian Food
• U.S. News & World Report – 7 Things You Must Know Before Traveling Solo 
• Hawaii magazine – Photo: Diamond Head, Oahu
• Community Health magazine – How to Have a Healthy Vacation
• Apartment Therapy – Beyond the Bookstore: How 21 Frequent Flyers Beat Airport Boredom
• Little Things Travel: Explore San Diego Like a Local
• The Wandering Gourmand – Where to find craft beer in Honolulu, Hawaii

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