It’s not uncommon to hear about friends heading to Wilmington, Charleston, Hilton Head or Jacksonville for a weekend on the coast. But beyond the beautiful beaches and fresh seafood, there is an entire culture whose history permeates the salt marshes of the low country — the Gullah Geechee of the Sea Islands. With one of the most comprehensive African cultural heritages in the country, the Gullah Geechee are one of only four American locales to be named to Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2021 list.

Each year, a panel of Lonely Planet travel experts have the daunting job of finding the very best places this planet has to offer. They take input from Lonely Planet writers, editors, photographers and a variety of partners and give it the ultimate “wow” factor test to see which locations come out on top.

This year, for the first time, Lonely Planet extended its Best in Travel List to include people and communities. Upon discovering the story of the Gullah Geechee of the Sea Islands, Lonely Planet knew it needed to shine a light on this underexplored culture.

*Full article written for and featured in the Observer’s CharlotteFive and on Yahoo News.