For more decades than she cares to count, Joyce Dalton has roamed the globe at every opportunity. Though famed monuments, ancient archeological sites, bustling cities and scenic wonders all catch her interest and enthusiasm, it’s our world’s ever-dwindling roster of traditional cultures that most capture her imagination and camera lens. In her quest for destinations where folk dress and old customs, not fast-food restaurants and billboards, hold sway, Joyce has spent time in such spots as Pakistan’s Hindu Kush, western Ethiopia, Yemen, Zaire, the Indonesian islands of Timor, Sulawesi and Sumatra, Mongolia, China’s Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, Turkmenistan, Siberia, and the four states of Borneo. Such people as the Bushmen and Himba of Namibia, Iraq’s Marsh Arabs, the indigenous cultures of Greenland and Mexico’s Chiapas state, and the various tribes of Irian Jaya and Papua New Guinea have all offered glimpses into other ways of life. Less far afield, certain parts of Europe, including northern Albania, many Bulgarian villages, and especially, the northwestern region of Romania, known as Maramures, have held onto their centuries’ old traditions. Joyce has developed a special love for Maramures, returning many times to this land of carved gates, horse-drawn wagons and traditional dress.

Joyce’s stories and have appeared in numerous travel trade and consumer publications; she is also a contributor to Fodor’s Central and Eastern Europe and South America guidebooks.

She aims to continue exploring the world, returning to old favorites and adding to the 160-plus countries visited thus far.

Email Joyce at joycedalton@msn.com

Joyce’s stories for TravelLady include:
Dinner at the Count’s (Romania)
Namibia, a Country That Has It All
Malta: A Culture Vulture’s Dream Spot
Bangkok’s Oriental Hotel
Montana: Perfect for All Ages
Living the Luxurious Life in Your Private Villa (Jamaica)
Steeped in History, Lebanon Welcomes Tourists