Taaluma Totes

06/04/2026

Hey Travelers,

Before Taaluma was a business, it was just two college students with backpacks.

While traveling through Uganda, our founders Jack & Alley, came across a local fabric market. Alley had a skirt made from a colorful piece of fabric she found. Not wanting to be left out, Jack had a backpack made from one too.

Something funny happened. People kept stopping them."Where did you get that backpack?"

The backpack became a conversation starter. A simple piece of fabric connected people who had never met, sparked conversations about travel, culture, and places far from home.

That moment planted a seed.

What if a backpack could do more than just carry your stuff?

What if it could carry a story?

What if it could connect people to cultures around the world?

And what if every backpack could help create opportunity for someone else?

That tiny idea became Taaluma.

The name "Taaluma" means culture in Swahili, and that mission still drives everything we do today. Every fabric is inspired by a place, a tradition, and a culture worth celebrating.

And with every tote purchased, part of the profits help fund interest-free microloans for farmers and small business owners around the world.

Today, because of people like you, Taaluma has helped fund hundreds of thousands of dollars in microloans across dozens of countries, supporting entrepreneurs, families, and communities who simply needed an opportunity.

And honestly, that's still our favorite part of this journey.

So whether you've been with us since the Shark Tank days or just discovered Taaluma recently, thank you for being part of the story.

As a small thank-you, we're doing something special this weekend:

🌎 BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE 🌎

Mix and match any tote from our Inside Story Collection and Khadi Collection.

Because every bag carries a story. And every story is better when it's shared.

Travel Often,

The Taaluma Team

Buy 1 item, get 1 item free
Use code: THANKS at checkout
Discount applies to Inside Story & Khadi collections only
Offer valid June 5th - June 7th, 2026
Cannot combine with other offers

06/03/2026

06/02/2026

The perfect bag for otter sitting doesn’t exis- actually provides handcrafted ethically made products that directly help communities in need through microloans. This bag was made in Laos, one of the countries Asian small clawed otters are native to, so I had to have it. The design with elephants is also a major plus 😍

06/01/2026

Clement from United States 🇺🇸

Thank you for supporting us, so we can support people like Clement from the United States. Your purchase helped fund a microloan to help support an African-rooted arts educational program in NYC schools.

I was born and raised in Ghana and later moved abroad, where I experienced how powerful it is to stay connected to your culture through dance and music. My journey as a dancer, educator, and cultural organizer has shaped my desire to share those experiences with others, especially young people who may not always see their identities reflected in school environments. TIKoRO is a direct extension of my personal story and commitment to cultural connection and community.

I am deeply motivated by the impact I see in students—watching them gain confidence, feel seen, and connect with one another through our programs. My passion comes from knowing that the arts can be a powerful tool for empowerment, belonging, and self-expression. I am driven to continue growing TIKoRO so that more students can experience that same sense of joy, identity, and connection.

05/29/2026

5 Hawaiian Trails Worth Every Step 🌺

Some places are meant to be explored on foot, and Hawaii might be at the top of the list. From bamboo forests and volcanic coastlines to cliffs towering above the ocean, these trails turn an ordinary walk into the kind of adventure that makes you stop every few minutes just to say, wow.

🌺 Kalalau Trail – Kauai�Towering green cliffs, crashing waves, hidden beaches, and views that almost look edited. This is the trail that makes you feel like you accidentally wandered into Jurassic Park.

🌺 Pipiwai Trail – Maui�Walk through an enormous bamboo forest, past giant trees, and toward waterfalls. Every turn somehow gets better than the last.

🌺 Diamond Head Summit Trail – Oahu�A classic for a reason. The payoff at the top gives you panoramic ocean views that make the climb feel very worth it.

🌺 Makapuʻu Lighthouse Trail – Oahu�An easy coastal walk with nonstop ocean views. If you're lucky, you might even spot whales in the distance.

🌺 Pololu Valley Trail – Big Island�Steep cliffs, dramatic coastlines, and one of those landscapes that feels untouched and wildly beautiful.

�Some trails are just exercise. These feel more like adventures. 🌴

05/28/2026

Vietnam Tote 🇻🇳

05/27/2026

The Maui Tote 🌺 (by Stacey Mobley)

Kick those generic bags to the curb. Traveler totes are made from fabrics handpicked by fellow adventurers from around the world. They send us the fabric, and we craft it into a one-of-a-kind backpack. Spacious enough for your essentials, sturdy enough for your adventures, and lined with stories from across the world.

Traditional fabric from Maui brought to you by traveler Stacey Mobley.

Limited Edition: Only 22 made

Stacey Mobley: My husband and I visited the island of Maui Hawaii for a week. Being that we are major foodies, our goal was to try different foods from the local eateries. I must say, I tried poke (pronounced po-kay) and it was delicious! My husband and I had enough to share but, I ate the whole lot of it. We also tried poi, it was actually good in my opinion whereas most people that try it don’t favorite it too much. Our favorite thing to eat was the shave ice. It was everything that people raved about. Soooooo good!

On vacation we did not venture out too much. We attended a luau and it was really very nice. I took a day and visited Kalama Village which is a local marketplace. It is filled with locals that sell hand crafted items and beautiful suvenirs. My greatest take back was locally grown coffee beans. I am a avid coffee drinker so I was stoked to try coffee from the different locations.

05/25/2026

Rhoida in Tanzania 🇹🇿

Thank you for supporting us, so we can support people like Rhoida from Tanzania. Your purchase helped fund a microloan to help buy more materials for tailoring.

Rhoida, a 48-year-old entrepreneur, has been operating a tailoring business, supported by a fruit-selling business since 2011 near the town center. She started with little capital and has progressively grown her business, reflecting strong resilience and good business management skills.

Her family provides full support in running the business, which serves as a key source of income for meeting essential household needs, including education, medical expenses, and utility bills.

This loan is important because it helps increase the productivity and income of rural farmers in Tanzania.

05/22/2026

5 Unreal Beaches Our Totes Have Explored

Hello Travelers,
From the Bahamas to Zanzibar, our totes have been lucky enough to tag along to some ridiculously beautiful beaches. Here’s 5.

Abaco Islands 🇧🇸 Tahiti Beach
This is the kind of beach screensavers dream about.
Shallow turquoise water stretches forever, boats anchor just offshore, and the sand feels like powdered sugar. No giant resorts. No chaos. Just pure Caribbean perfection.
If your ideal day involves swimming, boating, and losing track of time entirely… this is your spot.

Kauai 🇺🇸 Hanalei Bay
Mountains rise straight out of the ocean here.
Hanalei Bay feels wild, cinematic, and untouched in a way that’s hard to explain until you see it yourself. One minute it’s sunshine and surfers, the next a rainbow appears over the cliffs like Hawaii is showing off again.
It’s not just a beach. It’s an atmosphere.

Zanzibar 🇹🇿 Nungwi Beach
The water in Zanzibar looks photoshopped.
Bright blue dhow boats float across crystal-clear water while the tide slowly reveals endless white sandbars. The sunsets here feel slower somehow, like the whole island collectively agreed to relax.
A beach that makes you immediately start searching flights.

Amalfi Coast 🇮🇹 Fiordo di Furore
Not all great beaches are wide and sandy.
Some are tucked between dramatic cliffs beneath tiny stone bridges on the Italian coastline.
Fiordo di Furore feels hidden, cinematic, and impossibly Italian. Swim in deep blue water by day, then grab pasta overlooking the sea by night.
Honestly unfair how beautiful this place is.

Santorini 🇬🇷 Red Beach
Only Santorini could make a volcanic rock beach look this good.
Towering red cliffs crash into deep blue water, creating one of the most surreal beaches in Europe. It feels more like another planet than a coastline.
Stay for sunset. Trust us.