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LPMI April 2020 Desk PDF
LPMI April 2020 Desk PDF
N
PLAW...
NOAVEL S
TR N IT’
E
WHTIME!
APRIL 2020
INDIA
The
GREAT
Outdoors IT WILL WAIT FOR YOU
IMMERSE YOURSELF IN
THE BALKANS
` 150
For jetsetters like Sonam and Rhea Kapoor, Los Angeles is a favorite global destination that is second to none.
During a recent visit, these world-famous sisters enjoyed everything the city has to offer, from boho beachfront accommodations Venice Sign
in Venice to a sleek, modern hotel in the heart of the city; shopping for days, a colorful street art scene and a vibrant nightlife.
editor’s note
INSPIRATION
HAS NO
EXPIRY DATE
FORGOT TO FILL
The lakes of the Balkans – like
4O0FF%
on journeys Primrose Monteiro-D’Souza, Editor this one, the Liqeni i Drelajve on the
Kosovo-Montenegro border – are
Follow me on Twitter @PrimroseDSouza bracingly cold, but still so inviting...
& Instagram @primrosedsouza
QR players: six cycling enthusiasts in India who will inspire you to ride in your city, take a group cycle trip,
ride (slowly) from Manali to Leh, and, upping the stakes, get into competitive cycling, become a randonneur
or even a triathlete!
CITY
PHONE NUMBER
PINCODE STATE
DOB / /
CODE But, until you’re ready to hit the road, sit back comfortably in your favourite armchair and start planning.
EMAIL* AND AVAIL ADDTIONAL The Great Outdoors will wait as it always has. You’ll know when it’s time.
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ON THE ROAD!
Team LPMI has been out and about. We consolidated
our commitment to #sustainabletravel with a bike
ride with 11 travel influencers in South Mumbai
(look for their bikes and bytes in the Journal section).
A big thank you to Priya Pathiyan and Johann
Daniels for leading the way. Mahesh and Amit
travelled to Uttar Pradesh to rediscover Agra Primrose loved the gentle wea MIT COULDN’T
STAY AWAY! 15 Buddhist sites. 6 Jain sites. 1000 temples. 15 museums...
vers of nam phake HESH AND A
d the taj: MA
beyond the Taj (check out our Weekend Planner Beyon there’s a surprise at every corner.
this month and the baffling pic far right), while
Primrose and Krishna spent a week in Assam
(story coming up). Stay tuned.
MBAI
PPY RIDE THROUGH SOUTH MU
g his way FRIENDS OF LPMI aFTER A HA
ill grimacins
krishna is stro
th ugh se lf ie
VOLUME 11, ISSUE 3 | APRIL 2020
In this issue...
EXPLORE
N
PLAW...
NOAVEL S
TR N IT’
E
EXPLO RE
explore
Your world of new discoveries
p28
Unscrambling the origins
of your weekends
thanks to their heroic breeding using wax, in a technique
abilities. like batik – has a museum
The idea of them dispensing dedicated to it (www.huts
aning
IN TH this representative of an (www.spreewald.de).
ITION introduced pest with
ue me
EXHIB an endangered native lookalike,
NEW the Easter bilby.
of Ta n
opens at the British Museum
much in
’t need ds.
THE FABERGÉ EGG
ons don to draw the crow
SPREEWALD.DE/
is abo itual life but commissioned the House
IMAGES/AGE FOTOSTOCK
t ofte to do with ibition, Tantra: of 1917 deprived the jewellery THE CHOCOLATE EGG
is mos ething firm of its best
ing som new exh together Chocolate was taken exclusively
as hav es. This brings customers. There were 50
BOARD/ REISESERVICE@
To marvel at Warhol’s works in
techniqu lution, ond of these Easter eggs
sexual to revo and bey made in all, and they typically as a drink until the middle
OF SPREEWALD TOURIST
n cam odies muc ked Early examples were usually
and eve elf emb en-Us/museums-moscow-krem solid
Kali hers often cloa ped lin). There’s another
culture. Tantra:
p16
as a sym ugh a pioneered the new hollow
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY
– record-setting chocolate
April 23 Easter egg
EXPLORE was a 10.39-metre-high,
7,200kg
UR
NEW EXHIBITION
UM, HIRAP
The Red Taj (also known as EXPLORE behemoth made in Lombardy
John Hessing’s Tomb) is inside
, TO CATCH WARHOL IN LONDON
the Roman Catholic Cemetery
Italy, in 2011.
K/ AWL
26 Shop Amsterdam, The Netherlands
reflected American life
From the 1950s to the ’80s, Andy Warhol
H MUSE
Tate Modern shows. at the
TO HAVE MORE WAYS like no other artist, as a major exhibition
it doesn’t take long
STOC
OF GETTING TO SRI LANKA With more than 100 of his works displayed,
reworkings of Marilyn, Elvis
to see that those fame-launching Pop Art
BRITIS
GoAir has just launched new direct his career. The Tate is giving
and other icons were just one facet of
TRUSTEES DELIMONT
international flights to the island nation Ladies and Gentlemen series
a rare UK viewing to part of his 1970s
OF THE
from Delhi and Bangalore. Introductory (pictured here), which focused on New
York’s African-American
prices are currently on. The flight from and Hispanic drag queens and trans
women. It’s also the first British
Delhi will take off at 10.15am and swansong, Sixty Last
visit for Warhol’s vast canvas and artistic
S. ©THE DANITA
religious beliefs
reach Colombo at 2.10pm on all
R, BENG SEKHAR/
VIETNAM EASIER
(HELEN/
Bangalore, the flight will take
2 brated Visa services provider VFS Global,
in partnership with
VISUAL
ival is cele ds off at 8.05pm and reach
the Embassy of Vietnam in India, has
launched the first-ever TO DISCOVER ALGERIA
Puja fest
NANAGA NGSHU
RAMO ual Kali gal. Hun Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays
online portal for eVisa on arrival for Algeria, with its 1600km-long coastline,
IMMA
on the mainstream traveller map. 17/03/20 1:28 PM
3
The ann mn across Ben Tantric
PURPOSES ONLY.
apply for an eVisa
southeast Asian country. Travellers can and Saharan desert dunes, is not really
R DR and Sundays. On Saturdays,
before departure to Vietnam. There’s
a more expensive
Probably one reason is because it can
be quite challenging to access.
RATO ry autu s of the
H MUSE
SAME.
IA, approved, the country plans to bump up the numbers
2
the visa
IN IND Crowni ed as goddes Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays
payment is made and
not clear yet, governmental intentions
putra Rive am is regard leading
directly into the wallet.
JOURNAL
TANTRI in Ass are expected to yield great rewards
Puja, visit
Simple enough! (https://vietnam.vfsevisa.com
rulers khya
BRITIS
to Algeria; it’s bound to be good.
THREE the mos ship can see Keep an ear out for any news on travel
al period, rated Kama dess wor Kolkata ations
, PROB
Mediev
sons
rpo of god
OF THE
India’s
More reather
that inco th Asia
. par
1
During temples such as in Sou the pre
d in the
SHIVA
ioned rdians, . summer
, the
commiss desses as gua ple in Odisha first-han workshops
TRUSTEES
Every la
ING OVER
Tem
e
Hir Ambub rain artuli,
to get out
y yog , h
h-centur ses known as gerous (‘issuing
fort of Kum al
©THE
the 10t yet dan tes
ur god
des ’) celebra kti’s a tradition rter.
KALI STRID
of the
Out I Sixt y-fo encircle festival
TEMPLE
DELH
1 3
Sha ’ qua
walls. ddess potters
3km
)
interior the Go strual TO SEE THE NEWEST
US NATIONAL PARK
WEEKEND PLANNER (23 ters TO GET A CHILL DOWN YOUR
SPINE
mas men
Go beyond
30
2. Get the best chaat
ers, named It’s Alive. Organised by the
Uttar Pradesh
mosques in Agra just under
20-STAN_R1.indd 33-34
062-064-More reasons final Apr
the Mekong
38 LP on the road: Running in Havana
42 Out there: 11 travel influencers and their
bikes after the LPMI #GreenStrides
A bit of armchair travel is the best way to inspire p45 JOURNAL
48
with Chef Shriya Shetty
Your photos: Of lightening and thunder J for an hour or two, let our writers, photographers
and travellers take you on a vicarious journey,
WHAT I’VE LEARNED...
As a chef going
O
in Puducherry, and other snapshots whether to rock-cut art in Aurangabad or back to my roots
from you to vivid nights in Switzerland. Chef Shriya Shetty talks about her deep love for food and travel
and all the culinary (and life) lessons she’s learned along the way
MINI GUIDES
Themed guides to pull out and take U JOURNAL
OUTDOORS
THE GREAT
p30 My culinary travels began four years ago.
My travel partner, Varun Shetty,
and I go where the food is – we are led
by our noses! That’s also how we decided
When visiting a new place, visit the local market
for ingredients and go where the locals go to find
the best food. Remember this: if the locals are
flocking to a place, 99%, it will be good!
R
THE PHOTO STORY to move from Mumbai to Mangalore,
N
I don’t remember the first dish at night. But, once we reached
I cooked, but, for some reason, the peak, it was worth all
A
JOUR NAL countryside, you see a whole lot
129 Eat your heart out in Denver, the USA Around me,
water from
the spring
was being
nding alfalfa
channelled
fields,
The most interesting
souvenir I’ve brought back would have
of stars due to the lack of pollution –
on the peak that night, I saw what
AS TOLD TO AURELIA FERNANDES. PHOTOGRAPHS: VARUN SHETTY. ALL VIEWS ARE THE SUBJECT’S OWN
trees and surrou ly as soon as the
giant pine
to feed the quite sudden reverted
reappeared
but the desert d. Away from water,
life quickly
d with occasio
nal to be my very first uruli from Kerala.During seemed triple the usual amount!
channels stoppe nment, albeit specke aquifers.
to the desert
enviro
that tracked
the
one of our pop-ups in Fort Kochi,I fell in love I didn’t even know so many could fit
fill plantations off to
we turned
FOLLOW US ON
I had my
olive oasis,
date and ry of the property
with the vessel and,being the traditional utensil in the sky. Just thinking about it gives
oon the greene into a small
”After
n (1 tablesp
Cairo,
ation solutio trated Just beyond and pulled Hamada
made rehydr some concen of the desert palm leaves.
er net in
sand d date
my home- of salt and the loose
off with thatche and
a teaspoon piece of land
junkie that I am,I really wanted one. me goosebumps!
just
on its own that was fenced recently acquired that
of the int way-
of sugar, half
L
water). Water t in the salt e. There was
in 1 litre of
my get-a
PT had an ecolodg
BOOK EXCER lime juice heat, eviden and Taheer g
Saharan
cut it in the buildin trunks
off at night. process of
wouldn’t have g I would peel
ck in were in the
structure made
with date palm the A friend helped me pick out a
I was ba ”
to
stained clothin greenery returned excited to climb all
of mind
and sweat- contact, a rudimentary I was more
of Bahariya,
When exploring a place
d leaves, but desert
view of the
Near the oasis up my next
CouchSurfing at
sta te and thatche the grand were rocky beautiful traditional brass uruli,
ters three
Arriving and take in
ape. I called
all Sahara. There was
from-it-
house. nearby mound
Encoun
landsc to his cted sand in the
to explore a neighbourhood.
of years ago
an open flame
where there is a will,there is a way that are listed as the “top 10”.
le Hamada if
the road, riding h Cairo, overthings are more refreshingand delicious. Hamada, s millions s a non-renewab tood s and returne
d
months on way throug the aquifer ter, so it remain of extraction far on his face
as he unders
back into town
for supplie talked freely
he made his
few ising shirt, by rainwa
It was revital s and a polo recharged the rate We ate and
and,somehow,I managed to lug it Speak to locals and find out
water Taheer headed
to India. As unforgiving
heat desert day.
and specta
cled in trouser him. He came like oil. With
resource, much l rates, the sustain
ability of such g bags, food
and water.
that dark as
my eyes were
it all, from the short-haired of professionalism about guide, d at a spring
where with sleepin It wasn’t all out
he braved stars ional tour renewa in. to make
ing under the exceeding me
teed. We stoppe in this desert soil, as darkness
settled t allowing
exuded a sense family and was a profess recently settled t.
back to Mangalore. what’s good, they are the best
You discover so much more!”
ra to camp n sources is
not guaran strong with the starligh earlier in the dayligh
had trees grew water to the able to adjust,
of the Saha and soon
from a Bedoui on desert safaris. He
s ic reasons,
a common
surprisingly
tall pine
the spring
feeding
the cool ms that I had seen
ed me of nights spent
all the landfor
030-031-Photo story Apr 20-SIDDH_R1.indd 33-34
ony of Cairo’s
traffic behind
southwest
leading tourist
in the town
of Bahariya
for econom
ic peoples
in the Middle
East.
by
built around
beside a tank with most springs in
the desert, 17/03/20
so we jumped in
1:06 PM
It was still
and calm.
While it remind of South America,
stars in the
salt flats signature
guides.And, travel by foot
I left the cacoph on the open road headed devoid of many nomad soon joined nearby area.
As
ible to resist, the its own
The most unusual
has
trend among with our tea, we were
s camping under note that every land
found myself
oasis of
out
Bahariya.
The landsc
sand
ape was
and rocks of the Sitting there Taheer, just as Hamad
a’s mother
ual plates
waters are
almost imposs
with the fresh
water flowin
g from aquifer
it is import
ant to
n desert’ s was spellbi
nding. or rent a cycle to explore
to the no individ to cool off
ingredient I’ve cooked
rolling ape friend, and the Sahara
Hamada’s There are for those in
form beside
s the gently
only objects
, powered
the landsc
punctuating solar panels,
by brought out
lunch for us.
communal
eating. It breeds sat
And so we
deep underg
round.
ly a commo
n pastime
down again more about
the author’s
exhilarating
s Me: a neighbourhood.You discover
desert. The in habit of This was probab swim, we settled as the To find out Toward
with is Kadaknath chicken!
of Riding
phone towers into the Sahara ing in the Bedou and creates strong bonds. of fried fish, an enjoyable tea. Known up a copy
so much more! You miss out
Delhi
were mobile t access far the area. After fire to brew more mint journey, pick Chicago To
low cost interne feeling to some and
annoy
a sense of
trust
hands from the plate more water
than Journey from
provid ing with our pepper salad, an open body absorb A Thousand-Day
a comfor ting get away from it all. there, eating tomato and
around the
desert’, it helps a explained, as I sucked
down
There’s so much hype around it for its medicinal value, and I was on 70% of a place when you’re in the car, so carry your walking shoes
. It was India)
desert. It was trying to ine, fresh flat bread) ‘juice of the blessed me (HarperCollins
who were at various
times. beans, auberg and lafa (Egypt ian n desert. g it plain, Hamad heritage had
@lonelyplanetmagazineindia
for others sides rice Sahara just drinkin my Indian
TALES
between both Cairo, I was
back
with lots of g to the spoons of sugar
Fortunately,
us openin
extremely excited to try it. Flavour wise, it wasn’t great. I am not a fan. and make the most of it!
day,
I teetered internet in and delicio part of the three cups. the two heaped
my fill of the a civilised h the hottest r for tooth to enjoy cup of tea there.
After I had state of mind. nap throug Land Cruise with a sweet
ay-from-it-all e. Even though After a short small
THE AUTHOR
’s old Toyota with every
in my get-aw of the desert was intens suit, I preferred out in Taheer parched surface s. that went in
we headed under the
The dry heat Kevlar mesh
riding
burning the oasis. Deep ty of groundwater aquifer
under my a tour around
rison to the
When cooking with unfamiliar ingredients, first work My perfect comfort meal depends on my mood.
d
it was hot lay a vast quanti it had reache
FROM
it in compa (248 miles) meaning that
SOLELY TO
warmt h of sun. The 400km on the flat
of the Sahara
fossil water,
the slight
d skin to the Most of it was
with a small batch – raw, boiled and lightly sauteed to find
riding
of my expose to Bahariya was easy e, downing But, being the true indian that I am, nothing makes me happier
BELONG
ride from
Cairo
d freque ntly to hydrat
I stoppe
highway, but
the best way it cooks. And, remember, we are blessed with Google! than the piping-hot dal-rice-ghee-and-fish-fry combo!
THE
IN THE TEXT
EXPRESSED
ROAD
S, AND OPINIONS
@LPMagIn
ILLUSTRATIO
DISCLAIME
p46
LEE HARVEY
IT/ 123 RF
APH: PHILIP
NITHID SANBUND
PHOTOGR
12:24 PM
17/03/20
All Pages
R1.indd
rs-STAN_
aharan Encounte
excerpt_S
021-Journal_book
In this issue...
VOLUME 11, ISSUE 3 | APRIL 2020
For glaciers
or deserts, pick
from the USA’s
many national
parks, pg 68
Chill out in
Svalbard, pg 76
FEATURES
Use your passport’s power to the fullest
54 Gear up for a mountain adventure
across the Austrian Alps
68 Towering mountains, captivating plains,
unparalled beauty and diverse terrains –
all on offer across the USA’s national parks
76 Experience the Artic in all its icy glory
in Svalbard, Norway
90 Take on a treking trail like no other
across the peaks of the Balkans
102 Nature and history come alive
in Kakadu, Australia
114 It’s all about #sustainabletravel,
as six cycling enthusiats talk Spend a day in
about hitting the open road
Kakadu, pg 102
10 April 2020
explore
THE BEST OF THE MONTH'S TIPS & TRIPS
What
phrase should
every visitor
to Hongdae know
before arriving?
‘Geonbae’
which means
‘cheers’
N IT’S TIME! IN
HE SP
W IR
EL
AV
AT
This month,
IO
TR
an exhibition on Tantra
N
PLAN NOW...
opens at the British Museum
HAS
in London, the UK, exploring
the diverse ways that
NOEXPI
Tantric philosophy changed
the practice of Hinduism
and Buddhism, and even
R
came to shape 1960s
Y DA
counter-culture
T
E!
1 3 4
2 5 6
of E of
Out R Out
BAI
Marvel at sculptural
ATO
IMB ) MUM )
rocks on the beach
in Kundapura CO (70K
M KM
Out
of E
2 (333
OR
GAL
MAN M)
(90K 5
Take the family along to Kundapura, Karnataka Soak up the hills in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu While away some time in Ganpatipule, Maharashtra
WEEKEND PLANNER Located on the coast of Karnataka, less than a hundred kilometres from Just about 20km from Ooty, one of the most popular hill stations in India, One of the best things about heading to the small temple town of Ganpatipule
Get out
Mangalore, Kundapura is the ideal family holiday destination. Whether lies the lesser- known Coonoor. Here, the throngs of tourists are thinner, on the Konkan coast is the drive there from Mumbai. Hugging the coast,
you’d like to do something with your partner, want the kids to have a good time, the air is a little fresher and the scenery just as magnificent. the road has sparse traffic and the surrounding landscape is pretty. By the time
of town
There’s plenty to see around town. Start off with the Holy Rosary Church, to over a thousand species of native and introduced flora – cedars, champaks, With two beaches, Ganpatipule Beach and Aare Beach, located near each
a 17th-century structure that has seen colourful and turbulent years (00-91-8254- roses, and a pretty, sun-striped plant nursery (00-91-423-223-0395; Walker's other, get ready to dig your toes into the sand while the sea breeze embraces
230-421; Church Rd, 6am – 6pm). Head next to Kodi Bengre, the place where Hill Rd; 7am – 6pm; `30 adult, `15 child). Around a 10-km scenic drive you. Aare Beach is serene and usually pretty deserted save for a few boulders
the Panchgangavali River meets the Arabian Sea. While the beach is clean from town is the Dolphin’s Nose peak, which provides a startling 360° view that make the perfect perch from which to watch the sun set. Ganpatipule Beach,
Go on a family vacation, find solace and ideal for a peaceful walk with the family, you must head to the top of the Kodi of these parts, with some families of rhesus monkeys for company. on the other hand, has a lot more going on. If you’re close to the Swayambhu
in the hills, and hit the beaches Lighthouse for a breath-taking view of the surrounding countryside (Kodi Bengre; The peak is flanked by ravines and the Catherine Falls in Kotagiri, the oldest Ganpati Temple, you’ll see hordes of visitors, horse carriages, dune buggies,
4pm – 5.30pm; `10 adult, `3 child ). If the family gets peckish, a little distance hill station in the Nilgiris. The other thing that will catch your eye here are jet skis and camels, and vendors offering a wide range of refreshments.
Words Samarpan Bhowmik @sum.err.pun away is Kinara Restaurant, a lovely little beach shack and one of the very few the bright dwellings of the indigenous Kurumbar tribals that live here. If you are keen on some history, head to Jaigad Fort around 15km away
in the area (00-91-99022-85575; Beach Rd, Koteshwara; snacks from `40, If you’d like more of a challenge, make your way to the 18th-century (Jaigad Coastal Rd; 9am – 6pm; free). The 17th-century fort’s outer wall
paneer ghee roast: `180). Speaking of food, try the famous chicken ghee Droog Fort, thought to be Tipu Sultan’s one-time military outpost (6am – 6pm). is all that remains today, but the view from the ramparts is easily one
roast at Shetty’s Lunch Home (00-91-82542-30408; Hajaj Commercial The fort is perched 6,000ft above sea level and the hike up follows a red-dirt of the most stunning on the Konkan Coast.
Complex; Deralakatte; 11am – 11pm; chicken ghee roast: `600). The fish track cutting through the Nonsuch Tea Estate, and finally leading to a steep Make sure you catch the sunset back in Ganpatipule from Aare Beach.
thali (`100) and the kane fish masala fry (`260) are equally delicious. ascent to the summit, known as Bakasura Malai after the demon in the The warm hues of the dying sun melting into blue waters will be etched
Places such as Kundapura are delightful reveals, ones that only appear Mahabharata. The panoramic view of the Nilgiris from here is, again, into your mind for quite some time to come. It is a really small town with
on your map if you travel locally. Explore our country; there are many such breathtaking. Soak in as much as you can on a Coonoor visit. Slow travel not much else to do, especially after dark. But then, pretty much nothing
hidden gems just a small distance away. can be a delicous treat in these fast times. is what most visitors are here to do.
STAY: Glucklich Beach Cottages (www.glucklichstays.com; from `3,500); STAY: Neemrana Wallwood Garden (www.neemranahotels.com/wallwood- STAY: Nakshatra Beach Resort (www.nakshatrabeachresort.com; from `3,000);
Blue Waters (www.bluewatersindia.com; from `2,700) garden-coonoor; from `4,500); The Xanadu (www.thexanadu.co; from `7,300) Beachfront Villas (www.beachfrontvillasganpatipule.in; from `3,200)
14 April 2020
EXPLORE
of
Out
H)I 1 3
DEL
3km
WEEKEND PLANNER (23
One of India’s most popular tourist destinations, Agra is home next site. The Panchkuin Kabristan is home to around 20,000 1. The tomb of a tribute to his daughter Jahanara Begum, based on the
Go beyond
to the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world. An graves (Panchkuian, Rakabganj). What makes this burial site European officer Iranian style of architecture.
architectural masterpiece, it draws around 40,000 visitors daily. unique is a story that has been popularised in the 2017 Walter Reinhardt Sombre Life in the bylanes of Agra reflects the city’s rich culture.
However, owing to the immense popularity of this great white Hollywood film, Victoria & Abdul. Here, you’ll find the final resting 2. Get the best chaat Enter the lane just opposite the Jama Masjid, which begins
at Seth Galli
Uttar Pradesh
mosques in Agra
Mahatma Gandhi Rd, Kripal Colony, Sanjay Nagar, Pashupati of Agra, where he spent the last few years of his life. Next up is the Mankameshwar Temple, dedicated
Colony, Civil Lines; entry: `50). Made of red sandstone, the Red Taj Head next to Agra Fort, an architectural masterpiece to Lord Shiva and one of the country’s most ancient temples,
was commissioned by Ann Hessing in memory of her husband, that served as a residence of Mughal emperors until 1638 with long queues of devotees lined up outside.
Words AMIT GAIKWAD @guiltyasframed John Hessing, a military officer with the Maratha troops in 1784. (Rakabganj; entry: `40). While the fort has two main entrances Make your way, to Johari Galli, where century-old havelis still
Photographs MAHESH SAGARI @maheshsagari The monument lies deep within the Roman Catholic Cemetery – the Delhi Gate and the Lahore Gate (now rechristened stand proud. The Uttar Pradesh government has plans to restore
(Nehru Nagar, Civil Lines). Believed to be one of the oldest the Amar Singh Gate), visitors can only enter through the latter. these to their former glory; work has already begun on a few.
Catholic cemeteries in North India, this site is also the final resting Once inside, check out structures such as Jahangir’s Hauz, End your Agra adventures by indulging your taste buds –
place of a number of European officers, soldiers and artisans. the Shah Jahani Mahal, the Diwan-i-Aam, the Diwan-i-Khas, head to Seth Galli, a few lanes away from Johari Gali, known
Here, you will find the tomb of another European officer, Walter the Khas Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, the Bengali Mahal, Akbar’s for its chaats and sweetmeat shops. This is where you ditch
Reinhardt Sombre, which was erected by his wife Farzana, Mahal and the Jahangiri Mahal. your dinner plans to go crazy over the unique flavours of Agra.
famously known as Begum Samru. Not too far away is another Not too far away is the Jama Masjid, also known as
famous tombstone that belongs to John Mildenhall, a British Jami Masjid or Friday Mosque (Rakabganj; free). One STAY: ITC Mughal (www.itchotels.in/hotels/agra; from `5,200);
officer who was one of the first to journey overland to India. of the biggest in India, this spectacular red sandstone Jaypee Palace Hotel & Convention Centre: (www.jaypeehotels.
Talking about graves and tombstones is exciting, but so is the and white marble structure was built by Shah Jahan as com; from `5,000 with breakfast).
16 April 2020
EXPLORE
EXPLORE
NEW HOTELS
CULTURE TRIP
KALI STRIDING OVER SHIVA, PROBABLY KRISHNANAGAR, BENGAL, 1890S. ©THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM, HIRAPUR
Aravallis, Devi Ratn – IHCL SeleQtions is only a little distance from the city centre.
Its architecture is unique, inspired by the astronomical observatory Jantar Mantar
TEMPLE ©THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM, HIMANGSHU SEKHAR/ ALAMY, DANITA DELIMONT STOCK/ AWL
and blending in elements of Rajasthan’s vibrant culture and traditions. Vyom
the all-day dining restaurant, Mandala the bar, and Jal the poolside café will all
cater to visitors’ gastronomical needs. The conference room, banquet halls and
sprawling greens are also ideal for occasions, be it a wedding in the family
or a corporate conference.
www.seleqtionshotels.com/en-in/devi-ratn-jaipur
THREE TANTRIC SITES IN INDIA, CHOSEN BY EXHIBITION CURATOR DR IMMA RAMOS
1 2 3
DISCLAIMER: ALL CONTENT ON THESE PAGES FOR INFORMATION ONLY;
During India’s Medieval period, rulers Crowning a hill on the banks of the The annual Kali Puja festival is celebrated
CITY TRAILS
1. Lucky Luke mural at Rue de la Buanderie 1
Brussels &
2. Belgian Comic Strip Center
3. Jeu de Balle flea market
2 3
NEED TO KNOW
1 COMIC STRIP TRAIL 2 BELGIAN COMIC STRIP 3 BRÜSEL BOOKSHOP 5 MOOF MUSEUM 6 JEU DE BALLE
BRUSSELS,
BELGIUM CENTER & GALLERY Brussels is the perfect city FLEA MARKET
Launched in 1991, to discover on foot.
1 Plan Up the hill from the Tintin boutique
the Brussels Comic Strip Just behind La Monnaie, Brussels’s Situated just off the Grand Place, for a three-day weekend sits Brussels’s imperious train station, There are always crowds
Trail has grown into more grand opera house, this unique Brüsel is more than a bookshop: La Gare Centrale, and hidden inside walking up Rue Blaes, a street
than 50 eye-catching cartoon museum is housed in an old it’s a temple consecrated to is Galerie Horta, where the MOOF lined with tempting Art Deco
murals across the city centre. department store, designed the Ninth Art. Comic books opened its doors in 2010. Although stores stretching from Sablon
Tracking them down is by Victor Horta, Belgium’s master are piled high all over the three-floor officially called the Museum of to Place du Jeu de Balle. Nothing
an ideal way to explore of Art Nouveau. The palatial emporium: not just with Belgian Original Figurines, it is better known prepares you, though, for the
the backstreets of Brussels, entrance is filled with fun statues favourites such as Le Chat – as La BD en 3D for its 1,000 spot-lit sight of the hundreds of traders
armed with the trail map of comic heroes and even a wonderfully sardonic cat – figurines of dozens of comic-strip occupying the immense square
ILÔT SACRÉ
WORDS: JOHN BRUNTON. PHOTOGRAPHS: BANDE DESSINÉE MUR BD STRIPMUUR LUCKY LUKE
ST GÉRY that explains who each a physical sculpture of Tintin’s but Japanese manga and cult 4 LA BOUTIQUE DE TINTIN heroes.The entrance is marked each day. This is Europe’s most
BRUXELLES character is. Most distinctive red-and-white rocket books by global bandes dessinées by a striking statue of a Smurf — authentic flea market, established
are within walking from Destination Moon. One gallery authors, from Mexico to Canada. On the other side of the Grand another inimitable Belgian a century ago, and, amid the
NEW EXHIBITION
WORDS: SAMARPAN BHOWMIK PHOTOGRAPHS: SAIKO3P/ 123RF (SRI LANKA), SUVIT MAKA/ 123RF (VIETNAM), DMITRY PICHUGIN/ 123RF (ALGERIA), ANDY WARHOL (1928–1987) LADIES AND GENTLEMEN (HELEN/
off at 8.05pm and reach Visa services provider VFS Global, in partnership with
HARRY MORALES) 1975; (WILHELMINA ROSS) 1975, ACRYLIC PAINT AND SILKSCREEN INK ON CANVAS, 1270 X 1016 MM; ITALIAN PRIVATE COLLECTION, © 2019 THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION FOR THE VISUAL
Colombo by 9.55pm on the Embassy of Vietnam in India, has launched the first-ever
Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays online portal for eVisa on arrival for travellers to the TO DISCOVER ALGERIA
and Sundays. On Saturdays, southeast Asian country. Travellers can apply for an eVisa Algeria, with its 1600km-long coastline, ruins of the ancient Roman Empire
ARTS, INC / ARTISTS RIGHT SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK AND DACS, LONDON, JUSTIN FOULKES (WHITE SANDS NATIONAL PARK) SOME PHOTOGRAPHS USED FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.
the flight would leave Bangalore before departure to Vietnam. There’s a more expensive and Saharan desert dunes, is not really on the mainstream traveller map.
at 8.20pm, while the return flights option of special priority services for approval on the same Probably one reason is because it can be quite challenging to access.
from Colombo would take off at 11pm day or the next day. Documents can be uploaded securely Securing an Algerian visa has been quite the hassle. Now, all that is set
and reach Bangalore by 12.30am on to the digital wallet on the portal and, once the online to change. According to reports, the Algerian government has announced
Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays payment is made and the visa approved, eligible travellers that it will soon launch a new visa system. From 3 million visitors last year,
CONTENT ON THESE PAGES IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. LONELY PLANET MAGAZINE INDIA DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY MISHAPS ARISING FROM THE SAME.
and Sundays (www.goair.com). will receive their eVisa approval letters directly into the wallet. the country plans to bump up the numbers to around 5 million per year over
Simple enough! (https://vietnam.vfsevisa.com) the next five years. Although details are not clear yet, governmental intentions
are expected to yield great rewards for those keen to see this beautiful country.
Keep an ear out for any news on travel to Algeria; it’s bound to be good.
More reasons
to get out there TO GET A CHILL DOWN YOUR SPINE
TO GET A CUPPA JOE Kirk Hammett, legendary lead guitarist of Metallica, has always been a collector
TO SEE THE NEWEST
Something’s brewing silently
besides your morning cuppa.
of horror and sci-fi art. It has now been organised as a travelling exhibition
named It’s Alive. Organised by the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, US NATIONAL PARK
It is Global Coffee Tour, Massachusetts, the USA, it’s showing at the Columbia Museum of Art (CMA) Snow is rare in the deserts of southern New Mexico,
the newest offering from in Columbia, South Carolina, where it runs until May 17, and includes appearances where temperatures regularly pass 40°C. Instead, visitors
Lonely Planet. Packed with by Hammett himself. On display are 135 works from 20th-century cinema including to the newly-designated White Sands National Park
amazing photographs, this posters, rare art by master artists, and memorabilia such as electric guitars, lobby can venture into pillowy dunes that dazzle all those who
is a taster’s guide to the world’s cards, film props and costumes (www.columbiamuseum.org/view/its-alive-classic- forget their sunglasses. Previously a national monument,
best coffee experiences. horror-and-sci-fi-art-kirk-hammett-collection). White Sands has now become the 62nd member of the
The attractively-illustrated US national parks family. It protects just under
pages list over 150 amazing half of a 275-square-mile dunefield, the world’s largest
coffee experiences from across expanse of gypsum sand. This is seldom found elsewhere
37 countries. The coffee trail as it soon dissolves in water. As well as hikes beyond the
begins from its birthplace in loop-drive into the dunes, visitors can skid down
East Africa, to modern-day Cuba, the United States, Australia the slopes on sleds – with no mittens or bobble hats
and the UK, listing legendary espresso bars, plantation tours, needed (www.nps.gov/whsa; seven-day entry from
urban roasteries and must-visit cafés. Drink in informative details `1,200/ person or `1,850/ vehicle).
about roasting coffee, cocktails, brewing techniques, insights
into local culture and history, personalities and the passion
that goes into coffee making and interesting itineraries.
This is your definitive guide to coffee tasting around the world
(available at most bookstores and online stores; `1,501).
22 April 2020
EXPLORE: REASONS TO TR AVEL
NEW FIND
TO ADMIRE – IN TIME – THE REINFORCEMENTS
There’s no hurry to see them (they’ve waited a long time to be
discovered) but, when you’re ready: the Terracotta Army of China’s
first emperor Qin Shi Huang is on its way to adding another battalion
with the unearthing of 200 more clay warriors, along with a dozen
horse figures (www.bmy.com.cn).
TO CATCH
A UNIQUE
IN SYDNE
Y, AUSTRA EXHIBIT
LIA
The Happy Place pop-up is an
immersive experience founded by entertainment manager and event producer
Jared Paul. After runaway successes in Los Angeles, New York City, and
Las Vegas in the USA, and Toronto in Canada, the pop-up, with its multi-sensory
themed rooms and larger-than-life installations, is now showing at Broadway
in Ultimo. What kind of experiences can you expect? A 20-foot-tall double
rainbow, a bathtub filled with rubber ducks, a room scented with the aroma
of freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies, and an upside-down room that
Every evening, locals
defies gravity, among others. Sounds like fun? You bet. And it’ll enrich
your social media a long way (www.happyplace.me; until May 3).
head to the Malecón,
Havana’s soulful seafront
s
drive,
to ge t ou t ther e
TO EXPLORE MADHYA
PRADESH FROM HOME TO SLEEP UNDER THE STARS
There’s a new, fun way to plan TO WALK If you’ve always wanted to go back to the cradle The reserve supports several large lion prides –
your trip to the heart of India. THE of civilization, Africa, there’s a new experience if you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse
Madhya Pradesh Tourism has on offer. The Ngala Treehouse is an overnight retreat of these big cats wandering around the fence
recently launched RunCation,
WORLD’S that offers visitors a chance to sleep under the open surrounding the treehouse. The Ngala Treehouse
an app that has detailed LONGEST sky and witness an entirely magical side of the South stands 12 metres above ground and is composed
information about various ROAD African bush. Located inside the Ngala Private of two sleeping areas – one inside and one on
destinations across the state, LONELY PLANET’S BEST IN TRAVEL 2020 The England Coast Path, stretching Game Reserve, at the borders of South Africa’s the roof – under a retractable cover. There’s also
alongside 360° panorama IN BHUTAN over 4,500km to connect the entire English Kruger National Park, the treehouse is surrounded by a bathroom with shower and an open dining area.
and GPS treasure hunts to keep General TCB, Droji Dhradhul, at a grand event in the routes, and also opens new routes with access TRAVEL
things interesting. Currently, country’s capital, Thimphu. to beaches, dunes and cliffs. The year 2021 will
(NGALA TREEHOUSE), GETTYIMAGES
there are seven destinations Best in Travel is the gold standard of global travel be the ‘Year of the English Coast’ with a packed PHOTOGRAPHS: ANDBEYOND.COM TO TRAVEL ECO-FRIENDLY
listed on the app – Bhopal, bucket lists, announcing the planet’s most exciting programme of events lined up. People can ON GERMAN TRAINS
Khajuraho, Gwalior, Mandu, destinations for the forthcoming year. Lonely Planet’s register for beach clean-ups, seafood feasts, and German rail operator Deutsche Bahn is helping to make
Orchha, Pachmarhi and Pench, staff and wider expert community select a fascinating art trail walks,all with a big focus on sustainability lower-carbon travel that bit cheaper by offering
(GERMAN RAIL)
but more are expected to be group of the top 10 countries, 10 cities, 10 regions, (www.nationaltrail.co.uk/england-coast-path). a 10% discount on fares for passengers going more than
added soon (download from and 10 best value destinations to form this inspiring 50km (31 miles) on its Intercity Express trains
the Play Store and App Store). look at travel in the year ahead. (www.bahn.com).
Amsterdam,
The Netherlands HET OUD-HOLLANDSCH
SNOEPWINKELTJE
CRE8
VELORETTI
PATRIMONIA
With an estimated BOLS
881,000 bikes in Amsterdam’s trading heritage
Amsterdam (about as Though it’s the ancestor of gin, inspired this board game, which
many as the number of people genever or jenever is not an should perhaps come infused
living in the city proper), two-wheeled transport is exact taste match, but a malty OLD AMSTERDAM with the scents of herring, coffee
king here – even if more than 12,000 cycles end up spirit whose namesake juniper and other goods from near and
in canals each year. Don’t expect to impress with flavour was added to mask Could Netherlanders’ dairy fixation help to explain why they far. The pieces are made from
PHOTOGRAPH: ALAMY
PHOTOGRAPH: ALAMY
a high-spec bike, though: Dutch cycling culture is the harsh taste imparted by are the tallest people on Earth? Old Amsterdam is a Gouda-type fallen local trees and, originally,
cheap and practical. Veloretti’s bikes and early stills. Locals pour it to the cheese aged for around eight months. Connoisseurs often pick plastic fished from Amsterdam’s
accessories are low-key stylish. brim, then sip until they can out a butterscotch flavour in it. canals, although any recycled
www.veloretti.com safely pick up the glass. www.old.amsterdam plastic is used now.
www.bols.com www.patrimonia.nl
EXPLORE
N
earliest following in the Middle East and Egypt, THE
where eggs had a symbolic importance that PAINTED
easily transferred to the story of the Resurrection. EGG
Much of the history of Easter eggs – The Easter
as well as the name ‘Easter’ itself – is sketchy. eggs of early
A
An Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn called Mesopotamian
Eostre is often said to be the source of the Christians were dyed red
holiday’s English name, but she is mentioned to symbolise the blood of Christ.
only once in records. The biologically dubious More intricate designs have persisted among
Easter pairing of eggs with furry, hopping the Slavic cultures of central and eastern Europe.
L
creatures has a firmer basis in tradition. In Ukraine, the art of pysanky – decorating eggs
Hares have long been a spring symbol, using wax, in a technique like batik – has a museum
thanks to their heroic breeding abilities. dedicated to it (www.hutsul.museum/pysanka
The idea of them dispensing eggs from baskets, [in Ukrainian]). Around the Spreewald region
or hiding them for children to find, came from of Germany, you can see and buy examples
Germany. Easter bunnies aren’t universally liked: (above) made by the Sorbian minority
in Australia, campaigners want to replace (www.spreewald.de).
this representative of an introduced pest with
an endangered native lookalike, the Easter bilby.
TALES
FROM
THE
THE FABERGÉ EGG ROAD
AV
The 1900 Trans-Siberian Railway egg (right) has it didn’t take long for chocolatiers
AT
IO
TR
a miniature clockwork locomotive with a diamond to try their ideas out on Easter eggs. Spring is around the
N
headlight. It is displayed with nine other Fabergé eggs Early examples were usually solid
PLAN NOW...
corner and our Instagram
HAS
in the Kremlin Armoury in Moscow (www.kreml.ru/ all the way through, until advances
Challenge this issue celebrates
en-Us/museums-moscow-kremlin). There’s another in moulding came along. Cadbury’s
just that. This photograph
NOEXPI
good collection at the Fabergé Museum pioneered the new hollow style
in St Petersburg (www.fabergemuseum.ru). in Britain from 1875. The world’s by Instagrammer Kaushik
record-setting chocolate Easter egg Ghelani (@aaranyakwild)
was a 10.39-metre-high, 7,200kg has us feeling hopeful
R
for what lies ahead
Y
behemoth made in Lombardy,
DA
Italy, in 2011.
T
E!
THE GREAT
OUTDOORS
On the Prowl
For a bit of nature, peace and the chance of seeing
a tiger (without an audience), make your way to
the lesser-explored Sanjay-Dubri National Park
in Madhya Pradesh
Photographs & words: Parth Jha @photo.theek.leta.hai
DISCLAIMER: ALL CONTENT IS FROM THE AUTHOR. LPMI CANNOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY MISHAPS ARISING THEREOF.
I HAVE BEEN PHOTOGRAPHING TIGERS
and wildlife habitats for 10 years now. Being a nature
and wildlife enthusiast, it isn’t always easy to find a place
that is blessed with exceptional biodiversity but also
not completely overrun by tourists.
India has many tiger reserves, but reality hits you once
you start planning a trip to one of these places. Safaris
at Bandhavgarh National Park, for example, get booked
months in advance and an impromptu jungle trip is just
not possible. This holds true for almost every mainstream
tiger reserve in the country. You might find a tiger,
but you won’t find tranquillity.
So, in search of a combination of tranquillity and nature,
I started exploring lesser-known wildlife locations. This search
led me to a forest nestled along the borders of Madhya Pradesh
and Chattisgarh – the Sanjay-Dubri National Park. This place
is the perfect blend of rich wildlife, unexplored jungles and
an authentic wildlife experience. Interestingly, Sanjay-Dubri
is where the first white tiger in the world was discovered
in 1951. All white Bengal tigers in the world are related
to this very tiger, who came to be known as Mohan.
Sanjay-Dubri National Park is around 250km from Jabalpur.
One can stay at the MPT Parsili Resort, located on the banks
of the Banas river (from `1,900). You can pre-book a safari online,
or at the counter near the entrance (www.forest.mponline.gov.in).
It wasn’t that I was a stranger to adventure. Our adventure had started when the four of us
I had the good fortune of being born into a family that took off from Hyderabad on motorcycles, hoping
enjoys the road. I was weaned on road trips. In 1989, to make our way to the Mekong, riding across Myanmar,
my parents bought a car in Delhi, a fire engine-red Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and back.
Maruti van, and we drove it back home to Jamshedpur. Our team was an unlikely one – a biker, a police constable,
We followed the Ganga east through India’s lush plains. an architect and I, a freshly-out-of-work professional –
Stopping at dhabas and watching my dad talk to truckers brought together only by our common love of the road.
and dhaba owners seemed wildly romantic to the The expedition had come to pass after months of
16-year-old me. Papa had been an avid traveller himself. planning and visits to countless government offices
In 1979, he and six of his friends rode to Europe on four for sponsorships and visas. I had steeled myself
Yezdis and on an unbelievably shoestring budget. for bad roads, the lack of familiar food and interminable
They shipped their bikes to Kuwait, drove 18,000km paperwork. What I had not expected was the
to Paris, went around the Eiffel Tower, drove back unadulterated joy of watching the sun rise over villages
to the shores of the Persian Gulf and came back by sea just rousing to life, and glorious sunsets that changed
to (then) Bombay. Years later, when asked why they the sky in a million different ways. I had not expected GO ON, RIDE!
had decided to do that, he said they had wanted to the long conversations with myself while thundering •Make sure you have
explore Europe and it was the cheapest way possible – over several hundred kilometres every day. I caught the right gear (helmets,
a simple explanation indeed. a better glimpse of the real me while losing myself armoured jackets, etc).
in the emerald green paddy fields lining the highway.
•Wear your heart
Almost 40 years later, I found myself standing
on your sleeve.
under a moon rising over the Burmese mountains, While motorcycle riding is a rather solitary
wondering what had got me there. Perhaps it was the activity, like almost all travel is, being part •Welcome whatever
wanderlust I had inherited from my father or perhaps of a group of riders is different. There is something comes your way.
it was the niggling need to explore the world and see that prompts you to look out for each other, to be aware Let the world, in turn,
it for myself, rather than believe everything they said of whether your teammate’s helmet strap is fastened welcome you.
DISCLAIMER: ALL VIEWS, THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THE TEXT BELONG SOLELY TO THE AUTHOR
on the nine-o’clock news. properly or not, to watch to make sure that, when
you stop, the person behind has enough room. There’s
camaraderie, a certain ease of being around the other,
”There’s a certain ease a playfulness, and a deceptive nonchalance about the
others’ wellbeing. We, too, settled into our saddles,
of being around the taking turns at being vigilant, helpful, difficult, bindass.
the others’ wellbeing. Travellers across time and across cultures have known
34 April 2020
JOURNAL
IN YOUR WORDS
Camping next to the alpine lakes in Kashmir is one of the most memorable experiences of my life.
On a tiring day, I close my eyes and relive those magnificent moments – it always brings a smile to
Under the Stars AT 5PM, AS THE SUN SANK LOWER INTO THE
SKYLINE, AND THE LIGHT OF THE DAY DRAINED
AWAY, 12 OF US MADE OUR WAY TO OUR HOMESTAY.
my face. I had earlier visited Srinagar, Pahalgam and Gulmarg. Almost five years later, I was fortunate
to go on the Great Lakes Kashmir trek. We stumbled upon lush green meadows in forests, came across
From camping on the beach to spending the night wild horses grazing with their manes blowing in the gentle breeze. Apart from my trek mates, the only
THE TREES, THICK AND OLD, WITH TWISTED ROOTS, other humans I met were a few villagers, army men and shepherds who ran up and down the slopes,
in a snowy forest, Lonely Planet Magazine India THE SOUND OF BIRDS CHIRPING SWEETLY, THE SCENT tending their flocks of sheep. These bleating sheep had a mind of their own and wandered off in every
readers talk about their camping experiences OF WILDFLOWERS AND FALLEN LEAVES IN THE DENSE possible direction, keeping their shepherds on their toes. Across seven days, we saw seven pristine
FOREST OF CHIKMAGALUR, KARNATAKA,
lakes, often changing colour – from turquoise to emerald and even dark navy blue – depending on
WELCOMED US – BEFORE WE WERE GIVEN SOME
the weather and time of day. I half expected to see a mythical creature emerge out of the azure waters
HEARTBREAKING NEWS: THE HOMESTAY OWNERS
nestled between the mighty Himalayas, such was the serenity of these lands. Every day, after our trek,
INFORMED US THAT THEY WERE OVERBOOKED.
Desperate to escape the city over a long we would reach our campsite, pitch our tents, play games, catch up on the day’s updates over dinner
BUT, THEY REASSURED US, THERE’S ANOTHER
weekend, a colleague and I began to look and stay up to gaze at the Milky Way in the night. Camping here reminded me of how brief my life
HOMESTAY 7KM AWAY. OUR HUGE VAN MADE ITS
at options. After endless research and rejection was, and that I must live every moment to the fullest. I feel blessed to have experienced such sheer
WAY FURTHER INTO THE THICK FOREST, TAKING US
of each other’s choices, she left for Pune, DOWN A NARROW BROKEN ROAD. A SUDDEN
beauty and will always cherish the Great Lakes camping memories.
leaving me to plan my own weekend. I booked and paid for DOWNPOUR ADDED TO THE CHAOS, MAKING THE Timeless beauty by Sangeeta Som
a beach camping adventure at Revdanda Beach, Alibaug, much to ROAD DAMP AND STEEP. OUR VAN GOT STUCK IN
my friend’s dismay (she texted me through the trip to find out what A POTHOLE, FORCING US TO BRAVE THE RAIN AND Have you ever experienced the sound of silence? It’s addictive, Taking on the Chadar Trek had always been a dream of mine.
PUSH IT. OUR NEXT HURDLE WAS A HUGE TREE TRUNK
soulful and calming. Having completed Indrahara, Brahmatal, Pangarchulla, Goechala
she had missed!). Travelling to Alibaug was exciting, thanks to the It is a sound so beautiful that you’ll make it your favourite
BLOCKING OUR WAY. ONCE AGAIN, WE HAD TO and KGL, I was looking for a trek that would test my strength next.
ferry ride, and the private vehicle transfer to the campsite was great. song. I experienced the magic of silence, literally, as I sat on Chadar seemed the right step forward. Little did I know of the
The sight of beautiful tents in various colours left me awestruck. PUT OUR STRENGTH TO THE TEST. EVERYONE PRAYED a snow-mobile bike that raged at 60kmph through knee-deep
life-altering experience that awaited me in one of nature’s extremes.
THAT WE WOULD REACH SAFELY. BUT THERE ARE snow – guided only by the light of twinkling stars and a bright
Though the organisers had advised rest, most of us could not
IT WAS –15 DEGREES AND
While returning from the summit, a frozen section of the river had
MORE SURPRISES AHEAD. moon.
resist heading to the beach. broken off. We were stuck on a small island for the night, with no way
FINLAND CLASPED ME IN ITS
DISCLAIMER: ALL CONTENT IS FROM READERS. LPMI CANNOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY MISHAPS ARISING THEREOF. ENTRIES MIGHT BE EDITED.
OUR NEW HOMESTAY WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF
ENDLESS SELFIES, CANDID A DENSE FOREST, WITH NO SIGN OF ANY HUMANS,
forward. People from other trekking groups were camping there as well.
PHOTOS, AND ROUNDS OF ELECTRICITY, FOOD, WATER, MOBILE NETWORK; WARM, LOVING ARMS. SAYING AND ALL OF US WERE HOPING
THE RIVER WOULD FREEZE AGAIN
BEACH VOLLEYBALL DID NOT
THE RAIN BEAT DOWN ON OUR PLAN OF STARTING THAT MY SNOW-MOBILE RIDE
OVERNIGHT. BUT THE ICE DID NOT
SEEM TO EXHAUST ANYONE.
A BONFIRE. WE WERE LEFT IN A DARK, EMPTY HOME,
WHOSE ONLY OTHER OCCUPANT WAS A CAT
AND THE CAMPING OUT FORM THE NEXT MORNING. SO IT WAS
A DELICIOUS DINNER WAS WHOSE CRIES SOUNDED LIKE A LITTLE GIRL SOBBING. IN THE SNOW was magical would be an DECIDED THAT THE RIVER WOULD
THE CHERRY ON THE CAKE WAS WHEN WE FOUND
understatement – it was much more than that. It is a memory
BE CROSSED ON FOOT.
PREPARED AND SERVED TO US OUT OUR VAN WAS OUT OF PETROL, SO WE WERE
that is etched in my mind, one that I can still feel every time
I talk about it. Covered from head to toe, we were escorted to a And thus began our adventure. We held onto ropes for support
BY LOCAL COOKS. FAIRY LIGHTS TRAPPED, LITERALLY. EVERYTHING IN AND ABOUT bus that drove us to the starting point, from where we hopped and stepped into the icy cold waters of the Zanskar River.
THIS HOUSE SEEMED TO BE HAUNTED. onto our snow-mobiles. We were given some basic rules, we
ILLUMINATED A COMMUNAL TENT BUT, WHY WORRY WHEN YOUR FRIENDS ARE memorised commands from our guide, and put on our helmets.
With each step forward, the water levels rose steadily, seeping slowly
into our gumboots, gradually rising all the way up to our waists,
THAT SERVED AS A MINI DANCE CHEERFUL! AFTER AN HOUR, THE OWNER SENT
Then, off we went, breezing through cold winds, zooming down
snow-forests, taking a moon-lit path carved by the mobile in
sending our bodies into a state of shock. I could hear shrieks
ROOM FOR THE NIGHT. We played games US FOOD AND WATER AND ARRANGED PETROL front of us, as we made our way to the campsite.
and yelps from behind me as I crossed the river.
Once we stepped onto frozen ice, we were instructed to quickly
FOR OUR VAN. USING OUR POWER BANKS, With adrenaline pumping through our veins, we got off our
like antakshari and charades and danced, socialising all the while. change into dry clothes and drain our boots. I sat down on the icy floor
WE SWITCHED ON FAIRY LIGHTS. WE HOOKED UP snow-mobiles in the middle of a thick forest and were escorted
Later, we all settled down to watch a movie, Stree, on the beach – to a small tent-like structure, complete with damp wooden and tried to remove my gum boots, only to realise that they were stuck!
A PHONE TO A BLUETOOTH SPEAKER AND, SOON,
it was a first for many of us. The cool, gentle breeze, combined with benches and a camp-fire setting. We spoke about the Sami tribe The boots were frozen. My trek leader asked me to warm myself up
HAD A MINI PARTY GOING. THE TWINKLING LIGHTS,
the sound of waves crashing on the shore, made it an unforgettable (natives of the area), learned about the local culture, shared by moving around continuously to get the boots off. But the challenge
THE SOOTHING MUSIC, THE GOOD FOOD AND experiences of our home country, sipped on hot berry juice, wasn’t over yet. After a few kilometres, we realised we couldn’t continue
experience. A few people called it a night, while we continued to WARM DRINKS HAD US SINGING AND DANCING gorged on chunky chocolate cookies, and laughed to our on the trail and had to climb a mountain to return. The climb was
chill on the beach, right till 8am, with the IN NO TIME. NO PLACE IS HELL WHEN YOU’RE heart’s content. particularly difficult, due to the narrow trail – you could only put one
sun beating down on us. We went on to play WITH FRIENDS! We marvelled at reindeer crossing by with their young ones, foot forward at a time and had to bend while doing so, or else you’d
water games, after which we packed up to adding to our realisation of how beautiful Mother Nature
fall back into the river. It was an experience that was both terrifying,
can be.We did not check our cell phones, nor care about
head back home. We left the camp sadly, how we looked. All we did was purely live the best ‘camping yet exciting. People say it’s easier said than done – that was the
Of forests and friends
but with a backpack of memories. experience’ ever! Chadar trek for me. We fell down, we rose again, and we made it.
by Sharvani Musandi
Let it snow by Kirti Panchal Ain’t no mountain high enough
Sea, sand and stars by MDS Prabhu by Deep Shah
36 April 2020
JOURNAL
Run this town reconnect with the city and quickly work
out what has changed since I was last
in town. In less than an hour, I’ve got
the west. In between are gallant
equestrian statues depicting heroes
of Cuba’s independence wars.
There are few better ways to see what makes Havana tick than jogging its seafront promenade. a primer on the city’s mood and Cruising westward, I get distracted
a visceral reintroduction to its sights, by a dazzling new sculpture outside
Writer of Lonely Planet Cuba guidebook Brendan Sainsbury pulls on his trainers smells and sounds. the Hotel Deauville. Unconsciously, I veer
and takes us running There have been many changes over dangerously close to the kerb to get a better
the years. Back in the 1990s, Cuba’s view, but a honking motorbike-and-sidecar
Words Brendan Sainsbury @sainsburyb
cash-strapped “Special Period”, I used quickly snaps me back to awareness.
A
S HEAVY DROPS OF SALT- round the city’s northern shoreline to run along the Malecón in the pitch Running the Malecón isn’t just a test
water hit my face, the distinctive in a protective embrace. Long a favoured dark during the crippling apagones of fitness, it’s a full-on obstacle course.
aroma of tobacco leaf drifts from meeting place for courting couples, (power outages). It was rare to see a car I continue through the tightly-packed
the houses opposite and mixes with that wandering musicians, amateur fishers, here in those days, let alone a tourist bus. residential quarter of Centro Habana
of diesel fumes. A lone trumpeter sits on daring divers, day-dreaming Florida- These days, the traffic is a little thicker, towards Vedado, battling loose paving
the seawall, unperturbed by the crashing gazers and assorted tourists in but the sights are no less unique. stones, slippery seaweed, gusts of ocean
waves, diligently practising arpeggios. Che Guevara T-shirts, this is the city’s The starting and finishing posts, spray, tangled fishing twine and belching
I couldn’t be running anywhere in the most expressive and typically Cuban historical bookends of my Malecón Buicks. By far the biggest obstacle is the sea
world but Havana. thoroughfare. Habaneros (Havana locals) runs, are two Spanish-built forts. itself. Even today’s mild swell in the Straits
Buoyed by an unusual burst of early like to call it the world’s longest sofa, The 16th-17th-century Castillo de San of Florida is enough to send huge waves
morning energy, I hasten steadily in the a potent slice of open-air theatre, Salvador de la Punta guards the jaws crashing over the Malecón’s battered ocean
direction of the iconic Hotel Nacional de where half the city shows up at sunset
Cuba, my eyes fixed on the road ahead. to meet, greet, date and debate.
In front of me, the Malecón, Havana’s For me, it will always be Cuba’s most
evocative 4.3-mile-long sea drive, curls entertaining running route, the first place
38 April 2020
JOURNAL: LP ON THE ROAD
defences. On one occasion, I swear I was The Malecón becomes more modern MAKE IT HAPPEN
stung by a jellyfish. beyond the embassy, the weathered START Castillo de San
The fabulously eclectic Hotel Nacional, house-fronts of Centro Habana giving Salvador de la Punta
visible along most of the route, is probably way to the wider avenues of Vedado. END Torreón de la Chorrera
the Malecón’s most famous landmark. I run past a line of plush-looking private DISTANCE 8.7 miles
Running beneath its manicured gardens restaurants that testify to Cuba’s recent GETTING THERE José Martí
is a wide section of pavement where, economic defrosting. International Airport
in the evenings, bottles of rum are A bevy of leather-faced fishermen is Cuba’s main entry point.
passed around, puros (cigars) are lit, stands on the seawall by the Torreón To get to the eastern end of
and asthmatic Chevys glide past. de la Chorrera, their rods aimed towards the Malecón (starting point
This morning, a few scattered survivors Florida. Once, in tougher economic times, for this run), get a taxi into
of the previous night’s festivities are I stopped for a short rest here. Taking off the city centre.
engaged in a half-hearted after-party. my shoes to air my toes, I fell into a pleasant WHEN TO GO November
I hear a guitar being quietly strummed, lunchtime siesta. When I awoke 20 minutes to March.
and a tentative roll on the bongos. later, my shoes were gone. With a mixture WHERE TO STAY Julio Roque
The sounds serve to revive me as of embarrassment and annoyance, I tiptoed is a pediatrician who, along
I forge on towards the concrete façade the frying-pan hot sidewalk to Habana with his wife Elsa, has expanded
of the US Embassy. Marking the halfway Vieja in search of a shoe shop – not an easy his former two-room casa
point, the building has always been the thing to find in Fidel Castro’s Cuba. particular into a growing web
least gregarious part of the route. Due The memory of my comical robbery of accommodations. His HQ,
to security concerns, loitering is strictly makes me smile as I turn and head with Hostal Peregrino, offers
prohibited. There have been times when fresh vigour back to my accommodation. five rooms and three attached
I’ve merely bent to retie my shoelace Havana is a vibrant, complex and endlessly apartments a block from Paseo
and an officious Cuban policeman has riveting city, but it can be maddeningly de Martí (Prado) and is one
blown his whistle and ushered me on. frustrating at times. But, stoked with of the most professionally-
Today, the embassy is eerily quiet as a runner’s high on this ridiculously run private houses in Cuba.
I run past, looking out for any new political seductive sea-drive, I can’t help but love it. It’s convenient for the Malecón
billboards that might have sprung up since The tempestuous waves, the tangerine (www.hostalperegrino.com;
my last visit. My favourite is the cartoonish sunsets, the sauntering lovers, from `2,370).
depiction of a Cuban revolutionary facing the petulant billboards and the weather- WHAT TO WEAR Light,
off against a bearded Uncle Sam. beaten buildings crying out for a face-lift – breathable running gear –
“Mr Imperialist, we have absolutely there is nowhere else in the world it’s hot and humid even
no fear of you!” it proclaims, cockily. I’d rather go running. in the winter.
NEED TO KNOW
The Malecón is a long
out-and-back run. If you’re still
acclimatising to the heat and
humidity, take it easy on the
first day and turn back near
the US embassy.
For more ideas on exploring
the world in your trainers, pick
up a copy of Lonely Planet’s
book, Epic Runs of the World
(www.lonelyplanet.com;
from `1,370).
40 April 2020
JOURNAL
THE GREAT
KEYA KHANVTE
@whereis_k
OUT THERE OUTDOORS FORUM
Under their Own Power “I’ve called my bike Amarilo (yellow in Spanish)
since my first bike as a child was yellow and
SHAH
@forum_
thedowntownwoman
I learned to cycle on it; it was really special!
The LPMI #GreenStrides ride in February saw I’ve cycled around the countryside and wine “Lynee is the newest
11 travel influencers hit the streets of South Mumbai regions, so riding in my own city has been a very addition to the family;
on Kross bikes. Here’s how the bicycles have unique experience. I was always sceptical about she’s named after my first
riding a bike in city traffic, but the Kross bike was bike, Lynette – they’re
ridden into their lives so comfortable that I had a fabulous city riding basically sisters! Post the
experience. It didn’t feel like the Mumbai I know LPMI bicycle ride, I’ve taken
#GreenStrides at all! I hope to join one of the midnight cycling tours Lynee quite often to the gym
in the city for another perspective on Mumbai. I’m also and to run errands. It gives
looking forward to bonding over more Sunday morning
DIMPI SANGHVI me the feels of Julia Roberts
@dimpisanghvi_ws cycle rides with in Eat Pray Love. This
bicycle has made me dream
“Cycling with Lonely Planet Magazine India brought back of taking a road trip in the
so many memories from my college days, when, every Ladakh region, or even of
summer, my friends and I used to go to Nariman Point, SAMEER (& PARIMITA) NAGORI
@mumbaifoodtrail living in Bali like a local and
Mumbai, to ride our bicycles. I’ve ridden Free Bird
riding in the fields like Julia
(that’s what I’ve named this bike) on Worli Seaface
”We’ve named our bike Olive, as we have been riding out to buy our favourite Roberts. Cycling makes me
a couple of times on weekends. Free Bird looks
really attractive, and, with no complicated features, TRISHITA Kalamata olives since we got her. It has become a morning ritual to take Olive for a spin; more carefree; I have more
it’s really simple to ride. Riding a bike gives me BHATTACHARYA we’ve been ditching our car and riding short distances in our vicinity. In a city like Mumbai, creative ideas when I ride
the feeling of freedom and the opportunity to admire @overrated_outcast the best part about cycling is beating the traffic and saving on travel time. Parking the a bike. I love that cycling
what exists in front of my eyes but which might bicycle is easy, too. Also, cycling helps us burn the extra calories we consume as food brings you calm and peace
not otherwise come to my attention. I’m planning “I’ve ridden this bike multiple times bloggers; Olive lets us do it almost effortlessly. Since our workplace is a mere 6km and lets you live a slower
to cycle more often on my trips as well, as I really after that first ride. I’ve loved cycling since my life, while also helping you
from home, we are going to ditch our car and pedal to work on Saturdays.”
support being a sustainable traveller.” childhood. It’s fun and a great form of exercise:
shed extra pounds; I mean,
so a win-win actually! After getting this new and
bumped-up version from the rest of my cycles, KARISHMA SAKHRANI who wouldn’t want that!”
I really want to go cycling to the hills close @karishma_sakhrani
to my house with my buddies.”
“I’ve named my bike Herbie,
‘cause it sounds green! I’ve been
enjoying cycling down Marine Drive
on Sunday mornings, and I’m going
to start using it to run errands and reach
nearby places. Cycling is very relaxing
while being a great workout. I care
deeply about making small changes
in my daily habits toward being
environmentally responsible, and,
TUSHAR with cycling, I achieve that and
PANCHAL so much more. I want to get more
@bombayiger of my friends into cycling, and
perhaps join a cycling crew soon!”
“I love the bike, and
I’m going to name it soon.
It’s very comfortable, though
I will need to get the seat
adjusted to better suit me.
I’m planning to take the bike
on a midnight ride in South
Mumbai. I’ve ridden the
25km stretch from Colaba
to Worli Seaface before,
but it will be good to do
it again; I’ll burn a lot
of calories too.”
42 April 2020
JOURNAL: OUT THERE JOURNAL
KAUSHAL KARKHANIS
@exoticgringo
DISCLAIMER: ALL VIEWS, THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THE TEXT BELONG SOLELY TO THE AUTHORS
rine up high. My pr g back down pu
where there’s a sh e an d, aft er an uphill climb, gettin k rul es and very comfortable for The most interesting of stars due to the lack of pollution –
fac to chec
breeze hitting my xt trip, but will have
I like the feel of the e to Indonesia on my ne going to nearby places souvenir I’ve brought back would have on the peak that night, I saw what
AS TOLD TO AURELIA FERNANDES. PHOTOGRAPHS: VARUN SHETTY. ALL VIEWS ARE THE SUBJECT’S OWN
e to tak e the bik
on my face. I’d lov and flight specificati
ons.” where there are issues to be my very first uruli from Kerala.During seemed triple the usual amount!
with parking; you can one of our pop-ups in Fort Kochi,I fell in love I didn’t even know so many could fit
just drop off your cycle. with the vessel and,being the traditional utensil in the sky. Just thinking about it gives
And, in today’s stressful junkie that I am,I really wanted one. me goosebumps!
life, the health benefits A friend helped me pick out a
are many. Just a half-
beautiful traditional brass uruli, When exploring a place
hour cycling in the early
complete with a brass spoon.I didn’t
realise how much it weighs! But, “Travel by foot or rent a cycle through food, keep an open
mind. Don’t just go to places
morning, breathing the
to explore a neighbourhood.
where there is a will,there is a way that are listed as the “top 10”.
fresh air, gives you that and,somehow,I managed to lug it Speak to locals and find out
perfect start to the day. back to Mangalore. what’s good, they are the best
On the environmental You discover so much more!” guides.And, travel by foot
front, every individual The most unusual or rent a cycle to explore
(who can) should opt ingredient I’ve cooked a neighbourhood.You discover
to cycle as part of with is Kadaknath chicken! so much more! You miss out
their regular commute. There’s so much hype around it for its medicinal value, and I was on 70% of a place when you’re in the car, so carry your walking shoes
This will reduce extremely excited to try it. Flavour wise, it wasn’t great. I am not a fan. and make the most of it!
emissions and make for
a healthier planet and
When cooking with unfamiliar ingredients, first work My perfect comfort meal depends on my mood.
with a small batch – raw, boiled and lightly sauteed to find But, being the true indian that I am, nothing makes me happier
a more toxin-free world.”
the best way it cooks. And, remember, we are blessed with Google! than the piping-hot dal-rice-ghee-and-fish-fry combo!
FIND MORE INSPIRATION TO CYCLE IN OUR FEATURES SECTION
44 April 2020
JOURNAL
BOOK EXCERPT my home-made rehydration solution (1 tablespoon Around me, water from the spring was being channelled
Saharan
of sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and some concentrated to feed the giant pine trees and surrounding alfalfa fields,
lime juice in 1 litre of water). Water on its own just but the desert reappeared quite suddenly as soon as the
wouldn’t have cut it in the heat, evident in the salt
and sweat-stained clothing I would peel off at night.
”After I had my fill channels stopped. Away from water, life quickly reverted
to the desert environment, albeit specked with occasional
DISCLAIMER: ALL VIEWS, THOUGHTS, AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THE TEXT BELONG SOLELY TO THE AUTHOR
ILLUSTRATION: BLUERINGMEDIA/ 123RF
PHOTOGRAPH: PHILIP LEE HARVEY
NITHID SANBUNDIT/ 123 RF
46 April 2020
JOURNAL
Your
Photos
Your travel photos and
the stories behind them
THUNDERSTRUCK
Puducherry, India
One evening, it rained quite a bit
in Puducherry, India. Later, the rain
subsided, but the lightning was persistent.
I wanted to create a dream-like frame,
in order to capture the drama in the sky.
I set the camera at f/16 aperture and
shot a few long-exposure frames at 16mm.
This particular frame was made using
a three-and-a-half-minute exposure.
Since I was creating a single exposure
shot, I had to balance the manual exposure
duration and the amount of lightning I wanted.
The orange glow is from nearby street lights.
48 April 2020
JOURNAL: YOUR PHOTOS
MAKING
HUNGRY
HIPPOS HISTORY
Talek River, Rome, Italy
Masai Mara Rome – the eternal city and
the centre of civilization for
On one of my numerous
centuries. It houses the epicentre
trips to the Masai Mara, of Christianity – the Vatican
I stayed at a beautiful place City, whose focal point,
called Rekero Camp, on the remarkable St Peter’s
the banks of the Talek River. Basilica is the world largest
I left at 5.30am from the and most important church.
camp on my last morning This towering structure can
be spotted for miles around.
there, in order to go to the
I was lucky enough to find
nearby hippo pool. The light a perfect spot on one of the
just before sunrise was especially several bridges on the River
interesting, and, combined with Tiber, and shot this just after
fog, created a moody setting. the sun had set and the lights
I got down to the eye level of the eternal city had come on.
of the hippos, wanting to line
Kunal Gupta is a
them up, in order to capture
marketing professional
the tightness of the pod.
who enjoys travel and
photography.
Bangalore-based
Amartya
Mukherjee is
an award-winning
photographer.
Bangalore-based Hafiz
Mohamed.K is a visual
designer and photographer.
50 April 2020
JOURNAL: INSTAGR AM
F
E
A
A splash of colour in Barsana,
Uttar Pradesh
@aaranyakwild
Shades of sunshine, North Cascades
National Park, Washington, The USA
@avijitsharma1987
Festive hustle, Mumbai, Maharashtra
@kanishka_klicks T
PHOTO CHALLENGE U
Spring
Each month, we set a new
challenge for our Instagram
R
E
followers – to submit photos
on a specific travel theme.
Here we reveal the winning
S
images for ‘Spring’
DISCLAIMER: ALL CONTENT IS FROM READERS. LPMI CANNOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY MISHAPS ARISING THEREOF.
@lonelyplanetmagazineindia
AV
AT
IO
TR
From the perfect trip
N
PLAN NOW...
through the Austrian Alps
HAS
(pictured) to being a part
of a great dawn-to-dusk safari
NOEXPI
in Kakadu, Australia,
we give you tons of ways
to experience the
RY
great outdoors
DAT
E!
A rosy day in Mumbai, Maharashtra The mountains are calling, Nilgiri Hills, In bloom, Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip
@sarsharsayyed Tamil Nadu Garden, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir
@raghavanmj @closet_travelers
52 April 2020
Hohenwerfen Castle in Salzburg
Province (Salzburgerland) dates
back more than 900 years –
within the mountain behind it
are the ice caves of Eisriesenwelt
N
PLAW...
NOAVEL S
TR N IT’
E
WHTIME!
Breathe in pure
mountain air…
On this Perfect Trip through the Austrian Alps, begin your mountain adventure with a wander
through the Baroque old town of Innsbruck. Then don your hiking boots to explore the Zillertal,
before taking a high Alpine road trip and a tour deep into the natural wonders of Salzburgerland.
Round things off with some sailing in the Austrian Lake District
Words OLIVER BERRY @olivertomberry l Photographs MATT MUNRO
PHOTOGRAPH: PHILIP LEE HARVEY
54 April 2020
THE GREAT OUTDOORS THE AUSTRIAN ALPS
1. Innsbruck
A waypoint across the Alps since ancient times, the stately city of Innsbruck is steeped
in imperial history, yet also serves as a launchpad for mountain activities
S
HADOWS SLANT OVER Innsbruck’s long after its imperial star has waned, the town At the top, a viewing platform overlooks
cobbles as the city shakes off its still cheekily bills itself as the ‘Capital of the Alps’. the city’s rooftops – a sea of spires, domes
slumber and wakes for another day. Habsburg influence dominates the elegant and terracotta tiles, backed by black peaks.
In its cafés, locals gather for their Altstadt. Boulevards lined by mansions and But there is a price for such a view: as the cable
morning constitutional – a cup merchants’ townhouses radiate from the city’s car glides to a halt and its doors whoosh open,
of black coffee and a slice of apple strudel, baked heart, and many buildings are richly decorated: a blast of wind whips up from the valley below,
at dawn and served piping hot. As they tuck into swashes, scrolls and curlicues embellish their sending hats and gloves flying as it howls
breakfast, sunlight creeps along pavements Baroque façades, like flourishes on a wedding across the summits. Most people are prepared,
and onto façades painted in pastel pinks, mustard cake. Often, the architecture contains echoes tightening hoods and zipping up fleeces as they
yellows and duck-egg blues. North of the Altstadt of old glories: the imperial double-headed eagle begin the trek back down towards the city.
(Old Town), cable cars buzz up the hillsides, is a common motif, adorning everything from In an hour or two, they will be rewarding
ferrying walkers to an early start among shop signs to door knockers. themselves with mugs of hot chocolate and slices
the spiked summits of the Nordkette range. Inevitably, it’s the city’s royal buildings that of torte in one of the Altstadt’s old-world cafés.
More than 200 miles west of the Austrian capital impress most. The hallways of the Hofburg
Vienna, Innsbruck is a city where life is framed Palace are lined with Old Master paintings Left: Peter Grassmayr on the floor of his family’s
by the mountains. Hedged north and south and objets d’art, and its ceilings emblazoned historic bell foundry
by peaks, it guards one of the most ancient with frescoes that play games with the eye – Facing page:
trading routes over the Alps, the Brenner Pass. conjuring curves where none exist, or seeming 1. The view across the River Inn from the top
For centuries, pilgrims, pedlars, traders and to open into the heavens. Nearby, on Herzog- of the Stadtturm in the Altstadt
troopers have travelled through here on their Friedrich-Strasse, stands the Goldenes Dachl 2. The heraldry-laden Goldenes Dachl
way across the mountains, using Innsbruck’s (Golden Roof), built for Emperor Maximilian I 3. The Baroque belltower of the Spitalskirche
namesake bridge to cross the Inn River en route in 1500 as a royal box from which to watch 4. A townhouse façade on Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse
to Italy and the Mediterranean beyond. festivities in the square below. Crowned
Innsbruck grew rich by controlling the flow with 2,657 copper tiles that flash and shimmer
of trans-mountain traffic.As capital of Tyrol,
it served until 1665 as an alternative seat of power
to Vienna for the Habsburg dynasty. Even now,
like fish scales in the sunlight, it’s a striking
reminder of Innsbruck’s glorious past.
One man who has an unusual insight into
ESSENTIALS
The Grand Hotel Europa was built in
the city’s history is Peter Grassmayr, whose family 1869. Its bedrooms are modern, with neutral
owns Austria’s oldest bell foundry, founded in 1599, colour schemes and spacious bathrooms, though 2 3 4
just south of the city centre. Grassmayr bells have some suites have a more Alpine feel, with rustic
been chiming out from the city’s church towers furniture and wood-panelled walls. Reminders
for four centuries, and are now shipped to temples, of the hotel’s 19th-century heyday remain –
chapels and sanctuaries across the globe. ask at reception to have a peek into the grand
“We make bells for eight different religions ballroom, glittering with antique chandeliers
and 50 countries,” Peter explains, as he strolls (www.grandhoteleuropa.at; from `8,800).
around the foundry’s bell garden, where
a collection of the company’s historic bells
now reside in hushed retirement. “We might
be in the middle of the mountains, but our
bells can be heard as far away as Jerusalem,
Australia and Japan!”
For all its architectural pomp, these days,
Innsbruck is a place that’s more popular for the
outdoor pursuits that take place beyond its urban
core. It has hosted the Winter Olympics twice –
in 1964 and 1976 – and few cities have such
a main line to the mountains. A futuristic Find more tips at www.innsbruck.info.
funicular, designed by star architect Zaha Hadid, Pick up an Innsbruck card, which covers
joins up with two cable cars to whisk hikers, admission to most museums, and includes travel
skiers and snowboarders from the Altstadt’s on buses and cable cars (`3,300/ `3,800/
squares into the heart of the Nordkette range `4,500 for 24/48/ 72 hours).
at more than 2,000m, taking 20 minutes in all.
56 April 2020
THE GREAT OUTDOORS THE AUSTRIAN ALPS
where mountain traditions remain strong – from Alpine hospitality to after-dinner yodelling Facing page:
“T
1. Matthias Schiestl scales
a giant boulder
AKE UP THE SLACK,” That’s what keeps me exploring.” Slinging by late afternoon, they’ve reached their goal: 2. The sound of cowbells is
shouts Matthias Schiestl, his ropes over his shoulder, he sets off in a junction between two valleys. Sharp and never far away in the Zillertal
as he dangles by one arm from search of the next spot. Meadows hatch sheer as a pair of crossed swords, it was carved 3. Karl Geisler at Klausenalm
a sheer granite face, clips his either side of the trail, where a few cows out long ago by mighty glaciers that once with a platter of Alpine
specialties
rope into a carabiner and dips munch lazily. Cascades tumble like threads sliced through the Zillertal.
his hand into a bag of chalk hanging from of silver off the valley walls, and the loamy The hikers stop for a breather on a rocky knoll.
his belt. Thirty feet below, his girlfriend scent of earth and tree sap hangs in the air. On the valley’s far side, fissures in the cloud rain
Nina braces her legs against the rock and leans The Zillertal is hiking country, with some sunlight onto the mountainsides, and the air
backwards so the rope tightens against the of the wildest scenery in the Alps: lakes, seems charged with electricity. There’s a crack,
piton, in case Matthias’s grip should slip. plateaus, ridges and pastures awash with then a rumble – in seconds, a downpour sends
It seems an unnecessary precaution. wildflowers. Cable cars allow easy access the hikers scurrying for cover under the pines.
In a sequence of graceful steps and lunges using to the trailheads, and mountain huts provide It’s a reminder that, though its pitches have
clefts and ledges in the rock, he ascends the last hikers on longer routes with a hot meal and been climbed and its paths mapped, the Zillertal
part without as much as a missed step. At the top, a place to stay overnight. These refuges are is a corner of the Alps where nature still has
he takes a break and surveys the green meadows a cornerstone of Alpine life and hospitality: the upper hand.
of the Ewige Jagdgründe crag. Other climbers most have kept their rustic atmosphere,
are tackling pitches around the valley, and with pot-bellied stoves, gingham tablecloths
Matthias watches them with an experienced
eye, assessing lines, critiquing routes,
evaluating moves for style and panache.
and ibex horns on the walls.
One of the most aged of these hostelries
is the Klausenalm, near the Ewige Jagdgründe
ESSENTIALS
With its timber façade and flower-stocked
Having caught his breath, he scrambles back in the wild web of valleys southwest of the main balconies, Mayrhofen’s Elisabeth Hotel looks
onto the rock face and abseils to the bottom, town of Mayrhofen. At this cabin, long wooden traditional from the outside, but surprises await
where Nina is waiting with a flask of coffee tables are loaded with mountain specialties: within. Rooms are contemporary, with stripped
and a chocolate bar. cheese soup, dried sausage, crusty bread wooden floors, freestanding baths, digital
Now 31, Matthias is one of Austria’s most and meaty stew. As his guests eat, owner Karl music systems and remote-controlled lights.
promising young climbers. Born and bred Geisler emerges from the kitchen, discarding Mountain views command a premium.
in the Zillertal, he’s been exploring the valley his apron for an accordion before trilling There’s also a luxurious spa (www.elisabethhotel.
since he began climbing as a teenager. and parping his way through a folk song. com; from `34,000).
A senior member of the Austrian climbing Everyone links arms and joins in for the chorus,
team, he’s competed all over the globe, but, but Karl’s impeccable yodelling steals the show. The tourist office can provide hiking maps and
for him, there’s nowhere quite like home. After lunch, a band of hikers heads up into arrange guided climbing lessons (www.zillertal.
“I’ve completed most of the main routes the remote Oberböden area, deserted save at). For longer stays, the Zillertal Activcard
in the Zillertal,” Matthias says, “but there’s for a few farmhouses and tumbledown barns. includes local travel and other discounts
always a new place or a better line to find. The group climbs steeply through the forest; (`4,000 for 6 days).
1 2 3
ESSENTIALS
3. The Grossglockner Road near the road’s southern gate. He’s driven
the Grossglockner in all weathers, but even
he can sometimes be caught by surprise.
Spitze, where a panorama encompasses
more than 30 peaks over 3,000m, including
the mighty Grossglockner itself – Austria’s
unexpectedly breaks. The mist thins and
dissipates. Streaks of sky appear overhead.
Yellow pastures appear by the roadside.
Buckle up for an unforgettable ride along this sky-top “The road has a mind of its own,” he says, highest mountain at 3,798m, and the summit On the far side of the Hochtor Tunnel, it climbs
mountain road – just watch out for the mountain goats parking his truck at a viewpoint off the road,
overlooking the five-mile-long Pasterze
after which the road is named.
The road itself was the brainchild of a group
over a final ridge and a chain of peaks looms
along the horizon, like soldiers standing The late 19th-century Glocknerhaus is
F
Glacier. Below him, a plain of shattered rock of entrepreneurs who wanted to capitalise on the to attention along a castle’s battlements. a hiker-friendly hostelry in a glorious location
ROM THE CORKSCREW corniches Fog, rockfalls and belligerent mountain goats and grey ice extends along the valley. “When new-fangled pastime of motor-touring in the The summit of the Grossglockner itself appears, near the Pasterze Glacier. It’s spartan – pine-
of the Côte d’Azur to Amalfi’s are routine hazards. From November to April, the cloud rolls in, one curve looks exactly like early 1930s. At a cost of more than 55 million euros an icy spike towering above silver cloud. panelled rooms come with a shower, bed and
clifftop roads, Europe has its the route is closed, sitting under several another, so you have to take care. But the real in today’s money, it seemed a madcap project, Suddenly, the boom of engines cracks not much else, but the views make up for the
share of iconic routes, but none metres of snow. Even in summer, the weather danger here is the scenery. Every year, many but, today, some 900,000 people pass through the silence like cannon fire, and a phalanx basic facilities. The restaurant specialises in
can match the Grossglockner High is unpredictable: the altitude means one cars come off the road because the driver the Grossglockner’s toll gates every year. of leather-clad bikers races past. They’re the hearty walkers’ grub like baked fish, stews
Alpine Road for mountain splendour. Winding section can be swathed in cloud while another is paying more attention to the view than to On this morning’s ascent towards the first motorists of the day on the Grossglockner, and hotpots (www.dasglocknerhaus.at;
for 30 miles through Hohe Tauern National basks in sunshine. the asphalt.” He looks up to where the road Edelweiss-Spitze, a veil of cloud hangs over but they certainly won’t be the last. private en suites from `4,600/ person).
Park, it’s Austria’s highest, most hair-raising For most people, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime loops through long, arcing curves towards the mountain, obscuring everything but Double back over the Grossglockner Road (or take
drive. More rollercoaster than road, it veers journey, but, for park ranger Konrad the Hochtor, a mountain pass that’s been in the next bend and the headlights of the car in one of the tunneled alternatives to the east or The standard one-way vehicle toll on the
and dips, curls and swerves. It swings round Mariacher, it’s his daily commute. He lives use since before Roman times. Beyond here, front. But the Grossglockner gloom doesn’t last west) to reach the heart of the Salzburgerland – Grossglockner Road is `2,300.
switchbacks and plunges through tunnels. in Heiligenblut, an old gold-mining town there’s a spur that leads up to the Edelweiss- long. As the road weaves upwards, the weather the province of which Salzburg is the capital.
4. Salzburgerland a strip of magnesium from his pocket, touching and dies. “And it’s still growing. It’s added more “The cave is closed for winter as it’s too cold
D
sparking magnesium aloft. “Welcome to the peculiarity; their chimney-like shape draws because the ice has altered shape or moved. to the ice caves,
EEP INSIDE HOCHKOGEL Inside, the reason for Siggi’s warning World of the Ice Giants.” in cold air in winter but prevents the ingress It’s almost like it’s alive.” explore the
mountain, cave guide Siggi Kahl becomes obvious. Within a few steps of the cave’s From the gloom, a great column of blue- of warm air in summer, meaning the water For Siggi, the Salzburgerland is an area two-mile-long
is getting ready for his tour. entrance, the temperature plummets to within white ice materialises beside the staircase, inside freezes but never fully thaws. where it’s impossible not to be awed by nature’s Liechtenstein-
Using a flaming taper, he lights a sliver of freezing. Breath steams and fingers its surface gleaming and glinting like crystal Gradually, the ice builds up inch by inch, power. “The cave guides here have a joke,” klamm – a gorge 20 minutes’ drive to the south,
old-fashioned carbide lamps, chill. Up ahead, a staircase disappears into in the lamp-light, and its upper reaches lost in foot by foot, and, over millennia, accumulates he says, catching a few rays of sunshine by the village of Sankt Johann im Pongau.
and hands them one by one to his guests. the gloom, and, high above, a line of lights the darkness. From inside, there’s the faint into huge formations. between tours. “We have the best office in the Right opposite the entrance to the gorge
“These are the only lights allowed in the cave, from another group bobs and sways like fireflies sound of water trickling as the ice melts – Though many of its structures are ancient, world, but the central heating needs some work.” is the small Hotel Lerch-Plankenau.
so please, no torches or mobile phones. Also, in the darkness. “Now I am afraid we must do the same process that’s carved out the cave the ice itself is dynamic, changing with every He grins and picks up his carbide lamp, It has simple, motel-style rooms, but the
I hope you’ve all brought a warm coat!” He takes some climbing,” Siggi says, rubbing his hands over millions of years. “This is the largest ice passing year. Pillars grow and dwindle. Tunnels stuffing extra rolls of magnesium into restaurant is good value and there’s often live
a headcount, then heaves open a cast-iron door together for warmth. formation we have here,” Siggi says, lighting appear and vanish. Stalagmites and stalactites his pockets, then heads back into the music during dinner (www.lerch-plankenau.at;
bolted into the rock and steps into inky blackness. After a few minutes, Siggi stops and takes another magnesium strip as the first sputters intertwine before melting into nothingness. icy underworld. from `20,000 half-board).
62 April 2020
THE GREAT OUTDOORS THE AUSTRIAN ALPS
N
UNESCO protection as a World Heritage site since Some lakes have become playgrounds for better than at Das Traunsee hotel, on the lake
EAR THE TOWN OF BOLUO been a village here since prehistoric times, 1997, and its buildings are as perfectly preserved wealthy cityfolk from Salzburg and Vienna, of the same name. Rooms are decorated in bright,
in China’s Guangdong Province, when late Bronze Age settlers mined the as museum exhibits. Balconies teeter over the while others have kept their traditional beachy style, and most have balconies. Breakfast
there’s a village by a lake. It has surrounding mountains for salt – a valuable village’s stone streets, festooned with wisteria character, with cosy inns and waterfront is a treat: the muesli selection puts most places
flower-covered houses and commodity in the days before refrigeration, and and geraniums. Smoke puffs from chimneys cottages dotted along the shorelines. to shame (www.dastraunsee.at; from `12,000).
bubbling fountains. The squares an industry that has lasted into the 21st century. leaning at improbable angles. Rowboats bob Manuela Kiesenhofer works for a sailing
are swept and the roofs topped with tiles, Salt made the wider Salzkammergut region on the edge of the lake, and reflections of peaks school based on Traunsee, one of the largest
and a pointy church rises by the lakeshore. rich. Stretching from the city of Salzburg shimmer on the glassy surface. lakes in the area. In summer, she spends
The village is called Hallstatt, and it looks too eastwards into the Dachstein mountains, Alexander Scheck grew up near the every day out on the water, teaching her students
pretty to be true, as though it’s been picked most of this area was once the private property Hallstättersee. He’s one of only two fishermen the sailing basics: tacking, jibing, how to use
up from the pages of a European fairytale. of the Habsburgs, governed by its own regional permitted to catch the lake’s native whitefish, the wind, and when to trim a sail.
In a way, it has. In fact, it’s a copy of a much administration known as the Imperial Salt the reinanke – once a delicacy reserved for “I could never sit in an office all day,” she says,
older Hallstatt. The real one can be found on the Chamber, which oversaw the running of the emperors, but now a common sight on local leaning out from the yacht’s starboard side as
edge of the Hallstättersee about 40 miles from salt mines and the vast wealth they generated. menus. Every morning, Alexander chugs his she hauls on a rope to make the mainsail snap
Salzburg. The story goes that, in the early 2000s, Later, however, the Habsburgs found barge across the lake before dawn, gathering taut. “I’d miss the feel of the wind on my face too
some Chinese developers went in search of the a different reason to love the Salzkammergut – in his nets by hand before heading back to sell much.” She swings behind the helm and plots A day’s sailing lesson starts at `9,000
perfect Austrian village, and they liked Hallstatt the newly-fashionable pastime of his catch at the village fish shop. It’s a practice a course for the town of Gmunden. It’s late (www.celox-sailing.eu). For more information,
so much, they decided to build their own version. sommerfrische (summer refreshment). With its unchanged in centuries, and one that Alexander afternoon, and the sun is tinting the town’s visit www.salzkammergut.at.
With its cobbled squares, boathouses and crystal-clear lakes – 76 in all – the area became maintains with pride. “We still use the old lakefront houses in ginger, ochre, yellow
timber-framed cottages, the Austrian Hallstatt one of Emperor Franz Joseph’s favourite spots for techniques to fish here,” he says, heaving in and auburn: it is almost exactly the same view oliver berry made friends with a few
looks like it’s been designed from scratch a break. Throughout his reign, from 1848 to 1916, his net and extracting each fish by hand, Emperor Franz Joseph would have enjoyed, marmots during his trip to the Alps, but he’s
to grace the cover of a tourist brochure. There’s he and his wife Elisabeth returned nearly every giving each its final coup de grâce against and the very essence of sommerfrische. still waiting for his first sighting of an ibex.
64 April 2020
MAKE IT HAPPEN: THE AUSTRIAN ALPS
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Essentials and Lufthansa, among others,
fly frequently to Vienna International
consulate you're applying at)
and will cost you around
FANCY A CURRY?
Visit Tawa Indian Restaurant to feast
Airport from major Indian cities `6,000 including service fees on Indian meals at budget-friendly
BEST TIME TO VISIT (return fares from `44,000). (www.vfsglobal.com). prices. The quality of the meals
The best time to visit is from here is said to be at par with what
April to May and September VISA CURRENCY
you get in India! (00-43-676-3374-
to October. Indians travelling to Vienna 1 Euro = `82
135; www.tawamargareten.com;
require a single/ double/ multiple/ EMBASSY ALERT Margaretenstraße 102, 1050
GETTING THERE transit entry visa. It generally takes
Embassy of India, Wien, Austria: Wien; 11am – 11pm Tues – Sun;
& AROUND around seven to 10 working day
www.eoivienna.gov.in mains from `800)
Air Arabia, Turkish Airlines, SWISS, to process (depending on the
66 April 2020
BIG
N
PLAW... Which are best for
NOAVEL S National parks are magnificent beasts?
TR N IT’
E
WHTIME! the best idea we ever
had. Absolutely American,
absolutely democratic, YELLOWSTONE
Bison
COUNTRY
National parks were first created in the USA,
they reflect us at our best
rather than our worst
where their peerless diversity includes Alaskan ZION
Bighorn sheep
glaciers, Californian deserts, Floridan mangroves – WALLACE STEGNER, NOVELIST
and Hawaiian volcanoes. You’ll find highlights REDWOOD
from the dedicated, updated Lonely Planet Bigfoot
US national parks
in numbers
62 national parks
(49 are west of the
Mississippi)
29
(of 50)
PHOTOGRAPHS: PHILIP LEE HARVEY/ LONELY PLANET, UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP/ GETTY IMAGES,
9
Are in California,
the state with the States, plus two
BIG BEND
Dinosaurs
highest number territories, have
national parks
DENALI
Grizzly bear
13.2
California condor
MILLION ACRES
national parks, but it hosts
the world’s largest
collection of hoodoos
(chimney-like rock
Size of Wrangell-St Elias in Alaska, the USA’s biggest formations)
68 April 2020
THE GREAT OUTDOORS US NATIONAL PARKS
Double parking
tumble from 94 metres
OLYMPIC
us toward her own and little-visited
outcrops just across the
state line in Texas (right)
Is the wettest, with an average – YOGI BEAR
of 380cm of rain per year YELLOWSTONE
AND GRAND
CRATER LAKE TETON
At 594 metres, is the deepest in the Two parks just six miles apart, best for steaming, spouting geysers
USA and fourth deepest in the world and eye-catching Rocky Mountain skylines
PHOTOGRAPHS: MATT MUNRO/ LONELY PLANET, SHU PHOTOGRAPHY/ SHUTTERSTOCK, MARK READ/ LONELY PLANET
Cave, both in South Dakota
GATES OF
THE ARCTIC
Entirely in the Arctic Circle,
gets the fewest visitors
DENALI
Has the highest
GREAT SMOKY
peak in the USA, MOUNTAINS
4,7
DEATH VALLEY
ay
AMERICAN SAMOA
Is the southernmost national park,
and is furthest from the US mainland
70 April 2020
THE GREAT OUTDOORS US NATIONAL PARKS
in the movies
wilderness in the eastern
USA, and are home
to American crocodiles,
Everybody needs beauty do exactly what they
ARCHES INDIANA JONES AND
manatees and the
endangered Florida
panther
as well as bread, places say on the tin
THE LAST CRUSADE
Spot Double Arch in Utah behind River Phoenix, appearing
to play in and pray in, CANYONLANDS
Needles, arches, domes,
as a teenage Indy, shortly before the action-archaeology
professor first donned a fedora. where nature may heal plateaux and canyons –
this park has them all
ARCHES
2,000 of them in this Utah park
PHOTOGRAPHS: LUCASFILM/20TH CENTURY FOX USA/REX-SHUTTERSTOCK, JUSTIN FOULKES/LONELY PLANET, PHILIP LEE HARVEY/LONELY PLANET, MATT MUNRO/LONELY PLANET
presence with Utah’s most loftily-named mountain backdrops.
HOT
SPRINGS
Native Americans
valued the curative
springs 8,000 years
before Europeans
PETRIFIED
FOREST
225-million-year-old
trees from the Triassic
period
REDWOOD HAWAII
The four combined
VOLCANOES
national and state Kilauea, one of the world’s
parks contain most active, and Mauna Loa
45 per cent of all
remaining coast
redwood old-growth
GREAT
forests SAND DUNES
167.7 square miles of them
72 April 2020
THE GREAT OUTDOORS US NATIONAL PARKS
1864
Alaska’s eight national parks
to questions
President Lincoln designates Yosemite Valley and
the Mariposa Grove a protected state park
BLACK CANYON
OF THE man has not yet President Ulysses S Grant designates Yellowstone
the world’s first national park 1872
GUNNISON
The Gunnison River has taken learned to ask 1890 Yosemite National Park is set up, but the state
15 million years to carve this gorge, of California retains control of Yosemite Valley
– NANCY NEWHALL, WRITER AND
parts of which only receive CONSERVATIONIST
CHANNEL
33 minutes of sunlight a day After bison poaching in Yellowstone, Congress
allows the park to enforce conservation laws 1894
ISLANDS VOYAGEURS
Consists of five of the eight
Channel Islands off the
This Minnesota park is made
up mostly of the Kabetogama
1906 Mesa Verde becomes the first US national park
dedicated to protecting cultural heritage
PHOTOGRAPHS: DOUGLAS KLUG/ GETTY IMAGES, MATT MUNRO/ LONELY PLANET, GLEB TARRO/ GETTY IMAGES
The creation of seven new parks in Alaska doubles
the land area under NPS protection 1980
LAKE CLARK
Just south of Anchorage,
DRY TORTUGAS
Contains Fort Jefferson and
1995 Fourteen grey wolves are reintroduced to the
Yellowstone ecosystem after nearly 70 years
you can only get to this the seven Dry Tortugas
park by air taxi or boat islands, the westernmost
of the Florida Keys
Early and much-contested efforts to ban plastic
water bottles begin at the Grand Canyon 2011
2013 A federal government shutdown forces
all national parks to close for a 16-day period
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1 2
“Leave everything as it is and follow me of a polar Eden, whose lands teemed with polar bear, Arctic its wonky dining table is often submerged beneath plates hills, or on expeditions lasting several days.
to the Arctic.” fox and reindeer, and where a man only need dangle an arm of reindeer stew and waffles, in feasts designed to dispel As Piotr leads a stout Greenland husky to a sled and drops
– Hermann Ritter, in a letter to his wife into the sea to pull out a seal or walrus. It prompted a rush of the worst of winter. him into a harness, a merry hell is unleashed around us.
hunting expeditions so successful that the waters were cleared It was rarely so pleasant for the trappers. Many died Dogs strain at their chains, leap to the top of their kennels
One roasting July day in 1934, dressed in a ski suit and of the Greenland right whale in a matter of decades. By the time from scurvy, starved from poor hunting, disappeared to better observe proceedings, and set about in a tremendous
hobnail boots, Christiane Ritter bid farewell to her family Christiane disembarked her boat at King’s Bay on the island into crevasses in the ice, or were attacked by polar bears. fit of howling, yipping and yelping. They are keen to get out.
and servants, stepped off the dock at Hamburg and boarded of Spitsbergen, Svalbard’s appeal had shifted: the prize no Others, worn down by the unending cold, dark and “In the trappers’ days,” says Piotr, checking the reins of the
a ship bound for the top of the world. She had an appointment longer lay solely in the furs destined for the salons of Paris, solitude, succumbed to ‘ishavet kaller’ (‘the Arctic calls’) – final dog on his team, “the dogs were everything: their only
to keep with her husband. Berlin and London, but in the adventure to be had along the way. an irresistible urge to walk into the ocean and sink beneath friend, their transport, a warning system for polar bears.
For the past three years, Hermann Ritter had lived as the waves. Christiane, in a frozen, leaking cabin many days’ It’s the same now – when you are out, you put all your trust
a fur trapper in Svalbard, a group of Norwegian islands that, ‘“Yes, but I’m not going to let myself be caught travel from any other human, often felt the presence of in them to bring you home again.”
in all regards, lies a great deal closer to the North Pole than by the island, like you’ve all been caught,” a phantom rising noiselessly from the bay behind the hut, Beyond the gates of the yard, as a snowstorm builds,
to the couple’s comfortable home in Vienna. Her voyage I say defiantly. come to drag her back down the shore. The 12 months there is nothing for the eyes to cling to, just a vast blinding
to him would take several weeks, but at the end was the “Oh, you’ll be caught, too,” the Norwegian she spent on Svalbard, grappling with the polar night emptiness of sky and land, and no distinction between
prospect of a homely cabin, and days spent reading, says, softly but with conviction.’” and prolonged hunger, were not quite what she had the two. “Look at it,” says Piotr cheerfully. “You get
writing and painting, snug and safe by the fire. – Christiane Ritter, A Woman in the Polar Night (1938) in mind when she packed her trunks in Vienna. the feeling humans really were not meant to be here.”
The journey today is somewhat less challenging, “It’s harsh. It’s a constant struggle,” says Piotr as With that, he releases the brake. The sled lurches, and
though the first sight of Svalbard is likely unchanged since “I was not planning to come to Svalbard,” says Piotr Damski, he pours us cups of coffee, his breath forming clouds the dogs and he are off and out, rattling into the valley.
Christiane’s day. The view from the plane, three hours after closing the door to the wind thrashing about outside, his boots in the air despite his proximity to the station’s hissing
leaving Oslo, is of an endless white, with triangular white leaving a trail of snow on the rough floorboards of the cabin. stove. “But I like that, whatever happens here, I can rely “Then comes unpeopled land. The whole day
peaks rising above broad white valleys all the way to the “I was meant to go to Panama, scuba-diving, but I was offered only on myself. The best experience is to test your limits, through, mountains, glaciers, blue rocks,
horizon. There is no sign of human life, nor even a patch a job here and changed my mind.” Working as a dog handler to be out in the wilderness and out in nature.” white ice.”
of land where human life might reasonably support itself. and sledding guide at the Trapper’s Station six miles outside Outside, snow piles up against the windows and races – Christiane Ritter, A Woman in the Polar Night (1938)
But still humans came. The heady whiff of money, catching the capital Longyearbyen, Polish Piotr responded to the same in gusts around the yard. Three seal carcasses swing from
in the nostrils of the brave and gung-ho across Europe, impulse that carried in Christiane Ritter: the irrefutable call a wooden A-frame, a sort of macabre Wild West warning Nils Ingvar Egeland is from southern Norway. He has pale
first lured them here. Since Willem Barents discovered the of the Arctic. The station is a recreation of an original cabin, to other seals that might pass this way. Once dried, they’ll blue eyes, a ginger beard, and a tall frame wrapped in
archipelago in his search for a northern sea passage to China built from driftwood and lined with felt. It’s a convivial place, be divided between the hundred dogs that live and work at a brown woollen jumper and ski trousers held up with braces.
in the 16th century, sailors had returned home full of tales with hides on the benches, lanterns in the windows and the station, taking visitors on short scoots in the surrounding He also has the type of handshake that can break bones.
82 April
May 2019
2020 March 2020 83
THE GREAT OUTDOORS SVALBARD, NORWAY
A deserted valley seen
on a snowmobile trip With a varied employment history that includes both to hold you in their grasp until you are no longer capable
to Mohnbukta inlet trawlerman and Greenlandic trapper, he is just the sort of leaving. On days like today, the mania rises with every mile
of person you’d like in front of you on a 140-mile trip travelled. Like Christiane, Nils has been entirely caught by it.
through the Arctic on a snowmobile. “I’ve been here for two years, so I’m stuck now. I can’t imagine
The storms of the previous days have cleared. going back to the mainland,” he says, pulling on his helmet
The sun, which has recently appeared to the winter-weary and tearing off across the ice once more.
inhabitants of Longyearbyen for the first time in five months, On the other side of the island, three hours’ journey by
is shining. Svalbard is suddenly revealed – and it is golden, snowmobile, lies the cabin of a fur-trapper who had such
gilt-edged and dazzling. We travel through a broad glacial a bad case of Spitsbergen mania, he spent 38 winters in it.
basin, mountains swooping up on either side, their peaks Hilmar Nøis built his first hut in 1912, and, shortly after,
crisp against the bluest of blue skies. At the top of one brought his wife Ellen Dorthe over from Norway. “Maybe
mountain range, another impossibly wide valley he was big-mouthed about the living conditions here,”
spreads out before us, and, beyond that, further says Nils. “He described this place as a villa to her.”
mountains, further valleys. It is little more than a very draughty shed, sitting on the banks
We bump over the ridges and hollows of a frozen river delta of a wide fjord. Here, in the middle of winter, alone and in the
towards tiny dots that eventually form into Svalbard reindeer, dark, Ellen gave birth to their child. Hilmar had set off on skis
a peculiar, short-legged variant on the mainland species that for Longyearbyen to fetch a doctor to help her through labour.
looks two parts Muppet to one part real animal. They paw at “Because of the bad weather,” says Nils, “it took three weeks
the snow to nibble at clumps of brown grass, hardly bothered to get back.” As soon as the ice had cleared sufficiently to allow
by our presence. “They are pretty tame,” says Nils, slowing a boat through, Ellen left for Norway and never came back.
to a stop. “They haven’t yet learnt that humans can be
dangerous. They are marathon runners and polar bears “Perhaps in centuries to come, men will go to
are sprinters, so the bears don’t usually bother them either.” the Arctic as in biblical times they withdrew
Climbing through a moraine to the top of Rabotbreen to the desert, to find the truth again.’”
glacier, we skittle across ice blushed pink and yellow by the – Christiane Ritter, A Woman in the Polar Night (1938)
sun and around blocks of turquoise ice as big as houses, their
surface as smooth to the touch as sculpted marble. Suspended By the time Hilmar and Christiane eventually left, the
within are tiny rocks and air bubbles, souvenirs from the last golden age of the fur trappers, and the tales of adventure
Ice Age. At the frozen sea of Mohnbukta, the blue edge of the and derring-do that accompanied them, was all but over.
glacier rises six storeys, its surface scored black and white. A new wave of pioneers had come to take their place, and their
“This was a popular place for the trappers,” says Nils, interest in Svalbard lay buried deep within its mountains.
rifle slung around his shoulder, alert to the possibility The Russian mining town of Pyramiden was settled
of a polar bear crouched behind a boulder, marking us out a year after Christiane sailed back to Germany. A hefty
as lunch. “The bears seem to like it here a lot.” There are old trawler now takes people from Longyearbyen, lurching
none today, which is fortunate given the spellbinding across the tempestuous seas of Isfjorden before chugging
distractions of the landscape. In her diaries, Christiane wrote into the spectrally calm water of Billefjorden Bay. Fulmars
of ‘Spitsbergen mania’ – the creeping ability the islands have and guillemots trail behind the boat, and walrus as well as
ringed and bearded seals plop from drift ice into the water rifles raised ready to rush an invisible enemy. A grand piano
on our approach, round heads observing as we pass. hulks on the stage in the concert hall, its notes, still in tune,
After several hours, Pyramiden hones into view, ringing out to empty seats in the auditorium. Basketballs lie
the conveyor belts that took equipment and workers up on a deserted court, waiting for a match that will never start.
to the mine, and coal back down from it, rising up above “If you came to Svalbard as a miner, you got a good salary,
a town of solid brick apartments and factories. The ship better than in Russia,” says Kristin, padlocking the doors
judders to a halt against the pack ice. “Welcome to Russia!” to the centre as we traipse outside. “And everything was
shouts a guide standing on it below. Ladders are lowered free. You can’t imagine living in a city in Siberia and having
and passengers clamber overboard to join him. a heated swimming pool and ballet lessons for the kids.
The Russians ran their community here for over 60 years, If you were here, you had a good life.”
before packing up and abruptly leaving in a single day in As we pick our way back to the boat, Kristin points towards
October 1998. “This is an abandoned city, a Soviet ghost town,” the mountains, in the direction of a trapper’s cabin that’s still
says Kristin Jæger Wexsahl, resplendent in goatskin trousers, occupied. Svalbard’s longest-term trapper, Harald Solheim,
as we wade through streets thigh-deep in snow. Kristin has has spent the last 40 winters there, in the shadow of this
3 6 9
been leading tours here since 2009 – another arrival to strange Russian metropolis. I imagine him alone in his hut
Svalbard who planned a short stay but found she couldn’t leave. with the night kept at bay by candlelight alone, and, just
In its heyday, Pyramiden was home to 1,800 people from a few miles away, a one-time community of men, women
the USSR. “It was easy to annex parts of Svalbard then,” and children, with electric light and limitless vodka
says Kristin, “And the Russians wanted to present Pyramiden at mealtimes and free cinema in the evenings.
as the ideal lifestyle to the Western world.” They built a library, Standing on deck, on the return to Longyearbyen,
kindergarten, sports complex, hotel, playground and canteen, we watch as the ghost town recedes. Other relics of adventurous
and brought with them pigs, cows and chickens, and fertile lives played out on this island far from home drift past:
soil from Ukraine. It’s a Soviet utopia transplanted to the the bones of a wooden boat long abandoned on the shore,
Arctic. “It was harder for a single trapper to keep himself a hillside cabin uninhabited for decades, and the last resting
supplied over the winter than to keep this whole town place of Hansine Furfjord, who fell ill and died one Christmas
supplied,” says Kristin. over a century ago and was buried in the icy ground by her
There are no residents here now, bar Arctic fox and polar husband. The black cross he planted to mark her grave
bear, and the kittiwakes that nest on the window ledges remains visible some time after we pass, then is lost from
of the old dormitory blocks. It is otherwise frozen in time. sight in a fresh flurry of snow.
On the main street, the world’s northernmost statue of Lenin
still gazes down to the harbour. Children’s paintings hang amanda canning is sad she didn’t run into a polar bear
in the cultural centre, next to posters of triumphant soldiers, on this trip – and also slightly relieved.
770
are the most common mode of freezing and my phone battery dying
transport; you can drive one if you instantly I took them out of my pocket.
have a car or motorbike licence,
and the technique is fairly simple
Jonathan spent much of the day
after guidance. On any excursion, LONGYEARBYEN offering a range of activities from grappling to prevent his cameras
your tour operator will provide STAY snowmobiling and dog-sledding seizing up. After driving for hours,
an armed guide, in case of Longyearbyen will likely be your main to aurora tracking and snowshoe treks. we learned that the camp had been
polar-bear encounters. You’ll find base, from where you’ll make excursions Basecamp Explorer, owner of wrecked in the previous night’s storms,
an extensive safety brochure at with a tour operator into the surrounding the Basecamp Hotel, has operated and we’d have to make the long journey
www.sysselmannen.no for official
advice on trips in and out of town. NUMBER countryside before returning for the night.
Basecamp Hotel is a wonderfully cosy
in Svalbard for nearly 20 years and
runs a wide variety of tours. It also offers
back to town. But we wouldn’t have
changed a second of that day, in which
FANCY A CURRY?
If you’re craving some hot curry,
OF POLAR place decked out as a frontier cabin, accommodation outside Longyearbyen, The hut in which Hilmar we’d raced over glaciers, had lunch on
BEARS with wooden walls, exposed pipes allowing for longer, multi-night trips, Nøis’s wife Ellen gave birth, a frozen sea, and watched the sun set
head to Gruvelageret. Although, on the Sassenfjord,
and reindeer furs. Historical artefacts, such as overnight dog-sledding trips from a mountain top, before haring
975
it’s not an Indian restaurant, it sure can be visited on a day trip
does know the right way to make such as prints, maps and lanterns, (from `1,07,550) and an eight-day skiing back to Longyearbyen in the dark.”
from Longyearbyen
a delicious curry along with rice add to the old-time ambience. expedition (from `2,91,120). Among – Amanda Canning
and noodles (00-47-790-220- Staff here can advise on and book the shorter trips on offer are dinner
2,600
Indian citizens to have a double
entry Schengen Visa, which Slightly out of the main town, (take a taxi) and built a cabin out in the wild. I thought it would be a break-up when I was hundreds of miles from Walking outside, the gun always had to be
would cost you around `6,275 this is one of Norway’s best dining WHAT TO PACK cool to do something similar at some point in my life. anybody I could talk to, with no cellphone coverage, on my shoulders. The toilet was 20 metres
(www.vfsglobal.com). experiences. Huset serves five- and Your tour operator will kit you out with Over 10 years later, I moved to Spitsbergen. no internet, only the Iridium phone that cost me one from the cabin and I always had to bring
EMBASSY ALERT eight-course tasting menus that snowsuit, snowboots, goggles and thick During my first Easter, I went on a snowmobile trip US dollar a minute to use. Quite often I missed friends the gun with me inside. And, during the night,
might include reindeer, langoustine, gloves, but it’s up to you to dress for the with friends. After two days of driving, we landed at and family. I wished there was an escape door that I had a shotgun next to me in my bed.
Embassy of India, Oslo, Norway:
www.indianembassyoslo.gov.in and Jerusalem artichoke ice cream. weather otherwise. Bring plenty of layers, SHUTTERSTOCK, LEREMY/GETTY, ALONZODESIGN/GETTY a trapping station called Mushamna. In that moment, I could use to go home for a few hours or to invite I spotted more than 400 polar bears during
The restaurant has the largest wine cellar including decent thermals, fleece and/ I knew where to fulfil my dream. My boyfriend and my mother for dinner. But I only wanted short the year and I had to chase them away 260 times.
CURRENCY in Scandinavia, housing some 20,000 or wool jumpers, and a waterproof coat I were given permission to use the cabin for a year. breaks – I really loved the life up there. Still, there were only two occasions when I felt really
1 Norwegian Krone (NOK) = bottles (www.huset.com; from `13,500/ and trousers. Armadillo sells Arctic- The relationship ended while I was up there and One of the worst things was having a Spring with threatened – the polar-bear danger was not
`7.63
FURTHER INFO NUMBER `8,000 with/ without wine). standard base and thermal layers that’ll
see you through many winter trips
I stayed alone for quite a bit of the year. I guess
doing things like this is really about having a break
hardly any visitors. The snow and ice conditions were
really difficult that year. I was expecting to have a lot
the main danger. I was more afraid of getting lost
in the darkness, particularly in bad weather.
Lonely Planet’s Norway guide
OF REINDEER EXCURSIONS (www.armadillomerino.com; long- from the world,which is too much, sometimes: of friends arriving by snowmobile to join me. Instead, I was also worried about falling through the
10,000
has a comprehensive chapter The weather means that plans can change sleeved top from `3,750). There are everyday routines, Facebook, sad news from all over I was all by myself – often waiting for visitors who sea ice or getting caught in an avalanche.
on Svalbard; you can download at the last minute, so be prepared to have also tonnes of clothes and outdoor-gear the world, wars, terrors and crises. I think all the never came because they could not make it that far. I would never have been able to spend that
it from Iwww.lonelyplanet.com;
your itinerary altered at any moment. shops in Longyearbyen, but prices impressions sometimes drown us. I had a wish to stay The loneliness made the few visits even more year in the cabin without my dogs. They were
from `285). For moe information
visit, www.visitnorway.com There are plenty of tour operators in town, are staggeringly high. close to nature. memorable. And the experience of Spring was my life support, my mates and my comfort.
N
PLAW...
NOAVEL S
TR N IT’
E
WHTIME!
F RON T I E R L A N D
Make your way to the remote borders of Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo to set foot
in a once-forbidden mountain wilderness where, today, walkers are warmly welcomed
Words OLIVER SMITH @OliSmithTravel Photographs JUSTIN FOULKES @justinfoulkes
G
Setting off from Vusanje, OD took six days to create in mimicry of the peaks above. 1
a village in Montegro the earth, the sea and the sky. Most of the time, there are few hikers.
with a substantial ethnic
But, so a local legend goes, It feels like a mini-Yosemite in the Balkans
Albanian population
the devil took only 24 hours – a real back-of-the-wardrobe secret land
Facing page:
1. One of Theth’s goats
to create the Accursed Mountains. It was that has somehow evaded the attention of
a full day’s work. He would have scored the outside world. There are clues as to why.
2. The ‘lock-in’ tower
in Theth, where blood deep ravines with his pointy tail. He would Four hours’ walk from Vusanje, I cross the
feuds were resolved have sculpted spires of rock with his evil Montenegro-Albania border, where derelict
3. Meadows beneath Maja little claws. And, long after he finished military bunkers watch from above. Beyond
e Rosit on the border between the Mountains, the curse remained, them lies the village of Theth, Albania. It is
Albania and Montenegro for this range has always been synonymous about 14 miles from Vusanje but, until 1991, it
4 & 5. Guide Pavlin Polia with bandits, blood feuds, avalanches, might as well have been the far side of the moon.
and the Catholic church and miscellaneous misfortunes for anyone “If you were caught walking in these
in which he was born
foolish enough to visit. mountains in those times, you would have
6. On the trail towards Theth
Today, the Accursed Mountains straddle gone to prison,” says Pavlin Polia, leaning
7. Haystacks in Valbonë
the borders of three nations: Montenegro, on a fence post in the afternoon sunshine.
8. A five-spot burnet moth Kosovo and Albania. Setting out on a morning “Or worse.” Pavlin is a mountain guide and
butterfly on the Albania–
Montenegro border
stroll in early summer, you suspect the guesthouse owner in Theth, where he was
Almighty would be impressed by his rival’s born in the nave of its tiny Catholic church.
9. A waterwheel in Theth
handiwork. Because, with devilish deception, When he was a youngster, Theth was part 4 7
it is a place of radiant, intense loveliness. of Communist Albania, a regime unrivalled
My walk starts in the village of Vusanje, in Europe for brutal oppression and crippling 2 5 8
Montenegro, near a timber minaret carved poverty. Its paranoid dictator, Enver Hoxha,
with crescent moons and petals. Before long, built more than 1,70,000 of his bunkers
I am far from settlements, walking through across the country, partly to repel enemies –
wildflower meadows where the ground itself but as much to make sure citizens stayed put.
seems to move with the fluttering of thousands For decades, the Accursed Mountains
of butterflies. There are mighty limestone served as Hoxha’s giant geological Berlin
mountains crumbling into wind-scoured Wall (one that conveniently brewed its
boulder fields, and stone shepherds’ huts, own thunderstorms). Its treacherous passes
their chimney stacks toppled and slumped became the ultimate hurdle for anyone
3 6 9
escaping Albania to reach the relative freedom do it in the boot of a Mercedes,” he says bridges. The clink of antique china cups filled invisible, older trails – trodden by countless
of Montenegro, then part of Yugoslavia. with a grin. “You wouldn’t put them in with strong Turkish coffee. The greetings species, which depend on them to survive.
Over coffee in his guesthouse in Theth, Pavlin a backpack and set out into the mountains.” of shepherds taking their flocks out to pasture. Despite continued legal challenges from
tells me about escape attempts – the 70-strong After spending a night in Theth, the environmental groups across Europe,
A
family who sneaked over the frontier on Hoxha’s LBANIA is possibly the most Albanian leg of the Peaks of the Balkans trail we see bulldozers parked within the borders
birthday, when the border guards were partying misunderstood country in Europe. leads me towards the Valbonë Valley over of the Valbonë National Park during our visit.
LABOUR OF LOVE and looking the other way. And nameless It has a language with no close a rocky pass. Climbing higher, the view “These mountains are probably the last truly
While in Kosovo, keep others who tiptoed into the beech forests relatives, full of words made of soon expands into IMAX mode: giant citadels wild place in Europe,” says Besi Ismajli, a guide
an ear out for youngsters after nightfall, never to be heard from again. Qs and Xs that look purpose-built for high of rock, meadows tinged blue in the heat haze, I meet after descending the pass. He has a wolf
by the name of ‘Tonibler’. Communism might be a memory, but Scrabble scores. The country sits about midway eagles riding thermals from the Adriatic. tattooed on his calf, and an eagle on his bicep.
A given name for boys, only in the past few years have geopolitical between Rome and Athens, but spent the late From the highest point of the pass, you “We have to fight a battle to protect this place.
it was created in honour developments allowed these mountains 20th century as a European North Korea – see clearly how the Accursed Mountains are And, right now, Albania is losing it.”
of former UK prime minister to open up to hikers. Pavlin is among the neither a member of NATO, the Eastern Bloc one of the last redoubts of wilderness in the
W
Tony Blair, who is seen founders of the Peaks of the Balkans trail – nor the Non-Aligned Movement; it didn’t even Balkans. Somewhere on the ranges below HEREVER you walk in the
as a hero by many, owing a new 120-mile hiking route that passes enter the Eurovision Song Contest until fairly live wolves and brown bears. And, of course, Accursed Mountains, borders
to his strong stance in the through three nations in a lap of the Accursed recently. It carries unhappy associations the critically-endangered Balkan lynx, barely are a constant companion.
1998–1999 Kosovo War. Mountains. It is a two-week-long odyssey with organised crime and backwardness. a few dozen of which roam the rocky plateaux, Sometimes, a border
of which the Vusanje-to-Theth hike is just Its fictional children include Borat (though their whiskers twitching in the highland wind. shimmies precariously along a knife-edge
one leg. Establishing the trail meant mapping he later switched to Kazakh), and the baddies The habitat itself is under critical threat. arête (mountain ridge). Often it plunges into
remote routes known only to shepherds, from Taken films, who bear the brunt In 2015, the Albanian government passed a frozen lake and climbs out on the other side.
and encouraging farmers to open guesthouses. of Liam Neeson’s particular set of skills. a motion to allow the construction of hydro- Very occasionally, it ambushes you with
It also meant navigating sensitive politics – For any hiker who spends the night in electric dams in the Valbonë Valley – a project a weatherbeaten sign proclaiming something
Pavlin worked hard to persuade police chiefs villages such as Theth, Albania conjures up that would submerge much of this landscape, like “Welcome to MO TE EGRO”. But, more A wolf watches over Besi
from Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo quite different associations. The morning drowning the forests, condemning raging often than not, it slips past undetected, a text Imajlis’ calf
to waive passport checks for the first time. thrum of beehives, the taste of honey on rivers to become meagre trickles. The Peaks message saying “Vodafone welcomes you Top: Facing south into the
Valbonë valley, near the
“In the end, they decided that, if you want freshly-baked bread. Shivering cold mountain of the Balkans trail passes by the proposed to Albania, receive calls from 36p per minute”
proposed hydroelectric project
to smuggle cigarettes, you would probably streams flowing under humpbacked Ottoman dams but, more gravely, the project would block the only sign of an international boundary.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS WALKING THE BALKAN PEAKS
A chapel in the Patriarchal
Monasteryof Péc, dating
back to the 13th century
Facing page:
A Hoxha era pillbox
overlooking the Albania-
Montenegro border
Borders are also invisible to the cows Complex though political borders might BUNKER BUNKER PARTY…
of Isah Zymer Dresias – a farmer whose be in the Accursed Mountains, they overlay The Albanian pillbox (block
livestock regularly wanders over the an even more complicated map of ethnic and house/ guard post) is a wonder
Montenegro-Kosovo border, which, thanks religious boundaries, of which hikers can get of architecture largely because
to a territory swap, now runs directly behind a tiny sense in Kosovo. In one part of the Rugova there are some 173,350 of them
his woodshed. It means he has to make repeat Valley, you might stop inside the Serbian – nearly 10 to every square
visits to the border police to bring them home. Orthodox Monastery in Peja, and squint mile. Built between 1967 and
It is a price worth paying, he insists, to live to see frescoed saints in the shadowy heights. 1986 under Enver Hoxha’s
and work in Kosovo’s Rugova Valley. In another, you can hear the thin call to prayer ‘bunkerisation’ strategy, they
“Life here is beautiful,” he says, chopping from the village mosques, whose minarets inch were never actually used to
white pine, as I cross into Kosovo. “If you spend above the treetops. As well as Albanians and defend the country, but are
time here, you will grow a beard to your waist, Serbs, there are Bosniaks, Macedonians, Roma, an omnipresent feature of the
and probably live to be 120 years old. And you Egyptians. The ethnic mix has been combustible Albanian landscape. They’ve
will never be able to live without the smell in the past. Today, most look to the path ahead. been adapted as pizza ovens,
of pine trees in summer.” The end of my hike comes in the village of mushroom farms and cafés.
As the Peaks of the Balkans trail enters Rekë e Allagës, and the home of Mustafa They’ve had other functions, too:
Kosovo, the landscape subtly changes character. and Fethiye Nikqi. Mustafa rebuilt his Rugova as Lonely Planet founder Tony
Vertical peaks lapse into gently-contoured hills farmhouse after it was destroyed in the war, Wheeler put it in his 2007 book
and broadleaf forests where wild strawberries and, more recently, opened it as Ariu (‘Bear’) Bad Lands: “Albanian virginity
and apricots grow by the trail. Splitting Guesthouse, named after the creatures is lost in a Hoxha bunker as often
the landscape in two is the Rugova Gorge, that harass his dog, Dora, in the small hours. as American virginity was once
where little cafés watch over a foaming river, Today, he welcomes a fraternity of hikers, lost in the back seats of cars.”
and Kosovars come for picnics at weekends. united in the love of roaming this landscape.
It looks like a picture of timeless serenity In small ways, he says, the Peaks of the
but, here again, the Accursed Mountains Balkans trail encourages understanding
are deceptive. In 1998, during the last chapter across frontiers. Guides from all countries inter-
of the Balkan Wars, Yugoslav forces rolled mingle; guesthouses call lodges over the border
in from Montenegro and Serbia to battle the to let them know a hiking group is on its way.
forces of the Kosovo Liberation Army. Amid “If we had had this path 25 years ago,
the genocide of Kosovar Albanians, bloody perhaps there would have been no war,”
fighting saw farmhouses torched and artillery says Mustafa. “The Peaks of the Balkans trail
fire breaking the hush of the Rugova forests. is, in some ways, like a stitch in a wound.”
96 April 2020
THE GREAT OUTDOORS WALKING THE BALKAN PEAKS
2 4 6
1. Bridge over the Rugova canyon To stay the night here means experiencing is swallowed in shadows. Barely visible
2. Dora the dog at Ariu a happy sense of cultural disorientation. at the far end of the Rugova Valley is a no man’s
Guesthouse in Rugova, Kosovo Mustafa waxes lyrical about Fethiye’s home- land between Kosovo and Montenegro,
3. The guesthouse entrance made Ramadan cheese, and also the wild boar designated ‘disputed territory’ on my map.
4. Fethiye makes flija pancakes he sometimes hunts – whose meat tastes like The road is currently closed here, and
5. Mustafa tends to his cows onions in autumn and pine cones in winter. no one may cross. It is an unhappy relic of the
6. A speckled yellow moth Dinners come with shots of fiery raki, made Yugoslav wars. Depending on whom you ask,
on the author’s boot in with apples from the orchards outside, while it might be part of Montenegro or Kosovo.
the Rugova Valley guests sleep in dormitories where images Or both, or neither. At the time of my visit,
of Mecca and Medina hang over the bunks. its status is set to be resolved by politicians
And there are stories, too: the old caravans who have likely never set foot here.
Mustafa remembers from pre-Communist For now, it is the Balkan landscape as God (or
days, when he was young – when merchants the devil) left it: an immensity of mountain, forest
in flowing white robes would walk for days and meadow that is nothing if not European.
to sell sheepskins on the Adriatic coast, huddled
together for safe passage over the range. oliver smith is our contributing
Sunset lingers on the high points of the (often from altitude) writer. His trip
Accursed Mountains – casting golden beams had support from Zbulo in Albania
on Rekë e Allagës while the world below and Montenegro, and Butterfly Outdoor in Kosovo.
NOAVEL S
to Rekë e Allagës. Car hire restaurant that offers
authentic Indian food.
TR N IT’
is available at all locations.
Be warned you might need Do give the buttery naans
E
WHTIME!
to pay additional insurance and chicken curry a try
if you plan to cross national (00-382-20-242-665;
borders in your vehicle. www.masalaart.me; MODERN HISTORY CHEAT SHEET
13A Vasa Raičkovića;
VISA mains from `500). ALBANIA
Getting a multi-entry
Kosovo: Owing to very From 1946 to 1992, the country was under Communist rule, led largely by
few Indian restaurants
Schengen visa might be
in Prishtina, Himalayan the eccentric and brutal dictator Enver Hoxha. It positioned itself apart from
the easiest way to go
around the Balkans.
Gorkha Restaurant comes other Eastern Bloc countries, initially allying with China, and withdrawing from
highly recommended and
Depending on the most the Warsaw Pact in 1968. Unrest flared in the late 1990s, partly due to the collapse
number of days you plan
to spend in which country,
is popular (00-377-44-
402-265; Uck Nr 17; of government-endorsed pyramid schemes. SHORT WALKS ON THE PEAKS OF THE BALKANS
choose the embassy for
mains from `450). Hiking the whole trail can take up to two weeks, but it is possible to cover stages in shorter stints.
your visa application. LITTER IN THE Here are some of the best day walks:
MONTENEGRO
ACCURSED
CURRENCY Montenegro (‘Black Mountain’) was briefly an independent kingdom before WWI,
MOUNTAINS Vusanje (Montenegro) to Theth Theth (Albania) to Valbonë (Albania), Rekë e Allagës (Kosovo) to Hajla
1 euro = `81
While the Accursed then later absorbed into what became Yugoslavia. Rather than seceding like other (Albania), 13 miles 12 miles (Kosovo/ Montenegro Border), 7.5 miles
EMBASSY Mountains counts as one Said by some to be the most beautiful stretch The most well-trodden of all the Peaks of the Rekë e Allagës is the most suitable base for
member states in the early 1990s, it remained part of the State Union of Serbia
Embassy of India, Bucharest, of the most beautiful corners of the trail, this easily navigable route follows the Balkans stages, this hike affords extraordinary adventures in Kosovo’s Rugova valley.
Romania: Bilateral-Albania of Europe, it continues to and Montenegro from 2003 to 2006. Following a narrowly-won referendum,
Ropojana Valley, with around 1,000m of ascent. views from the top of the Valbonë Pass. Setting If you’re arriving from the east, it’s readily
www.eoibucharest.gov.in struggle with catastrophic it became independent in 2006.
litter problems, plastic waste Bearing south from Vusanje, highlights include out from Theth, hikers ascend steeply through accessed on tarmac roads from the town
Montenegro: clogging the streams around an abandoned Yugoslav military barracks, and forests before crossing the saddle between of Peja, home to an Ottoman bazaar and
Embassy of India, Podgorica: villages and, in particular, KOSOVO the steep descent from the Qafa e Pejës pass into the peaks of Maja Alijes and Maja e Boshit. a beautiful Serbian Orthodox monastery.
www.embassyofindia picnic spots in all three Theth. Guest House Ulaj provides warm rooms From here, it’s a steady descent towards For a bracing day walk from Rekë e Allagës,
belgrade.org countries. Take a refillable Kosovo was an autonomous province of Serbia (itself a constituent republic
and filling meals in a Vusanje farmhouse Rragrami, and a walk along a stony river follow the Peaks of the Balkans trail northwest
WHO CAN HELP
water bottle, and – if you of Yugoslavia) until the 1990s. In 1998, decades of tensions between Albanians (00-382-68-871-620; rooms from `2,800), bed to Valbonë. You’ll find a couple of small through forests and meadows to the summit
want to make a difference
Walking independently – take a plastic bag
and Serbs erupted into war between the Kosovo Liberation Army and Yugoslav while Polia Guesthouse has modern pine-clad ‘cafés’ lining the trail, stocking expensive of Hajla – a rocky spine that marks the
is an option, however and gather what you can. forces, during which around 13,000 people were killed. In 2008, Kosovo rooms in Theth (00-355-67-526-7526; rooms drinks and snacks. Run by an enthusiastic Kosovo-Montenegro border. Ariu Guesthouse
considering the occasionally Our team collected from `3,100). In Theth, be sure to pay a visit to beekeeper, Guest House Kol Gjoni has rooms (also known as Mustafa Guesthouse) is one
complicated navigation, declared independence, and is recognised by over 100 countries, including
10 bags of rubbish on the extraordinary ‘lock-in’ tower, a legacy of the in an Alpine-style cottage in Valbonë of the best loved on the trail (00-386-49-867-
cross-border bureaucracy their trek. the UK and Montenegro. complex blood feuds of the Accursed Mountains. (00-355-67-302-2876; rooms from `2,800). 098; rooms from `3,275).
A
D AY
IN
THE N
PLAW...
LIFE NOAVEL S
TR N IT’
OF E
WHTIME!
the oldest in Kakadu were painted at least up to the wheel arches. In half an hour, he’d make it.” We watch from the deck
20,000 years ago. Only a handful are open it’ll be roof-height. of Robert’s boat. It takes 10 minutes for
to balanda, or non-indigenous people. Cahills Crossing is the only road link the ute to coax itself free. On the far side,
Most remain taboo, hidden away in
a labyrinth of caves and valleys.
“Every time I come here, I see something
between Kakadu and the autonomous,
indigenous-governed region of Arnhem
Land. It spans the East Alligator, the tidal
the driver steps out and leans against
the tailgate, relief etched onto his face.
He knows he caught a break today.
By lunchtime,
new,” Adrian says, casting his torch over
the cavern’s walls. “But I can only guess
at all the meanings these places have for
river that tracks Kakadu’s eastern edge.
Even in the dry season from May to
October, it’s only open a few hours a day, 1.00PM
the temperature
in Kakadu
Bininj people. They’re mankind’s oldest around low tide; but, during the monsoon GUNLOM FALLS
artworks – and we know almost nothing from November to April, the river level By lunchtime, the temperature in Kakadu
about the artists who made them.” is too high to cross, cutting Arnhem Land has ratcheted up to 35˚C, and the
has ratcheted
off for half the year. To make matters eucalyptus-lined track to Gunlom Falls
worse, the East Alligator is notorious is busy with people looking for somewhere
11.00A M for crocs: every few years, there’s a tale to cool off. Sipping water from their
up to 35˚C
EAST ALLIGATOR RIVER of a driver or fisherman who’s been canteens, sweat streaming from their
There’s a jam at Cahills Crossing. A line carried off, never to be seen again. brows, they trudge up the rocky path
of trucks, cars and 4WDs is queued “My friends and I swam here when we beside the falls until they reach their goal:
five-deep on either side of the river. A ute were kids,” explains Robert Namarnyilk, the swimming pools of Gunlom.
has got stuck halfway, having mistimed a member of the Bulaja clan, who runs boat Carved from the sandstone by natural
its crossing when the water was too deep. tours and fishing trips. “It’s too dangerous erosion, these clam-shaped ponds were
The driver is leaning anxiously out of the now.” He guides his boat towards the made famous by Crocodile Dundee,
window, spinning his wheels to get free crossing, and nods at a vortex of deep water when bushman Mick Dundee takes
of the mud. He looks on the ragged edge at the far bank. “A truck sank there last year. journalist Sue Charlton to his favourite
of panic. He should be. The river’s already The driver had to swim for it. I wasn’t sure spot for an alfresco dip. Since then,
4.00PM
Above: Back burning
SOUTH ALLIGATOR COUNTRY
Facing page:
On the west side of the national park, An escarpment
near the banks of the South Alligator River, in the autonomous,
Victor Cooper is about to start a bush fire. indigenous-Australian-
“People are afraid of fire,” Victor says, governed Arnhem Land
piling up a heap of dry grass as he gauges
the wind’s direction and strength.
“But that’s because they don’t understand
it. It’s a part of life here. The thing is to
know how to use it right.”
Content with his preparations, he sets
light to the tinder. There’s a crackle, then
a whoosh: the undergrowth ignites, and,
in seconds, has bloomed into a head-high
wall of flame. Smoke plumes skyward,
and the fire races away into the trees.
But Victor’s not worried: he knows he’s set
the fire right. It will burn till nightfall,
when a combination of moisture, falling
temperatures and changing wind
direction will combine to snuff it out.
Victor and his family group, the Manitja,
have been looking after the country around
the South Alligator River for generations.
As one of the first indigenous people
to qualify as a national park ranger in
the late 1970s, there are few individuals
who understand Kakadu as intimately
as he does. Since retiring, he’s run tours
on his family’s land to introduce visitors and puces, yellows, plums and soft
to indigenous culture, medicine and burgundies. This evening, however,
bushcraft – including the traditional above Nawurlandja, a great slab of rock,
practice of fire management. the skies have a special show in store.
Using small, frequent burns to clear A bank of black cloud has rolled in,
scrub lessens the probability of a major bringing with it a rare rain shower,
conflagration, he explains, as we watch and the appearance of something very
the fire crackle through the trees. Many unusual indeed: a rainbow. To Kakadu’s
endemic trees have evolved natural fire ancient inhabitants, this meteorological
resistance: so, as long as the flames never phenomenon carried great significance,
burn too fast or fierce, they take a long time as it meant that the rainbow serpent
to catch light. Amazingly, some of Kakadu’s was on the move. 9.00PM
plants actually rely on fire for germination. Known by many names in Kakadu – HAWK DREA MING
Within days of a burn, the blackened land Almudj to Gundjeihmi speakers in the Night settles in over Kakadu. Rana
starts to regenerate, promoting a burst north, Bolung to Jawoyn speakers in the McChesney stokes up the campfire,
of new greenery. Regular burns are south – the rainbow serpent was among then removes the lid of one of her cast-
now official park policy in Kakadu, with the most important creation ancestors iron cooking pots. Inside, meat stew
indigenous owners working alongside for Aboriginal people (so significant is bubbles. Lifting another lid, she checks
rangers to identify the correct areas to clear. the legend, it was chosen to feature in the on her damper, the soda bread traditionally
“No one knows this country like us,” national park’s official logo). Almudj was eaten by settlers and bushmen. She tears
Victor explains, steering his 4WD onto believed to have created Kakadu’s valleys off a piece and chews: the perfect damper
Kakadu’s main highway. “It’s part of us. and waterholes, and her appearance should be crusty, she explains, but doughy
We know how to look after it. And, in often marked the changing of the seasons, and yeasty on the inside. “Damper is the
return, it looks after us.” and symbolised the life cycle of all living staple food of the outback,” she explains.
things. I watch the rainbow flicker and “Without it, the early settlers would have
6.30PM fade in the twilight, a bright crescent of starved, so I think it’s important that our
NAWURL ANDJA colour cut out against the evening clouds, guests get to taste it.” While she cooks
For most of the day, Kakadu’s skies are then head back down the rock, listening dinner, a wallaby ambles out of the bush,
a uniform blue. Sunset brings a subtler to the calls of kookaburras and fruit doves nuzzling her leg. “This is Jilly,” Rana says.
palette of peaches and tangerines, pinks filling the evening skies. “We rescued her when she was just a joey.
She always shows up for dinner.”
Along with her partner Ian, Rana runs
Hawk Dreaming Wilderness Lodge,
a bush camp near the remote rock outcrop
of Cannon Hill. With its safari-style tents
and rustic outdoor kitchen, the camp sets
out to give its guests a glimpse of outback
life: there’s no wi-fi or mobile signal,
showers are solar-powered, and back-up
electricity is supplied by a rickety
generator that often gives out without
warning. Rana makes all the camp food
from scratch, favouring old bush recipes,
and after dinner, guests sit around
the campfire, swapping stories just like
the settlers of old.
After an hour or two, everyone goes
to bed. The generator shuts off and
the camp goes dark. Stars, planets
and constellations carpet the black sky
the most important creation ancestors abroad. I wait quietly by the campfire,
wondering who I might meet before
the new day dawns. Rana McChesney
EMBASSY ALERT
High Commission of India,
Canberra, Australia:
www.hcicanberra.gov.in TERMITE MOUNDS
CURRENCY Huge termite mounds are
1 AUD = `49 scattered all over Kakadu. Made
of compacted mud and termite
FANCY A CURRY? saliva and excreta, they can reach
Darwin Tandoor is a cosy little seven metres high and last up
hidden gem for delicious home
to 100 years. Kakadu’s tallest
style Indian food (00-61-8-8900-
7742; Shop 21/69 Mitchell St, Mercure Crocodile Hotel Cooinda Lodge can be seen along Maguk
Darwin City; 5pm – 10pm Mon Located in Jabiru, this enormous, rather touristy hotel This complex is 35 miles south of Jabiru. You can have Road, in the Mary
– Sat; mains from `500). (above) is surely the only one in the world shaped like a a villa room or a bush-tent (above), all of which have wooden River Region.
crocodile (you have to walk through the jaws to enter decks and local artwork. The pub and restaurant is one
FURTHER PHOTOGRAPHS: JOE FLORIAN, COOINDA LODGE, KAKADU TOURISM
the lobby). Rooms are plain and comfortable, and there’s of the only places nearby to serve dinner, so it’s lively at night.
READING:
a decent restaurant on site (www.kakadutourism.com/ Cruises on nearby Yellow Water depart all day (www.
Lonely Planet’s
South Australia accommodation/mercure-crocodile-hotel; from `7,500). kakadutourism.com; bush tents from `4,750, villas from `5,775).
& Northern
Territory (`775) Anbinik Resort Hawk Dreaming Wilderness Lodge
and Australia There’s something to suit everyone at this small resort just For the full outback experience, try this bush-camp
(`975) guides outside Jabiru: canvas-roofed bush bungalows (some with on indigenous land near Cannon Hill (4WD transfers
have detailed information on included). The tents are basic but have private loos
shared bathrooms), more upmarket cabins with ensuites.
exploring Kakadu. The websites
for Kakadu National Park (www. There are campsites at which you can park an RV. and hot showers. Meals are served in the communal
parksaustralia.gov.au/kakadu) The restaurant serves Thai food like green curry, pad Thai kitchen across the garden, and there are regular
and Northern Territory and papaya salad (www.anbinik.com.au; bush bungalows expeditions to see rock art and billabongs
(www.northernterritory.com) also from `2,650, cabins from `5,350). (www.kakaduculturaltours.com.au; from `14,000).
have lots of useful information.
OUT ON
O
TWELS
WHE Six cycli
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lives. Plu
St r i d es
#G reen
ISMAIL LAKDAWALA ( @ismaillakdawala) loves being amid nature, travelling slow and
JOHANN DANIELS ( @bombay.adventurer)
is founder of Jack & Hill Adventures, and passionate about the great
witnessing stories. A BBA graduate from Christ University, Bangalore, he currently works full time in Rajkot,
outdoors. He’s thrilled to be able to make a living by sharing
Gujarat, on a venture called XploreTheEarth.com, which he launched with his two best friends, Akshay
this passion with others. His Cycling the Adventurous islands
and Saransh, to make reliable travel information easy to access.
of Mumbai trip is very popular.
Inspiring you to ride the Manali-Leh from over-tourism and excessive littering, we distributed garbage
bags to vehicle owners, and carried a banner to remind everyone enabling you to go on
highway on your first big trip! to take care of the climate.
a small-group ride
I cycled 11km to and fro to my school in Rajkot for about
four years. I didn’t have a bike in college, and I felt handicapped.
CAN ANYONE DO IT? Even as a child growing up in Borivali, Mumbai, I cycled
College done, I invested in a bike and decided to make the purchase Yes! It’s more about mindset than physical effort. You will need a lot more than most of my childhood friends; I used to
memorable by making its maiden journey one from Manali to Leh. to plan well, buy or rent a sturdy mountain bike, and equip venture out to explore the nearby mangrove area or ride around parts of this coastal area that most people are totally unaware of,
yourself with spare supplies, parts and safety accessories. the suburb. I stopped cycling when I got into junior college. places that make you wonder whether you are still in the city. We
I cycle about six to eight hours a week. I’ve started using We broke up the 500km journey over 12 days; that’s less than pass quaint fishing villages that remind you of Goa, and explore
my bike to commute in the city, and I go on occasional morning 50km a day with many breaks - manageable for anyone with Then, in February 2010, I attended Mumbai’s first hill tops that offer panoramic views of the sea. The ride has two
rides. I‘m planning more bikepacking trips in the coming weeks. basic or below-basic fitness. Importantly, you need to be okay with cyclothon. I came across a massive cyclist community I hadn’t segments: on tarmac and off-road. The off-road Mountain biking
Disconnecting from civilisation and socialising known existed, most from Bandra, Dadar, South Mumbai. bit is where things get adventurous as we make our way through
I cycle to feel the breeze on my face, to feel that power Having no devices, minimum electricity, zero phone network I was the only 19-year-old boy from Borivali, and I was totally forest trails; the tarmac segment tests your endurance as you ride
of moving a machine with my own strength, to glide through on most days enamoured. The existence of this community gave me more from vantage point to vantage point in the coastal belt. Before the
trees, on empty roads, off roads. To go wherever I want to without Sleeping in tents in the open or in dhabas on the highway energy to pursue my love for cycling. The highlight was the social ride ends, we also make a quick visit to the Global Vipassana
worrying about fuel or costs. Cycling brings calm, contentment Having few or no lavatory facilities (most places will have a makeshift side of cycling. I started riding from Borivali to South Mumbai Pagoda, one of the largest meditation halls in the world.
and joy to my life. My thoughts often clear up on a ride. pit or a rough cabin; if you get freezing water in a bucket, you will count to ride with the others once a week. Those were fun times.
yourself lucky). Expect almost no showers on the road I have found great joy in hosting these rides. Over the five
My favourite bike is my first big-boy bike, the Raleigh Bracing yourself against rain, hail, snow, winds and cold. I didn’t want to have to ride all the way to Bandra or years I have hosted guests on this ride, I have seen how spirit
Terrain 10. At about `25,000, it is the best budget buy I could You feel the weather most on a bicycle. Dadar to hang out with bicycle-loving folk, so I started the matters: even if the cyclist is not as fit as they thought they were,
find, with all the features of a beginner mountain bike and Borivali Cyclists Association (BCA) in 2010. I’d organise and but is mentally strong, they can ace the ride. My guests build
TOP tips
quality components. It got me through the entire Manali-Leh trip lead rides every Sunday with the prime focus on building an enviable camaraderie among themselves over just a few
without any trouble. I didn’t even have to adjust my tire pressure a community in which cyclists could meet and ride together. hours of riding. As the ride progresses, the bond within the
through the 15 days of cycling over difficult terrain! Cyclists from Goregaon and Mira Road would join us. We group gets stronger; everyone looks out for one another.
Take your time. Pros do the route in six days; we took started with four to five riders and, now, the community And I love watching people’s reactions. I have specific
I picked the Manali-to-Leh route because I needed a break 12 - it made the journey less stressful and more fun. is 2,000+ members strong. spots that I know people react heavily at. I’m always
from the ordinary. This route is one that bikepackers from across Pack light, then remove half of what you’ve packed. looking forward to seeing their expressions whenever
the world dream of doing. Motorbiking was too mainstream for We carried 12 to 15kg; we should have taken six to eight kilos I cycle for a variety of reasons. The idea of gliding we reach a beautiful spot. They are usually shocked
me; bikers do in two days what we did over 12! When you live with (our packing list is online). along a scenic road completely self powered on my bike that beautiful places like these exist so close to home.
the landscape over days, struggle to climb slopes, brace against Acclimatise in Manali for at least three days before the trip. feels so gratifying. It definitely brings a sense of
Inspiring you to go into The pros of competitive racing are many: It isn’t limited to
a field or track; it’s on the open road, which makes it so incredible.
cherish. This was just the beginning of a new phase in my life.
From then on, the urge to cycle continued to grow. I went from
competitive cycling Cycling hasn’t just shaped me as an athlete, but also as a human.
There are so many qualities in cycling that get transferred into
your daily life, making you a healthier person, both physically
regular short night rides within the city to longer weekend rides;
I participated in many events. With each ride, I am constantly
surprised at how my passion for cycling seems to grow.
I was toast after my first long ride. I was looking for a store and mentally. Apart from the cost, I can’t think of any cons.
to service my bicycle, and I found one that was organising I upped my cycling experience. Although I had been leisure
Inspiring you to be
in cycling fitness can greatly reduce overall
race timing. Someone famously referred
to the Ironman race as a warm-up swim,
CAN ANYONE
you reap. I have seen substantial improvements veering movements – goes into every aspect of making
in my riding since the first time I picked up a road bike this can endanger other the bikes and wheels as
DO THIS?
(and struggled to change gears to suit the terrain!). cyclists in the group. aerodynamic as possible.
These days, I ride very regularly as part of my training, • Plan your ride and be It is still a dream bike, as
between three to five times a week, on top of other prepared for it. If doing the price tag is a whopping
disciplines (running, swimming, weights, and yoga). a long endurance ride, `8,00,000 to `11,00,000. Still, Short answer: YES! Cycling is
be sure to have enough one can fantasise! rapidly gaining popularity as
Cycling is also a social sport. The cycling nutrition and hydration for it is accessible to everyone. Start
community is a friendly and enthusiastic bunch, all the entire duration. The last A triathlon is an event where with a basic bike and pick up road
only too eager to get on their bikes and explore cycling thing you want is to bonk participants swim, bike and riding skills. Reach out to the
and have someone rescue run consecutively over certain cycling community; it is usually very
you! Always carry an extra
PHOTOGRAPH: VANDIT KALIA
Mini Guides
THE GREAT OUTDOORS CYCLING IN INDIA
1 2 3
distances: 13.5 hours to finish a 200km ride, 20 hours successful brevet is a tough 600km,
for 300km, 27 hours for 400km, 40 hours for 600km, 90 hours you’ve broken down the challenge FOLD the guide
Fold 2
Fold 2
FROM YOUR
THE FORMER WODEYAR KINGDOM
for 1,200km, and so on. There are intermediate check points not just for yourself but others too.
IS HOME TO FANTASTIC EATS,
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ARE FOR
Fold 1
Established in 1979 by the Located in the Jaganmohan tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards, sloth Bird Sanctuary is a great
RICH HISTORY AND VIBRANT
BY AURELIA
(00-91-98861-17919; www. [10 – 15 yrs, min height 4ft, 10in] 7774; near HP Petrol Bunk, 82-1244-3495; 1743, Sayyaji
Indian Railways, Mysore’s Palace, the Jayachamarajendra bears, wallabies and more. The zoo place for bird watching. perfect place at which to unwind `1,400 adult, `1,000 child millet balls (00-91-91-0806- you’re in for a treat here (00-91-
MYSURU PALACE 1 CHAMUNDI HILLS 4
HASHIM
REPRESENTATIONVINOBHAS
Rail Museum has a rich Art Gallery was named in honour also has an adoption programme, The best time to see the storks,
WILDLIFE, MAKING IT JUST
and a relaxed vibe, it’s the Rd, 4th Block, Jayalakshmipuram; bheja fry with ragi mudde – this sweet dish, and you know
The royal Mysuru Palace, Located 13km away from
FERNANDES
perforations…
collection of photographs of Sri Jaya Chamarajendra which allows you to “adopt” spoonbills, cormorants, egrets rooms. With home-made food explore@gully.tours; 66, Hospital Get the mutton chops and royal chef credited with creating
BADANI,
and two royal locomotives Wodeyar Bahadur, the 25th an animal by contributing towards and ibises is either early in
THE PLACE TO ESCAPE or Maharaja’s Palace, has the city, Chamundi Hills towers
with lush lawns and comfortable 96320-44188; https://gully.tours, Kannada movie stars too. of Kakasura Madappa, the
on display. The ‘Rail Story’ exhibit maharaja of Mysore. It currently feeding them for a year or the morning or late afternoon.
Homestay 12 , complete locals over a cup of chai (00-91- fan-following, which includes It’s run by the great grandsons
luxurious interiors complete with over Mysore. Take the time
AL PURPOSES
WITH CONTRIBUTION
Yes, anyone at any age can get into
tells of how the royals rode the houses rare musical instruments a selected period (00-91-82-1252-
0302; www.mysorezoo.info,
Also look for crocodiles
here (00-94-3501-5419;
TO OVER THE WEEKEND.
the city, book a stay at Gitanjali discover the old city and meet The restaurant has a large which is over 75 years old.
frescoes and also houses some to visit the Chamundeshwari
make a handy,
railways in the past. The main and traditional Mysore gold-leaf
MINI GUIDE APRIL 2020
If you’re looking to escape in the morning, allowing you here is worth the drive. to offer at Guru Sweets Mart,
ONLY.
built in 1899 (00-91-82-1286- Deshika Rd, opp. City Bus Stand, Road, Indira Nagar, Ittige Gudu; Krishnarajasagar Dam Rd, WHY GO?
Maharana Pratap Rd, Nazarbad; a Vintage Mysore Tour Although it’s not exactly across the country. Sink your
6955; KRS Rd, opp. CFTRI, Devaraja Mohalla, Chamrajpura; 8.30am – 5.30pm; `80 adult, Mandya; 9am – 6pm;
reservations @thewindflower.com;
To treat yourself to a simple,
Gully Tours, which offers HOTEL 9 and love, is a crowd favourite Designed by Henry Irwin, the Chamundeshwari, the deity of
SAIKO3P,
S
WEEKEND IN
Medar Block, Yadavagiri; 8.30am – 5.30pm; `20 adult, `40 child [5 – 12 years]). entry: `50 adult, `25 child).
2408; www.thewindflower.com, side of Mysore, on a cycle. of gram flour, ghee, sugar
palace boasts Indo-Saracenic the Mysore royal family. Driving
JAI BHUVANESWARI MILITARY
fuss-free getaway 821-2522500, 00-91-80-4114 Mysore Pak, a combination
9.30am – 5.30pm Tues – Sun; `10 child).
Explore a completely different
MULTIMEDIA/
TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS
GURU SWEETS MART 8 8am – 10.30pm Wed – Sat). and a fantastic spa (00-91- GOOD TO KNOW architecture, seamlessly combining is the best way to get to the hills,
WHAT IS THERE TO DO? Rajput, Muslim and Gothic but you can also opt for the
views of the Chamundi Hill
MYSORE,
closed; dosa from `50). Mysore 11 has large rooms,
MENON
Learn about Mysore’s rich history,
features a coarser masala enjoyed on the patio
aesthetics (00-91-82-1242-1051; Karnataka State Road Transport
123RF
1.30pm, 3pm – 9pm, Wed The Mylari dosa is thicker and The Wind Flower Chai at Getanjali Homestay is best
KARNATAKA
94-4860-8710; Shop No,
of Mysore Pak
com; No 5, Jhansi Lakshmibai Rd; dd@mysorepalace.gov.in; run regularly throughout the day.
Sayyaji Rao Rd, Agrahara,
(benne) and thank us later (00-91- com, rooms@ royalorchidhotels.
pocket-size guide.
Tear out page here then fold along the dotted lines
topped off with dollop of butter 4255566; www.royalorchidhotels.
Get the benne masala dosa, the heritage of the city (00-91-821- Chamrajpura; 10am – 5.30pm `15 adult, `10 child). SRI CHAMARAJENDRA RANGANATHITTU BIRD
Left: The outer facade of the Mysuru Palace daily; `40 adult). ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN 5 SANCTUARY 6
its lack of space and ambience. hotel that allows you to experience
Vinayaka Mylari makes up for Metropole 10 is a four-star
Right: A trip to Mysore is incomplete
The no-fuss food at Original in 1920, the Royal Orchid
without stocking up on Mysore Pak,
JAYACHAMARAJENDRA Swing by to check out some of Located 19km away from
THE RAIL MUSEUM 2 ART GALLERY 3 Mysore’s most interesting residents – Mysore, the Ranganathittu
MYLARI 7 for British visitors of the Maharaja
666666
66 ORIGINAL VINAYAKA the sweet that shares its name
Originally built as a residence
with the city Established in 1979 by the Located in the Jaganmohan tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards, sloth Bird Sanctuary is a great
Riders must support themselves with food, build a good foundation of mileage;
SLEEP FOOD
Indian Railways, Mysore’s Palace, the Jayachamarajendra bears, wallabies and more. The zoo place for bird watching.
CULTURE OUTDOORS Rail Museum has a rich Art Gallery was named in honour also has an adoption programme, The best time to see the storks,
Fold 1 collection of photographs of Sri Jaya Chamarajendra which allows you to “adopt” spoonbills, cormorants, egrets
666
66
6
666666 3
Be
MYSURU PALACE 1 CHAMUNDI HILLS 4
9 #
South Gate
nga
and two royal locomotives Wodeyar Bahadur, the 25th an animal by contributing towards and ibises is either early in
MYSORE
luru
Palace
or Maharaja’s Palace, has the city, Chamundi Hills towers Maharaja's on display. The ‘Rail Story’ exhibit maharaja of Mysore. It currently feeding them for a year or the morning or late afternoon.
-Ni
1
lgir
Rd
luxurious interiors complete with over Mysore. Take the time tells of how the royals rode the houses rare musical instruments a selected period (00-91-82-1252- Also look for crocodiles
INDIA
Ramavilas
Sayaj
i Rd
frescoes and also houses some
666
6
66 6
is the best time to visit the city. to visit the Chamundeshwari
CHAMARAJAPURA
PAKISTAN
railways in the past. The main and traditional Mysore gold-leaf 0302; www.mysorezoo.info, here (00-94-3501-5419;
nutrition and hydration. They are expected it’s called base building. After that,
i Rao
CHINA
Jhans
Circle 5
of Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings. the weather is pleasant,
Temple – dedicated to Goddess
Hardinge
Rd
i Laksh
Rd
built in 1899 (00-91-82-1286- Deshika Rd, opp. City Bus Stand, Road, Indira Nagar, Ittige Gudu; Krishnarajasagar Dam Rd,
WHEN TO GO Albert
palace boasts Indo-Saracenic the Mysore royal family. Driving Victor Circle
New Statue
Circle
architecture, seamlessly combining is the best way to get to the hills, 6955; KRS Rd, opp. CFTRI, Devaraja Mohalla, Chamrajpura; 8.30am – 5.30pm; `80 adult, Mandya; 9am – 6pm;
Naraya
666
66 (KR)
mi Bai
Rd
Harsha Krishnaraja
6 13
Rajput, Muslim and Gothic but you can also opt for the
HIGH LOW Rd Rd
Medar Block, Yadavagiri; 8.30am – 5.30pm; `20 adult, `40 child [5 – 12 years]). entry: `50 adult, `25 child).
Main Devaraj Urs
na Shastr
bad
r u-Nil g iri R
aesthetics (00-91-82-1242-1051; Karnataka State Road Transport
Rd
DIFFICULTY OF TRAVEL Nazar
www.mysorepalace.gov.in, Jaganmohan Palace was the former Corporation (KSRTC) buses, which
Chand
ragup Sq
Market Visit giant stone bull at Chamundi
pet) Rd
9.30am – 5.30pm Tues – Sun; `10 child).
residence of the royal family Hills
Devaraja Patel Rd 8
i Rd
ta Rd
dd@mysorepalace.gov.in;
Gandhi
run regularly throughout the day. TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS
15 St (Sivaram
Ashoka
HIGH LOW Sardar
11 iah (KR)
66 Vinoba
galu
14
Sayyaji Rao Rd, Agrahara,
Rama Rd
Di
Rao Rd
aiah
St
THE COST w Kothwal 10
Tear out page here then fold along the dotted lines
Seeb an
Chamrajpura; 10am – 5.30pm `15 adult, `10 child). SRI CHAMARAJENDRA
Ben
RANGANATHITTU BIRD
Rd
Dhanvanthri Rd
Uma
R
KT St
d
daily; `40 adult). ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN 5 SANCTUARY 6
Rd ri
(return fares from `3,200). anth
Sayyaji
Talk
KR Hospital Rd Hospital
JAYACHAMARAJENDRA
Dhanv 7
Swing by to check out some of Located 19km away from
taxi or a train to Mysore (143kms)
ies
Government
From there, you can opt for a bus, Rd
THE RAIL MUSEUM 2 ART GALLERY 3 Mysore’s most interesting residents – Mysore, the Ranganathittu
Rd
666 S
KR
from all major Indian metros. Nehru Circle
Established in 1979 by the Located in the Jaganmohan tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards, sloth Bird Sanctuary is a great
Irwin Rd Vishvesrivarajah Circle
handling other bike issues. Help from other riders comfortably and a couple of 125km+
tells of how the royals rode the houses rare musical instruments a selected period (00-91-82-1252- Also look for crocodiles
railways in the past. The main and traditional Mysore gold-leaf 0302; www.mysorezoo.info, Weekend in Mysore, Karnataka here (00-94-3501-5419;
attraction is the Maharani’s saloon, paintings (00-91-82-1242-3693; zoomysore@gmail.com; Zoo Main Near Brindavan gardens, MINI GUIDE
built in 1899 (00-91-82-1286- Deshika Rd, opp. City Bus Stand, Road, Indira Nagar, Ittige Gudu; Krishnarajasagar Dam Rd,
6955; KRS Rd, opp. CFTRI, Devaraja Mohalla, Chamrajpura; 8.30am – 5.30pm; `80 adult, Mandya; 9am – 6pm;
Medar Block, Yadavagiri; 8.30am – 5.30pm; `20 adult, `40 child [5 – 12 years]). entry: `50 adult, `25 child).
Tell us which city you would like a Mini Guide for at lpmagazine@wwm.co.in and it could appear in our next issues
9.30am – 5.30pm Tues – Sun; `10 child).
TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS
in the brevet is okay, but no external support rides, you are ready for randonneuring.
CATCH MORE RIDERS IN OUR JOURNAL SECTION
IN MARRAKESH, LIFE IS A
PERFORMANCE, BUT, MORE
FASHION WELLNESS
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MAX & JAN 1 L’ART DU BAIN SAVONNERIE
Brace yourself for the future ARTISANALE 4
of Marrakesh: a Belgian-Swiss Art du Bain’s biodegradable,
design duo has taken over pure olive oil soaps carry
multiple premises to create the scent of Marrakesh in
this giant temple to contemporary them: honey, orange blossom,
Moroccan design. One side jasmine, eucalyptus – there’s
is all about quirky jewellery, even a chamomile milk version
colour-pop ceramics, posters for children – plus scrubs
and cheeky slogan T-shirts, and ghassoul clay for the
while the other features jazzy hammam (00-21-26684-
kaftans and embellished jackets Be sure to take back a kaftan or two 45942; www.artdubain.fr; Ghassoul clay makes a great souvenir
(00-21-25243-36406; www. El Badine souk shop).
maxandjan.com; 14, Rue Amsefah,
Tear out page here then fold along the dotted lines
Sidi Abdelaziz, Route Sidi 33 RUE MAJORELLE 3 LES SENS DE MARRAKECH 5 Mon – Fri, 8.30am – 4pm Sat).
Abdelaziz; 9am – 11pm). More than 60 designers, A brand that prides itself on
mostly from Morocco, are ethical practices and promoting NATUROM 6
Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2020 presents Bhutan as the SISSI MOROCCO 2 represented in this two-floor the work of Moroccan craftsmen, Naturom’s neatly-packaged
number one country to visit due to its rich culture and This Marrakesh brand has emporium, and co-owner Les Sens de Marrakech’s products and keenly-priced argan, verbena
tradition, festivals, and sustainable practices. Bhutan has a taken old sepia photos of Yehia Abdelnour is dedicated range from bath and body products, and orange-blossom beauty
Amazigh tribal women and to sourcing local talent. Quality to skincare and perfumes. Made products are all 100% certified
vision to become the first fully organic nation and has already
incorporated them into hand- is high and so can the prices from locally-sourced ingredients, organic, using pure essences
become the only carbon negative nation in the world. embroidered and printed bolster be, but it’s still easy to find lovely this brand is truly as conscious and essential oils to ensure
cushions, tote bags, purses and threads for less. Star buys include as it gets, allowing you to opt everything is hypo-allergenic.
T-shirts. Quality is top notch. silk harem pants, cotton children’s for refills for certain products The range includes anti-ageing
The main boutique is in Sidi smocks and billowing kaftans. as opposed to having to buy prickly pear oil and hammam
Ghanem, but the branch in Rahba There’s also a small menswear a new bottle. Talk about a win-win gommage (exfoliating scrub)
Kedima is more conveniently corner (00-21-25243-14195; (00-21-25243-36991; www. (00-21-25243-83784; www.
located (00-21-26152-26520; www.33ruemajorelle.com; lessensdemarrakech.fr; multiple naturom.business.site; 213,
Available at all leading bookshops, online stores www.sissimorocco.com; 9am – 33, Rue Yves St Laurent; locations; 8.30am – 6pm Riad Zitoune Jdid; 9am – 8pm).
6pm Mon – Fri). 9.30am – 7pm).
Distributed by
TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS
MINI GUIDE
Shopping in Marrakesh, Morocco
WHY GO?
DIFFICULTY OF TRAVEL To treat yourself to a simple,
LOW HIGH
MYSORE,
WHEN TO GO
The best times to visit Marrakech Learn about Mysore’s rich history,
is from March to May and check out its abundant wildlife,
and treat yourself to copious
KARNATAKA
from September to November.
However, make sure you check amounts of Mysore pak.
COVID-19 advisories before
travelling.
Left: The outer façade of the Mysuru Palace
Right: A trip to Mysore is incomplete
without stocking up on Mysore pak,
the sweet that shares its name
with the city
PHOTOGRAPH: MARC VAN VAEK, AURELIANO1704, COKEMOMO, BERNA NAMOGLU, LUISA PUCCINI PHOTODEE/ 123RF PHOTOS ARE FOR
Fold 1
SOUQ CHERIFIA 7 For air of calm and grace with MYSURU PALACE 1 CHAMUNDI HILLS 4
Short-circuit souq fatigue clean-as-a-whistle rooms, stay The royal Mysuru Palace, Located 13km away from
and head straight for this at Le Gallia 10 (00-21-25244- or Maharaja’s Palace, has the city, Chamundi Hills towers
converted funduq (inn used 45913; www.hotellegallia.com; luxurious interiors complete with over Mysore. Take the time
by caravans) where younger Recette Riad El Mokha, 30, Rue frescoes and also houses some to visit the Chamundeshwari
local designers congregate de La Kasbah; from `3,600). of Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings. Temple – dedicated to Goddess
on the first floor in the Carré Besides having one of Designed by Henry Irwin, Chamundeshwari, the deity of
Créateurs (Artisan Sq). Pick the most romantic garden the palace boasts Indo-Saracenic the Mysore royal family. Driving
up hand-embroidered hessian courtyards in the medina, architecture, seamlessly combining is the best way to get to the hills,
accessories from Khmissa, Rias Berbere 11 also Rajput, Muslim and Gothic but you can also opt for the
snazzy Berber-design babouches has great service (00-21-26512- aesthetics (00-91-82-1242-1051; Karnataka State Road Transport
(leather slippers) from Tilila, Stock up on amlou at Arganino 84473; www.leriadberbere.com, Les Jardins de Bala offers a mix Jaganmohan Palace was the former Visit the giant stone bull at
of Indian and pan-Asian dishes
www.mysorepalace.gov.in, Corporation (KSRTC) buses, which
and top-quality amlou (argan-nut info@riadberbere.com; 23, residence of the royal family Chamundi Hills
dd@mysorepalace.gov.in; run regularly throughout the day.
butter) and beauty products Derb Sidi Ahmed Ben Nasser
Tear out page here then fold along the dotted lines
at Arganino – be sure to stock www.mustaphablaoui.com; Kaat Benahid; from `8,300). Chamrajpura; 10am – 5.30pm `15 adult, `10 child). SRI CHAMARAJENDRA RANGANATHITTU BIRD
WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM JESSICA LEE AND AISHWARYA MENON.
up on souvenirs and then some Arset Aouzal Rd). The restoration of this Les Jardins de Bala daily; `40 adult). ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN 5 SANCTUARY 6
(00-21-26617-05993; DS 200-year- old mansion, Riad has great food at a reasonable JAYACHAMARAJENDRA Swing by to check out some of Located 19km away from
Abdelaziz, Souq Kchachbia; ANAMIL 9 Azoulay 10 , was a labour price, complete with a view of THE RAIL MUSEUM 2 ART GALLERY 3 Mysore’s most interesting residents – Mysore, the Ranganathittu
10.30am – 7.30pm). If you’re looking for a unique of love for Italian owner Sandro. a mosque (00-21-25243-88800; Established in 1979 by the Located in the Jaganmohan tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards, Bird Sanctuary is a great
Moroccan woollen rug or Meals mix Moroccan and www.lesjardinsdelakoutoubia.com, Indian Railways, Mysore’s Palace, the Jayachamarajendra sloth bears, wallabies and more. place for bird watching.
MUSTAPHA BLAOUI 8 high-quality local souvenirs, Italian influences (00-21-25243- commercial@jardinskoutoubia.com; Rail Museum has a rich Art Gallery was named in honour The zoo also has an adoption The best time to see the storks,
Treasure hunters rejoice: Abdess Anamil can help. 83729; www.riad-azoulay.com, Rue Koutoubia; 12pm – 3.30pm, collection of photographs of Sri Jaya Chamarajendra programme, which allows you spoonbills, cormorants, egrets
lanterns drip from the ceilings His small shop is crammed info@riad-azoulay.com; 3, Derb 7pm – 10.30pm; mains from `900). and two royal locomotives Wodeyar Bahadur, the 25th to “adopt” an animal by contributing and ibises is either early in
REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.
of this grand emporium with beautiful things, some Jamaa El Kbir, Hay Essalam; on display. The ‘Rail Story’ exhibit maharaja of Mysore. It currently towards feeding them for a year the morning or late afternoon.
of well-made homewares. cherry-picked from workshops from `11,220). VISA tells of how the royals rode the houses rare musical instruments or a selected period (00-91-82- Also look for crocodiles
Concealed behind and antiques shops, while A single-entry visa to Morocco railways in the past. The main and traditional Mysore gold-leaf 1252-0302; www.mysorezoo. here (00-94-3501-5419;
an inconspicuous wooden the dishwasher-safe ceramics EMBASSY ALERT takes approximately eight to 10 attraction is the Maharani’s saloon, paintings (00-91-82-1242-3693; info, zoomysore@gmail.com; Zoo near Brindavan gardens,
door with no sign, the large and textiles are his own Embassy of India, days to process (www.ma.ckgs.in; built in 1899 (00-91-82-1286- Deshika Rd, opp City Bus Stand, Main Rd, Indira Nagar, Ittige Gudu; Krishnarajasagar Dam Rd,
space offers a relaxed designs. Good shipping Rabat, Morocco `2,320). 6955; KRS Rd, opp CFTRI, Devaraja Mohalla, Chamrajpura; 8.30am – 5.30pm; `80 adult, Mandya; 9am – 6pm;
shopping experience rates are available (48, Derb www.indianembassyrabat.gov.in For more details, log on to Medar Block, Yadavagiri; 8.30am – 5.30pm; `20 adult, `40 child [5 – 12 years]). entry: `50 adult, `25 child).
(00-21-25243-85240; Sidi Ishak, Rue Azbezt). www.lonelyplanet.com 9.30am – 5.30pm Tues – Sun; `10 child).
TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS
Fold 2
MINI GUIDE
Weekend in Mysore, Karnataka
666
Mysore GETTING THERE
Train Karnataka 4
Air Asia, SpiceJet, GoAir
Station Tourism
and IndiGo, among other, OF FOOD AND DRINK.
Irwin Rd fly directly to Bangalore’s
THIS GATEWAY TO THE ROCKY
Playing Fields
Vishvesrivarajah Circle Irwin Rd
Nehru Circle Kempegowda International
MOUNTAINS NOW DELIGHTS
H a n u m an t
KR
Rd
66
Say
Government
metros. From there, you can opt
lkies
7 Dh a
nvan
t h ri R
Hospital
yaji
KR Hospital Rd
for a bus, taxi or a train to Mysore WITH AN ARRAY OF EXCELLENT
Uma Ta
d
KT St
ha R
Dhanvan ri Rd (143km) (return fares from `3,200). RESTAURANTS, BREWPUBS
Rao
d
Bengalu
's th
Ashoka Rd
ao
10 an Koth See
bai
MINI GUIDE APRIL 2020 AND BARS.
Rd
wa ah R
St
Diw
l Ra
maia
h (K
d 11 14 THE COST
Vinoba
66
666
R) S Sardar
(Siva Rd 15
r u-Nil g i
stri Rd
ramp t Gandhi
8 et) Rd Devaraja Patel Rd pta
Sq agu LOW HIGH
Market ndr
ha
WHY GO?
ri R
i Bai Rd
arba
Devaraj Urs d Ma DIFFICULTY OF TRAVEL
in Rd
Narayan
d
Rd 6
Krishnaraja Hars 13
ha Rd
IN DENVER,
(KR) LOW HIGH
WHAT IS THERE TO DO?
akshm
666
666
6
New Statue
Circle Circle Victo
r Alb Try a flavour, two, or all 30 at
ert R
d Little Man Ice Cream, plan a picnic
Jhansi L
WHEN TO GO
o Rd
THE USA
Hardinge October to February – when
Ra
5 Circle
CHINA
the weather is pleasant – Hop Alley, and end it all with a wine
Sayaji
PAKISTAN
CHAMARAJAPURA slushy at Infinite Monkey Theorem
Rd
is the best time to visit the city.
66
66
6666
666
6
Ramavila
iri
INDIA s Rd 1
Maharaja's i lg
Left: Treat yourself at Little Man Ice Cream
u-N
Palace
Right: Gorgeously restored, Union Station has
r
alu
A r a b i a n S e a
Bay of Bengal
MYSORE
South Gate 9
#
on summer Saturdays, a farmers market sets
Be
3
up outside (www.unionstationindenver.com)
66
66
6666
Andaman
Sea
Tear out page here then fold along the dotted lines
GURU SWEETS MART 8 8am – 10.30pm Wed – Sat). and a fantastic spa (00-91- GOOD TO KNOW from `1,000). ice cream from `150) HOP ALLEY 5 RIOJA 6
Mysore pak, a combination 821-2522500, 00-91-80-4114 Explore a completely different Hop Alley was a slur used for This is one of Denver’s most
of gram flour, ghee, sugar JAI BHUVANESWARI 2408; www.thewindflower.com, side of Mysore, on a cycle. LITTLE MAN ICE CREAM 2 CIVIC CENTER EATS 3 Denver’s hardscrabble Chinatown innovative restaurants. Smart,
and love, is a crowd favourite MILITARY HOTEL 9 reservations @thewindflower.com; Gully Tours, which offers You can’t miss the eight-metre- When it gets warmer, head in the 1880s, until a race riot and busy and upscale, yet relaxed
across the country. Sink your Although it’s not exactly Maharana Pratap Rd, Nazarbad; a Vintage Mysore Tour high dairy jug outside. From the to Civic Center Park for lunch anti-Chinese legislation scattered and casual, Rioja features modern
PHOTOS ARE FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.
teeth into the best the city has centrally located, the food from `4,200). takes you around the city early shop window, cones of handmade or a picnic. A huge variety the community. The moniker was cuisine inspired by Italian and
to offer at Guru Sweets Mart, here is worth the drive. If you’re looking to escape in the morning, allowing you ice cream, including vegan options, of food trucks – everything from reclaimed for this small bustling Spanish traditions and powered
which is over 75 years old. The restaurant has a large the city, book a stay at Gitanjali discover the old city and meet are doled out from morning until BBQ and pizza to sushi and restaurant located in a former soy- by modern culinary techniques
It’s run by the great grandsons fan following, which includes Homestay 12 , complete locals over a cup of chai (00-91- night. Flavours change daily: Indian – roll into the park and sauce plant. Come for authentic (00-1-303-820-2282;
of Kakasura Madappa, the Kannada movie stars too. with lush lawns and comfortable 96320-44188; https://gully.tours, expect everything from chunky serve up hearty meals. Tables yet inventive Chinese dishes and www.riojadenver.com; 1431,
royal chef credited with creating Get the mutton chops and rooms. With home-made food explore@gully.tours; 66, Hospital chocolate to Earl Grey tea and are set up, live bands play, creative cocktails, named after the Larimer St; 5pm – 10pm Mon –
this sweet dish, and you know bheja fry with ragi mudde – and a relaxed vibe, it’s the Rd, 4th Block, Jayalakshmipuram; cookies. Rest assured, one scoop office workers picnic on the signs of the Chinese zodiac Tues, 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5pm –
you’re in for a treat here (00-91- millet balls (00-91-91-0806- perfect place at which to unwind `1,400 adult, `1,000 child won’t cut it (00-1-303-455-3811; grass. It’s Denver at its best (00-1-720-379-8340; 10pm Wed – Fri, 10am – 2.30pm,
82-1244-3495; 1743, Sayyaji 7774; near HP Petrol Bunk, (00-91-98861-17919; www. [10 – 15 yrs, min height 4ft, 10in] www.littlemanicecream.com; (00-1-303-861-4633; www. www.hopalleydenver.com; 3500, 5 – 11pm Sat, 10am – 2.30pm,
Rao Rd, Devaraja Mohalla, T Narasipura – Srirangapatna gitanjalihomestay.com, gitanjali cycle and safety gear included). 2620, 16th St; 12pm – 10pm civiccenterpark.org; 144 W, Larimer St; 5.30pm – 10.30pm 5pm – 10pm Sun; mains
Yadavagiri; 8am – 10.30pm Rd, Baburayanakoppal; homestays@gmail.com; Lalitadripura For more details, log on to Mon – Thur, 1am – 11pm Fri – Colfax Ave; 11am – 2pm, Mon – Sat; mains from `1,110). from `650).
Sun – Mon, 8am – 3pm Tues, 8am – 11pm). Rd, KC Layout; from `5,500). www.lonelyplanet.com Sat, 11am – 10pm Sun; Tues – Thur).
TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS
MINI GUIDE
Food and Drink in Denver, The USA
THE COST
LOW HIGH
DIFFICULTY OF TRAVEL
LOW HIGH
WHEN TO GO
The best time to visit Denver
is from April to May and
from September to October.
However, make sure you check
COVID-19 advisories before
travelling.
DRINKS SLEEP
BLACK SHIRT BREWING CO 7 A swanky hostel, Hostel Fish 10
Artisanal brewers create the is stylish, modern and squeaky-
PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF LITTLE MAN ICE CREAM, JAN ABADSCHIEFF/500PX, ARINAHABICH, SEREZNIY, FERLI, SZEFEI/ 123RF
all-red-ale menu at the popular clean. Dorms have themes (Aspen,
BSB. The ales take anywhere Graffiti, Vintage Biker) and sleep
COMPILED BY CATRIONA GREW WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM BENEDICT WALKER, LIZA PRADO AND AISHWARYA MENON.
from two months to three years to five to 10 people in bunks (00-1-
PHOTOS ARE FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. CURRENCY AT THE TIME OF GOING TO PRINT: 1 USD= 72INR
brew. So careful are they with the 303-954-0962; www.hostelfish.
handcrafted beers, the brewers com, stay@hostelfish.com;
developed lopsided glasses to 1217, 20th St; from `6,200).
showcase the aromas. Live music Famous for its artwork in the
is part of the culture here, as is guest rooms, Art – a Hotel 11
good food (00-1-303-993-2799; has a lovely patio, perfect for
www.blackshirtbrewingco.com; Wine comes in every shape and happy-hour cocktails (00-1-303- Binge on desi food at Little India Bar
3719, Walnut St; 11am – 10pm form at Infinite Monkey Theorem 572-8000; www.thearthotel.com; and Restaurant
Sun – Thur, 11am – 12am Fri – 1201, Broadway; from `18,000).
Sat; drinks from `700). from `1,300). The 1891 grande dame, FANCY A CURRY?
Patterson Historic Inn 12 Tandoori specials, assorted Indian
INFINITE MONKEY THEOREM 8 WILLIAMS & GRAHAM 9 was once a senator’s home. favourites and an all-you-can-eat
Infinite Monkey surprises with What looks like a bookstore The gardens are small but pretty, lunch buffet – that’s what you’re
its sophisticated wines, made from the old West is, in fact, and the Victorian charm, sumptuous in for at Little India Bar
on site using mostly grapes from a speakeasy: ask for a seat breakfasts and well-appointed and Restaurant (00-1-303-
Colorado’s western slope. It and the cashier will push aside chambers in the nine-room château 871-9777; www.littleindiaof
surprises again by serving them a wall of books to give you will delight (00-1303-955-5142; denver.com; 330 E, 6th Ave;
by the can, as slushies and as a entry to the bar. Polished wood, www.pattersoninn.com/en-us, 11am – 11pm; mains from `900).
Popsicle. Seating is in a cool-cat gleaming brass, antique lamps, scott@pattersoninn.com; 420 E,
lounge with a 1960s ambience, tin ceilings and mixologists 11th Ave; from `18,400). VISA
and outdoors on a spacious in aprons await. Cocktails are Apply for a type B1 tourist visa,
patio (00-1-512-271-6807; www. creative, artfully prepared and EMBASSY ALERT which takes three to five weeks
theinfinitemonkeytheorem.com; almost too beautiful to drink Embassy of India, to process (www.ustraveldocs.com;
3200, Larimer St; 2pm – 10pm (00-1-303-997-8886; www. Washington DC, The USA `11,200).
Tues – Sat, 2pm – 8pm Sun, williamsandgraham.com; www.indianembassy.org For more details, log on to
4pm – 8pm Mon; wine 3160, Tejon St; 5pm – 1am). www.lonelyplanet.com