FREE INSIDE

CRUISE GUIDE

UK EDITION // DECEMBER 2019 // £4.60 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/TRAVEL

NO-FLY
TRAVEL
TREKS,
TRAINS,
ROAD TRIPS
& MORE...

G A L Á PAG O S

+
Life in balance: human tales
from Darwin’s wild islands
LONDON
FRANCE PHNOM PENH
Dordogne’s clifftop castles,
cave art & venerable vineyards MOSCOW

ALSO: AUSTRALIA // CARIBBEAN // HAWAII // MONTENEGRO // WEXFORD

 BY ATMOSP HERE

Naturally Maldives...
EXPERIENCE AN AUTHENTICALLY MALDIVIAN EXPERIENCE…

Located in the North-West edge of Malé Atoll in the Maldives, the newest product under the dynamic Indian Ocean brand – Atmosphere
Hotels & Resorts – will be VARU by Atmosphere. ‘Varu’ is a term in Native Maldivian language of Dhivehi with connotations of strength,
resilience and life in abundance. The 5-star resort will offer a truly Maldivian experience by incorporating aspects of local traditions and
cultures, structural design - fused together with bursts of chic tropical vibes.

@varuatmosphere
V A R U - A T M O S P H E R E . C O M
 Surrounded by its
marvellous scene,
THE OMNIA,
remain never to be forgotten.
Join our place on the rock
with the Matterhorn
as your neighbour.
This is THE OMNIA.

30 Rooms including 12 Suites

Library with a fireplace
Restaurant, Michelin-starred cuisine
Lounge Bar
Sun Terrace
Boardroom
Wellness Center

THE OMNIA, Zermatt – Switzerland, Phone +41 27 966 71 71, www.the-omnia.com

Bushido: The Soul of Japan
Samurai Spirit Tourism
Bushido is not about ighting.
Bushido is not about competing.
Bushido is not just about skills.

Bushido is the way of the samurai. It’s about respect

for the existence of human life. It’s about maintaining AIZU
one’s dignity – and that of others – in adversity. It’s
about wisdom, patience, sincerity, loyalty and honor
until death. And above all? It’s the soul of Japan. Tokyo
Explore the deep, rich world of the nation’s
legendary warriors in Aizu, a famed samurai city
where the lingering spirit of bushido remains alive
and strong. Facebook: @SamuraiSpiritTourism
Instagram: @samurai_spirit_tourism
 December
2019

Contents

148

78 No-ly travel 108 Dordogne 138 London

We seek out the best adventures
on ground level, from riding the
rails to hitting the open road
96 Galápagos
Meeting the locals of an
archipelago entwined with the
story of natural evolution
Quiet hilltop villages and ancient
caves await on a journey through
the bucolic French region
120 Australia
The winding Great Ocean Road is
more than a road trip: it captures
the essence of this vast country
The transformation of King’s
Cross from run-down ’hood to a
buzzing hub of creativity Issue 81
148 Phnom Penh Mountain road on
It’s all change in the Cambodian Quiraing, Isle of Skye,
capital, with chic hotels and new Scotland
museums opening their doors IMAGE: AWL Images

December 2019 7
 December
2019

Contents

22 70 158

SMART TRAVELLER 36 Like a local 70 Sleep: Hawaii

Discovering Accra’s Osu neighbourhood Palm-shaded pads in the Aloha State
17 Snapshot
Staying level-headed in Guatemala 39 Stay at home TRAVELLER 10
A stay by the sea on the Gower Peninsula
19 Editors’ picks 158 Caribbean’s best beaches
The latest picks in travel 41 The word Unforgettable experiences in paradise
Highlighting the plight of vulnerable animals
20 Big picture TRAVEL GEEKS
A sandy shot from Namibia 43 Competition
Win a seven-night trip to Austria’s Tyrol 176 Travel Geeks
22 Down by the river The experts’ travel manual
The new place to be in Bangkok 47 Author series
Elisabeth Åsbrink on Denmark 188 UFO tourism
25 Street wise Welcome to the strange, surreal side of travel
Are these Europe’s smartest cities? NEW 48 Q&A with an adventurer
We meet explorer Daniel Raven-Ellison 194 Accessible travel
27 Keeping it cool Innovations for a more inclusive industry
A big anniversary for one hibernal hotel 50 Online
Highlights from the website GET IN TOUCH
29 Food
A iesta of lavour in southern Spain INSIDER 198 Subscriptions
Free tickets, great ofers and discounts
30 On the trail 52 Weekender: Montenegro
Souks, sweets and spices in Marrakech The perfect getaway in the Balkan country 201 Inbox
Your letters, emails and tweets
32 Rooms 58 Eat: Wexford
The hottest new hotels in Athens Tasting our way around Ireland’s southeast 202 Your pictures
This month’s best travel photos
34 Family 65 Neighbourhood: Moscow
Ideas for a wintry escape in Norway Looking beyond a Soviet-era cityscape

Reader offers see p.193 for our latest partnership with

8 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 BY APPOINTMENT TO
HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II
SWAROVSKI OPTIK
SUPPLIER OF BINOCULARS

EL 32
LIMITLESS
PERFECTION
SEE THE UNSEEN
 Contributors
National Geographic Traveller (UK) APL Media
Editorial Director: Maria Pieri Editorial Manager:
Editor: Pat Riddell Jo Fletcher-Cross
Deputy Editor: Stephanie Cavagnaro Contributing Editors:
Executive Editor: Glen Mutel Sam Lewis, Farida Zeynalova

Marc Bennetts
First impressions of Moscow are that it’s a
sprawling, bustling metropolis, but there’s
so much more to the Russian capital. There
are vibrant cafes and top-class museums,
and the sight of Red Square and the Kremlin
at night is unforgettable. MOSCOW P.68
Stephanie Cavagnaro
These islands may be known for endemic
wildlife, but the resilient locals were the
most surprising residents. Adapting to the
remote lavascape, the guardians of this
wild place were adamant they couldn’t live
anywhere else. GALÁPAGOS P.96
Associate Editors:
Sarah Barrell, Nicola Trup
Assistant Editors:
Connor McGovern, Tamsin Wressell
Project Editor: Zane Henry
Online Editor: Josephine Price
Assistant Online Editor: Nora Wallaya
Content Editor:
Charlotte Wigram-Evans
Head of Sub Editors: Hannah Doherty
Sub Editors: Chris Horton, Ben Murray
Operations Manager:
Seamus McDermott
Head of Events: Natalie Jackson
Design Studio Manager:
Caroline Guest
Art Editor: Becky Redman
Designers: Lauren Gamp,
Kelly McKenna
Production Manager: Daniel Gregory
Special Projects Consultant:
Matthew Midworth
Head of Partnerships: William Allen
Sales & Partnerships Team:
James Bendien, Oliver Deis,
Grace Diamond, Bob Jalaf, Kevin
Killen, Adam Phillips, Mark Salmon,
Euan Whitbourn
Head of National Geographic
Traveller — The Collection:
Danny Pegg
Project Editor:
Mattie Lacey-Davidson
Editorial Admin Assistant:
Angela Locatelli
Art Editor: Lauren Atkinson-Smith
Designer: Charlotte Alldis
Picture Editor: Olly Puglisi
Production Controllers:
Karl Martins, Joe Mendonca,
Drew O’Neill, Lisa Poston,
Anthony Wright
Head of Creative Solutions:
Chris Debbinney-Wright
APL Business Development Team:
Chris Dalton, Adam Fox, Cynthia
Lawrence, Sinead McManus
Chief Executive: Anthony Leyens
Managing Director:
Matthew Jackson
Sales Director: Alex Vignali
Office Manager: Hayley Rabin
Sales Administrator: Melissa Jurado
Head of Finance: Ryan McShaw
Credit Manager: Craig Chappell
Accounts Manager: Siobhan Grover
Accounts Assistants: Jana Abraham,
Stefano Pica

National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published by APL Media Limited,

Unit 310, Highgate Studios, 53-79 Highgate Road, London NW5 1TL
nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Editorial T: 020 7253 9906. editorial@natgeotraveller.co.uk
Sales/Admin T: 020 7253 9909. F: 020 7253 9907. sales@natgeotraveller.co.uk
Subscriptions T: 01293 312 166. natgeotraveller@subscriptionhelpline.co.uk

Julia Buckley
I visited Dordogne as a child, so returning
to find it largely unchanged was a boon. But
discovering the more ‘French’ side of the
region — the small sites, from jewel-like
National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published by APL Media Ltd under license from National
Geographic Partners, LLC. For more information contact natgeo.com/info. Their entire
contents are protected by copyright 2019 and all rights are reserved. Reproduction without
prior permission is forbidden. Every care is taken in compiling the contents of the magazine,
but the publishers assume no responsibility in the effect arising therefrom. Readers are
advised to seek professional advice before acting on any information which is contained in
the magazine. Neither APL Media Ltd or National Geographic Traveller magazine accept any
liability for views expressed, pictures used or claims made by advertisers.

gardens to a deserted Roman villa — opened

it up in a whole new way. DORDOGNE P.108
Nicola Trup
Growing up in north London, King’s Cross
was always on the radar — but for the wrong
reasons. Now, though, it’s cleaned up its
act, and incredible old buildings are taking
centre stage as smart hotels, restaurants
and places to shop. LONDON P.138
Lee Cobaj
Phnom Penh might not be Southeast Asia’s
most attractive city, but dig deeper and
you’ll find incredible architecture, tasty
food, great nightlife and an energy like
nowhere else. The Cambodian capital really
gets in your veins. PHNOM PENH P.148
National Geographic Traveler (US)
Editor-in-Chief:
George W. Stone
Design Director: Hannah Tak
Director of Photography:
Anne Farrar
Digital Manager: Christine Blau
Senior Editor: Amy Alipio
Deputy Art Director:
Leigh V. Borghesani
Associate Editor: Brooke Sabin
Photo Editor: Jeff Heimsath
Editor/Producer: Gulnaz Khan
Features Producer: Marie McGory
Associate Editor/Producer:
Rachel Brown
Research Editor: Starlight Williams
Social Media Producers:
Kelly Barrett, Nathan Strauss
Video Producer/Editor:
Rebekah Barlas
Copydesk: Amy Kolczak, Preeti
Aroon, Cindy Leitner, Mary Beth
Oelkers-Keegan
Editorial Projects Director:
Andrew Nelson
Communications Vice President:
Heather Wyatt
Communications Director:
Meg Calnan
Copyright © 2019 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All Rights Reserved. National
Geographic Traveler and the Yellow Border Design are registered trademarks of
National Geographic Society and used under license. Printed in the UK.
Publisher & Vice President,
Global Media:
Kimberly Connaghan
Senior Vice President, Global
Media & Experiences: Yulia P. Boyle
Senior Manager, International
Publishing: Rossana Stella
Editorial Specialist,
International Editions: Leigh Mitnick
National Geographic Society
President & CEO:
Tracy R. Wolstencroft
Board of Trustees Chairman:
Jean M. Case
National Geographic Partners
CEO: Gary E. Knell
Chief Marketing Officer: Jill Cress
Editorial Director: Susan Goldberg
Chief of Staff: Timo Gorner
General Manager, NG Media:
David Miller
Global Networks President:
Courteney Monroe
Sales & Partnerships:
Brendan Ripp
Legal & Business Affairs:
Jeff Schneider

10 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 Our specialists help you
travel further

Get the inside story

Asia | Africa | Americas | Australasia
Arabia | Arctic | Antarctica | Europe

Talk to an Audley specialist today

01993 662 166

www.audleytravel.com
ATOL protected 4817
 HIGHLIGHTS

Editor’s
letter Cruise guide

D
elays, strikes, cancellations and eternal security Don’t miss our 84-page guide full of
queues. Even before you factor in its inspiration for an adventure on the waves,
from polar expeditions to river escapes
environmental impact, flying has long been
suffering from what might politely be called an image
problem. The more popular it’s become, the less efficient
travelling by plane seems to be. But its biggest issue isn’t
one of comfort but conservation.
The debate around when and where and how often we
choose to fly is a thorny one. The Swedes — past masters
Photography Competition 2020
at inventing words for nebulous feelings — have come up Our prestigious competition is back for
with a buzzword: flygskam, flight shame. But what about another year. Do you have what it takes
to be the Grand Prize winner? (p.14)
another Swedish word, tågskryt? Literally translating as
‘train-bragging’, this idea has arrived at a time when
Europe’s rail network is hitting new heights, bolstered by
high-speed connections, spruced-up sleeper journeys
and new direct routes.
This newfound pride in a slower, older form of transport
chimes with the current belief that travel should be as
The Masterclasses
much about the journey as the destination — watching We’re hosting a packed day of expert-led
the landscapes go by, engaging with people and taking travel writing and photography sessions in
time to reflect. February — tickets are on sale now (p.44)

So, with all this in mind, our cover story this month
focuses on ‘no-fly travel’. From trains and boats to drives
and hikes, we celebrate the joy of the journey. SUBSCRIBE TODAY

PAT RIDDELL, EDITOR

@patriddell
@patriddell

AWARD-WINNING NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER

Travel Media Awards 2019: Young Writer of the Year • Travel Media Awards 2019: Specialist Travel
Writer of the Year • AITO Travel Writer of the Year 2019 • AITO Young Travel Writer of the Year 2019 •
French Travel Media Awards 2019: Best Art & Culture Feature • British Guild of Travel Writers Awards
2018: Best Travel Writer • Travel Media Awards 2018: Consumer Writer of the Year • LATA Media Get three issues for just £5!
Awards 2018: Consumer Magazine Feature of the Year • AITO Travel Writer of the Year Awards 2018: natgeotraveller.
Travel Blogger of the Year • Visit USA Media Awards 2018: Best Consumer Travel Magazine Feature imbmsubscriptions.com/NGT5
• BSME Talent Awards 2018: Best Designer • British Travel Awards 2017: Best Consumer Holiday or call 01293 312166 and quote ‘NGT5’
Magazine • British Guild of Travel Writers Awards 2017: Best Travel Writer • British Guild of Travel
Writers Awards 2016: Best Travel Writer • British Travel Awards 2015: Best Consumer Holiday Magazine

SEARCH FOR NATGEOTRAVELUK ON FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM TUMBLR PINTEREST

12 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION 2020

COMP E TI TI ON 2020
COULD YOU BE OUR NE X T WINNER? NOVICE OR PRO, WE WANT TO SEE YOUR
TR AVEL SHOTS. SIMPLY SUBMIT IN YOUR PREFERRED CATEGORY AND YOU ’LL
BE IN WITH A CHANCE OF WINNING THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME TO ME XICO

14 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION 2020

TH E C ATEG O RI E S
Upload
your photos
in one of four
single-shot
themes

TH E PRIZE S

GRAND-PRIZE WINNER
Cultural wonders
of Mexico
Courtesy of National
Geographic Journeys,
C ITI E S L A N D SC A PE S the winner will get to
From Bristol to Bogotá, cities provide endless Mother Nature can be a generous subject, but experience the best of
inspiration for photographers. We’re looking for capturing her beauty isn’t easy. We want images Mexico’s cuisine and
dynamic images that capture the spirit of a city that showcase the natural world in all its glory, culture on this new,
and offer a glimpse into the urban world. executed with flair, creativity and technique. nine-day itinerary
across the country.
nationalgeographic
expeditions.co.uk

ALL CATEGORY WINNERS

Manfrotto
Befree Advanced
Travel Tripod
The winners of
each category will
receive this must-
have accessory
that’s portable,
solid and easy to
set up — perfect for
IMAGES: DANIEL BURTON; ANNAPURNA MELLOR; RASHID

photographers on the
KHAIDANOV; JULIA WAINWRIGHT; SHARON KYNASTON

W I LD LI F E PE O PLE go. manfrotto.com

Animals don’t play by the rules, which makes Some of the world’s most iconic photos are
capturing those fleeting moments all the more portraits and it’s no wonder — people make a
rewarding. This category celebrates the most travel experience. So, we’re after images that
outstanding shots of the animal kingdom. deftly show us the human side of a destination.

E NTE R N OW AT

nationalgeographic.co.uk/competitions
T&Cs apply. Closing date: 23 February 2020 at 23.59 GMT. Judges to be announced

December 2019 15
 O U R C HOICE
FY
3 TRIPS O
WIN

KENYA? REECE? PERU?

COULD IT BE GOING FOR G PERHAPS IT’S

Choose the 3 adventure destinations you’ve always dreamed of visiting and you could
be packing your bags and heading for a life of adventure with Exodus.

ENTER TODAY AT EXODUS.CO.UK/LIFE

Terms and conditions: To enter competition, entrants must select their 3 favourite adventure destinations at www.exodus.co.uk/life. Entrants must be 18 years or older and live in the UK. No purchase is necessary.
Closing date is 15th December 2019 and winner will be selected on 19th December 2019. For full terms and conditions, please visit: www.exodus.co.uk/life
SMART TRAVELLER
What’s new // Food // On the trail // Rooms // Like a local // Family // Stay at home // he word

SNAPSHOT

Antigua Guatemala
As we were driving into this historic
Guatemalan city, I spotted this Mayan
woman in bright clothing walking along
the side of the road. Many of the local
women carry market purchases on their
heads — fruit, vegetables, clothes — but
this woman stood out for the huge, tied-
up bundle of irewood she was bringing
back home. She was funny and jovial,
constantly laughing as we talked, but
struck a serious pose when I took her
picture. Ater we said goodbye, she carried
on walking up the hill, carefully balancing
the haul of irewood on her head.
CHRISTOPHER WILSON // PHOTOGRAPHER

christopherwilsonphotography.com
@wilsonphotographs

December 2019 17
 SMART TRAVELLER

VIVE LE CAFE!

Over the past 50

years, the number
of cafes in French
towns and villages
has dropped from

Edito�s' �icks
200,000 to 40,000,
but a new government
directive aims to
address the issue and
open or re-open these
cultural cornerstones
We’ve picked out some of the latest travel highlights, in villages across the
from Michelin stars to hotel treasure hunts country. 1000cafes.org
JOSEPHINE PRICE

Happy hunting IN NUMBERS Balearic beats

Rosewood London is ofering guests a day
of discovery and challenges with its new
‘Room Hunt’ package — the prize being an
upgrade to one of its signature suites. Ten
pairs of guests compete against each other in
a treasure hunt, taking on riddles, puzzles and
tasks across the hotel. rosewoodhotels.com
ZANE HENRY
approximate percentage of the world’s mammals
Ibiza’s renowned sunset bar, Cafe
VANISHING ANIMALS del Mar, has brought its signature
beats to Bali. Guests can expect
8 million
the total number of animal and plant
swim-up bars, ocean views and the
classic blue-and-white aesthetic.
Openings in Bangkok and the
species on the planet
Maldives are also in the works.
25%
cafedelmar.com
PAT RIDDELL

threatened with extinction

Northern lights
13 Manchester has claimed its irst
IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; JOHN CAREY

Michelin star in 40 years thanks to

the number of years photographer Joel Sartore
has been photographing animals for his National
Geographic Photo Ark project (read more on p.41)
9,000
the number of species of animals featured in The Ark,
out of an estimated 12,000 in captivity worldwide.
nationalgeographic.org/projects/photo-ark
MARIA PIERI
Mana in Ancoats, whose chef-
owner Simon Martin previously
worked at Copenhagen’s Noma.
The Lake District also did well
in the latest version of the Great
Britain and Ireland guide, with
three new one-star restaurants.
guide.michelin.com NICOLA TRUP

December 2019 19
SMART TRAVELLER

BIG PICTURE

Dune 45, Namibia

Two hikers ascend Dune 45 in the Namib-
Nauklut National Park. The dune gets its
name from its location, 45km from the park
entrance. As one of the most accessible dunes
in this part of Namibia, it’s popular with hikers,
who set of early in the morning — the sand
heats up during the day, making the climb
rather uncomfortable. We arrived early too,
and as we were driving past I noticed two
people starting their ascent. I got out and
clambered onto the roof of the car to get a
higher perspective and waited for the hikers
to get into perfect position. It was quick and
impromptu, but still manages to capture
the sheer size, drama and remoteness of the
Namib Desert. JEN JUDGE // PHOTOGRAPHER

jenjudge.com
@jenjudgephoto

20 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
SMART TRAVELLER

December 2019 21
SMART TRAVELLER

Down by the river BANGKOK

Want the best of the Thai Tuck in

capital? Head to the Chao The shopping scene has also
Phraya River, where new been given a boost thanks to the
swish, upscale Iconsiam, which
openings are making it opened last year. If you’re put of
the hottest spot in town by the thought of hanging out in a
shopping mall, then don’t be
— locals come here in their
With loating markets and glittering city views, droves to soak up the atmosphere
the Chao Phraya River has always been one of and indulge in a little retail
Bangkok’s must-sees, but until recently it hasn’t therapy. There are loating
been entirely... well, cool. However, that’s now markets, zany Vegas-style
changing quicker than you can say ‘hi-so’, the nickname fountain shows and smart cafes
for the city’s stylish set locking to the neighbourhood. on the upstairs deck with ine
It’s been years in the making; the riparian revolution views of the river. iconsiam.com
began with the arrival of a handful of galleries and
arts hubs — such as THE JAM FACTORY, a creative Set sail Bed down
outpost that opened in 2013 — but hot new restaurants While the river region is Fancy a room with a view?
including BABBLE AND RUM and SOMEDAY EVERYDAY undergoing great changes, the Opening in 2020 on the east
are also throwing open their doors on the leafy banks. atmospheric Thonburi klongs bank of the river, the Capella
There’s a gamut of gorgeous new hotels, too, including (canals) remain reassuringly Bangkok’s 101 suites and villas
the towering AVANI+ RIVERSIDE BANGKOK HOTEL and traditional. Hire a long-tail boat come with enormous windows,
the new FOUR SEASONS, both of which are set to open for a one-hour spin (around balconies and hypnotic views
in 2020. There’s also a new look for the MANDARIN £25 for a private boat) and drit of life on the water. Wellness
ORIENTAL, BANGKOK which has just emerged butterly- past watery ields of morning options include mixed martial
like from a glamorous metamorphosis. And, thanks to a glory, time-worn stilted houses, arts with one of Thailand’s top
IMAGE: GETTY

multimillion-pound renovation of the hotel’s River Wing, massive monitor lizards woman ighters, and ‘tok sen’, a
guests can follow a long, lazy dinner with late-night sunbathing on front lawns traditional Thai massage that
drinks and a side of jazz at The Bamboo Bar. It’s time to and gold-topped temples hidden uses a teak hammer and chisel to
head to the river. LEE COBAJ between banyan trees. whack away tension. capella.com

22 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
CERVO Mountain Boutique Resort
www.cervo.ch
 SMART TRAVELLER

SMART CITIES

Street wise
Meet the European Capitals of
Smart Tourism 2020, lauded for
redefining their urban environment

Málaga
Within two decades, this city has transformed into
a cultural powerhouse by the sea, having welcomed
big-hitters such as the Picasso Museum and Centre
Pompidou. It’s also reinvented old landmarks as vibrant
cultural spaces — take the Tabacalera, a grand former
tobacco factory now home to the Museo Automovilístico
and the Colección del Museo Ruso. But the sun-bathed
Spanish city is also a smart one: innovative, water-saving
irrigation systems have been installed, there’s LED street
lighting, and also 28 miles of cycle lanes winding along
the coast. And in an extra touch of eco savvy, Málaga has
also introduced an Air Quality Sectoral Plan to reduce air
pollution and improve noise quality. malagaturismo.com

WHY
SO SMART?
The cities are
assessed on factors
such as accessibility,
sustainability,
digitalisation and
cultural heritage

Gothenburg
Welcome to a city that’s embracing the 21st century like
nowhere else. Authorities in Gothenburg, in collaboration
with the local tourism industry, are using tech to enrich
the visitor experience: as well as the city’s comprehensive
website, digital solutions to traic and transport
IMAGES: GETTY; AWL IMAGES

management have been introduced. But part of what

makes the city smart is its commitment to sustainability:
92% of its hotels are environmentally certiied and local
events can use the ‘Event Impact Calculator’ to tot up
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:
Trams in Gothenburg;
their social and environmental impact. So sustainable is
sitting at the harbour, the Swedish city that it’s topped the Global Destination
Gothenburg; Old town Sustainability Index three years in a row. goteborg.com
Marbella, Malaga smarttourismcapital.eu CONNOR MCGOVERN

December 2019 25

Icehotel
KEEP IT COOL
The Arctic’s chilliest
accommodation is turning
30, with new sub-zero
suites to celebrate
From its humble beginnings as an igloo on
the banks of the Torne River, the Icehotel
has grown to become the biggest attraction
Swedish Lapland. Each winter, the teeny
IMAGES: CHRISTOPHER HAUSER; PAOLO RIOLZI
village of Jukkasjärvi, set around 100
miles inside the Arctic Circle, welcomes
artists from across the globe, equipped
with chainsaws and chisels, tasked with
transforming frozen blocks into works of art
that shape the hotel’s Main Hall, Ceremonial
Hall, Ice Bar and Art Suites.
In 2016, the hotel cemented its permanent
status with the addition of Icehotel 365,
making stone-cold stays possible year-
round in an ice-illed structure chilled
via solar energy, part-insulated with a
turf-covered roof. This year, to toast three
decades of cutting-edge cool, the Icehotel’s
anniversary accommodation will be crated
by artists from 34 diferent countries,
including a subterranean ice room
populated with giant ice ants; a bedroom
inside an ice-carved kaleidoscope; and
another decked out like a frozen theatre,
complete with ice-carved curtains and
a stage. Furthermore, the Ice Bar will be
serving up thrills and spills in the form of
frozen roller coasters and carnival games.
Opening for the season on 13 December,
there will also be a photography exhibition
showcasing 30 years of ‘ice memories’. Very
cool indeed. icehotel.com SARAH BARRELL
SMART TRAVELLER
THREE TO SEE
Icy attractions
THE MUSEUM
LUMEN MUSEUM OF
MOUNTAIN PHOTOGRAPHY,
ITALY
Set 7,463ft up in the Alps, in a
stylishly reimagined cable-car
building, this new four-storey
space is home to archive work
by pioneering photographers of
the icy peaks, including France’s
Joseph Tairraz, Switzerland’s
Jules Beck and Vittorio Sella of
Italy, along with high-altitude
images by contemporary
photographers. lumenmuseum.it
THE SPA
ARCTIC BATH,
SWEDISH LAPLAND
This winter (February 2020) sees
the much-anticipated opening of
a loating hotel and spa on the
Lule River near the small village
Harads. The ‘bath’, concealed
inside a vast circular nest of
loating logs, employs frigid river
water, complemented by a hot
bath, saunas, a spa treatment
room, lounge and restaurant,
along with several loating hotel
cabins, and some on shore.
arcticbath.se
THE FESTIVAL
YORK ICE TRAIL
With 50-plus sculptures, the UK’s
biggest outdoor ice trail returns
with plenty of opportunity to
get hands-on (while wearing
mittens). Previous years have
featured frozen wonders such
as a Tyrannosaurus rex and a
phoenix, which was carved then
set alight outside York Minster in
a nod to the city’s appearance in
several Harry Potter movies.
1-2 February 2020. visityork.org
December 2019 27
 ®

E C O L U X U R Y V I L L A S

Welcome to Galapagos,
Welcome home.
Tracing Darwin’s footprints, we invite you to explore
Galapagos in the most sustainable way:
your villa awaits for you.

www.montemar.ec ventas@montemar.ec @villasmontemargalapagos

 SMART TRAVELLER

� taste of
ANDALUCIA
The Spanish region is awash with
incredible produce. Food writer
Fiona Dunlop shares her tips

Andalucia’s diverse food matches its terrain

of verdant valleys and arid sierra lapped
by the Mediterranean. It fuses historical
inluences from the Romans, the Middle East
and North Africa, but was long overshadowed
by the cuisines of the Basques and Catalans.
But change is afoot, as the Spanish region’s
Michelin stars twinkle everywhere from
Cádiz to Córdoba, and there’s inspiring
culinary innovation in Seville, the regional
capital, as well as in smaller towns. The
area’s greatest asset is delicious fresh
produce, from coveted carabineros (jumbo FIONA DUNLOP
prawns) to game, ish and local olive oil. is a food and travel
writer and the author of
Andaluz: A Food Journey
Through Southern Spain,
FROM LEFT: RRP: £25
Deep-fried anchovies; (Interlink Books)
Vejer de la Frontera;
bowls of salmorejo

Must try:
JAMÓN IBÉRICO
DE BELLOTA
Velvety cured ham
from black, acorn-fed
pigs in the Sierra de
THE DISHES
Aracena and
Los Pedroches SALMOREJO
Dense and creamy, this chilled
soup of plum tomatoes blends
garlic, vinegar, extra virgin olive
oil and dry bread. Its classic
topping is hard-boiled egg, diced
WHERE TO EAT jamón and a slick of olive oil.

NOOR, CÓRDOBA
A chic, luminous space with a
modern Moorish theme, where
IMAGES: GETTY; AWL IMAGES
Andalucia
LOS ESPIGONES, MÁLAGA
Head for Pedregalejo beach for
fresh, affordable seafood. At
ESLAVA, SEVILLE
One of Andalucia’s top tapas
spots is wildly creative and
REMOJÓN
This typical salad from Granada
and Córdoba combines laked
cod, onion, black olives, orange
slices and toasted almonds,

doused in extra virgin olive oil.

chef-owner Paco Morales
transforms obscure recipes
from medieval Al-Andalus into a
tasting menu of sophisticated,
cutting-edge dishes.
noorrestaurant.es
a table facing the Med, watch
espetos (wooden skewers) of
sardines being barbecued over
olive wood, and follow up with
fried battered ish and chilled
beer. T: 00 34 952 200 989
always packed, with a lengthy
bar and great service. Tapas
include spare ribs in honey,
and egg on mushroom ‘cake’.
The wine list is also excellent.
espacioeslava.com
ATÚN ROJO DE ALMADRABA
May and June are best for fresh
Atlantic bluein tuna, sustainably
caught using an ancient
Phoenician technique on the
Costa de la Luz.

December 2019 29
SMART TRAVELLER
ON THE TRAIL
arraech
Discover local traditions on a food tour
of the beguiling Moroccan city — and
work up an appetite along the way
Words: Connor McGovern
1 LOCAL BAKERY
Traditionally, many homes
in Marrakech were without
domestic ovens and so the
bakery became a pillar of any
local community; as much of a
meeting point as it is a place to
buy bread. At this 700-year-old
spot close to Moulay el Yazid
mosque, Abdel bakes khobz
bread in a huge furnace as locals
come to pick up loaves with a
side of neighbourhood gossip.
2 KASBAH
From mounds of crimson
tomatoes and fragrant bunches
of herbs to rugs, scarves and
glinting copperware, the sights,
sounds and smells of this tangle
of narrow alleyways never fail
to captivate visitors. When
it comes to food, look out for
hearty bowlfuls of bissara — a
fi lling, jade-green soup made
from broad beans. It’s heady and
slightly bitter in taste, and is best
mopped up with warm loaves
of batbout, a sort of flatbread
cooked on a hot griddle.
3 MELLAH (OLD JEWISH QUARTER)
Delve into the bustling covered
market of Mellah and make a
beeline for La Perle d’Olives, a
stand that’s easy to spot with its
colourful display of olives, great
tubs of smen (fermented butter)
and fiery green harissa. Take in
the aromas of spices, including
cinnamon, rose petals and ras
el-hanout, before watching chefs
deft ly whip up sheets of warqa
— a wafer-thin, fi lo-like dough
that’s used for all kinds of sweet
and savoury pastries.
30 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
4 PATISSERIE DES PRINCES
Wind your way up to this local
institution just off Djemaa el-Fna
square, where you’ll fi nd queues
of locals indulging their sweet
tooth. Laid out in glass cabinets,
dainty pastries include briouate,
a triangular pastry fi lled with
almond paste and orange
blossom water; fekkas, a peanut-
studded, biscotto-style cookie;
and kaab el ghazal, a confection
crammed with almond paste,
5 and whose half-moon shape
reflects its name, which
means ‘gazelle horn’ in Arabic.
4
3
5 CHEZ LAMINE HADJ MUSTAPHA
Grab a table on the terrace of this
local restaurant and tuck in to
1 the city’s signature dish — the
tanjia. The name refers to both
the dish and the urn in which
2 it’s cooked; tender joints of beef
with herbs, spices and preserved
lemons are cooked slowly in
urns, traditionally in the hot
ILLUSTRATION: MARTIN HAAKE
ashes used to heat the water of
a local hammam. After eating,
stay for a cup of mint tea while
looking out over the Medina.
Plan-it Morocco offers culinary tours
of Marrakech from £100 per person.
plan-it-morocco.com
SMART TRAVELLER

2 PERIANTH HOTEL
Wellness is the name of the game at
Perianth Hotel, which opened last year in
a 1930s building in Monastiraki. Interiors
nod to its modernist past, with mid-century
furniture, mosaic loors and walls decorated
with local art. Guests can enjoy free access
to yoga, martial arts and meditation on
the irst-loor Zen Center. From £144.
perianthhotel.com

3 COCO-MAT ATHENS BC
If you’re ater a good night’s sleep, where
better to bed down than in a hotel by luxury
mattress brand CoCo-Mat? At this one in
trendy Koukaki, the decor is a mix of wood
and chrome, with balconies overlooking the
city. Guests can also soak in the view from
the rootop terrace. The ‘BC’ in the name
refers to the ancient inds unearthed during
construction. From £98. athensbc.com

4 INNATHENS
This boutique hotel two blocks from central
Athens’ Syntagma Square ills a grand 19th-
century building centred around a peaceful
WHERE TO STAY courtyard. Rooms are stripped-back modern,

Athens
with exposed loorboards and ash-grey
feature walls. As of 2019, it’s even bigger, too;
the owners bought the neighbouring building
and upped the room count from 21 to 37.
From £82. innathens.com JULIA BUCKLEY

From the up-and-coming port area to

the city centre, boutique hotels are
blossoming across the Greek capital

1 THE ALEX
Not long ago, Piraeus — 15 minutes by metro from central

ALL RATES QUOTED ARE FOR STANDARD DOUBLES, B&B, UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED
Athens — was just the port you passed through en route
to the Greek islands. No longer. The town’s archaeological
museum is one of the best in the country, the Stavros
Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center brought the Greek
National Opera here in 2017, and a portside silo was this
year earmarked as the site of a new underwater antiquities
museum. And now there’s a slick new hotel to entice you
to stay the night here, too.
The Alex is the ith Greek property for the Santikos
Collection, which has previously stuck to island and
countryside resorts. Overlooking Piraeus’s Mikrolimano
harbour, the four-storey new-build ofers views of the
coast and the Acropolis from its rootop restaurant Nest,
which is headed up by chef George Bakas. There’s also
The Botanist, where guests can unwind with a drink
at the bar or a light bite on the outdoor patio. Rooms here
are smartly minimalist, with open wardrobes, cube-like
balconies and a colour scheme of dove greys and taupes
paired with wooden loors. Public areas face the water,
and sea view rooms are available. This is the Santikos
Collection’s irst city hotel — and it might not be its last.
From £82. santikoscollection.com

32 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
SMART TRAVELLER

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Bryggen,

Bergen; Trysil, Norway; a reindeer in the
Arctic Circle

FROZEN & BEYOND

PISTE PERFECT
Trysil, Norway’s largest ski
resort, is ideal for anyone
looking to build up conidence
on the slopes. With 45 miles of
pistes and excellent ski schools,
it’s a irm family favourite.
crystalski.co.uk

Ice and easy

WILD WHIRLPOOLS
FAMILY Just 30 minutes from the city
of Bodø, the Saltstraumen
Maelstrom — the strongest tidal
current in the world — is bound
to impress. Boat trips speed over
mighty whirlpools and guides
explain the natural phenomenon
amid jaw-dropping mountainous
scenery. stella-polaris.no

With Frozen 2 set to hit the big screen this winter, we WINTER WONDERLAND
look to Norway — one location that inspired the ilm Don’t miss the Norwegian
capital, Oslo, where you’ll ind
— for some family-friendly wintry getaways a classic winter wonderland,
complete with ice skating rink,
Ferris wheel, Christmas markets
Cinemas will be gripped with Frozen fever once again on and rows of stalls touting festive
20 November, when Anna and Elsa return in the long- fare. visitoslo.com
awaited sequel, Frozen 2. And for families looking to have
their own ice-bound adventures, look no further than ARCTIC ACTION
For a real Arctic adventure, head
Norway, one of the key locations to have inspired the
north to the remote archipelago
Disney blockbuster.
of Svalbard. Highlights include
The best jumping-of point for a Norwegian adventure a family-friendly dog sledding
is the western city of Bergen. Weave through the experience, featuring specially
timbered alleyways of Bryggen, the city’s UNESCO World designed sleds for young
Heritage Site-listed harbour. Fans of the ilm might children. huskytravellers.com
recognise this colourful corner of the city — its picture-
perfect houses served as the inspiration for the kingdom MOOSE MEETINGS
IMAGES: GETTY; JOSEPHINE PRICE

of Arendelle. A scenic four-hour drive will take you to the Did you know that Norwegians
believe kissing a moose brings
village of Balestrand, where you’ll ind St Olaf’s Church,
happiness and good luck? At
whose interior was replicated for Elsa’s coronation.
Svartisen, you can get up close
And for the full Frozen experience, head to the and personal with Europe’s
northern wilderness of Saltjellet–Svartisen National largest land-living animal in
Park in the Arctic Circle, where the Oskal family invite the shadow of the Svartisen
guests into their homestead to learn about the Sami way Glacier. svartisenmoose.no
of life. Animal-lovers can also join reindeer herders for
the chance to meet a real-life Sven. JOSEPHINE PRICE

34 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
SMART TRAVELLER
Accra
Young, fun and full of
of Osu is the coolest
corner of the Ghanaian
LIKE A LOCAL
creative spirit, the district
capital. Here are some
of the neighbourhood’s
best hangouts
36 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Feasts & flavours
Many travellers to the Ghanaian capital
seek out the historic forts in and around
Jamestown, but head a little further east
and a more youthful side to the city reveals
itself. Spilling out either side of Oxford
Street, the neighbourhood of Osu has
become a magnet for up-and-coming fashion
designers, trendy eateries and boutiques.
Communal workspace-cafe KUKUN is a
prime example of Osu’s metamorphosis into
the city’s coolest quarter. The British owner
has added nods to her roots with bottles of
HP sauce set on the tables and a menu that
ofers full English breakfasts, porridge and
bacon baps. Accra’s hipsters come here for the
cofee and freshly made smoothies — and the
ater-work cocktails prove a popular choice,
too. The space is also a living gallery, with
artworks by locals for sale. kukun.co
For a taste of the region’s cuisine, be sure
to book a table at BUKA . This soul food
restaurant, renowned for its peppered snails
and Nana’s special goat soup, has been a
cornerstone of Accra’s food scene for more
than 15 years. It was founded by Audrey
Selormey in 2003 and serves up a menu of
dishes from Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Togo
and Nigeria. Don’t fancy the snails? Go for
another of the West African-inspired eats,
IMAGES: LOLA AKINMADE ÅKERSTRÖM
such as grilled tilapia, grilled guinea fowl or
fufu, a starchy, dough-like dish traditionally
made with cassava. bukarestaurant.com
Come evening, head down to the OSU
NIGHT MARKET spread along Basel Street.
The district was once home to the traditional
Ga ishing communities, and ishermen
from adjoining neighbourhoods still dish up
their daily catch of crab, oyster, octopus and
tilapia from wooden shacks.

INSIDER’S TIP
Arty types should make a
beeline for Gallery 1957 for
some of the biggest and best
contemporary exhibitions in
the city. gallery1957.com
Raise a glass
Ask anyone in Osu what their favourite
bar is and you’re likely to get one response:
BLOOM BAR . The venue opened last
year and has already proved a hit with
the Accrans, who flock here for classic
cocktails taken on the fairy light-strung
terrace. It’s the place to sip and be seen.
facebook.com/bloombargh
A favourite spot among the city slickers
is the more intimate FIREFLY lounge. It’s a
low-lit, date-night kind of hangout, but the
tempo is upped on Fridays and Saturday
nights when the tunes get everyone on
their feet. Swing by after 10pm to really get
your groove on.
Bring yourself back to life at the
glamorous COCO LOUNGE , a bright and
airy loft-style space dominated by Nana
Anoff sculptures and fetching feathery
chandeliers. As well as excellent juices,
the menu also includes European-style
all-day breakfast, juicy burgers, wood-fi red
pizzas and tempting cocktails. Thursday
is tequila night and live DJs perform
on Friday nights. yoloxperiences.com
EMMA THOMSON
CLOCKWISE FROM
TOP LEFT: Coco
Lounge; Kwame
Nkrumah Memorial
Park and Mausoleum;
Sunshine Salad Bar;
rice dish at Buka
SMART TRAVELLER
STEFANIA MANFREDA’S
top hangouts
SUNSHINE SALAD BAR
I love my salads and this cafe has
the largest selection in the city
— plus, the portions are huge.
It also serves wraps, sandwiches
and curries, but I usually go for
the Kung Fu Panda tofu salad
and a freshly made smoothie.
sunshinesaladbar.com
ASABEA’S KITCHEN
We Ghanaians are all brought up
on fufu, so to get my fi x I always
go here. It’s a clean, no-frills
hangout, the service is quick
(ideal for when I’m busy at the
shop) and the food is simple and
filling. If you want to eat local,
head here. Just off Troas Street,
near Bloom Bar
DUNCAN’S
With its rough yellow paint job
and tables and chairs scattered
outside, Duncan’s might not look
much, but we locals always visit
this chop bar because the fresh
grilled tilapia and banku are
spot on — and cheap. Asafoatse
Tempong Street
DJANGO BAR
This ‘plub’ — a pub that
morphs into a club — was set
up by Ghanaian rapper Reggie
Rockstone. Located behind the
Japanese embassy, it’s a blue-lit
Miami-style schmoozing spot,
but I particularly like their live
music and comedy evenings.
Osu Avenue Extension
TWIST
Open until 6am on weekends,
this club is where everyone ends
their evenings. The combination
of Afrobeat and hip-hop music
gets everyone on their feet.
Ndabaningi Sithole Road
Stefania Manfreda is the
founder of Lokko House, an
establishment that promotes and
cultivates Accra’s creative scene.
lokkohouse.com
December 2019 37
 pepper collection

Luxury hideaways in Lech am Arlberg, Austria

pepper-collection offers luxury accommodation options in Lech am Arlberg, in the heart of
the Austrian Alps. Each of the properties are unique, but all are united through an aspiration
for excellence on every level. The collection of unique hideaways includes the boutique ive-
star Hotel Aurelio Lech, the cosy Aurelio Club Chalet, the traditional Chalet Mimi and
the Arula Chalets. pepper-collection provides the ultimate in accommodation for groups
of up to 29 guests. And, thanks to the premier location of each property, it offers ski-in/ski-
out for unforgettable ski-days in the Arlberg region.

Let us plan your bespoke luxury getaway:

www.peppercollection.com | discover@peppercollection.com | +43 5583 2214

STAY AT HOME
The Gower
With dramatic landscapes, historic forts and ine local fare,
the Gower Peninsula is Wales at its rural, rugged best
Jutting out westward from the southern
Welsh coast, the Gower Peninsula covers
a mere 70sq miles, yet is home to some of
Europe’s most majestic stretches of coast.
Bays like the spectacular Three Clifs and the
alluring Rhossili draw surfers, bathers, hikers
and campers from far and wide. Back in 1956,
the Gower was designated the UK’s very irst
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It’s hard
to imagine it’s any less stunning today than it
was then. visitswanseabay.com
What to do
This is one of the country’s best spots for
coastal walking. While it’s possible to
traverse the entire shoreline as part of the
Wales Coast Path, hiking the full 43 miles
of the Gower Coast Path from Mumbles to
Penclawdd, the less ambitious can break
this down into an almost ininite number
of smaller walks, where clif paths, hidden
coves, shipwrecks and seabirds are among
the many highlights. The three-mile path
connecting Langland Bay and its neighbour
Caswell Bay is a great option for those
wanting a gentle introduction.
IMAGES: GETTY; ALAMY
Where to eat
Sat on the horseshoe-shaped bay of the
same name, the Oxwich Bay Hotel ofers
a scenic spot to fuel up. Take a pew in the
main restaurant (with sea views) or a table
SMART TRAVELLER
in the rustic Chestnut Room, and enjoy local
specials such as mussels, Welsh lamb and
Welsh cake trile. oxwichbayhotel.co.uk
Where to stay
The glorious King Arthur Hotel does a great
job of channelling the Gower experience,
whether through local ales, its surrounding
pastureland or its excellent restaurant, where
the local laverbread paired with cockles,
cheese and bacon is a must-try. Guests can
choose between en suite rooms or the self-
catering cottages within its courtyard. The
hotel is also a short walk from Arthur’s Stone
— a 5,000-year-old Neolithic burial tomb
located at the top of Cefn Bryn, the second-
highest point in the Gower. Rooms from £85, DON’T MISS
B&B. kingarthurhotel.co.uk
Mumbles, the pretty
We like
Suring. While Llangennith Bay is the poster seaside town with a
boy for suring in the Gower, Rhossili is Victorian pier, 25-year-
more sheltered, ofering great waves for
beginners, including children — the Gower
old lighthouse and 12th-
Activity Centre’s instructors will have you century Oystermouth
riding the waves in no time. Aterwards, get Castle, spruced up with
better acquainted with the bay’s tiny marine
inhabitants on a seashore safari, take in the addition of a 30ft-
the wooden skeleton of the wrecked ship high glass bridge that
Helvetia, then retire to the clifside Bay Bistro
for a well-deserved treat. thebaybistro.co.uk
offers breathtaking
goweractivitycentres.co.uk GLEN MUTEL views out to sea.
December 2019 39

FANTASTIC BEASTS
Animals
Acclaimed photojournalist Steve
McCurry turns his attention
to the complex relationship
animals have with humans and
the environment. These poetic,
often almost surreal images run
the gamut of camels caught in
the crossfi re of the Gulf War;
a Pakistani herder lovingly
tending to his goats; and a lone,
wild horse in Afghanistan.
This is a touching tribute to the
creatures who share our planet.
(Taschen, RRP: £50)
Acclaimed photographers highlight
the world’s vulnerable animals in
these new tomes
The Photo Ark: Vanishing
Now in its 15th year, Joel
Sartore’s Photo Ark aims to
document all the species in hu-
man care. Vanishing focuses on
endangered and extinct species,
from the Sumatran rhinoceros to
the Salt Creek tiger beetle. The
animals featured are destined
for extinction or extinct in the
wild, yet remain alive thanks to
the ongoing dedication of groups
committed to their survival. All
book proceeds fund Photo Ark.
(National Geographic, RRP: £25)
Remembering Lions
Produced through a Kickstarter
campaign, the fourth book in the
Remembering Wildlife series
features animal images donated
by more than 70 of the world’s
top wildlife photographers
including Marsel van Oosten,
Frans Lanting, Art Wolfe, Steve
Winter and Michael Poliza. The
book aims to highlight the plight
facing lions, with 100% of its
profits going to conservation
charities. (Remembering
Wildlife, RRP: £45)
SMART TRAVELLER
Fragile
“My goal is to raise awareness of
the beauty and dreadful fragility
of the natural world,” says
photographer Pedro Jarque
Krebs of his new photobook.
The result is a collection of
intimate images recall classical
portraiture. Like Sartore’s work,
all animals are set against a
black background, although
unlike Sartore, Krebs takes the
shots outside and later adds the
background. (teNeues, RRP: $65
[£50]) SARAH BARRELL
December 2019 41
 COMPETITION

Win
A SEVEN-NIGHT TRIP
FOR TWO TO TYROL
National Geographic Traveller (UK) has teamed up with VIP
SKI and its new slopeside boutique hotel, Hotel Arlberg, to
ofer one winner and a guest a trip to the Austrian Alps TO ENTER

Answer this question at

THE HOTEL
This season, specialist winter sports
company VIP SKI will throw open the
doors to its stylish new slopeside property,
Hotel Arlberg. Set in the 14th-century
mountain town of St Christoph am Arlberg,
this new boutique hotel represents rustic
Tyrolean style at its very best. In the
epicentre of Austria’s world-class Arlberg
ski region, Hotel Arlberg is located at a
height of 5,900t and stands next to the St
Christophbahn ski lit, which whisks skiers
up to the network of pistes. Situated just 3.7
miles from St Anton, St Christoph is one of
the highest resorts in the Alps.
THE PRIZE nationalgeographic.co.uk/
The winner and a guest will enjoy a seven- competitions
night trip to Tyrol, including return lights
from Gatwick and accommodation with IN WHICH TOWN IS HOTEL
chalet-board catering, courtesy of VIP SKI, ARLBERG LOCATED?
on the selected departure date of 12 April
2020. The winners will have access to all Competition closes 31 December. The
hotel facilities, as well as enjoy the lexible winner must be a resident of the UK or
menu with a choice of dishes for evening Ireland, aged 18 or over. Full T&Cs at
dining. The 19 spacious bedrooms and three nationalgeographic.co.uk/competitions
suites are spread over three loors, equipped
with en suite bathrooms and plenty of
creature comforts. Most also have a balcony,
providing spectacular views of the ski area
and surrounding peaks. vip-chalets.com

December 2019 43
EVENTS

THE M A STERC L A S S E S
AN EXPERT-LED DAY OF TRAVEL WRITING & PHOTOGRAPHY

Learn the
tricks of
the trade
CALLING ALL
BUDDING TRAVEL
WRITERS AND
PHOTOGRAPHERS

IMAGES: GETTY; SHUTTERSTOCK

NEW DATE
2 FEBRUARY
2020

44 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 EVENTS

Expedition photography
sponsored by National
Geographic Expeditions
Don’t miss our upcoming Travel
Geeks session, where our panel of
photographers and expeditionists
will share their fascinating stories
and ofer practical advice to inspire
an intrepid escape of your own.
Back for another year, The Masterclasses are the perfect We’ll be talking about what kit to
take, how to manage tricky terrain
opportunity for those keen to hear from the best travel writers and how best to take shots in the
and photographers in the business. In addition to the expert-led most challenging locations at this
sessions, we also have a limited number of one-on-one tutorials relaxed, ater-work get-together.
to give you bespoke advice on your work.
WHEN: 19 November, 18.00-20.00
WHERE: Wallacespace Clerkenwell,
18 Clerkenwell Green, London
EC1R 0DP
TH E S E S S I O N S TICKETS: £10, which includes a
drink and some nibbles
TRAVEL WRITING PHOTOGRAPHY
Whether it’s taking notes or making your Novice or pro, get tips straight from the
pitch stand out from the crowd, our team of top as our photographers and designers
award-winning journalists and editors will share their invaluable expertise. We’ll cover
be discussing all aspects of travel writing. everything from wildlife, portraiture and
We’ll also look at the future of travel writing landscapes to how to plan the perfect shoot
in the ever-changing digital age. out in the ield.

WHEN
One-on-one tutorials 2 February 2020,
There are also a limited number of
10.00-18.00
one-on-one tutorial sessions, giving you
the chance to receive some in-depth,
tailored feedback on your work. Leading WHERE
travel writers will help you improve University of Westminster,
your style, tone and narrative direction, Marylebone Road, London
while our photography tutorial partner,
NW1 5LS
Olympus, will be on hand to show you
how to get the most out of your camera.
Tickets £20. Visit the website for details. TICKETS
£50 or two for £90
SPONSORED BY
PHOTOGRAPHY TUTORIAL PARTNER

FOR MORE INFO AND TICKETS, HEAD TO NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/EVENTS

December 2019 45
Discover Pilsen –
the capital of beer
located just an hour
from Prague!

What you should add to your bucket list?

Pilsner Urquell brewery tour and beer tapping workshop

Beer spa and beer tasting in local microbreweries
Stroll in the historical centre of Pilsen
Fifth largest synagogue in the world
Interiors designed by famous architect Adolf Loos
Beautiful landscape in the surrounding Pilsen Region
Traditional Czech cuisine

Find out more at www.visitpilsen.eu


NOTES FROM AN AUTHOR // ELISABETH ÅSBRINK
War brought the Vikings and Nazis to the village of Blåvand. But it’s the sea,
sand, sky and a sense of the ininite that draws you back to this coastal spot
T
hough they might be very similar
to each other, the neighbouring
countries of Sweden and Denmark
are, at the same time, extremely diferent.
And, like all siblings, not only do they
cherish these diferences, but they build
entire identities around them. It’s no
coincidence that the Danish ilmmaker
Lars von Trier created one of his irst
masterpieces on precisely this cult of
diferences, the television series The
Kingdom. No Dane or Swede can ever
forget the Swedish protagonist standing
on a rootop in the Danish capital at night,
looking out to Sweden as lights glittered over
the dark waters of Øresund, and declaring:
“Here, Denmark. Shat out of chalk and water.
And there, Sweden. Hewn from granite.
Danish bastards! Danish bastards!”
Another famous Scandi television series,
The Bridge, even revolves around that physical
connection between the two countries.
As a Swede married to a Dane, I ind myself
looking at both countries as if I’m constantly
abroad, and over the years I have, together
with my husband, sought to identify the core
of the two quarrelling siblings’ self-image.
While Danes (falsely) believe that they’re
free, Swedes (equally falsely) believe that
they’re good. Nevertheless, it’s in Denmark
that I’ve found my favourite place on earth,
the closest part of Denmark to Great Britain.
It’s the country’s westernmost point, a small
village called Blåvand — its name meaning
‘blue water’.
It’s a very Danish name, being at once
descriptive and prosaic, so that it almost
becomes poetry. Like the Danish word for
‘skirt’, nederdel (literally, ‘for the lower part
of the body’), or the word for saucer, which
is underkop (‘under the cup’), the name
Blåvand describes what my favourite place
is all about. The sea. The sky. The sand. The
wind. The seals, always curious about us
ILLUSTRATION: JACQUI OAKLEY
their fellow bathers. The hugeness of it all. In
short, Blåvand is another word for ininity.
As von Trier concluded, while Sweden is
built on granite, Denmark stands on chalk.
Consequently, there are no mountains
in Denmark, hardly any hills, no rocks,
no climbing, but an awful lot of sand. In
Blåvand, and all along the west coast of
DENMARK
It’s about very simple things:
inding the narrow path
through the lyme grass,
climbing in the rippling sand,
or being out of the wind,
barefoot, knowing that soon,
in ive or six more steps, I’ll
reach the top of the dune
SMART TRAVELLER
Denmark, there are beaches with sand so
ine and white that it constantly relects the
daylight and requires sunglasses, even on a
cloudy day.
This all sounds trivial, almost as prosaic as
the Danish word for ‘saucer’, I agree. So, why
come here? I could quote tourist brochures
and write about Blåvand as the very place
where the Vikings set sail from before
invading England. Or I could tell of the ruins
of wartime bunkers that remain on the
beaches because Field Marshal Rommel and
his boss Adolf Hitler were convinced that
D-Day would take place here. Or mention the
villagers who keep lists of birdwatchers that
they check of every August. But my reasons
for coming here are not these. Not at all. It’s
about very simple things: inding the narrow
path through the lyme grass, climbing in
the rippling sand, or being out of the wind,
barefoot, knowing that soon, in ive or six
more steps, I’ll reach the top of the dune. It’s
about reaching the summit and being hit
by the wind and the view of a never-ending
horizon, sealing the sea with the sky. It’s
about walking down the other side of the
dune where there are no other footprints in
the sand, as they’ve all blown away. It’s about
laying down a blanket or a towel, taking out
a book and reading while hearing the distant
laughs of sandcastle-builders. It’s about
the sot rattle of sand moving in the wind;
thousands of millions of grains of ground-
down shells and limestone and granite and
crashed meteorites moving like hourglass
sand in the breeze. It’s about walking into the
North Sea and noticing that 20 metres away,
there’s a seal watching you like you’re the
animal in the zoo. And — inally — it’s about
the miraculous sense of childhood treasure
hunts, when a small piece of amber washes
up right beside you.
This is a place so vast that it’s
‘unphotographable’. No matter how many
cars there are in the car park, I always ind
myself alone with the sea, the sky, the sand,
the seals. In short, with ininity.
Elisabeth Åsbrink is an author and journalist based in
Stockholm and Copenhagen. Her latest book, Made in
Sweden: 25 Ideas That Created A Country, is
published by Scribe (£12.99). elisabethasbrink.se
December 2019 47
SMART TRAVELLER
MEET THE ADVENTURER
DANIEL RAVEN-ELLISON
In our new series, we meet record-breakers and boundary-pushers in
the world of travel. This time it’s a National Geographic Emerging Explorer
Tell us about your irst adventure
I was fortunate to have parents who gave me the freedom
to go on adventures, and I deinitely think that if I hadn’t
had that freedom, then I probably wouldn’t have the
explorer blood. I grew up in a military family, which
meant we travelled around the world, so I spent my youth
trying to catch snakes in places like the United Sates,
Zimbabwe and Kuwait.
What does adventure mean to you?
People oten think of adventure in terms of it being
about risking your life. But actually, for me, adventure is
more about the risk of discovery. You might ind a cave
that you wouldn’t otherwise have found, discover an
animal that you wouldn’t otherwise have seen or learn
something about yourself that you didn’t know before.
To me, adventure is about risk-taking.
If you were able to change one thing in the world
of travel, what would it be?
It should always be cheapest to travel in the most
environmentally friendly way — for example, trains
should always be cheaper than planes to the same
destination. If you want to get a boat across the Atlantic
rather than getting a plane, that should be cheaper too.
The people lying should subsidise the people who
spend two weeks getting to a destination on a boat, and
those willing to get the train should be subsidised by the
people who are lying.
48 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Who’s the most interesting person you’ve met?
My son. I ind him absolutely fascinating and inspiring.
When he was 10, we did a project where we went on 125
microadventures across the UK doing everything from
wild camping and snorkelling in rivers to riding really
fast zip-lines and jumping of waterfalls.
What’s the best bit of advice anyone has ever
given you?
There’s some indigenous wisdom that says the decisions
we make today should be considerate of those who will
be alive ive generations from now. I think that’s a great
bit of advice for everybody: this idea that our present
lives and how we behave now not only impacts us and
those around us, but also those who will inherit the land
in ive generations’ time. There’s not enough of that kind
of thinking going on at the moment.
What’s your favourite piece of kit, and why?
A really good, really large map. A map is crucial to
inding your way when you’re on an adventure, but for me
maps are things of dreams. I’ll spend a long time looking
at maps before I go on adventures.
Do you collect anything while travelling?
Ideas — I quite oten go on adventures on my own and
have a lot of time to relect on the world around me
and how I think about it. So I collect ideas, which oten
become seeds for the next adventure.
What are you working on at the moment?
I started a campaign six years ago to make London the
world’s irst National Park City, collaborating with lots
of people. The London National Park City launched in
July and there are now similar campaigns starting in
other cities around the world. People don’t oten think
about cities as places where they can go on big walks and
hikes and have real adventures, but take London — a
city of nearly 10 million people speaking 300 languages
with around 15,000 species of wildlife. All this makes it
one of the most biologically diverse regions in the UK.
To me, walking through a city is exciting, incredibly
rewarding really easy and actually really easy. What’s
more is that it also allows you to experience its diversity.
As an explorer, of course I love deserts and rainforests,
but I also love hiking across cities such as London or
Manchester or Amsterdam or Paris just as much — it’s
just diferent. nationalparkcity.london
Dan is a guerrilla geographer and National Geographic
Emerging Explorer.
ravenellison.com
@danravenellison
Tailor-made Travel to
Ecuador and ecuador revealed

the Galapagos
from Revealed Travel

THE GALAPAGOS

ANDES OTAVALO QUITO AMAZON CUENCA

Also from Revealed Travel:

.co.uk
southamericarevealed

ecuadorrevealed.co.uk
d.co.uk
centralamericareveale
.co.uk
southeastasiarevealed
TEL: 01932 424252
enquiries@revealedtravel.co.uk
ONLINE
W H AT ’ S O N L I N E
B I S T R O C U LT U R E
IN MILAN
Chefs in Italy’s fashion
capital are turning their
backs on traditional
trattorias and Michelin
stars to offer something
completely different
Words: Jaclyn DeGiorgio
N E W ON
TH E S ITE
Here’s what you can look
forward to on the website
this month
50 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
I crack the golden creme brulee shell with
my spoon and scoop out a dollop of baba
ganoush to spread across a disc of sesame-
lecked latbread. I pile on grilled green
pepper, blueberry-marinated spring onion
and fennel yoghurt before inally tucking
in. Whimsical and delicious, the ive-course
tasting menu at Altatto Bistrot embodies
the direction Milan’s restaurant scene is
taking. The city is teetering on the edge of
the bistronomy movement that swept Paris
in the Noughties.
Trattorias are to the Italians what bistros
are to the French: small, informal restaurants
serving simple food at low cost. Yet, at this
new breed of trattoria, chefs are ofering
smarter, more creative dining than their
forebears, in a more approachable setting
than their Michelin-starred peers.
NO-FLY UK
Ski getaways by train What to eat in Newcastle
As part of our no-ly cover story Here’s what’s on the menu across
we look into how you can hit the the intriguing culinary destination
slopes without stepping on a plane in the North East
Over the past year, restaurants with this
bistronomic sensibility have been cropping
up in Milan, with their telltale bare tabletops,
contemporary design, natural wines, solid
cooking and innovative, lavourful menus.
All at a reasonable price. The trend kicked of
in Milan with the arrival of Pietro Caroli and
Diego Rossi’s Trippa, a game-changing ‘neo-
trattoria’ that opened in 2015.
With mustard-yellow walls, vintage
furniture and wood tabletops, Trippa
redeined the trattoria, with chef Diego
Rossi’s bold, no-frills cooking leaning
towards less-fashionable ingredients, such as
donkey meat. Four years later, a reservation
here is still one of Milan’s most elusive.
GO ONLINE TO READ MORE AT
NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/TRAVEL
KIT LIST
What to take on a trip with a
baby in tow
The perfect kit list for travelling
with a baby for the irst time
 ONLINE

B E YO N D T H E
DAY TRIPS FROM LAS VEGAS T R AV EL S EC T I O N

Heading to Sin City? Discover more of Nevada with these alternatives to the
hustle and bustle of the famous Strip. Words: Angela Locatelli

The undisputed epitome of American
extravagance, Las Vegas is a glitzy magnet
for travellers looking for round-the-clock
entertainment, world-renowned ine dining
and high-end shopping. But what happens
in Vegas doesn’t only have to happen in
Vegas: stray from the Strip and you’ll ind
a wealth of landscapes and relaxed days
out. Day-trippers who venture beyond the
neon-soaked streets will ind themselves
taking in adrenalin-pumping views from
canyon rims; craning their necks to admire
soaring great dams; strolling around
hipster neighbourhoods; or exploring the
otherworldly charm of the Mojave Desert.
READ THE FULL GUIDE ONLINE NOW

| EN V I RO N M EN T |

Photo story: forest bathing

These ive places are perfect for
practising the Japanese art of
being at one with the woods.

| H I S TO RY |

Why does Amelia Earhart still

fascinate us?
The missing aviator embraced
the modern world—in
IMAGES: DEBORA MANCA; AWL IMAGES; GETTY

technology, women’s rights,

and celebrity culture.

| ANIM ALS |

World’s fastest ants found

racing across the Sahara
Silver ants can run their body
length in less than a hundredth of a
second—the equivalent of a
human running 400 miles an hour.

S E A RC H F O R
N ATG E OT R AV E LU K

FAC E B O O K
I N S TAG R A M
T WITTER

ITALY FOOD PHILANTHROPIC TRAVEL PINTEREST

Ski safari Meet the maker: For the greater good
Venturing across the Dolomites Manchester Gin Now we’re all acutely aware of the
on a gourmet escape to discover We speak to the distillers whose need to protect the planet,
the region’s culture and history love blossomed over booze today’s travel is about giving back

December 2019 51
 Weekender
MONTENEGRO
The Balkan country may be tiny but it offers huge scope for visitors
— with beautiful Adriatic beaches, dramatic mountains and villages
bearing historical marks of Roman, Venetian and Byzantine
invaders. Words: Jo Fletcher-Cross

W
hile still not exactly mainstream, Montenegro
certainly isn’t under the radar — the tiny
Balkan country is popular with yacht owners
and moneyed Russians seeking sunshine. Between the
mountains and pretty coastline are eminently walkable
walled towns and fortresses, along with upmarket hotels,
and places to moor all those yachts. The high-end marina
Porto Montenegro, in Tivat, for example, opened in 2016,
touted as the ‘new Monaco’, ofering plenty of boutiques,
restaurants and bars to satisfy the wealthy clientele. But
Montenegro is far more than just another Med hotspot
for the super rich; its Adriatic beaches are remarkably
beautiful, its mountains the very deinition of dramatic,
while the Mediterranean climate is as welcoming and
its towns are packed with historic sights. It’s a place
where hot aternoons disappear in friendly bars, and
restaurants excel themselves with menus of fresh, local
seafood and familiar, Italian-inluenced dishes.
The opening next year of One&Only Portonovi — the
high-end hotel group’s irst European property — in the
Bay of Kotor, in the country’s south west, will doubtless
bring more attention to Montenegro. But go also to enjoy
the country’s natural pleasures: boating on reed-lined
freshwater lakes; buying homemade honey in local
markets; and marvelling at Kotor’s collection of UNESCO
World Heritage Site-listed churches.

52 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

DAY ONE BUDVA & SVETI STEFAN
MORNING
Founded in the ith century BC,
Budva is the oldest city on the
Montenegrin coast, shaped by
Roman, Venetian and Byzantine
invaders. Its best known for its
medieval city wall. The walk along
the boardwalk to Stari Grad (Old
Town) — passing bobbing boats
and stalls selling the catch of the
day — is the perfect way to start
the day. Stari Grad’s cobbled
alleys are dotted with beautiful
squares and chruches. Enter the
Citadel, which dates from the
19th-century Austrian occupation,
and climb to the highest point for
sea views at Citadela restaurant.
Don’t miss the library, lined with
red leather armchairs and books
on the region, international
leaders and historic conlicts.
AFTERNOON
IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; GETTY
From Stari Grad, take a 15-minute
stroll along the coastal path to
Mogren Beach (actually two
beaches, connected by a small
tunnel). The further beach is a
little quieter and the golden sand,
gently sloping into the Adriatic,
just that bit nicer. Sun loungers are
pricey but not compulsory
— you can just sit on the sand. A
bit further along the coast, at a
clif known as Shark’s Rock,
brave souls leap 40t into the
sea below. Grab something for
lunch at the snack bars here, or
back at the Old Town; Stari Grad
Restaurant, which sits between
the city walls and the beach,
serves excellent seafood and
local wine.
EVENING
Located on an islet a few
miles from Budva, Sveti
Stefan is a jumble of honey-
coloured medieval stone villas
connected to the mainland by
a causeway. Part of the Aman
Sveti Stefan hotel, it can only be
accessed by guests, although
tables on the terrace can be
booked by non-residents.
Exceptional Montenegrin wine
is served alongside dishes made
with local produce, such as
burrata cheese and prawns. Time
dinner as the light fades over
the mountains and the sea, and
the lights of Budva twinkle away
across the bay.
TOP 5
Active
adventures
CLIMB BOBOTOV KUK
The highest peak in
Durmitor National Park,
at 8,284ft, Bobotov Kuk
is a challenging hike — but
not ridiculously so. Parts of
the climb involve scrambling
up loose stones, and then
using ropes to balance on
rocky ledges.
RAFTING ON THE
TARA RIVER
Snaking through the world’s
second-longest canyon, the
Tara River offers both calm
stretches and thrilling rapids
to enjoy. The water is clear
and drinkable, with plenty of
(cold) swimming spots.
SKIING IN KOLASIN
With more than 80% of
the country covered in
mountains, it’s no surprise
that in winter, Montenegro
has plenty to offer
snowsports enthusiasts.
Ski resort Kolašin 1450, on
Bjelasica mountain, has 15
miles of slopes at altitudes
of between 4,760ft and
16,470ft. kolasin1450.com
ZIP-LINE ACROSS
TARA CANYON
This canyon is said to have
the longest zip-line in
Europe at 1,050 metres.
Riders zoom over the ravine
at up to 75mph. There are
two other zip-lines at the
nearby Đurđevića Tara
Bridge, the shortest of which,
Red Rock, offers the most
spectacular views.
TANDEM PARAGLIDING
FROM BRAJICI
This is a popular spot
for tandem paragliding.
Launching from the mountain
village of Brajići, 2,590ft
above sea level, offers
vistas of Budva and its
fortress, beautiful Becici
Beach, the red roofs of Sveti
Stefan, and far out across
the turquoise waters of the
Adriatic Sea.
FROM LEFT: View from
Njegoš Mausoleum,
Lovćen National Park;
Old Town Budva
December 2019 53
 HercegPearl of Montenegro
Novi,

Montenegro’s coastal town of Herceg Novi, with its stunning landscapes, cultural and
historical heritage, gastronomy and hospitality, is one of the most desirable tourist spots
in the Mediterranean.
Visitors can take part in a range of activities in and around Herceg Novi — there’s everything
from sunbathing, swimming, kayaking, diving and sailing to walking, hiking and biking.
Herceg Novi has more than 200 sunny days a year yet is also an ideal spot for a winter
getaway. Just half an hour’s drive from Dubrovnik and Tivat airports, it’s the ideal base for
exploring the nearby Bay of Kotor as well as the whole of Montenegro.
www.hercegnovi.travel | info@hercegnovi.travel | +38 2670 99942

Lake Skadar National Park
DAY TWO VIRPAZAR & LAKE SK ADAR
MORNING
Lake Skadar is an enormous
freshwater lake straddling the
border of Montenegro and
Albania. There’s a train station
about a mile from the main town,
Virpazar (taxis can be arranged),
with the line running from the
coastal town of Bar to Podgorica,
the capital. Trains are rather
rickety and not especially reliable,
but they’re very cheap. Virpazar
has a few small hotels and there
are a fair amount of private rooms
to rent. Take a wander around the
little town to see the impressive
monument commemorating the
communist uprising against the
Italian fascists in July 1941. There’s
a weekly market, which gave the
IMAGES: GETTY
village its name (Virpazar means
‘lively market’) every Friday,
selling vegetables, wine, honey
and other local produce.
AFTERNOON
The best way to see Lake Skadar
is by taking a boat trip. Several
companies ofer cruises of
varying durations in traditional
Montenegrin wooden lake boats.
Kingisher ofers a two-hour
trip that heads out towards the
distant mountains of Albania,
sailing past a fortress built to
protect against the Turks 300
years ago. Swallows skim over the
water as the boat edges through
a small channel, brushing against
reeds. Once out on the open
water, it’s possible to spot over
281 bird species, including the
dinosaur-like Dalmatian pelican.
The boat stops in a quiet spot,
surrounded by karst outcrops
sprouting pine trees, ofering
the possibility of a chilly swim
for brave souls willing to take
the plunge.
EVENING
There aren’t a huge number of
places to eat in tiny Virpizar, and
the menus are all broadly similar.
Restaurant Silistria is probably the
most fun. Set in a replica of the
wooden boat given to King Nikola
by the Turks in the 19th century,
it’s permanently moored just of
the main square. It serves grilled
meat and lake ish, including carp
and the endemic bleak. Ater an
evening on the boat, stop of for
a drink at one of the bars on the
square. The village has several
small hotels, as well as private
apartments such as Draga’s
Rooms. Located a few minutes’
walk from the main street, it ofers
cheap accommodation, a lake-
view terrace and a warm welcome
from Draga herself. Take earplugs:
the frogs around the lake strike up
a chorus at night.
WEEKENDER
BUDVA’S BEST
Beaches
FOR ISLAND ESCAPES:
Sveti Nikola — dubbed
‘Hawaii’ by locals — is a
large, tree-covered island a
short boat ride from Budva.
The rocky beaches can be
crowded, so hire a kayak and
head to a quiet cove on the
far side of the island, where
deers and birds are abundant.
FOR EXCLUSIVITY:
Aman Resort guests have
exclusive access to a beach
on the island, as well as the
cedar and pine-clad King’s
Beach, in front of Villa
Milocer (the former summer
residence of Queen Maria
of Yugoslavia) and nearby
Queen’s Beach. aman.com
FOR A PARTY
ATMOSPHERE:
Hire a taxi boat from Budva
out to Ploce beach. This
pebbly spot with rocky
outcrops has little pools set
into sunbathing terraces. It’s
a family-friendly spot that
transforms at night with foam
parties and discos.
December 2019 55
WEEKENDER
DAY THREE KOTOR
MORNING
Wake up in the morning to the
bells ringing from one of Kotor’s
many churches. The Old Town
was painstakingly restored to
its former glory ater sufering
severe damage in an earthquake
in 1979. It’s a particularly peaceful
place to be early in the day,
before the crowds arrive. In the
gentle morning sun it’s quiet
and easygoing, with little cafes
tucked into courtyards to discover
for breakfast. Kotor has been
ruled by Romans, Venetians and
Austrians, and they’ve all let their
mark. Wandering the labyrinthine
streets is rewarding, with plenty
of squares lined with elegant
buildings. Seek out the Cathedral
of Saint Tryphon, a medieval
Catholic structure built in 1166 on
the foundations of a ninth-century
church, although parts of it have
been rebuilt several times since.
56 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
AFTERNOON
The best views are to be found
at the top of Kotor’s city walls:
those views need to be earned,
though. The battlements zigzag
their way up the mountain,
which rise up above the Bay of
Kotor — there are 1,350 steps up
to the fortress at the very top.
Work on the walls was started by
the Venetians in 1420 but wasn’t
completed until 400 years later.
Bring water: there’s nowhere to
buy it up there, and the climb can
be very hot. Ater descending, it’s
time for a cold beer — Old Town
Pub is a friendly place to stop. A
little less energy is required for a
visit to Kotor Cats Museum. This
whimsical little venue celebrates
the town’s favourite animal with
two rooms full of cat-related
artefacts, from magazine covers
to photos of old-school movie
stars with their feline friends.
THE TARA RIVER CANYON
Located in the north west, this
is the second-longest canyon
in the world, after the Grand
Canyon. At 984ft deep, it’s one
of the best rafting spots on the
planet, with lots of cascades
and rapids.
FROM LEFT: Old
Town Kotor; Tara
River Canyon
MORE INFO
One&Only Portonovi.
EVENING oneandonlyresorts.com
Citadela.
Kotor doesn’t have a wild
citadelabudva.me
nightlife, but there are plenty
Stari Grad Restaurant.
of great bars to enjoy. Bokun konobastarigrad.me
Wine Bar is a cool spot, ofering Kingisher.
an interesting selection of skadarlakeboatcruise.com
local wines as well as plates of Draga’s Rooms.
cheese and charcuterie, with dragas-rooms.virpazar.
live music at weekends. Cafe hotels-me.net
Restaurant Pržun.
Bandiera has both live music
przun.me
and a lively atmosphere, as
Maximus. facebook.com/
well as good, cheap beer. Eat maximuskotor
at Restaurant Pržun, located in
an attractive cobbled square. HOW TO DO IT
It has good local seafood and Numerous airlines have
friendly staf. It’s tempting to direct lights from
spend the whole evening here as London to Dubrovnik (in
it’s a bit quieter than the buzzy neighbouring Croatia).
From here, it takes two
streets surrounding it, but if
hours to drive to Kotor;
something livelier is required
three to Budva. Allow
head to Maximus. This cavernous time for border crossings.
IMAGES: GETTY
nightclub — the biggest in Rooms at Aman Sveti
Montenegro — attracts big- Stefan start at €608 (£525)
name DJs and ofers a variety of aman.com. More info:
diferent spaces. visit-montenegro.com
 Enjoy a truly memorable experience
in a setting steeped in history

IBEROSTAR HERITAGE GRAND PERAST

Perast, Marka Martinovica

Discover a five star hotel boasting a wealth of history nestling on the Bay of Kotor, a UNESCO
World Heritage Site that combines a prime location on the shores of the Adriatic with a rich
heritage. The Iberostar Perast, housed in the town’s largest palace dating back to the 16th
century, stands opposite the islands of Sveti Dorde, home to a 12th century Benedictine
monastery, and Gospa od Škrpjela, the only artificial island in the Adriatic.

Featuring a luxury avant-garde décor and offering matchless sea views, facilities at the hotel
include an exclusive indoor spa, private jetties and rooms that are rich in character. Enjoy the
finest local gastronomy and all the flavours of the Balkans. Discover an unforgettable
experience in an intimate setting.

IberostarHotels Iberostar  Iberostar_eng

iberostar.com | 08006781658
 Eat
WEXFORD
The southeastern county is poised to become one of Ireland’s
rising foodie stars, thanks to local producers passionate about
reconnecting with its land and recipes. Words: Pól Ó Conghaile
“A
re ye ready to go gallivanting?”
With cherry-red hair and a smile
that means business, Lorraine
O’Dwyer throws open the door to her VW
Transporter. Inside, cosy rugs line the seats.
A wooden crate is crammed with local apple
juice, chocolate bars, crackers and other
nibbles. They’re tasters from some of the
local producers we’re about to meet, she says,
kicking of a journey from the market town
of Enniscorthy through the rolling farmland
of County Wexford.
“Food, for me, tells the story of history,”
Lorraine explains. She calls herself a
seanchaí — an Irish word for storyteller
— and her Gallivanting Tours take both
folklore and foodie prompts from the
county’s rolling hills, fertile river valleys
and extensive coastline. Hidden behind the
hedgerows we pass are fruit farms popping
with summer berries, ields full of potatoes
and meadows glowing with barley, which
Lorraine says are “destined for Jameson
or Guinness”. I spot the husk of an ancient
abbey outside the town of Ferns, and get a
sense of Wexford’s surprisingly rich history
58 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
through the stories and character sketches
Lorraine weaves along the way.
“I have a theory that chowder was invented
in Wexford,” she muses at one point,
combining the French chaudron (‘cauldron’)
— a ish pot that would have come over on
the ships of Norman settlers — with Celtic
and Irish dairy traditions. “I think it was a
melding of the two cultures. We added the
cream to the ish stew they were cooking on
their ships.” From there, she traces a path
to Boston, the home of New England clam
chowder, via Wexford emigrants. “I think it’s
a pretty good theory.”
There’s a glint in her eye as we rumble down
a lane towards our irst stop, Last Tree Farm.
Moments later, there’s a satisfying snap as I
bite into a bar of Bean and Goose chocolate
IMAGE: DIGICOL PHOTOGRAPHY
studded with roasted almonds. The initial
buttery rush comes with a ping of Irish sea
salt; as the nuts crunch, the textures meld
together with a surprisingly fruity oomph.
The design catches my eye, too — rather than
traditional squares, the chocolate is moulded
into a swirling topography designed to relect
the rolling hills around this rural idyll.
FROM LEFT: Prawn dish
at Reeds restaurant,
Ferrycarrig Hotel; dinner
al fresco at Hook Head

December 2019 59

“You can’t grow chocolate in Ireland, but
it’s a great place for making it,” says Karen
Keane, co-founder of Bean and Goose.
She walks me through the country house
where she and her sister Natalie produce
some of Ireland’s most luxurious chocolate.
A few steps down the hallway, and a
seductive whif is already wrapping me
up like a warm blanket. We’re here for a
crash-course workshop in ‘trule-rolling’
and ‘ganache-infusing’, during which I learn
how the brand’s single-origin chocolate
is married with lavours like rosemary
and mint from the garden, or seasonal
ingredients like elderlower and summer
berries. Natalie tells me that in the past, the
sisters had trouble inding an Irish chocolate
“that connected with us in terms of how
we’d like to eat it, make it and package it”
— so now they make it themselves.
Mention Ireland’s sunny southeast and
artisan eats like Bean and Goose might
not immediately spring to mind. Like
many, my sense of Wexford is rooted in
childhood holidays; in memories of long,
sandy beaches (the D-Day landing scenes for
Saving Private Ryan were ilmed at Curracloe);
and in heritage hits like the 800-year-old
Hook Lighthouse. But food? Sure, I remember
roadside strawberry huts, loury potatoes and
my father’s nods of approval when ish came
from the harbour village of Kilmore Quay, but
The Duck, Marlield House
RIGHT: Salad at The Duck,
Marlield House
this coastal county has never stood out in my
mind as a foodie destination.
Now, though, that’s changing. The Emerald
Isle is undergoing a food revolution, driven by
a new wave of restaurateurs and chefs, a fresh
appreciation of its produce and a savvy food-
tourism drive. Wexford was a slow-starter,
but it’s quickly going through the gears. Cases
in point: torched Kilmore cod with celeriac
puree, brandade and wild mushroom dashi
appearing on the menu at La Côte in Wexford
town; the harvest moon ish and chip suppers
served at Hook Lighthouse; and Aldridge
Lodge guesthouse and restaurant, which
holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
Earlier this year, I took another drive
around the county, making a stop at
Dunbrody House Hotel, an elegant country
house run by celebrity chef Kevin Dundon
and his wife Catherine. Dunbrody is well
known for its ine dining and cookery classes,
but what’s fascinating is how the couple have
grown their ofering to include a gastropub
and Sunday market, both ticking over with
food made by, and for, locals. “It’s like a fourth
child, the one that never grows up,” was how
Catherine described the business.
For a long time, it felt as though excellence
like theirs succeeded in isolation — but
Wexford’s foodie dots are inally joining up.
“We have a very strange approach
to business,” said Pat Hanley, another
EAT
A TASTE OF
Wexford
ALDRIDGE LODGE, DUNCANNON
Blink and you’ll miss it. Billy
Whitty and Joanne Harding’s
guesthouse is home to some
of Ireland’s best-value dining
— a three-course dinner at the
Michelin Bib Gourmand hideaway
costs as little as a main course in
many city eateries. Billy cooks
up a storm using local seafood,
lamb and beef; think grilled
Hook Head lobster, or pan-fried
illets of Kilmore Quay monkish
served with samphire, wild herbs
and tomato and fennel cream.
Tasting menu from €38 (£32.90).
aldridgelodge.com
THE DUCK, MARLFIELD HOUSE
Restored courtyard buildings,
including a coach house and
gardener’s tool shed, have
morphed into a mouth-watering
rest stop at this country retreat.
Pull of the motorway near Gorey
for a sophisticated mix of seasonal
ingredients served in a rustic-chic
setting. Menu options include
Slaney Valley lamb rump with
roast veg and wild garlic, a range
of locally sourced ish and Irish
artisan cheeses. Mains from €11
(£9.50). marlfieldhouse.com
SALTEE CHIPPER, KILMORE QUAY
Super-low sea-to-fork miles are
the name of the game at this
Wexford institution, a chip shop
that serves up treats like beer-
battered illets of freshly landed
catch and monkish nuggets that
are crispy on the outside and
succulent within. Kilmore Quay is
a byword for pristine seafood in
Ireland, so see it as going straight
to the source. From around €7 (£6).
facebook.com/thelittlesaltee
December 2019 61
EAT

Five Wexford
food finds…
STRAWBERRIES
Roadside huts selling strawberries
in the summer are synonymous
with Wexford. Abundant sunshine
— more than the national average,
anyway — and a history of sot
fruit farming leads to sweet, juicy
and unbeatable strawberries.
MACAMORE BUFFALO
Water bufalo in Ireland? Yep, you
read that right. Keep an eye out
for grass-fed, low-fat steaks and
burgers from Liam and Sinead
Byrne’s Macamore Bufalo farm,
which feature on a growing
number of local restaurant
menus. macamorebufalo.ie
restaurateur I met on my travels. Pat and his
wife Aileen took over The Strand Cahore,
a seaside pub at Cahore Point, last year.
“It would be easy to serve baskets of chicken
and chips and ill the place in summer,” he
said, gesturing at the coastline. “But people
aren’t going to drive down from Dublin in
November for a basket of chicken and chips.”
Quite. What I’d driven here for was a
bufalo burger from the nearby Macamore
Bufalo farm; as we chatted, Aileen brought
out a burger lathered in melted cheddar,
cubes of O’Neill’s bacon and sweet bacon jam.
The Strand’s menu is dotted with ingredients
from local and Irish producers, like wood-
ired pizzas oozing with Toons Bridge Fior di
Latte, and Kilmore Quay prawns and smokies.
The more I travel around Wexford, the
more my bags ill up, bulging with all sorts
of inds: bottles of Sadie’s Cordial and juice
from Ballycross Apple Farm; pots of Killowen
Farm yoghurt; jars of Wexford Home
Preserves; honey from Carne; and strawberry
punnets from Greens Berry Farm.
Back on our food and folklore tour,
Lorraine jokes about Wexford’s small
size. “You know the idea of six degrees of
separation? It’s only three degrees here; you
have to be careful who you meet at the disco.”
Chef Kevin Dundon
plating up at Dunbrody
House Hotel
LEFT: Wexford
strawberries
But that closeness, as well as the tight links
between farmers, ishermen and forks, means
Wexford’s food story is quickly starting to gel.
Of course, there’s still a way to go.
“There’s a big disconnect going on around
food,” says Mary Regan, an organic poultry
farmer whose ields mark the inal stop
on our tour. As she takes me from barns
hopping with bright yellow chicks to bigger
birds pecking on free-roam pastures, she
talks passionately about broken connections
between the production and consumption of
food. She tells me about a childhood spent at
her father’s boots — “Whenever Daddy was
going to the farm, I’d be going with him”
— and her decision as an adult to steer her
land into organic production. The walk is
another little window into Wexford, and it
ends with lunch in a converted outbuilding.
It’s nothing fancy: slices of chicken, loury
potatoes, fresh leaves, beetroot, tomato and a
hard-boiled egg, all from the farm. I’ve never
eaten a meal with so few food miles.
Gallivanting Tours’ day trips start at €170 (£147)
per person. A two-night Gourmet Escape at
Ferrycarrig Hotel with dinner starts at €300 (£260)
for two. gallivantingtours.ie ferrycarrighotel.ie
tastewexford.ie visitwexford.ie

RISSOLES
What could be better than chips?
Chips mashed with oil, herbs and
cooked in batter or breadcrumbs,
of course. Everyone in Wexford
knows what rissoles are.
Few outside it do.

CHOCOLATE
A burgeoning bean-to-bar scene
includes single-origin treats from
Bean and Goose, and a mix of
Belgian artisan chocolate with
Irish butter and cream from
Zaeire. beanandgoose.com
zaeire.com
IMAGE: PÓL Ó CONGHAILE

BEER
You’ll need something to wash
down all that Wexford grub. Try
a Clever Man turf-smoked stout
from Drew Fox Brewing or a Citra
pale ale from YellowBelly Beer.
cleverman.ie yellowbellybeer.ie

62 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Let us take you on a life changing experience.
 Neighbourhood
MOSCOW
Change has come to Russia’s sprawling metropolis. Today, the capital’s
neighbourhoods are shaped by a web of new cycle paths, boutique
hangouts and eco-friendly farm shops. Words: Marc Bennetts

Does anyone still believe the old, tired stereotypes about Moscow? The city has
altered almost beyond recognition in the past decade. Ater the stunning PR
success that was Russia’s hosting of the 2018 World Cup, few visitors arrive
expecting surly Soviet-style service, inedible food and unsmiling locals. These
days, there are dozens of welcoming cafes and energetic bars, with locally brewed
crat beer on tap. Moscow has also embraced digital technologies and was
recently ranked the world’s third-best city for public wi-i access. Even the way
people get around has changed: not so long ago, the sight of cyclists on the city’s
IMAGE: CELIA TOPPING

busy streets was as rare as a winter day without snow. Today, thanks to new cycle
paths, bicycles and kick scooters are just another part of a rapidly changing
landscape. But despite all this, the timeless essence of Moscow lives on in the
picturesque back streets that wind through its oldest neighbourhoods.

December 2019 65
NEIGHBOURHOOD

Old Arbat
It’s an autumn evening, and the sound of
jazz can be heard loating from a courtyard
just of the Old Arbat, a pedestrianised
street famous throughout Russia for its
theatres and Tsarist-era architecture.
Stepping through a metal gate leading
to the courtyard, I am greeted with the
following scene: about two dozen people
sitting on benches dotted around a children’s
playground, food and bottles of wine laid
out on a nearby table. The music is being
performed by Sergey Manukyan, a well-
known local musician, who sits hunched
over an electronic keyboard. Laughing
children run between the adults.
“In our courtyard, we used to hold
celebrations on state holidays — Victory
Day, City Day and so on,” says Katya Osina, a
local artist, who’s lived in the area for three
decades. “We’ve now revived this tradition
to celebrate the start of autumn and spring. I
really like this informal atmosphere.”
Once the home of some of Russia’s most
celebrated writers, from Tolstoy to Pushkin,
PREVIOUS PAGE: Tourist boat on Moskva River
the country’s 19th-century national poet, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Old Arbat Street;
the Old Arbat remains popular with creative Zaryadye Park; Alenka chocolate bars for sale at
types. It’s not uncommon to see some of the Red October ; souvenir shop on Old Arbat Street
country’s most famous actors wandering its
quiet back streets, which are perfect for long,
meandering walks in snow or sunshine.
Russians say that if the Kremlin is the
heart of Moscow, then the Old Arbat is
its soul. Admittedly, that soul has been
tarnished somewhat by the cheap souvenir
shops on the Old Arbat itself. Avoiding the
tacky Putin T-shirts and badly produced
matryoshka dolls, I make my way to
LavkaLavka, a farm produce shop and cafe
tucked away in a nearby side street. One
of a chain of outlets dotted across the city,
this eco-friendly venture somehow avoids
falling into the trap of feeling like a chain:
each branch has its own distinct character. I
order a bowl of illing, bright red borscht that
comes with slices of homemade black bread.
I also grab a jar of kvashenaya kapusta, a kind
of sauerkraut, and some Russian cheeses.
Since the Kremlin barred Western food
imports in 2014, Russia’s domestic dairy
industry has come on impressively: the
‘camembert’ I purchase isn’t quite as good
as the real thing, but it’s getting there. A few
steps away from the cafe, local poets recite
the classics, as well as their own works, next
to a statue of Bulat Okudzhava. The late
Soviet-era dissident singer lived here in the
1960s and immortalised the Old Arbat in song.
This centuries-old district has changed a lot
since Okudzhava’s heyday, but I like to think
he’d still feel at home.

66 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

Pokrovka
A mile-long bustling street a short walk
from the Kremlin, Pokrovka lacks bona-
ide sights, but more than makes up for it
with a buzzing atmosphere and some of
Moscow’s best cafes and bars. Kitayskiy
Letchik Dzhao Da, named ater a semi-
mythical Chinese pilot dreamt up by the
cafe’s owners in the 1990s, puts on raucous
live gigs, while Propaganda, a legendary
nightclub, is where Muscovites have been
dancing to electronic music since just ater
the collapse of the Soviet Union. A new
favourite hangout — weather-permitting
— is ‘the Pit’, an amphitheatre built around a
surviving fragment of the city’s 16th-century
walls on nearby Khokhlovsky Square, as part
of Moscow’s ongoing urban regeneration
eforts. There’s no oicial entertainment, but
the Pit’s visitors are more than capable of
keeping themselves amused.
When I visit, the chatter of scores of
IMAGES: CELIA TOPPING; GETTY
conversations — about politics, love, and
everything in between — almost drown out
the sound of passing traic. Russian rock
blares from portable speakers. “A place
like this is such a rarity for Moscow,” says
Yelena, a local. “It almost feels like Western
Europe.” Not everyone is happy: oicials
recently temporarily closed the Pit over noise
complaints. Heading back to Pokrovka, I walk
into a nearby courtyard and up a light of
stairs to Sosna I Lipa, a irst-loor bar with a
range of fruity crat beers on tap. The design
is minimal, with white-brick walls, but
there’s a record player, some old vinyl and an
eclectic selection of books on the shelves.
The mood is laid-back ambience; guests
range from students to young media
professionals to older, arty types. Yet the
Pokrovka district isn’t all about nightlife:
nearby, on Lubyanka Square, stands the
imposing Soviet-era headquarters of the FSB
state security service, the successor agency to
the notorious KGB. It was here that countless
victims of Stalinist terror were executed ater
summary trials in the 1930s. Their lives and
grisly deaths are commemorated in Moscow
by a series of tiny metal plaques installed on
the facades of their last addresses, including
in the Pokrovka district. I ind a plaque
commemorating one Eduard Bekker, who was
shot by the KGB on trumped-up espionage
charges at the age of 38.
“I want children to see these plaques,
and ask their parents about them,” says
Sergey Parkhomenko, the veteran Russian
journalist responsible for the project. Every
doorway tells a story.
NEIGHBOURHOOD
When in Moscow…
RED OCTOBER
This former chocolate factory is
now home to lot bars and cafes,
along with a banya (sauna), photo
gallery and independent shops.
The view of the river from the
rootop terrace of Strelka Bar is
worth checking out. strelka.com
KVAS
Sometimes dubbed the former
Soviet Union’s cola, this
fermented rye bread drink has a
unique taste that you’ll either love
or hate. Mildly alcoholic, it’s on
sale everywhere in Moscow, from
supermarkets to restaurants.
GEORGIAN FOOD
There are numerous Georgian
cafes and restaurants around
Moscow, but try the fairytale-
like Genatsvale on Arbat for
khachapuri (cheese-illed bread)
and spicy lobio, (bean stew) all
washed down with Georgian
wines. genatsvale-restoran.ru
RED SQUARE ICE RINK
It’s crowded, noisy and the
skating is probably better
elsewhere, but when else are
you going to get the chance to
skate on Red Square, under the
Kremlin’s famous walls?
MUZEON
Set on the banks of the Moskva
River near the Kremlin, this
gloriously landscaped park was
formerly a desolate ‘graveyard’
for statues of Soviet-era leaders.
Today, however, Muzeon is all
about picnics in the summer, and
snowball ights in the winter.
December 2019 67
NEIGHBOURHOOD
Patriarch’s Ponds
Patriarch’s Ponds
This aluent area likes to think of itself
as a little slice of Western Europe in the
heart of Moscow, and it does a good job of
maintaining the illusion. Walking through
the narrow streets of Patriarch’s Ponds
— an appealing jumble of cosy cafes, plush
restaurants, delicatessens and bakeries
— it’s easy to imagine yourself in Paris
or Barcelona. I start the morning with
a breakfast of syrniki — cottage cheese
pancakes — in Receptor, a cafe with an
eclectic, but appetising selection of Indian,
Korean and Russian food.
Despite the name of the district, there’s
only one pond here; the others were illed
in ater the massive blaze that devastated
Moscow during its occupation by Napoleon’s
forces in 1812. In the long years since, the
surviving pond has become a Moscow
landmark. In summer, swans glide across
its tranquil waters, while locals and tourists
relax on benches on its banks. In winter,
the pond is transformed into a skating rink,
while children also slide down its snowy
slopes. Mari Vanna, a nearby restaurant that
specialises in traditional Russian dishes
from caviar to pickled mushrooms all
68 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
washed down with vodka shots, is a popular
place to refuel whatever the weather.
For most Russians, though, Patriarch’s
Ponds is associated with Mikhail Bulgakov’s
novel, The Master and Margarita. This
hallucinatory satire was written in the 1930s,
but only published in full more than three MORE INFO
decades later. It tells of a visit to Moscow
Propaganda. propagandamoscow.com
by the devil, in the guise of a mysterious
Cafe Receptor. cafereceptor.ru
professor and his demonic entourage, which
Mari Vanna. marivanna.ru
includes a huge, talking black cat. Bulgakov Museum. bulgakovmuseum.ru
Bulgakov wrote the book while living
in a cramped kommunalka (communal Tourist information desks, staffed by
apartment) just around the corner from the friendly, English-speaking employees,
pond — the setting for its opening scene. are found at train stations and airports.
Bulgakov’s former residence, which was The main ofice is on Triumfalnaya
Square (Mayakovskaya metro station).
squatted by Soviet hippies (yes, the Soviet
discover.moscow
Union also had hippies) during the 1980s, is
now a museum containing his writing desk
and other personal items. “Close the door Wizz Air has started a low-cost
behind you!” growls the ticket seller when I service between Luton and Moscow
enter, her gruf manner in keeping with the from £26 one-way. wizzair.com
Hotels range from the luxury Metropol
tone of Bulgakov’s diabolical masterpiece.
(doubles from around £160 a night) to
“There’s something so magical about this
Godzillas (doubles from around £35 a
IMAGE: ALAMY
area,” says Tatiana Murzina, who’s lived in a night), to a basic but decent hostel
lat overlooking the pond for the last 20 years. where a room costs from around £20
“Walking here at dusk, I sometimes feel like per night. metropol-moscow.ru
I’m a character in Bulgakov’s novel.” godzillashostel.com
 Sleep
HAWAII
It’s a long light to the Aloha State, so it’s worth picking plush places to sleep
when you land. From mega-resorts to plantation-era inns and surfer-chic
hotels, these are the best island-hopping hideaways. Words: Pól Ó Conghaile

With iery volcanoes, sensational surf, wildlife and beaches that grace a
thousand postcards, Hawaii makes a big impression. Beyond the hula skirts
and mai tais lies a magical mix of Hawaiian, US and Asian culture
— something you’ll see in surprising street art and an improving food scene.
The state’s hotel scene is dominated by barefoot luxury and sprawling Waikiki
resorts (many US visitors don’t leave the Honolulu suburb), but there are rewards
for those who venture of-radar. When budgeting, bear in mind that overnight
rates are just the beginning — tips, local taxes and resort fees of around £25 per
day for ‘extras’ like wi-i and pool towels all add to your bill.

F
70 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Best for surfer chic
SURFJACK HOTEL, OAHU
‘Wish you were here’ is scrawled in big,
summery script across the bottom of the
Surjack’s pool. Here’s an of-strip take on
Waikiki resorts with a mix of retro swim
club, rooms with breezy interiors and lots
of local collaborations with artists such as
Kris Goto and designers Roberta Oakes and
Tori Richard, or rotating poolside DJs. Dine
on avocado toast from the farm-to-table
Mahina & Sun’s restaurant on site, before
taking a 10-minute stroll to the beach.
Thoughtful touches include plastic-free
pop-ups and on-site experiences like Shakti
yoga and alcohol ink painting classes.
ROOMS: Doubles from $207 (£170), room only.
surjack.com

December 2019 71
SLEEP

Best for short stays

PAIA INN, MAUI
Set in the surfer town of Paia near a beach
that faces the West Maui Mountains, rooms
range from compact corners of the original
stucco inn to leaf-shaded suites and a three-
bed oceanfront beach house. Decor relects
the owners’ exotic travels — a day-bed from
Bali here, Polynesian paintings by artist Avi
Kiriaty there — with cool white linens and
organic Malie bathroom products joining the
dots. Don’t leave without trying the fusion
restaurant and sushi bar, Vana — the chirashi
bowl with ahi tuna is divine.
ROOMS: Doubles from $229 (£188), room only.
paiainn.com

Best for budget Waikiki

HOTEL LA CROIX, OAHU
To save money on a Waikiki stay, you need
to work back from the beach — even a few
blocks can lower the bill. ‘Stay in paradise
without breaking the bank’ is the tagline at
Hotel La Croix, a bright and breezy base a
10-minute walk away on Kalakaua Avenue.
There’s a small ininity pool, and rooms
in cool, natural tones range from silver to
platinum, based on space, specs and whether
they’re ocean-facing — though all come with
balconies, big TVs and American walnut
hardwood loors and balconies. Stay three
nights and you can get the fourth free as part
of a special deal.
ROOMS: Silver from $144/£115, room only.
lacroixhotels.com

72 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 SLEEP

Best for families

DISNEY AULANI, OAHU
‘Big H, small D’ is the pitch at this all-singing,
all-dancing resort in Ko Olina. ‘H’ signals
Hawaii and ‘D’ for Disney — while still
playful, local culture features throughout.
There are Hawaiian textiles and light
displays using umeke bowls in the open
lobby, for example, or a Makahiki (Hawaiian
New Year) character bufet. Disney elements
include waterslides snaking around faux
rock formations, a snorkelling pool illed
with ish, meet and greets with characters
like Moana and Stitch, and makeovers for
kids. There are adult-only zones too, such as
the Wailana ininity pool and Laniwai Spa.
ROOMS: Doubles from $494 (£406), room only.
disneyaulani.com

December 2019 73
 Hawaii Tailor-Made
www.tailormadehawaii.com
holidays@tailormadehawaii.com
01635 885183

The UK’s No 1
Hawaii Specialist
Creating bespoke itineraries based on
our own experiences and extensive
knowledge of the Hawaiian Island’s.
As an accredited agent we work
closely with The Hawaii Island’s
Tourist Board as well as many of the
Island’s top hotels which allows us to
offer exclusive room upgrades
and inclusions.

Proud to work with

Hawaii & USA

Multi-Centre Holiday
From £1895pp
•Includes economy flights
•3 nights Linq Las Vegas
•5 nights Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Waikiki
•2 nights Whitcomb San Francisco

Based on 2 adults sharing, room only,

travel 25 Mar 2020

www.chartertravel.co.uk
CHARTER TRAVEL holidays@chartertravel.co.uk | 01635 551011
Luxury Travel Tailor-Made For You

Prices are correct as at 21 October 2019 and are subject to change. Prices may be higher or unavailable for certain travel dates. Terms and Conditions Apply
 SLEEP

Best for couples

HOTEL WAILEA, MAUI
Hawaii’s only Relais & Châteaux resort
luxuriates among rolling hills, koi ponds and
tropical gardens overlooking wealthy Wailea
in Maui. There are 72 one-bed suites and you
can book classes like tropical mixology or
poolside poke with chef Krista Garcia. It’s
a short shuttle ride to the beach club and
experiences like outrigger canoe rides. Extra
splurges include private dining on a ‘tree
house’ platform and in-room spa treatments.
ROOMS: From $529 (£434), room only.
hotelwailea.com

Best for plugging out
TRAVAASA HANA, MAUI
Accomodation here is in plantation-style bungalows
and private suites. Far from Maui’s crowds, a virtue is
made of the rustic location, with no radios, clocks or
TVs in rooms, and experiences nodding to Hawaiian
traditions such as throw-net ishing classes. Stays can
be booked as inclusive (with meals, activities and a
$175 (£140) daily resort credit) or room-only.
ROOMS: Doubles from $525 (£431) room only or $1,025
(£840) inclusive. travaasa.com
Best for beatniks & BBQs Best for tight budgets
WAIMEA PLANTATION, KAUAI
Skip the resorts for a rustic taste of Hawaii at these
restored plantation homes with private lanais on
Kauai’s western shore. Tropical landscapes, a two-mile
beach walk and island-style furniture give a taste of
yesteryear. Chow down on burgers or baby-back ribs
at the Chicken in a Barrel BBQ and Bar. The property
fronts onto a black-sand beach near Waimea Canyon.
ROOMS: Doubles from $245 (£201), room only.
coasthotels.com
KAUMANA CAVES INN, HAWAII
Rainbow Falls, Mauna Loa volcano and, as the name
suggests, Kaumana Caves — all are super-handy from
this inn near Hilo. It’s a small, basic stay, albeit one
with lots of colour and attention to detail — from luffy
towels to breakfasts with Big Island honey, mountain
apples and freshly baked bread. Hop into the outdoor
Jacuzzi or barrel sauna, and fall asleep to the sounds
of the rainforest or your in-room Netlix.
ROOMS: From $110 (£88), B&B. kaumanacavesinn.com

December 2019 75
SLEEP

Best for discreet luxury

KAHALA RESORT, OAHU
With former guests including the Obamas,
Frank Sinatra and Princess Diana, the
Kahala’s calling card is discreet, toes-in-
the-sand opulence — with prices to match.
Located in a leafy neighbourhood a short
transfer from Waikiki, its mid-century
modern architecture holds up beautifully,
and luxe interiors lead from a tall, elegantly
airy lobby with sea-glass chandeliers, teak
parquet loors and rattan chairs to 338
spacious bedrooms decked out in cool
whites and buttery yellows with Japanese-
style toilets. Pick an oceanfront room for
panoramas over the Paciic.
ROOMS: Doubles from $450 (£369), room only.
kahalaresort.com

Best for B+B stays

POIPU PLANTATION, KAUAI
Hawaii’s B&B scene can be somewhat
patchy, but this one stands out. A small
collection of 1930s plantation-style rooms
and cottages set a short walk from Kauai’s
southern shore. All rooms have hardwood
queen beds, and cottage suites come kitted
out with kitchens, spacious decks and rattan
decor. One or two-beds are available, with
ocean views at a $30-$40 (£24-32) premium.
Breakfasts feature local dishes like Kauai
sweet apple and macadamia nut pancakes,
island fruits, guava sweet bread, or local
island-style eggs served around a table
shared with other guests.
ROOMS: Rental suites from $165 (£130), B&B.
poipubeach.com

76 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
TR AIN S, L ANE S
& AUTOMOB ILE S
W H E T H E R YO U ’ R E A PA S S I O N AT E
TREKKER, A R AIL ROMANTIC OR
M E R E LY S U F F E R I N G F R O M T H E R I S E
O F F LYG S K A M (F L I G H T S H A M E ),
T H E R E A R E P L EN T Y O F R E A S O N S TO
LO O K B E YO N D T H E S K I E S . B U T
W H E R E D O YO U S TA R T ?

WORDS TOM CHESSHYRE

78 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
IMAGE: GETTY

December 2019 79
NO-FLY TRAVEL
In his 197 9 book The Old Pat agonian E xpre s s ,
t he US t ravel writer and novelis t Paul
Theroux pinpoint s t he be s t t hing t hat c an
possibly happen on a f lig ht : nothing .
No delays, no crashes, no throwing up during
turbulence. He writes that the air traveller
‘crawls into a carpeted tube that is reeking
of disinfectant; he is strapped in to go home,
or away. Time is truncated, or in any case
warped: he leaves in one time zone and
emerges in another.’
Theroux doesn’t pull any punches. But his
key point stands irm — that with lying, the
focus is almost all on arrival. Where’s the
fun in that? And, as more and more of us are
asking, is this a responsible way to travel?
The age of mass tourism arrived on jet
planes in the 1960s and since then we’ve
become addicted to taking to the sky. The
International Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO) claims aeroplanes globally carried
more than 4.3 billion passengers in 2018, on 38
million departures, with over half the world’s
1.4 billion tourists who crossed international
borders doing so by air. The ICAO forecasts
this igure to creep up by about 3.5% a year. By
2037, it expects eight billion of us to be lying
annually (bear in mind that the current world
population is 7.53 billion).
Extraordinary statistics — and
extraordinary times, especially when you
consider that manned lights in powered
aircrat have only been occurring for a little
over a century. The Wright brothers’ irst such
light was made at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
on 17 December 1903. Distance covered? 120t.
Journey time? Twelve seconds, with a hair-
raisingly high-speed of 6.8mph.
During the next 116 years, air travel shaped
world events in more ways than one: Spitires
and atomic bombers in the Second World
War; lights to the Moon; ledgling mass
tourism to the Med on Boeing 707s; journeys
on Concorde at 1,354 miles an hour (from 1976-
2003); the 1990s budget airline boom.
Now, travellers can hop on lights costing
little more than the departure tax. Planes
have turned into buses of the air — a major
international business employing millions.
Journeys to faraway spots can be purchased
with a few taps on a phone; the internet has
fuelled our obsession with lying, and made
it easy, too. This is especially true for those
with cash and time to spare. What Orville and
Wilbur, with their lat caps and tweed suits,
would’ve made of it all is anyone’s guess.
What environmentalists make of it,
however, is another matter. It’s said that
80 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
lights are now responsible for up to 5% of all
human-induced CO2 emissions and 12% of all
transport-related emissions. This amounts to
859 million tonnes of CO2 annually.
Yet even this doesn’t tell the full story. The
German-based Institute for Atmospheric
Physics recently found that ‘contrails’ — the
innocuous-looking white trails let by planes
— may themselves be responsible for more
global warming than aircrat greenhouse
gas emissions. Contrails create cirrus cloud
that traps energy in the atmosphere. As yet,
nobody is quite sure of the full efect.
Responding to concerns, airlines have
ordered greener planes. EasyJet, for example,
has even mooted the possibility of electric
aircrat, citing an interest in Los Angeles-
based Wright Electric, which has already
invented a two-seater electric plane. Across
the aviation industry, ‘hybrid’ planes using
both conventional fuel and electricity are
being considered; the irst commercial planes
could take-of within a decade. Meanwhile,
passengers worried about their carbon
footprint have taken matters into their own
hands by contributing to of-setting schemes
involving tree planting.
But while air travel has plenty of defenders,
there’s little doubt that lying has lost the
happy-go-lucky, glamorous shine of the Jet
Age. In response, many people are now opting
for no-ly breaks. There’s even a handy new
Swedish term to cover it, flygskam, or ‘light
shame’. It seems for some that lying has
become a dirty word.
Of course, the rise of no-ly travel isn’t all
down to guilt about emissions. Travelling
by train, and long-distance walking, for
example, are two of the most pleasurable
ways of getting about, as so many more of us
are discovering. Yes, Theroux may have been
over-egging it back in the Seventies, but he
was ultimately onto something. The truth is
that lying, especially with all the associated
security checks, can be terribly dull.
So why not break free? Why not take a no-
ly trip? And if you’re not sure where to start,
here are some tips.
Tom Chesshyre is author of books including
IMAGES: GETTY
PREVIOUS PAGES: Alpine views near
Slow Trains to Venice: A Love Letter to Europe Steyr, Austria
(Summersdale, £16.99) and From Source to CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Venice
Sea: Notes from a 215-mile Walk Along the River Simplon-Orient-Express; porthole on a
Thames (Summersdale, £9.99) a ship; motorbiking in Italy
NO-FLY TRAVEL

December 2019 81
NO-FLY TRAVEL
Train on Landwasser Viaduct, between
Schmitten and Filisur, Switzerland
RIGHT: Kylesku Bridge, crossing Loch a’
Chàirn Bhàin, Sutherland, Scotland
INTERR AILING FOR ALL
Interrailing is no longer the preserve of
youngsters ‘inding themselves’ — it’s an
option for everyone. Europe’s rail network
is particularly extensive, and getting
there from our shores is a simple matter of
catching a Eurostar train or a ferry.
Admittedly, there’s still some confusion
about Interrail passes. This is because when
they were irst introduced in 1972 they were
only available to those aged 21 or younger.
Various slight changes to this age limit were
brought in over the years — as well as the
introduction of a special pass for those aged
over 65 in 1979. It was only in 1998 that the
Interrail pass was extended to all age groups,
although the system is still slanted towards
younger travellers, with discounts for those
aged under 27.
82 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
It’s possible to buy country-speciic passes
but the greatest pleasure is to be had by
setting yourself free across the Continent
with an Interrail Global Pass, which covers 31
European countries and 40,000 destinations.
Europe really is your oyster with one of these
in your pocket, and for those who prefer not
to slum it in standard class, irst-class passes
are also available. Whichever class you travel
in, bear in mind that to get to and from a
coastal port you have just one inbound and
one outbound journey within the British
Isles, respectively.
It seems rather prescriptive to suggest
a route given the beauty of the random
nature of such trips. However, one excellent
itinerary might, for example, take you
from London to Calais, via Dover, and then
onwards to Lille, with its Flemish-inluenced
architecture and bric-a-brac markets; Bruges,
with its labyrinthine alleyways and dream-
like canals; the beer gardens of Munich;
Zagreb, Croatia’s pretty capital; the party
atmosphere of Serbia’s Belgrade; the ancient
Bulgarian city of Plovdiv; and onwards to
Istanbul. Stay for a few days, then meander
back, perhaps via Romania, Hungary,
Austria, Italy and France. Or don’t. Just make
up your own route.
H OW T O D O I T: A month-long adult
Global Pass, travelling in standard class,
costs from €218 (£188). This price includes
three days’ train travel. Discounts are available
for youths ages (12-27), seniors and families.
interrail.eu
 NO-FLY TRAVEL

O N T H E R OA D

The phrase ‘road trip’ tends to

conjure up images of America;
of Route 66 and of Jack Kerouac
tearing across the Midwest in
search of soulful inspiration. The
US invented mass-market motor
vehicles and is so vast, with so
many highways that the country
simply seems made for this type
of adventure.
By contrast, Europe seems
encumbered by far too many tolls
and traic jams. The European road
trip is traditionally something to be
endured, with luggage piled up and
maybe kids glued to cartoons in the
back. Yet all of this is beginning to
change and there are two possible
reasons for the shit: widespread
internet coverage and some very
handy accommodation websites.
In the past, heading of on a long
drive and not quite knowing where
you were going next could land
you in all sorts of bother. While
America has long had roadside
motels — ‘motor hotels’, built
around parking lots, designed
for those driting about in cars
— Europe doesn’t. But with hotel
and apartment booking sites it’s
possible to head of where you like
and make choosing your next place
to stay all part of the fun, even with
kids on board.
There are plenty of options.
For example, you could sail with
Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth
to the northern Spanish city of
Santander, then explore the regions
of Cantabria, Navarra and the
Basque Country — before pushing
on through the Pyrenees into
Southern France, nipping into Italy
and through the beautiful scenery
of Lake Como and Lake Lugano.
Head on into Switzerland before
looping back to Calais for the ferry
home. Alternatively, sail to Calais
and make for the Baltic States via
Germany and Poland, with the
picturesque Estonian capital of
Tallinn as your target.

H OW T O D O I T: Book a ferry
or Eurotunnel ticket and go.
IMAGES: GETTY; AWL IMAGES

You need insurance and breakdown

cover, as well a warning triangle,
relective jackets for all passengers
and a breathalyser (these are
compulsory in France). See rac.co.uk
/drive/travel for information and a
checklist. On the road, see hotels.com,
booking.com and airbnb.com

December 2019 83
NO-FLY TRAVEL

A WA L K I N T H E A L P S

The Alps have long held a fascination for the

British, with the golden age of alpinism of
the mid-19th century remaining alive in the
minds of many. Edward Whymper’s ascent of
the Matterhorn in Switzerland in 1865 is oten
seen as the period’s the symbolic pinnacle of
achievement during that heady period and his
book, Scrambles Amongst the Alps in the Years
1860-69, brings to life the excitement of the era.
These days, however, it’s not just about
reaching peaks; walking tours have boomed in
popularity as specialist companies have sprung
up ofering trips pitched at ‘scramblers’ of all
kinds. These mountain breaks oten have an
emphasis on wellbeing, with routes following
signposted trails with hotels or mountain
lodges at the end of each day. If carrying your
own backpack sounds like too much hard work,
luggage transfers are available.
Many marvellous hikes are to be had
in the Austrian Lake District, the Italian
Dolomites and around Mont Blanc in France. In
Switzerland, the 130-mile route from the Eiger
to the Matterhorn is perhaps one of the most
awe-inspiring European journeys for those
with at least moderate hiking ability. Beginning
in the town of Meiringen, close to where Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle imagined Sherlock Holmes
and Moriarty locked in a ight by the Grand
Reichenbach Falls in The Final Problem, the
trail leads onwards to Grindelwald by the Eiger,
where hotels overlook the mountain’s notorious
north face. It was to here that tourists locked
in the 19th century to watch daredevil climbers
tackle the treacherous ascent.
From the shadow of the Eiger, paths spread
out via Wengen, Mürren, Grieselp, Kanderstag,
Leukerbad (a spa town), Salgesch (famous for its
vineyards), Gruben to Zermatt, with Whymper’s
Matterhorn rising majestically in the distance.
Part of the brilliance of these late-spring and
summer high-mountain walks is that winter
ski lits can whisk you to the most interesting
sections (as they do at the Matterhorn). In
Zermatt, a great little museum tells the history
of the irst ascent of the mountain, while in the
town’s graveyard you can pay your respects to
intrepid climbers who died pursuing the peaks.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Hiking
H OW T O D O I T: Inntravel has a 14-night self- in the Dolomites, Italy; sunset
guided Eiger to Matterhorn break from £2,595 per in Bruges; market, Amsterdam;
person, including half-board accommodation, breakfast of French toast, baked
some meals, luggage transfer and trains to and eggs and chorizo, Paris
from London. inntravel.com

84 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 NO-FLY TRAVEL

F O L LOW T H E E U R O S TA R

Love them or loathe them, budget airlines

have changed everything. The ability to whisk
ourselves away to interesting European cities
for a pittance has transformed our notion of
travel. Ryanair, EasyJet and Wizz Air have us
lying to new destinations on a whim.
But you don’t have to take to the skies for this;
there’s also Eurostar. Since May 1994, when the
Channel Tunnel opened for business, Paris,
Brussels, Lille, Bruges and Amsterdam have been
the top destinations for train travellers, but there
are plenty more options to satisfy our voracious
appetite for new city breaks. How about Dijon?
Or Antwerp? Or Luxembourg, Rotterdam,
Marseilles, Tours, Frankfurt or Cologne?
Dijon, for example, in the Bourgogne-
Franche-Comté region, has a rich history dating
back to the Dukes of Burgundy, an attractive
medieval centre, famous mustard, irst-rate
wines, picturesque lakes, fascinating museums
and galleries packed with works by Cézanne,
Monet and Rodin. What’s more, it’s ive hours
from St Pancras International, via a change to a
TGV train in Paris.
Or why not tick of somewhere more obscure,
like Luxembourg, with its delightful Old
Town, combining medieval fortiications,
ancient spires and dramatic clifs plunging to
a deep gorge. The capital of the Grand Duchy
is a relaxing spot with lovely walks in the
surrounding countryside, a 16th-century ducal
palace and historic defensive tunnels to explore
(Luxembourg’s nickname is the Gibraltar of the
North due to its almost impregnable fortress-like
setting). Day trips by train to Trier in Germany
take you to Roman ruins and the Karl Marx
House Museum, where the man who co-authored
The Communist Manifesto was born in 1818. It’s an
easy ive hours and 15 minutes journey time from
St Pancras International, via Paris.
Yet more Roman remains can be explored on
weekends away in Cologne, with its brilliant
Romano-Germanic Museum, stupendous
cathedral, ine art galleries, national football
museum and numerous lively beer halls in its
Old Town — all just ive hours and 10 minutes
from London.

H OW T O D O I T: Oui.sncf has London St

IMAGES: GETTY

Pancras International-Dijon returns from around

£140 and Luxembourg or Cologne returns
from £160. Tickets to Rotterdam, Frankfurt,
Marseilles, Tours and Antwerp are also available.
en.oui.sncf/en

December 2019 85
NO-FLY TRAVEL

Atocha railway station, Madrid

86 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 NO-FLY TRAVEL

S PA I N O N A T R A I N

In 1992, Spain’s irst high-speed AVE

line opened between Madrid and
Seville. The network now casts a spider’s
web across the country, calling at Cádiz,
Málaga, Alicante, Barcelona, Girona, Léon
and Zaragoza, among many other places.
There’s also an excellent mini-network
of lines in Galicia, in the north west,
connecting the famous pilgrimage city
of Santiago de Compostela with the
handsome ports of Vigo and A Coruña.
It’s now remarkably easy to get around
Spain by train very quickly indeed — quite
something, given how far behind the rest
of Europe Spain’s trains had fallen by the
end of the 1980s.
Add to this a leet of Media Distancia
(Medium Distance) trains that also scoot
about at over 100 miles an hour, as well as
slower regional trains, and it’s possible to
reach intriguing corners of the country that
you might not otherwise visit. One of the
best lines for scenery is between Almería,
with its golden beach and Moorish castle,
and historic Granada. The train weaves
between the spectacular, snow-tipped peaks
of the Sierra Nevada ater traversing the
rugged wilderness of the semi-arid Tabernas
Desert, which feels more African than
European in places.
As an inspiring alternative, take the
regional line from Cuenca, in central Spain,
with its hilltop cathedral and ‘hanging
houses’ overlooking a gorge, to Valencia,
Spain’s third city, and enjoy a pleasant
trundle through pine-clad hills and across
marvellous viaducts. One of the highlights
of this ride is the arrival at Valencia’s Estació
railway station, with its gorgeous art nouveau
ticket hall and palatial exterior. Completed
in 1917, this must be one of the inest stations
in Europe.
Train aicionados will also love the Renfe
Feve narrow gauge railway across the north
coast between the French border, San
Sebastián, Bilbao, Santander, Oviedo and
Ferrol. The trains here really do rattle along,
crossing mountain ranges and hugging the
coast. Along the way, it’s possible to spot
pilgrims marching on their way to Santiago
(another no-ly way of getting about, of
course). Is Spain now Europe’s best country
for trains? Very possibly.

H OW T O D O I T: Trains from St Pancras

International to Figueres in Spain, a good
IMAGE: AWL IMAGES

starting point for an adventure (and home to

the excellent Dalí Theatre-Museum), start
from around £94 one-way. Tickets in Spain
can be bought from Trainline, Loco2, or direct
from Renfe, Spain’s main train operator.
trainline.com loco2.com renfe.com

December 2019 87
Rail Holidays
Georg Trueb Bob Green Bob Green Bob Green

Georg Trueb
Georg Trueb

Georg Trueb

Bob Green

Alan Weaver

Niels Kunick

Bob Green

Bob Green Bob Green

Phil Jones Bob Green Bob Green Ravenglass & Eskdale Steam Railway

with The Railway Touring Company

The Railway Tou
The Railway Tou ring Com pany
Worldwide Steam
ring Company Rail Holidays
UK Steam Rail Day
Trips and Tours 2019 2nd Edition

Enjoy a rail holiday to remember! We travel to many interesting 2019 2nd Edition

European and UK destinations often without the need to fly.

With our 22 years’ experience of providing quality rail tours, you
can be assured of our personal service and a truly memorable
holiday every time.
To find out more and to order your free brochures please visit our
website or call us on 01553 661 500.

For more information please visit railwaytouring.net or phone 01553 661 500

The Railway Touring Company

14a Tuesday Market Place,
King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 1JN
22
EST. 1997

The Railway Touring Company’s standard conditions of booking and travel apply. See website or brochures for details.
 NO-FLY TRAVEL

A L L A B OA R D T H E S K I E X P R E S S

Air travel and ski trips aren’t great bedfellows: lying with
your own skis and boots can oten tip you over the airline
baggage allowance, and airports in Europe are oten
quite a long way from the slopes — ater all, it’s not easy
to build a runway amid the peaks.
Trains, however, can snake into the valleys close to
ski resort. Plus, given there’s usually no weight limit for
luggage, transporting your own equipment tends to be
far less hassle. Eurostar’s ski train service from London
St Pancras to the French Alps takes just under nine hours
to reach its irst international stop, Moûtiers-Salins. From
here, it’s a short coach ride to the renowned Three Valleys
ski resort, home to Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens.
The train then carries on to Aime La Plagne, followed by
Bourg-Saint-Maurice. From this inal destination, it’s a
40-minute bus ride to Val d’Isère.
Travellers can choose from the 09.45 departure on
Saturdays or the overnight 19.45 departure on Fridays
and Saturdays; similar times are available on the return
journeys, which depart on Saturdays and Sundays.

H OW T O D O I T: Eurostar ofers returns on its ski train

from £160. eurostar.com/uk-en/train/france/ski-train

Courchevel, France
RIGHT: Skis in Tyrol,
Austria

THE FUTURE OF AIR TR AVEL?

Today’s aeroplanes are 75%-80% more
fuel-eicient than those 50 years ago,
but the aviation industry remains under
pressure to introduce greener options.
The spotlight is currently on alternatives
such as hybrid or fully electric aircrat:
EasyJet has expressed interest in Wright
Electric, which aims to create 150-seat
electric planes with a 300-mile range;
Airbus and Scandinavian Airlines are
partnering on research into hybrid and
electric aircrat; NASA is experimenting
with lithium-ion batteries; and Ampaire is
testing a six-seater hybrid-electric plane.
With the International Air Transport
Association committed to a 50%
reduction of net aviation CO2 emissions
by 2050 (relative to 2005 levels),
the emergence of new, sustainable
technologies seems likelier than ever.
Many, however, are sceptical. “It’s all
pie in the sky and very unlikely right
now,” says Harold Goodwin of the
Responsible Tourism Partnership.
“Anyway, is there really enough lithium
IMAGES: GETTY

in the world for all the batteries these

electric planes would need?”

December 2019 89
NO-FLY TRAVEL
Neist Point Lighthouse at sunset,
Isle of Skye, Scotland
RIGHT FROM TOP: Crossing a stile on the
Hadrian’s Wall Path; barman pouring whisky
SET TING SAIL
In August, teenage Swedish climate change activist
Greta Thunberg crossed the Atlantic by yacht in order to
attend the United Nations climate summit in New York.
Thunberg, who chose to avoid air travel because of its
contribution to carbon emissions, sailed aboard a yacht
itted with solar panels and underwater turbines. Her aim?
A zero-carbon voyage.
This isn’t, of course, an option for everyone — but even if
you don’t have access to an eco-yacht, it’s worth considering
the new rat of more eco-conscious ships on the horizon.
Norwegian cruise line Hurtigruten introduced a hybrid
vessel, the MS Roald Amundsen earlier this year. It’s the
world’s irst battery-powered hybrid cruise ship and is set
to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by sailing
with electrical propulsion. Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot,
meanwhile, will be the world’s irst hybrid-powered luxury
ice-breaker when it launches in 2021. The ship will be capable
of plotting new polar courses with minimal environmental
impact, including a number of adventures in partnership
with National Geographic Expeditions.
M O R E I N F O : Ponant’s eight-day ‘From the English Shores
to Ireland’ trip, which starts in London and ends in Dublin,
starts from £2,208 per person. ponant.com
90 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
O N T H E B E AT E N T R AC K
Ater a visit to Britain in AD 122, the Roman emperor
Hadrian ordered his army to build a wall to keep out
the ‘barbarians’. Six years later, with 3.7 million tonnes
of stones having been hauled into place, his vision was
complete, stretching 73 miles from Wallsend, near
Newcastle, to Bowness-on-Solway. Today, it’s one of the
marvels of the Roman Empire and makes for a perfect
week-long walk.
The scale of the accomplishment is mind-blowing,
and the sense of achievement gained from covering the
length of the National Trail (84 miles in total, due to the
path meandering from the wall at places) is magniicent.
Although you might catch a helpful tailwind when
travelling from west to east (Bowness to Wallsend),
the most popular route is from Wallsend to Bowness,
seeing the wall as a Roman legionnaire might have
IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; GETTY
for the irst time. The hilly section near the village of
Once Brewed in Northumberland is perhaps the most
spectacular of the trail, ofering sweeping Pennine views.
M O R E I N F O : nationaltrail.co.uk/hadrians-wall-path.
Also, check out Hadrian’s Wall Path: Wallsend to Bowness-
on-Solway by Henry Stedman & Daniel McCrohan
(Trailblazer Publications). RRP: £11.99.
 NO-FLY TRAVEL

W H I S K Y G A LO R E

Holidaying at home needn’t mean staying irmly on

UK soil. Why not take a cruise and see the country
from a new perspective? There are plenty of options for
circumnavigating the British Isles: some ships set of
from Tilbury, journey northwards around Scotland and
head back via the Irish Sea; others set sail in Liverpool
and head southwards along the Channel, then up to the
Shetland Islands, returning via Belfast. Some of the most
indulgent organised cruises involve hopping between
the islands of the Hebrides, stopping of at Oban, Islay
and Jura to sample wee drams of Laphroaig, Ardbeg and
Kilchoman whiskies. Alternatively, plan your own island-
hopping adventure in Scotland by taking advantage of
the many services run by CalMac Ferries.

H OW T O D O I T: Royal Scottish ofers a six-night

‘The Spirit of the Sea’ cruise from £2,739 per person.
theroyalscottish.com. For independent journeys around
Scotland, see calmac.co.uk; for British Isles cruises, visit
cruiseandmaritime.com or travel.saga.co.uk.

M O R E I N F O : The Kingdom by the Sea by Paul Theroux

(Penguin Books). RRP: £10.99; Coasting by Jonathan Raban
(Eland Publishing). RRP: £12.99

December 2019 91
 You book a room.
We plant a tree.
Every time.

Unpack. Unwind.
soulmadehotels.com
T +49 (0) 89 / 244 155-0
 NO-FLY TRAVEL

R E V I S I T T H E G O L D E N AG E

In Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient

Express, Poirot has his work cut out solving
a particularly unusual murder, but the real
star of the novel is perhaps the sumptuous
train itself. The Orient Express — now
known as the Venice Simplon-Orient
-Express — remains as opulent as it was
when the book was published in 1934 and,
as such, is inextricably linked with the
era of travel captured by Christie. Original
dining carriages feature crisp white linen,
brass ittings, wooden marquetry, velvet
curtains, stewards in peaked caps… it’s as
though the whole place is frozen in time.
This is train travel at its very best. Were he
around today, George Nagelmackers, the
Belgian behind the irst of these trains in
1883, would surely be delighted.

H OW T O D O I T: Planet Rail ofers a

trip from £2,950 per person, including one
night on board the Venice Simplon-Orient-
Express, three nights in Venice and one night
in Montreux, plus irst-class travel between
London and Venice, and transfers in Paris
and Venice. planetrail.co.uk belmond.com

December 2019 93
NO-FLY TRAVEL
St Helen’s Wharf,
Abingdon-on-Thames
G O W I T H T H E F LOW
A watery timeline of the nation’s past,
the River Thames has seen it all. In fact,
Churchill once described the river as ‘a
golden thread of our nation’s history’.
Indeed, from invasions by Romans and
Vikings to the signing of Magna Carta, a
number of pivotal moments in Britain’s
history have played out on or beside
England’s longest river.
Let the history guide you on a walk down
the banks, perhaps choosing a section to
cover over a long weekend or even attempting
the whole lot. The river runs for 215 miles
from its source in a meadow in Trewsbury
Mead, Gloucestershire, and touches eight
94 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
counties before emptying into the North
Sea. The oicial Thames Path, meanwhile,
is 184 miles, ending at the Thames Barrier.
There are plenty of hostelries along the way
to break the journey, some ofering rooms or
tent pitches. Start at the Thames Head Inn
in Cirencester and, if going the whole way,
inish your with a trek with a tipple at the
Anchor & Hope near the barrier.
M O R E I N F O : Go online at nationaltrail.
IMAGE: GETTY
co.uk/thames-path. Also, try Thames Path:
Thames Head to the Thames Barrier by
Joel Newton (Trailblazer Publications).
RRP: £11.99
 T H E
WILD
WEST
L I V I N G C H EEK BY J OW L W I T H R A R E M A R I N E I G UA N A S ,
B LU E- FO OT ED B O O B I E S A N D G I A N T TO R TO I S E S C O M E S AT A
P R I C E . TO DAY ’ S H U M A N C U S TO D I A N S O F EC UA D O R ’ S P R I ZED
EC O LO G I C A L R E A L M A R E F I N D I N G N E W WAY S TO A DA P T TO L I F E
O N T H E R EM OT E G A L Á PAG O S I S L A N DS

WORDS S T E P H A N I E C AVAG N A R O

96 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 IMAGE: HARRY SKEGGS

December 2019
97
GALÁPAGOS
“W
hen we irst came to
the Galápagos, we were
pioneers, adventurers,
crazy people,” Alejandra
laughs, scanning Santa Cruz Island’s
northern shores from the highlands. A
volcanic veneer bursts with palo santo,
scalesia and guayabillo trees; they tumble
towards thorn scrub plains that sigh into the
sea. A breeze stirs our morning cofee on the
terrace of eco-luxe tented retreat Galapagos
Safari Camp, where Alejandra works.
“It was a change of life,” she continues,
referring to her arrival from Colombia 30
years ago. “Now people think that because
they grew up here they have the right to live
exactly the same as on the mainland. But I
want this to be diferent. Living here is a right
and a responsibility. It’s not for everybody.”
My safari camp guide, Steve, shares the
same passion for this remote outpost during
a ishing expedition the next morning. “I’ve
lived here for basically my whole life. I spent
three years in the States because I wanted
to see what it was like, but it’s not for me.”
Steve may have been raised in the Galápagos,
but he sounds like Dan Aykroyd as he shouts
over the drone of the Sebastian C boat, which
speeds across the northern coast of Santa
Cruz. “My parents were from Chicago — the
big city!” he bellows. His get-up isn’t helping
me understand him: in addition to khakis
and a sun hat, a hammerhead shark-print
bandana is pulled up under his sunglasses,
rendering him featureless.
Straddling the Equator, these oceanic
islands bake beneath intense sun. Clouds
crowd over the Santa Cruz highlands like
a hat, but it’s a suntrap out on the blazing
blue sea, where iced ginger tea provides only
temporary relief. “They were pioneering types,
I guess,” says Steve of his parents. “When they
came in the late ’40s, they fell in love with the
place, didn’t want to leave, and spent the rest
of their lives here,” he adds, pulling on gloves.
As we approach a shoal, our boat slows and
claw-like crests ripple away behind. Local
ishermen Peter and Tenorio hop down from
the upper deck to cast lines into the blue. It’s
surreal to be an angler in a place regarded as
a wildlife haven, but ironically, in order to
save ish, we need to catch them, Steve tells
me. “Experiential ishing like this means
98 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
commercial ishermen take much less and
don’t have to depend on selling ish to keep the
operation going,” Steve says of the Galápagos
National Park responsible tourism initiative.
This ‘experiential ishing’ programme or
‘Pesca Vivencial’ was introduced in 2006,
allowing the national park to regulate
everything from boat size to quantity of ish
caught. The aim is to reduce overishing and
provide commercial ishermen with a more
eco-friendly income — a delicate dance of
supporting local livelihoods and the unique
ecosystem. “Oceans are the Wild West,”
continues Steve. “We gotta conserve them
— ish stocks are going down worldwide.”
Lines strung out behind, we trawl between
a sublime squeeze of ocean and sky. The
silhouettes of mating sea turtles slip past,
while Galápagos shearwaters loat like buoys
and sea lions laze, ins thrust into the air.
“Looks like they’re sailing,” laughs Steve.
This is meditative business: the boat rocks
rhythmically while storm petrels circle above.
The silence is broken by Peter chanting,
“Fishy, ishy, ishy!” Seconds later, there’s a
bite. I grab the pole, slot it into my rod belt, and
haul it upwards before desperately reeling,
the battle burning my arms. “Es grande!” Peter
exclaims, clapping vigorously. “Fity pounds
maybe,” Steve speculates. A sizeable outline
materialises momentarily but disappears like
a mirage. Seconds later, the line hangs limp
— the catch is gone. “What was it?” I ask Steve.
“It might have been a shark, unfortunately,” he
tells me. “Sharks are protected; they’re an apex
predator, and that’s exactly what we need to
keep.” This maritime resident is an essential
component of a healthy ocean ecosystem and
under threat from industrial ishing beyond
the waters of this marine reserve.
We head to the distant Daphne Islands
to try our luck at bottom ishing. Each year
IMAGES: GETTY; STEPHANIE CAVAGNARO
since 1973, renowned evolutionary biologists
Peter and Rosemary Grant have visited
Daphne Major to study Darwin’s inches.
They’ve discovered that today’s populations
difer signiicantly from those four decades PREVIOUS PAGES: Marine iguana
basking in the sun on Fernandina Island
ago, proving evolution is occurring much
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Beach leading
quicker than previously thought. These
to Dragon Hill on Santa Cruz Island;
indings are described in their 2014 book blue-footed boobies share a rock with
40 Years of Evolution. Sally Lightfoot crabs off Floreana Island;
Daphne Major’s jagged clifs reveal a guide Steve on a ishing excursion off
winged menagerie: red-billed tropicbirds, the northern coast of Santa Cruz Island
 GALÁPAGOS

December 2019 99
GALÁPAGOS

100 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

IMAGES: GETTY; HARRY SKEGGS
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Cactuses
stand tall among colourful foliage on
Santa Cruz Island; Cynthia, co-owner
of 1835 Coffee Lab; picking ripe coffee
beans, El Trapiche; Adriano, owner of El
Trapiche, inspecting his cacao trees
pelicans, gannets and blue-footed boobies,
who stand on natural balconies like soldiers,
white guano graitiing the rocks beneath.
“Blue feet means they’re in good condition,”
explains Steve. Some of the birds are cooling
themselves by hyperventilating, others plunge
towards the turquoise depths below, diving
like arrows. They can hit the water at speeds
of up to 60mph with barely a splash. The cool
Antarctic waters swept towards these islands
on the Humboldt Current are rich ones,
pregnant with plankton, krill and crustaceans,
which support thriving seabird populations.
Our ishing poles are swapped for smaller
versions as we set our sights on catching
bottom-dwelling scorpionish. “We call
them brujo,” says Steve. “When you catch
one, their eyes pop out due to the change in
pressure.” I soon get a bite — the pole jumps,
and this time it’s easy to reel up. I wince as
the ish surfaces, waiting for the eye-pop, but
Steve conirms it’s a flag cabrilla (eyes intact).
“Cabrilla are always next to the bottom, oten
under rocks. They’re shy.”
The cabrilla’s bold lavour stands in stark
contrast to its demeanour when cooked that
night at the tented camp. It’s seared with fresh
garlic, onion and basil. As I consider our single
catch from the day, it seems this responsible
tourism initiative signiies a promising shit
towards protecting Ecuador’s Wild West.
Against the rules
“I came to the Galápagos on a cargo ship,”
says Adriano, owner of organic farm El
Trapiche. “It took four or ive days. Once a
ship was gone, you were here for a while
— there was one every three to four months
then.” In Santa Cruz’s misty agricultural
highlands, Adriano produces organic cane
liquor, unreined sugar, raw chocolate and
wild cofee.
“There were a few small houses here in
1966 and two small stores,” he continues.
“Back home, I had bananas, cofee, rice,
water, everything. But here, nothing.” He had
to stop himself from crying, he explains with
a hearty laugh, as we stroll around the farm’s
collection of cofee-making contraptions — a
rustic roaster, a hollowed-out section of a
guayabillo trunk for mashing, a winnowing
wand. I try toasted cofee beans sprinkled
with cacao, before Adriano, whose name is
GALÁPAGOS
embroidered across the front of his panama
hat, takes me towards a distillation area
where a long wooden box angrily izzes
with fermenting sugarcane juice. Nearby
is a homemade still, constructed crudely
from barrels, pipes and smoothed-down
tree trunks. Adriano throws some of the
60% proof spirit onto an open lame, which
erupts. “Aguardiente!” he shrieks — irewater!
“If you throw commercial stuf on the ire, it
puts it out,” says Steve.
I forgo the irewater in favour of a cup
of medium-roast Galápagos Wild Cofee,
while Adriano explains why he stayed on
this isolated island. “I didn’t go back [to
the mainland] because I’d earn much less
money,” he says. Steve nods, jumping in:
“There was no competition for jobs here.
Galápagos was really a paradise because you
could work and live very well on it. It was a
much easier, more relaxed lifestyle — you
weren’t in a hurry, there were so few people,
everybody knew each other. It was beautiful.”
Boulder-size Galápagos giant tortoises
line the road as we leave. “There are around
35,000 tortoises in the Galápagos now,” Steve
explains. “Before humans, there were maybe
250,000, so there’s a little more than a tenth
let.” It’s a worrying igure, given this is one of
the last places they’re found on earth.
“Whalers and pirates would take them on
board the ship, stack them like cans, upside
down, and they’d go to sleep,” says Steve.
“They live for a year or more without food or
water. It’s an ideal way to store food. Sailors
wanted fresh meat — they were sufering
from scurvy. They had pretty tough lives in
those days.”
The consumption of these reptiles is one
of the reasons Darwin didn’t discover any
on Floreana Island when he arrived in 1835
(although, when he found them on other
islands, he too became partial to the exotic
meat). However, the outlook for the endemic
animal is improving, thanks to a joint
initiative by the Galápagos National Park and
the Charles Darwin Research Station, which
celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.
The research station isn’t just the domain
of scientists — visitors can learn about
conservation initiatives and visit the
breeding centre’s young giant tortoises.
“The captive breeding programme has
December 2019 101
IT’S TIME TO E N J OY O U R
DISCOUNT

TRAVEL TO 10%
OFF *
GALAPAGOS code: GPSNG19

First Class

First Class
YACHT ODISSEY

Spacious 16 pax 9 Cabins

www.yachtgalapagosodyssey.com

CATAMARAN TREASURE First Class

Special 16 pax
moments 9 Cabins

www.catamarantreasure.com

Galapagos is a marvellous place that may Superior Mid-Range

have been in your bucket list for a while now! YACHT SOLARIS
Witness with your own eyes the place that
took Charles Darwin to develop the renowned Solo 16 pax 11 Cabins
friendly
Theory of Evolution. www.yachtsolaris.com

Make the most out of your time and visit

Superior Mid-Range
otherwise unreachable islands in the CATAMARAN ARCHIPEL I
archipelago by going on a cruise.
Enticing 16 pax 8 Cabins

ATC Galapagos Cruises offers a variety of www.catamaranarchipel.com

alternatives; from mid-range to first class,
choose the yacht that suits you the most and
Mid-Range
enjoy a 10% discount for any 2020 departure CATAMARAN ARCHIPEL II
date!
Enticing 16 pax 8 Cabins
Book any ATC Galapagos Cruise at all major www.catamaranarchipel.com
tour operators all across the UK.

* Discount does not apply for High-Season departure dates. YACHT AQUA
* Discount applies for bookings confirmed until Dec 31st 2019.

Adventure 16 pax 8 Cabins

www.yachtaqua.com

Galápagos giant tortoise crossing
a dirt road through a forest
been quite successful,” Steve explains.
It began in 1964, with a goal to recover
populations across the islands. I’m told
over 5,000 tortoises have successfully been
repatriated so far.
Curling around Academy Bay from the
Charles Darwin Research Station to the port
is Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz’s largest town.
The main road is peppered with boutiques,
restaurants and even the island’s irst
microbrewery. By day, sea lions and pelicans
keep watch over the popular ish market;
by night, locals crowd into San Francisco
Park to watch a game of ecuavoley, Ecuador’s
variant of volleyball.
But I’m heading to Puerto Ayora to learn
more about Santa Cruz cofee. As we drive,
Steve tells me Adriano was one of the irst
islanders to grow the crop. “A lot of people
have started in the past ive or 10 years,” he
says. “Nobody was paying attention to cofee
because it’s labour intensive.” But demand
for this high-quality cuppa has grown,
meaning more farmers are cultivating it.
IMAGE: GETTY
At 1835 Cofee Lab, the fruits of this hard
work are showcased. The small, open-fronted
cafe is dotted with stools and hung with
blackboards illustrating the cofee-making
GALÁPAGOS
process. It sells everything from cold brew
to mojito espresso cocktails. Behind the
barista, shelves are stocked like a scientist’s
lab with brewing paraphernalia — syphons,
Chemex glasses, French press, drips. The cafe
sells only Ecuadorian cofee, but “Galápagos
is our star”, beams Cynthia, who owns the
cafe with her husband, Gino. Having grown
up on the mainland, in Guayaquil, she’s been
here for nearly 20 years, making her a bona
ide local.
I order an Aeropress-brewed cofee,
made using beans from this island — a
short journey from farm to cup. “We roast
Galápagos cofee here because we buy it
green from the farmers directly,” Cynthia
explains. “We buy other Ecuadorian cofee
roasted because bringing green cofee to the
islands is forbidden.”
My black brew is rich and robust; a smooth
sip with caramel hints. “Producing cofee here
is hard,” Cynthia admits when she notices my
surprise at the quality. “It goes against the
cofee-making rules because we don’t have a
source of natural water. The microclimates
make it possible. It’s very costly, but it’s
known by its exotic quality, and that’s why
people have enthusiasm to produce it.”
December 2019 103

IMAGE: GETTY
ABOVE: Flamingos in a lagoon near
Punta Cormorant, Floreana Island
Jurassic Park
Arms of porous black lava creep into the sea.
Blending into their surface is a prehistoric
pile of spiky spines, claws and twisted
tails. Five heads emerge from the water that
fringes Fernandina Island to join the other
marine iguanas, numbering at least 100.
“This is Jurassic Park,” laughs Edison, a
Galápagos native and my guide on a four-
night cruise of the archipelago’s western
islands. Having let civilisation on the
Santa Cruz II cruise ship last night, I’ve now
reached a much wilder side of the Galápagos.
I watch as the marine iguanas — the only
lizard in the world adapted to a marine
environment — spurt fountains of saltwater
through glands near their noses. “It’s every
couple of minutes,” Edison says. The iguanas
do this to expel the salt they ingest while
feeding on marine algae. “They can easily
stay underwater one hour, swimming with
their lat tails, like a paddle.”
Beyond the lava — dotted with clumps of
cactuses — is a beach peppered with shades
of pink. Its punchy colour comes from
broken bits of black sea urchin, bleached
by the sun. Wolf Volcano looms beyond, its
soup-bowl peak shrouded in sheets of cloud.
Two lightless cormorants, eyes glittering
gemstone-blue, balance with defunct wings,
hopping towards a sleepy sea lion and
GALÁPAGOS
playfully jumping at Sally Lightfoot crabs,
which scutter away — pops of red on black
rock. And above, silhouetted against a big
blue dome of sky, is a Galápagos hawk.
As I walk along Punta Espinoza — a
narrow ledge of lava and sand — a pelican
gracefully lands near a sea lion nursing her
pup on the shore. “Sea lions are everywhere
around the world, but the only place you can
see them face-to-face is in the Galápagos,”
remarks Edison. With few predators, most of
the wildlife here has evolved to be tame.
Of the coast of Floreana Island the next
morning, I ind a nursery of sea lion pups,
which playfully pirouette and nibble the rope
trailing behind my kayak. “When they’re
babies, they play with everything in the
water,” smiles Edison.
This Edenic island also launts its bird
biodiversity. An orange-beaked American
oystercatcher lands on the sandy beach; male
frigatebirds — whose distinctive red throat
pouches only balloon in breeding season
— soar over a clump of mangroves; and a
boobie dive-bombs the water, lashing its
blue feet.
I’m at Post Oice Bay, named ater the postal
system homesick whalers established here
over 300 years ago. “During the 17th and 18th
centuries, a thousand ships were anchored
in the Galápagos,” Edison tells me. “When
December 2019 105
GALÁPAGOS

ESSENTIALS
GALÁPAGOS
ISLANDS

PACIFIC OCEAN ECUADOR

Pinta

Marchena
Genovesa

PUNTA San Salvador

ESPINOSA DAPHNE ISLANDS

Fernandina Isabela
Santa Cruz

PUERTO AYORA
PUNTA San Cristóbal
POST OFFICE CORMORANT
BAY Española
50 Miles
Floreana

Getting there & around

British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and
Avianca, among others, ly to Quito
indirectly. LATAM Airlines, Avianca and
Tame offer lights from Quito to Baltra
and San Cristóbal in the Galápagos.
virginatlantic.com ba.com avianca.com
latam.com tame.com
Average light time: 20h.
All visitors must pay a $100 (£78)
entry fee on arrival. Santa Cruz, San
Cristóbal, Isabela and Floreana Islands
are inhabited — travel between them
on ferries. Other islands and most sites
can only be visited on an oficial tour.

Wooden post ofice box near
the shore of Floreana Island
When to go
Set on the equator, the sun can be
ierce. Rainy season (December-May)
sees temperatures in the high 20Cs.
June-December (peak season) is dry,
with temperatures in the low 20Cs.

one sailed to Europe or America, they took
postcards to the families waiting over there.”
In a clearing beyond the shore is a painted
‘Post Oice Box’ sign, with animal skeletons
placed beneath, and a weary wooden barrel
elevated on a pole, chipped and rusting
with age. Thousands of postcards still pass
through this austere relic. “The idea is to
hand-deliver them,” says Edison. I lick
through the pile, inding one addressed to
the West Midlands. A cruise ship guest takes
Places mentioned
between two hills, humbled by a huge waxing Charles Darwin Research Station.
darwinfoundation.org
moon. Bubble-shaped jellyish trailing blue
1835 Coffee Lab. 1835coffeelabec.com
tentacles like spilt ink litter the beach, while
Santa Cruz II. metropolitan-touring.com
herons patrol the shores, searching for a
dinner of baby sea turtles. More info
Looking closer, I realise it’s not just Ecuador & the Galápagos Islands
jellyish beneath my feet — the sand is (Lonely Planet). RRP: £19.99.
strewn with plastic: straws, bottle tops, cable ecuador.travel
ties. Fighting the rising tide of pollution, galápagos.org
these islands introduced restrictions last
summer, banning plastic straws, single- Where to stay
IMAGE: STEPHANIE CAVAGNARO. ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER

Casa Gangotena, Quito.

it. “Sure, it’s only an hour from my house,” he
says with a shrug.
That aternoon, we hike along the island’s
northern shore towards Punta Cormorant.
Skeleton-like palo santo trees are sprinkled
with leaves; they rise over dusty hillsides
like the bristles of a beard. Ghost crab holes
polka-dot the sand, which is tinged green by
olivine crystals. Strolling over cracked earth,
we reach a brackish-water lagoon, pink with
greater lamingos: there are salmon-shaded
juveniles, while nesting adults resemble
blushing swirls of candy loss.
We crest a hill, inding a yellow warbler
and Galápagos lycatcher hopping on
branches. Below, a powdery beach stretches
use bags and polythene containers. This
February, nonreusable plastic bottles were
added to the growing list. It’s hoped the
measures will help to protect wildlife from
the devastating impact of plastic, ranging
from entanglement to ingestion.
Although civilisation is nowhere to
be seen, its efects reach even the most
remote corners of these islands. As I help
guides pick up the pieces, it’s at least a little
reassuring that passionate locals and recent
measures are striving to protect this unique
ecosystem. “We have to learn to coexist with
our planet — not destroy it, not trash it, not
plastify it, just because we can,” Steve had
put it. “It’s fragile.”
casagangotena.com
Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel.
inchbayhotel.com
Galapagos Safari Camp.
galapagossafaricamp.com
How to do it
JACADA TRAVEL offers 10 nights in
Ecuador and the Galápagos from
$12,400 (£10,029) per person including
two nights’ B&B at Casa Gangotena in
Quito, two nights’ full-board at
Galapagos Safari Camp, two nights’
half-board at Finch Bay Galapagos
Hotel and four nights’ full-board on the
Santa Cruz II. Includes return Galápagos
lights from Quito. jacadatravel.com

106 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
| W E P U T YO U I N T H E P I C T U R E
T R AV E L W I T H N AT I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C |

Venture into the world’s wild and pristine places on our E X P L O R AT I O N H A P P E N S B E C A U S E O F YO U

expedition cruises, from the iceberg-scattered bays of When you travel with us, you help further the work of our
scientists, explorers, and educators around the world. Every
Antarctica to the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean.
year, we distribute a portion of our proceeds to the National
Travelling aboard PONANT’s fleet of environmentally Geographic Society, creating more opportunities to work toward
certified small ships you’ll get closer to wildlife and a planet in balance. Learn more at natgeo.com/giveback.
places that larger vessels cannot reach. National
Geographic Expedition Cruises are curated to excite,
entertain and educate. Why not join us?

CALL 0800 035 0701

T R AV E LW I T H N AT G E O. C O. U K

S M A L L G RO U P TO U R S | S M A L L S H I P C R U I S E S | FA M I LY TO U R S | P H OTO G R A P H Y TO U R S | P R I VAT E TO U R S

© 2019 National Geographic Partners, LLC. National Geographic EXPEDITIONS and the Yellow Border Design are trademarks of the National Geographic Society, used under license. Photo
Credit: © Studio PONANT/ Lorraine Turci.
108 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Ebb & low
A S T H E D O R D O G N E R I V E R M E A N D E R S T H R O U G H WO O D E D VA L L E Y S
F R O M S A I N T- É M I L I O N TO T H E B O R D E R W I T H T H E LOT R EG I O N ,
I T PA S S E S H O N E Y-S TO N E D TOW N S , D R A M AT I C C L I F F TO P C A S T L E S A N D
A S M AT T E R I N G O F R O C K S H E LT E R S , W H E R E PA I N T I N G S BY S O M E O F
T H E F I R S T H U M A N S S T I L L A D O R N C AV E WA L L S

WORDS JULIA BUCKLEY PHOTOGRAPHS KE VIN FAING NAE RT

December 2019 109

DORDOGNE
I
t was the sheep that welcomed me to
the Dordogne. I’d arrived late at night
and parked outside the walls of
Saint-Émilion. A full moon lit up
the vineyards behind me, and I’d
stopped to admire grapes dangling from a vine.
There was silence as I walked through the
12th-century Brunet Gate, which protected the
town during its heyday.
110 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
At least there was quiet until I heard a rustle
of leaves and a gentle ‘baah’. Two sheep were
pressing themselves up against a gate in
the medieval wall, thrusting their muzzles
towards me.
Saint-Émilion is famous for its wineries.
The Dordogne River, meanwhile — shrouded
by a thick stripe of woodland, hazy in the
distance beyond the Brunet Gate — is best
known for its honey-hued stone towns and
clitop castles. They thread along its banks
as it runs from the Auvergne region to
Bordeaux, where it meets the Garonne River
and empties into the Atlantic.
I’ve come here to experience the natural
side of the Dordogne, tracing the river
from Saint-Émilion to the border with the
Lot. Alongside castles are modest country
pads with cottage-style gardens; as well as
Cotswolds-esque towns and villages. And to
really get to know this region, I’ll venture into
caves sculpted by underground rivers, walking
in the footsteps of some of the irst humans.
Saint-Émilion is where I irst head
underground. Before it was a wine hub, this
was a place of pilgrimage, popularised by a
monk called Émilion (ater whom the town is
named, although, confusingly, he was never
canonised). He took up residence here in

the eighth century; ater his death, his tomb
drew followers and before long the town was
a stop on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage
route. In the 12th century, an enterprising
aristocrat who owned the land surrounding
Émilion’s tomb decided that by building an
underground church — like those in Turkey’s
Cappadocia he’d seen en route to the Crusades
— he could attract more visitors and stimulate
the local economy. He had a huge basilica
carved from the sot rock, perched a tall spire
on top of the clif to act as a marker, and sat
back. The irst tourists were on their way.
And still they come. On a tour, I clamber
down into the grotto where Émilion’s bones
were kept until they were stolen during the
Renaissance. Then we head up into the fan-
vaulted chapel; down into the catacombs,
where three igures are carved into the domed
roof, embracing as they soar from their tombs;
and on into a hangar-like underground
church, where iron corsets prop up the stout
columns — and the town — above our heads. I
walk up the aisle, deep into the hillside, to see
frescoed faces with almond eyes, and carved
angels whose wings seem to lutter around
their feet like windblown dresses.
Underneath us there’s water, our guide,
Marion, says — a tributary of the Dordogne,
DORDOGNE
trickling 2.5 miles to the river. Leaving town,
I follow a line of trees to Saint-Sulpice-de-
Faleyrens, Saint-Émilion’s old port, where the
river slips thin and dark towards Bordeaux.
One ield back, a colossal menhir stands in
the middle of a vineyard. Erected 4,500 years
ago, when it marked the riverbank, I could
swear it’s been carved like a hand raised in
salutation to river-goers.
The watery heart
The Dordogne is at the heart of its namesake
region. In Bergerac, an hour east of Saint-
Émilion, I sit on the terrace of Maison des
Vins, overlooking the river. The town is a
mishmash of cob houses, beamed walls
and the area’s famous lauze roofs — lat
limestone rocks instead of tiles, pitched as
steep as a witch’s hat. A huge fountain in the
middle of the Dordogne blows water 50t into
the air. Before me is the cobbled quay, where
lat-bottomed gabarre boats were loaded with
bottles and sent to Bordeaux.
Maison des Vins is essentially a showroom
for Bergerac appellation producers, says
FROM LEFT: Château de Monbazillac;
Loane, a resident expert, as she talks me black grapes at a vineyard near
through the hundreds of bottles on the Saint-Émilion
shelves. Aterwards, she dispatches me PREVIOUS PAGES: La Roque-Gageac, on
to a nearby vineyard, Vignoble des Verdots, the banks of the Dordogne
December 2019 111
DORDOGNE
where I’m handed a rucksack packed full
of Dordogne essentials — baguette, cheese,
tomatoes, conit duck and a half-bottle of rosé
— and sent out amid the vines for a picnic.
Two ields later — cicadas providing a
background hum — I’m joined by Françoise,
from the nearby village of Monbazillac, and
her grandson, Charly, for lunch. We chat in
broken French and English — about politics,
the Dordogne and our meal. “C’était un pique-
nique royale!” grins Françoise, as we swap
emails. It’s the smaller moments rather than
the big-hitting sights I’m enjoying the most.
Instead of hitting more vineyards, I dip
westwards to Montcaret, a tiny hamlet where
the remains of a small Roman villa sit below
a medieval church. It’s a hot aternoon and
my only companion is a little white cat, which
jumps up on still-standing walls and follows
me along fourth-century corridors. I leave it
lounging by the underloor heating system
as I do a round of the church’s mosaics that
are still in situ: a carpet of whiskered ish and
bulbous squid at the bottom of what was once
a cold-water pool. Adam and Eve, awkwardly
covering themselves, look down from the
facade of the church, as the clink of cutlery
seeps in from surrounding cottages.
Montcaret sits in a small triangle of lesser-
visited sites. Up the road is a castle that once
belonged to the 16th-century philosopher
Michel de Montaigne. Then there are the
Gardens of Sardy — home to a medieval
farmhouse that was renovated by Italians in
the 18th century, complete with a low-for-
the-Dordogne roof and eggshell-blue window
frames, giving it the feel of a Tuscan villa.
“You’re going to smell the plants,” says
ticket oice staf member Malika, whisking
me into the lower-illed courtyard and
taking me from shrub to shrub, plucking
leaves. “What’s this?” she asks, “and this?”,
as she thrusts lemon balm, eucalyptus,
bergamot and lavender mint at me. There’s
an English country garden feel to all this,
while the Italian heritage rings out with
cypress avenues and a carp-illed pond that
springs into life, arcing water from one side
to the other, as a mossy statue of Saint Fiacre,
the patron saint of gardeners, watches on.
French idyll
Brits love the Dordogne — perhaps it’s in
our blood. Henry the Young King, the titular
King of England from 1170 to 1183, was the
son of Eleanor of Aquitaine, and while king
he doubled as the Duke of Normandy. From
the time of Henry’s rule until the 15th, the
112 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Dordogne was batted between English and In the Gardens of
French hands. The legacy is still visible in the
form of the bastides: fortiied towns, oten Sardy, there are
built in grids, whose neat street plans seem
more American than European.
cypress avenues
I arrive in the medieval town of Issigeac on and a carp -f illed
market day. Unlike other bastides, this is a
tightly wound, circular town, with alleyways pond that springs
uncoiling from the centre. The market zigzags
through the streets, under lauze roofs and
into life, arcing
timbered facades, until it reaches the bone- water from one side
grey church. Tomatoes as big as footballs and
forearm-sized cucumbers are heaped outside to the other, as a
the chateau-turned-tourist oice; a lavender
stall sits below the Maison des Têtes (House mossy s tatue of
of Heads), where rictus-grin gargoyles gurn Saint Fiacre, the
amid gothic arches and crisscross timbers.
Just outside the centre, I join the locals patron saint of
under a vine-shaded bower at Les Crêpes
d’Emeline and enjoy a ham, egg and cheese gardeners, watches
pancake. It’s so good, I ask Emeline herself
whether she’s from Brittany, the home of the
on benevolently
crêpe. “Oh, no!”, she grins, “I’m from here
— I just love crêpes.” Two little boys run in
to push a drawing into a waiter’s hand.
“Maman told us to give it to you,” says
one, blushing furiously.
On Françoise’s advice, I visit the Château
des Milandes, the former home of Josephine
Baker, the famous American-born French
entertainer, which overlooks the river near
Sarlat, a busy, macaron-box of a town, further
upstream. The 15th-century château’s rooms
are illed with cases of rhinestone-covered
dresses and exhibits chronicling the singer’s
anti-racism campaigning and role in the
French Resistance. It’s fascinating, but busy.
I seek refuge on a gabarre ride from nearby
La Roque-Gageac, a village etched into the
clifside, its honey houses cantilevered over
the Dordogne. We slide up and down the river,
ive miles there and back, dodging kayaks,
passing châteaux. There are said to be over
1,000 of them on the banks of the Dordogne
— later, I’ll stay at one of the loveliest, Château
de la Treyne, an aristocratic home-turned-
hotel just over the border in the Lot.
The water is so clear I can see pebbles on the
bottom and tendrils of green loating up from
the depths. Laurent, our guide, tells us about CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The
the river as cicadas keep a beat. Dragonlies medieval town of Sarlat-la-Canéda;
skitter across the water, pigeons swoop in and a couple walking in Castelnaud-la-
Chapelle, in an alley right next to the
out of niches in the clif-face, and a kingisher
chateau; the Gardens of Sardy; house
perches on a branch, waiting for a ish to
on the site of the Gardens of Sardy
break cover. The rock here — sliced diagonally PREVIOUS PAGES FROM LEFT: Sunset at
like an upended mille-feuille — dates back a viewpoint near the village of Domme,
63 million years, Laurent tells us; each layer overlooking the Dordogne Valley;
taking up to 40,000 years to form. terrace, Hotel L’Esplanade, Domme
 DORDOGNE

December 2019 113

DORDOGNE

I walk up the aisle

of the church, deep
into the hillside, to
see frescoed faces
with almond eyes,
and car ved angels
whose wings seem
to f lut ter around
their feet like
windblown dresses

114 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 DORDOGNE

December 2019 115

 TOP BOATING REGIONS
IN FRANCE
7 nights* Canal du Midi
from
£170 pp
Le Boat is the No.1 provider of boating holidays on
Europe and Canada’s beautiful inland waterways.
Boasting over 50 years of experience, expertise and
memories, you can rely on Le Boat to ofer exceptional
service and a wealth of knowledge; Their clear and
concise guides, thorough pre-departure brieings and
easy-to-drive boats, all mean you can enjoy your cruise
with complete conidence - no licence required, no
experience needed!
Ideal for multi-generational groups, their large leet
of easy to operate self-drive cruisers cater to parties
of all sizes, allowing entire families (even the dog!) to
experience enchanting destinations from the unique
perspective of their own cruiser.
Le Boat have over 35 bases across Europe and
Canada and operate in 9 regions of France including:
the Aquitaine, River Lot, Brittany, Burgundy: Franche-
Visit leboat.co.uk to ind out more or call their Boating Experts on +44 (0)23 9427 3078.
*T&Cs: Price from £170 per person (£1699 total) for 7 nights on the Canal du Midi on board a 10 berth boat (Magniique) from 23rd – 30th March 2020.
Comté, Alsace-Lorraine, Canal du Midi, Camargue
and Charente, and have 36 bases across Europe and
Canada to choose from.
The Canal du Midi is over 350 years old and has been
a UNESCO world heritage site for over 20 years.
It meanders and twists through cheerful ields of
golden sunlowers, sun-drenched vineyards and
picturesque hamlets.
Broad saltwater lagoons, golden beaches, wild horses
and pink lamingos — the Camargue basks in sunshine
all year round. Feel the region’s rich history as you
approach fortress seaport cities, or discover unique
wildlife as you ride through saline wetlands
on horseback.
Whether you choose an action-packed adventure, or a
slow-paced relaxing chance to unwind, you are sure to
Create unique memories with Le Boat.

On the cave wall is a
horse mid -fall. It ’s
bucking it s front
legs in the air, ears
t wis ting in horror
as it plummet s into
the darkness of the
cave, it s body
curling round the
cur ved wall
Wine tasting at Maison des Vins, an
information centre and showroom for
Bergerac appellation producers
Deeper underground
North of Sarlat is the Vézère Valley, through
which the Vézère River rushes between high
clifs. Dordogne’s inhabitants use the friable
stone to build their houses, just like they
have for the past 40,000 years. At the end of
the last Ice Age, prehistoric tribes holed up
here in caves; only these rock shelters weren’t
mere homes, many were galleries too, with
the artists oten using the shape of the walls
to give the paintings and etchings a sense of
perspective or depth.
At Lascaux — the most famous of them
all, known as the Sistine Chapel of prehistory
— an array of paunchy horses and freckled
bulls is plastered all over the ‘ceiling’,
including a horse mid-fall. It’s bucking
its front legs in the air, ears twisting in
horror as it plummets into the darkness of
the cave, its body curling round the curved
wall. Given the jutting angles, the artist
wouldn’t have been able to see their work in
its entirety, says our guide, Christelle; and
yet, the horse is perfectly in proportion.
The skill — still impressive ater 20,000
years — gives me chills, even though we’re
standing in a facsimile.
Lascaux was discovered in 1940, opened
to the public eight years later, and closed
in 1963, ater the ensuing inlux of tourists
DORDOGNE
damaged the paintings. I’m in Lascaux IV
— a modern building at the foot of the hill
where the original cave is located. The main
event here is a facsimile of the irst part
of the cave — its contours aping the shape
of the rock formations, and the paintings
perfectly reproduced.
Fiteen miles away, in the tiny village of
Les Eyzies, time wheels right back again.
Pigeons swoop in and out of the hollows of
clifs behind the houses, and, outside the
village, the undergrowth is so thick that
sometimes the stone is no longer visible.
The rock here contains one of the densest
concentrations of cave art in the world. In
the lee of a forbidding clif is the Abri du
Poisson, where a lifesize salmon has been
carved on the roof of a rock shelter, a jaunty
smile on its face as it seems to leap from
the stone. In the next valley is Cap-Blanc,
another rock shelter, where full-scale reliefs
of a pack of horses thrust out from the rock.
Close to the village is Font-de-Gaume,
where herds of red, tan and black-brown
bison ile through a cave, rippling across the
rockface just as they have for the past 17,000
years. A little further is Les Combarelles,
famed for its engravings. The cave is so
narrow and the carvings so delicate that
only 42 visitors — in groups of seven — are
December 2019 117
DORDOGNE

Saint Léon sur Vézère, with the

Romaneque Church to the right
and the towers of the Château de
Clérans in the background ESSENTIALS
10 Miles
Saint-Émilion

N
Montcaret
JARDINS DE SARDY

Périgueux

D
Bergerac

O
R
D
MAISON DES VINS

O
G
N
Issigeac E
PLAGE BAC DE SORS

Vézère
FRANCE Sarlat-la-
Canéda
CHATEAU DES MILANDES
La Roque-Gageac

Getting there & around

Bergerac is served by Ryanair from
Stansted; British Airways from London
City, and Flybe from Southampton and
Exeter. Ryanair also lies to Brive-la-
Gaillarde (an hour from Sarlat) from
Stansted. Bordeaux Airport is a
45-minute drive from Saint-Émilion.
ryanair.com ba.com lybe.com
Average light time: 1h45m.

When to go
July-August is high season, when
temperatures can peak in the low 30Cs,
while September temperatures can hit
mid-20Cs. Winter is the best time to visit
the Les Eyzies caves, with tickets
assigned at 9.30am. Arrive by 7.30am
to get them in peak season.

allowed inside each day. Guide Majo takes
the lead, as we venture within, dodging
column-like stalagmites and ducking
pendulous stalactites as we follow the cave’s
twists and turns for what feels like a mile,
although it turns out we’ve only covered 120
metres. Majo stops and shines her torch on
the wall, and we start to make out chiselled
lines. “What’s that?” she asks, and we shake
our heads, dumbstruck by the gulf in time.
Hundreds of etchings loom into view
over the few minutes, and as we walk along,
Majo teases them out with her torch: a horse
head here, nostrils laring in the breeze; a
mammoth there, hair protruding from its
belly, trunk curling round its shoulder. There
are mountain goats, prehistoric cows and two
reindeers facing of. Deeper in is the head of
a lion, jaw taut as it scours for a kill. And at
the end of the cave — or, rather, the end of the
part open for visitors — next to a dark, damp
niche is another reindeer, crouching down
What seems clear, however, is that depicting
humans — or at least doing so in a realistic
fashion — was somehow taboo. People rarely
appear, and when they do they tend to be
either cartoonish (a stick igure with a bird’s
head at Lascaux, for example); disembodied (as
seen with the stencilled handprints at Font-
de-Gaume), or caricatures (Les Combarelles,
whose exaggerated female igures — cleavage
to thigh — have a hint of Picasso).
And then Majo shows us the most
incongruous thing of all. “Qu’est-ce que c’est?”
she asks, looping her torch round what looks
like a hexagon with two circles and a line
inside. We stare, baled, and Majo laughs.
“It’s a smiley face,” she says — and suddenly,
we see it, an emoji carved into the rock
between 12,000 and 15,000 years ago; ancient
man grinning at us from beyond the grave.
That evening, I go for a swim in the river at
the Plage du Bac de Sors, a pebbly beach near
Limeuil, where the Vézère is swallowed up
Places mentioned 
Underground Saint-Émilion tour.
saint-emilion-tourisme.com
Maison des Vins. vins-bergeracduras.fr
Vignoble des Verdots. verdots.com
Montcaret. villa-montcaret.fr
Gardens of Sardy. jardinsdesardy.com
Les Crêpes d’Emeline.
facebook.com/lescrepesdemeline
Château des Milandes. milandes.com
Gabarres Caminade.gabarrecaminade.fr
Cap-Blanc, Abri du Poisson, Font-de-
Gaume, Les Combarelles.
sites-les-eyzies.fr
Where to stay
Château de la Treyne, Lot.
chateaudelatreyne.com
Le Mas de Castel, Sarlat.
hotel-lemasdecastel.com
More info 
enjoydordogne.com atout-france.fr
visit-nouvelle-aquitaine.com
saint-emilion-tourisme.com
ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER

with its mouth open. “He’s drinking,” Majo
says, tenderly tracing the outline of its tongue
with her torch. “But look what’s on the other
side.” She shines the light on a human stick
igure, spear raised above its head.
Nobody knows why this art was created,
explains Majo (her own theory is that it has
something to do with an initiation rite).
by the larger Dordogne. Aterwards, I sit back
with a post-dip rosé, bought from a pop-up
cafe on the bank, and watch people rush into
the water — some with their dogs. They’re
swimming, splashing, and cooling of from
the summer heat as I look at the hollowed-
out clifs, and think of that smiley face,
carved upstream.
How to do it
RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL has an eight-day
self-guided Dordogne cycling tour,
including Lascaux and Sarlat, from £776
per person. Includes seven nights’ B&B,
ive dinners and luggage transfers.
responsibletravel.com

118 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Tiara Miramar Beach Hotel & Spa is situated in the village of héoule-sur-Mer,
near Cannes, and is one of the most discreet luxury resorts on the Cote d’Azur.
Nestled in a private creek amid the Estérel’s red rocks, guests can enjoy a heated
ininity pool, a private deck next to the sea, irst-rate cuisine at the restaurants and
sensory pleasures courtesy of the Tiara Spa by Sothys. It’s even accessible by boat
— a rare luxury. he hotel is also a member of ‘Small Luxury Hotels of the World’.

47, avenue de Miramar -

06590 héoule-sur-Mer
T: +33 (0) 4 93 75 05 05
reservations.miramar
@tiara-hotels.com
www.tiara-hotels.com
120 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 AU S TR A LIA
Twisting for 150 miles along the southern coast,
the Great Ocean Road is arguably the country’s most
spectacular drive. But this legendary route is more than
a road trip, it’s Australia in microcosm, threading through
a colourful landscape of surf spots, national parks
and enterprising local towns

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS J O N AT T E N B O R O U G H

December 2019 121

AUSTRALIA

Bells Beach is well known among the suring set; due to its famous barrelling waves, it’s been home
to Rip Curl Pro, the world’s longest-running suring championships, since 1961. Elsewhere, Coorong
National Park ofers a gentler, more peaceful escape from the sea-lashed coast. Strung out along a
lagoon, the park is a lush haven for local lora and fauna, which ranges from birds, such as
sandpipers and shelducks, to kangaroos, who kick up clouds of dust as they hop along quiet roads.

122 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 AUSTRALIA

December 2019 123

AUSTRALIA

Along its length, the Great Ocean Road is dotted with laid-back cafes that serve comfort food
alongside breathtaking ocean views. Surfers swing by the Bottle of Milk bar in the seaside town
of Lorne, with its white-washed walls and colourful parasols, for a post-surf breakfast burger.
At Grassroots Deli Cafe in Port Campbell, meanwhile, baristas brew smooth lat whites — an
Australian creation that makes the perfect roadside pit stop.

124 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 AUSTRALIA

December 2019 125

AUSTRALIA

Nature takes a starring role in the sights and scenes of southern Australia.
At the Mayfair Hotel, in the heart of the city of Adelaide, executive chef Bethany
Finn harvests honey for her restaurant. The Cape Otway Lighthouse, meanwhile,
stands sentinel over the Bass Strait as one of the oldest working beacons in the
region and is a popular vantage point for land-based whale-watching.

126 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 AUSTRALIA

December 2019 127

AUSTRALIA

128 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 AUSTRALIA

As well as its curious wildlife, the people that call this stretch of Australia home are just as
memorable. Dotted along the cape are all manner of free spirits — lifeguards, surfers and dog
walkers who live by the beach — all shaped by a life next to the sea. It’s as though the salty air
imparts everything with a unique character: from the road itself to the windswept gum trees
and lively local spirit.

December 2019 129

AUSTRALIA

But perhaps the biggest attraction along the route is the world-famous Twelve
Apostles. These huge limestone stacks in Port Campbell National Park loom up to 165t
over the crashing surf, formed through erosion millions of years ago. It’s a misnomer,
however — only eight stacks have ever existed, and just seven remain today; in 2005,
the eighth was claimed by the ocean that created it.

130 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
PARTNER CONTENT FOR ANA STRATEGIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE
 PARTNER CONTENT FOR ANA STRATEGIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE

THE WAY OF THE

WARRIOR
Aizu lies in the heart of Fukushima, and has long been known as the land of
the samurai. While the last warriors fell here more than 150 years ago, their
spirit lives on, preserved in the traditions of the region. Words: Lee Cobaj
IMAGE: GETTY
PARTNER CONTENT FOR ANA STRATEGIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE
To the right of the water is, according to
the sign — ‘a strange Buddhist temple’. The
18th-century Sazaedo, hewn from wood
and shaped like a turban snail shell has a
double-helix ramp leading up and down
through its middle, a design that means
worshippers never pass anyone coming in
the opposite direction.
Strange in the best way, when strange is
utterly beautiful. Up ahead, steep stone stairs
lanked by cedar and cypress trees lead to
the summit of Mount Iimori, from where
I can see the city of Aizu-Wakamatsu laid
out before me. It’s a picture of tranquillity,
a vast mass of squat white buildings with
a patchwork of coloured rooftops ringed
by row upon row of green mountains, each
peak licked by frosty clouds.
Over 150 years ago, 20 young samurai
shared this same view, though the scenes
they witnessed were less idyllic. The
Autumn of 1868 marked the inal throes
of the Boshin War, a ierce civil war
fought between the ruling shogunate
and the better-equipped imperial forces.
Cut of from their squad at the Battle of
Tonoguchihara and vastly outnumbered,
the 16 and 17-year-old soldiers retreated
through the river cave, emerging on top
of Mount Iimori. There, they surveyed
a diorama of devastation; a city under
siege and their fortress, Tsurugajo Castle,
engulfed in lames. The war was lost.
Refusing to be humiliated by the
enemy, in one inal act of bravery, 19 of the
youngsters performed seppuku, taking their
short-bladed tanto swords and plunging
them into their stomachs, tearing from left
to right to sever the aorta artery. Though a
horribly painful process, it was a swift way
to end their lives. Their premature deaths
were catapulted from a sad side note of war
to a tragedy of epic proportions eulogized
across the country. A few short weeks later,
the 265-year Edo period of the samurai
would also come to an end.
Later, the story is recounted to me once
more. This time, however, it’s through the
medium of song and dance, performed by a
ruby-lipped geisha (known as geigi in this
part of the country) wearing an opulent
black and loral silk kimono costing more
than £5,000; her hair lacquered into
what looks like a work of abstract art. I
watch spellbound as I eat lunch seated on
tatami mats at Tsuruga restaurant. The
cuisine I dine on is the same as the samurai
themselves might have eaten — sesame tofu
with wasabi, stewed tomatoes with yuzu,
deep-fried Aizu chicken, curls of horse
sashimi and a choice of 59 types of sake.
A century and half may have passed since
SAMURAI
the end of the shogunate, but the spirit of the SCHOOL
samurai lives on in Aizu’s many passionate
artisans; its restaurateurs, entertainers, Mr Noritsugu Karina
artists, martial arts enthusiasts, sword- is the vice-principal of
grinders and sake makers. the Aizu Clan School
Aizu lies in the heart of Fukushima. Nisshinkan, a samurai
Long before this prefecture became known school set up in 1803.
worldwide for its nuclear disaster on 11
March 2011, it was celebrated as the land Why is Aizu such an
of the samurai. It only took a ive-minute important part of
Google search before boarding the aeroplane samurai history?
to learn that only 2.7% of the area had been Throughout history
afected by the nuclear disaster, and that the hanko (samurai schools)
prefecture had undergone an unprecedented were very rare. The
decontamination process. Aizu, I learnt, schools were only for
was also more than 60 miles from the coast, the sons of samurai and
had radiation levels similar to most large this school has long
cities and looked jaw-droppingly beautiful. been considered one of
There was no way I was going to pass up the the best in the country.
chance to learn about the way of the warrior
in Japan’s most famous samurai region. What made a
A few short weeks later, I ind myself in good samurai?
an airy wooden dojo at the Aizu Clan School The image of the
Nisshinkan, the most prestigious samurai samurai’s is that of a
school in Japan. The yumi (longbow) warrior, but irst they
is nearly as tall as me, but the smooth were political leaders.
lacquered bamboo feels light in my hands. It was there job to
I pick up an arrow and its silky white swan ensure peace and safety.
feathers tickle my ingertips as I slot it Samurai had to be very
against the string. I brace my stockinged feet smart following a set
on the loor, raise my arms, squint my eyes of regulations called
at the target a precise 28 metres away, pull ‘bushido’ meaning to
back and ire. I miss. ‘know martial arts’ and
Again and again I ire, eventually hitting ‘study’. A good samurai
the board the target’s pinned to, if not the didn’t learn these things
target itself, once or twice. The practice is for themselves but to
both exhilarating and meditative, and I feel improve society.
as though I’ve truly become a samurai, or an
onna-bugeisha, as the women were known. How can we channel
“The mind of the samurai needs to be some samurai spirit?
decisive,” my teacher Mr Iwasawa Takahiro, It’s important to
a 7th kyudo dan tells me. I listen to his learn self-discipline.
words with the wide-eyed wonder of Luke Pay attention to
Skywalker listening to Yoda. your appearance,
Established during the Edo period, the your posture, your
Nisshinkan was set up to educate the sons cleanliness, your
of samurai, who’d enter the school at the age surroundings, your
of 10. A picturesque series of neat outdoor mind. This stops the
pavilions, training halls and classrooms set mind being drawn to
around immaculate gardens and Japan’s negative emotions
irst outdoor swimming pool, it was here like laziness and
that the children would learn the bushido, ingratitude. Appreciate
the way of the warrior. Classes included that sometimes, your
martial arts, of course, but also chemistry, opponent is yourself.
calligraphy, astronomy, etiquette and
Confucian philosophy.
 PARTNER CONTENT FOR ANA STRATEGIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE

PREVIOUS PAGE: Tsuruga Castle

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Ouchi-juku;
Sazaedo Temple; kendo lesson at Aizu
Clan School Nisshinkan
IMAGES: GETTY; ALAMY
PARTNER CONTENT FOR ANA STRATEGIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Tsuruga Bridge
It’s a funny thing about samurai that
they’re often associated with violence when
in fact, their way of thinking feels more in
line with modern mindfulness movements
— living in the moment, respecting the
beliefs of others, meditating on life, being
in synery with nature and expressing
gratitude for every experience, both good
and bad. Peace and harmony was always the
ultimate samurai goal.
Aizu today encompasses both of these
things. In the city, there are magniicent
castles such as the iceberg-like Tsurugajo,
best ogled in April amid a blizzard of
blossom; historic samurai homes like the
enormous Aizu Bukeyashiki, now a museum
where visitors can wander around and
try their hand at archery; and Butokuden
Martial Arts Dojo (training camp).
There, under the strict instruction of four
septuagenarian 7th dan swordsman, I go
full O-Ren Ishii from Kill Bill, dressed head
to toe in white robes wielding, swinging
and swishing a sword, all the while
simultaneously thanking my teacher for
sharing his experience, my opponent for
the opportunity to improve myself, and the
sport itself for existing — naturally.
To find out more, search @SamuraiSpiritTourism on Facebook or @samurai_spirit_tourism on Instagram
In the countryside, there are stunning
ski resorts and spa towns, and I spend a
particularly pampered evening in an onsen
(hot spring) at the golden-lit Okawaso hotel,
a modern version of a traditional ryokan.
Elsewhere, the boiling waters of both
the Ashinomaki Onsen and Higashiyama
Onsen ofer more relaxation opportunities.
There are also ancient temples (Enzoji
Temple in Yanaizu dates back some 1,300
years); Mishima, voted one of the prettiest
towns in Japan (stop at Donguri restaurant
for a bowl of hot, intense chicken soba
[buckwheat] noodles); and Ouchi-juku,
a former post town on the road to Edo
(nowadays Tokyo) through which samurai
would have passed on their way to pay fealty
to the shogun. Barely changed in more than
400 years, on the day I visit it’s a vision
perfectly preserved. Rows of stout wooden
bungalows with thick thatched roofs stretch
out before me — a Japanese version of
Narnia complete with wild bears roaming
the surrounding mountains.
Again, it’s both strange and beautiful. If
peace and harmony were the samurai goals,
in Aizu they certainly achieved what they
set out to do.
Essentials
Getting There: ANA, Japan
Airlines and British Airways
operate daily direct lights
between Heathrow and Tokyo
Haneda Airport. ana.co.jp
www.uk.jal.co.jp/ukl/en ba.com
Getting around: Japan’s bullet
trains run a regular service
between Tokyo and Koriyama,
from where Aizu-Wakamatsu is a
short train-ride away. The journey
takes 2h15m, and once there, it’s
best to get around by hire car.
When to go: Visit in winter for
skiing and onsen. Late March-
April is when the cherry blossom
is out. In Autumn, the hillsides
turn a vivid red and temperatures
are cool. Summers are best
avoided as they can be humid.
IMAGE: ALAMY
138 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 City life
LONDON
In recent years, King’s Cross has been a blur of scafolding
and cranes as the neighbourhood transforms from a
postindustrial wasteland into a glittering arts and retail
hub. Finally, this part of town matches its status as a
gateway to cities across the UK and the Continent
WORDS: Nicola Trup PHOTOGRAPHS: Rob Greig

December 2019 139

LONDON
“W
e’re almost like a microcosm
of King’s Cross,” says Bruce
Robertson, managing
director of the recently opened The Standard
hotel. “We have both the old and the new.”
I wander through reception and into the
Library Lounge — a homage to the room’s
previous purpose when the building was
part of an annexe of Camden Town Hall.
Shelves are stacked with books, categorised
by the innocuous (sociology and psychology,
philosophy and science) and the avant garde
(chaos and order, hope and darkness. There
are curved, spaceship-like windows and a red,
bullet-like lit zips up and down the facade
— all crowned by a stainless steel-and-glass
extension. The interiors are a technicolour
tribute to the building’s heyday, with nods
to Stanley Kubrick in the hallway carpets
(inspired by those in The Shining) and the
white, sci-i-like guest rooms, which smack of
2001: A Space Odyssey.
It took a long time to transform a once-
unloved ’70s brutalist block into a chic
hotel. Bruce came on board as managing
director in 2015, before the building spent
four years cocooned in scafolding, emerging
last summer as the irst foreign foray for
Standard Hotels, the high-end US hotel
brand known for its celebrity clientele.
Such lengthy reconstruction barely
registered on the King’s Cross skyline. In
recent years, this part of N1 has been a blur
of building work, as it transitions from illicit
ater-hours district and transport hub to a
destination in itself. Places to eat, drink and
consume culture are opening up alongside
glossy oice blocks housing big-name
businesses. In a show of conidence, the likes
of Google and YouTube have already moved
in, with Facebook and Nike set to follow suit.
When I was growing up in ’90s north
London, you couldn’t say the words ‘King’s
Cross’ without an ill-judged joke about sex
workers; and nights out here oten meant
dodging a cast of shady characters. One of
the clubs I frequented, Scala, was among the
irst to usher in change. Having operated
as a cinema since 1920 (in its later years
specialising in gory and sexually explicit
screenings), it lost its licence in 1993, but six
years later was revived as a club and gig venue,
which still stands proud today on a corner of
Pentonville Road.
From The Standard’s modern extension, I
take in the views, looking out over Victorian
140 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
terraces and mansion blocks that once
housed railway and industrial workers.
Across the street: the great het of St Pancras
station. The Victorian gothic beast was
itself a major renovation project and inally
reopened in 2007 ater years of remodelling
into the London home of the Eurostar and a
sleek shopping and dining complex. In 2011,
the station’s frontispiece — formerly the
Midland Grand Hotel — was resurrected as
the ive-star St Pancras Renaissance Hotel.
Inside the station, away from the hordes
of travellers waiting for trains to Paris and
Amsterdam, Loughborough and Luton,
stands a memorial to Sir John Betjeman,
a man without whom St Pancras would’ve
been razed to the ground. The closure of the
Midland Grand Hotel in 1935, bomb damage
during the Second World War and changes
to rail routes all contributed to the station’s
decline. By the 1960s, there were plans to
tear the whole thing down and repurpose
the land. However, the poet — a railway and
architecture enthusiast — led a campaign
to save the station, and in 1967 it became
Grade I-listed. Betjeman’s statue stands on
the station’s mezzanine, holding his hat and
gazing up at the spectacular vaulted ceiling.
Around his feet are inscribed the words
‘Who saved this glorious station’.
FROM COAL TO CONSERVATION
I head north, between St Pancras and
neighbouring King’s Cross station, passing
another of the area’s Victorian railway hotels,
the Great Northern Hotel. It, too, was revived;
reopening in 2013 ater standing derelict
for over a decade. Each time I come to this
area, I ind the landscape has become more
vertical as construction cranes drag it ever
skyward. Beams, breeze blocks and panes
of glass shapeshit into cafes, shops and
luxury apartments. I wander between two
slivers of development — one complete, one
in progress — and across Regent’s Canal.
In the 19th century, King’s Cross was a hub PREVIOUS PAGES:
for transporting goods — wheat, potatoes, Records for sale at
tobacco, timber — into the capital by rail. Honest Jon’s
The former storage buildings are being CLOCKWISE FROM
TOP LEFT: Views from
dramatically repurposed.
the extension at The
In Granary Square, converted grain stores
Standard; contemporary
opened their doors as restaurants and bars in
art at Coal Drops Yard;
2012, while late last year, neighbouring Coal shoppers at Coal Drops
Drops Yard began its own new chapter. This Yard; coffee and cake at
collection of old warehouses and viaducts Redemption Roasters;
takes its name from their original purpose, Gagosian Gallery
 LONDON

December 2019 141

LONDON

142 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

which, by the 1980s was obsolete. Instead,
the buildings were serving as the site for
illegal raves before they later morphed into
landmark nightclubs The Cross, The Key and
Bagley’s (later Canvas).
Today, with the sunshine glinting above
them, the new curved roofs of Coal Drops
Yard’s twin buildings resemble a pair of
wings; an organic shape amid a sea of
industrial angles. What sits underneath
is a mix of designer chains and upmarket
restaurants, yet some smaller brands are
here too. In a mews-like space along the
side of the building, punctuated by potted
plants and a mishmash of furniture, I order
a lat white at Redemption Roasters, a cofee
shop whose beans are roasted at HM Prison
Aylesbury, where inmates are also trained to
be baristas. Nearby, the sound of soul music
drits out of Honest Jon’s, an ofshoot of the
legendary record shop that’s stood in the
same Portobello Road location for the past
45 years.
I wander along the canal towpath,
where a trio of Grade II-listed Victorian
gasholders has been repurposed as luxury
lats, their lorid cast iron frames encircling
the cylindrical ediices within. Across the
canal, I ind Camley Street Natural Park
— two acres of woodland, meadows and
wetland. “The foxes have moved out, but
I’m sure they’ll be back,” manager Karolina
Leszczynska-Gogol tells me as we walk.
Like so many of its neighbours, the park is
a work in progress — a new visitor centre
is currently under construction. The work
may have unsettled some of the wildlife,
including the foxes, and increased light
pollution has disturbed the local pipistrelle
bat population, but the park remains
home to a number of other creatures. The
occasional kingisher and chatty warbler can
be seen here, as well as toads, frogs, newts
and various species of invertebrate.
Camley Street Natural Park was also once
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP a coal drop, reclaimed by nature when it fell
LEFT: Signage at Coal out of use; overgrown, it became a haven
Drops Yard; Newton for wildlife. When there was talk of the site
statue by Eduardo being redeveloped, the London Wildlife Trust
Paolozzi, outside The successfully campaigned to turn it into a
British Library; Karolina
nature reserve — a “green oasis in the middle
Leszczynska-Gogol at
of a concrete jungle”, as Karolina puts it.
Camley Street Natural
Park; gates at Camley
“We strongly believe everyone should have
Street Natural Park; main free access to nature,” she explains, waving
piazza at Coal Drops to a group of volunteers busy creating a new
Yard; St Pancras station wildlower meadow. The park runs workshops
LONDON
and educational programmes, but it’s also just
a lovely place for a woodland walk.
RED-LIGHT LEGENDS
For all of King’s Cross’s smart new bars and
restaurants, there are still a few proper
old-school boozers. I end my day at the
southern end of Caledonian Road, at The
Scottish Stores, whose overtly contemporary
signage does it a disservice. Inside, you’ll
ind the Platonic ideal of a pub. There’s wood
panelling and William Morris wallpaper; real
ale and jars of nuts.
“You see those? They’re original,” says
Gerard Oliver, a cheery South African who’s
managed the pub since 2018. He’s pointing to
a series of cartoon-like drawings of huntsmen
and beagles, inset into the wood and preserved
behind glass. Before the current owners took
over the pub, these illustrations were lost
behind layers of grime and cheap paint.
The Scottish Stores was originally an inn,
ofering rooms to traders — many of them
Scots who’d come to King’s Cross by train
— but it gained a reputation as a rather
insalubrious hangout for sex workers
and criminals and was notorious for bar
brawls. In the 1980s, at the height of the
neighbourhood’s red-light infamy, it became
a strip bar.
“It was grimy and dark, the windows were
blacked out and the wood was nicotine-
stained,” Gerard tells me. “I came in once back
then, and I remember thinking ‘this place
has so much potential.’” Eventually, the pub’s
current owners spotted that potential too,
restoring and reopening the place in 2015.
Of course, characterising King’s Cross’s
recent history as a phoenix-like rise from
squalor to respectability doesn’t tell the
whole story. Alongside the prostitution, drug
abuse and illicit nightlife, the post-industrial
enclave provided workspaces for artists.
“It was pretty ropey, but of course studio
space was cheap,” says visual artist Michael
Pinsky, who’s lived and worked in the area
since 1996. “The Cubitt studio complex
— before it moved to [nearby] Angel — had
a community that included Turner Prize
winners,” he says.
Michael’s view of those days, however,
certainly isn’t rose-tinted. “King’s Cross is
an extreme example of gentriication, but I
prefer it the way it is now,” he tells me. “We’re
on the brink between the old King’s Cross
and the new King’s Cross.”
December 2019 143
LONDON

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP

LEFT: Barista pours a lat
white at Redemption
Roasters; mural at The
British Library; arches
at St Pancras station;
patrons at the Scottish
Stores; treats for sale at
Redemption Roasters;
records lined up at
Honest Jon’s
 LONDON

Q&A: Zoë Jeyes,

deputy managing
director,
Kings Place

WHAT’S THE FOCUS OF KINGS

PLACE? WHY KING’S CROSS?
We wanted to create an arts
centre where culture and
commerce sit side by side. Our
founder, Peter Millican, looked
at a few potential sites, all near
transport hubs, but King’s Cross
— with its unbeatable links and
canal-side location — was always
first choice. We’ve always had a
world-class programme of music
and spoken-word events, and Botanical Boys store
over the past 11 years it’s become at Coal Drops Yard
more adventurous as we’ve
grown up and adapted to our
surroundings and new audiences.

HOW HAS THE AREA CHANGED?

I joined Kings Place in 2008,
about four months before we
opened, and back then we felt
very out on our own. People
couldn’t understand why our
main entrance faced a street
where there was nothing but
a petrol station. Of course, we
knew what was coming, and
looking over the road now at
the incredible redevelopment, it
really is unrecognisable.
DO YOU HAVE ANY LOCAL TIPS?
I love to end my working day on
the Rotunda terrace. Outside
space is at such a premium in
London and it’s one of the most
tranquil and beautiful spots.
The free exhibitions and events
at the Wellcome Collection [a
museum and library] are another
personal favourite, and I also
highly recommend Rockaoke at
The Star of Kings pub [held on the
last Friday of the month]. If you’ve
ever fancied singing Common
People or Total Eclipse of the
Heart with a live band, this is the
night for you. I may have done
both. kingsplace.co.uk
14 hours in
KING’S CROSS
9.30AM
BREAKFAST AT GRANGER & CO
Aussie chef Bill Granger made a name for
himself in Sydney for his breakfasts, and
that legacy continues at this outpost of his
London mini-chain, positioned between
King’s Cross and St Pancras stations. Dishes
include sweetcorn fritters served with cherry
tomatoes and bacon, and the ‘fresh Aussie’:
jasmine tea-smoked salmon with poached
eggs, greens, furikake (Japanese seasoning),
avocado and tomatoes. grangerandco.com
11AM
ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH
Located next to St Pancras’s train tracks, the
graveyard is the real attraction here. Here
you’ll fi nd the Hardy Tree, an ash whose roots
have grown around a cluster of gravestones
that were piled up here on the instruction of
the writer Thomas Hardy when he worked
here as an architect’s technician in the 1860s.
Far from being an expression of Victorian
gothic artistry, this was to help make way for
the Midland Railway. Another fascinating
sight here is the Grade I-listed mausoleum
designed by Sir John Soane (the architect
behind the Bank of England) for himself
and his family. It’s said to have inspired the
design of the classic red telephone box.
posp.co.uk
12PM
HOUSE OF ILLUSTRATION
Founded by Sir Quentin Blake (best known
for illustrating Road Dahl’s books), this
museum pays homage to illustration and
graphic design. As well as displays of Blake’s
work, it hosts temporary exhibitions.
Nearby is bookshop-on-a-boat Word on the
Water, which sells new and secondhand
tomes. facebook.com/wordonthewater
houseofillustration.org.uk
1.30PM
LUNCH AT LITTLE CREATURES
Just beyond Granary Square, you’ll fi nd
another Australian export: Little Creatures,
the craft brewery’s only UK outpost. The
bar here serves own-brand beers as well

December 2019 145

LONDON

as a selection from other local breweries,

Cyclist passing wildlower
plus sharing plates such nduja gnocchi and
beds at Gasholder Park
classics like burgers, pizzas and salads.
littlecreatures.co.uk

3PM
GAGOSIAN GALLERY
Opened in 2004, this branch of the global
art gallery network is located just south of
King’s Cross station on Britannia Street.
On display until 14 December is ACTS +
TABLE — a series of minimalist, rectilinear
sculptures by American artist Ruby Sterling.
gagosian.com

5PM
THE BRITISH LIBRARY
This big red bunker of a building on Euston
Road doesn’t just attract bookworms, it also
hosts excellent history and art exhibitions,
usually linked to talks and workshops. Until
23 February a huge selection of Buddhist
manuscripts and art is on display. bl.uk

6PM
SUNDOWNERS AT THE ROTUNDA
Walk over to the Rotunda bar and
restaurant, at arts and business complex
Kings Place, on York Way, for a drink on
the terrace overlooking Regent’s Canal.
The cocktail menu spans classics and
house specialities, including the savoury
basil and black olive caipirinha sbagliato.
rotundabarandrestaurant.co.uk

7.30PM
DINNER AT DISHOOM
The King’s Cross branch of this hip Indian
restaurant chain is set in a former goods
shed of Granary Square, so expect bold
interiors of dark wood and bare brick walls.
Don’t miss the black dhal — cooked for over
24 hours until it’s rich and buttery — or the
vada pau, a Mumbai take on the chip butty.
Wash it all down with an Indian-inluenced
cocktail. dishoom.com

Reg
en
Coal Drops ESSENTIALS
t ’s

Yard
Ca

Granary LONDON
nal

Square
Getting there & around When to go Redemption Roasters.
Camley Street
Natural Park King’s Cross and St Pancras stations For the best chance at avoiding redemptionroasters.com
have rail links to various UK cities, plus crowds associated with one of the Honest Jon’s. honestjons.com
Eurostar connections. King’s Cross St capital’s international transport Camley Street Natural Park.
KING'S CROSS Pancras tube station connects to six terminals, try to travel outside of wildlondon.org.uk/nature-reserves
ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER

STATION
ST PANCRAS The Scottish Underground lines. school holidays, in the shoulder The Scottish Stores.
STATION Stores
months (June and September). thescottishstores.co.uk
K I NG ’S CRO S S Where to stay
The Standard The Standard. standardhotels.com Places mentioned More info
St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London. Scala. scala.co.uk kingscross.co.uk
200 yards
stpancraslondon.com Coal Drops Yard. coaldropsyard.com visitlondon.com

146 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
148 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 City life
PHNOM PENH
ZZ
Z

he Cambodian capital is reinventing itself after a turbulent century

— emerging as a dynamic modern city with a creative culinary scene and
stellar architecture. WORDS: Lee Cobaj PHOTOGRAPHS: Lauryn Ishak

“T
hey sent me here seven years
ago,” says Buck. With his big
smile and backwards baseball
cap, he comes across as a real-life Joey
Tribbiani from the TV show Friends. But
Buck isn’t an American, he’s one of around
800 Cambodians who’ve been deported from
America in recent decades. Born in a refugee
camp in Thailand to parents who’d led the
Khmer Rouge genocide, as a baby he was
taken to live, illegally, in the US. Buck couldn’t
be more American if he was wearing the star-
spangled banner and eating apple pie. With
him is his friend Jimmy, who has a similar
tale to tell. His new life in the US began
at the age of six, when his family led the
Cambodian Civil War. Nearly 40 years later, he
too was sent back to Cambodia, a country he’d
never visited in the intervening years.
Buck and Jimmy tell me stories of other
deportees; some who couldn’t speak Khmer
when they arrived; men who were forced to
leave pregnant girlfriends, wives, children and
elderly parents behind; a marine who served
in Afghanistan. Their distressing accounts
are a subplot to the Good Luck City Tour I’m
taking with Zin Adventures, which was set
up in 2018 by some of the irst deportees as a
way to help new deportees adjust to their new,
unwanted lives. It’s a tour with a narrative
that twists and turns like a thriller on its
90-minute ride through the city.
Every city is built on its stories but few
have a back catalogue quite like Phnom
Penh’s. Located on the conluence of two of
Asia’s most important waterways (the Tonlé
Sap and Mekong Rivers), Phnom Penh was
founded as a Buddhist temple village in the
14th century. For much of the next century it
was the nation’s capital, a status it regained in
1866, and retained during a 111-year chapter as
part of French Indochina, along with Laos and
Vietnam. During the early decades of the 20th
century, Phnom Penh was hailed as the ‘Pearl
of Asia’. The Second World War ushered in a
Japanese invasion and occupation, followed
by the irst Indochina War, a brief hopeful
window of independence and a slow descent
into a genocide so catastrophic it would
empty the city of almost all its inhabitant.
Four decades on, this enigmatic city is once
again in lux. People and money have lowed
back in and construction is its soundtrack.
Cranes litter the skyline, while its streets are
a snarl of congested, gritty, glam, hipster,
industrial, historic and riverside life. It’s
not the prettiest but it’s deinitely one of
Southeast Asia’s edgiest, most exciting cities.

December 2019 149

PHNOM PENH
SEE AND DO
TUOL SLENG GENOCIDE MUSEUM:
Formerly known as Security Prison 21 (S-
21), Tuol Sleng is the most infamous of the
hundreds of detention and interrogation
centres operated by the Khmer Rouge
from 1975-79. Torture devices and skulls in
cabinets bear testament to the brutal events
that occurred here. tuolsleng.gov.kh/en
NATIONAL OLYMPIC STADIUM: Completed
in 1964, this stadium is the most dazzling
example of ‘New Khmer’ architecture,
designed by Cambodian maverick Vann
Molyvann, an acolyte of Le Corbusier. A
masterwork of light and shadow, its curves
and perforated columns are best viewed (and
photographed) around sunset.
CITY WALKING TOUR: Run by Cambodian
refugees deported from America, this
90-minute walking tour, which swerves
through the back alleys and underbelly
150 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
of the former French quarter, ofers an
eye-opening alternative to the usual
government-run temple-and-landmark
tours. zinadventures.asia
CAMBODIAN LIVING ARTS: Restore your
faith in humanity with a traditional dance
show at an open-air theatre in the grounds
of the National Museum of Cambodia.
cambodianlivingarts.org/show
FREE THE BEARS: Cambodia is still playing
catch-up when it comes to animal welfare,
which makes a visit to this nonproit
sanctuary, a 90-minute drive from Phnom
Penh, all the more warm and fuzzy. It’s home
to over 500 rare sun bears and even rarer
moon bears, rescued from poachers, circuses
and the pet trade. freethebears.org
CHOENG EK GENOCIDAL CENTRE: The site of
one of the Khmer Rouge’s Killing Fields, over
17,000 S-21 prisoners were sent to Choeng
Ek to be brutally murdered by hand (bullets
PREVIOUS PAGE: Sora Skybar at sunset
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Pink is the New Black cocktail
at Sora Skybar; Battbong; garden dining area, Kinin;
lunch at Kinin
Making a splash // he
Khmer New Year occurs in
mid-April — the hottest time
of year. Understandably,
celebrations involve good-
natured water ights with
giant water pistols, water
balloons and water buckets
were in short supply), their bodies then
cast into mass graves. Today, the site is a
memorial, marked by a Buddhist stupa.
KOH OTNYAHDEI: A breath of fresh air, green
ields and sunny sandbanks, this petite
island, a 10-minute ferry ride from the
outskirts of Phnom Penh, was made for two
wheels. Arrange a cycling tour and set of
through taro, corn and ginger ields, passing
stilted teak houses and pretty silk farms.
exotravel.com
SUNSET MEKONG CRUISE: A seat on deck, a
glorious sunset, a Jimi Hendrix soundtrack
and unlimited beers and cocktails are all
included in the £14 price of this 80-minute
sunset cruise along the Mekong River with
Kanika Cruises. There’s no better way to
witness the rapidly changing Phnom Penh
skyline than by gawping at its cranes and
half-built skyscrapers from the water.
kanika-boat.com
PHNOM PENH
PHNOM PENH

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Central Market;
making a gin and tonic, Rafles Hotel
le Royal; Estampe; spirit house at the
Royal Palace
Go with the low // he
Tonlé Sap is also Southeast
Asia’s largest freshwater
lake. Its ish provides
Cambodia’s population
with half of its protein,
while its water irrigates
half of the country’s crops
BUY
ESTAMPE: Don’t miss this little
French-owned store stocked with voguish
vintage inds — blocks of black opium
soap, vintage travel posters, printed
cushion covers, pretty notebooks, plus
collectibles such as colonial-era maps,
magazines and postcards.
UN ÉTÉ À KEP-SUR-MER: Rice ield-green
mini dresses, geometric-print playsuits,
silk shell tops, classic cotton tees — this
tiny boutique, set up by two Cambodian-
French sisters, sells chic locally produced
women’s fashion with a playful 1960s twist.
CENTRAL MARKET: This tourist hotspot is
the place to pick up souvenirs — bronze
ornaments, wooden kitchenware, silk
lanterns and silver jewellery. But it’s the
building itself that’s the real draw. When
it opened in 1937, it was reputed to be the
biggest market in Asia — a marvellous,
lemon-coloured art deco dome crisscrossed
by four large passageways, with Y-shaped
slots providing natural light and ventilation.
LIKE A LOCAL
PHONE HOME: Don’t bother with the
free SIM cards handed out at the airport
— they’re expensive to top-up. Instead, go to
a branch of Smart (they’re on almost every
city-centre corner) and get a local SIM with
10G of data for just $3 (£2.40). You’ll need to
register with your passport.
GET A MASSAGE: Like its neighbour,
Thailand, massage has been embedded in
Cambodian culture for centuries. Khmer
techniques are similarly rigorous, with lots
of strong stretching, deep pressure and
satisfying cracking. For the best rub-down
in town, visit the Zen-like Bodia Spa on the
riverfront (60-minute massages from £20).
bodia-spa.com
BREAKFAST BOWL: For a proper Cambodian
breakfast, tuck into some nom banh chok,
silky rice noodles topped with a red or green
ish curry and heaps of bean sprouts, banana
lower and crunchy greens. There are stalls on
almost every corner, but the roadside options
at Russian Market are a favourite with locals.
PHNOM PENH
Z SLEEP
ZZ
PLANTATION: Verdant gardens,
colourful lotus ponds and an aquamarine
swimming pool, a stone’s throw from the
Royal Palace and buzzy Street 240, give this
hotel the feel of a true urban escape. Try the
moreish grilled duck with pineapple and
curry sauce at lovely La Pergola restaurant.
theplantation.asia
RAFFLES HOTEL LE ROYAL: This glorious
grande dame originally opened in 1929
and has a guest list that includes Jackie
Kennedy, Angelina Jolie and Barack Obama.
Even if you can’t stay, soak up the sublime
atmosphere at the enigmatic Elephant Bar.
rales.com
ROSEWOOD PHNOM PENH: Being
housed at the top of the 39-storey Vattanac
Capital tower, the tallest building in
Cambodia, grants this new ive-star
stupendous city views. Rooms are Khmer-
cool, with sliding lacquer doors, batik panels
and gold-lecked bathrooms. The rootop bar
is one of the top spots for sunset views.
December 2019 153
PHNOM PENH

ESSENTIALS
Koh Otnyahdei

To
2 miles

nl
Wat Phnom

é S

Meko
ap
Ri
ve

ng R
r
Royal Palace

iver
PHNOM PENH
Olympic 240
eet Wat Botum
Stadium Str
Park
Independence
Monument

CAMBODIA
Tonlé

ng
Tuol Sleng Sap

eko
Genocide
Museum PHNOM

M
PENH
500 yards

Getting there & around

Thai Airways lies from London to
Phnom Penh via Bangkok; Cathay
Paciic from Gatwick, Heathrow and
Manchester via Hong Kong.
thaiairways.com cathaypaciic.com
Average light time: 16h.
Phnom Penh has a number of
good walking neighbourhoods,
particularly the French Quarter, the
riverfront and Royal Palace Park. The
Grab taxi app (Southast Asia’s Uber),
guarantees ixed fares, otherwise be
prepared to haggle with taxi and
Prawn and pomelo salad, and stir-fried
tuk-tuk drivers.
mussels at Nesat Seafood House

EAT
ROMDENG: The fare at Romdeng
ranges from the homely (baked ish amok,
chargrilled aubergine with pork and coriander,
smoked duck laap) to the far-out (black pepper
and lime tarantulas, crunchy crickets, beef
and red tree ants). tree-alliance.org
NESAT SEAFOOD HOUSE: Kampot pepper
crab, barbecue squid, jumbo shrimp, lame-
grilled vegetables and tom yum soup with
white clams are all piled into Nesat’s must-
have seafood medley. Everything on the menu
is delicious, though — save space for a zingy
mango and raspberry sorbet for dessert.
KININ: You can while away a whole
AFTER HOURS
BATTBONG: The name translates as
‘my lost friend’, and this speakeasy lives up
to its name, with potent drinks and a tricky-
to-ind location, hidden behind a vintage
Coca-Cola machine door in a back street near
Wat Langka. battbong.business.site
LONG AFTER DARK: Located in Toul Tom
Poung (aka Russian Market, Phnom
Penh’s most fashionable neighbourhood),
this slick, amber-hued hideaway, with a
wide range of whiskies, crat beers and
cocktails and a pretty upstairs terrace,
where you can watch tuk-tuks putter past.
longaterdarkcambodia.com
When to go
Phnom Penh has three seasons; hot,
hotter and wet. The best time to
visit is from late November-early
February, during the cooler, dry
season. April-May is excruciatingly
hot, with temperatures rarely falling
below 26C. July-September is
slightly cooler, although it’s not
unusual for it to rain every day.
More info
UK travellers require a tourist visa,
which can be bought online or on
arrival for $36 (£29). evisa.gov.kh
The Rough Guide to Cambodia.
RRP: £15.99
How to do it
INSIDE ASIA has a 10-day tour of
ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER

evening at this hip tropical garden hangout,
litting from late-aternoon happy-hour
cocktails at the bar (the £2 hibiscus
margaritas are to die for) to a long, leisurely
dinner of zesty ish salads, caramelised
pork belly baguettes and deep-fried
avocado bombs illed with gooey egg.
kininthecollective.business.site
BOUCHON WINE BAR: Housed in a splendid
1920s colonial-era mansion, this is a place
for grown-up gatherings. Inside, there are
checkerboard loors, exposed brick walls
and a horseshoe-shaped bar, while outside
there’s a pretty, banyan-shaded courtyard
featuring live jazz, blues and Motown music
twice a week.
Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Kep
from £1,695 per person, staying in
four-star accommodation and
including lights with Thai Airways,
private transfers and a number of
tours and excursions. insideasia.com

154 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Vaccinated
to travel.
Freedom to
discover.
Our vaccination services
help to protect you, whilst
you explore the world.
Available in over 230 travel
clinics, including your local

Visit masta-travel-health.com/NGT
to book your appointment.
@MASTAClinics
@MASTATravelClinics

© MASTA Limited A McKesson Company

PARTNER CONTENT FOR SWISS

HEAD TO GENEVA THIS

WINTER
Discover how canny cost-cutting and good timing can bring even
Switzerland’s ritziest ski resorts within your reach this winter.
Here are three top tips on how to make the most of the slopes

1 2
Get there
for less
If you own your
ski gear, you’ll get the
most bang for your buck
with SWISS, which has
regular, competitively
priced, lexible lights to the
Swiss city of Geneva from
convenient airports like
London City, Gatwick and
Heathrow — and all on the
airline’s sleek set of carriers.
SWISS will transport your
irst set of skis/snowboard,
boots, poles and helmet
free of charge in addition to
your free standard baggage
allowance (and that’s an
impressive 23kg in Economy
IMAGES: GETTY
Class). For the cheapest
fares, book your ticket well
in advance and plan your
resort transfer.
Afordable
rooms
Geneva is a
convenient jumping-of
point for many world-class
ski resorts — it’s just a two
or three hour transfer to
Valais’ top ski resorts of
Verbier, Zermatt, Saas Fee
and Crans Montana. For
budget-friendly resorts,
Champery is a sure bet,
but Crans-Montana and
Saas Fee also have plenty
of self-catered apartments.
Meanwhile, the Swiss
Youth Hostels association
has some stunning lodging
in the centre of some of
the country’s best resorts
including Zermatt, where
a bunk bed in shared room
with breakfast costs as little
as £32 a night in January.
PARTNER CONTENT FOR SWISS
DID YOU KNOW
Valais has 47 mountains that are
taller than 13,000ft and the highest-
altitude ski regions in Switzerland
with a guarantee of snow on more
than 1,200 miles of pistes in winter.
3
Timing is
everything
January ofers
some of the lowest prices
for a ski trip and is often
the month with the most
snow, although it does tend
to be a little chilly. Prices
Essentials
can also be relatively low
in December (excluding
Getting there: SWISS operates
the Christmas-New Year
over 170 weekly lights to
period) and in late April, Zürich and Geneva from London,
though the spring sun Manchester, Birmingham,
can make some of the Edinburgh and Dublin. Over
south-facing slopes a little winter, the airline also operates
slushy in late afternoon so regular lights from London
to Sion. Fares start from £54
it’s important to choose a
one-way. Fares are subject to
high-altitude resort. Canny availability.
planning can also cut the
price of a ski pass. Save Find out more at SWISS.com
up to 30% by booking via
SwissPasses.com — in some
resorts they’ll even deliver
directly to your hotel.
Read more online at nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
TRAVELLER 10

CARIBBEAN: BEST BEACHES

Seven mile beach, Negril,

Westmoreland, Jamaica

158 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 Caribbean beaches are lauded for their looks, but beyond their beauty is a whole other side. These
paradise coves are a gateway to underwater worlds of colour, with stretches of sand perfect for
people-watching. We round up some of the best beach experiences in the Caribbean
Words: Liz Dodd, Audrey Gillan, Emma Gregg and Nigel Tisdall
IMAGE: AWL IMAGES

December 2019 159

TRAVELLER 10

01
LIVING TREASURE IN
PIRATE’S BAY, TOBAGO
On Tobago’s northeast coast, Pirate’s Bay is a launchpad for an underwater world of
treasure — one which is being heartily protected by divers and conservationists
Pirate’s Bay is one of those magical little
coves that requires some efort to reach.
Hidden away on Man O War Bay in northeast
Tobago — a steep, roadless wilderness where
bananaquits, hummingbirds and piratical-
looking parrots lit among the locust berry
trees — the only practical approaches are by
ishing boat or on foot.
From my base in the laid-back ishing
village of Castara, I drive east, winding along
the coast to Charlotteville, Tobago’s most
remote hamlet, a mile short of the beach.
North of the jetty, a goat-nibbled track climbs
high above Man O War Bay then plunges
back to sea level via a lengthy light of steps,
lanked by forest. Somewhere around 150
steps down, I lose count. The pull of the
ocean is irresistibly strong.
With a slender arc of sand and clear, glossy
water, Pirate’s Bay is just as inviting as I’d
hoped. But it’s what lies beneath the surface
that intrigues me most. I’ve come here on a
tip-of from the marine biologists at the not-
for-proit Environmental Research Institute
Charlotteville (ERIC), who are studying the
fringing reef and helping restore its critically
endangered elkhorn coral.
Pulling on my mask and ins, I enter their
world. Tiny ish shimmer in the sunlight,
darting through ingers of coral. On hearing
a snapping sound, I peer into the shadowy
TOBAGO’S TOP THREE
NATURE
the northeast is outstanding. The sheer DESTINATIONS
density of biodiversity-rich ecosystems
and archaeological remains here makes
it Trinidad and Tobago’s most iconic MAIN RIDGE FOREST RESERVE
conservation landscape. Plus, I enjoy being Grab your boots and
based in Charlotteville. It’s remote, but binoculars — Tobago’s
Trinidad’s urban centres are close at hand. I lush rainforest is home to
can dive with turtles and plant corals in the more than 200 bird species,
morning, and attend conservation policy including motmots, trogons
meetings in the aternoon.” and white-tailed sabrewing
Aljoscha and his team are hopeful that in hummingbirds. Celebrated
June 2020, northeast Tobago will be declared local nature guide Newton
a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, knitting George knows all the best
together its reefs and islands with Main spots. newtongeorge.com
Ridge, the rainforest that crowns the island.
Protected as a rainwater catchment since TURTLE BEACH
1776, it’s the world’s oldest forest reserve. (GREAT COURLAND BAY)
Alongside marine biology projects, ERIC To help protect leatherback
runs community initiatives such as climate turtles and their eggs from
crisis workshops, an ocean-friendly waste pollution and poaching, book a
management scheme and the Sustainability turtle-watching tour with SOS
Shop in Castara, which sells locally made Tobago, a community-based
biodegradable packaging and detergents organisation that monitors
at an afordable price. ERIC’s latest project nests and runs beach patrols
is a tree-planting programme designed to and education programmes.
protect turtle nesting sites from coastal sos-tobago.org
erosion. To help fund this work, the institute
runs a snorkelling and diving base. SAINT GILES ISLANDS
Scuba diving with ERIC is diferent from These uninhabited islets are
diving with a commercial outit. Whether the southern West Indies’ most
you’re training to be an EcoDiver, gathering important seabird breeding
IMAGES: JACOB BOCK; ALAMY

hollows of a sponge; sure enough, it’s a
shelter for shrimps. And as I move away from
the reef, I catch a glimpse of a green turtle,
cruising serenely by.
Later, ERIC’s director and CEO,
Aljoscha Wothke, tells me what drew
him to the region. “Tobago has always
fascinated me,” he says. “Scientiically,
biodiversity data for the UN’s Reef Check
survey, or simply diving for fun, you’re in
the company of conservation experts who
are passionate about their backyard.
eric-tobago.org EG
British Airways lies direct weekly from Gatwick to
ANR Robinson International Airport. ba.com
colony. Watch at a respectful
distance to see the likes of
boobies, frigate birds and red-
billed tropicbirds displaying
and wheeling about.
eric-tobago.org

160 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 TRAVELLER 10

FROM TOP: Pirate’s Bay, Tobago; the

stairs to Pirate’s Bay beach
TRAVELLER 10

162 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

02
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF CARLISLE BAY,
BARBADOS
This trio of beaches is the ideal spot for people-watching, drawing everyone from
early morning swimmers to late-night singers
The beach comes alive with the dawn. Or,
more accurately, the whole bay. The crescent-
shaped shoreline of Carlisle Bay is long
enough to be considered three separate
beaches: Brownes, Bayshore and Pebbles,
sweeping from north to south respectively.
The garden gate of my rented house opens
onto the sand and, as the light creeps over the
horizon and the sea begins to shimmer, I pad
out to enjoy the spectacle.
In the cool of the morning, joggers run
along the water’s edge. Thoroughbreds are
being led for their daily swim by the jockeys
who ride them up at Garrison Savannah
Racetrack. Nearby, clusters of people are
gathering in little groups for their morning
dip — I can’t help but notice the women
with recycled plastic bags on their heads,
their make-do-and-mend swimming caps.
Everyone greets me with a cheery hello, good
morning or a simple smile.
I head south to the pier and, since the tide
is low, I kick of my sandals, enter the surf
and walk right under the wooden slats. At
this end of the beach is the lovely old military
cemetery and Cuz’s Fish Shack, where Cuz
sells his famous ish cutters: a salt-bread roll
IMAGE: ALAMY
containing fried blue marlin seasoned with
Bajan spices. I stroll along the rest of the
Carlisle Bay, beach, past the Barbados Yacht Club, towards
Bridgetown, Barbados Bridgetown to buy freshly landed ish from
TRAVELLER 10
the market. I go to Sharkey, who sells his
catch from an old wooden table under the
shade of some palm trees.
By lunchtime the beach is busy — really
busy. Out in the largely calm waters are
shipwrecks and all manner of marine life.
Catamarans and small boats drop in and
out bearing snorkellers eager to spot turtles.
Every year, a little bit more of Brownes
Beach becomes saturated with sunbeds as
entrepreneurs try to seduce the cruise-ship
passengers into spending the day here. But
it’s irst and foremost a public beach.
The calm returns to Carlisle Bay by mid-
aternoon as the throng thins out and the
sun begins to drop. The volleyball teams
arrive and the air is illed with the cries of
competitors. Then there’s the clacking of
dominoes as older men gather under the
shade of trees. I listen to church groups
singing and watch rastas playing keepie
uppie. It’s an inclusive stretch of the island,
where how much you’re worth doesn’t
come into it. Barbados has a reputation as
the playground of the rich and famous. On
Carlisle Bay you can be just about anyone. AG
The Royal Palm Penthouse Apartment (T: 00 1 246
259 404) costs from $150 (£115) per night for two
bedrooms. British Airways lies to Barbados from
£410 return. ba.com
December 2019 163
TRAVELLER 10

IMAGES: CHRISTIAN HORAN PHOTOGRAPHY; GETTY

164 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

03 TOP THREE: RESTAURANTS
ON PINNEY’S BEACH, SAINT
KITTS AND NEVIS
SUNSHINE’S BAR
This legendary seafood and chicken
joint looks out of place among the
glittering resorts and ive-star hotels
this exclusive part of the coast is
known for. A technicolour hut still run
by the eponymous Sunshine, it began
life as a barbecue shack catering for
construction workers at the nearby
resorts. Now its enormous platters of
fresh seafood, grilled lobster and jerk
chicken tempt the glitterati themselves
— Beyoncé is a fan.
TRY: Marinated jumbo prawns
T: 00 1 869 469 5817.
MANGO AT THE FOUR SEASONS
A sophisticated but chilled restaurant at
the fancy end of the beach, Mango does
Winding road overlooking the Atlantic
Ocean, Saint Kitts
LEFT FROM TOP: In the kitchen, Four
Seasons Resort Nevis; dining, Four
Seasons Resort Nevis
TRAVELLER 10
a superb ine-dining spin on Caribbean
cuisine. It specialises in zesty seafood
— think local lobster fritters with
chipotle and coconut milk coleslaw
— and also in unparalleled views. Be
sure to arrive at your table in time for
sunset: Nevis is famed for its so-called
green lash sunsets, when the sun seems
to change colour just as it slips over
the horizon.
TRY: Grilled mahi-mahi illets
fourseasons.com/nevis
LIME
Pinney’s is renowned for its beach
bars, and Lime is one of the best. A
great spot for lunch or dinner, it blends
rustic, rum-shack vibes with tasty surf
’n’ turf. Its resident DJs turn Lime into
a danceloor by night — loosen up with
the house cocktail, Green Flash.
TRY: Lobster tacos
T: 00 1 869 662 9620. LD
December 2019 165
TRAVELLER 10
04
OF WRECKS AND RUBBLE AT
TUGBOAT BEACH, CURAÇAO
Past the shoreline of stones and coral
rubble of Tugboat Beach, an underwater
world of beauty opens up
Tugboat Beach doesn’t conform to the
Caribbean cliche. There’s no white sand or
glossy palms, just a small curve of rocks
and coral rubble with a rustic bar adorned
with beach inds and dritwood art. Nearby
rise the remains of an 18th-century fort
where clumps of candle cactuses command
the ramparts, while a mighty pier built for
Curaçao’s now-declining oil industry stands
rusting in the vividly turquoise water.
“Is this really one of the best places to
snorkel?” I ask Mayrond van Lamoen, a
young Curaçaoan who shows visitors the
underwater delights of this 38 mile-long
Dutch island just north of Venezuela. “Trust
me,” he says. Many of Curaçao’s 70-plus dive
and snorkel sites can be reached from the
shore, so admiring its healthy reefs, drop-
ofs and wrecks takes minimal efort.
Within minutes I’m loating above the
submerged tugboat that gave the beach its
name, its coral-encrusted wooden carcass
just 10t below me. A blizzard of blue chromis
swirl above the deck and Mayrond points
out a brain coral beneath which an octopus
has taken up residence. Further along the
shore we ind a vast ield of colourful sea fans
swaying in the current alongside magniicent
elkhorn corals — apparently coated in gold.
Ater this, the seabed plunges to 165t and the
166 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
water switches from light blue to dark — a
mysterious world where French angelish WHERE TO GO
glide below us. SNORKELLING
As we head towards the pier, Mayrond IN CURAÇAO
points out a nursery where coral cuttings
are being cultivated on long ladders that
hang in the ocean like scrolls of Japanese SABA
calligraphy. Then the mood turns gloomy Sunk at 30t to
as we weave between sturdy iron supports create an artiicial
covered with lamboyantly coloured sponges. reef, this tugboat
Needleish with jaws like demon pliers patrol is now overgrown
the depths while predatory lionish lie in with tube sponges
ambush. Snorkelling in these dark waters is and brain corals.
like being in some underwater action movie, dcnanature.org
especially when we swim beside the massive
hulk of Noble Bully II, a towering 615t-long BLUE ROOM CAVE
ofshore drilling ship tied up here. Hike or take a
“Can you see the baby squid?” Mayrond boat trip to this
calls excitedly. I can’t, so he guides me closer enchanting cave
until I suddenly spy a family of cephalopods, rich with ish and
some as small as cigars, hanging just below coral hidden in
the surface amid a cluster of sunbeams. the clifs south of
It’s an enchanting sight, but what are they Boka Santu Pretu.
doing? “Hiding,” Mayrond replies in a tone
that suggests life could be short for these KLEIN CURAÇAO
innocents. In Curaçao, I ind beauty even in This lat and
unlikely places. NT uninhabited island
has a long white-
sand beach on its
KLM lies to Curaçao from 16 UK airports via
west coast where
IMAGE: AWL IMAGES
Amsterdam, from £710 return. klm.com
snorkellers can
Saint Tropez Ocean Club in Willemstad has doubles
from $149 (£115), room only. Guided snorkelling with
spot green turtles
Myronchi Trip costs from $50 (£38) per person in the sea grass.
including equipment. sainttropezcuracao.com
myronchitrip.com curacao.com
 TRAVELLER 10

05 TULUM, MEXICO
Step back in time to the 1960s and Tulum’s
picture-perfect, palm-fringed Caribbean
beaches were a backpackers’ paradise of yoga
shalas and simple beach shacks. Wind the
clock back even further, to the 13th century, and the shores
were home to a thriving Mayan city — the only one founded
beside the coast. Of course today, Tulum is synonymous
with upmarket resorts, celebrities and (at times) an
overwhelming number of sun-seekers. Skip breakfast and
head to the Mayan ruins (a short walk or taxi from the hotel
strip) ahead of the crowds — exploring the ancient fortress
complex and strolling barefoot in the little cove in the quiet
of early morning can feel like a truly timeless experience.
STAY: Yoga Shala is a boutique eco-resort of of-grid huts,
just minutes from the beach, with a spacious yoga studio Mayan ruins, Tulum, Mexico
and great teachers. yogashalatulum.com LD LEFT: Snorkelling, Tugboat Beach, Curaçao

December 2019 167


06
PORT ROYAL BEACH, CAT ISLAND,
THE BAHAMAS
One of the Bahamas’ best-kept secrets,
Cat Island is a secluded paradise of
bungalows and beach huts
WHY GO NOW? Cat Island is a rarity in the
Caribbean: a resort-free, sparsely populated
paradise of white-sand beaches and hidden
coves. Port Royal is one of the best beaches
on the island, ranging from smooth stretches
of pink sand to rocky coves and lagoons as it
runs down the western coast.
WHO IT’S FOR: This laid-back beach is perfect
for anyone looking for a quiet hammock, a
rustic beach hut and patchy phone service.
WHERE TO STAY: Shannas Cove, a secluded
hotel at the northern end of the beach, is the
place to realise your Caribbean castaway
dreams with a touch of luxury. Its bungalows,
which are simple yet comfortable, all have a
private balcony, and the sea view from the
restaurant is sublime. shannas-cove.com
Orange Creek Inn, at the southern end of
Port Royal where it turns into Orange Creek,
is a friendly and peaceful hotel, run by
IMAGES: SUPERSTOCK; GETTY
Port Royal Beach, Cat Island, The Bahamas
TRAVELLER 10
islanders. Close to the airport and Arthur’s
Town, it’s the perfect place to start your trip,
although with its sea-view rooms and
delicious home cooking, you might not want
to move on. orangecreekinn.com
WHERE TO EAT: A ive-minute taxi ride along
the shore into Arthur’s Town, Da Smoke Pot
is a real catch on the island. Supremely
casual, it specialises in fresh ish and
seafood cooked simply and served with ’slaw,
rice and peas — much of the island’s food, 07 GRANDE RIVIERE
BEACH, TRINIDAD
barring fresh fruit and veg, is brought over by A secluded stretch
boat. A local rasta group drops in to play of rough sand
rake-and-scrape, so come ready to dance. on Trinidad’s
facebook.com/pages/da-smoke-pot unspoiled northern coast, the
Hot Spot by name and nature, this Grande Riviere is home to a
restaurant/rum bar/karaoke joint on the huge colony of leatherback
edge of Arthur’s Town serves up lavourful turtles. Watching hundreds of
Caribbean staples and some of the best rum these majestic creatures crawl
cocktails on the island. out of the sea to nest at night is
Da Pink Chicken is a little further south one of the most extraordinary
— although nowhere’s really far away on this experiences to be had
tiny island — but worth the trip for its anywhere in the Caribbean. LD
famous conch salad and ferocious hot sauce.
dapinkchicken.com LD
December 2019 169
TRAVELLER 10

Seven Mile Beach, Negril, Jamaica

RIGHT: Royalton White Sands
Resort, Jamaica

170 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

08
SEVEN MILE BEACH, NEGRIL, JAMAICA
Not only is Negril home to one of the best beaches in the Caribbean — a glorious, ive-mile-long (whatever its name claims) swathe
of powder sot sand and palms — it’s also a culinary paradise, replete with great diving and a world-famous roots reggae scene
WHAT: Negril, at the paradisiacal point in far
western Jamaica where tropical forest meets
the sea, is a fusion of the best of island
culture. Overlooked by green mountains, it’s
a hotspot for hiking, diving and
birdwatching; and while its long sandy beach
is as tranquil as you’d expect from a resort
this far of the beaten track, its buzzing
beach life means it’s also a vibrant place to
explore local cuisine and music.
WHERE TO EAT: Typical of Negril’s chilled out
dining scene, Best in the West is a classic
Jamaican roadside jerk shack that serves up
jerk chicken so good it’s oten said to be the
IMAGE: AWL IMAGES
island’s best.
A short and slightly bumpy drive of the
beach and up into the mountains, although
it’s well worth it, Zimbali’s Mountain
Cooking Studio specialises in ital cooking
— Rastafarian cuisine that’s vegan, usually
organic and full of positive vibrations.
facebook.com/best-in-the-west-jerk-chicken
facebook.com/pages/zimbalis-mountain-
cooking-studio
WHERE TO DRINK: Ivan’s Bar & Restaurant,
named for the hurricane that passed over
Jamaica in 2004, sits in a spectacular clitop
location in the heart of Negril. It’s an
unbeatable spot for a cold Red Stripe while
the sun sets. catchajamaica.com/ivans-bar
WHERE TO DANCE: Roots Bamboo, in the
resort of the same name, is the place to go for
live reggae, with a renowned house band that
makes way for big dancehall shows and jazz
nights at weekends.
Bourbon Beach is another reggae hotspot,
and has played host to world-famous
TRAVELLER 10
musicians like Gregory Isaacs. As at Roots
Bamboo, Saturday night is dancehall night.
For all-night parties, head to local
institution Alfred’s Ocean Palace, a chilled-
out beach bar where you can dance the night
away on the sand, soundtracked by local
and international reggae and roots bands.
rootsbamboohotel.com bourbonbeach.com
alfreds.com
WHERE TO STAY: Royalton White Sands
Resort is a plush, luxurious hotel east of
Seven Mile Beach that has a wealth of
restaurants as well as direct access to a
secluded sandy beach.
Wild Cofee Retreat is an eco-friendly
boutique made up of private cottages set
back from the road in luxuriant, private
gardens. royaltonresorts.com/royalton-negril
wildcofeeretreats.com LD
December 2019 171
 TRAVELLER 10

09 PLAYA FRONTON, LAS GALERAS,

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

WHAT: Recognisable to many

as a setting for the TV series
Survivor, Playa Fronton is pretty much the
deinition of a postcard-perfect beach:
white sand, coconut trees, coves and coral
await adventurers intrepid enough to make
the trip. Beach bars serve up light lunches,
snacks and ice cold beer.

WHERE: A little more than ive miles from

Las Galeras, a town on the most remote
eastern tip of the island, the beach is easily
accessible by boat. Arranging a ride there
is possible from any of the more touristy
beaches along the coast.

WHY: As well as the chance to truly get

away from it all, Playa Fronton’s crystal-
clear water is ideal for snorkelling. The
craggy clifs and rock walls around the bay
are great for climbing and bouldering.

HOW: Stay in nearby Las Galeras, a

friendly and laid-back ishing community
surrounded by wonderful beaches. Amhsa
Marina Grand Paradise Beach Resort is
a plush and secluded base with a palm
tree-lined beachfront and pools. It runs
eco-tourism excursions in the local area
and can help you ind a boat to Fronton.
hotelgrandparadisesamana.com LD
IMAGE: ROBERT MICHAEL POOLE

Playa Fronton

December 2019 173

TRAVELLER 10

10 PUNTA BORINQUEN, AGUADILLA,

PUERTO RICO
An iconic surfer’s beach just
north of Aguadilla, on Puerto
Rico’s northwest coast, Punta
Borinquen is one of the world’s newest surf
reserves, which means the local government
has committed to protecting its forested
coastline from encroaching developers. It’s
home to some of the region’s best surf spots
— like Crash Boat Beach and Gas Chambers
— as well as more than 300 days of rideable
waves. If gnarly right-hand barrels aren’t
your thing, its white-sand beach is ideal for
sunbathing and spectating. Aguadilla makes a
great base, with board rentals, restaurants and
bars, and a range of hotels — from hostels to
high-end. bqnresort.com LD

IMAGES: ALAMY

Crash Boat Beach,

Aguadilla, Puerto Rico

174 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
The most comprehensive
resort in Punta Cana
Situated on over a mile of white sand on renowned Bávaro Beach and protected by
a coral reef that converts the Caribbean Sea into a natural pool rests the impressive
Barceló Bávaro Grand Resort. This 24-hour all-inclusive resort is comprised
of the Barceló Bávaro Palace and the adults-only Barceló Bávaro Beach.

Barceló Bávaro Palace is the ideal setting
for a couples getaway and family vacation.
Guests can enjoy up to 11 restaurants with
amazing culinary variety, 4 swimming
pools including a children’s water park,
24-hour casino, U-Spa, bowling, a
world-class convention center, The
Lakes Barceló Golf Course, and more.
Barceló Bávaro Beach – Adults Only –
isn’t just the perfect setting for couples and
groups of friends vacationing together.
Guests can enjoy up to 3 restaurants, 2
bars and a large swimming pool. Guests
also have the added advantage of enjoying
full access to the extensive services and
amenities of the Barceló Bávaro Palace.

Barceló Bávaro Palace

Barceló Bávaro Beach

bavaro@barcelo.com
 ASK THE
EXPERTS
NEED ADVICE FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP?
ARE YOU AFTER RECOMMENDATIONS,
TIPS AND GUIDANCE? THE TRAVEL
GEEKS HAVE THE ANSWERS…
Q // I want to combine
Goa’s beaches with
sightseeing. Where
would you
recommend?
176 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
For serene Indian beach life
without the jet skis and night
clubs, choose a hotel or guest
house in south Goa, which
is little-developed and less
populated than most other
parts of the state. The coastline
between Betalbatim and Varca
is an almost unbroken stretch of
palm-fringed white sand and surf.
South Goa still bears many
traces of the state’s intriguing
Portuguese heritage. When you’re
ready to escape the tropical beach
reverie, there are sun-bleached
churches and imperious colonial
mansions within a 20-minute taxi
ride. Don’t miss the 17th-century
Braganza House in Chandor town
or the Palácio do Deão at Quepem.
FROM LEFT: Fishing boats
In Old Goa, the former colonial
on Palolem Beach, Goa;
capital once known as the
‘Rome of the East’, yellow auto-
elephants at a water hole
in Kenya’s Maasai Mara
rickshaws wind past pearly-white
churches. On lanes within the
Fontainhas, the oldest Latin
quarter, you might stumble
upon anomalies like Ganesh the
elephant-headed Hindu god
sitting trunk-by-jowl with the
Virgin Mary.
For a taste of the natural world,
tag a couple of nights onto your
beach stay and head for Goa’s
Chorla hills. There’s a wonderful
wildlife lodge here called
IMAGES: GETTY
Wildernest, from where forest
hiking trails lead to pounding
waterfalls. coxandkings.co.uk
MARTIN SYMINGTON
Q // How Unprecedented outbreaks
of dengue are being reported
dangerous is across Nepal, Bangladesh, the
the latest Philippines and other parts of
dengue fever Southeast Asia. The flu-like
illness caused by this mosquito-
outbreak in borne viral infection is usually
Southeast Asia? mild, passing after about a
week. Symptoms often develop
suddenly, about a week after
infection, and can sometimes
have lethal complications.
Outbreaks have been the
worst in built-up and urban
Q // I’d like to Sanctuary Olonana, in the
visit Kenya, and Maasai Mara, works closely
with the local community
want to make and has formed a symbiotic
sure the trip partnership. When guests visit,
they’re taught about local
supports local customs. There’s also the
communities. opportunity to visit Olonana
Any tips? market and get to know the
villagers selling handmade
craft work. The sanctuary
supports Maasai communities
in other ways too, from
building schools to supporting
healthcare initiatives.
Abercrombie & Kent
Philanthropy (AKP), the
company’s nonprofit arm,
helps with these, and many
other initiatives. Enkereri
areas where there’s standing
water. There’s no specific
treatment or widely available
vaccine for any of the four
different strains of dengue, so
the best thing is to avoid being
bitten. Precautions should
include high-concentrate DEET
repellent, loose-fitting clothes,
closed shoes, and mosquito
nets over beds. The mosquito
carrying the virus bites during
the day, often at dawn and dusk.
SARAH BARRELL
Primary School has been a
source of village pride since its
founding in 2005. AKP helped
by building the first formal
school building, followed by
an additional classroom and
the administration block,
kitchen and dining hall. Since
then, enrolment has risen from
30 to 265 children. Students
learn about conservation
efforts through social studies
and visits to the neighbouring
Maasai Mara National
Reserve. A&K guides provide
the children with exposure
to the reserve and wildlife,
as well as an introduction to
guiding. abercrombiekent.co.uk
GEOFFREY KENT
Q // Where can I go for
winter walking and
great food in the UK?
The Peak District is ideal for
winter walks, with varied terrain
and plenty of excellent pubs
in which to warm up. Routes
include the 8.5-mile Monsal Trail,
a former railway line connecting
Chee Dale and Bakewell via
limestone dales; and the Ilam Park
to Wetton circular walk — a more
challenging, 10-mile yomp, with
fabulous views across the hills.
As for where to dine, The
Devonshire Arms at Beeley
is recommended by both the
Michelin Guide and The Good Pub
Guide for its smart pub classics and
other dishes made using produce
from the Chatsworth Estate, on
which it’s located. There’s also
Michelin-starred dining at Fischer’s
Baslow Hall and top-notch
breakfasts at the Chatsworth
Estate Farm Shop cafe.
Alternatively, coastal routes
can make for dramatic winter
walks. These could include
sections of the 630-mile South
West Coast Path. Base yourself
in or around the north Cornwall
towns of Padstow and Port Isaac,
where you’ll find restaurants
from Nathan Outlaw and Rick
Stein, plus an outpost of London
favourite Prawn on the Lawn.
The Coast Path in these parts is
undulating, but with impressive
views over rocky coves and pretty
harbours. NICOLA TRUP
THE EXPERTS
MARTIN SYMINGTON
FREELANCE WRITER
GEOFFREY KENT
FOUNDER,
ABERCROMBIE & KENT
NICOLA TRUP
ASSOCIATE EDITOR,
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
TRAVELLER (UK)
SARAH BARRELL
ASSOCIATE EDITOR,
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
TRAVELLER (UK)
December 2019 177
TRAVEL GEEKS

THE INFO

THOMAS COOK: A HISTORY IN NUMBERS

FOLLOWING THE RECENT DEMISE OF THE WORLD’S OLDEST TOUR OPERATOR, WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE TRIUMPHS
AND TRIALS OF THOMAS COOK — FROM ITS GENESIS AS A RAILWAY TOURISM COMPANY TO ITS TIME AS A TOP-
HEAVY HIGH-STREET GIANT. WORDS: SARAH BARRELL

1841: MAIDEN VOYAGE

LEICESTER TO
LOUGHBOROUGH
500Passengers
7½p
round-trip ticket

Teetotal 1855 IN NUMBERS

THE COST OF COLLAPSE

IMAGES: GETTY. SOURCES: ABTA.COM; BBC.CO.UK; CNN.COM; INDEPENDENT.CO.UK; TELEGRAPH.CO.UK; THOMASCOOKGROUP.COM; THOMASCOOK.CAA.CO.UK
Germany
£20m
Amount received in
Thomas Cook — who salaries and bonuses
gave his name to the by Thomas Cook
Belgium
company — began his directors since 2014
travel career arranging
France
transport for followers
of the temperance
£1.7bn
THOMAS COOK’S Debt owed by the
movement. company to the banks
FIRST CONTINENTAL
TOUR, TAKING TWO
GROUPS TO PARIS FOR £1.3bn
Debt owed by
THE INTERNATIONAL the company
EXPOSITION. to suppliers

1m
1874: Cook’s Circular Note
£
Number of people

1869
Thomas Cook escorts
Thomas Cook launches an early form
afected by
the cancellation
of all Thomas Cook
his irst tour to Egypt of the traveller’s cheque in New York. bookings
and Palestine.

150,000
DECEMBER 2017 Number of Britons

1865
THOMAS COOK
The company announces
plans to close 50 stores; it’s
revealed less than half its
holidays are booked in store.
requiring repatriation,
from as far aield
as Malaysia

60,000
Number of refund
OPENS HIS forms submitted on
Thomas Cook Group ceases
FIRST HIGH- trading on 23 September 2019,
the irst day of a claims
website opening.
STREET TRAVEL entering liquidation ater Form available at
AGENCY. 178 years in business. thomascook.caa.co.uk

178 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

HOT TOPIC
CAN TOURISM HELP SAVE THE AMAZON?
FIRES ARE RAGING THROUGH THE WORLD’S LARGEST RAINFOREST — BUT HOW IS TOURISM
IMPACTED, AND CAN VISITORS ULTIMATELY BE THE FOREST’S SAVIOUR? WORDS: SIMON USBORNE
What’s happening in
the Amazon?
Due to logging, mining,
agriculture and ranching, an
estimated 17% of the Amazonian
rainforest has been destroyed
over the past 50 years — and
this year, it has been ravaged
by wildires. In August, Brazil’s
National Institute for Space
Research reported more than
80,000 ires burning across
Brazil; more than half of these
were in the rainforest. As well
as destroying swathes of the
world’s biggest absorber of
carbon dioxide at a time of
heightened awareness of the
climate crisis, the ires have
also fuelled a diplomatic crisis,
pitting a horriied international
community against Brazil’s far-
right president Jair Bolsonaro,
who has sought to play down
the scale of the destruction and
thwarted eforts to relieve it.
AND ANOTHER THING… ANIMAL WELFARE
G ADVENTURES
In October this year, the small-
group adventure operator
IMAGE: GETTY
launched a new animal welfare
policy, providing guidelines and
videos on wildlife encounters.
gadventures.com
Is the area safe for tourists?
Seasonal ires are an annual
event, but the scale of this year’s
burning has disrupted tourism
— although perhaps to a lesser
extent than one might expect.
Greenpeace has recommended
that travellers avoid places
including Novo Progresso, in
Pará; states including Roraima
and Amazonas (whose capital,
Manaus, is seen as the gateway
to the forest) have also been
afected. While some tour
operators have reported a
handful of visitors putting their
plans on hold, none have said
there’s any reason to avoid the
region on safety grounds, given
the enormity of the forest and the
fact the ires are fairly spread out.
“I can imagine the ires looked
terrifying on the news but they
haven’t impacted the tourists
we send to any parts of the
Amazon,” says Laura Rendell-
BORN FREE
The wildlife charity announced
a partnership with British
Airways Holidays this summer to
launch Raise the Red Flag, a wild
animal protection initiative.
bornfree.org.uk/raise-the-red-flag
Dunn, a destination specialist
at Journey Latin America. The
company trained its sales team
to reassure visitors concerned
about bookings but Rendell-
Dunn said they had received very
few calls about the ires.
How can tourism help?
Environmentalists in and beyond
the Amazon have urged people
to stick with existing travel
plans and to consider visiting
regions in need of economic
alternatives to the logging and
ranching practices that pose
the broadest threat and caused
many of the ires. A 2010 study
of land use in Tambopata, in the
Peruvian Amazon, compared
the proitability of eco-tourism
with cattle farming, logging and
mining. It found that eco-tourism
was more proitable in the long-
term than any other common use
of the land, as it protects natural
resources while also having
a broader positive impact on
industries and businesses.
“Some of the very remote
areas of Latin America we work
with tend to be places that don’t
receive that many tourists — so
it’s important to keep travelling
to these destinations to help
communities with development
projects and to sustain their
livelihoods,” says Rendell-Dunn.
“Tourism is such a lifeline and it’s
not just lodge-owners but the
people who work in them, the
guides and whole communities
who would be afected if people
were to stop visiting.”
AIRBNB
Airbnb Animal Experiences
was launched this year,
underpinned by an animal
welfare policy created in
collaboration with World
Animal Protection. airbnb.co.uk
TRAVEL GEEKS
WHERE TO GO
UAKARI FLOATING
LODGE, BRAZIL
This lodge is set within
Brazil’s largest protected
area, the Mamiraua
Reserve. Rooms are basic
but excursions include
canoe trips with local
guides and the chance
to contribute directly to
conservation projects.
uakarilodge.com.br
KAPAWI ECOLODGE,
ECUADOR
Ecuador is another tourist
gateway to the rainforest.
At Kapawi Ecolodge, in
the east of the country,
all energy generated is
from solar panels and local
building materials have
been used to preserve the
style of the indigenous
Achuar community, whom
the lodge supports with
development projects.
kapawi.com
MANÚ NATIONAL
PARK, PERU
The vast and incredibly
biodiverse Manú National
Park is heavily managed
with sustainability in
mind and can only be
visited with responsible
tour operators who have
the correct permits.
Manu Adventures offers
a choice of itineraries
for small groups.
manuadventures.com
TRIPADVISOR
In October, TripAdvisor
announced it would, by the end
of the year, stop selling tickets to
parks and attractions that breed
captive whales and dolphins.
tripadvisor.com
December 2019 179
TRAVEL GEEKS

Kit list
IN-FLIGHT SLEEPING 4
4 BOSE HEADPHONES 700
Bose’s new noise-cancelling
headphones make a great
escape from cabin noise. They’re
wireless, making them easy to
FALLING IN TO A DEEP SLEEP ON A PLANE sleep in, and also feature voice
IS NO EASY FEAT — HERE ARE A FEW control. Their over-ear design
ESSENTIALS TO HELP MAKE FLYING A also makes for ideal in-flight
CALMER AND MORE RESTFUL EXPERIENCE comfort. RRP: £349. bose.co.uk

1 THIS WORKS SCENT WELL

5
PORTABLE DIFFUSER
Sniff your way to sleep with this
portable oil diffuser. Charged by
USB, it’s compact and compatible
with the carry-on friendly 10ml
Deep Sleep Superblend (a gentle
mix of lavender, chamomile,
patchouli and vetiver oils).
RRP: £69. thisworks.com

5 SEP JORDAN CASHMERE SHAWL

2 ASCENO’S EYE MASKS
Slip into a serene slumber
wherever you are in the world
with Asceno’s eye masks. Made
from sandwashed silk, the large
padded mask blocks out light and
is the ultimate comforting luxury
on long-haul adventures.
RRP: £55. asceno.com
2 Almost supernaturally soft ,
these hand-embroidered
cashmere shawls are light yet
snug — perfect for wrapping up
on long flights before dozing off.
They’re hand-embroidered by
refugees in Jordan as part of an
empowerment scheme focusing
on training and employment.
3 RRP: £400. sepjordan.com

3 NEOM PERFECT NIGHT’S 6

SLEEP PILLOW MIST 6 SMARTWOOL CHUP
Take 14 essential oils on the go in HUMMINGBIRD CREW SOCKS
one 30ml pillow mist blend that These cosy socks are part of a
contains various natural, sleep- collaboration between Smartwool
enhancing scents. Spritz your and premium Tokyo-based sock
travel pillow, breathe in deeply brand Chup, and combine bold
for 10 seconds, breathe out, and designs with the comfort and
settle in for the perfect sleep. cushioning of Merino wool.
RRP: £20. neomorganics.com RRP: £26.99. smartwool.com

hree to try: travel pillows

BEST FOR LIGHTER TRAVELS
TRTL PILLOW PLUS
Essentially a scarf with a side support for the neck,
this is a great option for travellers who struggle with
bulky pillows. RRP: £49.95. trtltravel.com
BEST FOR THOROUGH SUPPORT
CABEAU EVOLUTION S3 TRAVEL PILLOW
If a lolling head stops you from sleeping on a plane,
Cabeau could be the solution. Made from memory
foam. RRP: $39.99 (£32). cabeau.com
BEST FOR COCOON-LIKE SUPPORT
OSTRICH PILLOW: GO
This Velcro-adjustable, memory foam, ergonomic
pillow is similar to the Trtl with deeper neck support
on one side. RRP: £47. eu.ostrichpillow.com

180 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 TRAVEL GEEKS

Tech traveer TECHNOLOGY REPORTER FOR @BBCCLICK AND

AUTHOR OF WORKING THE CLOUD,
KATE RUSSELL PICKS THE LATEST INNOVATIONS

TOP TIPS FOR...

in-flight entertainment
EXCEPTIONAL
EXTRAS
TAKING TECH ON YOUR TRAVELS?
MAKE YOUR GADGETS EXTRA SMART
WITH A RANGE OF CLEVER ACCESSORIES

If you choose to use your own devices for

Passport, credit card, smartphone
— these are my three essential
items for any trip, because even
if the rest of my luggage goes
missing, I can survive as long
as I have them. As for storage,
Adventure Port makes a nice
solution for keeping them all
together — a passport wallet
(amazon.co.uk, £29.99) with room
for your phone that includes a
detachable charging bank. The
credit card pouches are RFID-
protected, and there’s room for a
bit of cash too.
For a pared down and highly
portable solution, take a look at
the Anuck Wallet Case (amazon.
co.uk, £20.10), a neat sliding case
for iPhone 7 and 8 Plus that will
keep your screen protected when
it’s in your pocket or bag. It even
has a secret compartment for
your credit card, although without
RFID protection included.
Travelling with an iPad? You can
improve your input experience
greatly with a smart keyboard
attachment, like the Bybridge
Pro range (brydge.co.uk, from
£150). It’s not the cheapest, but
has backlit keys and a 180-degree
adjustable angle.
If you’re using your phone for
navigating in a car, it’s not a great
idea to obscure your view with
the window-mounted devices,
so Belkin’s ‘Car Vent Mount’
(belkin.com, £19.99) is a good
alternative. It’ll hold most modern
smartphones up to 5.5 inches in
width and the head rotates 180
degrees for use either in portrait
or landscape mode.
then bend into a mount shape and you can rest
in-flight entertainment, download whatever
you want to watch ahead of time, as in-flight
wi-fi will be very slow and could open you up
to the risk of hacking. Here are a few helpful
tips for in-flight viewing:
GET CONNECTED
Wireless headphones can be used if you turn
Bluetooth back on after initiating flight mode,
but it will drain your batteries quite quickly.
Instead, while seated, consider reverting to a
wired connection using a mini-jack cable that
should come with your headphones.
LEAN BACK
For more comfortable viewing, if you have a
suction car windscreen mount pop it in your
hand luggage and use it to attach your phone
to the seat-back screen in front of you.
PROP IT UP
Instead of buying a fancy stand, get creative
with a giant paperclip. Just straighten it out
your phone on any flat surface.

GET THE GADGET

Creoqode LYRA gaming console
If you don’t want to use up your
phone’s battery during a flight,
this handheld gaming console
will keep you occupied. It’s based
on Raspberry Pi technology,
which means it’s actually a fully
functioning PC under the hood,
IMAGES: GETTY
5.5-inch touchscreen or connect
it to a full-sized TV via HDMI for
multiplayer action. You can order
one ready-built to use out of the
box (£249), or if you want to save
a bit of cash and are interested
in seeing how it works, a DIY kit

but has been designed to virtually (£219) is available. creoqode.com

emulate any of the classic gaming
consoles from the 1980s and @katerussell
’90s. Play handheld with the katerussell.co.uk

December 2019 181

TRAVEL GEEKS
FREQUENT FLYER
AIRLINE
STRIKES
AN INCREASING NUMBER
OF AIRLINES ARE STRIKING
AT THE MOMENT — BUT
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN
FOR TRAVELLERS?
WORDS: DAVID WHITLEY
Are we seeing more airline
strikes than usual?
When pilots at the now-defunct
Thomas Cook Airlines walked
out in 2017, it was the irst strike
involving pilots at a British airline
since 1974. Since then, they’ve all
been at it, with the two-day British
Airways strike in September being
the most disruptive.
It’s not exactly an uncommon
thing elsewhere, though — in
France and Italy it’s practically
a national sport. And the
increasingly multinational
nature of airlines means strikes
in one country can afect lights
elsewhere. When some 50,000
passengers had lights cancelled
with Ryanair in July 2018, for
example, it was due to strikes in
Belgium, Spain and Portugal.
Why are they striking now?
It’s partly a case of muscle-lexing.
Ater the 2008 inancial crisis,
many airlines were in a tough
position, and cutting costs was
seen as the most straightforward
way to tackle it. This included a
tight clampdown on wage rises
COMPENSATION FOR DELAYS
Less than seven days before travel
LENGTH OF DELAY FLIGHT DISTANCE
Less than 1,500km
Under three hours €0
Three hours plus €250 (£217)
Three to four hours
Four hours plus
182 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
and, oten, putting new staf on
less generous contracts.
Now, though, airlines are quietly
raking in the proits — and staf
have had enough of the squeeze.
The strikers at British Airways also
cite declining service standards.
Why can’t they just get other
pilots in?
While being a strikebreaker in
any industry is a touchy subject,
there are other issues with getting
replacement airline staf. Much of
the training is airline-speciic and,
for pilots in particular, the training
is done on a plane-by-plane basis.
This is part of the reason strikers
have considerable leverage.
And that’s before you get into
the logistics of getting everyone
1,500km to 3,000km
€400 (£348)
in position around the route map,
with the legally mandated amount
of rest time. For the airlines, it’s
oten less of a headache to just
cancel lights when they don’t
know how many pilots will turn up
for work, keeping as many planes
at base as possible.
I see. What are my rights?
If lying from an EU airport or
on an EU-based airline, you’re
entitled to either a full refund or
an alternative light if the trip is
cancelled less than 14 days before
departure. You also get meals,
hotel rooms and transfers if it
results in a long delay.
A 2018 European Court of
Justice ruling put a spanner
in the usual airline practice of
More than 3,500km
€300 (£261)
€600 (£522)
claiming strikes represented
‘extraordinary circumstances’,
which is the traditional get-out
from ofering compensation for
delayed and cancelled lights.
Strikes by the airline’s own staf
were ruled, quite reasonably, to
be under the airline’s control. So
this means you can claim up to
€600 (£522) compensation, too.
Can my trip be ruined by a strike?
If it’s within a 14-day period, it’s
more likely to be disrupted than
ruined — perhaps with diferent
departure times and route
detours. A problem is most likely
to arise as a result of the airlines’
favoured new trick — simply
cancelling lights before the
14-day deadline kicks in. If this
happens, you still get the refund
or alternative light, but good luck
taking the money and inding your
own alternative arrangements
for the same price. The bargain
rates you originally booked at are
highly unlikely to be available.
Okay. How much would I be
entitled to?
The EU-mandated compensation
for cancelled lights are based
on the distance and timings of
the replacement lights, plus
IMAGE: GETTY
how far in advance it’s cancelled.
The Civil Aviation Authority
website has further advice and
information. caa.co.uk

GREECE
A NEW TAKE ON
AN OLD CLASSIC
Keen to head of the tourist trail in Greece?
Go online to read about alternative sites in Athens,
remote islands in the north and skiing the country’s
mountains. Here’s a taste of what’s to come
Read more online at nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
PARTNER CONTENT FOR GREECE
1
New ways to
experience Athens
This iconic capital city may be
famous for its classical monuments, but
visitors who cling to its past will miss out
on its more modern gems. Take time to
embrace alternative Athens and discover
some of its contemporary, often quirky
attractions, which include a toy museum in
a fairytale castle, a gallery where you can
meet up-and-coming artists and a cultural
centre with landscaped gardens, family-
friendly activities, the new Opera House
and one of the best views in the city.
2
Northern Greece: the
road less travelled
With 6,000 islands scattered
across three diferent seas, it’s not
surprising the northern archipelago has
fallen under the radar of mass tourism.
Discover the country’s best powder beaches
in Thasos, ind out why the seaside city of
Kavala is much more than a stepping stone
for nearby islands, and explore the beauty
of the remote and mysterious Samothrace,
with its proliic waterfalls, verdant forests,
ancient legends and therapeutic mineral
springs — it’s somewhere that retains a
magical almost hippy vibe ideal for wild
swimming and camping out under the stars.
3
Why Greece
should be top of
your winter hitlist
Snowfalls and ski slopes aren’t the irst
things tourists usually associate with
Greece, despite its high-altitude interior,
where mountains are the palaces of the
gods. For many Brits, the Mediterranean
country remains an undiscovered winter
paradise with loads of excellent ski resorts
to explore. Find out why Arachova is
nicknamed the ‘winter Mykonos’ and
attracts a rich and jet-setting party crowd,
and why Mainalo, close to Athens, is the
place to go for pristine snowscapes along
with stone-built villages, where quaint
tavernas serve traditional hearty dishes.
visitgreece.gr
PARTNER CONTENT FOR CEWE

A feast for the eyes

I enjoy all the colour and
detail in this image, which
was taken in Adelaide’s
Central Market. I also like
the way it keeps your eye
moving until the shallow
depth of field guides you
to the woman looking at
her phone as well as the
mural in the back.

FAVOURITE SHOTS
Chris van Hove, National Geographic Traveller (UK)
photographer, picks his top five travel photographs and
explains why these images standout to him
 PARTNER CONTENT FOR CEWE
Quick reactions
As I was setting up to
take some nice long
exposures of Godafoss
waterfall in Iceland,
I noticed a group of
horses running in the
field behind. I grabbed
my camera, with the
tripod still attached,
changed position and
flicked it to auto to
capture my favourite
image of that trip.
Stay low
I was lying on the
muddy ground in
South Georgia, trying
to get a wide-angle
shot of a king penguin
colony from ground
level, when I felt a jab
at my side. I looked up
and two penguins were
staring down at me,
trying to work out what
sort of creature I was.
A fresh angle
The most famous
locations in the world
can be challenging to
photograph — how can
you offer a different
perspective on a place
like Venice’s Piazza
San Marco? I found my
take on it in the early
morning when the
tourists were still in
bed and daylight was
just creeping in.
Perfect timing
While on an expedition
cruise in the Arctic,
I was woken just
before midnight by an
announcement from
the bridge of a polar
IMAGES: CHRIS VAN HOVE
bear sighting. Once
on deck I saw the bear
perfectly lit by the low
midnight sun at the
edge of the ice, creating
this beautiful reflection
in the water.
To find out more, visit cewe-photoworld.com/ngt or call 01926 463107
Display your
favourite shots
with CEWE
CEWE PHOTOBOOK
Keep all your favourite
travel shots in one
place and share them
with friends, family or
travel companions with
a CEWE PHOTOBOOK.
You can also combine
your photographs
with anecdotes from
the trips, to keep the
memories fresh for
years to come.
CEWE WALL ART
Liven up any space by
hanging your favourite
travel shots on the wall
for everyone to admire.
From hexxas — a
modern take on wall art
in a hexagonal shape
— to more traditional
wood prints, CEWE’s
wall art collection
features a range of
shapes and materials,
for all tastes.
CEWE CALENDARS
Enjoy a new picture
every month with a
personalised calendar.
Want to put together
something different?
To create a travel
timeline of the year, try
matching the months
when the photos were
taken to the months of
the calendar. CEWE’s
software also makes it
easy to customise key
dates, which makes the
calendar a perfect and
thoughtful gift for a
loved one.
PARTNER CONTENT FOR APT

TASTING THE OUTBACK WITH

A TASTE
JOHN TORODE OF THE
REGION
Join the top chef and discover the unique flavours of Boab root: The
Western Australia’s wild and wondrous Kimberley region ancient boab tree is an
icon of the Kimberley,
and the sapling tap
A land of pristine savannahs, spectacular on the dinner menu for all guests staying roots are extremely
natural wonders and fresh indigenous at APT’s exclusive Bungle Bungle nutritious and tasty
produce, the Kimberley is Australia at Wilderness Lodge throughout 2020. when peeled. The
its most sublime. Travellers looking to And for one week in May 2020, APT root is crunchy, crisp
experience the best of the region can follow guests can join Torode for an exclusive and white, similar to
in the footsteps of renowned TV chef culinary experience at the Bungle Bungle a radish, with a delicate
John Torode and discover the rich lavours Wilderness Lodge in the heart of a World sweet lavour. It’s best
the Kimberley has to ofer. Heritage-listed national park. served raw or lightly
Torode, who recently returned to his Gastronomy aside, it’s the perfect cooked and added
native Australia to tour the region, was opportunity to uncover the natural to salads, stir fries
amazed to explore destination that’s so splendour of the Kimberley with the people and soups.
steeped in tradition, discovering the weird who know it best. But whether it’s by four- Gubinge: Also known
and wonderful ingredients found in this wheel-drive or expedition ship, no tour of as the Kakadu plum. It
remote, unspoilt part of the world. the Kimberley is complete without a stay at may only be the size
After tasting the eclectic variety of APT’s other lodges, including the luxury of an olive, but the tart
indigenous fruits, vegetables and spices, Bell Gorge and Mitchell Falls, where the fruit is considered a
John has created a number of exciting likes of local barramundi with boab root nutritional powerhouse
bush-inspired recipes that will feature salsa are served beneath starry night skies. — the world’s richest
source of natural
vitamin C, containing
50 times the amount
found in oranges. It’s
often used for jam or
dried and added to
smoothies or granola.
Quandong: Highly
valued by the Aboriginal
people for its nutritional
and medicinal qualities,
this small red bush fruit,
also known as the desert
peach, is packed full of
vitamin C and can be
eaten raw, stewed or in
juice, tea, pies or tarts.

Essentials

With more than 40 years of

experience in the Kimberley,
APT is the region’s only major
tour operator with an Advanced
Eco-tourism certiication. APT
also owns a unique network of
Luxury Wilderness Lodges.
IMAGE: APT

Bungle Bungle Range in World

Heritage-listed Purnululu National Park

To ind out more, visit aptouring.co.uk or call 0800 046 7765

 IN THE NEXT ISSUE

Vietnam

Vietnam’s fantastical landscapes and bustling cities ofer a

lifetime of unforgettable experiences. In our next issue, we follow
a trail from north to south, unearthing all the cultural, natural and
culinary wonders the beguiling country has to ofer

Plus // Brooklyn, Botswana, Cumbria, Dubrovnik, Iceland,

Lisbon, Lucca, New Brunswick, Sydney, Vilnius

jan/feb issue
On sale 5 December 2019
IMAGE: GETTY

For more information on our subscription ofer,

see page 198

December 2019 187

ALIEN F
rom the gate, Area 51 looks deserted.
It would be so easy to simply step over
the dotted line in the road here, to
enter America’s most mysterious military
installation. But Nate Arizona knows better.
“Don’t even think about it,” warns my
previously jovial guide, brow furrowing under
his neon-coloured bandana. “You’d be face

TERRITORY
irst in the dirt with a gun to the back of your
head before you knew what was happening.”
For alien enthusiasts, this is ground zero. The
secret air force base in Nevada has been at the
centre of extra-terrestrial speculation since
the 1940s. Many believe UFO wreckage from
the infamous Roswell Incident of 1947 is hidden
inside this perimeter — along with the remains
ALLEGED ALIEN CONTACT of its intergalactic pilots. Others speculate
SITES SUCH AS AREA 51 that the facility is dedicated to the reverse
AND ROSWELL ARE SEEING engineering of recovered alien technology, or
A RISE IN UFO TOURISM. even time travel. Whichever way you cut it, an
FAR FROM BEING awful lot of people believe that if the truth is
CONSPIRACY THEORISTS, out there, it’s probably in here.
MANY VISITORS TO The ‘Storm Area 51’ Facebook joke, which
THESE REMOTE SITES ARE went viral earlier this summer (with two
SIMPLY ADVENTUROUS million people signing up for the mass invasion
TRAVELLERS, KEEN TO of the facility in order to ‘see them aliens’) put
KNOW THE ANSWER this highly classiied military base irmly back
TO THE QUESTION: IS in the public eye. But another trend has been
THE TRUTH REALLY growing out here too: that of UFO tourism.
OUT THERE? WORDS: Nate’s own tour, which also takes in the
JONATHAN THOMPSON nearby Extraterrestrial Highway and the

188 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 Rachel, Nevada
tiny town of Rachel — a hub of purported
paranormal activity — recently became
one of Airbnb’s ‘experiences’, and bookings
are landing faster than the Martian invasion
force in HG Wells’ classic sci-i novel The War
of the Worlds.
“People get very excited about coming out
to Area 51, but once we arrive at the gates,
they realise how serious the whole thing is,”
says Nate as we march along the perimeter,
looking for a better vantage point. “The US
government didn’t even oicially admit this
place existed until 2013, ater all. There are
motion sensors and cameras everywhere,
and they follow your every move. Don’t be
under any illusion — there are multiple guards
watching us right now.”
Those guards are what ufologists call
‘camo guys’ — the real-life equivalent of the
Men in Black from the Hollywood ilm. I’ve
heard these defenders of the Earth drive
unmarked white SUVs, sitting sphinx-like
behind mirrored sunglasses as they trail
visitors from a discreet distance. Sure enough,
as we approach another gate, Nate spots a
white SUV parked on a bluf, which lashes its
headlights as we approach.
“The camo guys are just letting us know
they’re there,” says Nate. “Don’t worry — as
long as we don’t enter the base proper, we’ll be
absolutely ine.”

December 2019 189

 N A T U R E’S A LT E R N A T I V E

Order Today

10%
OFF

Promo Code
GE O10

Did you know there are 1.3 million CBD users in the UK already?
We want you to be part of the next million.
At Vitality CBD we make all-natural, premium CBD oils designed to complement your everyday routine. If you’re
looking for an introduction to the world of CBD, then Vitality has you covered.
Our Oral Drops & Oral Spray contain no THC, come in 3 delicious lavours (Berry, Lemon & Natural) and have been designed for
ease of use. Simply apply the oil under the tongue, and wait for 90 seconds. These are the perfect place to start your CBD journey.
For cosmetics users looking for natural skin relief, Vitality CBD’s Skin Cream and Muscle Balm provide local care. Each one is made
from a hand-selected range of organic ingredients. If you want to discover more about our CBD range, reach out to us below.

For more information: vitalitycbd.co.uk | info@vitalitycbd.co.uk | +44 (0) 121 328 6622

UFO TOURISM HOTSPOTS
AREA 51, NEVADA
Around 150 miles north of Las Vegas,
Area 51 is part of a top-secret US
military base covered by a permanent
no-ly zone. Conspiracy theorists
believe the area is a storage facility
for crashed alien spacecraft and
its occupants, something the US
government has neither conirmed nor
denied. Authorities actively discourage
visitors from coming within a ive-mile
radius of the facility, but some tours will
take you around the perimeter and to
the two main gates.
ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO
In July 1947, something crashed to
earth north west of Roswell during a
thunderstorm. Debris was recovered
by a local rancher and quickly seized
by the military. An army press release
initially claimed a ‘lying disc’ had
been recovered — a claim that was
swiftly withdrawn, with the object now
explained as a downed weather balloon.
KECKSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA
The town of Kecksurg is home to the
‘space acorn’. On 9 December 1965,
a 15ft-long, copper-coloured object
covered in what looked like Egyptian
hieroglyphics fell to earth in a forest
here. Plenty of locals saw it but the US
military quickly arrived and spirited it
away. Eyewitnesses were told to forget
what they saw, which naturally caused
many of them to tell everybody and
anybody. In 1990, a replica of the UFO
was erected, which has gone on to
become a tourist attraction.
WYCLIFFE WELL, AUSTRALIA
Self-proclaimed UFO capital of
Australia, Wycliffe Well is located
in the Northern Territory, approximately
200 miles from Alice Springs. It’s said
to be one of the top ive UFO hotspots
in the world, and for good reason
— there’s a recorded sighting every
couple of days, on average. Visitors
can stay in cabins at the Wycliffe Well
Holiday Park, where the walls are
covered in newspaper clippings of UFO
sightings and you’re ‘guaranteed’ one
of your own if you stay for more than
48 hours.
M-TRIANGLE, RUSSIA
Around 600 miles east of Moscow,
the area around the remote village of
Molyobka, in the Beryozovsky District,
is said to be Russia’s answer to Area 51.
Locals have reported seeing a range of
phenomena here in the foothills of the
Urals, including hovering lights, strange
symbols written across the sky, and
even translucent beings. There are also
persistent rumours of people having
visited the area and subsequently
developing enhanced intelligence or
superhuman powers.
Under these watchful eyes, we continue
our exploration, Nate pointing out satellite
towers, barracks and even a bizarre mirrored
pyramid visible within the perimeter. As we
pass, mounted cameras grind and whir in our
direction and the inscrutable SUV maintains
its vigilant watch.
Shadows slowly lengthening, we inally
retreat to Rachel — a dusty, one-horse town
a bumpy, eight-mile drive from Area 51. At
its only motel, the appropriately monikered
‘Little A’Le’Inn’, manager Cody Theising says
they too have seen a noted uptick in bookings
as UFO tourism has taken of.
“There’s deinitely been an increase in
business out here in the last couple of
years; we’re seeing a lot more tours like
yours coming through,” says Cody, as I sip
one of the Little A’Le’Inn’s signature ‘Spiced
Abduction’ cocktails next to a sign that reads
‘Earthlings Welcome’.
“We’re still getting the diehard UFO fans,
of course, but the majority of new guests are
normal people like you or me, who’ve seen
Area 51 mentioned on the news or in a movie
and are curious to check it out for themselves.
They come out on road trips from Las Vegas
and they’re looking to tick this place of their
bucket lists — to stay overnight and have a
story and images to share on social media
before driving on.”
The new (para)normal
It’s that ‘normal’ clientele on road
trips, as opposed to the committed
conspiracy theorists, that’s driving the
current trend — causing a rise in bookings
both here and at other UFO hotspots.
Inevitably, that list also includes Roswell,
New Mexico, the site of the most famous
alleged UFO crash, in July 1947, and what
many believe was the mother of all
government cover-ups aterwards.
Like Rachel, Roswell has embraced its
alien-friendly status in recent years, with
notable sites ranging from the International
UFO Museum and Research Center to a
spaceship-shaped McDonald’s restaurant.
Here too, UFO tourism has kicked into
hyperdrive of late and the ‘grey dollar’ (as
it’s been jokingly nicknamed by some in the
industry, ater the most frequent visualisation
of alien skin tone) is being spent as never
before. Dennis Balthaser, a local man who runs
extraterrestrial-themed tours in Roswell, says
demand is such that he’s now running them
twice daily, ive days a week.
“By the end of this year I’ll have cleared 300
tours,” he tells me. “Most visitors are curious
about Roswell, but have very little information
on what happened here. They’ve usually seen
something on TV that’s sparked their interest
and they make a stop here during a longer
vacation — although there’s also a smaller
group who’ve had a UFO experience of their
own and want to ind out more.”
UFO TOURISM
That dichotomy, between the curious and
the irm believers, echoes the experience
at Area 51. In Roswell, there’s a decided
international lavour to proceedings, too.
“Several times a month I have people from
the UK, China, Australia, South Africa and
Japan on my tours, as well as most US states,”
says Dennis. “People know that something
happened here, but they’re not sure what. It’s
that not knowing, that mystery, that continues
to drive this. As long as we don’t know the truth,
and people keep speculating about theories,
they’ll keep coming to visit places like this.”
It would obviously be bad for Dennis’s
buoyant business, but does he think we’ll ever
get to the bottom of what really happened
during that summer storm of 1947, when the
US Air Force admitted they’d recovered a
‘lying disc’, before backtracking the following
day and claiming it was a downed weather
balloon? “I don’t anticipate disclosure in
my lifetime, but I do hope it will be revealed
for young people eventually,” he says. “We
deserve the truth — one way or the other.”
That quest for answers remains irmly
focused on US territory, where, according
to the Washington state-based National
UFO Reporting Center, there were 3,381
sightings in 2018 — more than three times
the annual average since records began.
Either more aliens are showing up, or more
humans are wanting to believe — and acting
on that belief.
As well as the ‘big two’ (Roswell and Area
51), other UFO hotspots in the US include
Kecksburg, Pennsylvania — where a car-
sized, acorn-shaped metal object covered
in hieroglyphics reportedly fell to earth in a
iery blaze in 1965 — and Sedona, Arizona,
which claims some of the most frequent
alien sightings in the world, everything from
colourful balls of light to lying saucers.
Groups of tourists equipped with night-vision
goggles, binoculars and telescopes gather
here every evening to hunt for UFOs.
Extraterrestrial income
The USA isn’t the only country experiencing
a rise in UFO tourism; Chile, Sri Lanka
and Japan are also cashing in on the grey
dollar by inviting tourists to investigate
their own otherworldly mysteries. In 2008,
Chile opened a UFO Trail, centred on the
northern town of San Clemente, an ET hub
that’s generated hundreds of sightings. The
signposted, 19-mile path runs through the
Andes above the town, linking the sites of
the area’s most famous close encounters.
Arguably the best way to experience it is with
one of the local horse-riding operators, which
carry telescopes in their saddle bags and
teach you about the stars while discussing
the Earth-bound crat that supposedly came
from them. These extra-terrestrial sightseeing
expeditions typically end with an intergalactic
debate over pisco sours around a campire.
December 2019 191
UFO TOURISM
HOW TO DO IT
Airbnb’s three-day Paranormal
Tour of the US Southwest
with Nate Arizona costs from
£995 per person, including two
nights’ accommodation.
airbnb.co.uk/b/adventures
192 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Among the talking points, El Enladrillado will
invariably loom large; this amphitheatre-like
arrangement of perfectly cut volcanic stone
blocks was supposedly laid by the ancients as
an alien landing ground.
Sri Lanka also has its eye on extraterrestrial
income, with UFO tourism focusing on ‘alien
mystery tours’ around Anuradhapura, the
capital city of the North Central Province,
while Japan’s own UFO capital is Asuka, in
Nara Prefecture. The tiny village is famed for
its mysterious carved granite monoliths; the
largest of which is the Rock Ship of Masuda,
a 15t-tall, 800-tonne block with a straight
central ridge and two one-metre square holes
cut from it.
So, where does UFO tourism go next?
Operators like Nate Arizona continue to
see bookings lood in — a trend which
shows no sign of abating. One of Nate’s
guests, Armando Martinez — a 51-year-old
photographer from Denver who recently
joined Nate’s Area 51 tour — tells me he
absolutely loved the experience, and the
images he captured on it. “The beauty of
tours like this is that the places you visit are
so exotic and extraordinary in their own
way that they help build up the anticipation
of possibly seeing the paranormal,” says
Armando. “You can see that possibility right
Crystal Springs, Nevada
up to the security gates of Area 51, and it’s
very special.
“I think paranormal tourism is growing
for one simple reason — more people are
believing in it,” he adds. “Improvements in
technology, particularly mobile phones,
means there’s far more evidence of the
paranormal being collected. There’s so much
documentation out there now that you have
to really step back and re-evaluate things,
and tours like this are great for that kind
of perspective.”
Airbnb seems to agree. According to its
head of Adventures, Caroline Boone, the
company has been “delighted” with demand
for Nate’s ‘Paranormal Tour of the US
Southwest’. “Nate’s paranormal tour ofers
travellers an out-of-this-world immersion in
a far-of location and access to a community
they might not otherwise encounter,” she says.
Back in the heart of that far-of community
— namely the bar at the Little A’Le’Inn — Nate
is feeling equally positive. His goal, he says,
is to unite Roswell, Sedona and Area 51 into
a super UFO tour, spanning three states. And
with backers like Airbnb, who’s to doubt him?
“There’s deinitely something here;
something big,” says Nate. “It sounds corny
when we’re talking about lying saucers, but
the sky really is the limit here.”
 READER OFFER

ULTIMATE ITINERARY
ULTIMATE

SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH AFRICA

WHAT’S INCLUDED
• All international and
internal flights
Experience three of South Africa’s top attractions, starting • Five nights in 4* hotels
with Cape Town’s coastal scenery before moving on to • Two nights full board in a 5*
safari lodge
the verdant vineyards of Stellenbosch and finishing with a • Five days’ car hire
safari at Pilanesberg National Park, home to the Big Five • Robben Island tour
• Four game drives
• Airport transfers

Book Economy Classic flights

with Virgin Atlantic and Flight
Centre will upgrade you to
Virgin Atlantic Economy
Delight for free

YS FRO
DA
0

M
1

£1,799 PP
SAVE £325pp

Cape Town Stellenbosch Pilanesberg

Surrounded by mountains and ocean,
Cape Town is packed with natural
attractions and cultural sights — from
the colourful blooms of Kirstenbosch
Botanical Garden to the iconic V&A
Waterfront, all set against the dramatic
backdrop of Table Mountain. This
cosmopolitan city serves as the perfect
gateway to the rest of the country.
Admire Stellenbosch’s historical
buildings and sun-dappled streets
before heading out to the mountains
to visit picturesque vineyards.
Visitors will be able to learn about
wine production while sampling
sauvignons and cabernets, then enjoy
a gourmet lunch at the excellent
vineyard restaurants.
Head into the bush on a guided
game drive through one of the most
diverse, wildlife-rich areas in Africa.
Home to the Big Five — lion, leopard,
buffalo, rhino and elephant — as well
as wild dog, giraffe and more than
300 species of birds, Pilanesberg
National Park offers the ultimate
safari experience.

Excellent For more information,

visit flightcentre.co.uk
Based on over 24,000 reviews on
or call 0808 239 0700

Prices are correct as of 22 October 2019 and are subject to change. Prices may be higher or unavailable for certain travel dates. All prices are per person. Holidays and accommodation
are based on two adults sharing. Airfares are Economy Class on specified airlines from London, unless otherwise stated. For full booking conditions, visit flightcentre.co.uk
MISSION
ACCESSIBLE
THINGS ARE CHANGING FOR TRAVELLERS WITH DISABILITIES. BOOSTED BY THE SPENDING POWER OF THE
PURPLE POUND, TRAVEL COMPANIES ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY SAVVY ABOUT EXPANDING TRIPS
TAILORED FOR TRAVELLERS WITH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL IMPAIRMENTS. WORDS: JULIA BUCKLEY
R
obin Sheppard used to be a hotelier
who didn’t know much about
wheelchair-accessible rooms. Then,
in December 2004, he was struck down by
Guillain-Barré syndrome, which afects the
nerves. Sheppard would spend the next 18
months in a wheelchair. He began to look at
accessible hotel rooms in a diferent light.
The approach to accessibility was largely, he
realised, a box-ticking exercise to comply with
legislation. “We had a level of facility, but so
many of those spaces had been designed from
a functional perspective, not a consumer one.
I’d lost my ability to walk, but not my sense
of style. I’m ashamed to say I was completely
oblivious until I became a consumer — I
had an enforced period of observation and
realised how hostile the environment was for
a disabled person, and how marginalised they
were. It was like we were a separate species.”
Sheppard switly dedicated himself to
changing things. Bespoke Hotels, the company
Sheppard co-founded in 2000, is one of
the UK’s largest independent hotel groups,
with more than 200 properties worldwide.
Sheppard’s aim is to close the design gap
between its accessible and standard rooms.
“We [the industry] don’t put enough
emphasis on making a disabled room as joyful
194 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
and stylish as a conventional bedroom,” he
says. “Invariably, an accessible room will be
close to the lit, have the worst views, and the
bathroom ixtures and ittings will be more
hospital than smart hotel. There’s even a
palpable diference to the niceness of a toilet
seat. Functionality wins and style is sacriiced.”
So, what does true accessibility look like?
When it comes to hotel rooms, it’s pretty much
identical to a standard room, says Ed Warner,
who, as CEO of Motionspot, works with hotels
to achieve rooms that are inviting to everyone.
Like Sheppard, Warner — formerly in sales and
marketing — hadn’t thought too much about
accessibility until his friend James Taylor had a
diving accident and returned from hospital “to
ind his house looked more like a care home.”
Warner helped him scout out more stylish
products, but, he says, “there was very little
innovation in the UK at the time.”
In 2012, the pair set up Motionspot to
redress the balance, and now work with
retail chains, Transport for London and hotel
companies. “Hotel rooms were dire, clinical
spaces designed to serve a function rather
than it in with the feel of a hotel,” says Warner,
who was named a government ‘champion’
of accessible design in 2019. “We work with
architects to give them a better understanding
of what they could do, and with designers to
make sure they’re compliant with the design of
the rest of the hotel.”
Motionspot has worked with the National
Trust, Jumeirah, Edwardian Hotels and Grange
Hotels, as well as Bespoke. Forget clinical-
looking grab rails and tatty seats; Motionspot
rooms have wide-door showers or wetrooms,
with removable grab rails — in chrome or
wood — attached to the wall when needed.
But only 6% of people with disabilities in the
UK use a wheelchair. So, Motionspot rooms
incorporate wider innovations that might not
occur to most able-bodied people: continuous
colour tone on the loor (people with visual or
cognitive impairments could perceive areas
of contrast as a step or a hole), contrasting
colours for the loors and walls, and suitable
lighting — pools of light can confuse those
with cognitive impairments. They work on the
public areas, too — the acoustics of atriums
and receptions can be disorientating for
people with autism and hearing diiculties.
Making accessible rooms stylish is good
business, it turns out. A 2014 survey revealed
that 43% of able-bodied hotel guests ofered
an accessible room said they’d rather not, and
40% refused it outright. But Motionspot rooms
see the opposite efect. A recent project — the
IMAGE: GETTY

Specialist operators such

as Disability Snowsport
UK offer training on
adaptive skiing

December 2019 195

ACCESSIBILITY
COMPANIES INNOVATING
ACCESSIBILITY
DISABILITY SNOWSPORT UK
Adaptive skiing and snowsports has
been around for years, and Disability
Snowsport UK (DSUK) offers instruction
throughout the UK and worldwide,
aiming for mountain sports to be
accessible to all regardless of disability,
injury or experience. For 2019/2020,
its partner Consensio Chalets, which
has accessible properties, will donate a
private ski lesson to a DSUK pupil each
week. disabilitysnowsport.org.uk
ALL WHEELS UP
Cory Lee believes this could be
the future of air travel: dedicated
wheelchair spaces on planes, like on
trains, instead of stashing them in the
hold and manually seating passengers.
All Wheels Up is designing and crash
testing plans, along with lobbying for
more digniied lying. allwheelsup.org
BLUE BADGE ACCESS AWARDS
Bespoke Hotels’ blog Blue Badge
Style and charity Leonard Cheshire
teamed up in 2019 to launch these
awards, which recognise innovative
design across all areas of travel, from
airports to attractions, as well as
hotels, bars and restaurants. They
spotlight businesses that aren’t just
paying lip service to accessibility,
but are genuinely innovating.
bluebadgeaccessawards.com
GONDOLAS4ALL
Moved by the sight of a boy in a
wheelchair looking longingly at
their gondolas, Venetian gondoliers
Alessandro Dalla Pietà and Enrico
Greifenberg worked with architects
to design a wheelchair-accessible
gondola, with a lift system to get chairs
to water level. It’s a symbolic move
in a city known for its inaccessibility.
gondolas4all.com
TRAVAXY
This new start-up, launched in autumn
2019, aims to be an online booking hub
for accessible travel — lights, hotels,
transport and mobility aid rental.
So far cities are limited to London,
Amsterdam, Barcelona, Tel Aviv and
Berlin, but expect it to grow. You can
even lag life-threatening food allergies
on your booking. travaxy.com
196 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
renovation of The White Horse in Dorking for
Bespoke Hotels — has seen positive feedback
from guests with and without disabilities, and
a huge return on investment. “The accessible
rooms have generated an additional £6,700
per year,” says Warner. “Customers are
requesting to stay in these rooms over the
others in the hotel. They’re good for families
— they’re interconnecting — and for business
guests who want a sizeable suite. Accessible
rooms can beneit a hotel.”
New horizons
Government igures from 2018 suggest that
there are 13.3 million people with disabilities
living in the UK. No wonder the power of the
‘purple pound’ is growing — disabled people’s
collective spending power is estimated by the
Department of Work and Pensions as £249bn
per year. Travel companies are catching on.
Philip Scott and his late wife, Jackie, started
a travel business in 1985, organising tours of
London to a mainly American clientele. A few
months later, Jackie was diagnosed with MS.
“We went away with the kids and booked
a hotel, saying we needed to be near the lit,”
he says. “We did get a room near the lit — but
when you came out of it, there was a spiral
staircase to get to the room.”
The couple transitioned their tours into
an accessible travel business, Can Be Done,
scouring the country for adaptive rooms.
“Back then, there was very little you could ofer
anyone,” says Scott. “You didn’t get low-level
baths, standalone showers or lowered light
switches; you were lucky if you got a peephole
in the door, and that was usually too high.”
Today, 90% of Can Be Done’s clients have
a disability. The company — which has a
24-hour helpline for guests — works with on-
the-ground operators to guarantee accessible
holidays from start to inish. Its clients
request everything from accessible holidays
in Majorca and Harry Potter-themed London
visits to cross-Canada train journeys and
California road trips. Scott can arrange pretty
much anything, he reckons — given time. Even
though hotels in Europe, the US and Canada
have fully adapted rooms, they may only
have a few of them. “We have to tailor every
booking and we can quote for a hotel, but
we have to check there’s availability for that
room,” he says. “And we have to coordinate it
with transfers and everything else.”
It’s because of that extra layer of complexity,
according to accessible travel blogger Cory
Lee, that booking with a specialist tour
operator is always a good idea. The 29-year-old
American set up his Curb Free with Cory Lee
blog in 2013, and now also runs his own fully
accessible group tours (with Costa Rica on
the programme for 2020). Cory usually starts
planning for a trip a year in advance. “Being
spontaneous isn’t really possible, because I
need to scout out the destination online,” he
says. “I need to see what accessible transport
they have, which hotel I can stay in — it all
takes quite a long time to plan.”
It also costs more than it would for the
average traveller. Four years ago, on a
Caribbean cruise, Lee wanted to go on a $50
(£38) shore excursion, but the transport used
by the cruise line wasn’t accessible. Instead,
he had to arrange his trip privately — bumping
the price up to $300 (£230). “I’ve found that’s
the case in a lot of destinations,” he says
ruefully, though he notes that New York and
Paris — two destinations that used to be
particularly diicult transport-wise — have
improved markedly in recent years. But when
it comes to hotels, says Can Be Done’s Philip
Scott, the lower end of the market tends not to
have accessible rooms, so although you won’t
pay any more than any other guest in your
hotel, you’re likely to be choosing between the
three-, four- and ive-star properties.
Traveleyes is another innovative tour
operator, launched in 2004 by award-winning
entrepreneur Amar Latif, who’s blind.
Traveleyes’ group trips bring blind and partially
sighted travellers together with sighted guests,
who act as their guides. The sighted contingent
— 85% of whom have never met a blind person
before — receive a 50% discount.
Traveleyes’ trips tend to be more
adventurous than you’d think — they include
zip-lining in Costa Rica, husky-sledding in
Finland or temple-hopping in Myanmar, for
example. They also do charity challenges,
from hiking the Great Wall of China to
climbing Morocco’s Mount Toubkal. On a
recent trip to Mongolia, says tour leader and
communications executive Andrew Milburn,
the group stayed in traditional ger camps and
made them accessible by tying ropes from the
tents to the toilets and shower block.
Milburn, who’s sighted, says that blind
and partially sighted people experience a
destination in diferent ways to able-bodied
people. “They chat, get up close to things and
get involved with the surroundings, where as
I’d probably just take a photo, move on and
look back later,” he says. “I’ve changed how I
travel — I’ll be in a church touching the walls,
interacting with buildings now. And that’s
what we’re aiming for — not just for blind
travellers to experience the world, but also
teaching the sighted that it’s not just about
looking at things.”
Flying with dignity
You might have found a fantastic tour
operator and a magical hotel, but all too oten
for travellers with disabilities, the journey
to your destination of a lifetime can let you
down. Cory Lee says his power wheelchair is
oten damaged by the airline, and Traveleyes’
clients — including Amar Latif — are regularly
manhandled into wheelchairs at airports, says
Andrew Milburn. The number of passengers at
UK airports requiring assistance is growing
— 3.7 million requests were made in the last

Wheelchair paragliding, one of the
activities on on offer with Making Trax
year according to the Civil Aviation Authority,
a rise of more than 80% since 2010. The
system is struggling to cope, however there are
airlines striving to make a diference. EasyJet
— which set up an accessible travel advisory
group chaired by David Blunkett in 2012 —
introduced voice-recognition light booking
via its app this autumn. Virgin Atlantic has
several initiatives, including the ability to
pre-book (at no charge) cabin crew trained in
British Sign Language.
In 2016, UK airports were the irst in the
world to introduce ‘hidden disability’ lanyards,
which travellers wear to alert staf that they
may require help. Meanwhile, each winter
Cornwall Airport Newquay has open days
when passengers with disabilities can take
trial runs through the airport experience. It’s a
smaller version of the Wings for All programme
that migrates around US airports each
weekend, and allows passengers with autism to
‘test-run’ the experience right up to the gate.
Getting to a destination is one thing, inding
an accessible hotel and transport is another.
But discovering a place that’s really thought
about accessibility can make the diference
IMAGE: MAKING TRAX
between a good trip and a great one. In recent
years, forward-thinking tourist boards have
been aggregating accessible experiences.
New Zealand’s Making Trax initiative has 27
ailiated tour operators ofering everything
from wheelchair paragliding to sit-down
ACCESSIBILITY
kayaking. Vienna Tourism’s website includes MORE INFO
information on renting medical equipment,
and gallery initiatives including tours of bespokehotels.com
the Belvedere Palace and art museums for motionspot.co.uk
the visually impaired. Saxony’s Sachsen canbedone.co.uk
Barrierefrei directory includes 550 accessible curbfreewithcorylee.com
travel oferings, from hotels to experiences, traveleyes-international.com
while the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana is cornwallairportnewquay.com
a great destination for mobility-impaired thearc.org/our-initiatives
passengers, ofering door-to-door public makingtrax.co.nz
transport, golf buggy trips around the centre wien.info/en/travel-info
and motorised wheelchair attachments that sachsen-tourismus.de
turn manual chairs into power chairs. morganswonderland.com
Then there are the individual enterprises,
from Morgan’s Wonderland — the world’s
irst fully accessible theme park in Texas
— to the Calm Corner at Crewe train station,
a comforting environment for hidden
disabilities designed by a work experience
pupil with Asperger’s syndrome. Even in
mobility-challenging Venice, two enterprising
gondoliers have created a wheelchair-
accessible gondola.
Things have come a long way since Philip
Scott set up Can Be Done. And although
there’s more to do, innovation in the
accessible travel industry is going from
strength to strength. “Travel is the best
teacher — I’ve learned more on the road than I
did in college,” says Cory Lee. “It can be tough
at times, and you may want to quit, but push
through and it’ll be amazing.”
December 2019 197
 SUBSCRIPTION OFFER
THE PERFECT GIFT THIS CHRISTMAS

With Christmas just over a month away, WHAT YOU’LL RECEIVE:

why not get your shopping underway • A complimentary £10
with a gift subscription to National John Lewis gift card
• A 35% saving on the
Geographic Traveller (UK)? Whether it’s
cover price
for a loved one or as a gift to yourself,
• Compelling storytelling
you’ll receive five issues of the magazine • Insightful features,
for just £15, plus National Geographic ranging from city breaks
Traveller Food (published four times a to once-in-a-lifetime
year) — saving you 35% on the cover adventures
price. And, as an a extra treat, you’ll also • Beautiful, you-are-there
get a free £10 John Lewis gift card. photography

5
ISSUES FOR

£15

TO SUBSCRIBE
natgeotraveller.imbmsubscriptions.com/NGTX5ISS
or simply call 01293 312166 quoting ‘NGTX5ISS’

Closing date for orders is 1 January 2020. The £15 price is a UK Direct Debit offer. Your subscription will begin with the next available issue. All subscriptions are for a six-month
IMAGE: GETTY

period. If you don’t cancel at the end of that period, the subscription will auto renew by Direct Debit for five issues at £15. All subscriptions are non-refundable. This is a limited
offer and may be withdrawn at any time. You’ll receive your gift card within 14 days from the subscription start date. Please note: by subscribing, we’ll contact you about your
subscription from time to time. National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published 10 times a year, with double issues in Jan/Feb and Jul/Aug. Subscribers will receive five issues in
every six-month period. National Geographic Traveller Food is published four times a year with National Geographic Traveller (UK).
APL Media Limited is the publisher of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
African trips of a lifetime by the
Safari Company of the Year

Start planning your next adventure

www.mahlatini.com
+44 (0)28 9073 6050
PROTEST.EU

nbox
Readers, this is your
space. Let us know
what you think about
the magazine, give
us your unique travel
tips, or simply
ask us a question.
Get Instagramming,
emailing or tweeting!
GET IN TOUCH
inbox@natgeotraveller.co.uk
in
Next issue’s
Star Letter wins
a Samsonite Darts
Spinner case
worth £189!
Combining distinct
functionality with modern
design, the Samsonite Darts
Spinner is a groundbreaking,
easy-access cabin case. The
flexible front panel hinge lets
you easily store essentials
in the front compartment
without having to open the
case completely. The newly
engineered smooth-opening
zipper-puller, double wheels
and featured interior makes
this the perfect travel
companion. samsonite.co.uk
Have a query about
subscriptions?
IMAGE: AWL IMAGES
Get in touch at
natgeotraveller@
subscriptionhelpline.co.uk
or call 01392 312166.
Ready for Guadalajara’s
Charreada Parade, Jalisco
STAR LETTER
Marvellous Mexico
I found your cover story, the Culinary A-Z
of Mexico (November 2019), absolutely
fascinating. Having travelled through
Central and South America fairly extensively
when I was younger, I was already familiar
with quite a few of the dishes and drinks
mentioned in the article, but there was still
a great deal that was new to me (I’d never
heard of huaraches!). I particularly enjoyed
the interview with chef Martha Ortiz and
was inspired to make her lamb birra dish last
weekend. The article has also spurred a great
deal of discussion around the dinner table
— my children (aged nine and 11) are now
desperate to visit Mexico. The article really
opened all our eyes to what a magnificent
and magical country Mexico is.
ESTHER SPENCER
GET IN TOUCH
A true Turkish delight
Of all your articles in the last issue, I
particularly enjoyed Nori Jemil’s photo story
on Pumakkale in Turkey (November 2019). I’d
seen images of the site before, but I’d always
assumed those striking white pools were salt
and not travertine as the article explains. It
was also interesting to see a little more of the
area, including the nearby ruins, beautiful
aerial shots and a few friendly faces. As
an enthusiast of ancient history — and a
summer holiday in the Mediterranean, of
course! — my wife and I are considering
a trip to this sunny corner of Turkey next
year. I can’t say I’ll manage quite the same
lovely pictures as Jemil, but I’ll see what my
smartphone can do. JAMES LAWES
Tequila, tequila!
As I write this I’m sitting under the hot
Mexican sun at 9am reading your Mexico food
fiesta feature. I can’t wait to try some of the
delicious foods mentioned in your article in
the local town, particularly masa and nopales
— now I actually know what they are! I do
enjoy your culinary articles; food is such a
huge part of any travel article and it adds so
much more to your experience of travel. It’s
perhaps too early to toast you with a tequila
or mezcal, but I’ll raise a glass tonight when
I’m eating my Mexican meze. ¡Salud!
CLAIRE MAKIN
December 2019 201
YOUR PICTURES

#NGTUK @NATGEOTRAVELUK
Follow us on Instagram
Every issue, we highlight the best photos you’ve for inspiring travel
shared with us on Instagram using #NGTUK photography
every day

@raitopeintingu @annapurnauna @mattbrandon

Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica The Annapurna Circuit, Nepal Kolkata, India

@stokedtotravel @jctravelography @damonbeckford

Mandrakia, Milos, Greece Antarctic fur seal pups, Antarctica Iguazu Falls, Argentina/Brazil

@bradoj @mohdsarj @travel_journo

Triathletes, Jersey Regatta de Zamboanga, Philippines Young polar bear, Kaktovik, Alaska

202 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
baume-et-mercier.com Baumatic In-house self-winding Steel 40mm

Available nationwide at