I THE UK’S #1 TRAVEL MAGAZINE

UK EDITION // APRIL 2021 // £4.95 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/TRAVEL

DISCOVER THE WONDERS OF THE MAINLAND: UNSPOILT PENINSULAS,

ANCIENT RUINS, VIBRANT CITIES & MOUNTAINS STEEPED IN MYTH

TA N Z A N I A
The greatest show on Earth:
tracking the wildebeest
migration across the Serengeti
+ BAKEWELL
HONOLULU
QUITO
VENICE
Veer off the tourist trail to
explore a city alive with
age-old crafts & traditions WIN! A GETAWAY FOR TWO
IN THE COTSWOLDS

ALSO: DEVON // DUNEDIN // ESSEX // ETHIOPIA // LOIRE VALLEY // REWILDING // TAIPEI // TASMANIA
Taste the passion.
This is proper food: made with skill and care, by people who love what they do,
in a beautiful place. Real food, real drink, real Wales.

gov.wales/foodanddrinkwales
This is Wales.

f FoodDrinkWales T @FoodDrinkWales Food_Drink_Wales

 April
2021

Contents

100

58 Greece
Explore the Hellenic heartland,
with its hiking routes, rich
wildlife and thriving cities
76 Tanzania
Sweeping across the savannah,
the Great Migration is one of
nature’s greatest spectacles
88 Venice
Veer off the tourist trail and
discover a city alive with ancient
crafts and traditions Issue 91
100 Honolulu Campers enjoy a rocky
Vibrant art and eclectic cuisine beach in Sithonia,
make the Hawaiian capital as Halkidiki, Greece
fun on land as it is on the waves IMAGE: Getty

April 2021 5
 April
2021

Contents

19 46 50

SMART TRAVELLER 33 The word TRAVEL GEEKS

A posthumous tome from Anthony Bourdain
13 Snapshot 112 Travel Geeks
Taking it easy in Tobago 35 Competition The experts’ travel manual
Win a two-night stay in the Cotswolds
14 Big picture 120 Rewilding
Plying the waters of southern Vietnam 37 Author series A look at the conservation successes
Nadia Owusu on Ethiopia flourishing across the country
17 Just the ticket
New luxury train journeys for 2021 38 Meet the adventurers GET IN TOUCH
Documentarians Dereck and Beverly Joubert
19 Room for one 128 Subscriptions
Suites for the solo traveller in Copenhagen 40 Online Make the most of our latest offer
Highlights from the website
21 Food 129 Inbox
A taste of Tasmania’s natural larder INSIDER Your letters, emails and tweets

23 On the trail 42 Weekender: Bakewell 130 Your pictures

A trip through Essex’s thriving food scene
25 Rooms
Palatial new pads in the Loire Valley
26 Family
Wild ideas for your next big adventure
28 Inside guide
What not to miss in Dunedin, New Zealand
From stately homes to stepping stones, a This month’s best travel photos
weekend guide to the Peak District town
46 Eat: Quito
Discover how the high-altitude Ecuadorian
capital is upping its culinary ante
DON’T MISS
50 Sleep: Taipei
Bold, brilliant and sometimes bonkers 126 Events
— the best hotels in Taiwan’s capital Dates for your diary this year

31 Stay at home
A coastal escape in North Devon

G O O N L I N E V I S I T N AT I O N A LG EO G R A P H I C .C O . U K / T R AV E L F O R N E W T R AV E L F E AT U R E S DA I LY

6 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 Contributors
Clarissa Wei
Taiwan is often overlooked as a travel
destination, but its capital is home to a
mix of street food, music festivals, fine
dining, galleries and a burst of brilliant new
boutique hotels that make it one of East
Asia’s most alluring hotspots. TAIPEI P.50
Sarah Marshall
Endless plains and skies packed with
possibility make the Serengeti a dramatic
backdrop for one of the last true wildlife
migrations. The mass movement of
wildebeests across Tanzania was a sight
— and sound — to behold. TANZANIA P.76
Julia Buckley
People either love or hate Venice, but I
think many just don’t understand it. It’s
easy to be overwhelmed by the crowds, but
if you just get off the main drag, you’ll find
a city full of passionate locals preserving
centuries-old traditions. VENICE P.88
Pól Ó Conghaile
Could Honolulu really be as easygoing
and laid-back as I imagined it to be? I
arrived a sceptic and left a convert. Here’s
a city where nobody wears a tie, a Pacific
crossroads with heritage bubbling through
its food and culture. HONOLULU P.100
Sarah Barrell
Visiting a Norfolk farm that’s being
regenerated as place where nature — and
tourism — reigns was a glorious boost of
positivity mid-pandemic. It’s just one of a
blooming crop of initiatives returning our
countryside to nature. REWILDING P.120
8 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
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 Editor’s
letter Covid-19
The ongoing pandemic continues
to affect travel. Please note,

W
hile we wait for the ongoing roll-out of the prices and travel advice are
Covid-19 vaccine to take effect — and the subject to change. Contact your
travel provider for the most up-
caveats that may or may not follow — we can be
to-date information. For the latest
sure that many people will have an eye on Greece as soon news on safe travel and border
as it’s safe to do so. restrictions, visit fco.gov.uk
Around 3.5 million of us visited in 2019, a slight increase
on previous years, and that trend would no doubt have
continued were it not for the pandemic. But beyond the
whitewashed villages and infinite blues of the islands, what
DON’T MISS
of the mainland?
There are the walking trails of Mani, where goat
hoofprints outnumber footprints; the hills of Central
Macedonia, where figs, olives and grapes are all there for
the picking; and the tranquil towns of the Peloponnese, TR AVEL GEEKS
where citrus trees scent Venetian-style town squares.
The Halkidiki peninsula is home to forested cliffs of such
Events
a distinctive Hellenic turquoise-green that you couldn’t be We’re bringing the magazine to life with our
anywhere but Greece. And then there are the loft y peaks of calendar of events, from tasting your way
around the world to getting tips and advice
Northern Pindos National Park, where wild horses and
from our online Travel Geeks sessions (p.126)
brown bears can be spotted around alpine lakes; the
temples and amphitheatre of Delphi; the sophistication of
Thessaloniki; and the gastronomic delights of Athens.
So dive right into this issue’s cover story (p.58) and use it SUBSCRIBE TODAY
as inspiration for your future travels. Yamas!

PAT RIDDELL, EDITOR

@patriddell
@patriddell

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10 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
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SMART TRAVELLER
What’s new // Food // On the trail // Rooms // Family // Inside guide // Stay at home // The word

SNAPSHOT

Kelford, Speyside,
Tobago
The lush Caribbean island of Tobago is
blessed with rainforest and beautiful beaches
— and an infectiously laid-back vibe. On this
paradise isle, the most popular activity is
something the locals call limin’, which means
relaxing with friends or simply doing nothing.
In the sleepy village of Speyside, I met Kelford
while trying to buy some fresh coconuts
from his tiny stand. I say ‘trying’, because
he was more interested in chatting than
doing business, but when he finally fetched a
bunch of the yellow fruits, I found this scene
captured the island’s atmosphere perfectly:
relaxed, yet colourful and full of life.
ROGER BORGELID // PHOTOGRAPHER

borgelid.se
@rogerborgelid

April 2021 13
SMART TRAVELLER

BIG PICTURE

Moc Hoa, Long An

Province,Vietnam
During high-water season, water lilies thrive
in southern Vietnam. Blossoming in countless
rivers and lakes throughout late summer and
autumn, the flower is an unofficial emblem of
the region, and its stems are a prized ingredient
in the local cuisine. During this time, women
use small boats to collect the lilies, continuing
a generations-old practice taught to them
by their mothers or grandmothers. Dressed
in traditional outfits with conical hats, they
pick and wash the flowers before either selling
them at the market or taking them home to
cook. Using a drone, I captured this image
from above, gaining a different perspective
on a scene familiar to many visitors who come
to witness this beautiful, hypnotic spectacle.
KHÁNH PHAN // PHOTOGRAPHER

@ptkhanhhvnh

14 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
SMART TRAVELLER

April 2021 15
 THESSALONIKI TOURISM ORGANISATION
www.thessaloniki.travel

Greece

@thessalonikitravel @thessaloniki.travel
 SMART TRAVELLER

LU X U RY T R A I N S

JUST THE
TICKET
From the Arctic Circle to Japan’s
Kyushu island, there’s a host of gilded
new train routes slicing across some of
the world’s most stunning landscapes

Rocky Mountaineer
The Canadian company is going off the rails with a new
route in the Southwest US. Setting off on a 10-week
preview season from 15 August, the two-day Rockies to
the Red Rocks will travel between Denver and Moab,
Utah, with an overnight stay in Colorado’s Glenwood
Springs. Beneath a glass-domed carriage, guests have
reclining seats, meals featuring local Southwestern
ingredients and views across the dramatic landscape.
rockymountaineer.com

36+3
This first-class, jet-black electric train cuts a fine figure
as it sweeps across Japan’s Kyushu island. It keeps up
appearances inside, too, with classic Japanese style:
shoji screen doors, tatami mat floors and Okawa Kumiko
latticework. Five new day routes zip along the perimeter
of Japan’s southernmost island, with options that include
sweeping snapshots of the East China Sea and stopping
in Saiki City for mountain-grown black tea and local
chestnut jam. jrkyushu.co.jp/english

Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
‘Grand Tour’ is a title full of fanfare and justifiably so. One of the Venice Simplon-
It’s the name for a series of European routes launching Orient-Express’s stewards
from May this year, paying homage to slow travel with ABOVE: The Golden Eagle
IMAGES: GOLDEN EAGLE LUXURY TRAINS; HELEN CATHCART

purpose. Select from trips such as Venice to Amsterdam Danube Express in Bosnia
or Florence to Paris, with new boarding points including
Rome, Florence, Geneva, Brussels and Amsterdam. Keen
to splurge? The train’s oldest carriage, built in 1926, will
have three sparkling new suites. belmond.com THE TOURS

Golden Eagle Luxury Trains SLOW TRAVEL SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS OF PERU & THE
Toast the company’s 250th Trans-Siberian departure this This new 12-day slow safari by ANDEAN EXPLORER
summer at a dreamy banquet on Lake Baikal’s shores. Ker & Downey pairs a four-day Planet Rail’s new two-week
The special journey will also include wine-tasting and Rovos Rail journey with the Peru tour includes three iconic
bubbly on the Europe-Asia border. Meanwhile, 2022 Zambezi Queen riverboat. Travel trains: the panoramic Vistadome
will usher in four new tours, two operated by steam. across South Africa, Zimbabwe through Inca heartland; classic
These include a 22-day steam tour from Vladivostok to and Botswana, stopping at Hiram Bingham to Cusco; and the
Moscow across boundless stretches of steppe and a foray Victoria Falls and in Hwange Belmond Andean Explorer, which
into the Arctic Circle to witness its glowing night skies. National Park for a game drive. climbs into the Andes towards
goldeneagleluxurytrains.com STEPHANIE CAVAGNARO ker-downeyafrica.com Lake Titicaca. planetrail.co.uk

April 2021 17
 The Exclusive
Seaside Retreat
Download
our app
Three boutique seaside villas, discreetly
nestled in a shallow cove. The perfect
environment to share precious moments
with family & friends, engulfed by the
magnificent Aegean blue.

magnificent-blue.com Porto Heli, Peloponnese - Greece

 SMART TRAVELLER

C O P E N H AG E N

ROOM FOR ONE

Ever dreamed of a hotel without the other guests? In
the Danish capital, a bevy of quirky single-residency Bedroom at The Darling
boutiques cater to this pandemic-friendly whim LEFT: Colourful houses
in Christianshavn

Suddenly, it pays to be the only guest
checking in. Copenhagen’s recent uptick
in single-suite hotels over the past decade
has never seemed more prescient than it
does now, and in line with the country’s
reputation for envelope-pushing design, a
string of stylish, intimate pads now offer
a truly unique stay in the city. Take THE
DARLING , which opened its doors in October
in the city’s historical centre and serves up
a sophisticated townhouse experience, with
luxe Nordic furniture and art throughout the
apartment — plus, a pre-arrival concierge
service to minimise human interaction.
From €950 (£832) a night. thedarling.dk
Other properties have capitalised on the
city’s waterfront location. Afloat in a quiet
nook of the Christianshavn district is KAJ
IMAGES: GETTY; THE DARLING; MARSHALL BLECHER
hygge (the Danes’ obsession with all things
cosy). 2,500 DKK (£295) a night. kajhotel.dk DON’T MISS
THE FLOATING SHELTER also offers the
serenity of the harbour, this time as part of A TASTE OF
an on-water camping experience on a rustic, ISLAND LIFE
roofed pontoon accessed only by kayak.
It’s a taste of the wild in the heart of the
metropolis: pack your camping stove and
sleeping bag and even enjoy a sunrise dip as
the city wakes up around you. From 495 DKK
(£58) a night. detflydeneshelter.com
Then there’s the perfect idiosyncratic
hotel to complement a truly unusual time
— why not check into the engine room of an
industrial crane? With its gorgeous views,
twin sun terraces and post-industrial luxury
design, THE KRANE is one of the standouts in
the Danish capital’s one-room hotel scene.

HOTEL , a hut-cum-houseboat made from And, best of all, there’s not another guest In a revolutionary step for
upcycled materials with a wood-panelled in sight. From 6,000 DKK (£707) a night. urban planning, Copenhagen will
aesthetic that epitomises the concept of thekrane.dr AMELIA DUGGAN introduce three public floating
islands to its waterways this summer.
Sail out to these buoyant specks
of greenery by ferry or kayak.
The Copenhagen Islands project
aims for the ‘parkipelago’ to
THE WORLD’S SMALLEST HOTEL host stargazing, swimming
and exhibitions as an
The Central Hotel & Café lays claim to this unusual boast with antidote to cosmopolitan life.
copenhagenislands.com
its chocolate-box attic room for two in the trendy Vesterbro
neighbourhood. From 2,500 DKK (£294). centralhotelcafe.dk

April 2021 19
 What drives your
EXPLORING SPIRIT?
PHOTOGRAPHY: ANINGAAQ R. CARLSEN

A TA S T E O F
TASMANIA
From abalone to wallaby, Analiese Gregory champions the
eclectic produce of Australia’s island state
Before moving to Tasmania, chef Analiese
Gregory had only ever been a holiday diver.
Now she rarely goes anywhere without
a wetsuit, hood, gloves and boots. Why?
Because the island is beautiful and pristine,
and you can dive for luxury ingredients like
abalone, wakame or sea urchin.
Analiese has become so hooked as a diver
she says she’s renowned for “doing stupid
things on [her] own”. Like driving down to
the southernmost tip of Tasmania, diving off
rocks for abalone or scaling cliffs to collect
seaweed to make seaweed jam.
For many years in Tasmania, people
IMAGES: ADAM GIBSON
learned to cook at home. Most Tasmanians
had a cow or a quince tree in their backyard,
snared possum or shot kangaroos in the
bush. Isolated from the city, without a local
supermarket and with few cafes, life would
often come down to creative self-sufficiency.
ANALIESE
GREGORY
is a New Zealand-
born chef based
in Tasmania
Wallaby tartare with beetroot,
radicchio and pepperberry
“It might be called foraging now, but it’s
still just collecting stuff,” says Analiese.
It’s ‘farm to table’ in the sense that farmers
bring in produce that’s fresh and seasonal,
including wallaby and possum, and the
kitchen works with it. But, she says, the
approach is not unique to Tasmania.
“Goat’s milk, skirret, blackberries, celtuce
(originally from China) and seablite are all
available somewhere else,” she says. “Sea
urchin and cray are available everywhere. So
are pine mushrooms… people think they’re
niche Tasmanian, but it’s really just how you
see things. By looking at where you are in a
different way, these are things you might find
in your environment.”
This is an edited extract from Hilary
Burden’s introduction to How Wild Things
Are, by Analiese Gregory, published by Hardie
Grant (RRP: £22).
SMART TRAVELLER
WHAT NOT TO MISS
Southern rock lobster
is commonly fished
around Tassie, and
some of my most
memorable moments
have been eating
freshly boiled cray (as
they’re also known)
with white bread and
lemon on the beach
Analiese’s must-try
ingredients
ABALONE
Known locally as muttonfish, this large,
grazing sea snail has a meaty texture
and white flesh. They’re plentiful in
the cold waters of Tasmania and most
locals grew up eating them. My current
favourite way of cooking them is by
steaming in the shell, slicing and frying
in brown butter with capers, parsley
and lemon, before wrapping in a cos
lettuce leaf.
PEPPERBERRIES
Also known as mountain pepper,
these are the berries of the endemic
tasmannia lanceolata shrub. With a
flavour somewhere between sumac
and Sichuan pepper, they work equally
well in sweet and savoury dishes. The
entire plant is edible; the small twigs
make amazing skewers for grilling with,
adding flavour to meat and seafood.
WALLABY
Tasmania is the only state in Australia
where it’s legal to harvest wallaby,
a delicious, environmentally friendly
meat. I enjoy it as a tartare or grilled
on skewers, but a chef friend mistook it
for lamb one day and successfully pot
roasted a loin.
April 2021 21
 ANDRONIS CONCEPT WELLNESS RESORT

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Serene, tantalising & exclusive with never - ending sea views,
Andronis Concept Wellness Resort invites total mind body escapism with its
pool suites and villas, most of which are built to capture the sunset
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Member of Andronis

ON THE TR AIL
ESSEX
Take a road trip through the
county’s culinary heartland and
discover a thriving food scene
Words: Kerry Walker
1 SQUARE 1
At the helm of this slick yet
traditional restaurant in Great
Dunmow is Alex Webb: 25 years
young and full of culinary spark.
The winner of 2020’s MasterChef:
ILLUSTRATION: MARTIN HAAKE
The Professionals has devised a
tasting menu packing creative
punches like turbot with a
scallop and mushroom mousse,
sea herbs and pickled onions;
and poached chicken breast with
cauliflower textures and English
truffle. square1restaurant.co.uk
3
2 THE FLITCH OF BACON
Just a short drive away, in the
village of Little Dunmow, this
restaurant with rooms takes
its unusual moniker from the
medieval Dunmow Flitch Trials.
In a stylishly revamped 16th-
century, Grade I-listed pub, the
menu includes ‘Flitch of Bacon’
(cauliflower cream, maple-glazed
bacon and Granny Smith apple),
plus crispy hen’s egg, girolle
mushroom, pancetta and truffle
cappuccino. flitchofbacon.co.uk
4
3 MALDON
With its pretty High Street
dominated by a hexagonal
church spire, the quaint town of
Maldon is well worth a pitstop.
The town has been prized for
the texture and taste of its local
sea salt ever since the Saxons
harvested the stuff by digging
clay pits into the briny depths
of the River Blackwater’s salt
marshes. It’s now a cupboard
staple for chefs and food-lovers
the world over. maldonsalt.com
4 NATIVE
Run by self-taught chef and
wild food pioneer Ivan Tisdall-
Downes, this restaurant sits
right on the coastline of Osea
Island, out in the mudflats of
east Essex, accessed either
by boat or Roman causeway.
Season-driven, forage-focused
flavours swing from wood pigeon
kebab to stone bass with celeriac
puree and nasturtium, and
Maldon oysters with bog myrtle
cream. nativerestaurant.co.uk
SMART TRAVELLER
5 TIPTREE
The jam that’s a staple of many
a hotel breakfast hails from
the orchard-rimmed village of
the same name, a 30-minute
drive north of Osea along quiet
country B-roads. Here you’ll find
the flagship tearoom, museum
and jam shop. Pop in for a cream
tea with homemade scones and
tangy Little Scarlet strawberry
preserve, and stock up on hard-
to-find jams from mulberry to
greengage. tiptree.com
6 MERSEA ISLAND
Head over to Mersea Island for
Colchester native oysters — each
one a plump, sweet, briny burst
of the sea. Go for a seafood
platter at the West Mersea Oyster
Bar, with a view of the sea and
bobbing boats, or the tiny, first-
come-first-served The Company
Shed, where island-produced
sparkling white wines and
oyster-laced stout also feature
on the menu. thecompanyshed.co
westmerseaoysterbar.co.uk
April 2021 23
ILIMANAQ
LODGE
Beyond your imagination
A unique lodge by World of Greenland
 SMART TRAVELLER

LES SOURCES DE CHEVERNY

Two decades after opening Les Sources
de Caudalie among Bordeaux’s vines, the
owners extended their collection last
September with this reimagined estate
south of Blois. There are 49 rooms styled
with antiques across the wooden cabins,
renovated farmhouses and restored chateau.
From €230 (£206), B&B. sources-cheverny.com

HOTEL CHÂTEAU DU GRAND-LUCÉ

Historic grandeur meets Versailles-inspired
grounds at this summer palace. The 12 suites
boast original features such as boiserie and
culinary creations are packed into picnic
hampers or served with local wines in the
new restaurant, Le Lucé. From €950 (£850)
B&B. chateaugrandluce.com

W H E R E TO S TAY LE RELAIS DE CHAMBORD

The restored outbuilding at the iconic

LOIRE VALLEY
Chateau de Chambord houses cosy modern
rooms and a classic French restaurant.
Guests can even bed down on a boat — last
summer saw the La Toue du Relais suite
open on a traditional Loire boat on the
Revamped palaces and arty treehouses chateau’s moat. From €206 (£185) B&B.
await in France’s bucolic chateau country relaisdechambord.com LAUREN JADE HILL

LOIRE VALLEY LODGES

Deep within the forest yet still close to many of the
region’s chateaux, this newly opened hotel is one of a
kind. Made up of 18 upscale treehouses and a renovated
farmhouse, the Loire Valley Lodges are scattered across a
750-acre private forest outside Tours.
It’s a contrast to the palatial reputation of this patch
of central France, but these stilted treehouses come
with a certain cachet; each exhibits the design of a
contemporary artist. French artist Jacques Bosser
created the black-and-white Uzume lodge and several
artists came together to pay tribute to the musician Serge
Gainsbourg in the Lucien hideaway. Rooms come with
IMAGES: MICHAEL SPENGLER; JEROME MONDIERE; LOIRE VALLEY LODGES
ALL RATES QUOTED ARE FOR ROOM ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED

king-sized beds and dining areas but — given the fact

these spaces are geared towards digital detox — there’s
no TV or wi-fi. For that you’ll have to head to the main
building, which also houses a restaurant, lounge and bar
leading out to a pool lined with sun loungers. And the art
theme doesn’t stop there — a contemporary sculpture
trail winds through the surrounding woods.
It’s one of a growing number of new properties in the
area that are rooted in their locale, made even clearer by
the food. Chef Hippolyte Delcher draws heavily on local
produce for the restaurant menus, including herbs and
berries grown in the aromatic courtyard, and breakfast
baskets of fresh bread, honey and locally made yoghurt
are also left at each treehouse lodge each morning.
There’s forest bathing for further immersion in
FROM TOP: Corner King
nature, and the lodges are well-placed for an insight into Suite at Hotel Château du
the local culture: cycle to the village of Esvres, take a Grand-Lucé; breakfast at
vineyard tour or explore one of the region’s spectacular Le Relais de Chambord;
chateaux. From €285 (£255) B&B. loirevalleylodges.com Loire Valley Lodges

April 2021 25
SMART TRAVELLER

FA M I LY

INTO
THE WILD
With big family trips off limits,
now’s the perfect time to plan your
next adventure while enjoying wild
escapes on your doorstep

You might come for the theme parks, but no family trip
to Florida is complete without a visit to the EVERGLADES
NATIONAL PARK . Take an eco-tour safari with trained
naturalists who’ll guide you through the Everglades
in search of alligators, wading birds and snakes.
paradisecoast.com
Nothing quite compares to a traditional safari
experience, however, and conservation-focused eco-tour
company Great Plains has three new offerings at Mara
Nyika Camp in KENYA: two family suites, a two-bedroom
villa located in the trees, and the Mara Jahazi Suite,
available from mid-2021. Children aged five and upwards
can also join The Young Explorers Program, where
they can learn basic survival and conservation skills.
greatplainsconservation.com
Cookson Adventures has seen a rise in demand for
‘educational travel’, particularly trips where specialist
adventure guides double as tutors. One such multi-
generational trip includes the ANTARCTIC PENINSULA ,
with an adventure guide leading a separate itinerary for
the children. While parents hike along the peninsula

SOURCE: JAMESVILLAS.CO.UK/HOLIDAY-IDEAS/VILLA-HOLIDAYS/CHILDREN-IN-LOCKDOWN
with climate scientists, the children set off in kayaks,
admiring the resident penguins. cooksonadventures.com
You don’t have to go as far as Antarctica, though,
with stays in JURA , in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides, also
available. Black Tomato can organise a trip to recently
opened Ardfin hotel, where families can don their
walking boots for foraging, fishing, sailing and hiking.
There’s also the chance to swot up on the local wildlife in
the company of naturalists. blacktomato.com
In June, the Wildlife Trust launches 30 Days Wild,
which aims to get young travellers excited about wild
adventures. Find a new wild way to spend each day and
help the trust raise £30m to help protect 30% of land and
sea by 2030. wildlifetrusts.org/30DaysWild MARIA PIERI

IN NUMBERS: FAMILY LIFE IN LOCKDOWN

IMAGE: AWL IMAGES

72%
of children watched more
TV/online content in 2020
(compared to 2019)
57%
of children played more video
games; 48% claimed to have
spent less time playing outside
54%
of families went for more
walks than normal as parents
turned to working from home
49%
of children played fewer
38%
of children voted the UK as
sports or exercised less than their top destination for a
they did in 2019 2021 holiday

26 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
SMART TRAVELLER

INSIDE GUIDE

DUNEDIN
On the eastern shores of the South Island, the New Zealand city mixes
culture with outdoor adventure — and a dash of proud local spirit

The second-biggest city on New Zealand’s South Island,
Dunedin certainly has character. Established as a
Scottish settlement in 1848 after the Maori signed the
Treaty of Waitangi with the British, it’s the kind of place
where locals are just as proud of winning back the title
of the world’s steepest street (from a Welsh challenger)
as they are of being a UNESCO City of Literature. But it’s
also a place fi rmly driven by community.
Take the old Cadbury chocolate factory — when one of
the city’s biggest attractions (and employers) announced
it was shutting down in 2018, locals rallied to create
OCHO, the OTAGO CHOCOLATE COMPANY. It sources fair
trade cocoa beans grown by Pacific neighbours and uses
them in a handmade bean-to-bar process. ocho.co.nz
If you’re after even more of a taste of the region, TITI,
located in the St Clair Hotel, offers five-course tasting
menus featuring hyper-local produce with a view over
the water. More relaxed bites and barbecues can be found
at the PROHIBITION SMOKEHOUSE , while in the city centre,
THE SWAN has small meals and live music in its courtyard
on weekends. VOGEL ST KITCHEN, meanwhile, serves
wood-fi red pizzas in an industrial dining space. titi.co.nz
theswan.nz prohibitionsmokehouse.co.nz vogelstkitchen.nz
Dunedin is also the place to go to take in some
outstanding STREET ART, with works by international
artists including Roa, Pixel Pancho and Natalia Rak.
Follow the Dunedin Street Art Trail by checking out the
map on the associated website. dunedinstreetart.co.nz
You’ll also fi nd art and intrigue in the city’s impressive
collection of museums and galleries. Standouts include
the TOITŪ OTAGO SETTLERS MUSEUM, complete with steam
locomotive in the foyer, and the MUSEUM OF NATURAL
MYSTERY, an intriguing collection of bones and bone art
and design displayed in a private home by artist Bruce
Mahalski. The star attraction, however, is LARNACH
CASTLE , set in the hills outside the city. Built in the
1870s, the Scottish-style manor has been meticulously
restored and has a history that could rival anything from
Downton Abbey. toituosm.com royaldunedinmuseum.com
larnachcastle.co.nz
But Dunedin’s appeal doesn’t lie solely in the city
centre. Head out to the 12-mile-long OTAGO PENINSULA ,
where you’ll fi nd an incredible array of marine life,
including both the world’s smallest and rarest penguins:
the little blue and yellow-eyed penguin, respectively. It’s
also where you’ll fi nd the only mainland breeding colony
of the northern royal albatross in the world, which can
be viewed from the observatory at THE ROYAL ALBATROSS
CENTRE . Unbeknownst to most visitors, however, is that
beneath the colony is the HISTORIC FORT TAIAROA , built to
protect Dunedin from the threat of Russian invasion in
the late 1800s. New Zealand fur seals and the endangered
New Zealand sea lion can also be seen on the beaches
around the peninsula. albatross.org.nz
North of the city is the ambitious OROKONUI
ECOSANCTUARY, a 760-acre parcel of cultivated
forest where endangered and rare species have been
introduced, including a breeding pair of the vulnerable
takahe, and young southern brown kiwi, the rarest
species of kiwi in New Zealand. There are guided walks
and tracks through the eco-sanctuary, which is open on
weekends. orokonui.nz
Of all the area’s natural assets, the black-and-white-
sand beaches are a firm favourite with locals and visitors
alike. The easiest to access is ST KILDA BEACH by the
Esplanade, but TUNNEL BEACH is a bit more special,
featuring spectacular rock arches, which can be accessed
by a man-made tunnel carved through the cliffs.
The coast is also a great gateway to experiencing Maori
culture. Way out on the Peninsula at night, you can wrap
yourself in a sleeping bag with cup of hot chocolate
and learn about tatai arorangi, or Maori astrology, on
a SOUTHERN SKIES STARGAZING tour. horizontours.co.nz
dunedinnz.com SHANEY HUDSON
IMAGES: GETTY; SHUTTERSTOCK; ISABELLA HARREX

LIKE A LOCAL KARITANE DUNEDIN BOTANIC ST CLAIR BEACH

North of Dunedin, this
Tahu Mackenzie’s town is where you’ll find
favourite outdoor spots the Huriawa Peninsula, a
headline home to a once-
Tahu Mackenzie is
an educator thriving Maori hillfort
at Orokonui known as the pa. Follow
Ecosanctuary. She’s the panels on the walk,
also the lead singer of which recount some of the
Dunedin-based band, stories of the Kati Huirapa
Tahu and the Takahes. Runaka ki Puketeraki
tahuandthetakahes.nz people. puketarki.nz
GARDEN This is one of the best
Marvel at the beautiful surf beaches in New
diversity of plant life, Zealand. It’s also a
from peaceful groves of natural wonderland,
Californian redwoods with sea lions basking
to the tropical species on the sand, cliffs of
in the heated indoor volcanic rock to climb,
winter garden. End the bull kelp swirling in
trip by feeding the ducks. rock pools and rare,
dunedinbotanicgarden. endangered fairy
co.nz prions soaring above.

28 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 SMART TRAVELLER

Toitū Otago Settlers Museum

CLOCKWISE FROM BELOW:
The world’s steepest street in
Dunedin; interior of Vogel St
Kitchen; Otago Peninsula

April 2021 29
 Slow down into the island pace of life at The Syntopia

A top hotel offers a whole lot more than just a place to rest your head at night,
which is why The Syntopia has turned so many heads since it opened earlier
this year. Located on the north coast of Crete close to the city of Rethymno, the
adult-only property channels bohemian vibes in its decor and as such, relax-
ation is the order of the day. There are two pools ready for a leisurely dip, as
well as fresh buffets and street food-style snacks in the restaurant. After getting
your fill, you can find your zen in the wellness centre with indulgent spa treat-
ments. Come the evenings, there’s an array of events to enjoy, from live con-
certs and wine-tasting sessions, to an open-air cinema showing classic films
underneath the Cretan sky. However you decide to spend your stay here, you
won’t fail to be won over by The Syntopia’s luxurious and contemporary charm.
thesyntopiahotel.gr

S TAY AT H O M E
NORTH DEVON
This corner of the South West might be best known
for its pounding surf, but beyond the waves there’s
a wild landscape that’s ripe for adventure
Why go
Strung with picture-pretty coves pummelled
by Atlantic swells, it’s no wonder this stretch
of coast is a surfing hotspot. But leave the
beach and you’ll find a host of other outdoor
pursuits. Running from the edge of Exmoor
National Park to the Cornish border, this Area
of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a magnet
for hikers, cyclists and families, thanks to its
myriad landscapes, including vast sand dunes
and windswept headlands. With a smattering
of pretty seaside villages, walking routes
and campsites to boot, the area’s ideal for a
relaxing weekend getaway or an activity-filled
escapade. northdevon-aonb.org.uk
What to do
This is a watersports paradise, and
experienced surfers make a beeline for Croyde
Bay, with its barrelling waves. Beginners,
meanwhile, should head for Westward
Ho!, Woolacombe or Saunton Sands, with
their slower, longer waves — also ideal for
kiteboarders and windsurfers. Swimmers,
meanwhile, are spoiled for choice, with
the quieter beaches at Lee Bay and Combe
IMAGES: GETTY
Martin best for those seeking solitude. Croyde
Surf Academy has surf courses, standup
paddleboarding lessons and boards for hire.
surfingcroydebay.co.uk croydesurfacademy.com
SMART TRAVELLER
We like DON’T MISS
Around 11 miles off the coast, the tiny island of
Lundy is a wildlife haven, home to a variety of The craggy, weather-
species, from the puffin to the pipistrelle bat. beaten headland
Take a day trip here from Bideford or
Ilfracombe on the island’s own supply ship, of Baggy Point,
the MS Oldenburg. Boutique hotel and castle jutting into the
stays can be booked via the Landmark Trust.
Tourism revenue contributes directly to vital
Bristol Channel
wildlife conservation efforts and the island’s between Croyde and
volunteer scheme. landmarktrust.org.uk Woolacombe. Walk
Where to stay the short, blustery
Presiding over its namesake beach, the marked trail for
grand Saunton Sands Hotel has been a pillar
of North Devon hospitality since 1933. There
breathtaking views,
are two heated pools, a thermal spa and following wildflower-
a two AA Rosette-awarded, glass-fronted
dotted paths and
restaurant. Sea-facing doubles in summer
start at £370, B&B. sauntonsands.co.uk spotting birds,
including stonechats
Where to eat
Refuel with surf-inspired street food at and Dartford warblers.
Biffen’s Kitchen in Croyde. From Jamaican nationaltrust.org.uk
jerk chicken to vegan Indonesian satay curry,
dishes reflect the cuisine of the world’s surfing
hotspots. Alternatively, head to thatch-
roofed May Cottage Tea Rooms for a classic FROM LEFT: Putsborough Sands viewed
Devonshire cream tea. biffenskitchen.com from Woolacombe Warren; puffin with a
NORA WALLAYA beak full of sand eels
April 2021 31
IT’S BEEN MANY MONTHS
AT HOME DREAMING
LET’S MAKE 2021 UNFORGETTABLE.
FIND YOURSELF IN TENERIFE.

WWW.WEBTENERIFE.CO.UK | TENERIFEUK@AVIAREPS.COM

VISITTENERIFE VISIT_TENERIFE VISIT_TENERIFE VISITTENERIFE

 T H E WO R D

A FINAL TRIP TO BOURDANIA

A posthumous collection of Anthony Bourdain’s best travelogues offer up
a guide to the world according to TV’s beloved bad-boy chef

One spring afternoon in 2018, Anthony
Bourdain sat with his ‘lieutenant’ Laurie
Woolever — assistant and co-author of
his cookbook, Appetites — to brainstorm
his next project: an atlas of the world
through his eyes. “Tony chain-smoked and
free-associated for over an hour, recalling
best-loved dishes, hotels and people,”
recounts Woolever. Those that had “stuck
with him, without the aid of notes or videos,
throughout nearly 20 years of travelling the
world in the service of making television.”
IMAGE: 2016 CABLE NEWS NETWORK. A TIME WARNER COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Whole Hog BBQ, near Charleston: “Way out
in the weeds, off the main road, and good
freakin’ luck if you can find it, is one of the
best barbecue joints in the US of A.” It’s this
irreverence we’d have liked more of.
At its best, notably in the essays from
friends and family, the book provides
intimate insights. Bourdain’s brother
reminisces about exploring their native
New Jersey and chasing up unexpected
ancestors in Uruguay. We go behind the
scenes at the Hanoi restaurant where

Little did Woolever know this would be all
she’d have to go on. Tragically, Bourdain
died just a couple of months later.
The resultant scattergun atlas of Bourdania centres
around select quotes from his TV shows; Woolever’s
words pad out the pages. Destination entries (cities
mostly, plus a few mega-bucks remote hotels) are often
dwarfed by somewhat redundant practical transport
advice. This isn’t a book to bag on the go, and it’s hardly
in the spirit of Bourdain, whose nods to practicality
are more along the lines of directions to Rodney Scott’s
Bourdain ate bun cha (pork and noodles)
with Barack Obama. TV writer Bill
Buford, in Bourdain’s beloved Lyon, notes the cheffy
seriousness hidden beneath his anarchic manner. There’s
not quite enough of this for the book to escape being
an impractical guide, but it’s still another serving of
Bourdain: a tour of underdog cooks and Michelin stars
that you’d need a TV budget to follow in real life.
World Travel: An Irreverent Guide, by Anthony Bourdain
with Laurie Woolever, is published by Bloombury
Publishing, £18.99. SARAH BARRELL

THREE TO TRY: BOURDAIN’S BEST

KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL: ADVENTURES IN
THE CULINARY UNDERBELLY
The tell-all tale of New York’s restaurant
kitchen culture that propelled Bourdain into
the role of punk-rock poster boy for a new era
of food writing. Though he later regretted his
role in glorifying toxic chef culture, this was a
bestseller. (Bloomsbury Publishing, £9.99)
A COOK’S TOUR: IN SEARCH OF THE
PERFECT MEAL
With an accompanying show on the Food
Network, this 2001 book began Bourdain’s TV
career. He travels the world, with a notable
entry on Napa Valley’s The French Laundry
— then the pilgrimage restaurant for food
travellers. (Bloomsbury Publishing, £12.99)
NO RESERVATIONS: AROUND THE WORLD ON
AN EMPTY STOMACH
A companion piece to the first three seasons
of the hit Travel Channel show, this book
sees Bourdain cement his position as a
determined hole-in-the-wall diner, travelling
everywhere from New Jersey to New Zealand.
(Bloomsbury Publishing, £20)

April 2021 33
Unwind
Relax & fiyavalhumaldives.com
 COMPETITION

WIN

A TWO-NIGHT STAY FOR TWO

IN THE COTSWOLDS
National Geographic Traveller (UK) has teamed up with
Burleigh Court to offer a two-night stay for two in the
Gloucestershire countryside
FROM TOP: Exterior and grounds
of Burleigh Court; wood-panelled
restaurant at Burleigh Court

THE DESTINATION TO ENTER

Burleigh Court is a 200-year-old country
retreat set within a Grade II-listed manor.
There are 18 rooms in total, with 11 in the
main house and seven in the adjacent
coach house, including two pet-friendly
rooms. There’s a two AA rosette restaurant
to enjoy and the hotel is ideal for discovering
some of the activities and attractions in the
area, including the National Arboretum; the
spa town of Cheltenham; and Woodchester
Vineyard. burleighcourtcotswolds.co.uk
IMAGES: BURLEIGHCOURTPHOTOGRAPHY
Answer the following question
online at nationalgeographic.
co.uk/competitions:
IN WHICH COUNTY IS
BURLEIGH COURT?
Competition closes on 30 April 2021.
The winner must be a resident of the
UK and aged 18 or over. Full T&Cs at

nationalgeographic.co.uk/competitions
THE PRIZE
The winner and a guest will enjoy a two-
night, mid-week stay (Sunday-Thursday
nights inclusive), between September 2021
and March 2022 at Burleigh Court in a
Superior Room, on a B&B basis. They’ll also
receive a contribution of £70 towards one
three-course dinner for two in the hotel’s
restaurant, as well as afternoon tea for two to
the value of £20.

April 2021 35

NOTES FROM AN AUTHOR // NADIA OWUSU
Moving to Addis Ababa as a child, during one of the 20th century’s worst
humanitarian disasters, proves to be a life-shaping lesson in the power of unity
I
t was the famine that brought my family
to Addis Ababa in 1989, when I was eight.
My father worked for the United Nations
World Food Programme. After persistent
drought and a civil war, the toppling of the
authoritarian regime of Mengistu Haile
Mariam had split Ethiopia into two. An
estimated one million people died; almost
200,000 children were orphaned.
I remember the orphans, children my age
and younger, walking Addis’s potholed roads
among the donkeys carrying sacks of grain
and the cars emblazoned with NGO logos.
I remember, often, feeling confused and
ashamed. How were they expected to survive
without parents to love them?
My own mother left us when I was two,
returning to the United States where she was
born and raised. We were living in Tanzania
then. My father remarried, but between
my stepmother and I there was unspoken
tension. Growing up the way I did, without
my mother, moving country every few years,
I thought of my father as home.
We lived in a gated community among
other expats, most of whom were in
Ethiopia in response to the crisis. There
were armed guards at the gate. We had a big
grassy garden with rose beds, swings and a
gooseberry patch, a treehouse with a view of
the shanty town across the street. Our one-
storey, three-bedroom cottage had ceiling
fans and a generator for when the electricity
was cut off. Our neighbours lived in homes
of cardboard, mud and rusted tin, between
which sewage pooled. The children waved
to me and I waved back. My father reminded
me, time and again, that the only thing
separating us from them was luck.
He was Ghanaian and particularly
emphasised that, as fellow Africans,
Ethiopians were our kin. We were bound
together by our shared history of occupation
and oppression, but also by a vision for
ILLUSTRATION: JACQUI OAKLEY
the future in which, through unity and
cooperation, the entire continent, and
ultimately the world, would thrive. Poverty
and hunger would be eradicated. It was our
responsibility, given our good fortune, to
help realise that vision. That, he said, was
why he did the work he did. He hoped that,
when I grew up, I’d do my part too.
ETHIOPIA
Our neighbours lived in
homes of cardboard, mud
and rusted tin, between
which sewage pooled. The
children waved to me and
I waved back. My father
reminded me, time and again,
that the only thing separating
us from them was luck
SMART TRAVELLER
When I think of my time in Addis, I picture
orphans rubbing their bellies, long lines
of people desperate to buy grain; soldiers
walking with rifles slung over their shoulders.
But I also picture my sister and I in the
Hilton hotel’s pool. I remember the smell of
eucalyptus. Emperor Menelik II imported
trees from Australia to provide wood to build
a new capital: Addis Ababa: ‘new flower’.
My father took me to see live Ethiopian
music. A beautiful singer in a traditional
white dress led me to the stage and taught me
how to shake my shoulders in the Ethiopian
way. He took me to see flocks of flamingos
in the Great Rift Valley and the rock-hewn
churches in Lalibela. He also took me to a
shanty town to visit my adored nanny, Mulu.
“Welcome to my Ethiopian house,” she
said. We sat in a circle on her cardboard floor
and drank Coca-Cola.
Once, as we were driving through the
Piazza neighbourhood, my father pointed out
a church. “That,” he said, “is the Armenian
Orthodox church.” My mother is Armenian-
American. Her grandparents survived
genocide in the Ottoman Empire and arrived
in the United States as refugees. I knew little,
then, about her culture. In the years leading
up to the genocide, many Armenians came
to Ethiopia to escape religious persecution.
Armenians and Ethiopians share the same
religion. “That’s another thing connecting
you to this country,” my father said.
We were evacuated from Ethiopia in 1991 as
the conflict swept into Addis. I went on to live
in Kampala, London and Rome. At 18, I moved
to New York for university where I built a
career working for nonprofits addressing
issues of poverty and inequality. The time I
spent in Addis shaped my understanding of
the world and the forces that impact people’s
lives, forces like luck, the weather and war.
Aftershocks is a memoir of my hopscotched
life. More than that, though, I aimed to do
what my father told me was my responsibility.
I wrote toward a vision for Africa, and the
world, in which we all understand just how
deeply we’re bound together.
Aftershocks: Dispatches from the Frontlines of Identity
is published by Sceptre, RRP: £16.99
nadiaaowusu.com
April 2021 37
SMART TRAVELLER
MEET THE ADVENTURERS
DERECK & BEVERLY JOUBERT
The award-winning documentarian duo discuss conservation and how their
latest film, Jade Eyed Leopard, aims to help safeguard Africa’s big cats
How has Africa’s wildlife — and the conversations
around conservation — changed during the
course of your careers?
BEVERLY: Africa has lost about 95% of its wildlife since the
1970s — it’s alarming. There used to be around 450,000
lions; now numbers have fallen below 20,000. Leopards
have gone from 700,000 to fewer than 50,000. Cheetahs
have plummeted to 7,000. Hopefully, by watching our
films — like Jade Eyed Leopard — audiences will be
encouraged to help protect them.
DERECK: Our voices are bigger now. Go back 30 or 40 years
and we were just talking to a small circle of friends and
scientists about this. But today, with the connectivity of
the online world, more people know what we’re doing
— and more people support us.
What’s the most pressing issue faced by Africa’s
big cats?
DERECK: As we approach what’s probably the apex of the
Covid-19 pandemic, a second pandemic is emerging: a
huge wave of poaching. Some people, facing destitution,
are forced to support themselves in this way. Really, the
issue is poverty. Tourism, which was a massive $50bn
(£36bn) revenue stream into Africa, has suddenly gone.
And, of course, there have been cutbacks in ranging staff.
This is why we started Project Ranger, with the help of
National Geographic, to keep rangers in the field. Long
term, we have to work on elevating peoples’ livelihoods
to eradicate poverty.
38 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Could you tell us a bit more about your Big Cats
Initiative, and why it’s important?
BEVERLY: We started it in 2009 as an emergency
intervention at a community level, much like what we’re
doing now with Project Ranger. One aim is to help locals
understand that live big cats are an investment in their
future, as is protecting the environment. We’re working
with them to practise better husbandry, too, to prevent
them losing a cow to lions or leopards. So really, the
initiative is teaching people how to live with big cats. We
now have around 150 projects in 27 countries.
What advice would you give to someone wanting
to see Africa’s big cats?
DERECK: You should definitely come. Africa needs
the dollars. Conservation does. Communities do.
We’re associated with a company called Great
Plains Conservation, where one third of the revenue
goes to conservation, one third towards growing
the conservation footprint and one third goes to
communities. For me, that’s the ideal combination.
Where’s the best place for a responsible big
cat safari?
BEVERLY: I’d recommend Duba Plains Camp in Botswana’s
Okavango Delta, where we’ve shot a few films, including
The Last Lions (2011). Mara Plains Camp in Kenya is
phenomenal too, and Mara Nyika Camp, our base for
filming Jade Eyed Leopard. It’s a unique area because of
the abundance of rainfall; there’s a lot of wildlife, and a
lot of prey that attracts the predators. Botswana’s Selinda
Reserve is an excellent spot as well.
You filmed Jade Eyed Leopard over three years.
What was your most exciting moment?
DERECK: Using thermal imagery to see a leopard
bring down a big Grant’s gazelle was thrilling. But
our main takeaway was seeing that these creatures
have personality. Getting up close to Toto, the little
leopard, finding her underneath the deck of the tent,
and observing her interactions with her mother, Fig.
Witnessing that relationship was the real highlight.
IMAGE: WILDLIFE FILMS / VAL JOUBERT
In your opinion, what’s the biggest change we all
need to make right now to help the planet?
DERECK: We need to renew our vows with nature.
INTERVIEW: NORA WALLAYA
RE AD THE FULL
Dereck and Beverly Joubert are award-winning filmmakers, National INTERVIEW
Geographic Explorers-in-Residence and wildlife conservationists. ONLINE AT
wildlifefilms.co greatplainsfoundation.com/ranger NATIONAL
nationalgeographic.org/projects/big-cats-initiative GEOGR APHIC.
@beverlyjoubert @dereckjoubert CO.UK/ TR AVEL
 ONLINE

W H AT ’ S O N L I N E

HOW TRAVELLERS CAN HELP

SAVE BRAZIL’S SLOTHS
A deadly industry has emerged in Brazil based around the capture and exhibition of wild
sloths. Here’s how travellers can help. Interview: Charlotte Wigram-Evans

Wildlife charity World Animal Protection
estimates that thousands of sloths are
snatched from the wild every year. Many
visitors who pay to cuddle the creatures in
captivity will be unaware of the deadly impact
this practice has. World Animal Protection’s
João Almeida discusses the need to outlaw
tourism experiences based around the
capture and exhibition of Amazonian wildlife.
WHAT’S YOUR MISSION?
To ensure wildlife stays in the wild, where
it belongs. A false image has been created
by the tourism industry that the Amazon is
the place to get close to animals. To give the
tourists what they want, the solution has been
to put these animals in cages for hands-on
experiences and photo opportunities.
HOW ARE SLOTHS IMPACTED?
Sloths are popular because they always look
like they’re smiling. This means there’s even
more pressure from the industry to make sure
they’re there, waiting for tourists. During our
investigations, we learnt from the indigenous
people that sloths react especially badly to
human interaction, and they often die only six
months after being taken from the wild. In the
jungle, they can live for up to 20 years.
HOW ARE YOU TACKLING THE ISSUE?
It’s not just the animals that are being
exploited, but indigenous Amazon
communities, too. They’re paid a small
amount by big businesses to take the animals
and deliver them to tourists, and they have no
alternative; the market is so powerful, they
have to do what it tells them. So the problem
starts at the top — that’s where my job starts
too, trying to establish relationships with
corporate leaders and encouraging them to
change their policies.
WHAT CAN TRAVELLERS DO?
There are so many incredible experiences in
Brazil; there’s really no need to hug a sloth. We
have the world’s largest tropical rainforest,
the savannah, the Pantanal biome. When
booking a trip to see wildlife, you have the
responsibility as a consumer to drive the
demand for positive, ethical experiences, and
there are so many out there. Head to World
Animal Protection’s website for a list.
READ MORE ONLINE NOW AT
NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/TRAVEL

TOP
STORIE S
Here’s what you’ve
been enjoying on the EDITORS’ PICKS ON THE TRAIL MEET THE ADVENTURER
website this month Snacks from around East London’s public art Jenny Bruso
the world Explore the capital’s art on foot, The US-based founder of Unlikely
From Portugal’s pastéis de nata to from vibrant murals to large-scale Hikers tells the story behind the
India’s Parsi eggs installations inclusive community

40 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 ONLINE

THE BEST FOOD PODCASTS FOR B E YO N D T H E

T R AV EL S EC T I O N
LOV E R S O F WO R L D C U I S I N E
Sate your appetite for global dining vicariously as you listen to chefs, writers and
comedians discuss all things gastronomic. Words: Alicia Miller

Whether you’re after inspiration for a Saturday
dinner or just simple escapism, these food-
focused series provide the culinary thrills
without the need to leave home.
1. GRILLING: TV chef Simon Rimmer spends
an hour chatting, cooking — and, in one
regular segment, barbecuing — with food
stars, including Nadiya Hussain, Tom
Kerridge and Ainsley Harriott. Chefs also
reveal how they got into the food industry,
while offering up cookery tips along the way.
2. POINT OF ORIGIN: US multimedia producer
Stephen Satterfield examines global culinary
practices, highlighting the too-often-
overlooked contributions of women and
people of colour. One week, you’re in Mexico,
hearing about the worldwide hass avocado
boom, the next in the Palestinian territories,
learning about the local revival of arak.
3. GASTROPOD: Why are carrots orange?
Why do some people hate coriander?
IMAGES: GETTY; KATHY BAHR; PHOTOGRAPH PUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION
Created by journalists Cynthia Graber and
Nicola Twilley, Gastropod picks apart the
science and history behind popular foods.
While most episodes have a US focus, many
investigations, on topics as diverse as saffron
and Mexican mole, skip across continents.
4. TAKE A BAO: A deep dive into Asian food
and culture, from heirloom rice in Borneo to
the Chinese salted egg. Food writer host Yi
Jun Loh has released just 10 episodes so far,
recorded in his native Malaysia, but already | A D V E N T U R E |
he’s covered tea-tasting, Instagram-famous
dalgona coffee and the ‘king of fruits’, durian. Nepali mountaineers achieve
5. OFF MENU: In this full-of-laughs series from historic winter first on K2
comedians Ed Gamble and James Acaster, With their ‘impossible’ summiting
celebrities, chefs and comedians outline of the world’s second-tallest
their dream meals. You’re bound to pick up mountain, Nepali climbers
some great restaurant recommendations send national pride surging in
along the way, for the likes of London, the Himalayas
Sydney and Los Angeles.
READ THE FULL STORY ONLINE NOW
| S C I E N C E |

Why some Covid-19 variants are

OF NIRMAL PURJA; PETER MATTHEWS; JENNY BRUSO; 4CORNERS

more contagious than others

— and how we can stop them
A cluster of viral mutations seems
to be speeding the spread of
Covid-19 — and scientists are
racing to understand why

| H I S T O R Y |

How New Orleans’ historic

architecture is uniquely suited
to pandemic living
Porches, courtyards, and ‘neutral
grounds’ are key to upholding
the city’s sociability in a time of
social distancing

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

POST-BREXIT TRAVEL UK FOOD PINTEREST

What you need to know Eight new adventure tours Top eight vegan hotspots
We answer key questions A host of travel companies The world’s most exciting — and
regarding the new travel are now championing local surprising — cities for plant-
regulations for the EU adventures on our doorstep based dining

April 2021 41
 WEEKENDER

BAKEWELL
Base yourself in the Peak District town for a weekend
of country estates, industrial heritage and
rambles through a green and pleasant land alive
with creative spirit. Words: David Whitley

T
he traditional image of the Peak District — rolling hills and
country pubs, curious sheep and dry stone walls — turns out
to be a gross oversimplification. A weekend clambering over
stiles and sipping pints of bitter is both feasible and enjoyable, but
linger a while longer in this swathe of central England, and a whole
new side reveals itself.
The historic market town of Bakewell serves as the ideal base for
exploring the area: here, charmed visitors feed ducks by the river,
mooch between farm shops and coo at handsome stone buildings.
But the town’s chocolate-box appeal belies its industriousness; in
converted mills and surrounding villages, brewers, woodcarvers,
jam-makers and jewellers are busy giving the area some serious
cultural clout. Sleepy rural idyll this is not.
Days in this part of the country can swing from pottery to
puddings, or from deer-spotting to dark history. The boots will still
get muddy, but you probably won’t have time to scrape the dirt off.

42 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

DAY ONE OPULENCE & INDULGENCE
MORNING
If in doubt in these parts, the Duke
of Devonshire probably owns it.
The sprawling Chatsworth Estate
Farm Shop in the village of Pilsley
sells all the best goodies made by
farmers, brewers and bakers on the
Duke’s land. The range and quality
are tremendous, and the Duchess’
favourite — a lime marmalade with
pineapple — is the essential buy.
The centrepiece of the estate,
Chatsworth House, is one of
Britain’s great stately homes.
The lavish wood panelling,
tapestries and paintings and the
showboating fountains dotting
lawns sculpted by Capability
Brown are as expected, but the
periodic injection of modern art
adds a welcome twist. Damien
Hirst’s visceral Saint Bartholomew,
Exquisite Pain was a fixture in the
IMAGES: ALAMY
chapel for several years, while
works by artist Lucian Freud and
sculptor David Nash can be found
in the main building.
AFTERNOON
Monsal Head, offering one of the
Peak District’s best views, lies four
miles west of Chatsworth. Several
walking routes slug their way up to
it. Alternatively, just rock up at the
car park, take a photo of Monsal
Dale and the Headstone Viaduct,
then maybe have an al fresco pint
at Monsal Head Hotel’s Stable Bar.
It’s three miles back to
Bakewell, where an afternoon
mooch is in order. The Bakewell
Cheese Shop, on Market Street,
sells novelty varieties like mustard
and ale, and whisky and ginger,
and the Peak District National
Park Visitor Centre doubles
as a gallery, selling local crafts
alongside the walking maps.
Obligatory, however, is The Old
Original Bakewell Pudding Shop,
which lays on the take-it-with-
a-pinch-of-salt history as thick
as the eggy mixture on top of the
dessert’s jam layer. Devour with
custard, as tradition demands.
Chatsworth House and estate,
overlooking the River Derwent
LEFT: The Peacock Inn and hotel,
Bakewell town centre
EVENING
Thornbridge Brewery, which
was producing craft beer long
before it was cool, sits on the site
of a former mill on the edge of
Bakewell. Street food vendors pop
up on Wednesdays and Saturdays,
but the real treat is tasting obscure
members of the Thornbridge
range. The Jaipur IPA is still the
standard-bearer and the pineapply
Jamestown New England IPA
is great. More experimental
offerings include the Florida
Weisse raspberry sour and Cocoa
Wonderland chocolate porter.
Wobble merrily back into
town for local produce given
French treatment at longstanding
institution Piedaniel’s. The
restaurant offers a mix of formal
white tablecloths and atmospheric
wooden beams, with the star
being the £28 Derbyshire beef
fillet topped with asparagus,
wrapped in ham and served with
Burgundy sauce.
TOP 5
Family-friendly
walks
PADLEY GORGE
Next to Grindleford Station,
eight miles north of Bakewell,
lies Padley Gorge, a jumble
of ferns and mossy rocks.
Trails are kept as natural
as possible — it’s more a
case of finding the gaps in
the woods than following a
path — and the rock pools in
Burbage Brook are perfect
for paddling in.
LONGSHAW ESTATE
The 1.7-mile walking route
around this National Trust
estate skirts the upper end
of Padley Gorge. Children
love the stepping stones, but
Longshaw is mostly all about
the giant fallen trees, left in
place for little hands and feet
to gleefully scramble over.
HIGGER TOR
A stack of giant rocks
dominates Higger Tor, the
best of several lookouts
along the Ringinglow Road
between Hathersage and
Sheffield. Stroll through the
adjacent sheep-grazed fields,
then let the kids clamber
over hundreds of strangely
smooth grey gritstone
boulders. The views out over
the Hope Valley are epic.
STANAGE EDGE
Popular with rock climbers,
this gritstone escarpment
marks the boundary of the
brooding moorland of the
Dark Peak escarpment and
the grass-covered limestone
plateau of White Peak. It’s
a six-mile circular walk from
Hathersage. Alternatively,
park at the Hollin Bank Car
Park and huff and puff half a
mile to the top.
CHATSWORTH ESTATE
A three-mile loop from
Calton Lees Car Park takes
in a ruined mill, the pretty
village of Edensor and views
of Chatsworth House. Save
the stretch along the River
Derwent for last — deer
often hang out there.
April 2021 43
WEEKENDER

TOP 3

Peak pub stays

THE PEACOCK
AT BARLOW
Just outside the National
Park boundaries, The
Peacock’s key selling point is
that it brews its own beers.
But the food’s good, too
— the pies are a speciality
— and the Thursday night
quiz is highly entertaining.
It has eight boutique
bedrooms to choose from,
with four set in a converted
barn. From £90, B&B.
thepeacockatbarlow.co.uk

THE DEVONSHIRE ARMS

AT PILSLEY
Built from gorgeous
honeyed stone, this is one
of several Chatsworth-
owned pubs. Estate produce
sprinkles the menu, but the
rousing views of valley and
escarpment seal the deal.
Prices range from £125, B&B,
for the smaller doubles,
but the £205 four-poster
farmhouse rooms deliver the
romance factor in spaces.
devonshirehotels.co.uk
THE PEACOCK,
BAKEWELL
A higgledy-piggledy,
200-year-old former coaching
inn with bags of character,
the Peacock is slap-bang
in the centre of Bakewell.
Beers come from local
breweries, traditional British
pub meals are chalked on
the blackboards and the
surprisingly contemporary
rooms are at complete odds
with the building they’re set
in. Doubles from £89, B&B.
peacockbakewell.com
DAY TWO EXERCISE & EDUCATION
MORNING
Running parallel to the River Wye
along the former Midland Railway
line, the Monsal Trail stretches for
8.5 miles through Monsal Dale.
Being largely flat, it’s no challenge
for walkers, but for cyclists it’s
nigh-on perfect. Bikes can be hired
for £12 for two hours from Hassop
Station, just outside Bakewell.
Highlights along the route
include four well-lit former
railway tunnels, the Headstone
Viaduct and Cressbrook and
Litton Mills, hulking monsters
that played a pivotal role in the
Industrial Revolution.
Hassop Station Cafe is the
AFTERNOON
Seven miles north of Bakewell, the
village of Eyam would be regarded
as idyllic were it not for its grimly
heroic past. As many a child in the
Midlands who went on a school
trip will know, this was the village
that sealed itself off in self-
sacrifice in 1665 during the Great
Plague. Eyam Museum tells the full
story. Concisely brutal detail can
also be found on plaques outside
the Plague Cottages on Church
Avenue, where death first struck.
Eyam Parish Church has more
information on the victims’
bravery, plus stained-glass
windows depicting the morbid
EVENING
There’s a possibility you might
want to cleanse yourself
after Eyam, and that’s where
Hathersage Swimming Pool comes
in. Five miles north of Eyam, the
outdoor facility comes with views
of dramatic Stanage Edge and the
surrounding hills. The pool is 30
metres long and heated year-
round to 28C, but pre-booking
is strongly advised as it gets
very busy at the first glimpse of a
little sun.
Post-dip, amble through
Hathersage, stopping for drinks
and dinner at any of several rather
loveable pubs. The Scotsman’s
IMAGES: GETTY; ALAMY

FROM LEFT: View from
Monsal Head, taking in
the Headstone Viaduct
and Monsal Dale; Hassop
Station Cafe
top spot for breakfast at the
start of the trail or lunch at the
end. There’s a wealth of outdoor
seating, and tandoori chicken
kebabs and vegan falafel burritos
are menu highlights.
tale. Mompesson’s Well, a thigh-
burning, 25-minute uphill slog
from the church, meanwhile, was
where neighbouring villagers left
provisions for Eyam’s stricken
self-isolation pioneers.
Pack Country Inn serves up
hearty, gastropub-style food
alongside hand-pulled ales.
If the weather’s up to it, eat
outside on the patio next to
the trout-filled stream.

44 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 WEEKENDER

FIVE TO VISIT: DERBYSHIRE DESIGNERS WELL DRESSED

Bakewell’s corner of the Peak District is idyllic yet industrious. You’ll see signs for all kinds of makers,
from stained-glass artists to stonemasons. Many are appointment-only but some are open to all
EYAM HALL
Former farm buildings at this
historic manor are now the setting
for Eyam Courtyard, home to
a host of businesses, including
restaurants, cafes and a yoga
studio. It’s here Ralph Weston
creates bespoke jewellery, with
Blue John, a semi-precious
mineral extracted from the
Blue John Cavern at nearby
Castleton, often used to dazzling
effect. Ralph beavers away in his
workshop at the side of the shop,
with visitors able to peer in and
watch him in action. eyamhall.net
ROCK PAPER SILVER
There’s a similar set-up at
Caudwell’s Mill in Rowsley. Here,
silversmith Rebecca Green uses
5,000-year-old wax-moulding
techniques to make jewellery
and mini animal sculptures. Peak
District hares have become a
signature motif, and Rebecca
runs jewellery-making classes
for anyone wanting to try the DIY
approach. rockpapersilver.co.uk
BASLOW POTTERY
The stoneware plates and vases
on display at Baslow Pottery are
mainly the work of Ray Gridley,
who often uses clay dug from his
own back garden. But works from
a loose collective of potters, who
fire and glaze using the facilities
at the back of the handsome ivy-
covered building, are also proudly
on display. baslowpottery.co.uk
RICHARD WHITTLESTONE
On the Chatsworth Estate in
Pilsley, wildlife artist Richard
Whittlestone huddles in his tiny
studio, painting nature-packed
Peak District scenes. His first love
are birds, though, and the acrylic
paintings of owls, oystercatchers,
pheasants and kingfishers are the
stars of his gallery. All the works
A longstanding
local tradition
have a tiny fly hidden somewhere sees villagers
within each composition, should adorn wells with
anyone wish to set themselves
the challenge of spotting them.
floral art and
richardwhittlestone.co.uk other natural
materials, in
DAVID MELLOR DESIGN
On the southern outskirts of what’s known as
Hathersage a striking, circular ‘well dressing’.
building occupies a space where
a gas holder once stood. It’s now Each village has
a factory that makes equally one weekend of
impressive cutlery, tableware and
other kitchen essentials. There’s
the year where
an adjoining shop, gallery and the dressing is
mini museum. Today, Corin Mellor unveiled and
is the creative force behind the
company, but it was his father, blessed, followed
David, who blazed a trail here. His by a festival.
work extended far beyond the
dinner table. In the 1950s and ’60s,
For details of
the Sheffield-born designer helped related events
to transform Britain’s streetscapes throughout
with his lighting columns,
bus shelters and postboxes. the year, visit
davidmellordesign.com welldressing.com

MORE INFO
Chatsworth. chatsworth.org
Monsal Head Hotel & Stable
Bar. monsalhead.com
The Old Original Bakewell
Pudding Shop.
bakewellpuddingshop.co.uk
Thornbridge Brewery.
thornbridgebrewery.co.uk
Piedaniel’s.
piedaniels-restaurant.com
Eyam Museum.
eyam-museum.org.uk
Eyam Parish Church.
eyamchurch.org
Hathersage Swimming Pool.
hathersageswimmingpool.
co.uk
The Scotsman’s Pack
Country Inn.
scotsmanspackcountryinn.
co.uk
peakdistrict.gov.uk

HOW TO DO IT
Hathersage is on the
Sheffield-to-Manchester
train line; local buses
serve Bakewell from
Chesterfield and Sheffield.
derbysbus.info

April 2021 45
 E AT

QUITO
Emerging from the shadow of its gastronomic neighbours, Ecuador shines as
an exciting hub for South American cuisine, with a new generation of chefs
rediscovering the country’s incredible produce. Words: Jamie Lafferty

W
hile Quito is a superlative spot
for an education in Ecuador’s
blossoming culinary scene, I
hadn’t expected to find myself actually
spending the day at school. “For many
years, this was a kindergarten,” says
Santiago Rosero, one of the pioneers behind
Fermento. Part-cooking cooperative, part-
bar, the project hosts a rotating lineup of
cool of Fermento. Is any of this for them?
Santiago seems to know what I’m going to
ask next.
“Look, I don’t want to be part of the
gentrification here,” he says. “I want to be
part of this neighbourhood. In the future,
hopefully we’ll have food festivals to involve
more of the local businesses. For now,
everything is promoted boca a boca — by
IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; BICUBIK; JAMIE LAFFERTY

chefs in the old classrooms, with tables and
chairs arranged in the former playground.
Located in the not-so-trendy La Vicentina
neighbourhood, at the front of the space
there’s a small organic market, which
leads through to the old school. I order
an Ecuadorian IPA while we talk, with an
artisanal blue cheese burger on the way.
A short walk away, in the Plaza José Navarro,
30 or so people are queuing up for street
food: tripa mishqui (barbecued tripe) and
deep-fried empanadas. The scene stands
in sharp contrast to the cutting-edge
word of mouth only.”
Fermento would be a remarkable project
in any city at any time, but it seems truly
extraordinary in Quito — especially
when Santiago tells me it was launched
immediately after the city’s initial lockdown
ended in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He’d never have chosen it this way, but the
CLOCKWISE FROM
virus and the business are now inseparable.
ABOVE: Calle La Ronda,
“I don’t want to get too carried away Old Town; roof terrace,
or overstate it, but what we did was kind Casa Gangotena; ceviche
of heroic,” he says. “To stand and fight at Casa Gangotena;
in the middle of this crazy moment.” cocktail at Somos

46 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
April 2021 47
EAT

Five food finds
BOLÓN DE VERDE
Originally from the coast but
now popular nationwide, these
balls of mashed plantain and
cheese make for a hearty and
comparatively healthy breakfast
by local standards.
TRIPA MISHQUI
Yes, they could be described as
flame-seared cow guts, but tripa
mishqui is undeniably a local
speciality, especially in Quito’s La
Vicentina neighbourhood.
I take a bite of the burger and don’t disagree
for a second. “We were born while a lot of
people were dying.”
The tentacles of the disease still spread
through Quito, but it was impossible to
ignore just how much the city is thriving.
There are trendy cafes charging as much for a
flat white as other places are for an almuerzo,
the popular three-course set-menu lunches
found across this corner of the continent.
The value of putting Ecuador’s astonishing
larder to the fore has also been recognised
— up here, high in the Andes, the capital has
made a real effort to resist Americanisation
compared to its coastal rival Guayaquil.
Even at the top end of the capital’s
dining scene, there’s been a move towards
something more indigenous — drawing on
a mind-boggling array of local ingredients
that includes recently rediscovered varieties
of ancient grains, myriad endemic root veg,
maize and fruits for which we’d struggle to
find English names, not to mention Ecuador’s
prized quinoa and avocados.
“We’re a fairly small country with a lot
of diversity — from the Galápagos to the
mountains here and the coast and, of course,
a lot of seafood. We also have the Amazon,”
explains chef Emilio Dalmau inside Casa
Gangotena. The grand hotel has been here
in one form or another for centuries and its
kitchen has long been at the highest end of
Quiteño cuisine. While it isn’t priced with
locals in mind, the head chef insists the
menus reflected the nation. “Our cuisine is
like that, a mix of the traditions of the people
from all over Ecuador as well as our ancestors.
One of the dishes on the menu is locro de
papas, a soup made with three types of potato
and local spices.”
Rudimentary though it may be, locro
is ever-present at this formal, French-
influenced restaurant, but also at some of the
plastic-chair, cheek-by-jowl joints in other
neighbourhoods around Quito.
“Every six months, we search the country
again and try to find new things from
Ecuador,” continues the chef. “Go back 10
or 15 years, all the fine-dining cuisine here
in Quito was French or Italian. Those are
lovely, of course, but there were no good-
quality local options. Now I think there’s a
generation trying to make very good food
based on the recipes of our grandmothers.”
Leading this rustic renaissance are such
organisations as Quito’s Canopy Bridge, a
nonprofit network that connects indigenous
farmers with food suppliers, who in turn
provide many of the ingredients found in
Quito’s high-end restaurants. Over in the La

LOCRO DE PAPAS
A Quiteño staple, the locro de
papas comes in many guises, but
should always contain plenty of
potato and be served piping hot,
often topped with native avocado.

CEVICHE
Quito may not be on the coast,
but Ecuadorians from any part
of the country will insist that
their citrus-seasoned fish is as
good as anything you’ll find in
Chile or Peru.

LLAPINGACHOS
These fried potato cakes are
something like stuffed fritters,
often filled with cheese and
served with peanut sauce. Don’t
ask about the calorie content.

FROM LEFT: Ecuadorian bolón de verde;

overhead view of cafe tables inside a
courtyard in the Old Town; selection of
dishes at La Guaguasería by Somos

48 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

Carolina neighbourhood, Somos is another
of the fancier food addresses in town. It’s the
sort of place that would surely catch the eye
of Michelin, if the guide ever deigned to cast
an eye in this direction (an oversight that
includes Ecuador’s continued omission from
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list; the
country only recently made its Latin America
list, with a single inclusion for chef Alejandro
Chamorro’s Quito restaurant, Nuema). Then
the pandemic hit and Somos’ entire business
model seemed dangerously irrelevant. Rather
than sit back and wait for things to get better,
chef Alejandra Espinoza and husband Signo
Uddenberg simply created something new.
“With Covid-19, we never know how many
people would come in, so we launched
La Guaguasería,” says the chef as we sit
IMAGES: ALAMY; AWL IMAGES; JAMIE LAFFERTY
A TASTE OF QUITO
SALNÉS GASTRO-PICANTERÍA
Chef-owner Mauricio Acuña seeks out ‘lost’
local produce: ferns that double as asparagus,
overlooked Amazonian fish and black pork
that serves as buttery ibérico. The small,
regularly changing menu of simple-yet-refined
dishes is centred on local produce largely
drawn from a growing network of indigenous
farmers. facebook.com/elsalnesec
down to a kaleidoscopic array of dishes
from her newly evolved menu. The titular
guaguasa, a flatbread named after the
Quechua word for ‘small child’, is stuffed with
Alejandra’s favourite Ecuadorian dish, seco
de pollo— chicken cooked with orange and
beer. A celebrated staple of the Day of the
Dead festivities, in some early iteration of the
restaurant, guaguasa was supposed to be one
of the only dishes offered, but now in front
of me there’s also a colourful poke-like salad
bowl of camote (sweet potato), a rainbow of
empanadas and a way-better-than-it-sounds
dish of guinea pig dumplings.
“By June, we knew the pandemic wasn’t
going to be over any time soon and we didn’t
want to lose our flow of clients, or for them to
forget us,” says the chef, who had to let two-
CHEZ TIFF
Ecuador’s pedigree native chocolate — by
the likes of Pacari, To’ak and Mindo — have
been storming the international stage of
late. In the historic city centre, chocolate
master Bertrand Indemini, originally from
Switzerland, has set up shop running demos
and tastings explaining the entire process of
chocolate production. cheztiff.net
EAT
thirds of her staff go due to the economic
downturn. “This was an idea we wanted to do
in the future, so we moved it forward. It’s less
elaborate, so we can operate with fewer staff.”
They aim to bring back the high-end
restaurant in 2021, but La Guaguasería
has proven so popular it’s already earned
a future in some guise — perhaps in the
basement of the current property. The big
draw at the moment is a sprawling brunch
on weekends — that and a striking indoor
mural that hangs over the bar where some of
Quito’s most inventive cocktails are created;
most notable is the miske margarita (made
from Ecuador’s much-overlooked answer
to tequila). “We’ll see what happens,” says
Alejandra. “For now, I just keep trying new
things. If I don’t do something, I’ll go nuts!”
AGAVE SPIRIT ECUADOR
Just north of the city, almost on the Equator,
this complex champions miske, Ecuador’s
version of tequila, as the would-be national
drink. Tour the excellent agave museum, sip
the Andean agave cactus spirit and nibble
pickled agave flowers. You can even take part
in a naming ritual for your very own baby
cactus. agavespiritecuador.com
April 2021 49
 SLEEP

TAIPEI
The Taiwanese capital runs the full gamut of hotel options, from stylish digs
in the heart of the city to sleek spa retreats tucked away in the mountains
Words: Clarissa Wei

In many ways, Taipei is a quintessential East Asian metropolis — a bombastic

mix of old and new, raucous night markets, excellent public transport and a
personality big enough to match its towering, sparkling skyscrapers. Compared
to some of its neighbours, Taipei — and Taiwan itself — is one of the region’s
more affordable destinations, with a wide range of impressive, great-value hotels,
many with central locations and skyline views. If you’re keen on staying in the
IMAGES: GETTY; HEY!CHEESE

city, the buzzing Da’an District charms with quaint tea shops and restaurants,
Xinyi District is the nightlife hotspot and historic Dadaocheng offers a slice of
traditional, 19th-century Taipei. There’s no shortage of places to splurge on,
either: the chic mountain getaways of Beitou, for example, tempt deep-pocketed
travellers with fine views and luxurious baths fed by hot springs. But wherever
you while away your days in this city, you can be sure of a good night’s sleep.

50 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Best for creatives
PLAY DESIGN HOTEL
At this boutique design hotel with only five
rooms, there’s plenty of emphasis on local
talent, with furniture and decor created
by Taiwanese craftspeople. Each of the
rooms is themed — one is dedicated to
tea, another inspired by a laboratory. The
whole hotel experience is interactive: a
design-your-own-room option lets guests
pick out their favourite layout and furniture
online beforehand. The location, in lovely
Dadaocheng, is also excellent — this is one
of the oldest neighbourhoods in Taipei, with
lots of street food, tea shops and atmospheric
streets a short walk away.
ROOMS: From NT$3,600 (£94), room only.
stay.playdesignhotel.com

April 2021 51
SLEEP

Best for art aficionados

FOLIO HOTEL DAAN TAIPEI
Want an intro to the Taiwanese art scene?
These comfy digs — once accommodation for
local bank employees — offer just that, with a
rotating exhibition programme featuring the
work of local artists and photographers. The
rooms are decked out with plush beds and
minimalist decor, although the main draw
is arguably the location. It’s in the heart of
the bustling Da’an district, just a stroll away
from Da’an Forest Park, a lush, 64-acre oasis
teeming with wildlife. It’s also near a night
market and the towering Taipei 101 — the
tallest building on the island.
ROOMS: From NT$1,731 (£45), room only.
www.folio-hotels.com

Best for bibliophiles

ESLITE HOTEL
Eslite is a Taiwanese bookshop chain, so,
naturally, its namesake hotel is full of tomes.
Bookworms can lose themselves in the lounge,
complete with floor-to-ceiling bookcases,
where 5,000 volumes — in English and
Chinese — are available to buy. All bedrooms
have high ceilings and plenty of natural light,
and if you want to splurge, consider the aptly
named Library Suite, with hundreds of books
at your disposal. The hotel is located next to
Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, home to
art exhibitions and boutique stores.
ROOMS: From NT$4,446 (£117), B&B.
eslitehotel.com

52 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 SLEEP

Best for escapists

GRAND VIEW
RESORT BEITOU
Its location near a fault line means Taiwan
sits above a bevy of hot springs. The Grand
View Resort Beitou takes full advantage
of this by pumping water into the baths of
all 80 guest rooms. There’s also a standout
afternoon tea, with Taiwanese street food
and confectionery flavoured with sweet
osmanthus flowers. The resort sits on a quiet
hillside outside the city; for those after some
hustle and bustle, there’s a complimentary
shuttle to the nearest metro station.
ROOMS: From NT$14,000 (£373), B&B.
gvrb.com.tw

Best for fun & frolics

HOTELPOISPOIS
There’s no bursting this hotel’s bubble
— with bright pink oval windows and
bubble-like chandeliers in the lobby, it’s built
firmly into the design. Similarly colourful is
the lift, which zooms guests up to the rooftop
terrace for a stylish bar that’s furnished
with fun, red, spinning top-like chairs. The
rooms are varied: some are whitewashed
and minimalistic and others are decked out
with lavish wallpaper. As for the in-house
restaurant, there’s an excellent Western-style
brunch menu and the food is as colourful as
the decor.
ROOMS: From NT£1,500 (£39), B&B.
hotelpoispois.com

April 2021 53
 An all-season escape!

Chatzigaki Manor offers 5-star hospitality and is an ideal choice all year round for families,
groups of friends and nature lovers.

Hidden on the green slopes of the Pindos mountain range, at an altitude of 1,200 meters, with
stunning views of the forest, the village and the meadows of Pertouli, the hotel is a unique
destination for relaxation or escape in nature.

Not far away from the village of Pertouli are the holy rocks of Meteora, an area which offers
great hiking experiences and famous monasteries. You may also want to visit the Plastira Lake
one of the largest artificial lakes in Greece.

Chatzigaki Manor, Pertouli, Trikala, Greece

T: +30 243 409 1146-9 E: info@chatzigaki.gr www.chatzigaki.gr
 SLEEP

Best for night owls

W TAIPEI
In the heart of Xinyi District, close to
some of Taipei’s best bars and clubs, W
Taipei is the place to kick-start a night on
the town. In characteristic W style, rooms
are bright and bold, and each features an
animal sculpture inspired by the Chinese
zodiac. There’s music playing in the
lobby all day long and colourful lighting
throughout. For drinks, look no further
than Woobar, the rooftop bar, with its
mouth-watering menu of cocktails, not to
mention a pool and tantalising views of
the city below.
ROOMS: From NT$6,791 (£178), room only.
marriott.com/hotels

Best for families
HUA SHAN DIN BY COSMOS CREATION
Once home to a bank vault, this industrial-style hotel
stays true to its history, with thick columns, marble
accents and vault-style door handles. It’s a quirky, fun
place to bed down, with pop art flourishes in many of
the rooms, and plenty of in-room board games to keep
children entertained. The Huashan 1914 Creative Park
is nearby — a former sake winery converted into a
series of restaurants and boutiques.
ROOMS: From NT£1,909 (£50), room only.
huashandin.com.tw/en
Best for history buffs
GRAND HOTEL TAIPEI
Since it first opened in 1952, the Grand Hotel Taipei
has earned itself a reputation as a magnet for visiting
dignitaries and the elite. With towering vermilion
columns, elegant wall panels and a golden roof, it’s
one of the city’s architectural gems. Rooms overlook
the Keelung River and are adorned with traditional
Chinese furnishings. The hotel is also home to two
underground tunnels; only occasionally open to public
tours, they were initially built in case of air raids.
ROOMS: From NT$4,400 (£115), B&B. grand-hotel.org
Best for spa-seekers
VILLA 32
A Japanese Zen aesthetic is offset by elegant European-
style decor at this former private residence on the edge
of Yangminshan National Park. Not only does every
guest room contain a bath fed by a local hot spring,
but the spa is also one of the best in town. Standout
treatments are a Chinese-style meridian massage and
collagen-stimulating facial. Rooms are often booked
months in advance and, at nearly £800 a night, you’ll
need to splash out to secure yours. Adults only.
ROOMS: From NT$29,665 (£790), B&B. villa32.com

April 2021 55
SLEEP

Best for urban explorers

KIMPTON DA AN HOTEL
Located in the heart of one of Taipei’s busiest
shopping districts, Kimpton Da An Hotel
is a glamorous inner-city retreat with an
award-winning eye for design. It’s pulled off
the remarkable feat of being a quiet space
in a busy city: the lobby is all pared-back
concrete and graced with the sounds of
trickling water from a design installation,
and the 129 rooms are similarly sharp and
minimalist, with calming wood elements
and an ash-grey palette accented by pops
of teal. Wellness is also a focus in this
IMAGES: HEY!CHEESE

urban oasis, with in-room yoga mats and a

bike rental service for guests. After a day’s
exploring, wind down with a glass of fizz on
the hotel’s chic rooftop terrace.
ROOMS: From NT$4,224 (£111), room only.
ihg.com/kimptonhotels

56 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 INTO THE

Hellenic
heartland
Stretching from the lakes and wine country of
Macedonia down to the fortif ied castles and scenic
peninsulas of the Peloponnese, we explore the
stories, sights and experiences of the Greek mainland.
This is the country’s cultural lodestar — the sun
around which the nation’s 6,000 islands gravitate
— home to exquisite classical ruins, world-class
hiking, rich wildlife, sun-drenched coastlines and the
vibrant cities of Athens and Thessaloniki

WO R D S M A R I A AT M AT Z I D O U, H E L E N I AT R O U,
J A M I E L A F F E R T Y, C H R I S L E A D B E AT E R & K E R R Y WA L K E R
IMAGE: BEN ROBERTS

58 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
April 2021 59
GREECE

60 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 GREECE

The conservationist

The duelling dragons of Zagori Wildlife biologist

In Epirus, the country’s wild northwestern state, a snaking five-mile trail rises above the
stone-built villages of Zagori to reach the fabled Drakolimni, twin alpine lakes dating to
the last ice age. Words: Helen Iatrou
Departing in heavy mist, our hiking party
zigzags its way up the mountain track from
the still-sleeping village of Mikro Papigo,
stopping to fill flasks at a spring-fed fountain
half-concealed by the morning haze. Local
lore claims our destination, the twin alpine
pools of Drakolimni — ‘Dragon Lake’ in
Greek — take their name from ancient
duelling dragons once poised atop the
opposing mountains of Tymfi and Smolikas.
The boulders they cast at one another are
said to stud the hillsides.
Deflating the tale with a smile, guide
Achilles Papaefthymiou explains that the
age-old moniker may instead originate
from the newts inhabiting the lakes. “They
probably reminded the local villagers of
miniatures of the fire-breathing creatures,”
he says, with a note of apology.
This more mundane telling doesn’t
diminish the magic of Northern Pindos
National Park. Resting at our first waypoint,
the shuttered Astraka Mountain Hut,
perched at 6,398ft, Achilles, founder of
adventure tour company Alpine Zone, hands
out homemade cake to nibble as we take in
humbling views of the Towers of Astraka.
One of Greece’s great natural wonders, the
undulating wall of this impregnable massif
looks like the turret from a giant’s castle,
their buttresses and jagged crenelations
carved by mighty hands.
With the hardest part of the ascent still
to come, some members of our party decide
to turn back. The 10-hour round trip isn’t for
amateurs, and we’re hiking in winter
— out of season. Between May and October,
the peak months for walking in the Epirus
region, this hut is open and acts as a
IMAGE: PANOS XAXIRIS
Alexandros Karamanlidis
speaks about his work
at environmental NGO
Arcturos, whose bear
and wolf sanctuary can
be visited in Nymphaio,
the indigenous Debina grape) or mountain Western Macedonia
tea made with wild ironwort.
With no such facilities open at present, our TELL US ABOUT
weary companions are choosing to retreat to GREEK FAUNA
Megalo Papigo, among the most scenic of 46 Greece is home to about
traditional villages that make up the forested 500 brown bears, mostly
Zagori area. It’s a setting plucked from a split between the Pindos
fairytale: fertile gorges and flowing rivers and Rodopi Mountains.
encircle stone-built, slate-roofed homes Wolves number around 700
with heavy wooden doors and cobblestone and are the key regulators of
pathways. It’s the sort of place where dragons the food pyramid.
wouldn’t be entirely amiss.
Our party lighter and our stomachs fuller, WHAT IS ARCTUROS?
Achilles leads us onwards, fleshing out our It was created in 1992 to
understanding of the land. “In summer, we address the issue of dancing
see wild horses and mules and the occasional bears. Arcturos is focused
brown bear,” he tells us. This is one of on rescuing wild animals
Greece’s most biodiverse areas, with more caught in traps or involved in
than 2,000 species of flora and fauna, home accidents, and dealing with
to wolves, chamois, roe deer, otters and such wild animals that get too
endangered birds as the Egyptian vulture. close to human settlements.
The winter is quieter, both in terms of
hikers and wildlife; its silence is palpable, WHEN CAN VISITORS COME
even as we crunch through knee-deep snow TO THE SANCTUARY?
in the dried-out lake of Xerolimni. Bears and wolves reside
The forest has long given way to a naked, in protected areas within
open landscape dotted with juniper shrubs. their natural habitats. At the
Climbing higher, the final ascent squeezes us information centre, visitors
into single file, following a slim path scooped can hear the stories behind
from a scree slope that plunges away into each creature. The brown
nothingness on one side. bear sanctuary is closed
Five hours into the trek, we summit the in January and February,
plateau at the foot of Mount Tymfi and whereas the wolf sanctuary
Drakolimni reveals itself: frozen solid and is open year-round.
enveloped in a snowy embrace. Some of the arcturos.gr HI
group skate across the ice; I squint up at
Mount Smolikas, trying to spot the second
pool and — just maybe — a dragon.

refuge, hosting up to 51 hikers. Here, they
can restore energy levels with the hearty
cuisine of northwest Greece — lentil soup
and blatsaropita (a pie thrown together with
whatever’s in the pantry), washed down with
the local firewater tsipouro (produced with
HOW TO DO IT: Alpine Zone offers guided adventure
trips in northern Greece. alpinezone.gr • Double
rooms at Mikro Papigo 1700 Hotel and Spa start from
€120 (£109), B&B. mikropapigo.gr • Wild Frontiers’
Northern Greece: Along The Via Egnatia is available
from £2,425 for nine days wildfrontierstravel.com
LEFT: Hikers above the alpine lake of
Drakolimni, near Mount Tymfi, Epirus
PREVIOUS PAGE: The view towards
the Parthenon from Monastiraki
Square, with Tzistarakis Mosque in the
foreground, Athens

April 2021 61
GREECE

At Halkidiki’s fingertips The forager

Jutting southwards into the Aegean like Poseidon’s trident are the three peninsulas of
Halkidiki, a popular weekend escape from Thessaloniki. Each stretch of land has a unique
character, together forming a microcosm of the mainland’s charms. Words: Chris Leadbeater

It’s just after lunch on an late autumn
afternoon, and Halkidiki is giving me
the middle finger. Please pardon the
expression. And the misdirection. There’s
no uncouth confrontation here; no fiery
argument that concludes with rude
gesticulations and expletives. But there
is an abruptness in the way that Sithonia
— the second of the three ‘digits’ that
point out from Central Macedonia into
the Aegean — has dispensed with any
suggestion of urban life.
One moment it’s there, in the towns
of Arnaia and Polygyros. The next, it’s
vanished, the road struggling southeast
towards Ormos Panagias and Fteroti. Here
the landscape is all flinty coves on rocky
shores and pine-covered slopes, rearing up to
the central peak of Mount Dragoudelis.
The three ‘fingers’ of Halkidiki are a
distillation of almost everything that’s
evocative about Greece. Mount Athos,
the easternmost of the trio, is its soul and
sense of tradition. Even in 2021, visitors
are only allowed to enter this enclave of
20 monasteries via special permits and
observance of the rules — one being that
women are excluded entirely.
Dunes on its west edge; Afitis Boutique Hotel
on its east).
But Sithonia, pinned between its two
siblings, is different again. A simpler matter
— lost neither in prayer nor five-star finesse.
Evening is drifting in when I reach Porto
Koufo, which adorns the middle fingertip.
Tourism feels mildly more in focus here than
in laid-back towns like Sarti, yet this is still Nikos Tsilis, raised on the
a location for unfussy seaside escapes. Small fertile shores of Western
studios and hotels are laid out at the top of a Macedonia’s Prespes Lakes,
long inlet, next to a marina where a clutch of spends his days hunting
smart yachts at rest seem like intruders from truffles and mushrooms
another world. with his dogs. “Around
At Taverna Nikos, the menu is starting to 4,000 species of fungi have
think of winter, offering the slow-cooked been found In Greece but
stew of pork and local louvidia (string) it’s estimated there are
beans that’s a staple of the ‘cold’ months in around 10,000,” says Nikos.
Halkidiki (when the mercury barely dips to Together with bodies like the
coat-wearing weather by British standards). I Greek Mushroom Society,
eat it with one eye on the water. Porto Koufo he leads foraging excursions
is one of Greece’s largest natural harbours, and seminars throughout
but so secluded that German U-boats used it western and central Greece,
for unseen lurking during the Second World including in Prespes. Learn to
War. Mirroring its surprises and quirks, this identify species such as the
fact makes Sithonia a literal case of a place imperilled March mushroom,
with hidden depths. found in pine forests in
early spring, whose delicate
IMAGES: YADID LEVY

By contrast, Kassandra, the westernmost
finger, is as welcoming an environment as
you can find in the Mediterranean: a seek-
and-hide destination where luxury resorts
decorate the sands (Porto Sani and Sani
HOW TO DO IT: Double rooms at Hotel Porto Koufo in
Sithonia from €74 (£65) per night. portokoufohotel.gr
• A week at the newly renovated Porto Sani resort
costs from £967 per person, including transfers.
elegantresorts.co.uk • visit-halkidiki.gr
aroma Nikos likens to a rose.
Contact him via Instagram to
book. @nick_tsilis HI

62 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 GREECE

April 2021 63
www.domesresorts.com
 GREECE

ON THE GRAPEVINE

Naoussa’s
winelands
Home to the Xinomavo grape, this region
has been producing some of Greece’s
finest vintages for centuries

There’s a general belief among the

uninitiated that Greek wine is for serving
unceremoniously at taverna tables rather
than swilling and sipping in admiration, the
way one might a Cabernet Sauvignon.
One of the most potent ripostes to this
misconception is offered by the Central
Macedonia region. On the flanks of the
Vermio Mountains, grapes — especially the
Xinomavro variety — thrive in the wind-
break provided by the ridgeline above them.
The quality of wine is such that the
Naoussa region has been able to revel in
Protected Designation of Origin status since
1971. You can find more than 20 estates on
these slopes, many open to the public, linked
by the region’s established Naoussa Wine
Trail. visitnaoussa.gr/naoussa-wine-trail

KIR-YIANNI
Discover the landscape and Boutaris family’s
legacy at the most feted estate in Naoussa.
Visits by appointment. kiryianni.gr

THYMIOPOULOS
Generations of agricultural knowledge have
gone into producing distinctive Xinomavro
red wines at this estate near Trilofos village.
thymiopoulosvineyards.gr

CHRISOHOOU
A welcoming family-run estate offering
tours of the viticultural museum as well as
tastings. chrisohoou.com CL

FROM TOP: The vineyards of Naoussa on the

southeastern slopes of Mount Vermio; a toast with
local white wine
PREVIOUS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Panagia
IMAGES: GETTY

Faneromeni Church, Nea Skioni, Kassandra, Halkidiki;

the fortified tower at Ouranoupoli in Athos; Halkidiki;
prawns with bulgur at Boukadoura restaurant in Akti
Elia, Sithonia, Halkidiki; Karidi Beach in Sithonia,
Halkidiki; statue of Aristotle at Stagira, Halkikidi

April 2021 65
GREECE

The navel of ancient Greece

Delphi, once a sanctuary dedicated to the god Apollo, is more than the sum of its
showstopping ruins. Perched high above the Gulf of Corinth, it’s dotted with
extraordinary details — a holy cave, political inscriptions and legendary ‘navel’ stone
— that mark it as the true heart of the ancient cosmos. Words: Kerry Walker

It’s a hot day, the kind where the Greek
gods might have gleefully stripped off their
chitons, frolicked on the slopes of Mount
Parnassus and leaped into the nearest spring-
fed stream. Or perhaps they’d have sought
shade in a cave such as the one I’m about to
enter, where the cool comes as sweet relief.
I blink in the half-light of the Corycian Cave
as its lofty interior and stalactites slide into
focus. It’s impressive — even more so when
you know the cave was sacred to Pan and the
nymphs, and the surrounding slopes were
the site of orgies celebrating Dionysus. This
morning, however, it’s just me, a pocket torch
and my overactive imagination, trying to
decipher ancient mysteries in the gloom.
Hidden on craggy, forested slopes at 4,300ft
above sea level, the cave is an evocative
prelude to ancient Delphi. And the trail that
leads from here to the archaeological site
further heightens the anticipation.
I walk for hours in silent wonder along
zigzagging paths, listening to cicadas strum
and breathing in the scent of unfamiliar
herbs. The view is divine, reaching across
plains embroidered with olive groves to
a shimmer of sea. Suddenly, and without
warning, the ruins appear like a mirage in the
heat haze. Ancient Delphi sits throne-like on
the mountainside, as if cupped in celestial
hands and held up as an offering to the gods.
The Doric columns of the Temple of Apollo
and the Athenian Treasury are so perfectly,
anciently etched, they look like a stage set.
The crowds thicken as I take the Sacred
Way through the ruins to the spectacular,
fourth-century BC temple. Here, the heat
becomes more intense, which seems fitting
for the home of the Greek god of sun and light.
This is where Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi and
Apollo’s mouthpiece, gave her prophecies: lore
has it that she went into a trance-like state as
she predicted the fates of lovers and leaders,
warmongers and wayfarers.
The startlingly well-preserved 5,000-
seat amphitheatre, which once hosted the
quadrennial Pythian Games, holds me in
its thrall. So too does the Serpent Column,
commemorating Greek victory over the
Persian Empire at the 479 BC Battle of Plataea,
and the polygonal wall, which features 800
inscriptions concerning the emancipation
of slaves. One rock in particular grabs my
attention: the beehive-shaped omphalos, or
‘navel’ stone, that, according to legend, Zeus
placed here. Finally, I’ve reached the centre of
the ancient universe.
HOW TO DO IT: Ancient civilisations travel specialist
ArchaeoMuse offers a six-night tour of central Greece,
including guided tours of Delphi, Athens and the
Argolid, from £1,750 per person, including
accommodation, transfers and some meals.
archaeomuse.com

Unmissable ancient sites

METEORA ANCIENT OLYMPIA MYCENAE

Perched atop rocky In the ruins of Olympia’s Homer speaks of ‘well-
pinnacles, Meteora’s six temples and sprint track, built Mycenae, rich in
IMAGES: YADID LEVY; GETTY

Byzantine monasteries were
built by 14th-century monks
seeking refuge from invading
Turks. Moni Agias Triados is
particularly worth visiting.
you can almost hear the
fanfare of the Olympic
Games. They were held here
for over 1,000 years before
being abolished in AD 394.
gold’ in his epic poems
Odyssey and Iliad — and
the UNESCO-listed
archaeological site still
astonishes with riches. KW

66 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 GREECE

THE INSIDE GUIDE TO

Thessaloniki
Greece’s second city sat at the heart of great empires for
two millennia. Today, it offers up historic sites alongside
some of the country’s best nightlife and food

Any introduction to Thessaloniki should start with

ARISTOTELOUS SQUARE , designed by French architect Ernest
Hébrard after a fire flattened the city’s labyrinthine lanes in
1917. Note the sophisticated ELECTRA PALACE HOTEL , with its
rooftop restaurant, and the grand OLYMPION cinema, before
promenading along the three-mile waterfront — a favourite
local pastime. electrahotels.gr
Here, views of MOUNT OLYMPUS compete with manmade
wonders like the 20ft-tall STATUE OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT,
unveiled in 1974, and sculptor George Zongolopoulos’s
steel UMBRELLAS , installed in 1997 to celebrate the city’s
designation as European Capital of Culture.
Another icon of the city lies on this waterside stretch:
the WHITE TOWER (originally called the Lion Tower by the
conquering 15th-century Ottomans, who built it to bolster
their defences), which houses a permanent exhibition
celebrating the city’s multicultural past and present. lpth.gr
Continue the history lesson at the JEWISH MUSEUM OF
THESSALONIKI . It tells the story of the city’s once-thriving
Jewish population (dating back to the city’s founding
in 315 BC), which was all but wiped out during the
Holocaust. jmth.gr
A short walk brings you to the well-preserved ANCIENT
AGORA , the Roman-era heart of public life. Today, young
creatives flock to art shows held at the nearby NITRA
GALLERY and BEY HAMAM , the city’s oldest Ottoman
bathhouse. Meanwhile, down at the port, abandoned
warehouses have been repurposed into equally dynamic
venues: don’t miss MOMUS – THESSALONIKI MUSEUM OF
PHOTOGRAPHY or MOMUS - EXPERIMENTAL CENTER FOR
THE ARTS . nitragallery.com momus.gr
If exploring has worked up your appetite, you’re in
the right place: considered Greece’s culinary capital,
Thessaloniki takes pride in its amalgam of flavours
borrowed from Anatolia and the Middle East. Check out
comforting meze at FULL TOU MEZE and faultless seafood at
MAREA SEA SPIRIT. fullmeze.gr mareaseaspirit.gr
When night falls, students bar-hop in the alleyways of
LADADIKA , the former oil and spice merchants’ district, and
along VALAORITOU. Visit VOGATSIKOU 3 for an extensive gin
list, then head to THE BLUE CUP for cutting-edge cocktails.
Finish off in true Thessalonian style at AIGLI GENI HAMAM,
an Ottoman bathhouse converted into a club-restaurant.
vogatsikou3.gr facebook.com/thebluecup.gr aigligenihamam.gr

HOW TO DO IT: Book a walking tour with Thessaloniki Urban Adventures.

thessalonikiurbanadventures.com HI

FROM TOP: Wickerwork stalls in Athonos Square,

Thessaloniki; the ruins of the Tholos of Delphi, now
part of the Delphi UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The circular temple, made from marble and limestone,
was constructed between 380 and 360 BC

April 2021 67
 Wet and wild thrills meet laid-back relaxation at Fodele Beach

They may be the polar opposite of holidays, but if you want to be able to
choose between a pampering or enjoying an activity-packed itinerary, check
yourself into Crete’s Fodele Beach & Water Park Resort. Just 25km west of
Heraklion Airport, the site is carved into the cliffside overlooking the Sea of
Crete. Those who prefer a horizontal holiday can relax with a full-body mas-
sage or spa treatment, or simply chill with a cocktail in hand on the Balinese
beach beds. More energetic guests can take advantage of the slides, rides
and 950m2 of dazzling pools, or strut their stuff on the basketball and tennis
courts. Add in a collection of restaurants that take inspiration from the world’s
culinary capitals and you’ve got a resort to write home about.
fodelebeach.gr

14 HOURS
Eat your way through Athens
Carolina Doriti, a chef, recipe developer and culinary tour guide from Athens, describes
her perfect gastronomic day in the capital
10AM
COFFEE AND PASTRIES
I start my day with coffee at Dope Roasting
Co, just off Athinas Street. It roasts its own
beans, and sells delights like chocolate
banana babka (a sweet braided cake). It’s
worth browsing Varvakios Agora market
while in the area. shop.doperoasting.co
11AM
MINIMALIST SOUVLAKI
Lefteris o Politis is an old-school souvlaki
joint founded in 1951, tucked away on a street
off Omonia Square. There’s just one thing on
offer, but it’s mighty good: a spicy minced
beef patty with tomatoes, onions and parsley,
wrapped in a warm pita. 20 Satovriandou
1PM
GEORGIAN-STYLE BREAD
If it’s sunny, I stroll to Victoria Square, a
multicultural area that’s home to many
refugees. A tiny, nameless Georgian bakery
IMAGES: YADID LEVY; STUDIO PANOULIS
sells great puri (fried bread) and khachapuri
(cheese-filled bread). 79 Aristotelous
2:30PM
MEZE HOUR
Ouzeri tou Laki is where I go for seafood meze
paired with ouzo, sitting outside and soaking
up the sun as I dine. Work your way through
dishes like steamed ray with green pepper
and pink peppercorns. ouzeritoulaki.info
GREECE
LEFT: A freshly prepared salad
of radishes, samphire, tomatoes,
walnuts and anchovies
The designers
Stella Panagopoulou and
Valisia Gotsi, the designers
behind ethical fashion brand
2WO+1NE=2, reveal their
top haunts in the capital
WHERE DO YOU DRAW
INSPIRATION FROM?
The Museum of Cycladic
6PM Art, the Benaki Museum and
APERITIFS IN KOUKAKI the Basil & Elise Goulandris
Specialising in ice-cold spritzers starting Foundation are all worth a
at just €2.50 (£2.20), Drupes Spritzeria, in visit. The new cultural venue
Koukaki, is a fantastic spot to kick off the Onassis Stegi has also made
evening. With limited seating at the tiny an important contribution to
bar, guests often prefer to stand outside and the city’s arts scene.
socialise. facebook.com/drupes.spritzeria cycladic.gr benaki.org
goulandris.gr onassis.org
8PM
SLOW FOOD AT FITA WHERE CAN YOU FIND
For dinner, I like to frequent Fita, in Neos INDEPENDENT DESIGNERS?
Kosmos. Co-owners and chefs Thodoris At Aumorfia, you’ll find high-
Kassavetis and Fotis Fotinoglou serve tasty quality handmade leather
Greek fare with a twist at reasonable prices. accessories. We also adore
The menu is seasonal and mostly seafood- Liberta’s inventive jewellery
centred, but there are excellent alternatives. and Iride de Portu’s exquisite
I adore their salads, taramasalata, crispy handmade shoes and bags.
chips and grilled beef liver. 1 Ntourm aumorfia.com ioannaliberta.
com iridedeportu.com
11PM
TIME TO BAR-HOP WHAT ABOUT VINTAGE?
We Athenians love to party — and luckily Our go-to for treasure
we’re spoiled for choice. If the weather is Yesterday’s Bread.
permits, I head to the garden at Six d.o.g.s for For hip memorabilia, we
cocktails. Indoors, there’s a mix of concerts, recommend Forget Me Not
DJ sets and exhibitions. Bar-hopping lasts and Greece is for Lovers.
until the early hours and there are dozens of yesterdaysbread.company.
drinking dens in the vicinity. sixdogs.gr site forgetmenotathens.gr
greeceisforlovers.com
HOW TO DO IT: Culinary Backstreets offer Athens food 2plus1equals2.com HI
tours from £97 per person and online Greek cooking
experiences from £25. culinarybackstreets.com HI
April 2021 69
GREECE
A road trip through time
Maniot life has remained largely unchanged for centuries — so claimed author Patrick Leigh
Fermor, who made the Peloponnese peninsula his home. Its wild vistas, mythical sites and
quiet villages make for an epic road trip following in his footsteps. Words: Jamie Lafferty
The ancient Greeks believed the Mani — the
central of the three Peloponnese peninsulas
— was the southernmost point in the world.
They were, of course, wrong — although
it can lay claim to one geographical
superlative: Cape Matapan, the tip of the
Mani, is the southernmost point of mainland
Greece. Being an extreme tip of land, it’s
perhaps understandable that its inhabitants
imbued it with legend. Take, for example,
the yawning, sapphire mouth of the Caves of
Diros; the ancient Greeks believed it to be the
entrance to Hades, the underworld guarded
by Cerberus, the three-headed hellhound.
The Mani has inspired many storytellers
since, among them the great British travel
writer Patrick Leigh Fermor, who picked the
Mani to be his home from home for almost
half a century. In a short, dense account,
Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese,
published in 1958, Fermor insisted Maniot life
had changed little since the days of Byzantine
rule. I wanted to see if his account held water.
As I headed down the peninsula, the roads
narrowed from three lanes to two, then
from two to one. By the time I reached the
partially abandoned hamlet of Kitta, the path
was edging between stone buildings like a
spring through a newly formed fissure.
There isn’t an obvious reason to come to
Kitta rather than any of the other similarly
pretty villages. Fermor found himself here
by accident, having got lost while swimming
down the coast. He ambled into the
settlement, tired and more than a little fed up,
but his florid description of the place could
easily be describing my own experience here:
‘The canyons of lane that twisted through the
70 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
towers were empty and silent as though the
inhabitants had fled an aeon ago.’
The author chose not to make this his
home, instead building a house an hour to
the north, just outside the scenic seaside
Overlanding
town of Kardamyli, where he lived until his
death, aged 96, in 2011. By then, his fame had
rendered one of his book’s assertions untrue.
Of Kardamyli, he wrote: ‘It is too inaccessible
and there is too little to do there, fortunately,
for it ever to be seriously endangered by
tourism.’ Ironically, many foreign visitors now
arrive specifically to pay homage to Fermor.
But even for those with no interest in the
writer, the Mani is a remarkable place to visit.
The peninsula is sculpted by the Taygetus
Mountains, which unfurl like a dragon spine
all the way to its southern extremity. It’s their
presence that keeps the roads from being
too wide or too straight. Again and again, I The mainland lends itself
found myself thinking how fun it was to drive to long, languid road trips
along them and how little it mattered which with stops at sleepy villages.
of the odd, time-capsule towns and villages I Rolling Turtles rents out
stopped at along the serpentine route. campervans, motorhomes
Fringing the roads, rheumatic olive trees and 4WD vehicles, some
thrive despite the lack of soil in which to take with solar-generated power.
root. The dryness of the Mani creates small All the essential amenities
olives whose petiteness belies their superior are on board, while tents,
flavour — Maniots will quickly tell you they foldable bikes, standup
make the best olive oil in all of Greece. Perhaps paddleboards, canoes
this is another of the region’s legends, but and snorkelling gear are
chasing it around plate after plate with fresh available for hire. Best of
bread, I never found myself in a mood to argue. all, the team is on hand to
help you plan out every
IMAGES: GETTY
HOW TO DO IT: Citta dei Nicliani has rooms from €120 detail of your itinerary.
(£105). cittadeinicliani.com • Responsible Travel has rolling-turtles.com HI
eight days exploring Laconia and the Mani Peninsula
from €1,490 (£1,300) per person. responsibletravel.com
 GREECE

April 2021 71
 GREECE

WILD IN THE COUNTRY

Hands-on
farm stays
Whether it’s checking beehives or feeding
sheep, guests are encouraged to get their
hands dirty at these farms with rooms

EUMELIA
Gather olives and grapes from the groves and
vines of Eumelia, an agritourism and wellness
retreat in the Laconia region. These are then
processed into oils, soaps and biodynamic
wines. From €160 (£143), B&B. eumelia.com

OPORA COUNTRY LIVING

This 30-acre estate in Argolis offers cooking
classes using ingredients from the grounds.
From €90 (£80), B&B. oporacountryliving.com

KTIMA BELLOU
Learn about beekeeping in the shadow of
Mount Olympus at this hotel near Pieria in
the Cental Macedonia region. The Beehive
Workshop runs from May to September. From
€133 (£119), B&B. ktimabellou.gr

ROKKA GUESTHOUSE
Join in with family life on this sheep farm in
Epirus’s Pindus Mountains, from helping to
feed the flock to cooking and wool-dyeing.
From €50 (£44), B&B. rokkazagori.gr

THE MARGI
Collect eggs and pick vegetables as part of
the Farm to Fork tour at The Margi, 25 miles
outside Athens. From €170 (£149), B&B.
themargi.gr HI

FROM TOP: Path leading to the top of Mount Olympus;

freshly picked olives. The harvest starts in November
when the fruit begins to turn from green to black
IMAGES: GETTY

PREVIOUS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The

traditional Mani port village of Mezapos, home to
around 30 people; Flomochori, a fortified settlement;
alleyway in Areopoli, the unofficial capital of Mani,
named for the Greek god of war, Ares

April 2021 73
GREECE
G R E AT E S C A P E
A brief guide to
exploring Monemvasia
Tethered to the mainland by a dramatic causeway, the monolithic rock of Monemvasia, with its
ochre-stoned fortress and tumbledown, Venetian-style mansions, has a fascinating maritime
history and offers one of the most picturesque getaways in the southeast Peloponnese
It was the Byzantines who first recognised the
strategic military value of Monemvasia, an
outcrop rising sharply from the water just off
the mainland. Since those first fortifications
were carved into the rock in the sixth
century, conquering Venetians and Ottomans
added to its castle and steep, amphitheatre-
shaped town, resulting in a distinctive mix
of architectural styles. Today, the main
thoroughfare bustles with bistros, tavernas
and artisans’ workshops. But the true magic
of the place — and the best views —are tucked
away in the uninhabited upper town, among
crumbling mansions adorned with historic
crests. As you climb the narrow, cobbled
streets, stop at the Archaeological Museum
and the Church of Elkomenos Christos. Hike
on to the 11th-century, octagonal Church of
Aghia Sophia and the fortress’s summit for a
bewitching sunset.
74 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
ABOVE: Church of
Elkomenos Christos in
Platia Dsami Square
WHERE TO EAT
Popular for its comfort food and friendly
atmosphere, Matoula, the oldest taverna in
Monemvasia, can get crowded during the
peak summer months, but its traditional
dishes and terrace garden are well worth
queueing for. Enjoy soutzoukakia (stewed
meatballs) with chilopites (noodles) or stuffed
cabbage leaves and order a bottle or two of
the local wine, Malvazia.
WHERE TO STAY
Formerly a monks’ residence, Kelia
guesthouse has been restored in keeping
with tradition and sits in a beautiful
IMAGE: AWL IMAGES
courtyard beside the whitewashed Church H OW T O D O I T
of Panagia Chryssafitissa. Interestingly, For more information on
the famous Greek poet Yiannis Ritsos was planing a trip to Greece,
born here. Rooms from €88 (£77), B&B. visit the Greek tourism
keliamonemvasia.com MA website. visitgreece.gr
 WHEN
GOLDEN
PL AINS TURN

BLACK

76 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 The Serengeti’s golden plains may be home to the Big
Five, but the unsung heroes of these grasslands are it s
white -bearded wildebees t s. Each year, over a million
complete a s tag gering 1, 250 -mile circuit across Kenya and
Tanzania, one of the las t intact wildlife migrations on
Ear th. By creating and maintaining the ecosys tem, they
are the seams holding it together, per forming an ancient
dance that s till sweeps across the savannah

WORDS SARAH MARSHALL

IMAGE: AWL IMAGES

April 2021 77
TANZANIA
T
he sound of 8,000 hooves is
electrifying. Funnelling down
a sheer, dusty drop on the
riverbank, the herd roars into
the water, tearing at the soil and
rupturing trees from their very
roots. Locked densely together, this tangle of
curled horns elegantly sinks and swirls like a
group of debutantes performing a Viennese
waltz. But once the first splash is made,
any decorum is lost as a survival instinct
kicks in. A low, thundering rumble drowns
individual cries as the animals focus on one
unanimous goal: to reach the other side.
We’d rushed to this point along the Mara
River, in the northern Serengeti’s Kogatende
area, here in Tanzania. Looking through
his binoculars to judge the size of the herd
amassing, my ambitious and endlessly
energetic Maasai guide, Moinga, had glanced
at his watch and declared: “We can make it.”
Crashing across granite gullies and swerving
through quagmires of sticky black cotton
mud, we’d arrived right on cue.
Every summer, in relentless pursuit of new
grass, wildebeests cross the watery border
to Kenya, before being lured back by rains
between October and November and heading
hundreds of miles south to calve on the
78 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Serengeti’s southern plains. The migration is
often synonymous with river crossings like
this, but for most people who witness the
herbivores’ annual grazing cycle, the primary
spectacle to behold is that of vast golden
plains painted black.
Spiral back in history, and there were
periods when nomadic tribes moved
according to the weather. Ancient
civilisations would plot their routes based
around patterns of stars, their lives revolving
around the universe in the same way our
Earth obediently orbits the Sun. Most of us
have lost that connection, yet many species
still survive in harmony with the seasons,
and there’s no greater peripatetic existence
than that of the white-bearded wildebeest.
Come rain or shine, the 1.3 million-strong
East African wildebeest population performs
an epic journey across Kenya and Tanzania
accompanied by a host of optimistic
Thomson’s gazelles and plains zebras
who also know the grass is always greener
elsewhere. The 1,250-mile circuit they
undertake is one of the last intact mammal
migrations on Earth.
While fences, roads and all the signs of
human habitation have caused many great
migratory movements to collapse, the
wildebeests have been completing their epic
tour of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem for
over 100,000 years. A keystone species, the
wildebeest represents a giant cog in a wheel
that would otherwise fail to turn.
Hordes of vehicles — occasionally
outnumbering the wildebeests — have
turned river crossings into a circus. But
not today. At the height of the coronavirus
pandemic, most mobile camps remain closed
and only a handful of tourists are travelling.
“Usually there might be 100 cars here,”
explains Moinga, as we drive back through
an area where drivers are now required to
wait until the crossings start so the animals’
natural migratory pattern isn’t disrupted.
Although I’ve arrived in early November
at the tail end of the wildebeests’ exodus (it
can shift by several weeks every year), erratic
rainfall has caused some back-and-forth,
meaning thousands of wildebeests have yet
to cross.
Ears still ringing from my first experience,
I’m barely prepared for a second stampede.
Having driven for 10 minutes along the river,
a dark patch is forming on verdant grassland,
as swollen storm clouds gather momentum
overhead. A few thick droplets have already
IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; KEN KOCHEY
released a rich petrichor — a blend of sweet,
warm air and rich, earthy African soil. Like
an aphrodisiac perfume, it’s enough to drive a
wildebeest mad.
Science is yet to explain why these animals
choose a particular path to traverse. But as
the animals stumble down crumbling cliffs,
veiled by cinnamon plumes of dust, a whir of
calculations is probably taking place.
 TANZANIA

Sayari Camp’s hot air balloon rises

above the northern savannahs of
Serengeti National Park
LEFT: During the annual migration,
up to 1.5 million wildebeests
ford the Mara Rive as they cross
from Tanzania’s Serengeti to the
Kenya’s Maasai Mara and back
PREVIOUS PAGE: Wildebeests
crossing the Mara River as they
travel north towards Kenya

April 2021 79
TANZANIA

80 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 TANZANIA

On this occasion, however, Moinga and I

both agree their judgement is poor as they
rush toward the river. A zigzag of granite
boulders breaks the roaring froth of the
Mara — a treacherous obstacle course
that also has the potential to snap several
vulnerable limbs. I flinch as inexperienced
juveniles lodge their spindly legs in crevices
and are ultimately drowned by a tsunami
of sweat, fear and determination as the
herd surges forward in an unstoppable
flow. In this moment, life and death hang
in a delicate balance. Survivors heave a
sigh of relief as they exit the water, leaving
wounded stragglers to bow their long
faces in inevitable acceptance. There’s no
turning back.
Witnessing these types of river crossings
and the moving herds of the Great Migration
have only really become a draw for travellers
in the past 15 years. In 2009, Asilia Africa’s
Sayari Camp became the first permanent
setup in this northern section of the national
park, reopening in September 2020 following
a year-long revamp. Interiors inspired
by the local Kuria clan and a ‘listening
station’ playing traditional songs recorded
by musicians in surrounding villages are
the closest I can get to any community
interaction, due to precautions demanded
by Covid-19.
But the greatest recent addition to the
camp is the first solar-powered microbrewery
in the bush, created in partnership with
Swedish startup Wayout. As well as four craft
beers, it produces soft drinks and purified Tanzania’s controversial president, claims
water, saving around 200,000 plastic bottles the country has successfully prayed it away),
a week. “It’s all computer controlled from before moving on to family life (Moinga
Sweden,” says the barman as he pours a pint credits his forward-thinking mum for
of IPA for me to toast my day’s game-viewing putting him through school), then David
success. Looking more like a Starbucks Attenborough (he stayed at one of the Asilia
Frappuccino, it’s a clear indicator that most camps and everyone wanted a selfie).
Maasai don’t drink. Two hours later: still no action.
Discussions shift to the wildebeests’
The waiting game strategy. One sign of imminent movement
Unfortunately, not every crossing is as is ‘cycling’ — when the animals whorl
easy to anticipate as my first encounter. at such a pace, they almost lift off, like a
Sightings require patience — and a lot of it. tornado. These sudden storms can quickly
“The longest I’ve waited is 12 hours,” warns abate, with troops trundling in single file to
Moinga, when we drive a short distance another location. But how do they choose the
from camp the following morning. As he best place to cross? Is it a simple matter of
prepares a makeshift breakfast table behind memory or has an inherited compass been
the driver’s seat, I find myself counting the implanted in their DNA? “I think it’s down
acacia in the riverine woodland. Sensing my to smell,” ponders Moinga, halfheartedly
boredom, Moinga adds: “But this year, I’d swishing a cow tail to whisk away tsetse
say 80% have happened after less than two flies. “They must have a scent gland in their
IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; GETTY; SAYARI PR

hours.” The absence of the usual convoys of
tourist vehicles has clearly had a positive
impact, disturbing the beasts’ migratory
routes less than normal.
As we settle in for the morning, groups
of indecisive wildebeests dither and dally
on the riverbank close to a popular crossing
point, allowing conversation to meander as
lazily as this subdued section of the Mara
River. First, we tackle Covid (John Magufuli,
hooves, leaving a trail for others to follow.”
Three hours later: nothing.
Digging deeper, we start to philosophise
about their behaviour. Wildebeests are
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Maasai
often accused of being stupid, but Moinga
guide Moinga, from Asilia Africa’s
and I agree the opposite is true. There’s an
Sayari Camp; zebra grazing at Serengeti
admirable egalitarianism to their social National Park; spotting a leopard on
structure: in the absence of any single a game drive, Namiri Plains; lion cubs
leader, everyone agrees to follow whoever from the Naona pride in Moru Kopjes, in
takes charge at a particular moment. the centre of Serengeti National Park

April 2021 81
TANZANIA

sense of liberation in surrendering to

In contras t to the Obedience is immediate; there’s no
hesitation. Of course, not every decision is
cool-hued nor th, the right one. Traversing a rocky section
where emerald of the river, for example, usually results in
bones snapping like matchsticks.
woodlands The wildebeests aren’t the only ones
glis ten agains t taking a gamble. Choosing to focus on
crossings means sacrificing other safari
aubergine skies, sightings: leopards mating under the cover
the landscape of croton bushes; lions perched on granite
thrones; or giraffes performing a strange
here is simple form of topiary by nibbling shrubs into
and sepia-toned. abstract shapes. I suggest we take a break to
search for something else. Big mistake.
Open and vas t , Four hours later: several hundred hoof
it ’s the true prints in the mud and one gaping, empty
space. The wildebeests have crossed.
def inition of
‘ Serengeti’ Empty plains
the rain.
More importantly, the showers are a
signal for the wildebeests to search for fresh
pastures — a reminder to keep pushing
south. Passing through the Loliondo area,
many will head to the Namiri Plains, 67 miles
from Sayari. While their journey is on foot,
I take a short bush flight from Sayari. In this
remote eastern corner of the Serengeti, the
beasts are nowhere to be seen.
In contrast to the cool-hued north,
where emerald woodlands glisten against
aubergine skies, the landscape here is simple
and sepia-toned. Open and vast, it’s the true
definition of ‘Serengeti’ (the Maasai word
for ‘endless plains’), where clouds cruise
deceptively close and horizons vanish in a
flicker of heat haze. Volcanic activity has
left its mark with a scattering of kopjes,
rising like islands in a sea of bleached-yellow
grass and forming refuges for scurrying
hyraxes and resilient rock figs, whose
exposed roots are so determined they can
cleave a boulder in two.
From the early 1990s until 2014, this area
was closed off for cheetah research (there
are estimated to be around 40 of the feline
Ferraris using it as their home range).
Asilia has commandeered the area with
its Namiri Plains Camp (10 stone-walled
structures covered by canvas roofs) and it’s
already proving popular with professional
photographers such as David Yarrow.
After a night at the camp, I head out for
a morning game drive. At 6am, the moon
is still setting, swapping shifts with the
sun and gathering his silvery belongings
from the tips of trees. A parade of elephants
slips through a pillar box of tangerine
light cast through clouds, and a sprawl of
spotted hyenas temporarily blocks our path;
bleary-eyed and dishevelled, the late-night
stragglers are stumbling home.
For some carnivores, however, there’s no
time to rest. When the migration passes
through this area from early December
(only a few weeks after my visit), “the plains
are rigid black”, insists my seasoned guide,
Levard, as we both stare into empty space.
Until they arrive, the predators must endure
a fallow period; it’ll be a few more weeks
before the larder is restocked. Worst hit
are the lions, which, lacking the speed and
agility of cheetahs, are unable to chase
impalas, instead relying on wildebeests for
IMAGES: NAMIRI PR; SARAH MARSHALL

FROM LEFT: A walking safari from Namiri
Plains, in the remote eastern corner of
the Serengeti; a leopard descends from
a tree, Serengeti National Park
That afternoon, a bruised, indignant sky
sums up my mood, although everyone else
is elated by the deluge. A grey heron hops
happily on one foot and Egyptian geese
merrily plod through puddles. Water is
life in Africa; I can feel the energy in
every drop soaking through my socks.
Swallowed up by our ponchos, Moinga and
I laugh at the idiocy of game driving in a
torrential downpour, but there’s a rewarding
food. Slim pickings have split prides, forcing
them — uncharacteristically — to hunt
alone and during the day. But in this harsh
environment, even predators are predated.
“Last week, we saw a male eat a cub,” says
Levard, shuddering at the recollection.
Tracking lions isn’t difficult but watching
them hunt is a waiting game, making a
wildebeest crossing potentially feel like a
McDonald’s drive-through.

82 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
TANZANIA

April 2021 83
 TANZANIA

Poised over the As we watch a lioness stalking a warthog
in the long grass, her sense of desperation
hole, ever y hair is palpable. Gaze narrowed and shoulders
on the lioness’s raised, she powers into action and prepares
to chase. But the game is up, and when a dust
pelt is frozen and cloud eventually settles, the empty-clawed
her shoulders cat is leaning over a burrow — her prey’s
temporary escape route.
hunch taught like What follows next is a war of attrition;
valley ridges. It ’s a test of patience so great it can only be
driven by the demands of life and a fear of
psychological death. “I’ve seen this before. She’ll drag him
tor ture of the out,” insists Levard. But the warthog can
clearly still smell the lioness, so lies low. A
highes t degree short while later, she switches to another
tactic: remaining still. Poised over the hole,
every hair on her pelt is frozen and her
shoulders hunch taught like valley ridges. It’s
psychological torture of the highest degree.
And so, too, we wait. Almost an entire
day. Choreographed by the wind, blades of
grass provide the only animation, but as
IMAGES: SINGITA FARU FARU PR
here in the Serengeti. When we return
the following morning, the lioness is
sleeping; her paws clenched around the
hole like a vagrant clinging hopelessly to
diminishing possessions. After 21 hours,
it’s a sad and poignantly tragic sight.
Without the wildebeests, these cats
simply wouldn’t survive.
A formidable force
It’s a three-hour drive to the southern
plains — possible as part of a day trip from
Namiri, although most visitors stay in mobile
camps. Attracted by safe, open spaces and
phosphorous-rich soils, herds of wildebeests
arrive here in January and synchronise
births, producing several thousand calves
a day over the course of several weeks in
February (a strategy to reduce predation).
The Great Migration begins again as
animals move north west, passing through
the Grumeti Game Reserve — an integral

ABOVE: A roaring fire in the communal
area of Faru Faru Lodge, a former
hunting concession in the Grumeti
Game Reserve
the gusts become ever more maddening,
the movements begin to resemble a
battle rather than a dance. Fatigued by
relentless gales and inertia, we eventually
leave, stopping to look at a 5,000-year-
old fossilised giraffe ossicone (horn)
found by a walking guide — evidence
of how long animals have being living
piece in the ecosystem’s jigsaw puzzle.
Once a hunting concession, the 350,000-
acre block was overrun by poachers in the
1980s and ’90s. Identified as an important
link in the migration route, it received
greater protection in 1994, and in 2002 a
management agreement was signed between
TAWA (Tanzania Wildlife Management

April 2021 85
 ESSENTIALS
L ake
K E N YA
V i c t or i a
Mara River

Kogatende ASILIA SAYARI

CAMP

SINGITA FARU FARU

GRUMETI PRIVATE RESERVE
Grum Loliondo
eti R
iver

ins
S E R E N GE T I

i Pla
N AT I O N A L

mir
PA R K

Na
li a
Lake SERENGETI

A si
Victoria NATIONAL
PARK

TA N Z A N I A
TA N Z A N I A

30 Miles

Getting there & around

Guests at Namiri Plains Camp, in
the eastern Serengeti, watch an
elephant while on a walking safari
Currently, there are no direct flights to
Tanzania from the UK. Ethiopian Airlines
flies to the capital, Dar es Salaam, from
Manchester and London via Addis
Ababa. ethiopianairlines.com
Emirates flies via Dubai, while KLM
operates via Amsterdam to both Dar es
Salaam and Kilimanjaro, a more useful
entry point for the northern Serengeti.
emirates.com klm.com
Average flight time: 15h.

Authority) and the nonprofit Grumeti Fund,
granting a 30-year lease to restore the area’s
wild populations. Conservation-focused
safari group Singita partnered to exclusively
manage tourism, with five high-end lodges
now operating on the site.
“I remember wildebeests once ran through
my classroom,” recalls safari guide Braya,
who grew up in one of the villages bordering
the reserve. “They disappeared for a while
but now they are back.” Similarly, other
animal populations have boomed: since
2003, there’s been a four-fold increase in
elephant numbers; buffalos have ballooned
from 600 to 9,000; and a successful
translocation of nine eastern black rhino
(with a calf born last summer) has grown
Tanzania’s ailing population by 10%.
When I arrive at Grumeti’s private
airstrip — complete with a reception bar
One of Grumeti’s highlights is an
opportunity to see the male wildebeests
rutting: locking horns, sprinting maniacally
and grunting loudly to attract potential
partners. For now, they have other objectives.
Later in the afternoon, we fi nd a long line
marching purposefully, ready to cover at
least 30 miles in one day. Dusky threads
embroidering the landscape, they’re the
seams holding the Serengeti together,
providing food for predators and clearing
long grass areas in savannahs, allowing
smaller gazelles to graze.
“That sloping body gives them more
endurance; they’re a good piece of
machinery,” muses Braya. He’s right:
they’re handsome creatures. Backlit
beards glow softer than angel hair in dewy
morning light, polished pelts cling tightly
to muscular torsos, and curved horns loop
When to go
The Great Migration is a year-round
spectacle. Crossings along the Mara
and Sand Rivers occur from July until
early November. The herds then move
south to the eastern Serengeti and the
southern plains, where females calve in
February. Moving north again, the mass
arrives in the Grumeti area from May.
Where to stay
Sayari Camp, northern Serengeti.
asiliaafrica.com
Namiri Plains Camp, eastern Serengeti.
asiliaafrica.com
Ubuntu Migration Camp (mobile).
asiliaafrica.com
Faru Faru Lodge, Grumeti Private
Reserve. singita.com
More info
Tanzania Tourism.
tanzaniatourism.go.tz/en
Northern Tanzania: The Bradt Safari
IMAGE: NAMIRI PR. ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER

fashioned from a hot air balloon basket
— dozens of pioneering wildebeests are
already on their way south. “We usually see
them coming up in May and June, although
some also use this route to go down,” explains
Braya, as we drive towards Faru Faru Lodge. A
collection of timber, glass and canvas rooms,
the property sits alongside the seasonal
Grumeti River, where smaller crossings can be
witnessed at full flow. Offering 100 different
wines by the glass, it’s a high-end safari
experience — although none of the fancy
trimmings upstage the wildlife in any way.
decadently as if inked by flourishes of a
calligrapher’s pen.
In isolation they can so easily be
discounted, but en masse these gregarious
creatures are a formidable force. Tracking
their migration routes taps into a language
of nature we no longer speak, but is easily
understood by watching those crossings,
calvings and obedient cavalcades. Moving
with Stygian storm clouds and feeding from
volcanic minerals fi red by the Earth’s core,
they’re part of a cycle much bigger than their
never-ending circuit.
Guide. RRP: £16.99.
Mara Serengeti: A Photographer’s
Paradise, by Jonathan and Angela
Scott. RRP: £18.99.
How to do it
ABERCROMBIE & KENT offers the
seven-night East Africa Safari trip from
£4,150 per person, based on two
sharing. Includes flights, transfers and
full-board accommodation and a £50
per person contribution towards a
Covid test. Covered by A&K’s flexible
booking policy. abercrombiekent.co.uk

86 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 PARTNER CONTENT FOR AKAGI SHIZENJUKU

MOUNT AKAGI
FROM TOP TO BOTTOM
An adventure playground of epic proportions, Mount Akagi’s size means there
are many ways to tackle it. Whether you scale its crater or stick to the southern
base, here’s what to expect from one of Japan’s biggest, wildest volcanoes

The Summit
Head to the summit of Akagi and
you’ll experience its trio of vast, glassy
crater lakes: Onuma, Konuma and
Kakumanbuchi. Onuma is the largest and
in summer walkers relax on its shores, or
putter around it in hired boats, refuelling
on bowls of ramen at restaurants dotted
around its southern edge. Travellers after
a challenge can aim for the area’s highest
point, the peak of Mount Kurobi at 5,997ft,
and a trek that begins from the Onoko Car
Park. Follow the Mount Kurobi-Mount
Komagatake Loop Trail, a path that winds
through forests of maples, pines and cherry
trees, before opening to astounding views of
Onuma backed by sprawling greenery.

The Southern Base

One of the best ways to explore the southern
foothills is by e-bike, cruising along gently
sloping paths and pausing at temples hidden
under blossom-heavy boughs. Pit stops
include popular local restaurant, Tonton
Hiroba, ideal for a lunch of Japanese pork
and seasonal vegatables. Afterwards, loop
around the foot of the mountain along a
waterside road and head towards downtown
Maebashi, the leafy, literary capital of the
Gunma Prefecture. Time your trip right and
your e-bike tour can include local festivals,
such as the Akagi Nanmen Senbonzakura
(Akagi Cherry Blossom Festival) in April.

Essentials

Getting There: Flights from London to Tokyo

with Japan Airlines start at £596 return. Then hop
on the Hokuriku shinkansen or Joetsu shinkansen
to Takasaki (50 mins), before taking the JR line to
Maebashi Station. From Maebashi Station, local
buses go to the summit area (60mins). Once there,
IMAGES: AKAGI SHIZENJUKU

e-bike tours or hiking are the best way to explore.

To find out more, visit www.akagi-trip.com/en

88 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 CIT Y LIFE

VENICE
Discover the city’s long-held culinary and artisan
traditions, doggedly preserved by a cast of characters, from
vineyard-owners to glassblowers, even as overtourism
threatens to eclipse ancient ways of life on the lagoon
WORDS: Julia Buckley PHOTOGRAPHS: Francesco Lastrucci

April 2021 89
VENICE
F
rom the top of the bell tower at San
Giorgio Maggiore, Venice looks
different. Hidden are the bridges
straddling cutesy canals. Instead, all I see is
a single, man-made mass, squeezed by the
water all around. Terracotta roofs play Tetris
with the skyline; hangar-sized churches erupt
upward; bell towers thrust towards the sky.
Hidden, also, are the outré waterside
mansions whose pastel-marbled, hand-
sculpted facades were once signifiers of
wealth and status — the Porsches of the past.
Hidden is the elegant squiggle of the Grand
Canal. Hidden, even, is St Mark’s Square, its
Byzantine basilica obscured by the candy-
pink Doge’s Palace. Also gone are the 30
million tourists who flood this city of 50,000
every year. Up here, humankind is negligible.
From on high, Venice is all about the
shimmering, shape-shifting lagoon: flashing
silver in the sun near the Lido; a deep blue
along the Giudecca Canal as a vaporetto
(water bus) chugs silently along; a petrol-
sheened pink near Murano as the sun sinks.
Life for Venetians has always revolved
around the water — ever since the fifth
century, when inhabitants of nearby Altino,
fleeing enemy invaders, took to their boats
and settled on the mudflats offshore. Today,
although that water can feel designed for
tourists — gondolas sliding up and down
canals, the photogenic fish market at Rialto
— the lagoon is still the city’s pulse.
To the east lie islands — some abandoned,
others now home to high-end hotels; one was
even used as a renaissance quarantine facility.
(The idea of isolating the infectious? That was
first implemented here to tackle 15th-century
plagues.) To the north are some of the city’s
most popular day-trip destinations — the isles
The floating city // Settled in the fifth century, Venice is
made up of 118 islands linked by over 400 bridges
90 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
of Murano, Burano and Torcello, all assailed CLOCKWISE FROM
by Venice’s 21st-century plague: overtourism. TOP: A street scene in
And yet, a trip to this part of the lagoon Dorsoduro, one of the six
main districts of central
— where locals seem intent on preserving
Venice; catch of the day,
tradition amid the souvenir shops — can still
fished in the northern
transport you back to the city’s roots. lagoon, near Torcello;
“People have been fishing here for 2,500 fisherman Andrea Rossi
years,” says restaurateur Matteo Bisol, on at work with his nets
Mazzorbo island. Famed for its agriculture, PREVIOUS PAGES: View
the sleepy island is severed from bustling across the Grand Canal
Burano by a thin canal and connected by a to the domes of the
Basilica di Santa Maria
bridge. “The Romans knew the lagoon, even
della Salute
before the Venetians. They fished, made wine
and developed techniques that are still in use.
But this culture risks being lost.”
It’s just steps away from Mazzorbo but,
like Venice’s city centre, Burano’s economy
caters to tourists; its multicoloured cottages
reflected in the glassy canals make it an
Instagram dream. For centuries, the island
was a popular spot for fishing, but today it
makes its money from souvenirs, and its
fading traditions need stewards.
That’s why the Bisol family — who
first made their name inland, producing
Prosecco — built Venissa, a Michelin-starred
restaurant with rooms. There’s a vineyard
here where they grow the Dorona grape:
native to the lagoon and popular with the
doges (the rulers of the Venetian Republic
from the eighth to the 18th century). It was
on the brink of extinction when Matteo’s
father revived a withered local plant.
At Venissa — which has an osteria (a laid-
back wine bar serving simple meals) as well
as a main restaurant — the focus is on lagoon
food. In a high-beamed dining room, I feast
on soft octopus in a sweet-sour saor marinade,
velvety baccàla (creamed salt cod) on polenta,
and juicy, almost jellified anchovies.
 VENICE

April 2021 91
VENICE

A gondola passes through a quiet

canal near St Mark’s Square
ABOVE, FROM LEFT: At Trattoria al
Gatto Nero, on the island of Burano,
Massimiliano Bovo opens a bottle of
Prosecco for diners; a freshly caught
lagoon fish served at Gatto Nero

92 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

“A realist, in Venice, would
become a romantic by mere
faithfulness to what he saw
before him” // Arthur Symons
Many of the vegetables are grown on
allotments bordering Venissa’s vineyard.
Open to the public, this walled, mid-
lagoon mini farm-cum-park is tended by
Burano’s pensioners. One of them, Patrizia
Rossi, shows me Mazzorbo’s famous violet
artichokes. Patrizia and her husband,
Moreno d’Este, and a friend, Giorgio dei
Rossi, grow them on their shared allotment.
It’s a misty, grey morning, but in summer
they’re out with their trowels at 6am. “You
breathe better, feel better,” Patrizia says. This
is the city’s countryside.
It doesn’t feel like Venice, I remark. That,
they swiftly tell me, is because it isn’t. “We’re
not Venetian,” they chorus. Mazzorbo may be
just 33 minutes by ferry from the city, but “if
you row, it’s four hours — that’s like Venice to
Milan today”. Venice was built by merchants
and nobles, but the islands were born from
agriculture, they explain. “We’ve always lived
in symbiosis with nature here,” say Giorgio
and Moreno. Matteo agrees. “This part of
the lagoon is totally different,” he adds. In
contrast to neighbouring tourist honeypots,
where vaporetto queues can be hundreds-
deep, on Mazzorbo, the island’s heritage is
tangible, still woven into the present.
On Burano is another restaurant striving
to maintain tradition: Trattoria al Gatto
Nero, founded 56 years ago by Ruggero and
Lucia Bovo. Today, they still toil away in the
kitchen (“I create, she judges,” grins Ruggero).
Meanwhile, son Massimiliano runs the show,
buying supplies from local fishermen.
As visitor numbers continue to climb,
Massimiliano tells me, Venice risks losing
some of its soul. While the headlines are full
of Airbnbs displacing locals (it’s thought that
70% of Venetians have vacated their homes in
the past 70 years to make space for visitors)
and the council postponing its tax on day-
trippers until 2022, nobody, he says, talks
about the city’s endangered culinary heritage.
So, like their neighbours at Venissa, the
Bovos are taking a stand: the canals outside
may be heaving with travellers, but in this
chandelier-hung, terrazzo-floored room, the
walls are plastered in local art. Everything,
right down to the pasta, is homemade, and the
fish is lagoon-netted. Not only do they feed
their ritzy clientele local food, but they also
introduce them to the people who made it.
“When Tom Cruise was in, they called me
over,” says Andrea Rossi, one of Burano’s
fishermen. “Massimiliano likes celebrities to
meet the people who caught their fish.”
Venice’s top restaurants often call on
Andrea, a fourth-generation fisherman, when
they’re seeking sea bass worthy of an A-lister.
But his main goal in life is keeping the lagoon’s
traditions afloat — whether that’s collating
lists of edible herbs from the barene (mudflats)
or fishing with centuries-old techniques. In
the summer, he dabbles in tour guiding, taking
inquisitive visitors out into the barene to fish
VENICE
and to the islands for birding. Later, on a tiny
boat, where the lagoon starts melting into the
Adriatic, I’ll watch him and boatmate Michele
Vitturi meticulously unfurl their nets and
catch grey mullet, one by one.
But right now, we’re in his hide on sparsely
populated Torcello. We’re here for the
squawking partridges landing in next door’s
artichoke plot; wood pigeons settling in the
fruit trees; ducks flying towards Burano,
and, finally, a dun-coloured hawk swooping
across the barene. So far, so mundane, but it’s
that mundanity that feels so outlandish in
this city of visual and cultural excess.
CULTURAL CAPITAL
Of course, that excess is everywhere — even
out here. To the left of the hide, swirling out
of the mist, is the 11th-century tower of the
Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, its insides
covered in glittering gold mosaics, whose
almond-eyed figures are older than those
that adorn St Mark’s Basilica.
And on the way back to central Venice,
I stop at Murano — not for its famous
glassmakers, but for the church of San
Pietro Martire. Back in town, at the Doge’s
Palace, people queue for hours to see works
by Tintoretto, Venice’s 16th-century painter
extraordinaire; here, one hangs, frame-
less, on the wall. There’s no placard, but its
slightly doughy Jesus bends towards me,
getting baptised. Beside it is the whopping
April 2021 93
VENICE
great Madonna and Child with Saints, by
Bellini, another Venetian superstar. Mary’s
modelesque face and lagoon-blue cloak,
cascading around her, are up there with his
works in Florence’s esteemed Accademia
Gallery, which pulls in the big crowds.
But here, it’s just me and the hand-blown
chandeliers slung from the arches.
Venice has been known for its artisans for
centuries, and while the city’s great painters
have died out, these creators held on. But
today, rising rents combined with modern
tourists’ penchant for cheap souvenirs is
putting their craft in jeopardy.
Leaving Murano, I head to Giudecca, the
croissant-shaped island just south of Venice
proper, heading to the Artisti Artigiani del
Chiostro, a 15th-century cloister converted
into artisan studios. One of them belongs
to Murano-born maestro Stefano Morasso
and his wife, Nicoletta Viola. He blows the
glass into beakers, shot glasses and bowls
the colour of sunsets, rainbows and the
greens and blues of the lagoon. “I was born
with glass in my veins,” Stefano likes to say.
Nicoletta, meanwhile, turns his offcuts and
smaller pieces into sinuous jewellery.
“Glass-working on Murano goes back
a thousand years — it’s our history,” says
Nicoletta. “We have to keep these traditions
going because they mark the story of
mankind.” There are plenty of well-trodden
94 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
museums in Venice, she says, cataloguing its
history and art, and dozens of churches that
double as galleries, too, but it’s Venice’s living
history that’s so special and underexplored.
Back on the tourist trail in San Polo, near
the much-photographed Rialto Bridge, I visit
Paolo Pelosin, a paper marbler. He’s not sure
where this tradition for creating flowing
patterns came from — perhaps from the
medieval Japanese technique of suminagashi
(‘floating ink’), or from the Turkish and
Persian art of ebru. Either way, marbling had
made its way to multicultural Venice by the
15th century.
In his workshop, Il Pavone, Paolo keeps the
tradition going: flicking splodges of colour
in a pan of glue, then using metal combs
to swirl them into fan- or cloud-shaped
patterns, before setting the paper down.
Drying on racks are sheets and sheets of
the stuff: yellow, red, even black, but mostly
jades, cobalts, lapis lazulis and eau de nil
— the colours of the water. “I just experiment
with colours,” he says. “Artisan work is
about spontaneity, and I use colours that
spring to mind.”
Coming out, I’m drawn into the current of
tourists, heading en masse for the Rialto. But
Venice, the real one, is always just beneath
the surface — and from the top of the bridge,
instead of the mass of gliding gondolas, I’m
looking down into the colours of the lagoon.
INSIDER TIPS
How to spot an authentic find
from a factory fake? Artisans
usually sell only one kind of
product, done a myriad ways, will
be able to tell you all about the
making of it, and may even show
you their workshop out the back.
Seating supplements can be
expensive; drink and eat standing
at the bar for locals’ prices.
A vaporetto ride down the
Grand Canal is an essential
Venice activity, but this is
a compact city and in most
circumstances it’s quicker
— and less hassle — to walk.
Speaking of walking, get off
the main drags and cut down
the alleyways for prettier
surroundings, fewer tourists and
tiny bars and boutiques.
 VENICE

FROM LEFT: The historic Rialto Bridge,

crossing the Grand Canal; marbled
paper sheets for sale at Paolo Pelosin’s
workshop, Il Pavone; Paolo marbles
paper, a tradition that arrived in Venice
in the 15th century

Q&A with Valeria

Duflot, CEO and
co-founder of
14 hours in Venezia Autentica

VENICE WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO VISIT

8.30AM
BREAKFAST AT PASTICCERIA RIZZARDINI
Step into one of the city’s oldest bars
and start the day in style with a cappuccino,
plus a fiamma — choux pastry fi lled with
booze-laced custard, one of Venice’s best
treats. Chatty owner Paolo Garlato is a
fi ft h-generation Venetian who keeps the
retro, wood-clad bar authentic, despite
it being on the main tourist drag. If it’s
Carnevale time, try the frittelle — yeasty
doughnuts stuffed with currants and pine
nuts. San Polo 1415
9.30AM
VISIT THE SCUOLA GRANDE DI SAN ROCCO
Be there when the doors open and you
might have Tintoretto’s masterworks to
yourself. In the grandest of Venice’s six
confraternity buildings, two sprawling
floors are swathed in over 60 of his
paintings. Don’t miss the carved figures
propping up the seats along the walls.
scuolagrandesanrocco.org
10.30AM
WALK THE ZATTERE
Venetians love their daily passeggiata along
the Zattere — the ever-sunny stretch of
‘coastline’ that forms the bottom of the
centre’s Dorsoduro district, overlooking the
Giudecca Canal. Stop at Gelateria Nico for
a gianduiotto: a slab of chocolate-hazelnut
gelato dunked in a beaker of whipped cream.
Follow the water down to the Punta della
Dogana art museum, at the mouth of the
Grand Canal, for dreamy views, then head
around the corner to the Basilica di Santa
Maria della Salute (home to a Titian).
12PM
SHOP AT PAOLO OLBI
A short walk away is the workshop of Paolo
Olbi, who’s been bookbinding for over 60
years. Pick from his beautiful diaries and
notebooks, covered in Venetian motifs
(gondolas, lions and Byzantine designs), or go
big with a hand-stamped leather photo album
or a marbled jewel box. olbi.atspace.com
LOCAL BUSINESSES?
It’s not only a quality experience,
you’re building a more
sustainable system.
HOW CAN YOU ESCAPE THE
CROWDS IN VENICE?
Try to visit the Rialto area and
St Mark’s Square in the morning
and evening. Plus, residential
districts like Cannaregio and
Castello are worth checking out.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE
SECRET PLACE?
You’ll discover your own! It could
be a beautiful view, like the one
from the Punta della Dogana,
or a basilica on an island in the
lagoon. There are many worlds in
Venice — you’ll find yours if you
stay long enough.
Venezia Autentica is a social
enterprise supporting local
artisans and businesses.
veneziaautentica.com

April 2021 95
VENICE
1PM
LUNCH AT AE BRICOE
This bar, run by three siblings on the buzzy
Fondamenta della Misericordia waterfront
in the Cannaregio district, is one of the city’s
best. Fill up on cicchetti (bitesize portions
of cheese-loaded crostini or boiled egg with
anchovy) and tramezzini (crustless sandwiches
stuffed with things like radicchio and
porchetta, or spicy ham and mayo), washed
down with local wine. ae-bricoe.business.site
2PM
ADMIRE CHURCH ART
Two of Venice’s loveliest churches are nearby.
The hulking Madonna dell’Orto is where
Tintoretto is buried, and his paintings are
all around, along with work by his son,
Domenico. A short walk along some of the
city’s quietest waterways is Sant’Alvise, with
its astonishing trompe-l’oeil ceiling, featuring
swirled Grecian columns and chubby putti
(winged infants) hovering in a bright blue sky.
3.30PM
VISIT THE FONDAZIONE QUERINI STAMPALIA
AND PALAZZO GRIMANI
See how the other half lived at Palazzo
Grimani, a 16th-century mansion that spent
96 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Locals enjoying a
passeggiata (stroll)
along the Zattere
most of the 20th century in a semi-derelict
state (it’s the spooky murder scene in the
1973 film Don’t Look Now). A museum since
2008, the stuccoed, frescoed, marble-clad
rooms have been left atmospherically empty
apart from the odd piece of art, including
three Tintorettos depicting the Grimani
family. Nearby, is the Fondazione Querini
Stampalia, a low-key art gallery in another
grand palazzo. Bellini’s Presentation at the
Temple is its most famous work, but don’t
miss the 30 scenes of 18th-century Venetian
life by Pietro Longhi. querinistampalia.org
polomusealeveneto.beniculturali.it
7PM
ENJOY A TIPPLE IN PIAZZA SAN MARCO
No trip to Venice is complete without a
drink in what Napoleon called ‘Europe’s
drawing room’. Follow the locals’ lead
and drink standing at Quadri, one of the
most historic cafes on the square. Or
channel Lord Byron and Brangelina by
sitting outside, where prices are much higher
but you’ll be serenaded by an orchestra as
you soak up the views. Alternatively, head
to Gran Caffè Chioggia, opposite the Doge’s
Palace — less iconic, but sans seating
supplements. alajmo.it
ESSENTIALS
Venice Santa Maria Assunta
Torcello
ITALY Venissa
Mazzorbo
Trattoria al Gatto Nero
Burano
L ag u n a Ve n e t a
Murano
V EN IC E
Il Pavone Rialto Bridge
Venezia
San Giorgio Maggiore
Artisti Artigiani del Chiostro
Giudecca 1 Mile
Getting there & around
Venice is easy to reach by train from
the UK, with changes at Paris and
Turin (spending one night in either).
eurostar.com raileurope.com
Direct regional flights with EasyJet
depart from Manchester, Glasgow
and Bristol, and with Ryanair from
Edinburgh, Stansted and East
Midlands, while British Airways flies
from Gatwick and Heathrow.
easyjet.com ryanair.com ba.com
Average flight time: 2h15m.
From the airport, the Alilaguna boat
(€15/£13.50) is the most atmospheric
way to arrive into town. Vaporetto
tickets cost €7.50 (£6.80) for 75
minutes; a pass (two days €30/£27,
three days €40/£36) is better value,
although the centre is walkable.
alilaguna.it actv.avmspa.it
When to go
Tourist season runs from March to
October, and summers can be humid
and crowded. Visit off-season in the
spring or autumn. Temperatures can
hit the mid-30Cs in summer and just
above freezing in winter.
Where to stay
Hotel San Cassiano. From £229,
B&B. sancassiano.it
Casa Burano. From £162, B&B.
casaburano.it
Places mentioned
Venissa. venissa.it
Trattoria al Gatto Nero.
gattonero.com
Venice Bird Watching.
venicebirdwatching.com
Murano Glass Fine Art by Stefano
Morasso. stefanomorasso.it
More info
Venice Tourism. veneziaunica.it
ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER
How to do it
CITALIA offers three nights at Hotel
San Cassiano, B&B, including flights
and transfers in Venice from £675
per person. citalia.com
©2020 Marriott International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All names, marks and logos are the trademarks of Marriott International, Inc., or its affiliates.

Discover the rich heritage of The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice.
A palatial retreat where history and culture are met with renewed Venetian elegance.
This year the heritage , nature and peaceful spirituality of the city’s lagoon waterscape awaits
to be explored Riva-style aboard “Il Doge”, the hotel’s private Aquariva yacht.

EXPLORE THE DESTINATION AT THEGRITTIPALACE.COM

PARTNER CONTENT FOR SHIKOKU TOURISM

T H E

SHIKOKU
WAY
Japan’s oft-overlooked island is a wonderland of culture
and history, home to temples dating back a millennia,
wild landscapes and traditional festivals
 PARTNER CONTENT FOR SHIKOKU TOURISM

Where is it?
Of the four main islands of Japan, Shikoku FESTIVALS
in the southwest is the smallest: snuggled in OF SHIKOKU
a bay between its two big brothers, Honshu
and Kyushu. While it can feel quieter and Awa Odori,
more remote than much of the mainland, the Tokushima
cities of Osaka and Hiroshima are just two Prefecture
hours away. One of Japan’s biggest
dance festivals, this
What’s it known for? is part of a Buddhist
Shikoku encapsulates Japan in miniature: tradition intended
it’s home to a windswept Pacific coastline to honour departed
and cloud-shrouded summits as well as local ancestors where
delicacies such as udon noodles and fragrant thousands of kimono-
sake. That said, Shikoku is best known as a clad people take part in
holy island — in the ninth century, Buddhist choreographed dance
monk Kobo Daishi (or Kukai) undertook routines through the
a pilgrimage around the island’s shores, streets of Tokushima.
walking 870 miles and visiting 88 temples. 12-15 August.
One millennium on, pilgrims still follow shikoku-tourism.com
in his footsteps. But really, anyone can find
their own kind of salvation on Shikoku — be Niihama Taiko
it in spirited modern towns like Matsuyama Matsuri, Ehime
and Takamatsu or in wild landscapes such Prefecture
as the Iya Valley, a swathe of forested gorges Held to celebrate the
where samurai fled to escape their enemies. autumn harvest, this
800-year-old festival
Who should go? centres on vast and
Shikoku suits all sorts of visitors. lavishly decorated
Adventurous souls are well catered for: floats containing
surfers make for the beaches of the southern similarly mighty taiko
coast, trekkers ascend the holy peak of drums. The festival
Ishizuchi-san (6,503ft) and kayakers doubles up as a show
tackle the churning rapids of the Oboke of strength, with men
and Koboke gorges. Comparatively few competing to see who
travellers head to Shikoku, which makes it can lift their drum aloft
a fine place for anyone wanting to immerse most gracefully. October.
themselves into rural Japanese life — from visitehimejapan.com
the chime of temple bells to the steaming
waters of a seaside onsen. Yosakoi Festival,
Kochi Prefecture
What are the main draws? Another dance festival,
You’ll need a few months to visit all 88 Yosakoi sees 20,000
temples — otherwise, aim for the first five people strut their stuff
on a day trip from Tokushima. Look out in different venues and
for white-robed pilgrims stocking up on neighbourhoods in the
supplies at the first temple — Ryozen-ji city of Kochi. Teams
— from where it’s about a six-mile walk to from around the world
temple number five, Jizo-ji. The volcanic compete and anyone
cape of Muroto Misaki is where Kukai is welcome to join an
sought enlightenment in a coastal cave open team. August.
— these days it’s equally famous for those visitkochijapan.com
seeking marine mammals, with whale-
watching excursions running offshore.
Alternatively, make for Shikoku’s biggest
city, Matsuyama, home to a 19th-century Essentials
bathhouse and a wonderfully ornate castle.
Getting there: Japan Airlines,
When should people visit? British Airways and ANA offer
Spring and autumn are the best times to direct flights from the UK to
visit Japan, the former for hanami (enjoying Tokyo. A Japan Rail Pass serves
the cherry blossom), and the latter for Shikoku’s Tokushima Station.
Matsuyama Castle
IMAGES: GETTY

momijigari (admiring the leaves). Winter
heralds skiing on Ishizuchi-san, while
sweltering summers see cooler breezes
gusting along the coast.
japanrailpass.net
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Ritsurin
Garden, Takamatsu; udon noodles;
rafting on the Yoshino River

To find out more, visit shikoku-tourism.com/en

 CIT Y LIFE

HONOLULU
Z
ZZ

Hawaii’s capital city is as much Pacific idyll as it is

cosmopolitan cool, offering indie shops, fusion food and
sunset hulas under banyan trees. Dive in for a microcosm of
the islands’ warm aloha spirit. WORDS: Pól Ó Conghaile

IMAGE: HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY (HTA) / BEN ONO

100 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
“W
hen a Hawaiian says ‘aloha’, you must
respond with energy,” says the guitarist
leading a hula group on Kuhio Beach.
It’s a word imbued with love, compassion and respect
— a catch-all for laid-back island life. It also captures
the spirit of Honolulu: a city of shave ice and tropical print
shirts, of shady lanais (verandahs), fragrant leis (garlands)
and buff beach boys surfing as sunshine smacks off cool,
blue water. The skies are bright year-round and the ocean
infuses everything, from fresh poke bowls to stories of
early voyagers arriving by canoe.
Aloha doesn’t preclude a sense of momentum, however
— as evidenced by Honolulu’s lively fusion food scene
and the murals of its de facto arts district, Kaka‘ako.
The area once defined by warehouses and vacant lots is
now home to SALT at Our Kaka‘ako, a trendy mixed-use
market and retail space, and is the heart of the annual
POW! WOW! Hawaii festival. “POW! means the punch
of art,” explains Jeff Gress, a local artist and the festival’s
operations director. “WOW! is the reaction.”
Honolulu is huge by Hawaiian standards, but a mere
speck compared to other US cities. Its coastal setting
on the island of Oahu, dramatised by a cinematic
ring of mountains, feels at once like a remote outpost
and a bustling Pacific crossroads. It’s a city of traffic
snarls and growing pains, but also a place where
surfboards lean against office walls and everyone
wears slippahs (flip-flops).
Concrete and glass blocks sprout from a downtown
dotted with banyan trees, but walking around here,
you’ll also encounter Iolani Palace (the only royal
palace on US soil) and Chinatown — a mash-up of
grit and gentrification, where you can visit the city’s
best galleries, eat its most fashionable food and hear
the visceral clunk of cleavers chopping pork belly in
old-school markets. If Hawaii is the convergence of
Polynesian, Asian and American cultures, Honolulu
is its most thrilling expression.

April 2021 101

HONOLULU
SEE & DO
SURF’S UP IN WAIKIKI: It would be rude
not to surf in Waikiki. Make your way to
the beach in the morning before the wind
and crowds pick up, then take a lesson
with one of the local beach boys or rent
a $20 (£15) long board for a better chance
at balancing. Beginners should head for
‘Canoes’, the easiest break within swimming
distance. If you manage to stand up, you’ll
catch a sparkling view of the condo-
crammed skyline.
CHILL IN CHINATOWN: This is where Second
World War sailors were inked with the motto
‘stewed, screwed and tattooed’; plantation-era
immigrants made new starts; and Sailor Jerry
set up shop. Today’s Chinatown is a sausage
grinder of a city quarter, squeezing out a
fascinating mix of history and the here-and-
now. Stroll through Oahu Market, browse
garlands chilling in fridges at Cindy’s Lei &
Flower Shoppe, wander the galleries, drink at
one of the many dive bars and get your ‘grinds’
(eats) at a cutting-edge restaurant like Senia,
a collaboration between chefs Chris Kajioka
and Anthony Rush. restaurantsenia.com
102 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
BISHOP MUSEUM: Hawaii’s state museum is
the place to get your cultural and historical
bearings. A planetarium shows the stars
that guided epic Pacific canoe voyages,
while a large hall explores creation stories,
the wao (realms) of Hawaiian life and
historical chapters such as the grisly fate
of Captain Cook. Small treasures like tiny
pearl shell hooks make big impressions, too.
bishopmuseum.org
HIKE DIAMOND HEAD: Oahu is threaded
with great hiking trails. If you try only
one, make it this short, spectacular path,
zigzagging its way from the heart of an
extinct volcano crater just south of Waikiki.
Follow the 0.8-mile hike from the trailhead
to the summit, passing old military tunnels
and bunkers, to reach views that stretch as far
as the islands of Lanai and Maui. Afterwards,
treat yourself to an acai bowl at Da Cove
in nearby Monsarrat. dlnr.hawaii.gov
STREET SMARTS AT KAKA’AKO: This old
warehouse district is a rapidly changing
neighbourhood buzzing with street art,
independent shops and an art deco
atmosphere. Mosey around the 100 or so
murals radiating out from Lana Lane (artists
include Shepard Fairey and Kevin Lyons)
before hitting the stores and restaurants
of SALT at Our Kaka‘ako. The city’s POW!
WOW! Hawaii festival, a week-long series
of art events, takes place every February.
powwowworldwide.com
HULA AT KUHIO BEACH: It could be cheesy,
but it isn’t. Held under an old banyan tree
at sunset, this hour-long cultural session
uses Hawaiian music and dance to educate
visitors and keep island traditions alive. It’s
a genuine and gentle fix of Aloha, with the
twirling hula dancers and their surprisingly
subtle feet and hand movements the
star turns. kbhulashow.wixsite.com/official
SKIP THE CITY: Oahu is a relatively small
island, but it boasts some big day trip
options. Don’t come this far without
planning a day at Pearl Harbor (book
ahead, especially to see the USS Arizona
Memorial) or a snorkelling and sailing
trip on the Leeward Coast to spot wild
spinner dolphins and green sea turtles
with Wild Side Specialty Tours. nps.gov/valr
pearlharborhistoricsites.org sailhawaii.com
 HONOLULU

BUY
SALT AT OUR KAKA‘AKO: This rebooted
city block is devoted to innovative local
culture, food and shopping. Swing by Urban
Island Society for surfboards, swimwear and
travel cosmetics, and Treehouse for analogue
photography merchandise and art books.
saltatkakaako.com
NEWT AT THE ROYAL: Located at The Royal
Hawaiian Resort, this store has supplied
hand-woven Montecristi hats and retro-print
shirts to customers from Thomas Wolfe to
Eddie Vedder. newtattheroyal.com
TIN CAN MAILMAN: For vintage Hawaiiana,
look no further. This is the place for Elvis
posters, koa wood carvings, painted ukuleles
and dashboard hula dolls. Be warned: no
photos allowed. tincanmailman.net
ALA MOANA CENTER: An outdoor mall
mixing international brands with Hawaiian
goodies. Look out for Malie Organics’ beauty
products, sweet treats from the Honolulu
Cookie Company and flip-flops from
Island Slipper. alamoanacenter.com

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Waikiki Beach, with Diamond

Head in the background; artist Gavin Murai paints a
mural for POW! WOW! Hawaii 2018; Chris Kajioka and
Anthony Rush, chefs and co-owners of Senia, shop for
produce; a take on poke at Senia
PREVIOUS PAGE: Walking in Ala Moana Regional Park
IMAGES: HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY (HTA) / VINCENT LIM; MEAGAN SUZUKI

A string of luck // The

ukulele, now commonly
associated with Hawaii, was
introduced to the islands by
Portuguese immigrants in the
late 19th century. Pearl Jam’s
Eddie Vedder, who recorded
the solo album Ukulele Songs,
first chanced on one of the
instruments on a beer run to a
Hawaiian convenience store.

April 2021 103

HONOLULU
EAT
HIGHWAY INN: Fuel up at this chatty
comfort food joint at SALT at Our Kaka‘ako.
Smoked Kalua pig, lau lau parcels (pork or
fish wrapped in taro leaves), lomi salmon
(tomato and salmon salad) and fermented
poi (mashed taro and water, and very much
an acquired taste) are served with a dollop
of nostalgia. myhighwayinn.com
THE PIG & THE LADY: Old and new
Chinatown crash together in this Vietnamese
fusion joint on North King Street. Try a spiced
beef or vegetable pho bowl, washed down
with a chanh muoi (salty lemonade). Book in
advance for dinner. thepigandthelady.com
SUSHI SHO: Omakase-style meals
are the order of the day at this 16-seater
at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki
Beach, where chef Keiji Nakazawa and
his team serve up $300 (£220) tasting
meals. The evolving menu is elaborate:
courses range from Kona abalone to
bonito with Hawaiian mustard and
Maui onions. ritzcarlton.com
104 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Z SLEEP
ZZ
THE SURFJACK: A cool counterpoint
to Waikiki’s towering condos, The Surfjack
mixes retro swim club with hip touches like
poolside DJs, Pilates classes, graphic prints
and free entry to the Honolulu Museum of
Art. Grab one of its free bikes for the three-
IMAGES: LAURA LA MONACA; OLIVIER KONING; MEAGAN SUZUKI
block skip to the beach. surfjack.com
THE ROYAL HAWAIIAN RESORT: A Honolulu
icon: Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio
visited on their honeymoon, and the sixth
season premiere of Mad Men was filmed here.
Behind the Spanish-Moorish architecture of
Waikiki’s ‘Pink Palace’, you’ll find a mix of
old-school glamour, great mai tais, high-end
shopping and direct access to Hawaii’s best-
known beach. royal-hawaiian.com FROM LEFT: Breakfast
of papaya, toast and
THE KAHALA HOTEL & RESORT:
coffee at The Surfjack;
Previous guests have included US presidents,
a barista at The Surfjack;
Sinatra, Clooney and Princess Diana.
public surfboard racks,
Think barefoot luxury rather than bling, Waikiki. Locals wait years
with mid-century modern architecture, for the opportunity to
sea-glass chandeliers and soothing store their boards by
bedroom tones. kahalaresort.com the famous waves
HONOLULU

April 2021 105

HONOLULU
LIKE A LOCAL
FIRST FRIDAYS: On the first Friday
of every month, Chinatown’s arts and food
communities gather around a common
theme, with bars, galleries, street artists,
lei stands, rooftop spaces and more
throwing events. Hotel Street also hosts
a block party from 8pm to midnight.
chinatownnow.com
FLIP-FLOPS: Slippahs (flip-flops) are your
new best friend in Hawaii, where everyone
has casual day-to-day pairs, as well as fancy
versions for going out. They also make a
handy accessory for swatting flies.
ART WORLD ESCAPE: This app and website
aims to connect local artists of all genres
with people looking to create, share,
collaborate or simply learn about Honolulu’s
creative scene. Sessions range from studio
visits to back street tours, turntable skills
and breakdancing, and start from $30 (£22).
artworldescape.com
106 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
A flight of craft beers at
Waikiki Brewing Company
AFTER HOURS
CHINATOWN: Hit up Hotel Street at
least once. Smith’s Union Bar is the island’s
oldest operating bar; The Dragon Upstairs is
an ex-tattoo parlour doing cocktails, folk and
jazz; and Bar 35 has a beer garden and pupus
(snacks) including deep-fried bread pudding.
thedragonupstairs.com bar35hawaii.com
WAIKIKI: Kalakaua Avenue is Honolulu’s
main drag, filled with throngs of tourists,
shopping malls and ritzy resorts. Order
a drink at The Royal Hawaiian Resort’s
oceanfront Mai Tai Bar; sample local beers
at the Waikiki Brewing Company; and head
to Michael Mina’s Stripsteak for choice cuts
and craft cocktails. royal-hawaiian.com
waikikibrewing.com michaelmina.net
KAKA’AKO: Visit Honolulu Beerworks for
draught options including Pia Mahi ‘Ai,
brewed with orange, lemon, lime and honey.
For cocktails, try industrial-chic Bevy.
honolulubeerworks.com bevyhawaii.com
ESSENTIALS
Bishop Museum Kauai
Oahu
Honolulu Maui
Chinatown
Hotel Street HAWAII
Iolani Palace P A C I F I C Hawaii
O C E A N
KA KA'A KO
H O N O L U L U
KA
LA
WA IKIKI
KA
UA
AV
E
KUHIO BEACH
NUE
M a m a la B a y
DIAMOND HEAD
1 Mile
P A C I F I C O C E A N
Getting there & around
Several airlines, including United
and Delta, fly to Honolulu via various
mainland US hubs. united.com
delta.com
Average flight time: 17h30m.
Express shuttles run from the
airport to resorts in Honolulu and
Waikiki, from around $17 (£12.50)
each way. robertshawaii.com
speedishuttle.com
Hop on the Waikiki Trolley to
downtown Honolulu or Diamond
Head crater. One-, four- and
seven-day passes are available from
$45 (£33). Honolulu has a local bus
service, known simply as ‘The Bus’.
waikikitrolley.com thebus.org
Cabs are plentiful, and you won’t
have to wait more than a few
minutes for an Uber or Lyft.
Rent a car if you want to explore
Oahu. Downtown and Waikiki are
walkable, and there’s also the Biki
bike rental scheme. gobiki.org
When to go
Avoid peak holiday seasons
IMAGE: HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY (HTA) / BEN ONO. ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER
(Christmas, July to August and early
spring), if possible. Instead, travel
between April and June or
September and December. The
weather is warm year-round, with
temperatures typically in the high
20Cs. Showers are more likely
between December and April,
when big-wave surfing also kicks in.
More info
Hawaii Tourism. gohawaii.com/uk
Honolulu magazine.
honolulumagazine.com
How to do it
TRAILFINDERS has flights from
London to Honolulu via Los Angeles
with Delta, plus four nights at The
Surfjack and three nights at
The Royal Hawaiian Resort, from
£2,112 per person. trailfinders.com

WALK LIKE A TASMANIAN
At the world’s edge is the small island of Tasmania where wilderness rules — think Tassie devils,
gnarled Huon pines whispering 2,000-year-old tales and the planet’s cleanest air buffeting in on
Roaring Forties winds. Here are three walking trails to get you started in this natural playground
Dove Lake Lap
In the heart of the Tasmanian
Wilderness World Heritage Area sits
Cradle Mountain in all its craggy,
majestic glory. For a four-mile loop
beneath Cradle, take the Dove Lake
Circuit. This relatively flat track
dips into the Forest Ballroom with
its rainforest scents and skirts out
to lofty outcrops. You’ll understand
why Gustav Weindorfer stood on the
mountain in 1910 and proclaimed,
“This must be a national park for the
people for all time.” Cradle Mountain-
Lake St Clair National Park can morph
into a snowy wonderland at times, so be
sure to layer up.
Walk it wearing: The Original #500s.
These lightweight leather boots are
ideal for comfort that lasts all day.
The Gorge, Launceston
The Gorge is Launceston’s natural
sanctuary. Step inside and you’re
enveloped in a pocket of wilderness
where locals have swum, walked and
picnicked for generations. A network
of trails weave through the reserve,
passing rock climbing walls and
IMAGE: MITCH OSBORNE
PARTNER CONTENT FOR BLUNDSTONE
well-manicured lawns. Those with a
penchant for the past can take a four-
mile return walk to Duck Reach, one
of the world’s first hydroelectric power
stations or hop on the old-school 1970s
chairlift. It’s said to be the world’s
longest single-span chairlift.
Walk it wearing: The Classic Blunnies
with comfort footbed — they’re perfect
for urban terrain.
Three Falls Circuit
Mount Field National Park is one of
Tassie’s oldest parks. Located about 40
miles north west of Hobart, it’s a great
day trip option. The glaciated landscape
is home to platypus, pounding
waterfalls, ancient pandani plants and
giant swamp gums, named because
they’re the world’s tallest flowering
plant. The Three Falls Circuit takes in
these mighty giants as well as Russell,
Horseshoe and Lady Barron Falls
across a four-mile undulating circuit.
Walk it wearing: The waterproof
Thermal series — the perfect boot
for a shot beneath Russell Falls,
which featured on Australia’s first
postage stamp.
To find out more, visit blundstone.co.uk
PARTNER CONTENT FOR GANGWON PROVINCE

THE RUGGED SPLENDOUR OF

GANGWON SOUTH KOREA’S NATURAL GEM IS

WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED
 PARTNER CONTENT FOR GANGWON PROVINCE

With craggy mountains, ancient temples, an unspoiled

coastline and a chance to gaze across the most fortified border
on the planet, Gangwon Province promises to tantalise the
senses while simultaneously soothing the soul

Dominated by the rocky rise of the Taebaek Hit the slopes

Mountains, Gangwon is South Korea’s
largest and most remote province. This
sparsely populated region is subject to
harsh winters and has traditionally been
a tough place to scratch out a living. The
people, however, are known for their
resilience and generosity, and the region
they call home features some of the
peninsula’s most pristine natural wonders.
Top reasons to visit
Once considered South Korea’s least-
accessible corner, Gangwon has recently
seen tourism blossom. This is largely due to
the construction of speedy transportation
links for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter
Olympic Games. The once-lengthy trip
from Seoul can now be done in under two
hours, making it easy for visitors to soak up
the region’s myriad charms. Whether it’s
IMAGES: ALAMY; GETTY
From the capital Seoul, head to the town
of Pyeongchang, where you can check out
the Olympic Village and then ski the local
slopes like a downhill champion. Snow
or no snow, the surrounding Odaesan
National Park begs exploration, so strap on
your boots, climb its namesake mountain
(5,128ft) and then bask in the tranquil
environs of Woljeongsa Temple, the
headquarters of the Jogye Order of Korean
Buddhism. After that, it’s time to head off
the coast, where the town of Gangneung
awaits. Graze at the food stalls of its
traditional market before walking it off
with a stroll around Hwajinpo Lake. There
you can take in the former villas of the first
leaders of both North and South Korea: Kim
Il-sung’s castle at Hwajinpo and Syngman
Rhee’s vacation cottage, which is now a little
museum called Hwajinpo Memorial Hall.

outdoor thrills, hot springs, buzzing street
markets, beachside cafes or the serenity of
its many Buddhist temples, Gangwon offers
up a smorgasbord of experiences, including
a glimpse into the DMZ, one of the last
vestiges of the Cold War.
Later, wind down on the expansive sands of
Gyeongpo Beach — one of Korea’s surfing
hotspots — where you can paddle out on a
board to catch a wave, take a cleansing dip
or just watch the tide roll in from your table
at one of the funky little cafes.

For more information go to eng.gwd.go.kr/gw/eng

PARTNER CONTENT FOR GANGWON PROVINCE
FROM LEFT: Korean spicy soba with
buckwheat noodles; Bronze Jwabul
Buddha statue, Seoraksan National
Park; autumn foli age on Nami Island
PREVIOUS PAGES FROM LEFT: Sunset
over Ulsanbawi in Seoraksan National
Park; traditional temple in Sokcho
DID YOU
KNOW?
Every year, Gangwon
holds the Pyeongchang
Peace Forum, promoting
reconciliation between
North and South Korea.
This poignant event is
held at the Pyeongchang
Olympic Stadium, where,
in the Winter Olympic 2018
opening ceremony, the two
countries marched under
one flag — a historic gesture
of unity. In fact, the 2024
Winter Youth Olympics will
also be held here to further
bolster peace efforts.
main.ppf.or.kr/en/
Head out into nature
Accessible from the seaside town of Sokcho,
Seoraksan is South Korea’s third-highest
mountain and arguably its most scenic. A
spider’s web of hiking paths crisscrosses
the national park it calls home, featuring
the Silla-era temples Sinheungsa and
Baekdamsa, Geumganggul Cave, Biryong
and Yukdam waterfalls, Daecheongbong
Peak (5,603ft), as well as the iconic
Ulsanbawi, a gargantuan rise of granite
slabs also known as ‘dinosaur ridge’.
There are treks for hikers of all levels,
ranging from a short jaunt of a couple of
hours right up to a couple of days. Those
who prefer leaving the trekking poles at
home can instead ride a cable-car up to
Gwongeumseong, a medieval fortress that
affords a spectacular view of the stony
surroundings. And if your time on the
mountain has got you feeling sore and
creaky, make sure to relax with a soak at
Osaek Carbonated Hot Springs, one of two
inside the park.
A cuisine to savour
Given the harsh climate and mountainous
terrain, Gangwon isn’t particularly well
suited for rice cultivation. Buckwheat,
instead, is king. This hearty grain is used
as a staple throughout the region and finds
its way into countless dishes, including
both hot and cold buckwheat noodles
(memil guksu/naengmyeon), buckwheat
dumplings (memil mandu) and buckwheat
pancakes (memil jeon). Gangwon also
stretches down much of the east coast
of South Korea, however, and here it’s
seafood that reigns supreme. Sashimi joints
line the harbours of every town, along
with restaurants specialising in grilled
shellfish, crab and braised assorted seafood
(haemul jjim) containing the freshest local
ingredients. Older, traditional dishes also
enjoy widespread popularity, including
potato dumpling soup (gamja ongshimi) and
Chodang sundubu, a local tofu made with
seawater that’s renowned for its creamy
texture and rich, savoury flavour.
 PARTNER CONTENT FOR GANGWON PROVINCE

Where north meets south From hotels to homestays Essentials

From 1950 to 1953, North and South Korea
fought a devastating war that ended in a
stalemate. No peace treaty was ever signed,
and the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, stands
as a stark reminder to that bloody conflict.
This patch of no-man’s land bisects the
whole of the Korean peninsula, acting as a
buffer between the two nations. Its eastern
terminus abuts the sea north of Sokcho and
can be viewed from the Goseong Unification
Observatory, a viewing platform overlooking
a lonely expanse of beach stretching all
the way to the fortified border. On a clear
day, you can make out the fence line in the
distance, as well as mountains in North
Korea such at Mount Kumgang. Equally
illuminating is the accompanying DMZ
Museum, which provides a vivid history of
this sad expanse of floodlights, watchtowers
IMAGES: GETTY
Gangwon has space in abundance, meaning
escaping the crowds has never been
easier. For those wishing to get close to
the province’s splendid nature, there are a
multitude of camping options available, as
well as some more upscale glamping sites,
a trend that’s really caught on in recent
years. Visitors can also choose from a wide
array of accommodation options, there’s
everything from boutique and luxury hotels
and resorts in Pyeongchang, Gangneum
and Sokcho to countryside pensions in
more rural areas. These traditional Korean
guesthouses have character in abundance,
and are great places to stay in order to
really get under the skin of Gangwon,
as well as to meet other travellers. Plus,
you can be certain that every pension
will come complete with a barbecue grill,
Getting there and around: From
Seoul’s Incheon Airport, take a
high-speed train to Pyeongchang.
To travel around the region, it’s
best to hire a car.
When to go: Autumn is peak
season in Gangwon, with
spectacular fall foliage. For a
quieter experience, consider
visiting in spring, when the
weather is good but the crowds
are smaller. Winter brings snow,
making for great skiing.
For the latest travel restrictions
and requirements, visit gov.uk

and razor wire. No trip to Gangwon is a South Korean must-have. Elsewhere,

complete without a visit to this outpost of the colourful, brightly-lit motels found
living history, reminding us that peace in throughout the province are also a good
Korea can’t be taken for granted. option, and are surprisingly affordable.

For more information go to eng.gwd.go.kr/gw/eng

 T R AV E L G E E K S
ASK THE EXPERTS
NEED ADVICE FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP? ARE YOU AFTER RECOMMENDATIONS,
TIPS AND GUIDANCE? THE TRAVEL GEEKS HAVE THE ANSWERS…
Q // Where should I go
for a quiet coastal
self-catering break in
the UK this summer?
FROM LEFT:
Blackpool Sands, near
Dartmouth, Devon;
Gliffaes Country House
Hotel, Brecon Beacons
112 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
With many 2020 trips postponed,
and domestic breaks set to be
the hot ticket while international
travel remains uncertain, you’d
be advised to book as soon as
possible for seaside staycations
this summer. If you want to bag a
beautiful beachy spot away from
the crowds, the key is to avoid the
usual destinations.
“Devon and Cornwall and the
Isle of Wight are often people’s
first thought for a coastal break,
but the British Isles has many
lovely spots in other coastal
regions,” says Matt Brayley
of holidaycottages.co.uk. The
company has almost 3,000
coastal properties on its books
across the UK. For May half
term, around a quarter are still
available; while just under a third
are available over the summer
holidays. “We’d recommend
areas such as North and West
Wales, Kent, Sussex and Scotland
for a coastal holiday a little off
the beaten track,” says Matt.
“Properties sleeping six or more
are booking quickly, although
we’re seeing strong demand
across most properties from the
end of May onwards.”
Matt suggests Ayrshire for a
stay at Coalhill Farm Byre (sleeps
four), with views towards the
Isle of Arran, within easy reach
of sandy beaches. A week’s
stay arriving 6 August costs
£381 per person (£1,523 total).
holidaycottages.co.uk
“Many people who were due
to travel in 2020 have deferred
to this year,” says Beth Bailey,
of Premier Cottages. “And our
bookings are up 53% on the first
three weeks of last year. The result
is very limited availability for peak
summer.” The operator reports
that properties sleeping four-
eight people are 75% sold out, and
larger properties (10+) are close
to booked out for peak season,
too. “Though not on the coast, the
Peak District is still showing some
good summer availability, as are
Cumbria and Wales.”
The operator suggests a stay
in Pembrokeshire, at Atlantic
View, near Broad Haven Beach
in the Pembrokeshire Coast
National Park. These three plush,
glass-fronted holiday cottages,
and one penthouse apartment,
have panoramic sea views, all
IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; JAIME PULIDO
within walking distance of the
coastal path and Broad Haven’s
restaurants. Each has en suite
bathrooms, fully equipped
kitchens and patios with
barbecues. Sandpiper cottage
(sleeps four) costs £1,430 for a
seven night stay in June; £2,200 in
August. premiercottages.co.uk
SARAH BARRELL
Q // Is it safe With the exception of a brief
period last summer, when travel
to book a was allowed to a few destinations
trip overseas in Europe, the Foreign Office
this year? (FCDO) has advised against all
but essential travel for more
than a year. Understandably,
many of us are desperate to get
away and when travel restarts,
bookings will go through the roof.
However, when this will happen
remains uncertain, so should
you risk booking now? Currently
prices are low and availability is
good, so it makes sense to book.
It’ll also give you something to
look forward to. However, you
need to protect yourself in case
Q // I’m If it’s coastal rambles you’re after,
try The Lugger, in the unspoilt
considering a Cornish hamlet of Portloe. The
UK walking whitewashed inn, dating to
holiday this the 17th century, has 24 subtly
nautical-inspired rooms, as well
summer. Are as private cottages to hire. It’s at
there any the heart of the Roseland Heritage
hotels you’d Coast, meaning bracing walks and
wild, windswept vistas at every
recommend? turn. Take the 15-mile hike along
the South West Coast Path to the
Lost Gardens of Heligan, making
pitstops and Porthluney Beach
and the pretty seaside village of
Mevagissey. Doubles from £166
B&B. luggerhotel.co.uk
Meanwhile, in Wales, the
elegant Gliffaes Country House
Hotel is cradled in the rich
green landscapes of the Brecon
Beacons, and is perfectly placed
for tackling the Black Mountains,
including the much-climbed
peaks of Skirrid and Pen Y Fan.
circumstances haven’t improved
by the time you’re due to set off.
ABTA recommends the
best way to do this is to book
a package holiday. Due to the
pandemic, many tour operators
have radically altered booking
conditions, allowing a great deal
of flexibility to amend for a later
date. And if the FCDO is advising
against travel to a destination,
ABTA Members will also give you
the option of a full refund. So,
book now with confidence and,
with a little bit of good luck, you’ll
be the envy of all your friends as
you head off on your dream trip
later this year. SEAN TIPTON
As well as its own arboretum,
the hotel also offers plenty of
game fishing along the River Usk
for a full immersion in the Welsh
countryside. Doubles from £212,
B&B. gliffaeshotel.com
In the Lake District, Gilpin Hotel
& Lake House’s HRiSHi restaurant
retained its Michelin star this year
thanks to its innovative modern
British-meets-Asian cuisine.
Rooms are classic contemporary
in style, and there are Scandi-
inspired spa treatment rooms, too,
though the local hikes are as much
of a draw as the hotel — be sure
to tick off the fairly gentle ascent
of Orrest Head, where the views
of Windermere inspired a young
Alfred Wainwright. Bowness-on-
Windermere, with its shops and
watersports, is also just a short
ramble away. Doubles from £195
B&B. thegilpin.co.uk
CONNOR MCGOVERN
Q // What happens if I
can’t travel before my
airline voucher
expires?
Flight vouchers, given as an
alternative to a cash refund for
a cancelled flight, usually valid
for a year, have been frequently
issued by airlines during the
pandemic. Some airlines, such as
Ryanair, allow you to exchange
vouchers for cash. In practice,
many passengers have found this
a difficult process. British Airways
and EasyJet do not exchange
vouchers for cash refunds, but
the former has extended the
validity of all vouchers to 2023
and the latter has said it will also
offer an extension. Less well-
advertised is that these airlines
let you transfer the voucher
to someone else. That’s useful
if health prevents you from
travelling, or if the route you want
doesn’t return to service.
Some passengers who
felt forced into vouchers for
cancelled flights or received one
even though they requested a
refund have appealed through
alternate dispute resolution
bodies (ADR; most airlines
are signed up to one) and won
their money back. For a list of
the airlines signed up to ADR
schemes, visit caa.co.uk
As a rule, with cancelled flights
it’s better to ask for a cash refund
rather than a voucher, because
if it expires or the airline goes
bust, you probably won’t get your
money back. RORY BOLAND
THE EXPERTS
SARAH BARRELL //
ASSOCIATE EDITOR,
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
TRAVELLER (UK)
SEAN TIPTON // ASSOCIATION
OF BRITISH TRAVEL AGENTS,
ABTA.COM
CONNOR MCGOVERN //
COMMISSIONING EDITOR,
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
TRAVELLER (UK)
RORY BOLAND // EDITOR,
WHICH? TRAVEL,
WHICH.CO.UK/TRAVEL
April 2021 113
TRAVEL GEEKS

THE INFO

GROUNDS FOR CELEBRATION

THE UK’S FIRST NATIONAL PARKS WERE ESTABLISHED SEVENTY YEARS AGO. THEY’RE NOW MORE
POPULAR THAN EVER, WELCOMING RECORD NUMBERS OF VISITORS IN 2020. WE TAKE AN INFOGRAPHIC
TOUR THROUGH OUR NATURAL NATIONAL TREASURES. WORDS: SARAH BARRELL

IN NUMBERS
The UK is home to 15 national parks, each
1,386 miles designated as a protected landscape for its
special qualities, and all offering traffic-free
The total length of routes
marked as suitable for those terrain for hiking, biking and exploring
with access challenges
The UK’s national parks
100 million are home to 5,556 ancient
The number of visitors the
country’s national parks
receive each year
15 monuments, including
castles, Bronze Age burial sites
and a section of Hadrian’s Wall

8,972 sq miles 1 Cairngorms

2 Northumberland
1

The total land area of the

UK’s national parks 3 North York Moors
15
4 Yorkshire Dales

5 Peak District

6 Broads
2 SOS
7 South Downs DEVELOPMENT, CLIMATE
Volunteers — the lifeblood 8 New Forest
14 3
CHANGE, CONGESTION…
of national parks — help to 4
9 Dartmoor LEARN ABOUT THREATS
lead guided walks, fix fences,
plant trees, maintain historic
10 Exmoor TO OUR NATIONAL PARKS
sites and survey wildlife
11 Brecon Beacons
13
5
— AND WHAT YOU CAN DO
12 Pembrokeshire Coast 6 TO HELP — AT CNP.ORG.UK
13 Snowdonia AND SCNP.ORG.UK
14 Lake District 12 11
15 Loch Lomond

& the Trossachs 10

8
7
As yet, there are no national 9
parks in Northern Ireland
Voices from
the Peak
10 national parks feature
SIX OF THE UK’S
NATIONAL PARKS on the Royal Mail’s Poet-artist Mark Gwynne
ARE DESIGNATED 2021 Special Stamps, Jones has created a series
INTERNATIONAL DARK celebrating the 70th of audio artworks to mark
SKY RESERVES, INCLUDING the 70th birthday of the
EXMOOR AND THE anniversary of the first Peak District National Park,
BRECON BEACONS parks being founded the UK’s oldest

Timeline
1900s 1930s 1949 1951 2000 2011
Urbanisation Leisure enthusiasts An Act of Parliament The Peak District, The National Parks The 630sq-mile
increases, as and conservationists provides the Lake District, (Scotland) Act is South Downs
does demand for put the case for framework for the Dartmoor and passed, leading to National Park, the
public access to national parks to first national parks Snowdonia national the designation of country’s youngest,
the countryside the UK government to be created parks are established two new parks is added to the list

SOURCES: NATIONALPARKS.UK; CNP.ORG.UK; DARKSKY.ORG; STATISTA.COM

114 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 HOT TOPIC
WILL VACCINATION PASSPORTS GET
US TRAVELLING SAFELY AGAIN?
THE WTO HAS CALLED FOR COVID-19 VACCINATION PASSPORTS TO BECOME STANDARD ESSENTIAL TRAVEL
DOCUMENTS. WILL THIS SIGNAL A RETURN TO INTERNATIONAL TOURISM? WORDS: SARAH BARRELL
In the same week that the UK
closed all travel corridors and
upped its quarantine ante for
arrivals, the United Nations World
Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
called for the implementation of
harmonised testing protocols and
vaccine passports. The proposal
could see the creation of an
international standardised digital
certification system for Covid-19
vaccinations. Speaking at the
Global Tourism Crisis Committee
in Madrid on 18 January, secretary
general Zurab Pololikashvili
said, “The rollout of vaccines
is a step in the right direction,
but the restart of tourism can’t
wait. Vaccines must be part of a
wider, coordinated approach that
includes certificates and passes
for safe cross-border travel.”
UK concerns
The UK government is still
considering vaccine passports,
citing concerns over the varying
levels of protection against
the virus offered by different
vaccines, noting the question still
remains on how long immunity
lasts after immunisation, and
whether vaccinated people can
still spread the virus. Various
newspapers, however, have
reported that the government
has in fact invested in the
development of several vaccine
passport schemes in recent
months. For now, UK arrivals are
subject to the government’s test-
to-release policy and quarantine
rules.
All for one, and one for all
For countries that rely on
travel and tourism as a major
economic contributor and source
of employment, vaccination
IMAGES: GETTY
passports are a potential fast
track to recovery. However,
global herd immunity relies on
the vaccination of some 90%
I READ MORE ON THIS TOPIC AT NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/TRAVEL
of the world’s population.
In short: no one is safe until
everyone is safe. Speaking to
nationalgeographic.com, Dr Jewel
Mullen, of the University of Texas,
said: “Being overly or prematurely
confident about the vaccines’
effectiveness can put people in
other countries at risk. Travel
gives us a chance to contribute to
their economies. But contributing
to the spread of the disease
undermines that.”
Test & vaccinate
With only a small percentage of
the world population vaccinated
so far, should travel be permitted
for those who have proof of
a negative Covid-19 test? “A
blanket vaccination requirement
would simply discriminate
against non-vulnerable groups,
such as generations X and Z
and millennials, who should
be able to travel with proof
of a negative Covid-19 test,”
says WTTC president and CEO
Gloria Guevara. Opponents
to vaccination passports have
flagged the human rights and
data protection issues related to
making the disclosure of personal
medical information mandatory.
Yet with the yellow fever
vaccination an established entry
requirement in several countries,
a precedent has been set.
European support
European Commission President
Ursula von der Leyen has backed
a common vaccination certificate
in the EU, to be issued by Member
States to everyone who gets
vaccinated against Covid-19.
In Iceland and Hungary, an
‘immunity passport’ is already a
requirement of entry.
Consumer impact
Travel insurance firms say
that if the EU makes Covid-19
vaccination a mandatory entry
requirement, they’ll update their
policies accordingly. Some travel
companies have already made
vaccines compulsory, including
Saga, which requires its cruise
passengers to have had both
doses of the vaccine at least 14
days before departure. Qantas
also now requires passengers
to be vaccinated before flying.
Tourist attractions, hotels and
restaurants could well follow suit.
VACCINATIONS
& TRAVEL IN
NUMBERS
OVER-50S
UK tour operators have
reported a surge in travel
bookings and enquiries
from over-50s, the age
group in line to receive
Covid-19 vaccinations by
spring 2021
10%
The proportion of
people in 70 developing
countries who are likely
to receive the jab in 2021
90%
Recent news about more
transmissible strains of
Covid-19 suggests that
herd immunity might
only come when 90% of
citizens have antibodies
For the latest travel
restrictions and
requirements, visit gov.uk
April 2021 115
TRAVEL GEEKS
KIT LIST
BIRDING FOR BEGINNERS
BIRDING REQUIRES KIT THAT’S VERSATILE, TRAVEL-FRIENDLY AND
— MOST IMPORTANTLY — INCONSPICUOUS. THIS KIT WILL HELP YOU
GET THE BEST FROM YOUR ADVENTURE. WORDS: NORA WALLAYA
1 MILLICAN BOWDEN THE CAMERA
MESSENGER BAG
This lightweight, 20-litre field bag
has the space to carry all your
essentials along with camera
equipment and a laptop. It has an
easy-access roll-top, plenty of
compartments (including one for a
water bottle) and a stabilising strap
to secure it to your body while on
the move. Plus, it’s made from 65%
recycled weatherproof canvas and
has aluminium fastenings — not a
hint of plastic in sight. RRP: £135.
homeofmillican.com
2 NIKON COOLPIX P1000
With a 125x optical zoom and
250x digital zoom, you’ll be poised
to get the most from your bird
photography, wherever your
subject might swoop. Action
shots retain sharpness and
clarity with Nikon’s own vibration
reduction and image stabilisation
technology. Plus, it has built-in
wi-fi and Bluetooth for quick
uploading and sharing.
RRP: £899. jessops.com
3 CONTIGO AUTOSEAL
LUXE TRAVEL MUG
This sleek travel mug keeps drinks
hot for up to five hours, and cold
for up to 12. It’s designed for one-
handed drinking, is spill-proof and
has a lockable lid and button-push
mechanism for easy sipping. It’s
BPA-free and is fully dishwasher-
safe. RRP: £29. gocontigo.com
CELESTRON
HUMMINGBIRD 9-27X56
ED SCOPE
This travel-friendly wildlife-
spotting scope is an
excellent mid-range option.
RRP: £199. celestron.com
116 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
4
5 new birdwatching companion.
2 journal helps you organise the
3 travel — and has descriptions
Three more: binoculars & scopes
SWAROVSKI OPTIK DG
These state-of-the-art
binoculars can be used with
the companion app to help
you identify, document and
share your sightings. RRP:
£1,649. swarovskioptik.com
4 RHS BIRDWATCHING JOURNAL
Jot down field notes and record
sightings with the help of this
With beautiful illustrations along
with reference information on
identification and habitats, the
details of your birding trip and
learn what to look out for. RRP:
£9.99 (pre-order). waterstones.com
6
5 RSPB POCKET GUIDE TO
BRITISH BIRDS
Around 950 illustrations and 215
distribution maps make this new
edition of the bestselling field
guide a must-have for beginner
birders. It’s compact — ideal for
that cover identification, calls and
song. RRP: £6.99. rspb.org.uk
6 COUNTRY INNOVATION
AVOCET JACKET
A great all-rounder, this jacket
is made from a top-quality
waterproof, windproof and
breathable fabric that also
happens to be quiet, with minimal
rustle, so you won’t scare away
the wildlife. It’s roomy, with plenty
of space in the hood and the
body for extra layers. RRP: £195.
countryinnovation.com
RSPB PUFFIN COMPACT
BINOCULARS
Lightweight, compact
and excellent value, these
binoculars are ideal for
beginners. RRP: £80.
rspb.org.uk
 ®

PORTABLE, VERSATILE, FUN

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PARTNER CONTENT FOR DISCOVER QATAR
HOW TO SEE THE WHALE SHARKS OF
QATAR
A new expedition cruise unlocks the secrets of Qatar’s coastline, offering zodiac rides among a
rare congregation of whale sharks. In this interview, we discuss some of the tour’s highlights
Elusive and migratory, whale sharks are
mysterious creatures. Catching a glimpse of
their dotted fins is no easy task, but Discover
Qatar’s first expedition cruise will change
this: a unique itinerary will take travellers
to a marine zone — usually closed to the
public — in the north east of the country to
see the world’s largest gathering of these
gentle giants. Angus Tandy, head of product
at Discover Qatar, answers some questions.
What prompted the launch of
this expedition cruise?
Qatar has amazing attractions on land, but
the sea experience offers something unique
to the region. The major attraction beneath
the waves are the whale sharks, and the only
way to experience this spectacle properly is
via an expedition cruise. But, by bringing an
expedition cruise here, we’re also able to take
guests into Khor Al Udaid — or the Inland
Sea, as it’s commonly referred to — where
sand dunes from the desert dissolve into the
water. There are also islands along the coast
that lend themselves to exploration focused
around migratory birds and coral reefs. The
north of Qatar was a major coastal trading
hub in the 19th century and there are great
places around the UNESCO World Heritage
Site of Al Zubarah. There are stories from our
waters that are not often told.
What can guests expect from
the whole experience?
Brigadier General Mohamed Al Jaidah, the
lead whale shark research scientist in Qatar
for the past 15 years, will host sessions as
they’re cruising to the north east coast of
Qatar, and we’ll also be hearing from marine
biologists. The following morning, guests
will head out on Zodiac rigid inflatable boats
to explore. We won’t be swimming with the
whale sharks; we’re there to protect them
and tell their story, not to invade their space.
It’s going to be really important we keep a
distance and adhere to some of the strictest
protocols when working with wildlife in
an expedition setting. In this particular
environment, you can see up to 500 whale
sharks in one location, so you’ll see the
fins, you’ll see the tails — they’ll be under
the boat, they’ll be swimming next to you;
they’ll be in all sorts of different locations.
The whale shark is an
endangered species. What
do you want people to take
away from this experience?
We’d like them to understand more about
the whale sharks and what’s important
for their habitat. Despite all the research
that’s been done in recent years, the body
of knowledge concerning whale sharks is
To find out more, visit discoverqatar.qa/whale-sharks-of-qatar
still limited compared to that around more
‘mainstream’ animals. We’d like to tell their
story and explain why it’s so important and
why they aggregate in the hundreds in this
particular area. The water temperature is
perfect, hovering around 27C for around
six months of the year, and that creates a
flourishing ecosystem. There’ll be exposure
to dolphins, sharks, reef fish — it’s a really
varied selection of animals that people will
encounter out there due to that richness in
the ecosystem.
Essentials
The limited-edition Whale Sharks of Qatar
expedition cruise offers a nine-day, all-inclusive
package on board Ponant’s Le Champlain expedition
vessel for a maximum of 170 guests, with the
opportunity to extend the experience to an 11-day
package, including three nights in Doha. Facilities
include a spa, two restaurants, a fitness centre and
IMAGE: ©2011 WILDESTANIMAL
a theatre room, plus five-star services and lectures.
The cruise has been postponed for 2021 due to the
coronavirus outbreak and is planned to operate in
2022. Head to nationalgeographic.co.uk for a longer
version of this Q&A.
 IN THE NEXT ISSUE

52 weekend
breaks

Who says epic adventures have to be long-haul? We round up the

finest flight-free weekend escapes in the UK and Europe, from
spotting puffins in Wales and foraging in the Alps to e-biking in
Tuscany and horse-riding through Suffolk

Plus // Algarve, Antarctica, Cambodia, Cardiff, Greenland, Istria,

Liechtenstein, Malvern, Nashville, Ljubljana, Scotland & Trieste

May issue
On sale 1 april 2021
IMAGE: GETTY

For more information on our subscription offer,

see page 128

April 2021 119

White-tailed sea eagle in flight
off the west coast of Scotland

120 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 A REWILDING
REVOLUTION
A NEW ERA IS DAWNING ON FARMS AND
RURAL ESTATES ACROSS THE UK: OWNERS ARE
RETHINKING BUSINESS MODELS BY WORKING
HAND IN HAND WITH TOURISM TO RESTORE
OUR COUNTRYSIDE TO THE WILD AND HELP
US TO TRAVEL AT NATURE’S PACE
WORDS: SARAH BARRELL
IMAGE: GETTY
W
ater and trees stretch
as far as the eye can
see, giving way to a
bright blue sky. A lone canoeist
cuts across the lake, sending
ripples through a reflected skein
of geese, honking as they fly
overhead. Otherwise, all is still: the
stunned silence of a heatwave. It’s
summer 2020, and in the window
between lockdowns I’ve made it a
couple of hours out of London to
Fritton Lake, a spot on the watery
Suffolk-Norfolk border near The
Broads that is, at least for this
pandemic travel-deprived soul, a
respectable stand-in for the wilds
of Canada.
True, you won’t find moose
on the loose in the marshes
here, but the two-mile-long
lake — the centrepiece of a
newly revamped luxury resort
set within the Somerleyton
estate, is increasingly a place
where nature reigns. Owner Hugh
Somerleyton has committed one
fifth (1,000 acres) of his land to
rewilding, a process that includes
slowly reducing non-native tree
cover to let light rejuvenate
seedbeds. It’s also meant
gradually reintroducing a mix
of both farmed and wild grazing
animals such as red and fallow
deer, pigs, cattle, ponies and
sheep. This rootling, manuring,
re-engineering of the estate’s
patchwork of heath, woodland,
wetland and former arable land
aims to return the terrain to its
natural, uncultivated state.
According to the WWF, the
UK is one of the most nature-
depleted countries in the world;
we have the highest proportion of
land under agriculture (70%), of
which less than 3% is organic. And
clearly, being farmland, it isn’t
biodiverse. Habitat decimation
has resulted in one in seven of our
native species facing extinction
more than half are in decline.
“Land here in East Anglia is among
the most intensively farmed in the
country,” says Somerleyton, who,
together with local farm-owners
Argus Hardy and Olly Birkbeck,
have given over a fifth of their
combined 7,900 acres to wildlife,
as part of regional recovery
initiative called WildEast. Over
the next 50 years, it aims to
persuade other farmers, as well as
councils, businesses, schools and
garden owners, to do the same.
The target is to give 250,000
hectares of East Anglia to wildlife
and create an accreditation
system to encourage wildlife-
friendly farming.
“I’ve always been a tree-hugger
but it’s taken a while to train that
focus,” laughs Somerleyton. “Just
a few years ago, I was running
a restaurant in London and
didn’t even question where the
meat came from. But through
organisations like FWAG (Farming
and Wildlife Advisory Group),
I learned about places that
were reintroducing species and
allowing nature to lead the way.”
Somerleyton has also been
inspired by one of the UK’s
longest-established wilding sites:
Knepp, the 3,460-acre West
Sussex estate owned by Charlie
Burrell and Isabella Tree that went
from commercial meat farming to
organic, rewilded land with free-
range livestock and a glamping
site. Wilding, Tree’s story of that
journey, published in 2018, has
become a handbook of sorts for
like-minded farmers.
“I think we’re all realising that
there’s no more negotiation time,”
says Somerleyton. “Mass meat-
farming, animal welfare, carbon.
We have to act now to reverse
the damage. We’re beginning to
get a community of experts to
form a WildEast ‘dream team’.
It’s a playful title but the idea is
that working together — local
residents, the Broads Authority,
National Grid, university
April 2021 121
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Email: info@kalderimihotel.gr
 REWILDING

scientists, Natural England — we into eco-tourism, but suddenly we they won’t return on their own”, nature experiences will be
can speak with common voice.” had groups visiting — the National according to Tree. “Obviously, we introduced within the next year,
And that common voice is Trust, RSPB and the like — that had to manage those numbers and there’ll be lots of engagement
getting louder. “There’s a direction all felt conventional conservation sensitively; repeated low-level work with farmers looking to learn
of travel, a chorus of voices had something to learn from what disturbance, like large numbers of more, to drive similar projects.”
now,” says Richard Bunting from was going on at Knepp. And we people wandering off footpaths Local collaboration is key to the
Rewilding Britain, a charity that needed somewhere to put them has a huge impact. But it also success of projects like Ken Hill,
works to restore ecosystems. “It’s up. So, along came the campsite, shows how tourism could be a which soon plans to introduce
not piecemeal anymore. We’ve then glamping, and safari-style lifeline to marginalised or remote white-tailed eagles to its coastal
been talking to landowners for tours based on our experiences in farms and how scarce truly wild land. Hunted to extinction by the
some time, and attitudes have Africa, where my husband Charlie places are. Everybody should be early 1900s, the UK’s largest bird
shifted. We’ve called for 30% was born.” able to walk to one, rather than of prey has been successfully
of the UK to undergo nature The success of Tree’s book having to drive miles.” reintroduced to the Isle of Wight
restoration in the next 10 years, further boosted Knepp’s profile. Back in East Anglia, near the and Scotland.
at least 5% of which needs to “If I’d written it even six years northwest Norfolk seaside, Ken
be core rewilding projects. The earlier, I don’t think it would’ve Hill Estate is another farm where The bigger picture
Wildlife Trusts [a federation of 46 gone anywhere,” she says. “But tourism and rewilding work hand In 2019, Scotland led the UK
UK wildlife conservation charities] suddenly we had Extinction in hand. “We were already located in declaring a global climate
has called for similar action, as Rebellion, Greta Thunberg and in a tourist destination,” says emergency, with rewilding
has the UK government in recent Attenborough talking about owner Dominic Buscall. “And post among its arsenal of proposed
months, although it’s talking about plastics — a Pandora’s box of Brexit, nature-based eco-tourism measures to combat the crisis.
including existing national parks, pent-up anxiety people hadn’t provides an accessible alternative “The government is rewilding
which is a separate issue — many been able to articulate was to EU farming subsidies.” Ken Forestry Commission land and
aren’t in a good state.” suddenly opened. Rewildling is Hill’s innovative, ‘regenerative’ nature reserves, but there’s an
This February, Rewilding part of that.” farming focuses on soil embedded cultural tradition
Britain launched a nationwide And that interest seemed to restoration to drive biodiversity. that’s hard to shift,” says Peter
network of large-scale rewilding grow exponentially as the Covid-19 A quarter of the 4,000-acre estate Cairns, director of rewilding
projects. “There are about 20 so pandemic progressed. Around is rewilding, with beavers being charity Scotland: The Big Picture.
far, but this will grow rapidly,” says 30,000 visitors arrived at Knepp introduced as dam-building flood “Moving people out and nature
Richard Bunting. post-lockdown in summer 2020, mitigators, along with wild cattle, in can recall the Highland
eager to see recently introduced ponies and pigs as ‘site mangers’ Clearances” [the enforced
Let nature lead beavers and white storks for a more natural ecosystem. evictions of Highlands and Islands
Rewilding — the restoration — keystone species that are “And now, we wait; we work communities for farming, which
of ecosystems to a state of crucial to ecosystem regeneration. at nature’s pace,” says Buscall. began in the mid-18th century].
self-sufficiency — may be a These species “need a little help; “Camping, glamping and guided But Cairns believes tourism has
comparatively new movement
in the UK but it’s been in
increasingly common parlance
Ice on the flooded freshwater marshes
since such high-profile projects
of Ken Hill Estate, Snettisham, Norfolk
as the reintroduction of wolves
to Yellowstone National Park
in the US in 1995. It’s often used
interchangeably with wilding
(which seeks to create new, wilder
ecosystems), a term popularised
by Tree’s book, Wilding. “This
year, I’ve been writing an actual
handbook to wilding — responding
to the tsunami of enquiries we get
for practical advice,” says Tree.
“It’s incredible how far things have
come, given how it all started.”
Twenty years ago, her Sussex
estate, Knepp, went bust. Farming
had failed, the land was depleted.
“EU subsidies were the only things
keeping many farms afloat. But it
forced the kind of agriculture that
wasn’t natural, or sustainable,”
says Tree. “We felt responsible
for repairing the biodiversity, and
it was astonishing how quickly
IMAGE: ALAMY

headline species came back

— including nightingales and
turtle doves — that had long been
absent. I wasn’t thinking of moving

April 2021 123

REWILDING

a role to play in reframing that

narrative. “Carefully managed,
it provides local opportunity:
economic, educational, and, dare
I say, spiritual,” he says. “There’s
no doubt that being out in nature,
having it interpreted to you by
a knowledgeable guide, has a
profound impact on people. And
the appetite is there. Scotland has
projects coming out of its ears.”
Next year, the world’s first
rewilding centre is set to open
at the 10,000-acre Dundreggan
estate, complete with
accommodation and a visitor
centre. Led by the conservation
charity Trees for Life, which has
20 years of expertise working for
the regeneration of Scotland’s
Caledonian Forest, the centre
expects to welcome around
50,000 people annually. “You
don’t want to overwhelm an area,
but set on the road between Loch
Ness and Skye, it’s accessible:
a gateway to the Highlands,
for people to get out and see
rewilding in action,” says Rewilding
Britain’s Richard Bunting. “And it
will create jobs in an area that’s
suffered economically.” working symbiotically with Inverness, has planted close
MORE INFO:
Further south, in Dumfries rewilding. “Ospreys alone bring to a million native trees, frittonlake.co.uk
and Galloway, nature, tourism in something like £3.5m a year restored damaged peatland and wildeast.co.uk
and the local economy sit in to Scotland,” says Bunting. reintroduced red squirrels since rewildingbritain.org.uk
harmonious balance, thanks to Further afield, in Finland, the it launched in 2003. All now worldwildlife.org
a unique business model. The chance to see brown bears thrive around lodges in which knepp.co.uk
recent purchase of 5,000 acres and wolverines are reportedly visitors can bed down in comfort wildkenhill.co.uk
of wildlife-rich land at Langholm bringing in up to €5m (£4.4m) a before setting out on nature tours scotlandbigpicture.com
treesforlife.org.uk/
Moor represents south Scotland’s year; griffon vultures in France across the 39sq-mile Highlands
dundreggan
biggest community buyout, in attract tens of thousands of estate, where, soon, they might
langholminitiative.org.uk
terms of land value. “Much of visitors. “As long as this is done encounter reintroduced Scottish theeuropeannaturetrust.
Scotland is owned by a relatively sensitively, it can feed the growing wildcats and, eventually, wolves. com
small number of people,” says appetite for people to engage Back at Fritton Lake, I swim alladale.com
Bunting. “So, even if it comes up with nature. It’s known to be good under a setting sun, barn owls and
for sale, it can be hard for local for health and wellbeing and is marsh harriers my companions, FURTHER READING:

communities to buy.” But buy they
did, after £3.8m of funds were
raised, aided by organisations
like the Woodland Trust and
Scottish Land Fund. The resultant
Langholm Initiative will this year
start work on the Tarras Valley
Nature Reserve, set on land
that’s a haven for merlins, black
grouse, short-eared owls and hen
harriers (Britain’s most intensively
persecuted bird of prey, according
to the RSPB). “Eco-tourism and
encouraging visitors to this hidden
natural gem is a key part of the
community’s plans to support
such a positive way of travelling,
and there’s an opportunity to give
something back.”
Paul Lister, founder of The
European Nature Trust (TENT),
agrees. “Taking people into nature
helps them want to protect it.
This connection is key,” he says.
TENT organises tours to rewilding
projects in Romania’s Carpathian
Mountains, Italy and Spain, where
bears, wolves and lynxes now
thrive. “It’s crucial that hotels
in rural areas engage with local
wildlife and NGOs, and allow
guests to find out what they do,
swooping about in the gloaming. Wilding: The Return of
Nature to a British Farm,
“If you go camping in, say, Atlantic
by Isabella Tree (£9.99,
France, people think nothing of
Pan Macmillan)
wild boar roaming the other side Feral: Rewilding the
of the canvas,” says Somerleyton. Land, Sea and Human
“If I suddenly did this at Fritton Life, by George Monbiot,
— well, it would be problematic. a co-founder of
So, it’s about a gradual change, Rewilding Britain
slowly waking up regional (£10.99, Penguin Books)
collective consciousness. We’ll
offer lake and woodland safaris
and partner with schools on
farming and wildlife education.
Because, ultimately, we want to
work towards living in a nature
reserve, not just visiting one.”
IMAGE: GETTY

regeneration of this former mill be it a turtle foundation or big cat

town,” says Bunting. conservation,” adds Lister. Read more about new and ABOVE: Red squirrel,
There are clear economic TENT’s UK project, Alladale upcoming rewilding initiatives at Cairngorms, Scottish
benefits in travel and tourism Wilderness Reserve, near nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel Highlands

124 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

T H E A M A D I V E R S
ISE-SHIMA
This serene Japanese region is one of the best places in the
country to learn all about the ancient tradition of ama diving
Ise-Shima is the timeless Japanese landscape
familiar from woodblock prints: a peninsula
of forested shores, fishing villages and green
islets in Pacific bays. The region exerts a
magnetic power over six million Japanese
pilgrims who visit the holy Shinto shrine
of Ise Jingu every year, while nature-lovers
come here to renew their spirits at Ise-Shima
National Park. What’s more, Ise-Shima is
also the last great stronghold of around 600
ama divers, and the best place for visitors to
discover their ancient way of life.
Meaning ‘women of the ocean’, ama once
IMAGES: VISIT ISESHIMA BUREAU; JINGUSHICHO
thrived across Japan, diving to collect
seafood for their villages and, in the Ise-
Shima area, prized abalone as offerings to
deities at Shinto shrines, such as Ise Jingu.
Plunging into dark fathoms, gliding among
reefs and kelp forests, ama held their breath
for minutes on end. Now clad in diving suits,
they used to wear white costumes to ward off
the cold — as well as hungry sharks.
To learn more about this tradition, start at
the Ama Hut Experience in the Ise-Shima
area — visitors are welcomed at a shack on
PARTNER CONTENT FOR VISIT ISESHIMA BUREAU
THREE MORE
EXPERIENCES
Enjoying local food
Ise-Shima makes the
most of its proximity
to the sea. A traditional
restaurant in Ise city,
Daiki is the place to taste
local seafood, with multi-
course kaiseki banquets
and dishes of abalone,
spiny lobster and more.
O F Sea kayaking in Ise-
Shima National Park
At the southern cusp of
Ise-Shima National Park
is Ago Bay, a muddle of
tidal channels offering
safe harbour from the
Pacific. Shima Nature
School offers 90-minute
tours out of the bay’s
eastern edge.
How to visit Ise Jingu
Japan’s holiest Shinto
the quays, where weary-limbed ama rest and shrine includes Geku,
recuperate after a dive. Inside, guests can home of the god of
meet the divers themselves and listen to their food and shelter, and
tales of aquatic adventure while tucking into Naiku, abode of the sun
a lunch of freshly dived clams, barbecued goddess. Everyone can
scallops and lobster. admire the grounds; G7
Next, follow the coast a few miles north leaders visited Ise Jingu
and you’ll reach Mikimoto Pearl Island, during the 2016 summit.
a tiny offshore landmass beside the city
of Toba. Mikimoto is the birthplace of
the production of cultured pearls, which
were once harvested by ama divers. Now
a museum, it hosts regular diving displays
ABOVE: An ama diver, Ise-Shima
by ama in the surrounding seas. Inside the
museum itself, meanwhile, are models made
with Mikimoto-farmed pearls. Essentials
To really dive deep into the soul of ama,
however, head to Ishigami-san shrine, Getting there: Direct Kintetsu
surrounded by a little wood in Osatsu. For trains connect Osaka or Nagoya
centuries, ama divers have come to pray to and Ise-Shima in around two
the resident deity for safe swimming and a hours. Attractions are accessible
by train or bus, but rent a car to
good harvest. Now a shrine synonymous
explore more remote locations.
with female pilgrims, women of all
backgrounds come to ask for safe passage
through life — at sea and on dry land.
To find out more, visit iseshima-kanko.jp/en
EVENTS

FOOD FESTIVAL
17-18 JULY 2021
B U S I N E S S DE S IG N C E NTRE , LO N DO N

We’ll be serving up a busy weekend of live

Experience the world through food
and travel at our second National
Geographic Traveller Food Festival
— an immersive two-day event over
17-18 July at the Business Design
Centre in London.
cooking demos, tasting workshops, panel
discussions and exhibitor stalls to whet your
appetite for a culinary adventure. Join big names
such as Jay Rayner, José Pizarro, Grace Dent,
Aldo Zilli, Fuchsia Dunlop, Jack Stein and Theo
Michaels as we cook, talk and taste our way
around the globe.

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126 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 EVENTS

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9 MARCH 2021

M O U NTA I N S , M O O N S H I N E &
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Join us for a virtual Travel Geeks on 9 March, when our expert
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panel will discuss all things North Carolina

In this free, hour-long online event, we’ll be
diving into the fascinating coastal US state.
It’s a place where imaginative chefs are
bringing the region’s amazing food to the
fore; where beaches, mountains, waterfalls
and lakes are waiting to be explored; and, of
course, where visitors can learn about the
surprising history of moonshine.
Whether you want to hike through the
Blue Ridge Mountains, follow your nose on
beer and barbecue trails, spot sea turtles or
discover more about bluegrass music, North
Carolina offers a rich variety of experiences.
We’ll also be discussing the best spots
for surfing, kayaking and cycling, and if
history’s your thing, you can learn about the
state’s incredible past, from the first-ever
flight and the Civil Rights Movement to the
ghostly tale of Roanoke, the lost colony.
Join National Geographic Traveller
contributing editor Jo Fletcher-Cross from
19.00 on Tuesday 9 March to hear from our
panel of experts: author Emma John; travel
bloggers Christina Riley and Carl Hedinger;
chef Cheetie Kumar; and Visit North
Carolina’s Margo Knight Metzger.

SPONSORED BY
18 MAY 2021
Italy: cities, culture & cuisine
We’ll be exploring the many facets of Italy at this exciting
Travel Geeks event, in association with Citalia.

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April 2021 127

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Fresh perspectives
I wanted to thank you for your excellent
‘Meet the Adventurer’ feature with Reza
Pakravan (March 2021). I’ve often felt a
frustration with the idea that different places
on our planet can be categorised as ‘no-go
zones’. I was pleased to read how Pakravan
highlights the media’s impact on how places
and cultures are perceived, and while I
accept some places are more dangerous
than others to visit, I believe anywhere has
the potential to be wonderful. In recent
visits to both Palestine and Lebanon, I was
pleased to fi nd a spirit different to the one I’d
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there’s a wonderful world out there — I can’t
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Great Scot!
Jamie Lafferty’s article on Edinburgh’s
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a naive medical student was to Edinburgh
in 1991. I was astounded by the picturesque

surroundings, the Old Town’s rich history

keep you warm and dry when and the New Town’s masterclass in town
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activity gloves; a cosy pair of
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ODESA is the hottest
travel destination of Ukraine
MAIN THINGS TO DO IN ODESA

1 ToOdesa
walk around
Marine Station

2 Toof Potemkin
count steps
stairs
6
3 Visit old Odesa’s nook Walk around
Turkey and Greece
in the center
4 Tothehaggle on
Privoz market
of Odesa

5 7 ToOpera
visit Odesa
and Ballet House
To experience
Odesa cuisine
and taste 8 Open the door
to the House of the Sun
local wine
9 Toof Odesa
learn the legends
catacombs

10 Dance
at Odesa nightclubs

www.odessatourism.org
RECHARGE • RECONNECT • REJUVENATE