WIN AN EIGHT-DAY ADVENTURE

ACROSS SOUTHERN AFRICA

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

T H E WO R L D ’ S

BEST
CITIES VOTED FOR BY TRAVEL WRITERS

P LU S
Malawi
Greece
Barbados
Abu Dhabi
Singapore

ALSO: KOLKATA // LIMERICK // MONGOLIA // QUEENSLAND // STOCKHOLM


118
74 Cities
Whether it’s for the culture or
the cuisine, these are our writers’
ive all-time favourite cities
92 Malawi
Music festivals, starry skies and
heritage hotels are reviving the
‘Warm Heart of Africa’
May
2019
Contents
104 Greece
History looms large in the forests
and lakes of the little-visited
region of Central Macedonia
118 Mongolia
On the vast and barren steppe
are the eagle hunters, proud
guardians of an age-old tradition
138 Abu Dhabi
Highbrow culture and hedonistic
islands — the Emirati capital is
marching into bold new chapter Issue 75
150 Kolkata Bowery Wall, Manhattan,
The one-time capital of the painted by American
British Raj is a thriving, cultural artist Maya Hayuk
and colourful metropolis IMAGE: AWL Images
May 2019 5
 May
2019

Contents

28 66 152

SMART TRAVELLER 34 Like a local TRAVELLER 10

The ‘smaller’ side to Las Vegas
15 Snapshot 162 Going wild
A loty local in Colombia 37 Stay at home Family-friendly animal encounters
The hills are alive in the Howgill Fells
16 Big picture TRAVEL GEEKS
Packing a punch in Havana 39 The word
Travel book inspiration from Hay Festival 182 Travel Geeks
18 What’s new The experts’ travel manual
These are a few of our favourite things 41 Competition
Win a seven-night escape to France 190 Queensland
21 Southern comfort Is it too late to save our precious coral reefs?
Checking out the city of Charleston 45 Author series
Kate Mosse on Carcassonne 196 Baby travellers
23 Eating with the ishes The rewarding side of travelling with tots
Europe’s irst underwater restaurant 46 View from the USA
Aaron Millar on the US-Mexico border GET IN TOUCH
24 Do it now
Up, up and away with paragliding INSIDER 201 Inbox
Your letters, emails and tweets
27 Food 50 Weekender: Limerick
At the chef’s table in East Lothian There’s a renaissance in the Emerald Isle 202 Your pictures
This month’s best travel photos
29 On the trail 54 Eat: Singapore
Some special souvenirs in Palma From glitzy cocktails to deep-fried wontons

30 Rooms 61 Neighbourhood: Stockholm

Lush and lavish beds in Hoi An The coolest corners in the Swedish capital DON’T MISS

32 Family 66 Sleep: Barbados 128 Manitoba

Swotting up on educational trips Decidedly dreamy beds in paradise Produced in partnership with Travel Manitoba

Reader offers see p.127 for our latest partnership with

6 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
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 Contributors
National Geographic Traveller (UK) APL Media

Editorial Director: Maria Pieri Editorial Manager:

Ben Lerwill
Stockholm’s one of those cities that just
seems at ease with itself — it’s pretty, hip,
and historic. Then there’s the great food
and the relaxed locals. Finally, it has fika: a
dedication to having coffee and cake with
friends every day. STOCKHOLM P.60
Chris Leadbeater
I’ve travelled extensively in Greece, but was
fascinated by Central Macedonia with its
mountain ridges and great lakes. It’s also
hugely protective of its history and culture
and, in Thessaloniki, has a capital that too
few of us get to know. GREECE P.104
Editor: Pat Riddell
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Jamie Lafferty
When I first visited Abu Dhabi around a
decade ago, it seemed to be struggling to
find its way, overshadowed by its glitzier
neighbour, Dubai. I returned to discover a
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city with new museums, restaurants and a

much clearer sense of self. ABU DHABI P.138
Amelia Duggan
One of the joys of travelling is finding a
place that defies its reputation. Mother
Teresa’s work made Kolkata a byword for
destitution, but I found a buoyant city of
romantic tumbledown palaces and late-
night restaurants and bars. KOLKATA P.150
Tamsin Wressell
Recent catastrophic coral bleaching events
have made the Great Barrier Reef seem
almost like a lost cause. However, I dived
into an underwater world in Queensland
that displays hope for its future — but it
still needs our help. QUEENSLAND P.190
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8 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
NEW IN STORE AND ONLINE NOW:
JACK-WOLFSKIN.COM
 HIGHLIGHTS

Editor’s
letter National Geographic Traveller
Food Festival

W
hat’s your favourite city? This is the question Whet your appetite for a weekend full of
gastronomic, globetrotting inspiration (p.12)
we asked 57 of our travel writers. And while
you might be able to guess some of the
answers, there were a few surprises.
New York, Cape Town, Lisbon, New Orleans and Hanoi
proved the most popular. Why these places? Well, we
asked our writers to justify themselves, and the results
raised some interesting questions about what makes
Events
travel writers tick. But, perhaps more importantly, they From our ever-popular Masterclasses to a
begin to answer the question: what makes a city great? trio of Travel Geeks sessions, check out these
As we all know, logic doesn’t necessarily come into play; dates for your diary (p.42)

a city is often greater than the sum of its parts. Some

places just have a vibe, a feeling, a personality that’s
almost impossible to put your finger on. Combine that
with alluring attractions, a vibrant art scene, compelling
culinary choices and an effervescent nightlife, and you’re
probably halfway to solving that magic formula.
Online
But, above all, it’s a personal choice: you might have a
Our website’s moved to a new home. Log on to
weakness for the spectacular skyline of one of the world’s nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel, where you’ll
great metropolises, or maybe you veer towards low-key, still find our award-winning content (p.48)
under-the-radar places.
If you’re curious, my choices were New York, Melbourne,
Belfast and Turin. I could have added more, but they’re
the ones I loved the second time as much as the first
and the ones I want to go back to again and again.

PAT RIDDELL, EDITOR Travel Writing Competition 2019

Fancy yourself as a travel writer? It’s time to
@patriddell put pen to paper and show us your skills as
@patriddell our annual competition reopens (p.180)

AWARD-WINNING NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER

British Guild of Travel Writers Awards 2018: Best Travel Writer • Travel Media Awards 2018: Consumer Writer of the Year • AITO Travel Writer of the Year Awards 2018:
Travel Blogger of the Year • Visit USA Media Awards 2018: Best Consumer Travel Magazine Feature • BSME Talent Awards 2018: Best Designer • LATA Media Awards 2018:
Consumer Magazine Feature of the Year • France Travel Media Awards 2018: Best Wine & Gastronomy Feature • NATJA Travel Media Awards 2017: Photography: Overall
Excellence — Print Publication • British Travel Awards 2017: Best Consumer Holiday Magazine • British Guild of Travel Writers Awards 2017: Best Travel Writer • British Guild of
Travel Writers Awards 2016: Best Travel Writer • British Travel Awards 2015: Best Consumer Holiday Magazine • British Travel Awards 2014: Best Consumer Holiday Magazine

SEARCH FOR NATGEOTRAVELUK ON FACEBOOK TWITTER TUMBLR PINTEREST INSTAGRAM

10 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 there from your first glimpse through the trees – a feeling that there is something
about Adare Manor that goes beyond anything you expected. Beyond the splendour of the
castle itself, perfectly appointed in every detail. Beyond the cherished heritage of Irish
hospitality. Something so magical it is…

Adare Manor, Adare, Co Limerick, Ireland

Tel: +353 61 605200 / adaremanor.com
 J O I N U S FOR A B R AN D N E W C U LI NARY ADVE NTU RE

BO O K N OW
Early-bird tickets
just £18, book by
30 April

I N PA RT N E R S H I P W I T H

J O H N TO RO D E • G E N N A RO CO NTA LDO
F E LI C IT Y C LOA KE • ROMY G I LL
A DA M H A N D LI N G • J O S H K AT Z
S H I V I R A MO UTA R & MO RE TO B E A N N O U N C E D!
CO O KIN G D E MO S • FO O D & D RINK TA STIN G S • M A STERC L A S S E S

2 0 -21 J U LY 2 0 19 • B U S I N E S S DE S I G N C E NTRE , LO N DO N
Subscribers receive a special offer — see your carrier sheet for details
C E LE B R ATI N G FOOD & DRI N K FROM ARO U N D TH E WORLD

A C U LINARY E VE NT
LIKE NO OTHE R!
I N D U LG E, IM MER S E, D I SCOVER AN D S HARE AT TH E
NATI O NAL G EO G R APH I C TR AVELLER FO O D FE S TIVAL

What’s this? It’s a new event,
coming to London this summer,
brought to you by the team behind
National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Traveller? So what’s it got to do
with food? Come on — food and
travel go together like garlic and
snails. Everyone knows that.
Garlic and snails? Yes. Or like
ackee and saltfish; or spaghetti and
meatballs; or caramel and sea salt.
The point is, this is a festival for
food lovers like you — a chance to
broaden your palate and immerse
yourself in some of the best food and
drink the world has to offer.
What can I expect? What about
Hungarian goulash? Or dolmades
from Greece? Or the tastiest Thai
dishes? And all of it washed down
with the finest tequila.
So, there’ll be free samples then?
Yep, plenty of them. But not only
that, it’s also a chance for you
to see some of the most exciting
names in food, many of whom will
be showing off their finely honed
cooking skills.
Give me some names.
Well, how about MasterChef
frontman John Torode? Or
legendary Italian chef Gennaro
Contaldo? Or Guardian journalist
and author Felicity Cloake? And
that’s just for starters.
OK, I’m interested. What next?
Step 1, tell your friends. Step 2,
visit our website and snap up your
early-bird tickets. Step 3, head down
to the Business Design Centre in
London’s Islington on either 20 or
21 July. Step 4, just relax and let us
do the rest.

MEE T SOME O F THE FAC E S WH O ’LL B E J O ININ G U S IN J U LY

JOHN G E N N A RO F E LI C IT Y RO M Y
TO RO D E C O N TA LD O C LOA K E G I LL
Chef & Chef, presenter Food writer Chef, restaurateur
broadcaster & restaurateur & author & cookery teacher

BOOK TODAY: FOODFE STIVAL . NATG EOTR AVE LLE R .CO.U K

Tickets are non-refundable. Booking fees apply. Early-bird pricing is available until 30 April 2019, after which ticket prices increase
to £22. All tickets include entry to the festival and all interviews, panel sessions and chef demonstrations. Limited availability.
CB
COME AND DISCOVER YOUR OWN FAIRYTALE AT

CastleBlatna Baroness Jana

Germenis - Hildprandt

CB
B Photography by www.adamovafoto.ru; Castle Blatna

Culture | Museum | Deer Park | Cafe | Concerts & Events | Weddings

Blatna | South Bohemia | Czech Republic | www.castle-blatna.com

 SMART TRAVELLER
What’s new // Do it now // Food // On the trail // Rooms // Family // Stay at home // he word

SNAPSHOT

Carlos Mario
Izquierdo, Colombia
The majestic mountains of the Sierra
Nevada de Santa Marta are the ancestral
homeland of the descendants of the
ancient Tairona civilisation. In Pueblo Bello
— a village home to the Arhuaco people
— I met Carlos. He was wearing the tribe’s
traditional dress of white cotton robes and
a hat, carrying two crossed woollen packs
on his chest as well as his poporo — a small
receptacle containing a powder made
from crushed seashells. Locals chew coca
leaves and use a long pin to transfer small
amounts of powder from the poporo to
the mouth, where it reacts with the leaves
to create a stimulating efect. Not only
is this a sacred and mystical practice for
the Arhuaco, but a symbolic union of land
(coca leaves) and sea (ground shells).
FRANCESCO LASTRUCCI // PHOTOGRAPHER

francescolastrucci.com
@francescolastrucci

May 2019 15
BIG PICTURE // SMART TRAVELLER

BIG PICTURE

Havana, Cuba
A Cuban boxer in the ring in the Rafael Trejo
Boxing Gym in Havana. Boxing is a national
obsession in Cuba, and only the USA has
produced more Olympic boxing medallists.
This unassuming gym has hosted countless
high-calibre pugilists over the years, yet it was
almost empty when I arrived. However, this let
me with plenty of room to move around and
shoot, iring quick bursts to capture the action.
I was particularly pleased with this shot as it
captured the subject’s isolation, almost encaged
by the red ropes of the boxing ring.
SEAN DAVIS // PHOTOGRAPHER

photographercostarica.com
@costaricaphotographer

16 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
BIG PICTURE // SMART TRAVELLER

May 2019 17
SMART TRAVELLER // WHAT’S NEW

What's new
From cultural highlights to uber-cool openings, we’ve
picked our brains for the best in travel

Strokes of genius you’re heading to MILAN , then call into the

It’s not often the world sees a mind as
brilliant as Leonard da Vinci’s, so it’s little
surprise the art world is celebrating the
500th anniversary since the artist’s death
with a host of illuminating events this year.
Naturally, Italy’s the epicentre of the year’s
celebrations: in TURIN , the Royal Museum
is hosting Leonardo da Vinci: Drawing the
Future, where more than 50 of the genius’
drawings will be on show, including his
famous self-portrait (15 April-14 July); while
in VENICE , the rarely displayed Vitruvian
Man will be making an appearance at
the Gallerie dell’Accademia until 14 July.
FLORENCE , meanwhile, is where he trained
as an apprentice under the masterful eye
of Verrocchio, and the Palazzo Strozzi is
exploring the partnership between student
and star pupil with its exhibition, Verrocchio,
Master of Leonardo (until 14 July). And if
Castello Sforzesco where, after two years
of renovations, the Sala delle Asse will
fi nally reopen to the public from 2 May.
Newly discovered motifs and designs were
unearthed during the restorations — painted
by the master himself, of course — and
visitors can admire the twisting, florid
designs brought to life through animated
lighting and holographic displays.
The UK’s also muscling in on the action
— 144 of da Vinci’s works from the Royal
Collection are currently on display at
venues across the country in Leonardo
da Vinci: A Life in Drawing. They’ll be
reunited for an exhibition at the Queen’s
Gallery at BUCKINGHAM PALACE from 24
May before heading north to the Palace of
Holyroodhouse in EDINBURGH in November.
museireali.beniculturali.it milanocastello.it
gallerieaccademia.it palazzostrozzi.org rct.uk

Back to business

SHOW-STEALER
New Orleans’ Roosevelt Hotel is
business class Club Suites will let
asking former guests to return
any items ‘stolen’ during its 125-
year history. The most scandalous
object wins the ‘thief’ seven nights
in the hotel’s Presidential Suite.
therooseveltneworleans.com
BRITISH AIRWAYS
Launching this July, the new
you nod off in true (private jet)
style, with 40% more storage,
high-definition TVs and vanity
units. ba.com
QATAR AIRWAYS
In its signature burgundy
hues, the four-seater Qsuite
quads are designed for cross-
seat conversation, detailed
with touches of rose gold.
qatarairways.com
DELTA
Heading stateside? The
carrier’s new offering, Delta
One, has flat-bed seats, premium
dining and, of course, your own
dedicated flight attendant.
delta.com

18 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 WHAT’S NEW // SMART TRAVELLER

STRIKE A POSE
The uninhabited Greek isle of Delos is set to welcome its first (stationary) residents in
millennia. In partnership with cultural organisation NEON, artist Antony Gormley has created
SIGHT: an exhibition that sees his signature ‘bodyforms’ dotted across the island. The figures
aim to highlight the importance of art in human history. Until October. neon.org.gr
IN NUMBERS

 

What lies beneath
Archaeologists have made a
revolutionary discovery beneath
1,886ft
above sea level, the world’s
the Mayan site of Chichén Itzá
highest lounge
in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.
While searching for underground
aquifers, National Geographic 154th
floor, the uppermost of the
explorer Guillermo de Anda
lounge’s three floors
stumbled upon a trove of Mayan
objects left untouched for over
1,000 years. A collection of more
than 150 ritualistic artefacts,
30
floors higher then the building’s
including ceramics, vases and other lounge
incense burners, were found
in the cave of Balamku, an
underground chamber sealed
600
dirhams (£123), the price of a drink
off since its discovery in 1966. and unlimited canapes
nationalgeographic.com burjkhalifa.ae

THE MILE-HIGH CLUB (SANDWICH)

Forget those bland in-flight

Spinach and bread for Cheddar and cornichons
meals — launching at Not Just contrasting textures for an added tang
Caviar at Stansted Airport,
the Sky High Salt Beef Deli
Sandwich has been developed
to stimulate the taste buds
at altitude. It’s rich in umami,
a flavour sensation that isn’t
IMAGES: GETTY

affected by the noise and Umami spice

blend for
pressure of flying. On sale for Mustard to pep that extra kick
£8.50. stanstedairport.com up the palate of savouriness

May 2019 19
Mountain thrill
At the end of the road less travelled is
the Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort.
Discover the fabled green mountain
and explore canyons on foot, and fill
your cup on the breathtaking views.

Lose yourself in Anantara

LIFE IS A JOURNEY
A SI A M I DDL E E A ST A F R IC A EU ROPE V ISI T A NA N TA R A .COM

CHARLESTON
Southern comfort
Culture, colour and history meld in the South Carolina city,
now within easy reach of the UK, thanks to new flights
Horse-drawn carriages, grand antebellum
houses and elaborate churches — it’s
Charleston’s infectious mix of nostalgic
Americana and unmistakable Southern
warmth that’s won over so many US visitors.
And it’s all the more accessible for UK
travellers, too, from 4 April, when British
Airways started its twice-weekly service
from Heathrow, making it the first airline to
fly direct from Europe.
IMAGES: ANDREW CEBULKA; GETTY
WHAT’S NEW // SMART TRAVELLER
If you need somewhere to rest your weary
head, one of the hottest tickets in town is the
new Hotel Bennett — the former Charleston
County Library that’s been spruced up and
reimagined with nine floors of palazzo-style
elegance. There’s a ballroom, a patisserie, and
a rooftop pool and Camellias, the pretty-
in-pink Champagne bar. charlestoncvb.com
ba.com hotelbennett.com
HELEN WARWICK
DON’T MISS
The annual Spoleto
Festival is one of America’s
top performing arts festivals,
with everything from opera to
am dram. From 24 May to
9 June. spoletousa.org
EAT
At Husk, chef Sean Brock puts his
spin on Southern food. Though the
menu changes daily, dishes could
include bacon cornbread with
pork butter, or devilled eggs with
pickled okra. huskrestaurant.com
SEE
Charleston’s slave trade history is
best understood at the McLeod
Plantation Historic Site, with
exhibitions spread out across a
Georgian-style plantation, cabins
and outbuildings. ccprc.com
DO
If the sultry climes of the city get
too much, cool down on a harbour
cruise. It’s also a chance to see
dozens of landmarks including
Fort Sumter, the USS Yorktown, and
the Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge.
May 2019 21

DEEP DINING
Eating with the fishes
Want dinner with a different
kind of view? Why not book
a table at Europe’s first
underwater restaurant
Until now, the windswept Norwegian
region of Lindesnes was best known for its
picturesque lighthouse. However, another
landmark is set to put the area on the
culinary map as the ine-dining restaurant,
Under, inally opens its doors.
Dramatically half-submerged into the
Atlantic, the brutalist restaurant is Europe’s
IMAGES: INGER MARIE GRINI; STIAN BROCH; IVAR KVAAL; SNØHETTA
irst — and the world’s largest — underwater
eatery, its dining room plunging almost ive
metres below the surface. It’s a collaboration
between architects Snøhetta, founders Gaute
and Stig Ubostad and a group of marine
biologists, and almost everything channels
a central concept of being ‘short-travelled’,
from the locally cast steel stairways to the
WHAT’S NEW // SMART TRAVELLER
walls made of a regional variety of oak. The
food follows suit, too, thanks to head chef
Nicolai Ellitsgaard carrying the ‘keep it
local’ ethos through to the kitchen. Diners
can expect seafood, but it’ll be the ocean’s
unsung marine life such as ling, squat lobster
and stone crab that will take centre stage on
the innovative menu.
However, it’s not all about the menu.
Marine biologists have worked hard to
ensure Under exists in harmony with its
nautical neighbours: the concrete exterior
will develop into an artiicial reef for mussels,
who will in turn help to ilter the water and
attract more marine life to that breathtaking
panoramic window. under.no. RONAN O’SHEA
SUB-AQUA STYLE
If you fancy something a little more far-lung, Subsix in the Maldives
might loat your boat. Dine alongside a loating cast of turtles, eels, and
damselish at this underwater restaurant, which sits six metres beneath
Niyama Private Islands. It’s only reachable by speedboat, and don’t
miss one of the twice-weekly Underwater Glow Parties for a surreal,
cerulean night out. niyama.com
May 2019 23
SMART TRAVELLER // DO IT NOW
Paragliding
THE SKY’S
THE LIMIT
Take off and take in the world from
beneath the canopy of a glider
Fear of heights? Even the UK's
number one acrobatic paraglider,
Jack Pimblett, fi nished seventh
in the World Tour fi nals last year
despite being scared of heights.
Having flown since the age of three,
he's spent over 1,000 hours in the
sky. To get a taste for the sport,
head to a local UK BHPA school
for a trial fl ight. “On home soil, Fly
Sussex is great for beginners,” says
Jack, “but further afield is Free
Flight Academy in Spain where
reliable weather conditions enable
quick progress.” flysussex.com
freeflightacademy.com SAM LEWIS
KIT UP
Most operators usually insist on
wearing a helmet and knee pads
before you’re harnassed to
your instructor
24 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
LIFT OFF
The canopy is laid out on a gentle
slope — take a few running steps
and simply let the wind raise you
off the ground
DID YOU KNOW?
The record for the
longest paragliding flight
in the UK, which covered
187 miles, is 8h 36min
UP AND AWAY
After take off, the two brake
handles are used to control the
wing and catch updraft s that can
lift you to as high as 5,000ft
WHERE TO DO IT
Dolomites
Hike up the mountain in
Sesto/Sexten in northern
Italy, then paraglide back
down. And in Kronplatz you
can tackle black runs before
flying over the snowy peaks.
Tandem flights from €120
(£103). suedtirol.info
Slovenia
At this paragliding hotspot,
combine a tandem flight
with mountain biking,
canyoning and kayaking
around the Soča River in
Lijak and the Trnovska
plateau. Tandem flights from
€122 (£105). parklijak.com
Lake Garda
IMAGES: SUPERSTOCK; GETTY
Try hang gliding above the
beautiful Italian lake
— the fi xed wing experience
is perfect for adrenalin
junkies. Prices from €120
(£103), paragliding and hang
gliding combos cost €200
(£172). gardaflyingparadise.it
 www.dalmatia.hr • info@dalmatia.hr

Turistička zajednica Splitsko-dalmatinske županije • Prilaz braće Kaliterna 10/1, 21000 Split, Hrvatska • tel/fax: +385 (0) 21 490 032, 490 033, 490 036
Reach for
the Stars
Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center is situated
by the old harbour in Reykjavík, Iceland. Harpa’s
world class acoustics support a colourful program
ranging from grand symphonic masterpieces to
delicate a capella, attracting stars from all over.

And the view? Well — it’s simply breathtaking.

harpa.is
 FOOD // SMART TRAVELLER

WHERE TO EAT
THE LOBSTER SHACK
The grilled half
lobster here is quite
possibly the freshest,
most affordable
lobster I’ve tasted.
It’s best enjoyed
with a chilled beer,
while looking
out over North
Berwick Harbour.
lobstershack.co.uk
LA POTINIÈRE DUCKS INN
I love this homely, My friend John
family-run place Paul McLachlan has
in the village of worked with some of
Gullane, where most the UK’s best chefs,
ingredients come and now he’s cooking
from the restaurant’s at the Ducks Inn in
garden and are Aberlady. I can often
served as part of a be found there in
perfectly crafted summer sitting in
set menu. the garden before
lapotiniere.co.uk dinner. ducks.co.uk

East Lothian is a gastronomic

gold mine. Chef Derek
Johnstone shares his love
for the Scottish region

Our region really is blessed when it comes to its

beautiful and sustainable produce. Whether it’s
fresh vegetables or amazing smoked fish, what’s
available is plentiful and of the highest quality. I
chose to live here as it gives me the opportunity
to get to know my suppliers, allowing me to work
closely with them and their produce.
SEA BUCKTHORN

We forage these brightly coloured orange berries

DEREK JOHNSTONE
at Gullane Beach. They’re tiny, but contain more
is head chef at vitamin C than an orange and can be whizzed into
Borthwick Castle
and a former winner of
smoothies and sorbets for a local twist
MasterChef:
The Professionals
Professionals.
borthwickcastle.com

The ingredients
IMAGES: SUPERSTOCK; BELHAVEN SMOKEHOUSE

SMOKED FISH RAPESEED OIL CIDER

I use Belhaven At Stevenson Mains Thistly Cross Cider has
Smokehouse’s superb Farm, they cold a delicious flavour with
smoked salmon and press their Black & a crisp taste. It’s been
trout all the time. They Gold rapeseed oil to produced in Dunbar
only use fish from the preserve its peppery since 2008 and
most reliable of sources. flavour and numerous is now one of
belhavensmoke health benefi ts. Scotland’s favourites.
house.com blackandgoldoil.co.uk thistlycrosscider.co.uk

May 2019 27
 Heavenly
Escape

Situated on a small hill, Ca’s Xorc ofers a magniicent panoramic view. The last few metres of the drive are winding, yet hugely rewarding.
Once you reach the summit of this special locaion, you’ll discover a luxurious bouique hotel with 15 rooms, an open-to-public restaurant
set around the original press of this former olive inca, plus breathtaking views over the Sóller Valley and the Tramuntana mountain range, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. The restaurant ofers mouthwatering fresh Mediterranean cuisine with strong Asian inluences, all delivered
with an unbeatable service. Book now for a heavenly escape.

When making your reservaion, quote ‘Traveller0519’ and be welcomed with a complimentary botle of chilled Spanish cava.

Ca’s Xorc Bouique Hotel & Restaurant

Carreterra de Deiá, 56.1km | 07100 Sóller | Majorca

BOUTIQUE HOTEL & RESTAURANT +34 971 638 280 • stay@casxorc.com • www.casxorc.com
 ON THE TRAIL // SMART TRAVELLER

HERITAGE SHOPS
1 CERERÍA LA REAL
Start by admiring the waxy wares of this tiny, two-

Palma
roomed candle shop on a quiet square. It’s the last
of the city’s once-thriving candle factories, and
candlemaker Guillermo Ramis is keeping this age-
old tradition burning. T: 00 34 696 27 80 27.

The Majorcan capital is full of traditional treasures, so
grab a basket and take a wander through its rich retail
heritage. Words: Connor McGovern
2 FORN FONDO
Sweet-toothed visitors will love this patisserie’s
tempting window displays of cakes, tarts,
chocolates and confections. However, before
heading inside, take a moment to admire the
pretty, blue facade. fornfondo.es

3 LA PAJARITA BOMBONERÍA
& CHARCUTERÍA
Founded in 1872, this shop
was the irst in Majorca to
sell cofee and champagne,
and you can still pick up
some today, along with
local meats, cheeses,
biscuits and sweet bars of
turrón. lapajarita1872.com

4 JUGUETERÍA LA INDUSTRIAL
The oldest toy shop in 6
town has everything from
high-quality teddies to
handsome wooden trikes.
It’s the perfect place to
pick up a souvenir for a
little one, or even channel
your own inner child.
jugueterialaindustrial.com
7 MIMBRERIA VIDAL
Buried deep in the winding
5 VIDRERÍA GORDIOLA 6 CA’N JOAN DE S’AIGO streets of the Old Town,
Beautifully crated vases, Pull up a pew at this gloriously this shop has been trading
ILLUSTRATION: MARTIN HAAKE

ornaments and tableware old-world cafe, which has in all things made of wicker
are the prime purchases at been running since 1700. and esparto grass since
this artisan glass shop just Locals still come in their 1955, including baskets,
around the corner from the droves for hot chocolate, so, hats, bags and furniture.
picturesque Plaça de Cort. do as they do and order a cup It’s a must for shoppers
Everything’s made using with an ensaïmada — spiral- looking to take home an
time-honoured techniques. shaped bread doused in icing authentic piece of Palma.
gordiola.com sugar. canjoindesaigo.com mimbreriavidal.com

May 2019 29
SMART TRAVELLER // ROOMS

WHERE TO STAY

Hoi �n
Vietnam’s historic coastal
resort has a range of lush
digs that deliver serious
bang for your buck

AN VILLA
You’ll ind no TVs at this riverside spot which
is equidistant between the Old Town and
Cua Dai Beach; instead, your room is illed
with books and board games. We say room,
but actually the six units are self-contained
studios or villas — all with a kitchenette
and private terrace, and set within a tranche
of lush, palm-shaded gardens. French-
Vietnamese architect Helena Tran Quang
Man has nailed the current trend for natural,
laid-back design: dark wood furniture is
tastefully mismatched in each room, and
the colourful bedspreads are homely and
fun. Inside and out blend together here,
with terraces opening onto either a pond,
the pool, the river or the on-property lake
with a yoga deck balancing above it on stilts.
The restaurant, Mum’s Kitchen, serves up
delicious family recipes. Studios from £42,
villas from £112. an-villa.com

EAST WEST HOI AN VILLAS
The current owner’s grandparents used to
live on this land between the Old Town and
Cua Dai Beach. Today, it’s been transformed
into 16 villas. The accommodation itself is
modern, with the odd bathtub set in the
centre of the open-plan bathroom, but
outside, nature reigns supreme, with the
smart pool fringed by greenery. Doubles
from £31. eastwesthoianvillas.com
LA SIESTA
Take a nap on the daybeds at this peaceful
hotel, which is surrounded by rice paddy
ields. Rooms are fairly classical here: all
colonial-style dark woods and prettily
arranged mosquito nets in the Club Wing,
with more hotel standard digs in the Classic
Wing. The best part? All rooms have a
balcony that overlooks the pool. Doubles
from £73. lasiestaresorts.com
HOI AN ECO LODGE & SPA
This swish sanctuary has been done out in
rustic Hoi An style, so the modern rooms
feature plenty of loorboards and wooden
accents, with lush plants snaking up to
the windows, and balconies overlooking
a coconut forest. The bar and restaurant
is pretty special — it’s cantilevered over a
small, lilypad-dotted lake. Doubles from £46.
hoianecolodge.com JULIA BUCKLEY

30 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
SMART TRAVELLER // FAMILY

Learning trips
TOP OF
THE CLASS
Take advantage of a wave of new, Outdoor adventures in Mongolia
Pick from a choice of itineraries packed with camel safaris, wild
creative experiences being brought camping, stargazing and fossil hunting. A road-trip in a 4x4 van
to life beyond the classroom across the steppe can ofer an adventure of a lifetime.
BEST FOR: Tailor-made for a range of ages.
stubbornmuletravel.com
For many, trying something new goes hand-in-
hand with a trip abroad. This seems especially
the case for families, whether it’s learning how
to ski in Whistler, or delving into the history of
Ancient Greece. The latest Kuoni report on UK Conservation in Borneo
travel booking habits highlights this surge in Ideal for intrepid families
‘learning trips’ — 34% of travellers cite learning who are happy to get
something new as the reason for a change in mucky, this trip focuses on
their booking habits. When you consider over wildlife conservation in the
60% of adults said they learnt something new Bornean rainforest, living
on holiday as a child, travel is still a top priority and working alongside local
for many who want to broaden their children’s people, helping to protect
horizons. And it seems many of us are quite their natural environment
happy to give something new a go on holiday, and the creatures within it.
too; 38% of respondents don’t feel embarrassed BEST FOR: Ages 8-plus
to do so on holiday. And if it means children oysterworldwide.com
spend less time on their devices, surely any kind
of travel is a good thing? kuoni.co.uk MARIA PIERI

PIZZA MAKING IN NAPLES

Meet a professional pizzaiolo,

who’ll teach you the secrets
of the perfect pizza in the
southern Italian city.
BEST FOR: Ages 5-plus
scottdunn.com

Marine biology in the Maldives Bushcrat in Yorkshire

Immerse the family in the eco-centre at
Kuramathi Maldives and give them a better
understanding of the underwater world.
Children can join guided snorkel safaris,
Learn how to make a shelter using
materials from the forest loor. For
kids aged 8-plus, check out the
Desert Island Shelter Building Day,
IMAGES: GETTY

and over-10s can also obtain a junior diving which includes additional activities
certiication. such as wood carving.
BEST FOR: 8-plus for underwater BEST FOR: Ages 5-plus
adventures. kuoni.co.uk yorkshirebushcrat.co.uk

32 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 Naturally…

Rodrigues Tourism Office

Rue de la solidarité, Port Mathurin, T +230 83 20 866 / 7
Rodrigues Island E info.rodrigues@intnet.mu
Office du Tourisme de Rodrigues

www.tourism-rodrigues.mu
SMART TRAVELLER // SPOTLIGHT
LIKE A LOCAL
Las Vegas
Nowhere does ‘big’ Parks and recreation
like Las Vegas, but It doesn’t get much smaller than squeezing
your business into a shipping container, but
the city is realising you’ll ind plenty of them at DOWNTOWN
the benefit of turning CONTAINER PARK . Located on Fremont Street,
down the intensity. it’s packed with shops and restaurants, as
well as a stage for live music acts. Don’t
Here’s where to head miss the Dome — an immersive, pixelated
for the low-key side of playground with ultra-HD, 360-degree
Sin City imagery. downtowncontainerpark.com
Nearby BEAUTY BAR looks like a 1950s-style
salon, complete with linoleum loors and
standing-hood hair dryers above the seats,
but this is a disguise for a reliably strong
live music venue in a city that’s given the
world hit bands like The Killers and Imagine
Dragons. Smaller acts play on the more
intimate indoor stage but catch the bigger
names outside. T: 00 1 702 598 3757.
The Downtown rejuvenation comes with
some serious street art. The impressive
murals — most of which were created
34 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
during September’s annual LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL
FESTIVAL — can be spotted by mooching
within a couple of blocks of Fremont
Street East, although DTLV ART WALK runs
guided tours if you’re keen to know more.
lifeisbeautiful.com dtlvartwalk.com
Art has also come to the stark desert
surroundings. Head south down Las Vegas
Boulevard and a series of 30t-high, luridly-
coloured boulder stacks come into view
by the Jean Dry Lake. This is SEVEN MAGIC
MOUNTAINS — the rather incongruous
work of Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone, and
its colourful weirdness is marvellously
compelling. sevenmagicmountains.com
Need to escape the city? Red Rock Canyon,
out on the western edge of Vegas, has
become the epicentre of the city’s healthy
living set. Join them as they amble through
the ochre rock walls, but RED E BIKE provides
e-bikes if you want to take in the landscape
on two wheels. redebike.com

After dark at Park on Fremont
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Seven
Magic Mountains; sausage and
broccoli rabe at Carson Kitchen;
Downtown Container Park
Less conspicuous consumption
Locals tend to avoid the Strip wherever
possible, with the BEERHAUS a notable
exception — largely because it’s next to the
T-Mobile Arena, home to the Golden Knights
ice hockey team. The modern take on a beer
hall serves up a fi ne line of Nevada craft
beers, such as the Joseph James Citra Rye
American Pale Ale and Bad Beat Brewing’s
IMAGES: CHRIS WESSLING; GETTY; ANTHONY MAIR
Bluffi ng Isn’t Weisse. theparkvegas.com
And here’s a secret — even suburban malls
can hide some pearls. FORTE TAPAS in Spring
Valley, four miles west of the Strip, is a prime
example. A meat-laden deli counter sits
beside colourful, blanket-lined booths and
an Eastern European twist on tapas — gorge
on Russian beef and dill dumplings, Uzbek
pilaf rice and Bulgarian wines from the
family estate. barforte.com
The Downtown Area around Fremont East
is where Las Vegans go for a night out. Call
in at CARSON KITCHEN — with its warehouse
SPOTLIGHT // SMART TRAVELLER
TOP TIP
Vegas runs on Uber
and Lyft — the price
difference between an
vibe, rock soundtrack Uber and a taxi is higher
and an unashamedly here than in most
rich, jazzed-up comfort other US cities.
food where crispy chicken
skin shares a menu with caviar
and foie gras. carsonkitchen.com
It’s arty meets party at PARK ON FREMONT,
which has wooden carriages and seesaws in
a garden adorned with some rather risque
paintings. There’s no-nonsense food and
drink on offer, too, with dishes such as
‘garbage fries’ (piled with bacon, jalapeños
and chipotle ranch) and devilishly good
spiked coffee. parkonfremont.com
If you’ve still got room, head a few doors
down to THERAPY. The place has had quite
the transformation — what was once a
99 cent store is now a playfully inventive
kitchen. The menu includes buttermilk
chicken and red velvet waffle sliders, and
devils on horseback with soft truffle goat’s
cheese. therapylv.com DAVID WHITLEY
DONALD CONTURSI’S TOP 5
evening hangouts
DOWNTOWN COCKTAIL ROOM
Hidden behind a steel trick door
is an intimate speakeasy. This
lounge-y, dimly-lit clandestine bar
changes its cocktail list seasonally
and the happy hour bargains can
be had between 4pm and 7pm.
downtowncocktailroom.com
LOTUS OF SIAM
East of the Strip, some would argue
this authentic, family-run joint is the
best Thai restaurant in the country.
There’s plenty of excellent food
on the menu, but it specialises in
northern Thai cuisine — think spicy
jackfruit or rice vermicelli curries.
lotusofsiamlv.com
INSPIRE
There are higher rooftop bars in the
city, but Inspire looks straight down
Fremont East and all its restored
vintage neon signs. There’s a little-
known theatre inside, which is great
for TED talks, comedy and burlesque
shows. inspirelasvegas.com
7TH AND CARSON
The woodfire oven’s the star, but
there’s a commitment to whatever’s
in season. I’d recommend the ‘legs
and eggs’ — tempura crab leg, caviar
and barrel-aged ponzu — and the
breads from the oven are something
special. 7thandcarson.com
THE LAUNDRY ROOM
The Commonwealth is one of
Downtown’s hippest bars, but look
out for the speakeasy in the back.
You have to text a certain number
to get in, then phones are banned
when you’re inside. Note — this isn’t
somewhere to go for a Bud Light.
commonwealthlv.com
Donald Contursi is the founder of Lip
Smacking Foodie Tours, which aims
to show off the best of Vegas’ food
and drink scene.
vegasfoodietour.com
May 2019 35
 DISCOVER THE

BURMESE
DAYS

Inspired by George Orwell’s first novel, Paukan’s river expedition

“Burmese Days” offers the sophisticated traveller an incredible
7-night journey along the remote Upper Irrawaddy River, winding
through mountain, plain and the magnificent gorge of the second
defile between Mandalay and Bhamo, with a plethora of stupas,
temples and rural communities to explore along the way.

For more information visit

www.ayravatacruises.com
 STAY AT HOME // SMART TRAVELLER

WHERE TO EAT
STAY AT HOME

Howgill Fells
The Black Bull in the bucolic book town
of Sedbergh serves up memorable pub
grub: think Japanese-style soused
mackerel, rabbit with black pudding and
root vegetables, and tasty house-made
gelato. theblackbullsedbergh.co.uk
A favourite with hardcore hikers, this
wild region on the fringes of Cumbria
and the Yorkshire Dales is also fast Food at the Black Bull

becoming a magnet for gourmets

WE LIKE WHERE TO STAY

Taking in the views of
Howgill Fellside with an
ice cream, courtesy of
the farm’s herd of Jersey
and British Friesian
cows. Try the Howgill
Hurricane, with cinder
toffee and chocolate swirls.
howgillfellicecream.co.uk
Brownber Hall is a retreat
replete with sleek mid-
century furnishings and
four-poster beds. Don’t
miss the sourdough
pizzas on Thursday to
Sunday evenings. Doubles
from £90 per night, B&B.
brownberhall.co.uk

Why go?
The beautiful bit of countryside where Cumbria and the Yorkshire
Dales overlap has long been the preserve of walkers who revel in
loft y views of both the lakes and the dales. But Howgill’s new food-
focused hotels are also appealing to a wider crowd, with innovative
locally sourced menus. Visit in spring, when the wildflowers are in
bloom in places like Great Asby Scar and there’s wild swimming to
be had in the River Eden. visitcumbria.com yorkshiredales.org

What to do Don’t miss

Of all the area’s hill hikes, the
4.5-mile route along Smardale’s
old North Eastern Railway line
is perfect for those who don’t
fancy the fells’ sharp inclines.
Its highlight is a walk across
IMAGE: ALAMY
Farfield Mill is a repository
of local treasures: flat caps,
woollens and felted gifts,
eco-conscious smellies from
Sedbergh Soap Co, local
landscapes lovingly rendered in

the Smardale Gill Viaduct, print and watercolour, and wildly

home to countless wildflowers, creative jewellery. Recharge
birds, bees and butterflies. between walks at the terrace cafe.
cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk farfieldmill.org SARAH BARRELL

May 2019 37
ph. Filippo Frizzera AD Brand&Soda

WORDS-ON-WYE
As the iconic Hay Festival rolls around for
another year, six of its speakers share their
all-time favourite travel reads
Chris Smith
I love South by Sir Ernest Shackleton. In 1914,
28 men, 70 dogs and a cat called Mrs Chippy
set sail for Antarctica. Their story is one of the
most amazing you’ll ever read, so start with
the account from the group leader, Sir Ernest
himself. Spoiler: it doesn’t end well for the cat.
Chris is the co-author (with Greg James) of Kid
Normal and the Shadow Machine, published
by Bloomsbury Children’s.
IMAGES: ROHIT CHAWLA; JENNY SMITH; PAUL ROMO; ANNA MILLER
Alys Conran
I’m in love with Kathleen Jamie’s book
Sightlines. She explores Spanish caves,
Shetland bird reserves, whale museums in
Bergen, and the Northern Lights of Greenland,
bringing to them to life with her vivid words.
Wherever I am, when I walk outside after
reading this book, I find my surroundings
enlivened, vital and in focus like never before.
Alys is the author of Dignity, published by W&N.
Tishani Doshi
Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities is written as a
series of imagined conversations between
Calvino’s Marco Polo and the Emperor
Kublai Khan. It touches on the seduction of
‘elsewhere’ — probably the most potent idea
of travel — and the realisation of how little
really belongs to the traveller.
Tishani is the author of Small Days and Nights,
published by Bloomsbury (out 18 April).
Tony Juniper
Tree of Rivers by John Hemming tells the story
of the Amazon rainforest. It’s a wonderful
book by the former director of the Royal
Geographical Society, and includes accounts
of early European exploration, including the
first passage along most of the length of the
Amazon from Ecuador to the Atlantic Ocean.
Tony is the author of Rainforest, published by
Profile Books.
HAY FESTIVAL takes place 23 May-2 June in Hay-on-Wye. hayfestival.org
BOOKSHELF // SMART TRAVELLER
Dustin Lance Black
Michael Cunningham’s Land’s End: A Walk in
Provincetown was the first travel book I read
that felt like a complete narrative, not just a
description of a location. Arguably, a mark
of the book’s success is that after reading it, I
booked a trip to Provincetown in the hope of
meeting some of the book’s characters.
Dustin is the author of Mama’s Boy, published
by John Murray (out 30 May).
Paul Davies
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is the
ultimate travel book. Of course, it’s all science
fiction, but interwoven in the absurd narrative
are profound insights into the human
condition. I travel a lot and knowing that the
answer to life, the universe and everything is
42 helps me hold it all together.
Paul is the author of The Demon in the
Machine, published by Allen Lane.
May 2019 39
 Enjoy summer
a bit closer
to the sky
This is THE OMNIA

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

 SPECIAL PROMOTION

�in
A SEVEN-NIGHT
ESCAPE TO SOUTH
WEST FRANCE
National Geographic Traveller (UK) has teamed up with
Summer France to ofer seven nights in Moliets, on the
unspoiled coastline of the southern Landes region

The destination
Situated between Biarritz’s stylish surfer
hangouts and the beautiful, buzzing city of
Bordeaux, the beach resort of Moliets-et-
Maa sits on the dramatic Atlantic coast. In a
landscape of fragrant pine forests and sandy
dunes, it’s the perfect base to discover this
unspoilt corner of France and all it has to
ofer, from relaxing aternoons on the beach
to watersports including suring, standup
paddleboarding and kayaking.

TO ENTER
Answer the following question online at
natgeotraveller.co.uk/competitions
Moliets-et-Maa is located on which coast?
Competition closes 31 May 2019. The winner must
be a resident of the UK & Ireland aged 18 or over. Full
T&Cs are available at nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
The prize
Courtesy of Summer France, the winner
will receive seven nights’ self-catered
accommodation for up to eight people in
a three-bedroom villa at Summer France’s
residence, Villas La Clairière aux Chevreuils.
Return lights and car hire for four guests are
included, as well as green fees for two on the
Moliets 18-hole golf course. Each villa is set
within its own private garden complete with
a terrace and an outdoor swimming pool,
as well as wi-i, board games and outdoor
parking. Beautifully styled to match the
woodland and natural surroundings, all villas
have wooden beams and lodge-style roofs.
At an extra cost, Summer France also ofers
a premium service, comprising a welcome
hamper, fresh bread and croissants on the
irst morning, beds made on arrival, mid-
week cleaning and complimentary toiletries.
summerfrance.co.uk

May 2019 41
SMART TRAVELLER // EVENTS

Sponsored by

Join our Travel Geeks sessions, where

we bring together a panel of experts
to discuss your favourite topics and
feed your travel bug

42 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 EVENTS // SMART TRAVELLER

1 4 M AY

VIETNAM
Keen to unearth Vietnam’s hidden gems? Looking to travel on a shoestring? Our
panellists will be on hand to answer all your questions on how best to discover this
Southeast Asian country, whose scenery, cuisine and culture make it one of the
continent’s most beguiling destinations.

25 JUNE 10 SEPTEMBER
New Zealand adventures Latin American food featuring
See yourself as a bit of a thrillseeker? Synonymous with Peruvian gastronomy
the great outdoors, New Zealand offers some memorable With the region’s cutting-edge restaurants leading a
experience on land, at sea and in the air. We’ll be sharing culinary revolution, Latin American cuisine has never
the best ways to discover New Zealand’s wild side, so been hotter. We’ll be serving up plenty of inspiration for
come armed with plenty of questions. your next epicurean adventure.

WHEN: 18.00-20.00 WHERE: Wallacespace Clerkenwell, 18 Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0DP
TICKETS: £10, including a drink and nibbles MORE INFO: nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

20-21 JULY 6 OCTOBER

Eents
2 0 1 9
National Geographic Traveller
Food Festival
Our biggest event of the year is set to be
a sizzler, as world-renowned chefs and
The Masterclasses 2019
If you didn’t make it to last year’s
Masterclasses, don’t panic — our full day
of expert-led photography and travel
food writers descend on London this writing sessions is returning this October
summer for a weekend full of food and for a second year. So, keep your diaries
travel inspiration. Check out what’s on free and your eyes peeled for more
offer on p.12. information in our June issue and online.
IMAGES: GETTY

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May 2019 43
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NOTES FROM AN AUTHOR // KATE MOSSE
CARCASSONNE
Stories of the present are indelibly linked to the past in this ancient
French city, a place scarred by wars and shaped by the landscape
T
hirty years ago, we bought a tiny house
in the shadow of the medieval city
walls of Carcassonne. I knew nothing
about the Languedoc region — it was only
coincidence that had taken us there. I knew
nothing about how centuries of religious
wars had scarred, shaped and changed the
landscape over generations and how, out of
that, came the stories. But from the second
I stepped from the train, Carcassonne felt
familiar. More than that — I felt I belonged.
Writers are sometimes guilty of seeking to
impose creative order on unconnected past
events. Of seeing signiicance in a particular
moment or imbuing another with importance
in retrospect, even if they passed without
notice at the time. Hindsight shapes the
writer’s world into an organised narrative.
And yet... Was it that day we sat outside
at Chez Félix in Place Carnot and drank hot
chocolate, surrounded by old men drinking
panaché or delicate thimbles of Corbière rosé
and a guidebook open on the table between
us? It may have been, it may not, it doesn’t
matter. The emotion is true, even if the detail
is smudged. Out of memories come the
beginnings of a novel.
We walked on beneath a chill, blue sky to
the Pont Vieux. I saw, for the irst time, the
astonishing fortiied city of old Carcassonne
and that was that — the start of a writing love
afair that’s never faded.
Carcassonne is story of two cities: the
13th-century hilltop citadel, and the later
14th-century Bastide Saint-Louis, built by
refugees expelled from the citadel. The
former is a crown of stone looking over the
River Aude, with some 52 towers and turrets,
Magniicent, imposing, impossible. From our
garden far beneath the west walls, we could
look up through the apple trees on the slopes
of the market gardens to the Château Comtal,
where the seigneurs (lords) of Carcassonne
once lived. The layers of history — Roman,
ILLUSTRATION: JACQUI OAKLEY
Visigoth, Crusader, Huguenot — were all
there, seamed into the stones.
Over that winter and the next summer, then
the next and the next, my sense of belonging
in Carcassonne grew stronger. I read guide
books and history books. I explored castles
and underground rivers. I followed paths in
the woods and tourist trails along the coast.
Historical iction is a way
of making sense of the loops
and repetitions of history.
It can give us courage in
dark times and help us to
stand in other people’s shoes.
It can slip between the
gaps of what we know
and what we do not
AUTHOR SERIES // SMART TRAVELLER
I visited libraries and archives and museums.
I never intended to write about Carcassonne.
This was a holiday house, somewhere to come
to get away from things, not to work.
Historical iction is a way of making sense
of the loops and repetitions of history. It can
give us courage in dark times and help us
to stand in other people’s shoes. It can slip
between the gaps of what we know and what
we do not. Most of all, it can help honour
and celebrate the forgotten, the ignored and
disregarded, voices of history — female voices
— beyond the Court and Palace and Synod,
the truth of ordinary people.
My latest novel, The Burning Chambers
— the irst in a quartet of novels inspired
by the Huguenot Diaspora — begins in the
Bastide in 1562 on the eve of the Wars of
Religion that will rip France in two and see
millions imprisoned, deported, executed
and displaced. It’s a Romeo and Juliet story
of two families, a feud and the consequences
of love. Both consider faith and the
consequences of faith and of what it means,
through no fault of your own, to be forced
from your home. These are stories that
haunt the landscape of Languedoc now,
as they did then.
But in 2019, the Place Carnot is a square
of bars, restaurants and shops. Awnings of
yellow and green and blue, orange cushion
covers and red and white stripes. Willow
baskets containing garden herbs, orchids and
delphiniums. On a nearby stall, black-pepper
biscuits to serve with a glass of Guignolet. In
June, cherries. Figs in July. Later, blackberries
and sunlowers.
As I sit there with my notebook, dreaming,
I see the 16th-century market: the wooden
colonnades and stalls, the halles aux grains,
where the 18th-century marble fountain
dedicated to Neptune holds pride of place. I’m
imagining the rose water biscuits my heroine,
Minou, will buy. I’m both here, and there. The
spirit of place, the spirit of the past, these are
the building blocks of a novel. It’s of memories,
imagined or real, that stories are made.
Kate Mosse’s book, The Burning Chambers, is
published by Pan Macmillan and now available
in paperback. RRP: £8.99.
@katemosse
May 2019 45
SMART TRAVELLER // VIEW FROM THE USA
VIEW FROM THE USA // AARON MILLAR
BUILD BRIDGES, NOT WALLS
One of Trump’s most contentious policies might physically divide the US and
Mexico, but the two countries already stand in stark, startling contrast
O
n 22 December 2018, the US
government came to a standstill.
Bickering over funding for Trump’s
proposed wall along the border with Mexico
had reached fever pitch and, in what was
perhaps the greatest ‘if you don’t play by my
rules I’m taking my ball home’ move ever, the
Donald refused to sign any spending bill that
didn’t include $5.7bn (£4.4bn) for his ‘big,
beautiful’, but possibly very racist, wall. And
so began the longest government shutdown
in American history — 35 days and 800,000
federal workers with no paycheck: air-
traic controllers, park rangers, mechanics,
investigators and — in the greatest of cruel
ironies — border police.
It was a farce. The total cost to the US
economy has been estimated at $11bn (£8.4bn)
— enough to build two walls. Not that they
would’ve worked — most illegal immigrants
in America arrive on planes and overstay
their visa; most drug smuggling occurs
through legal ports of entry. And, of course,
all of this ignores the fact that all non-Native
Americans — around 98% of the population
— are descended from immigrants, including
Donald Trump, his wife and every single
member of the Republican party. But this
wasn’t about border security. Not really. This
was a ight for America’s soul.
To truly understand what that ight meant,
I went to the border itself. Which is how I
ended up in Big Bend National Park, deep in
southern Texas, where the Rio Grande forms
the boundary with Mexico, and cowboys and
gauchos stalk the hills of no-man’s land on
their respective sides.
It’s a spectacular place. The author Etta
Koch described her irst sighting of the Chisos
Basin as ‘that moment when your heart
stands still and your whole body seems to
swell’. She’s right. From the top of the Chisos
Mountains — a giant’s ist of rock punching
through the heart of the park — the desert
shimmers like an ocean of dust, vast plains of
ochre and orange swaying in the heat.
But tucked in the western corner of the
park is what must surely be the smallest
international border checkpoint in the world
— a single concrete shack, on the American
bank of the Rio Grande (the oicial border
is in the middle of the river itself). Crossing
46 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
ILLUSTRATION: JACQUI OAKLEY
it is like teleporting between two diferent
worlds. I parked my car on the US side,
walked across manicured paths to the air-
conditioned, computerised passport control
oice, opened the door on the other side into
Mexico and immediately fell into knee-deep
mud. There were no paths, no buses, no cars.
I waded through the muck barefoot, holding
my shoes above my head for a quarter of a
mile, until a guy on the other side of the river
saw me and picked me up in a rowing boat.
His village, Boquillas, he said, was a few
miles away. There were no taxis, but I could
hire a donkey and a local man to guide me.
That’s how I met Raul.
He led me through wastelands of desert
scrub and stone, along empty dirt roads, to
a scattering of whitewashed stone homes
shadowed against the stark enormity of the
Chihuahuan Desert. We stopped at the local
bar for tequila and enchiladas; we watched
an old man picking strings on a broken
guitar, kids kicking a lat football through
the streets. Raul told me that in its heyday,
200 people lived here. Now only a handful
of families remain. They have to travel
hundreds of miles through the mountains
for everything they need. There’s no running
water, nothing to grow. It’s not quite a ghost
town, not yet. It’s worse; it’s a deathbed.
There’s already a wall — a wall of poverty,
depriving people of opportunity, education,
healthcare. One side of the river doesn’t have
enough to drink. On the other, I saw people
wash the grime of their boots with bottles of
iced Evian. But there’s a solution. Raul told
me that every summer, when the river runs
low, the locals hold a festival, Voices From
Both Sides, when Mexicans and Americans
come together in the middle of the Rio Grande
to celebrate, swim, play music and connect.
Rich and poor. Light and dark. Bridges, not
barriers. Border security, I realised, is just one
side of the story. It’s also as simple as being
good neighbours. The ight for America’s soul
is a choice: should we build walls or should we
tear them down? traveltexas.com
British travel writer Aaron Millar ran away from London
in 2013 and has been hiding out in the Rocky
Mountains of Boulder, Colorado ever since.
@AaronMWriter @AaronMWriter
 Havana
500 years of history

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The elegant Havana, portrayed in the works of countless artists and

writers, is celebrating the 500th anniversary of its founding. Iberostar
Hotels & Resorts is commemorating this historic occasion managing
three of the capital’s landmark hotels, Iberostar Grand Packard, Iberostar
Parque Central and Iberostar Habana Riviera. Tradition, exclusivity,
culture and modernity come together in those unique buildings.

Guests at the Iberostar hotels will have the opportunity to experience

Havana at its most elegant and refined, discovering its history and
rhythms from the best locations of one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful
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ONLINE

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W H AT ’ S D I F F E R E N T ?

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We’re taking our award-winning
storytelling over to a new home | T R AV EL V I D EO S |
as we become part of National
Geographic UK’s website. Find Whether we’re sharing the
work of travel videographers
JOSEPHINE PRICE,
us in the Travel section, sitting or producing our own, see
O N L I N E E D I TO R alongside everything else National more online

Geographic is known for, including

wildlife, environment, history and much more. As
always, you can expect to read all our magazine
features, reworked for online. But what’s more,
we’re bringing you a whole host of original stories,
plus a whole lot more of our visual storytelling.
Our photographers are always on the move and
we’re here to bring you the stories they capture.
Get in touch with us on social media and let us
know what you want more of. Whether you’re
| I N T ERV I E W S |
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immerse yourself in a story, we’re here to help Our monthly adventurer
series showcases the stories
you see more of the world in the most sustainable of intrepid individuals
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| N AT I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C . C O . U K / T R AV E L |

MO ST
RE AD
From picking the right
hiking boots to a surreal
Californian desert town
— here’s what you’ve
been reading online
FOOD
Deconstructing laksa
This Malaysian-Singaporean
fusion dish has a complex history
and seemingly infinite variations
INTERVIEW
Meet the adventurer
Olympic gold medallist Crista
Cullen explains what adventure
means to her
TRAVEL TIPS
Get the right hiking boots
An expert reveals what to look
for, the best time to buy, and how
to look after them

48 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 ONLINE

| W H AT EL S E YO U ’ L L FI N D
O N T H E W EB S I T E ... |

| S C I EN C E |

Technology and nature working

together to suck carbon from
the sky is the only way to tackle
climate change, scientists say

| H I S TO RY |

Neanderthal specialist Ella

Al-Shamahi explores the
world’s most dangerous regions
in search of clues to the origins
of humankind

| EN V I RO N M EN T |
| P H OTO S TO R I E S |

Each month we commission President Trump’s proposed

photographers to share the Mexican border wall could have
unique perspectives that major unintended consequences
their travels grant them for both wildlife and people

| N AT I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C . C O . U K / T R AV E L |

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

BOOKS ITALY USA PINTEREST

State of a nation What’s new in Pompeii? Sounds of the desert
Journalist Mike Carter retraces Fresh reasons to pay a visit to the California’s Pioneertown boasts
his father’s 1981 unemployment iconic archaeological site an attraction as otherworldly as
march route across the UK in Italy’s Campania region the landscape surrounding it

May 2019 49
 Weekender
LIMERICK
he Irish county is inally on the up — with revamped country
piles and a thriving food scene, not least the beauty of its
emerald-coloured landscapes. WORDS: Pól Ó Conghaile

“L
imerick is on the turn,” says Niall Sloane, Dean
of St Mary’s. Within the soaring walls of this
12th-century cathedral, the Dean reveals hidden
treasures: cannonballs from the 1691 Siege of Limerick and
a tiny opening in a wall known as a leper’s squint, once used
to pass Communion to suferers, but he isn’t referring to
these prized pieces. He’s talking up his city.
Despite being the third-largest in Ireland, Limerick
has found it tricky to shed old stereotypes of crime, grit
and Angela’s Ashes. But the forgotten child of Irish cities
is changing. Across the road, a mural depicting Sionna,
goddess of the River Shannon, brightens up the end of
a grey terrace. A short walk away, King John’s Castle is
sitting pretty ater a multimillion euro reboot, and a new
microbrewery is set to open on Nicholas Street.
The city feels cosy; then heaves into life as the home
of Munster rugby. It’s small enough to walk around in a
couple of hours; big enough for an expanding university
and chic hotels like One Pery Square, or the new Bedford
Townhouse. Ater years of gloom, a ‘Limerick 2030’ plan
has earmarked wasted spaces like the old Cleeve’s tofee
factory for regeneration. A thriving food scene has spilled
from the Milk Market into small businesses like Canteen
and La Cucina. “My children will be living in a very diferent
Limerick,” says columnist and tour guide Olivia O’Sullivan.
Beyond the city, County Limerick is a beautiful,
windswept patchwork of green that borders the Shannon
Estuary. Whether you opt to stay in the city or the country,
the county’s fascinating history is never far away, from
Ireland’s largest stone circle to curious little museums.

50 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 Old Irish ways
“Is it a labour of love?” I ask Denis O’Connor.
He’s showing me around the Old Irish Ways
Museum near Bruf in Caherguillamore.
“It’s a disease,” he laughs. Over the past
decade, this retired farmer has built an
entire museum from scratch in his back
garden. Exhibits range from a rebuilt ‘bar
without beer’ to old phones, railway signals
and grocery packaging. It feels strange at
irst, but the nostalgia soon proves seductive.
facebook.com/oldirishways

Lake of legends
‘Every seven years, so it’s said, Gur demands
the heart of a human being.’ So writes Mary
Carbery in her 1930s memoir, The Farm by
Lough Gur. People have lived around this
extraordinary lake, steeped in folklore, for
some 6,000 years, and you can’t turn a corner
without stumbling on a stone circle, Neolithic
settlement, hill fort or a medieval castle.
Summer solstice and October storytelling Denis O’Connor at Old Irish Ways
festivals are sweet times to visit. loughgur.com LEFT: Adare, County Limerick

Food, glorious food

A foodie crossroads since
1852, Limerick’s Milk
Market is a hive of hipster
and heritage lavours on
Saturdays. Follow a visit
with a cup of locally roasted
Anam cofee at the Green
Onion Café, a local lunch
box at Canteen or a gastro
pub meal overlooking the
water at the Curragower. 1826
Adare, serving contemporary
Irish food in a chic cottage,
is worth a detour too.
milkmarketlimerick.ie
wearecanteen.com
curragower.com 1826adare.ie

THREE TO TRY

ADARE MANOR, ADARE
Is this Ireland’s best ive-star hotel? With its
Hogwarts-worthy Gallery, Tom Fazio-designed golf
IMAGES: GETTY; ALAMY
Standout stays
THE BEDFORD TOWNHOUSE, LIMERICK THE MUSTARD SEED, BALLINGARRY
A city stay in a former clothing factory: Peter and This country house hotel, which sits atop a hill, gives
Denise Brazil teamed up with local designer Tullio visitors a warm welcome — there’s a roaring ire and

course and cocktail bar by London’s David Collins
Studio, a huge investment has lung Adare Manor
into the stratosphere. All this comes at a cost,
though, so off-season stays or afternoon tea are
ways to score luxury for less. adaremanor.com
Orlandi to create this 12-bedroom townhouse with
local lourishes ranging from its needle-and-thread
logo to moody heritage monochromes and Ponaire
coffee. Bang in the city centre, it’s perfect for
couples, or a rugby weekend away. thebedford.ie
a deep blue dining room where their modern Irish
makes use of the produce from the organic kitchen
gardens. From sash windows to a clutter of thank-
you cards on the mantelpiece, it feels like stepping
into another era. mustardseed.ie

May 2019 51
WEEKENDER
Dry stone walls outside
Kilrush, County Clare
EYEWITNESS
SWIFT AS THE WIND
I’m following in Taylor Swit’s footsteps.
It’s not normally how I travel, but tweeting
for suggestions before a trip to Limerick, I
was tipped of to the Knight’s Walk: a short,
two-and-a-half-mile trail starting by the
gates of Glin Castle. Apparently, Swit and
her boyfriend stayed here last Christmas,
and took a romantic stroll around this sweet
little circuit. And now here I am, passing a
fairy garden, a freshly dug badger’s set and
a misty forest as I scale the gentle elevation
towards a view over the Shannon Estuary
and a lush quilt of west coast farmland.
The Swit connection’s just the irst of
several surprises along the Shannon Estuary
Way, an 87-mile route linking Tarbert with
Kilrush in County Clare. Ater a quick slice
of sideways rain reminds me that I’m on
the blustery Wild Atlantic Way, I hop into
the car and follow the N69 towards Foynes.
Here, the Flying Boat Museum evokes an
unlikely chapter in transatlantic aviation
— a brief period during the Second World
War when Boeing 314 Clippers landed on
the river. “We’re just a village, but we were
Ryanair and Aer Lingus ly direct from airports including Stansted, Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester and
Edinburgh to Shannon, just a 20-minute drive from Limerick, from £36 one-way. ryanair.com aerlingus.com
52 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
the centre of the world once,” the guide tells
me, sharing stories of passengers including
JFK and Humphrey Bogart, who paid up
to $10,000 a ticket, lew overnight via
Newfoundland and woke up onboard to ind
their shoes freshly shined.
Moving towards Askeaton, I travel further
back in time. “Welcome to the second-oldest
town in Ireland,” says Anthony Sheehy,
the 77-year-old butcher-turned-tour guide SEIZE THE MOMENT
who greets me. He walks me around the
12th-century castle that lords it over the In 1919, the workers
River Deel. Anthony points out the marks of Limerick defied
of medieval wickerwork in its ceiling
vaults,and marvel at the old banqueting hall. the British Army to
Nearby, the superbly preserved cloisters of seize control of their
a ruined Franciscan friary are so moody you
could imagine ghostly monks even in the
city, taking over the
summer sun. distribution of food,
From Limerick, the Estuary Way doglegs
goods and even
west past Bunratty Castle & Folk Park,
brushing though County Clare towards printing their own
Kilrush. I don’t think Taylor Swit made it currency for two
IMAGE: GETTY; ALAMY
this far, but hey — that’s all the more reason
for her to return. wildatlanticway.com weeks. Limerick Soviet
100 celebrates this
event’s centenary this
year. limerick.ie
Lifestyle has a new expression in Santorini
OPENING IN JUNE
2019

www.andronisarcadia.com | info@andronisarcadia.com
 IMAGES: GETTY; AWL IMAGES

54 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 Eat
SINGAPORE
Home to Michelin-starred restaurants and hawker stalls,
the island nation is where Asian lavours converge
with unique results. Words: Audrey Gillan
“W
e eat breakfast and talk about
what we’re going to have for
lunch. And when we have
lunch we’re talking about dinner. And by the
time dinner has come we’re sorting out the
next day’s meal.” As she’s talking, my friend
Beverly Chan takes out a packet of tissues
and places them on a table outside 88 Hong
Kong Roast Meat Specialist — the customary
Singaporean way to claim seats — before we
join the queue outside the roast meat stall.
Beverly’s voice carries above the sound
of wind chimes from the Tibetan temple
across the street here in Kallang district. She
tells me about Singapore’s obsession with
food and how her husband, Lyndsey, thinks
nothing of trekking all the way across this
small Southeast Asian island city state in
search of his favourite lavours.
We return to our table with plates of sio bak
(crispy-fried pork belly) and glossy char siew
(barbecued pork). The latter makes Lyndsey
beam. “This is diferent from how they do it
in Hong Kong,” he says. “ Here, they use gula
FROM LEFT: Hokkien melaka [smoky, caramelised palm sugar] and
prawn noodle dish; maltose to sweeten the meat before charring
Clarke Quay and roasting it. Plus, there’s the chilli sauces
— Singaporeans must have chilli. We’re
blessed with some of the best food in the
world. Our collective cultures are Chinese,
Malay, Indian and Eurasian. Because of our
location, we’re a real melting pot.”
Located in the Strait of Malacca, the main
shipping route between the Indian and
Paciic Oceans, Singapore has long been a
magnet for traders from China, Malaysia,
India, Indonesia and Europe. It’s this role as
a crossroads of cultures, and thus cooking
styles, that make hawker centres (food halls)
like this such a joy to explore. The best of
them excel at one dish — some accruing stars
and Bib Gourmands by the Michelin Guide
in acknowledgement of this excellence. As
we tuck in, a hawker chef known as Fei Zhai
(‘fat boy’) stops to say hello and chat about
the food. He’s also travelled 40 minutes just
for this char siew. As he walks away with
bags illed with his porky bounty, Beverly
says, “Good hawkers like that are cash rich.
That’s a solid gold watch he’s wearing. They
begin early in the morning, around 3am, go
to the market and then prep and cook until
everything is sold out — sometimes that can
be 10am.”
May 2019 55
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Such is the love of hawker culture (called
thus because vendors once sold their wares
from street carts before being forced to switch
to permanent stalls in food halls, for hygiene
reasons) that Singapore’s powers to be have
nominated it for inclusion on UNESCO’s
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage of Humanity. With many locals
eating most of their meals out, centres act as
community dining rooms. And the food is
cheap, with dishes rarely costing more than
£2. My favourite is the Tiong Bahru market,
with stalls downstairs selling ish, meat,
vegetables and fruit and a hawker centre
upstairs. The added bonus here is that it’s
located in a leafy neighbourhood lined with
fabulous early 20th-century architecture.
Next, Lyndsey takes me to an out-of-the-
way hawker stall, Rahim Muslim Food, set
amid a cluster of public housing in the Ang
Mo Kio district. We’re here for mee rebus,
a gloopy dish of blanched egg noodles in a
sauce made from chicken stock, galangal,
lemongrass, sweet potatoes, tapioca, curry
powder and sugar, topped with a hardboiled
egg, spring onion, coriander, fresh green
chilli and satay sauce. “It’s spicy, sweet and
savoury. Everything about Singapore culture
in one dish,” he says. “People will queue for
more than an hour for this dish.”
IMAGES: ALAMY; GETTY
FROM LEFT: Hawker stall,
Tiong Bahru Market;
chilli crab
A stroll through Little India ofers an
insight into how one dish can speak cultural
volumes. Here, where mosques and Hindu
and Buddhist temples lank the streets,
ish-head curry is a perfect example of
how cooking adapts through generations,
cultures and appetites. Created in 1949 by
an Indian chef (who used ish heads because
they were cheap), it employs Indian spices
and fresh pineapple for sweetness, it was an
instant hit with the local Chinese.
We later head to the Katong neighbourhood,
to call in at ENG’s Char Siew Wantan Mee
for its wonton mee — handmade egg noodles
tossed in hot pig fat, then placed in a bowl
illed with pork stock, soy sauce, Chinese kale,
and slices of char siew, boiled pork wontons,
pickled green chili and crispy pork fat, served
with a broth made from pork and dried
scallops. “I’ve ordered an extra portion of
deep-fried wontons,” says Lyndsey with glee.
But we need to save room; the area is
also home to the famous Katong laksa, a
broth made from coconut milk, chilli, dried
shrimps and herbs, topped with prawns and
noodles. Historic Peranakan shop houses line
Katong’s streets, painted in bright colours
and decorated with tiles — oten featuring
art deco-style lowers and motifs — imported
by rich merchants. Meaning ‘locally born’
EAT
Five Singapore food finds
SINGAPORE CHILLI CRAB
Stir-fried crab covered with a
sweet-savoury, spicy, tomato-
based sauce, oten served
with steamed or deep-fried
mantous (buns).
NONYA KUEH
These sot, wobbly cakes derive
from Peranakan cuisine and are
made from eggs, glutinous rice
lour, sago, coconut, beans, syrup
and pandan leaves.
HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE
Sot, lufy rice cooked with
chicken stock, garlic, shallots and
pandan leaves, accompanied by
poached chicken, topped with
a soy and sesame oil sauce and
served with iery chilli sauce and
fresh, minced ginger.
LAKSA
A spicy, coconut milk-based
noodle soup; Singapore’s
most famous version is
Katong laksa, made with dried
shrimp and frequently topped
with cockles, prawns and
a ishcake.
POPIAH
Spring rolls stufed with shredded
lettuce, bean sprouts, braised,
julienned turnip, garlic, and
Chinese sausage, plus lashings of
chilli sauce and sweet bean sauce.
May 2019 57
EAT
Atlas bar
in Malay, Peranakan or Straits Chinese, are
of mixed Chinese and Malay/Indonesian
heritage; their culture continues to spawn
some of Singapore’s most distinctive decor,
clothing and, of course, food.
At Michelin-starred restaurant Candlenut,
I chat to self-taught Peranakan chef Malcolm
Lee, who uses recipes he learned from his
grandmother for inspiration. “My ah ma
just cooked what was available that day and
everything was delicious, and so I do the
same, changing the menu depending on
what’s available at the market,” he says.
“The idea is to combine local ingredients
with Peranakan culture, but do it diferently.
So, we’d use lamb neck for our satay — which
is sot and juicy — rather than, say, illet, leg
or breast. Everything I cook is connected
to a story. The combination might not be so
traditional, but there’s a story behind it.”
Candlenut’s signature ‘ah-ma-kase’ dinner
menu is a reined journey through family,
history, culture and local produce. The curry
of char siew pork is served on a potato cake
with buah keluak, the seed of the kepayang
tree — poisonous unless cooked properly. “It
tastes almost like chocolate,” Lee tells me.
Singapore’s Michelin-starred restaurant
scene is complemented by an equally
sophisticated drinks scene. The island
currently has ive cocktail venues on The
World’s 50 Best Bars list. Sitting at number
three is Manhattan, a glitzy bar with a
negroni-ageing room lined with barrels
that can be bought for around £1,700. The
58 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
negroni I have here is the best I’ve ever
tasted. At number eight is Atlas, a grand, art
deco-inspired palace that houses the world’s
largest collection of gins: over 1,000 types.
But my favourite, at number 13, is Native:
a little bar where local ingredients such as
laksa (a herb) and pandan (a tropical plant)
leaf and jackfruit seeds are cherished. “We
started the back bar with just 12 bottles,”
says founder and mixologist Vijay Mudaliar.
“We were learning as we go. We have a
fermentation and distillation area upstairs
and we’re always developing lavours.”
Native is not alone; Singapore is home to
dozens of microbreweries and bars selling
crat beers. But for me, it’s hard to beat a
Tiger beer — born here back in 1932, it’s
up there with the Singapore sling as one
of this tiny country’s most far-reaching
cultural exports. On my inal aternoon
— hot and humid — I sit with Lyndsey and
Beverly outside a cofee shop in the art deco
neighbourhood of Tiong Bahru. The owner
brings over a small bucket of ice and urges us
to add some to our glasses to “beat the heat”
and “enhance the lavour of the beer”. It’s
hardly a celebrated crat beer technique, but
it is a wonderful last taste of Singapore.
Wexas Travel offers a ive-night stay in Singapore
from £1,200 per person, based on two sharing. This
includes breakfast, private transfers and return lights
to Singapore with Qantas from Heathrow. wexas.com
qantas.com visitsingapore.com
A TASTE OF
Singapore
CANDLENUT
Named ater a relative of
the macadamia, Candlenut
showcases reined Peranakan
food. The ‘ah-ma-kase’ dinner
and lunch menus include such
delicacies as blue swimmer crab
curried with turmeric, galangal
and lime leaf; and snow fungus
and osmanthus (a lowering plant)
soup, shaved young coconut
ice with sago pearls and barley.
Set lunch £49 and dinner £71
per person. comodempsey.sg/
restaurant/candlenut
WOK ’N’ STROLL
Embark on a guided exploration
of hawker food with Singapore
food tour company Wok ’n’ Stroll.
Fuel up with a breakfast of kopi
(cofee with condensed milk)
and chwee kueh (steamed rice
cakes topped with preserved
turnip and served with sambal
chilli sauce). Then head to a local
wet market that’s home to Bib
Gourmand-awarded stall Tiong
Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Hokkien
Mee to sample its hokkien mee (a
fried noodle dish). The two-three-
hour Hawker Discovery tour,
including all food and drink, costs
around S$100 (£56) per person,
guided by Karni Toner, an Israeli
cook transplanted to Singapore.
woknstroll.com.sg
KENG ENG KEE SEAFOOD
This family-run restaurant
specialises in the cuisine of
Hainan, a Chinese island province.
Dishes include black pepper crab,
IMAGE: EK YAP PHOTOGRAPHY
cofee pork ribs, ginger and onion
deer meat, and claypot beancurd
sea cucumber. Noisy and fun, chef
Wayne Liew has created a hawker
centre ambience with table
service. From £15 per person for a
starter and main course with rice
or noodles. kek.com.sg
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 Neighbourhood
STOCKHOLM
Spread across 14 islands, the Swedish capital’s eclectic neighbourhoods are
where mansions and former royal hunting grounds sit alongside sleek design
stores, pop-up markets and countless ika-friendly cafes. Words: Ben Lerwill

ILLUSTRATION: KERRY HYNDMAN; IMAGES: GETTY

The city the locals call Mälardrottningen (‘the Queen of Lake Mälar’) has the kind
of open, trend-setting spirit that leaves you dreaming of a move. Scattered across
14 pretty islands, stylish, self-assured Stockholm is home to some brilliant visitor
attractions, but the hard part is prising yourself away from the cafes to it them all
in. The one-time heart of the Swedish Empire also has serious history, although
today’s city is more deined by its design and tech obsessions than by the cobbled
Gamla Stan (Old Town). Come for the galleries, the food and the chance to linger
on bridges under big Nordic skies. Come for a look at a European capital that
marries old-world stateliness with cutting-edge lair — and gets it right.

60 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: Lisa Elmqvist,
Östermalms Saluhall; Rosendals
Trädgård; Modernity

Östermalm
Built to host the 1912 Olympic Games, the
handsome, red-brick Stockholm Olympic
Stadium is so small by today’s standards that
you could easily walk past without a second
glance — unless, that is, the statues of its
naked wrestlers catch your eye. I turn from
the stadium to see 20 dogs, none bigger than
a handbag, obediently trotting behind the
same owner — a sight beitting Stockholm’s
most elegant neighbourhood, formed when
wealthy merchants ran out of space in Gamla
Stan and moved north. It was modelled on
Paris, and its tree-lined boulevards and tall
townhouses still house many of the city’s
leading restaurants and shops.
At Modernity, a showroom illed with
sleek retro furniture, I chat to co-owner
Isaac Pineus. “We’re the prime source for
vintage pieces from the Nordic design
masters,” he tells me, stroking a 1950s table
top. The prime source in Stockholm? “No,
in Scandinavia.”
Close by, on the shoreline esplanade
of Strandvägen, sits another shop with
a weighty reputation. Svenskt Tenn has
been a ixture since the 1920s, and its
hetily priced interior design pieces are
to IKEA what Michelin-starred dining is
to meatballs.
The winters are so long in Stockholm that
most of its pharmacies sell crampons to
combat snowy streets. But while the darker
months add a certain ilmic frisson to the
city’s character, they also mean its bars and
cafes are designed to be lingered in at length
— a perk that can be appreciated year-round,
not least in Östermalm.
“I need a fika every day — I’d die if not,”
smiles guide Elisabeth Daude, as we settle
down to cofee and cinnamon buns in the
decorative surrounds of Karla Café. We’re
discussing the now-hip Swedish pastime
of taking time out with a hot drink and
pastries. “It’s not about walking around
with a takeaway cup. It implies sitting
down and talking.”
There’s plenty of this going on at nearby
Östermalms Saluhall, a smart covered
market packed with deli counters and
well-dressed diners. I eat butter-fried perch
at seafood spot Lisa Elmqvist, while the
server explains that today’s market is in a
temporary home until 2020. “But,” he says,
pointing up at the neat raters, “it’s won
awards.” Very Stockholm, indeed.

May 2019 61
NEIGHBOURHOOD

Djurgården restoration (around 98% of what’s on show

When in Stockholm...
TAKE TO THE WATER
It’s not called ‘the Venice of the
North’ for nothing — regular
ferries (increasing in frequency in
summer) run between Gamla Stan
and Djurgården, Tickets can be
bought on the quay.
TOUR THE TUNNELBANA
Stockholm’s metro is reliable,
simple, and oten eye-catching
— more than 90 of its 100 stations
have been decorated by artists.
Look out for the rainbow artworks
at Stadion and the trippy grotto
that is Kungsträdgården.
There’s a heron lying over ABBA The
Museum. One of the great assets of Sweden’s
capital is how easy it is to ind pockets of
nature, and there’s no simpler way of doing
this than catching a tram out to the island
of Djurgården. For centuries a royal hunting
ground — moose and reindeer once roamed
here, and roe deer still do — the island is
still almost entirely given over to woodland.
The key exception to this is found along the
western shore, where a cluster of big-ticket
museums draws the masses.
Three, in particular, stand out. The
irst is the achingly trendy Liljevalchs art
gallery, with its temporary exhibitions of
contemporary art. The second is the pricey
but fun ABBA The Museum, which follows
the band from folksinging wannabes to
world-beating pop titans. I ind their old
dressing room riders fascinating — turns out
they were a whisky-and-coke bunch — and
the museum is glossy and upbeat enough to
justify its claim that you’ll ‘walk in, dance
out’. Via the git shop, obviously.
The third is the world-class Vasa Museum,
showcasing a colossal, 17th-century warship
salvaged from the deep almost 400 years
ater it sank. It serves not only as a marvel of
is original) but also a reminder of quite how
much prestige Sweden had in the 1600s. It’s
tempting to see the lavish attention to detail
in the ship’s construction as a forerunner to
Stockholm’s present-day fascination with
design — although it did sink.
Visitors who’ve had their history ix,
might want to take a walk — the best way to
really appreciate Djurgården. “It’s a place to
breathe,” one sturdy-booted local tells me,
before recommending some of her favourite
trails on the island. It’s hard to go wrong,
really — I follow a twisting path along the
shore and into the interior, winding past
ancient oak trees, copses of ir and the odd
forebodingly silent mansion. The Scandi noir
atmosphere would be complete were it not
for the birds — blue tits tumble from branch
to branch while geese and mergansers
loat ofshore. It’s a joy to be surrounded by
such rural scenery while the steeples of the
city are still visible across the water. Ater
an hour, I steer myself to the Rosendals
Trädgård garden, where a cafe set in a pair
of greenhouses lit by fairy lights provides
exactly what you’d want it to: homemade
cakes, organic lunches and a warmth so cosy
that the minutes become hours.

DON’T SPLASH THE CASH

With Stockholm rapidly becoming
a cash-free city, paying with
banknotes is oten impossible.
Think twice before withdrawing
wads of cash at the ATM, and
ensure your bank card is working.

MAKE TIME FOR MUSEUMS

Stockholm has a lot of museums.
A particularly fascinating one is
Bergrummet - Tidö Collection of
Toys & Comics. Housed in former
military tunnels on the tiny island
of Skeppsholmen, you’ll ind a
huge, lovingly curated jumble of
toys and comics from the 17th
century to the present day.

EAT WELL
Fine dining options include
Ekstedt and Operakällen, while
on Gamla Stan, Hermitage is a
great little spot with delicious
veggie bufet lunches, and in
Östermalm, the irst loor of the
Paradiset organic supermarket
sells quality street food.

62 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

Södermalm
One of the city’s high points, in at least
one sense, is Skinnarviksberget. The small
rocky plateau requires a mild clamber to
reach, but the views it grants over the rest
of Södermalm and the islands beyond make
it worthwhile. It’s somewhere to come
with a picnic (rye bread and Svecia cheese,
perhaps) and time to spare — all the better
to gaze over a city that’s steadily grown into
Scandinavia’s largest.
Södermalm itself is perched on low
granite clifs and was traditionally a
working-class area. These days it gets
pointed to by fashionistas as one of the
coolest neighbourhoods in Europe, its
numerous bars and boutiques unafraid to do
things their own way. I’m especially taken by
Lakritsroten, a store dedicated solely to the
wonders of liquorice. The white chocolate
version is well worth a try.
IMAGES: GETTY; LENA GRANEFELT; JENNY HAMMAR
I get waylaid, too, at Bottle Shop, which
only sells crat beers lower than 3.5%.
“Swedish law says that anything stronger
can only be sold from government outlets,”
co-owner Fredrik Glejpner explains,
pouring me a bourbon-infused sour ale.
“We stock 100 beers, and half are brewed
here in Sweden.”
Fredrik also tells me he was one of the
brains behind the rebranding of the area
south of the Folkungagatan thoroughfare
as SoFo. Gems here include Il Cafè — part
lorist, part bakery, part laptop cafe; the
NEIGHBOURHOOD
charming The English Bookshop and the MORE INFO
secondhand clothes shop POP Stockholm,
which does a good line in chunky sweaters. Modernity. modernity.se
There’s no escaping the fact that Svenskt Tenn. svenskttenn.se
Stockholm can be expensive, but further Karla Café. karlacafe.se
Östermalms Saluhall.
south I ind the excellent Teatern, a shopping
ostermalmshallen.se
centre food court with stalls ofering dishes
ABBA The Museum.
from well-known Swedish chefs. Here, you abbathemuseum.com
can eat well for a tenner, joining the locals on Liljevalchs. liljevalchs.se
multi-tiered seating (a nod to venue’s name, Vasa Museum. vasamuseet.se
which translates as ‘theatre’) and tucking Rosendals Trädgård.
into anything from vegan burgers to seafood rosendalstradgard.se
ramen. Lakritsroten. lakritsroten.se
Bottle Shop. bottleshop.se
The neighbourhood’s undoubted cultural
Il Caffè. ilcaffe.se
highlight, however, is Fotograiska, a large
The English Bookshop. bookshop.se
waterside photography gallery in a former POP Stockholm. popstockholm.com
customs house. The major exhibitions Teatern. ringencentrum.se/teatern
change every few months, but you can Fotograiska. fotograiska.com
expect big names and powerful stories. Omnipollos Hatt. omnipolloshatt.com
It’s worth every krona, twice over. And if Akkurat. akkurat.se
you subsequently ind yourself in need of Bergrummet - Tidö Collection of Toys &
somewhere to unwind, there’s the house Comics. bergrummet.com
Paradiset. paradiset.com
beers and sourdough pizzas at Omnipollos
thelocal.se
Hatt (“It translates as ‘godlike chicken hat’,
visitstockholm.com
but I don’t know why,” the barman tells me)
and the pub-like clamour of Akkurat.
Scandinavian Airlines lies between Heathrow and
Stockholm Arlanda Airport from £55 one way.
Downtown Camper by Scandic is centrally located with
bumper breakfasts, a rooftop wellness area and
activities including yoga, jogging and meditation. FROM LEFT: Fotograiska; endive with
Standard doubles from 1550 SEK (£129.40), B&B. grilled beetroot and elderberry capers,
lysas.com scandichotels.com Fotograiska
May 2019 63
 Sleep
BARBADOS
Barbados’a traditional landmark hotels have been welcoming visitors for over a
century, but this Caribbean island idyll is also home to a crop of chic boutique
boltholes, smart self-catering cottages and eco-lodges. Words: Nigel Tisdall

Barbados has long typiied the picture-postcard Caribbean escape — its tricolour
of golden sands, lush greenery and turquoise waters has been enchanting visitors
since the 19th century. Today the island’s renowned for its bevy of well-established,
high-class hotels centred around Holetown and Speightstown, where guests are
pampered silly with sea views, lufy towels and fruity cocktails. Many of these ill
up during the peak season (mid-December to late April), ater which room rates
drop by a third. Bridgetown and the south coast are more congested, home to
IMAGES: GETTY; IANA IANAKIEVA

karaoke bars and sprawling resorts, but the wave-lashed Atlantic coast remains
rugged and pleasingly underdeveloped. Many travellers opt for great-value, all-
inclusive deals, but Barbados also does a ine line in discreetly chic, small hotels
dotted across the island — perfect for that unspoilt spot of paradise.

F
64 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
For a touch of class
CORAL REEF CLUB
Opened in 1952, this distinguished west coast
resort is a leafy beachfront sanctuary set
in 12 acres of mature gardens. It’s been run
with great dedication by the O’Hara family
for more than six decades and attracts many
regulars, but is far from stufy. The 88 rooms
are generously sized with a chic, country
house style — only the grand Plantation
Suites have a TV while the entry-level Garden
Rooms are a good choice for parents with
young children. There’s an elegant spa, two
pools, tennis and watersports. Menus veer
towards the traditional, with plenty more
dining options in nearby Holetown.
ROOMS: Doubles from $505 (£386), B&B.
coralreebarbados.com

May 2019 65
SLEEP

For a taste of the wild east

THE ATLANTIS HISTORIC INN
This characterful seven-room boutique hotel
in Tent Bay is a good place to enjoy the wind
and waves of the island’s less-developed
Atlantic coast. Vintage photographs of the
Barbados Light Railway that once ran past
here adorn its walls and while the hotel dates
from the late 19th century, its buildings
received a stylish colonial-look makeover
in 2009. Four rooms have a direct ocean
view, and all are large with a four-poster
bed, wooden loors, period furnishings, air
conditioning and TV.
ROOMS: Doubles from $340 (£260), B&B.
atlantishotelbarbados.com

66 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 SLEEP

For beach bums

FAIRMONT ROYAL PAVILION
This luxury, family-friendly beach resort in
St James couldn’t get much closer to the sea.
Its 72 rooms and suites are set in two three-
storey blocks and recently beneited from a
multimillion-dollar upgrade that introduced
a light, contemporary feel featuring natural
woods and the vibrant work of Bajan artist
Sheena Rose. The top-loor Signature
Oceanfront Rooms promise superb views and
privacy, the ground-level Beachfront Suites
have an extended patio and butler service,
while in between lie the more afordable
Luxury Oceanfront Rooms. Every morning
there’s a free trip to see the local turtles, and
there’s a spa and tennis courts.
ROOMS: Doubles from $648 (£495), B&B.
fairmont.com/barbados

For added value

COLONY CLUB BY
ELEGANT HOTELS
In 2018, the Colony Club celebrated its 70th
anniversary by replacing its business centre
with a Rum Vault boasting a global collection
of 150 rums. That’s typical of the go-ahead
style of this warm-hearted beach resort just
north of Holetown, notable for ofering its
guests numerous complimentary activities
including an island tour, ishing trips and
water-taxi service. The 96 rooms come in a
smart, well-appointed style and are set in a
narrow ribbon of pools and gardens covering
seven acres. Shaded by tall casuarina trees, the
beach can feel congested, but this remains one
of the most inviting stops on the west coast.
ROOMS: Doubles from $539 (£412), B&B.
eleganthotels.com/colony-club

May 2019 67
 SLEEP

For all-inclusive indulgence

SEA BREEZE BEACH HOUSE
The Bajan owners and cheerful staf at this
four-star, all-inclusive beach resort in Christ
Church clearly want their guests to have a good
time: think bubbling hot tubs, a rum shop,
two beaches, three pools, four restaurants and
sparkling wine at sunset. While the three-acre
site has a disjointed feel, with 122 rooms spread
across three buildings, these now include 44
Luxury Collection suites unveiled in May 2018
that ill a six-storey block with terriic views.
If you like your resort busy and sociable with
plenty of treats, look no further.
ROOMS: Doubles from $761 (£581), all-inclusive.
sea-breeze.com

For country house comforts For a family affair For seafood & surf
IMAGE: WINTER PARK PHOTOGRAPHY

SWEETFIELD MANOR COCONUT COURT BEACH HOTEL ECOLIFESTYLE & LODGE

Not fussed about staying by the beach? This elegant
1900s mansion rests on a rise overlooking Bridgetown,
with three acres of gardens, a jungle-wrapped pool
and some 30 peacocks. Now converted into a high-end
boutique hotel, Sweetield Manor has 10 rooms — some
are in the main building with antiques and four-poster
beds, while others are in an adjacent building.
ROOMS: Doubles from $266 (£203), B&B.
sweetieldmanor.com
The south coast of Barbados may be heavily developed,
but one of its main joys is its crop of independently-
owned resorts. Coconut Court Beach Hotel is a ine
example, run by the Blades family for over 40 years.
Set beside Hastings Beach, it has 112 sea view rooms,
each with a balcony and mini-kitchen. Avoid the dated
Standard rooms in favour of the refurbished Superiors.
ROOMS: Doubles from $186 (£142), room only.
coconut-court.com
In February last year, this white wooden guesthouse
on a hillside overlooking Tent Bay was taken over by
a couple from New York who are slowly transforming
it into an eco-sensitive east coast getaway. They’ve
started with the tiny Eco Restaurant, which now serves
a meat-free menu. Nearly all the 10 rooms have a king-
size bed and kitchenette.
ROOMS: Doubles from $142 (£108), room only.
ecolifestylelodge.com

May 2019 69
SLEEP

For a gourmet getaway

LITTLE GOOD HARBOUR
Tucked away in the far north west of the island
at Shermans, this well-established family-
run resort ofers the best of both worlds for
food lovers. Cooks will appreciate the full
kitchen facilities in its 20 plushly-furnished
cottages and suites, which have up to three
bedrooms, and you can pick up freshly caught
ish in nearby Six Men’s Bay. The hotel, which
welcomes families, also has an acclaimed
waterfront restaurant, Fish Pot, set in a former
17th-century fort. The menu includes curries,
fresh ish and interesting salads. There are two
pools and a small spa, and the abiding mood is
civilised and tranquil.
ROOMS: Doubles from $325 (£248), room only.
littlegoodharbourbarbados.com

For a chic bolthole

GIBBS GLADE COTTAGE &
GARDEN STUDIOS
Just across the road from the golden sands of
Mullins Beach, this ensemble of one cottage
and three studios suits independent-minded
travellers who prefer to steer clear of the
big resorts. Assiduously maintained by its
helpful British owners, the compact site
includes a 35t pool, and a barbecue. There’s
IMAGE: @JCHALBAUDIMAGES

not much privacy, but the friendly welcome,

decent wi-i, air conditioning and proximity
to Holetown and Speightstown make this an
appealing stop. Rates include daily cleaning
and a complimentary welcome kit with fresh
milk, cofee, beer and rum.
ROOMS: Doubles from $77 (£59), room only.
gibbsglade.com

70 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
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PARTNER CONTENT

turn on
E X PL OR E
MODE
Adventure doesn’t exist in the realm of
the unattainable. It’s fed by curiosity,
and as human beings, that’s something
we have a lot of. You just need to be
conscious of your own limits, then try to
push past them in a way that’s achievable
but invigorating. We all have an explore
mode that empowers us to switch of the
phone, escape our echo chambers and
get out there. All it takes is the will to
activate it with The North Face.

IN THE WILD
There’s a lot to be said for
switching of the phone and
getting lost — safely, that is.
Pack a map or guide book, just
in case, and head of into the
wilderness. With a bit of prep
and the right equipment, most of
us are better suited to having a
ramble in the wild than we think.
WHERE TO GO: Pollino National
Park in southern Italy is a
relatively remote spot perfect
for an adventure. The park is
veined with hiking trails along
streams and rocky ridges, and
is also home to the stunning
Pollino and Orsomarso massifs.
PARTNER CONTENT
ON THE TRAIL ESSENTIALS
Even the most urban of us can
reach trails within just a few
THE NORTH FACE
hours of the city. All you need
The North Face’s fundamental
to do is a bit of research, strap mission remains unchanged since
on your boots and set of. While 1966: Provide the best gear for
solo hikes provide sustaining athletes and the modern explorer,
doses of peace and quiet, life support the preservation of the
on the trail is even better when outdoors, and dare to move the
shared with friends. world forward, through exploration.
WHERE TO GO: Epping Forest,
on the edge of London, is both
convenient and accessible, and
ofers amazing woodland hiking
trails. Keep an eye out for black
fallow deer as you skirt ancient
oaks and check out the remains
of an Iron Age hill fort.
Tu r n o n E x p l o r e M o d e w i t h t h e n o r t h fa c e . c o . u k
Living
for
the

74 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 Of all the cities in the world, which ones are truly special?
Which ones are having a moment? And which keep true city
lovers coming back for more? To find out, we asked over 50
of our regular contributors to name their favourites — and to
tell us why. From big-hitters like New York to second cities
such as Hanoi, here are the cities that travel writers adore

city
IMAGES: GETTY

May 2019 75
CITIES

New York City

A given on any best city list, NYC is the metropolis that always
amazes, from its highbrow culture to sky-high views
Words: Sarah Barrell & Ben Lerwill

PREVIOUS PAGES, CLOCKWISE FROM

LEFT: Times Square, New York City;
Camps Bay, Cape Town; blues guitarist,
Apple Barrel bar, New Orleans; number
28 tram, Lisbon; ‘Train Street’, Hanoi
FROM LEFT: View of Manhattan;
The High Line, Manhattan; Frida Kahlo
photograph at the Brooklyn Museum

76 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

WHEN DID NYC FIRST MAKE SENSE TO YOU?
SB: A few weeks ater moving to Manhattan,
I conceded that my favoured lunch on the
run, a tuna sandwich and a bottle of water,
was a goner. Ordered in an English accent,
it’s a perfect storm of short vowels and hard
‘T’s that bales Americans. Afecting a New
York accent only made it worse. Deli staf
would ix me with me with an irate ‘don’t
mess with me, lady, time is money’ look.
IMAGES: GETTY; BROOKLYN MUSEUM, EMILY WINTHROP MILES FUND, 2010.80. PHOTO BY NICKOLAS MURAY,
Finally, the penny dropped: this was a hard-
assed island with a dollar-driven edge — not
a touristy funfair ride. Time to switch to a
Diet Coke and pastrami on rye.
BL: I ran the New York Marathon in November
2001, less than two months ater 9/11, and
it was as if the event had given the city a
release. The entire population of Brooklyn
and Queens seemed to have poured onto the
streets. On Lafayette Avenue, a boy leant out
©NICKOLAS MURAY PHOTO ARCHIVES. (PHOTO: BROOKLYN MUSEUM)
of the crowd and pressed jelly beans into my
hand. In Manhattan, where the route turns
onto First Avenue, the energy was electric.
What it underlined was that as well as the city
being one of the most eulogised on the planet,
for millions of people it’s home.
IF YOU WERE THERE NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU
DO FIRST?
SB: I’d walk my old manor: north along
Lexington from Midtown, the Chrysler
Building’s scalloped peaks appearing at
intervals as I do so. Into the tatty Tramway
Plaza thoroughfare, where cable-cars lit
commuters to Roosevelt Island, and the
hulking Queensboro Bridge stretches
across to Queens. North, through genteel
areas. West, along tree-lined streets where
CITIES
Museums we love
B R O O K LY N M U S E U M
Holding its own against
the big-name Manhattan
galleries, Brooklyn’s colossal
art museum is a corker.
This imposing beaux-arts
building in Prospect Heights
houses a large section
given over to antiquity,
as well as a permanent
collection spanning
buildings gather ornate gargoyles and American greats, from
elegant awnings. At their end, Central Park: Edward Hopper to Georgia
a vast clearing amid the skyscrapers. Here I’d O’Keeffe, and fantastic
step into the green and kick of my shoes to temporary exhibitions.
feel the city’s pulse under my feet. brooklynmuseum.org
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT THIS CITY? TENEMENT MUSEUM
BL: It’s so explorable. You can walk past a hip New York has an
restaurant, then seconds later be outside a extraordinary human past,
hosiery store that looks stuck in the 1950s. and the Lower East Side’s
It’s so familiar too, even for irst-time visitors Tenement Museum takes
— from the cab drivers to the zigzagging ire an immersive look at its
escapes and the sidewalk hustlers. numberless immigrants
— the people who crossed
DESCRIBE AN IDEAL DAY IN NYC oceans and endured often
SB: Start with an long brunch somewhere horriic living conditions to
— just be sure it includes breakfast potatoes give shape to the city we
(a sterling North American invention). Walk know today. Guided tours
of the excess along the Hudson River’s of the recreated apartments
gentrifying boardwalks, onto the High offer a glimpse at how
Line elevated park. Drit through Chelsea’s families lived in the 19th
galleries and Soho’s overpriced boutiques, century. tenement.org
and into Nolita, where bar-hoppers have a
rainbow of choice. Then funnel into a gig at MUSEUM OF THE
a Lower East Side venue, ater which stumble M OV I N G I M A G E
across the wind-blasted Williamsburg Bridge In the heart of the artistic
to Bedford Avenue for tacos and dancing. enclave of Astoria, this
museum celebrates cinema
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE NEIGHBOURHOOD? and pop culture. Visitors
BL: Greenpoint in Brooklyn — it’s become hip can create stop-motion
but still feels authentic. animations, make a lipbook
SB: The Lower East Side for immigration-era of themselves, play vintage
tenements and indie music joints. arcade games or take in
the stockpile of artefacts
Take a tour of New York led by a local, covering used in Hollywood’s heyday.
everything from art and architecture to where movingimage.us
to ind the best pizza and Central Park hikes.
Duration and prices vary: bigapplegreeter.org
May 2019 77
CITIES

Lisbon
It’s got good looks and a great location, but it’s Lisbon’s party
spirit and culinary culture that make it the city of the moment
Words: Amelia Duggan & Audrey Gillan

WHEN DID LISBON FIRST REALLY MAKE SENSE

TO YOU?
AD: It certainly wasn’t during my irst visit,
when I inadvertently caught the city in the
throes of its biggest street party, the annual
Santo António Festival, held every 12-14 June.
It was an overwhelming introduction: bands
on street corners, litre cocktails sold for a
handful of euros, and locals grilling sardines
on smoky barbecues. I didn’t think it was a
representative portrait of the city. But when I
visited again, over an insigniicant weekend,
I found that same warmth and irreverent joie
de vivre all over the place — from family-run
restaurants in Bairro Alto to dive bars in Cais
Vinho & vinyl
though, the darkness was beginning to shit
and the city was dusting herself down.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT THIS CITY?
AD: The drama of its historical relics and the
soulfulness of its working-class traditions
are a winning combination. And it’s good
value. In the same day, you can dine out
afordably in the palatial ballroom of Casa
do Alentejo and later sip cherry liqueur with
IMAGES: GETTY; 4CORNERS IMAGES; INSTAGRAM: @BARCAPITAOLEITAO

do Sodré. elderly lisboetas outside A Ginjinha. It’s a

AG: Eight years ago. A brightness bounced
up from the Tagus River across rootops,
over blue-and-white tiles and yellow-
fronted buildings, and along streets laid
with intricately patterned black-and-white
cobblestones. During the 15th and 16th
centuries, Portuguese sailors set out from
here across the world, bringing back cloves,
cinnamon, black pepper and other spices, and
making Lisbon Europe’s richest city in the
process. But by the 20th century — following
Salazar’s dictatorship and a biting inancial
crisis — it was the poorest. When I arrived,
city, too, of serendipitous moments and
unscripted discoveries. A passing fado band
might serenade your restaurant, or you might
stumble upon the perfect little bakery selling
delicious rabanadas (a Portuguese take on
French toast).
IF YOU WERE THERE NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU
DO FIRST?
AG: I’d head to Cervejaria Ramiro, a seafood
restaurant on the Avenida Almirante Reis,
at around 3pm, when the lunch rush is over.
I’d order gamba do Algarve (prawns), santola
(dressed crab) and amêijoas à bulhão pato
(clams steamed with butter, garlic and
coriander). Dessert, Portuguese style, is a
prego — rare, thin steak served in a crusty
roll with sweet mustard.
Viviana Baptista and her
husband Will Grant swapped
London for Lisbon in 2016
and opened Bar Capitão
Leitão, a fantastic bar and
vinyl shop in the Marvilla
neighbourhood. No bigger
than a living room, it’s a great
spot for a daytime tête-à-
tête or a date-night drink.
Fittingly, there’s always
something good playing on
the turntable. facebook.com/
barcapitaoleitao

78 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 CITIES

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Wall

covered in antique blue tiles,
overlooking Alfama at Júlio de Castilho
gardens; dinner is served; tram 28;
custard tarts for sale at Pastéis de
Belém; grilled sardines

May 2019 79
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 CITIES

Lisbon on a plate

Santo António Festival,
Alfama quarter, Lisbon
WHAT’S YOUR TOP TIP FOR NEWCOMERS?
AD: Get your bearings by riding the number
28 tram, which still uses canary-yellow
carriages from the 1930s. Hop on near Praça
do Comércio, rattle uphill past the cathedral
and jump of in the steeper-still hairpin
lanes of Graça. Check out the Monastery of
São Vicente de Fora, and don’t miss the views
from the panoramic terrace at Senhora do
Monte before riding back down.
DESCRIBE AN IDEAL DAY IN LISBON
AG: Ater a rummage at the Feira de Ladra
lea market (Tuesdays and Saturdays), I’d
have cofee and cake at the old kiosk in the
park there before meandering down the hill
to Chiado for lunch at Prado. I’d then jump
on a ferry across the Tagus to watch the sun
set from a bar called Ponto Final.
IS THERE A SIDE TO THE CITY WE MIGHT NOT
KNOW ABOUT?
AD: Lisboetas love rootop bars with epic
views over the city or the Tagus estuary. In
summer, hip al fresco joints like Park, atop a
multistorey car park in Bairro Alto, or Topo,
overlooking the lively Praça Martim Moniz,
are packed out for sundowners.
Culinary Backstreets ofers food-themed
walking tours of Lisbon with writer/guide Célia
Pedroso. From $130 (£99) per person, including
tastings. culinarybackstreets.com
C H E A P E AT S
Tascas — small, traditional,
and often family-run,
restaurants — are the heart
and soul of the city. They’re
cheap, portions are huge,
and there’s always a daily
special. Note, though: the
bread, ish paste and olives
that are automatically
brought to your table aren’t
free — if you don’t fancy
them, don’t eat them and
you’ll not be charged.
LOCAL TIPPLE
Ginjinha is a sweet liqueur
made from sour cherries,
alcohol, sugar and
cinnamon. Served in a shot
glass or small plastic cup,
ask for it com ela (with a
cherry), or sem ela (without).
There are two tiny shops
near Rossio Square — A
Ginjinha and Ginjinha Sem
Rival — where locals gather
from 11am onwards.
C U S TA R D TA R T S
Have a nosey at glorious
time-honoured spots like
Café a Brasileira, Café
Versailles, Café Nicola
and Pasteleria Suiça, but
eat your pastel de nata
(custard tart) at Manteigaria
– Fábrica de Pastéis de Nata,
in Chiado. Here you can
watch the cooks pipe the
creamy illing in to the laky
pastry cases before baking.

GO TO MARKET
IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; GETTY

At the Mercado da Ribeira,

near the river, you’ll ind
Don’t miss // The Santo António Festival (12-14 June), stalls lined with ish, fruit
and vegetables, almonds,
a carnival of singing and dancing, food and drink. honey and homemade piri
Streets are festooned with garlands and lags and each piri sauce.

neighbourhood has its own marching band

May 2019 81
CITIES
Hanoi
A surprising choice perhaps, but Vietnam’s
historic second city is like nowhere else on Earth
Words: David Farley & Shaney Hudson
DESCRIBE THE MOMENT WHEN HANOI FIRST
REALLY MADE SENSE TO YOU.
SH: As a naïve teenager with a brand new
backpack and an empty passport, I felt like
Alice falling down the rabbit hole when I
arrived in Hanoi. But, jet lagged, at dawn
I walked down to Hoan Kiem Lake to ind
the city bursting with energy: thousands of
people were power walking, stretching and
practising tai chi on the banks of the lake.
DF: The city really clicked for me when I
igured out that the streets in the Old Quarter
are all named ater what they sell. There’s
Hang Da (‘leather street’), Hang Gai (‘hemp
street’) and Hang Ca (‘ish street’), among
many others.
82 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT THE CITY?
SH: Hanoi survived the Vietnam War
relatively unscathed, and I was particularly
taken by the beauty of its architectural
heritage, as well as being struck by
the intense communist propaganda I
encountered in museums and in public
spaces throughout the city. Culturally, it’s a
fascinating place to visit and, for certiiable
penny pinchers like me, it also ofers
incredible value.
IF YOU WERE THERE NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU
DO FIRST?
SH: I’d head to the most crowded pavement
restaurant I could ind, order a bowl of pho
Cofee with egg?
Ca phe trung, or egg coffee,
is a local speciality: a sweet
and creamy concoction of
coffee, condensed milk,
sugar and — yes — egg
yolks. For one of the best
versions in town, try Cafe
Pho Co in the Old Quarter.
Access — through a silk
shop, along a passageway
and up some courtyard
stairs — is confusing,
but persist and you’ll be
rewarded with great views
of Hoan Kiem Lake and the
manic streets surrounding it.
 CITIES

Four we adore
FROM LEFT: Old Quarter,
Hanoi; selling apples on
HO CHI MINH
the streets of Hanoi
MAUSOLE U M
Visiting the tomb of former
Vietnamese leader Ho Chi
Minh might seem grim, but
it offers a fascinating insight
into how much inluence
the man had — and still
has — over modern-day
Vietnam. Dress modestly (no
shorts or vests) and make
sure it’s open, as Ho is sent
to Russia for two to three
months every autumn for a
touch-up.

T E M P L E O F L I T E R AT U R E
One of the most beautiful
attractions in Hanoi is
the Temple of Literature
(pictured below).
Established in 1070, it’s
considered to be one of the
world’s irst universities.
Dodge the tour groups and
instead stroll solo through
the courtyards and pagodas,
admiring the stone scrolls
honouring those who
studied Confucius.

(noodle soup with broth), perch on a plastic OLD QUARTE R

stool and people-watch.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE NEIGHBOURHOOD?
SH: The Old Quarter. It’s easy to get lost
amid the colonial architecture, decades-
old banyan trees and garlands of crackling
electrical wires hanging ominously from
every building, reminding you of your
own mortality.
DF: I like wandering around Ngoc Ha district,
between the Old Quarter and West Lake.
Once a sleepy village, it’s now part of the city
but is still relatively quiet and slow-paced.
DID ANYTHING SURPRISE YOU?
DF: There are a lot of great, Czech-themed
beer halls. These have their roots in the
Soviet era, when many Vietnamese studied
and worked in Prague before returning
home. Beer hall crawls are fun, sipping Czech
and Vietnamese lagers along the way; two
IMAGES: GETTY; ALAMY
WHAT SHOULD A NEWCOMER DO FIRST?
SH: Learn how to cross the street. Step out
with a conident stride and the traic will
magically stop or swerve around you.
DESCRIBE AN IDEAL DAY IN HANOI.
SH: Head out early to Hoan Kiem Lake for a
stroll along the shore, before a cup of ca phe
sua (thick, slap-you-in-the-face Vietnamese
cofee, sweetened with condensed milk),
on Trieu Viet Vuong Street. Hanoi has some
amazing culinary credentials, so I’d go on a
food tour in the morning to set me up with
a list of places to eat for the rest of my stay.
In the aternoon, tick of some of the city’s
big attractions, including the Temple of
Literature and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.
Head to the Old Quarter to
wander streets lined with
lavish merchant houses built
in the French-colonial style,
head to Dong Xuan Market
(Hanoi’s biggest) to shop for
silk, and keep an eye out for
pagodas and temples tucked
away down side streets.
WEST LAKE
It’s worth hiring a bike for
a scenic, 11-mile cycle tour
around West Lake. The ride
takes in Tay Ho, the main
expat district, as well as a
number of cafes, boutiques
and restaurants.

places to hit up are Hoa Vien Pilsner Original
and Bohemia Pivo. Le Mat, meanwhile, about
four miles outside of Hanoi, is known as
‘Snake Village’. Here, you can eat all manner
of serpents and shot vodka infused with
snake blood. If that’s your kind of thing..
Drink a sundowner on the rootop of the
Soitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, have
dinner at Koto and end the day with a hunt
for the best bia hoi (locally brewed beer) in
the many beer bars around town.
Inside Asia Tours ofers specialist small-group
and tailored trips to Hanoi and Vietnam,
including locally led bike tours around Hanoi,
street food tours, art-focused excursions,
historical tours and more. insideasiatours.com

May 2019 83
CITIES

Cape Town
For all its scene-stealing beauty, our contributors love Cape Town’s
vibrant townships and cultural heritage — not to mention its masala
steak sandwiches. Words: Emma Gregg & Zane Henry

View from Table Mountain towards

Lion’s Head and Signal Hill

84 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 CITIES

DESCRIBE THE MOMENT WHEN CAPE TOWN

FIRST REALLY MADE SENSE TO YOU.
ZH: I wish I could, but the city continues
to confound me. I lived in Cape Town for
28 years before moving to London, and
recently visited for the irst time in nearly
four years. Seeing it through fresh eyes was
bewildering. The way poverty scrapes up
against conspicuous opulence, the natural
beauty I had taken for granted... It’s a lot to
wrap your head around.
EG: It took me a while to realise Cape Town is
a city that looks its best — and by that, I mean
drop-dead gorgeous — from a little distance.
It’s mostly down to the city’s location at
the foot of Table Mountain, with the South
Atlantic Ocean licking its toes. From a boat, or
from the waterfront, the city looks dazzling.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT THIS CITY?
EG: It’s full of lavour, with a rich history and a
culturally and ethnically diverse population.
I love it for its buzzing artistic and creative
vibe. It also has excellent cofee, food and
wine (at bargain prices), and it’s easy to get
outdoors and go hiking, cycling or diving.
ZH: Maybe it’s trite to say this about your
home town, but familiarity is a powerful
thing. I love being able to say ‘howzit’ to the
same guy at my favourite boerewors roll (hot
dog) stand on Adderley Street.
IF YOU WERE THERE NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU
DO FIRST?
ZH: I’d go straight to Mariam’s Kitchen in
St George’s Mall for a masala steak sandwich.
Aterwards, I’d head up Church Street to
Deluxe Cofeeworks, grab a sunny seat
and a cortado, and watch the city go by.
IS THERE A SIDE TO THE CITY WE MIGHT NOT
KNOW ABOUT?
EG: Many tourists ignore the townships,
but they’re exciting, dynamic urban spaces.
You just need the right guide. Cultural tour
company Cofeebeans Routes will show you
around and introduce you to foodies, crat
brewers, artisans, musicians or entrepreneurs.
DESCRIBE AN IDEAL DAY IN CAPE TOWN.
EG: It would have to include a stroll around
the V&A Waterfront. If I’ve been away a
while, I’ll catch what’s new at the Zeitz
MOCAA (Museum of Contemporary Art
Africa) — although Thomas Heatherwick’s
architecture is superb in its own right.
Ater a long lunch, maybe at one of the
many new vegan restaurants, I’d head to the
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
to stroll among the proteas, listen to the
birds and try to spot an owl roosting by the
Boomslang walkway.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE NEIGHBOURHOOD?
EG: Bo-Kaap, with its brightly painted houses,
is the prettiest. It’s also just uphill from many
of the best independent art galleries.
ZH: Sea Point, especially the Promenade. It
starts at the V&A Waterfront, passing ice
cream shops, an outdoor gym, a lighthouse
and an Olympic-size pool that’s misted by the
crash of waves against its walls. On weekends,
the entire city seems to funnel down here.
WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU MOST ABOUT
CAPE TOWN?
ZH: The city has always been known for its
outstanding produce and diverse culinary
heritage, but on my last visit I was blown away
by the cuisine. Places like the Test Kitchen
in Woodstock, Belly of the Beast in East City
Precinct and the Sushi Bar at Twelve Apostles
Hotel and Spa in Camps Bay are exemplary.

British Airways ofers four-night breaks

to Cape Town, including room-only hotel
accommodation and return lights, from
£617 per person. ba.com

Natural selection

C R Y S TA L P O O L S SCARBOROUGH SUNSETS TA B L E M O U N TA I N
This hiking trail in the Many claim Cape Town’s From the top of the
Steenbras Nature Reserve best beach sunset is to mountain you can admire
IMAGE: 4CORNERS IMAGES

ends in a series of be seen at Clifton or the plateau’s wildlowers,

spectacular rock pools. Llandudno, but the seaside gaze over the city and catch
Keep an eye on your lunch village of Scarborough, on a glimpse of dassies (the
— opportunistic baboons the edge of Table Mountain guinea-pig-like creatures
may make off with it. National Park, gets gold. that live among the rocks).

May 2019 85
CITIES
New Orleans
With its jazz credentials and love of a great party, NOLA is a city
that embraces the night — but our writers love it during
the daylight hours, too. Words: Ella Buchan & Emma Thomson
WHEN DID NEW ORLEANS FIRST REALLY MAKE
SENSE TO YOU?
EB: The day ater Mardi Gras ended and the
city returned to its normal, wonderful self.
It was perhaps a mistake to time my irst
visit with the huge festival, which takes over
pretty much every street. As the last strands
of beads and tuts of feathers were swept
away, I remember feeling that the city was
revealing itself to me. Festivals are an integral
part of the culture but, to me, the city is more
beguiling when it isn’t putting on a show.
ET: I was holed up in a jazz joint, bourbon in
hand, and the trumpet player was riing. As
he played, eyes closed, it seemed as though
he was no longer conscious of the crowd. He
was tuning into the vibrations of the notes
through the brass and with that I also let go,
allowing the music — and the soul of the Big
Easy — to low through me.
WHAT ARE YOUR NIGHTLIFE TIPS FOR FIRST-
TIME VISITORS TO THE CITY?
EB: Walk down Bourbon Street at night and
pop into a couple of bars (follow your ears
to ind the jazz) but don’t stay for too long.
Frenchmen Street, just outside the French
Quarter, has a far more chilled-out nightlife.
ET: The city’s bars are responsible for
inventing more than a dozen classic
cocktails. The queen among them — and
86 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
the oicial cocktail of New Orleans — is the
bayou-brewed sazerac, made with whisky
and absinthe. Be sure to try it.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE NEIGHBOURHOOD?
ET: Bordering the French Quarter is artsy
Faubourg Marigny, home to jazz joints such
as The Spotted Cat Music Club and bars like
The Hi Ho Lounge. Further west, Freret is
undergoing a renaissance and has a youthful
hum, thanks to the nearby universities.
EB: As well as Faubourg Marigny, I’d have to
say the Garden District, which has a modern
elegance and great shopping opportunities.
IS THERE A SIDE OF THE CITY WE MIGHT NOT
KNOW ABOUT? Buy it // Parallel to
EB: A little outside the centre, you can kayak
on Bayou St. John and paddle past Creole
chaotic Bourbon
IMAGES: GETTY; SUPERSTOCK; 4CORNERS IMAGES
cottages and wetlands teeming with birdlife. Street, Royal Street is
DESCRIBE AN IDEAL DAY IN NEW ORLEANS. a more elegant afair,
ET: Start the day with shrimp and grits at
retro-chic Willa Jean, then visit the voodoo
with galleries and
trinket shops clustered around Royal Street. antique shops selling
Ater a siesta, head out for some late-night
jazz at the legendary Preservation Hall. vintage street tiles,
Plan a road trip of America’s music cities
glassware, chandeliers
— Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans and porcelain
— with suggested routes, venues and timelines
to follow, via americanamusictriangle.com Limoges boxes
 CITIES

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP

LEFT: Mardi Gras beads
on display; saxophonist
plays on Bourbon Street;
tram on Canal Street in the
French Quarter; a young
man plays double bass
on Royal Street; Bourbon
Street at night

May 2019 87
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 CITIES

Do it after dark

FOR JA ZZ
P R E S E R VAT I O N H A L L
A reverent hush falls in
Preservation Hall when the
house band begins to play.
Something about the skill
of these jazz masters, and
the soft licker of lights
against the bare stone
walls, commands respect
and unwavering attention.
preservationhall.com
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
F O R C O C K TA I L S LEFT: Vieux carré cocktail

THE CAROUSEL BAR at the Carousel Bar

& Lounge; dining in the
& LOUNGE
French Quarter; cycling
Decked out like a merry-go-
down Royal Street
round, this bar within Hotel
Monteleone slowly rotates
as bartenders keep up with
drink orders. You may have
to wait a while to grab a
seat, but it’s well worth
it, both for the drinks (the
potent vieux carré cocktail
was invented here) and the
invariably convivial company.
hotelmonteleone.com

FOR WINE
BAC C H A N A L WI N E
This shop/bar in Faubourg
IMAGES: SUPERSTOCK; 4CORNERS IMAGES; INSTAGRAM: @HOTELMONTELEONE

Marigny has a twinkly back

patio and live music, as
well as hundreds of bottles
from small-scale producers.
bacchanalwine.com

FO R M I DN I G HT S N AC K S
CAFÉ DU MONDE
Dating back to 1862, this
coffee shop in the French
Market is open 24 hours a
day, seven days a week. It
tends to be heaving during
the day, so head here for
a moonlit treat. Try beignets
(luffy doughnuts buried in a
heap of icing sugar) washed
down with café au lait.
cafedumonde.com

May 2019 89
CITIES
Best of the rest
From big hitters like Rio and Sydney to the surprise packages of Cartagena
and Sarajevo, we look at the cities that very nearly made our top ive
Sydney
Beach bliss
As far as I’m concerned, if you’re
building a city, it should be on the
coast. All the beneits of urban
living, but with added beaches?
Count me in. And nowhere does
that better than Sydney. This is
a city where you can be suring
world-class waves one moment,
then dining on ine cuisine the
next (the seafood is, predictably,
amazing); where you can spend a
day hiking in the Blue Mountains,
then while away an evening
bar-hopping in Newtown. But it’s
lazy days at the beach that make
me long for Sydney. Like most
Brits, I made a beeline for Bondi
when I irst arrived — but Bronte
Beach, with its crescent of sand,
sweeping lawns and ocean pool,
soon stole my heart. NICOLA TRUP
90 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
FROM TOP: Ortaköy
Mosque, on the banks of
the Bosphorus, Istanbul;
Bronte Beach, Sydney
Istanbul
End of the Silk Road
Of all the great cities I’ve visited,
this one made my heart beat
the fastest. A stroll through the
Grand Bazaar exempliies the
clash of cultures that typiies
Istanbul. Beautiful Byzantine
frescoes and ancient monuments
jostle for space with shops selling
anything from buttons to baklava
— it’s beautiful, chaotic and a lot
of fun. JO FLETCHER-CROSS
Cartagena
Canoes and cobblestones
If I could be anywhere in the
world right now, where would
I be? Easy: Cartagena. But
what would I be doing? That’s
trickier. Maybe I’d be strolling
down cobbled streets lined with
colonial buildings. Or tucking
into red snapper with coconut
rice. Or exploring mangroves in
a canoe. Whatever it was, I’d have
a smile on my face. GLEN MUTEL
Sarajevo
History up close
The Bosnian capital has a
glorious mix of inluences.
In the Turkish quarter, alleys
echo to the hammer taps of
coppersmiths making cofee pots,
and traditional caravanserais
(roadside inns) serve strong brews.
But ive minutes’ walk away, the
streets are lanked by the grand
architecture of the Habsburg era.
Plus, of course, there’s the Tunnel
of Hope, a legacy of the siege of
the 1990s. ADRIAN PHILLIPS
Rio de Janeiro
Party central
Picture hundreds of people
shimmying to salsa in the heat,
knocking back Brahma beer and
pushing through until 6am. This
was my irst experience of Rio
at 19, and I’ve been back several
times since then — the city’s
energy is addictive. My favourite
spot has to be Copacabana,
IMAGES: GETTY
every inch of it packed with
mahogany sunbathers in tiny
bikinis or even tinier Speedos.
HANNAH SUMMERS
MEMORABLE MOMENTS,
IN THE HEART OF LISBON
Tivoli Avenida Liberdade invites you to embark on an unforgettable experience.
Indulge your body with our signature treatment and unwind in the hands of the skilled therapists at our exclusive Anantara SPA.
Make the most of your visit and taste the fresh flavours featuring on the menu of Cervejaria Liberdade, our seafood and fish restaurant.
For a hip and trendy atmosphere, climb up to the 9th floor and enjoy the sweeping views of Lisbon at our SEEN Lisboa restaurant. In
this hotspot, your night begins to the sound of music while sipping one of our cocktails at the bar, followed by a delectable dinner
blending Brazilian and Portuguese cuisine, all designed by famous Portuguese Chef Olivier da Costa.

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Av. da Liberdade, 185 - 1269-050 Lisboa, Portugal
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Let there
be light

92 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 Malawi is in the business of revival, be it creating Southern Africa’s
newest safari destination by repopulating its epic wildernesses,
opening a heritage hotel as a window to the grandeur of the colonial
age or ushering travellers to its lakeside beaches by restarting a
legendary music festival. Welcome to the Warm Heart of Africa

WORDS AMELIA DUGGAN

IMAGE: GARETH BENTLEY/ MKULUMADZI LODGE

May 2019 93
MALAWI
Night in the African bush falls like a portcullis. Dusk is a
leisurely curtain call of deep reds and glowing umber but
then, as if a switch were licked, the light exits stage west,
sucking every drop of colour with it.
It’s in this sudden blackness that I’m let blinking and
shivering despite the heat, standing alone on the lat roof
of a solitary cabin in the middle of Majete Game Reserve,
watching the headlights of the 4x4 that just dropped me
of disappear into the night.
The cabin is an outpost of the luxurious Mkulumadzi
Lodge some miles away. There’s a king-size bed in the
centre of the rootop, enclosed in a giant teardrop of
mosquito net. I patrol around it, dim lantern in one
hand and emergency horn clutched in the other, trying
to make sense of the primordial darkness. Gradually,
shadowy masses around the hut untangle into distinct
outlines of gnarled mopane trees and the limbs of
euphorbia cacti curling skywards like candelabra. I try to
identify unfamiliar noises: the rush of a river barrelling
southwards from Lake Malawi; the beating wings of bats
overhead; the crackle and shiver of creatures moving
through the desiccated undergrowth. For the irst time in
a safari park, I pray the Big Five stay well away.
Above me, a shooting star drops lazily through the
heavens. This is the spectacle I’ve been let here to enjoy:
from horizon to horizon, the irmament is ablaze. It’s
spellbinding. I feel like I’m on the edge of the Earth
looking into the cosmos. The Milky Way arcs over the
bed. The low crescent moon is a glowing stud in my
starry headboard. Planets twinkle distinctly. It’s as if I’ve
got my own, incredibly colourful orrery: there’s the topaz
glow of Mercury, the diamond of Venus, the ruby of Mars.
I switch of the lantern and let the starlight brighten. And
this is how I spend my irst night in Malawi: watched over
by the planets and stars, and wrapped up in the heavy
cloak of a benign, wild, spring night. It’s magical.
Sticking it out alone on an experience usually ofered to
couples has the unintended consequence of impressing
94 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
my safari guide, Mustafa. “You didn’t get scared? I
thought for sure you’d call us back!” he laughs as we take
morning tea in the bush besides the Mkulumadzi River.
Mustafa radiates goodwill and chuckles like it’s going
out of fashion. They don’t call the country ‘The Warm
Heart of Africa’ for nothing. The natural kingdom, in
particular, provides a constant source of joy for him.
And it’s infectious. Driving earlier that morning through
tall forests, where quartz boulders shimmer like disco
balls, we shared gleeful squeals at scuttling warthogs,
uproarious belly laughs at rutting impala, and giggles of
astonishment at a herd of elephants.
We kick of our boots and paddle in the shallows, just
another pair of animals out for a cooling dip. The sandy
bank was decorated overnight by countless paws, hooves
and talons — a testament to the thriving ecosystem that’s
been painstakingly nurtured back to health from an out-
and-out poaching crisis. I spot the large impressions of
elephant feet; the sand has perfectly preserved the cracks
in its skin, which appear like raised tributaries on a map.
A park ranger, Ado, wearing a smart, navy blue uniform
IMAGES: ANTHONY GROTE; HUNTINGDON HOUSE
and carrying a very powerful .458-calibre rile, stands
sentry on the shore. “I feel so proud of what we’ve achieved
here,” he tells me later in an unguarded moment as we
hike to see the conluence of the Shire and Mkulumadzi
Rivers. We watch the two raging currents, each with its
own colour and texture, smash into each other and vie for PREVIOUS SPREAD:
dominance as gravity pulls them downstream. “Things The ‘star bed’ at
Mkulumadzi Lodge in
could have gone another way entirely.”
Majete Wildlife Reserve
Before African Parks took over the administration of
OPPOSITE FROM TOP:
Majete in 2003, poaching had decimated the park. The Hippos, Liwonde
non-proit organisation has a reputation for rejuvenating National Park; on the
loundering parks (including four in Malawi alone) to the grounds of Satemwa
beneit of local communities, but with only a handful of Tea Estate
MALAWI

May 2019 95
MALAWI

IMAGES: AMELIA DUGGAN

96 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

antelope remaining inside Majete’s 270sq mile perimeter,
and tourism all but dead, the odds here were stacked.
Gradually, however, relations with the surrounding
villages were improved; rangers like Ado were given
military-style training; and Africa’s most iconic animals
were successfully reintroduced. Rhinos and elephants at
irst, and then a dozen more species including leopards
and lions. For a country once known for being among
the world’s least-developed, it’s a fantastic success story
that’s seen it become a conservation leader in Africa.
Now, Majete is Malawi’s irst, and so far, only Big Five
park — a responsibility Ado takes seriously: “We’ve never
lost a single rhino or elephant to poaching, not in 15
years. Things are changing in Malawi.”
Stanley, I presume
A few days later I head to Liwonde National Park, which
has recently been given a second chance, too. “We have
orange snow at the moment,” Steegan, the manager of
Kuthengo Camp, observes with a note of apology when I
step of the jetty and accept an iced tea from her under the
billowing boughs of a fever tree. Odd, spherical lower-
pufs eddy around us, caught in the breeze. Bushbuck
graze at the river’s edge. The peace is broken only by
bird cries. Somehow, amid all this beauty, I’m the only
guest. Kuthengo (meaning ‘in the bush’ in the national
language of Chichewa) became Liwonde’s second safari
operation when it opened in 2018 with a handful of luxury
tents smack-bang on the fertile Shire loodplain. “It’s
pronounced ‘Shir-ree,’” head guide, Stanley, corrects me
gently as we head back out on the water for safari.
Chugging along the placid Shire with swallows
litting around our boat and the sunlight lickering
behind borassus palms, it’s hard to imagine Liwonde in
disharmony. Stanley details the mammoth restoration
projects undertaken since African Parks assumed
management in 2015. One was to dig out 36,000 wire
poaching snares. Another was to tackle elephant
overpopulation, which conservationists achieved in a
historic feat by tranquillising and relocating 336 to a
reserve in the country’s north.
From the boat, views span across reeds dotted with
birds as bright as baubles and long-legged waders
stalking the shallows. “As many as a thousand crocodiles
live in every mile of this river,” Stanley says, with a
warning look to the hand I’ve got trailing in the water.
Hippos snort disgruntled greetings as we pass, twiddling
their terracotta ears and eying the boat with unconcealed
menace. We spot elephants on the shoreline — around 60
of them, with calves — breaking from the tree line and
heading our way for a drink. Zebras, too, among the tall
grass, and reedbuck and waterbuck and sable, all with
young. There’s new life everywhere.
The Shire River was dubbed ‘God’s highway’ by
Scottish explorer and missionary Dr David Livingstone
when he reached these parts in 1859. He was searching for
a river route that could open up the heart of Africa; but
discovered to his disappointment that, as the Shire lows
out of Lake Malawi towards the Zambezi in Mozambique,
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP it drops 1,300t through a series of impassable falls.
LEFT: Stanley inside
Stanley takes me to see the park’s oldest baobab tree
Liwonde National
where Livingstone pitched camp. It’s a vast cathedral of
Park’s oldest baobab;
the baobab where
a tree with a hollow trunk, buttressed on one side by the
Livingstone pitched knitted branches of an equally ancient ig tree.
camp; beach volleyball, We climb inside the tree, standing where Livingstone
Cape Maclear once stood. His expedition, during which he ‘discovered’
MALAWI
Lake Malawi, ushered in colonialism: Britain staked
a claim to Nyasaland, as Malawi was called, in 1891.
Ater achieving full independence in 1964, the country
stagnated for three decades under the dictatorship of
Hastings Banda. Malawi’s eventual return to democracy in
1994 did little to elevate its reputation: until very recently,
regional instability and economic turmoil put tourists
of. It’s a relief to climb out of the dark baobab and be
reminded of how much brighter the future is looking.
For my last few nights in the park, I move to Mvuu
Lodge, which for 25 years was the only camp in the
whole of Liwonde. It’s there I meet a guide, David, who
promises to introduce me to the park’s newest residents:
lions, released in 2018, and cheetahs, reintroduced the
year before. “The impala didn’t get a vote on it,” he jokes
darkly. The park is focused on restoring poached-out
populations, with wild dog and girafe next on the list,
and David tells me tourism is slowly increasing as
travellers like me come to witness the revival.
We set of early, before dawn has broken, but still need
to move fast and cover a lot of ground if we’re going to
catch a big cat out hunting. David hangs out of the side
of the vehicle while driving, scouring the dirt for tracks,
but it’s the circling vultures that give us our irst lead. We
approach and ind the carcass of an impala being plucked
apart by scavengers. “It’s moved on. But it must be close.”
David’s right: as we round a thorny thicket decorated
with the nests of weaver birds, I catch sight of something
red among the yellow and dun of the plain. My brain is
still scrambling to interpret the scene when David slams
on the brakes. It’s a cheetah with a fresh kill. It releases the
bushbuck’s neck from its blood-spattered jaws and stares
at us. I see the distinctive black tear lines on its face, its
neat spots, the creamy fur on its belly, the way it blends
in with its surroundings. “We just missed the action!”
David laments, spotting the rest of the bushbuck herd
cantering away. Still, when you consider that before this
cheetah’s arrival, Malawi had been completely devoid of
the predator for 20 years, we’re here at just the right time.
Rare species
Driving southeast on dusty roads, dodging goats and
people, mud-brick villages built on parched red earth
peter out and the terrain rises into lush, electric-green
tea plantations. In the heart of these highlands, on the
slopes of Mount Thyolo, there exists a rare monument
to the grandeur — and pioneering spirit — of Malawi’s
colonial era. As with the national parks, at Satemwa Tea
Estate there’s a move to salvage Malawi’s natural and
cultural riches for posterity.
“There was a storm last night and it’s taking some
time for the power to come back,” Tracy, the manager of
Huntingdon House, explains as we tour the manor built
by Maclean Kay at the heart of the plantation. “All part of
the pioneering experience!” she adds cheerily. It’s dusk,
and the housekeeper is lighting tall candles in the dining
room. Light glints on the polished Edwardian furniture
and mahogany bookshelves and catches the silverware
on the tables. Through large windows that open onto a
veranda set with armchairs, children are playing croquet
on a lawn. Tracy straightens a painting on the wall, and
for a moment this could be an old country house in
Britain. But then a gecko shoots up the wall from behind
it. “Let me introduce you to our bats,” she suggests
casually, leading me through a maze of doors to stand
under the eaves of a secret patio. “They’re a rare species.”
May 2019 97
MALAWI

I throw myself into the role of

Robinson Crusoe. I take a kayak out
and circle the island, spotting otters
among the rocks, then tip myself
overboard to snorkel through a
kaleidoscope of cichlid fish

IMAGES; GETTY; AMELIA DUGGAN

Dugout canoe, Mumbo

Island, Lake Malawi
OPPOSITE: Local,
Cape McClear

98 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 MALAWI

May 2019 99
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The romantic manor, wrapped in vines and creepers,
has been a central character in the Kay family saga
since its construction in 1935. It was here that Chip Kay,
Maclean’s now-elderly son, grew up and raised his own
family. In 2009, in a move to share Malawi’s colonial
heritage with the public, ive bedrooms were opened
up to guests. It’s full of charming quirks: a honeymoon
suite in a chapel (“never consecrated,” Tracy assures me);
roll-top tubs where bubble baths come with a dose of
borehole silt; and a wi-i connection best experienced
with a drink and plenty of patience. With his handlebar
moustache, Chip himself is one of Huntingdon’s historic
attractions — another rare breed in these parts — but his
poor health keeps me from hearing his legendary stories.
So instead of the past, I look to the present and the
future of Satemwa. In the morning, a wild breeze blows
up from the tea terraces, over the manicured beds of
dusky hydrangeas and explores the house, troubling
the drapes and tugging on my sleeve to get outside and
explore. Around 10,000 rolling acres of tea and cofee and
blue gum trees await. On a sweaty mountain bike ride,
I discover the joys of eating cofee beans straight from
the bush and of drinking tea on the factory loor with the
tasters. I stop and chat with a group of female pickers
wearing traditional chitenje (patterned cloth) wrap skirts,
who ind my presence so alien and entertaining that work
is halted to indulge in a rib-splitting it of giggles.
Huntingdon may have its roots in a sophisticated era
of silver service suppers and sundowners, but it’s also a
place to hitchhike up dirt tracks in the back of a pick-
IMAGE: GETTY
up to picnic spots, or to get your hands grubby. Besides
ABOVE: Elephants in exporting cofees and teas around the world and investing
the Shire River, Liwonde in the lives of its 1,500 workers, Satemwa is committed
National Park to restoring Malawi’s forests, which are shrinking as a
MALAWI
result of unregulated farming. This is why I ind myself
wielding a rustic hoe for an aternoon, digging ditches
then smoothing the earth around mahogany saplings.
Nothing but warm smiles greet me as I traipse red clods of
earth across Huntingdon’s colonial hearth.
Lake of stars
If my irst week set me up with an impression of pristine
landscapes and a sense of a country emerging lighter
and more hopeful from a weighty past, then it’s down at
the lakeshore that I come face to face with the energy of
modern Malawi. The annual Lake of Stars Festival is back
ater a hiatus, and down on the beach I’m dancing barefoot
to live bands among a mix of fashionable urbanites from
Blantyre and Lilongwe, local beach bums and aid workers
on furlough. “This is the biggest party anywhere in Africa
right now!” the lead singer of a Kenyan boy band yells to a
crowd of thousands. Behind the main stage, upstaging all
the acts, Lake Malawi stretches to the horizon.
This is landlocked Malawi’s greatest treasure.
Measuring 360 miles north to south, and illing a deep
trench of the Great Rit Valley, Lake Malawi is one of
the planet’s most fascinating freshwater ecosystems.
Hundreds of unique ish species call it home, and the
water is so clear and calm that sometimes it feels like
swimming in an aquarium. It’s an absorbing masterpiece
of vivid hues that’s positively hypnotic, especially at
sunset when the waves shimmer gold and pink.
When the festival wraps up and the crowds disperse,
I follow the shore south to the sucrose beaches of
Cape Maclear in Lake Malawi National Park. It’s the
type of easy-going paradise that ensnares wandering
backpackers: lazy days become lazy weeks, whiled
away in lakefront bars learning strategies of the
May 2019 101
MALAWI

LAKE
M

MAL
A

AWI
L
LILONGWE MUMBO ISLAND
CAPE MACLEAR

A
W
I LIWONDE
NATIONAL
50 Miles
PARK

er
iv

eR
Shir
Blantyre
MAJETE
MALAWI GAME SATEMWA
RESERVE TEA ESTATE

ESSENTIALS
Getting there & around
Ethiopian Airlines flies from Heathrow to Blantyre and
Lilongwe via Addis Ababa, while South African Airways
flies to both destinations via Johannesburg.
ethiopianairlines.com flysaa.com
Average flight time: 16h.
A number of motorways in Malawi are under
construction, meaning some sections are wide, paved
and modern while some are dirt-track diversions.
Organise private taxi transfers through your hotel or
operator or opt for public transport in the form of
shared taxis or local minibuses (be wary of
overcrowding though). Car hire is relatively expensive
and can be arranged in Lilongwe or Blantyre.

board game bao or browsing village stalls for carved

When to go
souvenirs. “No one seems to use time here,” I overhear a
Malawi has a tropical climate with three distinct
new arrival say. “It’s only ‘yesterday’, ‘today’ or ‘tomorrow’.” seasons: April to August is temperate and dry with
But I can’t linger: I still have my eye on the horizon. temperatures around the mid-20Cs (and some chilly
Early the next morning, I board an antique fishing nights in July and August); September and October
boat in Cape Maclear. It chugs slowly out into the lake are dry and prone to drought; and the hottest summer
until the mainland becomes a hazy shimmer and a tiny, months (in the low 30Cs) of November to March see
rocky island rears into view. Below its crown of trees rainfall. The highland regions around Satemwa are
are five thatched bamboo cabins, set above a cove and always cooler than the Shire Valley’s national parks
and the lakeside.
scattered among colossal boulders. This is Mumbo
Island, an off-grid eco-camp at the heart of the national Places mentioned
park and, as luck would have it, I’m the only guest again. Mkulumadzi Lodge, Majete Game Reserve.
I throw myself into the role of Robinson Crusoe. I take robinpopesafaris.net
a kayak out and circle the island, spotting otters among Kuthengo Camp, Liwonde National Park.
the rocks, then tip myself overboard to snorkel through a robinpopesafaris.net
kaleidoscope of cichlid fish. In the cool of late afternoon, Mvuu Lodge, Liwonde National Park. cawsmw.com
I follow a treasure map through the island’s sun-dappled Huntingdon House, Satemwa Tea Estate.
woodlands to fi nd secret caves and viewpoints and then, huntingdon-malawi.com
Mumbo Island Camp, Cape Maclear. mumboisland.com
as the sun sinks, I sit on the island’s sandy beach, which
IMAGE: AMELIA DUGGAN. ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER

is empty except for a pair of large, lazing monitor lizards.

More info
That night, I struggle to sleep, and when I step out onto
Malawi (Bradt Travel Guides). RRP: £17.99
the deck of my cabin for some fresh air, I have to rub my africanparks.org
eyes. There are distant pinpricks of light on the surface lakeofstars.org
of the dark lake, as if entire constellations have fallen visitmalawi.mw
from the night sky into the water and continued to blaze.
I realise it’s the same scene Dr Livingstone saw when he How to do it
visited in 1859; the reason he described it as the ‘lake of GANE AND MARSHALL’S ‘Southern Malawi Highlights’

stars’. Each orb is a fisherman working by the glow of a
lantern hung from the prow of their boat, the way they’ve
done for centuries. I curl up in my hammock and enjoy
the moment, suspended between the ancient lights of the
heavens and their twinkling echoes on the water. And this
is how I spend my last night in Malawi, much like I did my
first: alone in the wilderness, surrounded by stars.
includes visits to the Thyolo Tea Estates, Liwonde
National Park, Majete Game Reserve and Lake Malawi.
Price starts from £4,360 per person, based on two
sharing. Includes 14 nights’ accommodation in hotels,
lodges, camps and resorts on an all-inclusive or
full-board basis, transfers, game viewing, national park
ABOVE: Local guide on a fees and some watersports on Lake Malawi. Flights are
boat to Mumbo Island additional. ganeandmarshall.com

102 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
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NG
T H E I N H A B I TA N T S O F T H E G R E E K R EG I O N O F C E N T R A L
M AC ED O N I A A R E F I ER C ELY P R O U D O F T H EI R H O M EL A N D
— FO R G O O D R E A S O N . I T S M O U N TA I N O U S L A N DS C A P E S
A R E D OT T ED W I T H L A K E S , V I N E YA R DS A N D A N C I EN T R U I N S
W H ER E A L E X A N D ER T H E G R E AT ’ S L EG ACY LO O M S L A R G E

WO R D S C H R I S L E A D B E AT E R
PHOTOGRAPHS FRANCESCO LASTRUCCI

May 2019 105

GREECE
S
hor tly before 10am, Vergina is
waking up to another glorious
spring morning in the foothills of
Mount Pieriahe; the clang of goat
bells echoing across the slopes
interrupted now by the grumble of
mopeds . At the top of the avenue leading
to the Royal Tombs of Aigai, a cafe owner
throws open his shut ters and eyes a
touris t bus heading for the car park .
106 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
It’s taken me barely an hour to reach the
town from Central Macedonia’s capital,
Thessaloniki, sprawling across the seafront.
Driving south west from the city, the
coast gradually becomes less built-up, the
warehouses and shipping containers giving
way to quiet beaches and rolling tides. The
short journey has thrown up a grand swathe
of the Greek region, and the coming week
reveals more: rustic uplands where vineyards
whisper on slopes, not least near Naoussa,
where the Vermio Mountains lit their heads;
wild places where all footprints seem to fade,
like Lake Kerkini National Park, in the north;
sublime stretches of shoreline, especially
where the southerly Halkidiki Peninsula
dips its hand into the Aegean. But here,
today, I’m already seduced. I dawdle over
cofee dregs, feel the sun warming my arms,
and wonder, not for the irst time: do I really
need to go underground?
Under a series of grassy mounds in
Vergina lies the grave of Philip II, the
charismatic ruler who was the catalyst for
the rapid growth of the ancient kingdom of
Macedonia, and its irst capital, Aigai. The
Royal Tombs of Aigai were one of the key
historical discoveries of the 20th century.

Wars — triumphant campaigns, in
particular — deined the life of Philip II.
When he came to the throne in 359 BC,
Ancient Macedonia was an unassuming
kingdom on the periphery of the Greek
political landscape. In the 23 tumultuous
years before his assassination, he expanded
his territory, defeating Athens and Thebes.
But better still for his legacy, he gave the
world a son who became even more famous.
By the time his heir Alexander the Great
died in 323 BC, aged just 32, Macedonia
had pushed east into Anatolia (Turkey) and
Persia (Iran), north into the Balkans and as
far south as Egypt.
Philip’s tomb was undisturbed when it was
unearthed in 1977, and the treasures found
within are now on display at the Museum of
the Royal Tombs of Aigai, in Vergina. They
include a gold crown, the copper vessels
used to wash his body before cremation
and his shield, adorned with the image
of the mythological warrior Achilles. The
mausoleum itself is also preserved in all its
nobility — there’s a sturdy facade held alot by
two columns, and a mural above still showing
scenes from its royal resident’s life. Surprised
at how close I’m allowed to stand to these
GREECE
priceless artefacts — almost within touching
distance — I linger by the sealed entrance to
the burial chamber, and wonder what Philip
would make of the modern political argument
that traces its tensions all the way back to his
sandal-clad feet.
PA S T M A S T E R S
“Those who cannot remember the past are
condemned to repeat it,” the celebrated
Spanish philosopher, George Santayana,
once wrote. But people in this northeasterly
portion of the Greek mainland are well aware
of their history, and deeply protective of
it. Indeed, it wasn’t until January this year
that the Greek parliament inally ratiied
the Prespa Agreement — an accord that
promises to end a 28-year diplomatic feud
with the neighbouring country, the Republic
of North Macedonia (formerly the Republic
of Macedonia).
The cause of the spat? The use of that PREVIOUS PAGES: One of the 20
monasteries found on Mount Athos
M-word. Ever since the small Balkan state
FROM LEFT: Looking down the cliff
of Macedonia broke away from collapsing
from Osiou Grigoriou Monastery
Yugoslavia in 1991, Greece has bridled on the southwest side of the Mount
at its use of a name that, it argues, is its Athos Peninsula; a monk boards a
intellectual property. The situation has ferry in Dafni, a village on the
been so tetchy that from 2006 to 2018 Mount Athos Peninsula
May 2019 107
GREECE

108 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 GREECE

A vibrant cit y pre se nt s

it se l f here in The s s aloniki
— one t hat ha s we at here d
t he re ce nt G re e k e conomic
crise s to p e er f or ward
wit h op t imis m

May 2019 109

GREECE
there were no lights between Athens
and the Macedonian capital, Skopje.
The rapprochement has seen the former
Yugoslav republic rechristened as North
Macedonia. But what may seem a reasonable
solution between governments has not
been embraced at street level — there
were demonstrations in Athens when the
compromise was announced.
But the core of Philip and Alexander’s
realm largely correlates with the modern
Greek region of Central Macedonia. Pella,
the city where both men were born, is also
on 21st-century Greek soil, 30 miles north
west of Thessaloniki. It’s a little scufed
now, but it salutes its heritage with pride. A
statue of Alexander rears on horseback in
the main square. He’s also in the foyer of the
Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki: a
marble bust, carved between 325 BC and 300
BC. His eyes point the way into the galleries,
where there are marvels galore — mosaics
from the town’s gorgeous House of Dionysos,
the god in question riding a leopard; a gold
myrtle wreath; a terracotta igurine of
Aphrodite, hair lowing down her back.
“Pella was a small town before the
Macedonians chose it to be their capital
[in the ith century BC],” says Dr Elisabet
Tsigarida, the director of the Archaeological
Museum of Pella. “It was on the main route
from west to east, the one that would become
the Roman Via Egnatia [from what is now
Drach, in Albania, to Istanbul]; it was a clever
decision.” As we approach the bottom of
town, the onetime size and importance of
the ancient site is still visible in its enormous
agora (main square).
A few hours later, I’m getting to know
the city that replaced Pella as the Central
Macedonian capital. Life in Thessaloniki is
very much lived outside. I make my way from
the pedestrianised drag, Aristotelous, to the
main city square, on the waterfront, where
market stalls are gathered below the elegant
curve of the Electra Palace Thessaloniki
hotel. Half a mile south east along the
coast, history reasserts itself. Built in 1535,
the White Tower of Thessaloniki, with its
imposing outline, has become the city’s
110 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
emblem. The statue behind is Alexander,
again in the saddle.
Life in
It’s diicult to avoid the past in
Thessaloniki. Rome intrudes regularly, its
Thessaloniki is
relics strewn along Gounari Street: the giant
Palace of Galerius, built by aforementioned
lived out side:
emperor in the fourth century AD; the
triumphal arch constructed for the same from the
ruler; the Rotunda, a pre-Christian temple
converted into a church in the ith century; pedestrianised
the big agora due west of it. But a vibrant city
presents itself too — one that has weathered drag of
the recent Greek economic crises to peer
forward with optimism. Aristotelous to
This spirit shines through in its food
scene. One block north of the White the main cit y
Tower, Mia Feta makes a selling point of
Greece’s crumbliest cheese — half deli, half square on the
restaurant, customers either pop in to buy
dinner on their way home, or hang around for water front ,
glasses of wine. Further up the same street,
in a defunct cinema, Ergon Agora serves a where market
plate of meatballs whose spiciness dances
on my tongue long ater I’ve swallowed them. stalls gather
Stou Mitsou, meanwhile, is a dowdy cafe
hidden away in the labyrinthine Kapani
Market, yet its dishes have real gourmet lair.
Standouts include squid with sun-dried
tomatoes and lemon zest; and fava bean
mash with spring onions.
From the market, I trip down into
Ladadika, which was, up until the mid-1990s,
a port-side warehouse district before being
reborn as the city’s nightlife zone. I head into
Lena’s Bistro, where the barman makes me a
mojito that appears to empty the rum bottle.
The alcohol rush envelops me nearly as
switly as the cigarette-smoke swirl that still
seems to pervade Greek bars.
LIFE IN THE BORDERL ANDS
Leaving the city, I head north for 60 miles
along the A25 highway, until Thessaloniki
has vanished so wholly I question whether PREVIOUS PAGES: Chapel near Porto
Paradiso on the Sithonia Peninsula; view
I’ve swapped continents. There’s something
from Ano Poli (Upper Town)
of Northern California about the more
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Herbs for
distant reaches of Central Macedonia — the sale at Modiano Market, Thessaloniki;
ir forests, the rocky blufs around which Cafe LUX, Thessaloniki; coast between
roads twist, and lakes lapping at lush green Nikitis and Neos Marmaras; monks at
shores. By the time I stop in Kerkini, the Osiou Grigoriou Monastery
 GREECE

May 2019 111

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village edging up to the lake of the same
A s I watc h , name, I’m entranced.
But I soon ind out the lake isn’t quite the
f our huge age-old natural feature I’d imagined it to be.
Environmentalist Michail Davis tells me it’s
Dalmat ian a reservoir, created in 1932. It’s since changed
the face of the nearby Sérres plain; what was
p e lican s an area of marshland (so swampy there were
around 10,000 malaria-related deaths here
t hun der acros s from 1922-28) is now a birdwatcher’s paradise,
home to a vast population of waterbirds,
t he mid dle from lamingos to cormorants and pelicans.
“Greece has some 420 species of bird, and 312
dis t anc e like of them are here,” Michail smiles.
When I head out onto the water in a boat
B 5 2 s in with Vasilis Arabatzis, a guide who ofers
lake tours from nearby Hotel Oikoperiigitis,
f ormat ion I can see Michail wasn’t exaggerating. A
patch of pink reveals itself to be a lock of
lamingos — perhaps 50 in total. As I watch,
four huge Dalmatian pelicans thunder
across the middle distance like B52s in
formation. “This is like a gas station on the
eastern migration route through Europe,”
Vasilis laughs. “From here, they go north to
Scandinavia, south to the Nile and down into
ABOVE: Neos Marmaras, a town on the Africa. It’s a bird highway, and here is their
west coast of the Sinthonia Peninsula best meal-stop below the Balkans.”
GREECE
The Kerkini Mountains rise above us as we
talk, a political and geographical boundary,
marking the border with both Bulgaria and
North Macedonia. By the time I’ve driven
six miles up to the hamlet of Ano Poroia,
I’m all but in North Macedonia, which lurks
north west of the ridge. Not that the road
goes there. I pause where it runs out, to
eat at Pestrofes, a restaurant specialising
in trout, then return down the slope for
cake and cofee at Tintza’s Cafe, where a
stream babbles outside. Its gentle sound is a
reminder that rivers here go south; that their
waters will make their way, eventually, to the
Aegean. And so should I.
Halkidiki is perhaps the most romantic
region of Central Macedonia, dipping not one
but three ingers into the sea: the Kassandra
Peninsula is perhaps the most-visited, dotted
with beach hotels; the Sinthonia Peninsula
is the most untouched, lanked by forests,
the road climbing and tumbling where it
must; and Mount Athos is the most fabled
peninsula, the spiritual heart of the Greek
Orthodox faith, where monasteries ofer
quiet isolation from the machinations of the
21st century, and access is denied to men
without a permit (and to women entirely).
May 2019 113
GREECE
There’s a fourth version of Halkidiki
too, one that swells inland. I ind myself
in Arnea — a town, 45 miles south east of
Thessaloniki, that has also pushed back at
modern life. Not in the sense of excluding
it, but in embracing what it already has.
A policy of restoration has seen old houses
primped, protected and brightly painted,
forming a rainbow in stone and wood.
Even what’s new is efectively old. The church
of St Stefanos was constructed in 1812, but
destroyed by ire in September 2005. A
faithful replica was built in time
for Christmas the following year, the
locals having worked (and fundraised)
tirelessly to return the town’s focal point to
existence. Its icons and polished surfaces
positively gleam.
Sitting in Aristotle Cafe, on the central
square, owner Theodosis Karastergios is
content with his lot — a local who went to
Britain to study, but is glad to have returned
home to set up this business. “I feel lucky
to live here,” he says. “Thessaloniki is close,
the sea is close, we have a great climate. I
could have stayed away, been in London.
But I wanted to be in Arnea, to help it.”
His exuberance — and that of his fellow
114 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
citizens — has helped to turn the town into
an unlikely travel hotspot. A short walk from
Theodosis’ cafe I ind Honey Georgaka, a
store capitalising on the endeavours of the
local bees, and Chasapakia, which serves
smoky portions of grilled chicken and lamb.
Tourist numbers here swell every May and
June, when Kouzina, Arnea’s annual food
festival, clicks into gear.
My last stop is the pretty seaside town
of Olympiada, just 20 miles east. As I’m
strolling across the adjacent archaeological
site of Ancient Stagira, I meet Philip II again.
He smashed this ancient settlement to
pieces in 349 BC in an act of conquest, only
to rebuild it six years later in thanks to its
celebrated inhabitant, Aristotle — who by
now he had appointed as his son’s tutor. I
wander on as waves crash below the Temple
of Demeter — part of Philip’s reconstruction
— and the aroma of pine needles haunts the
air. In this moment, I’m certain that Greece
has never looked more Macedonian — nor
Macedonia more Greek.
ABOVE: View of Thessaloniki’s waterfront from the top
of the White Tower
ESSENTIALS
Lake Kerkini
GREECE
Pella
Thessaloniki
ANCIENT
STAGIRA
Arnea
Vergina
HALKIDIKI
20 Miles
A E G E A N S E A
Getting there & around
Thessaloniki Airport is served by British
Airways from Gatwick; Jet2 from
Birmingham, East Midlands, Edinburgh,
Leeds-Bradford, Stansted, Manchester
and Newcastle; EasyJet from Gatwick,
Manchester and Luton; Ryanair from
Stansted and Manchester; and Wizz Air
from Luton.
Average light time: 3h15m.
Public transport beyond Thessaloniki is
limited. To visit Lake Kerkini or Halkidiki,
it’s best to hire a car. ba.com jet2.com
easyjet.com ryanair.com wizzair.com
When to go
Northern Greece has pleasant summers,
averaging around 30C. The shoulder
months of April, May, September and
October hover around the mid-20Cs.
Where to stay
The Modernist. themodernist.gr
Electra Palace Thessaloniki.
electrahotels.gr
Oikia Alexandrou Traditional Inn.
oikia-alexandrou.gr
Hotel Oikoperiigitis. oikoperiigitis.gr
Places mentioned
Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai.
aigai.gr
Archaeological Museum of Pella.
pella-museum.gr
Mia Feta. miafetafetabar.gr
Ergon Agora. ergonfoods.com
Stou Mitsou. kapani.gr
Pestrofes. facebook.com/pestrofes
Tintza’s Cafe. facebook.com/tintzas
Honey Georgaka. honeygeorgaka.com
Ancient Stagira. odysseus.culture.gr
More info
visitgreece.gr thessaloniki.travel
visit-halkidiki.gr
How to do it
ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER
BRITISH AIRWAYS HOLIDAYS has seven
nights at ive-star The Met Hotel in
Thessaloniki, with car hire, from £904
per person. ba.com
NATURE TREK has an eight-day
bird-watching tour to Lake Kerkini in
spring from £1,495 per person, and
ive days in autumn from £1,095 per
person. Includes lights. naturetrek.co.uk
 greek island getaways
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Greece - Italy - France - Spain - Portugal - Caribbean

Cyprus - Morocco - Turkey - Croatia - America
PARTNER CONTENT

In the
PICTURE
From the intimate stare of a mountain
gorilla in the Republic of Congo to golden
sunbeams over Hong Kong, the winners of
this year’s National Geographic Traveller
Photography Competition were as diverse
as they were dynamic. As Photography
Partner for National Geographic Traveller
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HANGING AROUND
Why not remind yourself of your past adventures every day of
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BY THE BOOK
A beautiful CEWE PHOTOBOOK is the ideal way to remember
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well as a variety of quality gloss or matte paper to really make
your portraits, landscapes and cityscapes leap off the page.
 PARTNER CONTENT

OFF THE WALL

A piece of artwork can truly liven up a living space, so reinvigorate your home or oice
environment with a bold, bright and original piece of wall art. They’re perfect for showcasing the
drama of a single shot or bringing the outside in with an epic landscape panorama. Available in a
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Fo r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t c e w e - p h o t o w o r l d . c o m/n g t o r c a l l 0 1 9 2 6 4 6 3 1 07
MONGOLIA
The vast, dramatic steppe of Bayan-Ölgii Province in
westernmost Mongolia provides an epic backdrop for the
ancient art of hunting with eagles. Practised by a dwindling
number of Mongolian Kazakhs, it’s a time-honoured tradition
that relies on a powerful bond between eagle and master

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS

M AT T B R A N D O N

118 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
May 2019 119
MONGOLIA

120 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 MONGOLIA

Sailau, one of the eagle hunters,

contemplates the day’s hunt,
surrounded by colourful carpets
and past trophies of sandgrouse
and corsac foxes. Hunting with
eagles — known as berkutchi
— is an ancient practice still
used in remote regions such as
Bayan-Ölgii. It’s been a way of
life for around 6,000 years.
Although Sailau spends much of
his time out on horseback with
his loyal golden eagle Tirnek, he
also runs a farm with his family,
rearing sheep, goats and
Bactrian camels.

May 2019 121

MONGOLIA

122 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 MONGOLIA

Berikjan, Sailau’s youngest son, has followed in his father’s footsteps to become a champion eagle
hunter. It’s become a competitive sport in the Altai Mountains, and it’s not uncommon for competitors
to travel huge distances to compete. The falconry and their nomadic lifestyle also draw visitors to the
region, who can even rent a gher (similar to a yurt) from Sailau’s family to experience life as a local.

May 2019 123

MONGOLIA

Navigating the area’s rocky

terrain — and herding the
family’s camels — is most
eiciently done by motorbike or
in a Furgon (a Soviet-era 4X4 van).
Life on the road can be stressful
for both man and bird, so Sailau
takes regular breaks with Tirnek,
placing a leather hood over her
eyes to calm her. Females are
chosen as hunters because
they’re iercer and bigger than
male eagles. Sailau has had
Tirnek since she was a chick, but
will release her back into the wild
when she turns seven.

124 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
MONGOLIA

May 2019 125

 MONGOLIA

In spite of their pride and prowess, Sailau, Berikjan and his older brother Ayu are the defenders of a
tradition in decline, one with an unknown future. It’s estimated that only 300 Mongolian Kazakh eagle
hunters remain in this wild corner of the world, with much of the younger generation turning to easier,
more lucrative work rather than preserving this unique, ancient tradition.

126 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
PARTNER CONTENT

C H U R C H I L L , C A N A DA , I S O N E O F T H E
B E S T P L AC E S TO V I E W T H E N O R T H E R N
L I G H T S . T H E Y DA N C E OV E R H E A D 3 0 0
N I G H T S A Y E A R , B U T T E A R YO U R E Y E S
F R O M T H E H E AV E N S A N D YO U ’ L L S E E
P O L A R B E A R S P L AY I N G O N T H E T U N D R A
A N D B E LU G A S F R O L I C K I N G I N T H E WAV E S
IMAGE: AMELIA DUGGAN

WORDS
AMELIA DUGGAN
SARAH BARRELL
PAU L E N G LI S H

128 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
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May 2019 129

PARTNER CONTENT

130 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

DA N C I N G N ature lexes its muscles and casts
an almighty spell upon the remote,
subarctic port town of Churchill during
winter, smothering this settlement under
I N TH E thick snow drits and stilling the tides of
the Hudson Bay with a counterpane of
DA R K ice. Tundra winds blow in from the north
west, stripping the branches from spindly
spruce trees, and the mercury plummets to
well below freezing. Life quietens. Tourist
numbers are as low as the winter sun, which
slinks lazily across the southern horizon.
And yet this harsh, monotonous season
is the most beloved by many locals, for its
quietude and glittering snowscapes. But also
for the spectacular Northern Lights, which
dance vividly through the crisp night skies.
It’s the promise of this ultimate bucket list
experience that coaxes me of the warm
airplane and into the breathtaking cold.
It’s -40C.
“A very warm welcome to Churchill,”
quips Evan, the Churchill Northern Studies
Centre (CNSC) programme coordinator, when
he meets me at the airport. “I should warn
you,” he says with mock sternness as we
bundle into a van, “the windows might freeze
if you insist on breathing.” Sure enough, as I
peer out at the binary landscape of blinding
snow and brilliant sky, my exhalations
manifest as fractals on the glass. We follow a
PREVIOUS PAGE: Polar coastal road for 14 miles outside of the town
bear mural to reach my home for the next ive nights: a
FROM LEFT: Aurora
IMAGES: SUPERSTOCK
state-of-the-art scientiic research facility
display at the Churchill
built among the launch towers of a former
Northern Studies Centre;
enjoying a spectacular
rocket range.
Northern Lights display Ater a hearty dinner, my fellow aurora-
at the Churchill Northern seekers and I gather in the lecture room
Studies Centre to meet astronomy expert Alan Dyer. Our
PARTNER CONTENT
evenings at the CNSC start with talks
from Alan to deepen our appreciation of
the Northern Lights, and segue into sky
watching — either out on the wrap-around
viewing deck or under a cosy glass dome.
There’s an air of nervous excitement in the
room. Alan dims the lights, licks on the
projector, and takes us out into the cosmos.
We watch a simulation of the Earth being
blasted with solar wind from a coronal hole
on the bubbling surface of the sun, and
follow these particles as they collide with
the atmosphere to create rippling bands of
colour. He points out Churchill on a map:
we’re right under the auroral zone. “We could
be in for quite a show this week — scientists
have noted a coronal hole turning to face us,”
Alan concludes with a smile. “The height of
any display tends to be around midnight, but
shall we go take a look now?”
Outside, I tuck my gloved hands into my
armpits, stamp my feet and squint through
my hood’s furry halo. I can’t see much at irst.
The Northern Lights ‘learning vacations’ at
the CNSC are scheduled to coincide with the
new moon for optimum dark skies. It takes a
while for my eyes to adjust. Slowly, I begin to
make out the multitude of stars, and then I
notice something new: a faint arc stretching
across the sky, east to west, like the trail of
some celestial being. Through it, the stars
continue to shine like diamonds. It’s the
aurora borealis.
A few hours and multiple mugs of
hot chocolate later, the display peaks.
A shout goes round the building, and I
rush upstairs in my slippers to the viewing
dome. Directly overhead, the aurora is
dancing, snaking, merging and dividing.
May 2019 131
PARTNER CONTENT
Its lines are crisp green, its delicate curtain
of rays shimmer violet. It’s bewitching
— and humbling — and like so many
beautiful things, gone too soon. This
show lasts only a few minutes. But I ind
that later, when I curl up in my dormitory,
the hypnotic, lickering colours dance
once again in my mind.
During the daytimes at the CNSC, I get a
glimpse of life in an active research facility.
Through the staf, I learn about ongoing
projects examining polar bear ecology,
botany and climate change. I explore the
surrounding wilderness, too, walking on
frozen lakes and learning how to build a
quinzee (snow shelter) and an igloo, touring
the former Cold War-era rocket base, built
by the US Army to study the upper
atmosphere. In the shadow of a launch
building, Evan tells our group about Project
Waterhole, an attempt in 1980 by American
scientists to “turn of the lights” by shooting
a specially designed rocket into the aurora.
It largely failed, much to the local
community’s delight.
One blustery aternoon, we drive to the
outskirts of Churchill to meet David Daley,
the owner of Wapusk Adventures, who
takes us out on a sled pulled by his beloved
huskies. We glide through the forest, David
crying out commands and encouragement.
It’s spectacular to move like this through
nature. I can feel frost forming on my
eyebrows and eyelashes, and notice wisps of
hair turning white in the cold. And up ahead,
in the blue sky, the sun appears splintered
— two bright parhelions, or sundogs, glow
on the rim of a wide halo, refracted through
the icy air.
132 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Another day, we’re taken on a tour of the
town. Life in a remote community can be
AURORA
challenging, Evan explains, but with the WATCH
train line reopened in November 2018 ater 18 Auroral displays are caused
months, things are deinitely on the upswing by solar storms, the most
in Churchill. We stop by the Itsanitaq dazzling of which happen
Museum, where we admire the collection of roughly every 11 years
Inuit art. One painting depicts the ancient (the next is due in 2024).
Displays are also triggered
belief that the aurora (‘aqsarniit’ in Inuktitut)
at other times during this
are the souls of the dead kicking a walrus
cycle by bursts of solar
skull between them. wind (electrically charged
Churchill has historically been the particles emitted by the sun).
meeting place of diferent cultures. First, Having said this, the sun
for the Inuit, Cree and Dene, and later for emits solar wind constantly
the Métis and those of European descent. so there’s always some
It was a place of trade — not only furs geomagnetic activity.
Aurora watchers monitor
and food, but also, inevitably, ideas and
this using the Kp index.
culture. So it feels itting to learn about Inuit
cosmology here. One widely held local belief Solar wind particles
about the Northern Lights is that whistling collide with atoms in our
at them makes them dance — although atmosphere, gaining energy
another superstition holds that such an upon impact. When they
act invites misfortune, and can lead to the slow down, they release
whistler being spirited away. I don’t need photons, whose wavelengths
to risk whistling at the lights: throughout we perceive as colours:
oxygen atoms generally emit
my stay, they appear of their own accord
green and yellow light, while
every evening in playful swirls, crowning nitrogen emits red, purple
Churchill’s snow-whitened wilds with and (very occasionally) blue.
waves of light, dancing to the rhythm of the
cosmos. AD Northern Lights
appearances tend to be
quite dim, while red hues
IMAGES: AMELIA DUGGAN
in particular are often hard
to see. This is because the
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Climate change mural in wavelengths are at the limit
Churchill entitled The Last Winter, painted by the of human vision. Cameras
Spanish artist Dulk in 2017 as part of the Sea Walls are far more sensitive,
project; two sled dogs at Wapusk Adventures; CNSC’s however, and can pick up
scientiic coordinator, LeeAnn Fishback, leads a tour colours and displays that the
into the boreal forest naked eye cannot.
PARTNER CONTENT

May 2019 133

PARTNER CONTENT

Polar bear investigating a

Tundra Buggy in Churchill
RIGHT: Sightseeing on a
Tundra Buggy

134 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

BEAR
W ITN E S S
THE POLAR BEAR
The world’s largest land carnivore, an
adult male polar bear can weigh up to
2,000lbs. Their fur is translucent, and
only appears white because it relects
the light. Beneath the fur, their skin is
actually jet black.
The Churchill Wildlife Management
Area covers 3,280sq miles, all of which
is protected boreal terrain just outside
town. From June to November, the
subpopulation of polar bears around
Churchill sometimes forage for food on
land, leading to an increase in conlicts
with humans. Fortunately, in Churchill,
the few bears that do make pests
of themselves (usually juveniles) are
sedated, quarantined in the Polar Bear
IMAGES: SUPERSTOCK
Holding Facility, then helicoptered back
onto the tundra to be released.
Polar bears live in territories that
ring the Arctic Circle: Canada, Russia,
Alaska, Greenland and Norway.
T he jaw closes, swallowing our driver
Neil’s head whole. The mandible is
massive, dwaring not just Neil’s head but his
neck and shoulders too, but all I can focus
on is the beast’s enormous nasal cavity: a
pit-like depth recalling that of a colossal
prehistoric predator. “Now I know what a
seal feels like,” laughs Neil from inside the
skull. “He’s not wrong,” says our resident
scientist, Melanie Hout. “Hunting bears
clamp down over a seal’s breathing hole
in the ice, trapping its head. And… well we
know who wins there.”
We’re glad Melanie is with us in the Tundra
Buggy. Outside the enormous all-terrain
vehicle, sleet is whipping across Northern
Manitoba’s lat tundra wilderness. Melanie
is a volunteer scientist from conservation
organisation Polar Bears International.
A welcome distraction, her demos are
accompanied by fascinating ursine facts
that paint a rich picture of what, we hope, is
to come. Sightings are near-guaranteed on
the Hudson Bay’s shores in October, when
the nomadic beasts gather in the hundreds,
waiting for sea ice to form so they can step
out across the frozen bay to hunt.
Wildlife tourism — boosted by huge
numbers of polar bear sightings in recent
years — has put this outpost in the far north
of Manitoba irmly on the map. Its fur trade
heritage and remote location (access is by air,
rail or sea only) make for an absorbing frontier
town vibe. Roads peter out in the boggy
tundra just beyond the centre. With nowhere
to go, car thet is pointless, so residents
leave vehicles unlocked, providing useful
refuges from a charging polar bear. Although
the chances of that happening are greatly
PARTNER CONTENT
diminished now the town’s rubbish dump has
been replaced with a secured facility.
It’s on the tundra that the real action
happens. For tourists with deep pockets,
overnight stays in the Tundra Buggy Lodge
ofer the chance to spot bears from the
comfort of your own bed. Alternatively, all-
terrain, low-impact Tundra Buggies, like the
one Frontiers North Adventures has taken us
out in, make bumpy progress across the ice in
pursuit of bears.
Being out here in a blizzard is no joke, but
our patience is soon rewarded when Neil
notices that one of the tundra’s unhelpfully
bear-shaped boulders is, in fact, a bear. The
sleepy young male is momentarily revealed,
coal-black eyes blinking into the wind. His
nose comically rotates, tracking a scent that
could be up to 20 miles away, before he
returns to his stone-like doze. Soon the
sightings come thick and fast, and we spend
a mesmerising hour watching another young
male clawing and licking at piles of nutrient-
rich kelp. He’s only 30 feet away, his garden-
rake-sized claws a chilling spectacle.
Later, in a scene that draws a collective
‘awwwww’, we watch as a rag-tag group of
juveniles scratch and snif along the shore of a
frozen lake; one female stops to make perfect
teddy bear rolls in a patch of heather. It’s hard
not be taken by the bears’ puppy dog charms.
But then one moves — fast — reaching our
vehicle’s viewing platform before there’s even
time to adjust my camera’s focus. He rears
up, paws thudding onto the buggy, epic nasal
cavities at work, sniing me out; his oil-black
eyes ixed on mine. “Buggy love,” says Neil on
seeing my dumbstruck expression. It’s a goofy
look I’m to wear for days to come. SB
May 2019 135
PARTNER CONTENT
SINGING
FO R
W H A LE S
“W hat’s that you’re singing?” asks
Lazy Bear Expeditions guide, Jason
Ransom, driting silently on a rigid inlatable
on Manitoba’s Churchill River as I paddle
alongside him, scanning a surface dappled in
late August sun for telltale bubbles.
The day before, Jason had driven me around
the town, and while admiring the Sea Walls
mural trail, telling the story of the town’s First
Nations history, industrial past and symbiosis
with nature, two fellow travellers had half-
joked that you’ve a better chance of spotting
belugas if you sing for them. Hence why I’m
belting out the refrain from Canadian band
Arcade Fire’s song Wake Up. The high notes
are proving a challenge, but the song choice
is relevant. This is Manitoba, ater all, and
only a song of such epic proportions would
be appropriate for my surrounds.
This small frontier town on the
southwestern shore of Hudson Bay holds the
unoicial title of polar bear capital of the
world, but I’m not singing for bears. A kayak
in open water is hardly the safest spot from
which to search for apex predators with gold-
medal swimming credentials, ater all.
Instead, I’m looking for one of the most
enigmatic inhabitants of polar seas: the
beluga whale; tens of thousands of which
136 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Beluga whale, Churchill
gather in the waters of Churchill each
summer. It’s testament to their charm
that when, ive days later, I see polar bears
feasting on a whale carcass, the stunning
spectacle doesn’t eclipse the magic of my
beluga encounters.
But, half an hour in to my three-hour kayak
trip, sightings are no more than distant
glimpses. It seems setting my subconscious
playlist to cetacean-shule isn’t working.
I switch to Deacon Blue, changing the irst
line of the chorus from ‘The Believers’ to ‘The
Belugas’, and am so chufed with my new
game of whale-song that when a plume of
bubbles erupts to my let, I react like a jittery
cyclist ater a close call at the traic lights.
“Woaaaaaah!” I whoop, staring into the
depths. Something bumps me, let, right,
underneath, and suddenly the brilliant white
of a beluga appears at the side of my kayak,
nudging me gently through the water; its
muscular, elegant body glistening in the sun.
I spend the next hour and a half in exquisite
delirium, being toyed with and tailed by these
beautiful creatures; my disbelieving squeals
of excitement echoing, I’m sure, around every
nautical mile of Hudson Bay.
The next day I sing again, ofering the
belugas a Flaming Lips song: “Do you realise
that you have the most beautiful face? Do
you realise we’re loating in space?” My guide
lowers a hydrophone into the water and
suddenly — incredibly — I can hear them
chirruping around me. They surface, eying
me inquisitively as I giggle in gratitude, lost to
this life-airming moment in which I almost
convince myself these Arctic spirits know
what I’m chanting. And that maybe, just
maybe, they’d been listening all along. PE
To f i n d o u t m o r e , v i s i t t r a ve l m a n i t o b a . c o m
THE BELUGA
WHALE
Beluga whales are normally found in
the Arctic Ocean, as well as the seas
around Canada, Alaska and Russia,
and can live in both saltwater and
fresh water.
They can grow up to over six metres,
and lack a dorsal fin, enabling them to
swim more easily under ice.
Belugas rounded foreheads are easily
distinguishable, containing tissue
known as melon, which they use for
echolocation, although belugas are
also thought to communicate using
facial expressions.
They breed in the summer months,
coming to estuary areas like Manitoba’s
Churchill River to feed and calve. These
are the best times to see them.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE & AROUND
Air Canada offers lights from Heathrow
to Winnipeg via Toronto from £456 return.
From Winnipeg, ly with Calm Air to
Churchill from C$727 (£411) return, or take
a 43-hour train, departing twice-weekly,
with VIA Rail, with fares from C$447 (£262).
aircanada.com calmair.com viarail.ca/en
WHEN TO GO
Winters in Churchill see temperatures get
as low as -40C. Summers reach 22C and
it’s the warmer months that are best for
beluga spotting. October and November,
meanwhile, are best to see polar bears.
February and March are good for dog
sledding and the Northern Lights.
HOW TO DO IT
Winter Skies: Aurora and Astronomy in
Churchill educational programmes at the
Churchill Northern Studies Centre are
scheduled for 14-19 February and 15-19
March 2020, and cost C$1,525 (£893).
Includes accommodation, meals, lectures,
activities and transfers.
The ive-day Churchill Town & Tundra
Adventurer tour costs CAD$3,249 (£1,905)
per person including accommodation
in Winnipeg, lights to Churchill,
accommodation, transfers, activities
and meals (international lights extra).
frontiersnorth.com
For beluga whales, Lazy Bear Expeditions
IMAGE: SUPERSTOCK
offers a two-day tour including transfers,
accommodation and meals (excludes
airfare) for CAD$577 (£330) per person.
lazybearlodge.com

Winnipeg
TOP 5 TICK-LIST
At the heart of Canada stands a historic city with plenty of
soul, a booming nightlife and a cultural scene that will keep
everyone entertained
2 THE EXCHANGE
DISTRICT
Downtown Winnipeg is full
of warehouses that house
the city’s best boutiques,
galleries and restaurants.
Take a walking tour with a
twist: dive into the Exchange
District Biz’s history with
themed tours covering topics
like ‘Death and Debauchery’
and ‘Punks and Anarchists’.
exchangedistrict.org
IMAGES: THE FORKS WINNIPEG; ALAMY; TRAVEL MANITOBA
PARTNER CONTENT
1 CANADIAN MUSEUM FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Interactive exhibits are at the heart of this thought-
provoking museum dedicated to human rights. Moving upwards
from darkened lower galleries towards the light-flooded Tower
of Hope, visitors learn about the steps the world has taken on
the path to equality and dignity for all mankind. humanrights.ca
3 ASSINIBOINE
PARK ZOO
This zoo’s most celebrated
4 THERMËA
Unwind in the saunas,
steam rooms and plunge
exhibit foregrounds Arctic pools of this Nordic-inspired
species including polar bears, spa. At Thermëa, guests start
wolves, muskoxen and seals with a hot experience then
in a setting that mimics move to a cool one before
Churchill and the tundra. relaxing on heated loungers,
Don’t miss the Sea Ice Passage, in a hammock or in a hot tub.
an underwater glass tunnel Other experiences include
that brings you nose-to- exfoliation and dining in the
nose with swimming bears. comfort of a fluff y robe in the
assiniboineparkzoo.ca restaurant. thermea.ca
5 THE FORKS
The riverfront
development of The Forks
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
is the epicentre of tourism.
Air Canada offers flights from
During winter, it’s the place Heathrow to Winnipeg via Toronto
to hire ice skates and explore starting from £456 return
the frozen waterways of the
Red River Mutual Trail. When
it’s balmy, rent a canoe or pick
up a boat cruise. Later, eat
mouthwatering Italian fare at
the Forks Market or a pastry
from the rustic Tall Grass
Prairie Bakery. theforks.com
To f i n d o u t m o r e , v i s i t t r a ve l m a n i t o b a . c a
 City life
ABU DHABI
An ongoing construction boom has added a dizzying portfolio of
buildings to Abu Dhabi’s skyline: the new latticed Louvre is part of a
bid to make Saadiyat Island a cultural hub, while sustainable living
projects and warehouses turned creative spaces are some of the ways
the shiny UAE city is striving to be the ‘new world capital’
WORDS: Jamie Laferty PHOTOGRAPHS: Debbie Fortes

138 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
May 2019 139
ABU DHABI
I
nside Zuma Abu Dhabi, a group of
Emiratis are sitting at a circular table.
Their traditional white dishdashas seem
to glow in the dark of the restaurant. Nearby,
a Brazilian couple are frustrated the gloom
doesn’t allow them to take satisfactory
photos of the spectacular sushi platter that’s
just arrived at their table. Meanwhile, at the
back of the room, a DJ plays house music.
Yet, ultra-trendy Zuma backs up its
pretension with super-slick service and the
best food anywhere in the city. A decade ago
you wouldn’t have found somewhere as good
as this in Abu Dhabi. But then, a decade ago,
you wouldn’t have even found Al Maryah, the
island on which Zuma is located, either.
It’s 10 years since I irst came to Abu
Dhabi. Towards the end of 2008, I moved
here for a job on a magazine and switly set
about getting to know my new home. At that
time, the list of attractions was pretty short,
though it felt as though the emirate was
on its way to becoming what its marketing
slogan claimed: the ‘new world capital’. The
guide on a tour I took in those early days
delivered that line as I entered the gilded
lobby of the Emirates Palace hotel.
Reiterating that slogan was the Sheikh
Zayed Grand Mosque. Then, as it continues to
do now, the brilliant white construction blew
my mind — it was as though I was seeing
Agra’s Taj Mahal or Istanbul’s Blue Mosque,
not as a preserved relic, but as a staggering
monument in its pomp, a building made with
such care and perfection that, barring some
awful cataclysm, will stand for 500 years.
The same day, I was shown a series of
plans and drawings in Manarat Al Saadiyat,
ideas for the development of Saadiyat Island,
which would follow in years to come. “What’s
next?” I asked. “What else is there to see?”
And it quickly became clear that, apart from
a quick stop at the Falcon Hospital, there was
nothing else to show.
During the two years I lived in Abu Dhabi,
it always felt like the emirate was in Dubai’s
shadow. On my return — and this is the irst
time I’ve been back since 2010 — it looks like
a very diferent place. The Emirates Palace
and Sheikh Zayed Mosque still stand as
icons of the city (the Falcon Hospital is still
In the name of the father // Abu Dhabi translates as
‘father of the gazelle’. Keen-eyed golfers often spot the little
deer darting across the capital’s courses
140 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
running too), but they’ve been joined by a
dizzying portfolio of buildings and ideas.
Tourists used to spend just a day here before
making the hour-long drive to Dubai, but now
Abu Dhabi is a destination in its own right.
The best example of its stellar progression
is on Saadiyat, where one of those
impossible-looking models I was shown has
been scaled up to marvellous reality in the
shape of the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
One of around 200 islands belonging
to Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat was designated by
the government as a cultural hub, a way
of diversifying the UAE’s economy and
divesting from the oil that’s made it so
extraordinarily wealthy. The Louvre was
always intended to be the irst of the island’s
mega projects, with the Guggenheim and
Zayed National Museum coming later. The
world’s leading architects — including Sir
Norman Foster and Zaha Hadid — seemed
to fall over themselves to have designs
approved, but despite the vast funding
behind the Saadiyat project, many of the
other buildings have foundered or been
delayed by several years.
The Louvre was also well behind schedule.
There was much eye-rolling at the idea
the UAE had bought the august French
name, and serious suspicions this ersatz
incarnation would be a colossal waste of
money. Yet, since opening in November
2017, the Louvre Abu Dhabi has proved the
doubters spectacularly wrong.
Jean Nouvel’s pioneering design — a
loating latticed dome covering the 260,000sq
t site — is a wonder in itself, to say nothing
of the marvellous collection of artefacts and
artworks inside. I read and wrote a lot about
this place during its years of construction,
and when I inally step inside I have a feeling
of dread: the two hours let before closing
are clearly nowhere near enough to properly PREVIOUS PAGE LEFT
appreciate everything inside. But I make TO RIGHT: Inside the
the most of the time I have, litting between Louvre Abu Dhabi; Abu
Dhabi EDITION
paintings by the likes of van Gogh, Gauguin
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
and da Vinci Roman statues, Neanderthal
LEFT: Exterior of the
tools and weapons from the Crusades. Louvre Abu Dhabi; inside
Commendably, there are also a couple of the Louvre Abu Dhabi; Al
Jewish relics: an ancient copy of the Torah Maryah Island; inside The
and an astrolabe with Hebrew inscriptions. Galleria shopping mall
ABU DHABI

May 2019 141

ABU DHABI
Roughly a million visitors passed
through the Louvre’s doors in its irst year
of operation, with the numbers expected
to increase this year. The museum is also
expected to display da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi
soon; a Saudi prince spent $450m (£338m)
buying the painting on behalf of the Abu
Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism.
The entire Saadiyat project still has an
enormous amount of labour ahead if it’s to
reach its potential, but along its shoreline,
construction is taking place. Developers have
even avoided disturbing the area’s migratory
population of hawksbill sea turtles by
building elevated boardwalks over the dunes.
GEAR CHANGE
Until recently, Dubai always grabbed the
headlines, both in terms of its architectural
achievements (or follies) and development.
When the global inancial crisis came
blasting through the UAE, however, it was
Dubai that felt the pinch hardest. With two
thirds of the country’s economy in Abu
Dhabi, the capital had to send grants to its
neighbouring emirate to keep it aloat.
Back in Abu Dhabi, vast cash reserves were
being spent with a little more prudence.
As I drive along the Corniche, the ive-
mile-long promenade that’s always been a
focal point here, it’s clear the skyline has
changed dramatically since my last visit.
The Jumeirah at Etihad Towers hotel seemed
signiicant when it opened in 2011 (not least
because Jumeirah had been seen as an
exclusively Dubai brand), but became even
more so when it was used for an outrageous
stunt in 2015’s Furious 7. Nothing raises the
proile of your property quite like having Vin
Diesel drive a supercar through its windows.
However, petrol heads have more to admire
on Yas Island. While Saadiyat has been
designated as a cultural hub, the focus on Yas
is entertainment. In place of museums there
are theme parks; where Saadiyat has a gallery,
Yas has an F1 track. And while it’s undeniably
fun, it has a strange, artiicial feel. So too
does Masdar City, an elaborate, sustainable
‘planned city’ project near Abu Dhabi Airport
— but as a new hub for ‘cleantech’ companies,
it’s no surprise it feels a little sterile.
United together // Abu Dhabi is a city and also one of the seven
emirates that make up the UAE. he others are Dubai, Ajman,
Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain and Sharjah
142 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
With that in mind, my inal morning back
in Abu Dhabi is spent seeking out some of
the subtler newcomers in town — recent
additions away from the billion-dollar
showpieces. And the Living Room Café
is just the kind of passion project that, in
a forest of the extraordinary, proves that
smaller businesses can give the city more
character. It was opened by Australian
expat Simona Youlten back in 2012, whose
motivation was simple enough: “As a mother
of seven, I was already baking so many
birthday cakes I thought I might as well
scale it up a bit and turn it into a business,”
she tells me. Today, the eclectic little cafe
tucked away in a villa feels a million miles
away from the corporate investments that
have deined Abu Dhabi for so long. When I
arrive mid-morning, there aren’t many other
customers, but the stereo is playing New
Order covers and the staf seem delighted to
be serving cofees and teeny mini muins.
Just 10 minutes away from the Living
Room, in the Mina Zayed Port area,
Warehouse421 is, in some ways, the most
remarkable addition to Abu Dhabi over the
past decade. Like the little cafe, it feels to me
as though it’s achieved that simple but oten
illusive trick of being genuinely cool. While
this type of project is de rigueur for cities like
London or New York, the decision to convert
old industrial warehouses into a creative
space feels particularly bold for the UAE,
even if government money is involved.
During my visit, I meet Dubai-based
photographer Mohamed Somji, who’s
leading a photography tour of Zayed Port’s
industrial surroundings, and visit the Hafez
Gallery, which is in the process of winding
down its month-long showcase of Islamic
art. Throughout the rest of the year, there
are exhibitions from local and international
artists, workshops and symposiums.
Outside is a graveyard of old dhows CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
LEFT: Coffee being
— traditional Arab boats — which lie silently
served at the Living
disintegrating in the sun. Beyond, the glitzy
Room Café; LA artist
high-rises of the ever-expanding skyline Cleon Peterson’s painting
relect the rays at unnatural angles. Abu at the entrance of
Dhabi still has a foot in each of these worlds, Warehouse421; dish and
but each year one grows more distant and the drink, Zuma Abu Dhabi;
other moves thrillingly closer. seating, Warehouse421
ABU DHABI

May 2019 143

ABU DHABI

Masdar Institute of Science

and Technology
RIGHT: Rooftop swimming pool,
Yas Hotel Abu Dhabi

144 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 ABU DHABI

Q&A:
Paul Cliford
Editor-in-chief,
Time Out Abu
Dhabi
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART
OF THE CITY?
I love the area we broadly call
Downtown. While the layout of
Abu Dhabi is rather odd for a city
(it’s spread out over hundreds
of islands, without a dedicated
centre), if there is a city centre,
it’s here. This is where you’ll find
buildings, bars and restaurants
dating back to the 1970s when
the UAE was first formed. You
can explore the back alleys, find
amazing bakeries and tea shops
and enjoy a less flashy side of life.

WHAT’S NEW IN ABU DHABI?

Qasr Al Hosn is simultaneously
new and really old. The oldest
structure in Abu Dhabi, with a
watchtower dating back to the
1760s, it has recently reopened,
following a huge restoration job,
as an incredible museum. It’s
free to enter the grounds and
Dhs30 (£6) to see the exhibitions.
This is where Abu Dhabi as we
know it began, when the Bani Yas
tribe decided to move nearer to
the coast from the desert. They
became pearl divers, and the rest
is history.
HOW HAS THE CITY CHANGED
SINCE YOU’VE KNOWN IT?
I’ve been in the UAE for more
than four years, which is a lot
less than many people, but it
also makes me something of a
veteran, such is the transient
way of life for expats. In that
time I’ve seen a focus on the arts
(the Louvre opening has been
massive), a desire to preserve
traditional Emirati ways of life
(Qasr Al Hosn is just one example
of this), and a drive towards more
sustainable living (see Masdar
City for some fantastic strides in
eco-friendly living).
14 hours in
ABU DHABI
8AM
BIG BREAKFAST
Chances are you’re staying at a nice hotel in
Abu Dhabi, and that usually means a blowout
breakfast buffet. UAE hotels can be many
things, but there are few places in the world
that can rival them on this front; expect
everything from locally made hummus to
fresh sushi and eggs Benedict.
10AM
VISIT THE MOSQUE
Head to the sensational Sheikh Zayed Grand
Mosque before the temperatures and crowds
become unbearable. Built in honour of the
UAE’s founding father (his tomb is also on
the site), the mosque is one of the largest in
the world that’s also open to non-Muslims.
After over 10 years of construction, this
expansive house of worship opened in
late 2007. Surely the most elegant, striking
building anywhere in the country, it holds
several world records including — somewhat
surprisingly — the world’s largest carpet
and chandelier.
12PM
HEAD TO THE LEISURE ISLAND
Having had a moment of calm at the mosque,
mix things up with a trip to Yas Island.
Abu Dhabi’s dedicated leisure district’s
star attraction is Ferrari World. Built close
to the Yas Marina Formula One circuit,
it’s a multiple record-breaker, with the
ridiculous Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest
rollercoaster. If you fancy something more
sedate, the nearby Yas Links is perhaps the
best golf course in the whole of the UAE.
2PM
LUNCH AT ATAYEB
Rather than waste time travelling across
the city to fi nd Arabic food, stop in at the
excellent Atayeb inside the Yas Hotel. The
property straddles the Formula One track
and can feel a little gimmicky, but there’s
no doubting the authenticity of the food in
this outstanding Middle Eastern and North
African restaurant. Naturally for this part
of the world there’s al fresco seating, too,
offering views of the racetrack.

May 2019 145

ABU DHABI

4PM
VISIT THE LOUVRE
Allow at least three hours to explore one of
the greatest collections of artefacts on the
planet, and to gawp at the bold architecture.
There are too many highlights to mention, but
if you want to see everything from stone age
tools to iron age sarcophagi and Renaissance
paintings, make sure you leave plenty of time
— and wear comfortable shoes.

7PM
SUNSET AT EMIRATES PALACE
Completely OTT, the Emirates Palace is said
to have cost around $3bn (£2.26bn), making it
the world’s most expensive hotel. Whatever
the true cost, what stands today is a hotel so
ostentatious it could only exist in the UAE.
Rooms are unsurprisingly extortionate, but if
you fancy a sample of ludicrous luxury, stop
for a sundowner and fresh Tsarskaya oysters
at the Breeze Lounge on the back lawn.

8PM
DINNER AT ZUMA
In culinary terms, the world comes to Abu
Dhabi. Zuma has almost single-handedly
elevated the deinition of fresh food in
the UAE. The menu is a mix of traditional
Japanese, modern interpretations of classics
and entirely new dishes. The cocktail menu,
like the sake list, is impressive. It’s aware of
how hip it is, but there probably isn’t a better
restaurant in the capital.

10PM
DRINK AT LOCA
While it’s tempting to stay in Zuma for a
post-dinner boogie, tear yourself away to go
to nearby Loca. A frequent award-winner,
this Mexican restaurant and bar might seem
an unlikely place to have a night out, but it
stays open until 2am, oten hosts excellent
live music, and sells beer by the 10-litre keg.
If you ever thought the UAE’s laws about Zuma restaurant interior
alcohol were a bit fuzzy, they might get a lot ABOVE: Zuma entrance
more so ater a few hours here.

PERSIAN GULF ESSENTIALS

Louvre Abu Dhabi
Mina Zayed SAADIYAT
port area ISLAND
Getting there & around temperatures over 40C are common, More info
Zuma YAS
ISLAND Etihad Airways offers multiple daily however in the winter months it’s visitabudhabi.ae
Qasr al-Hosn
direct lights to Abu Dhabi from much cooler, hovering around a
ABU DHABI
Emirates
Palace
Heathrow and Manchester. British pleasant 25C. How to do it
Sheikh Zayed
Grand Mosque Airways also offers a daily service BRITISH AIRWAYS HOLIDAYS offers
ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER

from Heathrow. etihad.com ba.com Where to stay return lights and three nights’ B&B
Average light time: 7h The new Abu Dhabi EDITION is the accommodation from £379 per
ABU DHABI upmarket brand’s irst UAE outpost. person. ba.com
UNITED ARAB When to go You’ll ind this stylish, relaxed hotel in SCOTT DUNN offers seven days’ B&B
EMIRATES
5 miles Prices come down as the heat goes up the newly revived Al Bateen accommodation at a luxury hotel from
in summer. From April-November neighbourhood. editionhotels.com £1,300 per person. scottdunn.com

146 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
PARTNER CONTENT

KARÜN
At one with nature
Using recycled fishing nets and reclaimed wood from the beaches and forests of Chilean Patagonia,
Karün makes high quality eyewear infused with the wilderness it helps to protect

THE COMPANY THE PROCESS THE PEOPLE

This isn’t about fashion, designer brands or
wearing the latest trend. It’s about harmony.
Using recycled fishing nets and reclaimed
wood from the beaches and forests of Chilean
Patagonia, Karün makes high quality eyewear
infused with the wilderness it helps to protect.
But these aren’t just any old shades. In
native Mapuche, the indigenous language of
Patagonia, Karün means ‘to be nature’. Wearing
the company’s sunglasses isn’t a fashion
statement, it’s a statement of change. Karün
rejects the old ways of thinking. See the world
through a different point of view.
Karün employs rural disenfranchised
communities in Patagonia to collect fishing
nets and other plastic waste from the beaches
and fjords of the Cochamó Valley, then turns
that plastic into high-quality eyewear. The
communities use the money they receive from
Karün as seed capital to invest in their own
micro-businesses, learning economic skills that
will regenerate the region and preserve the land
at the same time. Sales from the sunglasses
are then fed back into the community, in
collaboration with Balloon Latam, helping to
expand the programme.
Karün works with more than 200 entrepreneurs
and each one is a friend. Pedro Rubio clears
fishing nets from the Reloncaví Estuary and
uses the money he makes to support his wife’s
new empanada restaurant. Elsa Vera weaves
brightly coloured straps for the glasses and
helps other women in her village turn their skills
into opportunities. Pato Gallardo lives high in
the mountains and makes leather-bound cases
for Karün. The job means he can stay in the
valley where he was born. When you buy a pair
of Karün sunglasses, you’re helping to change
the lives of the people of Patagonia.
 PARTNER CONTENT

THE PRODUCT THE MOVEMENT

Combining top-quality ZEISS lenses with A new paradigm is emerging — humans living THOMAS
designs inspired by the natural world, in harmony with the planet. Karün’s not trying
Karün sunglasses are both sustainable and to save the world with sunglasses, but it is KIMBER
beautiful. The Wood Collection, hand- trying to inspire you to see things differently.
crafted from reclaimed wood, is stylish, urban If Karün can make something beautiful from
and sophisticated. The Sailing Collection, something harmful and create opportunities WHY DID YOU START
codeveloped and worn by Volvo Ocean Race from waste, then perhaps it can change the THE COMPANY?
sailors, is sporty, durable and performance- way people think about other things too: The fashion industry
led. The Seven Seas and Pacific Collections economics, the environment, even ourselves. has enormous
are made entirely from recycled fishing nets to This isn’t just a product. It’s part of a much reach, but also has
raise awareness of ocean plastic pollution. larger movement. Wear what you stand for. a disastrous impact
on the environment.
I wanted to prove it
could be done in a more
sustainable way, and
also use those same
channels to send a
message about change.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

The Patagonian
wilderness is our
teacher. It influences our
designs, business model
and philosophy.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES

FOR THE FUTURE?
The first step is to work
with our 200+ micro-
entrepreneurs in the
Cochamó Valley to build
a resilient community
that’s empowered
and incentivised to
protect one of the
most beautiful places
in Patagonia. Then
we want to try and
replicate it in other
parts of the world where
nature is at risk and
rural communities lack
opportunities. We want
to prove it’s possible to
do business this way.

ESSENTIALS

EMAIL
europe@karunworld.com
IMAGES: PIA VERGARA; COLOMBA PLASS

SOCIAL MEDIA
@karunworld

To f i n d o u t m o r e , v i s i t k a r u nw o r l d . c o m
150 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 City life
KOLKATA
ZZ
Z

Look beyond Kolkata’s colonial past and you’ll ind the

colourful street food stalls of Grey Town, the Hooghly’s
buzzing riverbanks, and a cafe culture alive with spirited
debate. he Bengali capital is no faded museum piece
WORDS: Amelia Duggan PHOTOGRAPHS: Mark Seymour

T
o explore Kolkata is to plunge into a
state of perpetual overwhelm. The
soulful yet chaotic one-time capital
of the British Raj confounds expectations
at every turn. This is due, in part at least, to
its limited reputation. A whole generation
know Kolkata — or Calcutta as it was
called until 2001 — solely through the
lens of Mother Teresa’s saintly work with
destitute pavement-dwellers. But instead
of a sprawling, dispiriting metropolis,
Kolkata serves up a compact centre full of
romantic relics of the British Raj, colourful
riverfront ghats (wharfs) and a cosmopolitan
party scene. It’s all easily navigated by the
metro system — or old-fashioned rickshaw.
One of the city’s charms is its countless
anachronisms: its trams and eccentric
guesthouses full of Victoriana. Delightful
discoveries become as common as the clay
chai cups that ill the city’s gutters; each as
delicious as the Bengali confectionery sold
on every street corner.
“The essence of an old city is its secrets,”
says my guide Anirban of Calcutta Walks,
as we head into Grey Town, which ranges
from Bowbazar to Burrabazar. The historic
labyrinth of Portuguese, Chinese and
Armenian communities (and many more
besides) was founded around the mid-18th
century when Bengal became the booming
hub of the East India Company. The district
is one of Kolkata’s more important albeit
least celebrated sights: these immigrants
contributed to the city’s economy and
cultural makeup in myriad ways.
While Kolkata postcards might carry the
spectacular ediices of the Victoria Memorial
(the British answer to the Taj Mahal) or the
Marble Palace (the faded neoclassical folly
of a wealthy Bengali merchant), Grey Town’s
attraction is less easily captured. A tour, as
Anirban explains, involves time travel.
“This isn’t Delhi, where history has
become a museum. In Kolkata, you can
smell and taste and experience our past,”
Anirban says with unconcealed civic pride,
adding, “if you know where to look.” In the
cool of early morning, we pound the uneven
pavements to explore the old Taoist temples,
former opium dens and squawking poultry
market of Chinatown, where we chat with
the descendants of early settlers while
sharing steamed momo dumplings. Entering
the Islamic quarter, its buildings luttering
with Eid bunting, feels like stepping across
continents. In a lane of halal butchers, men
in white taqiyah caps and tunics lean against
doorways and sip chai, while cats weave
around their ankles hoping for meat scraps.
One of our last stops is Ajmiri, an
unassuming bakery founded generations
ago by a Jewish family leeing persecution in
Iraq, where we snack on coconut cookies — a
recipe that’s remained unchanged through
the decades. “This is where the Oberoi Grand
hotel buys its Christmas fruitcake. Food in
Kolkata is a great leveller,” Anirban explains.
We end the tour in the Magen David
Synagogue which, in a perfect distillation
of the area’s tolerant, melting-pot heritage,
shares a street with a Portuguese cathedral
and an Armenian church. Nearby, a Parsi
ire temple houses a sacred lame that’s been
burning since 1912. “Today there are only
16 Jews in Kolkata. Once, the congregation
in the area was 8,000,” my guide laments.
“People say the city is dying, that it’s been
dying for over a century. But that’s a lie.
Nowhere with this much soul could ever die.”

May 2019 151

KOLKATA
SEE & DO
VICTORIA MEMORIAL: Built to
commemorate Queen Victoria, this towering
monument was completed in 1921, a decade
ater the capital of the British Raj was
moved to Delhi. The white marble memorial
combines Italianate columns and statuary
with Mughal domes reminiscent of the Taj
Mahal. Stroll the grounds and lake, and don’t
miss the Calcutta Gallery inside, where old
paintings and photographs document daily
life, and the city’s independence struggles.
Neighbouring St Paul’s Cathedral with its
epitaphs to early Imperialists is worth a visit.
MOTHER HOUSE: Albanian-born Anjezë
Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, known to the world as
Mother Teresa, earned her sainthood on
Kolkata’s streets caring for the destitute
and dying. Her simple tomb is housed in
the headquarters of her organisation, the
Missionaries of Charity, where there’s also a
small museum to her life and work, as well as
152 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
her humble bedroom-cum-study preserved
for posterity. motherteresa.org
MARBLE PALACE: This neoclassical mansion,
built in 1835 by prosperous Raja Rajendra
Mullick, still houses his descendants and
their menagerie of exotic birds. A monument
to the excesses that abounded in Kolkata’s
heyday, its grandeur has faded with the city’s
fortunes, but the sweeping staircase and
mirrored ballrooms are still dripping with
chandeliers, stufed with statues and hung
with gilt-frame paintings, including works
by such European Masters as Rubens and
Reynolds. To visit, get a free pass from the
tourism oice at 4 Shakespeare Sarani.
THE GREY CITY WALKING TOUR: A walking tour
is the best way to understand the melting pot
of immigrant cultures that formed around
Burrabazar during Calcutta’s trading heyday.
The Grey City, as it was known under the Raj,
was shaped by Chinese, Portuguese, Jewish,
Parsi and Armenian settlers — to name but
PREVIOUS PAGES: Workers at Kolkata Flower Market
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Victoria Memorial Hall; chai
seller in Kolkata Flower Maket; green chillies and limes
outside the Kalighat Kali Temple; delivery man on a
rickshaw; entrance to Mullick Ghat Flower Market
Noble pursuits // Home to
Nobel laureates such as the
poet Rabindranath Tagore
and economist Amartya Sen,
Bengalis consider their state
the birthplace of the country’s
most progressive thinkers.
Kolkatans love to quote
independence leader Gopal
Krishna Gokhale’s aphorism:
“What Bengal thinks today,
India thinks tomorrow.”
a few. Those communities are dwindling
rapidly, but the grand synagogues, opium
dens, decaying tenements and street food
stalls linger on. calcuttawalks.com
INDIAN MUSEUM: India’s oldest and largest
museum is known as Jadu Ghar, meaning
‘house of magic’. Its 35 galleries, set around
a colonnaded central garden, house a rare
collection of curios, including fossils and
meteorites, many encased in old-fashioned
mahogany display cabinets, as well as
impressive Mughal-era artwork and priceless
Indian carvings. indianmuseumkolkata.org
BOTANICAL GARDEN: Escape the hustle and
bustle and head to the Hooghly’s west bank,
where Kolkata’s 273-acre Botanical Garden
ofers walks along the river promenade, an
orchid house, a herbarium and fern house,
plus plenty of bird watching opportunities.
It’s also where you’ll ind the world’s largest
banyan tree: 80t high and an astonishing
787t in circumference. bgci.org
KOLKATA

May 2019 153

KOLKATA

154 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Stall, College Street Book
Market; poolside seating, Oberoi Grand; pastries,
Nahoum’s Bakery; street in Kumartuli, northern Kolkata
Sweet thing // Bengalis have
a notoriously sweet tooth. Try
local specialities like sandesh,
a round confectionery made
with milk and sugar, or
mishti doi, fermented yoghurt
and jaggery (cane sugar) set
in a disposable bhar clay pot
BUY
NEW MARKET: Founded in 1874 as a
shopping quarter for British residents, and
still known locally as Hogg Market ater
Sir Stuart Hogg (a director of the East India
Company), this sprawling, red-brick arcade
with its gothic clock tower is now very much
an Indian afair. Chaotic and overwhelming,
and patrolled by locals looking to guide
tourists, New Market sells everything under
the Indian sun, from sarees to meat. If you
can ind them in the maze, Tibetan curio
shop Chamba Lama and the legendary
Jewish confectioner Nahoum’s Bakery are
well worth a visit.
COLLEGE STREET: The world’s largest book
market occupies the pavements of this
thoroughfare at the heart of the University
of Calcutta. Sellers perch upon stacks of
literature — some new, some rare, some
ancient; a joy for any bibliophile.
FAB INDIA: This upmarket women’s clothing
chain has a handful of branches in the city,
where shop assistants are on hand to help
foreigners learn their salwar kameez from
their kurta. Clothes are hand-printed with
natural dyes, and loose-itting cotton designs
are recommended for the city’s tropical
temperatures. fabindia.com
LIKE A LOCAL
KUMARTULI: This low-rise
neighbourhood of narrow lanes in the north
of the city is home to the messy, fascinating
workshops and storehouses of Kolkata’s
kumars: traditional potters who sit out on
the pavements and sculpt fearsome, multi-
armed Hindu gods and goddesses from
straw and river clay. It’s the place to start
understanding Bengal’s strong tradition for
arts, and its favoured Hindu gods. In the run
up to Durga Puja (the state’s largest religious
festival), the area is a hive of activity.
EDEN GARDENS: One religion that’s common
to the whole subcontinent is cricket, and
few sporting experiences are as fevered and
chaotic as a Test match in Kolkata’s ‘coliseum
of cricket’. Eden Gardens seats about 68,000,
making it the second-largest cricket stadium
in the world by capacity. Check out the
website of local team, the Kolkata Knight
Riders, for ixtures. kkr.in/tickets
STREET FOOD: The best of the city’s on-the-
go grub are paratha wraps illed with kebab
meat, paneer cheese, egg and spiced potato,
dressed with chili and lime, known as kathi
rolls. Look for Kusum, a stall just of Park
Street, where the lunchtime queues are a
testament to the chef’s skills.
KOLKATA
Z SLEEP
ZZ
SUNFLOWER GUEST HOUSE: This
characterful heritage building ofers cheap
rooms (some with air con) in the heart of the
city — just a stone’s throw from the shopping
area of Park Street. Rooms are clean, if a
little dark, and it’s fun to ride up the heart
of the stairwell in the antique cage elevator.
sunflowerguesthouse.com
THE ELGIN FAIRLAWN: Even if you’re not a
guest, drop by for a sundowner in the garden.
Poking around the memorabilia-illed
halls of The Fairlawn is to get a taste for the
grandeur and eccentricity that lingers on in
Kolkata from its colonial days. This beloved
Sudder Street institution, which opened in
1936 in a 19th-century manor, passed out
of family hands to become an Elgin Hotels
property last year, and has recently refreshed
its pleasant guestrooms. fairlawnhotel.com
OBEROI GRAND: One could quickly
run out of superlatives when describing
eastern India’s grandest hotel. The
sumptuous neoclassical building occupies
an entire city block, making it a island of
sophistication and old-world luxury. If the
ballroom walls could speak, they’d tell a
century-worth of stories of about ilm stars,
politicians and royalty. oberoihotels.com
May 2019 155
KOLKATA

ESSENTIALS
KUMARTULI

Kolkata Marble
INDIA Palace
COLLEGE
STREET

r
ve
B-B-D

Ri
BAGH

ly
K O L K A T A

gh
oo
New Market

H
Indian
Botanical Maidan Museum
Gardens Mother

Pa
1/2 mile House

r
k
CHINATOWN S
t re
Victoria e
Memorial

t
500 yards

Getting there & around

Emirates lies from Heathrow to
Netaji Subhash Bose International
Airport (known locally as Dum Dum)
with a stopover in Dubai. Average
light time: 15hr. emirates.com
To travel into the city (a little over
10 miles south of the airport) by taxi,
it’s better to pick up a ticket from
the airport’s prepaid taxi booth
rather than lagging a cab yourself.
Kolkata has a clean, eficient and
inexpensive metro system operated
by tokens for single journeys or
smart cards for multiday travel. A
few tram routes are still in operation,
a complicated bus network exists
and overcrowded ferries operate on
the Hooghly. Taxis are by far the
easiest way to get around. Choose
from yellow and black metered cabs,
get an Uber or Ola car via their
apps, or phone for a ‘radio taxi’ from
reputable irms like Kolkata Cabs.
kmrc.in calcuttaweb.com
A rickshaw is pulled calcuttatramways.com
along Sudder Street kolkatacabs.com

EAT
INDIAN COFFEE HOUSE: Just of
College Street, in the city’s academic
heartland, this large upstairs hall has
served as the meeting place for the city’s
intelligentsia for generations. The cofee is
famously terrible, but there’s nowhere better
to get to grips with the Bengali culture of adda
(spirited debate). 15 Bankim Chatterjee Street.
AFTER HOURS
THE PARK: This urban-chic, ive-star
hotel has a famously funky underbelly. The
wood-paneled Someplace Else bar draws in
students and rockers with live music, while
the city’s well-heeled crowd head to Tantra for
international DJs or 1960s-themed cocktail
club, Roxy, to dance and be seen. There’s also
a poolside lounge space, Aqua, that’s perfect
When to go
Kolkata’s tropical climate is best
during the short winter between
November and February when the
temperature rarely exceeds 27C. By
May, the heat and humidity of
summer are in full swing, with
temperatures often exceeding 40C
(although early mornings and dusk
still offer pleasant temperatures to
sightsee). Monsoon rains occur
between June and October.

KEWPIE’S: This is a bit like dining in
someone’s home. The cosy Bengali restaurant
is buried in a residential area, so is hard to
ind and there’s no sign outside. Its thalas
(platters) provide a tour through the region’s
best-loved, home-cooked curries, and end
for those humid evenings. theparkhotels.com
More info
PETER CAT: This long-standing Park Street
incredibleindia.org
restaurant is famous for its Persian-style
chelo kebabs and classy cocktail menu. How to do it
Despite its suited waiters and smart decor, INSPIRING TRAVEL COMPANY
the vibe is decidedly relaxed. It’s one of offers a three-night break in Kolkata
ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER

with a roll of chewing paan. 2 Elgin Lane.
THE PARK: This ive-star hotel has a
well-deserved reputation for some of the
inest dining in town. Join locals toasting
special occasions over a rich Bengali rajbari
feast at the recently revamped Safron,
or check out Zen for contemporary Asian
cuisine served with lare. theparkhotels.com
Kolkata’s go-to watering holes. 18a Park Street.
PHOENIX: This recent addition to the bar
scene is packed out at the weekends with
young professionals sipping whiskey sours.
Bare brick walls and chic LED installations
lend a modern, industrial vibe to the
space inside the Victorian-era Astor hotel.
astorkolkata.com
from £1,349 per person based on
two sharing, including return lights
from the UK to Kolkata, three nights
at the Oberoi Grand, B&B,
sightseeing and transfers.
inspiringtravelcompany.co.uk

156 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 T H E A W A R D - W I N N I N G TO U R S P E C I A L I S T

Discover the
wonders
of Japan
Explore tranquil temples, uncover
vibrant cities and stroll
through magical gardens on an
extraordinary adventure
from £1,190

BOOK ONLINEwendywutours.co.uk/japan
CALL 0808 274 0268
or contact your local travel agent
PARTNER CONTENT

GUATEMALA
for families
Complex, diverse, unique: the central American country defies
expectation in many ways, not least in its ability to enamour
travellers great and small. Festivals sizzling with street life,
outdoorsy adventures, fascinating museums… Guatemala is
a blast for families. Here’s a round-up of the highlights

Jumping into Lake Atitlan

RIGHT, FROM TOP: Choco Museo,
Antigua; carved masks for sale
in Chichicastenango
 PARTNER CONTENT

FINCA EL PARAÍSO
Tucked away in the jungle on the north side
of Lake Izabal, this hot spring-fed waterfall
is essentially a secluded, natural spa. The
thermal waters cascade 40t down a rock
wall into a pool, creating a picture-perfect
secret swimming spot. On a hot day, head to
the cooler waters downstream, or climb to
the top of the waterfall to bask in the mineral-
rich thermal pools and sunbathe on the
warm rocks.

CHOCO MUSEO, ANTIGUA

This museum is a must-visit for families and
chocoholics alike. Here, you can learn about
Guatemala’s rich chocolate heritage (the
Mayans were the irst to cultivate cacao, so
efectively invented it), pore over intriguing
exhibits, take plantation tours and get stuck
into tempting ‘bean to bar’ chocolate-making
workshops. chocomuseo.com

WHALE-WATCHING
From December to April, humpback whales
migrate along the Paciic coast, en route to
warmer waters. It’s rare to spot them from
land, so your best bet is Puerto Quetzal, a
harbour town where whale-watching yachts
set a course for the breeding grounds for
heart-stopping close encounters. Along the
way you may be joined by dolphins, manta
rays and turtles.

CHICHICASTENANGO
Head approximately 35 miles north as you
travel from Antigua to Lake Atitlán, and
IMAGES: GETTY; ALAMY

you’ll ind yourself in this atmospheric town

in the Guatemalan Highlands. Its legendary
markets — held on Thursdays and Sundays
— will be a welcome sight: expect pottery,
masks, textiles and piles of weird and
wonderful merchandise.

To f i n d o u t m o r e , v i s i t v i s i t g u a t e m a l a . c o m
PARTNER CONTENT
Early morning in Antigua’s
central plaza
PARQUE CENTRAL, ANTIGUA
This central square is a reassuringly handsome
spot to take respite from the thrum of Antigua.
Locals wind down in the shade, catching up
over cofee, gardeners spruce up immaculate
lower beds, and little ones will relish running
in and around the Fountain of the Sirens.
It’s worth waiting for one of the benches
to become free so you can drink in the
atmosphere, preferably while snacking on ice
cream picked up from one of the cafes lining
the plaza, as the children are entertained by
energetic street performers. And for extra
brownie points, cough up a few quetzals for
a ride through the park in an ornate horse-
drawn carriage.
PARQUE NATURAL IXPANPAJUL
If you’re heading to Flores, this wildlife
reserve in El Petén is the perfect place Suspended bridges
for outdoorsy kids to muck around in sway lazily in the
ater exploring the legendary archaeological
site of Tikal. There’s horse riding and
jungle canopy — ideal
mountain biking, hopping onto tractors and for a real Indiana
zip-lining through the jungle canopy in the Jones-style adventure
company of tropical birds and a rotating the kids will love
cast of monkeys. Its ace card, though, is
the Skyway, a trail skirting through the tangle
of branches. It includes a clutch of suspended
bridges that sway lazily in the upper reaches
of the jungle canopy — ideal for a real Indiana
Jones-style adventure that the kids are sure
to love.

At Monterrico’s wildlife sanctuaries, you and
your brood can see the baby sea turtles that
have been incubated there
TURTLES, MONTERRICO
This coastal town isn’t a classic beach
beauty; waves thrash its black sands
and riptides can be perilous. Inland,
Monterrico is backed by a wildlife
reserve and two sanctuaries where sea
turtles and caimans are hatched and
readied for release into the wild. Head
to the Conservation Center of Studies
during hatching season (September-
February) and you and your brood
can see the baby sea turtles that
have been incubated here. Experts
are also on hand to educate visitors
about its conservation projects, turtle
reproduction, and the repopulation of
endangered species.
IMAGES: GETTY; ALAMY
Watching newly hatched sea turtles
head to the sea in Monterrico
RIGHT: Boy at the Festival of Giant
Kites, All Saints’ Day
PARTNER CONTENT
CANOPY TOURS
It’s no secret Guatemala oozes
adventurous appeal. And tweens
and teens can catch an adrenalin-
fuelled thrill any of the zip-line
parks that dot the country. One not
to miss is the canopy tour at the
Atitlan Nature Reserve, where the
spectacular landscape is home to
monkeys, waterfalls and volcanoes.
The ascending hike passes coffee
plantations and tangles of forest TAKING FLIGHT
before reaching a zip-line launch
point: one soars for a modest 100 Celebrations in Guatemala can be
metres, another for 300 metres, with lavish, colourful spectacles — none
both guaranteed to work their magic more so than the annual Festival
on the whole clan. of Giant Kites
Guatemalans love a knees-up, and
children are at the heart of the
numerous fiestas and festivals that
punctuate the calendar, many of which
are all-consuming affairs with fireworks,
mountains of food, fiercely competitive
dancers and live bands strumming
traditional music. One that’s sure to
capture the imagination is the Festival
of Giant Kites, which takes place in
the neighbouring southern towns of
Santiago, Sacatepéquez and Sumpango.
As dawn breaks on All Saints’ Day
(1 November), the cobbled streets fizz
with activity as festival-goers head
up to the towns’ cemeteries. Here, the
kites — many of which take months to
build and are up to 12 metres long — are
thrust aloft to cavort in the skies over
the graves as a poignant cultural symbol
of peace and the unity of family.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
Virgin Atlantic, Delta Air Lines, Air France and
American Airlines fly indirect from London Heathrow
to La Aurora International Airport. virginatlantic.com
delta.com airfrance.co.uk americanairlines.co.uk
To f i n d o u t m o r e , v i s i t v i s i t g u a t e m a l a . c o m
FAMILY: GOING WILD

IMAGE: GETTY

162 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
In this edition of Traveller 10, we grab our binoculars and zoom in on the ultimate wildlife experiences
for families. From tracking leopards in Zambia, to making a splash with a duck-billed platypus, or taking
a snowy safari in America’s Wild West, these animal adventures are sure to inspire little Attenboroughs.
Words: Sarah Barrell, Emma Gregg, Maria Pieri & Helen Warwick

May 2019 163

TRAVELLER 10

PREVIOUS PAGE: Children watching an

elephant at Okaukuejo Waterhole in Etosha
National Park, Namibia
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: Moose
grazing in Wyoming; children carrying
skiing gear, Jackson Hole; bison, Wyoming;
skiing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

01
BISON IN WYOMING
From up here, they look like a lock of
fat, feathery vultures hunkered down
in the snow. Some 300t in the valley
below — the ‘hole’ ater which the resort
of Jackson Hole is named — this view has
briely distracted the kids from skiing.
“Woah!” says one, eyeballing the herd.
“We’re going down there, with them?”
It’s pretty wild out west. The Greater
Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), where Jackson
Hole sits, is one of the few remaining USA
ecosystems supporting all the major species
of the big mammals that thrived here before
the arrival of European settlers. Hibernating
in dens under the snow-shrouded trees
there are bears, while out in the backcountry
canyons, coyotes, bobcats, wolves and
mountain lions roam. And, today, down in
the valley in front of us, a 100-strong herd of
elk along with — like something out of a Wild
West movie — the solid outline of several
boulder-like bison, heads tucked down into
their lufy necks, braced against the wind.
“It’s cold down there,” says Snow King
Mountain Resort’s Suzanne Muncaster.
“Jackson oten has a temperature inversion:
the mountains can be warmer than the
valley.” We’re not going to ski down, though;
instead, we pull on more layers of clothing,
and set of by road for a winter safari. The
largest of the deer family, thousands of elk
come and go in winter to feed at Wyoming’s
National Elk Refuge, just beyond the town
of Jackson. Founded in the early 1900s
The funny, dolphin-like call of calves cast
adrit from their mothers echoes across
the valley as a golden eagle makes hopeful
lyovers. Further into the hinterland, we
follow the Snake River, into Grand Teton
National Park, where the hardy winter grass
is almost iridescent yellow against the early
season’s snow. We stop once or twice to allow
bighorn sheep to pass, taking care to not let
them lick the car. “The salt from the road grit,”
says Kyle Williams, our guide from Jackson
Hole Wildlife Safaris. “They love it, but it’s not
good for them.”
Parking up by an ice-crusted creek, we
pull out the binoculars. “Swamp donkeys,”
says Kyle. “Moose,” he grins, training the lens
to perfectly frame a female moose and two
calves. More appear on the horizon, huge
fully-grown males with a forest of antlers.
But they’re dwarfed by what we now realise
is a herd of bison. “Technically bison, but
the word is interchangeable with ‘bufalo’ in
these parts,” says Kyle. A symbol of the old
American West, it’s humbling to see these
stately animals in action. With all their weight
up front like an American football player, they
have perfect snowplough shoulders, moving
in a stoic convoy against the driving snow
with a steady, funereal march.
It’s an age-old scene that has us all silenced.
Momentarily. “Woah,” says one of the kids
— the word of the day — as another golden
eagle swoops into view. jacksonhole.com
BEST FOR: Children aged 10-plus
WILD ESCAPES
YELLOWSTONE
Wolves, grizzly bears, bison,
birds of prey — the world’s irst
national park ofers an almost
Kipling-esque array of wild
beasts and a two-week trip
to Yellowstone in the autumn
unleashes its wild side. From
£6,295 per person, including
lights. naturetrek.co.uk
MANITOBA
Here you’ll get the chance to
see Canada’s ‘big ive’ — black
and polar bears, moose, beluga
whales and bison — all in one
seven-night trip. Ideal for teens,
tours take place in the school
summer holidays. From £5,189
per person, including lights.
canadiansky.co.uk
IDAHO
The whole family can get a taste
of life on the ranch at the Red
Horse Mountain Ranch
— saddle up on horseback,
try bird watching, or set of on
scenic hikes. Selected weeks
IMAGES: JACKSON HOLE

to provide vulnerable elk with food, this
25,000-acre expanse of part-fenced meadows
and frozen marshes sprawls out before us in
our horse and cart, our four-legged charges
allowing us to get within sniing distance of
huge, 800lb antlered males.
HOW TO DO IT: Ski Safari has seven-night
breaks to Wyoming, including return lights
from London, shared transfers and B&B hotel
accommodation, from £1,425 per person.
Lit passes, kit hire and wildlife tours, extra.
skisafari.com SB
this summer from $2,500
(£1,890) for three to 11-year-olds
and $2,650 (£2,005) for adults.
redhorsemountainranch.com

164 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
TRAVELLER 10

May 2019 165

TRAVELLER 10

02 LEMURS IN MADAGASCAR
Wide-eyed youngsters will relish
the chance to visit the home of
King Julien — the larger-than-life
lemur from hit ilm Madagascar.
The focus on a family adventure here is on
outdoorsy fun and enchanting wildlife drama:
there’s rock scrambling, a reforestation project,
rating through mangrove swamps, wild
camping and spotting crocs on the shoreline.
BEST FOR: Tweens and teens
HOW TO DO IT: Responsible Travel ofers the
Madagascar Family Adventure Holiday: adults
£1,650 each, children under-12 £1,395 each,
based on a family of four sharing a room.
Excludes lights. responsibletravel.com HW

166 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 TRAVELLER 10

03
GIANT
SALAMANDER
IN CHINA
Curator of reptiles and amphibians at the Zoological
Society of London (ZSL), Benjamin Tapley’s favourite
critter is a lesson in conservation for families

MY FAVOURITE ANIMAL encounter was with the Chinese

giant salamander, the world’s largest amphibian, which
can grow up to six feet in length. We spotted it in a
river in Fanjingshan Nature Reserve in China when we
were developing ield methods to survey the creatures.
I was out snorkelling, checking our baited traps, and as
I checked the last trap, I realised we’d got one. Seeing
them in the wild was special: it was the culmination of
a lot of hard work. There are so few let in their natural
habitat — in nearly eight years of cumulated searching,
we spotted only 24 individuals across 97 sites in China.

WE RECEIVED FOUR juveniles in 2016 ater they’d been

coniscated by the UK Border Force ater being smuggled
into the country illegally. Their new home was launched
at ZSL London Zoo in March 2019 and ofers a fantastic
opportunity for families to learn more about Chinese
giant salamanders and their plight, as, frighteningly,
our work shows that numbers have been decimated by
overexploitation for their meat, and without immediate
conservation action, it’s likely these animals will be
lost forever. Chinese giant salamanders are classed
as critically endangered and are the second-highest
on ZSL’s EDGE (Evolutionary Distinct and Globally
Endangered) amphibian list, which ranks rare and
unique amphibians based on conservation priority.

IT’S IMPOSSIBLE NOT to be mesmerised by these

magniicent and iconic creatures. They have a unique
charm and character and belong to a small and ancient
group of amphibians that diverged from their closest
relatives during the Jurassic period over 170 million
years ago. They’re also mysterious — much of their
evolution and history still remains unknown to us today.
It’s very diicult to see the Chinese giant salamander in
the wild, which is what made my amphibian encounter
all the more amazing. zsl.org
IMAGES: GETTY. INTERVIEW: HW

Ring-tailed lemur with a

youngster on her back, Berenty
Reserve, Madagascar
FROM LEFT: Giant salamander,
Ocean Park, Hong Kong

May 2019 167

TRAVELLER 10
04
BIG CATS
LIONS IN KENYA
The kings of the jungle are easily the least
elusive of all the big cats: spend a few days on
safari in Africa and you’re almost guaranteed
to see some, whether on a thrilling hunt or
— and this is far more likely — dozing in the
shade. However, lions are in serious decline
and vulnerable to extinction. Their hunting
grounds are susceptible to climate change
and erosion, particularly in areas where the
human population and livestock herds are
expanding. Lions are also deliberately killed
by trophy hunters — in some countries this
is still legal — and pastoralists. However,
there’s good news: well-managed ecotourism
can help by delivering genuine beneits to
local communities, which in turn protect
lions and their environment.
And this year, there’s more reason than
ever to book a family safari. July will see
Disney’s photorealistic remake of The Lion
168 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
King hit UK cinemas, and youngsters will be
longing to see Simba, Scar, Mufasa et al in
their natural habitat.
There are plenty of family-friendly lion-
watching destinations across Africa, such
as the reserves in South Africa’s Eastern
Cape or Botswana’s Chobe National Park
and Okavango Delta. But for an authentic
Lion King vibe, it has to be Kenya. Hell’s Gate
National Park was the inspiration for Pride
Rock in the original The Lion King, and it’s
great for mountain biking, too — but for big
cats, the Maasai Mara can’t be beaten. With
ample accommodation, great safari guides
and Africa’s most famous lion dynasties, it’s
an absolute classic.
BEST FOR: 5-plus
HOW TO DO IT: Audley Travel ofers a nine-day
safari in Kenya’s Maasai Mara from £4,225
per person, including lights from London.
audleytravel.com EG
LEOPARDS IN ZAMBIA
If your kids are keen to see leopards
so close they can count every rosette
on their lanks, take them to South
Luangwa National Park in Zambia.
With an excellent conservation
record, leopards thrive here — and
the expert guides know exactly
where to ind them.
BEST FOR: Tweens and teens
HOW TO DO IT: Natural World Safaris
ofers a 10-day safari in South
Luangwa for £6,125 per person,
excluding international lights.
naturalworldsafaris.com
CHEETAHS IN NAMIBIA
It can be challenging to see these
slender felines in the wild, so
to maximise your chances, try
Etosha National Park. Spacious
and generally safe, Namibia is an
exciting destination for a guided
or self-drive family safari, either
camping or staying at bush lodges.
BEST FOR: 5-plus
HOW TO DO IT: Expert Africa ofers
an 11-day self-drive Namibia safari
including Etosha National Park from
£2,140 per person, including lights
from London. expertafrica.com
TIGERS IN INDIA
Be warned: some of India’s tiger-
watching destinations are very
crowded. It’s best to travel with
an operator that’s signed up to
the TOFT (totigers.org) campaign
for responsible tiger tourism, and
to choose a quiet reserve, such as
Bandhavgarh National Park.
BEST FOR: 5-plus
HOW TO DO IT: Tribes Travel ofers
an eight-day trip including Kanha
and Bandhavgarh national parks
from £1,978 per person, excluding
international lights. tribes.co.uk
JAGUARS IN BRAZIL
These largely nocturnal cats are
notoriously elusive, so to maximise
your chances of seeing one, stay
at Refugio Ecológico Caiman in
Brazil’s Pantanal region, where
a conservation team has been
habituating jaguars to vehicles, and
monitoring them with camera traps.
BEST FOR: 8-plus
HOW TO DO IT: Journey Latin
IMAGES: GETTY
America ofers an 11-day trip to the
Pantanal and Iguazú from £4,333
per person, excluding international
lights. journeylatinamerica.com
 TRAVELLER 10

FAMILY SAFARI
MEDICAL MATTERS

WHO recommends yellow

fever, typhoid, hepatitis A and
B, plus routine vaccinations.

South Africa has the widest

choice of malaria-free camps:
Tanzania, Kenya and Botswana
are great for older kids who
can better support malaria
medication.

If you don’t want to take

medication, travel in winter
when malaria risk is lowest.

DEET-based bug spray is the

most efective against bites (but
not recommended for children
under two months old).

Keep kids drinking water and

carry emergency snacks.
fitfortravel.nhs.uk

Lions in the Maasai Mara, Kenya

LEFT: Jaguar-watching boat tour,
Porto Jofre, Mato Grosso, Brazil

May 2019 169

Discover your wild spot in

info@exclusive-africa.com

05
DUCK-BILLED PLATYPUS
IN AUSTRALIA
TV presenter Julia Bradbury has had a fondness for the web-footed, furry Australian
oddities since childhood. As part of her new documentary series, she gets up close
with the curious creatures
I CAME ACROSS a picture of one in an
encyclopaedia as a child, and who wouldn’t be
arrested by the sight of such a weird-looking
creature: furry like a beaver but with a duck’s
bill, as if someone stuck a plastic beak onto a
stufed toy. My children are likewise utterly
taken with them; they’re seen as a real joke of
evolution that look like a cartoon characters.
YOU NEED LUCK and a key location to spot
a platypus. I inally met one called Yarmi
at Healesville Sanctuary in Badger Creek,
outside Melbourne. She was rescued at the
mouth of a river — just before she was swept
out to sea. Unlike some of the sanctuary’s
rescue animals, Yarmi won’t be released back
into the wild as she wouldn’t survive. But
right from the beginning she showed a real
IMAGE: GETTY. INTERVIEW: SB
Duck-billed platypus, Australia
liking for human interaction. Unusually for a
rescued platypus, she thrives with humans.
IT’S INCREDIBLY RARE to be with a wild
creature that clearly enjoys your company.
I got into the tank with her and her keeper
(something visitors can do on select, pre-
booked dates), and fed her live bloodworms.
Then she played with me, swimming around
my side, and even turned over so I could tickle
her tummy. It was one of the most magical
experiences I’ve ever had.
AUSTRALIA’S GREAT for encounters with
weird wildlife. In Melbourne, I crept along
the banks of the Yarra River at dusk with a
torch and saw lots of wombats gathering in
one of their favourite spots. And just outside
TRAVELLER 10
the city, the Great Ocean Road has temperate
rainforest, coastal beaches, amazing rock
formations. It’s one of the world’s great road
trips. You can also see migrating whales at
certain times of year. I spotted koalas en
route, too, at Kafe Koala (albeit in the unlikely
setting of a car park), where they hang out
in the eucalyptus trees. I whipped out my
binoculars and was lucky enough to see
one of the sleepy marsupials awake. There’s
another evolutionary joke: eucalyptus leaves
don’t provide enough fuel to keep koalas
awake for more than just a few hours a day.
Julia’s epic 7,450-mile journey across Australia is
the subject of ITV’s eight-part documentary series,
Australia with Julia Bradbury.
May 2019 171
TRAVELLER 10
06 PENGUINS IN THE
GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS
Remote and beautiful, the
Ecuadorian archipelago is
truly one of a kind when it
comes to wildlife encounters. It’s here
you’ll ind the adorable little Galápagos
penguin — the second-smallest
variety on the planet. They’re also the
only species to be found north of the
equator — originally castaways from
the south, they’ve evolved into their
own species.
172 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
BEST FOR: Tweens and teens
HOW TO DO IT: Wildlife Worldwide
ofers the 10-day Galápagos Islands:
Luxury on Land tour, which takes in
Santa Cruz, Isabela and the pinprick
Tintoreras Islets with extraordinary
endemic wildlife at every turn.
There’s everything from waddling
penguins, giant tortoises, lightless
Galápagos penguin and
cormorants and hammerhead sharks snorkeller, Bartolomé Island,
to iguanas basking on the beach. From Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
£5,595 per person, including lights. BELOW: Common seals, Blakeney
wildlifeworldwide.com HW Point, Norfolk
07 SEALS IN NORFOLK
Head to the unspoilt coast of this
eastern county for some of the
best seal spotting in the country.
Blakeney Point — a four-mile
shingle and sand spit into the North Sea
that’s a dedicated nature reserve — is one
of the largest seal colonies in the UK; it’s
thought around 2,700 pups are born here
every year, and sightings on a boat trip are
IMAGES: SUPERSTOCK
nigh-on guaranteed.
BEST FOR: 3-plus
HOW TO DO IT: Beans Boats takes visitors to
Blakeney Point, with the option of hopping
down to the spit if tides allow. Adults £12;
children: £6. beansboattrips.co.uk HW
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TRAVELLER 10

08
ELEPHANTS IN SRI LANKA
“It’s okay, mum,” says my 10-year-old
daughter. “I’m watching it.”
We’re transixed by the rather large green,
crocodile-sized monitor lizard in the muddy
stream before us.
However, the reptile is all but forgotten
when we see some other, even larger animals
coming towards us: elephants. Babies lead the
procession towards the gate: clumsy little-
big things, moving more nimbly than their
frames suggest. The chalky grey creatures
playfully clamber over one another, pausing
only for a drink of milk from the rangers or to
reach for branches with their trunks.
We’re poised on the viewing platform at
the Elephant Transit Home (ETH) near the
entrance of the Udawalawe National Park in
south Sri Lanka. For 25 years, the ETH team
has been rescuing and reintegrating mainly
orphaned calves into the wild. In 1997, up to
three elephants were being killed every week
by people, leaving many calves motherless.
At present, the ETH is home to around 40
rescued elephants aged from one to ive.
The site lets visitors see these gentle
creatures in a nurturing environment. These
unwitting forest caretakers — they clear logs
and trees as they travel through the jungle
— hold a special place in the nation’s history
and culture, taking part in ceremonial,
cultural and religious pageants for centuries.
When I visited a diferent orphanage in
Sri Lanka over 15 years ago, the elephants
were chained and brought out to see visitors,
and rides were also on the itinerary. But,
thankfully, things have changed in many
places, as have our ideas about human-animal
interaction — the mantra of look, don’t touch
— and I’m keen to illustrate a diferent way to
appreciate these gentle giants to my children.
We watch as a cheeky calf scrambles over
the fence, eager to reach his food, and another
jostles for a drink at the watering hole. There’s
a rush as the elephants are brought out, the
boisterous adolescents hungry for their
lunchtime greens.
My children are squirming with impatience
— we’ve raced here to watch their midday
feed — fanning themselves in the rising
temperatures. It’s small price to pay for this
cinematic wildlife show.
We head down to the Elephant Information
Center, established with the support of
the Dilmah Foundation, to ind out more
about Asia’s largest and darkest elephants,
from their origins and evolution to their
social behaviour and threats. We learn
that Sri Lankan elephants have patches of
depigmentation (areas with no skin colour)
on their ears, face, trunk and belly, which are
oten used to identify them; that only around
2% of males have tusks; and that their ears are
smaller than their African counterparts.
Sadly, there’s a predictable indiference
among the crowd to this information. I’m
doubtful much has sunk in.
Two days later, while on safari, we’re lucky
enough to see elephants in their natural
habitat and the kids surprise us by spouting
out facts and asking questions until they’re
shushed. Sniing out our jeep, an elephant
stands almost within touching distance.
“It’s okay, mum,” says my daughter. “I’m
watching it.”
BEST FOR: 8-plus
HOW TO DO IT: A trip to the ETH can be
organised as part of a tour. Tickets are from
LKR 500 (£2.10) for adults and LKR 150 (£0.60) RIGHT: Herd of
for children. Milk feeding takes place at 9am, elephants, Udawalawe
midday, 3pm, and 6pm. eth.dwc.gov.lk MP National Park, Sri Lanka

ELEPHANTS ELSEWHERE

NAMIBIA THAILAND KENYA

The 11-day Elephant Conservation
Trip combines community,
conservation work, tracking and
monitoring elephants in the desert.
Includes desert camping with some
meals and transfers to and from the
desert. Adults (14-plus) from £980;
Taking in Bangkok, Phuket and
Koh Samui, the 13-day Elephants
& Island Escape also calls into
the Khao Sok National Park,
where guests stay at the Elephant
Hills Camp for an unforgettable
experience deep in the jungle. From
Home to lions, girafes, cheetahs
and, of course, elephants,
the Maasai Mara is a wildlife
wonderland. The seven-day Kenya
Wildlife Quest Camping includes a
visit to an elephant orphanage and
girafe centre near Nairobi. Priced
IMAGE: GETTY

children (8-13) from £880. Excludes £2,485 per person including lights. from £2,199 per person including
lights. responsibletravel.com audleytravel.com lights. exodus.co.uk

174 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
TRAVELLER 10

May 2019 175

PARTNER CONTENT
T he wonders of
HIDDEN CHINA
China might be home to breathtaking wonders like The
Great Wall and the Terracotta Army, but it has so much
more to offer when it comes to captivating natural and
man-made wonders
1 ZHOUZHUANG
Zhouzhuang is one of
China’s oldest water towns.
Its canal network was used
over 900 years ago, while
its picturesque labyrinth of
narrow streets and stone
bridges are largely untouched.
2 FORGOTTEN
VILLAGE
Visiting the leafy village of
Houtouwan, once home to
2,000 fishermen, is a must.
Here, structures come
together to create something
memorably picture-perfect.
4 5
WUDAOYING
HUTONG
Head to this quaint Beijing
hutong (historic alleyway),
adjacent to the magnificent
Lama Temple in the old
quarter. It offers traditional
Chinese heritage, as well as
providing a tranquil, relaxing
haven amid the bustling
streets of the metropolis.
FROM TOP: Zhouzhuang;
Zhangye Danxia; lion statue
at the entrance to a house in a
traditional Chinese hutong
3 ZHANGYE DANXIA
LANDFORM
These layered sandstone
mountains display vivid red,
orange, and yellow stripes, ESSENTIALS
creating an incredible
technicolour landscape on a
GETTING THERE
vast scale.
As one of China’s leading airlines, Air China operates
445 routes that connect 188 cities in 43 countries and
regions. The airline currently operates up to three
HAOHAN QIAO flights a day from Heathrow to Beijing and three flights
The locals call it ‘Brave a week from London Gatwick to Chengdu.
Men’s Bridge’, and at over 300
metres long, this astonishing
glass suspension bridge is
IMAGES: GETTY; ALAMY
one of the world’s longest.
It connects two peaks in the
Shiniuzhai National Park,
Hunan Province — a region
believed to have inspired the
film Avatar.
Visit airchina.co.uk for more information

09
BEARS
BROWN BEARS IN FINLAND
You don’t have to ly long-haul for
close encounters with these large
predators: the wintry forests of
Karelia, on the Russian border,
are home to the likes of brown
bears, wolves and wolverine.
BEST FOR: 8-plus
HOW TO DO IT: Spot brown bears
from a snug log-cabin hide on
a four-day trip with Naturetrek
from £1,195 per person.
naturetrek.co.uk
SPECTACLED BEARS IN PERU
The most famous spectacled
bear — from deepest, darkest
Peru — is, of course, Paddington.
BEST FOR: Teens
HOW TO DO IT: They’ve been
spotted around Machu Picchu,
but for a guaranteed meeting,
head to the Andean Bear Rescue
IMAGES: GETTY
Centre in Chaparri Reserve. Wild
Frontiers ofers 12 days in Peru,
including a reserve visit, from
£3,135. wildfrontierstravel.com
TRAVELLER 10
ABOVE: Brown bear,
Kuhmo, Finland
BELOW: Young giant
panda, Chengdu, China
POLAR BEARS IN
SVALBARD, NORWAY
The largest living land carnivores
have a supremely strong sense
of smell and can smell seals
beneath a metre of snow and ice.
BEST FOR: 8-plus
HOW TO DO IT: Nordic Experience
ofers four-night expeditions
to Spitsbergen from £1,245 per
person, based on a family of four
travelling and including lights.
nordicexperience.co.uk
SLOTH BEARS IN SRI LANKA PANDAS IN CHENGDU
Baloo, the bumbling bear from There are only about 2,000
The Jungle Book, was based on pandas let in the wild. Sadly,
these lufy beauties. of those born in captivity,
BEST FOR: Tweens and teens 60% die within a week
HOW TO DO IT: Book the 12-night BEST FOR: 8-plus
Cox & Kings Sri Lanka Family HOW TO DO IT: Insight Guides’
Adventure for the chance to Sichuan Family Adventure
glimpse sloth bears at Wilpattu includes time at the
National Park and the ancient Dujiangyan Panda Base. From
reservoir of Minneriya Tank. $1,962 (£1,680), excluding
From £3,395 per person. lights. insightguides.com HW
coxandkings.co.uk
May 2019 177
TRAVELLER 10

10 PRIMATES IN COSTA RICA

An intoxicating mishmash
of smoking volcanoes, thick
jungle, pounding surf and clear
Caribbean seas, the central
American country will bewitch the whole
clan. The call of howler monkeys will stir you
most mornings on this trip, which ticks of
the wildlife-rich wetlands of Tortuguero, the
Arenal Volcano and the Monteverde Cloud
Forest Reserve where squirrel monkeys,
white-faced capuchins, sloths and a whole
rat of primates could leap across your path
LEFT: White-faced
as you zip-line, cycle, horse ride and hike.
capuchin youngster,
BEST FOR: Tweens and teens
Tortuguero National
Park, Costa Rica
HOW TO DO IT: Pura Aventura has a 14-night
BELOW: Monteverde trip from £2,050 per person, based on a
Cloud Forest Reserve, family of four travelling, including 4WD hire.
Costa Rica pura-aventura.com HW

IMAGES: GETTY

178 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 LORO PARQUE AND SIAM PARK:
ABSOLUTE CHAMPIONS AMONG THE PARKS IN THE WORLD
THE “MUST” VISITS IN THE CANARY ISLANDS OFFER FAMILY FUN
AND INCREDIBLE ANIMAL EXPERIENCE IN THE SPRINGTIME

LORO PARQUE:
THE BEST ZOO IN THE WORLD
Loro Parque is a true “must” visit in the Canary Islands for millions of visitors
from all over the world. Recognized by TripAdvisor as the Best Zoo in the
World for the second time in a row in the prestigious 2018 Travellers’ Choice
Awards, this magnificent park is a true animal embassy that promotes
conservation of biodiversity and protection of natural habitats. Thanks to the
mild climate and sunny weather, this spring is a perfect moment for a holiday
in the Canary Islands to discover amazing wonders of the animal world with
Loro Parque.
True to its commitment to excellence and innovation, Loro Parque brings new
surprises. This time, as part of its ongoing commitment to conservation, Loro
Parque welcomed two new Pygmy Hippos, true ambassadors of their peers
in nature, who are facing serious problems, due in particular to the destruction
of their habitat. This great novelty came shortly after another one-of-a-kind
exposition, Zen Garden, captivating with its beauty and sophistication, was
presented to the public.
Among other novelties, the travellers will discover the recently opened Lion’s
Kingdom or some the brightest and beautiful bird originated from Mexico and
Brazil in the new spacious aviaries of South America. In a unique journey
through every part of the planet´s fascinating nature, the park´s guests will also
meet the adorable red pandas, gorillas, or chimpanzees, dolphins and six
majestic orcas, as well as discover the PlanetPenguin and Katandra Treetops,
enjoy the florescent jellyfish at AquaViva and amaze at the astonishing shark
tunnel, among other breath-taking experiences.
Puerto de la Cruz - loroparque.com

SIAM PARK:
SIMPLY THE BEST ON THE PLANET
Siam Park is the Nº1 water park in the world, according to TripAdvisor, for the
unbelievable fifth year in a row, having won the 2018 Travellers Choice
Awards. Thanks to the unique water attractions, Siam Park has established
itself as a worldwide leading and revolutionary theme parkin this branch.
On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, Siam Park held a celebration
ceremony with the opening of brand new, breathtaking attractions. Patong
Rapids is a challenge that breaks with all the moulds, surpassing the already
incredible Mekong Rapids. It runs over a 235 metre course and includes
an area of complete darkness, which includes impressive disc floats that
allow you to experience a unique feeling of speed and adrenaline. Coco
Beach, in turn, is a new children’s playground that will allow youngsters to
experience great adventures with their families enjoying incredible sensations
in the new over 1,000 m2 wave pool, suitable even for the youngest,
designed after the famous ruins of Angkor Wat. Be it water fun or relaxation
Siam Park is a perfect choice to choose this winter with beloved family
members and friends!
Costa Adeje - siampark.net

POEMA DEL MAR:

AN INNOVATIVE AQUARIUM IN THE HEART OF GRAN CANARIA
Fascinating new surprises are yet ahead for the nature lovers as Loro Parque celebrated early this year the first anniversary of the grand aquarium Poema del
Mar located in the heart of the capital of Gran Canaria, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, next to the cruise ship pier and only 200 metres from the famous
Canteras Beach.
A visit to the aquarium Poema del Mar will consist in discovering three different areas: surface marine ecosystems, deep marine ecosystems and fresh water
species. Visitors will start the tour submerging in ‘The Jungle’ that recreates the landscapes and biodiversity of different parts of the world. The next area is the
‘Reef’, an enormous cylinder of 400.000 litres of water with a wide variety of colours created by fish and coral reefs. The ‘Deep Sea’ is the third area that
culminates the tour of the aquarium and will amaze the visitors with its exposition that contains over 5.5 million litres of water and the largest curved window in
the world: 36 metres long and over 7 metres high. Make the most of this springtime with an unforgettable journey to discover nature!
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria - poema-del-mar.com

Avda. Richard J. Yeoward, 1 - 38400

Puerto de la Cruz · Tenerife · 0034 922 381 400
hotelbotanico@hotelbotanico.com · hotelbotanico.com
TRAVEL WRITING COMPETITION

TR AVEL
WRITING
C OMPE TITION
2019

180 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 TRAVEL WRITING COMPETITION

H AV E YO U G OT WH AT IT
TA K E S TO WR ITE FOR U S ?
Then we want to hear from you. Our annual Travel Writing Competition is back
for another year, giving budding Brysons the chance to have their name in
National Geographic Traveller (UK) and win an African adventure of a lifetime

Fancy yourself as a bit of wordsmith? Are you forever regaling your friends and
family with tales from your travels? If the answer’s yes, then our Travel Writing
Competition is just the thing for you. One of the country’s most prestigious
competitions of its kind, this is your chance to see your name in print and even
kickstart your career as a professional travel writer.

For your chance to win, simply write no more than 500 words on an inspiring travel
experience, which could be anywhere from the far-flung shores of Fiji to a hike in
the Yorkshire Dales.

We want to see flair and finesse with your words, and don’t forget to capture the
essence of the magazine: a strong sense of place, immersive experiences and
authentic storytelling. So, what are you waiting for?

THE PRIZE
Courtesy of G Adventures, the winner will embark on
a truly epic eight-night trip across southern Africa.
This classic itinerary showcases some of the best the
continent has to offer: journey from Namibia, across
Botswana and onto Zimbabwe on an authentic African
adventure that takes in the elephants of Chobe National
Park; San Bushmen in the blazing Kalahari; the
thundering roar of Victoria Falls; and the Okavango
Delta, explored by dugout mokoro canoe. A
knowledgeable chief experience officer will ensure
your accommodation provides the most authentic
experience possible, including camping beneath starry
skies for a night you’ll never forget. gadventures.co.uk

Entries close on 8 July 2019. Terms and conditions apply.

See more and enter online at nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

May 2019 181

 ASK THE
EXPERTS
NEED ADVICE FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP?
ARE YOU AFTER RECOMMENDATIONS,
TIPS AND GUIDANCE? THE TRAVEL
GEEKS HAVE THE ANSWERS…
Q // Having missed out
on the ski season
closer to home this
year, I’m hoping to try
skiing in New Zealand
in the summer instead.
Where should I go?
182 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Skiing in New Zealand is a
wonderful experience — and
totally diferent to what you ind
in the Alps. I’d highly recommend
the resorts near Lake Wanaka on
the South Island. Good skiers can
get their thrills at Treble Cone,
about 20 minutes’ drive from
Wanaka. It’s a ‘hard and fast’
mountain, with the largest ski
area and longest vertical rise in the
Southern Lakes. The pistes ofer
stunning views across the lake,
and a deep fault line runs through
the foothills. At the foot of the ski
ield is a lodge with a self-service
restaurant, ski hire and a small bar.
You’ll want to hire a good four-
wheel-drive vehicle to get here
— the roads approaching the ski
ield are somewhat treacherous
tracks, with steep hairpin bends.
There’s also a shuttle bus that
runs from the lower parking area
if you’re not keen on driving.
Less advanced skiers might
prefer the more mellow slopes at
Cardrona Alpine Resort, about
40 minutes’ drive from Wanaka.
There’s a good ski school, a
handful of restaurants and some
fun of-piste areas to explore.
Stop for an apres-ski drink at the
Cardrona Hotel, or call in at the
nearby Cardrona Distillery for
a tour and tasting.
Wanaka bustles with activity
during the winter months. Check
IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; GETTY
into the family-run Wanaka
Homestead, located on the edge
of town and a short distance
from the lake’s edge. The
rooms are cosy, and breakfast
is a lively, communal afair.
tourismnewzealand.com
BEN CLATWORTHY
Q // My Airbnb More than two million guests
check into an Airbnb every
host cancelled single night, and over 400 million
on me at the people have stayed at an Airbnb
last minute. to date; yet despite this high
volume of users, last-minute
What can I cancellations are incredibly rare.
claim back? There are a number of
penalties to deter hosts from
cancelling, including fees and
automatic public reviews — but
if it does happen, it’s important
to know we act quickly to help.
Your payment for a
reservation isn’t released to
the host until 24 hours after
you’ve safely checked into a
listing. That means if the host
does cancel your stay, even at
the last minute, you’ll always
receive a full refund or have the
Q // I want to go While the train would be the
obvious choice for getting to
on a cycling tour and from Germany and the
of Germany and Netherlands with your bike, there
the Netherlands. are plenty of other options you
could consider.
Other than European Bike Express offers
going by train, a regular coach transfer service
what’s the best for both you and your bike, with
numerous pick-up points across
way to get there the UK. Your best bet would
with my bike? be to disembark at a drop-
off spot in France, then head
north towards Germany (and
subsequently make your way
on to the Netherlands).
From the Netherlands, one of
the easiest ways to return to the
UK is by boat. There are regular
ferry services from Rotterdam to
Hull; from the Hook of Holland to
Harwich; and from Amsterdam
to Newcastle upon Tyne.
option to transfer your funds
to a new property. If your new
reservation costs less than
your original reservation, the
difference is refunded to you.
The Global Community
Support team is on hand 24 hours
a day, seven days a week in 11
different languages. They can
arrange immediate refunds or
reimbursements and even help
you find a new place to stay.
So, if you need support, go
into the Airbnb app or visit the
Help pages online to access the
phone number and message
centre. Alternatively, if you have
any urgent issues, go to Twitter
@AirbnbHelp for round-the-
clock support. airbnb.co.uk
AISLING HASSELL
Driving is also an option you
may want to think about
— although careful planning of
your journey would, of course,
be necessary to ensure your
cycle route brings you back to
your vehicle. You’d also need to
follow a circular course rather
than set off on a linear, place-to-
place journey. If you only have
limited time, this restriction of
having to circle back to your car
could affect your flexibility and
your ability to properly explore
the two countries.
Another alternative would be
to book an organised tour with
independent cycling holiday
specialist Saddle Skeddadle
— we offer a range of self-guided
and group itineraries to this part
of the world. skedaddle.com/uk
ANDREW STRAW
Q // When paying by
card abroad, should
I pay in sterling or
local currency, if given
the choice?
Many overseas hotels, shops and
ATMs ask if you want to pay in
local currency or sterling when
you pay by card. As a general rule,
you should always opt for the
local currency — so if you’re in
Paris, for example, it’s best to pay
in euros.
If you choose to pay in pounds,
the retailer will carry out the
currency conversion using its
own exchange rate, and may take
a cut. The conversion rates used
by firms overseas generally work
out to be less favourable and cost
more than if you’d selected to pay
in the local currency.
However, if you choose to pay
in the local currency, your bank
will be the one to carry out the
conversion. Standard credit or
debit cards usually add heft y fees
for overseas use, but the total cost
is still likely to be lower than the
mark-up offered by the retailer.
Some top-pick credit cards
— including Barclaycard Platinum
Cashback, Tandem, Aqua Reward
and Halifax Clarity card — Plus
don’t add the typical 3% fee for
spending or withdrawing cash
abroad; the exchange rate with
these will certainly be better than
that provided by the retailer.
moneysavingexpert.com
ROSIE BANNISTER
THE EXPERTS
BEN CLATWORTHY //
FREELANCE TRAVEL, SKI AND
ADVENTURE WRITER
ANDREW STRAW //
SADDLE SKEDADDLE
AISLING HASSELL // VICE
PRESIDENT, COMMUNITY
SUPPORT, AIRBNB
ROSIE BANNISTER //
SENIOR MONEY ANALYST,
MONEYSAVINGEXPERT.COM
May 2019 183
TRAVEL GEEKS

THE INFO
IN NUMBERS Of Earth’s vegetated

⅓
lands have experienced

THE WORLD IS 5%
The increase in the planet’s
greening over the
two decades, roughly
ofsetting half of

GETTING GREENER green leaf area over the past

two decades
the carbon loss
caused by tropical
deforestation
A NASA INVESTIGATION HAS REVEALED
THAT OUR PLANET IS GREENER — IN TERMS 25%
OF VEGETATION — TODAY THAN IT WAS 20 The proportion of human-
YEARS AGO. WORDS: TAMSIN WRESSELL created carbon emissions that NEW GROWTH HAS BEEN
plants and trees absorb
OBSERVED IN THE DRIER
SAVANNAS AND SHRUBLANDS

CHINA AND INDIA ACCOUNT FOR

40% OF AFRICA AND AUSTRALIA,
The growth in China’s
AND RECOVERING FORESTS
ONE THIRD OF THE GREENING greening since tree-planting
schemes began in the 1990s OUTSIDE THE TROPICS

CHINA
Forests make up 42% of the increase
Croplands make up 32%

Change in leaf area

10
(% per decade)
8 Upward trends in increasing leaf
areas between 2000-2017
6

2 Global average: 2.3

0
China

India

EU

Canada

Russia

Australia

USA

Mexico

Argentina

Brazil

DRC

Argentina
INDIA
Croplands make up 82% of the increase FORESTS HAVE REGROWN ON FARMLAND
Forests make up 4.4%
ABANDONED AFTER THE FALL OF COMMUNISM
IN RUSSIA AND NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES

GROWING CONCERNS
New greenery, however, doesn’t negate the impact of deforestation or climate change

THE AMAZON BASIN THE ARCTIC TUNDRA PEOPLE-DRIVEN

— home to the largest is seeing a rise in CHANGES aren’t the
area of rainforest in greenery, too, due only factors responsible
the world — has mostly to unprecedented for the changes, with
IMAGES: GETTY

shown either no change warming, thawing of the a warming planet and

or a loss of greening in permafrost and melting increased CO2 also
the past two decades ice sheets being drivers

SOURCE: NASA AMES - NASA.GOV/FEATURE/AMES/HUMAN-ACTIVITY-IN-CHINA-AND-INDIA-DOMINATES-THE-GREENING-OF-EARTH-NASA-STUDY-SHOWS

184 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

HOT TOPIC
HOTEL BOOKING SITES TO
STOP ‘MISLEADING’ SALES
THE COMPETITION AND MARKETS AUTHORITY HAS CLAMPED DOWN ON SIX HOTEL
BOOKING GIANTS FOR HIGH-PRESSURE SALES TACTICS AND HIDDEN FEES, BUT WHAT
DOES THAT MEAN FOR CONSUMERS? WORDS: JAMES DRAVEN
In the age of online comparison
sites, it seems that consumers
have more power and choice than
ever. Hotel comparison sites like
Agoda, Booking.com, Ebookers,
Expedia, Hotels.com or Trivago
show us the ‘one room let’ at a
discounted price with ‘15 people
currently looking’. Or a less-
expensive-but-better hotel that
appears further up the search
rankings than the one we were
originally considering.
Ater an investigation by
the Competition and Markets
Authority (CMA) in October
2017, the six hotel booking sites
above have been the subject of
CMA enforcement action. The
watchdog found that consumers
were routinely being misled by
some booking sites with hidden
charges; by discount claims that
compared of-peak rates with
high-season ones; by giving more
prominence to hotels paying the
most commission; by strategically
placing sold out hotels within
search results; and by falsely
representing hotels’ popularity.
The CMA found booking sites
used claims such as ‘15 other
people are viewing this property’
when other users may actually
be searching for diferent dates.
Similarly, Which? Travel found that
despite messages claiming there
was only ‘one room let at this
price’ there were up to 50 listings
AND ANOTHER THING… VISA UPDATES
CAPE VERDE
A visa is no longer required for UK
travellers to this archipelago for
stays of up to 30 days, although
IMAGE: GETTY
visitors will have to register online
before travel and pay an Airport
Security Tax of CVE3,400 (£30) if
arriving by air. gov.uk/fco
for rooms of a similar standard
or price, and in some cases the
diference only £5. These tactics
rush customers into making
booking decisions, preventing
them from inding the best deals.
The CMA has given the six hotel
booking giants until 1 September
2019 to change their ways. They
must inform users if high search
rankings have been afected by
the amount of commission the
hotel pays the site; to not give false
impressions of the popularity or
availability of hotels; to not make
misleading discount claims; and
to display all compulsory charges
such as taxes, booking or resort
fees in the headline price.
Although not all six companies
engaged in all of these practices,
THAILAND
A new e-visa scheme is available
to UK travellers that allows 60
days of visa-free travel within
the country. Visas can still be
requested upon arrival, although
these will limit travellers to only
45 days’ travel. thailandvisa.net
they’ve all agreed to abide by the
new rules. So does that mean we
can trust them now?
Rory Boland, editor of Which?
Travel, answers: “In short, no.
Ater the CMA’s announcement
we found one or more of the sites
engaged in pressure selling, not
displaying the total price of a room
upfront, and listing discounts
that don’t meet new criteria. They
should do the right thing and
introduce these changes sooner
rather than later.”
Consumers should still be wary
until the 1 September deadline.
Hotel booking sites remain great
for getting an idea of the hotels
available and at what prices, but
Boland says that doesn’t mean you
need to book through them.
TURKEY
Travellers will no longer be able
to acquire a visa upon arrival and
will instead have to apply for an
e-visa online prior to departure.
The new visas allow multiple stays
of up to 90 days within a period of
180 days. evisa.gov.tr
TRAVEL GEEKS
Q&A
WHY WERE THESE SITES SINGLED
OUT FOR INVESTIGATION?
A Competition and Markets
Authority Spokesperson said:
“We analysed a large amount of
information regarding various
sites’ practices and pursued
those sites that were the most
well used and have the biggest
impact on consumers.”
HAVE THEY BROKEN THE LAW?
The CMA hasn’t made a inding
on whether the hotel booking
sites’ practices have breached
consumer law, which is a matter
that only the courts can decide.
WHAT HAPPENS IF SITES DON’T
COMPLY WITH THE NEW RULES
BY 1 SEPTEMBER?
The CMA said: ‘Following 1
September, if the CMA inds
suficient evidence that they
could be breaking consumer
protection law, it will consider
taking further action.’
WHO DO THESE RULES APPLY TO?
A CMA spokesperson said:
“The guidelines are for any
business offering online
accommodation booking
services. This includes online
travel agents, metasearch
engines, big hotel chains and
individual hotels.”
UZBEKISTAN
In a bid to attract more visitors
to discover its Silk Road heritage,
the central Asian country has
waived visas for UK travellers for
stays of up to 30 days. The iner
details are still vague, so check
well in advance. uzbekembassy.org
May 2019 185
TRAVEL GEEKS

Kit list
FAMILY ADVENTURE
WE TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE BEST KIT ON THE MARKET FOR KIDS
TO HELP MAKE YOUR NEXT FAMILY TRIP ONE TO REMEMBER

1 JACK WOLFSKIN
LAKESIDE JACKET KIDS
This light summer jacket
includes anti-mosquito
protection with tight-
weave organic cotton.
It’s also wind- and water-
resistant, and provides
factor 40+ protection
from the sun. RRP: £35.
jack-wolfskin.com

2 OSPREY KIDS JET 18 RUCKSACK 3 THE WOMAN WHO RODE A SHARK

With all the functions of
the adult version, this bag is
designed to inspire kids to head
outside. Relective graphics
make it easy to spot. RRP: £45.
cotswoldoutdoor.com
This book is packed with tales of
50 of history’s most adventurous
female trailblazers — from 231BC
to today — to inspire younger
travellers to set out on their own
adventure. RRP: £14.99. hive.co.uk

4 SUBEA 5 VTECH KIDIZOOM

EASYBREATH 500 ACTION CAM 180
SNORKELLING MASK This a great irst
The full-mask design video camera for
enables natural ilming and shooting
breathing through the adventures. It has a
nose and mouth while waterproof case and
its air circulation a timelapse feature,
prevents fog. The which makes for
adjustable strap creative action shots.
prevents pulling on Recommended for
hair. For children aged children aged 5 and
10-plus. RRP: £24.99. over. RRP: £52.99.
decathlon.co.uk argos.co.uk

hree more to try

COLUMBIA MINI RIDGE KEEN NEWPORT NEO SEAFOLLY LONG
SHORT SLEEVE T-SHIRT H2 SANDALS SLEEVE KEYHOLE
The ingenious wicking Available in several SURF TANK SWIMSUIT
fabric draws moisture colours, these sandals are For protection against
from the body. RRP: £15. tough and durable. RRP: the sun. RRP: £38.
columbiasportswear.co.uk £39.99. keenfootwear.com surfdome.com

186 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

Tech traveer
DOWNLOAD AND GO
MAKE YOUR ENTERTAINMENT MOBILE, AND LOAD UP YOUR
FAVOURITES READY FOR LONG-DISTANCE TRAVEL WITH APPS,
AND IF YOU’RE SAVVY, FREE TRIALS
On a long journey, you’ll be thankful
to have enterntainment ready to
watch, read or listen to. Most content
distribution apps, like Netflix, Amazon
Prime and BBC iPlayer, let you
download stuff to watch offline. Even
YouTube Premium (£11.99p/m) has a
download feature and the first month is
free. Both Amazon and YouTube also let
you choose the quality of the download,
which means smaller files for lower-
resolution videos that are suitable for
watching on a smaller screen.
Music streaming services are also
available offline, with Spotify and Apple
GET THE GADGET
Audiolab M-DAC Nano
If you’re watching or listening to
your device in a noisy environment,
like a flight, you might need to boost
your usual audio levels for maximum
enjoyment. This M-DAC Nano is the size
of a matchbox and connects wirelessly
to your smartphone or tablet. Plug
your headphones into it for a boost in
audio quality and volume. You can also
control your media player through it,
eliminating the need for cables to the
TRAVEL GEEKS
TECHNOLOGY REPORTER FOR @BBCCLICK AND
AUTHOR OF WORKING THE CLOUD,
KATE RUSSELL PICKS THE LATEST INNOVATIONS
TOP APPS FOR...
quiet time
FLIPD
IOS/ANDROID FREE
Flipd challenges you to take ‘mindful time’
offline by setting a session where your phone
will be silenced. flipdapp.co
FOREST
IOS/ANDROID FREE
Forest app plants a virtual seed. The incentive
is: if you disturb your phone too early, the
sapling that grows will be killed. forestapp.cc
Music among the most popular. Google
Play Music will eventually be rolled FREEDOM
into YouTube Premium (they’re both IOS/ANDROID/MAC/WINDOWS $6.99P/M
owned by Google), and again, both offer Block sites or activities; the monthly cost is
$6.99 (£5.32) after the free trial. freedom.to
playlist downloads. I like to download
podcasts to listen to as well as music,
RESCUETIME
and have a subscription to Audible, the IOS/ANDROID FREE WITH $9P/M UPGRADE
go-to for audiobook downloads. You Upgrade to premium for $9 (£6.85) for tips on
should be able to find more than enough locking distractions away, plus a look at how
content to keep the whole family happy, productive your phone time is. rescuetime.com
but if the kids have to share a device,
I heartily suggest buying a pair of
headphone splitters. You can also pick
up really cheap Bluetooth speakers that
are surprisingly good quality.
phone and tapping on your screen. The
amplifier has two settings: standard and
enhanced. The latter gives you even
richer sound, but reduces the battery
life from eight hours to six. Once the
battery is flat, recharge it through a
USB port or a wireless charging pad.
RPP: £149. audiolab.co.uk
@katerussell
katerussell.co.uk
May 2019 187
TRAVEL GEEKS
FREQUENT FLYER
WHAT DOES THE END
OF THE AIRBUS A380
MEAN FOR TRAVELLERS?
AIRBUS HAS CONFIRMED IT WILL END ITS PRODUCTION OF
THE A380 SUPERJUMBO PASSENGER JET — WE TAKE A LOOK AT
HOW THIS WILL AFFECT THE INDUSTRY. WORDS: DAVID WHITLEY
The A380’s the big beast, right?
Yep — the world’s largest passenger
aircrat, which entered the market in
2007. The double-decker plane can carry
up to 868 passengers, but they’re usually
laid out to carry between 379 and 615
passengers, depending on the airline and
coniguration. But manufacturer Airbus
has decided to stop making them, and
the last A380s will roll of the production
line in 2021.
What was so good about it?
A whopping 5,920sq t of loor space in
the cabin, so extra room for economy
passengers, or more passengers
crammed onto a light to bring costs
down. Quieter interiors, larger windows,
higher pressurisation and bigger
overhead bins also made the plane a hit.
So why stop making it?
Alas for Airbus, which spent billions
developing the A380, the basic laws of
supply and demand have kicked in
— not enough airlines wanted the
superjumbo. They are, ater all, relatively
expensive to run — with airports having
to adjust the size of their runways to
accommodate them, too. A380s were
ideally suited to major intercontinental
routes carrying large numbers of
passengers on a daily basis. Being able to
shit more people per take-of is a major
bonus, especially from busy, congested
airports such as Heathrow where slots
are like gold dust. The A380s also work
really well for those airlines that are
188 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
focused on the hub-and-spoke system,
such as main customer Emirates. Large THE A380
capacities are particularly handy for
funnelling people through Dubai towards
REPLACEMENTS
other destinations.
What’s changing, then? BOEING 777-9
The aviation industry is shiting away First passenger light: Pencilled in
from that hub-and-spoke model. There’s for late 2019/early 2020
increased demand from secondary Capacity: 414 passengers
markets, plus newer, smaller planes, Range: 8,659 miles*
such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner,
that are capable of lying direct, less BOEING 777-8
busy routes more economically. This is First passenger light: Probably
opening up a wealth of new routes that late 2021/early 2022
weren’t economically viable before. Capacity: 365 passengers
Even on those main trunk routes, A380s Range: 10,000 miles
haven’t proved as popular as anticipated
with all-important business travellers, AIRBUS A350-1000
who generally prefer the lexibility of First passenger light: 2018
multiple daily departures rather than Capacity: 366 passengers
one or two big departures — the more Range: 9,196 miles
people on the plane, the longer you
spend at immigration and baggage AIRBUS A330NEO
claim. The post-A380 world is all First passenger light: 2018
about cutting out the wasted time of Capacity: 257 passengers
connections and disembarkation. Range: 9,376 miles
What will happen to the A380s? CRAIC CR929
Existing customers will want to keep First passenger light: Projected
them going on those key routes with for 2026 or 2027
limited airport capacity, so they’re not Capacity: 261 to 291 passengers
about to disappear just yet. Malaysia Range: 7,456 miles
Airlines struggled to sell its A380s, so
IMAGE: GETTY
now the planes are being used for special *London to Perth is 8,991 miles
Hajj charters to Saudi Arabia. It suggests
the big birds will eventually ind their way
into niches that require high capacity.
 DISCOVER
HERON ISLAND
ON THE
GREAT BARRIER REEF
 CAN WE
SAVE THE
CORAL
REEFS?
CLIMATE CHANGE AND RISING SEA TEMPERATURES
ARE A GROWING THREAT TO THE WORLD’S
CORAL REEFS. AUSTRALIA’S GREAT BARRIER REEF
EXPERIENCED MASS BLEACHING IN BOTH 2016 AND
2017, BUT HAS SHOWN SIGNS OF RECOVERY
— IS THERE HOPE FOR THE FUTURE?
WORDS: TAMSIN WRESSELL

IMAGES: GETTY

190 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
M
y breathing is laboured, soaking
up my supply of oxygen at an
unsustainable rate, as the waves
pound my body. My hand reaches out for
an aid that isn’t there as I’m temporarily
swallowed by the sea.
This is my irst dive in the ocean. It’s also my
irst panic attack. I ind my way back to the boat
and clamber aboard. When I’ve regained my
composure a little, I ask the skipper to take me
to somewhere with shallower, calmer waters.
Thankfully he agrees. When we reach the new
site, I steel myself and dive in. It’s a whole new
world; a world where the coral is endless and
bountiful. Earthy shades are interspersed with
muted blues, reds and yellows. I catch glimpses
of turtles, hiding under crevasses as they
scratch their algae-covered backs on the reef.
Sea cucumbers spurt out lecks of sand onto
midnight blue starish as tawny sharks swim by,
changing direction with a lick of their ins and
startling schools of clownish as they emerge
from the safety of their anemone homes.
Following the widely reported
unprecedented mass coral bleaching events of
2016 and 2017, this isn’t what I expected to ind
on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Life here, it
would seem, is thriving.
The largest reef system in the world, the
Great Barrier Reef stretches for over 1,400
miles. It has around 900 islands, more than
2,900 individual reefs, and provides a home for
in excess of 1,500 species of ish. It’s the only
living organism you can see from outer space.
Nearly three million people visit the reef each
year, although tourism isn’t the main issue at
the moment. Climate change and rising sea
temperatures are the biggest threat. When
coral is put under stress, it expels the algae that
lives in its tissues and feeds it with nutrients,
causing the coral to turn completely white.
This can lead to the coral’s death. Tragically,
since 2016, this has been the case for half of the
reef — 80% of the coral along the reef’s north
coast was killed of as a result of heat stress.
“We’re lucky here in the south because the
coral is protected,” says Peter Gash. Peter is
managing director at Lady Elliot Island, the eco
resort I’m launching into the ocean from. It’s
the southernmost island on the reef, and the
gateway to the Southern Great Barrier Reef.
A coral cay formed entirely by sedimentary
debris, the island appeared above sea level
some 3,500 years ago. For a decade in the
1800s, the island was visited by workers
mining guano (bird poo) — used as gunpowder
and fertiliser — which virtually wiped the
land of all vegetation, save for eight Pisonia
trees. Today, under the watchful eye of
Peter, the island has become a conservation
eco-centre, gently reverting back to an
island where nature rules. Water from the
ocean is desalinated to reduce the amount
of drinking water being imported in plastic
bottles, energy comes from solar power, and
waste is composted in a pit system to support
the growth of more foliage. It’s a careful
arrangement of cogs, laboriously maintained
to protect the island’s now 5,000-tree forest
— and its surrounding reef — from damage.
Ater dinner, Peter takes me on a tour around
the island. “We put the forest in for the forest’s
sake,” he explains from the driving seat of a
buggy as we bounce over the island’s somewhat
basic roads. “But, what we learnt was that it
brought the birds. And the birds are pooping.
What no one saw coming, is what you’re seeing
out here. When the bird poop lands on the
ground and the water falls on top, it soaks down
into the aquifer. The tide comes in, and takes
it into the sand, which washes over the reef to
give it nutrients.”
May 2019 191
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“The diference is that a few generations ago, my
grandparents didn’t know what they were doing to
the planet. We do now. And we know the answer.”
It used to be worse here in the southern
part of the reef, I’m told, but education and
awareness have saved the reef from teetering
on the edge of death. “Closer to the coast and
further north, there are cities washing pollution
into the ocean,” Peter continues. “Then there’s
the mining, tourism, bad weather. Once the
coral is afected by climate change and a
cyclone comes in, it’s screwed.”
Since Peter discovered how the reef can be
protected through land-based maintenance,
other islands in the area have followed suit.
Plastic has been banned, fuels are no longer
burned and guests are encouraged to leave no
trace. “I can point to just out here, a few feet
from the shore, to some of the most stunning
coral you’ll ever see and you’d ind it hard to
believe that seven or eight years ago, it looked
like a desert,” Peter tells me.
“We all have a circle of inluence. But it’s
our responsibility to do what we can. I feel
it’s an obligation. It’s an expectation. The
diference is that a few generations ago, my
grandparents didn’t know what they were
doing to the planet. We do now. And we know
the answer. We can no longer excuse ourselves.
We all have to take action.”
Eliminating footprints
Peter’s words stick with me, and I keep them in
mind as I head of to see what’s happening on
the other islands on Queensland’s Capricorn
Coast. I travel further north, to Heron Island,
where a centre has been set up for coral reef
and ecological research.
When Professor Peter Harrison, a reef
researcher and marine ecologist at Southern
Cross University, used these labs for his study
into coral rehabilitation in 2016, he found
that a rise in sea temperature of 4C would kill
of the algae that keep the coral alive. The
research was repeated, only this time to test
a rise of 1C. The results? We’ll still have a reef,
but there will be less biodiversity. This, in part,
triggered the Paris Agreement — a United
Nations-sponsored agreement between nearly
200 countries to combat climate change and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Though Lady Elliot and Heron are both
coral cays, Heron is considerably older, the
sand underfoot ground down over time to a
iner grain. But it too holds scars from human
QUEENSLAND
destruction. It was irst occupied in the 1920s
when a factory producing soup from turtle
lesh was built here. Inevitably, the population
of turtles in the area dropped dramatically
during the decade the factory was in operation.
The next weighty punch came in the 1950s,
when tourism was introduced. Visitors spent
their days riding sea turtles on the island before
that was prohibited in the 1960s — the same
decade when the harbour was demolished to
give boats direct access to the beach, taking
part of the reef with it.
The recent years of conservation have seen
the turtles return to lay their eggs. Tourism is
still rife today with the island doubling up as a
resort, only now, it’s an eco-friendly one.
My days as a guest at Heron Island are illed
with sunrise snorkels around a shipwreck
accompanied by rays, sharks and turtles. I
pause at a patch of coral and notice manta rays
circling — it’s where they get their skin, gills
and teeth cleaned by smaller creatures that
feed on the parasites. Back on shore, I listen
to presentations on wildlife and conservation
by the resort’s resident marine biologists and,
come nightfall, enjoy a spot of stargazing in a
sky free of light pollution.
But the imminent danger to this part of the
world isn’t ignored. Signs are dotted across the
island, encouraging visitors to be mindful of
the footprint they leave and to report anything
that might impact negatively on the reef and
wildlife. Like many other snorkelling and diving
spots on the Capricorn Coast, coral health
charts are widespread, and visitors are asked to
monitor and log coral colours. Having spotted
a piece of creamy white coral near the shore, I
talk to Rachael, a nature guide and also one of
the island’s resident marine biologists.
“That could be bleaching or coral disease,”
she informs me. “We’ve seen some bleaching
here, but it’ll take time to igure out if the algae
will come back or if it’s gone forever.”
With sea temperatures averaging 27C, the
southern part of the reef is in a much safer
space compared to the 35C further north. And
much like Lady Elliott, nature is returning to
reclaim its home here: loggerhead turtles use
the island for nesting, large brown boobies
roost on the shipwreck, while brain coral has
stemmed from the anchors and chains that scar
the seabed.
May 2019 193
QUEENSLAND
“Do we shut of the reef entirely or keep it open for tours that
are educational and raise awareness? I fear if we close it of,
then it can just be forgotten about. We can turn a blind eye if we
don’t see the pain the reef is going through.”
As I walk with Rachael, the tide changes and
the lagoon slowly dries out. There are patches
of water dotted around like rock pools. I spot
an octopus making its way to deeper water,
moving from pool to pool. The reef’s surface
looks like it’s been run over with a hot knife.
The coral, Rachael tells me, can protect itself
for a limited time out of water until the tide
comes back in. The reef around us sounds like
an advert for Rice Krispies. Snapping, crackling,
popping. Reminding us of its presence.
Tourism beneits
Before I leave Heron Island, Rachael tells me
how every part of the reef is diferent to dive on
— each island holds its own story, and its own
pain. I head to Lady Musgrave, an uninhabited
coral cay popular with nesting turtles. On its
surrounding reef bed, I dive into another world
of earthy colours, this time, with bursts of
lilacs, powder blues and lime greens.
“The Great Barrier Reef is mostly hard coral,”
says Natalie Lobartolo, a marine biologist for
tour operator Lady Musgrave Experience. “This
means the colours are quite muted. The sot
coral around the reefs of Southeast Asia, that’s
where the colour really pops. People come here
and think that, because the coral’s not as bright
as it is on documentaries, it’s dead. That’s a
dangerous thing to think. You give up on it.”
It was reports of coral bleaching that brought
Natalie back to Australia six years ago, ater
living in Spain. Today, she runs tours taking
tourists on day trips to the island to raise
awareness of the danger the reef and its wildlife
faces. Plastic pollution is one of the issues
Natalie inds herself talking about more and
more these days. She tells me of the dangers
turtles, which have recently been added to the
endangered list, are facing on the reef.
“Their throats are illed with spines to
help them swallow jellyish. Plastic bags,
unfortunately, look like jellyish. They get
caught in their throats, making breathing
almost impossible. So the turtles spend more
time at the surface, trying to breathe, and that’s
when they’re more susceptible to being hit by
boats, too.” We stroll on the powdery white
194 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
TOP TIPS
Responsibly
exploring reefs
sand of Lady Musgrave Island, spotting turtle Do your research
nesting sites tucked in the shade of the trees. It’s important to go with a
I wonder aloud whether the droves of tourist responsible tour operator — check
boats that come here on an almost daily basis their credentials and that they’re
are adding to the problem. committed to conservation
“It’s a great debate with our national parks
— do we shut of the reef entirely or keep it Watch your ins
open for tours that are educational and raise When snorkelling or diving on the
awareness?” Natalie says. “I fear if we close reef, be mindful of kicking too
it of, then it can just be forgotten about. We much as ins can damage coral
can turn a blind eye if we don’t see the pain the
reef is going through. And we do have time to Choose an eco-friendly
turn this all around; we just need to play our sunscreen
parts.” Cancelling trips here for fear of seeing A lot of sunscreens include
bleaching, Natalie says, will mean losing out on harmful chemicals that can
tourism and money for conservation. damage coral. Use a biodegradable
The coral here at Lady Musgrave started sunscreen, like Aethic, which
to bleach at the tips in August 2018. If climate produces a triple-ilter, eco-
change continues at its current rate, there’s a compatible sunscreen
real threat coral reefs will be dead within our
lifetime. But there’s new growth that can be Monitor changes
spotted here too, with turquoise tips spindling Lots of resorts and dive centres
out of the blue branching coral. supply coral health charts you
I dive once more of Lady Musgrave’s shores can take into the water to monitor
before it’s time to check out the neighbouring the coral’s colour and report any
carbon-positive Pumpkin Island — a privately possible bleaching concerning
owned island that runs as an eco-retreat and,
quite remarkably, manages to ofset 150% of Take nothing
its annual carbon emissions. The same panic Many eco-resorts have
that hit me on my irst dive starts to bubble up commandeered the motto ‘take
inside me as I sink down further into a world nothing but pictures, leave nothing
that isn’t mine. but footprints’ — listen to it
It’s a feeling I surrender to, giving space for it
to grow. I’m a human. And it is, ater all, humans
that are ruining this place. MORE INFO
I close my eyes and breathe deeply, with
the last thing Peter Gash said to me ringing Lady Elliot Island.
through my head: “Each and every one of us ladyelliot.com.au
has been responsible for this, but we’re all Heron Island. heronisland.com
here now because we care. It’s really a death Lady Musgrave Experience.
by a thousand cuts. And we’re in the process ladymusgraveexperience.com.au
of putting a thousand Band Aids on. We have Pumpkin Island.
to keep in mind how inspiring nature is — if we pumpkinisland.com.au
give it a hand, it’ll take it. And it’ll run with it.” CoralWatch. coralwatch.org
Tourism Queensland.
EMIRATES ly from Heathrow to Brisbane Airport in queensland.com
Queensland, with a stopover in Dubai, from £700 per Oyster Diving referral or open-
person. emirates.com water course. oysterdiving.com
 IN THE NEXT ISSUE

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see page 200

May 2019 195

 HAVE
BABY,
WILL
TRAVEL

TRAVEL WITH A BABY DURING MATERNITY LEAVE ISN’T JUST

FOR THE INTREPID — IT CAN OFFER UP BONDING TIME, BE
CHEAPER TO LIVE IN ANOTHER COUNTRY AND SATISFYING
TO SEE YOUR LITTLE ONE TAKE IN NEW SIGHTS. BUT WHAT
ABOUT VACCINATIONS? FINANCES? FLIGHT PROTOCOL?
WITH A BIT OF PREPARATION, EXTENDED TRAVEL WITH TOTS
CAN BE IMMENSELY REWARDING. WORDS: HELEN WARWICK

196 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 W
e’re 15 minutes into a two-hour
light and three-year-old Charlie
is already bored. His snacks were
guzzled before boarding and the iPad has
been discarded. He lings one of his toy cars
and it whacks a disgruntled passenger ahead
of us. One-year-old Maxi — ever the ball of
energy — pelts up and down the aisle. At one
point I lose him as he snakes beneath one of
the rows, picking sticky popcorn of the loor.
This is getting stressful. And then it occurs to
me: I may have missed a trick — why didn’t we
ly more oten when the boys were tiny babies?
When they could be perched on my chest,
sleeping and feeding and not much else. The
fact is, it can be much easier travelling with a
young baby than a toddler. Tiny babies hardly
move. They (generally) sleep anywhere. Hell,
I’ve heard they even sell nappies overseas.
Blogger Karen Edwards wasn’t daunted by
the prospect and saw her maternity leave as an
opportunity for a family adventure. She found
tenants for her house, sold the family car, and,
ater giving herself a few weeks to learn the
ropes of being a irst-time mum, she hit the
road with her husband Shaun and 10-week-
old Esmé for a 10-month trip. Living of her
maternity pay and savings from Shaun’s job as a
landscape gardener, they ticked of Singapore,
Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong
Kong, Australia and Shaun’s home country,
New Zealand. “It was hard being away from my
comforts as a new mother,” she says.
But the Irish native relished the trip, so much
so that when her second child, Quinn, was born,
the family had no qualms about upping sticks
from London again when he was just 11 weeks
old, but this time to Central and South America.
“Travelling with a baby can be the best
time — it’s quality bonding time and seeing
your little one take in the new sights, smells
and sounds is amazing. I’ll never forget visiting
Machu Picchu. I was breastfeeding Quinn at
one point and Shaun had to rescue Esmé who
was being chased by an alpaca for her cracker.”
As a family, they’ve zip-lined through
ILLUSTRATION: GETTY
Ecuadorian forest, cycled through Hoi An in
Vietnam and paddled of the Balinese island of
Nusa Lembongan; when Quinn was just a few
weeks old, he was suited up in a baby lifejacket,
lying in the bow of the canoe, as they rowed
around Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada.
Trials & tribulations
The idea of a maternity gap year
is still pretty novel — even stats
on family travel are few and far
between and as yet, there’s little
data to suggest this intrepid travel
trend is on the rise. That said,
industry experts are starting to sit
up and take notice of the idea.
“We’ve recognised it’s a growing
trend as seen by our members
over the past year or so,” says Jack
Sheldon at light deal inder Jack’s
Flight Club. “For one, it’s become
a more accessible thing to do
for new parents — not only due
to the emergence of companies
such as us, which allow for more
afordable lights, but also due to
the likes of Airbnb. It’s become
much easier for people to rent
out their properties while away,
thus reducing their costs. It can
oten be cheaper to live in another
country if you can avoid paying
rent in the UK at the same time.”
Jack also credits the fact it’s
something that’s launted across
social media, too. “Platforms
such as Instagram help showcase
maternity gap years as an option.”
In Karen’s case, she’s amassed
an Instagram following of 105,000.
However, she reveals, life on the
road with a baby can be far from
simple, despite the rose-tinted
shots on social media. The couple
have had to cook sweet potato in a
kettle and hide away from Esmé’s
cot in a bid to get her to sleep, all
in the name of backpacking with
a baby. “Yes, we’ve pulled chairs
into the bathroom, with a can of
beer and one ear of an iPod each.
I thought this was hilarious, Shaun
wasn’t impressed — having a beer
in the bathroom at 7pm!”
There’s no doubting a baby gap
year isn’t for everyone. Being at
home with a baby is tough enough:
from torturous sleep deprivation
to breastfeeding complications
— even the idea of boarding a
train with your little one can
instil heart palpitations in some
women. Neuroses aside, one of
the biggest concerns for most is
the health of your baby — taking
your little bundle miles away from
the familiarity of a UK medical
practice is pretty daunting.
In the absence of speciic
guidelines for travelling long-term
with a baby, the NHS recommends
avoiding countries where
vaccinations are necessary — for
example, babies younger than six
months can’t receive a vaccination
against yellow fever because of the
risk of developing encephalitis,
while babies younger than two
months can’t take anti-malaria
tablets. So you might want to give
trekking through the Amazonian
rainforest a miss. Karen suggests
looking at UK-based site Fit for
Travel — a great resource that
can help you decide the high-risk
areas to avoid. And it goes without
saying you must meet with your
GP or travel health adviser well
in advance of your trip to discuss
vaccinations and precautions, too.
There are also no hard and fast
rules about lying with a baby, so
your best bet is to check with an
airline, as some allow two-day-old
babies to board; others stipulate
they must be at least two weeks.
Dr Rachel Tomlinson, an online
GP at Push Doctor, asserts the
need for babies to have their
newborn vaccinations before
you lee overseas, usually given
at eight, 12 and 16 weeks. “Fill up
a irst aid bag, too, with over-
the-counter meds — painkillers,
antihistamines, insect repellent
and hydration solutions. Give baby
a bottle, breast or dummy to suck
on while taking of and landing.
And always remember to take out
comprehensive travel insurance
for peace of mind before you go.”
May 2019 197
MATERNITY GAP YEAR
Preparation is key
The question remains, however: how
do you consider inancing an epic
travelling trip? The good news is that
travelling with a baby or very young
kids has its inancial perks. Most
airlines charge just a small fee for
lap infants, and travel by bus or train
worldwide is generally free for them;
while on the whole, hotels don’t tend
to charge for little ones. And here’s the
thing about maternity leave — when
else are you given (up to) a year of from
work, nine months of which is paid for?
Since the shared parental leave rights
came into efect in 2015, giving both
parents or carers the chance to take
time of work in their child’s irst year,
a partner could have the right to paid
paternity leave at the same time.
Husband and wife Daniel and
Preethi Harbuck have braved a whole
bunch of trips with their brood of
four kids, now eight, six, four and one.
Their intrepid escapes all started
when their eldest was just four months
with a trip to South Africa. “I vividly
remember one game drive with him
wrapped onto me in a baby sling,
nursing away as our vehicle went
bumping along.” Since then, they’ve
tallied up a number of trips, from
Australia and New Zealand, to the
Middle East and the Balkans, and more
recently, a three-month jaunt around
Europe, Southeast Asia and India with
all four children ater her husband
managed to secure three months’
paternity leave.
“Travel with kids isn’t easy, but
then, being at home with kids isn’t
easy,” says Preethi. “Maybe we just
have really low expectations, but kids
almost always handle travel better
than we expect. My advice is to plan
198 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
— few things are more stressful than
being starving and not knowing where
to go; or wandering aimlessly trying to
igure out what sights to see. Do your
research beforehand, but be willing to
change plans if the situation dictates.”
She also recommends packing light.
“You will be tempted to pack your
entire house. Don’t. Minimise as much
as possible. Consider house rentals
that have washing machines and bring
lightweight baby cots and pushchairs,
or ind out if your destination can
provide them. Remember that babies
live all over the world and most
necessities are easily accessible.”
Karen agrees, suggesting the most
essential item is a baby carrier. “I have
so many other tips, but in a nutshell,
plan your trips at a much slower
pace — usually one big activity a day
is plenty; and take turns with your
partner to do things you used to enjoy,
whether it’s a massage or diving. And,
if you can, breastfeed for ease and for
passing on immunity. With a changing
environment, breastfeeding was a
solid reassurance and familiar comfort
with my two little ones.”
If the idea of long-haul freaks you
out, Europe is always going to exceed
expectations. You don’t necessarily
need to ly either. Esme and Tom Lawy
headed to Spain for two months when
their son, Emile, was just eight months,
campervanning their way through
the Picos de Europa mountains
and the Costa Verde, visiting the
towns of Oviedo, San Sebastián and
Hondarribia, and stopping in the Rioja
wine region. The travelling trio then
headed west to the Sierra de Guarda,
pitching up besides the Rio Vero for
dusky river paddling, before driving
back to the UK through France.

“I was still on paid mat leave and Tom had
come to the end of his contract so it seemed
like a natural time to go. We put our lat up
for rent in London and headed of with the
aim of visiting as many sites as possible
from a ‘wild swimming Spain guide’.”
How did the campervan work out
with a baby? Esme insists they cracked
it: “It’s great with kids as you can be
really consistent with their sleeping
arrangements. It’s a proper little home from
home for them. Yes, there were stressful
moments and there were tears (mostly but
not exclusively Emile’s) but that’s part of the
adventure. Every time we got him down to
sleep in the van and then were able to relax
with a glass of wine in the sun, we felt so
pleased with ourselves.”
So successful was the trip that the
family are inalising plans for several
months campervanning in the Algarve and
Andalusia with the addition of 11-month-
old Rafa later this year.
Jade and Simon Johnston, another
intrepid duo who backpacked around
Europe for six months with their newborn,
are convinced a maternity leave gap year is
a no-brainer. “Travelling with a little baby
is actually pretty easy. At the time of our
adventure, he couldn’t walk or talk. All he
wanted was to be snuggled up all day
— which is exactly what he got being
carried in the baby carrier most of the time.
“Everyone will want to help you, too. You
will get to skip queues (in many countries).
Locals will be more engaged and will want
to interact with you. And in our experience,
we were less of a target for pickpocketing
or petty crime, especially in countries
ILLUSTRATIONS: GETTY
where family values are sacred.”
It makes you think. With a little
more planning, research and creativity,
maternity leave could be a hell of a lot more
than baby music classes, sedate cofees
and aternoons cosied up at home.
MATERNITY GAP YEAR
TAKE FIVE
Baby-friendly
destinations
BALI
Indonesians shower little ones with attention.
Many hotels have all the baby gear parents
or carers need, the island has plenty of home
rentals, and as long as you avoid the rollicking
nightlife of Kuta, you’ll all be hunky dory.
TULUM
This boho chic enclave in Mexico is
synonymous with hippie hotel hideaways,
spectacular beaches and a laid-back vibe.
No one will bat an eyelid if a baby is breastfed
and most hotels ofer all the necessary
baby paraphernalia.
CHICAGO
As a whole, the USA is a dream with babies
— but the Windy City excels as a cultural hub
where the little one can just tag along, from
free pushchair tours at its major museums to
family festivals.
PUGLIA
Parents can feel smug driting around
Lecce’s streets, receiving adoring glances
from passing locals — Italians love babies.
Adding to the appeal are al fresco lunches
while baby snoozes, excellent child-focused
accommodation and Porto Cesareo’s beaches.
THAILAND
Revisit a 20-something backpacking trail with
baby on board and there can be surprising
relief. Southeast Asia remains cheap,
Westernised medicine is widely available, and
the cuisine and culture never get boring.
MORE INFO
travelmadmum.com
localpassportfamily.com
ouroyster.com
jacksflightclub.co.uk
pushdoctor.co.uk
fitfortravel.nhs.uk
May 2019 199
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What’s your favourite city and why? #NGTUK
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@SIMPLYGEARY Istanbul without a doubt, a cliche to say east meets west, but a defiantly unique
city @IAMJCTRAVELS I love Chiang Mai in Thailand @GLOBAL_GADABOUT Miami for its hidden
depths @JOWESTN I somehow reached my 40th birthday before deciding it was time I went to
Rome. I absolutely loved it and now want to see every part of Italy!
STAR LETTER
Warrior spirit
Your feature on Zhangjiajie in China
(November 2018) reminded me of our own
recent trip to China, which included a few
days in Xian where the Terracotta Warriors
reside. The warriors were produced by a
very powerful emperor of the Qin dynasty in
200BC to protect his spirit in the next world.
Wanting to live and rule forever, he sent an
envoy to find the elixir of life. However the
craft y explorer came back and spiked his
drink with mercury instead, so the emperor
died a slow death at the age of 49. Along
came the Han and smashed his Terracotta
Army, burnt down his palace and stole all
the weapons of his clay men. The warriors
are now being painstakingly pieced together
once again — all 8,000 of them. And what a
tremendous sight they are! MARY HUNTER
GET IN TOUCH
Indian summer
I was absolutely fascinated by your cover
story, India on safari (October 2018), which
opened my eyes to another side of a country
I thought I knew quite well. I backpacked
around India in my early 20s — many years
ago now — and have been on safari in Africa
a couple of times. I’d ticked those experiences
off my bucket list. Of course, I knew India was
home to an impressive array of animals, but
I’d never thought of it as a safari destination.
Now I’m desperate to return this summer to
visit as many of the national parks mentioned
in the piece and to try and see a snow leopard.
SUSAN PICKFORD-SMITH
The rise and rise of Manchester
Thank you National Geographic Traveller
(UK)! As a keen adventurer, I’m forever
scouring travel magazines for inspiration
about the next place to visit. And while
I love reading about beautiful, faraway
places and seeing incredible photographs of
paradise isles, I often feel our own island is
overlooked. So it was with a big smile on my
face that I read your excellent article on my
home town of Manchester (March 2019). The
writer did a great job of capturing the spirit
of a city that just keeps getting better and
better. I defy anyone to fi nd somewhere that
offers such an eclectic array of entertainment
in such a small area. JAMIE PETERSON
May 2019 201
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Jaipur, India

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