LonelyPlanetTravellerMay2015 PDF

EDITOR’S LETTER
PETER GRUNERT, EDITOR
This month...
… we’re introducing an occasional series O Subscribe! See p18
called the Beginner’s Guide (p96). O Follow us on Twitter

@LPTraveller
We’re aiming to offer all the practical advice O Join our Lonely
Planet Traveller
we can to encourage you to move an Insiders panel at
immediateinsiders.com
experience from your wish-list to reality. The
topic this time around is diving. My tips
from a personal first attempt, gathered off
the coast of Bali, would be to remain
deeply relaxed at all times, and definitely not
to eat a massive plate of nasi goreng just
before jumping in. Elsewhere this issue we
transport you from the wild savannah of
Tanzania (p62) to the Belle Époque
lanes of Paris (p76). Happy travels…
May 2015 Lonely Planet Traveller 3

Contents
M AY 2 0 1 5
Win!
A TRIP TO
CANADA
Turn to p129
Restaurants Great Escape Tuscany

with rooms & Umbria p47
p28
Easy Trips p39
Regulars
POSTCARDS EASY TRIPS GREAT ESCAPE
Your travel photos and stories Short breaks you can take right now Your next big trip mapped out
8 A Bhutanese sword dancer and more 40 The British Museum puts Australian 47 Sample the specialities of Tuscany and
great images from around the world Aboriginal art centre stage Umbria: not just fine food and wine, but
40 Hunker down in a Lake District log cabin also hilltop towns and wild coastlines
GLOBETROTTER 41 Sharing treehouses with squirrels by
The latest travel news and insights Slovenia’s picturesque Lake Bled MINI GUIDES
21 My San Sebastian: a local’s tips, from 42 An Art Deco stunner in Manchester Themed guides to take with you
top dining to waterfront art 42 Get close to elephants, giraffes and 117 London nightlife, from encyclopaedic
24 Arrivals: the Sony World Photography lemurs on safari, in Bedfordshire gin bars to pop-up dining clubs
Awards, new flights to summer locales, 43 One very natural Canary Island 119 See Barcelona without breaking the bank
future tourist attractions and more 43 Tours and fireworks celebrate 70 years 121 Cradle of fado and home to standout
28 Extraordinary Places to Stay: since liberation in the Channel Islands museums, Lisbon is a cultural highlight
restaurants with rooms 44 A springtime catch in Hampshire 123 Discover the rich tastes of Marrakesh
33 Two Sides To Tokyo: neon signs meet 44 Sicily’s balmy Egadi Islands are 125 Greek island odysseys don’t get much
paper screens in the Japanese capital a little-seen world of their own finer than exploring Crete’s coast
35 Travel Icon: the Hollywood sign 45 Enjoy the Cotswolds at their finest 127 Have a grand ole time in Nashville
4 Lonely Planet Traveller May 2015

DESTINATION
Perfect Remote places INDEX
days in to stay p88 Austria
Styria p12
Paris p76 Bhutan
Bumthang p8
Canada
British Columbia p129
Channel Islands p43
Chile
Easter Island p94
Croatia
Dubrovnik p26
Cuba p102
England
Bedfordshire p42
Dorset p99
ON THE COVER Gloucestershire p45
Hampshire p44
Lake District p40
London p25, p40, p117
Manchester p42
New Forest p28
France
Brittany p30
Tales of Tanzania p62 Paris p76
Ghana
Sampa p16
Greece
Crete p125
Dodecanese p92
India
Agra p10
Indonesia
Flores p15
Italy
Egadi Islands p44
Lake Como p25
Tuscany & Umbria p47
Japan
Tokyo p33
Maldives
North Malé Atoll p100
Mongolia
Khentii p88
Morocco
Marrakesh p123
Sahara Desert p93
Namibia
Namib Desert p90
Portugal
COVER PHOTOGRAPH: BRUNO DE HOGUES/GETTY IMAGES. EDITOR’S LETTER PHOTOGRAPHS: JONATHAN GREGSON, REINHARD
Lisbon p121
DIRSCHERL/GETTY IMAGES, MATT MUNRO, DAVID DE VLEESCHAUWER. CONTENTS PHOTOGRAPHS: OLIMPIO FANTUZ/SIME/4
CORNERS, MATT MUNRO, JONATHAN GREGSON, DAVID DE VLEESCHAUWER, LORNE RESNICK, REINHARD DIRSCHERL/ALAMY
Slovenia
Lake Bled p41
South Africa
Western Cape p29
Spain
Beginner’s guide Barcelona
Ibiza
p119
p29
to diving p96 La Gomera
San Sebastian
p43
p21
Sri Lanka p27
Sweden
Features Jämtland
Tanzania
Thailand
Ko Tao
p30
p62
p99
Turkey
62 TALES OF TANZANIA Istanbul p24
In the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, the northern Kaş p100
highlands of Tanzania are a place where animals USA
Alaska p91
cannot help but star in larger-than-life stories Kenai Fjords p16
76 LES QUARTIERS DE PARIS Los Angeles p35
Spend four days in the French capital to gain Cuba p102 Maine
Nashville
p28
p127
an intimate acquaintance with four of its most New Orleans p15
intriguing and diverse neighbourhoods New York p26
88 REMOTE PLACES TO STAY Look for these symbols to quickly identify listings
From desert camps to Alaskan wilderness lodges, Sights Tours Drinking Subscribe
find out where to drop off the edge of the map Beaches Festivals Entertainment 18 Take out a
96 BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO DIVING Activities Sleeping Shopping subscription to Lonely
How to get started, what you’ll need and where Courses Eating Information
& Transport Planet Traveller, save
to go – from the Dorset coast to the Maldives All prices correct at time of going to press. Prices for hotel rooms are for 29% on the cover
102 THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S STORY double, en suite rooms with breakfast in low season, unless otherwise price and get a free
One man’s love affair with Cuba played out in stated. Flight prices are for the cheapest return fares, including one piece
of hold baggage, unless otherwise stated.
portable speaker.
pictures, 20 years in the making

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Before I took this photo, I’d been trying to find
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everything went a bit dark, and then the light the ‘singing well’ – a waterhole dug 20 feet into the solid ground
PUBLISHING
Publishing director Alfie Lewis rays appeared behind it. Within a minute the and allegedly discovered by an elephant. When they finally
Publisher Simon Carrington tracked it down after driving through the savannah for several
Marketing manager Tom Townsend-Smith cloud had gone, and it was just a normal-
Trade marketing director Martin Hoskins looking afternoon again. It all happened in hours, quizzing any Maasai they came across, they found the
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Postcards
WHERE YOU’VE BEEN AND WHAT YOU’VE SEEN
POSTCARDS
Why not get involved? We’d love to include your best new travel photos (at 300dpi) and the
inspiring stories behind them. Send them with a pic of yourself to postcards@lptraveller.co.uk
Jampey Lhakhang Drup

commemorates the
establishment of a
7th-century temple and
takes place in late October
or early November
BUMTHANG, BHUTAN
Sword
play
I timed my visit to Bhutan
to coincide with the Jampey
Lhakhang Drup festival at
Jambay Lhakhang temple.
Local people arrive early
and spread out rugs around
the dance area so they can
enjoy picnics and a gossip.
A kind lady noticed I was
sitting on the flagstones and
offered me a corner of her
rug. This got me very close
to the action. The dances
are performed by monks
who transform themselves
into warrior spirits. The
monks spin hypnotically
and gradually quicken until
they appear to be whirling,
wrathful demons. At the
climax of the dance, only
one monk is left alone to
slay the demon – in my
photo, the dancer performs
the final coup de grace to
finish off the evil spirit.
Ross Kennedy is from Scotland

and works as an engineer in Dublin

AGRA, INDIA
Marble
to behold
My girlfriend and I woke at
dawn to ensure we were the
first people at the Taj Mahal.
We ended up at the back of
long line at the entrance
though. We pushed our
way through the throngs
and were lucky enough to
find a quiet spot where I
was able to go through
with my plan of proposing
to Nicola. We were
immediately surrounded
by a group of Japanese
tourists who wanted to take
pictures of the moment
(thankfully Nicola said
yes!). It was surreal but
wonderful. I took this
picture of Nicola a few
minutes later. The serenity
of the Taj coupled with the
mist on the water belies
the life-changing
experience we had shared
just moments before.
Peter Staines and fiancée Nicola

are getting married in August

POSTCARDS
Send your best new travel photos to postcards@lptraveller.co.uk
The materials used to

construct the Taj Mahal
include jade and crystal from
China, turquoise from Tibet,
lapis lazuli from Afghanistan
and sapphire from Sri Lanka
During the winter months,
Grüner See is only one or two
metres deep – come June, it can
swell to depths of 12 metres and
is popular with divers thanks to
its crystal-clear waters
POSTCARDS
GRÜNER SEE, AUSTRIA

Clear
winner
Last summer my friend
and I went on our first
hiking trip, and where
better to go but Austria with
its beautiful mountains,
valleys and lakes? Our first
destination was the Grüner
See, a lake in Styria. We
knew its name ‘Green Lake’
originated because of its
emerald-green water, but
we had no idea how
colourful it was in real life.
With the temperature above
30°C, we couldn’t resist
taking a dip. What we
didn’t realise was that the
lake’s water comes from the
snowmelt from the
surrounding mountains
and has a temperature of
just 6-7°C, even in summer
– but we took the plunge
anyway. What a great way
to start a week of hiking.
Mark Rettig, a German living in

London, spent a week hiking

POSTCARDS
NEW ORLEANS, USA

Top brass
This photo was taken in
Jackson Square as I roamed
through New Orleans on my
first day in the city. I was
taking dozens of pictures for
my travel blog, and loved
how the late-afternoon sun
added a golden glow to the
square. I remember being
completely overwhelmed
by the ubiquitous presence
of music in the French
Quarter, by the picturesque
colonial architecture
and the unrelenting heat.
New Orleans is like a
Disneyland for adults, and
exploring this city is such
an exhilarating ride.
Olga Nikolskaya lives in London

and spent a few days in New Orleans Jackson Square, built in 1721 and modelled after the Place des Vosges in Paris, is known for its raucous buskers
FLORES, INDONESIA
Sky high
I visited Seraya last August,
when my friends and I were
island-hopping in Komodo
National Park in the east of
Indonesia, living aboard a
boat for four days. Seraya
was one of my favourite
islands. It was an easy place
to fall in love with – the
scenery was beautiful and
we’d see manta rays in its
clear waters, which were
perfect for snorkelling. I
took this photo from the top
of a hill, looking on to the
island’s tiny resort. It’s a bit
cut off from the world, but
who needs electricity when
you wake up to this view?
Samantha Siahaan is a graphic

Seraya Kecil island lies on the edge of Komodo National Park, home to the Komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard designer who lives by the sea in Bali

POSTCARDS
KENAI FJORDS, USA

Bear faced
Alaska was the perfect
place for me to have a
life-changing wilderness
experience. I was walking
on the riverbank in the
Kenai Fjords National Park
when I saw a bear on the
other side of the water. I
kept my distance and began
snapping away. It was only
when I turned around that
I spotted this bear grazing
near me. He’d also brought
a few friends! I spent
10 minutes with the bears
until they wandered off
in search of some fish.
Needless to say, I got my
wilderness experience.
Trish Conti is from Enfield, London,

Both black bears and brown bears (pictured), also known as grizzly bears in the US, are common in Kenai Fjords National Park and spent three weeks in Alaska
SAMPA, GHANA
Cash crop
Monday is market day in
Sampa. As I was on my way
to the fruit stands, I walked
by this woman who smiled
and greeted me in the local
dialect. She pointed to the
pile of maize in front of her
and asked me to purchase
some. I politely declined
and was about to walk on,
but then she pointed to the
camera around my neck
and then to herself. I took
one picture and showed
her the image; suffice to say,
she was ecstatic and called
her fellow market ladies to
come over to see the photo.
Suradee Thongkiattikul works as a

US Peace Corps volunteer in Ghana The town of Sampa lies on the border with Côte d’Ivoire in the region of Brong-Ahafo, known for its agricultural output

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Globetrotter
A WORLD OF TRAVEL NEWS AND DISCOVERIES
Local Knowledge
My San
Sebastián
ELENA ARZAK is one of the world’s most
celebrated chefs. Her family restaurant
– the understated Arzak, located in the
leafy suburbs of San Sebastián in northern
Spain – has held three Michelin stars for
more than 25 years. Elena began learning
to cook dishes in the restaurant kitchen at
the age of 11 and, today, with her father –
the acclaimed Juan Mari Arzak – she creates
spectacular dishes of cutting-edge Basque
food, from pigeon with pumpkin-seed
purée and a dairy dish inspired by the Milky
Way galaxy, to a huge chocolate truffle,
melted with carob sauce and finished with
basil and gooseberry ice creams.
arzak.es
TURN OVER FOR ELENA’S LOCAL TIPS

INTERVIEW BY CHRISTA LARWOOD. PHOTOGRAPH: JUSTIN FOULKES

GLOBETROTTER
Local Knowledge
‘This is not a city that you
simply visit – it’s a city you 1
fall in love with. Every
corner has something 2
wonderful to discover’
X I love to go to Bokado Aquarium for
seasonal dishes such as roasted venison or confit
of cod. I enjoy restaurants like Gambara (1),
which is in the old part of town. It has an
incredible variety of mushrooms and cooks crab
so well, with vegetables in a small tartlet.
Delicious! And for wonderful original Basque
food, such as lobster salad with pistachio
vinaigrette, try Restaurante Rekondo (2).
bokadomikelsantamaria.com;
ganbarajatetxea.com; rekondo.com
X Don’t miss the sculptures along the

waterfront by Basque artist Eduardo Chillida.
There is a very important piece of his called
The Comb of the Wind, a trio of steel sculptures
3
on the Bay of La Concha. I also love to visit the
Museo San Telmo. It has a mix of old Basque
art dating from Gothic times and contemporary
pieces – a fusion of both, as if showing that life
and art go on. It’s done perfectly.
santelmomuseoa.com
X San Sebastián is a wonderful city to enjoy with

children. My kids and I often head outdoors on
a sunny day to Paseo Nuevo , a promenade
that traces along the foot of the Urgull Hill by
the Bay of La Concha (3) and ends in the old
part of town. In the evenings, we often go to the
Kursaal Congress Centre and Auditorium,
where there are always concerts of classical
music and jazz, or cinema events and theatre.
PHOTOGRAPHS: JIL PHOTO/AGEFOTOSTOCK, COCONUT FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY & FILM, WILL PRYCE, JON IDIAKEZ
kursaal.eus
X There are two food markets – La Brexta

and San Martin – and both are fantastic, with
exceptional fish and fresh vegetables. There are
5
also wonderful speciality shops. Don Serapio
(4) is a gourmet shop with the best ham, meat
and cheeses. And Aitor Lasa has a great variety
of mushrooms and lots of the local Basque
sheep’s cheeses, as well as seasonal fruits.
4
donserapio.com; aitorlasa.com
X For a drink I enjoy the Museo del Whisky

with its incredible collection of whiskeys and
live piano music. Cocteleria Dickens does a
very special ‘gin tonic’ – it is very refreshing after
a long day in the kitchen. For a bespoke touch,
I like Dry Bar (5), because the cocktails are
adapted to your own personal tastes.
museodelwhisky.com; cocteleriadickens.com;
dry-sansebastian.com

T R AV E L E X P E R I E N C E D
FAC E TO FAC E WI TH
TH E HOLY L AN D
This beautiful and intriguing region has been one of the
world’s great religious and cultural hubs for millennia.
Its fascinating history resonates in sites such as Jerusalem,
the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth and Jaffa. In contrast, Tel Aviv
is a lively, modern, cosmopolitan city, benefitting from
a delightful Mediterranean beachside setting.
DISCOVER THE HOLY LAND

8 DAYS FROM £1,745
• Visit Masada, one-time fortress of King Herod
• Stay at a traditional working kibbutz in Galilee
• Visit the Baha’i terraced gardens & shrine
• Float in the mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea
• Small group size – maximum 25
ATOL 2815 ABTA V2999
www.coxandkings.co.uk
,SYWIWERHEWXVIIXMRXLI.I[MWL5YEVXIV-WVEIP�2SEQ'LIRJSV-WVEIPM1MRMWXV]SJ8SYVMWQ
To speak to an expert or request a brochure,

call 020 7873 5000 quoting reference LPT
Travel News
Arrivals
New Hotel
New Hotel Boutique hotelier Room Mate is branching out into one
of Europe’s coolest cities with its new Istanbul outpost,
Room Mate Kerem. Located in the cosmopolitan quarter
of Beyoğlu, the hotel has chic rooms styled with a modern
take on Art Deco elegance, while a private rooftop terrace
offers sweeping views over Istanbul’s minarets and
waterways. There’s also a spa with a pool, sauna and,
of course, Turkish baths; but perhaps most impressive
are the characteristically low prices – rooms start at £75
(kerem.room-matehotels.com).
Get to grips with a notoriously difficult language using Chineasy’s flashcards, which explain
Mandarin via key characters (30 pairs of flashcards £14.95; thamesandhudson.com).
MARCIN KLOCEK�POLAND�SHORTLIST SPORT PROFESSIONAL
COMPETITION�2015 SONY WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS
PHOTOGRAPHS: BIG�RYAN/ISTOCK, ISTOCK IMAGES,

GLOBETROTTER
MODERN
MANNERS
Debrett’s has published
an etiquette guide for
Airbnb guests. Here are
the top five tips:
Be punctilious about
punctuality
Overstaying
your welcome New Tour
is a good way
Western & Oriental’s Scenic Route
of alienating
to Lake Como chugs its way from
your hosts
London to the Italian Lakes via the
Swiss Alps. Expect super-scenic
train journeys and five nights right
on the lake (week from £1,625 with
all travel; westernoriental.com).
KEEP IT REAL London

Trip4real, a Barcelona-based
Make a good entrance start-up that offers tours and
No muddy shoes activities guided by locals, has
launched across five European
countries. Travellers can
Madrid choose from an archaeologist-
led tour of Rome’s Colosseum, Lisbon
Rome or brunch and vintage
shopping in Paris’s Bastille
district. Other intriguing
experiences on offer include a
circus-themed London supper
Respect shared spaces club, and the chance to help
Guests should conduct a man in Madrid complete his
a brief, forensic life’s work: a cathedral. There’s
examination before something for every budget –
exiting the bathroom a tour of Lisbon’s bohemian
barrios costs just £2.15 per
Paris ona
person (trip4real.com). Barcel
he ld
ve t
Lea al wor
u
virt nd
i le
be ng whi
h THE CHEEK OF IT
a l k i a ta
T c ing ks It’s rare to be granted up-close
n
gla n loo nd
e a access to see Japanese sumo
scre escent wrestlers in training, but Marcin
l d
ado annere Klocek did just that to capture
ill - m
this striking image. His photo
essay ‘Sweat and Blood’ has
been shortlisted in the Sony
World Photography Awards. The
Be a considerate winners will be announced on 23
smoker April (worldphoto.org), and will
It is also best to be on display at Somerset House
assume that a in London from 24 April�10 May.
non-smoking
ban applies to
e-cigarettes and
to remember that
vaping is best
done in private

Travel News
W H AT’S HOT
SUMMER HOLIDAYS
WITHIN REACH
Sunseekers rejoice: this month sees a
host of flights launched to some of the
balmiest spots in Europe and beyond.
BA now flies to Dalaman on Turkey’s
DON’T LET THE SUN Aegean coast (from £180; ba.com),
GO DOWN ON ME while Ryanair is offering the first
The state of Quintana Roo budget flights from the UK to the
in Mexico now has a new far-flung Azores (from £110; ryanair.
time zone to give visitors com). New destinations from easyJet
an extra hour on the beach include sleepy Preveza in western
Greece, the Adriatic town of Pula in
HELLO Croatia, and the Tunisian resort of
K I T�T E A
Monastir (from £90; easyjet.com).
A tea house
devoted to
the Japanese
cartoon has opened in Kyoto TURKEY
Portuguese Azores
BUNNYCHOW
Our favourite South African TUNISIA
street food, available in
London and coming
soon to a festival
near you
(bunnychow. New Television
com)
W H AT’S NOT
‘ECONOMY
SLEEPER CLASS’ GAME OF THRONES
Air Astana is promoting the
idea of booking three seats
VS
in a row, but there’s no MAD MEN
beating that smug feel when
you luck out at no extra cost Two mega-shows return this month, Game of Thrones (13 April) and Mad Men (9 April). From
a citadel of intrigue to ’60s New York, we explore some of the locations featured in both the series
The Croatian city of Dubrovnik is the real-life King’s Mad Men’s title refers to the epicentre of New York’s
Landing (minus murders and battles), as well as a advertising industry, Madison Avenue, where many
few other locations from HBO’s fantasy series key scenes in this stylish AMC drama were shot.
DRONES
Game of Thrones. Head to its highest point, Spanning the late ’50s to early ’70s, the series
London’s Royal Parks are the Minčeta Tower (above), for a great view charts changing fashions in the Big Apple. After one
latest attractions to ban the over the distinctive orange rooftops. successful pitch, execs from agency Sterling Cooper
flying eyes over safety fears This spot also represents the walls of drink beer and dance to Chubby Checker’s hit song
the House of the Undying, where The Twist at a little brick saloon on the corner of 55th
Daenerys Targaryen searches for Street and Third Ave named PJ Clarke’s (above;
an entrance. The twisting pines pjclarkes.com). In a later episode, creative
of Gradac Park, meanwhile, director Don Draper (right) takes a date
provided shade for King Joffrey for teppanyaki at the Japanese
(left) at his very memorable restaurant Benihana
LAKE DISTRICT SALE
wedding feast. (benihana.com).
Seven plots in the national
PHOTOCREDIT
park are to be sold to raise Both shown on Sky Atlantic.

funds, but some fear access Visit radiotimes.com/travel
and conservation will suffer for more TV-inspired trips

GLOBETROTTER
New Tour
Selective Asia’s Sri Lanka Escape combines the country’s history and wildlife with seaside lazing. Travellers explore the
Unesco-listed ancient cities, forts and temples of the Cultural Triangle, including the rock of Sigiriya (pictured), before
meeting villagers and going on safari in Minneriya National Park, home to elephants, monkeys and crocs. The final stop:
crashing out on the east coast’s pristine beaches (10 days from £1,483 excluding international flights; selectiveasia.com).
um 19; t
HBO/COURTESY EVERETT COLLECTION/REX, PETER MULLIGAN/GETTY IMAGES, PHOTOS 12/ALAMY, SANRIO
Es we age d
ne p-i
PHOTOGRAPHS: AP PHOTO/TINA FINEBERG/PRESS ASSOCIATION IMAGES, JOHN HARPER/GETTY IMAGES,
(£
sho vint spire

CO LTD TOKYO JAPAN, M SWIET PRODUCTIONS/GETTY IMAGES, TRAVEL LIBRARY LIMITED/SUPERSTOCK
maella et)
ca rs -
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br ch.
pe un
Ap der
n
n
ril thi
s
TOURIST AT TR ACTIONS OF THE FUTURE

You’ve climbed the Eiffel Tower and perhaps even walked China’s Great Wall – but
what new attractions will soon join the global hit parade? Bloggers at home exchange
site lovehomeswap.com have published a predictive list of 50 that includes innovative
green spaces, cultural sites and ambitious hotel projects, such as a floating snowflake.

Extraordinary Places to Stay
In association with
Restaurants with rooms

The Pig
NEW FOREST,
ENGLAND
WHAT’S FOR DINNER? Whatever the
kitchen gardener reckons is at its best that
day – the menu changes to make best use of
seasonal produce, and all other ingredients
travel no further than 25 miles until they hit
your plate. And they won’t linger there long
– starters like ‘Piggy Bits’ (left), and mains
such as pulled slow-cooked pork croquette
salad with New Forest blackberries and pear
will most likely make a total pig of you.
WHAT ELSE IS ON THE MENU? Stroll The
Pig’s grounds and you’ll find actual pigs, a
smokehouse, and a garden-shed spa. The
New Forest – with its woodlands and pretty
villages – is also right on your doorstep.
Mains from £18; rooms from £139;
thepighotel.com
The White Barn Inn MAINE, USA

WHAT’S FOR DINNER? Four courses of fanciful gastronomy conjured from the finest New England
ingredients, from local game to seafood hauled from the North Atlantic over in Kennebunkport: a pretty
seaside town full of clapboard houses. Most bedrooms are in the main inn, but the restaurant is housed in the
eponymous barn, which dates from the 1820s and is charmingly old-fashioned, its wood interior hung with
vintage signs and tables dressed with white linen – fairly formal, a jacket is compulsary for chaps.
WHAT ELSE IS ON THE MENU? Borrow a bike or canoe to explore the surrounding countryside.
Four-course menu, £70; rooms from £165; whitebarninn.com

GLOBETROTTER
Can Curreu IBIZA, SPAIN

WHAT’S FOR DINNER? Long before the dining hour,
appetising aromas perfume the air around this elegant,
whitewashed finca in the northeast of the island: pine and
lavender, rose and fig, the citrus tang of lime and orange
groves. Chef Toni Rodríguez uses this abudant doorstep
larder to create high-end dishes with an unmistakeably
Mediterranean flavour, such as grilled scallops with crispy
Iberian ham and seaweed salad, or cod with gazpacho and
garlic chips. All are served al fresco, on a lovely terrace by
a centuries-old olive tree.
WHAT ELSE IS ON THE MENU? The hotel has a spa and
outdoor swimming pool, and staff can arrange horse-riding
trips along the beach or private charter of the hotel’s boat.
Mains from £16; rooms from £150; cancurreu.com
COMPILED BY ORLA THOMAS. PHOTOGRAPHS: C A SMITH
Babylonstoren WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA

PHOTOGRAPHY, MYLES NEW, DOOK PHOTO, TINA
WHAT’S FOR DINNER? A historic Cape Dutch property, surrounded by vineyards and
STAFREN/VISIT SWEDEN, FRANCK HAMEL
orchards that stretch into the foothills of the Drakenstein Mountains, Babylonstoren is
only 45 minutes from Cape Town but exists in a completely different rhythym: farm time.
The restaurant enjoys the fruits of these gentle labours – we loved the traffic light colour-
coded salads, from Green (featuring gorgonzola wrapped in baby vine leaves served with
kohlrabi) to Red (with hot-smoked salmon and candy-striped beetroot terrine).
WHAT ELSE IS ON THE MENU? Guests can take part in the harvest, or enjoy a guided tour
with one of the gardeners. But the bedrooms are so gorgeously designed (the owner used to
edit Elle Decoration South Africa) that you may wish to just sit and stare adoringly at yours.
Mains from £7; rooms from £285; babylonstoren.com
GLOBETROTTER Fäviken JÄMTLAND, SWEDEN
WHAT’S FOR DINNER? Possibly one of the fire, a gentle introduction to an evening of
most memorable meals of your life. Fäviken culinary theatre that might include bouillon
Magasinet is the Scandinavian equivalent to strained through forest moss or meat pies
the (now closed) Spanish restaurant El Bulli filled with deer shavings and birch syrup.
– destination dining, with a maverick chef WHAT ELSE IS ON THE MENU? Fäviken is
(Magnus Nilsson) and a suitably long also a hunting estate, but stick to the sauna
waiting list. Housed in an 18th-century barn if you’re disinclined to catch dinner.
in the middle-of-nowhereish Jämtland, its The restaurant reopens on 1 July but
intimate dining room seats just 12 people. reservations will be taken from 1 April; dinner,
Proceedings begin with drinks by an open £150; rooms from £210; favikenmagasinet.se
I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H B R I T I S H A I R WAY S
Caribbean Cuisine TOP DEAL
T
he original Bajan beach
destination, The Crane excels at
understated luxury. Here barefoot
dining overlooking azure waters and
coral-hued sands is the order of the day.
L’ Azure showcases classic Creole
cuisine. Set against the backdrop of
Barbados’ revered Crane Beach, the
vistas are as colourful as the fresh-from-
the-net seafood. Try local delicacies
La Grée des Landes such as the Bajan panko-crusted flying
fish or pan-seared local mahi-mahi.
BRITTANY, FRANCE Or book in for breakfast on a Sunday
WHAT’S FOR DINNER? Generous helpings of organic when a traditional gospel choir sings
deliciousness, such as lobster risotto garnished with live on the balcony.
Zen exudes an oriental vibe, serving
flowers from the kitchen garden (see above). Meals are
Thai and Japanese dishes. The sleek live
served on a sunny terrace surrounded by meadows full kitchen sushi bar is the centrepiece.
of wildflowers – it would be frankly silly not to spend
several hours here sampling the incredible local wines
and cheeses, before tumbling into bed.
WHAT ELSE IS ON THE MENU? Owned by beauty brand
Yves Rocher, the property is equipped with a splendid spa.
Seven-night holidays from
Nearby, cobblestoned La Gacilly is host to the annual People
£1,059pp. Enjoy up to 40%
and Nature Photo Festival (5 June�30 September 2015), discount when you book by 15
when its pretty streets become a giant outdoor gallery. May 2015. Valid only for travel
Fixed price menus from £20; rooms from £70; between 11 April - 20 December 2015.
lagreedeslandes.com Visit ba.com/thecrane for details.
*Terms and conditions apply. Availability may be extremely limited. Prices based on selected travel between 1 September and 15 October
2015. Includes return British Airways World Traveller flights from London Gatwick. Book by 2 May 2015.
Indulge yourself in
luxury overlooking the
famous Crane Beach
Perched on a cliff, overlooking the breakers of the
Atlantic Ocean and the soft pink sand of the world
famous Crane Beach, The Crane hotel in Barbados
blends old world charm with a romantic sense of
seclusion. With luxurious accommodation, Serenity
Spa and five restaurants – including the award-winning
L’Azure, The Crane offers something for everyone.
5H The Crane
7 night holidays from
£1,059pp
Enjoy up to 40% discount when you book by 15 May.
For more information visit ba.com/thecrane
Availability may be extremely limited, particularly during peak periods. All prices are in in GBP per person and include return flights from London Gatwick. Prices based on two adults sharing accommodation on a room only
board basis for selected travel between 01/09/15-15/10/15. Prices correct as of 18 March 2015. Bookings must be made by midnight 02/05/15. Some payment methods attract a handling fee. Holidays are ATOL protected
(number ATOL5985). For full terms and conditions, visit ba.com.
HAMILTON POOL
Home to spring-fed pools and lush green spaces, the Live Music Capital of the World®
can give your next performance a truly spectacular setting.
Book now at ba.com or through the British Airways app.

The British Airways app is free to download for iPhone, Android and Windows phones.
Live. Music. AustinTexas.org

GLOBETROTTER
Two Sides To...
Tokyo
Xxxxx
The Tokyo
xxxxskyline
xxxx xxxxx
with
Mount
xxxx
Fujixxxx
in thexxxxx
distance
xxx
Blade Runner Last Samurai
STAY
A traditonal inn in the historic
Asakusa district, Tokyo Ryokan
features paper screens, tatami
mats, woodwork and calligraphy
(from £40; tokyoryokan.com).
STAY
The skyscraper Park Hotel Tokyo
has colourful rooms designed by DO
artists, and sweeping city views Take in the
(from £130; parkhoteltokyo.com). high drama
and outlandish
costumes of
kabuki, an art
form dating
back 400
DO EAT years, at its
Shooting 634 Head to Dozeu, a restaurant most famous
metres above in an old wooden house that’s venue, the
the city, the been serving up specialities Kabuki-za
TAKAZAWA, JICOO FLOATING BAR, TOKYO 12YOKAN, MIXA/ALAMY, JOSE FUSTE RAYA/AGEFOTOSTOCK, Y ZENGAME/GETTY
recently built such as charcoal-grilled loach theatre

COMPILED BY SOPHIE MCGRATH. PHOTOGRAPHS: DAJ/GETTY IMAGES, PARK HOTEL TOKYO, DUANE WALKER/GETTY,
EAT Tokyo Sky (a type of fish), with sake and (tickets from
Snag a table at tiny Takazawa for Tree is the soy sauce broth since 1801 £5; kabuki-
experimental creations like daikon world’s tallest (mains from £6; dozeu.com). bito.jp).
radish with shiso flowers (£110 for tower. Enjoy
seven courses; takazawa-y.co.jp). panoramas
that extend as
DRINK far as Mount
Cruise around Tokyo Bay on Jicoo, Fuji on a clear
a futuristic colour-changing boat day (from £6;
with a bar (£15 entry; Thu, Fri & Sat tokyo-skytree.
from 8pm; jicoofloatingbar.com). jp).
DRINK
Take a lakeside tea break at
the Hama-rikyu Gardens
Teahouse, a one-time
hangout of shoguns and
nobles that’s more than 300
years old. Be sure to take a
wander in the landscaped
grounds, too (park entry £2;
teien.tokyo-park.or.jp).

EXCITING NEW SERIES FROM LONELY PLANET
Plan your perfect day. Make My Day allows you BA R C E LO N A

to mix and match your itinerary for morning, LO N D O N
afternoon and evening. With thousands of N E W YO R K C I T Y
combinations in each book and an app for when PA R I S
you’re on the go—planning your city adventure SA N F R A N C I S C O
has never been so easy and fun. TO KYO
www.lonelyplanet.com/makemyday
Available on the App Store and Google Play
GLOBETROTTER
Travel Icon
Hollywood sign
LIGHTS,
CAMERA,
A STAR IS BORN AUCTION!
The Hollywood sign is synonymous When the sign was rebuilt
with A-list glamour and blockbuster in 1978, each of the letters was
movie studios. Which is odd, because donated by a different sponsor. Hugh
it originally had nothing to do with Hefner paid for the ‘Y’, Alice Cooper
the film industry – it didn’t even say ‘O’ and singer Andy Williams the ‘W’.
Hollywood. The HOLLYWOODLAND The original letters, presumed lost,
sign was erected in 1923 to promote turned up in an eBay auction in
a nearby property development, but 2005, fetching $450,000
it soon became an accidental icon for (£250,000 at the time).
the movie business (the ‘LAND’ bit FATAL
was dismantled in 1949). By the ’70s ATTRACTION
however, the sign had decayed to the The ‘H’ has the grimmest
point that it read ‘HULLYWO D’, and backstory of all the letters:
was replaced by a slightly smaller English movie actress Peg
structure after a fundraising campaign Entwistle jumped to her death from
from Playboy-founder Hugh Hefner. the top in 1932, aged just 24. More
recently, fans have gathered close
by for alfresco screenings of her
SPECIAL
movie, Thirteen Women, with
EFFECTS
proceeds going to suicide
Though the wording
prevention charities.
appears rather wavy when
seen from the foot of Mount
Lee, the Hollywood sign is
in fact straight when seen
from a viewpoint of
equivalent height.
COMPILED BY OLIVER SMITH. PHOTOGRAPHS: C EVERETT COLLECTION/REX, HELEN KING/CORBIS, PHOTO COURTESY
OF THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN TRUST AND HOLLYWOODPHOTOGRAPHS.COM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
IT HASN’T ALWAYS BEEN ‘HOLLYWOOD’…
The original sign was hauled into place Prankster Danny Finegood made a few Virgin Atlantic later came up with
with the help of mules, and was only sign amendments, including this 1976 a different way to promote its flights
meant to last about 18 months reference to looser state marijuana laws from Los Angeles to London

The Norwegian
experience
A number of tour operators offer hikes designed to help you experience the best
of Norway. Grab your boots and discover this extraordinary country of contrasts
L
and of vikings, fishermen and the There are two main regions to explore, favourite. The 12-mile long Geirangerfjord is
band A-ha, Norway is, irrefutably, each very different from the other. Fjord home to some of the most impressive waterfalls
most admired for its beautiful Norway in the west is made up of four in the country, and the Sognefjorden is the
landscapes. You can witness its counties: Rogaland, Hordaland, Sogn & world’s second-longest at 127 miles, and
incredible mountains, immense fjords and Fjordane and Møre & Romsdal. Majestic Norway’s deepest at 1,308m.
dramatic backdrops in their full glory when wildlife, outstanding architecture, brilliant Northern Norway, on the other hand,
you explore in the best way possible – on foot. music festivals and abundant fish markets consists of three counties: Nordland, Troms
Book a hiking tour and immerse yourself are just a few attractions of this region, but and Finnmark. It is a multi-cultural region
completely in the epic Norwegian scenery. the mighty fjords have to be the bucket-list that is home to the native Sami people. Here,
A D V E R T I S E M E N T F E AT U R E
Bryggen, Bergen Norwegian fjord highlights

This eight-day trip gives you the opportunity to explore the impressive
scenery around two of Norway’s most magnificent fjords and much more
besides. Discover the beautiful Hardangerfjord and Sognefjorden, as well
Photo credit: Scott Sporleder

as admire Bergen from the top of Mount Fløyen.
You’ll immerse yourself in the nature of the region on a diverse range of
walks and hikes, visit orchards and churches, and experience the famous
Flåmsbana ‘corkscrew railway’ – one of the most scenic railways in the
world. With a relaxed pace and a range of unique properties to stay at like
the fantastic Hotel Ullensvang, this fly-drive holiday is the perfect way to
discover the highlights of Norway’s fjords. discover-the-world.co.uk
Lofoten Lofoten Islands

Choose from two different walks each day. You’ll stay in a waterfront hotel
in the heart of Svolvær. For your first excursion, you’ll explore Svolvær and
Kabelvåg, either following a tougher guided walk up to the summit of
Tjeldbergtinden, or a more sedate one through the colourful streets of
Photo credit: Frithjof Fure

the town and around the fjord.
This week-long trip combines vistas of beautiful lakes nestling amid
mountains with walks along the coast offering sea eagle and whale-
spotting opportunities. Visit charming fishing villages with their traditional
‘rorbu’ (fishermen’s cabins), and take the ferry to the beautiful
neighbouring island of Skrova. hfholidays.co.uk
Loftus, Hardangerfjord Serene Hardangerfjord
Photo credit: Per Eide -– Visitnorway.com

Inntravel offers a week of self-guided walking itinerary, with bus and boat
journeys connecting a series of wonderful fjordside hotels. You are free to
explore entirely at your own pace.
Walk across moorland, amid forests and through pastureland. Take in
the scenic Norwegian hinterland and jump on a cable car to the top of
Mount Hanguren. Wake up in Husedalen, a steep valley with three huge
waterfalls, and visit the Hardangervidda National Park.
For a dramatic climax to the week, the final walk involves a steep but
satisfying ascent above the fjord up the Monks’ Steps – 616 stone steps
carved by Cistercian monks from York in the 13th century. inntravel.co.uk
Midnight Flora, Harstad Land of the midnight sun

Experience Norway from a floating hotel. Ramblers offers cruises (there
are two to choose from) that take you to some of the most beautiful spots
on Norway’s coast and its islands. Highlights include glacier walks and a
Photo credit: Frank Andreassen

visit to an Arctic research centre.
In the coastal city of Tromsø, combine sightseeing with walking in the
hills and countryside. Here, the midnight sun shines from 18 May to 25
July, and beyond these dates the further north you go.
Honningsvåg is the most northerly point on the European mainland, and
here you’ll find reindeer grazing. In Kristiansund you can climb a mountain
for views out to sea and inland to the fjords. ramblersholidays.co.uk
you can explore traditional fishing villages, a wide choice of organised hiking tours,
enjoy exquisite seafood, take a wildlife safari each offering a high level of convenience
and witness the peculiar phenomenon that is and comfort. Choose from a range of walks,
the midnight sun – during the summer, the whether with a local guide or on your own.
sun never sets, so it is light even at night. Try one of the walking trips outlined here
Here, the air is pure and the food, healthy (see above) and get the full package of For more hiking itineraries,
and fresh. It’s unique in the truest sense. adventure, new experiences and a collection
Norway is easy to get to; it’s just a two-hour of memories you’ll treasure forever, as you information and holiday deals,
flight from most parts of the UK. Plus, there’s see Norway the way it’s meant to be seen. go to visitnorway.com/hiking
Welcome to
Iceland
Summer Fly-Drives - 10 days from £1210
Teetering on the edge of the Arctic, this staggeringly beautiful country is home to some of the
world’s greatest natural wonders; feel the power of immense waterfalls tumbling into mighty
rivers, travel through dramatic landscapes crafted by thousands of years of volcanic activity and
admire the beauty of the biggest ice cap outside of the poles. Take to Route 1 on an Iceland Fly-
Drive and travel full-circle in just 10 days, encountering the waterfalls and glaciers of South Iceland
and exploring the east coast where narrow fjords carved by Ice Age glaciers create calm natural
harbours. Cross the Mörðrudalsöræfi highland pass en route to the volcanic Lake Mývatn region
before continuing to Húsavík – Iceland’s whale watching capital. From Akureyri the picturesque
farmlands of the north west are the backdrop to the final part of the journey back to Reykjavík.
ICELAND | GREENLAND | FAROE ISLANDS | NORWAY | DENMARK | FINLAND

Our Travel Specialists are renowned for their first-hand knowledge of Regent’s unique destinations. Contact an Iceland expert on
020 7666 1296

www.regentholidays.co.uk
Easy Trips
ing for spr
including
PHOTOGRAPH: OLIMPO FANTUZ/SIME/4 CORNERS
XStay in a lakeside treehouse in Slovenia

XFive-star Art Deco glamour in Manchester
XCelebrate Liberation Day on the Channel Islands
XTotal seclusion off the coast of Sicily

1 Cabin fervour in the Lake District
Glamping pioneer Feather Down
Farm Days specialises in stays under
(posh) canvas at farms across the
gas-heated showers and, crucially,
ultra-comfy beds. The farm’s
owners are on hand to welcome
MAKE IT HAPPEN
Howbeck Lodge Farm’s cabin
sleeps a maximum of six people
UK, but it’s now possible, at two guests, as well as serve up (five adults and a child), with
locations, to hole up in lodgings homemade food in the farm pantry six beds split across two levels.
with a little more frontier flavour (eggs are fresh from the chicken Facilities include a barbecue,
– log cabins. One of them is coop). Outside, the Lake District’s shower and toilet (from £369 for
Howbeck Lodge Farm, a 300�acre beautiful scenery is just a short a weekend; featherdown.co.uk).
sheep and cattle farm in the Lake stroll or drive away, including the Howbeck Lodge is a half-hour
District. Its cabin is the perfect wild hills of Uldale Common, which drive from Carlisle station. Trains
base for a weekend of rural self- have views of Skiddaw Mountain, run from London Euston, via
sufficiency, with rustic farmhouse and the beaches of Solway Firth, Birmingham and Manchester
interiors, a stove, and veranda a wildlife haven known for its (about three hours, from £50;
complete with rocking chairs. sunsets. Cap off your wanderings virgintrains.co.uk), and continue
A pearl shell and charcoal pendant
from Kimberley, Western Australia There’s no TV or radio to distract with a stroll to the nearby village on to Edinburgh. Howbeck Lodge
from the back-to-nature feel, of Hesket Newmarket, whose Farm is about two hours by car
Down under though guests can enjoy such
comforts as flushing toilets,
microbrewery and pubs are perfect
for a restorative real ale or two.
from Manchester via the M6,
and from Edinbugh via the A74.
over here
2
Paddling and fishing in
Nearly 250 years after the first the stream is one of the
Brits landed on Aussie soil, the many way to pass the day
British Museum has got around to at Howbeck Lodge Farm
hosting its first major exhibition of
indigenous Australian art – one of
the biggest collections of objects
from Aboriginal communities ever
assembled. Indigenous Australia:
Enduring Civilisation tells the story
of one of the oldest surviving
cultures on Earth, as well as its
more troubled times since
European settlement of the
PHOTOGRAPHS: THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM, HOWBECK LODGE FARM, KEN SCICLUNA/JOHN WARBURTON�LEE/GETTY IMAGES
continent. Among the exhibits are
boomerangs, bags, baskets and
artwork – including Uta Uta
Tjangala’s masterpiece Yumari, a
large acrylic painting whose swirls
famously feature on Australian
passports. Also keep an eye out
for artefacts from the Aboriginal
cricket team’s 1868 tour of
England (the exhibits having now
boomerang-ed back to London).
MAKE IT HAPPEN
Indigenous Australia:
Enduring Civilisation runs at the
British Museum from 23 April–
2 August (admission £10;
britishmuseum.org).
The British Museum is
closest to Tottenham Court
Road and Holborn tube stations
(tfl.org.uk). Direct trains run to
London from various UK cities
(nationalrail.co.uk).
Stay at The Zetter Townhouse
– a characterful new hotel set
around a 24�bedroom Georgian
property in Seymour Street,
Marylebone (from £183;
thezettertownhouse.com).

EASY TRIPS
3
The Church of the
Assumption on Bled Island
hosts a bell, dating from
1534, that is said to grant a
wish to whoever rings it
Take a bough in a Slovenian treehouse

Slovenia’s Lake Bled has long been more politely spelt ‘Karavanks’), Garden Village Bled offers six
MAKE IT HAPPEN
a site for ambitious constructions: now is a perfect time to pay a visit treehouses sleeping four – some
Ljubljana Airport is the closest
be it medieval Bled Castle, teetering to this corner of the country: to have tree trunks growing through
to Lake Bled – easyJet flies from
precariously atop sheer cliffs, or the hunker down in blonde-wood the middle of the rooms (from
London Stansted and Wizz Air flies
Baroque Church of the Assumption, interiors dotted with cast-iron £120, minimum three-night stay;
from London Luton (from £96;
squeezed onto a tiny island in the lanterns, hammocks and ladders, gardenvillagebled.com).
easyjet.com). From Ljubljana,
centre of the lake. Added to this and waking to see Slovenian Boats called pletnas – flat-
regular trains take about an hour
rich tradition comes a cluster of squirrels skipping blithely about bottomed wooden vessels that
to reach Lesce-Bled station, which
pine-built treehouses, set high in the surrounding branches. Take a date back to the 1590s, propelled
is a short bus ride away from the
the canopy on the forested slopes five-minute walk down the hillside by specially trained standing
lake (from £6; slo-zeleznice.si).
of the lake’s southern shore. With to experience one of Europe’s most oarsmen– depart regularly for Bled
Regular bus services also connect
spring sunshine beginning to peek celebrated views, with the church, Island from various points on the
Bled to Ljubljana (from £5), taking
over the snowy summits of the castle and the jagged mountains lake’s shore (from £10; bled.si).
about an hour and a half.
Karawanks mountain range (also aligning in perfect symmetry.

4 Woburn is so near, yet safari
There is something uniquely
thrilling about driving through
rolling green Bedfordshire parkland,
hopping along beside you, or see a
lemur swinging past in the treetops.
With the weather finally cheering
MAKE IT HAPPEN
The park (entry fee £21.99) and
abbey (£14.50) are both owned by
only to pause and have a tribe of up, now is the perfect time to visit the Woburn Estate (woburn.co.uk).
excitable monkeys clamber over before the summer crowds appear. The Woburn Hotel offers a
your car. If an African-based safari Base yourself in nearby Woburn, ‘Safari Break’ package, including
is out of the question, then Woburn a charming village made up of b&b accommodation in a double
Safari Park at least presents a red-brick Georgian houses, historic or family room, entry to the park
bucket-load of opportunities to pubs (we liked The Black Horse, for two adults and two children,
get shriek-inducingly close to a coaching inn turned gastropub) and £60 towards dinner in the
creatures great and small, from and a copious number of antiques restaurant (£250 for two adults,
tigers brushing past your vehicle’s shops. Have a wander round £265 for a family; thewoburn
window to traffic jams caused by Woburn Abbey, a country pile filled hotel.co.uk). Quote ‘Lonely
grazing giraffes. There’s even a with art treasures and surrounded Planet Traveller’ when booking
100 King Street was built in 1935
with Portland limestone from Dorset baby elephant, a 40�stone poppet by a 3,000�acre deer park. Make for a stay before 2 November for
named Tarli. It’s also possible to like a duke and finish your stay with 10 per cent off the ‘Safari Break’.
A sleep you explore various enclosures on foot,
so you might end up with a wallaby
a meal at Paris House, the county’s
only Michelin-starred restaurant.
You’ll need a car to visit the
park. Woburn is off the M1’s J13.
can bank on
The words ‘sexy’ and ‘bank’ don’t
often go together, but Hotel
Gotham, which opens this month 5 save
10%
in the heart of Manchester, is an
honourable exception. Occupying
a very grand example of the latter
– a listed Art Deco building on your stay
designed by celebrated architect
Edwin Lutyens – its sleek, noir-ish
design wouldn’t look a bit out of
place in New York. Lofty rooms
have floor-to-ceiling windows,
luxurious fabrics and lots of quirky
touches: geometric carpets,
travel-trunk cocktail cabinets and
laundry bags that look like money
sacks. Elsewhere, local produce is
served in a restaurant with arched
windows overlooking the city
(though dishes like hotpot and
Manchester tart are pleasingly
down-to-earth). No swish hotel
would be complete without a
rooftop bar – head up for top views.
MAKE IT HAPPEN
The five-star Hotel Gotham
will open on 7 April (from £149;
hotelgotham.co.uk). It has
60 rooms, including five luxury
suites with ‘wonderwalls’ of
video screens, as well as a
restaurant, Honey, on the sixth
floor and a private members’
club and rooftop Bar Brass
on the seventh floor.
Manchester Piccadilly station
has services to London Euston,
Bristol and Glasgow (London
from £40; virgintrains.co.uk). Woburn Safari Park has a large
breeding herd of Rothschild’s
There are also local services
giraffes, which originate from
from Leeds and Sheffield Kenya, Uganda and Sudan
(from £6; northernrail.org).

EASY TRIPS
Tame a small, wild Canary

If thoughts of beaches lined with
sunloungers and cafés offering full
English breakfasts have put you off
when the weather is balmy and the
hills are carpeted in bright flowers.
Make a beeline for the mist-
MAKE IT HAPPEN
Airlines including BA, easyJet,
Jet2, Monarch Airlines, Ryanair,
7
visiting the Canary Islands, think drenched laurisilva (laurel forest) of Thomson Airways and Thomas
again. La Gomera couldn’t be the Parque Nacional de Garajonay. Cook Airlines fly from numerous
further from the rowdy resort It’s where you’ll find Alto de UK airports to Tenerife (from
stereotype – this wild island is all Garajonay, the island’s highest £137; ryanair.co.uk). From there,
about getting your kicks from peak – head up on a clear day for fly to La Gomera with Binter
nature. The second smallest panoramic views of neighbouring Canarias (from £30;
Canary, it’s ringed by steep islands. There’s more great scenery bintercanarias.com).
volcanic walls that swoop down to in the fertile north in valleys such Parador de la Gomera is the
a lush interior of forests, ravines as Vallehermoso, where pretty island’s top hotel. Set above
and plantations – with 16 nature villages sit among palm trees and historic capital San Sebastián, it
reserves and a Unesco-listed park gravity-defying terraces. For a has stately rooms with terraces
The Channel Islands Heritage Festival
in their midst. Crisscrossed by well-earned rest, decamp to Valle overlooking the ocean, plus a pool, features wartime-music concerts
extensive trails, the island’s a hiker’s Gran Rey for whale-watching or a garden and al fresco restaurant
dream, and there’s no better time
to lace up your boots than spring,
laze on La Gomera’s longest beach,
spread at the foot of a gorge.
serving Canarian specialities
(from £75; parador.es).
Channel
hopping
6
Colourful houses in the
valley of Vallehermoso From Viking marauders to piratical
on La Gomera raids, the Channel Islands’ history
is full of drama, and the past
century was no exception. From
1940�45, the islands were occupied
by the German army, who ruled
with an iron fist until the end of
the war. This spring, the 70th
anniversary of liberation is marked
with the first Channel Islands
Heritage Festival, five weeks of
history-themed events. Highlights
in Jersey, for instance, include RIB
boat tours and the Occupation Trail
of Nazi forts, bunkers and passages
– like the eerie Jersey War Tunnels,
which will host talks and a vintage
fair. Over in Guernsey, there’ll be
PHOTOGRAPHS: MARK LEEMING, ANN AND STEVE TOON/ALAMY, OLIMPIO FANTUZ/SIME/4 CORNERS, CHRIS GEORGE
a reenactment of wartime life, and

medieval Castle Cornet will open
up secret chambers used by the
MoD. Events culminate on 9 May’s
Liberation Day, with parades,
music and fireworks.
MAKE IT HAPPEN
The Channel Islands Heritage
Festival runs from 3 April�11
May. Event prices vary; 9 May
festivities are free (visitguernsey.
com/heritage-festival).
Aurigny Air Services, BA, Blue
Islands, easyJet and Flybe fly to
Guernsey and Jersey from various
UK cities (from £59; easyjet.com).
Ferries run from Poole, Portsmouth
and Weymouth (from £65
return; condorferries.co.uk).
Set in a 17th-century coaching
house in Jersey’s St Helier, the
Revere Hotel has elegant rooms
and a French restaurant (from
£45; reverehoteljersey.com).

save
15%
8 on your stay
Total Tyrrhenian seclusion
Once fought over by numerous
Mediterannean powers, today the
Egadi Islands could hardly be more
and its bobbing fishing boats – be
sure to try the catch at one of the
village’s seafront restaurants. The
MAKE IT HAPPEN
EasyJet and Ryanair fly direct
from London airports to Palermo
peaceful. A diminutive trio just best way to explore the island is via (from £89; ryanair.com). From
off Sicily’s west coast, they’re its age-old paths, which lead inland Palermo, it’s a 90�minute drive or
a timewarp of rural villages and to valleys of pine forest and along train journey to Trapani, where
remote coves, little touched by its coastal cliffs to swimming spots there’s a year-round hydrofoil
tourism – the perfect place to ease like Cala Minnola, a bay known for service to Levanzo; the journey
gently towards summer. The tiniest its startlingly clear waters; or head takes around 30 minutes (from
is Levanzo, a rugged isle with just to Capo Grosso for snorkelling £12 return; usticalines.it).
one village and a pick of the among colourful fish, sponges Set in a restored stables a
simplest pleasures, like gorging on and corals. A leisurely boat trip is 10�minute stroll from the sea,
seafood, lazing on quiet beaches also a good way to see Levanzo’s Lisola Residence has seven
and swimming in turquoise waters. striking coast, or visit the island’s apartments, some with timber
Bourne Valley Inn’s rooms feature
Feather & Black pillows and bedding
Base yourself in the village of Cala unusual attraction, the Grotta eaves and tiled floors. There’s
Dogana (population 200), where del Genovese, a prehistoric cave also a terrace, extensive garden
Bourne sugar-cube houses with blue
shutters cluster round the harbour
with wall paintings thought to
be 10,000 years old.
and a pool with views out over
the sea (from £40; lisola.eu).
supremacy
The first hints of summer are
emerging in Hampshire’s Bourne
Valley. The hills are in bloom, and
walkers have taken to the region’s
paths. The Bourne Valley Inn is well
9
set up to take advantage of the turn
in the weather: diners converge
on the terrace or in the garden, by
the Bourne Rivulet, while the less
hardy enjoy their Modern British
plates, stuffed with local produce,
in the light-filled dining barn. Many
come for the local fishing, with the
season kicking off for the summer
from 1 April. If the sight of the river
inspires you, the pub can arrange
fly-fishing, with tuition, equipment
and transport provided. The kitchen
can even cook your fish for dinner
on your return to the inn. Appetite
PHOTOGRAPHS: JAKE EASTHAM, FANELLI PHOTOGRAPHY/ISTOCK, BARNSLEY HOUSE GLOUCESTERSHIRE

built up by the country air, you’ll
be ready for a good night’s sleep
in the rustic bedrooms.
MAKE IT HAPPEN
Bourne Valley Inn has nine
rooms and a restaurant with a
focus on hearty dishes (dinner
mains from £12; rooms from £85;
bournevalleyinn.com). Fishing
trips with full instruction cost
£295 for a group of four, with
fishing access to local rivers from
£110. Quote ‘Lonely Planet
Traveller’ when booking to stay
before 1 September for 15 per cent
off rooms (offer excludes bank
holidays and other special offers).
The inn is in St Mary Bourne,
near Andover. Whitchurch train
station is five miles away, with The main port of Levanzo
regular services from London and – the island is home to
just 450 inhabitants
Exeter (southwesttrains.co.uk).

EASY TRIPS
10
Former resident Rosemary

Verey designed Barnsley
House’s gardens in an English
classical revival style
A Verey special Gloucestershire garden

There is no bad time to visit with a private cinema and a spa
MAKE IT HAPPEN offer, is within them (half-day
Barnsley House, a Grade-II-listed offering escape from inclement
Barnsley House has various including treatment and two-
manor house hotel buried deep in weather. The hotel itself, a
room styles, ranging from superior course lunch £115; facial from
the Cotswolds, but late spring into 17th-century wonder of golden
doubles to suites with private £40; free use of pool).
early summer sees its surroundings Cotswolds limestone, has surprises
courtyard gardens (from £200; Barnsley is a small village in
at their finest. The grounds, created of its own: the traditional bones
barnsleyhouse.com). Lunch, Gloucestershire, five miles from
by legendary designer Rosemary of the interior, with its romantic
afternoon tea and dinner are Cirencester and just off the A429.
Verey in the ’50s, are a veritable mullion windows and wooden
served in The Potager restaurant Trains run to Kemble, nine miles
Arcadia come April, with blossoms floorboards, clothed with unusual
(dinner mains from £14). The hotel away, from London Paddington
in full throttle in the Laburnam adornments such as disco balls
is set within 11 acres of grounds, (via Swindon), Cheltenham and
Walk, borders and knot gardens, and double baths. Food is also a
which guests are free to roam; the Gloucester (firstgreatwestern.
and vegetables starting to make an highlight, with local produce served
spa, with outdoor hydrotherapy co.uk). Barnsley also has a lovely
appearance in the kitchen garden. in accomplished dishes such as rack
pool and various treatments on inn (thevillagepub.co.uk).
There are surprises hidden here too, of lamb and confit duck.

Great Escape
T U S C A N Y & U M B R I A
Rich food, rolling fields, world-class wine: few regions sum up la dolce vita more than
Tuscany and Umbria. Look beyond the cities to tour vineyards, trek through the
mountains, explore the coastline with cowboys, delve into the history of
hilltop towns, and finish with gourmet food in the valley of Norcia
WORDS OLIVER BERRY O PHOTOGRAPHS MATT MUNRO
G R E AT E S C A P E
The Maremma is a protected

stretch of hills and marshes
along the Tuscan coast,
home to the Italian version
of the Wild West cowboy

Plan your trip
1 Drink in views of
the Chianti
hills along with a
2 Hidden in the
mountains of
northern Tuscany,
3 For ‘cowboys’
read ‘butteri’ in
the coastal stretch
4 Take a spin
around three
of Umbria’s loveliest
5 Patience is a
virtue for food
connoisseurs, as the
glass or two of red the Garfagnana of the Maremma, hilltop towns truffle-hunters and
from the most region is a little- home to long-horned – Orvieto, Spello and organic farmers of
legendary of Italian known escape for cattle and their horse- St Francis’s old home Norcia know very
wine regions (p52). hikers (p54). riding herders (p56). of Assisi (p58). well (p60).
MAP ILLUSTRATION: ALEX VERHILLLE. PHOTOGRAPHS: WAYNE PERRY/ALAMY

TUSCANY & UMBRIA
ON THE ROAD
Eat
Cinghiale – they’re
a menace to vine-
growers and
HOW TO GET THERE rocket in the summer, especially for farmers, but chefs
Alitalia, BA, CityJet, easyJet, Jet2, accommodation – £120 to £150 a day love wild boar.
Monarch, Ryanair and Vueling fly to should be enough to cover a basic Prized for its
the region’s main gateway airports in double room, meals and car hire; gamey flavour,
Florence, Perugia, Pisa and Rome from £200 would take you a few rungs up it has a lower fat
numerous UK airports, including the luxury ladder. Another option is to content than pork. Watch
Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, base yourself in one location, in a self- Pappardelle al For ravishing views of the
Edinburgh, Gatwick, Heathrow, catering apartment or agriturismo, cinghiale (pasta Tuscan countryside, watch
Leeds-Bradford, London City, Luton, which can allow you to cut costs by ribbons in a wild Bernardo Bertolucci's
Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted cooking your own meals: prices range boar sauce) is a classic. Boar dreamy coming-of-age tale,
(London Stansted to Pisa from £76; upwards from around £450 a week. also makes delicious sausages. Stealing Beauty (1996).
ryanair.com). Visit sites such as agriturismo.net or
bellaumbria.net for listings.
HOW TO GET AROUND Hum Sip
It can be hard to get around the more WHO CAN HELP Nessun dorma – Pavarotti’s Vin santo –
remote areas of Tuscany and Umbria For general information, the signature tune comes from a popular after-
without a car, although bus and website of the Italian Tourist Board Turandot, the final opera dinner digestif
train routes offer a few options. (italia.it) is a good place to start for composed by Tuscan maestro in Tuscany, this
A week’s car hire starts at around inspiration. Many companies offer Giacomo Puccini, who was sweet dessert
£185 with Avis (avis.co.uk). Trenitalia activity trips. A week of walks with born in Lucca in 1858 and wine is made
is the primary train operator and the Tuscany Walking (tuscanywalking. spent most of his life in a villa from a blend of
network connects major cities; tickets com) costs £999, including all near Torre del Lago. Just in Trebbiano and
can be bought on the day at stations meals and activities. For wine case you were wondering, Malvasia Bianca
or online (Florence to Pisa from £7; lovers, Smooth Red (smoothred. ‘nessun dorma’ means grapes. It’s often
italiarail.com). Buses are a better co.uk) and Italian Wine Tours ‘none shall sleep’. served with
option between small villages; (italianwinetours.com) offer various almondy
numerous companies operate packages exploring the region’s cantucci biscuits.
throughout Tuscany and Umbria, with major wine areas, including Chianti;
tickets available on board, from bus prices start from around £450 with
stations or at tobacco kiosks (singles guides, transfers and two nights’ Sample
from £1; one-day passes from £2.50). accommodation. If you’d like to Lenticchia di Castelluccio –
hone your culinary skills, Tuscookany the Italian equivalent of Puy
HOW LONG TO SPEND (tuscookany.com) specialises in lentils, prized by chefs and
Though Tuscany and Umbria are residential cookery courses – connoisseurs alike, sold in all
compact, a combination of rural roads a three-day course costs £1,385. of Norcia’s food shops.
and town traffic often means that
getting around takes longer than you HOW TO PLAN
think. Ten days should be enough to For in-depth information pick up
cover the region, but two weeks will
allow more time to linger and explore
Lonely Planet’s Florence & Tuscany
(£14.99). For a broader view, the Italy
Buy
You can’t visit Assisi and not come
the out-of-the-way areas. You’ll need (£17.99) guide also covers Umbria. home with a souvenir of St Francis.
a week for Tuscany’s highlights, with In the basilica’s shop, you’ll find the
a couple of days each in Chianti, the town’s patron saint gracing everything
Garfagnana and the Maremma, plus from bookmarks to keyrings.
optional time in Florence as well.
Another three or four days should be
enough to head east into Umbria to
explore the area’s hilltop towns and Did you know?
soak up the scenery around Norcia The three knots on a Franciscan friar’s
and the Sibillini Hills. belt signify the order’s three cardinal
vows: poverty, chastity and obedience.
WHAT TO BUDGET
Tuscany and Umbria are among Italy’s
most popular destinations, so prices

Welcome to the
land of wine
and honey…
Evening sun breaks

through the clouds above
the Rocca Maggiore fort
in the pilgrimage town of
Assisi in central Umbria

TUSCANY & UMBRIA

1. Chianti
Get a real taste of Tuscany – where a passion for wine seeps into every
corner of life – with a visit to one of its hallowed vineyards
A
HAZY YELLOW SUN IS hillsides, carpeting the fields, sprouting For Monica, at Villa Pomona, as in most
cresting over the hilltop as from gardens, creeping up the sides of Chianti vineyards, winemaking is a family
Monica Raspi sets out on her farmhouses and barns. Along the back- affair. The first vines here were planted in
daily tour of her vineyards at roads, ‘degustazione’ signs line the verges, the 19th century by her great-great-
Villa Pomona. It’s early; inviting customers to sample the latest grandfather, Bandino Bandini, and the
crows are cackling in the trees and mist vintage – a crucial part of Tuscan wine vineyard has been in family hands ever
cloaks the fields, drifting through rows of culture, and something that’s offered by since. It sits right in the heart of the Chianti
glossy green vines that unfold in every every vineyard, from world-famous villas Classico, a 7,000-hectare area between Siena
direction as far as the eye can see. to humble backyard growers. and Florence known for producing some of
‘This is always the best time of day in the ‘Everyone in Chianti is an expert. Or the region’s finest, and most expensive,
vineyard,’ Monica says, breathing in the thinks they are,’ Monica says, uncorking wines. Standards within this hallowed zone
crisp morning air. ‘When the fields are quiet, a bottle and filling up glasses on a table are strictly enforced, from blending
and before the midday heat.’ She stops outside her cellar. ‘But it’s good that techniques to bottle designs, and only the
beside a row of vines, a tangle of acid-green everyone here is passionate. Wine is more best wineries can display the gallo nero, or
leaves popping out from the orange soil. than a drink here. It’s a way of life.’ She takes black rooster, on their labels. The ultimate
Brushing back the branches, she reveals a sip and rolls it around her mouth, sucking seal of Chianti quality, his crowing presence
the vineyard’s hidden treasure: clusters of in air to intensify the flavour. The taste is an appropriate symbol for a region which
plump, purple-black grapes, skins still should be fruity and floral, she says, with has elevated winemaking to an art form.
frosted with dew. Producing a pair of a sharp, acidic finish from the Sangiovese
secateurs from her pocket, she snips off grapes, and a nutty overtone from the oak Once you’ve had your fill of Chianti’s vineyards, ask
a bunch. ‘Sangiovese grapes. The soul of barrels in which the wines are aged. It’s your designated driver to make a beeline for the
Chianti wines,’ she says, popping one into especially good with food – and as if by craggy peaks of the Apuan Alps. It’s a 95-mile drive
her mouth as she disappears into the vines. magic, a plate of cheese, olives and ham (be sure to break for lunch in Florence).
Even in a country as oenologically blessed arrives from inside the farmhouse, carried
as Italy, the vineyards of Chianti command by her mother, who ran the vineyard before
a special status. Sprawling across Tuscany’s Monica took it over in 2007. Together they Essentials
hilly spine between Siena and Florence, this settle down to enjoy their winemaker’s
is Italy’s oldest and best-known wine region. breakfast – or caffè rosso, as Monica prefers
Viticulture has been a cornerstone of life to call it – enjoying the sunshine and the
here since Roman times, and vines cover scent of clematis and rosemary wafting
every inch of landscape, rolling down the across the courtyard.
The borders of the ‘Chianti

Classico’ wine region were
first set as far back as 1716
Castello delle Serre This grand baronial

castle in the hilltop village of Serre di Rapolano
has been lovingly restored by its American
owner. Rooms are full of medieval atmosphere,
with tiled floors, solid beams and shuttered
windows overlooking the valley. There’s a
gorgeous rooftop pool, as well as a fancy tower
suite offering 360° views over the countryside
(from £140; castellodelleserre.com).
Villa Pomona is nine miles north of Siena
(fattoriapomona.it). Most Chianti vineyards are
open for visits, but some only by arrangement,
so do check ahead. Tasting is generally free of
charge, but it’s good manners to buy a bottle.

TUSCANY & UMBRIA
The hills around Villa Pomona

are a tapestry of vineyards and
old stone farmsteads, many
now converted into wineries
Monica Raspi examines
a glass of Villa Pomona red.
�� Accompaniments for
a wine tasting. �� In the
cellars at Villa Pomona

2. Garfagnana
Strap on your hiking boots, hit the hills and soak
up the culture of this remote mountain valley
A
S THE OLD PROVERB world here,’ he says, taking a breather
goes, ‘friends may meet, against a rock. ‘If I could, I’d spend every
but mountains never greet’ day in the mountains.’ He waits for his
and this morning, the Apuan companions to catch up before they settle
Alps seem determined to down on the grass for lunch: a walkers’
live up to the maxim. For the last two picnic of salami, fruit, bread and pecorino
hours, a cloak of cloud has clung to the cheese, all freshly bought this morning from
mountaintops, obscuring both the valley the valley’s main town, Castelnuovo di
below and the peaks ahead. But the weather Garfagnana. A troupe of goats trots past
hasn’t deterred the hikers; they’re picking along the trail, bells tinkling as they
their way along the ridge-lines, kitted out disappear down the near-vertical slope.
with hats and fleeces, braving the cloud in Pastoral scenes like these are key to the
the hope of better weather down the trail. Garfagnana’s appeal. Dotted with tiny
Their optimism is rewarded; within half an villages and sleepy towns – where the
hour, the cloud burns off and they’re under streets are lined with old-fashioned cafés
a clear canopy of blue, surrounded by spiky and grocers’ shops, and family-run trattorias
summits and lush slopes daubed with serve up recipes such as wild boar ragù –
wildflowers. It’s a reminder of another old this is a region that celebrates a traditional
mountain adage: if you don’t like the life. The local calendar is chalked with
weather, sit down and wait. festivals honouring everything from beer
The weather is the only thing that changes to chestnuts, and one village even holds its
at any discernible pace in the Garfagnana. own medieval pageant, when jesters and
Hidden away in Tuscany’s northwestern harlequins roam the streets, and locals feast
corner, 40 miles north of Pisa, this rural on hog roasts and spelt ale, much as they
valley preserves a way of life that’s hardly would have done hundreds of years ago.
changed in centuries. Historically, most
families here would have made their living Look out for old chapels and marble quarries as you
from the land – farming sheep, growing head west across the mountains, then pick up the
spelt and maize, and harvesting chestnuts coast road near Massa, following it south all the way
used to make everything from cakes to to the Parco Naturale della Maremma.
bread. Quarrying was the valley’s other
major industry – seams of white Carrara
marble streak the mountainsides, of a purity Essentials
and clarity valued by Roman architects and
Renaissance artists alike.
Today, the Garfagnana is part of a national
park, the Parco Nazionale dell’Appennino
Tosco-Emiliano, and is renowned for some
of Italy’s best hiking. Sandwiched between
the twin ranges of the Apuan Alps and the
Apennines, it’s a pocket of unexpected
wilderness on Tuscany’s northern edge, less
well known than the Dolomites, but every
bit as beautiful. Mouflon and mountain
goats roam the high pastures, and old
drovers’ paths wind through a landscape of Tenuta San Pietro The Garfagnana’s
lakeside chapels, abandoned quarries and agriturismi are pretty rustic – if you’re after
shepherds’ bothies. Many of the valley’s old something special, base yourself at this ravishing
farmhouses are now agriturismi, and on gastro-hotel further south, near the pretty city
a clear day, from the top of Monte Prado, of Lucca. The Norwegian owners have given the
the Garfagnana’s highest peak at 2,054m, rooms a light and stripped-back Scandinavian
the view encompasses three regions of Italy: feel, plus there’s an infinity pool with mountain
Liguria to the west, Emilia-Romagna to the views (from £120; tenuta-san-pietro.com).
north and Tuscany to the south. Most of the Garfagnana’s trails can be tackled
Marco Santino has been hiking here for 20 solo, but Tuscany Walking offers guided treks
years, travelling every summer from Rome, from around £50 per day (tuscanywalking.com).
where he works as an architect. ‘It’s another

TUSCANY & UMBRIA
The small village of Isola

Santa, once abandoned and
now being restored, lies in the
forested mountains west of
Castelnuovo di Garfagnana

3. The Maremma
Explore the wild beaches and empty hills of the Maremma before
travelling back in time in the company of Tuscany’s cowboys
I
T’S AFTERNOON IN THE coastline), is on foot, by sea – or as in releasing with a flick of his wrist. The lasso
Uccellina hills, as guide Daniele Daniele’s case, in the saddle. Since 1975, curls through the air, landing on a gatepost
Contarino and his riders seek this strip of hills, beaches and salt-marsh ten feet away. ‘It’s harder when the gatepost
shelter from the fierce heat of the has been protected as a nature reserve, is running away from you,’ he says, flashing
sun under a grove of umbrella recognising its unique wildlife and rare a smile under his white moustache, before
pines. Shadows lace the ground like spider’s ecosystems, and for several months because mounting his horse and cantering away.
webs, and through the canopy there’s the of the risk of forest fire, much of the park
cobalt flash of sky and ocean. remains off-limits without the company of After a quick spin south along the coast, head inland
After half an hour the trees thin out an official guide. As a result, its coves stay to central Tuscany, where you’ll find some of the
and the riders emerge near the beach at quiet, even when the bigger beaches beyond region’s most beautiful hilltop towns – including the
Collelungo, marooned in swathes of marram the park’s borders are heaving. birthplace of St Francis, Assisi.
grass. Along the coast an old watch-tower A little way south lies another secluded
stands guard, its battlements burning red
in the sun. Beneath, a strip of ivory sand
beach where Daniele often leads his horse
treks, Cala di Forno. Cradled between two
Essentials
disappears into the distance, fringed by rocky headlands and hemmed in by maquis
foaming surf. Apart from a couple of walkers shrubland, it’s half an hour from the nearest
and some bleached driftwood, it’s deserted. road, accessed via a dusty forest track or by
In summer, the only way to reach piloting a kayak along the rocky coastline.
Collelungo (and much of the Maremma’s It’s worth the effort: with its white sand and
crystal water, it’s a patch of paradise in the
The Maremmana breed is middle of Tuscany’s busiest stretch of coast.
recognisable by its grey hide But there’s more to the Maremma than
beaches. A century ago, this sunbaked strip
of land was Tuscany’s answer to the Wild
West: a centre for cattle production, with its
own breed, the long-horned Maremmana.
Traditionally, the cattle were left semi-wild,
roaming freely over the hills until it was La Valentina Nuova This farm offers
time to round up the herd. That’s where the self-catering apartments converted from old
butteri, the Maremma’s cowboys, came in. outbuildings, with wood furniture and terracotta
The profession required steely nerves and tile floors. Owner Paola Petrilli is a mine of local
superb horsemanship – something that still information (from £50; lavalentinanuova.com).
remains the case, even though the days of The park headquarters in Alberese organises
wild cattle herding are mostly gone. activities including guided hikes, kayaking trips
‘Today we work with small herds, but the and horse-riding expeditions (parco-maremma.
skills are the same as in my grandfather’s it). You can also arrange rides directly with local
day,’ says Ernesto Buratta, whose family farms: a half-day ride with Tenuta dell’Uccellina
have herded Maremmana for generations. costs from £65 (tenutauccellina.it). The Burattas’
He picks up his hooked staff, known as a ranch is open for dinner most nights (mains from
bastone, and coils a loop of rope around its £5; buratta.com).
end, whirling it round his head before

TUSCANY & UMBRIA
Ernesto Buratta’s eldest son

Silvio, taking after his father.
�� Seaside views along
the coast south of the Maremma

4. Assisi, Spello & Orvieto
Soak up centuries of history in three of Umbria’s prettiest hilltop towns,
where ancient architecture and modern life exist side by side
O
N THE PIAZZA IN FRONT taking a break from the game. ‘I’ve lived here a siege. Right beneath the townsfolk’s feet,
of the Upper Basilica of St for three years, but even now, I still discover centuries of cobwebs drape the walls of this
Francis of Assisi, three friars corners of the town I’ve never seen before.’ labyrinth of passageways, staircases, and
are taking a break from their Assisi’s history stretches back much galleries, where every step returns a
morning duties with a game further than St Francis. The Etruscans were ghoulish echo. Guides recount tales of
of Frisbee. They’re dressed in the garb of the the first to settle here, taking advantage of people who entered the tunnels, and whose
Franciscan order – hooded robes, tied at the the town’s defensible position, protected ghosts are still trying to find their way out.
waist with a knotted cord – the same outfit by steep slopes on three sides and the hump But Umbria’s hilltop towns are far from
worn by St Francis himself, only instead of of Monte Subasio behind. Many others museum pieces. Life carries on as it has for
sandals, the friars are wearing brightly- followed, and walking the backstreets is like centuries. Old men drink their morning
coloured trainers. Apart from some early trying to decipher an architectural puzzle. grappa at pavement cafés. Cats stalk along
pilgrims and a few pigeons fluttering at the It’s a chaotic jumble of styles, built and the cobbles, and couples marry at the town
church’s façade, the town is pin-drop quiet. rebuilt over the course of three millennia. church under Renaissance frescoes. Mopeds
Famous as the birthplace of St Francis, Along one street, columns from a Roman putter along alleys where housewives string
who founded his namesake order here in temple prop up the façade of a Renaissance their washing between the buildings, the
1209, centuries later Assisi remains the church. On another, a line of Gothic arches blare of an afternoon soap drifting from
spiritual home of the Franciscans. It’s also a is cut off by the addition of a medieval wall. open windows. At least once a week, the
kind of monastic finishing school; aspiring There are dead ends and blind alleys, town square hosts a market, where everyone
novices travel from all over the globe to bricked-up doorways and staircases leading gathers to exchange produce, money, and –
study here and take their final orders. nowhere. Clues lurk in the walls: coats of perhaps most importantly – the latest news.
Andrew Hochstedler is one of them. An arms, beastly gargoyles and saintly images
American by birth, he’s been studying to loaded with obscure religious significance. Now head for a feast in Norcia – southeast of Spello
become a friar since 2010. ‘The history here ‘There are secrets everywhere,’ says on the other side of the Sibillini hills, its a journey
can be a little overwhelming,’ he admits, Andrew. ‘It’s like a real-life Da Vinci Code.’ of 45 miles. If you have time, the hilltop towns of
He points to a T-shaped cross carved above Bevagna and Montefalco are a worthy detour.
Spello has been inhabited the basilica’s entrance: it’s the Tau, the
since before Roman times emblem of the Franciscan order, but also an
ancient cipher signifying the resurrection.
Essentials
Lions are another common motif – leering
from gutters and peering out from door-
knockers – but despite their prevalence,
no-one’s quite sure what they mean. Some
scholars think they represent Christ, others
the Holy Roman Emperor.
A few miles southeast of Assisi, along
a winding road which veers round the
wooded flanks of Monte Subasio, Spello
demonstrates another feature shared by
many of Umbria’s hilltop towns: a ring
of ramparts, gates and watchtowers, a
reminder of the days when a hilltop location
was prized not for its prettiness but its Hotel Palazzo Bocci This 17th-century
protection. Walking along its battlements, palazzo in Spello still has original frescoes on
Spello is transformed into an impregnable show in the first-floor reading lounge. Rooms
bastion, bristling with crenels and murder- don’t share the same period dazzle, but they’re
holes. Watching cars beetle up the hillside comfy, with big beds, modern bathrooms and
and sparrows flit down its sheer walls, air-con. Breakfast is served in the hotel’s inner
it’s easy to imagine the town under attack, courtyard (from £105, palazzobocci.com).
surrounded by siege engines and trebuchets. The Basilica Papale di San Francesco in Assisi
Off to the southwest, along quiet lanes is open every day (sanfrancescoassisi.org). It’s
that meander through corn fields and free to enter, but donations are welcome – or
cypress trees, lies Orvieto. Perched on you can do your bit by buying a souvenir from
a spur of rock high above the plain, this the church shop. Orvieto’s tunnels can only be
hilltop town had another solution for times explored on a guided tour, leaving several times
of trouble. Beneath the town’s cathedral, a day from the main square of Piazza Duomo
a network of tunnels burrows through the (£4.40; orvietounderground.it).
limestone, providing escape routes during

TUSCANY & UMBRIA
Sweets on Via Portica in Assisi.

�� The piazza in front of
the Basilica of St Francis.
�� The right transport for
Spello’s narrow streets
The upper part of Assisi’s
13th-century basilica.
�� Andrew Hochstedler
(right) and a fellow friar

5. Norcia
Hunt for truffles, learn culinary secrets and sample wild
boar salami in Umbria’s gastronomic capital
trowel. ‘We must be careful not to damage size of saplings. The choice – and the smell
Nicola Berardi checks
the truffle as we dig. To fetch the best price, – is overpowering.
one of his dogs’ prize finds
they must be perfect.’ He scoops his hand While lunch gets into full swing in Norcia,
into the earth and emerges with a knobbly up in the hills, Nicola and his dogs have
black mushroom the size of a cricket ball. finished their hunt. It’s been a good morning
‘Not bad,’ he says, holding the truffle to his – well over a kilo of truffles in just a couple
nose before stowing it safely in his jacket of hours. Now he’s heading home for his
pocket. ‘Now let’s see if we can find more.’ own favourite lunch – black truffle omelette.
Black truffles, or tartufi neri, are just one ‘Food is such an important part of life here,’
of the ingredients that have made the name he says, as he unloads his haul into a
of Norcia synonymous with fine food. hamper on the front seat, and Nina and
Hidden away in the Sibillini hills, this old Lulu settle down in the boot to gnaw on
walled town is renowned across Italy for a well-earned bone. ‘It keeps us connected
the quality of its ingredients – from organic to the land, and brings people and families
honey to ricotta and rare-breed pork. It’s a together. And if you ask me, nothing is more
poster town for the Slow Food movement, important than that.’
championing the use of home-grown
products and organic farming. The valley
even has its own trademarked lentil, the Essentials
lenticchia di Castelluccio, renowned for
its delicate texture and nutty flavour.
One man who knows how to get the
most from Norcia’s ingredients is Emanuele
Mazzella, head chef at Palazzo Seneca,
the town’s top hotel. While his staff are
hard at work getting ready for lunch service,
he’s holding a cooking class in the kitchen,
demonstrating how to make two classic
Umbrian dishes: zuppa di lenticchie, a rich
lentil broth, and agnello al tartufo – roast
lamb with truffles. The kitchen thrums
with the sound of whizzing blenders and
clattering pans as he meticulously trims his
lamb joint, stuffing it with butter, herbs and Palazzo Seneca Lodged inside a nobleman’s
I
T’S JUST AFTER DAWN IN THE truffle shavings before tying it up with the townhouse near the main square, this luxurious
hills above Norcia as truffle-hunter perfect butcher’s knot. That’s the secret to hotel is the place to treat yourself in Norcia.
Nicola Berardi parks up in the cooking, he says: use the best ingredients, It has retained much of the building’s medieval
woods and steps out into the misty and treat them with love. heritage, from a hidden library to a fancy spa in
morning air. He opens the trunk of Outside, it’s lunchtime in Norcia’s narrow the former wine cellar. ‘Romantica’ rooms are
the car, and his two dogs Nina and Lulu backstreets, and its trattorias are packed small, but the suites are palatial, with antique
jump out, yapping with excitement. with diners. Seating themselves at long secretaires, carved bedsteads and marble pillars
‘As you can tell, they are happy workers,’ wooden tables, under stuffed boar’s heads (from £130; palazzoseneca.com).
Nicola says, filling his pockets with dog and gnarled roof-beams, diners dip chunks A morning’s truffle hunt costs around £60
treats. ‘They must be curious to make good of bread into bean soup and rabbit hotpot, per person, while a cooking course in the Palazzo
truffle dogs, but they get over-excited.’ He or twirl ribbons of wild hare pasta onto their Seneca kitchen starts from around £65. There’s
barks an order, and the dogs sit obediently forks. At the rear of the restaurants, wood- usually a two-person minimum; rates are
at his feet, each earning a biscuit as a reward. fired ovens blaze and smoke in the gloom, cheaper if more people book. Bookings for these
Then with another command, he sends staining the ceilings charcoal black. and other food activities in Norcia can be made
them bolting down the hillside, their barks Just along the street, one of the town’s through Exavel (exavel.com). Ask about special
cracking like gunshots over the quiet woods. norcinerias, or butcher’s shops, is doing rates if you’re also staying at the hotel.
The truffle hunt has begun. a brisk lunchtime trade. Dressed in a white
It doesn’t take long before the dogs make apron, the butcher engages his customers
their first dicovery. On the edge of the wood, in debate about the day’s choicest cuts, only O�� B�� now knows how to dig for
one of the dogs begins to sniff around the pausing to slam a cleaver through a beef truffles and pulp grapes, but is still working
roots of a young oak tree, and frantically joint, or shave a slice from a leg of ham. on his Maremmana lasso skills.
starts to dig with her front paws. ‘Good dog, On the street outside, baskets are stacked
Nina,’ Nicola says, pulling her away as he with wheels of pecorino cheese, bulbs of NEXT MONTH
excavates the soil carefully with a small garlic, bags of risotto rice and salamis the Great Escape: TEXAS

TUSCANY & UMBRIA
Norcia’s own pecorino cheese.

�� A bumper crop of truffles.
�� Lulu looking on the
damp side after her truffle search
Castelluccio, of lentil fame.

�� Emanuele Mazzella (right)
at Palazzo Seneca’s restaurant.
�� ‘Coglioni di mulo’ salami
Norcia’s Corso Sertorio,
leading to the Porta Romana.
�� Pasta with wild hare.
�� A sprig of juniper

Flocks of flamingos dart across the water in the
Momella Lakes, part of Arusha National Park

Tall tales of
Wild beasts and even wilder stories go hand-in-hand in
Tanzania, ready to spring out of ancient volcanoes, windswept
lakes and the endless savannah at a moment’s notice
WORDS AMANDA CANNING O PHOTOGRAPHS JONATHAN GREGSON
L�� Ranger
Mutosha Sabath in
Ngurdoto Crater; a
colobus monkey on
the crater rim
The monster that lived in a volcano

“And that’s how it happened, at night, in total darkness. They were sleeping near the fire on the ground. Then there was this hot breath
on his face and this pain when finger-long fangs cut into his neck and his face. And then his lower jaw broke. Just for a glimpse,
he opened his eyes and saw something huge and black with amber-coloured eyes…” *
*Story told by the Meru tribe in Arusha
The green cup of Ngurdoto Crater seems benign enough Mutosha Sabath leads us down an old elephant trail,
viewed from its rim. A pair of silver-cheeked hornbills parting leaves the size of surfboards with his rifle and
lifts off from the branches of a mahogany tree, and is batting aside giant cobwebs. The hornbills now float
carried by thermals over the void, the reed beds of the high above, their rasping calls sounding increasingly
crater floor indistinct and hazy 300m below. Around malevolent. We reach the bottom after a scrambling
the edge, families of colobus monkeys, their black descent, and two stout Cape buffalo are there to meet
and white fur like ragged tailcoats, pick at the leaves us. ‘If they charge,’ whispers Mutosha edging around
of strangler figs, glancing up as our jeep slides past on them, ‘lie down. They think you are a log and jump
a red track slippery from recent rain. over.’ There is no need to test his theory in the swampy
The crater, 15 million years old and the collapsed pools at our feet – the buffalo sniff the air, and trot off
caldera of an ancient volcano, has been known to the into the forest.
outside world for barely a hundred years, and humans There is a special trepidation-filled wonder knowing
were not allowed to set foot there for most of that time: we are the only human life in that deep hole. Sudden
if ever there was a corner on Earth where a mysterious movements and rustling in the reeds raise the hairs on
beast with amber eyes and fangs as long as fingers could the back of our necks, but Ngurdoto’s wildlife, not
hide away from mankind, Ngurdoto is it. But we won’t much used to sharing its home, is keeping itself hidden
know for certain from up here; to find out if Gurumico, from Homo sapiens for another day. Of Gurumica, there
the fabled monster of local legend, exists, we must is no sign. ‘A monster?’ says Mutosha, frowning when
descend to the crater floor. I relay the story. ‘I have been a ranger here for nearly

TA L E S O F TA N Z A N I A
Giraffes in the foothills
of Mount Meru.
20 years, and I have never seen a monster. The big curiosity getting the better of them, before lolloping away
danger here is the washa washa plant – when it stings, in search of cover.
it is more serious than the bee!’ As if to prove the point, Mount Meru towers over Arusha, its peak seldom
he immediately stumbles back into the leaves of the revealed through the clouds. Baboons squat in the road
plant and hops away howling, slapping at his legs like that wiggles up the mountain, staring down vehicles with
a demented morris dancer. contempt before swaggering into the trees. As we ascend,
Ngurdoto may prefer to guard its mysteries, but the rest purple-flowered cassia trees give way to junipers and
of Arusha, the national park of which it is part, has no cedars wrapped in dark moss and curling swirls of mist.
such reservations. To the north, Big Momella Lake is a With the gradient too steep, we continue on foot and are
grunting, flapping, squawking merry-go-round of pink. soon in a boggy crater strewn with small black balls of
Thousands of flamingos drift on the water, beaks open lava, clumps of red-hot pokers waving in the breeze.
to scoop up algae from the surface. One is occasionally Long ago on this spot, the flamingos of Momella a thin,
spooked and runs along the water to take off, soon pink strip far below, the local Meru tribe would offer a
followed by hundreds of others. They circle the lake for goat to their god Njeku in exchange for abundant rainfall
a few laps before some unknown signal assures them or a fecund marriage. Returning the next day to find
it’s safe to plop down once more into the lake. On the nothing but bones, they concluded their prayers had been
grasslands around Momella, gangly giraffes and barrel- answered. We don’t have a goat to sacrifice, but a deposit
bodied zebras amble with uneasy grace. They stand their of fresh leopard droppings on the trail back to the jeep lets
ground momentarily when a safari jeep trundles past, us know that we have not been alone on the mountain.

L�� A Maasai boy leads his

cows down to the singing
well; a 60-year-old male
elephant in South Amboseli
The elephant that found a singing well

“It had not rained for many months and the village was thirsty. The chief followed a herd of elephants and saw
that they always went to the same spot. He knew the elephants were very wise and could sense water deep in the ground.
He started to dig, and after many days reached water.”*
*South Amboseli folklore

Dust devils whip across Southern Amboseli, the only to share our land and our water with them – but they
stirring in the slow, thick heat of afternoon. Most did not find this well for us.’ He stops to wave flies from
sensible creatures have found a bush or burrow to his face. ‘My father found a small hole and started to
shelter in, waiting for the sun to set and turn the dig. Back then, everyone thought he was crazy!’
distant, snow-capped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro violet If the elephants can take no credit for the well, they
in the process. Song drifts across the plains, a strange certainly benefit from its discovery. Lolepo sometimes
melody of male voices and clanging bells. But there is finds them down here at night, drinking so much they
no sign of the source. almost drain the pool entirely. They are encountered
Then, the cattle appear, pouring out of the earth as all over the savannah, hulking great lumps plodding
though they have been spat out of it. Small boys, in the across the grey earth or somnolently swaying as they
traditional shuka robes of the Maasai, follow, whacking methodically tear the branches from acacia trees and
the cows on their bony haunches with a slender stick. feed them into their mouths with their trunks. It’s said
Behind them, down a tunnel that runs twenty feet they come to Southern Amboseli to find quiet at the end
through the hard dry rock, more cattle still jostle at a of their lives, away from the noise and the fuss of the
water trough. Young Maasai men, braided hair painted more popular Amboseli National Park just north of
red and silver jewellery rattling, stand knee-deep in a the border in Kenya.
murky pool, tossing plastic buckets of water up towards There are worse places to retire. As the day starts to
them. They holler and shout in rhythm with the work, fade, more animals emerge from their hiding places.
voices raised against the dong-a-long of cattle bells. Sandgrouse and yellow-necked francolins flee from the
At the well’s entrance, resting in the shade of a yellow path as we bounce along towards them in our jeep. In the
acacia, is Lolepo Lesongoi. Effortlessly regal with long long grass, a herd of zebra stand snorting before turning
dangling earlobes and an electric blue shuka, he is the tail and galloping off in a whirl of dust. At a safe distance,
son of the chief who, according to local folklore, found they stop and stare once more, ears twitching. Members
the ‘singing well’ by observing the wise old elephants. of the antelope world dart into view, zigzagging in front
He laughs. ‘Elephants are our friends, and we are happy of us as though caught in an invisible pinball machine.

Chief-in-waiting Lolepo Lesongoi.
A mother and child in

elaborate dress outside
their home in the Maasai
village, Boma Ya Lesongoi

A male lion stirs
from his slumber in
the 600m-deep
Ngorongoro Crater
– a naturally
bounded wildlife
sanctuary.
There are tiny dik-diks, elegant impala and Thomson’s with a ready smile and elaborately decorated hair,
gazelles, a look of permanent astonishment on their Laizer has recently gone through the coming-of-age
faces. A silver-backed jackal squats in the grass, ritual that all Maasai boys face to become a warrior.
watching as a young Maasai leads his goats across the As a sign of his status, he has thrown off the black robes
savannah. He rises to his feet and slinks forward, eyes of the initiate and exchanged them for red. ‘Before,
fixed on a sick animal limping at the back of the flock. if you kill a lion you were a great warrior,’ he says.
The boy spots him, and yells, and the jackal is soon ‘Everyone will know you. It is like Wayne Rooney in
gone, trotting away in search of an easier kill. your country.’ Warriors no longer kill lions, but theirs
Dusk is rush hour in the Southern Amboseli; the is no empty symbolism. ‘A warrior is a big person in our
plain is filled with people heading home after a long culture,’ explains Laizer, adjusting his many necklaces.
day in the bush. Boys meander along with their goats, ‘Like the elephant, we have a lot of power. But we must
cows and donkeys; girls carry stacks of firewood or use it wisely. We all must share one life.’
jerry cans of water on their heads. At the gates of their As the gates of Ya Lesongoi are pulled shut, keeping
villages, mothers wait, babies on hips, making sure out the wilds of East Africa for another night, there’s
they return safely. probably an elephant out there, drinking from a singing
At Boma Ya Lesongoi, a collection of thatched clay well, who wholeheartedly agrees. Every night at 6pm
houses ringed by a fence of thorn trees, Laizer M Laizer sharp, the gates of Ngorongoro Crater are also slammed
watches as the last child meanders in. A tall Maasai shut, and all human life is banished.

The hyena that turned By the time Ngorongoro’s gates swing open again
at 6am, the sun is beginning to shoo away the clouds
into a lion
resting in the crater’s bowl. The park stretches out 600
metres below – a watercolour smear of beiges, greys and
yellows, tiny black dots scattered haphazardly across it.
Shenzi: “You know, if it weren’t for those lions, we’d
The first of the morning’s safari jeeps trickle down the
be runnin’ the joint.” bumpy track to the valley floor. As we lurch along,
Banzai: “Yeah. Man, I hate lions.”* the crater starts to take shape: those smears become
small patches of woodland, lakes and grassland.
*The hyenas’ complaint, The Lion King The dots turn into zebra, wildebeest, hippo, elephant,
Cape buffalo and kudu. It’s all of the Garden of Eden
Tourists return to their lodges on the rim, sharing tales held in a single, 11-mile-wide basin.
of the day by the firelight, huddling under blankets as But it’s as if we arrived in that paradisiacal garden
the temperature plummets. As each heads to their bed, after a particularly heavy night. Fat lions sprawl on
under a sky filled with an impossible spread of stars, their backs, legs in the air, occasionally winching open
the stage is set for another performance down there in the a golden eye to assess the progress of the day. Hippos
deep, dark abyss. All of life and death is ready to play out loll in lakes, the more energetic specimens rolling 360
in a single night – with no human audience to witness it. degrees in the water, exposing their pink bellies to the
A herd of zebra traipses

across the flat grasslands
of Ngorongoro Crater in a
never-ending quest for
grazing and water

The view from the crater rim of
Ngorongoro, a Unesco World
Heritage site, formed when a
volcano collapsed between two
and three million years ago
A�� An

ostrich on the look-out for
a mate in Ngorongoro;
guide Mudy Nuru tracks
wildlife from his jeep
sun. Pelicans parachute down into the water and drift past our vehicle on their commute between grassland
aimlessly, as if trying to remember why they’d come. and lake, and jackal pups boldly sit and stare from the
In the morning after the night before, all bets are off roadside rather than turn and run. Long gone are the
between predator and prey. Lines of endlessly plodding days of the Siedentopfs, two German brothers who set
zebra and wildebeest pass unconcerned by hyena and up a farm in the crater early in the 20th century, and
lions, and share the same banks at salt licks and took potshots at the rhino from their veranda and
waterholes. Mudy Nuru trains his binoculars on trained zebra to do the work of horses.
a lone hyena skulking through a herd of hartebeest. Come late afternoon, as shadows start to creep across
‘There is food, there is water, there are minerals here,’ the crater floor, Ngorongoro’s wildlife falls back into
he says. ‘All the animals, they have to live together. character. A trail of dust beyond the hippo pool
The prey knows when the predators are in hunting announces a herd of wildebeest, two hundred or so
mode and when they are not.’ Like actors in a play, panicked animals pounding across the plain. Behind
it seems they resume their roles as hunter and hunted them, Mudy points out three hyena – dark-furred,
only when an agreed sign is given. thick-necked creatures with black snouts and imposing
A wildlife guide in Ngorongoro for 16 years, Mudy fangs. ‘See, they are smart,’ he says. ‘They get together
has observed much unexpected behaviour in the crater and disturb the wildebeest until one animal splits from
– the zebra who know they’ll be safe from predators if the group. Then they will have it.’ The chase is soon out
they run into groups of Maasai-owned cattle, the of sight, and we turn to watch a Kori bustard strutting
normally nocturnal serval cats who now hunt in the through the scrubland. It spreads its giant wings and
day. But it is the relationship between hyena and lion hoists itself into the sky. ‘I like animals that move,’ says
that has most been turned on its head. ‘The animals in Mudy with no little scorn. ‘Not lions that just lie all day.’
the crater, they seem to do things the other way around,’ As we race out of Ngorongoro before the gates shut
he says, watching as a female ostrich finally falls for once more, we pass the lion pride for a final time.
the advances of an amorous male after a particularly They are still fast asleep on their backs, paws aloft –
extravagant courtship dance. ‘The hyenas here are dreaming perhaps of dinner, and the hyenas who so
better hunters than the lions. In fact, the lion is the thoughtfully prepare it for them.
scavenger in Ngorongoro.’
With no poaching and only Maasai herders allowed
into the crater on foot, the relationship between animal A�� C�� is determined to see a rhino
and human has also warped. Lions regularly creep in the wild; she saw a very distant one in Ngorongoro,
under safari jeeps to sleep in their shade, zebra brush but isn’t entirely convinced it wasn’t a boulder.

Make it Happen
Essentials
GETTING THERE
The most convenient
airport for northern
Tanzania is Kilimanjaro
International, near Arusha.
Flights from the UK require
a stop in Europe or Africa,
and take at least 11 hours
(from £520; klm.com).
GETTING AROUND
You’ll need your own
private transport to travel
between the parks and
lodges. Speak to your
accommodation about
arranging this, or organise MAP KEY Arusha National Park Mount Kilimanjaro Ngorongoro Crater
through the tour operators Amboseli (Kenya) Momella Lakes Mount Meru Ngurdoto Crater
mentioned on this page.
BEFORE YOU GO
British citizens need a visa A watchful zebra TOUR OPERATORS
from the Tanzanian High in Ngorongoro Organising your trip through
Commission in London Crater
an operator will take the
(£40; tanzania-online.gov. hassle out of your travel
uk). Check that you’re up arrangements, and may
to date with vaccinations; a secure a discount on
full list of requirements can accommodation. Both of the
be found at nathnac.org, operators below can arrange
including specific advice on transfers betwen airports and
COMPILED BY AMANDA CANNING. PHOTOGRAPHS: JONATHAN GREGSON

yellow fever in the region. lodges, as well as full trips.
Takims is a local outfit with
FURTHER INFO offers ranging from a four-day
Lonely Planet’s Tanzania Northern Discovery tour
guide has good coverage taking in Ngorongoro and
of the entire country Arusha, to a 15�day trip that
(£16.99; lonelyplanet.com). combines safari with a beach
break on Zanzibar (from
£690; takimsholidays.com).
Go2 has itineraries across
East Africa, with lots in
Tanzania, from a circuit of the
northern parks to forays into
the lesser-visited western
part of the country (£2,700
for an eight-day tour;
theafricatravelspecialist.com).

Plan your itinerary

2 There are many ways to
1 You’ll want a day to recover
fill your days at ARUSHA
from your flight before exploring
NATIONAL PARK. Hire
Arusha National Park, so book
a kayak and float with the
into HATARI LODGE (from
flamingos on the Momella
£230pppn full-board with full-day
Lakes, climb up Mount
game package; hatarilodge.de).
Meru, follow a guide into
The lodge has retro-styled rooms
Ngurdoto Crater or go on
and a lovely walkway with firepit
a game drive. Giraffes and
and views of passing buffalo and
zebra are easily spotted
Mount Kilimanjaro. Meals are
here. Activities can be
taken at a communal table.
arranged through Hatari.
3 Transfer to SHU’MATA
CAMP in South Amboseli. 4 SOUTH AMBOSELI has
The camp perches on a hill great options for a whole
with terrific views of the host of varied experiences.
surrounding plains and Not to be missed are the
Mount Kilimanjaro (from crowd-free game drives
£345pppn full-board with that bring encounters with
activities; shumatacamp. local elephants, giraffes
de). Guests sleep in luxury and zebra. This is also a
tents furnished in vintage wonderful place to learn
safari style, with a whisky about Maasai culture, with
decanter on hand and an naturalist walks and visits
outdoor washing area for to local bomas (villages).
windswept ablutions. Staff Shu’mata will organise all
here are truly lovely, and activities, with transport
the atmosphere relaxed. and food provided.
Food is also a highlight.
5 Beg, borrow or steal for a chance to book in at NGORONGORO CRATER LODGE – it’s
fairly likely to be the most spectacular place you’ve ever stayed in (from £680pppn full-board
including safaris; andbeyond.com/ngorongoro-crater-lodge). The lodge sits on the very rim of
the crater, with extraordinary views of the valley floor far below, and guests sleep in enormous
stilted suites, each with their own terrace, sitting and dining areas. Meals and service here are
exemplary (your private butler will have the fire lit and the bath poured before you realise you
want both of these things very badly). Game drives into Ngorongoro, and the opportunity to
spot lions, rhino and hippos, are included. The nearby town of Karatu has plenty of cheap
accommodation; entry to the crater is £33pp plus £130 per vehicle (ngorongorocrater.org).

The Eiffel Tower, seen
from the Beaux-Arts-style
bridge, Pont Alexandre III

Paris
FOUR PERFECT DAYS
Historic centre Left Bank
is east
Bastille & Le Ma
ra The north
Follow our insider itineraries and explore four very different Parisian
neighbourhoods on foot, by bike and by boat, taking in gourmet markets
and secret bars, little-known galleries and knockout views
WORDS GABRIELLE JAFFE O PHOTOGRAPHS MATT MUNRO

P E R F E C T D AY S I N PA R I S The Pavillon de Flore, a section of
the Palais du Louvre that backs
on to the Jardin des Tuileries
DAY 1
HISTORIC
CENTRE
High-rise Gothic masterpieces,
Neoclassical monoliths and snug bistros
dominate the beating heart of the city
Gothic Sainte-Chapelle’s stained-

glass windows depict scenes
from the Old and New Testament.
�� The Tour de l’Horloge
clockface on the Conciergerie
Entering Sainte-Chapelle feels like through the Louvre, past queues pause conversations with anticipatory
climbing into a kaleidoscope. From snaking into its glass pyramid, and into glances at the open kitchen.
all directions, light pours in through the the Renaissance orderliness of the Jardin Back at the Tuileries, sunlight floods
15-metre-high stained-glass windows in des Tuileries. On her lunch break, with a through the enormous conservatory of
glorious technicolor. The floor, too, is a colleague from the Ministry of Education, the Musée de l’Orangerie. Inside, a couple
riot of red, green and blue, and 12 larger- Véra Massias is strolling along the holding hands lose themselves in Monet’s
than-life apostles glare down from the garden’s wide avenues, past the faultlessly Water Lilies. His 12-metre-long canvases
gilded pillars. Often overlooked in symmetrical lawns and hedges. ‘I never wrap round the walls, enveloping the
favour of Notre Dame, this 13th-century get blasé about this,’ she says. ‘Here you viewer in an entrancing widescreen vision.
chapel is a good starting point for a stroll really get a sense of the history and ‘These were his last works. He wanted
through Paris’s history. romance of the city.’ them displayed here and gave them to
Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie A short detour away from the Tuileries, the people of France,’ a curator explains.
both stand on the Île de la Cité, the island other office workers are sharing a bottle ‘It was his last testament.’
where Paris first began, and together they of red in Juveniles, a burgundy-walled Just beyond the Tuileries is where Marie
make up the remains of France’s oldest bistro where the baby-faced chef, Antoinette met her end – the present-day
palace. It was in the Conciergerie that Romain Roudeau, serves dishes ‘like his Place de la Concorde. Instead of a guillotine,
Marie Antoinette was imprisoned. grandfather used to make’. As the sweet this traffic-encircled square today holds
Following the path her cart took as smell of caramelising balsamic and garlic at its centre a 3,300-year-old obelisk from
it trundled towards the guillotine leads diffuses across the room, customers Egypt. From here, the mother of all vistas

STRAP
insider tip
NOTRE DAME
TOO BUSY? HEAD
DOWN THE ROAD TO
BEAUTIFUL SAINTE�
CHAPELLE
Claude Monet’s
Water Lilies at the
Musée de l’Orangerie
A Batobus glides along

the Seine past the Eiffel
Tower. �� Cocktail
mixing at Le Fumoir
The glass and metal Louvre Pyramid

serves as the main entrance to the
museum. �� Juveniles offers
French dishes, often with a twist
inspired by its Scottish owners
Essentials
looms. To the north, south and west are the FIND YOUR WAY AROUND
Neoclassical edifices of the Napoleonic THE HISTORIC CENTRE
era: the Grecian Madeleine Church, the Sainte-Chapelle Entrance ticket £6,
Palais Bourbon (parliament) and the Arc or £9 for combined entry to Conciergerie;
de Triomphe; to the southwest, the Eiffel monuments-nationaux.fr
Tower pierces the sky, marking the late Conciergerie Entrance ticket £6, or
19th-century in all its metallic modernity. £9 for combined entry to Sainte-
Across the Seine, a squat Batobus departs Chapelle; monuments-nationaux.fr
from the quay in front of the Musée d’Orsay. Jardin des Tuileries Free
As the boat chugs downstream, everyone Juveniles Mains from £12;
on board cranes their necks to ogle the facebook.com/JuvenilesWineBar
architectural hit parade passing by. Musée de l’Orangerie Entrance ticket
After alighting by the Louvre, another £6.50; musee-orangerie.fr
nearby institution beckons: Le Fumoir, Place de la Concorde Free
a leather and lacquer restaurant where Batobus Day pass £11; batobus.com
Parisiens sporting smoking jackets are Le Fumoir Two-course dinner from
joined by glossy-haired Parisiennes, £25; lefumoir.com
seeing out their day with martinis, olives
and cigarettes on the heated terrace.

P E R F E C T D AY S I N PA R I S A classic French breakfast
of coffee, orange juice and
croissants at La Palette
DAY 2
LEFT
BANK
Cafés for philosophising, collectable-
book stalls and serene galleries in this
realm of artists, writers and thinkers insider tip
FOR SOME PEACE
AND QUIET, HEAD TO
Bouquinistes (booksellers) line
the banks of the Seine. �� The MUSÉE ZADKINE’S
smaller of two bars at La Palette.
�� Paris student Michael Wolf
PRETTY GARDEN
Paris’s intellectual centre of gravity has chance to watch people go by. You have in shop windows like museum pieces.
long been the Left Bank. Today the area’s this interesting mix between international At one of these antique bookstores, Librairie
expensive apartments no longer house students from all the universities and the Camille Sourget, an assistant carefully
students and struggling creatives, but the old Parisian families that live here.’ places a volume by the Roman historian
many universities and publishing houses Equally good for people-watching are Tacitus next to a letter signed by the
mean they still crowd the streets and cafés. the quayside bouquinistes, where used 19th-century French novelist Émile Zola.
La Palette, a café frequented by Pablo books have been sold since the 16th With just as much precision, a red-
Picasso, Ernest Hemingway and Jim century. Many of the bottle-green quayside bow-tied waiter is arranging cutlery on
Morrison, remains in a bohemian time stalls now deal mainly in mini Eiffel the marble tables at the nearby restaurant
warp. Art Deco murals share the walls Towers, but a dedicated few, especially Germain. Another server dashes past with a
with smoke-stained mirrors. A waiter those grouped on Quai Malaquais, bowl of cascading French fries. The service
in a black waistcoat sweeps out of the continue to hawk the written word. A here is traditional but the décor is anything
kitchen with a tray bearing a croissant. teenager flits between yellowed Charlie but: flashes of neon colour are everywhere
He places it in front of a professorial- Hebdo magazines and 1950s Disney and the legs of a giant, bright-yellow statue
looking man on the terrace, who pauses comics. Meanwhile, a bearded vendor appear to have crashed through the ceiling.
his breakfast ritual to nod a quick bonjour relinquishes a play by Racine, France’s Paris has always drawn artists who liked
to a passer-by he recognises. Shakespeare, to a man wearing a lemon- making statements. Just south of Saint-
‘The café culture here is special,’ says yellow scarf, for a few euros. Germain, Montparnasse is where the likes
Michael Wolf, a student originally from It costs a lot more to buy the rare of Picasso first flung Modernism in the
Berlin, who’s lived in Paris for three editions sold around Saint-Germain. faces of the art establishment. On the
years. ‘I appreciate the long meals, the Here leather-bound tomes are exhibited border of Montparnasse, at Musée Zadkine,

Collectable tomes in the window of
a bookshop in the Left Bank district.
STRAP
�� Prompt service at Germain
Luxembourg Palace in the Jardin du

Luxembourg seats the upper house
of Parliament, the French Senate.
�� The bar at Les Papilles
Musée Zadkine contains some

300 sculptures by Ossip Zadkine
it’s possible to get a feel for the spirit of that Essentials

time. This quiet little museum was once FIND YOUR WAY AROUND
the studio of a Russian émigré sculptor, THE LEFT BANK
Ossip Zadkine, and is now a light-filled La Palette Set breakfast of coffee,
space dedicated to his works. In the garden, orange juice and croissant, £6;
a lone visitor admires an abstract bronze cafelapaletteparis.com
sculpture that hints at a female form. Bouquinistes From Pont Marie to
A few hundred metres away, in the Jardin the Quai du Louvre on the Right Bank,
du Luxembourg, a Classical marble statue and from Quai de la Tournelle to Quai
looks on imperviously as a bespectacled Voltaire on the Left Bank
student sits underneath it, leafing Librairie Camille Sourget
self-consciously through a novel camillesourget.com
by the 19th-century pioneer of realism, Germain Mains from £13;
Honoré de Balzac. germainparis.com
Near the other side of the gardens, Musée Zadkine Free; zadkine.paris.fr
Les Papilles bistro is opening its doors to Jardin du Luxembourg Free
customers. Outside, rain is falling hard, Les Papilles Four-course set menu,
but the bright mosaic floor and the hearty £25; lespapillesparis.fr
set menu, which includes an ossobuco
braised shank that’s taken all day to cook,
provide a bright respite.

P E R F E C T D AY S I N PA R I S
Fabrice, a former pastry chef

DAY 3 at five-star hotel Le Bristol,
behind his counter at Blé Sucré
BASTILLE
& LE
MARAIS
Artisan craftsmen, eccentric boutiques
and croissants, cheese and chocolate to
die for amongst winding medieval lanes
Apple tarts at Blé Sucré.

�� Fabrice Le Bourdat
presents his giant
‘to-share’ madeleines
insider tip
GET TO BLÉ SUCRÉ
EARLY FOR ITS
AWARD�WINNING
MADELEINES
Pride in locally grown, from-scratch cheese, from plum-sized chèvre to Continuing by bike, it’s a quick ride to
produce isn’t some hipster fad in Paris – enormous holey Swiss Emmental, draw the Place des Vosges in Le Marais – an ideal
it’s a culinary tradition. In the working- a crowd. Old men and women, pulling picnic spot for bread, cheese and cold cuts
class Bastille district, just as clubbers are shopping bags on wheels, jostle for bought earlier at Blé Sucré and Marché
stumbling to bed, Fabrice Le Bourdat Monsieur Hardouin’s attention. d’Aligre. Across this landscaped square,
forces himself awake each day at 2.30am, From artisanal food to handmade La Vie en Rose plays out on a saxophone,
to bake at the Blé Sucré boulangerie. His crafts, it’s a short hop on Paris’s easy- accompanied by tweeting birds.
madeleines were named the best in Paris to-rent Vélib’ bikes to the Viaduc des Arts, While much of Paris is intersected with
by newspaper Le Figaro, but this morning, where the arches under a disused railway grand avenues and boulevards built in the
customers have come for the croissants. have been converted into modern, glass- 19th century, Le Marais is still a maze of
Their warm buttery scent hangs fronted workshops. Through the window narrow medieval lanes, now populated
tantalisingly outside the shop. of Atelier Stéphane Guilbaud, Martin with galleries and upmarket boutiques.
Down the road, a stroll around the Renucci can be seen working on a set of Round the corner from Place des Vosges,
Marché d’Aligre covered food market prints. An unlit cigarette hangs from his concept store L’êtreANGE appears like a
becomes an olfactory safari. Moving from mouth; behind him stands a gargantuan naturalist’s study: plants dangle from the
stall to stall, the zingy aroma of olive lithograph printing press dating back to ceiling, cups are kept under bell jars and
tapenade is replaced by roasted chicken 1900. ‘Lots of countries got rid of them, anthropomorphic prints hang next to
with thyme, then fresh flowers, warm but France kept these machines,’ says a deer bust wearing a bow-tie.
dough, and a punch to the nose from Martin. ‘It used to print newspapers. In the Haut Marais, as the end furthest
Fromagerie Langlet-Hardouin. Monsieur Now we’re working with artists from from the river is known, exquisite
Hardouin’s hundred-odd varieties of all over the world.’ specimens of another kind are on

STRAP
The cosy confines

of Au Passage
B�� Prints for sale
at L’êtreANGE.
Monsieur Hardouin serves

a customer at Fromagerie
Langlet-Hardouin. ��
Place des Vosges, built in
1605, is the oldest Handcrafted chocolates at
planned square in Paris Jacques Genin. �� Martin
Renucci working on prints at
Atelier Stéphane Guilbaud
display: at Jacques Genin, assistants Essentials

carefully handle the heavenly chocolates, FIND YOUR WAY AROUND
nougats and caramels with white gloves. BASTILLE & LE MARAIS
By the evening, Le Marais pulses Blé Sucré Croissant £1;
with restaurant- and bar-hoppers. 7 Rue Antoine Vollon
The most popular joints are the hardest Marché d’Aligre
to find. Tucked down an alleyway, marchedaligre.free.fr
Au Passage is a shoebox-sized restaurant Fromagerie Langlet-Hardouin
where the chalkboard menu takes up fromagerie-hardouin-paris.fr
half the back wall. Tapas-sized portions Le Viaduc des Arts
rush out of a kitchen so small that the leviaducdesarts.com
head chef has to stand outside, barking Atelier Stéphane Guilbaud
orders through the serving window. atelierstephaneguilbaud.com
Yet the food – consisting of simple but Place des Vosges Free
nuanced dishes, such as citrusy grey L’êtreANGE plates from £5.50;
mullet ceviche and earthy terrine en letre-ange.fr
croûte, all accompanied by homemade Jacques Genin £8 for a nine-piece
bread and house-churned butter – ensures gift box; jacquesgenin.fr
a steady stream of customers. No doubt, Au Passage from £3 per tapas;
the tattooed owner behind the bar keeping restaurant-aupassage.fr
everyone well liquored helps too.

A bridge crosses to the Île de la
P E R F E C T D AY S I N PA R I S Belvédère in the centre of Parc des
Buttes-Chaumont. �� Wall art on
Rue Jacques Louvel-Tessier
DAY 4
THE
NORTH�
EAST
Head away from the busy centre to a
district of Belle Époque cottages, political
wall art and hidden, cutting-edge eateries
Cottages on Villa de la
Renaissance, off Rue de l’Egalité.
�� Faux balconies on Rue de
Mouzaïa, nearby Rue de la Liberté
If the storybook Paris depicted in the while sunbathers stretch out on the entrance to Le Comptoir Général,
whimsical film Amélie actually exists, vertiginous grass banks, like Seurat’s a self-styled ‘temple to ghetto culture’.
it’s not to be found in Montmartre, with its famous painting of bathers by the Seine. A red-carpeted hallway opens into a
gauntlet of hawkers. Instead, for authentic A short ride on the 75 bus reveals an sprawling space with vintage clothes and
Parisian village life, take the subway to altogether different scene in the area east record stalls, and a bar manned by a man
Danube. Around a trio of streets, Rue de of Canal Saint-Martin. The word ‘Liberté’ with a ’fro and Homer Simpson T-shirt.
la Liberté, Rue de l’Egalité and Rue de la is doused on a wall on Rue Jacques Louvel- Working the rooms is a Senegalese
Fraternité, a crisscross of pedestrianised Tessier. Doves, painted in orange and red, musician, who strums a kora (lute),
alleys, with names beginning with ‘Villa’, fly above the giant letters and, in a space soliciting laughs with risqué wordplay.
are lined with Belle Époque cottages. inside the letter ‘B’, someone has written ‘This is a unique cultural space centred
Wandering here, it’s all pastel walls, ‘Je suis Charlie. Libre’ (I am Charlie. Free). around French Africa,’ explains regular
potted plants and Art Nouveau ironwork. In this gentrifying area, street art, visitor Stéphane Ranaivoson, a Parisian
Following the trail of these quiet roads graffiti tags and workers’ cafés now with Madagascan roots, who’s come today
leads to Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, where neighbour gluten-free bakeries and stylish with his friend Alexie. ‘This is the real
a father races his son up a set of stairs. international restaurants. Outside Le Petit Paris,’ he says, ‘not the Eiffel Tower.’
It’s worth the steep climb to the Corinthian Cambodge, a duo capped in trilbies wait for Crossing one of Canal Saint-Martin’s
temple folly at the top of the park. From a friend; inside this Cambodian canteen, footbridges leads to another, once seedy,
here, Sacré-Coeur’s white domes gleam benches of customers wolf down delicate now evolving neighbourhood. The area
in the distance and, immediately below, rice noodles laced with prawns, chillies, around Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est is
park life unfolds on an ant-like scale. peanuts and lemongrass. experiencing a gastro revolution, and at
Prams and bicycles wheel round paths, Nearby, a barely noticeable sign marks the forefront is 52 Faubourg Saint-Denis,

STRAP
Le Cinébrousse
cinema room at Le
Comptoir Général.
�� Stéphane
Ranaivoson and his
friend Alexie
insider tip
CLIMB UP TO THE
TEMPLE DE LA SIBYLLE
Cambodian dishes at Le Petit
Cambodge. �� The bar
IN PARC DES BUTTES�
at 52 Faubourg Saint-Denis CHAUMONT FOR
TOP VIEWS
Le Syndicat cocktail bar.

�� A footbridge crosses
Canal Saint-Martin
a bistro serving dishes as stripped back and Essentials

simple as its exposed walls. Despite not FIND YOUR WAY AROUND
taking bookings and having no website or THE NORTHEAST
telephone number, the place is full by 7pm. Rue de la Liberté, Rue de
Hard-to-get-into places are a motif in l’Egalité and Rue de la Fraternité
this area. Luckily, a friendly assistant in Closest Metro station is Danube
the deli next door to 52 Faubourg has a Parc des Buttes-Chaumont Free
tip: just opposite, at number 51, behind a Rue Jacques Louvel-Tessier
faux façade of a postered-over shop, is the Closest Metro station is Goncourt
speakeasy Le Syndicat. Behind thick golden Le Petit Cambodge Mains from
curtains, a blond in a leather jacket nurses £8.50; lepetitcambodge.fr
a ‘Pomme Sourde’ cocktail, made with Le Comptoir Général Entry by
calvados. American hip-hop plays over donation; lecomptoirgeneral.com
the sound system, but the drink menu Canal Saint-Martin Closest Metro
uses French spirits only. The bar is a station is Goncourt
microcosm of Paris: glamorous, not gaudy; 52 Faubourg Saint-Denis Mains
multicultural, and proud of its traditions. from £11.50; 52 Rue du Faubourg
Saint-Denis
G�� J�� is a travel writer who
Le Syndicat Cocktails from £8.50;
enjoyed getting reacquainted with her French syndicatcocktailclub.com
language skills and proper Parisian croissants.

Make it Happen
Essentials
GETTING THERE Buses, Metro and RER trains Paris’s summer social calendar
Eurostar operates up to 16 provide extensive coverage
HISTORIC CENTRE BASTILLE & LE MARAIS
trains a day from London St of the city. Singles cost £1.30,
21�24 May Eat your way around 27 June The Marche des Fiertés
Pancras International to Paris while a carnet (book of 10
the food stalls and cooking (aka Pride) parade usually finishes
(from £69 return; eurostar. singles; £9.80) may work
demos that take over the Grand with a huge dance party in Place
com). Air France, BA, CityJet, out cheaper than a one-day
Palais during Taste of Paris de la République, spilling into
easyJet, Flybe, Jet2.com and unlimited travel Mobilis pass
(paris.tastefestivals.com). Le Marais (marche.inter-lgbt.org).
Ryanair fly from numerous UK (£5.50), depending on how
20 July�18 August Play 6�10 July Over a week the
cities (from £70; ryanair.com). many trips you’re planning
pétanque and volleyball, or just Place de la République becomes
on taking in a day.
sunbathe in a deckchair, on the an open-air concert hall with
GETTING AROUND Taxis are hard to find during
pop-up beaches that line the free gigs put on for the Soirs
For short distances, Paris’s rush hour, but are reasonably
Right Bank during Paris Plage d’Été – past performers include
public bike-hire scheme Vélib’ priced over short distances
season (paris.fr/parisplages). the Klaxons (soirsdete.fr).
(velib.paris) is a convenient (minimum fare £4.90).
LEFT BANK NORTHEAST
way to get around. Bikes can Early July Sing along during 21 June Free gigs take place in
be picked up and dropped off FURTHER READING
Cinema Karaoke – an open-air bars, concert halls and parks all
at any of the 1,800 stations See Lonely Planet’s Make
screening on the Left Bank that is over the city for the Fête de la
across the city. Buy a one-day My Day: Paris
one of the highlights of the Paris Musique. Head to Parc Buttes-
pass (£1.20) at the stations (£5.99) or,
Cinema Festival (pariscinema.org). Chaumont for a house/funk DJ
themselves – journeys under for a more
13 July�14 August Quartier set (fetedelamusique.culture.fr).
30 minutes are free. Download in-depth
d’Été brings diverse genres of Late July–late August See
the free Vélib’ app to find guide, try Paris
theatre, circus and contemporary films screened outdoors for free
your nearest stops, with (£13.99), and
dance to venues across the during Cinema en Plein Air in the
real-time figures of how official guide
city, including the Jardin du futuristic Parc Villette, near Canal
many bikes are available. parisinfo.com.
Luxembourg (quartierdete.com). Saint-Martin (lavillette.com).
ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
NORTH EAST:
HÔTEL DU TEMPS
A 10�minute walk from
the hip Gare de l’Est
HISTORIC quarter, this vintage-
CENTRE: style hotel mixes exposed wooden beams
HOTEL and rattan panelling with block-print fabrics
CRAYON (from £115; hotel-du-temps.fr).
A surprisingly affordable
option in an area best known
for expensive heritage
accommodation, this hotel is
COMPILED BY GABRIELLE JAFFE AND RORY GOULDING. PHOTOGRAPHS: PETE SEAWARD,

just a five-minute walk from
the Louvre. Its 27 rooms are
all individually styled with
bold splashes of colour and
artist sketches that are just
the right side of eccentric
JACQUES LEBAR, CELINE DEMOUX, JEAN�FRANÇOIS DRÉAN
(from £80; hotelcrayon.com).
BASTILLE
& LE
MARAIS:
HOTEL JULES & JIM
LEFT BANK: This arty hotel in Le Marais
HÔTEL D’ANGLETERRE references François Truffaut’s
This hotel in central Saint- iconic film. Edgy designs
Germain was formerly a extend to the rooms, roof
British embassy, and was terrace, retro bar and
later where Ernest Hemingway and his wife courtyard, featuring a vertical
spent their first night in Paris. Some of the garden and log fire (from
rooms have wooden beams and four-poster £150; hoteljulesetjim.com).
beds (from £140; hotel-dangleterre.com).

P E R F E C T D AY S I N PA R I S
The Eiffel Tower

as seen from the THE EIFFEL TOWER IN BRIEF
Palais de Chaillot
Built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle,
to the northwest
marking the centenary of the French Revolution,
the 300�metre-high Eiffel Tower was nearly
double the height of the world’s tallest building
at the time, Cologne Cathedral in Germany.
Deplored by leading cultural figures of the day,
the tower was an instant hit with visitors. It was
meant to be dismantled after 20 years, but its chief
engineer, Gustave Eiffel, saved it for posterity by
promoting it as a weather station and radio mast.
Ticket rates today are set at £3.60 for the
stairs to the second floor, £6.50 for the lift to the
second floor and £11 for the lift right up to the
top (toureiffel.paris). Book timed lift tickets (up to
three months in advance) to avoid lengthy queues.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Out ther�
Escape to some of the world’s most far-flung places with these remote abodes,
from a yurt on the Mongolian steppe to a sleek lodge adrift in the South Pacific
WORDS DEBBIE PAPPYN O PHOTOGRAPHS DAVID DE VLEESCHAUWER
JALMAN MEADOWS lived in by the region’s nomads. Strong and

GER CAMP MONGOLIA easily manoeuvrable, they can be packed up
Picture the USA’s Yellowstone National and transported by horse or yak. Inside are
Park, only imagine something triple the size beds with thick camel- or yak-wool blankets,
– that’s the magnitude of the Khan Khentii a wood-burning stove, tables and a basin.
Special Protected Area, roughly a four-hour A small tent with a warm shower can also be
drive from Ulaanbatar, the capital of set up. In the middle of the camp is a larger
Mongolia. Here you’ll find Jalman Meadows, ger with a kitchen and communal living area,
a private ger (Mongolian yurt) camp next to and if you want to learn more about local
the crystal-clear waters of the Tuul River. customs or stories, there’s an extensive
Every summer the whole camp is set up library. Beyond the camp, try horse-riding
anew; when it leaves, nothing is left behind with the nomads or hiking alongside a yak
on the landscape, which disappears for the caravan. For the ultimate in stillness and
next six months under a blanket of snow. solitude, book a GerScape and go trekking
Using wood and canvas, the gers are built with your own team of nomads.
in the same centuries-old design as those O Three-nights from £280; nomadicjourneys.com

R E M O T E P L A C E S T O S TAY

STRAP
‘Y� ca� �i�, �� ri� � h��back � h�� t��g�

t� NamibRand w�h�t �ein� an��r huma� �in�’
WOLWEDANS for hours through the NamibRand without

NAMIBIA seeing another human being.
Wolwedans Private Camp is the perfect
Just a few hours’ drive from the touristy location for those in search of the ultimate,
Sossusvlei sand dunes is the 670 square- private hideaway. It’s surrounded by nothing
mile NamibRand Nature Reserve. One but the sensational yet unearthly landscape
of the largest privately owned nature of the Namib Desert – with the luxury of an
reserves in Africa, it’s a swathe of unspoilt on-site butler and personal chef. There are
desert made up of red dunes and dotted two bedrooms, one at either end of the
with mysterious fairy circles. There are building, with a lounge and kitchen in the
impressive mountains, granite stone middle. A water-purification system changes
formations and, happily, many wild groundwater into a useable resource for the
animals: gemsboks, zebras, kudus, kitchen gardens, which provide the camp
giraffes, klipspringers, jackals, hyenas with vegetables. There is a constant, gentle
and springboks roam, and leopards and breeze, which eliminates the need for air
cheetahs have also been reintroduced. conditioning. And just in front of the house
Out here, in the Namib Desert, you’re is a watering hole where animals come to
reminded of man’s insignificance, and at the drink. As the sun goes down, paraffin lamps
same time filled with a sense of peace. It’s are lit around the camp, and you can dine
what the dreams of desert fanatics are made outside under starry skies.
of: you can drive, walk or ride on horseback O £245pppn all-inclusive; wolwedans.com

ULTIMA THULE LODGE son Paul has taken over the day-to-day
ALASKA, USA running, along with his wife and family.
Rooms are tucked away in cabins dotted
Hidden deep in the Wrangell-St Elias in and around the gardens, and the décor is
National Park, a massive 20,000 square cosy, with large beds and high-thread linen.
miles of protected Alaskan wilderness, is The main building where guests gather at
Ultima Thule Lodge. There are no roads or meal-times has floor-to-ceiling windows for
cars, and virtually no people in this endless admiring the natural splendour.
expanse of land. There are, however, a lot of Paul and the other bush pilots take guests
bears – both brown and black – which have on some sensational excursions: flying
been known to wander right up to the lodge. over Mount St Elias (the second-highest
The nearest village, Chitina, is 90 miles mountain in Canada and the USA), visiting
away by plane. Nights are quiet enough to abandoned gold mines, or flying where the
hear a pin drop, and the air is as pure as the Pacific meets the Alaskan coast. Besides
waters of the nearby Chitina River. seeking an adventure in the Super Cub
It was while flying over the area in the bush planes, guests come to experience an
1950s that John Claus spotted this piece of extreme environment. They might go
land. With his wife Elenor, he soon set about hiking, rafting or fishing, and in doing so
building a modest wood cabin and landing explore one of the few places on Earth
strip. Over the years, the lodge has been where not many others have set foot.
extended little by little; more recently, their O £1,150pppn all-inclusive; ultimathulelodge.com

STRAP
‘ �� who �end t� night w� exp�ienc� u�ima� peac� and

quiet, and ma� �� ha� t� �land ent�� to t�m�l��’
PANTELIS MARATHI
DODECANESE, GREECE
Marathi is one of 227 Greek islands that are
inhabited, though in this case ‘inhabited’
might be an overstatement. Of the island’s
residents, only three are permanent. And
with a mere two-and-a-half miles of
coastline lapped by calm, azure waters,
Marathi is small, even in island terms. What
it does have is one church, three tavernas
and a beautiful sandy beach; what it doesn’t
is roads, cars and shops. The only signs of
life are sailboats drifting in and out of the
bay during summer, and if you’re not a
sailor, it takes at least two ferries and a small
boat to reach these tranquil shores.
When arriving, the first thing you see is
the Pantelis terrace. Rooms, each with a
balcony and en suite bathroom, are spread
out, some above the restaurant and others
closer to the chapel in the gardens behind,
where flowers and scented plants thrive.
Those who spend the night will experience
ultimate peace and quiet, and may well have
the island entirely to themselves. The pace
is so relaxed it’s impossible to resist slowing
down, sitting back and doing sweet nothing.
O From £50 per night; marathi-island.gr

DAR AZAWAD DUNE CAMP MOROCCO

Deep in the Moroccan Sahara, in the still of bathrooms, and a terrace with sunloungers
the Chaga dunes and the seemingly infinite for lying back and surveying the Sahara; real
space beyond, you will find Dar Azawad desert devotees can also arrange to sleep
Dune Camp. The closest village is 40 miles outside under the stars. As light falls, guests
away and this, the hamlet of M’hamid El are invited to an impressive Tuareg tent to
Ghrizlane, marks the end of habitation enjoy Moroccan cuisine such as tajines and
and the beginning of a playground for couscous, prepared by the desert nomads.
desert nomads. The only way to get to the Owner Youssef has developed a good
camp is by 4x4 – or by camel. It’s soon very relationship with the local Tuareg, and with
obvious that a Lawrence of Arabia feeling their assistance is able to take guests to some
is never far away. of the most remote and beautiful locations
Your first glimpse of this camp of white the area has to offer. Clambering out of bed
tents, emerging from a sea of red sand, is a at dawn and climbing high into the dunes to
moment you will never forget. Then you’re watch the sun come up in complete silence
welcomed with mint tea, medjool dates and is well worth it – if you can, go on your own
an overwhelming sense of solitude. Dar to fully appreciate the intense solitude. Take
Azawad has four luxurious tents, all of a camel trek guided by Tuareg and explore
which elevate life as a desert nomad to a the environment around the camp to truly
whole new level. Softly lit by lanterns, they experience the magnificence of the desert.
have beds fitted with fine linen, en suite O From £210pppn; darazawad.com

‘Hu� win�w� i� e�r� r�� d fi� view� POSADA DE MIKE RAPU
EASTER ISLAND, CHILE
– � ma� �� -r�min� h�� in� b�’ Rapa Nui, better known as Easter Island,
is the most remote inhabited island in the
world. There are just 4,400 native people, of
whom more than 60 per cent are descendants
of the original Polynesian inhabitants. Rapa
Nui’s isolated location is magical, but it has
another kind of magic. Here, there are more
than 26,000 archaeological sites in less than
60 square miles of land, and almost every
stone, every place, has a symbolic meaning.
The most outstanding lodge on Rapa Nui
is the Posada de Mike Rapu, which looks
over the green of the island and out to sea.
Low buildings are built entirely of local
materials, and huge windows in every room
afford fine views – if you’re lucky, you may
see a free-roaming horse passing by. Chilean
architect José Cruz Ovalle has won several
awards for its clever, sleek design, which
blends into its surroundings so well it seems
to disappear. On Rapa Nui, everything
revolves around the land, and architecture
is not allowed to dominate – after all, there
are more important things to grab your
attention, like the hundreds of Moai statues.
O £1,720pp for three nights (min stay); explora.com
D�� P�� and D�� D�

V�� are a travel writer and
photographer couple (classetouriste.
com). Their book, Remote Places to Stay,
presents their pick of 1,000 locations
visited (£30; findingremote.com).

ON SALE EXCLUSIVE TO
NOW
A new collection of the greatest city breaks, with inspiring

photography and the latest recommendations from
Lonely Planet’s unique network of travel experts.
STRAP
Beginner’s Guide
Diving
Scuba diving is the best way to explore the 70 per cent
of the planet that’s underwater, drifting effortlessly on
a warm current and watching shoals of fish flit about
vividly-coloured coral. Jump right in…
A recreational diver
passes corals off the
North Malé Atoll in the
Maldives, surrounded
by reef fish including
brilliant orange anthias

How do I get started?
When you see photos of scuba divers gliding through
a tropical seascape it’s easy to forget that you can start
learning to dive right here in the UK. Scuba stands for
‘self-contained underwater breathing apparatus’ – a
set of equipment that lets you breathe independently
underwater, getting to places you couldn’t with a
snorkel. So the first skill involved in scuba diving is
one you should already have practice in: breathing.
Anyone who is reasonably fit and at least a moderate
swimmer can learn to scuba dive. The human body
being relatively buoyant, the challenge is often more
about how to sink than how to float. Scuba instructors
can guide you through the process of equalising air
pressure within your body and achieving the right
buoyancy, but what’s up to the individual is how
open you can be to this new experience. While it can
be very alien to us land-based primates, scuba diving
can also be calming and liberating.
SCUBA EQUIPMENT Once you’ve been trained to use
it and got in some practice dives, the equipment will
seem relatively simple to use. No reputable diving
outfit will let you out on open water without the right
training and knowledge of the equipment you’ll need.
THE STARTING POINT For most newbies this is the
Open Water Diver course, a programme that generally
lasts around four days, and consists of both theory
elements – like written tests, which you can often
start online in your own time – and practical
elements, such as pool dives and at least four dive
sessions with an instructor in open water. A number
of diving bodies accredit such courses, but by far the
largest is PADI, the Professional Association of Diving
Instructors. While you can complete the course at
locations across the UK, many novice divers choose
to learn abroad, where prices are typically cheaper…
and the water can be mercifully warmer, too.

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03LP15
BEGINNER’S GUIDE
What will I need? Scuba

In diving hotspots, expect to rent most gear Regulator
you'll need. Consider investing in gadgets
cylinder
like a camera (GoPro HERO, £110;
mikesdivestore.com) and dive computer
(Suunto Zoop, £155; simplyscuba.com). Bring
a snorkelling set (£30; divingdirect.co.uk) to
explore the shallows between dives.
Waterproof
Buoyancy
camera
Wetsuit control device
Weight belt
Surface
marker
buoy
Dive
Mask and computer
snorkel set LEARN MORE
PADI has information on dive courses and
holidays, and where to dive (padi.com). For
Safety travel inspiration and tips, see the collection at
whistle lonelyplanet.com/diving-and-snorkelling. UK
Fins Diving (ukdiving.co.uk) and the British Sub-Aqua
Club (bsac.com) offer advice on gear and safety.
Where should I go? Dorset, UK

THE DIVING Off beginner-friendly Chesil
Cove you might spot blennies (below),
sand eels, cuttlefish and kelp forests.
WHY LEARN HERE The Jurassic Coast’s
abundance of wrecks has given it some of
REINHARD DIRSCHERL/ALAMY, ISTOCK IMAGES, KETMANEE/SHUTTERSTOCK, DAVID LADE/SHUTTERSTOCK,
PHOTOGRAPHS: ATHUR/ISTOCK, GONZALO AZUMENDI/GETTY IMAGES, CREATIVE CROP/GETTY IMAGES,
the UK’s best diving facilities for all levels.

WHEN TO GO Summer, to reduce the chill.
ANGEL WHITE/PORTLAND, SERGIY ZAVGORODNY/SHUTTERSTOCK. THANKS TO MARCUS DAVID
O Underwater Explorers offers a PADI Open Water

course (from £475; underwaterexplorers.co.uk).
Ko Tao, Thailand for learners, this laid-back island has

THE DIVING Ko Tao is one of few places many value dive operators.
where it’s possible to spot whale sharks WHEN TO GO Year-round, but visibility
(March to June) along with reef fish, rays can be low in November and December.
and barracuda during your dive course. O Crystal Dive has a four-day PADI Open Water
WHY LEARN HERE Asia’s obvious choice package (from £200; crystaldive.com).

BEGINNER’S GUIDE
North Malé Atoll,

Maldives
THE DIVING The North Malé Atoll is home
to vibrant coral, warm water and has great
visibility for seeing manta rays and sharks.
WHY LEARN HERE Underwater scenery is
among the most diverse in the archipelago,
and arranging diving courses is easy, with
resorts affiliated to local outfits.
WHEN TO GO Calm seas: November to April.
O Kuredu Resort’s big dive school offers a five-day
PADI Open Water course (from £470; kuredu.com).
Kaş, Turkey bays and rocky beaches, Kaş is one of the

most picturesque diving resorts on the
THE DIVING Learning to dive in Kaş might
Mediterranean.
yield encounters with sea turtles,
barracuda and – best of all – smashed WHEN TO GO April to October – many
Roman amphoras on the seabed. businesses close for the winter season.
WHY LEARN HERE A quiet town of O Bougainvillea runs a four- to five-day PADI Open
terracotta-roofed villas spread around blue Water course (from £215; bougainville-turkey.com).
What’s it really like?
PHOTOGRAPHS: HELMUT CORNELI/IMAGEBROKER/SUPERSTOCK, REINHARD DIRSCHERL/GETTY IMAGES, ANDRII GATASH/GETTY IMAGES

My first time diving was off the coast
of Turkey. Beforehand I just kept
wondering: ‘What if, 10 feet down, I
try to breathe through my nose?’ It
helped to talk to someone who’d
been through the same learning
experience. The instructors walked us
slowly into the water, held on to us
the whole time and, after a few
minutes, breathing became second
nature. We descended to 17 metres.
The seascape and creatures gave the
sense of travelling to an entirely new
country – one I'd love to visit again.
Angus Gayler is just at the start of a gap year

of activity-focused travels

LONELY PLANET TRAVELLER ON
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000
102 Lonely Planet Traveller May
Month
2015
2014
The Photographer’s Story
��
Cuba
I visited Cuba for the first time 20 years ago and completely fell in
love with it. I’d planned to stay for two weeks but ended up staying
two months; since then, I must have been at least 50 times. Cuba is
an amazing country in all aspects, and what really sings to me are the
cities, like Havana, Santiago de Cuba and Trinidad; the cars; the
colonial buildings, with their gorgeous patina of colours; and,
especially, the people. Although Cuba’s been under US embargo for
55 years and a lot of things are run-down, the people are very alive,
with a sophisticated outlook on life and a capacity for joy that’s
unlike anywhere else I’ve been. Everyone is warm and open – meet
one person and you’ll end up meeting the entire neighbourhood. In
Cuba, you can walk three feet and take a thousand pictures, but I’ve
tried to dig deeper, revisiting places and people. This month is my
final trip for the project – coincidentally, just as the US is moving
towards lifting the embargo. Over the years, while the country has
changed in certain physical ways, the core essence – the Cuban heart
and soul – has remained the same. That’s why I’ve kept going back.
L�� R�� is a fine art photographer and teaches workshops worldwide. His
book Cuba: This Moment Exactly So is out in October – preorder at thiscuba.com.
Month
May 2014
2015 Lonely Planet Traveller 103
T H E P H OTO G R A P H E R ’ S S TO RY
P�� Havana’s Malecón roadway is probably my favourite place on Earth. In good weather people always sit out there; locals
call it The Couch. A lot of life happens on it. O��, �� Ana and Alberto are great dancers. I shot them on a roof outside Havana,
where I take photography groups for a celebration with Afro-Cuban and salsa dancing; I was walking in the sleepy town of Trinidad when
I saw this juxtaposition of a car and girl on horseback. A�� Some of the most beautiful sights in Cuba are the revolutionary signs, which
change every year. B�� This motorcyclist, pictured at the Malecón, was attending a rally – there’s a strong love of motorcycles in Cuba.
B�� R�� I met this girl walking in Trinidad. I’d see the same people and get to know them.

T H E P H OTO G R A P H E R ’ S S TO RY
A�� The laws in Cuba have been changing in the last couple of years, and a lot businesses have popped up. This Havana street vendor
was fixing watches. In Cuba they don’t throw anything out, because they can’t; there are guys whose job is refilling disposable lighters.
I don’t think there’s anything they can’t fix – it’s astonishing. B�� This is my friend Illa, a very sweet guy who owns a spectacular 1952 Cadillac.
He keeps it in mint condition in a garage in old Havana, renting it out for weddings and quinceañeras (held when a girl turns 15).
O�� Here, Illa is in front of the Partagás cigar factory, one of the main manufacturers of Cuban cigars, and the brand he’s smoking.

��
Air Europa and Virgin Atlantic fly
direct to Havana from London
Gatwick (from £650; virgin-
atlantic.com). Lorne offers
photography trips to Cuba, with
an eight-day itinerary based in
Havana and a 12-day workshop
that also visits Trinidad. Trips run
several times a year and include
shared accommodation, return
flights from Miami and transfers
(from £2,600; lorneresnick.com/
cuba-info). BA, Delta and
Norwegian fly from London and
Manchester to Miami (from
£400; norwegian.com). Explore
offers a 15-day Classic Cuba trip
that takes in Havana, Santiago
de Cuba and Trinidad as well as
the scenic Viñales valley and
Caribbean beaches, and includes
a jungle trek to Fidel Castro’s
former base (from £2,115 incl
flights; explore.co.uk).

MAY 2015
Mini Guides
S I X T H E M E D G U I D E S TO TA K E O N T H E P E R F E C T S H O RT B R E A K
page 117 page 119 page 121
page 123 page 125 page 127
From your
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along the make a handy
perforations… pocket-size guide.

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Fold 2
Cocktail bars
THE LONDON GIN CLUB
Soho’s Star at Night is home to
The London Gin Club, which offers
a collection of more than 130 gins.
It boasts the best G&T in London,
served in a copa glass with twice-
frozen, cracked ice and a tonic to
1940s-inspired fun at complement your chosen gin.
the pop-up Blitz Party There’s even a precise pouring
method to keep the gas active
MINI GUIDE (thelondonginclub.com; 22 Great
Chapel Street, W1; 4pm–11pm, The winning pairing of dim sum
and cocktails at Opium
closed Sun & Mon; G&T from £8).
WHITE LYAN OPIUM

London When this Hoxton bar opened last
year, it made headlines for its no
ice, no fresh fruit and no branded
Towering above Chinatown, what
touts itself as a ‘cocktail and dim
sum parlour’ could pass as an
nightlife spirits approach. Instead, you’ll
find handcrafted cocktails that are
opium den-cum-brothel. The
décor is scarlet, there’s a
pre-made using raw spirits, bartender’s table with unmarked
There’s little Londoners like to do more than vinegars, powders and cordials to bottles and the signature Opium
ensure a consistent high quality. Cocktail No 1 features rum,
party. From sampling handcrafted cocktails to Be persuaded with East End Rickey absinthe, kaffir lime syrup and
playing air guitar to Bon Jovi, there’s a bar, club – Mr Lyan gin, apple, wormwood mandarin and ginger juice poured
and dandelion soda (whitelyan. over dry ice (opiumchinatown.
or pop-up that will make you feel at home. com; 153�155 Hoxton Street, N1; com; 15�16 Gerrard St, W1;
6pm–late; cocktails from £6). 5pm–late; cocktails from £10).
Dancing Pop-ups Fold 1

CLUB DE FROMAGE BLITZ PARTY
The clue’s in the name at this Head underneath the arches in
Saturday night club night at the Shoreditch for a 1940s bunker-
O2 Academy Islington – if it’s themed party complete with
cheesy, they’ll play it. It’s sandbags and ration books for
practically obligatory to don bar tabs. Don your victory rolls
fancy dress, dance round your and tea dress or uniform and
handbag and play air guitar to medal and have a knees up to the
the likes of Kylie, Rick Astley, swing band – sign up to the dance
Bon Jovi, Girls Aloud and Wham class beforehand to perfect your
(clubdefromage.com; 16 moves (theblitzparty.com;
Parkfield St, N1; 10.30pm– Clubbers at Fabric, twice voted The Arches, 54 Holywell Lane, A four-course banquet underway
the best club in the world at Disappearing Dining Club
3.30am Sat; from £8). EC2A; from £25).
6TS AT 100 CLUB FABRIC DISAPPEARING THE ART OF DINING

This legendary London venue London’s top-rated superclub DINING CLUB The Art of Dining throws
Tear out page here then fold along dotted lines
has showcased such greats as plays a killer selection of electro, Once a month this club runs imaginative themed events that
American blues singer BB King techno, house, drum and bass and dinner-dance events in unusual include food, drink, dancing and
and British rock band The Rolling dubstep. A warren of three floors, locations – anywhere from dressing up. Themes range from
Stones. It was also bang at the three bars, walkways and unisex salvage yards and launderettes to Abigail’s Party, a ’70s themed
centre of the punk revolution and toilets, room one also contains a Victorian warehouses and antique dinner dance and night of theatre
the ’90s indie scene. Now, about kidney-shaking ‘bodysonic’ dance shops – usually in the East End. amidst lava lamps, hostess
10 times a year, it runs 6Ts Rare floor. Superstar DJs often sell out Expect cocktails, canapés, a trolleys and drinks cabinets to
Soul All Nighters – expect to hear Friday night’s FabricLive, while four-course meal using simple, Gone Camping, a campsite in the
the best Northern rareties, WetYourSelf!, a hedonistic techno seasonal produce, plus DJs and Pickle Factory complete with
recent discoveries, a smattering and house night, is a Sunday night dancing to house and Ibiza- wellies, campfire sing-song and
of oldies and the odd modern treat (fabriclondon.com; 77a inspired beach tunes (disappearing marshmallows (theartofdining.
track thrown in for good measure Charterhouse St, EC1; 10pm-6am diningclub.co.uk; £56). co.uk; venues vary; £55).
(the100club.co.uk; 100 Oxford Fri, 11pm-8am Sat, 11pm–6am
St, W1; 11pm–6am; £12). Sun; from £7). TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS

MINI GUIDE
London nightlife
Drinking Entertainment Eating Sleeping
London essentials The know-how

TRANSPORT THE COCKTAIL HOUR
PHOTOGRPAHS: BLITZ PARTY, OPIUM, JASPER BROWN, DISAPPEARING DINING CLUB, THE GREAT NORTHERN HOTEL, NIGHT JAR COCKTAILS
Aer Lingus, BA, easyJet, Flybe, KLM, Head to these Shoreditch FURTHER READING
Ryanair and Virgin Atlantic fly to haunts for something special: Lonely Planet’s London
London’s five airports from major O Try The Changeling – lapsang
(£14.99) is a comprehensive
UK cities (from £84; easyjet.com). tea, Chase marmalade vodka, guide to the city, and
COMPILED BY NATALIE MILLMAN, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM STEVE FALLON, VESNA MARIC AND EMILIE FILOU.
Each airport is well serviced with aperol, sugar, Peychaud’s chapters of the book can
be downloaded at
trains, tubes or buses, taking you bitters – at Worship St
lonelyplanet.com (£2.99),
to the centre of town. London is Whistling Stop, a Victorian
while Pocket London (£7.99)
linked to major cities by train and drinking den that takes its
is more suited to short
bus: Manchester to London by cocktails to a molecular level
breaks. For more on
bus takes from 4 hours (from £11; (whistlingshop.com).
The Great Northern Hotel in London’s cocktail scene,
nationalexpress.com). Public O The Master at Arms – Myers
King’s Cross dates back to 1854 see thecocktaillovers.com.
transport in London is excellent, rum, port evaporation with
London by Edward
if expensive: travel with an grenadine – features the
Rutherfurd is a sweeping
Oyster card (zone 1 single £2.30, The Great Northern Hotel, homemade ingredients typical
drama that brings the city’s
rather than £4.80). Or hire the world’s first railway hotel, of The Zetter Townhouse, a
epic history vividly to life
Barclays bikes (£2 access fee, has a boutique style reminiscent cocktail lounge showcasing the
(£7.49; Arrow).
first ½ hour is free, £2 for every of luxury sleeper trains. Exquisite obligatory-for-Shoreditch
½ hour after that) or explore the craftsmanship is in evidence stuffed animal heads
city by foot. See tfl.gov.uk. everywhere and the hotel has a (thezettertownhouse.com).
lively bar and excellent restaurant O The Prohibition-inspired
WHERE TO STAY (gnhlondon.com; from £156). Forager’s Shrub (below) contains
Run by the same family for half The hip Soho Hotel has 91 Bombay Dry Gin, sauvignon
a century, Cardiff Hotel overlooks bedrooms, suites and apartments blanc, Forager’s
Norfolk Square in Paddington, a in hues of lime and raspberry. cordial, lemon,
positive oasis in the warmer There is original artwork longan and jujube
months. The 60 en-suite rooms throughout the hotel, including vinegars at Nightjar,
are a good size and are bright and a black cat sculpture by Fernando a speakeasy with
cheery (cardiff-hotel.com; 5�9 Botero (firmdalehotels.com; live music
Norfolk Square; from £75). 4 Richmond Mews; from £330). (barnightjar.com).

Fold 2
Best museums and arts

CENTRE DE CULTURA
CONTEMPORÀNIA DE
BARCELONA
A complex of auditoriums,
exhibition spaces and conference
halls that hosts a constantly
Barcelona’s Gaudí- changing programme of
designed Park Güell exhibitions, films and other
is uniquely playful events. The courtyard, with a
vast glass wall on one side, is
MINI GUIDE spectacular (cccb.org/en; Carrer
de Montalegre, 5; closed Mon; The architect-designed 1960s
building of the Fundació Joan Miró
£4.20, or free on Sun).
MUSEU D’HISTÒRIA FUNDACIÓ JOAN

Budget DE BARCELONA
This fascinating museum takes
you to the very foundations of the
MIRÓ
The city’s most-famed 20th-
century artist bequeathed this art
Barcelona original city, Roman Barcino. You’ll
stroll over ruins of the old streets,
foundation to his hometown. It’s
crammed with seminal works
sewers, laundries, wine-making spanning his career – head to room
With a bit of planning, Barcelona is affordable. factories and fish factories that 16 to see how Miró moved away
flourished following the town’s from Realism towards a unique
Many museums are reasonable or free, and founding by Emperor Augustus style, featuring primary colours
some of the best places to engage with the city around 10 BC. The building itself and morphed shapes of the moon,
was once part of the Grand Royal the female form and birds
include its markets, parks and tapas bars. Palace (museuhistoria.bcn.cat; (fundaciomiro-bcn.org; closed
Plaça del Rei; closed Mon; £5). Mon; Parc de Montjuïc; £8).
Best sensory experiences Best food and drink Fold 1

MERCAT DE LA LA VINYA DEL SENYOR
BOQUERIA Relax on the terrassa, which lies
One of Europe’s greatest in the shadow of the splendid
permanent produce fairs, this has Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar
an endless bounty of fruit and veg, in the Gothic quarter, or crowd
fish, smoked meats (including the inside at the tiny bar. The
finest Jabugo ham), pungent reasonably priced wine list is
cheeses, barrels of olives, and as long as War and Peace and
chocolate truffles. In the back, there’s a table upstairs for those
tapas bars serve Catalonia’s who opt to sample by the bottle
specialities, such as bacallà salat rather than the glass (Plaça de
– dried salted cod (boqueria.info; Barcelona’s Font Màgica is a Santa Maria, 5; noon ’til late; The generous seafood platter
spectacle of water and light at popular Can Maño
La Rambla, 91; closed Sun). wine from £3 a glass).
PARK GÜELL FONT MÀGICA ENVALIRA CAN MAÑO

This is where Gaudí turned his A huge fountain that crowns the Look out for the modest entrance It may look like a dive, but you’ll
hand to landscape gardening. It’s long sweep of the Avinguda de la to this delicious relic and head out need to be prepared to wait before
a strange, enchanting place where Reina Maria Cristina to the grand back to the 1950s time-warp being squeezed in at a packed
his passion for natural forms really façade of the Palau Nacional, Font dining room. Serious waiters table for a raucous night of
took flight – to the point where Màgica is a unique performance deliver all sorts of seafood and rice raciones (full-plate-size tapas
the artificial almost seems more in which the water can look like dishes to your table, from arròs a serving; posted on a board at the
natural than the natural. Don’t seething fireworks or a mystical la milanesa – savoury rice with back) over a bottle of turbio – a
miss the Sala Hipóstila, a forest of cauldron of colour. On hot chicken, pork and a light cheese cloudy white plonk. The seafood is
88 Doric stone columns, some of summer evenings especially, this gratin – to a bullit de lluç – slice of abundant with first-rate squid,
which lean like mighty trees bent 15-minute spectacle (repeated boiled white hake with herb-laced shrimp and fish served at
by the weight of time. The best throughout the evening) is rice and clams (envalirarestaurant. rock-bottom prices (Carrer del
views are from the cross-topped mesmerising (Plaça de Carles com; Plaça del Sol ,13; closed Mon, Baluard, 12; closed Sun, lunch only
Turó del Calvari in the southwest Buïgas, 1; every 30min 7�9pm lunch only Sun; mains from £6). on Sat; mains from £5.20).
corner (parkguell.cat; Carrer de Fri & Sat, 9.30�11pm Oct–Apr,
Larrard; £5 if booked ahead). Thu–Sun May–Sep; free). TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS

MINI GUIDE
Budget Barcelona
Drinking Sights Eating Sleeping
Barcelona essentials The know-how
COMPILED BY NATALIE MILLMAN, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM SALLY DAVIES AND REGIS ST LOUIS. PHOTOGRAPHS: ROLAND NAGY/
TRANSPORT THE CITY’S HIGHLIGHTS
BA, easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair, One of the best times of year FURTHER READING
Monarch and Vueling all fly to to visit the city, May and June Lonely Planet’s Barcelona
Barcelona El Prat airport from see a wealth of events: (£13.99) and Discover
most major UK airports (from Primavera Sound The Auditori Barcelona (£12.99) are full
£70 from Stansted; ryanair.com). Forum and other locations in guides to the city, while
Pocket Barcelona (£7.99) is
The A1 Aerobús runs from town welcome international
ideal for short trips. To find
Terminal one to Plaça de DJs and musicians (28�30 May;
out more about the city’s
Catalunya (35 minutes; £4.50 primaverasound.com).
ISTOCK, JOAN MIRÓ FOUNDATION, GETTY IMAGES, BRETT STEVENS/GETTY, PERE PERIS, ISTOCK
Modernista heritage,
single; aerobusbcn.com), while Festa de Sant Ponç To
consider the Ruta del
the R2 Nord train lines runs to commemorate the patron
The modern B�Lounge bar– Modernisme pack, which
Passeig de Gràcia in central saint of bee-keepers and
restaurant at Barceló Raval includes a guide to 115
Barcelona (25 minutes; £3.30; herbalists, locals fill Carrer
Modernista buildings, a map
renfe.com), and a taxi costs de l’Hospital in El Raval
and discounts of up to 50
around £25. Barcelona’s Attractively located in a lane with the chatter and bustle of
per cent at the main
excellent Metro can get you just north of the grand old Sant a street market (11 May).
Modernista sights in
most places, with buses and Antoni market, Hotel Market L’Ou Com Balla During Corpus
Barcelona (rutadel
trams filling in the gaps (single is a simple hotel with a good Christi, L’Ou Com Balla (The
modernisme.com; £9).
tickets £1.50; tmb.net). Catalan restaurant and bar Dancing Egg) bobs on top of
(andilanahotels.com; Comte flower-strewn fountains
WHERE TO STAY Borrell, 68; from £45). around the city.
Hostal Centric is ideally Part of the city’s plans to pull Festival Ciutat
located just beyond the old city the El Raval district up by the Flamenco
and 10 minutes from the Ramblas. bootstraps, Barceló Raval One of the best
Its renovated rooms all have makes a 21st-century splash. The occasions to see
private bathrooms and air-con, rooftop terrace offers fabulous great flamenco in
some have a balcony and there’s a views and the B�Lounge Barcelona is held
shared rooftop terrace with tables bar-restaurant is popular for at the city’s
and chairs (hostalcentric.com; meals and cocktails (barcelo.com; Mercat de les Flors
Casanova, 13; from £55). Rambla del Raval, 17; from £95). (22�24 May).

Fold 2
Music
MUSEU DO FADO
Fado was born in the Alfama
district. Immerse yourself in its
bittersweet symphonies at this
engaging museum, which traces
fado’s history from its working-
Tram 28 class roots to world stardom,
weaves through taking in recordings, posters,
Lisbon’s streets a hall of fame and a re-created
guitar workshop, plus a well-
MINI GUIDE stocked shop (museudofado.pt;
Largo do Chafariz de Dentro 1; Fado music takes its name from
the Portuguese word for fate
10am–6pm Tue–Sun; £3.80).
CASA MUSEU DE A BAÎUCA

Cultural AMÁLIA RODRIGUES
A pilgrimage site for fado fans,
this is where the Queen of Fado
On a good night, walking into
A Baîuca is like gate-crashing
a family party. It’s a tiny place
Lisbon Amália Rodrigues lived. Born
in Lisbon in 1920, the diva
where you may hear fado vadio
(where locals take a turn) and
popularised the genre with her spectators hiss if anyone dares
Spread across steep hillsides that overlook heartbreaking trills and poetic to chat during the singing. The
soul. Short tours take in portraits, so-so food stops around 10pm
the Rio Tejo, Lisbon has long captivated glittering costumes and crackly but the fado goes on until
visitors with its grand plazas, art galleries recordings of her performances midnight. Reserve ahead (00 351
(amaliarodrigues.pt; Rua de São 21 886 7284; Rua de São Miguel
and the haunting sounds of fado music. Bento 193; 10am–1pm & 20; abaiuca@sapo.pt; dinner
2pm–6pm Tue–Sun; £3.80). Thu–Mon; minimum spend £18).
Art Other museums Fold 1

MUSEU COLEÇÃO LISBON STORY
BERARDO CENTRE
The star of the Centro Cultural Take a 60-minute journey
de Belém, this minimalist gallery through Lisbon’s long history.
displays billionaire José Berardo’s An audioguide and multimedia
eye-popping collection of exhibits describe key episodes,
Abstract, Surrealist and Pop Art. including New World discoveries,
Temporary exhibitions are among the 1755 earthquake (with a vivid
the best in Portugal. There’s also film re-enacting the horrors) and
a café, a restaurant and a crafty the ambitious reconstruction that
museum store (museuberardo.pt; followed (lisboastorycentre.pt;
Praça do Império; 10am–7pm The Museu Calouste Gulbenkian Praça do Comércio/Terreiro do The lavish Baroque chapel at
displays art from East and West the Museu Nacional do Azulejo
Tue–Sun; free). Paço 78�81; 10am–8pm; £5.30).
MUSEU NACIONAL MUSEU CALOUSTE MUSEU NACIONAL PANTEÃO NACIONAL

DE ARTE ANTIGA GULBENKIAN DO AZULEJO The Baroque porcelain-white
Set in a lemon-fronted, 17th- Famous for its outstanding Housed in a sublime 16th-century National Pantheon was originally
century palace, this museum quality and breadth, this museum convent, this covers the entire intended as a church, but now
presents a star-studded collection showcases an epic collection of spectrum of painted tiles (known pays homage to Portugal’s heroes
of European and Asian paintings art. The romp kicks off with the in Portugues as azulejo), from and heroines, including 15th-
and decorative arts. Keep an eye likes of gilded Egyptian mummy early Ottoman geometry to century explorer Vasco da Gama
out for highlights such as Nuno masks, Mesopotamian urns and altars, scenes of lords a-hunting and fadista Amália Rodrigues. Its
Gonçalves’ naturalistic Panels of Persian carpets. Going west, and Goan intricacies. Star exhibits echoing dome resembles an
São Vicente, Dürer’s St Jerome, bewonder masterpieces by include a 36m-long panel enormous Fabergé egg, with
Lucas Cranach’s haunting Salomé Rembrandt (Portrait of an Old depicting Lisbon before the 1755 vertiginous views from up top
with the head of St John the Baptist Man), Van Dyck and Rubens. The earthquake (museudoazulejo.pt; (patrimoniocultural.pt; Campo de
and Courbet’s bleak Snow grand finale is the collection of Rua da Madre de Deus 4; Santa Clara; 10am–5pm Tue–Sun,
(museudearteantiga.pt; Rua das René Lalique jewellery (museu. 10am–6pm Tue–Sun; £3.80). to 6pm May–Sep; £3).
Janelas Verdes; 2pm–6pm Tue, gulbenkian.pt; Avenida de Berna
10am–6pm Wed–Sun; £4.50). 45; 10am–6pm Tue–Sun; £3.80). TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS

MINI GUIDE
Cultural Lisbon
Entertainment Sights Sleeping
Lisbon essentials The know-how

TRANSPORT LISBON ARCHITECTURE
FURTHER READING
BALTHAZAR, JEAN�PIERRE LESCOURRET/GETTY, MATT MUNRO, SYLVAIN SONNET/GETTY, ARISTIDIS VAFEIADAKIS/AGEFOTOSTOCK

COMPILED BY NATALIE MILLMAN, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM REGIS ST LOUIS.PHOTOGRAPHS: PAUL BERNHARDT/GETTY, CASA
Lisbon Airport, four miles north O Rare survivors of the 1755
of the centre, is served by BA, earthquake include the Lonely Planet’s Pocket
easyJet, Ryanair and TAP flights Romanesque Sé (cathedral), Lisbon (£7.99) is ideal for
from Bristol, Edinburgh, Gatwick, and the churches of São Roque short breaks, while Portugal
Heathrow, Liverpool, Luton, and São Vicente de Fora. (£16.99) has a full chapter
on Lisbon & Around, which
Manchester and Stansted (from O Outstanding architecture can
is available to download at
£80; ryanair.com). Head into the be found at Belém, about four
lonelyplanet.com (£2.99).
city on the metro, the AeroBus miles west of the city centre.
For more information, see
(£2.60) or by taxi (about £10). Built around 1515, the Torre de
visitlisboa.com. Lisbon’s
Within the city, the metro is Belém epitomises the spirit of
Casa Balthazar has a swimming metro is a showcase of
useful for short hops (single Portugal’s Age of Discoveries.
pool set in a grassy courtyard the some of the best in
£1.10; metrolisboa.pt), and don’t O After the 1755 earthquake,
Portuguese contemporary
leave the city without riding tram the Marquês de Pombal
art and architecture – see
28 from Largo Martim Moniz or The Hotel Príncipe Real has oversaw the city’s rebuilding,
metrolisboa.pt for details.
tram 12 from Praça da Figueira 18 stylish rooms with marble particularly its
Watch Lisbon Story (1994),
through the narrow streets of the bathrooms in a modern property Baixa district.
director Wim Wenders’
Alfama, or trying out the quirky on the edge of the Bairro Alto. Here, ride the
love letter to the city.
Elevador de Santa Justa, pictured Many rooms have skyline views, Neo-Gothic
right (carris.pt). and breakfast is served until Elevador de
midday (hotelprincipereal.com; Santa Justa
WHERE TO STAY Rua da Alegria, 53; from £85). (pictured).
Overlooking a palm-dotted Tucked down a quiet lane, O Head to the
plaza, the yellow-painted Casa Balthazar has undeniable Parque das
Residencial Alegria is ablaze appeal with friendly service and Nações for
with pink geraniums in summer. beautifully furnished rooms. stunning
Rooms are peaceful, decorated Each has been appointed with contemporary
with plaids and chunky wood high-end linens and electronics works, including
(hotelalegrialisboa.com; Praça (casabalthazarlisbon.com; Rua the wave-like
da Alegria 12; from £40). do Duque 26; from £115). Gare do Oriente.

Fold 2
Street eats
DJEMAA EL�FNA
Arrive just before sunset to watch
chefs set up shop in the Medina’s
main square. Djemaa stalls have
a better turnover of ingredients
than most fancy restaurants,
where you can’t typically check
Dinnertime in the meat and cooking oil before
the Djemaa el-Fna
you tuck in. Eateries bordering the
square, such as Chez Chegrouni,
MINI GUIDE offer views of the spectacle, along
with tajines (around £4), meat The Djemaa el-Fna has been
specially listed by Unesco
skewers and overpriced drinks.
SAMAK AL�BAHRIYA MECHOUI ALLEY

Eating in This cheerful seafood joint is in
the Ville Nouvelle (the newer,
more rationally laid-out part of
Just before noon, the vendors at
this row of stalls start carving up
steaming sides of mechoui
Marrakesh town, west of the Medina) and
has a strong local following.
(slow-roasted lamb). Point to the
best-looking cut, and ask for a
It serves top-notch Moroccan- nuss (half) or rubb (quarter) kilo.
Moroccan cuisine is the stuff of legend, and style fish and chips, with perfectly The cook will hack off the tender
tender fried calamari with lamb and hand it to you with
isn’t limited to couscous and tajines. Few generous chunks of lemon, plus bread, cumin, salt and olives. The
things make Marrakshis happier than to see salt, cumin and hot sauce (75 Ave alley turn-off is opposite the Café
Moulay Rachid, cnr Rue de France on Djemaa el-Fna (east
guests eat with gusto, so go on, have dessert. Mauritanie; 10am–midnight; side, Souq Ablueh; lunch; 250g
seafood with chips from £2). lamb with bread from £2.50).
Traditional Moroccan Sweets Fold 1

LE TOBSIL VENEZIA ICE
In this intimate riad, diners enjoy Part of a smart Moroccan chain,
button-popping menus with this gelateria inside the city’s
aperitifs and wine pairings, as main train station in the Ville
musicians strum quietly in the Nouvelle serves rich ice creams
courtyard. No excess glitz or belly and sorbets, including cherry and
dancers distract from attempts to dark chocolate, passion fruit,
finish salads, pastillas, tajines, cassis and vanilla crème brûlée
couscous and Moroccan pastries. with caramel. Macaroons and
Booking required (00 212 524 44 cakes are also available
40 52; 22 Derb Moulay Abdellah (venezia-ice.com; Gare de
ben Hessaien; dinner, closed Tue; Dine like a well-fed pasha in the Marrakech, Ave Mohammed VI; Moroccan sweets are the perfect
elegant courtyard at Le Tobsil accompaniment to mint tea
five-course menu incl wine £45). 9am–10pm; ice cream from £1).
SOUK KAFÉ AL FASSIA PÂTISSERIE PÂTISSERIE DES

Pull up a hand-hewn stool under Glassy-eyed diners valiantly grip AL�JAWDA PRINCES
the sun umbrellas on the terrace morsels of bread, scraping the Care for a sweet, or perhaps 200 This is one of the city’s most
to savour authentic local food. last savoury caramelised onion different ones? Hakima Alami can famous patisseries, doling out
The Moroccan mezze of six from what was once a Berber set you up with delicacies that enough pains-au-chocolat,
savoury, cooked vegetable dishes pumpkin and lamb tajine. The feature figs, orange-flower water, petits fours, almond cookies and
qualifies as lunch for two, and mezze of nine starters alone is desert honey and other local, ice cream to keep Djemaa el-Fna
the vegetarian Berber couscous a proper feast, but there’s no seasonal ingredients. Around the dentists in business for many
is surprisingly hearty. But wait resisting the classic mains corner at 84 Ave Mohammed V, years to come. The small café at
until you get a whiff of the perfected over a decade by the Hakima’s savvy son has set up the back is a welcome respite for
aromatic Marrakshi tanjia: beef Marrakshi sisters who own the a tea salon with both sweet anyone in search of a quiet
that flakes apart after slow- place. Book ahead for the cosy and savoury items on the menu coffee (32 Rue Bab Agnaou;
cooking in a hammam across the Guéliz branch (alfassia.com; (11 Rue de la Liberté; 8am– 9am–9pm; tea for two with
street (11 Derb Souk Jedid, near 55 Blvd Mohammed Zerktouni, 7.30pm; pastry boxes from £4). sweets £3.50).
Rue Riad El-Arous; 10am–11pm; Guéliz; lunch and dinner, closed
mains from £4.50). Tue; meals from £13). TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS

MINI GUIDE
Eating in Marrakesh
Eating Sleeping
Marrakesh essentials The know-how

TRANSPORT SNACK ATTACK
BA, easyJet, Royal Air Maroc, You’ll find many snaks (kiosks) FURTHER READING
Ryanair and Thomson fly from dotted around the city – be Lonely Planet’s Morocco
(£16.99) has a chapter on
COMPILED BY NATALIE MILLMAN, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM PAULA HARDY. PHOTOGRAPHS: CALLE MONTES/GETTY,
Birmingham, Gatwick, sure to try these dishes:
Heathrow, Luton, Manchester Brochettes Kebabs of chicken, Marrakesh, which you can
and Stansted to Marrakesh lamb, beef or various mixes of download at lonelyplanet.
com (£2.99). For Moroccan
Menara airport, four miles mince and offal rubbed with
recipes, a glossary of Arabic
southwest of the Medina (from salt and spices.
ingredients and Moroccan
MICHAEL HEFFERNAN, ISTOCK IMAGES, ANTONIO MICHELI, PICTURE PARTNERS/ISTOCK, LE TOBSIL

£90; ryanair.com). If it’s your first Merguez Hot, spicy lamb
cooking tips and anecdotes,
time at your riad or hotel, sausage, not to be confused
surf the links at al-bab.com/
arrange an airport transfer to with the paler teyhan (stuffed
Safran (Saffron) is one of four maroc/food.htm. Actor-
take you there so you don’t get spleen; like liver, only less
eclectic rooms at Riad Le J director Faouzi Bensaïdi’s
lost. Walking is the best way to bitter and more tender).
family-history epic A
get around the Medina, which is Pizza Now found at upscale
Thousand Months, which
mostly closed to cars. Beige taxis Riad Le J crosses Italian snaks. Try local versions with
looks back at the Morocco
should charge from 50p to £1.50 furniture design with Marrakshi anchovies and wild thyme.
of the 1980s, won the 2003
for journeys within the city, with craftsmanship. Whichever room Shwarma Spiced lamb or
Cannes Film Festival’s Le
a 70p surcharge at night. you choose, you can lie back and chicken roasted on a spit and
Premier Regard award.
gaze at antique painted ceilings, served with tahina or yoghurt.
WHERE TO STAY silk kaftans and vintage mirrors Tajines The classic Moroccan
Relax on hot-pink cushions in (riadlej.com; 67 Derb el one-pot (pictured), basic
the whitewashed courtyard of Hammam; from £55). tajines served at a roadside
Riad Nejma Lounge or soak up Taking decorative inspiration snaks are usually made with
rays on the all-red roof terrace. from Morocco and further afield just a few ingredients, pulled
Splashes of colour make the in Africa, Tchaikana has the off a camping stove
wood-beamed guest rooms spirit of a true Marrakesh or earthenware
feel modern, though the rustic caravanserai. Staff can help you brazier.
showers can be temperamental navigate your way here through
(riadnejmalounge.com; 45 Derb the Medina (tchaikana.com;
Sidi M’Hamed el Haj; from £40). Derb el Ferrane 25; from £60).

Fold 2
Beaches
ELAFONISI
One of Crete’s loveliest sandy
beaches is located deep in the
wild southwest of the island,
beyond the craggy mountains
and little villages. This long
The old harbour at stretch is known for its fine pink
Rethymno, on Crete’s
and tan sand, and is separated
northern coast
from the Elafonisi Islet by about
50 metres of knee-deep turquoise
MINI GUIDE water. There are a few snack bars
on the beach and stalls to rent Elafonisi beach lies next to
a protected nature reserve
umbrellas and lounge chairs.
PREVELI VAÏ
Coastal A collage of natural beauty, this
beach is like an exclamation
mark idling at the mouth of the
This is where the South Seas take
a break on an exotic beach of
golden sand backed by a deep
Crete Megalopotamos River at the end
of its meander through the
forest of palm trees. Vaï means
‘palm frond’ and the palms are
rugged Kourtaliotiko Gorge. said to have sprouted from date
Make the most of the glorious beaches on Where the canyon meets the stones cast away by Roman
beach, the stream’s chilly water soldiers or pirates. It’s a popular
this Greek island, take to the seas or explore tumbles through a jungle of palm spot so at peak times either head
the enchanting villages laced with time- trees into a lagoon hemmed in to the south end and follow the
by soft sand and the shimmering rocky path to a less-crammed
worn lanes and taverna-filled harbours. Med. There’s fantastic swimming beach, or head over the hill
plus a snack bar. north for a series of coves.
Villages and towns Activities Fold 1

RETHYMNO OLD WINDSURFING
QUARTER The best windsurfing in Crete is
Wander among charismatic at Kouremenos Beach, north of
Renaissance-era Venetian Palekastro in Sitia. Kouremenos
buildings, sprinkled with exotic is affected by the meltemi – the
features from the Turkish period, summer wind that can blow
and you’ll find romantic, fiercely throughout the Aegean
flower-filled courtyards, idyllic – and, coupled with a local
plazas and cafés within Ottoman funnelling effect, creates some
bathhouses. Walk along the ideal conditions. You can hire
harbour walls past the fishing boards and take lessons from
boats to the landmark 16th- Rethymno is one of the best Freak Windsurf Station (two- Hiking between Lissos and Sougia
preserved towns in Crete on Crete’s southwest coast
century lighthouse. hour lesson £45; freak-surf.com).
AGIOS NIKOLAOS MOHLOS DIVING WALKING

One of the nicest towns in This fishing village, reached by The most popular region for The nine-mile coastal hike from
Crete stands on the shores of the a three-mile winding road from diving is the north coast, where Paleohora to Sougia takes in
gorgeous Mirabello (‘beautiful the Sitia-Agios Nikolaos accessibility and sea conditions breathtaking views over the
view’) Bay. The town has a highway, was once a thriving are most favourable. Agia Libyan Sea, pine forest and
pleasing layout around a small Early Minoan community from Varvara is a small rock island that plateaus carpeted with brush,
harbour and Voulismeni Lake. the period 3000�2000 BC and has plenty of reef fish; El Greco and allows you to delve into the
There’s a cheerful buzz around was joined to the small island Reef hosts octopuses, lobsters past among the Hellenistic,
the lakeside cafés by day and, by that is now 200 metres offshore. and an array of sponges; while Roman and Byzantine ruins at
night, young Greeks and visitors Today it has a small pebble and more advanced divers will want Lissos. Allow six hours – the
from neighbouring resorts grey-sand beach, gift shops and to check out the Messerschmitt route is virtually shadeless so, in
descend to strut the harbourside some of the best tavernas on Bf 109 wreck, which is now home high summer, start at dawn in
catwalk and hang out at the bars. the island, renowned for their to groupers and moray eels (dives order to get to Sougia before the
Pop into the tiny folk museum fish and shellfish – including from £40; diversclub-crete.gr). heat of the day reaches its peak.
by the port to see traditional grilled white bream and, the
handicrafts and costumes. local delicacy, sea urchin salad. TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS

MINI GUIDE
Coastal Crete
Beaches Activities Eating Sleeping
Crete essentials The know-how
PHOTOGRAPHS: SLOW IMAGES/GETTY, NAVE ORGAD/ALAMY, ART OF TRAVEL/ALAMY, ELOUNDA ISLAND VILLAS, HOLGER LEUE/GETTY
TRANSPORT EXPLORING
FURTHER READING
COMPILED BY NATALIE MILLMAN, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM ANDREA SCHULTE�PEEVERS, CHRIS DELISO AND DES HANNIGAN.
Aegean Airlines, BA, easyJet, SOUTHERN CRETE
Germania, Jet2, Monarch Large sections of the island’s Lonely Planet’s Crete
Airlines, Ryanair, Thomas Cook mountainous southern coast (£12.99) is a comprehensive
Airlines and Thomson Airways fly are accessible only by boat. guide to the island and
directly to Chania International The Paleohora–Hora Skafion chapters from the book
can be downloaded at
Airport and Heraklion hop-on, hop-off boat stops at:
lonelyplanet.com (£2.99).
International Airport from O Sougia A laid-back and
To find out more about
numerous UK cities between undeveloped beach resort
sights, beaches and
May and Oct (from £115; with a lovely wide curve of
activities – including an
ryanair.com) – outside the beach and a few tavernas
Elounda Island Villas are set on events calendar – in Crete,
summer months it is best to fly selling quality seafood (£6;
a largely uninhabited peninsula visit incrediblecrete.gr.
via Athens. Hiring a car is a good 40 mins from Paleohora).
James Holland’s Blood
way to get around this huge O Agia Roumeli This tiny
of Honour is an action
island (from £75 per week; A secluded option on beach settlement at the foot
thriller about the WWII’s
budget.co.uk). Smaller boats link Kolokytha Peninsula, Elounda of Samaria Gorge is a welcome
Battle of Crete in May
the towns along Crete’s south Island Villas has 10 split-level sight for anyone who marches
1941 (£7.99; Corgi).
coast, while public buses run apartments, with balconies and six hours down the mountain
across the island (singles from well-equipped kitchens, set amid (£6; 40 mins from Sougia).
£2; bus-service-crete.com). a pleasant garden and decorated O The glittering fishing village
with traditional furnishings of Loutro, tucked between
WHERE TO STAY (eloundaisland.gr; from £55). secluded beaches, is devoid
Anonymous Homestay is a A gorgeous option in the of cars and bikes, making it a
simple but good-value pension in heart of Rethymno, Vetera peaceful escape (£4; 40 mins
the Paleohora area, with private Suites has plenty of character from Agia Roumeli).
bathrooms and shared cooking and attention to detail. The
facilities in the courtyard garden. four suites have hand-picked
It’s a short walk from sandy Pahia antique furniture and neatly
Ammos beach (anonymous concealed kitchenettes
homestay.com; from £20). (vetera.gr; from £70).

Fold 2
Bars and live music

BB KING’S BLUES
CLUB
Listen to live jazz and blues in
this downtown cathedral of
sound, complete with stained-
glass windows and folk-art
portraits of the ‘saints’: Johnny
Lower Broadway, home to Cash, Miles Davis and Elvis. The
honky-tonks and dive bars kitchen serves good soul food,
such as ribs, fried chicken and
MINI GUIDE catfish (bbkingclubs.com; 152
2nd Ave N; 5pm-1am; cover Molly Sue Gonzalez singing at
Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge
charge from £7).
STATION INN TOOTSIE’S ORCHID

Music in Sit at one of the small cocktail
tables, squeezed together on
the worn-wood floor in this
LOUNGE
The most venerated of the
downtown honky-tonks, Tootsie’s
Nashville beer-only dive, illuminated with
stage lights, and neon signs and
is a dive with boot-stomping,
hillbilly, beer-soaked grace. In the
behold the lightening fingers of ’60s, club owner ‘Tootsie’ Bess
For a country-music pilgrimage, take in the the bluegrass savants. We are nurtured Willie Nelson, Kris
talking stand-up bass, banjo, Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings
neon lights of Lower Broadway, a breath of mandolin, fiddle and a modicum on the rise. No-name musicians
beer-perfumed air, and feel the boot-stomping of yodelling. Pizzas, nachos and still play her two stages but it’s
hotdogs provide sustenance not unusual for big stars to stop by
rumble from inside the crowded honky-tonk. (stationinn.com; 402 12th Ave S; for an impromptu jam (tootsies.
open mic 7pm, live bands 9pm). net; 422 Broadway; 10am–late).
Entertainment Heritage Fold 1

GRAND OLE OPRY COUNTRY MUSIC HALL
HOUSE OF FAME AND MUSEUM
Though you’ll find a variety of ‘Honor Thy Music’ is the
country shows throughout the catchphrase of this monumental
week, the performance to see museum, reflecting the near-
is the Grand Ole Opry, a lavish biblical importance of country
tribute to classic Nashville music to Nashville’s soul. See
country music, every Tuesday, Patsy Cline’s cocktail gown,
Friday and Saturday night from Johnny Cash’s guitar and Elvis’s
March to November – and at the gold Cadillac. Also, don’t miss
Ryman Auditorium during winter the walk-in listening booths
(opry.com; 2804 Opryland Dr; Country and bluegrass singer (countrymusichalloffame.org; Boots worn by Jeff Hanna of
Charlie Daniels at Grand Ole Opry the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
tickets from £20). 222 5th Ave S; £16).
NASH TRASH NASHVILLE RYMAN AUDITORIUM RCA STUDIO B

Brash, glittery Nashville is SYMPHONY The so-called ‘Mother Church of Music Row is home to the
proud to have earned itself the The shiny new, yet beautifully Country Music’ has hosted a production companies, agents,
nickname NashVegas. Put on antiquated, Schermerhorn laundry list of 20th-century managers and promoters who run
your rhinestone cowboy boots, Symphony Center hosts performers, from Martha Graham Nashville’s country-music
don your Stetson and join the maestros, the local symphony to Elvis and Katherine Hepburn to industry. Head to the historic
big-haired ‘Jugg Sisters’ on a and pop stars from Randy Travis Bob Dylan. The soaring brick RCA Studio B, to see where Elvis
campy frolic through the risqué to Smokey Robinson and Boyz II tabernacle was built in 1890 – its recorded Are You Lonesome
side of Nashville history, including Men. Calendar highlights for excellent acoustics, historic charm Tonight? and Dolly Parton cut
a drive along legendary Music May include Benjamin Britten’s and 2,000 seating capacity have I Will Always Love You. Tour the
Row. Buy tickets for NashTrash, Epic War Requiem, Natalie Cole, kept it the premier venue in town, studio through the Country Music
a BYO booze tour on a big pink daughter of legendary Nat ‘King’ with big names frequently stopping Hall of Fame’s Studio B Tour
bus, in advance as tours can sell Cole, and Abba The Concert: by (ryman.com; 116 5th Ave N; (countrymusichalloffame.org;
out months ahead (nashtrash. A Tribute to Abba (nashville tours 9am–4pm; tours from £10). 1611 Roy Acuff Pl; tours £26).
com; 772 Harrison St; 90-min symphony.org; 1 Symphony Pl;
tour £23). tickets from free). TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS

MINI GUIDE
Music in Nashville
Tours Entertainment Sights Sleeping
Nashville essentials The know-how

TRANSPORT ROAD TRIPPING
THOMAS/ALAMY, CHRIS HOLLO PHOTOGRAPHIC, COURTESY OF COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM, BRIAN JANNSEN/ALAMY,
Flights to Nashville International O Take a 328-mile drive from
FURTHER READING
COMPILED BY NATALIE MILLMAN, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM AMY BALFOUR. PHOTOGRAPHS: DANITA DELIMONT/GETTY, MARTIN
Airport from the UK go via New Nashville to Memphis for Lonely Planet’s USA
York, Chicago or Atlanta (from musical education. Discover the (£14.99) has a chapter on
£540; virgin-atlantic.com). The birthplace of soul at the Stax the South, which includes
MTA bus 18 links the airport and Museum of American Soul Nashville, and is available to
download at lonelyplanet.
downtown, while the Gray Line Music, and see where the
com (£2.99). Read about
Airport Express (graylinenashville. rockabilly dynasty of Jerry Lee
the CMA Music Festival,
com) serves major downtown and Lewis, Johnny Cash, Elvis and
which takes place 11�14
West End hotels. Greyhound has Roy Orbison (pictured) was born
June 2015 and attracts tens
buses to Nashville from Memphis at Sun Studio and Graceland.
The grand exterior of Nashville’s of thousands of country-
(£26), Birmingham (£30) and O Set in tiny Moore County (the
Union Station Hotel music fans to town at
Atlanta (£21; greyhound.com). smallest in all of Tennessee and
cmafest.com. Founded by
The MTA operates city bus still a dry county) is the state’s
Jack White, Third Man
services based downtown (single Hotel Indigo has a fun, Pop Art most famous product,
Records is based in
£1; nashvillemta.org). Its express look, with an electric blue and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee
Nashville and releases an
buses also go to Music Valley. All lime green colour scheme and a Whiskey. The
eclectic mix of music – see
major car hire companies can be huge mural above the bar. Electric distillery has
thirdmanrecords.com.
found at the airport (from £140 guitars mounted on the lobby tasting tours.
per week; dollar.com). walls and live music remind you O The Hermitage,
you’re in Nashville (ihg.com; the former home of
WHERE TO STAY 301 Union Street; from £141). seventh president
The owners of 1501 Linden Union Station Hotel was Andrew Jackson lies
Manor have filled this Victorian once Nashville’s grand train 15 miles outside
house with antiques collected on station; today it’s downtown’s Nashville. The huge
their world travels. Have egg most iconic hotel. The lobby is all plantation is a peek
TONY GALE/ALAMY
soufflés for breakfast and dip your peach and gold with marble floors into what life was
hand into the cookie jar anytime and a stained-glass ceiling like for a Mid-South
(nashville-bed-breakfast.com; (unionstationhotelnashville.com; gentleman farmer
1501 Linden Ave; from £80). 1001 Broadway; from £270). in the 19th century.

COMPETITION
WIN a road trip in British Columbia!

Worth
£4,000
Sonora Resort – the island

is named after a Spanish
schooner that explored the
Pacific Northwest in 1775
Lonely Planet Traveller has teamed up

with Canada tour specialist Canadian Sky
and Destination British Columbia to offer
THE PRIZE
one lucky reader and their guest a six-day X Return economy flights for two from London to Vancouver
self-driving holiday in British Columbia.
Having flown into Vancouver, a X Six days’ car hire with insurance included
city renowned for its Asian-influenced
cuisine, local arts scene and surrounding X Two nights at the Georgian Court Hotel, Vancouver
natural beauty, you will spend two nights
at the Georgian Court Hotel, and be X Two nights’ full board at Relais & Châteaux’s Sonora
handed the keys to your hire car to start Resort, plus one-hour eco-adventure tour, spa vouchers,
exploring the area. access to virtual golf course, cinema and tennis courts
On day three, you will drive to Campbell
River, from where a water taxi will take you X One night at Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria
to Relais & Châteaux’s luxury wilderness
property of Sonora Resort in the Discovery X Return ferry crossings and water taxis included
Islands. During your two nights at Sonora
you will be treated to gourmet meals, an eco- HOW TO ENTER
adventure tour, spa sessions and free access
to the resort’s many amenities, including To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize, fill in your details online at
mineral pools and fly-fishing ponds. lonelyplanet.com/magazine/competitions. Competition closes at 11.59pm on 17 May 2015.
Your final night’s stay is at the Fairmont
Empress Hotel in British Columbia’s capital
CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
Victoria, where you can enjoy the city’s 1. The promoter of this competition is Immediate Media Company London Limited. 2. The prize includes return economy flights for two from London Heathrow or
colonial architecture, museums, and Gatwick to Vancouver, six days’ car hire with insurance included, two nights at the Georgian Court Hotel in Vancouver, two nights’ full board at Sonora Resort, plus
a one-hour eco-adventure tour, spa vouchers, free access to fly-fishing lake, virtual golf course, cinema, pool and tennis courts, one night at Fairmont Empress Hotel
independent shops and bars. in Victoria, return ferry crossings and water taxis. 3. Travel is permissible from 18 May – 22 June 2015, 1 May – 22 June 2016, and 26 August – 15 October 2015 or 2016.
Sonora is not available during the following dates in 2015 only: 8�10 June, 7�9 July, 25�26 August, 9�14 September, 18�19 September 2015. Travel must be taken
by 15 October 2016. Both hotel and flights are subject to availability. 4. The prize does not include travel insurance, visas (if applicable), additional meals and
refreshments, UK transfers, optional activities, spending money or transfers in Vancouver .Hire car is available from the airport, if winners would like it to be delivered
to their hotel, they must cover the cost to get to the hotel. 5. The winner or their guest must be at least 21 years old and hold a full driving licence to be able to
drive the hire car and have a credit card in their name for the refundable car hire deposit. The other person needs to be at least 18 years old. Both require a valid
10-year UK passport, with six months or more remaining after return to the UK. 6. For full terms and conditions, visit lonelyplanet.com/magazine/competitions.

Travel Quiz
What on Earth?
2
Bohol, home to
the Chocolate Hills,
is a province of
which country?
3
In which country
1
Where should you be careful of
getting soaked during Songkran
do people
celebrate King’s
Day on 27 April
by dressing in
orange?
festivities, beginning 13 April?
6
You change
4
What political fact
do Brazil, Germany, your GBP into
Jamaica, South Korea MAD, take
and 13 other a four-hour
countries currently have
in common?
5
Which two
countries dispute
direct flight, and step out
in the same time zone as
the UK. Where are you?
ownership of the
pisco sour?
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC/GETTY, JUSTIN FOULKES/BANANA PANCAKE, I�STOCK, BRIAN KLUTCH/GETTY,

COMPILED BY RORY GOULDING. PHOTOGRAPHS: MICHELE FALZONE/AWL IMAGES, MELISSA FARLOW/
JEREMY LIEBMAN/GETTY, LOURENS SMAK/ALAMY, UPPERCUT IMAGES/GETTY, GARY YEOWELL/GETTY

8
Outside the Which 268�mile walking
UK and its
components,
9 trail, running from Edale
in Derbyshire to Kirk
7
five Yetholm in the Scottish
European countries Borders, officially turns 50 in April?
have English names
Which US ending in ‘land’ – can
state hosts you name them?
a famous two-
minute horse
race on the first
Saturday in May?
5� CHILE AND PERU. 6� MOROCCO. 7� KENTUCKY �THE KENTUCKY DERBY�. 8� FINLAND, ICELAND, IRELAND, POLAND AND SWITZERLAND � THE NETHERLANDS JUST MISS OUT. 9� THE PENNINE WAY.
1� MAINLY THAILAND, ALTHOUGH NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES ENJOY SIMILAR FESTIVALS. 2� THE PHILIPPINES. 3� THE NETHERLANDS. 4� THEY ALL HAVE ELECTED FEMALE HEADS OF STATE OR HEADS OF GOVERNMENT.
YOU WANT ANSWERS?

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mountains open up a world that is out of the ordinary, never ceasing to amaze you.
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the CL family, which can be kept in any pocket and constantly impress with their
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EDITOR’S LETTER

PETER GRUNERT, EDITOR

called the Beginner’s Guide (p96). O Follow us on Twitter

May 2015 Lonely Planet Traveller 3

Restaurants Great Escape Tuscany

Easy Trips p39

4 Lonely Planet Traveller May 2015

May 2015 Lonely Planet Traveller 5

NEED TO GET IN TOUCH? Behind the Scenes

CONSUMER TRAVEL PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR

Lonely Planet Traveller is produced for LPG, Inc (part of the

6 Lonely Planet Traveller May 2015

May 2015 Lonely Planet Traveller 7

Jampey Lhakhang Drup

Ross Kennedy is from Scotland

May 2015 Lonely Planet Traveller 9

Peter Staines and fiancée Nicola

10 Lonely Planet Traveller May 2015

The materials used to

GRÜNER SEE, AUSTRIA

Mark Rettig, a German living in

May 2015 Lonely Planet Traveller 13

NEW ORLEANS, USA

Olga Nikolskaya lives in London

Samantha Siahaan is a graphic

May 2015 Lonely Planet Traveller 15

KENAI FJORDS, USA

Trish Conti is from Enfield, London,

Suradee Thongkiattikul works as a

16 Lonely Planet Traveller May 2015

STEP 1 Address details LPP515

Home tel number

STEP 2 Payment options

INSTRUCTION TO This is not part of the instruction to

Name of your bank or building society Sort code

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Cheque/credit card/debit card:

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• Plug in or stream music

TURN OVER FOR ELENA’S LOCAL TIPS

May 2015 Lonely Planet Traveller 21

X Don’t miss the sculptures along the

X San Sebastián is a wonderful city to enjoy with

X There are two food markets – La Brexta

X For a drink I enjoy the Museo del Whisky

22 Lonely Planet Traveller May 2015

DISCOVER THE HOLY LAND

To speak to an expert or request a brochure,

24 Lonely Planet Traveller May 2015

KEEP IT REAL London

May 2015 Lonely Planet Traveller 25

park are to be sold to raise Both shown on Sky Atlantic.

26 Lonely Planet Traveller May 2015

sho vint spire

TOURIST AT TR ACTIONS OF THE FUTURE

May 2015 Lonely Planet Traveller 27

Restaurants with rooms

The White Barn Inn MAINE, USA

28 Lonely Planet Traveller May 2015

Can Curreu IBIZA, SPAIN

Babylonstoren WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA

Caribbean Cuisine TOP DEAL

For more information visit ba.com/thecrane

L�� A Maasai boy leads his