I THE UK’S #1 TRAVEL MAGAZINE

21 adventures
UK EDITION // JUL/AUG 2021 // £4.95 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/TRAVEL

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GUATEMALA • JAPAN • MEXICO • NEPAL
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TURKEY • VIETNAM • ZAMBIA • & MORE

Sardinia
Discover turquoise coves & historic
HONG KONG
AUSTRALIA
UTAH
+
treasures on Italy’s wildest island
Dominican Republic
From cigar workshops to surf shacks:
WIN!
A LUXURY ISLAND
life on the dazzling Amber Coast ESCAPE TO RHODES

ALSO: BASEL // COVENTRY // FROME // GIRONA // LYON // JOHANNESBURG// THE NETHERLANDS // NEW YORK
Taste the passion.
This is proper food: made with skill and care, by people who love what they do,
in a beautiful place. Real food, real drink, real Wales.

gov.wales/foodanddrinkwales
This is Wales.

f FoodDrinkWales T @FoodDrinkWales Food_Drink_Wales

 More than just an
extraordinary setting
THE OMNIA
is a uniquely wonderful
experience.
Come and see for yourself.

30 Rooms including 12 Suites

Library with a fireplace
Restaurant
Lounge Bar
Sun Terrace
Boardroom
Wellness Center

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

 BY APPOINTMENT TO
HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II
SWAROVSKI OPTIK
SUPPLIER OF BINOCULARS

NL PURE 32
ONE WITH
NATURE
SEE THE UNSEEN
 Jul/Aug
2021
Contents

112
70 21 adventures
Kayaking off Canada’s wild
west coast, walking with
giraffes in Zambia, riding
the Trans-Siberian Railway
and plenty more besides
— we bring you a host of
unforgettable experiences to
inspire your next big getaway
I NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC T R AVE LLER IS THE UK’S #1 TR AVEL MAGA ZINE BY SUBSCRIPTIONS
88 Utah
Open skies, rocky landscapes
and an outdoor cinema make for
a road trip of a lifetime
102 Australia
To follow the winding course
of the Murray River is to trace a
path through a nation’s past
112 Dominican Republic
With its paradise beaches, the
country’s less-trodden north
coast is a Caribbean treasure
122 Johannesburg Issue 94
The ‘City of Gold’ has a new
allure thanks to a rich cultural Hiking in Torres del Paine
scene and mouth-watering food National Park, southern
Patgonia, Chile
IMAGE: Getty

Jul/Aug 2021 9
 Jul/Aug
2021
Contents

50 56 146
SMART TRAVELLER 39 The word TRAVEL GEEKS
Everest as you’ve never seen it before
19 Snapshot 130 Travel Geeks
Beside the seaside in Brighton 40 Kit list The experts’ travel manual
The best technology for your travels
20 Big picture 136 Remote working
Strolling with sheep in Poland 43 Competition We meet the travellers who have taken
Win a five-night luxury stay in Greece their work with them
23 Art and soul
All eyes on Coventry, the UK City of Culture 45 Author series GET IN TOUCH
Craig Taylor on New York City
25 Heritage heroes 36 Subscriptions
Restoring some of our most ancient sites 46 Meet the adventurer Make the most of our latest offer
Mark Synnott on scaling the world’s summits
27 Food 145 Inbox
The flavours of Singapore’s cuisine 48 Online Your letters, emails and tweets
Weekly highlights from the websites
29 On the trail 146 Your pictures
A taste of Lyon’s famous bouchons INSIDER This month’s best travel photos
31 Rooms 50 Weekender: Sardinia
The best boutique beds in Girona Ancient ruins, local cras and watersports DON’T MISS
await on an escape to the Italian island
32 Family 44 Photography Competition 2021
Where to go glamping in Monmouthshire 56 Eat: Zeeland Final call for entries — enter your travel
Long shaped by the water, the Dutch region’s shots to win an incredible grand prize
34 Inside guide cuisine goes big on the bounties of the sea
Getting cultural in Basel 142 National Geographic
62 Sleep: Hong Kong Traveller Food Festival
37 Stay at home From smart urban pads to tucked-away Don’t miss our celebration of food and travel
Boutiques and bakeries in Frome retreats, the ultimate hotel guide to the city this summer

GO ONLINE VISIT NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/TRAVEL FOR NEW TRAVEL FEATURES DAILY

10 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 MOC.ODAR
MASTER OF MATERIALS

DISCOVER AND FEEL

THE RADO HIGH-TECH CERAMIC DIFFERENCE!

FEEL IT
CAPTAIN COOK HIGH-TECH CERAMIC
 Contributors
Nicky Evans
Water is a fact of life in the Netherlands,
nowhere more so than in Zeeland. Many
of the province’s restaurants were closed
during my visit, but eating fresh, barbecued
lobster at the roadside was one of those
experiences that I’ll cherish. ZEELAND P.56
Aaron Millar
Taking an Airstream trailer on an American
road trip has long been a dream of mine
— they’re the perfect match for the vast
landscapes of Utah. I expected adventure
and incredible views, but the driving itself
was just as spectacular. UTAH P.88
David Whitley
Following Australia’s Murray River turned
into a journey that told the story of a
nation — I learned about everything from
Aboriginal culture and wildlife to wool
industry heritage and environmental
protection. AUSTRALIA P.102
Francesco Lastrucci
Exploring the Dominican Republic’s lesser-
known north coast enabled me to meet
a range of extroverted characters, telling
stories of lush natural landscapes and
colourful towns and cities, rich in history
and adventures. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC P.112
Jess Nicholson
Even a few days in Johannesburg is full of
unexpected tales and warm hospitality. No
matter what’s thrown at this city, it always
seems to remain determinedly resilient.
The streets seem to yearn to welcome
travellers back. JOHANNESBURG P.122
12 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
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 The city
where
the parks
areofworks
art.
Millennium Park,
Chicago
 Editor’s
letter Covid19

I
The ongoing pandemic continues
to affect travel. Please note,
f there’s one thing that lockdown has deprived us of prices and travel advice are
above all else, it’s adventure. And I don’t mean scaling subject to change. Contact your
sheer rock faces or trekking across deserts, just the travel provider for the most up-
to-date information. For the latest
literal dictionary definition: an unusual or exciting news on safe travel and border
experience. Life since the coronavirus outbreak has been restrictions, visit gov.uk/fcdo
both hard and humdrum, but with more travel corridors
set to open and vaccination programmes continuing
apace, at least we can start planning in earnest.
Research from Mintel in May found that almost one in
fi ve UK travellers is currently gearing up for ‘a trip of a DON’T MISS
lifetime’ when the pandemic abates — nearly double the
number who were making such plans in 2019.
Quite what those trips will be we don’t know, but our
cover story this issue (p.70) will hopefully offer you some
inspiration for your own post-Covid getaways. We asked
our writers for their favourite adventures and, having Reader Awards 2021
whittled down the suggestions, we’ve curated a It’s time for you to have your say. It’s not
spectacular list that spans the Earth’s four corners. been the easiest year, but we’re looking to
Whether it’s seeking out Colombia’s Lost City, bush reward the hard-working heroes of the travel
industry. Who’s got your vote? (p.16)
camping in Queensland or cycling along the banks of
the Mekong River, these are 21 trips for your wish list
— and most require nothing more than a pair of sturdy
boots and, yes, the desire for a truly unusual or SUBSCRIBE TODAY
exciting experience.
PAT RIDDELL, EDITOR
@patriddell
@patriddell

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 JOIN US ON:
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READER AWARDS 2021

READER AWARDS
2021

Y T TEG :EGAM I

16 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

VOTE
ONLINE
TO WIN ONE
OF THESE
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WE WANT TO HEAR
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Looking back at a year like no other, the 2021 Reader
Awards will ask you to vote for the destinations that
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had you itching to travel again. We want to reward
the companies that gained or retained your trust and
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Cast your votes for a chance to win one of 23 fantastic
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THE PRIZES
A WEEK’S STAY AT A TRULLO
VILLA IN PUGLIA, ITALY
You and five friends can spend a week
at beautiful Trulli Olea, one of Puglia’s
distinctive conical-roof houses, complete
with private pool. Set in the countryside near
the whitewashed hilltop town of Cisternino,
Olea has a gorgeous shady gazebo for al
fresco dining, hammock-strung terraces,
a farmhouse kitchen and three separate
apartment bedrooms decked out with local
handicras. relaxpuglia.com
A THREENIGHT GUIDED UK
WALKING BREAK
Team up with your favourite walking partner
to enjoy a three-night guided walking holiday
with HF Holidays, whose trips involve a stay in
country houses nationwide. Up to three walks
a day, ranging from easy, medium to hard, are
led by an experienced HF Holidays Leader. On
your return, refuel in comfort with full-board
accommodation at your chosen HF country
house. holidays.co.uk
£300 CITALIA VOUCHER
With 90 years’ experience, Citalia’s carefully
curated trips span 300 hand-picked hotels,
bespoke cultural itineraries, beach breaks,
and exclusive train journeys. So, whether you
dream of a Tuscan road trip or an indulgent
Sicilian beach break, these travel vouchers,
and Citalia’s expertise, will help you get there.
citalia.com
20 FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS
Fancy a year’s worth of National Geographic
Traveller (UK) for free? Well, we’ve got 20
subscriptions to give away — so get voting.
THE WINNERS
Winners announced in the Jan/Feb 2022
issue. Voting and prize draw close 30
September 2021 at 23:59 GMT and are open
to residents of the UK and Ireland aged 18 and
over. Prizes subject to availability. Full T&Cs:
nationalgeographic.co.uk/reader-awards
Jul/Aug 2021 17
SMART TRAVELLER
What’s new // Food // On the trail // R uide // Stay at home // e word

SNAPSHOT
Catriona Bellingham,
Brighton, England
I met Cat on a cold day on Brighton Beach — it
was during lockdown and the beach was quiet,
except for Cat (and her dog waiting patiently on
the shore). Originally from Glasgow, Cat has lived
in Brighton for more than 15 years, working as a
community nurse with patients living with HIV.
She told me she finds solace in her open-water
swims, having graduated from ‘summer-only’
dips to year-round swims with no wetsuit.
HOLLY WREN // PHOTOGRAPHER
hollywren.com
@holly_wren

Jul/Aug 2021 19
SMART TRAVELLER

BIG PICTURE
Maniowy, Poland
Shepherds march with their sheep as part
of the annual southern Polish tradition of
redyk, or the ‘trailing of the sheep’. Each
summer, the sheep are taken high into the
mountains to graze. The shepherds sleep
in small wooden huts without electricity
or running water and rely solely on what
nature provides to survive. They then return
in October, leading their flocks through
the villages to music and cheering. The
locals are always happy to welcome them
back — despite the traffic the flocks cause.
BARTŁOMIEJ JURECKI // PHOTOGRAPHER
jurecki.com
@bartlomiejjurecki

20 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
SMART TRAVELLER
 Book your place, call:
01621 744 902
www.premiersailingracing.co.uk
 SMART TRAVELLER

ANCIENT SITES
HERITAGE HEROES
From Italy to Indonesia, major restoration works are underway
to preserve and improve some of the world’s most historic sites
TURKEY
Ancient artefacts are
still being unearthed
in the city of Laodicea
on the Lycus, and
restorations of its
15,000-seat theatre are
nearing completion.
Work on the theatre,
which dates to the
second century BC,
is due to wrap up this
summer; it’ll be marked
with a celebratory art
event. goturkiye.com

Italy
It’s seen beasts, battles and bloody executions,
and now the world’s most iconic arena is
seeing… a floor. An architecture company
has won a contract to restore the Colosseum’s
floor to its former glory and allow visitors to
admire the 1,950-year-old edifice from its
centre, where gladiators once fought. Set for
completion in 2023, the 32,300sq  surface
will be made up of hundreds of wooden slats
that can retract to let light and air into the
chambers beneath — the same spaces where
gladiators and wild animals would wait before
entering the arena. parcocolosseo.it/en
Indonesia
Coral reefs are among the planet’s oldest
ecosystems, but they face a perilous future.
At the Sheba Hope Reef, off the island of
Sulawesi, 19,000 reef stars, seeded with
285,000 coral fragments, have been planted
as part of what’s hailed as the world’s biggest
coral restoration project. The scheme is led by
cat food brand Sheba, whose aim to ensure a
sustainable fish population benefits our feline
friends, as well as the 500 million people
whose livelihoods depend on reefs. Check out
Y T T E G :SEGAM I
England
Hadrian’s Wall marks its
1,900th anniversary next year
and is set to receive £30m in
government and charity funding,
with the goal of improving
transport links and upgrading
visitor centres. It’s hoped the wall
will become one of the nation’s
top landmarks. Key to the strategy
is its Game of Thrones connection
— the Wall in George R R Martin’s
novels was inspired by a visit to
the site. english-heritage.org.uk
France
Aer numerous setbacks
following the 2019 blaze, the
restoration of Notre-Dame
cathedral is set to pick up the
pace this summer. Charity
Friends of Notre-Dame de
Paris has set up an appeal for A grotesque at
donations to help preserve the the Notre-Dame
church’s treasures. Donors can cathedral, Paris
ABOVE: View of
choose where their money goes Rome’s Colosseum,
— whether it’s on artworks, holy

which will be fitted

the channel on YouTube, where a percentage relics or the famous grotesques. with a floor for the first
of the revenue from adverts helps to fund the restorenotredame.org time since the 1700s
project. shebahopegrows.com CONNOR MCGOVERN

Jul/Aug 2021 23
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 SMART TRAVELLER

COVENTRY
ART AND SOUL
The West Midlands city is embracing its artistic side as UK
City of Culture 2021 with a packed programme of events

The self-proclaimed ‘city of peace and From October onwards, COVENTRY

reconciliation’, Coventry proudly dons the
UK City of Culture crown for 2021, kicking off
with COVENTRY MOVES on 5 June — a city-
wide display of dance, music and visual arts.
Running until May 2022, the city’s
programme of performing arts, music and
more will affirm its status as a booming arts
hub. Case in point is the esteemed British
arts accolade THE TURNER PRIZE — from
29 September, its exhibition of nominated
artists will be on show at the Herbert Art
Gallery & Museum until 12 January, and the
winner will be revealed on 1 December. New
food hall FACTORY gets ready to move into
creative quarter FarGo Village, while the
annual BBC poetry and spoken word festival
CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE makes its West
Midlands debut from 23 to 26 September,
with the billing celebrating bright sparks
from the city and beyond. theherbert.org
MOC.YHPARGOTOHPHTIMSKCIN ;YMALA :SEGAMI
BIENNIAL presents a four-month-long
programme of visual art and culture,
highlighting the legacies of local activism
from the 1960s to the present day. Meanwhile,
in the same month, SOUND SYSTEMS is a
music festival that leans on Coventry’s proud
ties with its twinned city, Kingston, Jamaica.
Further music can be found in November DON’T MISS
as two-week digital arts event RANDOM
STRING FESTIVAL , focused on the sights and NEW OPENINGS
sounds of the Coventry Canal, provides a
series of workshops and performances in TELEGRAPH HOTEL
association with the Canal & River Trust. Set in the former newsroom of the
coventrybiennial.com randomstring.co Coventry Telegraph, this hotel offers
Perhaps Coventry’s most poignant event 88 1960s-inspired rooms, a restaurant
comes on 27 October, as a 11.5ſt-tall puppet of and a rooftop bar. The Lord Iliffe Suite
pays homage to the newspaper’s
a young refugee arrives in the city. Starting founder. telegraph-hotel.com
its journey at the Syria-Turkey border, Little
Amal will arrive in Coventry for THE WALK,
which is sure to tap into those reconciliatory
BELGRADE CAFÉ & NINETEEN 58 BAR

The adjoining cafe and upstairs bar

fargovillage.co.uk values. coventry2021.co.uk RICHARD FRANKS of the listed theatre have both had
an extensive refurbishment. Expect
a laid-back atmosphere and locally
sourced food. belgrade.co.uk
GET THE GUIDE
111 Places In Coventry That You Shouldn’t Miss is the HMV EMPIRE
After a move to a city-centre venue
ultimate guide for uncovering Coventry’s secrets. with a larger capacity, The Empire is
set to continue hosting headline acts.
Highlights include quirky tributes to city heroine Look out for City of Culture events
Lady Godiva, the building shaped like an elephant here, too. coventryempire.co.uk

and the Boxing Hall of Fame. (Emons, RRP: £13.99)

Jul/Aug 2021 25
 Travel with the West African Experts

Central office contact:

Main offices in Togo and Senegal.

666 Rue Moyama LOME, TOGO
Phone +228 22 21 68 23
transafrica@transafrica.biz
www.transafrica.biz
Operational staff in Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau,
Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mauritania, Morocco, Sierra Leone.
All our tours and expeditions are sold in the UK by:
Native Eye www. nativeeyetravel.com
Undiscovered Destinations www.undiscovered-destinations.com
 SMART TRAVELLER

ESSENTIAL
INGREDIENT
Belachan is a fermented
shrimp paste that’s
integral to most
Southeast Asian cuisines
and usually comes as
a block you crumble
and toast or roast. It’s
pungent and adds a salty,
rich, shrimp flavour to
dishes like sambal.

A TASTE OF
SINGAPORE
Wheth aksa or kaya toast, ELIZABETH
Singaporean cuisine is full of flavour. HAIGH is head chef
and founder of Mei
Elizabeth Haigh selects her highlights Mei in London, and
author of Makan.
meimei.uk

In Singapore it’s very common to greet each
other with “Are you hungry?” or “Shall we
get some food?” rather than “Hello, how are
you?”. We live by our stomachs and are very
proud of it, too.
Singapore is a hub for all sorts of cuisines.
The Peranakan Chinese or Straits-born
Chinese are the descendants of immigrants
from the southern provinces of China, who
settled in Malaysia and Singapore. Their
unique fusion food combines Chinese
with influences from Malay, Indian, Thai,
Indonesian, Dutch, Portuguese and, of
course, English cuisine.
Peranakan men refer to themselves as
‘Baba’ (Uncle), while women are ‘Nonya’
(Auntie). It’s no surprise the cuisine is called
Nonya aſter the women: the matriarchal
recipes are passed down from generation
to generation and every woman is expected
to master them. Nonya food is tangy,
M A H K R I K S I R K :EGAM I
I adore this cuisine because it really
plays on your tongue with multiple sweet
and sour notes.
Singapore’s hawker centres are home
to the best food stalls in the world. These
Aunties and Uncles each specialise in one
dish, and make and sell it until they retire.
Some of the hawkers specialise in barbecue
dishes, such as belachan fish wrapped up
in aromatic banana leaves or otak-otak
(fish cake) or satays.
When visiting Singapore, we order satays
by the dozens — of mutton, chicken or beef
— and sit outdoors for hours eating them
with buckets of beers, until the mosquitoes
start to pinch. Satays to me are the most
satisfying bite from a barbecue because you
can slather them with sticky, rich peanut
sauce or have them plain with a good
squeeze of lime juice (go for calamansi lime,
if you can get hold of them). For me, it’s pure
MUST-TRY DISHES
NONYA LAKSA
This spicy noodle soup packs a
punch. Variations include asam
curry or Nonya laksa; the latter is
usually made with chicken bones
and topped with prawns.
KAYA TOAST BREAKFAST
Kaya is a coconut jam/curd that’s
spread on toast along with plenty of
butter. It’s traditionally served with
soſt-boiled eggs, a dash of soy sauce
and ground white pepper.
CHENDOL
This dessert comprises a mountain
of ground shaved ice topped
with coconut cream, gula melaka
(coconut palm sugar) and chendol

aromatic, spicy and herbal; the curry
dishes are more on the fragrant side than
just powerful spice heat. Key ingredients
are coconut milk, lemongrass, tamarind,
galangal and turmeric.
happiness on a stick. (green mung bean jelly).
This is an edited extract from Makan:
Recipes from the Heart of Singapore, by
Elizabeth Haigh, published by Bloomsbury ABOVE: Chicken satay, a mainstay of
Absolute (RRP: £26). Singaporean barbecues

Jul/Aug 2021 27
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 SMART TRAVELLER

5
2

3 CAFÉ DES FÉDÉRATIONS 5 LES FINES GUEULES

Tucked away down an alleyway,
ON THE TRAIL
LYON
this rustic restaurant is
something of a local institution,
its wood-panelled exterior and
white curtains unchanged for
decades. Equally timeless is the
menu, which features dishes
that span generations. The
The bouchon — a rustic restaurant serving extensive wine list could come
hearty local fare — is a true symbol of in handy when summoning
the courage to order the tête de
Lyon. Loosen your belt and take in some veau (calf’s head). restaurant-
of the city’s best. Words: James March cafedesfederations-lyon.fr
Cross the River Saône and amble
into the backstreets of Lyon’s old
town, Vieux Lyon. Here, you’ll
find the sumptuous Les Fines
Gueules, the brainchild of chef
Joël Salzi, which offers excellent
regional cooking in a tourist-
centric part of town (it’s next
door to an English-style pub);
finish a meal here off in style
with Salzi’s colourful ice cream
and meringue vacherin dessert.
fines-gueules.fr

1 DANIEL ET DENISE CRÉQUI
Start in the Part-Dieu
neighbourhood, where the
distinctive red awning of Daniel
et Denise Créqui marks one of
the finest bouchons in town.
There’s a certain homely charm
EKAAH NITRAM :NOITARTSULLI
2 LE BOUCHON DES CORDELIERS
Head across the Rhône on Pont
Lafayette to the Presqu’île
area and follow your nose to
Le Bouchon des Cordeliers.
With a contemporary interior,
this is a bastion of traditional
4 LE BOUCHON DES FILLES
A short walk north lies the
female-owned Le Bouchon des
Filles, keeping up a centuries-old
Lyon tradition of professional
kitchens run by women. Having
first met while waitressing at the
6 CAFÉ COMPTOIR ABEL
Follow the Saône south to what
might be the city’s most revered
bouchon. With its antique
wooden furniture, waxed floor
and vintage bric-a-brac, the
Café Comptoir Abel makes

to this restaurant with its
hanging copper warming pans
and elegant wood panelling, and
as for the food — Viola’s award-
winning pâté en croûte is one of
many enticing reasons to stop by.
danieletdenise.fr
bouchon fare that’s packed with
classics like quenelle lyonnaise
au brochet (a pike dumpling in a
creamy Nantua sauce, made with
crayfish) and tarte aux pralines
(a tart made with pink praline).
bouchondescordeliers.com
Café des Fédérations, Laura Vildi
and Isabelle Comerro teamed
up to open a bouchon of their
own. The menu is authentic but
not as calorie-heavy as those
of the more traditional spots.
lebouchondesfilles.com
claims it dates back to 1726
seem entirely plausible. The
menu showcases the best of
Lyonnaise cuisine, including
some of the finest quenelles to be
found in the city. maisonabel.fr
lesbouchonslyonnais.org

Jul/Aug 2021 29
 SMART TRAVELLER

PALAU DELS ALEMANYS

Set within a medieval annexe to the Roman
city wall, close to the cathedral, the location of
this inner-city sanctuary is hard to beat. Stone
arches and beamed ceilings meet pared-back
design and individually styled suites. Admire
the surrounds from Jimmy’s Bar — named
aer the jazz trumpeter Enric ‘Jimmy’ Rosell
— which features a section of the Roman wall.
From €170 (£147). allotjamentsingular.com
MONTJUÏC BOUTIQUE B&B
This neoclassical villa, perched on a hillside
above the old town, is home to just a handful
of guest rooms, whose terraces have views of
the city and Pyrenees. Breakfasts highlight
the produce of local farmers, and guided
experiences range from ‘gastro-botany’
walks to yoga. Don’t miss the saltwater pool.
From €125 (£108), B&B. montjuicbb.com
MAS CARRERAS 1846
A 15-minute drive from the city, this 11-room
former farmhouse retains original elements,
including the old cellar. Rooms pair exposed
stone walls with fresh interior design and
painted frescoes. There’s also a large lounge
area and a kitchen, which spills out onto a
terrace and pool garden. From €159 (£137),
B&B. mascarreras1846.com LAUREN JADE HILL

WHERE TO STAY
GIRONA A tribute to chocolate leads the
Catalan city’s boutique hotel offering
DETATS ESIWREHTO SSELNU ,YLNO MOOR ,SELBUOD DRADNATS ROF ERA DETOUQ SETAR LLA

CASA CACAO
Part chocolate factory, part hotel, Casa Cacao is the
realisation of chef Jordi Roca’s dream of opening a site
dedicated to a bean-to-bar chocolate experience. Opened
in February 2020 on a quiet street off Plaça Catalunya in
Girona’s old town, the hotel is a temple to the dark stuff.
From the street, passersby peer into the glass-fronted
SUERC-LOJUP NAOJ ;AÍREVALCSÉRREFAERDNA :SEGAMI

chocolate factory. Inside, is a shop-cum-cafe where you

can sample chocolate from six different places of origin,
as well as colourful bonbons with imaginative fillings and
drinking chocolate on tap.
Spread across three floors upstairs are 15 spacious
suites, as well as indoor-outdoor rooop lounge La
Terrassa, which overlooks the old town. Each suite is,
naturally, decked out in cocoa tones, and features ceramics
and furnishings made by local artisans. The indulgent FROM TOP: Exposed
breakfast, meanwhile, features regional ingredients that stone walls at Mas
Carreras 1846; El Far
champion Catalonia, such as goat’s cheese, ibérico ham Junior Suite, Montjuïc
and black truffle. Snacks including brioche and cold cuts Boutique B&B; Junior
are offered with vermouth late into the evening. Sweet Suite Cacao Bean,
dreams. From €250 (£215), B&B. casacacaogirona.com Casa Cacao

Jul/Aug 2021 31
SMART TRAVELLER

FAMILY
TAKE IT
OUTSIDE
Pick a quirky campsite in South
Wales this summer for outdoor
cinema screenings and nights
spent in castle grounds
Is your back-to-basics family camping trip in need of an
upgrade? You’re not the only one. The trend for glammed-
up camping has taken off since the first yurts started
popping up in the early noughties — so much so that
‘glamping’ (a portmanteau of ‘glamorous’ and ‘camping’)
was officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary
in 2016. As for where to go, head to the picture-perfect
glamping hotspot of Monmouthshire, on the Wales-
England border. Accommodation can range from vintage
shepherd’s huts with fitted kitchens to grand safari
tents with four-poster beds or high-end treehouses with
wraparound balconies. And that’s only half the fun: a
glamping getaway is mainly about the experiences that
come with it, whether those are sunrise yoga sessions or
wild swimming.
Away from the glampsite you’ll discover a county of
historic woodland, rolling hills and crumbling castles.
Many of the latter are free to visit, too, including
Abergavenny, Caldicot, Chepstow, Monmouth and
Raglan Castles. Pick of the bunch is the former Middle
Ages stronghold of Caldicot Castle. This summer, it’s
hosting outdoor cinema experiences, and you can catch
the likes of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (22
July) or Mamma Mia! (23 July) on large screens at the
medieval fortress. Run in collaboration with outdoor
cinema events specialist Adventure Cinema, it’s part of a
nationwide tour of iconic venues.
Elsewhere around the country, a number of operators,
An Iranian alachigh tent at including Quality Unearthed and Original Cottages, have
Penhein Glamping added flexible Covid-19 terms to their bookings, and with
ABOVE: Interior of an adventure playgrounds, stream-paddling and enchanting
alachigh tent, Penhein boltholes in the mix, the kids are sure to love their
Glamping stay, too. qualityunearthed.co.uk originalcottages.co.uk
adventurecinema.co.uk HELEN WARWICK

TAKE THREE: MONMOUTHSHIRE GLAMPSITES

CASTLE KNIGHTS HIDDEN VALLEY YURTS PENHEIN GLAMPING
Admire the ruins of Usk Castle from any of Set in a wooded valley amid wildflower A working farm near Chepstow sets the scene
seven different cabins. These range from the meadows are five yurts — three sleeping for this glampsite and its clutch of Iranian
Shepherds Cabin (sleeping two) to the Yurt and seven, two sleeping five — and a spruced-up alachigh tents. Inside the dome-like pods are
YASDNIL YROR :SEGAMI

the fortress-like Glyndwr Fort (both sleeping cricket pavilion that’s now a two-bed bolthole. beds, mini kitchens and stargazing windows.
four) and include cosy beds and furniture. All have proper, sturdy beds. There’s also a Natural springs supply the sink and there’s a
There’s also a communal kitchen and hire bikes. campfire nook and a wood-fired-pizza oven. wood-burning stove for al fresco dinners.
HOW TO DO IT: From £80 a night. HOW TO DO IT: From £375 for three nights. HOW TO DO IT: From £140 a night (minimum
castleknights.co.uk hiddenvalleyyurts.co.uk stay two nights). penhein.co.uk

32 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 SAFARI ESCAPES
IN THE KENT COUNTRYSIDE

USE CODE GIRAFFE20 TO SAVE 20% ON DAY VISITS AND SELECTED STAYCATIONS

VISIT | STAY | DINE

ASPINALLFOUNDATION.ORG/DEALS
SMART TRAVELLER

BASEL
INSIDE GUIDE

Sitting on the banks of the Rhine, the Swiss city champions ingenuity
in art, architecture and food, and thrums with a vibrant cafe culture

Bold architecture, avant-garde art and a ra of world-
class galleries — Basel is a city equally busy making
cultural waves as it is at the helm of the country’s biotech
and pharmaceutical industries. Given its riverside
location, at the point where Switzerland, Germany and
France converge, it also embraces the great outdoors and
has a food scene that dives into creative waters.
Before all that, however, a freshly roasted coffee is
order of the morning at retro-flavoured CAFÉ FRÜHLING in
the riverfront Kleinbasel neighbourhood. Near here, the
medieval MIDDLE BRIDGE leaps across the Rhine to Altstadt
Grossbasel, where history is writ large across the BASEL
MINSTER, with its spires and chevron-tiled roof. Just south
is the red sandstone BASEL TOWN HALL , giving way to
arcades festooned with frolicking cherubs. cafefruhling.ch
The Altstadt is pretty, but it’s the future, not the
past, that marks Basel out. Set to host the ART BASEL
fair in September, the city muscles in on the global
contemporary art scene in a big way. You could devote a
weekend to browsing the city’s best galleries, but high on
any itinerary should be the phenomenal KUNSTMUSEUM
BASEL , straddling two modernist buildings and
harbouring a collection swinging from Holbein’s
Renaissance masterpieces to works by Van Gogh, Picasso
and Paul Klee. artbasel.com kunstmuseumbasel.ch
Heading east reveals a trio of big-hitters. First up, set in
a Mario Botta-designed edifice of rose-pink sandstone,
is MUSEUM TINGUELY, showcasing Swiss painter and
sculptor Jean Tinguely’s madcap creations. A 20-minute
tram ride north of Basel Bad station (across the German
border) brings you to the VITRA DESIGN MUSEUM, where
architect Frank Gehry has le his deconstructivist
imprint in metal and white plaster. The boundary-
pushing exhibitions zoom in on architecture, industrial
and interior design. tinguely.ch design-museum.de
If the sun’s out, walk the three-mile REHBERGER-WEG.
Switching back and forth across the Swiss-German
border, the trail skirts the town of Weil am Rhein,
ticking off 24 public art installations by German sculptor
Tobias Rehberger. The final destination on the route is
FONDATION BEYELER . Overlooking wooded hills and lily-
filled ponds, the low-slung, light-drenched Renzo Piano
building displays a private-turned-public collection of
works by artists ranging from Miró to Ernst, Pollock to
Lichtenstein. 24stops.info fondationbeyeler.ch
Back in the centre near the station, the revived 1920s
MARKET HALL offers hungry lunchtime crowds the world
on a plate under its domed roof — stalls dish up everything
from Ethiopian tibs (a stir-fry-stew hybrid) to Venezuelan
arepas (maize patties) and Italian gelato. Wash it down with
a regional beer from HausBAR. altemarkthalle.ch
The Rhine is Basel’s lifeblood, and jumping in for a
swim is something of a rite of passage. At the tourist
office on Barfüsserplatz, get yourself a Wickelfisch, a
fish-shaped waterproof bag to keep your kit dry, then
head to the riverbank in Kleinbasel and go with the
flow as you float downstream. If you prefer to stay above
water, you can rend standup paddleboards by the hour or
join a tour with BIRS73. Part of the fun is washing up at a
riverside bar for drinks, snacks and socialising. birds73.ch
Speaking of drinks, this is a great city for an aperitif.
Try lavishly muralled bar GRENZWERT for cra beers,
antipasti and a chilled courtyard garden. As the evening
wears on, the moodily lit, boho-flavoured RENÉE entices
with good vibes, gigs and DJ sets. grenzwert.ch renee.ch
Dinner? You’re spoilt for choice. With a riverside
terrace, retro-hip UFER7 pairs Basel brews and Swiss
wines with its own spin on regional dishes like pizokel
(buckwheat dumplings) with speck, savoy cabbage,
raclette cheese and onions. Or for a spot of fine dining,
book ahead at Michelin-starred ROOTS, where chef
Pascal Steffen delights with dishes that include poulard,
fig and mushroom, or duck, pumpkin and quince. ufer7.ch
roots-basel.ch basel.com KERRY WALKER
SEGAMI LWA ;Y T TEG ;ZTEK NEVS ;SRENROC4 :SEGAMI

LIKE A LOCAL HOLZPARK KLYBECK URBAN ART – BASEL ARTSTÜBLI

Philipp Brogli’s Crammed with colourful CITY TOUR Located in Basel’s
arty highlights studios, bars, food pop-
ups and workshops, this
This urban art and graffiti
tour is led by artists and
historic Market Hall,
my gallery is a platform
Philipp is the temporary-use island experts from the scene. I for showcasing the
founder and owner hosts theatrical, musical recommend seeking out many contemporary
of Artstübli, a Basel and cultural events. A new the 25 ‘Space Invaders’ facets of urban art and
exhibition and project arts space set in a 1950s dotted across the city culture — from graffiti
space. artstuebli.ch ship is set to open there. by French street artist to street art. It also
holzpark-klybeck.ch Invader. basel.com hosts events.

34 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 SMART TRAVELLER

Museum Tinguely
CLOCKWISE FROM
ABOVE: Basel Minster;
a dish at Roots
restaurant; boating
next to Middle Bridge

Jul/Aug 2021 35
 +
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36 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

STAY AT HOME
FROME
A thriving creative scene, hiking trails and eclectic local
markets await in the Somerset town near the Mendip Hills
Why go
Follow the creative crumb trail across the
South West and it’ll lead you to Frome
(rhymes with ‘room’), a market town packed
with independent shops, start-ups and
small galleries. But it’s not just what’s within
Frome’s listed buildings that draws visitors
to its hilly streets. Half an hour’s drive
from Bath, Frome is the ideal jumping-off
point for exploring the Somerset scenery,
whether it’s kayaking on the River Frome
or walking in the Mendip Hills. Linger in
town a little longer, though, and you’ll find
new restaurants and exhibitions set to
make this one of England’s coolest enclaves.
discoverfrome.co.uk
What to do
KRAP NOTSRAM ;Y T TEG ;KCOTSRETTUHS :SEGAMI
Frome is full of enticing indie shops: slip
into rustic florist Bramble & Wild for fresh
bouquets before heading to Ground, a working
studio selling handmade ceramics. Grab a
cuppa in Moo And Two, where loose-leaf teas
are sourced directly from growers in South
India, or a speciality coffee at Frāmā. Hunting
Raven Books, meanwhile, is the place to go
for the latest paperback. Don’t leave without a
walk up the deceivingly named Gentle Street
— the leg-shakingly steep road lined with
16th-century stone houses is anything but.
SMART TRAVELLER
Where to eat DON’T MISS
Head to Rye Bakery, set inside a former
chapel, for an almond croissant or pizza The Frome Independent
with seasonal toppings like pumpkin
and sobrasada sausage. Alternatively, try
Market is held on the first
for a table at Moorish tapas bar The High Sunday of each month
Pavement, which reopened in May aer
a refurbishment. Small plates include
from March to December.
aubergine rolls with Afghan yogurt. It has everything from
rye-bakery.com thehighpavement.co.uk antique maps and peacock-
We like print ottomans to birch
The Mendip Way Trail is a 50-mile-long soap, recycled sterling
walking route across limestone hills, split into
two sections. The East Mendip Way (19 miles)
silver rings, sheep’s ricotta
starts in Frome and winds its way to the and even birthday cakes
cathedral city of Wells. The overzealous can for the dog. Booze and
connect to the West Mendip Way (30 miles), live music make for a fun,
passing Cheddar Gorge and the Somerset
Levels wetlands. ldwa.org.uk festival-esque atmosphere.
Where to stay thefromeindependent.org.uk
Marston Park opened in May on Frome’s
outskirts. A secluded series of bell tents
fringe a lake and woodland, each one a
‘Canvas Studio’ complete with a guitar and
an easel. Don’t miss the yoga classes and
live performances from a stage in the lake. ABOVE FROM LEFT: View up the cobbled
From £120 per night, based on two sharing. Catherine Hill; savoury pies for sale at a market
marstonpark.co.uk STEPHANIE CAVAGNARO stall in Frome; a luxury bell tent at Marston Park
Jul/Aug 2021 37
 Discover
your secret paradise
for your next holidays in
CYPRUS

Atlantis Gardens is located at a quiet and secluded beach in Larnaca region, Cy-
prus. Just 10 min from the airport, the guest can enjoy safe and relaxing holidays,
explore the island at his own pace, taking advantage of the resort’s central loca-
tion. There are a common pool, kids pool, snack bar, gym, Spa facilities and villas
with private pools and direct access to the beach. The spacious 3-bedroom
apartments & villas are waiting for you to come and fall in love with Atlantis, as
we all do.

www.atlantis-gardens.com
use the voucher code: IL21ATL to get an extra 10% discount
for any reservation of 2021
10 Lefkadas str., 7577 Mazotos, Larnaca // Cyprus
Tel.: +357 24 3339 34 // email: info@atlantis-gardens.com
 SMART TRAVELLER

John Noel, official photographer to the

1922 & 1924 expeditions, 1922

THE WORD
THE BEST OF EVEREST
Complete with exclusive archive photographs, a new book celebrates 100
years since the first British reconnaissance climb of Mount Everest
This year marks a century since the While Edmund Hillary’s shot of
first British mountaineering team made Tenzing Norgay on Everest’s peak
an ascent of Everest — one of five key ranks as one of the most famous news
expeditions that took place between photographs of the 20th century, other
1921 and 1924 to tackle the summit of the scenes have barely seen the light of day
world. Despite the bulky photography since they were taken.
equipment of the time, these climbs Accompanying A Photographic
3591 OT 1291 ,TIMMUS OT ECNASSIANNOCER MORF :TSEREVE S’YTEICOS OILOF EHT MORF GBI- SGR© :SEGAMI

brought back the most heart-stopping
mountain photography ever seen.
Everest collates 268 photos of
frozen gorges, glaciers and pinnacles,
illustrating the story of these and
subsequent expeditions. Commissioned
exclusively for The Folio Society, it features seldom-seen
archive photos from The Royal Geographic Society (RGS)
— among them close-up shots of pioneering ascents,
including the tragic 1924 expedition that claimed the
lives of Mallory and Irvine. The triumphant, official
climb of Hillary and Tenzing in 1953 is also documented,
with commentary by award-winning mountaineering
writer, Peter Gillman.
History, the second volume of this
edition, An Eyewitness History, brings
together first-person accounts from
those who made the ascents. It’s
all introduced by former National
Geographic Explorer-in-Residence,
Wade Davis, with a preface from Jan Morris, the last
surviving member of the 1953 expedition, who submitted
her piece to The Folio Society prior to her death in 2020.
The Folio Society’s Everest: From Reconnaissance to
Summit, 1921 to 1953, compiled and edited by Peter
Gillman with an introduction by Wade Davis and preface
from Jan Morris, is available exclusively from
foliosociety.com/everest, RRP: £199. SARAH BARRELL

THREE MORE: BOOKS ON BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS

INFINITY HOUSE: AN STONE AGE: ANCIENT STAY WILD
ENDLESS VIEW CASTLES OF EUROPE This new book is a
Expect serious living room Photographer Frédéric gloriously green ramble
envy in this showcase of Chaubin has turned his through Canopy & Stars’
beautiful abodes around lens to the castles of most spectacular rural
the world. There are also Europe in this new book. getaways, from tents
profiles from architects and It also highlights how to treehouses. It also
designers, who share their the fortresses’ simple celebrates the joy of nature,
insights into building these high-class homes. geometry went on to shape much of Europe’s with tips on how we can embrace our wild
(The Images Publishing Group, RRP: £35) architectural heritage. (Taschen, RRP: £50) side. (Gestalten and Canopy & Stars, RRP: £35)

Jul/Aug 2021 39
SMART TRAVELLER

KIT LIST The latest travel kit comes with

TRAVEL TECH tech to make your journeys

smoother, safer and synched up
Words: Kate Russell
1 RIUT EASY-CLEAN 15-INCH 4 ANKER POWERWAVE
LAPTOP BACKPACK & WATCH HOLDER
Created by a small British More and more devices are being
designer, this laptop bag is built with wireless charging
the perfect place to store your capabilities. This smooth, button-
gadgets. For security, all the zips shaped charging pad has an LED
are against your back when worn, 2 indicator that lights up blue if the
and it’s also designed for easy connection to your device needs
cleaning inside and out. It even attention. There’s also a handy
has shoulder strap clips for your peg on which to hang your watch
mask and hand sanitiser. 3 while it’s charging. RRP: £29.99.
RRP: £129. riut.co.uk uk.anker.com
2 LOGITECH K780 MULTI-DEVICE 5 GOPRO HERO 9
WIRELESS KEYBOARD This palm-sized camera captures
Planning to work while video up to 5K resolution, with
travelling? Laptops can be the option of 240fps (x8) slow
cumbersome, but a wireless 4 motion and burst photography
keyboard that connects with you can save as RAW files.
Bluetooth-enabled devices is Turn on GoPro colour mode
a great compromise. There are and the scene will really pop,
three Bluetooth channels, so you and with enough lighting, the
can connect multiple devices at HyperSmooth stabilisation is
once for easy switching. like having the camera on a
RRP: £79.99. logitech.com gimbal. RRP: £329.98. gopro.com
3 AMAZON FIRE HD 8 PLUS – 32GB 6 RADO CAPTAIN COOK
The latest tablet from Amazon HIGH-TECH CERAMIC
adds wireless charging. The The Captain Cook is an
2.0 GHz quad-core processor automatic watch for adventurers
and 3GB of RAM make it swiſt 5 and explorers with 80 hours’
enough to handle all your power reserve and water
entertainment apps and basic resistance up to 300 metres.
communications needs. For an The timepiece is also resistant
extra £10, you can order it to be to magnetic fields from other
configured without ads, which gadgets that might affect the
is a battery and data saver. accuracy of a mechanical watch.
RRP: £109.99. amazon.co.uk RRP: £3,065. rado.com

THREE MORE
SOUND & VISION

JBL CLIP 4 WF-1000XM3 WIRELESS NOISE APPLE WATCH SERIES 6

This Bluetooth speaker packs quite a bass punch CANCELLING EARBUD HEADPHONES As well as all the navigation, communications
for its size. It’s waterproof and dustproof and These comfortable, dual microphones earbuds and fitness-tracking functions you’d expect,
will stream audio from your phone for 10 hours deliver impressive noise-cancellation on the go. the Series 6 also has a blood-oxygen saturation
between charges. RRP: £49.99. uk.jbl.com RRP: £220. sony.co.uk monitor. RRP: £379. apple.com

40 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 #wornbyadventurers

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 COMPETITION

WIN
A FIVENIGHT LUXURY
STAY FOR TWO IN RHODES
National Geographic Traveller (UK) has teamed FROM TOP: Main pool at Gennadi
up with Gennadi Grand Resort in Rhodes to offer Grand Resort; double room at
Gennadi Grand Resort
a five-star getaway to the Greek island ENTER NOW,
TRAVEL LATER
THE DESTINATION TO ENTER
The diamond of the Dodecanese, Rhodes
is an island with a rich cultural heritage, Answer the following question
whether it’s in vestiges of Ancient Greece online at nationalgeographic.
at the Colossus of Rhodes or in the winding co.uk/competitions:
streets and brightly hued Byzantine domes of
the UNESCO-listed old town. There’s plenty ON WHAT ISLAND IS GENNADI
more to while away the days, from hiking GRAND RESORT?
in wooded valleys and nature reserves to
tucking into seafood or basking on some of Competition closes on 31 August 2021.
SAKUOZUOB SHTATS ;SALUOTEPMAZ YRRAH :SEGAMI

the best beaches in Greece. The winner must be a resident of the

UK and aged 18 or over. Full T&Cs at
THE PRIZE nationalgeographic.co.uk/competitions
The winner and a guest will spend five
nights at the Gennadi Grand Resort in a
Sea View Suite on a B&B basis, with return
transfers to and from Rhodes airport. Two
complimentary dinners are included, as
well as two complimentary spa treatments
at the Kozeen Spas by ThalassoSpa, and an
excursion arranged by the hotel. Return
flights are provided to the value of £300.
gennadigrandresort.com

Jul/Aug 2021 43
 PHOTOGRAPHY THE PRIZES

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44 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

NOTES FROM AN AUTHOR // CRAIG TAYLOR
NEW YORK CITY
If a city could speak, what would it say? In the case of the Big Apple, it would
be both a cry of mourning for times past and an invocation of wanting more
W hen I moved to New York I
was surprised by how many
residents of the city told me they
could teach me something. The lessons
started on the day I arrived in 2014. I’m still
receiving daily tips. During the time I spent
researching my book, New Yorkers, I received
a lot of practical New York lessons: how
to recycle cans, how to steal a car, how to
walk along the crowded sidewalks without
bumping into anyone.
But oen the lessons were more profound:
how to be compassionate, how to live
artfully, how to lead an uncompromising life.
The advice may have been particular to this
city, but a life lived well in New York was an
accomplishment like no other.
Many of my interviewees told me I’d
missed the real New York — by a couple
years, or by a decade, or by several decades.
“New York was better before,” they’d say, or
“you should have known Avenue C when it
was...” (with a waggle of his hand, noting
its former notoriety). Or “you should have
known Jackson Heights when it was...” (and
then a thumbs-up). “This is good,” said one
woman while gesturing to the noodles on her
plate, “but Flushing isn’t what Flushing was.”
And the place that made the good pupusas
in the Bronx? Of course, that beloved hub for
stuffed central American flatbreads was long
gone by the time I arrived.
“It’s just a playground for the rich.” Nearly
everyone I spoke to said something similar,
like a forlorn chorus resounding across the
boroughs, as if a nurse in Inwood and an
YELKAO IUQCAJ :NOITARTSULLI .ROLLEM ANRUPANNA :EGAMI
old Irishman in the Rockaways made a pact
to speak the same phrase with the same
amount of venom. It’s just a playground for
the rich — until you take the private elevator
and step into the scented apartment and the
smart man says, “You know, it’s not even that
great a playground for us these days.”
The New Yorkers I spoke to thought their
city was slipping into extinction. It was
happening within their lifespans. They were
witnessing deforestation of their shops, the
loss of diverse shopkeepers. One mentioned
“air people” — those you used to see walking
the streets of Manhattan whose presence
made you think: How do they earn enough
money to be here? What do they live on, air?
New Yorkers were often
defined by their desire: I’m
going to get it, or at least
I’m going to try. I saw a man
fresh from prison, asking for
the city’s forgiveness: Let me
back in, New York, let me
return to who I was, let me
experience more of you again
SMART TRAVELLER
Change in New York cut deep; it reshaped.
Change pushed people further out.
“This stop,” one guy said in Forest Hills,
“is where you get on the E at 5am and all the
guys working in kitchens in Midtown are
bundled up and sleeping.” And then I was
told that change was the only continuing
attribute: “Don’t listen to them. Part of loving
New York is just mourning the hell out of it.
The mourning is the love.”
The people I talked to were also full of
vigour, gall and drive. New Yorkers were
oen defined by their desire: I’m going to get
it, or at least I’m going to try. It was a place so
powerful I saw a man fresh from an upstate
prison, asking for the city’s forgiveness: Let
me back in, New York, let me return to who I
was, let me experience more of you again.
For a while I lived near Grand Street, close
enough to hear the rush of the Williamsburg
Bridge. It was a building where neighbours
were always accosting each other — at
the front door, in the laundry room, in
the hallways. In the autumn one year, my
father visited from Canada. One aernoon,
my downstairs neighbour negotiated her
walking frame into the elevator just as my
father and I were about to ascend to the
ninth floor. She looked him over, inquired
about his health, where he was from, what he
did before he retired. When the elevator hit
the fourth floor, she said, “I’ve had the nicest
time talking with you. Would you mind if I
carried on up to the ninth?” She did, and one
day the next week, I heard the clink of her
long necklace. “Craig,” she said, “I had the
most wonderful time speaking to your father
the other day. Now, tell me, is he single?”
It seemed fitting that a city that always
had more to offer seemed so oen to leave
its people hungry for more. The word was
repeated to me again and again: more. New
York was — and is — inexhaustible. It’s a
trait no pandemic will change. Whatever you
want, there is always the possibility for more.
That’s the lesson I learned.
New Yorkers: A City and Its People in Our Time, by
Craig Taylor, is published by John Murray Press (£25).
Taylor is also the author of Londoners, published
by Granta Press.
@cdltaylor
Jul/Aug 2021 45
SMART TRAVELLER

MEET THE ADVENTURER

MARK SYNNOTT
The veteran American climber discusses his mission to solve a century-old
mystery on Everest’s North Face, now the subject of his latest book
you had a lot of money and wanted the trophy, you could
buy your way up — even if you didn’t have the chops.
It turned off an entire generation, and so I never gave
Everest its fair due.
But when I finally did, what hit home, powerfully,
was the legacy of that earlier era of Everest climbing,
especially the mystery surrounding George Mallory and
Andrew ‘Sandy’ Irvine [the two climbers disappeared
without a trace in 1924]. It’s a story that gets under
people’s skin. It certainly got under mine.
How did you go about researching your book,
The Third Pole: Mystery, Obsession, and Death
on Mount Everest?
I flew to the UK and visited the Royal Geographical
Society to si through its Everest archives. I was able to
look at Mallory’s boots and the rope that had been tied
around his waist. I visited Merton College in Oxford,
too, to see the Irvine archives, and I went to the Alpine
Club [one of the country’s oldest mountaineering clubs,
established in 1876].
During my ascent of Everest, I couldn’t stop thinking
about those guys in leather hiking boots and wool and
gabardine clothing, carrying homemade oxygen sets.
What first inspired you to become a climber? Here I was, in 2019, with all this equipment and pretty
The real genesis was when my dad bought me a poster of close to a lifetime of climbing under my belt, and I was
British climber Paul Ross. In the picture, he’s dangling still getting my butt kicked. The technology of their day
over an overhang with just a rope tied around his waist. wasn’t ready for such a feat, but they went for it anyway.
I remember staring at it daily in my bedroom. Eventually, I felt a deep respect for their courage. [Sir Edmund
a friend and I went to a tool shed, got a clothesline and Hillary and Tenzing Norgay would become the first men
made for the local cliffs to try to figure it out. to summit Everest nearly 30 years later, in 1953].
Where was your first adventure and how did you What advice would you give to somebody
prepare for it? wanting to follow in your footsteps?
I travelled to Yosemite National Park in the late 1980s, In a perfect world, you’d find someone skilled who could
determined to climb its two iconic cliffs, Half Dome and be your mentor, which was how it used to be. Nowadays,
El Capitan. But as soon as I saw them, I knew instantly a good place to start is at the gym, and when you’re ready
I had no business climbing these — not yet. Aer that, to go outside, if you can’t find a mentor to hold your hand,
I started training hard. Some older climbers took me then hire a guide. At my mountain guide school in New
under their wings and I climbed as many cliffs as I could Hampshire, we teach hundreds of people every year. It’s
in New England and New Hampshire before returning all about the apprenticeship, working your way through
to Yosemite the following year. I managed to scrape my progressive challenges. In climbing, there’s an imaginary
way up Half Dome, barely making it. That first climb was line you don’t want to cross. As you get better, you push
probably the most sublime experience I’ve ever had in my that line further and further out, but you have to go
career, and I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since. through all those years without stepping over it.
INTERVIEW: NORA WALLAYA
What was it that drew you to climbing and writing
about Everest?
D R A L L O P M O HT :EGAM I

I’ve always been a student of exploration and Mark Synnott’s latest book, The Third Pole, is published by Headline, READ THE FULL
RRP: £20. Mark’s Everest climb features in the critically acclaimed INTERVIEW
mountaineering. Everest has been the sole domain of National Geographic documentary Lost on Everest, filmed by Renan ONLINE AT
experienced and skilled climbers who’d paid their dues Ozturk. He’s been part of the North Face Athlete Team since 1997. NATIONAL
and earned the right to try to climb it. But in the 1990s, marksynnott.com GEOGRAPHIC.
when I came of age as a climber, there was a sense that if @m_synnott CO.UK/TRAVEL

46 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
SMART TRAVELLER

WHAT’S ONLINE
DJ DON LETTS ON LONDON’S
ECLECTIC MUSIC SCENE
The Grammy Awardwinner rose to fame in the 1970s with his electrifying fusion of punk
and reggae. Here, he discusses the capital’s musical heritage. Interview: Nora Wallaya

When the dub-reggae scene collided with
the punk movement in 1970s London,
a subculture was born whose influence
reverberates through the city to this day.
And filmmaker and DJ Don Letts is widely
credited as one of its pioneering figureheads.
In his own words, bass and reggae are
“Jamaica’s greatest giſts to the world”. It’s a giſt
that Don — a punk fanatic, too — famously
brought to London through his regular sets,
mashing together the contrasting sounds at
the then-eminent nightclub, The Roxy.
In his new autobiography, There and Black
Again, Don documents his childhood as a
British-born son of Jamaican parents, part
of the Windrush generation, through to
his friendships with music heavyweights
including Joe Strummer and Bob Marley.
WHAT’S IN STORE FOR LONDON’S LIVE MUSIC played there have seeped into the very walls
SCENE, POST-PANDEMIC? of the building itself. I also love Brixton Jamm
Until we can return to anything like the events and The Prince of Wales, both in Brixton.
of the past — if indeed we ever can — we have
to find alternative ways to operate. Who wants WHAT’S A PERFECT DAY IN LONDON?
to be rubbing up next to a sweaty person Experiencing London’s cultural clash in its
anyway? We have to embrace the situation multicultural neighbourhoods. You could do
and come up with more crowd-friendly gigs. no better than just travelling around London,
whether it be through Brixton, Ladbroke
ARE THERE PARTICULAR LONDON VENUES Grove, Dalston, Hackney or Golborne Market.
YOU’D LIKE TO CHAMPION RIGHT NOW? In London you have a genuine creative
London’s rising rents have taken a devastating crossover, and I think that’s why the city
toll on a lot of great venues. One that’s has the reputation it does. We’re not just
managed to keep its head above water is physically living in a city together, we’re
The 100 Club on Oxford Street. It’s got a actually interacting with each other and
tremendous heritage in jazz, rock and roll, turning each other on.
and reggae and it’s very intimate. There’s READ MORE ONLINE NOW AT
something about it — the acts that have NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/TRAVEL

TOP
STORIES
Here’s what you’ve
been enjoying on the NATURE RESTAURANTS TRAIN TRAVEL
website this month How travellers can help Where to dine outdoors How to plan a rail
save Britain’s songbirds in Glasgow journey across Europe
The fight is on to preserve The city has seen its restaurants Book an intrepid adventure for
the songsters’ populations adapt to cater to al fresco diners 2021, the European Year of Rail

48 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 SMART TRAVELLER

A GUIDE TO ETHICAL WHALE BEYOND THE

TOURISM IN THE 21ST CENTURY TRAVEL SECTION

The more we learn about whales, the more fascinating they appear to be. But what
role can whale-watching play in their conservation? Words: Emma Gregg

Despite the conservation successes of the
20th century, humans are still hounding some
cetaceans to the brink of extinction, either by
hunting or carelessness. Six out of the 13 great
whale species are classified as endangered
or vulnerable. It’s common for beached
carcasses to bear scars from collisions with
ships, and it’s estimated that more than
300,000 whales and dolphins are killed each
year as a result of fisheries’ bycatch.
Unlike most megafauna, whales
regularly cross international boundaries
as they migrate. As living examples of
interconnectedness, it’s apt that nations
should unite to protect them and advocate
for responsible tourism practices. This is the
thinking behind the Whale Heritage Sites, a
programme launched by the World Cetacean
Alliance in 2016. Its aim is to recognise
places where whales, dolphins and porpoises
are celebrated and protected through art,
HCNIF DNA XO ;EVARGRAH-YLLIRC CIN ;SMAILLIW YAJ ;KCAHS MUR EHT
education, research, cultural events and
sustainable working practices, including
wildlife-friendly whale-watching.
The first places to meet the standards
required for certification were Hervey Bay in
Australia and The Bluff in South Africa. They
were joined in 2021 by Dana Point in California
and Tenerife-La Gomera in the Canary Islands.
At these locations, guidelines are in place to | SCIENCE |
minimise disturbance to the animals and
their habitat. For example, skippers approach From hovering ships to cities
whales slowly, without hemming them in, in the sky: a short, strange
and limit each sighting to a maximum of history of the mirage
20 minutes. An image of a ‘flying’ tanker off
Whale-watching fees typically include Cornwall recently went viral.
a donation to a conservation fund. Some But the optical phenomenon
outfits also contribute to scientific research: of the mirage is no stranger to
crews and guests add ID photos to a database, astonishment, doubt — and
expanding knowledge of whale populations superstition
and their movements.
READ THE FULL STORY ONLINE NOW
| ENVIRONMENT |

For young climate activists,

the pandemic is the defining
moment for action
Can the urgent global response to
;ST TEL NOD ;YMA LA/REFIEK HTENNEK ;Y T TEG :SEGAMI

Covid-19 be repeated to address

climate change? Youth activists
think it can be

| ANIMALS |
Sharks can navigate via Earth’s
magnetic field, study confirms
for the first time
Scientists have long suspected
the fish can travel by sensing the
magnetic field, but no one knew
how — until now

SEARCH FOR
NATGEOTRAVELUK
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
TWITTER
BOOKING AHEAD ADVENTURER NEW OPENINGS
Top tips for a more Meet veteran mountaineer Seven restaurants to
sustainable getaway Robin Hanbury-Tenison watch in 2021
Greener itineraries for the world’s The explorer looks back on the From a Syrian restaurant to a
most iconic destinations journeys that shaped his life cheese barge on the Thames

Jul/Aug 2021 49
 SARDINIA
WEEKENDER

Wild and windswept, Italy’s second-largest island offers a weekend

of active adventures, archaeological sites and some of the finest
beaches in the Mediterranean. Words: Adrian Phillips

S ardinia has a wildness about it. The Italian

island’s north-east corner has craggy mountains
and granite cliffs, and in the heat of summer its
landscape feels dry enough to shatter beneath your feet
like pane carasau, a crispy local flatbread. The wind
can blow hard, whipping through the corridor between
the northern tip of the island and nearby Corsica. And
it’s not difficult to find isolation: Sardinia’s population
density is just a third of the national average.
All this makes for a special break. The windy bay
of Porto Pollo attracts watersports enthusiasts from
all over the world, while the Maddalena archipelago
offers stunning coastal hikes. And, for all the wildness,
there’s culture, history and relaxation to be found
here, too. The atmospheric towns of San Pantaleo,
La Maddalena and Tempio Pausania are perfect for a
drink. The sun shines, the food is good, there are scores
of tiny islands and some wonderful beaches. People
live for a long time here — Sardinia has the highest
percentage of centenarians in the world — and with
this quality of life, it’s easy to see why.

50 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

DAY ONE BEACH LIFE & ISLAND-HOPPING
MORNING
First things first: this is an island
in the Med, so you’ll want to
get acquainted with a beach or
two, and there’s no shortage
of options. If you’re aer the
spray on your skin and the wind
in your hair, make for Porto
Pollo, a world-class location for
watersports, catering to novices
and beginners alike.
For something more sedate, the
Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast)
— a 10-mile bump of coastline
between the Gulf of Arzachena
and the Gulf of Cugnana — has
a host of beaches and high-end
resorts, from the sandy sweep
at Cannigione to the millionaire-
SRENROC4 ;Y T TEG :SEGAMI
magnet of Porto Cervo, with
its many luxury yachts. When
lunchtime approaches, head to
the harbour town of Palau for a
bowl of al dente spaghetti with
fat mussels and baby tomatoes
at Il Ghiottone.
AFTERNOON
Palau is itself a pretty spot, sitting
in a cove between promontories,
with a hilltop fortress that can be
visited on a guided tour. Palau’s
port is where you can join a car
ferry (€60 [£51] return, with
departures every half an hour)
for the 30-minute crossing to the
archipelago of La Maddalena.
Made up of seven main islands,
most uninhabited, the archipelago
is a national park.
On alighting at La Maddalena,
drive across a bridge to Caprera,
where you can spend the
aernoon hiking through pine
forests, snorkelling in protected
coves or just lazing on the beach
and enjoying the fabulous sea
views. Giuseppe Garibaldi, the
famous Italian general, spent the
last 26 years of his life on Caprera,
and the simple, whitewashed
house (Casa di Garibaldi) where he
lived and died is now a museum.
EVENING
As the aernoon fades, drive
back to La Maddalena, the
archipelago’s ‘capital’. This is the
place to rent boats to visit some of
the other islands (such as Razzoli,
where you might see turtles and
seals, or Spargi, the most isolated
of all), and its coastal road offers a
very scenic drive.
It’s an elegant and vibrant town
that deserves time in its own right,
however, with pastel-coloured
buildings set along quaint streets,
and characterful shops selling
clothes, jewellery and craworks
with a nautical theme. You’ll find
plenty of ice cream parlours,
cafes and restaurants, as well as
atmospheric bars that are perfect
pitstops for a glass of wine or
mirto, the local liqueur. This is a
place with a pleasant buzz — and
you can take your time because
ferries back to Palau run through
the night.
TOP 3
Island
excursions
FOR NATURE: SPARGI
This island in the Maddalena
archipelago has granite
coves and dense vegetation.
There’s also good diving
(including a Roman wreck)
and rich birdlife on the islet
of Spargiotto. Take the boat
from Palau or La Maddalena.
FOR THE BEACH: BUDELLI
This tiny isle is home to the
striking Spiaggia Rosa, whose
pink sands are created by
fragments of red coral. In
the past, so many tourists
collected sand that the hue
began to fade; now you have
to follow a footpath behind
the beach. Take the boat
from Palau or La Maddalena.
FOR HISTORY: TAVOLARA
In the early 1800s, the
Bertoleoni family declared
this a separate kingdom. The
cemetery contains the grave
of ‘King Paolo I’. Today it’s a
marine reserve popular with
divers. Take the ferry from
Porto San Paolo.
FROM LEFT: Close-up of
the entrance door to the
Cala Scilla bay in Palau;
shoppers in the old town of
La Maddalena
Jul/Aug 2021 51
 SEEK MORE.

“Travel is the best education. Being immersed in new surroundings and different
cultures spark ideas and creativity. Our travel specialists look forward to ensuring your
next trip is an experience of a lifetime and is full of inspiration.”
- Angela Adto, Founder of AZA Luxury Travel

Visit azaluxurytravel.com for more information


DAY TWO HISTORY & HANDICRAFTS
MORNING
Start the day with a rummage
into Sardinia’s past. Much of the
island’s rich archaeology dates
to the Nuragic people, who
lived here from 1500 BC until
Roman occupation in 238 BC.
There are 7,000 Nuragic sites in
total, ranging from burial sites
to mysterious conical towers
called nuraghe, whose function
isn’t known for sure, but which
experts believe were temples,
fortifications or rulers’ homes.
You’ll find seven sites at
Arzachena (combined ticket €25
[£21] or €7 [£6] per individual site),
including an extensive complex of
buildings at Nuraghe La Prisgiona,
and the Giants’ Tomb of Coddu
Vecchiu, where the dead of La
Prisgiona were buried. You can
even touch the stones, enter the
Y M A L A :EGAM I
towers and walk in footsteps that
ring through the millennia. Go
early to avoid the heat of the day.
AFTERNOON
Four miles to the east is San
Pantaleo, a gem of a town
surrounded by jagged mountain
peaks. At its heart is a square
with blossom trees and a
honey-stoned church, while the
surrounding lanes contain shops
selling artisan jewellery and
paintings by local artists. There’s
a buzzy cafe-bar in the square but
it’s pricey, so head for a lunch of
pizza or pasta at nearby Ichnos.
Aer lunch, it’s a 45-minute
drive west to the hilly village of
Aggius, which is renowned for its
weavers. MEOC, the ethnographic
museum, includes centuries-
old looms, and explains the
painstaking process of creating a
carpet or wall-hanging decorated
with traditional motifs. If you’re
aer a memento, you can buy
one from the nearby workshop
of Gabriella Lutzu, who’s been
weaving for 35 years.
The mountain village of
Aggius, around an hour’s
drive west of Olbia
EVENING
The town of Tempio Pausania lies
just a few minutes away through
the hills. Three-quarters of Italy’s
cork comes from Sardinia, and the
area around Tempio Pausania
— with its vast cork oak forests
— is a major centre of production.
Many shops in the town sell items
made of cork, from purses to
keyrings, and you can even see
a collection of old cork-making
equipment at the Museo Storico
delle Machine del Sughero (the
Cork Machinery Museum).
Tempio Pausania has elegant
granite architecture, and there
are several historical churches to
admire (including the Purgatory
Church, built in the 17th century
by a local nobleman seeking
absolution from the Pope for
committing a massacre). For
dinner, try Al Vecchio Corso,
where there’s a homely vibe and
simple Italian food.
WEEKENDER
TOP 5
Historical sites
CODDU ECCHJU
Built to hold the dead of the
nearby village of La Prisgiona,
the ‘Giants’ Tomb’ of Coddu
Ecchju dates as far back as
1800 BC. A series of upright
stones with slabs laid across
the top form a burial corridor,
and a centrepiece stele — a
sort of huge headstone
— has a small opening where
offerings were placed.
LA PRISGIONA
This complex contains
the extensive remains of
La Prisgiona village, first
occupied in 1400 BC.
Craftsmen’s huts are set
around the nuraghe, a central
keep with two towers that
probably formed the fortified
residence of village leaders.
CHURCH OF SAN
SIMPLICIO
The 11th-century Church of
San Simplicio in Olbia stands
on the site of an early-
Christian church that was said
to mark the spot where the
bishop Simplicius was killed
with a lance. The granite
facade has a bell tower and
a triple-mullioned window,
while inside, beneath the
altar, lie Simplicius’s relics.
OLBIA
ARCHAEOLOGICAL
MUSEUM
The extensive collections
of Olbia’s archaeological
museum chart the history of
this region from prehistoric
times to the 20th century.
The exhibits feature many
finds from craft that sunk
around the coast, and include
a unique medieval shipwreck.
MALCHITTU TEMPIETTO
This hilltop Nuragic temple
at Arzachena was built from
boulders around 3,500 years
ago. It contains niches and a
shelf where offerings were
presented to the deities.
Ceramic artefacts were
discovered in 1964, though
broken by the roots of a tree
growing through the floor.
Jul/Aug 2021 53
WEEKENDER
THREE MORE MAKE A SPLASH
Sunny, sandy and windy, north-east Sardinia is one of Europe’s watersports capitals. The
place to go is Porto Pollo, a huge bay of white sand divided by a narrow spit. Planet Travel can
organise everything from accommodation in the area to equipment hire, group or individual
lessons (including for children as young as four) or refresher courses.
WINDSURFING & SUP
You’ll find a distinct east-west
divide at Porto Pollo. The bay’s
eastern part sees side-offshore
winds and calm water, and as
such is popular for windsurfing.
If you’re a beginner, rent a wide,
super-steady board and arrange
a lesson or two. You’ll start on a
‘simulator’ (a board set into the
beach itself) and should quickly
get the hang of how to steer, tack
and jibe. If you’d prefer something
even simpler, rent a stand-up
paddleboard (SUP), which is
perfect for hunting for hidden
coves along the coastline.
Windsurfers take to the
waves at Porto Pollo, a
hub for water sports
54 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
KITESURFING
The western section of Porto
Pollo is broader and hit by side-
onshore winds, which can make
the sea a little choppy, but it’s
those swells and ripples that make
it such a perfect playground for
kitesurfers. Harnessed to kites,
adrenaline-junkies use the waves
as ramps to launch their boards
many metres into the air. If you’re
new to it, allow for at least two
or three morning lessons to learn
how to assemble and control the
kite; you’ll be issued with a radio
helmet to keep you in contact
with an instructor.
RAISE A GLASS
Mirto is a
popular local
liqueur in
Sardinia. Made
BELOW THE SURFACE
There are some excellent from the myrtle
snorkelling and dive sites here, plant, the
and the team from Orca Dive
Club in Santa Teresa Gallura can fragrant elixir
take you to them in their Zodiac. comes in two
The underwater landscape in this
part of Sardinia is one of granite
varieties: the
boulders, caves and waving sweeter mirto
meadows of Neptune grass. You’ll rosso (made
see red anemones and shoals of
damselfish darting among banks of from the dark-
mermaid’s wine glass, a sea plant berried plant)
with flowers the shape of cocktail
glasses. Keep your eyes peeled for
and mirto bianco
sea stars, mullet, cuttlefish and (from white
octopus. orca-diveclubs.com berries).
MORE INFO
Il Ghiottone. Via Don
Occhioni 10, Palau
Casa di Garibaldi.
garibaldicaprera.
beniculturali.it
Ichnos. Via Zara 54,
San Pantaleo
MEOC. museodiaggius.it
Museo Storico delle Machine
del Sughero. Via Limbara 9,
Tempio Pausania
Al Vecchio Corso. Via Roma
96, Tempio Pausania
Olbia Archaeological
Museum. Via Isola
Peddone, Olbia
Tempio di Malchittu.
Località Malchittu,
Arzachena
HOW TO DO IT
Planet Travel Holidays offers
trips to north-east Sardinia.
A one-week package,
including accommodation
near Porto Pollo and
instruction, is available from
£620 per person, excluding
flights. EasyJet flies from
Y M A L A :EGAM I
Luton, Manchester and
Bristol to Olbia.
planettravelholidays.com
easyjet.com
VIAREGGIO
CITY OF THE SEA, ART AND CULTURE
Relax on a glorious Tuscan beach, then enjoy romantic evenings watching
Giacomo Puccini’s greatest operas beneath the stars. Nestled between the sea
and the Apuan Alps, Viareggio is a stylish, pine-fringed resort noted for its art
and culture, gastronomy and top fashion stores. The big summer attraction is
the Festival Puccini, held at the open-air lakeside theatre in nearby Torre del
Lago, which delights opera buffs and first-timers alike. Viareggio’s creativity
is also celebrated at its Carnival, a seafront extravaganza of colour and fun,
with a parade featuring some of the world’s best floats.

puccinifestival.it
Viareggio.ilcarnevale.com
puccinilands.it
 ZEELAND
EAT
This coastal Dutch province — its name translated as ‘Land on Sea’ — is
a place where local producers have an intense connection to the water,
making the most of its natural bounty. Words: Nicky Evans
I t’s early morning and I’m looking out
at the flat, silvery waters of the Eastern
Scheldt, waiting to meet fisherman Gerrie
van den Hoek. Despite the spring sunshine
and the calm surface of the estuary, the wind
deals me a body blow when I get out of the
car to greet him.
As we walk to the water’s edge, Gerrie’s
19-year-old son, Robin, approaches in
his motorboat, the mirror-smooth water
breaking as if for the first time. It’s only the
second day of the Eastern Scheldt lobster
fishing season, which runs from the last
Thursday in March to 15 July, and for now
we’re the only people on the water. “It used
to be a race,” Gerrie tells me. “At 9am on the
first day of the season, all the boats would be
lined up ready to claim the best fishing spots.
People bought the biggest, fastest boats they
could to beat the others. Now the fishermen
in the co-operative can draw lots, so it’s
much more relaxed.”
On these waters — and those of the North
Sea beyond them — fishermen from around
30 companies spend six days a week on the
56 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
water from March to January, first catching
lobster and then fish such as eel, sole and
Atlantic wolffish. Getting a good spot is vital
— with Eastern Scheldt lobsters fetching
€55 (£47) a kilo wholesale, this is the most SEGAMI LWA ;LJIB NAJ ;YMALA ;ETGOOH ESDNALLOH/ EIFA RGOTOF GEETSREV SJIG :SEGAMI
lucrative season in the local fishing calendar.
We motor to the first of the men’s four
‘lines’ and I watch as they heave the 10 cages
out of the water one at a time to retrieve
their catch, working their way along the rope CLOCKWISE FROM
connecting them. It’s rhythmic, efficient ABOVE: Fishing for
work. Soon eight lobsters are shuffling lobster in the Eastern
Scheldt during the
around the boat’s floor, claws alo. Crabs lobster season, which
go into a box, while everything else — even runs from March to
whopping great fish — is hurled overboard. July; visitors enjoy free
The traps are re-baited and dropped, one by trips on fishing boats as
one, back into the water as the boat reverses. part of the annual Day
With seagulls wheeling overhead, Robin of the Mussels event in
expertly bands the lobsters’ claws and Yerseke; oyster ponds
measures the smaller catch. Young lobsters in Yerseke, where the
and crabs are thrown back into the sea. oysters are held after
being harvested from the
“There’s always next time,” says Gerrie. Eastern Scheldt; Atlantic
At one point, he shows me the underbelly jackknife clam shells
of a large female lobster, berried with eggs. on the beach, Goeree-
She, too, will be released “for the future”. Overflakkee
Jul/Aug 2021 57

The fishermen know this restraint and
respect for nature will ultimately keep them
in business, but it must be hard to set a two-
kilo creature free, given its value, the short
season and high demand. Still, with a haul
of 25 lobsters now confined to a water tank,
plus a boxful of brown crabs, today’s been
a good day.
The Eastern Scheldt is the largest national
park in the Netherlands; as well as birdlife
and seals, it’s also home to porpoises, more
than 70 fish species, hundreds of different
types of aquatic plant, vast beds of shellfish
and, of course, the famed crustaceans.
Thanks to the large population of
shellfish filtering the tides that wash over
the sandbanks, the water is naturally clean
and clear, with a unique mineral, plankton
and algae content. It’s one of the reasons
medieval Zeeland was a leading producer of
salt, then a luxury commodity. Salt-making
was eventually banned here because the
medieval method, which involved burning
YOOL NAV NAAIRDA ;YMALA :SEGAMI
waterlogged peat in the dykes to extract the
salt, increased the risk of subsidence and
therefore flooding.
Fascinated by this history, local
entrepreneur Christian Clerx decided to try
making salt himself, in a sustainable way.
In 2018, he carried a jerry can of saltwater
to his mother’s house, boiling the contents
and drying the resulting crystals in her
Fine de Claire oysters served
on the half shell, Yerseke
RIGHT: Lobster with black
truffle, spring vegetables,
chervil and tarragon, served
at Inter Scaldes
kitchen. That first triumph was enough to
convince him to establish Zeeuwsche Zoute,
the country’s only artisan saltworks, in the
fishing village of Bruinisse.
I drive with Christian and his right-hand
man, Wim Jumelet, to the water’s edge to
collect saltwater. The men unwind a long
blue tube attached to a tank on the back of
their flatbed van, stick it into the water and
start the pump attached to this homemade
device. Aer a week of heating, evaporating,
filtering and drying back at the factory, this
container of water will yield 35kg of salt
crystals. The artisanal approach Christian
and his team take — hand-skimming the
calcium from the harvested salt, drying it
slowly at a low temperature — results in
snow-white, pyramid-shaped flakes with a
pure flavour that expresses their terroir.
Wim joined the company when Christian
was still using a giant bunsen burner to boil
his saltwater; he too became immediately
hooked on salt. “I remember my children’s
concern about me getting involved with
someone who makes white powder,” grins
Wim. “Our approach may be hobbyist, but
we’re continuously devising ways to make
our processes more efficient.”
These innovations include heating the
saltwater using solar power and recycling
waste produce: distilled water is donated to
a local window-washing company, while that
EAT
A TASTE OF
Zeeland
INTER SCALDES, KRUININGEN
Not only has chef-patron Jannis
Brevet scaled the heights of haute
cuisine (Inter Scaldes holds three
Michelin stars), he’s also an artist.
His paintings and sculptures
decorate this manor house hotel
and restaurant, which he runs
with his wife — and maître d’
— Claudia. Picture-perfect
dishes include Dutch shrimp with
sea buckthorn, mandarin and
hazelnut, and octopus carpaccio
with sea banana, lavender and
green apple. His motto: nothing
is as difficult as simple cooking.
interscaldes.nl
BRASSERIE VLUCHTHAVEN,
BRUINISSE
Dirk-Pieter Arkenbout’s seafood
restaurant, housed in a former
ferry house, has waterside views
from its vine-covered terrace and
a homely feel. The emphasis is on
simple, organic ingredients (many
foraged locally) and pure flavours.
Try specialities such as razor
clams, oysters and — of course
— Eastern Scheldt lobster. Zijpe 1,
4311 RK Bruinisse
RESTAURANT HECTOR, ZIERIKZEE
This restaurant is in Zierikzee,
a tiny walled city with cobbled
streets. The arresting murals
on the bare-brick walls, leather
banquettes and low lighting make
dinner here a hip affair. The elegant
dishes include swordfish with
langoustine foam and seasonal
vegetables, and juicy flank steak
with sweetbreads and chimichurri.
Aer an indulgent dessert, cross
the town square to stroll around
the pretty port or check into one
of Hector’s stylish rooms for the
night. hector.nl/zierikzee
Jul/Aug 2021 59
EAT
Five food finds
SMOKED SEA SALT
One of four varieties Zeeuwsche
Zoute produces. Its intense smoky
flavour lends a barbecue aroma to
dishes such as baba ganoush.
BOLUS
Don’t leave without trying one of
these sweet and sticky delicacies:
a local twist on cinnamon rolls.
KIBBELING
The Dutch version of fish
and chips — you’ll find these
fresh, lightly battered fish
pieces on sale in Zeeland’s
seaside shacks.
SEAWEED CRISPS
Jan Kruijsse’s moreish seaweed
crisps combine the texture of
prawn crackers with the briny
flavour of the sea that Zeelanders
seem to love.
MUSSELS
In season from July to April,
mussels are big in Zeeland — over
90 million tonnes of this ‘black
gold’ leaves the fishing town of
Yerseke annually.
60 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Chef Dirk-Pieter Arkenbout
plates up at Brasserie
Vluchthaven in Bruinisse
LEFT: Smoked sea salt,
produced in Zeeland since
the Middles Ages
skimmed calcium is used as plant food by
samphire farmers. It’s another example
of Zeelanders’ ingrained respect for nature
— a sense of give and take that comes from
co-existing with the sea.
Christian isn’t the only Zeelander to see
the business potential of his province’s
natural resources. Ten years ago, cockle
fisherman Jan Kruijsse noticed Japanese
companies marketing a familiar product:
seaweed. “I thought: hey, we’ve got that,”
he says. Jan set about procuring a licence
to hand-cut seven of the 150 varieties of
seaweed growing on the banks of the Eastern
Scheldt nature reserve — among them sea
lettuce, sea oak and even wakame (which
had originally arrived here as a stowaway
on the bottom of boats). His customers now
include Zeeland’s eight Michelin-starred
restaurants (more than any other province
in the Netherlands).
Of course, visitors can also forage for their
own meal, as Dirk-Pieter Arkenbout (known
as DP, chef-patron of Brasserie Vluchthaven)
shows me. He takes me to the Tholen,
peninsula, just west of Sint-Annaland, and
we walk the coastline at low tide in search
of native pullet carpet shell clams and
immigrant palourde clams. As we walk,
we nibble on sea oak and shuck oysters
straight off the rocks; they’re small, sweet
and taste of the sea.
Further along the coast, DP finds a tidal
pool and starts digging into the clay-like
sand. “If you hit a rich seam, you’ll find
bucketfuls,” he says. By law, anyone can
gather up to 10kg of shellfish from the
beach for personal use. But our bucket
remains virtually empty. On we trek, the
wind whipping away DP’s words. “We’ll
follow the birds,” he tells me. “They know
where to look.”
Aer two more digs, and with the tide
rising, we abandon our quest with just a
handful of clams. Back at the van, DP has
a treat in store: an Eastern Scheldt lobster,
which he slices in half and pops onto a
makeshi barbecue. A few minutes later, I’m
standing by the van, scooping the sweet meat
from its shell with my fingers.
In 1953, DP tells me, a storm caused the
K N I R E E W Z S L E ; K N I N N E P L E M M I H C S A R D N A S / E T UOZ EHC S W U E E Z : S E G A M I
sea to breach the dyke we’re standing next
to, claiming 1,836 lives and destroying whole
villages. Although the dyke is now higher
and a fortified storm barrier protects the
Eastern Scheldt, events such as these
remind locals the land here belongs to the
sea (all around us, water inches onto fields
and mudflats, trying to reclaim it). It’s
Zeelanders’ connection with the sea that
will keep the region’s natural larder stocked
for future generations.
HOW TO DO IT: British Airways flies from London City
Airport and Transavia flies from Edinburgh Airport,
both to Rotterdam The Hague Airport. From there, it’s
an hour’s drive to Zierikzee. Double rooms at Hector
Zierikzee hotel cost from €69 (£60), B&B. ba.com
transavia.com avis.co.uk hector.nl
MORE INFO: holland.com
 HONG KONG
SLEEP

Between the steely skyscrapers and lush greenery, Hong Kong’s hotels are
some of the finest in Asia, and with new openings and revamps across the
city, the hotel scene is more spectacular than ever before. Words: Lee Cobaj

PUORG LETOH LATNEIRO NIRADNAM ;Y T TEG :SEGAMI .DETATS ESIWREHTO

SSELNU ,YLNO MOOR ,SELBUOD DRADNATS ROF ERA DETOUQ SETAR LLA

Political unrest, protests and a pandemic — it’s an understatement to say that

Hong Kong has had a difficult time lately. But the city is waiting with open arms:
hotels have been gearing up for tourists to return, adding new restaurants and
revamping facilities, and there are stacks of new attractions, too, from micro-parks
to gigantic museums. Thanks to its excellent and affordable transport system,
Hong Kong’s puzzle of scenery and skyscrapers is a breeze to get around, but each
neighbourhood has its own distinct identity: financial districts Central and
Admiralty are all glitz and glamour, while nearby Wan Chai retains a gritty, urban
feel. North Point, meanwhile, feels like the Hong Kong of 40 years ago and is a top
spot for food-lovers. Kowloon, too, has no shortage of great places to stay, from
five-star sky palaces to art-led hotels with rooop pools. Venture further to the
more peaceful Outlying Islands, and you’ll discover a whole other world again.
62 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Best for social butterflies
MANDARIN ORIENTAL,
HONG KONG
There are many reasons the Mandarin
Oriental has been topping the world’s best
hotels lists for nearly seven decades, but one
is its location in Central, where it sits at the
heart of the city, both geographically and
socially. The lobby is a spectacle: lashings
of black marble, opulent chandeliers,
magnificent artworks, smart businesspeople
brokering deals and others clip-clopping to
the superb spa. Rooms exude contemporary
Asian luxury — thick Chinese rugs, golden
silks, rosewood panelling — and, this year,
there’s a slick new club lounge. Also new
is The Aubrey, a madly exciting bar with
maximalist interiors inspired by the 19th-
century European craze for Japanism.
ROOMS: From HK£4,000 (£370).
mandarinoriental.com

Jul/Aug 2021 63
SLEEP

Best for the stylish set

THE UPPER HOUSE
Head through an unassuming door in
Admiralty, up 49 floors and out into one of
the most spectacular spaces in Hong Kong: a
glass-topped atrium strung with a sky bridge
linking a mountain view lounge and new
city-view restaurant Salisterra. Downstairs,
rooms range from airy studios with big
limestone tubs set in the window to the
fabulous new André Fu suite. There’s no pool
or spa (although in-room treatments can
be arranged), but the elegant atmosphere,
design and meticulous attention to detail are
why the high-fliers scramble to stay here.
ROOMS: from HK$5,016 (£464), B&B.
thehousecollective.com

BestISLAND
for location
SHANGRI-LA
The Island Shangri-La has long been one
of Hong Kong’s most consistently brilliant
hotels. Situated above the Pacific Place mall
with Hong Kong Park and the Peak Tram
on its doorstep, the hotel is perfectly placed
for shopping, sightseeing and socialising.
Most of the rooms are classically decorated,
but a few floors of Horizon Club rooms have
recently been updated, with gorgeous hand-
painted screen doors, daybeds and cocktail
trolleys. The Summer Palace is a top spot for
dim sum, and there’s an outdoor pool too.
ROOMS: From HK$2,227 (£206), B&B.
shangri-la.com

T TAYH ;ESUOH REPPU EHT :SEGAMI

64 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 SLEEP

Best for gilded glamour

THE MURRAY
A former government office block
refashioned by Foster + Partners, The Murray
is flanked by Hong Kong’s financial district
on one side and Hong Kong Park and Victoria
Peak on the other. The views from the rooop
bar and restaurant, Popinjays, are fabulous.
Elsewhere, there are three more restaurants,
a lobby bar, an indoor swimming pool and a
small spa. The spacious rooms are a marriage
of mid-century and up-to-the-minute, with
a white, gold and black colour scheme, low-
slung velvet sofas and sleek bathrooms.
ROOMS: From HK$2,800 (£259), room only.
niccolohotels.com

Best for harbour views

HYATT CENTRIC VICTORIA
HARBOUR HONG KONG
It’s almost impossible to find a smart hotel
on Hong Kong Island for less than £100
a night, never mind one with a view of
Victoria Harbour. But even the entry-level
rooms at the Hyatt Centric have eyefuls
of the sparkling eastern waterfront. Just
10 minutes from the city centre, it’s also in
the thick of North Point, one of Hong Kong’s
oldest neighbourhoods, best known for
colourful 1960s architecture like the Monster
Building, and a wealth of restaurants. The
terrace at rooop bar and restaurant Cruise,
meanwhile, is the place to be at sunset.
ROOMS: From HK$951 (£88), room only.
hyatt.com

Jul/Aug 2021 65
 Personal Travel Design

Luxury is freedom.
Luxury is access.
Luxury is wild.

Tap into the emotion of exploration with Wanderlux;

your dedicated luxury travel concierge tailored for your every need
www.wanderlux.co.uk
 SLEEP

Best for hipsters

THE HARI
This new arrival is smack-bang in the
middle of Wan Chai, one of the city’s
liveliest neighbourhoods, packed with
shops, outlets, markets, foot massage
joints, traditional cha chaan teng (cafes),
restaurants and bars. Inside, warm velvety
furnishings are paired against timber
panelling, brass accents and digital
artworks. The rooms are small but equally
stylish — and are the first in Hong Kong to
have voice-activated command systems.
There are few facilities (no pool, no spa)
but the restaurants are a highlight.
ROOMS: From HK$1,287 (£119), B&B.
thehari.com

Best for city slickers Best for village life Best for sky-high living
OL S I N N E D / G N O K G N O H I R A H E H T : E G A M I

CORDIS HONG KONG
Hotel club lounges are a big deal in Hong Kong and
Cordis has one of the most generous. For about £40
extra for two you’ll get a bigger room, breakfast,
afternoon tea, evening snacks, beer and wine for most
of the day, plus spirits, liqueurs and cocktails. There’s
also a well-priced spa, a rooftop swimming pool with a
tiki bar, three restaurants and an outdoor lounge serving
booze from vintage Citroën vans. The hotel also has one
of the world’s largest hotel art collections.
ROOMS: from HK$1,243 (£115), B&B. cordishotels.com
TAI O HERITAGE HOTEL
Hong Kong is skyscrapers and neon, but it’s also fishing
villages, rambling mountains and golden beaches. For
a taste of the latter, hop on the MTR to Tung Chung
and then the ferry to Tai O on the far reaches of Lantau
Island. A meticulous restoration of the former Marine
Police Station, this nine-room hideaway is the ideal
base to explore Tai O. The rooms’ crisp white decor and
clever layout adds to the sense of tropical escape.
ROOMS: From HK$2,108 (£195), B&B.
taioheritagehotel.com
THE RITZ-CARLTON HONG KONG
One of the world’s loftiest hotels — occupying the top
16 floors of the 1,588ft International Commerce Centre
— it’s worth the splurge for the views alone. Below the
hotel is the new West Kowloon Cultural District, which
features a multilevel public park, waterfront promenade
and the new M+ Museum of contemporary art and visual
culture. Or stay in and visit the hotel’s attractions, which
include the world’s highest outdoor bar, the world’s
highest swimming pool and the world’s highest spa.
ROOMS: From HK$3,190 (£295). ritz-carlton.com

Jul/Aug 2021 67
SLEEP

Best for culture vultures

EATON HONG KONG
Hong Kong’s pricey members-only clubs wish
they were as half as cool as this four-star
hotel in blue-collar Yau Ma Tei. Along with
a riveting location (opposite Temple Street
Night Market), 1970s-inspired rooms and
a rooop pool, the hotel offers thoughtful
cultural experiences, from free tai chi classes
and film screenings to appointments with
an astrologer. Eaton is also rooted in the
community, promoting local artists and
providing coworking spaces to charities.
During the height of the pandemic, the
Hong Kong Ballet gave a socially distanced
performance across the terrace of the hotel’s
trendy outdoor bar Terrible Baby, with rooms
acting as viewing boxes. Don’t miss the in-
house food court, and Yat Tung Heen Chinese
restaurant is also worth the splurge.
ROOMS: From HK$1,287 (£119), B&B.
eatonworkshop.com

68 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
21
ADVENTURES
BIG TRIPS FOR THE YEAR A H E AD
Seeking inspiration for your next big adventure?
Then look no further. From paddling through the
wilds of western Canada to riding the rails through
Siberia, dipping a toe in the Amazon and sleeping
in the shadow of Sudan’s great pyramids, our
thrill-seeking travel writers have selected their
favourite adventurous forays. The only thing left
for you to do is to decide which unique experience
should be next on your travel hitlist
WORDS
J U L I A B U C K L E Y,
AMELIA DUGGAN,
EMMA GREGG,
J A M I E L A F F E R T Y,
BEN LERWILL,
AARON MILLAR,
ADRIAN PHILLIPS
& EMMA THOMSON
SEGAMI LWA :EGAMI

COMPILED BY
SARAH BARRELL

70 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Jul/Aug 2021 71
21 ADVENTURES

CLOCKWISE: Red cherry blossoms in the

remote mountain village of Yunomine
in spring, home to what’s thought to be
the oldest onsen in Japan; a Shugendo
Yamabushi monk, dressed in traditional
suzukaki robes; the Nachi-no-Otaki
waterfall and Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine
at the end of the Kumano Kodo
PREVIOUS PAGE: To-Sua Ocean Trench,
Apia, Samoa
1 JAPAN
WALKING THE KUMANO KODO
Follow the ancient pilgrimage path that cuts through the silent, mossy mountains of Kii, south of
Kyoto, to discover Shinto shrines, steaming hot springs and sacred waterfalls — a landscape where
nature, body and spirit commune in harmony. Words: Aaron Millar
The Shugendo monk stands on the last summit ridge of
the Kumano Kodo and blows his Hora conch shell to the
wilds. He’s dressed in immaculate white Suzukaki robes,
straw sandals and a woven cypress Minachi-gasa hat.
The sound is earthy, like an animal call, but hollow, too,
like wind passing through the forest. He’s a Yamabushi,
a holy man of the mountains. The sound lasts only an
instant, but I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.
I’m here to walk the Kumano Kodo, a 54-mile path
that cuts through the Kii Mountains of Japan, south of
Kyoto. This network of pilgrimage trails has been walked
for thousands of years, by emperors and peasants alike,
to make offerings at the three Grand Shrines of Hongu,
Hatayama and Nachi along the way.
But this isn’t your average boots-in-the-dirt hike. This
is the land of Shugendo, an ancient off-set of Buddhism
which holds that enlightenment is to be found through
physical excursion in the natural world.
“You do the training,” Ryoei Takagi, a Shugendo
master, would later tell me, “until nature and your body
and your heart are all mixed together into the same
thing.” And when that happens, practitioners believe,
you’ll also be granted magical powers.
It might just work, too: experienced Yamabushis, like
Ryoei, have been recorded meditating under the freezing
waters of the Nachi Otaki, Japan’s largest and most
sacred waterfall, for up to 45 minutes at a time. Most of
us wouldn’t last a minute. If there’s such a thing as hiking
Nirvana, the Kumano Kodo is it.
I begin in Takijiri-oji, the gateway shrine to the sacred
lands of Kumano, and hike for three hard days to the first
Grand Shrine, Hongu Taisha. It’s like entering a living
museum. I pass monoliths etched with mantras, statues
RALLIM NORA A ;Y T TEG :SEGAMI
“Enlightenment is within
us already,” Ryoei told me.
“You just have to make
space to feel it.”
of dragons covered in moss and small wooden shrines
where sutras (sacred scriptures) written by emperors are
buried underneath.
The going is steep and hard, long cobbled paths
winding through dense bamboo forests. But it’s tranquil,
too. The region is known for its hot springs, and each
night aer I stumble into one of the small local guest
houses, or ryokans, which are spread out among the
villages that dot the trail, I collapse into one, soaking
tired legs and breathing hot steam.
Aer the Hongu Grand Shrine, a mountain complex of
stark red temples with curved cypress bark roofs, golden
lanterns, prayer flags and monks bowing in devotion, it’s
two more days in the forest to Yunomine, the 1,800-year-
old hot spring thought to be the oldest in the country.
And it’s a hot spring with a novel dual purpose. As I
stop for a rest, beside a bubbling well in the town centre,
an old man sits beside me and drops a net filled with
sweet potatoes and eggs into steaming water below.
Some 10 minutes later, dinner is cooked and the best egg
of my life is sitting happily in my stomach. It turns out
they boil their food in Yunomine as well as their bodies.
The next day, now just a few miles from the end, I catch
sight of the Pacific Ocean and hear that earthy animal
call of the Yamabushi blowing his conch shell to the
wilds. Below us is the Natachi Otaki, a spectacular 436
waterfall, surrounded by golden temples and sweet cedar
smoke on the breeze. I hike down, thinking about the
legends of Shugendo, the magic of these mountains, and
the pilgrims who still pass through to this day.
“Enlightenment is within us already,” Ryoei tells me, at
my journey’s end. “You just have to make space to feel it.”
Aer 54 miles through steep, undulating mountains, I
feel exhausted, but peaceful, too. Perhaps that’s the point
— much of human history that’s been lived intimately
immersed in the outdoors. If enlightenment is to be
attained at all, perhaps it makes sense to look outside of
us, rather than within.
Oku Japan offers guided and self-guided walking itineraries
along the ancient Kumano Kodo from £1,020 per person.
okujapan.com
Jul/Aug 2021 73
2 RIDE THE CALIFORNIA
ZEPHYR BETWEEN CHICAGO
& SAN FRANCISCO, USA
This 2,400-mile east-west link proves that despite
the US’s limited choice of rail routes, it doesn’t
stint on quality. Over the course of 50 hours, the
Zephyr travels through three time zones and seven
states, traversing Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska
before ramping up to the blockbuster landscapes
of Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California. You’ll
cross the Mississippi, climb the Rockies and snake
along the Colorado River, starting and ending in
two of the country’s finest cities. A state-funded
Amtrak service, the Zephyr isn’t Uncle Sam’s
Orient Express, and overseas travellers are in the
minority, but that’s the joy of it. There are sleeper
compartments, a dining car and an observation
lounge-cum-bar where you and fellow riders
can share the joys of Utah’s rose-tinted, mesa-
studded plains on day two, and VIP views of the
Sierra Nevada on the approach to San Francisco.
But just spending three days watching the great
American outdoors spool past the window is a

3
luxury in itself. amtrakvacations.co.uk BL

HUNT FOR FAIRIES IN

PAKISTAN’S HUNZA VALLEY
Deep inside a great cauldron of eight
mountains, in north-eastern Pakistan, the Hunza
Valley was cut off from the outside world until the
completion of the Karakoram Highway in 1978.
Famed for its 32 varieties of apricots, spring is
the best time to visit when valley air flutters with
blossoms. A three-hour hike from the village of
Tato leads travellers to Fairy Meadow National
Park — a 10,800-high alpine idyll, at the base
of Nanga Parbat. The sight of the snow-dusted
peaks mirrored perfectly in the clear mountain
ponds is mesmerising. Take strolls across the
juniper- and pine-scented plateau and keep an
eye out for blue-eyed fairies. Local legend has it
this area is paradise for these mystical creatures.
Whether you’re a believer or not, a visit definitely
contributes to Pakistan’s blossoming tourism

4
renaissance. wildfrontierstravel.com ET

HIKE TURKEY’S LYCIAN WAY

Few hiking routes have it all — mountains,
sea, forest and beach — but the Lycian
Way’s pine-clad forests edge vertiginous cliffs
that drop into lapis-blue waters, lapped by bay
aer bay of white sand. Old Roman roads and
mule paths comprise this 335-mile hiking route
from Ölüdeniz to Geyikbayırı in southwestern
Turkey. Designed by British amateur historians
Kate Clow and Terry Richardson in the 1990s, it’s
named aer the Lycian League, a 2,500-year-old
civilisation that established one of the world’s
first parliaments here, at Patara. The twisting trail
passes through olive groves and rustic villages,
temple-like Lycian tombs hewn into the hillsides,
the remains of Pinara’s amphitheatre and azure
seas. Days end at guest houses with cold beers and
sunset views. cultureroutesinturkey.com ET

74 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 21 ADVENTURES

Navigating the turquoise waters

of Attabad Lake, Karakoram
Highway, Hunza Valley, Pakistan
Y T T E G :SEGAMI

LEFT, FROM TOP: San Francisco’s

Golden Gate Bridge from the
water; hiking a forest trail on the
clifftops of the Lycian Way, Turkey

Jul/Aug 2021 75
21 ADVENTURES

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Susan’s Kitchen in

Rose Harbour, Haida Gwaii, a wildlife-rich
archipelago off the west coast of Canada; sea
kayaking in Haida Gwaii; a cedar long house
with traditional totem pole, Haida Gwaii

5
 CANADA
THE ‘GALÁPAGOS OF THE NORTH’
Kayaking through Haida Gwaii, a string of weather-pummelled Pacific islands cast adrift from the
western coast of British Columbia, reveals biodiversity on a giant Canadian scale. Words: Aaron Millar
The kayak cuts through the velvet water like a knife.
Giant forests of moss-draped spruces and cedars line the
shore, the scene reflected in perfect symmetry below.
The dawn has brought mist. Colours emerge slowly,
pastels on grey like a magician’s trick.
Then, in the distance, I see a ripple on the surface, an
arched wet back, the hiss of a blow hole. “Stay back,” says
our guide, Jordan Ackerman. “We don’t want to disturb
them.” I clutch my paddle, white-knuckling my salty wet
hands. The whales are coming.
We’re in Haida Gwaii, a string of more than 150 weather-
torn Pacific islands located some 60 miles off the northern
coast of British Columbia. I’ve come here because it’s one
of the world’s best destinations for sea kayaking — but the
appeal of this archipelago is far greater.
The islands are known as the ‘Galápagos of the North’
for their remarkable levels of biodiversity: the bays
swell with herring and salmon; the skies squawk with
millions of nesting seabirds; and gray whales, orcas and
humpbacks pass through the waters. Kayaking Haida
Gwaii isn’t just a fun paddle, it’s one of the most unique
wildlife experiences on the planet.
The plan is to spend three days circumnavigating
Alliford Bay and the Skidegate Inlet, camping out on
deserted island beaches along the way. There are four
of us: me, a city-dweller seeking refuge in nature, local
guide Jordan and a mother-and-daughter pair seeking
adventure. They won’t be disappointed.
We set off from the docks of Queen Charlotte, a tiny
village on Graham Island — the archipelago’s largest
and most populated island, home to around 5,000
mostly native Haida people, who have made their home
here for millennia. From there, we paddle 10 miles west
to Burnt Island, our camp for the night, passing bald
eagles by the dozen; there are more per capita here than
Y T T E G ; S E G A M I LWA : S E G A M I
“The sprays come closer, the
ripples grow stronger and
my kayak begins to rock”
anywhere else in the world. Curious sea lions tail us, their
dark eyes and whiskers popping up above the surface.
“Anyone hungry?” asks Jordan at lunchtime, picking
kelp straight from the sea and stuffing it into his mouth.
It’s rubbery and salty and dissolves in my mouth like
ocean-flavoured jelly.
Dinner may have started on a challengingly slimy note,
but Jordan, it turns out, is a sea kayaking gourmand.
We cook over campfires each night — candied salmon,
cod roasted in red wine — taking turns with chores,
watching the day fade to dusk and listening to crabs
scuttling around the inter-tidal zone. Slowly, the city
lis from me, as though taking off a heavy coat I hadn’t
known was there.
For the next two days, we cross southeast through open
water and ocean storms, making our way towards Maude
Island and the ancient Haida village of Haina. Sites like
this populate these remote islands, where little more than
a century ago, bands of families would make their homes
— collecting seashells for beads, gathering plants for
medicines and building totem poles carved with faces and
animals looking out to sea. Much of this old way of life has
faded now, but as we step through the mossy forest into
a small clearing, I can see the foundations where a long
house once lay, as well as the holes that held the totems.
Everything is dissolving back into the land, back from
where it came, as is the Haida way.
We’re not done yet, though. On the last aernoon,
we hear that hiss of a blow hole and stay back to give the
whales space. But the sprays come closer, the ripples
grow stronger and my kayak begins to rock. Then,
suddenly, a 50-foot gray whale breaches less than five
metres away. I can smell the ocean on its skin, feel the
spray from its breaching body. It circles me, and my
hands tremble as I take in its size and power — a monster
of the deep, big enough to swallow me whole. But
it’s gentle, too, and curious, and for just a moment
our two worlds, land and sea, are connected. Just
like the Haida Gwaii itself.
Green Coast Kayaking has a three-day guided tour,
including all meals and equipment, from £350 per person.
gckayaking.com
Jul/Aug 2021 77
SUDAN
SEEING STARS IN SUDAN
Scattered across the sands of the Nubian Desert, Sudan’s constellation
of ancient pyramids are home to celestial deities, pharaohs and queens
— and very few visitors. Words: Emma Thomson
The night is salted with stars. Orion reclines on his side,
and across the vast black blanket streaks a dusty comet.
I wriggle an arm out of my sleeping bag and run my
fingers across the sands of the Nubian Desert beneath
me. The surface is cool, a little crunchy and dimpled with
fox prints, but digging my fingers into the sand uncovers
soer, warmer depths. These things haven’t changed for
millennia, and suddenly I feel intimately connected to
all that has gone before. Across these sands paced the
‘black pharaohs’ — Kushite rulers who conquered Egypt
in around 747 BC and, for nearly a century, controlled
an empire that stretched from Khartoum to the
Mediterranean Sea. Its leaders revived the old Egyptian
tradition of constructing pyramids as burial chambers
for their kings, queens and noblemen with such gusto,
they ended up leaving a legacy of some 255 towering
edifices — more than twice the number found in Egypt.
Some can be found in the necropolises of el-Kurru
and Nuri, around 250 miles north of the capital,
Khartoum. Here, the steep pyramids are clustered
around Jebel Barkal, a sandstone butte that looms
unexpectedly from the endless flatness of the desert.
Centuries before the pyramids were constructed, while
the area was still under Egyptian rule, the mountain
had been chosen as a holy site.
“See that,” says Hitam, my guide and a nubiologist,
pointing to a weathered column of rock that has slowly
eroded away from the main mass. “They chose this site
because it looks like the cobra that gilded the pharaoh’s
crown. When Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose III saw the
mountain, he said: ‘This is the house of my father, Amun’
“The walls are carved
with cartouches, whose
designs are as numerous
as the stars”
78 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
6
(their chief deity). And aer that, all pharaohs came to
visit it. The Temple of Amun he had built beneath is
a copy of Karnak in Egypt — they were almost equal
in status, so in texts, the glyphs for each are virtually
indistinguishable. It just shows how important it was.”
The temple ruins are best seen from above, so when
the sun’s fierce bite soens, setting the russet rock aglow,
I hike to Jebel Barkal’s summit. A warm wind rakes my
hair as I walk to the rocky edge. Below, I can make out
pairs of giant stone rams, their eyes and ears worn away
by time, and rows of cracked and crumbling pillars that
lead the eye to the green banks of the pewter River Nile
— the same water that ferried Kushite kings to their
coronations inside this holy temple.
But what has been eroded by sand and sun above ground
glistens below. Hitam leads me to the western side of the
cobra-shaped pinnacle and crouches to enter a collapsed
stone doorframe built into the rock. I follow him into the
dark interior and stop in my tracks. We’re in the Temple
of Mut, goddess wife of the Amun. A few spotlights,
suspended from gnarled wooden scaffolding, illuminate
scenes of exquisite beauty. Above us, in colours of white
kaolin and ochre against a background of deep blue, is the
lion-headed Mut, paying tribute to the pharaoh Taharqa.
We drive a few hours south to the site of Meroë, once
the Kushite capital and now a UNESCO World Heritage
Site, home to the country’s best-preserved cache of
pyramids. More than 200 are spread across the sands that
sip hungrily at their granite-and-sandstone bases. Inside,
the walls are carved with cartouches, whose designs
are as numerous as the stars. In the cool hours just aer
dawn, we meet only a handful of archaeologists who are
painstakingly restoring the crumbling corners. I had
yearned to feel the glow of Golden Age archaeological
exploration and to see an ancient site without the crowds.
SEGAMI LWA :EGAMI
I had found it in Sudan.
Explore offers a 12-day Discover Sudan tour from £3,190
per person, excluding flights. British nationals must
purchase a £75 visa prior to arrival. explore.co.uk
 21 ADVENTURES

7 CONQUER FIERY
VOLCANOES IN
GUATEMALA
Guatemala’s Western Highlands are home to
a spectacular spine of volcanoes: 37 thrust
skywards before the land tapers away to
the shimmering Pacific. They loom over the
colonnades and chapels of Antigua Guatemala,
their peaks snagging passing clouds and
encircling market towns home to communities
of indigenous Maya. Local adventure outfits
have sprung up in recent years, hoping to
tempt travellers to explore the peaks with
seasoned guides. There’s quick-to climb
Chicabal, with its sacred, high-altitude lake;
San Pedro, a tough half-day scramble; and
Tajumulco, Central America’s loiest summit
at 13,850, best tackled in one gruelling day.
To immerse yourself in the elemental nature
of the land, pitch a tent on Acatenango — a
forested peak pinned between the volcanoes
of Agua (‘Water’) and Fuego (‘Fire’) — and
watch fiery-red volleys of rocks and ash streak

8
the star-studded night sky. viaventure.com AD

GO OVERLAND THROUGH
HUNGARY’S GREAT PLAIN
This was once a place of bandits and
outcasts, where cowboys roamed and legends
were made. The Great Hungarian Plain is at the
heart of the country’s cultural identity: goulash
was popularised here, cooked by herders
in cauldrons hung over open fires, and the
flat grasslands and big skies have inspired
countless landscape artists. Route 33 offers a
thrilling road trip through the area, with various
options for breaks along the way. Stop off at
Lake Tisza for a spot of kayaking and a bowl of
local fish soup, or head to Hortobágy National
Park for impressive birdlife and mesmerising
cowboy shows, with csikós (herders) performing
breathtaking acts of skill on horseback.

9
hnp.hu/en AP

DISCOVER TREASURE
ISLAND IN SAMOA
It’s no coincidence that Robert
Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island,
chose Samoa as the place in which to spend
his final years — this is a Polynesian paradise
with an edge. For the chance to spot the
sperm whales and spinner dolphins that pass
between Upolu and Savai’i (the two main
islands), join a boat trip from Apia, the nation’s
capital. Visit in June, and you might catch a
fautasi race, which sees islanders compete in
traditional long boats that can accommodate
crews of up to 50. There are plenty of year-
round activities, too, such as hiking remote
trails in rainforest-filled volcanic craters,
testing your nerve with a 100 plunge into
the To-Sua Ocean Trench and watching jets
A camel and rider pass the of water burst from the Alofaaga Blowholes.
pyramids of Meroë, Sudan samoa.travel AP

Jul/Aug 2021 79
 WHERE FAMILY FUN KNOWS NO BOUNDS!
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theozencollection.com Part of THE OZEN COLLECTION @ozenlifemaadhoo

 21 ADVENTURES

10 GO BUSH CAMPING
IN QUEENSLAND
An hour-and-a-half drive from
Brisbane brings you to the Scenic Rim, an arc
of mountains where you’ll find a 5,000-acre
private nature reserve offering luxurious,
safari-style camping. No private cars are
allowed at Spicers Canopy — you’ll be picked
up at the gate in a four-wheel-drive — and
there are no computers or TVs on site.
This is an opportunity to commune
with nature, exploring grasslands, eucalyptus
forests, creeks and mountain trails. Treks
along the Scenic Rim Trail range from
two days to a full week, with local guides
teaching you bushcra secrets en route:
learn which plants to eat, how to locate
honey and the best way to catch yabbies.

11
spicersretreats.com AP

JOIN THE WACKY RACES

ALONG CENTRAL ASIA’S
SILK ROAD ROUTE
Since its launch in 2012, the route of the
Central Asia Rally has changed many times,
but now offers an approximate Silk Road
adventure in reverse. The 4,000-mile car
rally kicks off in Astrakhan, Russia, with
participants taking two weeks to travel
east through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan
and Tajikistan before finishing in
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Second-hand cars are typically used, Spicers’ Eco Cabins, set on the
and for many it’s a one-way journey, with edge of the rainforest in Main
old bangers sold off at markets in Kyrgyzstan. Range National Park is used
exclusively for those hiking the
For those unsure of what to drive, the Travel five-day Scenic Rim Trail, Australia
Scientists, who pioneered the race, can BELOW: A carpet weaver makes
make arrangements in Astrakhan. a traditional silk carpet in Itchan

12
centralasiarally.com JL Kala, Uzbekistan

RIDE RUSSIA’S TRANS-

SIBERIAN RAILWAY
Only in Russia can you board
a train that’s timetabled to take around a
week to reach its final destination. Covering
5,772 miles from Moscow to Vladivostok,
the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway is the
world’s longest continuous passenger route.
While there’s something inherently thrilling
about crossing a continent by train, you don’t
choose the Trans-Siberian Railway for its
speed — it typically trundles along at around
50 mph — or its views, which are mostly of
vast, open landscapes and birch forests. This
is a cultural adventure, taking in remote towns
such as Perm and Irkutsk while sleeping in
what amounts to a mobile guesthouse.
The dormitory-like platzkart (third-class)
Y T T E G ;YM A L A : S E G A M I

carriages offer the best opportunities

to mingle, perhaps by sharing meals of
homemade black bread, cured meat,
smoked fish and blueberry waffles
bought from vendors on the platforms.
trains.realrussia.co.uk/transsib EG

Jul/Aug 2021 81
 BRAZIL
BACKWATER BRAZIL
A short hop from the city of Manaus, the tea-black
waters of Brazil’s Rio Negro, a major tributary of
Amazon River, offer the perfect taster experience for
those seeking an accessible rainforest adventure.
Words: Julia Buckley
“Jack!” call my companions. “Jack, are you here?” I turn
and see the sign: ‘Dear visitors, for your safety, do not
hang your arms or legs outside the boat.’ Jack may not be
home, but it seems he might be in the area.
Jack’s full name is Jacaré — Portuguese for ‘alligator’
— and he’s one of the black caimans resident in Brazil’s
Anavilhanas National Park. Jack is usually partial to the
company of humans — he sleeps below a monitoring
post here on the Rio Negro — but he’s not the kind of
guy you want to get too close to. At up to six metres long,
these are the Amazon’s biggest reptiles, and they divide
their time between basking on the baked-mud banks and
bathing in the world’s largest blackwater river.
Oen, Jack pops his snout above the plant-darkened
waters and meanders over to size up new visitors. Today,
it’s not to be — and I’m not unhappy about that. I’ve spent
the past 48 hours kayaking in anaconda-inhabited waters
and hiking through the jungle in snake-proof gaiters, and
today is our rest day — boating along the Rio Negro to
swim, grill giant tambaqui fish, doze in hammocks and,
with any luck, spy pink river dolphins.
That we’ve done all this in just three days is all thanks
to our hotel, Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge. We’re only 120
miles — a three-hour drive — upriver from the Amazon
hub city of Manaus, but we’ve been plunged into a full-
on jungle experience. Downriver, near Manaus, the Rio
Negro’s black waters swirl into the lighter Solimões River
at the famous Meeting of Waters, joining to become the
Amazon proper.
But this is the Amazon in all but name; one of the
many tributaries that run like veins through the Amazon
Basin. Anavilhanas is an archipelago of more than 400
islands dotted about the wide river, all perfectly reflected
in the super-still, opaque-glassy water. Lush-leafed trees
“Drifting between the
islands, frogs croak like
a kazoo chorus”
82 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
13
become bushy pompoms; dead stumps are stretched to
infinite spears. Cleaving through the mirror in a kayak
feels like entering an Escher drawing.
Heading into the archipelago, we take a small boat
downriver, before climbing into kayaks to navigate
a shallow creek. During the dry season, says guide
João, much of this would be walkable — not that
you’d want to walk, what with the caimans sunning
themselves on the beachy banks. I scour the water for
eyes amid the tendrils and trunks of a half-submerged
forest. Are there caimans here, I ask? “Not now – but
there are anacondas,” grins João, brandishing a
machete. We glide through the water — he paddles,
I watch for suspicious ripples — but there’s nothing,
just an ethereal stillness.
Wildlife here doesn’t give itself up easily — neither
the jaguars nor the anacondas that, at different times of
the year, nest under the floating bar deck. For now, with
João’s assent, we jump in and swim, and it’s as warm as
a bath. Here in the Rio Negro, it’s all about the detail:
the lobster-clawed beetle at check-in; the speckled
toad sitting outside my jungle-swaddled cabin; the
supermodel-slim snake dangling from the restaurant
terrace, where we gorge on feijoada bean stews and the
fleshy white pulp of the cupuaçu fruit. On a moonlit
boat trip, João’s torch picks out a slow-blinking sloth,
an Amazon tree boa, wrapped around a branch, and a
pinktoe tarantula with eight hairy legs and eight tiny
paws, each seemingly wearing a dainty pink shoe.
And finally, driing between islands, frogs croaking
like a kazoo chorus, I see two cold eyes flashing red in the
torchlight, apparently levitating above the water.
“It’s a caiman,” whispers João, turning the boat. The
Rio Negro is silky still. The full moon sparkles silver on
the water. And, just like that, the eyes disappear.
Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge has three-day, all-inclusive
S E G A MI LWA : E G A M I
packages from £456 per person. Humboldt Travel has four
nights at Anavilhanas as part of a nine-night Brazil trip,
from £3,620, including internal flights and transfers, most
meals and activities, but excluding international flights.
anavilhanaslodge.com humboldttravel.co.uk
 21 ADVENTURES

14 PICK YOUR WAY

THROUGH ‘THE
TEETH’ IN CHILE
One of Patagonia’s great treks begins just
outside of Puerto Williams, rising steeply
through a pine forest before reaching a high
pass where Ushuaia and the Magellan Strait,
and its cruise ships to Antarctica, are visible.
Dientes de Navarino (‘dientes’ means ‘teeth’
in Spanish) is the southernmost trekking route
for the White Continent. Typically taking
four days, it requires good levels of fitness
and a basic knowledge of wild camping.
Porters and guides are recommended, given
the challenging terrain, lack of signage
and unpredictable weather. The serrated
mountains that give the route its name stretch
skywards above lakes and waterfalls; the route
cuts through the peaks, before heading over
the Virginia Pass. The final, dramatic descent
passes a sapphire lake en route back to Puerto

15
Williams. chilenativo.travel JL

SAIL A TALL SHIP

THROUGH THE
CANARIES
Off the west coast of Africa lie the Canary
Islands, which have a rich history as a
seafarers’ stopover. Board a tall ship in Las
Palmas de Gran Canaria to embark on an
Atlantic sailing adventure, learning how to
navigate, set the rigging and unfurl sails.
The Santa Maria Manuela, a four-masted gaff
schooner, spends a week cruising around Santa
Cruz de Tenerife, La Gomera and El Hierro
before heading back to Las Palmas. Keep your
eyes peeled: the nutrient-rich waters between
the islands are great place to spot cetaceans.
Short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose
dolphins oen leap through the waves, while
migratory species such as spotted, striped and
rough-toothed dolphins sometimes appear.

16
sailtraininginternational.org EG

FIND COLOMBIA’S
LOST CITY
It may not reach the same
altitudes as its Peruvian rival, Machu Picchu,
but the five-day Ciudad Perdida trek is just as
challenging. Rain can make trails muddy and
energise the humid jungle’s mosquitos, too.
But, as the route doesn’t attract anywhere
near the number of hikers that Machu Pichu
does, expect rewardingly quiet moments of
reflection once inside the ruins themselves.
Archaeological work is ongoing at Ciudad
Perdida — built around 650 years before
Machu Pichu — and has already uncovered
169 terraces carved into the mountainside, all
accessed via 1,200 stone steps. And, having
made it all the way to the 1,200-year-old
ruins, hikers return the same route, traversing
A fisherman casts his net mountain and rivers back to Santa Marta.
into the Rio Negro, Brazil gadventures.com JL

Jul/Aug 2021 83
TAKE ME TO THE OCEAN
THE SUN
TENERIFE
 21 ADVENTURES

17 SAFARI ON FOOT IN
TIGER COUNTRY, NEPAL
Since 2010, conservation efforts in
Nepal have led to the country becoming the first in
the world to double its tiger population, which now
totals around 450. This has doubled the chance of
seeing one of the world’s largest cats in the wild
— an even more exciting prospect when exploring
jungles on foot, as part of a guide-led tour.
Around 350 miles west of Kathmandu, Bardiya
National Park is one of Nepal’s tiger strongholds.
With abundant fresh water, an ample number of
deer, and little in the way of human development,
the cats thrive here. Nature drives and walks
are offered every day from lodges such as the
excellent Tiger Tops Karnali Lodge, where
sightings of Asian elephants and endangered
one-horned rhinos are common, even if the
naturally elusive feline predators remain far from

18
a guaranteed encounter. tigertops.com JL

SPOT RARE GIRAFFES

IN ZAMBIA
Africa’s giraffes are fascinating
to observe, and they’re scarcer than you might
think. While South African giraffes are thriving,
habitat loss has caused a sharp decline in sub-
species in countries to the north.
If you’re keen to see such a rarity, you can do
no better than the Thornicro’s giraffe. Recent
genetic research suggests the species is closely
related to East Africa’s Masai giraffe — closely
enough, perhaps, to interbreed. Zambia’s
South Luangwa Valley National Park is home
to their sole population, numbering around
600. Here, informative guides lead tours run by
ethical-minded bush camps where you will spy
Thornicro’s giraffe, distinguished by its jagged
spots. Look closely, and you’ll see the animals
travel with an entourage: red-billed oxpeckers,
plucky little birds that keep them tick free and
sometimes reach right inside their ears, as if

19
whispering a secret. bushcampcompany.com EG

SNORKEL WITH WHALE

SHARKS IN MEXICO
Becoming a citizen scientist adds
depth and purpose to a snorkelling adventure.
Spend a week on Mexico’s Caribbean coast,
with wildlife operator Aqua-Firma, and you can
head out to sea on day expeditions with whale
shark researchers, marine biologists and camera
operators whose job it is to study the world’s
biggest fish.
The team operates in July, the busiest month
for sightings, when aerial surveys count up to
200 whale sharks near the research boat, many
surrounded by remora fish. As well as collecting
whale shark data, the team is trying to determine if
the local giant manta rays are a new species.
Most whale shark encounters are in clear water
Y T T E G :SEGAMI

Divers swimming with a whale

where, by free-diving down, you can marvel at shark, near Cancún, Mexico
these gentle giants looming overhead, blocking ABOVE: Thornicroft’s giraffe, South
out the light. aqua-firma.com EG Luangwa National Park, Zambia

Jul/Aug 2021 85
21 ADVENTURES
20 EXPLORE SOUTH AFRICA’S
ZULU HEARTLAND
Encompassing the dramatic, dragon-spine
peaks of the Drakensberg, and grasslands rolling out to
meet the Indian Ocean, the eastern province of KwaZulu-
Natal offers wilderness in excess. It’s the perfect adventure
playground; hike the ’Berg — tackling the multi-day Giant’s
Cup Trail, or sheer-sided Cathedral Peak — or spot rhinos
in Africa’s oldest reserve, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park.
But the greatest treasure of this land is its enigmatic
living culture. Over 10 million Zulu live across the state,
proudly preserving ancient traditions that had been
cultivated during the 19th century when legendary warrior
Shaka Zulu built an empire across Southern Africa.
Arrive in Durban and meet guide Thoko Jilli, of Wisdom
Tours, who eschews the o-staged cultural dances and
buffets of local lodges in favour of tours into the undulating,
emerald region known as the Valley of a Thousand Hills. Just
an hour from the city, experience daily life in a rural hamlet
with which Thoko has close ties.
Here, you can break bread with local women in a
rondavel (a thatched building shaped like a drum); hear
poetry in the sonorous isiZulu language; and learn about
spirituality, exploring sacred stone Shembe circles and
meeting with a sangoma (ancestral healer) or inyanga
(medicine man).
Or try custom-built tours that dive into Durban’s
warren-like Markets of Warwick, home to beadworkers;
stalls selling local dishes like bunny chow (meat curry in a
bun) or roasted cow head; and vendors touting charms and
traditional cures. Or make for the atmospheric Anglo-Zulu
War battlefields of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Dri in the
state’s north. wisdomtours.co.za marketsofwarwick.co.za AD
86 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
A fruit seller rows into a
floating marketplace in the
Mekong Delta region, Vietnam
21 PEDAL ALONG THE MEKONG IN
VIETNAM & CAMBODIA
The sweltering banks of the Mekong River
may not seem like the easiest cycling route, but bike
tour specialist Grasshopper Adventures offers a series
of manageable day-cycles along Southeast Asia’s best-
known watery artery. Pedal for a few hours each day, then
rejoin the company’s liveaboard boat as it meanders north
from Vietnam into Cambodia.
The tour starts in Ho Chi Minh City, bordering the
mighty Mekong Delta region, close to the mouth of the
world’s 10th-longest river. From here, it leads up through
small villages and towns, oen with the Mekong in sight,
but sometimes leaving it far behind as participants cycle
through dragon fruit farms and rice paddies, perhaps
passing local festivals or weddings, where mutual
astonishment is shared by Lycra-clad riders and revellers.
Riders will want to regularly refuel — the topography
is mercifully flat, but the humidity is relentless, — and
thankfully roadside fruit and juice stands are plentiful.
Pedalling north, across the Cambodian border, new
bikes await.
Historical and cultural lessons are offered by guides
along the way, and at the final stop, in Siem Reap, a day can
be spent cycling around the mighty temples of Angkor.
Unconquerable on foot in a day, the 72 ruins that
once stood as a vast Khmer city, crowned by the temple
of Angkor is surprisingly easily navigated by bike, and
freewheeling around the UNESCO World Heritage Site,
oen described as the finest archaeological site in
Y T T E G :EGAMI
South East Asia, makes for a spectacular reward
at the end of a week of cycling up the Mekong.
grasshopperadventures.com JL
 THE ROAD
Prospectors, outlaws and early Mormon settlers all carved their way
through the dramatic topography of Utah, each group leaving their
mark on the story of America. Centuries later, this is still a land of
discovery, best explored in the classic comfort of an Airstream trailer
— a silver bullet snaking between national parks seeped in local myths

88 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 OUT WEST
WORDS AARON MILLAR
S K NAB N A D R O J :EGAMI

Jul/Aug 2021 89
UTAH

The road is shimmering in the heat. From where

I stand, on the edge of Glen Canyon in the heart
of Utah’s untameable high desert, it snakes
through the valley to an infinite horizon, the
landscape too vast to contain it.
Here is the American West, all its aspects,
every possible feature in a single glance:
soaring monoliths, steep-cut gorges, fire-
coloured mesas, the Colorado River green
and slow, reflecting the sky like a mirror.
Everything untouched, desolate, burning
and wild.
I’ve come to drive this road. The breeze
whips up from the canyon and whets my
lips with the anticipation of adventure.
Keys jangle excitedly in my pocket as I
walk. American road trips are the stuff of
whispered legend. They’re part of the
psyche of the country, written in novels,
sung about in music and immortalised in
film. You’re not just driving here — you’re
following in the footsteps of great American
writers like Jack Kerouac; you’re breaking
free with rebels like Easy Rider and Thelma
& Louise. The scenery feels wilder with every
bend you take, unfolding like the backdrop
of a classic Western.
In many ways, that’s exactly what it is.
Some of America’s most iconic films were
1929, when its founder Wally Byam’s wife
complained she hated camping so much that
he built her one of these instead. Since then
it’s gone by many names: the silver bullet, the
retro rocket, the toaster-on-wheels. In truth,
it looks more like a starship from a 1970s sci-fi
flick than anything you’d see on the road
today. But none of that matters. The Airstream
trailer is to campervan holidays what John
Travolta is to flares. It makes them cool.
I have 10 days driving through southern
Utah’s canyon lands before me, a shiny
Airstream behind and nothing but the
freedom of the open road ahead. I look back
out across that shimmering red desert and
want to blow a kiss to the breeze. This is the
stuff of which driving dreams are made.
Mine begins in Cassidy country. In 1889, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: An Airsteam
aer liberating the San Miguel Valley Bank trailer stands in front of a view of the
of $20,000 (£14,000) — about $575,000 Henry Mountains, near the Hogsback
(£407,000) in today’s money — Butch Cassidy, Pass on Route 12, a road that runs 123
one of the West’s most notorious outlaws, miles between Capitol Reef and Bryce
came to what’s now Capitol Reef National Canyon national parks; a cow in Capitol
Park to hide out from the law. Reef National Park’s Cathedral Valley,
Y T T EG ;R A L L I M NOR A A : S E G A M I

shot in Utah, from Stagecoach (1939) to Rio
Grande (1950). Road tripping here isn’t just a
pleasant cruise, it’s like starring in your own
movie — and the leading lady in this one is
a shiny silver trailer that sparkles in the sun
like a hundred disco balls.
The Airstream has been America’s most
iconic piece of campervanning kit since
He chose a beautiful spot. Early settlers
called it the ‘land of the sleeping rainbow’
for the way the sandstone walls and soaring
pinnacles of red rock change colour with
the shiing light. I drive past enormous
sandstone cliffs towering above me like the
walls of a giant’s castle and down into deep
chasms of burgundy red, like tapestries of
home to sculptured monoliths with
intriguing names such as the Temples
of the Sun and Moon; a road running
through Capitol Reef National Park in
south-central Utah
PREVIOUS PAGE: The view across
Monument Valley from mile marker
13 on Utah’s Highway 163 is one of
America’s most iconic

90 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 UTAH

Jul/Aug 2021 91
UTAH

92 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

I sit outside the stone, turning a fiery orange as the sun drops
its last rays.
farm store, horses At the end of a winding narrow canyon
grazing in the road, I strap on my boots and hike into
Capitol Gorge, a steep ravine etched in
field, an old barn petroglyphs of suns and antlers, carved by
and smokehouse the Fremont people who made this area their
home more than 1,000 years ago.
ragged brown with Further down, inscriptions from the
age, and take a first prospectors and explorers that passed
through begin to appear too. For nearly
bite of one — red a century, up until the highway was built
cherries oozing in 1964, this was the principal route for
Mormon pioneers seeking a way through the
from flaky pastry Waterpocket Fold, an enormous ripple of
and dripping the Earth’s crust that pushed up a 100-mile
knuckle of rugged cliffs and canyons. It was
across my lips an arduous passing and many of those who
made it were drawn to leave their mark: ‘M
Larson 1888’, ‘John Rich 1893’. I trace my
hands on the letters as I walk: dozens of lives
DNOMAID NETSUA/YREDIC ECALP AT TE ;Y T TEG ;SEGAMI LWA :SEGAMI
and memories, overlapping like crossword
puzzles, etched in stone and faded in time.
But those first settlers weren’t just good
at graffiti. On my way back I stop at the
Gifford Homestead in Fruita Valley, a historic
1908 farm and recreation of early Mormon
life. Fruita is well-named. The farm is
surrounded by orchards of apples, apricots,
pears and plums. In season, you can pick
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: A hiker them yourself; out of season, they bake the
stands atop a rocky ‘toadstool’ in stored fruit into sweet pies that have become
Grand Staircase-Escalante National famous across the region. I sit outside the
Monument; an old, red gas pump in farm store, horses grazing in the field, an old
Cannonville, home to one of the visitor barn and smokehouse ragged brown with
centres for Grand Staircase-Escalante
National Monument; historic orchards age, and take a bite of one — red cherries
of heirloom produce near Capitol Reef oozing from flaky pastry and dripping across
National Park date back to the settling my lips. The great Western writer Wallace
of the town of Fruita in 1880 Stegner described this desert oasis as ‘a
UTAH
sudden, intensely green little valley
— opulent with cherries, peaches and apples.’
Life was hard here, but it was also sweet.
Between a rock and a hard place
I had planned a roughly circular route,
which would begin here in Torrey, on the
outskirts of Capitol Reef, and then head
south to Grand Staircase-Escalante and the
soaring monoliths of Bryce Canyon, before
cutting back east. But I wasn’t in a hurry.
Utah Scenic Byway 12, which connects
these three national parks and monuments,
is without a doubt one of the most jaw-
droppingly beautiful roads in America.
However, it’s also one of the most exposed.
Gleaming in the rear-view mirror behind
me, the silver bullet and I cruise an hour
south, rising some 9,600 through groves
of aspen that are still shouldered in spring
snow, to a narrow ridge known as the
Hogsback; there’s no other road like it in
America. Balanced almost impossibly on a
knife-edge ridge, with a drop of thousands
of feet on either side and no safety barrier, it
feels more like flying than driving. I traverse
the razor in equal parts awe and terror,
nothing but the vertiginous lightness of
sheer air all around. If the Airstream looks
like a starship, I think to myself, this is as
about as close as it’ll ever get to taking off.
I’ve abseiled with less exposure.
But it’s worth the white-knuckle ride.
On the other side of the Hogsback is Grand
Staircase-Escalante, a Delaware-sized stretch
of sedimentary rock that steps gradually
upwards for a 100 miles, preserving millions
of years of Earth’s natural history in its
upturned stone.
Jul/Aug 2021 93
UTAH

This was the last piece of the map in the
Lower 48 to be filled in and it still feels
like it. I hike among petrified sand dunes,
not a soul around, find ancient ruins of
the Anasazi, the Ancestral Pueblo People
who inhabited the area for thousands of
years, and then follow another old Mormon
wagon road, still rattly and dirty, for 27
bumpy miles to one of Utah’s most unusual
geological formations: slot canyons.
These dramatic tunnels of stone are
caused by storm water cascading into
cracks in the easily erodible sandstone
plateaus, and it’s thought Utah has the
largest cluster of them anywhere in the
world. By definition, a slot is any canyon
that’s deeper than it is wide. Some, like those
named Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Gulch, take
that to the extreme.
I hike down to a narrow hole in a
seemingly impassable wall of rock, scramble
about 12 or so up a vertical slab of slippery,
smoothed-out stone and enter the slot. It’s
like nowhere I’ve ever been before. Rock
out into daylight, knees bloodied, elbows This new glamping
scratched, covered in dust and sweat, but
I can’t get the smile off my face. If this is site is like the love
claustrophobia, then box me up.
But not before a night of luxury, because
child of camping
here’s the truth. Sitting beside your and a trendy
Airstream, sipping beers and roasting
marshmallows, is the epitome of camping
vintage boutique
cool. Inside is another matter. Yes, it’s hotel: bathrooms
funky — cylindrical metal walls curve above
you like the inside of a piece of retro art.
straight out of a
But, like all campervans, things break, the luxury spa, a pool,
shower isn’t great and you have to empty
your own waste.
cosy cabins, a
Yonder Escalante is the answer. This communal lodge
new glamping site, just past the town of
Escalante, is like the love child of camping
with vintage
and a trendy vintage boutique hotel: record player and
bathrooms straight out of a luxury spa, a
pool, cosy cabins, a communal lodge with cocktail hour
vintage record player and cocktail hour.
“It’s camping for people that don’t love to
camp!” manager Hayley jokes, passing me
a gourmet barbecue feast — proper steaks,
NAMTUB ELLEINAD SKELA ;Y TTEG ;RALLIM NAILLIG :SEGAMI

walls race up on either side of me to a thin
slit of sky far above; waves of red and orange
streaks swirl the rock like a tie-dye painting.
It feels like I’m walking through an abstract
sculpture garden.
But it’s also a kind of contortionist
masterclass that seems closer to an
abandoned amusement park ride than a
pleasant stroll. I climb over boulders and
slick rock arches, through narrowing slits
thin enough to scrape my hands on either
side. At one point, aer descending a 10
rope to a 50-deep vertical canyon, the path
narrows to 10 inches across. I can’t even
straighten my head. Aer two hours, I’m spat
roast potatoes, carrots bathed in butter and
garlic, all served in a chuck-it-on-the-firepit-
yourself kit. Later, wiping the remnants of
the best camping meal of my life from my
chin, I have to admit that I’d happily forgo
the Bear Grylls school of camping any day for
this Gordon Ramsay-esque experience.
Especially if there’s a drive-in movie for
pudding. Yonder Escalante was built on the
grounds of an old outdoor cinema. They
restored it, parked a dozen classic cars in
front of it — 1950s Pontiacs and Cadillacs,
a shiny red Corvette — built a snack kiosk
in an Airstream and now show classic
films to guests most nights of the week.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Yonder
Escalante’s campground has an
authentic refurbished 1950s drive-in
movie screen complete with a dozen
vintage cars parked permanently in
front; a hiker explores the curious
geological formations of Grand
Staircase-Escalante National
Monument; Yonder Escalante offers
prepackaged meal kits, which come
complete with cooking, serving and
dining utensils and can be prepared at
each unit’s private firepit

94 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 UTAH

Jul/Aug 2021 95
 E S T . 2 010

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A vintage American experience, in the
middle of an iconic American trip.
Star-spangled sky
The campsite’s location is perfect, too, right
in the heart of the Grand Staircase-Escalante
National Monument, but also just a short
drive from the spectacular ‘hoodoos’ (a local
term for statue-like rock columns) of Bryce
Canyon National Park, which has more of
them than anywhere on Earth.
“My Grandpa always said,” our horse-
trekking cowboy guide Christian informs
me as I arrive, “You need to experience two
things in life: getting bucked off a horse and
being punched in the face.”
Thankfully, neither comes to pass. What I
do get, aer a short half-hour ride to the rim,
is the best view in the park. The landscape
somehow makes more sense rolling under
the trot of hooves. “Native American legends
say these hoodoos were giants,” Christian
tells me. “They got turned to stone because
they took more than they needed from the
land.” In this surreal place, where stones rise
from the ground like enormous stalagmites
and bright orange pinnacles cut the cliff
walls like shark’s teeth, it feels like that
Y T T E G :EGAMI
might just be true.
ABOVE: Horses in a corral near Capitol And if it is, the Bristlecone pines would
Reef National Park have seen it. Tucked away at the end of the
UTAH
20-mile scenic drive, vast views opening
on every bend, these seemingly humble
trees are in fact the oldest living organism
on the planet.
I hike a mile through the forest to
Yovimpa Point, a pinnacle overlooking the
southern end of the canyon, sentinels of
red, orange and white rocks fading into the
distance. Then I see them. Bristlecone pines,
the most ancient of which are close to 5,000
years old, survive only in a few places in the
world. Yet here they’re mere youngsters in
comparison — about 1,600 years old. But it
still makes you pause. Their roots predate
Christopher Columbus by more than 1,000
years. They stood here as Rome fell and as
Norman invaders won the Battle of
Hastings. I touch their bark, gnarled and
twisted by the ages, battered by millennia
of wind and storm, and wonder what world
they’ll be looking at 1,600 years from now
when the giants of our age have turned to
hoodoos and dust.
The days race past. In the Monument
Valley Park, I take a tour through the
backcountry. “We use yucca for shampoo,”
my Navajo guide, Carol Tallis, says, showing
me the land through her eyes. “Buffalo
grass for brushes and sheep’s wool for yarn.
Everything is used.” We hike up to Tear Drop
Arch together and see the shadowed outline
Jul/Aug 2021 97
UTAH

LEFT: Hikers on the Navajo Loop Trail in

Bryce Canyon National Park, famously
home to ‘hoodoos’ — a local term for
statue-like rock columns

ESSENTIALS
50 Miles
UTAH U N I T E D S TAT E S
OF AMERICA

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Torrey GIFFORD CAPITOL GORGE
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Getting there & around

of distant, table-like buttes framed by an
eye-shaped hole in the rock, like a dark iris.
“There’s Eagle Mesa, the Sleeping Bear, the
Hen,” she says, pointing out each distant rock
formation in turn. In Navajo legends, these
rocks were formed from the slain carcasses
of defeated monsters. The closer I look, the
more stories I can see hidden within.
A few hours north, I bathe in stars.
Natural Bridges National Monument is the
world’s first International Dark Sky Park, a
designation granted to only a handful places
around the world where the quality of the
night sky is exceptional. Out of a list of 90
dark sky parks worldwide, 21 are in Utah
— the state has the highest concentration of
them anywhere on the planet.
I cook out by the fire and then hike down
in the dark to the 180-long Owachomo
Bridge, a natural stone arch spanning a
Perhaps, that’s the point. On my last
night, in Canyonlands National Park, I hike
away from the crowds at the Green River
Overlook, scrambling on rocks above the cliff
until there’s no one else around. Shas of
sunlight beat through a stray rain cloud like
search lights, dazzling the snaking ravines in
sudden bursts of colour below. Some views,
I realise in that moment, are too vast to
comprehend. Like watching stars, or standing
on a mountain top, they’re a feeling, an
emotion, rather than something you see with
your eyes. They make you feel small, but at
the same time part of something bigger than
you’d ever imagined before.
That’s what Utah does to you. That’s what
the West is all about. That’s why you come.
The road is shimmering still, but
it’s stretching out behind me now. The
Airstream, my leading lady, is there too.
Delta Air Lines flies from Heathrow to
Salt Lake City via several different US
hubs. Direct flights from Heathrow to
Las Vegas with airlines including British
Airways and Virgin Atlantic also offer
convenient access to southern Utah.
delta.com ba.com virginatlantic.com
Average flight time: 13h30m.
Airstream trailer and truck rental
available via Utah Caravans of Salt Lake
City. airstreamrentals.com
When to go
Temperatures in July and August can
reach close to 40C. Campsites also
book up quickly and popular national
parks will be crowded. Spring and
autumn are pleasant and warm,
especially in May, June and September.
But April and October, although often
pleasantly mild, can bring cold
temperatures and even snow.
Where to stay
Wonderland RV Park, Torrey.
capitolreefrvpark.com
Fruita Campground, Capitol Reef
National Park. nps.gov/care/
planyourvisit/fruitacampground.htm
Yonder Escalante. stayyonder.com
Natural Bridges Campground.
nabrinfo@nps.gov
Needles Outpost Campground.
needlesoutpost.com
REMULP NHOJ :NOITARTSULLI .Y TTEG :EGAMI

deep valley, my eyes slowly adjusting to the
moonlight, stones bathed in blue and silence.
I lie down at the base of the bridge and look
up. Light pollution is a problem all over the
world; many of us who live in cities have
never seen the true magnitude of the stars.
As the Milky Way unfurls above me, a river
of stardust spreading across the sky, I think
to myself — that’s why places like this exist,
to remind us there’s more to nights than
Netflix. It’s hard to believe it’s real.
Did she play her part perfectly? Of course
not. Things broke, things went wrong. But
that’s all part of the adventure. It’s a small
price to pay for driving the most beautiful
roads in America in its most iconic camping
piece of kit. Kerouac, the ultimate chronicler
of the great American road trip, sums up
this ethos best: ‘There was nowhere to go
but everywhere,’ he wrote in 1957, ‘so just
keep rolling under the stars.’ And there are
certainly plenty of them here.
More info
visitutah.com/uk
How to do it
AMERICA AS YOU LIKE It offers a Utah
Airstream fly-drive including return
flights from Heathrow to Salt Lake City
and a 14-night rental of a truck and 16ft
Bambi Airstream from £1,770 per
person based on four people travelling
together. americaasyoulikeit.com

98 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
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| PA I D C O N T E NT FOR K E N YA T O U R I S M BOAR D

KENYA
The call of
the wild
Kenya’s nature reserves show a country as diverse as it is extraordinary,
where lions stalk through ancient lava flows and flocks of bubble gum-pink
flamingos skim vast, silent lakes. From camel-riding to mountain climbing,
these six reserves each offer something different for travellers
 | PAI D C O N T E N T FOR KE N YA T O U R I S M B OA R D

1 WITNESS OTHERWORLDLY
LANDSCAPES
T S AVO E A S T & W E S T
Tsavo East is an arid expanse, recognisable
for its paprika-red volcanic soil. The section
below the Galana River is a great place to
listen to the twitter of the Tsavo sunbird,
among 500 other avian species.

2 MEET THE MAASAI

MAASAI MARA
Known globally for their distinctive red
and multicoloured robes, the Maasai
have retained most of their traditions and
culture. They’re a nomadic people, moving
around each season to allow grass to regrow.
2
3 SEE THE SKY TURN PINK
LAKE NAKURU
Home to the greatest bird show on the
planet, Lake Nakuru is the place to see
both the lesser flamingo, with its deep red
bill, and the taller greater flamingo. Up to a
million gather around the shore, creating a
spectacular sea of pink.

4 CLIMB ABOARD A CAMEL

LAIKIPIA & SAMBURU
Join a camel safari to get close to the likes of
zebras, elephants and giraffes. Each safari is
led by tribespeople, who use their intimate
3
knowledge of the land to avoid big cats.

5 WALK WITH GIANTS

AMBOSELI
Amboseli National Park is known for its
elephants, with more than 1,600 roaming
the savannah and woodland. They benefited
from a baby boom when tourism dropped
due to the pandemic and rainfall was high.

6 SCALE SUMMITS
MOUNT KENYA
The highest mountain in the country,
4 5
Mount Kenya is located 90 miles north of
Nairobi. It’s made up of layers of magma and
last erupted 2.6 million years ago. Its ragged
peaks are capped with snow while its slopes
are dense with forest. GO ONLINE
for more photos of
Essentials: British Airways and Kenya Airways fly Kenya’s magical reserves.
daily between Heathrow and Nairobi. Average nationalgeographic.
flight time: 8h40m. Transfers from Nairobi to the co.uk/travel
reserves differ hugely, and can be done by either car
or an internal flight.
D R AO B M S I R U O T AY N E K ;Y T T E G : S E G A M I

READ MORE AT
MAGICALKENYA.COM
6
 A river

102 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Australia’s longest river cuts a slow course from the remote Snowy
Mountains of New South Wales through the Outback to the Southern
Ocean. More a meander than a mighty waterway, the Murray’s banks
are nonetheless lined with monumental stories that have shaped the
continent — plucky tales of immigration, determined irrigation and
visionary agriculture that today incorporates some of the nation’s
finest vineyards

through time
W O R D S DAVI D W H I T L E Y P H O T O G R A P H S C H R I S VA N H O V E

Jul/Aug 2021 103

 AUSTRALIA

“ The less you paddle,

the more you enjoy,”
the kayaking guide
calls out from across
the water.
“Just stay in the middle of the river and let the current
take you.”
There’s a cost to not following this simple advice:
I find myself driing towards the riverbank, getting
tangled in the snagging branches of overhanging willow
trees and capsizing while trying to battle free. The kayak
overturns. The camera in my shirt pocket takes a fatal
dunking. The flailing struggle to get back on board
is considerably complicated by duplicitous currents
and teeth-chattering water temperatures that bear no
resemblance to the warm spring day outside the murky
soup that is the Murray River.
This unsolicited swim pierces the serenity somewhat.
Until that point, the dri downstream towards the
centre of Albury had been a magical slice of Australiana:
kangaroos standing to attention on the riverbanks; a
platypus coming up for air aer scurrying along the
riverbed in search of tasty yabbies (small freshwater
crayfish); and tiny turtles sliding off logs for a dip.
Australians call their country’s longest river ‘the mighty
Murray’, although in truth its 1,570-mile course deals
in meek, apologetic meandering and stoic survival
rather than ferocity and grandeur.
The source of the Murray lies high in the Australian
Alps, in a wilderness area that’s nigh on impossible
to access without the assistance of a helicopter. The
closest road to it is the Alpine Way, a narrow, twisting,
rockfall-prone route laced through the mountains that
eventually settles into something flatter alongside high-
country lakes and forests. Any settlements are hardy,
token hamlets, until you hit the city of Albury, 179 miles
downriver, the first place European settlers managed
to cross the waterway. Since that initial conquest, the
Murray has been thoroughly bullied, browbeaten and
harangued. Just outside Albury is the Hume Dam, the
first project of many in man’s crusade to harness the
great river. Lake Hume, the giant reservoir created by the
dam, has six times the capacity of Sydney Harbour, and
water is released when needed.
This is why, if you fall out of a kayak on the Murray
near Albury, it’s so profanity-provokingly cold. The water
is released from the bottom of the dam, where lack of
sunlight makes it 10C colder than it would naturally be.

104 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 AUSTRALIA

Canoeists near Albury, a city on the

northern banks of the Murray
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: A stretch of
Lake Hume, the reservoir created by the
Hume Dam; sign pointing to the Walls
of China in Mungo National Park
PREVIOUS PAGE: The historic river port
of Goolwa, near the mouth of the Murray

Jul/Aug 2021 105

AUSTRALIA
This doesn’t just affect idiot paddlers grappling with
willow branches; it affects the native fish populations,
too. And the temperature drop is just the start of the
dam’s environmental impact. Irrigation demand requires
higher flows in summer — the reverse of the natural state
of affairs, where winter and spring floods play a critical
part in the surrounding landscape.
Along the length of the Murray, which is punctuated
by several dams, the story is similar. A push and pull
of agricultural irrigation and natural vegetation sees
lakes and billabongs dried out, trees growing where
they ought not to and environmental protection
measures in the form of elaborate systems of culverts
and regulators trying to repair the damage. Even a
cursory exploration of the Murray quickly reveals that a
journey along this waterway is as much about its natural
landscape as it is about the people who have shaped the
river, and along with it, Australia itself.
Murray migration
One jolting, oen-forgotten human tale is set in the
shadow of the Hume Dam. “Between 1947 and 1971,
over 300,000 people passed through Bonegilla,”
says Diana Johnston, who runs tours of the Bonegilla
Migrant Experience, on the site of what was once the
Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre.
Australia’s largest and longest-operating migrant
reception centre in the post-war era, it comprised
24 blocks and had its own churches, bank and sports
fields; today, just one block remains.
106 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
It was here that migrants underwent health checks,
learned English, were taught the ‘Australian way of life’
and awaited employment that only rarely matched their
skill set. “One in 20 Australians today has a family link to
someone who stayed in the camp,” Diana adds.
The centre was part of a ‘populate or perish’ scheme
that changed the make-up of the Australian population
aer the Second World War. Migrants from all over
Europe were lured Down Under with promises of
Bondi Beach and Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden.
Then, on arrival at the Port of Melbourne, they would be
shunted onto a seven-hour train journey to the middle
of nowhere and, once at Bonegilla, would disembark to
be met by tanks and military personnel. Given that some
had only recently le refugee camps, this must have been
an utterly terrifying bait-and-switch.
Initially, migrants who were deemed to ‘look’ Australian
were preferred. The first influx was from the Baltic States,
then the English and Dutch, who were assigned huts with
better facilities. Soon enough, though, it was a free-for-all.
Today, the displays at the Bonegilla Migrant Experience
feature tales from the people who went on to be a part
of the Greek, Italian and Yugoslav communities in
Australia’s major cities. Bonegilla is brimming with
stories, and life in this bizarre half-way house is made
vivid through a cascade of written anecdotes, diary entries
and photographs. A Slovenian tells of being terrified
of possums and snakes. A German chap moans about
the repetitive diet (many swore they’d never eat lamb
again aer being subjected to so much boiled mutton).

A Dutchman speaks of how easily his children fitted in.
“The kids are speaking English. They pick it up so easily,
unlike us,” he says. “At 40, we just can’t get the hang of it.”
Bonegilla — pronounced by Aussies as ‘Bone-gilla’
and by the newcomers as ‘Bon-e-gilla’ — was chosen
partly because it was already the site of an army camp
and partly because of the Murray River’s political
function. For most of its length, the Murray acts as the
border between the states of New South Wales and
Victoria. Before federation occurred in 1901, they were
two separate, self-governing colonies, with surprisingly
divergent laws, systems and, crucially, rail gauges.
The mismatched railway tracks were a hangover long
aer federation, and basing migrants at the state border
meant it was easier to send them onwards — north or
south — as the demand for labour required.
Before railways, however, there were the riverboats.
Over 1,000 miles from the mouth of the Murray, and a two-
and-a-half-hour drive from Albury through modern wine
country, lies Echuca. From the river, the town looks like a
set from a period drama. The huge wooden wharf is spread
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: over several levels, designed to allow paddle steamers to
The Port of Echuca be loaded however high the water levels. There are still
Discovery Centre has plenty of those paddle steamers moored outside, although
an outdoor museum none have been built for over a century. The PS Alexander
and visitor centre; a Arbuthnot, the last to be constructed, was originally
costumed guide at the designed as a logging barge in 1916. The vessel’s eventful
Port of Echuca Discovery life has included sinking; being raised, restored and put
Centre; the century-old
PS Alexander Arbuthnot on display at a local theme park; and being put back into
paddle steamer in Port action on the Murray for tourist cruises.
Echuca, originally built as It’s not alone. Several dolled-up old war horses putter
a logging barge and chug along this handsome stretch of the river.
AUSTRALIA
For the engineer down below, heaving logs into the
boiler, this is hot, sweaty work. But for those on deck,
it’s a delightful opportunity to take in the sleek, creamy
trunks of the area’s ubiquitous river red gum trees
— the surrounding Barmah-Millewa Forest forms the
world’s largest river red gum forest. Among the most
iconic of Australia’s eucalypts, the trees can stand in
water for months on end, stretching their limbs high
above the surface.
Listen beyond the clumping engine noise, and there’s a
cacophony of birdsong. Without binoculars, an amateur
twitcher on board is reduced to speculative whimsy.
One bird sounds as if it’s hiccupping, another like a DJ
scratching on the turntable; a third has a very wet whistle,
and one is seemingly blowing bubbles underwater.
Echuca wasn’t always such a gentle idyll. Back in the
riverboat days of the mid- to late 19th century, it was
all illegal drinking dens, fruity language on the wharf
and whirring sawmills. Dot Hammond, president of the
Echuca Historical Society, says its location led to Echuca
becoming Australia’s biggest inland port. “Echuca is
the closest settlement to Melbourne along the Murray
River, and at the time it had the only river-crossing
punts. Aer 1864, when rail came from Melbourne to
Echuca, a line ran directly to the wharf,” she explains.
“The paddle steamers would oen unload goods directly
onto the train at the wharf for the journey to the markets
at Bendigo or Melbourne.”
Echuca became the hub for not just the Murray,
but the entire Murray-Darling Basin, the vast system
of rivers and surrounding pastoral lands that covers
around one-seventh of the Australian continent.
Jul/Aug 2021 107
AUSTRALIA
While there was money to be made in timber, real
fortunes were created off the back of sheep. The
antipodean colonies were originally a few isolated
coastal settlements, reliant on funds sent from Britain.
It all started to morph into something much grander
when pioneers struck out inland to stake out enormous,
sprawling sheep stations. The wool was sent down the
rivers in barges before being exported overseas.
The scale of the Australian wool industry hits home
in Yanga National Park, around three hours’ drive north
west of Echuca. Here, the woolshed of the former Yanga
pastoral station sits on the banks of the Murrumbidgee
River, which flows into the Murray. It’s a behemoth
of a place, over 300 long and built to accommodate
3,000 sheep for all-weather, continuous shearing.
Slightly dog-eared displays go into the history of shearing chance I’d ever have.”
technology and the superhuman feats of the top shearers.
Scoreboards of personal bests line the gates; utmost
respect is due to the bloke who got through 218 sheep in
one day.
Yanga was once a powerhouse. The average shearing
season — which usually fell in August and September,
when the river was high and paddle steamers could easily
navigate — produced 2,000 bales of wool, equivalent to at
least 220,000kg. And now, with Australian wool no longer
a licence to print money and Yanga le to the wind, there
is nothing. The woolshed was built in 1896, and the most
moving thing within it is the photograph of the team
from the final shear in 2005. The wooden floors still
smell of lanolin, and the wind howls around, shaking the
corrugated metal walls and whipping dust over the maze
of pens outside. Stand inside the woolshed, alone, and
the ghosts of the industry rattle and rage around you.
A network of nations
While sheep stations harnessed the Murray to send
wool around the world, an altogether more thorough
exploitation began in Mildura. The two-hour drive
here from the Yanga woolshed is hugely revealing.
Stray more than a few miles from the river and the land is say Peter of Aborginal creationist beliefs. “But all involve
largely repetitive mallee scrub. Here, low-density, multi- the cod being chased by a mighty hunter, carving
stemmed, stubby eucalypts punctuate an unrelenting
horizon of flat infertility under a giant, blazing blue sky.
It’s where the grey kangaroos of the bush meet the big red mostly dried-up lakes are scar trees — trees whose
fellas of the Outback.
Explore further, however, and you’ll soon see that this for various purposes, such as to create canoes
is, in fact, a country of almonds, raisins, wine grapes
and stone fruit. Mildura and its surrounds provide
a bounty that goes a good way to feeding Australia.
108 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
In 1886, William and George Chaffey came over from
California and built the first large-scale irrigation
scheme along the Murray. It was the precursor to the
environment-transforming agricultural capitalism that
today sees allocations of river water priced and traded for
surrounding irrigation.
Chateau Mildura, set up by the Chaffeys in 1888 and
now owned by Lance Milne, kickstarted the region’s
wine industry — today, more than half of Australia’s total
grapevine area is in the Murray-Darling Basin.
“I had my eye on it for a long time,” says Lance, as
he wanders around the winery’s highly idiosyncratic
museum, featuring grape crushes, cobweb-coated
barrels and centuries-old collector’s-item wine bottles.
“When it came up for auction, I thought it’d be the only
So now, as then, Chateau Mildura is a small, plucky
winery, oen selling much of its output to individual
buyers in China. And now, as then, experimentation
is the name of the game — you’d be hard pushed to
find anything like The Troitsa’s blend of Carménère,
Petit Verdot and Saperavi (“it’s from Georgia,” says
Lance, proudly) anywhere else in Australia.
Thus far, the journey along the Murray has unveiled
the stories of post-war migrants, wool barons and
ambitious irrigators. But, of course, people were here
long before them — and all along the Murray’s island-
and lake-riddled floodplain are signs of indigenous
occupation. In the Hattah-Kulkyne National Park,
south of Mildura, Peter Kelly from Murray Offroad
Adventures stops by a gnarled, rumpled tree. “It’s all
knots and circles,” he says. “Indigenous groups would
bend the branches of the trees to give directions and
create boundaries [between territories]. This would have
been a meeting place, where different groups would meet
at the boundary.”
A complex network of nations lived along the river’s
path, but the river tied them together. “Each Aboriginal
group tells its own version of the Dreaming story,”
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:
through the landscape on the way.” Fishermen explore
Elsewhere among the national park’s thirsty, the Murray River near
Mildura; Lance Milne,
bark was removed by Aboriginal Australians owner of Chateau
Mildura, where the
region’s wine industry
or temporary shelters. This may have happened was kickstarted in 1888;
hundreds of years ago, but the marks are still visible. a goanna in Hattah-
Human intervention in the riverlands isn’t a new thing. Kulkyne National Park
AUSTRALIA

Jul/Aug 2021 109

AUSTRALIA

110 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 AUSTRALIA

ESSENTIALS
SOUTH MUNGO N.P.
AUSTRALIA Mildura NEW SOUTH WALES
Adelaide HATTAH- YANGA N.P.
KULKYNE N.P. CANBERRA
r Barmah-

uM
Younghusband r a y Millewa Albury
Peninsula

sp
Echuca Lake Hume

lA
BONEGILLA MIGRANT EXPERIENCE
HUME DAM a
VICTORIA s t r a l i

n
Melbourne Au

And it may have been going on for a lot longer than SOUTHERN
once thought. OCEAN AUSTRALIA
Seventy-two miles north east of Mildura, along an
oen bone-crunching dirt road into Australia’s cruel, 200 Miles

parched interior, is Mungo National Park. It’s centred

around Lake Mungo, which dried up around 14,000 years Getting there & around
ago, and is now a vast, sand-blown crater of stunted Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and
bluebush, strutted across by hardy emus. On the eastern Cathay Pacific are among the airlines
edge is a series of multicoloured, crescent moon-shaped offering flights from Heathrow and
sand dunes, known as the Walls of China. Every day, Manchester to logical start points
the shiing sands expose or cover up something new, Sydney and Melbourne and end point
from 20,000-year-old calcified tree stumps to the Adelaide. qatarairways.com,
skeletons of small marsupials. singaporeair.com, cathaypacific.com
Average flight time: 24hrs.
“The National Park guys come up every morning A fortnight’s car hire, from Sydney to
and put three sticks around finds as a marker,” says Adelaide, will cost from £350.
Steve Farrow of Mungo Guided Tours. “If it’s something rentalcars.com
significant, a red flag goes up and no one’s allowed to
come within 150 metres.” When to go
And there have been hugely significant finds here. September to November (spring) and
In 2003, the world’s largest set of Ice Age human March to May (autumn) see pleasant
footprints was found on the lakebed. But the discoveries temperatures averaging 12-22C, while
of Mungo Lady and Mungo Man, in 1969 and 1974 summers can be uncomfortably hot.
respectively, were truly revolutionary. Before these Places mentioned
human remains were unearthed, it had been thought Canoe the Murray.
that Aboriginal people had only arrived in Australia canoethemurray.com.au
around 12,000 years ago. Various dating techniques have Bonegilla Migrant Experience.
been used, but current consensus is that the remains of bonegilla.org.au
Mungo Lady— the oldest example of ritual cremation Port of Echuca. portofechuca.org.au
discovered anywhere on earth — and Mungo Man are Chateau Mildura.
approximately 40,000 to 42,000 years. For perspective, chateaumildura.com.au
this is when Neanderthals were still alive in Europe. Murray Offroad Adventures.
murrayoffroadadventures.com.au
Some more controversial studies put Mungo Man’s age at Mungo Guided Tours.
over 60,000 years old, which fits the beliefs of timescales mungoguidedtours.com
held by many local Aboriginal people. Canoe the Coorong.
The top of the dunes, offering vast views of canoethecoorong.com
endless nothing in every direction, is a spot for
quiet contemplation. I stand here in silence, just one Where to stay
unimportant human looking out on a place that makes Mantra Albury Hotel. mantra.com.au
him reassess what humanity is. Quest Echuca. questapartments.com.au
The Murray, bullied, harried and chivvied all along Quality Hotel Mildura Grand.
milduragrand.com.au
its course, finally reaches its end in South Australia. It Beach Huts Middleton.
limps and trickles through man-made barrages into the beachhuts.com.au
Coorong, a lagoon separated from the Southern Ocean by
two long, spindly sand peninsulas. More information
It’s enough to tempt a battle-scarred veteran back into australia.com
a kayak. Here, the paddling is lullingly, dreamily serene. visitnsw.com
Pelicans strut in formation along the Younghusband visitvictoria.com
Peninsula, switching from comic relief on the ground to southaustralia.com
REMULP NHOJ :NOITARTSULLI

streamlined elegance in flight. The sun gently cooks the CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:
How to do it
scene, giving the brackish water a twinkle and allowing a The Walls of China, a
sense of slow-driing, clock-discarding bliss to descend. series of sand dunes in ABERCROMBIE & KENT offers a 10-night
Mungo National Park; self-drive from £5,790 per person,
Sandpipers, having completed their epic migratory an emu, spotted near taking in Albury, Echuca, Mildura and
journey from Siberia, rest and feed on the sand bars. Mungo Lodge; a red the Coorong. Includes accommodation,
And the Murray, all its fight gone, and its journey done, kangaroo, the world’s car hire and international flights.
embraces its peace. largest marsupial abercrombiekent.co.uk

Jul/Aug 2021 111

 Dominican
Republic Nicknamed the ‘Amber Coast’ for the rich deposits of
amber once found here, the Dominican Republic’s
northern shores are an idyllic, lesser-trodden stretch of the
country. They also offer a vibrant snapshot of island life:
one of dancers and rum masters, fishermen and fine cigar
makers, colourful surf shacks and lush mountain scenery

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS

FRANCESCO LASTRUCCI

112 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Jul/Aug 2021 113
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Lapped by bright-blue waters

and whipped by Atlantic winds,
Cabarete has made a name for
itself as a hub for surfing,
windsurfing and kitesurfing.
It’s developed a Caribbean-
hippy identity over the years,
blessed as it is with paradisiacal
beaches fringed by lush forest.
Further along the coast is the
laid-back town of Río San Juan,
with its mangroves and secluded
coves. Rich biodiversity and
relatively limited tourism
development have helped make
it one of the country’s foremost
eco-destinations.
114 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Jul/Aug 2021 115

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

116 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

On the border of the Puerto Plata

and Monte Cristi provinces, Punta
Rucia is sheltered by a sandbank,
overlooked by mountains and has
a rich submarine ecosystem.
The beach here is relatively
uncrowded, save for the cluster
of kiosks serving fresh fish in the
shade of the palms. At sunset,
people oen gather to play sports
or while away the evening over
plates of boiled crab. Punta Rucia
is also the main docking point for
Cayo Arena, a tiny slick of sand
encircled by what might be one of
the most beautiful stretches of
coral reef in the Caribbean.
Jul/Aug 2021 117
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Since time immemorial, people on

Hispaniola (the island shared by
the Dominican Republic and
Haiti) have cultivated tobacco
leaves. Indeed, the Dominican
Republic produces some of the
highest-grade tobacco in the
world and, along with rum and
merengue, cigars have become a
symbol of the country. At his
restaurant and cigar factory in
Cabrera, Babunuco Cigars,
Juan Alberto Martínez shreds
and trims tobacco with his wife,
rolling the dried leaves into
bespoke cigars presented in
original wooden humidors.
118 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Jul/Aug 2021 119

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

On the sands of Punta Rucia, a

boy takes a swing during a ball
game, while a fisherman returns to
shore from a day at sea.
The quieter scenes of the north
stand in contrast to the bustle of
the south, where much of the
country’s tourism is centred.
Santo Domingo, the capital, is the
oldest continually inhabited
European settlement in the
Americas and hosts a grand trove
of historic treasures, notably in
the Zona Colonial neighbourhood.
Between the district’s leafy parks,
an array of 16th-century buildings
overlook handsome plazas.
120 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

The ultimate
UK adventure
matchmaker
While overseas travel remains largely off the cards, the UK
offers outstanding opportunities for outdoor adventures.
Here are three activities across Scotland, Wales and
England, plus the essential bits of Tropicfeel kit that
will see you through in comfort and style
Y T T E G :EGAMI
| PA I D C O N T E N T F O R T R O P I C F E E L
1 MOUNTAIN BIKING IN GALLOWAY
Explore Galloway Forest Park with a
ride along the Big Country Route, a 36-mile
circuit that takes 3.5 to 7 hours. It runs along
minor public and forest roads, with long
climbs and sharp descents. Rewards include
views of hills and lochs, including Loch Trool
and Loch Dee. Start at the Glentrool Visitor
Centre (which serves good food year-round),
then head towards the southernmost point
at Minnigaff, then back around in a loop.
TO TACKLE THIS, WEAR: Tropicfeel’s Jungle
Shoes, which have both a strong grip
and sock-like feel, making them ideal for
swapping between cycling and forest walks.
They also dry quickly, so you can even take
a dip in a loch. (From £88)
2 HIKING IN SNOWDONIA
At 3,600ft above sea level, Snowdon is
the highest mountain in Wales. There are
six main routes to the summit for hikers of
all abilities, the easiest (and longest) being
Llanberis Path, a nine-miler with a steady
gradient that takes about six hours. You’ll
start and finish at Victoria Terrace, off the
A4086. The higher you climb, the better the
views of Snowdon’s lakes and valleys.
TO TACKLE THIS, TAKE: Tropicfeel’s Shell
backpack, with lots of space for snacks and
sunscreen, plus an in-built ‘wardrobe’ so
you can pack by compartment. It shrinks
or expands according to your needs and is
completely weatherproof. (From £195)
3 ROCK CLIMBING IN PORTLAND
Connected to the Dorset mainland by
Chesil Beach is Portland, a climber’s paradise
with great weather, low rainfall, spectacular
coastal views and opportunities for all
abilities. Beginners should head to Blacknor
Beach for seaside routes such as the Fallen
Slab Arete, an 82ft climb jutting out of the
ocean. At the island’s southern tip is Portland
Bill, with the photogenic Pulpit Rock, a must
for experienced climbers.
TO TACKLE THIS, WEAR: Tropicfeel’s Canyon
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enough to protect you from Portland’s
limestone but also light and flexible. It’s
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Tropicfeel is an eco-conscious company making
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READ MORE ONLINE AT
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 JOHANNESBURG
CITY LIFE

Z
ZZ

Leafy Jo’burg’s treasures extend well beyond its historic

gold mines, from arts districts bedecked with murals to a
rejuvenated inner-city park and exciting dining venues
WORDS: Jess Nicholson PHOTOGRAPHS: Teagan Cunniffe

122 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
J ohannesburg was built upon a reef
of gold. The lustrous treasure pulses
through the city’s veins — it’s what
brought European prospectors to this part of
South Africa in the late 19th century. Today,
it’s still the draw for many new settlers who
see themselves as Dick Whittingtons in a
city of opportunity. But for all the gold that’s
passed through the city, Jo’burg’s enduring
colour is green: while there may be no sea
here, no mountain or grand river to draw the
eye, the city is awash with trees. So many,
in fact, that they’re estimated to outnumber
humans more than two to one, making the
city one of the most wooded in the world. Yet,
even this urban forest is a byproduct of the
gold rush: mineshas needed wood; homesick
colonialists wanted garden suburbs.
These days, the parks provide pockets
of shady peace amid an eclectic mix of
buildings. In the inner city, Edwardian and
art deco buildings squeeze between imposing
modern structures. The architecture in
Sandton (dubbed the ‘richest square mile in
Africa’) is sky-high, and the lavish properties
of Sandhurst stand in contrast to gritty
apartment neighbourhoods like Hillbrow or
sprawling townships such as Soweto. Looked
at from afar, the houses of the latter — once
home to a young Nelson Mandela — appear
like matchboxes compared to the thrusting
buildings of downtown.
Encircling the city like a fortress wall
are the mine dumps, the landscape’s most
defining geographical feature, glowing
golden against cloudless blue skies. Guide
Tumi Mokgope, a resident of Melville (one
of the city’s hippest nightlife areas), reminds
me on a tour that the dumps are a-glow
because of chemicals. “Miners used cyanide
to get down to the gold,” Tumi says. “Now the
earth beneath us looks like Swiss cheese; the
soil is bleached out and just about no plants
grow here. Only the hardiest survive.”
This resilience applies to the people that
call the city home, too. Jozi, as it’s known,
is constantly reinventing — negotiating its
way out of a past marred by colonialism and
Apartheid. People-powered projects are
constantly bringing rejuvenation to deprived
areas. And this has continued despite
the pandemic. Street artists have daubed
murals in trendy Jewel City, Maboneng
and Braamfontein; The Wilds, a park in the
suburb of Houghton, has been enlivened
with wildlife sculptures; and entrepreneurs
are setting up shop in buzzy redevelopments
such as Victoria Yards and 44 Stanley.
So, Jo’burgers always say the city doesn’t
need a mountain, an ocean or a grand river.
Because it has its people. And that’s their
real treasure.

Jul/Aug 2021 123

JOHANNESBURG

SEE & DO
APARTHEID MUSEUMS: Visits to the
GREEN SPACES: Artist James Delaney has
‘hidden’ 100 animal sculptures — monkeys,
Mandela Day // In
Apartheid Musuem and the exhibits at a pangolin, ostriches and owls — in recognition of Nelson
Liliesleaf — the former headquarters of South Houghton’s once crime-ridden park,
Africa’s underground liberation movement The Wilds. Other parks worth exploring Mandela’s unique
— are key to understanding the system of
racial segregation that operated in South
include Johannesburg Botanical Gardens
and Zoo Lake Park. contribution to the
Africa from 1948 until the early 1990s. The KEYES ART MILE: Some of the city’s best art
Hector Pieterson Museum (named in honour galleries are in Rosebank and Parktown
pursuit of democracy,
of a schoolboy shot by police during student North, along the Keyes Art Mile. Everard peace and equality, the
protests in 1976) in Soweto is worth a trip, too. Read, the city’s oldest gallery, and
While here, walk down Vilakazi Street, home Circa Gallery display the country’s art former South African
to Nelson Mandela from 1946 to 1962 and now heavyweights, the latter significant for its
the Mandela House museum. liliesleaf.co.za curvy, postmodern design. A short walk from
president’s birthday is
mandelahouse.com mandelahouse.com the Art Mile, you’ll also find contemporary marked every 18 July
CONSTITUTIONAL COURT: Built on the site
of a prison that incarcerated Apartheid
art at Stevenson, Gallery MOMO and the
Goodman Gallery. keyesartmile.co.za with a public drive
activists, the Constitutional Court is a
symbol of transformation that also houses a
CRADLE OF HUMANKIND: Some of the
earliest settlers in these parts can be
for volunteering and
humanitarian-themed art collection. Be sure traced back over three million years. good deeds
to look through the ‘ribbon of light’, a wide, Early hominids, including ‘Little Foot’
narrow, ground-floor window designed with (a fossilised Australopithecus africanus
the symbolic purpose of allowing the judges skeleton), were unearthed in the Sterkfontein
to see the feet of passers-by, reminding them Caves. Twenty-five miles north west of
of their accountability to the people of South Johannesburg, this a fossil-rich area known
Africa. ccac.org.za as the Cradle of Humankind, is home to a
JEWEL CITY: This residential and commercial museum. maropeng.co.za
development is packed with murals, OPPENHEIMER TOWER: Climb 49 steps (one CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A pile of
fascinating architectural rejigs and history. for each Soweto township) for views across books at the Mandela House museum,
It’s also next to urban creative hub Art on the township and mine dumps. Poignantly, filled with memorabilia relating to the
former leader; Guide Tumi Mokgope; a
Main. Visit on a walking or cycling tour the bricks of the tower were pulled from corridor in Mandela House museum
with Past Experiences or Joburg 360. the rubble of Sophiatown, a township PREVIOUS PAGES: Melville Koppies
artsonmain.co.za pastexperiences.co.za demolished in the 1950s. Triomf, a whites- Nature Reserve at dawn, overlooking
joburg360.com only neighbourhood, was built in its place. the Central Business District

124 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
JOHANNESBURG

Jul/Aug 2021 125

JOHANNESBURG

‘In Johannesburg, the
Venice of the South,
the backdrop is always
a man-made one...
We do not wait for time
and the elements to
weather us, we change
the scenery ourselves
to suit our moods.’
// Portrait with Keys,
by Ivan Vladislavić
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Coconut
masala mussel hopper from pop-up
restaurant Glory; jacaranda trees lining
a city street; artisanal bread at urban
complex Victoria Yards; a barista at Foakes
Coffee Roastery and Bakery, which serves
market-goers in Victoria Yards
BUY
44 STANLEY: Meet some of
South Africa’s top creators and shop for
vinyl, haute couture, graphic design,
chocolate, natural wine, bread and coffee
in the shady courtyards and studios of
44 Stanley, a downtown shopping precinct in
repurposed warehouses. 44stanley.co.za
VICTORIA YARDS: It’s tempting to pick lettuce
to eat from the pathways of Victoria Yard’s
urban farm while browsing jewellers, bakers,
designers and beer-brewers. Conceived
to provide jobs, food and healthcare to
residents, as well as to clean up the Jukskei
River, this is pretty shopping complex with a
strong social conscience. victoriayards.co.za
DAVID KRUT BOOKSTORE: Taxi Art Books, a
series focusing on local artists, offers a great
crash course in South African art. Find these
and other excellent publications at David
Krut Bookstore. Alternatively, browse the
artworks at the adjacent gallery, David Krut
Projects, also part of arts hub Arts on Main.
davidkrutbookstores.com
SANDTON: This glitzy suburb is famous for
luxury shopping. International high-end
brands can be found at Nelson Mandela
Square, a vast mall that’s also home to Kobus
Hattingh and Jacob Maponyane’s 20-tall
statue of the former South African leader.
EAT
TROYEVILLE HOTEL: The Troyeville
has won awards for its no-nonsense
Mozambican food. Expect specials such as
feijoada (pork and beans), dobrada (braised
tripe) and peri-peri chicken, washed
down with catembe, a red wine and cola
concoction rumoured to have been invented
so that Mozambicans could tolerate the
rough Portuguese wine. troyevillehotel.co.za
YEOVILLE DINNER CLUB: Chef Sanza
Sandile spent lockdown perfecting his art
— now, he says, he’s ever more determined
to get the first Michelin star for pan-African
food. He’s as interested in ingredients,
sourced from Yeoville’s markets, as he is in
the people eating them, so each meal is a
lively, colourful conversation — and the chef
himself will even arrange your transport
home. Expect dishes such as a vegan twist
on Nigeria’s egusi soup, in which no part of
a pumpkin is spared. Booking is essential.
instagram.com/yeovilledinnerclub
MARBLE: South Africans love their
braais (barbecues) so much that Heritage
Day, a national holiday, is nicknamed Braai
Day. For devotees, charcoal and gas won’t do,
it must be a wood fire. At glamorous Marble,
expect smoky pesto, perfect steaks and
boerewors (beef sausage). marble.restaurant
JOHANNESBURG
Z SLEEP
ZZ LEBO’S SOWETO BACKPACKERS:
Known for its participatory African food
experiences — including the cooking of
potjiekos (stew) and drinking of sorghum
beer (a challenge for some palates) — its
huge vegetable garden, cycle tours and
responsible community spirit, staying at
this backpackers’ lodge is an immersive way
to get to know Soweto. There are camping
pitches, dorms and single and double rooms,
plus shady courtyards and communal areas.
sowetobackpackers.com
PABLO HOUSE: Built into a hill in the
highest part of Melville, this guesthouse
has a pool, great food and large, modern
bedrooms. Don’t miss the spacious terrace
or the lounge, with wonderful views over one
of the few ridges in the city le untouched by
mining. pablohouse.co.za
PEECH HOTEL: Crickets chirp good
night and birds sing good morning from
the trees and shrubbery surrounding Peech
Hotel, in central, chic Melrose. Private
patios, balconies and two pools ensure
there’s space to cool off on summer days,
and the restaurant is a dining destination in
itself. Across the road is yet more greenness:
the James and Ethel Gray Park extends for
mile aer lush mile. thepeech.co.za
Jul/Aug 2021 127
JOHANNESBURG
AFTER HOURS
7DE LAAN: Many of Jo’burg’s
neighbourhoods have a village atmosphere
and a central street lined with bars, music
venues and restaurants — all boasting a
distinctive, local identity. Hip Melville has a
diverse and friendly vibe, and 7de Laan is the
place for late-night partying.
RAND CLUB: The oldest private members’
club in the city was founded in 1887, and
while it’s been appallingly exclusionary for
most of its existence, it’s thankfully now
welcoming to all. The opulent building
contains what’s reputed to be the longest
bar in Africa, at 103, which serves a large
selection of excellent South African wines.
There’s also a great library, for a more sedate
soriee. randclub.co.za
THUNDER WALKER: Listening to tales of
Johannesburg and its migrant cultures
and cuisine from the depths of a former
bank vault is a sumptuous way to take it
all in. Storytelling and jazz evenings at this
astonishingly revamped former building
society need to be booked in advance.
joburgplaces.com
128 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Lebo’s Soweto Backpackers,
which has been offering beds
and bicycle tours since 2003
LIKE A LOCAL
THE BIOSCOPE: This fun venue is
set within former warehouse complex
44 Stanley. It hosts film festivals and
standup comedy, as well as screening
independent films (many of them
African). thebioscope.co.za
GLORY: Chef Nick Scott’s pop-up dining
events were a smash during lockdown.
Focusing on farm-grown surplus ingredients,
he and his creative director, Caroline
Olavarrieta, advertise their latest culinary
ventures via Instagram. @gloryjoburg
AASVOËLKOP: On clear evenings, armed
with blankets and picnics, locals flock to
Aasvoëlkop (Vulture Ridge), in the northern
suburb of Northcliff, to watch the sun set and
the moon rise over the city.
THE CENTRE FOR THE LESS GOOD IDEA:
South African artist William Kentridge
opened this cultural space to allow artists to
engage with the concept of failure through
experimentation. Check the calendar for
regular theatre and art happenings — you
may well witness something gloriously awful.
lessgoodidea.com
ESSENTIALS
Cradle of Humankind
20 miles
Johannesburg SANDTON
SOUTH
AFRICA
Keyes Art Mile
The
MELVILLE Wilds
Constitutional Court
JOHANNESBURG
SOWETO Apartheid Museum
Oppenheimer Tower
2 Miles
Getting there & around
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic fly
nonstop from Heathrow to
Johannesburg. One-stop flights are
also available from the UK with
airlines including Air France,
Lufthansa and Emirates. ba.com
virgin-atlantic.com airfrance.co.uk
lufthansa.com emirates.com
Average flight time: 11h.
Use a hire car or Uber to get around
the city, although it’s best to use the
Gautrain or a registered taxi to get
to and from the airport. Inner-city
areas are best explored with a guide,
on a walking or cycling tour. Excellent
options are Past Experiences and
Joburg 360. pastexperiences.co.za
joburg360.com
When to go
Johannesburg is beautiful in and
around October when the jacaranda
trees are in bloom. The city has
pleasant weather all year round.
Summer (December-February)
temperatures hover around 26C,
with occasional storms. Winters
(June-August) are mild (13C)
and dry.
More info
southafrica.net
The Joburg Book: A Guide to the
City’s History, People and Places, by
Nechama Brodie. RRP: £16.
Portrait with Keys, by Ivan
Vladislavić. RRP: £5.
Joburg Noir, by Niq Mhlongo.
RRP: £10.
Cry, the Beloved Country,
by Alan Paton. RRP: £12.
Johannesburg In Your Pocket is an
excellent online resource to help
keep up with what’s on.
inyourpocket.com/johannesburg
REMULP NHOJ :NOITARTSULLI
How to do it
BRITISH AIRWAYS HOLIDAYS offers
five nights at Fairlawns Boutique
Hotel & Spa, including flights from
Heathrow, from £1,304 in December.
ba.com/holidays

DISCOVER THE HERITAGE OF
Gran Canaria
A UNESCO World Heritage Site at the heart of the island preserves
traces of an age-old aboriginal culture in lush surroundings
A way from its famous beaches,
Gran Canaria’s rural centre is
a place where volcanoes soar and
gorges dip into a tangle of green.
But it’s not just its biodiverse credentials
turning heads: hidden among the landscapes
are traces of the island’s pre-Hispanic
culture, which travellers can explore at the
World Heritage Site of Risco Caído and the
Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria.
Cave dwellings, temples and granaries
all feature in the troglodyte-era Amazigh
settlement of Risco Caído. Scrawls of rock art
coating the walls of its 21 caves may relate to
magical or religious beliefs, but it’s thought
the site might also have functioned as a
prehistoric astronomical clock: one of the
caves, the almogarén, has an opening in its
roof letting light in from the summer solstice
to autumn, revealing rock art engravings.
Risco Caído is just one of 1,500 settlements
that make up the Sacred Mountains’
D R A O B T S I R U OT A I R A N A C N A R G : E G A M I
aboriginal landscape, with archaeological
sites in Artenara, Tejeda, Agaete and Gáldar.
In its entirety, this World Heritage Site
covers around 18,000 hectares — including
almost all the entire Caldera de Tejeda
crater, the Tamadaba massif and part
of the Barranco Hondo gorge. Get your
bearings at the visitors’ centre in Artenara
before setting off along one of the island’s
hiking trails, many of which are based on
age-old caminos reales (king’s highways).
| PA I D C O N T E NT FOR G R A N C A N A R I A T O U R I S T BOAR D
With the site sharing part of the territory
of the island’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve,
scenic views await after every turn. The
circular five-mile route of Acusa-Las Hoyas-
Lugarejos-Coruña takes you through
farmland that still retains some of the
ancient traditions practised by the Canary
Amazigh people.
TWO MORE
TRADITIONAL
EXPERIENCES
RURAL STAYS
For accommodation
Elsewhere, head towards the north edge in the peaks of the
of the Caldera de Tejeda on a five-mile hike, Guayadeque ravine,
where dramatic views of the Risco Caído bed down in the Casas
and the Sacred Mountain Areas sit in the rurales de Guayadeque.
shadows of Roque Nublo, Roque Bentayga Rooms lie underground
and Altavista. Then there’s the longer in this cave hotel, hidden
trek along the crossroads of Roque Nublo; in former dwellings that
the seven-mile path strides towards this have been restored
mountain that’s become a national symbol and spruced up.
of the island, where you can stare out across
Risco Caído from on high. LOCAL FOODS
From Europe’s only
Carriers including EasyJet, BA and Ryanair coffee plantation to
operate direct flights from the UK to Gran Canaria. a signature Honey
Renting a car is recommended. Rum, Gran Canaria has
excellent gastronomic
credentials. Visit one of
many restaurants where
chefs are putting a spin
on traditional dishes, or
visit fincas (farmhouses)
to discover local life.
READ MORE ONLINE AT
GRANCANARIA.COM
TRAVEL GEEKS
ASK THE EXPERTS
NEED ADVICE FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP? ARE YOU
AFTER RECOMMENDATIONS, TIPS AND GUIDANCE?
THE TRAVEL GEEKS HAVE THE ANSWERS…
Q // I’m due to get
married this summer
and our foreign
honeymoon is no
longer feasible.
Can you suggest
some special UK
alternatives?
FROM LEFT: St Mary’s
Harbour, Isles of Scilly;
Highgrove House in the
Cotswolds, the family
residence of the Prince of
Wales, visited by Sisley
Garden Tours
130 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
The Isles of Scilly, 28 miles off
the coast of Cornwall, are a good
bet, offering all the honeymoon
essentials: white-sand beaches,
turquoise water and island-
hopping. Zip over to St Mary’s by
boat, plane or chopper and bed
down at the Star Castle Hotel,
with gorgeous views, just-caught
seafood and a local vineyard
offering wine tastings (from £276,
B&B, star-castle.co.uk). From
here, it’s an easy hop over to
the other islands, including St
Martin’s (stay at beachfront
Karma St Martin’s from £220,
B&B, karmagroup.com), Tresco (try
the luxurious sea garden cottages,
from £1,625 for a week, tresco.
co.uk) and tiny Bryher (the best
hotel is Hell Bay Hotel, from £145
per person for B&B and dinner,
hellbay.co.uk). For more info,
visit visitislesofscilly.com
For a full-throttle adventure,
WILDNIS creates expeditions
in the Scottish Highlands,
combining packraing, mountain
climbing, sea kayaking and
abseiling, with nights in a
luxurious mobile tented camp or
top-of-the-range rooop tent.
Travel is in restored classic Land
Rover Defenders, and meals are
gourmet events cooked on an
open fire. Four nights from
£3,500 per person, including
guiding, all activities, all meals
and transfers. wildnis.co.uk
Wilderness Scotland arranges
more leisurely self-drives
around the Hebrides, including
wildlife-spotting (white-tailed
sea eagles, puffins and dolphins),
shore foraging with a chef,
guided hiking and zipping
between islands on a private
RIB. Accommodation includes
Kinloch Lodge on Skye and
Scarista House on Harris. Eight
nights from £3,585 per person,
including B&B accommodation.
wildernessscotland.com
Gourmands will enjoy Black
Tomato’s new tour with chef
Simon Rogan. First stop is
Heckfield Place in Hampshire,
with its two restaurants by Skye
Gyngell and excellent spa. You’ll
have wine tastings at Exton Park
Vineyard, and then it’s off to
Brown’s Hotel in London, followed
SESIRPRETNE EVORGHGIH ;Y TTEG :SEGAMI
by a tour of Borough Market, and
a meal at Aulis, Rogan’s private
dining room in Soho. The tour
is rounded off with a visit to
L’Enclume in the Lake District for
wine tastings, a tour of Rogan’s
farm and a masterclass in the
kitchen. Seven nights from £4,800
per person. blacktomato.com
FRANCISCA KELLETT
Q // I’ve a From stately home estates to
new-found private gardens and national
parks, a growing crop of travellers
passion for are discovering the UK’s enviable
touring UK collection of beautifully planted
gardens. places. Traditionally the realm
of foreign visitors, organised
Is there itineraries geared to garden-
somewhere loving locals have taken off in
unusual I recent months. Chief among
these, Sisley Garden Tours is now
should try? offering three- and four-night
breaks with exclusive access
and out-of-hours tours around
England’s most exquisitely
designed green spaces.
Guided group tours (eight to 12
people) include explorations of
the gardens of Thomas Hardy’s
Q // I’m I’d be led by the calibre of tutor,
looking for a so do your research — check out
the reviews of any programme
photography you book onto. National
course that Geographic Expeditions offers
specialises some of the best tutelage money
in wildlife.
Where
can buy. This winter, a National
Geographic photographer will take
a small group into Yellowstone
would you National Park to capture iconic
American wildlife — elks, bison,
recommend? coyotes and, with luck, grizzly
bears — all without the summer
crowds. The six-day itinerary
costs from £4,470 per person
and includes visiting the studio
of a local wildlife photographer
for additional tips and insights.
nationalgeographicexpeditions.co.uk
One of the best things about
wildlife photography is the
potential for your images to
promote the conservation of
rare and endangered creatures.
Wessex, the Yorkshire landscaping
of Tom Stuart-Smith at Mount St
John, walled gardens in the Wye
Valley, the subtropical gardens of
the Isles of Scilly’s Tresco Abbey,
and Chelsea Flower Show-winning
gardens in the Cotswolds. Chat
to owners, head gardeners and
designers to gain insights into
plant combinations, landscaping
and techniques, from training
roses to Japanese cloud pruning.
Prices start at £2,100 per
person, based on two sharing,
including three nights’ boutique
hotel accommodation, most
meals, private transport and all
garden visits. sisley.co.uk
SARAH BARRELL
If you travel to Pangolin Photo
Safaris’ Photo Camp in Botswana’s
Okavango Delta, a bespoke
itinerary can help you capture the
majesty of some of the region’s
most vulnerable animals. Seven
days starts at $2,450 (£1,730) and
cameras and telephoto lenses
are supplied free of charge. Best
of all, your money supports
conservation work with the world’s
most trafficked animal, the African
pangolin. pangolinphoto.com
Of course, there are plenty of
interesting subjects right on our
doorstep. Nikon School is offering
a five-day residential workshop in
Scotland’s Cairngorms National
Park in February, focusing on
the UK’s native wildlife. It costs
£1,400 per person, with no single
supplement — and you don’t
have to be a Nikon user to attend.
nikonschool.co.uk BECKY REDMAN
Q // I’d like to mark my
20th birthday with a
European road trip. Do
any car hire companies
rent to under-21s?
A road trip is filled with endless
possibilities, but for the under-21s
it can appear to be a dead end.
However, some of the bigger car
hire companies — Avis, Budget,
Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz and
Six — will rent you economy- or
compact-class vehicles in Iceland,
Croatia, Spain, France, Portugal,
Italy Poland, Switzerland and
Germany, for example.
For the majority of these,
though, you need to have held a
full valid licence for at least a year,
if not two — be sure to check.
Unfortunately, you should
forget a road trip in the UK,
Turkey, Malta, Greece and Cyprus
as you need to be 21 to hire a car
there. For Ireland, that age is 25. If
you want to go further afield for a
later trip, under-21s can consider
the US, Canada, New Zealand and
South Africa.
Most rental companies will tack
a Young Driver Surcharge on to
the car rental price if you’re under
25, and the fees vary from around
£5 per day to £36 a day or more.
This daily fee tends to be charged
for a maximum of 10 days.
Young drivers may also have
to accept higher excesses. Shop
around for good value car hire
excess insurance before your trip.
It’s much more expensive to get
this when you get to the arrivals
desk. EMMA COULTHURST
THE EXPERTS
FRANCISCA KELLETT //
TRAVEL JOURNALIST
SARAH BARRELL //
SENIOR EDITOR,
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
TRAVELLER (UK)
EMMA COULTHURST //
TRAVEL EXPERT,
TRAVELSUPERMARKET.COM
BECKY REDMAN //
ART DIRECTOR,
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
TRAVELLER (UK)
Jul/Aug 2021 131
TRAVEL GEEKS
POSTPONED FROM LAST YEAR DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, THE TOKYO 2020 SUMMER OLYMPICS WILL
TAKE PLACE AS A HOME-FANS-ONLY EVENT IN JULY. FROM LONDON TO LA, WE GET THE LOWDOWN
ON MODERN OLYMPIC HOST CITIES PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. WORDS: CONNOR MCGOVERN
IN NUMBERS
TOKYO
2020
1964
The year Tokyo last hosted
the Summer Olympics
23July
The date of the opening
ceremony, with the Games
then closing on 8 August.
The Paralympic Games kick
off on 24 August
$15.4 billion
The total estimated cost of the
Games (£11.2bn), with an extra
$900m (£657m) secured for
Covid19 countermeasures
339
The number of events taking
place across 33 sports in 43
venues. This year sees five new
sports: karate, skateboarding,
surfing, sport climbing and
baseball/soſtball
100%
The percentage of electricity
derived from renewable energy
that will be used at the Olympic
and Paralympic venues
MELBOURNE hosted the
1956 Summer Olympics, but
the equestrian events were
held in STOCKHOLM due to
Australian quarantine rules
132 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
OLYMPIC GLORY
THE INFO
To date, there have been 28 modern PARIS will welcome the
Summer Olympic Games held in 23 cities, Summer Olympics in 2024.
and 23 Winter Olympic Games held in It’ll be the third time for the
French capital, and a century
20 cities. Tokyo 2020 marks the first time since its last spell as host
in history the Games have been
postponed (a total of five have been
cancelled due to world wars) In 2028, LOS
ANGELESWRENwill hold
the Summer
Olympics for a third
time, having
previously done so in
1932 and 1984.
BRISBANE is the
MAN POWER LONDON has hosted
the modern Summer International
THE 1896 GAMES IN ATHENS
WERE ATTENDED BY AROUND
Olympics Games a record
three times: in 1908, 1948
Olympic Committee
280 MALE ATHLETES FROM 12 and, most recently, (IOC)’s preferred host
DIFFERENT COUNTRIES in 2012 for the 2032 Games
8TH TIME LUCKY?
DETROIT HAS FAILED SEVEN
TIMES IN ITS BID TO HOST
THE GAMES, MORE THAN ANY
OTHER CITY. LOS ANGELES
HAS MADE A RECORD TOTAL
OF 10 BIDS, WITH THREE OF In 2022, BEIJING will be the
THEM SUCCESSFUL. ANTWERP, fi rst city to have staged both
Y T T E G :SEGAM I
LONDON, MUNICH AND the Summer and Winter
SYDNEY HAVE NEVER HAD Olympics, having hosted the
AN UNSUCCESSFUL BID Summer Games in 2008
SOURCES: BBC; BRITANNICA; CNN; GUARDIAN; TOKYO2020.ORG
 TRAVEL GEEKS

A GREEN LIGHT FOR TRAVEL?

HOT TOPIC I READ MORE AT NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/TRAVEL

THE UK GOVERNMENT HAS FORMALISED ITS TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM, WHICH CATEGORISES TRAVEL
DESTINATIONS BASED ON THEIR COVID-19 RISK. HOW DOES IT WORK, WHERE CAN YOU GO AND
WILL IT BRING A RETURN TO INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL THIS SUMMER? WORDS: SARAH BARRELL

International leisure travel you’re travelling to will likely ask

has finally resumed, led by the for proof of a negative Covid19
government’s traffic light system, test and may stipulate the type of
which ranks countries based test it requires.
on their Covid19 risk, with
‘green’ countries deemed low Is a trip to a ‘green’
risk, ‘amber’ medium risk and destination guaranteed?
‘red’ high risk. The government Not necessarily. Some green list
has said people shouldn’t travel countries, including Australia and
to ‘amber’ and ‘red’ countries New Zealand, remain closed to
for leisure, although it remains British travellers, and many will
unclear if or how this would be continue to place restrictions,
checked, and travellers falling into including quarantine measures,
either category will still require and proof of negative tests and/or
Covid19 tests and quarantine on two Covid19 vaccination doses.
return to the UK. At the time of Check current travel advice from
going to print, just 12 countries the Foreign, Commonwealth and
and territories are on the ‘green Development Office (FCDO), both
list’, which has been devised, before booking and again before
the government says, using departure and return.
Covid19 health metrics, including
vaccination numbers, infection What happens if my
rates and prevalence of variants. destination changes from we’ve seen, people have avoided
green to amber? quarantine by travelling via THE GREEN LIST
How does it work? Lists will be reviewed every indirect routes or using stopovers Australia, Brunei,
GREEN LIST DESTINATIONS: No three weeks, rather than in amber or greenlisted the Falkland Islands,
quarantine on return to the weekly, as it was last summer, destinations — a key reason that the Faroe Islands,
UK unless you test positive for and the government has said critics of the traffic light system Gibraltar, Iceland,
Covid19. A predeparture PCR it will produce a ‘watchlist’ to believe it won’t prevent Covid19, Israel, New Zealand,
test, up to 72 hours before return identify countries and territories including ‘variants of concern’, Portugal, Saint Helena,
travel, plus a single PCR test that are at risk of moving from from crossing borders. Ascension and Tristan
da Cunha, Singapore,
on or before day two of arrival green to amber, giving travellers South Georgia and the
into England. a little more time to plan. What can I expect at ports South Sandwich Islands.
AMBER LIST DESTINATIONS: You But there is, of course, still a and airports?
must quarantine at home for chance that your destination The government has warned MOVING FROM AMBER
10 days on return to the UK, in is downgraded, so budget passengers to expect longer TO GREEN?
addition to paying for tests before accordingly for additional tests queues at the border as additional The government’s next
you travel and on day two and day or quarantine, and book smart. checks are made. Along with your review is expected to
eight of your return. You shouldn’t Should FCDO advice change passport and comprehensive consider Morocco, Malta,
Finland and much of the
travel to amber list countries or aer you’ve booked, travel travel insurance, those who’ve Caribbean. Mainland
territories for leisure purposes. insurance can prove redundant. had two doses of a Covid19 Europe will be looked at
RED LIST DESTINATIONS: You Package trips entitle you to a vaccine should carry a ‘vaccine in subsequent reviews
must quarantine for 10 days in date or destination change, or a passport’ — now accessible before peak season.
governmentapproved hotels, at refund. But as we saw last year, through the NHS App. You can There’s continued
a total cost of £1,750 per person, some operators make this easier also request a paper version speculation over the US,
in addition to paying for tests, as than others. from the NHS by ringing 119. currently on the amber
with visiting ‘amber’ destinations. Certain destinations require list, despite its falling
You shouldn’t travel to red list Can I travel to an amber or arrivals to show proof of a Covid-19 rates and rising
vaccination numbers.
destinations for leisure purposes. red list destination? negative test, as does the UK. On
The government is discouraging return, quarantine information
How do I take a Covid-19 test? this, plus it requires costly is also required at the border,
Tests, for leisure travel, must be tests and quarantine measures. including government hotel
booked through private providers, Countries recently added to booking references (for red list For the latest restrictions
with costs varying, so shop the red list include Maldives, destinations) and/or proof of your and requirements, visit
around. And note: the country Nepal and Turkey. Of course, as home address. nhs.uk gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

Jul/Aug 2021 133

 IN THE NEXT ISSUE

Iceland
Topping travel wish lists the world over, this volcanic isle offers far
more than its headline-grabbing glaciers and geothermal lagoons.
Follow us off the beaten track, experiencing extraordinary
wildlife, storied towns and natural wonders steeped in local lore

Plus // Brisbane, Colombia, Dresden, Galway, Istanbul, Kent,

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Y T T E G :EGAMI

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134 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 Escape on a holiday like no other.

Over 70% of the world’s Black-browed

Albatross population
Imagine a place that is so far off the beaten track you have miles of stunning landscape, beach-
es and magnificent bird life all to yourself. Imagine a silence that is only broken by the call of the
birds, and your own footsteps as you explore these beautiful islands in the South Atlantic Ocean.
This is the Falkland Islands, one of the last great wilderness destinations where your trip be-
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you to islands abundant with penguins, albatrosses and petrels that are there for you alone to
discover and enjoy.
At the end of each day you can look forward to traditional cosy Falkland Islands hospitality in
the hotels, lodges and guesthouses scattered around the islands.

More than 220 species of birds,

home to 5 species of penguins
@FITB Tourism
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THE FOREIGN OFFICE
TOURIST OFFICES, TRAVEL COMPANIES AND EVEN CONVENTIONAL EMPLOYERS ARE MAKING ‘WORKCATIONS’
EASIER THAN EVER BEFORE. DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO JOIN THE GROWING RANKS OF REMOTE WORKERS
SETTING UP OFFICES ON BEACHES AND IN HOTEL CAFES? MEET THE PEOPLE WHO, AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC,
HAVE DRAMATICALLY CHANGED THEIR WORKING LIVES. WORDS: SARAH BARRELL

M ost mornings, before

her working day begins,
Keisha Ferrell scales
a mountain. This isn’t just any
mountain, but one whose jungle-
fringed paths climb to what’s
among the most spectacular
views in the West Indies: Shirley
Heights. From this vertiginous old
British military post, the island of
Antigua is laid out with postcard
perfection: pristine arcs of white
sand frame yacht-populated bays
the day, a moment’s blissful pause
before the conference calls from
rainy England start ringing in.
What sounds like the enviable
morning routine of a megabucks
business executive is, in fact,
the happy new habit of a young
British freelancer. Keisha is one
of numerous UK employees
to have recently set up office
in Antigua, taking advantage
of the island’s new ‘business
on the beach’ initiative. In
showed 84% of working Brits
would love to replace their Zoom
background with a genuine
tropical island backdrop, and in
early 2021, the Caribbean nation
launched its Nomad Digital
Residence (NDR) programme,
designed for those who can
‘meet the requirements of their
employers, clients and colleagues
while working abroad’. In short:
the sort of remote working many
of us having been doing during
two years, benefitting from the
islands’ no personal income tax
status. The programme provides
‘some much-needed space
and recuperation following a
turbulent 2020’ according to the
tourism authority. It also, quite
crucially, brings business back to
destinations that rely heavily on
income from tourism.
“I’d always wanted to work
in the Caribbean,” says Keisha.
“I’d already done some research
Y T T E G :EGAMI

of brilliant blue, giving way to 2020, the Antigua and Barbuda the pandemic. on the destination, which is
forever views of the Caribbean Tourism Authority conducted Those who take advantage normal for me as a single female
Sea. It’s a soul-liing way to start a nationwide UK survey that of the NDR can stay for up to traveller, and it looked promising:

136 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

somewhere with good wi-fi, and in
a time zone that worked, more or
less, with the UK. Travel had been
so uncertain, but when I saw the
digital nomads initiative, I knew
it was for me.”
Keisha gets up at 4am, to be
on time for the UK’s 9am start,
and works in UX and UI (user
experience/interface) for a British
digital company. “I’m an early bird
anyway, so it’s fine, and it means
I have time to explore Antigua
in the aernoon. I sometimes
even work on the beach — I can’t
resist a hammock. There are
the obvious issues of avoiding
screen glare or sand in the
keyboard but I’ve no concerns
about productivity. In fact, I
think it makes me work harder,
and over-deliver, because I’m
very conscious of how my setting
might be perceived.”
Joining ‘meet-up’ groups on
social platforms like Facebook
has allowed Keisha to find like-
minded people. “But I also just ask
around — it’s the best way to get
info on where to eat or where to
hike, from locals who have their
favourites. And meet-ups oen
include locals that ex-pats have
befriended, so it’s a great mix.
I’ve met some brilliant islanders.
There’s a Rasta community that
lives in the interior — they’ve
been so welcoming, really open to
telling me about their traditions
and culture. I don’t think you
should come to an island and stay
on the beach all the time.”
Work-life balance
As the world moved from
typewriter to tablet, and wi-fi
crept into even its remotest
corners, the number of gig-
economy employees and
‘portfolio careerists’ also grew
— the way we work shied.
Throw a pandemic into the mix,
and that shi went up gear.
Digital nomadism is no longer the
preserve of Instagram influencer
accounts. According to a recent
YouGov survey, 68% of British
employees had never worked
from home prior to the Covid-19
outbreak, but once the crisis is
over, four in 10 now say they want
to do so. In fact, most people
(57%) say they want to be able to
continue working from home.
“The pandemic started
discussions that weren’t taking
place when we all had our noses
to the grindstone,” says John
Graham, who recently relocated
from London to Northern Ireland.
“London is the primary city of
business for me, but do I need
to sleep there every night? No. I
don’t think it’s a one-size-fits-all
solution, though. Remote working
came at the right time for me and
my wife, since we’d just had a
baby. Pandemic travel restrictions
meant our parents, who live in
Northern Ireland, could have
gone a year without seeing their
A palm-covered beach in Antigua.
The island launched a programme in
early 2021 to encourage ‘workcations’
grandchild. We decided we
didn’t want that. But things
would probably have been
different if I’d been younger or
lived alone and needed a more
social environment.”
John, who’s in his thirties, works
in financial trading and his office
has been closed since March
2020, with all employees working
remotely. “I discussed the move
with my company; transparency
is needed now more than ever to
retain employee-employer trust.
My manager really pushed for it,
and I’m so thankful she did. She
felt that the opportunity to spend
time with the baby, among close
family, and while my wife takes a
career break, was unlikely to come
up again. And one of my oldest
childhood friends has just done
the same — he’s moved in next
door to us and has a young son
of his own.”
Despite the likes of Goldman
Sachs CEO, David Solomon,
Jul/Aug 2021 137
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 REMOTE WORKING

FIVE MORE
REMOTE HOTSPOTS

BARBADOS
The Welcome Stamp visa
costs $2,000 (£1,540) or
$3,000 (£2,113) for families,
and exempts applicants
who work for overseas
companies from paying
local income tax, for stays
of up to 12 months, with
the opportunity to reapply.
barbadoswelcomestamp.bb
ESTONIA
Last year, the Estonian
government amended its
Alien Act allowing special
‘e-resident’ visa stays of up
to a year. Applicants must be
able to support themselves
with an income of at least
€3,504 (£3,170) a month.
e-resident.gov.ee/nomadvisa publicly declaring remote working Remote revolution Original Travel, meanwhile,
ICELAND
an “aberration”, many British Tourism bodies and travel is refocusing some of its
The Work in Iceland visa companies have embraced the companies have been quick to adventurous trips for this growing
was extended last year to idea. HSBC, one of the country’s capitalise on the growing interest demographic with ‘working from
include countries beyond the biggest employers, is planning to in long-distance remote working. home from abroad’ offerings that
European Schengen area, axe 40% of global office space. Anguilla, Barbados, Bermuda, include such tempting spots as
and applies to any foreign Lloyds, which has some 30 million Canary Islands, Cayman Paris, the Maldives and Indonesia.
national not required to customers in the UK, is set to cut Islands, Croatia, Dominica, With its relatively low rates of
have a visa to enter Iceland. 20% of its offices by 2023, with Dubai, Estonia, Iceland, Ireland, Covid-19, outdoors living and a
Successful applicants must three-quarters of its staff keen to and Mauritius: the roll call of wide choice of work-stay visas,
be permanently employed work from home three or more destinations that have lately the Caribbean is proving popular
by foreign companies,
meet supplemental health days a week. Exactly where ‘home’ created new visas welcoming with British remote workers.
insurance requirements and is, however, remains up for grabs. visitors to work or study, from Taking advantage of St Lucia’s ‘live
can stay for up to six months. More than 1.9 million British a few months up to a couple it’ initiative for extended stays,
work.iceland.is people could be working from of years, grows ever longer. are Jason and Heena Cornwell, a
abroad next year, according Likewise, resorts and hotels couple in their thirties who’d been
ITALY to research from PagoFX and worldwide are tailoring offerings on a Latin American overlanding
Beat Brexit’s long-stay travel YouGov. In a survey of more than with long-stay working guests trip travelling in Colombia when
restrictions in Europe and 1,200 UK adults in employment, in mind, offering ‘workcation’ lockdown happened in 2020.
relocate to one of Italy’s conducted between September packages and rooms that double “If you had to get stuck, that’s
depopulated villages. Places
such as Locana, outside Turin, and October 2020, 45% said they as office suites. the place,” laughs Jason. “But
have offered cash incentives could do their job just as well “We’ve seen a surge in we were getting itchy feet. Once
(in this case €9,000/£7,731) from abroad while 19% said they bookings for Airbnb-type borders opened, we booked the
for newcomers to take up could do so if they stayed in the properties,” says Tim Gunstone of first flight out, to St Vincent, which
residency in a rural village. same time zone. The survey also bookings site, HotelPlanner. “This got cancelled the day before. With
investigated what requirements could indicate an emerging trend our bags already packed, we got
IRELAND British people look for in a towards extended-stay telework the next available flight, which
Despite being set off perfect ‘work from anywhere’ nomadism — what some are happened to be to St Lucia.”
ATLS ;Y T TEG :SEGAMI

Ireland’s stormy west coast,

Arranmore has a high-speed
offshore internet hub to
attract people to remote
work and help repopulate its
deserted shores.
destination. The top three were:
a fast and reliable internet
connection, access to quality
medical services and warm,
sunny weather.
calling the YOLO (you only live
once) economy, where employees
have a pent-up desire to get out
of their homes and see the world,
while still earning a salary.”
The couple stayed from
October to December, returning
to the UK for Christmas, but
having loved the island, went
back to St Lucia in early 2021.

Jul/Aug 2021 139

REMOTE WORKING
“The companies we work with,
UK-based nonprofits, have been
really supportive,” says Heena.
“Office hours vary, but we try
to align ourselves to UK time,
starting at 6am and ending early
aernoon. Perhaps because
of our backgrounds — Jason
is British-Mauritian and I was
born in India but moved to the
UK in my early twenties — we’re
interested in learning about
different cultures. So, it was
important for us to have time to
get out and really explore the
island. We’ve learnt all about
local sea moss farming, had a tour
with a mural artist, found out
about an incredible local bakery
and stayed at Balenbouche, an
eco-cottage conversion of an
old sugar plantation.”
Introductions made by locals
and recommendations from
friendly locals and ex-pats
Van life // Tom
Bainbridge and Alison
Melvin, a couple in
their fiies, set off
from London on a
six-week European
road trip in a specially
converted van
140 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
helped the couple line up these
experiences. “You need to be
confident,” says Jason, “go
into local restaurants to chat
to people — and that’s always
where the best food is anyway.”
The couple has decided to
continue remote working while
building their online resource
for like-minded globetrotters,
confusionofcultures.com. “Having
worked for nonprofits, we’d
like to take it further and use
our skills to develop sustainable
tourism initiatives with island
businesses,” says Heena.
Life on the road, it seems, can
take you in directions you never
expected. In early 2020, Tom
Bainbridge and Alison Melvin,
a couple in their fiies, set off
from London on a six-week
European road trip in a specially
converted van. “We wanted
to stay on wild coastlines and
hilltops where there’s nothing, so
we needed to be self-sufficient
and comfortable,” says Tom.
And then lockdown happened.
“Borders were closing pretty
much just aer we went through
them each time,” he says. “But we
were more than happy in the van.”
The couple got as far as Portugal
before parking up and staying
put. “I run my own business, as a
lawyer, so I had an understanding
Avô, a scenic municipality in
Coimbra, central Portugal
PREVIOUS PAGE: Treetop
adventure in St Lucia
boss,” laughs Tom. “I worked MORE INFO:
in the van with solar panels for St Lucia.
power, filling up the water tank stlucia.org/en_UK/liveit
every couple of days, using an Antigua and Barbuda.
MIFI box for internet connection antigua-barbuda.com/
for Zoom meetings. We had a nomaddigitalresidence
proper bed. We couldn’t have hotelplanner.com
been better set up, really. Ali is Original Travel.
a yoga teacher and managed to originaltravel.co.uk/
collections/workations
start giving classes online.” Yon Living.
Home is now a dilapidated farm A new start-up, helping
building in a remote part of rural Brits to work ‘from home’
Coimbra that the couple have while overseas.
decided to renovate. “It was land yonliving.com
that my late husband and I had Work Mango.
bought years ago,” says Alison. “I A member’s community
was intending to sell it, thinking it of remote workers.
was madness to do anything else. workmango.com
Grow Remote.
But here we are! And we’ve learnt A community nonprofit
so much, not just Portuguese working in five countries
(we’re taking lessons online, and to ‘make remote work
from our builder; we have a very local’ growremote.ie
odd vocabulary of technical
construction terms), but also what
matters in life. It’s about jumping
in at the deep end and totally
committing to wherever you are.”
Once lockdown is over, the
couple will set off again, to explore RESEARCH
YOUR MEDICAL
the Iberian peninsula. “Living in
the camper showed me that you
CARE, TRAVEL
can do a lot more with much less,”
INSURANCE AND
TAX POSITION
says Alison. “We only packed for BEFORE WORKING
ABROAD.
a few weeks and have survived
Y M A L A :EGAMI
READ MORE
with the small bags we took away.
All that stuff in our two flats back
AT NATIONAL
GEOGRAPHIC.
home? We don’t miss any of it.” CO.UK/TRAVEL
SPOTLIGHT
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MAGICAL KENYA
Kenya’s vast national parks are a paradise
for intrepid travellers. To the north of
Nairobi, Laikipia and Samburu are home
to giraffes and zebra, while south of the
capital, the Tsavo national parks are a
must for birdwatchers. magicalkenya.com
PROMOTIONS
WANDERLUX
This elite travel solutions and concierge
service provides tailor-made experiences
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small. Expect personalised bespoke
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CORA CORA MALDIVES
Cora Cora Maldives is a new one-of-a-
kind immersive cultural, experiential and
culinary experience. Prices start from
$750 (£530) per night for a Beach Villa.
coracoraresorts.com
T10 BLACKBIRD
CARBON SAPPHIRE
This sturdy yet elegant watch is inspired
by the elements of a cockpit. The
movement is manufactured by Ronda and
it comes with a solid stainless steel case.
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Jul/Aug 2021 141
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I thoroughly enjoyed your piece on Spain’s
long-distance walking routes in the June
issue’s cover story. I spent a summer in
Valencia two years ago and fell in love with
the city’s Turia Park, a five-mile urban
garden laced with walking and cycling paths
that allows much of the centre to be explored
without the use of roads. So inspired was
I by this pedestrian-friendly project, I vowed
to return the following year to discover
more of the country on foot. The pandemic
may have halted travel, but your article has
given me fresh ideas and a renewed zest for a
Spanish walking expedition — although the
620-mile Vía de Plata may be rather more of
a challenge than a stroll through the Turia!
ELIZABETH CAMPBELL
GET IN TOUCH
Hikers enjoying the view over
Bubión in the Sierra Nevada
mountain range, Andalucia
Staying inspired
Lockdown has been hard over the past
year — I long to be back in the hills and
mountains, exploring new places along
the coast and travelling beyond these
shores. I can’t wait to use my camera and
be out snapping great pics on my travels.
Reading National Geographic Traveller
and marvelling at the images has been
keeping my spirits up and filling me with
inspiration for adventures ahead. Thank you.
JARRETT SMITH
Spanish spell
The March 2021 issue was the first I’d read
of National Geographic Traveller. I was
amazed by the high-quality photos from
all around the world, but I was particularly
interested in the feature on Granada,
which showed the beautiful Alhambra
palace. I really appreciated the brief history
surrounding the city of Granada, including
the Islamic culture from the time of the
Moors, which is still visible within the palace
walls today. My wife and I are hoping to
visit Granada and Córdoba, and I can’t wait
to use your article when planning the trip.
ARNOLD IMERAJ
Jul/Aug 2021 145
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every day

@sheawinterphoto @dan_scape @wildraj_007

Seoul, South Korea Annapurna Circuit, Nepal Green bee eater, Madurai, India

@justin.paxton @vicwilsonphotography @marcoanfossiphoto

Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador Richmond Hill, London Fez, Morocco

@the_prabster @poetic_mouse @andreah1306

Sapa, Lào Cai, Vietnam Lucca, Tuscany, Italy Kirkjufell, Iceland

146 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
 Escape to an all-inclusive
St Lucia villa for 50% off
Limited-time offer on our hottest sale of the year
Experience over 60 acres of lush St Lucia hillside, a stunning white sand
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When you book your 2021 or 2022 St Lucia getaway, you can save up to 50% on our
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