National Geographic Traveller UK - July& August 2023

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6 6 B E ST-VA LU E SAFARI Tips, trails and tours to meet Africa’s iconic wildlife without breaking the bank 9 0 BOLIVIA An off-road take on the classic journey from the Atacama desert to the Uyuni Salt Flat 102 FLORIDA The show must go on in the Sunshine State, be it the Everglades or tropical Keys 116 SARDINIA Hiking trails, colourful towns and resilient communities from coast to mountains 130 C A MI N O D E SANTIAGO Retrace ancient pilgrim paths to the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela 142 JAIPUR From pottery to marble carving, art is all around you in Rajasthan’s largest city 154 PERTH The capital of Western Australia beckons with a series of revitalised public spaces 66 SAFARI CONTENTS I S SU E 114 , J U L/AUG 202 3 IMAGE: GETTY JUL/AUG 2023 5

Smart traveller On the cover Insider Travel talk Get involved 13 | SNAPSHOT Reach new highs in the Himalayas 14 | BIG PICTURE A makeshift playground in Bangladesh 17 | SECOND ACTS The openings giving Berlin’s landmarks a new life 19 | ALL ABOARD A global conservation voyage sets sail 21 | FOOD Chef Omar Allibhoy on the flavours of Valencia 23 | ON THE TRAIL Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Glasgow legacy 25 | WHERE TO STAY Sacramento’s restaurant-led hotels 26 | FAMILY Football-based trips to mark the Women’s World Cup 28 | INSIDE GUIDE Get to know Strasbourg’s unique culture 31 | STAY AT HOME Winchester’s quiet charm belies a rich history 33 | BOOKS Six perfect reads for a summer staycation 34 | KIT LIST Reuse waste material with these recycled essentials 37 | COMPETITION Win a self-drive tour of Ireland’s West Atlantic Way 39 | NOTES FROM AN AUTHOR Dee Peyok on Cambodia’s 60s pop 40 | MEET THE ADVENTURER Aldo Kane on extreme expeditions 42 | ONLINE Highlights from nationalgeographic.com/travel 64 | EVENTS The last chance to get tickets for our Food Festival 181 | SUBSCRIPTIONS Take advantage of the summer sale 185 | INBOX Let us know what you think of the magazine for the chance to win a travel prize 186 | HOW I GOT THE SHOT Photographer Richard James Taylor on capturing life along Laos’ Mekong River 164 | ASK THE EXPERTS Where to base yourself on the Ligurian coast, affordable no-fly cruises and more 166 | THE INFO A look at the origins of the Notting Hill Carnival 167 | HOT TOPIC How to choose a responsible whale-watching tour 170 | WELLNESS TRAVEL No longer confined to the spa, wellness now encapsulates all manner of experiences that boost wellbeing CONTENTS Elephants in front of Mt Kilimanjaro, Kenya Image: Getty 44 | WEEKENDER: SOUTH MORAVIA Find Germanic villages, ancient forests and wine cellars in the Czech Republic’s lesser-known south east 50 | EAT: BELÉM Long overlooked as a culinary destination, this Brazilian city puts the spotlight on Amazonian ingredients 56 | SLEEP: BALI From a surf hotel to tropical luxury, here’s where to stay on this popular Indonesian island 44 167 56 50 IMAGES: GETTY; ALAMY 6 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL

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Sarah Gillespie I lived in South Moravia during 2020/21, and only got to experience it for three months before the pandemic lockdown. Returning to see it back to normal, with theatres and wine bars swinging once again, was emotional, to say the least. SOUTH MOR AVIA P.44 Tomé Morrissy-Swan Often overlooked by visitors, Belém is home to dishes rarely found outside the Amazon. Native, European and African influences have created a unique cuisine, with ingredients such as enormous Amazonian fish and the mouth-numbing jambú plant. BELÉM P. 50 John O’Ceallaigh In Bali, everyday activities are infused with incredible beauty. I walked to the shops under canopies of starburst-yellow trees; at supposedly humble homes, I was awed by intricate stonework; on evening strolls, fireflies illuminated the path for me. BALI P. 56 Adrian Phillips There’s performance everywhere in the Sunshine State, from the street artists in the squares to the theme-park parades. But it’s in the wilder spots, away from Florida’s razzmatazz, that you’ll find the shows that top them all. FLORIDA P.102 Charlotte Wigram-Evans From textiles to pottery, India’s Pink City is a place that breeds creativity and where work is still largely done by hand. I explored how traditional techniques are being adapted for a modern world — and met a talented group of artisans in the process. JAIPUR P.142 CONTRIBUTORS National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published by APL Media Limited, Unit 310, Highgate Studios, 53-79 Highgate Road, London NW5 1TL nationalgeographic.com/travel Editorial T: 020 7253 9906. [email protected] Photography T: 020 7253 9906. [email protected] Sales/Admin T: 020 7253 9909. F: 020 7253 9907. [email protected] Subscriptions T: 01858 438787. [email protected] National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published by APL Media Ltd under license from National Geographic Partners, LLC. For more information contact natgeo.com/info. Their entire contents are protected by copyright 2023 and all rights are reserved. Reproduction without prior permission is forbidden. Every care is taken in compiling the contents of the magazine, but the publishers assume no responsibility in the effect arising therefrom. Readers are advised to seek professional advice before acting on any information which is contained in the magazine. Neither APL Media Ltd or National Geographic Traveller magazine accept any liability for views expressed, pictures used or claims made by advertisers. National Geographic Partners Editor-in-Chief, NG Media: Nathan Lump General Manager, NG Media: David Miller International Editions Editorial Director: Amy Kolczak Deputy Editorial Director: Darren Smith Editor: Leigh Mitnick Translation Manager: Beata Nas Editors: CHINA Sophie Huang; GERMANY Werner Siefer; GREECE Kyriakos Emmanouilidis; INDIA Lakshmi Sankaran; ITALY Marco Cattaneo; LATIN AMERICA Roberto Moran; NETHERLANDS Robbert Vermue; POLAND Agnieszka Franus; RUSSIA Ivan Vasin; SOUTH KOREA Bo-yeon Lim; SPAIN Josan Ruiz; TURKEY Zeynep Sipahi International Publishing Senior Vice President: Yulia P. Boyle Senior Director: Ariel Deiaco-Lohr Senior Manager: Rossana Stella Headquarters 1145 17th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036-4688, USA National Geographic Partners returns 27% of its proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. Editorial Director: Maria Pieri Editor: Pat Riddell Managing Editor: Amelia Duggan Deputy Editor: Amanda Canning Commissioning Editors: Lorna Parkes, Georgia Stephens Assistant Editor: Angela Locatelli Senior Editor: Sarah Barrell Executive Editor: Glen Mutel Associate Editor: Nicola Trup Content Strategist: Berkok Yüksel Deputy Digital Editor: Karlina Valeiko Art Director: Becky Redman Art Editors: Lauren Atkinson-Smith (maternity leave), Lauren Gamp Senior Designers: Kelly McKenna, Dean Reynolds Designers: Rosie Klein, Sophie King Junior Designer: Natalie Cornelius Picture Editor: Olly Puglisi Branded Content Manager: Flora Neighbour Deputy Branded Content Manager: Jack Clayton Project Editors: Jo Fletcher-Cross, Rory Goulding, Zane Henry, Megan Hughes, Farida Zeynalova Assistant Project Editor: Sacha Scoging Head of Sub Editors: Olivia McLearon Senior Sub Editor: Hannah Doherty Sub Editors: Chris Horton, Ben Murray, Victoria Smith Operations Manager: Seamus McDermott Operations Assistant: Tabitha Grainge Digital Marketing Manager: Tilly Tasker Digital Marketing Assistant: Mélissa Otshudy Editorial Assistant: Matthew Figg Intern: Charlotte Davis Head of Events: Sabera Sattar Events Manager: Angela Calvieri Production Manager: Daniel Gregory Production Controllers: Christopher Hazeldine, Joe Mendonca Commercial Director: Matthew Midworth Head of Sales: Phil Castle Head of Campaigns: William Allen Campaigns Team: Jamie Barnish, James Bendien, Bob Jalaf, Kevin Killen, Mark Salmon, Oscar Williams Head of National Geographic Traveller — The Collection: Danny Pegg Chief Executive: Anthony Leyens Managing Director: Matthew Jackson Sales Director: Alex Vignali Head of Commercial Strategy: Chris Debbinney-Wright APL Business Development Team: Adam Fox, Cynthia Lawrence Office Manager: Hayley Rabin Head of Finance: Ryan McShaw Credit Manager: Craig Chappell Accounts Manager: Siobhan Grover Billings Manager: Ramona McShaw Copyright © 2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All Rights Reserved. National Geographic Traveller and the Yellow Border Design are registered trademarks of National Geographic Society and used under license. Printed in the UK. 8 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL

SU B SC RIBE TODAY Get three issues for just £5! subscriptions.natgeotraveller.co.uk or call 01858 438787 and quote ‘NGT5’ UK & Ireland guide From cycling in the Peak District to exploring Edinburgh’s fi nest wine bars, we’ve pulled together 52 short breaks around Britain and Ireland that will have you planning a staycation at every opportunity. The Food Festival returns Have you got your ticket? The National Geographic Traveller (UK) Food Festival returns to London this July, celebrating fl avours from around the world with some of the biggest names in food. P.64 DON’T MISS Editor’s letter I S SUE 114 , JUL/AUG 2023 Gently treading through dry scrub and open grasslands, passing magnifi cent baobab, red bush willow, marula trees and acacia woodlands, I found my 5am start was quickly forgotten. From enormous termite mounds, nervous impalas and jumpy dik-diks in the bush to grunting hippos and bathing crocodiles wallowing in the riverbed, the sights of the early morning walking safari in Tanzania’s Ruaha National Park remain some one of my most treasured memories. The luxurious tented camp, G&Ts at sundown and chefs rustling up brunch beneath a tree all added to the experience, of course, but the frills in travel aren’t always necessary for the thrills. Seeing elephants, lions, giraff es and rhinos in their natural habitat is the real reason everyone fi nds themselves up at dawn, clutching binoculars and shuffl ing through spectacular landscapes. This issue, we take a look at how you can safari for less, from a self-drive trip in South Africa’s Kruger National Park and an overland journey to Namibia’s Etosha National Park to good-value campsites in Kenya’s Maasai Mara and tracking gorillas in Uganda. You don’t have to spend a fortune to witness some of Africa’s most incredible wildlife. You might, however, want to employ the services of a local guide for an early morning walking safari — those grunting hippos and bathing crocodiles don’t wallow all day. GO ONLINE VISIT NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .COM/TR AVEL FOR NEW TR AVEL FE ATURES DAILY IMAGES: GETTY; TEGAN MCCANN Pat Riddell, editor EDITOR OF THE YEAR – TRAVEL (BSME AWARDS 2022) NATGEOTR AVELUK TravMedia Awards 2023: Travel Magazine of the Year • AITO Travel Writer of the Year 2022 • Travel Content Award (Gold): VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2022 • AITO Young Travel Writer of the Year 2021 • LATA Media Awards 2020: Online Consumer Feature of the Year Award • Travel Media Awards 2020: Consumer Writer of the Year • British Travel Awards 2019: Best Consumer Holiday Magazine • BGTW Awards 2019: Best Travel Writer • Travel Media Awards 2019: Young Writer of the Year • Travel Media Awards 2019: Specialist Travel Writer of the Year • AITO Travel Writer of the Year 2019 • AITO Young Travel Writer of the Year 2019 • BGTW Awards 2018: Best Travel Writer • Travel Media Awards 2018: Consumer Writer of the Year • British Travel Awards 2017: Best Consumer Holiday Magazine • BGTW Awards 2017: Best Travel Writer • BGTW Awards 2016: Best Travel Writer • British Travel Awards 2015: Best Consumer Holiday Magazine AWARD -WINNING NATIONAL GEOGR APHIC TR AVELLER 10 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL

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SM ART TR AVELLER WHAT’S NEW • FOOD • ON THE TR AIL • WHERE TO STAY • FA MILY • INSIDE GUIDE • STAY AT HOME • BOOKS SNAPSHOT Hem Tamang, Gokyo Ri, Nepal After 10 days of beautiful scenery and frosty nights, our brilliant trekking guide, Hem, safely deposited us on top of Gokyo Ri (5,330m), to watch the last light on Earth flicker off the top of Mount Everest at sunset. A humorous storyteller, Hem provided the perfect balance: he pushed us beyond our own mental limitations, but also reassured us when needed. This was his first trip into the high Himalayas since the pandemic, and his enthusiasm and childlike excitement to be back among the big mountains was an infectious motivator for us all. We wouldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for him. M I C H A E L C H A R L E S S H E R I DA N • PHOTOGRAPHER michaelcharlessheridan.com @michaelcharlessheridan JUL/AUG 2023 13

BIG PICTURE Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh At a rice mill in Brahmanbaria, a city in eastern Bangladesh, local children use workers’ carts to create an obstacle course. The carts transport rice, but at the end of the day children reimagine them as toys, loading them with their friends to weave around the bamboo cones that keep the grains dry. I took this shot from about 10ft high. It’s part of a project I’ve been working on for more than five years, capturing workers’ activities and children’s games at this mill. AZIM KHAN RONNIE • PHOTOGRAPHER @azimronnie Winner of the Lifestyle category of the Open competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2023 worldphoto.org 14 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL

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LUCERNE PARIS NEW YORK BERLIN VIENNA LONDON COPENHAGEN SWISS WATCH & FINE JEWELLERY EXPERTS SINCE 1888

IMAGE: GETTY Ready for take-off From July, Berliners will be looking over their city from a fresh perspective, as the former airport control tower and viewing terrace at the old Tempelhof Field open to the public for the fi rst time since fl ights ceased in 2008. Its grounds — saved from development — have already served as a treasured open space for locals, but the latest renovation marks a new departure. With its front entrance barely two miles from the Brandenburg Gate, this former truly urban airport off ers a 360-degree skyline panorama. Though this will be the prime draw, Tempelhof’s historic resonance — explored in an exhibition space inside — makes this more than just another viewing platform. The airport was expanded in the 1930s as an infamous example of Nazi-period architecture, but it turned into a symbol of freedom when it was used to transport food and fuel to West Berlin during the Cold War blockade by the Soviets in 1948-9. thf-berlin.de A snapshot of the 20th century The Fotografi ska museum of photography opened in Stockholm in 2010 and has since proved such a success, it’s opened branches beyond Sweden, in New York and Tallinn. Berlin is set to welcome its own Fotografi ska this summer, and it couldn’t have picked a more fi tting setting. Kunsthaus Tacheles was built in 1907 as a department store, but spent most of the 20th century falling into increasing dilapidation. It gained fame for its community of artist squatters beginning in the heady days after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Though they were evicted in 2012, this three-fl oor space in the Mitte district will bear graffi tied reminders of its recent past as it takes on a new role. fotografi ska.com/berlin Power to the people The last three years have seen the completion of the reconstructed Berlin Palace, now home not to moustachioed Prussian kings but the museum collections of the Humboldt Forum, including displays of Asian art and ethnography. In front of its baroque main entrance, where a monument to Kaiser Wilhelm I stood until 1950, a new memorial is being given its fi nishing touches. The National Monument to Freedom and Unity will commemorate the revolution of 1989 that toppled the communist regime and brought the two Germanies back together. The memorial takes the form of a slightly boat-shaped, 164ft-long structure, balanced in a see-saw fashion, that visitors can step onto. If enough people gather at one end, the tipping point will be reached, and it’ll start to shift. freiheits-und-einheitsdenkmal.de RORY GOULDING WHAT’S NEW STAY Set on the leafy streets of Charlottenburg, The Hoxton’s first German property has 234 rooms that pick up art nouveau details from the neighbourhood, one block south of Kurfürstendamm. The headline restaurant serves a modern Indian tandoor menu. thehoxton.com/charlottenburg E AT Insect-based cuisine is, in the Western world at least, the food revolution that never quite happened. MikroKosmos is introducing the practice with a couple of dishes on its otherwise plant-based, South Americanaccented menu. facebook.com/ mikrokosmosberlin BERLIN A city reframed A FLURRY OF OPENINGS PROVES THE GER M AN CAPITAL’S KNACK FOR BRE ATHING NEW LIFE INTO OLD L ANDM ARKS Above: A view of Museum Island with pale yellow Berlin Palace in the background, and the TV Tower crowning the skyline JUL/AUG 2023 17 SM ART TR AVELLER

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IMAGES: GETTY; ARTHUR SMEETS/OOSTERSCHELDE SAILING ALL ABOARD A global conservation voyage, Darwin200, sets sail in August, crewed by travellers and researchers Almost 200 years after Charles Darwin boarded HMS Beagle to explore and document the natural world, a ground-breaking expedition is following in his wake. The Dutch tall ship Oosterschelde will set sail from Plymouth, the same port the Beagle launched from, on 14 August. The two-year voyage will cover 40,000 nautical miles and four continents, dropping anchor in some of the world’s most desirable destinations, including Rio de Janeiro, Tahiti, Sydney and Cape Town. Members of the public can book a berth on any of the 32 legs, with prices ranging from £350 to £6,250 per person, depending on the trip duration. Most require no prior sailing experience. Led by a team of permanent sailors, paying guests will be tasked with steering, navigating and manning the ropes of the three-masted topsail schooner. They’ll share the boat with environmental researchers who will survey coral health, microplastics, seabirds and marine life en route. At each port, as guests switch over, the environmentalists will disembark to work with local NGOs and conservation experts to study endemic species, such as armadillos, howler monkeys and ancient dragon trees, including many that Darwin documented during his voyage. Their findings and the expedition progress can be followed online via blogs and videos. The crew will also host virtual lectures, create activities and hold a weekly online ‘nature hour’ to inspire global interest in conservation. Ten years in the making, Darwin200 is the brainchild of British naturalist, geographer and conservationist Stewart McPherson, with support from conservation leaders including botanist Dr Sarah Darwin, the great-greatgranddaughter of Charles Darwin. darwin200.com LORNA PARKES KEY PORTS FOR DARWIN200 G A L Á PAG O S I S L A N D S , ECUADOR This wildlife-rich archipelago is where Darwin made key discoveries that led to his seminal work on evolution. Guests on the Oosterschelde will have the rare experience of sailing through under their own steam, without the hum of a motor. S TA N L E Y, FA L K L A N D I S L A N D S (L A S M ALVINA S) Sailors will wobble off the boat in Stanley after 48 days at sea — the longest leg by far and one of very few where paying guests must have previous sailing experience. The journey starts from Christchurch in New Zealand and sails around the infamous Cape Horn. T R I S TA N DA C U N H A , ST HELENA About halfway between southern Africa and South America, the most remote inhabited island on Earth is perhaps the most unique stop. Just 234 citizens live here. As its tourism website states, there are “no hotels, no airport, no holiday reps, no night clubs, no restaurants…” F E R N A N D O D E N O RO N H A , BRAZIL This Brazilian archipelago, famed for its beaches, is where sailors will arrive after completing the transatlantic crossing from Europe. The 21 islands lie over 300 miles from the Brazilian mainland and are a protected marine reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sailing on the Oosterschelde Above: Rio de Janeiro’s Ipanema Beach JUL/AUG 2023 19 SM ART TR AVELLER

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IMAGES: FACUNDO BUSTAMANTE The ingredient Valencia oranges are the sweetest you’ll ever try. They’re best enjoyed juiced but also feature in a range of desserts including cakes and sorbets MUST-TRY DISHES PA E L L A VA L E N C I A N A This saffron-infused rice dish is like a religion for Valencianos (people from Valencia). It’s not unusual to witness full-on arguments over how to make it, but the key ingredients include chicken, rabbit, runner beans and garrofónes, all cooked with spiced rice. The only accompaniment it is served with is a wedge of lemon. ALL I PEBRE DE ANGUILA Visit any fishmonger in Valencia and they’ll have a tank of eels — the central ingredient of this traditional stew. Also featuring plenty of potatoes, it’s thickened with a paste of hazelnuts and fried bread. F I D E UA Although commonly served in paella restaurants, this dish stands out from others as it’s made with thin strands of pasta rather than rice. The pasta is fried first so that it retains some crispiness after it’s been cooked, and more often than not, the dish will feature seafood. A TASTE OF Valencia SMOK Y FL AVOURS AND HE ART Y RICE DISHES ABOUND IN THIS EASTERN SPANISH REGION Left: Fideua, similar to paella but with pasta, often features seafood. Nudging up against the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean, the Valencia region is a long strip of land along Spain’s east coast, blessed with a warm, sunny climate throughout the year. Winters are mild and summers hot — even humid at times — with the occasional light sea breeze, and rain is scarce. Close to the city of Valencia lies Albufera Natural Park. Given its name (meaning ‘the lake’) by Spain’s Moorish rulers in medieval times, the park’s freshwater lagoon is fed by the rivers Turia and Júcar, and surrounded by woods, wetlands and rice fi elds. Paella rice is grown here and it’s also where the dish originated, as a meal for shepherds and those working the land. But it’s not just rice that grows in Valencia. Its rivers, fertile soil and humidity mean the region is rich in fruit and vegetables. It’s famed for its oranges and other citrus, but you’ll also fi nd olives, tomatoes, sweet bell peppers and plump garrofón (a type of butter bean). And, thanks to its coastal location, the region also has plenty of great seafood and fi sh, including prawns, mussels, eels and cod. The Moors brought with them spices such as saff ron, which imparts a beautiful orange hue and unique fl avour to any dish. Another local favourite, pimentón — Spanish paprika — is produced using dried peppers that are often smoked over an oak fi re. Paella combines these spices with the best local produce, and while it’s considered Spain’s national dish, it’s a speciality of Valencia, with many diff erent versions. Paella Valenciana is the classic, but if it’s seafood you want, arroz del senyoret is king, featuring squid, prawns, mussels and rice cooked in a rich stock. Arrocerias, or rice restaurants, have specially built worktops big enough to hold the pans needed to cook paella, and while some cook the dish over large gas burners, others do so over fi res made up of sarmiento — vine shoot cuttings — which give the paella an extra smoky edge. Delicious. Paella, the original one-pan dish: Over 50 recipes for the Spanish classic, by Omar Allibhoy, is published by Quadrille (£18). OM A R A L L I B H OY is the founder of Tapas Revolution restaurants and author of the book Paella JUL/AUG 2023 21 SM ART TR AVELLER

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ILLUSTRATION: MARTIN HAAKE ON THE TRAIL Discover the work of 19th-century architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh on a walking tour of his hometown GLASGOW 2 T H E M AC K I N TO S H H O U S E A half-hour walk will take you to Scotland’s oldest museum, the Hunterian. Here, tour a recreation of the home Mackintosh designed, and lived in, with his wife, artist Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh. Along with her sister Frances and her husband Herbert MacNair, they became known as ‘The Four’ and helped pioneer the Glasgow Style, a new take on art nouveau. The building is a prime example of this all-Scottish movement. gla.ac.uk 1 QUEEN’S CROSS CHURCH Start the tour at Queen’s Cross, the only church designed by Mackintosh. Discerning visitors will spot his trademark touches like floral motifs and Japanesestyle flourishes. Today, the building houses the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society: dedicated to promoting the designer’s legacy, the group is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with a range of events. mackintoshchurch.com crmsociety.com 5 M AC K I N TO S H AT THE WILLOW Stop for afternoon tea at this Sauchiehall Street staple. First opened in 1903 as the Willow Tea Rooms, this A-listed building is the only surviving tearoom designed by Mackintosh for Catherine Cranston. After an extensive restoration process brought the dazzling interiors back to their original glory, the teahouse reopened in 2018. Today, there are tours and an exhibition space. mackintoshatthewillow.com 4 M AC K I N TO S H S TAT U E This bronze sculpture stands 9ft tall, weighs three tons and depicts Mackintosh sitting on the iconic high-backed chair he designed for the city’s Argyle Street Tea Rooms. Commissioned as the crown in the Anderston neighbourhood’s £60m regeneration project, it was unveiled in 2018 to mark the 150th anniversary of Mackintosh’s birth — a year sadly soured by a fire breaking out at the Glasgow School of Art, destroying a landmark Mackintosh-designed building. 3 K E LV I N G ROV E A RT G A L L E RY A N D M U S E U M You could spend hours wandering the 22 galleries of this Spanish baroque-style institution, but you’re here for the Mackintosh and Glasgow Style section. On display are a variety of works by Mackintosh and his peers, from glass and painting to woodwork and enamelling. Highlights include furniture created by Mackintosh for the tearoom proprietor Catherine Cranston. glasgowlife.org.uk 6 G L A S G OW N E C RO P O L I S Walk off those scones with a final trip to this Victorian cemetery. It houses one of Mackintosh’s earliest and least-known works: the gravestone of chief constable Alexander McCall, a simple Celtic cross likely commissioned due to Mackintosh’s father having worked closely with McCall. Set on a low hill, the graveyard is worth visiting in its own right, with panoramic views over Glasgow Cathedral, the Royal Infirmary and beyond. V I C K Y S M I T H JUL/AUG 2023 23 SM ART TR AVELLER

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ALL RATES QUOTED ARE FOR STANDARD DOUBLES, ROOM ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED. IMAGES: ALAMY; THE KIMPTON SAWYER; SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY From top: Old Sacramento district; lounge view at Kimpton Sawyer’s Revival restaurant; the Hyatt Centric has art deco elements WHERE TO STAY Sacramento RESTAUR ANT-LED HOTELS CHA MPION THE FAR MTO-FORK ETHOS OF CALIFORNIA’S STATE CAPITAL Kimpton Sawyer Sacramento hovers under the radar thanks to its proximity to San Francisco, but the city is worthy of a stay, not least for the food. Its culinary prowess shines brightest at restaurant-led boutique hotels. Leading the pack is Kimpton Sawyer. With its mid-century furnishings and alt-pop lobby playlist, guests might feel like they’re checking into the latest vintage-themed Arctic Monkeys music video. It’s eff ortlessly cool, with velvet seating and scattered plants refl ecting downtown Sacramento’s thriving arts and agricultural infl uences. The 250 rooms and suites impress with soft curves and rich woods. Request the top fl oor for skyline views, and a king suite with a balcony for a real treat. You’ll overlook Tower Bridge and the Wild West-themed Old Sacramento district, less than a 10-minute walk away. The two dining destinations — Revival and Echo & Rig — are among the city’s best. The former is a rooftop cocktail bar and poolside oasis that celebrates the best of California: zingy chicken tacos, freshly shucked oysters and crunchy greens all appear on its relaxed, rotating menu. Head to the poolside lounge from 4pm on weekdays for $2 (£1.60) oysters and drinks promotions. At ground level, neighbourhood steakhouse Echo & Rig champions Sacramento’s farm-to-fork ethos with a menu featuring small plates, salads and grills. Led by critically acclaimed chef Sam Marvin, the kitchen complements prime cuts of beef with veggies thriving in the region’s fertile ground: colourful tomatoes, fi ngerling potatoes and crisp salad leaves all grow nearby. From $278 (£221). sawyerhotel.com Delta King Hotel This authentic paddlewheel riverboat dates to 1927 and its original staterooms have been refurbished to refl ect its Californian boating heritage. Its two restaurants serve locally inspired dishes such as Dungeness crab and it’s moored at the waterfront of the old town. From $109 (£87) B&B. deltaking.com Hyatt Centric From the vintage vinyl and guitar-themed lobby decor to the rooftop cocktail bar once frequented by Billie Holiday, this Hyatt screams fun. Rooms are playful yet luxurious, and from 3pm midweek the buzzy bar turns into the city’s best happy hour, with excellent small plates. From $189 (£150). hyattcentricsacramento.com The Citizen Hotel This downtown hotel has been standing proud since 1925. It’s an opulent residence, with a Michelin-recommended restaurant, Grange, led by Dane Blom, one of Sacramento’s original farm-to-fork champions. From $199 (£158). thecitizenhotel.com RICHARD FRANKS JUL/AUG 2023 25 SM ART TR AVELLER

FA MI LY BEAUTIFUL GAME If the FIFA Women’s World Cup inspires you to take a football-based break with the kids this summer, here are the cities to head to Barcelona Lionesses Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh are in Barcelona’s women’s team, who play most of their home games at the Estadi Johan Cruyff . On occasion, however, they appear at the mighty Camp Nou — Lionel Messi’s spiritual home — and the stadium remains one of the most iconic in Europe. If you can’t bag match tickets, a self-guided tour is a fi ne alternative. You’ll get the chance to sit in the stands, visit the dugouts and walk through the matchday tunnel, as well as wander the extensive club museum, complete with Golden Boots and vintage shirts. It gets busy in high season, so book ahead. Tour from €21 (£18) for children and €28 (£24) for adults. fcbarcelona.com Paris Club side Paris St Germain, who play their home games at Le Parc Des Princes, might boast big-name players, but it’s another Paris stadium that takes top honours. The 80,000-capacity Stade de France has hosted three Champions League fi nals, a World Cup fi nal and a Euros fi nal, with the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo winning trophies here. For sportsmad kids, however, the appeal doesn’t end there — the same stadium will be staging the Rugby World Cup Final this autumn, and the athletics events at next year’s Olympic Games. The guided tour takes around 90 minutes, with several in English. Tour from €11 (£9.50) for children and €16 (£14) for adults. stadefrance.com Munich Various ex-Premier League stars — as well as England midfi elder Georgia Stanway — are currently on Bayern Munich’s books, but the club has long been a titanic sporting presence in its own right. Six times champions of Europe, Germany’s most successful team regularly sells out the ultra-modern 75,000-capacity Allianz Arena. The stadium is a real spectacle, being fully wrapped in colour-changing panels; if you can’t get here for a match, the behind-the-scenes tour is a suitably slick alternative. Tours include access to the FC Bayern Museum, where countless trophies are on display. Tour from €11 (£ 9.50) for children and €25 (£22) for adults. allianz-arena.com Liverpool As the home of Liverpool FC since the club’s formation in 1892, Anfi eld is one of the best-known football stadiums on the planet. Young fans of the Reds — and even those with other allegiances — will fi nd plenty to enjoy on the stadium tour, with photo opportunities aplenty, dressing room access, and deep views across the city from the top of the Main Stand. On-site museum The Liverpool FC Story includes the Boom Room exhibition, dedicated to the club’s 2019/2020 Premier League win, while new this year is the Anfi eld Abseil, the chance to abseil down the side of the stadium (suitable for ages 10 and above). Tour from £14 for children and £23 for adults, Anfi eld Abseil from £38 for children and £45 for adults. liverpoolfc.com BEN LERWILL IMAGES: ALAMY; GETTY Anfield, the home of Liverpool FC From top: Munich’s old town; photoshoot on the FC Barcelona Museum and Nou Camp stadium tour 26 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL SM ART TR AVELLER xxxxxxxxx 26 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL SM ART TR AVELLER

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IMAGES: CAROLE-ANNE CALVISI; GETTY; ALAMY AC A D É M I E D E LA BIÈRE Perfect for a beer with friends. There are four sites, but the original tavern-like venue in Petite France (17 Rue Adolphe Seyboth) has the best atmosphere. academiedelabiere. com AU V I E U X C A M P E U R Hiking enthusiasts should pay a visit to this outdoor specialist. Find everything you need to get close to nature, from skiing gear to camping products. auvieuxcampeur.fr C O U T E L L E R I E L AG U I O L E Named after Laguiole, a town in the Massif Central with a long tradition of knife making, this artisanal knife shop is great for keen cooks. coutellerie-laguiolestrasbourg.com Serge Cutillo is head chef at Chez Yvonne, a winstub (traditional wine tavern) in the old town. restaurantchez-yvonne.net As the capital of the historical region of Alsace, which has belonged alternately to both France and Germany over the centuries, Strasbourg has developed a distinct identity all of its own. The heart of local life is the Grande Île, an island on the River Ill in the historic centre of the city. Here, narrow, cobbled streets are overlooked by signature timber-framed architecture and the 466ft, 15th-century spire of the gothic Strasbourg Cathedral. Start by immersing yourself in the local crafts, clothes, traditions and dialect by visiting the cleverly curated Alsatian Museum, set in creaking medieval houses connected by wooden staircases and old passageways. Inside, over 5,000 artefacts — clothes and furniture, toys and religious artworks — paint a picture of rural life in Alsace between the 18th and 19th centuries. In contrast are the broad, pillared galleries of the Fine Arts Museum, located on the fi rst and second fl oors of the Rohan Palace. Works on show include Nicolas de Largillière’s La Belle Strasbourgeoise, arguably the painter’s most famous work, and Cornelis Engelsz’s St Adrian Civic Guard. One of the largest paintings in the collection, it depicts more than 40 soldiers, whose eyes seem to eerily follow visitors as they walk down the hall. en.musees.strasbourg.eu Lunch is on the hearty side. The city’s most famous dish is choucroute garnie, a local take on sauerkraut with pork cuts and sausages. The most renowned address for this is Maison Kammerzell, a striking 15th-century restaurant next to the cathedral. For something lighter, head to Mama Bubbele, just outside the Grand Île, and tuck into a tarte fl ambée. Known as Alsatian pizza for its fi ne pastry base, it’s served with creme fraiche, bacon and onions, among other toppings. maison-kammerzell.com mama-bubbele.fr But it’s one-Michelin-starred Au Crocodile that takes the city’s culinary crown. This fi ne-dining institution is named after a stuff ed crocodile that hangs inside, brought back from Egypt by a captain in Napoleon’s army who lived in the building. Chef Romain Brillat’s seasonal menus are delicate and refi ned, in contrast to the city’s heavier traditional cuisine — think roasted monkfi sh with wild garlic and green asparagus or Jersey beef sirloin with lemongrass jus. relaischateaux.com Afterwards, take the fi ve-minute walk to the Büchmesser (‘stomach measurer’) opposite the cathedral facade. This narrow arch, set out from the wall on the corner of Rue Mercière, has measured the girth of hungry locals since the Middle Ages. After your rich Alsatian meal, you might just struggle to shimmy through sideways. The city’s most loved artist of the modern era was cartoonist and illustrator Tomi Ungerer, and a namesake museum dedicated to his work shows his colourful children’s illustrations and satirical work. It sits on the edge of the Neustadt district, whose UNESCO-listed architecture was built in the late 19th century when the city was German. It’s markedly diff erent from the medieval jumble of the Grande Île, with stately palaces, broad boulevards and an impressive mix of styles — Italian neoRenaissance, neo-gothic and art nouveau — covering fi ve centuries of European architecture. At the heart of the neighbourhood you’ll fi nd the circular and immaculate Jardin de la Place de la République, but for some wider green space, rent a bike from one of many Velhop stations, the local bike-sharing service. Strasbourg has 373 miles of cycling routes — more than any other city in the country — giving it the title of France’s cycling capital. Pedal on to Parc de l’Orangerie, the oldest in the city, where you can canoe around a lake. Keep an eye out for storks, the symbol of Alsace: in 1960, this park opened the fi rst reintroduction centre for the bird in the region. velhop.strasbourg.eu For a comfortable stay, check into Okko in the newly developed Presqu’île Malraux district, with doubles from €85 (£74), room only. okkohotels.com C ARO LYN BOYD INSIDE GUIDE BLENDING GER M AN AND FRENCH CHAR AC TERISTIC S, THE AL SATIAN CAPITAL’S CULTURE, ARCHITEC TURE AND CUISINE ARE Q UITE UNIQ UE STRASBOURG LIKE A LOCAL Serge Cutillo’s favourite fi nds 28 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL

The River Ill through Strasbourg Clockwise from right: A statue in Parc de l’Orangerie; traditional half-timbered houses line the streets surrounding Strasbourg Cathedral; a traditional choucroute garnie dish JUL/AUG 2023 29 SM ART TR AVELLER

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IMAGES: ALAMY; THOMAS SKOVSENDE Why go Alfred the Great made Winchester England’s first capital in 871, and the Hampshire city long remained at the centre of the action. Narrow streets of medieval and Georgian buildings hint at its past. The nearby South Downs National Park can also be accessed via the South Downs Way. A 100-mile-long walking and cycling route, the trail starts in Winchester and stretches to Eastbourne. visit-hampshire.co.uk southdowns.gov.uk What to do Winchester City Mill is powered by the River Itchen that flows through the city, and it dates back at least 1,000 years to the reign of King Alfred. This National Trust property has a cafe whose cakes often contain flour made onsite. A short car journey away is the village of Chawton. Here, you’ll find Jane Austen’s House, where the famous author spent the last years of her life. Objects on show at the pretty cottage include the small table where she worked on her classic novels. nationaltrust.org.uk janeaustens.house Where to eat Forte Kitchen is an award-winning restaurant serving simple but delicious British food, such as the wild mushrooms on sourdough toast. Settle into 18th-century inn The Old Vine. With wooden beams and a smouldering fire on cold nights, it’s a cosy spot to tuck into pub classics like Hampshire cured ham or the pie of the day. fortekitchen.co.uk oldvinewinchester.com Don’t miss On guided tours of Winchester Cathedral, you can learn about why it took almost 500 years to build. Opt for the Tower Tour to climb to the roof, for stunning views of the city and beyond. winchester-cathedral.org.uk We like The Great Hall — all that remains of Winchester Castle, built by William the Conqueror in 1067. It’s borne witness to events from lavish banquets to trials for treason, and the medieval round table mounted on its far wall is often associated with that of Arthurian legend. CAROLINE BUTTERWICK Above: The River Itchen flowing towards Winchester City Mill W H E RE TO STAY Dating back to 1755, former coaching inn The Wykeham Arms is just around the corner from the cathedral and above a popular pub. Stay in the Hamilton Suite, with its characterful brick feature wall, framed historic paintings, spectacular chandelier and rolltop bath for a good soak. Breakfast is served in the pub downstairs and ranges from a comforting full English to avocado on toast. Doubles from £159, B&B. wykehamarmswinchester.co.uk STAY AT HOME WINCHESTER Set on the edge of a national park, this Hampshire city’s peaceful personality belies its illustrious history JUL/AUG 2023 31 SM ART TR AVELLER

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IMAGE: GETTY BOOKS The great British break E XPLORE OUR L AKES, BE ACHES AND BAYS WITH THESE PERFECT READS FOR A SUM MER STAYCATION The Seaside: England’s Love Affair Journeying around the country, from Scarborough to Blackpool, Madeleine Bunting aims to understand the enduring appeal of seaside resorts, many faded from their 18th-century grandeur. Meeting local people, she delves into the landscapes, histories and contemporary plight of our coastal towns and cities. Granta, £20. Walking the Bones of Britain The Times’s walking correspondent Christopher Somerville makes a thousandmile journey from the Outer Hebrides to the Thames Estuary to tell the story of Britain’s unique geology. As part of the journey, this book explains how the land has shaped our past and continues to defi ne the fabric of the nation, from farming to the Industrial Revolution and beyond. Doubleday, £25. Lost in the Lakes Tom Chesshyre takes a 379-mile hike around the Lake District, venturing into backcountry, away from the tourist honeypots. He stays in remote bothies, shepherd’s huts and climbers’ hotels, meeting farmers, hikers and fell runners en route. One for casual hikers, budget travellers and those interested in the landscape, ecology and day-to-day life in the Lakes. Summersdale, £16.99. Sarn Helen: A Journey Through Wales, Past, Present and Future Sarn Helen — Helen’s Causeway — is a Roman road that runs northsouth through Wales. Tom Bullough walks the route, painting a picture of the changing landscapes around him and exploring Wales’s political, cultural and mythical history. The book is packed with beautiful, earth-hued illustrations. Granta, £16.99. Paddle Scotland Scotland is best seen from the water, according to author and paddleboard instructor Alasdair Findlay. There are itineraries for all abilities, from short outings to wilderness day trips, and they come with maps and glossy photography. Most are suitable for kayak and canoe. Some, like the Shin River System, are a joy best experienced by paddleboard. Adlard Coles, £16.99. Moderate Becoming Good Later This book tells the story of one man’s attempt to sea kayak all 31 areas reported in BBC Radio 4’s Shipping Forecast. Toby Carr undertook the journey after his brother’s death from cancer and passed away from the same condition before he fi nished writing. His sister Katie completed the book: a moving voyage of discovery. Summersdale, £9.99. SARAH BARRELL JUL/AUG 2023 33 SM ART TR AVELLER

2 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 BATOKO SEAL SWIMSUIT Batoko’s entire range of swimsuits is lined, supportive and made from Global Recycled Standard (GRS)-certifi ed 100% recycled plastic. The design of the Seal swimsuit was inspired by the UK’s grey seal colonies and kelp forests, and for every item sold, a portion of the profi ts goes to supporting the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, which aims to rehabilitate stranded marine species. £60. batoko.com 7 WATE R H AU L F IT ZROY NAV Y SUNGL AS SES The marine biologist founder of Waterhaul decided to tackle the problem of discarded plastic fi shing nets in Cornish waters by using them to make durable sunglasses. Each pair has lenses with UVA/UVB 400 protection and comes with a lifetime warranty. Prescription sets are also available. £95. waterhaul.co 4 A N IM A L R E C YC LE D BEACH M AT Pack a beach mat to prevent sand from working its way into the fi bres of your blanket. Made from 100% recycled polyester, this one’s slim, feather-light and has enough cushion to make even pebble beaches feel comfortable. What’s more, it zips up into a portable package with a shoulder strap. £30. animal.co.uk 3 D O C K & BAY C H ROM ATI C CARNIVAL QUICK- DRY TOWEL Microfi bre towels are a luggage essential, drying fast and packing down small. The Chromatic Carnival design from Dock & Bay is made of 100% recycled plastic from GRS-certifi ed sources, and 20% of the profi ts from each sale goes to The Hunger Project, which works to alleviate worldwide food poverty. £28. uk.dockandbay.com 6 O S PR E Y U LTR A LI G HT PACKING CUBE SET Tidy luggage makes for fuss-free adventures. This ultra-lightweight set of three packing cubes is made from 100% recycled nylon from GRS-certifi ed sources, with a bluesign-approved supply chain. They come in sizes 1.5L, 4L and 9L and are also available to buy separately as part of Osprey’s wide range of luggage organisation kit. £42. ospreyeurope.com 2 G UM B I E S S C R A M B LE R SANDALS IN BLACK Recycled rubber is woven into the grippy outsole of these sandals, which is then bound by biodegradable jute — plus, the straps are made from recycled plastic. Designed for outdoor adventures, these shoes feel comfortable even after hours of walking thanks to a soft, spongy footbed. £35. gumbies.co.uk 5 KOV E R E D A R ROW ROLLTOP BACKPACK Plenty of pockets and a neutral look make this backpack one for a range of pursuits. It’s lightweight, water-repellent and can hold plenty with 24L of interior space. Vegan-friendly, made from GRS- and RCS-certifi ed recycled plastic and produced in bluesignapproved factories, it ticks a lot of boxes. £105. kovered.co.uk 8 L A P O C H E T TE W E T BAG LARGE This versatile bag is big enough to stow away wet swimming gear in one section and dry beach essentials in another. Made from 100% recycled plastic from GRS-certifi ed sources, it’s fully leakproof, machine washable and features anti-stain and odour technology. £70. lapochette.com NOR A WALL AYA KIT LIST RECYCLED ESSENTIALS Give existing waste a second life this summer with the help of these stylish and functional travel products TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RECYCLED PLASTIC TEXTILES AND THE CERTIFICATIONS MENTIONED, VISIT UNEP.ORG 34 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL SM ART TR AVELLER

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IMAGES: TOURISM IRELAND From top: Blasket Islands, County Kerry; Kinsale Harbour, County Cork; Dick Mack’s on Green Street in Dingle, County Kerry A SELF-DRIVE TRIP TO IRELAND FOR TWO National Geographic Traveller (UK), McKinlay Kidd and Tourism Ireland have teamed up to off er a seven-day trip along the Wild Atlantic Way WIN T H E D E S T I N AT I O N The Wild Atlantic Way is one of Europe’s most spectacular driving routes, meandering along the length of Ireland’s west coast. Zoom in and the coastline’s southwest corner, from Cork to Kerry, beckons with small islands, sheltered coves and sandy bays. Highlights include the Dingle, Iveragh and Beara Peninsulas, plus the scenic crag of Mizen Head, the most southerly point in mainland Ireland. All along the route, coastal villages await with seafood and live music. T H E P R I Z E With 20 years’ experience, tour operator McKinlay Kidd creates tailor-made trips and small-group guided tours around the UK, Ireland and Channel Islands. In partnership with Tourism Ireland, McKinlay Kidd will offer the winner and a guest its seven-day Wild Atlantic Way — Discover Cork & Kerry selfdrive tour. Stay in hand-picked hotels on a B&B basis along the way, with an additional dinner while overnighting in Kenmare. The prize includes return ferry from Pembroke or Fishguard to Rosslare if travelling with your car, or direct return flights to Cork from cities including London, Manchester, Edinburgh and more if renting a car in Ireland. Car hire costs are not included in the prize, but McKinlay Kidd is available to help with arrangements. mckinlaykidd.com TO E NTE R Answer the following question online at natgeotv.com/uk/competitions H OW LO N G HAVE M C KI N L AY KIDD BEEN CREATING TAILORMADE HOLIDAYS? Competition closes 31 July 2023. The winner must be a resident of Great Britain and aged 18 or over. Full T&Cs at natgeotv.com/uk/competitions JUL/AUG 2023 37 SM ART TR AVELLER

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ILLUSTRATION: JACQUI OAKLEY NOTES FROM AN AUTHOR The author and former singer explores the pop music that shook 1960s Cambodia, a country in transition, and provided respite during Pol Pot’s reign One comes for the sights and sounds of day and night: the bend in the river where it lies, the rhythmic croaking of frogs, flying fish catching the moon on their scales, fireflies decorating the trees like Christmas lights The music that captured me couldn’t have grown anywhere but mid-century Cambodia: a country unshackling itself from 90 years of colonial rule. Its capital, dubbed the ‘pearl of the Orient’ and the ‘Paris of the East’, was rapidly modernising, revelling in a second golden age, the first having begun centuries before when Cambodia’s magnificent temples were built. Cities and towns became a melting pot of cultural, musical influence. Rock ‘n’ roll burst onto the scene in 1962, and dances like the twist sashayed their way across the nightclubs of the riviera resort, Kep, and the packed mud floors of juke joints in neighbouring Kampot. Odes to Kampot and the surrounding province are still sung 50 years on, including In Yeng’s traditional A Cry of a Border Poet and Sinn Sisamouth’s Kampot from the Bottom of my Heart. Over the years, and over the course of my trips to Cambodia, Kampot unintentionally became a last stop on the circuit. In a sense, it still holds a kind of spiritual magnetism for me. It’s become a place of transcendental significance and a place of reflection. I always stay in the same place if I can: a hotel called the Villa Vedici. One does not come expecting to be noticed, much less served. One comes for the sights and sounds of day and night: the bend in the river where it lies, the rhythmic croaking of frogs, flying fish catching the moon on their scales, fireflies decorating the trees like Christmas lights. It was here in 2014, atop one of Villa Vedici’s stilted balconies that I wrote my reflections on six months in Cambodia, and it was here that I returned with my young son in 2019. Half a century on from the Cambodian Civil War, Kampot’s rice fields have been revived, the surrounding mountains once carpeted by American bombs have recovered their jungles, the oxcart tracks of Khmer Rouge ammunition routes have been filled in by villagers. Bands like Kampot Playboys can be heard playing their unique fusion of Khmer-folk and Western rock. A booming tourist industry now prevails. The old guesthouses are replaced by high-rise hotels along Kampot’s river. But the Villa Vedici remains — a lone, last bohemian bastion just half a mile beyond the developers’ reach. Kampot, a river town in southwest Cambodia, is where my book took root. It’s around a threehour drive from Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, and it’s close to a mountain where my 10-year quest for answers ended in 2012. Here, in an abandoned casino at the mountain’s peak, I stumbled upon the voice of Cambodia’s most famous mid-century crooner-pop star. Alone, but for a stereo, a stranger and me, the singer’s mellifluous voice took flight in the Cambodian language, Khmer. Bouncing off the empty walls, his vocals entwined with a Farfisa organ, its keys squeezing out the melody of Procol Harum’s A Whiter Shade of Pale. His voice seemed to permeate every cell in my body. I felt as if I was soaring and immediately wanted to know everything about the mystery singer. I discovered later that his name was Sinn Sisamouth. Some call him ‘the Master’, others call him ‘the Golden Voice Emperor’, and many still call him the ‘Elvis of Cambodia’. Some say he recorded as many as 4,000 songs during his 20-year career. By the time I made it back to that casino two years later, I’d talked at length with the singer’s wife, son and fans; traced the ghost of his steps along the polished floorboards of his childhood home. And it was only truly at this point that I knew I had the beginnings of a book. What was built on a bedrock of intrigue snowballed into a quest that saw me gamble my savings away and cross three continents in search of musicians like Sisamouth. Musicians who shook the establishment in the 1960s and provided cultural respite in war-torn Cambodia in the 1970s. Musicians who survived a genocide in Pol Pot’s killing fields, and the families left behind by those who did not. Over the course of a decade, it was an eclectic odyssey. I sought out a legendary garage rocker turned recluse deep in the jungle, spoke to a royal court musiciancum-resistance fighter and interviewed Cambodian rock’s enfant terrible — once for nine hours straight — about his remarkable reinventions from rock star to gem miner to sailor to scientist. Kampot’s very own Ray Charles wrote a song for me, I went on tour with some revivalists, accidently spent a tense night with the Khmer Rouge guerrilla army and witnessed the reunion of one band in New York 40 years since they last met, some 8,000 miles from where they formed in Phnom Penh. DEE PEYOK Away From Beloved Lover: A Musical Journey Through Cambodia by Dee Peyok is published by Granta Books, £16.99. @deepeyok SM ART TR AVELLER JUL/AUG 2023 39

IMAGE: ALDO KANE What kick-started your career as an extreme adventurer? I joined the Royal Marines at 16, where I enrolled into the British Commandos, the longest, hardest infantry training in the world. I spent seven months learning skills including survival, orienteering and signalling before going on to become one of the youngest Elite Commando Reconnaissance Snipers in the UK armed forces, serving in destinations from Northern Ireland to the Middle East. This career path taught me how to survive in some of the world’s most extreme environments. I think that’s probably what set me off on my path of adventure. Since then, you’ve tackled expeditions in a variety of remote locations. Which proved the most challenging? From a physical point of view, it has to be rowing across the Atlantic with Team Essence [a group of five British men] from mainland Europe to mainland South America. We completed it in 50 days, 10 hours and 36 minutes. We’re not sure if anyone had ever attempted the expedition before. This made it particularly challenging as we didn’t know how long it would take or what the most treacherous parts would be — a true adventure in every sense of the word. There’s a lot of planning beforehand, but, ultimately, you row for two hours, then you rest for two hours, and so forth. It’s a long time to spend in your own headspace. At one point, the closest person to us was Tim Peake up in the International Space Station, which makes you realise just how vast and lonely the Atlantic Ocean is. You now run Vertical Planet, a company that provides safety consultation for TV and film crews in high-risk environments. What has been your most exciting project? Active volcanoes have to be the most extreme environments I’ve worked in. For the 10-part National Geographic series Welcome to Earth, we filmed Will Smith inside Mount Yasur in Vanuatu while it was erupting, which included explosions and lava bombs. Everything’s telling you to get away: there are poisonous gasses and hurricane-force winds, and the air is filled with particles of silica and glass. We obviously spent as little time as possible in there, got the filming done and then got the hell out. What’s the role of exploration in the 21st century? With so much of the planet left to understand, I think our role should still be to explore, but to do it leaving as little trace as possible and giving back to the local communities in the areas we’re working in or travelling to. When I look back to my early days of exploring, it was a very selfish, self-centred activity. Now, particularly in the last three to four years, I always try to tell a story, which is ultimately always connected to how the environment and climate are changing. I’m fortunate to have a large audience, so I feel it’s my duty to teach and pass these experiences on. What would you change in the world of travel? The carbon footprint. I have to travel quite a bit for work, so I’m constantly debating if the journey is worthwhile and what my impact is. I flew to Greenland last year with work, but once we arrived, we made sure we didn’t use any form of transport other than walking and skiing. What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? What we think about is what we become. I wish somebody had told me that as a child — there’s so much power and control in allowing your thoughts to become your reality. For anyone who wants to travel more, however, my advice is to just get out there. Start small — it doesn’t have to be a crazy, month-long expedition. Describe what adventure means to you in three words. Expanding my mind. Everyone always asks, what’s the meaning of life? I think it’s to understand who we are and to work out how we fit into this world. It’s why I go to the places I go to, why I do what I do. Going on adventures and pushing myself helps me understand what sort of person I am, what I can learn and what I can achieve. SACHA SCOGING Aldo Kane has partnered with Exodus Travel on the Aldo Kane Exodus Collection, a series of tours to destinations the explorer has visited, ranging from the Okavango Delta in Botswana to the Canadian Rockies. exodus.co.uk/aldo-kane R E A D T H E F U L L I N T E RV I E W O N L I N E AT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. COM/TR AVEL A FOR MER ROYAL M ARINE, THE SCOT TISH ADVENTURER TALKS ABOUT EXTREME EXPEDITIONS AND WHAT EXPLOR ATION MEANS TODAY Aldo Kane MEET THE ADVENTURER 40 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL SM ART TR AVELLER

Las Vegas Los Angeles ZION NATIONAL PARK SPRINGDALE

BALKANS Hiking the High Scardus Trail Through Kosovo, Albania and North Macedonia, the trail opens up some of Europe’s least visited mountains. AUSTRALIA New national park Nilpena Ediacara National Park is said to contain some of the world’s most important fossils. TR AVEL TRENDS Sober tourism on the rise Millennials and Generation Z are spurring a trend for alcohol-free bars and sober retreats. SEEKING SOLITUDE? VI SIT A NATIONAL FORE ST The wilderness areas outside Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon and Shenandoah can offer more remote, intimate and immersive experiences than the busy parks. Words: Robert Annis TOP STORIES Here’s what you’ve been enjoying on the website this month Despite the immensity of most American national parks, many can feel almost claustrophobic at times due to the crowds. Some of the busiest parks, such as Arches, Glacier and Rocky Mountain, require a timedentry reservation for much of the day during the high season, while snagging a campsite on recreation.gov during the prime summer months feels nigh on impossible. For those willing to venture off the beaten path, national forests — often abutting and sometimes surrounding their national park cousins — offer similar scenery, with fewer visitors. For adventurers and nature-lovers who want to see more of the great outdoors — and less of each other — here are three natural getaways. Dixie National Forest Between Utah’s Bryce Canyon and Zion parks, Dixie National Forest’s almost two million acres of high-desert landscape and towering rock hoodoos rival those found within official park boundaries. Take the 4.5-mile Cassidy Trail, named for outlaw Butch Cassidy, who hid out here over a century ago. The trail snakes through crimson-coloured cliffs and Martianlike rock formations to Brayton Point overlook, where hoodoos rise out of Losee Canyon below. Shoshone National Forest Millions of people travel to Yellowstone each year, but very few visit the surrounding national forests, including Shoshone. While you won’t see the geysers Yellowstone is known for, Shoshone — established in 1891 as the first national forest in the US — offers nearly the same scenery and wildlife. The 18-mile Pahaska-Sunlight Trail is a long hike through the forest with breathtaking vistas, a waterfall, and numerous stream crossings. George Washington and Jefferson National Forests Less than a half-hour drive from the north entrance of Shenandoah National Park, there are 2,200 miles of trails that weave through the Appalachian Mountains, 300 of which are part of the Appalachian Trail. READ MORE ONLINE WHAT’S ONLINE 42 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL IMAGES: ALAMY: GETTY; CHRISTIAN HEEB/LAIF; LAURENT COUSIN/HAYTHAM-REA;

S E A RC H F O R NATGEOTR AVELUK FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGR A M SUMMER Where to travel in July See the Arctic tundra in bloom, go wildlife-watching in the Okavango Delta — and more. C H I L E A new final frontier The Dientes de Navarino circuit is gaining popularity with intrepid travellers to Chilean Patagonia. USA Gettysburg’s latest attraction The Beyond the Battle Museum explores the Civil War stories of local Pennsylvanian townspeople. Clouds of smoke rise from either side of the road to Grindavík. On the right, steady white plumes emanate from the famous Blue Lagoon. On the left, the smoke is coming from something altogether newer. Iceland’s latest volcanic arrival, Fagradalsfjall, has had a spectacular birth. I visit just three months into its fiery delivery; some scientists suggest it’ll continue to erupt for several years to come. The mountain cracks opens again and again, thousands of gallons of bright lava crashing down the side of the volcano. From a safe distance, watched by rangers, I join a few dozen visitors to witness this subterranean light show as it goes off every 10 minutes or so. People have been drawn like moths from all over the world to this flame. If Fagradalsfjall (the name translates as ‘Fair Dale Felll’) keeps going, authorities will have a lot of work on their hands to keep the site safe and accessible. Nonetheless, it represents an incredible gift for the country at a time when global tourism is reopening after the pandemic — a pull for adventurous tourists and a welcome boost for Icelandic coffers. “People were mesmerised by the material we were putting out online,” says Eythor Saemundsson, whose job promoting the Reykjanes Peninsula has got a lot easier with the new arrival. “But in the beginning, we were overwhelmed just trying to grasp the whole thing. The entire nation of Iceland came hiking to see it, along with a few tourists who were in the country at the time.” READ MORE ONLINE B E YO ND THE TR AVEL SECTION Saving Hawaii’s native language For a language to be considered safe from extinction, 100,000 people need to speak it. Only a fraction of people speak ‘ōlelo, but young Hawaiians using TikTok and Instagram may help change that. natgeo.com/culture | C U L T U R E | Violent underwater volcanoes harbouring life Among Italy’s Aeolian Islands is the Mediterranean’s most active volcano system. Yet a National Geographic photographer found marine life clings on all the same. natgeo.com/animals | A N I M A L S | Why are our oceans rising in temperature? Sea surface temperatures have been breaking records recently, and scientists think a looming El Niño weather pattern may be partially to blame. natgeo.com/environment | E N V I R O N M E N T | IMAGES: ALAMY: GETTY; CHRISTIAN HEEB/LAIF; LAURENT COUSIN/HAYTHAM-REA; SOUTH AUSTRALIAN TOURISM COMMISSION; LAURENT BALLESTA; MATTHEW NELSON IM AG E S O F FAG R ADAL S FJALL , I C EL AND ’ S NE WE ST VO LC ANI C FI S SU RE, S PE WIN G L AVA HAVE TR AN S FIXED THE WO RLD. WO RDS: JA MIE L AFFERT Y FAGR ADAL SFJALL: IC EL AND’S FIERY NEW VOLCANO VISIT NATGEO.COM/TR AVEL FOR NEW TR AVEL FE ATURES DAILY JUL/AUG 2023 43

WEEKENDER SOUTH MORAVIA The Czech Republic’s southeast shows an unexpected side to the country: one of Germanic villages and ancient forests, where wine — not beer — is king. Words: Sarah Gillespie Welcome to Czech wine country, a tapestry of green vineyards, glassy lakes and redroofed sandstone villages. Put away that stein — South Moravia has almost as many wine cellars as residents. Following decades of Communist-wrought destruction, this onceprestigious winemaking region is bouncing back — and throwing its doors open to visitors. Brno, the region’s capital, is the Czech Republic’s second-largest city after Prague. On the surface, it’s a kaleidoscope of UNESCOlisted functionalism and Austro-Hungarian glamour, but it’s worth going deeper — literally — into Brno’s underground, where you’ll fi nd shadowy catacombs and colonnaded 19th-century water tanks. Catch a train south and you’ll pass factories on the fringes: it’s not for nothing that Brno was once called the ‘Moravian Manchester’. They’re soon replaced by hills knotted with vines. In the medieval towns of Znojmo and Mikulov, people spill out of bars, clinking glasses of Riesling and Pálava. Scattered throughout the region are the chateaux of former kings, their jewellery-box interiors undimmed thanks to careful maintenance. Just over the border is Vienna; German speakers once made up a huge portion of South Moravia’s population. Expelled from Czechoslovakia following Second World War, their infl uence is still felt in the German place names and scent of strudel emanating from cafes. 44 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL

IMAGES: ALAMY; OLDRICHHRB.STUDIO Morning Brno’s centre is an architectural jumble of Austro-Hungarian edifices and quirky sculptures. Náměstí Svobody, the main square, is most emblematic of this: at its centre is a phallic astronomical clock, erected in 2010. Walk south to the Old Town Hall and climb the 63-metre tower for a view of Špilberk Castle and the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. Descend to Cabbage Market Square, which hosts a farmers’ market from April to October. For lunch, try the Asian dining scene. Due to a 1950s ‘friendship agreement’ between Communist Czechoslovakia and North Vietnam, Brno has a huge Vietnamese community; residents often joke that Brno’s national dish is pho. You’ll find it at Diandi, just off Náměstí Svobody. diandi.cz Afternoon The main hall of the Museum of Applied Arts is dominated by artist Krištof Kintera’s Demon of Growth installation, a monster of Christmas baubles that wraps tendrils around the upper balustrade. Galleries here showcase Czech creativity, and the permanent collection includes glass, ceramics, porcelain and textiles. Afterwards, tour the UNESCO-listed Villa Tugendhat, a functionalist masterpiece designed by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe in 1929 for the Jewish Tugendhat family. The budget was unlimited, and it shows: entire walls are robed in rare zebrano-wood veneer. The Tugendhats enjoyed their home for only eight years before fleeing in 1938, rightly anticipating the German invasion. moravska-galerie.cz tugendhat.eu Evening In 2012, students Jan Vlachynský and Andrej Vališ, frustrated by the lack of good bars in Brno, travelled to the US to gain inspiration. The result is Bar, který neexistuje (The Bar that Doesn’t Exist), a New York-style cocktail spot where rare spirits jostle with barrels of ageing cocktails on an illuminated feature wall. Staff make their own syrups and bitters, and the burgers aren’t half bad, either. After dinner, head to the theatre. The biggest, and arguably the most impressive, is the Janáček. Named for celebrated Czech composer Leoš Janáček, it’s a glass-fronted functionalist marvel managed by Brno’s National Theatre. Opera is a speciality; fortunately, most performances are subtitled in English. barkteryneexistuje.cz ndbrno.cz DAY ONE CIT Y LIFE & CREATIVIT Y WINERY ŠPALEK This family-owned organic winery near Znojmo takes an experimental approach: you’ll find natural wines, a fortified wine and an ice wine, which requires the grapes to be harvested at -8C or less, as well as nonalcoholic elderflower and apricot syrups. Tours are conducted by one of the winemakers. spalek.bio LAHOFER WINERY It’s hard to imagine a tasting room more spectacular than the one at Lahofer’s waveshaped winery near Znojmo; the ceiling is covered with an abstract mural by Czech artist Patrik Hábl. There’s a terrace on the roof with vineyard views, plus an open-air theatre that hosts concerts and plays. lahofer.cz SONBERK This lakeside winery near Mikulov stunned the wine world when its 2015 VOC Pálava won the Czech Republic’s first Decanter Platinum award. It’s also received accolades for its jammy straw wine, made by laying white Pálava grapes to dry on straw mats outdoors for six months. sonberk.cz Vineyard visits TO P T H R E E From left: Sunset over Mikulov; a barman at který neexistuje bar in Brno with a rum cocktail called The Appointment JUL/AUG 2023 45

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IMAGE: GETTY Morning Take a bus to Znojmo, where, until 1945, most residents spoke German. Start at the Rathausturm (Town Hall Tower), with its nine gothic spires, then wander past Viennese-style cafes to St Catherine’s Rotunda, the only remaining part of Znojmo’s 11th-century Přemyslid Castle. From May to September, you can view frescoes depicting the life of Christ. Meander past the Dyje River and into St Nicholas’ Church. In 1335, the sister of Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV was married here in a wedding so raucous it burned down the church; her brother funded its reconstruction. Further south, ascend Vlkova Věž (Wolf Tower) for views of the old city walls, then descend to cobbled streets, where you’ll likely find stalls offering VOC Znojmo wine tastings. Afternoon Drop by Slepičák to try svíčková — a classic Czech dish of braised steak with bread dumplings in a creamy sauce. Walk it off by zigzagging down Znojmo’s hillside paths to Podyjí National Park, or take the 817 bus to Mašovice to its heart. At 24sq miles, Podyjí is the Czech Republic’s smallest national park, a ribbon of meadows, pine forests and vineyards skirting the river Djye. From the Králův Stolec (King’s Chair) viewpoint, you may see buzzards performing silent acrobatics over the river. Walk on to the Hradiště Terraces, a former farming area left to grow wild, for a fabulous view of Znojmo. Don’t fancy hiking? Spend a slow afternoon wandering the Šobes vineyards within the park, tasting Pinot Gris and Riesling from the winery’s outdoor stand. Evening Catch the bus back to Brno for some bar-hopping. First, gird your stomach with a filling Czech meal at Lokál U Caipla. Try pečená kachna, a roast duck leg accompanied by cabbage, apples and dumplings. Next, head to 4pokoje, a café, diner or cocktail bar depending when you visit, with a different menu for each. Beer and coffee from Brno’s Rebelbean roastery feature on the cocktail menu. Finish at Super Panda Circus, a conceptual speakeasy where you’ll play out an interactive ‘story’ on a tablet. The choices you make determine which cocktail arrives; most are Asian-influenced, with wakame seaweed among the more unusual ingredients. lokal-ucaipla.ambi.cz miluju4pokoje.cz superpandacircus.cz DAY T WO WINES & WILDLIFE ZNOJMO UNDERGROUND Znojmo’s tunnels, used for food storage in the 14th century, span four floors and 17 miles. Take the historical ‘classic’ tour or the claustrophobiainducing ‘adrenaline’ tour, comprising narrow tunnels that were reinforced with concrete in the 1960s due to sinkholes appearing. znojemskabeseda.cz OSSUARY AT ST JAMES Underneath the Church of St James in Brno, this ossuary contains the bones of over 50,000 people. Around 7,500 of these are arranged into artful displays. Spooky candlelit night walks take place on selected evenings. podzemibrno.cz WAT E R TA N K S U N D E R ŽLUTÝ KOPEC These disused 19th-century water tanks opened to a small number of daily visitors last autumn. Book ahead to experience their eerie, cathedral-esque majesty. podzemibrno.cz CASEMATES PRISON Underneath Brno’s Špilberk Castle is what remains of one of Europe’s most brutal prisons. On a tour, you’ll see cells where up to 70 prisoners were shackled together every night. spilberk.cz W I N E C E L L A R S AT VRBICE HILL The tiny village of Vrbice sits atop a network of wine cellars. The biggest of these, U Jezírka, is sevenfloors deep; the most photogenic, however, are the Stráž cellars, accessed through gothic sandstone arches. It’s a little remote, so the best way to get here is through a tour operator. Subterranean experiences TOP FIVE Right: South Moravia has been making wine since the time of the Romans WEEKENDER JUL/AUG 2023 47

IMAGE: ALAMY Drink up VOC (Vína Originální Certifikace) appellations identify wines made from native Czech grapes and grown in authorised areas — just as with AOC in France or DOC in Italy. The first of these — VOC Znojmo — was created in 2009 and applies only to Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Grüner Veltliner produced in the Znojmo sub-region. MORE INFO visitczechrepublic.com gotobrno.cz south-moravia.com HOW TO DO IT Ryanair flies direct to Brno from Stansted. From other UK airports, fly to Vienna and take the RegioJet train to Brno. ryanair.com regiojet.com Tours of Villa Tugendhat and the Žlutý kopec water tanks must be booked well in advance. Be aware that drinking and cycling on main roads is illegal in the Czech Republic; for this reason, many wineries have on-site accommodation. Alternatively, book a guided tour with Wine Tours Moravia or Brno Day Trips. winetoursmoravia.com brnodaytrips.com Use the mapy.cz app to find your way around rural areas. Rooms at Hotel Passage start from 2,800 CZK (£104). hotelpassage.eu Mikulov Although it’s technically outside it, Mikulov is the usual starting point for tours of the UNESCOlisted Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape — a mind-bending, 55sq mile sprawl of castles, gardens and follies that was once the seat of the ruling Liechtenstein family. Mikulov is perhaps the most photogenic town in all of Moravia, topped by a chateau and gardens. Visit in September for the three-day Pálava Wine Festival. Chateau Lednice This 13th-century, neo-gothic jewel was, along with the rest of the complex, seized from the Liechtensteins by the state after the Second World War; they’ve been trying to get it back ever since. Nearly all of the chateau’s furnishings are how they left GO FURTHER THE LEDNICE-VALTICE CULTUR AL L ANDSCAPE them, including a 116-arm brass chandelier and a huge marble bathtub. Of the many themed rooms, the Chinese room, with its hand-painted wallpaper, is the most memorable. Don’t miss the tropical greenhouse. zamek-lednice.com Lednice-Valtice grounds Chateau Lednice’s 500 acres of gardens were pivotal to its UNESCO inscription. To the south are the smaller, manicured French gardens: in spring, they bloom with 30,000 tulips. To the north are the bigger, wilder English gardens, home to the 197ft-high Minaret, an ostentatious summer residence designed to resemble a mosque. On your way to Chateau Valtice, be sure to take time to see the Temple of Diana, a folly that nods to Paris’s Arc de Triomphe. Chateau Valtice The interiors of this baroque chateau are worth a look, but if you’re short on time, head straight to the Wine Salon. Every year, almost 2,000 Czech wines are submitted to the Salon’s judges, and 100 are selected to represent the best in the country. Try as many as you like in two hours with the allyou-can-drink pass (599 CZK/£23). zamek-valtice.cz vinarskecentrum.cz Chateau de Frontiere Since Restaurant ESSENS opened here in 2018, it’s become a finedining destination. Chef Otto Vašák focuses almost exclusively on regional ingredients, some sourced from within the castle grounds. You may be served pickled pine cones and gelatinised beetroot. hranicnizamecek.cz restaurantessens.com Chateau Lednice in the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape complex 48 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL WEEKENDER

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EAT BELÉM A gateway to the Amazon, the lively port city is an emerging powerhouse of Brazilian culinary culture, where local ingredients are used to create dishes that blend Indigenous, European and African influences WORDS: TOMÉ MORRISSY-SWAN “In São Paulo, people had no idea about our food — they didn’t value it,” says Thiago Castanho. “They joked that we rode alligators. But things are changing.” The owner of Remanso do Peixe, a restaurant on a quiet street in the heart of Belém — 1,900 miles north of São Paulo — Thiago has become a key figure in the Amazonian city’s rise to culinary prominence. With no cookery schools in Belém, he first had to leave his home town, moving to São Paulo and Portugal in the early 2000s to train as a chef. Thiago always hoped to return. “Every time I saw a dish from elsewhere, I thought, man, this would be incredible with Amazonian ingredients.” His first restaurant in Belém, Remanso do Bosque, spent four years on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list before closing during the pandemic. “That was incredible, because it was the only restaurant outside the Rio-São Paulo axis to get the nod,” he says. In many ways, Thiago has taken up the baton from Belém native Paulo Martins, a chef many consider responsible for putting Amazonian food on the culinary map. Via his restaurants and food festivals, Paulo, who passed away in 2010, encouraged Brazilians to visit the city and get to know it better. His daughter, Joanna, continues his legacy with Manioca, a company with a line of Amazonian products — including some made with cassava, the Amazon root vegetable also known as yuca or manioc, from which the outfit derives its name. When Manioca launched back in 2014, products from the Amazon were rarely seen outside the region — they’re now found across the country. Tucupí, a sauce of fermented cassava, has become something of an Amazon ambassador food, even appearing on the menu at London’s two-Michelin-star Da Terra. Unique Amazonian ingredients abound. But unsurprisingly for a city that skirts the Guajará Bay, around 60 miles inland from where the mighty Amazon River system meets the Atlantic, fish is a staple ingredient. Filhote (goliath catfish) is meaty yet tender, reminiscent of monkfish, while dourada (bream) and pescada amarela (yellow hake) are found on restaurant menus city wide. At Thiago’s restaurant, I’m presented with one of Belém’s most renowned dishes, caldeirada. The stew contains filhote, onion, tomato, peppers and boiled eggs, as well as two of the region’s most important pre-European ingredients: jambú, a mouth-numbing leaf, and tucupí (a sauce made from fermented cassava juice). The result is revelatory. While it’s long been underappreciated or ignored by Brazilians, Belém is increasingly being spoken of as Brazil’s best food city — one with a strong Indigenous identity, completely different from the more famous megacities in the south. It certainly feels distinct. When I touched down in Belém after a three-and-a-half-hour flight from São Paulo, I was immediately struck by the heat. Not the IMAGES: ALAMY; GETTY Clockwise from top left: Kapok tree, Combu Island; chilli peppers; nuts for sale at Ver-oPeso market; Belem restaurant serving a range of Amazonian dishes including river fish stews. 50 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL