National Geographic Traveller UK - July& August 2023

JUL/AUG 2023 51

IMAGE: ALAMY dry, breezy heat of São Paulo, but an intense, dense, humid heat. Amazon heat. Just one degree south of the equator, close to where the world’s largest rainforest fringes the Atlantic, Belém is always hot and humid. Locals joke that there are two seasons: one when it rains all day, the other when it rains every day. Settled in 1616 by the Portuguese — on the site of an existing Indigenous settlement — Belém is a gateway to the Amazon; the region’s biggest city, Manaus lies around 800 miles upriver. For much of its history, Belém was fabulously rich, a port where goods arrived from the jungle to be shipped to Europe. During its rubber-exporting heyday, in the late 19th century, it’s said wealthy residents sent their clothes to Parisian launderettes. Then the British introduced rubber to Southeast Asia, and Belém experienced a steady decline. For centuries, the surrounding state of Pará, almost twice the size of Texas, has hosted a mishmash of cultures. From Indigenous to Portuguese, enslaved Africans to Japanese, Sephardic Jews, Arabs and even exiled American Confederates, this multi-ethnic presence can be seen in the food — nowhere more so than on the streets of Belém. In the old town, which in places bears a notable resemblance to Havana, with striking colonial architecture in slow decay, I meet Marcos Medici, a food infl uencer known by his adopted mononym, Medici. We head for what is said to be Latin America’s largest open-air market, Ver-o-Peso, which in English means ‘check the weight’. Set between a fort, built to fend off French, Dutch and British invasions, and the old docks, the market has been present at this waterfront site since at least 1625. It’s loud; traders haggle over vegetables, huge Amazonian fi sh, herbal remedies, juices, Brazil nuts (known as ‘Pará nuts’ in Brazil, in a nod to their regional origins), street food, live animals, trinkets and much more. Huge black vultures circle in search of scraps. We’ve come to see Dona Carmelita, who sells all sorts of native fruits, many of which, she tells me, are increasingly hard to fi nd in a rapidly globalising city. There’s buçu, which resembles a mini coconut and is fi lled with a bitter yet refreshing water. Bacupari, meanwhile, has a sour, gummy pulp whose taste has hints of lemon and lime. Tucumã reminds me of honey. Later, over a creamy cocoa fruit juice, Medici tells me Dona Carmelita is “part of our city’s heritage”, keeping traditions alive. “Belém has a commercial centre and various areas and cities surrounding it,” says Medici. “People leave home in the morning and return late at night, so they’ll have at least a snack and a meal outside home, normally on the road, because it’s cheaper.” And the choice is extensive. You’ll fi nd everything from Japanese favourites like yakisoba (stir-fried noodles) and tempura to hot dogs made of minced meat and smash burgers [made with fl attened patties] “We’ve been doing them since the 1950s,” says Medici, laughing. In the Cidade Nova area, 11 miles north east of the centre, we seek out food you rarely fi nd elsewhere in Brazil — dishes that demonstrate A M A ZO N I A N A C U I A Meaning ‘Amazon in a bowl’, this restaurant’s name is a nod to the gourd bowls traditionally used to serve local staples, such as tacacá (a prawn soup), which this casual spot specialises in. Go for the açaí served with fried, salted pirarucu (an Amazon river fish), dried prawns and charque (sundried beef jerky). Wash down with Garoto, a soft drink made from guaraná fruit. From R$61.50 (£10). instagram.com/amazonianacuia C A S A D O S AU LO Saulo Jennings is one of Belém’s top chefs, specialising in modern takes on traditional Pará cuisine. His restaurant, set in a colonial-era mansion, has stunning views across Guarajá Bay. Croquettes of piracuí (shredded, dried, salted fish) are superb, as is the fried fish with bacon, açaí jam and mayonnaise made with smoked pirarucu. From R$184.50 (£30). instagram. com/casadosauloonzejanelas C A R A N G U E J O D O G AT I N H O For a true local’s experience, head to this restaurant, which mainly serves the small crabs found where the river meets the sea, just north of Belém. Rich and sweet, they’re served with marie rose sauce, vinaigrette and farinha (cassava flour). Wash down with local Tijuca beer. From R$61.50 (£10). instagram.com/carangatinho CANTO DOS PÁSSAROS The northern shores of Combú Island get most of the tourists from Belém, but take a 15-minute boat ride inland along the island’s central waterway and you’ll find Canto dos Pássaros, a family-run restaurant in the jungle. Fried dourada served with brown beans cooked with charque, farinha and tucupí-chilli sauce is excellent. Then enjoy a siesta in a hammock soundtracked by the howls of monkeys. From R$61.50 (£10). instagram.com/ cantodospassaros_combu A TASTE OF Belém Cocoa pods are among the numerous Amazonian fruits sold at Ver-o-Peso market EAT JUL/AUG 2023 53

IMAGES: ALAMY the Belenense identity. Just off Avenida Dom Vicente Zico, at the corner of Travessa We 42, I fi nd Marina Chaves. Having learnt to cook while working for a local family, she set up a food cart on this spot called Tacacá da Marina which she’s run for 19 years. Tacacá is a nourishing soup with Indigenous, African and Portuguese infl uences, made with tucupí cooked with a gummy tapioca starch, jambú and dried prawns. The slightly sour, nourishing dish is considered a top hangover cure, and I can see why: it’s warming, hearty, moreish. “Our cuisine is very interesting — completely diff erent from that of other states in Brazil,” Marina tells me, as she urges me to try caruru and vatapá. Both African in origin with native touches, the former is a paste consisting of okra, shrimps, nuts and palm oil; the latter a prawn, pepper and onion puree. I also try an unha, a croquette made with crab, tomato, onion and coriander, with a claw charmingly poking out. Marina’s maniçoba, a dish Medici describes as the “apex of Pará’s cuisine”, is the highlight. Eaten in startling quantities during the religious Círio de Nazaré festival in October, but found on the street year-round, it’s a dish of multiple infl uences and it takes seven days to prepare. The leaves of the cassava used for tucupi are rendered into a green-black, earthy pulp, then mixed with jambú leaves and combined with the pork cuts commonly found in feijoada, Brazil’s national dish. The leaves soak in the fatty meat. It’s not pretty, but it’s one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Belém incorporates several jungle-covered islands. The most accessible, Combú, is a 10-minute boat ride from town and a mustvisit. Tourists fl ock to visit the riverine community, with its stilted houses, and it’s where you’ll fi nd Filha do Combú, a remarkable little chocolate factory that uses cocoa grown on the island. “It’s very complex, with red fruit notes,” says manager Mario Carvalho. He points out that seasonal fl ooding creates the type of growing conditions responsible for the chocolate’s unique fl avour: bitter notes are rare, even in the darker chocolate varieties. Spend time in Belém and you’ll soon discover there’s an intense love for native cuisine, but it wasn’t always the case. In 2015, Belém was named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, alongside the likes of Macao and Parma. “That made people realise our culture should be valued,” Thiago explains. “In the past, when people travelled, they’d put on another accent. Today they’re proud, they beat their chest, they love the Amazon. They love Pará and say Paraense food is the best in the world.” Belatedly, the rest of Brazil is starting to cotton on. Where once Brazilian chefs looked to Europe for culinary inspiration, they’re now looking closer to home, to what makes the country special, to showcase a uniquely Brazilian cuisine blending Indigenous, European and African infl uences. And for many, that begins in Belém. AÇAÍ Hailed as a superfood in recent years, açaí berry is native to the Amazon. In Belém, the palm fruit is blended and eaten with savoury food. Rich in tannins, some say it’s the wine of the Amazon. TUCUPÍ This sauce, made from the fermented juice of cassava, is at the heart of many of Belém’s most popular dishes, including duck in tucupí, You’ll find tucupí-chilli sauce on every restaurant table. CHOCOLATE Although cocoa is native to the Amazon region, it hasn’t always produced the best chocolate, but brands like Filha do Combú and Gaudens, which this year picked up a prize in London, are leading a renaissance. FARINHA Literally ‘flour’, in Belém farinha is made from ground cassava, comes in several grades, from fine to couscous-size, and is served cwith everything from açaí to grilled fish. JA M B Ú This mouth-tingling plant is far stronger than Sichuan pepper and its numbing properties have inspired hit songs by Belém musicians. It’s present in many traditional dishes. FIVE FOOD FINDS A ferry on the Guamá River approaches Combu Island Left: Native açaí berries are often sold at markets 54 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL EAT

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IMAGES: GETTY; KEN SEET; CHRISTIAN HORAN PHOTOGRAPHY SLEEP BALI There really is nowhere like Bali. Its sense of spirituality is evident in the blessings offered daily and the non-stop festivities and ceremonies. This fertile, volcanic island is exceptionally beautiful, too. Profusions of frangipani add explosions of colour to forest canopies, white-sand beaches are shaded by coconut palms and lapped by turquoise waters, and country roads run between verdant rice paddies. It’s understandable these qualities draw huge crowds, but as the island’s economy recovers from long lockdowns, responsible travellers’ expenditure can do a lot of good. The welcome they’ll receive remains as warm as ever. WORDS: JOHN O’CEALLAIGH 56 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL

Best for old-school luxury £ £ £ FO U R S E A S O N S BA LI AT SAYAN This much-loved Four Seasons was considered groundbreaking when it opened 25 years ago — some of its innovations were even imitated by subsequent openings — and it still wows today. Guests cross a bridge to a circular pool to enter the property, which unspools beneath it and extends across the Ayung Valley below. Thoughtful surprises are commonplace: open to the elements but capped by a triple-height ceiling, the bar hosts beautiful and gentle performances by local musicians. Perch at the riverside infinity pool and you could catch sight of passing whitewater rafters; at your breakfast table, a server might open a case to reveal an array of fresh pastries. Understandably adored by honeymooners, this property remains very special. ROOMS: From 13.2m IDR (£720). fourseasons.com/sayan JUL/AUG 2023 57

Best for wellness £ £ COMO UMA UBUD For travellers visiting Bali in pursuit of a physical reset and spiritual awakening, the Eat, Pray, Love effect remains in full force here. Enveloped by forest and overlooking the River Oos, the resort’s Como Shambhala Retreat spa is bordered by koi-filled ponds and features an open-air yoga pavilion shaded by the treetop canopy. In cloud-white treatment rooms, exceptional massages are inspired by local beauty rituals. Beyond the spa, there are picturesque hikes that start at the resort’s front door. Complementing it all, restaurant menus feature nourishing dishes that make delicious use of Bali’s abundant produce, such as pomelo salad with poached prawn, green mango and lemongrass. ROOMS: From 4.3m IDR (£233) B&B. comohotels.com Best for sustainability £ £ POTATO HEAD BALI Stylish and social as can be, this remarkable hotel in Seminyak is also a sustainability superstar — and it often conveys its values by stealth. Mention you like your room’s rainbowflecked chair and you’ll be told it was formed from 30kg of waste plastic; comment on the candles that illuminate the property and you’ll learn they’ve been moulded from repurposed cooking oil. Guests can find out more at the resort’s recycling lab or join workshops in regenerative farming, while other thoughtfully delivered offerings feel completely indulgent. Ijen, which claims to be Indonesia’s first zero-waste restaurant, serves superb seafood, while spiritually minded wellness sessions are offered at the Sanctuary and complimentary morning yoga takes place in sight of the sea. ROOMS: From 2.5m IDR (£137) B&B. potatohead.co Best for budget surf stays £ MAMAKA BY OVOLO Circled by bargain bars and restaurants, the resort town of Kuta often serves as a gateway to Bali for students and backpackers. Situated on the beachfront, stylish and guest-centric Mamaka by Ovolo is one of the area’s more polished hotels, and worth seeking out. With complimentary DIY laundry and a gratis minibar for those staying in suites, this friendly hotel goes out of its way to show genuine hospitality. And it’s fun here, too. By the rooftop pool, buzzy Kuta Social Club hosts lively brunches, sunset cocktail soirées and resident DJs. Also part of the property, Quiksilver Bali Surf Academy provides expert tutelage to riders of all proficiencies; its Australian-Indonesian owners have even trained world champions. If you don’t want to join them, request a sea-facing room so you can watch them in action instead. ROOMS: From 1.5m IDR (£82). ovolohotels.com/mamaka 58 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL SLEEP

IMAGES: EMILIO, MAMAKA BY OVOLO; MARTIN WESTLAKE; EYESOFANOMAD The pool at Mamaka by Ovolo Clockwise from below: A Studio room at Potato Head; setting the table for dinner at Como Uma Ubud; Street 32 restaurant at Mamaka by Ovolo JUL/AUG 2023 59

SAFARIES The lure of wild Africa is felt as you drive into the northeastern corner of Namibia, the Zambezi Region. Villages and elephant-caution-signs welcome you. This corridor is a protected home to both wildlife and people, ushering in a concept of coexistence and synergy. Here you'll find our exclusive accommodation offerings: Namushasha River Lodge & Villa on the Kwando, Chobe River Camp on the Chobe and Zambezi Mubala Lodge & Camp on the mighty Zambezi River. Our talented and knowledgeable consultants will advise and build tailor-made tours according to your needs. +264 (0)61 427200 | [email protected] | https://gondwana.travel

IMAGE: GEORG ROSKE Best for switching off £ GAIA OASIS A two-hour drive from Ubud through winding mountain roads deters most travellers from exploring the blacksand beaches and traditional villages that surround this community-minded property. Staff here are endlessly welcoming and accommodation is split between a site on Pantai Beach and another in the Abasan Mountains, just a 10-minute drive away. The retreat is sensitively integrated into its setting, collaborating with local farmers to source its produce, funding educational programmes for disadvantaged local children, and working to protect traditional cultural pursuits. This out-of-the-way destination makes a beautiful and restorative base for friends and couples who want to briefly leave their ordinary worlds behind. ROOMS: From 960,000 IDR (£52). gaia-oasis.com Best for extravagant escapism £ £ £ CAPELLA UBUD Hotel designer Bill Bensley’s deserved reputation for eccentric innovation is on spectacular show at Capella Ubud, a tented camp with 23 standalone lodges inspired by the stories of European settlers who came to Bali in the 19th century. Individually decorated, with free-standing tubs and private salt-water pools, rooms are shrouded by mature woodland (not a single tree was felled to create the resort) and set above a gentle river. Beyond the hubbub of central Ubud, this beautiful retreat is like a time capsule planted in the forest. It’s a setting that inspires romance, reflection and relaxation. ROOMS: From 11.2m IDR (£612) B&B. capellahotels.com/en/capella-ubud Best for a beach break £ £ £ JUMEIRAH BALI Dreamland Beach in southern Bali is one of the island’s finest — and Jumeirah’s first Indonesian property sits right on it. Situated off the main tourist trail, this serene golden stretch draws skilled surfers from the first light of dawn until the darkening of dusk. It’s mesmerising to watch them over breakfast from all-day restaurant Segaran, before returning later in the day for aperitifs when the unobstructed sunset views are among the most spectacular enjoyed by any of the island’s hotels. And there’s much more on offer here, from infinity pools and the vast Talise spa to waterfront grill restaurant Akasa. For romantic evenings in, vast villas feature outdoor day beds, teardrop-shaped bathtubs and generously sized pools. ROOMS: From 10.1m IDR (£549) B&B. jumeirah.com Best for aesthetes £ £ £ ALILA VILLAS ULUWATU Just as awe-inspiring now as it was when it opened in 2009, this gorgeous hotel shows that exemplary design never goes out of style. Here, morning yoga sessions take place in a pavilion cantilevered over the Indian Ocean, walkways are shaded by fragrant frangipani trees sporting glorious yellow blooms, and the timberframed Sunset Cabana Bar — with its reclaimed wooden slats and dappled shadows — remains one of Asia’s most stylish hotel bars. The 65 supremely private villas are wonderfully romantic, with locally sourced materials and ingredients present in everything from lava rock roofs to custom bath products and stellar breakfasts. It’s an undeniable privilege to be completely surrounded by so much beauty. ROOMS: From 14.7m IDR (£800) B&B. alilahotels.com SLEEP JUL/AUG 2023 61

IMAGES: HYATT/ANDAZ BALI; TRIBAL BALI Best for family breaks £ £ ANDAZ BALI In sleepy Sanur on Bali’s eastern coast, Hyatt’s beautifully designed and welcoming Andaz Bali opened quietly during the pandemic, and remains relatively under the radar. For families, Kemu Mai indoor-outdoor kids’ club features extensive all-weather play facilities (under-fours must be accompanied by a guardian) and a roster of activities including kite-making and fi sh-feeding. Of the resort’s three pools, Alit (meaning ‘little’) is reserved especially for children. And there’s plenty for teenagers to experience with their parents, from bike-riding to paragliding and even helicopter tours. ROOMS: From 4m IDR (£220) B&B. hyatt.com Best for remote working £ TRIBAL BALI In Canggu, Bali’s fi rst purpose-built coworking hostel off ers attractive, wood-accented facilities, open to the surrounding plant life. There are regular icebreaker workshops, and conversation occurs spontaneously at the bar or around the pool, meaning new arrivals obliged to take their work on holiday needn’t worry about disrupting the property’s serenity if they crack open their laptops over breakfast. Whether bunking down in a dormitory or a private room, every guest gets complimentary access to coworking spaces. ROOMS: Dormitory beds from 295,000 IDR (£16); private rooms from 795,000 IDR (£43). tribalbali.com Guests using laptops at Tribal Bali Above: The pool at Andaz Bali 62 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL SLEEP

www.pickvisa.com Excellent Reviews: 4.7 of 5 l'll'll'll'll Rise Above, Dive into--Safari: E-visa, Yoar (;ateway to Kenya's Wildlife Symphony! Apply for Kenya e-Visa: Fast and Secured Processing. [!l� [!l

FOOD FESTIVAL 15-16 JULY 2023 BUSINESS DESIGN CENTRE, LONDON | IMAGE: CHARLIE RICHARDS. FOOD STYLING: ANGELA ROMEO Taste the world SPONSORS SATU RDAY 1 5 J U LY M AIN STAGE JOHN TORODE THOMASINA MIERS IXTA BELFR AGE NATHAN OUTL AW R AVINDER BHOGAL SARIT PACKER & ITA M AR SRULOVICH IRINI TZORTZOGLOU SPEAKERS’ CORNER ANDI OLIVER IRINA GEORGESCU KARAN GOKANI LER ATO UM AH-SHAYLOR ODED OREN PET T Y PANDEAN-ELLIOT T S U N DAY 1 6 J U LY M AIN STAG E ANNA HAUGH ASMA KHAN MELISSA THOMPSON JEAN-CHRISTOPHE NOVELLI JEREMY PANG APRIL JACKSON NIKITA PATHAK JI SPEAKERS’ CORNER MANDY YIN COINNEACH MACLEOD JOHN CHANTAR ASAK SU SCOTT HELEN GR AVES SUM AY YA USM ANI FE STIVAL HIGHLIGHTS Masterclass Theatres Check out the two Masterclass stages for the chance to see a talented roster of chefs demonstrating how to make iconic dishes and lesser-known specialities from across the globe. Expect smoked gouda grits from Tampa, Louisianan barbecued shrimp, Azerbaijani plov and much more. Wine & Spirits Theatre Toast the world at the specialist drinks stage. For just £6, ticket-holders can sign up for one of the expert tasting sessions, whether it’s prosecco or the finest wines from California and the Czech Republic. There will also be a spotlight on spirits, with a guide to the best bourbon. Exhibition Floor Take advantage of the numerous tasting opportunities on the Exhibition Floor, where you can also meet experts, get tips and advice, see live demonstrations, buy gifts, stock up on supplies and learn more about cuisines from around the world. National Geographic Traveller (UK) Food Festival is set to return, featuring some of the biggest names in food. Check out the full line-up for 2023

F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N , A N D T O B O O K , V I S I T F O O D F E ST I VA L . N ATG E OT RAV E L L E R .C O.U K TIC KET S J U ST £26* *Price includes booking fee

Africa’s wildlife is legendary, as much for the lions and giraffes as for being the preserve of big spenders. Yet for travellers with a sense of adventure, there are plenty of wallet-friendly ways to see the continent’s animals. From campervanning in Kruger and camping around water holes in Namibia to tracking gorillas from Ugandan community guesthouses, here’s how to make every penny count while enjoying Africa’s wildest encounters 66 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL

IMAGE: GETTY

IMAGES: GETTY; ALAMY No groups, no guides, no luxury lodges: a self-drive road trip through South Africa’s national parks is one of the most memorable — and budget-friendly — safari experiences. Add in lesser-known reserves on a bumpy detour through Eswatini, and it makes for the road trip of a lifetime. Words: Hannah Summers South Africa & Eswatini FREE ROAM “Stop!” I shout. My husband, Jon, hits the breaks. A tiny trunk emerges from the branches of the marula trees at the side of the road; a much larger trunk and curved tusks follow. The elephants’ bodies sway forward, huge feet silent as they cross the tarmac just in front of us. We reverse — we know never to get between an elephant and her young — and there they stand, mother and baby, calmly taking us in while we stare back from behind the windscreen. The assumption is usually that to see elephants like this, you’d have to pay a hefty price for the privilege. And to some extent that’s true; the words ‘affordable’ and ‘safari’ rarely sit alongside each other. But here in South Africa, a safari is possible on a budget. In Kruger National Park, a night in the park’s northern tip at Singita lodge, a brand loved by Oprah Winfrey and Leonardo DiCaprio, will set you back close to £2,000 per night, per person. But there are far more affordable ways to immerse yourself, too — with a campervan and budget camps loved by South Africans, all for around R330 (£15) a pitch. For 10 days, that’s our plan. What we lack in detailed facts from expert guides, meticulously prepped negronis and butter-soft cotton bed linen, we plan to replace with second-hand wildlife books, £1-a-can Castle lagers and a dining table that converts into a bed that isn’t quite long enough. Our home is a slightly bruised, converted Mercedes Sprinter, which we pick up from Maui Motorhomes at Johannesburg airport. It’s about as conspicuous as it gets: Tippex white and with an engine that sounds like a tractor. Going solo — without the comfort of a guide or more traditional 4WD — is new to us. We creep forward in the queue at Kruger’s Malelane Gate, one of many around the park and the easiest entry point, with trepidation. Leaflets stuffed through our window tell us how to spot signs of bull elephants in musth — a term used to describe when their testosterone levels spike, causing them to secrete a pungent-smelling substance from their temples and become aggressive. “Never exit your vehicle,” a guard tells us at the barrier. “You never know what’s watching.” Plenty of campervanners choose to pitch up at one of the numerous and inexpensive campsites outside Kruger’s borders. But we decide that Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp, just a 15-minute drive inside the gate, is a better bargain. For a few quid extra, this gets us lovely hot showers and a location right in the action where we have the chance to see animals like giraffes just beyond the fence. As we park up at a central pitch in the camp’s shaded woodland, we find plenty of South Africans on holiday, their elaborate camping set-ups worthy of admiration. There are fairy lights strung along a washing line, huge barbecues and fridge freezers temporarily relocated from kitchens, transported in trailers to plug in amid the bush. Game on The following day starts at 5am, when many of the park’s animals will be stirring and hunting in the cooler temperatures. We knock back a black coffee and take a road, any road, driving until we see something. Sometimes it’s subtle: a fish eagle in a tree in the distance, its bright white chest puffed out with feathers; or a rarely seen leopard tortoise, slowly making its way across the road, seemingly oblivious to the looming white van’s occupants watching its slow and steady, somewhat risky journey across the tarmac. Later we spot a pair of black-backed jackals, their long, bushy tails trailing behind them. Clockwise from top: A leopard tortoise crosses the road in Kruger National Park; acacia trees are a common sight in the park; elephants, white rhinos and zebras can emerge from the bush at any time Previous pages: Giraffes are one of the easiest animals to spot 68 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL BE ST-VALUE SAFARI

At other times, the wildlife is hard to miss: we see dozens of zebras nipping at each other’s tails, the extended tongues of giraffes wrapped around the huge thistles of acacia trees and herds of skittering, skinny-legged wildebeest. Sometimes, we pull over and just watch it all unfold. In the late afternoon sun, we see a hyena mum curled up in a den at the side of the road, her eight curious cubs peering over the verge with rounded ears and wide eyes. At another point, two white rhinos make an appearance, their big behinds slowly ambling along beside us before they make a crossing inches from our bonnet. Admittedly, driving here in Kruger, compared to the private corners of the luxe lodge reserves, can at times feel a little like a huge wildlife theme park. At one point, we find traffic jams and cars crisscrossing the road, parking up to see a pride of lions snoozing in the shade of a tree. But at other times it feels like it’s all ours: seemingly endless roads, empty for hours, dotted with giraffes, zebras and herd after herd of elephants. Into the unknown We leave Kruger on the advice of a fellow camper who suggests we seek out a less-famous part of South Africa, around 300 miles south. We bounce over gravel, swerve to avoid potholes, slide along clay tracks and that afternoon find the discreet turning for Mkuze Game Reserve. While its campsite doesn’t have the facilities we came to appreciate in Kruger — creaking doors and leaves blowing through the abandoned-seeming shower rooms make the setting feel like something you might find in a horror film — it does feel more authentic and intrepid. Perhaps, I think, as we jump at every crack of a twig outside the camper after dark, a little too intrepid. After another day of searching for wildlife, but finding not much more than antelope, we push on to our next stop, the neighbouring country of Eswatini. We’re intrigued: bordering one of the world’s most famous wildlife destinations, yet holding so little glory of its own. Crossing the border is calm and easy: a quick glance at the passport and a smile and wave at the gate. Then things immediately feel different: the big concrete supermarkets, frequent petrol stations and tourists of South Africa are gone. Instead, barely maintained roads weave their way down green valleys, car wash owners wave in a bid for customers and kids grin at the rare sight of a clueless foreign couple frowning at a map. Valley of Heaven Our stop for the next two nights is the predator-free Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, where things feel relaxed — so relaxed that a mother warthog, in a hospitable spirit, warms her belly and her numerous babies by the campsite’s firepit every night. The name of its location in the Ezulwini Valley, meaning ‘valley of heaven’, is spot on: towering eucalyptus trees border the edge and provide a shady forest for our parking spot, while a clay path cuts through a field of wildflowers dotted with antelope and brown house snakes. Even the serpents here are harmless. In the morning, we hike a trail uphill towards Execution Rock, which isn’t as foreboding as it sounds, stopping to see the sun rise and watch antelopes roaming the valley below. We spend a few hours here with Stu, a local guide who we booked in advance through the camp’s reception. He teaches us all about the plants and herbs we should seek out if we ever get lost in the wilderness, plucking sour pink waterberries from a bush as he raves about their iron-rich flesh. “I left Eswatini once — it was for work,” he tells us, his round belly jiggling as he laughs through his story. “I went to Durban and ate doughnuts! I jumped in the sea. I walked around at night, before they told me not to. A wonderful place,” he says, eyes shining. “But nothing like here. Nothing like the bush.” He’s right; there’s a feeling here, out in the bush yet away from predators, that creates a rather addictive, meditative calm. Three days later, we say a reluctant goodbye to Stu and cross the border back into South Africa, then head south for 200 miles to the St Lucia Game Reserve and iSimangaliso Wetland Park, an area as popular for its beach as its hippos. After the early starts in Kruger, we keep our time at Sugar Loaf Caravan Park relatively chilled, slowly sipping cups of coffee to rouse our senses each morning on our fold-out tables and chairs beneath the awning of the camper. One morning, we head into St Lucia town and pay R250 (£11) each for a two-hour boat trip along the estuary, seeing hundreds of hippos and crocs basking on the banks. On another, we book a guided trip around the reserve, grateful at the chance to sit back, digest facts and discuss rhino poaching with a pro called Greg, who steers us away from aggressive buffalo and tells us to stay still while white rhinos graze at the side of our jeep. In the afternoons, we cool down on the dune-lined beach, dunking beneath the waves and drying off on the sand while snacking on crisps and drinking neon-coloured fizzy drinks. Ten days on the road seeing rhinos and elephants shows us that being on a small budget isn’t a huge compromise. In fact, when I remember that baby elephant’s tuft of hair and giddy skips across the road, as seen from the front seat of our rented camper, I’d say it might be even better. HOW TO DO IT Collect your campervan at Johannesburg airport and drive around 4.5 hours/250 miles to Kruger. Maui Rentals has 10 days of campervan hire from R12,370 (£550) for the vehicle. maui.co.za Pitches at Berg en Dal from R349 (£15). krugerpark.co.za. Pitches at Mkuze Game Reserve from R340 (£14.50). hluhluwegamereserve.com Pitches at Mlilwane Sanctuary from R145 (£6.50). biggameparks.org IMAGE: GETTY Pitches at Sugar Loaf Campsite from R120 (£5.50). stluciasa.com Left: A narrow waterway leading to one of the lakes in Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, a vast predator-free area of Eswatini home to hippos, birds and crocodiles BE ST-VALUE SAFARI JUL/AUG 2023 71

South Africa K R U G E R : A B E G I N N E R ’ S SELF-DRIVE ITINERARY While many African reserves are only accessible to those with the thickest wallets, Kruger, South Africa’s first national park, offers the chance for a far more affordable self-guided safari. Here, on the border with Mozambique, you can see giraffes and even rare African wild dogs from a rental car little different to the one you might drive at home. It’s a place to be enjoyed at your own pace, going wherever a road or a water hole draws the eye, stopping to consult a dog-eared map or reach for your supply of biltong. With wildlife so abundant, particularly in the south of the park, it’s possible to tick off lions, leopards and even rhinos by dinnertime. And come the evening, such close encounters make perfect campfire tales — particularly if the lions came slightly too close for comfort. DAYS 1–2 From Johannesburg, the most convenient route into the park is a domestic flight straight into Skukuza, the park’s largest rest camp. There are 23 of these camps in all, with accommodation ranging from pitches and safari tents to pricier thatched bungalows. A more affordable option is to fly to Kruger Mpumalanga, pick up a car at the airport and drive an hour to Kruger’s Malelane Gate. Wi-fi and 4G is very limited but you can buy maps at the airport and in park shops; Kruger’s major camps have petrol stations. Once in Skukuza, recover from the journey with a trip to the nearby hide at Lake Panic — a favourite spot for birdwatchers. Spend a lazy afternoon admiring the pied kingfishers, and hope that the leopard that’s occasionally seen here prowls into view. The best spot for dinner is Cattle Baron steakhouse back at camp, overlooking the hippos of the Sabie River — try the fillet rossini with a creamy peri peri sauce, just R189 (£8), thanks to the favourable exchange rate. The next morning, drive east along the Sabie River to your stop for the night, Lower Sabie Rest Camp; take your time and keep your eyes peeled — it’s said this stretch of road harbours the world’s densest population of leopards. Stop for lunch and wildlife viewing at Nkuhlu Picnic Site beside the river, and arrive at camp to see the crocodiles at Sunset Dam. In camp, scour the trees for thick-tailed bush babies, often seen here. FOUR TOP TIPS Take it slow By going slowly, you may notice a tell-tale ear swish from an animal, which could mean the difference between a rock and a rhino sighting. Rise early Rest camp gates in the park are locked overnight, and reopen around 5am. This is one of the best times for wildlife-spotting — you can find both nocturnal and diurnal animals. Learn body language If an elephant shows signs of irritation, such as kicking up dust and holding its ears forwards, leave the area as they can dent your car and finances. Get organised Book well ahead as camps fill up fast. You’ll also need to pay a daily conservation fee; consider investing in a Wild Card, which grants a year’s access to Kruger and other parks and usually works out cheaper. sanparks.org IMAGES: ALAMY; RIVONI MKANSI 72 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL

Tsakane Nxumalo Tsakane Nxumalo is a sergeant in the Black Mambas, South Africa’s first all-women anti-poaching team Who are the Black Mambas? We’re an all-women anti-poaching unit in Olifants West Nature Reserve, part of the Greater Kruger National Park. Our job involves protecting wildlife like rhinos, as well as animals that are targeted for bushmeat, by patrolling the fences and searching for snares that can catch animals around the neck or foot. We work 21 days straight, with 10 off. Why are the Black Mambas all female? We know how to nurture and take care of things. I think this industry has typically been a man’s world, but we are slowly changing that by showing that a woman doesn’t have to be in the kitchen. Are you armed? No — if we find a poacher, we call for backup. We’re trying to conserve wildlife, not take human lives. Many of us are from the same villages as the poachers, and don’t want children to lose their fathers. Most poachers only want to feed their kids. We want to be role models, to show there are other ways to benefit from the parks. Why’s this kind of work crucial? For tourists to visit the animals — it improves our economy. But it’s also for our children — I don’t want mine to just read about rhinos. How successful have you been? When we started, I’d find 70 to 80 snares in a day, and these days I find maybe one old one. I think the wildlife has bounced back. transfrontierafrica.org G S DAYS 3–5 Q&A Head out at dawn for a game drive — consider heading south, where cheetahs are more common — and return to camp for a South African breakfast on the restaurant terrace; the river fl ows below, and if you’re lucky, you can watch elephants while tucking into boerewors (spiral sausages). Ahead of you is an epic drive to Satara Rest Camp, via the lofty views over the plains at the Nkumbe View Site. Stop for lunch at Tshokwane Picnic Site, where you can rent a gas-fi red skottel braai for a barbecue South Africa-style – just watch out for hyenas. From here, you can continue to Orpen Dam — park up and watch for kudus and bushbucks. Satara is in one of the best places to see big cats, so head out on the S100 road at dawn the next day for the chance to glimpse one of the park’s most famous ones — a white lion nicknamed Casper. Alternatively, book a guided morning bush walk at camp and listen out for their roars on foot. Your bed for the night is at Tamboti, an exhilaratingly wild, back-to-basics camp with safari tents hidden in a forest on the banks of the dry Timbavati River, roamed by genets and honey badgers. Don’t set an alarm — the resident baboons jumping on your tent’s canopy will wake you — then drive north to Olifants Rest Camp. DAYS 6–7 Olifants, which means ‘elephants’ in Afrikaans, is aptly named. The camp sits high on a bluff overlooking the eponymous river, and has sweeping views of any wildlife that stops for a drink. Spend the day here cradling your binoculars and a bottle of Amarula, a South African cream liqueur that’s a safari staple, or head out on game drives north. Here, the landscape is studded with mopane trees and is a favourite with — you guessed it — elephants. Be warned: the herds in the north of the park are known for being less tolerant of people than the ones in the south, so keep your distance at sightings. Spend the night back at Olifants, or head north to stay at nearby Letaba, where tents sit shrouded in mopane forest. The next morning, drive back to Skukuza to fl y to Johannesburg, or on to Cape Town. GEORGIA STEPHENS From far left: A car navigates a dirt road south of Lower Sabie Rest Camp in Kruger National Park; the lofty view from Olifants Rest Camp over the river, where elephants are often spotted BE ST-VALUE SAFARI JUL/AUG 2023 73

IMAGES: ALAMY; EMMA GREGG; AWL IMAGES; GETTY As a key stop on the Great Migration, the Maasai Mara is one of Africa’s biggest draws. But go beyond and you can find quieter parks for budget-friendly ways to spot big cats and more. Words: Emma Gregg Kenya W I L D THINGS Few visitors to Kenya can resist the siren call of its top wildlife-watching area, the Maasai Mara. Its sweeping grasslands — blonde and close-cropped in the dry season, green and earthy after rain — stretch for hundreds of miles. Famous for big cats and the drama of the Great Migration, this is the kind of place where a budding interest in all things safari can develop into an addiction. During the Great Migration, which visits Kenya between July and September, vast herds of wildebeest and zebras hover nervously on the riverbanks, waiting to cross. Their fear is well-placed: crocodiles lurk in the water, ready to snap. For visitors, witnessing such scenes can be lifechanging. But with wildlife in residence all year, the Mara is compelling off-season, too. And, as a bonus, once the milling migrants have finally dispersed, prices tend to plummet. Partly council-managed, partly community-owned, the Mara is several parks in one. While some camps charge a fortune for an all-inclusive, fly-in experience in a private conservancy, affordable alternatives also exist. If you can stretch to a group tour or a rented 4x4 vehicle, with or without a driver, head west to the delightful and relatively crowd-free Mara Triangle. Here, it’s possible to pitch a tent at a public campsite and let the wilderness work its magic. The villages of Sekenani or Talek also make good-value bases. Located just outside the main reserve, they’re cheap to reach by matatu (public minibus) or shared taxi from Narok, which is on bus routes from the capital Nairobi. The low-cost camps and guesthouses in these villages organise group drives into the reserve. While many of them deliver an excellent experience, there’s an elephant in the room: the Narok side of the Mara is on the brink of overtourism, with some drivers speeding, jostling on the river banks and bending the official rules about crowding predators. The Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association is a good place to find a trustworthy guide who will avoid this practice. safariguides.org HOW TO DO IT Mara Triangle public campsites cost US$30 (£25) per person plus Mara Conservancy entry US$70/24hrs (£64). Greenwood Safari Camp, Talek (00 254 710 546 458) offers two-person tents from US$40 (£32) and excursions from US$38 (£30) per person. National Reserve entry fees cost US$70 (£64). marabookings.co.ke Beyond the Mara In Kenya’s state-run parks, close-to-nature accommodation comes cheap and shares the same territory as the high-end lodges NAIROBI Best for a quick warm-up No other African capital is as blessed with wilderness as Nairobi; its eponymous national park lies on its doorstep and is also an ecological education and research hub, with an exemplary record in protecting rhinos. You can see giraffes, hyenas and even lions here. The Kenya Wildlife Service has no accommodation in the park, but it’s easy to plan day trips from the many low-cost hotels — either in central Nairobi or out of town. How to do it: Park entry is US$43 (£35) per day. Swara Acacia has half-board doubles from US$94 (£75). swaraacacia.com TSAVO WEST Best for lions Tsavo West National Park is half way between Nairobi and Mombasa in Kenya’s deep south, and elephants, leopards and rhinos can be found here. But it’s the lions that everyone wants to see — descendants of maneless males that once terrorised a group of construction workers. How to do it: Park entry is US$52 (£42) per day. Kenya Wildlife Service campsites cost US$20 (£16) per person. Bandas (self-catering cottages) from US$50 (£40) per person. kws.go.ke AMBOSELI Best for elephants Mount Kilimanjaro looms above the acaciadotted grasslands of Amboseli, a national park south of Nairobi. Since 1972 the park has been home to the Amboseli Elephant Research Project — the world’s longest-running study of elephant behaviour in the wild. How to do it: Park entry is US$70 (£55) per day. Kenya Wildlife Service campsites cost US$30 (£24) per person. Bandas cost from US$90 (£71) per person. kws.go.ke MERU Best for scenery If you’re keen to get away from the crowds, try Meru. It’s one of the country’s most underrated national parks, around a five-hour drive northeast of Nairobi. Cooled by gushing streams, it’s a stronghold for hippos and other animals endemic to East Africa such as long-necked gerenuk antelopes. How to do it: Park entry is US$52 (£42) per day. Kenya Wildlife Service campsites cost US$20 (£16) per person. Bandas cost from US$80 (£64) per person. kws.go.ke ALTERNATIVES Clockwise from top: The Maasai Mara is famous for its big cats, including lions; see elands just outside Nairobi in the city’s namesake national park; sundowners in Meru National Park; lion tracks in Meru National Park; an aerial view of blue wildebeest during the Great Migration, one of Kenya’s biggest draws, which peaks from July to September BE ST-VALUE SAFARI JUL/AUG 2023 75

In Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, gorilla treks can be organised for a fraction of what it costs in neighbouring Rwanda — making one of Africa’s greatest, and most expensive, wildlife experiences more accessible. Words: Sarah Marshall Uganda GO APE For the last 15 minutes, the silverback in front of me has been fiddling with his belly button. If I were to break down every penny spent on my US$700 (£560) permit, this intimate viewing has set me back $175 (£140) so far. Costing up to US$1,500 (£1,200) for an hour’s viewing in some countries, gorilla trekking is undoubtedly one of the world’s more costly wildlife experiences. Yet anyone who’s scaled the slippery slopes of volcanoes or squeezed and scraped through bamboo thickets to spend time with some of our closest cousins will tell you it’s money well spent. Besides, my one-hour Ugandan encounter is half the price of what it would cost in neighbouring Rwanda. And nearly 50% of the world’s population of mountain gorillas live in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. That equates to around 500 individuals, according to the last official census in 2019, with 21 gorilla troops currently habituated for tourism — more than in any other area of Africa. But a visit to the home of gorillas is about so much more than 60 minutes of ape activity. My adventure had begun several days earlier, long before I entered the forest. After landing in Entebbe, Uganda’s international air hub, just outside the capital of Kampala, I shunned pricier internal flights in favour of a nine-hour drive to Buhoma, the gateway to Bwindi, where most treks begin. Views of ever-changing landscapes and snapshots of city and rural life enrich the overland journey. We pass through traffic-clogged towns, emerald fields and a crush of hillsides that rise and fall like a roller coaster. On the outskirts of Kampala market stalls overflow with glistening mangoes, enormous avocados and onions shinier than snooker balls. Moving through districts en route to the southwest of Uganda, I spy calabash fruits drying in the sun beside fields of cattle in Mburo, and engalabi, cow-skin drums, stacked outside the village of Mpambire. Eventually, tarmac roads melt into red earth, mountains rise and smoke coils from mud kilns. Tea, coffee, bananas and potatoes are all harvested on precipitous slopes where wild creatures — including gorillas — hide. Arriving into Buhoma, it’s a short but heart-pumping uphill walk past the town’s main sprawl of wooden stalls to my mountainside base in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Run by Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH), the accommodation is part of the NGO research base. “Gorillas often wander into farmlands,” explains Sharon Akampurira from CTPH, when I meet her to learn more about the organisation’s work. At the entrance to the research base, farmers sift through sun-roasted coffee beans — part of a fair-trade initiative set up by CTPH. The NGO was founded by award-winning vet and conservationist Dr Gladys KalemaZikusoka, to safeguard the future of gorillas by improving living conditions and livelihoods for local communities. Visitors can tour its laboratory, where samples regularly collected from gorillas are scrutinised for microbes, drop in for a coffee at its new Gorilla Conservation Cafe, or stay the night in comfortable and affordable en suite guest rooms. Costing a fraction of the price charged by luxury lodges, it’s another way to keep down the cost of a gorilla-trekking safari while learning about community conservation at the same time. I taste their excellent Gorilla Coffee — rich and velvety — the following morning, as I gaze at chilly moss-green mountains snuggled by scarves of woolly mist. Very soon I’ll be trekking through dense, dark forests. Into the woods After an 8am briefing at the park headquarters, I’m assigned my troop — Mubare, the first family to have been habituated for tourism, back in 1993. None of the original members are still around — some died in fights or from natural causes, others joined wild troops and disappeared into the forest — but ranger Amos Nduhukire assures me their nine descendants are some of the most playful. Although familiar with humans, they prefer to stay in hard-to-reach, high-rise hangouts. Trackers, out since dawn, have located them a two-and-a-half-hour walk away. The hike only serves to heighten anticipation and becomes an adventure in itself. Crossing fields where women in colourful kitenge headscarves are harvesting crops with heavy scythes, we enter a tunnel of branches and roots. Climbing at elevations between 1,000 and 2,000 metres, walking is tough at times. I soon appreciate my decision to hire a porter from the local community for $20 (£15) to carry my heavy backpack. Once inside the forest, uneven ground makes it hard to keep balance and I find myself frequently taking his hand for help. Damp from overnight rainfall, the ground is slippery and droplets cling to leaves. Occasionally I hear a faint whistle and the flapping of bird wings floats down from the highest tree canopies. Along the way, my group of seven fellow trackers whisper excitedly about life-long dreams of seeing gorillas. Will they look at us? How should we act in their presence? Will we be charged by a silverback? But as the minutes pass and the terrain gets tougher, we fall into silence, conserving our breath and savouring the privilege of being alone in this deep, dense forest. Then another thought enters my head: will we actually find them? IMAGE: GETTY Right: Seeing silverback mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda, costs half of what it does in neighbouring Rwanda 76 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL BE ST-VALUE SAFARI

Amos unnerves us with past tales of trekkers hiking until midnight — although he insists better knowledge and technology means it’s a very different experience today. Communicating via a radio, he’s in regular contact with our team of trackers who’ve been searching for the Mubare group since the early hours, having left them making nests the night before. During daylight, they follow the animals religiously until the moment they sleep. “We’re getting close now,” Amos informs us, as I hear grunting from the bushes. Even though I’ve had several months to prepare, I still don’t feel quite ready. Masked up and instructed to keep a 10-metre distance, to protect the gorillas from human-borne diseases, it’s time to meet the family. This is the moment I find silverback Maraya gazing at his navel. “They’re not at all shy,” says Amos, as a symphony of bodily functions follows. Females climb trees above us, seeking leaves to munch on, and toddlers tumble from the undergrowth, rolling so close, one even points his podgy index digit into my camera lens. They eat, fart and even mate — an act Amos over-explicitly describes as ‘drilling’ — in our presence. Using a machete to slash back undergrowth, a team of trackers ensures no important moments are missed. Some people cry, others giggle. Most of us simply gawp in disbelief, almost knocked off our feet by the forces of nature… and a couple of delinquent young blackbacks. All too quickly, it’s finished. Rolling over to reveal the silver streak blazing across his muscular back, Maraya belts out one last fart, a trumpet call announcing it’s time for us to leave. Despite the aches and pains involved, it was all worth it to see a silverback fiddling with his belly button. HOW TO DO IT Great Lakes Safaris offers a six-day gorilla safari, with a private driver-guide in a customised 4x4, from £875 per person, based on four travelling. It includes accommodation, meals and activities, but excludes international flights. greatlakessafaris.com Gorilla permits, US$700 (£560). ugandawildlife.org Doubles at Conservation Through Public Health’s mountain lodge in Buhoma costs from US$90 (£70), full board. ctph.org IMAGES: SARAH MARSHALL; RENATO GRANIERI; ANDREA MORENO BUHOMA BEYOND GORILLAS After meeting the gorillas, stay a few more days in Buhoma to spend time with the community. One of the most inspiring voices belongs to Evelyn Habasa, founder of NGO Ride 4 A Woman, a women’s group supported with the income from gorilla trekking. The wheels of sewing machines are constantly whirring in her textiles workshop. Guests can learn how to weave a coaster from palm leaf fibres or take part in a cooking class, making local millet bread on a traditional three-stone fire. Guesthouse rooms are decorated with bright, cheerful African fabrics. Doubles from $150 (£120), full board. ride4awoman.org 78 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL BE ST-VALUE SAFARI

The New Big Five Graeme Green, author of The New Big 5: A Global Photography Project for Endangered Wildlife What’s the New Big Five? The original ‘Big Five’ is an old term used by colonial-era trophy hunters in Africa for the five most prized and dangerous animals to hunt: elephants, rhinos, leopards, African buffaloes and lions. The New Big 5 project set out to create a more positive photographyfocused alternative. How were the New Big Five animals chosen? Wildlife lovers were invited to vote for their five favourite animals to see in photos. More than 50,000 cast their votes, with results announced in May 2021: gorillas, elephants, polar bears, lions and tigers. The initiative was supported by photographers, conservationists and wildlife charities, including Jane Goodall, Chris Packham and WWF. Are the old Big Five still relevant? Much less so these days. Some safari companies and lodges still use it for marketing. But many oppose it, barring guides from using the term. Why are the New Big Five important? The New Big Five are iconic — and ambassadors for the other animals at risk of extinction. The overall project aimed to highlight threats facing wildlife, including habitat loss, poaching and climate change. The New Big 5: A Global Photography Project for Endangered Wildlife by Graeme Green is published by Earth Aware Editions, £62.50. newbig5.com Q&A Clockwise from top left: Trekkers en route; a Ugandan woman farms on the fringes of Bwindi; a juvenile from the Mubare troop; ranger Amos Nduhukire with fruit dropped by gorillas JUL/AUG 2023 79

Budget wildlife experiences Epic overland adventures in lively bush terrain await below the central belt of Africa BOTSWANA: BEST FOR HIPPOS Botswana’s key safari destinations — the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park — are among Africa’s best loved. For an affordable option explore by mokoro (traditional canoe) or river boat, and travel overland to public safari areas where, crucially, selfdrive cars and tour vehicles are permitted. You’ll see plenty of elephants and hippos. How to do it: Ultimate Routes can arrange a bespoke 10-day self-drive camping safari in Botswana from around £1,000 per person, based on two sharing, excluding fuel, food, guided activities and flights. ultimateroutes.co.za ZIMBABWE: BEST FOR WILD DOGS Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park delivers elephants, antelopes and baboons among mighty trees. It’s also a conservation and research centre for African wild dogs — an endangered species. Combine it with a trip to Victoria Falls and Botswana’s Chobe National Park. How to do it: Acacia Africa offers seven-day, smallgroup guided camping tours of western Zimbabwe, including Victoria Falls and Hwange, and northeast Botswana, including Chobe, from £1,330 per person, excluding flights. acacia-africa.com ZAMBIA: BEST FOR LEOPARDS Zambia shares one of Africa’s top attractions, Victoria Falls, with Zimbabwe, but it also has abundant natural treasures of its own. South Luangwa National Park is superb, particularly for leopard-watching. For an exciting multi-day route, wind eastwards from Victoria Falls through Zambia, into Malawi and southern Tanzania, and end with a splash in Zanzibar for a bush-and-beach fix. How to do it: Intrepid offers 20-day small-group guided camping tours from Victoria Falls to Zanzibar via South Luangwa National Park from £2,385 per person, excluding flights. intrepidtravel.com TANZANIA: B E S T F O R G I R A F F E S , WILDEBEEST & ZEBRAS Northern Tanzania is home to two of Africa’s most spectacular protected areas: the Serengeti, the Maasai Mara’s big brother, where you can watch cheetahs sprinting after their prey; and the Ngorongoro Crater’s rich ecosystem, which includes rhinos, elephants and hippos. Head for Arusha, where you can stay for well under £50 per night. How to do it: Oasis Overland offers 14-day overland truck camping tours of Kenya and Tanzania, travelling from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, from £1,200 per person, excluding flights. oasisoverland.co.uk E G FOUR MORE From top: Hippos are a common sight in Botswana’s Okavango Delta; a sign in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park; herds of migrating wildebeest patrol IMAGES: GETTY; EMMA GREGG the Serengeti in Tanzania JUL/AUG 2023 81 BE ST-VALUE SAFARI

Sleep beneath the stars on a camping road trip to the wildlife-packed watering holes of Namibia’s Etosha National Park, pitching a tent where cinematic sand dunes meet open plains. Words: Emma Gregg Namibia DESERT DREAMING It’s a few too many minutes after midnight, and I really should be asleep. But instead, I’m binge-watching — live and screen-free. My current obsession, a YouTube sensation, has just waded into the water hole up to her belly, then out again. She’s now marked like a honey badger: her top half silver-grey from dust; lower half dark from the water. For a rhino, it’s a strong look. Earlier, I’d watched a gaggle of leggy supermodels bend gracefully towards a mirror: wild giraffes, preparing to drink. And in an earlier episode there was a furious family bust-up involving a herd of elephants. I’m in Namibia’s most-celebrated national park, Etosha, beside 50-metre-wide Okaukuejo Waterhole — a man-made lifeline in a brutally arid landscape. One of Africa’s best locations for nocturnal wildlife-watching, it’s equipped with floodlights and a YouTube webcam, designed to inspire the park’s supporters to plan a trip. While watching online is addictive enough, the real-life experience is even more so. As well as delighting their fans with their animated comings and goings, the individuals I’m watching are ambassadors for a conservation success story. Thanks to tight security and water holes such as this one, Etosha’s endangered black rhinos are increasing in number. But their future is far from secure. According to data from Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, rhino poaching reached an all-time high last year, with 61 black rhinos lost to poachers — 46 of them in Etosha; overall rhino poaching increased by 93% compared to 2021. All of which makes this viewing even more special. Time slips away, my fellow watchers pad off to bed, and finally, I decide to do the same. I’m in Okaukuejo, a village in the south of the park. As I creep past its upmarket chalets to the public campsite, it’s dark, but the Milky Way glimmers overhead. A week in the wild has worked wonders for my eyes, and it’s all the light I need. With the confidence of a rhino, I navigate the dusty 4x4s, with their tidy rooftop tents. Soon, our truck — my home for this nine-night overland tour — looms out of the shadows beneath a young camelthorn tree. Call of the wild I’ve always liked the idea of travelling overland in an African tourist truck, with tents stashed underneath and a cool box in the back — a set-up that, of course, comes with the expertise of a guide and the camaraderie of a group. Before my trip, I tell people we’ll be wild camping in remotest southwest Africa — deep in the Namib Desert for some nights, beneath bald, granite mountains for others — and do my best to reassure them when they quiz me, worriedly, about the practicalities. Come nightfall, will it be too hot to sleep? Or too cold? Uncomfortably rocky, or forbiddingly dark? How will we find water, and avoid scorpions? Or things that go harumph in the night? Our briefing takes place in a leafy overlanders’ lodge on the outskirts of Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, where slender, grey mousebirds flit through the trees. United by anticipation, it doesn’t take long for our group to bond. “From this moment on, we’re family!” booms our exuberant driver and guide Samora Omumborombonga Hoveka, one of the Herero people. With an early start before us, our rhythm of convivial but judiciously short evenings begins. While some safaris are leisurely affairs, ours is different. Bookable through Much Better Adventures — a travel company that promotes active exploration and empowering local operators — our itinerary was cooked up by Windhoek-based outfit Mabaruli African Safaris. Designed to celebrate Namibia’s extraordinary desert landscapes, it’s a fast-paced, high-energy trip. The first half passes in a flurry of tent poles and cooking pots, predawn packing and heart-pumping hikes. We move to a new bare-bones campsite each day, gelling as a team along the way. In the Namib-Naukluft National Park, we stride through gorges scented with mint, rest under fig IMAGES: EMMA GREGG Clockwise from top left: Dunes of NamibNaukluft National Park; weaverbird nests adorn a tree on a Spitzkoppe hiking trail; wild camping in the Namib Desert; a herd of elephants en route to Ombika Waterhole; on the lookout for desertadapted wildlife aboard the truck 82 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL BE ST-VALUE SAFARI

IMAGE: EMMA GREGG and kokerboom trees and cool off in spring-fed pools. One morning, we head up the pock-marked ridge of an ancient sand dune in Sossusvlei (a salt and clay pan), then canter, exhausted and elated, down into the parched valley. As we travel between beauty spots by truck, we look out for desert-adapted wildlife, calling out when we spot oryx, ostriches or weaverbird nests up ahead. There are stops in towns, where we sample a slice of Namibian life that many safari-goers miss out on. Mingling with the locals at supermarkets and fuel stations, we shop for Namibian newspapers and South African biscuits, and buy purified water from high-tech refill points. In Solitaire, a remote highway pit stop, Samora pulls in at McGregor’s Bakery so we can sample its famously hearty, crumble-topped apple pie. Beyond the bustle, we witness poverty, and as we pass Spitzkoppe Village en route to Spitzkoppe — a cluster of granite peaks in the Erongo region — there’s time to reflect. The scattering of simple houses was founded by families from the Damara ethnic group who were forced to move to this water-poor region in the early 1970s by the South African regime. Pitching our tents at Spitzkoppe’s pristine campsite, tucked beneath truck-sized boulders, overlooking an endless plain, we learn that it’s run as a sustainable tourism project, enabling the community to eke a living. Hiking trails twist around the peaks. On one, local guide Jeremy Muteka leads us up a knee-wobblingly steep rock face. In an atmospheric spot at the top, called Bushman’s Paradise, are fragments of shamanic rock paintings, created 4,000 years ago. Faded as they are, we can just make out something that could be a rhino. “We don’t find rhinos here so much now,” says Jeremy, “but thanks to these paintings our ancestors have left us, we still feel their presence. It’s a window onto the past.” Inside Etosha For the wildlife-watchers among us, it’s in Etosha National Park that our trip takes flight. Within minutes of the entry gate, we approach the Ombika Waterhole. Samora steers the truck into a prime spot and we squeeze up to the windows. Nature’s rush hour is in full swing. The local lions are noticeably absent, allowing relays of antelopes, zebras and giraffes to drink. Ombika is smaller than Okakuejo, however, and there’s stiff competition in the air. Thrillingly, elephants part the sea of smaller animals to take their rightful place. On their approach, they parade past, close enough for us to see every dust-crusted wrinkle. At sunrise the next day, ours is the first vehicle out of the campsite. Our mission is to see those lions, and since we’ve no scouts or spotters, it’s up to us to find them ourselves. As we drive across the dry, scrub-dotted plain south of Etosha’s mighty salt pan, a glimpse of a honey badger feels like a good omen, and after hours of searching, there they are: a sleeping male and, further off, a lioness with cubs. “On safari, nothing arrives to order,” says Samora. “But often, it’s better than you expect.” The end of the trip is emotional, but we say we’ll keep in touch. And sure enough, within days, we all log on at the Okakuejo Waterhole, toasting our screens as the elephants and rhinos wade in. HOW TO DO IT The nine-night Hike, Safari and Stargaze in Namibia group safari costs from £1,397 per person, excluding flights, with departures from March to November. It’s one of more than 20 wildlife trips offered by Much Better Adventures, a B Corp-certified travel company. muchbetteradventures.com Above: Namib Desert, viewed from Solitaire campsite BE ST-VALUE SAFARI JUL/AUG 2023 85

IMAGES: GETTY GREEN SEASON SAFARIS When the rains come, the landscapes of Southern Africa are rejuvenated, producing swathes of green or emerald, giving this season its name. For most of the region, it runs throughout the summer, from mid-November to mid-April. In Kenya and Tanzania, there are two wet seasons — the ‘long rains’, from mid-March to the end of May, and the ‘short rains’ in November and December. It’s usually harder to spot wildlife when it’s wet, but there are perks to travelling at this time of year. PROS IT’S CHEAPER Most camps and lodges drop their rates for the green season (except over Christmas). This could save visitors hundreds of pounds, compared with peak season prices. There are often good deals, too, such as ‘stay four nights, pay for three’. LANDSCAPES ARE LUSH It’s not called green season for nothing. Rains rejuvenate the vegetation, making for thicker bushes and green plains. They also clear the air, creating a much more photogenic landscape than during the dry, dusty months. BIRDS FLY IN Hundreds of migratory species — from European rollers to willow warblers — fly here after summering in the northern hemisphere. IT’S QUIETER Animal sightings needn’t be shared with dozens of other tourists, and families may get camps all to themselves. In normally busy parks such as the Maasai Mara, in Kenya, the lack of crowds can make quite a difference. CONS THE WEATHER IS WET & HUMID It will be wet, although most downpours occur in the afternoon. The humidity may be uncomfortable at times — temperatures can occasionally exceed 40C in areas such as Kruger National Park, in South Africa. GAME VIEWING WILL BE IMPACTED Dry season is the best time for wildlife viewing. Typically, animals are harder to find when it’s raining and the vegetation is thick. But there are baby antelopes to coo over, and on open plains, this proliferation of easy prey invariably leads to a fair amount of predator action. MANY CAMPS ARE CLOSED In areas where the rain is heavy and roads aren’t drivable, camps simply close for the wet season. Those in national parks such as Mana Pools, in Zimbabwe, and Nyerere, in Tanzania, are especially affected. SOME ACTIVITIES AREN’T AVAILABLE Bush walks don’t run when the vegetation is thick — it’s too difficult for guides to see what’s around. And sleeping under the night sky in open-air treehouses or ‘star beds’ is an experience usually reserved for dry season, too. HEATHER RICHARDSON Above from left: Eastern golden weaver in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, in St Lucia, South Africa; the green season results in a more vibrant landscape BE ST-VALUE SAFARI JUL/AUG 2023 87

IMAGE: RENATO GRANIERI GETTING THERE The best-value nonstop flights from London to East Africa are with Kenya Airways to Nairobi (daily, 8.5h). There are no nonstop flights from London to Uganda, but Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways operate daily flights to Entebbe via Addis Ababa (12h) and Nairobi (12.5h), respectively. Virgin Atlantic and British Airways offer daily nonstop flights from Heathrow to Johannesburg (11h), with Turkish Airlines offering cheaper alternatives via Istanbul (16h). There are no direct flights from London to Windhoek, Namibia, but Lufthansa has options via Frankfurt (13h). kenya-airways.com ethiopianairlines.com virginatlantic.com ba.com turkishairlines.com lufthansa.com GETTING AROUND Acacia Africa, Encounters Travel, Intrepid, Much Better Adventures and Oasis Overland offer overland tours. Expert Africa can also organise bespoke trips and Safari Bookings lists local operators. encounterstravel.com intrepidtravel.com acacia-africa.com muchbetteradventures.com oasisoverland.co.uk expertafrica.com safaribookings.com Safari vehicle and equipment rental companies include Bushlore, Roadtrip Africa, Safari Drive and Ultimate Routes. With persistence, towns and villages are reachable by public buses or shared taxis. bushlore.com roadtripafrica.com safaridrive.com ultimateroutes.co.za WHEN TO GO The rainiest months are January to March in Southern Africa and March to May in East Africa. Typically, it’s around 28C in Kruger National Park in January and over 30C in the Maasai Mara in late March; it’s cooler after the rainy season. For milder temperatures — typically 18–24C, although coastal and lowland areas can be hotter — and moderate prices, June, September and October are the best months to visit. MORE INFO southafrica.net thekingdomofeswatini.com exploreuganda.com kws.go.ke visitnamibia.com.na Is it risky to visit wildlife areas? While serious incidents are rare, African animals can be dangerous, particularly if you’re wild camping, walking or kayaking. Treat them with respect and never assume it’s OK to leave your vehicle or stroll through an unfenced area alone. If your vehicle breaks down, it’s generally safer to stay put and await help. Some parks have patchy mobile coverage, but it’s worth carrying a phone just in case. Malaria may be present in safari areas, for example in Kruger; check ahead and follow recommended precautions, such as taking preventive tablets and reducing your risk of mosquito bites by using DEET-based insect repellent and covering bare skin. Visit travelhealthpro.org.uk to find out more. What should I wear while on safari? Bring long sleeves and trousers to protect against insect bites, and neutral or earthy colours to avoid alerting animals to your presence. Shoes should be sturdy and have closed toes as the ground can be uneven and snakes can be found everywhere. A sun hat is also a good idea. When travelling independently, is it worth taking a tent? Only if you’re trimming your budget to the bone. African safari vehicle and equipment rental companies offer everything from basic tents (for a snip) to 4x4s with rooftop tents (from £120 per day). Is it worth hiring a driver/guide? Put yourself in the driving seat on safari, and the excitement cranks up. But there’s much to be said for the more relaxing alternative: letting a guide take the wheel. Their roadcraft, bushlore and cultural insights will transform your trip. Rates vary, but expect to pay from £30 a day. How much should I allow for red tape and tips? Typically, Southern African visas, park fees and conservation levies cost less than in East Africa. Southern African national park entry fees range from £7 to £24 a day; in Kenya and Uganda, it’s £24 to £80. There are no visa charges for British tourists visiting Botswana, Namibia, Zambia or South Africa. It’s customary (but not obligatory) to tip guides individually, and camp staff collectively. A token amount is fine; locals can advise. EG Essentials A B E G I N N E R ’ S G U I D E TO SAFARI Left: A porter grips a locally carved walking stick, essential for tackling Bwindi’s steep slopes 88 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL BE ST-VALUE SAFARI

Glimpse into Ishara’s magical world in the Masai Mara Our eco-luxury camp offers exceptional wildlife viewing, fabulously memorable gourmet dining, a first-of-its kind Canon Brand Experience Centre, a Starbed, a spa, gym and infinity pool, an Observation Deck, a wildlife waterhole, vintage river-facing bathtubs and outdoor showers, and an extensive list of amenities and unforgettable experiences. Step into a world of authentic, sublime possibilities, where connections are made and destinies are fulfilled. Follow the signs, follow your Ishara. @IsharaKenya www.ishara.ke

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WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS: JAMIE LAFFERTY The infamously inhospitable route from Chile’s Atacama desert to Bolivia’s otherwordly Uyuni salt flats has been upgraded. New lodges and guiding alternatives are reimagining this well-trodden andean journey. At the nose-bleed altitudes of the altiplano, Indigenous communities eke out a remote existence and rare wildlife stalks barren mountain plateaus JUL/AUG 2023 91

e left the trees far behind as we climbed up to Bolivia’s Altiplano, but this was no place for them anyway. The dryness would be fatal, and even if they could find water, the ferocious winds wouldn’t allow them to stand. On this high-altitude plateau, life has had to make some extreme adaptations to survive, finding ways to eke out water and nutrition over 4,250 metres above sea level. Trees are yet to find a solution. Up here, the landscape inspires a plethora of similes; the mountains look tie-dyed, psychedelic, rainbowed — like technicolour dream coats. When we pull over in our 4x4 — a swaying cross and rosary beads finally falling still beneath the rear-view mirror — my Chilean guide Micaela Díaz explains that the surreal valley we’ve found ourselves in is known as the Salvador Dalí Desert. “Because it looks pretty weird, no?” This is one of the early stops on a new version of a classic journey that travel company Explora is calling La Travesía, meaning ‘the crossing’ in Spanish. It’s an adventure tour linking two of South America’s most bizarre landscapes: Chile’s Atacama, the driest nonpolar desert in the world, and the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, the world’s largest salt flat. It’s a remote road trip of around 325 miles, but the ‘roads’ are mere suggestions of routes that run through much of this high desert. We are travelling by 4x4 and the plan is to make stops at three new lodges Explora has built along the way to break up the journey. The roof is laden with spare fuel and tyres, reminders that we’re about as off-road as it’s possible to be. The trip had started a few days earlier in the Chilean town of San Pedro de Atacama, the tourism capital of the desert, at the upmarket hotel Explora has long operated on the outskirts of town. Almost every night, the sun sets across a cloudless sky here, sending its dying rays against the satisfyingly conical peak of Licancabour volcano, which overlooks the town. Atacama is rarely plagued by cloud, and so the hot days in San Pedro are very often treated to this beautiful death. Licancabour can become so red it appears to have turned inside out. The first time I saw it was in the late summer of 2011, as a battle-hardened backpacker. Back then, just as now, I’d arrived in San Pedro to make the well-trodden crossing from Chile into Bolivia across the Altiplano. Explora’s version of the route is 100 times more expensive than the budget one I did back then, and at least that many times more comfortable, but the hard realities of this famously abrasive environment remain the same. I’m making the journey with Micaela — or Mika as she prefers to be called — and Bolivian driver Silvio Huayca Ricaldi. In the build-up to the launch of the Explora route, Mika was part of the scouting team that worked out clever ways to avoid the backpacker tourist convoy that has long dominated the route and devised the activities to be offered at each lodge along the way. We quickly bonded over tales of the backpacker journey we were about to retrace, after discovering we’d both made the crossing in the same year more than a decade ago. “Things felt precarious and there were no showers,” she said as we headed north towards the El Tatio geysers on a day’s exploration around our San Pedro base, the start point for From top: A train graveyard along the remote route to Uyuni in Bolivia; wild vicunas gather near a rare water supply in the Atacama Desert, Chile Previous pages: Explora’s team set up a picnic in the heart of Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni IMAGE: GETTY 92 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL BOLIVIA

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Explora’s La Travesía. “Everything was rushed. I remember it felt like the soup saved my life when we got to the cold refugio one night.” The Atacama’s El Tatio Geysers were an intimidating attraction to kick-start the trip with. At lower altitudes, I’d seen pampas grass swaying drunkenly as it huddled close to a rare Atacamanian river, but up here the land seemed instead to be burning. Terrific heat surged from underground, then hit the cold desert air to create permanent columns of steam. The gurgling ground had already put some mammalian part of my mind on alert, but just in case curiosity were to get the better of me, Mika told me a horrific story about an unlucky Belgian tourist who fell into one of these boiling pits and was rescued with 75% of her body covered in burns. I stood well back. A couple of days later we had packed up our gear and made for the border, a dusty shambles with barking dogs, smoking guards and a bottleneck of tourists all with the same plan. At Laguna Blanca, the first stop on the Bolivian side, this resulted in a queue of touring cars. The majority gathered at the bleached lakeshore, and as everyone shuffled out into an unwelcoming wind, they spotted a lone Chilean flamingo in the water. The bird regarded them with its head upside down, perhaps thinking they looked as ridiculous as it did, but as the crowd grew louder and closer, it straightened up. When the first tourist tried to take a selfie, the flamingo took to running, then let that same stiff wind carry it aloft and away from the throng. Part of me wondered if that scene would repeat itself at every step of the journey. The flamingos, although abundant, tend to gather in the same lakes, attracting a regular stream of tourists — would we just be following this convoy towards Uyuni? But Mika did an impressive job of making sure that after this initial scrabble to get away from the border, we rarely saw another vehicle. In the Salvador Dalí Desert, we watched the group of 4x4s pull away, its dust trails rising high into the sky. Remote roaming Each evening we devise plans for detours and activities for the following days, plotting the best spot for a picnic and trying to work out ways to adequately photograph the immensities of the soaring landscape. There are no significant towns along the way. The lodges, meanwhile, fit into these grand scenes with minimal disruption. They’re stilted, so as not to cause too much damage to the land below, and employ local Indigenous workers. After seven hours of bumpy driving, the first one we reach looks like an industrial shipping container from afar. Yet it’s deceptively comfortable — even opulent — inside. The detours, meal stops, treks and fauna-related distractions combine to leave little time for anything other than eating and sleeping at the lodges. Yet by a great distance they’re superior to any alternatives along the route, each one offering superb views across the Altiplano. A few hours after the Salvador Dalí Desert, we reach the enormous basin of Laguna Colorada, one of the most photogenic stops along the route. A complex mix of minerals have accumulated here, giving the lake a particularly alluring blend of colours, creating the impression of an artist’s palette. Hundreds of James’s flamingos feed in its shallow waters, adding dots of pink to the reds, whites and Left: An hour north from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, mineral deposits create a psychedelic landscape BOLIVIA JUL/AUG 2023 95

IMAGE: ALAMY Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni is full of cacti-strewn islands, including Isla del Pescado 96 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL BOLIVIA

The world’s largest salt flat is a void, a place of deprivation. Its surface is almost indescribably strange: crusty like old snow, but meaner, less forgiving JUL/AUG 2023 97

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blues around them. By the shore, a wandering herd of vicuñas — cousins of the region’s llamas and alpacas — add splashes of orange and gold. Since the 1960s when the Bolivian vicuña population dipped to four figures as a result of being hunted for its meat and fur, these extraordinarily hardy camelids have been protected. It’s been a remarkably successful conservation project, with numbers now estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands across Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru. To see them shambling around the Altiplano, this seems almost miraculous — even without people on their case, nature seems out to get them, whether through the violently inclement weather or the murderous plans of elusive pumas. The water is often loaded with poisonous minerals, while the salty shrubs seem to offer little sustenance. “They look cute, but they’re pretty tough,” says Mika. “We’ll see plenty of these guys as we go.” They aren’t the only creatures to have adapted to the harsh conditions. Two days later, the walk around Laguna Negra proves to be one of the best of the trip. This is partly because it’s a point-to-point hike, with Silvio waiting for us at the end with another windswept lunch, but mostly because of the scenery and wildlife. This classic wetland terrain requires a bit of hopping across spongy islands, but gives us a good look at giant coots, Orinoco geese and Puna teals. Ahead, a rocky outcrop looks like it could stand in for Pride Rock in The Lion King. “I heard they saw an Andean mountain cat up here,” says Mika, never breaking her gaze from the promontory above. This stripy, thickfurred feline is one of the most endangered cats in the Americas; sightings are rare and populations in its native High Andes habitats are declining. “It’s a perfect location for them — lots of places to hide and plenty of viscachas [a rabbit-like rodent] for them to try and eat.” Has she ever seen one? Mika dips her head slightly, conceding that, no, she hasn’t been that lucky, and the trek continues. A blank space From above, it looks like a mist enveloping a valley, with occasional peaks daring to poke their heads into the blue sky. The reality is far more curious: an antique ocean, drained until a thick salt crust was left above a huge briny sea of lithium. The mountaintops are, in fact, islands, and the unending whiteness of the Salar de Uyuni — the final leg of Explora’s tour — won’t dissipate like a benign mist. “What do you think?” asks Mika as she sets up a picnic at the soaring Pukara Chillima viewpoint, which hangs above this singular landscape on a mountainside. I don’t really have an answer for her. What to think about this nearmythic place? South America is a continent not short of globally famous landscapes. Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado mountain in Rio de Janeiro, the Incan ruins at Machu Picchu, the impossible spires of Chile’s Torres Del Paine Above: Guide Mika scans the hills looking for signs of Andean mountain cats on the shore of Laguna Negra BOLIVIA JUL/AUG 2023 99

San Pedro de Atacama Uyuni EL TATIO GEYSERS Laguna Blanca DALI DESERT Laguna Colorada Laguna Negra Salar de Uyuni A N D E S GROTTO OF THE GALAXIES CHILE BOLIVIA CHILE BOLIVIA 50 miles ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER GETTING THERE & AROUND British Airways has direct flights from Heathrow to Santiago. Calama, the airport closest to San Pedro de Atacama, requires another connection with LATAM Airlines. Returning from Uyuni requires several connections and is best organised via a travel agent or flight specialist Skyscanner. ba.com latamairlines.com skyscanner.net Average flight time: 18h. Explora offers the most luxurious way to cross from San Pedro, in Chile, to Uyuni, in Bolivia, but a number of other tour operators offer this route, covering a range of budgets. Negotiation on price is often possible at either starting point if you travel without booking first, although check up-to-date reviews as local operators have varying safety standards. WHEN TO GO The crossing can be done year-round, but be aware the wet season runs from December to April. During this time, the salt flat is transformed into a vast mirror and there’s less wind, but dull skies and occasional flooding. The dry season runs from May to November. MORE INFO explora.com HOW TO DO IT Journey Latin America offers Explora’s nine-night La Travesía from San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni with time in Santiago at the beginning and a stay in Lima at the end. The 13-night trip costs from £13,046 per person and includes flights from the UK, transfers, excursions and accommodation, plus full board for the La Travesía section of the trip. journeylatinamerica.com National Park… Those places are defined by what they have, by their geology and their iconography, but the world’s largest salt flat is instead a void, a place of deprivation. Its surface is almost indescribably strange: crusty like old snow, but meaner, less forgiving. The grip the salt affords my hiking boots is extraordinary and sole-destroying. In places, the millennia-long process of evaporation has left hexagonal ridges on the surface, like neatly placed paving stones in the planet’s weirdest garden. Sunsets here are an event. Shadows stretch impossibly long across the white ground, giving the impression that they belong to aliens 100ft tall. The last rays of the day catch the little ridges, exaggerating the polygons and calling to mind a kaleidoscope. Explora has set up its final lodge just outside the salt flat, on a peninsula with excellent views across this ivory land. From this point, the opposite shore of the dry lake is almost 80 miles away. The activities available from the lodge mainly focus on simply being in the midst of the void, following roads that are defined only by black streaks — the tell-tale signs of rubber flayed from the tyres of touring cars. On the southern shore of the salt flat there are cultural offerings, too. One salt-baked morning, we visit the Grotto of the Galaxies, a cave network accidentally discovered by corn farmers whose crops had, unsurprisingly, struggled in the caustic soil. Doña Martha Lopez, the widow of one of the men who found them in 2003, is now the custodian of this particular underworld. The first cave was full of chulpas — preIncan graves, sheltered from the wind but open-topped. “Most of them were empty, apart from the bones,” says Doña Martha. “We started looking around for necklaces or other things that people would have put as offerings, but instead we saw a peculiar shape on the cave wall.” They started digging and soon pushed through into a second cave. A bizarre labyrinth lay ahead of them: petrified algae and porous rock that looked like it had been tunnelled into by several worms — perhaps one giant one and its offspring. Standing there, I see it as they would have done two decades earlier, only now it’s lit in a way that makes it feel simultaneously palatial and haunted. It’s almost a relief to step back out into the dazzling expanse of the salt flat half an hour later. Mika explains that for our final excursion we’ll hike up one of the 30 islands in the midst of the ancient sea. Isla del Pescado is popular with tourists on cheap package tours starting in Uyuni town, but we push past the groups to another, semi-secret, option, where we have nothing but huge cacti for company. The climb is fairly short, but at an altitude of over 3,650 metres, it’s a breathless 45 minutes all the same. At the summit, we stop for drinks and a snack, Silvio’s Lexus a tiny dot in the vast whiteness below us. I stand to take a photograph, and for a second there’s no focus — I can’t tell if it’s the camera or me. Left: A flamboyance of flamingos huddle together as a cold dawn wind blows across the Altiplano 100 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL BOLIVIA