National Geographic Traveller - Jan 2024

around the waist and over the shoulder in a complicated series of tucks and folds. “Songket was becoming a dying art because most of the remaining weavers were very old,” explains Ramtiniwati. “I thank God I can do this to keep songket alive — and off er a livelihood to the local community.” THE KERINGKAM EMBROIDERER DANNY ZULKIFLI From the outside, you’d never guess this house in a residential suburb of Kuching is home to a sought-after embroiderer, tasked with creating pieces for very important people. Go inside, however, and you can well believe it. Danny Zulkifl i’s sitting room is uber-elegant, and the man himself is impeccably turned out with a forest-green sarong around his middle and a traditional songkok hat on his head. Danny is a master of keringkam, a form of embroidery brought to Sarawak by Indian merchants three centuries ago. Thin gold- or silver-plated ribbons are hand embroidered onto rubia gauze fabric to make elaborately adorned headscarves worn by women to weddings and other special occasions. He shows me how it’s done, picking up a fl attened needle and working it down and up through a piece of blood-red material stretched across a frame. This is his latest commission, a scarf with motifs of winding tendrils, fl owers and a geometric wave pattern at the edges. “I started doing it 15 years ago when I was teaching dance choreography,” explains Danny. “I wanted my students to wear traditional dress with keringkam but I couldn’t fi nd any — so I decided to learn myself.” Each scarf requires up to 35 spools of expensive plated thread and the most intricate scarves can take a year to create. “I don’t call it embroidery — I call it artwork,” says Danny. Ten years ago, he was one of just 25 keringkam artisans in Sarawak, and most of the others were much older than him. “There was a danger the art would become extinct.” However, four years ago the Sarawak government launched an initiative to train young embroiderers, and Danny was recruited to help. Innovation has a part to play in the preservation of this centuries-old craft. Danny has incorporated keringkam into fashion items like luxury handbags and shoes, off -the-shelf shirts and dresses; he even recently embroidered Miss Malaysia’s gown for the Miss World competition. But at heart he’s a traditionalist, and all too aware how easily ancient skills can be forgotten. From left: Keringkam embroiderer Danny Zulkifli in his studio, Kuching, Sarawak; detail of songket, a traditional Malaysian handwoven fabric, at the Seri Gedong Songket centre in Kuching, Sarawak; using the weaver to make a loose yarn for a songket, a traditional Malaysian handwoven fabric, at the Seri Gedong Songket centre in Kuching, Sarawak PLAN YOUR TRIP There are regular flights to Kuching from Heathrow via Singapore, Brunei or Kuala Lumpur. For more information, visit sarawaktourism.com | PAID CONTENT FOR SARAWAK TOURISM

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IMAGE: GETTY To walk across New Zealand is to experience some of the greatest landscapes in the world. From moss-carpeted forests to sun-drenched mountaintops with impossibly far-reaching views, the country is blessed with an almost unfair share of natural beauty, thanks to the volcanoes, glaciers and rivers that have helped carve out its environs over millions of years. Since the first Māori inhabitants arrived in around 1250, wandering feet have etched a spiderweb of trails up and down the country. There are thousands of walking tracks to choose from — short and long, boardwalked and gravelled, coastal and alpine — but just 11 have so far been officially designated a Great Walk. Each of these multiday tracks carries hikers through a unique landscape, but what unifies them is their relative ease and approachability. Trails are expertly maintained and studded with huts and camping sites where you can put up your feet at the end of the day and mingle with fellow hikers. An abundance of group tours mean you don’t need to walk alone, or you can stamp off on a solo sojourn if the mood takes you. Many trails can be broken down into single-day trots, too, if you’re short on time. The ease of travelling on foot through New Zealand might explain why locals have taken to hiking — or ‘tramping’, as they call it — with such gusto. The Department of Conservation (DOC) starts selling cabin bed spaces in June for the coming summer, with beds along the most popular trails, like the Milford Track, snapped up with the same fervour as Glastonbury or Taylor Swift tickets. Maybe it’s the altitude or just the fresh air, but this competitiveness quickly evaporates on the hiking paths, where every passer-by is greeted with a ‘kia ora’ — ‘hello’ — and cake and tea are traded for trail gossip. In the aftermath of the pandemic, hiking and camping have experienced a boost as travellers continue to reacquaint themselves with the simple joy of slowing down outdoors. Only by walking can we eavesdrop on the fluted calls of New Zealand’s birdlife, tickle our fingers in beds of giant moss and inhale the earthy aroma of petrichor following summer rain. If the steep climbs and hairpin bends don’t leave you breathless, the sight of New Zealand’s snow-dusted peaks plunging into verdant valleys will. Here, we’ve picked three of the country’s best trails. Hiking in New Zealand IM MORTALISED ON THE BIG SCREEN AND BELOVED BY OUTDOOR ENTHUSIA STS, NEW ZE AL AND’S SOUL-STIRRING L ANDSCAPES ARE ITS CROWNING GLORY. FOR HIKERS, COMPLETING ONE OF THE COUNTRY ’S ‘GRE AT WALKS ’ IS A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT. WORDS: JUSTIN MENEGUZZI The Big Trip JAN/FEB 2024 126

Shaped by glaciers over 10,000 years, Fiordland National Park on the South Island’s southwest coast is home to dramatic valleys, sky-piercing summits and primeval rainforests where mataī trees bow beneath great garlands of moss. Red-and-green winged kea parrots soar over alpine passes and emerald rivers invite walkers to pause and dip their feet. Having traditionally been used by Māori hunters searching Milford Sound for prized jade, the Milford Track is today lauded as one of the finest walks in the world, thanks to its stunning scenery. The four-day trail starts beside Lake Te Anau, then passes through Clinton Valley before climbing to its highest point over the alpine Mackinnon Pass. Afterwards, it descends again to the valley floor and Milford Sound, where a boat ferries walkers over the majestic fjord. You don’t need to be an expert to experience the grandeur of the Milford Track, but you do need to pack a rain jacket. With an average of 200 days of rain a year, Fiordland National Park is one of the wettest places on the planet. The silver lining to those rain clouds is that the downfall gives the park its luminous green forests and thunderous waterfalls. ITINERARY ONE MILFORD TRACK, SOUTH ISLAND Start: Glade Wharf, at Lake Te Anau • Finish: Sandfly Point, near Milford Sound • Hike length: Four days/33.5 miles ITINERARY ONE 1. Clinton Valley 2. Mackinnon Pass 3. Sutherland Falls 4. Giant Gate Falls 5. Milford Sound

IMAGE: AWL IMAGES; SABINE BERNERT. ILLUSTRATION: TANYA COOPER HIGHLIGHTS CLINTON VALLEY Set off on the fi rst day through the Clinton Valley, passing beneath cathedral-like beech forests to arrive at a suspension bridge over clear waters. Look for trout and eels below, as well as the endangered whio (blue duck). Rarer than kiwi, its numbers are rebounding after successful conservation eff orts. Arrive at Clinton Hut and indulge in a refreshing dip at one of the swimming holes nearby. MACKINNON PASS Rise early on the third day to tackle the challenging zigzag ascent to Mackinnon Pass. Along the way, there’s a cairned memorial to Scottish-born explorer Quintin Mackinnon, who spearheaded the construction of the track over the pass and led tourist groups across it in the late 1800s. Shortly afterwards, you’ll reach the highest point of the Milford Track at 1,154 metres, with a 360-degree view dominated by glaciers and mountain peaks. SUTHERLAND FALLS At 580 metres, New Zealand’s highest waterfall is fed by several glaciers that lead into Lake Quill, which spills over and plummets into the valley over three steps. Stick to the trail, and you’ll be off ered a glimpse of Sutherland Falls, but to get closer and feel her misty breath on your face, there’s an optional 90-minute return hike to the base of the falls where you can enjoy a bracing swim. GIANT GATE FALLS With the alpine crossing now behind you, take your time as you amble beside the Arthur River and stop to admire McKay Falls and Lake Ida. Another suspension bridge leads over rocks and across the last waterfall on this track, the spectacular Giant Gate Falls. MILFORD SOUND The track comes to an end at the aptly named Sandfl y Point (pack repellent); pre-book a water taxi to meet you and ferry you across the picturesque Milford Sound. W H AT M A K E S F I O R D L A N D NATIONAL PARK SO UNIQUE? At three million acres, it’s New Zealand’s largest national park and, aside from a few roads, it’s been left largely untouched. Fiordland National Park ranges from glaciated valleys and lakes to podocarp forests, sand dunes and mountains. W H Y I S T H E N AT I O N A L PA R K A BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT? The combination of secluded islands and steep valleys means the topography has provided wildlife with a natural barrier against pests. The sheer scale of the park means there are many places for them to hide, too. We thought the takahē — a flightless bird — was extinct here but a small population was found in 1948. There could be even more species hiding in the ferns we don’t know about. H OW I S T H E PA R K SAFEGUARDING ITS FUTURE? In addition to controlling introduced pests like stoats, rats and possums, we’re supporting some species with breeding programmes. For the endangered whio, we collected eggs from wild nests and our own captive ducks, hand-reared the ducklings and then released them back into the park to help boost the population. We’re training detection dogs to help us monitor bird populations too. Visitors can support our efforts by sharing their bird sightings with DOC hut wardens or their guides. Q&A Andrew Smart, senior ranger on the biodiversity team of New Zealand’s Department of Conservation Above: Milford Sound at sunset Previous pages: Mount Ngauruhoe’s perfect cone is a defining feature of the Tongariro National Park landscape HOW TO DO IT: The Milford Track is a one-way walk and huts must be booked in advance as camping isn’t permitted. To reach the starting point, arrange a bus or private transport from Queenstown to Te Anau Downs, then catch a ferry to Glade Wharf. Links to transport operators, as well as guided hiking packages, can be found at doc.govt.nz/milfordtrack fiordland.org.nz NEW ZEALAND JAN/FEB 2024 125

IMAGES: GETTY; ALAMY. ILLUSTRATION: TANYA COOPER ITINERARY TWO TONGARIRO NORTHERN CIRCUIT, NORTH ISL AND Volcanic Tongariro, New Zealand’s oldest national park, has dual UNESCO World Heritage status for both its landscapes and Māori associations. And it’s here that you’ll find the North Island’s greatest walk. It begins deceptively enough: starting out on boardwalks, you pass over clear streams hidden beneath bronze tussocks, before the path disappears and your boots are crunching on black pumice and lava flows as you climb towering Mount Ngauruhoe. From here, the Tongariro Northern Circuit weaves past the country’s most active volcanoes, traversing a landscape dotted with lakes, cold-water springs and the jagged remnants of past eruptions. The Tongariro Northern Circuit’s greatest asset is its flexibility. While it’s technically a four-day wander, hikers can skip the final day if they want less walking. There’s also the popular Tongariro Alpine Crossing, which is ideal for hikers short on time. The one-day, 12- mile walk covers the first day of the circuit and takes visitors to the Emerald and Blue Lakes and Mount Ngauruhoe crater before sinking back below the bush line. While a single-day option is enticing for many, step off the Alpine Crossing and the rest of the trail is far quieter as it passes through a raw landscape forged by ice and fire, where Māori legends tell of jealous love feuds between the volcanoes. HIGHLIGHTS MOUNT NGAURUHOE Currently dormant, this volcano is one of the country’s most active and has erupted 61 times from 1839 to 1974. Hikers needn’t fear a mid-hike explosion as the volcano is closely monitored. Its brooding face and perfectly shaped cone made it an ideal stand-in for Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings films. EMERALD & BLUE LAKES These dual lakes pop like jewels against the dusty brown landscape. While beautiful, the lakes get their hues (and sulphuric rotten-egg aroma) from the volcanic minerals washing down from geothermal parts of the mountain, making them unsuitable for swimming in. They’re also sacred to the local Māori tribe, who ask visitors to avoid touching them. OTURERE HUT Your second night is spent at Oturere Hut, where you can watch Mount Ngauruhoe steam like a cauldron as the evening mist seeps down the slopes. The trail here passes over thick lava spurs and offers a distant preview of the Rangipo Desert. After dropping your bags and settling in, follow the signs to a nearby waterfall over the ridge from the hut. OHINEPANGO SPRINGS Surprisingly, given the area’s prolific hot springs due to its close proximity to a volcano, this gin-clear spring isn’t heated. That doesn’t make it any less inviting to soak in and refresh your trail-weary feet after arriving at Waihohonu Hut on the third day. RANGIPO DESERT One of the world’s largest eruptions, 5,000 years ago, created this ‘wet desert’, which receives ample rainfall but is unable to retain it, thanks to its coarse soil. Take time to admire the unusual volcanic boulders hurled by Mount Ngauruhoe during its eruptions. TAR ANAKI FALLS A final two-hour looped detour brings you to this 20-metre-high waterfall, then passes Tama Lakes and a series of gullies forged by volcanoes over millennia. Start & finish: Whakapapa Village • Hike length: Four days/28 miles HOW TO DO IT: Winter ice, snow and avalanches mean the Tongariro Northern Circuit should only be walked mid-October to mid-April. Hikers must book ahead to stay in the three public huts; Adrift Tongariro and Walking Legends offer three-day guided hikes with transport, meals and hut bookings. doc.govt.nz lovetaupo.com adriftnz.co.nz walkinglegends.co.nz ITINERARY TWO 1. Mount Ngauruhoe 2. Emerald & Blue Lakes 3. Oturere Hut 4. Ohinepango Springs 5. Rangipo Desert 6. Taranaki Falls 126 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL

“As an oral society, Māori wrote our stories not on paper but on the landscape itself, through place names. To walk is to learn history with your feet” Nic Low, Māori (Ngāi Tahu) author and hiker From top: The volcanic Emerald and Blue Lakes, near the summit of Mount Tongariro, are important in local Māori culture, with brilliant colours partly caused by dissolved minerals that wash down from the nearby Red Crater; a hiker tramping through the Tongariro National Park’s alpine plains NEW ZEALAND JAN/FEB 2024 126

IMAGES: JUSTIN MENEGUZZI; OLIVER WEBER/NELSONTASMAN.NZ; NELSONTASMAN.NZ With its immense buttress roots and leathery green leaves, the northern rātā tree isn’t to be underestimated. Carried on the wind, its seeds land in the canopies of neighbouring trees and begin to germinate. Then, over hundreds of years, each individual seedling’s spidery roots wrap around its host, eventually entombing it and consuming the rotting trunk. “It operates on a totally different timescale to humans,” says guide and outdoor educator Rod Morrison, as we stand at the base of a gargantuan rātā he estimates is 1,000 years old. “Other guides might be into mushrooms or birds, but I love symbiosis: how different species relate to each other.” We’re only a few hours into our hike through Abel Tasman National Park, a sheltered paradise found at the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island and one of the country’s smallest national parks. Over the next three days, I’ll be hiking along the 37-mile Abel Tasman Coast Track and looking out from this sea-skirting Great Walk for dusky dolphins, fur seals, little blue penguins and wekas — a ground-dwelling bird infamous for raiding camp tents in search of snacks. Already we’ve navigated tannin-hued marshlands, deep tunnels of rainforest and beaches flecked with tide-battered boulders. Rod is a guide with Wilsons Abel Tasman, a family-owned water taxi and tour operator with roots in the park as deep as its trees’. He’s given me a swift introduction to the reserve’s flora — teaching me how to eat the tender shoots of hardy supplejack vines, which plants can read my future and which can cure an upset stomach when boiled into a tea. The pace is easy-going. Together, we enter lofty forests where trees wear tutus of branching kiekie palms, then climb a series of modestly steep bends. While the coastal track is well signposted and would be simple to follow if I were hiking on my own, I’d find the tidal estuary crossings rather daunting. Timing is key: walk too fast or too slow, and you risk being blocked by the rising tide and forced to detour for hours through the mountains. Thankfully, Rod has been tramping these trails since he was a young lad and is intimately familiar with the park’s watery rhythms. It helps that he has some contingencies up his sleeve, too. We arrive at our first tidal crossing to discover a swollen inlet has made our passage impossible, but Rod has called ahead and a barge is waiting for us. We peel off our socks and shoes to wade out to the vessel in chilly, kneedeep waters and are ferried to the historic Meadowbank Homestead, one of two hosted lodge stays on the trail. Built almost 60 years before the national park was officially formed in 1942, Meadowbank housed generations of the Wilson family but now welcomes a succession of trail-weary tour guests looking to put up their feet and fill their bellies with a homecooked meal. While waiting for dinner, I peruse the family artefacts on display, including antique telephones, sewing tables and charmingly awkward photos of lanky Wilson teenagers peeling potatoes on the beach at Christmas. The next morning, we cross over a mudflat at low tide and follow Rod’s secret detours along overgrown goat tracks to skip the less-interesting sections of the trail. As the day wears on and we weave between beaches and forests, I realise the sea has been our constant unseen companion, cheering us on with its melodic crashes even as it stays hidden behind dense tracts of trees. Layered against this backing track, I can make out the flutter of tiny wings as bronze-chested fantails flit between the bushes, and the calls of kākā ring like bells overhead. With their dusty, olive-coloured feathers, this endangered species of endemic parrot is easy to hear but hard to spot. My first encounter with one is with its shadow, its broad wingspan giving me a giddy thrill as it passes overhead. “It wasn’t too long ago that we didn’t have any birdsong in the park,” says Rod, recalling a childhood when the trees were silent. “These birds evolved without predators and were totally defenceless when rats, weasels and other vermin came with the first Europeans.” A joint effort between New Zealand’s Department of Conservation and supporting NGOs has helped remove these pests and boost native bird populations. Now the forests are singing again. From a bluff overlooking Adele and Fisherman Islands, Rod explains how birdsong was played on speakers to entice birds to migrate into the park. The sunset is being smothered by woolly clouds by the time we emerge from the scrub at Torrent Bay. We cross over the beach to the second Wilson family lodge, where we’ll be spending the night. At dinner, Rod mentions that the bay glows an enchanting blue with bioluminescent plankton when the weather is right, so after clearing my plate, I creep down to the water’s edge to try my luck. I test the waves with a fistful of sand and — nothing. Standing sheepishly in the dark with my tired feet sinking into the wet sand, I look out over the blackened bay, tasting the salt on the air and listening to the birdcalls bidding good night in the estuary behind me. This is all the magic I need. HOW TO DO IT: Wilsons Abel Tasman runs self-guided and guided multiday walks in Abel Tasman National Park, as well as kayak tours and cruises. Five-day guided hiking packages start at NZ$2,750 (£1,320) per person and include all meals, transport, accommodation and useful hiking gear. abeltasman.co.nz EYEWITNESS PARADISE FOUND Not every Great Walk involves summiting passes — one of New Zealand’s star trails is the 37-mile Abel Tasman Coast Track, whose gentle paths always lead back to coastal viewpoints and beaches for refreshing dips Clockwise from top left: The Abel Tasman Coast Track includes scenic river crossings such as the Falls River suspension bridge; kayaking in Torrent Bay; wading through a river crossing in Abel Tasman National Park; springtime fern shoots unfurl along the Abel Tasman Coast Track NEW ZEALAND JAN/FEB 2024 126

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IMAGES: GETTY W H A N G A N U I J O U R N E Y NORTH ISL AND. 5 DAYS, 90 MILES A canoe journey rather than a trek, paddle down the revered Whanganui River — one of the country’s longest — on the only waterborne Great Walk. L A K E WA I K A R E M OA N A T R AC K NORTH ISL AND. 3- 4 DAYS, 28. 5 MILES Generally flat and gentle on the knees, this trail ambles through the misty ancestral home of the Ngāi Tūhoe tribe in Hawke’s Bay, passing regenerating wetlands, fantastical forests with goblin-like trees and raging waterfalls. PAPAROA TRACK SOUTH ISL AND. 2-3 DAYS, 34.8 MILES Hike or mountain bike along a track once used by gold miners and settlers. The trail winds its way through subtropical rainforest and limestone gorges as it climbs through the Paparoa Range. HEAPHY TRACK SOUTH ISL AND. 4-6 DAYS, 4 8.7 MILES The longest Great Walk follows an ancient trail first used by Māori jade hunters, passing Kahurangi National Park’s stunning mountains, beaches and lowland forests. ROUTEBURN TRACK SOUTH ISL AND. 3 DAYS, 20 MILES Hike through glacier-carved valleys on a trail that connects Mount Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks, with show-stopping mountain outlooks along the way. KEPLER TRACK SOUTH ISL AND. 4 DAYS, 37. 2 MILES While the other Great Walks all follow historical routes, Kepler was designed solely to celebrate New Zealand’s eclectic scenery. Tramp through mossy forests, tussocked high country, mountains and gaping valleys. RAKIURA TRACK SOUTH ISL AND. 3 DAYS, 20 MILES Tucked beneath the South Island, Stewart Island is a haven for birdlife and a dark sky sanctuary where you have the chance to see the luminous Southern Lights year-round. The Rakiura Track is considered one of the easiest of the Great Walks. HUMP RIDGE TRACK SOUTH ISL AND. 3 DAYS, 38 MILES Showcasing the wild beaches and giant fern forests at the bottom of the South Island, the Hump Ridge Track is set to be inaugurated as a Great Walk in October 2024. THE GREAT WALKS: A SNAPSHOT Crisscrossing the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island are ancient trails where keeneyed hikers might chance upon a precious stone. Ranging in colour from cloudy pale green to deep emerald, jade is sacred, imbued with generations of Māori storytelling and spiritual connection. Considered a gift from the gods and prized more highly than gold in Māori culture, jade was traditionally crafted by Māori into swirling necklace pendants, clubs for close combat, and talismans shaped to resemble mythical creature such as the Manaia, a cross between a man, a bird and a fish that was said to guard against evil. However, jade is only found on the South Island — camouflaged in secluded riverbeds and locked inside boulders. Finding it required Māori hunters to undertake perilous quests into the wilderness, passing over mountains and fording rivers. Over time, these pathways transformed into arterial roads used by tribes for migration, trade and war. Today, many of these ancient tracks are used as hiking trails. Two of them, the Milford Trail and Heaphy Track, are ranked among the country’s greatest walks. Treasured pieces of jade have been passed down in Māori families for generations. Travellers are not allowed to take it out of New Zealand but can buy it from jewellers, particularly in Rotorua and Hokitika. The catch? Just as the precious stone is a gift from the land, tradition dictates carved jade should only be given as a gift between two people. MĀORI HERITAGE Following the trail of New Zealand’s green gold A hiker traverses limestone karst rocks on Mount Owen in Kahurangi National Park NEW ZEALAND JAN/FEB 2024 131

IMAGE: ROADY/NELSONTASMAN.NZ A practical guide to hiking in New Zealand Do I need a permit to do a Great Walk? No. However, to limit the impact of people on the natural environment, the Department of Conservation (DOC) requires hikers to book huts and campsites in advance. Most trails have two or more huts and you’ll need to book all of them together. Amenities can vary but huts tend to feature bunk beds in shared rooms, cooking facilities, heating, lighting, mattresses, toilets and non-potable water. How far in advance do I need to book accommodation along the Great Walks? The DOC takes bookings in June for the following season (October to April). Because of their popularity, huts and campsites can sell out within minutes, especially on the Milford Track and Abel Tasman Coast Track. If you miss out, you can still book with one of the local tour operators, which are allocated hut and campsite beds in advance or run their own lodges along the trail. What should I pack for a multiday hike? You’ll need a good-quality hiking pack and hiking shoes. Some trails traverse estuaries and rivers or stop at watering holes, making hiking sandals (and insect repellent) useful. Thermals and a rain jacket are a must. Guided tour operators generally include packed lunches, hot meals, snacks and drinks for guests, but if you’re travelling independently you’ll need to pack cooking equipment and food. You’ll also need bags to take your rubbish out in. Are the Great Walks suitable for beginners? They’re all graded ‘intermediate’, although some are more difficult than others due to terrain. However, they’re well-constructed, well-maintained and have clear signage, making them suitable for new and seasoned hikers. If you’re not confident, consider joining a specialist tour that will transport most of your luggage so you can hike more lightly. Apps such as Plan My Walk feature useful packing lists, track alerts and weather forecasts. How much should I budget for a Great Walk? This depends on the number of nights on the trail and how you choose to travel. For example, staying in a DOC hut on the fiveday Abel Tasman Coast Track costs NZ$56 (£26.88) a night or NZ$24 (£11.50) a night for a campsite pitch. Transport to and from the trailhead (either by water taxi or bus shuttle) is around NZ$50 (£24) each way. By comparison, a guided walk with operator Wilsons Abel Tasman starts from NZ$2,750 (£1,320) and includes your guide, snacks, meals, transport, accommodation, linen and luggage bags. GETTING THERE & AROUND Airlines including British Airways, Air New Zealand and Emirates fly from London airports to Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, and Queenstown, with one or two stops. Peak season for travel is December to February. ba.com airnewzealand.com emirates.com Average flight time to Auckland: 24h WHEN TO GO The Great Walks season runs from late October to late April, but some trails can be walked year-round. The South Island, especially in the southern half, has a cooler and wetter climate than the North Island, however most of the Great Walks tend to have changeable weather; pack for all conditions. Only highly experienced and self-sufficient hikers should attempt these trails from May to September. HOW TO DO IT Trailfinders offers a 21-day Great Walks of New Zealand package that includes three of the Great Walks (the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and the Abel Tasman Coast and Routeburn Tracks), from £5,935 per person, based on two adults sharing, excluding flights. trailfinders.com Visit doc.govt.nz for a comprehensive list of local operators offering tours of individual trails. Hikers in Abel Tasman National Park taking a beach break 132 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL NEW ZEALAND

A spirit of rebellious creativity infuses the northern city, with old factories turned into artists’ studios and a unique sense of style on display throughout WORDS: DANIEL STABLES. PHOTOGR APHS: TOBY MITCHELL MANCHESTER CITY LIFE 134 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL

“It’s fantastically therapeutic,” says Bhaggie Patel, ceramic artist and co-founder of Manchester’s Imprints of Earth ceramics studio. “Sometimes I’ll be sitting at the wheel and I’m so engrossed in what I’m doing, I don’t realise it’s turned dark outside.” Bhaggie is leading me in a one-to-one throwing class, teaching me how to turn an amorphous lump of clay into something useful, maybe even beautiful: a pot, perhaps, or a mug or bowl. As I look down, though — at my hands caked in clay, my shoe twitching unassuredly on the foot pedal, and the gloopy grey mess spinning sadly before me on the wheel — ‘therapeutic’ is not the word that immediately comes to mind. Bhaggie is patient with me, however, and I soon begin to understand what she means. I stop overthinking, and the minutes melt away along with the worries of the day, replaced by a state of flow: complete immersion in an act at once wholesome, practical and creative. “Any creative hobby can have huge physical and mental health benefits,” Bhaggie says. “It reduces stress and anxiety, increases positive emotions, and helps with problem solving. It gives you a sense of control and pride in whatever it is you’re making.” Bhaggie understands more than most the healing power of arts and crafts. A former social worker, she set up Imprints of Earth with her daughter Shakti after the sudden death of her husband, Nitin, in 2018. The shelves around us are stacked with her creations: smoke-fired vases, mottled in red, black and grey; Japanese-style raku teapots, their surfaces swirled with horsehair and feathers which create unique, ethereal patterns during the firing process. “Making ceramics is an amazing metaphor for life: learning when to let go, knowing what you can and can’t control, and celebrating the beauty of imperfection,” she says. Imprints of Earth is one of 20 shop-studios housed within the Manchester Craft and Design Centre, in the city’s artsy Northern Quarter. Bhaggie holds classes and workshops on request; other upcoming classes, advertised on a wall poster, promise visitors the opportunity to make the perfect souvenir: a leather purse, a glass sun catcher, or a silver bangle. Classes are also advertised at The Cyan Studio, a few doors down from Bhaggie’s workshop, where artist Victoria Glover teaches visitors the art of cyanotype, laying foraged twigs and leaves on chemically treated paper to create gorgeous blue and white photographic patterns. The centre sits in the impressive surrounds of the former Smithfield Market, a handsome building dating back to 1873. As I step out of Bhaggie’s studio into the atrium, sunlight JAN/FEB 2024 137

beams through the glass roof, catching the window display of a jewellery studio and spilling a gem box of rainbowed light onto the terracotta-tiled floor. The same colour palette adorns the shopfront opposite Bhaggie’s, belonging to Nicole Broad, aka The Fruit Moth — a fashion designer whose vibrant, upcycled vintage designs have won her a collaboration with high-street giants Uniqlo. Nicole’s native Manchester has always inspired her work, beginning with the floral bucket hats that were her early trademark. “People here are so confident in what they wear,” she says. Nicole also thinks it’s an unbeatable place to be creative. “It’s one of the best cities for an artist or designer. It’s a big city but feels like a tiny community,” she says. Like all of the units in the Craft and Design Centre, Nicole’s space is both workshop and shop, with everyone welcome to walk in, watch her at work, and chat to her about her designs. “Being able to go into a studio and see someone making something — that absolutely adds value,” she says. Nicole is a relative newcomer to the centre, having started her business during the lockdowns of the pandemic. I want to get a feel for how the scene and the city have changed over the years, so I head downstairs to meet the longest-serving resident, ceramicist Lee Page Hanson, who’s been working here for 24 years. “I used to work from a studio in Ancoats, an old industrial area of cotton mills not far from here,” says Lee. “Back then, in the 1990s, it was pretty rough and ready; I’d get out of the studio and onto the safety of a bus as soon as possible. It couldn’t be more different now — those old cotton mills are bars, art galleries and luxury apartments.” “There are loads of classes around Manchester now, too. I often see people in their 20s and 30s doing pottery classes and the like, instead of just going out drinking or sitting around watching TV.” The table in Lee’s studio bears the earthbound signs of work and craft: rows of brushes and knives, and decades’ worth of dry streaked clay and paint. All around us, the walls are hung with the end result: vases and bowls ornamented with colourful geometric patterns, and ceramic tiles depicting vibrantly painted toucans and sparrows. “We see plenty of famous faces too,” Lee adds. “Lemn Sissay [poet, broadcaster and Pinter Prize-winning playwright] came in the other day and bought a fridge magnet.” This is typical of Manchester, a place at once glittery and down-to-earth, gritty and creative; a big city with the intimacy of a small town, where everyone knows everyone and half of them are reaching for the stars. I experienced an unexpected brush with celebrity myself that very morning, when Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr wandered across my field of vision as I admired a statue of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst in St Peter’s Square. NEW BEGINNINGS The creativity and craftsmanship of Manchester’s designers and makers infuse all parts of the city’s life. Leaving the Craft and Design Centre behind, I explore the surrounding Northern Quarter, long known as Manchester’s most alternative neighbourhood. Vibrant murals light up every square and street corner. The outer walls of Affleck’s, a legendary indoor fashion and music market, are adorned with mosaics by artist Mark Kennedy depicting local icons as diverse as Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures album Clockwise from top left: The Manchester Craft and Design Centre in the Northern Quarter; Nicole Broad runs The Fruit Moth at the centre; early 20th-century grandeur at The Midland Hotel; floral bucket hats at The Fruit Moth Previous pages: The Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is a late 19th-century landmark amid city centre high-rises “Manchester kids have the best record collections” Tony Wilson, co-founder of Manchester’s Factory Records label MANCHESTER 136 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL

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Q&A with Stanley Chow, artist and illustrator H OW D O E S T H E C I T Y I N S P I R E YO U ? I hung out with and made posters for local music artists like Badly Drawn Boy and Elbow, and their success played a big part in motivating me to forge my own path. I also love the Industrial Revolution-era architecture — factories with billowing smoke often feature in my illustrations. W H Y I S M A N C H E S T E R S O G O O D F O R C R E AT I V E P E O P L E ? Historically, Mancunian designers and artists would move to London, but this has changed. Manchester’s cheaper than London, and increasing numbers have realised that building a career here is a possibility. Creative people will always attract other creative people, and naturally create really cool communities. W H E R E S H O U L D V I S I TO R S G O F O R LO C A L ART AND DESIGN? I love the Whitworth Gallery [which exhibits local and international artists]. A great event worth checking out is Art Battle, a live painting tournament which has been going in Manchester for the past 10 years now. cover, footballer Eric Cantona and Warburtons Toastie bread. Even the street signs are unique: blue and white and in a stylised typeface. The font is called Cypher, and was designed especially for the Northern Quarter by local artist Tim Rushton. One such sign announces Tib Street, where, on cast iron tablets beneath my feet, set into the pavement, the same font spells out a poem by Lemn Sissay entitled ‘Flags’. “Pavement cracks are the places where poets pack warrior words,” reads one line. Up above, terracotta parrots roost on the secondstorey window sills of the redbrick Victorian buildings — a nod to the street’s former life as a hub for pet shops. As I wander, I see evidence everywhere for Nicole’s claim that Mancunians have a distinctive sense of style, too — there are as many mod haircuts, paisley scarves and neon bucket hats to be seen today as in the city’s ‘Madchester’ heyday of the 1980s and 1990s. But more than anything, it’s about the attitude; anything looks great when worn with cast-iron confi dence. Consider Liam Gallagher, who has attained fashion-icon status by dressing like a Norwegian trawler fi sherman for the last 30 years. The prevalence of Gallagher’s beloved parka in Mancunian fashion has a practical element, of course — Manchester is famously rainy — but it has been elevated to a fashion form by brands like Private White VC, which still uses traditional manufacturing techniques and local materials in its original 19th-century factory on the banks of the River Irwell. Visits to the factory to meet the highly trained makers can be arranged on request. Mancunian craftspeople are also making their mark on the city’s blooming culinary scene. My walking tour has made me hungry, so I head south of the Northern Quarter to bistro Higher Ground for a bite to eat. The interior is typical Manchester — modern and stylish but with nods to the industrial past including polished concrete fl oors and bare light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. I order a burnt honey tart — the honey courtesy of beekeepers in the Manchester suburb of Chorlton — and it arrives on a beautiful plate created by Frida Cooper, a ceramicist working in Pollard Yard, a hub of converted shipping containers in Ancoats. Even the table I’m sitting at was made by local artisans — Easy Peel, who carved it from a London plane tree salvaged from the entrance of a Stockport shopping centre. By the time I emerge from the restaurant, the sun’s going down but Manchester’s art and design scene shows no sign of winding down with it. In the Northern Quarter, poetry and philosophy bookshop Anywhere Out of the World holds evening life drawing classes, while nearby bar Foundry Project hosts art evenings where you can learn to paint while enjoying a drink under the tutelage of a professional artist. Meanwhile, Islington Mill, a six-storey Georgian redbrick building close to the River Irwell in Salford, is a collection of makers’ studios by day and a venue for music, theatre and performance by night. This new role given to Manchester’s historic mill buildings, relics of a time when this was the fi rst industrial city in the world, is a neat symbol of the city’s modern character. Neglected for decades, these former furnaces of industry now house artisan workshops and designers’ studios — erstwhile cathedrals of mass production repurposed as homes for the boutique and one-of-a-kind. George Orwell once described Manchester as “the belly and guts of the nation”. That visceral quality still abides, but modern Manchester demands a more delicate analogy: the painter’s eye, perhaps, the potter’s wheel, or the jeweller’s hands. Clockwise from top left: The breakfast room at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel; the Kitty Bridge in Ancoats; small plates of heritage tomatoes with burrata, sardines with chimichurri, and miso-roasted cauliflower at Jane Eyre; a sign on the corner of Afflecks MANCHESTER JAN/FEB 2024 139

INSIDER TIPS If your time in Manchester inspires you to take up a creative hobby, be sure to head to Fred Aldous to pick up your arts or craft supplies. This shop in the Northern Quarter is beloved of local creatives and has been open for almost 150 years. fredaldous.co.uk The arty southern suburb of Chorlton is a great place to get creative away from the busy city centre. Give knitting a whirl at Stitched Up; try trouser-fitting or dress-making at Ministry of Craft at Home Studio; or throwing at Pottery Corner. stitchedup.coop ministryofcraft.co.uk potterycorner.co.uk Regular art night Overdrawn is a fun and welcoming place to try your hand at visual art. Events are sociable, laid-back affairs and take place in various venues — often Northern Quarter bars. Check online for the latest information. facebook.com/OverDrawn Spice mix Rusholme, located just south of the city centre, is home to a strip known as the Curry Mile — thought to be the UK’s largest concentration of South Asian restaurants 140 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL MANCHESTER

Manchester 8AM BREAKFAST AT FEDER AL Australian both in its laid-back atmosphere and its menu, Federal’s signature breakfast dishes include smashed avocado, halloumi and mushrooms on toasted sourdough, while the upcycled wood tables and tiled walls are archetypal Manchester cool. There are three branches in town, including one on Deansgate, a major shopping and business street. Space is limited and there are no reservations, so get here early. federalcafe.co.uk 10AM EXPLORE THE INDUSTRIAL PAST Manchester is often described as the cradle of the Industrial Revolution, with developments in manufacturing leading to an explosion in textile mills in the 19th century that changed the global economy. Among other innovations, it was the site of the world’s first intercity railway (between here and Liverpool), the old warehouse of which has been converted into the fantastic Science and Industry Museum. It tells the story of the city’s contributions to commerce, transport and computing. scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk 12PM ADMIRE AWESOME ARCHITECTURE Walk up Deansgate and you’ll experience the varied architecture typical of Manchester, with modern glass cubes side-by-side with magnificent Victorian buildings. The turreted neo-gothic structure of the John Rylands Library fits firmly in the latter category. Its vaulted corridors hide treasures such as medieval manuscripts and the Rylands Papyri, the oldest known New Testament fragments. manchester.ac.uk/rylands 2PM LUNCH AT HAWKSMOOR A few doors down is one of Manchester’s most handsomely situated restaurants. Housed in a high-ceilinged Victorian former courthouse, the walls painted racing green, Hawksmoor is justly acclaimed for its seafood — the Jersey Rock oysters are unforgettable, as are the white port-roasted scallops. The headline attraction, though, is the dry-aged steak, accompanied by sides such as grilled bone marrow, beef dripping fries and macaroni cheese. Leave time, too, for a martini in the Lowback Bar. thehawksmoor.com 14 HOURS IN Clockwise from left: Turkish eggs with whipped garlic yoghurt, sourdough toast and chorizo at Australianstyle breakfast spot Federal; Circle Square, just off Oxford Road; the Mackie Mayor food court in the former Smithfield Market JAN/FEB 2024 141

Ancoats Northern Quarter MANCHESTER Manchester Craft and Design Centre National Football Museum Deansgate Higher Ground Science and Industry Museum John Rylands Library R i v e r Ir w e l l 500 yards LONDON UNITED KINGDOM Manchester ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER GETTING THERE & AROUND Manchester is well connected to other major UK cities by train and bus. Trains run to Manchester Piccadilly from London Euston (2h 15m; from £77 return), Edinburgh (3h 15m; from £40 return) and Birmingham (1h 40m; from £46 return). Buses (operated by Megabus and National Express) ply the same routes, and more, at much cheaper prices, but take a lot longer. nationalrail.co.uk uk.megabus.com nationalexpress.com The city centre is fairly compact and easy to explore on foot. Greater Manchester is well served by the efficient tram network, the Metrolink, as well as numerous buses. tfgm.com WHEN TO GO Manchester is known for its dreary weather, although it only ranked 15th in a poll of the UK’s wettest cities by rainfall volume. Light drizzle is a nearinevitability year-round, though, so make sure you pack a parka. Summer can be nice enough, with some sunny days and average highs of 20C in July and August, while winters are relatively mild, with average highs of 7C in January. Layer up, and be sure to bring something waterproof for when the rain comes. WHERE TO STAY Dakota, Northern Quarter. Doubles from £171, B&B. dakotahotels.co.uk Cow Hollow, Northern Quarter. Doubles from £99, room only. cowhollow.co.uk Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, Oxford Road. Doubles from £103, B&B. kimptonclocktowerhotel.com MORE INFO visitmanchester.com Rough Guide to England. £18.99 4PM D I S C OV E R F O OT B A L L H E R I TAG E Walk north up Deansgate for 10 minutes or so and you’ll meet the honey-stoned gothic frontage of Manchester Cathedral, well worth a look inside for its beautifully carved medieval woodwork. Then head next door to learn more about Manchester’s greatest love: football. It can be tricky for visitors to get tickets for Manchester United or Manchester City matches, so try the modern National Football Museum instead. It harbours the world’s largest public collection of football artefacts, including shirts, trophies and historical documents. manchestercathedral.org nationalfootballmuseum.com 6PM GO ON A STREET ART TOUR Get to know the bohemian Northern Quarter by embarking on a tour of its street art, some of which changes periodically but much of which has become an iconic and unchanging feature of Manchester’s urban landscape. Highlights include a mural of a blue tit on the corner of Newton Street; a wall on Church Street depicting two goddesses; and a famous portrait on Stevenson Square depicting Ste Wing, a Mancunian stylist. If the weather’s good, have an outdoor drink at one of the bars on pedestrianised Thomas Street, which is itself covered in a rotating selection of murals. northernquartermanchester.com 8PM CATCH SOME COMEDY On Great Ancoats Street, the northern frontier of the Northern Quarter, lies Frog and Bucket, Manchester’s most famous comedy club. The likes of Johnny Vegas and Peter Kay cut their teeth on the stage here, and it continues to attract established touring acts. Often the most special nights, though, are the Beat the Frog open mic sessions, where you might just be lucky enough to catch the next big thing. A few doors down is legendary music venue Band on the Wall, where there’s always something worth seeing, from northern soul DJs to reggae groups. frogandbucket.com bandonthewall.org 10PM HAVE DINNER AND DRINKS IN ANCOATS Next to Band on the Wall is Mackie Mayor, a 19th-century market hall full of food vendors and bars. Stop for a drink and some food at whichever venue catches your eye, then wander the neighbourhood of Ancoats, where Victorian cotton mills and warehouses have been repurposed as bars and restaurants. Stop for a cocktail at the elegant bar and restaurant Jane Eyre, then wander over to current cool spot New Islington Marina, a redeveloped canal-side area. Pull up a counter seat at Scandi-style bar Flawd and have a glass of natural wine overlooking the barges on the canal. thejaneeyre.co.uk flawdwine.co Left: Cocktails at Hawksmoor MANCHESTER 142 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL

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Canada’s French-speaking second city mixes the best of North America with the best of Europe, from hybrid culture and superb shopping to some of the world’s best bagels WORDS: ALICIA MILLER. PHOTOGRAPHS: JEFF FRENETTE MONTREAL CITY LIFE 144 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL

Montreal is the city equivalent of your cool transatlantic friend. It has the high culture, style and gourmet food of the most elegant corners of France, and the informality, innovation and gregarious warmth of North America. The capital of the French-speaking province of Quebec, and one-time French colony, it is both art galleries and nightclubs, couture and jeans, fine wines and cheesesmothered chips (specifically, the city’s signature poutine, dripping in gravy). Montreal straddles the old and new worlds with an effortless je ne sais quoi rarely seen in big cities, and for that reason, Canadians and international visitors alike find it irresistible. Unlike Toronto, which has classic tick-box sights, or Vancouver, where life revolves around nature, the joy of a Montreal break lies in its unabashed hedonism — shopping, strolling, bar-hopping and dining. It’s best to come without a specific agenda, so you can let yourself be led by the rhythm of the city and its diverse neighbourhoods. You could soak up the seamless blend of French and North American culture that wafts down the stately Golden Mile; enjoy the buzzy nightlife strip of St Laurent Boulevard; stroll past the colourful historic houses of the Plateau area; and discover rejuvenated industrial Griffintown. There’ll probably be an intriguing boutique, cafe or small gallery to pop into on the way, and if you run thin on ideas, bilingual locals will happily point you somewhere to explore next. This is a city defined by the seasons, too. After the harsh freeze of winter, when locals cosy up indoors to escape the snow, Montreal bursts forth with renewed joie de vivre in late spring. Not a moment of the precious few summer months is wasted. In the historic old port quarter, dating to the 17th century, al fresco seating entices people to restaurants serving bistro classics. The city’s central park space, Mount Royal, is carpeted with green, its lawns covered with people drawn to the free weekly bohemian gathering Tam-Tams. The city’s busy events calendar hits full throttle in the Quartier des Spectacles, where outdoor plazas are designed to host everything from concerts to comedy and film screenings. Almost around the clock, you can feel this electric city thrum. On that note: whatever else draws you to Montreal, be prepared to make lively evenings part of your experience. The one thing, it could be argued, that this city does as well as food is nightlife, with bars and clubs having some of the best atmosphere, finest drinks and latest last calls in Canada. It’s perhaps not until you’re settled into an intimate bar, sipping on a cocktail fusing French cognac with Quebec maple syrup, that you can really appreciate Montreal’s dual-natured heart in all its splendour. JAN/FEB 2024 146

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SEE & DO OLD MONTREAL: Begin in the 17th-century centre, where narrow streets segue to a parkfringed series of quays on the St Lawrence River. Browse the many boutiques and galleries, then to Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, built in 1771 as a sailors’ pilgrimage site. The cobblestone stretch of Rue Saint-Paul near Marché Bonsecours, the public market that’s stuffed with boutiques, is especially photogenic. oldportofmontreal.com POINTE-À-CALLIÈRE MUSEUM: Get an overview of the city’s foundations from the archaeological exhibits of this eclectic museum in Old Montreal. It chronicles some 4,500 years of the area’s history, from early hunter-gatherers to 17th-century Catholic settlers. pacmusee.qc.ca JEAN-TALON M ARKET: This mostly undercover market in the city’s northwest is where food-obsessed Montrealers go to stock up. Among the produce from the 50-plus vendors, there is whiffy Quebec-made cheese at Fromagerie Qui Lait Cru, crunchy local apples from Domaine Villeneuve and maple syrup at Ferme René Lussier. marchespublics-mtl.com MONTREAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS: The city’s most significant arts museum — located in Downtown — trots from giltframed Napoleonic pieces to large-scale Antony Gormley works and Inuit carvings. In summer, the al fresco sculpture garden, where 22 public art pieces from around the world dot the lawns, is particularly inviting. mbam.qc.ca HABITAT 67: One of the few lasting remnants of landmark Expo 67 — the world exposition hosted here in 1967 — this series of brutalist homes is an architectural icon in the city. Join a 90-minute guided tour through the maze of suspended terraces and pedestrianised walkways on the banks of the St Lawrence River to learn about its design and the lifestyle of its inhabitants. habitat67.com MOUNT ROYAL PARK: Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (the brains behind New York’s Central Park), the city’s 692-acre central green is a meeting place, exercise area and entertainment space. In the summer, locals picnic, take boat rides on the lake or stroll with dogs to the park’s 764ft-high pinnacle. Don’t miss vast domed Saint Joseph’s Oratory, Canada’s largest church — its profile brings to mind Paris’s Sacré Coeur. saint-joseph.org MCGILL UNIVERSITY: With heritage buildings and rafts of greenery, the grounds of the Downtown academic institution — one of Canada’s finest — are well worth a wander. Pass under the columned Roddick Gates, to find the grand Macdonald-Stewart Library and McCall MacBain Arts buildings. mcgill.ca PLATEAU & MILE END: Of all Montreal’s cool neighbourhoods, this duo in the city’s north are especially vibrant. The artsy Plateau has colourful Victorian buildings, indie shops and leafy ‘ruelles vertes’ — garden alleyways. Edgier Mile End, meanwhile, mixes 19thcentury buildings with vintage shops and retro bagel bakeries. Deux Langues While most locals are bilingual, the official language of Quebec is French. You’ll see all public signage en français — including international brands such as KFC, known here as PFK, or Poulet Frit Kentucky Clockwise from top left: Saint Joseph’s Oratory, Canada’s largest church; exhibits at the Pointe-à-Callière Museum; the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts was founded in 1860; the remarkable dwellings of Habitat 67, built for a world expo; Los Planes restaurant in Jean-Talon Market Previous pages: Enjoying the sunset on the steps leading up to Saint Joseph’s Oratory MONTREAL JAN/FEB 2024 146

SLEEP £ M MONTREAL HOSTEL: With easy access to the Quartier des Spectacles festival district and the old port, this place has apartmentstyle set-ups with kitchenettes, so you can easily whip up a storm using produce from Jean-Talon Market. There’s free ping pong, pool and video games too, and a free pasta night every Wednesday. m-montreal.com £ £ HÔTEL WILLIA M GR AY: In the retro locale of Old Montreal but with a distinctly contemporary sensibility, this boutique stay really shines in summer when its roof terrace opens up, with views over the dome of Marché Bonsecours. There’s a spa to revive weary limbs after a day exploring, offering massages using quartz crystals. hotelwilliamgray.com £ £ £ FA I R MO N T T H E Q U E E N ELIZABETH: Next to Montreal’s central railway station, this grand historic hotel has always prided itself on setting the standard for luxury in the city. That’s not to say it’s fusty: recently renovated rooms come with a contemporary colour palette and bursts of kaleidoscopic art. There’s also a sizeable indoor pool and several restaurants and bars, including bistro-style Rosélys. fairmont.com BUY HOLT RENFRE W OG ILV Y: Montreal’s grand dame department store sells designer labels and cult upmarket beauty brands from both Canada and further afield. Wander through its historic and recently renovated halls before taking in the other big-brand shops on the city’s answer to London’s Oxford Street, SaintCatherine Street. holtrenfrew.com CORAIL BLANC: Supporting small-scale indie Canadian designers — with ecofriendly and women-led businesses given priority — this jewellery shop on St Laurent Boulevard sells everything from modern minimalist rings to elaborate pendant earrings. Afterwards, you can pop into nearby Schwartz’s, one of the city’s most legendary delis, for a sandwich stuffed with smoked meat similar to pastrami. corailblanc.com ANNEX VINTAGE: Showcasing both vintage clothing and new home goods ranging from stationery to skincare, this shop in Mile End encapsulates the area’s cool, artsy character. Whether 1990s fashion is your thing or you’re looking for a new print for your wall at home, you won’t be disappointed with the huge selection on offer. annexvintage.com EAT £ BEAUTYS LUNCHEONETTE: Montreal’s most famous diner opened in 1942 and hasn’t changed much since. Order the Beautys Special, a sesame bagel with lox (brined salmon), cream cheese, tomato and red onion, washed down with a cookies-and-cream smoothie. There are no reservations; prepare to queue on weekends (it’s worth it). facebook.com/beautysmtl £ £ JOE BEEF: This cosy, low-lit restaurant in villagey Little Burgundy is the ultimate expression of Quebec-meets-French decadence. It’s best known for its lobster spaghetti — one of the few dishes that rarely disappears from the chalkboard menu — with other regulars including steak au poivre, Canadian caviar and oysters. joebeef.com £ £ £ MONTRÉAL PLAZA: Named on Canada’s 100 best restaurants list, Montréal Plaza showcases both seriously interesting wines and a sense of fun in its food — for example, you might just find a plastic dinosaur served with your salad. Pull up a chair at the polished bar next to city high-fliers and tuck into blood pudding with crab bisque or beef tartare with herring and puffed rice. montrealplaza.com View of Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral Clockwise from right: Annex Vintage in edgy Mile End; lobster spaghetti at Joe Beef; a building typical of the Plateau neighbourhood; homewares at Annex Vintage MONTREAL 148 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL

Old Montreal Griffintown Plateau Mile End MONTREAL S t L a w r e n c e R i v e r Montreal Museum of Fine Art McGill University Pointe-à-Callière Museum Habitat 67 Jean-Talon Market St Laurent Boulevard Mount Royal Park ½ mile CANADA Quebec Montreal ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER LIKE A LOCAL BAGEL BAKES: Montreal is known for its unique style of handmade bagels: small, chewy and slightly sweet. They’re woodfired 24 hours a day at the city’s two popular Mile End bakeries — Fairmont Bagel and St Viateur — where they can be eaten almost straight from the oven. fairmountbagel.com stviateurbagel.com NEW NEIGHBOURHOODS: Want to explore beyond the main visitor districts? Formerly industrial Griffintown is now a hub for the local creative scene, such as the Arsenal Contemporary Art centre, as well as stylish and modern housing. Meanwhile, leafy Verdun by the waterside has its own sandy beach and a glut of homely restaurants. UNDERGROUND CITY: If you’re visiting in winter, you don’t need to traverse the icy streets. Much of Montreal’s Downtown is connected by a network of subterranean shopping centres and tunnels. Known as the Underground City, it’s a heaven-sent hack for getting around when temperatures plunge to -30C. AFTER HOURS BIG IN JAPAN BAR: Set on Montreal’s popular bar strip St Laurent Boulevard, this dimly lit and intimate den sees drinkers sat around a U-shaped bar sipping sake and Japanese whiskies. Twinkly lights give it plenty of date-night appeal. instagram.com/ biginjapan_bar BROUEPUB DIEU DE CIEL: Quebec province does beer par excellence. This recently renovated brewpub on Avenue Laurier allows you to sample top examples at the source, from refreshing lagers to English-style bitters and blonde hefeweizens (wheat beers). Order a tasting flight and line your stomach with some poutine — the Quebec staple of chips, cheese curds and gravy. dieuduciel.com AUR A AT NOTRE-DA ME BASILICA: Old meets new at Old Montreal’s spectacular basilica with this immersive light and music show. Most evenings, as audiences watch on from the pews, captivating scenes themed around the church’s history are projected onto the ceiling, walls and altar in a riot of colour, sound and motion. aurabasiliquemontreal.com GETTING THERE & AROUND Air Canada, British Airways, Air Transat and American Airlines fly between the UK and Montreal multiple times a week. aircanada.com ba.com airtransat.com aa.com Average flight time: 7h15m. One-stop options are available through the likes of Air France. airfrance.co.uk In the summer months, central Montreal is largely walkable, though you’ll find the Metro network handy for covering longer distances. You can purchase an OPUS travel card for use on public transport (C$11/£6.60 for 24 hours of unlimited rides). stm.info It’s worth also budgeting for taxis, as some outer neighbourhoods aren’t as easily or quickly reached any other way. Local operator Taxi Diamond has its own app. taxidiamond.com If you’d rather travel under your own steam, check out BIXI, the official app for the city’s bike-sharing scheme. bixi.com WHEN TO GO Winters can be bitterly cold and long in Montreal, with an average temperature of -9C, so it’s best to plan a visit between late spring (May) and early autumn (September) to experience the city to the full. Summer is also when the terrace season will be in full swing, along with the packed festival calendar. It’s not unusual for daytime highs to hit or exceed 30C in July and August, so if you plan to do a lot of walking, you may want to stick to more temperate June or September instead. MORE INFO Visit Montreal. mtl.org Fodor’s Montréal and Québec City. £14.99 HOW TO DO IT Canadian Affair has a six-night break to Montreal from £836 per person, including accommodation and international flights as well. canadianaffair.com One of the many local beers on tap at the Brouepub Dieu de Ciel MONTREAL 150 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL

MADEIRA Madeira’s volcanic terrain of fern-lined waterfalls, natural slides and green-tinged lagoons make it a playground for coasteering, a thrilling combination of swimming, scrambling and rock-jumping. Words: Nicole Trilivas Take the leap

IMAGES: GETTY; TIAGO SOUSA “T rust the grip,” my canyoning guide, Filipe Ferreira from Madeira Adventure Kingdom, tells me, more than once. Still, I step slowly. Rushing freshwater sluices past my extragrippy boots and over smooth boulders, before plunging over a 40ft drop, which I’m expected to rappel down. I look back up the canyon in the direction we came from, but there’s no turning back. “It’s not like football, where you can decide you don’t want to play anymore,” Filipe had explained on the short ride from Madeira’s capital Funchal to the Ribeira das Cales trail in the Funchal Ecological Park. “Once you start, you must continue.” A verdant, mountainous Portuguese archipelago with a year-round temperate climate, Madeira is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream. Canyoning is possible in any season and most trails are easy to reach. What’s more, its volcanic terrain of fernlined waterfalls, natural slides and greentinged lagoons comes in all kinds of shapes and sizes, making canyoning accessible for beginners and fun for professionals. A native Madeiran, Filipe has been a guide with Madeira Adventure Kingdom for 12 years, leading everyone from grandmothers to toddlers (including his daughter on his back). The company coordinates group and private trips all over the island, according to ability. But for this adventure, it’s just Filipe and myself. Starting on the Pico do Areeiro mountain, at about 5,964ft, the Ribeira das Cales trail is a class one, meaning it’s perfect for beginners. In a scarlet-red wetsuit, Filipe looks like SpiderMan as he bounces off the canyon’s dewy walls with sprightly ease. He doesn’t even have to look where to step in the shin-high water, shimmering silver in the September sun. Along the way, he pauses to point out splashing trout and sour-sweet blueberries that line the trail, occasionally popping a few in his mouth. Virtually vibrating with positive energy, he’s exactly the kind of guide a fi rst-time canyoneer could want. It takes us under two hours to descend, making our way down fi ve waterfalls, several slides and a few low jumps. Pretty pools, which Filipe calls his “spas”, are peppered throughout. These quickly become my favourite part when he allows me to pause, fl oat on my back and listen to the water as I look up at the sky. But now I need to get down that 40ft waterfall, the biggest on the trail. “Sometimes,” Filipe marvels, “people are so scared that they don’t listen.” I try to focus as he explains how the ropes work. He points out the safety features: the strong anchors on the rock and a second rope that keeps us secure, even if we let go of our own. I lean back, trusting the equipment, trusting the grip. I’m facing the waterfall, which helps because I don’t have to look down. Slowly, I move my feet down the rock wall, even daring to add a little bounce. The punch-in-the-gut feeling that hits when stepping outside of your comfort zone begins to fade, and, with surprising ease, down the waterfall I go. At the bottom, I splash ungracefully into crystalline water, which zings down my wetsuit like electricity. Filipe whoops triumphantly. It’s the best feeling in the world, and I have Madeira to thank for it. PLAN YOUR TRIP Daily, direct flights from airports across the UK make Madeira easily accessible. Approximate flight time 4h. For more information, visit visitmadeira.com From left: the blue-green waters of Seixal on Madeira’s northwest coast; coasteering along the Ribeira das Cales trail in the Funchal Ecological Park MORE OF MADEIRA’S GREAT OUTDOORS EXPLORE THE SEA Marine life awaits at the Garajau Partial Nature Reserve, off the southeast coast, a short drive from Funchal. Book a two-hour guided kayaking and snorkelling trip via LokoLoko. lokolokomadeira.com WALK THE LEVADAS For centuries, channels known as levadas carried water from the north of Madeira to the south. They’re still used for irrigation and hydropower, and as trails for hiking. madeiraoceantrails.com mb-tours.pt SWIM IN NATURE The sea-fed pools of Porto Moniz and Seixal on Madeira’s northwest coast are a dramatic delight to swim, with waves pouring in from the Atlantic. These keep the water fresh, making ocean swimming easier and safer. | PAID CONTENT FOR VISIT MADEIRA T H I S I S PA I D C O N T E N T. I T D O E S N OT N E C E S S A R I LY R E F L E C T T H E V I E W S O F N AT I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C , NATIONAL GEOGR APHIC TR AVELLER (UK) OR THEIR EDITORIAL STAFFS.

I love desert scenery — where can I go for inspirational views? The romantic landscape of infinite sand dunes isn’t quite as common (or as accessible) as you might think. Morocco has two such regions of Saharan sand, and the UAE has some nooks in its far south. But, if it’s vast, storybook deserts you’re craving, the best option is Oman. The most popular desert there is Wahiba Sands, a 4,800sq-mile expanse of dunes just a two-hour drive from the capital Muscat. There’s a diverse range of camps — from the luxury pavilions of the Desert Nights Camp (from OMR56/£120 half-board) to budget camping options. Wherever you stay, the programme is broadly similar: by day you take camel treks across sandy summits, by night you listen to Bedouin storytellers and watch campfire smoke drift up to pristine constellations. omanhotels. com/desertnightscamp For an even wilder experience, head for the Empty Quarter: the world’s largest continuous sand desert. Serious expeditions, such as those run by Arabian Sand Tours, set out from Salalah in southern Oman — it can take many hours until you find yourself deep in the dunes. Here, in one of the most remote plots on the planet, you can learn about the nomads whose caravans once crossed these drifts, and for whom water was as precious as gold. arabiansandtoursservices. com OLIVER SMITH Desert experiences aren’t just about rolling sand dunes. To understand the cultures that deserts help shape, it’s essential to spend time in an oasis town. These places provide a lifeline to the steadfast communities living on the edge of such harsh conditions. On a recent visit to Morocco, I spent a few days in Skoura, biking around the outskirts of the town, darting in and out of palm groves and stopping to admire well-worn kasbahs. These heritage buildings echo the historic significance of this oasis town as a stopover on the fabled salt route from the Atlas Mountains to Timbuktu. From Skoura, the drive south to reach M’hamid takes just over four hours; from the town, one can travel by camel to explore Erg Lehoudi, a classic desert landscape of 330ft-high dunes. For a more intrepid trip, travel by 4x4 to Erg Chigaga, stay at a remote desert camp and let the great empty space of the Sahara bring some serenity into your life. steppestravel.com JARROD KYTE IMAGES: GETTY; ALAMY; SIM CANETTY-CLARKE ASK THE EXPERTS TR AVEL TALK NEED ADVICE FOR YOUR NE X T TRIP ? ARE YOU AF TER RECOM MENDATION S, TIPS AND GUIDANCE? OUR EXPERTS HAVE THE ANSWERS… Oliver Smith Travel writer Jarrod Kyte Product and impact director, Steppes Travel Rob Stewart Founder of Ski Press and co-host of The White Out Podcast Peter Grunert Editor, Lonely Planet’s Electric Vehicle Road Trips: Europe Dr Dipti Patel Director, National Travel Health Network & Centre TH E EXPERTS Clockwise from above: The Wahiba Sands of the Arabian Desert, Oman; applying insect repellent; the Prince Albert suite at The Fife Arms in Scotland 154 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL

We’re planning a trip to the Caribbean but are also trying for a baby — is the Zika virus still a cause for concern? Many of us can remember the news in late 2015 when an outbreak of Zika virus was found to be linked to babies being born with serious birth defects, including a small and underdeveloped brain. The outbreak was particularly noted in Brazil, but cases were seen across South America, the Caribbean and Asia. Sadly, the fact that Zika isn’t making the news today doesn’t mean it has gone away. The virus is mostly spread by one species of mosquito; rarely, it can be transmitted sexually. Most people infected have no symptoms or only mild ones. However, Zika can pass from an infected mother to her baby during pregnancy. There’s no specific treatment for Zika, and currently no vaccine. Unfortunately, Zika still exists in many countries. While some haven’t reported cases for years, the global situation is unclear; its mild symptoms mean that cases may be unreported. In the UK, my organisation (NaTHNaC) works with the UK Health Security Agency to produce the country guidance on Zika and other health risks, travelhealthpro.org.uk If you’re planning a trip to a country where Zika exists, you may want to choose another destination. As the data on case numbers can be confusing, speak to your GP, practice nurse or a travel clinic. If you do decide to travel to a Zika risk country, follow the recommended advice, including taking care to avoid mosquito bites, and precautions to prevent sexual transmission of Zika. DR DIPTI PATEL Where’s the best place to stay for a UK ski break? Skiing in the UK isn’t comparable to the Alps in terms of area or snow reliability, but there’s still something special about standing on a British mountain in winter. The Weardale Ski Club, Country Durham, boasts England’s longest ski slope and membership costs £48 a year — 4x4 vehicle access with snow chains or winter tyres required. Scotland offers the widest choice of commercial skiing in the UK with five main centres: the Nevis Range and Glencoe in the west and Cairngorm, Lecht and Glenshee in the east. The town of Aviemore is a 25-minute drive from the slopes of Cairngorm, where a funicular railway is among the 15 lifts that cover a wide area of hillsides and gullies that usually hold the snow well into April. On the other side of the Cairngorms National Park, Scotland’s largest ski area Glenshee spreads across both sides of the A93 with 22 lifts and terrain for all levels, including the steep and scary Tiger Run. The Fife Arms in the nearby town of Braemar has to be one of the best spots for a cosy winter break. The immaculately restored 19th-century hotel has over 16,000 art objects including a Picasso painting. Take the train to Perth and grab a taxi (one-and-a-half hour drive), and stay from £434 B&B in the Nature & Poetry Suite. Alternatively, nearby Braemar Cabins start from £180, sleeping four. thefifearms.com braemarcabins.com ROB STEWART Which are the best European countries to explore by electric vehicle? For a first taste of roadtripping by electric vehicle, nowhere is more accessible than the Netherlands. The nation has more EV chargers than any other in Europe, helping to banish range anxiety — as do the absence of the steep inclines and seasonal extremes of temperature that can sap battery charge. Car hire companies such as Hertz and Sixt now offer plenty of reasonably priced EV choices in big cities such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Explore locally, then spear off towards the Wadden Islands and Groningen in the lessvisited north. I’d recommend downloading the Shell Recharge app (shellrecharge. com) or using Google Maps to see where the fastest chargers are. For a full charge, expect to pay around half the amount you would to cover the same distance in a regular car. Depending on the type of EV you hire, range will be between 150 and 350 miles. Norway is also ideal for EVs, despite its mountain roads and battery-chilling winters; try slightly more frequent visits to chargers, say a half-hour topup every three hours. There are more EVs here per capita than in any other country in Europe, and 98% of electricity comes from renewable sources. Collect your hire car from Oslo, where incentives to enjoy EVs include discounts on toll roads, then drive past Oslofjord along the south coast, well stocked with chargers, towards Stavanger. PETER GRUNERT JAN/FEB 2024 166

IMAGES: GETTY. WORDS: LISELI THOMAS IT’S BEEN A CENTURY SINCE THE GLOBAL GA MES FIRST EMBR ACED SNOW AND ICE.  HERE’S A CLOSER LOOK AT HOW THE E VENT HA S E VOLVED OVER THE DECADES Winter Olympics THE INFO Sources: chamonix.com olympics.com statista.com thebbsa.co.uk 20,000 11 85 miles per hour 2 billion 148 TH E TOTAL N U M B E R OF G OLD M E DAL S WON BY N ORWAY AT TH E WINTE R OLYM PIC S , TOPPIN G THE ALL-TIME MEDAL TABLE TH E N U M B E R OF IC E B LOC KS C ARVE D FROM TH E M O U NTAIN S IDE BY TH E AU STRIAN ARMY FOR TH E LU G E AN D BOB S LE IG H TR AC KS AT TH E 196 4 GAM E S IN IN N S B RU C K The number of women who competed in the 1924 Winter Olympics, out of 258 athletes. Until the 1936 Games, figure skating was the only sport women were allowed to enter Originally titled ‘Winter Sports Week’, the event includes bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey and speed skating The event returns as the ‘Games of Renewal’ in St Moritz, Switzerland after a 12-year hiatus caused by the Second World War Lake Placid, US becomes the first host to use artificial snow to guarantee all events could run during an unusually dry winter Beijing makes history as the first city in the world to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games The number of people who watched the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. More tuned in via television and social media than ever before TH E TOP S PE E D RE AC H E D BY ATHLETES WHIZZING HEAD - FIRST DOWN H ILL IN TH E SKELETON EVENT 1924 1980 1948 MILESTONE MOMENTS 2022 1 0 First held in Chamonix, France in 1924, the Winter Olympic Games will return to their birthplace for the centenary celebrations, which will include a programme of cultural exhibitions and sporting events TR AVEL TALK 156 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL

In October, European Union officials confirmed a new timeline for the introduction of the Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), a USstyle visa-waiver programme for short stays. It had originally been earmarked for a 2022 launch before being pushed back to spring 2024; it’s now set to debut in spring 2025. The delay is down to the fact the ETIAS can’t be introduced until the EU launches its new Entry/ Exit System (EES), an automated IT system designed to register travellers from the UK and other non-EU countries, now scheduled for late 2024. Airlines welcomed the delay as it will mean more time to install the new hardware they need to process the data. How will EES and ETIAS work? Instead of receiving passport stamps, travellers will be required to scan their passports at selfservice kiosks and provide biometric data (facial scans and fingerprints) when crossing an EU external border. This data will then be stored in the EES database for three years and linked to the ETIAS, which UK travellers must apply and pay for ahead of a trip to the EU. The ETIAS will carry a nominal fee of €7 (around £6) and will be valid for three years. ETIAS authorisation will be required for UK passportholders entering any of the 27 Schengen countries, plus Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria. However, it won’t be needed for UK visitors to Ireland. What does the delay mean for 2024 travel? UK citizens can expect another year of entry/exit passport stamps when travelling to the EU. This system came into effect after the Brexit transition period ended in December 2020 and has caused delays at airports and the Channel crossings. However, EU border controls are HOT TOPIC The new visa-waiver system has been delayed for another year, but there are plenty of other challenges for British travellers in 2024 EU TR AVEL RULES only one element of the fraught disentanglement that followed Brexit. A number of other rules have changed for UK nationals heading to EU countries — before booking travel in 2024, it’s advisable to double-check you know the score. What’s the issue with passport validity? Post-Brexit rules on passport expiry dates tripped up thousands of UK travellers last year and could do so again in 2024. Passports must have been issued within the past 10 years (child passports are fine, as they’re valid for five years) and the expiry date must be at least three months after the day of departure from the EU. Am I still allowed to drive in the EU on a UK driver’s licence? Yes — you don’t need an international driving permit (IDP) to drive in the EU, as long as you have a photo card licence rather than a paper licence. However, following Brexit, there is a requirement to add a UK sticker (not a GB sticker) to the rear of cars entering the EU. It’s worth checking country-specific requirements, but drivers should carry their licence, V5C log book and proof of UK insurance when taking a car into the EU; a special ‘green card’ certificate is no longer needed. Cars towing a caravan may require additional documents. What kind of health insurance do I need? The old European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) are being phased out, although existing cards will remain valid until their listed expiry date. Now, the new GHIC (the ‘G’ standing for global) allows holders access to discounted or free state healthcare in the EU, Montenegro and Switzerland (although there are slightly different rules for the latter). UK travellers aren’t required to hold a GHIC to enter EU countries but it’s advisable to get one. It’s free and easy to apply for one on the NHS website: search online for ‘NHS GHIC’ — and be sure to avoid scam sites offering the service for a fee. A GHIC is valid for five years and, as with its predecessor, isn’t a substitute for a travel insurance policy, which covers far more, including repatriation. What if I want to take my pet on holiday? After January 2021, EU pet passports issued in Great Britain became invalid for travel to the EU or Northern Ireland. Britons wanting to take a dog (including assistance dogs), cat or ferret to the EU or Northern Ireland must now get an animal health certificate from a vet ahead of travel. To be eligible for the certificate, pets must be microchipped and vaccinated against rabies. Certification needs to be obtained no more than 10 days before travel. Dogs travelling to Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta or Norway are also required to have tapeworm treatment before arrival. SIMON USBORNE JAN/FEB 2024 159

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IMAGE: AWL IMAGES WINTER EXPERIENCES From ice skating and cross-country skiing to snowy train rides and cosy cabins stays, there are many memorable ways to make the most of the European winter WORDS: OLIVER SMITH There’s no better time to sink your teeth into Transylvania than winter. One of Europe’s wildest corners becomes a smidgen wilder in the colder months: meadows are buried under drifts, bears snooze in woodland burrows, church towers and castle battlements are strung with icicles. Exodus offers a winter hiking tour of the Romanian region, using either boots or snowshoes, depending on the depth of snow. Participants poke their noses into bat caves, look for wolf prints on mountain plateaus and stop in traditional villages and farms to taste plum brandy. The tour ends with a visit to Bran Castle, traditionally, if not accurately, known as the home of Dracula. Eight days from £1,299 per person. exodus.co.uk Mull is among the most stately of the Hebridean islands, with a convoluted coastline carved up by inlets and an interior crowned by brooding Ben More. Up close, it’s equally captivating, particularly if you happen to be snooping on its animal residents through binoculars. Join a week-long winter wildlife safari with Naturetrek to see Mull during this most majestic season, when snow dusts the hills and the vegetation has thinned out, making it easier to spot herds of red deer. Birds of prey are busy at this time — look out for both golden eagles and white-tailed eagles riding the thermals, as well as otters swimming in the sea lochs below. Seven days from £1,795 per person. naturetrek.co.uk 1 SNOWSHOE IN ROMANIA 2 SPOT WILDLIFE IN SCOTLAND UNUSUAL ACTIVITIES JAN/FEB 2024 159

IMAGES: ALAMY; GETTY While the British railway network grinds to a halt with the slightest dusting of snow, Swiss trains soldier on undaunted through snowdrifts, raging blizzards and conditions that would make polar explorers wince. Perhaps the boldest trains running through the Alps are those of the Bernina Express — reaching an ear-popping elevation of 2,253 metres as they enter a realm of glaciers while traversing a mountain pass dividing Switzerland and Italy. The sublime four-hour journey leaves skiers behind in St Moritz, as each train screeches skyward to the railway’s highest point at frozen Lago Bianco, before looping its way downhill to Tirano. Look out for the snow plough train that clears the line — it’s affectionately known as ‘the monster’. One way from CHF 61 (£63) per person. rhb.ch Come winter, ice rinks establish themselves in market squares across Europe, with stollen and mulled wine in abundance. None, though, can compare to the experience of skating on the natural ice in Sweden — should the temperature sink low enough, thousands of miles of possible routes unfurl for anyone with a pair of skates and a spot of gumption. Guided tours with Nature Travels see skaters slice their way across backcountry lakes, gliding amid boreal forests, listening to the creak and rumble of shifting ice and peering into the crystalline depths beneath the metal blades. If conditions allow, itineraries also allow participants to skate on the salty ice of the Stockholm archipelago, where a frozen sea is studded with thousands of islets and skerries. Four days from £748 per person. naturetravels.co.uk The closest many folks get to bobsleighing is watching a certain ’90s film with a reggae soundtrack. The Sigulda Bobsleigh and Luge Track, about 50 minutes by rail from the handsome Latvian capital of Riga, however, is doing its bit to change all that. The course is 1,500 metres long, contains 16 curves and was built in 1986, mainly for use by Soviet athletes during the twilight years of the USSR. Since then, history has taken its own twists and turns, and the track now serves as a training ground for the Latvian Winter Olympic team. An exception is made for paying visitors, however. During each session, an expert bobsleigh pilot takes the controls while ordinary mortals cower in the back, clinging on for dear life as speeds of up to 80mph are reached. From £40. latviabobsleigh.com Winter sees vast shoals of herring migrate to the Lofoten archipelago, where they seek sanctuary in fjords warmed by the Gulf Stream. Hot on their fishtails come pods of orcas that congregate here to gobble up mouthfuls of said herring, their sleek black forms rupturing the surface of the Norwegian Sea. Third in line are the tourists who come to see these whales on seasonal safaris — Lofoten Opplevelser offers daily departures in rigid inflatable boats, watching dorsal fins circling and clouds of spray erupting from blowholes. Almost as distracting is the backdrop to all this fishy drama: snow-capped mountains rising sheer from the sea, and villages of blood-red cabins strung along the shore. Four-hour safari from NOK 1,800 (£133) per person. lofoten-opplevelser.no 3 TAKE A TRAIN THROUGH THE ALPS 5 RIDE A BOBSLED IN LATVIA 4 SKATE IN SWEDEN 6 WHALE-WATCH IN NORWAY 160 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL WINTER EXPERIENCES

With over 95.000 lakes, Sweden is a popular place for outdoor ice-skating Above: The Bernina Express passing through Graubunden in Switzerland Previous pages: A remote hut used by hikers and cross-country skiers in Kittilä province in Finnish Lapland JAN/FEB 2024 161

An ice climber tackles a frozen waterfall in the Serrai di Sottoguda gorge in the Italian Dolomites 162 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL

IMAGE: ALAMY With the arrival of snow, the French Alps welcome hordes of skiers, crowds of snowboarders, a smattering of snowshoers and a sprinkling of ice climbers. Perhaps the rarest of these tribes are the fat bikers — the ‘fat’ in this case applies to the supersized, knobbly tyres adapted to get maximum purchase on snow and ice. Ride the Alps offers winter fat biking trips out of Samoens — a commune on the Swiss border, set in the shadows of the Chablais Alps. Here, fat bikers get to experience a different kind of Alpine descent — ski lifts are off limits, so riders hop in a support van to gain some elevation before carving their way through snowy forests and descending pistes once skiers have adjourned for their apres. Two days from £349 per person. ridethealps.com Most people craving snowy landscapes instinctively head for Scandinavia or the Alps. Far fewer venture into the Tatras, the mountain range that arches along the Slovakia-Poland border. Much Better Adventures offers a four-day hiking trip on the Slovakian side of the range — groups spend days treading through forests shaggy with fresh snowfall, climbing to highland lakes ringed by frosty peaks. After sundown, you get to experience Slovakian apres — expect goulash instead of fondue — with thermal springs on hand to revive trail-weary limbs. Three nights from £512. muchbetteradventures.com No winter activity is as meditative as ice fishing. Swaddled in winter clothing, participants plod onto frozen lakes, drill saucer-sized holes in the surface and spend still, silent hours with their eyes trained on the void below, minds wandering as they await a snag on the line. It’s especially popular in Estonia, where Sauga Fishing Village offers classes for beginners close to the town of Pärnu in the south. Expert fishermen guide you on a woodland walk, heaving along a sledful of supplies to a remote lake. Tea and soup are on hand while you await your catch; should your body need a thorough defrosting afterwards, there’s the chance to conclude your day in a sauna set inside an old fishing boat. Four hours of fishing instruction for two people from €425 (£372). fishingvillage.ee Cross-country skiing is deeply ingrained in Finnish culture — it was the nimbleness and manoeuvrability of skis that saw the Finnish army outsmart Russian invaders during the Second World War. To this day, skis are deployed on missions as diverse as marathons, school runs and brief hops to the shops. To learn how to use them yourself, take a daylong cross-country ski trip out of Saariselkä, a resort set among the fells and forests of Finnish Lapland. Participants traverse an upland area crisscrossed with over 100 miles of trails, forging a deeper connection with the Arctic landscape as they swoosh along snowbound tracks. €82 (£72).. laplandnorth.fi Most of the year, the waterfalls of the Italian Dolomites form the backdrop to holiday photographs, but in winter they offer themselves as ice climbing routes for enthusiasts armed with axes and crampons who scale nooks of the mountain range normally out of bounds. Local operator Mapo Tapo has a three-day guided introduction to ice climbing in the region, during which you learn belaying techniques and how to use ice screws and, hopefully, take the occasional moment to glance away from the ice at your fingertips to admire the limestone mountains beyond. Two nights from £290 per person. mapotapo.com Descended from steeds brought over on Viking longships, Icelandic horses are small but sturdy creatures. With their thick coats they’re accustomed to working year-round so it’s possible to take a horse-riding trip even in the thick of winter. Íslandshestar offers itineraries in southern Iceland. Short days might involve riders trotting beside the glacial Thjorsa River and passing under the brooding Hekla volcano, as well as learning about the horse’s unique gait, the tölt (somewhere between a canter and a gallop). There are also interludes where guests get to dismount and explore the sights of the Golden Circle via bus. Four days from €1,299 (£1,136) per person. islandshestar.is 7 ICE FISH IN ESTONIA 10 FAT BIKE IN FRANCE 8 HIKE IN SLOVAKIA 9 CROSS-COUNTRY SKI IN FINLAND 11 ICE CLIMB IN ITALY 12 HORSE-RIDE IN ICELAND WINTER EXPERIENCES JAN/FEB 2024 163

Most visitors to Iceland stick to the populated coastal belt. The centre of the island, by contrast, is like a hole in a doughnut — an empty plot historically synonymous with outlaws and trolls, defined by fearsome volcanoes and untroubled by roads, place names and, indeed, people. That’s changing with the recent opening of Highland Base Kerlingarfjöll — a resort from the creator of Iceland’s famous Blue Lagoon, in central Iceland. Guests get to explore a remote wilderness of cobalt-blue lakes and thundering rivers set in an ashen valley between the Langjökull and Hofsjökull glaciers. Getting there is half the adventure. It’s only accessible in winter via super jeep — a Mad Max-like 4WD with giant tyres. Skilled drivers charge through icy expanses and trace vanishing dirt tracks, taking around two hours to make the roller coaster ride from civilisation. You eventually arrive in an alien-looking landscape — in the midst of which new buildings look somewhat like a space station; it was not for nothing that NASA astronauts trained for Moon missions in the Icelandic interior. It’s far from spartan on the inside, though — a range of creature comforts have been imported along the bumpy roads to Highland Base. The timber-clad hotel has smart rooms with mid-century fittings, a hostel and dorm are on hand for backpackers and hikers, plus there’s a restaurant that serves — among other things — a traditional Icelandic waffle buffet at teatime. The central appeal is striking out from these into the cold landscapes outside the windows. Daily guided treks have groups marching up volcanic slopes, while in winter there’s a varied programme of options, including snowmobile tours up glaciers and ski expeditions to surrounding hot springs. It’s here, in the middle of the country, you truly become on intimate terms with the ice that makes up half of this country’s name. Super jeeps are the only practical way of reaching Highland Base Kerlingarfjoll from October to June — transfers are available either from Basecamp Skjól (where the asphalt roads run out) or direct from Reykjavik. Doubles with buffet breakfast from ISK 56,800 (£324). highlandbase.is 1 ESCAPE TO THE MIDDLE OF ICELAND MEMORABLE SLEEPS 164 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL WINTER EXPERIENCES

IMAGES: HIGHLAND BASE – KERLINGARFJÖLL; TRAVEL TWO 2 COSY UP IN A SCOTTISH HUT Fantasies of remote living can be indulged in the Woodman’s Hut — an off-grid timber cabin for two, deep in a forest of Scots pine just outside Aviemore in the Cairngorms. Blonde wood interiors come adorned with a woodburning stove, Persian rugs and a smattering of books to read by the light of Moroccan lanterns. What the Caledonian foresters of old would make of hot tubs and infra-red saunas is somewhat unclear. Nonetheless, such luxuries are available to guests — both perfect places to recuperate in after chilly hours pacing the foothills of the Cairngorms. Three nights from £504. lazyduck.co.uk 3 CAMP OUT IN A LAVVU A lavvu is ostensibly a kind of tent, but it’s also a key to understanding the Sámi — Europe’s only Indigenous people. Sámi have used these temporary structures for centuries while on reindeer-herding journeys — lavvu have featured on flags, served as symbols of Sámi resistance and even inspired permanent bricks-and-mortar buildings. Sápmi Nature offers the chance to stay in one such lavvu in Swedish Lapland. Admittedly, modern double beds have replaced animal skins surrounding the smouldering hearths found in traditional tents — but by spending a night inside you can get a tiny taste of nomadic life up on the roof of the world, dozing off to the sound of the Arctic wind rustling the canvas. Two nights from £880. sapminature.com 4 RETREAT TO THE HILLS Bird How is a National Trust cottage set amid the fells of Eskdale, on the western side of the English Lake District. From the outside, it’s the sort of stoic Cumbrian dwelling that recalls Uncle Monty’s house in Withnail and I — inside, it has all the modern accoutrements to keep its two guests comfy through chilly days. Little windows provide views of dry-stone walls, chuntering Land Rovers and rain-sogged sheep. Should the Lakeland sun emerge, you’re well placed for an expedition up one of England’s steepest roads, Hardknott Pass, which winds directly past the front door. Four nights from £482. nationaltrust.org.uk 5 SLEEP BY THE RAILS Coed y Bleiddiau is a Victorian cottage whose name translates as ‘the wood of the wolves’. Admittedly, a wolf howl hasn’t been heard in this part of Wales since the Middle Ages, but another sound has since taken its place — the shrill whistle of passing trains. This Landmark Trust property, sleeping four, stands right next to the Ffestiniog Railway — the cottage was built for the railway’s superintendent and has its own private halt (small station). It comes into its own in the winter — guests can arrive here on a seasonal steam train, hunkering down by the cottage’s fireside as snowfall graces the surrounding summits of Eyri (formerly Snowdonia). Four nights from £504. landmarktrust.org.uk From top: The Woodman’s Hut in Cairngorms National Park; a cosy lodge at Highland Base Kerlingarfjöll JAN/FEB 2024 165

IMAGE: AWL IMAGES 1 FLOAT ON AN ARCTIC LAKE Just outside Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland, visitors submerge themselves in an icy-cold lake, floating on their backs and gazing up as the green trails of the Northern Lights swirl through the heavens. These are waters of hypothermic frigidity, but tour company Safartica provides red rescue suits to wear for the occasion. These ensure aurora-viewers stay safe, toasty and buoyant throughout the three-hour sessions, calmed to contentment by the glugging of the lake water around them. From €99 (£87) per person. safartica.com 2 ENJOY QUIET ISLANDS The Faroe Islands are set at a latitude where the Northern Lights spark intermittently but winter visitors are a rarity. Regent Holidays has a five-day winter fly-drive tour of this Danish territory, offering some wonderful backdrops for potential aurora-spotting — among them the sea cliffs at Vágar, the straits of the Northern Islands and the capital of Tórshavn, where most stay. Five days from £1,150 per person. regent-holidays.co.uk 3 RELAX IN A BUBBLE DOME Almost anywhere else in the world, staying in a ‘bubble hotel’ would be a gross infringement of your privacy — but guests in these transparent shelters in the backcountry of Iceland suffer few intrusions. You can lie in bed looking out over Narnia-esque forests and deep snowdrifts, enjoying the almost-Caribbean temperatures inside while it freezes outside. When they appear, you have clear views of the Northern Lights too. Stays are available as part of an overnight tour, taking in the Golden Circle or the waterfalls and black-sand beaches of the South Coast. Tour and accommodation from 149,800 ISK (£858) for two people. buubble.com The Northern Lights over Finnish Lapland, which commonly witness this spectacle between December and March U N I Q U E A U R O R A - S P O T T I N G 4 HEAD TO A DARK SKY PARK On rare occasions, the aurora makes a southward foray to the British Isles. To give yourself one of the best chances of catching sight of it, head to Northumberland National Park — the largest Gold-Tier International Dark Sky Park in Europe — where green and red wisps have been photographed above Hadrian’s Wall. The Kielder Observatory runs Aurora Nights throughout winter; seeing the Northern Lights is far from guaranteed, but visitors are given a fascinating presentation on the science and folklore behind the phenomenon. £26 per person. kielderobservatory.org 5 GO WILD IN A MOBILE CABIN The mobile cabins of Lake Inari in northern Lapland are a bold innovation for aurora seekers. The lovechild of a greenhouse and a caravan, they are towed by snowmobile onto the frozen surface of Finland’s third-largest lake, then the cabins and their occupants are left alone for the night. Inside you’ll find a double bed, a chemical loo and not much else — the focus, of course, being on the celestial drama above you. Sleepless hours are spent under the duvet patiently awaiting an emerald glimmer above before morning comes, along with a snowmobile to tow you back to terra firma. From €450 (£394) per night. lakeinari.com 166 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL WINTER EXPERIENCES

Unforgettable holidays. Unparalleled service. Surrounded by the impressive peaks of Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa, Aosta Valley boasts exceptional scenery - from the international resorts of Cervinia and La Thuile, to the challenging resorts of Courmayeur, Champoluc & Gressoney, as well as family friendly Pila. The Italian ski region is in a unique location, in the heart of the Alps, with superb access to both French and Swiss neighbouring ski resorts. It’s not all about skiing, either - there are plenty of other activities to enjoy here, including ice skating, ice climbing, snowshoeing and even paragliding. What are you waiting for? skisolutions.com/aosta-valley Iconic mountains and superb skiing Visit Aosta Valley SCAN AND DISCOVER

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH APPLY FOR THE STEP UP INTERNSHIP SCHEME TODAY THE DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS 31 JANUARY 2024. TO SUBMIT YOURS, VISIT: BIT.LY/STEPUPINTERNSHIP Young, talented and curious about a career in travel? APL Media, Finn Partners, Intrepid Travel and TTG Media have joined forces to offer paid internships to candidates from under-represented backgrounds. We’re diversifying opportunities in the sector. Successful applicants will get “ rst-hand experience in travel publishing and public relations, contributing to magazines including National Geographic Traveller (UK) and TTG. It’s easy to apply — tell us about your passion for travel. Visit the Travel Media Awards website to apply for the scheme, which will run in London during summer 2024. Step up and into travel — the industry is waiting for you! KICK-START YOUR CAREER IN TR AVEL JOURNALISM AND PR IMAGE: GETTY

D ID YO U LOVE O NE O F O U R FE ATU RE S? D ID A STO RY IN S PIRE AN ADVENTU RE? LE T U S KN OW WHAT YO U THINK O F THE M AGA ZINE AND B E IN WITH THE C HAN C E TO WIN THE B RILLIANT PRIZE BELOW. An RZE Endeavour watch worth £450! Since 2020, RZE has been crafting scratch-resistant titanium tool watches, capable of withstanding some of the toughest conditions out there. Lightweight, comfortable and equipped with 660ft of water resistance, the Endeavour is the perfect companion for your adventures in nature. rzewatches.com INBOX [email protected] Get in touch Have a query about subscriptions? WIN IMAGE: MATT DUTILE Get in touch at natgeotraveller@ subscription.co.uk or call 01858 438787 STAR LETTER More than Manhattan We really enjoyed your ‘Only in New York’ feature (cover story, November 2023). Having visited NYC several years ago now, it was great to discover there’s more to the city than Manhattan. The articles have inspired us to get back soon, revisit our favourite spots and head to some new places. Camping on Governors Island would definitely be on our to-do list and now that we’re not drinkers, starting the day at a Daybreaker rave would be the perfect jet leg antidote. Now, to get planning! Thanks for constant travel inspiration. LAURA MYNETT Mountain life I loved the photo of Georgia’s Tusheti National Park (Snapshot) in the December issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK). I’ve just returned from the Autumn Horse Drive, which started there. We travelled 155 miles in six days and ended up herding 100 wild horses over the Abano Pass, located in the Greater Caucasus mountains, during a snowstorm. VIRGINIA MILLINGTON Home from home My excitement for an upcoming trip to India peaked after reading the Mumbai feature (Sleep, November 2023) and booking at one of the recommended hotels. I’ve visited Mumbai a few times, but I know choosing the perfect hotel can make all the difference. I’ve been an avid reader of National Geographic Traveller (UK) for many years, and when I first started reading the magazine, I used to miss this section completely, thinking I would just stay in the cheapest hostel. These days, it’s the first one I thumb to, making a note of any suitable hotels in potential future destinations. JONNY HOPPS Edge is a huge cantilevered viewing deck that opened in 2020 and perches 1,100ft above Manhattan GET IN TOUCH JAN/FEB 2024 166

An extraordinary chic adults’ escape. A place to do nothing... and absolutely everything Experience this unique feeling www.stellaisland.gr