Malawi Greece Barbados Abu Dhabi Singapore P L U S THE WORLD’ S BEST CITIES VOTED FOR BY TRAVEL WRITERS AN EIGHT-DAY ADVENTURE WIN ACROSS SOUTHERN AFRICA UK EDITION // MAY 2019 // £4.60 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/TRAVEL ALSO: KOLKATA // LIMERICK // MONGOLIA // QUEENSLAND // STOCKHOLM
Issue 75 Contents May 2019 74 Cities Whether it’s for the culture or the cuisine, these are our writers’ ive all-time favourite cities 92 Malawi Music festivals, starry skies and heritage hotels are reviving the ‘Warm Heart of Africa’ 104 Greece History looms large in the forests and lakes of the little-visited region of Central Macedonia 118 Mongolia On the vast and barren steppe are the eagle hunters, proud guardians of an age-old tradition 138 Abu Dhabi Highbrow culture and hedonistic islands — the Emirati capital is marching into bold new chapter 150 Kolkata The one-time capital of the British Raj is a thriving, cultural and colourful metropolis Bowery Wall, Manhattan, painted by American artist Maya Hayuk IMAGE: AWL Images 118 May 2019 5
Contents May 2019 28 66 152 SMART TRAVELLER 15 Snapshot A loty local in Colombia 16 Big picture Packing a punch in Havana 18 What’s new These are a few of our favourite things 21 Southern comfort Checking out the city of Charleston 23 Eating with the ishes Europe’s irst underwater restaurant 24 Do it now Up, up and away with paragliding 27 Food At the chef’s table in East Lothian 29 On the trail Some special souvenirs in Palma 30 Rooms Lush and lavish beds in Hoi An 32 Family Swotting up on educational trips 34 Like a local The ‘smaller’ side to Las Vegas 37 Stay at home The hills are alive in the Howgill Fells 39 The word Travel book inspiration from Hay Festival 41 Competition Win a seven-night escape to France 45 Author series Kate Mosse on Carcassonne 46 View from the USA Aaron Millar on the US-Mexico border INSIDER 50 Weekender: Limerick There’s a renaissance in the Emerald Isle 54 Eat: Singapore From glitzy cocktails to deep-fried wontons 61 Neighbourhood: Stockholm The coolest corners in the Swedish capital 66 Sleep: Barbados Decidedly dreamy beds in paradise TRAVELLER 10 162 Going wild Family-friendly animal encounters TRAVEL GEEKS 182 Travel Geeks The experts’ travel manual 190 Queensland Is it too late to save our precious coral reefs? 196 Baby travellers The rewarding side of travelling with tots GET IN TOUCH 201 Inbox Your letters, emails and tweets 202 Your pictures This month’s best travel photos DON’T MISS Reader offers see p.127 for our latest partnership with 128 Manitoba Produced in partnership with Travel Manitoba 6 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
CL Pocket Mountain binoculars equip you for every discovery. You will be thrilled with their small, foldable design that offers great optical quality, whether you are in the mountains, unexpectedly observing wildlife, or simply on your travels. Always at hand wherever you are. Enjoy moments even more – with SWAROVSKI OPTIK. SEE THE UNSEEN WWW.SWAROVSKIOPTIK.COM FOR VIEWS THAT GO ON AND ON BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II SWAROVSKI OPTIK SUPPLIER OF BINOCULARS
Copyright © 2019 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All Rights Reserved.National Geographic Traveler and the Yellow Border Design are registered trademarks of National Geographic Society and used under license. Printed in the UK. Chris Leadbeater I’ve travelled extensively in Greece, but was fascinated by Central Macedonia with its mountain ridges and great lakes. It’s also hugely protective of its history and culture and, in Thessaloniki, has a capital that too few of us get to know. GREECE P.104 Tamsin Wressell Recent catastrophic coral bleaching events have made the Great Barrier Reef seem almost like a lost cause. However, I dived into an underwater world in Queensland that displays hope for its future — but it still needs our help. QUEENSLAND P.190 Jamie La erty When I fi rst visited Abu Dhabi around a decade ago, it seemed to be struggling to fi nd its way, overshadowed by its glitzier neighbour, Dubai. I returned to discover a city with new museums, restaurants and a much clearer sense of self. ABU DHABI P.138 Ben Lerwill Stockholm’s one of those cities that just seems at ease with itself — it’s pretty, hip, and historic. Then there’s the great food and the relaxed locals. Finally, it has fi ka: a dedication to having co ee and cake with friends every day. STOCKHOLM P.60 Amelia Duggan One of the joys of travelling is fi nding a place that defi es its reputation. Mother Teresa’s work made Kolkata a byword for destitution, but I found a buoyant city of romantic tumbledown palaces and latenight restaurants and bars. KOLKATA P.150 Contributors National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published by APL Media Limited, Unit 310, Highgate Studios, 53-79 Highgate Road, London NW5 1TL natgeotraveller.co.uk Editorial T: 020 7253 9906. [email protected] Sales/Admin T: 020 7253 9909. F: 020 7253 9907. [email protected] Subscriptions T: 01293 312 166. [email protected] National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published by APL Media Ltd under license from National Geographic Partners, LLC. For more information contact natgeo.com/info. Their entire contents are protected by copyright 2019 and all rights are reserved. Reproduction without prior permission is forbidden. Every care is taken in compiling the contents of the magazine, but the publishers assume no responsibility in the effect arising therefrom. Readers are advised to seek professional advice before acting on any information which is contained in the magazine. Neither APL Media Ltd or National Geographic Traveller magazine accept any liability for views expressed, pictures used or claims made by advertisers. National Geographic Traveller (UK) Editorial Director: Maria Pieri Editor: Pat Riddell Deputy Editor: Stephanie Cavagnaro Executive Editor: Glen Mutel Associate Editors: Sarah Barrell, Nicola Trup Assistant Editors: Tamsin Wressell, Connor McGovern Project Editor: Zane Henry Online Editor: Josephine Price Content Editor: Charlotte Wigram-Evans Head of Sub Editors: Hannah Doherty Sub Editors: Chris Horton, Ben Murray Operations Manager: Seamus McDermott Head of Events: Natalie Jackson Art Director: Chris Hudson Art Editor: Becky Redman Senior Designer: Philip Lay Production Manager: Daniel Gregory Special Projects Consultant: Matthew Midworth Head of National Geographic Traveller: William Allen Sales & Partnerships Team: Lora Codrington, Aaron French, Teddy Gutteridge, Bob Jalaf, Kevin Killen, Adam Phillips, Mark Salmon Head of National Geographic Traveller — The Collection: Danny Pegg APL Media Editorial Manager: Jo Fletcher-Cross Contributing Editors: Sam Lewis, Farida Zeynalova Project Editor: Emily England Editorial Admin Assistant: Angela Locatelli Designers: Lauren Atkinson-Smith, Lauren Gamp, Kelly McKenna Picture Editor: Olly Puglisi Production Controllers: Karl Martins, Joaquim Pereira, Lisa Poston, Joanne Roberts, Anthony Wright Head of Creative Solutions: Chris Debbinney-Wright APL Business Development Team: Chris Dalton, Adam Fox, Cynthia Lawrence, Sinead McManus Chief Executive: Anthony Leyens Managing Director: Matthew Jackson Sales Director: Alex Vignali Sales Administrators: Melissa Jurado, Hayley Rabin Executive Assistant: Taylah Brooke Head of Finance: Ryan McShaw Credit Manager: Craig Chappell Accounts Manager: Siobhan Grover Accounts Assistants: Jana Abraham, Stefano Pica National Geographic Traveler (US) Editor-in-Chief: George W. Stone Design Director: Hannah Tak Director of Photography: Anne Farrar Digital Manager: Christine Blau Senior Editor: Amy Alipio Deputy Art Director: Leigh V. Borghesani Associate Editor: Brooke Sabin Photo Editor: Jeff Heimsath Editor/Producer: Gulnaz Khan Features Producer: Marie McGory Associate Editor/Producer: Rachel Brown Research Editor: Starlight Williams Social Media Producers: Kelly Barrett, Nathan Strauss Video Producer/Editor: Rebekah Barlas Copydesk: Amy Kolczak, Preeti Aroon, Cindy Leitner, Mary Beth Oelkers-Keegan Editorial Projects Director: Andrew Nelson Communications Vice President: Heather Wyatt Communications Director: Meg Calnan Publisher & Vice President, Global Media: Kimberly Connaghan Senior Vice President, Global Media & Experiences: Yulia P. Boyle Senior Manager, International Publishing: Rossana Stella Editorial Specialist, International Editions: Leigh Mitnick National Geographic Society President & CEO: Tracy R. Wolstencroft Board of Trustees Chairman: Jean M. Case National Geographic Partners CEO: Gary E. Knell Chief Marketing Offi cer: Jill Cress Editorial Director: Susan Goldberg Chief of Staff: Timo Gorner General Manager, NG Media: David Miller Global Networks President: Courteney Monroe Sales & Partnerships: Brendan Ripp Legal & Business Affairs: Jeff Schneider 8 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
NEW IN STORE AND ONLINE NOW: JACK-WOLFSKIN.COM
HIGHLIGHTS Editor’s letter AWARD-WINNING NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER W hat’s your favourite city? This is the question we asked 57 of our travel writers. And while you might be able to guess some of the answers, there were a few surprises. New York, Cape Town, Lisbon, New Orleans and Hanoi proved the most popular. Why these places? Well, we asked our writers to justify themselves, and the results raised some interesting questions about what makes travel writers tick. But, perhaps more importantly, they begin to answer the question: what makes a city great? As we all know, logic doesn’t necessarily come into play; a city is o en greater than the sum of its parts. Some places just have a vibe, a feeling, a personality that’s almost impossible to put your fi nger on. Combine that with alluring attractions, a vibrant art scene, compelling culinary choices and an e ervescent nightlife, and you’re probably halfway to solving that magic formula. But, above all, it’s a personal choice: you might have a weakness for the spectacular skyline of one of the world’s great metropolises, or maybe you veer towards low-key, under-the-radar places. If you’re curious, my choices were New York, Melbourne, Belfast and Turin. I could have added more, but they’re the ones I loved the second time as much as the fi rst and the ones I want to go back to again and again. PAT RIDDELL, EDITOR Events From our ever-popular Masterclasses to a trio of Travel Geeks sessions, check out these dates for your diary (p.42) Travel Writing Competition 2019 Fancy yourself as a travel writer? It’s time to put pen to paper and show us your skills as our annual competition reopens (p.180) Online Our website’s moved to a new home. Log on to nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel, where you’ll still fi nd our award-winning content (p.48) National Geographic Traveller Food Festival Whet your appetite for a weekend full of gastronomic, globetrotting inspiration (p.12) SEARCH FOR NATGEOTRAVELUK ON FACEBOOK TWITTER TUMBLR PINTEREST INSTAGRAM @patriddell @patriddell British Guild of Travel Writers Awards 2018: Best Travel Writer ï Travel Media Awards 2018: Consumer Writer of the Year ï AITO Travel Writer of the Year Awards 2018: Travel Blogger of the Year ï Visit USA Media Awards 2018: Best Consumer Travel Magazine Feature ï BSME Talent Awards 2018: Best Designer ï LATA Media Awards 2018: Consumer Magazine Feature of the Year ï France Travel Media Awards 2018: Best Wine & Gastronomy Feature ï NATJA Travel Media Awards 2017: Photography: Overall Excellence — Print Publication ï British Travel Awards 2017: Best Consumer Holiday Magazine ï British Guild of Travel Writers Awards 2017: Best Travel Writer ï British Guild of Travel Writers Awards 2016: Best Travel Writer ï British Travel Awards 2015: Best Consumer Holiday Magazine ï British Travel Awards 2014: Best Consumer Holiday Magazine 10 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
there from your first glimpse through the trees – a feeling that there is something about Adare Manor that goes beyond anything you expected. Beyond the splendour of the castle itself, perfectly appointed in every detail. Beyond the cherished heritage of Irish hospitality. Something so magical it is… Adare Manor, Adare, Co Limerick, Ireland Tel: +353 61 605200 / adaremanor.com
I N P A RT N ERS H IP WIT H JOIN US FOR A BRAND NEW CULINARY ADVENTURE JOHN TORODE • GENNARO CONTALDO FELICITY CLOAKE • ROMY GILL ADAM HANDLING • JOSH K ATZ SHIVI R A MOUTAR & MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED! COOKING DEMOS • FOOD & DRINK TASTINGS • M ASTERCL ASSES BOOK NOW Early-bird tickets just £18, book by 30 April 2 0 -21 J U LY 2 0 19 • BU S IN E S S DE S IG N C E NTRE , LON DON Subscribers receive a special offer — see your carrier sheet for details
CELEBR ATING FOOD & DRINK FROM AROUND THE WORLD MEET SOME OF THE FACES WHO’LL BE JOINING US IN JULY Tickets are non-refundable. Booking fees apply. Early-bird pricing is available until 30 April 2019, after which ticket prices increase to £22. All tickets include entry to the festival and all interviews, panel sessions and chef demonstrations. Limited availability. A C ULINARY E VENT LIKE NO OTHER! INDULGE, IM MERSE, DISCOVER AND SHARE AT THE NATIONAL GEOGR APHIC TR AVELLER FOOD FESTIVAL What’s this? It’s a new event, coming to London this summer, brought to you by the team behind National Geographic Traveller (UK). Traveller? So what’s it got to do with food? Come on — food and travel go together like garlic and snails. Everyone knows that. Garlic and snails? Yes. Or like ackee and saltfi sh; or spaghetti and meatballs; or caramel and sea salt. The point is, this is a festival for food lovers like you — a chance to broaden your palate and immerse yourself in some of the best food and drink the world has to off er. What can I expect? What about Hungarian goulash? Or dolmades from Greece? Or the tastiest Thai dishes? And all of it washed down with the fi nest tequila. So, there’ll be free samples then? Yep, plenty of them. But not only that, it’s also a chance for you to see some of the most exciting names in food, many of whom will be showing off their fi nely honed cooking skills. Give me some names. Well, how about MasterChef frontman John Torode? Or legendary Italian chef Gennaro Contaldo? Or Guardian journalist and author Felicity Cloake? And that’s just for starters. OK, I’m interested. What next? Step 1, tell your friends. Step 2, visit our website and snap up your early-bird tickets. Step 3, head down to the Business Design Centre in London’s Islington on either 20 or 21 July. Step 4, just relax and let us do the rest. J O H N TORODE Chef & broadcaster G E N N A RO CONTALDO Chef, presenter & restaurateur FE LI C IT Y CLOAKE Food writer & author RO M Y GILL Chef, restaurateur & cookery teacher BOOK TODAY: FOODFE STIVAL . NATG EOTR AVE LLE R .CO.U K
CBCBCBCulture | Museum | Deer Park | Cafe | Concerts & Events | Weddings Blatna | South Bohemia | Czech Republic | www.castle-blatna.com CBPhotography by www.adamovafoto.ru; Castle Blatna Castle Blatna COME AND DISCOVER YOUR OWN FAIRYTALE AT Baroness Jana Germenis - Hildprandt
SMART TRAVELLER What’s new // Do it now // Food // On the trail // Rooms // Family // Stay at home // he word francescolastrucci.com @francescolastrucci SNAPSHOT Carlos Mario Izquierdo, Colombia The majestic mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta are the ancestral homeland of the descendants of the ancient Tairona civilisation. In Pueblo Bello — a village home to the Arhuaco people — I met Carlos. He was wearing the tribe’s traditional dress of white cotton robes and a hat, carrying two crossed woollen packs on his chest as well as his poporo — a small receptacle containing a powder made from crushed seashells. Locals chew coca leaves and use a long pin to transfer small amounts of powder from the poporo to the mouth, where it reacts with the leaves to create a stimulating efect. Not only is this a sacred and mystical practice for the Arhuaco, but a symbolic union of land (coca leaves) and sea (ground shells). FRANCESCO LASTRUCCI // PHOTOGRAPHER May 2019 15
BIG PICTURE Havana, Cuba A Cuban boxer in the ring in the Rafael Trejo Boxing Gym in Havana. Boxing is a national obsession in Cuba, and only the USA has produced more Olympic boxing medallists. This unassuming gym has hosted countless high-calibre pugilists over the years, yet it was almost empty when I arrived. However, this let me with plenty of room to move around and shoot, iring quick bursts to capture the action. I was particularly pleased with this shot as it captured the subject’s isolation, almost encaged by the red ropes of the boxing ring. SEAN DAVIS // PHOTOGRAPHER photographercostarica.com @costaricaphotographer 16 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel BIG PICTURE // SMART TRAVELLER
May 2019 17 BIG PICTURE // SMART TRAVELLER
Back to business DELTA Heading stateside? The carrier’s new offering, Delta One, has fl at-bed seats, premium dining and, of course, your own dedicated fl ight attendant. delta.com BRITISH AIRWAYS Launching this July, the new business class Club Suites will let you nod off in true (private jet) style, with 40% more storage, high-defi nition TVs and vanity units. ba.com QATAR AIRWAYS In its signature burgundy hues, the four-seater Qsuite quads are designed for crossseat conversation, detailed with touches of rose gold. qatarairways.com From cultural highlights to uber-cool openings, we’ve picked our brains for the best in travel What 's new Strokes of genius It’s not o en the world sees a mind as brilliant as Leonard da Vinci’s, so it’s little surprise the art world is celebrating the 500th anniversary since the artist’s death with a host of illuminating events this year. Naturally, Italy’s the epicentre of the year’s celebrations: in TURIN, the Royal Museum is hosting Leonardo da Vinci: Drawing the Future, where more than 50 of the genius’ drawings will be on show, including his famous self-portrait (15 April-14 July); while in VENICE, the rarely displayed Vitruvian Man will be making an appearance at the Gallerie dell’Accademia until 14 July. FLORENCE, meanwhile, is where he trained as an apprentice under the masterful eye of Verrocchio, and the Palazzo Strozzi is exploring the partnership between student and star pupil with its exhibition, Verrocchio, Master of Leonardo (until 14 July). And if you’re heading to MILAN, then call into the Castello Sforzesco where, a er two years of renovations, the Sala delle Asse will fi nally reopen to the public from 2 May. Newly discovered motifs and designs were unearthed during the restorations — painted by the master himself, of course — and visitors can admire the twisting, fl orid designs brought to life through animated lighting and holographic displays. The UK’s also muscling in on the action — 144 of da Vinci’s works from the Royal Collection are currently on display at venues across the country in Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing. They’ll be reunited for an exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery at BUCKINGHAM PALACE from 24 May before heading north to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in EDINBURGH in November. museireali.beniculturali.it milanocastello.it gallerieaccademia.it palazzostrozzi.org rct.uk SHOW-STEALER New Orleans’ Roosevelt Hotel is asking former guests to return any items ‘stolen’ during its 125- year history. The most scandalous object wins the ‘thief’ seven nights in the hotel’s Presidential Suite. therooseveltneworleans.com SMART TRAVELLER // WHAT’S NEW 18 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
IMAGES: GETTY 1,886ft above sea level, the world’s highest lounge 154th fl oor, the uppermost of the lounge’s three fl oors 30 fl oors higher then the building’s other lounge 600 dirhams (£123), the price of a drink and unlimited canapes burjkhalifa.ae IN NUMBERS Forget those bland in-flight meals — launching at Not Just Caviar at Stansted Airport, the Sky High Salt Beef Deli Sandwich has been developed to stimulate the taste buds at altitude. It’s rich in umami, a flavour sensation that isn’t affected by the noise and pressure of flying. On sale for £8.50. stanstedairport.com Mustard to pep up the palate Cheddar and cornichons for an added tang Umami spice blend for that extra kick of savouriness Spinach and bread for contrasting textures What lies beneath Archaeologists have made a revolutionary discovery beneath the Mayan site of Chichén Itzá in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. While searching for underground aquifers, National Geographic explorer Guillermo de Anda stumbled upon a trove of Mayan objects le untouched for over 1,000 years. A collection of more than 150 ritualistic artefacts, including ceramics, vases and incense burners, were found in the cave of Balamku, an underground chamber sealed o since its discovery in 1966. nationalgeographic.com STRIKE A POSE The uninhabited Greek isle of Delos is set to welcome its fi rst (stationary) residents in millennia. In partnership with cultural organisation NEON, artist Antony Gormley has created SIGHT: an exhibition that sees his signature ‘bodyforms’ dotted across the island. The fi gures aim to highlight the importance of art in human history. Until October. neon.org.gr THE MILE-HIGH CLUB (SANDWICH) WHAT’S NEW // SMART TRAVELLER May 2019 19
ASIA MIDDLE EAST AFRICA EUROPE VISIT ANANTARA.COM LIFE IS A JOURNEY At the end of the road less travelled is the Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort. Discover the fabled green mountain and explore canyons on foot, and fill your cup on the breathtaking views. Lose yourself in Anantara Mountain thrill
IMAGES: ANDREW CEBULKA; GETTY Culture, colour and history meld in the South Carolina city, now within easy reach of the UK, thanks to new fl ights Horse-drawn carriages, grand antebellum houses and elaborate churches — it’s Charleston’s infectious mix of nostalgic Americana and unmistakable Southern warmth that’s won over so many US visitors. And it’s all the more accessible for UK travellers, too, from 4 April, when British Airways started its twice-weekly service from Heathrow, making it the fi rst airline to fl y direct from Europe. If you need somewhere to rest your weary head, one of the hottest tickets in town is the new Hotel Bennett — the former Charleston County Library that’s been spruced up and reimagined with nine fl oors of palazzo-style elegance. There’s a ballroom, a patisserie, and a roo op pool and Camellias, the prettyin-pink Champagne bar. charlestoncvb.com ba.com hotelbennett.com HELEN WARWICK SEE Charleston’s slave trade history is best understood at the McLeod Plantation Historic Site, with exhibitions spread out across a Georgian-style plantation, cabins and outbuildings. ccprc.com EAT At Husk, chef Sean Brock puts his spin on Southern food. Though the menu changes daily, dishes could include bacon cornbread with pork butter, or devilled eggs with pickled okra. huskrestaurant.com DO If the sultry climes of the city get too much, cool down on a harbour cruise. It’s also a chance to see dozens of landmarks including Fort Sumter, the USS Yorktown, and the Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge. DON’T MISS The annual Spoleto Festival is one of America’s top performing arts festivals, with everything from opera to am dram. From 24 May to 9 June. spoletousa.org Southern comfort CHARLESTON WHAT’S NEW // SMART TRAVELLER May 2019 21
IMAGES: INGER MARIE GRINI; STIAN BROCH; IVAR KVAAL; SNØHETTA SUB-AQUA STYLE Eating with the fishes DEEP DINING Want dinner with a different kind of view? Why not book a table at Europe’s first underwater restaurant Until now, the windswept Norwegian region of Lindesnes was best known for its picturesque lighthouse. However, another landmark is set to put the area on the culinary map as the ine-dining restaurant, Under, inally opens its doors. Dramatically half-submerged into the Atlantic, the brutalist restaurant is Europe’s irst — and the world’s largest — underwater eatery, its dining room plunging almost ive metres below the surface. It’s a collaboration between architects Snøhetta, founders Gaute and Stig Ubostad and a group of marine biologists, and almost everything channels a central concept of being ‘short-travelled’, from the locally cast steel stairways to the walls made of a regional variety of oak. The food follows suit, too, thanks to head chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard carrying the ‘keep it local’ ethos through to the kitchen. Diners can expect seafood, but it’ll be the ocean’s unsung marine life such as ling, squat lobster and stone crab that will take centre stage on the innovative menu. However, it’s not all about the menu. Marine biologists have worked hard to ensure Under exists in harmony with its nautical neighbours: the concrete exterior will develop into an artiicial reef for mussels, who will in turn help to ilter the water and attract more marine life to that breathtaking panoramic window. under.no. RONAN O’SHEA If you fancy something a little more far-lung, Subsix in the Maldives might loat your boat. Dine alongside a loating cast of turtles, eels, and damselish at this underwater restaurant, which sits six metres beneath Niyama Private Islands. It’s only reachable by speedboat, and don’t miss one of the twice-weekly Underwater Glow Parties for a surreal, cerulean night out. niyama.com WHAT’S NEW // SMART TRAVELLER May 2019 23
IMAGES: SUPERSTOCK; GETTY KIT UP LIFT OFF UP AND AWAY Most operators usually insist on wearing a helmet and knee pads before you’re harnassed to your instructor The canopy is laid out on a gentle slope — take a few running steps and simply let the wind raise you o the ground A er take o , the two brake handles are used to control the wing and catch updra s that can li you to as high as 5,000 THE SKY’S WHERE TO DO IT THE LIMIT Paragliding Take o and take in the world from beneath the canopy of a glider Fear of heights? Even the UK's number one acrobatic paraglider, Jack Pimblett, fi nished seventh in the World Tour fi nals last year despite being scared of heights. Having fl own since the age of three, he's spent over 1,000 hours in the sky. To get a taste for the sport, head to a local UK BHPA school for a trial fl ight. “On home soil, Fly Sussex is great for beginners,” says Jack, “but further afi eld is Free Flight Academy in Spain where reliable weather conditions enable quick progress.” fl ysussex.com freefl ightacademy.com SAM LEWIS Dolomites Hike up the mountain in Sesto/Sexten in northern Italy, then paraglide back down. And in Kronplatz you can tackle black runs before fl ying over the snowy peaks. Tandem fl ights from €120 (£103). suedtirol.info Slovenia At this paragliding hotspot, combine a tandem fl ight with mountain biking, canyoning and kayaking around the Soča River in Lijak and the Trnovska plateau. Tandem fl ights from €122 (£105). parklijak.com Lake Garda Try hang gliding above the beautiful Italian lake — the fi xed wing experience is perfect for adrenalin junkies. Prices from €120 (£103), paragliding and hang gliding combos cost €200 (£172). gardafl yingparadise.it DID YOU KNOW? The record for the longest paragliding fl ight in the UK, which covered 187 miles, is 8h 36min SMART TRAVELLER // DO IT NOW 24 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
Turistička zajednica Splitsko-dalmatinske županije • Prilaz braće Kaliterna 10/1, 21000 Split, Hrvatska • tel/fax: +385 (0) 21 490 032, 490 033, 490 036 www.dalmatia.hr • i n f o @ d a l m a t i a . h r
Reach for the Stars Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center is situated by the old harbour in Reykjavík, Iceland. Harpa’s world class acoustics support a colourful program ranging from grand symphonic masterpieces to delicate a capella, attracting stars from all over. And the view? Well — it’s simply breathtaking. harpa.is
IMAGES: SUPERSTOCK; BELHAVEN SMOKEHOUSE The ingredients SMOKED FISH I use Belhaven Smokehouse’s superb smoked salmon and trout all the time. They only use fi sh from the most reliable of sources. belhavensmoke house.com RAPESEED OIL At Stevenson Mains Farm, they cold press their Black & Gold rapeseed oil to preserve its peppery fl avour and numerous health benefi ts. blackandgoldoil.co.uk CIDER Thistly Cross Cider has a delicious fl avour with a crisp taste. It’s been produced in Dunbar since 2008 and is now one of Scotland’s favourites. thistlycrosscider.co.uk East Lothian is a gastronomic gold mine. Chef Derek Johnstone shares his love for the Scottish region Our region really is blessed when it comes to its beautiful and sustainable produce. Whether it’s fresh vegetables or amazing smoked fi sh, what’s available is plentiful and of the highest quality. I chose to live here as it gives me the opportunity to get to know my suppliers, allowing me to work closely with them and their produce. WHERE TO EAT THE LOBSTER SHACK The grilled half lobster here is quite possibly the freshest, most a ordable lobster I’ve tasted. It’s best enjoyed with a chilled beer, while looking out over North Berwick Harbour. lobstershack.co.uk LA POTINIÈRE I love this homely, family-run place in the village of Gullane, where most ingredients come from the restaurant’s garden and are served as part of a perfectly cra ed set menu. lapotiniere.co.uk DUCKS INN My friend John Paul McLachlan has worked with some of the UK’s best chefs, and now he’s cooking at the Ducks Inn in Aberlady. I can o en be found there in summer sitting in the garden before dinner. ducks.co.uk DEREK JOHNSTONE is head chef at Borthwick Castle and a former winner of MasterChef: The Professionals. borthwickcastle.com SEA BUCKTHORN We forage these brightly coloured orange berries at Gullane Beach. They’re tiny, but contain more vitamin C than an orange and can be whizzed into smoothies and sorbets for a local twist FOOD // SMART TRAVELLER May 2019 27 DEREK JOHNSTONE MasterChef: The Professionals borthwickcastle.com
BOUTIQUE HOTEL & RESTAURANT Heavenly Escape Situated on a small hill, Ca’s Xorc ofers a magniicent panoramic view. The last few metres of the drive are winding, yet hugely rewarding. Once you reach the summit of this special locaion, you’ll discover a luxurious bouique hotel with 15 rooms, an open-to-public restaurant set around the original press of this former olive inca, plus breathtaking views over the Sóller Valley and the Tramuntana mountain range, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The restaurant ofers mouthwatering fresh Mediterranean cuisine with strong Asian inluences, all delivered with an unbeatable service. Book now for a heavenly escape. When making your reservaion, quote ‘Traveller0519’ and be welcomed with a complimentary botle of chilled Spanish cava. Ca’s Xorc Bouique Hotel & Restaurant Carreterra de Deiá, 56.1km | 07100 Sóller | Majorca +34 971 638 280 • [email protected] • www.casxorc.com
6 ILLUSTRATION: MARTIN HAAKE Palma HERITAGE SHOPS The Majorcan capital is full of traditional treasures, so grab a basket and take a wander through its rich retail heritage. Words: Connor McGovern 4 JUGUETERÍA LA INDUSTRIAL The oldest toy shop in town has everything from high-quality teddies to handsome wooden trikes. It’s the perfect place to pick up a souvenir for a little one, or even channel your own inner child. jugueterialaindustrial.com 3 LA PAJARITA BOMBONERÍA & CHARCUTERÍA Founded in 1872, this shop was the irst in Majorca to sell cofee and champagne, and you can still pick up some today, along with local meats, cheeses, biscuits and sweet bars of turrón. lapajarita1872.com 5 VIDRERÍA GORDIOLA Beautifully crated vases, ornaments and tableware are the prime purchases at this artisan glass shop just around the corner from the picturesque Plaça de Cort. Everything’s made using time-honoured techniques. gordiola.com 2 FORN FONDO Sweet-toothed visitors will love this patisserie’s tempting window displays of cakes, tarts, chocolates and confections. However, before heading inside, take a moment to admire the pretty, blue facade. fornfondo.es 6 CA’N JOAN DE S’AIGO Pull up a pew at this gloriously old-world cafe, which has been running since 1700. Locals still come in their droves for hot chocolate, so, do as they do and order a cup with an ensaïmada — spiralshaped bread doused in icing sugar. canjoindesaigo.com 7 MIMBRERIA VIDAL Buried deep in the winding streets of the Old Town, this shop has been trading in all things made of wicker and esparto grass since 1955, including baskets, hats, bags and furniture. It’s a must for shoppers looking to take home an authentic piece of Palma. mimbreriavidal.com 1 CERERÍA LA REAL Start by admiring the waxy wares of this tiny, tworoomed candle shop on a quiet square. It’s the last of the city’s once-thriving candle factories, and candlemaker Guillermo Ramis is keeping this ageold tradition burning. T: 00 34 696 27 80 27. ON THE TRAIL // SMART TRAVELLER May 2019 29
Hoi �n WHERE TO STAY Vietnam’s historic coastal resort has a range of lush digs that deliver serious bang for your buck AN VILLA You’ll ind no TVs at this riverside spot which is equidistant between the Old Town and Cua Dai Beach; instead, your room is illed with books and board games. We say room, but actually the six units are self-contained studios or villas — all with a kitchenette and private terrace, and set within a tranche of lush, palm-shaded gardens. FrenchVietnamese architect Helena Tran Quang Man has nailed the current trend for natural, laid-back design: dark wood furniture is tastefully mismatched in each room, and the colourful bedspreads are homely and fun. Inside and out blend together here, with terraces opening onto either a pond, the pool, the river or the on-property lake with a yoga deck balancing above it on stilts. The restaurant, Mum’s Kitchen, serves up delicious family recipes. Studios from £42, villas from £112. an-villa.com EAST WEST HOI AN VILLAS The current owner’s grandparents used to live on this land between the Old Town and Cua Dai Beach. Today, it’s been transformed into 16 villas. The accommodation itself is modern, with the odd bathtub set in the centre of the open-plan bathroom, but outside, nature reigns supreme, with the smart pool fringed by greenery. Doubles from £31. eastwesthoianvillas.com LA SIESTA Take a nap on the daybeds at this peaceful hotel, which is surrounded by rice paddy ields. Rooms are fairly classical here: all colonial-style dark woods and prettily arranged mosquito nets in the Club Wing, with more hotel standard digs in the Classic Wing. The best part? All rooms have a balcony that overlooks the pool. Doubles from £73. lasiestaresorts.com HOI AN ECO LODGE & SPA This swish sanctuary has been done out in rustic Hoi An style, so the modern rooms feature plenty of loorboards and wooden accents, with lush plants snaking up to the windows, and balconies overlooking a coconut forest. The bar and restaurant is pretty special — it’s cantilevered over a small, lilypad-dotted lake. Doubles from £46. hoianecolodge.com JULIA BUCKLEY SMART TRAVELLER // ROOMS 30 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
IMAGES: GETTY TOP OF THE CLASS Learning trips Take advantage of a wave of new, creative experiences being brought to life beyond the classroom For many, trying something new goes hand-inhand with a trip abroad. This seems especially the case for families, whether it’s learning how to ski in Whistler, or delving into the history of Ancient Greece. The latest Kuoni report on UK travel booking habits highlights this surge in ‘learning trips’ — 34% of travellers cite learning something new as the reason for a change in their booking habits. When you consider over 60% of adults said they learnt something new on holiday as a child, travel is still a top priority for many who want to broaden their children’s horizons. And it seems many of us are quite happy to give something new a go on holiday, too; 38% of respondents don’t feel embarrassed to do so on holiday. And if it means children spend less time on their devices, surely any kind of travel is a good thing? kuoni.co.uk MARIA PIERI Marine biology in the Maldives Immerse the family in the eco-centre at Kuramathi Maldives and give them a better understanding of the underwater world. Children can join guided snorkel safaris, and over-10s can also obtain a junior diving certiication. BEST FOR: 8-plus for underwater adventures. kuoni.co.uk PIZZA MAKING IN NAPLES Meet a professional pizzaiolo, who’ll teach you the secrets of the perfect pizza in the southern Italian city. BEST FOR: Ages 5-plus scottdunn.com Bushcrat in Yorkshire Learn how to make a shelter using materials from the forest loor. For kids aged 8-plus, check out the Desert Island Shelter Building Day, which includes additional activities such as wood carving. BEST FOR: Ages 5-plus yorkshirebushcrat.co.uk Outdoor adventures in Mongolia Pick from a choice of itineraries packed with camel safaris, wild camping, stargazing and fossil hunting. A road-trip in a 4x4 van across the steppe can ofer an adventure of a lifetime. BEST FOR: Tailor-made for a range of ages. stubbornmuletravel.com Conservation in Borneo Ideal for intrepid families who are happy to get mucky, this trip focuses on wildlife conservation in the Bornean rainforest, living and working alongside local people, helping to protect their natural environment and the creatures within it. BEST FOR: Ages 8-plus oysterworldwide.com SMART TRAVELLER // FAMILY 32 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
T +230 83 20 866 / 7 E [email protected] Rodrigues Tourism Office Rue de la solidarité, Port Mathurin, Rodrigues Island Office du Tourisme de Rodrigues www.tourism-rodrigues.mu Naturally…
Las Vegas LIKE A LOCAL Nowhere does ‘big’ like Las Vegas, but the city is realising the benefit of turning down the intensity. Here’s where to head for the low-key side of Sin City Parks and recreation It doesn’t get much smaller than squeezing your business into a shipping container, but you’ll ind plenty of them at DOWNTOWN CONTAINER PARK. Located on Fremont Street, it’s packed with shops and restaurants, as well as a stage for live music acts. Don’t miss the Dome — an immersive, pixelated playground with ultra-HD, 360-degree imagery. downtowncontainerpark.com Nearby BEAUTY BAR looks like a 1950s-style salon, complete with linoleum loors and standing-hood hair dryers above the seats, but this is a disguise for a reliably strong live music venue in a city that’s given the world hit bands like The Killers and Imagine Dragons. Smaller acts play on the more intimate indoor stage but catch the bigger names outside. T: 00 1 702 598 3757. The Downtown rejuvenation comes with some serious street art. The impressive murals — most of which were created during September’s annual LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL FESTIVAL — can be spotted by mooching within a couple of blocks of Fremont Street East, although DTLV ART WALK runs guided tours if you’re keen to know more. lifeisbeautiful.com dtlvartwalk.com Art has also come to the stark desert surroundings. Head south down Las Vegas Boulevard and a series of 30t-high, luridlycoloured boulder stacks come into view by the Jean Dry Lake. This is SEVEN MAGIC MOUNTAINS — the rather incongruous work of Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone, and its colourful weirdness is marvellously compelling. sevenmagicmountains.com Need to escape the city? Red Rock Canyon, out on the western edge of Vegas, has become the epicentre of the city’s healthy living set. Join them as they amble through the ochre rock walls, but RED E BIKE provides e-bikes if you want to take in the landscape on two wheels. redebike.com 34 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel SMART TRAVELLER // SPOTLIGHT
DONALD CONTURSI’S TOP 5 evening hangouts DOWNTOWN COCKTAIL ROOM Hidden behind a steel trick door is an intimate speakeasy. This lounge-y, dimly-lit clandestine bar changes its cocktail list seasonally and the happy hour bargains can be had between 4pm and 7pm. downtowncocktailroom.com LOTUS OF SIAM East of the Strip, some would argue this authentic, family-run joint is the best Thai restaurant in the country. There’s plenty of excellent food on the menu, but it specialises in northern Thai cuisine — think spicy jackfruit or rice vermicelli curries. lotusofsiamlv.com INSPIRE There are higher rooftop bars in the city, but Inspire looks straight down Fremont East and all its restored vintage neon signs. There’s a littleknown theatre inside, which is great for TED talks, comedy and burlesque shows. inspirelasvegas.com 7TH AND CARSON The woodfi re oven’s the star, but there’s a commitment to whatever’s in season. I’d recommend the ‘legs and eggs’ — tempura crab leg, caviar and barrel-aged ponzu — and the breads from the oven are something special. 7thandcarson.com THE LAUNDRY ROOM The Commonwealth is one of Downtown’s hippest bars, but look out for the speakeasy in the back. You have to text a certain number to get in, then phones are banned when you’re inside. Note — this isn’t somewhere to go for a Bud Light. commonwealthlv.com Donald Contursi is the founder of Lip Smacking Foodie Tours, which aims to show off the best of Vegas’ food and drink scene. vegasfoodietour.com Less conspicuous consumption Locals tend to avoid the Strip wherever possible, with the BEERHAUS a notable exception — largely because it’s next to the T-Mobile Arena, home to the Golden Knights ice hockey team. The modern take on a beer hall serves up a fi ne line of Nevada crabeers, such as the Joseph James Citra Rye American Pale Ale and Bad Beat Brewing’s Blu ng Isn’t Weisse. theparkvegas.com And here’s a secret — even suburban malls can hide some pearls. FORTE TAPAS in Spring Valley, four miles west of the Strip, is a prime example. A meat-laden deli counter sits beside colourful, blanket-lined booths and an Eastern European twist on tapas — gorge on Russian beef and dill dumplings, Uzbek pilaf rice and Bulgarian wines from the family estate. barforte.com The Downtown Area around Fremont East is where Las Vegans go for a night out. Call in at CARSON KITCHEN — with its warehouse vibe, rock soundtrack and an unashamedly rich, jazzed-up comfort food where crispy chicken skin shares a menu with caviar and foie gras. carsonkitchen.com It’s arty meets party at PARK ON FREMONT, which has wooden carriages and seesaws in a garden adorned with some rather risque paintings. There’s no-nonsense food and drink on o er, too, with dishes such as ‘garbage fries’ (piled with bacon, jalapeños and chipotle ranch) and devilishly good spiked co ee. parkonfremont.com If you’ve still got room, head a few doors down to THERAPY. The place has had quite the transformation — what was once a 99 cent store is now a playfully inventive kitchen. The menu includes buttermilk chicken and red velvet wa e sliders, and devils on horseback with so tru e goat’s cheese. therapylv.com DAVID WHITLEY TOP TIP Vegas runs on Uber and Lyft — the price difference between an Uber and a taxi is higher here than in most other US cities. IMAGES: CHRIS WESSLING; GETTY; ANTHONY MAIR After dark at Park on Fremont CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Seven Magic Mountains; sausage and broccoli rabe at Carson Kitchen; Downtown Container Park SPOTLIGHT // SMART TRAVELLER May 2019 35
Inspired by George Orwell’s fi rst novel, Paukan’s river expedition “Burmese Days” off ers the sophisticated traveller an incredible 7-night journey along the remote Upper Irrawaddy River, winding through mountain, plain and the magnifi cent gorge of the second defi le between Mandalay and Bhamo, with a plethora of stupas, temples and rural communities to explore along the way. www.ayravatacruises.com DISCOVER THE BURMESE DAYS For more information visit
Howgill Fells STAY AT HOME A favourite with hardcore hikers, this wild region on the fringes of Cumbria and the Yorkshire Dales is also fast becoming a magnet for gourmets IMAGE: ALAMY Why go? The beautiful bit of countryside where Cumbria and the Yorkshire Dales overlap has long been the preserve of walkers who revel in lo y views of both the lakes and the dales. But Howgill’s new foodfocused hotels are also appealing to a wider crowd, with innovative locally sourced menus. Visit in spring, when the wildfl owers are in bloom in places like Great Asby Scar and there’s wild swimming to be had in the River Eden. visitcumbria.com yorkshiredales.org What to do Of all the area’s hill hikes, the 4.5-mile route along Smardale’s old North Eastern Railway line is perfect for those who don’t fancy the fells’ sharp inclines. Its highlight is a walk across the Smardale Gill Viaduct, home to countless wildfl owers, birds, bees and butterfl ies. cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk WHERE TO STAY Brownber Hall is a retreat replete with sleek midcentury furnishings and four-poster beds. Don’t miss the sourdough pizzas on Thursday to Sunday evenings. Doubles from £90 per night, B&B. brownberhall.co.uk WHERE TO EAT The Black Bull in the bucolic book town of Sedbergh serves up memorable pub grub: think Japanese-style soused mackerel, rabbit with black pudding and root vegetables, and tasty house-made gelato. theblackbullsedbergh.co.uk WE LIKE Taking in the views of Howgill Fellside with an ice cream, courtesy of the farm’s herd of Jersey and British Friesian cows. Try the Howgill Hurricane, with cinder to ee and chocolate swirls. howgillfellicecream.co.uk Don’t miss Farfi eld Mill is a repository of local treasures: fl at caps, woollens and felted gi s, eco-conscious smellies from Sedbergh Soap Co, local landscapes lovingly rendered in print and watercolour, and wildly creative jewellery. Recharge between walks at the terrace cafe. farfi eldmill.org SARAH BARRELL Food at the Black Bull STAY AT HOME // SMART TRAVELLER May 2019 37
ph. Filippo Frizzera AD Brand&Soda
IMAGES: ROHIT CHAWLA; JENNY SMITH; PAUL ROMO; ANNA MILLER WORDS-ON-WYE As the iconic Hay Festival rolls around for another year, six of its speakers share their all-time favourite travel reads Chris Smith I love South by Sir Ernest Shackleton. In 1914, 28 men, 70 dogs and a cat called Mrs Chippy set sail for Antarctica. Their story is one of the most amazing you’ll ever read, so start with the account from the group leader, Sir Ernest himself. Spoiler: it doesn’t end well for the cat. Chris is the co-author (with Greg James) of Kid Normal and the Shadow Machine, published by Bloomsbury Children’s. Alys Conran I’m in love with Kathleen Jamie’s book Sightlines. She explores Spanish caves, Shetland bird reserves, whale museums in Bergen, and the Northern Lights of Greenland, bringing to them to life with her vivid words. Wherever I am, when I walk outside a er reading this book, I fi nd my surroundings enlivened, vital and in focus like never before. Alys is the author of Dignity, published by W&N. Tishani Doshi Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities is written as a series of imagined conversations between Calvino’s Marco Polo and the Emperor Kublai Khan. It touches on the seduction of ‘elsewhere’ — probably the most potent idea of travel — and the realisation of how little really belongs to the traveller. Tishani is the author of Small Days and Nights, published by Bloomsbury (out 18 April). Tony Juniper Tree of Rivers by John Hemming tells the story of the Amazon rainforest. It’s a wonderful book by the former director of the Royal Geographical Society, and includes accounts of early European exploration, including the fi rst passage along most of the length of the Amazon from Ecuador to the Atlantic Ocean. Tony is the author of Rainforest, published by Profi le Books. Dustin Lance Black Michael Cunningham’s Land’s End: A Walk in Provincetown was the fi rst travel book I read that felt like a complete narrative, not just a description of a location. Arguably, a mark of the book’s success is that a er reading it, I booked a trip to Provincetown in the hope of meeting some of the book’s characters. Dustin is the author of Mama’s Boy, published by John Murray (out 30 May). Paul Davies The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is the ultimate travel book. Of course, it’s all science fi ction, but interwoven in the absurd narrative are profound insights into the human condition. I travel a lot and knowing that the answer to life, the universe and everything is 42 helps me hold it all together. Paul is the author of The Demon in the Machine, published by Allen Lane. HAY FESTIVAL takes place 23 May-2 June in Hay-on-Wye. hayfestival.org BOOKSHELF // SMART TRAVELLER May 2019 39
THE OMNIA, Zermatt – Switzerland, Phone +41 27 966 71 71, www.the-omnia.com Enjoy summer a bit closer to the sky This is THE OMNIA
The destination Situated between Biarritz’s stylish surfer hangouts and the beautiful, buzzing city of Bordeaux, the beach resort of Moliets-etMaa sits on the dramatic Atlantic coast. In a landscape of fragrant pine forests and sandy dunes, it’s the perfect base to discover this unspoilt corner of France and all it has to ofer, from relaxing aternoons on the beach to watersports including suring, standup paddleboarding and kayaking. The prize Courtesy of Summer France, the winner will receive seven nights’ self-catered accommodation for up to eight people in a three-bedroom villa at Summer France’s residence, Villas La Clairière aux Chevreuils. Return lights and car hire for four guests are included, as well as green fees for two on the Moliets 18-hole golf course. Each villa is set within its own private garden complete with a terrace and an outdoor swimming pool, �in A SEVEN-NIGHT ESCAPE TO SOUTH WEST FRANCE National Geographic Traveller (UK) has teamed up with Summer France to ofer seven nights in Moliets, on the unspoiled coastline of the southern Landes region Answer the following question online at natgeotraveller.co.uk/competitions Moliets-et-Maa is located on which coast? Competition closes 31 May 2019. The winner must be a resident of the UK & Ireland aged 18 or over. Full T&Cs are available at nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel TO ENTER as well as wi-i, board games and outdoor parking. Beautifully styled to match the woodland and natural surroundings, all villas have wooden beams and lodge-style roofs. At an extra cost, Summer France also ofers a premium service, comprising a welcome hamper, fresh bread and croissants on the irst morning, beds made on arrival, midweek cleaning and complimentary toiletries. summerfrance.co.uk May 2019 41 SPECIAL PROMOTION
Join our Travel Geeks sessions, where we bring together a panel of experts to discuss your favourite topics and feed your travel bug Sponsored by SMART TRAVELLER // EVENTS 42 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
2019 Efients WHEN: 18.00-20.00 WHERE: Wallacespace Clerkenwell, 18 Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0DP TICKETS: £10, including a drink and nibbles MORE INFO: nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel 25 JUNE New Zealand adventures See yourself as a bit of a thrillseeker? Synonymous with the great outdoors, New Zealand o ers some memorable experience on land, at sea and in the air. We’ll be sharing the best ways to discover New Zealand’s wild side, so come armed with plenty of questions. 10 SEPTEMBER Latin American food featuring Peruvian gastronomy With the region’s cutting-edge restaurants leading a culinary revolution, Latin American cuisine has never been hotter. We’ll be serving up plenty of inspiration for your next epicurean adventure. 14 MAY VIETNAM Keen to unearth Vietnam’s hidden gems? Looking to travel on a shoestring? Our panellists will be on hand to answer all your questions on how best to discover this Southeast Asian country, whose scenery, cuisine and culture make it one of the continent’s most beguiling destinations. 20-21 JULY National Geographic Traveller Food Festival Our biggest event of the year is set to be a sizzler, as world-renowned chefs and food writers descend on London this summer for a weekend full of food and travel inspiration. Check out what’s on o er on p.12. 6 OCTOBER The Masterclasses 2019 If you didn’t make it to last year’s Masterclasses, don’t panic — our full day of expert-led photography and travel writing sessions is returning this October for a second year. So, keep your diaries free and your eyes peeled for more information in our June issue and online. IMAGES: GETTY N AT I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C .C O. U K / T R AV E L EVENTS // SMART TRAVELLER May 2019 43
Your irst choice for holidays in Croatia ISTRIA, DUBROVNIK, KRK ISLAND, RAB ISLAND, MAKARSKA T +385 52 465 000 E [email protected] www.valamar.com
CARCASSONNE Historical iction is a way of making sense of the loops and repetitions of history. It can give us courage in dark times and help us to stand in other people’s shoes. It can slip between the gaps of what we know and what we do not T hirty years ago, we bought a tiny house in the shadow of the medieval city walls of Carcassonne. I knew nothing about the Languedoc region — it was only coincidence that had taken us there. I knew nothing about how centuries of religious wars had scarred, shaped and changed the landscape over generations and how, out of that, came the stories. But from the second I stepped from the train, Carcassonne felt familiar. More than that — I felt I belonged. Writers are sometimes guilty of seeking to impose creative order on unconnected past events. Of seeing signiicance in a particular moment or imbuing another with importance in retrospect, even if they passed without notice at the time. Hindsight shapes the writer’s world into an organised narrative. And yet... Was it that day we sat outside at Chez Félix in Place Carnot and drank hot chocolate, surrounded by old men drinking panaché or delicate thimbles of Corbière rosé and a guidebook open on the table between us? It may have been, it may not, it doesn’t matter. The emotion is true, even if the detail is smudged. Out of memories come the beginnings of a novel. We walked on beneath a chill, blue sky to the Pont Vieux. I saw, for the irst time, the astonishing fortiied city of old Carcassonne and that was that — the start of a writing love afair that’s never faded. Carcassonne is story of two cities: the 13th-century hilltop citadel, and the later 14th-century Bastide Saint-Louis, built by refugees expelled from the citadel. The former is a crown of stone looking over the River Aude, with some 52 towers and turrets, Magniicent, imposing, impossible. From our garden far beneath the west walls, we could look up through the apple trees on the slopes of the market gardens to the Château Comtal, where the seigneurs (lords) of Carcassonne once lived. The layers of history — Roman, Visigoth, Crusader, Huguenot — were all there, seamed into the stones. Over that winter and the next summer, then the next and the next, my sense of belonging in Carcassonne grew stronger. I read guide books and history books. I explored castles and underground rivers. I followed paths in the woods and tourist trails along the coast. Stories of the present are indelibly linked to the past in this ancient French city, a place scarred by wars and shaped by the landscape I visited libraries and archives and museums. I never intended to write about Carcassonne. This was a holiday house, somewhere to come to get away from things, not to work. Historical iction is a way of making sense of the loops and repetitions of history. It can give us courage in dark times and help us to stand in other people’s shoes. It can slip between the gaps of what we know and what we do not. Most of all, it can help honour and celebrate the forgotten, the ignored and disregarded, voices of history — female voices — beyond the Court and Palace and Synod, the truth of ordinary people. My latest novel, The Burning Chambers — the irst in a quartet of novels inspired by the Huguenot Diaspora — begins in the Bastide in 1562 on the eve of the Wars of Religion that will rip France in two and see millions imprisoned, deported, executed and displaced. It’s a Romeo and Juliet story of two families, a feud and the consequences of love. Both consider faith and the consequences of faith and of what it means, through no fault of your own, to be forced from your home. These are stories that haunt the landscape of Languedoc now, as they did then. But in 2019, the Place Carnot is a square of bars, restaurants and shops. Awnings of yellow and green and blue, orange cushion covers and red and white stripes. Willow baskets containing garden herbs, orchids and delphiniums. On a nearby stall, black-pepper biscuits to serve with a glass of Guignolet. In June, cherries. Figs in July. Later, blackberries and sunlowers. As I sit there with my notebook, dreaming, I see the 16th-century market: the wooden colonnades and stalls, the halles aux grains, where the 18th-century marble fountain dedicated to Neptune holds pride of place. I’m imagining the rose water biscuits my heroine, Minou, will buy. I’m both here, and there. The spirit of place, the spirit of the past, these are the building blocks of a novel. It’s of memories, imagined or real, that stories are made. Kate Mosse’s book, The Burning Chambers, is published by Pan Macmillan and now available in paperback. RRP: £8.99. @katemosse NOTES FROM AN AUTHOR // KATE MOSSE AUTHOR SERIES // SMART TRAVELLER ILLUSTRATION: JACQUI OAKLEY May 2019 45
BUILD BRIDGES, NOT WALLS O n 22 December 2018, the US government came to a standstill. Bickering over funding for Trump’s proposed wall along the border with Mexico had reached fever pitch and, in what was perhaps the greatest ‘if you don’t play by my rules I’m taking my ball home’ move ever, the Donald refused to sign any spending bill that didn’t include $5.7bn (£4.4bn) for his ‘big, beautiful’, but possibly very racist, wall. And so began the longest government shutdown in American history — 35 days and 800,000 federal workers with no paycheck: airtraic controllers, park rangers, mechanics, investigators and — in the greatest of cruel ironies — border police. It was a farce. The total cost to the US economy has been estimated at $11bn (£8.4bn) — enough to build two walls. Not that they would’ve worked — most illegal immigrants in America arrive on planes and overstay their visa; most drug smuggling occurs through legal ports of entry. And, of course, all of this ignores the fact that all non-Native Americans — around 98% of the population — are descended from immigrants, including Donald Trump, his wife and every single member of the Republican party. But this wasn’t about border security. Not really. This was a ight for America’s soul. To truly understand what that ight meant, I went to the border itself. Which is how I ended up in Big Bend National Park, deep in southern Texas, where the Rio Grande forms the boundary with Mexico, and cowboys and gauchos stalk the hills of no-man’s land on their respective sides. It’s a spectacular place. The author Etta Koch described her irst sighting of the Chisos Basin as ‘that moment when your heart stands still and your whole body seems to swell’. She’s right. From the top of the Chisos Mountains — a giant’s ist of rock punching through the heart of the park — the desert shimmers like an ocean of dust, vast plains of ochre and orange swaying in the heat. But tucked in the western corner of the park is what must surely be the smallest international border checkpoint in the world — a single concrete shack, on the American bank of the Rio Grande (the oicial border is in the middle of the river itself). Crossing One of Trump’s most contentious policies might physically divide the US and Mexico, but the two countries already stand in stark, startling contrast ILLUSTRATION: JACQUI OAKLEY British travel writer Aaron Millar ran away from London in 2013 and has been hiding out in the Rocky Mountains of Boulder, Colorado ever since. @AaronMWriter @AaronMWriter it is like teleporting between two diferent worlds. I parked my car on the US side, walked across manicured paths to the airconditioned, computerised passport control oice, opened the door on the other side into Mexico and immediately fell into knee-deep mud. There were no paths, no buses, no cars. I waded through the muck barefoot, holding my shoes above my head for a quarter of a mile, until a guy on the other side of the river saw me and picked me up in a rowing boat. His village, Boquillas, he said, was a few miles away. There were no taxis, but I could hire a donkey and a local man to guide me. That’s how I met Raul. He led me through wastelands of desert scrub and stone, along empty dirt roads, to a scattering of whitewashed stone homes shadowed against the stark enormity of the Chihuahuan Desert. We stopped at the local bar for tequila and enchiladas; we watched an old man picking strings on a broken guitar, kids kicking a lat football through the streets. Raul told me that in its heyday, 200 people lived here. Now only a handful of families remain. They have to travel hundreds of miles through the mountains for everything they need. There’s no running water, nothing to grow. It’s not quite a ghost town, not yet. It’s worse; it’s a deathbed. There’s already a wall — a wall of poverty, depriving people of opportunity, education, healthcare. One side of the river doesn’t have enough to drink. On the other, I saw people wash the grime of their boots with bottles of iced Evian. But there’s a solution. Raul told me that every summer, when the river runs low, the locals hold a festival, Voices From Both Sides, when Mexicans and Americans come together in the middle of the Rio Grande to celebrate, swim, play music and connect. Rich and poor. Light and dark. Bridges, not barriers. Border security, I realised, is just one side of the story. It’s also as simple as being good neighbours. The ight for America’s soul is a choice: should we build walls or should we tear them down? traveltexas.com 46 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel SMART TRAVELLER // VIEW FROM THE USA VIEW FROM THE USA // AARON MILLAR
Havana 500 years of history IBEROSTAR HABANA RIVIERA IBEROSTAR PARQUE CENTRAL IBEROSTAR GRAND PACKARD The elegant Havana, portrayed in the works of countless artists and writers, is celebrating the 500th anniversary of its founding. Iberostar Hotels & Resorts is commemorating this historic occasion managing three of the capital’s landmark hotels, Iberostar Grand Packard, Iberostar Parque Central and Iberostar Habana Riviera. Tradition, exclusivity, culture and modernity come together in those unique buildings. Guests at the Iberostar hotels will have the opportunity to experience Havana at its most elegant and refined, discovering its history and rhythms from the best locations of one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful cities. HAVANA · VARADERO · CAYO SANTA MARÍA · CAYO GUILLERMO · CAYO COCO · TRINIDAD · HOLGUÍN · SANTIAGO DE CUBA
W E ’ V E MOVED We’re taking our award-winning storytelling over to a new home as we become part of National Geographic UK’s website. Find us in the Travel section, sitting alongside everything else National Geographic is known for, including wildlife, environment, history and much more. As always, you can expect to read all our magazine features, reworked for online. But what’s more, we’re bringing you a whole host of original stories, plus a whole lot more of our visual storytelling. Our photographers are always on the move and we’re here to bring you the stories they capture. Get in touch with us on social media and let us know what you want more of. Whether you’re planning your next adventure or just looking to immerse yourself in a story, we’re here to help you see more of the world in the most sustainable and forward-looking ways. FOOD Deconstructing laksa This Malaysian-Singaporean fusion dish has a complex history and seemingly infi nite variations | NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL | INTERVIEW Meet the adventurer Olympic gold medallist Crista Cullen explains what adventure means to her TRAVEL TIPS Get the right hiking boots An expert reveals what to look for, the best time to buy, and how to look a er them J O S E P H I N E P R I C E , ONLINE EDITOR From picking the right hiking boots to a surreal Californian desert town — here’s what you’ve been reading online MOST READ W H A T ’ S D I F F E R E N T ? | TR AVEL VIDEOS | Whether we’re sharing the work of travel videographers or producing our own, see more online | INTERVIEWS | Our monthly adventurer series showcases the stories of intrepid individuals around the world 48 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel ONLINE
ITALY What’s new in Pompeii? Fresh reasons to pay a visit to the iconic archaeological site in Italy’s Campania region USA Sounds of the desert California’s Pioneertown boasts an attraction as otherworldly as the landscape surrounding it BOOKS State of a nation Journalist Mike Carter retraces his father’s 1981 unemployment march route across the UK S E A RC H F O R NATGEOTR AVELUK FACEBOOK TWITTER PINTEREST INSTAGR A M | PHOTO STORIES | Each month we commission photographers to share the unique perspectives that their travels grant them | WHAT EL S E YO U ’LL FIND ON THE WEBSITE... | Neanderthal specialist Ella Al-Shamahi explores the world’s most dangerous regions in search of clues to the origins of humankind | HISTORY | Technology and nature working together to suck carbon from the sky is the only way to tackle climate change, scientists say | SCIENCE | President Trump’s proposed Mexican border wall could have major unintended consequences for both wildlife and people | ENVIRONMENT | | NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL | ONLINE May 2019 49
LIMERICK Weekender he Irish county is inally on the up — with revamped country piles and a thriving food scene, not least the beauty of its emerald-coloured landscapes. WORDS: Pól Ó Conghaile “Limerick is on the turn,” says Niall Sloane, Dean of St Mary’s. Within the soaring walls of this 12th-century cathedral, the Dean reveals hidden treasures: cannonballs from the 1691 Siege of Limerick and a tiny opening in a wall known as a leper’s squint, once used to pass Communion to suferers, but he isn’t referring to these prized pieces. He’s talking up his city. Despite being the third-largest in Ireland, Limerick has found it tricky to shed old stereotypes of crime, grit and Angela’s Ashes. But the forgotten child of Irish cities is changing. Across the road, a mural depicting Sionna, goddess of the River Shannon, brightens up the end of a grey terrace. A short walk away, King John’s Castle is sitting pretty ater a multimillion euro reboot, and a new microbrewery is set to open on Nicholas Street. The city feels cosy; then heaves into life as the home of Munster rugby. It’s small enough to walk around in a couple of hours; big enough for an expanding university and chic hotels like One Pery Square, or the new Bedford Townhouse. Ater years of gloom, a ‘Limerick 2030’ plan has earmarked wasted spaces like the old Cleeve’s tofee factory for regeneration. A thriving food scene has spilled from the Milk Market into small businesses like Canteen and La Cucina. “My children will be living in a very diferent Limerick,” says columnist and tour guide Olivia O’Sullivan. Beyond the city, County Limerick is a beautiful, windswept patchwork of green that borders the Shannon Estuary. Whether you opt to stay in the city or the country, the county’s fascinating history is never far away, from Ireland’s largest stone circle to curious little museums. 50 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel