NationalGeographicTravellerUKJanuaryFebruary2021

PARTNER CONTENT FOR TOBAGO TOURISM

TOBAGO

TOP TRAILS IN ONE OF THE
WORLD’S OLDEST FORESTS

Tobago’s North-East region has been recognised by UNESCO
for its incredible ecosystem. Head to the Main Ridge Forest
Reserve to witness nature at its most impressive

Home to a pristine coastline and an Gilpin Trace Trail TWO MORE
abundance of flora and fauna, Tobago’s TO TRY
intact ecosystem has recently been If you only have time for one trek, make
categorised as a biosphere reserve by it the Gilpin Trace, the oldest and most Argyle Waterfall
the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere popular path through the Main Ridge A short 20-minute trail
programme. Within this area is the Forest Reserve. Starting from the leads travellers to this
Tobago Main Ridge Forest Reserve, the Roxborough-Parlatuvier road and ending beautiful, three-tier
world’s oldest tropical rainforest. Learn around two miles north of Roxborough, waterfall complete with
about the area’s top hike, then go online the flat, easy trail takes two hours and is several pools to take a dip
for an interview with Newton George, a flanked by jungle bursting with wildlife. in. Stop for a picnic while
birdwatching, wildlife and natural history Birdwatchers should arrive by 6am to looking out for colourful
expert who’s passionate about Tobago. catch stunning blue-backed manakins and motmot birds and listening
white-necked jacobins at their most active. to the soothing sound of
cascading water.

Chocolate Cake
Serious cyclists should
check out the Chocolate
Cake trail not only for its
enticing name, but for its
adrenaline-pumping dips
and chutes through rocks
and foliage. The reward
at the end of the single-
track, 20-minute trail is the
secluded and stunning Big
Bay beach, also known as
Cotton Bay.

Essentials

Getting There: Flights to Tobago
depart from Heathrow and Gatwick.
Go from January to May, when
temperatures reach 32C and there’s
wall-to-wall sunshine

IMAGE: JAD DAVENPORT

To read more visit nationalgeographic.co.uk/tobago-exploring-caribbean-corner-bursting-life

INTO IMAGES: GETTY; NITA CJ
THE
EAST

SET SAIL ALONG THE EASTERN
FRINGES OF INDONESIA’S VAST
ARCHIPELAGO TO DISCOVER REMOTE
ATOLL S HOME TO COMMUNITIE S OF
SEA NOMADS, THE WORLD’S LARGEST
CONCENTR ATION OF REEF SPECIE S,
AND THE BIRDS AND BUTTERFLIES
THAT HELPED SHAPE THE THEORY
OF EVOLUTION
WORDS SARAH BARRELL

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INDONESIA

JAGO ISN’ T PICK Y ABOUT WHAT HE
SMOKES. AGED 84, HE’S TRIED THEM
ALL — CLOVE-TIPPED INDONE SIANS,
SOME EXPENSIVE AMERICAN BRANDS;
THEY’RE ALL JUST SOMETHING TO
PASS THE TIME BETWEEN DIVES.

But Jago isn’t diving today. He sits dockside, poised as whom appear to be under the age of 10. As I disembark CLOCKWISE FROM IMAGES: NIGEL RAWSON; SEATREK; ALAMY
if ready to do so, dressed in nothing but a pair of loose onto a wooden jetty, I watch a boy sail an impressive
shorts, bare feet placed lightly on the decking. You get model boat he’s built out of wood, complete with TOP LEFT: Boardwalk
the feeling Jago is always ready. His sea salt-thickened outriggers and battery-powered propellers. through the mangroves
hair, silver at its roots, is rudely abundant. He’s slight to Tumbulawa, a village
and leathery-tanned, with a teenage boy’s build; liver Nomadic until a couple of decades ago but now largely in central Sulawesi;
spot-mottled cheeks frame eyes that are rheumy but settled, the Bajau once dived for pearls and patrolled snorkel masks drying
resolute. At his hip, a bag bulging with cigarette packets spice trade shipping channels at the behest of the aboard Ombak Putih;
— some gifted, some barter-traded as is the local way. I region’s powerful medieval sultans. Today, they subsist Jago, Kabalutan, Togean
wonder aloud about his lungs. “They’re fine,” answers his via aquaculture, fishing, reef foraging and boat building Islands; nutmeg and
nephew. “He’s not so happy with his knees, though.” — model and actual. “One of the best day’s sailing I’ve mace, North Maluku
ever had was on a Bajau sloop,” says Jeffrey Mellefont, PREVIOUS PAGE: Ombak
It’s understandable for joints to be giving you gyp a maritime historian working with SeaTrek Sailing
after eight decades making forays deep under the ocean. Adventures, the Balinese-based company with whom I’m Putih; an aerial view of
Rohani, Jago’s real name, began free-diving aged five, travelling. “They’re master sailors; they read the sea like the Halmahera coastline,
learning from his father how to train lungs, heart, mind a book. They also maintain they command the wind and North Maluku
— and knees — to drive him 120ft below the surf to spear can conjure drinking water from the shallows. I didn’t
hunt for fish, earning him his moniker ‘Jago’ — master see this done,” he shrugs. “But there’s no doubt these
among the skilled Bajau free-divers. These ‘sea nomads’ guys really know the sea. It’s who they are. After a baby’s
of eastern Indonesia’s Togean Islands are supremely birth, for example, having thrown the placenta in the
fierce fishermen. Over centuries, the Bajau have evolved sea, they say it accompanies the child on every voyage
unusually large spleens: warehouses for oxygen-carrying throughout its life — a sort of aquatic spirit.”
red blood cells that help sustain dives for up to 13
minutes at a time. In recent years, Jago’s diving and the The Bajau are just one of the countless communities
Bajau way of life have inspired several TV documentaries that carve out a life on the easternmost fringes of the
and glossy photo features. Between here and Jakarta, world’s largest archipelago. It’s pioneering terrain for
Indonesia’s capital, some 1,250 miles west, Jago is surely SeaTrek’s new, 14-day sailing expedition, however,
the country’s biggest celebrity. which casts off from the island of Ternate in Indonesia’s
northern Maluku ‘spice islands’, to follow a perfumed
I find him in Kabalutan, a village in the Togean Islands trail southeast to Sulawesi. If you can’t spend your career
that’s far larger than it appears from the approach by aboard Bajau sloops sailing to remote Australasian
boat. Rickety wooden bridges span sea inlets forming outposts like our resident maritime historian, then
gangways to huts stilted above blinding turquoise water; this trip aboard Ombak Putih (‘white wave’), one of the
concrete tracks make half-hearted inroads into the SeaTrek’s two traditional wooden pinisi ships, has to be
island’s boulder-strewn interior, a craggy playground for the next best thing.
a healthy population of goats. What looked like a desert
island is in fact home to around 2,300 people — most of When I meet her — ironwood hull gleaming, seven
midnight-blue sails flying — Ombak Putih almost

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IMAGES: SEATREK; GETTY CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: upstages the drama of Ternate and neighbouring Tidore, Alfred Russel Wallace, the itinerant British naturalist
islands whose stone horns cut jade slices out of the after whom the bird is named (Semioptera wallacii), knew
Top deck of the Ombak Molucca Sea. Unlike the clunky, souped-up pinisi boats he had ‘a great prize’ when he discovered the species
Putih; transporting widely used in Indonesia’s eastern Raja Ampat atolls on the neighbouring island of Bacan in 1858. Wallace’s
gasoline along the as liveaboard dive boats, Putih’s handsomely preserved standardwing was integral among the vast arsenal of
pier, Halmahera, North contours wouldn’t have looked out of place in Ternate’s findings that led him to discover, independent of Charles
Maluku; Wallace’s harbour even a thousand years ago. Her elegant lines Darwin, the theory of evolution by natural selection.
standardwing perched on are the embodiment of a centuries’ old boat-building But it was the golden birdwing butterfly that really blew
a branch, North Maluku tradition from the island of Sulawesi; the hand-crafting his mind. “So great was his excitement that he had to
skill of the island’s Bugis people that gained Indonesia sit down under the tree where he netted it. He almost
a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage nomination in fainted. He had a headache for the rest of the day,” says
2017. Formerly seen sailing across the old 100 rupiah Wallace specialist, SeaTrek naturalist George Beccaloni.
note, pinisi remain integral to the nation’s far-flung We’re at the very spot where the discovery was made in
shipping network. Bacan, having docked the ship and hot-footed it across
the island’s runway (“planes land a couple of times a
Still weighing heavy as cargo are the nutmeg, mace and day; we should be alright,” grins Arie). We only see one
cloves that made the Maluku Indonesia’s most powerful dun-coloured female, but it looks large enough to need
islands, long before the Dutch East India Company and landing permission.
spice-seeking European colonisers sniffed them out.
Behind a modest shopfront near Ternate’s harbour, I find Aboard the ship, nightly lectures augment such
frilly red mountains of mace heaped on the floor, hessian wild wonders. A two-hour talk on cockroaches isn’t an
sacks of the seeds they previously encased; nutmeg, obvious crowd-pleaser, but the ever-engaging George
lined up to be categorised by weight and lustre; sacks of only loses one of the 24 passengers to the seductions of
cloves bulging from shelves, bleeding their Christmas the upper deck, where the sky rolls above us, a mirror
cake aroma into the 40C air. “Indonesia was, at one time, sea of constellations. Daylight views are just as infinite:
the world’s only producer of cloves,” explains SeaTrek forever blues intercut with distant, dragon-backed chains
guide, Arie Pagaka, interpreting for the factory’s Chinese of apparently virgin green islands. Villages, if any, are
owner. “Clove and nutmeg are still Ternate’s main source tucked inland out of sight.
of income.” Much of which goes east to China, following
a route sailed for millennia. Arrivals of international ships on small islands often
occur decades apart, and entire villages — crowds of
WELL ABOVE STANDARD screaming children and selfie-requesting adults — greet
dockings “like the Beatles arriving in New York in 1964,”
There are even more exotic things, however, lurking says a Texan passenger, John Forbeck. This relative
in the trees of Indonesia’s spice sultanates. On the stardom-bask is tempered by seeing some younger
neighbouring, starfish-shaped island of Halmahera, I kids cower behind parents’ legs, fearing we’re the
find the world’s most modestly named bird. ‘boogeyman’. The term here is literal: the Bugis people,
the Sulawesi master shipbuilders who craft pinisi were,
An appearance from the standardwing bird-of-paradise in centuries past, iron-fisted traders, pirates and sea
is beyond standard compensation for an hour spent warriors. Children still fear arrivals from the ‘bugis-man’
crouching in the pre-dawn damp of Halmahera’s lowland — strangers on sailing ships like ours.
rainforest. As dawn edges the constellations out of the
canopy, silhouettes of these ‘fairy birds’, as they’re known Despite this, our multinational group of travellers
locally, hover like butterflies. As the light rises, it’s clear is a curiosity that gets invited into island schools for
they’re not so much hovering as throwing ninja-like cultural exchange. Our offering includes the creative
stances — if ninjas were equipped with elaborate feather picture books SeaTrek has published on marine
boas. The male birds’ quivering, limb-hopping, canopy- conservation. In return, we’re given hearty renditions of
shaking mating displays, seen through the gloaming, the national anthem sung in Bahasa, Indonesia’s official
appear to have them tangled in the trees. But daylight language, along with other songs in the languages of
reveals utter precision between their mad scrambles: myriad islands. “They’re performed at school every day.
iridescent green and cobalt-blue feathers flash as they We all know the verses, but we don’t know what they
strike still-as-a-statue poses, impossibly long white mean,” laughs Arie, watching pint-sized children trying
ribbon-plumes thrust aloft like a carnival headdress. to form words from islands they’ll almost certainly

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IMAGES: ALAMY; SEATREK FROM TOP: A classic never visit. Such is the complexity of living in a country infinite world of nudibranchs — tiny Technicolor
coral-fringed island where more than 700 languages are spread across an wonders I’d previously reduced to ‘psychedelic sea slugs’
in Central Sulawesi; archipelago scattered 3,200 miles along the equator. — by conservation officer, Jeni Kardinal.
a school of striped
large-eye bream, just On the island of Obilatu, the international language We tack and jibe across the invisible lines that shape
one of the many marine of money speaks loud enough for us to buy a hawksbill our world, twice crossing the Equator, although there’s
creatures found within turtle tethered in the shallows, broiling in the sun. It’s more excitement about the Wallace Line — another of
Indonesia’s Coral rewarding to save this endangered delicacy from the Alfred Russel Wallace’s history-shifting discoveries.
Triangle, home to the cooking pot and release into open water. SeaTrek’s This is the biogeographical boundary dividing Oriental
world’s highest diversity conservation remit, however, is more than this drop in and Australian species, slicing Indonesia in half. “East of
of coral species the ocean. Sailings visit numerous sponsored projects the line, in Halmahera, we saw cockatoos and parrots,”
including, in a modest shack on the coral-fringed explains George. “Monkeys exist only west of the line,
island of Banggai, one dedicated to protecting the area’s marsupials east. There are some anomalies; Guinea has
endemic cardinalfish. “They’re being poached for the both, although the latter live in trees. And Sulawesi has
aquarium trade quicker than they can reproduce in the lots of unexpected animals. It once had three-tusked
wild,” says Khalis Dwi, local coordinator for Balinese- pigs and elephants. When the ancient continents began
based fisheries conservation non-profit, The Indonesian dividing, separating species, swimmers migrated.
Nature Foundation (LINI). He shows me some tiny, inch- Elephants are great swimmers: they’ve got their very own
long specimens nesting in tanks, bred here to sustainably inbuilt snorkels, of course.”
supply hungry hobbyists, the profits from which pay
local volunteers like Khalis, and fund eco-education on We’re standing under a tree that’s home to a colony
plastics and mangrove ecology in primary schools. of roosting fruit bats, an anomaly species with
distribution across Wallace’s line. We’ve docked on
Snorkel-clad, offshore, we spot a group of seven a crescent of talc-white sand to watch the creatures
cardinals. Then countless more, their black-and-white take flight at sunset. I squint into the branches strewn
spines impressively camouflaged among foot-long sea with what look like battered black umbrellas. It’s
urchin spikes. As ever, just a 10-minute dip reveals a only the squawking and a decidedly ferrety smell that
boggling array of sea creatures: mace-red starry night signals their animate nature. “They taste like an old
octopus lurking in the shallows, stonefish, starfish, umbrella too, according to Bill Bailey,” says George. “He
sweetlips and rays. Our clambering exit into the Zodiacs had to eat one for Jungle Hero.” This pre-coronavirus
scatters flashing shoals of turquoise parrotfish and TV entertainment followed the British comedian’s
metallic sparkles of humphead wrasse. Defended Indonesian travels — an attempt to revive Wallace’s
against the eviscerating equatorial sun with UV swim reputation. The legacy of the Victorian era naturalist
shirts and reef-safe factor 50, each day we’re submerged was, over time, to become eclipsed by Darwin’s rising
into a sub-aqua realm that brings us, crew and Seatrek star. The latter only ever reluctantly conceded natural
passengers alike, gasping to the surface, pointing selection to be a simultaneous co-discovery with
downwards in disbelief. Wallace, who was derided in some circles as a self-
taught, lower-class upstart.
MARINE MARVELS
Bailey is patron of the Alfred Russel Wallace
Indonesia’s Coral Triangle, home to the world’s largest Memorial Fund, founded by George to commemorate
concentration of reef species, is reason alone to spend his hero. Its Wallace Correspondence Project aims to
14 days afloat. I come face-to-beak with several species locate, digitise and interpret all of Wallace’s surviving
of marine turtle, and a venomous sea snake that looks letters and manuscripts — an impressive life’s work
as startled as I do. Dogface pufferfish beetle about like aided in part by SeaTrek funding. I leave George in the
badly designed Victorian flying machines; toothy sharks trees, camera poised, and wade into the skin-warm sea
grin from beyond reef walls, and giant eels dart out of to watch the colourful sky darken with hundred-strong
the seabed. Swimming in marine lakes, thousands of clouds of umbrellas in flight. It’s a surreal sight — a
rare stingless jellyfish morph lava lamp-like around memory I’ll return to — but soon enough, the captain
us. In brackish shallows, I float above rainbow-jewelled is calling us in. Time to set sail. As ever, I’m the last one
clams whose twisted gummy lips span a metre. And aboard, this time having discovered the joys of riding
while drifting among whip fans, anemones and towering full speed behind the ship’s rigid inflatable boat, while
chimneys of coral, I’m educated into the seemingly trying to stay upright on a paddleboard.

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Paddleboard water-skiing is just one of Nita CJ’s IMAGES: NIGEL RAWSON; SARAH BARRELL
simple yet brilliant ideas. The SeaTrek guide is always
out front for top deck dives or snorkelling and seems a FROM TOP: Kabalutan, a
natural water baby. But, like many Indonesians who live village that’s partly over
at the ocean’s edge, Nita had barely seen below its surface water, Togean Islands;
until five years ago. “The first time I snorkelled, I freaked village shop, Kabalutan
out; there was so much life!” exclaims Nita. “The more I
did it, the more I fell in love with what’s down there, and
the more I wanted to protect it.” So much so, she quit her
job in finance. Her Peek Under the Surface initiative now
distributes used masks and goggles among children from
Indonesia’s remotest islands, in an effort to aid ecological
awareness. Apart from the Bajau spear fishermen who
fashion goggles from glass bottle bottoms, snorkel kit is
an exotic commodity. “And you don’t care about what you
can’t see,” says Nita.

In the tidy, picket-fence village of Tumbulawa, gifted
goggles and books are reciprocated with handfuls of
lychee-sweet longan fruit. Neat plots of farmed nila leaf
lend their patchouli perfume to the goat-grazed football
field where children, as ever, vastly outnumber adults.
There’s not a ball between them but gleeful shrieks fill
the dusk, competing with the helicopter whoop-whoop
of hornbills taking flight. “They say the birds are more
punctual than the imam,” says Arie, as the evening call to
prayer sounds.

We motorboat out through pristine thickets of
mangroves back to the ship where the deckhands land
a squid. Almost a metre long, it spouts sky-high jets of
water as it leaves the sea. The boys think it’s gasped its
last, but a final high-pressure spurt soaks the kitchen
cabin, crew and most of us outside. Dinner and a show.

Squid-landings pale against the spectacle of Putih’s
sails being hauled. It’s a task completed with the
lightning efficiency of a Formula One pit crew (if they had
to wrestle with tons of canvas at rig heights of 100ft). This
is among the ship’s many star qualities, but I even come to
love her anchor’s Jacob Marley rattle, which wakes me at
dawn for swims in what appears to be the middle of deep
blue nowhere. Until, that is, you spot a wooden fishing
platform, known as a ‘FAD’ (fish aggregation devices’).
“People here live on a truly epic scale,” says Jeffrey, our
historian, whose “just a passing FAD” pun never gets old.

Swimming out from Putih’s mountainous hull, even
the bottom deck far above my head, her mast poles
vanish skywards. Into the ocean’s mercury expanse,
mirror-calm but for whisper ripples, I dive. After the
rainbow-busy reefs, it’s like swimming through the sky;
a mid-ocean cerulean void, strobed with underwater
sunbeams. I think of Jago, and dive deeper.

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ESSENTIALS

500 miles

South

C h i n a PHILIPPINES
VIETNAM S e a
PACIFIC OCEAN

The Togean WALLACE LINE
Islands

BRUNEI

M A L AY S I A Ternate Maluku
Equator Borneo Halmahera
Bacan Obilatu Equator
Island

IND Sulawesi West Papua
Java Sea I A New Guinea
ONES
Java Banda Sea PA P U A

EAST TIMOR NEW GUINEA

Bali Lombok Timor

Timor

INDIAN Sea

OCEAN

AUSTRALIA

Getting there & around

SeaTrek’s Rare Species, Remote
Cultures & Remarkable Corals
expedition cruise departs from Ternate
in Indonesia’s Maluku Islands, ending in
Sulawesi. The likes of Etihad, Garuda
Indonesia, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar
Airways, and Singapore Airlines fly from
London to Bali or Jakarta with one stop.
etihad.com garuda-indonesia.com
malaysiaairlines.com qatarairways.com
singaporeair.com
Average flight time: 20h
Connecting flights to the eastern
islands depart daily, with Batik Air,
Citilink and Lion Air. Book well in
advance for decent fares and times.
batikair.com citilink.co.id lionair.co.id

When to go

Equatorial Indonesia is a year-round
destination — even for sailing. Varying
slightly from east to west, dry season is
April to October, monsoon season
November to March. High humidity
makes coastal temperatures feel far
hotter than the average 28C, although
offshore, aboard a moving ship, the
heat is less intense.

Places mentioned

The Wallace Fund. wallacefund.info
Peek Under the Surface.
facebook.com/peekunderthesurface

More information

indonesia.travel
The Malay Archipelago, by Alfred Russel
Wallace, was first published in 1869 and
details the Indonesian travels that saw
him discover the evolution of species.

How to do it

SEA TREK’s Ombak Putih sleeps 24
guests in 12 en suite cabins (double or
twin bunks). seatrekbali.com
SELECTIVE ASIA offers SeaTrek Sailing
Adventure’s Rare Species, Remote
Cultures & Remarkable Corals trip from
£8,999 per person. Departing 23
February 2021, this includes a 13-night
all-inclusive cruise on Ombak Putih and
two nights B&B at Belmond Jimbaran
Puri in Bali, airport transfers, domestic
flights and return flights between
London and Bali with Malaysia Airlines.
selectiveasia.com

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Portugal

Europe’s most southwesterly point — the Cape St Vincent — witnessed the
beginning of Portugal’s fabled Age of Discovery in the 15th century. Since
then, this stretch of coastline, running north along the Atlantic, has dri ed
back to a peaceful, unhurried pace, where dramatic cliffs and sun-baked
scrub form a backdrop to life on land and at sea

WORDS & PHOTOGR APHS RICHARD JAMES TAYLOR

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The harbour remains the beating
heart of the small town of Sagres,
gateway to the Southwest
Alentejo and Vicentine Coast
Natural Park. This was the cradle
of Portugal’s Age of Discovery
from the 15th to the 17th century,
but the town dances to a different
rhythm these days. Instead of
seafaring galleons, the quayside
bustles with fishing boats bringing
in the day’s catch. Of all the fresh
seafood landed in this corner of
Portugal, percebes (known as
‘goose barnacles’) are perhaps
one of the most curious-looking.
The crustaceans are harvested
from the rocks and are a local
delicacy, best enjoyed lightly
boiled and served with a cold
glass of vinho verde at the
beachside Mar à Vista restaurant.

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PORTUGAL

The wild Atlantic waves that
buffet the coast make the region
a magnet for surfers. Possibly the
coolest siblings in the Algarve,
Marta and João Mealha founded
the Freeride Surf School in 2002
on the golden sands of Praia da
Cordoama. Along with coach
Tatiana Alexandre and surf-loving
labrador Maika, they’re one of
several surf schools dotted along
the coast, offering a windswept
introduction to the Portuguese
coast to novice and seasoned
surfers alike. There’s no shortage
of spots to grab a board and take
to the water, including
picture-perfect Odeceixe Beach:
a golden flank of sand, ringed by
the Ribeira de Seixe river and
fanned by curling, white waves.

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PORTUGAL

A far cry from the crowded
spots further east, the Costa
Vicentina is a remote, rural
stretch of the Algarve, where
a coastline pocked with rocky
coves is thrashed by surf, and
inland hiking trails through cork
groves link quiet, tucked-away
villages. One such stop is the
whitewashed Aldeia da Pedralva,
an immaculately restored village
built from the ruins of a deserted
settlement, located at the heart
of Alentejo and Vicentine Coast
Natural Park. Further north along
the coast, Sofia von Mentzingen
and Elsa Ribeiro run Burros &
Artes — a donkey sanctuary-cum-
workshop that organises treks
and pottery classes in the hillside
village of Aljezur.

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PORTUGAL

Enswathed by wild and unspoilt
greenery, Aljezur is a perfect
postcard of the Costa Vicentina:
blocky white houses with ochre
roofs jostle for space on steep
streets, and the ruined fortress
offers spectacular views of the
natural park. Located between
Sagres and Odeceixe, the village
is perfectly placed for exploring
the region, be it pine-scented
hikes through the landscapes or
catching the last of the day’s sun
out on the water.

MORE INFO
Mar à Vista. facebook.com/maravistasagres
Freeride surf school. frsurf.com
Aldeia Da Pedralva. aldeiadapedralva.com
Burros & Artes. burros-aljezur.blogspot.com
Algarve Tourism. visitalgarve.pt
Where to stay: Doubles at Memmo Baleeira Hotel
Sagres from €95 (£85), B&B. memmohotels.com

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PARTNER CONTENT FOR ASSOCIAÇÃO DE TURISMO DO PORTO E NORTE

FIVE REASONS TO EXPLORE

PORTO &
NORTH PORTUGAL

With centuries of intriguing history, deep-rooted gastronomic
traditions and a fun-loving city at its heart, every corner
of this region is worth exploring

The Douro is the third largest
river in the Iberian Peninsula

1 Heritage highs 2 Douro vineyards 3 Soulful cities
Home to five UNESCO World Heritage The Douro wine region has vines With its gothic churches, baroque
Sites, North Portugal has serious cultural marching up steep terraces, while below, the belltowers and pastel-coloured houses, Porto
cachet. The roll call reaches from the Alto river flows swift and silent. The landscapes is an instant heart-stealer. It’s also a city
Douro — the world’s oldest wine region — to are some of Europe’s most poetic — whether where sparky young chefs like Vasco Coelho
Porto’s historic centre, dating back to Roman you see them by boat or train, on a hike or a Santos are using creative new recipes to put
times. Rewind to the 12th-century birthplace bike, or by driving the roads that corkscrew Porto on the global gastronomic map. The
of the nation in Guimarães, climb the long deep into the Alto Douro, the region’s city’s wines, from the nearby Douro, are
staircase or take a historic funicular to the UNESCO-listed pride and joy. Allow time outstanding. And now everybody is raving
Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga, for tastings of the region’s reds and tawny about WOW, the new World of Wine district,
or ponder the mystery of Palaeolithic rock ports at a quinta (estate) that’s probably been with its tasting rooms, restaurants, shops,
art in the Côa Valley. in the same family for centuries. cafes and exhibitions.

IMAGE: ANDRESGARCIAM 4 Sacred moments 5 Farm-to-fork flavours Essentials
In Portugal’s far north west, the The Douro spills into the Trás-os-
Minho region is an unsung beauty. History Montes region. Cut off for centuries by Getting there: TAP Air Portugal, Ryanair, British
and religion are writ large here, not least the mountains and sprinkled with pretty Airways and EasyJet offer direct flights to Porto
in Braga, with its baroque churches, granite villages, this region is Portugal’s from UK airports. visitportoandnorth.travel
11th-century Romanesque cathedral and go-to for good old-fashioned home cooking.
Bom Jesus do Monte’s hilltop sanctuary Dig into the likes of posta à Mirandesa (veal
and baroque staircase. Just as memorable steak) and cozido à Portuguesa (stew with
is alley-woven, castle-topped Guimarães, boiled meat and vegetables). The locals also
where the first king of Portugal, Afonso love pork, particularly smoky, silky presunto
Henriques, was born in 1110. (cured ham).

To find outTmoofirned, voisuit mvisoirtep,ovritsoitanpdonrtoorcthvb.tr.caovmel

PARTNER CONTENT FOR THE ITALIAN NATIONAL TOURIST BOARD

G RE AT

ITALIAN

FOOD JOURNEY

Chef Aldo Zilli shared his top tips during a recent event with
the Italian Tourist Board. He discusses all things Italian and
culinary, from regional specialities to his favourite ingredients

What’s your favourite food-related Abruzzo, and Abruzzo is undiscovered. Aldo Zilli IMAGES: GETTY
childhood memory? There are a lot of great recipes from the
Making gnocchi with my mum. We lived mountains and from the sea, because the Award-winning chef
close to the sea, so she always used to make region is quite big and self-contained. Each Aldo Zilli was the
wonderful fish sauces with clams and all the region is the best at making something. founder of various
fish we could find in the Adriatic Sea. In Italy, restaurants around
the dining table dictates the atmosphere in What are some great lesser-known London. He’s written
a house. Growing up, we were nine siblings, Italian dishes? 10 books, regularly
and I was the youngest, so food was valuable Sicily deserves recognition. I worked and contributes to
because we didn’t have very much. Lunch filmed there for a long time, and I know the publications and often
and dinner were very important. We all ate whole region. It has a big Arabic influence, so appears on TV and
together and shared stories and problems. there are a lot of strong flavours that people radio. In 2012, Aldo was
don’t realise come from Italy, like all the appointed executive
What makes Italian cuisine stand out? amazing tuna and salt fish, used in dishes consultant chef to the
Italian food is everyday food. It’s simple like pasta con le sarde [pasta with sardines San Carlo restaurant
but effective, because it’s all about the and anchovies], as well as all their desserts. group, which owns
ingredients. It’s also all about the regions restaurants in the UK
— if you come from Abruzzo, you have What comfort food do you recommend? and abroad. aldozilli.com
arrosticini [meat skewers]; if you come from Right now, with more time on our hands
Milan, you have risotto Milanese; if you I’d recommend making things from
come from Sicily, you have cannoli. It’s very scratch, especially things like bean soup and
important that we send this message around sauces. If you can’t find pasta, buy some ‘00’
the world. It’s coming across now, especially flour and make your own. It’s so simple and
in England. People expect certain food from you need few ingredients.
certain regions because they travel a lot more.
What dish would you suggest for a
Which region would you recommend to taste of Italy?
someone planning a foodie trip to Italy? Burrata from Apulia. Just keep it simple.
Campania. It’s the birthplace of pizza, and And make your carbonara from scratch
everything you eat is incredible. I’m from — with no cream!

PARTNER CONTENT FOR THE ITALIAN NATIONAL TOURIST BOARD

Spaghetti chitarra and flour, working from the centre of the well The event
alla carbonara outwards until the mix forms a dough. Cover
with a damp cloth and leave for 30 mins. National Geographic Traveller
Serves: 1 2. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work (UK), in association with the
Takes: 1 hr surface, forming a sheet that’s 0.5cm thick Italian National Tourist Board,
and 40cm long. Set the sheet onto the pasta teamed up with Aldo Zilli for
Ingredients cutter and use a rolling pin to push it down a live online event celebrating
30g guanciale (cured meat) onto the wires, slicing the dough into ribbons. Italian food. It took place on
extra virgin olive oil, for frying 3. Cut the guanciale into strips around 0.5cm 24 November to coincide with
2 eggs, yolks only in length. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a pan set over International Italian Cuisine Week
1 tbsp grated parmesan a low heat, then add the guanciale strips. (23-29 November), and featured
1 tbsp grated pecorino Cook until crispy on the outside but soft in a cooking demonstration and
the middle, around 2-3 mins. Set aside. Q&A session, with topics ranging
For the pasta 4. Tip the egg yolks into a large bowl with from the country’s amazing
400g ‘00’ flour a pinch of salt and pepper. Add half the regional specialties to the role
4 organic eggs parmesan and half the pecorino and mix well. of food as a central component
5. Cook the spaghetti al dente in boiling of Italian socialising. Speakers
You’ll need salted water, then drain, reserving a little of also included chef Joe Hurd,
A chitarra pasta cutter the water. Add the spaghetti to the pan with a regular guest presenter on
the guanciale and keep on a very low heat for BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen
Method 2 mins, mixing all the time. Tip the contents and Joe Fattorini, wine expert
1. To make the pasta, put the flour in a large of the pan into the bowl with the egg yolks, on The Wine Show. Head to
bowl, add a pinch of salt and mix. Crack the then use a fork to mix everything together, our website for more recipes,
eggs into a separate bowl and beat with a adding a little of the reserved pasta water to or to the Facebook page to
fork until smooth. Make a well in the middle ensure the end result is light and creamy. watch the event: facebook.com/
of the flour and tip the beaten eggs into the 6. Transfer to a serving dish and top with the NatGeoTravelUK/videos
centre. Use your fingers to combine the eggs remaining cheese and a grind of black pepper.

To find out more, visit italia.it/en/home

CITY LIFE

HAMBURG

ZZZ

Germany’s largest port city might be known as a business
hub, but its lively neighbourhoods filled with indie boutiques

and design hotels suggest it plays as hard as it works
WORDS: David Whitley PHOTOGRAPHS: Celia Topping

122 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

I n any other city, repeatedly seeing a skull
and crossbones flag flying might be a
little intimidating. But in Hamburg, it’s a
symbol of the good fight. The city’s St Pauli
football club unites a social movement under
the rather piratey emblem, which seems to
finds its way onto every banner, T-shirt and
window sticker in town. The club, notorious
for its vociferous fans, social activism, ban
on right-wing nationalists, and punk spirit,
encapsulates Hamburg’s feisty side.

The club’s spirit can be considered
an embodiment of the Reeperbahn, the
notorious dockside strip of red lights,
happily unsophisticated bars and live music
venues that has half its visitors clutching a
beer and the other half at their pearls.

This is where the Beatles honed their
craft, playing marathon sets night after
night, before they hit the big time. That was
over half a century ago, but Hamburg’s mix
of hard graft and feel-good entertainment
still courses through the city’s veins. There
are some parts of town where creative
bohemianism wins out — St Georg is gay-
friendly and wine-drinking and increasingly
artisan, while Schanzenviertel plays it
unrepentantly grungy. But, most of the time,
it’s uncomplicated, rather raucous fun that
drives Hamburg’s after-dark personality. For
Germans, this is the home of musical theatre,
with massive arenas built on the banks of the
River Elbe to host the likes of Mary Poppins
and The Lion King.

By day, however, the Elbe is home to the
city’s serious side. For every docker letting
his hair down, there’s a sober merchant
checking the ledgers. Germany’s second-
largest city has been about financial gain for
most of its existence — in the 13th century,
it became a key member of the Hanseatic
League, a network of port cities across
Northern Europe with a focus on prosperity
through trade.

Hamburg’s port, on the banks of the Elbe,
welcomes the biggest ships on Earth via the
North Sea and still funds many a luxurious
lakeside house. The third-busiest in Europe
after Rotterdam and Antwerp, it’s an awe-
striking model of mechanised gigantism.
Hulking machinery, allied to 21st-century
technology, means shipping containers are
processed at a phenomenal rate. Behind
the city’s good-natured rowdiness is a
higher logistical being – an engine room of
ruthlessly efficient globalisation.

Hamburg’s beating, mostly automated
heart is astonishingly impressive, and not
just for the more geekily-inclined visitor.
And while a plethora of maritime museums
means those visitors are well catered-for,
Hamburg’s soul is something very different
altogether, and it comes wrapped in a skull
and crossbones scarf.

Jan/Feb 2021 123

HAMBURG

SEE & DO INTERNATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM: ABOVE: St Pauli
Landungsbrücken
ST MICHAEL’S CHURCH: The church’s For a more serious, old-school museum buildings, the entrance to
baroque interior looks like a wedding cake experience, this massive beast is all about the Elbe Tunnel and the
designer has been let loose on a cavern, with ships and shipping. There are a healthy River Elbe
the giant organ and outlandish, goblet-like number of model shops, and the story of OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE
pulpit especially swaggering. But it’s the spire navies is nicely told, while the sections
you’ve come for: 452 steps (or 52 plus the lift devoted to the history of shipbuilding, FROM TOP: Al fresco
for cheats) up to a 272ft-high viewing platform navigation and voyages of discovery are also drinks at Hamburg Del
with 360-degree city views. st-michaelis.de worth checking out. imm-hamburg.de Mar; beer fermenting
HARBOUR CRUISE: The best way to get an ELBPHILHARMONIE HAMBURG: The tanks at Überquell
overview of Hamburg is on the water, with construction of this dazzling concert hall Brewery; the Büsum crab
Barkassen-Meyer Harbour Tours one of was much delayed, but well worth the wait. bread starter at Die Bank
several companies offering pootles round A red-brick base is crowned with a bubbled, PREVIOUS PAGES:
Europe’s third biggest port. The one-hour curving, waving masterclass of glasswork.
trip (turn up at 11.30am for the English- It’s a justified new icon, the acoustics are Harbour area, with the
language version) takes in the looming world-leading and the long, wiggly worm-like Elbphilharmonie in the
red-brick warehouses of the Speicherstadt escalator up to the viewing deck is fabulously background
district and some seriously daunting odd. elbphilharmonie.de
container ships. barkassen-meyer.de ST PAULI: There’s no denying the Reeperbahn
DISCOVERY DOCK: For a surprisingly is seedily stacked with strip clubs, but head
entertaining insight into how the port works, a couple of blocks back from here, and the
this new attraction employs virtual reality cartoon sleaze dissipates, replaced by feistily
to get you operating cranes and searching cool neighbourhood bars. Don’t miss the
containers for illegally smuggled goods. abstract statues at Beatles-Platz, including
discovery-dock.de one of Stuart Sutcliffe walking away — it’s an
MINIATUR WUNDERLAND: Speicherstadt oddly touching tribute to the Fab Four.
is home to numerous museums, including ST NIKOLAI MEMORIAL: The Church of St
this, the world’s biggest model railway. Nicholas’s spire is the tallest in Hamburg,
Spread over two floors, the scale and but most of the rest of the building was
detail — including sprawling mini models destroyed by Second World War bombs.
of cities a fully functioning airport — is It now stands as a memorial, with the crypt
extraordinary and heart-warming. hosting a sobering exhibition about the
miniatur-wunderland.com carnage. mahnmal-st-nikolai.de

124 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

HAMBURG

Painting the town // While
touring with The Beatles,
Stuart Sutcliffe fell in love
with Hamburg, and left his
role as the band’s original bass
player after being awarded a
scholarship to study painting
there. Tragically, he died in
the city after a sudden illness,
aged just 21

Jan/Feb 2021 125

HAMBURG

126 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

LIKE A LOCAL HAMBURG

ST PAULI FISH MARKET: The Sunday Saying hello // Most of
morning fish market in St Pauli has been a Germany cranks out ‘guten
local institution since 1703. Theoretically, it morgen’, ‘guten tag’ and
caters to those who wake up early to buy the ‘guten abend’ as standard
freshest fish, but they’re usually outnumbered salutations, but no-nonsense
by those spilling out of the bars and clubs. An Hamburg has a catch-all
acknowledgement of this comes in the form word for pretty much every
of the live bands that perform here and the greeting. So, if you hear a
stalls selling beer at 5am. Hamburger saying ‘moin’,
UNDERGROUND ART: Hamburg’s favourite they’re simply saying ‘hi’
shortcut, the Old Elbe Tunnel, heads under
the river from St Pauli to the port area. The BELOW FROM LEFT: Facades lining a footpath close to
art deco design is part of the appeal, as is the Elbstrand beach; a waitress at StrandPauli beach bar,
viewing platform at the other end. set on the banks of the Elbe
BEACH BARS: Hamburg is pretty much the OPPOSITE: Die Bank, a slick restaurant set in a former
polar opposite of a beach destination, but that art nouveau bank
doesn’t stop the locals flocking to the ‘beach’
bars that crop up during the summer months.
Sand is imported, deck chairs are laid out and
drinks are consumed in pop-up resorts such
as Hamburg del Mar, in St Pauli, and the larger
Strandperle, further to the west.

Jan/Feb 2021 127

HAMBURG LEFT FROM TOP: Property Of..., on Postsrasse, which
sells gear for stylish travellers; truffle burger with
128 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel sweet potato fries and a beer at Otto’s Burger
OPPOSITE: Schanzenviertel district
FOLLOWING PAGE: Evening beers at Alles Elbe

BUY
PROPERTY OF...: Poststrasse is one
of the most interesting, niche-satisfying
shopping streets in the city centre, and this
store, selling gear for stylish travellers, is
the place to pick up dapper-looking multi-
compartment bags, snazzy belts and high-
end guidebooks, and a flat white (it doubles
as a coffee bar). thepropertyof.com
LOKAL DESIGN: Grungy but gentrifying
Schanzenviertel has plenty of indie
shopping, particularly along Schulterblatt.
Lokal Design is the star, largely selling
locally designed, distinctive furniture and
homeware. But nosey around and you’ll
find ceramics, jarringly angular tea light
holders and specialist food and drink books.
lokaldesign.de
KOPPEL 66: LGBTQ+-friendly St Georg
is the other ’hood with innovative
shopping. Here, Koppel 66 brings together
several arts and crafts workshops over two
floors. The inhabitants range from book
binders to jewellery makers, although
Stefan Fink’s gorgeously crafted fountain
and rollerball pens feel like the standout.
koppel66.de

EAT
OTTO’S BURGER: A visit to Hamburg

without a hamburger would be a dereliction
of duty, and local mini-chain (three outlets
in the city) Otto’s does them best. The meat is
cooked to taste, the toppings are extravagant
— the truffle burger with portobello
mushroom, baby spinach and truffle mayo is
tremendous — and there’s German craft beer.
ottosburger.de

TASQUINHA GALLEGO: The most
atmospheric choice in a cluster of good-
quality Portuguese joints, set inside a
rounded tower by the docks. Theoretically
‘tapas-sized’ petiscos dishes, such as the garlic
soup and cod in white wine, are almost a meal
in themselves. Predictably, given the location,
fish is the focus. galego.de

DIE BANK: This former art nouveau
bank offers a dazzling glimpse of
Hamburg’s showier side. It relies on the
wow factor of the first-floor dining hall,
along with such quality produce as North
Sea oysters, house-made ravioli with
bottarga, and rare-roasted local venison.
diebank-brasserie.de

HAMBURG

Jan/Feb 2021 129

HAMBURG

ESSENTIALS

HAMBURG Hamburg Airport
GERMANY 2 miles

Alster
Lake

SCHANZENVIERTEL

ST GEORG

HAMBURG

Reeperbahn Hauptkirche
Street St Michaelis

ST PAULI Mahnmal
St-Nikolai
LITTLE
Old Elbe PORTUGAL
Tunnel
R i v e r Elbphilharmonie
Elbe
500 yards

AFTER HOURS ZZZ SLEEP Getting there & around

ALLES ELBE: Summing up the few- SUPERBUDE HAMBURG ST PAULI: British Airways flies direct to
blocks-back St Pauli vibe, this simple Hamburg from Heathrow, while
neighbourhood craft beer joint has a ‘No Tremendous fun, this hostel-hotel hybrid EasyJet goes from Gatwick,
beer for Nazis’ sign on the door, helpful staff Manchester and Edinburgh. Ryanair
and a whole host of brews that go beyond has nets for bedheads, plungers turned offers flights from Manchester,
the standard German favourites. And if that Stansted and Edinburgh. ba.com
means an 8.5%, papaya-infused monster, so into clothing rails and desk lamps strung easyjet.com ryanair.com
be it. alleselbe.de Average flight time: 1h30m
ADEGA: Set in the Little Portugal area by together on the ceiling; it feels like the pet Travelling by train is feasible,
the river, this bar-cum-shop sells wallets although expect the quickest
and purses made of cork, plus colourful project of someone who’s really good at DIY. journey to take at least eight-and-a-
ceramic plates and canned fish. But it’s half hours with two changes.
the wine you come for, and the list dives Rope-pattern carpets nod to the shipping raileurope.com
around the Portuguese wine regions, with Much of Hamburg is slightly too
drops from the Douro, Alentejo and Algarve. heritage, and the lobby full of eclectic seating large to be considered a truly
Handcrafted German gins are also available walkable city. An extensive
if you prefer to stay local. adega.hamburg doubles up as a bar. superbude.com combination of U-Bahn and S-Bahn,
GRUENSPAN: One of several live music venues plus buses, covers the city. There’s a
just off the Reeperbahn, this spot is still as RUBY LOTTI: This centrally located design zone-based system in use, although
worth visiting as it was when the Beatles pretty much everywhere of interest
were earning their pre-stardom crust. hotel goes for a ‘lean luxury’ concept — which — including the airport — is in zone
Gruenspan’s strength is variety: one night it’s one. Single tickets for zones one and
Scandinavian metal, the next, a local singer- means smallish rooms and a trimming back two cost €3.30 (£3), with day tickets
songwriter, the next Midge Ure or Billy costing from €6.50 (£5.80). hvv.de
Corgan. gruenspan.de of facilities, but quality bedding, an eagerness Taxis are relatively pricy (expect to
pay around €30 (£27) from airport to
for gadgetry, and rough edges that are hotel). Uber has recently launched in
the city after much resistance.
celebrated as quirks. Vintage furniture and
When to go
oak floors are part of the look. ruby-hotels.com
Hamburg is at its best in the summer
TORTUE: Built around an impressive (June to September, when
temperatures average around 23C)
art installation and a boules court in the not least because the longer ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER
evenings make for perfect outdoor
courtyard, this upscale city-centre option drinking weather. Winter can be
tough going, and not necessarily
knows it looks good. Free mini-bars, touch- cheaper, given a lot of the hotels fill
up with business clientele.
button mood lighting and heated bathroom
More info
floors are among the facilities binge.
Hamburg Tourism.
Furnishings and furniture feel hand-picked hamburg-tourism.de
English-language news and lifestyle:
thelocal.de

How to do it

EASYJET HOLIDAYS offers three
nights at the Barceló Hamburg, with
return flights from Manchester, from
£662 per couple. easyjet.com

for impact, rather than snaffled up in a job lot.

tortue.de

130 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

PARTNER CONTENT FOR PHILIPPINE DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM

THE BEST OF CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Banaue
Rice Terraces; Daku Island; Puerto
THE PHILIPPINES Princesa Underground River

There are more than 7,000 islands in the Philippines,
scattered like fireflies across the Pacific Ocean. Here’s
a selection of some of the best

IMAGES: GETTY Banaue Siargao

BEST FOR: CULTURAL IMMERSION BEST FOR: ISLAND HOPPING

Banaue is famed for its rice terraces, many of The surfer, yogi and digital
which are a legacy of the Ifugao people and nomad crowd wash up here
date back 2,000 years. Hikers weave between to hang out at the beach
them from village to village, where cups of shacks, paddle in rockpools,
homemade rice wine await. Book a multi-day tackle the waves and laze in
trek from the little hamlet of Bangaan to the hammocks over lunches of
Mayoyao district, before ending in Batad. barbecued shellfish. This
Don’t miss: Cooling off in one of the many place is all about the good
pools around Chappah Falls. life, and beyond the beach
are a handful of islands
Palawan waiting to be explored.
These include Naked Island,
BEST FOR: WILDLIFE-WATCHING a slip of a sandbar; Daku,
with its palm-fringed shore;
This island lures travellers with the and dinky Guyam, with
promise of primordial adventures. Kick off its white-sand shoreline
at the secret underground river of Puerto- speckled with broken shells.
Princesa Subterranean River National Don’t miss: Watching
Park, one of the New Seven Wonders of the surfers attempt Cloud 9,
World. This vast network of chambers and a renowned reef break.
caverns is overlooked by karst formations
and smoothed by waterfalls. Elsewhere, Essentials
Tubbataha Reefs National Park is the
jumping-off point for dives with sea cows, Getting There: Philippine Airlines
turtles and sharks. flies direct from London to Manila
Don’t miss: Wreck diving in Coron Bay, (13h25). Apart from Manila, other
where a Second World War Japanese fleet gateways via connecting flights
hides beneath the waves amid a tangle of include Cebu, Clark, Kalibo,
weeds and coral. Iloilo and Davao. Schedules
may change
due to the pandemic.
Average flight-time: 13.25h
Go between December and
February, when temperatures
hover pleasantly around 24/25C.

To find out more, visit itsmorefuninthephilippines.co.uk

PARTNER CONTENT FOR THE EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF SMART TOURISM

DISCOVER THE
EUROPEAN CAPITALS OF

SMART TOURISM

The European Capital of Smart Tourism initiative champions EU tourism
destinations striving for inclusivity, creativity, digitalisation and sustainability.
Gothenburg and Málaga, the 2020 capitals, are leading the way

PARTNER CONTENT FOR THE EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF SMART TOURISM

IMAGE: PER PIXEL PETERSSON Visitors at Gothia Towers What is smart tourism?
hotel, Gothenburg
In a nutshell, smart tourism embraces
innovative, digital and eco-savvy
approaches to travel. From regulating the
flow of travellers and supporting diverse
communities to making the most of virtual
reality and using the latest technology to
break down language barriers, it responds
to old and new demands in a fast-changing
industry. As hotbeds of creativity and social
activity, smart tourism destinations devise
solutions that benefit locals while enhancing
the visitor experience. In the EU, where
tourism is the third-largest socioeconomic
activity, making up around 10% of the
economy, several cities are ahead of the curve.

Promoting smart tourism
across Europe

The European Capital of Smart Tourism
initiative aims to kick-start a conversation
about smart tourism by applauding forward-
thinking destinations. For the past two
years, it’s defined smart tourism excellence
across four categories: accessibility;
sustainability; digitalisation; and cultural
heritage and creativity. Rather than acting
strictly as a contest, the goal of this EU-
wide competition — developed in 2018 by
the European Union and implemented by
the European Commission — is to take
examples from leading smart tourism
destinations and provide a platform for other
cities to discover those ideas, all the while
fostering cooperation. Its Compendium of
Best Practices is exactly that: chock-full
of success stories, the free-to-access guide
to smart tourism details everything from
reusable coffee cups in Karlsruhe and
smart waste management in Ljubljana to
forward-thinking digital initiatives, such as
Helsinki’s WeChat programme, designed
for Chinese tourists. In 2020, Gothenburg
and Málaga were both lauded for redefining
their tourism offers.

To find out more, visit smarttourismcapital.eu and smarttourismcapital.eu/best-practices

PARTNER CONTENT FOR THE EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF SMART TOURISM

Setting an example

Digital-forward, accessible to all and a
champion of sustainability, Sweden’s second
city has all the attributes of a leading 21st-
century destination. Its strong approach to
tech means visitors and locals alike benefit
from widespread 4G coverage, future-
oriented public transport and smart grids
for traffic and electricity. The easygoing port
city, hailed as the world’s most sustainable
destination by the Global Destination
Sustainability Index four years in a row,
also adopts a pioneering approach to
emission targets, and most of its hotels have
been environmentally certified.

Co-winner Málaga, Spain has transformed
itself from a Mediterranean seaside staple
to a hotbed of innovation. Sustainability
initiatives have ranged from smart watering
systems to efforts to improve noise quality.
Local authorities have embraced technology
to improve the visitor experience and help
businesses to innovate. The city has also
boosted its cultural appeal, welcoming more
than 30 museums in the past 20 years,
including the Centre Pompidou Málaga,
providing new itineraries and transforming
old buildings into hubs of culture. One of the
best examples of its approach is Tabacalera,
a former tobacco factory which now houses
the Automobile & Fashion Museum and
the Russian Museum Collection — Saint
Petersburg, as well as the Spanish National
Digital Content Hub, where artists use
virtual reality to improve tourism and other
sectors — all just a short walk from the sea.

FROM LEFT: Alvsborg
Bridge, Gothenburg,
Boulevard in Malaga
port, Malaga; solar
panels, Málaga; bike
sharing station, Málaga

PARTNER CONTENT FOR THE EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF SMART TOURISM

IMAGES: STUDIOGRAFEN; PER PIXEL PETERSSON; GETTY The way forward Improved travel for all More info

By rewarding destinations at the forefront of Anyone visiting Málaga can now experience This EU initiative recognises
innovation, the European Capital of Smart its urban and natural charms more outstanding achievements in
Tourism initiative helps cities attract more easily. Travellers can download apps to smart tourism. Gothenburg and
visitors — but that’s not all. Smart tourism guide themselves through museums and Málaga proposed attractive
can also play a role in combatting the negative attractions or scan QR codes at places of programmes to celebrate their
social, environmental and economic impacts interest for information on the go. The city titles as 2020 European Capitals
of travelling and help the industry respond has also revitalised many of its natural of Smart Tourism. They now act
to challenges. Representatives of the 2020 spaces, including making eight beaches fully as role models and are sharing
capitals recently shared insight on how smart accessible for those with reduced mobility best practices on a number of
tourism can support post-pandemic recovery. and fitting two with supportive devices for platforms. Visit goteborg.com
Gothenburg shared lessons from Sweden’s the blind. Málaga has also created an app to and malagaturismo.com/en
no-lockdown approach, highlighting display information such as beach crowding,
the importance of sharing information, wave height and presence of jellyfish.
attracting regional visitors and investing in
virtual attractions and events. Meanwhile, Gothenburg’s strong approach to
Málaga stressed the need to support smaller technology also benefits visitors. Take
businesses and involve local companies in Liseberg amusement park, for instance, one
brainstorming new ideas and solutions. of Sweden’s most popular attractions,
which recently introduced a virtual queuing
In addition to the 2020 capitals, four cities system. Travellers can also take advantage
received European Smart Tourism Awards in of the ‘Meet the locals’ initiative, which
select categories: Breda, in the Netherlands, connects visitors with locals and offers an
for accessibility; Ljubljana, the capital of insight into day-to-day life in Sweden. Have a
Slovenia, for digitalisation; Karlsruhe, in question about the city? Turn to the capital’s
Germany, for cultural heritage and creativity; comprehensive digital channels or enjoy an
and Gothenburg for sustainability. online chat with a local expert.

To find out more, visit smarttourismcapital.eu and smarttourismcapital.eu/best-practices

TR AVEL GEEKS

ASK THE EXPERTS

NEED ADVICE FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP? ARE YOU AFTER RECOMMENDATIONS,
TIPS AND GUIDANCE? THE TRAVEL GEEKS HAVE THE ANSWERS…

Q // I’m thinking of When the snow’s good, skiing either. Take your pick from The FROM LEFT: Skiing at
skiing in Scotland this in Scotland can be both awe- Fife Arms, with its crackling fires Glencoe; King Henry VII
season for the first inspiring and adventurous. and A-grade art (from £325, B&B), suite, The Mitre
time. Where would The combination of basic or Cranford Guest House (from
you recommend for a infrastructure and weather- £78, B&B). Both are in the village IMAGES: VISITSCOTLAND / PAUL TOMKINS; ADAM LYNK PHOTOGRAPHY
week’s break, for beaten hills means you can test of Braemar, less than a 30-minute
intermediate skiers? your mettle in your own backyard. drive from the slopes.
ski-glenshee.co.uk thefifearms.com
But Scotland’s winter climate gulabinoutdoors.co.uk
is notoriously variable, and mild, cranfordbraemar.co.uk
soggy spells can quickly follow
snowy ones. So don’t wait if there’s For your next stop, try Glencoe.
been a dump of the white stuff With just 14 miles of skiable pistes,
— if you can, grab your kit and go. it’s a fair bit smaller than Glenshee,
but more bracing and blessed with
Glenshee Ski Centre is a safe bet epic views. Stay at the Clachaig Inn
for intermediate skiers. Scotland’s nearby for the chance to sip some
biggest ski area, it spreads of its 400 whiskies when you’re
across a U-shaped Highland done. From £117, B&B. clachaig.com
pass in Aberdeenshire and offers
around 25 miles of mostly steady, Want to learn how to ski tour? At
unthreatening descents. It’s the Glenmore Lodge, near Aviemore,
perfect place to warm up your two-day Discover Backcountry
ski legs, perhaps with a lesson at Skiing courses are aimed at
Gulabin Lodge Outdoor Centre intermediate skiers. From £345, full
to fine-tune your technique board, including equipment hire.
included. You’re not short of good glenmorelodge.org.uk
accommodation options nearby,
SEAN NEWSOM

136 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

Q // I’m due to The risk of catching Covid-19 Besides wearing a face mask Q // I’d hoped to spend
fly in January, on a flight is very low. The throughout the entire travel my 2021 gap year
but am characteristics of the aircra process, it’s important to practise backpacking on a
concerned cabin naturally limit the spread good hand hygiene. That means different continent.
about the risk of droplets — everyone faces washing your hands regularly with Do you have any
of coronavirus forward, the seat backs act as soap or an alcohol-based hand suggestions for
transmission. a barrier between rows, people sanitiser. Avoid touching your equivalent adventures
Do you have generally don’t move around eyes, nose or mouth, especially closer to home?
any advice on very much on a flight, and the air a er contact with commonly
staying safe in the aircra cabin circulates touched surfaces on the aircra , Firstly, don’t give up on your
on a flight? from the top to the bottom of such as seatbelts and table trays. dreams of a far-flung gap year.
the cabin (instead of along the Borders will reopen, and when
length of the fuselage). Cabin air And while boarding in today’s they do there’ll be great deals to be
in modern aircra is 50% fresh context tends to be done in an had. We find many gap-yearers like
air from outside the aircra and orderly manner with physical to kick off their trip with a group
50% recirculated air, which goes distancing, do also take adventure, followed by working
through High Efficiency Particulate precautions when disembarking and exploring independently, so
Air filters, which are over 99% at the destination. And most for 2021 we’re offering working
effective in removing bacteria and important of all, don’t fly if you’re holiday visas free with certain trips
viruses, such as Covid-19. unwell or experiencing any to Australia and New Zealand to
symptoms. DR DAVID POWELL facilitate that combination.

Q // I’m You’re in luck. There’s no denying three bars and a bakery, as well But there are also many options
looking for 2020 has been a difficult year as ceramics workshops, yoga closer to home, and operators
a UK hotel for the hospitality industry, but classes, a screening room and are increasingly flexible in terms
escape in there’s still been a heartening a cultural events programme. of the experiences they offer
the new number of new openings in spite Factor in the amount of space to and booking terms. This is due
year. Where of these tricky times. London, unwind in (55 acres, no less), and to both the current uncertainty
would you perhaps unsurprisingly, has led your front room will feel a million and the projected rise of the
recommend? the charge with a flush of new miles away. From £150, room only. ‘micro-gap year’. Contiki offers
hotels, including The Mitre, a birchcommunity.com the Ultimate European plus Greek
36-room boutique address just Islands (17 countries in 45 days),
a stone’s throw from Hampton But if it’s the sea air you’re or there are shorter trips such as
Court Palace. With a quirky, a er, then look no further than the Scandinavia & Russia Tour, or
classic-yet-contemporary design, The Pig at Harlyn Bay. Hotel group Italian Escape & Sicily Tour, which
it’s perfectly placed for exploring The Pig’s latest addition has take a deeper immersion into the
the Tudor residence, as well as all the hallmarks of its porcine destinations. For independent
for riverside rambles and deer- cousins — elegant furniture, a travellers keen to meet new people
spotting in Bushy Park. From £178, stately setting, farm-to-fork and learn something new, then
room only. mitrehamptoncourt.com dining — with the added bonus adding in a three-or-four day mini
of being a bracing cli op stroll adventure (such as Truffle Hunting
Just outside the capital, in from the pretty town of Padstow in Italy, or Surf & Yoga Retreat in
Hertfordshire, is Birch, an opening on the Cornish coast. Want to Morocco) is a great way to get off
that’s attracted lockdown-weary indulge? Book a massage in one the tourist trail. DONNA JEAVONS
Londoners in their droves. It’s of the treatment rooms, housed
little wonder: set on the grand in cosy, former potting sheds. THE EXPERTS
Theobalds Estate, it’s a welcome From £150, room only.
antidote to the winter blues, with thepighotel.com SEAN NEWSOM // FOUNDING
an on-site farm, two restaurants, CONNOR MCGOVERN EDITOR, WELOVE2SKI.COM

DR DAVID POWELL // MEDICAL
ADVISOR, INTERNATIONAL
AIR TRANSPORT
ASSOCIATION IATA.ORG

CONNOR MCGOVERN //
COMMISSIONING EDITOR,
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
TRAVELLER UK

DONNA JEAVONS // SALES
& MARKETING DIRECTOR,
UK & EUROPE,
CONTIKI CONTIKI.COM

Jan/Feb 2021 137

TRAVEL GEEKS

THE INFO

REACH FOR THE STARS

PIONEERS ARE SETTING THEIR SIGHTS HIGH THIS YEAR, DESPITE THE RESTRICTIONS
IN TERRESTRIAL TRAVEL. WELCOME TO THE NEXT FRONTIER IN TRAVEL, ONE THAT
COULD LEAD TO SUB-ORBITAL TOURS AND TRIPS TO THE MOON
WORDS: ANGELA LOCATELLI

IN NUMBERS take three: sky-high trips Timeline:
the future
£42 million Virgin Galactic is working to deliver short up-and-down of the ISS
trips to the edge of space — although it’s yet to announce a
The approximate price date for the first flight. Passengers will experience minutes 2021
of a 10-day trip to the
International Space of weightlessness like true astronauts. virgingalactic.com SpaceX and Axiom
Space are planning
Station (ISS) Spanish start-up SpaceX and Space to send three tourists
EOS-X Space plans to Adventures have inked to the space station
20 years offer trips to the edge an agreement to launch for at least eight days,
of space by 2023, taking four tourists into orbit. in what would be the
The period of continuous passengers 25 miles up The journey, set to last first-ever fully private
human presence on the ISS, in pressurised, balloon- human spaceflight
marked on 2 November 2020 propelled capsules. up to five days, could mission to the ISS.
happen as early as 2021.
7 eosxspace.com spacex.com
spaceadventures.com
The number of tourists 2024
that have already HOW FAR AWAY IS...
travelled to space Houston-based
Axiom Space has
been selected by
NASA to build new
habitable modules
that will be attached
to a docking port on
the ISS. Construction

is underway.
axiomspace.com

2028

Stars in their eyes The ISS The Moon Mars It's likely the ISS will IMAGES: GETTY
Tom Cruise, NASA be decommissioned,
The space station orbits An average of It’s constantly changing,
and SpaceX are Earth at an average 238,855 miles from Earth, but the average distance three decades
set to shoot a film altitude of around although the distance is between us and the red after its launch.
in space. Russian 250 miles. planet is 140 million miles. The Axiom Space
agency Roscosmos gradually growing. modules will be
detached and used
is backing a as building blocks for
similar project. the manufacturer’s

own private
space station.

SOURCES: BBC, BUSINESS INSIDER, CNN, NASA, THE NEW YORK TIMES, SKY NEWS, SPACE.COM, SPACENEWS.COM, THE VERGE

138 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

TRAVEL GEEKS

HOT TOPIC I READ THE EXTENDED VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE ONLINE AT NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/TRAVEL

THE PANDEMIC VS SAFARI CONSERVATION

WITH THE PANDEMIC CONTINUING TO OBSTRUCT THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY, SAFARI AND CONSERVATION
TOURISM ARE BEING HIT HARD. HOW ARE AFRICA’S RURAL COMMUNITIES COPING? WORDS: SARAH BARRELL

When travel came to a halt in people. We’ve heard devastating to travellers who want to offer AFRICAN
March 2020, SafariBookings, a reports of increased snares, and support. “The new Foundation SAFARI IN
marketplace for African tours, that subsistence poaching has Itinerary from The Royal Portfolio, NUMBERS
began a monthly survey of several increased by 200% where families for example, includes community
hundred operators. In November, previously relied on tourism.” upliftment and conservation £9.4BN
this revealed most operators activities for travellers wanting The value of Africa’s
had faced a drop in business of But early worries about to make a positive impact,” says
more than 75%. And with winter poaching haven’t necessarily Ramothea. In Kenya, Wildlife safari industry in
lockdowns in place across Europe, been widely borne out. “We were Trails’ March 2021 Mara Predator 2018, according to the
the outlook remains grim. concerned that not only would Big Cat Conservation Safari, United Nations World
communities supported by tourism which contributes $1,000 (£755) Tourism Organization
The government’s decision to suffer, but that they would also per person to the Mara Predator
continue to advise against travel to turn to hunting wildlife to replace Conservation Programme, has 90%
much of the African continent last their income,” says McIntyre. “For already sold out. “More clients and The proportion of
summer, despite most countries the most part, the conservation specialist tour operators will be operators that saw a
having fewer coronavirus cases ethic has proved stronger than we looking to maximise their returns decrease in bookings of
than those in Europe, was seen by dared to hope. Wildlife custodians for effective NGOs in the field,” more than 75% due to
many as nonsensical. “Safaris are and communities have continued says founder Allan Blanchard. the pandemic, according
outdoor holidays, based in remote to care for the ecosystems, even to SafariBookings’ survey
camps in places that generally as they face slashed incomes and Support is being offered
have very low infection rates,” hardship. Although most camps virtually, too. In summer 2020, 2,000
says Chris McIntyre, managing have reduced their staff, and some operator andBeyond launched The number of safari
director of operator Expert are completely mothballed, many virtual safaris to fund conservation
Africa. “Insurance companies now are doubling down on efforts to initiatives within its portfolio, rangers who ran a
have policies covering the virus support their communities.” and more than £7.5m was raised pan-continent charity
and it’s becoming increasingly by the Wildlife Ranger Challenge race to support rural
common for authorities to require There’s positive news, too: the in October 2020, supporting
a negative coronavirus PCR test big drop in South African rhino more than 9,473 rangers across communities and
before travelling.” poaching. “It decreased by 52% the continent. There’s news to conservation initiatives
in the first half of 2020 thanks celebrate, but the pandemic’s full
For an industry valued at £9bn to the hard work of a number of impact is yet to be seen — without wildliferanger
globally, plummeting bookings foundations and lodges,” says visitors to Africa’s wilderness challenge.org
have far-reaching impacts. In South Africa Tourism’s acting hub areas, funding to protect local
addition to the rangers and big- head Kgomotso Ramothea. communities and wildlife will quite For the latest travel
game conservation programmes likely continue to erode. restrictions and
relying on income from the sector, And as tourism trickles back, requirements, visit gov.uk
there are countless workers and canny operators will respond
wildlife projects that survive
thanks to tourism.

“In recent months, there’s
been little local government
support in most of Africa’s key
safari destinations,” says Chris
Breen, founder of tour operator
Wildlife Worldwide. “Tourism
is also significant in ‘policing’
national parks and reserves:
people on safari equals eyes and
ears on the ground to ensure
there’s no poaching of wildlife.”

As such, Africa is currently on
the verge of a humanitarian crisis,
according to Alice Gully, sales
director of operator Aardvark
Safaris. “Each African travel job
typically supports eight to 10
dependents, in turn helping
to support up to 250 million

Jan/Feb 2021 139

TRAVEL GEEKS

KIT LIST 3

CONSCIOUS KIT 4 PALLADIUM X FINISTERRE
PALLAFIN RECYCLE
THIS YEAR, FILL YOUR WARDROBE WITH KIT A collaboration between two
CONTRIBUTING TO A GREATER GOOD BE adventure apparel heavyweights,
IT TEXTILE SUSTAINABILITY, CHARITABLE
DONATIONS OR ENVIRONMENT BOOSTING 4 these lightweight, waterproof
INITIATIVES. WORDS: NORA WALLAYA boots are PETA-approved Vegan.
The sole, upper and lining are
1 PATAGONIA NANO PUFF JACKET cra ed using recycled materials,
including rubber and polyester.
The new Nano Puff jacket RRP: £125. palladiumboots.com
— warm, windproof and
water-resistant — is Fair Trade 5 MPOWERD LUCI ORIGINAL
Certified, made from 100% An ideal companion for a er-dark
recycled polyester and produced adventures, this inflatable solar-
using reduced emissions. It’s powered lantern will light the
super lightweight, compressible way for up to 24 hours. Every sale
and stays warm even when wet. helps to provide clean, affordable
RRP: £180. patagonia.com energy to communities around

2 KÅNKEN ART SAVE THE ARCTIC 2 5 the world. RRP: £21.
mpowerd.com
FOX BACKPACK
6 6 HOUDINI X POLARTEC
This limited-edition range of kit
from Swedish brand Fjållråven MONO AIR HOUDI
Kånken, whose name translates The award-winning fleece
as ‘Arctic fox’, supports the plight — warm, lightweight, durable
of this snow-white canine. It’s and completely recyclable
been on the brink of extinction
in Sweden for the past century, — claims to significantly
threatened by climate change reduce plastic microfibre
and hunting activities. RRP: £90. shedding, such as that
created during laundering.
allraven.com The two brands behind it
have made the design open
3 THE BEESWAX WRAP CO. source — free for other
environmentally-conscious
NATIONAL TRUST WAX WRAPS clothing retailers to copy. RRP:

With patterns inspired by £179. houdinisportswear.com
nature, the food wraps (choose
vegan or beeswax) celebrate the
flowers that depend upon bees,
our planet’s most important
pollinator. Funds raised from
pack sales will go directly to the
National Trust, supporting bee
conservation work on its estates.
RRP: £10-30. beeswaxwraps.co.uk

Three more: plastic-reducing products

LIFESTRAW HYDROFLASK INSULATED SEASALT CORNWALL
GO STAINLESS STEEL FOOD JAR TURNING TIDE COAT

The Lifestraw filters out Hydroflask not only makes Woven from polyester fibres
microplastics, parasites and these plastic-free thermal from plastic bottles, this
bacteria. Plus the brand’s jars, it also supports waterproof, windproof coat
Give Back scheme helps organisations working to uses less raw materials to
to provide safe water for improve and provide better make than conventional
children around the world. access to public parks. polyester. RRP: £130.
RRP: £54. lifestraw.com RRP: £39.95. hydroflask.com seasaltcornwall.co.uk

140 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel