National Geographic Traveller - Italy

Round the back are vintage Dylan Thomas WALES
photos; by the bar is a painting of a man
grinning furiously as he brandishes a pint. Sept/Oct 2020 101
“It’s not him,” says the woman behind the
bar, as I flex my camera. “It’s kind of a joke
— he’s just a bit of a character.”

At Cardigan, I head to the castle and
find something very different to what I was
expecting, and a lot more interesting. Only the
battlements remain, within which stands a
stately Georgian house; now a museum, it tells
the story of the Black Death, Owain Glyndŵr’s
failed raid and a bloody Civil War siege in 1644.
Amid all this human drama, a sign in the car
park tells me to beware the tide that could
claim my car. However high the battlements, it
seems nature is never far away here.

Below Cardigan, down towards St Davids
and the Pembrokeshire coast, the myths take
over. Nothing I see on my trip is as spectacular
as Pentre Ifan, where a gargantuan dolmen
— a megalithic tomb built 3,500 years
ago — stands in a field, towering over the
neighbouring sheep, hills and headland,
pointing towards Fishguard. Cardigan Bay
sparkles in the gaps between the 8ft-high
stone wedges, blanched by centuries of sun;
the top slab, curved like a shield, seems to
hover in the air like a UFO, barely touching
the pillars. There’s an air of Stonehenge
about it, I think. No wonder — Stonehenge’s
‘bluestones’, lying nearly 200 miles to the east,
hail from right here in the Preseli Hills.

Two miles south east of the dolmen, I
drive through a fast-flowing ford, up a steep,
road and round a switchback to see the
land fall away around Craig Rhos-y-felin,
a vast, wild outcrop on which chunks of
rock are racked up like matches in a box,
megaliths almost peeling themselves off.
Three miles further lies Carn Goedog, one of
the former Neolithic quarries that supplied
Stonehenge’s rocks. I can make out its
colossal stones spearing the sky from half a
mile away, but there are no footpath signs,
and grubby sheep are glaring at me. Not
wanting to trespass, I turn around.

FROM TOP: The mythical Pentre Ifan, a gargantuan
tomb constructed around 3,500 years ago; the nave of
St Davids Cathedral, with its stunning Irish oak ceiling,
constructed around 1530

WALES

ESSENTIALS

Anglesey

WALES

London LlŷPnoPretmnienisruiolSanNNr OAPTWAIODRNKOANLIA

Cardiff

Bardsey Aberdyfi
Island Aberystwyth

YNYSLAS
BEACH

Cardigan
Bay

Aberaeron

Newport
Nevern

St Davids

20 miles

View across Whitesands Getting there & around
Bay on Pen Dal-aderyn,
the westernmost nub of Take the train to Chester and hire a car
on a one-way rental — it’s then a pretty
mainland Wales two-hour drive to the Llŷn Peninsula.
Drop the car at Swansea or Cardiff.
There’s more mysticism waiting for me My journey finishes at St Davids, where ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER
further down the road. At Nevern, a hamlet the land crumbles into the sea at Wales’s When to go
near Newport, I find an avenue of 600-year- westernmost point. This is the UK’s smallest
old, Tolkienesque yew trees (one of which city, population-wise — a town no bigger Year-round. The school holidays
oozes blood-red sap from its twisted trunk), than any of the others I’ve seen, only with a bring crowds, and avoid winter if you
leading to a Norman church. It stands on strapping cathedral in a field at its base, said don’t care for storms while walking
the site of a sixth-century ecclesiastical to hold the bones of the Welsh patron saint. coastal paths.
settlement. Founded by an Irish monk, it was
a stopping point for pilgrims en route to St The next day, I’ll get to see the cathedral, Places mentioned
Davids. Inside is an Ogham stone — a rock its arches and vaults incised with plaits,
slab inscribed in a mysterious, early Celtic twists and chevrons. I’ll wander through the Bardsey Island day trips.
language; outside, a lanky 10th-century cross ruined St Davids Bishop’s Palace, where an bardseyboattrips.com
is carved with plaits and Celtic knots. ecclesiastical hush still hangs over the ruins. Portmeirion. portmeirion.wales
Llechwedd Slate Mine. llechwedd.co.uk
There’s more. On the hill above the village, But tonight, I’m here for the sunset. I set Machynlleth Parliament House.
I march round the ramparts of a motte- out along the cliff and am soon transported canolfanglyndwr.org
and-bailey castle, softened by the centuries back to the scene at Aberaeron — right down National Library of Wales. library.wales
into a park framed by trees and filled with to the bright foxgloves squeezing the narrow Black Lion. blacklionnewquay.co.uk
wildflowers. Nearby, following a woodland path. Only, here in Pembrokeshire, the coast Cardigan Castle. cardigancastle.com
path, is the ‘pilgrim’s cross’ — a crucifix fans out in fold after fold, as endless as a hall Nevern Church. nevern-church.org.uk
carved into the rock face, said to be part of of mirrors. Beyond is Pen Dal-aderyn, the St Davids Cathedral.
the pilgrimage route to St Davids. At least, westernmost nub of mainland Wales, where stdavidscathedral.org.uk
that’s the official version — which ignores the the land feels saturated with generations
coffin-shaped ‘doorway’ etched into the rock past — the peninsula densely mapped with Where to stay
beneath it. The non-official version is that standing stones, ancient settlements and
behind the rock is a cave, and in that cave lies Celtic chapels. But for now, with the sea Gwesty Ty Newyd, Aberdaron.
either Merlin or the Holy Grail, or King Arthur shimmering under the pinkening sky and gwesty-tynewydd.co.uk
— dressed in full armour, ready to rise again. wildflowers my nearest neighbours, the only Nanhoron Arms Hotel, Nefyn.
magic I need is right here. nanhoronhotel.com
Castell Deudraeth, Portmeirion.
portmeirion.wales
Marine Hotel Aberystwyth (for Ynyslas).
gwestymarinehotel.co.uk
Castle Hotel, Aberaeron (for New
Quay). castle-hotel-aberaeron.co.uk
Twr Y Felin Hotel, St Davids.
twryfelinhotel.com

More information

visitwales.com

How to do it

Book your trip independently and take a
week to do the route, with around five or
six overnight stops. At the time of going
to press, Wales was out of lockdown. But
some sites are reopening gradually.
Llechwedd Slate Caverns is doing so in
stages: glamping and quarry tours have
begun, but there’s still no reopening date
for the Llechwedd Deep Mine Tour.

102 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

• SERIES 1 DOUBLE BUTTED CRMO FRAME
• 650B+ x 47MM WTB HORIZON TIRES
• BEYOND ROAD GEOMETRY
• WIDE RANGE 1X9 DRIVETRAIN

STEP
INTO
THE
S AVA N N A H

104 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

An intrepid on-foot safari across the Kenyan savannah bordering the
Maasai Mara National Reserve reveals, at rivetingly close range, the

rich drama of this unique African ecosystem. Exploring terrain
inaccessible to vehicles, walk between remote lodges and luxurious
fly camps through lesser-visited conservancies, where guides share

their intimate knowledge of its creatures, great and small

WORDS BEN LERWILL PHOTOGRAPHS GREG FUNNELL

Sept/Oct 2020 105

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106 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

KENYA

E arly morning on the plains of than in the national reserve, but the high density of
Kenya, and we’ve wandered into wildlife is no less thrilling. And, unlike in the reserve,
a massacre. Predators swarm walking safaris are permitted. Should you be imagining a
forwards. Their prey scatters, quick pre-sundowner stroll to admire the birdlife, think
directionless and doomed. Bodies again. We’re covering more than nine miles a day.
flail, jaws close, limbs tear. A
massed battalion of Matabele ants A walking safari is an extraordinary thing. Step onto
the savannah, and in no time your perception of the
has launched a dawn attack on a termite mound, and the world around you starts to shift: noises amplify, smells
heighten, distances morph. When there’s literally
result is mayhem — pity any poor termite hoping for a nothing separating you from the landscape, you can’t
help but witness it more clearly than if you were in a
lie-in — although the bull giraffe wandering nearby, lithe vehicle. On foot, the small and the subtle become as all-
absorbing as the large and the hairy.
and lonely on the grasslands, doesn’t so much as blink a
Although, wait — is that guttural, ground-shaking roar
long-lashed eyelid. A vulture glides overhead in the blue, what I think it is?

no less indifferent. “Stick with me at all times,” instructs Roelof, a man
so familiar with the Mara that Disney sought him out to
But when you’re with the right guide, dramas swirl help with logistics on its 2019 remake of The Lion King.
From his shoulder hangs a .458 Winchester Magnum
from the land. Facts, too. Matabele ants, we learn, take rifle. “We walk in single file,” he continues. “Click or
whistle to get my attention. And never panic.”
their name from a historical race of warriors known
The walk ahead of us is three days long, although
for their violent raids. Conversely, these pitiless insects longer and shorter versions can both be arranged. We’ve
already spent a day on the national reserve, adjusting to
are also the only invertebrates known to care for their the sweeping scenery by means of game drives and the
kind of crisp-linen safari camp where you’re woken with
injured. A termite mound, meanwhile, is as calibrated fresh coffee and handmade cookies. One of the aims of
our itinerary — designed by East Africa specialist Asilia
and complex as a metropolis, a nest inhabited by Africa, whose accommodation is used throughout — is to
show the contrast between the well-trodden reserve and
millions. “It’s made of soil so rich in iron that pregnant the lesser-visited Conservancies.

women traditionally consume chunks of it daily,” Which isn’t to say, of course, that time spent on the
former is some sort of booby prize. Just minutes after
whispers the wide-hatted, khaki-clad Roelof Schutte,

the guide in question. I look again at the skirmish taking

place, a micro-battle for the ages in the morning light.

FROM LEFT: Male giraffe When you’re on foot, the reasons to stop and stare come
grazing in Mara North
Conservancy; guide in droves.
Roelof Schutte leads a
walking safari in Mara I’m part of a small group hiking through the Maasai
North Conservancy
PREVIOUS PAGES: Mara Conservancies, the vast protected areas that
Walking safari in
Naboisho Conservancy border the northern and eastern edges of the famous

Maasai Mara National Reserve itself. The history of these

conservancies — more of which later — stretches back

only a decade. Here, visitor levels are more regulated

Sept/Oct 2020 107

KENYA

our tiny plane touches down on the reserve’s Olkiombo reveals a resting pride of five lions. For 20 minutes, we CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
Airstrip (think red dirt, crisscrossed by baboons), we’re watch the animals stretching and stirring. Then, as
driven to a watering hole astir with wallowing hippos. daylight fades to nothing, the male stands, shakes down LEFT: Zebras in Naboisho
Beyond, big-screen Africa ripples out to the horizon, a his mane and stalks into the night. Lock up your impalas. Conservancy; Maasai
zebra-dotted infinity of golden hills. women sing in the village
Human-wildlife frontiers of Olsere, Naboisho
A short while later, our four-wheel-drive vehicle comes For all its prowling carnivores, the story of the region is Conservancy; Bahati, a
to a halt by a leafy, low-slung tree. Unseen frogs croak as much defined by human influence as it is by wildlife. female leopard, surveys
a liquid chorus as long-tailed starlings glimmer across Prior to 2011, the areas now contained within the the Maasai Mara National
the sky. The evening is warm and full of earthy smells. boundaries of the conservancies were enormous group Reserve from a tree;
On the bough above us, a female leopard surveys the ranches, grazed and lived in by communities of local Ashlina, a lioness, rests
landscape with regal insouciance, her rosettes picked Maasai herders. Human-wildlife conflict was common. on a termite mound
out in exquisite detail by the glowing sunset. We stare The herders themselves benefited minimally from the in the Maasai Mara
in silence until our driver, Jacob, turns to face us. “Gin lucrative tourism taking place next door, in the often- National Reserve
and tonic?” he asks, gesturing towards a cool box. Like I busy reserve, while their cattle, sheep and goats, through
say, it’s no booby prize. consuming vast quantities of grass and vegetation,
shaped the wider ecosystem for the worse.
The following day, we drive north to reach the
conservancies. The journey is stop-start, thanks Then the conservancies project was launched, with
to sightings that range from a wandering crowd of the aim of benefiting local communities, wildlife, and
wildebeest to a malevolent mob of Nile crocodiles. tourism. It involved making the Maasai the official
Despite both the reserve and the conservancies having landowners of the group ranches. These areas were then
mapped borders, there are no fences between the two. It leased back off the Maasai by tourism companies, to
means that wildlife roams freely from one to the other, create wildlife-friendly conservancies with controlled
as evidenced by the herds of Thomson’s gazelles that line visitor numbers. It would, in a sense, be a mass rewilding
our route, their flanks striped in liquorice allsorts shades scheme. The Maasai would retain cattle-grazing rights
of tan, black and white. in certain areas, although their sheep and goats (so
numerous they’re known, collectively, as ‘shoats’) would
We arrive in Naboisho Conservancy. Our base for be restricted to land outside the conservancies.
the night is Naboisho Camp, where we’re greeted with
scented cold towels and a buffet lunch. An infinity pool “It took a year of negotiations,” explains Daniel
glistens on the edge of camp. Our long walk begins Sopia, CEO of the Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies
tomorrow, but an evening drive hints at what the area has Association, over a nightcap at Naboisho Camp. The
to offer. Jackals creep through the shrubland. Ostriches net result is that the national reserve is now bordered
strut flamboyantly across the plains. And there’s more: by 15 wildlife conservancies, collectively covering more
with heart-pounding suddenness, a dip in the land

108 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

KENYA

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KENYA

CLOCKWISE FROM than 350,000 acres. “They’re owned by 14,500 Maasai a sweaty one, that comes from travelling on foot. Our
landowners,” Daniel continues. “The lease payments they first day’s destination is a temporary fly camp, set up
TOP LEFT: Mbatinga, receive add up to more than $7m [£5.5m] a year.” Wildlife, in the bush around seven hours’ walk away (a version
a Ndorobo guide and meanwhile, has flooded in from the reserve. It’s been a of roughing it that, it transpires, involves chilled beers,
tracker, during a walking project with a pachyderm-sized impact. three-course campfire meals, and hot water bottles
safari in Mara North under your duvet).
Conservancy; picnic Daniel doesn’t join us at 6.15am the next day, when we
beside the Mara River in stride out of the camp and onto the plains — resplendent Before then, however, we cover the miles. Close-at-
Mara North Conservancy; in their dewy stillness. But we do have company. As well hand distractions come regularly. Here, a white-bellied
giraffe in Naboisho as Roelof, we’re walking with Mbatinga, an owl-wise canary nest made from spiderwebs and zebra hair; there,
Conservancy; women Maasai tracker in a scarlet cloak. Within minutes, a roar a horn-burrowing moth, which feeds exclusively on the
engaged in beadwork at cleaves the dawn silence. “Simba. Lion,” he says, smiling hooves and horns of dead ungulates. I learn too that the
the Maa Trust and gesturing towards a copse. We tread quietly around animals here that pose the most threat to us aren’t what
the perimeter of the trees. Nothing visible. The lion is I’d imagined. Lions and leopards? They won’t approach,
somewhere in the thicket, probably with a kill. Closer unless startled. On foot, it’s the hefty herbivores we need
investigation not an option. On we go. to avoid: the bulldozers that can turn from placid to
pugnacious in a heartbeat. Hippos and buffalos fall into
We’re less than 15 minutes into a three-day hike, but this category, as does one other heavyweight.
our place in the Mara hierarchy has already been made
clear. Were we in a four-wheel-drive vehicle, we’d have “Elephant,” says Mbatinga, stopping dead. We’ve been
nosed nearer, emboldened by the metal sanctuary of wallowing in the rhythms of mid-morning: hoopoes
the vehicle. On foot, we’re just another group of animals flitting from bush to bush, giraffes breakfasting on
astir on the savannah, minimising risk, looking around, thorn trees, quick-trotting warthogs seemingly late for
plotting our next move. Caution is the watchword — and crucial meetings. Now a jumbo silhouette in the middle-
not just for us. In the still-dim light, a large topi antelope distance brings a sharp tension. Of all the differences
spies us from 50 metres away, emitting a gruff double- between a four-wheel-drive vehicle safari and a walking
snort. “That noise is his way of saying ‘I’ve seen you’,” safari, this is one of the most pronounced. See an
says Roelof. “He’s saying ‘you’re not going to catch me’.” elephant when you’re driving, and it’s a chance to admire
a huge animal up close. See one when you’re walking and
Which would, of course, be right. There’s nothing your first thought becomes: careful, now.
here with four legs that a human could outrun, and
we’re emphatically in no rush. We walk at a measured Elephants, usually calm, can charge if they feel
pace, the grass knee-high, the heat of the day rising. threatened. The single time Roelof has needed to use his
The landscapes in the conservancies are essentially the rifle, he tells us, was to fire a warning shot at a rapidly
same as those in the reserve — open grasslands studded advancing female. Over the three days, we have numerous
by occasional trees — but there’s a greater peace, albeit encounters with these extraordinary, age-runkled giants,

Sept/Oct 2020 111

The ultimate
safari experience

Our privileged location inside the National Reserve together with our philosophy of
tracking and searching for our own wildlife sightings far from the transited areas,

makes the Enkewa safari experience amongst the best in the Masai Mara.

[email protected] www.enkewa.com +254717779780

KENYA

ABOVE: Naboisho Camp including one edgy, hour-long episode where we’re forced CEO Crystal Mogensen, who swapped life in North East
in Naboisho Conservancy to stay downwind of a testosterone-charged male. On a England for a Maasai homestead, and now finds herself
walking safari, you soon learn what respect means. handling commissions from international designers.

And they’re not the only creatures to sharpen our The beadwork is just the start. The organisation
senses. One morning, we’re walking along the edge of an generated an income of $60,000 (£47,000) in 2014, the year
escarpment towards a prominent wild fig tree. An antelope it began. Through various projects, this has since risen
carcass dangles from one branch, the remnants of a treetop to $900,000 (£715,000) a year, which has greatly benefited
meal. Then time freezes. A leopard materialises up the local healthcare and education. “Our message to the
slope, no more than 15 metres from us. For a second, the communities is that this is only happening because of
world swims — shock, heat, panic — then the animal wildlife,” Crystal says. “We now have children going home
whips back the way it came. We see hindquarters, a tail, and telling their parents ‘don’t hurt animals — it’s because
then nothing. My heart doesn’t slow for hours. of elephants and wildebeest that I can go to school’.”

Finding a balance Back on the plains, the routine of walking has become
Safeguarding the future of the Mara, of course, is no easy addictive. The majority of our route falls within two
task. Asilia works with, and donates funds to, various conservancies, Naboisho and Mara North, and regularly
conservation groups. We meet representatives of the crosses terrain that would be impassable by vehicle.
Mara Predator Conservation Programme — hearing, The mornings start early, with mist on the plains and a
among other things, that cheetahs in the conservancies blood-orange sun creeping above the horizon. We rest
are raising more cubs than their counterparts reserve, under trees, or on basalt outcrops, staring out at the hills
where tourist numbers are far greater — and the Mara of the Serengeti. We overnight at a different fly camp on
Elephant Project, which strives to protect the species each of the first two days of walking, taking open-air
and reduce human-elephant conflict. Poaching deaths bucket-showers as fireflies blink in the trees, then sleep
have fallen a remarkable 95% since the organisation’s to a trilling, croaking soundtrack. Over three days, we see
founding in 2011, although the creatures’ fondness for just three tourist safari vehicles.
Maasai crops means tension is ongoing, as evidenced by
the tangle of confiscated snares outside its HQ. Processing everything you see during 30 miles of
wilderness-walking takes some doing. There are the
This also holds relevance for the other organisation obvious highlights — watching a trio of cheetahs slinking
we visit, the Maa Trust, which exists to find a balance over the savannah, and a hyena in crazed pursuit of an
between local conservation and sustainable human ill-fated impala — but just as memorable are the under-
development. We reach the trust’s offices to find a group your-nose dramas. At one point, we’re grouping behind a
of women sitting in the shade, engaged in intricate low bush to observe an elephant when Mbatinga slaps me
beadwork. “It’s one of our social enterprises,” explains on the shoulder, his face creased into a smile, his finger
pointing two metres away. “Sleeping python,” he says.

Sept/Oct 2020 113

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ESSENTIALS

Fly Camp Conservancy
Lemek Naboisho Camp

Fly Camp
Mara North

Maa Trust
Mara Bush House

MAASAI MARA
NATIONAL RESERVE

K E N YA T A K ZEANNY
Nairobi N
A
IA

10 miles

Roelof, too, is equally observant. He locates aardvark ABOVE: Young elephants Getting there & around
nests, bat-eared foxes and spider-hunting wasps. He in the Maasai Mara
leads us across the frothing Olare Orok River, trousers National Reserve British Airways and Kenya Airways fly
rolled up to our knees, to find a hippo-watching spot. daily between Heathrow and Nairobi,
He finds an entire tree cloaked, Halloween-style, in the and various carriers offer one-stop
silk of ermine caterpillars. No oddity is left unexplained services from the UK to Nairobi,
(mongooses rooting through buffalo poo? There’s a including Ethiopian Airlines, KLM and
reason for that: highly nutritious). Air France. ba.com kenya-airways.com
ethiopianairlines.com klm.com
“When the conservancies started, there was much less airfrance.co.uk
wildlife,” Roelof explains, at the end of the walk, as we Average flight time: 8h40m, direct
unlace our boots at the hillside Mara House, part of Mara to Nairobi.
Bush Houses. “But within three years, things really started
to change. There was more grass, which meant more Transfers from Nairobi to the Maasai
diversity of species. And you’ve seen how things are now.” Mara can be done by road, taking five to
six hours, or by internal flight, taking
The conservancies project has, in various ways, between 45 minutes and an hour. These
been a marked success, although its future is less than flights use small aircraft and leave from
certain. Tourism income won’t be enough to support Wilson Airport, around half an hour by
the conservancies indefinitely, leaving them in need road from Nairobi’s international airport.
of corporate donations. Likewise, the Mara Elephant
Project and Mara Predator Conservation Programme are When to go
both looking at major shortfalls in their funding.
Walking safaris can be organised
Awareness of what’s at stake can only help. between November and May. For more
More than anything, I now realise, the walk has general safaris, spring is the ideal time
been a way of zooming in on an utterly spectacular in which to visit, with rains turning the
ecosystem, and beginning to understand the landscape green and the air largely
interdependence and ingenuity of its countless dust-free. July-September is peak
moving parts. An experience like this demystifies season, coinciding with the great
the large and magnifies the small. I’ll remember the wildebeest migration. Temperatures
spine-tingling, big game encounters. I’ll remember don’t change drastically through the
the sunrises. But I’ll also remember the butterflies, year, with daytimes in the mid to high
and the dung beetles, and that somewhere out there, 20Cs, and cooler evenings.
in furious combat on a remote plain, a colony of
termites is having a really bad morning. Organisations mentioned

114 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies
Association. maraconservancies.org
Mara Predator Conservation
Programme.
marapredatorconservation.org
Mara Elephant Project.
maraelephantproject.org
Maa Trust. themaatrust.org

How to do it

ASILIA AFRICA offers Traverse the Mara
Conservancies, a five-night safari from
£3,200 per person based on a group of
four. It includes five nights’
accommodation, all meals, house drinks
and safari activities. asiliaafrica.com
Ethiopian Airlines flies daily from
Heathrow and three times a week from
Manchester to Addis Ababa, and
operates two daily onward flights to
Nairobi. Return fares from £774. To
book and see updates on coronavirus
measures for passengers, visit
ethiopianairlines.com

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the bittern with its booming mating call, home to colonies of avocets and is one of the
the majestic marsh harrier and the great UK’s few breeding sites for bitterns.
white egret. Not sure if it’s an egret or a Spot with Swarovski: In winter, look out
heron you’re seeing? Take a picture and the for marsh harriers, peregrine falcons and
Swarovski Optik dG will identify it. owls. There are many different types of owls
here, so identify each sighting on the app.

To find out more, visit uk.swarovskioptik.com

PARTNER CONTENT FOR KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION

SOUTH KOREA

THE EDGE OF ASIA

With its natural splendour, hypermodern cities and 5,000 years of history,
South Korea’s got it all — offering a taste of old and new for any traveller.

The country is preparing to reopen its doors and welcome visitors,
and promises to be one of the safest and most exciting destinations

in all of East Asia

PARTNER CONTENT FOR KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION

FROM LEFT: Cheonbuldong Valley,
Seoraksan National Park; Two
woman in traditional clothing,
Bukchon Hanok

IMAGES: GETTY ROCKY OUTCROPPINGS BINOCULARS AND BARBED WIRE HITTING THE STREETS

Jeju Island and Gangwon-do The Demilitarized Zone Seoul and Busan

At 6,388ft, Hallasan is South Korea’s Just a stone’s throw from the neon pulse of Perched on a hillside in
highest mountain. Climbing it takes a Seoul is another world — a place of weapons, the middle of Seoul, the
full day and is something of a national watchtowers, fences and land mines. The traditional houses of
pilgrimage, rewarding dedicated trekkers DMZ is a 155-mile barrier cutting across the Bukchon Hanok Village
with jaw-dropping views, including the whole peninsula. It’s also home to Korea’s bring to life a much older
otherworldly forms of some 368 parasitic richest variety of wildlife. While it remains incarnation of the capital and
mini-volcanoes known as oreum. a source of great sadness for the Korean strolling its stone alleys is an
people, this last vestige of the Cold War is a exercise in time travel.
Once you’ve conquered the mountain, it’s must-see for anyone visiting the country.
time to explore Jeju’s other natural wonders: After a hearty lunch at
delve into the gargantuan lava tube of The best and only way to check out the one of the many food stalls
Manjanggul Cave, stroll among the pines DMZ is to sign up for a tour that takes in Gwangjang Market, head
of Gotjawal Provincial Park, or kick back you to Panmunjom, the ‘peace village’ to the headquarters of YG
on the soothing white sands of Hamdeok established during the Korean War as a Entertainment, where you
Beach. jejuolle.org/trail/eng place for negotiations. You’ll likely be able just might catch a glimpse
to see North Korean soldiers on the other of your favourite K-pop
Elsewhere, just two hours from Seoul, side tracking your movements through idol like Black Pink. The
Gangwon-do is South Korea’s largest and binoculars, lending a heightened sense of nearby Mapo District was
least-populated province. It’s also home eeriness to this vital spot of living history. the backdrop for Bong
to some of the best stretches of sand in the Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning
country. Jukdo Beach, just south of the While at the DMZ, make sure to check film, Parasite.Next, go down
laidback town of Yangyang, is a perfect spot out the Third Tunnel of Infiltration — dug to the port of Busan and its
to take an ocean dip. by the Korean People’s Army (North) for beating heart — Jagalchi Fish
easy access into the South. You can also Market. A meal in one of the
While scaling any of Gangwon-do’s peaks peer through a telescope into the Northern pavilions is a must: just point
is worth the effort, Seoraksan is the crown territory at the Dora Observatory, and to what you want and your
jewel. If huffing all the way to the top isn’t take a stroll around Dorasan Station, the lunch will be sliced up on the
your thing, you can enjoy the surrounding passenger train depot that acts as a physical spot.
area’s treasure trove of other attractions, reminder of the aspiration to one day
including Geumganggul Cave and Biryong, reconnect the two Koreas. A short taxi ride onwards
Towangseong and Yukdam waterfalls. is Gamcheon Culture
Village, a former hillside
shanty town now famous
for its vivid murals. Next,
head out to Gwangalli
Beach, a key location for the
Marvel blockbuster Black
Panther. Here, wind down
with a drink overlooking the
water at Diamond Bridge
(Gwangandaegyo Bridge), an
iconic Busan landmark.

Essentials

Getting there: British Airways,
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines fly
direct from Heathrow to Incheon
International Airport in Seoul.
Average flight time: 10h50m.

To find out more, visit visitkorea.or.kr

118 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

INDIA

Magenta, yellow, crimson, blue — the vibrant hues of Holi are
recognisable the world over, but this time-honoured Hindu festival of
colour has its roots firmly in the subcontinent. In the cities of Vrindavan,
Nandgaon, Barsana and Mathura, in the Braj region of Uttar Pradesh,
some of the most spectacular Holi celebrations take place, transcending

their religious origins and uniting people from all over the globe
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS PRABIR MITRA

Sept/Oct 2020 119

INDIA

Flowers, gulal (coloured powder) and dyed water are gathered ahead of the festival, which
traditionally lasts one night and one day every spring. Faces and houses are also painted with vivid
colours to reflect the time of year and to celebrate the triumph of good over evil.

120 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

INDIA

Sept/Oct 2020 121

INDIA

At the Banke Bihari Temple at Vrindavan, revellers are showered in coloured powder and petals as
part of the Phoolo Ki Holi festivities, known as ‘Holi of Flowers’. It’s a true feast for the ears, too, as
the sounds of song and laughter ring out through the sacred Hindu temple, dedicated to Krishna.

122 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

INDIA

Sept/Oct 2020 123

INDIA

124 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

INDIA

Holi is a great leveller: people of all ages come together to forgive and forget, and to celebrate the
arrival of spring. Colours aside, there are myriad traditions that characterise the Holi festivities,
which vary from region to region. One of the best known in Braj is ‘lath mar holi’, in which women
beat men with sticks, known as lathi, as the men sing Holi songs. It symbolises the men vying for the
women through song, and the women’s act of protection by beating them away.

Sept/Oct 2020 125

INDIA

A common sound during Holi is the cry of “Bura na mano, holi hai!”, which means “Please don’t
mind, it’s Holi!”, as people douse each other in powder and coloured water. The festivities can be
intense and tiring, but revellers are always willing to welcome a stranger for a meal or even a nap.

126 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

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128 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

CITY LIFE

OSAKA

If you want to understand just how revered beer is in
Japan, then head to Osaka. The nation’s party city
positively effervesces with new craft breweries, old

izakayas and cosy hole-in-the-wall bars
WORDS: Chris Tharp PHOTOGRAPHS: Ben Weller

Sept/Oct 2020 129

OSAKA

It’s early afternoon, and Sake no Ana is wheel outside the Don Quixote store, as well CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:
nearly full. Customers hunker down at the as the iconic Glico ‘running man’ sign. This
bar, sipping sake, highballs, shochu, and is tourist central — Osaka’s version of New Sake Sai, a tachinomiya,
glasses of beer. They’re mostly men in their York’s Times Square — and while it certainly or ‘standing bar’, in Chuo
60s, or older, unified by a rough, world-weary fires up the senses, I soon feel myself pulled ward; colourful signage
look. As I slide onto a stool, I’m met with shy back towards the town’s less shiny side. in Dontonbori, the city’s
smiles. This working-class establishment best-known commercial
in Osaka’s Shinsekai neighbourhood may It doesn’t take me long to find it once concourse; an arcade in
not win any awards for design, but I feel again. I meet up with a local man, university Dontonbori
welcome — included in the camaraderie professor Momotaro Takamori, and long- PREVIOUS PAGES: Co-
of day drinkers, bound by an unspoken time Kiwi expat Rodney Smith in the owner Jesse Theriot
understanding among those who sip their Nishinari District, notorious for its homeless behind the bar at TNT
tipple while the sun still hangs in the sky. population and flophouses, not to mention Craft Beer Pub, in Taicho
periodic riots by the area’s day labourers
Menu placards are tacked to the smoke- — often targeted at the local police. “This is
stained walls, announcing the culinary Japan’s biggest slum,” says Rodney, a food
choices in bold yellow, red, black, and white. and drink guide, “but it’s still safer than
Behind the bar, two elderly women are busy where you or I come from.”
preparing drinks and, more importantly,
cooking side dishes of kushikatsu, the We sip glasses of Nishinari Riot Ale at
deep-fried skewers that Osaka is famed for. Ravitaillement, a little bar pouring pints
I order some — little plates of sausage, quail from neighbouring Derailleur Brew Works,
eggs, beef and pork — and wash them down a micro brewery that employs former
with a couple of mugs of draft Asahi, the addicts and the disabled. Part of Osaka’s
savoury crunch of the kushikatsu perfectly blossoming craft beer scene, Ravitaillement
complementing the crisp Japanese lager. has eschewed more fashionable parts of
town to set up shop in one of the city’s most
Walking off my midday’s indulgence neglected areas. Here, in the warren of side
among the Technicolor splendour of streets, we stop at a cart for some cheap
Dontonbori, the city’s main tourist area, I okonomiyaki — the city’s signature pork and
pause on the crowded bridge overlooking cabbage pancake — before squeezing into
its oft-photographed canal, taking in the a tachinomiya, one of the city’s ubiquitous,
cartoonish yellow-and-red, ovular Ferris hole-in-the-wall ‘standing bars’.

Laughter lines // In addition to its reputation for food and
beer, Osaka is known for its comedy shows, especially the
straight man/funny man double act-style known as manzai

130 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

OSAKA

Sept/Oct 2020 131

OSAKA

A passenger crosses
the concourse of the

vast Osaka Station
ABOVE, FROM LEFT:

Houzenji Sampei, a
teppanyaki restaurant
near Dotonbori Canal;

cans of Asahi beer at
Kuromon Ichiba Market

132 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

OSAKA

Local icons // Osaka’s tiered
castle is a reconstruction,
completed in 1997; the
original was burned to the
ground in 1615, rebuilt and
destroyed by lightning in 1665,
burned down again in 1868,
and badly damaged during
the Second World War

“Osaka’s unofficial slogan is kuidaore,” says salad, so I always order it. If it’s good, you know of fried spaghetti, the ultimate in drinking
Momotaro. “This means ‘eat till you drop.’” that the rest of the menu will be good, too.” comfort food.
He takes a swig from a frothy-headed glass
of Kirin lager and chases it with a skewer We’re at Houzenji Sampei, a teppanyaki Glasses drained, we’re soon back
of deep-fried chicken hearts. “Osakans joint tucked away down a side street near the on the move. After a short subway
could go bankrupt with their food and Dotonbori Canal. And while the potato salad ride, we emerge into Shin-Umeda
drink habits, so we know how to do it on the is indeed good, the real star of the show is Shokudogai, a labyrinth of tiny
cheap,” he adds. what’s sizzling up at our table: yakisoba (fried restaurants and drinking spots located
noodles), tonpeiyaki (pork belly wrapped in in the bowels of Osaka Station: a
It’s Thursday night, and the place is egg) and okonomiyaki. subterranean mini-city unto itself. We
packed with a boisterous crowd, munching, secure a couple of spots at Peking, a
sipping, letting their hair down. It’s smoky “Okonomi simply means ‘as you like it’,” narrow, wraparound, standing bar
and loud, and people wave and greet us from Richard explains. “That’s why it varies so populated by working men getting their
all sides — quite a contrast to the sedate side much; each place has its own take. There are drink on before the last train home.
of Japan I’d witnessed elsewhere. no rules in Osaka.”
Squeezed in next to us are railway manager
“In Japan, you’ve got your tatemae and As I stuff my mouth full of the rich, Michiaki and his buddy, Hiroyuki, a young
your honne,” Rodney says. “Your tatemae is omelettey wonder, I know he’s right: this graphic designer. They both drink highballs
what you show the world, and your honne are multilayered creation is in a different and introduce themselves in the best English
your true feelings.” league to the simple street fritter I tried they can muster. I see looks of relaxation
the night before. However, once I follow it wash over their faces when Richard switches
“Exactly,” Momotaro nods. “Tatemae up with a cold sip of Asahi, it occurs to me to Japanese, but Michiaki still attempts to
is acting.” that while there may be no rules, there is make me feel at home.
at least a quality binding together much of
“However,” Rodney continues, “Osaka Osaka’s food: it all seems tailor-made to go “Have... you... had... raisin butter?” he asks,
people are not so good at doing that. They’re with beer. leaning in to be heard over the din. I shake
more about honne; they wear their hearts on my head and grimace. Hiroyuki doubles
their sleeves. They’ll tell you what they think, With that in mind, we head out into up laughing. Michiaki meanwhile, seems
and that’s why so many foreigners appreciate the buzz of a Friday night in search of legitimately surprised. He motions to the
this place.” more boozy revelry. Richard leads me bartender and places an order; five minutes
into the bustling nightlife district of later, I’m presented with a tiny plate of butter
AS YOU LIKE IT Ura-Namba, where we sample the slices dotted with raisins, along with a few
“Wherever I go in Osaka, I like to administer wares at Sake Sai bar before grabbing crackers. Hiroyuki beams as I place a butter
the ‘potato salad test’,” says Richard Farmer, a a couple more beers at Stand Ajito, a slice on top of a cracker, slip it into my mouth,
food and culture guide for Inside Japan Tours. tachinomiya popular with young and chew.
“Nearly every restaurant or bar has potato women and famous for its side dish

Sept/Oct 2020 133

OSAKA

“It’s good, yes?” he asks. I’m not lying when 1950 my father got a licence to turn it into a INSIDER TIPS
I flash him a thumbs-up. It’s surprisingly liquor store. We now specialise in craft beer.”
good, made better by the frosty mug of beer When looking for a decent sit-
in my hand. A number of people in Osaka’s beer scene down restaurant in central Osaka,
had told me to pay a visit to Koji, who’s get off the main Dotonbori strip
Richard hauls me back onto the train, regarded as something of a local guru. and head to the nearby Ura-
and after a stop or two we find ourselves in His shop speaks to this, with hundreds of Namba neighbourhood, where
Tenma, a neighbourhood packed with yet bottles from around the world standing you’ll get better food at non-
more food joints and bars, all abuzz. At this atop tables like soldiers in formation; two tourist prices.
point, possibly thanks to the beer, Osaka’s big refrigerators are packed with even
nightlife appears to have dissolved into a more offerings. Despite its reputation as a
seemingly infinite map of places to dine and high-tech mecca, Japan can be
drink: too widespread and numerous to ever “I’m 70 years old and love beer — too remarkably old-school when it
exhaust. This is a city that really knows how much,” Koji chuckles, patting his belly, as he comes to taking credit cards. This
to let loose. leads me into the main room. It’s a high- is especially true in Osaka, so have
ceilinged affair with wooden rafters, lending plenty of yen to hand.
We find ourselves propping up the bar at the place the look and feel of a tiny barn.
Beer Belly, a craft beer joint owned by Osaka’s “Soon I’ll retire, and my daughter will take With loads of quality choices and
award-winning Minoh Brewery, washing over the shop.” rock-bottom prices, Japan is a
away the remnants of the night with a couple whisky-lover’s dream. If you’d like
of pints of its surprisingly drinkable W-IPA, Koji opens a fridge and produces two to bring some back, forget about
which, at 9% ABV, threatens to deliver the glistening bottles: a Minoh Pilsner for me the airport duty-free; for better
knockout punch. On the verge of overdoing and Minoh Pale Ale for himself. He pops the choice and prices, pick up a bottle
it, we make the wise decision to get a bit of tops and slowly pours their amber contents at a local off-licence instead.
food. I order a plate of duck prosciutto, while into awaiting glasses. “Kanpai,” he smiles,
Richard, of course, goes for the potato salad. raising his glass with the pure honne I’ve
seen mirrored in so many people in Osaka.
The following morning, despite my “Kanpai,” I return. We clink and drink.
throbbing head, I’m determined to make
a pilgrimage. Located in the city’s Asahi Still reeling from the previous night’s
ward, off-licence Asahiya is a bit far from revelry, this early-afternoon beer is sure to
the action, but that hasn’t stopped it from help take the edge off, but I also know that
becoming a local institution. I’m downing something far greater than a
cool glass of froth: I’m sipping both history
“This was originally my family’s soy sauce and the future, and for that — headache or
brewery,” says owner Koji Inokuma, “but in not — I’m grateful.

134 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

OSAKA

FROM LEFT: Koji Inokuma, owner of
off-licence Asahiya; fridge of beers
at Asahiya; Osaka Castle, originally
commissioned by warlord Toyotomi
Hideyoshi in 1583

14 hours in Q&A with Ryuta
Hyashi, owner of
OSAKA Craft Beer Works
Kamikaze
9AM 1PM
HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE
BREAKFAST AT ENDO SUSHI LUNCH AT KUROMON ICHIBA MARKET BEER BUSINESS?
Sushi for breakfast may seem an odd choice Nicknamed ‘Osaka’s kitchen’ due to its It all started when I was working
for some, but you’ll be glad you did it. Set popularity with local chefs, this covered in the restaurant industry. I
on the grounds of the Osaka Central Fish market comprises hundreds of stalls selling thought it would be great if I
Market, you won’t get cuts any fresher fruit, vegetables, meats, dried fish, pickles could drink my favourite craft
than those served up at this legendary and sweets, along with a staggering variety beer every day and tell people
establishment. Endo Sushi has been in of fresh seafood. And with over 25 dining about it, so I started a beer bar.
business for over a century, and specialises outlets to choose from, you can sit down for
in five-piece plates called maze that feature a single meal, or just happily graze on the WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON FOR
seasonal selections. Open: 6am-2pm. move. kuromon.com OSAKA’S BEER SCENE?
endo-sushi.com/english.html Our goal is to stop craft beer
3PM being viewed as something niche,
11AM which puts some people off. It
CRUISE THE DOTONBORI CANAL may take a lot of time to do this,
VISIT OSAKA CASTLE This waterway cuts through the heart but I think we can realise this in
Commissioned by warlord Toyotomi of Osaka’s Dotonbori tourist district, a the not-too-distant future.
Hideyoshi in 1583, the moat-enclosed, sightseeing hub best enjoyed by boat. Lined
five-storey castle is one of Japan’s most by colourful signs, the canal encapsulates WHAT KIND OF BEER DO YOU
recognisable landmarks. For a modest 600- Japan in minature; an exercise in both LIKE BEST?
yen entry fee (£4.40), you get a terrific view of serenity and neon stimulation. Departing My taste changes from time to
the park and surrounding city. And if heights from the dock next to Tazaemon-bashi Bridge, time, but I think lager is delicious.
aren’t your thing, you can’t go wrong with a the 20-minute cruise is a terrific way to soak I don’t get tired even if I drink the
stroll around the expansive castle grounds. up the vivid scene that is central Osaka. same thing every day. Of course,
osakacastle.net osaka-info.jp/en when you drink an extraordinary
craft beer, that’s really exciting,
but I think it’s all great fun.

Sept/Oct 2020 135

OSAKA

ESSENTIALS

JR Osaka Station Beer Belly
TENMA

Osaka
Castle

Osaka Central OSAKA
Fish Market

DŌTONBORI
Dontonbori
Canal
Sake Sai

J A PA N URA-NAMBA

Osaka

PACIFIC SHINSEKAI
OCEAN Ravitaillement

NISHINARI 1/2 mile

Dining on noodles in Getting there & around
Kuromon Ichiba Market,
British Airways and Japan Airlines fly
also known as ‘Osaka’s nonstop from London to Osaka’s
Kitchen’ thanks to its Kansai International Airport, while
airlines including All Nippon
abundance of produce Airways, KLM, Korean Air and Virgin
Atlantic all offer one-stop services
4PM 9PM from the UK. ba.com ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER
jal.com ana.co.jp klm.com
SIP A PINT AT KAMIKAZE ROCK OUT AT TNT CRAFT BEER PUB koreanair.com virginatlantic.com
The first thing that hits you when you walk Just a stone’s throw from the Osaka Dome, Average flight time: 12h.
through the door of Kamikaze Craft Beer this bastion of punk Americana was hand- High-speed trains connect Kansai
Works is the decor: the exposed concrete built by co-owner Jesse Theriot. The result is International Airport with the city’s
walls, stainless steel tap cooler, subdued a friendly little wooden pub that oozes rock Osaka, Shin-Osaka, Tennoji and
lighting and gleaming wooden bar. But the ’n’ roll charm. Another bonus is that TNT Nankai Namba Stations. The Airport
real star of the show are the 22 beers on tap. doesn’t charge a table fee, unlike most of Limousine Bus and taxis also
While the emphasis is on Japanese brews, the other bars in the Taicho neighbourhood. connect to the city centre.
international selections are also well- It offers up nine craft beers on tap; Jesse
represented, making this the perfect place won’t hesitate to explain the finer points When to go
to spend an afternoon sampling some of of each while punk anthems blast from the
Osaka’s best hoppy concoctions. speakers. facebook.com/craft.beer.pub.tnt Osaka is best visited in spring
cbw-kamikaze.com and autumn, when temperatures
11PM range from 10-25C. Winter is chilly
6PM but not freezing, while summer is
NIGHTCAP AT BAR SHINKA hot, often humid with highs of
CATCH A BALL GAME AT THE OSAKA DOME Located at the end of a residential around 33C.
Baseball in Osaka is more than just a alley in Chuo Ward, this compact little
game: it’s an often raucous party of fight bar is a steampunk vision come to life. Places mentioned
songs, cheerleaders, dried squid, and It’s fitted out in actual 1930s submarine
rivers of draft beer served from backpacks. parts, including vintage rivets, gauges, Ravitaillement.
Local team the Orix Buffaloes have some of meters, circular hatches, tubes and ducts. facebook.com/ravitaillement
the league’s most fervent fans, and you’ll find Savour a late-night cocktail, or sample a Beer Belly. beerbelly.jp/tosabori
it hard not to get swept up in the action shochu (a Japanese, vodka-like drink) on the Asahiya. facebook.com/beerasahiya
as they leap to their feet to cheer on their rocks in the dimly lit, nautically themed,
hometown heroes. Win or lose, a ballgame metallic splendour of one of Osaka’s most Where to stay
in Osaka is a terrific way to witness first- unique nightlife experiences. The place is
hand the warm, raw spirit of the town. tricky to find, but the interiors alone are well Hotel the Flag, in Shinsaibashi, has
npb.jp worth the effort. doubles from 12,000 yen (£83) a
night. en.hoteltheflag.jp
Cross Hotel, near the Dotonbori
Canal, has doubles from 13,000 yen
(£91) a night. crosshotel.com

More info

Japan Tourism. japan.travel/en
Osaka Tourism. osaka-info.jp/en

How to do it

INSIDE JAPAN TOURS’ seven-night
Kansai Culture trip includes four
nights B&B in Osaka and a street
food tour, plus three nights’
self-catering in a machiya townhouse
in Kyoto, transport in Japan, airport
transfers, and international return
flights with British Airways from
London, from £2,065 per person.
Insidejapantours.com

136 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel



CITY LIFE

PALMA

ZZZ

Majorca’s capital has long attracted sun-seekers, but its
burgeoning high-end food scene, chic design boutiques
and laidback bars make this a stellar Spanish city break

WORDS: Helen Warwick PHOTOGRAPHS: Cat Allen

I t’s late afternoon and the autumn sun is and the experimental. What were once fairly
blazing down on a tiny, honey-coloured tatty hostels have been transformed into
beach. Distant yachts bob just offshore, swish hotels with restaurants run by young,
paddleboarders negotiate waves, and a lone trailblazing chefs. Hipster bars and cafes have
swimmer momentarily surfaces from the sprung up among remnants of the trademark
water to breathe before plunging into the Moorish architecture. The city’s tally of
depths once more. Pink-faced from the Michelin stars reached eight as of 2019,
heat, I’m polishing off a barbecued sea bass including Marc Fosh’s eponymous restaurant
and a dry white at a weathered beach cafe, — the first British chef to be recognised with
and after a post-lunch swim in the almost the accolade in Spain. And when you just
empty water, I’ll doze on the sands where want to graze on a few pintxos and local wines
just a handful of other bathers lie, cheeks from Binissalem, there are scores of low-key
pillowed on folded sarongs. Didn’t think bars to seek out. One thing’s for sure: you
quiet beaches existed in Majorca? They do won’t be leaving hungry.
if you know where to look. I may be on the
outskirts of ever-popular Palma, but I’ve got But as it’s always done, the Balearic beach
the little cove of Cas Català almost to myself: town draws tourism’s mainstream: the fly-
a pretty stretch just 15 minutes from the city and-flop summer crowds, cruise shippers,
centre. Here, after lugging their beach gear city breakers and clubbers. Yet it’s entirely
down the steep steps, locals cool off in the possible to escape the droves, especially
turquoise waters, and order a beer or two between April and early June, or September
from the cliff-front restaurant. until late October — the latter period a
glorious time to visit, when days are long and
The handsome Majorcan port city has warm, but crowds are thinning. This is the
been perfecting the art of the great escape time to wake for sunrise swims, to wander
for the past couple of decades. In particular, shady medieval streets and peer behind the
travellers can expect a culinary scene that’s shutters of grand renaissance villas, to jog
seriously upped its game in recent years, with along the coast and to sip a livening cafe con
a steady stream of chefs and new openings leche on a sunny terrace: the best start to a
blurring the lines between the traditional day’s exploration.

138 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

Sept/Oct 2020 139

PALMA

SEE & DO from Antoni Gaudí and Majorcan artist FROM LEFT: A street
Miquel Barceló. Occasionally, closed areas scene in Santa Catalina;
WALK TO PORTIXOL: You could catch are opened to the public, including access to locally grown summer
the bus from the centre of town or flag down the upper terraces (keep an eye on its website squash for sale in one of
a cab to get to this tiny village, but the best for dates), but views of La Seu lit up after the city’s markets; Palma
way to reach it is to stroll all the way along dusk are mightily impressive, even if only Cathedral above the
Palma’s Paseo Marítimo. The walk is backed from a nearby rooftop bar (try the Hotel San rooftops; Caló des Macs,
by numerous accommodating bars and Francesc terrace). catedraldemallorca.org one of the many secluded
restaurants — the sort where you pop in for EXPLORE SANTA CATALINA: This central beaches dotted along
a quick one and end up staying for hours neighbourhood is brimming with inspiring the coast
watching the world go by. local enterprises and a whole smattering of PREVIOUS PAGE:
ES BALUARD: Once you’ve explored the bars and restaurants: book yoga sessions at
exhibits of this acclaimed modern art Earth Yoga, hunt down Scandi-style plates at Plaza Mayor
museum — much of which is by Balearic- La Molienda, pick up buttery French pastries
based artists — make for its restaurant at La Madeleine de Proust, and rifle through
perched on the ancient city walls. The fresh fruit at its daily market.
menu’s half-decent, but the real beauty of the SEE PALMA AFLOAT: Sunrise paddleboarding
place is the sprawling views from the terrace: in the Bay of Palma is a thrilling way to take
the glimmer of rooftop pools, the fronds of in the cityscape. Feeling flush and fancy a
palms, the turrets of Moorish buildings, and treat? Go one better and charter a boat and
yachts docked in the marina. esbaluard.org skipper to sail from Palma along the coast,
PALMA CATHEDRAL: If you lose your way dipping into coves with hidden grottoes,
in Palma then just look up for La Seu. The calling into beaches backed by huge sand
honey-coloured cathedral lords itself over dunes. Escape to Formentor in the north,
the city, with hordes arriving daily to queue the rugged Cabrera National Park, or the
to admire its stained-glass window — one of dramatic shingle beach of Cala Deià in the
the largest in the world — and to nose around west. performanceribsmallorca.com
its gothic interior with modernist touches

140 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

PALMA

LIKE A LOCAL

TARDEO: Saturday in Santa Catalina
is ‘tardeo’ time. Loosely translated as
‘afternooning’, this day-time partying session
is embraced by the 30-plus local crowd who
head out around 2pm and slink back home
for around 10pm to relieve babysitters. The
dancefloors are often packed as early as 3pm
in popular bars such as Kaelum Club and
Sala Luna.
FREE ART: September is a glorious time
to visit the Majorcan capital, and if you
time your trip with the annual Nit de l’Art,
you’ll enjoy free access to city galleries and
museums featuring special exhibitions for
one night only (19 September 2020).
BICIPALMA: Avoid the touristy carriage
rides from Plaça de la Reina, which sees
horses pounding the pavements carrying
passengers in scorching temperatures.
Instead, keep yourself in shape by hiring a
bike via the BiciPalma public bike service,
which has docking stations all over the city.
bicipalma.es

Sept/Oct 2020 141

PALMA

BUY
MERCAT DE L’OLIVAR: This market near
the Plaça d’Espanya is where to go for salty
slices of Ibérico ham, buckets of shiny olives
and red prawns landed from Sóller. Walk
upstairs to one of the on-site bars, and they’ll
cook up your ingredients while you sip a
carajillo (coffee) shot through with local Ron
Amazona rum. mercatolivar.com
B CONNECTED LIVING CONCEPTS: A hip
lifestyle store in Santa Catalina where
design-conscious browsers flick through
its own interiors collection, bright berber
textiles and works by local artists including
those by venerable native painter-sculptor,
Rafa Forteza. It’s pricey, but worth a visit for
inspiration alone. bconnectedmallorca.com
CALAME: An offshoot of the Parisian concept
store, this bijou emporium stocks everything
from intricate jewellery and accessories to
leather bags. calame-palma.com
MERCADONA: The Spanish supermarket
chain is the perfect place to fuel up for family
picnic: freshly baked bread, piles of seafood
caught that morning and juicy, locally grown
lemons the size of your fist.

EAT

MERCADO GASTRONÓMICO SAN
JUAN: An abattoir-turned-cavernous food
hall, where diners perch on high stools,
grazing on olives and sipping beers. There
are stalls serving everything from around
the globe, but make a beeline to the back
for pintxos and aioli-topped tortilla.
mercadosanjuanpalma.es

LA CHICA DE SANTA CATALINA: Nab a table
beside the open kitchen to gaze at pioneering
chefs elevating traditional tapas. There’s
the still-pink Ibérico pork along with juicy
mussels in chorizo, and garlicky prawns in a
sauce to mop up with hunks of sourdough.
facebook.com/lachicadesantacatalina

BOTÀNIC: Occupying an idyllic spot
in the luxury Can Bordoy Grand House &
Garden, this newcomer is making its mark
on the food scene. The premise is healthy
fine dining: highlights include chia-speckled
yoghurt, artisan Majorcan ricotta and apple,
and tapas of steamed avocado with pumpkin
puree and curry. canbordoy.com/botanic

PALMA

LEFT: Neque ad et fugit harum est
dFRoOlloMreLEpFaTr:uCmhseefqAuni dorcécsuBlluepntítuerz
fPrRoEmVBIOoUtàSnPiAc,GCEa: nNBeqourdeoayd; et fugit
BhacrounmneecstteddoLlliovirnegpCaorunmcespetqs,uai hip
leifuemsteytle store in Santa Catalina; the
patio at Botànic

Sept/Oct 2020 143

PALMA

ESSENTIALS

S PA I N Mercado
Gastronómico
Palma Majorca San Juan
Mediterranean
Sea PA L M A

SANTA Mercat de
CATALINA l'Olivar

Palma
Cathedral

PORTIXOL

Cas Català
beach

Mediterranean

Puerto Portals Sea
beach

1 mile

Tapas and wine at Getting there & around
the vibrant Mercat
de l’Olivar, near the British Airways, Jet2, Norwegian,
EasyJet, Ryanair and TUI Airways all
Plaça d’Espanya fly non-stop from regional airports.
Average flight time: 2h10m.
AFTER HOURS ZZZ SLEEP ba.com jet2.com norwegian.com
HOSTAL APUNTADORES: Rooms in easyjet.com ryanair.com tui.co.uk
ROXY’S BEACH BAR: Walk all the way
to the top end of the beach in Puerto Portals this La Lonja hostel won’t win any design There are plenty of taxis waiting
and you’ll find this playfully hip space dug on arrival, or follow the signs for the
into the rocks. Swimmers heave themselves awards, but they’re comfortable and include airport bus (number one; €5/£4 per
over surf-sprayed rocks to order a mojito person), which takes around 20
and dry off on wicker chairs, while sunglass- free wi-fi. The highlight: an unassuming minutes to reach the centre.
clad yachters moor here to soak up the vibe.
facebook.com/puertoportalsbeach staircase climbs to a roof terrace where you One of the best ways to see
CHAKRA BAR: Perfect for that post-dinner Palma is to walk — it’s relatively
slump, grab a corner table at this moodily can have breakfast with knockout views of small and easy to navigate on foot.
lit space whose walls are daubed in The Palma Pass allows use of public
bright murals and kama sutra scenes, and the cathedral. apuntadoreshostal.com transport and discounted entrance
order a potent espresso martini off the into many of the city’s monuments,
inventive cocktail menu. facebook.com/ INNSIDE PALMA CENTER: Crowned with museums and restaurants (48 hours
chakrabarmallorca from £28). Heading out of town?
ABACO: There was a major outcry when a serene roof terrace, where guests sip on Catch one of the air-conditioned
this much-loved address announced its buses from the station on Plaça
closure in 2019. Stacked with antiques, floral G&Ts and dangle their feet in the pool, this d’Espanya where there are
displays and piles of fruit, this decadent connections to all corners of the
den has since been saved, and continues to centrally located hotel is a swish place to bed island. seemallorca.com/buses
cement its place in Palma’s after-hours scene
with cocktails like the Abaco Special (rum, down. Exceptional breakfasts seal the deal, When to go
whiskey, grand marnier). bar-abaco.es
with tender serrano ham, fresh fruit and Spring or autumn, when
temperatures are in the mid-20Cs
warm pastries. melia.com and there are fewer crowds.

HOTEL MAMA: This first foray into the More info

hotel world for the Balearic’s Cappuccino visitpalma.com ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER

Group is still making waves after opening in How to do it

2018 on Plaça de Cort. Its rooms and suites RYANAIR flies direct from airports
across the UK from £48.
are all different, with hand-painted frescoes HOTEL MAMA has doubles from
£159, room only.
and columns, beautifully upholstered

furniture and windows offering epic city

views. Plus, there’s a rooftop pool and

underground cinema. hotelmama.es

144 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

PARTNER CONTENT FOR PALACIO CAN MARQUES

HISTORICAL Palma Cathedral
WONDERS ABOVE FROM LEFT: Patio bar,
OF PALMA Palacio Can Marques; Portals Vells

The Majorcan capital isn’t short of historical sights.
Here are four must-see attractions to explore on foot

Royal Palace of La Almudaina Palma Cathedral Essentials

Opposite the cathedral is the 13th-century A short walk from Palacio Can Marques, Getting There: The Palacio Can
Royal Palace of La Almudaina, an imposing Palma’s gothic cathedral is an essential stop Marques is an ideal jumping off
fortified castle built on an Arabian fort. on any tour. Known as La Seu, it was built point for exploring Palma on foot.
Rising up from the Bay of Palma, the on the site of a Moorish mosque and took Double rooms start from £264 a
building formed the seat of the independent 600 years to complete. It includes one of night. Several airlines, including
kingdom of Majorca until it became part of the world’s largest rose windows, with over British Airways and EasyJet,
the kingdom of Aragon under King Pedro 1,000 pieces of glass, plus 20th-century fly direct from the UK. ba.com
IV. The palace site includes a rectangular elements by Antoni Gaudí. Twice a year, easyjet.com
tower, courtyards and the Santa Ana Royal La Seu opens early for the ‘spectacle of the
Chapel. It’s currently the official residence eight’, when the sun creates an ‘eight’ shape
of the King and Queen of Spain. underneath the smaller rose window.

IMAGES: GETTY Plaza Mayor Palacio Can Marques

At the heart of Palma’s Old Town is Plaza The Palacio Can Marques is an 18th-
Mayor, a large open area built on the site of century palace-turned five-star boutique
the San Felipe Neri Convent. The seat of the hotel. It retains antique floor-to-ceiling
1838 Spanish Inquisition, it’s home to shops, windows and original doors and beams,
art galleries, restaurants and an artisanal alongside modern touches. It’s divided into
market. Look out for dancing, drumming 13 unique suites, the jewel of which is The
and other street performances — the square Riad, the largest in Palma, with 360-degree
is the starting point for the feast day of Sant views from its tower bedroom. Don’t
Sebastià in January and is home to several miss the tranquil garden, or head straight
lively festivals and concerts throughout to the rooftop terrace for cocktails with
the year. magnificent views of the city and cathedral.

To find out more, visit palaciocanmarques.com

146 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

2020

Big Sleep
Awards

In our annual awards, this year more than ever we raise a glass to
the new kids on the block who’ve been turning heads and setting

the standard for the hotel scene — from urban design dens to
stately stays in the country

Turndown service at
Cirqa, Arequipa

Sept/Oct 2020 147

BIG SLEEP AWARDS 2020

THE WINNERS

LEAVE THE WORLD GOURMET GETAWAY
BEHIND
CASA MARIA LUIGIA,
URBAN COWBOY LODGE, MODENA, ITALY
NEW YORK
LOVE SHACK
BOUTIQUE BREAK
PARAGON 700,
CIRQA, AREQUIPA, PERU OSTUNI, ITALY

CITY SLICKER SNOW QUEEN

ROSEWOOD HONG KONG, NIEHKU MOUNTAIN VILLA,

HONG KONG SWEDISH LAPLAND, SWEDEN

GOOD EGG WELLNESS WONDER

SAORSA 1875, PERTHSHIRE, LEFAY RESORT & SPA

SCOTLAND DOLOMITI, TRENTINO, ITALY

LORD OF THE MANOR DESIGN DEN

THE NEWT IN SOMERSET, ARCTIC BATH, SWEDISH

SOMERSET LAPLAND, SWEDEN

BREATH OF FRESH AIR COMEBACK KID

SONOP, HARDAP REGION, THE STANDARD, LONDON
NAMIBIA
CASTAWAY
GRAND REDESIGNS
LELEWATU RESORT SUMBA,
MANDARIN ORIENTAL, LESSER SUNDA ISLANDS,
BANGKOK INDONESIA

HANGOUT ON THE MONEY

DESA POTATO HEAD, BALI, THE CHOW KIT,

INDONESIA KUALA LUMPUR

THE JUDGING PANEL

KASH BHATTACHARYA EMMA GREGG JOHN Ó CEALLAIGH
BudgetTraveller.com Freelance travel writer Luxury travel consultant

JULIA BUCKLEY LAURA HOLT PÓL Ó CONGHAILE
Freelance travel writer Freelance travel writer Freelance travel writer

LEE COBAJ JULIET KINSMAN NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
Freelance travel writer Luxury travel consultant TRAVELLER (UK) TEAM

148 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

BIG SLEEP AWARDS 2020

IMAGES: @BEN FITCHETT The hunting lodge-chic bar at Leave the
Urban Cowboy Lodge World
Behind
ABOVE: The Lodge is set in 68
acres of upstate wilderness near Going off-grid needn’t mean
slumming it. These new, far-flung
the town of Little Indian retreats are well-crafted oases that
immerse visitors in the unspoilt
beauty of nature

URBAN COWBOY
LODGE, NEW YORK

Nestled in the Catskill
Mountains, this lodge is a
gateway to the great outdoors.
The 68-acre grounds start with
fire pits on the lawn, then fade
to a wilderness threaded with
hiking trails and creeks. Private
decks and wood-burning pot
belly stoves are some of the
features of the 28 rooms and
suites, set across five timber-clad
buildings. For the interiors, co-
owner Lyon Porter has achieved
a nostalgic-yet-chic vibe based
on Navajo-inspired geometric
patterns, hunting lodge flourishes
and antiques. At The Dining
Room restaurant, meanwhile,
the focus is on ‘holistic’ dishes
and local produce. From US$175
(£134). urbancowboy.com

RUNNERS-UP

MOUNT MULLIGAN LODGE,
QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA
Just two-and-a-half hours’ drive from
Cairns, this getaway at the foot of Mount
Mulligan has room for just eight couples.
Days are spent hiking, kayaking, fishing
or visiting former gold mines. Gourmet
meals include pairings with native
wines, and there are private tubs on the
veranda of every room. From A$1,700
(£932), all-inclusive. mountmulligan.com

RIO PALENA LODGE, PATAGONIA, CHILE
This imposing new chalet in northern
Aysén has just seven en suites. Whether
you opt for horse-riding, hiking, wine-
tasting or even helicopter fishing,
a true Andean adventure beckons.
Eight nights, including fishing licences,
meals, drinks and local transfers
from £5,610, based on two sharing.
elevenexperience.com

BIG SLEEP AWARDS 2020

Walls hewn from local volcanic rock
dominate the aesthetic at Cirqa
BELOW: The cuisine at Cirqa draws
heavily on regional traditions
and produce

Boutique Break

There’s a special place in our hearts for the boutique hotel: with first-class service, plenty
of style and just a handful of rooms, these are the twinkling jewels of the hotel scene

CIRQA, AREQUIPA, PERU RUNNERS-UP

Say your prayers, and if you’re lucky, CASA ADELA, GUANAJUATO, MEXICO
you might soon find yourself beneath Set in the Sierra de Guanajuato near San
the vaulted ceilings of this 16th-century Miguel de Allende, there are only seven
former monastery in Arequipa. Its walls rooms at this chic getaway. Adventure
are hewn from the snow-white volcanic itineraries aside, it’s the gentle pace
stone that gives the city of Arequipa its of life you’ll want to savour: think
nickname: Ciudad Blanca. Its hospitality locally-inspired plates served poolside
and impeccable service are an echo of the and holistic massages serenaded by
Augustinian monks who once welcomed hummingbirds in the orchards. From
travellers here. As a launchpad for the $229 (£175), B&B. hotelcasaadela.com
condor-swooped, pulse-quickening Colca
Canyon, the hotel’s location is enviable, but JK PLACE, PARIS
there’s certainly a case to be made for simply JK Place’s first foothold outside Italy,
staying put and soaking up the discreetly this townhouse-style stay comprises
decadent vibe. Just 11 rooms, exposed arches, snug reception rooms, suites with open
a heated plunge pool and plenty of natural fires, and a stylish, supper club-style
Andean sunlight surely makes this the restaurant, Casa Tua. From €758 (£685),
most seductive stay in Peru right now. From B&B. jkplaces.com
US$225 (£172), B&B. cirqa.pe

150 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel