Indholdsfortegnelse for July / August 2025 i National Geographic Traveller (UK)

Kira Richards Henley’s annual boating regatta is certainly a big draw, but I was excited to discover the Oxfordshire town’s modern additions — particularly the artisanal delis and cosy gastropubs driving its burgeoning food and drink scene. HENLEY-ON-THAMES P.32 Dom Tulett Albania now leads the way in European tourism growth. It’s easy to see why along the country’s southwestern flank, where up-market restaurants and buzzing beach bars share a coastline with secluded coves and the remnants of ancient empires. ALBANIA P.46 Eddi Fiegel I’ve been visiting Girona and the surrounding area for years — the fabulous food and culture never stop drawing me back. For me, there’s nothing quite like savouring a glass of crisp, chilled local rosé in one of the city’s medieval squares. GIRONA P.52 Daniel Stables It…

Japan is such a diverse country when it comes to food, with cuisines differing greatly between prefectures and cities. Central Nagoya, for example, is known for rich, deep flavours and heavier dishes such as miso katsu (fried pork cutlet with miso sauce). Hokkaido is the place for jingisukan (lamb barbecue), while Shikoku in the south is famed for its sanuki udon (thick wheat noodles). Tokyo is where you’ll find a bit of everything. Hiroshima is both a prefecture and a city. It’s known for its harrowing history, but it’s also home to a fascinating food culture, with lighter dishes than those to be found in neighbouring areas. Located in the southwest of Honshu, Japan’s main island, it’s flanked by the Chugoku Mountains to the north and the Seto Inland Sea…

1 LORDS & LABRADORS ROLL & GO TRAVEL MAT Your dog will be very happy to spread out on this padded, super-soft travel mat, whether they’re using it for a couple of hours on the beach or spending the night sleeping on it. It’s easy to transport, too — it’s lightweight and has a carry handle and straps to keep it rolled up. Best for small- or medium-sized dogs. £34.99. lordsandlabradors.co.uk 2 RED EQUIPMENT DOG BUOYANCY AID If you’re taking your pup along on aboat ride or SUP outing, or if they’re simply getting to grips with doggy paddle, it’s worth investing in a life jacket. This canine buoyancy aid has foam for support, no-pinch clip fastenings and wide leg openings for unrestricted movement. Other features include a lead attachment,…

Ryan Chetiyawardana, better known by the moniker Mr Lyan, has been shaking up the cocktail world for over a decade. In 2013, the British bartender opened White Lyan, a pioneering no-waste bar in London’s Hoxton district. He’s known for mixing without perishables, including fruit or ice; instead, he innovates with ingredients and techniques — beeswax for texture, fermentation to unlock sour notes. Now, with a too-long-to-list string of accolades to his name, he’s going back to basics with Mr Lyan’s Taste Trips, a food and travel series exploring the crafts, traditions and people behind some of the world’s most iconic drinks. Where does your passion for cocktails come from? Growing up, my parents [of Sri Lankan heritage] used cooking as a mechanism to bring people together. I trained as a chef…

Is the language barrier significant? Many Vietnamese people speak at least some English, particularly in big cities, but this becomes less so the further you get into the countryside. Due to past colonial influence, English and French are more widely spoken in the south than the north, but people who work in traveller-facing businesses are likely to speak a decent level of English. Wherever you go, locals will appreciate you making the effort to learn a few basic phrases in Vietnamese — translation apps help a lot, too. Is the street food safe? Joining the locals at road-side restaurants or stalls is one of the country’s great joys. The food hygiene and cleanliness of street stalls can be a worry, but most visitors don’t experience any major problems as long…

1 South Tyrol, Italy Visitors to the Dolomites’ Alta Badia mountains can now book experiences hosted by members of the local Ladin community, an ethnic minority group who speak one of Europe’s rarest languages. From June to September, the Nos Ladins – We Ladins initiative will shed light on the history and culture of the Ladin people, with guests invited to embark on guided hikes, try a spot of mountain cooking and meet award-winning cheesemakers. altabadia.org 2 ALPES MARITIMES, FRANCE The mountain resort of Valberg is opening a new planetarium with a futuristic dome in June. Tucked away in Mercantour National Park, an International Dark Sky Reserve, its programme includes three days of stargazing evenings, night hikes and creative workshops during August’s Astro Valberg Festival. valberg.com 3 BREGENZERWALD, AUSTRIA A…

The scene The Ningaloo Coast is where outback, reef and ranges meet. Here, on the northwestern fringes of Australia, 745 miles above Perth on a rocky thumb of a promontory that juts into the Indian Ocean, great ochre canyons and stretches of flat, red earth slip into water that’s as bright blue as a kingfisher. This is also where marine giants meet — among them whale sharks, humpbacks, southern right whales and orcas, and mighty mantas with 26ft wingspans. These oceanic giants, turtles and some 700 species of fish await just offshore, often within paddling distance of the beach’s windblown dunes. The latter form part of the remote Cape Range National Park, but Ningaloo steals the show. As the planet’s largest fringing coral reef, it grows from the shoreline for…

The River Thames has long been the lifeblood of Henley. For centuries, it welcomed merchant ships carrying wine and grain from London. Trade with the capital transformed it into a thriving port town, Tudor and Georgian townhouses steadily gilding the streets around its medieval marketplace. But it wasn’t until 1839, when oars hit the water for the inaugural Henley Regatta, that the town made the leap from prosperous port to fashionable resort. Featuring more than 400 races spread out across the first week of July, the boating event now attracts over 300,000 visitors every year, with spectators gathering for riverside picnics at Remenham Farm, Temple Island and other vantage points. The regatta remains a key cornerstone of Henley’s identity, but with local chefs using British produce to put a spin…

Around 5,500 years ago, someone made the mad decision to jump on the back of a horse. This act of bravado altered the course of human history forever. Two years ago, I journeyed with an Arabian horse called Sasha for 111 days. He took me from Italy to the Atlantic Ocean and, by travelling with him, I got to see a view of the world that altered the course of my life. For me, the horse has become not a creature of industry nor recreation, but an animal that allows us to see beyond the physical. Long before this journey, fresh out of university, I got a job working as a stable boy in Hyde Park in central London. Once I’d mastered the art of juggling the reins, the horse…

Running down the country’s southwestern flank, from the city of Vlorë in the north to the village of Ksamil, the Albanian Riviera has been proclaimed the Maldives of Europe. It’s true that countless white-sand beaches dot a coastline of dazzling blue waters, from busy stretches backed by modern resorts to secluded coves. But the Riviera is about more than just the sea; there are traditional villages clinging to hillsides covered by centuries-old olive groves, and ancient ruins alongside remnants of the country’s communist past. Reaching the area is now easier than ever thanks to an increasing number of direct flights connecting the UK with Albania’s capital, Tirana, a two-hour drive from Vlorë. You can then head south along the SH8, the Riviera’s main coastal road, keeping the glistening Ionian Sea…

Standing on the beach in the southern Vietnamese fishing village of Mui Ne, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m being watched. Before me, the South China Sea is glistening in the late-morning sun, murmuring softly, lapping the white sand and fragmented scallop shells that lie scattered at my feet. All around me is a hive of activity. Under the shade of a ramshackle tented workshop, with colourful tarpaulins stretched across upright poles of driftwood, fisherfolk are mending boats and detangling nets. In the shallows, women in conical hats sieve the day’s catch — sweet sea snails, gargantuan shrimp, blue crabs — and stir anchovies in great fermenting vats. Mui Ne is famous for its fish sauce, and even in this embryonic state its pungent odour fills the air, so…

Few nationalities have an appetite for long-distance walks quite like the British. Even on an island prone to seaborne storms — where spring can segue directly into autumn and where upland visibility can extend no further than an outstretched hand — countless anorakclad souls tramp a substantial network of long-distance paths: from the South West Coast Path riding atop the granite cliffs at Land’s End in Cornwall, to the Cape Wrath Trail ending at a lonely lighthouse in the Scottish Highlands. Long-distance rambling in Britain is part of a correspondingly long tradition. In one sense, the activity began here in 1965 with the unveiling of the Pennine Way — a 268-mile route along the spine of Northern England, connecting Derbyshire fells with the Scottish border, and celebrating 60 years in…

AUGUST 27 THE DATE OF LA TOMATINA 2025. THE EVENT IS THOUGHT TO BE THE LARGEST STATE-SANCTIONED FOOD FIGHT IN THE WORLD 60 mins THE AMOUNT OF TIME ATTENDEES HAVE TO THROW TOMATOES AT ONE ANOTHER. A FIREWORK SIGNALS THE MIDDAY START OF THE BATTLE; A SECOND BRINGS IT TO A CLOSE 1945 The year La Tomatina was born, during a costume parade in Buñol. The story goes that a boy started throwing tomatoes from a vegetable stand and a crowd joined in. Today, the event attracts thousands of people from across the globe 150,000kg The quantity of ripe tomatoes distributed during the 2024 event. That’s approximately seven truckloads 22,000 The maximum number of people allowed to attend La Tomatina, a limit set in 2013 20 feet The height of…

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ON THE RADAR • WHAT’S NEW • FOOD • EXPERIENCE • INSIDE GUIDE • FAMILY • UK BREAK • BOOKS • KIT LIST Maricruz Rosales Cruz, Mexico I was wandering around Oaxaca city when I came across Maricruz’s clothes shop — beautifully decorated with paintings, faded photographs and old theatre masks. My Spanish was very rusty and she didn’t speak much English, but it was fun making portraits together, communicating as best we could despite the language barrier. It turned out she used to be an actress, dancer and model, so she came alive in front of the camera. She looked great, too, especially with those incredible gold earrings. imogenforte.com @imogenforte…

Dortmund is one of the largest centres in Germany’s own ‘Rust Belt’, the Ruhr — a cluster of western cities that became heavily industrialised after the late 18th century. For more than 100 years, the city was a hub of coal and steel production, the chimneys of its factories piercing the smog. While much of the heavy industry is now gone, the ghosts of this heritage still hulk over the landscape, with disused manufacturing sites offering glimpses into the past, and serving as reimagined spaces for art and culture. Before exploring Dortmund’s industrial sites, take a walk around the historic centre. The city was founded in 882, and a clutch of churches is testament to its medieval history. Marienkirche is remarkable for its sandstone altar with a lavish blue, red…

Summer at Mount Asama The debut novel from Masashi Matsuie steps into 1980s Japan to follow recent graduate Toru Sakanishi as he joins a prestigious Tokyo architecture firm. Wide-eyed, he follows the firm as it relocates to the mountain of Kita-Asama to design the National Library of Modern Literature. A love letter to Japan, its modern design and ancient beauty. The Indigo Press, £12.99 There are Rivers in the Sky Elif Shafak’s epic is now out in paperback. The remarkable story spanning continents and centuries takes in the lives of three people — one in Victorian London, one in contemporary London and a Yazidi girl in modern-day Turkey. From the dusty banks of the Tigris to the muddy Thames, it brings the persecution of Yazidi people sharply to the surface.…

High on a Catalan hilltop just beyond the city of Girona’s medieval old town, the maître d’ at the Roca brothers’ newly opened restaurant, Esperit Roca, draws back a heavy curtain and ushers me into a cavernous, domed wine cellar. There’s a sense of theatre as the haunting aria from Handel’s The Triumph of Time and Truth oratorio announces my arrival and I’m guided past a city’s worth of wine racks into a high-ceilinged, industrial-chic dining room that’s been stylishly converted from a 19thcentury fortress. Esperit Roca is the latest restaurant from chef Joan Roca and his brothers, sommelier Josep and pastry chef Jordi, whose three Michelin-starred El Celler de Can Roca has twice been awarded the number one spot on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. A selection of…

“The Nguyen emperors weren’t noted for their restraint,” says tour guide Quoc Dung as he leads me through the moated palaces and gated courtyards of Hue’s Imperial City. Dung — a smartly dressed, well-spoken gentleman — is being diplomatic. The facts give a more accurate picture of the Nguyens, who ruled Vietnam from Hue between 1802 and 1945. Minh Mang (r. 1820-41) had 500 wives and 142 children. Khai Din (r. 1916-1925) refused to go anywhere unless carried in a sedan chair, and insisted that his morning tea be brewed with the dew collected from lotus leaves in the palace grounds. “They weren’t the easiest people to work for,” Dung continues. “The emperor’s meals would consist of an average of 50 courses. But this kept their chefs creative.” Despite their…

The sun climbs slow and steady over the rust-red barns, spilling a golden light across the stable yard. In the side paddock, a team of mules jostles, their heads low, long ears twitching as they snort and stamp impatiently. The beasts — horse-donkey hybrids — are being loaded up with gear for our expedition into Banff National Park, western Canada, saddle bags of supplies ballooning at their sides. Fuel, food, grain, linen and the inevitable bottle of whisky: it’s a packing list untouched by time. As the string of mules ambles past in a tethered line, hooves kicking up lazy clouds of dust, it feels like a scene from a Wild West flick, shot in glorious Technicolor against the swaggering backdrop of the Canadian Rockies. But a sidelong glance at…

The world is at its quietest and most awe-inspiring in the planet’s remote reaches, where wildlife reigns and the planet’s stark beauty is on display. Located some 580 miles from the city of Tromsø in mainland Norway, Svalbard is an archipelago comprising nine main islands, the largest being Spitsbergen. One of the best ways to immerse yourself in this wild environment is on an expedition cruise, where you’ll glide past imposing glaciers, noisy walrus colonies, cliffs dotted with sea birds and families of polar bears. In the summer months, Svalbard enjoys around-the-clock daylight — making it an ideal time to see these pristine landscapes in all their glory. Here are five reasons to go on an expedition through this otherworldly archipelago. 1 MARVEL AT MAJESTIC POLAR BEARS For any visitor…

TH E EXPERTS I’ve heard Crete’s a great destination for food-lovers. Could you suggest an itinerary for a week-long trip? Start in the city of Chania, all cobbled lanes and colourful, Venetian-era palazzos. Peruse its covered market for a preview of Crete’s extraordinary bounty, then drive south into the foothills of the White Mountains for an unforgettable meal at Ntounias. Here, chef-owner Stelios Trilirakis uses produce from the on-site farm to prepare an array of Cretan classics, including kleftiko — wild kid in parchment — baked in a wood-fired oven. Rest up back in Chania, where harbourside hotel Casa Delfina has rooms from €170 (£145), B&B. ntounias.gr casadelfino.com Next morning, join a small-group cooking class at Veerna’s Kitchen, whose olive and avocado groves lie just 10 minutes’ drive from Chania’s…

PEOPLE It can be the people you encounter that make a trip — but to capture someone’s character, you’ve got to earn their trust Grand prize winner Justin Cliffe Vietnam THE PHOTOGRAPHER SAID: The Red Dao minority people of Lao Cai Province are one of Vietnam’s most distinctive ethnic groups, largely due to their headdresses. Here, a great grandmother sits at the door of her property working on some embroidery with her great granddaughter. Their intricate embroidery is a skill passed down from mother to daughter and further generations. Instagram: @justincliffe THE JUDGES SAID: This is such an intimate moment between generations that captures so much beauty and humanity. The colours, light and textures work really well. PEOPLE RUNNERS-UP JO KEARNEY Pakistan THE PHOTOGRAPHER SAID: I took this photo at…

Tell us about this image. This was taken on a Friday night at the Detroit Institute of Arts, where local DJ Problematic Black Hottie was spinning tracks as part of the museum’s regular DJ series. Her set took place in Rivera Court, the DIA’s grand marble atrium. It’s home to Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry Murals — 27 towering frescoes honouring the city’s industrial heritage. The vibe was electric: like old Detroit and new Detroit coming together. How did you achieve the shot? I knew that if I wanted to capture the scene in a single frame, I needed to shoot wide. At first, I set up a tripod two storeys above the DJ. It gave me a clean, clear view of the space and showed the size of the crowd,…