Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2025 i National Geographic Traveller (UK)

When it comes to regional produce, Herefordshire has always been something of a heavyweight. It gave the world the famously bulky Hereford cow for one thing, while its orchards produce some 63 million gallons of cider every year. Visitors to the English county — a tapestry of low hills and tumbling river valleys on the Welsh border — can experience that culinary heft via new self-guided food safaris, with each itinerary linking five gastronomic and agricultural highlights — from cosy pubs to working farms. The three main itineraries cover north Herefordshire, south Herefordshire and the aptly named Golden Valley, though travellers are free to create their own itinerary, sewing together 16th-century coaching inns, independent coffee roasters and traditional cider mills as they see fit. There’s also a three-day Exceptional Eats…

An Inconvenience of Penguins In his ‘epic voyages in pursuit of the world’s most beloved bird’, travel writer Jamie Lafferty recounts his mission to visit and commune with all 18 of our planet’s penguin species. The book sees him marching through guano fields in Africa, leading photography groups in the Antarctic and, for reasons only he and perhaps the penguins know, taking psychedelics in the Falklands. Come for the candid travelogue, woven with tales of early polar exploration, stay for the lush photos, and likely leave with a penguin passion of your own. Wildfire, £22 Walk the Earth Since relocating from Italy to Kenya over 20 years ago, wildlife photographer Federico Veronesi has sought to capture the majesty of elephants and the land they live in. Images show African tuskers…

THE EXPERIENCE Edinburgh is a city of two halves, where centuries-old streets host cutting-edge culture, and thrilling adventures complement peaceful escapes. The trip begins with a stay at fivestar hotel The Caledonian Edinburgh, just below Castle Mount. From here, you’ll have the opportunity to experience the city’s history on a walking tour, catch some comedy at The Stand and enjoy a session at Soul Water Sauna. You can also look forward to street food from Bonnie & Wild, lunch at Victor Hugo Deli and a five course tasting menu at The Little Chartroom. For the final two days, you’ll stay just outside the city in one of the pods at Lost Shore Surf Resort, enjoying a surfing lesson, a folk music performance, a tasting menu with paired wines at Montrose…

DESTINATION DUPES An alternative trip in Mexico For a less-crowded option than Cancún and Tulum, consider the laid-back beach town of Bacalar SET-JETTING Ride the Korean Wave As the popularity of K-dramas has gone global, so have the filming locations of these shows CRUISE A trip around the world For those who long to explore, these once-in-a-lifetime journeys may be just the thing OUTDOOR A national park’s retro look Learn about the surprising mid-century buildings of the Great Smoky Mountains SLOW TRAVEL Sea and romance in Greece Explore cobblestone streets, sip wine in vineyards and climb centuries-old fortresses in Nafplio THE CARIBBEAN Jamaica’s best-kept secret Celebrities, creatives and yogis are flocking to Portland to relax and be inspired by nature SEARCH FOR NATGEOTRAVELUK  FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM PINTEREST Use the QR code…

It’s 11am and I’m having coffee. But as this is a ‘Belfast coffee’, it’s a cream-topped cold brew laced with a shot of poitín, served at the capital city’s snug-boothed 19th-century Garrick pub. “It’s the sort of thing you used to get from your backcountry man,” says my jovial guide, Ali McDevitt, brushing cream from his whiskers. Ireland’s moonshine, poitín, was outlawed in the 1600s, but people continued to make the unaged spirit at home — using potatoes or grains and pot-stills — and it was finally legalised in 1997. “Poitín’s had a big revival in recent years, creeping into cocktails,” says Ali. “I even saw it in my local Tesco the other day.” This smoky, velvety variant on Irish coffee is just one educational indulgence I sample during my…

BEST FOR CHIMPS Mahale Mountains National Park Rising from the dazzling-white powder-sand shores of Lake Tanganyika, the Mahale Mountains aren’t just the best place to see chimpanzees in Tanzania, they’re probably the best place in the world. Around 1,000 of the eastern subspecies swing about these thickly forested peaks, and it’s possible to join guided treks for intimate encounters with a group that’s been habituated since the 1960s. There are plenty of other charismatic primates here, too, including yellow baboons, red colobus and blue monkeys. There are also lions, leopards, elephants and giraffes — though the latter are more seldom seen. Also seldom seen are other travellers: this remote national park is only accessible by plane (flights leave from Dar es Salaam and Arusha) or by boat, meaning it’s largely…

Ngorongoro Crater The Ngorongoro Crater would be a remarkable sight even if it were empty of animals. Formed when the volcano collapsed in on itself following an enormous eruption some 2.5 million years ago, it’s the world’s largest intact caldera, measuring 10 to 12 miles across. Its rugged walls soar up to 2,000ft, encircling seasonal swamps, permanent springs, a shallow soda lake, a forest of yellow fever trees and open grassy plains. But it isn’t devoid of life. On the contrary, the crater supports one of the densest concentrations of large mammals on the continent: black rhinos, wallowing hippos, big tuskers, vast herds of zebra and wildebeest, along with large numbers of attendant predators — chances of seeing lion and hyena are high. There are no lodges within the crater…

The rhythmic sound of chisel meeting wood has echoed through Khiva’s streets for centuries. Artisans carefully carve ornate motifs into traditional wooden columns, like the kind that support palaces and mosques across Uzbekistan. The Khiva school of woodcarving is renowned for its multi-layered islimi patterns, where stems and leaves interlace. Local woods like walnut, apricot, elm and mulberry are soaked and seasoned to make them easier to work with. Today, within Khiva’s walled town (known as Itchan Kala), workshops serve as living schools; apprentices learn design, perforation, carving and finishing. The craft endures through generations of wood-workers passing on their knowledge, keeping Khiva’s decorative heritage alive. Food in Khiva is a reflection of the city’s layered history, blending the ingredients and flavours carried along the Silk Road between China and…

I heard an ancient city has been unearthed in Peru. Could you suggest an itinerary that includes it and similar sites? The city of Peñico, 80 miles north of Lima, opened to the public in July 2025, although archaeologists have been studying the site since 2017. Dated to around 1500-1800 BCE, it’s thought to be related to the much older civilisation of Caral-Supe, whose 5,000-year-old pyramids and plazas comprise the earliest known city in the Americas. Eighteen monumental structures spread over an arid plateau, the Peñico ruins are stark and dramatic. Guided tours are available, while a superb museum containing conch shell trumpets and carved clay figurines helps flesh out the historical details. Peñico and Caral-Supe’s historical links, coupled with the fact they’re only eight miles apart, mean the sites…

Tell us about this image. This shot was taken on a GoPro in Waisilip Bay, Raja Ampat — a remote archipelago of around 1,500 islands situated off the coast of West Papua in Indonesia. Known as the ‘Crown Jewel of the Coral Triangle’, Raja Ampat is widely recognised as the world’s most biodiverse marine area, home to around 75% of all known coral species. I wanted the image to encompass both the reef and one of the rainforest-covered islands, so spent quite some time in the shallows. How did you get the shot? I headed out in a tender boat with Rascal Voyages’ head of experience and conservation, Yeray Moreno. He knows Raja Ampat well and is an incredible underwater photographer himself. We scouted the bay, looking for the best…

Across the dry riverbed, a herd of elephants is kicking up dust from the scorched earth and eating what’s left of the brittle acacia trees. The little ones play, while the adults eye me warily… well, I suspect it’s actually me watching them warily from the wooden deck of the camp I’ve only just arrived in. In one of the most remote parts of one of the most remote parks in Tanzania, Ruaha National Park offers a safari quite unlike any other. With just a handful of camps and yet covering an area much bigger than its more famous compatriot, the Serengeti, Ruaha’s vast landscapes, big cats and aforementioned elephants attract very, very few of the country’s arrivals. I was lucky enough to be one of them when I visited…

Mauritius Shadowed by Le Morne Brabant mountain, the ‘underwater waterfall’ of Mauritius is in fact a rare and dazzling optical illusion. Like the neighbouring islands of Réunion and Rodrigues, Mauritius rests on the shelf of an underwater plateau, beyond which lies a drop of around 13,000ft. When seen from above, it looks as though the entire island is being pulled into the ocean’s depths, though what you’re actually seeing are strong currents from the north east pushing sand and silt over the edge of the precipice. theflore.com @djflore…

Bordering California in the US, flanked by the Pacific to the west and what French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau dubbed ‘the world’s aquarium’ to the east, Baja California is a place of wild biodiversity. This long, narrow peninsula in the northwesternmost corner of Mexico packs in varied microclimates, taking in arid landscapes and the lush coast of El Mar de Cortés favoured by Cousteau. The contrast of incredibly rich waters with the desertic climate has created a unique food culture. Seafood reigns supreme here, from spiny lobster and huge clams to cod, tilapia and catfish. It’s generally prepared simply: raw with lime, on the shell with hot sauce, smoked and in a taco or simply grilled. In recent years, an abundance of Californian ingredients — including a spectacular array of citrus…

THE BIRD, BATH Afternoon tea at this chic boutique hotel delivers tradition and inventiveness in equal measure. The full-size scones come with deliciously dense clotted cream, while the sandwiches include focaccia fingers of whipped feta and hot honey. THE ROYAL CRESCENT HOTEL & SPA The ambience for afternoon tea at the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa builds while walking the flagstones of the crescent from which this landmark takes its name — the most illustrious of Bath’s curved Georgian terrace rows. In fine weather, you can take afternoon tea amid the sunlit lavender of the hotel’s one-acre landscaped garden. ROBUN A Japanese yakiniku charcoal grill restaurant, Robun offers an Eastern twist on afternoon tea. The cake stand is replaced with a wooden box of treats, with a top layer of…

Best for letting off steam SIX SENSES KOCATAŞ MANSIONS A half-hour taxi ride north of the city’s central Taksim Square is the Sarıyer district, where time slows and the Bosphorus turns turquoise near the mouth of the Black Sea. It’s here you’ll find this palatial property, spread over two 19th-century mansions. The 43 rooms and suites are tastefully muted — some with freestanding baths and seaside promenade views. Located in a corner of the city where locals come to unwind, this suburban resort has all the bells and whistles to help you do just that: whizz up the hill past fig trees in a golf cart to the mammoth spa, splash in the infinity pool and book a meal at one of the property’s several restaurants. ROOMS: From £430, B&B.…

TE RUA MASON BELIEVES FINDING POUNAMU IS MUCH LIKE FINDING LOVE. Despite the spitting rain and biting wind, Te Rua, his son Henare and I are picking our way along the pebbled mouth of the Arahura River outside Hokitika township. The steel grey Tasman Sea crashes and foams against the shore nearby, hurling salty spray into the air. Sky-wheeling seagulls bicker and caw. The weather might be dreary but Te Rua, my guide and founder of Te Rua and Sons Pounamu Trail tours, says it’s a good day to search for pounamu, a type of jade found exclusively on the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Too much sunlight can wash everything in an indiscernible glare — rain helps the stone’s natural green stand out among the limestone and…

With the exception of the ‘Muscles from Brussels’ Jean-Claude Van Damme, it’s a peculiar fact that none of the most famous Belgians are real. Tintin’s a comic book creation; Poirot an invention of Agatha Christie’s imagination; the tiny, blue Smurfs live in mushroom-shaped houses in a fictional forest. Belgium’s multilingual capital — and the de-facto home of the EU — is also known for its 400-year-old statue of a small boy peeing into a fountain. Legend has it this emblematic icon represents a character who once saved the city — although whether he actually existed is anyone’s guess. Despite all this, ‘Brand Belgium’ is certainly alive and kicking in Brussels, thanks to a winning quartet of chocolate, beer, waffles and fries. The peeing boy better known as the Manneken Pis…

The Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo has been heralded as one of the biggest cultural openings of the year. Located near the Pyramids of Giza, this cultural colossus is the world’s largest institution dedicated to a single civilisation, with almost 872,000sq feet of floor space displaying tens of thousands of artefacts. Its opening date was planned for well over a decade ago, then shifted to 2018 and beyond, with a phased launch adding to the timeline. Now, it seems finally ready to open in its entirety in November. What’s caused the delays? Much has been outside of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM)’s control. Plans for the museum were first announced in 1992, with the foundation stone laid a decade later by then-President Hosni Mubarak. The Arab Spring uprising in 2011…

THE WINNERS Revamped Hotel W Prague, Czech Republic Wellness Haven Anantara Ubud Bali Resort Remote Escape Hotel Le Dune Piscinas, Italy Food Hero Fowlescombe Farm, England Budget Break Élysée Montmartre Hotel, France Romantic Bolthole Palacete Severo, Portugal Designer Den Hotel Humano, Mexico Clever Conversion Stockholm Stadshotell, Sweden Eco Retreat Populus Denver, US One-of-a-kind Kibale Lodge, Uganda THE JUDGING PANEL OF TRAVEL WRITERS AMANDA CANNING DUNCAN CRAIG ZOEY GOTO ELLEN HIMELFARB JUSTIN MENEGUZZI DANIEL STABLES JONATHAN THOMPSON KERRY WALKER REVAMPED HOTEL These old favourites have been given a fresh lease of life after extensive renovations W Prague Czech Republic The Grand Hotel Evropa has always had something of Wes Anderson about it. Its revamp as a W Hotel honours its heritage while adding the vibrant modern touches for which the brand…

Competition Be in with a chance of winning a four-day trip to Edinburgh for two people. The winner will enjoy overnight stays in two characterful hotels, meals in some of the city’s finest restaurants and more. P.40 Hotel Awards Our pick of the year’s most exciting openings and renovations across the planet, from remote escapes and budget breaks to clever conversions and the best stays for food lovers. P.156 SUBSCRIBE TODAY Get three issues for just £5! subscriptions.natgeotraveller.co.uk or call 01858 438787 and quote ‘NGT5’…

HIKE IN CHILE Torres del Paine is a national park at the end of the world — its mountains rising at the southern tip of Chilean Patagonia, buffeted by Pacific winds and capped by Arctic-like icefields. Many come to gaze at these sublime summits from below, to feel their jagged granite underfoot and hike the ‘W’ trail (so-named because its course forms a vague W-shape on the landscape). Over four or five days of trekking, the highlights of the national park appear with every bend in the trail — among them the iceberg-dotted leagues of Grey Lake and cathedral-like towers of Mirador las Torres. Shelter from the wild weather by staying in refugios (hiking hostels) along the way. SNOWMOBILE IN ICELAND Langjökull is the second-largest chunk of ice in a…

It’s hard to imagine what the Africans of Zanzibar made of the Persians when they arrived in the 10th century, sailing in on dhow boats that looked like winged angels of the sea. They were merchants, nobles and seafarers from the region of Shiraz, now part of modern-day Iran. It was the Islamic Golden Age — a period of cultural, economic and scientific flourishing across the Persian empire, which led some communities to expand their fortunes along the east coast of Africa. Today, Afro-Shirazis still make up around half the population of this Tanzanian island. “My birth certificate says I’m Shiraz tribe,” says my guide, Maulid Omar Ali, his small, fluffy goatee wiggling as he cracks into a broad, toothy smile and proudly pushes out his dark chin. Mau for…

HOW TO GET THERE Fly to Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro via Amsterdam, Dubai or Istanbul, or to Zanzibar via Doha. Another option is flying via an East African hub such as Nairobi or Addis Ababa with a national carrier and taking an onwards connection. Journey time from London, via Nairobi, to Dar es Salaam is around 14 hours. klm.com turkishairlines.com qatarairways.com kenya-airways.com ethiopianairlines.com HOW TO GET AROUND Domestic carriers such as Air Tanzania and Coastal Aviation operate internal flights while many higher-end safari lodges are reached via private charter airlines. airtanzania.co.tz coastal.co.tz It’s cheaper and slower to travel overland; roads between major safari destinations are generally in good condition, others less so. Hiring a 4WD is possible in major hubs such as Dar es Salaam or Arusha but it’s…

There’s a reason New Zealand has become a default location for filmmakers — this small Pacific Island nation is staggeringly cinematic. Dense rainforests, glassy lakes, geothermal marvels, glacier-clad mountains and a rugged coastline: its landscape is so varied, it can stand in for anywhere, from Iceland to Middle-earth. Dubbed Aotearoa in Māori (meaning ‘the land of the long white cloud’), the country’s wealth of experiences — from tasting world-renowned wines in the Marlborough region to spotting native dolphins off the Banks Peninsula — are as diverse as its scenery. It all lends itself perfectly to a grand adventure across its North and South Islands — the two largest of more than 600, connected to each other by ferry and crisscrossed by epic rail routes. Here’s how to plan your very…

Thanks to the revolution of the motorcar assembly line, Detroit became the beating heart of American industry in the 20th century — ranking among the richest cities in the world. Beyond industry, the Motor City has long been a beacon of creativity, with a conveyor belt of musical talent that never stopped rolling. From soul-stirring legends such as Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder to modern icons such as Eminem and The White Stripes, this Midwestern city gifted the world some of its brightest musical stars. Today, that creative energy still pulses through Detroit — not just in music, but in the bold flavours of its burgeoning restaurant scene and a flourishing street art movement that draws in visitors from around the world. Through it all, the Motor City keeps on…

Waves crash against the crags below and wind blusters wildly, misting my face with salty Atlantic spray. I’m standing on a coastal cliff in continental Europe’s westernmost vineyard, where grapes grow only with the help of the area’s skilled viticulturists. Small, family-run winery Mare et Corvus plants its vines here between protective stone walls, sheltering them carefully with nets, and uses the grapes to produce around 6,000 bottles of wine a year. Though Colares — part of the wine region of Lisboa — is less than an hour’s drive west of Lisbon, you wouldn’t know it. Portugal’s capital is in the midst of a heatwave, but here it’s grey and humid. This microclimate helps give the area’s wines their distinctive flavour — as does the unconventional terrain where producers grow…

Have a query about subscriptions? Get in touch at natgeotraveller@subscription.co.uk or call 01858 438787 WIN A Passenger blanket and fleece parka bundle worth over £200 This cold weather set is perfect for autumn adventures. Warm and water-repellent, the Cabin Recycled Sherpa Blanket packs down into its own pocket and comes in a range of colourful styles. Toastier still is the Campscape Recycled Fleece Lined Parka, a full-length, quilted jacket with a waterproof seat panel for nights by the campfire. passenger-clothing.com STAR LETTER Time traveller Your online feature about hiking the ancient route to Delphi captured my imagination. I’ve always been fascinated by history and mythology, so reading about a path once believed to lead to the centre of the world felt like stepping back in time. Your article not only…