Indholdsfortegnelse for Oct 2017 i Wanderlust

Looking through the media these days, it is easy to think that the world is a depressing place. Take rhinos, for instance. Yes, the horrific poaching of these animals is seriously worrying but Nepal is bucking the trend, and has even increased its numbers, as editor Phoebe Smith discovered this month (p24). Meanwhile, Thailand sometimes suffers from negative publicity on ‘green’ issues, yet has many examples of tourism that benefits local communities, the environment and wildlife. So, we are offering one lucky reader the chance to visit and report back on these issues for us in a new writing competition (p68). Elsewhere in this issue, we explore South America by train (p104), go off the beaten track by expedition ship (p42) and visit remote Iban communities in Malaysian Borneo (p86).…

ELLEN JACKSON Cookbook author A lover of Portland, Oregon’s live-off-the-land food, Ellen was, in turn, inspired to put together a cookbook of the city’s best recipes. She helps us delve into how its prize crop, the hazelnut, is now a staple on local plates (p16) Mountain, desert, ocean or jungle… which are you? Ocean. First great travel experience? When I was five, my family lived in a flat in London. We filled the summer with travel throughout Britain. Favourite journey? Backpacking in Scotland, which included a horseback ride along Loch Ness. It was damp and misty – perfect for a legendary ‘Nessie’ sighting. Top five places worldwide? Scotland; San Juan Islands (the Canadian side!); Cuba; Alsace, France; Bequia island, the Grenadines. Passport stamp you’re proudest of? On my first trip…

‘Up to 12.7m tonnes of plastic waste enter our oceans every year, endangering wildlife’ We’re all well-versed in the dangers of climate change, but there’s another – perhaps just as urgent – ecological threat affecting many of the places we travel to: single-use plastic. We see it every day in bags and bottles, and with 400m tonnes of plastic produced globally each year, according to one 2015 study published in Science, much of it is ending up in our environment as waste. While we do our bit at home, going on holiday many of us take a break from our green sensibilities. So what can we do to help? “Be prepared,” advises Emily DiFrisco of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, a movement that aims to reduce plastic waste. “Pack thin, reusable…

Oregon’s blend of verdant forests, gushing rivers and rocky peaks has long been coveted by visitors seeking adventure. Yet this mix of landscapes has also proven fertile ground for the US state’s prize crop: hazelnuts. Some 99% of US hazelnuts are grown in the Beaver State, a legacy dating back to the 1850s, when French settlers were thought to have introduced the trees. Since then, nearly all production has been centred on the lush Willamette Valley, an area better known by travellers for its sun-drenched winelands and as prime hiking country, with trails winding its frothing cascades and thick woodland. Perhaps unsurprisingly, hazelnuts have also found their way into the state’s cuisine. Walk into many a bar in Portland and you’ll find a pint of nut-infused beer (Rogue Ales’ Hazelnut…

WANDERLUST WORLD GUIDE AWARDS London, 5 October www.worldguideawards.com Royal Geographical Society, London, SW7 2AR. £5 (including a free drink). Book online or call 01753 620426 for tickets. Join the world’s best guides and find out who’s bagged our Gold award (and a £5,000 bursary) this year. Hang out with the judges, Wanderlust team and special guests Bill Bryson and Mark Carwardine. For a fiver, it’d be rude not to. STEPPES BEYOND FESTIVAL London, 30 September-1 October www.steppestravel.co.uk/beyond Royal Geographical Society, London, SW7 2AR. Tickets for individual talks from £3. Book online. Hear from Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Simon Reeve and also Wanderlust editor Phoebe Smith, who’ll be chatting about Nepal’s conservation successes (see p24). Profits will go to charity partners in Steppes’ #RefuseToUse campaign. BRISTOL WILDERNESS LECTURES Bristol, 4 & 18…

Long-distance rail travel is the go-to when cutting through Australia’s vast, arid interior. It’s a necessity for locals, but it’s also just as popular with travellers as a means of spying the epic swathes of outback between city hops. But no set of tracks here is more important than the Trans-Australian Railway. It was once crucial in linking Western Australia (WA) with the rest of the country, and this month (17 Oct) marks the 100th anniversary since it opened up this incredible region to world. Tell me more... In 1901, six British colonies – New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland, South Australia and WA – united to form Australia as we know it. However, WA was cut off from the rest by the wide, desolate expanse of Nullarbor Plain, and…

VITAL STATISTICS Capital: Seville (Sevilla in Spanish) Population: 8.5 million Language: Spanish Time: GMT+2 (GMT+1 Nov–Mar) International dialling code: +34 Visas: Not required by UK nationals Money: Euros (€), currently €1.09 to £UK. When to go • Spring and autumn – warm, often sunny. Best for sightseeing and hiking. • Summer – dry. Can be fiercely hot. • Winter – cooler and sometimes wet, but can also be glorious. Health & safety No specific jabs are required. Be extra careful of pickpockets in the main tourist spots of Granada and Ronda. Carry plenty of drinking water when hiking in the Alpujarras and Sierras Subbéticas. Further reading & information Andalucía (LP, 8th edition; 2016) Driving over Lemons by Chris Stewart (Sort of Books, 1999) South from Granada: Seven Years in an…

Why did you start travelling solo? I found that I was having trouble matching up my friend’s schedules, preferences and priorities to my own. I realised that if I had to wait for someone to do the same thing at the same time as me, I’d never leave the country! How did you gain confidence fast? Little steps like taking flights solo helped. I met friends in Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona, then I took a Eurostar day trip to Paris. Eventually, I took a leap and booked a flight to Bali for myself for two weeks. This was daunting at first, but I had planned what I was going to do for the first few days, visiting and doing the things that had been recommended to me. That turned…

THE EXPERTS ROBERT FERGUSON Trekking specialist, mountain guide and author of Footprint’s Nepal guide (footprinttravelguides.com) DENNIS KELSALL Dedicated walker and co-author of Cicerone’s The Yorkshire Dales: South and West guide (cicerone.co.uk) BRONTë AURELL Danish food writer, hygge geek and author of Quarto’s North: How to Live Scandinavian (quarto.com) LEON MCCARRON Filmmaker, adventurer and author of Ib Tauris’ The Land Beyond (ibtauris.com) ‘The north of the Jordan trail is a little simpler than the south, but walk with a guide for the first few days to get a sense of the land’ QI’ve done a lot of trekking in Nepal, but what else does the country offer? Patrick Emmitt, via email A It’s understandable that people think of mountains and trekking when they think of Nepal. The Himalaya form the country’s…

‘Black flies can leave some monumentally itchy bites, and in West Africa have been known to transmit river blindness’ As cruises shed their shuffleboard -and-cocktails image, more of us are discovering the joys of adventure voyages. Expeditions to tropical waters or more rugged destinations, such as the two Poles, allow for some astonishing views of glaciers whales, birdlife and more (see p42). But what are the hazards? BALANCE One of the most important ways of preparing for a long voyage is to hone your proprioceptive skills. This is the sense that tells us about body position, and with it comes innate knowledge of what your feet and legs are doing without having to look at them. Building this up improves balance and reduces the chance of slipping on a heaving…

The deadline for entries into the Wanderlust Photo of the Year 2017, the UK’s biggest travel photography competition, is creeping ever closer. We’re always keen to see what snaps you’ve captured on your travels, whether they’re from your most recent trip or corkers from some past adventures, so rifle through your memory cards and cupboards and send them in. Each of the four category winners of our Amateur competition will be sent (along with a friend) on the photo commission of their dreams: a trip to Costa Rica courtesy of the Costa Rica Tourism Board. The winner of our Portfolio contest (open to both amateurs and professionals) will bag themselves a cash prize of £3,000. So, send in your shots now! Win a commission AMATEUR COMPETITION What can be said…

STAR LETTER Ethical equine trips I’ve just enjoyed reading about what Cuba has to offer in the ‘25 Cuba Adventures’ feature [July/ August 2017, issue 178]. I believe I’m right in saying that three of the 25 ‘best ways’ to explore the country involved horses. I’m sure other Wanderlust readers would join me in supporting the idea of ethical animal tourism when abroad. To increase awareness of the concept, I’d like to draw my fellow travellers’ attention to a useful guide, Holiday Hooves (published by animal charity SPANA), when looking at activities involving animals, particularly equines. Fiona Withey, West Sussex Unique Uganda We returned in June from our anti-clockwise safari around Uganda and we wanted to share our experience. We started in Entebbe, visiting the Botanic Gardens, Murchison Falls and…

Singapore Airlines (SIA) recently celebrated two major milestones in its history of flying to Australia. In 2016, it became the first airline to operate regularly scheduled international flights direct to Canberra. Then, a few months later, it went on to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its first flight Down Under. In the early days of its passenger service to Australia, back in 1967, SIA flew from Singapore to Sydney via Perth. Since then, the airline has added other Australian cities to its network, with the newest service, the Capital Express to Canberra, creating quite a buzz when it launched last year. It operates four times a week. Canberra’s AirVolution Perhaps surprisingly, nearly all the scheduled flights into the Australian capital used to be domestic, with international visitors having to fly…

1 The contents of an ‘elephant sandwich’ in Nepal includes molasses, rice, chickpeas and salt, wrapped in hay – not elephants themselves! p24 2 You can dive among millions of dollars of US military hardware in Vanuatu – dumped post-Second World War; p42 3 In Granada, during the time of the Nasrid dynasty, locals would make an erection cream using mustard; p58 4 To guard against black magic, Borneo’s Iban community ask outsiders to sip drinks before passing them around; p86 5 Spot a raven at Portugal’s Cape of St Vincent and it could be a descendant of the birds that were said to guard the holy figure’s relics; p133…

A LIFE ON THE EDGE Film: CHOICES Steph Davis chose climbing. The law student left school and followed her passion for the sport, earning a number of climbing achievements from Yosemite to Patagonia. She then settled in Moab, Utah, and discovered her second passion: BASE jumping. Although she‘s suffered many losses, including the death of her husband Mario Richards in a wingsuit accident, she‘s never regretted having chosen her unconventional way of life. ICE, ICE, BABY! Film: INTO TWIN GALAXIES Ben Stookesberry, Sarah McNair-Landry, and Erik Boomer are heading north. They want to cross Greenland‘s gigantic ice sheets with snow kites, followed by a kayaking first descent in a meltwater stream down the glacier. But Greenland is tough terrain. Sarah deals with a serious snowkiting-crash on the ice and Boomer…

There’s always a ripple of anticipation when you get experts delivering new work on their ‘home turf’, and this month’s books live up to expectations. First up is Wanderlust contributing editor and cetacean authority Mark Carwardine, whose Guide to Whale Watching in North America (Bloomsbury, £19) is every bit as readable as it is practical. If you can’t book a spot on his next guided trip to Baja, this is the next best thing. Thoughtful naturalist Patrick Barkham also delivers on his trademark. Islander: A Journey Around Our Archipelago (Granta, £20) sees him explore not only some of the UKs 6,289 smaller offshoots – Eigg, Ray, Bardsey, St Kilda, to name a few – but also the notion of what it is to belong on one. Wanderlust editor Phoebe Smith…

VITAL STATISTICS Capital: Kathmandu Population: 29.2 million Languages: Nepali, Hindi, English Time: GMT+5.45 International dialling code: +977 Visas: Required by UK nationals and available on arrival. From $25 for 15 days; you will need a passport photo. Apply from the Embassy of Nepal, 12A Kensington Palace Gardens, London W8 4QU (0207 229 1594, nepembassy.org.uk). Money: Nepalese rupee (NPR) currently around 132NPR to the UK£. US dollars often accepted, but local currency is useful for the markets and tipping. When to go Jan-Mar: Best time to see wildlife in Chitwan. Temperatures cooler and skies usually clear. Apr-May: Shoulder season; quieter. About 30›C with higher humidity, some storms should be expected. Jun-Sept: Monsoon: high rainfall, lots of leeches, can mean jeep safaris are impossible. ‘Low-season’ deals aplenty. Oct-Dec: Least rain and clear…

WHEN TO GO: During the warm Spanish summer, Andalucía’s valleys come alive with almond groves and fruit trees. It’s a good time to wander its hills, dotted with whitewashed villages, tumbling streams and green gorges. Come winter, you also have fantastic views from the snowy heights of the Sierra Nevada; and from the slopes of Mulhacén (3,479m), its highest peak, you can even see the North African coastline. BEST WALK: The Caminito del Rey, a narrow cliffside path through El Chorro Gorge, has some of the finest scenery in Spain. One newly built section hangs 100m above the waters of the river Guadalhorce. The old path had fallen into disrepair but it is now much safer! HIDDEN GEMS: Walk or drive through Algámitas farmland to the abandoned monastery of Canos…

FABRIC From merino wool to bamboo, cotton, lycra and polyester – socks really do come in all types of fabric. But, for travelling, when you’re going to be on your feet a lot, look for breathable material that will move sweat away from your foot – ‘wicking’ – to stop it feeling damp. You will also find that some offer anti-odour and/or anti-bacterial treatment. WEIGHT Light is good, but if you’re heading somewhere cold you will be sacrificing warmth if you go for lightweight polyester pairs rather than thick wool, for instance. You’ll notice that some socks are rated for seasons – 2 is good for spring and summer, with 3 a nice all-rounder and 4 for much colder climes. CUSHIONING This can really make the difference between happy feet…

The old Iban shaman had seen a lot of magic in his 93 years. Behind us, in the slatted light of the longhouse’s communal platform, a cluster of smoke-blackened heads hung sulkily from the rafters, as if in whispered conversation. I tried to reconcile the shrunken old man beside me with the once feared warrior who, even today, is famous throughout the region as the last of the headhunters. Unding Anak Libau’s life story was written indelibly in blue ink across his shrivelled body, which was almost entirely covered in interwoven tattoos. His shoulders were predictably marked with the bunga terung flower that commemorates the Iban initiation into manhood through travel. And as he told his story and that of his small community, a picture formed of a way of…

Your Story Desert days You make friends in the unlikeliest of places, finds reader Tom Dunican, who entered this Moroccan tale in our recent online writing competition… With the sun beating down overhead and no clouds to encumber it, I found myself motoring along outside Tinejdad, Morocco, when a figure stepped into the middle of the dusty road, forcing me to violently apply my car’s brakes. Fortunately, my little silver Suzuki Alto was extremely responsive and, after the vehicle came to a rest, I scanned the man before me. A beaming smile lit his face and a golden cape flowed in the warm breeze. I’d been given a warning about the potential dangers of picking up hitchhikers here, and although I had no reason to panic, my foot hovered over…

Before you arrive Ghana is frequently described as the ‘Black Star of Africa’. It is stable, entrepreneurial and democratic. On top of that, it is also a nation of distinct ethnic groups (over 100 in total), who won collective independence 60 years ago, breaking free of colonial rule calmly and with purpose. Stepping onto the pavements of capital Accra today is to immerse yourself in a modern West African city. Peppering its streets are stallholders who colour the city with a bewildering array of merchandise: pineapples, CDs, crafts, goats, fake Chelsea FC football shirts. Ghanaian beats (the rhythms of ‘hiplife’ and ‘highlife’) blast from bars and taxis as the smell of grilled fish and bubbling rice combine to overwhelm the senses. Accra is hot, loud, a little whiffy and utterly…

PHOEBE SMITH • EDITOR • Trying out socks galore, so she can hit the trail with her feet blister-free SEE PAGE 82 TOM HAWKER • PRODUCTION EDITOR • Being inspired by Che Guevara to start his own revolution... in his travels SEE PAGE 75 GARETH CLARK • SUB-EDITOR/WRITER • Brushing up on his wild bushcraft skills by learning from the great Ray Mears SEE PAGE 18 RHODRI ANDREWS • ASSISTANT EDITOR • Standing on the edge of the world at Portugal’s windy Cape of St Vincent SEE PAGE 133…

TAKING FLIGHT Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan Photographer: Steve McCurry Afghanistan remains largely off limits for travellers. It’s a country wrought by conflict: the Soviet invasion (1979), the Afghan Civil War (1989-1992) and, more recently, the Taliban. This makes pictures such as this, taken by Steve McCurry in 1991, all the more important; a flock of doves in front of the 15th century azure-domed Blue Mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif, show us what is difficult to see in the flesh. For Steve, the country is his life’s work, with his most spellbinding snaps collated in new book Afghanistan. Captured over nearly 40 years, his images profile a battered but ultimately beautiful nation. It seems splendour is found in even the darkest of corners. Afghanistan (TASCHEN, £60) by Steve McCurry is out now. www.taschen.com…

‘As I was about to doze off, I heard a noise. I looked over and I saw a jaguarundi had walked under my tarp’ Tell us about your Born to Go Wild tour. I’m going to be talking about bushcraft and making fire, as it is very important to humanity because it’s enabled everything that we have and witness today. I’ll also cover the filming that I’ve been doing in Australia and beyond, and important skills like observing wildlife and nature, as bushcraft is a combination of the two. Wildlife isn’t the first thing that springs to mind when you think of bushcraft… Not to start with. Most people find their way into bushcraft through the question, ‘Could I survive?’ But survival is the shorthand of bushcraft. I don’t normally…

YES Rob Howe, Wanderlust reader “Personally, as long as the tech works, then, in principle, I have little issue with it. I wouldn’t say it’s necessary or important for the future of air travel, but it’s almost certainly inevitable, even if the boarding pass process is one of the least inconvenient parts of travelling. I imagine passport checks will still have to be done (unless visa details will be automatically added to your biometric profile) and there will always be security checks, to see what you’re physically carrying on the plane.” NO Julia Hammond, Wanderlust reader “I had to do this once before with Ukraine International Airlines, when I was flying out of Yerevan. Practically speaking, it actually made the whole boarding process much slower, as the scan of our…

1 Plan ahead Buy your currency well in advance of your trip and don’t leave it until the last minute, especially not on the day of travel. Airport currency desks are known for having terrible rates and commission charges, as they know that they are your last port of call. 2 Use a currency card Prepaid currency cards (such as our partners, Caxton FX) can be useful, as they allow you to buy foreign money when rates are at their best, store it up, then later use abroad like a debit card, but without any fee. Mastercard and Visa versions are available, and they also offer protection against loss or theft, too. 3 Go online While you might prefer an exchange bureau that you’re familiar with, online currency rates often…

1 Get there early  Reach your planned shooting location early, when the sun is still well away from the horizon. For this shot, I waited for hours, and as the sun went down, the light kept changing, so I took photos constantly and didn’t leave until the night set in. 2 Don’t only go to the famous spots Most big cities are filled with skyscrapers, which mean plenty of viewing points and observation decks – some of them are even free. But the most popular ones are not necessarily the best. I did my research and chose the lesser-known Mori Tower, located in the heart of the city, because it had good access to the rooftop, which allowed for a view unobstructed by glass. 3 Prepare to improvise  I wanted…

How we did the test… We asked gear manufacturers to submit socks they felt were most suitable for travellers. Our editor, Phoebe Smith, took them out on the road to assess the available options. The ‘Value Buy’ and ‘Best in Test’ are indicated. Wanderlust VALUE BUY ALPKIT, Aktif £10 (3 pack) Good value and the second lightest on test at 33g/ pair. These low-cut cotton/polyester blend are left and right-specific for a good fit. Padding aids comfort and a vented section of ribbed fabric mid-foot keeps the socks in place. There’s a flat toe seam too. Verdict: Light, low-cut warm-weather socks.alpkit.com HILLY, Marathon Fresh Anklet £11 Lightest on test at 27g/pair, these polyamide socks are made for marathons, but anti-pong Polygiene stops the growth of bacteria and fungi. There’s cushioning…

VITAL STATISTICS Capital: Kuching Population: 2.6 million Languages: Sarawak Malay; Iban; English is only spoken in tourist centres Time: GMT+8 International dialling code: +60 Visas: Not required by UK nationals for stays of up to 90 days Money: Malaysian Ringgit (MYR), currently MYR5.36 to the UK£1. ATMs are widely found in all the major towns When to go • Monsoon – the height of the rainy season, which tends to peak in January. Rains tend to be short and sharp; rivers can be unnavigable and jungle tracks treacherous, but it is cheaper to travel. • Hot months – this is the tropics, and temperatures hover between 23ºC and 32ºC year-round. This close to the equator, summer brings little difference and trekking can be fine at this time. • Shoulder season…

Whether gazing down on its avenues from a hot air balloon or looking up at its monuments from a kayak on Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra is a strikingly handsome city. Designed from scratch in the early 1900s, the Australian capital is elegant, inclusive and accessible, and new direct flights have finally opened it up to the world. If you’ve been to Australia before – or even if you haven’t – you’re likely familiar with the typical itinerary. Most start on the cultured streets of Sydney, then head north to Queensland’s Gold Coast, or up to Cairns for trips out to the Great Barrier Reef, before making for the indigenous sights of the Red Centre. Far fewer head south, taking the short route to Australia’s modern capital, despite it being just…