Innehållsförteckning för Nov 2017 från Wanderlust

Travel is full of surprises – I’m writing this from a lodge bar in the Costa Rican rainforest and a kinkajou has just wandered in (more on that in a future issue!). But have you ever thought of taking an adventurous break in Brussels or Hull? I admit I hadn’t, so I was delighted when our writers (p129/131) made me reconsider. Further afield, we find some lesser-visited areas of Thailand (p36), grab a taste of the food and the culture on Greece’s Aegean islands (p48) and follow in Che Guevara’s footsteps in Bolivia and beyond (p106). But why not give us a surprise by sharing your recent travels, and how you rated your experience – please do fill out our Travel Awards survey (p121). And if reading about our inspiring…

KHALID LAMLIH Morocco guide for Intrepid Travel (www.intrepidtravel.com) Dedicated to his craft ever since he was a young boy, Khalid has been wowing his groups in spades for ten years. Find out where he came in the 2017 Wanderlust World Guide Awards on p92 Mountain, desert, ocean or jungle… which are you? I love nature, so I’d have to pick three – mountain, desert and ocean. First great travel experience? Leaving my village of Ain Leuh to start secondary school via a bus journey, with two chickens given to me by my father. The looks on the passengers’ faces… Favourite journey? The journey of human understanding. I love to swap stories and learn about people’s lives and cultures. Top five places worldwide? London, UK; Europe (for its diversity); desert camps…

‘The arch was impressive before, and still is. After its collapse, there is more to see and explore’ Back in March 2017, Malta’s Azure Window arch crumbled into the Mediterranean Sea after years of erosion. Its collapse was mourned by locals and visitors alike. Yet its story didn’t end there. Tour buses continued to stop by, to the bemusement of passengers – and readers of their subsequent one-star online reviews. Then something remarkable happened. Despite its sunken status, the arch found a new lease of life among visitors as a scuba site. “It has transformed into a fine diving location, which amazes me,” says Franco Bugeja from Blue Waters Dive Cove diving centre. “It has a huge impact. Seeing those massive boulders, still white after the collapse and already full…

You may have heard of the tongue-in-cheek Big Mac Index (a quick way to gauge the rough economic strength of a nation by the cost of its burgers). But you will likely be less familiar with the Khachapuri Index. Created by Tbilisi State University, it plots the varying costs of baking Georgia’s national dish – a cheesy bread made with staples like flour and eggs – to take a quick street-level economic pulse. It sounds baffling, but sums up Georgia’s devotion to its beloved khachapuri perfectly. Visitors strolling around capital Tbilisi will catch the waft of baking from every corner, with locals shoehorning it into most meals. Traditional Georgian feasts (a supra) even serve khachapuri as a centrepiece alongside stuffed aubergines, hot stews and dumplings. Purists consider a simple cheese…

Most big adventures begin at the airport, which is why Airportness (Bloomsbury, £16) is the perfect starting point for this month’s grand journeys. Christopher Schaberg breaks down each of those flight rituals into short, cheerful essays, taking you from the early morning taxi to the Arrivals terminal via the buzz of discovering a celeb on your plane. Of course, the real joy is on the other end of the luggage carousel. Michael Booth’s culinary reacquaintance with Japan – nearly ten years after his bestselling Sushi and Beyond – sends him and his family further off Japan’s tourist trails and menus in search of fine dishes. The Meaning of Rice (Jonathan Cape, £15) will have you salivating for the Land of the Rising Sun. Michael Bristow is searching for the ‘new…

VITAL STATISTICS Capital: Athens Population: 10.9 million Language: Greek Time: GMT+2 (Mar–Oct GMT+3) International dialling code: +30 Visas: Not currently required by UK nationals Money: Euro (€), currently around €1.12 to the UK£. ATMs commonly available When to go Winter – the coldest months in Greece, though the average temperature in the Aegean region is around 10 to 15ºC. Can feel chilly, but with clear skies. Shoulder season – less people and competitive pricing make this a good time to visit. In spring, flowers begin to bloom, while autumn on Chios sees the arrival of harvest time for its mastic crop, so expect the villages to be filled with celebrations and women sorting gum in the streets. High season – very hot (average 25ºC) and can be packed with visitors,…

WHY GO? The small kingdom of Swaziland is often missed by travellers, making its wildlife and rich culture even more precious. Combine with trips to South Africa’s Kruger NP, southern Mozambique or Zululand. DISCOVER ITS NATURE: Swaziland’s biggest reserve is the Hlane Royal National Park, an area of Lowveld home to a rich collection of wildlife emblematic of Africa, not least its population of rhinos. Hlane translates as ‘wilderness’, and it’s a great place to get out of your 4WD and head through the bush on foot with a local guide. DISCOVER ITS ART: The kingdom may be small but the culture here is as rich as its royalty. Renowned for traditional art and carvings, the country is now also home to a vibrant contemporary arts scene that mixes older…

VITAL STATISTICS Capitals: Mbabane (Swaziland); Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Pretoria (South Africa); Gaborone (Botswana) Population: 1.34 million (S); 55.91 million (SA); 2.25 million (B) Languages: Swazi, English (S); Afrikaans, English, Xhosa and Zulu are among South Africa’s 11 official languages (SA); Tswana, English (B) Times: GMT+2 (S, SA & B) International dialling codes: +268 (S), +27 (SA), +267 (B) Visas: Not required by UK nationals for stays of up to 90 days in South Africa and Botswana, and 30 days in Swaziland. Money: Swazi Lilangeni (SZL), currently around SZL18 to the UK£. South African rand (ZAR), currently around ZAR18 to the UK£. Botswanan pula (BWP), currently around BWP13.75 to the UK£. Credit cards are accepted in the major cities and hotels of all three nations, but taking plenty of cash is…

GOLD Samer Saied Guides for: G Adventures, Egypt ( gadventures.co.uk ) “I’ve managed to help a number of Egyptian causes close to my heart. I’ve put the money towards the Magdi Yacoub Foundation’s Aswan Heart Centre; the 57357 Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt; the Saint George Scout Team in downtown Cairo and G Adventures’ Planeterra Foundation, which supports places impacted by tourism.” SILVER Wipaporn Ord Guides for: All Points East, Thailand, Laos & Burma ( allpointseast.com ) “I’m planning on splitting my bursary between two monasteries in Burma (Myanmar). It will help pay for food, new desks and a new school building at Chang Khar Me in Taunggyi and will contribute to a new hospital at Pann Pyo Let in Bago.” BRONZE Bopha Sok Guides for: G…

Belize beauty Thank you for your article on the amazing little country of Belize [September 2017, issue 179], an ex-British territory back when logging was king. We also went there in January via Mexico, as you suggested. The airline had its own terminal at Cancún, devoid of all the razzamatazz of bigger pitstops but personal and friendly. In fact, all our Belize flights were wonderful, and the plane flew so low that you could see the Belize barrier reef on the way down from Mexico. It took us back to the days when flying was actually fun, not just a stressful means of getting somewhere. The British did not leave much here in the way of infrastructure, so journeys by road were bumpy. Yet there was so much variety in…

1932-44 Alta Gracia, Argentina Born in 1928, the bulk of Che’s childhood was spent in the rarefied air of the sierras of Córdoba, where the climate was thought to help with his asthma. Today, his family home in the pretty hill town of Alta Gracia has been turned into a museum, with plenty of photos, correspondences and a handy map of his travels. Explore: Drop in on the 17th-century Jesuit estancia, around which the town grew, before heading for the hills, with the 5km trail to Los Paredones passing the Lourdes grotto, where pilgrims from Córdoba arrive every February. 1950 Salinas Grandes, Argentina In 1950, Che set off on his first big journey, riding a motorised bicycle 4,500km across northern Argentina, stirring his social conscience and stubbornness. Against all advice,…

For a long time, Hull has been the butt of many a geographical gag. Even today, the old Beggar’s Litany (‘Hull, Hell and Halifax. Good Lord, deliver us’) is still jokingly muttered outside of its 17th-century context – actually a plea made by those wishing to be spared the city’s notorious jail. Yet Hull’s reputation as a dour industrial port has undeservedly stuck, and it’s one that locals have had to laugh off for years. So, with the city’s moment in the spotlight – as the UK’s City of Culture 2017 – drawing to a close, what better time to rethink one of England’s most underrated destinations. History seeps from Hull’s cobbles, boats, and even its bars. It’s easy to explore, too, as all of the galleries and museums here…

Get orientated On 6 September 1620, 102 Pilgrims set sail across the Atlantic from Plymouth, England, on board the Mayflower, seeking freedom from Church of England rule. And while they weren’t the first colonists to arrive in North America, they laid the foundations for much of what followed. Bound for Virginia, storms pushed the ship north, and after 66 days they made landfall on 11 November at Cape Cod. Clashes with natives soon forced the settlers up the coast, but there they stayed, naming their new home after the port they’d left far behind. Life in Plymouth was rough to start with. Many were lost to scurvy and winter but the colony slowly began to thrive and, by 1640, its population had swelled to 20,000. New England was born. Sadly,…

PHOEBE SMITH • EDITOR • Camping out and road- testing the travel gear that really ‘mat-ters’ SEE PAGE 74 TOM HAWKER • PRODUCTION EDITOR • Heading underwater to discover the Cook Islands’ newly protected wonder SEE PAGE 20 GARETH CLARK • SUB-EDITOR/WRITER • Going beyond the beaches in Phu Quoc’s lush interior SEE PAGE 14 RHODRI ANDREWS • ASSISTANT EDITOR • Admiring the secret charms of far-flung places like the city of... Hull SEE PAGE 131…

The world’s northernmost inhabited archipelago, half way between the tip of mainland Norway and the North Pole, was once a land where only the hardiest of mining communities flourished and where early polar explorers began their search for 0 degrees north. Nowadays Svalbard – in particular, Spitspergen – is experiencing a shift in its human population. Mining towns lie deserted as a new generation of visitors arrives upon its shores. Based in the capital, Longyearbyen, travellers experience the Arctic more comfortably than their explorer predecessors. Cosy hotels and restaurants welcome visitors with open (and heated) arms, while nearby, the world’s most northerly brewed beer is made with 2000-year-old glacier water. In place of mining, husky safaris, boat trips, northern lights hunts and snowcat rides await. Nearly two-thirds of Svalbard is…

‘We’re like the circus that comes to town. On my way in I wondered if I was part of the problem or the solution’ Your new film, Tawai: A Voice from the Forest, sees you tread some familiar ground. What did you want to achieve? It’s a continuation of my previous work – a deeper look into the lessons I was learning on my travels. It’s about the different ways of being that we can learn from indigenous peoples and the complications in the ways that we have chosen to live. I want to see how we can merge the two to find a solution. Do you find a solution? We found a few, actually. It doesn’t mean they’re necessarily easily taken up. But I think we definitely found some.…

YES Coralie Waschkowski, Wanderlust reader “For me – a world backpack traveller – not only am I driven by price, but I look for comfort (space) on the long-haul flights. The thought of packing into a 25cm- or 30cm-wide space so that British Airways, or any other airline, can continue to make more money while offering less in terms of service, is just greedy in my opinion. On principle alone, it would make me look elsewhere for a similar flight, even if it meant a slightly longer journey with a stopover.” NO Philip Adams, Wanderlust reader “I don’t blame airlines for wanting to increase the number of seats on their aircraft, but there has to be a benefit for the customer, too. British Airways’ customers exercise a degree of loyalty,…

1 River Westbourne  Walking this river reveals plenty of sites for music lovers, including a West Hampstead studio where The Beatles once made a rejected demo, the BBC recording studios in Maida Vale, and Ranelagh Gardens, where a pre-teen Mozart once performed on the riverbank. 2 River Tyburn  The Tyburn is one of the few rivers that can be seen crossing over rail tracks (in large metal conduits). At the western end of Baker Street’s Circle line platform, peer into the gloom and you will see a dirty white structure over the rails. This is the River Tyburn. 3 River Effra  The Effra was moved below ground following the building of West Norwood Cemetery. One urban myth claims a coffin buried in a plot there once fell though into the…

1 Just slow down  To record the blur of fast-moving objects, you will need to use a much slower shutter speed than you would normally, adjusting the setting to 1/8 or 1/15 seconds. The lengthier shutter action will allow the camera to ‘see’ the object’s motion, but requires the camera to be still. Mount your camera and lens on a tripod to keep it still as the object moves across your frame. 2 Tripod technique  Make sure you use a tripod that offers a standard height (approx 1.5m) when fully extended. Do not be tempted to extend the central column of the tripod because this can invite ‘wobble’. When shooting at slow shutter speeds, a wobbly central column will cause the main subject, which you want to be sharp, to…

How we did the test… From the 10 mats we were sent, our editor, Phoebe Smith, picked out the best six for travellers and took them out on the road in search of a good night’s sleep. The ‘Value Buy’ and ‘Best in Test’ are indicated where applicable. REGATTA, Napa Ultralite £30 At £30 you can’t go far wrong if you need a mat that requires only light use. It’s self-inflating (but will need topping up, as most here do), 2.5cm thick and has a slightly tapered shape. It claims to have a non-slip base (though not as grippy as some) and is made from a durable rip-stop fabric with diamond cut foam insulation. It doesn’t have an R-value or temperature rating, and at 750g it’s the second heaviest here.…

Time is running out for you to submit your snaps for the Wanderlust Travel Photo of the Year 2017 – the closing date is looming. So, whether you’ve bagged some gems on your most recent trip or got some corkers sitting on your memory card, hurry up and send them in before of 15 November! The four winners of our Amateur competition will be whisked away on the prize of a lifetime: a photo commission (for two) to Costa Rica, courtesy of the Costa Rica Tourism Board. The prize for the winner of our Portfolio contest, open to both amateur and professional photographers, is £3,000. So this is our last call for entries, and now’s the time to send them in! Win a commission AMATEUR COMPETITION Mix some of the…

Your Story The skeleton of a dream An abandoned old guesthouse in Thailand leads curious reader Graham Pembrey to unravel a bigger story... After finding an abandoned guesthouse in Thailand and writing about it online, I was surprised to receive several messages from those who had loved the place – as well as the owner. In 2014, on our honeymoon, my wife and I stumbled across an abandoned guesthouse on a beautiful Koh Samui beach. The faded wooden sign told us it was called Laem Set Inn. Ambling through the grounds was a haunting and mysterious experience. Buddha statues and bamboo furniture were hidden beneath overgrown vines. We could tell it must have been a tranquil place to stay once upon a time. So what had happened? Back in the…

Inspired by the Wanderlust article ‘Be a tourist in your own backyard’ [March 2017, issue 174], I have just returned from a road trip to Dumfries and Galloway. Armed with an excellent Bradt Slow Travel guide. I visited castles, towns and villages, enjoyed fine views of the coast and countryside, and tasted some excellent local cuisine. I definitely got more from it by approaching the trip as if I were going overseas. It’s opened my eyes to backyard travel. I have Northumberland and other parts of Scotland in my sights next. Thanks for the inspiration. Steve Ryder, via email…

VITAL STATISTICS Capital: Sucre Population: 10.9 million Languages: Spanish and indigenous dialects. Some English is also spoken in more cosmopolitan areas Time: GMT-4 Visas: Not required by British nationals for stays of up to 30 days Money: Bolivian bolivanos (BOB), currently around BOB9.33 to the UK£. ATMs are available in the larger cities and towns. When to go • Summer – a good time to experience carnival (Feb) and the mirror effect of the salt flats. But this is also rainy season, and getting around can be tricky, as some roads flood. At high altitude it is still very cold. • Winter – this is dry season, so it is easier to travel around, but also the most popular time to visit. Out on the Altiplano it is hot by…

Before you arrive Belgium’s capital has never had the most fun of images, which is odd for a city where the ABV of most liquids is rarely less than 7% and double-fried frites are the nearest you’ll get to veg. But Belgians are reputation-aware and don’t care – why else would the city’s most celebrated icon be a peeing statue? As with the aforementioned Mannekin Pis: if you embrace the gag and you may well fall in love. Brussels is a glorious mass of contradictions – even its streets (signed in both French and Flemish) exist in a kind of linguistic limbo. And while the name of Belgian architect Victor Horta rang across Europe in the early 1900s, his home city remains a muddle of styles and eras, making finding…

This Arctic fox’s chocolate-flecked eyes are fixed on safeguarding its prize catch: a goose egg. It’s a captivating glimpse into predatory life on Wrangel Island in Russia’s Arctic east, and one that few travellers get to see thanks to the limited window for visiting and heavy restrictions. The summer proves to be feasting time on the UNESCO-listed island, as flocks of snow geese descend on this vast tundra to breed in May, laying eggs the following month. Though the geese heavily shield their unborn, it doesn’t stop these vulpines from snaffling the eggs, stashing them throughout the frozen landscape, caught in the act here by Sergey Gorshkov. This is just one of many images of wild wonder in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, developed and produced by the…

1 Georgians love its national dish, khachapuri, so much, academics use the cost of its ingredients to chart the nation’s economic health; p16 2 The Great Barrier Reef is moving, and in 10,000 years’ time we could be diving it in Sydney Harbour; p24 3 Thailand’s Karen people once used bamboo containers (um-pha) to protect their ID, which is how the Umphang region got its name; p36 4 Flamingos aren’t naturally pink – their colour is down to a healthy diet of brine shrimp in their early life; p48 5 Che Guevara’s remains (minus his hands, which were amputated and sent away for identification) were lost for several decades; p106…

OUT OF THE DARK Kenya Photographer: Piper Mackay With their metal-like panels of armoured skin, rhinos have long beguiled travellers. But their crumpled appearance looks even more vivid in monochrome, as evidenced by this image, which appears alongside others in new book Remembering Rhinos. It charts the plight of the five rhino species. But – perhaps more crucially – 100% of the book’s proceeds will go to fight the poaching that has reduced their numbers to the brink of extinction, ensuring generations of travellers will be able to see these wild creatures for years to come. Sounds like a no-brainer to us. Remembering Rhinos (Wildlife Photographers United; £45) is out on 30 October and is supported by an exhibition; see p19 . www.rememberingrhinos.com TOWERING VIEWS Hong Kong…

REMEMBERING RHINOS London, 30 October–11 November www.rememberingrhinos.com La Galleria Pall Mall, Unit 30, Royal Opera Arcade, SW1Y 4UY. Free. This exhibition and book launch follows up the success of last year’s Remembering Elephants, with photos taken by 65 of the world’s top wildlife snappers. Most prints – and the book – are for sale, and proceeds go to the Born Free Foundation to protect the future of rhinos. A LIFE WITH ELEPHANTS Various venues, 3–24 Nov www.sabadouglashamilton.com Tickets from £15; concessions available. See online for booking, dates and venue details. Saba Douglas-Hamilton hits the road on her new UK tour, mixing tales from her life growing up in Kenya with her elephant conservation work. EXPLORE 2017 London, 10–12 Nov www.rgs.org/explore Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, SW7 2AR. Weekend £95;…

VITAL STATISTICS Location: Queensland, Australia Area: 344,000 sq km (GBR Marine Park) Major gateways: Gladstone, Airlie Beach, Townsville, Cairns, Port Douglas Population: 4.88 million (Queensland) Language: English Time: GMT+10 International dialling code: +61 Visas: British citizens require a visa. The eVisitor visa (valid for three months) is free and can be found online at border.gov.au. Money: Australian dollar (A$), currently around A$1.64 to UK£. When to go Wet season – humid and hot (up to 33ºC) with torrential rain in the far north. Sea turtle hatchlings emerge on the coral islands during late summer (Jan–Mar). Dry season – mild (15–26ºC) with low humidity and good visibility on the reef. Dwarf minke whales visit the northern Ribbon Reefs from May to July; Cairn’s humpbacks return July to September . Coral –…

Why did you decide to become a guide? I’m an architect and naturally love cities, architecture and heritage. I worked with a conservation society in New Delhi while studying for my architectural degree, and started getting involved with the weekly heritage tours they organised. I loved the idea of researching deeply, knowing a place so well, and sharing my knowledge, love and enthusiasm with other people. How easy has it been so far? It wasn’t very easy initially, as a somewhat extroverted personality is required to engage people and sustain a level of excitement for a few hours, and I am naturally introverted. However, when I’m talking about something that I truly love and know well, I am fairly passionate, which can be infectious. Did you need any qualifications to…

‘People who need regular checks should inform their doctor about any travel plans, and be as up to date as possible with these’ Stress levels before leaving for an extended trip are likely to be high, with a seemingly endless list of stuff to do. Colleagues may conjure last-minute tasks or you may find insurers won’t let you leave your home empty for months at a time – a kindly neighbour may not be enough, and it’s not easy to find a house-sitter or tenant fast. The above can all be sorted if you start your preparations early. This applies to your health needs, too, which can be just as time-consuming to arrange. SORT YOUR JABS GP practices are a good place to start for pre-travel health advice, but do…

• Essential Info Languages: Flemish Dutch, French; English is commonly understood Time zone: GMT+1 (GMT+2 Apr-Sept) International dialling code: +32 Visas: Not required by UK citizens Currency: Euros (€), currently around €1.09 to the £UK. Best viewpoints: The view from beside Upper Town’s Palais de Justice – a grand neoclassical courthouse still cobwebbed with 30-year-old rusted scaffolding – is euphoric. A glass lift even ascends from the Marolles to the overlook, if you don’t fancy the walk. Otherwise, hit the Laeken area and the Atomium, a huge, 102m-high space-age steel ‘atom’ built for the 1958 World’s Fair Expo as a defiant show of post -war optimism. Today, exhibitions lie inside its huge ‘electron’ spheres, but its ‘panorama restaurant’ has fine views over the city, forests and royal castle. Health issues:…