Innehållsförteckning för October/November 2022 från Wanderlust

Apparently, this was the summer of revenge travel. Article after article, hashtag over hashtag described our eagerness for holiday vengeance; for dropping everything else and just getting back out there, no matter what. For how else could we express the extent to which we missed travel and make up for the lost years of the pandemic? As expected, the ever-popular destinations swelled from the hundreds of thousands of visitors that were quick to continue ticking off their bucket lists and beautifying their social-media profiles. Amsterdam, Rome, New York, certain Mediterranean islands and many others all quickly received such high visitor numbers that they bypassed even those of the pre-pandemic years. The opportunity to change the tourism paradigm in a post-lockdown world is still out there, but it looks like revenge…

Grime’s Graves, Thetford Forest, Norfolk, UK Photographer: David R Abram One of the best things about travelling is getting a different angle on the world – and sometimes we mean that literally. Standing amid the pocked heathland of Norfolk’s Grime’s Graves, it can be hard to even discern its size as ditch after grassy ditch sweeps into the distance. It’s only from a drone’s-eye view, as seen in David Abram’s new book, Aerial Atlas of Ancient Britain, that you realise the scale of its lunar-like surface. This Neolithic flint mine – one of a handful found in the chalklands of southern England – bears the scars of 433 shafts, but this aerial shot truly brings it to life. Drones are a popular tool for travellers these days, even if they’re restricted…

“This bridge, made out of living tree roots, in India’s Meghalaya state is sustainable living in action.” Vijay Mewada (@vmewada.photo) “We discovered the ‘Big Prawn’ in a car park in Ballina on a road trip of coastal New South Wales in Australia.” Valerie Beck (@giramund) “This photo was taken on my honeymoon in Bali, off Gili Trawangan. I saw at least 20 turtles.” Shane Mullins (@shanemullins) “I spent the day in a hide near Blairgowrie in Perthshire, Scotland, watching red squirrels jumping between branches.” Ruth Keir “It was incredible to find ourselves at Hegra in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, just weeks after seeing it on the front cover of Wanderlust!” Noa Levy “I spotted this adventurous couple playing mini-golf at midnight in a howling gale near Hofn in Iceland.” Bob Brewer…

Last time was North Korea; now it’s Iraq. At an age when most travellers would be forgiven for hanging up their boots for something a little fluffier, Michael Palin continues to investigate destinations with a reputation for dysfunction. The three-part Michael Palin: Into Iraq (Channel 5) follows the travel icon as he explores Babylon and Ur’s ancient history, modern life in the Green Zone and meets the people hoping that the tentative peace in the country will hold. It’s the latter where Palin inevitably shines, with his disarming charm and genuine interest connecting with locals, turning what could easily have been televisual rubber-necking into something warm, human and eye-opening. Another Michael finds himself back in his heavy walking soles – and nattiest yellow strolling jacket. The Pyrenees with Michael Portillo…

Slovenia is hard to describe to those who have never been there. The sun-splashed Adriatic coast is distinctly Mediterranean in spirit, with its red-roofed medieval towns and excellent seafood. On the other hand, Alpine Slovenia – dominated by the snow-dusted Julian and Kamnik-Savinja Alps – can often feel like an extension of neighbouring Austria, packed with hale and hearty Mitteleuropean fare and dizzying mountainscapes. Head instead to Slovenia’s wine regions, however, and you could be forgiven for thinking you’re in Italy (another influential neighbour). And as for foodie capital Ljubljana? That has a singular Balkan-meets-Austro-Hungarian charm all of its own. For a country similar in size to Wales, Slovenia’s landscape is surprisingly diverse, and its cuisine, thanks to the surrounding influences of Austria, Hungary, Italy and Croatia, is as wide-ranging…

There is one mistake that guests invariably make on their first night at Kicheche Bush Camp. It happens at the end of a long and exciting day, having earlier landed in Nairobi and then transferred to Wilson Airport to board a Cessna for the 60-minute flight to Mara North. On the journey to the camp is where the unforgettable scent of the plains first hits you. Then, if you’ve timed everything right, there’s room for an afternoon game drive before a pre-prandial G&T around the campfire. So far, so perfect. Sundowners are usually followed by a safari ‘chat show’ hosted by camp managers Dido and Danielle, which, in turn, gives way to a communal three-course dinner under the stars and, for the weak-willed, a nightcap beside the fire’s embers. So,…

So, Iraq! You say in the book: “It’s a country few people would choose to visit, but for me that’s one of the best reasons to go there.” Well, you know what it’s like: you always want to go to the places other people haven’t been, don’t you? It’s curiosity, and I think that, from a distance, Iraq is one of the most curious places. What did I know about it other than what I’d seen [on the news]? The horrors of the occupation, the civil war, Saddam Hussein – all these things seem to have battered this country. That’s what I knew already, so I thought, let’s go see it and find out more. A lot of people are confused about the situation in Iraq and its history; they…

Transferring from a 12-car Hokuriku bullet train (shinkansen) to a one-car sightseeing train, named Belles Montagnes et Mer, was like travelling back in time. Gone were the reclining seats and leg room; the hi-tech toilets and the smooth journey. These were replaced by beautiful Inami woodwork, ceiling fans, a Master of Ceremonies and an entertainer. Indeed, the interior and entertainment on many of Japan’s sightseeing trains – dubbed ‘Joyful Trains’ by one rail company – often reflect the crafts and traditional skills that go into them. For travellers, it turns a simple train journey into a cultural experience. I had booked late, so was sat at a table, but the prize seats were undoubtedly those that swivelled to face the window. My Japanese wasn’t good enough to understand every part…

You aren’t often greeted at a museum’s entrance by a two-meter-high stuffed polar bear bedecked in mayoral-style chains and holding a hand-held photo flash in its paw. But the Salvador Dalí House isn’t your average museum. The bear and his fellow residents live in a rambling whitewashed villa that is a stone’s throw from the teal Mediterranean of Portlligat. This small, pebbly bay lies in one of the northernmost nooks of Spain’s Costa Brava, about two hours’ drive north of Barcelona and some 50 minutes from the French border at Portbou. This was where the maverick surrealist maestro, together with his wife Gala, lived and worked for much of the last half-century of his life. Converted from what were originally a cluster of fishermen’s cottages, the house has been kept…

As technology fuels greater levels of efficiency, life is speeding up. We pack more in than humans have ever done before, albeit often with less physical effort. And while the pandemic provided a firebreak, changing our mindsets in the process, things are accelerating again. Slow travel offers a break from this; one that is good for our mental health and benefits local communities and the environment. It also comes in many guises. Just as slow food celebrates the growing, buying and preparing of food as much as the meal itself, slow travel celebrates the journey and the intricacies of a destination. It looks beneath the brochure sales pitch to discover the soul of a place by taking lesser-known paths leading to unexpected experiences. This might involve taking a slower means…

My flight was the last to land at Kuwait’s airport before its runways were shut down. A desert sandstorm that would engulf the Arab state for the night was creeping in and the air felt heavy. “You’re lucky you made it tonight – so many flights were turned back. It is the time of the year when the sand takes over,” cautioned the immigration officer as he checked over my e-visa, raising a curious eyebrow. “We don’t see many Western tourists to Kuwait. What are you planning on doing here?” he asked with genuine interest, rather than the interrogative tone you might expect. As I outlined my plans for the next few days to his amusement, he stamped my passport before imparting one last local piece of advice: “Don’t forget…

The evening was velvet dark. The air was sweet with the scent of night flowers and filled with an orchestra of cicadas and tree frogs. Far off in the forest, I heard the whippoorwill-trill of a nightjar. Somewhere out there, close by, a jaguar was padding through the trees. She knew we were there. We’d seen her footprints in the mud, on the trail next to the river as we’d walked up; we’d smelt her acrid feline musk in the air. But jaguars steer clear of people, even on the flanks of Brazil’s Aracá, the wildest, remotest mountain in the tropics. Here, untouched Amazon forest and river, lily-filled lakes, reed beds and swamps spread for hundreds of kilometres all around, unbroken by road or town. I wasn’t frightened, but my…

“Jamaica has many personalities,” my guide, Lucretia, advised me as we rounded a bend in the road on the way to an unspoilt stretch of coast home to fishermen and farmers. I tore my gaze momentarily from the car window, as farmland and glittering ocean spilled into the distance, and nodded in agreement. By this time, I’d been on the island a few days and I was starting to see what she meant. Jamaica is often reduced to a string of cliches: there’s the Bob Marley tours, the all-inclusive resorts, the marijuana aficionados. But between the beach parties and neverending skank beat of daily life, you’ve got a world of people doing incredible things that go unseen. In my brief time here I’d met artists, conservationists and locals proud of…

‘May you have fair winds and following seas,’ reads the billboard that sits above the entrance to Portland’s Old Port. It’s a message that captures much of what makes coastal Maine such an inviting slice of New England. The inhabitants of this beautiful, wild north-eastern state are a liberal, hospitable bunch and seafaring traditions still run deep in their souls. Fundamentally, you’ll always be welcome in these parts, and if you’re not on a boat already, you’ll never be too far from one. Welcoming visitors is a longstanding tradition in The Pine State. Indeed, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the Maine Tourism Association, a not-for-profit organisation that has been promoting travel to the region since 1922. In fairness, they have plenty to work with, and it’s not hard…

Nestled in the north-west corner of Ireland, the city of Derry-Londonderry (Northern Ireland) and the county of Donegal (Republic of Ireland) sit snugly side by side. Taken together, this pair have every ingredient you could want from a short break: a dollop of history, a splash of culture and immeasurable quantities of nature and adventure. Better yet, it’s a combination that few have yet to put together. Often referred to as ‘The Walled City’, Derry-Londonderry takes its nickname from the 400-year-old fortifications that surround its historic centre. Its still-intact walls were built during the Plantation of Ulster, the early-17th-century colonisation of Ireland under King James I, which saw native landowners supplanted by English and Scottish settlers. Although the city was established centuries earlier, this era marked the beginning of a…

A literary calling I just wanted to write and give kudos for your wonderful ‘Literary Deep South, USA’ [issue 221, Jun/Jul 2022] article, written by Jacqui Agate. Having only travelled as far south as North Carolina or Florida myself (I’m not even sure if you would class Florida as the South or a southern state), I really enjoyed the article by this gifted young writer, and it has now given me the desire to visit and explore these cities, particularly the former home of F Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald (pictured) in Montgomery and the courthouse at Monroeville. Jamaica on the menu Thanks for the fab evening at your Jamaica event (4 Aug 2022; pictured)! We hadn’t thought of visiting Jamaica before, but we were in Birmingham that day for the…

There’s always another way The Dalmatian Coast is no stranger to a road trip. This thrilling stretch of the Adriatic, which runs from the Croatian island of Rab down to Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor, is a popular route. It is also not short of quirks. North of Dubrovnik, the Croatian coastline is broken by a 20km-long piece of land belonging to Bosnia and Herzegovina. For locals and travellers it has long been a bugbear, as it requires extra border checks and causes jams. However, the recent opening of a new bridge detouring 2.4km over the water from Komarna to the tip of Croatia’s Pelješac peninsula, known for its vineyards and old seaman’s villages, has found a scenic way around the bottleneck, adding a panoramic sea crossing to a route not…

SONEVA FUSHI There was a moment when it seemed like everyone on Instagram was sliding down Soneva Fushi’s waterslides, splashing into the pale turquoise waters of Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Either that, or they were zooming into Flying Sauces, its treetop dining experience that sits 18 metres high in the air and is reached via a 200m-long zipline. But there’s more to this resort than Instagram likes. Soneva has long been an advocate of responsible tourism, banning plastic straws as far back as 1998 and filtering, mineralising and bottling their own water. That sense of sustainability extends to guest experiences as well. Alongside a rota of visiting experts that teach as much as they entertain, you can take night cruises with the resident astronomer or even book classes on…

here aren’t many occasions when I’ve had to slam on the brakes of my bike to avoid cycling over a sunbathing monitor lizard, but that’s precisely what happened earlier this year during my pedal along the Rail Corridor, a forest-lined hiking and cycling path that streaks across Singapore and is a brilliant example of the city-state’s penchant for preserving vast tracts of wilderness where you’d least expect them. The 24km route was clearly a hit with the Lycra-clad locals who sped past me, but it serves another purpose, too. The trail weaves past countless nature reserves and parks, allowing Singapore’s wildlife to move between these spaces. Flying lemurs and bulbuls (mohican-sporting songbirds) have all been spotted here, drawn partly by the rewilding project that has lined the route with native…

CRUISE BRAZIL’S PANTANAL When you think of cruise adventures in Brazil, you typically picture the Amazon: boats chugging beneath tree canopies barracked by sugarrushed primates. But there is another great waterway to discover here. At 195,000 sq km, the Pantanal is the largest inland wetland in the world and home to an even greater biodiversity than the Amazon. Sunvil’s Pantanal Cruise opens up its deepest corners, exploring a land of prowling jaguar and giant anaconda as well as glimpsing the swirling meeting point of its three rivers (Piquiri, Three Brothers and Cuiabá). You can also add on side trips to the tabletop mountains of Chapada Diamantina, one of the best trekking spots in the country, before finishing at coastal Salvador, Brazil’s former Portuguese capital and home to a thriving Afro-Brazilian…

Australian geology is such a tease. Just when you think you’ve seen it all – the ocean stacks of the Twelve Apostles, the alpine topography of the Tasmanian Highlands, the Outback monolith of Uluru – you venture up to the far north only to encounter the most extraordinary sight of the lot. Purnululu National Park is based in Western Australia’s far-flung Kimberley region. The park covers an area of almost 2,400 sq km, which is roughly the size of England’s Lake District, but the commonalities with Cumbria end there. Purnululu’s sand plains maintain daytime temperatures above 30ºC almost year-round and are covered in spinifex grass and mulga shrubs. Endemic lizards slink through its gorges, honeyeaters flit between the bloodwood trees and rock wallabies forage among the boulders. Lake Windermere it…