What a way to start as custodian of this magazine – the team only went and won the prestigious Travel Media Award for best customer content! Melissa, Charitable Traveller’s publisher, and I collected the award at a smart ceremony at London’s Dorchester Hotel at the end of September, and it’s a huge testament to the brilliant work the previous editor Laura, the designer Claire, and the whole team have been doing since its launch two years ago.
With such big shoes to fill, I’m inspired for what the next chapter of Charitable Traveller magazine will bring, and it’s an honour to now be at the helm. This magazine and the wider work that Charitable Travel – as the UK’s first social enterprise travel agency – does, symbolises everything I love about travel, about the opportunities it brings and the happiness it creates when travel is a force for good.
So in this issue, I’m pleased to be able to shine a spotlight on community tourism developments in Sri Lanka, sustainability efforts in Germany and put together the ultimate bucket list of experiences for 2023 that help tackle over-tourism and support conservation work around the world. I hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we’ve enjoyed putting it together, and you’ll continue to support the good work of Charitable Travel. Together, we can all be Charitable Travellers.
©CHARITABLE TRAVEL 2022. CHARITABLE TRAVELLER is part of CHARITABLE TRAVEL, Fundraising Futures Community Interest Company, Contingent Works, Broadway Buildings, Elmfield Road, Bromley, BR1 1LW, UK. Putting our profit to work supporting the work of charitable causes. T: 020 3092 1288 E: bookings@charitable.travel W: charitable.travel Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, CHARITABLE TRAVEL cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. FRONT COVER: 123RF.com. ICONS: thenounproject. com & flaticon.com. CEO: Melissa Tilling; MARKETING: Rosie Buddell, Ally Ware & Adam Pedley; SALES: Ali Nicholls; MAGAZINE EDITOR: Rebecca Miles; MAGAZINE DESIGNER: Claire Gates (clairegatesdesign@gmail.com)
With such big shoes to fill, I’m inspired for what the next chapter of Charitable Traveller magazine will bring, and it’s an honour to now be at the helm
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Thousands gather each year in Rockefeller Plaza to see the sparkling Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, but the magic doesn’t end after Christmas. Since 2007, the lumber of each tree has been donated to Habitat for Humanity International, which was set up in the aftermath of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina to help support communities with essential building materials. The tree is turned into lumber and shipped to one of the Habitat for Humanity offices, typically in the state from which the tree was donated, where it’s used in the construction of one home or several – the Norway spruce lumber is particularly good for flooring, furniture and cabinetry.
Excavations by scientists continue to discover the secrets of Hegra, the untouched ancient city in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla region. This, the tomb of Lihyan, son of Kuza, is just one of the many significant landmarks, including 111 tombs, that make up this Middle Eastern metropolis. Dating back in parts over 7,000 years, it was once a thriving hub at the crossroads of commerce along major spice and incense routes. Now, it’s beginning to emerge from the mists of time and reveal hints at the sophisticated feats of engineering the Nabataean people needed to thrive in this desert environment.
Sustainably-minded scuba and snorkelling fans, rejoice. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and The Reef-World Foundation have joined forces to launch the first-ever global marine industry platform, The Green Fins Hub. Aimed to promote more sustainable practices for scuba and snorkelling tour operators, the end goal is to preserve global coral reefs. Home to at least 25% of marine life, coral reefs contribute up to 40% of the GDP of some island nations. The Green Fins Hub currently has 300 members across 14 countries; the aim is to have 30,000 across the globe.
The Maldives is addressing the problem of rising sea levels and an overcrowded living space head on – by building the world’s first floating city, designed to house 20,000 people. In a turquoise lagoon 10 minutes boat ride from the capital Malé, the floating city is starting to take shape. Based on the geometry of ‘brain coral’ which is found throughout the Indian Ocean, the houses are constructed as modules in a nearby shipyard before being towed to the site and tethered to each other and the sea bed. Each of the large, airy and affordable houses available for locals will have sea views and balconies, and be powered by solar panels on the roofs. It’s due to be completed in 2027
Britain’s ‘kindest plumber’ James Anderson has helped over 52,000 families – or two million people –with his non-profit DEPHER by giving heating and plumbing work for free to vulnerable people.
COP 27 –the 27th edition of the Conference of the Parties – is taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, from 6-18 November. It’s arguably the world’s biggest climate change event and is a BIG DEAL.
This year’s event is the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and is a chance for all stakeholders to review how they are effectively challenging climate change. At last year’s COP 26 in Glasgow, a new global agreement was reached to reduce the worst impacts of climate change, with leaders meeting this year to pledge further cuts to carbon dioxide emissions.
The focus is on how countries will meet the Paris Agreement target of keeping global warming below 2°C and ideally below 1.5°C. It’s agreed the three main ways to do this are stopping and reversing deforestation, transforming our food system, and protecting ocean ecosystems.
Chile is to create a national park in the driest place on earth, the Atacama Desert. Not only the driest but also one of the sunniest, the Atacama receives just 15mm of rainfall a year. So dry it’s used as a practice site for Mars expeditions, every three to five years torrential downpours cause buried seeds to germinate, creating a carpet of over 200 species of wildflowers. Named the Desert Blooming National Park, it’ll be Chile’s 44th and will be created in early 2023
RwandAir is launching direct, non-stop flights to Rwanda from the UK. Previously flying Brussels, the four times a week flight will operate from London Heathrow to Kigali.
Virgin Atlantic has dropped its requirement for staff to wear gendered uniform. Cabin crew, pilots and ground staff are now free to wear clothing that expresses how they identify themselves, and can take their pick from the full range of Vivienne Westwood-designed uniform. Optional pronoun badges have also been introduced, as the airline becomes more inclusive.
Icons from www.flaticon.comGuide book by Freepik Travel graphic set from vecteezy.com
For a flavour of France from your sofa, subscribe to Curzon Cinema’s streaming platform Curzon at Home from 2 November to 15 December and tune into the 30th anniversary of the French Film Festival UK. Taking place at more than 35 Curzon cinemas across the UK and via streaming, the programme includes the Opening Gala, with director Eric Gravel’s propulsive new drama Full Time (À Plein Temps) starring Call My Agent actor Laure Calamy. Curzon at Home viewers will also be able to watch five additional new and recent titles, including Both Sides of the Blade (pictured).
By Robert Twigger Poet, artist and travel author Robert Twigger loves uninhabited islands and has a lifelong passion for the Lake District. Combining the two, he set off on a mission to visit all 36 islands in the National Park, armed only with an inflatable canoe. Inspired by Ransome, Wordsworth and Wainwright, Twigger’s tale travels beyond the tourists to these unusual lands; some little more than a rock breaking the surface of the water, others ideal for a wild camp. Along the way he discovers curious historical facts and a new sense of discovery about the world we live in.
ARMCHAIR travel time
Immerse yourself in a French film festival, the Lake District’s uninhabited islands, the rescue story of India’s sloth bears and vampires in Iberia
The long-awaited series of the much-loved Vampire Academy fantasy horror book by Richelle Mead, season one is now available to stream on Now TV. But why are we telling you this? Because whether you’re a fan of the book or not, much of the show was filmed in Spain and Portugal, and gives a sumptuous view of both countries. Locations to swoon over include Navarra, a Spanish northern province, San Sebastian, a city in the Basque region, Zaragoza’s fortified medieval palace, and Lisbon and the Queleuz National Palace in Portugal.
This new documentary from the not-for-profit streaming platform ecoflix.com tells the story of the rare sloth bear in India. For over 400 years they were targeted for human exploitation. Saving the Dancing Bears follows Kartick Satyanarayan and Geeta Seshamani, the founders of WILDLIFE SOS, who decided to end this cruelty. They’ve rescued the remaining bears in captivity and created a sanctuary for them to heal and live happily, but they’ve also helped the people whose livelihood had depended on these bears – more than a wildlife rescue film, Saving the Dancing Bears saves a human community too.
Michael Edwards is the managing director of Explore, an adventure travel specialist that’s been in operation for more than 40 years. Sustainability is at the heart of everything it does; here’s the how and why
Explore has had sustainability in its DNA since its conception over 40 years ago. Focused on small group travel that seeks to minimise impact on the planet and benefit local communities, we strive to keep making improvements year-on-year – on trips, in our operations and at our HQ. We recognise that, as a tour operator that organises travel all over the world, we have a responsibility in doing everything we can to reduce our impact on the planet, and ensure that our groups of travellers are always welcomed back to the places and communities they visit.
As such, we were a founding member of Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency and an original signatory of the Glasgow Declaration in 2020, and we’re really proud to have one of the best Climate Action Plans in the business.
This year has been another big year of development and growth. In early 2022, Explore measured the carbon footprint of our entire business. Working with ecollective, our team measured the carbon emissions of every single one of our 400-plus trips, including accommodation, transport, meals and activities, as well as all
operations involved in running the business, both in the UK and globally. This is the largest carbon measurement project of its kind in the travel industry globally to date.
It was a huge undertaking. The Product Team at Explore logged more than 400 hours adding nearly 10,000 lines of data to be processed and fact-checked by ecollective. Between us, we individually calculated almost 2,000 accommodation types and 24 types of transport.
Every single small group trip now has its individual carbon footprint clearly labelled on the website and in our 2023 brochures – coming very soon!
Carbon measurement is one part of our four-part Climate Action Plan to measure, reduce and mitigate carbon across our trips and operations, and then to communicate this. Now that we, and our customers, are Clear on Carbon, we are committed to reducing carbon across our trips and operations, with a target of a 50% reduction by 2030. This links to our commitment to the Glasgow Declaration.
This isn’t a case of vilifying those trips with a higher footprint. We will be working with all of our
suppliers to begin reducing the higher scores – choosing more sustainable transport methods, or encouraging hotels to improve sustainability practices by, for example, switching to renewable energy and using rainwater / grey water where possible. Reducing carbon is just one part of continually making our holidays more sustainable, as part of our Sustainability Strategy. While measuring the carbon of our whole programme of trips, we have been developing our product to include more low-carbon options. We have introduced more UK itineraries, some new European overland trips that use public transport wherever possible, and a collection of London2 tours that travel from London by train. We believe that slower, overland tours are not only lower-carbon and more sustainable, but also more authentic and enjoyable experiences for our customers.
We know we’re not perfect, and we certainly know we still have a long way to go, but our entire company ethos at Explore is to ‘be better than yesterday’ and that is what we strive to be, in everything that we do.
This winter, the ESF (French ski school) in Belle Plagne is launching five week-long courses for deaf skiers, finishing with a fun, timed competition on the Belle Plagne slalom field. The French resort, part of the 425km Paradiski area, has five instructors who are fluent in sign language, and as well as running the courses, can be booked for lessons throughout the season.
Snowbility brings the joy of snowsports to people with additional needs and mental health challenges, thanks to its team of fully qualified ski and snowboard instructors working at the Hemel Hempstead Snow Centre. It provides tailor-made coaching for a wide range of complex needs, including learning disabilities, autism, dyspraxia and deafness, and aims to improve participants’ self-confidence by enhancing their social and emotional skills, and improving their fitness, balance and concentration. snowbility.co.uk
Offering quite possibly the largest programme of year-round adaptive outdoor experiences is the National Sports Center for the Disabled in Winter Park, Colorado. It runs camps, clinics and courses for every winter sport imaginable, including ski biking and cross country skiing, expertly tailored to each individual’s needs. nscd.org
Working to make the magic of winter mountain experiences inclusive and accessible for all, the Ski 2 Freedom Foundation helps people find the most suitable adaptive or assisted ski lesson, guide or sit-ski equipment, ideal ski resort or most appropriate place to stay across the Alps.
Founded by Catherine Cosby, whose daughter was born with a rare genetic neurological disorder, Catherine discovered a renewed strength and mental well-being from respite trips to the Alps, and it’s these healing qualities the foundation aims to share with other families. ski2freedom.com/en
Thanks to the legacy of Keith Wood, an adaptive snowboard instructor who passed away last year, people with accessibility needs can now try snowboarding at Hemel Hempstead’s indoor snow slope, thanks to funds raised in his memory to purchase the UK’s first sit-snowboard. While up to now Disability Snowsport UK has had a range of sit-skis, props and outriggers to accommodate all types of mobility issues on skis, this is the first time snowboarding has been possible. Using a Prodaptive Twin Rider Snowboard, built in the Netherlands, anyone can experience the freedom of snowboarding – at the snowboard’s UK launch in September, an 11-year-old double amputee quickly got the hang of it. disabilitysnowsport.org.uk
This winter there are more ways than ever for everyone to be able to enjoy snow sports and a growing number of organisations and resorts are catering for additional needs and accessibility issues. Here are five of the best...
Most visitors to the Czech Republic head to Prague, the capital and largest city, but hop on a train like I did and discover the country’s second city, Brno, instead.
Brno is a mix of both stepping back in time and a modern cosmopolitan vibe. The centre is compact and easily walkable, so early morning coffee and freshly baked pastries, or late night beers poured with huge foamy heads (and trust me, I tried a few!), are never far away.
I walked into the Old Town square where the vegetable market, known locally as the Cabbage Market, was like entering vegetable heaven. Each stall had piles and piles of fresh local produce the sellers had brought from their nearby allotments or smallholdings. I saw beetroot as big as a cat’s head and I couldn’t stop taking photos of piles of fresh dill (the aroma was amazing) and other herbs, as well as pencil-straight
carrots and striking creamy white long parsnips.
It was the start of autumn so the stalls reflected this, and I bought large bags of poppy seeds and fresh walnuts from a lovely woman who told me, via a customer that spoke English, that they came from her own property. I’m going to bake them in a poppy seed and walnut cake.
Within walking distance of the Old Town I found lots of attractions, including an ossuary (a collection of skulls – the second largest in Europe) at St James Church, a huge horse statue on Moravian Square with a cheeky surprise when you stand beneath it and look up (it’s not what you think!), and a well-known cake called MechovÝ dort (moss cake), named because its main ingredient spinach turns it green.
We also experienced a sunset at Castle Špilberk high above the city, which made for a fond farewell before I took the train out of Brno to Vienna in Austria and my flight home.
I started my short trip through Northern Ireland at Titanic Belfast, an exhibition dedicated to the first and only journey of this legendary but tragic ship. Northern Ireland’s capital was where she was constructed and set sail from, and the pride and sorrow was palpable as I followed its time line – from a metal hulk being handstudded with three million rivets to a floating pleasure palace of unparalleled luxury. The details of the lavish cabins and epic provisions become meaningless as I descended into the last gallery, where a huge cinema shows ghostly footage of Titanic in her final resting place, at the bottom of the Atlantic.
A 45-minute drive later and I was immersed in a fictional drama, at the Game of Thrones Studio tour. The fantasy TV series was filmed here and on location in Northern Ireland and Linen Mill Studios is now a huge attraction. I haven’t seen a single episode but I was still blown away by everything I saw: hand-drawn
By Laura Gelder
storyboards, prosthetic masks of strange creatures, beautiful costumes in opulent fabrics, atmospheric stage sets and an arsenal of impressive weaponry.
Seventy miles west I found a real castle, in County Fermanagh’s Enniskillen. The interior of the island town’s fortress was built in 1428 and the rest in the 1600s, but it stands solid, looking over the misty River Erne. I stepped aboard the Erne Water Taxi for a quick tour down river. As the electric boat glided soundlessly towards Lower Lough Erne, we passed Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, where Oscar Wilde studied, and I saw the blue flash of a kingfisher.
I finished my brief sojourn at Florence Court House, a beautiful Georgian mansion, once the seat of the Earl of Enniskillen. Its elegant but cosy rooms look out over bucolic parkland, which is as green as I was envious of its location.
Lough Erne connects to the wild Atlantic coast of Donegal and is part of the Fermanagh
a water sports paradise
marks by Elias Bikbulatov
The urban garden centre in the Rudolfsheim Fünfhaus area in the 15th District is one of several wonderful regenerative tourism initiatives that Selin Altan Huber has shown us on her tour of sustainable Vienna as part of Austria Guides for the Future.
The building that used to stand here was demolished in March 2020.
When Selin and her colleagues heard that there was no budget to build a replacement building, they stepped in to develop the garden centre, which is basically a squat – they only pay for the water.
Selin and her seven-year-old son have a small plot of land in which they grow vegetables – chilli, aubergine, basil, pumpkin and courgette. Elsewhere there is a bar, and at weekends they have a flea market.
It is a fantastic example of community involvement, regenerating an area which has become run down, or in this case forgotten, and creating something living and most importantly green.
In June the urban garden centre won a Smart City Vienna award. A great example of the district’s ambitious approach to green urban regeneration is Sponge Street; on the surface a nondescript street but under it water is captured as if with a sponge and used to feed the trees.
Along the street are small gardens, where residents plant herbs and flowers to encourage biodiversity in a form of city rewilding. Selin explains that originally the urban gardeners receive a grant from the authorities, but after that the cost of maintenance is the responsibility of the residents – creating a win-win situation.
Part of the transformation of the area was due to the arrival of IKEA, which opened a store in the district in September 2021.
The IKEA Building is the only one in the world, according to Selin, with no parking spaces – customers have to walk, bike or take public transport. IKEA planted 160 trees, mainly on its roof with spectacular views of the city, which has made a substantial benefit to the local environment.
Some of the trees have even been adopted by local primary school kids.
Around the centre, on local streets, parking has been converted into green spaces as the whole area is being greened.
The area also has one of the greenest hotels in the world. The Stadthalle Boutique Hotel has been zero energy since 2009. The hotel is the first urban hotel to have a zero energy balance, which it achieves through a combination of photovoltaics and solar energy.
Selin showed us around the beautiful internal green courtyard with its living walls. If you’re staying in the hotel, I recommend booking a room with a view of the lavender roof garden, which is apparently very popular with the local bee and butterfly population.
at-40
Mark Bibby Jackson takes a walk on the green side of the city and discovers IKEA leading the waySELIN ALTAN HUBER
been running for about 13 years or so and during that time it’s given me the opportunity to chase my dreams. I wanted to give that same chance to children who don’t have as many opportunities, so once I’d realised running the length of the Danube might just be doable, I picked a mix of charities that help support underprivileged children.
The charities I raised money for were Starfish Greathearts Foundation, which helps orphaned and vulnerable children in South Africa; Save the Children, which works in over 100 countries to make sure children are fed, learning and treated fairly; UNICEF UK, whose mission is to help every child realise their full potential; FARA Foundation, which works with abandoned and vulnerable children in Romania; and Magic Breakfast, which provides breakfasts to children at risk of hunger in disadvantaged areas of the UK.
I grew up in a family that didn’t have loads of money and now having my own young child, helping poverty-impacted children is just something that’s close to my heart. I’ve so far raised £9,940, and I’d really love to reach £10k.
I first had the idea for running the length of the Danube about 10 years ago. I was sat in a cafe in Vienna overlooking the Danube with a friend from Belgrade and a friend from Vienna. The friend from Vienna said if I were to put a message in a bottle you cold fish it out in Belgrade six days later. It was just a flippant remark, but the idea of this river connecting so many people, so many cities and so many cultures across Europe really stuck with me.
I’d already run marathons and ultras and was looking for something that was a once-in-a-lifetime challenge, and I kept coming back to the Danube. It’s 1,770 miles long, so divided by the distance of a marathon is 67 days.
I thought that’s actually the right side of crazy, it’s a possible impossible. It felt right in terms of size, and the
time it’d take, plus from a practical point of view there’s a lot of infrastructure along the Danube so there’d be shops, cafes and campsites to support the run.
When I couldn’t find any record of anyone having done it before, that cemented it for me – how often do you get to do something like that?
I set off at the end of June 2022 and had taken the decision to run in the heat of summer because my plan was to camp overnight. I’d got my kit bag down to about 10-12kg to be self sufficient, and I’d decided I’d rather suffer the heat of the day to be warmer at night than shiver overnight. I had one change of clothes and the longest I went without washing my kit was 10 days – the smell of it made me feel sick!
But I ended up not camping at all as it was far more difficult than I imagined. For large stretches of the first bit in Romania and Bulgaria I didn’t feel safe as there were a lot of wild stray dogs around. After spending six hours or so running on high alert each day, I felt I needed a place of sanctuary so I ended up staying in cheap guest houses and AirBnBs along the route.
A keen runner, Kieran Alger ran the length of the Danube river to raise money for impoverished children around the world. At a length of 1,770 miles, it was a marathon a day for 67 days…
I had my sister helping me from the UK to find places to stay and word spread through social media, so I had people along the way offering me a bed for the night in their homes. I had fewer low points than I thought I’d have, but the lowest was in Romania. I was running through the outskirts of a town early one morning when I was attacked by three guard dogs. They came at me with teeth gnashing, and I was lucky that a car got between me and them otherwise I’d almost certainly have been bitten. Navigating all the stray dogs was already becoming emotionally tense and draining, and the morning after that I found it hard to leave the hotel room as I felt physically scared. I phoned my wife and said I don’t think I want to carry on.
from his home to meet me en route to cheer me on, and we’d made a plan for mile 20. Without his random act of kindness I’m not sure what would have happened – that morning I just kept telling myself I have to make it mile 20 and I’ll be OK.
It was the people along the way that made the challenge so enjoyable. There were so many acts of kindness from people in all the countries I ran through – the friendliness, the hospitality, feeding me, giving me water – and every time one happened it helped me run stronger and with more purpose.
It also felt pretty magic feeling – like I had the world to myself at times. I was setting off early so would see the sunrise and there’d be no one else around. That sense of adventure was wonderful.
However, I knew at mile 20 on that day a man called Dimitar was going to be waiting for me and had planned to crew me with his car for four days. Dimitar had come into my life a week or so earlier. Having been following me on social media, he’d driven an hour and a half
My family came out to see me a couple of times, and my wife, sister, mum, nephew and seven-year-old son followed me for the last two weeks. My son hadn’t shown much interest in running it, but after following along in the van for a bit he asked if he could run a section or two with me.
To have gone from those dark times where I’d been on my own and thinking about my family to all of a sudden having my son running alongside me and smiling it’s something I’ll aways remember.
It felt strange once I’d finished to not have to run anymore. I loved it but it feels like a oncein-a-lifetime thing. Instead, next summer, we’re planning to cycle round Lake Garda as a family – it’s only a hundred miles or so.
Germany’s cities are worldfamous (Berlin, Hamburg, Munich) but the surrounding landscapes remain unfamiliar to visitors. Yet its 16 national parks, 16 biosphere reserves and more than 100 nature parks show how everyone can protect the beauty of nature and preserve biodiversity for the future.
The designated Dark Sky Parks in Germany are a must-see for all stargazers. In these light protection areas, light pollution is reduced to such an extent that the Milky Way appears close enough to touch at night. Not just exciting for stargazers, it also allows people and animals to enjoy a completely natural day-night rhythm. This has a positive impact on the quality of life and promotes biodiversity - and sensitive nocturnal animals in particular enjoy the real darkness that is otherwise so rare in industrialised countries.
Climate-friendly travel is possible on more than 250 long-distance cycle routes in Germany, the country of cyclists. Here you can get from north to south or east to west quickly, cycle through varied natural landscapes and meet other two-wheel enthusiasts from different countries.
Improving not just the taste because the produce is fresher, but also people’s connection with the land and lowering transport costs, more and more farmers are selling food at their own farm shops or local markets.
About 1,000 restaurants in Germany now specialise in meat-free food, and in many more you’ll find lots of vegan and veggie options.
Many harvest festivals take place across the country, celebrating traditional, regional and seasonally inspired food, and beautifully demonstrating the importance of local teamwork.
Germany’s countless open-air museums share new perspectives and take visitors on a journey through time: the destinations range from the Stone Age to the time of the Celts, Romans and Vikings all the way up to the early modern era. In reconstructed buildings, guests experience the living conditions of people from the past up close, and learn all about their relationship with nature. Guided tours provide information on the history, while hands-on stations invite visitors to try out old crafts and immerse themselves in times gone by. Looking back opens up new perspectives for the future!
German towns and regions are coming up with ways to ensure that their guests can go on a comfortable and climate-friendly discovery tour during their holidays: in larger cities, rental bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters are available in addition to buses and trains. In areas of natural beauty, buses and trains take people on active holidays straight to the most beautiful cycling and hiking trails. If you don’t have your own bike, you can rent trekking or mountain bikes, which are also available with an electric motor if you prefer. Waterways can be explored by SUP, canoe, kayak or sometimes – an equally climate-neutral option – by solar boat.
The modern city symbolised by the snail: 21 cities in Germany have joined the international Cittaslow network. They deliberately put people first and stand for quality of life and sustainability. Here, people take time for enjoyment, live in the rhythm of the seasons, and appreciate pristine landscapes and traditional craftsmanship. And they are committed to safe and high-quality individual tourism that guests and hosts alike can enjoy.
The Aravis is a mountain range on the western edge of the French Alps, running north to south and straddling both the Savoie and the Haute-Savoie regions. It’s home to the traditional alpine villages of Le Grand Bornand, La Clusaz, Manigod and St-Jean-de Sixt, which are as good to visit for skiing in the winter as they are for walking, cycling, climbing and all sorts of other outdoor activities in the summer. It’s also part of the Annecy Mountains region, where you’ll find Lake Annecy, one of France’s prettiest lakes, with some incredibly clean water, beaches, lots of water sports, and the medieval city of Annecy.
With all those cows (see the art scene), it’s no surprise cheese features prominently on the local menu. Alpine pastures rich in mountain flowers are idyllic grazing spots in spring and summer, but it’s not just cow’s cheese, goats play their part too, and the farmers turn the milk into Reblochon, Manigodine, Tomme and Chevrotin, all held in high regard and used in many local dishes.
Known as the Venice of the French Alps, the old town of Annecy is laced with cobbled streets, colourful buildings dating back to the Middle Ages, and narrow canals. Must-sees are the Palais de l’Île, a medieval prison in the middle of the Thiou River, and the Musée-Château, with its enormous Queen’s Tower dating from the 13th century.
Highly praised for its clean water thanks to the mountain springs that feed it, Lake Annecy is a much-loved water playground set among some stunning mountain scenery and can be enjoyed year-round. Particularly in the summer, with its beaches, walking trails, cycling paths and watersports, it becomes a magnet for outdoors’ lovers. Many charming independent hotels and restaurants line the lake and one of the highlights is the Voie Verte Loop, a cycle path that encircles the lake. Covering 42km, it’s possible to pedal round in half a day.
In Le Grand Bornand there’s an unexpected arts scene to discover. Dotted among the traditional wooden mountain chalets is an outdoor art gallery, dedicated to the ‘star’ of Le Grand Bornand, the cow! Follow the trail and discover metal and wooden sculptures, street art, murals, photos and comics, created with a healthy dose of humour by a range of local artists, and dedicated to the village’s 2,000 bovine residents.
Visit the Aravis mountains in winter and take your pick between the four villages of Le Grand Bornand, La Clusaz, Manigod and St-Jeande-Sixt, linked by bus and with over 200km of slopes between them. Just an hour’s drive from Geneva airport, or half an hour from the train station in Annecy, the resorts make a great short-break destination, or a longer and more relaxed family getaway. La Clusaz is loved for its off-piste terrain and cross-country tracks, Le Grand Bornand is a firm favourite with young children learning to ski.
Here you’ll find several climbs made famous by the Tour de France, including the Col de la Colombière, Col des Aravis and Col de la Croix Fry. Base yourself in St-Jean-de-Sixt and these epic routes stretch away in every direction among stunning scenery. Quiet roads climb up through flower-filled alpine pastures and forests and while they may initially start quite gently, expect inclines of 10% as standard.
Make a splash in the Aravis Aqua Centre in La Clusaz – it’s got both indoor and outdoor pools, and great mountain views
One of the world’s most incredible wildlife encounters, a trek to see Africa’s wild mountain gorillas is an epic way to kick off a new year of travel and adventure.
Once hunted to the brink of extinction, conservation efforts by organisations, including the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, governments and local communities have seen mountain gorilla numbers increase to over 1,000, with trekking fees funding ongoing protection.
Whether you choose to see gorillas in the magical forested realm of Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, or on the verdant slopes of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, your visit to their mountain home will be one you’ll never forget.
Volcanoes Safaris offers gorilla trekking and wildlife safaris in Uganda and Rwanda, supporting community and conservation projects through The Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust.
For biodiversity, wild adventure and an authentic glimpse into indigenous culture, there’s nowhere on Earth to match the Amazon. Shared by nine South American nations, the Amazon Rainforest is sadly under threat in many regions, but Guyana has large swathes of untouched forest, offering excellent wildlife viewing, and the chance to stay in traditional villages. And with British Airways launching twice weekly flights from London Gatwick to the coastal capital of Georgetown from March 2023 – including a short stop in St Lucia en route – South America’s only English-speaking country and its natural wonders are about to become infinitely more accessible.
Latin Routes has a nine-day Guyana in Living Colour tour, which takes in Georgetown, Kaieteur Falls, a hike up Surama Mountain, wildlife watching and a stay at a community-operated rainforest lodge.
The Kingdom of Bhutan is known for its imposing fortresses or Dzongs, cliffhanging Tiger’s Nest Monastery and its stunning Himalayan peaks. And it’s now also the proud home of one of the world’s greatest trekking routes: the Trans Bhutan Trail.
Dating from the 16th century and running from east to west, the trail was originally a pilgrimage route for Buddhists and was used by traders until it fell into disuse in the 1960s.
Restored to its former glory during the Covid-19 pandemic, the 250mile route passes through some of Bhutan’s major cities and remote villages, with tourism helping to support communities along the way.
Visitors can walk the entire trail on a 36-day End-to-End itinerary, or trek various sections, depending on fitness levels – the trail’s highest point is 4,000 metres above sea level.
International travellers must be accompanied by a local guide.
Japan’s borders are open again after two years and we couldn’t be more excited. Start in the country’s hip and high-tech capital Tokyo, then switch to human power to explore the landscapes.
Cycle the Shimanami Kaido trail across the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, kayak the region’s dazzling beaches, or hike the ancient Kumano Kodo World Heritage-listed pilgrim route. With the famed pink cherry blossoms in bloom, don’t forget to look up.
Intrepid Travel’s 12-day Japan: Hike, Bike & Kayak tour takes in the country’s most spectacular trails.
Inspiring sustainable initiatives are giving travellers new reasons to explore Greece’s dreamy, laid-back islands. Paros is to become the Med’s first single-use plastic and wastefree island, and Tilos is the first island in the Med to be 100% energy self-sufficient, using solar and wind power. Hop around the isles in the shoulder seasons, and you’ll be competing with Eros in the light-footed travel stakes.
Family-owned Greece and Cyprus specialist Olympic Holidays offers a range of holidays, plus bespoke island-hopping escapes with independent hotels.
Australia’s cosmopolitan cities are on many a bucket list, but for a deeper, more authentic time, immerse yourself in the spaces between.
The country’s Northern Territory is home to spectacular national parks like Kakadu and Litchfield, and incredible rock formations. Explore with an indigenous tour guide, and you’ll learn about the beliefs and customs of Earth’s oldest continuous civilisation.
Inspiring Travel’s Northern Territory Cultural Journey is a 12-night adventure.
In summer, the dazzling white beaches and clear waters of the Inner Hebrides on Scotland’s West Coast are as stunning as any in the Maldives. And while the water temp isn’t the toastiest, with the right wetsuit and expert guiding team, you can discover an amazing underwater world of kelp forests and marine life, from seals to dolphins, otters to minke whales, basking sharks and, if you’re lucky, orcas – without even taking a flight.
Join a boat tour from the Isle of Coll in the Inner Hebrides with Basking Shark Scotland.
Forget Kenya and Tanzania’s great wildebeest migration, a new and unique migration is underway. Great Plains Foundation’s Project Rewild Zambezi is an ambitious initiative to move 400 elephants and 2,500 other wild animals from the over-populated Savé Valley Conservancy to the Sapi Private Reserve on the Zambezi River. Best seen from Tembo Plains Camp, it’ll help animals in both locations to flourish.
Stay at Tembo Plains Camp in Zimbabwe to learn more about Project Rewild Zambezi, including safari drives in the Sapi Private Reserve.
North America’s spectacular autumn or ‘fall’ colours are not to be missed. Michigan –home to four of North America’s five Great Lakes – puts on a dazzling annual display, with forests of fiery red, rust and gold reflecting in the lakes’ vast, crystal-clear waters. Historic towns lie between while overhead, some of the world’s darkest skies light up with a billion stars.
First Class Holidays offer a 15-day self-drive loop of the Great Lakes, starting in Chicago.
Mexico is one of the world’s most exciting destinations at any time of the year, but at the end of October and beginning of November each year, the country comes alive with its annual festival to honour the dead. El Día de los Muertos – or Day of the Dead – sees altars lit up with candles in homes and cemeteries, decorated with marigolds, photographs and offerings to welcome the spirits of departed loved ones back to the land of the living. Historic Oaxaca in Southern Mexico provides a stunning backdrop for the festival’s colourful parades and parties, and visitors are welcome to dress up and join in. Then head off to explore ancient Mayan temples, learn about the history of the Conquistadors and sample the country’s spicy street food.
Join Exodus Travel’s 16-day Mexican adventure and join the El Día de los Muertos festival in Oaxaca.
Make 2023 the year you immerse yourself in an amazing Arctic adventure. Experiences in the frozen north are out of this world, and none more so than the unique encounters on offer with Explore! and Churchill Wild, the sustainable wildlife adventure company. A stay in one of its three incredible ecolodges around Hudson Bay in Canada’s Manitoba will bring you closer than you thought possible to polar bears, wolves, black bears, beluga whales and moose. Book with Explore! and spend three full days photographing polar bears on the tundra – guided by Explore!’s expert photo expedition leader on a seven-day tour.
Join a polar bear safari with Explore! at Churchill Wild’s lodges and observe the Arctic’s top predator on guided expeditions on foot. The lodges are also great spots for aurora borealis viewing, 300 nights a year.
If Egypt has been on your bucket list for a while, 2023 is the year to visit, as the largest archaeological museum in the world is set to open a stone’s throw from the Pyramids of Giza at the end of this year.
The Grand Egyptian Museum will house a mindblowing collection of 100,000 objects, and the jewel in its crown will be 5,300 artefacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb, displayed together for the first time since being discovered in 1922. Prepare to be astonished.
Adventure travel company G Adventures empowers local communities through its non-profit partner, Planeterra.
You’ll want your first long-haul holiday after the pandemic to give you something truly special. How about the world’s largest barrier reef, animals found nowhere else on earth and a culture that dates back 65,000 years?
Perhaps you spent the long months of lockdown dreaming of wild open spaces and adventures to stimulate your senses. Well, it’s all there waiting for you, where world heritage rainforest and reef meet, in Queensland.
If this vibrant Australian state has been on your bucket list for years then now is the time to go, and if you’ve visited before, you can be sure of an extra warm welcome.
Feel the tropical sun on your skin this winter while you spot kangaroos and crocs, snorkel with colourful giant fish and wander
through a rainforest that dates back to the time of the dinosaurs.
If you’re after a touch of luxury, you’ll be pleased to hear Queensland has an abundance of stunning lodges, hotels and villas in the state, so you can return to fine dining and crisp sheets at the end of the day of encountering the state’s cities, outback and coastline.
And while you’re getting ready for Queensland to renew your senses, why not make your trip of a lifetime count for someone else besides?
Let Charitable Travel’s experts arrange your perfect Queensland adventure and you can also choose a charity close to your heart to benefit from a donation worth 5% of the cost of your holiday, at no extra expense to you.
Full of vast outdoor spaces, culture and heritage, wildlife and adventure, Queensland is the bucket list trip you’ve been dreaming of
Like a mini world of its own, Queensland embraces lush rainforest, sand islands, the red earth of the outback and turquoise waters.
The state is the only place on earth where two natural Unesco World Heritage Sites meet, Australia’s Wet Tropics spreading down to the Great Barrier Reef on Queensland’s spectacular coast.
Daintree, the world’s oldest tropical rainforest, is part of the Wet Tropics and dates back millions of years. Pre-historic plant species still grow here and David Attenborough was inspired to call it ‘the most extraordinary place on earth’. Among the thick foliage you can try spear fishing or river rafting and have your stress melted away in a luxury spa.
For a different Tropics’ perspective, you can take the Kuranda Scenic Railway from Cairns through Barron Gorge National Park, stopping to view waterfalls on the way, or join the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway soaring right over the tree canopy up with the cockatoos and parrots.
The scale is no less spectacular under Queensland’s turquoise waters where the world’s largest
coral reef system, the Great Barrier Reef, is about the size of 70 million football pitches. Dive right in, snorkel, sail or kayak the reef. You can even sleep the night out on the ocean or partake in coral restoration.
Queensland has five of Australia’s 11 natural world heritage sites; besides the Wet Tropics and Barrier Reef, the ‘famous five’ include the Godwana rainforests, K’gari (Fraser Island), the world’s largest sand
island, and the fossil mammal site at Riversleigh where 200 previously unknown species were discovered.
All the heritage sites are easily accessible; just a short drive from Surfers’ Paradise you could be trekking the bush of the Gold Coast Hinterland. From Brisbane you can head into the mountain ranges of the Scenic Rim and stay at a
The state is the only place on earth where two natural UNESCO World Heritage Sites meet, Australia’s Wet Tropics spreading down to the Great Barrier ReefTourism and Events Queensland
vineyard planted on the volcanic soil of an ancient caldera. Cairns, meanwhile, is a gateway to both rainforest and reef.
For a deeper connection with the land be sure to seek out the stories of its Aboriginal and Straits Islander custodians on specialised tours.
Queensland is Australia’s second largest state, seven times the size of Britain, so naturally there are plenty of open spaces ranging from Brisbane’s Botanic Gardens to the vast outback and with over 200 national parks waiting to be explored.
In the east you can take to the water and sail between the white sand Whitsunday Islands, perhaps staying at a luxury hotel here and using it as your base for exploring the barrier reef.
The recent George Clooney and Julia Roberts movie Ticket to Paradise was filmed in Queensland and much of the action took place at the luxury Qualia resort on the Whitsundays’ Hamilton Island.
Queensland’s Outback is a place of pioneers. You can learn more about one of the world’s oldest airlines at the Qantas Founders
Museum at Longreach and take the chance to walk out on the wing of a Boeing 747. In the same town, immerse yourself in early ranching life at the Stockman’s Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre – you can even take a flying stagecoach ride.
Heading back into pre-history, discover Jurassic treasures on the Australian Dinosaur Trail that links the towns of Winton, Richmond and Hughenden. Visit fossil preparation labs, have a go at digging for bones and see footprints from the site of the only recorded dinosaur stampede.
In Queensland’s Northwestern corner the classic red landscapes of Munga Thirri National Park (Simpson Desert), can be accessed by four-wheel drive from Birdsville. Start your adventure by watching the sunset from the town’s largest dune, and the town even hosts an annual horse race and the world’s most remote music festival!
Queensland’s huge vistas are not only found on land. Far from the light of cities, the Outback gives you a rare chance to see the whole dazzling Milky Way. Learn more from professional stargazers at the Cosmos Centre and Observatory
in Charleville, or hear Aboriginal interpretations of the night sky around a campfire.
There are further immersive adventures to be had exploring the world’s longest lava tubes at Undara Volcanic National Park, taking a paddleboard through dramatic Cobbold Gorge or taking the Great Walk across sand island K’gari. And some nights you’ll simply want to kick back in front of a drive-in movie.
All these glorious landscapes enjoy eight to nine hours of sunshine every day so you can imagine how transformative a holiday in Queensland can be.
Australia boasts the world’s oldest living culture and Queensland offers plenty of memory-making opportunities to discover more about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage. There are also plenty of opportunities to spend your time in the cities enjoying contemporary art or live performances.
State capital Brisbane is naturally Queensland’s modern cultural centre. Your first stop should be the South Bank for museums, galleries and nightlife. Check out what’s on at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre ahead of your visit and don’t forget the smaller music venues amid the city’s craft
breweries and rooftop cocktail bars. Sister attractions Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern art (QAGOMA) are also on the South Bank and you can check out street art in this area and the Fortitude Valley district. In Queensland’s north, Cairns is the centre of the state’s indigenous arts scene and hosts an important dedicated annual fair.
Though of course nothing beats seeing ancient indigenous art in its original settings, and north-west of Cairns, Quinkan Country has multiple rock art sites where you can join guided tours of paintings over 15,000 years old, some depicting supernatural spirits.
A really spectacular immersion in indigenous culture in the same area is offered by the Laura Aboriginal Dance festival, held biannually in the town of the same name, which features up to a thousand performers from multiple communities. Laura is on the Cape York Peninsula at the northernmost tip of Queensland and the 274 islands of the Torres Strait lie off-shore. Visit Horn Island and Thursday Island, home to the Gab Titui Cultural Centre, and take a tour to lesser-visited communities, and the Strait Islands also have sites related to World War II and pearl diving history.
With many fine indigenous-led
tours and experiences available across the state you could listen to ancient stories rooted in the very landscapes around you, or find yourself taking part in a healing ceremony or foraging for bush tucker. There is also plenty to learn about environmental protection from the land’s traditional custodians, so look out for tours relating ancient wisdom to conservation and forge your own deeper connection with nature.
Sure, you can seek out obvious thrills in the theme parks of the Gold Coast but seeing a mob of kangaroos or a saltwater crocodile in the wild is also bound to set your pulse racing.
You may spot blue-faced, flightless bird the cassowary, or an elusive tree kangaroo (yes, they’re a thing) in Daintree National Park and other parts of the Wet Tropics, while the outback is the best place to up your chances of seeing regular kangaroos. ’Roos and Wallabies also gather at dawn and dusk on the beach at Cape Hillsborough National Park, giving you the perfect chance to snap some envy-inducing photos.
Ever heard of a Bilby? It’s Australia’s most endangered
Pine Koala Sanctuary. The state capital is also home to Australia Zoo, which is owned by the family of ‘crocodile hunter’ Steve Irwin.
It’s even possible to take a whale watching tour from Brisbane. In fact whales can be spotted all along Queensland’s East coast between June and November and responsible tour operators can take you to swim with them off the Fraser and Sunshine Coasts. The ‘home’ of whale watching is Hervey Bay, 285km north of Brisbane and opposite K’gari, the huge sand island, which is itself a top spot for dingoes and other wildlife. Here, in the calm waters, mother humpbacks teach their calves survival skills.
If, on the other hand, meeting inquisitive dolphins just off a beach sounds like your dream holiday experience, build a trip from Brisbane to Moreton Island into your plans.
Of course, Queensland’s chief marine delights are out on the Great Barrier Reef, accessed on diving and snorkelling trips including departures from Cairns or the Whitsunday islands. This record-breaking natural wonder is home to an abundance of underwater life, so you could be communing with anything from Nemo-style clownfish to giant clams, sharks and rays. You may even spot a rare dwarf minke whale.
marsupial and you can meet some of the cute critters in the outback town of Charleville in South-central Queensland.
You don’t have to go deep into the bush or outback in search of Queensland’s spectacular wildlife, however.
Koalas can be most easily seen in Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast or Brisbane’s Lone
Six of the seven marine species of turtle are found on the Southern Great Barrier Reef – and you may not even need a snorkel to spot them. On land, Heron Island, accessed via Gladstone and Mon Repos, on the Bundaberg coast are among places where you may be privileged to witness green and loggerhead turtles laying their eggs or hatching over the summer months.
With such an abundance of ways to immerse yourself in this epic environment and culture, you’re sure to find yourself experiencing your own sense of natural renewal in Queensland.
T
hat’s the shortcut, but I’m taking you through the longer route so you can see everything,” says our local guide, Uncle Raja, with a hearty smile. He then points to a patch of kithul (fishtail palm) trees growing in the wild and promises to buy us two bottles of kithul treacle, a thick, honeylike sweet syrup extracted from the flower of the tree. “This is original,” he tells us with pride, “Not like the ones you buy from the shop.”
After walking through a tiny settlement dotted with small houses, we take a dip at a waterfall and sip sugary, ginger-infused tea in enamel tin cups. We are spending the weekend in Gomara in the Knuckles Mountain
Range, a two-hour bumpy tuk tuk ride from Kandy in central Sri Lanka.
Mist swathes the nearby mountain peaks, the air is crisp and the sun streaks through the dangling bougainvilleas lining the mountain roads. Uncle Raja is also one of the caretakers of our local-owned camp stay Venture Camps. He’s been walking us through sleepy villages for the morning, showing us rice terraces, sharing folktales about mountain life and telling us stories of how his work has helped him raise his two daughters, who are now employed in the government sector.
Uncle Raja helps us understand that there are stories threaded behind the mountains we see. While we get to
Community tourism is a relatively new concept in Sri Lanka but is already making an imapct. Zinara Rathnayake reports on the latest developments
explore a part of the life, culture and wisdom of mountain life, these tourism experiences also empower people in the community like Uncle Raja. Not just economically, but socially as well.
Tourism deeply touches places and communities, and that’s also why it’s important for travellers to directly contribute to local communities through experiences that are owned and conducted by locals.
While tour organisations are often criticised for overcrowding a destination, the right kind of community travel experiences let locals own these services. It generates jobs, strengthens economies, empowers people, and preserves traditions. Meanwhile, travellers get to closely connect to a culture that they would otherwise not experience.
Community travel is a relatively new concept in Sri Lanka, but a handful of existing experiences
help foster meaningful encounters with locals. In Arugam Bay, a popular surfing hamlet on the eastern coast of the island, guests can cook Sri Lankan dishes with Muslim women from the neighbourhood and dine at a local home for breakfast. These immersive experiences can be incorporated with visiting organic home gardens in the area and boating in the nearby Kottukal lagoon with a local fisherman, learning about the region’s ecosystem and fisheries. These experiences help unravel the stories of Arugam Bay that are otherwise overshadowed by mass tourism.
Community travel can also help preserve the generational culinary wisdom in the country, says Shalitha Chandraratne, a local food expert who organisses culinary tours. “Sri Lanka has a rich heritage in healthy, traditional cooking and indigenous recipes that are preserved through generations,” says Chandraratne. “But we see little of it now because of modernisation and western influences.”
Working with local communities in
remote areas gives them a platform to encourage their unique recipes. Food is often cooked with foraged, wild-grown ingredients and uses heirloom varieties. “For example, hal is a local fruit. The flour of this fruit works great for roti (flatbread). This fruit is on the verge of going extinct and the home cooks we work with now grow it locally to cook for the guests,” says Chandraratne. These travel experiences also help sustain the local economy. “By creating work opportunities, we can make sure that the economy stays in the local area,”
Chandraratne explains.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has many local-owned homestays where travellers can stay with host families. In Idalgashinna, a mountain town off the tourist radar, guests staying at the woman-run Peak Rest can explore tea country villages untouched by tourism and feast on home-cooked food.
Despite these efforts, a combination of Easter bombings, Covid-19 and the economic crisis have now left Sri Lanka’s tourism industry in a precarious situation. In September, tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka dropped to just over 29,000, the lowest so far in 2022.
Although the industry is expected to revive in the upcoming season from December to May, many small-scale tourism providers are already shuttered.
During the first half of the year, the foreign currency crisis and political unrest also resulted in long power cuts, and shortages in gas, fuel and
certain food supplies. Although things have now improved, high inflation rates have dragged many people to poverty. The World Bank suggests that the country’s poverty rate would rise to 11.7% compared to 10% in the previous year.
This is all the more reason why community tourism is the need of the hour today.
“When tourism fails, most people’s principal income depletes or disappears, creating hardship,” says Melissa Tilling, founder of the Charitable Travel Foundation, a charity based in England and Wales. The foundation supports tourism providers affected by crises, where there is an absence or limited state welfare programmes.
Currently, a hardship fund is helping self-employed safari jeep drivers in the Habarana and Udawelala national parks of Sri Lanka. “Sri Lanka’s political turmoil caused many countries to advise their nationals against travel to Sri Lanka,” says Tilling, “For drivers, this meant that they faced a significant
reduction in their survival income.” Sylvie Bobay, co-owner of the social tourism project Elements Resort, an eco kitesurfing resort in northwestern Sri Lanka, echoes Tilling’s concerns.
Many people are forced to leave Sri Lanka to look for foreign employment, she explains. “It’s sad that families are separated because of the negative publicity that affected Sri Lanka’s tourism,” says Bobay, “Today, we don’t have severe fuel or food shortages.”
High inflation means goods and services aren’t affordable for locals, but with the depreciation of the local currency, things are affordable for foreign visitors. Bobay explains that several guests who recently stayed with them felt completely safe and had an unforgettable holiday in Sri Lanka without any restrictions.
As Bobay says: “Only tourism can spread hope among the local communities now. Sri Lanka needs tourism back more than ever before.”
Since first watching Roger Moore don a white safari suit and leap off hungry alligators in Live and Let Die, I’ve wanted to recreate many of the scenes in the James Bond series. I’m probably too old (and rotund) to realistically fit into that outfit or leap anywhere these days, but I’ve been visiting locations featured in the films for a number of years.
The most recent entry in the long-running franchise is No Time to Die. As soon as its trailer
was released and despite Covid delaying the theatrical release, I knew there was a new destination I had to get to as soon as I could.
The stone city of Matera in Italy is a big part of the opening act and has previously featured in other films such as The Passion of the Christ and Mary Magdalene, but it's the cultural impact of Bond that has catapulted Matera into the limelight.
Up until the 1980s, Matera was a forgotten relic in one of the poorest parts of Italy. The ancient cave
To mark the 60th anniversary of the globetrotting secret agent James Bond on the big screen, Cassam Looch takes a closer look at some of his most iconic locationsCASSAM LOOCH
dwellings and harsh cobblestone streets found in the Sassi (two districts dating back 7,000 years) were seen as an embarrassment, whereas today they’re deemed to be a charming commodity. It would be a stretch to suggest that cinema has rehabilitated the reputation of this small enclave in the southern region of Basilicata but the recent surge in interest here has certainly been noticeable once Hollywood took an interest. Getting to the Sassi di Matera, the most interesting part of Matera for a curious tourist,
isn’t as difficult as you might think. I flew into Bari and drove for less than an hour to get into the heart of the city. Largely by accident I found myself in the large central square featured in No Time to Die, where Daniel Craig is seen performing tyre-screeching doughnuts to fend off evil assailants. I quietly pull off a threepoint-turn and find my AirBnB for the night.
Residents are keen to talk about the production as the experience was a happy one for the locals. My host has lived here all her life and as she shows me to my room at Le Dodici Lune, which is carved into the stone that makes the city, she tells me the secret to how Bond drove around with such ease. Truckloads of Coca-Cola were poured on to the streets to give the vehicles the grip they needed to perform the stunts seen on screen!
Matera is just the latest in a long list of destinations Bond has visited throughout the years. A place special to the character and one that featured in the first film Dr. No, as well as
The large central square features in No Time to Die, where Daniel Craig is seen performing tyre-screeching doughnuts to fend off evil assailants
in No Time to Die, is Jamaica. Author Ian Fleming set many of his 007 adventures here and his home has been turned into a luxury 10-person villa, the Fleming Villa, available to rent.
If a stay at Fleming Villa blows the budget, I highly recommend fans visit Sölden in Austria. This mountainous region was featured in Spectre, where the Ice Q restaurant was turned into a prestigious medical clinic. The glass building has an excellent vantage point that hangs over the edge of one of the peaks here and is an outstanding spot for lunch (if you can stomach it from the lofty seating). The real kicker is that producers of the film were so enamoured with the region they also helped build 007 Elements, the world’s only permanent immersive Bond experience.
Music worthy of the most epic of Hollywood blockbusters is playing and the lights dimly glow green then red as the topless Aufgussmeister, our sauna host, swirls and twirls a large towel through the air, creating waves of hot, steamy air to wash over us. I’m in a Aufguss sauna with four others, spread out on the sauna’s amphitheatre-like wooden benches, sweating, glowing and wondering what scent will be wafted over us next – delicate alpine flowers, hay and citrus all take a turn.
With a triumphant final flourish the Aufgussmeister brings the sauna theatre to a close. We exit the sauna for the exhilarating cool night air, stars sparkling above us, and the snow under my bare feet is a delightful, invigorating contrast to the heat of the sauna.
The Aufguss sauna is just one part of Malga Millagrobbe, a former diary farm on a plateau among the Cimbrian forest in the Trentino region of the Italian Dolomites, surrounded by Nordic cross-country trails when we visit in the middle of winter. Also in the ancient stone buildings are five guest bedrooms
and a typical Trentino wood-lined stube, where we head next for a dinner of local flavours, including lots of polenta, porcini and salami.
The Aufguss (a German word for infusion) sauna is a rarity in the Dolomites, so all the more reason to seek it out. They’re more usually found over the border in Austria, so it’s another reminder of just how entwined this Trentino region, along with its northern Italian sister Alto Adige, is with the Tyrol over the border. The strong Austrian influence on the Italian food, architecture and language give this region a fascinating edge.
I’m here visiting the Alpe Cimbra, one of Trentino’s popular yet laidback ski resorts, and after a day spent skiing some of its 104km of slopes, the sauna was just what my legs needed. Alpe Cimbra is the linked villages of Folgaria and Lavarone and is found at the southern end of Italy’s Dolomite Mountains. Just over an hour north of Verona and an hour’s drive east of Lake Garda, it’s a far cry from the high-altitude seriousness of the Alps further west. Instead, the rolling highlands make for plenty of
easy-going runs covered with efficient snowmaking machines and is popular with families, while lower down the valley and back towards Rovereto the slopes are covered with vines, which gives you a sense of the priorities round here.
It’s easy to get back to nature here and experience the benefits of winter in the mountains without racing up and down snow-covered pistes (although it’s good enough to be the official training base of the US Ski and Snowboard team), and the resort offers a lot more than simple snowy slopes.
Alpe Cimbra is so spread out over what’s known as the Great Highlands of Trentino that it’s easy to escape the crowds and find solitude. First stop to achieve this is Passo Coe, a mountain pass 10
minutes drive from Folgaria and at the edge of the ski area. Here, we hire e-mountain bikes with overly fat tyres to grip the snow, and battery packs to help with the climbs, and set off on a snowcovered track into the pine forests. The path narrows and climbs along the side of a ridge before bringing us out at the top of Monte Maggio, at 1,850m. From a mindfulness point of view, it certainly works – in a couple of places the drop to one side is enough to focus the mind without scaring myself silly, and the view from the top stretches across rolling valleys to Venice in the (very) far distance. Monte Maggio was the frontline in World War I fighting, and the remains of stone trenches half buried in snow further concentrate the mind.
With the mild peril of the ascent behind us, the descent, along a
wider track that emerges into a snow-covered meadow dotted with perfectly triangular pine trees, is bliss. My bike battery makes barely a sound, only kicking in when I need an extra boost up an incline, and l learn to trust the fat tyres' grip on the snow.
Later in the day I continue my winter mindfulness in nature with a snowshoe walk at sunset. My guide Stefano has been walking these paths for years, and the peace of the pine forests surrounds us as we crunch through the snow.
While not strictly wellness in the truest sense of the word, a visit to this part of the world can also involve some art and culture –which aren’t usually front and centre on a ski holiday either. But Folgaria is just 30 minutes drive
The path narrows and climbs along the side of a ridge before bringing us out at the top Monte Maggio, at 1,850m. From a mindfulness point of view, it certainly worksFor
from Rovereto, Trentino’s second city and similar to Verona, but on a smaller scale and with fewer crowds. Narrow streets lined with Venetian houses wiggle between elegant piazzas, and broad Palladian avenues stretch out of the centre, framing views of the surrounding mountains.
For an apres ski session, it’s certainly different to the norm, and would be well worth a short stay in its own right. Independent bars and cafes dot the historic centre and it's a chance to taste some of the region's delicious produce. Rovereto is home to Caffè Bontadi, Italy’s oldest coffee roaster, so expect to see its beans on the menu everywhere, while the town’s surrounding hillsides are home to plenty of vineyards, many producing the local tipple of choice Trentodoc, a light sparkling wine that makes an ideal aperitif.
Art and culture run throughout Rovereto, but the focal point is the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of
Trento and Rovereto, or Mart for short. Opened in 2002, its pale terracotta atrium is domed with a glazed geometric lattice, and sets the tone for the style within. Its permanent collection is home to 30,000 works from the mid19th to mid-20th century, and its temporary exhibitions are
ambitious in their scope. When I visited, a retrospective of Fortunato Depero, the father of Futurism and Rovereto resident, was on; currently showing is Banksy, the artist of the present, which looks at the artist as if he were one of the great classical artists.
Within the museum’s atrium is one of the region’s greatest restaurants, Senso. Run by Michelin-starred chef Alfio Ghezzi, another Rovereto local, he takes his inspiration from the museum’s exhibitions and serves a tasting menu called The Cooking of the Senses, where he travels through the region, cherry picking ingredients and presenting them in unexpected but delicious ways. For desert, olive cream and chicory make an appearance alongside meringue.
From an unusual sauna and some peaceful mountain slopes, via an e-bike ride and a snowshoes walk, to a contemporary art gallery and an imaginative restaurant, Alpe Cimbra is the place to fully reset and restore your winter wellbeing.
California has it all. Its dramatic scenery, from coastline to mountains to lakes, its fabulous food, with its farm to fork ethic, and delicious wines, friendly people and sunshine, even in winter, has earnt the state a special place in the heart of Ali Nicholls, our Head of Partnerships.
Here she shares her unashamedly indulgent suggestions for where to stay on your next adventure Stateside. There’s so much to love about California that it was incredibly hard to narrow it down to 10, so if you want even more options, Ali’s longer list of 20 is available on our website
While a few of the bedrooms may be a little small by some standards, the views more than make up for this. Located on Nob Hill and overlooking San Francisco, the Four Seasons is convenient for the cable car lines down to Union Square, Chinatown and on to Fisherman’s Wharf and is just steps away from a variety of shops, bars and restaurants in the Nob Hill neighbourhood.
However, you don’t have to venture out of the hotel to experience what is known as San Francisco’s best happy hour, found at the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar where Pacific Rim Asian cuisine is also served among the tropical setting that includes thunder and rainstorms.
Commanding a prime location just steps from the shores of Lake Tahoe, this stylish resort provides a superbly placed base for exploring this spectacular High Sierra region. Soak up the warm, welcoming lakeside ambiance or take a short walk to the shops and restaurants of South Lake Tahoe town.
Perfectly situated in the Napa Valley wine country, between the Michelin-starred restaurant Mecca of Yountville and the world-class downtown of Napa, its central location makes this hotel one of the best places to stay in the Napa Valley for enjoying all that California’s wine country has to offer.
A stunning and serene adults-only retreat in a cliff-top setting overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the Post Ranch Inn combines rustic elegance and a conservation ethos with ultimate luxury and comfort.
The organic architectural design of the hotel blends into the surroundings with floor to ceiling glass and the use of native natural materials, such as reclaimed wood and local stone. Many of the buildings are curved around trees to protect them, and the treehouses are built on stilts to protect the fragile root balls of the surrounding ancient trees.
its iconic, mid-century modern architecture and a rich Hollywood history, L’Horizon offers a dreamy boutique-hotel experience just minutes from downtown Palm Springs. Built in 1952 by renowned architect William F. Cody, L’Horizon was a favourite celebrity destination in the 50s and 60s, attracting guests from Hollywood’s golden era, including Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable, as well as several US presidents.
completing a multi-million-dollar re-envisioning by LAbased designer Steve Hermann in 2015, it is Palm Springs’ only luxury boutique hotel and its 25 bungalows, with private patios and outdoor showers spread across three acres, provide an exclusive and intimate feel.
scenic setting of The Ahwahnee, combined with its historical architecture, makes it an incredibly popular destination in the heart of Yosemite National Park. Blending Art Deco, Native American and Middle Eastern influences to create a unique fusion of architecture, this majestic Yosemite hotel is itself a major attraction and has welcomed royalty and presidents alike.
elegant property provides a very comfortable base from which to explore Yosemite, featuring giant stone fireplaces, large glass windows and hand-stencilled beams in its distinctive lounge, alongside an award-winning dining room.
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Ideally located at the crossroads of Beverly Hills and central LA in buzzing West Hollywood, the London West Hollywood is a tranquil urban oasis that epitomises modern luxury. The suites combine sophisticated comfort, awe-inspiring views and a signature sense of California cool. It’s the perfect place to explore LA from, then chill out by the rooftop pool, which is exclusive to guests.
Perched high in the Santa Barbara hills, this iconic hideaway offers the best views of the American Riviera from its seven acres of secluded gardens (take a stroll around the wisteria-lined lily pond and spot woodpeckers, cranes and monarch butterflies). El Encanto opened in 1918 and has been part of Santa Barbara’s social scene ever since. The resort is gleaming and glamorous, yet relaxed and low key, as you’d expect from a Belmond property.
Located in one of California’s most prestigious neighbourhoods, the newly renovated La Playa Carmel oozes turn-of-the-century charm. Surrounded by quaint shops, galleries and restaurants it’s just steps from the sands of Carmel Beach. Featuring meticulously tended gardens, secluded courtyards and tranquil terraces this hotel makes for a serene stop on any California coast itinerary.
Italian inspiration, California splendour is the motto here, and the relaxed comfort of Pelican Hill takes its inspiration from the grand villas found across the Venetian countryside. And like the Italian hills, the sun-drenched climate of Southern California allows for indoor spaces to open up to the outdoors but with quintessential coastal breezes and panoramic Pacific Ocean views.
Home-Start is a network of charities across the UK, supporting families with young children. I’m in Suffolk, and work with families that might be struggling with their mental health or feeling isolated because they’ve moved to a new part of Suffolk and haven’t got a support network. Or perhaps they have a child with additional needs, or they’re struggling with dayto-day parenting and just want someone to listen.
We’re not there to solve all their problems, we’re there to help them identify their own solutions and support them in reaching them.
doesn’t really exist as my role is so broad and I’m always having to think on my feet and problem solve. But it usually starts with a quick online allocation meeting with the other coordinators, where we discuss the new families that have been referred to us and decide which volunteers we can use to support them.
A local community network of trained volunteers and expert support helping families with young children through their challenging times. charitable.travel/home-start-uk
I’ll then go to meet one of those families to talk through the support they need. Do they need help getting out in the community? Is it about listening ears – somebody to support them emotionally? Or is there practical support around budgeting, cooking, or helping to implement behavioural strategies that we can give? I might signpost some other agencies or professionals to help too, and I’ll also complete a risk assessment to make sure it’s safe for a volunteer to visit the home.
Next I’ll run one of my two maternity/post-natal groups – West Suffolk Baby Beginnings and Mums in Mind. Baby Beginnings is a stay and play session to help increase new parents’ support networks, and Mums in Mind is a small group programme for mums who are feeling isolated or low in mood. It’s a peer support group and I teach infant massage as part of it, which helps with attachment and bonding with the baby.
I’ll then most likely head to one of the county’s family hubs to catch up the reports I need to write if child protection services are involved with a family, read the volunteer diary sheets, follow up on any signposting I’ve given families, write up records from visits and
phone calls, and arrange any volunteer supervision or training.
Throughout the day I’ll also be answering phone calls from the families we look after – perhaps they’re having a bad day because a bill has arrived they know they won’t be able to pay – and from our team of volunteers, needing to discuss the support we can give.
is when a family is really struggling and the resources just aren’t there to provide the support we know we need to give that family. We feel their frustrations, and it can be really hard.
is the rewarding feeling I get when I know we’ve supported a family, and when what we’ve done has really helped them. I also enjoy running the groups and the volunteer training, and chatting to families in their homes to find ways we can make their lives that little bit easier.
Girl About Travel’s Blog Squad of local experts have compiled this collection of weekend break itineraries to inspire you to explore three of the UK’s greatest cities. Aimed at culture vultures – anyone who loves to soak up the history, arts, music, galleries, museums and lifestyle scenes of where they’re visiting – these weekend itineraries are packed with great ideas
Brighton is a place where anything goes. As one of the most cultural cities in Europe, it’s an eclectic and vibrant place with an enviable location on the south coast of England in East Sussex, yet only 60 minutes from London. The city positively encourages people to be themselves and unleash their creativity, and it’s full of street art, galleries, historic homes, theatres and concert venues, as well as vintage shopping, fantastic nightlife, mouth-watering cuisine and Bohemia in abundance.
Start your weekend in Brighton with a bird’s eye view of the city from the British Airways i360 on the seafront. Not only can you spot France on a clear day, I love to look at all the art murals on top of the buildings. When you’re back on solid ground, be sure to visit the Prince Albert pub with its mural dedicated to music legends and Banksy’s Kissing Coppers.
Free to join, this all-female club empowers to dream, plan and book incredible holidays. by travel experts, the Club is a network sharing unbiased advice, travel guides, discounts. Charitable Travel is the official of Girl About Travel, meaning members book holidays via the club and give to their favourite charity. charitable.travel/ girl-about
Meander through the Lanes, where you’ll find lots of independent boutiques, before heading to the Royal Pavilion & Garden, home to Brighton Museum and Art Gallery. Exhibitions are dedicated to Brighton’s art scene and fascinating history, and its innovative galleries include Images of Brighton, Queer on the Pier and Ancient Egypt.
A visit to Brighton isn’t complete without eating some seafood, and The Salt Room is regularly recognised as Brighton’s best seafood restaurant, specialising in cooking over coal. Tuck into one of its generous sharing platters and enjoy the views of the seafront, the i360 and Brighton’s historic West Pier.
Club empowers women holidays. Run of women offers and official partner members can money
For a seriously cool weekend, look no further than Manchester. In the word’s of one of its most famous residents Ian Brown, “Manchester’s got everything except a beach!”
Manchester is hard to beat – it’s steeped in history, bursting with art, scores plenty of goals and is always dancing to its own beat. Plus it’s famous for being really friendly and diverse, was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution and champions a fiercely independent spirit.
Start your weekend in Manchester with a visit to the People’s History Museum in Spinningfields. Located in a former hydraulic pumping station, the Grade II listed building is home to the stories of the lives of working people in Great Britain, including such important movements as women’s suffrage and the cooperatives.
Or, head to Manchester City’s or Manchester United’s football stadium for a behind the scenes tour (usually taking place on Fridays).
Why limit yourself to just a city when there’s a whole county of culture to explore in Durham? Bursting with history, the majestic Durham Cathedral and its neighbouring Durham Castle set the bar high with their UNESCO World Heritage status, and the city made the shortlist for the European City of Culture 2025. Further afield, Bishop Auckland and Barnard Castle have plenty to offer, and as well as being rich in culture, County Durham is rich in local flavours too.
An unexpected find in the old market town of Barnard Castle is the Bowes Museum, a grand French-style chateau full of glorious art, fashion and historical offerings and set among the formal Parterre gardens. Opened in 1892, the National Trust calls it one of the most important museums outside London.
Manchester has many fantastic art galleries but my favourite is the Whitworth, on Oxford Road. Named Best Emerging Cultural Destination in Europe in 2015, it houses over 55,000 words of art, including some beautiful textiles and a rare wallpaper collection, as well as regularly changing temporary exhibitions.
You’re completely spoilt for choice when it comes to nightlife in Manchester, but a great place to start is HOME on First Street, a buzzing hub of contemporary arts, theatre, live music, film and bars and restaurants.
If you want to discover the next big thing on Manchester’s indie music scene, check out the listings for multi-award winning Band on the Wall. It’s where such greats as Joy Division and Buzzcocks started out.
To read the full48-hour itinerariesfor ManchesterBrighton,and Durham, headto the Girl AboutTravel website.
Next, head to Bishop Auckland, where you’ll find the Auckland Project, a collection of seven heritage attractions, galleries, gardens and parkland. Get a sense of the space by starting your visit with a climb to the top of the 29-metre high Auckland Tower, with views of the whole estate from the top.
No visit to County Durham is complete without enjoying a meal or two of local produce. Opt for the most contemporary of settings snuggled into one of the private outdoor dining pods at the eclectic South Causey Inn or step back in time to authentic Durham flavours from the 1950s at John’s Cafe at the Beamish open air museum. And make sure to pop in for coffee and cake at the Undercroft Cafe in Durham Cathedral – where much of the first two Harry Potter films were shot.
With a mission to help socioeconomically disadvantaged young people who are passionate about football but disengaged at school, Football Beyond Borders works to help them finish school and gain the skills and grades they need for a successful transition into adulthood. Over 2,000 young people are currently taking part in a FBB multi-award winning programme, which are recognised by Sport England, the FA and the University of Sussex, and 95 per cent of FBB’s young people finished the year in school. footballbeyondborders.org
It’s hard to imagine a sport with greater appeal than football, not just in the UK but across the world. And with such an appeal, the beautiful game can make significant and lasting improvements to underprivileged people – here are five charities that are doing just that
Helping children facing the threat of abuse, exploitation or violence, Football For Humanity uses football-focused interventions to tackle these complex social issues. For example, it builds five-a-side pitches so children have a safe place to play and learn, and runs UK-based projects to help refugees and people seeking asylum integrate into society through sport. footballforhumanity.org.uk
The Free Kicks Foundation provides ill, bereaved and disadvantaged children with a day they’ll never forget. Working with football clubs across the UK since 2007, the Free Kicks Foundation has made it possible for over 1,000 young people to attend matches and meet their favourite teams. As Team Mascot for the day, they get to go behind the scenes, meet the players, and lead the team out ahead of kick-off. freekicksfoundation.org
An annual football match running since 2006, Soccer Aid is not your everyday kick about. Created by Robbie Williams, it’s become the world’s biggest celebrity football match and pitches England against the Soccer Aid World XI FC, which in 2022 saw Liam Payne captaining the England Team and Usain Bolt handing over the captaincy to Ukrainian football manager Andriy Shevchenko. The event raised over £15 million for UNICEF – details about 2023’s event will be released early in the new year. socceraid.org.uk
FOOTBALL WITHOUT BORDERS
Established before the war in Ukraine broke out but now focused on supporting its refugees, Football Without Borders’ aim is to create football camps for children and young people in a variety of cities, from Barcelona to Warsaw. The camps will offer hope, identity and enjoyment in a safe environment, ex and current Ukrainian international footballers will attend sessions, and there’ll be activites for all the children affected. Donations go towards helping these young people feel more at home, wherever they are. footballwithoutborders.org
This ornate castle is part of the LedniceValtice area, the largest artistically designed landscape in the world, developed between the 17th and 20th centuries. The Baroque Chateau Valtice meets the Neo-Gothic Lednice Chateau in 280km² of pristine parkland.
Moravian Karst is the largest karst region in Central Europe. With over 1,100 caverns and gorges formed in the limestone, it’s a mythical maze of geological marvels, and is full of outlandish rock formations and natural phenomena. Take a boat tour along the subterranean River Punkva and see the 138m-deep Macocha Abyss from the bottom, or visit the wonderfully Gothic Main Dome of the Katerinské Caves.
This corner of the Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, is a delight to explore, full of natural beauty and great flavours
Embroidered outfits, painted ceramics, songs and dance are alive and well in South Moravia, and are shared, developed and passed on to the next generation. And it’s not just the grandparents keeping these stories alive, they’re cherished and passed on to the children too. The Strážnice Open-Air Museum should be your first place to explore, and nearby you’ll also find the decorative wine cellars called Plže.
Recognised by wine judges the world over, South Moravia’s wine is produced in four distinct regions: Znojmo; Mikulov; Velké Pavlovice; and Slovácko. Riesling, Gewürztraminer and a domestic variety of Pinot Gris are among some of the grapes grown, and the sweet ice wines (made from pressed frozen grapes) are a speciality. Winemakers open their cellars to visitors for tastings, or time your visit to the local festivals and banquets.
The latest podcast in our series with Tourism Ireland visits the town of Enniskillen and Loch Erne in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.
To help us discover the area, our host Rebecca Miles talks to Barry Flanagan, owner of Erne Water Taxis. Based in Enniskillen, Barry and his team spend their days helping visitors explore this fascinating landscape.
Loch Erne is the second largest lake system in Northern Ireland, and is rich in history, castles, traditions and wildlife. And with 150-plus islands, this area is fast becoming a great destination for an active and adventurous outdoors holiday too.
In this episode of the Travel Insider Podcast, we head to the Greek Islands and discover the innovative conservation work taking place.
Our host Rebecca Miles speaks to two leading conservationists, Anni Mitropoulou from the Cyclades Preservation Fund and Victoria Turner from the Ionian Environment Foundation to learn more about the incredible work that local charities are doing.
Efforts are underway to protect and nourish these islands for future generations, and these charities work with local organisations to encourage more sustainable tourism. As visitors to these islands, there’s lots we can learn.
In this episode of our Travel Insider Podcast we’re travelling to Gulf Coast of Florida and the coastal city of Sarasota – famed for its beachy vibe, artsy background and strong sense of community.
At the heart of that community and among the keys lining Sarasota Bay is Save our Seabirds, a wild bird learning centre, and we’re joined by its CEO, Aaron Virgin.
Our host Rebecca Miles talks to Aaron, and Muna Abanour, from the tourist board, to learn more about the wildlife worth travelling for (including blue jays, cardinals and songbirds), as well as the city’s outdoors lifestyle, arts and culture scene, and varied neighbourhoods.
For this episode of our podcast, we’re heading to Fort Lauderdale, a city on Florida’s south-east Atlantic coast, and the county of Broward.
It’s home to a diverse, welcoming community and more than 300 miles of canals, as well as a stunning stretch of beach. Joining our host to share their love of the area is Paul Mason and Tracey Vaughan from the Broward County tourist board.
Visitors to Fort Lauderdale love its active, outdoors lifestyle, and a hint of luxury hangs over the city. But the county is also home to the Everglades, so it provides an exhilarating mix of wildlife and glamour.
It’s a social enterprise to support dads. We battle the social isolation and loneliness felt by millions of dads across the UK, and we use art, tech, music and play to do that. We’re made by dads, for dads, and we use our network to produce kick-ass dad-friendly playdates, meet-ups, content and training workshops.
It came about around six years ago. My son was two and I felt like I was commuting all the time. My own dad had recently passed away and I realised I didn’t want to live the corporate life anymore and miss precious time with my son.
I left my job so I could take a more active role in my son’s life, but couldn’t find anything to support me to do that. I started blogging about the process and that quickly caught fire, before turning into an online magazine then morphing into a PR company focused on working with
brands that wanted to target dads. The narrative around fatherhood was so old fashioned and rooted in stereotypes from the 1970s, which we wanted to challenge.
At that time I’d also moved to suburbia and I didn’t know anyone. And as a middle aged man it’s quite lonely to put your hand up and say, you know what, I’d actually like some friends. So one Saturday I organised a play date for dads. I put a call out on social media, and about 14 dads and 20 kids turned up, and we had soft play, DJ decks, beatbox battles, and absolutely no plan at all. But it took off, and I realised no one was on their phones, they were all having conversations with each other. And that was five years go – we now have 2,500 members in eight different countries.
Basically the idea is we give dads and kids the chance to play together, and rather than going to a rubbish church hall we do kick-
ass stuff. We’ve had a stand-up comedian running a dads v kids workshop, nerf wars and bush crafting in the woods, DJ workshops and film workshops.
We’ve also done intergenerational stuff (with a charity called Men in Sheds), bringing in men who used to be builders or carpenters but are now retired and have no outlet. They thought they were coming along to help build bird boxes, but the four-year-olds had other ideas, and before they knew it they were making pink unicorn robots! As well as the play dates, we run dads-only meet ups because, as we increasingly know, it can be really tricky to get men to talk and 84 men under the age of 45 are lost to suicide each week in this country.
We’ve engaged with more than 10,000 people through our events and of those, over 90 per cent say they’re happy to have met some new friends, 95 per cent are happy
Dan Flanagan, founder of Dad La Soul, tells how he’s tackling loneliness in dads and changing the perception of fatherhood, one kick-ass play date at a time
to have a safe space to talk to people that can relate, and 91 per cent feel less socially isolated.
A quick win would be more changing facilities in men’s toilets! No one wants to have to change their pride and joy on the floor of the men’s.
But the bigger picture is to change the narrative around fatherhood – we are useful, we have an active role to play and we’re not just babysitting our kids. A lot of work needs to be done with brands who say things like ‘These toys are chosen by mums’. Please! We’ve got 50 per cent of this –why isn’t it chosen by parents?
There’s also much more to be done around men’s mental health with long-term investment and support, which is an area we want to branch into some more.
We had one guy recently who opened up about his wife having stage four brain cancer and having no one to talk to about it. Another dad was struggling to support his child who was reassigning their own gender. He didn’t want to sound like a bigot by saying the wrong words, and simply wanted to love and support them, but didn’t know how – so we introduced him to one of the GP dads. We’ve also had dads encourage other dads to become more active –swimming in the sea, mountain biking, we cover it all.
Money. We’re completely volunteer led and I work on it in the evenings and weekends so there are lots of opportunities we’re missing out on. Yet for any brands or organisations who want to talk to dads, we’ve got the numbers and we resonate. We’re made by dads for dads so our approach is intrinsically different.
When we first started running the events a friend said this is one of the most franchisable businesses I’ve ever seen, but I didn’t want that. I’d been in the corporate world for years, making money for companies that had too much money and didn’t do very good things with that money. So I realised I had the power and the ideas to build this wonderful community, then galvanise it to do some really good things with it.
A personal highlight was our
New Year’s Eve party pre-Covid, where we had a 97-year-old granny DJing (the crowd singing Vera Lynn We’ll meet again back to her was unforgettable). We partnered with a charity that supports victims of domestic abuse and sold tickets at an affordable price, on the proviso that everyone brought along an extra present to give to those who would be in temporary accommodation over the Christmas period.
For me, social enterprise is the future of business because we’ve all got a part to play, even if it’s just sticking a tenner in a pot, and you become part of a social movement that sees real intrinsic change happen.
We’re launching in Brighton at a tech innovation centre called Plus X It’s got AI technology, VR maker spaces, and is across the road from one of the most socially deprived housing estates in the south east. Those communities never set foot in the same areas, so we’re going in as a catalyst to give those families the chance to come and access some really cool technology, and talk to others. That’s what it’s all about – talking to people.
Find out how you can support Dad La Soul and get involved with its upcoming events, workshops and play dates.
