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I THE UK’S #1 TRAVEL MAGAZINE

UK EDITION // OCTOBER 2021 // £4.95

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Deep South the new

ALABAMA • GEORGIA

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PORTO FLORENCE MACAU

WIN!

LOUISIANA • MISSISSIPPI • SOUTH CAROLINA

Seychelles How a new generation is transforming adventure travel in the Indian Ocean paradise

Northern Ireland Going off-grid among the standing stones & dark skies of the Sperrin Mountains

A LUXURY STAY ON SCOTLAND’S ISLE OF ISLAY

ALSO: BATH // BERLIN // LATVIA // SWITZERLAND // TURKEY // VALPARAÍSO // HOTEL AWARDS 2021

LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A SAILOR TO ENJOY A SAILING HOLIDAY

Whether you want to indulge in a sailing holiday that celebrates Europe’s most delicious food and wine or dive into a fun-filled family break, getting back on the water opens up endless opportunities for you to explore whilst in your own private social bubble. sunsail.co.uk

FRESH TROPICAL AIR CLEAN SPARKLING WATERS HIKING TRAILS TO EXPLORE AMAZING MOUNTAIN VIEWS

www.visitmontserrat.com #islandofmontserrat

October 2021

Contents

86 68 Deep South Whether it’s soul-stirring scenery, sizzling barbecues or Civil Rights history, the Deep South has a lot to offer. Discover it all on a winding journey through the states of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina

86 Seychelles A new generation of islanders are reinvigorating adventure tourism in the archipelago

110 Macau Look past the glitz and discover a city of intriguing contrasts and time-honoured traditions

98 Northern Ireland Dark skies meet poetic landscapes in the underexplored Sperrin Mountains

122 Porto Gastronomy has always been intrinsic to the Portuguese city, but now it’s taking centre stage

I N AT I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C T R AV E L L E R I S T H E U K ’ S # 1 T R AV E L M A G A Z I N E B Y S U B S C R I P T I O N S

Issue 96 Trumpet player in the French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana IMAGE: Getty

October 2021

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October 2021

Contents

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138

SMART TRAVELLER

37 The word What does the future hold for travel writing?

TRAVEL GEEKS

17 Snapshot Taking the plunge in Oman 18 Big picture All aflutter in Ho Chi Minh City 21 Artwork in progress New cultural happenings in Manchester 23 Hit the ground running Grab your trainers for a luxury marathon 25 Food A taste of Turkish cuisine 27 On the trail Cycling East Sussex’s Cultural Coast 29 Rooms Four of the best hotels in Valparaíso 30 Family Olympics-inspired active adventures 32 Inside guide What not to miss in Bath 35 Stay at home Beyond the potteries in North Staffordshire

38 Kit list Must-have gear for autumn foraging

132 Travel Geeks The experts’ travel manual GET IN TOUCH

41 Competition Win a luxury, three-night stay on Islay 43 Author series Calla Henkel on Berlin 44 Meet the adventurer Paralympic cyclist Steve Bate MBE

34 Subscriptions Make the most of our latest offer 153 Inbox Your letters, emails and tweets 154 Your pictures This month’s best travel photos

46 Online The latest highlights from the website DON’T MISS INSIDER

48 Weekender: Latvia Discover unspoilt beaches, waterfalls and fine dining in the Baltic hinterland 54 Eat: Vaud The Swiss canton in the Alpine foothills has a knack for mixing the old and the innovative

138 Hotel Awards 2021 From temples of design to far-flung lodges, we reveal the best new hotels of the past year 151 Events Dates for your diary this autumn

60 Sleep: Florence Family-run B&Bs, lofts and grand palaces — where to stay in the Tuscan capital

G O O N L I N E V I S I T N AT I O N A LG EO G R A P H I C .C O . U K / T R AV E L F O R N E W T R AV E L F E AT U R E S DA I LY

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Contributors National Geographic Traveller (UK)

Ellen Himelfarb I felt so at home exploring West Latvia — perhaps because the sweeping lakes and birch forests reminded me of Ontario.

But I also loved the old towns, including Kuldiga and Jurmala, and the beaches were immaculate and empty. LATVIA P.48

Sarah Marshall From hiking emerald mountains to diving on remote reefs, the opportunities for adventure are endless in the Seychelles.

It really feels like one of the most exciting and dynamic places to be right now.

SEYCHELLES P.86

Editorial Director: Maria Pieri Editor: Pat Riddell Deputy Editor: Amelia Duggan Commissioning Editor: Connor McGovern Senior Editor: Sarah Barrell Executive Editor: Glen Mutel Associate Editor: Nicola Trup Digital Editor: Josephine Price Deputy Digital Editor: Nora Wallaya Content Editor: Charlotte Wigram-Evans Assistant Content Editor: Angela Locatelli Project Editors: Jo Fletcher-Cross, Zane Henry, Farida Zeynalova Project Assistant: Sacha Scoging Head of Sub Editors: Hannah Doherty Sub Editors: Chris Horton, Ben Murray, Karen Yates Operations Manager: Seamus McDermott Digital Marketing Manager: Prabbie Kaur Art Director: Becky Redman Art Editor: Lauren Atkinson-Smith Senior Designers: Lauren Gamp, Liz Owens, Dean Reynolds, Kelly McKenna (maternity leave) Picture Editor: Olly Puglisi

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Production Manager: Daniel Gregory Production Controller: Joe Mendonca

National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published by APL Media Limited, Unit 310, Highgate Studios, 53-79 Highgate Road, London NW5 1TL nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel Editorial T: 020 7253 9906. editorial@natgeotraveller.co.uk Sales/Admin T: 020 7253 9909. F: 020 7253 9907. sales@natgeotraveller.co.uk Subscriptions T: 01293 312 166. natgeotraveller@subscriptionhelpline.co.uk

Pól Ó Conghaile Darkness can be good for you. The Sperrins Mountains aren’t just off-grid in terms of travel, but spectacularly free of light pollution too — one reason a new observatory has just been built in the heart of County Tyrone. NORTHERN IRELAND P.98

National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published by APL Media Ltd under license from National Geographic Partners, LLC. For more information contact natgeo.com/info.

Their entire contents are protected by copyright 2021 and all rights are reserved.

Reproduction without prior permission is forbidden. Every care is taken in compiling the contents of the magazine, but the publishers assume no responsibility in the effect arising therefrom. Readers are advised to seek professional advice before acting on any information which is contained in the magazine. Neither APL Media Ltd or National Geographic Traveller magazine accept any liability for views expressed, pictures used or claims made by advertisers.

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Chairman: Gary E. Knell Editorial Director: Susan Goldberg General Manager, NG Media: David Miller

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International Editions

I can never resist getting lost in the backstreets of Macau — age-old alleys crammed with scooters and street markets, swoop-roofed temples, clattering mahjong games and the sweet appeal of freshly baked Portuguese egg tarts. MACAU P.110

Editorial Director: Amy Kolczak Deputy Editorial Director: Darren Smith Editor: Leigh Mitnick Translation Manager: Beata Nas Editors: CHINA Sophie Huang; FRANCE Gabriel Joseph-Dezaize; GERMANY Werner Siefer; INDIA Lakshmi Sankaran; ITALY Marco Cattaneo; LATIN AMERICA Claudia Muzzi; NETHERLANDS Arno Kantelberg; POLAND Agnieszka Franus; ROMANIA Catalin Gruia; RUSSIA Ivan Vasin; SOUTH KOREA Bo-yeon Lim; SPAIN Josan Ruiz; TURKEY Nesibe Bat

Headquarters 1145 17th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036-4688, USA National Geographic Partners returns Óǯ v Ìà «À Vii`Ã Ì Ì i «À w Ì National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education.

Audrey Gillan The last time I was in Porto, I could barely walk after eating the city’s famous francesinha sandwich. So, it was both a revelation and a relief to witness its gastronomic transformation, led by young chefs breaking the mould. PORTO P.122

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Copyright © 2021 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All Rights Reserved. National Geographic Traveller and the Yellow Border Design are registered trademarks of National Geographic Society and used under license. Printed in the UK.

Gilbert Vancell – gvancell.com

The Majjistral Park, set up in 2009, forms part of the largest protected area in Malta as designated by the Environment & Resources Authority (ERA) in 2003 and forms part of the Natura 2000 network of protected sites within the European Union.

The Park is Malta's largest National Park, open all year round. It hosts various habitats and species unique to the Maltese Islands and has an extensive history of uses ranging from agricultural practices to military training. Nowadays, it is mostly aimed at public enjoyment and nature conservation, with significant efforts on rehabilitation of habitats.

majjistral.org

majjistralpark

Editor’s letter

Covid-19 The ongoing pandemic continues to affect travel. Please note, prices and travel advice are subject to change. Contact your travel provider for the most upto-date information. For the latest news on safe travel and border restrictions, visit gov.uk/fcdo

A

merica’s Deep South is a powerfully evocative region, etched in the popular imagination through legendary music, globally exported Creole and Cajun cuisine and its starring role in numerous iconic films and books. Your connection to it will already be personal — perhaps even shaped by first-hand memories.

Clustered together in the nation’s southeast corner, the five states we’ve focused on span sleepy swamps, soaring mountains, the mighty Mississippi River and some of the country’s most dynamic cities, from Atlanta to Charleston. Whatever ideas it conjures, this fascinating corner of the country is keeping its traditions alive, all the while reframing its history.

The region’s unique appeal to the senses is what really sets it apart, whether it’s the jazz riff s lingering in the air of New Orleans’ French Quarter, the heart-racing adventures on offer in its wildlife-rich wetlands or the delectable smokehouses of the BBQ Belt.

Difficult to pin down, perhaps, but home to architecture, music, landscapes, people and food that could belong nowhere else, the Deep South has a rich, complex appeal that continues to develop and grow. This issue, we celebrate the joys of the American Deep South, in all its ever-evolving glory.

DON’T MISS

Travel Writing Competition 2021 Have you got what it takes to impress our editors? Regale us with your travel tales for a chance to see your name in print — and win the trip of a lifetime with Kuoni. (p.31)

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

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AWARD-WINNING NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER LATA Media Awards 2020: Online Consumer Feature of the Year Award • BGTW Awards 2020: Travel Feature of the Year — Non UK • Travel Media Awards 2020: Consumer Writer of the Year • Visit USA Media Awards 2020: Best Consumer Travel Magazine Feature • British Travel Awards 2019: Best Consumer Holiday Magazine

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• BGTW Awards 2019: Best Travel Writer • BGTW Awards 2019: Best Europe Travel Feature • Travel Media Awards 2019: Young Writer of the Year • Travel Media Awards 2019: Specialist Travel Writer of the Year • AITO Travel Writer of the Year 2019 • AITO Young Travel Writer of the Year 2019 • BGTW Awards 2018: Best Travel Writer • Travel Media Awards 2018: Consumer Writer of the Year • BSME Talent Awards 2018: Best Designer • British Travel Awards 2017: Best Consumer Holiday Magazine • BGTW Awards 2017: Best Travel Writer • BGTW Awards 2016: Best Travel Writer • British Travel Awards 2015: Best Consumer Holiday Magazine

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READER AWARDS

READER AWARDS 2021

TH E P R I Z E S A WEEK’S STAY AT A TRULLO VILLA IN PUGLIA, ITALY You and five friends can spend a week at beautiful Trulli Olea, one of Puglia’s distinctive conical-roof houses, complete with a private pool. Near the hilltop town of Cisternino, Olea has hammock-strung terraces, a farmhouse kitchen, three apartment bedrooms and a shady gazebo for al fresco dining. relaxpuglia.com

A THREE-NIGHT GUIDED UK WALKING BREAK

LAST CHANCE TO VOTE

Enjoy a three-night guided walking holiday with HF Holidays. Go on up to three walks a day, ranging from easy, medium to hard, and on your return, refuel in comfort with full-board accommodation at your chosen HF country house. hfholidays.co.uk

£300 CITALIA VOUCHER

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

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Looking back at a year like no other, we want to reward the companies that gained or retained your trust, the TV shows and books that inspired you and the destinations that had you itching to travel again — as well as innovative online experiences, standout attractions and unique stays. So, have your say and help your favourites get recognised.

Cast your votes for a chance to win one of 23 fantastic prizes. Vote today at NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/READER-AWARDS

Citalia’s carefully curated trips span 300 handpicked hotels, bespoke cultural itineraries, beach breaks and exclusive train journeys. So, whether you’re dreaming of a Tuscan road trip or a Sicilian beach break, these travel vouchers will help you get there. citalia.com

20 FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS Fancy a year’s worth of National Geographic Traveller (UK) for free? Well, we’ve got 20 subscriptions to give away — so get voting.

Winners will be announced in the Jan/Feb 2022 issue. Voting and prize draw close on 30 September 2021 at 23:59 GMT and are open to residents of the UK and Ireland aged 18 and over. Prizes subject to availability. Full T&Cs: nationalgeographic.co.uk/reader-awards

October 2021

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SMART TRAVELLER ©ĂÁőΎʼn Ģäū ͭ​ͭ ;ĩĩà ͭ​ͭ gĢ őĂä őŅÁĆě ͭ​ͭ ĩĩġʼn ͭ​ͭ ;ÁġĆěű ͭ​ͭ HĢʼnĆàä úŖĆàä ͭ​ͭ őÁű Áő Ăĩġä ͭ​ͭ Ƌä ūĩŅà

SNAPSHOT

Maisa Al Hooti, Muscat, Oman Although Maisa studied conventional photography, her dream was to do something unique in her own way, and so she began to take her camera underwater. At first, being so deep in the ocean was frightening, but she saw it as a challenge and gradually overcame her fears to embrace the new environment. She not only wants to showcase marine life through her work, but also inspire younger people to explore what’s beneath the waves for themselves and help Oman become recognised as a leading destination for curious divers.

UMBERTO COA // PHOTOGRAPHER

COURTESY OF PARALLELO ZERO

umbertocoa.com parallelozero.com @umbertocoa @parallelozero

October 2021

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SMART TRAVELLER

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SMART TRAVELLER

BIG PICTURE

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Also known as the Tortoise Pagoda, the Jade Emperor Pagoda is one of the most important Taoist shrines in the Vietnamese city.

Worshippers flock to the sanctuary, just a short walk from Ben Thanh Market, to pray and make votive offerings of flowers and candles. Inside, the temple’s narrow, dimly lit and smoky hallways have a slightly surreal atmosphere, while the outside is a riot of colour and activity: pigeons flutter, incense wafts and people come and go beneath the bunting. It’s a vibrant contrast to the subdued sanctity of the temple’s interior.

SANDRA MORANTE // PHOTOGRAPHER sandramorante.com @holasandraphoto

October 2021

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SMART TRAVELLER

MANCHESTER

ARTWORK IN PROGRESS The Northern powerhouse has a string of cultural events scheduled, from immersive exhibitions to venue reopenings

Guests enjoy the tulips at RHS Garden Bridgewater, Salford LEFT: Manchester Jewish Museum, which has a new gallery, learning studio and cafe

NEW OPENINGS THE PARK

IMAGES: JOEL CHESTER FILDES/MANCHESTER JEWISH MUSEUM; RHS

The new 154-acre RHS Garden

Manchester has long been a poster child for innovation, and now the city is embracing a flurry of openings and makeovers to guide its post-lockdown future. Chief among them is the revamp of the MANCHESTER JEWISH MUSEUM, which has doubled in size thanks to an extension that’s been two years in the making. There’s a new gallery, learning studio and cafe, and the restored, 19th-century onsite synagogue will play host to an immersive installation by Turner Prize-winning artist Laure Prouvost until October. The SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY MUSEUM, meanwhile, has unveiled a new Special Exhibitions Gallery — the first stride in a plan that encompasses improved connections with the city and a goal of achieving net-zero emissions. manchesterjewishmuseum.com scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk Building on Manchester’s credentials as a UNESCO City of Literature is the MANCHESTER POETRY LIBRARY, set to open later this year at Manchester Metropolitan University.

It’ll be the shining new beacon on a literary trail that also includes ELIZABETH GASKELL’S HOUSE , now complete with a recently unveiled bedroom. Meanwhile, the multisensory VAN GOGH ALIVE is set to pitch up at Manchester’s MediaCity this October. The travelling exhibition will fill a 17,500sq ft venue with 360-degree screens, a sunflower-flanked trail and a reconstruction of Bedroom in Arles, bringing the Dutch master’s work to life with style. mmu.ac.uk elizabethgaskellhouse.co.uk vangoghaliveuk.com Further ahead, all eyes will be on THE FACTORY, a new cultural space scheduled for completion in late 2022. Its programme of events will range from visual exhibitions and large-scale installations to dance, music and theatre performances. Ahead of the official opening, a series of online artworks inspired by the project’s architecture, people and history — and hinting at its digital ambition — is available at virtual-factory.co.uk.

ANGELA LOCATELLI

Bridgewater is abloom in Salford.

Standing on the former grounds of Worsley New Hall, it features a Victorian walled garden and a Chinese-inspired streamside area, plus orchards, meadows and woodland. rhs.org.uk

THE HOTEL +L V «i i` Ìà w ÀÃÌ > V iÃÌiÀ property in May. The repurposed vw Vi L V >à ÓÈ£ `iÀ À Ã] > ÀiÃÌ>ÕÀ> Ì > ` µÕ À Þ ÌiÀ Àð , à feature recycled materials and ecominded rewards for guests are available. À ËÈ °Îä] À Þ° qbichotels.com

THE VENUE Band on the Wall, one of Manchester’s oldest music venues, will reopen in December with increased guest capacity, a new suite for young musicians and an enhanced archive on the history of the area. bandonthewall.org

October 2021

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SMART TRAVELLER

U LT R A M A R AT H O N S

HIT THE GROUND RUNNING

IMAGES: SCOTT SEEFELDT

Love endurance running? Hate roughing it? A new event in Scotland brings a touch of luxury to the gruelling world of the ultramarathon Longer than the traditional, 26-mile marathon, the ultramarathon is the ultimate feat of endurance — and a firm fixture on the extreme sports calendar.

The latest is Highland Kings, a 120-mile yomp along Scotland’s western fringes that bills itself as the world’s first luxury ultramarathon.

Snaking through glens and woodland and along a windwhipped coastline, the multi-leg event clocks up 33,000ft of ascent over four days, taking in some idyllic spots, such as the River Etive, Glencoe and the Isle of Arran. “There’s a magical feel to this part of the world,” says organiser Matt Smith, the founder of luxury adventure operator Primal Adventures. “It’s about discovering somewhere different; we wanted to get people off the beaten track and introduce them to areas they might not have visited before — places like Argyll, Arran and Loch Fyne.”

It’s not all hard going; runners have a support crew and bed down in luxurious tipis, with gourmet fare served up at mealtimes. They can also enjoy a personalised, sevenmonth training programme ahead of the April event that includes physiotherapy consultations and performance coaching. State-of-the-art gear is also provided and there’s a closing gala dinner in a castle, with event ambassador Sir Ranulph Fiennes in attendance as a guest speaker.

“There’s a group of people who want to push themselves and step out of their comfort zone, but who don’t want to compromise on comfort at the end of each day,” Matt says.

“We want to offer the full package, and not just a run.” The price? A sweat-inducing £15,499.

Matt stresses that with only 40 places available, there’s far less footfall than for many ultramarathons. What’s more, involvement in a tree-planting scheme, courtesy of Trees not Tees, offers participants a greener alternative to buying the token event T-shirt.

Registration now open; race takes place 25-29 April 2022. highland-kings.com primal-adventures.com treesnottees.com CONNOR MCGOVERN

Highland Kings takes in some of the most dramatic scenery in western Scotland

WHAT’S INCLUDED FOR £15,499 • Fully supported, 120-mile race • Personalised coaching • Speedboat transfers and luxury accommodation • A ‘sporting concierge’ service • Grand gala dinner in a castle, with guest speaker Sir Ranulph Fiennes

October 2021

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Big Imaginations The Place for

Newly-renovated and centrally-located Hilton Prague is a stylish city resort overlooking the historical centre of Prague.

An invitation to experience the exceptional, in a hotel committed to surprise you.

Get the lowest price when you book direct* at prague.hilton.com or call +420 221 822 100.

*Subject to availability. Terms & conditions apply. Visit hilton.com for further details.

SMART TRAVELLER

A TA S T E O F

TURKEY From cosmopolitan Istanbul to rural Anatolia, Turkish cuisine is fresh, seasonal and abundant. Ghillie Başan shares some of the highlights

IMAGES: MARTIN BRIGDALE

Ask a Turkish person about their favourite dishes, and they’ll chat animatedly for hours, describing fresh, crunchy salads scented with herbs; glorious, garlicky yogurt dips; vegetables stuffed with aromatic minced lamb and pine nuts; meat balls and kebabs; breads and savoury pastries; and sumptuous milk puddings and pastries packed with nuts.

Wherever you go in Turkey, there’s always something delicious to eat. Whether you’re in Istanbul, in a small village in Anatolia, on the slopes above Bursa or in a tourist resort in the Mediterranean, the aroma of grilling, baking and spices fills the air. You can try Ottoman puddings in Istanbul, apricots stuffed with rice in Cappadocia, anchovy pilaf on the Black Sea coast, fiery kebabs served on a sword in Adana, and honey in Kars, Eastern Anatolia.

Every town and city has a market where you’ll find a wealth of fresh, seasonal produce such as olives and pickles, juicy figs, ruby-red pomegranates, ripe melons, strings of dried red chillies and leafy herbs.

The beauty of Turkish food is that it’s seasonal and abundant.

Traditional recipes have been handed down from generation to generation and modern chefs add their own twists.

To get a taste of Turkey, head to Istanbul. People have migrated here from the far-flung corners of Anatolia (the Asian part of Turkey), Europe, the Middle East and the Black Sea countries, bringing with them their own culinary traditions and flavours. The famous spice bazaar is called the ‘Egyptian Bazaar’; the ubiquitous red chillies are often linked to Aleppo; there are Jewish köfte, Arab kebabs and Lebanese kibbeh, Circassian chicken and Russian salad, sautéed liver from Albania and spicy dumplings from Mongolia. This unique city never fails to surprise and tantalise the taste buds — or the adventurous spirit.

This is an edited extract from The Turkish Cookbook, by Ghillie Başan, published by Lorenz Books (£20).

Ubiquitous chilli-based condiment pul biber

Food and travel writer GHILLIE BAŞAN is the author of The Turkish Cookbook

THE INGREDIENT

Pul biber is moderately hot, fruity, finely chopped dried chilli.

It’s found in every kitchen and often placed on the table as a condiment for soups, köfte and kebabs.

MUST-TRY DISHES KURU PATLICAN DOLMASI

MANTI

TAVUK GÖGSU KAZANDIBI

Just about anything that can be stuffed with aromatic rice and minced beef or lamb can become a dolma — peppers, tomatoes, even apples, mussels and squid.

However, kuru patlican dolmasi (spicy stuffed dried aubergines) from southern Turkey, are pretty special.

Anatolian manti dumplings are stuffed noodle dough Ì >̽à Lii L i` À L> i`° -« VÞ] i>Ì w i` > Ì are best served with garlic yoghurt and topped with melted butter, pul biber (see ‘The Ingredient’, above right) and Turkish dried mint.

For a surprising dessert, try this classic "ÌÌ > «Õ`` }] «Ài«>Ài` Ü Ì ÛiÀÞ w i threads of burnt chicken breast (for texture rather Ì > y>Û ÕÀ®° / i LiÃÌ « >Vi Ì i Þ Ì Ã >Ì > specialist pudding shop.

October 2021

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P A I D C O N T E N T F O R D E S T I N AT I O N B R I T I S H C O L U M B I A

Competition

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T&Cs: Competition open to residents of the UK and Ireland aged 18 and over. Prizes are subject to availability. Full T&Cs available at nationalgeographic.co.uk/competitions

IMAGE: GETTY

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SMART TRAVELLER

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DID YOU KNOW?

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ON THE TR AIL

EAST SUSSEX

ILLUSTRATION: MARTIN HAAKE

Hop on a bike to discover a trio of vibrant south-coast towns and their celebrated art galleries as part of the county’s Coastal Culture Trail Words: Amanda Canning

3 ST LEONARDS-ON-SEA

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Wheel past Hastings’ timberdecked pier before briefly diverting from the cycle path into the neighbouring town of St Leonard’s. It’s here you’ll find the Kino-Teatr — a cultural complex with a refurbished cinema, a small shop selling mid-century design pieces and the Baker Mamonova Gallery, exhibiting 20th-century Russian art. Stop off in the cafe before getting back on two wheels. kino-teatr.co.uk

The trail veers from the coast for a couple of miles, returning to the sea near Eastbourne. Zip along the promenade before turning into town for your final dose of art at Towner.

The flamboyant building, built in 2009 and covered in a multicoloured, geometric mural, is home to 5,000 works, including the country’s largest collection of pieces by local boy Eric Ravilious. townereastbourne.org.uk

1 HASTINGS CONTEMPORARY

2 HASTINGS

4 BEXHILL-ON-SEA

6 EAST DEAN

Start things off at Hastings Contemporary, at the foot of the cliffs in the old town.

Overlooking the beach, the gallery is clad in striking, glossy black tiles to mirror the nearby wooden sheds used to store fishing gear. Changing exhibitions bring contemporary artworks to the galleries inside, with a focus on local themes and modern British artists, from LS Lowry to Stanley Spencer. hastingscontemporary.org

Before setting off on your bike, check out Hastings’ more traditional attractions. Mooch around the fishing boats pulled on to the shingle (the town is home to the UK’s largest beachlaunched fishing fleet) and discover more about the town’s unique, Grade II-listed huts at the Fishermen’s Museum. Don’t forget to take a ride up the cliffs on the Victorian funicular for fine views of the coastal route you’re about to take. ohps.org.uk

Get your legs going for a few miles along the car-free path to Bexhill-on-Sea, then lock your bike outside the dazzling white De La Warr Pavilion on the seafront. The gallery and cultural centre hosts free exhibitions by contemporary artists over two floors, as well as comedy gigs, talks and live music. Have lunch at the cafe bar, best enjoyed overlooking the Channel on one of the building’s beautiful, curved terraces. dlwp.com

The trail officially ends in Eastbourne, but hop back on your bike for a final excursion to the village of East Dean. Track down the special blue plaque to ‘consulting detective and bee keeper’ Sherlock Holmes; the fictional character was said to have retired to a cottage next to The Tiger Inn here. Celebrate finishing your journey with a pint of local ale and haddock and chips at the pub overlooking the green. coastalculturetrail.com

October 2021

27

MADE WITH

FROM 100% RECYCLED BOTTLES voited.co.uk

SMART TRAVELLER

W H E R E TO S TAY

VALPARAÍSO

IMAGES: ESTUDIO CC; ALEX OTERO

Check in to one of the Chilean city’s historic hideaways, where heritage, design and spectacular views blend seamlessly

CASABLU

HOTEL CASA SOMERSCALES

Streets draped across rippling hills; cobbled roads and pastel-coloured houses; and everything rolling down to the deep blue of the Pacific. Valparaíso — also known as ‘Valpo’ — is Chile at its most colourful and charismatic, and its UNESCO-protected historic quarter means things aren’t in any danger of changing fast. This respect for its history is encapsulated in its hotel scene, a gorgeous collection of tourist retreats located in old buildings — grand houses transformed into places of boutique beauty. The latest of these to open is CasaBlu: a large, clapboard house painted (as the name suggests) rich blue, in the Cerro Alegre, one of Valparaíso’s cerros, or hills, that’s now one of the trendiest parts of town.

History is everywhere here, from the front door, shipped over from England at the start of the 20th century, and colourful tiles, to Latin American religious sculptures and antique Buddhas. But, as with all the best house-hotels in the city, that history is updated for the 20th century — so you’ll also find street art-style madonnas, mismatched furniture and headboards that each seem bigger, and funkier, than the last. Coffered ceilings fight for attention with fluted, art nouveaustyle windows while colourful, stylised angel faces float above the beds. Whether you opt for a view of the bijou garden (where breakfast is served), the cerro or the bay, all of the 13 rooms are consistently stylish. From the rooftop terrace — another signature feature of many of Valparaíso’s hotels — there are sweeping views of the bay, and the historic port below. From £115, B&B. casablu.cl

This was once the home of Thomas Somerscales, an English painter and sailor who decamped to Cerro Alegre. Now it’s a pretty eight-bedroom hotel, with reproductions of his works on the walls.

Head to the terrace, where lovely views of the cerros and bay spread out before you. From £87, B&B. hotelsomerscales.cl CASA GALOS

Crafted from a 19th-century house in Cerro Alegre, Casa Galos is a thoroughly modern, boho hotel. Downstairs there’s a hipster feel, with exposed brick and inspirational quotes on the walls, while upstairs are nine rooms with bleached wood furniture, and a rooftop terrace overlooking the bay. There are also six duplex lofts. From £87, B&B. casagalos.cl CASA HIGUERAS

You can’t beat the views from the palmshaded pool at this 1920s mansion spilling down the hillside. If you can tear yourself away from the vistas, you’ll find a deft renovation that combines an lots of dark wood cladding with modern touches, such as smart leather headboards. There’s a restaurant, too, and a little spa. From £162, B&B. casahigueras.cl JULIA BUCKLEY

ABOVE: Plush headboard at Casablu; loft room at Casa Galos

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SMART TRAVELLER

FA M I LY

Axe-throwing in Bristol

GOING FOR GOLD Have the Olympics inspired you to get active? Here’s how the whole family can embrace their inner athlete

This sport has been growing in popularity in recent years.

At Battle Archery, hour-long sessions are open to families with kids aged 10 and over. The site’s efforts to cut its carbon footprint saw it win bronze in the Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism category at the 2019-20 Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards. £20 per adult, £10 per child. battlearcherybristol.co.uk

Zip-lining in South Wales You may already be aware of Zip World, whose adventure parks are dotted around Wales. Its newest site, Zip World Tower, opened in April in the Rhigos mountain range. It features Phoenix — the world’s fastest seated zip-line — and the Tower Coaster, which has a two-seater cart that allows a child passenger (aged four to eight) to zoom alongside the main rider. Phoenix: £50 per rider aged seven and over; Tower Coaster: £25 per rider aged nine and over. zipworld.co.uk BEN LERWILL

Hone your bow-and-arrow skills and aim for bullseye at The Bear Grylls Adventure activity centre. Open year-round, it offers 45-minute archery sessions, including tuition and equipment, for families with kids aged eight and over. The venue also has seven other activities, which include the tallest high ropes course in Europe (for ages eight and over), iFly indoor skydiving (for ages eight and over) and a pistol-shooting range (for ages 10 and over).

Archery from £20 per person; ropes from £32 per person; iFly from £52 per person; shooting from £20 per person. beargryllsadventure.com

Water sports in Pembrokeshire Few things guarantee a memorable family experience more than the prospect of everyone getting soaking wet, and the north Pembrokeshire coast provides a suitably splashy setting for the activities offered

by Preseli Venture. The eco-lodge offers everything from half-day to five-night adventures, with coasteering, surfing and sea kayaking all on the agenda — as well as sealspotting, if you’re lucky. Activities are suitable for ages eight and over, with all instruction and equipment provided. Half-day from £60 per adult, £50 per child. A week starts at £535 per adult, £435 per child. preseliventure.co.uk

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nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

Tree-climbing on the Isle of Wight On the island’s northeast coast, in Ryde, is a mighty oak tree, its branches stretching up to 50ft high. It’s the focal point of Goodleaf Tree Climbing, which uses ropes, harnesses and safety helmets to allow you to climb into the oak’s canopy. Open to climbers aged eight and over, bookings can be made each year until the end of October. From £29 per person. goodleaf.co.uk

Standup paddleboarding (SUP) on Loch Lomond SUP might have originated in Hawaii, but the popularity of this easy-to-learn watersport means you’ll now find tuition and paddleboard hire in all sorts of places, including Loch Lomond. From March to October, Loch Lomond Leisure offers beginners’ lessons, equipment hire and group bookings, as well as guided tours lasting up to four hours. From £20 per person. lochlomond-scotland.com

Exploring Pembrokeshire’s rocky coast by kayak with Preseli Venture ABOVE: Goodleaf Tree Climbing on the Isle of Wight

IMAGES: ANNA FULFORD; GETTY

Archery in Birmingham

TRAVEL WRITING COMPETITION 2021

LAST CHANCE TO ENTER Do you have a way with words? Are you forever regaling friends and family with tales from your travels? If so, our Travel Writing Competition is just the thing for you. Submit your 500-word entry by 19 September to be in the running to win an eightnight luxury tour of Kenya, courtesy of Kuoni and Governors’ Camp Collection, and for the chance to see your words in the pages of our magazine.

THE GRAND PRIZE The luxury travel experts at Kuoni are offering one winner the trip of a lifetime: an eight-night Governors’ Grand Safari for two people, including stays at Governors’ Mugie House (the newest property from Governors’ Camp Collection) and a tented retreat in the wildlife-rich Maasai Mara. Taking in three diverse areas of Kenya, the winner and their guest will experience the best of the country’s culture and scenery. kuoni.co.uk governorscamp.com

What are you waiting for? Enter now at

NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/COMPETITIONS Competition closes at 23:59 on Sunday 19 September 2021. Entrants must be residents of the UK or Ireland aged 18 or over. Winners will be announced in the December 2021 issue. For full T&Cs, see nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel-writing-competition-2021

October 2021

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SMART TRAVELLER

INSIDE GUIDE

BATH It’s the history that draws most visitors to Bath — be it the city’s Roman baths or the buildings of the goldenhued Georgian era. But venture beyond the best-known attractions and you’ll find proudly independent shops and top-quality food and drink. And, thanks to its river and canal, Bath offers a wealth of waterborne activities, too.

A saunter through Bath’s less-heralded attractions might start in the city’s BOTANICAL GARDENS . Here, THE LITTLE COFFEE CART sells refreshments between magnolia boughs. Next to the gardens, in the northwest corner of Royal Victoria Park, the GREAT DELL has a walkway among majestic redwoods and conifers. Nearby, behind the sweeping arc of the Royal Crescent, MARGARET’S BUILDINGS is a quaint shopping parade that’s worth a potter: browse GALLERY NINE for jewellery and ceramics, then step back in time at BERDOULAT, which sells wine, tea, spices and furniture, and recently had its 19thcentury shop counters splendidly restored. Also worth admiring are the majestic sweeps of CAMDEN CRESCENT and LANSDOWN CRESCENT (the latter offers views across the city). galleryninebath.com berdoulat.co.uk WALCOT STREET, meanwhile, is where you’ll find a host of local artisans. Take a calligraphy class at METICULOUS INK , try on scarves at KATHERINE FRASER — handwoven on the shop’s loom — then stop for a craft beer at BREWED BOY. Nearby, LANDRACE BAKERY uses organic, stone-ground flour for its baked treats and also in the pasta dishes served at its relaxed upstairs dining space. meticulousink.com katherinefraser.co.uk landracebakery.com A number of Bath’s museums focus on Georgian life and fashion but its smaller museums are also worth a look. Few people know that William Herschel discovered Uranus from a Bath garden in 1781; the HERSCHEL MUSEUM OF ASTRONOMY displays his telescopes, globes and workshops in his former home. Just outside the city, the AMERICAN MUSEUM & GARDENS at Claverton Manor, meanwhile, tells stories from US history through its decorative objects.

LIKE A LOCAL

WALCOT HOUSE

FRAMPTONS

Richard is a baker, chef and owner of The Bertinet Kitchen cookery school in Bath. He also offers cookery classes via BBC Maestro. thebertinetkitchen.com

This restaurant, dance club and gym is my go-to place for breakfast. The staff are excellent, and the place makes its own smoked salmon, which I love. I look for a nice, big table where I can put down my newspaper and look out the window. walcothousebath.com

It might be on the tourist trail, but Framptons does the classics well, like Ü>vy ià À >Û V>` toast. There’s a nice vibe and the service is great. Try and grab a window seat to enjoy the views of the weir and Pulteney Bridge. framptonsbar.co.uk

Richard Bertinet’s favourite pit stops

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Alternatively, visit The Cider Barn at DICK WILLOWS, a cider maker, for similar views accompanied by street food and chilled tunes. herschelmuseum.org.uk americanmuseum.org dickwillows.com There’s fine art and decorative art on display at the HOLBURNE MUSEUM, and from here you can drop down onto the Kennet and Avon Canal. The city is well set up for adventures on the canal or River Avon, and options include hiring a punt, canoe or skiff at BATH BOATING STATION, or a standup paddleboard from ORIGINAL WILD. Alternatively, the canal can be explored in a canoe or on a bicycle, hired from BATH NARROWBOATS. holburne.org bathboating.co.uk originalwild.com bath-narrowboats.co.uk Pub lunches and a walk go hand in hand, and the golden-stone hilltop village of South Stoke, just south of Bath, offers both. A roundtrip walk from THE PACKHORSE passes overgrown trenches that were once the Somerset Coal Canal, and the pub itself offers seasonal dishes and a garden. On the same hill, CASTLE FARM is home to a restaurant and supper club where the roti canai is a brunch favourite. packhorsebath.co.uk castlefarmmidford.co.uk For dinner in the city centre, CORKAGE has top-notch small plates. Offering something more substantial, THE ELDER is an elegant, wood-panelled affair focusing on game and traditional English cuisine, served up by chef Mike Robinson. corkagebath.com theelder.co.uk Taco bar DOS DEDOS brings more far-flung flavours, alongside more than 100 mezcals and tequilas. THE HIDEOUT is a former highwayman’s den that goes big on world whiskies. dosdedos.co.uk hideoutbath.co.uk Need to rest your head? THE YARD IN BATH is a boutique hotel with a wine bar showcasing organic tipples from local merchant WOLF WINES. Alternatively, NO 15 GREAT PULTENEY has 37 elegant rooms just minutes from the Pulteney Bridge, and a copper bath built for two in its basement spa. theyardinbath.co.uk wolfwine.co.uk guesthousehotels.co.uk visitbath.co.uk NATALIE PARIS

nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

THE GREEN BIRD CAFE It’s in a part of town most tourists tend to bypass en route to the Royal Crescent.

But what a beautiful place! There’s a great chef in the kitchen and it’s a lovely, family-run cafe. greenbirdcafe.co.uk

IMAGES: GETTY; TOBY MITCHELL; AWL IMAGES; SARAH FARNSWORTH PHOTOGRAPHY

Look beyond the Somerset city’s famous baths to discover lesser-known museums, hidden drinking dens and activities on the water

SMART TRAVELLER

People gather in Parade Gardens, on the banks of the River Avon CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: Breakfast at 15 Great Pulteney Street; Georgian architecture in The Circus; dining at The Elder Restaurant

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SMART TRAVELLER

DON’T MISS

S TAY AT H O M E

NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE Between the pillars of its industrial past, Staffordshire’s rural north offers scenic lakes and epic hikes

Why go

Where to eat

The location for Channel 4’s The Great Pottery Throw Down, Staffordshire offers an abundance of museums and tours that explore the ceramic heritage of the county’s northern swathe — there are 47 distinctive-shaped bottle kilns in the city of Stoke-on-Trent alone. Veer from the potteries, however, and the county’s rural side reveals itself: discover sprawling country estates, epic hiking trails and winding canal towpaths, which lead walkers through the perfect mix of city and country. enjoystaffordshire.com

No.26 at Aston Marina, in the town of Stone, has an extensive menu including flatbread pizzas and spiced samosas. Eat outdoors and watch the barges passing on the Trent and Mersey Canal. Alternatively, head to The Quarter in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, for sharing platters, cocktails and live music. astonmarina.co.uk thequartercafe.co.uk

IMAGES: GETTY; ALAMY

What to do The market town of Leek is the perfect base from which to explore the Peak District. Try the hike up The Roaches, a 1,657ft heatherblushed ridge where you can spot buzzards and sparrowhawks circling above. But it would be remiss not to delve into the area’s proud history of pottery. Visit the World of Wedgwood in Barlaston and join a tour to see what goes into making ceramics today.

There’s a chance to get stuck in and throw your own pot in the clay studio, too. Stay for afternoon tea — served on Wedgwood china, of course. worldofwedgwood.com

Be sure to spend some time in the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Hanley, Stoke-onTrent. Here you’ll find the Staffordshire Hoard, the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver ever found.

There’s an extensive ceramics exhibit, too, exploring the history of pottery and the ways the industry has shaped the area. stokemuseums. org.uk/pmag

We like While away the day at Trentham Estate, just outside Stoke-on-Trent. In the shadow of the ruined manor, indulge in an al fresco cream tea or stroll around the mile-long lake, swaddled in gardens designed by Capability Brown. Don’t miss the 60-acre Monkey Forest, where 140 Barbary macaques wander freely among the trees. trentham.co.uk

Where to stay On the edge of the Peak District near Leek, the Three Horseshoes Country Inn & Spa is an ideal base for exploring the area and has various grades of room to choose from. The restaurant uses local ingredients to cook up British classics, while the spa is wonderful for relaxing after a long country walk. From £120. 3shoesinn.co.uk CAROLINE BUTTERWICK

Reconstructed Sutton Hoo helmet, part of the Staffordshire Hoard at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery ABOVE: Tittesworth Water, near Leek

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SMART TRAVELLER

T H E WO R D

WHERE IS TRAVEL WRITING GOING? Having travelled the world to interview some of the greatest names in travel writing, academic and author Tim Hannigan reflects on how the genre is changing in the 21st century

distinction quickly breaks down, and it turns out that almost everyone rejigs chronology, shifts characters around or creates composites.

You could say the frontier between fact and fiction is crossed the moment a travel writer sits down at their desk to write.

I CAN’T THINK OF ANY OTHER LITERARY GENRE AS POTENTIALLY CONTENTIOUS AS TRAVEL WRITING. I think the basic impulse of it is a

positive one: to fi nd out about other places.

But by its very nature, travel writing is always going to have the potential to stir up controversy, and anyone writing — or reading — travel books needs to be sensitive to that.

THE NEED FOR TRAVEL BOOKS TO PROVIDE PRACTICAL INFORMATION ABOUT FAR-OFF

I SET OUT ON MY OWN JOURNEY OF TRAVEL

DESTINATIONS HAS PROBABLY PASSED IN THIS

WRITING WITH A SENSE OF TREPIDATION — AN

ERA OF MASS INFORMATION. But what a travel

ETHICAL UNEASE. Was there something fundamentally wrong with travel writing? And would my own love of the genre as a reader survive? I’ve come away with a greater appreciation for its challenges, its complexity and its rich heritage — and that has only deepened my love for it.

writer can still do is to provide a space for the voices of the people they meet along the way — those that scholars sometimes call ‘the travellee’. That’s something you’ll never get from Wikipedia and Tripadvisor.

TRAVEL WRITING HAS OPENED UP AND BRANCHED

IN RECENT DECADES, A LOT OF BRITISH TRAVEL WRITING HAS HAD A DOMESTIC FOCUS , with much blurring of the

distinction between travel and nature writing. There’s nothing wrong with that, but, in a way, it perhaps mirrors a political and cultural turn away from the wider world.

Surely a genre that travels beyond our own shores and seeks international connections is a force for good — even if it makes some mistakes along the way.

PERHAPS THE THORNIEST OF ALL QUESTIONS ABOUT TRAVEL WRITING IS ‘WHERE DOES THE FRONTIER BETWEEN FACT AND FICTION LIE?’ Many writers insist they

make nothing up; others openly embrace elements of fictionalisation. But when you start digging deeper, that

OUT IN THE PAST COUPLE OF DECADES. Writers like Kapka Kassabova, Noo Saro-Wiwa and Monisha Rajesh complicate what it means to be an ‘insider’ or an ‘outsider’. Others, such as Taran Khan and Samanth Subramanian, have shaken up outdated notions about travel writers invariably starting out from the old imperial power centres. There’s a greater diversity of voices and perspectives in the genre than there used to be, and that’s exciting for a reader like me.

Tim Hannigan is the author of The Travel Writing Tribe: Journeys in Search of a Genre, published by C Hurst & Co, £20.

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW ONLINE AT NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/TRAVEL

CLASSIC TRAVEL WRITING: MUST-READ REISSUES Celebrating ground-breaking travelogues of yore, John Murray Journeys is a new series of reisussed reads from John Murray Press, which has been publishing travel guides since 1836. All books £12.99

IMAGE: SUPERSTOCK

THE VALLEY OF THE ASSASSINS,

BY FREYA STARK The chronicle of Stark’s 1930s treks into western Iran to locate the Assassins in Alamut — an ancient Persian sect — is introduced by Monisha Rajesh, author of Around the World in 80 Trains.

THE CRUEL WAY,

BY ELLA K MAILLARTV

A VAGABOND FOR BEAUTY,

BY EVERETT RUESS

The Swiss adventurer’s account of an epic drive from Geneva to Kabul in 1939, accompanied by photographer Annemarie Schwarzenbach. Introduction

by Fiona Mozley, Bookershortlisted author of Elmet.

Letters and diary excerpts by the young artist, who vanished in Utah aged 20.

His intimate account of the journey was compiled by the late W L Rusho. Introduction

by Paul Kingsnorth, Bookershortlisted author of The Wake.

October 2021

37

SMART TRAVELLER

K IT L I S T

AUTUMN FORAGING

Before heading into the wilds to harvest fronds and fruits, stock up on the optimal kit Words: Nora Wallaya

1 NIWAKI TOKUSEN

4 BARBOUR LOWGOS JACKET

165MM SECATEURS

Wrap up against the elements without weighing yourself down.

This knee-length coat is light and waterproof, with a baffled inner for extra warmth and weather protection. It has a large hood, for staying dry in downpours, deep pockets for plunging cold hands into, and comes in a relaxed fit, so you can add layers underneath if need be. £259. barbour.com

Hand-forged from carbon steel, these Japanese-made ergonomic secateurs are small and light enough to hold in the palm of your hand, while being sharp enough to make quick, clean cuts.

A lightweight box crafted from paulownia wood ensures they can be safely stowed away while on the move. £149. niwaki.com

2 3

2 THE FORAGER’S CALENDAR,

5 FJÄLLRÄVEN ULVÖ ROLLTOP 23

BY JOHN WRIGHT

This roll-top backpack with a structured bottom has plenty of room (23 litres) for you to stack containers of delicate foraged items quickly and easily, keeping them tidy and organised. The durable, waterproof Bergshell fabric outer layer — made from recycled nylon — is new from Swedish brand Fjällräven. £140. fjallraven.com

This colourful guide provides a comprehensive introduction to the UK’s wild food, from the meaty-tasting hen of the woods mushroom to salty marsh samphire. Naturalist and mycologist John Wright reveals how to identify species, what to pick and when, and how to store your fi nds and prepare them for the table. £12. profilebooks.com

4 5

6

3 CAMELBAK CARRY CAP SST

6 BURGON & BALL

VACUUM INSULATED BOTTLE 1L

EVERYDAY GLOVES

You’ll need to carry water for both yourself and your finds. A litre will suffice for a short trip: use some to wash away soil and small critters before they find their way into your bag. This reusable bottle is easy to clean, BPA-, BPS- and BPF-free, and keeps liquids hot for 10 hours and cold for 24. £35. camelbak.co.uk

Created by Sophie Conran (of the Conran designer dynasty), these comfy gloves are durable enough to handle prickly branches.

They’re also machine-washable at 30C — handy when dealing with staining leaves and berries — and flare at the wrists for protection against snags and stings. £17.99. burgonandball.com

THREE MORE

WALKING BOOTS

SCARPA RANGER GTX ACTIV LITE

38

CRAGHOPPERS SALADO MID BOOT

DANNER MOUNTAIN 600

A new take on a classic, the Ranger GTX Activ Lite

These waterproof hiking boots have insect-

With all the comfort of an OrthoLite foamed insole

is lightweight and softly cushioned with a Gore-

repellent fabric, Vibram soles, a snug ‘ghillie’

footbed, these durable boots combine great

Tex lining — ideal for roaming and rambling, even

lacing system and excellent padding. £120.

support, grip and enhanced air circulation, making

in wet weather. £180. scarpa.co.uk

craghoppers.com

them a hiking must-have. £161. danner.com

nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

MERINO WOOL

MOISTURE WICKING

THERMO REGULATING

ODOR RESISTANT

C D A LT D – T H E M O U N TA I N W O R K S TELEPHONE: 01665 510660 EMAIL: SALES@ CDALIMITED.CO.UK CDALIMITED.CO.UK /DARN-TOUGH

Majestic Opatija Riviera awaits The Opatija Riviera offers diversity for its guests: culture, spas, luxury resorts, beautiful beaches, outdoor activities, excellent food and more! It is a fashionable Adriatic tourist resort that was once a health resort of Austro-Hungarian nobility due to its amazing, mild Mediterranean climate.

Once a favourite winter health resort, today Opatija is both a winter and summer destination for numerous tourists, wellness lovers and everyone who likes to spend a holiday at the seaside.

DISCOVER THE “QUEEN OF THE ADRIATIC”

www.visitOpatija.com Visit Opatija

COMPETITION

WIN

A LUXURY THREENIGHT STAY FOR TWO ON THE ISLE OF ISLAY National Geographic Traveller (UK) has teamed up with The Machrie Hotel & Links to offer a luxurious escape to the Isle of Islay, on Scotland’s west coast

ABOVE: The Stag Lounge at The Machrie, overlooking the links LEFT: Clean, clear waters on Islay mean fresh seafood is of the highest quality

THE DESTINATION

TO ENTER

Nicknamed the ‘Queen of the Hebrides’, Islay offers an unforgettable Scottish escape.

Sitting on the edge of a seven-mile-long stretch of beach, The Machrie is a stylish base for those wishing to explore this stunning Scottish isle. The Machrie can organise the perfect itinerary to discover Islay, be it a round of golf on the links, a family treasure hunt, distillery tour or trips to neighbouring islands, lagoons and bays.

Answer the following question online at nationalgeographic. co.uk/competitions: WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE SUITE FEATURED IN THE PRIZE? Competition closes on 31 October 2021.

The winner must be a resident of the UK and aged 18 or over. Full T&CS at

IMAGE: JAMES MCDONALD

THE PRIZE

nationalgeographic.co.uk/competitions

The winner and a guest will spend three nights in the Ben Hogan Suite at The Machrie, on a B&B basis. Also included are two dinners at 18 Restaurant & Bar; two rounds of golf on the 18-hole links course; transfers from Islay airport or Port Ellen ferry terminal; and complimentary Champagne on arrival. Activities include film nights, whisky tasking and walks along the dunes on the hotel’s doorstep. themachrie.com

October 2021

41

Berlin’s sexiest hotel.

PROVOCATEUR Brandenburgische Str. 21 10707 Berlin hello@provocateur-hotel.com provocateur-hotel.com #madewithlamour

SMART TRAVELLER

NOTES FROM AN AUTHOR // CALLA HENKEL

BERLIN With nightclubs and bars closed, the city’s late-night convenience stores, spätis, have become a focal point for al fresco fun in the German capital

ILLUSTRATION: JACQUI OAKLEY

S

pätkaufs, or spätis, are late-night stores that dot Berlin’s silver streets like neon charms. ‘Spät kauf ’ translates as ‘late purchase’, and these stores offer up a range of beers, cigarettes, magazines, crinkly bags of erdnussflips (puffed peanuts), sometimes even the internet on ancient computers, and a generous selection of Haribo. There are around 900 spätis in Berlin and their contents are almost always the same, yet each has its own logic. There are family-run spätis, party spätis with techno synced to lasers, spätis with Deutsche Post kiosks, spätis employing drag queens, spätis selling hand-cut fruit, and spätis that host elderly, smoking men at outside tables. Each späti is highly local, servicing a specific intersection of streets, and catering accordingly. And due to the absence of outdoor drinking laws, they’re also the backbone of nightlife in Berlin.

They’re a decidedly East German invention: in the 1950s, the term ‘spätverkauf ’ was coined in the former state for shops intended to supply night workers with a place to buy basic goods after the Konsum (a chain of co-ops) had closed. When I visited Munich for the first time, I couldn’t put my finger on why the city was making me feel claustrophobic — then I realised, with a small gasp: there were no spätis. You either had to sit in a restaurant or go to a grocery store — which, by comparison, feels dramatic for just a beer. Since moving to Berlin in 2008, I’ve learnt that the späti is the nexus of the kiez (neighbourhood), an ever-evolving patchwork of necessity and desire. Then came coronavirus, and suddenly everything a späti did, or meant, was intensified.

I live on the same block as KitKat, a sex club infamous for its weekly fetish parties, so my späti has a distinct party vibe. Many of my favourite nights have unfolded sitting at one of the two tables watching the queue of leather-spandex-harness-wearing clubgoers as they tried their luck at the door. If they got rejected, they almost always dipped back to the späti to regroup, laughing it off or desperately prepping for the next place. But about a year ago, KitKat became a coronavirus test centre and the line of clubbers morphed into a line of boringly dressed people waiting

It feels somehow like a new era, one where the intimacies of clubbing and socialising are mixing with the architecture of the city... Every day, people spend the day adjusting their chairs in the direction of the sun, all while maintaining a safe proximity to the späti

for a nose swab. Yet the muscular bouncers stayed on, only now checking sign-in QR codes and enforcing distance.

Come summer, with all the bars and clubs still closed, the energy that usually throbbed behind thick concrete walls was dumped out into the street and parks. Raves were organised in Hasenheide and Grunewald, the banks of the canal became the new beer hall, and all of this was fuelled by the späti.

Suddenly, the culture of exclusion that once ruled the city’s club scene evaporated — anyone can join for the cost of a beer.

It feels somehow like a new era, one where the intimacies of clubbing and socialising are mixing with the architecture of the city. Openair raves and parties have always had their place in Berlin but entering a park at night these days feels like moving through a solar system, with clusters of people on the ground, their phones glowing as they release their own soundtracks from Bluetooth speakers. At some junctures, these clusters come together, multiplying into organised groups and dancing. And in this new era, the particularly well-placed spätis — the ones close to these parks or boulevards — have turned outward, now playing to a wider public amphitheatre.

Every day, kerbsides act as benches and people spend the day adjusting their chairs in the direction of the sun, all while maintaining a safe proximity to the späti.

If one were to plan a walking trip through Berlin in warm weather this year, I’d suggest making stops at the Späti an der AdmiralBrücke in Kreuzberg, where there will inevitably be dozens, if not hundreds, of forms, lazily lounging across the stone bridge.

There’s also Pipapo, an oddly half-empty späti at Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz in Mitte, which supplies beverages for sprawling in the grassy triangle in front of the Volksbühne theatre.

Or, if you’re in the west, stop at SPÄTSHOP on Kantstrasse in Charlottenburg, where at night the storefront is lit like a spaceship-cumnightclub, with green LED lights and dance music pulsating into the street.

Berlin-based US artist and writer Calla Henkel is the author of Other People’s Clothes, published

by Sceptre, £14.99. @callahead_

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SMART TRAVELLER

MEET THE ADVENTURER

STEVE BATE With multiple Paralympic medals to his name, the cyclist is back from Tokyo and preparing to bike the length of Africa in a record-breaking 25 days How did this lead to you cycling for the ParalympicsGB team?

Getting to the Rio Paralympics in 2016 seemed like an impossible dream, but it was the perfect challenge after El Cap. I had a willingness to try hard and an attitude to always give my best. For British Cycling, it was a case of ‘if he can climb that on his own, then he’s got the right mindset about what it takes to achieve’.

The world record for cycling from Cairo to Cape Town is 41 days, 10 days and 22 minutes — set by Mark Beaumont in 2015. You’re planning to do it in just 25 days next year. How is that possible?

I’ve always been fascinated with mountains and the outdoors, but I didn’t get into professional rock climbing until I moved to the UK from New Zealand and started working my way through the challenging process of becoming an alpine guide. However, in 2011 I received a diagnosis: retinitis pigmentosa. They told me the worstcase scenario would be blindness in four years. I lost my driver’s licence, stopped climbing and got really depressed — who’d want to trek into the mountains with a blind guy?

Then a friend of mine, Andy Kirkpatrick, an expert in rope soloing, suggested I climb El Capitan before I went blind. He planted the seed and certainly gave me something to focus on. I wanted to prove — not to anyone else, but to myself — that I could still be who I wanted to be; that I could live a life of adventure without my disability holding me back.

What did you learn about yourself from the whole experience?

After spending six days on that wall, in 2013, something clicked. When I reached the summit, I thought that if I can do this, I can do anything. I’d been a climber for a decade and had always wanted to try El Cap, yet I’d always made excuses not to go. All it ever really boils down to is the fear of failure, which is probably the thing that stops most people from achieving their dreams.

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How do you prepare for long-distance journeys?

I’ve been doing local bikepacking [biking with luggage in panniers] trips to test myself. For example, when I rode the length of Scotland from Coldstream, on the border, right up to Tongue, at the top, I chose to ride through the Cairngorms National Park. I wanted to know how I’d cope mentally. This is where a lot of riders can get unravelled, but for me, the point where I just want to get off is the space where I can learn about myself.

What advice would you give to those coming to terms with a challenging new disability?

It’s important to look towards a goal of where you want to be, but equally important to work it back to where you are.

Ask yourself what small thing you can do today to make tomorrow easier, break it down into bite-size pieces and always try to remove emotion from the equation. Success is never a straight line. If you can accept that, adapt along the way and always keep your end goal in mind, then you’ll have the ingredients to succeed.

INTERVIEW: SACHA SCOGING Scottish-New Zealander Steve Bate MBE is a member of the ParalympicsGB team and an ambassador for Elliot Brown Watches stevebatembe.com elliotbrownwatches.com

RE AD THE FULL INTERVIEW ONLINE AT NATIONAL GEOGR APHIC. CO.UK/ TR AVEL

IMAGE: PADRAIG SPILLANE

You’re the first visually impaired person to have solo climbed El Capitan, in California’s Yosemite National Park. What inspired you to do this?

Mark travelled completely solo, which involved arranging his own food and places to camp. It’s an adventurous way to go, but it’s also time you lose when you could be riding. Mark is fully supportive of my approach and he’s even come on board as my adviser and mentor. My aim is to average 250 miles a day; some days, I’ll come up short and hopefully others I’ll get a few extra miles in the bank. For example, northern Ethiopia looks horrifically mountainous — I’ll have back-to-back days of climbing 6,000 metres, which is going to be insane.

I spend so much of my time riding around in circles, so to be able to go on an adventure like this and see new things every day really excites me. No other para-athlete has gone after a world record of this magnitude.

W H AT ’ S O N L I N E

WHY FINLAND OFFERS THE ORIGINAL WELLNESS ESCAPE The space and solace of Lapland’s forests beckon — join in the time-honoured national pastime of hiking and foraging in remote Ranua. Words: Kerry Walker

Forest, all is forest. Stretching away from the road, vast swathes of woodland knit together the whole landscape without dropping a stitch.

The journey is long to reach the modest settlement of Ranua in Finnish Lapland; the scenery monotonously beautiful. For hours, we drive on ruler-straight tarmac arteries, empty but for the odd timber lorry and solitary reindeer. If you were to cut deep into the body of Finland it would bleed green and blue: these are the country’s defining colours.

Around 70% of Finland is forest — pine, fir and beech, mostly — and with some 188,000 lakes, you can barely touch a map without dipping a finger into piercing aquamarine water, the kind only found under northern skies.

Forests are in Finland’s DNA. Long before ‘forest bathing’ became a trend and social distancing a necessity, Finns were seeking out the space and mind-clearing solitude that only the forest could afford. As deep, quiet and introspective as the woods that surround them, most of the Finns I know can’t abide idle chitchat. This is a nation, too, that still worships at the altar of the green gods.

‘Metsä kuuntelee silloin kun kukaan muu ei’ is a Finnish idiom meaning ‘the forest listens when no one else does’. And to listen, as Finns well know, you need to be silent.

Silence comes easily to a country that, geographically, enjoys extreme apartness and prizes sisu, the hard-to-translate national characteristic soldering together ideals of hardiness, courage, freedom and emotional

resilience. Sisu is reflected in ice bathing and fiercely hot saunas, birch-branch whippings and walking for miles to forage for berries that grow in mosquito-infested swamps when you could just put your feet up in the garden.

The latter is the reason I’ve made the pilgrimage to Ranua, a small town just south of the Arctic Circle and Finland’s selfproclaimed ‘cloudberry capital’. Born of snow and native to the Arctic, the cloudberry is a rare and precious thing. When its amber hue lights up the swamps for a few brief weeks in July, it signals the height of summer, stirring the hunter-gatherer instinct in Finns, some of whom drive hundreds of miles just to pick a few punnets of the berries that are called hilla in Ranua and lakka elsewhere. READ MORE AT NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/TRAVEL

TOP STORIE S Here’s what you’ve been enjoying on the website this month

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FOOD

PHOTOGRAPHY

PORTUGAL

Six of the best UK food festivals this summer

How I got the shot: Prabir Mitra on Holi Festival

Meet the maker: Lisbon’s tea sommelier

Our pick of the nation’s top food festivals, from Cornwall to Wales

The photographer on capturing India’s celebration of colour

One man’s efforts to re-establish Portugal’s historic tea culture

ONLINE

H OW S K AT E B OA R D E R S R E C L A I M E D A N O LY M P I C S TA D I U M I N AT H E N S

B E YO N D T H E T R AV EL S EC T I O N

Although Olympic stadiums are erected amid great jubilation, a number fall into disuse and disrepair after the Games finish. In Athens, however, skaters are reclaiming abandoned spaces and inviting young refugees to join them. Words: Hannah Bailey

The sport is widely believed to have been started by American surfers on ‘flat days’ (days without waves), and it was then propelled to popularity after the California drought of 1976, as ‘sidewalk surfers’ moved from skating streets to riding in empty, back garden swimming pools. This transition to skating on smooth concrete made its mark on the scene, paving the way for the creation of skateparks around the world today.

And things are changing again, as the world’s biggest competitive stage becomes the sport’s next platform. At the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the disciplines of street and park skateboarding made their debut. It’s an exposure that many of the sport’s core participants feel isn’t really in the spirit of skateboarding — one of freedom and individualism. READ THE FULL

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P H O T O G R A P H Y

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The region that roofed the world: striking views of the slate landscapes of North Wales The latest UK site to be added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list is place of wild beauty and brooding industrial heritage

STORY ONLINE NOW

IMAGES: GETTY; HANNAH BAILEY; ALAMY; ARTUR TIXILISKI; PRABIR MITRA

It’s summer in Athens, and already too hot to wander, particularly in open spaces as dusty and derelict as where we stand now.

Not so long ago, this forgotten place would have been filled with raucous crowds of people — but today, we’ve just the sound of our own footsteps for company. It’s been like this for years.

We’re in the abandoned rapids of the canoe and kayak slalom — a place once used by Olympic athletes in pursuit of sporting victory. In 2004, this was their venue, the Hellinikon Olympic Canoe/Kayak Slalom Centre, a vast concrete expanse with a stadium able to seat more than 7,000 spectators. Once flowing with salt water and kayaks, it was abandoned just 10 years after construction. But there’s one sporting activity perfectly suited to making use of smooth concrete and dry spaces — skateboarding.

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E N V I R O N M E N T

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‘Women felt at ease to write about being outside’ Editor Katharine Norbury explains why a new anthology celebrating women’s take on Britain’s landscape is not only needed, but long overdue

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C O V I D - 1 -9

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Portraits tell the stories of the UK’s volunteer vaccinators A photo project focuses on the ‘ordinary’ people assisting Britain’s biggest-ever massvaccination programme

S E A RC H F O R N ATG E OT R AV E LU K FAC E B O O K I N S TAG R A M T WITTER CYCLING

INTERVIEW

ITALY

The best UK cycling routes according to experts

From my city to yours: muralist Okuda San Miguel

Six tours of Rome that reveal a different side to the city

Discover some exciting new journeys to take on two wheels

The Spanish artist discusses the best of Madrid’s art scene

Get a fresh new perspective on the Italian capital

PINTEREST

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WEEKENDER

LATVIA Pair a city break to Riga with a trip through western Latvia, home to unspoilt Baltic beaches, wartime history and wooded waterways. Words: Ellen Himelfarb

L

atvia’s breathtaking geography and colourful cultural patchwork are enough to tempt any traveller seeking unknown adventures. In the cosmopolitan capital, Riga, Baltic and Nordic sensibilities meld with the village-like atmosphere of the Old Town, while grand monuments stud the Soviet-built boulevards. But head west out of the city and the hinterland hits you almost immediately. Forests of oak, birch and linden come right up to the road, the sound of folk songs drifts over wildflower meadows, and white storks soar overhead en route to nests

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in the highest branches of native pine and spruce trees.

You’ll get the landscape largely to yourself here — little wonder, in a country with only two million citizens. When driving through this western corner of the country, the coast is never far away, and summer days are long and bright, giving you even more time to enjoy the unspoilt, golden-sand beaches that look out across the Baltic Sea towards Estonia and Sweden. It’s easy to cover a good swathe of it in a weekend, and — even better — it won’t cost the world.

TOP 5

Scenic walks ABAVA VALLEY NATURE PARK In western Latvia, trails veer off the road between Kandava and Renda and head into the Abava Valley.

The prettiest connects the town of Sabile and the village Rumbciems, along the Abava River. Also located here is Zviedru Cepure, a popular Nordic skiing spot in winter.

BULDURI Half an hour from central Riga, the neighbourhood of Õ `ÕÀ ] ŹÀ > >] vviÀÃ > 15-mile sandy beach. You can admire the sunset well into the night here (after 10pm in summer), as well as explore the ornate wooden houses on the streets behind the beach.

PRIEDAINE Quieter and more rustic than neighbouring Bulduri, Priedaine has a three-mile trail anchored by a sauna at one end and a giant dune at the other. The pine forest thins out in sleepy 6ňÀ Õ À }Ã] Ü iÀi Þ Õ V> take a dip in the Lielupe River.

KALNCIEMA IELA

DAY ONE HISTORY & HIDEAWAYS

In the past few decades,

IMAGES: PURVUBRIDEJI.LV/KRISTAPS KIZIKS; ALAMY

many of the wooden

MORNING

AFTERNOON

EVENING

Victorian buildings on

Take a stroll through Riga’s Esplanāde park, dotted with domed churches and monuments, before exploring the cobbled old town (Vecrīga). St Peter’s Church, with its gothic tower, is surrounded by tight, lamplit streets that lead across the canal to Riga Central Market. All of Riga convenes here — babushkas at the market stalls, hipsters nibbling crescent-shaped piragi bread rolls, and families huddled over bowls of pork dumplings. Out in the marketplace, where vendors hawk flowers and matroyshka dolls, you’ll find grand Gogola Street, where the ruins of the Great Choral Synagogue stand.

Back in the centre, and surrounded by parkland, is the Museum of the Occupation, tracing Latvia’s history from the Nazi and Soviet eras to independence in 1991.

It’s an easy drive across the Daugava River and out of town, heading west on the A10 motorway.

With spruce and birch forests to either side, the road winds around the Gulf of Riga to the former resort town of Ķemeri and its eponymous national park. From the rustic welcome lodge, timber boardwalks span miles of ancient bogs splayed out among the reeds.

A striking silence percolates through the deserted wilderness, interrupted only by the twittering and pecking of birds. From the lookout tower it’s easy to spot cranes and sandpipers wading in the same mires where Nazi soldiers sank so many tanks during the Second World War; they’re still down there, somewhere. Linger a while to watch the sunset over the marshes.

Latvia’s beaches are delightfully undeveloped, and Jūrmala Beach, in the nearby city of Jūrmala, to the west, is one of the longest and loveliest. Rigans of means have long gravitated to the city’s calm, adjacent suburb, Bulduri.

A century ago, well-to-do Latvians built elaborate clapboard cottages on the leafy streets set back from the sea — some are available for holiday rental, but all are beautiful just to look at on a slow neighbourhood drive.

Jūrmala is a fine spot for dinner, too: 36. Line does deliciously light herring sushi, and steamed Baltic Sea mussels cooked in a in white wine sauce. After dinner, carry on an hour west to Kukšas to bed down in Kukšu Manor, a 16th-century menor stuffed with Russian antiques and fine art.

Kalnciema Iela — the main `À>} , }>½Ã ď}i à > à neighbourhood — have been restored, with some now cafes or craft beer pubs. On Saturdays, an artisan market pops up halfway along its length. kalnciemaiela.lv

MIERA IELA Start at the twin cemeteries in Riga’s Brasa neighbourhood — one for Russians, one for Baltic Germans — and stroll south along Miera Iela. The street is a veritable timeline of Latvian architecture, home to ramshackle wood churches, art nouveau mansion blocks and art deco shopfronts. It’s also where bohemian Riga comes to eat, drink and shop.

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WEEKENDER

TOP 3

DAY TWO CASCADES & CUISINE

Latvian tipples

MORNING

AFTERNOON

EVENING

The best way to enjoy the diverse landscape of western Latvia is by car. From Kukšas, the road unfurls past windmills, stone farmhouses, waterfalls and former train depots where children play among the poplars. Hints of civilisation appear here and there, in the neighbouring villages of Vāne, with its white stucco church, and Kabile, where an elegantly peeling manor is home to a boutique winery. The road here is usually almost empty, and without much warning, the town of Kuldiga appears before you on the Venta River. Look to your left as you cross the red-brick bridge and you’ll see the Venta Rapid waterfall. It’s around 7ft at its highest point but over 200 metres wide — making it the widest waterfall in Europe.

In spring and autumn, Latvia’s Baltic salmon seem to defy gravity attempting to clear Venta’s rapids.

The spectacle musters quite a crowd on Kuldīga’s waterside cafe terraces, and some people even climb down and walk along the waterfall ridge — a slippery endeavour. Next, head to the old timber village up on the bank, once a key Hanseatic trading port.

Centuries ago, when this land was part of the Duchy of Courland, the people of Kuldīga (a town in the west) colonised Tobago in the Caribbean, and spent their newly acquired riches building sprawling villas and red-roofed townhouses, now magnificently restored. Spot the finest around the main drag, then stop for a wood-fired pizza at the Goldingen Room.

Back in Riga, the place to stay is the Dome Hotel, a former merchant’s house in the old town.

Expect sumptuous bed linen, a traditional sauna where staff swat you with branches, and a toprated restaurant run by a veteran of Copenhagen’s Noma. Another dining option, set in a former barracks, is 3 Pavāru Restorāns (‘three-chef restaurant’). It’s named for the trio of Latvian chefs who do magical things here with all manner of ingredients, such as ostrich, smoked catfish and octopus. Dinner starts with your server literally painting the tabletop à la Jackson Pollock with five different dipping sauces for your bread, and ends with dessert wine that arrives in a cloud of dry ice.

BITTERS When toasting with a hearty ‘«À i ň!’, Latvians look less often to the mighty grape than to spirits infused with birch, cranberry and other V> y À>° ÃÌ L>ÀÌi `iÀÃ keep a bottle of the local vodka-based, black balsaminfused bitters, and serve it with heated blackberry juice and cinnamon for a version of Ì i Ì Ì ``Þ°

WINE Latvia’s largest winery, family-run Abavas, 40 miles west of Riga, offers tours and tastings of its sweet rhubarb wines and slightly wââÞ V `iÀð / iÞ « « Õ« menus across the country, in upmarket establishments such as Barents wine bar in , }>° abavas.lv barents.lv

BEER One of Latvia’s top microbreweries, Labietis produces 40 varieties of beer, V >Ãà wi` LÞ Ì i À ÃÌÀi }Ì ] from the simple Grey Family of 5% ABV lagers and ales Ì Ì i £ä¯ *ÕÀ« i > Þ° Labietis operates in a former factory enclave off trendy Miera Iela road that’s recently emerged as a hub for beer

IMAGES: ALISE LIELDAUDZIETE; ALAMY

> ð labietis.lv

LEFT: Goldingen Room, a restaurant in Kuldiga that ÃiÀÛiÃ Ü ` wÀi` « ââ> PREVIOUS PAGES FROM LEFT: Cathedral Square and St Peter’s Church in Riga’s medieval old town; walkers explore Kemeri National Park

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WEEKENDER

A CHANGE OF TUNE

/ i v ÀiÃÌ iiÌÃ Ì i Li>V >Ì ŹÀ > i] > Û >}i > Ã ÀÌ `À Ûi ÜiÃÌ v Õ `ŝ}>

Call-andresponse folk singing is a custom of Latvia’s Suiti people, a Catholic minority.

Proceeding like a rap battle, one might begin, ‘You’re not wearing socks, you must be poor!’ and a possible response could be, ‘Your nostrils are so wide, you can smell someone a mile off!’

THREE MORE PILGRIMAGE TRAILS MORE INFO

RIGA TO JAUNMĀRUPE

JAUNMĀRUPE TO TĪREĻI

LĪVBĒRZE TO DOBELE

Riga sits two-thirds of the way along the 350-mile pilgrimage route. Still, most international visitors will start here and dip into the final six stages through western Latvia. The first 10-mile stretch leaves Riga’s St Jacob Catholic Cathedral and slices across the pretty, pastel-hued old town before crossing the Daugava River. Pedestrian and bicycle paths weave through the leafy residential suburbs that segue into hobby farms. Soon they meet up with the Mārupīte River and hug the riverbanks toward Jaunmārupe, a town of Sovietstyle brutalist architecture and asymmetric, modernist houses.

Serious walkers might opt to tackle the 16 miles onwards to Tīreļi.

The path ducks into the woods just outside Jaunmārupe and crosses acres of birch forest in the Cenas Tīrelis nature reserve.

Halfway along, it meets a former First World War battlefield, where Latvian soldiers vanquished the Germans at Christmas in 1916.

Near Tīreļi, on a gravel path amid fields of wildflowers, is an observation tower with views over the treetops to the sea, while pinstraight paths stretch through the woods to the town’s crossroads.

Just beyond Tīreļi, walk across the Lielupe River on a truss bridge overlooking the countryside.

The easiest section of the Camino unfolds 11 miles from the sleepy village of Līvbērze, an hour’s drive from Riga. Start at the town’s only crossroads and follow the old trackway to the artfully peeling one-room church in Bērze. Empty country roads carry on across the plains — just off-piste in a heritage farmhouse is the Pikšas museum, devoted to agricultural livestock and farm implements. After a few hours, Dobele emerges from the grasslands. The gothic ruins of Dobele Castle — built in the 14th century during the Livonian Crusade — rise dramatically over a bend in the River Bērze.

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HOW TO DO IT č À > Ì V y ià ` ÀiVÌ Ì , }> vÀ i>Ì À Ü > ` >ÌÜ V ° / iÝ« Ài Ì i V Õ ÌÀÞà `i] it’s essential to hire a car (try `>Þ čÕÌ Ã] vÀ ˣΠ> `>Þ®° airbaltic.com holidayautos.com , }>] ` ÕL i À à >Ì Dome Hotel ÃÌ>ÀÌ >Ì Ë£xä] B&B. Double rooms at Kukšu > À ÃÌ>ÀÌ >Ì Ë£ÈÓ] E ° domehotel.lv kuksumuiza.lv

IMAGE: ALAMY

Latvia has created its own stretch of the Camino de Santiago — Camino Latvia — which runs diagonally across the country. Mostly flat, it can be tackled in 18 stages from Valka, bordering Estonia, to Žagarė, across the Lithuanian border. Here are three of the best. caminolatvia.com

Katkevich. katkevich.lv Museum of the Occupation of Latvia. okupacijasmuzejs.lv Kemeri National Park. kemerunacionalaisparks.lv 36.Line. 36line.com Kukšu Manor. kuksumuiza.lv Kabile Winery. kabilewinery.lv Î *>ÛňÀÕ ,iÃÌ Àň ð 3pavari.lv latvia.travel

ECLIPSE

For any informations : info@brm-luxury.com - +33(0)1 61 02 00 25

E AT

VAUD

I

t’s 7am on a Sunday, and I’ve not had the gentlest of wake-up calls from Swiss farmer Colin Rayroud. Some hours ago, at dawn, I’d woken and climbed down from my berth in the hayloft to milk the cow. Now, having emptied the buckets into a steaming vat in a dimly-lit, wood-panelled kitchen, it feels like I’ve stumbled into a medieval sauna — albeit one that reeks of milk.

Through the swirl of steam in the dimly lit, wood-lined kitchen, I admire the bright, shiny sides of a 640-litre copper pot hanging over the open wood fire. “This is at least 40 years old,” Colin says of the cauldron sloshing with milk. “My father and grandfather both used it; I learnt everything I know about l’étivaz cheese from them.”

Since 2005, my host has been making this hard cheese here in the Rougemont area of Vaud during the short cheesemaking season, when the cows graze in the summer Alpine pastures. He started his working life as a

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carpenter, travelling the world and spending time in the likes of Quebec, New York and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, home to the oldest and largest Amish community in the US. “The Amish have some pretty interesting farms,” Colin recalls wryly.

Inspired by the traditional agriculture he saw on his travels, he returned to Vaud and turned his hand to cheesemaking. He’s one of only 70 or so makers of l’etivaz, a cheese with strict production regulations.

To warrant its appellation d’origine protégée (AOP) designation, the cheese — which has a nutty taste similar to that of gruyère — must be produced between May and October using unpasteurised milk, heated over a log fire.

Once made, it’s stored and sold by the local cooperative, which was founded in 1935.

Colin and his assistant, Alessandra Lapadula, work the intensive production period, alternating between his two chalets so the cows have fresh pasture to graze, and

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: The old town of Lausanne, the capital of Vaud; the view across vineyards to the town of Vevey, on Lake Geneva; l’etivaz cheese served with local Vaudois wines; Merlot grape harvest at Abbaye de Salaz

IMAGES: 4CORNERS; VISUALPS.CH

Set between the shores of Lake Geneva and the peaks of the Alps, the Swiss canton melds its culinary traditions with innovation while maintaining a deep appreciation for both produce and place. Words: Sara Sherwood

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ĚĞůŝŐŚƞƵů ŚŽƚĞů ƚŚĂƚ ĐŽŵďŝŶĞƐ ǀŝůůĂŐĞ ĐŚĂƌŵ ĂŶĚ ŐŽƵƌŵĞƚ ĐƵŝƐŝŶĞ KƵƌ ŚŽƚĞů ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŚĞĂƌƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ǀŝůůĂŐĞ ŽĨ ƵŝůůŝĞƌ͕ ŶĞĂƌ ELJŽŶ͕ ŽīĞƌƐ ƐƵƉĞƌď ǀŝĞǁƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƐƵƌƌŽƵŶĚŝŶŐ ǀŝŶĞLJĂƌĚƐ͕ ŶĞĂƌďLJ >ĂŬĞ 'ĞŶĞǀĂ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ĚŝƐƚĂŶƚ ůƉƐ͘ 'ƵĞƐƚƐ ǁŝůů ĞŶũŽLJ ŽƵƌ ĞdžƋƵŝƐŝƚĞ ĐƵŝƐŝŶĞ ĂŶĚ ĂƉƉƌĞĐŝĂƚĞ ƚŚĞ ĐŽƐLJ ĐŽƵŶƚƌLJ ŚŽƵƐĞ ĚĞĐŽƌ ŽĨ ŽƵƌ ŚŽƚĞů ƌŽŽŵƐ͘ ŽŵĞ ĂŶĚ ƚƌLJ ŽƵƌ ƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂů ƐƉĞĐŝĂůŝƟĞƐ ƐƵĐŚ ĂƐ ƉĞƌĐŚ ĮůůĞƚƐ Žƌ ŽƵƌ ĐŚĂƌďŽŶŶĂĚĞ ŵŝdžĞĚ Őƌŝůů ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚƌĞĞ ĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚ ƐŽƌƚƐ ŽĨ ŵĞĂƚ͘ tĞ ĂƌĞ ĂůƐŽ ƌĞƉƵƚĞĚ ĨŽƌ ƐĞƌǀŝŶŐ ŐĂŵĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĂƵƚƵŵŶ͘ tŝƚŚ Ă ƐĞůĞĐƟŽŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ďĞƐƚ ǁŝŶĞƐ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ůŽĐĂů ĂƌĞĂ ĂŶĚ ƌĞŐŝŽŶƐ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ^ǁŝƚnjĞƌůĂŶĚ͕ ŽƵƌ ǁĂŝƚĞƌƐ ǁŝůů ŚĞůƉ LJŽƵ ĮŶĚ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌĨĞĐƚ ĂĐĐŽŵƉĂŶŝŵĞŶƚ ƚŽ LJŽƵƌ ŵĞĂů͘ ƵŝůůŝĞƌ ŝƐ ƚŚĞ ŝĚĞĂů ĚĞƐƟŶĂƟŽŶ ĨŽƌ Ă ǁĂůŬŝŶŐ Žƌ ĐLJĐůŝŶŐ ŚŽůŝĚĂLJ͕ ǁŝƚŚ ǀĂƌŝŽƵƐ ƚƌĂŝůƐ ůĞĂĚŝŶŐ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ƚŚĞ ǀŝŶĞLJĂƌĚƐ ĂŶĚ ĂůŽŶŐ ƚŚĞ ƐŚŽƌĞƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ůĂŬĞ͘ dŚĞ ŚŽƚĞů ŝƐ ůŽĐĂƚĞĚ ŝŶ Ă ĐŽƵŶƚƌLJƐŝĚĞ ƐĞƫŶŐ ďĞƚǁĞĞŶ ƚŚĞ ĐŝƟĞƐ ŽĨ 'ĞŶĞǀĂ ĂŶĚ >ĂƵƐĂŶŶĞ͕ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ϯϬ Ŭŵ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ĂŝƌƉŽƌƚ͕ ŵĂŬŝŶŐ ŝƚ ĂŶ ĞdžĐĞůůĞŶƚ ďĂƐĞ ĨŽƌ ǀŝƐŝƟŶŐ ĨĂŵŽƵƐ ƐŝƚĞƐ ƐƵĐŚ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ hŶŝƚĞĚ EĂƟŽŶƐ KĸĐĞ ŝŶ 'ĞŶĞǀĂ Žƌ ƚŚĞ KůLJŵƉŝĐ DƵƐĞƵŵ ŝŶ >ĂƵƐĂŶŶĞ͘ tĞ ůŽŽŬ ĨŽƌǁĂƌĚ ƚŽ ǁĞůĐŽŵŝŶŐ LJŽƵ ƐŽŽŶ͊

www.aubergededuillier.ch

EAT

A TASTE OF

Vaud

AUBERGE DE L’ABBAYE DE MONTHERON

Spanish-born chef Rafael Rodriguez heads up the kitchen of this restaurant. A gastropub-like interior sets the stage for food of the molecular gastronomy sort: fennel and absinthe foam on a spoon is a textural play of crunchy nuts and light cream; successive lamb courses feature milk-fed lamb followed by a confit of neck, cooked in a mild mole sauce and served with celeriac puree. Menus from 98 or 135 CHF (£77 or £106). montheron.ch

Cows graze in Villars-sur-Ollon, in the foothills of the Alps RIGHT: A hare dish served at Auberge de l’Abbaye de Montheron

IMAGES: ALAMY; LIONEL HENRIOD

LE JARDIN DES ALPES

following a strict daily schedule: milking, making cheese, setting the cows out to pasture and herding them in for the night.

As the milk cools, we add rennet and whey left over from the previous day’s operation are added and the potion slowly begins to separate, grains of couscous-sized curd coalescing. Colin gives me a handful of the rubbery morsels to taste. They squelch against my teeth; there’s no hint yet of the savoury explosion of the year-aged final product.

As the day winds down, we tuck into raclette heated on a stone by the fire, alongside pickled chanterelles that Colin has foraged. After the meal, he picks up an accordion and starts playing it while tapping his neon-yellow Crocs on the concrete floor. I wonder how he passes the time up here on the mountain. “When I wake, I don’t need to turn on the TV,” he quips. “I just open the window and look at the view.”

And indeed, stunning vistas abound in Vaud, a mountainous canton to the north and east of Lake Geneva. While it’s easy to be distracted by the Alpine scenery, the culinary culture makes a worthy contender for my attention. Vaud is steeped in epicurean traditions, many of which date to a time before the Romans wandered these parts. Given a sophisticated modern twist, these traditions live on in the district’s fine dining establishments.

Vaud has more restaurants in the Michelin and Gault Millau guides for Switzerland than any other canton. Among the very best are three-starred Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville, in Crissier, and two-starred Anne-Sophie Pic, at the Beau-Rivage Palace hotel in Lausanne.

It’s also home to the Lavaux vineyards, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that also turns out some of the country’s best wines.

To taste them, I head to the Abbaye de Salaz, a third-generation wine estate located between Ollon and Bex in the foothills of the Alps. Here, Bernard Huber leads me through rows of hillside vines, from which he makes a dizzying range of wines. “The excellent exposure allows us to experiment with different grape varieties — it’s sunnier here than in Valais [a canton to the south],” he explains, noting that the Abbaye produces 20,000 bottles a year, including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Merlot and the region’s most popular grape, Chasselas. The most unusual grape in Huber’s repertoire, however, is Divico, an insect-resistant hybrid of the Gamaret and Bronner grapes, developed in Switzerland in 1996, which allows the producer to work organically.

“We’re not certified biodynamic, but we follow most of the rules,” he says.

Although viticulture in the region has sometimes taken a more modern approach, Vaud and its vines have a long, intertwined

Taking a seasonal approach to ingredients, Italian chef Davide Esercito showcases the best regional fare in nightly tasting menus that can include pairings with wines from Vaud and Valais.

The elegant dining room overlooks beautiful gardens, but get a seat at the chef’s table to admire the work in the kitchen. From an amusebouche of beef tartare with salty hints of dried olive to a perfectly cooked John Dory with spinach, each dish packs a flavourful punch.

Seven-course tasting menu from 135 CHF (£106). royalp.ch ABBAYE DE SALAZ

Just south of Montreux in the foothills of the Alps, this thirdgeneration, 173-acre wine estate grows 12 varietals, including the ubiquitous Chasselas, a beautifully balanced 2018 Pinot Noir and an interesting 2019 Divico. Besides being ecologically sound, this latter grape lends an air of innovation to the centuries-old techniques at play.

Contact to arrange a tasting; bottles from 8.50 CHF (£6.70). abbaye-de-salaz.ch

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Five food finds

Trout, sorrel, and beetroot dish at Auberge de l’Abbaye de Montheron LEFT: Saucisson vaudois, a local classic that’s a staple on charcuterie boards

L’ETIVAZ

This unpasteurised hard cheese takes on the nutty flavour of the wildflower meadows from which its milk derives.

CHASSELAS

70% of grapes grown in Vaud are white; three-quarters of these are Chasselas — try a glass alongside a raclette or fondue.

PERCH

Breaded perch fillets from the lake with salad and frites — think of it as lighter, lakeside fish and chips.

RACLETTE

Cow herders traditionally carried a wheel of this cheese as they migrated up the pastures, melting it over a fire before scraping onto bread or potatoes.

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history. The story of the region’s wines really starts around 50 million years ago, when the tectonic plates of Europe and Africa collided, forming the Alps and leaving a variety of sandy, stone-filled soils in the valleys. The Romans were the first to cultivate the native Chasselas vines along the lake, a practice later taken up by fifth-century bishops and monks.

Today, 320sq miles of terraced vineyards cover the northern bank of Lake Geneva. Protected by their UNESCO designation, they dominate the landscape of this palm-shaded riviera, a playground for expats — from Charlie Chaplin to Coco Chanel — since the late 19th century, when British visitors came here in pursuit of fresh mountain air.

From the genteel shores of the lake, I make the 20-minute drive north west of Lavaux to the Auberge de l’Abbaye de Montheron, tucked away in a forest near a ruined, 15thcentury abbey. This year, the restaurant was given a Green Star by the Michelin Guide, in recognition of its sustainable practices: everything emerging from the kitchen of chef Rafael Rodriguez will have been sourced from within just 16 miles.

Sitting at one of the mismatched wooden tables in the casual, wood-panelled dining room, the Spanish-born, Paris-trained chef presents me with a tender cut of milk-fed lamb. Topping it is a single mushroom and an inky sauce made with fermented fish from Lake Geneva. A blob of minty yoghurt

sits beside the lamb and a branch of pine protrudes from the dish — a flourish of ikebana-like minimalism. “I chose that lamb myself,” Rafael says proudly. “The farmer lives just over there, so he lets me come and choose exactly the right animal.”

The Auberge’s owner, Romano Hasenauer, is similarly enthusiastic about the local produce.

“We don’t even think of having foreign foie gras or langoustine on the menu,” he says. “If I’m cooking with Swiss products, I feel I must stay within the lines. But that’s why I hired a Spanish chef — he can be creative.”

My time at the Auberge reminds me of what Alessandra had said as we milked the cows that morning. She works seasonally to make l’etivaz, taking a break from her career in human resources, because she wants to do “something meaningful”. This sense of purpose and place, and people’s respect for ingredients, is a thread that runs deep in Vaud — whether that’s here at Rafael’s table, or in the steamy kitchen of a milking chalet.

HOW TO DO IT: Take the train to Geneva from St Pancras International, London, with a change in Paris. eurostar.co.uk sbb.ch -Ü ÃÃ] À Ì Ã č ÀÜ>ÞÃ > ` >ÃÞ iÌ yÞ Ì i iÛ> vÀ several UK airports. swiss.com ba.com. easyjet.com Chalet RoyAlp Hôtel & Spa offers double rooms from 310 CHF (£243) per night, including breakfast and spa access. Cheese-making experiences from 51 CHF (£41), B&B. chateau-doex.ch

IMAGES: LIONEL HENRIOD; ALAMY

SAUCISSON VAUDOIS

You’ll find this classic, local smoked pork sausage served dried, en croûte, or as part of an apéro platter.

Be Vedetta brings together an inn, glampsite, rooms and town apartments, all located in the heart of the Maremma, a spectacular swathe of coastal Tuscany, within the dramatic scenery of the UNESCO-listed Tuscan Mining Park.

www. bev edet ta .co m - ww w.in st a gr am.c om/Be _V ed et t a - ww w.f ac e bo o k.c om/ BeVedet ta V e de tt a s rl - Po gg i o La For col a , 1 2 - 5 80 20 Sc arl in o (G R) - V AT / CF : 0 637 31 7096 5 - RE A: G R-12 39 90

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FLORENCE

Florence never changes — at least, so it seems to anyone who’s admired that timeless skyline, largely unchanged since its Renaissance heyday. But step further into the city and you’ll see things are modernising quickly. The Uffizi Gallery now has its first permanent work by a Black artist; hipster food markets are springing up; and a crop of trendy hotels has appeared within the past few years. As for where to stay, you’ll be right in the swing of things if you stick to the centre, but it’s not the only place simmering with post-lockdown vitality.

Across the Arno river is the Oltrarno district, where you’ll find plenty of buzzing local life. The same goes for the area around the San Frediano neighbourhood, where a clutch of locally run hotels are just steps away from traditional Tuscan trattorias. Head out of town to bed down in one of the chic countryside villas, however, and you’ll really feel like Renaissance nobility.

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ALL RATES QUOTED ARE FOR STANDARD DOUBLES, ROOM ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED. IMAGES: GETTY; DARIO GAROFALO; MARIA RIAZANOVA

Hotels are largely a family affair in the Tuscan capital, where a string of stylish, locally run openings are bringing new life to a city forever entwined with Renaissance glory. Words: Julia Buckley

Best for hipsters

OLTRARNO SPLENDID

Enter the Oltrarno Splendid and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled onto a Wes Anderson film set, with its peeling paintwork and retro, pastel-hued furniture.

But head into the bedrooms and you’ll realise you’re somewhere else entirely. Local designer and co-owner Betty Soldi (who’s also behind nearby AdAstra and SoprArno Suites) has taken a 19th-century palazzo, left the paintwork, cracked flooring and frescoes as they were and added swish bathrooms, battered maps and old movie posters. The effect is a glorious mishmash of eras and styles. Nab the king deluxe room, a former artist’s studio, and revel in glimpses of the Palazzo Pitti, the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio.

You’ll also be right by Piazza Santo Spirito, one of the centres of Florence’s nightlife.

ROOMS: From €119 (£101), B&B. oltrarnosplendid.com

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Best for bargain-hunters

FUORDARNO BED & BREAKFAST

Almost everything you see here — from the bedframes and cupboards to the tables and lights — is an upcycled heirloom belonging to the owners, twin sisters Carolina and Giulia Troni. This third-floor apartment overlooking the Arno was their childhood home, so you’ll fi nd nonna’s heavy wardrobe transformed into a chic wallpaper-clad seat and their parents’ room morphed into a Balithemed retreat. Everything was restyled by local artisans, including headboards shaped to look like Florence’s famous churches and a chandelier made from old gas pipes. Only two rooms have en suite bathrooms; the others are private, but located elsewhere on the property.

ROOMS: From €80 (£68), B&B. fuordarno.it

Best for old romantics Back in the day, the Medici family used to head for their country estates to avoid the summer heat. Palazzo della Gherardesca, now home to the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, was one such property — and although the city’s expansion means this is no longer a rural escape, it remains as bucolic as ever, with 11 acres of garden, an outdoor pool and alcoves for al fresco dining. There’s also a Michelin-starred restaurant, Il Palagio. The palazzo is a living museum, with original 15th-century frescoes and bas-reliefs on display, and the 116 individually decorated rooms feature marble furnishings, huge beds and Bulgari toiletries.

ROOMS: From €786 (£671). fourseasons.com

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IMAGES: EDOARDO BERNABEI; LUNGARNO COLLECTION; ILARIA COSTANZO

FOUR SEASONS HOTEL FIRENZE

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Best for rooms with a view CONTINENTALE

From the rooftop of the Continentale, Florence unfurls around you: take in the Duomo, Giotto’s Campanile and the hulking Palazzo Pitti, all enfolded by cypress-studded hills. It’s perhaps the most spectacular spot for a drink in the city, not least because you’re teetering over the Ponte Vecchio — the hotel sits right on the bridge’s edge, over the Arno.

Downstairs are gorgeous rooms with a subtle 1950s feel, featuring gauzy drapes hanging across oversized windows and chairs made to look like vintage trunks. Ask for a river-facing room for views of the Ponte Vecchio.

ROOMS: From €250 (£213). lungarnocollection.com

Best for exclusive access ADASTRA FLORENCE

The lush grounds of Palazzo Torrigiani are among the largest privately owned city-centre gardens in Europe. And while they’re closed to the public, guests of AdAstra Florence can enjoy free private tours — a perk of staying in the owner’s home. Occupying the top two floors of this 16th-century palazzo, rented from the Torrigiani family who live below, the hotel’s rooms combine edgy pop art with original floors, stuccoed ceilings and freestanding tubs. The first-floor wraparound terrace overlooking the garden is the star draw.

ROOMS: From €129 (£110), B&B. adastraflorence.it

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History, Luxury and Taste.

A dream that comes true: sleeping in front of Giotto’s bell tower and Brunelleschi’s dome, in the most ancient building in town with wooden floor, among mirrors and golden iron chandeliers from the 18th century.

brunelleschihotelflorence.com

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Best for ŖĢàäŅʼnőÁőäàέěŖŰŖŅű THE PLACE

Taking pride of place on Piazza Santa Maria Novella, this was one of the city’s most recherché hotels under its former guise as JK Place. The peerless views, especially from the piazza-side terrace, are unchanged after its 2021 transformation — in fact, the facade of the neighbouring church has even become a leitmotif for the hotel’s decor, appearing on its linen and towels. Such touches, along with the mishmash of toiletries in the marble-clad bathrooms, embody The Place: very chic, but slightly offbeat. There’s a home-from-home feel in its cosy nooks and vintage doorbell.

ROOMS: From €459 (£391), B&B. theplacefirenze.com

Best for city slickers

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HOTEL SAVOY

Standing on the stately Piazza della Repubblica, mere moments from attractions like Palazzo Strozzi, "ÀÃ> V i i > ` Ì i 1vw â > iÀÞ] Ìi ->Û Þ Ã À } Ì Ì i i>ÀÌ v Ì i >VÌ ° Ìi iÀ > ` ÌiÀ À `ià } iÀ Olga Polizzi worked with Laudomia Pucci (daughter of celebrated designer Emilio Pucci) on the aesthetics, >`` } LÀ } Ì y >à ià v V ÕÀ > ` «>ÌÌiÀ ð / i À à are modern and luxurious, with bleached parquet, bold prints and marble bathrooms, and offer impressive views, including of the piazza and the Duomo.

ROOMS: From €520 (£443). roccofortehotels.com

Best for aesthetes RIVA LOFTS

This riverside development, originally used as a factory then as artisan workshops, was converted into an urban retreat by Florentine architect Claudio >À` ° 9 Õ½ w ` Ì Ì i " ÌÀ>À à `i v Ì i Ü>ÌiÀ] a 30-minute walk from the Ponte Vecchio. The interiors >Ài ëiVÌ>VÕ >À] Ü Ì y >Ì } ÃÌ> ÀV>ÃiÃ] iÝ« Ãi` brick walls and upcycled furniture (case in point: wardrobes made from old trunks). The poolside Jardin La Ménagère restaurant, headed up by renowned chef Erez Ohayon, offers two tasting menus.

ROOMS: From €90 (£77), B&B. rivalofts.com

Best for country class VILLA LA MASSA

Florence has a smattering of top-of-the-range villa hotels dotted outside the centre. While most are found in the hills above the city, this property sits pretty on a bend in Arno. Though service can be patchy, the onsite restaurant’s riverside setting is spectacular, and the rooms are spread between the Renaissance-era villa and the modern accommodation blocks scattered across the gardens. A complimentary shuttle service into town takes just 20 minutes and drops you off right by the Ponte Vecchio.

ROOMS: From €520 (£443), B&B. villalamassa.com

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Best for the local touch

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IMAGES: FRANCESCA PAGLIAI

VELONA’S JUNGLE

Veronica Grechi is the consummate hostess, here in what was once her grandparents’ apartment, now transformed into a slick, foursuite retreat by the Arno. This is no run-ofthe-mill B&B: breakfast is a vegetarian affair, a vintage radio plays in the living room at night and the decor — all leaf prints, retro furniture and flashes of animal print — seamlessly blends past and present. The inspiration for the delicious, palm-fronded jungle theme is the 1930s, when elements like the brass, leaf-shaped lamps were made (Veronica’s grandfather was an antiques dealer). This is a real family affair: Veronica and her mother designed the place and her aunt painted the animal artwork. And, as an honorary family member, you’ll receive Veronica’s top tips on what to see and do in Florence, transforming your experience of this well-trodden city.

ROOMS: From €138 (£117), B&B. velonasjungle.com

WELCOME TO ITALY The Luxury Florence Hotel Bernini Palace.

Un’esperienza esclusiva nel cuore di Firenze: eleganza, lusso, comfort e tutta l’autenticità dell’ospitalità Made in Italy.

Il Ristorante La Chiostrina.

Cucina tradizionale accompagnata da un’ampia selezione di vini.

Hotel Bernini Palace.

An exclusive experience in the heart of Florence: elegance, luxury, comfort and all the authenticity of Made in Italy hospitality.

La Chiostrina Restaurant.

Traditional accompanied cuisine from a wide selection of wines.

hotelbernini.duetorrihotels.com Piazza S. Firenze, 29 - 50122 Firenze Italia • tel. +39 055 288621 - fax +39 055 268272 • bookinghotelbernini@duetorrihotels.com

Home to dazzling landscapes, unforgettable food and legendary music cities, the Deep South occupies a special place in the popular imagination. But in reality, it ’s a region in flux — ever-evolving, innovating and reckoning with its past to serve up the best of Southern hospitality. We journey through Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina — a region bounded by diverse geography but full of surprises 68

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IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; GETTY; ANDREW CEBULKA

W O R D S DAV I D FA R L E Y, Z O E Y G O T O , E LLE N HIMME LFARB, E MMA JOHN & JOE S ILL S

ibrant, generous and bursting with flavour: what’s true of the Deep South’s cuisine, from creamy cheese grits to piquant gumbo, is true of the region itself. Despite one of the most distinct identities in the US, it remains a melting pot of influences from Europe and Africa, the Caribbean and South America — one that’s birthed entirely new cultural forms across the centuries, from Creole architecture to rock ’n’ roll.

There are stereotypes, of course — some are even true. Southern hospitality is no fiction; just count the number of folk who greet you in the street. This is still the nation’s musical homeland, too. Jazz, blues and rock trace their roots to its throbbing bars and wooden porches; Muscle Shoals remains America’s Abbey Road; Cajun festivals roll on long into warm, starlit nights.

In the past few years, the Deep South has shrugged off some of its more lugubrious character. Embracing an urban energy in its thriving cities, making a name as an adventure playground — for mountain-trekking, river-canoeing and swamp safaris. But a drive across its changing landscapes is still a languorous one. The bluehazed Appalachian Mountains complete their southern thrust in Georgia, ending abruptly in Atlanta’s vast metropolitan sprawl. The sun-baked countryside and historic small towns of Alabama cede to the flat, black marshes of the Mississippi Delta. Teeming subtropical forests and pristine white sand beaches meet on Louisiana’s coast.

It’s a somewhat dissociative experience, just like the region’s history. Today, Southern states are reckoning with their past even as they embrace their heritage, one in which stories of slave-ownership and civil rights marches demand equal prominence. The good news: they’re doing it well. In recent years, a raft of museums and community projects has reexamined the past to honour the South’s long road to freedom, from Alabama’s National Memorial to Peace and Justice in Montgomery to Mississippi’s National Civil Rights Museum in Jackson and Georgia’s National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta.

Under this flag of change, a new scene is evolving.

Take New Orleans, where the post-Katrina bounceback has included a blossoming of boutique hotels and restaurants. Look at Charleston, too — once a quaint destination, it’s become a compelling one: an immaculately preserved slice of American history finding ways to confront its slave trade past, and home to one of the finest gastronomic scenes in the country.

Ah yes, the food. If anything captures the current pull between tradition and new thinking, it’s the evolution of the beloved Southern cuisine, celebrated with an increasing multiculturalism that’s brought a wonder of culinary invention, from Gujarati-spiced catfish and barbecue tacos to Korean fried chicken. The plates, of course, are still piled to almost ludicrous heights — but then, that’s the South for you. EJ

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THE DEEP SOUTH

Into the woods

GEORGIA

For a dose of the Deep South’s legendary wildernesses, lace up your walking boots and tackle the Benton MacKaye Trail in the North Georgia Mountains — home to rushing waterfalls, rustic towns and devoted local protectors. Words: Joe Sills

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local who’s become completely enamoured with this wonderland of wilderness and waterfalls.

Some 80 miles away, Jake Scott has another hidden gem to reveal. With the BMT in the rear-view mirror, I rendezvous with Scott at his adventure shop, Wander North Georgia, in the small town of Clayton. The community is bustling with visitors stopping for food and coffee along Highway 23, which runs between Atlanta and Asheville, North Carolina. Clayton isn’t much, but it holds a special place in Scott’s heart. As a child, the native Floridian, who’s spent stints in Switzerland, California and China, holidayed here every year with his family. He’s returned as an adult to bring the small town to life.

“Five years ago, you might have seen maybe just three cars on the street on a nice day like today,” explains Scott.

“Now, these are all tourists.”

Scott is quick to use me as an excuse to leave his shop. We hop in his Toyota pickup and make for the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, where he often runs and cycles to reset. As we careen down a gravel road, the 45-year-old entrepreneur points his truck into a shallow river ford and begins to explain.

“We bring in world-class athletes all the time for business. These are mountain bikers who have been all over the world. They almost always question where they’re going, but after a day out in the mountains, they always end up saying, ‘Dude. I get it.’”

Soon, Scott has me trudging up another mountain — this time for a sunset view atop Black Rock State Park.

As we emerge from the foliage, plop down on the stone and crack open a cold beverage, Scott wanders over to a favourite pine tree clinging to the rocky cliff. I find myself wondering about the spell these mountains seem to place on people. Watching the lavender sky cast shadows on the valley below, I get it too.

HOW TO DO IT: Hike the BMT by parking at Springer Mountain Trailhead off Forest Service Road 42 outside of Ellijay. At Black Rock State Park, take the James E Edmond Trail half-way up. The White Birch Inn in Clayton has rooms from $245 (£177), room only. thewhitebirchinn.net wandernorthgeorgia.com exploregeorgia.org

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Anna Ruby Falls, Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest; Jake Scott capturing sunset at Black Rock Mountain State Park; one of Vintage Overland’s Land Rovers on Lookout Mountain; Darcy Douglas illustrating bear attacks PREVIOUS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Cypress trees in George L Smith State Park, Georgia; saxophonist in New Orleans, Louisiana; New Orleans’ French Quarter; burger at Butcher & Bee, Charleston, South Carolina

IMAGES: JOE SILLS; GETTY

Peppered by silverly flakes of mica, the forest trails of North Georgia seem to sparkle in the mid-morning light.

No wonder my guide wants her ashes scattered here: there’s a wild and uncontained beauty to these hills.

Bounding around the boulders ahead, 71-year-old Darcy Douglas first came here more than 40 years ago. On the heels of a divorce, she found a new lifelong partner in this soil — a nearly 300-mile loop through the Appalachian Mountains called the Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT).

“This is where the marker is,” says Douglas, placing her pack on the ground as we round a bend on the BMT. We’re less than 1,500ft from the trail’s intersection with its more famous cousin, the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail (AT).

I’m eager to reach the junction, but Douglas has paused to show me a cow-sized grey boulder emblazoned with a brass placard. “This is our Benton MacKaye memorial,” she says. “In Georgia, our trail follows part of the route the environmentalist originally envisioned for the AT.” Darcy talks about the BMT with an air of love, admiration and ownership. For most of her adult life, she’s worked to maintain the splendour of this hidden slice of wilderness within a short drive of Atlanta. Together with other trail association members, she’s built bridges, designed kiosks and conducted scientific research along the trail. She’s also battled the area’s prolific population of poison ivy, swiping it aside with a sling blade to aid beginner hikers.

Though we’re within spitting distance of the AT, Darcy is quick to point out that the two trails differ widely. “The AT is like a party. A million people per year come down that trail. There are shelters every few miles, and you’re never far from a phone call to grandma if you get hurt.

The Benton MacKaye isn’t like that at all. It’s more wild, more primitive. There are no shelters and there are places where you can only get in and out by hiking pretty far.”

By the time Darcy and I connect with the AT and converge on the longer trail’s southern terminus atop Springer Mountain, she’s fully sold me on the BMT. Her passion and the promise of hiking through this lush landscape without long lines at a latrine have me aching to explore more — but Darcy Douglas isn’t the only

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TOP 8

Backcountry adventures Southern folklore claims the old forests of the New World were so dense that a squirrel could once travel from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River without ever touching the ground. Today, pockets of that wilderness still remain, waiting to be explored by travellers paddling, pedalling and perusing their way through a land of legends. From the beaches to bayous, these are the best ways to adventure through the Deep South

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M O U N TA I N B I K E C O L DWAT E R M O U N TA I N ANNIS TON, AL ABAMA At Coldwater Mountain, adrenaline junkies can traverse more than 20 miles of dirt trails.

A pair of gravity runs and single-track routes like Bomb Dog, Goldilocks and Oval Office highlight this hidden Alabama gem. Nearby Wig’s Wheels rents bikes and provides transport to the trails for $45 (£32) per day. wigswheels.com

S C U B A D I V E TO A N AIRCR AFT CARRIER GULF SHORES, AL ABAMA

Advanced divers can visit the sunken aircraft carrier USS Oriskany in the Gulf of Mexico, now the world’s largest manmade artificial reef. Expect to pay around $220 (£160). facebook.com/ downunderdiveshop

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TA K E A S WA M P T O U R T O HONEY ISLAND S L I D E L L , LO U I S I A N A In the swamps outside New Orleans, rumours of a mysterious creature called the Honey Island Swamp monster have circulated for decades. Even if you don’t glimpse the fabled beast on your journey, you’re still likely to see a vast array of wildlife — including ibis, owls, alligators, minks and snakes — on this narrated nature tour. Rates start from $25 (£18) per person. honeyislandswamp.com

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4

5

CANOE CAMP IN THE O K E F E N O K E E S WA M P FO L K S TO N , G EO R G I A

Remote campsites lie hidden beneath the canopies of this mesmerising wilderness, a wildlife wonderland of sandhill cranes, alligators and black bears. Motorised boats are banned from the area at night, leaving the evening soundtrack to Mother Nature. Canoe trips cost $15 (£11) per person. fws.gov/refuge/okefenokee

K AYA K O K AT O M A C R E E K S E M I N A R Y, M I S S I S S I P P I Free-flowing, family fun awaits at Okatoma Creek. This easy-going stream meanders through hardwood forests and over a series of waterfalls in the state’s south. Though shorter runs are available, the eight-mile journey beginning in Seminary hits three waterfalls and numerous rapids over the course of around five hours. Kayak rentals start at $30 (£22). seminarycanoerental.com

E X P L O R E O F F - R OA D I N A C L A S S I C OV E R L A N D E R LO O KO U T M O U N TA I N , G E O R G I A Drive a classic Land Rover in the Blue Ridge Mountains when you book a tour with Vintage Overland. This start-up is the brainchild of Lookout Mountain locals who want to create off-road camping adventures below the canopies of Appalachia. Vintage Overland has a fleet of well-maintained vehicles and support trucks. Rates start from $350 (£255) per night. vintageoverland.com

IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; GETTY

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SEE SAINT HELENA SOUND

BY H O R S E B AC K S A I N T H E L E N A I S L A N D, SOUTH CAROLINA The ruins of an 18th-century church mark the route to St Helena Island, South Carolina, where travellers can trot on horseback beneath oak trees and gallop along a forested coast. Equestrian school Camelot Farms has a stable of horses for trail rides. A two-hour coastal ride costs $125 (£90) per rider, while a single hour on the 70-acre plantation costs $75 (£55) each. camelotfarmshorses.com JS

8 FROM LEFT: Swamp tours in Louisiana can offer sightings of owls, alligators and snakes; sandhill cranes in the Okefenokee Swamp, i À} >Æ w à } > i Charles, Louisiana

G O B A S S F I S H I N G I N T H E B AYO U L A K E C H A R L E S , LO U I S I A N A Louisiana is home to some of the most biodiverse waters in North America — most of which can be fished for sport. Grosse Savanne Lodge takes guests on guided bass fishing expeditions through seven miles of freshwater canals and swamp near Lake Charles. Onsite accommodation is plush and meals feature Creole-style cooking with crawfish, shrimp and the catch of the day. An overnight stay and guided fishing trip costs $550 (£400) per person. grossesavanne.com JS

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The W C Handy Home & Museum pays homage to the Father of the Blues RIGHT: A statue in Montgomery, Alabama celebrates the life of č iÀ V>½Ã wÀÃÌ V Õ ÌÀÞ music superstar, Hank Williams

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Muscle INSIDE GUIDE TO

Shoals

Alabama’s music capital birthed the heady combo of Southern soul and R&B, churning out the sounds of the Sixties — including hits by Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson and the Rolling Stones. Now it’s returning to the spotlight, attracting a new generation of music enthusiasts

ALABAMA

THREE MORE

Musical landmarks The roots of modern music are laid bare at these melodic monuments from Georgia to Mississippi

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THE GRAVE OF

Muscle Shoals easily measures up to its music city heavyweight neighbours — Memphis, Nashville and New Orleans — in the cool stakes. But don’t be fooled by its sleepy, two-horse-town appearance: the rootsy city became an unlikely creative epicentre during the Sixties, and a byword for rocking recording studios and hit albums — until its star began to wane. That’s set to change once more as Muscle Shoals (and the wider Shoals area, including Florence, Tuscumbia and Sheffield) reclaims its place on the musical map of America, with the opening of a new musical hotel and tours showcasing why this one-time ‘hit recording capital of the world’ has a lot to shout about.

First stop should be the W C HANDY HOME & MUSEUM , where you’ll find a microgallery paying homage to the Father of the Blues, plus a rustic replica of his log cabin childhood home. From here, it’s a short drive over the snaking Tennessee River (known locally as ‘the river that sings’) to FAME STUDIOS . This unassuming spot is the birthplace of the Muscle Shoals sound — that heady combination of Southern soul and R&B. Knowledgeable guides walk you through the padded booths where Aretha Franklin recorded her finest work to a clandestine speakeasy bar where Willie Nelson may or may not have partied (this was once a dry county). In case you were in any doubt about its contribution to music history, the plucky studio’s hit records have sold a staggering 350 million copies worldwide. wchandymuseum.org famestudios.com

A few blocks away, MUSCLE SHOALS SOUND STUDIO has also thrown open its doors to curious visitors. From the outside, it still looks like the coffin showroom it once was, but inside is pure rock ’n’ roll: stand on the exact spot where The Rolling Stones found their groove, and don’t miss the toilet cubicle where Keith Richards is said to have hastily penned Wild Horses. Nearby, the ALABAMA MUSIC HALL OF FAME also offers a whistle-stop tour of the musical greats from this area. muscleshoalssoundstudio.org alamhof.org As dusk falls, follow the melody to SWAMPERS BAR & GRILLE , where live acts perform most nights, or catch some rock music under an actual rock at the RATTLESNAKE SALOON , a quirky watering hole nestled beneath an awe-inspiring stone bluff. Its duke burger with bacon and jalapeños hits all the right notes. rattlesnakesaloon.net Melomaniacs should then head to the newly opened GUNRUNNER , a hip boutique hotel with 10 themed suites. The best room in the house is the Sam Phillips suite, a tribute to the Shoals native and legendary Sun Studio producer who discovered Elvis Presley. There must be something in the water around here. gunrunnerhotel.com ZG HOW TO DO IT: ½Ì ÃÃ Ì i > Õ> - > à iÃÌ

Ó Î "VÌ LiÀ] > ÕÃ V> iÝÌÀ>Û>}> â> Ü Ì > iÕ« V Õ` } >Ã ÃLi > ` Ì i {ää 1 Ì° shoalsfest.net č -ÌÕ` Ã > ` ÕÃV i - > Ã - Õ ` -ÌÕ` >Ài L Ì «i v À `> Þ Ì ÕÀÃ `>Þ Ì ->ÌÕÀ`>Þ° alabama.travel

HANK WILLIAMS MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA

č iÀ V>½Ã wÀÃÌ V Õ ÌÀÞ Õà V ÃÕ«iÀÃÌ>À «À `ÕVi` ££ Õ LiÀ i Ìà Liv Ài `Þ } v i>ÀÌ v> ÕÀi >}i` Ó ° à }À>Ûi à i v Ì i ÃÌ>Ìi½Ã ÃÌ Û Ã Ìi` à ÌiÃ] > ` Ì i i>ÀLÞ > 7 > ÕÃiÕ ÕÃià >ÀÌiv>VÌà vÀ à vi° thehankwilliamsmuseum.net ELVIS PRESLEY’S BIRTHPLACE TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI

/ i } v , V ¼ ½ , ëi Ì Ã i>À Þ Þi>Àà > à > ] Ü `i ÕÃi] Ü V Þ Õ V> Ì ÕÀ >à «>ÀÌ v Ì i Û Ã *Àià iÞ ÀÌ « >Vi ÕÃiÕ ° Ì > à vi>ÌÕÀià à V ` ` V ÕÀV ] Ü iÀi i wÀÃÌ i>À` Ì i } ëi L> >`Ã Ì >Ì vÕi i` à vi } Ûi v Õà V° elvispresleybirthplace.com TRAP MUSIC MUSEUM ATLANTA, GEORGIA

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Smooth sailing All aboard the American Queen, a grand, six-deck slice of history. The steamboat sails the storied waters of the Mississippi, from rambunctious New Orleans through wildlife-rich backwaters towards the culinary hotspot of Natchez. Words: Ellen Himmelfarb

“Hop on,” cries the porter, pushing a dolly stacked with cases of Champagne up the gangway. “Go for it,” teases the crew member scanning my boarding pass.

I’ve arrived early at the Port of New Orleans, with a Big Easy hangover and the ubiquitous country club attire, feeling ready to relax. As much as I relish the thought of riding aboard on a tower of bubbly, I demur.

The American Queen, the stateliest steamboat on the Mississippi, is surely not that sort of cruise. With its wedding-cake tiers and a crimson paddlewheel the size of my first flat, the largest riverboat ever built is a grand floating museum in mahogany and chintz — a ticket to the Mississippi mythos and a window onto the oeuvres of Mark Twain and William Faulkner. Its slow journey upriver will leave debauched, rum-scented New Orleans in its wake.

Before my steward, Sean, can even show me my snug stateroom, I have a flute of Champagne in my hand and a new posse of shipmates, all of us gathered on our shared verandah. Together we watch as the paddlewheel roars into action, the sun lowers to the horizon and all signs of modern life segue into the lush bayou.

No wellness coach can mimic the restorative powers of the inky night sky and the still, silent air of a land barely developed since the Choctaw ruled. I sleep like I’m cocooned in silk. And in the morning, as I peer out, the mist burns off to unveil the classical white columns of Nottoway, a former sugar cane plantation that serves as the day’s activity.

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IMAGE: AWL IMAGES

FROM TOP LEFT:

American Queen, the world’s largest riverboat, built in 1995; Regina

>ÀL i>սà LÕÌÌiÀ L ÃVÕ ÌÃÆ iÜ "À i> ý 7 `i LiÀ} *>À ] iÝÌ to the Mississippi River

After an abundant breakfast buffet, my fellow passengers and I tour the opulent rooms of the plantation house before strolling the gardens in the shade of old oaks named after the master’s children. No sign, curiously, of the slave cabins we’re told once stood in the background; Nottoway has, quite literally, been whitewashed into a wedding venue for Southern belles and their suitors.

Drifting back to the riverbank, the oddities and injustices of the South present in our minds, we’re greeted again by our boat — another slice of history, with its Victorianstyle smokestacks flaring upward like fireworks.

Each morning, the mist rolls away to reveal a new pastoral scene. On day three, it’s a sultry cypress forest dripping with Spanish moss — the same forest that inspired naturalist John James Audubon when he visited centuries ago. Uphill from here sits St Francisville, a folksy town of picket fences and clapboard churches, where we browse for antiques before dashing back to the onboard Engine Room Bar. I find lots to love about a scene where most of the 430 passengers are pensioners. Kitted out with rocking chairs, the sunny Front Porch Café has the freewheeling vibe of a permanent holiday. I’m one of the few on board to use the pool and gym. Most others get their thrills raiding the sundae bar and watching herons on the shore.

Staff don’t force the fun, but they do facilitate jovial introductions when I decide I’d rather not dine alone.

One night, I’m joined by a Mark Twain impersonator, who’s been performing in the Grand Saloon. Still in character, he tells me about the time President Theodore Roosevelt, hunting in the Mississippi woods, refused to shoot a cornered bear. “That’s where the teddy bear got its name,” he explains, urging a growing crowd of guests to check out the mural, upriver in Vicksburg, commemorating Roosevelt’s sportsmanship.

The crew share all kinds of tips, including which excursions not to miss (the cooking class in Natchez is a firm favourite). So, when we dock in the Mississippi city, I wander past stately mansions to reach the most palatial of all: the Twin Oaks Bed & Breakfast, where owner Regina Charboneau (one of the South’s best-known chefs), demonstrates her recipe for buttermilk biscuits. But mostly, we passengers guzzle rum cocktails from antique crystal and fantasise about living on the river.

“It’s not always this good, hon,” Regina calls softly, elbow-deep in batter.

I’d rather she not ruin the fantasy.

HOW TO DO IT: American Queen’s eight-night Mississippi River VÀÕ Ãià ÃÌ>ÀÌ >Ì Ë£]Ç x «iÀ «iÀà ] > V Õà Ûi] iÝV Õ` } y } Ìð A smaller sister riverboat, American Countess, launched earlier this Þi>À Ì i Ãà Ãà «« ° ,i} > >ÀL i>սà V >ÃÃià >ÌV iâ V ÛiÀ à ÕvyjÃ] Ã>ÕVià > ` LÕÌÌiÀ L ÃVÕ ÌÃ] vÀ fxÓ ­ËÎn®° americansteamboatcruises.co.uk reginaskitchen.com

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In Charleston, South Carolina an experience like none other

The visit of a lifetime. See it and be moved.

C H A R L E S T O N, S O U T H C A R O L I N A | D R A Y T O N H A L L . O R G 843-769-2600 | @ D R A Y T O N H A L L

THE DEEP SOUTH

Carving beef brisket at Fox Bros Bar B-Q RIGHT: Frito pie at Fox Bros Bar B-Q

pitmasters PIONEERING

IMAGES: ANDREW THOMAS LEE

Meet Georgia’s Amanda Kinsey-Joplin, one of a new wave of female chefs carving out a name for themselves in the time-honoured, male-dominated world of Southern barbecue

Barbecue is a big deal in the Deep South: as hotly debated as politics, as fiercely competitive as sports and as regionally distinctive as the state flag. While the scene remains a traditionally masculine domain, there’s a new crop of trailblazing women pitmasters stepping up to the grill.

Among them are chef and author Melissa Cookston; restaurateur Brooke Orrison Lewis, of The Shed in Mississippi; and pitmaster Amanda Kinsey-Joplin, founder of Amanda’s BarBeeQue & Catering.

“People just assume my husband is the pitmaster,” she says. “They’re shocked when they see me with this heavy grill, playing with fire. But behind the scenes, women have been doing this for years — we’re just now getting to shine.”

Barbecuing — specifically, the method of cooking low and slow over indirect flames — is said to have been brought to the area by Spanish conquistadors travelling from the Caribbean. The practice took off as the go-to method for tenderising cheap offcuts of meat, and today it remains the food of everyday folk — a cuisine that stubbornly resists gentrification. In the Deep South, the hottest

barbecue spot in town is often an unassuming hole-in-the-wall joint, recognisable by a snaking queue of loyal customers.

Barbecuing is also the glue that bonds communities in the South. “If somebody lights up a grill, a crowd will come — and we barbecue all year round,” laughs Amanda.

While Texas is all about the brisket and Memphis’s signature is the pork rib, Georgia’s barbecue is a little more open to interpretation, reflecting the cultural melting pot of the state. “We’re the real pioneers because we’ve got no rules,” says Amanda. “We have a lot of ethnic groups that bring their own spices and techniques.”

It’s this fusion that Amanda feels is the future of the scene. “We have Korean barbecue places here, but it’s a Southern take, so you’ll see ginger sesame sauce mixed with barbecue sauce,” she says.

“And I’ve picked up Cuban techniques, too.”

So what’s the dish that every traveller to the Deep South needs to sample? “My favourite is ribs, washed down with sweet tea,” says Amanda. “You can’t go wrong!” ZG

A M A N D A’ S T O P T H R E E

Barbecue spots in Atlanta FOX BROS BAR-B-Q

“Fox Bros has really inspired me. You need to try the beef brisket,” advises Amanda.

Twin brothers Jonathan and Justin Fox are also credited with bringing the Texan classic Frito pie — a dish of Frito crisps smothered in indulgent layers of brisket chilli and cheese — to the American southeast. foxbrosbbq.com LAKE & OAK NEIGHBORHOOD BBQ

Run by renowned chefs Todd Richards and Josh Lee, this local joint gets experimental with side dishes. “I tried something here that surprised me: collard greens and fried rice mixed together,” notes Amanda. Be sure to save room for the banana pudding. lakeandoakbbq.com HATTIE MARIE’S TEXAS STYLE BBQ & CAJUN KITCHEN

From smoky ribs to Cajun-fried V>Ìw à ] Ì i i Õ iÀi ÀÕ Ã the gamut of Southern y >Û ÕÀð č > `> Ã>ÞÃ\ “It feels like you’re over at your cousin’s house and your grandma is cooking.” hattiemariesbarbecue.com ZG

HOW TO DO IT: amandasbarbeeque.com melissacookston.com theshedbbq.com

R E A D M O R E O N L I N E : TO P E I G H T C U L I N A RY E X P E R I E N C E S I N T H E D E E P S O U T H N AT I O N A LG E O G R A P H I C .C O.U K / T R AV E L

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Mekong Mississippi MEETS THE

I’m standing near the water in Venice having one of the best meals of my life. No, not Venice, Italy; not even Venice, California. I’m in Venice, Louisiana, on the Mississippi Delta, 70 miles south of New Orleans. A gaggle of Vietnamese-American fishermen and I are congregating around a plus-sized metal pot of boiled, just-caught shrimp, each of us plucking a morsel from the scalding broth, twisting off the head, tossing the remnants into the water, then popping the tender meat in our mouths. The taste is a wonderful mix of salty, sweet, spicy, and savoury, as hints of lemongrass protrude on the back of my tongue.

It’s classic Louisiana shrimp boil but with Vietnamese accents. “Wait,” I say, putting my hands in the air, broth dripping down my wrist. “You eat like this all the time?”

The answer, of course, is yes. Everyone lifts their beers to a chorus of ‘Môt hai ba dzô!’ (Vietnamese for ‘cheers’).

This may have been a singular meal for me, but for these shrimpers it was merely the culmination of a day’s work.

And everyone in the surrounding area, including New Orleans, is better off for it. In terms of food and dining, Vietnamese immigrants have added a deeper layer of deliciousness to a part of the US already drenched in rich, superlative fare. The Vietnamese cuisine being made in and around New Orleans is the best I’ve had outside of Vietnam. Some of it — like this shrimp boil — has evolved into a marriage of Vietnamese and Cajun styles.

To understand this phenomenon, we have to go back to 1975, when tens of thousands of Southern Vietnamese immigrated to the US after the Fall of Saigon. Much of this diaspora — which included a sizeable contingent of fishermen — ended up in Louisiana. At the time, there was little interest in Vietnamese cuisine among the locals.

Then two things happened: firstly, the immigrants began doing their take on Cajun cuisine — starting commercial shrimp boil cookouts, not too dissimilar to what I’d experienced on the dock. And secondly, Hurricane Katrina tore through the area in 2005. The Vietnamese, who were largely segregated in the New Orleans East and Gretna districts, proved especially adept at recovering

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from the hurricane, due in part to their experience of surviving typhoons back home, and became involved in community outreach. After that, they were suddenly much more integrated than ever before. Good-quality, authentic Vietnamese restaurants began popping up all over the city. A few people I talk to tell me it was like the 1990s when sushi was suddenly all the rage. After Katrina, they say, it was like that here with Vietnamese food.

It may be a coincidence or a part of some divine plan, perhaps, but the parallels between Vietnam and Louisiana are striking. “When you think about it, the blending of our cuisines and cultures seem inevitable,” says Anthony Tran, who fled his homeland for Louisiana in the late ’70s. “There’s the humid weather; the Mekong Delta and the Mississippi Delta; we both have ricegrowing cultures; we’re both former French colonies.”

Anthony also notes the similarities between the banh mi and the po’ boy sandwich; the Vietnamese blood sausage and the boudin sausage; gumbo and various Vietnamese soups and stews, such as bo kho and bún bò hue. The cultural kinship could go on and on.

And so today, New Orleans is brimming with incredible Vietnamese fare, from the banh mi sandwich at Dong Phuong Bakery, with its airy, flaky bread, to the Vietnamese-Cajun-hybrid shrimp boils at Cajun Seafood, and creative Vietnamese fare at Ba Chi Canteen.

The latter is where I spend a memorable evening with my Vietnamese shrimper friends; a dozen of us sitting around a table feasting on dishes I’d never seen outside of Vietnam. As we pick at raw croaker fish with a tamarind dip, we talk about the Vietnamese place in New Orleans cultural heritage. “We’re a proud part of New Orleans now,” says Phuoc Nguyen. Everyone raises their bottle of Tiger beer. “Môt hai ba dzô!”

HOW TO DO IT: Sidewalk Food Tours and Tastebud Tours offer walking tours of New Orleans from $75 (£54) and $70 (£50), respectively. dpbakery.com facebook.com/bachicanteenla cajunseafoodnola.com sidewalkfoodtours.com tastebudtours.com

IMAGE: STOCKFOOD

Vietnamese twists on classic Cajun fare are some of the exciting culinary revelations in the Bayou State, a delectable mash-up born of both immigration and a surprising cultural kinship. Words: David Farley

THE DEEP SOUTH

Banh mi sandwich with pork and lemongrass NEXT PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

The historical centre of Charleston; mixology at the Citrus Club; rooftop bar at the Citrus Club; the Gibbes Museum of Art; small plate dining at Butcher & Bee

R E A D M O R E O N L I N E : S I X O F B E S T N E W B O U T I Q U E H OT E L S I N N E W O R L E A N S N AT I O N A LG E O G R A P H I C .C O.U K / T R AV E L

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THE DEEP SOUTH

Charleston A DAY I N

Compelling, compact and cool, Charleston off ers a dynamic culinary scene, important historical monuments and iconic waterfront bars on South Carolina’s coast

9A M MEET THE NEIGHBOURS

The Queen Street Grocery — complete with corner-store vibe and breakfast crepes — is a good spot to begin a morning walk through a welter of wealthy residences in South of Broad. Check out the ice cream-coloured terrace of Rainbow Row and the view at White Point Garden that looks out to Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the American Civil War were fired. queenstreetgrocerycafe.com

1 0A M

IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; ANDREW CEBULKA; BRENNAN WESLEY

UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS

The flying staircase may provide the wow factor at Nathaniel Russell House Museum — set in the lavish, former home of a 19thcentury slave trader — but what’s even more startling are the contrasts revealed between the lives of the wealthy white family that lived here and the Black slaves who served them. historiccharleston.org

SOUTH CAROLINA

unassuming, but its soul food dishes — from seafood to fried chicken — are cooked to perfection by the family who’ve run the place for the past 40 years. biketaxi.net hannibalkitchen.com

3PM SHOP LIKE A KING

The mile-long stretch of King Street in downtown is three centuries old and it’s still buzzing. Studded with independent boutiques, booksellers, antique shops and restaurants, it’s the cultural heart of the city.

6PM SUNDOWNER WITH A VIEW

The Dewberry Charlton’s rooftop bar, the Citrus Club, is one of Charleston’s most chic hangouts, its views as mouth-watering as the hibiscus mojito and chicken lollipops. thedewberrycharleston.com

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8PM

SOUTHERN ART

PUB CRAWL IN NOMO

Beneath the stained-glass dome of its beauxarts building, the Gibbes Museum of Art showcases an astounding range of Southern art, from 17th-century portraiture to Gullah sweetgrass baskets. gibbesmuseum.org

No one heads north of Morrison Drive (NoMo) for its industrial scenery — they go for the energetic food and drink scene. There’s Peanut Butter & Jelly beer on tap at Edmund’s Oast, duck-fat fries at the Tattooed Moose and whipped feta with honey at Butcher & Bee. edmundsoast.com tattooedmoose.com butcherandbee.com EJ

1PM FEED YOUR SOUL

The crab-and-shrimp rice at Hannibal’s Kitchen is well worth a trip up Charleston’s east side, perhaps in an eco-friendly bike taxi. This hole-in-the-wall joint may look

MORE INFO: explorecharleston.com

discoversouthcarolina.com

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THE DEEP SOUTH

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The Louisiana Civil Rights Trail launched earlier this year to commemorate the places and people that blazed a trail for equal rights in the 20th century.

Spokesperson LaDana Williams discusses its highlights for visitors

WHY WAS THE TRAIL CREATED?

There are so many untold stories of civil rights heroes in this state — people like A Z Young, who organised a 10-day, 105-mile civil rights march from Bogalusa to Baton Rouge. Or Ruby Bridges and Leona Tate, two of the first girls to desegregate the education system when they joined previously allwhite schools. They were six years old and they had to be escorted to their classes by federal marshals.

WHAT’S NEXT?

We’re putting up a series of markers at important sites, which you can locate via the trail’s website. It was important to us that these are places you can still visit — somewhere to engage with the history, not just read about it. For instance, we’ve unveiled one by the oak trees outside the Old State Capitol, the site of the Baton Rouge bus boycott in the early 1950s.

Black folks formed a free-ride service where you could meet under the trees and get a ride to work. That was the model for Martin Luther King Jr’s Montgomery bus boycott a couple of years later.

DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVOURITE SITES?

I think everyone should stop at Dooky Chase’s Restaurant in New Orleans — it’s been serving the most amazing creole food since 1941. Chef Leah Chase owned the place

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with her husband when it was still illegal for blacks and whites to get together, even for dinner. They secretly hosted a lot of the activists: Doctor King, Thurgood Marshall, Oretha Castle Haley — they all met there.

Chef Leah once said “We changed the course of America over a bowl of gumbo and some fried chicken!” dookychaserestaurants.com WHY IS A PROJECT LIKE THIS IMPORTANT TODAY?

We started creating the trail in early 2019 — the group designing it travelled 3,000 miles, to every corner of the state, speaking with people who’d been on the front lines, collecting these authentic stories.

Since then, there’s been an awakening about the African American experience. Right now, people are passionate about these issues and yearning to learn more. The trail reminds you that one person can make a difference and makes you think, how can I contribute?

WHERE ELSE WOULD YOU RECOMMEND GOING?

I’d defi nitely recommend the Whitney Plantation, if you want an understanding of what things were like during slavery. They do a good job of telling the whole story and not just a piece of it. whitneyplantation.org EJ MORE INFO: louisianacivilrightstrail.com

louisianatravel.com

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Civil rights ON THE TRAIL OF

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Come, let this special destination enliven your senses.

EXPLORECHARLESTON.CO.UK

TIDES TURNING

Dig a little deeper and you’ll f ind the Indian Ocean’s pin-up paradise archipelago is far more than lazy, diamond-dust beaches and technicolour reefs. A new generation of dynamic Seychellois are changing the record, creating adventure tours, embracing crafts, reviving Creole culture and taking conservation to the next level WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS

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SARAH MARSHALL

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He’s lamenting his never-ending quest to replicate the jungle and its fresh and fertile hues. From the window of his studio, the painter peers through wire-rimmed spectacles at the palette he’s spent a lifetime attempting to recreate: mosses that sour like pickles, ferns as zingy as lime zest and palms more outrageous than the plumes of a parakeet.

A slender man, whose thought-ruffled brow is softened by a haze of wispy curls, George is one of the country’s few native artists. His studio, on the island of Mahé, is filled with canvases depicting snapshots of local life: a man clutching a bunch of bananas; fresh fish for sale in the market; the contours of a prized coco de mer seed, as seductive as a voluptuous woman’s curves.

“I started with these subjects, because that’s what tourists wanted,” he shrugs, pulling out some of his early canvases. “These days I prefer to get to the core of what’s happening in the Seychelles right now.”

Originally colonised only by drifting coconuts, these Indian Ocean islands were first sighted by explorers in the 16th century and settled 200 years later. Raided by pirates, populated by enslaved Africans, Indians and Malays, and tossed between French and British rule, the Seychelles finally gained independence in 1976. A relatively young country, its culture has always been difficult to pinpoint.

Not until recently has a distinct Creole identity taken shape. And last year’s election of the more liberal Linyon Demokratik Seselwa coalition government — after 43 years of autocratic, socialist rule — signifies a welcome wind of change.

“There’s a different energy,” nods George. “Everything is flourishing.”

Hemmed by diamond-dust beaches and sapphire swirls of ocean, the Seychelles earns its reputation

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PREVIOUS SPREAD: An ocean view on Silhouette, the Seychelles’ third largest island CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:

Granite boulders on Silhouette; Gerard Payet, host at Secret Villa on La Digue, with a coco de mer tree; accommodation on Alphonse, where the dominant residents are Aldabra giant tortoises

IMAGES: DILLYS POUPONEAU; SARAH MARSHALL

“ I’ve not yet found the perfect shade of green,” sighs Seychellois artist George Camille.

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for being a travel brochure cover star and paradise honeymoon escape. But dig deeper and it becomes clear the 115 islands have a lot more to offer. Inland, emerald forests and high peaks present opportunities for hiking.

Underwater, a rainbow of exotic marine creatures promises divers a pot of gold. In the sky, terns and tropicbirds create a spectacle as they flock like cherubim in a heavenly display.

Hopping between islands for three weeks, I’m eager to do it all. Like George, I’m searching for the colours that paint a picture of the Seychelles today. Plantation-era houses cling to the steep granite hills of Mahé, the heart of the archipelago and international gateway. Bumping along rough roads in a vintage Santana Anibal fourwheel-drive vehicle, local resident Franky Baccus drives me to one of his favourite viewpoints, where a mob of gorged pitcher plants feast at the base of the country’s highest peak, Morne Seychellois.

“Restrictions make adventure tourism tricky here,” admits the energetic young explorer, who takes tourists on Jeep safaris, hikes and packraft rides exploring hidden corners of the island. “You can’t camp, kayaks are forbidden in wetlands and there are issues with e-bikes.”

Not that these are a deterrent for the former athlete, who was — as a younger man — on course to be the Seychelles’ first Paralympian, although failed to qualify.

Crushed but still determined to make something of himself, Franky, who has Erb’s palsy in one arm,

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founded White Sands Adventures, which lanched in 2019.

On a mission to share his passion for adventure with others, he’s ducked through loopholes and sidestepped bureaucracy to transform the interior of the island into a thrilling playground.

Clever thinking allowed him to secure a licence to guide trips in foldable Oru kayaks at Grand Police, the largest and last remaining pristine wetland on Mahé.

Paddling in the complex piece of aquatic origami, we slice through a reflection of basking palms and lazy clouds so perfectly symmetrical that, for a moment, I can’t tell which way is up or down.

“Almost 90% of our wetlands have been lost to infrastructure development,” laments Franky, as we glide alongside mangroves once threatened by a five-star resort, but saved after a public outcry.

The place is deservingly special and otherworldly.

Pockmarked by lunar-like craters, a slim sandbank separates ebony waterways from the ocean’s ivory surf — a contrast as stark as the republic’s generational divide.

“Those of us born in the 1980s and 1990s have a different mentality,” says Franky, who speculates former generations were guilty of being lazy in the past and too dependent on a nanny state. “We care more about the environment now and we have big ideas.”

Part of a new wave in favour of sustainability, many resorts have also upped their green game. Sandwiched between the popular Beau Vallon public beach and

SEYCHELLES

IMAGES: LOLA AKINMADE AKERSTROM; SARAH MARSHALL

FROM LEFT: Located on the main island of Mahé, Beau Vallon’s soft white sands and pristine, shallow waters make it perfect for snorkelling; Dillys Pouponeau, a photographer and conservationist with Island Conservation Society on Aride; a fairy ÌiÀ y } Ì čÀ `i] where birds outnumber people by 1.25 million to 10

the jungle slopes of Morne Seychellois National Park, newly revamped property Story has worked with the Marine Conservation Society Seychelles to protect a lagoon in its grounds.

Walking into my beachside suite, with its own private gateway and plunge pool, I barely realise I’m in an ecohotel. But glossy good looks can be deceptive: regular beach clean-ups, a coral restoration project and the introduction of an osmosis plant to supply fresh water to the guest rooms are all part of a greater effort to keep the Seychelles’ natural jewels sparkling.

It’s a similar set-up on neighbouring island Silhouette, where hotel giant Hilton deftly runs fancy five-star resort Labriz without encroaching on the remaining 93% of protected national park. Most guests retreat to a spa built into the volcanic rocks or beaches scattered with a gallery of sculpted boulders, but I’m here to tackle the toughest hike in the Seychelles.

Even by 7am, the heat is stifling, gripping me like a vice. Connecting the port with Grand Barbe beach on the other side of the island, the four-mile-long, steep and slippery trail follows a route historically used by plantation workers who left when the coconut industry crashed like a bunch thudding to the jungle floor.

Shielded by leafy turrets and ramparts of towering ferns, today the forest is an impenetrable fortress. Her shady arcades are empty, save for the slithery trails of skinks, and paths crunch with the skeletons of dead leaves decaying in an open grave.

My escorts are two twentysomething conservationists working for the Island Conservation Society (ICS), a local NGO established to restore and conserve island ecosystems in consultation with the government.

Bringing a streetwise swagger to the wilderness, Vanessa Dufrene sports dreads, combat boots and a chunky, rapper-worthy chain — a far cry from the fuddy-duddy academics of the past. Her focus is the rare sheath-tailed bat, native to Silhouette, while her equally laidback colleague Said Harryba monitors a population of Aldabra giant tortoises at Grand Barbe.

Along the way, the nature fanatics point out chirruping bulbuls, meaty millipedes and squirming caecilians, a limbless amphibian resembling a worm. But the strangest encounter occurs at the end of our trail, when we meet Abdullah and Elvi Jumaye, two septuagenarian hermits who live among the ruins of an abandoned village at Grand Barbe.

Red hibiscus flowers hang like welcoming kisses above the manicured grounds, where an allotment flourishes with vegetables and a medicine cabinet of herbs and spices. “I’ve only ever been sick once,” exclaims Abdullah proudly. He’s a sinewy man, as resilient as the tough coconut husks washed up on his shore. Like Said and Vanessa, he relishes the quiet life on Silhouette.

“I love the silence,” he muses, raking at sun-scorched grass. “Nothing is impossible here.”

Birds and bold ideas Historically, the Seychellois have shied away from islands beyond the inner sanctum of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, leaving most conservation roles to be filled by foreigners. But an interest in nature is emerging in the younger generation, assisted by the new government’s focus on giving nationals priority for most jobs.

Filmmaker, photographer and conservationist Dillys Pouponeau, who works for ICS on avian paradise Aride

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island, is a prime example of the new guard. In a place where birds outnumber people by 1.25 million to 10, she admits the appeal of living here is still niche — despite being only a 40-minute ride from neighbouring Praslin.

Landing on the island is an adventure in itself. In an effort to avoid the spread of invasive species, ICS collects visitors from larger boats offshore in its own rigid inflatable boat. Waiting to catch the right wave, we zoom forward at full throttle, surfing the crest of a mighty white horse as it thunders onto the beach.

“I crave the easier life,” beams Dillys, as we sit with a pair of sociable magpie robins, an endangered species successfully translocated from Fregate Island. “I can’t understand why you wouldn’t want this.”

In the absence of rats or cats, Aride’s winged residents are fearless. At my feet, fluffy white-tailed tropicbirds huddle in the clefts of tree roots, while above me, delicate, pure-white fairy terns flit between the cascading tendrils of a banyan tree, creating a spellbinding scene. It’s breeding season and everyone is hard at work: noddies dart through waves collecting seaweed for nests, while their partners nibble on washed up pieces of coral for a calcium fix.

Aride is one of several islands where efforts have been made to increase seabird populations. Local business owners Mr and Mrs Mason (the Seychellois have an intriguing habit of using formal titles) spent more than $40,000 (£28,700) eradicating rats and Indian myna birds, an invasive species that preys on native chicks, when they purchased Denis island, a Robinson Crusoe coral castaway some 40 miles north of Mahé.

Although a huge investment, efforts have paid off.

When I arrive, the sky is aflutter with feathers.

“It was such a quiet island when we purchased it back in 1996,” recalls Mr Mason, climbing down from the cabin

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of his tractor to greet me. “But now we have so much noise.” As if on cue, a bird poos on his head.

Split between a resort and a working farm, Denis island is a model of sustainability. Pigs, chickens and cows provide food for guests, with any surplus sold at a farm shop in Mahé. A mine of bright ideas, sprightly Mr Mason has introduced several innovations: grey water from the laundry is used to irrigate paths and palm leaves are shredded into fodder for livestock.

On a walk through a forest of native takamaka and almond trees, Wilna Accouche, who works for Denis’ NGO arm, Green Islands Foundation (GIF), tells me about an ambitious project to entice sooty terns to nest on Denis.

Crafted in onsite carpentry workshops, painted wooden replicas of the birds are spread across an open area, where speakers boom with recordings of sooty terns’ calls.

Operational for 10 years, the experiment has so far yielded little success. Some experts claim it’s an issue of too much wind in the location, Wilna tells me. But judging by primitive paintwork on the decoys, I suspect maybe these birds just aren’t so easily fooled.

Regardless, day and night, the skies are still a frenzy of activity. On a dawn standup paddleboard ride, I cruise alongside tropicbirds as they head out to fish for the day.

At night, I fall asleep listening to a symphony of trills and whistles, like the calls of sailors navigating dark seas.

A golden land in the big blue Dominated by ocean, less than 1% of the Seychelles is dry land. Last year, in a pioneering deal allowing the country to free up $21.6m (£15.5m) in foreign debt, the government agreed to extend protection to 30% of its waters — an area twice the size of the UK. Now NGOs like GIF are discussing how this change can be implemented.

The best opportunities for exploring below the ocean’s

SEYCHELLES

Franky Baccus from White Sands Adventures tours Police Bay on Mahé, where rain creates circular impressions in the sand BELOW FROM LEFT: Seychellois artist George Camille in his studio on Mahé surrounded by canvasses; a hermit crab on Alphonse, a former plantation now given back to nature

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SEYCHELLES

surface can be found in the outer islands — around Denis and in the far south of the archipelago, where a collection of coral atolls and lagoons is spread between Mahé and the northern tip of Madagascar.

It takes me an hour by air to reach Alphonse, where South African company Blue Safari manages an eco and fly-fishing resort. Washed by a tie-dye of inky blues, the beaches are empty. Hermit crabs scurry for cover in their rented homes and spindly-legged herons tiptoe over palm trunks bent double like flexible yogis. Once a regimented plantation, the inland forest is now in delightfully dishevelled disarray, crisscrossed by a lattice of sticky spider webs designed to keep intruders at bay.

“Many Seychellois still refuse to work here, on principle,” explains British-born Elle Brighton, the resort’s ecology and sustainability manager. “And young children are forbidden, according to an old colonial law.”

Instead, the dominant residents are Aldabra giant tortoises, first introduced to the island from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Aldabra atoll in 1999. A nursery is one of several active conservation projects on Alphonse, including tagging giant trevally fish to monitor the impact of catch-and-release fishing, and a citizen science initiative to identify manta rays.

“The diving here is very special,” insists Elle when I join her on a trip to new scuba site Mogul Canyon. “I’ve never seen so many turtles or varieties of fish.”

As we descend, delicate gorgonian fan corals usher us into their underwater kingdom with a royal wave.

Garish nudibranchs decorate reefs like an array of Bassetts Liquorice Allsorts, and day octopuses flash their neon tentacles in a disco display. But the highlight is a gathering of smooth groupers, longface emperors, napoleon wrasse and nurse sharks ganging up on bluestripe snapper — a rare form of collaborative hunting Elle believes is unique to this part of the world.

Only 60ft below the surface, it feels like we’re in another world. But the reality of outside influences strikes home on a beach clean-up the following morning.

“We once collected 2,800 flip-flops in three days,” sighs Elle, using a litter picker to wrestle free another shipwrecked shoe from a tangle of mangroves.

An estimated 8.9 million tons of plastic enters our oceans every year — the equivalent of a truckload every minute, damaging reefs, turtles, marine mammals and, ultimately, people. One of the best places for a global wake-up call, I learn, is at the beach. Jungle-backed, boulder-strewn and toe-sinkingly silky, these photogenic stretches are where the Seychelles has always won hearts — and there’s no better location to drive the message of conservation home.

I’m reminded of the archipelago’s beauty during my final stop on La Digue, a cycle-friendly island renowned for its glorious beaches and affordable guesthouse accommodation. More than anywhere else in the archipelago, this is the place to sample local life.

To explore the coastline from an alternative perspective, I join a coasteering tour with fresh-faced

ABOVE: A giant tortoise on La Digue, a cycle-friendly island renowned for its glorious beaches and affordable guesthouse accommodation

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ESSENTIALS INDIAN

I N D I A N

OCEAN

O C E A N

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Aride

Praslin GRAND ANSE

Silhouette GRAND BARBE BEAU VALLON

La Digue

SEYCHELLES INNER ISLANDS VICTORIA

MORNE SEYCHELLOIS NATIONAL PARK

Alphonse 275 miles

Mahé

10 miles

GRAND POLICE

Getting there & around British Airways (and codeshare partner +>Ì>À® y ià `> Þ Ì > j vÀ Heathrow via Doha. Other options V Õ`i yÞ } Ü Ì Ì « > č À iÃ Û > č`` à čL>L>] À>ÌiÃ Û > ÕL> > ` Kenya Airways via Nairobi. ba.com ethiopianairlines emirates.com kenya-airways.com čÛiÀ>}i y } Ì Ì i\ £{ / Ài>V Ì i ÕÌiÀ à > `à ÃÕV >Ã č « Ãi > ` i Ã] ̽à iViÃÃ>ÀÞ Ì Ì> i > } Ì > ÀVÀ>vÌ° Ì >LÀ â vviÀà > L >Ì À i V «ÌiÀ ÌÀ> ÃviÀ ÃiÀÛ Vi Ì - ÕiÌÌi vÀ > j° hilton.com / i iÀ à > `à V> Li Ài>V i` LÞ viÀÀÞ° catcocos.com seyferry.com

When to go

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adventurers Sunny Trail Guide. A Spiderman capable of scaling vertical cliffs, guide Warren Bibi leads me through an obstacle course of lobster-pink rocks and palm-woven tunnels spilling onto a string of fantasy beaches framed by the surreal forms of a Picasso painting. It’s no surprise local artist George Camille found much of his inspiration on La Digue, eventually opening an exhibition space here.

The gallery is just a few steps from my temporary hilltop hideaway, Secret Villa, an open-air cabin jutting from the hillside like the prow of a ship. A cross between Jim Morrison and Salvador Dalí, bare-chested, bohemian host Gerard Payet proudly shows me around his selfsufficient Eden, where pots and pans hang from a wall of granite and the jungle climbs right into rooms.

“I’ve been in paradise for the last 21 years,” he reflects, handing me a freshly picked custard apple. “I have my dogs and cats. I talk to the trees to make them grow.”

Woken by the premature rays of a pink dawn, I cycle across the island the following morning to Grand Anse — the island’s longest beach — for a final glimpse of the ocean. On my way, I freewheel through a tunnel of greenery, propelled forward by gravity and the lure of the roaring waves. Macrame hammocks swing from the open arms of takamaka trees and a giant tortoise dozes below a beach bar as if recovering from a big night.

Birds whistle. Billows of sea mist roll. Mountains glow red. No sun, sea and sky are ever the same in the Seychelles. An artist mixing its own palette, she expresses herself in so many ways.

Where to stay -Ì ÀÞ] > j° À ËÓä ] E ° story-seychelles.com Ì -iÞV i ià >LÀ â ,ià ÀÌ > ` -«>] - ÕiÌÌi° À ËÓnÓ] E ° hilton.com

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ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER

ABOVE: Beach vendor

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