Produced in Dubai Production City
INSPIRED BY
ISSUE 144 | APRIL/MAY 2020 | DHS10
Welcome note
We’ve published World Traveller since 2006. Throughout those 14 years, global issues have, at one time or another, impacted the demand for travel. From the financial collapse through to ash clouds and H1N1 (which numbered upwards of 60 million
Managing Director Victoria Thatcher Chief Creative Officer John Thatcher General Manager David Wade Group Content Director Faye Bartle faye@hotmedia.me Head of Digital Siobháin Spear Content & Social Editor Hayley Kadrou Content Writer Habiba Azab Editorial Assistant Ronak Sagar Art Director Kerri Bennett Senior Designer Hiral Kapadia
cases), our wanderlust has been tempered. That’s certainly the case now, as COVID-19 demands that we put the health of ourselves, family and friends over any thoughts of far-flung beaches. However, what’s also certain is that like all of those crises, this one will also be confined to history. There will be an end point. We will travel again. In the meantime, what COVID-19 can’t take from us is our desire to dream of the places we will go when this latest crisis passes; the people we will meet there; the many wonderful things we will experience. As the home of travel inspiration in the Middle East, we will continue to feed those dreams with action-packed ideas to fuel your future adventures, whether near or far. Speaking of what's near, we are fortunate to live in a region that’s home to some of the world’s finest hotels, hotels that will need our support once normal service resumes. So, when the time is right, why not take a staycation and celebrate the remarkable place we live in and the incredible opportunities it affords us. Until such time as COVID-19 becomes the past, stay safe and keep dreaming of travel. Those dreams will be realised. That’s for certain. Chief Creative Officer John Thatcher
Production Manager Muthu Kumar Production Coordinator Nagu Subburaman
FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED THIS ISSUE: 1
Dominica is home to the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Caribbean – Morne Trois Pitons National Park, p9
2
Beauty boss Maria Hatzistefani's idea of the perfect weekend escape is unwinding on the beach in Mykonos, p18
3
Not one hungry diner has managed to conquer the 25lb (11kg) monster burger, the Burgernator, at Denny's in Clearfield, Pennsylvania... yet! p42
4
A whopping 97% of the Galápagos' land mass is national park, p48
5
The historic Spiegelkwartier is the place to shop for art and antiques in Amsterdam, p60
INSPIRED BY
Photography credits: Alamy, Phocal Media and iStock by Getty Images Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from HOT Media is strictly prohibited. HOT Media does not accept liability for omissions or errors in World Traveller. Tel: 00971 4 364 2876 Fax: 00971 4 369 7494
COVER IMAGE The heart-shaped Love Lake at Al Qudra Lakes in Dubai, photo courtesy of Dubai Tourism
Find us at… ONLINE worldtravellermagazine.com FACEBOOK @WorldTravellerME INSTAGRAM @worldtravellerme TWITTER @WTravellerME
worldtravellermagazine.com 5
Contents April/May 2020 Camp Sakira by Amangiri
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HOT HOTELS
regulars 08
13
GLOBETROTTER
60
64
The destinations topping our list of go-to places when the time is right, starting with our wonderful home.
Maria Hatzistefanis reveals her travel habits; David Murphy tells us how to photograph elephants in the wild; and five off-grid gems.
From its captivating artworks to its delicious local delicacies, Habiba Azab shines a light on the canal-strewn capital.
We're dreaming of opening the door to The Dunes, a spectacular villa aside the ocean at Grace Bay Club, Turks & Caicos.
OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO
A LONG WEEKEND IN AMSTERDAM
SUITE DREAMS
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CONTENTS
features
20
34
42
48
Planning your next family escape? Then you'll need our how-to guide to tackle it.
Lara Brunt goes wild on Maria Island in Australia and discovers an unspoilt isle teeming with unique creatures.
New York to LA by car. Too far to even think of trying? Not on this route, says Ian Belcher.
Nigel Tisdall puts his best foot forward on the Galรกpagos Islands, mixing creature comforts with luxury.
THE FAMILY HOLIDAY
WALKABOUT
Carhenge
42
NEW YORK TO LA
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LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
NATURAL WANDER
54
TRY SOMEWHERE NEW
New Zealand is the epitome of easy-going, but seeing it in the right order is key. Here's how...
OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO Emily Williams, dnata Travel’s resident globetrotter, reveals the places to add to your wish list
Dubai
Dubai continues to evolve and innovate and, in 2020, there are lots of new places to experience and areas to rediscover, when the time is right. The Al Seef waterfront promenade is bringing new life to the historic Dubai Creek, with a combination of contemporary spaces that evoke the rich heritage of the city. La Mer has brought a wealth of dining options to one of Dubai’s most prestigious stretches of beachfront, while the new Nakheel Mall is adding more to discover on Palm Jumeirah. Combined with a string of new hotel openings in some of the city’s most popular neighbourhoods, locals and tourists alike have plenty to look forward to. Add to wish list 1 Get your geek on at The Museum of the Future, set to open in 2020, which will propel you to the year 2035 for a glimpse of how technology may evolve to enhance our bodies and minds. 2 Join one of the many guided tours into the desert where traditional-style Bedouin camps await, offering good food and good conversation in equal measure. 3. Adventure seekers should make a beeline for the Hatta Mountains, where you can explore the rugged terrain by mountain biking, hiking, kayaking and more.
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WISH LIST DESTINATIONS
Dominica
This Caribbean island is now visa-free for UAE nationals. Dotted with natural hot springs and lush tropical rainforests, this isn’t your stereotypical slice of Caribbean paradise. This unspoiled destination is aiming to be the world’s first climate-resilient nation by 2030. Due to its volcanic origins, its beaches are characterised by black or silvery sands, and its hotels are often rustic in style to suit the wild surrounds. See the colourful timber houses of the capital, Roseau, and take advantage of its reputation as a whale watching hotspot. You can access the island via a domestic flight or by ferry from neighbouring islands including Antigua, St. Lucia and Barbados. Add to wish list 1 Nature lovers will be enthralled by Morne Trois Pitons National Park, the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Caribbean. 2 Sweet plantains, yams and a bounty of fresh fish; the local cuisine is packed full of flavour. Be sure to try Creole style crab backs, which is one of the most popular traditional dishes on offer. 3 The island is blessed with picturesque hiking routes and most are relatively smooth and easy to navigate, so pull on your sturdiest books and get out and explore.
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Franschhoek
Known as South Africa’s culinary capital, Franschhoek in the Western Cape is one of the oldest towns in the country. An hour’s drive from Cape Town, it is home to award-winning restaurants and centuries-old vineyards. The scenery is spectacular here, from the flowers and wildlife that spread across the trails of the Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve, to unforgettable mountain views across the Franschhoek Valley. Over the years, Franschhoek has stayed true to its French roots. As such, it feels like a slice of Europe in South Africa. Enjoy a stroll along its main street lined with art galleries, artisan shops and some of the country’s finest eateries. Add to wish list 1 Taste country contemporary cuisine featuring locally-grown, seasonal produce at the highly-rated La Petite Ferme Restaurant. 2 Join the guided Village Walking Tour that'll take you on a gentle stroll through the beautiful village, past notable architecture and cultural sites, stopping for a gourmet chocolate tasting along the way. 3 The strikingly beautiful landscape is a romantic setting for wedding ceremonies, so if you're looking for a picture-perfect place to tie the knot, be sure to check out the venues available here.
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WISH LIST DESTINATIONS
Tashkent
Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, is a hotspot for accessing Central Asia’s fascinating Silk Road splendour. The Soviet Union rebuilt much of Tashkent in 1966 after a powerful earthquake and, as a result, is evocative of the era with its wide streets, plazas and some of the most ornate and extravagant metro stations in the world. The city is also home to the domed Chorsu Bazaar, where traditional street food is served in abundance. Newly-built in white marble is the incredibly picturesque Minor Mosque. Travel on from the capital to discover incredible mountain scenery, beautiful lakes and ancient cities, including Bukhara and its famous blue-tiled mosques. Add to wish list 1 Architecture fans can get an up-close look at Tashkent Television Tower, one of the tallest towers in the world, which soars 375 metres up towards the clouds. 2 Swot up on the history of the country by visiting the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan, which is home to about 10,000 exhibits, with each floor dedicated to a different era. 3 Taste the traditional dish of Palov, prepared with rice, meat, spices and vegetables and served as a delicious gesture of hospitality.
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C R E AT E SPECIAL MOMENTS WITH US.
DUBAI MARRIOTT HARBOUR HOTEL & SUITES KING SALMAN BIN ABDULAZIZ AL SAUD STREET DUBAI MARINA, PO BOX 66662, DUBAI, UAE T. 971.4.319.4000 | DUBAIMARRIOTTHARBOURHOTEL.COM Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites @marriottharbour
Standing tall in the heart of Dubai Marina, featuring incomparable panoramic views of the city, combine the best of all worlds with luxurious accommodation, three contemporary dining destinations and a blissful caravanserai-inspired, Saray Spa.
APRIL/MAY
Globetrotter Be informed, be inspired, be there
Champion freediver Umberto Pelizzari giving lessons at Soneva Fushi in 2018
DEEP AND MEANINGFUL Seeking a holiday with soul? You can learn from daring explorers, best-selling authors, motivational speakers, Michelin-starred chefs, leading wellness practitioners and more celebrated experts who have teamed up with Soneva to deliver oneof-a-kind experiences at its luxurious resorts in Maldives and Thailand. The year-round line-up of enthralling encounters offers plenty to look forward to, including Soneva Jani's resident yoga practitioner, Pawan Kumar, who draws upon his teachings in India’s ashrams and the Himalayas to guide you on crafting a more peaceful, blissful life. worldtravellermagazine.com 13
GLOBETROTTER
How to photograph
ELEPHANTS IN THE WILD
David Murphy (@davidmurphy_notm) tells us how to capture the gentle giants in all their glory Catch the golden hour The soft light in the hours around dawn and dusk lend a beautiful warm glow. Plus, it's often the time when the animals are most visible. Find a unique vantage point The most obvious shot isn't always the most striking. Think outside of the box and look for a unique perspective. A low vantage point often conveys a more intimate connection to an animal. Get up close This isn’t the easiest thing to do when shooting wildlife, but it makes all the difference. A viewing platform in a hidden bunker provided a great opportunity to get nearer to these majestic elephants in Botswana. I also recommend using a telephoto lens to achieve a more intimate shot. Double up on shots Even if you think you’ve already got the perfect shot, take more. You might find something unique and striking later when flicking back through your images.
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GLOBETROTTER Camp Sakira by Amangiri
HOT HOTELS Our pick of up-and-coming luxury hotels
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL MADRID Spain With a sun-splashed pool terrace, a four-level luxury spa and a brilliant rooftop dining concept by Michelinstarred chef Dani Garcia, Four Seasons Hotel Madrid brings a dash of golden charm to its new Spanish address. Bagging an exclusive spot in the beating heart of the city, the innovative Centro Canalejas, the hotel comprises of seven historical buildings, all stunningly restored and re-imagined. We rate the triangular Royal Suite with its looming doubleheight ceilings and historic details. Reserve now for arrivals on May 15 (TBC).
CAMP SARIKA BY AMANGIRI Utah, USA Tucked deep within a 600acre landscape of towering mesas, slot canyons and rustcoloured sands, this luxury resort (opening in April, TBC) offers guests the chance to experience the Utah desert’s wild allure. The camp’s cluster of 10 canvas-topped pavilions are fabulously designed with epic views, as well oversized terraces with fire pits and heated plunge pools. Start your day with a morning yoga session atop a monolithic rock formation, or a restorative spa treatment inspired by the holistic traditions of the Navajo. In the evening, the slot canyons await discovery. Four Seasons Hotel Madrid
The Legian Sire
THE LEGIAN SIRE Lombok, Indonesia Fringed by the soft sands of Tanjung Sire beach, between the sparkling Gili Islands and the sacred Mount Rinjani, The Legian Sire (opening 9 May, TBC) is a tropical delight. In-room spa treatments and private plunge pools make it the perfect choice for a romantic break, while the myriad of exciting activities on offer, from natural explorations to surfing, snorkelling, diving, trekking and hiking, offer family fun in spades. You can also organise a range of excursions, from visits to waterfalls, to rice-paddy adventures and trips to the neighbouring Gili Islands thanks to the hotel's free shuttle boat service. worldtravellermagazine.com 15
GLOBETROTTER
VIRTUAL VIEWINGS 10 museums and exhibitions you can visit from your sofa Thanks to our digital evolvement, you can now sit and discover some of the world’s most iconic museums from home. Here are 10 museums and exhibitions to provide you with some cultural and educational stimulus over the coming weeks.
The Louvre As one of the world’s largest art museums and one of Paris’ most iconic landmarks, the Louvre is a must-visit for those visiting the French capital. While adhering to social distancing precautions, you can skip the queues and visit the exhibitions online instead. Explore the Egyptian Antiquities, the remains of the Louvre Moat and more besides. louvre.fr
The Van Gogh Museum Home to the largest collection of artworks by Vincent Van Gogh, the museum in Amsterdam is a draw for curious art lovers. With over 200 paintings, 500 drawings and 750 personal letters from the artist himself, the museum offers endless opportunities to learn about his life and work. vangoghmuseum.com
National Gallery of Art Washington is home to one of the most popular museums in the United States: the National Gallery of Art. You can view audio and video exhibitions via the gallery’s website to explore exhibition 16 worldtravellermagazine.com
highlights and learn more about momentous events. nga.gov/exhibitions.html
NASA Based in Ohio, the NASA Glenn Research Centre The One Restaurant designs and develops innovative technology in order to further advance NASA’s aeronautical and space exploration missions. Not quite a museum or an exhibition, the innovative hub still aims to share insights into its missions in order to educate the wider population. You can take an online tour of the flight research hangar and more. nasa.gov/ glennvirtualtours
National Museum of Natural History The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural history tells the history of the planet. It stewards a collection of 145 million specimens and artifacts, each reflecting a moment in time and space. On a mission to understand the natural world and our
place in it, the National Museum of Natural History allows visitors to take a self-guided tour of exhibits. naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/ virtual-tour
National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art Korea’s National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art has become one of the country’s most popular museums since opening in 1969. Providing you online access from anywhere in the world, the Google virtual tour takes you on a journey through Korea’s art history. artsandculture.google.com
Metropolitan Museum of Art Housing over two million works of art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world across three iconic sites in New York City. Millions of people opt to see it on their laptops. metmuseum.org
Rijksmuseum Explore world-famous artworks from the Dutch Golden Age without leaving your home. In a couple of clicks you can see the likes of Vermeer and Rembrandt. artsandculture.google.com/ partner/rijksmuseum
The Guggenheim Museum The Guggenheim Museum in New York is an internationallyrenowned art museum and one of the most significant architectural icons of the 20th century. However, you don’t have to fly to the United States to view its artistic treasures. Works by Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas and all are among highlights of a virtual tour, created to ensure the collections and exhibitions can be enjoyed from afar. artsandculture. google.com
The British Museum In partnership with the Google Cultural Institute, the British Museum in London has created one of the most advanced online museum experiences. Featuring some of the most fascinating objects in human history, you can jump back in time and explore diverse cultures while listening to insights from British Museum curators. britishmuseum. withgoogle.com
5 OF THE
GLOBETROTTER GLOBETROTTER
BEST
The Roof
Remote escapes If you're dreaming of a digital detox, these far-flung resorts could be just the ticket
1
TORFHÚS RETREAT, ICELAND Set in the heart of the Golden Circle, this ecoluxury resort runs entirely on geothermal and hydroelectric sustainable energy. Settle into one of the cosy cabins and enjoy views over volcanic plains to snow-capped mountains and the Langjökull glacier beyond.
2
3
JADE MOUNTAIN RESORT, ST. LUCIA Add a dash of romance to your offline hideaway at this striking Caribbean retreat. With vast suites basking in the spellbinding views of the Pitons, unobstructed ocean vistas, and minimal electronics available, it brings the disconnect to reconnect concept to life.
4
MIRAVAL AUSTIN A haven for wellness, this resort offers transformative experiences that that'll teach you how to
restore balance to your life through a curated itinerary incorporating activities such as vasudhara, which combines the feeling of being weightless in the water with Thai massage. You'll find a 'sleeping bag' for your mobile phone on your bedside table.
5
NIMMO BAY WILDERNESS RESORT, BRITISH COLUMBIA Offering serenity, adventure and luxury in equal measure, this family-owned resort stands amid masses of unblemished beauty in the Great Bear Rainforest. Cabins are devoid of TVs and you can spend your days kayaking, paddleboarding or keeping an eye out for orca and humpback whales.
Photo: Jade Mountain
AMANKORA, BHUTAN Comprised of five lodges (home to 76 contemporary rustic suites) strategically dotted around the valleys and surrounded by forests and orchards, Amankora calls those seeking a complete holistic and cultural immersion. Guided activities
change with the seasons – sign up for the herb-infused hot stone bath at Paro and the meditation in Punakha.
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GLOBETROTTER
HOW I TRAVEL waterfall to shopping for handicrafts – I’ve heard the ceramics are particularly beautiful – its tropical allure calls me.
THE THING I LOVE MOST ABOUT TRAVELLING IS… the quiet time on the flight when no-one can reach me. I KEEP MYSELF ENTERTAINED WHILE TRAVELLING BY... downloading my favourite shows on Netflix and binge watching them. THE LAST BOOK I READ ON HOLIDAY WAS… The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. I’ve read this self-help bestseller multiple times and I always find something new to relate to. MY FAVOURITE HOTEL FOR A WEEKEND AWAY IS... Santa Marina Mykonos for its glamorous blend of beach-chic interiors, views of the glistening Aegean Sea, and being able to unwind on the sand at Buddha-Bar Beach. IF I HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE BEACH, I’D… go to both at different times. THE BEST WAY TO EXPLORE A NEW DESTINATION IS… to have no plans whatsoever and decide what you want to do once you’re settled.
Clockwise from left: The Secret by Rhonda Byrne published by Atria Books/ Beyond Words; Kuang Si Falls in Laos; spicy lentil dahl; Rodial Pink Diamond Lip and Eye Filler; Santa Marina Mykonos; The Bayon temple at Angkor in Cambodia
MARIA HATZISTEFANIS, founder and CEO of beauty brands Rodial and Nip+Fab (@mrsrodial), shares the experiences that fuel her wanderlust
THE ITEMS I ALWAYS KEEP IN MY CARRY ON ARE... hand sanitiser, chewing gum and Rodial Pink Diamond Lip and Eye Filler.
THE STAMP IN MY PASSPORT I AM MOST PROUD OF IS... India. I loved the culture and food.
THE MOST UNUSUAL TRAVEL EXPERIENCE I’VE EVER HAD WAS… travelling to Búzios in Brazil from London with a newborn and a two-year old. It was a 30-hour journey door to door – challenging, but we made it.
which makes me wonder if I missed out on some fun along the way.
THE TRIP THAT CHANGED MY LIFE WAS... Cambodia. It was a very spiritual journey.
THE TRAVEL EXPERIENCE I WISH I’D HAD WHEN I WAS YOUNGER IS… backpack. I always opted for comfort,
THE DESTINATION ON MY BUCKET LIST IS... Laos. From hiking through the jungle to a cascading
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THE FAMILY HOLIDAY THE FAMILY HOLIDAY
Want your brood to beam like the ones in the brochures? It is possible — and no swotting needed. Simply turn over for our tantrum-proof cheat sheets to your favourite cities and trips… TYPEOGRAPHY: PANDORA THATCHER, AGE 8 3/4
worldtravellermagazine.com 21
applies to you, try an Afternoon Tea Cruise on the Thames (citycruises.com).
Secretly educational sight Start off on a high Who’s every child’s biggest hero and hails from Greater London? Harry Potter, of course. Go seek out Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross Station as soon as you arrive and the kids will love you forever. Or at least until you get to the gift shop, a shrine to all things HP. The store also sells a few exclusives, such as Harry’s Hogwarts school trunk and acceptance letter.
Memorable meal They’ll be ravenous by now, but you’re itching to see the capital, so jump on a B Bakery bus tour (london.b-bakery. com; depart either from Victoria Station or just off Trafalgar Square). No-one can complain about a vintage Routemaster bus that clocks the city’s greatest sights – Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Royal Albert Hall – while serving you high tea. Alas: under-5s aren’t allowed – if that
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The Museum of London is really very clever. Parents view it as the national curriculum brought to life, but the kids only see fun, fun, fun. Watch London burn in the Great Fire (and wear a 17th-century fireman’s hat), then join a garden party in the days of Queen Victoria, before sitting inside a prison cell, its walls scratched with the names of turn-of-the-century debtors (museumoflondon.org.uk).
Sleeping through An underground swimming pool with doughnut inflatables, giant cinema screens, milk and cookies at bedtime, and kiddie certificates that can be cashed in for a mocktail in the bar… Haymarket Hotel, near Leicester and Trafalgar Squares, could have been designed by Kevin from Home Alone, yet it’s just as pleasing for parents – with the buzzy Brumus restaurant and chic interiors they don’t have to keep tidy. Consider, too, that the sister hotel in Soho – Ham Yard – has a bowling alley. Handy.
Blow off steam
If only I’d known
The South Bank is a brilliant legstretcher: under-11s can reboot at Jubilee Playground and Gardens and older kids will get a kick out of Riverside Walk (selfies at the London Eye, street performers and more) – and no child will be able to stop staring at the skateboarders at Skate Space. If it’s raining, duck into Tate Modern (tate. org.uk) and let them run around the gargantuan turbine hall.
Taxis make most sense for families taking short central journeys, even if it does feel extravagant. Use the Uber app and you’ll pay less to be driven from King’s Cross to the Museum of London than you would on the Tube when travelling with older children or more than two people. If you do take public transport, use your contactless bank card for a 50% discount – you’ll need a different card for each person.
THE FAMILY HOLIDAY
These pages, clockwise from left: B Bakery bus tour; Platform 9 3/4
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Don’t go too early Lapland without the white stuff is snow joke, and winters up here are starting later these days, so go from the second or third weekend in December for a guaranteed snowscape. Ample time is crucial: do not book one of those 24hour round-trips from another country — your child will be so tired and cranky you’ll wonder why you bothered. Four nights is better, and even then you’ll wish you had more. Darkness reigns: daylight falls between 10am and 2pm, when an eerie green and pink glow illuminates the sky.
Not all Santa villages are the same Lapland spreads across the top end of Norway, Finland, Sweden and Russia’s Kola Peninsula. However, Finnish Lapland is where almost all Santa trips go, and Rovaniemi, the provincial capital, is the ‘main’ home of Father Christmas (santaclausvillage.info): the big guy can be visited here every day of the year. With this comes a hefty slice of commercialism, and if you’re happy with that – paying for your photo in a snow globe, endless gift shops, a whopping great city of Santa – that’s where you should go. Children will love it; parents may not. For the real deal – and endless other wintry activities, such as snowmobiling, skiing and reindeer rides – head north to the smaller resorts of Levi, Yllas or Saariselka. Levi is just 20 minutes from the airport, making transfers with weary tots superspeedy. Here, Santa’s village is way out in the wilderness: a huddle of twinkly log cabins hidden among snow-laden pines. Kids can decorate gingerbread cookies with Mrs Claus, make decorations and visit Elf school to learn Finnish words such as ‘Hyvää Joulua’ (Happy Christmas), as well as having a private tête-à-tête with Santa himself. The focus is firmly on wholesome festive fun and, refreshingly, souvenir stops are sparse.
If you only ever take one package trip, this is the time to do it If you let the experts plan this trip for you, the festive fun starts on the plane – and children are hooked. Trust us, 24 worldtravellermagazine.com
when it’s -20°C outside you’ll want a coach-load of elves to collect you from the airport, equip you with thermal snowsuits and speed you straight to your accommodation. And with just three or four days on the ground, you won’t want to waste precious time at the supermarket, so opt for a hotel. The expansive buffets will please even the most unadventurous of little eaters.
Go against the flow Book your husky ride, snowmobile and reindeer safari (all unmissable) for the last day or two of your hols. The numbers will have petered out by then as most people whizz off at high speed on the first day or two. Booking through the local tourist office or direct (laplandsafaris.com) can make it more crowd-free. Check your tour company’s included excursions carefully – these can be just five minutes ‘having a go’ and nothing like the longer experience. And remember the best fun is free… Some of your sweetest memories will be sledging, building snowmen or simply rolling around on the slopes. In Levi, sleds are scattered about, and there’s a nursery slope with free button lifts at Kids’ Land, so children can have a go at skiing. Pick up some sausages and marshmallows from the local S-Market en route and toast them free of charge over the fire in a little Lappish hut at the bottom of the slope (levi.ski/en/kidsland); hire ski gear a short walk away at Zero Point.
Maximise your chances of seeing the Aurora Borealis The Northern Lights are elusive and the luckiest time to see them is in spring and autumn – here’s how to increase your chances. Stay far north of the Arctic Circle (in Levi, Inari or Saariselka), out of town (less light pollution), and download the aurora app (free). It shows the likelihood according to your location and will send an alert if a sighting is imminent – some hotels will even sound an alarm to wake you when the aurora is near. Or take an after-dark snowmobile safari for an atmospheric treat. Even if you don’t see it, speeding across a frozen lake at 60kph is an experience in itself.
THE FAMILY HOLIDAY
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Start off on a high Forget the Sagrada Família (the kids won’t get it) and take bus T2a from Plaça de Catalunya to Tibidabo – the hill you can see from Passeig de Gràcia. On top, there’s a theme park with charmingly retro rides and fab views (tibidabo.cat). Or, on the other side of the city, take the funicular up to montjuïc (telefericdemontjuic.cat). The highlight here is the Magic Fountain, next door to the Poble Espanyol, a leftover from the 1929 World Exhibition (the equivalent of the Expo), where kids can visit attractions from the whole of Spain.
Memorable meal Ferris wheel on Tibidabo
Take the metro to the Plaça d’Españya, then nip around the corner to the Suarna Bar restaurant on Carrer Llançà.
Admittedly, from the outside it looks a bit like a shopping-mall diner, but the kids – like the cops and the locals who dine here – will love it. Paella is the house speciality, but there’s also a kids' menu, entertaining staff and, on the top floor, a play area (restaurantesuarna.com).
Secretly educational sight You may wish to explore La Ruta del Modernisme in a bid to understand Gaudí’s internal struggle between God and nature, but that won’t cut it with the kids – with the exception perhaps of the Alice in Wonderland fantasy of La Pedrera (lapedrera.com) and crazy Park Guell, where they’ll love exploring Gaudí’s cartoon-like playground. Otherwise, the Museu Maritim (mmb.cat) will easily fill an afternoon, with its fascinating collection of model ships and a fish-shaped submarine.
Blow off steam Hit the beach. Most visitors head to La Barceloneta, but for a more familyfriendly vibe take metro line L4 to Selva del Mar and the Platja del Bogatell, where locals combine competitive volleyball with loafing, paddling and long lunches. This could also be the spot for another memorable meal: try the paella at the beachfront Xiringuito Escribà (restaurantsescriba. com). And don’t miss the magical Parc de la Ciutadella at the edge of El Born district. It has a boating lake, zoo and playgrounds – perfect for hide and seek
Sleeping through You can find cheaper places to stay, but you won’t find a better location than the Majestic Residence, one block from La Pedrera on Passeig de Gràcia. The two-bed apartments come with sitting and dining rooms and, on the off-chance you’ve got fussy eaters in tow, a fully equipped kitchen. Prefer a hotel? The Icon BCN is three blocks east of the Plaça de Catalunya and 20 minutes from Parc de la Ciutadella.
If only I’d known The Barcelona card saves you so much cash, providing free public transport and free entry to 25 museums (barcelonacard.org). 26 worldtravellermagazine.com 26 worldtravellermagazine.com 26 worldtravellermagazine.com
THE FAMILY HOLIDAY
Brooklyn Bridge
Vanderbilt is a food hall with 20 burger, taco or pizza vendors and communal tables (urbanspacenyc.com).
Start off on a high No NYC attraction will wow your kids like the rooftop views from the Rockefeller Centre. The 67th/68th floor indoor gallery is good, but the open-air 70th-floor observation deck is better, with OMG views of all Manhattan’s icons, including the Empire State Building, Central Park and the Hudson River. Come at night for added sparkle.
Memorable meal For a classic slice of ’50s Americana in Midtown Manhattan, grab brunch in a booth at Comfort Diner, notorious for its artery-clogging buttermilk pancakes, piled high with toasted pecans, bananas and berries (comfortdiner.com). Free coffee refills, leather banquettes and possible sightings of Comfort Diner fan Justin Bieber – it’s a cracking find, less than 10 minutes’ walk from Grand LUX* North Malé Atoll Central Station. For dinner, Urbanspace
Secretly educational sight Some families will lick their lips at New York’s dizzying list of art museums. But not all. However, even philistines enjoy the fifth-floor gallery at MoMA, a perfect 90-minute highlights reel of A-List artists, from Picasso and Pollock to Mondrian and Monet. There’s no charge for under-16s, free wi-fi at the excellent cafe by the gift shop, and selfie opportunities with Van Gogh’s Starry Night to impress even the grumpiest teen (moma.org).
Square Park, brimming with buskers at weekends, and just next door to the cage, aka West Fourth Street courts, a famous no-frills breeding ground of basketball legends.
Sleeping through A 15-minute walk from MoMA and the Rockefeller Centre, the Roger Smith on Lexington has oodles of old New York style and family suites that won’t blow your holiday budget. It also has a bite-sized rooftop bar, so while the kids gorge on wi-fi back in the room, mums and dads can sip manhattans while basking in the city views with midtown’s after-work crowd
Blow off steam
If only I’d known
Running for two-and-a-half elevated kilometres between Hudson Yards and Chelsea, the disused railway High Line is an entertaining riot of wildflowers, urban art and belting views, starting right beside the instantly Instagrammable new Vessel landmark (thehighline.org). Or make yourselves comfortable on a bench in Washington
The city’s parks are packed with free family stuff – and they’re a great way to meet New Yorkers. Check out nycgovparks.org for free events in parks, including theatre and piano recitals, yoga and juggling classes. The best green space of all is Brooklyn Bridge Park, with six piers of activities, from kayaking to Pilates. worldtravellermagazine.com 27
Avoid summer holidays Balmy Florida is a year-round destination, so skip summer, when it’s priciest, and nab better deals at Christmas and October and February half terms. There’s added off-season value, too, with festive decorations and parades from October (Halloween and Thanksgiving), then Mardi Gras from February to April. If summer is your only option, travel as late as you can – in many US states, children are back at school by mid-August, so theme-park queues start to dissipate then.
Stay at on-site hotels For starters you’ll avoid driving and parking headaches with free transport to the parks, but the other perks are worthwhile, too. Stays at all the Universal hotels grant you early park access, meaning an hour’s head start on the masses to tick off the most popular rides – think Simpsons, Revenge of the Mummy and anything Harry Potterrelated. Bookings at the three premium hotels also include an express pass to skip the lines – it’s worth calculating whether this will actually work out cheaper than a less pricey stay plus express passes on top (the new Endless Summer Resort is the most budgetfriendly on site). If you’re planning to visit other Orlando parks, too, and want to stay offsite, the International Drive neighbourhood is the most central. Kissimmee, while convenient for Disney, is less so for Universal Studios.
and schedules, it'll even help you find the nearest loos. Disney and Legoland have similar apps. Carry swimming cozzies every day, just in case you decide to head over to Universal’s water park, Volcano Bay, where there are pools as well as splash rides – a good downtime opportunity without returning to your hotel/villa.
Have a plan of attack
Buy a multi-park ticket
Fail to plan, plan to fail – a maxim that could have been designed for theme parks. Don’t head immediately for the rides by the entrance – start at the back of each park and work your way in. If you have small children, make sure to intersperse height-limited rollercoasters with age-appropriate rides, character meet-and-greets and play areas they can enjoy, too. Use the Universal app – it’ll not only show you live-ride wait times
Explorer tickets, which give access to either two or all three of the Universal parks, are a no-brainer. Even if you plan to focus mainly on one park a day, without a multi-park ticket you won’t be able to ride on the Hogwarts Express, the HP-themed train that joins Universal to Islands of Adventure (make sure to ride in both directions – the return journey is totally different). Explorer tickets have to be purchased in advance, but this is a
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Surfside Inn and Suites, Universal Studios
bonus, as buying on the day just means one extra queue to stand in. If you plan to visit other Orlando parks, combination tickets with access to Disney, Legoland et al are available (orlandoattractions. com).
Manage the merchandise You are not going to escape without souvenirs – branded toys and clothes are, as you'd expect, everywhere. So negotiate spending limits in advance, and consider buying birthday gifts, as much of the merchandise is exclusive to the parks. If you’re staying in an on-site hotel, purchases can be sent directly from the till to your room, avoiding the potential for immediate loss or damage. But be sure to hang on to any interactive wands, as they can be used to cast spells at set locations around the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
THE FAMILY HOLIDAY
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Nooooooo! Don’t make me do it!
You don’t have to wear a wristband
The idea of going all-inclusive is anathema to many parents, especially those who pride themselves on their intrepid lust for ‘authentic’ travel. But we’ve got bad news for you: everyone ends up trying it. And the worst news? You’ll love it. There’s nothing so blissful as being able to say ‘yes’ to your child’s third request for an ice cream (because there’s a free gelato kiosk by the pool); nothing so stress-busting as watching them taste – even screw up noses at – local cuisine (because no-one’s judging you, and there’s pizza if they don’t like parmigiana); and nothing so indulgent as taking them to the water slides for five minutes, before they want to try something else. (Who cares? You didn’t queue for pricey tickets). If you’re happy when your kids are happy, then an all-inclusive resort is the best family holiday you’ve never had.
The tell-tale neon tag is dying out in the world of all-inclusives. They existed in resorts where different guests were on different meal plans (ie, purple for ‘premium’ drinks included, ‘orange’ not). But hoteliers have cottoned on to the fact that people hate this system and now everyone is on the same basis: all-inclusive, no questions asked. And if your resort is on its own private beach (many are – take a look at lovely LuxMe Daphnila Bay in Corfu) with a secure entrance, they know no-one can saunter in uninvited and plunder the food and drinks for free. You don’t have to eat buffet food, either. Some families love buffets (and who doesn’t, at breakfast, anyway?) – and there are big dining rooms with an international spread for those guests. However, more and more all-inclusives come with à la carte Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island
restaurants, often gourmet, where every dish and drink happens to be free. Ikos Resorts (four hotels in Greece, and one in Marbella from May 2020) has concocted the ‘ultra’ all-inclusive concept, which means Michelin-star menus and even the ability to visit local, independent restaurants (their food is included in your stay). If you want to eat a simple salad on the beach in your kaftan, you can, but if you'd prefer to dress up and reserve a table for a special meal, you can do that, too.
You can go all-inclusive and be adventurous Besides its UAE resorts, Rixos operates premium all-inclusive resorts in other destinations – southern Turkey, Egypt, Croatia, even the Swiss Alps. Rixos Abu Dhabi is on Saadiyat Island: its beach attracts nesting sea turtles; its hammam wins awards; and it’s just minutes from Louvre Abu Dhabi. Or try Lujo Bodrum in Turkey. Yes, it’s all-inclusive, but it has the styling of an Indian Ocean five-star, with overwater beach club and all-glass villas, and is within driving distance of two of the seven wonders of the ancient world (Ephesus and Helicarnassus). You can sneak in the history curriculum between pool days and the teens won’t even notice.
Beware: not everything is thrown in Generally speaking, spa treatments and motorised water sports aren’t included. But fitness classes, gym use, and kayaks often are – so be clever and get your fill of the free stuff first. If the kids’ club is complimentary, take your children along to explore on day one with no pressure to attend, and they’ll pick up on your laissez-faire attitude. Kids often love the allinclusive versions of kids’ clubs. The standard is often higher, too, because all-inclusives are famously familyorientated; expect soft-play centres, splash parks, laser tag, cinemas and even sailing and sports schools. Don’t assume going all-inclusive costs much more than regular hotel stays either. 30 worldtravellermagazine.com
THE FAMILY HOLIDAY
PARENTS’ TOP TRAVEL TIPS
1 Kudadoo Maldives
Start off on a high The Pantheon temple’s floor is like a giant hopscotch, laid out in squares of contrasting marble. Head to the slab at the very centre and gaze up at the Roman dome, open to the sky through a perfect circular oculus. Little ones can lie down on the cool 1,900-year-old marble and try to spot a pigeon flying overhead. Arrive 30 minutes before last entry (7.15pm; 5.45pm Sundays) and you’ll be spared the rush-hour crush.
Memorable meal There’s no sign outside Villa Medici announcing the house cafe, Colbert (caffecolbert.it) – just head upstairs and you’ll find it. Its towering windows offer an exquisite panorama… and a mysterious optical illusion. While you await your home-cooked meatballs, fix your eyes on the dome of San Rocco in the distance. Now slowly back away from the window. As you reach the far corner of the room, the dome appears bigger, not smaller. Dig in and discuss.
Secretly educational sight You might prefer the rooftop bar or the fourth-floor craft gallery at Rinascente Tritone department store (rinascente. it), but for the kids’ sake, start in the basement. Spanning the homeware section is a 60-metre stretch of ancient
aqueduct, lit up with LEDs. Two millennia since Augustus’s Romans built the Aqua Virgo, it still transports 80,000 cubic metres of water daily to the Trevi Fountain – just three minutes away.
Blow off steam After school hours, families let their kids loose in traffic-free Piazza Navona. Join them on the cobblestones, scampering between sidewalk artists, buskers and charcoal caricaturists. At dusk, out come the bouncing, whirring glowin-the-dark toys – mesmerising for babies and tempting for toddlers. For a souvenir they’ll cherish, wander over to the Murano glass shop at 170 Via del Pellegrino – kids love foraging through the crates of adorable animal figurines, tiny treasures at a few euros each.
Sleeping through On sultry days you’ll be grateful for a pad on a cool, quiet, convenient street. Hotel Navona is a rare budget option sleeping up to four in a room. The Roman Forum is 15 minutes away on foot, the Pantheon just three. Find superlative pizza down the road at Baffetto (pizzeriabaffetto. it) and stellar coffee at the nearby Sant’Eustachio cafe.
If only I’d known Not only is Rome swarmed by tourists in August, but the best restaurants and shops are often closed. If you must come during summer holidays, make it late July or late August.
‘Make a packing list from your first family trip, and store it on your phone – then add to it as the kids grow. It means you’ll never forget goggles or Calpol. Essential packing? Earphones (no-one wants to listen to the little ’uns’ cartoons). What not to pack: kids’ wheelie cases – overhyped!’
2 3
‘Getting a child’s first passport takes longer than normal. Don’t book a non-refundable trip until it arrives’
‘It’s free to take a car seat on airlines. And if you buy a storage bag for yours, it’s not only extra protection, but gives more packing space, too.’
4
‘Villas are great for families, but beware tighter check-in/ out times: 4pm and 10am. There’s no point booking an early outbound flight if you can’t access the property for hours.’
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‘Don't just pack a change of clothes for kids during the flights – think of yourself, too. Under-2s must sit on parents’ laps, so you’ll probably get as mucky as they do!’
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XXXXXXXXXXXXX Hawke's Bay in Napier Photo © Graeme Murray for Tourism New Zealand
Postcards Stories from journeys far and wide
TASMANIA p34 GALÁPAGOS p48 NEW ZEALAND p54 ROAD TRIP FROM NEW YORK TO LA p42
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These pages: Taking a stroll along Reidle Beach
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TASMANIA
Lara Brunt goes off-grid on Maria Island in Australia and discovers an unspoilt isle teeming with unique wildlife
worldtravellermagazine.com 35
TASMANIA
As we walk along the bush track, the air thick with the honey-like scent of eucalyptus trees in bloom, a brown ball covered in spines waddles across our path. Sensing danger, the echidna goes to ground, burying his long snout in the leaves, reckoning that if he can’t see us, we definitely can’t see him. Despite growing up in Australia, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen one of these shy creatures in the wild. Encounters like this are commonplace on Maria Island (oddly pronounced ‘Mariah’, as in Carey), a pristine island off the east coast of Tasmania that was thankfully unaffected by Australia's recent bushfire crisis. Declared a national park in 1972 and accessible only by ferry, the island’s carefully managed conservation programme has seen booming numbers of weird and wonderful Aussie wildlife, including wombats, wallabies, kangaroos, pademelons, echidnas and possums. Maria Island has also become something of a latter-day Noah's Ark, with vulnerable species such as Cape Barren geese and Forester kangaroos shipped here for insurance. Meanwhile,
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IT FEELS LIKE THE PERFECT OFFGRID ESCAPE FOR THESE TURBULENT TIMES
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the Tasmanian devil, a meat-eating marsupial famous for its spine-chilling screeches, has been saved from extinction after being decimated by a rare facial cancer. Over the past eight years, 34 disease-free devils have been introduced to Maria Island, which now boasts a healthy population of more than 100. With its white-sand beaches, ancient eucalypt forests and soaring dolerite columns, animals are not the island’s only draw. I’d come to do the Maria Island Walk, an active but pampered four-day adventure led by guides Dan and Gemma. Fuelled by gourmet Tassie
food and staying in glamping cabins, the 40km walk from south to north is not terribly demanding, even for a novice hiker like myself. It feels like the perfect off-grid escape for these turbulent times; in four days, we stumble upon only one other walker (who looked pretty surprised to see us too). Originally inhabited by the Tyreddeme Aboriginal people, Dutch navigator Abel Tasman sailed past in 1642 and named the island after the wife of his patron. The British established a penal colony on mainland Australia nearly 150 years later, before setting up a convict settlement at Darlington at the northern end of Maria Island, our ultimate destination, in 1825. Abandoned seven years’ later, the island was then leased for whaling, farming and various ill-fated ventures, including a vineyard and cement works, dreamt up by a charismatic Italian merchant named Diego Bernacchi, before it became protected land. Departing by boat from Triabunna, a tiny town on the east coast of Tasmania, we arrive 30 minutes later at Shoal Bay. Small rays glide in slow motion
Clockwise from opposite: Darlington convict settlement; candlelit dining at camp; Tasmanian devil; the sun sets on the rocks Š Rob Blahers; a wombat comes to say hello
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JAPAN
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MARIA ISLAND HAS ALSO BECOME SOMETHING OF A LATTER-DAY NOAH'S ARK
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TASMANIA
through the turquoise shallows as we wade ashore and set off down the deserted beach, boots in hands and sand between our toes. The island is 20km long and 13km across at its widest point, but we cross the narrow isthmus that connects the north and south parts, giving Maria Island an hourglass shape. After settling into Casuarina Beach Camp, a permanent eco-camp hidden among the trees with six green canvas and wood cabins and a swanky communal dining area, our group of ten – Belgians, Canadians, Aussies and a Brit – set off for an 8km round-trip under towering blue gums to Haunted Bay (spotting our spiky echidna friend along the way). With boulders covered in blood-red lichen and a resident penguin colony, the bay is incredibly photogenic, despite its mournful moniker. “The name is said to come from the tortured souls of whalers once stationed here, or the cries of baby penguins as they wait for mum to bring food home,” Dan tells us. By the time we stroll back into camp, canapés are ready and dinner is well under way. We may be on an uninhabited island with no mobile phone signal, but Dan and Gemma rustle up a topnotch meal of bruschetta with vineripened tomatoes and goats’ cheese, followed by a saffron risotto with Spring Bay scallops, and a summer berry pudding with King Island cream. Time to loosen those trousers. We wake to the sound of twittering wattlebirds, ready for the longest stretch of the walk, covering some 14km over flat bush tracks and five sandy beaches. Heading north, we stop for morning tea at an old farmhouse at French’s Farm, with the nearby shearing shed hinting at Maria Island’s previous life as a sheepfarming outpost for more than 150 years. We follow kangaroo tracks along the beach, as the clearest waters I’ve ever seen lap the shore and dramatic storm clouds gather overhead. From the crest of the hill at Point Lesueur we spy the red-brick ruins of a convict probation station that operated from 1842 and 1850, and marvel at the orange and red cliffs that were an important source of ochre for the Tyreddeme Aborigines. After stopping for lunch, we come across a grassy headland dotted with dozens of bare-nosed wombats and 40 worldtravellermagazine.com
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WILD AND WINDSWEPT, THE PRISTINE COASTLINE OF THE FREYCINET PENINSULA STRETCHES OUT BEFORE US
carpeted with their distinctive cubeshaped dung. Normally nocturnal, the tank-like marsupials are happy to graze all day long on Maria. And while they look dozy, the average wombat could out-sprint a human in a 100-metre dash. We even catch sight of a “twoheaded” wombat, with a baby joey sticking out of mum’s pouch at the rear. Arriving at another impeccably organised camp, I enjoy a wonderfully hot bush shower, before sitting down to miso soup with wakame seaweed and shitake mushrooms, followed by a gourmet Aussie barbeque of duck-and-wallaby sausages, quail and lamb chops with spiced cous cous. After the day’s exertion, I feel like I’ve earned every bite of the flourless chocolate cake smothered in cream. Day three takes us past the Painted Cliffs, swirling sandstone rock formations created by iron oxide-stained ground water, tides and wind, before arriving at the UNESCO World Heritagelisted convict settlement of Darlington. We dump our packs at Bernacchi House, an elegant 19th-century cottage where we’ll spend our last night, before the
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more adventurous of us head out to scale the twin peaks of Bishop and Clerk. Following the cliff edge, the track begins to narrow and climb as we make our way into the bush. We slowly zigzag up a steep field of fallen rocks, before scrambling up to the summit. Wild and windswept, the pristine coastline of the Freycinet Peninsula stretches out before us to the north, while massive dolerite columns plunge into the Tasman Sea as we look east. On our final day, we explore the wellpreserved buildings of the old convict settlement that was once home to 627 convicts, ever-watchful for a Tassie devil that has been known to sun itself around these parts. It doesn’t make an appearance, but as we sit on the verandah of a rustic cottage enjoying one last meal of freshly shucked oysters, it hardly seems to matter. The four-day Maria Island Walk operates from October to April, while a three-day walk operates in the winter months from June to August. To book a future trip, call 800 DNATA or visit dnatatravel.com
This page: Soft, TASMANIA colourful corals around Lizard Island Previous pages, left to right: On top of Bishop and Clerk; kangaroos at play These pages, left to right: Painted cliffs; a couple enjoy the views at Skipping Ridge
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XXXXXXXXXXXXX This page: Peggy Sue’s roadside diner near Barstow Right: On the open road through Utah
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USA
Life in the
FAST LANE New York to LA – it’s the ultimate American road trip. But surely it takes forever to complete? Not on this route, says Ian Belcher. You just need a week off work and a motor with oomph
worldtravellermagazine.com 43
What divine timing. As I burn along a rattlesnake speedway in the Utah desert, a single cloud drifts above Monument Valley’s iconic buttes as if let loose from a Hollywood studio; red-tailed hawks wheel overhead and the iPad shuffle releases the high-octane opening chords of Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen’s paean to the open road. Surely such synchronicity isn’t mere coincidence? I’ve no idea if God’s a DJ, but I’m reliably informed he’s running the show. Just three days before, while driving through Nebraska, I heard Dr Erwin W Lutzer declare that I ‘will face the wrath and judgment of the Lord’. From Bible-bashing pastors to heavenly landscapes to rock ’n’ roll salvation, there’s nothing that brings the intoxicating, movie-set and occasionally alien world of America to life like a road trip – and there’s no road trip better than New York to LA, the El Classico of drives. Under cyan skies we’re chasing a route that offers warm sun without the relentless sizzle of the Deep South (come summer, Route 66 just melts). And ours is the greedy ‘fast food’ option, allowing us to gorge on everything we desire from a trans-America journey –
These pages, clockwise from above: Carhenge; the sun comes down on Manhattan Beach; tackling the burgernator at Denny's Beer Barrel Pub; vintage signs at a roadside gas station
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ROCKS MIMIC A VAST TIRAMISU, CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES AND BLOBS OF WHIPPED CREAM
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hip-as-hell big cities, small-town kitsch, mind-bending western wilderness – and still take only a week off work. Arrowing out of the Big Apple towards the Great Lakes and Midwestern flatlands provides a blend of kitsch Americana, intriguing roadside culture and refuels in mom-&-pop diners before we vault over the Rockies into movie territory, navigating dramatic cowboy deserts to take the chequered flag on LA’s Manhattan Beach. It also means eight days and 6,500km in a confined space. So pick your travelling companions carefully. I chose familiarity over joy, recruiting two old travelling buddies: Doug, a grouchy Canadian photographer, and Gareth, a
grouchier Welsh accountant, who’ll both lighten the driving load if not the mood. Our starting line is a hip Downtown hotel, chosen as an opening blast of Manhattan sophistication. After a dawn check-out, departing through the lobby beneath a glass-bottomed swimming pool – you won’t find that in a roadside motel – we set off with a fresh sun winking in our rear-view mirror. And 90 minutes later New York’s concrete canyons morph into New Jersey’s verdant hills, then, remarkably quickly, into our first mountains: Pennsylvania’s Appalachians, with their forested valleys and ridges. It’s not just the scenery that’s expanding. There are huge trucks, enormous road kills – and epic hamburgers. Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub in Clearfield has the biggest on the planet. It’s our first taste of the unique, sometimes bizarre attractions kissing the highway and I’m not sure my arteries can handle many more. No-one has conquered the 25lb (11kg) Burgernator, but Brad Sciullo scoffed the 15lb (7kg) Belly Buster in two hours and 33 minutes, and hundreds have devoured the 2lb (1kg) Challenger, earning plaques in Denny’s
USA
Hall of Fame. We won’t be joining them. Our three-strong team surrenders meekly to the 30cm-wide patty that, with bun and cascading garnish, hits 3.5lbs (1.5kg). Silent with indigestion, we head west to Ohio, completing a day’s high-calibre nutrition with sacks of cheese and caramel kernels at Chagrin Falls’s renowned 68-year-old popcorn shop. The peachy small town (imagine It’s A Wonderful Life) typifies the quirky Americana we’d hoped for. Nearby Cleveland chips in with two bizarre world records: the biggest rubber stamp (doubling as a celebration of the end of slavery) and the largest outdoor chandelier: a six-metre-high behemoth. And the heartland idiosyncracy doesn’t let up. Two hours into next day’s drive, as Ohio flattens into farms and barns, I discover, alongside the fast food, fast religion: at Interstate 80’s Toledo rest stop, next to Burger King and Taco Bell, a stationary truck sports a supersized logo – Mobile Chapel. Its carpeted container holds an organ, pulpit and seats for a truckers’ congregation. Sadly its glass doors are locked. Perhaps it’s for the best. The clock’s ticking. Our relatively speedy transAmerica adventure mostly allows time for only minor detours, demanding long drives with late finishes. But today is different. We reach Chicago, 1,400km under our belts, before sunset – in time for another of the ‘urban cool’ hits that distinguish this cross-country route from its southern equivalents. This time it’s a chic blend of Art Deco and Neo-Classical architecture as we mingle with the Young Things on the London House hotel’s rooftop bar and lap up its views of the surrounding skyscrapers. Were this On the Road, Dean Moriarty would charm a dame and find a sweaty jazz dive. Instead, Gareth sips his beer and explains VAT changes for the selfemployed. Jack Kerouac would weep. He’d also hate our car. We’d considered a convertible, imagining blue horizons, soft breezes and mirrored shades reflecting roadside cactuses, but were told the reality is a rear passenger deafened by wind and crippled by minimal legroom. So we hired a bulky Dodge Journey instead. Youthful abandon trampled by middle-aged pragmatism: good call. Big wheels are de rigueur next day, though. We’ve reached Iowa 80, the world’s largest truck stop. worldtravellermagazine.com 45
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Red Canyon Drive
Americana doesn’t get more classic, but it’s a last slice of ‘hokey’ before things take a turn for the ‘epic’. We drop south to Colorado and, reinvigorated by a night in Denver, rise up the wall of the Rockies along 1-70. Temperatures plummet, forests replace corn, the air reeks of pine. After the Eisenhower Tunnel, at 3,400 metres, we emerge into a light, bright expansive world of snow-kissed peaks and ski-brochure names: Vail, Aspen, Breckenridge. The horizontal Midwest’s already a distant
memory. Glenwood Canyon’s vertiginous walls almost blot out the sky above the seething Colorado River and we begin an exhilarating hour-long descent through enormous rocks. The scenery’s now centre stage. Driving’s a 24-carat joy. And it gets even more dramatic. We slink beneath the cappuccinocoloured Grand Mesa, the world’s largest flat-topped mountain, and it turns out to be a mere starter for the main course of the Colorado National Monument. The massive rock’s spires,
Credit: The Sunday Times Travel Magazine/News Licensing
A kerbside city that hasn’t closed in 53 years, that has served more than three million coffees, 18 million eggs and, best not to visualise this, got through 56,000km of loo roll. It boasts a barber, chiropractor, cinema and Dogomat pet wash, and even hosts its own Trucker’s Olympics (the women’s strong pull is a highlight). I boost my testosterone behind the wheel of its showroom’s mammoth chrome-covered cab and buy my wife a pair of vast elasticated shorts frescoed with three ducks and the words ‘Butt Quack’. I spoil her, I really do. If Iowa 80 is big and brash, Grinnell, reached by a short detour, is petite and understated. It’s small-town gold dust. Just behind the near-deserted Main Street, where I’m passed by a pensioner on a motorised lawnmower, the magnificent Merchant’s National Bank sports golden winged lions, glistening Greek columns and striking stained glass. One of the Midwest’s jewelbox banks, its architect, Louis Sullivan, was the father of the modern skyscraper. (Louis would adore tonight’s accommodation: a red-brick mansion in Lincoln, with ballroom, library and creaky floors that were once part of a University of Nebraska frat house.) We’ve now penetrated the Great Plains. Coming up to halfway, it’s time to swap I-80, the interstate that has dominated the journey, for gently rolling prairies. Our pace slows. At a local bakery, our waitress, Michelle, demands I repeat my breakfast order: ‘Your accent makes everything sound so intellectual.’ ‘Even toast?’ ‘Yep, even toast.’ I’m not sure Michelle’s right, but either way, there’s plenty of time for conversation on this trip. As Doug, Gareth and I meander through Nebraska’s rippling ocean of sandhills, serenaded by the mournful wail of goods trains, talk turns to health concerns, career openings that closed, roads not travelled. Nebraska, it seems, is the perfect spot for a Midwest mid-life crisis. Perhaps that’s what inspired Jim Reinders to plant 39 Caddies, Chevvies and Buicks in a circle outside Alliance city, replicating Stonehenge. The offspring of the US automobile industry and British druids, Carhenge is one of the world’s great works of folk art.
USA
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TEMPERATURES PLUMMET, FORESTS REPLACE CORN, THE AIR REEKS OF PINES
monoliths and canyons soar above the surrounding plains. Its scenic drive, snaking along the vertiginous cliff edge, is the very antithesis of I-80. As the mercury hits 39C, we turn south towards Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park and Salvador Dalí takes over landscaping duties. About 270 million years of sedimentation have been lifted into a shale and sandstone landscape that’s not merely lunar – it’s Mars, Jupiter and Neptune on heavyweight hallucinogens. Towering ochre walls
resemble Rajasthan forts, their fiefdoms protected by thousand-strong battalions of columns, while orange temples spike out of sun-scorched plains. Rocks mimic a vast tiramisu, chocolate truffles and blobs of whipped cream. All that’s missing is the melting watch. Linear progress is abandoned. Utah’s too tempting. A night in a wilderness lodge prepares us for a mazy geological tour from Glen Canyon’s watery majesty to Monument Valley’s High Noon drama to Zion’s golden cliffs. It’s
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incredible, but we overindulge. Scenic fatigue sets in. Awe becomes snore. We need stimulation. And the route that has ticked so many boxes has one more trick up its generous sleeve: Vegas, baby! We recharge our adrenaline next morning by playing basketball with mechanical diggers – Vegas is nothing if not creative with its charms – before rejoining the open road. California is calling. So is Hollywood. We devour a Marlon Brando Mushroom Burger beneath portraits of James Dean and Marilyn at Peggy Sue’s, a ’50s roadside diner near Barstow, before a night in the revamped Pioneertown Motel. Opened in 1946 by Roy Rodgers and Gene Autry for fellow stars filming on next door’s Wild West set, it’s now a weekend retreat beloved of Orange County hipsters. Its clientele suggests the end’s in sight. A sprint past the spiky Medusas of Joshua Tree National Park delivers an elegy-inducing view across the San Andreas Fault to Mount San Jacinto, then a 1,500-metre slaloming descent into Coachella Valley. We’re clearly demob-happy. In Palm Springs we swap our Dodge for a Mustang convertible. It’s bright red, of course, as is Gareth after a back-seat snooze under a 43C sun: a small price for the exhilarating cruise into LA along 14-lane highways. All that’s left is a Pacific dip. But the last morning brings low bruised clouds. Surely it won’t end like this, not in California? As we drive to Manhattan Beach the gloom shatters, the sun enters stage left and a soft breeze tickles the tall palms: final proof that this is the US road trip that does it all – and proof of a beneficent deity who, this being Tinseltown, just adores a happy ending. To book a future trip, call 800 DNATA or visit dnatatravel.com worldtravellermagazine.com 47
The remote Pikaia Lodge
Most visitors see the Galåpagos on a live-aboard cruise, but there’s another way: mix the creature comforts of a luxury lodge with animal-magic ambles. Nigel Tisdall puts his best foot forward
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GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS
y first encounter with the celebrated wildlife of the Galápagos Islands is a near disaster. Fresh off the plane after the two-hour flight west from the Ecuadorean capital, Quito, I’m thrilled to find that my hotel – the immaculately designed Pikaia Lodge, on Santa Cruz Island – has complimentary mountain bikes. I jump on one, aiming to get a little exercise in before a sunset swim in its inviting infinity pool. Soon I’m freewheeling through a savannah-like landscape sketched with wriggly branches of Palo Santo trees, chuffed to have made it to this bucketlist volcanic archipelago. After all, these islands "reveal in microcosm the processes that have shaped all life on Earth." So says Sir David Attenborough in his three-part documentary Galápagos 3D, screened on demand at Pikaia Lodge, in a plush lounge with mini-cinema-screen-sized TV. Suddenly, rounding a corner at speed, I happen upon a large and solid specimen of this evolutionary process crouching motionless in the middle of the track. It’s all I can do not to flip over the handlebars. The giant tortoise springs back into its shell with an almighty hiss, like a burst tyre. I think we’re both as shocked as each other. An ancient eye stares out at me with a look that seems to say ‘idiot!’ It’s a fair cop – from a tortoise’s perspective the world must always be going too damn fast. Still, that’s one true Galápagos highlight ticked off. Tortoises’ longevity is extraordinary. When Charles Darwin visited in 1835 aboard HMS Beagle, he shipped three back to England. Waggishly, they were called Tom, Dick and Harry, only the last turned out to be a Harriet and lived to be 175, eventually passing away in a Queensland zoo as recently as 2006. The next morning, visiting the island’s Charles Darwin Research Station, I find myself peering down at a corral full of sweet baby tortoises milling around with yellow numbers painted on their backs as if about to compete in some hilarious race. Then I join a queue for the other end of the timeline: the reverential death chamber of Lonesome George, so called for his inability to mate. The creature’s worldtravellermagazine.com 49
GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS
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ATHE ISLANDS AREN’T JUST FOR FOLK WITH BINOCULARS. I FIND SEYCHELLES-WHITE BEACHES, FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS AND SOME VERY INDULGENT HOTELS full-beam sunshine (the Galápagos sit right on the equator). Suddenly, everything explodes into life. Flameorange Sally Lightfoot crabs scuttle over the black rocks. A sea lion slips into the cobalt waves. What was that splash? ‘Marble rays mating,’ explains our guide, Mario, as he leads us ashore and along winding paths. ‘Look – love is in the air!’ Scores of male frigate birds perch in the trees, their bright-red throat pouches puffed up like Valentine’s Day balloons. High above, the females wheel past, sizing up the suitors. Further on we meet blue-footed boobies nursing their eggs, as other would-be couples perform their comic courtship dance. They bow low, then raise each leg with an exaggerated step, like a man with chewing gum stuck to the sole of his shoe. These are plenty more surprises to come. The following day, we cruise northwest for 90 minutes to Santiago Island. We’re here to walk across the gargantuan swirls of pahoehoe lava at Sullivan Bay, like a petrified cowpat the size of a football pitch. The untouched beach is heavenly, and I can’t wait to dive into the bewitchingly turquoise sea. Warm enough to swim in, it is still sufficiently cool to please
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the penguins that made their way up from Antarctica on the Humboldt Current many moons ago and, understandably, never went back. They’re smaller, more solitary than their snow-zone counterparts. Progressing to neighbouring Bartolomé Island for a snorkelling session, we spy a dozen of them on the rocks like a row of black-and-white skittles, cooling their wings in the breeze as we breaststroke past. Abruptly, as if they’d heard a collective cry of ‘That’s enough, guys!’, they dive in with us, darting around with an urgency that seems a mix of playfulness and territorial defence. ‘Wow, I’ve just been swimming with penguins!’ a fellow traveller reflects as we head for home, sunbathing on the top deck. ‘What else is there to do here after that?’ she wonders. In my case, the answer is an onward journey to my next hotel, on Isabela, the largest of the Galápagos islands. As I wait at Puerto Ayora to transfer from Santa Cruz, I encounter hulking sea lions fast asleep on a bench surrounded by gaggles of tourists. It’s a delightful snapshot of how refreshingly indifferent nature remains to the
Credit: The Sunday Times Travel Magazine/ News Licensing
demise in 2012 meant extinction for the Pinta Island species: a dark day for conservationists. First, visitors have to enter an acclimatising room, after which we get a few solemn minutes with the corpse before being moved along. Forget Tutankhamen’s Tomb or Lenin’s Mausoleum. You’ve not seen the world until you’ve stared into the lifeless glassy eye of a century-old stuffed tortoise. The Galápagos Islands soon reveal themselves as a fine place to slow down. With its uniquely evolved flora and wildlife, I’d assumed this volcanic adventure park was only for seriousminded types clutching field guides and binoculars. Sure, there’s earnest stuff to contemplate: discovering how the 18 main islands vary in age from 3.2 to 0.7 million years; and how the pollinating carpenter bee found its way here (on driftwood). But it turns out you can have a relaxing holiday, too. I find Seychelles-white beaches, well-marked walking trails, friendly restaurants serving fresh tuna for $7 and some very indulgent hotels. On the lip of an extinct volcano’s crater, with spacious balcony rooms, Pikaia Lodge is a blissfully isolated design hotel, testament to the notion that you can learn about the story of our planet while residing in the lap of luxury. What drew me (and, it seems, most guests) was a horror of spending days on end in confined spaces with strangers on a regimented itinerary. In other words, no week-long cruises. That said, the lodge strikes a happy balance, with day-trips on its boat, Pikaia 1, which has room for 16 guests (conventional cruise vessels take up to 100), and has private cabins and a sundeck. After each exhilarating outing, it was a joy to return to a leisurely dinner of, say, grilled octopus with chimichurri, followed by a tranquil night’s sleep in a big bed that didn’t sway. True, some sightings are only possible on longer voyages to outlying islands – the red-footed boobies on Genovesa, for instance, and the waved albatrosses of Española. But any fear of missing out as a ‘landlubber’ dissipates the minute I step onto tiny North Seymour Island after a 45-minute trip aboard Pikaia 1 after breakfast on Santa Cruz. We draw up beside what looks like just another guano-splashed bird sanctuary – under
These pages, clockwise from left: a free-roaming tortoise; looking out from a Balcony Room at Pikaia Lodge; colourful red rock crabs; a curious sea lion
Opening pages: grilled prawn salad; climbing a tree against the backdrop of a fiery sunset This page: Petit Piton above Margretoute Bay
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These pages, clockwise from inset: the infinity pool at Pikaia Lodge; Pool Suite at Pikaia Lodge; Amarican flamingos
islands’ 275,000 annual visitors. In just under two hours, after a bumpy high-speed ride, I reach Puerto Villamil. My welcome committee: a posse of marine iguanas hanging around the jetty like toughs in black biker leathers. These ‘imps of darkness’, as Darwin called them, have a mean-as-hell look, with their spiked spines, scaly armour and ‘Reptiles Rule OK’ arrogance. I guess they’re here to scavenge on scraps of dropped baguette – in fact, in an evolutionary plot-twist typical of the Galápagos, they have adapted from land to sea, fine-tuned to dine on seaweed and algae and hold their breath underwater for up to 30 minutes in the process. A little bigger than Mallorca, Isabela has just one 30km road that runs from the port northwest to the mighty Sierra Negra volcano. Among the many miracles of the Galápagos is just how protected it is: 97% of its land mass is national park and I get a distinct feeling we lucky visitors are merely clinging to its edges, like kids peeping through 52 worldtravellermagazine.com
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JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU ENCOUNTER IS SO FASCINATINGLY DIFFERENT TO THE REST OF THE WORLD
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a window at something they know is wonderful, but can’t fully comprehend. A 20-minute drive along this road lies Scalesia Lodge, the only place you can stay outside the small port village of Puerto Villamil. For nature-seekers, it’s a dream – guests sleep in handsome safari tents shipped in from South Africa. They’re fronted with raised decking shaded by fruit trees. A profusion of stars fills a night sky unpolluted by artificial light, and I sit listening to the nightly frog chorus prior to dinner: an agreeable affair featuring swordfish with passionfruit sauce. Heading back
to bed, I find a cushion with a warning: ‘There have been around 13 volcanic eruptions in the Galápagos in the last 100 years’. A good piece of trivia, if hardly conducive to a peaceful night’s sleep. The dramatic results of such subterranean turbulence are in plain view when I take a tour up to Sierra Negra, which erupted as recently as 2018. Its vast caldera, which is almost 10km wide, is now a barren lava field that resembles a massive accident involving a hundred lorries loaded with instant coffee granules. Alfredo, my genial guide, who gave up a promising soccer career to live in this eco-paradise, was up here when the volcano kicked off spectacularly in 2005. ‘I told my clients not to worry,’ he chuckled. ‘I explained we get 400 tremors a year. Then there was a second big shake and it was clearly time to go!’ Walking around the rim, admiring the magnificent views, it hits me how immensely rewarding hiking in the Galápagos is – and surely always will be. Just about everything you encounter is
GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS
so fascinatingly different to the rest of the world. Why are there mostly only white and yellow native flowers here? Apparently because the majority are self-pollinators, so there’s no need to show off to insects. How did spiders get here from the mainland? Flying on parachutes of silk, or so the story goes. As Alfredo and I yomp along, our conversation turns to his distaste for the cruise ships that treat Isabela Island ‘as a place to drop their garbage’. Passengers might come up for a panoramic view of the caldera, he explains, but they rarely have the time to explore as we do. Cruise life is in sharp contrast to my experience, travelling group-free, at my own land-based pace, stimulated by thrills, insights and mellow times that leave me relaxed and enriched. On my final day, I wind up as I began: on a bike, cycling off alongside Alfredo to explore Puerto Villamil, an agreeably sleepy place, with a sandstrewn main street and a lagoon of pink flamingoes striking elegant poses. Heading west beside its dazzling beach, we pass families picnicking next to the mangroves and birdwatchers climbing a tower for a far-reaching view along the coast. It all seems Edenic, but there’s a sting in the tail. Or tale… At the end is a cairn-like row of heavy grey rocks, piled high above us. ‘Here
they made hell in paradise,’ Alfredo explains as we contemplate the grim, colossal Muro de las Lágrimas – Wall of Tears. Its construction, by the inmates of a penal camp established in 1946, was ordered with the sole purpose of exhausting and punishing its labourers, whose crimes might be as mundane as stealing a calf. The prison was here for 13 years, and only closed after the convicts made an unsuccessful attempt to murder its governor by pushing a section of the wall onto him, which alerted the government to its iniquities. As I survey this monument to misery
and folly, it’s obvious that we humans haven’t evolved anywhere near as gracefully as these fabulous creatures now merrily swimming and sunbathing their days away in the Galápagos Islands. Hopefully, we still have time to get it right, but, meanwhile, I’m taking my cue from its loveable giant tortoises. If you want a long happy life, keep your head down and take things slow. Obviously, it’d help to not fall asleep in the middle of the road. To book a future trip, call 800 DNATA or visit dnatatravel.com
Erimitis beach on the west coast of Paxos; a plate of fried calamari; an elderly local surveys the
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NEW ZEALAND
Try somewhere New
New Zealand is the epitome of easy-going, but tackling it in the right order is key. Thankfully, NZ expert David Whitley has packed the best bits of both islands into one seamless, four-week itinerary
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ew Zealand’s triumph is to cram unparalleled amounts of one-off experiences into a single epic trip. You can’t cover the whole country in a three- to four-week self-drive adventure, but you can give it a darned good shot and pile up top-tier memories in the process. Here’s a route that fits in as much as possible, with the journey broken down into easy chunks – minus the odd tourist trap that’s simply not worth your time or money.
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Days 1-3: Bay of Islands (and beyond)
After what will have felt like an eternity in the air, it might come as a blow to know that the best place to properly start your New Zealand adventure is not in Auckland – where you’ll fly into – but another 227km north, in the Bay of Islands. But it’s worth it – for baize-green hills, stone-walled sheep farms and bountiful sunny beaches. It’s a short, $100-ish hop on an internal flight or a three-and-a-half-hour drive (you can pick up a hire car on landing).
If doing the latter, you’ll want to overnight in Auckland first, picking up a hire car the following morning. Several cruises flit lazily around the Bay of Islands’ jewel-like archipelago, the novelty among them the full-day Cream Trip (dolphincruises.co.nz), which doubles as the local mail run. Dolphin-watching, lounging in the boat’s netting above the waves, and beach-lazing on lush green Urupukupuka Island are thrown in. There’s spiritual nourishment, too, at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds
These pages from left: Dusk descends on Auckland, photo by Chris McLennan; Redwoods Treewalk at Rotorua
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Days 4–5: Auckland beckons From the Bay of Islands, the next stop lies back the way you came – south again to Auckland. But first, divert west to the Waitakere Ranges, for walks among native rainforest, before taking the winding roads down to the brooding black-sand surf beaches at Piha and Karekare. Should the buzzy restaurants, museums and volcanoes listed in Auckland not sound sufficiently thrilling, sign up to jump from a 192-metre-high platform on the city’s Sky Tower (skyjump.co.nz), your descent slowed only by wires and a harness.
Days 6–8: Rotorua Just over a three-hour drive south 56 worldtravellermagazine.com
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SPLASHING SEAL PUPS, COVE BEACHES AND DAINTY ROCK ISLANDS LINE UP TO BE GENTLY PADDLED AROUND of Auckland, Rotorua is adventure central. But there are two popular detours to weigh up on the drive down: the Lord of the Rings set at Hobbiton (hobbitontours.com), is, frankly, underwhelming and overpriced. But the Waitomo Caves (waitomo.com), lit by millions of tiny glow-worms, are well worth it. The 45-minute boat tours cater to the timid, while the five-hour, Black Abyss adventure – including abseiling and tubing on the underground river – will appeal to adrenaline junkies. Rotorua stinks – the sulphurous whiff comes from geothermal activity beneath the town. But there’s a massive menu of fun stuff to hold your nose for: everything from Zorbing down hills in giant hamster balls (zorb.com) to tackling terrifyingly high waterfalls on the Kaituna River. Kaitiaki Adventures
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(kaitiaki.co.nz) runs the hardcore white-water rafting nerve-shredder.
Day 9: Hiking in Taupo Your next – considerably less whiffy – base is lakeside Taupo, which is also the jumping-off point for NZ’s greatest walk, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Over the 19km day-long route, rustcoloured streams, vast lava fields, a gaping crater in the shadow of soaring Ngauruhoe (better known as Mount Doom from the Lord of the Rings movies) and near-luminous-green lakes all make appearances. It’s not circular, so park at the end point – Ketehahi – and take the shuttle (tongariroexpeditions. com) to the start. Some operators go the opposite way, but that leaves you either rushing to complete the hike or hanging around for a bus when you’ve finished.
Credit: Alicia Miller / The Sunday Times Travel Magazine / News Licensing
(waitangi.org.nz), which cover Maori culture and the often rocky relationship with European settlers. Soul-searchers should try Cape Reinga, further north, at the country’s tip, where the Maori believe the spirits of the deceased depart. Day tours – such as with GreatSights (great sights.co.nz) – take in sacred kauri forests, sandboarding on Sahara-steep dunes and fourwheeldriving along Ninety Mile Beach.
NEW ZEALAND
This page, clockwise from far left: Waiheke Island; zorbing in Rotorua; a vintage car parked outside an Art Deco style cinema in Napier; Hawke's Bay in Napier, photo by Graeme Murray; Sky Tower, Auckland, photo by Mark Downey
Day 10: Art Deco Napier From destruction comes beauty. Napier, about two hours southeast of Taupo, responded to a city-wrecking 1931 earthquake by conjuring up what is claimed to be the world’s greatest concentration of Art Deco buildings. The Art Deco Trust (artdeconapier. com) runs several tours. Pick the hourlong walk at 10am and you’ve got an afternoon free to indulge in the Hawke’s Bay region’s other draw – Bay Tours (baytours.co.nz) runs an afternoon jaunt stopping at a few wineries for tastings.
Days 11–13: Wellington Trick someone else into being the designated driver on the four-hour drive from Napier to Wellington – there’s more vino to slurp, and the Martinborough region has rock-solid Pinot Noir credentials. Once in the capital create room for daytime cafehopping and museum stops by visiting Zealandia (visitzealandia.com) at dusk. This is when the resident kiwis inside the giant conservation project tend to come out, making for a far better chance of up-close sightings. worldtravellermagazine.com 57
Arresting architecture of the The Alcázar of Seville These pages, clockwise from inset: Mount Cook in Lake Matheson; yelloweyed penguins; Swing bridge crossing to Hokitika Gorge
Days 14–15: South Island crossing Change of island means a change of cars. Most hire arrangements mean dropping yours off at the Wellington ferry terminal prior to the often-choppy voyage to Picton at the top of South Island, where you rent a replacement. You’ve landed in the Marlborough wine region – world famous for its Sauvignon Blancs. But the real star in these parts is the craggily coastlined, forest-shrouded Abel Tasman National Park. Sea caves, cormorant-nesting sites, splashing seal pups, cove beaches and dainty rock islands line up to be gently paddled around, with Kahu Kayaks (kahukayaks. co.nz) running full-day tours and half-day jaunts.
Days 16–18: Wild west coast Even by Kiwi standards, the west coast of South Island feels remote, detached, weather-beaten and enigmatically doughty. But many highlights can be combined in a mini road trip. Kick off 90 minutes southwest of Nelson with a 58 worldtravellermagazine.com
stroll in the Nelson Lakes National Park. The 90-minute Braeburn Walk at Lake Rotoroa passes shimmery waterfalls and the world’s largest fuchsia trees. Bird life is diverse. Now, swing west for a pit stop at Punakaiki’s Pancake Rocks, where the sea mashes away at the weird, pancake stack-like formations and explodes up through blowholes. Forty minutes south, Greymouth counts as a big town in these parts and has an arty streak – check out the Left Bank Art Gallery (bankarts.com) for greenstone carvings and ceramics. The seemingly supernatural turquoise waters of Hokitika Gorge make a good stop on the way, two hours further south, to glacier country. Then, at the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers, the experiences are similar – a short helicopter flight on to the ice, followed by a few hours’ fully kitted-out hiking through eerie blue crevasses and ice caves. But Franz Josef has more to do around it – horseriding, rafting – so makes a better base.
Days 19–20: Queenstown thrills Queenstown bounces like a student
on energy drinks, but its setting – on a splintered lake surrounded by ski fields – is so impressive that the resort town’s enthusiasm becomes endearingly infectious. It’s a four-hour 45-minute drive down from Franz Josef – stop at Monro Beach and check out roadside waterfalls along the Haast Pass highway en route. And, once there, decide how you want to scare yourself. Commercial bungee-jumping was born in Queenstown, but white-water rafting, sky dives and lurching 300-metre swings into a canyon feature on a lengthy whiteknuckle menu. These work out cheaper when packaged up, which Queenstown Combos (combos.co.nz) specialises in. Daintier options include taking the TSS Earnslaw steamship (realjourneys. co.nz), for a cruise on Lake Wakatipu, and 4WD tours (nomadsafaris.co.nz) to Lord of the Rings filming locations.
Days 21-22: Milford Sound and Te Anau Whatever you do, don’t use Queenstown as a base for visiting the
NEW ZEALAND
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HOKITIKA GORGE HAS SEEMINGLY SUPERNATURAL TURQUOISE WATERS
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fiord that launched a million photos: Milford Sound. Rather than enduring the almost eight-hour round-trip, drive two hours the day before to Te Anau, where you’ll have time to cram in a cruise across Lake Te Anau (realjourneys.co.nz) into Fiordland National Park to explore glow wormcovered caves. Start early the next day north towards Milford Sound and you’ll have the chance to stop at the numerous waterfalls on the precipitous road down, then get on the water when it’s relatively quiet before all the tour buses from Queenstown arrive. Cruises are fairly interchangeable – most allow for plentiful gawping at seals, dolphins and seemingly vertical rock walls. But Mitre Peak’s small boat jaunt (mitrepeak.com) is less crowded and permits a stop at the Underwater Observatory to wonder at the aquatic life and coral.
Days 23–24: Destination Dunedin The Scottish streak is strong and the student population decidedly lively
in Dunedin, a three-hour 20-minute drive through bucolic sleepiness from Te Anau. The look is distinctive, too, with a rich line-up of Victorian and Edwardian buildings made from the local bluestone. The railway station is the standout photo-op in this regard, but you’ve come here to explore by boat, not train – that’s the best way to spot the teeming variety of wildlife. Monarch Wildlife Cruises (wildlife. co.nz) chugs down the coast of the Otago Peninsula, taking in feeding sea birds and galumphing seals. Various combos are available, but the full-day Otago Peninsula Wildlife Tour stops at the two most magical sites. The Royal Albatross Centre is where the giants with three-metre wingspans nest – it’s the only place in the world to see them, as otherwise they hang out on tiny mid-ocean rock islands. And the Penguin Place Conservation Reserve provides a refuge for the comical, waddling yellow-eyed penguins.
Days 25–26: Alpine adventure The drive inland to New Zealand’s
highest point, the 4,000-metre Aoraki/ Mount Cook, is a startlingly beautiful journey (three hours 45 minutes) past tussock-grass foothills and milkyblue-white lakes. You’ll not get to the summit without mountaineering in your blood, but you can learn about those who have – who went on to top Everest – at the engrossing Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre. The half-day hike to Hooker Lake – through alpine meadows, over dainty wooden bridges crossing frigid streams – isn’t in quite the same league, but it’s a fine way to get lungfuls of mountain air. For something more spectacular, there’s kayaking on Tasman Lake around eerie blue icebergs, watching ice calve off the glacier; mtcook.com runs tours. Lake Tekapo, a 90-minute drive away on the road to Christchurch, twinkles with near-fluorescence, but there’s plenty of twinkling overhead, too. It’s part of a dark sky reserve, and the Dark Sky Project lays on stargazing sessions at the Mount John Observatory that show just how different the heavens look in the southern hemisphere (dark skyproject.co.nz).
Days 27–28: Christchurch and home Your journey’s end – Christchurch airport – is just under three hours’ away. But there’s a choice to be made for the last two days: city or chilled? Christchurch will show you postearthquake transformation hipness, but the town of Akaroa, on the neighbouring Banks Peninsula, has craters, coastline and more than a little Gallic flair – imbued by its original French settlers. And snorkelling with the rare, adorable Hector’s dolphin – Black Cat Cruises (blackcat.co.nz) will take you to swim with them – feels like a mighty fine farewell to the country. To book a future trip, call 800 DNATA or visit dnatatravel.com worldtravellermagazine.com 59
long weekend the
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This page: A carpet of colourful tulips Opposite from top: Charming buildings line the canal; Pulitzer Amsterdam
Amsterdam
From its blooming natural beauty to its artistic treasures, we get under the skin of this creative city's enduring appeal
THE LONG WEEKEND
Compelling at any time of year, Amsterdam invites you to spend hours wandering through its weave of waterways lined by gabled houses, letting the energy of the creative city wash over you. With museums brimming with captivating artworks by the Dutch greats, a delicious line-up of local delicacies to taste (you won't be able to refuse a crunchy, caramel-filled Stroopwafel), and lush outdoor spaces to unwind in, it's a treat for all the senses. Spend your days shopping the edgy boutiques in the criss-crossing alleys of The Nine Streets, seek out a future masterpiece at the up-and-coming galleries in trendy Jordaan, and immerse yourself in the lively nightlife around the Southern Canal Ring. All you need to do is hop on a bicycle and let the adventure unfold...
Get set, shop
DRIFT INTO TRANQUILLITY
From art-filled abodes to canal-side views, these stylish hotels get our vote
Overlooking Amsterdam’s historic central canal belt (a UNESCO World Heritage Site, no less), the Pulitzer Amsterdam is set within a cluster of 25 restored 17th and 18th century houses in the effervescent The Nine Streets (De Negen Straatjes) neighbourhood. Keeping the building's original feel, but with a fresh, sleek atmosphere, rooms come in all shapes and sizes, with modern art on the walls. Courteous service, delightful garden courtyards and delectable food adds to the charm.
Close by, Hotel Seven one Seven is as magical as it gets. The award-winning boutique hotel has named all nine of its guestrooms after legendary literary figures and artists, lending an exclusive ambience to its distinctive brand of old-world romance. We rate the two Executive Suites, which have premier views over the 17th century Prinsengracht canal. With an elegant interior, mosaic of fine artworks and a proud history of hosting celebrated 19th century Dutch artists, it’s easy to mistake Breitner House for
a museum. Rise and shine to a luxurious breakfast served in the period dining room, while looking out over the flower-laden park. At the heart of the city, Soho House Amsterdam puts a contemporary stamp on a grand 19th century building. With rooms ranging in size, from Tiny to XL Monumental, this hip hotel has a home from home feel complete with a glistening rooftop pool, private cinema and Cowshed Spa.
Retail therapy is easy to come by in the city. If you're an avid collector of art and antiques then you'll be in your element at the historic Spiegelkwartier (which translates to the 'Mirror Quarter'.) This buzzing district is home to more than 70 shops and galleries bursting with treasures you'll want to bring home with you. Next, seek out some notable homegrown designers, such as Dutch design duo Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren (of Viktor & Rolf fame), who have their headquarters in the city. You can check out their concept store at Danzigerkade 55. There's an exciting vintage shopping scene to discover, too. The brainchild of entrepreneurial sisters, Jutka & Riska [Haarlemmerdijk 143] is the place to go for coveted pieces from the likes of Jil Sander and Gucci. In addition, The Nine Streets historic canal district is a gem for vintage stores. worldtravellermagazine.com 61
Nature’s way
signature menu, which is the work of chef de cuisine Jurgen van der Zalm and executive chef Dennis Kuipers, features tantalising French delicacies that flirt between classic and contemporary, with highlights including the mackerel with hibiscus, Dutch oyster, goat yoghurt and shiso flower. vinkeles.com
Get outdoors and discover the city’s natural bounty
Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam Established in 1638, this lush attraction is one of the oldest botanical gardens in Europe. Showcasing a treasure trove of rare flora and fauna, there’s a lot for budding botanists to admire here, including ancient varieties of tulips, and wide range of cycads. Artis Royal Zoo Laid out in grand style in 1838, one of Europe's oldest zoos has something to delight all ages. Watch giraffes, zebras, and springboks mingling on the Savannah, see butterflies flutter in the dedicated Pavilion, and gaze at the tropical fish swimming in the vast Aquarium. The zoo is also home to ARTISMicropia, the world's only microbe museum, where you can take a peek at the tiniest organisms. Lange Bretten Known as 'the last city wilderness of Amsterdam', this verdant park is home to buzzards and falcons, which hunt in the area, while the waters are brimming with frogs, toads and fish. Take the (usually) muddy nature trail for an energetic hike, spotting animals as you go. 62 worldtravellermagazine.com
TOP TABLES Bord’Eau, De L'Europe Amsterdam Located on the bank of the Amstel River, this oneMichelin-star restaurant – easily one of the best tables in town – is sure to impress with its inventive dishes crafted by head chef Bas van Kranen. For an extra memorable meal, book the Bord’Eau sur L’Eau experience – an intimate lunch or dinner on the luxurious Dyos boat so you can soak up spellbinding views of the city's historic centre as
you cruise along its famous canals. bordeau.nl Vinkeles, The Dylan Amsterdam Period charm meets modern French cuisine at this one-Michelin-star restaurant in the hip Dylan hotel. Situated in an 18th century bakery, the interiors reflect the history of the venue, complete with rustic brickwork and cast-iron ovens. The
Ciel Bleu, Hotel Okura Amsterdam Soaring above Amsterdam’s rooftops, this culinary hotspot blends spectacular city views with sublime cuisine served in an elegant setting that pairs muted tones with contemporary flourishes. The creative menu, led by chefs Onno Kokmeijer and Arjan Speelman, certainly lives up to its two-Michelin-star status. Immerse yourself in the exciting ambience by reserving a seat at the chef’s table in the bustling heart of the kitchen. cielbleu.nl
A stroke of genius
Feast your eyes on iconic works of art As you may expect from a country that gave the world some of its greatest art luminaries, Amsterdam is home to breathtakingly magnificent art. At the Van Gogh Museum, you can find the world's largest collection of works by the post-impressionist painter, from mesmerising self-portraits to the uplifting Sunflowers. A few blocks away, Rijksmuseum hangs Vermeer’s The Milkmaid alongside Rembrandts' The Night Watch. If you can’t get enough of Rembrandts' artistic gems, Rembrandt House Museum offers a glimpse of the artist’s etching-packed studio. Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam is the place to go for modern and contemporary art and design, with major pieces by Mondrian, Kandinsky and Malevich in its armoury.
THE LONG WEEKEND This page: Royal Palace Amsterdam; cyclist by the Prinsengracht canal, photo by Koen Smilde © 2020 I amsterdam Opposite from top: Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam; Ciel Bleu; a dish from the Eau season menu at Bord'Eau, a self portrait by Vincent Van Gogh at Rijksmuseum
Ask a local
Words: Habiba Azab
Amsterdam native Iris den Hartog shares her favourite under the radar spots in the city
“Admire the beautiful houses of Ringdijk in Watergraafsmeer. This part of the city was drained in 1629 and the dike that surrounded it is still preserved. End your stroll with a Dutch cheese platter at Vergulden Eenhoorn; a farm established in 1702, which has since been transformed into a restaurant and boutique hotel. “The resident cat Sammie is waiting to welcome you at Café Hermes [Ceintuurbaan 55]. One of my favourite haunts, in the De Pijp neighbourhood, it is decorated from top to toe with curiosities, such as old instruments, street signs and vintage advertisement posters. “I also highly recommend Restaurant Sjefietshe [Van Ostadestraat 1]. This cevicheria serves the classic South American dish with a local touch. My personal favourites are the hake ceviche, the pulpo ceviche, the waffle topped with crème fraîche and trout caviar and the fermented fries."
DESIGNS ON LIFE
The devil's in the details at these architectural marvels ROYAL PALACE AMSTERDAM This dazzling palace embodies Amsterdam's 17th century power and wealth in a way that rivalled the grandest European buildings of the time. Inside, interiors gleam and Golden Age grandeur shines through the marble-encrusted main hall, with sculptures and paintings narrating its story at every turn. CANAL HOUSES Set off on a stroll along the canalways and admire the charming waterside houses that were built during the height of the Dutch Golden Age. Beyond the historic facades are several museums, including FOAM [Keizersgracht 609], which is dedicated to contemporary photography. MUSEUM HET SCHIP One of the most prominent buildings showcasing the Amsterdam School style of architecture, this captivating apartment block features a postoffice-turned-museum where you can learn more about the design movement. From here, you can also join a walking tour of other notable buildings in the city.
FAMILY TIME
Fun-packed activities to suit all ages Feel the sand between your toes at Amsterdam Beach For a change of scenery, why not swap the cobblestone city streets for the soft sand along the coast? Around half an hour from the city centre, Amsterdam Beach offers plenty of space to unwind while topping up on vitamin D. You can even test your skills at some of the adventurous activities on offer, such as blokarting. Set off on a cycling tour Strap the kiddies into their bike seats and join one of the many cycling tours of the city. Yellow Bike operates daily and can guide you on a journey of discovery of some of the city's best sights. From the introductory 90-minute city tour, which you
can take as soon as you arrive (they'll hold onto your luggage for you), to discovering the picturesque Waterland district in the north – it's fun, affordable, and a brilliant way to get some fresh air and exercise while finding your bearings. Cruise along the canals You simply haven't had
the full Amsterdam experience until you've cruised the historic waterways in a canal boat. All you need to do is buy a Canal Cruise Ticket and hop on a boat at any one of 14 locations across the city. Each cruise lasts around an hour and they depart every 30 minutes so there's no excuse to miss it.
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Suite dreams Our monthly finish with a flourish, delving into a suite that has a character and style all of its own
VILLA FRANGIPANI
Grace Bay Club, Turks & Caicos Islands With ocean views you can sit and stare at for hours, this four-bedroom Private Beach Front Residence invites you to throw open the doors to the vast private deck and lap up the balmy tropical breeze from the comfort of your oversized sofa. An eight-minute drive from Grace Bay Club, this stand-alone villa, designed by Edinburgh-based Coast Architects, has an infinity pool and master bathrooms with freestanding tubs – an idyllic retreat for up to eight guests. 64 worldtravellermagazine.com
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