National Geographic Traveller India November 2016

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 6 • ` 1 5 0 • VO L . 5

I S S U E 5 • N AT G E O T R AV E L L E R . I N

WINTER SPECIAL

EVERYBODY’S

ADVENTURES AUSTRALIA

LESSONS FROM THE GREAT OUTBACK

INDIA

A HANDY GUIDE TO TREKKING + 5 FAB TREK IDEAS

SWEDEN

KAYAKING THROUGH BALTIC WATERS

NAMIBIA HUNTING FOR ANCIENT ROCK ART • ANTARCTICA THE GREAT WHITE HOPE

n a t i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c t r av e l l e r i n d i a

Travel Writing Contest Winning Entry on Page 88

November 2016

Contents Vol 5 Issue 5

w i n t e r s p e c i a l —a dv e n t u r e

a handy Guide to Trekking Quick and easy pointers to get on the trail

By André Morris

98

The Blue Waters of the Baltic

A kayak is the passport to exploring Sweden’s coastline

By Nitin Chaudhary

74

Ramble On

Five fab trek ideas for families, friends, and solo travellers— pick your adventure, and get going

By Rachna Bisht Rawat, Neelima Vallangi, Rishad Saam Mehta, and Amitabha Gupta

104

Everything is scaled up in Alaska’s Denali National Park

By Jeff Rennicke Photographs by Aaron Huey

Blekinge, Sweden

10

national Geographic Traveller INDIA | November NOVEMBER 2016

Trek Together, Stay Together

The mountains work their mojo on three generations of a family as they embark on their first trek together

By Mitul Sarkar

Journeys

State of Wonder

98

88

110

On the Rocks

Hunting for ancient rock art in Namibia’s “Burning Mountain”

By Mark Jenkins Photographs by Matt Moyer

92

Hands-On in the Aussie Outback

Lessons in living off the land and sea on the rugged Eyre Peninsula Text and photographs by Rishad Saam Mehta

120

THE Great White Hope

In Antarctica, the writer finds both peril and poetry

By Kenneth Brower Photographs by Sisse Brimberg and Cotton Coulson

johner images/getty images

68

38

voices

NOVEMBER 2016 • `150 • VOL. 5

I S S U E 5 • N AT G E O T R AV E L L E R . I N

WINTER SPECIAL

22 Inside Out

EVERYBODY’S

ADVENTURES AUSTRALIA

LESSONS FROM THE GREAT OUTBACK

INDIA

A HANDY GUIDE TO TREKKING + 5 FAB TREK IDEAS

SWEDEN

KAYAKING THROUGH BALTIC WATERS

NAMIBIA HUNTING FOR ANCIENT ROCK ART • ANTARCTICA THE GREAT WHITE HOPE

n av i g at e

26 Space Travel

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin talks about launching his hopes toward the red planet

28 Local Flavour

South America’s heady cocktail, pisco sour trends in bars globally

30 Culture

An ancient way of life is preserved in Odisha’s Padmasambhava monastery

32 National Park

On The Cover While on the Goecha La trek in Sikkim, writer and photographer Neelima Vallangi passed through varying landscapes from snowy tracks to narrow forest trails strewn with crimson rhododendrons.

On the route down from Kokhchurung to Dzongri, she came across looming conifers with hollows big enough to fit a person.

The landscape in California’s Lava Beds National Monument is sculpted by fire

34 The Connection

In Gimhae a royal romance between South Korea and India is celebrated

38 Detour

A museum in Vevey, Switzerland, pays tribute to Charlie Chaplin’s comic genius

Brooklyn’s trendy vibe is reinvented in two neighbourhoods

50 Book Extract

A chronicle of the facts and fiction surrounding the tigers of the Sundarbans photo courtesy: 2016 Chaplin’s World™ © Bubbles Incorporated S.A. (museum) neelima vallangi (cover)

Creating vivid travel memories outside comfort zones

A guide to numerous post-monsoon waterfalls in Karnataka

46 Urban Spirit

Beyond prayers, temples stand witness to bygone eras

24 Crew Cut

42 Great Outdoors

S m a r t T r av e l l e r

54 Money Manager

From classic historical attractions to innovative restaurants, a long weekend in Ho Chi Minh City

66 Checking In

Repurposing old offices, factories, and storefronts into trendy city hotels in Vienna

Sh o r t B r e a k s

From Bhopal

regulars 16 Editor’s Note 18 Notebook 138 Inspire 144 Travel Quiz

132 Myth and history collide to create fabulous fables and surreal architecture in Orchha Stay

136

Architectural gems abound in a heritage village in Himachal Pradesh

november 2016 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA

11

Editor’s Note |

n i lou f e r v en katra m a n

T

our mission

This festive season, instead of giving any material stuff, I’m planning an exciting trip for the family

16

he reaction to our October cover was almost unanimous. Everyone loved it, and no one guessed that the train featured was from India. It got me thinking about train travel in our country, and how in the age of low-cost airlines and road trips, I for one have ignored the joys of train travel.

It took me back to one of the most memorable trips from my 20s, when I bought a one-month Amtrak USA Rail Pass which allowed unlimited travel across the U.S. for 30 days. My companion and I zigzagged across the continent from the East to the West Coast and back via a different route.

The wonderful memories created along the way are still indelibly carved in my mind. It was a fun way to travel, and it gave us the opportunity to see so much of one country without breaking the bank.

Similarly, the Interrail pass (non-Europeans buy the Eurail pass) has been popular in Europe for decades. It was first introduced in Europe in the early 1970s for under-21 citizens to travel through a host of countries in Europe. The idea took off immediately and even today over three lakh young Europeans take advantage of it annually.

This month, I read in the news that the European Union is on its way to approving a proposal that will give every EU citizen, on their 18th birthday, a free Interrail pass to travel through all the countries of the EU for one month. The pass normally costs €479 so it’s not a trivial investment the European Union is making.

What a wonderful gift to receive from your government on your 18th birthday! I find it amazingly forward thinking. It invests in youth in a way that’s very different from traditional government programmes. For me, the idea scores on so many levels. It gives young people an opportunity to scout the region they live in, to explore the diversity of their immediate world. It recognises the power of travel to broaden the mind, to build relationships between cultures, to enrich lives, to teach independence and open-mindedness.

The free rail pass initiative will encourage ecofriendly travel too, bringing awareness to minimiz-

ing one’s carbon footprint. With the ticket paid for, it additionally gives young people the incentive to work and save up for the rest of their travel expenses, teaching determination and discipline.

Once this initiative comes through, this free Interrail pass will be a blessing, a gift many EU citizens will use, and its long-term benefits will be felt across the continent. Exploring this idea, I discovered that Italy too has given a present to every Italian resident who turns 18. This year, the government is giving everyone born in 1998 €500 to spend on culturally enriching experiences, such as visiting museums, music concerts, or parks. Using a smartphone app, eligible teens can buy tickets to various places and events for which their government will pay.

Travel is an investment one generation can bequeath the next, and it’s apparent that the mood of European governments is to put money into augmenting the breadth of experiences for their youth. I too was lucky in this area.

I didn’t inherit any stocks and shares from my parents, but what I got instead was the opportunity to travel. This gave me exposure to the world and to the experiences travel offers. It’s only now I realise that it was a fantastic gift my parents gave me. Indeed, this winter you can give yourself, family or friends that gift. This festive season, instead of any material stuff, I’m planning an exciting trip for the family, one that has been on my mind for years. It’s taking much effort and savings, but it’s a trip that will be much more memorable than any object I buy.

For almost a decade now, there has been a trend of gifting newly-weds travel activities. Websites like honeyfund.com (or wanderable.com, honeymoonwishes.com, travelersjoy.com) allow couples to register their honeymoons online, so that those who want to buy them a wedding present can pay for very specific things: a hot-air balloon ride, a ticket to an opera, a gondola ride, a meal at a scenic restaurant, a spa treatment. Some think it crass to get a honeymoon paid for like that, but I find it a very good idea.

It’s giving the couple the gift of travel, of experiences and memories that will last them a lifetime.

National Geographic Traveller India is about immersive travel and authentic storytelling, inspiring readers to create their own journeys and return with amazing stories. Our distinctive yellow rectangle is a window into a world of unparalleled discovery.

national Geographic Traveller INDIA | november 2016

Blend Images - Andersen Ross/Brand X Pictures/getty images

THE GIFT OF TRAVEL

CREW CU T

Unlocking New Levels Venturing beyond comfort zones creates ViVid traVel memories

I

bring back many things each time i travel—ticket stubs, maps, snow globes, and more memories than my brain can hold. they’re all precious—and occasionally hilarious—but some recollections stand out more than others. they are brighter, bolder, more visceral, as if they are recorded in hD. i recall a time in new York, a few years ago, when i went to a concert at Yankee Stadium by myself. i tried to convince myself that the night would be great even though i was going solo, but the words “loser” and “ohmyGodWhyamiDoingthis” kept playing on loop in my head as i rode the subway to the arena.

When i got there, i started chatting with the girls sitting next to me, then the opening act began, and before i knew it, we were all dancing in the aisles and harmonising to the chorus of Justin timberlake’s “cry me a river.” Somewhere between “pusher love Girl” and “empire State of mind,” i had this flash when i thought someone was telling me to absorb the details of this experience; that it was an important moment in my life as a traveller. at the time i didn’t bother with that voice in my head much because alicia Keys had just come on. but later, i realised that though i’d been to the movies alone before, this was my first truly solo outing. a night of dancing and singing with strangers taught me how much fun it can be to experience something just for me. last year, i went on a safari in ranthambore national park with my dad. it was my first time in a forest. our guide was telling us about the national park’s forests, as our jeep followed a small stream that flowed quietly among the trees of banyan and jamun. a hush fell over us, and for the next half hour, my dad and i communicated wordlessly with each other. i’d draw his attention to a luminous yellow bird in a tree with my eyes, and he would gesture with his head at an emerald-coloured bug that was scurrying along on a leaf next to me. Sitting wordlessly in that forest, i felt the same gnawing tug i had felt at the music concert. immersing myself in that giant, humming ecosystem more complex than anything i could wrap my brain around, had humbled me. it made me realise how much i still had to learn about the planet. another such occasion occurred during my holiday with friends in the andaman and nicobar islands this year. i’d spent the week getting my beginner’s diving license and acquainting myself with the magnificent underwater world. it was like i’d unlocked a new level in a video game. it was the

24

national GeoGraphic traveller inDia | november 2016

Kamakshi Ayyar is a Features Writer on National Geographic Traveller India’s web team. She’s partial to places by the sea and desserts in all forms. When she isn’t raving about food, she’s usually rambling on about the latest cosmic mysteries.

end of the trip and i was at the most beautiful beach i’d ever seen: the crescent-shaped radhanagar, flanked by thick forests and a bright blue sea. like many beaches in the andamans, radhanagar is in the business of stopping you in your tracks, but that thursday in January it was particularly stunning. as the day drew to a close, the sky took on shades of orange, pink, and bruised grey. the sky was blanketed in ominous clouds, save for a small gap through which a few blazing rays of sunshine beamed, setting the nearby hills on fire. i had my toes in the warm waters of the indian ocean as my friends tried body boarding. nearby, a little girl squealed in delight as her dad walked her deeper into the water. For a few minutes, a dog came by and gave me company. at that instant, my brain created a mental marker, telling me that this evening at the beach was significant for me. it was a moment in which i felt the planets had aligned to bring me there, just like the times in new York and ranthambore. i now realise that these moments have occurred at times and places when i was discovering new things about myself. as if to remind me that stepping outside my boundaries had brought me there. each of these experiences was an adventure, pushing me out of my comfort zone, forcing me to try something new and teaching me to enjoy my surroundings differently. they opened new doors for me, showed me new worlds. they shaped the journey i was on, and continue to shape how i travel.

akash bhattacharya/moment open/getty images

Voices |

Radhanagar beach, Havelock Island

november 2016 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA

17

Notebook |

connect

@natgeotravellerindia

@NGTIndia

facebook.com/natgeotraveller.india

3,28,998

BEST OF THE WEB

Just Desert A long list of short breaks in the desert, from wildlife holidays in Jawai (prime leopard country) to cultural experiences in Bikaner and Jodhpur. Look it up, the weather is perfect for Rajasthan right now!

See Getaways>Inspire Me! Pushkar Fair, Rajasthan

Travel Hacks

capital reads

where to eat in vietnam

timeless tradition

Delhi is a city of forts, flyovers, and flowering trees. It is crammed with millions of stories, and these are some of its finest.

See Travel Talk>Travel Reads

Vietnam brims with rich culinary offerings, from crepes and comforting bowls of broth, to banh mi sandwiches and coffee that tastes like liquid tiramisu.

See Trip Ideas>Food+Drink

The annual Ramlila performances at Mumbai’s Girgaum Chowpatty are heart-warming and hilarious, flawed but full of heart. Much like Mumbai itself.

See Trip Ideas>Culture

Go to natgeotraveller.in for more web exclusive stories and travel ideas

the find

Art At My Feet

18

Rio de Janeiro is an undulating city, with low, bush-covered hills that roll out to its extremities. Around the city centre, these hills are covered with tiny homes, crowded closely together, much like Mumbai’s slums. More than a fifth of Rio’s population lives in these favelas, feared for their drug gangs and gun violence.

But the favelas are also where funk carioca, a music style derived from Miami bass and African freestyle, originated in the 1980s. And in recent years, some pacified sections have been painted in bright colours, and opened to visitors. They inspire a range of art, from graffiti to fridge magnets—and even these flip-flops made by Havaianas, the Brazilian company that made rubber slippers the country’s most famous export. Originally worn by poor workers, Havaianas are now donned by the rich and famous too. The combination of two iconic Brazilian things—favelas and flip-flops—made for a memorable Rio souvenir. Plus they’re super comfy! —Deputy Editor, Neha Dara

national Geographic Traveller INDIA | november 2016

■ Before planning your holiday, pick an interest.

Figure out what kind of traveller you are, and let that guide your itinerary.

■ Consider volunteering at an event you want to attend in India, and barter your skills for boarding.

■ Plan extensively before a hike/trek. Read up on the habitat, and carry only what you need. Always carry enough batteries.

■ Don’t just research monuments and must-dos in a new city; also look up free workshop listings. They are a great way to immerse yourself in a place.

■ Sign up for offers like Skyscanner’s Price Alerts, which notify you when the price of the flight you want goes up or down.

Next MeetUp: 11 November 2016, 7.30-9 p.m.

Venue: Title Waves bookstore, Bandra (West), Mumbai.

Kevin O’Hara/age fotostock/Dinodia Photo Library (camel), Neha Dara (FLIP-FLOPS)

At the NGT Meetup in Mumbai, in October, travel writer Rishad Saam Mehta, slow traveller Vahishta Mistry, and outdoors-lover Diipti Jhangiani chatted with NGT India’s Deputy Editor Neha Dara about travel hacks that can make journeys easier. Some tips from the experts and the audience.

Spotted in… Rotterdam

Living on the Edge While Netherlands’ capital Amsterdam took me back in time with its 17th-century canal houses, Rotterdam’s edgy architecture catapulted me into the future. On an evening walk through the harbour city, I saw how it has resurrected itself after being bombed during World War II. At Overblaak Street I spotted a pencil-shaped tower that looked like a writing tool that would fit the fingers of Roald Dahl’s giant, the BFG. The real surprise, however, lay a few metres ahead: 38 backto-back cube-shaped houses perched on thick poles atop a pedestrian bridge. I walked inside the complex and marvelled at the yellow-and-grey cubes tipped to one side, huddling conspiratorially.

Today, fashion boutiques, offices, residences, and a hostel occupy these cube creations of Dutch architect Piet Bloom.

One of the furnished cube houses, the Kijk-Kubus, is now a museum open to visitors.

—Associate Editor, Kareena Gianani

NGTIndia@Work

In September, I visited the Barossa Valley in South Australia, best known for its sprawling vineyards.

One of my favourite experiences was at the Penfolds winery, where I got to make my own blend of wine. Donning a white coat in a science laboratory, I felt like I was back in school.

One of Penfolds’ premium wines is their Grenache-ShirazMataro blend, with one vintage released each year. My agenda was to craft a blend of Grenache, Shiraz, and Mataro wines in proportions that I’d prefer.

First, my guide encouraged me to identify the various flavours in each wine. I could easily taste a hint of cocoa in the Shiraz, dryness in the Mataro, and the sweet, fruity, and full-bodied texture in the Grenache, my favourite of the three.

I got three tries to decide how much of each I wanted in my own blend. My final concoction ended up with 50 per cent Grenache, 40 per cent Shiraz, and 10 per cent Mataro.

While the wine is all over now, the bottle it came in is still perched on a shelf in my kitchen, a constant reminder of my time as a winemaker in Barossa.

—Online Features Writer, Fabiola Monterio

Instagram of the Month

It Takes a Village This happy baby enjoys liquid nitrogen ice cream with family at Istid, an ice cream shop in Copenhagen. It is common to see Danish babies and toddlers napping in strollers outside a restaurant or shop while parents browse inside. It’s the same at pre-schools too, even in sub-zero temperatures. Parents in Nordic countries feel that babies benefit from frisk luft or fresh air; sleeping outdoors is thought to make them less susceptible to colds and coughs, and they nap longer and better. The prams are spacious and high-tech, kitted with baby alarms and insulated from the cold, rain, and sun. The babies are well-swaddled, and of course fast asleep, under the watchful eye of not just a free-ranging parent but passers-by as well. It’s communal babysitting, a sure sign of how secure a society feels.

—Assistant Web Editor, Saumya Ancheri november 2016 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA

19

javier larrea/age fotostock/dinodia photo library (buildings), karen dias (wine), Saumya Ancheri (baby)

A Blend of Mine Own

navigate 28

local flavour South America's heady cocktail, pisco sour trends in bars globally

38

detour A Swiss museum pays tribute to Charlie Chaplin’s comic genius

42

great outdoors A guide to Karnataka’s numerous post-monsoon waterfalls

In the future, Earthlings could pay a visit to these dunes on Mars.

From Moon to Mars Buzz Aldrin, one of humankind’s first moonwalkers, talks about launching his hopes toward the red planet As told to Hannah Sheinberg

After being in space, does anything else wow you in your travels?

A quick tour of the Titanic a couple miles down in the ocean, and hitching a ride on a whale shark in the Galapagos—those are wows that you can’t find on the moon.

What’s your favorite space food?

Not very much tasted good, but there

were really small shrimp with sauce that I liked. These shrimp had to be freezedried, then you’d put water in them and have to squeeze the shrimp through this tube that was in your mouth. And for that to taste good, that’s quite a task How can we create a colony on mars?

I’ve realized that we have to get fuel from the moon, and then use natural orbital routes to help us get to Mars.

Then, in order to build a village or a base on Mars, we should design and build the same base on the moon so we can lea rn exactly how to do that in our backyard. We can’t have people just visiting Mars; the real purpose should be to inhabit it. If we make the transportation relatively

accessible, then more of us will be able to get there.

Do you think it’s important to keep exploring, no matter what your age?

Of course I do. I’m exploring things far, far away right now and trying to pin down some orbits in space that go by Mars. I’ll never make it to Mars, but hopefully in a generation or two, people will be able to make that trip. That’s an exciting trip for me, but it’s all a mental trip.  Tune in to National Geographic channel’s six-part series, MARS, on 14 November at 9 p.m. and learn more about colonizing the red planet.

■ Pick up a copy of National Geographic Magazine’s Mars issue this month, and buy Buzz Aldrin’s book at shop.nationalgeographic.com.

26

national Geographic Traveller INDIA | november 2016

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

B

uzz Aldrin is over the moon.

The astronaut and author of National Geographic’s new book No Dream Is Too High has been orbiting the idea of bringing humans to Mars. When he’s not setting his sights on outer space, he’s scuba diving around Earth for another kind of antigravity adventure.

Navigate |

Cultu r e

Land of Happiness In OdIsha’s Padmasambhava mOnastery, an ancIent way Of lIfe Is Preserved By Diana Sahu

Walls of the meditation hall at the Padmasambhava Mahavira monastery are covered in murals depicting the life of the Buddha.

have simple cells for monks which are situated amidst manicured lawns.

The main structure is a spectacle, with intricate wooden carvings of flowers, leaves, and other natural symbols.

Paintings of Tibetan Buddhist folktales whisper from every corner, with colourful mountains, deer, lotuses, clouds, streams, and waterfalls cascading from the roof.

Besides the different mandalas, there are paintings with phoenix and dragon symbols, which represent the yin and yang forces of the universe.

The entrance of the huge meditation hall has scenes from the Buddha’s life.

Representations of the guardians of heaven and hell also find space on both sides of the entrance. Inside, there’s a 23-foot-tall golden statue of the Buddha, flanked by the bodhisattvas Avalokitesvara and Padmasambhava, each 17 feet high. Behind them are beautiful murals depicting elements of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist traditions, with Buddhas and bodhisattvas, dakinis and dharmapalas, the sun and moon, and more. I enjoy a few minutes of silence in the hall as I watch young

monks settle down for afternoon prayers.

A short walk away from the monastery, are eight colourful stupas arranged in a circular pattern and surrounded by prayer flags. Each refers to major events in the Buddha’s life. In the centre stands the tallest, the Stupa of Enlightenment.

At dusk, villagers gather around it for prayers, and I feel a sense of wonderment settle over me. The Tibetan Buddhist connection with Odisha may be ancient, but it has been revived in a remarkable way by this century’s inhabitants. the vitals Orientation Jirang is 80 km/2 hr west of Berhampur and 4 km/10 min from Chandragiri, the largest tibetan settlement in Odisha. Need to Know Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily; guided tours offered by Odisha tourism Development Corporation (www.visitodisha.org and www.odishatourism.gov.in). the monastery hosts several events, but the most important is the month-long saga Dawa festival in april. the gathering draws monks from india and nepal, with round-the-clock prayers.

november 2016 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA

27

Biswanath swain

L

ocal Tibetans call it the “Land of Happiness.” As I approach the area—around Jirang village, in southern Odisha's Gajapati district—I see the golden spires of Padmasambhava Mahavihara monastery glint in the sun at the end of a road winding up a hill. Chandragiri nearby is one of the places in India where Tibetan refugees settled after the 1959 Chinese invasion of Tibet.

This is the largest functioning monastery in South Asia with over 500 monks from India, Nepal, and Bhutan currently living there. It is named after the 7th-century Buddhist monk Acharya Padmasambhava, who was born in Kalinga (ancient Odisha), and travelled to Tibet to spread Buddhism. The majestic four-storey structure is built over ten acres of land, in the Odantapuri Buddhist architectural style. Hundreds of skilled artists took years to create this fine building. Work began in 2003, and the monastery was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama in 2010.

An ornate gate opens up to a sprawling courtyard. Both sides of the monastery

Navigate |

Urba n S pi r i t

It Happens in Brooklyn With Michelin-starred restaurants and star-studded lounges, the borough casts a new spell on New York Known for brunch and cocktails, Nights and Weekends sits at the corner of Greenpoint’s Bedford and Nassau Avenues.

greenpoint

By Jackie Snow

While the HBO show Girls put Greenpoint on the pop culture map (Lena Dunham’s character lives on India Street and hangs out at nearby Café Grumpy), this northernmost Brooklyn neighbourhood has been steadily morphing from a sleepy enclave dubbed Little Poland to the type of place where the global crowdfunding platform Kickstarter is based. You can still pile your plate with the East European street staple pierogi here, but you can also dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant (Luksus) and have a drink on a boat (Brooklyn Barge) on the newly humming East River waterfront.

Paulie Gee’s Spicy honey or dried cherries top pies at this dinneronly pizzeria. Owner Paulie Giannone often makes the rounds, pouring celebratory shots of limoncello (pauliegee.com).

46

Tørst This Scandinavianinspired bar serves beer in wine glasses.

Choose from a rotating selection of pilsners and stouts on tap and 200-plus bottled varieties (www. torstnyc.com).

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream These locally made creamy scoops include flavours such as Earl Grey tea and salted caramel, in yummy classic and vegan styles (www. vanleeuwenicecream.com).

national Geographic Traveller INDIA | November 2016

Transmitter Park Formerly home to WNYC’s transmission towers, this waterfront green space overlooks the Manhattan skyline (www. nycgovparks.org).

GREENPOINT

o

r

k

Y N w OKLY N e BRO 6 mi 6 km

Achilles Heel Shipyard workers in the early 1900s frequented a bar on this site. Café/bar Achilles Heel nods to that history with menu items that include East Coast oysters (achillesheelnyc.com).

Selamat Pagi From the folks behind Van Leeuwen, this Balinese restaurant gives a modern twist to traditional dishes. Favourite dessert: sticky black rice with yogurt (selamatpagibrooklyn.com).

Jonno rattman (Café), NG Maps (Map)

Start-ups, stellar dining, and Manhattan vistas in north Brooklyn

Vodou Bar, a chic lounge on Halsey Street with a wicked mixologist, casts a late-night spell.

Bed-Stuy

By Glynn Pogue

In the north-central Brooklyn neighbourhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, community is king. Pausing to greet your neighbour is an unwritten rule. So is having fun. On a Friday night at Peaches restaurant, locals settle in to try southern delights, such as a blackened catfish sandwich with creole remoulade. Later, they may drift around the corner to Casablanca Cocktail Lounge, a sultry spot where Jay Z, a Bed-Stuy native, and Beyoncé have been seen. Or they might decide to pick up ice cream from the corner bodega and hang on their stoops. Those, too, are hotspots.

L’Antagoniste A classic French restaurant on Malcolm X Boulevard. A Bordeaux on the wine list priced at a whopping $1,999/`1,33,380 signals a neighbourhood with options (lantagoniste.com).

Weeksville Heritage Center This museum is housed in three original residences of Weeksville, one of America’s first free black communities (www.weeksvillesociety.org).

Lovers Rock Beneath pink neon lights, revellers sip boozy Old Jerks, a signature Appleton rum and jerk syrup cocktail, while working up a sweat to dub and dancehall tunes (loversrocknyc.com).

Y

o

r

w KLYN N e BROO

6 mi 6 km

Sincerely, Tommy This clothing shop meets coffee bar, owned by style setter Kai Avent-deLeon, is where trendy women come for gorgeous gear (sincerelytommy.com).

Bar LunAtico Easily one of the sexiest watering holes in the Stuy. Visiting bands from around the globe provide the sound track for this prime date-night spot (www.barlunatico.com).

november 2016 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA

47

Jonno rattman (woman), NG Maps (Map)

Therapy Wine Bar Pair an ever changing wine list with an ivydrenched back deck, and you’ve got Bed-Stuy’s favourite place to pull up a chair and unfurl your woes (therapywinebarnyc.com).

BEDFORDSTUYVESANT

k

This part of Brooklyn is more Biggie Smalls than indie bands

In Focus | Adve n tu r e

Crossing the Prek Chu river, on the way to the Thansing campsite, the landscape changes from rhododendron to pine forest.

68

national Geographic Traveller INDIA | november 2016

■ In dia

A handy Guide to

Trekking Quick and easy pointers to getting on the trail

XXXXXXXXXXXX Neelima Vallangi (XXXXXXXXX)

BY AndrÉ Morris

november 2016 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA

69

In Focus | Adve n tu r e

Few things bring me as much joy as being in the outdoors and I encourage everyone I meet to get out on a trek at least once in their lives. It’s not as difficult or complicated as a first-timer might imagine. In fact, trekking is an easy activity that the whole family can enjoy.

Even when paths are distinct and clear, it's always good to look at a map of the route and understand where you are going.

Duration Start by deciding how much time you want to spend in the outdoors. Perhaps you want to start with going out just for a day, walking leisurely through fields and forests, up to a hill fort or ancient rock-cut caves. If you’re an active person, you may

70

national Geographic Traveller INDIA | november 2016

feel ready to spend a whole week or even two on an easy trek or even something challenging and remote. The duration of your venture will decide what and how much gear or equipment you will need.

Fitness When choosing a walking holiday, consider your current level of fitness and comfort with the outdoors. While anyone who has the right attitude and perseverance can train and get fit, you need to first make an honest assessment of your ability. Based on this you can decide the degree of challenge/difficulty you are ready to face. Keep in mind that when you decide to go on a long trek, there will be little or no transport along the way to return you to civilization. So be realistic in your assessment of yourself and every member of your group and choose wisely.

f9photos/shutterstock

It is, after all a walk in the hills. And there are many kinds of walks: easy, enjoyable walks; demanding hikes; nature walks to observe flora or fauna; walks to reach a peak or fort; walks for a photo-op, a fishing trip, or camping experience. Everyone can choose a walk that suits them best. Your reason for going determines your destination, and how you prepare yourself to reach it.

Here are some basics that can help make an experience in the outdoors that much more enjoyable and fulfilling. It’s not a complete list, but a great point of reference to start from.

â– In dia

Trek or hike

Easy

These hikes or treks usually follow welltrodden trails and are not very physically demanding. They’re usually close to civilization and offer escapes should the need arise. Basic food and assistance from local sources is usually easily available.

Examples The Sahyadris, Nilgiris, and Western Ghats abound in trails that fit this category. You’ll also find easy grade trails aplenty in the foothills of the Himalayas.

Fitness Anybody who goes regularly on long walks and is generally in good shape can attempt an easy trek.

A good pair of walking boots is integral to enjoying a walk in the hills.

Moderate

These treks require you to push yourself a little beyond your comfort zone. Trails are narrower, and more demanding. Moderate treks usually involve a significant amount of uphill walking, and may even require a bit of scrambling but not technical climbing.

The distance travelled is greater, between 5-20 km daily, taking you further away from civilization with no easy escape routes.

Even a first-timer can attempt a moderate trek with proper preparation and training and the right attitude. On many moderate treks, you may need to be self-sufficient with regard to food, water, and other emergency supplies. Examples Many of the Maratha hill forts with their circuitous routes to the top or steep escarpments and exposed cliffside trails, or a multi-day walk across the ridges of the Himalayas.

Fitness Those who exercise regularly, run, cycle, and have stamina and strength can attempt moderate treks with some training.

Demanding

These treks are not for the novice. They demand great fitness, training, and prior trekking experience. Demanding treks involve long, uphill walks in difficult terrains and conditions, making demands on your stamina and perseverance. The region is often remote and uninhabited, so trekkers need to be self-sufficient and prepared to face adversity. The weather could involve extreme cold or heat, rain and strong winds, and trekkers may have to walk on ice or through water. Examples Multi-day treks in the Sahyadris and Western Ghats to a series of forts and hills. Or a Himalayan trek to high-altitude passes and lakes, the mouth of a glacier, a ridge that affords a great view, or the base camp of a famous peak. Fitness Only the very fit, with high levels of stamina and strength can attempt a demanding trek after intensive training and preparation.

november 2016 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA

71

jens ottoson/shutterstock (boots), niloufer venkatraman (Easy trek), Jordan Siemens/DigitalVision/getty images (Moderate trek), Kjell Linder Moment/getty images (Demanding trek)

I usually define a hike as a walk in the outdoors over a day or two, on a well-defined path or trail. Trekking involves a demanding walk, often in terrain without clearly demarcated trails, requiring map and compass to navigate. There is usually no easy access to roads, transport, or medical facilities.

Treks or hikes are usually classified into three broad grades of easy, moderate, and difficult, though even these are eventually relative terms. What one person finds easy depends on their fitness level and their willingness to push themselves physically.

While distance is a factor, the difficulty level of a trek is more about the kind of terrain, altitude, and inclines. Weather is another important factor. A trek that is easy in summer can be challenging in winter. And not all treks can be done throughout the year.

In Focus | Adve n tu r e

Hands-On in the

Aussie Outback Lessons in living off the land and sea on the rugged Eyre Peninsula

XXXXXXXXXXXX (XXXXXXXXX)

Text & Photographs By Rishad Saam Mehta

92

national Geographic Traveller INDIA | november 2016

â– australia

XXXXXXXXXXXX (XXXXXXXXX)

Sea lions are often called the puppy dogs of the sea as they are friendly and curious. This one is enamoured by her own reflection in the snorkelling mask.

november 2016 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA

93

In Focus | Adve n tu r e

“Watch where you step,” Lunch said, trying to warn me about the ants underfoot. I didn’t see what the fuss was about, but he broke off a twig and poked it into an innocent-looking pile of mud. In an instant, it was swarming with big, angry ants. Lunch told me his grandfather had been stung once. He had also been shot with a bullet, but maintained throughout his life that he’d rather have been shot twice than bitten once. After hearing that, I walked more cautiously.

Abalone or the black lipped sea mollusc is worth more than its weight in gold. The punishment by law for plucking more than five a day can attract penalties as high as 5 lakh rupees .

94

national Geographic Traveller INDIA | november 2016

David Doudle, better known as Lunch, grew up on a family farm in southern Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. Falling off trees, being kicked by a kangaroo, getting bitten by spiders—these experiences were all a part of growing up, as was walking about barefoot until it was mandatory to wear shoes to school. There were no supermarkets or public swimming pools back then, and definitely no Internet. Lunch learned to swim in the ocean and fish and hunt for the table.

My guide tried to impart some of the hands-on outdoor education to me as we walked into the bramble forest around Mikkira Station, a historic homestead 30 kilometres from Port Lincoln.

This was the first part of the Eyre Peninsula to be settled, as early as 1842. When Lunch’s ancestors had arrived in this strange new land, they had gone through the process of learning about its surprising flora, fauna and marine creatures. The knowledge they gathered from aboriginals and through trial and error metamorphosed into the Australian outback way of life.

We had driven to Mikkira in Lunch’s Land Cruiser, its tyres red with mud, in order to see koalas in the wild. I had almost rolled my eyes at the prospect, but Lunch quickly put me right. “Try to cuddle these chaps,” he said, “and they will tear you in half with their claws.”

Indeed, Mikkira had none of the usual tourist trappings of a boardwalk or informative placards that I had come to expect of Australia. There was no hint of modern civilization at this over-

■ australia

Lunch leads the way to a rocky cove on a beach strewn with coral and seaweed. Years of experience have taught him where to find this delicacy underwater.

grown outpost. Despite Lunch’s warnings, I almost stepped on something fat, black and green. In a flash, Lunch grabbed it and thrust it into my hands. There I was, gawping at what looked like a miniature scale model of a crocodile, as it gawped back. I, who had once slept in my car because there was a gecko in my hotel room. Surprisingly, this creature was dry and leathery, not slimy as I had expected.

“It’s a shingleback lizard, or sleepy lizard” Lunch explained, walking on nonchalantly, as if he’d plucked a ripe apple and handed it to me. In fact, aboriginals consider the shingleback a juicy delicacy, and roast its fleshy tail over an open fire. “Don’t worry, it has no teeth,” Lunch called back. “So it can’t hurt you. But, don’t let it bite you because once it grabs something it doesn’t let go.” I promptly dropped the lizard and watched it lazily waddle away.

We saw plenty of koalas that day too, sitting in trees like wise old men. Their claws had never been clipped, and I could see how long and sharp they were. A swipe from this “cuddly” bear could do some serious damage.

I survived that day free from scratches, bites, or stings. The next morning Lunch decided to up the ante a bit. He showed up at my hotel towing a tarp-covered trailer behind his Land Cruiser to take me to beaches and bays where I could learn how to hunt, fish, and live off the land.

Turning off the highway, we drove over a few kilometres of dirt to arrive at a secluded beach. Lunch announced that we would

harvest abalone, an edible mollusc that grows on rocks underwater. Out came snorkelling gear, two knives, and a netted “catch” bag. We walked to the beach in our swimming togs. Lunch strode confidently over rocks and shells, the soles of his feet hardened by half a lifetime spent barefoot. I followed gingerly.

It was a sunny day, and the cold water was a shock as we swam to a cluster of rocks about 800 feet away. We dived down, and Lunch pointed out the molluscs which attach themselves to the rock to feed on algae. So well camouflaged were they that I would never have found them on my own. I watched him prise one off its perch, and did the same with my knife. Lunch told me that

by Australian law, a person is allowed to pluck no more than five abalone per day.

As we swam back to the beach, a group of sea lions came up to us, as friendly as puppy dogs. I think they were fascinated by their reflection in my mask and often swam right up to my face.

I would have liked to play with them for longer, but Lunch insisted we head back to shore immediately.

As we gutted the abalones, beating them against a rock to relax their muscles and make them more tender for eating, he casually explained his haste. Apparently, great white sharks hunt sea lions, and are often a threat around a pod. My face must have betrayed me, because he added that only four or five abalone hunters get eaten by sharks every year. “But you’ll see that it is so tasty, that it is worth a small risk,” Lunch said, not very reassuringly. november 2016 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA

95

In Focus | Adve n tu r e

The

Great White Hope b y K e n n e t h B r ow e r P h oto g r a p h s by c ot to n c o u l s o n and sisse brimberg

120

national Geographic Traveller INDIA | november 2016

â– an tarctica Gentoo penguins fling themselves from an iceberg into frigid Antarctic waters.

In A n ta rc t i ca, t he writ e r f ind s p ro m i s e , p er i l , and nat u re so grand i t i n s pi r e s p o e t ry

November 2016 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA

121

In Focus | Adve n tu r e

Passengers from the National Geographic Explorer pole their way up to a penguin colony at Orne Harbour.

122

national Geographic Traveller INDIA | november 2016

■ an tarctica

The riotous seas of the Drake Passage— one of the world’s most treacherous stretches of water— lie down for us as we cross, aboard the ship National Geographic Explorer, in a spell of good weather. We sailed from the world’s southernmost city, Ushuaia, Argentina, for the closest part of the cold continent, the Antarctic Peninsula, escorted by petrels and albatrosses. All are graceful on the wing, but the birds that draw my eye are the wandering albatrosses. Greatest of seabirds with their 11-foot wingspans, wandering albatrosses are masters of dynamic soaring. I watch them course effortlessly on set wings, tacking in wide turns, their wing tips narrowly clearing the swells. Now and again an albatross glides parallel with the ship’s gym, glancing in the windows at passengers labouring on treadmills—and inspiring my new stanza for Samuel Coleridge’s 1798 poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” in which an ill-fated ship is driven by winds toward the cold continent: At length did cross an albatross, Which our treadmills and ellipticals, Free weights and rowers, Nautilus And NordicTrack just could not outpull.

Not great poetry, maybe, but new stanzas seem in order, for we’re headed to a land in transformation—a new Antarctica.

“The ice was here, the ice was there, the ice was all around,” Coleridge wrote as his mariner sailed for the South Pole. Alas, there is much less ice now. Antarctica remains Earth’s last great wilderness, but global warming is bringing rapid change. The Antarctica of the next millennium is taking shape. I’ve come for an early look—and to connect with nature on a scale I have rarely seen.

A day and a half after departing Ushuaia, we’re approaching the South Shetland Islands, volcanic outliers of the Antarctic Peninsula. As we near land, we smell it before we see its point of origin—a sudden strong odour of ammonia. At the deck rail, I look for some duct behind me, assuming the smell is venting from the bowels of the ship. But the wind is off the beam. A fellow passenger and I exchange glances of wild surmise. Then, “Penguins!” she cries, pointing. The smell is wafting from a penguin rookery, my first intimation of the crazy abundance of life in Antarctica—and its assault on all of the senses.

Our ship turns in for Barrientos Island, in the middle of the

Another area resident, the docile Weddell seal, lounges on pack ice.

November 2016 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA

123

short breaks 132

from bhopal Sixteenth-century chhatris and storied temples in the riverside town of Orchha

136

stay Old-world romance and architectural gems in Himachal Pradesh

Where Gods Turn Kings

B

uilt 500 years ago, by the 16th-century Bundela chieftain Rudra Pratap, Orchha seems to have resisted the sweeping march of time. The highway from Jhansi—the nearest big city—runs through the main square, and divides the little town neatly into half. Standing here, it is easy to visualise Orchha’s broad layout, as it must have existed several centuries ago. To the west is the fort, built on a seasonal island on the serene Betwa River, and separated by a bridge from the main cluster of temples and havelis to the east. A solitary row of cenotaphs stands on the banks of the river at the southern edge of town.

Orchha has a handful of families who have lived here for generations. It is reminiscent of a simpler time, when neighbours moved freely in and out of each other’s homes, and everyone knew one another

132

national Geographic Traveller INDIA | november 2016

by name. Even the historical monuments still bear the names of their long-gone residents: Dauji ki Kothi, Jahangir Mahal, Hardaul ki Haveli, Baba ki Gufa.

Orchha has an unmistakable air of mystery. Its esoteric architecture curiously interchanges fort elements and temple moulds. This is the only place in India where Rama is worshipped as a king, and a Bundela royal is revered as a demigod. Here palaces are converted into temples, while shrines resemble towering citadels, where daily rituals run like clockwork, not unlike a Changing of the Guard.

EXPLORE The Kings’ Quarters

The fort complex is approached by a multi-arched

The 17th- and 18th-century Bundela cenotaphs on Orchha’s Kanchan Ghat are built on elevated square platforms.

The balconies on each floor afford stunning views of the surrounding landscape.

leoks/shutterstock

In Orchha, myth and history collide to yield fabulous fables and surreal architecture | By Ambika Gupta

Heritage Holiday

3+

Bhopal

355 km

Orchha

D ay s

Memory Lanes

Though many monuments in the fort complex lie in ruins, it has a lot more to see than the palaces. Collect the Heritage Walk Brochure (`10) from the ticket counter, and follow the marked trails. Beyond the main palaces, there are royal horse stables, the ojha or medicine man’s house, ancient stepwells, and a wind tower. There are assorted havelis, temples, and colossal ceremonial gates as well.

The palace of the courtesan Rai Praveen has a romantic backstory. This beautiful paramour of Raja Indramani was ordered to appear in Akbar’s court because the emperor was captivated by her. In the Mughal court, she spurned his advances delicately by saying that even dogs don’t partake of leftovers.

Humbled by her devotion and love for Indramani, Akbar had her escorted back to Orchha where a palace was built in her honour.

After a long day, rest your tired feet in the fort courtyard as you watch the sound-and-light show.

There’s a nip in the air in the evenings all year round, so carry a shawl as you settle down for an enthralling tale of love, betrayal, chivalry, and cunning. The onehour show brings to life the 500-year-old history of Orchha, from Rudra Pratap Singh’s discovery of the spot when he was out on a hunt, to its rise to a mighty kingdom. There are noble deeds and courtly romances until finally, its fall. (In English: 7.30 p.m. Mar-Sep, 8.30 p.m. Oct-Feb; in Hindi: 8.45 p.m. Mar-Sep, 7.45 p.m. Oct-Feb; adults `75, children `40.)

Local handicrafts like wooden toys and metal artefacts can be found at the lively, colourful market in front of the Ram Raja temple (top); In contrast, Jahangir Mahal (middle) across the town square is eerily quiet and hauntingly beautiful; The adjoining Raja Mahal (bottom) though plain in design is decorated with detailed, colourful murals.

november 2016 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA

133

jose fuste raga/premium/dinodia photo library (market), seng kit/shuttersrock (fort), ip-black/indiapicture (painting)

bridge and has three main palaces set in a quadrangle: Raja Mahal, Jahangir Mahal, and Sheesh Mahal, which is now a heritage hotel run by MP Tourism.

Raja Mahal is the oldest of the three; its construction was started by Raja Rudra Pratap in the 1530s. The plain exterior, crowned with chhatris, gives way to interiors with delicate murals. Some of these are in wonderful condition, with marvellous colours and detailed designs, especially in the Diwan-i-Khas and Diwan-i-Aam. Unfortunately, these bring into focus how badly damaged the rest of them are, blackened with age or faded over time.

Jahangir Mahal was built by Vir Singh Deo, the Bundela chief who ruled Orchha in the early 17th century, in honour of a visit from its namesake Mughal emperor. Designed with a fascinating blend of Mughal and Bundela architecture, the palace was painstakingly constructed over several years, with delicate double chhatris and latticework set around a large courtyard.

Strong lines and delicate details contrast beautifully.

Steep staircases lead the way to the pretty rooftop with shaded sit-outs and a bird’s-eye view of the town.

When Jahangir finally came to Orchha, he stayed here only one day—but you’ll be tempted to linger. (Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; entry `10; camera `25; ticket valid for all monuments in Orchha for one day.)

Inspire |

U.S.A.

canada

u.s.a

Sterling, Massachusetts

mexico

Davis Mega Maze Massachusetts, U.S.A.

Come autumn, maize fields around the U.S.A. are turned into family-friendly holiday attractions of corn mazes.

The tradition began in the early 1990s and is today found all over the countryside. In Sterling, Massachusetts, the 170-year-old Davis Farmland welcomes visitors to navigate a unique eight-acre corn maze on their property. There is a host of other activities on the sidelines, from zip lining to interacting with farm animals.

Within the turns of the labyrinth are various optional tasks­.

Sling shots, treasure hunts, even brain teasers, and surprise hurdles feature within the maze, which changes every year.

For instance, around August 2016, the field was expertly cut out to show Boston Red Sox player, David Ortiz, fondly known as “Big Papi,” with his hands in the air alongside the words, “Thanks Big Papi.”

In the fall, once the maze opens, Davis farm is bustling with families. When not making their way through the “Cornundrum” as the owners call the maze, visitors explore the pumpkin patch or feast on barbecued delicacies at their restaurant. (davismega-maze. com; daytime mazing 10 a.m.6 p.m.; opening subject to weather conditions; adults $19.95/ `1,334; children up to 12 years $16.95/`1,130.) —Rumela Basu

138

national Geographic Traveller INDIA | november 2016

november 2016 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA

139

XXXXXXXXXXXX alex trautwing/stringer/major (XXXXXXXXX) league baseball/getty images