Steppes Traveller Magazine - Issue 1 | 2023

S T E P P E S T R AV E L L E R

agaz ine

FROZEN PLANET II

An interview with executive producer Mark Brownlow

ARCTIC

Daylight Savings

by Paul Goldstein

INDIA

An interview with chef and gentle disruptor Asma Khan

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

The World’s Oldest Soap Opera by James Stewart EDITION 1 | 2023

Welcome We are living in the tyranny of now. We, humankind, have colonised the future – we freely dump environmental degradation in which the future is a place that is uninhabited, a place that we can pillage.

Future generations are not able to do anything about it.

The need for long-term thinking is urgent.

The best time to do something about climate change was 50 years ago; the second best time is now.

It is easy to be incredibly pessimistic in the short-term – the pathway of fear gets dark very quickly – but it is important to be optimistic in the long term and ambitious for the future. It is a question of perspective. We all anchor our expectations, even if irrationally, in the present. If that is your baseline it is impossible to be optimistic about climate.

A more reasonable baseline of expectation is to work off where we are headed. Finding solutions is inspiring.

We all share the same planet. We need to understand the interconnectedness of complex systems. We need to manage and care about what happens elsewhere whether poverty, lack of medical supplies or climate change. Walls keep out ideas – if we bunker down, threats will escalate. We need to be sharing experiences. We need cooperation. We need to work together to find global solutions.

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Collaboration is not easy but we must learn from each other, share and come together.

This edition of our Steppes Traveller magazine is about sharing, about connecting worlds through stories. It is about showcasing the remarkable friends, colleagues and contacts that we have around the world. It is about enthusing you about the difference your travels can make.

I hope – and I am perennially optimistic, I have a glass half full – that we do everything in our powers to prevent the irretrievable loss of biodiversity.

Managing Director Steppes Travel

Editor in Chief: Nadia Shahanaz Hussain Contributing Team: Jarrod Kyte and Anna Souroullas Design: Seaside Inspired

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EDITION 1/2023 CONTENTS 04 16 24 26 30

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44 50

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WHAT’S NEW

66

Travel experiences to look out for on the horizon

FROZEN PLANET II

An interview with executive producer Mark Brownlow

ANTARCTICA

Aurora Expeditions

54

ADVENTURE REVOLUTION

An interview with adventurer Belinda Kirk

INDIA

An interview with chef and gentle disruptor Asma Khan

THE VALUE OF TOURISM

58 66 74

FAUNA & FLORA INTERNATIONAL

The Lifeblood of Mountain Gorilla Conservation

by Tim Knight

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

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The World’s Oldest Soap Opera by James Stewart

86

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS – JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN

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Raising the national park fee

REPORTAGE ILLUSTRATION

An interview with George Butler

POSITIVE IMPACT TRAVEL

ARCTIC

Daylight Savings by Paul Goldstein

HIGH

An interview with anthropologist and author Erika Fatland

INDIA

An art historian in Ajmer by Dr Ursula Weekes

OUR TRAVEL READS TRAVEL CALENDAR

Where to explore throughout the year

UK: +441280 460084 | USA: 1 800 571 2985 | inspire@steppestravel.com | steppestravel.com 3

HORI TRAVEL EXPERIENCES ON THE

KENYA

INDIA

Experience conservation and community in the northern Mara

Journey on an all-day safari in Bori and Satpura

A commitment to regeneration, both environment and community, is at the heart of House in the Wild’s ethos. Within the Enonkishu Conservancy on the northern edge of the Masai Mara, private cottages sit alongside the Mara River on a 1,100-hectare plot that was once intensively farmed but has now been returned to the wild. A holistic grazing plan allows wildlife and cattle to thrive together, meaning that where crops once grew, gazelles and zebras keep a watchful eye on leopards, wild dogs and the Enonkishu pride.

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Explore one of the largest contiguous blocks of forest left in India where tourist numbers are low and game drives are all-day affairs across wild terrain. A rewilding project at Bori Wildlife Sanctuary has created thriving grasslands attracting tigers, leopards and wild dogs. Travel by boat from Bori along the Tawa River and spend a night under canvas at a fly-camp in Satpura where game walks, canoe trips and horse riding are exciting alternatives to jeep safaris. Finish your Central India safari at Reni Pani Jungle Lodge in Satpura, home to sloths, sambars and tigers.

ZON

DISCOVER SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING AND EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCES AROUND THE WORLD.

PERU

NEPAL

Cruising on the Amazon

See the Gurung honey hunters in the Annapurnas

Set sail from Iquitos and cruise along the Peruvian Amazon on a magnificent woodfinished boat. Crucero Amazonas limits each sailing to a maximum of 16 people, which means you can expect personalised service, plenty of space on board and excursions in small groups.

Suites are also very spacious, with floor to ceiling windows giving panoramic views of the Amazon River and forest. Take guided boat safaris to explore tributaries looking for pink river dolphins, spider monkeys and tucans, spend time with the local Matses indigenous community and visit a manatee rescue centre.

The Gurung (or Gurkha) in the Annapurnas are renowned honey hunters, going to extreme lengths during spring and autumn to harvest honey straight from the nests of agitated bees.

From a safe distance, witness this ritual which begins with prayer and an offering of flowers and rice. A fire is then lit at the base of the cliff to smoke the bees from their honeycombs.

A brave hunter then descends from the top of the cliff, harnessed to a rope-ladder, to cut chunks of honey straight from the comb.

UK: +441280 460084 | USA: 1 800 571 2985 | inspire@steppestravel.com | steppestravel.com 5

TRAVEL EXPERIENCES ON THE HORIZON

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Discover the ancient route of the Nabateans Cross from Jordan into Saudi Arabia, following an ancient Nabatean route to combine two of the Middle East’s most spectacular historic sites: Petra and Madain Saleh. While Jordan’s ‘Rose City’ needs little introduction, Petra’s little sibling, Madain Saleh, is less well-known. During the 1st century AD, the Nabateans made the site their kingdom’s second capital and the rock art and sculptures that can be seen all over the site today, provide a fascinating insight into the lives of the Nabateans over 2,000 years ago.

TRAVEL EXPERIENCES ON THE HORIZON

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Join a whale safari Whale activity off the coast of Baja California is phenomenal between January – March, when whales of all species, shapes and sizes converge.

Spend three nights on board an expedition yacht, exploring Loreto National Park on the east coast of the Baja peninsula to search for blue whales and swim with whale sharks in the warm water of the Sea of Cortez.

Transfer to the west coast of the peninsula for three nights at a luxury fly-camp on the edge of the San Ignacio Lagoon, from where guided Zodiac safaris provide exceptional encounters with grey whales.

UK: +441280 460084 | USA: 1 800 571 2985 | inspire@steppestravel.com | steppestravel.com 9

TRAVEL EXPERIENCES ON THE HORIZON

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Take a 4x4 journey across the altiplano A 4x4 journey from northern Chile into Bolivia connects the world’s largest salt flat with the driest desert. Start your adventure at Explora Atacama and, with a local guide, explore the surreal desert landscape where geysers, volcanoes, rock formations, salt flats and lagoons combine to create an other-worldly environment. In your own private 4x4, with your driver-guide, traverse the altiplano following an ancient Inca trail into Bolivia where the landscape of the Uyuni is stark, wild and beautiful. In Bolivia, you’ll stay at Explora’s new lodge at the foot of Tunupa Volcano.

TRAVEL EXPERIENCES ON THE HORIZON

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Discover ancient Aboriginal rock-art Ubirr is one of the most sacred sites in Kakadu National Park, comprising 2,000-year-old Aboriginal rock-art galleries which come alive as the light intensifies at sunset and sunrise. Only an Aboriginal guide can arrange access to these remote billabongs in Western Arnhem Land. Steppes has teamed up with Tourism Australia to offer a collection of Aboriginal travel experiences, spanning the breadth of Australia. From walkabout tours in the bush focussing on wildlife, rock-art or foraging, to city tours giving insight into music, painting and storytelling, expect to gain a fascinating insight into the world’s oldest living culture.

UK: +441280 460084 | USA: 1 800 571 2985 | inspire@steppestravel.com | steppestravel.com 13

LATIN

America

Latin America offers a diverse patchwork of landscapes, encompassing some of the world’s most staggering attractions. Trek through the tangled vines of the Amazon and take a jeep safari through the wildlife-rich Pantanal; Brazil is as diverse as it is vast. Cruise the Galapagos Islands and sit face-to-face with sea lion pups or wander through fields of giant land tortoises.

Discover Costa Rica with a walk into the lava fields of Arenal Volcano and witness Atlantic green turtles coming ashore to nest in Tortuguero.

When in Chile, explore the dramatic peaks of the Atacama Desert and the fjords and windswept wilderness of Patagonia. Or, visit Argentina to hike in the spectacular Lake District, taste wine in the vineyards of Mendoza and visit authentic and culturally rich estancias.

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CHILE By travelling to Patagonia with our B Corp partners, Explora, you will help keep this remote part of Latin America windswept and wild.

In the heart of Torres del Paine National Park lies Explora’s lodge; situated on the shores of Lake Pehoe this lodge has spectacular views of the Paine Massif. Visit Explora’s 6,000-hectare conservation reserve, home to pumas, guanacos, flamingos and 95 endemic flora species. Take horse riding or hiking trips to see turquoise lakes, rivers and glaciers sat beneath imperious Andean peaks and experience a fraction of the 300,000 hectares that make up Patagonia National Park. Or, take a charter flight to Aysen in Patagonia National Park to get first-hand experience of the legacy left by the renowned conservationist Doug Tompkins.

UK: +441280 460084 | USA: 1 800 571 2985 | inspire@steppestravel.com | steppestravel.com 15

Credit: Florian Ledoux

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by Justin Wateridge

AN INTERVIEW WITH

MARK BROWNLOW EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF FROZEN PLANET II

Mark Brownlow is a multiple BAFTA/EMMY award-winning director/producer with over twenty-five years of programming experience across a broad range of wildlife TV documentaries. As series producer of ‘Blue Planet II’, he employed ground-breaking technology and environmental storytelling to give a new understanding of life beneath the waves. Blue Planet II went on to become the most watched wildlife TV programme of all time and was credited with galvanising action around ocean plastics. Mark’s follow-up project was ‘Frozen Planet II’ and was equally as ground-breaking… Four years in the making, executive producer Mark, talks to us about the creative vision and filming of the series.

What has been the reaction to Frozen Planet II? You never know how the audience will react. You hope it will capture everyone’s imagination. My ambition was to take audiences to the most magical, remote, faraway places across our planet and introduce them to the most extraordinary animals that survive against all the odds. From living unicorns, narwhals, to polar bears and emperor penguins.

Unlike the original series that was made 10 years ago, I wanted to tell a bigger story of the entire frozen fifth of our planet. So not only return to the Arctic and Antarctic with new technology and new science, but also to surprise audiences with the diversity of frozen habitats across our planet; like the high mountain peaks where we meet panda bears that scent-mark trees by standing on their hands and twerking! >

Credit: Justin Hoffman

So with all the technology and scientific advancements was it always going to be called Frozen Planet II or were other names considered?

You mentioned “faraway places” and “extraordinary animals”.

Where do you find your inspiration and ideas for what to film/ document?

No, always Frozen Planet II. It is such a strong brand that people know and trust. They know that they are going to enjoy a high quality and spectacular series, narrated by the nation’s most trusted broadcaster, Sir David Attenborough, and with music written by the legendary movie composer Hans Zimmer. We have a good format.

The production cycle took over four years, starting with nine months of solid research, talking to scientists from around the world, to root out those extraordinary new stories across our frozen planet. As the editorial lead of this project, I would then sign off on which stories to then run with like the Arctic’s remarkable male hooded seal who attracts a mate by inflating his left nasal passage to produce an irresistible bright red balloon! Then it took over three years of blood, sweat and tears from our remarkable production team to film our stories and then finally a further nine months of post-production to put our six-part series together.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH MARK BROWNLOW

But I am very proud of what we have achieved with multiple filming firsts from huge set piece dramas, like the wave washing killer whales filmed with drones for the first time, to the Antarctic blue whales, the largest animal to have ever existed, to the humble Lapland bumble bee. This Arctic queen is the sole survival of her colony, hiding away underground in winter in a state of cryogenic suspension, protected by her natural antifreeze and thick fur. Then, come spring, she thaws out and begins her urgent task of starting a new colony in the short summer ahead.

Capturing the fragile beauty of our frozen planet’s epic landscape was also a fundamental part of our storytelling.

From the magical northern lights of Norway to the imposing Karakorums in Pakistan, to Mt Erebus, a highly active volcano in Antarctica. Who would have thought that Antarctica is one of the most volcanically active places in the world?

How do you manage the storytelling?

It is important to ring the changes across a six-part series, to get the right balance of character and landscape and give the audience a fresh experience with each new episode. That is why, unlike the original Frozen Planet, I wanted to break out of the poles and tell the bigger story of all of the planet’s frozen regions – that of course includes life in our mountains. So in this series, we not only get to enjoy brand new stories from polar bears and emperor penguins, but also pumas, Amur leopards, chameleons, we even witness golden eagles dropping chamois kids out of the sky!

You mention the orcas and the golden eagles. Was there footage that you find hard to watch, personally, emotionally?

Yes…being on the boat witnessing the killer whales capturing their seal prey was a hard watch. They can take their time toying with a seal before finally killing it. It may appear cruel playing with their victims but the killer whales are in fact giving their young a chance to practise how to safely dispatch a seal.

Watching moments like the grizzly bear slaughtering the musk ox calves was a tough watch. We can understand why for some of the audience it makes for uncomfortable viewing but we wanted to show the full extent animals have to go to survive in these unforgiving wildernesses – including the extreme measures they go to catch their prey.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH MARK BROWNLOW

You mentioned technology and how it has changed. One of the big changes must have been drones?

Absolutely. We took advantage of the latest generation of drones, such as racer drones.

In the Canadian Rockies we worked with some extraordinary operators, all of whom were under 25 and had all grown up playing on their Xbox. They wore these 3D goggles and could fly their racer drones at over 100 miles an hour. These drones could keep up with, and even overtake, the falling front of an avalanche as it cascaded down the mountainside.

Drones were also used to capture extraordinary new behaviours. For instance, with the killer whales, drones gave us a completely unique perspective. Because it is only from the air that you can truly appreciate the synchronicity and coordination of the hunting party as they race towards the seal on the ice floe and, at the very last minute, in perfect unison, flick their tails to create a wave that washes the seal off.

We developed drones that could carry thermal imaging equipment, allowing us to film pumas hunting at night in the Andes. We also used drones to film the rapidly changing landscape such as the calving glaciers in Greenland.

And because they are so ergonomically small and have a minimal carbon footprint compared to filming aerials from helicopters, we could literally take them anywhere, opening up brand new filming opportunities.

You mentioned two bits of drone footage that I absolutely loved – the racer-drone footage of the avalanche and the thermal-imaging footage of the puma hunting in the Andes – from a technical point of view, was there other footage that you were particularly pleased with?

The scientists were aware that Siberian tigers predate on hibernating bears. We found carcasses of bears outside caves and with a bit of detective work we staked out one of these caves to capture a tiger trying to feed on a bear.

Through camera traps we were also able to film an extraordinary sequence on the other, even rarer big cat to live alongside the Siberian tiger – the Amur leopard, of which only 125 are left in the wild.

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Credit:BBC Studios, Alex Board

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IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THIS SERIES IS CONTEMPORARY AND TELLS THE BIGGEST STORY OF OUR TIME – CLIMATE CHANGE – AFTER ALL, OUR FROZEN REGIONS ARE THE FASTEST CHANGING PARTS OF OUR PLANET.

"

Yes, we went to huge lengths with camera traps. We staked out a remote part of the Siberian forest for three years with over 20 cameras and were able to capture the extraordinary behaviour of Siberian tigers, of which there are only 450 left in the wild.

Credit:BBC Studios

AN INTERVIEW WITH MARK BROWNLOW

I agree, I thought that was stunning. I also found the time-lapse footage of the shrinking of glaciers over the last three years striking.

Like other polar life, these animals may be superbly adapted to the cold but they cannot keep up with the pace of change they are currently experiencing.

It was very important that this series is contemporary and tells the biggest story of our time – climate change – after all, our frozen regions are the fastest changing parts of our planet.

We launched the most ambitious time-study to record the changes taking place on our watch. To do so we built a series of cold-proofed, fixed-post, time-lapse cameras, powered by solar panels and bear-proofed…although kea parrots in New Zealand are very clever and managed to unpick one of them.

I take it from you that you think climate change is the greatest challenge facing the planet. Is that what you want audiences to take away from the series?

Over the course of three and a half years we used these cameras to record the historic melt and what we reveal is quite startling, and sobering. On top of the Greenland ice sheet, you can see how the giant ice cap is rapidly melting and sliding off into the ocean far faster than ever before.

And through satellite technology, we have been able to record the big picture of the retreat of the ice across the cryosphere.

Scientists predict that by 2035 virtually all of the summer ice in the Arctic Ocean will have disappeared. And that by the turn of the century, 90% of the glacial ice in the Alps will be gone.

These are huge changes taking place right here and right now and it was so important to document this.

We also used time-lapse to record the melting of the permafrost in the Canadian tundra. This not only causes the land to collapse, forming giant slumps, but more insidiously the thawing permafrost goes on to release its giant stores of methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas.

Credit:BBC Studios

I thought the footage of blackened (through the black volcanic soil) polar bears scavenging on Wrangel Island was visceral. Can you share other examples of how climate change is changing/has changed animal behaviour?

It was important to embed climate change into our animal stories. For example, we tell the story of the Arctic’s cutest resident, the baby harp seal. These fluffy white pups are nursed by their mums for just 11 days, after which they remain on their ice floes for a further month or so until they have grown their sleek swimming coat. Unfortunately with climate change, their ice floes are melting before they have fully developed their protective swim coats, leading to hypothermia. It’s really tragic.

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Undoubtedly. There are multiple environmental threats facing our planet but for Frozen Planet II, I felt it was necessary to focus on the biggest story of our time, climate change. The entire series is underpinned by the fact that climate change is having a huge impact, not just on its cold-loving animals but also threatening the traditional way of life for local communities across the Arctic.

As we show in the final episode, changes in our remote far away frozen habitats will relate back to each and every one of us. We’ll reveal how shifts in the polar vortex could lead to hotter, drier summers across the northern hemisphere, leading to forest fires that we have not hitherto borne witness to. The melting and drying up of the mountain glaciers, particularly in the Himalayas, will have dire consequences on the billion or so people that depend upon it for irrigation and drinking water.

Are you pessimistic or optimistic about the challenges of climate change and us being able to overcome them?

We have to remain hopeful. The scientists we have worked with tell us there is still a narrow window of opportunity to slow down and reverse climate change. But we have to move fast.

So what do you do as the executive producer to reduce your team’s carbon footprint?

We went to huge lengths to try and lower our footprint. We use best practice in the field like solar batteries, we use local crews where possible rather than always flying teams halfway around the world. We use drones rather than helicopters. We try more and more to work remotely. We are an Albert certified production, measuring and offsetting our emissions.

A trite question given all your many experiences but what is your favourite place that you have filmed?

There is no place like Antarctica. It is the most extreme. It is the most pristine. When you go beyond the peninsula you are on your own. You are alone. We got stuck in the ice without a functional engine and had to use the drone to thread a path to get us through the ice and sail back to the Falklands.

The taiga forest in Russia is just stunningly beautiful. Witnessing the northern lights in northern Norway is magical.

Credit:Florian Ledoux

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SCIENTISTS PREDICT THAT BY 2035 VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE SUMMER ICE IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN WILL HAVE DISAPPEARED.

What is next?

I am delighted to announce that we have just started the production of Blue Planet III. This will be a contemporary portrait of our changing oceans, as never seen before.

What is your favourite space/place on the planet?

I was lucky enough to film ‘the heat run’ in French Polynesia where humpback whales chase each other around to choose a mate. One time a huge male made a beeline for me, charging up and then stopping to check me out with his beady little eyes, before sliding past me with surprising dexterity for a creature that weighs over thirty tonnes!

17-day cruise to South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula from £15,185 pp.

Includes 15 nights cruising on board the Magellan Explorer on a full-board basis.

UK: +441280 460084 | USA: 1 800 571 2985 | inspire@steppestravel.com | steppestravel.com 23

Greg Mortimer:

THE LEGEND, AURORA EXPEDITIONS IS A PIONEER OF ADVENTURE, DISCOVERY AND SUSTAINABILITY IN THE ANTARCTIC. Credentials are everything in Antarctica and few match those of Aurora Expeditions and its founder Greg Mortimer (OAM), one of Australia’s greatest explorers and mountaineers. Established for over 30 years, Aurora Expeditions is an award-winning pioneer of polar exploration, based on its core principles of adventure, discovery and sustainability.

Launched in 2019 and named after the company’s founder, the Greg Mortimer is the world’s first expedition passenger ship to feature the Ulstein X-BOW, a unique inverted bow designed for smoother and faster ocean crossings which helps to reduce fuel consumption.

This state-of-the-art, purpose-built small ship, accommodating an average 132 passengers per voyage, offers expansive observation decks, relaxed communal spaces and cutting-edge technologies. And a second ship, the Sylvia Earle, also now joins the fleet for her inaugural 2022/23 season in Antarctica.

The ship’s educational Citizen Science Programs, focusing on whales, seabirds, microplastics and other key conservation initiatives, offers ways for passengers to give back while exploring Antarctica, a vast frozen wilderness brimming with penguins, seals, whales, icebergs and glaciers. Life-changing experiences at their best.

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THE FOUNDER & THE SHIP 12-day cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula costs from £11,495 pp on a twin share basis. Includes 10 nights cruising on board the new Sylvia Earle on a fullboard basis with access to Aurora’s Citizen Science Program.

For bookings on the December 2023 departure, Steppes Travel will provide two free nights in Buenos Aires – speak to our experts for more information.

UK: +441280 460084 | USA: 1 800 571 2985 | inspire@steppestravel.com | steppestravel.com 25

AN INTERVIEW WITH

BELINDA KIRK

by Justin Wateridge

For the past 25 years, Belinda Kirk has led dozens of international expeditions and remote filming trips for the BBC. She has walked through Nicaragua, sailed across the Atlantic, searched for camels in China’s Desert of Death, discovered ancient rock paintings in Lesotho and gained a Guinness World Record for rowing unsupported around Britain. Belinda has led numerous youth development challenges, pioneered inclusive expeditions for people with disabilities and managed scientific research missions in the Amazon, Sinai and Alaska. Today she is a motivational speaker, campaigner and author exploring the link between adventure and wellbeing. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the British Exploring Society and an Ambassador for the Youth Adventure Trust, Veterans in Action and Ordnance Survey.

She has raised nearly £100,000 for environmental, children’s and ex-Services charities.

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THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS WHY ADVENTURE OR ADVENTUROUS TRAVEL IS GOOD FOR YOU: BUILDING CONFIDENCE, RESILIENCE, GROWING UP, RITE OF PASSAGE, HEALING, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS.

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What was your earliest/childhood ambition?

Very early on I had this feral upbringing and I was enamoured by my grandfather’s tales of Africa. So my earliest ambition was to see Africa. My grandfather was a Zoology professor and he worked all over Africa. My grandparents' house was full of African memorabilia. I wish I had talked to him more. He was a very kind and humble man. A real visionary. He walked across the Namib Desert with a tribesman and did not make a fuss about it. I wish I had sat down with him and listened to more of his stories. He had a love of Africa. Also a love of wildlife and of animal behaviour. He was a real positive role model and inspiration in a quiet humble way.

In your book ‘Adventure Revolution’ you talk about the life-changing power of challenge. In short, why is adventure/challenge/travel a good thing? And what benefits does it bring?

There are a lot of reasons why adventure or adventurous travel is good for you: building confidence, resilience, growing up, rite of passage, healing, building relationships.

One of the key reasons is the idea of choosing to step out of your comfort zone, of choosing to challenge yourself. Life is about seeking the joy of life and the things that make us feel alive. Very often those things are out of our comfort zone. By doing something a bit more challenging, we can grow. And personal growth is the key.

As a result, was Africa the first place that you travelled to?

Absolutely. I did my first expedition in the monsoonal forests of Tanzania studying black and white colobus monkeys. It was a three-month organised expedition and after that I continued to travel around Africa. Wherever you go first has a lasting impact on you. A special place in your heart.

What is the difference between adventure and simply being outside? Nature versus adventure?

I think they are so closely related. The idea of being in nature and nature being good for us is well-established.

That is great and I completely agree with that but there is also ‘nature ++’. The idea that if you are doing something adventurous in nature – nature invites this, nature is boundless, rule-less – you are getting even more. The difference between ‘forest-bathing’ or exploring a woodland.

Is there a particular place in Africa that is your favourite?

Lots of places come to mind but perhaps Lesotho.

Very unique. A kingdom in the mountains. Separate.

Interesting history. A softer edge.

UK: +441280 460084 | USA: 1 800 571 2985 | inspire@steppestravel.com | steppestravel.com 27

AN INTERVIEW WITH BELINDA KIRK

You have mentioned comfort zones, to what extent have you pushed your own comfort zones?

When I was in my teens and twenties I was compliant. I did what was expected of me. I also wanted to do various things but was scared of them. In doing them I experienced something that I had never felt up to that point, that was this feeling of absolutely being alive. In all my research that was the phrase that I heard the most as to why people adventure, why they go on adventurous travel, it was this feeling of being most alive.

That is why I seek to go out of my comfort zone. Choosing to push yourself is a really good step in personal growth and finding what life is about.

over. But there is definitely a space for big adventures at turning points in our lives. It is about those transitional moments where we evolve.

None of us stay the same. We go through marriage, divorce, new careers, menopause, retirement – all these times where adventurous travel helps us escape from the everyday and challenge ourselves in a different environment, where we can redefine our lives and then step back into the everyday.

One of the chapters in your book is entitled ‘Facing Fear’. What do you mean by that? Embracing uncertainty? Why is that good for us?

Talking politically, we live in a world ruled by fear. We have become more fearful as a society. Fear has too much leverage – it dictates our everyday behaviours. We must learn to live with fear, not necessarily to master it, but we must learn for fear not to stop you. It’s an important part of growing up and evolving.

Adventure taught me how to live with fear and how to reframe it.

Fear can either stop you (from doing things) or you can learn to think about fear as information, a natural part of taking on things that you want to do. When obstacles come into your life or stuff is difficult, you can either see it as a threat or as an opportunity for learning. It’s when things become difficult that you learn, that bonds develop.

Other than reading your book, how do you encourage others to do the same – to push comfort zones?

For about fourteen years I have been running www.explorersconnect.com which is about promoting adventure and the stories of adventure changing lives in a positive way. For years I have been talking to people about seeking out adventure. It is not frivolous. A call to adventure is a natural thing. Don’t ignore it. Seek it out. You will feel alive.

Adventurers are normal people who choose to do something out of the ordinary.

Inspiring stories through Explorers Connect has always been a big part of encouraging others. I was doing this for years but I couldn’t communicate why it was so powerful. I researched it for a decade and then COVID-19 gave me the chance to write about it. Hence the book has been wonderful and sits out there giving people the time to absorb either what they already feel but couldn’t articulate or speaks to those who do not adventure, hopefully encouraging them to do so.

You mentioned that adventure is not type-specific in terms of personality but how age-relevant or age-specific is it?

I have done a lot of research on this and there is a place for adventure every day. Small adventures that keep us bubbling

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Who is the easiest, the warmest person that you have worked with?

My mate Danny, an ex-paratrooper, tells you how it is. He is straightforward and just gets on with things.

What about indigenous communities? In your book you stay with the Hadza in Tanzania. What did you learn from them, or indeed, other indigenous communities from around the world?

It is a difficult one. If we don’t travel, we can’t build bonds and understand other cultures. But if we do too much of it, we can damage these communities. We don’t want to homogenise the world as in doing so we will lose the wonderful variety that makes life so special. Thus there is a balance to be found.

What I have found from working with indigenous communities is that we have lost something that they have retained. They have community, they have respect for nature and the environment.

There are lessons to be learned.

You begin each chapter with a quote. I particularly like John Shedd’s quote “Ships in harbour are safe, but that’s not what ships are built for”. We have it up in our office. Which quotes stand out for you? What quote or saying do you live by?

I love that quote. I have many more that I wanted to include but my current quote is “Hell yes, or no”. There are so many wonderful opportunities but every time you choose one that is not aligned

You can purchase Belinda Kirk's latest book ‘Adventure Revolution: The life-changing power of choosing challenge’ and follow her journey on Instagram @explorerbelinda.

Speak to our experts to start planning your next adventure – inspire@steppestravel.com

with your mission, your values, your joy then you don’t have time for something else. It is about being strict with yourself.

On that basis, where do you find your inspiration and ideas for your next challenges?

Partly as evolution as a person. I would like to do more writing, so I am doing more writing and I would like to write a book for my son. An adventure book about the journey to become a family.

Are you pessimistic or optimistic about the challenges of climate change and us being able to overcome them?

I am optimistic but at times I do have real climate anxiety.

Once you become a parent there is an extra layer of complexity, of what are we doing.

Belinda then confessed that she cried when she heard that King Charles was not going to attend COP 27 in November 2022.

Where are you off to next?

We are trying all sorts of mini-adventures as a family with a four-year-old. Not always successfully…

What do you do to negate or balance your carbon footprint?

It’s a good question. No one can say that they do not have an appreciation of the impact of their flights. I now fly with more care. We still need to have connection with the rest of the world and to have understanding and travel is an important part of a global community.

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ASMA KHAN AN INTERVIEW WITH CHEF AND GENTLE DISRUPTOR

by Nadia Shahanaz Hussain

Asma Khan is the owner of Darjeeling Express, London, and is one of the UK’s most prominent female chefs. She is an unstoppable force for social change in the food industry and beyond. Not only has she revolutionised the restaurant scene with incredible world-renowned Indian food but she has focused on elevating women to their rightful place. As guardians and innovators of Indian cuisine – across the subcontinent and the diaspora communities around the world – here in the UK they are very rarely seen front and centre in Indian restaurants – the frontline of beautifully blended spices, hundreds of years in the making. At Darjeeling Express, however, the team in the kitchen are all female, trained and invested in and, in fact, all in the restaurant are paid equally.

Asma was born and raised in Calcutta into a royal Indian lineage; Rajput on her father’s side and Bengali on her mother’s, but it was when she moved to Cambridge in the UK in 1991 that food of her heritage became something she realised she couldn’t live without. Having returned to India during a trip, she insisted on learning how to craft the royal Mughlai dishes of her childhood that she sorely missed as an adult, now living over 4,000 miles away from her birthplace. >

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She spent time with her family’s household cooks, as well as her mother and mother-in-law, to learn the recipes; recipes which are very rarely written down and subject to being lost through generations. Her mother (Ammu) – described warmly by Asma as a “gentle disruptor” – had opened up her own catering company in Calcutta in the 1970s. Not only did Ammu challenge societal norms, she actively worked to employ “fallen” women in the community, women who had been abandoned by their husbands or families, facing no way to support themselves.

Despite studying law and later attaining a PhD in British Constitutional Law at King’s College London, she knew it was food that she wanted to pursue. Fast forward through years of supper clubs from her home and then pop-up restaurants around London, to opening up Darjeeling Express and numerous awards and inclusions in various lists of influential people, appearing on Netflix’s Emmy nominated Chef’s Table and authoring two cookbooks, Asma Khan still continues to strive to do more.

What drives her to work so passionately to share her heritage and connect people through food? Why does she push to break barriers in the industry, act as an advocate for social change and follow in the footsteps of her Ammu as a gentle disruptor?

What made you hungry to cook? From cooking at home, to your pop-up dinners for the community to starting Darjeeling Express, the restaurant?

I loved to see people eating food I’d made. It wasn't the actual process of cooking that I enjoyed and definitely not the process of washing up! It was a lived experience of knowing how food connected me back to my home and healed my soul. I cooked so that other people could also feel healed and nourished.

Why is food so important to you, your family?

Food is linked to my heritage, my family, my culture, my faith.

Like in many cultures, birth, death and marriages are centred around food. There can be no celebration without it. Food is the thing we turn to in difficult times. It is almost a companion through our life and it is not ever something to impress people with. It is always about valuing what we eat, and who grows and prepares the food that we eat.

What influenced the food you ate growing up? Who influenced you?

My mother was a big influence in my life. I was very fortunate to spend most of my years in India in Calcutta which has a fascinating food heritage. My parents came from two different regions and this meant that the food we ate at home was of two regional traditions. In addition to this I had the advantage of experiencing the royal cuisines of both paternal and maternal

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families. In the end, if I had to choose the strongest food influence on my life it would be the city of Calcutta and its unique culinary traditions.

What are your fondest memories of growing up in Calcutta, India?

It was the time I spent with my siblings during the long summer holidays. Summer was also the mango season and my mother would make hand churned mango ice cream at home and my brother and I would sit and churn the ice cream in a barrel. We would all eat ice cream in the evening. It was a very magical and happy childhood full of food, laughter and storytelling.

What is the power of food between people, families, nations, heritage and history? Why does it matter?

Food matters because it is the personification of people and a culture. Almost inevitably if someone tells you they are from a particular part of the world the conversation would turn to what they eat. When people travel to a new land they are always looking for the local food and local bread. Even if you cannot understand the language of a city where you are, through their food you can actually understand something about the people and their history. In India the regional variations are fascinating as they are to do with history and the land, the water and the seasonality of that area.

What was the dream or purpose behind Darjeeling Express?

There was never a dream to open a restaurant in the early days. In fact, for many years as I cooked and served people in my home and then I was doing a pop-up in 2013, I never saw anyone who looked like me in hospitality with a restaurant. I felt I did not belong. It was only after I was offered a site by the

AN INTERVIEW WITH CHEF AND GENTLE DISRUPTOR ASMA KHAN

landlord, who was a regular at the pop-up, that I even thought about it. Once I saw the site I was absolutely in love with it and that is when the dream began.

Why was it important to you to have an all-female team in the kitchen?

I never intended to have an all-female kitchen. I needed people to cook with me who understood the rhythm and the passion in which I cooked. It was only women who learnt to cook from their mothers and grandmothers and had not learnt to cook batches of food in culinary school who I could work with. A lot of the cooking that I did was intuitive and all the estimates were by memory and not written down. This is exactly how the women who joined me cooked and all of them have been with me now for over a decade.

What are the characteristics of Mughlai cuisine and heritage for you?

Mughlai cuisine has a unique flavour profile which is linked to the way the spices are used in this cuisine. The historical origins of this cuisine are Persian mixed with Turkish and Central Asian cooking. The delicacy and aroma of Persian cooking is the most distinctive thing you see in Mughlai cuisine. There is minimal use of cumin and turmeric which are very popular spices in India. The use of chillies is also limited. Mughlai cuisine was served in the royal courts of Muslim rulers in India and it continues to be served in family homes and in restaurants.

What’s your favourite dish to cook or to eat and why?

I love Biryani, not just because of the dish, but because I have always associated it with family and celebration. It was made when the family got together to celebrate a wedding or a festival. I got to see my cousins and extended family and this may be the reason why, for me, the biryani has always been a moment of great celebration and joy. Not only have I always enjoyed cooking it but I have also enjoyed eating it.

What does it mean to be sustainable in the kitchen? At home, and at Darjeeling Express and the industry as a whole? Not just sourcing and preparing the food but operations and values?

Being sustainable in today’s world is not an option, it’s mandatory.

Be it at home or in any food business. This is not about political correctness or trying to fit in with things that are trendy. This is about the world we leave behind for the next generation and our responsibility not to strip the earth of everything and waste precious food resources in a world where children die of hunger.

Closer to home there is food poverty in developed countries like the UK where food is not available for everyone. We need to find a way of constantly educating ourselves. Lowering the carbon footprint on the restaurant menu, I do not fly in vegetables from Asia and Africa, to minimise the air miles my food travels. Of course, lentils, rice and spices are easier to access and are much less harmful for the environment.

What continues to drive you to be a force for good and build community? In your restaurant team but also with your guests at the restaurant?

I think you should use your platform to speak about something beside yourself. When you are in a position of power and privilege it is a duty to help those that are struggling and amplify the voice of the voiceless.

Is there a particular place that draws you back to India?

Calcutta. It is a city full of memories of my childhood. It is also a city where I learnt the importance of community and food. There is an enormous emotional connection to the city and that is the only place I feel I can call home.

Where else in the world would you like to travel to and why?

I would love to go to Central Asia. I am fascinated by the terrain and the architecture. It’s a culture I know a little about because the Mughals who settled in India had their roots in Samarkand but I would love to see what their people are like and taste the food of that region.

What makes you curious when travelling? Is it food, history, people, architecture, wildlife – perhaps everything?

It is everything. The opportunity to be in a new land is very exciting and all of these factors contribute to the culture and I would love to explore and understand all of it.

Finally, what kind of legacy would you like to leave?

The legacy I would like to leave is for future generations of female entrepreneurs who may encounter pushback based on age and lack of experience. I hope that my story of changing professions in my forties, starting something totally new which had not been done by anyone else, gives encouragement to women that they can be anything they want to be as long as they believe in themselves.

13-day holiday to India from £5,795 pp.

Expert Recommendation: Combine Old Delhi's street food with high-end dining at one of Delhi’s renowned restaurants, sample the regional food of Rajasthan with a combination of home cooked dishes and royal palace banquets in Jodhpur and Udaipur and finish in Hyderabad, the home of the biryani, with a guided tour by renowned food expert Jonty Rajagopalan.

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NAVRATAN KORMA NINE-JEWEL KORMA Navratan is a traditional South Asian style of gem-setting based on nine different precious stones. This korma is made up of nine colourful vegetables. It’s a great way to use up odd veg from your fridge. Try red, yellow and orange peppers, aubergine, courgettes, baby sweetcorn, mangetout, cabbage and spinach. Or you could par-boil some carrots, parsnips, potatoes, French beans and pumpkin, then add red pepper, peas, sweetcorn and purple sprouting broccoli.

A comforting, creamy (and extremely nutritious) curry that is ideal for children, too!

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

Add the garlic and ginger and stir for one minute. Then add the ground coriander, chilli powder, sugar and salt and stir for two minutes.

1kg mixed vegetables 6 tbsp vegetable oil 2.5cm-piece of cassia bark 2 green cardamom pods 1 clove 1 large bay leaf 2 large onions, cut in half and thinly sliced 3–4 garlic cloves, crushed 6cm-piece of fresh ginger, grated 2 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp chilli powder 1/2 tsp sugar 2 tsp salt 250g full-fat Greek-style yoghurt 400ml thick coconut milk 2 tbsp ground almonds

METHOD Cut all the vegetables into evenly sized pieces and set aside on a tray.

Heat the oil in a deep pan over a medium–high heat.

Add the cassia bark, cardamom pods, clove and bay leaf, then immediately add the onions and fry until golden brown.

Add the yoghurt, lower the heat to medium and stir until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add all the vegetables, stir and cook until tender. If the vegetables start to stick, add a splash of water. When they are cooked, add the coconut milk and ground almonds, and stir until the gravy thickens.

Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving. This korma goes very well with any kind of rice or pulao and is a great accompaniment for meat or fish.

Ammu: Indian Home-Cooking to Nourish Your Soul, is Asma’s memoir that captures five decades of her life – who she was at each stage, and importantly, what she ate. This is a recipe book celebrating family and feasts, feasts which you are welcomed to recreate and make your own.

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SUB-SAHARAN Africa

Brimming with culture, wildlife, landscapes and history, sub-Saharan Africa is a place where every moment brings something different.

Without a doubt, Rwanda is the best place in the world for gorilla trekking. Walking in the Virunga Mountains in the shadow of giant prehistoric plants as the mists clear to reveal a family of gorillas is incomparable. Trek through the Masai Mara and meet lions, giraffes and wildebeests before heading to the shores of the warm Indian Ocean to unwind in Kenya. Watch rhinos and elephants roam through the desert and fly over the dune-filled landscape of the Skeleton Coast in Namibia. Take a trip to Botswana to see the San Bushmen of Central Kalahari and experience the vast emptiness of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. Or, experience the vibrant city of Cape Town and the magnificent Kruger – few places compare to the diversity in South Africa.

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BOTSWANA Experience Botswana’s Okavango Delta, three ways – on land, on water and in the air. Opening in July 2023, North Island Okavango has just three tented suites on a private island in a private concession. Explore the local network of waterways looking for Pel’s fishing owls, African skimmers and the distinctive sitatunga. Venture out on foot with expert guides to explore the surrounding islands, or take game drives across two local conservancies in search of big cats, wild dogs and elephants. Proceeds from the lease of this land go to a trust to support educational projects and employment, creating opportunities for young people living along the northern fringes of the Okavango Delta. Combine a stay at North Island Okavango with Jack’s Camp in the Kalahari and Tuludi in Khwai Private Reserve to experience three distinct ecosystems.

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THE VALUE OF

TOURISM

by Justin Wateridge

The big untold story is that it is not just a question of reduction of emissions but the need to keep the carbon sinks in nature intact. This is what the scientific evidence is telling us. It is about the oceans, the soils, the permafrost. It is about biodiversity.

According to the Living Planet Report by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in October 2022, there has been a 69% decline in the wildlife populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish across the globe in the last 50 years. The report concludes that biodiversity loss and climate crisis should be dealt with as one instead of two different issues. They are intertwined.

We have the cure and it is scalable – protect biodiversity. We must support nature-based enterprise zones – active rewilding. We need to ensure that the true intrinsic value of wildlife and environments are recognised. Travel can and has to play a key role in giving our planet’s natural resources a true worth that means that these assets are protected.

Mountain gorilla numbers were declining 20 years ago, but over a number of years the permit fee increased fourfold. Suddenly the Rwandan and Ugandan governments’ interest was piqued as the revenue rolled in. Appreciating the economic importance of gorillas, the respective governments invested more in looking after the gorillas and so too the local communities and environment. Over the last 10 years, mountain gorilla

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numbers have been increasing. Hence, at Steppes Travel, we have long been campaigning for an increase in the park fee of US$100 to the Galapagos Islands.

For years Attenborough and the BBC believed that they had to show the world the beauty of our planet before educating us on environmental issues. The speed, scope, severity and impact of climate change has moved them and us beyond that point. Natural history programmes now, Frozen Planet II being a good example, no longer shy away from discussing and grappling with wider environmental issues and the dramatic consequences of our behaviour and its effects on the planet. Travel needs to do the same.

Local communities have to benefit far more than they do currently from travel. We cannot take you, our clients, into wildlife ‘sanctuaries’ such as the Okavango, Pantanal or Serengeti without showing you issues such as population pressure and how climate change is affecting livelihoods. This is not about detracting from the enjoyment of your travels but rather highlighting the importance of the positive impact we can have if we make the right travel choices.

The International Labour Organisation states that sustainable tourism is “composed of three pillars: social justice, economic development, and environmental integrity”. At Steppes Travel, we have long focused on environmental integrity: we have developed metrics for our itineraries and properties based on the UN

Sustainable Development Goals, we carbon balance your flights and we are B Corp certified.

Further to this, as a company, we are championing social regeneration and locally-led solutions. Indigenous people are part of the solution. Local communities are active equitable partners and we embrace and support the community forward travel model. We must work together.

We are advocating for a less extractive, more inclusive and diverse type of travel at Steppes Travel. We are taking into account everyone within the whole ecosystem.

And that includes you. You, our clients, the travellers, have an inherent part to play. It starts with you. Each of our travel choices make a difference. You can make a difference. You can contribute to positive impact travel.

It is not a question of where do you want to go but why do you want to go and how?

Climate change is a man-made problem that needs a female solution. According to Paul Hawken’s ‘Drawdown: the most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming’, educating women

and girls is one of the most effective solutions to climate change. Ensuring girls have access to education could result in a massive reduction in emissions of 51.48 gigatons by 2050. This is because educating girls has an impact beyond the individual, cascading into her family and her community. Education not only affords choice but ensures greater freedoms to learn and earn, giving women the choice to marry later and have fewer but healthier children. That is why Steppes Travel is supporting charities and conservation initiatives that promote women’s education and empowerment.

Speaking of support, of donating, less than 5% of global philanthropy is spent on conservation and biodiversity.

This is of no use if we are on a dead planet. There needs to be a shift. 50:50 and then, if we have resolved the problems facing the planet’s biodiversity, a return to 95:5. We are advocating hard for this shift.

In short, what travel do we support? We promote nature, culture and community. Rooms with a view are surplus.

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THE LIFEBLOOD OF

MOUNTAIN GORILLA CONSERVATION

BY TIM KNIGHT FROM FAUNA & FLORA INTERNATIONAL

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R

wanda. The land of a thousand invisible hills.

It’s an overcast morning in Kigali, capital of Africa’s most densely populated country. The sound of a bamboo broom permeates the air, as a solitary sweeper embraces the Sisyphean task of keeping the hotel frontage spick and span. Overhead, a black kite looms into view.

Then another, then a third, swooping down like dementors out of the mist. The gloom is relieved by the iridescent plumage of a diminutive sunbird, scolding the universe from a nearby palm frond.

A distant sound like muffled applause heralds the approach of rain. It begins as a half-hearted drizzle and builds rapidly in a crescendo until the decibels of the downpour drown out all other noise. Before long, the road has been transformed into a river. This is meant to be Rwanda’s short dry season, but our unhinged climate clearly has other ideas.

I’m here on behalf of Fauna & Flora International (FFI), to help finetune the latest communications strategy for the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP). This hugely successful initiative began life as the Mountain Gorilla Project, originally established

by FFI in 1978 at the behest of Sir David Attenborough, our vicepresident for the past four decades.

Discussions will cover community engagement, the threats posed by infrastructure developments and – top of the agenda – tourism best practice. The patient and painstaking habituation of mountain gorillas to the presence of humans has given us tourist-friendly gorillas and – for the fortunate few who can afford the price of a permit – furnished a memorable wildlife-watching experience that shows no sign of diminishing in popularity. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. And yet…

My first close encounter with mountain gorillas is indelibly etched in my mind. It’s almost 20 years since I stood in stunned silence in Volcanoes National Park after a gruelling climb that brought me face to face with these magnificent apes. Face to face is the wrong expression, of course, and not just because it’s unwise to look a 500-pound silverback in the eye. Keeping a safe distance, in order to minimise direct and indirect contact, is a sensible precaution for both parties. For the gorilla, it could be the difference between life and death.

DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME Like other great apes, mountain gorillas are highly susceptible to human-borne diseases, including COVID-19. Even a common cold, which is little more than a temporary inconvenience for humans, could prove fatal to them. It is crucial to ensure that a minimum distance is maintained between visitors and gorillas and – given that the apes are oblivious to these rules of engagement – take extra precautions to legislate for those moments when gorillas make it impossible to observe the guidelines. The use of a mask or other form of protective barrier to cover the nose and mouth throughout the one-hour duration of a gorilla encounter is now mandatory.

Responsible tourism is the cornerstone of mountain gorilla conservation and crucial to their survival. It is the lifeblood of the national parks and generates vital revenue for nearby communities, ensuring that they recognise the value of safeguarding gorillas and their forest habitat. But it’s a delicate balancing act, and the welfare of the gorillas must be paramount in all interactions between tourists and apes.

The ongoing recovery of mountain gorillas from the brink of extinction to the point where the overall population now exceeds 1,000 individuals is a wonderful success story and a tribute to the dedication, commitment and sacrifice of everyone involved. To jeopardise that legacy by failing to take adequate precautions against disease transmission would be an act of negligence that future generations would find difficult to comprehend and impossible to forgive.

SHOW THEM THE MONEY The harsh economic realities faced by Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo dictate that conservation needs to pay its way. There is little doubt that the continued survival of mountain gorillas owes much to the success of IGCP and the respective governments in harnessing these great apes’ unparalleled crowd-pulling potential for the benefit of wildlife enthusiasts, local communities and government coffers.

But the sustainability of this approach hinges on maintaining a balance that, in essence, generates maximum revenue from,

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while causing minimum disturbance to, these charismatic primates – a tightrope that FFI and its partners continue to negotiate successfully. If ever there was a classic example of making conservation pay, this is it.

FFI’s success in bringing mountain gorillas back from the brink of extinction is just one of the myriad ways in which our locally led, community-driven approach to conservation is addressing the biodiversity and climate crises for the benefit of people and wildlife. We work hand in hand with well over 400 partners across the globe, contributing to the conservation of more than 50 million hectares of vital habitat – an area the size of Spain – at more than 300 sites in nearly 50 countries. We are safeguarding some of the world’s most iconic wildlife, from forest elephants to Sumatran tigers, while also championing less familiar and neglected species such as the Siamese crocodile, Sunda pangolin and saiga antelope.

There has never been a more important time to support locally led conservation.

For more details, please visit www.fauna-flora.org/support/ or contact travel@fauna-flora.org or call +44 1223 749 019.

THE LIFEBLOOD OF MOUNTAIN GORILLA CONSERVATION

7-day wildlife holiday to Rwanda from £9,650 pp.

Expert Recommendation: Combine three nights at Virunga Lodge in Volcanoes National Park with two separate treks to see mountain gorillas and Akagera National Park to see rhinos, elephants and big cats, staying three nights at Ruzizi Lodge.

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SOAP THE WORLD’S OLDEST

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O

OPERA

by James Stewart

On Genovesa Island the world’s oldest soap opera was reaching its denouement.

Its protagonists had fallen in love in paradise.

They danced on warm sand and wooed each other with twigs. She moved into his place, a pancake of sun-bleached sticks and pebbles. That’s when the bickering started.

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THE WORLD'S OLDEST SOAP OPERA

After a sharp exchange of squawks she left in a huff. As nearby males threw back their heads and whistled like Looney Tunes lotharios, he gazed bleakly after her, a twig in his beak, watching a life of monogamy waddle away on comically oversized feet.

From romance to regret, I watched the Nazca boobies’ drama – Planet Earth meets Love Island – play out an arm’s length away. It’s that tameness of wildlife that leaves you slack-jawed in the Galapagos. Perhaps even more than its strangeness.

“The natural history of these islands is eminently curious,” Charles Darwin said with masterly understatement. Around 95% of the archipelago’s reptiles, 80% of land-birds and 20% of marine species are found nowhere else on Earth. They are some of the oddest concept creatures ever put into limited production: iguanas that graze underwater, tropical penguins, prodigious tortoises that were annihilated elsewhere during the age of sabre-tooth tigers. And after millennia of isolation in their evolutionary laboratory, no Galapagos species has yet acquired the genetic nous to fear humanity.

I had come on a small-boat cruise with Steppes Travel. Before our first trip ashore, my guide Peter Feriere, president of the Galapagos guides’ association, briefed us on national park rules: no touching animals, no straying from paths, no flash photography.

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He wound up with a rule of his own: “Watch your step.”

They haven’t added that to the official regulations yet but they should.

We landed on Espanola Island among sea lion pups surfing waves. On the beach, marine iguanas were so numerous I had to pick a careful path through them – watch your step indeed. During our allotted time ashore I walked among Darwin finches, skittish lava lizards and red-billed tropicbirds.

In the world’s only colony of waved albatross, I sat beside a downy youngster testing the breeze under its wings.

Such close encounters offer more than astonishing photos.

They are like having wildlife documentaries staged entirely for your benefit.

Their episodes increased over my week. Off Floriana I bobbed among grazing green turtles the size of upturned wheelbarrows, the four of us swaying as one to the Pacific swell. Later an escort of sea lion pups followed me when I dived, spiralling through bubbles from my snorkel and peering into my mask.

On Genovesa, a Galapagos hawk and I stared at each other for 10 minutes, eyeball to eyeball, all within touching distance. There were also those Nazca boobies. >

THE WORLD'S OLDEST SOAP OPERA

These moments feel revelatory. They seem to confirm the Galapagos as a lost Eden. (Conversely, the islands themselves are nothing special; either parched scrub or volcanic rubble like Mordor-on-Sea.) Yet there’s trouble in paradise.

The Galapagos is no longer Darwin’s “world within itself”. A unique ecosystem shielded from humanity until recent centuries received 271,000 visitors pre-pandemic on top of a permanent 35,000-strong population. That’s quite a shift.

Authorities impose strict rules within the national park area: only one boat to landing zones at a time; groups limited to 16 people.

Elsewhere, schemes like a giant tortoise breeding programme on Santa Cruz have pulled species back from the brink after their brush with us. Nevertheless, in candid moments officials like MariaJose Barragan, science director at the Charles Darwin Research Station, admit tourism adds strain to a wobbling ecosystem.

More visitors means more human impact, more potential for disaster. An Asian blackberry that arrived in freight is choking native plants. Cruelly, it’s inedible. Barragan’s researchers are also concerned about an invasive fly, Philornis downsi, whose larvae literally suck dry the chicks of land-birds. As conservation topics go, neither is as sexy as, say, tortoise conservation. Both, however, are critical.

No one is saying let’s ditch tourism. It provides 80% of the Galapagos' income and funds conservation. More than that, I can’t think of anywhere that better asserts the wonder and fragility of life on Earth. A Galapagos holiday is that rare thing, a trip which can change how you understand the world and your role within it. Yet a visitor permit for the national park costs just $100 compared to the $1,500 required to see gorillas in Rwanda. That’s ridiculously cheap for the wildlife experience of a lifetime.

The onus, then, is to visit responsibly. “Tourism here is a great opportunity and a great threat,” Barragan told me. “It needs to get over a gold-rush mentality of making money in the short term. Responsible tourism is a good alliance for conservation and sustainability to maintain our natural capital for the long term.”

If we can’t safeguard somewhere like the Galapagos, we may as well give up on conservation worldwide. The chances are you’ll only go once, so do it right: low-impact small-boat cruises, small eco-hotels, local produce not imports for meals. Also bring a water bottle and take home all single-use plastics – yes, plastic pollution is a problem even here.

You owe it to those Nazca boobies as much as Darwin.

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10-day holiday to Ecuador and Galapagos from £7,895 pp.

Includes two nights in Quito, before flying to the Galapagos Islands to spend seven nights on board a small ship, Natural Paradise, with a maximum of 16 passengers.

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JOIN OUR

CAMPAIGN RAISING THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK FEE

THE GLOBAL ISSUE: NATURE IS UNDERVALUED

The world’s natural assets are undervalued. One doesn’t have to look too hard to see evidence to support this statement: rainforests cleared to make way for farming, wild habitats cleared for building development and rivers used as depositories for effluent. Tourism can play a key role in affording the world’s natural assets a tangible commercial value and in doing so protect them. But for this to really work, governments and private enterprises need to work together to ensure tourism pays the true value for the services that nature provides. Sadly, this is not always the case and the Galapagos National Park fee epitomises this issue.

THE GALAPAGOS DILEMMA

The Ecuadorian authorities charge a national park fee of $100 for a two-week trip to the Galapagos.

Compare this to Rwanda, where an hour with mountain gorillas requires a permit that costs $1,500, and it is clear that Ecuador is massively undervaluing the Galapagos Islands. Tourism needs to pay a price that is commensurate with the demands it makes on infrastructure and natural resources; $100 doesn’t come close to doing either.

THE TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS IN THE GALAPAGOS Footfall to the Galapagos is on the increase and according to recent reports by UNESCO there is a lack of clear strategy to ‘discourage rapid and uncontrolled growth’ of tourism in the Galapagos.

According to the International Galapagos Tour

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Operators Association, in 2010 approx. 170,000 tourists visited the Galapagos compared to a total of 271,238 visitors in 2019 – an almost 60% increase in under 10 years. The report goes on to say that the growth of land-based tourism has been extreme and unregulated, especially with the emergence of the sharing economy; in 2010 there were 60 hotels in the Galapagos whereas today there are over 300.

Clearly, this level of increase is unsustainable, so actions need to be taken to better manage tourism numbers and footfall.

WHY DO THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS MATTER?

The Galapagos Islands are unique, ecologically critical and yet increasingly vulnerable. 80% of Galapagos’s land birds and 97% of its mammals and reptiles are found nowhere else on Earth. If any of these creatures are lost from Galapagos, they will be extinct from our world forever. According to the Galapagos Conservation Trust, 188 species are now threatened with extinction, facing threats from invasive species such as rats brought to the islands by humans, overfishing, a loss of habitat and plastic pollution.

SO, WHAT CAN WE DO?

In 2019, Ecuador’s ministries of tourism, environment and agriculture proposed doubling the cost of the Galapagos National Park fee to $200 for visitors to Galapagos National Park who also spent at least three nights on the mainland, while visitors spending less than three nights would be charged $400. Due to Covid and a change in government this proposal was never implemented.

Below are just a few highlights of their work, taken from their 2021 Impact Report:

£

RAISED £40,000

FOR LIVELIHOODS APPEAL TO SUPPORT THE GALAPAGOS COMMUNITY DURING COVID-19

8 WHALE SHARKS TAGGED WITH SATELLITE TAGS

18 TAGGED TORTOISES HAD HEALTH ASSESSMENTS

8 VERMILLION

FLYCATCHER CHICKS FLEDGED

19% OF GALAPAGOS OCEANS ARE NOW PROTECTED

We will continue to push the authorities for an increase in fees to be used to help combat the growing threats to the Galapagos Islands. In the interim, Steppes Travel will make a donation of $100 to Galapagos Conservation Trust for every client that travels to the Galapagos Islands. This will of course be in addition to the $100 Galapagos National Park fee included in the cost of your holiday.

WHO ARE GALAPAGOS CONSERVATION TRUST AND WHY CAN THEY HELP?

The Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT) was launched in 1995 and is the only UK registered charity to focus exclusively on the conservation and sustainable development of the Galapagos archipelago and its unique biodiversity. Working with scientists, authorities, NGOs and local communities, their work is vital in restoring biodiversity to the islands and building resilience to the growing threat from the climate crisis.

INCLUDING CREATION OF THE HERMANDAD RESERVE, GIVING SAFE PASSAGEWAY TO WHALE SHARKS, SEA TURTLE AND OTHER MARINE LIFE MOVING BETWEEN THE GALAPAGOS AND THE COCOS ISLANDS

46 GPS DRIFTERS RELEASED INTO THE OCEAN AROUND GALAPAGOS TO MAP HOW PLASTIC POLLUTION MOVES

We encourage you to consider matching our donation to GCT to help fund conservation initiatives that might otherwise not be possible due to the poorly funded park authorities. In this way, we can get close to paying a fair cost for the demands being made on the islands’ wildlife and habitat and in doing so, raise awareness about the need for a similar exchange in other parts of the world.

We’re in the midst of planning a Galapagos Islands private cruise with the Galapagos Conservation Trust departing in spring 2024. If you’d like to get on board register your interest – inspire@steppestravel.com.

MIDDLE EAST & NORTH Africa

The storied lands of the Middle East and North Africa offer myriad cultures, religions and empires, both ancient and modern. The great pyramids of Egypt reveal the magnificent lifestyles of ancient times and cruising the Nile offers the perfect platform to access many of Egypt’s archaeological sites. Take the slow road – known as King’s Highway – and discover the treasures of Jordan’s Lost City of Petra, prehistoric villages and Christian Byzantine mosaics. Immerse yourself in the birthplace and spiritual home of Islam – Saudi Arabia – and visit Petra’s little-known twin sister Madain Saleh. Or, traverse the snow-capped Atlas Mountains and buzzing cities of Morocco. Any holiday to the Middle East and North Africa is sure to tantalise the senses.

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EGYPT Over 100 years after Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb, travellers to Egypt are still in awe of the remarkable antiquities unearthed.

The best way to explore Egypt is on a Nile cruise. Charter the fabulous new Kazazian boat for a private Nile cruise or take a cabin on board one of Oberoi’s superb cruisers. Finish your cruise in Aswan and travel to Abu Simbel for a candlelit dinner under the gaze of the rock-cut temples of Ramses. If it’s peace and tranquillity you’re looking for, leave the river behind and head into the Western Desert. Stay in the ancient oasis city of Siwa, visit Shali Fortress and climb up to the plateau of Aghurmi to wander around the atmospheric Temple of the Oracle.

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AN INTERVIEW with

George Butler

by Justin Wateridge

GEORGE BUTLER is an award-winning artist and illustrator specialising in travel and current affairs. His drawings, done in situ, are in pen, ink and watercolour.

Over the last 10 years, George has witnessed and illustrated some extraordinary moments from refugee camps in Bekaa Valley to the oil fields in Azerbaijan, from Tajikistan to Afghanistan, from Syria to Myanmar, and most recently Ukraine.

George, you describe yourself as a reportage illustrator.

Yes, this is a self-appointed role.

I guess because what I do does not really exist as a career. Reportage is a known concept but not always through illustration. So it’s really telling stories of people I meet through illustration and words side by side.

How does using pen and ink to document the news differ from digital photography? I have heard you say that photographers see the world but you observe it. Can you tell me what you mean?

Yes, I’m sure that upsets some photographers. What I mean is that in a world obsessed with taking photos, I think illustration allows time to sit down, time to be slow.

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GEORGE BUTLER'S EXTRAORDINARILY SENSITIVE PICTURES OF LIFE IN ALL ITS FORMS TELL US MORE ABOUT THE WORLD THAN MOST PHOTOGRAPHY CAN. Robin Hanbury Tenison

Looking down trenches at Martuni, Armenia

It is not threatening.

You are doing it with permission of the people in front of you. You can’t steal an illustration like you can a photograph. So a space for illustration is slow and gentle.

Not necessarily better but drawings carry real weight.

I recently read a book by Barry Lopez in which he says, “The taking of photographs can become so compulsive that the recording of the event becomes more important than participating in it.” That is what you are doing – participating.

I guess as a strict journalist you are trying to record without influencing. But does objectivity really exist?

As an illustrator there is an opportunity to sit quietly in the corner and to take time. People come and interact with me and tell me their stories. A lot of my work only really starts when someone comes over and tells me their story and I then try to put pictures to the words. That process is important, far more important than the pretty picture on the gallery wall.

So I take it that if people are telling you their story, they are pleased to be drawn?

Always. I think in those moments when people are very vulnerable, it’s often easier to share it with a stranger.

Sitting opposite another human and looking into their eyes and knowing what they experience is also as horrifying to that person that they are telling it to. That can happen to a journalist or photographer but the fact that I am sitting there without a recording device or without a camera means it is often more honest. That’s where the real alchemy happens.

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But I do remember a moment in Ukraine in March, in the Metro where people were leaving to get away from the shelling and a man asking me not to draw him because, he said, “They felt like rabbits in the zoo”. The novelty of the international press can wear thin very quickly.

So what is it like for you? Sitting in situ, hearing these stories and trying to capture them in pen and ink? Seeing scenes that most only see in history books or on the news. How do you cope?

It is physically and emotionally exhausting. But at the time you’re not allowed to say that, it’s not your problem to be sad about. For example, last week I was in Afghanistan and drawing at a hospital run by an Italian medical charity called Emergency and the first person that comes through the door was caught in the Russian embassy suicide bomb and almost very nearly dead. In fact, he then dies. And it’s deeply sad, and even sadder to watch the face of the Kabuli ambulance man come to terms with this.

What compels you to do what you do?

Telling people’s stories, and the feeling of closeness to them when they do. It can’t be matched.

What is it like trying to draw in the thick of a war zone?

I work better under pressure, when there is a reason to produce a good drawing, or do justice to the scene in front of me. I feel more comfortable there than perhaps I do sitting on the street in London and drawing. However, the practicalities are to be taken very seriously. Having time to draw is my safety blanket, if I am in a place where that can’t happen I know I am taking more risk than I need too. In Kharkiv, Ukraine I was working with a fixer, Lisa. We had a set of rules to make us both feel comfortable, and that’s an ongoing communication. I remember drawing in Saltivka, a heavily shelled area of Kharkiv. We arrived at a school, with the noise of very loud bombing in the distance, and rushed inside to draw the headmistress who, against all odds, had stayed to support the local community. We did our work and left quickly. The right decision. We felt brave, but it’s a false bravery afforded by the privilege of our jobs and passports. The real, aching bravery is with those who choose to stay, who had to stay and are still there now.

I didn’t really answer the question, did I? >

Do you draw in situ, or do you sketch and then finesse it at home?

I always start the work in situ, the black and white part. It’s impossible to create energy and illusion and depth from a photograph, although I use them for colour and text. Drawing from life is similar to the difference between doing a piece of live TV and a pre-record – there’s an edge, an immediacy and a fluency that cannot be beaten.

Mass grave in Bucha, Ukraine

What personal risk do you endure?

I’m not trying to put myself in unnecessarily dangerous situations and scare myself. I have learnt that my role doesn’t require that. I am not a frontline correspondent or photographer. For me, it is more about recording people doing extraordinary things. In courtrooms, down mines, in operating theatres, it is more about taking time with them. Like the neurosurgeons I met in Ukraine, carrying out daily cranioplasties whilst the windows buzzed with distant explosions. Or the surgeon from Bristol repairing the hands of those with leprosy in Nepal. Or the C-Section I drew in the Panjshir Valley. The inspiration comes from sitting with people that I would not otherwise have met, hearing and connecting with their story and being taken aback that they would share it with me. Such generosity of spirit. Lots of stories have led from that moment, where people come and sit next to me and say, “Why don’t you come into my shop?” or “Let me buy you a coffee”.

So you manage your risk and in so doing reduce your fear but how do

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you deal with the concerns of your loved ones worrying about you back at home?

That answer depends on whether my Gran reads the Steppes Traveller magazine… As a 26-year-old in Syria I went and thought nothing of it – only mentioning it when I got back. But the situation in Ukraine was a little different: I spent hours planning it all, daily check-ins, flak jackets, extra comms, evac plans but most significantly advice from people who know much more about it than me. And I tried to be in touch with my family as often as possible – for all our sakes.

Earlier you mentioned a ‘fixer’?

Do you always work with a ‘fixer’?

Not always but sometimes it is necessary to translate and invariably they give me access and insight.

And we often become great friends.

Jane, for example, has made it to London from Ukraine; we stood beside the mass graves in Bucha and it will be impossible to ever forget that. But fixers and guides in your industry know it better than you ever will, they lived it. They are invaluable and unsung.

How do the ‘authorities’ react and treat you?

I was ‘kettled’ outside Bank Station once, but usually they are very friendly.

I don’t have a camera, and I’m usually not taken very seriously.

There was one time on the train from Dushanbe to Moscow where the security services didn’t believe that we were making a documentary for the New York Times and 16 of them removed the three of us from the train, searched our bags, went through our hard drives…they were really unfriendly… Eventually we were moved across the border and spent the night with a Turkmen policeman. He was so embarrassed about having to hold us on the border for the night that he went off to buy us bread for dinner.

You are privileged to have travelled a lot, to have experienced much.

What is the moment that has been most personal to you?

It’s almost always the people that stick in my mind, not the place. » In Armenia seeing young soldiers in primitive trenches that they had dug with hand shovels and with plastic sheeting to protect them from mortars. It was an image that I thought we had resigned to the history books.

AN INTERVIEW WITH GEORGE BUTLER

» In Nepal I was following surgeon Donald Sammut, who was operating on the paralysed hands of leprosy patients. I was struck by the number of cases of a disease that is difficult to contract and relatively straightforward to treat.

Sadly, as with many low infectious diseases, it is predominantly the poor that are affected. » Most recently and perhaps on a happier note in Angola, canoeing some of the tributaries of the Zambezi and in particular the Miombo woodlands. The vastness and the importance of remembering that we are all insignificant, I take great solace in that.

Recently you have travelled from Ukraine to Botswana to Afghanistan.

How do you acclimatise?

I find it more and more difficult.

It was tough to go from total destruction in Ukraine to the Garden of Eden-esque wilderness of Botswana. However, drawing is my tool for comprehension; once it’s on the page it feels safe to engage with.

And, it’s a crass comparison, but I often feel like I get to see the horrors of the frontpage, like a piece of theatre, and then I’m invited to meet the cast who tell me it’s all OK and show me their lives. Except of course they are not actors, but they are real and they do have great hopes and radical empathy.

Can you tell me a little about your latest exhibition ‘First Casualty’?

In 1918 Senator Hiram Johnson said that the first casualty when war comes is truth. I am trying to show a different truth to what we see and read online, but one of equal value.

I’m trying to question whether the truth we see in the news is serving us well. And I do that by being deliberately slow and analogue and probably very old fashioned.

But as you will see from the exhibition, truth is not the only casualty; when war comes we lose so much – human life, dignity, pride, societal structure and environment. All these things are on display – told through the personal stories of those I met.

What next for 2023?

I’m going to have a long lie down. I am working on a book about Ukraine – how a world-changing event affects the ordinary person. Following the stories of the refugee, the young conscript, the Russian deserter, the Ukrainian mother and, importantly, trying to include Russian opinion too.

In what place are you happiest?

Home. More specifically in Scotland, preferably outdoors under some big skies in the rain – but knowing you’ll be warm later.

Winding down, what is the greatest challenge of our time?

That is not winding down! That is winding up.…How long do we have….

Surgery in Nepal

the short answer, the only answer is climate change. Followed by the movement of people around the globe.

Are you pessimistic or optimistic (about climate change)?

Pessimistic but using that terrifying feeling to be enthusiastic.

What did you do to negate/balance your carbon footprint?

I think I have failed. The plight of the people I have met has always pulled on my heartstrings the most, so we started Hands Up to raise money for Syrians, then a print sale for Ukraine – but last year I was part of the CoExistence Campaign selling life-size elephants and my work contributed to their £2 million total for conservation in India. I’ll have a better answer next time we do this interview…

See more of George’s work online https://www.georgebutler.org/ and follow his journey on Instagram @georgebutlerillustration.

WHAT IS

POSITIVE IMPACT TRAVEL? "

NO ONE WILL PROTECT WHAT THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT AND NO ONE WILL CARE ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED.

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DAVID ATTENBOROUGH

At Steppes, we believe in the power of travel as a force for good. Our mission is to inspire you, as a traveller, to become ambassadors for change by connecting you with people who are creating a positive impact around the world.

We hope to instil a sense of passion and care for the world’s threatened communities, wildlife and habitats.

In Greta Thunberg’s ‘The Climate Book’, she talks about what we can do as individuals: educate ourselves, become activists, buy less and stay on the ground. For us, the last option is not a binary one: to fly or not to fly. Yes, we need to consider the footprint of our travels but to “stay on the ground” abandons our support - both of voice and financial - of communities, wildlife and environments.

This approach has guided how we curate our holidays and we have chosen to focus on the following three pillars of sustainability: conservation, community and carbon.

Conservation Efforts & Community Investment We already work with partners and properties who have the same vision as us: positive impact travel. Examples of committed properties include Pacuare Lodge in Costa Rica which purchased 340 hectares of primary rainforest, which scientists from the Jaguar Program can access for jaguar conservation. Pousada Trijuncao in Brazil employs local people, providing access to fair employment conditions and creating stable sources of income for families.

Not only do Ruzizi Lodge and Akagera National Park offer incredible safari experiences, but they also work to support biodiversity and conservation efforts in eastern Rwanda. Both are under the stewardship of NGO African Parks, meaning all profits from stays, park fees and activity fees contribute to the protection and development of the park. So far, they have reintroduced key species such as lions and rhinos and have significantly increased biodiversity.

We have been adding sustainability boxes to our website pages and in particular our holiday inspiration to make it easier to see how your holiday makes a positive impact.

Carbon Offsetting Flights are our biggest carbon generator – aviation accounts for 2.5% of global CO2 emissions. We fully acknowledge that travel creates harmful emissions, but we also believe the benefits of travel are far-reaching when done right. We need to make it worthwhile.

Did you know we offset the carbon emissions for international and domestic economy flights when you travel with us? We have been offsetting the flights of our staff over the last 10 years and in the last year we have been offsetting the flights of our clients too.

We partner with World Land Trust (WLT), who work to protect the world’s most biologically significant and threatened habitats, to balance the carbon footprint of flights based on economy class. Between September 2021 and September 2022, we have donated over £32,000 to the World Land Trust’s reforestation projects. If you wish to travel in business or first class then we ask that you consider offsetting the difference, and of course we can help you with this.

Our Partnerships Between September 2021 and September 2022, we have supported organisations and projects who focus on biodiversity, conservation and community outreach, with a total of over £85,000 being donated to these causes.

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THE WORLD LAND TRUST WORKS TOWARDS PROTECTING THE WORLD’S MOST BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT AND THREATENED HABITATS.

£32,737

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH JACKSON’S FARM, OUR STEPPES TRAVEL FOREST, NEAR BRIGG, CREATES A PLACE FOR NATURE TO THRIVE AND A PLACE FOR LOCALS TO ENJOY.

£12,000

FRIENDS OF SPRI CONTRIBUTE TO THE IMPORTANT WORK OF THE SCOTT POLAR RESEARCH INSTITUTE.

£8,633

HOW CAN YOU

ROOM TO READ IS WORKING TOWARD CREATING A WORLD FREE FROM ILLITERACY AND GENDER INEQUALITY

BY HELPING CHILDREN IN LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES DEVELOP SKILLS TO SUCCEED IN SCHOOL AND NEGOTIATE KEY LIFE DECISIONS.

£15,588

TRAVEL MORE SUSTAINABLY? SLOW TRAVEL

Staying longer in your destination means you are investing in the local economy more and opting for travel by train, for example, between locations can massively reduce the carbon footprint of your holiday. From experience, you will also have a more immersive holiday and one that allows for you to disconnect and recharge – it is a holiday after all!

POSITIVE IMPACT PROPERTIES

PRACTICAL ACTION IS WORKING TOWARDS A WORLD THAT WORKS BETTER FOR EVERYONE BY FINDING SOLUTIONS TO SOME OF THE WORLD’S TOUGHEST PROBLEMS LIKE PROVIDING RENEWABLE ENERGY TO SCHOOLS AND FARMERS.

£15,588

Your travel expert already selects properties investing in local communities, reducing their carbon footprint and that are committed to conservation. This is based on your needs and desires, but also the needs of the world around us.

FLY SMARTER

Did you know that the carbon footprint of flying business class is almost three times larger and first class is four times larger than when you fly in economy? And 50% of carbon emissions can come from take-off and landing? Flying direct and not turning left is exponentially better for the environment. Packing light will reduce your carbon footprint as the heavier the plane, the greater the carbon emissions.

We shouldn’t let perfect be the enemy of good. We don’t have all the answers. Far from it.

We know that carbon measurement and offsetting is not a perfect solution but it should be the standard across the industry. We will continue to strive to do more. We hope you will join us on our journey to refine the way we travel to ensure it is a privilege that can be enjoyed for many years to come.

Scan the QR code to find a hand-picked selection of holiday ideas, properties and experiences that showcase the positive impact that travel can have.

HOLIDAYS

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KENYA Positive impact safaris and dazzling Swahili coast Making use of private concessions, domestic flights and secluded locations, avoid the crowds at Kenya’s most popular destinations: the Laikipia Plateau, the Masai Mara and Diani Beach. Join researchers from the Mara Elephant Project and experience the benefits of a safari in an electric vehicle in the Masai Mara. Abundant wildlife, spectacular surroundings, outstanding service and a commitment to making a positive impact come together to showcase the best of Kenya’s richly diverse landscapes and fauna.

11-day holiday to Kenya from £6,325 pp

AUSTRALIA Sustainable South Australia Combine Kangaroo Island, the Flinders Ranges, Barossa Valley and Murray River for a holiday that epitomises how sustainability, fun and fulfilment in Australia’s great outdoors can all come together. Contribute to echidna research and citizen science programmes with expert Peggy Rismiller on Kangaroo Island, stay at Arkaba, a 60,000-acre private wildlife conservancy comprising 1,200 species of plants and almost 300 birds, and take guided walks and canoe excursions on a Murray River cruise aboard a solar-powered houseboat. A combination of selfdrive and guided activities allows for flexibility and freedom with minimal internal flights required.

14-day holiday to South Australia from £9,950 pp

COSTA RICA Two coasts and the best bits in the middle Through a combination of protected areas and community-based, sustainable tourism, Costa Rica has successfully restored its forest cover to over 52%. Suited to thrill seekers, nature lovers and those with a curiosity to learn more about conservation, this holiday dips a toe in both the Caribbean and the Pacific and visits all the best bits in between. From ziplining over jungle canopies to exploring monkey-inhabited national parks, this is a classic Costa Rican adventure designed to provide conservation insight and fun in equal measure.

14-day holiday to Costa Rica from £7,450 pp

BRAZIL Jaguars and maned wolf conservation The epitome of conservation, community and tourism working together, this holiday is for anyone looking for more than just sightings of Brazil’s endemic wildlife. Travel across two vastly different ecosystems to go in search of Brazil’s most iconic big cat, the jaguar, and its most endangered canid, the maned wolf. Embrace the concept of slow travel and spend extended time in the Pantanal and the Cerrado, staying at outstanding properties.

11-day holiday to Brazil from £5,795 pp

INDIA Biodiversity and conservation in Central India With small private eco-lodges providing a comfortable base, discover the rich biodiversity of India’s most prolific national parks. Pench is famous for its leopard sightings, while the dense forests and the large prey base at Kanha, provide the perfect territory for tigers. A stay at Reni Pani Jungle Lodge in Satpura provides an opportunity for walking, canoeing and horse riding and an all-day safari into the exciting rewilding project at the neighbouring Bori Sanctuary.

15-day holiday to India from £5,245 pp

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CENTRAL & EAST Asia

Central and East Asia offer epic landscapes, ancient cultures and legendary archaeological remains. For ancient history and culture look no further than the silk roads of Uzbekistan and its UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Khiva and Registan Square in Samarkand. Japan is a nation where history and progressive thinking intertwine beautifully.

Follow in the footsteps of samurais as you hike the Nakasendo Trail in the Japanese Alps, visit a sumo stable for a chance to see behind the scenes of this ancient sport and participate in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Expect remote and wild panoramic scenery ranging from lush grassy steppes to craggy desert, rolling sand dunes and soaring mountains when visiting Mongolia.

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JAPAN There is no better way to celebrate Japan’s quirks than through exploring the country’s food and art. Visit Uji, just 30 minutes by train from Kyoto, the historic home of green tea. Learn about the different production methods and etiquettes before trying matcha gyozas and tea-seasoned ramen noodles washed down with cold, matcha beer. Away from the cities, take an exclusive art tour of two lesser-visited islands in the Seto Inland Sea. Travel on board a private yacht and set sail for Teshima and Inujima islands. The Setouchi region is home to some of Japan’s most innovative contemporary paintings, sculptures and architecture while also holding some of the country’s more historic art pieces.

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DAY LIGHT SAVINGS

by Paul Goldstein

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CAN I GO TO BED NOW PAUL?

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It is 10p.m. Several Zodiacs are cutting perfect crescent arcs from the starboard gangway. Faces are burnished with evangelical polar zeal, plus a little exhaustion. It is the last excursion of the day. It is also the fifth. David, the expedition leader, raises his precision optics and smiles. Three healthy ivory ursus are resting on granite against a multi-coloured polar backdrop, gilded by the late hour, ready to put on a spectacular soiree to follow on from their equally captivating matinees.

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We leave the three healthy bears rimmed by the midnight sun against a darkening granite backdrop – photographic nirvana. Just before midnight the last inflatable retreats to the mothership: the 48-berth, uncompromising Polar Pioneer. Five excursions since 4.30a.m. – mission accomplished. David has never done more than three, but then he had never been on one of my departures before. Still, people could not sleep: “The best wildlife day of my life” someone exclaimed, his memory cards full to the gunwales.

I walk to the bridge to thank the captain, an urbane tango specialist from Croatia who knows the ice and archipelago like few others. He smiles with a barely concealed grimace: “Can I go to bed now Paul?” We both laugh before this nautical sorcerer stands down. Three days before, he performed miracles in a vast mosaic of fast ice as a young male polar bear weaved in and out of turquoise pools and coruscating pressure ridges. Lunch almost became dinner as this precocious bear tantalised his adoring audience for hour after hour.

The vagaries of ice, the difficulty of locating buttery blobs and the capricious mistress of weather makes any voyage this far north of the Arctic Circle challenging. A flexible view to the timetable to maximise all 24 hours of daylight and staff with eyes as sharp as the circling glaucous gulls is imperative. Bears, like any sought-after species, are never just about numbers – this is boorish. It is about quality sightings; three bears seen from the Zodiac against granite is quality.

In 20 years I have never taken an expedition which has not had remarkable encounters, but there are important provisos when searching for bears. The ship must be small (under 100 people) and it must have the highest ice classification. The timetable must be loose, the ethos focused on bears, ice and glaciers and the 24-hour daylight worshipped. The bridge must also be open to passengers and the kitchen prepared to bend to the demands of polar bears. The Pioneer has all this in abundance.

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DAY LIGHT SAVINGS

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DAY LIGHT SAVINGS

For many seasons I have been glued to my Swarovskis, desperate to be the one to spot a bear in its heartland, hopeful for a single parent family.

Yet, for 20 years I have heard people’s accounts of their ‘mediocre’ voyages to this northern faunal stronghold. Then I hear their ships had 200 berths or more, rigid and meticulous timetables and their mealtimes and shopping are deemed more important.

This is no way to exploit these polar jewels.

The Polar Pioneer mines from the richest seam. Not only does it have hawk-eyed staff sourcing every bear, bird, walrus or even fogbow but they are also experts in their own field, so any quest like this one is an educational one.

The day I get bored of my radio crackling with an excited ‘ursus’ missive is the day I hang up my binoculars. The day my pulse remains the same as I gaze down my viewfinder at a bear picking its lonely furrow across this icy northern tapestry, my cameras will go on eBay. I am ecstatic to be returning in June and am thrilled that Steppes are providing this exclusive departure. When the lines are thrown in the deep-water dock in Longyearbyen and the bow noses west from the bay, I will spend a moment on deck breathing in that crisp Arctic air. I hope you can join me.

Join Paul Goldstein on our Arctic Polar Bear Cruise on board Polar Pioneer, departing 16th June 2023, from £6,795 pp.

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INDIAN

Subcontinent

Vast, colourful, mystical, unpredictable and exciting – travelling through the India Subcontinent is a sensory experience which never ceases to amaze. Search for the elusive snow leopards in the peaks of Ladakh, journey through tiger-stalked jungles and bask in the opulence of Sikh temples in India. When in Nepal, trek through the towering Himalayas, embark on a river rafting experience in the valleys of Annapurna and wander the streets of Kathmandu, filled with intricately carved temples. Walk the trail along the Bumthang Owl Trek through dense forests with gorgeous views of Mt. Gangkar Peunsum peak, hike to the Sacred Cave of Shugrak or marvel at the beautiful work at Thimpu’s Painting School in Bhutan. Or, see rolling tea estates, fascinating historical sites, wide stretches of sandy beach and verdant forests abundant with wildlife, such as leopards, wild elephants and sloth bears, in Sri Lanka.

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NEPAL The Kingdom of Mustang has long been venerated by travellers due to its remote and untamed landscape. With accessibility now improved by flights into Jomsom, Shinta Mani Mustang opens in May 2023 with the promise of three more lodges to follow in Upper Mustang. The lodge will comprise 29 suites featuring floor to ceiling windows to take in Mustang’s dramatic views.

Activities focus on the kingdom’s rich Buddhist culture with visits to local villages and temples, while those looking for something more physical can try horse riding, archery or day treks for memorable views of the spectacular Mount Nilgiri Himal.

Combine with a stay at Tiger Tops Karnali Lodge in Bhadia to take jeep safaris in search of the subcontinent's most iconic big cat.

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by Justin Wateridge

AN INTERVIEW WITH

ERIKA FATLAND ANTHROPOLOGIST AND AUTHOR OF ‘HIGH‘

Erika Fatland is a Norwegian anthropologist and writer who has written multiple critically-acclaimed books, including ‘Sovietistan’ and ‘The Border’.

Her latest book is ‘High’ which she talks to us about.

You are an anthropologist by training but is that how you would introduce yourself?

By education I am an anthropologist but I have never worked as one, so I would describe myself as a travel writer.

With your previous books ‘Sovietstan’ (2020) and ‘The Border’ (2021) being about Russia and the countries bordering Russia, have you been in demand this year given Putin’s invasion of Ukraine?

Very much so. I am now in the middle of research for my next book but for a number of months all I did was interviews about Ukraine and Russia. I was scheduled to have a number of talks about ‘High’ but they were all changed to be about ‘The Border’.

Where do you find your inspiration and ideas for where to travel next or what to write about next?

With every book there is a different story.

Starting with ‘Sovietstan’, I had already worked with Russia and the former Soviet Union and I realised that the Soviet Union was more than just Russian culture.

So many different cultures and different ethnic groups are part of the huge experiment that was the Soviet Union. That’s where my interest in Central Asia came from. I never had a plan to become a travel writer but I had this idea to write a book called ‘Sovietistan’ and that’s how it all began. >

AN INTERVIEW WITH ERIKA FATLAND

On finishing ‘Sovietstan’ I had many ideas but none of them were particularly good. But then one night I dreamed that I was walking on a huge map from country to country but north of the red line, always alongside Russia. When I woke up I decided to travel around the biggest country in the world to find out what it means to be a neighbour of Russia, which is sadly very relevant today.

would normally do due to the logistics of altitude, of roads being closed, of political sensitivities and places like Tibet where you cannot travel alone.

When I had finished my research for ‘The Border’, I realised I had been working with Russia for over 10 years and wanted to do something different. What is more fascinating than the former Soviet Union? The answer was the highest mountain range on earth. Hence ‘High’.

Other than Tibet, you mentioned travelling alone. Is it difficult travelling alone?

This is the question I am asked most, “Is it dangerous to travel alone as a woman?”. More often than not, people are very kind and welcoming and helpful.

You have mentioned research a number of times. How much time do you spend researching? You need to be informed about a place before you go but how do you balance that against not wanting to see a place through someone else’s viewpoint and wanting to preserve your own sense of discovery?

I don’t have a fixed method. It is different from place to place. I do travel research – I have to know which places to go to. With the Himalayas, I had to do more research than I

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With ‘High’, as with all of my books, I did all the writing after I had travelled, but also whilst writing I continued to do research through books and online sources.

It is usually an advantage travelling as a woman especially in conservative areas, like Pakistan. There, a man would only have access to half the population whereas I would also have access to women.

For me, in the Himalayas, this was very important. Many books about the Himalayas are written by men and in many of these books, women’s stories are not told.

I agree with you. I am lucky to have travelled quite a bit in the region but I learned much from ‘High’ and its female perspective. For example, towards the end of the book about the menstruation huts in Nepal.

Yes. It also helped in Nepal that I was working with a female fixer, to translate. It was an advantage and without her help I would not have been able to do half of what I did.

Having said that, in Pakistan, I worked with a male guide who simply sat outside and drank tea whilst I went in to talk with the women.

You dedicate ‘High’ to “my adventurous grandparents”. Did they inspire your love of travel?

They did not travel much. You can be adventurous without travelling much. My last book was dedicated to my mother who gave me wings.

You cross lots of borders in ‘High’, indeed so in your other books ‘Sovietstan’ and ‘The Border’, are there any particular experiences or moments that stand out?

Many. Many. I find crossing borders endlessly fascinating.

In the Himalayas region the distance between border to border is small, in terms of distance, but the difference in the language, the faces, the reference is huge. You are thrown into the unknown.

Borders are created by people but sometimes feel more real than natural borders.

Everyone keeps saying that the world is getting smaller but for many that is not true. Especially in the Himalayas where the lines on the map are now so disputed, so strict.

Caravans crossed the region 80 years ago but today that is not possible, even unimaginable.

So is it too simplistic to say that borders used to be places of meeting and harmonious merging of different cultures whereas now they are places of conflict and cultural polarisation?

Many borders today are impenetrable, especially for those on the ground. The people of Tibet are trapped in China.

You are privileged to have travelled a lot, to have experienced much. What are the moments that have been most personal to you?

It is always the meeting with people and their stories that stick with me. With each book my inner world expands.

It is hearing people’s stories. For instance in ‘High’, I met with an ex-princess of Sikkim whose father, the King of Sikkim, had lost his family, his wife and his kingdom. Sikkim was annexed by India in 1975. Such stories become more poignant and somewhat more tangible when you hear personal stories like this.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH ERIKA FATLAND

Why do we travel? I read that you believe nature has equipped us with deceitful, flawed memories. That is why we forever set off on new adventures. Can you expand on that and explain what you mean?

I think it is right because travelling involves discomfort.

It is not logical to expose ourselves to this but then our memory is abstract, selective. We don’t remember the pain.

Uncomfortable moments end up becoming good stories. We remember the highlights and the ending. Memory research is very interesting.

What compels you to do what you do? Is it telling people’s stories?

Yes. There are many books about the mountains or mountaineering as opposed to the people.

I wanted to write about the people of this, one of the most ethnically diverse regions of the world. I wanted to find what it is like to live there. I wanted to find what, if anything, unites them.

Towards the end of the book you are in Mustang and talking with people whose lives are affected by lack of water. To what extent is climate change the biggest challenge of our time?

Yes, the Himalayas is referred to as ‘the third pole’ and it is obvious that glacial melt is happening all over the Himalayas.

Many farmers of Nepal do not have a concept of climate change. They can see things are changing but they cannot explain why other than that it must be the wrath of the gods.

The scary thing in the Himalayas is that it will affect many millions of people, even a billion, since so many people in India and China rely on water from the glaciers in the Himalayas.

Are you pessimistic or optimistic about the challenges of climate change and us being able to overcome them?

It doesn’t look very bright in the world at the moment. And the war in Ukraine is not making it any brighter.

What next?

Once again I was drawn to and intrigued by Russia but due to Covid restrictions and closed borders, I chose to focus on the other topic I had wanted to write about for a long time, namely the former Portuguese empire.

You can purchase Erika’s latest book ‘High: A Journey Across the Himalayas Through Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal and China’ and follow her journey on Instagram @erika_fatland.

12-day guided adventure to Nepal from £4,495 pp.

Expert Recommendation: Stay at Shinta Mani Mustang, opening in March 2023, which offers the perfect base for exploring the Forbidden Kingdom.

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You can purchase Erika’s latest book ‘High: A Journey Across the Himalayas Through Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal and China’ and follow her journey on Instagram @erika_fatland.

Fig 7.

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Dr Ursula Weekes is an independent art historian specialising in Mughal and Rajput art and culture.

She has worked at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford; as an Associate Lecturer at the Courtauld Institute of Art; and taught at Jawaharlal Nehru University while living in Delhi for seven years.

She leads tours to India and is currently finishing a book on Mughal Court Painting for Reaktion Books Ltd (forthcoming late 2023). Let our team know if you would like Ursula to lead a private group tour to India for you and your friends.

AN ART HISTORIAN IN

AJMER

by Ursula Weekes

Fig 1.

Fig 5.

Ajmer lies at the heart of Rajasthan, equidistant between the major cities of Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur. Nestled halfway along the 700km band of Aravalli hills, this is an ancient place, for the Aravalli are considered Earth’s oldest geological feature, the remaining stubs of fold mountains formed long before India drifted north from Madagascar to collide with Eurasia. That collision created the Himalayas, so it seems incredible that in all the expanse of the globe, the world’s oldest mountains should lie so close to the youngest.

As I arrive into Ajmer, my driver weaving through the lumbering trucks with inch-perfect precision, I can see Taragarh Fort perched high above the city.

It’s one of the highest and oldest fort sites in Rajasthan, first settled by the Chauhan king Ajayaraja I (r. c. 721-34), who gave Ajmer its name ‘Ajayameru’ meaning ‘invincible hills’. Looking out of the window, I wonder where exactly in the outlying valleys is the ravine that I’ve come to find, a place that the Mughal emperor Jahangir fell in love with and which is connected to an iconic Mughal painting.

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AN ART HISTORIAN IN AJMER

"

of humanity seems to be trying to squeeze at once.

I’m hoping I’ve crouched low enough not to spill my flowers. Suddenly I’m standing by the railings next to the saint’s cenotaph. As Zeeshan throws a chadar (cloth) over my head and prays in Arabic, time seems to stand still amidst the crush.

In 1192, the Afghan ruler Muhammad Ghori swept into North India taking first Delhi then Ajmer. It was an event that marked the beginning of Muslim rule in India. Ajmer soon began to reflect this Islamic influence. In the 1210s, the first historian of the Delhi Sultanate, Hasan Nizami, described the city in his Taj-ul Maasir as exceptionally beautiful with pure air and gardens filled with coloured flowers and fountains like Paradise. It is little wonder, then, that the renowned Sufi scholar and mystic Khwaja Mu’inuddin Chishti (1143-1236) chose Ajmer as his base when he moved to India in the early 13th (fig. 1). Known for his compassion towards the local population and his miracles, Mu’inuddin Chishti gained many followers, earning the epithet Gharib Nawaz ‘comfort to the poor’, as he is still popularly called.

His shrine in Ajmer, the Dargah Sharif, is arguably the most important site of Muslim pilgrimage in India.

Jahangir was even more devoted to Mu’inuddin Chishti than Akbar. In 1614 he uprooted his entire court from Agra and moved to Ajmer for three years to support the military campaigns of his son, the future Shah Jahan. Soon after arriving at Ajmer, he was perilously ill for about three weeks but prayed to Mu’inuddin Chishti for a miraculous recovery.

When this came about, he pierced his ears and always thereafter wore pearl earrings to signify he was a bonded slave of the saint (fig. 5).

The shrine was built soon after the Khwaja’s death in 1236 but was later expanded and given rich endowments by successive Mughal emperors when they adopted Mu’inuddin Chishti as their patron saint. From early on, Akbar (r.1555-1605) saw his alignment with the Chishti order as a way of forging a specifically Indian Muslim identity for his dynasty, visiting the shrine as pictured in a chronicle of his reign made c. 1590-95, the Akbarnama (fig. 2). Akbar also considered Ajmer a vital bridgehead for subduing Rajasthan, a project he approached both militarily and through soft power. It was, for example, at Ajmer in 1562 that Akbar met Raja Bharmal of Amber and agreed a marriage alliance with his daughter, a Hindu princess, Harkha Bai. Akbar allowed her to remain a Hindu in his harem, setting the direction for his cultural policy of building a tolerant society based on sulh-i kul (peace to all). She was to become the mother of his son and heir, Prince Salim (Jahangir).

In Ajmer, Jahangir’s court lived in a royal encampment of fine tents, a custom derived from the itinerant traditions of the Mughal’s Timurid and Central Asian ancestors. Jahangir himself lived in the only stone-built residence, a palace constructed by Akbar in 1570.

This is an architectural gem, with its large quadrangle of rooms built into the fortified walls and a gracious free-standing pavilion at the centre with deep eaves (chajja) to give shade. I instantly fell in love because it seems so relatable as a place to live compared to Akbar’s quirky buildings at his capital of Fatehpur Sikri. The yellow sandstone, the corner kiosks (chattris) and well-

To visit the shrine, I’m meeting Zeeshan Chishty, a young man who is a direct descendent of Mu’inuddin Chishti. We stop opposite the main entrance to the dargah, where I choose a huge platter of fragrant roses and jasmine to offer (fig. 3).

The outer precincts of the dargah are busy with pilgrims and qawwalis singing Sufi songs, as well as bhishtis offering drinking water from traditional animal skins (fig. 4). Access to the inner sanctum is through a small arched doorway, through which all

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HIS SHRINE IN AJMER, THE DARGAH SHARIF, IS ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT SITE OF MUSLIM PILGRIMAGE IN INDIA.

"

Ajmer’s political importance grew when the Hindu king Ajayaraja II (r. c.1110-1135) moved his capital to Taragarh Fort and his son Arnoraja (r. c.1135-50) constructed a huge artificial lake called the Anasagar on the plain below. Five hundred years later, Shah Jahan (r.1628-1657), builder of the Taj Mahal, constructed three attractive marble pleasure pavilions on the water’s edge that glisten in the sunlight. Ajmer was a central location from which the Chauhan dynasty controlled their expansive territories.

Auspiciously, it was also a mere 14km from one of the holiest places in Hinduism, the sacred temples and lake of Pushkar, dedicated to Brahma and mentioned in the Sanskrit epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Nowadays the tourist traffic goes direct to Pushkar and misses Ajmer completely.

Fig 4.

Fig 6.

Fig 3.

kept gardens look stunning against the bluest of skies. As a palace embedded within the urban centre of the city, rather than a fortress on a hill, it is a fascinating example of how the Mughals brought their presence directly among their people.

Jahangir discovered a great beauty spot in the hills of Ajmer beneath Taragarh Fort that he visited numerous times, usually on Thursdays and Fridays, so it essentially was a weekend retreat. It is in a clearing where a seasonal river tumbles over a small precipice between two hillsides. The site is dominated by three towers built almost a hundred years earlier in 1535 by Rao Maldev of Marwar (Jodhpur) to lift water to Taragarh Fort (fig. 6). Jahangir’s constructions are far more delicate, built on two levels, with sleeping pavilions and porticos above, now in total disrepair, and below, a huge pishtaq (arch) and grotto beside a water tank.

As an art historian this is a magical moment for me because this place, Chasma-i Nur, is linked to an iconic Mughal painting, Jahangir embracing Shah Abbas, by Abu’l Hasan, 1615, now housed in the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington DC (fig. 7). An inscription at the upper left of the painting states, ‘the contents of a dream His Majesty had at Nur Spring’.

Ostensibly the painting is about the brotherhood of two neighbouring Muslim rulers, the Mughal emperor and the Safavid Shah of Iran. But these two rulers never met in real life and in the 1610s tensions were running high between them on the Mughal northwest frontier. Jahangir’s imposing embrace of the diminutive Shah is blatant propaganda. His name means ‘world-seizer’ and hence he stands on a globe, a gift from a European visitor, reoriented to show India at the centre. The lion and the lamb on which the two rulers stand express the harmony of messianic rule, but on closer inspection, Jahangir’s lion is edging Shah Abbas’s lamb off his own territories of Iran into the Mediterranean.

Dreams and omens structured the lives of Mughal elites and so this painting would have been understood not just as a record of the dream, but as a talismanic realisation of its vision.

Jahangir had a powerful belief in the efficacy of art to manifest divine realities and to counteract negative portents. Coming to

Fig 2.

Chasma-i Nur myself is a rare opportunity to venture into the Rajasthani countryside far from the tourist trail and to understand Abu’l Hasan’s masterpiece in a more real and tangible way. These ancient hills shape the story of Ajmer’s history, and through Jahangir’s dream, they also gave rise to a work of art of timeless importance.

Fig 1. Bichitr, Mu’inuddin Chishti, c. 1618, Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, 7a.14 Fig 2. Basawan and Ikhlas, Akbar visiting Shrine of Mu’inuddin Chishti, Akbarnama, c. 1590-95, V&A Museum. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Fig 3. Zeeshan Chishty’s Shop opposite the Dargah Sharif, Ajmer. Photo: Ursula Weekes 2022 Fig 4. Bhishtis carrying water at the Dargah Sharif, Ajmer. Photo: Ursula Weekes 2022 Fig 5. Hashim, Jahangir at the Jharokha Window, c. 1615-20, Chester Beatty Library, Dublin.; option 2: Soane Museum, Vol. 145, f. 18r Fig 6. Valley near Ajmer leading to Chasma-i Nur with Water Towers built by Rao Maldev of Marwar in 1535. Photo: Ursula Weekes 2022 Fig 7. Abu’l Hasan, Jahangir embracing Shah Abbas, 1615, Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, F 1945.9a

12-day holiday to India, discovering Rajasthan and visiting auspicious Mughal sites and artwork, from £5,995 pp. Expert Recommendation: For art enthusiasts and historians why not consider travelling with Ursula Weekes in a small private group.

SOUTH EAST ASIA & Australasia

South East Asia is brimming with historical, biological and anthropological interests for you to explore, or perhaps journey across Australasia’s diverse landscapes. Cambodia never fails to enrich the soul; watch the sunrise over Angkor Wat and wander through the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda in Phnom Penh. Visit Indonesia to delve into orangutan conservation, cruise island archipelagos and cycle through paddy fields and ancient sites. Cruise the Mekong Delta, visit minority tribes in the northern hills and take a tour through the Cu Chi tunnels in Vietnam.

Australia is filled with bustling cities, rich aboriginal culture, sought-after sceneries and iconic wildlife. And finally, New Zealand is of course home to some of the most beautiful and diverse scenery in the world, where you can seek out whales in Kaikoura and tour a steaming crater floor.

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AUSTRALIA Combine Kangaroo Island, the Flinders Ranges, Barossa Valley and Murray River for a holiday that epitomises how sustainability, fun and fulfilment in Australia’s great outdoors can all come together.

On Kangaroo Island, take an e-bike tour along the Cygnet River or get involved with echidna research and citizen science programmes with expert Peggy Rismiller. Meeting the conservationists and witnessing firsthand Kangaroo Island’s natural regeneration is an uplifting experience. Back on the mainland, stay at Arkaba – a beautifully restored 1850's homestead situated in the Flinders Ranges. Surrounded by spectacular rock formations, cypress pines and river red gums, you will find kangaroos, yellow-footed rock wallabies and emus roaming through this 60,000-acre private wildlife conservancy.

This outback adventure culminates with guided walks and canoe excursions on a Murray River cruise aboard a solar-powered houseboat. A combination of self-drive and guided activities allows for flexibility and freedom with minimal internal flights required.

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OUR RECOMMENDED

TRAVEL READS

by Justin Wateridge

I am often asked, “What are your ‘Desert Island Travel Books’?”

I cannot narrow it down to the requisite eight but here are eight books, loosely associated with travel, that I have read in the last year and would wholeheartedly recommend.

ARCTIC DREAMS

by

BARRY LOPEZ

Lopez’s seminal work conjures up the sublime beauty of the Arctic landscape, its peoples, wildlife and dangers as he journeys across our frozen planet. His incisive and lyrical prose is a celebration of the Arctic in all its guises. A truly beautiful book.

AFRICA IS NOT A COUNTRY

SENTIENT

by

JACKIE HIGGINS

A captivating book in which Jackie Higgins uses a menagerie of extraordinary creatures to wonderfully illustrate the sensory powers that lie dormant within us. As she says, “Open your eyes, ears, skin, tongues, noses and more to the everyday miracle of being sentient.” The range of creatures from the peacock mantis shrimp to the golden orb weaving spider is fascinating.

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by

DIPO FALOYIN

Humorous and insightful book, Dipo Faloyin offers a much-needed corrective to the lazy categorisation of Africa. He examines colonial heritage, Hollywood typecast labels and the travel industry’s misleading imagery to reveal the dangers of stereotypes in popular culture.

Both intimate and political, he updates the story of the continent by celebrating the energy of its different cultures and communities.

OUR RECOMMENDED TRAVEL READS

REBIRDING

by

BENEDICT MACDONALD

A wonderful book, in which Macdonald slams the extreme caution and lack of vision and boldness of conservation agencies and organisations. I couldn’t agree more. Like aid organisations and NGOs, they become less about social good and more about self-fulfilment.

Bracing, brilliant and informed.

ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?

by

WILLIAM SUTCLIFFE

A riotously funny satire on student travel, the Gap Year and particularly India’s back-packer trail. Whether you recognise yourself or characters that you met on your travels, Sutcliffe’s novel still retains its charm 25 years on. It will both empathise and amuse.

THE LOST PIANOS OF SIBERIA

by

SOPHY ROBERTS

Richly absorbing, this is travel writing at its best. A compelling blend of travel, musicology and socio-political history, Roberts tells the story of Siberia not through penal colonies but pianos dotted through this remote region.

Powerful storytelling that is full of humanity, emotion and empathy.

OTHERLANDS

by

THOMAS HALLIDAY

A dazzling tour of deep time.

Halliday’s imaginative storytelling shows the last 500 million years not as an endless expanse of unfathomable time, but as a series of strangely familiar worlds. Halliday immerses us in ancient landscapes, from the mammoth steppe in Ice Age Alaska to the lush rainforests of Eocene Antarctica, highlighting the tenacity of life yet also the fragility of ecosystems, including our own.

THE EDGE OF THE PLAIN

by

JAMES CRAWFORD

Combining history, travel and reportage, Crawford explores how borders have grown and evolved to take control of our landscapes, our memories and our identities.

He argues that our obsession with borders has brought us to a crisis point – today, there are more borders in the world than ever before.

YOUR TRAVEL CALENDAR

Where to travel when

1

January

SRI LANKA

KENYA

Sri Lanka is generally blessed with great weather all year around but the tropical climate really comes into its own during our winter months, from January to April. A trip around the Cultural Triangle, with some time to while away on the beaches in Negombo, Bentota and Tangalle, is one few will ever forget.

The hottest month across much of the country and, with much fortune, the moment when wildlife sightings are at their highest and visitor numbers at their lowest. January to March, when the seas are glass-clear and landscape fantastically lush, play host to a rambunctious natural spectacle as bird species migrate from Europe.

ANTARCTICA

2

February

Simply one of our most cherished destinations on the planet. This is, in our experience, a prime moment to make the trip to Antarctica. The extended daylight and average temperatures of around -6°C set an idyllic stage on which to spot whales, sea birds and the shenanigans of fledgling penguin chicks.

CHILE At 4,290 kilometres long, Chile is the longest country in the world, stretching from the harsh environment of the Atacama Desert at the top, to the dramatic peaks, fjords and windswept wilderness of Patagonia at the bottom. In between, you can find dense forests, crystal clear lakes, superb fishing and vineyards. As it’s the end of the summer, it’s a perfect time for walking, horse riding and wild swimming in the incredible Torres del Paine and other national parks.

88 Explore these dates and destinations in detail at steppestravel.com/when-to-go

INDIA

3

March

4

April

One of the hottest and driest months in Central India’s calendar and it just so happens to turn it into a playground for its wildlife. Tigers and elephants are at their most active as they seek out ways to find water, creating the perfect environment for animal lovers and photographers to observe them in all of their splendour.

BELIZE The weather in Belize in March is almost perfect, with long, sunny days and refreshing breezes at night. From the jungles of the north to the sanctuaries of the south, and the marine reserves of the Caribbean Sea, Belize is a true haven for wildlife enthusiasts and a destination hard to beat for keen ornithologists.

JAPAN

COSTA RICA

This is the best month to see the cherry blossom as it unfurls and sweeps northwards across the country. Known as one of Japan’s most beautiful festivals, the Takayama Matsuri is also held in April and sees the streets in the old town of Takayama burst into life as floats and shrines are paraded through them.

January to April generally has the lowest rainfall throughout the year, though showers can still be expected with such a tropical climate and provide welcome relief.

This is one of the most exciting times to visit the Pacific Coast, with abundant opportunities to see wildlife, explore the jungle, and relax on white sandy beaches.

Explore these dates and destinations in detail at steppestravel.com/when-to-go 89

5

May

NAMIBIA

BHUTAN

The beginning of winter in Namibia and when rainfall is scarce. Wildlife will start to gather around the waterholes as rivers and other water sources dry up to create opportunities for viewing and photography. Although dry, a real freshness hangs in the air and green still spreads across the landscape as far as the eye can see.

The country at its finest and the time to visit the exquisite Himalayan mountain kingdom. Rhododendrons begin to raise their stalks skywards and bloom to flood the steep, engrossing valleys with colour. For those interested in seeing the rare black-necked cranes, we equally recommend visiting the Phobjikha Valley between late October and mid-February.

MADAGASCAR

6

June

7

July

Well outside of peak season, with less rainfall and still being relatively warm, the opportunity to trek the rugged and beautiful highlands will never feel more right. The added space provided by the lack of visitors will give you plenty of room to immerse yourself in the landscape, and really get to know the playful lemur population.

August

Spitsbergen is renowned for its excellent polar bear sightings.

The best period to see them is between May and September, as this is when the ice melts enough for ships to navigate the still icy waters. With 24 hours of daylight, abundant wildlife and drifting icebergs, the Arctic in summer is one of the most beautiful areas on earth.

ROMANIA

GEORGIA

Whilst the medieval culture and villages are well known, it is the wildlife and wilderness that many people come to see.

The dense pine forests and clear mountain streams of the Carpathian Mountains support a third of Europe’s brown bears, as well as wolves and lynx, and the rich delta of the Danube is home to over 320 species of birds.

June to August is the high season across the country. It is the time to explore the Caucasus Mountains in the north, as it is likely to be free of snow and generally dry. The central lowlands can get very hot and humid around this time, and make relaxing trips along the Black Sea coast particularly enjoyable.

ICELAND

8

SPITSBERGEN

August marks the last official month of summer in Iceland and is one of the warmest of the year. All of this creates a sublime backdrop for the wildlife-viewing opportunities, including puffin migration and whale watching, and to explore the myriad festivals and cultural events.

TANZANIA July to October is migration season in Tanzania as huge swathes of animals make the dicey trip across the rivers before they continue on across the continent. In August, the dense bush in Ruaha is drying out and clusters the wildlife to create plenty of chances to spot game.

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BOTSWANA

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September

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October

The drier and cooler weather brings vast portions of the wildlife together, to congregate around limited water sources, and the opportunity for game viewing opens up. Conversely, the water levels in the Okavango Delta are high and the potential to explore its own captivating wildlife displays along with it.

The long summer days offer opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors across the country through hiking, boating, camping and fishing. The optimum time to see the bears is during the salmon spawning season, from late August to September, when they can be seen swiping the fish from the rivers and fattening up before the onset of winter.

BRAZIL

AUSTRALIA

For many, October is the best time to visit Brazil as the busy holiday periods are a distant thought, along with the chilly southern winter weather, and better value for money can be found.

For those looking for something a touch more wild, the Amazon and Pantanal are both teeming with a collection of species hard to be matched.

In the north, the temperature and humidity start to build, and the much-welcome rain returns to transform the Outback landscape into a vast spread of wildflowers. The south, however, sees the start of spring and enjoys weather that perfectly accompanies wildlife spotting excursions in the national parks and along the coast.

ARGENTINA

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November

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December

CANADA

Right on the cusp of this region’s summer and yet still too early for the crowds that are expected in just a month. The rugged edges of Patagonia’s landscapes are softened as they come into bloom and the vineyards of Mendoza sit quietly, with the stunning snow-capped Andes behind, to offer miles upon miles of blissful solitude.

RWANDA Don’t be put off by the short rains in November as Rwanda is still, without a doubt, the best place in the world to go mountain gorilla trekking and release your inner Attenborough. Walking in the Virunga Mountains in the shadow of giant prehistoric plants as the mists clear to reveal a family of gorillas is incomparable.

VIETNAM

THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

December is one of the best times to go to North Vietnam with warm sunny days combined with fewer crowds, especially outside of traditional Christmas holidays.

Most of Vietnam enjoys dry conditions and basks in the sunshine by December, with central Vietnam being the exception. Head to the southern coast if you want to soak up some rays on Vietnam’s gorgeous beaches.

The start of the warm season provides a welcome escape to the weather back home. Albatross chicks are beginning to find their wings, boobies exercise their prolific fishing skills and giant tortoise eggs begin to hatch new life. Swimming with sea lions, in particular, can be an incredible experience this month as water visibility improves with the dissipation of the Humboldt Current.

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Image credit: BBC Studios, Alex Board