ORIGINAL traveller
ISSUE N°3
THE KINTSUGI TRAVEL ISSUE
by
MOROCCO - SUMBA MEXICO - SARDINIA - TIBET
Cover shot by Maddie Alohilani of the Coral Gardeners coral propagation programme at Tiaia nursery on the island of Mo’orea in French Polynesia. Coral Gardeners nurtured and planted 12,066 corals in the waters off Mo’orea in 2022 alone.
Original Travel 111 Upper Richmond Road London SW15 2TL +44 (0) 20 3911 5900 originaltravel.co.uk
ORIGINAL traveller Spring - Summer 2024
E d i to r ’ s L e t te r Welcome to the third issue of Original Traveller. Appropriately enough, we’re now entering our third decade and, at 21, it feels very much like we’ve come of age. In my opinion, we have the best team we’ve ever had, with deep expertise across all areas of the business. In particular, we’re extremely proud to have more destination-specific consultants currently listed in Conde Nast Traveler’s prestigious Top Travel Specialists list than any other travel company in the UK, or the US. They and our other experts are helping plan ever more complex and rewarding trips for our clients, but more importantly still, they are also helping them to travel with purpose. That’s why we’ve called this the Kintsugi Travel issue, to celebrate our new concept. You’ll find out much more on page 70 but, in essence, Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold lacquer to create a piece considered even more beautiful than the original. We believe the concept also applies to travel, and after the wrecking ball of the pandemic, we want to be the gold lacquer piecing travel back together better than before. That means tackling the twin scourges of overtourism and everexpanding flight routes, and encouraging positive impact innovations such as Undertourism, Flight-Free Travel, Community-Based Tourism, Indigenous Tourism and Philantourism. And, as ever, when you book with Original Travel you can travel with a clear conscience because the carbon from your flights – and ground transport – remains 100% absorbed in reforestation projects that we manage. In short, we believe travel can, and should, be a force for good, benefitting visitor and destination alike. The good news doesn’t stop there, either. We’re moving to two issues of Original Traveller per year (printed on carbon balanced paper, naturally), so keep an eye out for another in September. TOM BARBER, CO-FOUNDER OF ORIGINAL TRAVEL
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INSIDE TRACK Original Traveller n°3 — Spring - Summer 2024
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19
58 — 69
MEMENTO
24 HOURS IN...
OUR MAN IN MOROCCO
India’s god of good fortune
How to do Palma like a pro
From Fez to the Sahara
20 — 21
TOP TEN...
Train destinations in Europe 22
HEROES
Doug & Kristine Tompkins
10 — 13
70 — 77
ON THE RADAR
KINTSUGI TRAVEL
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78 — 91
Coming soon to a planet near you
Travel as a force for good
MEXIQUE, C’EST CHIC
TRAVEL TRENDS
Oaxaca is where it’s at
What’s hot (and what’s not)
92 — 101
SEA, STONES & SARDINIA
Another side to a Mediterranean gem 102 - 105
ABORIGINAL TRAVEL
23
Learn from a 65,000-year-old culture
FINE LINES
Totemic trees in Canada 24 — 25
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Chef Nak’s Khmer cracker 26 — 27
THE BIG PICTURE
A Deep South soundtrack 15
28 — 31
106 - 119
BETTER KNOWN
INTERVIEW
AMDO UNCOVERED
16 — 17
42 — 43
122 - 131
TRIED & TESTED
THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
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44 — 57
132
TRAVEL HACK
SUMBA CLASS
ENDINGS
Dive into Papua New Guinea
Good gear = great travel
The inside track on Japanese inns
Safari visionary Beks Ndlovu
The conservation conversation
An Indonesian island idyll 5
A glimpse of ancient Tibet
Safari animal habitats and habits
Until next time
original traveller
C o n t r i b u to r s JAMES BACK
ELLIOT BEAUMONT
CATHERINE FAIRWEATHER
Africa expert, Original Travel
illustrator & artist
contributing editor & travel writer
One of our (many) Conde Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialists, James has deep knowledge of safari destinations, including his native South Africa.
Originally from Sydney, Elliot now lives in Berlin and is a regular contributor to Original Traveller, working predominantly with watercolour.
Former Travel Editor at Bazaar and Porter, and now Contributing Editor for Conde Nast Traveller, Catherine also presents The Third Act podcast.
JEROME GALLAND
ARTA GHANBARI
LISA GRAINGER
photographer
travel editor
travel editor
Jerome Galland is a Paris-based photographer and Original Traveller regular who specialises in architectural, interiors, food and, of course, travel photography.
Born in Iran and raised in Canada, Arta is the Travel Editor at House & Garden, commissioning stories that offer different perspectives on the world.
Zimbabwean-born Lisa is Travel & Deputy Editor of Times Luxx, and has a passion for Africa, conservation and sustainable luxury travel.
MEG MACMAHON
BEKS NDLOVU
STANLEY STEWART
Asia expert, Original Travel
owner, African Bush Camps
writer & traveller
Meg is an outdoor enthusiast and creative writer who recently visited Australia to try out authentic and enlightening Aboriginal experiences.
Beks started out as a safari guide before founding his own luxurious lodges and tented camps across southern Africa, with a focus on conservation and community.
Stanley Stewart is the award-winning author of three highly acclaimed travel books and several hundred articles on his adventures across five continents.
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Original Traveller Spring-Summer 2024 Editor Tom Barber Creative Director Faustine Poidevin-Gros Picture Editors Daria Nikitina, Marie Champenois Contributing Editors Naomi Pike, Ella Mawson Contributors Pie Aerts, James Back, Elliot Beaumont, Aliocha Boi, Jacquelyn Cole, Catherine Fairweather, Jerome Galland, Arta Ghanbari, Lisa Grainger, Rebecca Lowe, Meg MacMahon, Beks Ndlovu, Eleanor Seagle, Brigit Sfat, Stanley Stewart Original Travel 111 Upper Richmond Road London SW15 2TL +44 (0) 20 3911 5900 www.originaltravel.co.uk
By using Carbon Balanced Paper for this magazine Original Travel has balanced the equivalent of 4,280 kgs of carbon dioxide. This support will enable World Land Trust to protect 817 square meters of critically threatened tropical forest. Certificate number CBP022587.
original traveller
AROUND THE WO R L D in 24 pages
Roam by rail in Europe; learn Khmer cooking in Cambodia; party in Palma; check out the latest travel gear; dive into PNG; take pole position in Canada; carry on carrying on luggage; get the inside track on Japanese inns; meet India’s good luck god; Moke around on holiday; blaze a trail in Sri Lanka; read about a safari visionary and try your hand (or feet) at ‘bootiquing’. 8
memento
Ganesh FROM INDIA With his elephant head, four arms and portly tummy, Ganesh is probably the most recognisable of all the deities in the Hindu pantheon. He is revered as the god of good fortune and prosperity, but also of travel. I spent a year working in India and developed a decent understanding of the fascinating array of Hindu gods and goddesses; Ganesh is my favourite. The story goes that he was one of two sons of Shiva – the god of destruction – and Parvarti. Shiva was away while Ganesh was growing up and, years later, returned home to find Parvarti with a strange man he didn’t recognise. Overcome with jealousy, Shiva chopped off his head. When Parvarti explained that he had killed his own son, Shiva offered to bring him back to life and replace his head with that of the first thing he saw, which turned out to be an elephant. That explains why Ganesh is also the god of new beginnings, but I waited until my last days in India, when I was in Pushkar, before buying my Ganesh, as he was too heavy to carry around the country. If you buy your own Ganesh, make sure that his trunk curls to his left, as this is considered particularly auspicious. Holly Barber, Asia Team originaltravel.co.uk
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On The Radar INCOMING SOON...
Just as the world keeps turning, the travel industry never stands still. From new flight routes to grand museum openings and floating hotel rooms, there’s always something exciting on the horizon...
Grand Egyptian Museum
Direct London to L i m a f l i g h t s
It seems like we’ve been waiting since the time of the Pharaohs for the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum. But, finally, after 20-plus years, it’s throwing open the doors to its 484,000sq ft gallery space. The GEM will house over 100,000 artefacts, including a 36ft-tall statue of Rameses II, and Tutankhamun’s mummy, along with all 5,000 of the treasures from his tomb. Grand in scope, scale and architecture, the museum is also conveniently located just a mile from Giza’s pyramids.
“You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone” sang Joni Mitchell, and that’s certainly the case with direct flights from London to Lima in Peru, which British Airways ran briefly between 2016 to 2019. Now, thanks to LATAM Airlines, they’re back again, adding to London’s (frankly measly) trio of nonstop Latin America flights; to Sao Paulo, Rio and Bogota. So what are you waiting for? There are just 13 hours standing between you, Peru, street food tours in Barranco and all-thingsInca. Paddington will be pleased.
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on the radar
Air New Z e a l a n d S ky n e s t s
T h e Pe ko e Tr a i l
The thought of flying to the other end of the planet in economy class is a deal-breaker for many, but Air New Zealand have the solution: Skynests. These new sleeping pods are the perfect ultra-long-haul compromise and won’t break the back – or bank. Bed down for up to four hours in bunk-style pods complete with privacy curtains and phone chargers. There won’t be any chance of mile high hanky panky, though; the beds are strictly single occupancy, so you can land refreshed and ready for the holiday of a lifetime.
Sri Lanka has taken the phrase ‘off the beaten track’ verbatim and created a whole new, unbeaten one. Away from the well-trodden Cultural Triangle, the country has been busy designating its first long-distance hiking route through the heart of the beautiful Central Highlands. Meandering past remote villages and centuries-old tea estates, the trail serves as the perfect introduction to Sri Lanka’s hinterland. En route, learn how to pluck tea leaves like a seasoned local before giving your legs a well-earned rest at traditional tea bungalow hotels.
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Soneva Secret
The Whale, Norway
The secret’s finally out. From the legendary Soneva brand comes a new island retreat in one of the Maldives’ most remote atolls, Haa Dhaalu. Promising to take barefoot luxury (their concept in the first place) to the next level, you can take your pick from one of 14 beach and overwater hideaways as well as a floating villa, appropriately named the Castaway, which can be moved to various spots around the lagoon. Each villa comes with a retinue of personal staff who can organise everything from snorkelling adventures with a marine biologist to sunset dolphin cruises.
Norway is having a moment. And no place embodies that more than its future Arctic attraction, The Whale. Rising from Andøya’s northern coastline like a whale’s caudal fin, this feat of architecture doesn’t just look good; its curved concrete shell and iridescent floor to ceiling windows are perfect for whale watching. Inside, the museum will host art and research exhibits on these mysterious submarine mammals. Set to open in 2026, it’s still a faint blip on the radar, but come two years’ time, we’re sure it’ll make quite the splash.
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on the radar
The return of t h e M i n i M o ke
T h e Fr i c k Collection reopens
Aside from Bardot in a bikini, nothing evokes the spirit of the sixties in St Tropez like the Mini Moke. Another 60 years on and it’s undergone an all-electric makeover with a new radio interface and massive speakers to boot. But this Swinging Sixties icon hasn’t forgotten its Bond and Bardot roots. With a top speed of 50mph, the Mini Moke is less concerned with speeding from A to B and more about savouring the journey, cruising along coastal roads in sustainable style.
Consider this your change of address announcement for New York’s dreamy Frick Collection. Heading back to its original home at the Henry Clay Frick House on Fifth Avenue, this mansion-turned-art-gallery is re-opening its doors with a fresh new look. Taking the 1914 property into the 21st century with new exhibition spaces, a state-of-the-art auditorium and access to its previously off limits second floor, you’ll still be going for the astonishing Hans Holbein of Thomas More, but staying for The Boucher Room, dedicated to the French artist François Boucher.
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travel trends
Tr a v e l Tr e n d s The Original Travel team have their fingers firmly on the pulse of travel. Find out what’s hot, and what’s not. TA K I N G O F F
Bootiquing <
Cabin Fever >
If you go down to the woods today… you may well find a cosy cabin, often for just two people and offering a rural retreat from the hustle and bustle. Leave the mobiles at home and tune into nature.
Hikers rejoice! A swathe of new boutique hotels in walking regions mean you can kick your boots off in luxury. We call it ‘bootiquing’, and it sure beats a bothy. <
Twinning destinations
Turn your layover into a stayover. Long-haul indirect flights via the likes of Madrid, Lisbon, Istanbul and Reykjavik mean you can enjoy a European city break before your ‘main’ holiday. Two for one!
< Renting clothes on holiday
Who needs clothes? Not the passengers of Japan Airlines who can now rent what they need on arrival, saving on weight and therefore, carbon emissions. Smart.
< Overview effect
Until space tourism takes off, adventurers are seeking other ways to experience ‘the overview effect’ (the cognitive shift in awareness reported by astronauts). See: diving, climbing and losing oneself in wide, open spaces.
<
Saturday to Saturday
< Dive sign language
On a new safari dive in Tanzania, you’re equipped with an earpiece to listen to your dive guide as they take you on a tour of coral gardens, identifying coral and fish species.
<
Why conform to the norm of Saturday changeover days when you can have a ‘wonky week’ off instead? Travel mid-week for cheaper, quieter flights and enjoy two short weeks at work. Win-win.
September
October is the new September. Travel in the 10th month delays the inevitable onset of winter and in the first half the world is gloriously kid-free, while the second half is ideal for a (often two-week) half-term family-fest.
Wheely bags >
So noisy, so unwieldy, so likely to end up being checked in on a full flight. Much better to take carry-on luggage which can be squished into smaller spaces instead. Is this the disinvention of the wheel?
Old school maps >
Globemakers, a new book from our friends Bellerby & Co, is a beautifully illustrated story of how they became the only truly bespoke globemakers in the world. Travel inspo at its best.
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better tips known
B e t te r K n o w n PAPUA NEW GUINEA Thanks to the country’s remarkable biodiversity, rugged beauty and cultural richness, Papua New Guinea (PNG) is on many an adventurer's bucket list. For avid divers specifically, it should be sloshing around right at the brim. Encircled by ancient continents of coral growth and straddling the Ring of Fire tectonic belt, PNG and its offshore islands are the final frontier for dive exploration; difficult to reach, but utterly worth it. Our favourite spots include Milne Bay, famed for its unparalleled macro diving. You can expect tower-like pinnacles swathed in hard and soft corals and tunnel-like swim-throughs in the reef like holes in aquatic Emmental. Here you’ll find little critters such as mating mandarin fish, ghost pipefish, leaf scorpionfish and nudibranchs galore. Heading northwest, Tufi sits in a fjord-like outcrop, surrounded by uncharted reefs where giant clams, hammerhead sharks, cuttlefish and eagle rays congregate. A little further afield, Kimbe Bay in New Britain is home to submerged seamounts, drawing in the big species from scalloped hammerheads, silvertip and grey reef sharks, spinner dolphins and even the odd orca, sperm and pilot whales delighting divers with swim-bys. In short, it’s time to get to PNG PDQ. This section is inspired by the podcast Better Known, where Ivan Wise asks a guest to name six things that currently fly beneath the radar but that should be firmly on it. We think Better Known should be, well, better known, so tune in at betterknown.co.uk 15
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Debating what new travel gear you need? The answer’s right here, in black and white. Apple’s new series 9 watch promises to be the perfect travel companion; able to access your documents and city guides on the Original Travel app, and take calls from pretty much anywhere (even the sea) with its hands-free function. apple.com, £399. (1) Thanks to the use of surgical grade silicone, Aqualung’s Plazma frameless panoramic mask is – quite literally – the perfect fit, and offers every divers’ dream: better peripheral vision. uk.aqualung.com, £72. (2) Another great product from a great British brand. With four colour-coded compartments, Smythson’s multi-zip travel wallet will never have you asking, ‘has anyone seen my passport?’ again. smythson.com, £265. (3) From the team behind the best car roof boxes come the best packing cubes. Durable and water repellent, and with a compression zip to eliminate excess air, packing problems will be a thing of the past. thule.com, £40. (4)
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The original ethical shoe brand Toms are back with a new take on positive impact and retro inspired Wyndon trainers. Now, when you buy a pair, instead of donating a pair, Toms fund grassroots causes and mental health resources. toms.com, £90. (5) Did a double take? Shame on you. This is actually a motorised propeller for inflatable stand-up paddleboards that slots in where the keel normally goes. Some call it cheating, we call it an ingenious antidote to tired arms. decathlon.co.uk, £350. (6) Crocpak’s newest anti-theft dry bag is its toughest yet. Engineered for adventure, you can lock it to almost anything, meaning you’re free to enjoy the moment knowing your valuables are safe. crocpak.com, £53. (7) Before investing in an underwater camera, try SeaLife’s ingenious SportDiver Smartphone Housing, which works at depths of up to 40 metres and fits most phone brands. sealife-cameras.com, £303. (8)
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Inspired by sixties Californian surfer girls, Heidi Klein’s racerback swimsuit is the epitome of timeless style, and comes Kate Moss and Jennifer Aniston approved. heidiklein.com, £270. (9) The acme of German engineering, Leica’s compact D-Lux 7 camera combines stylish design and high tech with its 4k video mode and 17 megapixel photos. The D-Lux should last a lifetime. leica-camera.com, £1,170. (10) 17
travel hack
Tr a v e l H a c k
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HOW TO STAY IN A JAPANESE RYOKAN
Japan’s bewitching blend of hyper-modernity and ancient traditions is perfectly encapsulated by the contrasting accommodation you’re likely to stay in: space-age skyscraper hotels one minute and low-rise ryokans (traditional inns) the next, where you sleep on futon beds in rooms with paper and latticework walls. A ryokan stay offers a very special glimpse into traditional Japanese living, and a little bit of advice on etiquette can make your stay even more memorable. Firstly, the footwear. On arrival, you'll need to swap your shoes for indoor slippers, but these in turn should be removed when walking on the tatami mat flooring of your room. When wandering around, wear the yukata dressing gown provided. Most ryokan stays include kaiseki dinners, eaten in your room, which often involve ten or more delicate, delicious (and often indeterminate) small courses that are as much art as cuisine. And finally, many ryokans have onsens, or hot spring baths, and (naturally) there is a protocol to follow. Once undressed you're provided with a small towel to maintain your modesty as you wander around before washing thoroughly in the shower area. Only then do you enter the onsen, completely naked (sexes are segregated). Once in the water, don’t dunk your head, don’t scrub yourself, and if you have a tattoo, cover it up; they tend to be associated with the yakuza, Japan’s answer to the mafia.
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FRANCES MAVOR, ASIA TEAM, ORIGINAL TRAVEL
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24 hours
24 H o u r s i n . . . P a l m a WITH OUR CONCIERGE
Our clued-up local Concierges are the ultimate insiders. Who better to plan the perfect day?
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Start the day at Cappuccino Grand Café in charming Plaça de Cort square. Sit outside and enjoy avocado toast with poached eggs, a Pura Vida juice and a cappuccino as you watch commuters walk by.
Stroll through the old quarter to the huge Mercat de l’Olivar, a thriving food market selling the fresh produce that makes Mallorcan cuisine so special. Stop to sample anything that catches your eye.
Croquetas, chipirones (baby squid) and buñuelos (fried dough fritters) are all on the menu at La Caña, the first xiringo (tapas beach bar) in town. Pair your plates with a floral Mallorcan prensal white wine.
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C o n c i e rg e
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Step into the world of artist (and Mallorcan resident) Joan Miró at the Fundació Miró Mallorca. See his studio exactly as he left it, with half-finished canvases on easels and oils still glistening on palettes.
Mallorcan native Cecilia knows Palma like the back of her hand. Her love of the city’s architecture and design means you’ll never run short of good views and stylish spots for a drink.
Swap a siesta for a spot of retail therapy at Arquinesia, an elegant town house turned perfumier where each room introduces a different Balearic-sourced scent. Try the fig. It’s divine.
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Order a ‘Sevillana’ cocktail (gin, orange syrup, lime and maraschino liqueur) at chic beach bar Assaona and settle in for sundown over the bluer than blue Bay of Palma.
For dinner, head to the award-winning Dins Santi Taura for their 11-course ‘Origens’ tasting menu featuring Mallorcan-style stuffed snails. Stick to the Spanish timeline or you'll be dining alone.
Spend the early hours behind Door 13, a candle-lit, 1920s-style speakeasy. Order an Old Fashioned and listen to the sounds of live jazz and blues at this underground time capsule.
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SWISS ALPS, SWITZERLAND, 1 Day (4) Surprisingly easy, taking an early Eurostar to Paris and four-hour TGV to Zurich. You’re then in the safe hands of the ruthlessly efficient Swiss train service and should be in whichever resort you choose in time for fondue.
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, 4 Hours (3) Aside from Paris and Brussels, this is the easiest of all these routes, with a direct Eurostar service from London several times a day to one of the finest Big Short Break destinations of them all.
ANDALUCIA, SPAIN, 2 Days (2) If you have the need for speed, this route is for you. Eurostar it to Paris, take the rapid TGV to Barcelona and spend the night in the Catalan capital. On day two, take an AVE (Spain’s high-speed trains) via Madrid to multiple cities in Andalucia. Head on to Algeciras and you can even take a ferry to Tangier in Morocco the next morning.
LISBON, PORTUGAL, 3 Days (1) This ‘gastrainomy’ route takes in Paris, Bordeaux and San Sebastian en route to Lisbon. Take the Eurostar to Paris and TGV to Bordeaux and Basque Country and stay overnight (or longer) in San Sebastian for arguably Europe’s best food. The next day, take the high-speed train to the under-rated Galician gem of Vigo and stay overnight. On the final morning it’s on to Porto and then Lisbon.
ISTANBUL, TURKEY, 5 Days (8) One of the world’s most legendary rail journeys. Take the afternoon Eurostar to Brussels and then board the Nightjet sleeper to Vienna, arriving the next morning. There are several trains onwards to Budapest in time to
Contact one of our Europe Specialists on: +44 (0) 20 3911 5900
OSLO (and the fjords), NORWAY, 3 Days (10) Start your route as if going to Stockholm, with a night in Brussels and on to Hamburg, before changing course for Copenhagen, spending the night in Denmark’s very civilised capital. The next day, take the train to Gothenburg across the Oresund bridge (of The Bridge Nordic noir fame). Access the stunning Bohuslan archipelago (and its famous seafood) from here, or forge north to Oslo. Trains to Bergen and even Trondheim run on from the capital through some of Europe’s most dramatic scenery.
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, 3 Days (9) Evening Eurostar to Brussels for moules/frites/bed. The next morning, take the seven-hour ICE (Germany’s high-speed trains) to Hamburg. Enjoy supper and then board the new Euronight sleeper train to Stockholm, arriving mid-morning the following day. If you want to carry on north in winter, a sleeper service from the capital means you’ll wake up in Lapland ready for dog-sledding and Northern Lights spotting.
LECCE, ITALY, 2 Days (6) Much the same as the route to Sicily, with a night spent in Milan, but taking the Frecciarossa down Italy’s east coast instead the next day. Six hours later you’ll be in Puglia, marvelling at Baroque architecture in Lecce, the ‘Florence of the South’.
SPLIT, CROATIA, 2 Days (7) Eurostar to Paris and double-decker TGV on to Stuttgart (via Munich), arriving in time for the overnight Lisinski sleeper train. You can disembark in lovely Ljubljana in Slovenia in time for breakfast, or stay on until Zagreb, the Croatian capital. Enjoy lunch and then one of Europe’s most beautiful train rides, through vineyard-clad valleys and along the coast to Split come evening.
connect that evening with another sleeper, the Ister. Next morning, you can disembark in Brasov, the gateway to beautiful Transylvania, or stay on until Bucharest. Stay the day/night in Romania’s underrated capital before another sleeper, this time the late morning departing Bosfor. Journey down through Bulgaria and overnight onto Istanbul for breakfast.
CATANIA, ITALY, 2 Days (5) From island to island in under 48 hours is eminently achievable. After the Eurostar to Paris, take a seven-hour TGV to Milan and spend the night in Italy’s fashion capital. The next day, take the Frecciarossa high-speed train via Rome to Naples and then the slower Intercity along the coast to Messina where the train boards the ferry across to Sicily.
With a raft of new routes and the resurgence of sleeper services across the continent, train travel to some of Europe’s finest destinations (and even beyond) is now very much a thing. You can either take the quickest route, as explained below, or stay in some very special places en route. Either way, you’ll arrive with a clear conscience.
EUROPEAN DESTINATIONS YOU CAN REACH BY TRAIN
To p Te n . . .
trains in europe
heroes
Doug & Kristine To m p k i n s HEROES Before their paths even crossed, Douglas and Kristine Tompkins were already making waves, Doug as a wilderness advocate and co-founder of The North Face and Esprit; Kristine (then McDivitt) as a conservationist and CEO of Patagonia. Then, in 1990, while working to protect a remote rainforest in Chilean Patagonia, they met and later married. From this point on, they devised a joint mission: to protect and restore wild beauty and biodiversity. Through their Tompkins Conservation, and working with local communities and governments, they’ve helped to protect over 14 million acres of land by creating an extraordinary 15 national parks in Argentina and Chile; worked to reestablish more than two dozen endangered species – including apex predators like jaguars and giant river otters – and preserve highly endangered species like the huemul deer. Over three decades of philanthropic work, they’ve spearheaded environmental campaigns, supported activism, engaged in regenerative agriculture and published books on environmental topics. Then, in 2015, tragedy struck. Doug died in a kayaking accident, and the world lost a true visionary and conservation champion. His legacy is to be considered one of the most successful conservation philanthropists in history and Kristine, now president of the Tompkins Conservation, continues to expand their initiatives to this day.
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fine lines
© Matthieu Salvaing
Architecture
Fine Lines
TOTEM POLES IN NINSTINTS, HAIDA GWAII, CANADA The remote village of Ninstints, on the island of Haida Gwaii in British Columbia, boasts the largest in situ collection of totem poles created by the Haida people, one of Canada’s First Nations. This once bustling town was abandoned in the 1880s after smallpox imported from Europe had decimated the indigenous population; it is now preserved as an open-air museum, home to a dozen or so totems. Carved from giant cedar trees to honour past chiefs and preserve myths and legends for future generations, the Ninstints totems are slowly succumbing to the elements. Within the next few decades, the carvings will have decayed entirely in the temperate rainforest climate, making a visit here all the more poignant. Watching over the site are Haida watchmen (and women) who volunteer to spend summers on the island, giving guided tours and bringing to life their culture, which stretches back some 12,000 years. Contact one of our Canada Specialists on: +44 (0) 20 3911 5900
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Fo o d fo r T h o u g h t For years, Cambodian cuisine has been overshadowed by Thailand and Vietnam’s world-renowned street food scene. But nobody puts Cambodia in the corner. Especially not Rotanak Ros, better known as Chef Nak. A woman on a mission, she has dedicated her career to reclaiming and safeguarding Cambodia’s traditional Khmer cuisine, which was all but lost in the late 20th century. ‘The world knows us through killing fields and temples,’ she says, ‘but we have so much more to offer.’ Nak has travelled the length and breadth of the country, speaking to the ever-dwindling elder generation to chronicle the tastes and techniques from before the French colonial era and Khmer Rouge’s Year Zero. And no dish demonstrates her dedication to the country’s culinary cause more than meang chrouk. ‘At the core of Cambodian cuisine are well balanced flavours – salty, sour, sweet, and sometimes a bit bitter too – and this dish represents that perfectly.’ If making this dish at home isn’t enough, you can spend a night at Nak’s homestay on the banks of the Mekong River, learning from the queen of Khmer cooking herself.
CHEF NAK'S MEANG CHROUK SERVES 4 - 6 INGREDIENTS
500g giant freshwater prawns, 70g lard, 100g pork, 100g pork skin, 15g ginger, 15g galangal, 10g bitter orange zest, 50g pickled scallion heads, 50g coriander leaves, 30g roasted peanuts, 30g garlic, 40g shallot, 60ml lime juice, 5ml bitter orange juice, 15ml fish sauce, 40g sugar, 20ml cooking oil. For the chilli paste: 3 chilli peppers, 20g garlic, 15g salt. Wrapping leaves: curly cabbage or green lettuce.
METHOD
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Boil the water and add the prawns, pork, pork skin and salt. After five minutes, remove the prawns. After another 15 minutes, remove the pork and pork skin.
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Peel the prawns and cut into pieces. Slice the pork and pork skin into thin strips. Cut the lard into small matchsticks and blanch in hot water for one minute.
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Slice the garlic and shallots lengthwise and sauté in cooking oil. Finely mince the ginger and galangal and sauté. Finely chop the bitter orange zest, coriander leaves and scallions, and pound the peanuts.
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For the chilli paste, use a pestle and mortar to pound the chilli, garlic, pepper and salt until well combined.
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Combine the meats, spices, chilli paste, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and orange juice in a mixing bowl. Garnish with the coriander leaves and peanuts. Place the salad on a large plate and dig in. 24
food for thought
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The Big Picture NEW ORLEANS: THE PLACE WHERE JAZZ WAS BORN Few cities have a soundtrack. Even fewer have one as distinct as New Orleans. Born from the musical memory of enslaved Africans, jazz and the big band music scene it spawned are integral to the Big Easy. Wander down Frenchman Street and brassy blooms of trumpets and trombones seep out of bar windows and doors, while in Congo Square, the symphonious sounds of cymbals, snare and bass drums bounce off the cobblestones. Stick around for Mardi Gras and you’ll see NOLA (this is a city with a lot of nicknames) at its most spirited, as flamboyant floats and sashaying showgirls parade through the French Quarter with boisterous brass bands belting out Louis Armstrong classics marching behind. As jazz musician and local legend Ellis Marsalis once said: ‘in other places, culture comes down from on high. In New Orleans, it bubbles up from the streets.’ Contact one of our USA Specialists on: +44 (0) 20 3911 5900
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the big tips picture
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Beks Ndlovu
FOUNDER & CEO OF AFRICAN BUSH CAMPS
interview
Beks Ndlovu was a safari guide in Zimbabwe before starting African Bush Camps in 2006. Fast forward to today and the company has 18 luxury tented camps and lodges in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia, all with a strong focus on conservation. The company’s Foundation has spearheaded 72 community projects across southern Africa, and by staying in their camps, you make an active contribution. INTERVIEW BY TOM BARBER
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interview
Where are you from in Zimbabwe? I was born in a small rural village on the outskirts of Hwange National Park where, as a young boy, I had my first interactions with wildlife. Elephants would come to my mother’s garden and raid her crops; we would bang pots and pans to chase them away. One day, when I was about ten, my curiosity got the better of me and I followed 15 elephants back into the bush, until the matriarch started to grow uneasy. She stopped, turned and stood her ground. My instinct was to run and I didn’t stop until I got home.
Where did you do your guiding? My guiding journey began in Hwange National Park, which has special significance for me as it was the location of my first camp – Somalisa. I also did a lot of guiding in Mana Pools on the banks of the Zambezi, in Zimbabwe, including leading walking safaris. I managed my first camp there. Most old safari hands say that Zimbabwe has the best guides. I'm sure you agree! Why is this? Traditionally, Zimbabwe had a really rigorous system for training guides, involving a four-year apprenticeship under the guidance of a seasoned professional, and with the requirement to log experiential hours in activities like canoeing and game driving. Zimbabwe's approach set a high standard and, as a result, the country’s guides gained a stellar reputation and were highly sought after across Africa. While Zimbabwe's system was the template, other countries have since introduced their own excellent training programmes, and there are now exceptional guides from all corners of the continent.
How did you get into guiding? As a child I would see visitors entering Hwange to see the wildlife on my doorstep. I spent most weekends and holidays with friends in safari camps, camping, fishing, and learning about life in the bush. When those friends were doing apprenticeships at safari camps I had the opportunity to go and volunteer, essentially as an intern. I received and welcomed guests from all over the world and spent time with experienced guides, learning how they tracked wildlife. I was so intrigued by how they would go to certain places, read the habitat, allow it to tell a story and inform them which animals were present. When I left high school, I started training as a guide and, in 1999, acquired my Professional Guiding Licence. I spent the next ten years guiding, managing camps and working in marketing and operations roles to learn the business of a safari operator. I then started my own private guided safaris, initially in Zimbabwe and Botswana, before later extending across southern and eastern Africa.
What are some of your most vivid guiding moments? There are so many! Tracking lions on foot in the sandy Kalahari-like terrain of Hwange National Park was incredibly thrilling; observing paw marks in the early morning after hearing their calls during the night. Another exceptional experience was following elephants on foot through the acacia forests on the floodplain of the Zambezi River. Spending time with these gentle giants in such a beautiful setting was unforgettable. Living on the water's edge
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of Lake Kariba and tracking black rhinos daily was another cherished highlight. Studying their behaviour, familiarising myself with their habits, and finding them in the remote wilderness was an incredible privilege. Sadly, due to poaching, there are no black rhinos left in the area, but I'm hopeful that concerted conservation efforts may bring them back. From exploring the desolate deserts of Namibia to tracking gorillas in the Congo, as well as visiting remoter places like Uganda and Rwanda, I've been blessed with numerous incredible moments in nature. Each experience has enriched my understanding of wildlife and conservation.
when I thought, ‘How can we take this further?’. Now we have an army of guides and staff with the same passion, vision, and philosophy. We make a positive impact on the places our team come from and they, in turn, impact the people they guide and host – and send them back into the world to spread the word and become part of a symbiotic movement. What is your central philosophy around hospitality? What sets African Bush Camps (ABC) apart is our unwavering focus on hospitality. This revolves around our dedicated team, who are the heart of the guest experience. When designing each camp, we envision the journey our guests will take during their stay with us. It begins with their guide and hosts, who play a pivotal role in shaping their time with us. However, the entire staff contributes to the warmth and comfort our guests experience. It is this combination of genuine warmth and care that delivers the ultimate ABC experience, leaving a lasting impression on our guests.
What are the key skills a good guide needs? Beyond the obvious bushcraft and scientific knowledge, I believe the most exceptional guides are those who are in tune and in touch with their natural surroundings, and the people around them. It's a very satisfying feeling as a guide, knowing you’re having a positive impact on guests. That experience of meeting a stranger, nurturing the relationship, and giving them so much more than they ever expected by the time you say goodbye. It’s a special feeling.
What are the differences between the destinations where ABC operates? We have camps in some of Africa’s most beautiful places, all of which offer different experiences, vegetation, wildlife and culture. Desert regions such as Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pans are home to incredible zebra migrations. The Okavango Delta offers water-based experiences, with guests able to explore by mokoro dugout canoes and see water-adapted species like sitatunga. Chobe, in the Linyanti area, has an amazing river running through it. Thorntree, part of the African Rift Valley, connects Mana
When/how did you make the decision to switch from guiding to building camps? I’ve always loved seeing the absolute joy and happiness on the faces of guests when they really appreciate nature, feel truly humbled by their surroundings and admire the skill set of another human being that they themselves have likely lost due to living in an urban area. Seeing that made it so much more real for me, and that’s
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interview
Pools and the Lower Zambezi, with floodplains and river systems leading to the Zambezi River. The elephants here differ from those in the savannah. In South Luangwa, where we plan to open soon, the convergence of rivers also influences the wildlife.
the heart of nature. In addition to this, we are working on completing our Zambian circuit, which includes Thorntree in Livingstone and Lolebezi in the Lower Zambezi. Our ambitious vision is to incorporate South Luangwa and Kafue, and possibly the north of Zambia.
How does ABC have a positive impact? By promoting responsible tourism, we foster a sense of stewardship and appreciation among local communities for the wildlife and natural resources, which in turn, offers them a chance for sustainable development, improved livelihoods, and a deeper connection to their land and culture. We established our African Bush Camps Foundation because we know, through responsible tourism practices, that we can create a meaningful and lasting change, benefiting both the environment and the people living in these special places. Our primary objective is to make a positive impact in the communities where our camps are located, focusing on education, community empowerment, and conservation. We now offer impact safaris that seamlessly blend the luxury safari experience with a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the local community.
What one safari experience should everyone enjoy? The essence of a truly remarkable safari experience, in my view, lies in embracing slowness. Safaris should be about savouring the moment and immersing ourselves in the natural world. A slow safari experience allows us to appreciate the beauty of nature in its purest form. When you’re observing wildlife from a mokoro dugout canoe in the Okavango Delta, for instance, the absence of noise and pollution heightens the senses. In moments like this, we can truly connect with nature, hear our own breath, and appreciate the tiniest sounds and sensations around us.
Contact our Safari Specialists on: +44 (0) 20 3911 5900
What next? Our latest camp, Khwai Lediba, in Botswana’s Khwai concession, has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response. Our next venture is Atzaro Okavango Camp, opening in the Okavango Delta in March 2024, which promises to elevate the safari experience to new heights, offering guests an unforgettable journey into
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O u r C o n c i e rg e Service Our clued-up local Concierges take your trip to the next level. Your local hero, your fixer, your eyes and ears, your far-flung friend, your informed insider, your right-hand man, your wing woman; your Concierge is on hand 24/7 to help, advise, reserve, modify and generally anticipate your every need while you’re in their beloved destination. They also love a challenge, so go ahead: put them to the test. Want the address of the best bar in town, far off the tourist trail? Or a suggestion for a truly original souvenir to remember the trip by? Ask away. Nothing’s too much trouble, or too trivial for them to handle. They can, and will, take an already stellar trip to even greater heights. Before you even set off on your adventure, your dedicated Concierge will have been sent all of your trip details and your likes and dislikes. When you arrive, they’ll be in touch to remind you that they’re on hand to help (via phone, WhatsApp etc) with everything from last-minute changes to tips and tricks on where to go and what to see and do. Thanks to their in-depth knowledge and passion for their destination, and taking your individual profile into account, your Concierge will be able to help with any requests. They can find you the best babysitter in the area, choose a guide best suited to your specific interests and, if needed, change a flight, find a room and iron out any kind of issue while you focus on having as fun and fascinating a trip as possible. Original Travel is the only travel company in the UK to offer such a comprehensive concierge service. Contact one of our Specialists on: +44 (0) 20 3911 5900
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Spain
CO N C I E R G E CASE STUDIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Returning from hiking the trails in the Doñana National Park, James and Anna realise they’ve locked the car keys in their hire car. Our Concierge, Maria, orders them a taxi and tells the couple to go ahead with their lunch plans nearby while she takes care of it. After a wonderful lunch, James and Anna return to the car to find a locksmith with the keys and their car unlocked.
India
Australia
As huge Bollywood fans, David and Emily are on a private guided tour of a Mumbai film set. Our Concierge, Alisha, surprises them with the opportunity to act as extras on a live film set. Ecstatic, the couple are dressed in traditional costume and join the cast. Alisha later sends them a memory stick with video evidence for posterity!
After an amazing three-week trip, two clients want to sign off in style with dinner somewhere special in Sydney. The local Concierge, Denis, who has all the city’s maitre d’s on speed dial, manages to snaffle them a table at Sydney’s most happening restaurant, which normally has a three-month waiting list.
South Africa
Indonesia
The Brayshaw family wake up in Cape Town ready to start their beach day, only to open the curtains and find that it’s raining. They call local Concierge, Carol, to find out what there is to do in the area with their girls (aged five and seven). Carol reserves tickets to the Cape Town Science Centre which has lots of indoor activities and interactive exhibitions for children.
Charlie and Jenny are in Java visiting Yogyakarta when the Concierge, Eloise, informs them that there is a ballet performance of the great Hindu epic - the Ramayana - that evening at the beautiful 9th-century Prambanan Temple. The couple are eager to go, and Eloise sorts out a pair of VIP tickets and transfers from and back to their hotel.
USA While out on their private guided tour of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, the Bell family realise that they are running late for their evening tour of MoMA. They are relieved to receive a message from Concierge James to say ‘I heard you were having fun with Lady Liberty so I moved your evening plans back by an hour - no need to rush! And take lots of photos!’ 33
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100% Carbon Absorption We absorb 100% of the carbon footprint generated by our client and staff flights and ground transportation through our financing of large reforestation projects around the world. Our participation alongside eight European groups - in the new €100m Livelihoods Carbon Fund fights global warming by taking a highly practical approach and having a strong local, social and economic impact. We believe that we are the first company in the UK travel market to be taking such a step.
3 KEY
IDEAS
Each trip made by our clients and staff has a measurable impact on global warming. We can calculate precisely the amount of CO2 emissions related to our clients’ and team’s travels. This makes it possible to know the exact number of trees that need to be planted in order to absorb the CO2 created.
spotlight
What is carbon neutrality?
Today, air transport accounts for 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and this is rising exponentially. If technology continues to advance, it will become increasingly difficult, over the next few years, to travel ‘clean’. The only concrete option is to absorb C02 emissions, particularly through tree planting. By financing reforestation projects around the world, we contribute to the absorption of carbon dioxide. Every day, nearly 1,400 trees are planted, or about 500,000 trees a year.
2030 i n t h e
1 40 0 TREES PLANTED DA I LY
How does carbon absorption work?
According to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), we only have until 2030 to reduce our CO2 emissions by 50% to stay below a temperature increase of 1.5° - the critical threshold of global warming. The second phase involves achieving carbon neutrality by the year 2050, an extreme goal but one that is achievable if all countries and industries work together... starting today.
Solutions exist! The airline industry already has the means to reduce its ecological impact. We encourage tourism stakeholders to follow three essential points: • Develop technology to reduce the use of aviation fuel • Fund the transition to green hydrogen • Absorb the CO2 balance through reforestation projects financed by a targeted tax
3 MAJOR R E FO R E S TAT I O N
P R O J EC T S
100% CARBON NEUTRAL
2 . 87 TO N N E S
O F CO 2 This is the carbon footprint of a return flight from London to New York. Or, one-and-a-half times the annual quota that each person should meet in order to maintain a reasonable level of global warming. To absorb CO2 emissions from these flights, approximately 20 trees should be planted.
25 0 P R O J EC T S s u p p o r te d
Our Foundation, created in 2009, supports a number of humanitarian projects in developing countries in Africa, Asia and South America. Since 2009, nearly £1.5m has been invested in the support of over 250 projects in 30 countries.
In Indonesia
In Senegal
In Peru
The island of Sumatra has lost 50% of its forest in 40 years. NGO Yagasu has replanted 32 million trees. It also carries out social programmes, participates in scientific research and contributes to mammal protection.
Since 2006, the association Oceanium has worked for the protection of the environment and the restoration of the mangrove forests. In total, 104 million trees have been planted!
The province of Saint-Martin, in the north of the country, is 97% primary forest. The PUR Projet association protects over 741,000 acres by encouraging new forms of management, such as agroforestry.
Contact one of our Specialists on: +44 (0) 20 3911 5900 34
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At O r i gi n a l Tr ave l , we b e l i eve t r a v e l a n d to u r i s m s h o u l d b e a fo r c e fo r g o o d a n d have a positive impact o n t h e d e s t i n a t i o n s w e v i s i t. O u r Fo u n d a t i o n , c r e a te d i n 20 09 , s u p p o r t s a n u m b e r of humanitarian projects in developing countries in Africa, Asia and South A m e r i c a . S i n c e 20 09 , nearly £1.5 million has been i n v e s te d i n t h e s u p p o r t o f n e a r l y o n e h u n d re d h u m a n i tarian projects across 30 c o u n t r i e s . 5 KEY AREAS
15% OF OUR BUDGET
Our Foundation Committee meets annually to select the programmes we will support. We focus on five key areas: child protection, vocational training, economic development assistance, preservation of cultural and natural heritage and safeguarding the lifestyles of indigenous peoples.
In addition, we also look to support emergency relief efforts in the face of large natural and humanitarian disasters. We spend almost 15% of our budget each year on emergency humanitarian aid.
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our foundation tips
In practice
In practice
CASE STUDY N°1
CASE STUDY N°2
In Kenya
In Bolivia
Shining Hope For Communities (SHOFCO) was created in 2004 for the protection and education of disadvantaged children, and to help promote the economic development of local communities. In Nairobi, SHOFCO manages and helps finance two schools in Kibera and Mathare, two of the largest slums in the world, enabling 500 girls aged three to 15 to attend school and improve their lives. The association also works to transform urban slums on a large scale by supporting the provision of drinking water and a women’s entrepreneurship programme.
We’re working to improve the living standards of village communities in the province of Jose Manuel Pando, where 98% of the population live in poverty. We support the ‘Weave the Future’ project, which trains local farmers to turn wool into high quality local crafts and textile products that they can sell to supplement their income.
In practice CASE STUDY N°3 In India Due to climate change, the number of mangroves in India’s Sunderbans region is rapidly declining. Our project aims to plant more than 16 million mangrove trees to protect the local communities’ homes and farmland from flooding and to restore local biodiversity. So far, over 12,300 acres have been replanted, positively impacting 250,000 locals and counteracting 700,000 tonnes of CO2. Contact one of our Specialists on: +44 (0) 20 3911 5900 37
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O r i gi n a l S e r vi ce s Our Original Services set us apart from the competition. Book a holiday with Original Travel and all of these services come as standard...
B E FO R E YO U R H O L I DAY
Contact one of our specialists:
AT THE A I R P O RT
+44 (0) 20 3911 5900
UK Departure Assistance
Fa s t - Tr a c k Services
A member of our team will meet you at the airport
At UK airports we’ll speed you through check-in and security where possible
Financial P r o te c t i o n
24 - H o u r Helpline
Children’s Fu n P a c k s
With our ATOL and ABTA licences, your holiday is fully protected
Sometimes things happen; that’s why we’re on call 24/7 to offer assistance
Specially designed and destinationspecific quizzes and games for every child aged three to ten
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O n e Po i n t of Contact
Hold Airline Seats
Boarding Passes
Our destination expert will create a perfectly tailor-made itinerary for you
While fine-tuning your itinerary we’ll be holding airline seats to make sure you are all sitting together on the plane
We check you in for your flight and send your boarding passes the day before your departure
Pe r fe c t Picks
Borrow a GoPro
We provide you with destination-specific reading lists and music playlists
Borrow one of our GoPro cameras if you’re going on an Original Diving holiday
UK Airport Lounges Enjoy the comfort of an airport lounge with free drinks and snacks, even if you’re flying economy
DURING YO U R H O L I DAY
Expert Guides
Re l i a b l e WiFi
Our App
We use the best guides in the business, many of whom work exclusively for us
We provide you with an eSIM virtual SIM card so you have WiFi access however remote your destination
Access your itinerary, maps, live updates and detailed destination dossiers on our mobile app
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LIFE
is in the Detail
Take a deeper dive into some of our favourite destinations. 42 – 43
THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL
The Conservation Conversation 44 – 57
SUMBA CLASS
Lisa Grainger on an original Indonesian island 58 – 69
OUR MAN IN MOROCCO
Stanley Stewart journeys from Fez to the Sahara 70 – 77
KINTSUGI TRAVEL
Travel as a force for good 78 – 91
ANOTHER SIDE TO MEXICO
Arta Ghanbari discovers that Oaxaca is a state of mind 32 – 101
SEA, STONES & SARDINIA
Catherine Fairweather sees a secret side to Sardinia 102 – 105
ABORIGINAL TRAVEL Meg MacMahon learns about the world’s oldest culture 106 – 119
AMDO UNCOVERED
Jerome Galland glimpses Greater Tibet 120 – 131
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
James Back on safari animal habits and habitats 132
ENDINGS Until next time
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The Co n s e r v a t i o n Co n v e r s a t i o n the direction of travel At Original Travel we spend a lot of time discussing our part in the great sustainability and tourism debate, and particularly with regard to conservation. Here's a quick summary of our current thinking. words by TOM BARBER
THE BIG IDEA
LOCAL HEROES
Conservation should, wherever possible, seek to align the interests of the human race with those of the natural world. While these interests are often at odds, we – travel companies, our clients, lodges, reserves, guides and others – must strive to square this circle.
Conservation is not just limited to animals: it extends to plants, water sources, geology, micro-organisms and – particularly importantly – to local communities. The locals are the ones who have the greatest affinity with, and knowledge of, the habitat; they are the logical guardians of these precious areas and should be the ones preserving the natural
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resources around them. Through education, this should be achievable, BUT the pull of 'city life' is strong, so conservation for conservation's sake in local communities is swiftly dying out. Conservation now needs to make financial sense, which is where tourism comes in.
direction of travel
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM Tourism and its consequent job opportunities seed many benefits. Chief among them is that it helps locals make a living and gives them an economic incentive to stay local. With their depth of knowledge and love for the land, they make ideal guardians to preserve wilderness areas. And this, of course, is a great thing, for both communities and tourists alike. Ecotourism also provides levies and funds for specific conservation projects and their management, which sees a visitor's money going directly into the national park's coffers to pay for staff salaries, anti-poaching teams, aircraft to help with animal censuses, the repair of fences and so on. ORIGINAL TRAVEL AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM We support many different conservation projects in Africa and across the globe. We believe that tourism should be for the good of the region in which it is located, as well as its inhabitants, both human and animal. In terms of conservation, we always aim to promote tourism that benefits the regional economies best placed to preserve the world's precious fauna and flora, and to try to be as sustainable as possible.
THE BOTTOM LINE Tourism and conservation are inextricably linked; one cannot survive without the other. If there is no tourism, human economic and geopolitical needs will become too great and overwhelm dedicated conservationists, meaning the natural world will fall further into decline. If there is no conservation (led by pressure groups, governments and even individuals), then there will be no reason for tourists to come. So, tourism has to have a positive effect on conservation efforts by striving for ever more sustainable tourism, sponsoring the right projects and sending clients to eco-friendly accommodation. Also, we must always explain that one of the biggest benefits of our clients visiting these key areas is not just that they have a rewarding trip (hugely important though that is), but that their presence helps to conserve the natural world. This is what Original Travel strives to achieve – sustainable tourism that affects conservation in a positive way.
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Sumba class an indonesian island idyll
Lisa Grainger on an original Indonesian island
words by LISA GRAINGER photos (from a separate trip) by PIE AERTS
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I
will never forget my first morning on the remote Indonesian island of Sumba. I’d landed in a little turboprop plane the evening before, my brain befuddled after a 30-hour journey from London via Bali. But as I woke to dawn rays illuminating my floaty white curtains, I couldn’t stay in bed. The sky was streaked with apricot and lilac. I could smell the scent of frangipani flowers wafting through a window and hear the sea crashing. And against the horizon, I could see the outline of palm trees. Having slipped on a bikini and my flipflops, I headed out. I wasn’t the first person up, but I was the only person on the beach. Way, way out, about a mile into the shallow, pale aquamarine lagoon, tiny little black dots swarmed over the rocks. On the drier, rockier south of this remote island, seafood is the islanders’ main source of protein, and at low tide men,
women and children were out hunting and gathering: cutting seaweed, snaring little crabs, netting fish trapped in pools, digging up worms. While the islanders were out at sea, the beach, I realised happily, was all mine. So having abandoned my flipflops under a bush, I strode out barefoot on the wide, long, creamy stretch of forest-edged sand and greedily inhaled lungfuls of warm, salty air, revelling in being the only creature on land as far as I could see.
machete, his brown eyes wide with terror. At first he just stared, silent, as if he’d seen a ghost (which, to be fair, I probably looked like after a long English winter). So I smiled and nervously put out my hand. When he didn’t move, I bowed my head and looked down submissively, and waited. Eventually I heard a rustle and looked up – and almost had a heart attack. His mouth was stretched out in a wide, terrifying grimace, and every one of his front teeth, black with decay or stained red with betel nut, was filed, like a vampire, into a point.
Only, I wasn’t. Even if I couldn’t see anything, I could hear dry leaves crackling in the undergrowth. Intrigued, I edged towards the jungle, expecting to find a rabbit or a bird. Instead, there, crouching in a bush was a tiny, old, wizened man on his haunches, his thin legs about the circumference of my arms, his hands gripping an enormous
There are few places left on this overpopulated, fast-changing planet where people still live as they have done for centuries. Sumba is one of them. When Western surfers landed on its shores in the 1970s, tribesmen still placed the heads of villagers whose homes they’d plundered atop poles, as trophies. The villagers placed huge value on the dead, with
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whom they lived. Between their steeply thatched houses lay mammoth stone family mausoleums into which one day they would be embalmed and sat upright, with the rest of their clan. Today, although more tourists have started to arrive, and raids on other villages have been outlawed, very little else has changed here. It feels like another world away from Bali, rather than a 50-minute flight. When I scurried back, slightly nervously, from the beach to my hotel Cap Karoso, the owners, Fabrice and Evguenia Ivara, thought my reaction to the local man was hilarious. ‘Wait until tomorrow when we take you to the local village to meet the shaman,’ said Evguenia. ‘There’s a man who can make the hairs on your arms stand upwards!’ Since the young French couple bought seven
acres of beachfront land on Sumba’s west coast six years ago, they’ve got to know the locals pretty well, visiting them regularly and helping them with water filtration, with jobs, with training. The villagers have visited them, too. At the inauguration of Cap Karoso, Evguenia tells me, more than 600 Sumbanese – including a contingent of feathercrowned shamans – arrived to give the project their blessing. The two sets of Sumbanese neighbours, though, couldn’t be more different. When the French couple set off from Paris in 2017 in search of adventure, Fabrice owned a successful e-reputation consultancy, and Evguenia worked in marketing for the luxury giant LVMH. Neither had travelled much and they wanted adventure. When they arrived in Sumba, she says, ‘we thought: “This is us: it’s real travel… maybe we could stay. Maybe we could build a little guesthouse. Maybe we 47
could have a little farm…”’ Cap Karoso, named after the westerly point on which their lighthouse now stands, is certainly no ‘little guesthouse’. Created by the acclaimed Bali-based architect Gary Fell, the mid-century modernist resort, surrounded and softened by jungle-like gardens, spills down the gentle coastal slope like a futuristic mirage onto a wide beach where fishermen stroll and children play. There’s a rooftop adults-only infinity pool area that rolls on to a tapas bar for casual outdoor Balinese-Basque tapas. Beside the sea is a cool beach club for long lunches and above it a ten-roomed spa, shaded by four soaring thatched towers. And within the plant-roofed buildings are studios, beach suites, and twoand three-bedroomed villas, furnished with a mix of contemporary-looking pieces, local crafts and Sumba-inspired contemporary art.
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‘ There are few places left on this overpopulated, fast-changing planet where people still live as they have done for centuries. Sumba is one of them.
‘ Their vision was, the couple explain, an elegant base in which visitors could relax and have fun, between going out into the island, exploring. There is certainly plenty to enjoy in-house. Alongside swims in the pool, and therapeutic herbal massages in the spa, cheery local barmen – trained by Nico de Soto of New York’s award-winning Mace bar – deliver tasty concoctions from cucumber-scented gin martinis to pandan-flavoured pina coladas. Fabrice is a serious foodie and author of the gourmet blog Coup de Fourchette, and the French chef, Antoine le Vacon, worked in kitchens such as Courchevel’s Les Airelles, so the Mediterranean-meets-Indonesian menu is delicious. Using produce from their own smallholding and surrounding farms, Vacon concocts dishes such as just-caught squid with sambal and curried mayonnaise, or crudo fish with ponzu sauce, or pizzas cooked in their oven, sourced from Naples. While giving guests a gorgeous holiday, Evguenia adds, they want to help local people to make a living, by training and employing them, and working with them on sustainable projects. Sustainability, they insist, is key to their vision; as well as having green roofs on all the buildings, they have rainwater tanks, solar power, and donate two per cent of each visitor’s bill to community projects.
Exploring beyond the hotel, it’s clear that this is an island where there has been little development. Most of Sumba’s 800,000 people still live a hand-to-mouth existence much as their ancestors did. As a result, malnutrition is widespread, life expectancy poor and education limited. But their island, where people live off the forest and sea, is extraordinarily unspoilt and beautiful. As we drive from the airport – a little cabin decorated with local art and murals – mountains cut the air, thick with tropical forest and writhing liana vines. On plains, lurid green rice paddies stretch out neatly beside rivers in which local boys cheerily swim and wave. In little villages, women draped in traditional ikat cloth pound yams and corn. Groups of men huddle on their haunches, chewing betel. Occasionally, a boy gallops by on a horse, or we pass a wooden cart pulled by water buffalo. But other than a sprinkling of concrete houses, a few electricity lines, some basic shops and glossy ads for mobile phones, this has the feel of a place that still operates in the same way it has for centuries. Because Sumba is twice the size of Bali, but has far fewer roads, things happen at a leisurely pace. On a half-day excursion in the couple’s electric Mini Moke, we explore the island’s only Muslim village, Pero, where pretty little white dugout canoes bob in the
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emerald bay. On another day, we walk around Sumba’s tallest houses at nearby Ratenggaro, where villagers with betel-stained lips urge us to buy ikat and carvings in the shadow of megalithic tombs black with age. We take a morning hike after a seaside yoga class, to have a picnic breakfast cooked on a fire as we admire views over the palest turquoise lagoon at Weekuri. And then we go to visit the shaman in the village of Buku Bani, who Evguenia had told me about. The couple got to know the shaman – or rato, as he’s known here – when purchasing the land, as they felt that the approval of the locals was vital. They bought and slaughtered buffalo; invited the rato to bless Cap Karoso in a traditional Sumbanese ceremony involving ribbon- and bell-bedecked horses; and they invited their neighbours to help themselves to fresh water from their borehole, and borrow machinery for agricultural projects. Which is why, when we arrive at the rato’s house, we are treated not like tourists, but neighbours. We sit cross-legged on the first floor of his traditional three-storey house, and as I slowly become accustomed to the darkness, my eyes start to focus on what is around me. Above my head, the rafters support rows of skulls of indeterminate grima-
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cing creatures, with and without teeth and tusks. On the walls, the empty eye-sockets of buffalo stare out. And before me sit ten elderly tribesmen, draped in colourful cloth and crowned with feathered headdresses, chanting and peering at the bloody gizzard of a chicken they had just beheaded, to ‘see our future’. 30 years ago, this meeting of cultures could have gone horribly wrong. But, instead, thanks to the relationship the Ivaras have built up, I’m given an extraordinary insight
into a culture I’d otherwise never have witnessed. I am shown their gardens, and drying racks for fish. I’m invited to wander between their mammoth stone tombs – which date from the Bronze Age – and look at their generations-old faded ikats and their pots, baked in home kilns. As I bid my farewells and start to walk towards the car, I feel a tap on my back. There stands the little old man I’d spotted on my first day. This time, rather than scuttling away, I grin. He grins back, bows, and gives
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me his hand. I’ve made a friend – my first ever with vampire teeth. •
Contact one of our Indonesia Specialists on: +44 (0) 20 3911 5900
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N e e d to K n o w ABOUT INDONESIA
Padang
BORNEO SULAWESI (Celebes)
SUMATRA JAKARTA
NEW GUINEA
Surabaya JAVA
Yogyakarta
LOMBOK
FLORES
BALI
TIMOR SUMBA
L I F E I S I N T H E D E TA I L Why us? Our Head of Asia Jacqui Brooks is Conde Nast Traveler’s Top Travel Specialist for Indonesia and knows the country inside out, plus our Original Diving team of dive instructors and marine biologists are encyclopedic on the country’s many amazing dive destinations.
Fast Facts • Size: 735,400 square miles • Capital: Jakarta • Population: 278,500,000 (Nov ‘23) • Density: 379 people/square mile • Pick a Number: 17,508. The number of islands in Indonesia, of which 8,844 are named, and 922 inhabited. • When to Go: For landlubbers, most of Indonesia is warm and dry from April to October. For divers, November to May is best for Raja Ampat, and May to October for Komodo.
Your Concierge Eloise settled in Bali after travelling the world, while Itra is from Sumatra and worked in Bali as a guide. They’re your expert contacts, ready to reveal Indonesia’s best kept secrets. They're resourceful, knowledgeable, and on hand throughout to take your trip to the next level.
BALI IN DEPTH Suggested Itinerary
Munduk
North Coast Days 5 - 8
Days 9 - 12
Swap Denpasar, the capital, for tranquil Munduk village, staging post for hikes to waterfalls; handcrafted canoe trips on Lake Tamblingan and guided tours of ancient temples.
Snorkel/dive off Menjangan Island before visiting Tembok for yoga, spa treatments, swimming and cycling. Then head to Sidemen and walk along rice terraces to Hindu temples and local weavers' collectives.
On to Ubud, Bali’s cultural capital, where the locals create beautiful handicrafts and delicious cuisine in equal measure. Try the latter, buy the former, and stay in some of the country’s finest hotels.
Days 1 - 4
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C U LT U R E H I T
DOSSIER
Read
Watch
Listen
This Earth of Mankind (1980) by Pramoedya Ananta, written in prison and the first of an epic quartet charting Indonesia’s occasionally turbulent post-colonial history.
Mel Gibson and Sigourney Weaver sizzle on screen while President Suharto’s Jakarta burns in The Year of Living Dangerously (1982).
The relaxing, hypnotic melodies of gamelan, the traditional music of Java and Bali, which earned UNESCO intangible cultural heritage status in 2021.
W H AT T O D O
Sleep Stay on a traditional klotok houseboat on the Sekonyer River in Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) spotting proboscis monkeys, macaques, lizards and – fingers crossed – orangutans. For Maria von Trapp vibes, spend the night as the guest of the nuns in a catholic convent on the predominantly Christian island of Flores, a special and ‘deeper cut’ Indonesian destination.
Eat An American chef makes dishes with traditional Balinese ingredients and using French techniques at Mozaic in Ubud, Bali. It works a treat.
Discover Komodo dragons on Rinca island, home to 2,500 of these majestic lizards, as well as monkeys, Sunda deer and wild pigs.
See orangutans in the wild
Charter a phinisi liveaboard boat
Sumatra is one of only two islands in the world (the other being Borneo) that still have resident populations of orangutans. Spend a day trekking through the rainforest of Bukit Lawang National Park in Northern Sumatra in search of wild orangutans, as well as endemic Thomas’s leaf monkeys.
Raja Ampat and Komodo, Indonesia’s dreamiest dive destinations, are best explored from aboard a traditional phinisi, which can access the remotest reefs in the fabled Coral Triangle, the planet’s undisputed marine biodiversity hotspot. Snorkellers and sunbathers also welcome, of course.
Explore some of Bali’s cultural highlights, from the Besakih temples to Kerta Gosa pavilion, on a vintage VW convertible kubelwagen 4x4 tour.
JAVA & LOMBOK Suggested Itinerary
Yo g ya k a r t a Days 1 - 3
Days 4 - 6
Bromo
Lombok
Enjoy a religious melting pot stay in Muslim Java’s cultural capital, Yogyakarta, with its Hindu trace elements, before visiting Borobudur, the world’s largest Buddhist temple complex.
Head for the hills and, in particular, Mount Bromo. Tackle the climb with a guide, seeing volcanic cones emerge from the morning mist before trekking through sand to the summit for unbeatable views.
Enjoy some post-summit R&R on the beach; snorkel off the Gili Islands and enjoy cookery classes (go easy on the fiery sambal sauce), temple tours and waterfall hikes on lovely Lombok.
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Our man in M o ro c c o from fez to the sahara As the Atlas Mountains recover from 2023’s earthquake, Stanley Stewart offers a timely reminder of why Morocco is such a special destination.
words by STANLEY STEWART photos (from a separate trip) by BIRGIT SFAT
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n the medina in Fez, I met a man from the Sahara. He wore the light blue robes of the desert and sat cross-legged on a mat. Among the crowds and the hectoring merchants, he was a quiet, self-contained presence. Spread out before him were his goods – gnarled and twisted roots, bits of shell, the carapaces of three turtles, strands of animal hair, a few lengths of gazelle antler, an entire cobra skin, the intact bodies of two dried iguanas, and a brown lumpy thing in a bowl that the man from the Sahara assured me was the left testicle of a bull camel. It seems you can find anything in the bazaars of Fez. Threaded by a labyrinth of thousand-year-old alleys, it is a whirlwind of buying and selling. In the Talaa Kabira, a high street so narrow that two mules are a traffic jam, the street seems to lift you up in its cluttered arms and carry you along like flotsam. Veiled women press round the underwear kiosks, checking out the frilly knickers. Families of pale Berbers from the Atlas, blue tattoos wrinkling on their cheeks, crowd into the jewellers' shops to finger the gold chains. Mysterious figures in cloaks with pointed hoods, looking like extras from Lord of the Rings, bargain over camel saddles. Dark Africans from the other side of the Sahara prod piles of dried fruit – figs, raisins and dates – each, like the men themselves, the product of a different region. Men in loincloths hurry past on their way to work in the tanneries. In this antique world, the crowds part only for the muleteers and their laden mules, when everyone flattens against the walls to let them pass downstream. Aromas waft through these lanes, defining invisible boundaries – fresh coffee, cloves, olive oil, rose water, urine, mint, the sweet scent of cedar shavings, the stench of tanning leather, the tang of onions frying, the acrid smoke of burning charcoal. Sounds waft too – childish choruses of recitation from behind the shutters of tiny Koranic schools, the rhythmic clang of coppersmiths, the klaxon shouts of porters, bent double under piles of sheep skins or tottering towers of shoeboxes, the mantric cry of beggars, the bells of water vendors, the muezzins calling the faithful to prayer, never quite in unison, from every minaret in the city as the sun slides off the rooftops.
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The currents of the medina eddied around the man from the Sahara cross-legged on his mat. His cornucopia of oddities were cures for everything from rheumatism to impotence, from flatulence to sheer bad luck. A few – the camel testicle was a star turn in these matters – were key ingredients in the practise of black magic. Delayed in their prosaic search for new socks or carrots for dinner, people paused to look, compelled by these rare items, and by the man, as quiet, amidst the clamour of Fez, as the desert itself. Like me, they were momentarily transported to the other end of Morocco, beyond the Atlas Mountains, where the Sahara stretched away, a world of mysteries and marvels, a forbidding and splendid place, where nothing and anything seemed possible. I headed south across the dry plains of Morocco to Marrakech, the Atlas Mountains shadowing my route. After the traditional vibe of Fez, Marrakech is a strangely hybrid town. There is a southern ease about the place, a relaxed ambiguity. The French colonial influence here is strong, and for decades now foreigners have been buying up riads – classic medina houses set round internal courtyards – to renovate as homes or stylish guest houses. With its trendy cafes and boutiques, there are moments when Marrakech can feel like a close cousin of the Marais or Hoxton. Until you arrive in the great square of Djemaa el-Fna. In the early evening magicians and musicians, storytellers and snake charmers compete for the attention of cosmopolitan crowds, and you remember that you are in Africa. But I was restless in Marrakech. From the rooftop of my riad, I gazed southward to the Atlas Mountains. I was haunted by the idea of the Sahara. The passes over those mountains promised escape. In the narrow bustling lanes of the medina, I wanted space, distant horizons. Beyond those peaks, many crested with snow, lay the desert. Its name comes from the Arabic – Sahra al Kubra – the Greatest Desert. At three-and-a-half million square miles, the Sahara is the size of the United States but with the population of Norfolk. Stretching 3,400 miles from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, it is one of the world’s most spectacular and most familiar geographic facts. Everyone carries its image in their own personal atlas of the imagination, along with the Himalayas, the
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‘We stopped for lunch in a palm grove where I picnicked in latticed shade on roast chicken, salad and a bottle of rosé, watched by a couple of urchins and a trio of bemused goats.’
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South Pole, and that Italian villa we are going to buy one day. But few people have been there. To this day the most reliable means of crossing the Sahara are camel caravans. The history of Saharan travel features misguided explorers, hopeless romantics, deluded legionaries, misfits, visionaries, obsessives. They love all that emptiness. With a camel and a decent map of wells, anyone can project their fantasies on that great blank heart.
sheikhs tended to overdo it on the wife front, and the rambling kasbahs were the result. The buildings sprawled because the harem did. Secret passages and hidden chambers were all part of the discretion required by complex family arrangements. Built a century ago, Dar Ahlam was one of the last of the great Skoura kasbahs and is now one of Morocco’s most exclusive hotels. When I pushed open the heavy door, I stepped into an Arabian Nights world of labyrinthine passageways and intimate salons, of fountained courtyards and cushioned alcoves. Terraces led outside to lush walled gardens. Steps climbed to roof terraces with panoramas over the tousled heads of the surrounding palm trees to the Atlas Mountains. It was the kind of place that really did make an oasis feel like paradise.
The next day, I drove south across the Atlas over the twisting Tiz’n’Test pass, dropping down the far side through rocky canyons to Ouarzazate, the Moroccan gateway to the Sahara and the film capital of North Af r i c a . E p i c s f r o m Lawrence of Arabia to Gladiator have all been filmed here. Beyond the town, the road swung eastwards along the Dades Valley, the ‘Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs’, a wilderness of volcanic rock and limestone pinnacles. To the north, the ramparts of the Atlas were sinking into late afternoon shadow. Rivers come and go here as unpredictably as afternoon showers in Orkney, encouraging a string of oases. The largest and most delightful is Skoura.
‘Everyone carries an image of the Sahara in their own personal To the untutored eye, h e D a d e s Va l l e y, atlas of the imagination, tbeyond its oases, may along with the Himalayas, seem pretty Saharan. But the real desert still lay some way to the southe South Pole, th. After breakfast I set and that Italian villa off with a driver in a 4x4. We took the road south we are going to buy over the Tiz-n-Bachkoum pass through a one day.’ wilderness of craggy
outcrops and deep gullies, of narrow gorges and bare hills. Away to the west the heights of the Anti-Atlas stood out against slate-coloured skies. Here and there, where the valleys widened, there was a sudden greening as meagre watercourses allowed palms and olives and figs to grow in carpets of grass. We stopped for lunch in a palm grove where I picnicked in latticed shade on roast chicken, salad and a bottle of rosé, watched by a couple of urchins and a trio of bemused goats.
For centuries, desert travellers, admittedly a little demented by the sun, have likened the arrival at a Saharan oasis to reaching paradise, a sudden earthly arcadia of green shadows and bubbling water, of blossom scent and bird song. In Skoura, donkeys and bicycles meander along dust lanes through date and olive groves, round almond and fig orchards, past adobe walls and heavy wooden doors. Sailing like galleons through Skoura’s waves of greenery are a dozen or more kasbahs, Morocco’s equivalent of the feudal castle.
By the time we got to the military outpost of FoumZgoud, we had emerged from the hills onto vast arid plains. The Sahara was taking charge of the landscape. Just beyond the town, we left the paved road and set off on desert tracks, passing a small caravan of nomads resting beneath thorn trees while their hobbled camels
With their tower and crenellations, they appear to have been built for military defence, but the elaborate architecture is really a fortification against wives. Moroccan
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grazed on scrub.
than can be found in the Lake District.
We were crossing the gravelly plains known as hamada. The world on the first day must have looked like this – the earth like a dry reptilian hide bounded by distant skeletal mountains – before God got round to all the decorative flourishes that soften other landscapes. The arid plains stretched away to unfathomable distances. It was impossible to say if a range of low hills were one mile or 100 miles away. Mirages began to appear – glistening lakes, floating trees – permanently out of reach. So emphatic a geographical fact, the Sahara suddenly seemed strangely unreliable, not so much a physical entity as a trick of the light, a quirk of the imagination.
Night arrived with equatorial quickness, and a man appeared, striding through the dark dunes with armfuls of light. Carrying a dozen lanterns, he set them carefully across the sand slopes, marking out avenues between my tent and the outposts of my evening. I followed them to dinner, reclining on a bolster by a candlelit table while the stars thickened above me. Waiters arrived with a series of spectacular dishes – a spicy lentil soup known as harira, a B erber tagine, and a heavenly concoction of orange, grapefruit and carrot – all served with a crisp Chablis.
confusion of golden dunes, smooth-faced wind-carved shapes, stretched away as far as I could see.
fed by its own night skies, these endless constellations, thick as grapes, far too remote to understand. With an infinite universe spread out above me with such clarity, I felt no greater than one of the grains of sand beneath my hands. It was humbling and strangely comforting, this magnificence. It was the gift of the Sahara. •
'Later, I lay on the dunes above my tent gazing at the stars. The lanterns had been taken Later, I lay on the dunes above my tent gazing at away, the night was the stars. The lanterns had After an hour or so, the taken away, the night black, and the night sky been sand dunes of Iriki apwas black, and the night peared, away to our right, was clearer and closer was clearer and closer sky riding like hump-backed than anywhere on Earth. I whales in a flat sea. burrowed my toes into the than anywhere on Suddenly the driver veered sand, still warm from the Earth. I burrowed my day’s sun, and gazed up at off the track and drove into their midst. Porters infinity. toes into the sand, still materialised like desert djinns to unload my bags. is the real reason you warm from the day’s This Then a waiter arrived and should come to the Sahaled me up the sandy flanks The desert is humbling sun, and gazed up at ra. of a long ridge where af– the vastness, the hostile ternoon tea was laid out landscape the size of a infinity.’ on a low table. A tumbling continent – but it is dwar-
My tent lay nestled in one of their hollows. The size of a small chalet, it was Saharan chic – Berber rugs, wrought-iron lanterns, a double bed with piles of cushions, a palette of neutral colours. There was an attached bathroom with a clever water system to allow for desert showers, and a rather nifty chemical loo. In the world of Saharan travel, this was obviously club class. Desert sheikhs did not travel this well. I was camping in the depths of the Sahara in more comfort
Contact one of our Morocco Specialists on: +44 (0) 20 3911 5900
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N e e d to K n o w ABOUT MOROCCO L I F E I S I N T H E D E TA I L Why us? Morocco was one of our original Big Short Break destinations and has proved hugely popular ever since. Isabel de Galleani, our Head of Africa, is another of the team to have been chosen for the prestigious Conde Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialists list this year, specifically for her expertise on Morocco.
Tangier
Fez
RABAT
Meknes
Casablanca
Essaouira
Your Concierges Attracted to the country’s colours, traditions, landscapes and hospitable locals, Aimy moved to Marrakech with her husband for a new adventure. For Marrakech native Hanane, it is Morocco’s design and craftsmanship that bought her home after ten years of travelling. Aimy and Hanane can organise everything from overnight hiking trips in the High Atlas to visits to the secret gardens of Marrakech.
Marrakech
Agadir
Fast Facts • Size: 172,414 square miles • Capital: Rabat • Population: 37,980,000 (Nov ‘23) • Density: 220 people/square mile • Pick a Number: 859 AD. The year that the University of Al-Karaouine was founded in Fez, making it the world’s oldest university. • When to Go: Morocco is best in spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November).
WESTERN SAHARA
One point of contact Contact one of our Morocco specialists on: +44 (0) 20 3911 5900
NORTHERN MOROCCO Suggested Itinerary
Ta n g i e r
C h e fc h a o u e n Days 4 - 6
Days 7 - 10
Long a magnet for creatives, Tangier remains otherwise relatively overlooked but is well worth exploring. Stroll in the shade of Mendoubia Park's palm trees, browse chic boutiques and picnic on white sand beaches.
Head inland to the beautiful blue-hued city of Chefchaouen in the shadow of the Rif Mountains. Wander the labyrinthine alleyways before switching blue for green while hiking the lush trails of the nearby Talassemtane National Park.
Explore the ancient alleyways of the medieval marvel that’s Fez, learn to make (and break) bread, and spend a day visiting the ancient BerberRoman ruins at Volublilis, the sacred site of Moulay Idris and gorgeous Meknes.
Days 1 - 3
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C U LT U R E H I T
DOSSIER
Read
Watch
Listen
The Assembly of the Dead (2017) by Saeida Rouass is a detective story set in 1900s Marrakech, offering a remarkable insight into Moroccan society at the time.
Casablanca (1942). Not just the greatest film set in Morocco, but one of the greatest full stop. Try and stay dryeyed during the Marseillaise scene.
Gnawa, a musical style blending Sufi styles and West African rhythms to induce an almost trance-like state as part of healing rituals.
Sleep La Villa Nomade in Marrakech, our own charming riad and a haven from the bustle of the medina outside.
W H AT T O D O
Eat/Drink Enjoy a sundowner cocktail at rooftop Salut Maroc, in Essaouira, as the sun sinks into the Atlantic. The Ruined Garden, in Fez, is a lovely, shaded courtyard restaurant that’s ideal for lunch. Order the smoked aubergine pate and look out for pottering tortoises.
Discover
Walking in the Atlas Mountains
Take the train
Whichever city you’re in, we know the best hammam steam rooms, where you can enjoy a well-earned soak after exploring the medina.
Small Berber communities in the Atlas were among the worst affected by the 2023 earthquake, and our Foundation donated to the relief efforts. The good news is that it’s now possible to explore this beautiful region again.
Based on France’s brilliant TGV duplex trains, Morocco’s high-speed Al Boraq line connects Tangier and Casablanca via Rabat. The reliable wider network also takes in Morocco’s imperial cities: Marrakech, Meknes and Fez.
See Southern Morocco on a road trip along the ‘Memory Road’ from the Atlantic to the Sahara Desert, overnighting in charming homestays en route.
SOUTHERN MOROCCO Suggested Itinerary
M a r ra k e c h
A ga fay D e s e r t
E s s a o u i ra
Busy but still brilliant, Marrakech is quite simply the most exotic place in easy reach of the UK. Haggle hard in the souqs, sit with snake-charmers in the vast Djemaa el-Fna square and stay in a super stylish riad in the medina.
Action stations! Saddle up for riding, camel safaris and dune buggy adventures in the Agafay Desert near Marrakech, before relaxing each evening under the stars at a charming Berber-style tented camp.
Swap desert for coast with a final stay in the picturesque port town of Essaouira. Wander the winding alleyways of the medina, learn to kitesurf, visit a local vineyard and hike to a local waterfall with a Berber guide.
Days 1 - 3
Days 4 - 6
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kintsugi travel
I n t ro d u c i n g. . .
KINTSUGI T R AV E L Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold lacquer to create a piece considered even more beautiful than the original. It’s a lovely concept, and one we believe can also apply to travel.
Before covid, travel was certainly beautiful, but with increasingly fragile fault lines caused by the twin scourges of Instagram-fuelled overtourism and exponentially expanding flight routes. Since the wrecking ball of the pandemic, Original Travel want to be the gold lacquer piecing travel back together better than before. That’s why you’ll hear us talking more and more about positive impact innovations such as Undertourism, Flight-Free Travel, Community-Based Tourism, Indigenous Tourism and Philantourism. We believe travel can, and should, be a force for good, benefitting visitor and destination alike.
words by TOM BARBER & ELLA MAWSON illustrations by FAUSTINE POIDEVIN-GROS with MIDJOURNEY
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Flight-free
While we remain committed to absorbing 100% of the carbon from our clients’ (and staff) flights through our reforestation projects, many people are looking for ways to avoid flying altogether. We’ve already celebrated the renaissance in European train travel on pages 20 and 21, and then there are ferries and the Channel Tunnel, which put you at the tip of the Continent ready to road trip to your heart’s content. Another focus for us is how to travel sustainably around large countries. Where once internal flights would have been the default, we’re now suggesting other means of exploring, from road trips and rail routes to river cruises. It might take longer, but when it involves swapping crammed airplane cabins for more salubrious ones on a luxury train, for example, why would you rush?
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Undertourism Of the 195 countries across the globe, the top 20 account for almost two-thirds of all tourist visits. Put simply, overtourism means too many of us in too few destinations. The result? Destroying the very places we cherish the most. Travel, it seems, has become less about the journey and dream of discovering new places, and more about obsessively ticking items off a bucket list and taking endless photos to prove that we’ve been there, done that and bought the Bangladeshi sweatshop-made T-shirt. This is where Undertourism comes in. The idea is to strike out and discover destinations away from the tourist trail and spread our tourist spending beyond the heaving hotspots. It’s about seeking out alternative and authentic experiences, living like a local in places barely touched by tourism (and where the locals actually welcome you), and trading crowds and queues for a good old-fashioned adventure into the unknown. Incidentally, our portfolio of Secret Series destinations shines a light on the lesser-known regions of classic destinations, where you can enjoy everything that makes the destination so special, but with a handful of the visitors.
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Philantourism Philantourism: a combination of philanthropy and tourism; or the act of choosing a holiday in order to support a down-on-its-luck destination. While there’s nothing wrong with a healthy dose of hedonism on holiday – in fact, we positively insist on it – it’s always nice to know that your money is supporting a worthy local cause. An excellent way of balancing the two is by becoming a philantourist. You can support a destination that has recently experienced hardships such as natural disaster or political upheaval simply by being there; you don’t need to do anything after you arrive other than enjoy yourself and put the money that you’d be spending on your trip anyway into the local economy, including hotels, restaurants and small businesses. You enjoy an incredible adventure while your chosen destination gets some much-needed support, both moral and financial. A win-win if there ever was one. 74
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Community Based Tourism When it comes to responsible travel, Community-Based Tourism (CBT) is a key component. The term refers to tourism experiences and accommodation managed and/or owned by local communities, and where the economic benefits are guaranteed to remain in the community rather than ending up offshore. While it is by no means prescribed, many Community-Based Tourism experiences also have a strong sustainability angle. Or they encourage visitors to learn about the local culture and way of life through authentic interactions such as storytelling, handcrafting and even fishing. We believe that a growing focus on Community-Based Tourism will only help to make travel what it should be: a genuine force for good, and our aim is to greatly increase the number of these experiences and accommodation providers over time. We will always inform clients when accommodation or experiences are owned by the community, so they can make informed decisions on how their money can have the most positive impact.
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Indigenous Tourism
5.
The rise of Indigenous Tourism is arguably the most positive travel trend in years. According to the World Bank, ‘indigenous peoples own, occupy, or use a quarter of the world’s surface area’, ‘safeguard 80 percent of the world’s remaining biodiversity’, and ‘hold vital ancestral knowledge and expertise on how to adapt, mitigate, and reduce climate and disaster risks’. If ever there was a well-timed and much-needed innovation, the focus on Indigenous Tourism is it. After all, who better to introduce you to a destination than the original custodians of the land? We’re at the forefront of the movement, developing itineraries and relationships that focus on the natural guardians of our most precious planetary assets, allowing for thoughtful interactions that are mutually beneficial to both visitors and local communities alike. Australia, along with Canada, is one of the pioneers of Indigenous Tourism, developing and empowering a collective of fascinating Aboriginal-owned and run experiences that shine a light on the world’s oldest continuous culture. Read about some of these extraordinary experiences on pages 102 to 105.
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Another s i d e to Mexico Arta Ghanbari discovers that Oaxaca is a state of mind
words by ARTA GHANBARI photos (from separate trips) by JACKIE COLE & PIA RIVEROLA 79
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s you fly into Oaxaca from Mexico City, the green carpeted Southern Sierra Madre mountains seem to divide this mysterious and beguiling state in two. But to truly understand the immense diversity of Oaxaca’s people, its traditions and many millennia of history, you must start from the ground up.
much coveted by artists in the 17th-century. The newfound wealth from cochineal was the catalyst for the elaborate colonial buildings that now line Oaxaca’s time-locked, cobbled streets. In the south of the city’s historic quarter, the narrow maze of stands at the Mercado Benito Juarez and Mercado 20 de Noviembre next door are a symphony of colour and scent; a perfect snapshot of the many layers that make up Oaxacan culture, straddling both past and present. Stands selling pottery, textiles and woven baskets from the region are broken up by handfuls of ‘rico taco’ kiosks serving up sizzling street food. Ladies in braids held together by colourful ribbons (used by Zapotec women for keeping their hair out of the way during daily chores) sit on baskets working away at their craft. It was these indigenous women who inspired the artist Freida Kahlo’s hairstyle, which became so symbolic of her image as a feminist icon.
Oaxaca has the greatest biodiversity in Mexico, a country itself in the top five most diverse nations on the planet. It was here that the domestication of plants began, some 10,000 years ago. Still today, the relationship between the state’s people and plants remains integral to all aspects of life, from the spiritual and medicinal to the cultural. From the grid of colourful streets that make up Oaxaca’s eponymous (and UNESCO protected) capital, to the craft villages on the mountain slopes of the Sierra Madre and the perfect waves of its Pacific coast – something of a surfer’s paradise – in Oaxaca, land dictates life.
Strong women have always prevailed here, their toughened hands behind many of the crafts that remain as relevant today as they have for hundreds of years. Also rooted in the land, pottery has been an indication of the success and wealth of the Zapotecs from the 6th-century BC onwards. In the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, the village of San Bartolo was put on the map in the sixties by ceramicist Doña Rosa, who created the barro negro style by polishing the damp clay before firing it, to create a smooth metallic finish.
In the capital, the walled Ethnobotanical Garden behind the 16th-century Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán serves as a perfect introduction to the increasingly complex crop cultivation methods developed over the centuries. Inspired by nearby Mitla, the main religious centre for the Zapotec people – who inhabited Oaxaca contemporaneously with the Aztecs and Mayans elsewhere in Mexico – the gardens demonstrate how the planting of corn, squash and beans together (‘the three sisters’, as they are known) created staple crops. You can also see sinuous ceiba trees – sacred to pre-Colombian Mesoamerican cultures as the connection between the underworld, human world and heaven – and barbasco plants, the roots from which diosgenin was extracted to create the world’s first birth control pill.
These shining jewels so mesmerised the world that admirers such as Nelson Rockefeller and Jimmy Carter flocked to the village, now a warren of pottery workshops. Most are run by women such as Candelaria Sosa, who is a third-generation potter teaching her two daughters the skills inherited from her ancestors. In the village of Santo Tomas Jalieza, history is woven into textiles. The telar de cintura style of weaving, where the loom is strapped to the back, is still practised, collectively, by local women in a handful of workshops.
This varied land is also home to the many indigenous communities descended from the Zapotecs and Mixtecs, who between them speak over 100 languages and still own 70% of the Oaxacan countryside, passionately preserving their traditions in life and art. It was here that red cochineal dye was first used, later becoming the most important export after gold and silver, and
Driving through the villages of the Central Valleys, time stands still in roadside markets where crowds gather to buy or barter produce from their land. Fields of maize sway in the gentle afternoon breeze, and the
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À Vev ey, l ’ h ôte l d e s Tro i s - C o u ro n n e s v u d e p u i s l e l a c Lé m a n .
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À Vev ey, l ’ h ôte l d e s Tro i s - C o u ro n n e s v u d e p u i s l e l a c Lé m a n .
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made up of 26 ingredients including cacao beans, 15 types of chillies, bread, bacon, lard, sugar and tomatoes. It can take days to make a single batch, grinding each piece of the recipe to exacting methods. The resulting flavour is a sweet yet spicy delight, commonly served with chicken over rice.
surrounding mountains appear green with life and vigour. Even those who don’t make it beyond the city centre can easily tap into Oaxaca’s craft culture. While the more traditional styles of ceramics and textiles can be seen in abundance in busy Zócalo square, there are a handful of chic galleries and concept stores selling pieces by artists who have given the traditional techniques a contemporary spin. La Chicharra Cerámica and La Cocina de Humo are gotos for ceramics. The latter is also home to a secret outdoor kitchen and communal dining table at the back where guests can enjoy exceptional cooking from chef Thalía Barrios (book way in advance). Piedra de Rio is easy to miss, but worth the hunt for pieces by designers working in the village of Santa Maria Atzompa.
Despite their colonial facade, Oaxaca’s bars and restaurants are surprisingly modern in spirit, with Middle Eastern, Japanese and European influences evident at some of the hottest tables in town. Across the street from Pug Seal Zapoteca is the lunch spot Boulenc, serving up fresh sourdough sandwiches and salads – if you need a break from tacos – while just a five-minute walk up the street is Casa Oaxaca La Ventana, a shoebox-sized local haunt known for its mezcals and tapas. For seafood, head straight to Humar, while Adama is a must for unexpected Levantine dishes in an impressive brutalist-style concrete courtyard. Kintaro serves up Japanese fusion in yet another pretty courtyard, while Salon de la Farma, an eighties-style dive bar, makes a mean mezcalito cocktail.
‘Driving through the villages of the Central Valleys, time stands still in roadside markets where crowds gather to buy or barter produce from their land. Fields of maize sway in the In another trendy pocket of Oaxaca’s centre is a further im- gentle afternoon breeze, pressive example of Mexican and the surrounding tradition given a modern makeover. Hotel Pug Seal Zapo- mountains appear green teco, which opened in 2020, with life and vigour.’ huddles around a central courtyard decorated in colourful geometric murals by the artist Rafael Uriegas. It was inspired by the Zapotec view of the cosmos, and its shapes and reliefs – depicting symbols of fertility, nature and death – have become forever ingrained in the soul of the building.
On the subject of cocktails, Oaxaca’s capital pairs perfectly with Puerto Escondido on the south coast. The land is cloaked in dense rainforest bisected by wide, fast-flowing rivers that spill into the wild Pacific, throwing golden plumes into the air with every crashing wave. Deemed by surfers as the Mexican equivalent of Hawaii’s Banzai Pipeline, on the north shore of O’ahu,
If Oaxaca is the soul of Mexico, then its cuisine is the nation's soul food. If any one dish demonstrates the Oaxacan instinct for precision and tradition, it’s the local dish of mole negro, a kind of dark curry-style sauce
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the beaches around Puerto have been drawing surfers from around the world since the fifties. In recent years, however, the area has smartened up, with the arrival of trendy design hotels, restaurants and an impressive artists’ foundation and residency producing a constant flow of trailblazing creatives from this remote corner.
chess board with 64 towering cube structures, each made using 1,600 bricks, which took local artisans over two years to build. While Ando set the style, it is Mexican architect Alberto Kalach who applied the brutalist aesthetic to the majority of new developments on the same beach, including the 72ft-tall chimney for clay workshops at Casa Wabi, the exceptional Japanese restaurant Kakurega Omakase, small batch mezcal bar Cobarde, and Grupo Habita’s new Hotel Terrestre. Unlike Puerto’s relaxed barefoot approach and shabby chic beach cabana rooms, Terrestre’s tough beauty is full of design surprises. Run entirely on solar energy (at the expense of air conditioning), the hotel is set back in the jungle rather than on the beach, with clever hacks such as open layouts and wooden shutters for ventilation. At both hotels, each room has a private plunge pool for frequent and much-needed dips.
Despite the changing times, Puerto remains resolutely free-spirited. Many of the recent openings are huddled together on a private beach 30 minutes’ drive north of the town. At the forefront of the design revolution in this patch of paradise is Casa Wabi, an arts foundation, residency and part-time home of the celebrated Mexican artist Bosco Sodi. Just next door is Hotel Escondido, which was the first boutique hotel to open here back in 2014, from happening hotel brand Grupo Habita.
‘Puerto Escondido is cloaked in dense Casa Wabi’s concrete structure rainforest bisected appears to rise out of the jungle in identical, Lego-like blocks by wide, fast-flowing that are a signature of Pritzker-winning Japanese architect rivers that spill into Puerto feels like stumbling Tadao Ando. After Bosco shared across a special secret, and unthe wild Pacific, his dream during a New York like Mexico’s other beach dinner party to open a foundahotspots, such as the Riviera throwing golden tion on the beach he camped on Maya and Puerto Vallarta, holds as a kid, Ando sketched the liplumes into the air the trump card of being difficult near layout on a napkin. The to reach. Sitting under the with every crashing shade of red Coca-Cola umbrelstraight line in question is a singular thousand-foot-long wall las at one of the handful of fish wave.’ that runs the entire width of the kiosks on Playa Carrizalillo, feet space, dividing the complex from the north and south into various spaces for exhibitions, workshops, resident artists and finally Bosco’s own studio at the end, all open to the public on three guided visits a day.
in the sand and watching patient surfers finally catch the perfect wave, it’s impossible to feel anything but in the moment. Under the late afternoon sun, silhouetted local children chase each other across the horizon and time feels disconnected from the rest of the world. Puerto makes a strong case for going the distance to enjoy the ultimate reward. •
Since its inception, Casa Wabi has welcomed some 300 artists, working in a mix of disciplines ranging from painting and sculpture to dance, performance and digital art. Fittingly, in his own work, Bosco returns to the land and works largely in clay. Colossal boulders and square blocks are scattered to dry under the piercing sun, while his Atlantes installation is laid out like a
Contact one of our Mexico Specialists on: +44 (0) 20 3911 5900
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N e e d to K n o w ABOUT MEXICO
One point of contact Contact one of our Mexico Specialists on: +44 (0) 20 3911 5900
Chihuahua
Cabo San Lucas
Merida
Guadalajara
Puerto Vallarta
Cancun Tulum
MEXICO CITY Oaxaca Puerto Escondido
L I F E I S I N T H E D E TA I L Why us? Conde Nast Traveler chose Oliver Rodwell, our Head of Americas, as their Top Travel Specialist for Mexico for a very good reason. He is married to a Mexican, and spends time in country every year, exploring new places and revisiting old haunts.
Fast Facts • Size: 761,600 square miles • Capital: Mexico City • Population: 128,820,000 (Nov ‘23) • Density: 169 people/square mile • Pick a Number: 64. The number of different chilies cultivated in Mexico, from the popular jalapeno and chipotle to the face-meltingly hot habanero. • When to Go: Mexico’s dry season runs from December to April, but you can probably stretch to May in most parts.
Your Concierge Audrey moved to Mexico more than ten years ago, and regularly heads well off the beaten track, meeting local Mexicans and embracing their way of life. You can count on her for everything from a reservation in Mexico City’s hottest restaurant to – as one client requested – arranging a marriage proposal!
FAMILY YUCATAN PENINSULA Suggested Itinerary
R iv i e ra M aya
Merida
H o l b ox
Days 1 - 4
Days 5 - 7
Days 8 - 12
Begin the holiday with some beach time on the Riviera Maya, spot manatees in the Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve, snorkel/dive on the Mesoamerican Reef system and explore Yucatan’s extraordinary cenote collapsed cave systems.
Head inland to historic Merida, the cultural capital of the Yucatan and staging post for a visit to Uxmal, one of the finest of Mexico’s Mayan cities. Back in the city, explore local markets and take in a Mexican wrestling bout, where the masked fighters put on a show.
Decamp to Holbox Island for a final few days of R&R on the beautiful beaches, with boat trips to local cenotes and bird sanctuaries, and the chance (in season) to see flamingos and/or snorkel with whale sharks.
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C U LT U R E H I T
DOSSIER
Read
Watch
Listen
Fifth Sun (2020) by Camilla Townsend. The extraordinary story of the Spanish conquistadors’ invasion, but told from the Aztec perspective using Nahuatl language texts.
Roma (2018) is director Alfonso Cuaron’s biographical and beautifully shot evocation of the turbulent early seventies in Mexico City.
Vicente 'Chente' Fernandez, known as the ‘Mexican Elvis’ and certainly the undisputed king of ranchera, a genre derived from traditional folk music.
W H AT T O D O
Sleep Casa Polanco is a super-stylish boutique bolthole in the upmarket district of the same name in Mexico City, overlooking leafy Parque Lincoln. L’Otel is in the heart of San Miguel de Allende. Enjoy a cocktail on the chessboard-tiled roof terrace after exploring Mexico’s best preserved colonial-era city.
Eat There’s no better place to learn about and sample mezcal – tequila’s cooler cousin – than at Casa Silencio, a distillery with excellent restaurant and bedrooms outside Oaxaca.
Cooking in Mexico City
Palenque after hours
Pay a morning visit to the Merced traditional market in the Tlatelolco district with your chef/ guide, learning about and buying seasonal ingredients. Then head to the kitchen to prepare chilaquiles, enchiladas, tampiquena carne, various soups and a classic pudding. Finally, enjoy the masterpiece you have prepared with your own hands.
Palenque, in Chiapas, is among the finest of all Mayan cities, famed for its superb bas-reliefs, which were preserved from looting and weathering by vegetation after the city was abandoned in c800 AD. The experience is even more special if you visit after hours, with just howler monkeys and birds for company.
Quintonil in Mexico City regularly features in ‘World’s Best’ lists thanks to contemporary twists on traditional Mexican flavours. Each dish is a tiny work of art.
Discover An authentic celebration of Day of the Dead in off-the-radar Patzcuaro, where families hold an all-night vigil for their ancestors in an island cemetery.
BAJA CALIFORNIA Suggested Itinerary
Mexico City
Sea of Cortes
Southern Baja
Make the most of your time in Mexico City. Zone in on the Zocalo, visit the vast ruins of Teotihuacan, admire Kahlo’s paintings and Rivera's murals and, finally, feast on the fabled street eats.
Welcome to Baja! Start in pretty La Paz before exploring Espiritu Santo Island biosphere on dive, snorkel and kayak adventures with a marine biologist, keeping an eye out for colonies of sea lions, dolphins and manta rays.
Head south to Todos Santos for some R&R, watching the waves roll in off the Pacific and visiting galleries and workshops. Your final port of call is San Jose del Cabo for riding, whale-watching, hiking and bird-watching.
Days 1 - 3
Days 4 - 6
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SEA, S TO N E S and SARDINIA Catherine Fairweather follows in the footsteps of Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Aragonese, Catalans and DH Lawrence on a trip to lesser-known Sardinia.
words by CATHERINE FAIRWEATHER photos (from a separate trip) by ALIOCHA BOI
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stone, and stoned-looking Medusa, missing an eye, stares down the centuries from her museum perch, outloomed only by the cool patrician gaze of Emperor Augustus on his pedestal. Cagliari’s Archaeological Museum, at the summit of Castello, the old citadel, is reached, or rather scaled, by fleets of endless steps, in a tangle of cobbled alleys. It’s worth the effort, this sanctuary of marbled silence; a respite from the heat and café-life spilling onto pavements below. Over the years, I have accompanied my photographer husband Don McCullin on his journeys around the outer reaches of the Mediterranean basin, exploring the vestiges and ruins of the Roman Empire. This hobby-horse has carried us from the Forum in Rome’s heartland to the ancient gates of Byblos and Baalbek in Lebanon, through Turkey, Morocco and Syria, to the empire’s lost copper mines in the deserts of Jordan. And yet, we had never been to, nor even heard of, Sardinia’s Phoenician-Roman sites; Nora, and Tharros, on the western side of the island. Former port cities, built on the back of wheat, obsidian and metal trade routes between the Levant and Rome centuries before Christ, they also straddle the shores of heavenly bays. With 1,150 miles of sensational coastline on Sardinia, you can always take a dip off a spiaggera libera (a free beach), with perhaps a picnic cobbled together from the produce of a roadside shack, or a lingering lunch at a beachy trattoria; just rewards for the cultural traveller. From the granite headlands and the shifting dunes of the southern shores, with a sensational lighthouse-hotel as our luxurious base, we made forays to soak up the atmosphere of old stones and fallen citadels in the coastal marshlands of the Sinis Peninsula. And as a finale, we imbibed the powers and the glories, the stolen beauties and sacrifices of the ancients in an obscure little repository of archaeological finds at Turris Libisonis on the north coast. This is a pocket of serenity away from the bustle of sunlit cafes, the seaside promenades and the palm-studded catwalk terraces of Hotel Las Tronos, in ever-popular Alghero. Cagliari; the charming, unpretentious coastal capital with magnificent wide avenues shaded by 250-year-old ficus trees, has been strangely overlooked. To wander
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through the Archaeological Museum is to get a vivid sense of centuries of feuding and successive invasions by Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs and Aragonese, among others, all making their imprint on Europe’s most ancient landmass. The island’s recorded history, stretching back over 5,000 years, is captured in the immutable expressions of the Giants of Mont’e Prama, the Bronze Age warriors of the Nuragic era, whose menhirs, stone dwellings and sacred sites of the rural hinterland heighten the sense of mystery in a land that feels like a place out of time. Despite being united as part of Italy some 150 years ago by Garibaldi, who subsequently settled and died here, the island remains a world unto itself; with its own distinct language and its own brand of humour we would call sardonic wit. I get a slice of that Sardinian singularity over lunch at Pani e Casu, on the old ramparts. It's a fabulous restaurant in a city where eating is religion; even banks and churches close for lunch. This traditional trattoria looks out on the same ‘fainting sea’ that impressed the writer DH Lawrence in the 1920s, with salt pans and flamingo breeding grounds attracting over one third of Europe’s migratory birds in winter. Following custom, we hack away at a slab of pecorino with the hunting knife provided, and dip the flatbread called carasau into favette, the island speciality of fava bean and mint. It is one of the cornerstones of Sardinia’s famously health-giving diet, along with the omega-rich sheep cheese and local Cannonau wine, full of artery-cleansing flavonoids, that contribute to the islanders’ famed Blue Zone longevity. ‘The humble fava is life-prolonging, but can also kill you’, our host, the president of the Photo Solstice festival, says wryly; ‘We are a breed apart, prone to a unique condition called favism; potentially lethal for about of third of the population who don’t have the enzyme required to digest the bean’. Blame it on their DNA, he continues, which hasn’t changed since the island, lost somewhere between Europe and Africa, was part of Magna Graecia. The Sardinian hub of that empire was Nora, built in the eighth-century BC above a windswept peninsula in the south. When we visit the ruined city, there’s a dig going on, for only a third of the site has been excavated. Meanwhile, local newspapers headline yet another diver emerging on to a beach carrying more ancient loot and fragments of Roman bling. I had wanted to walk
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‘In Sardinia, you can always take a dip off a spiaggera libera (a free beach), with perhaps a picnic cobbled together from the produce of a roadside shack, or a lingering lunch at a beachy trattoria; just rewards for the cultural traveller.’
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the centurion’s road, a mile and a half from here to Bithia down the coast. But it’s hot and the sea beckons from behind the blinding white beaches of Baia Chia, where local youth are all over each other ‘like so much melted butter over parsnips’, to borrow from DH Lawrence again, in his excellent travelogue Sea and Sardinia.
your own pace, making your own agenda is, of course, the best kind of freedom there is, so we toasted the newlyweds across the rickety tables with our cone of fried calamari and two euro Aperol Spritz. A much better example of la dolce vita than an ice bucket of Veuve Clicquot at the legendary Zamira bar on the shiny Costa Smeralda on Sardinia’s east coast.
So, we bypass the crowds and continue southwards until, very soon, the asphalt runs out and we are bouncing over scented maquis in the suddenly deserted wilderness of the 1,250-acre Capo Leulade, protected as a naval lookout. The 19 th-century lighthouse on the headland was empty for decades until the government sold it off to pay national debts, and ten years ago it launched as an exclusive private retreat. The more recently restored keeper’s house has uninterrupted views of the galloping surf below the Capo Spartivento cliffs; ‘the place where the wind was born’.
Like many others, I had always made the mistake of associating Sardinia with the high glamour, high cost honeypot destination that is Porto Cervo. In fact, until the Aga Khan changed the face of tourism there, no property on the seashore was worth anyt hi ng t o a p o p u l a t i o n o f shepherds and farmers who simply let their cattle meander over the fine sands that are gold dust today.
‘The sea beckons from behind the blinding white collapse of the ancient Robeaches of Baia The man port cities of Tharros, Nora Chia, where local and Tunnis made the islanders turn their back on the sea, which youth are all over represented danger from relentless incursions by pirates. The each other, “like watchtowers that stand sentinel It is the perfect staging post for walks across isolated, junithe San Giovanni headland so much melted on per-studded headlands to coves and every other promontory along and beaches that will be yours this coast are a legacy of that butter over alone, even in high summer. Also threat. Instead, communities were a perfect sybaritic base for advenrebuilt inland, amid the (now proparsnips”, to tures up the empty road to the untected) wetlands of the Cabras sung loveliness of the Sinis Peninborrow from DH Ponds and Sale Porcus Reserve, sula, where Tharros promises to colonised by flamingos, herons Lawrence.’ be the highlight of our trip. and cormorants and best explored
on horseback or bike. We stopped at the cinematic village of San Salvatore, with tumbleweed rolling between rows of low-slung, shuttered houses; an atmospheric backdrop for many a spaghetti Western. It comes alive in September every year, when a barefoot mini-marathon commemorates a victory several centuries ago against Arab raiders, when local youths saved the effigy of their saint in the church. The past is very present for Sardinians. The old Pontis fisheries, within the reed beds of the lagoon, still harvest bottarga in much the same way their Roman forebears did. The mullet roe, massaged by hand to eliminate air pockets, is then pressed between wooden boards and sun dried for weeks. Said to be the best in
We had permission to shoot the ancient Roman city, with its sophisticated cobbled roads and drainage systems, bathhouse, cistern and graceful temple on the windswept shoreline, after closing hours. But come sundown, a cloud of mosquitoes descended like a pall over the place. San Giovanni beach was a refuge, with its breezes strong enough to keep the critters at bay. The promisingly named bar Maestro Vento, beside a sixth-century church – the oldest in Sardinia – had sunbeds, palm-fringed umbrellas, and a crooner singing Italian love songs for a cosy wedding party dancing in the sand. There is a special kind of pleasure in going off-piste on a road trip, especially in Italy. Travelling at
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the world, the ‘poor man’s caviar’ is then shaved like truffles over pasta in Pontis’ adjoining restaurant, packed on a Sunday, or served on dried bread with a drizzle of olive oil. Accompanied by an excellent chilled Sardinian Vermentino wine, or the fortified Vernaccia, another speciality of the region, this is a taste detonation all the more sensational for its simplicity.
at least, the old-school varnish remains undimmed. The décor; all 1980s swags, tassels and crimson damask, and the bedrooms, with proper light switches and the brass key fobs weighing down your pockets are, as far as Don is concerned, reassuringly oldfashioned. But you can’t fault the location, perched photogenically on a rocky outcrop with a pontoon and sunbathing platforms jutting into the deep blue, and only a ten-minute stroll into town.
Away from the sunbathers and windsurfers along the famous pink quartz beach of Is Aruttas sits the main town of Cabras. Perched lyrically on the lagoon with its back to a maze of baffling one-way streets, Cabras has, like San Salvatore, the abandoned, haunted feel of a de Chirico surrealist painting. That sense of a vanishing underlines a very real problem of depopulation on an island where the three million sheep outnumber humans nearly two-to-one. It has led to initiatives to attract, among others, Kyrgyz herders to settle here as new custodians of the flocks and to prevent the centuries-old craft of cheesemaking from dying out. Elsewhere, abandoned shepherds’ houses in mountain communities like Ollolai have been turned over to digital nomads at peppercorn rents.
Silhouetted against the sunset, the distant lighthouse of Capo Caccia beckons, at 610ft above the surf the highest in Italy. ‘Let’s explore the caves and coves of that promontory; it’s 20 minutes by boat from Alghero?’ I suggest, ‘or what about ice creams and a tour of the medieval castle on the river at Bosa?’. But Don is not for turning; the ancient site and museum at Porto Torres on the northern coast remains his mission. But then we still have the luck of several tomorrows, and Bosa and Capo Caccia can wait. To quote Lawrence again, this is the pleasure of slow travel and goes to the essence of Sardinia; ‘Lovely space about one, and travelling distances — nothing finished, nothing final. It is like liberty itself.’ •
‘There is a special kind of pleasure in going off-piste on a road trip, especially in Italy, so we toasted the newlyweds across the rickety tables with our cone of fried calamari and two euro Aperol Spritz.’
Contact one of our Italy Secialists on: +44 (0) 20 3911 5900
Depopulation doesn’t seem to be the problem, however, among Alghero’s thronging pavement cafés under the bastions and ramparts of the lovely old town, with its distinct Spanish style; a legacy of centuries of Catalan colonisation. We stayed in the 19th-century turreted and crenelated Hotel Las Tronas, once the summer retreat for Italian and Hollywood royalty such as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. They are always the ultimate poster couple for the dolce vita era, and here,
Don McCullin: Journeys Across Roman Asia Minor, with a foreword by William Dalrymple and words by Barnaby Rogerson, is published by Cornucopia Books, and available from John Sandoe and Hatchards.
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Aboriginal TRAVEL
Australia is at the forefront of the Indigenous Tourism movement, helping to incubate and codify a number of authentic Aboriginal experiences across the country that connect people with the land, culture and 65,000-year history of what is widely acknowledged as the world’s oldest continuous culture. Meg MacMahon, from our Australasia team, was lucky enough to try out several such experiences on a recent trip down under. 102
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BUSH TUCKER TASTING, SWAN VALLEY It's a cool autumn morning on the Mandoon Estate in Perth’s Swan Valley. The vines have turned blood orange and begun to shed their leaves and a low mist hangs across the valley. We head inside, out of the cold and into the Maalinup Gallery, an Aboriginal art gallery owned by Dale Tilbrook and her brother Lyall. As we enter, the smell of freshly brewed lemon myrtle tea drifts through the corridors. The scent is both soothing and awakening, a natural balm for the soul and senses. Dale leads us into her tasting room, and we begin by sipping the citrusy tea and sinking our teeth into sweet macadamia nut biscuits. As with all the Aboriginal-led experiences I encountered during my trip, it’s like being welcomed into the home of a close family member; a warm welcome to their country, and a sensory immersion into Aboriginal culture in all its diversity. Despite that diversity, the Welcome to Country is an essential part of every experience. It is an Aboriginal blessing to enter the sacred land of their ancestors and to protect us visitors from evil spirits and bad omens. In return, we are given the chance to acknowledge the original owners of this land as we accept their welcome. With over 500 different Aboriginal peoples in Australia, the Welcome to Country varies from smoking ceremonies and the offering of body sweat back to the sea to traditional dances, songs, and performances. The welcome is often accompanied by a chant or phrase: an acknowled-
gement and a warning to the land and its spirits that new visitors have arrived. Dale is a Wardandi Bibbulmun woman whose traditional Aboriginal country is Busselton in the Margaret River region, but who now lives in Swan Valley. She welcomes us in the language and tradition of her people, with a soft chant, and another long sip of tea. She then talks us through her freshly-made bush tucker, spread out on carved wooden platters across the table. The strange beauty and individuality of each plant, seed and fruit is like an offering of jewels rather than mere foods and medicines grown locally. Dale talks us through the spread, explaining how each ingredient is harvested, in which season, and the medicinal, health, and flavour properties of each. We suck on tiny green roots that burst with pink caviar-like pearls and smell deep brown seeds that look like insects wrapped in burnt orange wings. Dale passes around a selection of green herbs whose names are similar to the ones in my kitchen, but which burst with many more flavours. The experience is educational, fun, and delicious. After the talk and tasting, Dale leads us into her art gallery where she often holds dot-painting workshops and gallery tours. She is passionate about the education and conservation of Aboriginal heritage and culture, striving to curate creative and immersive experiences that do just that. No matter which part of Australia you visit, there are incredible experiences to choose from.
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Four other unmissable Aboriginal experiences from across Australia…
WALKABOUT TOURS, PORT DOUGLAS The land, originally known as Kuku Yalanji country, is one of the richest and most diverse places in Australia; where two UNESCO World Heritage sites – the Daintree Rainforest in Cape Tribulation, and the Great Barrier Reef – collide. A local guide will explain the profound relationship the Kuku Yulanji people still have with their land and these diverse environments. Walk through shallows and mangroves, collecting shellfish and learning to spear mud crabs, and trek along lush trails through the world’s oldest rainforest, foraging for traditional foods and medicines, while your guide tells Dreamtime stories along the way.
ANANGU ART CLASS, ULURU Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock) is one of the most important Aboriginal sites in Australia. Visit the Patji homelands of a local Uluru family and learn about their ancient culture. Then, in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, join a traditional dot painting session at a local collective of Anangu artists, providing an important source of income to artists living in remote communities. Throughout the painting session, the artists will pass on some of their generational knowledge, providing an insight into traditional Anangu culture and practices as you hear creation time stories and see them expressed through painting.
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LORDS SAFARIS, NORTHERN TERRITORY On a safari with Lords, the legendary Aboriginal guides, you have exclusive access to the most culturally significant sites in Australia’s Northern Territory, where entry is granted by invitation only. Stay in luxury lodges or comfortable camps and explore landscapes from outback to wetlands and dramatic coastlines bursting with wildlife, and all home to a rich Aboriginal history. Spot salt-water crocodiles, sea eagles and buffaloes in Kakadu Safari; learn about the Arnhem Lands with Aboriginal artists and storytellers who welcome you to their territory; swim in the crystal waters of the Barramundi Gorge and enjoy evenings filled with Dreamtime Stories, traditional foods and some of Australia’s finest wines.
WUKALINA WALK, TASMANIA The Wukalina Walk is a multi-award-winning four-day, three-night hike owned, run and guided by the local Palawa people in Tasmania. Hike through bushland and along beautiful coastlines to the summit of Wukalina (Mount William) and stay in comfortable domed huts each evening, eating traditional foods under a brilliant starry sky. The walk ends on the northern headland of Larapuna. Your guide will explain how it was named Bay of Fires after an 18th-century English navigator counted over two hundred fires along the coastline, and the many uses of fire by the Palawa people, from smoke signals and cremation to land management.
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Amdo photostory by Jérôme Galland
Amdo is one of the remotest places on Earth. This vast swathe of what was once Greater Tibet now falls within the Chinese provinces of Qinghai and Gansu. Most visitors only catch a glimpse of this beguiling region from the train window while traversing the Tibetan plateau en route from Beijing to Lhasa. Instead, hop off the world's highest railway line in Xining and explore a land of rolling grasslands inhabited by yak-herding nomads and scarlet-robed monks in astonishing monasteries like Lanzhou. Visit the birthplace of the current Dalai Lama, retrace ancient pilgrimage trails and stay in charming tented camps, all the while learning about the specific tenets of Tibetan Buddhism. 106
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Contact one of our China/Tibet Specialists on: +44 (0) 20 3911 5900
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There are few travel experiences as memorable as seeing wild animals in their natural habitat; and everyone remembers the moment they fall in love with safari. It could be while watching chimpanzees swing through the treetops above your head, or seeing a leopard stalk its prey along shrub-lined riverbeds; you just never know what’s going to happen next. For James Back, our native South African safari expert, it was the time he spotted three cheetahs on a termite mound in the Okavango Delta, scanning the horizon for their next meal. That, and moments like it, are windows into our world at its most authentic and unscripted; the perfect combination of place and wildlife – like the time James was relaxing in a hammock in Mana Pools and an elephant came to scratch an itch on the very stilts holding it up. There isn’t a safari spot or camp James hasn’t seen or stayed in, which is what makes him an expert (and Conde Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist) at choosing the best places to spot each species. As you’d imagine, conservation is always at the forefront of the team’s minds when planning your safari. Instead of jumping from place to place at a million miles an hour – we’ll leave that to the animals – an African safari is about slowing down, appreciating nature’s big and small wonders alike, and helping preserve the ecosystem for years to come. introduction by NAOMI PIKE words by JAMES BACK 121
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Wild Dogs BOTSWANA 20 years ago, seeing a pack of wild dogs was a genuine rarity, and often only possible in a national park where they had been collared and tracked. Today, while still endangered, wild dog (also known as painted wolves) populations have bounced back with a bang. A delight for both safari-goers and ecosystem equilibrium alike, no place has seen their resurgence more than the famous Okavango Delta and Linyanti Waterfront private conservation concessions in Botswana. Pups are raised in and around dens for several weeks after birth and I was fortunate enough to see them denning during early summer when visiting Linyanti. Watching them hunt, though, is something else entirely. With the highest hunting success rate of all safari predators, at around an 80% kill rate, wild dogs run down their prey until it tires and can’t run any further. 122
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Shoebills ZAMBIA Found in the freshwater swamps of Zambia (and Uganda), it’s not difficult to see how this incredible prehistoric, stork-like bird got its name. With long spindly legs, a heavy body, broad wings (their wingspan can range between eight and nine feet), and a unique foot-long bill that resembles a Birkenstock clog, seeing a shoebill is a real – if rare – pleasure. One of the best places to see them is, appropriately enough, Shoebill Island Camp, located in the Bangweulu wetlands in Zambia. This camp is in a community owned and protected area and is only open between May and October. Shoebills tend to hang out in the papyrus vegetation in the wetlands, where they primarily feed on fish such as lungfish, bichirs, tilapia and catfish. The best way to spot them is from a mokoro dugout canoe expertly piloted by a camp guide. And, if it’s an interesting fact you’re after, or a good pub quiz question, when the shoebill flies, it has one of the slowest wing beats of any bird, at a mere 150 beats per minute.
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Leopards SOUTH AFRICA The leopard is one of the most beautiful of the big cats, and a permanent member of the ‘Big Five’. Two of the best places to see leopards up close, and consistently, are South Africa’s incredible Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve and Timbavati Private Game Reserve, which both enjoy open borders with the world-famous Kruger National Park. The habitat here is dry, with sandy riverbeds lined by shrubs and trees – the ideal place for leopards to ambush their prey before retreating to the treetops. The resident leopards don’t change their spots, nor their favourite vantage points, and the guides who work in these reserves know these locations well, which means fabulous close encounters for amateur and professional photographers are mere camera clicks away. I’d go as far as to say that anyone on a four- or five-day safari wanting to see this usually elusive predator can visit these locations and be almost guaranteed a sighting. Incidentally, the next most consistent area for leopard spotting is the South Luangwa Park in Zambia, and particularly the central and northern areas.
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Cheetahs TANZANIA The cheetah is the fastest land mammal on Earth and over short distances can reach speeds of up to (and occasionally in excess of) 65mph. With their sleek bodies, muscular legs and long rudder-like tails, these big cats are simply breathtaking to witness in full flight, and the vast open grassland plains of the Central and Eastern Serengeti in Tanzania are the ideal place to see them in action. Unfortunately, survival rates for litters are low (less than 30% of cheetahs make it to adulthood), and cheetahs are now considered a threatened species, with only around 7,000 left in the wild. That said, there are good news stories. In the Gol Kopjies in the Eastern Serengeti, I saw a cheetah who had adopted four cubs, joining her own litter of five. They were doing really well, which was amazing given the number of lions in the immediate area. The Serengeti is one of the last remaining habitats for many of these cheetahs and also one of the locations of the great wildebeest migration, making it among the finest all-round wildlife viewing destinations in Africa.
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G i r a f fe s KENYA Kenya is home to four distinct species of giraffes: the northern giraffe, southern giraffe, Masai giraffe and the reticulated giraffe. These elegant creatures can be seen in all the country’s major parks, from the Masai Mara and Meru National Park to the excellent conservation areas of Laikipia and the northern regions of Samburu and the Matthews Range. In fact, I’ve never seen as many giraffes in one place as I did in Meru National Park when driving to Shaba Park in Laikipia. Like human fingerprints, no two giraffes have the same coat patterns. And, thanks to their distinctive 15inch bluish-purple tongues and six-foot-long necks, they are able to avoid sharp thorns and reach leaves and vines other species cannot. I once saw two bull giraffes fight, using their necks and horns to sway and strike each other. They did it with such force and ferocity it was almost hypnotic, and such an unusual and dramatic spectacle to see from one of the most seemingly graceful creatures in the wild.
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Elephants BOTSWANA In my opinion, the best areas to see elephants are Hwange and Mana Pools national parks in Zimbabwe. The Zambezi River flows through Mana Pools National Park and acts as a year-round source of water for its resident elephant herds. But the park is about much more than just elephants; think waterbucks, baboons, giraffes and almost every safari activity you can imagine, from walking, canoeing and fishing to game drives, motorbike safaris and even ‘armchair safaris’, where you simply sit and watch the animals go by from the deck of your luxury lodge. In Hwange, where there is no natural water source, pumped waterholes keep the wildlife watered and alive during the dry season. Visit the park in the peak season, between September and October, and you’ll see elephants scrabbling for acacia tree pods – the pachyderm equivalent of jelly babies. Depending where you stay, you might even be able to observe elephants in and around camp, which adds a real thrill to any stay.
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Gorillas RWANDA ‘Life changing’. That’s a phrase we often hear from clients after they’ve seen mountain gorillas for the first time. With only around 1,000 left in the wild, Uganda and Rwanda are two of Africa’s primary locations to spot them. Both destinations are incredibly memorable, but it’s difficult to look beyond the Virunga Mountains in Rwanda for peerless ethical habitat management and exceptional lodges. With eight habituated family groups in the mountain range, you are all but guaranteed to see at least one group. Finding them on foot, traversing thickly forested slopes, can take up to six hours but it’s worth the effort when you eventually locate them. The hour you then have with them flies by in seconds, so you really need a second visit, so the whole experience can sink in a little more. We share 98% of our DNA with gorillas, a biological connection you can really feel when watching the youngsters interact with their family groups.
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Rhinos NAMIBIA Seeing rhinos from a 4x4 is special, but pales by comparison to tracking them on foot. The remote and rocky desert landscape of Damaraland in Namibia’s north-west is the ideal place to experience this. Join a guide to track endangered black rhino, scaling hill crests to see if you can spot their solitary silhouettes in the distance. Get a closer look at the mammal’s face and you’ll see why they’re also called hook lip rhinos, sporting a curved upper lip that helps them to feed on leaves from bushes and trees. Smaller than white rhinos, black rhinos are considered more dangerous because of their aggressive and territorial behaviour. The ones here are also desert-adapted, meaning they can go days without water and eat the region’s toxic plants.
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Chimps UGANDA Uganda is home to three of the four types of great ape – gorillas, chimpanzees and humans (only orangutans are missing) – and two of the best destinations for spotting chimps, in Kibale Forest and the Kyambura Gorge area adjoining Queen Elizabeth National Park. Chimps are known for their speed, so you’ll want them to be settled when you spot them – you won’t be able to keep up with them when they are on the move, foraging through the forest floor and up treetop canopies. When they do settle, our close cousins are arguably even more entertaining to watch than gorillas because they are so much more active; there is always something happening. They are extremely bright (the only primates to have learned sign language), with some groups even able to use tools, and can live to their mid-forties in the wild. We recommend staying in both Kibale Forest and the Kyambura Gorge, and it goes without saying that you should also swing by Queen Elizabeth National Park for another day of wildlife viewing in a 4x4 or by private boating safari, which we can also arrange.
Contact one of our safari Specialists on: +44 (0) 20 3911 5900
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Photo Credits: Christopher Churchill/Gallery Stock (p.2); David Spero / Gallery Stock (p.4); Maygutyak / Fotolia, Nevena Lukic, Elliot Beaumont, Pie Aerts, Jérôme Galland (p.5); Carol Sachs (p.7); Laura Olsen/Unsplash (p.9); The Whale Museum, Dmytrii Minishev/Getty Images/iStockphoto, Maygutyak / Fotolia, Soneva Secret (pp.10-11); Grand Egyptian Museum, Air New Zealand skynest, Mini Moke, New Frick Collection (pp.12-13); Lucy Laucht, Pia Riverola, Alex Ratson/Getty Images, Mounir Abdi/Unsplash, Cecilia Renard, Olivier Romano, Olivier Romano, Pia Riverola, Birgit Sfat, Bellery Globemakers/Owen Harvey/Animal Globe (p.14); Todd Winner/Getty Images/Stocktrek Images (p.15); Kayla Johnson / Stocksy United (p.18); Cecilia Renard, Gunnar Knechtel/LAIF-REA, La Caña, Arquinesia/Daniel Schäfer, Lorenzo Moscia/ ARCHIVOLATINO-REA, Fondation Pilar-et-Joan-Miró / Lorenzo Moscia/Archivolatino-Rea, Assaona, Dins Santi Taura, Door 13 cocktail bar (p.19); Antoine Corbineau (p.20); Gary-/stock.adobe.com (p.23); Chef Nak (pp.24-25); Squire Fox (pp.26-27); Beks Ndlovu (p.29); African Bush Camps (pp.30-31); Lucy Laucht (p.32); Alice Kaïo, Pia Riverola, Pia Riverola, Nevena Luckic, Bryan Chorski (p.33); Charlotte Lapalus ((p.35); Nevena Luckic, Charlotte Lapalus (p.37); Javier Tles / Gallery Stock, Jonathan Ducrest / Gallery Stock, Lloyd Ziff / Gallery Stock, James Leighton / Gallery Stock, Philip Nix / Gallery Stock (pp.38-39); VisualEyze - stock.adobe.com (pp.40-41); Elliot Beaumont (pp.42-43); Pie Aert (pp.44-55); Jérôme Galland, Quentin de Briey, Jérôme Galland, dima266f / Fotolia, Surya/Dodo, Hawe/Indonesiapix/stock.adobe.com, serjedi/Getty Images/iStockphoto, Michele Westmorland/Getty Images, Paula Bronstein/Getty Images (pp.56-57); Birgit Sfat (pp.58-67); Faustine Poidevin, Birgit Sfat, Igor Mojzes and Agota Janosi/Adobe Stock, Hotel Scarabeo Camp, Salva Lopez, Robert Haidinger/LAIF-REA, Salva Lopez, Arianna/stock.adobe.com (pp.68-69); Faustine Poidevin-Gros with Midjourney (pp.70-77); Jakie Cole (pp.78-86); Pia Riverola (p.89); Pia Riverola, Jackie Cole, Alix Pardo (pp.90-91); Aliocha Boi (pp.92-100); Lucy Laucht (p.102); Tourism Western Australia (p.103); Charlotte Lapalus, Shaana McNaught/Lords Safaris, Wolfgang Stahr/LAIF-REA, Rob Burnett/The Wukalina Walk (pp.104-105); Jérôme Galland (pp.106-119); Ibrahim Suha Derbent/Getty Images, Jurgens/stock.adobe.com, Jeremy Woodhouse/Getty Images, Un Cercle (p.121); Pie Aerts (p.122); Karlos Lomsky/stock.adobe. com (p.123); Pie Aerts (pp.124-125); Cédric Viollet (p.126); Pie Aerts (pp.127-128); Kike Arnaiz / Stocksy United (p.129); JohanSwanepoel / stock.adobe.com (p.130); Amber Janssens/Pexels (p.131); Brian Flaherty (p.132).
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