Wanderlust February issue 117

www.wanderlust.co.uk

Kilimanjaro 7 tips to get you up Africa’s peak

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Volunteer abroad Inspiring ideas from a week to 2 years

The world’s happiest places

Cheer up! Uplifting adventures in Bhutan, Denmark & India February 2011 | £3.99

Wanderlust Issue 116 (Dec 2010/Jan 2011) 50 best new trips for 2011 • Iceland • Hike Dominica • Arctic Canada • Machu Picchu & Inca Trails, Peru • Ethiopia • Pocket guides: Devon, Bangkok, Karnak

ADVENTURE / WILDLIFE / DISCOVERY ➸ NEVER STOP TRAVELLING

PLUS Rio de Janeiro • Brecon Beacons • Panama Bruce Parry

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THE FUTURE Like this map? To buy MAPPING a similar wall map, visit COMPANY www.futuremaps.co.uk

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Contents FEBRUARY 2011 • ISSUE 117

Bhutan

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360°

Navigator

6 | World in pictures

89 | Skills

Dancing devils in Barcelona, extreme sports in Vanuatu, China’s Tea Horse Road and Lake Wanaka in New Zealand

14 | Shortcuts

A swift roundup of the world’s travel news: Antarctica made easy (ish) and why tortillas deserve recognition...

WIN!

Amazing trips to The Arctic | 56 South Africa | 88 Silk Road | 100 Malawi | 134

16 | Go Now!

Arctic Tromsø: the coolest Feb break

18 | 10 things to do for free in...

The skinflint’s guide to having free fun in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington

From the road

How to be a good guest, hang a mossie net and plan for the Trans-Sib

91 | Gear

All you need for a desert adventure

92 | Photo tips

Take better people pictures

94 | Health

How to travel healthy and happy

96 | Q&A

Your questions answered, including where to go for a UK walking break

Arrivals 120 | Books

49 | Ripping yarn

An intrepid reader recalls how he ventured into West Papua – and discovered an ancient trading route

50 | Letters etc

Emails, blogs, photos and ramblings from around the world – get in touch to win Páramo gear

55 | The world according to…

World music maverick DJ Andy Kershaw explains his worldview

Delve into 1960s Borneo, seafaring tales and lightning bolts...

122 | Guides & apps

Swot up on UNESCO sites and learn Thai

123 | Music

Malian guitar with a 21st century twist

124 | World diary

The best Feb festivals worldwide

125 | What’s On: UK

Bruce Parry on his new TV escapades, plus Destinations 2011 and more

Features 24 | Panama

36 Varanasi, India

The Kuna Indians of the San Blas Islands have the right idea – perfect beaches, family living, simple values. We follow their lead in the untouched Caribbean

36 | Top 5: Varanasi, India Find spiritual fulfilment in India’s most sacred – not to mention most fascinating – city, with our guide: includes photo tips and sitar lessons

58 | Bhutan Be a pioneer in the happiest Himalayan Kingdom – we explore Bhutan’s unique east, which hadn’t seen a tourist for a very long time...

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70 | Guantanamo, Cuba Life beyond the notorious US base

72 | Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Kili expert Henry Stedman helps you rise to the challenge of climbing Africa’s highest peak

102 | Denmark TV presenter Simon Reeve, fresh from exploring war zones, explains why Denmark is the world’s happiest nation

109 | Volunteering From a week to two years, from helping streetkids read to monitoring vultures in the Gobi deset, we look at a world of volunteering options

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World in pictures | Global news | Go now | Things to do for free

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Places jostling for our attention this month

BARCELONA

Dancing devils Photographer Charlie Mahoney

“The correfoc is a Catalonian folk dance that dates back to the 12th century and is a part of the annual festival, La Mercè, held every September in Barcelona, Spain. Participants, organized in neighbourhood groups, prepare their costumes and the choreography months in advance. While dancing to the drums and dressed as devils, they light fireworks and run through the crowd as the sparks fly over their heads. Other devils push enormous monsters and animals down the streets, which spray out a stream of sparks. It’s one for pure adrenaline junkies: your senses overload amid the chaos of it all. Whether you’re a participant or a photographer, you have to prepare ahead of time. Wear old loose fitting clothing, a hood and protective glasses to protect your skin and eyes. If you don’t want to end up deaf, a good set of earplugs will be useful too. Suitably prepared, you will likely come out unscathed, but the camera assuredly will not.

The 200 encrusted spark marks on my filter are proof of that.”

See more of Charlie’s images at www.charliemahoney.net

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Trips to take.... to recharge your batteries This month, trips that provide an antidote to the excesses of the silly season through relaxation, nature conservation and volunteering

Morocco Escape into the mountains Sri Lanka Find nature’s playground

China Make some new (furry) friends On Gap Adventure’s Panda Conservation Adventure you’ll wander glittering Shanghai, visit the martial-art master monks of Luoyang’s Shaolin Temple and admire the Xi’an’s Teracotta Warriors before jetting off to Sichuan Province’s Bifengxia Panda Reserve.

Here, you’ll spend five days with the animals, helping to collect bamboo and gather behavioural data, watching the infants romp and spending quality time with the adults.

Who: Gap Adventures (0844 272 0000, www.gapadventures.com) When: tailormade How long: 14 days How much: From £1,399 (excl int flights)

Cut yourself off from the world on Fleewinter’s retreat to Ulpotha, a unique project for nature lovers and yoga enthusiasts. Nestled into Sri Lanka’s central highlands, Ulpotha has no electricity and only one phone. But who needs modern trappings when there’s a lily-dotted reservoir to swim in? Yoga and ayurvedic therapies are available; meals are vegan and wheat-free.

Who: Fleewinter (020 7112 0019, www.fleewinter.co.uk) When: tailormade How long: 7 nights How much: £1,499 (incl flights)

Find peace and solitude in a remote Berber hamlet with Travelzest – The Best of Morocco. The tiny riad of Tigmi is a labyrinthine building with shady courtyards and roofless corridors, while there are yoga and body treatments on offer using traditional techniques and fragrant oils.

There’s a hammam (bath-house) on site for a luxurious afternoon of pampering, and the numerous alcoves and cushioned corners are perfect for curling up in with a good book.

Freshly cooked meals – think crisp salads and tasty homemade tagines For the – can be brought to and dislatest trip dea c ls out Tripounts, check you wherever you Finder o o n ur wish, whether wande website, rlust.c that’s the bath or a o.uk secluded courtyard.

If you fancy activities with a bit more pep, the nearby foothills of the Atlas Mountains are perfect for an active day trip, and the souks of Marrakesh are just a couple of hours away.

Who: Travelzest (0800 171 2162, www.travelzest.com) When: tailormade How long: 7 days How much: from £770 (incl flights)

TRAV FOR LEEL SS!

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Peru Pedal away the pressure Clear your mind on a challenging bike ride to one of the undisputed wonders of the world on KE Adventure’s Lake Titicaca to Machu Picchu Mountain Bike Tour. The route follows little-used dirt roads en route to the Sacred Valley.

Who: KE Adventure (017687 73966, www.keadventure.com) When: 1 & 22 Oct 2011 How long: 14 days How much: from £1,595 (excl flights)

Belize Pamper nature’s underdogs

Nepal Get a new perspective

Do your bit for the environment with Earthwatch, on its Shark Conservation in Belize trip. The project aims to establish protected areas for sharks along the magnificent Mesoamerican Reef – you’ll conduct snorkel surveys, deploy underwater cameras, and help with the tagging of the coast’s painfully endangered species.

Who: Earthwatch (01865 318831, www.earthwatch.org/europe) When: May-Jul 2011, Jan 2012 How long: 8 days How much: from £1,495 (excl flights)

Mix classic adventure with volunteering on an Experience Nepal trip with Explore. Tour Kathmandu, go white water rafting and view Chitwan NP via elephant safari. Catch your breath, then head to the village of Gati where you’ll volunteer at the local school and live in a homestay. You’ll return with new friends – and a fresh outlook.

Who: Explore (0845 013 1537, www.explore.co.uk) When: 30 Jul & 12 Nov 2011, 24 Mar 2012 How long: 21 days How much: from £2,196 (incl flights)

India Enjoy some beach therapy With its dreamy beaches and palm-fringed gardens, Kerala’s Neeleshwar Hermitage is the perfect place to release the stresses of everyday life. With TransIndus, take part in the rejuvenating Purna programme, seven days of yoga classes, cultural lectures and meditation sessions.

Who: TransIndus (020 8566 3739, www.transindus.com) When: tailormade How long: 7 days How much: from £2,374 (incl flights)

Antarctica Chill out in style

Cambodia Be inspired

Combine world-beating wildlifewatching and fine icebergs with a bit of pampering on Discover the World’s Classic Antarctica voyages aboard the Marina Svetaeva: this luxury vessel comes with onboard trainer and masseuse!

Who: Discover the World (01737 214250, www.discover-the-world.co.uk) When: 27 Jan & 8 Mar 2011 How long: 11 days How much: from £4,744 (excl flights)

Step off the tourist trail with Regent Holidays’ Good Cause trip, and discover a different side of Cambodia. Volunteer at a home for children with HIV, meet people who work with street kids, and support an NGO helping the homeless.

Who: Regent Holidays (0845 277 3317, www.regent-holidays.co.uk) When: tailormade How long: 14 days How much: from £1,970 (excl flights)

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I Indigenous culture and pristine beaches 1 on Caribbean archipelago 1 Ian idyllic

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A 15-hour indirect flight from the UK; 1 island-hopping by boat and kayak 1

Go Dec-April, the dry season

paradise found

Panama’s Kuna islanders are among the most contented people on Earth. Their secret? Community, tradition, independence – and a neighbourhood that looks like this Words Nick Boulos

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Caribbean Sea

San BlAs archipelago Panama Colombia

South Pacific

Idyll banter Flying low over tiny coral islands sprinkled far and wide across a brilliantly turquoise sea, I descended from Panama City into paradise. Through the plane window I spied specks of land ringed with butter-yellow shores and bursting with wild green interiors. There were several that you could stroll around in half a minute at a leisurely pace. Then there was the heart-shaped isle so flawless it would bring a tear to Girl Friday’s eye and have Richard Branson reaching for his chequebook.

But no amount of zeroes would be enough to stake a claim here.

The Kuna, who have protected their culture to the death, have stringent policies >

Previous page: Randy Faris, Hemis/ Alamy. This page: Jon Arnold Images Ltd / Alamy, Andrej Crcek, Nick Boulos

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San Blas Islands, which stretch for 226km hristina couldn’t help towards the Colombian border. Known but brag. “I have locally as the Kuna Yala, this slither of absolutely no stress in heaven is largely unaffected by the modern my life,” she boasted, world and free of government influence flashing her toothless having been granted independence in 1925. grin, then collapsing Here, the Kuna call the shots. in a fit of giggles.

As a result, life is firmly in the slow lane.

“I don’t even know how old I am but I Unhindered by notions of wealth and know the island was very different back materialism, the Kuna rank tradition, then. We have a few concrete buildings and nature and community above all else. a church now. But deep down we’re the Their lives are rich in purpose and direction: same,” she added wistfully, looking out there are houses to build, at the bamboo houses and crabs to catch, baseball breadfruit trees.

Living on a remote island tournaments to play, on Panama’s untouched card tricks to perform.

Caribbean coast it was easy Panama is, officially, one to see why Christina and of the happiest places on her fellow Kuna people Earth. It scored highly on remain so satisfied. Most the New Economics The secret to of us can only dream of Foundation’s Happy Planet hapPiness is... waking up every day to the Index, which measures “Be part of a community. sound of a sea breeze gently human well-being. But I Money doesn’t buy rustling the palms, feeling suspected that the Kuna, happiness. When you have nothing but soft sand with their emphasis on money, nothing is real – you under our feet. kinship and culture, might buy everything, including your friendships. Who The majority of this be even more content than wants to live like that?” indigenous tribe live on 49 their countrymen. Only one Demeisos Escubar of the almost 400 tropical way to find out...

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Top 5 guide

Varanasi India’s holiest city is an emotional rollercoaster, but nowhere else captures the human spirit so vividly. Let Wanderlust guide you along its narrow alleys and riverside ghats Words Piers Moore Ede | Pictures Vaibhav Mehta & Steve Davey

A river of people Pilgrims bathing in the Ganges on Prayag Ghat.

The atmosphere on the ghats is a curious mixture of hassle, hustle and holiness

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Top 5 Sacred sites

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Vishwanath Temple is the most important Shivaite shrine in Varanasi; its 15.5m spire shines with 820kg of gold. The inner sanctum is forbidden to non-Hindus but you can get a good view from the second-floor window of the Udai Silk Shop, although don’t snap a photo, even from here.

For most visitors, Manikarnika Ghat is both shocking and deeply moving: smoking cremation pyres, piles of timber, wandering livestock, shaven-headed mourners and a dramatic, soot-darkened temple half-sunk in the water. This is not a melancholy place, however, so much as a solemn one, where the dead are propelled onwards to the sound of chanted mantras. Arrive by boat or on foot from Mandapur Road.

If the overwhelming activity in Varanasi is worship, it’s the Ganges herself, the holiest of Hindu rivers, that receives the largest proportion: her waters are drunk, bathed in and bottled, and for those who cannot afford cremation it is enough simply to cast the body into her waters. For much of the year, a large sandy bank – easily accessible by boat – is exposed on the far side, making a great and uncrowded place to take it all in.

In the fifth century BC, Buddha preached his first sermon at Sarnath, 10km north-east of Varanasi, speaking on how to end suffering and achieve enlightenment. Within the deer park complex the large Dhamekh Stupa still stands, as well as several other Buddhist structures.

One of the oldest, and certainly the busiest ghat in Varanasi, Dasaswamedh is known simply as ‘main ghat’. It’s a mind-boggling medley of spiritual and possibly profane activities, with its endless stream of devotees, knuckle-cracking masseurs, beggars, barbers and saints.

It’s a place to be a little wary, and endlessly amazed.

Massages here are surprisingly good, though perhaps best avoided by women. Visit on foot, and protect yourself from the sun – there’s little shade.

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Top 5 foodie sites

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meet a local

The Wrestler

Cheddilal was a great wrestler of his time. Today, at 104 years old, he can’t resist coming to his local akhara (gym) for a few push-ups and an oil massage. He finds immense peace in these morning hours, watching young kids wrestle and remembering his own days.

Varanasi offers the best mithai (Indian sweets) in the country.

These incredible concoctions – made from boiled milk, palm sugar, spices, nuts and dried fruit – are a genuine art form, and unspeakably delicious.

Ksheer Sagar, at Sonapura, has some of the best in the city, as well as a clean, modern interior.

Thandai is a sweet, refreshing drink made from almonds, pistachio, cardamom, milk, dried fruits and, on request, bhang (a beverage that uses marijuana).

It’s best tasted at the Godowlia roundabout – look out for shops like Thandai Corner, or ask a local.

Paan, a mildly intoxicating mix of betel nut, lime, tobacco and tree resin, is chewed with alacrity in Varanasi – the streets, as well as the lips of the adherents, are stained crimson as a result. Get it from Keshav Paanwala at Lanka, or Tambuul Bhandar at Godowlia.

Street food reaches a sublime peak in Varanasi and, because of its popularity and the fact it’s generally fried, is fairly safe. For a true Benarsi breakfast, check out Kashi Chaat Bhandar at Godowlia, where you can join locals for a kachori sabzi – a round, flattened ball of pastry filled with dal, besan (chickpea flour), black pepper, red chilli powder, salt and other spices.

Try a South Indian treat – worldclass dosas, idlis and uttapams, and blended cold coffee – from the cheap, clean and fantastic Kerala Café at Bhelupura Crossing. Worth making the trip across town for.

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Footpaths to enlightenment In Bhutan, the official pursuit of Gross National Happiness has kept the country’s mystical east closed to visitors for years. Until now…

Words Sarah Baxter | Pictures Cat Vinton & Sarah Baxter

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nce upon a time there was a young novice monk. And – to cut a very long story short – he didn’t eat enough magic radish to ascend to Nirvana with the rest of his devout brothers. As his master and fellow students tucked in and floated off to the heavenly realm, our monk – dubious about the efficacy of the root vegetable concoction – was left behind on earth.

But he was a good disciple. So his enlightened teacher has continued to watch over him from on high – a kind of Buddhist bodyguard – and ensured he’s been repeatedly and beneficently reincarnated over the centuries.

I know this because the 14th incarnation had just interrupted my lunch.

“Would you like to be blessed by a living saint?” inquired Rinzin, my guide, as I crammed rice into my mouth – not yet realising the stature of the chap in red who’d just materialised along the mountain path.

Feeling not a little confused, I bowed before this consecrated 30-something, known hereabouts as the Borang Tse Lama.

He smiled beatifically and touched my head with both of his holy hands. As I backed away I looked down at the valley, thick with

China (Tibet)

Bhutan n Thimphu

India

Sakten• Merak• • Samdrup Jongkhar

Bangladesh

trees, both green and on the autumnal turn.

I looked at the 4,000m hillside behind, which we’d just descended, and at the good food overflowing from the tiffin tins. Yes, blessed indeed.

It should have been odd to come across a living, breathing saint while trekking in the mountains. But I had come to expect such things in Bhutan: hats that looked like spiders; rocks revered as goddess’s breasts; auspicious pine martens; people who honestly believe that their government is trying to do its best for them… I had come to expect anything, that is, except other travellers.

Because if this Himalayan Kingdom is known for being concealed from the rest of the world, Merak Sakten – the densely

forested chunk of valleys around two villages of those names in Bhutan’s far east – is more hidden still. The government banned foreigners from the area completely in 1995 to preserve its unique culture. The region reopened to visitors in spring 2010, the tourist board keen to bring more money to the region. My entourage – guide, cook, assistant, horseman – and I were only the third lot through since.

The third lot. In 15 years. I conjured with the thought. This was why I was here: to trek for four days in a ‘new’ region, with a culture like no other, to find out if being so isolated can bring happiness – and to get as close to pioneering as I’ll ever come. After our saintly visitor had departed, Rinzin handed me a cup of coffee from the thermos while Norbu refastened the luggage – toilet tent, gas stove, table and chairs, all for my benefit – onto his five pack animals. Pioneering, I surmised, is a lot easier than it used to be.

Into yeti country Pioneering had felt sufficiently arduous on the journey into Merak Sakten, however.

The peaks that make Bhutan so appealing also make it a bugger to get around. To access the east – the opposite side of the country to Paro, home to Bhutan’s only airport – it’s easier to enter overland from >

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Kilimanjaro

I Take1on Africa’s highest mountain in aI life-changing trek over five or more days 1

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Fly direct from Europe to Tanzania’s 1 Kilimanjaro Intl Airport, or transfer in Africa 1

Go Jan-Feb or Jun-Oct for best views

Travel icon

KILIMANJARO

Getting to the top of Africa’s highest mountain is a moment of pure euphoria. Our experts talk routes, fitness and kit for making the climb Words: Henry Stedman

Giants of the savannah Kili seen from the Kenyan side, a familiar backdrop for African elephants

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What’s on top?

Kibo’s summit is actually three concentric craters, with the Reusch Crater (1.3km wide) in the middle.

Inside that is the Ash Pit, sulphurous to the nose and warm to the touch – signs this volcano isn’t dead yet...

Also up top you’ll see the snows of Kilimanjaro – these glaciers (fast receding) are sparkling ice walls and towers, incongruous under the African sun.

Shira (3,900m) Shira is the oldest and lowest of Kili’s three peaks; the collapsed crater now appears as an eroded ridge.

The Shira Plateau campsite is used by trekkers on the Machame and Lemosho Routes

Kibo (5,895m) The highest of Kili’s three peaks is home to Uhuru Point – the loftiest point on Kilimanjaro, and in Africa; a simple sign marks the spot

The final push The highest flanks of Kili are a long, hard, steep slog up unforgiving scree. Trekkers break the crater rim at around 5,720m; the gradient is gentler from there to the summit.

Low Alpine Zone This zone circles the entire mountain between around 2,800m and 4,000m; here you’ll find giant heathers, groundsels (such as Senecio keniodendron, pictured) and magnificent phallic lobelias.

Rainforest Belt Below around 2,800m Kili is very green, especially the southern flank. Redwoods, podocarpus and camphorwoods drip with old man’s beard, and you might spot wildlife – many birds (including the green and noisy Hartlaub’s turaco), plus vervet and black and white colobus monkeys. Rain likely.

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Kilimanjaro explained Almost 6,000m of mountain is a lot to get your head around.

Jeremy Gane, director of Charity Challenge and Gane & Marshall – and 21-times Kili summiteer – helps you find your way

Rongai Route The increasingly popular Rongai Route is the only approach to tackle Kili from the north-east of the mountain – the Kenyan side

The Saddle 8km of high-altitude tundra linking Kibo and Mawenzi; an eerie place, crossed by trekkers on the Marangu Route

High-altitude desert A majestic and harsh zone where only hardy plants such as everlastings and lichens survive.

Mawenzi (5,149m) This craggy peak, the second of the three volcanoes which make up the Kilimanjaro massif, was once a dangerous, technical climb; now it’s off-limits entirely

The way down Trekkers on the Machame, Umbwe and Lemosho routes head down via the descentonly Mweka Route; those hiking the Marangu and Rongai routes tend to descend via the Marangu Route. On leaving the park gate you will – if you’ve been successful – be given an official ‘I’ve climbed Kili’ certificate.

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How to | Skills | Gear | Photo tips | Health | Q&A

Navigator

“If someone has a great face, I tell them that” The perfect portrait, p92

Expert travel advice, from coping with the desert to enjoying a Russian winter

5 steps to be a better homestay guest Know how to behave in households worldwide with our etiquette guide

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Do your cultural homework Don’t pat a Fijian on the head or point the soles of your feet at an Indonesian.

Most homestay owners – especially those used to Westerners – are very forgiving of cultural gaffes, but learning “I’m sorry” in the local language is simple politeness.

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If you hear gossip about other villagers, don’t repeat it. And don’t post it online – people in the remotest of places can be remarkably tech-savvy.

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Don’t move from homestay to homestay within a village. It’s a nice sentiment to want to distribute your tourist dollars, but if you move, everyone will have a theory about why you left the first place, which can lead to intra-village tension.

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Ask before taking photographs.

Not everyone wants to be the object of your photos. Ask your hosts if it’s appropriate to give a gift, such as a token sum of money, in exchange for a photo.

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Listen more than you talk People in remote villages get weary of hearing visitors advising them to stand up to the government / mining / logging companies.

Keep your counsel and you’ll stay friends.

Words: Sarah Hitchner, cultural anthropologist

Home from home Homestays are a fantastic way to meet the locals and learn their culture first-hand

Did you know…? Most homestay operators barely make a profit; they do it mostly for the love of meeting new people. So don’t haggle too much over prices – it’s your trip, but their livelihood.

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Navigator Gear

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What to 10 pack for the desert

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1 THE WORK-ANYWHERE RADIO The Etón Scorpion wind-up wireless also has a solar charger, built-in torch and bottle opener (£49.99 www.etoncorp.co.uk) 2 THE SOLAR CHARGER The powermonkey-eXplorer provides portable juice for your GPS, iPod and more (£65, www.powertraveller.com) 3 THE TOUGH-TERRAIN BOOT Brasher’s Kamati (boys) and Segula (girls) keep feet cool, while the rubber soles love rough ground (£110, www. brasher.co.uk) 4 THE PORTABLE WATERTANK With a 3L capacity, the comfy Osprey Hydraform Reservoir is perfect for arid excursions (£26, www.ospreypacks.com) 5 THE COOL CAP Light and protective, the Injinji Desert Hat is beloved of many a mad Marathon des Sable runner (£24.99, www.betaclimbingdesigns.com) 6 THE VERSATILE SARONG Wrap the multipurpose Kikoy round your head/neck/face to protect from sun/sand/wind (£24.95, www.kikoy.com) 7 THE WHIFF-RESISTANT TOP Sweat away in the high-wicking Berghaus Tropical Shirt – imbued with silver-ion technology, it stays stink free (£40, www.berghaus.com) 8 THE REPELLENT PANTS Craghopper’s NosiLife Convertibles give long-lasting mossie protection and zip off to shorts sharpish (£60, www. craghoppers.com) 9 THE WAY HOME Never get lost with Bushnell’s Backtrack, a tiny GPS that can save locations and navigate you back there (£69.95, www.jjvickers.co.uk) 10 THE CROP OF THE CREAMS Lifesystems Mountain Sun Screen sweat-proof formula comes in SPF 50 (£8.50, www.lifesystems.co.uk)

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