Wanderlust 186

Wanderlust Issue 186 (May 2018) Travel secrets ♦ 11 Easy cycling adventures ♦ Argentina ♦ The Cotswold Way ♦ Abu Dhabi ♦ Zimbabwe ♦ Pocket guides: Auckland, Belgrade, Cape Town

Hitting highs in Argentina Devil’s deserts and floating volcanoes

T R AV E L M A G A Z I N E

!tria n i W s u A A trip to

2,000 worth over £4 See p

www.wanderlust.co.uk May 2018

Safaris in Abu Dhabi?

Discover the United Arab Emirates’ wild side

World’s best-kept

TRAVEL SECRETS 25 tips for dodging crowds and discovering gems

11

Easy cycling adventures

Two-wheel journeys that won’t leave you saddle-sore

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Revisiting Zimbabwe Taking a short break in Serbia Wandering the Cotswold Way Exploring Auckland in 24 hours

05/04/2018 13:32

CONTENTS

Issue 186 May 2018

360˚ – NEED TO KNOW

nder 6Viewfi 12GoNeednowto know this month...

14Eat this...

17 5 minutes with... Dr Jane Goodall 18 Know your… Red Fort 20Go your own way 22

Stupendous starlight, making rooms for hippos and a truly ancient lake Why female-only trips are travel’s newest trend Honky-tonk your way through the music-filled streets of Nashville Take a bite out of Vietnam’s top sandwich, piled high with history Recalling the early days of her chimp studies How Delhi’s rouge wonder became part of India’s story Be a lone adventurer for less on these top solo trips

TRAVEL MASTERCLASS

74The masterclass 77Instant expert: RMS Titanic 80Take better travel photos Travel clinic 82Travellers’ 84cameras guide to... alternative

Riding the rails is easy, but planning a train adventure can be tricky. Our handy guide simplifies matters...

Tours of the fabled ocean liner have been relaunched, more than 100 years after it sank Snapper Axel Gomille reveals how to expertly combine nature and culture in one shot Dr Jane on how to enjoy mountain highs without altitude sickness

From drones to camera traps, we rate four non-traditional photographic devices

46

▲ Cover story

24The best-kept travel secrets

Skip the world’s busiest travel icons for their less-heralded equals, swapping bustling Barcelona for gentle Girona, Mexico’s overrun Chichen Itza for Belize’s Lamanai, and more...

Special feature

10011 easy(ish) cycling adventures

WIN!

A cycling trip for two through Austria worth £2,000, p111

The world is packed with two-wheeled adventures and we highlight some of the most accessible, from pedalling Vietnam’s rice paddies to whizzing through the majesty of Rajasthan

122

TALKING HEADS Dr Jane Goodall, p18

“My dog and I wove along old packhorse tracks connecting moneyed market towns that, from the Middle Ages on, grew fabulously wealthy on the oil of its day – wool.” Martin Symington

Nashville, p14

“I always loved animals, I was always out in nature. I’d dreamed of the African jungle since reading Tarzan.”

62 Argentina, p62 “It was an area utterly unknown to me, except for a whisper from a knowing soul that had described its landscape as something from another planet.” Lyn Hughes

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Wanderlust May 2018

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Co

SINKING TO NEW DEPTHS...

RMS Titanic, p77 FEATURES

FROM THE ROAD

46Abu Dhabi

The UAE isn’t all glistening skyscrapers. Rare wildlife and sprawling mangroves await just outside capital Abu Dhabi PLUS: 15 things to do in the United Arab Emirates Argentina The rugged north-west of Argentina is the wild land that you never knew existed – devilish sands, surreal volcanic cones and a town at the end of the world...

Zimbabwe Ready to rise from the ashes – meet Africa’s soon-to-be safari hot spot… and its 44,000 resident elephants The Cotswold Way A raft of new ways to stroll this National Trail puts the Cotswolds’ historic walk within easy reach

Alamy

62

86 122

112Your tips

You give us your top rail journeys, including trundling through Borneo, rolling through the Incan landscapes of Peru and going from city to rainforest in Australia Readers’ pictures Your top captures, including soaking up Sri Lanka’s epic vistas, treading the mighty Annapurna mountains in Nepal, getting a knee-knocking view of Norway’s fjords from Kjerag and much more...

Letters In our mailbag: celebrating a birthday in the Pitcairns; heralding Vietnam’s bouncebackability; enjoying a month in Chile; your tips for an epic adventure through Central America and much, much more...

114

116

POCKET GUIDES

First 24 hours: 137 Auckland, New Zealand

While most swerve the North Island hub for sights beyond, Auckland’s volcanic isles, doorstep rainforest and wartime tunnels are a match for even New Zealand’s big hitters

139Short break: Belgrade, Serbia

The Serbian capital isn’t just a party hub, its charming streets and knack for spontaneous reinvention mean treasures are rarely far away

icon: Table Mountain, 141Travel Cape Town

First climbed 515 years ago, this rocky jewel has become a must for vistaseeking visitors hunting Cape Town’s top view

46 Cotswold Way, p122

“I watched as the cheetah looked right down my camera lens, his eyes burning into my soul. The two black stripes either side of his nose and on his cheeks looked like they were painted on with kohl.”

Phoebe Smith

Belgrade, p139

Abu Dhabi, p46

Delhi, p20

86 Cape Town, p141 “As we came over the ridge, a huge bull elephant was kneeling on the baked earth, snorkelling water up from a deep trough it had excavated with its powerful feet and tusks.”

Mark Eveleigh

100 “Vineyards tend to be planted in attractive, undulating landscapes, connected by country trails and quiet roads. Little wonder (responsible) pedalling between wineries is so intoxicating.”

Paul Bloomfield

137 “Spying the urban sprawl from atop grassy Mount Eden (one of nearly 50 volcanic cones that blister the city), you will see another side to the metropolitan area.”

Gareth Clark

Auckland, p137

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Keetmanshoop, Namibia

Star trails shine above a group of quiver trees

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“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.�

Stephen Hawking

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THE ULTIMATE TRAVEL EXPERIENCE T R AV E L M A G A Z I N E www.wanderlust.co.uk February 2018

Foodie Greece

53

Aegean island-hopping without the crowds

Alternative

THAILANDBEST

TRIPS 2018

Leaving the tourist trail for the kingdom’s secret spots

+

Featuring: Patagonia Japan Mongolia Cambodia Russia Silk Road Chile Namibia Madagascar Sri Lanka Alaska & more...

+

Great Barrier Reef, Australia Boston, USA Wild Africa Guide Awards

181_Cover_Pantone_subs spread.indd 1

T R AV E L M A G A Z I N E

29/09/2017 11:11

Kate Humble in the Congo Sail away to St Kilda, Scotland Travel Icon: Havana, Cuba

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India

Win!ria A trip to Aust

h over £2,000

Your expert guide towort See p4 exploring the Golden Triangle and beyond

www.wanderlust.co.uk May 2018

World’s best-kept

TRAVEL SECRETS

Win!

A tailormade trip worth £5,000!

See p4

25 tips for dodging crowds and discovering gems

11

Easy cycling adventures

15/12/2017 19:18

Two-wheel journeys that won’t leave you saddle-sore

OFC_186_pantone_SOv2.indd 1

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Safaris in Abu Dhabi?

Orient Express or Interrail?

Discover the United Arab Emirates’ wild side

We pit the budget against the best

T R AV E L M A G A Z I N E

A

Win! ian trip to the Canad

+

Revisiting Zimbabwe Taking a short break in Serbia Wandering the Cotswold Way Exploring Auckland in 24 hours

Rockies worth £2,500!

See p4

www.wanderlust.co.uk March 2018

Wanderlust Issue 182 (December 2017/January 2018) Travel Hot List 2018 ♦ Christmas Island ♦ Sweden’s wolves ♦ Buenos Aires ♦ Indonesia’s islands ♦ Pocket guides: Taipei (Taiwan), La Rochelle, San Francisco

Cross the continent in his revolutionary footsteps

Rafting, walking and wildlife watching… without the crowds

Wanderlust Issue 183 (March 2018) Best train journeys ♦ Orient Express vs Interrail ♦ Australia by rail ♦ Sri Lanka's national parks ♦ Japan by train ♦ Pocket guides: Gdańsk (Poland), Formentera (Spain), Valletta (Malta)

www.wanderlust.co.uk November 2017

Wanderlust Issue 186 (May 2018) Travel secrets ♦ 11 Easy cycling adventures ♦ Argentina ♦ The Cotswold Way ♦ Abu Dhabi ♦ Zimbabwe ♦ Pocket guides: Auckland, Belgrade, Cape Town

Wanderlust Issue 183 (February 2018) Top 53 Trips for 2018 ♦ Costa Rica ♦ India ♦ Kate Humble in the Congo ♦ St Kilda, Scotland ♦ Pocket guides: Salta (Argentina), County Cork (Ireland), Havana (Cuba)

Wanderlust Issue 181 (November 2017) Alternative Thailand ♦ Che’s Latin America ♦ Foodie Greece ♦ Wild Africa ♦ Great Barrier Reef ♦ World Guide Awards – Results ♦ Pocket guides: Brussels, Hull and Boston

T R AV E L M A G A Z I N E Win!

Devil’s deserts and floating volcanoes

Costa Rica

Che Guevara’s Latin America

n to A photo commissio £3,000 Costa Rica, writing in cash or a to Thailand assignment See p4

Hitting highs in Argentina

Christmas Island

Discover wild wonders with new easy flights

Offbeat Cuba

Meeting the locals without the crowds

T R AV E L M A G A Z I N E

Sweden

Howling with wolves – just two hours from Stockholm

BEST TRAIN TRAVEL JOURNEYS IN HOT LIST 2018 THE WORLD

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Featuring: Norway ● New Zealand ● Russia ● Canada ● USA ● Mexico ● Peru ● India ● Morocco ● Vietnam & more...

www.wanderlust.co.uk December 2017/January 2018

Win!

to A hiking trip Norway worth! over £1,700 See p4

Featuring: Patagonia, Chile South Africa Russia Morocco Western Australia Colorado, USA Peru Tanzania The Baltics New Zealand and more...

+

Indonesia’s islands San Francisco Taiwan La Rochelle, France

+

Crossing Japan on the rails Sri Lanka’s best national parks Australia – from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific

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Time to Tango

Hot-foot it to Buenos Aires to join the dancing

03/11/2017 11:26

25/01/2018 17:44

05/04/2018 13:32

05/04/2018 13:58

SAVE 22%

*SPECIAL OFFER* Subscribe from only ÂŁ17.50* For all the latest travel experiences, subscribe to Wanderlust magazine.

Enjoy the convenience of home delivery, wherever you live in the world.

Receive subscriber-only discounts.

Details online at: www.wanderlustoffer.co.uk/WL186 Call us on: TERMS & CONDITIONS: This off er is not available in conjunction with any other promotion. Direct Debit payment only available in the UK. 01753 620426 and quote WL186 To pay by Direct Debit both the billing and the postal address must be in the UK. Subscriptions are continuous; after the first payment of ÂŁ17.50 a payment will be collected every six months unless cancelled. No minimum term. Please allow up to eight weeks for delivery of your travel voucher. Voucher scheme members correct at time of going to print and can be subject to change.

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By royal appointment

Asiatic cheetahs were reintroduced to Sir Bani Yas Island to try to help the endangered species breed before being re-wilded and released

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04/04/2018 10:43

Abu Dhabi

EASTERN P R O M I S E Beyond the shopping malls and high-rises that most experience, we discover the UAE’s wilder side…

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS PHOEBE SMITH

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04/04/2018 10:44

Earth, salt and sky

Devil’s deserts, floating volcanoes, a town at end of the world...

North-west Argentina is the spectacular and surreal land you never knew existed, where you have to respect the creativity of Mother Earth WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS LYN HUGHES

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Argentina

On reflection‌

Stolling the turquoiseblue lakes of Ojos del Mar, which pock the surrounding salt flats

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TRAVEL MASTERCLASS Become an instant expert with our travel know-how

Make your travel photos take flight

Axel Gomille

see p80

■ This month’s experts include: Regular railway rider Mark Smith, p74 ♦ Wild Wales wanderer Daniel Start, p78 ♦ Natural framer Axel Gomille, p80 ♦ Altitude antidote Dr Jane Wilson-Howarth, p82 ♦ Lens lover Phoebe Smith, p84 Wanderlust May 2018

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| 73 05/04/2018 10:09

The rail thing

Switzerland’s Glacier Express rattles over the Landwasser viaduct – one of the great journeys in European rail travel; (right) holding tickets for a Russian rail adventure

Planning your first rail adventure ■ The Wanderlust Masterclass

H

opping on your first rail adventure can be thrilling, with epic landscapes viewed from your cabin and the ability to pit stop in captivating places along the way. That’s the simple part, but how do you go about planning it all? And can you save money by looking in the right places? Read on…

Where do I start?

Where exactly to begin is a problem most would-be rail trippers have. “The first thing you need to consider is what type of journey

74 |

is right for you,” says Matthew Lucas of traintravelexpert.com. “No two journeys are alike – the beauty of the Glacier Express in Switzerland provides a different experience to spending long days on the Trans-Siberian railway, as Europe melts into Asia.”

Working out your budget and timeframe, however, can help narrow down your options significantly, says Mark Smith of The Man in Seat 61 website (seat61.com): “You can also start planning at any time, there’s no need to book years ahead. Most trains only open for bookings 90 days before travel although some, such as the Eurostar, open up to 180 days ahead.”

Plus, in this digital age, train travel is finally catching up with flights and hotels, and now you can book seats for most rail journeys across the world with a simple press of a button. That in itself offers you flexibility as to when you book – you could seal your seat as soon as they’re made available, right up to (in theory) the day the train departs, without having to queue for hours at the ticket office.

If you’re still unsure where and for how long you’ll be away, then a rail pass is the best option for you. It lets you move about flexibly during any period of time. The Interrail Pass (interrail.eu) is the best known in Europe, but many others exist worldwide.

Wanderlust May 2018

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04/04/2018 12:29

World’s best-kept

TRAVEL SECRETS

With the planet’s most famous sights drowning in visitors, here are the alternatives travellers might not know about – just don’t tell anyone…

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05/04/2018 18:01

Topping the Taj?

For visitors to India, Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi offers a quieter alternative

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05/04/2018 18:00

⊳

GET YOUR CATALAN FIX You know…

Barcelona, Spain When locals took to the Barcelona streets last year to protest the deluge of tourists in the city after some 32 million arrived in 2016 (20 times its population), it sent a stark message. But know that there’s more to Catalonia than its capital.

But what about…

Girona, Spain

MY ‘SECRET CITY’

Mary Novakovich, Writer For a taste of southern Italy minus the crowds of Palermo and Naples, head down to its toe, Calabria. Here, Tropea just about manages to cling on to the rocky coast and is surely Italy’s prettiest yet least-known town. Its beach lies in the lee of the cliffs and there’s a beautiful monastery perched on a promontory in front – the spicy cuisine is good, too.

For Mary’s take on Serbia’s often overlooked capital, see p139

Behind Girona’s 14th-century walls lie Gothic spires, cobbled lanes and narrow flights of stone steps winding to fanciful gardens (Alemanys) or Catalan craft beer bars (Dolce Salato has some potent brews).

Start in the lively Barri Vell, tapas-crawling the cafes and courtyards of La Rambla, then rise through the Jewish Quarter of El Call to the city’s

centrepiece cathedral; this stands on Via Augusta, the Roman road that once bisected Iberia. Finish atop the ramparts, gazing over to the Girona Pyrenees, where day treks weave the volcano parks and the rocky Costa Brava beyond, far from the Barca bustle.

SEE A RECLINING BUDDHA You know…

Wat Pho, Bangkok, Thailand Of the 32 million tourists that blanket Thailand each year, most pass through the capital. This is a city of hustle and flow, and even at its most sacred sites, such as the city’s Wat Pho temple – home to its famed 46m-long reclining Buddha – the only one taking it easy is 24-carat gold and lying on a plinth.

But what about…

For a more sedate introduction to Buddhism’s wonders, Sri Lanka’s Dambulla Cave Temple is truly unique. Carved into a granite rock face, it actually stretches five grottoes and was once thought to have been the hideout of deposed king. So it goes: when he took his throne back in 85 BC, he gave the caves to the monks that had sheltered him, who then turned them into a series of temples.

It’s a steep walk to get there (riddled with curious macaques) and not best done in the heat of midday, especially as you have to remove your shoes at the top and hot-foot it over the sunny parts. But inside, its five cool caves are daubed in a kaleidoscope of intricate murals, with perhaps the centrepiece of its 157 statues being the 14m-long reclining Buddha, hewn from the cave wall itself.

26 |

Previous spread Dreamstime This spread Adam Batterbee; Dreamstime; Lyn Hughes

Dambulla Cave Temple, Sri Lanka

Wanderlust May 2018

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06/04/2018 10:18

www.wanderlust.co.uk February 2018

Foodie Greece

Aegean island-hopping without the crowds

+

Featuring: Patagonia Japan Mongolia Cambodia Russia Silk Road Chile Namibia Madagascar Sri Lanka Alaska & more...

+

Great Barrier Reef, Australia Boston, USA Wild Africa Guide Awards

29/09/2017 11:11

Kate Humble in the Congo Sail away to St Kilda, Scotland Travel Icon: Havana, Cuba

183_Cover_SO copy.indd 1

Win! India A trip to Austria

r £2,000

ove Your expert guide toworth See p4 exploring the Golden Triangle and beyond

www.wanderlust.co.uk May 2018

Safaris in Abu Dhabi?

World’s best-kept

TRAVEL SECRETS

Win!

A tailormad e trip worth £5,000!

See p4

25 tips for dodging crowds and discovering gems

11

Easy cycling adventures

15/12/2017 19:18

Two-wheel journeys that won’t leave you saddle-sore

Orient Express or Interrail?

Discover the United Arab Emirates’ wild side

We pit the budget against the best

T R AV E L M A G A Z I N E

A

Win! ian trip to the Canad Rockies worth £2,500!

See p4

+

www.wanderlust.co.uk March 2018

Wanderlust Issue 182 (December 2017/January 2018) Travel Hot List 2018 ♦ Christmas Island ♦ Sweden’s wolves ♦ Buenos Aires ♦ Indonesia’s islands ♦ Pocket guides: Taipei (Taiwan), La Rochelle, San Francisco

T R AV E L M A G A Z I N E

Leaving the tourist trail for the kingdom’s secret spots

181_Cover_Pantone_subs spread.indd 1

T R AV E L M A G A Z I N E

Wanderlust Issue 183 (March 2018) Best train journeys ♦ Orient Express vs Interrail ♦ Australia by rail ♦ Sri Lanka's national parks ♦ Japan by train ♦ Pocket guides: Gdańsk (Poland), Formentera (Spain), Valletta (Malta)

Cross the continent in his revolutionary footsteps

Alternative

Devil’s deserts and floating volcanoes

Rafting, walking and wildlife watching… without the crowds

53 THAILANDBEST TRIPS 2018 www.wanderlust.co.uk November 2017

Wanderlust Issue 186 (May 2018) Travel secrets ♦ 11 Easy cycling adventures ♦ Argentina ♦ The Cotswold Way ♦ Abu Dhabi ♦ Zimbabwe ♦ Pocket guides: Auckland, Belgrade, Cape Town

Wanderlust Issue 183 (February 2018) Top 53 Trips for 2018 ♦ Costa Rica ♦ India ♦ Kate Humble in the Congo ♦ St Kilda, Scotland ♦ Pocket guides: Salta (Argentina), County Cork (Ireland), Havana (Cuba)

Wanderlust Issue 181 (November 2017) Alternative Thailand ♦ Che’s Latin America ♦ Foodie Greece ♦ Wild Africa ♦ Great Barrier Reef ♦ World Guide Awards – Results ♦ Pocket guides: Brussels, Hull and Boston

T R AV E L M A G A Z I N E

Win!

on to A photo commissi £3,000 Costa Rica, writing in cash or a to Thailand assignment See p4

Hitting highs in Argentina

Costa Rica

Che Guevara’s Latin America

SAVE 22% Christmas Island

Discover wild wonders with new easy flights

Offbeat Cuba

Meeting the locals without the crowds

T R AV E L M A G A Z I N E

Sweden

Howling with wolves – just two hours from Stockholm

BEST TRAIN TRAVEL JOURNEYS IN HOT LIST 2018 THE WORLD Featuring: Norway ● New Zealand ● Russia ● Canada ● USA ● Mexico ● Peru ● India ● Morocco ● Vietnam & more...

www.wanderlust.co.uk December 2017/January 2018

Win!to A hiking trip

Norway worth! over £1,700 See p4

Featuring: Patagonia, Chile South Africa Russia Morocco Western Australia Colorado, USA Peru Tanzania The Baltics New Zealand and more...

+

Indonesia’s islands San Francisco Taiwan La Rochelle, France

+

Crossing Japan on the rails Sri Lanka’s best national parks Australia – from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific

Revisiting Zimbabwe Taking a short break in Serbia Wandering the Cotswold Way Exploring Auckland in 24 hours

000_Cover184_cmyknobarcode.indd 1

182_Cover_Pantone_SO 2.indd 1

Time to Tango

Hot-foot it to Buenos Aires to join the dancing

03/11/2017 11:26

25/01/2018 17:44

Subscribe from only £17.50* OFC_186_pantone_SOv2.indd 1

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*Direct Debit customers pay £17.50 every six months.

Details online at: www.wanderlustoffer.co.uk/WL186 Call us on: 01753 620426 and quote WL186 TERMS & CONDITIONS: This offer is not available in conjunction with any other promotion. Direct Debit payment only available in the UK. To pay by Direct Debit both the billing and the postal address must be in the UK. Subscriptions are continuous; after the first payment of £17.50 a payment will be collected every six months unless cancelled. No minimum term. Please allow up to eight weeks for delivery of your travel voucher. Voucher scheme members correct at time of going to print and can be subject to change.

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