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Wanderlust Issue 199 (September 2019) • 25 Best European Rail Journeys + Zimbabwe + Guatemala + Isles of Scilly + Texas: Trip Planner • Pocket guides: Madeira + San Diego + Angkor Wat
THE ORIGINAL TRAVEL MAGAZINE
The 25 Best European
RAIL JOURNEYS All aboard for the continent’s greatest peaks, valleys and scenery
SPECIAL INTEREST MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR WINNER 2019
Texas Trip Planner
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Walk with painted wolves in Zimbabwe Inside: Guatemala + The Isles of Scilly + China + Madeira + Whale-watching
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Contents
Features & pocket guides 46 Zimbabwe
While Africa’s painted wolves fight for survival, Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools NP is helping them build a new dynasty
74 Wandersleepers: Overnight trains
Skim through Shangri-La or take on the Trans-Siberian railway with our railway round-up of the world’s top sleepers
80 Guatemala
Ancient Mayan traditions and fine craftsmanship are woven into the fabric of this South American nation
96 Isles of Scilly
PAGE
COVER STORY
60
Venture to England’s most southerly point for rare birdwatching and uninhabited beaches galore
149 Short break: Madeira
PAGE
European rail trips
122
Welcome to Europe’s new adventure capital, where waterfall-leaping and wildlife walks are now de rigueur
Alpine adventures, riverside romps and coastal capers – all aboard for our guide to the continent’s ultimate railway trips
153 Travel icon: Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Discover an ancient empire’s ruins at the world’s largest religious complex
155 First 24 hours: San Diego, USA
Wanderlust Travel Photo of the Year
Submit your top travel shots to be in with a chance of winning our annual competition and a trip to Texas
Say cheers to this Californian city’s 250th birthday by strolling through its laid-back locales and wild waterfront
Points of view 12 Viewfinder
Top photos, from sunset treks in Utah to fishing on Burma’s Lake Inle
18 Your letters & photos
Endurance exercises, easy boarding, and everything else you’re up to
46
162 The real wonders of the world
Why South Georgia’s penguins are the travel icon you’ve never seen
80
74
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This issue mapped
WIN
PAGE
An epic trek for two to Patagonia, worth £5,500 p25
110
Texas: Trip Planner
Find your feet in Texas with our guide to cowboy culture, cool canyons and cosmopolitan citiess
Explore 23 Grapevine
The latest news and trips in travel
138
26 Go now: Iguazú Falls
As new flights take off, it’s high time to go and feel the force of the falls
28 The trip
Go on the whale trail with our pick of the best whale-watching trips
36 Eat this
How a Belizean broth became the nation’s best-loved dish, as told by local chef Sean Kuylen
38 Head to head: Vietnamese cities
Discover 136 Just back from
Your tales from Baja California
137 Health
41 Dream sleep: Mongolia
Chill in the Chilterns or bird-watch in Spain – our gurus are on hand to help you find the perfect escape
42 Dispatches
141 Instant expert
138 Ask the experts
Warning: radioactive surprises and wildlife wonders await inside Chernobyl’s exclusion zone
142 How to…
Plan a rail trip, with advice on everything from prices to passes
alastairhumphreys.com
143 Travel books
38
34
Single-use plastics are the new social taboo – you tell us how to trade them in when travelling
Dr Jane breaks down air pollution – and how to avoid hot spots abroad
See how tea-making is turned into high art in China’s pottery capital
For more from Alastair Humphreys, see our interview on page 34
134 Your travel tips
Hanoi is more scenic, but Ho Chi Minh City opens up to the Mekong – which one is right for you, though? Curl up in the Gobi Desert at luxury ger camp, Three Camel Lodge
“”
If you’re not scared when planning your trip, then I suggest you need to think of something bolder.
Antarctica Argentina Australia Austria Belarus Belize Bosnia Bulgaria Cambodia Canada Chile China England France Germany Greece Guatemala Hanoi Ho Chi Minh City Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Ireland Isles of Scilly Italy Japan Kenya Madagascar Mexico Mongolia Montenegro Nepal Northern Ireland Norway Peru Portugal Russia San Diego Scotland Serbia Slovenia South Africa South Georgia Spain Switzerland Tajikistan Texas Thailand Tibet Turkey Ukraine Wales Zimbabwe
Alistair Moffat walks to Lindisfarne; plus all the latest travel reads
This issue’s highlights
Isles of Scilly, p96 San Diego, p155
p28 p25 p79 p65 p141 p36 p68 p67 p153 p29, 75 p25 p42, 76 p69, 76 p62 p62 p62 p80 p38 p38 p68 p29 p74 p135 p72 p96 p71 p79, 124, 135 p134 p32 p29, 136 p41 p68 p135 p66 p31, 71 p75 p30, 67, 149 p68, 79 p155 p32, 63, 76 p68 p71 p31, 76 p162 p68 p62 p135 p110 p134 p76 p68 p141 p72 p46
Switzerland, p60
Mongolia, p41
Guatemala, p80 Cambodia, p153
145 Gear
Stop itching and pack the ultimate kit to avoid insect bites
Argentina, p26
Zimbabwe, p46
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VI E W FI N D E R
UPFRONT
Take to the hills Meteora, Greece
Photographer: Michele Falzone The clue is in the name. Often translated as ‘the heavens above’, Meteora has long been a religious haven. For centuries, monks found sanctuary here in the Holy Monastery of Roussanou (pictured), sat high atop stone pillars, and over the last few decades a group of nuns have taken their place. With its striking drop, it offers a fine vantage point, appearing almost as if suspended in the sky. Once it was only reached by a series of ladders; today you need only climb steps carved into the rock and cross a bridge for some of the best views in the region. © Michele Falzone/AWL Images
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Swiss mystery
Hurtling through snowcovered peaks is one of the great moments of Swiss train travel
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25
BEST EUROPEAN RAIL JOURNEYS See Europe how it was meant to be seen. From mountain climbs to luxury sleepers, we pick the greatest train adventures to get you under the skin of the continent…
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25 BEST EUROPEAN RAIL JOURNEYS
1
Glacier Express, Switzerland
Best for… Seeing Switzerland in the slow lane
2
Odontotos Rack Railway, Greece
Best for… Peaks and valleys The journey: Diakopto to Kalavrita (22.5km; 1 hour) We say… Making delightfully slow work of a wild Peloponnese gorge, this heritage railway (odontotos.com) – built in 1895 – is one of southern Greece’s final remaining narrow gauge lines. It starts in the seaside town of Diakopto and weaves up to the mountain town of Kalavrita through hand-carved tunnels and plane-tree forests. En route, you’ll cross 49 bridges in total, as the Vouraikos River roils far below. Top tip: To visit nearby Olympia’s ancient temples and stadium, take the small train from Katacolon – yet another narrow-gauge survivor.
3
Rhine Valley Line, Germany Best for… A riverside ramble The journey: Cologne to Mainz (152km; 2.5 hours) We say… The Rhine Valley Line (reiseauskunft.bahn.de) finds its muse just after Bonn, where it starts to tightly hug the waterline. Sure, you could take the high-speed intercity route and save yourself an hour on your journey, but then you’d miss out on the patchwork of vineyards, Koblenz’s hilltop fortress and the legend of Lorelei Rock.
DID YOU KNOW?
Although many believe the ‘real’ Orient Express train was scrapped in 1977, the name continued on in a variety of services and along different routes until 2009, when it ended its days as a night train on Austria Railways’ Strasbourg to Vienna route.
Top tip: Interrail passes (interrail.eu) are valid on this line – and get you a discount on KD Rhine Line boats.
4
Venice SimplonOrient-Express, UK, France & Italy
Best for… The ‘golden age’ of rail The journey: London to Folkestone; Calais to Venice (1,636km; 24 hours) We say… While the final descendent of the real Orient Express met its end in 2009, a US businessman had long since bought up 1920s and ‘30s carriages (many belonging to the original service) and resurrected its route to Venice. This journey (belmond.com) is played out on two heritage trains – the British Pullman on the UK leg and the VSOE between Calais and Venice – and as the mountains and meadows slip by, you can sip martinis in the piano bar, devour lobster in its Étoile du Nord restaurant car and just dream. Top tip: Though the southbound journey is popular, the northbound experience is just as fabulous – and doesn’t book up so quickly.
Previous page: Shutterstock; This page: AWL Images; Shutterstock
The journey: Zermatt to St Moritz (290km; 7.5 hours) We say… Don’t be fooled by its name: the Glacier Express (glacierexpress.ch) averages 38kph, but who wants to rush when the scenery is this spectacular? Linking two of Switzerland’s best-loved ski resorts, the route is an opus of snowcapped peaks, rugged valleys, 291 bridges and wild tangles of alpine forest. The view will keep you glued to the train’s panoramic windows – though the traverse of the towering Landwasser viaduct (pictured right) might have you reaching for a second glass of Valais wine. Top tip: In Zermatt you can extend your trip by taking Europe’s highest cog railway (gornergratbahn.ch) to the summit of Gornergrat (3,089m). The view of the Matterhorn is worth it.
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25 BEST EUROPEAN RAIL JOURNEYS
5
West Highland Line, Scotland
Best for… The wildest of Scottish rides The journey: Glasgow to Mallaig (264km; 5.5 hours) We say… After slipping away from Glasgow, the West Highland Line (scotrail.co.uk) weaves some of Britain’s wildest scenery: to lonely moorlands, forest-bound lochs and crumbling castle ruins. Up here, you’re more likely to spot red deer than humans – though the Glenfinnan viaduct is familiar thanks to its cameo in the Harry Potter films. If travelling southwards, sit on the right-hand side of the train for the best views. Top tip: The Royal Scotsman (belmond.com) and Jacobite Steam Train (westcoastrailways.co.uk) are rather luxurious – if pricey – alternatives to this £16.80 (one-way) ScotRail journey. ⊲
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Lost worlds
Hiking through Guatemala’s cloud forest; (right) Volcán San Pedro on Lake Atitlán
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GUATEMALA
Guatemala is a land that doesn’t forget. Those hiking its remote villages and lakes will discover a world where the rituals and ways of the Maya never truly went away…
FOUND WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS SARAH GILBERT
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cuador’s Hacie nda Part of the farm’ Zuleta may be hidde s appeal is its links n to community high in the Ande and wildlife proje s, but cts. Guests can learn its celebrated histor embroidery with y local artisans or means that it’s even spot rare Ande never at risk of being lost. an condors – Zulet The Plaza famil a is one of few place y, have occupied s you can guarantee this colonial-er an encounter with a working farm for the world’s larges more than a centu t flying bird due ry – and count two to its work on the ex-presidents amon Condor Huasi Project. g their number. Yet Both endeavours step inside their are supported by family home and the Plaza found it feels almost cosy. ation, which build Today, the Plaza s on the legacy of grand ’s descendants father (and forme still helm the farm, r president) Galo which spans 16 Plaza Lasso, who sq km. Travellers arrive is still rever ed to brightly paint for his social initia ed tives. antique rooms Back on the hacie adorned with fresh nda, an on-site wildflowers and cheese factory, crackling log fi a trout farm and the res to warm the Ande abundant produ an nights – the ce from the garde kind of presidential ns Galo and his wife welcome you’d set up offer fine expect. ingredients for the many comm unal
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MEXICO’S DAY OF THE DEAD
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dinners. And you’ll need all that food to build your streng th for exploring. Another of the unique charms of Zuleta are the 100 or so Zuleteño horses stabled here. Treks to crash ing waterfalls and cool valleys spott ed with hummingbi rds and pre-Inca sites can be arran ged for either experienced or beginner riders . Or just grab a bike and hit the moun tain trails, looking out for spectacled bears and climbing to high alpine mead ows. At the end of the day, though, you’ll look forward to return – a hot water bottle ing to Zuleta between your sheets and histor y on every wall. Doubles at Hacie nda Zuleta cost from US$298pppn (£229 ); zuleta.com
Beyond the hype
Get there
Connecting flights with Air France (airfrance.co.uk) and Delta Airline s (delta.com) go from London Heathrow to Quito via Paris and Atlant a respectively from around £556 return ; flight time is from 18.5 hours. Hacien da Zuleta is a two-h our car ride from the capital, so either arrange a transf er with the hotel or rent a car and drive.
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MEXICO
HAVANA
SCOTLAND
EXPLORE THE NUMBERS
Havana good time
260 million
A LOCAL ICON
Cadillacs, colour and colonial-era charm along the Paseo del Prado
Ernest Hemingway
for a 500th birthday fiesta
“Wherever a man feels like home… that’s the place he was destined to be,” Ernest Hemingway once wrote. If that’s true, the writer certainly found his in Havana – at Finca Vigía, where he wrote The Old Man and the Sea. Now a museum dedicated to his legacy, Finca Vigía offers an intimate insight into the man himself. Get a glimpse of his personal belongings, before heading out into the tropical garden to spot his boat, the Pilar, next to the headstones of his four dogs.
THE DESTINATION:
HAVANA, CUBA
Number of hand-rolled cigars Cuba produces per year. Cigars are the country’s second-highest export – raw sugar sneaks into first place.
638
Number of alleged
assassination attempts the CIA made against Fidel Castro. Poisoned pens, exploding cigars and femme fatales were all among the methods tried over the years.
Wide-eyed on the
WILD ISLES
Get there
Virgin Atlantic flies direct from London Gatwick to Havana from £575 return in ten hours; Air France and KLM fly from London Heathrow via Paris and Amsterdam from £466.
No bones about it
A woman dressed up as La Calavera Catrina, an iconic symbol of Día de los Muertos created in the early 1900s by artist José Guadalupe Posada
The city of Cadillacs, cocktails and the Castros has smartened itself up for its quincentennial celebrations, but hasn’t lost an iota of its raggedy charm. Hemingway would still feel right at home
F
ive hundred years of stories saturate the sultry streets of Havana, and yet, this one-time playground for hedonistic high-lifers remains full of surprises. You may still spot the odd vintage Cadillac on the streets, but change is stirring. Last year’s presidential handover served up the latest twist to the national drama, signalling the end of the Castro brothers’ decadeslong hold over the position. And with significant restorations to landmarks complete for Havana’s
Mexico’s Day of the Dead captured the world’s attention with its skulls and colours, but behind the facepaint is a touching celebration that embraces everything that’s good about life – and death WORDS NICK BOULOS
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quincentennial celebrations, it’s a fitting time to join the party. A stroll down Paseo del Prado is a great way to introduce yourself to the Habaneros’ way of life. Hazy afternoons along this promenade often stumble into long nights, and hours can be lost prowling through the bustling weekend art market. Wander off track into Old Havana to discover some of the city’s most impressive sights: the art deco Bacardi Building and the Gran Teatro de La Habana, where prima ballerinas often perform to stagestruck guests. You’ll also spot
the white-domed El Capitolio, the renovated seat of Cuba’s national assembly and one-time scene of a diamond heist. A replica of the jewel (since recovered) is embedded inside the main hall floor. Much of the city’s charm rests within its centuries-old colonial plazas. Admire Havana Cathedral, once described as “music turned to stone”, before pausing to sample the best mojito in town (according to Havanaphile Ernest Hemingway) at La Bodeguita del Medio bar. Keep walking and you’ll find Plaza de Armas, the city’s oldest
square, peppered with secondhand booksellers. Swing by the Museo de la Ciudad, too, for a history of Havana inside a former colonial governor’s palace. Then, take in the mish-mash of Cuban baroque and art nouveau façades at Plaza Vieja, before winding through the harbour-facing Plaza de San Francisco, where a fountain of lions proudly holds court. Then follow your ears and spend your evening – and night – somewhere where the salsa is live and the crowd is livelier, and maybe find a story twist of your own.
1959
The year Che Guevara’s column of troops reached an unresisting Havana, effectively ending the Cuban Revolution. ¡Hasta siempre, Comandante!
IF YOU ONLY DO THREE THINGS
Hike round historic Havana
AWL Images; Shutterstock; Alamy; 4 Corners Images
THE TRUE SPIRIT OF
Go Now
MEXICO
TAKE THE LONG ROOT
DRINK UP
GO BACK IN TIME
The Parque Almendares is the lungs of Havana. Wander or pedal through this urban oasis where trees hundreds of years old drape their vines across the land, creating the impression you’re cloaked by a thick green curtain.
The whizz of blenders whipping up Hemingway-approved daiquiris resounds at El Floridita. Sidle up to the life-size statue of Havana’s hard-drinking ‘Papa’, who supposedly downed 13 double daiquiris in a single sitting.
Soak up Cuba’s glamorous history at the Hotel Nacional. Overlooking the Malecón promenade, everyone from Frank Sinatra to ‘Lucky’ Luciano – who once held a mafia summit here – has passed through.
Away from the increasingly busy Isle of Skye, the far reaches of the Inner Hebrides offer a glimpse of a long-forgotten Scotland – of bullish wildlife, crumbling priories and splendid isolation… WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS GRAEME GREEN
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TEXAS TRIP PLANNER
From cacti-speckled badlands to the best barbecue joints in town – earn your spurs in the Lone Star State and plot the perfect wild escape with our handy guide… WORDS ANDY RHODES
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200 TRAVEL
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To celebrate our bicentennial issue, we’ll reveal the most hush-hush insights from those in the know
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