Wanderlust September 2012

Wanderlust Issue 130 (September 2012) Great Barrier Reef • Darjeeling, India • Unique stays for under £100 • Northern Lights • Solo Travel • Northumberland • Dominican Republic • Hanoi

September 2012 www.wanderlust.co.uk

£3.60

WI N

SOLO TRAVEL

AN IN CR HOTEDIBLE ASSP O IG OR £ NMENT 3,000 See p a ge 116

Your essential 10-page guide to going it alone

Great Barrier Reef Exclusive! 2,600km of coral, 600 islands, 134 species of shark… and one Monty Halls

Darjeeling

Trekking, tea and toy trains

Northern Lights Hunt the aurora at its 50-year peak

Budget Beaters

10

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unique places to stay for under £100

Plus

Hanoi Corsica Yosemite Northumberland

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Contents SEPTEMBER 2012 • ISSUE 130

360°

From the road

6 | World in pictures A studious monk, the lush landscape of Papua New Guinea and zebras have us reaching for our cameras 12 | Shortcuts A world’s worth of travel news 14 | Go now! Shoot off this September 16 | World Diary What’s going on around the world this month, from a spot of Ganesh worship in India to gorging on pizza in Italy 18 | Hilary Bradt talks... tips on tipping

35 | Snapshots Wish we were there... images of

your adventurous exploits from around the globe

36 | Letters etc... Emails, blogs, photos and

chat from readers around the world. This issue: Rotorua away from the crowds, preparing for landing, perfect hours, ‘proper’ Africa and the new-found joys of commuting...

40 | Just Back From… Fresh advice straight from myWanderlust – Tanzania, Hong Kong and China, Madeira and Norway are all in the spotlight

Cover feature

© ©

84

GREAT BARRIER REEF

Features 20 | Darjeeling

Martin Symington heads to the former hill-top retreat of the British Raj for tea, toy trains and the gateway to hiking the Himalaya

42 | Dominican Republic

Getting down with the locals, going up a mountain and hitting a deserted beach or two

118 Northumberland

Yosemite p137

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42

Dominican Republic

52 | Northern Lights

Capturing the art of the aurora – Nick Boulos heads to Finland for a sub-zero photo safari

84 | Great Barrier Reef

Marine biologist and TV presenter Monty Hall explores this Aussie icon from reef to rainforest, and Adrian Phillips enjoys slow travel with turtles

105 | Solo Travel

For some it’s the only way to travel, for other it’s all a bit scary – Lyn Hughes investigates the options for solo travel, and we’ve rounded up nine of the best solo trips in Departures (p114)

118 | Northumberland

Dan Linstead makes a pilgrimage along St Cuthbert’s Way, heading for Holy Island

OTO L PHEAR E V TRA THE Y OF 2

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WIN

N MISSIOEA M O C IN O A PHOTPUA NEW GU 6 A TO P SEE P11

THE FUTURE Like this map?

MAPPING To buy a similar wall map, COMPANY visit www.futuremaps.co.uk 004-005_contents_SO.indd 4

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Navigator

POCKE T GUID ES The bits

Arrivals

73 | How to... eat at Asia’s hawker centres

and bag the best bagels in New York City 75 | Gear What to pack for heading out hiking 76 | Health Dr Jane helps you past the perils of bugs and bacteria on your travels 78 | Photo tips Capture all the action – Steve Davey shares the secrets of video 80 | Q&A Your questions answered. This issue: Berlin’s bars, the best of the Baltics, taking photos from planes and honeymoon planning

of the guide book you

133 hanoi

really need

Pocket Guides

125 | Books Hilary Bradt’s horseride around

Ireland; plus stranger than fiction – five new quirky travelogues get a round-up 127 | Guides Haggle – even for the posh stuff – is just one bit of advice in a new guide to Tel Aviv 128 | What’s on: events Galleries, workshops and the countdown to our World Guide Awards 129 | What’s on: screen All the best armchair travel from the big screen and the little one too

P 133 First P 135 Short24 hours Hano i Explore Vietnam’ P 137 Trave break Bonifacio s cosmopolit Disco l icon Yose an capita mite Delve ver Corsica’s ancie l nt fortre into Califo ss town rnia’s great granite wilderness

135 bonifac

133 | Hanoi, Vietnam Be seduced by the food and buzz of Vietnam’s capital

io

See31

137 yosemiTe

p1

135 | Bonifacio, Corsica Explore the impossibly perched citadel, sparkling seas and Southern Corsican wilderness 137 | Yosemite, California Get away from the crowds for back-country adventure in the high sierra

52 Northern Lights

© ©

© ©

WIN a Xmas trip to Estonia p82

Bonifacio p135

©

© WIN a trip to Jordan p102

©

©

20

Darjeeling

Hanoi p133

Beaters 66Budget

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I I World in pictures I

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KENYA

Leaps and bounds Photographer Anup Shah “The picture shows a zebra stallion’s underbelly as he runs, bringing up the rear of his fleeing family, across the northern bank of the Mara River and on towards the open plains. It is a highly unusual view of a zebra, accomplished by placing a remote camera at a strategic location: should the drinking zebras run from danger, it was likely that they would pass over the camera. When the scene appeared on the screen in my car 50 yards away, the camera shutter was released.”

Anup Shah’s book, Serengeti Spy: Views From a Hidden Camera on the Plains of East Africa, is published by Abrams (£25; amazon.co.uk)

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Trekking across the

ROOF OF THE WORLD

Darjeeling was once the hill-top retreat of the British Raj; now it’s a cool, tea-cloaked basecamp for fine hikes amid the highest Himalaya Words Martin Symington

Heaven’s highway Darjeeling’s Buddhist monastery overlooks the Kangchenjunga massif

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Darjeeling Footnotes VITAL STATISTICS

Capital: New Delhi (India), Kolkata/Calcutta (West Bengal) Population: 1.2 billion (India), 80 m (W Bengal) Languages: Bengali, Nepali, English Time: GMT+5.5 International dialling code: +91 Visas: Required by UK nationals. Apply online at http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk, then either post documentation to an Indian consulate or visit in person. A multiple-entry tourist visa valid for six months costs £42.20; re-entry is not permitted within two months of a previous visit. Note, this is complicated; using an agency will cost extra but make life easier.

The non-standard 50x50mm photo requirement is a bit of a hassle.

Money: Indian rupee (Rs), currently around Rs79 to the UK£. Plentiful ATMs in main cities and airports; bureaux de change elsewhere.

Bridge over coloured water Built to mark George V’s rise to the throne, the Coronation Bridge spans the River Teesta

When to go Jan

Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Jul

Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

■ Oct-Nov: Peak trekking season: clear skies, crisp air, relatively warm.

■ Dec-Mar: Winter is cold, with snowfalls frequently blocking mountain passes.

■ Apr-Jun: Alternative trekking season: warmer than autumn, but often hazy with rain.

■ Jul-Sept: Monsoon season – avoid trekking.

Health & safety Be vaccinated against diphtheria, polio, tetanus, typhoid and hepatitis A. Be prepared for extreme cold and the possibility of altitude sickness. Drink only bottled or sterilised water.

Further reading & info www.incredibleindia.org – India Tourism Northeast India Handbook (Footprint, 2010) India: The Road Ahead (Rider, 2011) by Mark Tully www.darjeelinginformation.com – Darjeeling Information Bureau

More online Visit www.wanderlust.co.uk/130 for links to more content:

Vaibhav Mehta; Martin Symington

Gallery

See more images from Darjeeling and the Singalila Ridge Top

Archive articles

10 cheap things to do in Darjeeling – online, Aug 12 21 Himalaya adventures – online, Sept 11

Planning guides India guide

The trip The author travelled with Mountain Kingdoms (01453 844400, www.mountainkingdoms.com) on a 13-day tailormade itinerary including three nights in Calcutta, one night on the train, three nights in Darjeeling and five nights in lodges on trek.

A similar trip would cost from £1,945pp based on two sharing, including accommodation in Calcutta, most meals, private jeep transfers, guide, porters, national park fees, train fare from Calcutta and air fare back, but not international flights. Mountain Kingdoms also offers 17-day Singalila Ridge Top Walk group departures in spring and autumn, from 1,595 (excluding international flights).

Getting there There are no direct flights from the UK to Calcutta. The easiest connections are

via Dubai with Emirates (0844 800 2777, www.emirates.com), which has flights from Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow to Dubai. Return fares start from £558 including taxes. Flight time is about 13 hours including stop-over.

Cost of travel India is cheap, at every level – from luxury hotels to backpacker hostels, though less so at the top end where differences are narrowing. You can eat extremely well for £10 a head. Rail travel is excellent value (other than in first class); there are also very competitive fares to be found on budget airlines.

Tips are an important part of every guide and porter’s livelihood. There are no rules, but if you receive good service >

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BLOSSOMING RELATIONSHIP

With pristine beaches, cloud-forest treks and welcoming villages, it’s no surprise this Caribbean country is winning lots of admirers Words & Pictures Ed Stocker

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Dominican Republic Footnotes VITAL STATISTICS

Capital: Santo Domingo Population: 10 million Language: Spanish Time: GMT -4 (all year) International dialing code: +1809 Visa: None required by UK nationals. You need to fill out a tourist card on arrival at the airport and pay US$10.

Money: Dominican peso (RD$), currently around RD$61 to the UK£. US dollars accepted at some hotels and excursions.

When to go Jan

Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Jul

Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

This being the Caribbean, temperatures are warm year-round. Mountainous places such as Jarabacoa and Constanza are considerably fresher than the rest of the country.

■ The winter is the cooler time to visit but good for trekking; expect mid to high 20s with cool nights. Jan to March is best for whalewatching.

■ Best to spot wildlife at Lago Enriquillo and the Laguna de Oviedo (feeding season), with large groups of flamingos visible.

■ Active hurricane period for the Caribbean.

■ Active hurricane period for the Atlantic.

Health & safety There are no special requirements for the Dominican Republic; no vaccine certificates are needed. Malaria is present but not a high risk (apart from along the border with Haiti).

Further reading & information Dominican Republic (Rough Guides, 2011) The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa (Faber & Faber, 2003): Nobel prize-winner’s generation-spanning novel www.lata.org Latin American Travel Association www.godominicanrepublic.com The tourist board

More online Visit www.wanderlust.co.uk/130 for links to more content: Archive articles

Trip Planner: Alternative Caribbean – issue 106, Oct 09

Planning guides

Dominican Republic travel guide

Turks & Caicos

The trip

BAHAMAS

ATLANTIC OCEAN

The author was hosted by the Samaná Dominican Republic Tourist Board (www.

Puerto Punta Peninsula Plata Rucia godominicanrepublic.com) on a self-drive CUBA Playa Rincón La Vega Sánchez itinerary. Book ahead for Cachote eco-lodge Pico Duarte Jarabacoa through coordinator Martiano Matos HAITI Punta Cana Lago Enriquillo (ecoturismocomunitariocachote@yahoo.

SANTO Barahona DOMINGO Cachote PUERTO com). Prices for couples are RD$2,500 pp for Pedernales La Ciénaga RICO Bahía de las Oviedo two nights, including accommodation, food Águilas Laguna de Oviedo Cuevas de and a cloud forest trek. las Águilas 0 200km Rancho Baiguate in Jarabacoa is a one-stop shop for adventure activities (from US$255 CARIBBEAN SEA pp) and horses. In Constanza, Safari Constanza can take you trekking and to see the Aguas Blanca waterfall (safari.

Santo Domingo The capital’s historic constanza@hotmail.com). Whale Samaná centre is a charming time warp. excursion: US$50 pp, plus US$3 sanctuary Cachote A cool retreat up in the entrance fee (kim@whalesamana.com).

Highlights

mountains with a beautiful cloud forest.

Getting there BA flies to Santo Domingo or Punta Cana from Gatwick (from £580; www.ba. co.uk); Thomson flies from Manchester and Gatwick to Punta Cana and Puerto Plata (from £450; www.thomson.co.uk). Flight time is around 10 hours.

Getting around A list of car rental companies can be found at www.andri.com.do. You’ll need a sense of adventure if heading to the southwest. A 4WD with GPS is best if exploring (road signs are infrequent). Caribe Tours operates an extensive bus network. A one-way trip from Santo Domingo to Samaná costs RD$320 (www.caribetours.com).

No-frills buses travel set urban routes (known as guaguas; no more than RD$25) as do similar concho cars. There are also motoconchos (motorbike taxi; no more than RD$100 for a longer trip).

Cost of travel The DR is inexpensive away from the resorts. A mid-range hotel costs around US$25-35 a day. Expect to pay around RD$100 for a sandwich and around RD$300 for fresh fish and tostones on the coast.

Accommodation In Santo Domingo, Hotel Doña Elvira (www.dona-elvira.com) is a prettily restored colonial building in the historic centre with an internal courtyard (doubles from US$79).

Bahía de la Águilas Simply the most stunning beach in the country.

Laguna de Oviedo A vast saltwater lagoon ideal for wildlife spotting.

Constanza A great area for trekking and outdoor pursuits.

Jarabacoa The adventure capital of the DR and a springboard for Pico Duarte.

La Vega The best place to catch the colourful Carnaval (Sundays in Feb).

Punta Rucia A laidback beach town that has purposely avoided development.

Samaná Spot humpback whales returning from northern climes to give birth.

Playa Rincón Giving Bahía de la Águilas a run for its money.

In Pedernales, Doña Chava is a rustic-style family-run hotel that does a great breakfast (www.donachava.com; doubles from RD$900). Jarabacoa’s Rancho Baiguate (www. ranchobaiguate.com) is an all-inclusive ranch catering to the booming adventure market (doubles from US$47 pp; including meals).

Food & drink Comida criolla (traditional Dominican food) is delicious. On the coast you’ll have a choice of fish – grilled, steamed or deep-fried; rice, avocado and plantain are standard sides. Try mangú (mashed plantain with onions and salami) for breakfast – an energy boost for a day of outdoor activities. ■

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NORTHERN EXPOSURES

How do you capture the magic of the aurora borealis on camera? Amateur snapper Nick Boulos learned from the pros on a sub-zero photo safari in Finland Words Nick Boulos Pictures Nick Boulos & Andy Keen

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Beams across borders “You don’t need to spend thousands on expensive gear,” Andy declared reassuringly as our group of eight prepared to set off on the first of three nights aurora hunting.

“I’ve seen some great results from decent compact digitals.”

I was packing a Canon 400D and 18-55mm lens: nothing fancy but reliable and certainly capable of capturing the magic. “The biggest challenges are the elements and your own reactions. You only have a few seconds of opportunity to get the shot,” added Andy.

Anticipation was running high as we drove out of town, past Lapland’s only speed camera and a man walking his husky.

The haze of Ivalo’s light pollution soon filtered away, revealing a starry abyss above. >

Previous spread: Andy Keen/Aurora Hunters; This spread: Nick Boulos; Andy Keen

‘The biggest challenges here are the elements and your own reactions’

• Ivalo

N

I arrived in Finnish Lapland with high hopes. And I wanted a lasting reminder of our special time together. So I sought the help of an expert: pro photographer and self-proclaimed ‘aurora hunter’ Andy Keen, who leads northern lights safaris from the town of Ivalo, high above the Arctic Circle.

Andy heralds from Merseyside. Aged 20, he was struck by a neurological disorder and left paralysed from the waist down. But he defied doctors by making a recovery, learning to walk again and training as a civil engineer.

Then he fell victim to the Lumley effect.

One evening he watched a documentary in which actor Joanna realised her childhood dream of seeing the northern lights.

“I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen,” recounted Andy. A trip to Norway quickly followed. “I lay in the snow and just watched the lights dance. I was hooked. When I eventually picked myself up off the floor and tried to take a photo, I left the lens cap on.”

A year later, in 2009, he relocated to Lapland. The rest is history.

NO

L

ike a vision, she came in the dead of night and stole my heart.

Until that fateful hour, ours had always been a tempestuous relationship. We’d got off to a good start one evening in Iceland some years ago, but that encounter lasted just seconds: a premature finish brought things to an abrupt end. Rendezvous followed in Canada and Norway, though both were lacklustre and ended in disappointment.

It was the usual story: I wasn’t patient enough; she wasn’t in the mood.

Like most women, she’s mysterious and unpredictable; some may say she’s a diva.

Her name is Aurora.

The mesmerising northern lights – or aurora borealis to give the phenomenon its scientific and more poetic name – have captivated, enchanted and evaded people (including me) for centuries. But I was giving Aurora and I one last stab at happiness.

A

Arctic experiences The Sami people of Finnish Lapland take visitors on horsedrawn sleigh rides by day, while the nights are for chasing – and photographing – the northern lights

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The travel magazine that takes you further

“There simply isn’t a better magazine for the serious traveller” Bill Bryson Already subscribe to Wanderlust? Recommend Wanderlust to a friend and travel in style with No1 Traveller Do you have a friend you think would love Wanderlust? Pass on the good news! If they take out a subscription, we’ll provide FREE passes for you and a chosen guest to enjoy a luxurious airport lounge at either Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted, courtesy of No1 Traveller. To take advantage of this offer, just ask your friend to call 01753 620426 to subscribe, quoting ‘recommend a friend 2012’ and providing your subscriber number (see your Sub/Web Access number on subs club, or call the Wanderlust office on 01753 620 426). Alternatively they can subscribe online at www.wanderlustshop.co.uk and quoting your subscriber number in the ‘where did you hear about us’ box. *TERMS & CONDITIONS: There are only limited passes available. This scheme is to reward current subscribers in recommending Wanderlust to a friend, they are therefore the only ones eligible to receive the passes for the airport lounges. The passes are only valid for airport lounges run by No1 Traveller. Passes are valid for 12 months.

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GREAT BARRIER REEF

You beauty! Stretching for 2,300km along the east coast of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is a glorious chain of coral, abutting rainforest and lush islands. Here’s how to explore it all...

Words Monty Halls

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600 or so islands, as well as 300 cays. It is estimated that 10% of all the world’s coral is here.

The building blocks of the Reef – the largest natural structure on earth– are 400 species of hard coral. Filling every evolutionary niche, nook and cranny are around 1,600 fish species, 1,300 species of crustacean, 134 species of shark and 3,000 types of molluscs. There are even 14 species of sea snake. Naturally – this being Australia – several of these species are ludicrously venomous. Happily, at least one of them frequently encountered on the Yongala’s wreck – the olive sea snake – shares that other Australian characteristic of being distinctly approachable in a laidback kind of way.

But the real joy of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park – all 350,000 sq km of it, the largest on earth – is that most of it isn’t reef at all. Only 7% of the park and protected area is coral. The bigger picture sees the oldest rainforest on earth lead to mangrove swamps and beaches, before a truly immense lagoon dotted with islands, and then that final, triumphant, symphonic note that is the reef itself.

It is this variety of environments that makes visits here entirely different every time, offering a vast range of activities, from diving to sailing, from island resorts to forest camps, from secluded research stations to bustling coastal resorts. Well, two million visitors a year, generating an estimated AUS$1billion, can’t all be wrong. >

‘Old rainforest leads to beach, then that final triumphant note that is the reef itself’ great barrier reef The best bits

Cape York G

r

500km

0

a

Cape Tribulation

] Daintree National Park Extraordinarily ancient

Daintree NP

rainforest; cruise its rivers to look for saltwater crocs.

life abounds, easily accessible on a fast day-boat from Townsville. ] Hinchinbrook Island Australia’s largest national

park island, Hinchinbrook is mostly uninhabited and largely pristine. Only 40 people a day are allowed to tackle its Thorsborne Trail, a 32km bush adventure.

Hinchinbrook I.

Townsville e SS Yongala Charters Towers f Whitsunday Islands Airlie Beach e

] SS Yongala World-class wreck dive, where sea

Ribbon Reefs

R

verdant hideaway. Activities abound, including kayaking with turtles and galloping along the beach on horseback.

Cairns Mission Beach

OCEAN

r

] Cape Tribulation Rainforest meets reef at this

S O U T H PA C I F I C i e r r B a

Lizard Island

of coral, north of Cairns, can only be accessed by liveaboard dive boat – but the underwater action is worth the effort.

Tropic of Capricorn

Lady Musgrave I.

Bundaberg Mon Repos Beach Fraser Island Hervey Bay

] The Whitsunday Islands Glorious offshore

archipelago. Whitehaven Beach, on Whitsunday Island, is picture-postcard perfect; hopping around by boat (from Airlie Beach) is recommended. ] Heron Island Lying near the Tropic of Capricorn in

the southern reef, Heron is a haven for turtles, and the place to take guided ranger walks. ] Fraser Island Technically just south of the GBR, but

a gem nonetheless, this huge sand island has lakes to jump in, creeks to float down and dunes to explore.

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Noosa

QUEENSLAND Springbrook NP

NEW SOUTH WALES

86 | Wanderlust September 2012

Heron I.

Rockhampton

Brisbane Surfers Paradise Lamington NP

Gold Coast

Byron Bay Dorrigo NP

Barrington Tops NP Hunter Valley

Blue Mountains NP

Port Macquarie Myall Lakes NP Port Stephens

Previous spread: Corbis; Tamsyn Smith | This spread: Alamy; iStockphoto

] Ribbon Reefs These shallow, narrow stretches

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nd,

B

The water was as warm as my own blood.

Before me, a tornado of life and death: bluefin trevally tore into their prey, resulting in an explosion of a thousand silver splinters as the bait fish surged and shattered before them.

Beneath it all lay a shadow on the seafloor, the wreck of the SS Yongala, said by many to be the greatest wildlife shipwreck on earth.

The 107m-long Yongala sank in 1911 with the loss of 122 lives. She then lay on the sand undiscovered for nearly half a century before being found. She now plays host to every level of the marine food chain. Interwoven into her superstructure are soft and hard corals, created by the currents that sweep her hull like undersea gales and bring all manner of nutrients in their billowing eddies. These in turn provide food for the smaller fish species of the reef system, while the larger fish survey the scene with a cold, opportunistic eye. Nowhere is nature redder in tooth and claw than on the Yongala – to drift in mid-water alongside her hull is to have a box seat in an endless predatory drama.

The Great Barrier Reef ecosystem lends itself naturally to superlatives, although perhaps the best way to describe it is to simply let the data do the talking. It extends for 2,300km north to south, made-up of at least 2,900 individual coral reefs. It is peppered with

e

t

Great Barrier Reef

Newcastle Sydney

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Northumberland

I A pilgrimage across borders – and some 1 ofIthe UK’s 1 wildest, most unsung countryside

©

Train to Alnmouth or Berwick-UponI ITweed; bus to points on St Cuthbert’s Way 1 I 1 Jun-Sept for seasonal attractions; year-round for walks I

Great British Escape

NORTHUMBERLAND Dan Linstead finds stirring countryside, dramatic coast and a soulful mood as he traces St Cuthbert’s Way from the Scottish Borders to Holy Island

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Northumberland

HOLY ISLAND

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TOP 5 PLACES TO STAY

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The three, five-star Turvelaws Holiday Cottages (nr Wooler; 01668 281479, www.turvelaws.com; from £280/wk for two) make fine bases for exploring the Cheviots, plus owners Sarah and Mark Robson are a mine of local info.

If you want to explore other self-catering options, Coastal Retreats (www.coastalretreats.co.uk, 0191 285 1272) can suggest a wealth of attractive alternatives.

Edward Hudson. Then I headed for Lindisfarne Priory, the font of English Christianity, where Cuthbert had been prior.

Sacked by the Vikings, rebuilt in the 12th century, and then finally dissolved by Henry VIII, today all that stands are tumbledown walls and a single, soaring stone arch. The sun was dipping, and only a few visitors lingered. Amid the weathered stone walls, a contemporary bronze statue of Cuthbert has been erected, the saint’s eyes downcast and contemplative. His knees had been worn to a shine by the faithful.

Heading back to the car, I passed a figure dressed in a cassock and sandals, fingering a rosary. No doubt he was heading for one of the island’s religious retreats: to read, reflect or escape. Like Richard Pederson’s heroic church restoration project back in Morebattle, he seemed living proof of Cuthbert’s legacy. I didn’t share his faith, but after following the Way for a week, I could understand the pilgrimage. ■ After spending the last six-years – and 50 issues – editing Wanderlust, Dan Linstead has decided to stretch his legs in the West Country.

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If you fancy staying on the island, The Ship Inn (Holy Island; 01289 389311, www.theshipinnholyisland.co.uk; doubles from £110) is a characterful old pub with four 4-star rooms; its cosy bar serves local real ales including Holy Island Bitter.

Getting there & around The East Coast mainline railway (www.eastcoast.co.uk) stops at Alnmouth, near Alnwick, and Berwick-Upon-Tweed; buses from either station link to St Cuthbert’s Way (see www.northumberland.gov.uk).

Shepherds Walks (0191 265 1110, www.shepherdswalksholidays. co.uk) runs organised walks along St Cuthbert’s Way. A seven-day self-guided trip, including six nights’ accommodation, breakfast and transfers costs £575. The company also runs group walks and popular challenges along legs of the route over summer.

Further info Best Walks in Northumberland (Frances Lincoln, 2007) by Frank Duerden – excellent walks and context Slow Northumberland & Durham (Bradt, 2012) – a tautological title for this deliciously snail-paced county www.visitnorthumberland.com – Comprehensive walking route maps and accommodation listings www.stcuthbertsway.info – Official trail website

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St Cuthbert’s House (Seahouses; 01665 720456, www.stcuthbertshouse.com; doubles from £90) is an award-winning boutique B&B, converted from a 19th-century chapel. Rooms are named after Celtic saints and breakfasts are truly divine.

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Spylaw Farm B&B and self-catering (01668 215447, www.spylaw.org.uk; doubles from £80) sits between the Cheviots and the coast, close to St Cuthbert’s Way. The farm aims for self-sufficiency, and meals (eaten in, or in picnic boxes) come from local suppliers and the kitchen garden.

Dreamstime; Dan Linstead

> romantic bolthole of Country Life founder

Ellingham Hall (nr Alnwick; 01665 568118, www.ellingham-hall. com) is an imposing 17th-century manor in peacock-roamed grounds.

Hire the whole house (sleeps 31) for an unforgettable party, or choose from 12 stylish estate cottages (2-4 bedrooms).

The coast gets busy June-September; many attractions, including Alnwick Castle, are only open for the spring/summer season. Boat trips to the Farne Islands are weather-dependent, but if you’re here to walk (and dress up warm), any time of year can be glorious.

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The view from the other side Lindisfarne Castle seen from the ruins of Lindisfarne Priory

When to go

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