Wanderlust April 2013

Wanderlust Issue 135 (April 2013) Iceland • Vietnam’s Best City • Cuba street photography • Australian Adventure • Scotland Road Trip • Travel Awards • Pocket guides: Alaska’s Denali, Cape Town, Tallinn

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS IN TRAVEL 20 years of Wanderlust, 1993-2013

April 2013 | www.wanderlust.co.uk

Magical Iceland

Follow in the footsteps of elves in the eastern fjords

Australian Adventure

Want to cross the country in style? This is just the ticket...

Sizzling Cuba

Explore its streets and learn to capture it all on camera

Vibrant

Vietnam Discover a world-class city ...as voted by YOU!

+ £3.99

Cape Town Alaska Tallinn Scotland by campervan Travel Awards

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Contents APRIL 2013 • ISSUE 135

360°

From the road

6 | World in pictures Caught on camera: Alaskan peaks, African elephants and...brace yourself...Nicaragua’s shark-infested lakes 12 | Shortcuts Take a glance at global news 14 | Go now! Grab your passport – we’ve found four ideal escapes for April 16 | World Diary Take to the skies at a Chinese kite festival, feast for Easter or jazz it up in the USA

37 | Snapshots You went, you saw, you snapped!

Wanderlust readers have ‘been there, done that’ in far flung places (like Antarctica, Afghanistan and Laos) and sent us some great pictures to prove it

18 | Departures Top trips for wildlife-lovers 20 | Hilary Bradt talks... retracing your steps

secret and news from our online community – we love hearing from you, so drop us a line!

42 | Just Back From… myWanderlust forum members share their eclectic experiences in South Africa, Ireland, Kenya, Jordan and Turkey...

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Cover feature

38 | Letters etc... Advice, anecdotes, the odd

44 Iceland

VIETNAM 22

133

© Scotland p100

Alaska

© © Features 22 | Vibrant Vietnam

Is Hoi An really the best city in the world? Yes according to you lovely lot! So we sent our own Mark Stratton to find out what made it so special...

44 | Magical Iceland

Dare you journey beyond the Golden Circle?

Follow Clare Wilson as she laces up her hiking boots and heads to the unexplored east fjords

Mexico p18

Cuba

86

62 | Australian Adventure

Hold on tight for the ride of your life! Anthony Lambert winds through sand dunes and lush forests on an epic train ride across Australia

86 | Sizzling Cuba

Want to improve your travel photos? Join Claire Boobbyer as she visits Trinidad get snap happy amid the classic Cuban icons and friendly locals

100 | Scotland by campervan

Not all road trips are created equal. Jump on the bandwagon with Wanderlust editor Phoebe Smith and heads to Scotland’s wild Highlands and islands

112 | Travel Awards

The results of our annual Readers’ Survey are in!

Find out who YOU voted as Top Country and more

!

E E FR AVEL

R £50OTUCHEscRribe V n you sub st whe derlu ! n a W to to p60 Turn

THE FUTURE Like this map?

MAPPING To buy a similar wall map, COMPANY visit www.futuremaps.co.uk 004-005_Contents_SOv2.indd 4

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Navigator

POCKE T GUID ES The bits

Arrivals

77 | How to... Travel successfully by train in

India, and (politely) eat a Korean barbeque!

79 | Gear Camera-buffs listen up, the essentials for the ultimate photography trip 80 | Health Dr Jane ‘ticks’ all the boxes with her expert advice on avoiding the little biters 82 | Photo tips Go colour and contrast crazy with bold advice from ace snapper Steve Davey 84 | Q&A Etiquette in Japan, solo travel, beggars and yellow fever, expert answers to your queries

Murphy’s Palestinian odyssey, plus the best new reads and four epic and inspiring journeys

125 | Guides Get prepped for trips to Lagos and Vietnam, and check out the newest guidebooks 126 | Interview Ahead of his inspirational new exhibition Genesis, photographer Sebastião Salgado tells us about his epic eight year project 128 | What’s on Get out and about across the UK or stay in to watch our pick of TV and films

133 | Alaska We explore the iconic Denali National Park, a century after Mt McKinley was first climbed

really need

133 alaska

Pocket Guides

123 | Books Matthew Teller reviews Dervla

of the guide book you

P 133 Trave P 135 Short l Icon Denali National Park Explo P 137 First Break Tallin n Eston re Alaska 24 hours ’s wildlife Cape Town ia’s fairytale capita wonderland l – great Beaches. visit all Vineyards.

Table Moun year round tain and more...

135

See31

Tallinn

137 cape

p1

Town

135 | Tallinn, Estonia Take a short break in Estonia’s capital for forests, bears and medieval fantasies 137 | Cape Town, South Africa Discover the best that the Mother City has to offer with our expert 24 hr guide

135 Tallinn

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Burma p112

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Jordan p42

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Australia Indonesia p19

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137 Cape Town

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READERS’ TRAVEL AWARDS

2013

112

Each year we ask the best travelled people in the world (you!) to tell us what are the world’s top trip destinations, the best airlines, top travel gear and more! You voted in your thousands, the results are in, and here is 2013’s definitive list...

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alaska

Corbis

Hail the High One At 6,194m, Mount McKinley is North America’s tallest mountain.

In Alaska it’s known by its Athabaskan name, Mount Denali – meaning, simply, ‘High One’. And that moniker surely had resonance with British explorer Hudson Stuck and Americans Harry Karstens, Walter Harper and Robert Tatum, who were the first to climb the colossal peak in June 1913. This summer – 100 years since that successful summit expedition – a range of events have been planned, making it the ideal time to visit Denali National Park to take in the scale of their achievement.

For more information on planning a visit to Denali National Park, see www.nps.gov/dena and our Pocket Guide on page 133

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World in pictures | News | Go now | World diary | Departures | Hilary Bradt

360 1

I I I

1 1

Places jostling for our attention this month

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Welcome to the best city on Earth

You voted Vietnam’s Hoi An as your favourite city in the Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards so we decided to visit to see what all the fuss is about...

Words Mark Stratton

Let’s do the time warp Following its demise as a key trading port in the 19th century, Hoi An seems to have been preserved in aspic

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Hoi An warbling he explained that over 20 years he’s only ever offered a fixed five-course menu, the content of which is decided on a whim.

That night the £5 included another signature Hoi An dish, ‘white roses’: slimy oystertextured shrimp dumplings resembling flower heads. I asked Kim if he’d ever considered a more a la carte menu? “Never, it will always be the same only better and more EXCELLENT every day,” he roared back.

Foodie fantasy Food is so intrinsic to Hoi An’s appeal that numerous cookery schools have cropped up. Classes begin with trips to the open-air market to learn about abundant and sometimes unfamiliar local produce from the surrounding fertile floodplain. “Don’t say ‘yum’,” admonished our market guide to an

Australian woman enjoying the sugary sweetness of soursop for the first time.

“It’s very rude in Vietnamese.”

“The highest paid worker in my restaurant is the person finding the freshest ingredients from the market,” said leading Hoi An restaurateur, Madam Vy – possibly the closest Vietnam has to a celebrity chef.

“Vietnamese cooking is all about fresh produce, the yin and yang of ingredients, and love,” was her mantra during a threehour cookery class at her Morning Glory school. Under her expert tuition I rustled up a passable spicy mango salad but must confess to a few lumps in my crispy pancakes.

Did she know the secret of cao lau, I wondered? “The dish itself is very cosmopolitan, like Hoi An,” said Madam Vy. “Noodles influenced by the Chinese or

Japanese, fresh Vietnamese herbs, French croutons. Special well-water may change the texture, and the smoky taste is from the fire, but there’s an ingredient I don’t understand.

I’ve tried making them but they’ve never quite tasted right.”

Pedal in the paddies My wild goose chase to uncover the secrets of cao lau off the Ta family was one of several excursions I made over the following days.

I also took a bicycle into Hoi An’s simplistically beautiful surrounding countryside, ranging across a floodplain of extensive rice-paddies, deltaic islands and inland fishing villages stretching to the South China Sea coast, 4km away.

This proximity to untamed beaches embellishes Hoi An’s appeal and I relocated > Food, glorious food Several cooking schools have cropped up in Hoi An (left), most including a trip to the market to buy fresh produce

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Snapshots | Letters etc | Experiences | Just Back From…

From The Road Letters, tips, photos & exploits from you, our endlessly adventurous readers

“Finally making it to Antarctica!” Enid Astley

“Navigating central Afghanistan without any signposts.” Linda Tobey

Snapshots

“Visiting Hobbiton on a three-week trip to New Zealand.”

Jean Waring

What have you been up to? Make us jealous!

Send your snapshots to FromTheRoad@ wanderlust.co.uk “Meeting the magical moai at Ahu Tongariki, Easter Island.”

Denise Brimson & Mike Peters

“Finding one of the many Buddhist shrines in the forest of Sai, Laos.” Stuart Meikle “Enjoying freshly pressed olive oil and baked bread in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco.”

Samantha Bodie

“Taking a break on the Welsh Coast Path.”

Junart Kim S Nieva > Wanderlust April 2013 | 37

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n

From The Road in association with Photo of the month Reine, Lofoten Islands, Norway Grégoire Sieuw, photographer/traveller

“I took this picture in northern Norway, one week before Christmas.

While working in Montréal during the summer, I thought about the most remote place I could go to spend the winter, and I finally chose the Lofoten Islands – to work as a volunteer interior designer in Reine! However, I didn’t forget my passion for photography and took my Pentax up there, hoping to witness the northern lights.

This shot was taken from the archipelago’s main SørvågenHarstad road, a few days after I arrived. It was taken during the ‘brightest’ hour of the day.”

We want to see photographs from YOUR travels. Upload them to: www.wanderlust.co.uk/ mywanderlust

“Ha! If your 1st leech exp was removing one off male trekker’s private parts you wouldn’t love them” @jessofarabia responds to Hilary Bradt’s column on her love for leeches (Feb 2013)

half weeks there in November 2012, at places both on and off the tourist circuit.

However I must protest at Martin’s dismissal of all the local wine: Red Mountain Estate, close to Inle Lake, produces very palatable wines and is a great trip from Nyaung Shwe – although I’ll admit that we tried a few other local wines and the rest were pretty unpalatable!

My favourite place on the trip was Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, especially at dusk when it becomes a hangout for local

people of all ages. Whether you chat with people, perambulate around the pagoda or just sit and people-watch as the colours of the pagoda change as the sun goes down, this is a magical and fully human experience.

Nicola Leeds, by email



Burma: money

I can update the Burma Footnotes in the March edition of Wanderlust, regarding foreign credit cards and ATMs. On 28 December 2012, credit and debit cards started being accepted in ATMs. I can confirm that they do work, having done a trial withdrawal in January with a MasterCard at the Co-operative Bank ATM in Pyin Oo Lwin and with a VISA debit card at a Kanbawza Bank (KBZ Bank) in Mandalay. There is a limit of 300,000 kyat [about £350] per withdrawal.

Rob Boyce, by email >

WIN

KEEN

Clearwater CNX sandals!

KEEN makes sandals specifically designed for travellers to have adventures in. No matter where you’re going or what you’re doing, there’s a pair of KEEN sandals to suit. To coincide with the weather warming, we have five pairs of the brand-new, lightweight KEEN Clearwater CNX sandals to give away – there are over 20 different styles (ladies’ sandal pictured) to take on any terrain and weather, for either sex, with each one weighing less than 285 grams. To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is write in with an imaginative answer to the following question: If you had a pair of KEEN Clearwater CNXs, what would you do in them?

Judges decision final, with only the most adventurous, playful, unique answers rewarded (30 words max). Enter online now at: www.wanderlust.co.uk/competitions. Or submit entries by post (address on page 2). Closing date is 17 April 2013. For more info about the KEEN Clearwater CNX see www.keenfootwear.com.

Wanderlust April 2013 | 41

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Iceland 1

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I I I

I Wild1walks, fine fjords, puffin nests, northern I 1 lights and a fat dose of magic

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Fly UK-ReykjavĂ­k (around 3hrs); connect to1 regions via internal flights, or hire a car 1

May-Sept, best weather

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walking in wonderland

Follow in the footsteps of elves to explore the close-knit communities and astonishing landscapes of offbeat East Iceland Words Clare Wilson

Anti-capitalism Fly from Reykjavik to Akureyri, the gateway to the dramatic landscapes of North and East Iceland

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Iceland

Magic and mystery Walkers rest to take in majestic Stórurð, a valley geologists believe was formed by either glacier or volcano – or both

‘Stórurð, which lies below, is something special – even for Iceland...’

Clare Wilson

< of the community centre. While I admired

a collection of local geological specimens in brightly lit glass cabinets, Arngrímur stooped under a painted archway in the corner, disappearing behind a red-velvet curtain.

When he called, I drew back the drapes and entered a fairy-lit grotto. Five or six mysterious doorways lead to child-sized dens, designed for local children to listen to the tales of their ancestors – which is my excuse for curling up in one, next to a treasure chest, and reverting to my six-year-old self.

Arngrímur pressed play on a stereo and I listened to the legend of how the farmstead

at the end of the fjord got the name ‘Snotrunes’; apparently, a brave steward broke the curse on his elf-queen-in-disguisemistress (Snotra) by following her to the ‘Other Realm’ one Christmas, and returning to tell the tale. Crawling to a den under the sea and clutching a cuddly fish, I heard the story of Gellivör the Ogress, who kidnapped shepherds to feed to her young in the mountain behind the puffins’ nests. And I learned about Naddi the Monster, who terrorised the road around the headland – which I’d driven the day before – until he was wrestled and thrown into the sea.

The whole place was smaller than my

lounge and, with the lights on, I could see that the ‘castle’ was fake and that the ‘forest canopy’ was made of paper, but the magic remained nonetheless. It wasn’t just the storm outside that made me huddle tightly under my duvet that night.

Take my breath away The next afternoon, the wind had dropped enough for us to set off into the hills on the south side of the inlet, but it was still too gusty to safely negotiate the higher mountain passes. So Arngrímur improvised our walk, linking two trails between Geitfell and Svartfell – the Gold and Black < Wanderlust April 2013 | 51

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Iceland Footnotes Vital statistics

Capital: Reykjavík Population: 310,000 Languages: Icelandic. English is almost universally spoken Time: GMT International dialling code: +354 Visas: Not required by UK nationals Money: Icelandic króna (ISK), currently around ISK200 to the UK£. Cards are widely accepted; ATMs can be easily found, except in remote areas. Tipping isn’t common; service charges are usually included in rates.

When to go Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec ■ Jun-Aug Summer is warm, with very long days; the main tourist sites can be crowded so take advantage of the light and visit in the early morning or late evening.

■ Apr-May & Sept-Oct Spring and autumn can be pleasant, though expect mixed weather.

Some accommodation may be closed.

■ Nov-Mar Winters are cold and dark, particularly in January, but it’s a great time for snow sports and seeing the northern lights; Reykjavík is still a great choice for a city break.

Trusty steeds Icelandic horses have an extra gait halfway between trotting and cantering called the tolt

Health & safety Iceland is very safe – you can drink water from the tap, serious diseases are rare, there are no poisonous animals. However, beware highly changeable weather: be prepared when out in the wilds, with warm/weatherproof clothing. Don’t walk on glaciers without proper equipment; taking a guide is recommended.

Further reading & info Top 10: Iceland (DK Eyewitness, 2012) www.east.is and www.northiceland.is Official regional websites www.safetravel.is Safetravel, run by ICE-SAR (Iceland’s Search and Rescue), has up-to-date information on weather and road conditions.

Download Safetravel’s 112 Iceland app.

More online Visit www.wanderlust.co.uk/135 for links to more content: Archive articles

Inside an Icelandic volcano – issue 131, Sept 12 20 Icelandic adventures – online, April 11 Sailing the West Fjords – issue 103, Apr/May 09

Planning guides Iceland guide

The trip The author travelled with Iceland specialist Discover the World (01737 18802, www.discover-the-world.co.uk), who offer a wide range of independent and escorted holidays. A similar tailormade trip would cost from £1,158pp (based on two sharing) including return flights from London, Manchester or Glasgow with Icelandair, domestic flights, three nights at Guesthouse Álfheimar in Borgarfjörður (full board), 3 nights at Hotel Reykjahlid in Lake Mývatn (breakfast and dinner), six days’ car hire and entrance to the Blue Lagoon, in Reykjavik.

Discover the World also offers a 14-night Fly, Drive & Hike trip, incorporating all the national parks, from £1,429pp including flights, 14 nights’ B&B accommodation and car rental.

Getting there & around Keflavík International Airport (KEF) is 48km west of Reykjavík. Icelandair (084 4811 1190, www.icelandair.co.uk) flies there from London, Manchester and

Glasgow. Flight time is around three hours; returns from around £220.

Internal flights to Egilsta∂ir (for the east), Akureyri (for the north and Lake Mývatn) and the Westfjords and Westmann Islands leave from the central Reykjavík Airport; shuttlebuses from Keflavík into Reykjavík take 45 minutes.

Buses serve Iceland’s main towns in summer (sparse service September-May).

See www.bsi.is or www.nat.is for more details. Car or campervan hire is a good way to explore though can be pricey.

There’s only one major road, which circuits Iceland; for the interior, you’ll need a 4WD.

Cost of travel Iceland has a fearsomely expensive reputation but it’s equivalent to UK prices – for example, expect to pay around ISK450 (£2.20) for a coffee.

You can claim back VAT on goods purchased over the value of ISK4,000 (£20) at Keflavík; the refunds desk is on the second floor after security. >

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trip planner:

australia by rail For a country almost the size of Europe, Australia has few railways â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but it also offers some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest trains journeys. Hop aboard, mate!

Words Anthony Lambert

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Australia: By Rail

Opening up Australia’s north Standley Chasm in West MacDonnell Ranges is a short drive from Alice Springs

north-south: The Ghan < Route: Adelaide – Alice Springs – Darwin

Duration: Two nights in either direction Distance: 2,979km (1,846 miles) Cost: from A$862 (£572)

Getty

>

Few towns as small and remote as Alice Springs have achieved such fame; the idea of a settlement in the blisteringly inhospitable centre of a continent has attracted countless visitors. The railway made Alice: the first train from the south steamed into the town in 1929 and transformed its economy. In the first ten months, 15,000 head of cattle were railed south, reaching Adelaide in days instead of months.

The Ghan was named after the Afghans who came with camels imported from

India during the 19th century; camels are now being exported from Australia to Saudi Arabia. The train no longer runs on the original narrow-gauge tracks; they were superseded by a new standardgauge railway in 1980. In 2004, the railway finally reached the north coast at Darwin.

This has increased The Ghan’s popularity, giving it the same trans-continental status as the Indian Pacific.

Alice’s wander-land The full journey of 2,979km takes two nights, three days. Leaving Adelaide, the train scythes across fertile farming country towards the 700km-long Flinders Range.

Sheep and pasture have become dominant

by Crystal Brook, where the eastbound

Indian Pacific turns for Sydney. The westbound Indian Pacific and The Ghan forge north to Port Pirie, where pandemonium once reigned at the former meeting point of three track-gauges.

Port Augusta, near the head of the Spencer Gulf, has long been a vital supply centre for the Outback, its streets still lined with attractive brick-houses ringed by shaded verandas. Roasted kangaroo tenderloin with sweet potato purée may be on the menu as the sun sets. Passengers will be astounded at the brilliance of the night sky, making it worth stepping off the train at Tarcoola, where The Ghan turns north.

Few will notice the stop at Manguri, which serves the opal-mining centre of Coober Pedy – here, temperatures of 50°C < Wanderlust April 2013 | 69

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

Navigator

“Ticks will feed for days if allowed and survive for ten years between meals...”

Getting ticked off, p80

Travel need-to-knows, from super photo kit to little hairy monsters Take my advice

“Are we nearly there yet?”

A passenger ponders the view at Bhopal station

How to travel India by train Monisha Rajesh helps you navigate the subcontinent’s railways

1

Get equipped Pack ear-plugs, an eye mask and toilet roll. While some bedding is provided with certain tickets, bringing your own cotton sleeper sheet will guard against occasional bed bugs.

2

Book in advance Tickets go on sale 120 days before departure; make reservations. It may be cheaper to buy an IndRail pass from Shankar Dandapani, UK rep for Indian Railways (020 8903 3411, www.indiarail.co.uk); the 15-day (£116) to 90-day passes (£330), travelling in AC2-tier, are best value.

3

Don’t buy from touts Never buy tickets from anywhere but the train station, the official site (www.irctc.co.in) or from cleartrip.com, as they’re sold through one central computerised system.

The government website only accepts Amex; Cleartrip includes a small surcharge but is easier to navigate and accepts all foreign credit cards.

4

Know the trains Indian Railways offers different services, speeds and prices. Shatabdi fast trains provide an excellent two-class, air-con chair-car service. Rajdhani services are fast and smart, linking big cities with Delhi. The new Duronto services offer non-stop links between major cities. Mail and express trains are slower, older and more prone to accidents.

5

Get clued up on class For short or daytime journeys, general class (sharing benches) is the most fun; for overnight journeys/hotter months, book a berth in AC3-tier or AC2-tier. Single females should opt for an upper berth to avoid wandering hands.

6

Eat the food The food is one of the best reasons to use Indian Railways. It’s included on Shatabdi, Rajdhani and Duronto trains. On other services, staff will take your order; pay around Rs 100 (£1.20). You’ll return with either a stomach of steel or a tapeworm.

coffee vendors (they charge Rs 5 a cup). ] If you buy station platform goodies, opt for

fresh-cooked hot food, such as samosas.

Corbis

Monisha Rajesh is author of Around India in 80 Trains (Nicholas Brealey, £10.99)

TOP TIPS

] Keep small notes to hand for the tea and

] Pack bananas and biscuits too, just in case.

Did you know? India has more than 7,500 railway stations.

The shortest station name is Ib (in Orissa), the longest is all 32 characters of Sri Venkatanarasimharajuvariapeta (in Tamil Nadu) Wanderlust April 2013 | 77

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Navigator Gear

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Stuff to pack... for photography 10 9

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1 THE HANDY JACKET Páramo’s new Halcon Traveller has 14 pockets, and is made from ‘quiet’ fabric so you don’t startle your subject (£130, paramo.co.uk) 2 THE SNAPPER’S RUCKSACK Jack Wolfskin’s ACS Photopack has a removable padded compartment, lots of pockets plus tripod straps (£100, jack-wolfskin.co.uk) 3 THE BEST VEST Craghoppers’ Sherman Gilet, made from insect-repellent fabric, keeps kit close in its zipped pockets (£65, nomad.co.uk) 4 THE HAND HELPERS Operate your camera in cold climes with the grippy EDZ Merino Wool Touch Screen gloves (£14.99, edzlayering.com 5 THE MICRO MEMORY Put the SD card from your camera in the Maxell AirStash wireless flash drive to view, share or back-up images with your computer, smartphone or tablet (8GB/16GB £95/99, airstash.com) 6 THE TRAVEL TRIPOD Sturdy and flexible, Surfdome’s XSories Big Deluxe Tripod weighs 150g and can support 800g of camera (£19.99, surfdome.com) 7 THE SAFE HOUSE Aquapac’s Submersible range keeps cameras of all sizes dry; watertight to 5m, too (Mini case, £25; SLR, £95, aquapac.net) 8 THE BATTERY BOOST Powertraveller’s powermonkey extreme has just been updated to include a 12V charging socket for digital cameras (£120, powertraveller.com) 9 THE HARDY BAG Chrome’s weatherproof Niko Messenger has quick-access compartments; so tough it’s guaranteed for life, too (£104.99, chromebagstore.co.uk) 10 THE MULTIPURPOSE POLE Hike and snap with the lightweight Leki Photosystem Carbon Pole, which has a photo adapter grip for easy camera attachment (£100, ardblairsports.com)

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26/2/13 15:19:29

capturing

cuba

Old cars, colonial mansions, local characters: Trinidad is a street photographer’s dream – and the place for a lesson with a local pro Words & pictures Claire Boobbyer & Julio Muñoz

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Cuba Footnotes VITAL STATISTICS

The trip

Hotel Las Cuevas (Finca Santa Ana; via

Capital: Havana Photography Workshops with Julio www.hotelescubanacan.com) is on a hilltop Population: 11 million L. Su pe ri or out of town. Doubles from €72 (£60).

Bismarck Muñoz (www.trinidadphoto.com) cost from Language: Spanish Time: GMT-5 (Apr-Nov GMT-4) CUC$25 (£16) for a half-day session.

On white-sand Ancón Beach, 13km from Montreal International dialling code: +53 St. Paul Augusta Snappers can also stay in Julio’s house – Trinidad, is Brisas Trinidad del Mar (via M Ottawa Pierre Visas: British nationals require a tourist card. is a chance to photograph a lovely colonial-era www.hotelescubanacan.com); rooms are set si ss i These should be arranged prior to arrival, Montpelier p i leisure. Doubles cost from CUC$30 home pat around a pool. Doubles from €110Concord (£92).

Great Salt Lake either via your tour operator, the Cuban Toronto Pl (£19); breakfast costsMadison CUC$5 (£3). Check out: Casa Font (Calle Gustavo Izquierdo 105; a t London WC1V Lansing Embassy (167 High Holborn, Boston ri te Albany Cape Cod Salt6PA; Lake0207 City 240Cheyenne www.casa.trinidadphoto.com. viatrifont@yahoo.es, see www.trinihostal.

2488) or from commercial Providence com) is an outstandingHartford Spanish colonial site, www.visacuba.co.uk. Visas cost £15.

Detroit Des Moines Money: The tourist currency is the Cuban Getting there & around home. Doubles from CUC25New (£16).

York Chicago Harrisburg Lincoln o convertible peso (CUC), currently around d Denver Virgin (0844 209 2770, www.

Hostal La Rioja (Calle Frank País; a r Trenton o l Columbus C o CUC1.60 to the UK£; the local currency is the virgin-atlantic.com) flies Gatwick-Havana tereleria@yahoo.com.mx) offers a truly WASHINGTON national Cuban peso (CUP),Acurrently CUP35 Topeka Springfield rka Dover nsa twice weekly.

Returns from £668; fl ight time warm welcome.

Rooms from CUC25 (£16).

Indianapolis s to UK£. Take cash to avoid exorbitant card Charleston is nine hours.

Iberia, KLM, Air Europa and Jefferson City St. Louis charges. ATMs are available but not common.

Frankfort Food & drink Air France fly UK-Cuba via European hubs.

Richmond Santa Fe

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Halifax

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U N I T E D Víazul S T coaches A T (www.viazul.com) E S link O F A MTrinidad E R with I CHavana A and Santiago.

Paladar La Nueva Era (Calle Simón Bolívar 518) is an antique-laden mansion Nashville Raleigh Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Cape Hatteras Oklahoma City serving huge Cuban creole dishes.

Havana-Trinidad by coach takes six hours.

Little Rock Paladar Sol-Ananda (Calle Real 45) is Car hire is available; Vía Rent a Car Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Red Columbiafurnished a beautifully (www.gaviota-grupo.com) is recommended.

Cape Fearpaladar offering El Paso classic creole cuisine plus varied alternatives.

Ciudad Juárez ■ Dry season and tourist high season; Atlanta Cost of travel Paladar Vista Gourmet (Callejón de temperatures average 24-27°C. Cold fronts Dallas Jackson Colora do Montgomery (particularly Dec-Feb) can bring a chill to the Trinidad has accommodation for all Galdós 2B) offers elevated views from its Savannah Hermosillo air. Easter processions are very photogenic. terrace. Give the buffet-style starter spread Austin budgets, from resorts to casas particulares, ■ Rainy season; temperatures 26-30°C Baton Rouge Tallahassee Cuba’s B&B system. Tipping is expected for a miss and relish the cooked-to-order mains.

Houston Chihuahua with high humidity. Downpours are usually Jacksonville everything to supplement meagre salaries.

More low-key are the excellent Cubita New Orleans San short. In August a dry spell occurs; humidity (Calle Antonio Maceo 471) and nearby Sabor Copper Antonio soars.

June-November is hurricane season; Canyon Mississippi Delta Orlando Accommodation Tropical (Calle Antonio Maceo 467). storms most common September-October.

Trinidad’s only luxury hotel is the Tampa Trinidad’s signature drink is the Torreón Health & safety Iberostar Grand (Calle José Martí 262; Canchánchara, a fiery blend of rum, honey Monterreytravel jabs.

Consult your GP for standard www.thegrandcollection.com), a colonialand lime; try one in the eponymous bar U StoAthe Plaza Mayor. ■ ATLANTIC Cuba is very safe due to the socio-political style mansion. Doubles from €202 (£170). close OCEAN Canadian

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M E X I C O Further reading

CUBA HIGHLIGHTS

& information

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BAHAMAS HAVANA Santa Clara Viñales 4 Cienfuegos Camagüey 2 6 Trinidad

Tampico Frommer’s Cuba (2011) and Frommer’s Guadalajara VERACRUZ Leon by Claire Boobbyer, Cuba Day by Day (2010) Cabo Corrientes author of this article Mérida 1. Havana Cuba Tourist Board – 020 7240Teotihuacán 6655, 7 Jarabocoa Samaná Baracoa 3 CARIBBEAN 8 Santiago Cuba’s atmospheric cultural Yucatan www.travel2cuba.co.uk Los Haitises Tulum MICHOACÁN MEXICO CITY 5 SEA Peninsula Mount SANTO and political capital, a must Fantasías by Soneros Del Valle (Dasarto Pico Duarte DOMINGO HAITI JAMAICA visit on a trip to cuba.

Records), recorded in Trinidad in 2008 0 200km Acapulco lata.org – Latin American Travel Association Palenque 2. Viñales Valley San Cristóbel Oaxaca 4. Beaches de las Casas Undulating tobacco fields Tikal 6. Baracoa More online The best are Guardalavaca and forested limestone Semuc Remote, quirky Baracoa is The Bay Islands Champey Lívingston (see map locator), Jardines mogotes: wander the valley Todos Santos Visit www.wanderlust.co.uk/135 Cuba’s adventure capital.

Quetzaltenango del Rey, Cayo Santa María floor, horse-ride past farms Lake Atitlán Copán for links to more content: La Mosquitia Antigua ruins Lake Yojoa and Varadero.

More intimate and relax in hammocks.

7. Jardines de la Reina Gracias GUATEMALA Archive articles are Cayo Levisa, Cayo Jutías, A scatter of coral islets; whale TEGUCIGALPA Monterrico 3.

Trinidad Suchitoto Baracoa: secret Cuba – issue 125, Jan 12 Cerro Verde NP Playa Maguana and Jibacoa. sharks and turtles can be seen.

SAN Guantánamo Bay – issue 117, Jan 11 ElSpanish Imposiblecolonial NP Trinidad LESSE SALVADOR Leon R AN Cuban homestays – issue 103, Apr/May 09 TI 5. Santiago de Cuba grew rich on the back of the 8. La Comandancia Netherlands Pta. Gallinas Granada MANAGUA Aruba Antilles Ruta de Flores ‘Cradle of the Revolution’, sugar and slave trade; its The Corn Islands Fidel Castro’s rebel campaign Lake Nicaragua Planning guides Volcán Masaya A C I F I C O Cuba C E guide AN Gulf Ometepewith Islandsalsa, son and NP Curaçao Henri sizzling streets are stuffed with HQ is nowTayrona a museum, hidden of Venezuela Pittier Tenorio NP Guanacaste Morrocoy folkloric dance groups. handsome mansions. in theBarranquilla Sierra Maestra.

Volcán Arenal NP C NP Cartagena Nicoya Peninsula Jacó Tortuguero Portobello Maracaibo Ciudad Perdida Panama Panamá Viejo Vale SAN JOSÉ Canal (The Lost City) Barquisimeto San Blás

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Short break

TALLINN eSTONIA

Disney designs Tallinn’s UNESCO-listed walls make for splendid sightseeing

Where? North coast, Estonia Why? For a mix of medieval and modern culture; untamed countryside When? Spring/autumn, to avoid cold weather and summer crowds

allinn is more than a little bit fairytale.

Turreted towers and slender spires pierce the Old Town’s skyline, scattered amid a cluster of red-tiled roofs. Cafés squeeze down cobbled alleys and overflow into hidden courtyards while traditional artisans rub shoulders with chic boutiques. The whole comely lot is wrapped within sturdy ancient walls, not to mention listed by UNESCO. Simply, it is one of the best-preserved medieval cities on the continent.

Most people come to visit it around Christmas, when its festive markets are in full swing. But it’s so much more than a winter destination. From April-June, the Estonian temperature is on the rise, the tourists are thin on the ground and the surrounding countryside – from thick forest to sandy islands – can be easily explored.

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Dreamstime; istockphoto

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Estonia’s capital is like a medieval fantasy, surrounded by sandy isles and bear-infested forest. Visit in spring, advises Daisy Cropper, to make the most of the city and its surrounds

The city’s first substantial building – on the up ever since. There’s a mood of a wooden fort on its highest point, optimism – evident in the welcoming Toompea Hill – was built around the and friendly locals on the streets. Plus 11th century, with the main medieval Estonia is bucking the current financial hub flourishing from the 13th century. trend, its economy actually growing Ever since, things have been rocky while the rest of the EU shrinks.

– invasions by Danes, Teutonic Soaking up the positive Knights, Swedes, Germans atmosphere and the rich and Russians have all left culture of the city can Savvy savers their marks, resulting in easily fill several days.

Buy a Tallinn Card a mix of architectural There’s an impressive (€24/24hrs; €32/48hrs; styles, from Hanseatic €42/72hrs) for free public collection of museums transport and discounts to Baroque to Russian and galleries on 100 attractions.

Orthodox. More showcasing the city’s Buy in advance. recently, Tallinn was history, as well as www.tourism. bomb-battered during the glorious old churches and tallinn.ee Second World War – though fortifications. The food scene thanks to exhaustive restoration is exciting and forward-thinking, and work, the Old Town still offers an with a profusion of restaurants, bars authentic glimpse into the northern and cafés tucked into the maze of Europe of the past. lanes, you’ll unearth something new After centuries of foreign rule, every time you step out.

Estonia finally gained independence – There’s plenty more to see just from the USSR – in 1991. And it’s been outside the city, too. As the weather

top tip

A head for business: Tallinn hats

warms, you can take easy trips out to surrounding islands and forests. For instance, Lahemaa National Park is only an hour outside of Tallinn, and home to hiking and cycling trails, plus a range of wildlife, from elk to bears. Tallinn can tick boxes for all types of travellers.

Come for strong coffee, old city walls, fascinating galleries and medieval at its most marvellous.

Come for island excursions, bog-walks and bears. Come to > see a country on the up.

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Tallinn day by day

Medieval beginnings, an eventful history and wild countryside – Tallinn has it all...  Day 1

Essential info When to go: Mar-May and Sept-Oct offer long days and warmer temps, with lower hotel prices and fewer people. Visit at Christmas for festive markets – but beware of the cold!

Getting there: From late March, Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) will fly to Tallinn from London Stansted and Manchester, from £63 return. Flight time is around 2.5hrs.

Getting around: Public transport is cheap and easy to use. To explore further afield, hire a car (avis.ee).

Where to stay: The Meriton Old Town Garden Hotel (Pikk 29/Lai 24;

Explore the Old Town

meritonhotels.com; doubles from around €44) is central and cosy, with friendly staff and a warm atmosphere.

Where to eat: For fresh, no-fuss Estonian food try Clayhills (Pikk 13; clayhills.ee), the Estonian version of a gastropub. Sample freshly caught fish at French restaurant, Bonaparte (Pikk 45; bonaparte.ee). Try café-cumpottery-workshop Bogapott (Pikk jalg 9) for creamy coffees, hot chocolates and pastries.

Further info: Check out www. tourism.tallinn.ee/eng and www. visitestonia.com for more advice.

Tallinn

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To learn about Estonia’s medieval and Hanseatic beginnings, start in Tallinn’s Old Town. Circumnavigate the city walls, with their 26 watchtowers. At Müürivahe Street (near Viru Gates), you can see the wall in its original form; also, climb Hellemann Tower (pictured left; €3) for fine city views and a bit of background – there’s a small exhibition inside.

Tallinn’s centrepiece is the Raekoja Plats (Town Hall Square, pictured right). From here, take a self-guided walking tour of the main sites – pick up a map from the tourist information centre, near the square (Niguliste 2; www.tourism.tallinn.ee).

Next, visit the 13th-century Dominican Monastery (kloostri.ee; €8) for an insight into medieval monastical life. You can still see the dormitory, library and chapel, Estonia and touch the ‘Energy Pillar’, allegedly a source of physical Many locals speak and spiritual health.

English, but you’ll Take a break in get a warm welcome the Meistrite if you attempt to speak Estonian. Try a simple Hoov (Masters’ hello (tere), please (palun) and thank you (tänan)

Top tip

 Day 2

Courtyard; Vene 9; www.hoov.ee).

Tucked down a narrow cobbled street, this small square is surrounded by tiny shops, cafés and galleries selling traditional crafts. Another pretty – and easy to miss – retreat is Katariina Käik (St Catherine’s Passage). Lined with galleries and cafés, it’s great in warmer weather, when diners flow out into the streets.

Uncover modern Tallinn (pictured) and Estonia’s Parliament.

One is domineering and elaborate, the other plain yet purposeful.

From up here, the modern city is juxtaposed against the swirling spires of the Old Town, with the Baltic Sea behind. Look down over Freedom Square and the Monument to the Estonian War of Independence, a 28m pillar of glass, topped by a cross; it’s best seen at night, when illuminated.

For an unusual glimpse into 19th-century Estonian life, visit the Museum of Photography (www. linnamuuseum.ee/fotomuuseum; €2). Located in a former prison, crinkled bygone images and antique cameras are displayed amid the building’s original dungeons and barred-windows.

Grimmer is the Museum of Occupations (www.okupatsioon.ee/ en; €4), which displays chilling reminders from 1940-1991, when Estonia was alternately occupied by the Soviet Union and Germany; exhibits include spying devices and graffitied prison doors.

 Day 3

Surrounding sites

Almost half of Estonia is covered in rich woodland. Just 70km east of Tallinn is Lahemaa National Park (the country’s oldest and largest, pictured above), a varied landscape of lakes, rivers and waterfalls that is home to 200 species of bird, plus elk, beaver, wild boar and brown bear.

To get there, hire a car; it’s a one-hour drive. Once there, choose from a range of trails: there are options from 1km to 18km, taking in rugged coast, craggy limestone cliffs and fragrant pine forests. The beaches are particularly interesting: boulders, carried over the Baltic from Finland by ice sheets, are

scattered on the shore, many with legends attached to them. You can also explore the scattered fishing villages, little-changed for centuries.

Bikes are available to hire. Or try bogshoeing through the sloppy coastal mud (see www.360.ee). Guided tours of the area are available and there’s a visitor’s centre in Palmse, in the middle of the park (www.lahemaa.ee).

Alternatively, take a day-trip to Helsinki by ferry (2hrs one-way; www.portoftallinn.com) or soak up Estonian island culture on Prangli, 30km from Tallinn (trips are run by www.pranglireisid.ee). ■

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Alamy; Dreamstime

Begin by climbing the gentle slopes of Toompea Hill, where Tallinn’s first building is thought to have been constructed. On the hilltop you’ll find the onion-domed Alexander Nevsky Russian Orthodox Cathedral

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