Wanderlust -julkaisun February 2016 -irtonumeron sisällysluettelo

This is the issue I always hate. OK, maybe that is too strong a word, but the top new trips for the year (p26) always gives me itchy feet and gets me drawing up a wishlist. And then I suffer travel angst at the realisation that I will never be able to do them all. And that’s before even getting to the enticing Iceland (p54), Mozambique (p82) and Sri Lanka (p116) articles. At least I did get to visit magical, mythical Chiloé (p94) in 2015. We have also suggested some experiences to try for the first time (p22). The one that resonates for me was “Staying still”. If you’re like me, you get so excited with your travel plans that you try and cram too much into a trip. But…

Wanderlust aims to inform and inspire all your travel adventures. We strive to bring you the most trusted and reliable information in the world. That’s why we are always upfront about whether our writers have travelled independently or with a tour company. When a tour operator has been used we always try to use those who’ve scored a minimum satisfaction rating of 85% from readers in our annual awards and we never guarantee positive coverage. Responsible and sustainable travel is at the heart of everything we do.…

Want to spice up your cuppa? Give one of these a try... RUSSIAN TEA 1. To your teapot, add 1 tsp of loose black tea per person, plus one extra for the pot. For the smoky Russian experience, opt for lapsang souchong. 2. Pour a small amount of boiling water into the teapot and brew for 3-4 minutes. 3. Pour a little of this concentrated tea into a cup and top up with hot water. 4. Pop in a slice of lemon (Russians rarely add milk or cream) and plenty of sugar. BURMESE TEA 1. Place 250ml of vinegar, 20g of green tea leaves (sencha) and 250ml of water in a pan over a medium heat. 2. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30…

DESTINATIONS: THE HOLIDAY & TRAVEL SHOW Manchester, 21-24 Jan London, 4-7 Feb www.destinationsshow.com EventCity, Manchester/Olympia, London. From £8 (under-16s free); book online or call 0871 230 7141. Wanderlust subscribers receive two free tickets in this issue; non-subscribers will get a discount. Brush shoulders with specialist tour operators , taste world foods and be sure to pop in to see the Wanderlust Travel Photo of the Year exhibition too. At the London venue you can come and meet the Wanderlust team – we’ll be holding the Reader Travel Awards on the Thursday (to which you are all warmly invited), on the Friday we’ll reveal the Photo of the Year award winners who’ll be heading to Western Australia on a commission and over the four days you can cast your own vote…

IRAN Climb Asia’s tallest volcano Summit a classic snow-capped peak on Exodus’ Iran: Mt Damavand Ascent trip. The domineering 5,671m volcano, which can be seen from the nearby capital of Tehran, is a compelling challenge for fit trekkers. Assisted by porters, you’ll hike through rocky terrain, along icy paths and over volcanic scree ascending up to reach the snow-filled crater at the summit. After descending, enjoy a wander round Tehran’s bazaars and quirky museums. WHO: Exodus (0845 805 0277, exodus.co.uk ) WHEN: 9 & 30 Jul 2016 HOW LONG: 9 days HOW MUCH: From £2,299 (incl flights) MEXICO, BELIZE, HONDURAS & GUATEMALA Dive into Central America Discover wonders deep below the surface on a Group Diving Tour with Journey Latin America. Scuba into some of the Yucatán…

USA Marvel at dashing dogs Witness the ultimate canine sledding spectacle on Artisan Travel’s Spirit of Alaska: Iditarod 2016 trip. Mush a team of competing huskies along wilderness trails before waving them off at the 1,600km race’s ceremonial start. Swap sled for boat to cruise glacier-flanked Prince William Sound, then board the Alaska Railroad to Fairbanks, looking for Arctic foxes, moose and caribou en route. Ice sculptures and, with luck, the northern lights will add extra sparkle. WHO: Artisan Travel (01670 785085, artisantravel.co.uk ) WHEN: 2 Mar 2016 HOW LONG: 11 nights HOW MUCH: From £2,045 (incl flights) INDIA Blend songs and safari Take a tuneful trip round one of India’s lesser-visited states with Songlines Music Travel’s India – Assam Musical Adventure tour. Hear performances of traditional…

VITAL STATISTICS Main centre: Egilsstaðir Region population: Around 17,000 Language: Icelandic Time: GMT International dialling code: +354 Visas: Not required by UK nationals Money: Icelandic króna (ISK), currently around 200ISK to the UK£. There are banks and ATMs in main settlements. Credit cards are widely accepted. When to go Darker, colder months – low light pollution offers the chance for views of the northern lights Spring and summer – June is particularly good for hiking, with extended hikes under the midnight sun. Seabirds visit in early summer; May-June is best for close-ups of nesting puffins. Highland tracks, only accessible by 4WD vehicle, are open June-September. Health & safety For emergency medical treatment in Iceland, obtain a free European Health Insurance Card before leaving the UK (nhs.uk/ehic). Also take out travel…

1 Atacama Desert, Chile A combination of factors has led to northern Chile’s barren altiplano region becoming one of the world’s best places for stargazing. It has virtually no light pollution; the high altitude and extreme aridity keep skies clear; and it is now home to several cutting-edge observatories. The constellations also feature in the mythology of the Atacama’s Quechua communities. 2 Galloway Forest Park, Scotland Gold-tier Galloway was the UK’s first Dark Sky Park and a fifth of the park’s 780 sq km area has a ‘no permanent illumination’ policy. Over 7,000 stars and planets, as well as the Milky Way, can usually be seen with the naked eye. Head to Clatteringshaws Loch, looking out over the park’s dark core. 3 Aoraki Mackenzie, New Zealand This huge, 4,367 sq…

As a GP with an interest in the health of travellers, I have encountered many situations where patients’ self-misdiagnoses have caused untold – and unnecessary – worry. If you’re the kind of person to fret about health matters it may be unwise to Google symptoms but if you’re concerned you shouldn’t hesitate to see a GP or attend an international clinic. Often a doctor can put your mind at rest. Here are five cases in point. CASE 1: THE IRRITATED BOWEL A woman developed an unpredictable bowel and intermittent abdominal discomfort; she was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). She consulted me, requesting a prescription for Colofac, a remedy that was working quite well. When I asked about her symptoms it turned out that they had started while she was…

PÁRAMO Mirada/Quito £235  www.paramo-clothing.com The test: Páramo uses a fabric that’s not technically waterproof (it’s very water resistant), but it’s directional, so works by pushing all liquid out – water, snow and sweat – keeping you dry. Sounds crazy but it works amazingly well and is very soft to touch. The only drawback is that it is not as robust as some waterproof fabrics. The main two-way zip has an internal storm flap. The hood is adjustable with a wired peak, (not helmet compatible). There are pit zips. The women’s jacket has two external handwarming pockets; the men’s are internal, accessed via pit zips. Inside there is one mesh pocket. The cuffs are adjustable and generous in size, as is the jacket’s fit. The scooped hem is adjustable. At 459g…

The highlight: San’in Kaigan Geopark in Tottori – a beautiful stretch of coastline with rugged granite rocks jutting out of a crystal clear blue-green sea. Must see: Shimane’s Grand Izumo Shrine, Iwama Ginza and Adachi Gardens. In Tottori: the Uradome coast, Tottori sand dunes and Nageire-do temple. Top tip: Take your time – I had five days but could easily have doubled the time there. There are a lot of hidden gems to explore. Cautionary tale: There are limited and poor bus/train connections. Renting a car in this area would open up a lot more possibilities. I wish I’d known... Always make sure you have enough cash on you. A lot of small places don’t have any ATMs around and those that do often have limited opening hours. Anything else?…

VITAL STATISTICS Capital: Colombo Population: 22 million Languages: Sinhala, Tamil, English Time: GMT+5.5 International dialling code: +94 Visas: Required by UK nationals. A 30-day Electronic Travel Authority costs US$30; apply at eta.gov.lk/slvisa Money: Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) currently around 210LKR to the UK£. There are ATMs in cities and major towns. Credit cards are accepted at upmarket hotels and restaurants but you’ll need cash for cheaper establishments, markets and tuk-tuks. When to go Hot and dry across whole country. April is hottest and driest month. Monsoon affects the south-west (including Colombo and Galle), with short, sharp showers. Inter-monsoon season: occasional showers but mostly warm and dry. Unpredictable north-east monsoon affects whole country. Usually over by December, which is hot and dry. Health & safety Recommended immunisations include hepatitis A and…

How did Wexas start? You could say that Wexas started life on a shoestring – or is that a bootstrap? My day job was in advertising at the J Walter Thompson Company in 1970. I had bet a friend that I could start and run a more successful travel organisation than the one that he was already running. I drew up an ad for Wexas that I put into the internal mailing system that covered the company’s 1,200 employees. Fifty-three employees paid up to be members of the Wexas travel club, including three directors. In those days I was a lodger in a Chelsea house and the office was the kitchen table in the basement. I started with £150 borrowed from Barclays Bank on overdraft plus a borrowed manual typewriter…

Essential Info Population: 211,700 (metropolitan area) Languages: English Timezone: GMT-3.5 (Mar-Nov GMT-2.5) International dialling code: +1 Visas: Not required by UK nationals Currency: Canadian dollar (C$), currently C$2.10 to the UK£. Credit cards are widely accepted. ATMs are plentiful. Tipping is customary in restaurants, taxis and for other services. Best viewpoint: Head up 160m-high Signal Hill, the city’s most prominent landmark. There are great views from the tower on top. Health issues: No major health concerns. Take out comprehensive travel insurance (wanderlustinsurance.co.uk). Weather is changeable and the sea unpredictable (be careful on coastal rocks). Watch out for moose on the roads if you’re driving. Web resource: destinationstjohns.com; newfoundlandlabrador.com Climate: Newfoundland has a maritime climate, with relatively mild winters for Canada. The average summer temperature is 16°C. Expect rain and fog…

The world-famous cathedral sits on the Île de la Cité. It is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, begun in 1163, completed in 1345, altered throughout the centuries but enduringly impressive. It’s open between 8am and 6:45pm (7:15 on Saturdays and Sundays); free general entry; www.notredamedeparis.fr • Entrance On the Portail du Jugement Dernier, Archangel Michael divides the just from the damned while Christ presides over the Final Judgement. 1 Gallery of Kings This is a series of 28 statues of the kings of Judah and Israel. Created after 1220, the statues we see today are replicas – the originals were decapitated during the French Revolution. 2 Grand Gallery The filigree arches, whose columns are just 20cm thick, conceal the lower sections of the towers and the roof of…

1 Your eyes don’t adjust properly to the night sky straight away – it can take up to 20 minutes; p68 2 Gorongosa NP was touted as the world’s most diverse park in 2011, 19 years after civil war ended; p82 3 Sri Lanka’s Kalpitiya Peninsula was constructed by the creator of the London Olympics’ Orbit tower; p116 4 St John’s, Newfoundland, is both Canada’s oldest city and England’s first overseas colony; p137 5 Nearly all of the world’s potatoes (90%) can be genetically traced back to Chiloé, which is home to 400 varieties; p94…

SUMMITING SHERPAS Himalayas, Nepal Mountaineers usually grab the headlines when it comes to the Himalaya, but it’s the local sherpas who provide the backbone to these expeditions, risking their lives to help others reach the summit of the highest mountain on earth. In new documentary Sherpa, the focus switches to the perspective of these often unheralded guides. Filmed before, during and after the 2014 avalanche that killed 16 sherpas, it explores the quandary they face between taking on a role that brings in much-needed money to whole communities and taking such tremendous – and often undervalued – risks on Everest. A gripping watch. © Sherpa/Felix Media 2014. Sherpa is in cinemas now. It will be on the Discovery Channel later this year LAYER OF LANTERNS Thailand Light festivals provide spectacular…

The year’s best wildlife book could already have arrived. Sooyong Park’s obsession with a family of rare Siberian tigers sees the documentarian literally burying himself in the inhospitable landscape to observe them. The Great Soul Of Siberia (William Collins, £17) isn’t just a ground-breaking study of these elusive, dangerous animals but also a compelling look at the fragility of life at the extremes. No less thought-provoking is the natural historian Simon Barnes’ ruminations on humanity’s relationship with the wild world around us, and indeed within. The Sacred Combe (Bloomsbury, £15) is full of brief, digestible and often-personal nuggets - centred on the Luangwa Valley in Zambia – and makes for breezy, bright-eyed reading. There’s another startling bit of journalism in A Simple Story (Pushkin Press, £10), Leila Guerriero’s story from…

TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT… Norway’s gently undulating countryside is perfect for cross-country skiing. You can really get away from the crowds, sometimes not seeing another skier all day. It’s just you, the skis and silence. WHAT CAN ADRENALING-SEEKERS DO IN NORWAY? Thrill-seekers should head to the home of the 1994 Winter Olympics, Lillehammer. Here you can take to the track in a real Olympic bobsled, hurtling down at speeds of 120km/h. If that’s not enough, try the skeleton bob, to experience pressures of 5G only a few centimetres off the ground! BEST TIME TO VISIT? Norway is amazing year-round. Winter is the time to strap on skis and head deep into snow-covered forests and across frozen lakes. In summer, skis are swapped for hiking boots. There’s nothing the Norwegians love more…

VITAL STATISTICS Regional capital: Castro Regional population: 161,700 Language: Spanish Time: GMT-4 (Oct-Mar GMT-3) International dialling code: +56; area code: 65 Visas: Not required by UK nationals Money: Chilean peso (CLP) currently 1,085 CLP to the UK£. Tip 10% in restaurants. Guides and drivers will appreciate a tip too. When to go The best time to visit: the most temperate weather; skies tend to be clearest in February. Chance to see breeding penguins. Castro’s Folk Festival is also held in February. The best time to see blue whales off the north-west coast is from December to May. Winter – weather gets wilder from April onwards. Expect wind and rain. Health & safety Chiloé is one of the safest places on the planet, with a negligible crime rate! Take clothing and…

Cattle encounter It was an absolute delight to read the extract from Bill Bryson’s The Road To Little Dribbling [November 2015, issue 161], which mentioned cattle encounters in the UK. The Charnwood Peaks is a charming 15-mile circuit in Leicestershire, which constitutes a day of varied and interesting walking, which my husband and I tried one sunny Saturday in 2011. We passed a number of farms, hedges and all manner of fences. At one point we walked past a fenced area with a herd of cows in it. Strange as it sounds, it looked like the entire herd was crowding at one corner, craning their necks to watch us and following our movements intently, their heads and eyes moving in synchrony. As we reached the other end of the fence,…

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LEVISON WOOD Walker and TV explorer Army officer and tour op co-founder turned telly trekker, Levison shares his thoughts on his newest gruelling ramble, a follow-up to his epic Nile adventure, the brand new TV series Walking the Himalayas (p18) Mountain, desert, ocean or jungle... which are you? Everything but ocean. I can’t think of anything worse than being on a boat in the middle of nowhere surrounded by sharks. First great travel experience? When I was 18. I just went off on my own travelling round southern Africa, where I went to Zambia and Zimbabwe. Favourite journey? Probably when I was 22, when I hitch-hiked all the way from England to India. It took five months but was an amazing experience. Top five places worldwide? Yosemite National Park, California;…

Starting in January, Angkor Wat began to open two hours earlier, so people could visit for sunrise. Other new rules were introduced too. Among them was taking selfies with monks. The Cambodian icon is one of many sites banning selfies and selfie sticks. But why? “It’s a no-brainer,” explains Angus Trumble, director of Canberra’s National Portrait Gallery, which banned selfie sticks in 2015. “Any collapsible metal pole is best banished from galleries, lest someone got hurt or artwork knocked, scraped or skewered.” Others places that have banned selfie sticks include Rome’s Colosseum, New York’s Guggenheim, Sydney Opera House and the pilgrimage site of Mecca. With places where priceless art, historical artefacts and pious pilgrims are present it’s easy to understand the ban, so why take one at all on your…

The humble tea leaf has made quite a stir since it was first discovered nearly 5,000 years ago. For millions across the globe, tea is the go-to pick-me-up – after water, it’s the second most drunk beverage in the world. Turkey takes the crown for most tea guzzled per person per year (2.9kg), followed by Ireland (2.2kg) and Uzbekistan (2kg). The people of China – birthplace of tea – drink the most collectively, slurping 548,043kg per annum. But just as impressive as quantity is the mind-boggling number of variations. For instance, in German East Frisia, it must be layered – sugar, then tea, then cream, no stirring. Russians favour loose black tea with a slice of lemon. Green mint tea is the national drink of Morocco, often poured from a…

What made you choose the Himalaya for your next challenge? After the Nile I said I’d never walk again but obviously that didn’t happen. I got itchy feet after nine months! I thought, if I’m going to do a big expedition it has to be something I’m really passionate about. The Himalaya is a region I’ve travelled to quite a lot in the past – I’ve done expeditions to climb mountains there and I’ve got good friends there. It made sense to go to a region that I know well and I thought, ‘Why not walk the length of them?’ Were you doing this on your own? Similar to the Nile, I had different guides along the way, depending on what country I was in, and then the film crew…

YES David Higgins, Wanderlust reader “I’m happy to forego in-flight entertainment as I would have my iPod and a good book, but this sounds more like a way of the airline saving money and making money, which is the irritating bit. I never like companies dressing-up things like that as a better service when it’s just one more way of them grabbing a bit more from their customers.” NO Simon Dunbar, Wanderlust reader “I love watching movies on flights! I’m a massive reader but I hate reading on transport of any kind. I watch films on all of my long-haul flights, sometimes one after the other – the hours go by much quicker. I would be gutted if the screens were taken away. You can’t watch people for 13 hours…

MONGOLIA Trek like a nomad Get under the skin of the Mongolian wilderness on World Expeditions’ Nomads & Naadam with Tim Cope trip. Join the Australian adventurer on a hike across the country’s west, following nomad trails over the Harhiraa mountains and the rocky Kharkhiraa Valley. Finish at the Naadam Festival, Mongolia’s annual ‘Olympics’, which sees tribes unite in colourful dress for a feast of wrestling, horse-racing and archery. WHO: World Expeditions (0800 074 4135, worldexpeditions.co.uk ) WHEN: 27 Jun 2016 HOW LONG: 15 days HOW MUCH: From £2,910 (excl flights) NAMIBIA Fit a GPS to a giraffe Play a part in protecting wildlife on a Privately Guided Giraffe Collaring Trip with ATI Holidays. Join conservationist Hayden Turner and the Giraffe Conservation Foundation to help fit GPS…

1 Paper decorations should be hung upside down The Chinese character fu means ‘good luck’. So people hang paper ‘fu’ decorations upside-down because the character for ‘upside-down’ (dao) is pronounced the same as the character for ‘arrive’. Therefore, by turning the character ‘fu’ upside down, it means they are wishing for luck to ‘arrive’. 2 Burning money is pretty common At New Year Chinese people visit the graves of their ancestors to pay their respects. They also burn fake money by the graves as an offering to their ancestors, providing them with money in the afterlife. 3 If you want to give a gift – think red The colour red represents prosperity and good luck. Younger relatives often receive money-filled red envelopes (known as hong bao). 4 Fish are prosperous…

1 Invest in the lens This was taken with a Canon 7D Mk II with a 400mm lens. If you want to photograph wildlife you need a good, fast telephoto (or zoom) lens to get close to your subject without intruding. 2 Keep it steady Holding a telephoto lens steady to get a sharp image is tricky. You need to use a tripod or sturdy platform to stop camera shake. I was about 75m away and using a specially built photo platform and bean bag on the Landcruiser. 3 Use the right exposure For this shot I made use of natural light but under-exposed it by almost two stops (letting less light in). This darkens the background and enables you to keep the ISO low for a sharper picture. 4…

VITAL STATISTICS Population: 25.3 million Language: Portuguese; indigenous languages include Makhuwa, Tsonga and Sena Time: GMT+2 International dialling code: +258 Visas: UK nationals require a visa. Apply at the Mozambique High Commission in London (020 7383 3800, mozambiquehighcommission.org.uk). A single-entry visa costs £40. Money: Metical (MZN), around MZN64 to the UK£. ATMs available in most towns. South African rand (ZAR) and US dollars are useful currencies. When to go Dry season: rain eases from April. May-June is hot, cooling July-August when temperatures average 26°C. Good for game viewing as water becomes scarcer. Showers from late September reinvigorate the park. Rainy season: November is hot and humid, with short rains; temperature average 32°C. Gorongosa is closed mid-December to mid-April. Health & safety Recommended immunisations include hepatitis A, tetanus, typhoid and diphtheria.…

Sometimes, when there’s a dip in the conversation in the pub, I like to throw in the phrase, “My father owns a boat.” I don’t like to elaborate because it ruins the image of a bright-white yacht cutting through the Mediterranean Sea as I stand at the helm bikini-clad, hair streaking out behind me. You see, in the universe where my dad owns a yacht, I also have a personal trainer and wear bikinis all the time. It is always sunny and there is always champagne. My dad’s boat, however, is not white. Galadriel is forest green with wooden shutters and a tendency to drift slightly to the left. Her sundeck (or roof, more accurately) is littered with tea-stained mugs rather than champagne flutes. And I have never worn a…

Revelling in the kindness of strangers. The offering of a lift turns into lunch and then a visit into an Albanian Muslim home. Myk Looking forward to retirement! I have three mega trips planned, including a visit to Hong Kong. @99_hp Seeing the silver lining in rollercoaster journeys. From losing a passport to getting lost after dark, our trip into Nicaragua was certainly an adventure we won’t forget in a hurry, for all the right reasons. nhframe Booking an Antarctica trip. I’ll be heading south very soon. Peter Ormond Feeling the love for quake-hit Nepal. Excited to have picked up a copy of @wanderlustmag with an article on a country I love. Everyone should visit it! @RuthBoreham Penning a travel book. After years of blog posts and articles, this will…

Andrew Hunter Sales Team Leader, Trailfinders, (trailfinders.com) Andrew loves the ever-changing travel industry How long have you worked for Trailfinders? Eight and a half years. What did you do before and what attracted you to the job? I began working as an accountant but the draw of a career in travel was too strong. Trailfinders was the obvious choice based on the options to transfer between locations, the in-house promotion opportunities and the travel opportunities. What do you like about your role? I really enjoy the variety of products we sell. Trailfinders has so many amazing destinations on offer to our clients, from Route 66 fly-drives to trekking in the Himalayas. My colleagues are friendly and like-minded, too. What challenges have you faced? There’s a lot to learn and the…