Wanderlust -julkaisun April 2016 -irtonumeron sisällysluettelo

Here at Wanderlust Towers, one of our highlights of the year is seeing where you, our inspirational, travel-mad readers, have been – and how you rated those experiences. The Wanderlust Readers’ Travel Awards (p98) always throw up some surprises and this year was no exception, with plenty of destinations that others would consider off-the-beaten track, picking up gongs. Not that they were all far-flung. A European country picked up Top Emerging Destination; proof that you don't have to travel far to have a travel experience that exceeds expectations . With interest growing in Europe’s lesser-visited areas, we explore Bulgaria this issue (p116). However, we have travelled further afield too. One of the best television series of 2015 was the BBC’s Patagonia, and it inspired us to produce a Trip Planner…

PICKY TRAVELLER Know when you want to travel but don’t know where? Got an activity you long to try but not sure how? Try Wanderlust’s Trip Finder: mytripfinder.co.uk Picking a tour operator can be just as tricky as choosing where you want to go. Thankfully, you – our well-travelled readers – have done our job for us by naming the companies that have stood out for you as being the best in their field over the last year. Nominated by you in our Reader’s Travel Awards 2016, and ranked as per your satisfaction ratings, these are the top 10 tour operators that impressed you the most. Read on for their signature trips, before turning to page 98 for the results from all our award categories. 1. Chile Traverse the country…

ROUTE: Golfo Nuevo • Puerto Madryn • Rawson • Trelew • Gaiman • Dolavon • Los Altares • Esquel • Trevelin WHEN TO GO? Year round; but it can be chilly – and even icy – from June-September Back in 1865, 165 migrants arrived in Argentina from Wales aboard the Mimosa. They landed at Golfo Nuevo and settled along the valley of the River Chubut, transforming the land, which is still dotted with chapels, farms and Welsh-themed teashops. The area is also a hotspot for fossils, and Trelew’s excellent Museum of Palaeontology is well worth a stop. The drive across Chubut starts humbly before traversing steppe-like plains and tablelands, with some impressive geological formations at Los Altares. Eventually, Ruta 25 arrives at Tecka and the junction for Esquel, a small…

ROUTE: El Calafate • Lago Argentino • El Chaltén WHEN TO GO? November-March, humid near the mountains, colder in the higher lands Rivalled only by the Iguazú Falls as Argentina’s top travel destination, the Los Glaciares National Park is a vast protected swathe of land. Explore montane forest, sweeping steppe and one of the biggest ice caps outside Greenland and Antarctica. There are also dozens of lakeside and mountain glaciers, with two long, bitterly cold lakes – Viedma and Argentino. The star attractions are the Perito Moreno glacier in the south (great for photos, hikes, ice-treks and boat rides) and the Fitz Roy massif to the north, which offers more of the same, with good walking trails and some world-class mountaineering. Away from these two popular hubs, there’s plenty to…

ROUTE: Coyhaique • Puerto Bertrand • Parque Patagonia • Cochrane WHEN TO GO? November-March, temperatures are mild and driving conditions best Cut off from the rest of Chile by rugged topography, an ice cap and deep fjords, the Aysén region is a true wilderness. The partial paving of the Carretera Austral (Southern Highway) has opened things up, however, and a good pick-up will get you to some of the most striking landscapes in South America. Coyhaique is the only town of any size on this route and the place to stock up on supplies, especially if you are aiming to camp. The Lago General Carrera is South America’s second-largest lake, and while it is surreally beautiful to look at, it is freezing and any kayaking or other trips should only…

Cambodia is the small country with a big history. Today, it stands as a peaceful antidote to the chaos of modern South-East Asia, scattered with sleepy villages, faded colonial influence and memorials to the dark days of the Khmer Rouge. Go back 1,000 years, though, and it was the centre of an empire that stretched from northernmost Vietnam to the far south of Thailand, the legacy of which is the legendary Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world. To explore Cambodia is to delve deep into its diverse history. All of which makes having a knowledgeable guide like Tucan Travel invaluable. Travel in the company of like- minded visitors with a group that encourages you to meet local people, learn about their lives and culture, and have fun…

I hear it’s Cape Town’s birthday. April marks the fateful month in 1652 when the first permanent European settlers landed in South Africa. The Dutch arrivals, headed by merchant Jan van Riebeeck, initially came to set up a trading outpost, but soon moved in, sparking decades of wars with local tribes. Why would we celebrate this? Well… we don’t. Founder’s Day (6 April) was abolished in 1994 by the ANC government – and with good cause. The settlers imported slaves from Madagascar and Indonesia, and bloody conflicts ensued as they expanded eastwards, taking land and cattle from the indigenous Khoikhoi and Xhosa people. So what happened next? Britain conquered the Dutch colony in 1795, introducing free trade to further spark Cape Town’s growth. Since then, the city has weathered bubonic…

INNER- OR OUTER- PITCH FIRST? Good tents are made up of two layers: the inner and the outer (or fly sheet). When you pitch your tent you need to keep a gap between these two to allow good ventilation otherwise you’ll get condensation inside the tent and will get wet! Some tents are inner-pitch first (great in good weather) others are outer (better if it rains), many tunnel tents have two layers connected straight out the bag for easy pitching. POLES You’re looking for a good balance between sturdiness and a lighter weight. Colour coded ones make it easier to erect fast – though you can colour code yourself. WEIGHT Expect to pay more for super light poles and fabrics that will leave plenty of space in your luggage and…

I had never expected to return to Easter Island but, three years after my first visit, that was where I was to pick up the boat taking me to Pitcairn Island – which had been top of my bucket list for years. It was not a hardship to return. Hanging back to avoid the crowd at Ahu Tongariki – where a group of 15 moai (the iconic mysterious giant stone figures) stood – I spotted a single moai I had missed on my previous visit. I liked the look of the giant moai in the foreground with the large group appearing small in the distance.…

Back in December many of us watched the news in horror as we saw parts of the Lake District (voted Wanderlust readers’ No. 1 UK destination) hit hard by Storm Desmond. Bridges and roads collapsed and properties flooded. But go there now, just a couple of months later, and you won’t believe it’s the same place. New restaurants and hotels have opened, a brand-new walking trail is about to be unveiled, and electric cars have been brought in and buses put on to help people get around. There’s a palpable buzz of excitement in the air. “It’s very much a case of business as usual,” said Lake District project ranger Dylan Jackman, who is busy putting the finishing touches to the Ullswater Way (ullswater.com) footpath – set to officially open…

Get orientated Budapest is a city touched by empires. To walk its streets is to unpick a web of influences, from the ruins of Aquincum, recalling the city’s origins under Roman rule, to the 13th-century Buda Castle, a legacy of the Magyars. Even its ‘City of Spas’ title owes a debt to the Ottoman Turks, who first tapped its 100-plus springs in the 16th century – try the ancient Rudas and Király baths. However, this April, all focus is on the modern birth of the city. Budapest is still a young capital. The towns of Óbuda, Buda and Pest – split by the Danube River – didn’t merge until 1873, and it was in the ‘golden age’ that followed when much of its famed Gothic Revival, Neoclassical and Art Nouveau…

Desert expanses. Gaping canyons. Rust-coloured cliffs. The raw splendour of Utah contains some of the jewels of the National Park Service, which proudly celebrates its centenary this year. Join in the festivities with a Grand American Adventures small group tour, taking in the visceral beauty of Utah’s ‘Mighty Five’ national parks and a land that not even the cowboys could tame. Big country Utah is a state writ large in American history. Salt Lake City was the home of the Mormon pioneers, while Monument Valley was where John Wayne earned his spurs. Head to the latter for a back-road tour through its parched mesas and buttes in the company of a local Navajo guide. Alternatively, when in cowboy country, saddle up: a horseback ride through Bryce Canyon National Park can…

1 The Thing  It sounds more like the title of a blockbuster horror film but this mystical 20m-long serpent-like creature is said to have been seen writhing in the waters off St Lucia. 2 Tokoloshe  A product of South African Zulu mythology, the tokoloshe is a mischievous dwarf-like creature that can reportedly be summoned to cause trouble for others. 3 Bunyip  Of Aboriginal origin, this bloodthirsty beast is said to dwell in swamps, riverbeds and billabongs throughout Australia. It’s also rumoured to have a penchant for devouring women and children – eek! 4 Morag  Nessie isn’t Scotland’s only loch monster, its cousin Morag inhabits the depths of Loch Morar – the UK’s deepest freshwater lake – and has reportedly been spotted over 30 times since the first-recorded sighting in 1887.…

Flight-hopping isn’t the way to really see a region. This is especially so when considering one as vast as Patagonia – shared by Chile and Argentina, striding over the Andes and touching two oceans. With this in mind, myself and a friend hitched our way down Argentina’s Ruta 3, from the southern edge of Buenos Aires province to the Magellan Strait, in search of a more intimate look. And we saw plenty. The 3,045-kilometre highway runs parallel to the Atlantic coast. We dropped in on the Welsh Patagonians to see where their ancestors first landed in 1865, explored Punta Tombo and its massive penguin colony, marvelled at the cormorants and porpoises at Puerto Deseado, and visited San Julián, where Magellan met his ‘giants’. He named them ‘Patagones’, thus baptising this…

ROUTE: Esquel • Lago Puelo • Bariloche • San Martín de los Andes • Junín de los Andes WHEN TO GO? October-April, warm and good for trekking; June-September is skiing season The area around Bariloche – one of northern Patagonia’s bigger towns – is the entry point for Patagonia-lite. The climate is gentler, the summer longer and the roads are well-paved. The whole area is more developed; it’s no coincidence that Buenos Aires’ middle classes tend to choose San Martín for their second homes. The massive Nahuel Huapi Lake, backed by snow-capped mountains and fringed by dense beech and larch forests, dominates the area. Lago Puelo is equally beautiful, and a popular road-trip known as Ruta de los Siete Lagos (Seven Lakes Road) is a great option for family camping…

ROUTE: Ushuaia • Estancia Harberton • Rio Grande • Porvenir • Punta Arenas WHEN TO GO? November-March, warm and good for both hiking and penguin-spotting; July-September is skiing season Long regarded as part of Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire) earned its unusual name from the many signal fires lit by the indigenous Selk’nam, which the explorer Magellan observed when sailing the coast of Isla Grande. Less touristy than the mainland, this large island is shared by Argentina and Chile, though its main road is inside the former. Much of the terrain is either scrubby grassland or jagged peaks, but Ushuaia is a lively modern town and useful as a base for short trips. Head out into the Beagle Channel to spot sea lions, seabirds, and the Les Eclaireurs…

ROUTE: Pucón • Osorno• Puerto Varas • Puerto Montt • Ancud • Castro • Cucao WHEN TO GO? October-April A mirror image of Argentina’s lake region, though wetter and dotted with quaint towns and villages built by German settlers. There’s excellent camping, hiking, kayaking and several rafting and canyoning opportunities across the region, with a string of densely forested national parks built around the active volcanoes of Villarrica, Osorno and Puyehue. Puerto Montt, the main city, is an important port, but most travellers prefer charming lake-side Puerto Varas as a base for arranging logistics. The Chiloé Archipelago feels like a world-apart, with its own mythologies, distinctive history and culture. It can be a rain-soaked affair (it depressed the hell out of Darwin when he visited on the Beagle voyage) but…

1 HALONG BAY Cat Ba Island, Vietnam Lying prostrate aboard an old wooden junker, peering out across the emerald waters as jungle-covered precipices rear out of nowhere isn’t the only way to experience Cat Ba Island’s Halong Bay – it remains among the best, though. These limestone karst pillars aren’t unique to Vietnam, but nowhere on Earth is their scale so dramatic, sprouting some 1,600 spines from the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin, birthing towering islands and islets out of bounds to all but the native seabirds that have made them home. The site was first inscribed by UNESCO in 1994. Twenty-something years later, little has changed except how to see them and the increasing numbers of those who have. The slow-screw of erosion has notched hidden caves and…

‘There is plenty of culture if you look for it in Dubai. Soak up Arabic art in Bastakiya, or wander the gold and spice souks of Bur Dubai and Deira, and then visit Jumeirah Mosque’ All of us have heard of Dubai. Mainly as the glittery playground of the super rich packed with towering skyscrapers, city-sized malls and man-made islands. A few may also know of Abu Dhabi, albeit largely as a stopover en route to Asia or Australasia. But what about Fujairah, Sharjah or Ras al-Khaimah? Seven emirates make up the UAE (United Arab Emirates), but do any of them hold any interest for serious travellers? Read on to see another side to this oft misunderstood nation, beyond the glitz and glamour of Dubai… DUBAI Despite its relatively small…

Thank you for your article on the ‘10 Best Train Journeys You’ve Never Heard Of’ [March 2016, Issue 164]. Just before Christmas, I took The Canadian from Vancouver to Toronto. It was a great time of year to travel, being reasonably quiet in passenger numbers and extremely high in the scenic stakes. If you do make this journey, book accommodation in one of the berths: there are no facilities (toilet/washbasin), but it has a far roomier bed and is more sociable. This journey was the last leg of an around-the-world trip. I’d also visited Japan, using a Japan Rail Pass to get around. I rode a limited express through the Hida Valley, with a stopover in Takayama (stunning). I also took a couple of trains in New Zealand, the Coastal…

Before you arrive Back in 2011, an earthquake claiming 185 lives devastated Christchurch. In just 24 seconds New Zealand’s second-largest city changed forever. Five years later, it is still in the process of healing. However, for those visiting the city, witnessing its rebirth is both fascinating and inspiring. From a distance, little seems to have changed. Snow-dusted peaks still sketch a wild horizon around Christchurch – not for nothing was New Zealand awarded Top Country in our Reader Travel Awards (p98). The urban landscape is a work-in-progress though, and reminders of the disaster abound in piles of rubble and cracked tarmac – only recently another, smaller quake rattled its foundations again. But new buildings and attractions are emerging. The Christchurch Art Gallery has re-opened and some 54 bars and restaurants…

Essential Info When to go: Now. Forget the images you’ve seen on the news of villages underwater, the Lake District is open for business. Spring will bring daffodils and the official opening of the Ullswater Way (see ‘Day 2’); summer offers warmer weather and rolling green fells; and autumn boasts all the highlights but less crowds than the high season. Getting there: The nearest airport to the north-east Lakes is Newcastle, but Manchester is also an option. Trains run to Penrith and connect with Pooley Bridge, Ullswater and Grasmere via regular buses – see traveline.info for up-to-date times. If driving, take junction 39 or 40 for the northern Lake District. Getting around: Buses are a great way to get around the Lakes (visit golakes.co.uk for full timetables), being both regular…

CANYON CUTOUT Grand Canyon NP, USA The USA’s 59 National Parks encompass just about every kind of vista you can imagine, from spluttering geysers to rock-top monoliths and petrified forests. This shot of a limestone frame encasing the wind-sculpted beauty of the Grand Canyon NP sums up just why these natural wonders are so picture perfect – literally – and worth preserving. David and Roly celebrate 100 years of the National Park Service with a new book crammed full of stunning images just like this one. Wild America: A Personal Celebration of the National Parks by David Muench and Roly Smith (Rucksack Readers; rucsacs.com , £15) is out in 21 April. davidmuenchphotography.com A WHALE OF A MOUTHFUL South Africa The stark reality of the food chain…

Why go? Despite its dinky size, the Finnish capital has a lot to offer, with amazing buildings and an archipelago on its doorstep. And with Finnair launching direct flights there from Edinburgh this month, it’s even easier to visit. The city’s focal point is Senate Square, home to the elegant 18th-century Sederholm House. This is downtown Helsinki’s oldest building, and from May it will be re-opened as part of the new Helsinki City Museum. But the real architectural gems are the city’s churches. Russian-influenced Uspenski Cathedral and gleaming white Helsinki Cathedral take the eye, but the cavernous Temppeliaukio is the star. Carved deep into the city’s granite bedrock, it is topped with a shining copper dome, giving it a UFO-like appearance. Off the coast lies a jigsaw of some 330…

At 1.23am on 26 April 1986, one of the reactors at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near the northern Ukrainian town of Pripyat exploded, sending plumes of radioactive particles across Europe. Thirty-one people died in the blast, but its aftermath was even more devastating: thousands contracted cancers linked to radiation exposure and the name Chernobyl became a byword for the horrors of the nuclear age. What’s the area like now? In a nutshell: a ghost town. The areas around Chernobyl and Pripyat have been completely evacuated and a 2,600 sq km exclusion zone has been set up around the plant, with just 300 stubborn villagers now remaining (from 120,000). The plant itself is encased in a concrete sarcophagus (due to be replaced in 2017) to limit the seeping radiation. Scientists…

ROUTE: Puerto Pirámides • Puerto Madryn • Punta Tombo • Puerto Deseado • Puerto San Julián • Río Gallegos WHEN TO GO? September-March, for penguins; see southern right whales from July-December Ruta 3 is Argentina’s super-highway, running from Buenos Aires all the way down to Ushuaia. In particular, the stretch from Peninsula Valdés to Río Gallegos via a string of small port cities has a number of unexplored and underrated sites, both natural and man-made. It’s a good chance to see the area’s wildlife firsthand, including superlative fur seal, elephant seal and sea lion colonies on the peninsula. In winter, you can spot southern right whales off Puerto Pirámides, while South America’s biggest penguin colony (210,000 breeding pairs of Magellanic penguins) lies at Punta Tombo. Colonies of neotropic, red-legged and…

ROUTE: Bariloche • Cueva de las Manos • El Calafate • Río Gallegos • Monte Dinero WHEN TO GO? October-April, temperatures are warm and good for hiking and horseriding The Ruta Nacional 40 (or Route 40) is a 5,000km highway that runs from the Bolivian border to the Magellan Strait. The Patagonian section is not half that, but it’s a well-paved, often dead-straight road that takes in mountain views, huge lakes, remote ranches and a mix of popular resort towns and out-of-the-way places like José de San Martín, Alto Río Senguer, Bajo Caracoles and Río Mayo (‘The National Capital of Shearing’). An obligatory stop is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cueva de las Manos (Cave of Painted Hands), where prehistoric artwork was daubed at least 9,500 years ago by…

ROUTE: Torres del Paine NP • Puerto Natales • Punta Arenas • Puerto del Hambre WHEN TO GO? October-April, warm but windy; October and April tend to be less busy Torres del Paine National Park is Chilean Patagonia’s geological showcase. Two distinctive granite rock monuments erupt out of the Paine massif – the jagged ‘Cuernos’ (Horns) and spikier ‘Torres’ (Towers), which give the park its name. They’d be impressive anywhere, but because this 2,000m-plus mountain system stands alone in Patagonian steppe – the spectacle is simply breathtaking. The ultimate adventure here is to walk the entire 130km circuit, but those strapped for time can opt for shorter sections. There are fine campsites, luxury hotels, log cabins, some challenging hikes, a good chance of seeing guanaco and condor, and a less…

A year after passing away, Yohana Sidempa was ready for the afterlife. Under the horned eaves of the Toraja clan house in Malakiri, her rambu solo (funeral ceremony) had commenced. Her mummified body lay within a four-metre-tall duba-duba, a litter gilded with icons of buffalos and roosters around which her encircled clan chanted a rowdy requiem. Six albino buffalo headed her cortége followed by black-clothed relatives draped under a lengthy scarlet cloth, symbolically hauling her towards the spirit world. The atmosphere was fervid; but it was also joyful, not morose. There was mayhem whenever the top-heavy duba-duba threatened to topple over in transit, while handfuls of banknotes were scattered like confetti, prompting money-grabbing free-for-alls. The cortége’s staccato progress was driven by the jingle-jangle rhythm of Javanese dancing horses wearing bells.…

‘Genoa has one of the largest historic centres in Europe, full of palazzos and art galleries that are testament to the city’s wealth and power during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance’ THE EXPERTS ROSIE WHITEHOUSE Journalist, family travel expert and author of Bradt’s Liguria guidebook (bradtguides.com) LLOYD FIGGINS Authority on wriggling out of danger and author of travel survival guide Looking for Lemons (pgpress.co.uk) MIKE DUNN Keen walker, expert on the Welsh countryside and author of Offa’s Dyke Path (cicerone.co.uk) FRANK HAWKINS Twitcher supreme and co-author of Helm Field Guide’s Birds of Madagascar (bloomsbury.com) Q I’m looking to stop off somewhere in Liguria, Italy, for a few days on a road trip from the UK to Rome. However, I don’t just want to flop on a beach someplace –…

‘Current knowledge suggests that Zika causes no symptoms in 80% of people infected and, in those who are ill, the symptoms are mild’ THE CASE STUDY: SYMPTOMS FROM SAMOA Melanie O’Brien, Brisbane I was in Samoa from July 2013 to January 2014, as a Human Rights Legal Officer in the National Human Rights Institution. Not long after I arrived home, I began to experience severe joint pain in my knees. I then developed extreme fatigue, joint and muscle pain – particularly bad in my neck (always a problem for me) and my right knee. I am pretty sure I had a fever, too, at some point early on. I went to my GP at first, and later an infectious diseases specialist. For six months I was having weekly blood tests…

Downtown it was over 30ºC. The air was sticky and Freetown’s Siaka Stevens Street was jammed. Honking yellow cabs and stencilled, white 4x4s were harried by weaving motorcyclists, while surging crowds spilled from the pavements. As an antidote to the fairytale Africa of safari lodges and white aristocracy, Sierra Leone was powerful medicine indeed. In the lee of a substantial market woman balancing an aluminium bowl brimming with plastic sandals atop her head, I warily crossed the road. With the crowds I dodged drain covers and veering poda-poda minibuses. Incredibly, only a few months earlier the streets had been cowed and quiet; schools, colleges, bars and clubs all closed. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates Ebola claimed almost 4,000 lives in Sierra Leone, more than 11,000 across West Africa. As…

Yes, travel insurance is pretty dull. But it’s really, really important. And while most claims are for nothing more than a lost bag or delayed flight, we live in volatile times. Now, more that ever, you need to check your policy’s small print for areas that may not be covered. We’ve teamed up with leading provider Insure & Go for a policy that goes further. Insure & Go covers the basics (from medical care to repatriation) but it’s just introduced some new add-ons... Supplier bankruptcy In 2011, 24 holiday companies collapsed; in 2010, it was a huge 239. Which just highlights the importance of being insured for such provider failures. Insure & Go’s Supplier Insolvency add-on (included in Gold, Platinum and Black policies; not available in others) gives cover in…

Where does your Wanderlust take you? Every month we ask, ‘Where does your Wanderlust take you?’, giving you a chance to win a goody bag including a versatile 100% Merino Wool Buff® – the ultimate travel accessory (RRP £25). But can you top Peter (above)? Show us where your Wanderlust takes you and where you take your Wanderlust! Take your magazine with you on your next trip and share a pic with us. Post it on our Facebook wall, tweet it to us at @wanderlustmag, email it to fromtheroad@wanderlust.co.uk  or hashtag it #wanderlustmag on Instagram.…

There was a shared gasp as our hiking party reached the Malyovitsa ridge. At that very moment – amazingly and quite unexpectedly – a golden eagle swooped past so closely that we could see its clenched yellow talons and hear the whoosh of wings. We watched it soar, wheel and disappear. I might as well have been an eagle myself as my eyes preyed on the Rila Mountains: turquoise Elenino Lake half enfolded by a sheer-sided amphitheatre; scalloped valleys felted in green; and grey crags streaked with patches of snow on the highest flanks. In the far distance was the speck of Ivan Vazov Hut, a mountain refuge named after the undisputed heavyweight of Bulgarian literature. “Vazov died in 1921 while he was having sex,” announced my fellow hiker Maria,…