Wanderlust -julkaisun February/March 2025 -irtonumeron sisällysluettelo

For more than three decades, our editorial team has carefully curated our annual travel recommendations, traditionally known as the ‘Hot List’. This year, however, we’re charting a new course with the ‘Good to Go List’ (p164). This isn’t just a rebranding; it’s a deliberate shift towards showcasing destinations that inspire, challenge and reward responsible travellers. Every place on this list offers exceptional experiences while telling compelling stories that are specific to 2025. From milestone anniversaries to transformative cultural events, the Good to Go List highlights travel that deepens our connection to the world and each other. These destinations feature innovative developments – groundbreaking art museums, restored landmarks, rewilded natural spaces – and exemplify tourism that respects heritage and uplifts communities while preserving their narratives. This ethos aligns seamlessly with our…

Well-informed Wanderlust travellers love to research their journeys. They book their trips with expert tour operators and explore with knowledgeable local guides. Adventurous Wanderlust travellers are curious about the world and always seek out the road less travelled. They delve beneath the surface of a destination to find authentic experiences all year round. Nature-loving Wanderlust travellers relish the feeling of being in the natural world. They delight in exploring the outdoors and encountering wildlife where it belongs: in the wild! Discerning Wanderlust travellers seek out meaningful culture, art, music and gastronomic experiences to better immerse themselves in the destinations they visit. Eclectic Wanderlust travellers have a wide range of interests and will explore every angle of a destination. From hiking and rail adventures to luxury stays and expedition cruises, each…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH Readers get 10% off by using the code ‘Wandering’ on the Stanfords website (www.stanfords.co.uk). Wanderlust members can get 25% off. See p163 Edward Stanford Travel Book of the Year: Black Ghosts by Noo Saro-Wiwa Canongate; £15 Noo Saro-Wiwa goes beyond the usual historical or political subjects that draw the focus of most books on China and instead looks at what she calls ‘Black ghosts’: the large numbers of African economic migrants living there. In doing so, she explores a little-documented world. On the Shadow Tracks by Clare Hammond Allen Lane; £25 While working as a journalist in Yangon, Claire Hammond finds a map that shows a web of unknown railways across Myanmar. Setting out to discover their origin, she travels from contested areas to border towns while telling…

HIT THE TRACKS IN CHINA AND LAOS In 2021, a new high-speed railway opened in Laos, linking up a country whose infrastructure had, until that point, largely consisted of an antiquated bus network. Stretching 1,000km between China’s Yunnan Province and the peaceful Laos capital Vientiane, the adventures it opens up are endless. Now Bamboo Travel is making the most of this rail line with its new 16-night China to Laos by Train trip. Starting in Yunnan provincial capital Kunming, guests hurtle towards the tea terraces of Pu’er, once an important stop on the Tea Horse Road trading route. From there, you’ll head south to the Dai and Hani communities of lush Xishuangbanna, then hop the China-Laos border to Muang La, a secluded farming village surrounded by natural springs. The temples…

1 Pick a safari endorsed by the local villages A reputable operator, based within a community-led conservancy, will put local needs first. This means your conservancy fee will go towards infrastructure and services. A little online research will tell you how an operator works with the conservancy leaders. If in doubt, ask them directly. 2 Meet the community Elders Whether you go with a guide or self-drive, it is considered respectful to stop off at the local village to meet the Elders of the community, particularly in Namibia. Typically, this involves an introduction as well as a brief on the area from those who know it best. As well as being courteous, this is a great way to gain insight on where to find wildlife. 3 Carry local currency If you’re…

The opening Capitals of Culture (CoC) ceremony is on 8 February in Piazza della Transalpina/Trg Evrope. Later in the year, Nova Gorica’s Solkan Quarry, will play host to Borderless Body, a dance event featuring AI and robotics (3 Jul). Andy Warhol’s multi-disciplinary work features in Beyond Borders at Gorizia’s Palazzo Attems Petzenstein (until 4 May). And Slovenian-Italian artist Zoran Mušič will be the subject of exhibitions at Kromberk Castle. For Association 4704’s site-specific arts events, see quarantasettezeroquattro.it. Some ongoing exhibitions in Gorizia include the newly restored Synagogue’s permanent exhibition on Jewish philosopher Carlo Michelstaedter. And in Palazzo Coronini Cronberg, you can see two of Franz Xaver Messerschmidt’s remarkable self sculptures (pictured below). Explore the area’s history at Smart Space, Gorizia’s new digital exhibition venue. Nova Gorica’s equivalent is EPIC (from…

When to go The three Guianas share a tropical climate, with temperatures averaging 27°C year-round. The best time to visit is during the dry seasons: February to March and August to October. The rainy seasons (April to July and November to January) see Kaieteur Falls at its most spectacular and lots of greenery but can make travel trickier. Getting there & around Access to the three Guianas typically begins in Guyana’s Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Georgetown, which is the best-served hub in the region and can be reached from London Gatwick with British Airways (ba.com). Flights cost from £554 return and take 11.5 hours (including a stop in St Lucia). Alternatives include Guyane’s Cayenne-Félix Eboué Airport, reached via Paris with Air France (airfrance.co.uk), and Suriname’s Johan Adolf Pengel International…

When to go Spring and autumn are fine times for a trip, with mild temperatures and fewer visitors frequenting Long Island’s lavish estates. You can also expect to see some bursts of fall colour in the parks and mansion grounds from late September. New York City bustles year-round. Getting there & around Both London Gatwick and Heathrow have daily direct flights to New York City’s John F Kennedy International Airport, while the latter also flies to Newark Liberty International Airport. Flights cost from about £305 and take around eight hours. You can catch the Long Island Railroad from Penn Station to Long Island hubs, including Port Washington and Great Neck. A rental car provides extra freedom. Carbon offset A return flight from London to New York City produces 618kg of…

25% OFF Water-to-Go Sugarcane water bottles Completely free of single-use plastic, this revolutionary plant-based bottle is reusable, recyclable, durable and light. What’s more, the filter technology eliminates 99.9999% of bacteria, viruses, chlorine, fluoride and heavy metals, allowing you to safely drink water from anywhere in the world. WIN! The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by Bettany Hughes While all but Egypt’s Great Pyramid have been lost to history, the Seven Wonders of the Old World still enthral us. Historian Bettany Hughes – our new Wanderlust Contributing Editor (see p10) – brings all her trademark wit and enthusiasm to bear as she traces their stories. We have three paperback copies to give away. WIN! A Suri electric toothbrush worth £95 We’re huge fans of the Suri. Not only is it lightweight…

La Guajira in northern Colombia is a land where sweeping sand dunes tumble into the erratic Caribbean Sea. This spectacular peninsula is home to Punta Gallinas, the northernmost point of South America; it is also where you can encounter the Wayuu people, an Indigenous community whose lands span northern Colombia and north-western Venezuela. The Wayuu are the largest Indigenous group in Colombia, accounting for 20% of the country’s Indigenous population. They are a deeply spiritual people who are inherently connected to the land that they inhabit and the traditions they preserve. Travellers will no doubt have encountered their artisanal crafts, particularly woven hammocks and mochila bags. The latter, adorned with pompoms and beguiling patterns, catch the eye in particular, and it’s impossible to spend time in Colombia without spotting them.…

Radisson Blu Grand Hotel Tammer, Tampere The historic Grand Hotel Tammer, built in 1929 in the Nordic Classicist style, has welcomed many a VIP. Now a Radisson Blu hotel, it has retained many of its original features, not least in the building’s retro lobby and the high-ceilinged banqueting hall where breakfast is served. It doesn’t skimp on modern perks, either, with some superior rooms and suites equipped with balconies and saunas. The location, set alongside the Tammerkoski Rapids that run through the city, is also handy for exploring the centre. radissonhotels.com Solos Sokos Hotel Pier 4, Helsinki Having opened in autumn 2024, this pared-back design hotel sits alongside the capital’s South Harbour and has 164 rooms arranged around a circular bent-wood atrium. This natural vibe carries through to the leafy…

The Reunification Express The Reunification Express route is managed by state-owned operator Vietnam Railways (vietnam-railway.com; prices and timetables in English). Travel in first class for padded couchettes with bed linen and meals (£75 Hanoi–Ho Chi Minh City). There are more comfortable ‘Lotus’ carriages attached to some services; see lotustrain.com for details. It’s also possible to ride the Reunification Express route for just part of the journey and then connect with an onward flight – either within Vietnam or (if you fly from Danang) on to Cambodia and other South-East Asian destinations. Vietnam is not short of private railway journeys. The brand-new Revolution Express (revolutionexpress.com) is a vintage steam train that chugs from Hue to Danang, while the luxury Vietage goes from Danang to the beach at Quy Nhon (thevietagetrain.com).…

Are there any dangers? Not from people, no. And nor is there much threat from wildlife, although wolves are present and there are warning signs about bears. Most bear activity is at dawn or dusk, so if you are on the trail at that time, make plenty of noise when trekking through the heavy undergrowth. A bigger hazard are the shepherds’ dogs, which are trained to defend their flock, so bring a stick to ward off any who come to close. Bike or hike? Both are possible, although most users are on foot (and even a few on horseback). Gradients can be steep and surfaces are rough, so cycling can be challenging. Finding your way The route is well-mapped and waymarked, and mostly consists of cart tracks and footpaths. But…

It’s said that the medieval abbots of St Albans monastery used to banish wayward monks to Tynemouth Priory as a punishment. The bone-chilling fret was seen as a test of faith, as recounted in one monk’s letter lamenting the ‘dim eyes [and] hoarse voices’ he encountered. Yet fast-forward 700 years and there is nowhere more coveted in the North East than Tyneside’s coast. Bijou Tynemouth regularly joins neighbouring Whitley Bay – both less than 15km from Newcastle – in topping ‘Best Place to Live’ tables in the kind of broadsheets who love to quantify such things. And while it’s true that the boutiques, galleries, cafés and bookshops on Front Street and Park View give the area a community feel, visitors benefit too. The crowds may fill the sands in summer,…

Off-the-beaten-path and off-season destinations and experiences around the world Thought-provoking content for all kinds of travellers, ranging from culture, history, art and heritage through to our unrivalled nature, wildlife and adventure-travel coverage Extensive coverage of immersive, authentic and longer travel experiences for the passionate travellers who care deeply about our planet and its people A strong focus on responsible, sustainable travel throughout our publications in print and online, culminating in our unique and annual The Travel Green List™ issue…

The exhibition Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism at London’s Royal Academy of Arts picks out ten key Brazilian artists from the 20th century. Running until 21 April, it includes the works of lesser-known, female and Indigenous artists, peering closer at the Afro-Brazilian influences that many of them embraced. royalacademy.org With the opening of the East Storehouse in London in May, and the East Museum to follow in 2026, the team at the V&A are certainly busy. That hasn’t stopped them from putting together The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence, a new exhibition at their South Kensington museum (until 5 May) that looks at the ‘Golden Age’ of the Mughal court (1560–1660). vam.ac.uk Visitors to the Isle of Man will soon be very familiar with the name Archibald Knox.…

Season eight of Wanderlust’s popular podcast, Off the Page, drops in March with episodes on Türkiye (Turkey; pictured), Queensland and Colombia, among others. And, if you enjoyed this issue’s article on Canada’s Great Bear Sea (p130), check out our very special episode on unique Indigenous experiences in British Columbia, with insights from the inspirational people behind them. You can browse our goldmine of previous episodes, too, which includes an engrossing chat from 2022 with writer Alex Robinson about travelling on Vietnam’s Reunification Express railway (p240). Available on all the usual podcast channels.…

Farmer Borchers showed little surprise when I asked to sleep in his barn. “Two things,” he said, as he closed the doors of the cowshed: “No smoking in bed. And mind the bird.” He pointed upwards. High in the barn window, a song-thrush was sitting in its nest. I assured him that his bird was safe with me. Once he left, I unrolled my sleeping bag and started to undress. Then, just as I was hunkering down, a patrol of cats marched through. I could see this would be no ordinary night’s sleep. For cyclists, hikers and eco-minded travellers alike, Germany’s heuhotels, or hay hotels, have become a popular form of accommodation (bauernhofurlaub.de; heu-hotel.de). In my cycle ride across Lower Saxony, I stayed in three such places, although only Borchers’…

Feeding frenzy The humpbacks of Canada’s Great Bear Sea are its star attraction. But a new network of Marine Protection Areas in these waters doesn’t just help to protect these creatures; it also provides valuable income from eco-tourism to the First Nations communities leading the conservation charge; see p130…

When to go Northern Namibia is a year-round destination that is rarely impacted by the country’s traditional rainy season (December to March). The shoulder seasons (May to June; September to October) are the best months to visit, before the northern hemisphere summer crowds arrive in July and August. Getting there & around Lufthansa (lufthansa.com) and its partner Discover Airlines fly daily from London to Windhoek via Frankfurt from £816 return. Flights take from around 14 hours. Internal flights are served by Wilderness Air, Wilderness’ domestic airline, which can be booked when making accommodation reservations at wildernessdestinations.com. Travellers can also self-drive to any Wilderness camps. Where to stay & activities Room rates at Wilderness’ Serra Cafema camp cost from £684pp per night. Tents at Damaraland Camp begin at £387pp per night.…

When to go Year-round, but the twin cities’ year in the sun begins on 8 February with the Capitals of Culture opening ceremony. Thereafter, events scatter the calendar; see p91 for more details. Getting there & around Gorizia and Nova Gorica’s centres are a 45-minute walk apart. They can be accessed by road or train from Venice, Trieste or Ljubljana, all within two hours. Airlines serving these gateways include British Airways (ba.com), easyJet (easyjet.com), Ryanair (ryanair.com) and Wizz Air (wizzair.com). A direct flight from London Gatwick to Ljubljana, for example, takes from two hours and 15 minutes and costs from £46 return. Carbon offset A return flight from London to Ljubljana produces 248kg of CO2 per passenger. Wanderlust encourages you to offset your travel footprint through a reputable provider. For…

“I grew up in a tiny place called Kingcome Inlet, in Ukwana’lis (or Kingcome Village). There were only about 80 people. No roads. No cars could get there. It was really remote. “From 1884 to 1951, it was against the law for Indigenous people to practise our culture, and some of our chiefs would go to jail. Kingcome’s remoteness played a role in preserving a lot of our history, which has shaped who I am today and shaped my companies. I want to employ our people to get them off the reserves – reserves the government made for us, to keep us there while resource extraction happens around us. I want to make a difference through conservation work, to protect our ecosystems and wildlife. “We’ve learned how to co-exist with…

Abu Dhabi, UAE GOOD FOR: World-class culture and a brand-new Guggenheim museum Nearly 20 years ago, sketches for the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim art museum on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island were first unveiled as part of the emirate’s plan to become the cultural yin to neighbouring Dubai’s flashier yang. A year later, the Zayed National Museum joined it on the list of eye-catching buildings that would form the island’s Cultural District – including the Louvre Abu Dhabi that opened in 2017. Now, after much delay, both will finally open their doors by the end of the year – and we can’t wait. Until then, the emirate’s first Public Art Biennale continues to turn Abu Dhabi and Al Ain into one gigantic gallery, as 70 artists descend on its public spaces (until 30…

Getting there & around Airlines linking the UK and Helsinki include British Airways (ba.com), Norwegian (norwegian.com), Ryanair (ryanair.com) and Finnair (finnair.com). Flights from London take three hours and cost from £46 return. Helsinki is linked to Stockholm by overnight cruises and to Tallinn by ferry (two hours). Trains between Tampere and Helsinki take from 1.5 hours and cost from £5 (vr.fi/en). Both cities have good tram networks, though many sights are walkable. The capital has single-ticket access for HSL buses, trams, ferries and metro and commuter trains. Carbon offset A return flight from London to Helsinki produces 306kg of carbon per passenger. Wanderlust encourages you to offset your travel footprint through a reputable provider. For advice on finding one, visit wanderlustmagazine.com/inspiration/sustainable-travel. Further reading & information For more information, see tourist…

Transylvania has long been a place apart. It’s a timeless landscape where transport is often by horse and cart, harvesting is done by scythe, the food is homemade and shepherds still watch over their flocks by night. But ask most non-Romanians in the street whether they’ve heard of it and the answer is likely to be yes, followed by the question: “But is it real or make-believe?” The semi-mythical profile of this unspoilt ‘land between the forests’, larger than Austria and filled with bears and wolves, effectively cuts it loose from the map. Few can identify exactly where it lies, or even to which country it belongs; all they know is that it’s rich in monsters. This is largely thanks to the success of Bram Stoker’s late-19th-century novel, Dracula –…

Getting there & around Wizzair (wizzair.com) flies regularly from London Luton to Suceava, Brașov and Sibiu airports from around £26 return, with flights taking around three hours. Alternatively, all three cities are on the national rail network, which has connections to international night trains from Budapest and Vienna. Details and tickets are available online (cfrcalatori.ro/en). The local bus network is often quicker than rail, though getting up-to-date information is not easy; its booking site (autogari.ro) does not always provide a full picture. If you prefer to target a couple of specific locations, car rental is available at the airports. Carbon offset A return flight from London to Brașov produces 240kg of carbon per passenger. Wanderlust encourages you to offset your travel footprint through a reputable provider. For advice on how…

SOAK up the art history of coastal Tyneside at Newcastle’s Laing Gallery, where the permanent Northern Spirit exhibition includes the work of the Cullercoats art colony (1870–1914), who sketched the lives of the region’s fisherfolk in brine-soaked detail. laingartgallery.org.uk PADDLE the coast with CBK, whose kayak tours take in the seals of St Mary’s, the caves of Cullercoats and the Tyne River. Come the cooler months (Oct–Mar), join its Ice-Dip Social, which sees a Finnish tent sauna set up in Cullercoats Bay for some cold-water therapy. cbkadventures.co.uk RIDE the world’s oldest operating railway. The 300-year-old Tanfield line began life as a horse-drawn waggonway in 1725, hauling coal from Durham to the Tyne River. Now steam-train rides funnel visitors along its tracks through the valley on the edge of Gateshead (Sundays),…

KATE HUMBLE Contributing Editor “I’m heading to a country I’ve never visited before: Costa Rica. I’ve shied away from it because it’s -understandably – so popular. Will I find places that are still wild? Will I escape the crowds and spend time with local communities? I’ll let you know in an upcoming Wanderlust story!” YASMIN HARAKE Special Features Editor “I’ll soon be touching down in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, then heading to an ancient Arabian oasis. Once a rest stop for pilgrims and traders along the incense route, AlUla is home to a rich history and a local people known for their hospitality. I’m looking forward to hearing their stories and sharing them on my return.” BETTANY HUGHES Contributing Editor ”This year, I can’t wait to get back to the Caucasus,…

”Rongbuk monastery is unique in Tibet for being shared by monks and nuns (though they don’t sit together).” Martin Harmer ”Porto’s Livraria Lello bookstore, with its ornate staircase and elegant Art Deco, is a photographer’s dream!” @ alexdiasphoto “We had to get up at 3am to make it to the popular viewpoint overlooking Indonesia’s Mount Bromo and its fellow volcanoes in the Tengger Crater for sunrise. It was worth it to see how this famous view changed throughout the dawn and increasing daylight.” Mike Segal ”Enjoying the peace at Kennin-ji in Kyoto, Japan. This is said to be the oldest Zen temple in the city.” Katie Buckby “The Aiguille du Midi, towering above France’s Chamonix valley, looks amazing with fresh snow and an icy-blue sky.” Fiona Jeffrey ”It’s a steep…

Four While the far-reaching Irish diaspora celebrates St Patrick’s Day across the globe, there are only four places where it is a public holiday: the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Montserrat and the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. 18,170 km Speaking of the Irish diaspora, the city of Auckland in New Zealand hosts the furthest celebrations from the Emerald Isle itself -some 18,170km away. 1962 St Patrick’s Day parades started in North America in the 18th century, with Ireland only following suit in the 20th century. One of the most famous celebrations is in Chicago, where the city dyes its river green -a tradition started in 1962. 17 Sep Not satisfied with just one day of celebrations, bars and pubs across the globe now also mark 17 September, aka…

River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescur Duckworth Books; £10 Set in: The Chinese cities of Qingdao and Shanghai, against a backdrop of China’s economic boom. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley Sceptre; £17 Set in: A near-future London and historical Arctic. There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak Viking; £19 Set in: Iraq, London and Türkiye (Turkey), charting a story that spans centuries. This Motherless Land by Nikki May Doubleday; £17 Set in: Lagos (Nigeria) and England. A decolonial retelling of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park. What I Know About You by Éric Chacour; translated by Pablo Strauss Gallic Books; £10 Set in: 1980s Cairo (Egypt) and Montreal (Canada). You Are Here by David Nicholls Sceptre; £20 Set in: England, spanning a series of encounters on…

Pilgrim trails I loved the article on pilgrimage routes that you did last year [issue Feb/March 2024]. The deep spirituality of these travels have a reward beyond the sights and physical experience. It was a further pleasure to see India at the start of the list, though I have another area to add: Uttarakhand’s Valley of Flowers and the Sikh pilgrimage site of the Gurudwara Hemkund Sahib. This is one of my favourite treks. The pilgrim route is supported by a network of gurudwaras (Sikh places of worship), which have the infrastructure to lodge and feed Sikhs destined for Hemkund Sahib – though anybody who is travelling that way will be welcomed. The route is decorated by the brahma kamal, a rare flower with an unusual fragrance, which blossoms during…

At first sight, there’s nothing too extraordinary about Schmilka. This handsome hamlet of half-timbered houses is wedged into a cleft in the hills on the east bank of the Elbe, a few kilometres downriver from the Czechia border. But its fame goes far beyond its looks. Schmilka’s guiding light has been Sven-Erik Hitzer, a rock-climbing enthusiast who bought a house here in the 1990s as a holiday home. Since then, he has acquired several more houses and given Schmilka a new lease of life as a sustainable retreat. Visitors are even discouraged from arriving by car. Paddlesteamers (and trains) from Dresden head upriver to Bad Schandau, the main resort town for Saxon Switzerland National Park, from where Schmilka is just a ten-minute bus ride away. The village is also easily…

Montgomery, Alabama Head to the Alabama state capital, where F Scott Fitzgerald’s wife, née Zelda Sayre, was born, and where the couple lived for a short time in the early 1930s. A literary tour will take you to the Alabama State Capitol – on the steps of which a young Zelda played as a child – and to Chris’ Hot Dogs, a fast-food joint frequented by the pair. The city’s bookish highlight is the Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum, which occupies the home the couple lived in while in Alabama. You can even stay in it overnight, as the upper floor has been transformed into a pair of suites with echoes of the Jazz Age. Louisville, Kentucky F Scott Fitzgerald was stationed at Louisville’s former military base, Camp Taylor, during…

“The Great Bear Sea is very significant to us. The designation of the Great Bear Rainforest was based on other people’s visions and goals. We sat there for years at a planning table, watching forest companies, environmentalists, tour companies and mining companies talk about how they wanted to manage our territories – the territories that sustained us. It was very challenging. We sort of got on and rode it out until we found a chance to take the steering wheel. We have brought it back to the sea because that’s the giver of life to our people. “We lost a lot of our ability to understand the interactions of nature. That’s being reborn again” “It’s taken 25 years for us to achieve some of these goals, but it helped us…

When to go Winter here can be harsh. Knight Inlet Lodge opens from mid-May to mid-October; Haida House at Tllaal (haidatourism.ca) is open from March to the end of December. Northern BC Jet Boat Tours (northernbcjetboattours.ca) run whale-watching tours from late July to October and bear-viewing from late May to early July, when the bears emerge from hibernation, and from mid-August until late October (salmon season). Getting there & around Vancouver is served by daily direct flights from UK airports including London Heathrow and Gatwick, Glasgow and Manchester from £568 return, taking around 10 hours. From there, Air Canada (aircanada.com) and Pacific Coastal Airlines (pacificcoastal.com) fly to Haida Gwaii, arriving in Sandspit and Masset respectively; West Jet (westjet.com) and Air Canada fly to Northwest Regional Airport Terrace-Kitimat; and Pacific Coastal Airlines…

Great adventures Batumi, Georgia Step aside, Penrhyn Quarry in North Wales! Georgia is set to open Europe’s new longest zipline in June. Set on Chirukhi Mountain (100km east of Batumi), it rises above an alpine village that has become popular with hikers since a walking festival was held there last summer. The wire spans 1,750m and offers great views across the meadows, hills and traditional dark-wood houses. France In the land of the yellow jersey, our eye has been taken by some new cycling trails. Top of the list is the 275km La Régalante, which officially opened last year and crosses Brittany. Starting in Nantes, it finishes at Mont-St-Michel and takes in the Gothic towns of the Fougères region en route. Meanwhile, Normandy’s spa town of Bagnoles-de-L’Orne has reinvented itself…

Helsinki: 60.1699° N, 24.9384° E Amos Rex Helsinki’s subterranean Amos Rex is Finland’s largest private art museum. Visitors enter through a 1930s Functionalist building, their path lit via lightwells that protrude into an undulating courtyard above. The collection includes paintings, sculptures and challenging installations – one recent show invited visitors to lie down with illuminated blobs on their abdomens. amosrex.fi/en The Finnish National Gallery The National Gallery’s collection is spread across a trio of museums in the capital. The Sinebrychoff exhibits older European works (14th–19th century), while the Ateneum’s collection spans from the 19th-century onwards, with its focus on local life exemplified by Albert Edelfelt’s moving Conveying the Child’s Coffin. Contemporary art gallery Kiasma, however, is far more experimental; its tone is set by the head-turning crying-statues fountain that has…

Saschiz Casa de pe Deal This village house is operated by local tour de force Anca and her French partner (and carpenter), Charlie. Rooms are traditional in style but come with beautifully tiled en-suite facilities. Anca is a fountain of knowledge; the couple also help re-home dogs. Doubles from £43pn; dinner and breakfast are also available. facebook.com/casadepedeal Şapartoc Şapartoc Traditional Romanian Village Nestled on the outskirts of Şapartoc, this guesthouse is run by Radu and Andrea. It is arranged around four newly made en-suite rooms; tents are set up in the orchard and there is also a separately roofed dining area that has its own clay oven. Doubles from £43pn; dinner and breakfast are also available. facebook.com/sapartocvillage Across the region Rental houses Restored traditional houses are available to rent in…

When to go The winter months (Oct–Mar) offer cooler weather (reaching below 100C) but this is a busier time to travel. In summer (Apr–Jun), the heat can top 400C. Waterholes dry up, luring animals into the open and making it ideal for sightings, if you don’t mind the weather. Sandstorms occur in desert areas during this time. From July to September the rains arrive. Some national parks (Ranthambore, Sariska) close during this period. The birding season kicks off after September’s monsoon rains, as the migratory flocks arrive. Getting there & around There are no direct flights from the UK to Jaipur. Various airlines fly non-stop from London to New Delhi, taking around nine hours and costing from £469 return. Flight connections to Jaipur, Rajasthan’s capital, take about one hour. You…

1 The world’s oldest still-operating railway was built in 1725 in North-East England. What is it called? a. Bluebell Line b. Ffestiniog Railway c. Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway d. Tanfield Railway 2 The first incarnation of which iconic train launched in 1883 with stops in Munich, Vienna and Giurgiu? a. Glacier Express b. Golden Eagle Danube Express c. Express d’Orient (Orient Express) d. Trans-Siberian Express 3 In which country can you ride the Indian Pacific across the world’s longest stretch of straight railway track? a. Australia b. India c. Sri Lanka d. USA 4 Can you identify this iconic viaduct (pictured), made world-famous after featuring in the Harry Potter films? a. Colne Valley, England b. Glenfinnan, Scotland c. Landwasser, Switzerland d. Millau, France 5 Which of these deserts does the Trans-Mongolian Railway pass through? a. Atacama b. Gobi c. Sahara d. Thar 6 The Reunification Express…