Table of contents for December/January 2026 in Wanderlust

Authentic, meaningful, responsible travel since 1993 For a long while, Wanderlust proudly wore the tagline ‘Taking the road less travelled’. For over 30 years, it captured what made our magazine and our readers different. It stood for curiosity, adventure and a desire to see beyond the usual destinations. But as travel has changed, so too has the meaning of that phrase. In a hyper-connected world where even the most remote places are a few clicks away, ‘the road less travelled’ isn’t always about geography anymore, but rather it’s about intention. That’s why we’ve updated our tagline to ‘Authentic, meaningful, responsible travel since 1993’. Far from just a rebrand, this is a clearer, bolder way of expressing what Wanderlust has always believed in when it comes to travel. Why the change?…

One of the many unspoken privileges in travel is the ability to choose. For most people, cost determines where we go, how we get there and what we experience. But if you’re a more discerning traveller – one who cares about the planet – you might also want to weigh up your carbon footprint, your environmental impact or whatever other moral metric you live by, and then select accordingly. For some, that might mean taking a sleeper train to Vienna instead of a budget flight, or choosing a family-run eco-stay instead of an all-inclusive resort. These are choices: active decisions made from a position of privilege, where multiple viable options exist. However, for many disabled travellers, the process is more complicated. Consider that hypothetical eco-lodge. It may harvest rainwater, get…

Because travel insurance is medically underwritten, insurers can calculate the costs they may have to pay out. As such, the amount you pay depends on several factors, including where you’re travelling to, how long you’re away for, activities you plan to do and your health and claims history. But certain groups face higher costs. Older travellers usually pay more because insurance companies view the risk of them making large claims to be higher, regardless of the individual case. Some won’t even insure those aged 65 or older. Of those that do, the average price of cover for someone in their late sixties (£48.13) is more than twice that of a person in their twenties, says moneysupermarket.com. This rises to between £62.07 and £82.52 for those in their seventies. Insurers with…

In April 1925, a new landmark rose beside Zagreb’s railway station, purpose-built to receive the well-heeled passengers of the Orient Express. With ionic columns, Art Deco lines and Belle Époque-style grandeur, the Esplanade was more than just an overnight stay; it was built as a stage to announce the city’s arrival on the European map. One hundred years later, this grande dame still commands a central place in the city’s psyche. The Esplanade’s past century reads like a social history novel. Its ballrooms once glittered with soirées that drew the city’s elite, as well as international dancers, musicians, singers, actors and the scandalhungry journalists that dogged their every step. Josephine Baker, Charles Lindbergh, Orson Welles, Sophia Loren and Louis Armstrong all swept through its doors at some point. During darker…

"There’s a big bad saltie there at the moment,” said the helpful woman at Broome Visitor Centre, marking a map to indicate the point where a crocodile had been reported. “Keep away from the water’s edge.” She then marked two spots along the Gibb River Road where big fires had recently raged. “They were red but have been downgraded to the lowest level, though some smoke may still drift across the road.” The route in question was the Gibb River Road, which snakes some 660km more or less east across the Kimberley region from near the town of Derby to Kununurra. Some places capture the imagination from afar long before you visit them. The rustred Kimberley in the far north of Western Australia had done that for me. A vast…

Across the world, Indigenous communities are reclaiming their stories, opening their doors and inviting travellers to see their lands through their eyes. They are reshaping how we travel, with authenticity, meaning and responsibility at the heart of these encounters. After the extraordinary response to our inaugural Origin List last year, we’ve spent the past months working with renewed passion to uncover a new collection of Indigenous-led experiences! This year’s Origin List once again celebrates Indigenous-led travel at its finest, with journeys that connect us not only with spectacular landscapes but with the people, cultures and stories that have shaped them. From the highlands of the Amazon to the snow-covered permafrost of Greenland, these experiences show how Indigenous peoples are guiding a new era of travel rooted in their homelands. In…

Set in the heart of Central Europe, Austria is the country boasting the largest share of the Alps. It’s a land of sky-scraping peaks, vertiginous ridges and rocky slopes giving way to lush pastures, glacier-scoured valleys and cascading rivers. But it also encompasses floodplains, forests, wetlands, steppe and shimmering lakes. This varied mix of habitats is home to a menagerie of wildlife. Familiar mammals such as ibex, chamois, marmot, red deer, otter and beaver share the landscape with more elusive species, including lynx and wildcat. Birdlife is profuse, too: majestic raptors soar on thermal currents, while waders and waterfowl throng the Danube floodplain and Lake Neusiedl (Neusiedler See). In total, more than 450 avian species have been recorded in Austria, the largest and most memorable including bearded and griffon vultures,…

Cudillero, Asturias, Spain Photographer: James Cheadle. There are few images more appealing than a sea of bright-orange terracotta roofs tiering the hillside above a twinkling bay. As Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls’ new edition of the Northern Spain Bradt guide shows, this region is not short of such sights. But within these villages you can also find worlds within worlds. Amid the fish taverns and streets of Cudillero (pictured), you may even hear the odd word of Pixueto, a dialect of Asturian (Bable) that is unique to the village and largely recalled only by its older residents. It can still be heard at Cudillero’s annual L’Amuravela Festival in June, which marks the Feast Day of St Peter (a fisherman) and has roots dating back to the founding of the village’s…

Bye bye, EU passport stamps The rollout of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) has begun. Instead of manual passport stamping, non-EU nationals will now have their entry and exit dates, along with their fingerprints and facial scan, saved in a centralised database. The 29 countries that are deploying the system have until 10 April 2026 to complete their implementation, meaning you’ll still be able to collect passport stamps until then. It is hoped the system will prevent overstays, make border checks more efficient and improve security by combatting identity fraud. You can find out more at travel-europe.europa.eu/ees New green capital Heilbronn (pictured) in Germany has been announced as the European Green Capital for 2027. The city, which lies in northern Baden-Württemberg, is best known as a hub for Germany’s…

THE LATEST GUIDEBOOKS Who says guidebooks are dead? Discerning travellers like us still enjoy the insights of a good guide, and there are some superb indie publishers out there. The Only In Guides (The Urban Explorer) is a growing series of city guides aimed at cultural travellers. With a focus on unique locations and hidden corners, each offers recommended places and experiences in cities such as Tangier (pictured right) and Trieste (both £11), as well as more obvious picks like Paris and Prague (both £17). If you’re more of a wilderness explorer, then Wild Guide Sydney (Wild Things Publishing; £19) features secret swimming holes, hidden beaches and rock-art sites within reach of Australia’s busiest city. And for the more intrepid explorer, Bradt has a brand-new guide to Mauritania (£22) and…

The stage at Hal and Mal’s was lit with neon. Not a seat in the house was free as the Blue Monday Band played, charging the room with rough-edged guitar riffs. Mid-song, the frontman stepped into the audience – eyes scrunched, fedora hat tilted – as he poured smooth, syrupy notes into the crowd. This beloved Jackson music joint, housed in an old train depot, has served up fried catfish and live blues since the mid-1980s. It’s one of a handful of venues in Mississippi’s capital that still celebrates the blues, a foundational genre that is considered the root of modern American music. It’s a poignant moment to pay tribute to the blues in Mississippi. In 2026, the Mississippi Blues Trail – a network of more than 200 historical markers…

The North 1 Adamello Brenta Nature Park, Trentino In the late 1990s, the brown bear was on the brink of extinction in the Italian Alps, with only a handful of individuals thought to be left in the wild. Across three years, ten were released into the wilds of the Trentino region through the LifeUrsus project; now more than 100 brown bears are estimated to be roaming the dense woods of western Trentino. These large mammals have become the symbol of the Adamello Brenta Nature Park, Trentino’s largest natural park. Rising between 477m and 3,558m, this mountainous reserve takes in a diverse array of habitats and supports a wide biodiversity. Chamois, deer and ibex defy gravity as they navigate the jagged rock faces of the Dolomites, while marmots, squirrels and badgers can…

The pod of porpoises was a thrilling surprise. The jet-black dorsal fins that sliced through the Firth of Clyde alongside the ferry to the Isle of Arran tore my attention momentarily from the approaching silhouette of purplish humps crested by a line of jagged peaks. It was my first taste of a wild and ancient island that has recently found itself firmly in the spotlight. Back in April, Arran was declared a UNESCO Global Geopark, finally recognising its extraordinary geological heritage and diversity. The Highland Boundary Fault that slashes across the isle – just as it does mainland Scotland – divides it between craggy mountainscapes in the north and lowland moors and pastures in the south. Not for nothing is it known as ‘Scotland in Miniature’. Hiking steep-sided Glen Rosa,…

Bettany Hughes Saudi Arabia & Jordan, p50 “I’ve studied the amazing ancient culture of the Nabataeans (who built Petra in Jordan) for decades, but it was only after travelling through the Arabian Peninsula and across the Mediterranean on their trail that I really felt that I understood their unique world view. It gave me a massive respect for their command of the desert and the sea.” Claire McQue Dream Sleeps, p92 “From lounging around patio pools to admiring 17th-century architecture from my balcony, reporting from the best hotels in Cartagena was a delight. I also stumble across something new on each visit to the city. I had no idea, for instance, that the jewel-toned streets had been whitewashed during a cholera plague in the 19th century.” Maria Salvati Italy's Natural…

In Oman, hospitality begins with coffee and dates. It’s no different on the country’s flag carrier, Oman Air. Soon after take-off, crew wander the aisles offering cups of kahwa, lightly spiced Arabic coffee served from a long-handled pot, alongside glossy dates from local producer Tamrah. The pairing is an everyday expression of generosity that still shapes life across the Sultanate, from mountain villages to Muscat’s courtyards. This same understated warmth comes through in the service and presentation. Cabin crew uniforms are inspired by the palette of Oman: teal and turquoise echo the Gulf, while sand tones recall the country’s desert landscapes and celebrated sunsets. Omani designs and scents Look closely at the aircraft interiors and the connection to place deepens. Geometric motifs run through the cabin fabrics and wall panels,…

Vietnam’s modern culinary identity was forged through periods of profound hardship. The Second World War’s impact reached Vietnam through devastating famines, particularly in the north, where French colonial policies prioritising industrialisation over agriculture led to the deaths of a million Vietnamese people between 1940 and 1945. In the decades that followed, local cooks developed innovative techniques to adapt to the scarcity caused by war. Rice was extended with root vegetables, and new methods – such as using smokeless cooking techniques to avoid detection – emerged from necessity. These ingenuities are proof of the resourcefulness and resilience found here. Food rationing continued through reunification in 1975 as Vietnam rebuilt itself. Then the Doi Moi economic reforms of 1986 marked a turning point, opening Vietnam to international trade and sparking a rapid…

The boat cut across the Aegean, its bow pointing toward Nea Kameni, the volcanic island heart of Santorini. Jagged slopes of black and ochre rock glowed in the sunlight, barren yet commanding. From here, I could take in the island’s defining view: the vast caldera, one of the few on Earth that is actually inhabited. It was a scene that felt almost impossible. A circular ring of cliffs rose like a giant amphitheatre, whitewashed villages clinging to the rim. Far below, cruise ships bobbed in the water like toys. It seemed improbable that people had ever thought to settle here at all, and yet they had not only settled but flourished in spite of their setting. Their story is marked by cycles of volcanic fire and renewal, destruction and reconstruction,…

At nine o’clock in the evening, the action was hotting up in Mardin’s Hamdanı Restaurant. Women in plunge-back dresses and stiletto heels were dancing to a halay (a popular Turkish dance), the leader in this conga-like line-up twirling a napkin in the air. Those still seated were singing along to the music, arms swaying above their heads, as a waiter circulated with a tray of ciğ köfte (uncooked meatballs), a local delicacy to be wolfed down in a lettuce-leaf wrap. I’d arrived in south-eastern Türkiye with the winner of Wanderlust’s Visions travel photography competition, John Seager. It’s an area that I know well, so I was excited to see what was happening here and for John to be able to photograph it to show visitors from overseas its great potential.…

Kuala Lumpur: 3.1319° N, 101.6841° E Soaring above an already looming cityscape like a robotic arm pointing to the sky, the world’s second-tallest building, the 678.9m-high Merdeka 118, says a lot about Malaysia’s modern ambitions, not to mention those of its increasingly futuristic capital, Kuala Lumpur (KL). But even amid all the development in the capital, there are nods to tradition and glimpses of the past. The impressive Saloma Link, for example, is a space-age pedestrian bridge modelled after a sireh junjung (a decoration made from betel leaves), a vital part of the Malay majority’s wedding ceremonies. The bridge connects the two banks of the Klang River, linking Kampung Baru, the last surviving traditional Malay enclave in the city centre, to the shiny 451.9m-high Petronas Twin Towers. For a short…

Zoigl is a traditional, bottom-fermented, unfiltered beer that is initially brewed in a communal brewhouse, and then completed at home with the addition of yeast. It is served directly from our own storage, along with homemade food, on selected weekends every year. Five villages in the Oberpfalz maintain this ancient right to brew and serve beer at home. Here in Neuhaus, the six householders who make Zoigl meet once a year to settle on the dates we’ll open, which are published online (zoiglbier.de/zoigltermine). All of us have other jobs. There’s a butcher, a glazier, even a gravedigger (who also makes schnapps) doing Zoigl weekends. The prices are kept low because it is not our main livelihood. But we do everything ourselves, so it is very hard work. The whole family…