Table of contents for March 2016 in Wanderlust

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 A free-spirited solo traveller’s worst nightmare is the angst you feel when learning how much a single supplement (s/s) will add to the cost of a trip. But lone adventurers represent some of the most inquisitive travellers – a fact that many tour operators are slowly wising up to. Consequently, we’re starting to see a number of companies waive the additional supplement on trips and offer single rooms, so that those travelling on their own need not fork out extra cash. To boost your enthusiasm further, here’s nine of the best trips for solo travellers… 1. Sri Lanka Traverse the Teardrop Island…

ROUTE: Liberia • Rincón de la Vieja NP WHY GO? To saddle up on the savannah and spot sloths. WHEN TO GO? Dry season on the Pacific-coast slopes is December-April; February-April is best for climbing to the craters, as paths aren’t too slippery. A transport hub on the Panamerican Highway, Liberia is the capital of Costa Rica’s sabanero culture, named for the cowboys who live on the surrounding sabana (savannah). Tourism now rivals beef production in the local economy – Liberia has its own bijou international airport – but there are plenty of ranches hereabouts. Liberia has a few run-down old buildings but is a pleasant enough college town for a sleepover before bussing or taxiing the 25km to Rincón de la Vieja National Park. This conservation area is spread…

ROUTE: Limón • Tortuguero village • Tortuguero NP WHY GO? To mess about on rivers and spy sea turtles. WHEN TO GO? March-September, dry season on the Caribbean coast; July-August is peak turtle season. Take the 25-minute non-stop flight from San José or boat service (3-4 hours) from the working port town of Limón to get to Tortuguero, a bustling village of colourful houses and shack-like cafés sited on a sandbar. It’s the place to embark on jungle trails, canoe excursions and day-long boat trips through the freshwater channels of the Tortuguero National Park, looking out for river otters, caiman and endangered manatees. In July and August, tours also take in a nesting site for endangered green sea turtles, which were on the verge of becoming extinct and are now…

ROUTE: Liberia • Palo Verde NP • Cañas • Puntarenas • San José • Cartago • Los Quetzales NP • San Isidro de El General WHY GO? For a country-spanning roadtrip, taken at your own pace. Driving down the Panamericana (called the CR-1 in the north, CR-2 south of San José) might not seem like the best use of your time in this wildlife-rich, adventure-packed nation, but the advantages of a fly-drive are that you tend to go slower (potholes more or less demand this) and take in working villages and ‘real’ towns. This includes spots such as Cartago (the former capital), Cañas and San Isidro de El General, where prices are lower, people are less tourist-hardened, and you get a real flavour of Tico life. The highway skirts underexploited…

The instructions couldn’t have been clearer: “Turn left, follow the path down to the river and you should find them in the second pool along the boardwalk.” For a moment, I stared at the national park ranger waiting for his face to break into a ‘just joking’ smile. I’d wanted him to shake his head, whistle theatrically through clenched teeth and suggest a hike – lasting at least a day – that would plunge me into some of Queensland’s toughest bush. Instead, my quest for a wild duck-billed platypus had been efficiently curtailed into a step-by-step guide. I’ve had hazier directions to international airports. Feeling slightly ridiculous in hiking boots and snack-laden backpack, I left the visitor centre at Broken River in Eungella National Park and followed the ranger’s instructions.…

‘I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve hitched a ride and have been invited into houses, offered food and enjoyed thrilling and diverse conversations’ Want to car-hop around a country but not sure how to keep yourself safe? Worried you might be left in the middle of nowhere? Read on and you’ll be one step closer to becoming a hitchhiking hotshot... Why do it? First of all, aside from anything else, it’s a really cheap way of travelling. Simply stick out your thumb and, thanks to the kindness of a stranger, you can travel across counties, countries and even continents. Secondly, it’s hugely exciting. You have no way of knowing where you might end up, which makes any journey using your thumb a proper adventure. You may be…

1 COASTAL PACIFIC SOUTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND ROUTE: Picton to Christchurch DURATION: 5.5 hours Taking the ferry from Wellington (North Island) to Picton (South) is a wise move: it’s one of the world’s best ferry rides, ending in the idyllic wooded cove of Picton Harbour. Even better, it connects with a superbly scenic train ride. A few minutes after disembarking, you can be on the train to Christchurch, ready to enjoy the scenery from an open observation car. The diesel Coastal Pacific grinds up a long incline through hilly sheep country to Dashwood Pass and rolling hills of vines stretching to the ocean. Passing lagoons of pink salt pans created from what was Lake Grassmere, the train rejoins the coast and runs alongside the dunes to Kaikoura. Many break the…

Before you arrive It’s not uncommon to touch down in the Iranian capital with mixed feelings. There’s excitement and high anticipation at finally reaching this once out-of-bounds land, but also some sensations that are rather more unsettling. What kind of a welcome will I get? Do they hate Westerners? Will going through the airport be like a scene lifted from Argo? Well, first things first: you have nothing to worry about. Aside from the odd anti-West billboard and the mural of a skeletal Statue of Liberty painted on the wall of the former US Embassy, there’s no ill feeling to be felt towards visitors. Iran is not only one of the most welcoming countries in the Middle East, but arguably the world. Located in the north of the country, around…

Vienna is a city of exceptional beauty, but it’s not something that happened overnight. Its architectural legacy is mostly the result of its former role as the Habsburg capital of an Austro-Hungarian empire once eight times the size of today’s Austria. This influence isn’t just found in the city’s buildings however: besides the grand imperial palaces and churches created during 640 years of Habsburg rule, the city’s abundant green spaces were also often royal in origin. The famous Prater was an imperial game reserve until Emperor Joseph II gave it to the people as a park in 1766. Less ‘in your face’ but no less important is the influence of the vibrant pre-First World War Vienna Secession and Werkstätte movements on the city. Buildings by Joseph Olbrich and Otto Wagner…

Ah, Cuba. The island is currently top of most Americans’ to-do lists now that the US has eased travel restrictions and its citizens can legally visit. For the rest of us, its charms never went away, and these shots by John Lynn, a runner-up in our Travel Photo of the Year 2015 ‘Portfolio’ category ( p112-127 ), offer a glimpse into everyday Cuban life, from cowboys in Trinidad (top) to shoe-shiners and classic cars in Havana. What’s most striking is that they could have been taken at any time over the last 60 years. The big question is ‘For how long?’ Cuba’s improved relations with its big neighbour, coupled with new direct flights from China, could slowly nudge it into the 21st century, meaning John’s photos are a snapshot of…

1 Canada  A maple leaf design replaced the Canadian red ensign in 1965 to become Canada’s first national flag by law. Initially met with a lukewarm reception, it’s become a much-loved national symbol. 2 Georgia  The current ‘five cross’ flag, which has medieval roots, was widely used by Georgia’s patriotic movement following its independence in 1991, before being formally adopted in 2004. 3 South Africa  The current flag was accepted in 1994 following the collapse of apartheid. It combines colours from the African National Congress banner, British union flag and the Dutch tricolour. 4 Burma  Only six years old, Burma’s incumbent flag replaced the socialist republican flag to mirror the use of the country’s modern name, Myanmar. Its current design is the 11th flag in Burma’s history. 5 Mozambique  After…

Costa Rica – I just wasn’t prepared for it. Having travelled mainly in South America, I had grown used to long distances, empty spaces and time-consuming overland odysseys. This small, seismic country changed all that. I left San José, the likeable, low-key capital, after breakfast. Inside the hour I was zigzagging up to the country’s mountainous central spine. The townships that clung to the highway soon gave way to rugged foothills. Weather washed over me as if the climate couldn’t make up its mind: a deluge, scudding thunderheads, a flash of blue sky. The sun had barely cleared the canopy when I parked to make the short walk to the summit of Poás volcano, through a cloudforest full of elfin trees, hummingbirds, tanagers and squirrels. Suddenly I was at the…

ROUTE: Liberia • Santa Teresa/Malpais • Cabo Blanco WHY GO? To revel in clear, wildlife-rich Pacific waters. WHEN TO GO? May, known as ‘little summer’, when the first showers provide relief from the scorching November-April dry season. The Nicoya Peninsula has the world’s lowest rates of middle-age mortality. Corn and beans are the staples of a diet inherited from the indigenous Chorotega tribe, and Nicoyan elders live in a close-knit intergenerational society. Since the 1990s, these youthful senior citizens have been joined by an influx of 20-something beach bums and surfers, who congregate around the Pacific coast resorts of Manzanillo and Malpais. Though there’s an inevitable US gringo feel about the shack-style accommodation and hipster bars, the beaches and ocean are just glorious, and there are plenty of opportunities for…

ROUTE: Puntarenas • Manuel Antonio National Park • Quepos • Playa Dominical • Hacienda Barú WHY GO? For a wealth of wildlife and a buzzy visitor vibe. WHEN TO GO? December-April, dry season. Puntarenas is a slender peninsula sticking out into the Gulf of Nicoya, which exudes an air of atmospheric dilapidation that will appeal to your inner Graham Greene. Ferries to the Nicoya Peninsula (see p29) depart from here, as do two-hour trips to the tranquil Isla de Chira. The journey south takes in the coastal townships of Tárcoles, Herradura and Jacó before arriving at the densely forested slopes and sandy beaches of Manuel Antonio – Costa Rica’s smallest and busiest national park. Here, you’ll spot three monkey species; coatis; iguanas; two- and three-toed sloths; and myriad multihued birds…

Snow lay thick on the rocks, an unmarked blanket of uninterrupted white. Above, the clouds scudded lazily over the tops of the mountains, cutting their height by at least a third, while the wind flattened the small pockets of exposed grass tufts that dared to peek above the icy tundra. It was a good day for a walk – albeit one that required multiple warm layers and sturdy walking boots, so I couldn’t help but gasp as a girl approached me wearing a T-shirt, leggings, and a thin pair of socks under her sandals that sagged around her ankles, saturated by the snow. But then I’d forgotten one thing. This path was taking me to Kjeragbolten, one of the most photographed boulders in the world. During the last Ice Age,…

‘Spend a day driving east from Bata to Mongomo via Oyala, Equatorial Guinea’s incredible new capital city, which is still under construction deep in the jungle’ THE EXPERTS OSCAR SCAFIDI Travel journalist and author of Bradt’s Equatorial Guinea guidebook (bradtguides.com) DR JANE WILSON-HOWARTH GP, author, zoologist and authority on travel health for Wanderlust PHOEBE SMITH Editor of Wanderlust and expert on the Appalachian Trail, among other things walking and outdoor-related NEIL AND HARRIET PIKE Cycling experts and authors of the Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook (trailblazer-guides.com) Q I’m looking to visit Equatorial Guinea for seven nights but I want to visit both Bioko Island and the mainland. What can I realistically fit in? Tracey Holloway, via email A There are multiple daily flights (45 minutes) between Equatorial Guinea’s current capital, Malabo, which…

The Wanderlust World Guide Awards were launched in December 2005 to recognise the undersung heroes of the travel world – guides and tour leaders. The judging process is long and challenging, so the more insight you provide on the guide the better for our judges, who include Bill Bryson, Mark Carwardine, Lyn Hughes and industry experts. The winners will be announced at a life-affirming celebration at London’s Royal Geographical Society on 6 October 2016. Each of the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners will receive a bursary to spend on community projects or to further their education and qualifications. Nominate your outstanding guide now and make sure they get the recognition they deserve! www.WorldGuideAwards.com…

THE JUDGES Lyn Hughes Wanderlust co-founder and editor-in-chief Paul Goldstein Award-winning wildlife photographer and guide Paul Harris Award-winning travel and landscape photographer Graeme Green Professional travel writer and photographer Keith Wilson Professional travel photographer and editor Sophie Lam Head of travel, The Independent Simon Calder Senior travel editor, The Independent Sam North Show manager, Clarion Events (for Destinations Travel Show) Rob Hawthorne Marketing manager, Clarion Events (for Destinations Travel Show) Christie Lord Tourism Western Australia People 1 Daughters of Buddha Sagaing, Sagaing Region, Burma (Myanmar) Kyaw Zaw Lay Amateur photographer Judges’ comments: “A joy – it shows great perception and is brilliantly executed. I can almost hear the rustle of sandals as they glide across the floor.” Nikon D4S, 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1.60 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 200, ND 400…

Essential Info When to go: The city looks spectacular in clear winter sun, and spring arrives suddenly in March. The crowds are most dense and the air hottest from June to August. Getting there: Direct flights to Vienna are available from London Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, as well as Manchester. Flights take about two hours and start from around £49. The rail option (from London St Pancras; £68) requires changes in Paris and either Munich or Cologne (0844 848 5 848; voyages-sncf.com). Getting around: The City Airport Train takes 16 minutes non-stop to the city (€12 [£9] single); S-Bahn trains to Wien Mitte take 25 minutes (€4 [£3]). Vienna has five U-Bahn lines, 172km of tram routes and 145 bus lines, all covered by the Vienna Card for 48 or…

Why go? Boston is a city with a rich colonial past. It’s essentially one big museum, and as Norwegian launches direct flights from Gatwick, now is the time to visit. This year is a landmark one for the city. Visit its lighthouse, the Boston Light, as it turns 300, and then mark the 20th anniversary of the trail-laden Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area with a bracing walk. Elsewhere, Boston Common is the heart of Beantown – and the first ever public park in the US. Take a stroll before sitting down to eat at the 190-year-old Union Oyster House, which claims to be the States’ oldest restaurant. Boston also has strong Irish connections, so its weeklong St Patrick’s Day revels (5-12 Mar) are well worth catching. But if you…

There’s always been a certain romance about travelling by train, and no journey represents the thrill of exploring by rail better than the Trans-Siberian, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Why is it significant? In short, the Trans-Siberian Railway – which traverses Russia from Moscow to Vladivostok – is the longest passenger railway in the world. Spanning a whopping 9,259km, it took 60,000 workers 25 years (from 1891 to 1916) to build it following instruction from Tsar Alexander III. Longer than both Route 66 and the Great Wall of China, the journey takes seven-and-a-half days from start to finish, and it is still the main artery connecting Moscow to eastern Russia. It’s not just a long train ride either: about 30% of the country’s exports travel along the line,…

ROUTE: La Fortuna • Arenal NP • Tabacón • Tilarán • Monteverde Cloud Forest WHY GO? For abundant adventures in the shadow of the great volcano. WHEN TO GO? May-November, the rainy season – the volcano is more likely to be visible after a shower. Once a small farming town, La Fortuna – 130km north-west of San José – is now a popular base for organising active adventures. Nearby Arenal Volcano National Park provides several opportunities for hiking, including a trek on a lava flow from the 1968 eruption, with level trails around the volcano’s base ideal for mountain biking. There’s a good chance of seeing toucans, parrots, tanagers, oropendolas and agoutis; Arenal itself has been very quiet since 2010. Other attractions in the area include the pretty La Fortuna…

ROUTE: San José • Pacuare River • Braulio Carrillo NP • Poás NP WHY GO? To mix urban Costa Rica with wild waters and active peaks. WHEN TO GO? May-June and November – transitional seasons, good for wildlife and greenery. San José is only a mini-metropolis, but it does have some smart hotels located in old coffee-growers’ mansions, and it does give a taste of ordinary urban life. As well as the plaza and fruit-full central market, visitors should head to the impressive Gold Museum and Costa Rican Art Museum, built in a former air terminal beside the pleasant La Sabana Park. A short ride from the capital, there’s superlative white-water rafting on the Class III-IV Pacuare River (start from Tres Equis or Turrialba). Alternatively, take a sloth-speed ride across…

ROUTE: Playa Dominical • Marino Ballena NP • Corcovado NP • Puerto Jiménez WHY GO? To explore some of Costa Rica’s wildest reaches. WHEN TO GO? November-late April, the dry season. Why fly into Puerto Jiménez, on the untouched Osa Peninsula, when the road less travelled takes in one of the most pristine stretches of coast in the country (though it’s under pressure from real estate speculators)? South of Playa Dominical, the road towards Osa is flanked by beautiful beaches on the right and rainforest on the left, broken only by the occasional farming village. The first major stop is Marino Ballena National Park, a land and marine park around Uvita and Bahía that protects humpback whales, several dolphin species and nesting sea turtles. Here, and further down on the…

From geothermal grandeur to dense forests to rocky canyons: the USA’s remarkable range of national parks has every vista you can imagine – and 2016 is the ideal time to experience them. This year, the National Park Service, which manages the USA’s 59 parks, celebrates 100 years since its formation, and the best way to join the party is to take in these classic sights, wildlife and wonders on a Grand American Adventures small group tour, turning America at its most epic into an intimate journey of discovery. Geysers and gorges America’s national parks are home to some of this county’s most iconic sites. Head to Yellowstone for spluttering geysers, the coniferous Rockies and the elusive wolves that haunt them – increase your chances of spotting them on Grand American…

Why are we talking about a city? The city of Almaty is celebrating a big birthday in 2016 – it turns 1,000 years old. Over the last millennium it has benefitted from being on the ancient Silk Road route, swelling in size to become one of Central Asia’s most important urban hubs and Kazakhstan’s biggest city. It was also the country’s capital up until 1997, when the title was given to Astana. I didn’t think it was that old. Most people didn’t until very recently. It was previously thought that Almaty was less than 200 years old, dating from when the foundations of the modern city were laid in 1854 on the banks of the Malaya Almatinka river. However, the city suddenly became a whole lot older when, in 2010,…

The phone cut like a cattle prod through my altitude-deranged dreams. “Good morning Mr David.” It was a 5.30am wake-up call from our guide, Renching. “Weather is good. Mountain top clear. Come!” I stumbled through the gloom, pulled back the curtains and gasped in awe at the spectacle before me. Less than 10km across the valley, from a pedestal of shadowy forest, scree and broken cloud rose the vision of a Himalayan giant bathed in silver moonlight. The mist that had enveloped the massif had finally cleared, revealing the sacred Tibetan summit we’d travelled all this way to see: Kawa Karpo, spiritual home of the eponymous warrior god. Stars were still crisp in the sky as we drove downhill towards a platform said to afford the most spectacular view 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 Julie (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.…

This photo is taken in Bodhgaya in Bihar, India. This is the Mahabodhi Temple, a World Heritage Site where Buddha attained enlightenment some 2,500 years ago while sitting under the Bodhi tree. Buddhist devotees from around the world come to worship at this site, and I found it to be one of the calmest and most serene places I have ever visited. I sat there for more than an hour, taking the odd photo and thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere while watching the monks walk slowly around the temple and gently pay their respects.…

At just 63 sq km and less than an hour’s flight from the UK mainland, Guernsey is ideal for a short break. Life is slower here (less than 35mph, if you go by the speed limit), but for keen lovers of the outdoors, its 48km of clifftop trails, crystal-blue waters and pristine sands make for a picturesque and active escape. This month is also the perfect time to visit, as it sees the arrival of the Channel Islands Heritage Festival (25 March-10 May). Themed walks, gluttonous banquets, coasteering, island hopping, cycle rides, kayaking and more sees laid-back Guernsey burst into life, and now is your chance to experience it. Working up an appetite Guernsey fits in a varied amount of landscape in its compact space, with hardier hikes along the…

Get orientated Many Italian cities are architectural havens but Florence, with its UNESCO-listed historic centre, truly stands apart. Arrive in the Piazza della Signoria and look up at the fortified palace, gaze at the Fountain of Neptune or pose by the statue of Michelangelo’s David, and you can’t fail to be impressed. So it’s surprising to learn that 50 years ago, this square came under threat when Florence was hit by one of the worst floods in its history. The city endured a month of heavy rainfall before its main artery, the Arno River, burst its banks. The Piazza della Signoria was completely submerged and the basements of both the adjacent Uffizi Gallery and Palazzo Vecchio were also flooded. Despite countless works of art being destroyed, locals and foreigners were…