Table of contents for May 18 in Wanderlust

BRISTOL TRAVELLERS’ CLUB Bristol, 8 May www.marcopolotravel.co.uk YHA, 14 Narrow Quay, BS1 4QA. £3.50 with a part of the entry fee donated to WaterAid. From 7.10pm. Tickets available on the door. Alan Gilbert chats about his time in Japan and Colin Knowles talks Eastern European thrills. GLOBETROTTERS CLUB London, 12 May www.globetrotters.co.uk The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, Covent Garden, WC2B 5EZ. Doors open at 2.15pm. £6; £3 for members. Tickets available on the door. Jacek Obloj shares stories on the peoples and churches of Ethiopia, while photographer Jim Holmes documents life on the Mekong River. CUSTODIANS OF A SUNBURNT COUNTRY London, 2 May australiaconservation.eventbrite.com/au Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, SW7 2AR. From 6.30pm; tickets £22. Proceeds go towards protecting Australia’s wildlife. Book online. Told through the stories of…

KEY: Desert Adventure Culture & History Wildlife 1 Be a Bedouin for the day Which emirate? Dubai A mere 60 years ago, life in the Emirates was nomadic. Tribes hunted with falcons, travelled by camel and lived in tents woven from goat hair. Platinum Heritage’s one-day Bedouin Life tour offers a glimpse of those pre-oil boom days, with a camel ride to a traditional desert camp, an Emirati cooking lesson, campfire storytelling and a falconry display. +971 4 440 9827; www.platinum-heritage.com 2 Horse-ride through the desert Which emirate? Ras Al Khaimah The Arabian horse is a noble breed indeed: elegant, powerful and utterly beloved by Emiratis. Saddle up at Al Wadi Equestrian Centre, part of the plush Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah hotel, for trail rides through the surrounding…

1 Quo Vadis, Soho A plaque site of 28 Dean Street, where Marx lived with his family in the 1850s during a tragic period when he lost three children. Today, it’s both a restaurant and private member’s club – there’s even a ‘Marx room’ for hire – though at £17.50 for pie and mash, it’s not quite the eatery of ‘the people’. 2 The Marx Memorial Library, Clerkenwell  have been frequented by Marx – though Lenin used to publish a newspaper here – yet it still remains a treasure trove of his life’s work and socialist history in general. It’s worth a visit for the 1934 mural depicting a rather stoic-looking Marx and Engels gazing on as the workers march on capitalist society. 3 Highgate Cemetery Marx he died in…

1 Pick the right spot In case, position colony was fixed, as was the backdrop, so the only way to›bring them into line was to change my position. Scout the area beforehand to find the best spot for when you’re ready to take your shot and it›will save you valuable time once the light is good and conditions are right. 2 Pick your moment For a , I sure time my visit for breeding season, so that the nests would be occupied. With›birds, this can vary depending on region and species, but most local field guides can give you this information. During this period, the birds will stay reliably in the same spot, giving you more time to plan›and execute your photograph. 3 Get creative I building. But in the…

How we did the test… We gear non-traditional cameras that they felt were most suitable for travellers. From those that we were sent, our editor-at-large, Phoebe Smith, then took them out on the road to see how they performed in test conditions. DJI Spark £519 In years more affordable, and top manufacturer DJI have finally launched a budget model. Similar in size to a can of Coke and hitting the scales at just 300g, it’s easy to transport wherever you go. The camera offers 12 megapixels and can capture 1080p HD video at 30 frames per second. The wide-angle lens has a bright aperture of f/2.6, offering good performance in low light, and it comes with electronic image stabilisation, meaning video footage is sharp and free from vibrations. To control…

VITAL STATISTICS Capital: Harare Population: 17 million Languages: English is widely spoken but Zimbabwe has 16 official languages; Shona and Ndebele are the most common Time: GMT+2 International dialling code: +263 Visas: Visas are issued on arrival for UK nationals. You should have a passport that is valid for at least six months and carry enough US dollars for the US$65 (£46) single-entry tourist visa. Money: The Zimbabwean dollar was jettisoned in 2009 in favour of US dollars. Zimbabwe issues bond notes (equal to US$1) but they’re not legal tender outside the country. ATMs are unreliable, so travel with sufficient US dollars for your visit. When to go Dry season – the winter months are the best time to visit, as the wildlife will concentrate around waterholes, but evenings and…

Birthday bounty I have had so many years of inspiring ideas from Wanderlust, and the latest edition [April 2018, issue 185] is now giving me the background to my next big adventure. Like Mark Stratton, I have always been fascinated by the ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ story, and now I’m finally going to visit Norfolk Island [where the mutineers’ descendents were relocated from Pitcairn Island in 1856]. I am going to celebrate my 77th birthday there on 8 June, which is their ‘Bounty Day’, when they have a festival remembering the Pitkerners’ arrival. Thank you for your endless travel tips! Brenda Boulton, via email Keep calm, carry on I was travelling south through Vietnam last November when my companions and I were very fortunate to miss (by one day) Typhoon…

Before you arrive One in three New Zealanders call Auckland home. Yet ask locals outside this great northern hub and they’ll say they were glad to escape: too busy, too expensive, too built-up. True enough, it is a city of rampant growth; much of its waterfront is reclaimed land, snatched out of the sea from the mid-20th century onwards. Today, most visitors stroll its steel-and-glass downtown, the shops of Queen Street and the pretty wharf, then make for the beach or bus station. And there it usually ends… But – and there’s a big ‘but’ – spying the urban sprawl from atop grassy Mount Eden (one of nearly 50 volcanic cones that blister the city), you will see another side to the metropolitan area. There’s so much variety here, from…

1 Tunisia’s ancient amphitheatre of El Jem originally held 50,000 people, twice the city’s current population; p24 2 Elephants in Zimbabwe’s Hwange NP now outnumber visitors to the reserve by almost 200 to one; p86 3 The UK’s Hailes Abbey once saw pilgrims flock to witness its vial of Jesus’ blood firsthand – it was later found to be just clarified honey; p122 4 Belgrade’s famed night scene revolves around its riverside splavovi – the moored crafts that line its now wildly hip waterfront; p139 5 Falcon owners in the UAE know how to treat their birds – they even get their own special passports; p46…

Move over ‘mancation’, there’s a new trend in town: women-only tours. The world has seen a sharp increase in female travellers booking with tour companies in recent years, keen to follow in the intrepid footsteps of the likes of travel writers Dervla Murphy and Cheryl Strayed. The industry is responding, too. In 2017, 65% of those who travelled with tour operator Exodus Travels were women, so it’s no surprise that this March sees the same company launch its largest collection of female-only trips, with 11 tours taking you to places such as China, Costa Rica and Iran. But what s the reason behind this sudden demand for female-only escapes? “Women are embracing travel more,” says Lisa Eldridge, founder of the Girl About The Globe female travel blog. “Rather than wait…

Some foods are meant to be. Case in the point: Vietnam’s humble banh mi sandwich. It may be scant comfort for decades of colonial rule – as part of French Indochina (1887–1954) – but locals adopted their invader’s affinity for baking, the delights of which were then passed on to visitors. In those dark days, bread was reserved for Vietnam’s colonial rulers. Only after most of the French left to fight in the First World War did it take off here. Foreign ingredients – cold meats, mayonnaise and paté – were adapted to local tastes with coriander, pickles, daikon and cucumber, and the banh mi was born. Soon, this simple meal started to filter down the classes, and by the time Vietnam gained independence it was the king of roadside…

There’s always a buzz when the latest effort from one of travel writing’s big hitters lands on our desk. Paul Theroux’s Figures in a Landscape: People and Places (Hamish Hamilton, £17) gathers together his recent misadventures – Ecuador, Malawi, America – while the profiles are often steeped in destination: Henry David Thoreau in Maine; Graham Greene in Africa. Theroux is as honest as ever and the collection paints an intimate self-portrait of this restless and ever-interested traveller. You suspect Theroux would be intrigued by Adam Weymouth’s journey up the Yukon in a canoe, following the salmon migration. Part-adventure, part-investigation, Kings of the Yukon (Particular Books, £17) is focused on the people who live near – and depend on – the 3,200km-long river as it flows via Canada and Alaska to…

Tell us about your trip. I travelled Canada coast-to-coast, arriving in Vancouver in early June to avoid peak season. I didn’t book a return flight so that I would have greater flexibility for planning rail adventures as I went. How did you plan your first rail trip? I went on VIA Rail’s official site (viarail.ca) to plot their map of stop-off locations, then looked into cheap coach transport and tips for exploring places in between. Reading personal blogs and speaking to friends and family for recommendations was worthwhile, whether to learn from their experience or mistakes. It was only after I spoke to my father that I found out he had made the same trip aged 19! Did you find any money-saving tips? Most countries with good rail links offer…

THE EXPERTS TIM HANNIGAN Writer, Indonesia expert and author of A Geek In Indonesia (www.tuttlepublishing.com) DECLAN LYONS Cycle tourer, guidebook writer and author of Cycling the Canal du Midi (www.cicerone.co.uk) DANIEL START Award-winning author and founder of Wild Things Publishing (www.wildthingspublishing.com) Q How can I discover an alternative side of busy Bali? Katie Smith, via email A Simply step sideways. Even if you’re in one of the hectic resorts of the south – Kuta or Sanur, say – you only need to duck down an alleyway off the restaurant-lined main drags to find glimpses of traditional Balinese society, still happily functioning just behind the touristic facade. Scale this approach up, swing left or right off any of the major highways, and chances are you’ll instantly find yourself in a scene…

CASE STUDY: ALTITUDE SICKNESS IN ARGENTINA Lyn , Wanderlust editor-in-chief and co-founder I recently flew into Salta via Buenos Aires as part of a visit to north-west Argentina (see p62). I was there to join a trip early the next morning, but even though we had been warned about the risk of altitude sickness, I wasn’t concerned as I had travelled and trekked at high altitudes several times before. We headed in a 4WD vehicle up to the High Puna plateau. Our first stop was an archaeological site at 3,100m, which had great views. We walked around the hillside, but as I rounded a bend I was hit by a strong gust of wind, whereupon I felt nauseous and dizzy and had to sit down. I turned back and made…

YOUR TIPS ON… TRAIN JOURNEYS From riding a steam train through Borneo to rolling through the wilds of the Scottish Highlands, here are your top jaunts on rails… White Pass & Yukon Route Skagway, Alaska (USA), to Whitehorse, Yukon (Canada) “This railway was built in 1898 during the Klondike gold rush and climbs about 900m in just 20 minutes through tunnels, over sky-high trestles and past cascading ’falls. It’s a marvel of engineering in spite of the difficult conditions, and has been beautifully restored. It really lives up to its moniker of ‘The Scenic Railway of the World’.” Angela Brason Kuranda Scenic Railway Cairns to Kuranda, Australia “The Cairns to Kuranda railway transports you from the city to the rainforest, passing tropical landscapes and some spectacular waterfalls, as you finish…

Key-less entry? “Once, I managed to lock my keys inside my rental car while in the middle of nowhere and with the engine running and the A/C on. I’m pretty sure that’s now impossible with the new models of cars!” Pauline Georgiou Passport mix-up “In going from Glasgow to Spain via Heathrow, I took a taxi to Glasgow Central, then a train to London and a bus to the airport. Only at check-in did I realise my passport was at home in Glasgow!” Vance Carson Sat nav blunder “I hired a car in Jordan and followed Google Maps down a narrow one-way street. We then met a car coming the other way – cue locals waving and laughing at me as I had to reverse the entire way back down…

Imparting camera tips when you’re traversing one of the planet’s wildest continents: “When travelling in Africa, take a couple of photos and then sit down to watch the wildlife.” Ronnie Hancox Purring over a contoured slice of England: “The Shropshire Hills are a truly stunning part of our countryside!” @Hawkshead1976 Enjoying Africa’s rich variety of sights: “Africa is just unbelievable. It’s so varied that it takes your breath away!” @adamnsmithphoto Championing Europe’s hidden island secrets: “Formentera is a beautiful place and definitely worth going to.” Alan Long Urging people to visit Cuba s hidden corners: “Havana is full of life outside the normal tourist trail. You have to venture the side streets yourself.” @frigerzoid Dancing to the Buenos Aires beat: “Watching the Argentine tango in Buenos Aires is on my…

The temperature had shot past 30°C and I was cooling off in a shaded floating bar along Belgrade’s River Sava. With an Aperol Spritz in front of me and a refreshing breeze coming off the water, I gazed across to Belgrade’s imposing Kalemegdan Fortress as it loomed over the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. I was sat in what’s known as a splav, one of the several hundred permanently moored riverside craft that range in shape and style from rusty barges to sprawling houseboats. Inside, these splavovi, which line both rivers, are the clubs, bars and restaurants that have helped to give Belgrade its well-deserved reputation for the most raucous nightlife in Eastern Europe. But they are only a very short chapter in Belgrade’s story. Tourist boards love…

Cameron Stauch Cookbook author & chef Since exploring the street food stalls of Ho Chi Minh City, captivated by the steam billowing from a pot of pho patiently stirred by a local, Cameron has adored Vietnam’s flavoursome – and often meat-free – food. He’s compiled his favourite recipes from the area in his new book Vegetarian Viet Nam. It includes one of the country’s most iconic – the banh mi sandwich (p17) Mountain, desert, ocean or jungle… which are you? Mountain. First great travel experience? Spending time in the kitchen at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, where I watched cooks prepare food for over 200,000 people for the Vaisakhi spring festival. Favourite journey? My last family trip, when we went to Sri Lanka. Top five places worldwide? Hue, Vietnam;…

What were your feelings when you firstsaw the new film, JANE? It took me back to the best days of my life in a way that none of the other documentaries have. There was something very immediate and real and unconstrained. This one showed things as they were. It was quite special, quite moving actually. How was it, seeing the chimps with whom you spent so much time? It was like being back among old friends. It’s like discovering family footage because they were just so special. I knew them so, so well. How did the experience change you? I don’t think it did; I always loved animals, I was always out in nature. I’d dreamed of the African jungle since reading Tarzan. Did you feel as if you were…

YES Gareth Clark, Wanderlust writer “Things don’t happen in a vacuum. Should solo pilots become a reality, failsafes will be created (pre-flight medicals for pilots on all flights; remote flight control capability). We trust our safety to machines as it is – the pilot is largely there as an interpreter – and with most commercial flights already fitted with automated flying and landing systems, full automation won’t be too far away. Soon enough, the single pilot will just be the failsafe; this is just getting ahead of the curve.” NO Tabitha Green, Wanderlust reader “No, simply because if the pilot is taken ill, then someone needs to be able to reliably control and land the plane. As far as I am aware, while there are lots of automatic programmes available…

VITAL STATISTICS Capital: Abu Dhabi Population: 2.908 million Languages: Arabic (official), English is widely spoken and understood Time: GMT+4 International dialling code: +971 Visas: 30-day visas are free of charge to all UK nationals and available on entry Money: UAE dirham (AED), currently 5.18AED to the UK£1 When to go Winter – the best time for a visit if you intend to be outside a lot. Temperatures are around the mid-20s (ºC) but can be as high as 30ºC or as low as 9ºC, so do take a jacket for the evenings. Summer – between Jun and Sep can particularly , temperatures regularly topping 40ºC, meaning outdoor activities are out. Health & safety No specific jabs are required. The water is safe to drink, though some people dislike the taste…

VITAL STATISTICS Capital: Buenos Aires Population: 44,580,949 Language: Spanish, Quechua Time: GMT-3 International dialling code: +54 Visas: Not required by UK nationals for stays of up to 90 days. Money: Argentine Pesos (ARS), currently around ARS28.2 to the UK£. Take enough in cash for once you leave Salta. When to go Summer/autumn – Chance of rain, so beware landslides and flooding Low season – Low . weather, but there will be snow in places. Winter – Very cold nights that can fall well below freezing. Spring – Good weather. Very few people in Tolar Grande in September as they are all on pilgrimage to Salta! Health & safety There is a risk of altitude sickness – see on page . acclimatise, keep hydrated and watch out for symptoms. The sun…

Chloe Knott, Senior Product Manager at Exodus Travels, on the new possibilities and old classics of this reopened country... BEST TIME TO VISIT: Now! Zimbabwe has a turbulent past, both economically and ethically, but a new era has dawned and tourists are being welcomed with open arms. May–November provide the best climate for trekking or safaris, although be aware in the latter part of the season the temperatures can soar into the 30s [degrees Celsius]. WHERE TO GO: Dramatic, beautiful and awe inspiring, Victoria Falls, might be a popular tourist spot but a trip to Zimbabwe wouldn’t be complete without a visit. Here you can choose to get your adrenalin pumping by zip lining, bungee jumping or whitewater rafting, or for those looking for something a little less extreme you…

WHAT TO CONSIDER… WEIGHT Always important, but particularly when considering that one of these cameras isn’t likely to be your primary device, but instead an additional item to capture something different. CAMERA SPECS Look at the megapixel count – higher means better image quality. The lens’ focal length and aperture dictate how wide the view and how the camera performs in low light. High definition is best for video, with 1080p good but 4K superior. Frames per second will affect how smooth captured video looks – the higher the better. Image stabilisation can eliminate a lot of camera shake and vibration. LEGALITY Some countries do not allow the use of drones or camera traps and you may have your model taken off you at the airport (Morocco is one example…

Be cycle confident Your first cycle trip might seem daunting, but typical daily distances are just 40 to 60km – a few hours’ modest pootling – and most tours have a support vehicle to scoop up weary pedallers on steeper sections. Few tours involve lots of consecutive full days of cycling; most include driven sections and rest days. You’ll get more out of your trip if you’re cycle-fit: some gentle pre-departure scoots should do the trick. Spin classes are also great for building stamina and pedalling muscles. Select your steed Most operators provide good-quality hire bikes. If taking your own, check airline carriage policies for weight limits and other requirements – you’ll need to book it in advance and pack in a bike bag or box. Have it serviced before…

Central America Reader Pam Bowers recalls visiting five countries across Central America The highlight: Gazing down on Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua. The rumble of the bubbling lava was like a scene from The Lord of the Rings. Must see: It’s such a diverse region, from the Maya ruins of Copán in Honduras, to spotting sloths in Costa Rica and meeting a guerrilla fighter in Nicaragua. Top tip: Crossing the Gulf of Fonseca to Nicaragua by boat cuts out hours by road, but pay heed to the warning that the boat takes in water. My shower-proof jacket just didn’t cut it! Cautionary tale: We took advice on the region’s reputation and went on a group tour, as missing bits would’ve been a shame. I wish I’d known... The threat of zika…

VITAL STATISTICS Start/Finish: Chipping Campden/Bath Length: 164km Counties: Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Avon Highest Point: Cleve Hill (330m) When to go Spring – expect budding leaves and plenty of wildflowers; plus the Cooper s Hill Cheese-Rolling race is held on 28 May this year (cheese-rolling.co.uk). Summer – long days and usually the best weather, although the Way is at its most crowded at this time of year. Autumn – Mild weather, glorious colours in the beech woods, less crowded, and the Cheltenham Literature Festival is in full flow (5–14 Oct; cheltenhamfestivals.com). Winter – only for the hardy. Health & safety There are few health risks apart from the threat of blisters; be sure to wear your boots in before setting off and wear thick walking socks. During summer, stay hydrated and regularly…

Get orientated In 1503, a trio of Portuguese vessels bound for India became a little lost. As they neared the western tip of South Africa, they dropped anchor to try to find out exactly where they were. Needing a vantage point to get his bearings, commander António de Saldanha climbed the flat-topped peak rising from the bay, dodging the hippos and lions that then patrolled its slopes. In doing so, he became the first European to set foot in what became Cape Town, and he recorded the first known ascent of Table Mountain (1,086m). The spot where the Portuguese landed was named Saldanha Bay (later renamed Table Bay) and it became a regular checkpoint for Portuguese ships heading for the East Indies. Now Table Mountain is a city icon, and…