Table of contents for November 2015 in Wanderlust

DHEERAJ ‘MONTY’ BHATT Indian guide for Intrepid Travel (www.intrepidtravel.com) ‘Monty’ has spent nine years leading tours across India. Find out which prize he was awarded in the 2015 Wanderlust World Guide Awards on p98 Mountain, desert, ocean or jungle...? I am the ocean! First great travel experience? My first train journey at the age of 16 from Bundi (Rajasthan) to Chennai (Tamil Nadu). I had no idea it was going to take 36 hours and was worried the morning after leaving that I had missed my stop! Favourite journey? Travelling to villages in rural India. I learned so much of our undiscovered culture from them – it changed my life. Top five places worldwide? India; Norway; Iceland; USA; Kenya. Passport stamp you’re proudest of? New Zealand. Passport stamp you’d most…

Makes 15 pies 1kg myzithra cheese 500ml warm water 1 teaspoon yeast 25ml raki (tsikoudia) 25ml olive oil 1kg all-purpose flour Salt Method 1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, then add the raki, olive oil and two dessert spoons of salt. 2. Slowly stir in 1kg of all-purpose flour to make the dough; mix until elastic and not sticking to your hands. 3. Place the dough in a clean plastic bag and leave to rest in a warm place for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, roll the cheese into palm-sized balls. 4. After the dough has rested, cut and roll it into fist-sized balls on a floured surface. 5. Spread out each dough ball with your hands and place a ball of cheese into the centre of each…

The big adventurers are back in book-ness. First, Steve Backshall, whose Mountain: A Life on the Rocks (Orion, £19) is as rollicking as you’d expect from the conquering clamberer, but also contains self-critique. Taking him across some of the globe’s most petrifying peaks – and into hospital with a broken back – it’s a thoroughly readable memoir. Having frozen his extremities off in his last book Cold, it makes masochistic sense that Sir Ranulph Fiennes now heads for Heat (Simon & Schuster, £20), an account of his exploits in the planet’s most blistering bits: early military meanders in Oman, marathons in the Sahara, jungle journeys in Australia. It’s boy’s own adventuring with a great deal of context – exciting and fascinating. Alexander Armstrong fills Fiennes’ posh-lad-in-the-Arctic boots. The diary tie-in…

VITAL STATISTICS Location: California, USA State population: 39 million Language: English Time: GMT-8 (Mar-Nov GMT-7) International dialling code: +1 Visas: British nationals travelling via the Visa Waiver Scheme require an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization; $14; esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta). Apply at least 72 hours before travel. Money: US dollar ($), currently around $1.55 to the UK£. Within Yosemite NP there are ATMs in Yosemite Valley, Wawona and Tuolumne Meadows. When to go Spring: waterfall season. Many backcountry sites remain closed. Variable weather, relatively warm days. Summer: hot and mostly dry weather; full backcountry access. Crowded, especially during school holidays. Autumn: mostly good weather, quieter. Limited access from early November. Winter: cold, snowy, empty and beautiful. Badger Pass Ski area opens mid-December. Health & safety Beware of altitude sickness, unpredictable weather and…

1 Know that flight crew love children. I was really dreading how staff – and other passengers – would react to my son. But the attendants made sure we had everything we needed and went out of their way to be friendly to him, making sure he enjoyed his flight. 2 You can never have too many books. Or colouring pencils. Or games. Yes, kids can watch films and play video games but when they get bored of those there’s still time to fill. Take as many books/pads/toys as you can carry. Also, there may be only a few children’s films onboard, so load your tablet with your own collection to avoid the temptation of the age-inappropriate offerings. 3 Watch out for soft drink overload. Keep an eye on how…

1 Go low  Try to be as low to the ground as possible. Pictures taken above an animal’s line of sight suggest an artificial encounter. Get the camera – and indeed yourself – dirty if needs be. 2 Go offbeat  Visit places where you can get out of the vehicle and be creative. Don’t go where everyone else is: what’s the point? 3 Avoid long lenses  Long lenses are better for sport than wildlife; telephotos offer stock images, but not immersion and soul. Remember what Robert Capa said: if the picture’s not good enough, you’re not close enough. The Nikon 35mm lens is a fantastically sharp prime lens. Use remote controls if the animal is dangerous. Also, use a body with a fast motor drive – vital to enable you…

How we did the test… We asked gear manufacturers to submit fleece or merino-style midlayers that they felt were most suitable for travellers – those versatile enough to wear for both physical activities and general travel. Our editor, Phoebe Smith, took the 20 we were sent out on the road to see which performed best. All are available in men’s and women’s specific fits, with different names/prices indicated. Our Value Buy and overall Best Buy are shown. EDZ Microfleece Midlayer £30 The test: At the budget end of the scale is this no-nonsense microfleece from EDZ. There’s no draught excluder behind the full-length zip, but the fit is nice and close to keep you warm (though sleeves are a little less tapered than on the pricier models). There are two…

1 Tehran Explore the bazaars, mosques and palaces of the busy capital. 2 Yazd Discover fire temples and other Zoroastrian secrets in this desert city. 3 Bavanat Valley Experience Iran’s most impressive landscapes and meet the nomads who call it home. 4 Shiraz Pay your respects at poet Hafez’s tomb (above), in the heartland of Persia. 5 Dena Mountains Seek solitude in this rugged range, famed for its hiking trails. 6 Isfahan Shop until you drop in the bustling markets and seek spiritual enlightenment in Imam Square.…

Letters, tips, photos & exploits from you, our endlessly adventurous readers The 12m-long whale shark is an ecosystem in itself, I realised as I snorkelled side-on to get a better view. Large remora suckerfish flank her, sliding up and down her skin, while pilot fish appear to lead her through the ocean. Then something grabs my fin. I kick back to shake it off but it grabs me again. I look around. August is trying to tell me that another whale shark is moving in to my right. It comes out of the planktonic gloom, alarmingly large and widemouthed. At least 12m long and, on profile, not that much different from a great white. It swims towards me, near trapping me between the two of them. I wonder if this…

Trailblazing in Andorra I was the lucky winner of your Andorra competition [May 2015, issue 156], and my wife and I had a great week’s walking there. The Berghaus voucher was great, too. Andorra is a super country for walking, and the wildflowers and butterflies were wonderful. It really is small – one tenth the size of Cairngorms NP. The photo (above) was taken at one of our high points, above Soldeu. We had vultures above us! As we were flying into Barcelona, we added three days there and loved this beautiful, arty, clean city. TIP: You really need to book tickets in advance for visiting the Sagrada Família and Park Güell; we heartily recommend the open-topped city buses, too. Bryce Reynard, Inverness…

Searching for rare wildlife: an intrepid haul from Laos down the Mekong River, hunting for the elusive Irrawaddy dolphin. shalugids Snapping Asia’s best bits. I loved photographing Singapore at night. Awash with colour! greatwhitesean Getting more than I bargained for. I was hoping to be lucky and see one bear in the taiga but I wasn’t prepared for a whole slew! Sharon Jenkins Carter Road trip planning in the US. I’m driving through Atlanta, Nashville and Memphis, down the Mississippi River to New Orleans and back to Atlanta. I cannot wait! Herb Nanas Marvelling at the splendour of England’s Jurassic Coast. Went there and loved it: best coastline ever! AkankshaDureja Reflecting on the epicness of the USA’s greatest trek. The Appalachian Trail – such an amazing journey! Christine Suantika Basking…

VITAL STATISTICS Capital: Brasília Population: 205 million Languages: Portuguese; tribal languages Time: GMT-3 (Coast & Brasília); GMT-4 (Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, western Pará, Rondonia, Roraima); GMT-5 (Acre, West Amazonas). Some areas observe daylight saving. International dialling code: +55 Visas: Not required by UK nationals Money: Real (R$), currently around R$5.8 to the UK£. ATMs are widespread and credit cards widely accepted. When to go BELÉM • Belém is equatorial – temperatures range between the mid-30°C and low 20°C year round. January-April is height of the east Amazon rainy season: up to 400mm of rain daily. Few visitors. • Rain diminishes. June-December is driest, with occasional heavy rain showers and sunny afternoons with blue skies. River levels highest May-July and lowest August-December, making these latter months the best for…

Before you arrive What it lacks in beauty São Paulo makes up for in sheer size. You’ll clock this from the plane (the left is usually best for views). With its perpetual concrete and traffic-soaked six-lane highways, this supercity can feel imposing, even impenetrable, at first. But don’t let that put you off. São Paulo is where Latin America studies and works hard, but it’s also where it comes to play. Nowhere else gets close for nightlife, restaurants, shopping and vibrant, diverse culture. Nowhere welcomes visitors more enthusiastically. You’re a gringo in Rio. But in São Paulo you’re part of the throng, and making friends is easy. The city’s reputation for crime is deserved but it’s almost completely restricted to the favela slums on the outer margins. It’s safe to…

1 Embalse Caidero de la Nina This reservoir was built in the interior in the mid-20th century to relieve Gran Canaria’s constant water shortage (today the emphasis is on desalination plants). 2 Roque Nublo Known as Cloud Mountain, Roque Nublo is a striking rock column and the remains of a former volcano pipe. 3 Pinar de Tamadaba Light pine forest covers 1,444m-high Tamadaba. The nearby Barranco de Agaete is considered to be one of the most beautiful barrancos (ravines) on the island. 4 Barranco de Fataga From the centre of the island, deep gorges – such as Barranco de Fataga – lead out to the coast. The floors of the narrow valleys are used for agriculture. Potatoes and grains are grown on terraced fields at higher elevations. 5 Caldera de…

1 Great Britain (243,610 sq km) covers less than 1% of the earth’s total surface area. We think. p60 2 In 1872 a hotelier kicked burning embers off Yosemite’s Glacier Point, creating a fall of fire – it became a popular tradition; p48 3 In Iran, you can report a bus driver by text if he commits an offence, including not stopping for prayers; p84 4 The Amazon’s camu-camu berries pack in more vitamin C than any other fruit; p114 5 If you travel Airbnbstyle, you could sleep in a castle, windmill or boat; p70…

KOMODO COMBAT Rinca Island, Indonesia It could be a scene from a Godzilla movie. Instead, it’s a dramatic action shot taken in Komodo National Park, where two mighty Komodo dragons – weighing over 100kg each – are scrapping for dominance, using their muscular tails for support. This compelling image, shot by photographer Andrey Gudkov, also fought it out to be chosen as a finalist in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015 competition. Andrey Gudkov/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015. The exhibition is now on at the Natural History Museum, London; ( nhm.ac.uk ); for full info turn to p20 HOLI SINGERS Nandgaon, India Photographer: Sreeranj Sreedhar A cloud of yellow fills the air as men singing provocative songs are splattered with coloured powder – just one…

You’ve lived in Britain for a long time and, at the start of the new book, we see you take the citizenship test: so how does it feel to be a Brit*? It was a very strange experience. On the one hand it didn’t feel all that sensational, partly because it just felt like I was getting my papers in order and I also didn’t need to give up my American citizenship to get my British one – it was just this little add-on to my existence. Then, I was quite thrilled to get a British passport with my name in it; now I’ve used it a couple of times for trips and I was quite delighted. I was really pleased to go through the British queue; the last time…

Now here is a question that is harder to answer than you might think: Is Britain a big country or a little one? Looked at one way, it is self-evidently small, a modest chunk of land floating in chilly waters off the northwestern edge of Europe. Of the total surface area of Earth, Britain occupies just 0.0174069 per cent. (I should note that I can’t absolutely vouch for that number. It was calculated for me by my son some years ago for a newspaper article I was writing. He was only about thirteen years old at the time, but he had a calculator with over 200 buttons on it and he seemed to know what he was doing.) By other measures, however, Britain is incontestably substantial. Amazingly, it is the…

Why did you choose to stay in this type of accommodation? I went to stay in Jacmel, Haiti, but there was a lack of available regular hotels at an affordable price: it was the time of the annual carnival so all the hotels had pushed their prices up. How did you find the experience? It was an interesting experiment. I found it less satisfactory in terms of liaising with the owner, who wasn’t on site much. Being slightly out of town with no food options on site or nearby meant it wasn’t as good as a B&B would have been. It was a shame the owner wasn’t there much as I didn’t get to chat about his country or lifestyle. However, the accommodation itself was great: clean, with a sea…

Three travellers to Thailand; three different tales of woe. It’s a great country to visit — and most visitors have no problems at all – but here’s what can go wrong, and how to avoid these nasties yourself. CASE 1: Bargain travel insurance A patient in his 20s consulted me. He had been travelling through Asia for ten months and wondered if he needed any special tests. He had no symptoms but told me that he’d been very ill in Thailand. He had developed a severe headache, high fever and then felt as if his bones were ‘fracturing’. Feeling awful and scared, he’d found a private clinic in Bangkok where dengue fever was diagnosed. He then discovered that his ‘very good’ travel insurance (which cost considerably less than that of…

The fortune-teller mused for a moment – before fluttering its lime green wings and lowering its beak towards the pieces of paper crammed into the tiny box. A lilac-coloured slip scrawled with Farsi was eventually selected, and retrieved by the bushy-haired man clutching the all-knowing bird. The clairvoyant budgie had spoken. “You are bold and you are wise but you are lost,” the missive read. “Travel and prayer will guide the way.” Stood in the middle of Shiraz under a twilight sky, watching young and old clamber to touch the tomb of the great 14th-century poet Hafez, I felt that my prayers had already been answered. Iran is a place of great beauty and immense history; indeed, during the days of Cyrus the Great, around 500 BC, the Persian Empire…

Time is fast running out for you to enter the Wanderlust Travel Photo of the Year competition – the deadline is on 31 October. Whether you took some amazing images on your latest trip, or if you think you’ve got some corkers from past adventures, hurry up and send them in! The four winners of our Amateur competition will receive the prize of a lifetime: a photo commission (for two) to Western Australia, courtesy of Tourism Western Australia. The prize for the winner of our Portfolio contest – open to amateur and professional snappers – is £3,000. So don’t delay, send those shots in now! Win a commission AMATEUR COMPETITION The largest state in the country, Western Australia offers adventures for everyone — whether you’re a lover of landscapes, wildlife,…

GOLD Efrain Valles Guides for: Amazonas Explorer, Peru ( amazonas-explorer.com ) “At the Chicuchas Wasi for Girls [where Efrain is on the board], a big problem for our students is dental care. We’re using the bursary to bring the dentist to the school and treat all our girls… and in November we start treating their parents too!” BRONZE Bunyong Roeurn Guides for: G Adventures, Cambodia ( gadventures.co.uk ) “I registered the Learning to Share Foundation as a local charity and opened a LtS Center at my home in Siem Reap where I teach English to poor and homeless children in my spare time.” SILVER Charlie Jaques Guides for: Back-Roads Touring, France ( backroadstouring.com ) “I split my bursary between two great charities: Freedom from…

Regent’s resident North Korea expert, Carl Meadows, has visited the country twenty times and was delighted to be awarded Highly Commended at the 2013 Wanderlust World Guide Awards for his exceptional guiding in this fascinating country. Even after twenty visits, my excitement for the country has never wavered. Your compulsory North Korean guides are your window to the country – a warm and friendly approach to them will be reciprocated and likely result in their striving to add special and unexpected elements to your tour, giving you even more out of your time in the DPRK…

Belarus Wanderlust.co.uk  forum user Nick Langridge took a ten-day trip to eastern Europe The highlight: Berezinsky National Park – walking trails through red pine, silver birch, spruce and alder to a raised bog with expansive views, coupled with a guide who knew it all. Must see: Khatin – a village in a forest clearing, exterminated by Nazis during WW2 and now a memorial to represent all such 186 villages across Belarus. Top tip: Know your zeros. There are 24,000 roubles to the pound and strings of zeros on the notes. It can be confusing but shop staff are helpful and honest. Cautionary tale: Be wary of border entry from Poland. One of the group was refused entry as the embassy hadn’t stamped the visa properly. I wish I’d known... A…

BEST BARGAIN Don’t scrimp. The food, fashion and nightlife are fabulous but to get the most out of São Paulo you’ll need to spend – albeit far less than in cities like Paris or NYC. • Essential Info Population: 11 million (greater São Paulo, around 19.5 million) Languages: Portuguese Timezone: GMT-3 (Oct-Feb GMT-2) International dialling code: +55 Visas: Not required by UK nationals Currency: Brazilian real (R$), currently around R$6 to the UK£ Highest viewpoint: From the Terraço Itália restaurant in the Consolação district you can see Niemeyer’s iconic Copan building (completed in the 1960s), the old city centre and the Serra da Cantareira mountains. Health issues: Hepatitis A and B vaccinations are recommended. There is a mild risk of dengue. Avoid drinking tap water. Don’t walk around the city…

Get orientated Sunny Gran Canaria is perhaps best known for being a fly-n-flop package holiday spot, with tourists drawn to the golden beaches on its south coast. But the third-largest of the Spanish Canary Islands is actually so much more. With abundant wildlife and varied terrain, it’s more like a continent in miniature. Gran Canaria is the result of millions of years of volcanic activity, resulting in a landscape of craggy peaks, craters, sand dunes, lush ravines and impressive rock formations – such as dramatic Roque Nublo and El Fraile (‘The Friar’), and Bentayga, where aboriginal Guanche peoples once performed rituals. There are 32 protected areas here and, in 2005, over a third of the island was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Fortunately, a host of trails snake through the…

PHOEBE SMITH • EDITOR • Discussing Britain’s best bits with legendary travel writer Bill Bryson SEE PAGE 22 & 60 SARAH BAXTER • ASSOCIATE EDITOR • Seeking out Asia’s best beaches for active and cultural adventures SEE PAGE 30 TOM HAWKER • PRODUCTION EDITOR • Drooling over Amazonian steak and chocolate (but not at the same time) SEE PAGE 114 RHODRI ANDREWS • EDITORIAL ASSISTANT • Learning how to become a responsible traveller and how to help Nepal SEE PAGE 14…

The violent earthquake, and major aftershock, that devastated Nepal in spring 2015 have deterred many travellers from visiting. Some worry that there could be further destruction and that many of Nepal’s historic sites have been damaged. So is now really a good time to visit? Yes, says Tom Buttle, a trustee of charity Porters’ Progress UK (portersprogressuk.org). “Nepal is working hard to recover from the earthquakes,” he explains. “But the return of visitors to the country is an invaluable part of the rebuilding process.” Millions of pounds in aid is being sent to help the thousands of people injured or rendered homeless; however, travellers are just as important in Nepal’s recovery. The tourist trade has been hit hard at a time when Nepal needs tourist dollars most. Just by visiting…

TOP TIP Other specialities to look out for in Crete include: fried snails, gamopilafo (a rich risotto-like rice dish), askordoulakous (a wild green, foraged from the hills) and tsikoudia (grape brandy, drunk neat). The glorious Greek island of Crete is the perfect place to indulge in a foodie blowout, without the guilty conscience. The local diet here is abundant in fresh local fruit, vegetables, honey and yoghurt; it traditionally includes a limited amount of meat; and, with 1.5 million olive trees dotting the island, healthier olive oil is the primary fat in most dishes. As a result, Cretans lay claim to being some of the healthiest people in the world, with some of the highest life expectancies. “From the terraced hills, laden with olive trees, to the fields full of…

YES Cathy Aitken, Wanderlust reader “If charges are made, they should be based on width rather than weight. Sitting next to a person encroaching on your space makes for an uncomfortable flight. It’s not only obese people, but those who hang their elbows over armrests. Very tall people already know that they are going to be cramped in the restricted space on modern planes; they have the option to pay more for extra legroom. Perhaps making passengers walk through a gateway that is the width of the aircraft seats could be used to filter out those who are too wide? Obese passengers are becoming more common, and wider (pricier) seats should be provided.” NO Matthew Morris, Wanderlust reader “I think weighing people at the airport is unnecessarily embarrassing for passengers.…

TOP MOMENT: From exhilarating night-walks to meeting indigenous locals, even just a couple of days in the Amazon offers extraordinary experiences. Although there were many magic moments, falling asleep to the patter of heavy rain on the trees outside our lodge was quite something. ACCOMMODATION: Jungle accommodation is fantastic, and really authentic. I shared my lodge with a few harmless critters, but that’s all part of being in the jungle. Most lodges are equipped with welly boots for your jungle walks, to save your own boots from being ruined in the rains. WILDLIFE: Amazon wildlife is so plentiful that it’s almost incomprehensible – there are thousands of species to be discovered. Not all will be seen on a short tour but, depending on where you go, you’ll likely spot monkeys…

WHAT IS A MIDLAYER? ‘Midlayer’ is a broad term. It can encompass everything from technical fleeces (often Polartec), to merino-wool tops, to jackets with down panels and water- or wind-resistant materials. Decide what you need your midlayer to do – no one midlayer does everything well. This test focuses on midlayers that offer a good level of warmth at a light weight – perfect for wearing under a waterproof in cold climates or as a stand-alone jacket on chilly nights in warmer countries. FABRIC Can look super sporty or more lifestyle/casual - it’s down to personal choice but for travel something you can wear during outdoor activities and down to the pub afterwards gives you more versatility. HOOD Not all midlayers have hoods. A good hood will help keep you…

VITAL STATISTICS Capital: Tehran Population: 82 million Languages: Persian (Farsi); some English is spoken Time: GMT+3.5 (Mar-Sept GMT+4.5) Visas: Required by UK nationals, and must be obtained in advance. It’s a complicated process but most tour operators can assist. Money: Iranian rial (IRR), currently around IRR45,000 to the UK£. US dollars accepted in some places. ATMs do not accept foreign cards – take enough cash. When to go • Optimum time to visit: pleasant conditions, temperatures around 24°C in Tehran. Peak of domestic tourism. • Hot and dry; temperatures up to 40°C. • Cold, especially the north; can drop below freezing. Crossing mountain passes often treacherous. Health & safety No vaccinations are required; being up to date with standard vaccinations is advised. Tap water is best avoided. Sun protection is…

Cat camouflage After reading about Botswana [February 2015, issue 153] I thought I’d share a story from a recent safari. The country’s national parks are mostly unfenced, and game-viewing may be more rewarding in the immediate surroundings. Our final destination on safaris to Botswana is invariably Mabuasehube NP, since it has always rewarded us with lion sightings. As you approach this park from the north, the track deteriorates, the sand thickens, the ruts deepen, the cattle become more scarce – and we sharpen our eyes for possible game sightings. When a male lion crossed in front of us, we slithered to a halt and grabbed the binoculars to follow his path into the bush. No luck. A large Kalahari male lion had simply vanished! Not yet in the park, we…

There’s something so other-worldly about Skye that even the most cynical traveller can’t help but look expectantly for the supernatural creatures said to inhabit Faerie Glen. It’s hardly surprising that Steven Spielberg chose this unique geological formation – a cluster of cone-shaped hills near Uig on the Trotternish peninsula – as one of the locations for his 2016 movie adaptation of Roald Dahl’s BFG; the ethereal setting is certainly a suitable backdrop for a fantasy tale. And herein lies the beauty of Skye, the largest island in the Inner Hebrides: folklore is embedded in the landscape. It’s no wonder, given the number of awe-inspiring spots Skye packs into its modest 1,658 sq km. Such tales surely represent just one way that inhabitants and visitors have found through the years to…