Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2020 - May 2020 i International Traveller

With recent talk of the world reaching a point of no return in the fight against global warming, we here at Australian Traveller Media have reached our own tipping point. After the summer bushfires here in Australia and with talk of international cities being choked by badly behaved tourists, we have decided that we need to look at the way we communicate with you, our readers, about travel. This issue marks our move forward into a more conscious and responsible way of looking at travel. It is not a one-off ‘Green Issue’, because this is a problem that is going to take a lot more than token gestures to make a dent in. Rather, we have recalibrated our whole focus in the knowledge that the now-everyday act of getting on…

Flying can be a real drain on your skin – literally. In order to keep a dewy complexion, the skin ideally needs between 40 and 70 per cent humidity; most aeroplane cabins have a moisture-sucking 20 per cent. Hence the reason your skin feels as dry as a paper bag after a flight, and the longer the haul the worse the dehydration. In addition to drinking lots of water – about 250 millilitres per hour of flying is a good start (about five litres of water for a long-haul flight, from a reusable bottle, of course) – moisturising regularly will also help. And choosing a product that is as good for the planet as it is for you is increasingly easy. Australian beauty brands such as Aesop and Grown Alchemist…

As the former associate editor of Wanderlust magazine, Sarah Baxter was well placed to write Hidden Places (Inspired Traveller’s Guide). Aimed squarely at independent-minded travellers, this alt travel bible transports readers to 25 of the most secret destinations – from forgotten cities to far-flung places – with evocative stories and wonderfully whimsical illustrations by London-based Amy Grimes. While some of the hidden gems are concealed in plain sight, such as a tiny village in Dorset, in the UK, which died for D Day, there are other places that have been more purposefully kept under wraps by colonial powers such as the mighty Masvingo Province in Zimbabwe. Committed nomads will immediately start plotting their trip to the underwater monument off the Ryukyu Islands in Japan, while armchair travellers will savour the…

SIP AND SAVOUR With 300 days of sunshine each year, Denver provides plenty of opportunities to enjoy it. Head to 54thirty or The Woods for a rooftop cocktail, Linger Eatuary for alfresco small plates or chef-owned restaurants such as TAG and Rioja in historic Larimer Square to sample some authentic farm-to-table cuisine. Get close to nature SET OFF ON A PREHISTORIC JOURNEY WITH DINOSAURS AT DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE OR GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL TO THE LIVING CREATURES AT DENVER ZOO, INCLUDING ASIAN ELEPHANTS, AMUR TIGERS, GIRAFFES, RHINOS AND EVEN PENGUINS. STARLIT SERENADE The famous Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre’s reputation may precede it (everyone from The Beatles to U2 has played there), but this stunning geological phenomenon is something every music-lover needs to experience for themselves.…

HOW TO GET THERE The TOHOKU SHINKANSEN ( high-speed rail line) covers the 350-kilometre trip from Tokyo to Sendai, in the heart of the Tohoku region, in about 90 minutes. Once there, it’s best to hire a car and explore the region at your own pace. WHERE TO STAY One of the most striking and tranquil hotels in the Tohoku region is the SHONAI HOTEL SUIDEN TERASSE . The ultramodern design is spread out over rice fields on the outskirts of the west coast town of Shonai. WHAT TO DO ZAO ONSEN ’s snowfields challenge even Sapporo’s best, just without the crowds.…

Towering red rocks that balance impossibly upon the tip of another, snow-patched trails that lead to the famous 16-metre-high Delicate Arch, rock formations resembling three gossiping ladies and panoramic views of canyons carved by the relentless Colorado River seen through the eye of Mesa Arch. Such is the delicate beauty existing in Moab’s Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, making the challenge for Utah’s south-eastern town to maintain it for future generations – a challenge they’re tackling head-on with its Do It Like A Local campaign, delivering an important message to visitors: don’t bust the crust. A single footprint in the desert can be deadly: living things like fungi, lichens and mosses cover Moab’s microbiotic soil, helping it to retain the moisture other species need to survive. “Those small…

GETTING THERE LATAM operates non-stop flights to Santiago from Sydney and Melbourne, with connecting flights to Patagonia. latam.com PLAYING THERE Tour operator Gran Patagonia is a specialist in the region. granpatagonia.com STAYING THERE LODGE DESEADO on Tierra del Fuego offers architect-designed digs in a lakeside location worth travelling for. lodgedeseado.com ESTANCIA CALETA JOSEFINA ,a working ranch, offers a glimpse into pioneer-era Patagonia. estanciacaletajosefina.com HOTEL YEGUA LOCA in Punta Arenas is a boutique hotel and restaurant inspired by the trades and traditions of Patagonia. yegualoca.com Design-led NOI INDIGO PATAGONIA provides a stylish and contemporary stay in Puerto Natales. noihotels.com With heaps of local character, HOSTAL EL PUESTO is the perfect base in Aysén region’s Puerto Río Tranquilo. elpuesto.cl Enjoy picture-perfect views of Lago General Carrera from your timber cabin at EL…

WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER A SAFARI WITHOUT THE BIG FIVE Almost every safari experience in South Africa begins with a list of the dangerous animals you might see. But there’s actually a few surprising things that might convince you to go in another direction... SEE ‘DESTINATIONS’ FOR OUR SOUTH AFRICA GUIDE 8 AMAZING STREET FOODS NOT TO MISS IN MEXICO CITY Eat where the locals eat in the sprawling capital of Mexico City, with this guide to tracking down its veritable smorgasbord of antojitos (street snacks). SEE ‘DESTINATIONS’ FOR OUR MEXICO GUIDE THE WORLD’S TOP ECOFRIENDLY RESORTS Discover eco-friendly digs designed to inspire low-impact travel, such as The Inn at Kulaniapa Falls, one of the top sustainable resorts on the Hawaiian Islands. SEE OUR NEW ‘CONSCIOUS TRAVELLER’ HUB FOR MORE…

WHERE TO EAT L’OCA D’ORO: Italian-inspired L’Oca d’Oro (left) celebrates family, community and sustainability. Located in the Mueller District, the eatery’s farm-to-table philosophy extends to handmade pasta, cheese, salumi, bread, vinegars and liqueurs. locadoroaustin.com OLAMAIE: Executive chef Michael Fojtasek’s Olamaie is the product of a foodie-fuelled road trip through America’s South, with locally sourced, sustainable produce presented in a fine-dining setting. olamaieaustin.com SWIFT’S ATTIC: Swift’s Attic chef de cuisine David Wakefield sources hormone- and antibiotic-free meat, as well as organic farm-fresh produce for its farm-to-table menu. The restaurant also gives back to local charities. swiftsattic.com TRUE FOOD KITCHEN : Dr Andrew Weil’s wellness-focused restaurant taps into seasonal bounty from organic farms. Here, proceeds from select menu items support causes like the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit that advocates for the…

1. PAMPA BYRON BAY-BASED PAMPA IS THE PASSION PROJECT OF PARTNERS CARL WILSON AND VICTORIA AGUIRRE, WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH ARTISANS IN ARGENTINA SINCE 2012 TO PRODUCE ETHICALLY PRODUCED RUGS, TEXTILES AND HOMEWARES. ITS TRACEABLE PRODUCTION PROCESS, ENVIRONMENTAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND SOCIAL CONSCIENCE (PAYING FAIR WAGES, ENSURING THE HEALTH AND HAPPINESS OF THE PEOPLE THEY WORK WITH) HAS FOSTERED THEIR SUCCESS AND MAKE BUYING FROM THEM TOTALLY GUILT-FREE. PAMPA.COM.AU SIGNATURE PIECE: THE PAMPA PONCHO, $450. 2. BOODY Boody makes everyday essentials in sustainable bamboo materials that are designed to be worn again and again. In fact, the company ticks so many worthy boxes, including membership of 1% for the Planet, that we would need to use more paper to list them (and they wouldn’t like that). boody.com.au Signature piece: Classic…

WHAT IS YOUR FIRST MEMORY OF TRAVELLING? Tassie (1), aged 11. Big family, two rental cars, one breakdown. Non-stop National Lampoon’s Vacation jokes. WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT TRAVEL? When you arrive somewhere you’ve never been before in the dark of night and open the curtains in the morning. I once arrived in Mumbai in a midnight haze; opening the curtains the next morning was a thrill I’ll never forget. WHERE ARE YOU PLANNING ON GOING NEXT? Home to Australia. I say ‘home’ but I really have two homes. After six months here [in Paris], I’m looking forward to returning to our coastal village, watching birds in my backyard, and abandoning shoes for months. WHICH CITY IS YOUR FAVOURITE TO TRAVEL TO AND WHY? Paris! The city is always…

1 PLASTIC NOT FANTASTIC Discarded plastic cutlery is some of the deadliest ocean trash to sea turtles, birds and mammals according to The Ocean Conservancy. Banish this pernicious killer by toting a handy set of bamboo utensils, $29, with you. seedsprout.com.au 2 SLEEP TIGHT When the North Wind Blows sleeping bags, $249, are designed to look as pretty as the landscape you use them in. Produced using cotton and vegan leather, they come in a handy duffle bag that can do double duty as a beach bag. northwindblows.com.au 3 BOWLED OVER The reusable coffee cup has become the ultimate conspicuous indicator that you are doing your bit, but it’s all for nought if you still eat your lunch from a plastic takeaway container. Pottery for the Planet’s ‘planet’ bowl, $59,…

Sixty-six-year-old Julia Common squats and pulls out a wooden frame smothered with hundreds of wriggling bees. It’s the closest I’ve ever been to a swarm and I instinctively step back. Puffing another dose of sage and lavender-scented smoke at the squirming bodies, Julia reassures us: “The smoker cuts down their ability to communicate with each other,” explains the chief beekeeper at the Fairmont Waterfront, Vancouver. “The smoke isn’t hot; it calms them down.” Julia points to a bee away from the hive, vibrating gently. “The bum in the air means it’s lost,” she interprets for us. “They’re highly social insects communicating all the time through smell and vibration and they groom themselves like cats. I’m in love with bees.” We’re in the hotel’s sunny third-floor terrace garden, a delightful patch…

Mara Ngenche Safari Camp comes under the umbrella of Atua Enkop Africa Luxury Camps, which has adopted several strategies to promote positive change through conservation and sustainable practices in Kenya. The camp’s long-term commitments include undertaking projects that benefit surrounding communities while ensuring much of their staff are employed from local villages. One of the main projects works closely with Kenyan-based conservation company, Wildlife Works (wildlifeworks.com) to ensure all safari vehicles are carbon offset through forest protection; another initiative supplies surrounding areas with tree water from local bore holes, which has resulted in the near eradication of typhoid in the Tipilikwani area in the Maasai Mara. The camp also supports local villages by displaying and marketing artwork and fashion accessories, including bracelets, necklaces, beadwork, in the camp’s shops. With a…

As well as becoming the largest airline in Japan, All Nippon Airways (ANA) has been recognised as the first ‘Eco-First’ company in the airline and transport industry by Japan’s Ministry of Environment. Conscious travellers who have Japan in their sights this year will be pleased to learn ANA HD also aims to replace about 70 per cent of its single-use plastics with eco-friendly products by the end of the fiscal year in 2020. ANA announced its commitment to further decreasing its environmental impact as of February 2020. In addition to reducing the use of plastics, ANA HD has already made significant strides in the implementation of sustainable aircraft fuel.…

Even small changes in the way you travel today can have a lasting impact on creating a better tomorrow. That’s why Trafalgar launched Join Trafalgar in 2009 – to transform travel into a force for good. PEOPLE POWER Trafalgar’s Be My Guest experiences started with a sip of limoncello and a shared meal on a lemon farm in Sorrento, Italy. Today, they’re the highlight of any Trafalgar journey, and one you can feel good about. Each of the 103 exclusive experiences are located outside the city centre, helping to sustain the livelihoods of rural locals. PROTECT AND PRESERVE Part of taking people to the world’s bucket-list destinations is making sure they still exist for future generations to enjoy. Trafalgar encourages off-peak travel, preserves historic colonial homes and buildings of cultural…

Conscious travel doesn’t require you to perform as grand a gesture as volunteering at an orphanage or building a bridge in a remote community somewhere. Taking it slow, and seeking out experiences that have a positive impact on the communities and environments you visit, is good for the world, too. This is particularly easy in Colorado, where you can marvel at the scenery, enjoy a freshly brewed craft beer with its brewer and stargaze until your heart’s content. The state is home to an impressive catalogue of mountains (54 over 4000 metres to be precise) and four heart-achingly beautiful national parks that are a veritable playground for conscious explorers. UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mesa Verde is known for its pueblo history, with more than 4700 archaeological sites, while Rocky Mountain National…

GETTING THERE Thai Airways flies daily from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to Bangkok, and has connecting flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Thai Airways offers a carbon offset program that aims to minimise the impact of your travel on the environment: you can opt to carbon offset your flight. thaiairways.com STAYING THERE FOUR SEASONS RESORT CHIANG MAI is a luxurious, rural retreat with a focus on health and wellness. fourseasons.com/ chiangmai FOUR SEASONS TENTED CAMP GOLDEN TRIANGLE has 15 individually decorated safari tents elevated amid the treetops; the Explorer’s Lodge accommodates up to six people. fourseasons.com/goldentriangle TALKING THERE The most important words to know in Thai are kráp and kâ, which are added to the end of most sentences to make them more polite. Kráp is used by men and…

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, sustainable tourism should: 1. Make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourism development, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity. 2. Respect the sociocultural authenticity of host communities, conserve their built and living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute to intercultural understanding and tolerance. 3. Ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socioeconomic benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed, including stable employment and income-earning opportunities and social services to host communities, and contributing to poverty alleviation.…

SUSTAINABLE SHOPPING Lisbon has evolved as an ecofriendly city for travellers, who can forage everywhere from vintage stores to flea markets to emporiums spruiking Portuguese-made handicrafts. LX MARKET Consumers who are conscious about the origins of their clothing should join Portugal’s hip parade at the Sunday flea market at LxFactory, in Alcântara. It’s the vintage haute couture that brings the best value here: if you’re not tempted by the crocodile-leather boots, try on that faux fur jacket or rhinestone ring. lxmarket.com.pt ORGANII This clean, green beauty store specialises in organic, sustainable and ethical beauty brands sourced from around Europe. Book in for a treatment at the brand’s Bio Day Spa where you can try before you buy. The cosmetics store has an outlet in Baixa. organii.com A VIDA PORTUGUESA Feel…

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? This collection of tenement buildings, located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, celebrates the USA’s migrant population. The Tenement Museum, housed in a distinctive brick building with zigzagging fire escapes, is an evocative time capsule of the immigrants who lived within the walls of 97 and 103 Orchard Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side during the 19th and 20th centuries. Abandoned for more than 50 years, number 97 contained a treasure trove of everyday objects from former residents that helped inform the museum’s mission to honour the contribution immigrants made in shaping the identity of the USA. TOP FOUR... HARD TIMES TOUR Exploring how immigrants coped with the harsh economic realities of life in a new country, this tour journeys through the reconstructed apartments of…

VIKINGS: THE SEQUEL All the Viking ships on display at the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo were ocean-going vessels before they were lugged on land to be used in burial rituals for their wealthy owners. The prow of the Oseberg – pictured – aims to emulate a spiralling serpent’s head. The museum features a range of artefacts that bring to life the world of the Vikings. khm.uio.no EAT OUT (A LOT) A FORMER INDUSTRIAL AREA OF OSLO LOCATED ON THE BANKS OF AKERSELVA RIVER HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO THE MATHALLEN FOOD COURT, AN UNDERCOVER EAT STREET SHOWCASING THE VERY BEST OF REGIONAL NORWEGIAN CUISINE AS WELL AS A RANGE OF CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS. mathallenoslo . no NEW MUNCH MUSEUM A BRAND-NEW MUNCHMUSEET (MUNCH MUSEUM) IS SET TO OPEN ON OSLO’S…

Until 31 August MATISSE, COMME UN ROMAN Paris, France THE CENTRE POMPIDOU WILL PAY TRIBUTE TO HENRI MATISSE IN AN EXHIBITION BRINGING TOGETHER SOME OF THE ARTIST’S BEST-KNOWN WORKS THAT INTERWEAVE ART AND WORDS. THE EXHIBITION WILL MARK THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF THE FRENCH ARTIST. CENTREPOMPIDOU.FR Until 9 May DOROTHEA LANGE: WORDS & PICTURES New York City, USA MOMA’S FIRST MAJOR DOROTHEA LANGE EXHIBITION IN 50 YEARS BRINGS LESSER-KNOWN IMAGES TOGETHER WITH ICONIC WORKS INCLUDING THE 1939 PHOTOBOOK AN AMERICAN EXODUS, WHICH SHOWS THE HUMAN IMPACT OF THE DUSTBOWL MIGRATION. MOMA.ORG Until 19 April JUDY CHICAGO Gateshead, UK This survey of works at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art highlights the pioneering feminist artist’s ongoing concern with the effects of climate change. The exhibition spans Chicago’s 50-year…

Scandinavians have a reputation as being more liberal than most, but I never imagined I would be cycling past so many naked figures. Strange beings, too: a nude man lifting a nude woman over his shoulder while nearby another naked fellow wrestles a giant lizard. They are not real people, of course, but a couple of the 212 bronze and granite statues by Gustav Vigeland in Oslo’s Frogner Park, the world’s largest single-sculptor display. I cycle around a 17-metre tower of human kitsch known as The Monolith, then tussle with a very important decision: is the naked man fighting off flying babies or the angry toddler sublimely frozen in tantrum my favourite? Such are the conundrums when you come face-to-face with local cultures you don’t yet understand. By hour two…

Art and food aren’t always best-suited bedfellows. Throw a rural setting and reclaimed farmhouse into the mix and it would have been easy to spawn a threadless, cultural Frankenstein. However, the Roth Bar & Grill – one of a cluster of buildings in the 7th-century township of Bruton now reinvigorated as an outpost of international gallery chain Hauser & Wirth – balances culinary resolve, creative progression and local sensibility. When I arrive shrouded in the eerie mist of British winter, the eatery takes on a mythical guise, as if emerging as an apparition. The bar and grill itself is flanked by several impressive art galleries, retail spaces and an expansive wildflower meadow by superstar Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf (of New York City’s High Line fame). Outdoor sculptures are framed…

GETTING THERE Air Canada operates daily direct flights from major Australian cities to Vancouver. aircanada.com STAYING THERE FAIRMONT WATERFRONT HOTEL is located on Vancouver’s buzzy waterfront, a short walk from the city’s oldest (and hippest) neighbourhood, Gastown. The 528-room FAIRMONT CHATEAU WHISTLER blends elegance with a spectacular mountain setting. fairmontbeesustainable.com PLAYING THERE Take part in a bee ID walk, bumblebee nest building or beekeeping workshop at VANDUSEN BOTANICAL GARDEN in Vancouver. vandusengarden.org Go mead tasting at TUGWELL CREEK HONEY FARM AND MEADERY on Vancouver Island; tugwellcreekfarm.com SHOPPING THERE Stock up on HIVES FOR HUMANITY’S honey, candles and more at ORGANIC ACRES MARKET . befresh.ca/organicacres CYCLING THERE Cycling is perhaps the best way to explore Vancouver, and MOBI BY SHAW GO , its official bike share program, has bike stations located…

GETTING THERE South African Airways (SAA) has daily flights to Johannesburg from most Australian capital cities (with codeshare partner Virgin Australia) via Perth. SAA flies daily from Johannesburg to Nairobi, Kenya. flysaa.com STAYING THERE Bench Africa has a range of Kenyan safari options that include a stay at Mara Ngench. benchafrica.com.au TALKING THERE The official languages of Kenya are Swahili and English. Try these words and phrases out while you’re there: Habari – Hello Habariyaasubuhi – Good morning Usikumwema – Goodnight Samahani – Excuse me Tadadhali – Please Asante sana – Thank you very much Ndiyo – Yes Hapana – No Jinalakoninani? – What is your name? Tembo – Elephant Samba – Lion Kiboko – Hippopotamus SPENDING THERE The currency of Kenya is the Kenyan Shilling; $1 converts to roughly…

GETTING THERE ANA flies daily from Sydney to Tokyo (Haneda). ANA also flies direct from Perth with daily flights departing to Tokyo (Narita). There are eight flights a day from Tokyo to Nagasaki. STAYING THERE UNZEN FUKUDAYA is a ryokan in Unzen with public indoor/ outdoor onsens that allow visitors to tap into a piece of history. fukudaya.co.jp/en ANA CROWNE PLAZA is located on a mountainside in Nagasaki. anacrowneplaza-nagasaki.jp HOTEL NEW NAGASAKI offers rooms that combine Japanese style with Western. newnaga.com/en INASAYAMA KANKO HOTEL serves kaiseki cuisine prepared with local ingredients. inasayama.co.jp EATING THERE Go for gozoni (soup) at HIMEMATSUYA . himematsuya.jp/ Experience shippoku-ryori at UNZEN FUKUDAYA . fukudaya.co.jp/en Enjoy premium sashimi at TAIMASASUSHI, 2-11 Kojiyamachi, Nagasaki. Grab a sweet treat at CHIFFON CAKE & COFFEE , Minamiaso Railway Choyo…

The Route of Parks of Patagonia protects and conserves the 46 species of marine and land mammals and more than 140 bird species that call it home, including: HUEMUL Also known as the South Andean deer, the highly endangered huemul features on Chile’s national shield. Recovering its population – today there are only 1500 left in the world – is the top priority of a rewilding program in Patagonia National Park (see next page). PUMA Most easy to spot in Torres del Paine National Park, this elusive big cat is now protected by law in Chile after its numbers were historically diminished (having been killed by ranching interests); it is also a focus of Patagonia National Park’s rewilding program. GUANACO Patagonia’s spirit animal (and puma prey), often seen in herds…

GETTING THERE Turin, Piedmont’s capital, is a one-hour express train ride from Milan Central. STAYING THERE Opened in 1925, the GRAND HOTEL SITEA is a refined option located in the heart of Turin. It is within walking distance from the city’s main attractions including Piazza San Carlo, Piazza Castello, the plentiful shopping of Via Roma and the lively nightlife of Quadrilatero. grandhotelsitea.it For a more rural but no less stylish stay, ADA NADA is a rustic agritourismo surrounded by the picturesque Langhe hills. adanada.it EATING THERE There are more than 40 Michelin-starred restaurants in Piedmont, but there are plenty of other ways to eat well in the region. Recipient of the Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand status, awarded to restaurants where high-calibre food is available at a good price, Bra institution…

A temple of Athenian architecture in the belly of the Greek capital, Perianth Hotel is far from a misfit in a city rich with relics. Yet this is no ancient homage to the gods. Instead of crumbling columns and intricate bas-reliefs, the Perianth is a Bauhaus beauty and one of scant few surviving examples of Athens’ Modernist movement. While the Acropolis, Roman Forum and other sites of great antiquity have been brought into sharp focus, remaining (rightly) safeguarded, it’s estimated that almost 80 per cent of Athens’ 19th and early 20th-century buildings have been destroyed. Local tax laws have made razing these endangered examples of neo-classical and modernist architecture and starting from scratch the cheaper and easier alternative. In an effort to bring a generation of architecture back from the…